Well ...it’s official: According to a new U.S.D.A. report, ORGANIC EGGS ARE NO BETTER THAN NON-ORGANIC ...JUST MORE EXPENSIVE.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2002334,00.html

Believe that?? If so, I got some nice swamp-land for sale in Florida for you.

Seriously ...just how STUPID do these people think we are ...Sarah Palin stupid?? Or about as stupid as this so-called “study??” ...read on...

Let’s start with: How do they know they’re no better? Why they used the “Haugh Unit” of course!! “What’s that?” you ask? It’s a “highly specialized egg-quality metric” developed by food technologist Raymond Haugh in 1937, The first clue is that YEAR ...hardly one we’d associate with high-techiness.

Just how “highly specialized” is this Haugh Unit? In 1937, this technique (also called the”Breakout Method”) involved cracking an egg and breaking-it-out on a flat surface and seeing if the albumen (the egg white) was thick or thin. No kidding. Initially done by eye, later a hand-turned micrometer was used. Yeah ...I know...VERY high-tech, and oh-so specialized.

Oh, sure ...back in it’s day, I'm sure it was a reliable method ...back when every egg was “organic” ...as in grain-fed birds in barnyards and coops with no chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or processed chicken feeds. But today, according to legitimate egg experts, the Haugh Unit is a joke; it doesn’t take into account the size of the egg, the strain of the hen, the diet of the hen, it’s age or weight, it’s feed, it’s chemical load, it’s environment, it’s nutritional value, the vitamin or mineral content, it’s Omega 3 profile, it’s cholesterol, or whether the hen will ever see a Mel Gibson flick again (it won’t).

Are there more accurate ways to measure an egg’s egginess? Of course there are! Go here to see:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedFiles/Eggs%20chart.pdf (NOTE:just look at the Vit E values alone!)

Some other good stuff here: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx

So ....why would the USDA use an outdated 73-year-old testing procedure, you might ask? I think you know why ...to bamboozle you. The USDA --like nearly all government regulatory agencies-- has had key positions filled by ex-employees from the very companies it is supposed to regulate. Sort of like having the wolf guard the hen-house. Couple that with the massive marketing budgets and political contributions of the commercial food industry ...and the outcome is predictable.

Did you notice that there’s no mention of the YOLK in the study? Anybody who has ever cracked an organic egg immediately notices the color of the yolk: instead of an anemic-looking yellow, it’s a glorious dense orange. Also, the yolk stays almost perfectly round and firm instead of flattening out like a commercial one does. Even a non-food technologist like yourself can figure out that’s a good thing, since I’ll bet that you know that most of the nutrition is contained there.

So why such an obviously transparent “study?” They know that most people won’t get past the headline. And they know the weak spot is PRICE. I can hear it now:

“Bertha, did you see that? I told you that there’s no difference between those eggs!” ...as she puts her $1.89 dozen of non-organic eggs next to the Hot Pockets, 128oz Diet Pepsi, and Baconnaise.

REAL eggs are great food. Don’t scrimp on them. In fact ...don’t scrimp on food. Scrimp on other less-important stuff ...like subscriptions to TIME magazine...

Know anybody NOT in the know? Know what? Send them this all-knowing link: http://4pains.com/Fabale/helpafriend.htm

...and remember: HEALTH BEGINS WITH EASE

Dr Lou

The Twisted Truth of Vit D, SPF's & Cancer!

QUICK PROLOGUE: I began writing this story about reports of unusually high Vitamin D deficiencies in children. It ended up ...somewhere else. And it's not good. So please read this entire article. Your questions and feedback would be appreciated. --Dr Lou

A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that 70% of U.S. children have "alarmingly low" levels of vitamin D, raising their risk of bone weakening, heart disease, and malignant cancers.

What's weird is, for decades now, Vitamin D deficiency was relatively rare in the U.S. However, recent studies have documented a growing problem: cases of rickets --a bone disease in infants caused by low vitamin D levels-- is on the rise, so it's clear now that many children are not getting enough of this essential vitamin.

Thankfully, Vit D not that hard to find: In one of the most unique processes in the body, Vitamin D is produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight ...that stuff out your window. And, in a really nifty piece of biological engineering, that same Vitamin D produced by the sun's rays absorbs and makes harmless the ultraviolet radiation that does the most damage to our skin and our DNA. What a deal!! Our skin MAKES VIT D and PRODUCES ITS OWN CANCER BLOCK to boot!

