These days Americans are buying more food products that state they are “natural” on the front of the package. According to a food marketing report, new food and drink products in 2008 were more likely to proclaim themselves “natural” than any other claim. The term “natural” appeared on nearly a quarter of all new food and drink launches.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the use of the word “natural” on food labels (except for meat and poultry, which are regulated by the USDA). According to the FDA , “natural” means a food product does not contain synthetic or artificial ingredients. Some examples of approved “natural” ingredients include: salt, sugar, fructose (sugar found in fruits), high-fructose corn syrup and food colorings, if they are made from a plant or animal source. So reading the word “natural” on the front of the package does not necessarily mean the food product is healthy or nutritious. Food shoppers need to read the Nutrition Label on the back of the food package as well to discern the nutritional value of the food (a Jody Victor® suggestion).

In the case of meats and poultry that are regulated by the USDA that proclaim the term “natural”, the claim relates to how the animal products are processed. The USDA requires any meat labeled with the word “natural” be minimally processed without adding artificial ingredients, such as flavors, colors and preservatives. But “natural” in meat products are not necessarily under the stricter guidelines of the “organic” label. Meats with the “natural” claim can include: dried beef stock, yeast, and partially broken down proteins, such as hydrolyzed soy protein. Processed meats can't contain preservatives like nitrites and nitrates in order to bear the “natural” claim. But the processes of smoking and salting meats, which can cause increased cancer risk, do not add synthetic ingredients and thus are considered “natural”.

Many other health claims on the front of food packages are regulated by the FDA as well. “Healthy”-has specific limits on the amount of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium “Low in saturated fat”-no more than 1 gram per serving “Reduced saturated fat”-at least 25 percent lower than the original product of the same brand “Low sodium”-at least 25 percent lower sodium than found in the original product

Health-conscious food shoppers need to get past manufacturers' claims of “natural” and “healthy” that appear on the front of the package and do their homework on the back of the box in order to be assured of the nutritional value of the food product (a Jody Victor®

suggestion).

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or porperly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabests. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.

If you, or someone you know, has diabetes, you need to know the top three warning signs for conditions that tell you your blood sugar is out of the normal range (a Jody Victor® suggestion).

Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) The warning signs are frequent urination, increased thirst, dry mouth, nausea and fatigue. To treat hyperglycemia adjust your meals and medications. If your blood sugar levels are consistently over 250mg/dL, call your doctor.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) The warning signs are weakness, sweating, shakiness, dizziness, hunger, nausea, confusion, slurred speech, irritability, headache, and a fast heart rate. To treat the signs of hypoglycemia eat or drink a fast acting source of carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar level quickly. If warning signs are severe, an emergency injection of the hormone glucagon will help release sugar into your blood.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (breakdown of fat into toxic acid in the absence of sugar) The warning signs are no appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and sweet or fruity breath. If you are diabetic and experience these warning signs, see your doctor immediately (a Jody Victor® suggestion).

All the Best!

Steve Victor

People who have suffered from kidney stones insist it was the most painful experience of their lives. Ten percent of all men and 5 percent of all women will have a stone by the time they're 70. However, kidney stones are preventable. Previous prevention recommendations included drinking plenty of water, reducing calcium intake, and (in some cases) taking a thiazide diuretic. Only the increased intake of water should stay on the list. Unfortunately, thiazide diuretics can increase your risk of heart attack and other heart problems. Plus, there is no real basis for the reduction in calcium, which can lead to other serious problems.

Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located near the middle of your back, just below the ribcage, one on each side of the spine. Your kidneys are sophisticated trash collectors. Every day your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. The wastes and extra water become urine, which flows to your bladder through tubes called ureters. The wastes in your blood come from the normal breakdown of active muscle and from the food you eat. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, wastes are sent to the blood. In addition, your kidneys help control blood pressure, help make red blood cells and keep your bones strong.

There are safer and more effective alternatives. Kidney stones are made of calcium and oxalate, a by-product of commonly eaten foods. If you are prone to forming calcium oxalate stones you need to limit foods that are high in oxalate. These foods include rhubarb, beets, spinach, and chocolate. In addition, you can help counter the oxalate with supplements (a Jody Victor® suggestion). Take 1,000 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of B-6 every day. Eating more dietary fiber and avoiding sugar, alcohol and caffeine (Jody Victor® suggestions) has also been shown to protect against kidney stones. Limit your coffee, tea, and cola to 1 or 2 cups a day because the caffeine causes you to lose fluid too quickly.

Most kidney stones will pass out of the body without a doctor's help. But do see your doctor if you have severe pain in your back or side that will not go away. Or if you have blood in your urine (it will appear pink). In the past, the only way for your doctor to remove a problem stone was through surgery. Now there are new methods:

1.    Shock Waves. Your doctor can use machines to send shock waves directly to the kidney stone to break a large stone into smaller pieces. With one machine, you sit in a tub of water. With newer machines, you lie on a table and ultrasound is used to direct the sound waves to the stone.

2.    Tunnel Surgery. Your doctor makes a small cut into your back and makes a narrow tunnel through the skin to get to the stone to remove it.

3.     Ureteroscope. This looks like a long wire. It is inserted into the urethra, passed up through the bladder, and directed to the stone in the ureter. From there your doctor uses a cage to catch the stone and remove it.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor

Well, warm weather is on the horizon. That means our kids will be out playing and we will be busier with outside activities. And we will be going on picnics and trips now. For a simple, portable way to keep things cleaner for your family, try a bottle of 3% peroxide. 

One simple little one dollar bottle of 3 percent peroxide can do many things for you:

1.    Take one capful daily and hold it in your mouth for 10 minutes. It will whiten your teeth and ward off cancer sores. Small print says mouthwash and gargle right on the bottle.

2.     Soak your toothbrushes in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs, especially after you have suffered a cold or flu A Jody Victor suggestion).

3.     Clean counter tops and table tops with peroxide to kill germs. It will leave a fresh scent, too.

4.     After washing your cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria (a Jody Victor suggestion)

5.     Fill a spray bottle with 50/50 water and peroxide. Spray on feet to kill fungus. Let dry before putting on socks and shoes.

6.     Use the spray bottle of 50/50 solution to spray into nostrils when you have a cold or plugged sinuses. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.

7.     Use your 50/50 spray solution to disinfect your bathroom. It will not harm your plumbing like bleach or other disinfectants do.

8.     For natural-looking highlights in your hair, spray the 50/50 solution into your hair after a shower and comb it through. Your hair will lighten gradually and it won't be such a drastic change.

9.     If you have a toothache, put a capful into your mouth for ten minutes several times a day until you can get in to your dentist's office.

10.  Soak infected cuts in peroxide for 5 to 10 minutes a day. Let dry and apply topical antibiotic cream.

11.   For more extensive skin infections, pour a half a bottle into your bathtub and soak.

12.   Use peroxide to clean your mirrors without smearing.

13.   Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites to whiten them.

14.   Use peroxide to remove blood from clothing. Pour directly on the soiled spot, let it sit a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor