It's Finally Here! The Wellness Club Website Has Had
A Make-Over!
09/27/07
This Week In HealthBeat
News:
It's Finally Here! The Wellness Club
Website Has Had A Make-Over!
The Wellness Club has been serving you
on-line since 1994, and we think that this new website is the best
we have ever looked! With a cheery new look, a new shopping cart, new
features, and new articles along with all the carefully researched,
scientifically accurate information you have come to expect from us, we
think that you will think it's a winner too!
Finding the new website is easy - just
go to
www.DrMyattsWellnessClub.com as you always have.
One of our great new features is an improved
search - if there is something you are looking for, or something you
can't find, try typing it into the search box at the upper right of the
page. Products or information, if it is within The Wellness Club website
the search will probably find it for you!
Using the new shopping cart is also be
easy - those of you who have ordered from us before will most likely
already have an "account" set up that you can "login" to. We have been
working hard to get as much of our customers information as we can
moved over to the new shopping cart - you may login using your email
address, and your password should be your membership number. If your
membership number doesn't work as a password, you can always click on
the "I Forgot My Password" link, and your password will be e-mailed to
you. If the cart does not recognize you by your e-mail address, you may
have begun using a new address but not told us, so we may have your old
address in the system - try the old address.
If you are having problems, please call me,
Nurse Mark, at 1-800-376-9288 and we'll get things worked out for you.
If you are or have been a Wellness Club
Member and cannot get logged-in PLEASE call Nurse Mark for help before
creating a whole new account! We want you to keep your familiar
membership number and your discounts!
Once you are logged in, please make sure
that all the information is correct: Name, billing address, shipping
address, phone number, e-mail address. This is also a good time to
change your password if you wish. (Please remember though, if you like
to call in your orders sometimes, that Nurse Mark will need to know what
your password is so that we can use the shopping cart system to place
the order on your behalf - in this case, your membership number may be
the best password!)
The new cart will do some cool things too:
it will calculate your member discount, figure in your free shipping, and
remember your credit card number for subsequent orders - all with
complete security.
Optimist or Pessimist -- Does It Really Matter To
Health?
By Dr. Dana Myatt
Your outlook on life influences your
health, as I'm sure you've heard unless you've been living in a cave
for the past two decades. But do you really need to keep your rose colored
glasses permanently in place, or is it the absence of pessimism that
matters most?
Here's good news for those who don't feel
like they can simply be "optimistic at will." You don't need to be an
optimist to experience health benefits. It looks like simply not being a
pessimist is good enough. If you're a realist like I am, that's good
enough.
One medical school professor calling me
"terminally optimistic" to the contrary, I actually consider myself a
dyed-in-the-wool realist. Maybe it started with my mother who taught me to
"Remember, Honey, no matter how bad things get, it could always be worse."
Thanks, Mom.
She was right, of course. That's where the
seeds of my "realism" were surely planted.
So, what's the difference between a realist
and a pessimist? Or an optimist, for that matter?
Two days ago I was sitting on my deck with
a friend, enjoying one of the first true Fall mornings we've had. The
nights are cooler now, and leaves have the first hint of gold. There's no
doubt that Fall is in the air.
On this beautiful Fall morning, we were
enjoying a lovely temperature (about 68), with not a single cloud in a
crystal-blue sky. There was barely even a breeze to disturb the solitude.
Chickadees were chirping feverishly for a spot at the fountain, and an
occasional cow moo'ed in the distance. "Pastoral" is the word that came to
my mind, and it was lovely. I remarked about the beauty of this first Fall
day to my friend.
To my suprise, she lamented Fall coming
because it meant that Winter was not far behind. Even the amazingly clear
blue sky and perfect temperature failed to delight her.
I had to laugh. After all, Winter has been
following Fall in these parts for as long as I've lived here. According to
the locals, it's been that way for decades before that, probably
centuries. And yes, we can have some freezing-cold days in the Winter,
global warming notwithstanding.
Winter follows Fall. Like death and taxes,
some things are inevitable. Why would I let the thought of a future
blustery Winter day interfere with my enjoyment of an incredible
present-moment Fall morning? After all, none of us knows if we'll even see
tomorrow. (The Realist in me). I try to embrace every lovely moment I can,
and milk it for all it's worth. But that's being Real, not optimistic.