Not being one to waste precious resources, nature also designed Vitamin D to do some other functions in the body, one of the most important being that it promotes re-absorption of calcium in the kidneys, which enables mineralization of bone. In simple terms that means it helps prevent osteoporosis, which is a growing problem in many elderly.

BUT THERE'S MORE: Vit D also plays a major role in protection against cancers, supporting the production of certain white-blood cells called phagocytes, which are blood-born critters who hunt down and dine on rouge cells including cancer cells, in the body. Just like every society has a few bad eggs, we all have cancerous cells running around inside us trying to set up shop in the burbs. After all, we are 60 trillion cells, and to assume that there aren't any rejects is to assume there are no known sexual predators living in your neighborhood. Luckily, we have Vit D to do the trick. Or did until...

...kids stopped playing in the sun! The study, conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York found low vitamin D levels were especially common in children who were 1) not physically active outdoors, 2) overweight or obese, and 3) spent more than four hours a day watching TV, playing videogames, using computers, or engaged in other visual media. Big surprise, huh?

"We expected the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency would be high, but the magnitude of the problem nationwide was shocking," writes lead author Juhi Kumar. What's shocking is that these kids spend so much time INDOORS STARING AT THEIR MILLIONTH MYSPACE HOLDING-MY-CAMERAPHONE-AT-ARMS-LENGTH-JUST-SO SELF PORTRAIT instead of doing normal kid things like running around outdoors playing games, riding a bike, tagging the neighbor's recently painted brick wall, or picking on lower life forms with a BB gun.

BUT THAT'S JUST PART OF THE STORY. NOW THE WEIRD PART: More than any other, today's group of youngsters could be called Generation SPF. Since infancy, they've been coated by their Redbook-educated moms with some sort of goop before they go outdoors. They were sold advert nauseum that the best bet to ensure good skin shelf-life is to cover it with SPF concoctions designed to protect us from damaging rays. Yet several studies done over the last few years show conclusive evidence that no protective effect is seen against cancer from sunscreen use. In fact, as hard as it may be to believe, several separate studies over the years show an increase in skin cancer with such sun-protecting goop.

One of those, published in 2007 in the Annals of Epidemiology, found that people using sunscreens were one and a half times as likely to get cancer than those who did not. And a paper published in the British Journal of Dermatology looked at 17 separate studies on the relation of sunscreen use to melanoma risk. Only three studies showed a decrease in melanoma risk, but a surprising six studies showed an increased risk with use!!

"But I must protect my skin from those harmful rays, Dr Lou!" ...I hear you plead through my computer speakers. FOLLOW ME HERE, IT'S IMPORTANT: Sunscreens were developed to prevent SUNBURN by blocking Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR). Its use has been shown to prevent DIRECT DNA DAMAGE that causes sunburn and maybe the two most common forms of skin cancer, basal-cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, both rarely serious, and almost never fatal. However, studies show that when sunscreen penetrates into the skin (which it does in just a few minutes), it causes INDIRECT DNA DAMAGE by BLOCKING THE FORMATION OF VITAMIN D, which increases the risk of the most lethal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.

STOP! Concentrate on what you're reading for a second and follow me here: SUNSCREEN USE INCREASES MALIGNANT CANCERS. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation the incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers. That British Journal of Dermatology specifically reports that Vitamin D deficiency from sunblock usage causes 100,000 people to develop cancer each year who wouldn't have, leading to 40,000 deaths per year.

In 1980, an American's lifetime melanoma risk was 1 in 350. Today, it's 1 in 84. BIG DIFFERENCE! What's changed? A hint may be that sunscreen sales exploded from $18 million in 1972 to $500 million by 1996. Now, it's closing in on a billion.

So there's a false sense of security here that has an underlying danger. Sure, slathering SPF 50 may cut down on sunburn, but because of that, many people stay exposed to the sun's MOST LETHAL rays many hours longer than they normally would without sunscreen. One simple reason is that they're not feeling the intense BURN of the sun on their skin, which would normally force then to seek shade or cover up.

So I'm recommending NO sunscreen usage. I know this runs contrary to conventional wisdom on this, but conventional wisdom convinced us that margarine was food. (It's not. And if you still think it is, we need to talk.)

Skin color does factor in skin cancers. Blacks, with their melatonin-rich skin, have 1/6th the skin cancers of whites. That darker pigment often means that they are not diagnosed as early, resulting in a 20% higher higher mortality rate. Knowing that, sunscreen usage among blacks has increased dramatically in recent years. But check this out; melanomas in African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians most often occur on non-sun exposed skin with less pigment, with 75% of tumors arising on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions. These sites are clearly not sun-related, which again points to a possible Vit D deficiency.

