This critical balance between acidity and alkalinity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 known as the pH—or “potential of hydrogen.” On this scale, 0 to 7.0 is acid, 7.0 is neutral and 7.0 to 14 is alkaline. If you’re a healthy person with perfectly balanced pH, you would have a reading of about 7.4 in your blood and about 7.25 in your tissues. However, most people fall in the acid range of 6.2 to 6.4.

Why? Take a look at the three main reasons why we are so far below the healthy alkaline range:

• Stress—If you’re alive and working in America, you’re swimming in stress. This is a big reason for an increase in acid production.
• Dehydration—Seven out of 10 of us are chronically dehydrated. This means we suffer from dehydration fatigue, sluggish metabolism and an urge to eat all the time. Our thirst mechanism lacks strength and is often mistaken for hunger.
• Poor Diet—As you age you become more acidic because you build up more acid waste due mainly to a diet poor in nutrition. Most people eat 80 percent acid foods and only 20 percent alkaline foods. However, you should reverse that in order to be healthy.

Foods such as beef, pork, pasta, hamburgers, hot dogs, frozen snack foods, crackers, cookies, rice and most sugar cereals are acid-forming and commercially processed. These are the foods that most Americans live on. Sugar and artificial sweeteners (except Stevia) are even bigger culprits. And soft drinks are the real dangers with a high acid pH level of 2.5!

And while we devour the health-robbing acid-based foods, we turn up our noses at the good guys—alkaline-forming foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other foods high in fiber. This is a way of life that spells disaster for our health.

Just as acid can ruin your car battery, this is what acid overload can do to your body:

• Eats away at the linings of your arteries and increases your chances of both brain and cardiovascular problems
• Erodes cartilage and causes inflamed joints
• Damages skin cells which contributes to premature wrinkling and other aging issues

But that’s not the only damage you face. Excess acid can cause blood sugar problems… high blood pressure… calcium-deprived bones… low energy… poor circulation… sexual problems… sleep problems… leg cramps… and a host of other issues.

As a matter of fact, in his recent popular book, Alkalize or Die, Theodore A. Baroody, M.A., D.C., N.D., Ph.D., shook the scientific world with the statement, “The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause… TOO MUCH ACID IN THE BODY!”

However, by understanding the importance of the acid/alkaline balance in your body—and taking steps to reverse the acid dominance—you can halt your march toward poor health.

The most common symptoms of acid reflux are chest pain and heartburn. It may also result in stomach acid and contents rising in the back into your throat, and ejecting through your mouth, or regurgitation. It may be followed by a bitter taste in your mouth and a burning pain in your throat.

Since these symptoms often rear their heads at night—lack of sleep, exhaustion and low energy levels are common problems that result from the condition.

And over time, the digestive acids can begin to eat away at the lining of your esophagus, possibly leading to esophageal cancer—a disease that kills about 13,000 Americans each year.

What you need is a proper balance of stomach acid levels. You need your stomach to produce acid during meals… not between meals. And the “good” stomach acid you need is called hydrochloric acid (HCl). In fact, you need about two grams of HCl to digest a simple meal—but by age 50, many of us are lacking about 85 percent of the HCl that we need!

And scientists have also discovered that the prescription and over-the-counter drugs intended to neutralize and kill the bad acids in your stomach are also destroying the necessary good levels of HCl.

Another possible cause of your acid reflux could be a lack of critical digestive enzymes—they break down the foods you eat so they can get absorbed into your body. Unfortunately, as you get older, you produce fewer digestive enzymes, which can cause acid reflux.

So what is the solution? Many suggestions have been offered—don’t smoke… don’t overeat… avoid alcohol and high fat meals—all very sensible advice for overall health.

But you may have been told to avoid your favorite foods and beverages… sit upright for an hour after eating… or prop up the head of your bed to help you sleep. What a pain!

I suggest you take an all-natural supplement to give you the needed levels of good HCl during meals, and to help stop too much “bad” acid production between meals. And for this, I highly recommend my True Health™ Ultimate Digestion Formula™.

I read your article “For A Deeper Cleanse… Try This” about fasting and I want to fast for all of the reasons you stated. However, I suffer from hypothyroidism and take Synthroid® everyday. Is it safe to do a liquid or water fast under this condition? Would it be safe to stop this medication during a fast? —Kathy L.

Dear Kathy,

The liquid fast (where you drink only water for an average of three to 10 days) will only improve your thyroid condition, not hurt it. Here are some of the effects you can expect with a water fast:

• Weight loss with little or no hunger.
• Detoxification, breaking down fat reserves and mobilizing stored toxins to be eliminated.
• Digestive system is allowed to rest.
• Resolve inflammatory processes, including painful arthritic conditions.
• Relief from allergic reactions, such as asthma and hay fever.
• Relief from abnormal fluid accumulations such as leg edema.
• Helps restore blood pressure to healthy levels.
• Clearer skin, and revitalized taste buds.
• And much more…

All the while, you are preparing yourself and your stomach for a lifestyle change to whole, natural foods.

However, keep taking your thyroid replacement medication. It has a gradual effect on metabolism. Only reduce the amount when you are feeling you need less, but please don’t forget to follow-up with a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level test with your doctor.

For more questions and answers like this one, check out my monthly newsletter, Easy Health Options™, by visiting www.easyhealthoptions.com.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Dear Health Conscious Individual,

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler™!

In this week’s issue, we will discuss getting your body in complete balance. This means monitoring your pH levels, which can ultimately lead to health problems if not kept in check. Be sure to read my checklist and see if you’re in danger!

Body balance also means eliminating free radicals from your system. The abundance of these floating molecules in your body could increase your risk for health problems!

Plus, can you truly spot organic and natural foods? Read below to find out how…

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Do You Have Symptoms of Irregular pH Balance?

It’s no secret that your body is made up of about 70 percent water. Every one of your 100 trillion cells is filled with water. And every other chemical in your body—from the stomach acid you need to digest food… to the blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of all your organs—either contain water or are suspended in water.

Therefore, for you to be healthy, that water needs to have a healthy pH balance—even out into the tissues of the organs where metabolism actually occurs. The letters “pH” mean “potential of hydrogen” and simply measure how acidic or alkaline your body is on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14.

Your body will work hard to keep your organ tissues in pH balance. You will achieve optimum health much easier when your organ tissues stay in a slightly alkaline environment—about 7.0 to 7.5 as measured by saliva.

Blood pH is very different, however. It remains in the 7.34 to 7.38 pH range normally. And urine is normally acidic at a pH of 6.2 to 6.8 upon your first morning bathroom visit. What some people don’t realize is that saliva is a fairly good reflection of tissue pH which can vary, while blood pH will be one of the very last things to change in a sick person.

Is an acidic pH balance behind YOUR symptoms? Take this simple test:

1. Do you suffer from high blood pressure, a failing heart or other heart problems?
2. Do your joints feel stiff, inflamed and painful or do you suffer from bone loss?
3. Has a doctor told you that your blood sugar levels are too high or too low?
4. Are you finding it more difficult to get a good night’s sleep?
5. Do you suffer from constant fatigue or energy crashes after meals?
6. Do you frequently endure cramping, constipation, heartburn or other digestive problems?
7. Do you sometimes feel depressed, negative and cranky?
8. Have you noticed that your ability to solve problems or to remember details is lacking?
9. Do you sometimes suffer from shortness of breath or other lung problems?
10. Do you experience pain, numbness or tingling in your hands, legs or feet?
11. Is your skin or hair aging more rapidly than they should?
12. Do you notice that your eyesight or hearing is fading at an alarming rate?
13. Do you suffer from low sexual desire or performance problems?
14. Do you contract infections more often with each passing year?

If you answered “YES” to one or more of these questions, there’s a good chance that you may be suffering from acid overload. In addition to the best nutrition you can consume, the next step is to supplement with alkalizing minerals.

