Kerry D Friesen, M.D.

I picked these myself in my own garden.

Twizzlers, Butterfingers, Skor Toffee bars, Little Debbie snacking cakes: who can resist them?

Apparently only a handful of us, since seventy percent of  Americans and one billion people worldwide are overweight.  Ironically, the overfed, now outweigh (pun intended), the malnourished and starving.

WHO’S TO BLAME?

One reason, may be the food industry’s determination to refuse to accurately label their products.

Surely you’ve seen food labels for “100%  CHOLESTEROL FREE” peanut butter?  When, have peanuts (actually a legume) or any nut for that matter, ever contained cholesterol? How about “Chocolate Cheerios: made with REAL Cocoa—may reduce the risk of heart disease” or Nestle’s Drumsticks with “O grams of trans fats.”  While dark chocolate may be antioxidant rich (and very bitter in it’s naturally unsweetened state), chocolate cheerios are not.  Zero grams of trans fat should not be interpreted as “fat free.”

CANDY-COATED, COLOR-CODED NUTRITION LABELING

A new national food labeling system designed to help consumers make healthy food choices is being called “useless” by scientists at the Yale University Prevention Research Center.  Grocery stores nation wide,Wal-Mart included, have chosen voluntarily to add color-coded labels known as Nutrition Keys to the front of all food products. These colorful tags were added “voluntarily” by the food industry when it became apparent that the Food and Drug Administration was considering more stringent nutrition labeling requirements. Nutrition Key labels identify essential nutrients such as saturated fat content, calories,  fiber, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin D.  To non-label readers, this may seem helpful, however, non-nutritional foods such as diet soda with  “zero calories, fat and sugar” appear to be superior to broccoli, spinach and walnuts.

While the new color-coded labels may be factual, they are not truly informative. Only the proper interpretation of a fact can impart real knowledge. To the average consumer, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) certainly appears to be doing something when they in fact, are not. The GMA, based in Washington D.C., has represented branded food since 1908. You may recognize the following list of their largest members:

Coca-Cola Company, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Nestle, PepsiCo, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Del Monte Foods, and Unilever.

I think, it is also important to note, that industry leader and retail giant Wal-Mart currently controls at least thirty percent of the national share of the grocery market. Can it be that Wal-Mart and other large food conglomerates now decide what America eats? To be fair, Wal-Mart has agreed to reduce the sodium content of it’s food products by twenty percent and added sugar content by ten percent.  Still, not nearly enough given that the incidence of obesity has doubled worldwide since 1980!

A FOOD REVOLUTION

You can be an instrument of change. You vote with your wallet, pocket-book and purse at least once a week based on where you shop and what you buy.  Every bar-code and every transaction is dutifully recorded and noted by your local grocer.  Shop local, eat locally grown organic food.  Dig in the dirt, plant a garden and share with your neighbors. Don’t ever settle for heavily processed, overpriced convenience food.  You’re worth more than that. Teach your children and it will come back to you ten times over.

Just ask Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of  Journalism at UC Berkley and according to the New York Times the #1, best-selling, nonfiction author in the country, what to eat and he will tell you: “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.”

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Have a crazy question?

Sometimes, it’s easier to talk to the “computer” about health problems than your doctor.

If you have a pressing question—just ask!

No obligation, no judgment, just plain ol’ hard scientific facts, balanced with years of medical experience and a true desire to,

“first do no harm.”

Enjoy…

Pass it along…..

Invite a friend…..

Life…..it’s all about balance

To get an answer to your question, click “continue reading” and then leave a comment.

Woosh!  You get an answer!

It’s anonymous of course, unless you’re ok with sharing.

Speaking of sharing, thanks to the Human Genome Project, soon, everyone’s DNA (the code of life), will be published for all the world to see—me included!

It’s ok, because we all share 99.9% of the same DNA.

In other words, we all differ by just a measly 0.9%.

Something to think about .

Kerry D Friesen, MD

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The brain explains it all!

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR BRAIN’S BIOCHEMISTRY

1.  TAKE the test

2.  DISCOVER your deficiency

3.  SELECT  the Neuro•Brand  supplement that’s best for your brain!

Neurotransmitters allow brain cells to communicate with one another and everyone knows that communication is the key to a healthy relationship.

The sense of well-being that healthy people describe is just a natural consequence of the brain having an abundant supply of the building blocks required to make a steady supply of  essential neurotransmitters.

While there are more than fifty “neuroactive” compounds that scientists are aware of, the four following neurochemicals determine everything from mood, motivaton to memory and learning!

Take the test; score your result and decide what neurotransmitter deficiency has been determining your destiny—you’ll be amazed.

Here are the four neurotransmitters you need to know about:

Dopamine—GABA—Acetylcholine—Serotonin

DOPAMINE

1.  I have struggled with my weight for years

2. I crave sugar even though I continue to gain weight

3. I have little reserve energy and feel exhausted most days

4.  I have little sex drive

5. I sleep too much

6. I have a personal history of addiction (alcohol)

7. Getting out of bed in the morning is a chore

8. My spouse complains about my lack of sexual interest

9. On occasion I am exhausted for no apparent reason

10. I have cravings for prescription stimulants (amphetamines) or cocaine or Ecstasy

GABA

1.  I frequently feel anxious

2.  People tell me I have cold hands

3.  I suffer from frequent headaches and backaches

4.  I sometimes sweat too much

5.  I feel shaky inside

6.  I sometimes feel dizzy

7.  I feel tired even after a good nights sleep

8.  I frequently overeat

9.  I often feel nervous inside

10. I experience heart palpitations

ACETYLCHOLINE

1. My memory is failing

2.  I often crave fatty foods

3.  I seldom exercise

4.  I feel as though my body is rapidly aging

5.  I have less muscle tone

6.  My breathing has changed

7.  My ability to recall names has decreased

8.  In the past, I have experimented with hallucinogenic drugs (LSD, psylocibin)

9.  I suffer from insomnia

10. I am less cheerful

SEROTONIN

1.  I have difficulty sleeping

2.  I never feel like exercising

3.  Mostly I am sad

4.  I have difficulty falling asleep after I wake up

5.  I am a “salt craver”

6.  I have night sweats

7.  I change sleep positions through the night

8.  I have dificulty relaxing

9.  I wake up several times through the night

10. I always wake up early in the morning

Key Code:  Add up the “TRUE”  responses and multiply by ten.

Anything less than 50 is considered a minor deficiency.

Between 80 and 100 is a major deficiency and immediate action is recommended.

If you score between 50 and 70, begin the supplement program and retake the quiz in one month.  Consider asking your doctor for more help if you are not feeling better soon.

Call for an appointment if you are not certain what category is appropriate for you, or, if you have other medical problems.

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