So here's the deal: GET OUTDOORS! ...and have some sun-time without any SPF GOOP so your body can make some good old-fashioned, kick-ass Vit D! But if you're out for any length of time, make sure to cover-up ...as in wear some clothes. I'm very active outdoors, and cover up with lightweight, long-sleeve shirts when it's for prolonged periods. I like the SPF rated stuff from Columbia, Northface, and other outdoor clothiers. (see: http://www.columbia.com/mens-long-sleeve-shirts/men-shirts-longsleeve,default,sc.html) They don't have to look all granola. Even regular cotton will do the trick.

Does anybody you know still think margarine is food, or have any health issues? Send them a FREE consult and exam by clicking on this link: http://4pains.com/Fabale/helpafriend.htm

...and remember: HEALTH BEGINS WITH EASE

Dr Lou

Health Care Reform in the Dr LoUniverse --The High Cost Of Disregard

Dear Friend,

I've been asked many times recently of my views on Health Care Reform, and to be honest, I feel ill-equipped to come up with an good answer. This article is my answer ...it's a bit long, somewhat hard and goes deep, but like many things in life with those attributes ...well worth it. I tried to use my particular brand of Dr LoUniversal humor to get through it ...re-reading it made me laugh to beat the band ...well, parts, anyway.

PART I: Some Facts.

A slew of recent news articles proclaim that the cost of health care is out of control, mostly because of the expanding Super-Size of the average American. A study published in the journal Health Affairs, released at the CDC's "Weight of the Nation" conference in Washington, supplied these swollen figures:

a) U.S. obesity rates rose a hefty 37% between 1998 and 2006, creating a Whopperesque 89% increase in money spent on obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other conditions.

b) On average, these large folk spend $1,429 per year (or 42%) more for medical care than normal weight people, with most of that spent on the prescription drugs meant to offset the damage done by too many Big Mac Attacks.

Medicare spends from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for obese seniors than for the non-huge. And, according to the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1990. Want some extra fries with that with that shocker?

Not surprisingly, the South is the fattest region. Grand Ole Miss led the nation for the fifth year in a row with an adult obesity rate of 32.5%. Also above the 30% mark are three other states south of the Mason-Dixon: Alabama bulking out at 31.2%; West Virginia clocking in a chunky 31.1%; and Tennessee posting a porky 30.2%. Talk about a Big Gulp!

Remember, we're not just talking "overweight" here. Heck ...over 2/3rds of the nation are that now, and clearly okay with it. OBESE is defined as more than 20% of one's normal weight or having a BMI of 30 or more. Ex: a 175lber graduates to obese-class when they tip the scales at a portly 210lbs. And although it's worse there than the rest of the nation, this is not just a Southern problem. In 1991, not one state had more than a 20% obesity rate, and a couple were still in the single digits. Today, the only state that doesn't is Colorado, at 18.9%. Who knew that a "Colorado Rocky Mountain High" didn't include the munchies?

Most disturbing is that Mississippi also had the highest rate of overweight and obese children combined, at 44.4%. It's followed by Arkansas with 37.5% chubby kids; and Georgia with 37.3% shopping in the XXL section. In other words, we're closing in on NEARLY HALF of the nation's kids being Big N' Tasty. The study also mentions that kids are "bombarded" by TV commercials touting sugar concoctions and fast-food franchises. It explains why Ronald MacDonald is the most recognized face for kids age 4-10, just ahead of Miley Cyrus, who I believe now even has her chirpy visage on teen tampon applicators.

But leave it to the aging baby-boomers to lead the pack. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55 to 64 year-olds than any other age group. Let's hear it for the ultimate consumer generation and their addiction to CONVENIENCE over substance! Alabama lumbers into the lead spot with a Boomer obesity rate of 39% ...4 OUT OF 10! Michigan waddles into the #2 spot at a hefty 36%. Colorado also comes in last this category with the lowest rate, 21.8% ...what, not enough Baconnaise being sold there?

President Obama is trying to overhaul a health system literally bursting at the seams treating these diseases caused by --and it ain't rocket science folks-- too many eating too much and moving too little. And yes ...the dangers of manufactured, packaged, processed, de-vitalized foods --in other words DEPLETION FOODS (see: http://drlouniverse.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html) is REAL ...but this data is mainstream now so there's no excuse to be eating even one more Happy Meal.