Antioxidants: Your Body’s Natural Housekeeper

Did you know that the presence of free radicals in your system could increase your risk of health problems? But, despite the damaging effects they can have on your health, there’s great news! You can fight off—and even PREVENT the attack of free radicals naturally!

Here’s how: Your body has a natural defense system of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Simply put, antioxidants play a housekeeper’s role by “mopping up” free radicals before they get the chance to do harm to your body.

Antioxidants are produced by your body and taken in through foods you eat. Take the well-known L-glutathione, for example. It is produced by the body from three amino acids called: cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. L-glutathione functions as an electron donor molecule for those free radicals that are stealing electrons from healthy stable molecular structures.

In this way, L-glutathione turns oxidized (damaged) vitamins back to their original molecular configuration. For example, vitamins C and E that get oxidized are restored as antioxidants. L-glutathione also destroys reactive oxygen molecules (such as superoxide, hydroxyl and other free radicals).

Antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, glutathione, proteolytic enzymes, and a host of other antioxidant substances are scientifically proven to slow down the aging process. Furthermore, a diet rich in antioxidants helps keep your skin looking younger, improves your memory—and can even REVERSE many health problems!

It’s important to remember that free radical damage accumulates with age. If the production of free radicals becomes excessive, gradual severe damage can occur. So, the best way to ensure adequate intake of antioxidant nutrients is through a predominately whole foods diet.

For example, consuming six vegetable and three fruit servings per day will provide you with optimal amounts of fiber and micronutrients. Then, if approximately half of all your food is cooked and the other half is raw, then you are really on your way to true health!

Organic and Natural Food Products vs. Real Whole Foods

On a recent trip to Anaheim, Calif., my daughter and I attended the annual Natural Products Expo West. There were more than 3,000 exhibitors showing their food and natural products to the masses of attendees from all over the country. Here are just a few examples of the products on display (www.expowest.com):

• Gluten-Free: breads, brownies, cereals, pastas and snack foods
• Certified Fair Trade: personal care products, rice, teas, chocolate, snacks, coffee
• Whole and Sprouted Grains: pizza, kid snacks, nutrition bars, dinner rolls, desserts
• Healthy Omega-3 Fats: capsules and culinary oils to breakfast and dinner foods
• Reusable Shopping Bags: certified organic, hemp, recycled materials and biodegradable
• Pre- and Probiotics: from supplement capsules to yogurt snacks, drinks and bars
• Exotic Ingredients and Novel Flavors: from ‘superfruits’ mangosteen, goji berry, yumberry and acai berry to yerba mate
• Healthy Kid-sized Foods: drinks, snacks and everything in-between

This is a pretty impressive list—with many great alternatives. But, what I learned when I arrived was both revealing and appalling! Besides eating food samples literally all day long, we got the overriding message that became very clear to us:

There is a huge marketing push to get you to believe that because it says “organic” or “natural,” it is good for your health!
Instead of high fiber, high nutrient, low sugar or real whole foods, I saw hundreds of food products with “natural” sugar in granola bars, yogurts, juices, cookies, candies, cakes, refined cold cereals, pretzels, sodas, etc., you name it. They were selling foods with a “natural” sugar version that is just as low in fiber and micronutrients as the regular ones!

We discovered that while many of these products could be better for your health because they are derived from organic sources (no pesticides, chemicals, hormones or antibiotics), they still don’t compare to the real thing. They don’t have live micronutrients in them: dietary fiber, whole vitamins, organic minerals, live enzymes, antioxidants, phytochemicals or healthy oils.

I was quite proud, however, of the ONE vendor who actually had real whole foods (he was selling the spices to go on the real whole foods). So, if you shop health food stores, consider staying in the organic produce section and not in the aisles where there are a myriad of “natural” boxed, canned, bottled and otherwise refined and processed sugary and fatty food products. Let these non-produce food products be the exception or the occasional condiment. They are NOT the basis for a healthy, whole foods eating lifestyle.

For a comprehensive list of good and bad foods, check out my 90 Days to True Health™ program today, with recipes and suggestions to help you figure out the right plan for your family.

Q & A

Each week in the Q & A section of House Calls with Dr. Cutler™, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options™”. For more information on Easy Health Options™”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com

Peripheral Neuropathy In Feet and Legs

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I have severe pain in the feet and lower legs, of idiopathic origin. I’m controlling the pain, most of the time, by taking several prescription painkillers.

P.S. I currently take Ultimate pH Balance™ and Liver & Kidney Cleanse™ and am awaiting my order of Advanced Artery Solution™.
—Frank C.

Dear Frank,

You are on the right track. There is a whole lot more to address, which is covered in my program called 90 Days to True Health™. Peripheral neuropathy is either from compression in the back, or it can be from diabetes or an “autoimmune” disease affecting the peripheral nerves. What has caused your immune system to attack your nerves this way is your question to be asking of the physicians.

The various things that you will want to explore are heavy metals (i.e., mercury) toxicity, liver function and the alkaline/acid status of your blood—and more importantly of your tissues. And you want to explore all possible types of allergens that can trigger the immune system and anything else that can turn on your immune system’s inflammatory process. Even sugar can worsen nerve function in sensitive patients.

So there are lots of possibilities you may want to explore. When reversed, you can get normal healing and at least partial restoration of function.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Dear Health Conscious Individual,

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler™!

In this issue, we explore the healing effects that love can have on your heart—literally. By opening yourself up to these intimate feelings, it has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease in both men and women.

Plus, there are many dangerous additives used in the thousands of products that fill our supermarkets and pantry. But did you know that these preservatives can wreak havoc on your body? I’ll tell you some of the main culprits to be cautious of, so be sure to check out this week’s article!

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Love: The Best Medicine for Heart Health

While it is good to look beyond drugs and surgery to nutrition and exercise, please know that real health is more than just focusing on these physical aspects of the body. Rather, it is love and intimacy that are at the very root of health.

The type D personality traits, fearing other people’s opinions and closing off to others, is all too common. It’s not an illness, but a pattern that feeds depression or relationship dysfunction over time. And the real way to heal these and other personality types, as well as mood disorders for that matter, is for a person to actually feel within them the healing effects of the most important energy in motion (or e-motion) called love.

When I discover social or emotional dysfunction, I see a person who is struggling to find inner peace. Yet when they open up to it, they instantly recognize it when they feel it—the warm feeling of close connection and friendship.

All people innately thrive on acceptance and love. Let me share more about the amazing relationship between the feeling of peace and love with the outward result of physical health.

The feeling of love and acceptance can be as powerful as medications according to many scientific studies—even though it is not (yet absolutely should be)—prescribed by doctors like a drug. The real quality of your life is dependent upon the amount of peace and love you experience on a daily basis—it is the deepest human need and desire once you have enough oxygen, food and relief of any acute pain. And so life becomes all about finding love, yet most find it in counterfeit forms.

These counterfeit forms of love are represented as material things, the praise of society, and feeling more powerful or ahead of others. There are many forms of counterfeit love, yet they all fall short of the pure energy we recognize as unconditional love.

Another challenge for most people is the ability to let go of their beliefs about others and to truly open their heart to let love in. I call this, “the walls of protection.” These walls come in many forms—each layer being added during some experience in life that causes them to shut themselves in rather than experience life from the joyful and free perspective of a small and innocent child.

The power of love and connection has actually been measured in terms of health outcomes. In a Yale study, those who felt the most loved had much less blockage in their coronary arteries.

Similarly, Case Western Reserve University researchers studied almost 10,000 married men only to find out that those who said “yes” to the question, “Does your wife show her love?” had significantly less chest pain (angina).

Furthermore, Duke University researchers found in a survey of men and women with heart disease that the death rate after five years was three times higher for those who were single or lacked a trusted friendship connection.

