A recent study done by a pharmacy manager, a doctor of pediatrics, and the Kansas Health Institute concluded that medications being prescribed to children is increasing at an alarming rate. . .

The numbers in this report were generated by insurance claims for more than 3,000,000 children ages 5 to 19 years.

From 2002 to 2005 prescription medications used to treat ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) skyrocketed by more than 40%! But, let’s step away from the fact that ADHD is NOT even a real disease for a moment . . .

Drugs prescriptions for children with type 2 diabetes have jumped up over 100% . . . and 46% more children are taking asthma drugs. Worst of all, they’re prescribing cholesterol lowering drugs (statins!) to children, at least 15% more than before 2002.

These are just a few examples of child health concerns that are NOT being resolved by taking more drugs. It is no wonder why we have a healthcare crisis . . . these big corporations are bleeding us dry.

There is much concern that doctors are now feeling more comfortable drugging younger and younger children almost indiscriminately. Yet, others claim that chronic diseases are on the rise and there is no other choice.

But your child's health is largely a choice - and as a parent it's your choice (and responsibility) to choose whether your child should be taking prescriptions drugs or not.

I’ll tell you what I’m concerned about . . . in spite of more and more drugs being "pushed" on children at younger ages than ever before . . . these so-called "diseases" and "disorders" are becoming more and more common - Doesn't that seem a bit odd???

More on For How Much Longer Are We Going To Justify & Allow This Kind Of Corporate Over-Control?

Sooner or later you knew it was going to happen. Eventually you just had to admit everything you’ve tried has failed to cure your acid reflux. But don’t blame yourself; it’s not your fault.

Pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars convincing you and half the US population that acid reflux and (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease) GERD are simple drug deficiencies.

You’re NOT alone here. . .

If I said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times . . .
your acid reflux is NOT a drug deficiency. If you believe
in the slightest possibility of there being a natural solution to acid reflux, you’ll love today’s report.

Heartburn, acid indigestion, bad breath, sore throat and that horrible metallic taste in your mouth can all be a thing of the past.

Visit www.RefluxRemedy.com to learn more.

As you may already know, to get different results than you’ve been getting you can’t keep doing the same
things that got you there. With all the tricky gimmicks and magical purple elixirs over the counter today, it’s no wonder you feel confused. But as you continue to read this report you will begin to see clearly the answer is simple.

Imagine being able to do more than only "smell" your favorite mouth watering cuisine. Imagine savoring every last bite, actually being able to swallow and digest your food completely. Imagine enjoying your food and your company without your face turning fire engine red, choking on your words and angrily excusing yourself haphazardly. . .

The nightmare can be over, all you have to do is turn on the lights and the acid reflux monster will be as if it
never was . . . so you made a wrong turn or two in the past, the good news is you are here now.

More on Do Acid Reflux Drugs & Antacids Really Work?

Don’t know about you, but the eater-blogger posting this entry has long avoided eating too many potato chips (uh, that would be the whole bag) by simply not buying them for the pantry at home. It has worked for a couple of decades. So has the same strategy for Kit Kat bars, though Halloween and trick-or-treaters who live under the same roof can sorely test a man.

Belgian researchers has released a new study suggesting this keep-the-cupboards-bare-of-junk-foods to be less than optimal strategy for controlling food cravings and overeating. The researchers at Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerpen found that keeping sweet treats around in the homes of female college students can actually result in greater self-control.

Let lead author Kelly Geyskens take the first crack at explaining why: "The main message is that banishing food temptations may not be the best way to limit the amount eaten. Tempting foods [kept at home but not consumed] can actually increase willpower,” she told a Reuters news reporter.

There is some common sense in this study. A good number of nutritionists subscribe to the credo that “no food is bad” but that it’s portion size that matters. For example, dark chocolate (look for at least 70 percent cocoa) continues to rack up health kudos from researchers but only if you eat the equivalent of one 100-gram bar or a small square per day.