Most psych/health studies show that it's
the absence of pessimism, not the presence of optimism, that has a
profound influence on health.
So, next time you read a study about how
pessimists don't fare as healthfully as non-pessimists, don't believe you
have to strain to see the world through rose-colored spectacles. Just "Get
Real," and that's good enough.
References:
1.) Optimism, pessimism, and change of
psychological well-being in cancer. Psychol Health Med. 2007
Aug;12(4):421-32. patients.
2.) Effects of optimism, pessimism, and trait anxiety on ambulatory blood
pressure and mood during everyday life. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999
Jan;76(1):104-13.
3.) Pessimism as a predictor of emotional morbidity one year following
breast cancer surgery. Psychooncology. 2004 May;13(5):309-20.
What I Admire About My European Patients
By Dr. Dana Myatt
As many of you know, my patients are
spread throughout the world. That's one of the advantages of
"seeing" patients via telephone conference and the internet --- they
don't have to be in my hometown, or I in theirs, for us to work
together.
As a result of this global practice, I have
a number of European patients in my care. I also have patients who grew
up in Europe but now live in the states. Many are Americans, but they
still have a distinct "European trait" about them that I truly admire.
I gave an answer last week to a patient of
mine who inquired about a "new study" he'd read on the internet relating
to prostate cancer. (See
"Rooster's Crowing..."). Early-on, I had warned him about trying
to "make something" of every abstract he read, and assured him that he'd
have to get up very early to see a medical study I and my team didn't
already know about. But he did it anyway: he emailed and asked me to
explain a study he'd seen.
So I did, and let the rest of you read my
answer (or at least part of it). The part you didn't see was where I
admonished this patient that if I had to take an hour to interpret every
study's abstract he read that he couldn't understand, I'd have to put
him "on the clock."
Here's where that "European trait" I admire
comes in.
This patient is from the UK. He wrote back
thanking me profusely for my answer, noting that it was a great response
to read and yes, "above the call of duty" and in future, he didn't mind
being billed for such answers. It was a nice letter.
But I've given similar responses (requiring
similar amounts of time and energy) to American patients, and the reply
is often not so heart-warming. "Oooh, you didn't have to be so harsh."
Or worse, they get mad at me for being "unfeeling." In other words,
don't "call it like you see it" or tell it to me straight, you might
hurt my "inner child."
Seems the "nurture your inner child"
phenomenon is highly American. In Europe, you keep a stiff upper lip.
And I like it. Too many people are far too soft on themselves --- and
won't accept any stern guidance from anyone else --- much to their
detriment.
People who are willing to listen to
critique, even if it stings a bit, seem to fare better when it comes to
their health. At least that's my observation, and it ties in with this
week's other article on pessimism vs. optimism.
My recommendation? Enough with the "inner
child" movement! Nurture your inner grown up. Be willing to listen and
consider critique, even when it hurts. Be willing to be dedicated and
stern with yourself, especially when it comes to your mental and
physical health. Your "inner grown up" might be the very thing that will
save you --- or at least improve you.
A Lesson In How To Get Your Research
Funded (And Your Salary Paid): A Look Behind The Scenes
By Nurse Mark
As we have pointed out in recent
HealthBeat articles, our patients tend to be a bright and
curious lot - and none are more passionately interested in their
condition and treatment than our prostate cancer patients. We get
plenty of notes asking us if we have seen this research or that,
and plenty more asking us if we are using the latest, hippest
treatments or supplements. Here is a recent example:
Hello Dr Myatt,
The abstract below prompts me to
ask whether the supplement which you have supplied is the B-DIM.
My guess is probably not but I may be pleasantly surprised. If
not, what might you do to obtain said B-DIM?
In hope and with best wishes,
Graham
And Graham refers to the following
research article, found on the internet:
Down-regulation of androgen
receptor by 3,3'-diindolylmethane contributes to inhibition of
cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in both
hormone-sensitive LNCaP and insensitive C4-2B prostate cancer
cells. Urologic Oncology. 25(2):180-181, Jennifer J.
