Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

This video is a wonderful interview with former BBC journalist Christopher Bryson, authof of The Fluoride Deception. In 1993 he got a call from a British radio producer who wanted to know whether there was "an American angle" to the fluoride controversy. But Bryson had no idea. His subsequent investigations opened a Pandora's box of problems and secrets about how fluoride is harmful and damaging to health. There is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to kill a two-year-old child . . . I'd like to point out that Tom's of Maine makes a few very good fluoride-free toothpastes.

How Caloric Restriction Works in the Real World

I do not use a pill to lose weight. Like the great American writer J.D. Salinger, I have discovered something even better than a weight loss product, in fact so revolutionary that most people have never heard of it. It involves what is called the alternate day diet. This entails eating normally on alternate days and fasting on the other days. The objective is to reduce caloric consumption to 500 to 1,000 calories on the fasting days. This is almost impossible to do on a daily basis, but on an every other day basis it is much easier.

Repairing the Human Machine

A number of persons interested in plasma mounts recently asked me to say a few words about them. Honestly I have a great deal of respect for the machines. The stability of a product depends, to a large extent, on the quality of the work that goes into its design and construction. Nothing could be more important. Sometimes it is the simple things that are the most useful and rewarding. That is the way the designers look at it, anyway. For my money, the simpler the machine the more reliable. A possible reason for this might be that the fewer moving parts the more reliable. The human machine, for example, is constantly being repaired.

Warning: Fried Food Linked with Cancer

Researchers have found a strong link between fried food and cancer. One study found that those who ate fried meat had an increased risk of developing "female-hormone-related cancers, i.e., cancer of the breast, endometrium and ovary combined."^1,2 Cooking meat and fish causes heterocyclic amine (HA) carcinogens.³ "Recently, another amine carcinogen, acrylamide, was found at relatively high levels in cooked carbohydrate-rich foods, especially potatoes."⁴ But making the assessment of risk difficult is the fact that cooked meat also contains specific anti-carcinogenic constituents.⁵



References

1. "Intake of fried meat and risk of cancer: A follow-up study in finland." 2006. Paul Knekt, Gunnar Steineck, Ritva Järvinen, Timo Hakulinen, Arpo Aromaa. International Journal of Cancer. Vol. 59, No. 6, Pp. 756 - 760.


2. Some studies suggest that there may be a link between eating cooked meet (such as hamburgers) and cancer. "[A] significant fraction of human cancer could be ther result of consuming AIAs from cooked meat." 1986. "Identification of the mutagens in cooked beef." J S Felton, M G Knize, N H Shen, B D Andresen, L F Bjeldanes, and F T Hatch. Environ Health Perspect. August; 67: 17–24.


3. "A meat and potato war: implications for cancer etiology." 2006. James S. Felton and Mark G. Knize. Carcinogenesis. November 1. 27(12):2367-2370; doi:10.1093/carcin/bgl165.


4. Ibid.


5. Carcinogenesis. 1987. Dec; 8 (12):1881-7. "Anticarcinogens from fried ground beef: heat-altered derivatives of linoleic acid." Ha YL, Grimm NK, Pariza MW.

My Mom's Weight

As my mom getting older and older I noticed her that she is also gaining weight. I'm not sure what is the reason behind. Maybe because of her age or her food intake. She is gaining weight perhaps because she definitely has a good appetite for sweets. I'm very worried about her now since she doesn't even do any exercise. I guess it's time for me to tell her about the best appetite suppressant. I hope she will listen to me and start to follow my advice.

My Beliefs and Health Philosophy

Some things I know almost with 100 percent certainly:

• Broccoli is very good, fights cancer.
• Avoiding partially hydrogenated oil is very wise.
• Exercise is good.
• Fish oil supplementation is vital to good health.

Some things I believe (with somewhat less evidence):

• Saturated fat is good for you.
• The Atkins diet is good.
• Carbohydrates are generally to be avoided, especially simple sugars.
• Vitamin supplementation is essential for optimal health.

If you agree or disagree, please comment.

Why Soap is Now Called a "Bar"

Some people use an acne treatment. Others realize that salicylic acid is one of the best treatments, an ingredient in Aveeno Clear Complexion Clensing Bar. By the way, did you ever notice how soap companies have begun calling their soaps "bars." I once worked as a spokesperson for a product which revealed to me that the word "soap" was not to be used because it had a low-class image. The word "bar" was preferred because it sounded more upscale.

Why You Should Not Get a Swine Flu Shot

It is a myth that you need a swine flu shot. In fact, the shot is liable to do you more harm than good. It is a myth that the shot can prevent the flu. The shot contains mercury and other harmful chemicals. Most importantly, the swine flu - despite its horrid sounding name - is an innocuous (harmless) flu and will not cause you to die. If you catch it you'll probably just feel a bit rundown for a few days. More people die from the regular flu than from swine flu. The people you've heard about who died from swine flu were old or had compromised (weakened) immune systems. The bottom line: the swine flu is virtually harmless and you should not get the shots. As Dr. Joseph Mercola points out:

I suspect you have likely been alarmed by the media's coverage of the swine flu scare. It has a noticeable subplot - preparing you for draconian measures to combat a future pandemic as well as forcing you to accept the idea of mandatory vaccinations.¹

References

1. Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction? by Dr. Joseph Mercola. April 29 2009. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx (accessed 10/9/09).

Why the Future of Leisure is Unclear

Every year more people are online. The problem is that they neglect real life situations and relationships. Yet this is certainly the wave of the future and it's not all bad. The popularity of games like playstation 3 is a clear indication that the world of leisure activities has changed radically in the past twenty years or so. That's why the future is so unclear.

Why I Feel Neglected

I wish someone would steal my identity. In fact, because no one has ever attempted to do so I feel somewhat neglected. Some people think they need identity theft protection. But what I need is more people wanting to be me. For example, Mick Jagger has plenty of people who wish they were him. So does Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. But who wants to be me?

Jack Kerouac and My Tires

I have to give credit to Jack Kerouac for helping me learn the value of good tires. Yes, any tire might work on most cars, but for a vehicle that is going cross country, like mine is, you want a high quality tire. Kerouac often sat around with his good friend Neal Cassady and talked cars. That is what I do on weekends now. I have followed in Kerouac's footsteps and have found the value of a good tire a subject that can occupy me and my friends for hours, literally hours. Our good health depends on the quality of our cars, and our car's health so often depends on good tires. (Photo: Kerouac in Pasadena.)

What Jack Kerouac Did for My Education as a Mechanic

My true belief stems from having read On the Road by Jack Kerouac. From that book I learned a healthy respect for good and competently installed vinyl and asbestos-free garage flooring. The importance of Kerouac in my development as an auto mechanic cannot be underestimated. There were many times that I could have given up, but his work inspired me to make sure that I got the facts about carburetors right.

Treadmill Workouts

When I get on a treadmill I often approach the process like Woody Allen. The man gets on a treadmill but only walks slowly. He might only be going 2 m.p.h. This is why it's so much fun to see him in in Wild Man Blues. He and his wife are on the treadmill and she's going at a normal clip but he's taking it easy. Sure, exercise is essential for fitness. But you do have to put some effort and energy into it to get anything out of it.