| Publisher's Picks: | Friday, August 7, 2009 | | | Restless Legs Syndrome: Forget the Media Hype By Carolyn Dean, MD, ND Do you have restless legs syndrome? Maybe you just think you do thanks to the advertising savvy of  pharmaceutical companies who make millions exaggerating this rare condition. They’ve been so successful, that it’s become an epidemic in a population of restless yet inactive people who may really just be suffering from a common mineral deficiency. I’ll discuss that deficiency with you in just a moment. But first, I’d like to explain why you should avoid if at all possible the popular prescription drugs that are being marketed to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS). The main RLS drugs fall under the category of tranquilizers, sleeping aids and pain relievers -- substances that are highly addictive and are only masking the true problem.
The worst of the batch is Requip (ropinirole) which plays with your brain chemistry in the way drugs for Parkinson’s disease and ADHD do -- by increasing or decreasing your production of dopamine (which regulates most of your bodily functions). In fact, Requip is so powerful, it is often prescribed to lessen the effects of Parkinson’s disease. "Hallucination" is listed under significant adverse effects of the drug.1 Here’s what you really need to know about RLS but will not learn from any TV commercial. The most common cause is usually a simple deficiency of the mineral magnesium in the muscle cells. Magnesium is the key component that allows cells to absorb other minerals like calcium, iron and potassium that are needed by your muscle cells. Magnesium also allows your muscles to relax and even combats insomnia. These are three darn good reasons why this miracle mineral makes an easy solution for RLS. One hundred years ago the average person consumed 500 mg of magnesium a day through their diet. Thanks to modern soil depletion, the average person is lucky to get 150 mg through food alone. Unless you're juicing bunches of collard greens each day, supplementation is the best alternative. I recommend taking magnesium in three forms: Magnesium Citrate Powder: This may not absorb as well as the other forms but it still offers its own unique benefits. It also tastes the best. You can find a powdered drink mix called Natural Calm at most health food stores. It can be added to water for a fizzy soda-like drink sweetened with organic stevia. Magnesium Oil: This is a combination of supersaturated magnesium chloride in distilled water. You can massage this into your legs. It'll absorb through the skin into the muscles. Good sources of magnesium oil can be found at www.globallight.net and www.magneticclay.com. Angstrom Liquid Ionic Magnesium: Scientists have found that minerals enter cells through extremely narrow channels about 5 billionths of a meter wide. We normally would rely on plants to break magnesium down to this size. The company www.123minerals.com however, uses a process that breaks down magnesium into a highly absorbable form to enter these narrow channels. Usually one 75-mg dose of angstrom magnesium will have the same effects of 750 mg of citrate. You can't overdose on magnesium (unless you have kidney failure problems) so take as much as feels good for you. If you’re prone to loose bowel movements, get most of your magnesium through the oil and the angstrom minerals. If you're prone to constipation, you may prefer to focus on the citrate powder which has a slight laxative effect. Your body was built to move and your mind to think. Sitting in front of the TV watching ads for RLS inspires neither physical fitness nor mental creativity. No wonder people are restless! Dose up on magnesium, get plenty of exercise and participate in projects that challenge you mentally. My guess is you won’t need any prescription drugs for RLS. Reference - http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/dosage?drugid=4638&drugname=Requip+Oral&monotype=default.