All three of these studies found the protective effects of love to be independent from other risk factors. So it is time to view relationships as an essential part of your health and well being, not just as a luxury or worse, another “have to” in life. To experience compassion, forgiveness, service, love and intimacy is at the foundation of real health.

The Dangers of Food Additives

Most foods that are cured, canned, bottled or packaged have synthetic chemicals added to them. These additives are commonly called preservatives, dyes and artificial flavorings. Most of us never consider the dangers of these additives. After all, the FDA and USDA say they are safe.

But the fact is, though they are not likely to make you sick right away, they can be extremely harmful to your health over time.

One example is red dye #40 and yellow dye #5. These are the two most widely used artificial colorings found in soda pop, candy, gelatin desserts, pastry, sausage, baked goods and pet food. Even though evidence of the toxicity of red dye #40 and yellow dye #5 has been found in mice models, an FDA committee said the evidence isn’t substantial enough to ban their use.

Instead, these dyes continue to be used causing mild allergic reactions in some people… and who knows what reactions could occur over long-term use! Here are more additives you should consider avoiding in packaged foods:

• Blue #1 (beverages, candy, baked goods): Some studies suggest it may cause cancer.
• Blue #2 (pet food, beverages, candy): The largest study suggested a correlation to brain tumors in male mice, but the FDA concluded it has a “reasonable certainty of no harm.”
• Green #3 (candy, beverages): A 1981 study done by the industry hints at bladder cancer, but the FDA re-analyzed the data and concluded it was safe.
• Red #3 (cherries in fruit cocktail, candy, baked goods): Convincing evidence shows it causes thyroid tumors in rats. The Reagan Administration overruled the FDA’s recommendation that the dye be banned.
• Yellow #6 (beverages, sausage, baked goods, candy, gelatin): Animal tests performed by the industry indicate it causes adrenal gland and kidney tumors. Yellow #6 can also contribute to allergic reactions and ADHD in children.
• Acesulfame Potassium (baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts, soft drinks): This artificial sweetener is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. The safety tests conducted in the 1970s were of mediocre quality at best. Two rat studies have since found that this substance may cause cancer.
• Aspartame (Equal^®, Nutrasweet^®): This is the most controversial additive. It was banned for use in foods in the U.S. in 1970 after a study suggested that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. The FDA managed to reverse its decision to allow it in foods again. In 2005, an EPA-sponsored study found that even low doses of aspartame increased lymphoma and leukemia in female rats and possibly caused occasional brain tumors.
• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) (cereals, chewing gum, vegetable (and other) oils and potato chips and in food packaging to preserve freshness.) The preservatives have been found by some studies to cause cancer in rats.
• Hydrogenated fats: You may now begin to see all trans-fats and hydrogenated oils as additives, because they are not naturally found in foods and are as harmful as any of the above chemicals.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many restaurant foods.): Reported reactions to MSG include headache, nausea, weakness, burning skin sensation, wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty breathing. In the 1960s, it was discovered that large amounts of MSG fed to infant mice destroyed nerve cells in the brain. After that research was publicized, public pressure forced baby food companies to stop adding MSG to their products.
• Olestra (Olean) is a synthetic fat found in chips and crackers that is not absorbed by the body so it has an extremely high incidence of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, gas and bloating. At the same time it inhibits the absorption of valuable fat-soluble vitamins from fruits and vegetables.
• Potassium bromate is an additive that has long been used to increase the volume of bread. Bromate itself causes cancer in animals and has been banned internationally, except in the U.S. and Japan.
• Propyl gallate is used much like BHA and BHT, described above. This is a preservative in vegetable oil, meat products, chicken soup base and chewing gum. Rat studies suggest it might cause cancer in rats.
• Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low^®) is a well-known artificial sweetener in diet soft drinks that is 350 times sweeter than sugar. Many animal studies have shown that it can cause cancer of the urinary bladder, uterus, ovaries, skin and blood vessels. In May 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services removed saccharin from its list of cancer-causing chemicals and later that year Congress passed a law removing the warning notice.
• Sodium Nitrite and nitrate are preservatives, colorings and flavorings in bacon, ham, frankfurters, luncheon meats, smoked fish, corned beef and many other processed meats. However, it slowly breaks down into nitrite, which leads to the formation of nitrosamines (potent cancer-causing chemicals), especially in bacon that gets fried. Although the meat industry justifies the use of sodium nitrate because it prevents bacterial growth, there are other safer ways to achieve this.

It’s best to simply avoid all processed foods since it is most likely some sort of additive has been used to preserve it from the manufacturing plant to your table. This preservation takes away from the foods’ nutritional value and could increase your chances for life-threatening diseases, so why not stick with whole, organic foods that you know are additive free?

Next week, we will look at nutritional labels. I will help you understand how to read them and best determine what’s REALLY in all those products stocked in your pantry!

Drug-Free Solution for Eliminating Allergies!

One well-known, acclaimed method for eliminating allergies is Dr.Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET). This is a non-invasive, drug-free, natural solution for eliminating allergies of all types and intensities.

NAET uses a blend of selective energy balancing testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional and kinesiological disciplines of medicine. One allergen is treated at a time. If you are not severely immune deficient, you may need just one treatment to desensitize one allergen.

A person with a mild to moderate amount of allergies may need several office visits to desensitize multiple food and environmental allergens. Basic essential nutrients are treated during the first few visits, while chemicals, environmental allergens, vaccinations and immunizations are treated after completing about 10 basic essential nutrients.

Practitioners skilled in NAET or similar techniques achieve an approximately 80 percent success rate. It can successfully eliminate adverse reactions to egg, milk, peanuts, penicillin, aspirin, mushrooms, shellfish, latex, grass, ragweed, flowers, perfume, animal dander, animal epithelial, make-up, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pathogens, heat, cold and other environmental agents.

This bio-energetic allergy elimination technique typically lasts for three months to a few years. More than 7,500 licensed medical practitioners have been trained in NAET procedures and are practicing all over the world. To help you find a NAET-trained specialist, go to www.naet.com and click on “Find a Practitioner.”

Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com

GERD and pH Balance

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I have had GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and hiatal hernia at varying degrees of severity for about four years. I take Nexium^® (40 mg) twice daily, which controls symptoms fairly well during the day. During the night I usually awaken for about an hour with repetitive burping. I ordered a trial of Ultimate pH Balance™, which should arrive today, I think. Should I continue with the Nexium® and add Ultimate pH Balance™ to see how it goes initially? And hopefully taper off the prescription soon?

—Christine Y.

Dear Christine,

The best thing for GERD is to take a digestive enzyme with Betaine HCL with each meal; eliminate the processed foods and sugary snacks between meals; address (reduce) your stress; and within two to four weeks you could taper your Nexium® intake (please get your physician involved).

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Dear Health Conscious Individual,

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler™!

We are exposed to harmful chemicals every day—but did you know long-term exposure can increase your chances of developing cancer? In this issue I will discuss some of the products that contain these chemicals, and how you can avoid them.

We also look at one of America’s most debilitating eye diseases, Adult Macular Degeneration, which affects more than 12 million people. But don’t worry—there are many preventative measures you can take today to reduce your risk!

Plus, if you experience the “sugar blues,” or the exhausting sleepy sensation after consuming too much sugar, I can help! Read this article to find out some healthy solutions.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Are You Being Exposed to Cancer-Causing Xenoestrogens?

It’s recently been reported by the National Toxicology Program that 90 percent of Americans are exposed to bisphenol A (BPA), which is a chemical present in hundreds of household items and plastic products.

BPA falls into the category of xenoestrogens. The word “xeno” means foreign. The word “estrogen” means hormone. Xenoestrogens, therefore, refer to the more than 100,000 registered chemicals used throughout the world which have hormonal, toxic and cancer-causing effects upon humans.