Westendorf, Luke Hoeppner
which concludes with the sentence:
"These observations provide a
rationale for devising novel therapeutic approaches for the
treatment of hormone-sensitive, but more importantly,
hormone-refractory prostate cancer by using B-DIM alone or in
combination with other therapeutics." (Yes, these articles
really are as dry as this...!)
Dr. Myatt replied:
Hi Graham:
No commercially available products of
bis-DIM are available (as near as I can find). Remember, this
study just came out in July.
However, I smell a drug company rat
behind this. Remember, numerous studies --- the references I
previously sent to you --- already found a great and positive
effect on prostate cancer using the non-bis form of DIM. That
means you don't need the bis-form to get the expected results.
Drug companies like to find a "tweak"
(small variation) to a natural substance so they can patent it as
their unique drug, hence my comment about "I smell a drug
company...." The unpatentable form of DIM has been well-studied
and works, (so do Mother Nature's cruciferous vegetables --- 'WAY
unpatentable) but any of these will be harder to get drug approval
for.
The DIM I sent you is the kind used in
multitudinous other positive-outcome studies. It is not the bis-form
reported in this one study, which again, I do not believe is
commercially available yet, at least not in USA. One study does
not "proof" make. We'll see if any other studies verify that the
bis-DIM is truly more absorbable. Until then, don't stop taking
your DIM's!
In Health,
Dr. Myatt
And Further to Dr. Myatt's
comments, from Nurse Mark:
This study rang some bells here at my
desk - beyond the veiled references in it to the possible
development of "patentable" compounds... I remembered having seen
this "new research" several years ago!
If we look at the earlier abstract,
dated variously "Descriptive Note : Annual rept. 1 Apr 2004-31
Mar 2005" and "Report Date : APR 2006" and attributed to
"Personal Author(s) : Sarkar, Fazlul H." we will see that
Sarkar appears to have recycled some of the verbiage from this
earlier abstract word-for-word into the more recent abstract that
this reader found and sent to us.
From the earlier abstract we see:
"[...] we investigated the effects
of B-DIM, a formulated DIM with greater bioavailability, on AR,
Akt, and NF- B signaling in hormonesensitive LNCaP and
hormone-insensitive C4-2B prostate cancer cells. We found that
B-DIM significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in
both cell lines. By Akt transfection, RT-PCR, Western Blot
analysis, and EMSA, we found that there could be a crosstalk
between Akt, NF- B, and AR in cell signaling. Importantly, we
found that B-DIM significantly inhibited Akt activation, NF- B DNA
binding activity, and the expressions of AR and PSA, interrupting
the crosstalk. Moreover, our confocal image study revealed that
B-DIM inhibited AR nuclear translocation, leading to the
down-regulation of AR target genes including PSA. These results
suggest that B-DIM could inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis
partly through downregulation of AR, Akt and NF- B signaling."
And in the later abstract the authors
write:
"[...] we investigated the effects
of B-DIM, a formulated DIM with greater bioavailability, on AR,
Akt, and nuclear factor B (NF- B) signaling in hormone-sensitive
LNCaP (AR+) and hormone-insensitive C4-2B (AR+) prostate cancer
cells. We found that B-DIM significantly inhibited cell
proliferation and induced apoptosis in both cell lines. By Akt
gene transfection, reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot
analysis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we found a
potential crosstalk between Akt, NF- B, and AR. Importantly, B-DIM
significantly inhibited Akt activation, NF- B DNA binding
activity, AR phosphorylation, and the expressions of AR and
prostate-specific antigen, suggesting that B-DIM could interrupt
the crosstalk. Confocal studies revealed that B-DIM inhibited AR
nuclear translocation, leading to the down-regulation of AR target
genes. Moreover, B-DIM significantly inhibited C4-2B cell growth
in a severe combined immunodeficiency-human model of experimental
prostate cancer bone metastasis. These results suggest that
B-DIM-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis
induction are partly mediated through the down-regulation of AR,
Akt, and NF- B signaling."
To my eye there are far more
similarities than there are differences, despite the several years
of distance between the two articles - though I'm sure that this
must simply represent a continuation of the earlier research, with
the researchers employing an economy of effort in reporting their
newest findings which vary only slightly.
The earlier article's concluding
sentence was:
"These results along with our
previous findings suggest that 13C and DIM may be potent agents
for the prevention and/or treatment of androgen sensitive and
androgen-refractory prostate cancers."