As for chips or doughnuts that provide what dieticians call “empty calories,” it’s not the occasional treat that sabotages weight control but making it a regular habit. So, sure, go ahead, add a few chips to your lunch plate or savor a really good homemade doughnut when meeting an old friend for coffee, just don’t morph “occasional” to “often” to “oh, what’s the difference, my weight control program is so far gone.”

For the study, Geyskens and her Belgian colleagues asked volunteer female college students to undergo differing tests of food willpower. The guise was that a candy company was conducting some market research.

More on Self Control, Weight Control and What's in the Pantry

Every Halloween I hear the local media offering helpful suggestions for a safer Halloween. Some of these traditional safety tips and warnings cover anything from inspecting food and candy for signs of malicious tampering, to advice about sticking together in larger groups. This year their warning kids against using non-prescription eye lenses that can damage your eyes.

The list of dangers seems endless for all the goblins, witches and ghouls this Hollow’s eve. Many kids are under-dressed for the cold weather, visually impaired by their masks . . . running around with sharp wands, waving swords and flashing light sabers searching for sugary candies to plunder. Add to that the dangerous baggy costumes, flowing capes and flapping tapestries set to flame by misplaced Jack-o-Lanterns, decorative lights or out-door candles.

Yet, after considering all things . . . nothing compares to a hidden danger lurking in the shadows long after Halloween is gone and over.

According to the most conservative study I could find . . . Americans consume on average about 40 pounds of sugar per person, per year. That’s more than one and a half ounces of sugar per day. 1999 report information is the Economic Research Service [ERS] of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Of course those sugary calories are hidden in soda pops, fruit juices and other less obvious sources. (The Economic Research Service estimated that data on weight of sugar sold.) The ounce and a half of daily sugar doesn’t include honey, sorghum or High Fructose Corn syrups.

Regardless, an ounce and a half of sugar consumed per person per day is ridiculously high. Most studies suggest the reality is many times worse. Bottom line is Americans are destroying their health by eating all this refined and processed sugar.

Refined sugar and High Fructose Corn syrup is contributing directly to the emerging epidemic of diabetes we see in young people today. In fact new evidence states that High Fructose Corn Syrup may be responsible for causing chromium deficiencies.

And all diabetics have at least this one thing in common; they all have a chromium deficiency.

Considering it has been estimated that 25% to possibly 50% of Americans are chromium deficient . . . it’s no wonder diabetes is approaching plague proportions in the U.S.

Keep in mind that tissue levels of chromium tend to decrease with age. However, considering that adult on-set of diabetes has increased more than six-fold between 1950 and 2000 . . . it could be a sign that Americans are aging “biologically” much faster than ever before.

More on Discover The Trick To Treating Your Diabetes Naturally By Simply Eating “Seasonally.”

“Eat your greens” is undeniable health advice. But a new study by Penn State scientist makes the credo, well, a bit nutty. That’s because the research shows pistachios can fight cholesterol in two distinct and powerful ways.

While nuts have been associated with heart health for more than a decade—despite the hard-to-shake reputation of being fatty foods—pistachios have overshadowed by more studied nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and even macadamia nuts (which have the highest fat content of all nuts). Peanuts have been widely studied, too, though you likely know that peanuts are technically legumes and not nuts.

Not surprisingly, most of the nut studies are funded by growers and food manufacturers. That’s the case with the Penn State research, too, also financially staked in part by the National Institutes of Health. Yet the nut research is published in peer-reviewed medical journals and scientifically performed. Basically, these studies set up the nuts for success and, thanks to the medicinal power of plant foods, the nuts prove to be significant health boosters. Walnuts have been widely associated with protecting against cancer, while almonds have gained acceptance as cardiovascular powerhouses.

Now pistachios arrive with serious scientific meddle. The Penn State researchers showed that pistachios not only lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) because the nut contains omega-3 fats that sweep away the unwanted LDL in the blood and arteries, but that a pistachio also contains a substance that controls an enzyme called stearoyl CoA desaturase that is vital to cholesterol buildup.

More on Pistachios Pack 1-2 Punch for Reducing Cholesterol

By Bob Condor

Americans don’t have to be reminded about the health value of regular exercise. But a new study points out that even one workout can make a difference in how the body oxidizes or burns fat. There are apparently fewer excuses than ever to say, oh, someday, there will be time for a regular exercise program. One brisk walk or trip to the gym can change your metabolism for the better.

