Get Serious about Your Health

Salt is Good for You, Calcium Supplements are Bad,
and the Lab Test Everyone Should Get
4 Tips for Getting Seriously Healthy from One of the
‘Best Doctors in America’*

There’s a reason – well, several – why so many diseases are increasing in frequency in the United States, making some that were almost unheard of 100 years ago commonplace today, says Robert Thompson, M.D., an OB/GYN and integrative medicine specialist deemed by his peers to be in the top 5 percent of U.S. physicians.

“The United States is now 46th in men’s mortality and the absolute worst country in the industrialized world for first-day infant mortality,” says Thompson, author of “The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know,” (calciumliebook.com), a new book that details the roles minerals play in overall health and how to identify and correct deficiencies and imbalances.

“Based on the current rate of autism diagnoses, there will be no ‘normal’ male babies born in the U.S. by 2030,” he says. “The current rate of diabetes suggests 95 percent of our adult population will be diabetic by 2030. The number of children with life-threatening allergies has increased more than 1,000 percent since 1995.”

A perfect storm of corporate power, profits and public misinformation has succeeded in overwhelming the basic biochemical and physiological tenets of good health, says Thompson, who published his first book, “The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Could Kill You,” in 2008.

“Mineral deficiencies are responsible for a host of health problems, which are incorrectly treated by drugs,” Thompson says. “We’re told by the government and the medical community that we should be ingesting certain amounts of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent disease, like osteoporosis, when in reality, the recommendations lead to other very serious health problems.”

Thompson offers these suggestions for Americans to take charge of their health:

•  Get a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) to determine your mineral status.
This may be the most important health test that exists, Thompson says. Only when you and your doctor know for sure your mineral status and important ratios can you adapt your diet, minerals and supplements to work toward proper balance.

Thompson recommends using Trace Elements, Inc. clinical lab in Addison, Texas, because it adheres to the highest standards. The lab accepts only samples submitted by health-care providers, including physicians, nutritionists, and others, so you need to find one who does HTMA and uses that lab. (Individuals who can’t find a provider can call the lab for help in locating one; HTMA is prohibited in New York state.)

•  Do not take calcium supplements unless tests indicate a deficiency.We’ve all been told that we must ingest lots of calcium to ensure strong bones. In fact, calcium is just one of at least 12 minerals in our bones, all of which must be present in the right balance for good bone health. Calcium has been added to so much of our food, it’s unlikely most of us are deficient. And yet, people are told to take calcium supplements. Excess calcium can cause kidney and gallstones, arterial plaque, bone spurs, calcium deposits in tissues other than bone, and brain cell dysfunction, brain shrinkage and dementia. Instead of calcium, Thompson instructs all his patients and readers to take a minimum of 3 grams of trace minerals derived from sea salt every day.

•  Salt – sodium – is necessary for digestion, nutrient absorption, cell function and metabolism.
Limiting salt intake is not only the wrong advice for 90 percent of the people at risk for high blood pressure, it also contributes to the lack of minerals in our bodies. Many of us are actually deficient in sodium.

Salt is a mineral, and unrefined sea salt and rock salt is the best source of sodium and ionic minerals. If you are sodium deficient, add harvested pure sea salt liberally to your foods. It is important to use pure sea salt, and not the common table salt, as processing has stripped common table salt of its mineral value.

•  Use only vitamin supplements made from 100 percent organic whole foods that have been vine-ripened.
Almost all of us need supplements because contemporary food supplies lack adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, thanks to soil depletion. Most store-bought vitamins include just one component of the many complex molecular elements contained in the naturally occurring vitamin source. You need all of the nutrient components to get the full benefits.

The best natural sources of readily available vitamins include raw seeds, stabilized rice bran powder, vine-ripened fresh fruit and berries (vitamin C).

 *Robert Thompson, M.D., was added to the peer-reviewed directory, “Best Doctors in America,” in 1996.

About Robert Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Robert Thompson is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and a nutrition specialist who helps patients get long-term relief from chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. His newest book, “The Calcium Lie II,” is available for free at calciumliebook.com. Dr. Thompson received his medical training at the University of Kentucky and has been a leader in medical advances for more than 30 years.