These “endocrine disruptors” can affect the hormone function of the human body in 100- to 1,000-times greater concentration than normal human hormones. For example, DDE (the body’s natural conversion of the deadly pesticide DDT, which was banned in 1972) can remain in body fat for decades!

Xenoestrogens have been found in the following:

• Plastic Drinking Bottles
• Plastic Baby Bottles
• Plastic Food Storage Containers
• Detergent Breakdown Products
• Canned Foods
• Commercially Raised Beef, Chicken and Pork
• Skin Lotions, Gels & the Preservative Paraben
• Herbicides
• Plastic IV Bags
• Sunscreen Chemicals
• And more…

However, through oral chelation, the harmful effects of xenoestrogens and other toxic materials—including lead—can be safely eliminated from the body

Adult Macular Degeneration

Clear vision is a true blessing and a gift, especially as we age. The following is important information regarding one of the main threats to healthy vision in people over the age of 50—adult macular degeneration (AMD).

According to some studies, there are approximately 200,000 new cases of macular degeneration in the U.S. each year and more than 12 million sufferers.

In general, patients suffering from AMD are in their mid-70s. Macular degeneration is the name given to that group of diseases that cause sight-sensing cells in the macular zone of the retina to malfunction or lose function.

Sometimes only one eye loses vision while the other eye continues to see well for many years. The condition may be hardly noticeable in its early stages. But when both eyes are affected, reading and close up work can become difficult.

How does AMD damage vision?
According to the Macular Degeneration Organization, AMD occurs in two forms: Dry AMD affects about 90 percent of those with the disease. Its cause is unknown. Slowly, the light sensitive cells in the macula break down. With less of the macula working, you may start to lose central vision in the affected eye as the years go by. Dry AMD often occurs in just one eye at first. You may get the disease later in the other eye. Doctors have no way of knowing if or when both eyes may be affected.

Wet AMD accounts for 90 percent of all severe vision loss from the disease, only about 10 percent of all people with AMD have this type. It occurs when new blood vessels behind the retina start to grow toward the macula. Because these new blood vessels tend to be very fragile, they will often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula that can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.

What are the symptoms of AMD?
Neither dry nor wet AMD causes any pain. The most common symptom of dry AMD is slightly blurred vision. You may need more light for reading and other tasks.

Also, you may find it hard to recognize faces until you are very close to them. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. This spot occurs because a group of cells in the macula have stopped working properly. Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking more of your central vision.

People with dry AMD in one eye often do not notice any changes in their vision. With one eye seeing clearly, they can still drive, read and see fine details. Some people may notice changes in their vision only if AMD affects both of their eyes.

An early symptom of wet AMD is that straight lines appear wavy. This happens because the newly formed blood vessels leak fluid under the macula. The fluid raises the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye and distorts your vision.

Another sign that you may have wet AMD is rapid loss of your central vision. This is different from dry AMD in which loss of central vision occurs slowly. As in dry AMD, you may also notice a blind spot. Many people wait too long to go to their eye doctor.

If you are over age 50 or have noticed any vision problems, make sure you are getting regular screenings. You may not be able to see the problem before it’s too late, that’s why a doctor’s exam can help with early detection.

What can you do if you are diagnosed with macular degeneration?

• Wear sunglasses with UV protection.
• Do not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking can reduce this vital blood supply by contributing to narrowing of the blood vessels and thickening of the blood, as it does in the heart and brain where this process contributes to heart attacks and strokes.
• Consume a low-fat, low cholesterol diet. A high-fat, high cholesterol diet can lead to fatty plaque deposition in the macular vessels hampering blood flow.
• If you are post menopausal, you should consult with your physician concerning estrogen replacement therapy. This may have a favorable impact upon cholesterol lipid levels that play a role in worsening the disease.
• If you are post menopausal, you should consult with your physician concerning estrogen replacement therapy. This may have a favorable impact upon cholesterol lipid levels that play a role in worsening the disease.
• Try to consume at least two servings of leafy dark green vegetables per day.
• Eat food and/or supplements rich in vitamin E, C and lutein. Lutein is a plant antioxidant found in high quantities in spinach, kale and other dark green, leafy vegetables.

Sugar Highs and Lows

Have you ever experienced the “sugar blues”? For some, it is an allergy symptom of headache, runny nose, stuffy nose, or just fatigue that immediately follows the sugar high. This down slump of fatigue is the outward immediate indicator that this food is not creating vibrant health.

Why the sedation after meals? Apparently, high-sugar meals trigger the amino acid tryptophan, which acts in the brain as a sedative. This sedation effect is usually quite profound for me personally, unless I am literally on the run. Otherwise, it is enough for me to think twice before eating a donut or other refined sugar product. It is just not worth the moment of sweet satisfaction!

As cells are overloaded with simple sugars, they make energy immediately (in the form of adenosine triphosphate, ATP), while storing excess energy into fat cells in the form of glycogen (to be used later when the body energy needs arise).

The hormone that controls the amount of sugar allowed into the cells is called insulin. Insulin is in balance with the opposing hormone, glucagons and adrenaline (adrenaline is an adrenal stress hormone). These hormones fluctuate widely as the amount of sugar in the bloodstream fluctuates.

Therefore, the smoother the transition of sugar fluctuation, the easier and more effective is the function of these hormones. This is why reversal of diabetes is so successful through strict nutrition alone.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. explains in his book, Eat to Live, that 90 percent of his diabetic patients on insulin get their blood sugar normalized, plus get off insulin through eating high density whole foods.

This may sound impossible, but once a person learns what foods are highest in nutrient density while being lowest in empty calories, their body resumes its normal blood sugar metabolism of youth. In order to achieve this, one must eat as much of these foods as they possibly can each day and frequently no longer need to inject insulin to control blood sugar.

A whole host of other illnesses are commonly reversed as well through such a nutrition and diet plan, including arthritis, heart disease, early stage cancer, allergies, asthma, etc.

So… Just How Much Sugar Does America Consume?
Those tasty foods like frosted flakes, doughnuts and pizza are our favorite refined foods. ‘But I don’t eat foods like that’, you say? What about white bread products (croutons), white rice, over-baked potatoes and pasta? These are also refined, and the body puts them into the blood stream much like simple, white sugar.

According to USDA statistics, the average adult consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar per day, which can add up to two or three pounds of sugar each week! Or, at most, 156 pounds per year!

If we all learn to adopt healthy eating habits, then we can get off this “ride” of sugar highs and lows! For alternatives to your worst snacking weaknesses, check out my 90 Days to True Health™ program today!

Q & A

Each week in the Q & A section of House Calls with Dr. Cutler™, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options™”. For more information on Easy Health Options™”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

Gastric Surgery and Supplements

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am a 53-year-old woman with adult onset diabetes. This condition has greatly improved since losing weight. I had a gastric band installed and successfully lost 174 pounds over the past two and a half years.

—Your friend in Washington

Dear Friend in Washington,

You are on the right track with cleaning up your diet for sure! The supplements that would assist in keeping your stomach acid at bay in addition to the pH product are found at www.truehealth.com.

1. Ultimate Digestion Formula™—This product will help with digestion, occasional heartburn, stomach cramps, diarrhea, gas and bloating.
2. Capra Mineral Whey™—This product will help build stronger bones, improve your immunity and ensure better digestion as it contains natural substances derived from goat’s milk. These are easier to digest than cow’s milk.
3. The 90 Days to True Health™ program—This will help you sustain healthy weight loss with eating plans, recipes and exercise tips. Plus, it will help you overcome stress, tension, anger and toxic emotions!

All the best!,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

Many of you are aware of fatal diseases that plague millions of Americans each year—but are you prepared for the third most common killer in today’s society of both men and women? Most of you are not.

Today we’ll look at the risks and warning signs associated with digestive diseases. I advise that if you answer “yes” to several of the symptoms outlined in the short questionnaire below that you talk to your doctor today. There are preventive measures to invest in now!