PART II: Time to "Think Outside The Bun"

Here's the thing: The 68% (and growing) of Americans obsessed with the self-serving fast-food mantra of "Have it Your Way" are destroying not only themselves, they are a burden to the entire planet's resources by using up more than their share; an obese person eats about 250 more calories PER MEAL than a normal weight person. And for those trying to change our relationship to our environment and ourselves, and to reduce our energy usage-- that's where the buck stops. Tens of billions of dollars are spent every year on "diet management" for the McNugget-stuffed, yet some 800 million people in the third world alone are left hungry and undernourished, their next meal in doubt. Is it too much to ask that a person --who can't take a flight of stairs or no longer even sees their own knees-- have a little consciousness with that Hot Pocket? Is it fair that the rest of us pick up the tab for their over-indulgences?

And the current "health care reform?" There is no "health" in this reform; it's just a re-configuration of a system designed to get more drugs into more people. You really think the pharmaceutical companies care how they get there and who makes what on the way?

After deeply contemplating the enormity of these figures, I have come up with a Fair and Balanced (TM, FauxNews) way to dole out health care: I propose that health care be charged ON A RATED, GRADED, PER-USAGE, TIERED SYSTEM, similar to our utilities. That way, those who use it more, pay more, and those who don't pay less.

A simple rating system can take into account certain measurable parameters, which will be calculated to come up with a PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY INDICATOR QUOTIENT ("PRIQ") score compiled from:

1) BMI Rating ("BMI" or Body Mass Index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) For one who is over their normal BMI, the cost of their health care will be higher than for one who is at or below theirs for their age, height, and weight. When they stop over-stuffing themselves, their rate will go down. (This does not include the exceedingly rare conditions of pathological obesity.)

2) MD Office Visit Frequency. A person who sees an MD 3 times a month is obviously doing things differently than one who hasn't seen one in 25 years (like me). There should also be a separate CARELESS MODALITY EVENT ("C-ME") statistic, a numerical value assigned that takes into account how ofter one needs emergency care. A bungee-jumper who forgets to secure his ankle straps, a drunk who repeatedly smashes their face falling down stairs, or a thrill seeker doing sweet jumps on his Quad has to know that they are responsible for the cost their stupidity.

3) Prescriptions Filled. If you consume drugs, you must pay for them. For those who don't, the rates should reflect that. I propose that the cost of drugs should be much higher, and very heavily taxed. I also want ALL research moved OUT of our Universities and funded ONLY by the Pharmaceutical companies themselves, then properly tested by 3 independent research labs. Yes, this will drive the cost of drugs up ...unfortunately, for many people who don't care about their health, cost is the only motivation to cut down on their abuse.

4) Cigarette Smoker. Cigarettes KILL and waste BILLION$ each year, and for those who care about their health, this is a no-brainer. I propose obscenely high taxes on cancer-sticks. Second-hand smoke kills, too ...and I'm still waiting for that one person who murders their smoking spouse, claiming it was "self-defense" because they wouldn't quit.

5) Preventative Holistic Care Credits. For those dedicated enough to want the very best, real cash credits can be earned against possible claims by submitting proof of money spent on Wellness care. It's money in the bank ...literally.

As you can see, those who TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR HEALTH will have the lowest "PRIQ" score and pay the least, while those who disregard their health will have a high "PRIQ" score and pay the most -- as it should be. What I like about this is that it has a built-in reward system for being healthy, and a penalty for being not healthy. Like life itself.

If you're less of a "PRIQ" about YOUR health, and don't look for others to save you, life will be good for all.

Need some health? Lower your "PRIQ" by getting in quick. Know anyone else with too high a "PRIQ"? ...send them here: http://4pains.com/Fabale/helpafriend.htm

Now ...this was a bit tongue-in-cheek (or tongue somewhere), so please don't accuse me of anything rash like espousing Palin's imaginary "Death Panels" or euthanasia. I hope at least that it stimulated some thought process in your brain. The logistics of this type of system is possible, but the big problem is that so many are already so seriously sick that it couldn't be fairly implemented without a massive intermediary plan.

The sad fact of the health care reform debate is that it's neither reforming, nor is it a debate. Have you seen clips of these screaming idiots at Town meetings? How is it that the concept of affordable, reliable heath care for all has become so un-American to them?? Why is it that a certain segment of America won't trust their own Government with their health care, but will trust Corporations?