The report is even more relevant and hopeful for someone who is overweight or at risk for typc 2 diabetes because it involved obese women (at 20 percent heavier than a healthy weight).

REVEALED: NEW DIABETES REVERSAL REPORT - How to Reverse Diabetes DRUG FREE in
4 Weeks from Today, Using Safe Proven Home Remedies. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Scientists at the University of Michigan followed five obese women in the study. In one session, they allowed the women to overeat and not exercise. In a second session, the women were allowed to overeat again, but this exercised after their meal. In many ways, they were simulating everyday life.

What the researchers found is that exercise might play an even bigger role in reducing weight gain and diabetes risk than previously believed and especially compared to diet changes alone.

In the first session of overeating and no exercise, the body’s fat-burning capability was reduced after just that one day of overeating. The volunteers’ fat levels were measured the morning after overeating/exercise sessions and included a muscle biopsy. This reduction in fat-burning or oxidation is what leads to fat by-products remaining in muscle tissue and leading insulin resistance that is so destructive in type 2 diabetes.

During the second session, it was evident that just one bout of exercise increases fat-burning capacity and reduces insulin resistance in the muscles. Instead of fat by-products remaining in muscle due to overeating, the exercise effect is to flush out those by-products. Just one workout can “steer” fat to be burned rather than accumulated, said the researchers. More on Just One Workout Can Lower Diabetes Risk, Symptoms

By Bob Condor

Among its impressive pursuits as a private consumer watchdog organization, the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group has been at the forefront of what has to be our most urgent public health issue: Toxins in children.

EWG’s latest report is among the most disturbing of its findings to date. In a study of 20 teenage girls from eight states and D.C., scientists uncovered 16 toxic chemicals in their blood and urine. The chemicals, no big surprise, are common in cosmetics and body care products.

Hmm, cosmetics, body care products, teen girls, danger, potential disaster. The substances included preservatives, fragrances and antimicrobial chemicals that altered hormone levels in the girls.

That is no sweet 16.

See our Natural Hair Growth Remedy Report

“Hormone-altering chemicals shouldn’t be in cosmetics, especially in products used by millions of teenage girls,” said Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D., author of the report and staff scientist at EWG. “Their bodies are still developing and may be especially vulnerable to risks from these exposures.”

The girls the study were 14 to 19 years old (though it is not hard to imagine a significant number of girls as young as, what, 10 or 11, using such cosmetics and body care products, including skin lotion and shampoo. Along with adolescence affecting the reproductive or hormonal systems, this age level is a peak period for rapid bone growth, significant shifts in metabolism and key changes in brain function.

More on New Report Says Cosmetics, Shampoo, Toxic to Teen Girls

By Bob Condor

Whether you call it sweat or the more proper, “perspiration,” it appears getting a bit clammy while working out protects against exercise-induced asthma attacks.

A new study by scientists at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego evaluated 56 otherwise healthy Marines who were challenged with such symptoms as wheezing, coughing or breathlessness during high-exertion spurts of physical activity. Those Marines who sweated more suffered fewer systems.

That’s the kind of opposites attraction you are looking for in life.

The study was published in this month’s issue of the medical journal Chest. The researchers suggested that the “same mechanisms” that generate a person’s sweat volume also dictates the amount of water secreted by the lungs’ airways. In contrast, the Marines who perspired less also experienced more problems and, likely, drier airways. A lack of moisture in the airways tends to constrict the passages and lead to breathing disruption during the workout.

Not surprisingly, sweating more during exercise also leads to greater saliva and teardrop production. As we all learned in school—gee, wasn’t health class fun?—sweating is a natural process and some of us perspire more than others. Like Michael Jordan, one of the coolest human beings in history, who would stand dripping at the free throw line during Chicago Bulls games. But the researchers were clear: Don’t purposefully overheat yourself during exercise (no rubber suits allowed); that can be dangerous.