And, did you know that selenium can be both good and bad—depending on the amount you take? Are you taking too much or too little? Read below to find out safe dosage amounts for your supplements.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Colon Cancer—The Silent Killer!

Why should you be concerned about digestive disease? Because it is the third most common cancer in BOTH men and women!

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer and 40,740 new cases of rectal cancer in 2008 in the United States. Combined, they will cause about 49,960 deaths.

This is far too many. When colon cancer is detected and treated before it has spread, there is a 90 percent survival rate at five years. Once the cancer has spread to nearby organs or lymph nodes, however, the five-year survival rate goes down to 66 percent.

The reason it is so deadly is that by the time colon cancer is discovered (from symptoms alone), it has usually already spread. Therefore, the development of colon cancer has very few warning signs. It is difficult to detect this silent killer based solely on symptoms. This is why prevention and early screening is critical!

Colon cancer has early detection methods which are quite effective. While not intended to diagnose colon cancer or other intestinal diseases, this analysis can help you understand the risk factors and early warning signs.

• Do I have a family history of polyps or colon cancer? A family history of cancer increases risk by 66 percent.
• Do I consume high amounts of red meat? Instead of red meat, the American Cancer Society recommends choosing most of your foods from plant sources and limiting your intake of animal-source high-fat foods.
• Do I use tobacco, alcohol or other harmful drugs? Recent studies indicate that smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely than nonsmokers to die from colon cancer. Colon cancer has also been linked to the heavy use of alcohol.
• Am I over 50 years old? More than 90 percent of people who have colorectal cancer are over age 50.
• Am I overweight? If you are very overweight, your risk of developing colon cancer increases. Researchers suggest the excess fat also changes metabolism in a way which increases growth of cells in the colon and rectum, and that cells in the waist area have the largest impact on improper metabolism.
• Do I have diabetes or a sedentary lifestyle? Colon cancer is reported to be 50 percent higher among diabetics compared to the normal population. They also tend to have a higher death rate from colon cancer compared to non-diabetics with colon cancer.
• Do I have constipation or hardening of solid waste in the colon? Having bowel movements less than twice a day is considered constipation. Ideally we should have a bowel movement for every meal.
• Do I have bloating, gas or excessive fullness after meals? This is a sure sign of inadequate digestive enzyme function or inadequate stomach acid for the types of foods present.
• Do I have pain in the lower esophagus with swallowing? Esophogeal spasm or “achalasia” is usually due to recurrent acid reflux up from the stomach into the lower esophagus.
• Do I have an acid heartburn feeling in the stomach, with or without meals? This is a sign of stomach lining fragility, typically from persistent acidity in the stomach because of digestive enzyme deficiency. The acid-enzyme imbalance, created ultimately by so many “manmade” foods is a correctable condition without long-acting prescription medications.
• Do I have stools that float or appear greasy? This indicates malabsorption of fats.
• Are there large pieces of undigested food in my stools? This is consistent with inadequate enzymes to digest certain foods, usually fibrous vegetables.
• Do I have bloody or black-colored stool? When stomach acid is present, the red blood color turns to black. This indicates blood coming from the stomach or first part of the small intestine. A stomach or duodenal ulcer is likely present and must be healed.
• Do I have painful bowel movements, with or without blood? This may be rectal inflammation such as a fissure or external hemorrhoid.
• Do I have lower intestinal cramping associated with meals? This is consistent with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. These disease states lead to cancer over time with a miserable course unless the underlying gut lining tissue health is restored and causes addressed.
• Do I get a runny or stuffy nose during or after meals? This is the classic sign of allergy to certain foods.

If you answered “Yes”… to these questions, then these are some symptoms that a digestive disease may already be present. They are also warning signs that a potentially worse disease could develop if not addressed, such as cancer.

More than just risk factors, these symptoms and signs are warning you to listen to your body. While your doctor is qualified to pronounce the diagnoses of colon cancer or another digestive diseases, you now can choose a different path—the prevention path—before it’s too late.

Reduce Salt in Common Foods

If you have hypertension, try eating low sodium breads and spreads. You may actually like them! Low sodium bread can be purchased in most supermarkets. If your supermarket doesn’t carry it, you can usually order it from the manager.

However, you can make your own and it tastes much better. It also keeps for more than a month, so the pleasant and educational experience of baking it only needs to be done about once a month. In fact, it can be a very rewarding family experience. The variety of homemade low sodium bread is wide, so the variety of sandwiches available is excellent.

Low sodium mayonnaise, butter and margarine spreads are available in supermarkets and some health food stores. They usually taste bland, but can be spiced up to taste better.

An excellent spread for sandwiches is to use avocados. Let them ripen a little more and they spread like mayonnaise. Avocados have a vitamin K factor of about 17 and are low in sodium. They have fewer calories than butter or mayonnaise and have a bonus: Avocados are rich in EPA or omega-3 fatty acids!

The Truth About Selenium

Selenium has two faces. It is required for proper health but can be very damaging and even deadly if taken in extreme excess.

Some geographical areas in the world suffer from selenium deficiencies, resulting in a crippling effect in children that resembles arthritis. But patients respond well to treatment. This natural trace element is unique among nutrients. Its required amount is so little, yet its toxicity level is a consideration at high levels.

The symptoms of selenium deficiency are varied, but they include severe pain and weakness in the muscles, like arthritis. When a person is deficient in both selenium and vitamin E, liver degeneration develops.

Clearly this is an important part of everyone’s diet. The RDA is 50 to 70 micrograms a day for normal adults, 75 for pregnant women. If there are adequate amounts of vitamin E in the daily diet, up to 200 micrograms is fine and actually helps to become a protector for the body. A few important foods containing selenium are:

Selenium supplementation only makes sense in order to maintain good health. I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to stay healthy should eat a healthy dose of selenium-rich foods daily, and use a supplement, too.

Selenium can be toxic at very high doses. This was first observed in animals that eat plants with toxic levels of selenium. Toxicity in humans is rarely seen. However, toxicity has been reported in parts of the world where dietary selenium levels are extremely high.

The reported symptoms of human toxicity from selenium have included increased nail and hair brittleness or crumbling, skin rashes, “pins and needles” sensations, irritability, nausea, vomiting or garlic breath. These side effects were observed in a study at the University of Arizona of approximately 10 percent of Chinese subjects consuming a diet with more than 1,000 micrograms of selenium daily. It is interesting to note that the regions of China that have a higher selenium concentration in the soil enjoy a very low incidence of cancer.

In the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer trial, no evidence of selenium toxicity has yet been observed with either 200 or 400 mcg per daily dosage, as indicated by routine examination of patient’s nails and hair and liver function tests.

Q & A

Each week in the Q & A section of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

Cancer and Acid pH

Dear Dr. Cutler,

have been a long-time subscriber to your wonderful newsletter. Also, I strongly value your advice and informative insight about medical matters. As you know, the one word that terrifies all human beings is CANCER. I, a pharmacist, have done a lot of reading about this dreaded disease. My research has indicated that cancer only appears in people with an acidic pH. If one’s pH is alkaline, cancer never appears. Do you concur with that finding? If you do, how can one alkalinize himself?—Harold O., Scottsdale, AZ

Dear Harold,

I am impressed not only by your newfound knowledge, but by your interest in the subject. You have undoubtedly felt the resistance by conventional medical doctors and the propaganda scoffing at such things as alkaline pH and its importance in health. Yes, you hit it right on. Cancer thrives in acidic tissue.

Here are the details for monitoring pH. For urine (what the body is getting rid of), dip the pH test paper into your first morning void. You are aiming for a pH of 6.0 to 6.6. If it’s too acidic it could mean two things:

• High proteins or other acids in the diet, or…
• A lack of buffering minerals in the diet.