[Ed. Note: Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is The Doctor of the Future and the author of 18 health books. She's the medical director for the Nutritional Magnesium Association. You’re invited to receive a free subscription to her Doctor of the Future blog, join a 48-week Future Health Now! wellness program or schedule a telephone consultation at www.DrCarolynDean.com.] Rate this article:  or leave us a comment | | | | Your Prescription Drugs Are Starving YOU! Do you take? Lipitor
Lozol
Zaroxolyn
Dyrenium
Lotensin
Lopressor
Glucophage
Zantac
Prilosec
Nexium or any of the GERD's, diabetes, blood pressure, or cholesterol lowering medications? It's a little known fact that these medications rob our bodies of vital nutrients like magnesium. None of us wants to be on expensive and dangerous prescriptions, but when we have to be, for whatever reason, it's imperative that we understand what they're doing to our body. James LaValle, nutritionist, pharmacist and naturopathic physician has put together a straightforward 16-page report, detailing the nutritional deficiencies that certain drugs cause and what you MUST do about it. The answers are so simple, it's astonishing. Click here to get your report now. | | Nutrients & Health: | | | The Nutrients that Best Protect Your Vision | | | By Victor Marchione, MD | Top | Protecting and preserving your vision as you grow older requires a bounty of nutrients that do it for  you naturally. In the grocery store, head for the produce aisles. Keeping your diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables could help keep the eyes strong. Greens, oranges, reds, yellows -- the more colorful the produce is, the better it is for your eyesight. For example, two “carotenoid” nutrients are at the top of any list for eyesight. They are lutein and zeaxanthin, found in a variety of vegetables, including dark green salad greens. Heard of carrots being good for eyesight? It’s because they are brimming with beta-carotene (providing the orange color). What does the body turn beta-carotene into? Vitamin A, which is needed by your eyes for healthy functioning. These are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the incredible antioxidant nutrients found naturally in fruits and vegetables. That said, supplements are also a good idea for those who wish to ramp up their vision protection or for anyone who may be at greater risk for conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration (or who perhaps are already forming one of these conditions). Here are some additional vision-aiding supplements that also work great. Topping the list are lutein and zeaxanthin, found in any health store. People who have high levels of these nutrients in their bodies have been found to have a much lower risk of cataracts and of macular degeneration.1-3 Aim for 10 mg a day of each.1-3 Both vitamin A and vitamin C are excellent supplement ideas (at daily doses of 2,000 IU and 500 mg, respectively). Bilberry is a very common supplement for vision, as it contains a flavonoid that may help protect against cataracts. Studies have mostly homed in on its ability to improve night vision.4 Take 120 mg twice a day. Two other supplements to round out your best choices are zinc (a mineral found in each retina naturally) and pine bark extract -- 20 mg and 50 mg, respectively. By giving your eyes the nutrients they need, you’ll go a long way in preventing the onset of age-related vision loss. References - Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2002;75: 540-9.
- Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999: 70: 517-24.
- JAMA 1994: 272: 1,413-20.
- MediHerb Prof. Rev. 1997; 59:1-4.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Victor Marchione has been practicing medicine in New York and New Jersey for over 20 years and is a respected leader in the field of nutrition, smoking cessation and pulmonary medicine. He has been featured on ABC News, CBS Evening News, and the NBC Today Show. He is also the chief formulator of the Red Wine Pill from Bel Marra Nutritionals.] | Rate this article: or leave us a comment | | | Red Wine --The Secret Fountain of Youth? Dear Total Health Breakthroughs Reader: Is red wine the secret fountain of youth? The world’s top scientists have identified and isolated the life-enhancing nutrient in red wine. And numerous studies confirm that this nutrient gives your body up to 50 times more antioxidant protection than Vitamin C and Vitamin E! But, to get all the benefits, you'd have to drink bottle after bottle of red wine, every day for the rest of your life. Or you can get all the amazing health benefits of red wine in just two little pills. Read on for this revolutionary way to get all the nutrients of red wine... without ever having to drink a glass. | | Healthy Recipes: | | | Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Goat Cheese | | | By Kelley Herring | Top | This savory comfort food provides 96% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin. This B  vitamin “vasodilator” increases blood flow by widening the blood vessels, particularly the capillaries. And if you’re looking to detoxify, this is a really good thing. That's because tiny blood vessels are of the greatest value in reaching your fatty tissues, where most toxins are stored in your body. So open wide and enjoy this naturally detoxifying dish. Time To Table: 2 hours + 20 minutes
Serves: 4 Benefits: Gluten Free, Low Carb
Excellent Source of: Protein, Selenium, Vitamin B6, Niacin
Good Source of: Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Riboflavin Ingredients
24 ounces organic pasture-raised chicken breast
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
3 tsp herbes de Provence (thyme, basil, savory)
2 ounce organic, raw goat cheese
1/2 cup organic balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp organic avocado oil Preparation
Whisk vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Place chicken in large glass resealable container. Pour dressing over chicken; seal container. Chill 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Prepare Flavorwave oven (if you must, use a barbecue medium-high heat). Arrange chicken on Flavorwave or grill. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to plates; top each with dollop of cheese. Nutrition Information:
328 Calories, 13.5 g Total Fat, 4.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 6.5 g Monounsaturated fat, 1.5 g Polyunsaturated fat, 110 mg Cholesterol, 771 mg Sodium, 6 g Carbohydrate, 0 g Fiber, 5 g Sugars, 43 g Protein [Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder of Healing Gourmet – the world's leading website on the power of foods to promote health and protect against disease. Her latest work is a revolutionary health transformation program called, Your Plate, Your Fate. In this 7-part program you'll learn how to protect your health and optimize your weight by maximizing the nutrients in your food. Learn more here.] | Rate this article: or leave us a comment | We’d Like To Hear From You!
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