While the 56 Marines in the study (whose bodies were voluntarily manipulated with medications to induce airway narrowing and heavier-than-normal sweating) are no doubt elite athletes, Dr. Warren Lockette, lead author of the study, has a first-hand look at how exercise-induced asthma can affect Olympians. He is medical adviser to the University of Michigan’s women’s swimming team (and, yes, he bumped into mega-gold medalist Michael Phelps regularly in Ann Arbor).

“It is unclear why so many elite athletes have exercise-induced asthma,” Lockette said as part of the study’s release. “It is possible that they manifest symptoms of exercise-induced asthma simply because their levels of exertion and breathing rate are so high compared with the average, competitive sportsman.”

For A Complete Asthma Remedy Report Click Here

More on Sweating Out Exercise-Induced Asthma is Just the Remedy

By Bob Condor

Being consistent? It’s almost a lost art form these days. How many professional ballplayers play for one team their entire careers? For that matter, how many people work for just one company? Who never grows up and raises kids in their same hometowns? Which of your friends truly listens to you each time?

For anyone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, there is a lot to be said for consistency, circa 2008 or not. A September study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that people with Type 2 who carefully and tightly control their blood sugar can lower risk of heart attack and death over a long time frame.

Researchers call it a “legacy effect” and makes a strong case for following a successful eating plan and dietary supplement routine in the first 10 years after diagnosis (something you can read about in extensive detail in the new Barton Publishing diabetes natural remedy report). The study points out the protective element of the legacy effect is established in that first decade after diagnosis.

There’s a parallel here. People who go on diets and then off diets are found to gain more weight back than they lost, inadvertently adding pounds when good intentions slip away. The yo-yo dieting also wreaks havoc with the immune system and unduly taxes the heart, lungs and kidneys. A person would be better off eating a mostly healthy diet featuring fresh produce and whole grains while still splurging on the occasional deep-dish pizza or chocolate mousse rather than cycling near-starvation diets with late-night raids of the fridge.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Oxford in England studied more than 4,200 newly diagnosed diabetes patients. They found careful control of blood sugar also lowered kidney disease and vision loss, two common and scary effects of unchecked diabetes. Public health officials in both England and the U.S. took the opportunity of the study’s release to re-emphasize that people with Type 2 diabetes who are consistent (there’s that word again) with monitoring their blood sugar will improve quality of life for years ahead.

For a full list of Barton Publishing Reports including kidney damage, high blood pressure, and diabetes click here.

More on Consistent Diet Stops Diabetes Kidney Damage, Heart Attacks

By Bob Condor

Earlier this year, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published a report that estimates American men are 25 percent less likely than women to visit a doctor for regular check-ups.

The first reaction here at the Daily Health Blog? That number seems low. Way too low.

Figuring most adult women see their gynecologists yearly or maybe every 18 months, it’s no exaggeration that some guys go years without stepping foot into a doctor’s office. You know who you are—or they are. You might be one of the gents or sleep next to one.

And it seems getting older doesn’t change the stats much. Guys in their 50s are just as likely to skip the visit—despite increasing for cardiovascular disease and prostate and colon cancers—than younger men in their 20s, 30s and 40s (who actually are at greater risk for skin cancers that if caught early are easily treatable). As it turns out, about half of all men who go see their doctors are there because their wives/partners made the appointment.

Sound familiar?

So it is no great shock to thumb through an American Diabetes Association report showing that men with Type 2 diabetes—repeat, they have been diagnosed with the disease—know about the primary complications of heart problems, potential blindness and kidney failure but don’t connect their conditions to depression or sexual dysfunction.

And if roughly half of Americans with Type 2 diabetes are undiagnosed, that makes for a lot of men struggling mentally and emotionally without much of a safety net. In fact, it is estimated 12 million U.S. men have Type 2 diabetes.

Both depression and sexual dysfunction can be hard on men who see themselves as the proverbial breadwinners, tough guys, cool customers and, well, you get the idea. Seeing the doctor or feeling blue is not the way most men like to roll, as the saying goes.