For saliva (most representative of lymph fluid), one should place the pH strip on their wet tongue, aiming for a pH of 6.6 to 7.0. This is pretty straight forward, since this fluid does reflect the tissues. Blood, however, is a homeostatic fluid and therefore its pH will remain fairly stable (7.30 to 7.36) despite how sick one may be.

To increase tissue pH to a safe range, I suggest the following:

• Always eat alkalinizing foods first.
• Next, maximize the elimination of metabolic acid waste from the body through the organs of elimination (bowel, skin, lymph, kidney and lung).
• Stop all emotional stresses, which greatly contribute to cancer growth through unclear mechanisms (but one clearly related clinically).
• Use herbal and other non-toxic nutrients to boost the healing mechanisms in the body, slowly overcoming the chronic conditions.

Thanks again for your interest in body acid-base balance. For the pH supplement I personally use and recommend, Click Here.

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

In this week’s edition we will tackle an issue that faces many Americans on a daily basis—back pain. Don’t you want to wake up each morning and not have to struggle to get out of bed? Don’t you want to be able to do all the activities of a teenager? Then read below to find out several tips and supplements that can help you take care of your body’s support system—your back!

We also look at genetically engineered enzymes—sounds pretty scary, right? Well, many of these enzymes are potentially harmful and they are in loads of the foods that are in your pantry as we speak! I’ll let you know what to look for in the ingredients of your favorite foods.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Quick Tips to Make Back Pain Go Away

Back pain is a common ailment. There are a lot of causes of back pain. In some cases, back pain is only felt slightly. Some people can work through the day with a wide range of mobility and others have strong back pain that renders them immobile.

Lifting heavy objects is a primary cause. People who lift laterally while bent at the back can often cause muscle and skeletal strain.

Many people used to think that back pain was the cause of spinal degeneration, but now we know more about this illness and have insights that teach us that back pain is caused by a variety of activities.

In some cases, the cause could be poor posture, walking techniques, sleep posture, sitting posture, work environment, shoes, or even a deep-seated emotional problem. In some cases, back pain can be caused by pain in the neck or shoulders. It is often a cause of back pain with older people.

Here are a few suggestions that you can use to ease your back pain:

The Water Solution

When pain strikes, drink two large glasses of quality water—not tap water. This could give relief within minutes when back pain is connected to dehydration. You need a minimum of four to eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day to keep acidic wastes from building up in your muscles.

Calcium and Osteoporosis

Taking calcium supplements can be good for your back pain because low back pain is the earliest symptom of osteoporosis. Women should take 800 to 1200 mg daily. It takes about a month to start working, so be patient and make sure that if you suffer from back pain and are at risk of osteoporosis, you should probably be supplementing.

You may want to have your doctor check your calcium and bone density levels if you are predisposed to osteoporosis. For our top recommended Calcium Supplement, check out Ultimate Calcium from Health Resources™.

A Few Tips

Never lean forward without using proper posture. Make sure to bend at the knees, keep your back erect and lift with your arms, legs and stomach. At all costs, avoid bending at the waist.

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• You may have a kidney infection if you have a fever and nausea along with pain in the middle-to-lower portion of your back.
• When sitting, keep your feet on the floor and maintain good posture.
• Reduce the stress in your life.
• There is some evidence that smoking may aggravate problems in your discs.
• There is some evidence that back pain may also be caused by repressed rage.
• Apply ice over a thin towel for two hours at a time off and on for the first 24 hours after pain hits, then apply heat using the same schedule.
• Sleep on your side—never on your stomach—and try a pillow between your legs for added support.
• Follow a fasting program once a month to clean out and flush your system.

The Good and Bad of Genetically
Engineered Enzymes

Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins that speed up biochemical processes. They’re used to produce everything from wine and cheese to corn syrup and baked goods.

Enzymes allow the manufacturer to produce more of a particular product in a shorter amount of time, thus increasing profit. Generally, the use of enzymes is beneficial. In some cases, they can replace harmful chemicals and reduce water and energy consumption in food production. However, enzymes produced by genetically engineered organisms are cause for concern.

Not enough is known about the long-term effects of these enzymes on humans and the ecosystem for them to be used across the board.

FDA regulations on enzyme use is a gray area. Enzymes used in the processing of foods do not have to be listed on product labels because they are not considered foods. Also, when enzymes are genetically engineered, the manufacturer is not required to notify the FDA that the enzymes have been modified.

The lists of GE enzymes known by the FDA is, by their own admission, “probably incomplete.” Worldwide, the enzyme market is a $1.3 billion industry.

One of the largest enzyme manufacturers is Novo Nordisk, which manufactures GE and non-GE enzymes. The FDA provided us with this partial list of genetically engineered enzymes:

• Chymosin—used in the production of cheese.
• Novamyl™—used in baked goods to help preserve freshness.
• Alpha amylase—used in the production of white sugar, maltodextrins and nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners (corn syrup).
• Aspartic (proteinase enzyme from R. miehei)—used in the production of cheese.
• Pullulanase—used in the production of high fructose corn syrup.

If you want to absolutely avoid genetically engineered enzymes you will have two choices: avoid foods in the following categories, or call the food manufacturers directly and ask them if their enzymes are genetically engineered. They will probably have no idea. Ask them to check and call them back again. Let us know if you get written confirmation.

• Beers, wines and fruit juices—Enzymes used: Cereflo, Ceremix, Neutrase, Ultraflo, Termamyl, Fungamyl, AMG, Promozyme, Viscozyme, Finizym, Maturex, Pectinex, Pectinex Ultra SP–L, Glucanex, Bio-Cip Membrane, Peelzym, Olivex, Zietex
• Sugar—Enzymes used: Termamyl, Dextranase, Invertase, Alpha Amylase
• Oils—Enzymes used: Lipozyme IM, Novozym 435, Lecitase, Lipozyme, Novozym 398, Olivex, Zeitex
• Dairy products—Enzymes used: Lactozym, Palatase, Alcalase, Pancreatic Trypsin Novo (PTN), Flavourzyme, Catazyme, Chymosin
• Baked goods—Enzymes used: Fungamyl, AMG, Pentopan, Novomyl, Glutenase, Gluzyme

In many cases the enzymes named above are brand names. They may appear under other names as well.

Enzymes are usually found in minuscule quantities in the final food product. The toxin found in genetically engineered tryptophan was less than 0.1 percent of the total weight of the product, yet it was enough to kill people.

The use of enzymes is widespread in the food industry. Nothing is known about the long-term effects of genetically engineered enzymes.

I suggest a diet of whole foods and remove as many processed foods from your pantry as you can! It’s simple to stock fresh, wholesome foods for your entire family!

Almonds & Oats Have Beneficial Effects

Almonds significantly lowered bad cholesterol levels in a study of people with high cholesterol reported in rapid-access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers measured cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight in the subjects. They found that patients reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL—bad cholesterol) an average 4.4 percent with a half portion of almonds and 9.4 percent with a full portion.

Soluble fibers include pectin (which is found in apples) and gums (such as beta glucan, which is found in oats). Insoluble fibers are found in wheat bran, whole grains and vegetables. Oats contain both types of fiber, but it is the beta glucan in oats that is primarily responsible for oats’ cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Some foods, such as oatmeal have been proven to actually reduce blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), while maintaining levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol).

Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

Options for Stroke Damage

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am a new subscriber hoping that you can help me. About 10 years ago I had a slight stroke but I was very fortunate as it didn’t leave me crippled. I came out of it with shaky hands. I have been to different doctors and no one seems to have an answer.

The only medication that seems to work is “lorazepam” (Valium^®). It helps for a while and then I’m back to where I started, which is very embarrassing—especially if I’m going out to dinner! You can’t keep food on your fork or spoon.

Also I can’t use (or hold) a pen anymore to write so I type everything. I’d be forever grateful if I could find someone who had an answer as medical doctors don’t seem to have one. —Alice G.

