Cumulative strains of bacteria that you harbor in your mouth, throat and down your esophagus can make your breath smell extremely unpleasant. And these bacteria can develop from the amino acids in your mouth… or they could be the result of an infection, periodontal disease or cancer of the mouth, esophagus or lungs.

How can you tell if you have bad breath? Lick the back of your hand and wait five seconds to smell it. If it smells bad, then your breath smells bad, too.

One way to get rid of your bad breath is to eat less refined sugar. The more refined sugar you eat the more smelly organisms such as yeast and unnatural bacteria you will have inside your body. Refined sugar feeds these strains, but whole and living raw foods don’t. And for long-term therapy, you might consider a liquid cleanse as well as eating nutrient-rich, living foods such as fruits and vegetables. You’ll be sweetly surprised at the improvement in not only your breath, but your body odor, as well.

How important is your breath when it comes to your love life? While men think appearance is the most important aspect in a mate, smells are a close second. And for women, smells rank the highest in terms of attraction. This is a call to action because a more satisfying love life could be just a sweet smell away.

Since having a cancerous colonoscopy biopsy more than a year ago, my friend has been fighting for his life. At the age of 38, he underwent radical surgery with radiation, which later had to be repeated to remove cancerous skin at the incision site. After returning to work, he had to go back into the hospital to have a blockage in his small intestine cleared. His doctors have told him he can’t eat fiber and have put him on a diet of broth and mostly unappetizing foods. Can you give us some suggestions for a nutritious yet appealing diet?

—Kimberly H.

Dear Kimberly,

Yes, I do have some suggestions for your friend. First, let me say that the doctors have restricted your friend from fiber because they think that fiber from foods such as lettuce and celery will be poorly digested, and will cause him to have gas. To get optimum amounts of fiber and nutrients, you can make a smoothie with fruit, veggies, almonds, walnuts and any other whole, living foods. These will not only be nutritious, but your friend shouldn’t have any trouble digesting it.

And here’s another tip. Find some fresh soup recipes that call for whole foods. That should give him even more options. Truth be told, they didn’t teach mainstream doctors much about nutrition and health in medical school—and it often shows in their food recommendations. I hope this information will be helpful!

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Cinnamon Apple Walnut Cookies

Pulp from 3 Fuji apples
1 cup walnuts
1/8 cup maple syrup
½ tsp cinnamon or to taste (optional)
Vanilla powder (optional)

Juice your apples and extract the pulp, saving the juice to drink later. Combine the apple pulp, walnuts, maple syrup and cinnamon in a food processor and blend well. Pinch off 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll them into balls. Then flatten the balls and place them on mesh dehydrator sheets. Lightly sprinkle the flattened balls with cinnamon and vanilla powder to taste. Dehydrate the cookies for eight to 10 hours at 105 degrees.

These yummy cookie treats are at their best fresh out of the dehydrator and topped with vanilla frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy… and don’t forget to drink the refreshing juice you’ve reserved from the apple pulp.

Green tea contains powerful antioxidants known as catechins that can help defend against free radicals that can do damage to your DNA and possibly pave the way for heath dangers such as cancer, blood clots and atherosclerosis. But not only does it have the potential to fight heart disease and cancer, green tea may also help lower your “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, help fight obesity, as well as help prevent diabetes, stroke and dementia.

Antioxidants protect your organs and tissues by eliminating free radicals before they attack your cells. These free radical bad guys wreak havoc with your body by upsetting stable molecules. Unfortunately as you get older, your body’s own supply of ample antioxidants runs low, opening the door for free radical damage. This is the main reason why aging people get ill and look years older than they are. Left to roam your body unchecked, free radicals can also…

• Prematurely age your skin—Free radicals destroy the collagen that keeps your skin soft, smooth and flexible. If you’ve got brown age spots on your hands or face, that’s a tell-tale sign that you’ve got free radical damage.
• Release dangerous cholesterol into your bloodstream—When fat molecules such as cholesterol get oxidized, they can clog up your arteries and set the stage for heart and brain disasters. And the leading cause of oxidized cholesterol is free radicals.
• Block deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) function—DNA is the “blueprint” that tells your cells how to act, duplicate and even repair themselves. RNA transmits the information in the DNA to your cells. Free radicals can damage both DNA and RNA communication—causing your cells to malfunction and even self-destruct.
• Trigger joint pain and muscle aches—An overproduction of free radicals in a specific area can cause inflammation leading to degeneration of the joints and resulting in chronic joint and muscle pain.
• Drain your energy—Free radicals release a toxic waste matter called lipofuscins. This yellowish-brown cell debris can interfere with your body’s ability to metabolize protein, your main source for energy.
• Choke cell growth—Cells need hormones, enzymes and minerals to stay healthy and repair damages. Free radicals block the pathway to these nutrients and prevent healthy cell function—leaving you vulnerable to sickness and even premature death.