Intriguingly, the diabetes association reports that its poll of more than 1,000 adult males found that men didn’t want to talk about diabetes with their physicians and certainly were not eager to discuss depression symptoms or erectile dysfunction issues. But those same guys expressed interest in learning more about those problems and all ways to cope with Type 2 diabetes.

We’ve got just the thing—the new Diabetes report from Barton Publishing. It lays out an easy-to-follow eating plan that men won’t consider punitive or even puny. One hint: Nuts are encouraged. The Barton diabetes reversal plan also provides in-depth on the right exercise program (only a total of one hour for the week will make a huge impact) and natural supplements that can help with all symptoms.

Click here for instant access to the full ED, Diabetes or Depression health reports!

More on Men, Get to Know How Diabetes Leads to Depression, ED

By Bob Condor

You never know what might happen over lunch. Consider the scientific collaboration between Ronald Ross Watson, a professor and researcher at the University of Arizona, and Lai Yeap Foo, a chemist who works for a natural supplements company based in New Zealand. Watson and Foo met while sitting next to each by chance at a professional conference in France.

That was 1999. Nine years later, Watson has published a study in the peer-reviewed Nutrition Journal showing that one of Foo’s lab projects, passion fruit peel extract, shows promise for reducing the wheezing and coughing of asthma. Watson designed double-blind, randomized trials while his newfound acquaintance supplied standardized doses of the passion fruit peel extract.

The extract is in development and under license with a nutraceutical company here in the U.S. So the Watson study is likely to help push the product to market. While considered a small study of 43 people, the results were significant and dramatic: After four weeks of daily doses of 150 milligrams of the extract, the volunteers experienced 76 percent less coughing and 81 percent less wheezing. Watson speculates that the anti-inflammatory properties of the passion fruit peel helps clear the airways.

And we thought passion fruit was just some exotic island fruit or the occasional sorbet flavor in an upscale restaurant.

Traditionally, the inner meat of the passion fruit has been be consumed or used medicinally. But Foo and others have discovered the fruit’s peels are rich in plant chemicals or phytochemicals. Passion fruit extracts have long been used in South America to treat insomnia, anxiety, bronchitis and, yes, asthma. It’s possible that the peel is a sort of “X” factor in raising the profile of passion fruit beyond its tropical pleasure reputation.

More on Natural Cure for Asthma? Passion fruit extract…

By Bob Condor

A major purpose of the Daily Health Blog is to bring you outside-of-the-box thinking about personal health issues. Two University of Washington researchers, Henry Lai and colleague Narenda "N.P." Singh, have doing just that sort of thinking since the mid-1990s. They were the first American scientists to question whether electromagnetic radiation from cell phones might disrupt DNA in brain cells enough to cause cancer.

That’s way out of the health comfort zone, whether you are a university scientist, telecommunications executive or a busy parent using your mobile to figure out who is picking up the kids or the organic milk.

Cancer is a disease in which healthy/normal cells become corrupted, then go out and corrupt more cells. Lai and Singh hypothesized that cell phone radiation might kick up the corruption like so many clouds of dust on windy day during the dry season. They originally were performing lab rat studies in concert with researchers from Motorola.

But the Chicago-based company got its wireless crossed, not liking what they were hearing about the potential dangers of cell phones. Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Tom Paulson wrote a must-read story on the Lai, Singh and just how much we should be worried about cell phones in the Aug. 2 issue of the newspaper (full disclosure: I write weekly health and wellness column for the “P-I”).

While Tom superbly covers the controversy and subsequent emigration of cell phone radiation to Europe, there are still some questions left for DHB to answer here. For one, it’s abundantly clear that children should use cell phones as little as possible if at all. There is little upside and, well, just my opinion, but a no cell phone rule can allow a kid to be a kid that much longer. Any debate about whether cell phone radiation disrupts the brain is anchored on the undeniable biology that children’s skulls and brains have not completely developed.

Just last week, the well-respected cancer physician and researcher Dr. Ronald Herberman from the University of Pittsburgh came out against young children ever using cell phones.