Dear Alice,

Your stroke undoubtedly caused some damage to the brain or nerve tissue because of a lack of blood supply to the affected area. And while nerves and tissues have their maximal recovery within the first six months after injury, I believe there are ways to augment the healing effect even after that.

So if you’re having trouble getting the food to your mouth and trouble with other daily activities at home, then I would refer you to a licensed physician in your area who is open to natural therapy so that you may discuss one or more of the following treatments:

• I.V. or Oral Chelation. Maximize blood flow to your brain by maximally opening the small vessels to the damaged tissues via an I.V. or oral chelation product.
• Nattokinase. This is a natural blood thinner from the Japanese fermented soy, natto. It is sold as a nutritional supplement. This has the effect of increasing blood flow and, along with Vitamin E 1600 IU, reversing deep vein thrombosis (clots) even better than the prescription drug, Coumadin^®. I suspect it would do a lot to also maximize blood flow to the brain along with chelation.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in combination with biofeedback therapy, has been successful with some stroke patients.
• Meditation and biofeedback can calm the nerves and calm the brain supplying electrical impulses to these nerves. The nervous system is VERY sensitive to thoughts and emotions, even when held at a subconscious level.
• Vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids (EFAs) and minerals. These nutrients feed nerve tissue. So, consider a good multivitamin and either fish oil or flax seed oil at nine grams daily.

I hope you and the physician you choose can find one or more of these suggestions of value. And don’t forget to optimize your nutrition with juicing and a whole foods diet.

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

If you are hoping to improve your overall health, one of the best things you can do is to improve your diet. The need for medications and the frustration of ongoing health problems can be alleviated simply by eating the right whole foods.

In today’s issue, I’ll give you some simple tips for eating out and provide useful information about diets for prostate health. I’ll also explain why taurine is a mineral you won’t want to do without.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Fast Food Salad Bait & Switch

Everyone likes a salad because it’s healthy, right? If you want to eat fast, but healthy food, remember to order the lowfat, low calorie salads without any fried chicken or taco shells. Below are the calories and fat for a few popular salads:

McDonald’s

Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Newman’s Own^® Ranch Dressing
520 cal 31 fat

Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad with Newman’s Own^® Caesar Dressing
490 cal 31 fat

Better option: I recommend ordering these with the grilled chicken and the vinaigrette dressing—these two things alone will cut the calorie and fat numbers by HALF. If you are still hungry after this, please add a natural food (non-processed) rather than fill up on fries or a soft drink.

Wendy’s

Chicken BLT with Blue Cheese Dressing
570 cal 43 fat

Better option: Use the low fat or fat free dressing and don’t eat the cheese.

Taco Bell

Fiesta Taco Salad with Citrus Salsa
870 cal 45 fat

Better option: You get a lot of protein with this salad, but it’s not worth the high calories and fat (unless, of course, this is your only meal for the entire day; I certainly hope not). If you still choose to eat here, opt for the Fresco Express Taco Salad without chips.

Diet for Prostate Health: Improve Yours Today!

I regularly see patients who are concerned about prostate cancer. Fortunately, prostate cancer is one of those health problems that is highly preventable.

My best recommendation is that you improve your diet to a “prostate-healthy” diet. Much of how your organs, glands and systems perform is influenced by the type of nutrients you provide them. Eating correctly cannot be emphasized enough, and yet Americans continue to ignore this crucial and simple recommendation.

Researchers have found a link between prostate cancer and a high-fat diet that is low in fruits and vegetables. Heavy fat intake, especially animal fats and heated fats that are chemically changed or hydrogenated for better preservation, reduce the efficiency of the cardiovascular system. Use of these oils also increases the likelihood that cancer cells will develop over a long period of time.

Without the fiber content of fruits and vegetables to help keep your digestive system moving freely, impurities, toxins and metals are not expelled as regularly as the body requires. In addition to aiding digestion, fruits and vegetables also provide key vitamins and antioxidants naturally into the system.

I recommend that all males eat as much whole foods as possible—wheat, oats, bran, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds (keeping in mind calorie density). You should eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables rich in color—carrots, squash, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and salads with romaine lettuce, not iceberg lettuce. You should also, taking into account stomach sensitivity, consume berries, grapes, lentils, chickpeas, plums and red beans. All of these rich foods are good for helping heal and prevent cancer.

Finally, be sure to include high zinc foods in your diet. Zinc is vital for immune functions, but not a lot is needed, and can be easily gleaned from regular helpings of mushrooms, seafood, spinach and sunflower seeds. Zinc nourishes the prostate gland and is one of the key influencers on its health.

Taurine: Essential for Healthy Muscle Tissue and
Proper Electrical Balance

Taurine is an amino acid that comes from mother’s milk when we are young. Scientists originally thought it was only there to aid in the digestion of the fatty acids found in the milk, and later to aid in the digestion of other fat soluble vitamins and a key component of bile.

After more research scientists learned that taurine is really there to help in the development of tissues required for vision and the function of several important glands. That’s why it’s essential to health to continue to consume Taurine throughout our lives.

Three-fourths of our taurine is in our muscles. Taurine keeps things in electrical balance. It even has a protective effect against seizures!

Heart muscles are especially dependent on correct nerve and muscle fiber interaction, and taurine is essential for this.

Also, taurine’s role in tissue function is so important that its protective ability to neutralize dangerous toxins is usually overlooked.

To get the right amount of taurine in your diet, you need 200 to 400 milligrams daily. Your body can make its own taurine if there is enough lean protein in the diet. Vegans (those who avoid all animal products) run a risk of not getting enough good quality protein. Foods with taurine include:

• Beans
• Nuts
• Fish and shellfish
• Pasta
• Meat and poultry
• Soy protein
• Milk and dairy products
• Soybean flour
• Mushrooms
• Tofu

Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

Acidic and Alkaline Foods

Dear Dr. Cutler,

There are some things I do not understand regarding your list of acid and alkaline foods.

• In the acid foods list are black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, red beans and white beans. In the alkaline foods list is beans. What do you mean by beans in the alkaline list?
• In the acid foods list are sugar and artificial sweeteners. In the alkaline list are stevia and sweeteners. What do you mean by sweeteners in the alkaline list?
• Am I to understand that freezing a food will alter its digestive ash? Can the same be said for drying the food (raisins were not on either list)?
• Does this also mean that okra, onion, pumpkin, spinach, turnips, zucchini, etc. will become acid forming if they are cooked?

As a chemical engineer, I am curious on how “digestive ash” is obtained in order to measure its pH. —Larry I.

Dear Larry,

Green beans would be alkaline. Herbal low glycemic sweeteners can be alkaline.

Also, freezing foods will alter some of the natural cellular architecture and therefore the body will not get the same effect from it as if it were fresh.

The same can be said for drying foods, but to a much smaller extent, as water leaves, but freezing EXPANDS and disrupts.

I believe okra, onion, pumpkin, spinach, turnips, zucchini, etc., do become much more starchy (lose fiber structure) when they are cooked. They are still whole foods and can be mixed with raw foods to balance your alkalinity.

I am aware of two methods to measure alkaline ash and acid ash.

1. One is the bioimpedance analysis, a German machine looking at saliva, blood and urine in three areas, not just pH.
2. Simpler methods have always been done by measuring the pH of urine (elimination fluid) and saliva (fluids that result from food consumption).

I have learned that so many acids being produced by human cells, uric acids in urine, lactic acids in tissues, etc., and the fact that the dying person comes to the ER extremely acidic (not alkalkine), tells me there is an alkaline balance that must be maintained.

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

Do you always feel drained, as if you just don’t have enough energy to get you through the day? Today’s edition will tackle that problem, and
provide a simple, natural way to increase your stamina!

I also have some natural sleep aids that will help you get the rest you need
at night, so that your energy level is as high as possible.

