We’ve all heard it. “Advice” that gets passed down from generation to generation or from friend to friend about health, exercise or medicine. Ever stop to wonder if its true or where it came from? The world of medicine changes daily with research discovering new ways we can enhance our quality of life, increase its longevity or just plain save it. Here, we debunk some of the most common myths we hear and explain why.
Myth #1: I have a family history of diabetes, so its likely that I will develop diabetes.
“A family history of type 2 diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for getting the disease but it only seems to matter in people living a Western lifestyle. Conversely, people who live in areas that have not become Westernized tend not to get type 2 diabetes, no matter how high their genetic risk.” (www.diabetes.org)
Getting diabetes seems to depend more on environmental factors. Almost entirely, in fact. So you can have diabetes on both sides of the family and not develop the disease if you maintain impeccable lifestyle habits. A clean diet, exercise, and some targeted vitamin therapy are very effective in warding off diabetes. This disease and its complications are preventable for about 95% of individuals “at risk” for developing diabetes.
There is also a notion that once an individual has diabetes, there is nothing you can do to change it or alleviate the symptoms. This is also medical folklore. Maintaining a balance between your dietary proteins and carbohydrates can stabilize blood sugars and has the potential to reverse many diabetic symptoms. This would be a lifelong mission for the diabetic motivated to get their diabetes under control and would require a great degree of discipline, commitment, and resolve but they would learn to master their diabetes in time.
Myth #2: There’s no nutritional difference between organic foods and non organic foods.
Completely and utterly false! Organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, and in a way that is sustainable to the planet. Because of these meticulous practices, organic food is known to contain 50% more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than non-organic produce. “But does it really matter?”, you may think. Of course it does! Just think about it. You eat every day at least three times a day, constantly exposing yourself to whatever is in, or should I say on, your food. Pesticides alone have been linked with cancer, endocrine diseases, mental/emotional disturbances, and birth defects. Antibiotics and hormones have also been implicated in endocrine disturbances. Finding foods that haven’t been genetically modified, are free range, cage free, hormone free, and additive free is important to your overall health.
“But its so expensive to eat organic!”, you may claim. This depends on several things: the availability of fresh, organic produce in your area, the market size for healthy living, your family size and your priorities. If one stopped eating out at fast food restaurants and stopped purchasing junk foods, living an organic lifestyle could be very affordable. On the other hand if you have a large family and live in a community where organic foods aren’t in abundance but still want organic options, you would need to order food and have it shipped to you, allowing delivery costs to eat you alive. This is where discretion comes in.
Not all foods have to be eaten organic in order for you to live a healthy lifestyle. The Environmental Working Group puts out a list every year titled “The Dirty Dozen.” (http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php) On this list are the top 12 dirtiest foods that you should buy organic because of the amount of pesticide used to “clean” them. There is also a list of what you can buy non-organic. This is nice because you can focus on buying these 12 foods organic, keeping your family safe on a reasonable budget.
Myth #3: I’m already thin, so I don’t need to exercise.
Wrong! Cardiovascular (CV) disease knows no shape, size, gender, or race. If you have a diet high in fat, salt and cholesterol you are already placing yourself at risk for the nation’s leading killer. Add physical inactivity, stress and/or age to that list and your risk of developing CV disease becomes exponential, even if you remain horizontally blessed. CV disease is caused by atherosclerosis, which is a build up of fatty plaques in your arteries. These plaques make the arteries thick and stiff, restricting blood flow to important organs.
Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves ALL of its various functions, improves blood flow, reduces blood pressure, improves muscle chemistry (your heart is a muscle), decreases fat tissue (say good bye to fatty plaques) and that is just to start! Now if only we could find something to help you to lose weight, improve your digestion, help you sleep better, enhance your immune system, enrich your sex life, boost your energy levels and add a few years to your life all at the same time . . . oh that’s right, exercise does that, too! At least 45 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week is the recommended amount. Moderate meaning at the very least power walking. Please start doing this. If not for you, for your family. You really do want to be around to walk your daughter down the aisle or watch your grandson hit his first home run.
Myth #4: You have to eat meat in order to meet your requirements for iron.
Not by a long shot. While the iron found in animal sources (heme iron) is more readily available for absorption, the iron found in vegetable sources (non heme iron) is plentiful and much can be done to enhance its absorption into the body. Some good sources of iron from non-meat foods include blackstrap molasses, pumpkin seeds, cooked beans and lentils, leafy greens, artichokes and egg yolks. Throw in your occasional baked potato with the skin, almonds, hummus (love the chickpea), and dried fruit (prunes and raisins) and you’ll have no problem boosting your iron levels. There are also iron fortified cereals, breads and pastas but these are processed and so are less than desirable (unless they are whole grain). Tip: Iron from raw food is absorbed better than from cooked food. Also, Vitamin C is known to enhance iron absorption so be sure to have plenty of citrus or tomatoes around.
Myth #5: You have to drink milk in order to meet your requirements for calcium.
