What is Worse Than Osteoporosis?

Fosamax, Boniva and other drugs in the same class (bisphosphonates) are promoted in the media as a way to reverse osteoporosis but are yet another pharmaceutical nightmare, despite what the celebrity promoters on TV say.*

Adverse effects include: ulcerations of the mucus membranes, esophageal cancer, osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw, bone pain, atypical fractures,  flu-like reactions, and permanently brittle bones.

Bone tissue undergoes constant turnover, continually maintaining a balance of breaking down and rebuilding, in order to keep the bone tissue new and healthy. As hormone levels decrease, particularly in women, the balance shifts to favor breakdown and the net effect is a decline in bone mineral density.

Big pharma puts a clever spin on their marketing of bisphosphonates by claiming that they slow bone breakdown, alluding to an effect of preservation of bone mass and resultant reduction in fractures. That is indeed the mechanism of action, but unfortunately it is not a good one. Old bone is supposed to break down to make room for new bone.

So it is easy to deduce that interfering with normal bone remodeling will lead to trouble. The treatment is an example of transiently manipulating lab values, in this case, a higher measurable bone mineral density. The problem is that these values indicate a higher density of old bone, which is unhealthy, weak, brittle bone. And the mutations can be permanent. To make matters worse - the bisphosphonates are now available in once yearly injections - so that they cannot be cleared from the body if/when severe side effects occur, so they proceed unchecked.

Osteoporosis is a serious, painful, and potentially life threatening condition, especially in genetically susceptible women, that needs to be addressed - but bisphosphonates are not the solution. (1,2) The only effective ways to address this condition are via a balanced intake of nutrients, exercise, and, in some women, "bioidentical" hormone therapy (NOT Premarin).  Calcium on its own is not effective, and can result in calcification of the arteries.



(1) Otto S et al. Osteoporosis and bisphosphates-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: Not just a sporadic coincidence - a multi-centre study. Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery. 2010.

(2) Isaacs JD et al. Femoral insufficiency fractures associated with prolonged bisphosphanate therapy. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 2010.

*This post is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your personal physician if you are concerned about your condition.  This information is also not intended for those taking Zometa or similar drugs for the treatment of bone cancers.

Death By Corporate

If you have a sedentary job you need to read this.

Sitting for several consecutive hours puts the body in fat storing mode, increases stress hormone synthesis, encourages insulin resistance and diabetes, and induces blood pooling in the extremities which increases the risk of blood clots and impedes cognitive functions. Even if you have a gym membership and go there faithfully three times a week, you will not undo the damage that sitting all day can cause. This damage has even been given a name. Its called “Sedentary Death Syndrome”. (1)

If you are an employee and happen to work for a progressive company that recognizes the dangers of being unfit and overweight, then lucky you! If not, then perhaps you could show this article to your employer. If you are the employer then please seriously consider how you can learn to help yourself as well as your staff live healthy lives despite the pressures of the new economy!

There are ways to reverse and prevent this very real danger with properly executed exercise techniques, nutrition and a few changes in mindset.



Booth FW. Sedentary Death Syndrome. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. 2004. 29(4) 444-446 (review)

Statin Drugs Do Harm, Not Cholesterol

Statin drugs (Crestor, Lipitor, etc.) are widely promoted, not for the benefit of patients, but to support the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry. They are even being prescribed for children. These drugs can be dangerous. And newer studies indicate that, with regard to preventing cardiovascular disease, they don't work!*


The goal in medical settings these days is to get so called "bad cholesterol" (in LDL) as low as possible. Standards for normal levels have been artificially lowered by the drug companies who dictate to doctors.

There is no such thing as bad cholesterol, except when it's oxidized. Cholesterol is cholesterol whether it is carried in the LDL's or HDL's. ( The findings of low HDL's and high levels of small particle LDL's may have significance with regard to heart disease, but is a separate topic and not treatable by statins.).  Cholesterol is necessary for health. It is a component of cell membranes, steroid hormones, bile acids, vitamin D and myelin. It participates in the immune system.  It is normal and desirable for levels to moderately increase as we age.

Extremely high cholesterol levels can be indicative of a rare genetic variant called familial hypercholesterolemia, which is found in about 1 out of 500 people, and is not the focus of this post. Very high serum cholesterol is most commonly a sign of inflammation somewhere in the cardiovascular system. When there is inflammation in the cardiovascular system, cholesterol is one of several components sent by the body to help repair the damage. This can be life-saving in the short term, but unfortunately, when the calcified, cholesterol-containing "plaque patch" sticks around a while it can oxidize, igniting a free radical chain reaction.  An old, calcified plaque patch can eventually break off, leading to a stroke or a heart attack.


The way to prevent a stroke or heart attack is not to reduce cholesterol but to address the cause of very high levels. Otherwise, damage in the arteries proceeds unchecked. Plaque formation may be reduced but the blood vessel continues to deteriorate.  To make matters worse - statins have recently been shown to increase calcification within the blood vessels.


