In 2004 there was a JAMA article concluding that the Mediterranean diet and moderate exercise can reduce your chance of death by 50%. An article just released in the Archives of Internal Medicine did a similar study with a U.S. population and found a reduction by at least 20% with a Mediterranean diet alone. You can find a link to my article and both of these studies by clicking here.

In Health,
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist
Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Acupuncture Nutrition com

Here is another study showing that low vitamin D is associated with some common disease. Amazing. Soon we’ll find out that global warming is caused by low vitamin D levels.
The clinical status of patients with knee OA is primarily predicated by their level of pain and their muscle function. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D influences both musculoskeletal health and neuromuscular function. Vitamin D deficiency is common among elders and those with comorbidities. This suggests that vitamin D may especially influence the clinical status of patients with knee OA. This study examined whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was associated with pain and physical function in patients with symptomatic knee OA. Read the rest of this entry

Folic acid has been added to our white flour, wheat flour and other grain products for about 10 years to offset the poor diets of potential mothers as it was proven last decade that low folate levels at conception can cause neural tube defects (NTDs). Certainly it has been shown to be very beneficial as folate supplementation has considerably reduced the number of NTDs. However, as with just about anything in life there are always two sides to the coins. Where there is yin there is yang. And timing is everthing. It seems that taking folate early in life may prevent cancer, but taking it later in life after there has been cell damage may futher accentuate damage and cause cancer. Read the rest of this entry

Can you believe it?  It happened.    I posted in the Spring about an outrageous USDA ruling that now requires all almonds to be pasteurized.  However they can still be labeled “raw”.  That is NUTS!  I always have my patients soak their almonds as it makes it more digestable and the proteins more bioavailable.  Thus healthier and better nutrition.

Unfortunately as of this past September 1st the ruling stands.  Unless enough of us take action!   So please visit the website below and sign the petition.   We cannot let the government continue to destroy our food supply.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=11403

It is important to know our suppliers.  Just because something says ‘organic’ doesn’t really mean it is made with organic standards.   Case in point is the Horizon’s organic milk that is sold under various labels at Costco, Walmart etc.     They’ve been accused of using conventional cows in their lots as well as not allowing the cows to pasture which is required by organic standards.

Read the release from the Organic Consumer’s Association: (Oct 4, 2007)

AURORA THREATENS ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION WITH LAWSUIT
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any hotter (or any more mind-boggling), the “organic” dairy factory farm controversy reached a new level of intensity over the past week. The USDA announced, to the disappointment of the organic community, that they were not going to take further disciplinary measures against Aurora Organic Dairy, a company that just a few weeks ago had a portion of its organic certification suspended by the USDA for “willfully” violating National Organic Standards since 2003 by failing to pasture its animals and by bringing conventional calves onto its feedlots and then declaring them organic. But caving in to pressure from Aurora and other big corporate players in the organic sector , the USDA now says the #1 organic private label dairy processor in the U.S. can continue selling milk produced on its factory farms as “organic” to its longstanding customers including Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, and Woodstock Farms.

In a mind-twisting manipulation of logic, the new acting Secretary of Agriculture, Chuck Connors, a notorious cheerleader for biotech and corporate agribusiness, announced last week that this issue, regarding Aurora’s violation of the USDA National Organic Standards, falls outside the scope of the USDA National Organic Standards. “I know there is controversy out there on a number of issues that really fall outside the bounds, if you will, of what constitutes that organic standard that is necessary in order for the product to have our seal,” said Connors.

Now that they have the USDA in their pocket, Aurora is threatening to sue the Organic Consumers Association and Cornucopia Institute for educating and mobilizing consumers to oppose Aurora’s blatant violations of organic integrity. In related news, the recent issue of Fortune Magazine reports Aurora’s factory farms generated a record 100 million dollars in “organic” dairy sales to consumers this year. In other words, when it comes to suing the OCA, Aurora has plenty of money, from selling its cheap “organic” factory farm milk to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, and Safeway . So given this David versus Goliath situation, OCA needs your financial support today, more than ever, to defend ourselves from this attack by Aurora and to expose the ongoing negligence of the USDA.

Keeping abreast with current research there was a recent study showing that organic meat and dairy foods led to higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It is known that grass-fed animals have higher levels of this important fatty acid than do conventional meats of animals stuck in a farm lot. Read the rest of this entry

There have been numerous studies recently about the benefits of organic foods. Here is another reason to avoid big-agro cattle farming from the University of Minnesota…..

Routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock may be contaminating the environment
13.jul.07
Read the rest of this entry

One of the four major medical journals, JAMA, recently released a study which concluded that antioxidants increase mortality rate. It made big headlines, but unfortunately got blown out of proportion. There were many problems with this study which are described below Read the rest of this entry

If you look at any traditional culture they have culture in their diets. Japanese have miso, Russians have Kefir, German have sauerkraut, and the Irish Guinness. In the USA we do not have any traditional fermented foods. If it is fermented and store bought then it is also pasteurized, Read the rest of this entry

I thought this was a bad April Fool’s joke. (I received an email late in the evening on March 31st). Almonds are an amazing food. Soaking almonds overnight start the sprouting process and gives it a sweet favor. Plump. But now the California Almond Board is requiring that almonds are pasteurized come September. This will kill enzymes and bacteria. Both good and bad. Ludicrous. Raw milk doesn’t spoil like pasteurized milk. Why? Because it contains beneficial enzymes and bacteria that are destroyed during pasteurization. Read the rest of this entry