Once again, a myth resulted from good marketing on behalf of the people who brought you the food pyramid (who, by the by, are financially invested in the meat and dairy industries . . . put it together). Here are some alternative sources of calcium: salmon, tofu, sardines, dried apricots and figs, almonds, sesame seeds, white beans, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Don’t forget your leafy greens: rhubarb, collards, bok choy, spinach and kale. Tip: Vitamin D will help your body absorb calcium. Find a good supplement (5000-6000 IU/day) or just play out in the sun for a half hour or so depending on your skin color.
Myth #6: Everyone should get the flu vaccine to protect themselves from the flu.
At last, my favorite. Every flu season you hear the terror of the newest, biggest, baddest super flu bug that has been discovered and how you need to protect yourself and your loved ones from it. Excellent marketing technique because after all there’s nothing like striking fear into the hearts of people in order to get them to cooperate, eh? But before you stand in line at Walgreens to get your discounted flu shots (there’s a reason they’re so cheap) consider the information that doesn’t get as much press:
“Every year, laboratory tests conducted across Canada and compiled by Health Canada’s FluWatch, consistently show that the majority of cases of influenza like illnesses (ILI) involve pathogens other than the influenza virus. In other words, the influenza virus is NOT the cause of most of the flu like illnesses commonly occurring during flu season. FluWatch reports that between August 2004 and March 2005, a total of 68,849 laboratory tests for influenza were reported of which 10,319 tested positive for influenza. That is, only 14.9% of the specimens tested showed evidence of influenza viruses. The remainder of these laboratory tested cases of “influenza-like-illnesses” (85.1%), involved other pathogens against which influenza vaccines offer NO protection whatsoever. The majority of “influenza-like-illnesses” are NOT caused by influenza viruses and are impervious to flu vaccines.” (Vaccination Risk Awareness Network, VRAN)
“A Cochrane Collaboration* analysis of worldwide influenza vaccine studies concluded that too few clinical trials have been conducted to prove vaccine safety and current evidence indicates that use of inactivated influenza vaccine has only a modest or no effect on preventing influenza in the children and the elderly.” (VRAN)
Or my personal favorite to balk at: “Tamiflu (antiviral drug most prescribed for the flu) has not been proven to have a positive impact on the potential consequences (such as hospitalizations, mortality, or economic impact) of seasonal, avian, or pandemic influenza. The clinical trials . . . failed to demonstrate any significant difference in rates of hospitalization, complications, or mortality in patients receiving either Tamiflu or placebo.” {U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)}
So, why is the flu vaccine so widely recommended? Hard to say. Is it not radical to make such generalizations about what would be best for all people when the proof isn’t exactly in the pudding? Would we not benefit more from an individualized approach to health which considers all aspects of our unique health picture before recommending a course of action? Especially when there are many alternative methods of boosting immunity that are very effective in battling the flu? I am not suggesting the vaccine is totally useless and doesn’t work, nor am I advocating that all vaccines in all situations are bad. I am merely providing information to the public so they have an informed consent and can, therefore, adequately participate in their health care decisions. And because no one else seems to want to say it, I must: is getting frequent vaccinations for any or all viruses free of consequences? Something to consider. Be informed, be aware, choose for yourself.
** The Cochrane Collaboration (http://www.cochrane.org), maintains the Cochrane Library and is the world’s leading producer of systematic reviews of scientific information about health care. Cochrane reviews are considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of health care interventions.
Not Sure If The Flu Vaccine Is For You? Know The Facts Before You Decide.
-http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/55507.php
-http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/27/flu-vaccine-not-effective-in-elderly/
-http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/the-truth-about-tamiflu/7801/
Myth #7: Chronic diseases are not affected by changes in diet.
This is probably the saddest myth I hear from almost every patient. Not only is this statement erroneous, it is downright dangerous to believe. Numerous times have I seen the symptoms of arthritis, eczema, depression, anxiety, ADHD, allergies, hormone imbalances, and certain cancers alleviated and even cured by changes in the patient’s diet. Some suffer needlessly and if they only knew a little more about what they could do, or specifically what not to do, they could see great changes in their health for the better. For example, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms are immensely aggravated by sugar and refined white flour. Removing these two things alone can account for a 30-45% improvement in the symptoms of RA.
There is an excellent book titled The China Study by T. Colin Campbell that everyone should read. It is the most comprehensive study of nutrition, diet and its implications ever conducted. In it, Campbell asserts that animal-based foods are responsible for high rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and the effects of aging. His research is tremendous and his conclusions are eye opening. I highly recommend it for anyone battling a long term illness.
Myth #8: Cholesterol is bad for you.
This mantra may be the result of the diet industry touting scare tactics to inspire business. This is absolutely false. Cholesterol is necessary to build cells and make hormones that are vital to our bodies’ processes. In fact, our brains are lined with cholesterol for protection and need it in order to function properly. And you may know that there is such as thing as good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). Saturated fats, which raise your bad cholesterol levels and send cholesterol to your arteries (making you more at risk for all kinds of cardiovascular incidents), should be used in very low to moderate quantities. You can find saturated fats in meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed foods. Unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds and fish raise your good cholesterol and send cholesterol away from your arteries. Exercise enhances the process of cholesterol transportation away from the arteries, which is why it decreases your risk for cardiovascular incidents and why you should be doing it.