And with spring on its way, we must be increasingly aware of tick season and be watchful of possible tick bites. However, automatically taking
an antibiotic for a tick bite is normally unnecessary. I’ll explain why in my Q&A section.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

How to Get the Energy You Need

Who couldn’t use more energy?

>Imagine what we could do and achieve with more energy? And for many of us, the lack of energy to do even the normal, everyday things is really all we desire. What if we could just stop from feeling tired all the time, or to have to sleep before 8 p.m., or do something even mildly taxing without crashing out for the next two days trying to recover?

Surprisingly, it’s not the want of excess energy that is becoming more prevalent, but the need to have normal energy that has become such a high priority.

We have become a more tense and stressed-out society, and we now exceed the Japanese in business
productivity and least amount of time taken for vacations or holidays. Whether we are 45 or 70 years old, it seems our to-do list continues to be ever increasing even after adjusting our goals down.

But lack of energy or fatigue is just the external symptom of other internal problems.

We may be suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, which seem to go hand in hand, afflicting 3 to 6 million annually. Doctors and patients need to understand the root cause, some of which have not yet been found.

However, overall most of the reasons for feeling tired are self-induced. There are so many simple things we can do to get unlimited energy.

Let’s first understand how we lose energy. Sometimes we confuse a loss of stamina with poor energy, and while they are somewhat the same, they really are different.

Loss of stamina goes like this: You start out just fine in the morning after a quick breakfast of coffee, maybe juice and a roll. Then at about 10:00 a.m. you are feeling like you could sleep right at your desk. So when the coffee break arrives, you dive in for a roll and coffee that keeps you going until lunch; sometimes the same thing happens in the afternoon.

What is happening here is that you aren’t getting sufficient protein in your diet. For example, have you ever noticed that if you have two eggs and fruit in the morning you are able to go until noon feeling great? That ability to go and go, like the “Energizer bunny” is called stamina; it’s not super energy, it’s simply consistent energy.

The reason protein works to produce stamina is because your body does everything in a system of priorities, and producing energy is no different.

When you need energy right away, your body uses carbohydrates (the simpler the better), so blood sugar goes first; then if the demand remains, carbohydrate reserves are called up and some blood fat (triglycerides) is mobilized.

However, if you have a reasonable amount of amino acids circulating in your blood, they start being converted to energy. That’s mostly the case when you are physically active. You’re using your brain which first takes simple blood sugar with the exception of some amino acids. There again, the products of a protein meal provide mental stamina as well.

Indeed, the brain is the organ which uses the most blood sugar in 24 hours. It uses about 20% of the total, and probably more if you intensely use your brain. That’s why it’s so sensitive to blood sugar, and the secret isn’t eating sugar—it’s eating protein. That’s because the amino acids spare the blood sugar and make it easy for your body to keep a consistent glucose level.

The funny thing about this is that the protein doesn’t have to be a big steak; a small serving will do, and vegetable protein works just fine. However, animal protein has amino acids that do have some stimulant capability, which explains why a meal of pasta helps you sleep while the steak will keep you awake. But that’s another story for another issue.

Cholesterol and Orange Juice

A study conducted by the University of California at Davis found that orange juice fortified with plant sterols can lower LDL cholesterol levels.

The 10-week study followed 72 individuals between the ages of 20 and 73 that have slightly elevated cholesterol levels. Half of the group
consumed regular orange juice and levels remained steady.

However, the other half of the group received the plant sterol orange juice received a 12.4% reduction in LDL levels compared to the control group!

The plant sterol group also had a 7.2% greater reduction of overall cholesterol!

Even the FDA jumped on this bandwagon, supporting the study’s findings and agreeing that by consuming just under a gram (.8) of plant sterols
per day, consumers can lower their risk of heart disease.

Natural Sleep Aids!

In my practice, I have seen many patients who have the common problem of not being able to sleep sufficiently. Of course, my older friends have noted that they are lucky to get five hours of continuous sleep, and this is not unusual the older we all get. The body is not building as much as teenagers, and the requirements of energy consumption to grow as fast are no longer there.

Still, the benefit of sleeping continuously is needed in order to awake refreshed and energized for the day’s plans and activities. Also,
clarity of mind and emotion allows us to perform better, handling work, family, friends or projects more efficiently.

Many of my readers and patients are aware of melatonin, the laboratory version of the natural hormone in the brain, which helps the body fall asleep. This is a great tool that I, too, endorse in enabling you to fall asleep faster and for a longer period. Studies have clinically shown this to be an effective tool for helping those with sleeping problems, with little-to no long term effects. I recommend the dosage start from 0.3 to 3 milligrams a day—working up from the smaller amount until it works for you specifically. This has been great for my patients.

I also want to stress the value of herbs which help sleep, and the importance of not smoking, regular exercise (one of the best ways to get closer to the ‘teenage’ metabolism and positive benefits) and a healthy diet. If these basic levels of health are not addressed, many of the recommendations become diluted in their ability to help you.

Similarly, I also want to stress that the following herbal aids for sleep, even if not addictive, should not be the only course of action you take to sleep well. I recommend you talk to your doctor or be generally assessed for other issues so that you are not masking issues such as depression, chemical imbalances due to current authorized medication, stress, nervous disorders and general poor health habits.

Herbs to aid sleep:

• Valerian, in my opinion, is nearly as good as melatonin in its ability to help those with insomnia issues. This herb has been used for centuries, and it was scientifically proven to be effective in 1981. During that year, and subsequently through other clinical studies, Valerian has been proven to contain natural sedative elements which work over time (you need to take this herb nightly for more than a week to consistently derive its benefits). Because of multiple product brands in the market, I recommend you follow the dosage recommendations on your bottle. Excess dosage may result in headaches and general sluggishness.
• Passion Flower is a multiple-use herb used for treating diarrhea, external scrapes (directly or through a poultice) and as a sleeping agent. The herb affects the central nervous system by depressing its normal rate of activities and causing the body to relax. These sedative properties continue to be used more regularly in Europe than here in the U.S. for treating insomnia. The average dosage provided by reputable manufacturers of passion flower in supplementation form is 500 mg per pill per day.
• Hops, while not as well known (other names include houblon, humulus lupulus, lupulin), have the ability to relax and provide sleeping aid. This is a plant which grows on long vines, and is available in pill, liquid and leaf forms. Outside of its beer making use, hops is known for its
  anti-anxiety effects, for the calming of the nervous system, for helping reduce the levels of menstrual cramps, and as a form of a sleeping agent. You can supplement with 500 mg in pill form (follow directions for other forms of availability) per day.
• Lemon Balm is multi-purpose in its natural effects. As an edible plant (and in supplementation form), it provides a whole array of benefits apart from being a sleeping aid. It functions as an antibacterial agent, and whether as a form of tea, or in a crushed powder form, this herb
  has been used for depression, treating sores, upset stomachs, colic in babies, headaches, fevers, colds, wounds and is used as a key ingredient in potpourris.

A note about dosages: Because of variations in form and dose, please follow the manufacturer’s recommended dosage for consumption when the strength available differs from what I have described here.

Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

What Treatment for Tick Bites?

Dear Dr. Cutler,

Two days ago my nine-year-old daughter got a tick bite in her head. We sent this tick to the lab to test for any disease. Her doctor recommended antibiotic. What is your advice, because to be honest, I don’t want to give the antibiotic to her. At the same time, I don’t want to feel
guilty later on, fearing for her health in the future. Is there any natural treatment for tick bite? My husband and I trust you very much. Thanks. – Keda

Dear Keda,

In general, preventive antibiotics are not recommended for people without symptoms who seek medical treatment after finding and removing a tick.

Clinical trials have shown that negative reactions to antibiotics outweigh the benefits of disease prevention in most cases because the chance of disease transmission is so low in this population.

If you live in a region where tick exposure is likely and symptoms of fever, headache, rash, or flulike illness develop, then it is advised to contact a doctor for further evaluation and consider antibiotics.

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.