"Recently, I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects, including cancer," Herberman wrote in an advisory. His communication included photos of brain imaging scans that displayed how cell phone radiation more deeply penetrates the skulls of children compared to adults.

More on Your brain vs. your brain (cancer) on cell phones

By Bob Condor

This is no ordinary fish story. And it’s far from a tall tale.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’ s Graduate School of Health have just published a new study showing that eating fish high in omega-3 fats might be the greatest protector against heart disease. Here’s why. Men in Japan consume, on average, 3.75 ounces of such cold-water fish as salmon, mackerel and tuna each day. American males, whether white or Japanese-American, eat less than two servings of fish each week—and typically not fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at that.

What’s most groundbreaking about the Pitt study, appearing in the Aug. 5 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, is that Japanese men born after World War II who otherwise adopted a Western lifestyle since childhood still experience less than half the rate of coronary disease and related deaths as U.S. men. Factor that Japanese men smoke in higher numbers and have similar percentages of high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

It’s got to be the fish. You may turn up your nose at the thought of mackerel, which is oily and, well, smells fishy. But it is a staple in Japan and a nutritional powerhouse.

Or maybe you turn up your nose at fish altogether, even a (I think) delicious piece of poached salmon with a lemon-orange-sea salt-and-olive oil sauce. No problem, look for a fish oil supplement that by most accounts will provide the same protection as the seafood itself, particularly if you buy brands that live up to their promises of omega-3 content. Nutritionists tell me regularly they most admire the Dr. Dave's Best -  Super Omega 3 products:

http://www.BartonPublishing.com/DrDave

More on Fin is in: How to prevent a heart attack

By Bob Condor

Probiotics or friendly bacteria are most known for fighting the good fight against unhealthy bacteria in your gut. Most of us now understand that some bacteria can be positive for health, and that eating yogurt with its live active cultures is a good way to increase the friendly bacteria in our guts.

It’s also one of the reasons why fewer of us are willing to take antibiotics without a very good reason. Highly popular antibiotics kill all bacteria, bad and good. Your gut tends to be worse for it.

So more of us are willing to add yogurt to our diets and maybe even kifer, the live culture drink. Don’t forget sauerkraut as an excellent source of friendly bacteria. Some people, typically persuaded by natural health practitioners, have added probiotic supplements to their daily intake. Good idea, by the way, but be sure to seek advice from practitioners you trust about the best brands.

What’s exciting about probiotics, circa 2008, is new studies this year have been pointing to probiotics as having anti-inflammatory properties. One study found that probiotics reduce C-reactive protein levels, which are high in individuals with autoimmune disorders (basically inflammatory diseases). C-reactive protein is increasingly gaining momentum as an important risk marker for coronary heart disease.

Moreover, researchers in Britain showed that long-distance runners who add probiotics to their regimen will incur fewer infections during intense training periods. In fact, the runners taking probiotic supplements were able to recover from colds, flus and other infections in half the time of runners not doing so. This finding suggests that probiotics can boost the immune system.

(You can get FREE Probiotics when you try the Ultimate Colon Cleanse through this link: www.DoAColonCleanse.com - see page for details)

More on Probiotics fight autoimmune disorders, heart disease, colds

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to join up with some other like-minded entrepreneurs for a "Maverick Business Adventure" getaway to Aspen, Colorado. We did some whitewater rafting, rapelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and 4×4'ing in the beautiful rocky mountains. We also had some strategic business sessions, sharing ideas and learning new things to help us grow our businesses.

Here's a pic of me rapelling down a cliff with my "Inconceivable" t-shirt on (thanks Mike!):

Here's a pic of me with 3 awesome internet entrepreneurs, Yanik Silver, Mike Hill and Mike Filsaime. I really appreciate these guys, and it was great to be on top of a mountain with some of the internet's smartest thinkers and "doers":

We also had the opportunity to meet with about 75 cool kids in Aspen, in a round-table discussion of being an entrepreneur. We spent a couple hours sharing helpful strategies and ideas to help these kids realize they can accomplish their goals if they set their mind to it and take some risks. This is a pic of me with a 12-year old future-millionaire, Garrett. He's already got an ebay business, and he was taking a slew of notes, which was awesome to see!

