On Healthy by Nature this week: I said the guest was a surprise, but for you it won’t be. I’ve asked Bill Sardi to tell us 6 things we can do for our health that don’t cost anything. This brilliant nutrition expert will also take listener questions at 1-800-281-8255.

Event Tuesday Evening, October 5th: We never have enough time with Bill Sardi on the radio, so Healthy by Nature is bringing him to Dallas from his base in CA. He’ll tell how to still feel young even as years march on. You heard it here first—attendees will receive a free box of the terrific product Longevinex! My own talk at 6 PM is on the warning signs of blood sugar problems and how even those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes can regain control. As a bonus, anyone available in the afternoon can get free mini-consultations from Bill and/or I. Details.

Free seminars by teleconference: Today I will also send you an email announcing a number of free teleclasses you can participate in from the comfort of your home. Many are on health matters. My seminar on heartburn and acid reflux is October 14th. There are others on personal development, sales, etc.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Label mischief.

• Ben & Jerry’s will take the term “all natural” off of their ice cream labels at the urging of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It would be better if they actually reformulated to eliminate ingredients such as alkalized cocoa, corn syrup and hydrogenated fats, but it is a start. On the other hand, no one will ever confuse Ben & Jerry’s with health food.

• Sierra Mist, a Pepsi soda, now has a “Natural” version. The original had natural flavors, but the new one switched from corn syrup to sugar. Some corn syrup contains mercury, so that might be progress, but sugar is still a highly refined product. The 9 tsp in a 12 ounce serving have the same calories and same blood sugar spiking effect as corn syrup. On the positive side, the “Natural” version does eliminate some preservatives and has a hair less sodium. However, soda’s do tend to make the body more acidic and that isn’t good for health because acidity depletes mineral reserves (e.g. weakens bones). It is hard to beat good water as a beverage.

• The government does not yet have a definition of “natural”, so there is still no substitute for reading the ingredients on labels. Advertising mischief.

• The makers of Listerine® and other mouth washes are under fire from the Food and Drug Administration for making claims that the mouth rinses remove plaque and promote healthy gums. The agency says there is no proof. Original Listerine®, thanks to its herb content, does have a good reputation for helping with dandruff and toenail fungus. (There must be a joke in there somewhere about foot-in-mouth, but I’ll let it go.)

RESEARCH

Artificially-sweetened Soft Drinks Increase Risk of Pre-term Delivery. A study of over 59,000 women made that conclusion. A woman who drank at least one diet soda daily would have a 17 percent increased risk but according to Reuter’s math, “Women who had at least four diet sodas a day were nearly 80 percent more likely to deliver preterm.” Sugar-sweetened drinks did not show the risk association and only chemical sweeteners were studied, not Stevia.¹

My 2 cents: So, at least for pregnant women, these artificial sweeteners seem to be a dose-dependent poison. They’ve been shown to actually encourage weight gain and they don’t taste very good. So, I’m at a loss why sales of the diet drinks are so high. Read more.

HOME TEST

I learned this trick from James Mahoney, D.O. in Southlake, TX. If you think you might be losing hair, run the fingers of both hands through your hair. Unless 10 or more hairs come out, don’t worry. If more came out, then the first thing I’d suggest is checking your thyroid function because that is one of many signs of an under-functioning thyroid gland.

My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book : Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

Copyright 2010 Martie Whittekin, CCN

¹Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep;92(3):626-33. Epub 2010 Jun 30. Intake of artificially sweetened soft drinks and risk of preterm delivery: a prospective cohort study in 59,334 Danish pregnant women. Halldorsson TI, Strøm M, Petersen SB, Olsen SF.