We've given the so-called 'health insurance' companies plenty of time to prove how utterly wasteful, cruel, and disastrous they can be. Time for Plan B! Their cabal with Big Pharm has bankrupted too many and corrupted the entire system, almost beyond repair.

But repair it we must. Prevention and Wellness are the only real solution ...but that takes time, real foresight, and education. And government legislation to regulate the unethical Pharmaceutical Industry and the out-of-control Processed Food Industry ...both getting away with murder marketing packaged, untested poisons. An interim plan is needed. Will it be an easy solution? No way. Like I wrote ...unfortunately, it seems that most of it is just shuffling ...how to get more drugs to more people.

Do your part. be active ...as in MOVE MORE, EAT LESS. Pass this on.....

GET ADJUSTED, STAY STRONG

Dr Lou

Some INTERESTING and (not so) FUN FACTS!

Welcome to "DR LOU'S (not so) FUN FACTS!" Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, or send you to the bathroom with a dose of projectile vomiting.

Let's start with those "safe" over-the-counter drugs...

Just 1,000 capsules of Tylenol in your lifetime DOUBLES your risk of end stage renal disease. That means your kidneys fail and you die! (New England Journal of Medicine, 1994) Aside: the average American takes about 200 a year ...do the math.

Taking the correct drug for the correct diagnoses in the correct dose will kill about 106,000 Americans per year, making it the 4th most common cause of death in the US. (Journal of the American Medical Association, 1998) Aside: that's from the AMA ...other estimates from outside the medical profession run as high as 225,000 a year. But we'll never know because most that die don't call in to say they did!

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs --like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc-- conservatively causes 16,500 Americans to bleed to death internally each year, making that the 15th most common cause of death in the US. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1999) Aside: again, other sources put it much higher ...but does that really matter? What's important is that millions eat this like candy for the littlest ache or pain.

Consuming those same nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain drugs in recommended doses increases your risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia, by 66%. (Neurology, 2009) "But by-golly-gee, we still don't know where the heck that Old-timers disease comes from." ...said the research clinician paid for by Galaxo-Welcome Pharmaceutical.

Hey! Theoretically, if you take enough of those pills, you won't realize you're shitting blood because ...by-golly-gee ...you won't remember a thing! And does it get any more fun than THAT? Let's do a few FOOD FACTS...

Artificial Strawberry Flavor has 49 chemicals in it! Wanna see? Go here: http://www.feingold.org/strawberry.html Are you sure you want to go to Crackberry's for another scoop of that "healthy" fauxgurt?

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) can cause chronic pain throughout the body, and removing them from the diet for 4 consecutive months can eliminate all chronic pain symptoms. (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2002) Good luck ..that crap is in EVERYTHING!

...here's a good one ...and one I didn't know ...funny as all heck, too!

The largest exposure of Americans to neurotoxic mercury is through the consumption of products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup. (Environmental Health, 2009) Marketing idea: "Our Big Gulp doesn't just make you fat ..it makes you fat and stupid, too!

The newest estimate for the incidence of autism is 1 in 91 US children. (Pediatrics, 2009) Just 15 years ago, it was one in 15,000! Pssst! remember ...according to the CDC it's NOT from vaccines, no sir. Must be the weather.

"Oh ...what to do Dr Lou??" No worries...here's some interesting facts to save our sorry asses...

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to be better than 5 times more effective than the above-mentioned nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of chronic neck and low back pain. (Spine, 2003) Na-na-na-na-naaaaa-na!!

Supplementing with Vitamin D3 has the potential to reduce cancer deaths in America by 75%. (Ann of Epidemiology, 2009) Sure you want to slather more of that SPF-75 on ya? What you don't know about THAT story is killing you!

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to significantly lower your blood pressure. (Journal of Human Hypertension, 2007) Unless, of course, you're really fond of how beta-blockers and diuretics make you obese by blocking the “beta-receptors” that burn fat thus increasing your risk of type II diabetes – which can clip a good 11-20 years from your lifespan.

In patients suffering from chronic pain -- degenerative and/or inflammatory-- 59% can eliminate the need for pain drugs by consuming adequate levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids. (Surgical Neurology, 2006) Why do you think I carry the BEST ONES I could find?

...and finally...

A whopping 93% of patients with chronic back pain who have failed medical and physical therapy care reported marked improvement with Chiropractic adjustments. (Injury, 1996) I LOVE those kind of stats!! ...and that's just ONE of the million reasons why I do this stuff!!!

..and that's that!

GET ADJUSTED, STAY STRONG

Dr Lou