While the later article's concluding
sentence reads:
"These observations provide a
rationale for devising novel therapeutic approaches for the
treatment of hormone-sensitive, but more importantly,
hormone-refractory prostate cancer by using B-DIM alone or in
combination with other therapeutics."
In neither abstract does the author
minimize the efficacy of conventional forms of 13C or DIM -
but it would appear that the author has, in the latter abstract,
come to grips with the reality of obtaining funding for continued
research: to wit, the big bucks flow from the pharmaceutical
giants who are not the least interested in anything that cannot be
afforded the profit protection of patentability. It would appear
that B-DIM may just satisfy that requirement, hence the shift of
focus from traditional forms of DIM to the "formulated DIM" which
ostensibly has "greater bio availability" and by inference must be
better. Even if it is not significantly "better" clinically, it
will certainly be "better" from a business standpoint, as it will
be patentable and profitable - and therefore worthy of the
investment of research dollars.
This is not meant to belittle this
research - for it is indeed important and valuable research. It is
meant instead to show how a savvy researcher will "adjust" his
research to suit his intended audience. The big money is not in
the science of it, or in "doing good" for cancer sufferers - the
real money for research comes from Big Pharma, and they are only
going to be interested in funding research if it will "pay off"
for them - hence this smart researcher's subtle switch from using
ol' fashioned DIM to "B-DIM, a formulated DIM with
greater bioavailability".
Got Cancer? Two Reasons You Have My Deep Sympathy
By Dr. Dana Myatt
I feel sorry for my cancer patients
and not just because of the diagnosis. In terms of "outcomes," even
advanced cancers are usually controllable when treated correctly. I've had
19 years of medical practice and many patients still alive and well 10+
years after a "two months to live" diagnosis to vouch for this.
No, it's not the diagnosis itself that
makes me feel bad for cancer patients. It's what happens to friends,
family and even total strangers when they hear someone has "the 'C' word."
Apparently totally sane people get absolutely stupid and make the cancer
patient bear the brunt of their foolishness.
Here are two big reasons my heart goes
out to cancer patients:
1.) "Everybody is an Expert." I
don't know why this applies to cancer and not other equally serious
diseases, but it seems that Aunt Martha, the dog-groomer next door, your
car mechanic, the clerk at the health food store and EVERY SECOND PERSON
you bump into is a "cancer expert" when they hear of your diagnosis.
People with not one single day of medical
training magically become authorities when they hear you have cancer. They
know which chemotherapy you should have (or that you should absolutely
avoid any conventional treatment altogether), what diet you should be on
(an "alkalinizing" diet is a popular recommendation among people who know
absolutely nothing of what they're talking about), juice fasting, blah,
blah, blah.
I don't know what to tell you if you have
cancer and are on the receiving end such blatant stupidity. Maybe it's
better not to announce your diagnosis to the entire world, only close
friends and family? (Even then, you'll still encounter a lot of
"experts"). You can tell them you're working with a fine team of REAL
medical experts, but that usually doesn't slow them down one iota.
If it were me, I think I'd say something
like, "I appreciate your concern, but I make my treatment decisions with a
top-notch team of medical experts including a naturopathic physician who
specializes in cancer treatment (that would be ME), and I really don't
feel I need any additional input at this time. Can we talk about something
else?"
Just a thought.
2.) The "I had an uncle who...." cancer
stories. (I got this just yesterday from a patient, and it's worth
passing on).
When the hoi polloi hear you've got cancer,
they often jump in with a story about a friend or family member who
suffered and died from the disease.
HELLO? What the He#! are they
thinking?
You don't need stories of people who didn't
make it --- you need stories about all the ones who DID make it. (I've got
lots of these, by the way. My favorites are the "advanced cancer" patients
who buck the odds for years or decades...).
But success stories are usually not what
you're going to get. It's truly mind-boggling how stupid even smart people
can get when confronted with an acquaintance (or total stranger!) who has
cancer.
What would I do? Probably look at them like
they just got off a spaceship from Mars and say something like, "Gee,
thanks for sharing a 'cancer death story,' but I'd prefer to hear a cancer
success story. In fact, that's the only kind of cancer story my
naturopathic cancer doctor advises me to listen to. Do you have one of
those?"