Statin drugs not only don't solve the cause of cardiovascular damage, but the drugs directly damage the muscles, kidneys, liver, heart, lens of the eye, nervous system (including the brain) and endocrine systems. The association with increased calcification of the arteries may be involved with  the dementia often seen as a side effect..  They obliterate the body's synthesis of a very important vitamin-like chemical called Coenzyme Q-10. This is detrimental, especially for the heart, even with supplementation.  Supplements cannot really compensate for wiping out the body's own supply.


In addition to the damage that statins can cause directly, reducing cholesterol levels too much throughout the body is unhealthy, and associated with reduced immunity, cancer, hormonal issues, neuropathies, dementia, and more. The standards of "normal" have been manipulated by the pharmaceutical industry so that they can get everyone on statins.


Extremely high LDL-C levels, especially when concurrent with low HDL's, are a symptom, not a direct cause, of a situation in the body that needs to be addressed by lifestyle, food intake and exercise. Getting the "numbers" down may seem like a victory as far as the doctor is concerned, but addressing a symptom only masks a bigger problem and is not the same as eliminating a disease process.


That is why statin drugs have not been shown, by any well designed and properly analyzed study, to improve cardiovascular health in the long term, nor reduce the rate of death from cardiovascular disease.


*This post is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your personal physician if you are concerned about your condition.

Golumb BA,Evans MA.  Statin adverse effects : a review of the literature and evidence for a mitochondrial mechanism.American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.2008

Our Animal Friends Deserve the Best!

If a food is not pure enough for you to eat, then it is not good enough for your pets either!  So, should you cook for your dog or cat?

Many well-meaning people who love their companion animals have been seriously misled by the pet-food industry.

Commercial dog and cat food is classified as "unfit for human consumption" for a reason. The appetizing savory beef, lamb, or chicken shown on the labels of familiar brands of canned and dried dog food is really nowhere to be found in the product. Most pet food is made from meat by-products which consist of discarded, and often decaying, body parts (like ears, cartilage, hoofs, intestines, etc.) from slaughterhouses, rancid fats, meat from diseased animals (often from sources that you would probably rather not know about), toxic preservatives and other chemicals, synthetic vitamins, inorganic minerals, (plus taurine for cats), and artifical thickeners in place of natural nutrients. In other words, nothing is wasted by the pet food industry if it can make a profit.

This garbage (which this stuff literally is) is then mixed with cheap fillers - GMO soy, and dirty, moldy grains such as corn and wheat - ingredients that are not at all healthful for dogs and cats to begin with, and are, in addition, loaded with pesticides and fungicides.

There are cleaner, organic and more healthful alternatives available that are better than  supermarket brands; but even these foods, especially dry foods, can contain ingredients that are not natural components of a dog or cat's diet.

If you have a parrot, there are a few halfway decent bird seed brands if you know what to look for.  Avoid pellets/extruded grain and soy products, and supermarket brand seeds tainted with mold and pesticides..  However, birds need other foods to supplement their seed intake.

So, yes, you can cook for your pets, and they would be better off for it. But be aware that there are certain foods that, although healthful for humans, can be toxic to your furry/feathered friends.

For example, don't feed your dog or cat grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions. They do usually enjoy, and benefit from, supplementing their meat with greens and carrots.

There are many so-called human foods that are beneficial for birds such as clean organic carrots, lettuce and peppers, but don't feed your parrot/budgie avocado, or vegetables from the cabbage family, including broccoli.

GMO 101

Why avoid GMO?

Genetically modified organisms are foods that have had foreign genes inserted into their DNA to give them traits that are not native to the species. For example, some genetically modified plants contain DNA that has been modified to cause the plant to repel pests. More likely, it has been modified to withstand heavy spraying of herbicides or pesticides - chemicals made by the same company that sells GMO seeds - such as Monsanto

DNA codes for proteins. Modified DNA has the potential to code for unnatural proteins that can cause health problems in those that can consume them, including life-threatening allergies and possibly cancer. GMO can grow into foods with altered nutritional value, or toxic properties.

The pollen containing DNA from genetically modified crops is blown by the wind to other fields, contaminating normal crops and altering the natural environment.

Genetically modified fish (seafood tampered with in order to grow bigger faster) will eventually breed with natural fish, creating strange mutations that are irreversible, causing natural fish to become extinct. The salmon frankenfish has been approval by the FDA but so far its distribution is being held up by the US Congress pending further study.

Some GMO seeds, particularly the soybean seeds sold by Monsanto, are programmed to self-destruct, forcing farmers to buy new seeds every year from this biotech giant.

GMO do not have to be labeled in the United States.  Monsanto is spending a lot of money to fight pending labeling legislation.