One of the most memorable parts of this trip was the opportunity to meet Frank McKinney. He is a maverick by anyone's definition. He builds multi-million dollar mansions on the Gold Coast in Florida - he's about to unveil a $29 million "green" home in February - and then uses the proceeds to help build houses and orphanages in poverty-stricken Haiti. Frank's home office is a treehouse in his backyard, and in February I'm planning to attend his Ultimate Tour of Extremes. If you're looking for a charitable organization to contribute to, I highly recommend Frank's Caring House Project.

The day after I got home from Aspen, I was riding bikes with my kids in the driveway. I told my 7 year old, Sedric, that I'd race him around the driveway. Sure enough, he was beating me… until he wiped out around a turn and unfortunately he broke his leg. It bummed him out for a few days, but now (one week later) he's doing a lot better. He's making the most of using his wheelchair around the house, and we're trying to get him to use his crutches more. School starts Wednesday, so thankfully he had some time to practice. Here's a pic of Sed in the hospital, playing with his new Webkins online. Hey, maybe he'll be the next young entrepreneur of the family!

UPDATE: Here's a picture of Sed in his cool green wheelchair, singing karaoke on our Wii - he's adapted quite well to his new mode of transportation, and I'm very proud of his great attitude through this challenge!

I hope you enjoyed these pics and another glimpse into the life of an internet entrepreneur. I'm blessed to be able to work from home, and I'm thankful for everyone who visits Barton Publishing and recommends our natural remedy reports to their friends and family.

God bless you & yours!

Joe

p.s. Last weekend, I was reminded of a heroic story of the Father's love for us, pictured through the life of a Dad and his son. Watch this video for a heart-warming story of a hero:

By Bob Condor

We are all consumers of nutrition research. Some of us skim the headlines, maybe wave off the latest plus/minus review of, say, the caffeine in our coffee or whether apples really do keep the doctor away (the answer is yes, and there is even a good argument that eating one to three apples daily an hour before a meal keeps the weight down too).

Others among us are sure to read the newspaper or magazine story, maybe clip it out for a loved one or post it on the fridge. Some slice of individuals dig even deeper, looking up the newest study on the net or, ahem, bookmarking favorite health sites and blogs.

What’s less clear is just how we consumers of nutrition research use the information reported. A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reports an important distinction in how Americans act on scientific findings about herba, vitamins and other dietary supplements. It turns out we are quicker to respond to nutrition research that suggests body harm and don’t waver much if a nutrition shows a supplement is ineffective, yes, but not harmful.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s “bioethics” division analyzed the U.S. sales of five major supplements from 2001 through 2006, then cross-referenced those money figures with positive and negative media reports about the supplements.

Here’s what the federal scientists discovered: For four of the five supplements­–St. John’s wort, Echinacea, saw palmetto and glucosamine­­–there was little or no changes in sales no matter if the news was good (the herb works, helps this disease, products contain what they claim) or bad (the supplement showed no benefit, there is no evidence it works for blank, lab tests show some herb products have less of the active ingredient than promised.

Only in the case of vitamin E were sales adversely affected. In that case, there were widespread media reports and commentaries about a major study linking regular 400 IU doses of vitamin E with increased risk of death from heart attacks and coronary artery disease. There were other studies connecting higher doses of E with potential problems. It was evidently enough to persuade U.S. adults to take less of the vitamin.

More on Do dietary supplements work? It's your call

During his 200-meter butterfly gold medal victory at the Summer Olympics, as he unexplicably out-touched Croation swimmer Milorad Cavic with a thrusting wing-line stroke at the finish, Michael Phelps couldn’t see more than a few meters in front of himself during the last half of the race. His goggles filled with water, a major frustration for any of us doing laps in a pool, much less while you are trying to win gold.

So how did Phelps react to the adversity. He counted strokes to gauge just where he was in the pool, when to anticipate the flip turn for the last 50-meter length, then at what point to hit the after-burners for the mad dash and splash to the touch panel at the finish. Swimmers typically count their strokes during long hours of training, in part to know exactly how they are progressing and in perhaps even larger part because it occupies the mind and eliminates boredom.