Staying Healthy During the Holidays

Why are the Holidays So Hazardous to Our Health?
Physician Shares Tips for Giving Your Body What It Needs
to Fight Illness

It’s a sad statistical fact: The holidays, from Christmas to New Year’s, are a treacherous time when it comes to our health.

“There’s a spike in heart attacks and other cardiac issues,” says Dr. John Young, a physician specializing in the treatment of chronic illnesses through biochemical, physiological and nutraceutical technologies, and the author of “Beyond Treatment: Discover how to build a cellular foundation to achieve optimal health,”www.YoungHealth.com.

“The incidence of pneumonia cases spikes – in both cold and warm climates. And deaths from natural causes spike. In fact, more people die of natural causes on Christmas Day than any other day of the year!”

While those numbers are well-documented, the cause(s) are not.

“Stress plays a role, particularly if your immune system is weakened,” Dr. Young says. “If you look at how most of us eat from Halloween through New Year’s, it’s easy to see how the immune system takes a beating and otherwise healthy people become more susceptible to illness during the holidays.”

It’s basic biochemistry, he says.

“We eat a lot more refined sugar, for instance, which is a carbohydrate that’s been stripped of all the vitamins, minerals and proteins that make up a complete carbohydrate,” he says. “Our bodies can’t use that, so the cells in our digestive organs work overtime, burning up a lot of energy, vitamins and minerals to digest it, and they get nothing back. So, eventually, they grow weak.”

So – can we have a little sugar, and good health, too? Dr. Young says we can.

“The occasional slice of pumpkin pie is fine as long as you’re also feeding your cells with the nutrients they need – the minerals, vitamins, good quality protein, amino acids, essential fatty acids – to stay healthy.”
He offers these tips for staying healthy through the holidays and throughout the year.

•  Get your vitamin D!
Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not a vitamin, and one of our best sources for it is sunshine. Unfortunately, many people work indoors all day, so they get little sun exposure. When they do go outside, they wear long sleeves and sunblock to protect against skin cancer. And, of course, in the wintertime, people in cold climes tend to stay inside. As a result, many of us are vitamin D deficient, and should be taking supplements.

“Vitamin D is crucial to many physiological systems, including our immune defenses,” Dr. Young says. “It helps fight bacterial and viral infections, including the flu. It supports our cardiovascular system; optimal vitamin D levels can reduce hypertension, heart attacks and stroke.

“If I feel I’m coming down with a cold, I’ll take 40,000 units of vitamin D at bedtime,” he says. “The next morning, I usually feel like a new person.”

•  Eat your protein – 1 gram for every 2.2 pounds of body weight daily.
In this country, we think a healthy diet means eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. We’ve forgotten protein, Dr. Young says.

“Our immune system is made up of proteins – our bones are 40 percent protein,” he says. “We need protein.”

When calculating your protein intake, consider: an egg has about 8 grams, and 8 ounces of fish, chicken, beef or pork have about 30 grams.

Dr. Young does not give any of his patients more than 100 grams of protein a day.

•  Get a good night’s sleep, exercise, and manage your stress.
Yup, some doctors’ orders never change. Rest, exercise and finding effective, healthy ways to cope with stress are simple ways to pamper your cells.

 “One of the many cellular benefits of exercise is that it increases the oxygen in our bloodstream. Every cell in our body requires oxygen, so consider exercise another means of feeding your cells.”

It’s also important to manage stress during the holidays. With unchecked stress, our body releases large amounts of cortisol which, among other things, suppresses the immune system.

“Take time out to meditate, listen to music, or take a walk in the woods,” Dr. Young says. “It feels good – and it’s good for you!”

About John Young, M.D.

Dr. John Young, (www.YoungHealth.com), is a medical doctor with more than 15 years’ experience working in emergency rooms and pediatric burn units. He’s the medical director of Young Foundational Health Center, specializing in treating patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes by addressing the physiological issues and not just the symptoms. He’s also medical director of Young Health Products, which incorporate the latest biochemical, physiological and Nobel Prize-winning protocols for optimal cellular nutrition. Dr. Young is the author of “Beyond Treatment.” He takes questions via a call-in conference call every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. Call (760) 569-7676, access code 772967.