Fortunately, Mother Nature provides remarkable free radical-fighting antioxidants such as…

• Acetyl L-Carnitine
• Ginkgo Biloba
• DMAE
• Phosphatidylserine (PS)
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Plus, other natural antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid and vitamin C can also help extend cell life. You’ll feel better… think clearer… react quicker… look younger… and enjoy life again.

I am a woman in my 60s and for several months I’ve been having skin problems that resemble acne. Although my dermatologist has told me that my diet is not impacting my skin’s health, I wanted to get your opinion on the matter. Could the foods I eat have anything to do with my acne-like skin condition?

—Loretta Y.

Dear Loretta,

It’s truly ridiculous how many doctors, especially dermatologists, preach tirelessly about how food has absolutely nothing to do with the health of your skin. But that is the farthest thing from the truth, and I’d like to give you an example from my own personal life.

My daughter was concerned about her skin breakouts and underwent microdermabrasion—an intense dermatology procedure. She endured tremendous pain but only saw a limited improvement in her skin’s health. What’s more, she was told she’d have to endure two more of the same painful procedures. However, she decided instead to take control and change her diet.

Over a period of six months, my daughter consumed more than 95 percent nutrient-rich whole foods—mostly in their raw form—and has almost completely cleared up her skin—naturally and painlessly. As an extra bonus, she’s found that her energy has increased dramatically. Plus, she’s lost more than 15 pounds… and she’s still losing.

By removing unhealthy foods from her diet, my daughter may have eliminated a food allergy. Any food allergy can contribute to skin reactions like acne. Why don’t more dermatologists know this? They aren’t trained to recognize the role of good nutrition in powerful, lasting health.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.

In a study of male smokers performed by the National Cancer Institute, men with the highest blood levels of vitamin E were 18 percent less likely to die from any cause compared to those with the lowest blood levels. The first group was lower in prostate cancer by 32 percent, lung cancer by 21 percent, stroke by 35 percent and respiratory disease by 42 percent.

So do your health a favor… stock up on vitamin E-rich foods such as cold pressed vegetable oils, whole grains, nuts, molasses, eggs, sweet potatoes, broccoli, leafy greens and spinach.

Brown Rice with Green Peas

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
2 pounds fresh peas, shelled (about 2 cups) or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup homemade chicken stock or canned broth
1/3 cup Natural Nut Sour Cream (recipe below)
3 ½ cups cooked brown rice, heated
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a medium-sized baking dish.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook for one minute. Then stir in the peas and cook covered until just tender—about five minutes for fresh peas and four minutes if you’re using frozen ones.

Place half the pea mixture in the food processor, then add the sour cream and chicken stock. Process the ingredients until they are fine in texture. Return the puree to the saucepan and add the remaining pea mixture, rice, salt and pepper. Transfer the casserole to the prepared baking dish and bake it—loosely covered—for 14 minutes. Sprinkle the casserole with chives before serving. Serve it hot from the oven as a side dish or as the main course.

Natural Nut Sour Cream

1 ½ cups fresh cashews
¾ cup fresh sunflower seeds
2 ¼ cups filtered water

Place the cashews, sunflower seeds and water in a blender and blend well. Then pour the creamy mixture into a glass jar and cover it with a cotton cloth. Allow your cream to stand (ferment) at room temperature for one to three hours. Taste it occasionally and as soon as it tastes slightly sour, refrigerate it.

The sour cream keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Your natural CoQ10 levels are at their highest when you are age 20, but unfortunately they drop 65 percent by age 80. CoQ10 supplementation is often necessary—especially for the sick and elderly—to maintain proper energy-boosting levels. And the benefits of CoQ10 supplementation can make a world of difference to your health and longevity…

• Levels of CoQ10 are normally low in patients with congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, mitral valve prolapse and after a heart attack. Supplementation can make a difference by increasing energy production and antioxidant activity. Although only 25 percent of heart failure patients would be expected to live for 36 months using only conventional medicines, 75 percent of those taking CoQ10 lived for 46 months according to the International Journal of Tissue Reactions.
• In one clinical study, adult patients taking CoQ10 reduced their average systolic blood pressure by almost 18 points—better than most prescription blood pressure medications can do—and without side effects.
• A study of patients with early Parkinson’s disease showed that daily CoQ10 supplementation helped reduce the progression of their disease.
• Researchers in Portugal reported that CoQ10 therapy in rats helped prevent the drastic energy deficiencies that characterize Alzheimer’s disease.
• The journal Cephalgia reported that researchers gave CoQ10 to patients with a history of migraines. After three months of daily use, more than 60 percent of the patients experienced less than half the amount of migraines they were experiencing before.

CoQ10 is safe and effective for many serious health problems. For optimum healing benefits, you should find a quality bio-available form of CoQ10 that is fully soluble and free of crystals… then you can experience firsthand its energizing effects.

Today the Reishi mushroom is most valued for its benefits on the immune system. It can boost immune defenses, fight off allergies, promote heart health and reduce arthritis pain. Also known as Ganoderma lucidum, Lingzhi or Ling Zhi, this medicinal mushroom could be a jumpstart to a healthier you.