Oh, yeah, Phelps set a new world record in that watery-eyed event.

You likely know that Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD ADD as a 9-year-old. He took a stimulant medication for three years. Remember, this was a decade ago when diagnosis typically always followed closely with a prescription. Phelps himself asked him his mom, Debbie, who has received plenty of touching air time in the last 10 days, to go off the meds. Debbie struggled with the decision but Michael’s prowess in the pool was already clear to coach Bob Bowman, so the 12-year-old middle schooler Phelps thrived in a highly structured regimen of practices and meets.

Cure Hyperactivity Naturally and End ADD/ADHD Without Drugs!

More on Gold Medal Secret: Hyperfocus, ADHD ADD and Michael Phelps

By Bob Condor

More Americans are having trouble reading eye charts. That’s the bottom-line finding from a study published earlier this month in the Archives of Ophthalmology medical journal. Nearly half of all U.S. adults have some sort of vision problem, far greater than any previous estimates. One difference is a much larger number of people with nearsightedness or myopia.

Interestingly, the new stat aligns more closely with other countries’ collective adult vision For instance, it’s a straight-on match with people of Chinese origin. Compromised vision is widely connected by scientists as genetic and not associated with, say, reading too long without corrective lenses or watching too much television and/or playing video games.

Sorry about that final point, parents. You will have to find another explanation why you are turning off the set or signing off.

There are some distinct risk factors for vision problems, including cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degneration (when central vision is blurred and peripheral vision is still clear). Smoking and obesity increase risk, and so does inadequate antioxidants in your diet.

An upcoming post will introduce a series of posts related to weight loss, which can not only drop pounds but improve your health in such areas as vision. Smoking? The potential for messing up your future vision, especially developing macular degeneration, seems high motivation to quit.

So let’s talk about antioxidants and dietary supplements. Whether you already struggle with vision problems, don’t want to experience and/or have family history, there are some effective strategies for your food and supplement intake:

Lutein: A number of studies point to this antioxidant and a companion, zeaxanthin, as substances that can prevent or delay eye diseases. Oklahoma State University researchers report that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce cataract risks (especially during post-menopause) and lessen macular degeneraton symptoms.

One vital note about lutein and zeaxanthin: Research shows successful prevention of symptoms only at higher doses, such as 10 to 15 milligrams daily. A lower dose doesn’t appear to have much, if any, effect. In fact, some studies increase the dose to upwards of 40 milligrams per day.

More on Discover How to Protect Your Vision with Food, Supplements

By Bob Condor

The new Barton Publishing “How to Reverse Diabetes Naturally” rightfully devotes a significant number of pages to how your diet can control and even reverse this disease. It’s a report you don’t want to miss if diabetes is a health issue for you or a loved one. There are a number of achievable action steps you can take to control not only blood sugar but your quality of life.

Click here to buy the Report.

And, happily, it’s not all deprivation and dull. Nothing even close.

Three new studies published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine support just that point. In one paper, researchers found that low-fat diet doesn’t necessarily lead to a lower diabetes risk. But one caution: The fats in your diet need to be healthy—olive oil, salmon and nuts are examples—rather than overdo it on saturated fats and, worse, trans fats in processed foods.

Another study in the journal linked higher diabetes risk with lower consumption of vegetables and fruits. Don’t interpret the findings as a negative. What’s to be learned here is that eating more fresh veggies and fruits (some ideas: add frozen berries to your smoothies, spread peanut butter on celery stalks, try cherries/raisins/grapes in your salad, routinely add a whole vegetable to any soups that you make from scratch or the can) is a positive step. Aiming for a minimum five servings (basically equivalent to a half-cup per serving) and regularly hitting eight to nine servings can dramatically improve blood sugar regulation.

More on Fresh research: The best diet to control diabetes

Here are some pics from our summer vacation.

From Kansas City:

From inside the St. Louis Arch:

Click this link to see more pictures from our summer vacation:

More on Barton summer vacation pictures!