Many European nations have banned genetically modified crops, or have at least imposed labeling laws on the few approved GMO

Corn and soy are two crops that are most likely to be genetically modified (90%). That means that anything made with these crops most likely contain GMO – such as high fructose corn syrup, bakery items, condiments, frozen dinners, fast food, soymilk, cereal, canned vegetables, and more.

The only way to avoid GMO with any certainty is to buy organic foods, which are prohibited by law to be genetically modifed. The only way to prevent these organisms from eventually contaminating even organically grown food is to refuse to buy them and decrease demand.

Saturated Fat Is Not Bad For You

Eating saturated fat does not cause cardiovascular disease. This is not newly discovered information, and it never made scientific sense to begin with.  Studies found in the peer-reviewed medical journals are actually often poorly designed, or misinterpreted, even by the researchers themselves, in order to support the financial interests of those funding them, such as pharmaceutical companies and the processed food industry.

Analyses of studies examining the relationship of saturated fatty acids and heart disease have been grossly off the mark since the 1950's.  Ancel Keyes, a well known epidemiologist of his time, examined cohort studies from 7 countries and concluded that diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease, and that substituting vegetable oils was protective.  He has since been criticized for extracting only data that could be manipulated to support his hypothesis while ignoring data that contradicted his premise.

There is much more convincing evidence that vegetable oils, which contain pro-inflammatory omega-6, and sugar are two of the main dietary contributors to heart disease.  Vegetable oils and sugars are often used in place of saturated fat in prepared foods.  Saturated fats, unlike polyunsaturated oils, are stable during cooking.  Some saturated fats, such as the short chain fatty acids found in butter and coconut, may have medicinal value.

Dietary cholesterol, as well, absolutely does not pose a health risk to 499/500 people.  Yolks are the most healthful part of the egg.  The "study" about egg yolks that has been in the news lately, which was financed by several pharmaceutical companies, used ridiculously poor methodology and should be ignored.

The only nutritional downside to animal fat is that factory farmed animals live in very toxic conditions.  Toxins, including injected drugs like hormones and antibiotics, are stored in the adipose tissue.







Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 91(3):535-46

Why Diets Don't Work

Did you know that, barring certain metabolic disorders, your body has a built-in Calorie counter?  An assortment of hormones and brain chemicals work together to tell your body what it needs to replace the energy (Calories) it expends every day.  This mechanism works best in active people who eat real food.

Once you go on a "diet", your built in Calorie counter takes its first hit.  First of all, when the body senses a potential famine, it will tenaciously defend its fat stores.  The weight you lose is mostly water, muscle and glycogen.  When you start eating as you did before, you will quickly replace the glycogen and water and you will now store more of what you eat as fat.  This is a protective mechanism.  You will not replace the muscle mass, and this will result in a lower metabolic rate.  The only way to remedy the loss of muscle is resistance training fueled by a proper food intake.

Here are a few other ways that dieting can make you fat:  The sweet taste of artificial sweeteners alters insulin metabolism so that you store more food as fat.  Restricted eating behaviors can signal to your brain that you are "fat" and your body will comply in many cases!  Processed low-calorie, low-fat foods provide little satiety value and can make you chronically hungry.  Excessive food restriction does not provide the amino acids and energy to get proper results from exercise.

Soy is Toxic

Soy protein is toxic, particularly if it is unfermented, even if it is organic and not genetically modified (most soy is GMO). That means soymilk (and derivatives like yogurt, frozen desserts, and cheese), tofu, edamame, meat substitutes, roasted soynuts, the filler and flavor enhancers in processed foods, and soybean flour are not good for you.

The toxins are numerous: the isoflavones genestein and daidzein which are potent goitrogens (thyroid disruptors) and estrogens (endocrine disruptors), protease inhibitors that impede digestion and cause pancreatic dysfunction, oxalates and phytates that impede mineral absorption, and neurotoxins such as high levels of manganese. Also, despite what the ads say, soy is not a source of quality protein and can stress your kidneys.

It is hidden in processed foods and commercial pet foods. Most baby formulas are made with soymilk. Many years ago soy was not considered a food, but was used only as a nitrogen fixative in soil. It was only cultivated as a food by people of ancient China who were experiencing serious shortages of dietary protein. It was referred to as "the poor man's cow" and it was better than nothing   However, back then, mostly fermented soy was eaten.

The process of fermentation, as with making soy sauce, deactivates some of the toxins. If you insist on eating soy, tempeh (to me it is just moldy soybeans), miso, and natto (a source of certain vitamins but supposedly tastes vile) it is probably safe in moderation.  Too much soy sauce, though, can act like MSG.

The negative effects of soy have been known for many years. (I actually became aware back in the 70's after I experienced adverse effects from experimenting with it.) Big Corporate successfully marks it as a health food because it is cheap to produce and is a financial goldmine.