Pause for a moment (believe, me, this will
be a pregnant pause), and wait for their reply.
Oh, and don't feel bad if they don't have a
"success story." When people are treated with conventional therapy alone,
the treatment usually kills them LONG before the disease would have, and
that's the only story most people are familiar with.
I'm sorry you'll be dealing with human
stupidity along with your diagnosis, but it's a fact of life. Like
everything else in life, you'll have to deal with it. So let's do this:
Write and tell me what YOU would
say in each of the above scenarios. We'll post the possible retorts in an
upcoming edition of HealthBeat.
We Get Questions: What Oil To Cook With?
By Dr. Myatt and Nurse Mark
It seems that there are few subjects
surrounded by more confusion, obfuscation, and even outright
disinformation and lies than the subject of oil - the edible kind, that
is. This was the subject of a HealthBeat article a while back:
Saturated Fats: Another Big Fat Lie In it I told the story of the
villification of saturated fats, including a wonderful oil, Coconut oil.
This question came in recently from a
reader who obviously hasn't seen that article...
Hi Doc!
Your reports are always good to read and informative. I will be calling
this week to order supplements as soon as I check which I am low on. I
wanted to ask you a question regarding oils. I have read that Omega 3's
are good and healthful, but several articles have stated that Omega 9's
are just the opposite and even Omega 6's are not that desirable. I read
your last article about cooking with oils and how they are changed in the
process. I must admit that I have used olive oil to cook with for quite a
while now, actually since my heart attack in 2004 because I keep reading
how good they are and how the Mediterranean diet relies so heavily on it.
If this oil changes characteristics when heated and is not advised, what
oil can I cook with?
I have recently purchased grape seed oil at a local supermarket and have
been using that. Is this OK?
Thanks for your feedback!
truly
Andrew
And Dr. Myatt replies:
Hi Andy:
Omega-9 oils are "neutral" when uncooked, but not good to cook with
because they are all polyunsatured (PUFA) oils. (Omega-3's, Omega-6's and
Omega-9's are all "PUFA's" and should not be heated).
Saturated fats do not go "bad" with heating. Pure coconut oil is best for
cooking. Saturated fats, especially coconut oil but also lard, have been
wrongly maligned as a cause of atherosclerosis. This is a bogus claim -
your cell walls are largely made of saturated fats! And "sat fats" such as
coconut oil don't turn into anything nasty when heated, even to high
temperatures. Use flax oil and olive oil for salad dressing and the like
(and the flax is a "health food"), use coconut oil for frying.
We now offer organic virgin coconut oil in 14 ounces jars for this purpose
Hope this clears things up for you!
In Health,
Dr. Myatt
Laughter is Good Medicine: Remembering
Red Skelton
A reader recently sent us a forwarded email which contained what were purported
to be quotes by the late, great Red Skelton. Now, I was a big fan of Red, and
Dr. Myatt was not only a fan but had the pleasure of serving Mr. Skelton many
times when she was working as a waitress to finance her way through medical
school - we both remember him as a gentle man with never an unkind word for
anyone. Some of the quotes attributed to him seemed a little harsh, so, like
everything here at the Wellness Club, this got researched too. What follows is
the most accurate I can find - possibly not perfectly accurate, but still
certain to bring a smile to your face as you remember "America's Clown."
"All men make mistakes, but married men find out about
them sooner." Red Skelton
RED SKELTON'S TIPS FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE
1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant,
have a little beverage, then comes good food and companionship. She goes on
Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.
2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in
Ontario and mine is in Tucson.
3. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding
her way back.
4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our
anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested
the kitchen.
5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and
electric bread maker. Then she said "There are too many gadgets and no place to
sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.
7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well
because there is water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was, she told me
"In the Lake."
8. She got a mudpack and looked great for two
days. Then the mud fell off.
9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I
too late for the garbage?" The driver said "No, jump in!"
10. Remember. Marriage is the number one cause of
divorce.
11. Statistically, 100% of all divorces start with
marriage.
12. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her
first name was Always.
13. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I
don't like to interrupt her.
14. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked,
"What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!
Red would always end his television show in his
wonderfully warm and kind voice with the words
"Good night and may God bless"
What a happy memory!
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