Top health stories in 2013

So, what were the top health stories in 2013? As we look forward to a healthier and happier new year, let’s look back at the year just past. And the top health stories — from the most state-of-the-art advances in health to the simplest, down-to-earth toilet wisdom — based on the number of likes and page views, according to mercola.com, are: 

• Here’s the lowdown on your health: What you see in the toilet bowl can offer insights into how healthy (or unhealthy) you are. Have you ever bothered analyzing your urine? Take this piece of advice next time you answer the call of nature: Slow down and look down. This is no toilet humor so don’t let it bowl you over.

Experts say that your urine can give a clue to your overall health status. “Your urine changes color depending on what foods you eat, what medications and supplements you take, how much water you drink, how active you are, and the time of the day.” But some diseases can also change the color and other characteristics of your urine, so you’d better watch out for any changes that may point to potential health problems that could be developing — like infections, digestive problems or even cancer. If you see any changes, go see a doctor.

• A ketogenic diet offers hope against cancer. How to beat the Big C? Now comes the big news: Dr. Thomas Seyfried, a leading pioneer academic researcher, shows how we can treat cancer — nutritionally. His work confirms that “sugar is the primary fuel for cancer, and that by restricting sugar and providing an alternate fuel, namely fat, we can dramatically reduce the rate of growth of cancer.”

The big answer lies in the ketogenic diet, which calls for minimizing sugar and other carbohydrates, and replacing them with healthy fats and moderate amounts of high-quality protein. This offers hope both for preventing and treating cancer. Combined with calorie restriction, “the end result will put your body in a metabolic state that is inhospitable to cancer cells.”

• Toxic foods may play a role in our skyrocketing disease rates.

Did you know that many of the foods Americans eat are banned in other countries? The list includes farm-raised salmon, Hawaiian (GMO) papaya, artificial food dyes, arsenic-laced chicken, ractopamine-tainted meat, bromate-containing drinks and breads, carcinogenic preservatives, and rBGH-laced milk. Which makes you shrink and think whether such toxic foods have something to do with the astronomic rise in disease rates.

• Intermittent fasting can improve one’ s health. Two health books, released just last year, reveal how intermittent fasting can help one normalize his/her weight, prevent many chronic diseases, and increase longevity.

“The 8-hour diet is a type of scheduled eating plan where you simply restrict your normal daily eating to an eight-hour window of time, without cutting calories. Research has shown that this simple lifestyle tweak can significantly modify body composition, including reduce fat mass. Research has also shown that intermittent fasting quickly improves insulin’s ability to manage blood sugar and that fluctuations in food consumption appear to be required for optimal metabolic function.”

• Avocados have anti-cancer compounds. Avocados, which we have aplenty come August to October, are chock-full of monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. This lush tropical fruit also provides close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid. Research also shows that avocados “can help optimize cholesterol levels within as little as one week, and that they contain compounds that appear to inhibit and destroy oral cancer cells along with those that protect against liver damage.”

Note that the way you peel an avocado matters  because the greatest concentration of antioxidants is in the dark green fruit closest to the peel. So, once more with peeling, take this advice straight from the mouths of experts:  To preserve the most nutrients in an avocado, peel it with your hands, as you would a banana.

• Here are nine foods you should try to avoid: canned tomatoes, processed meats, margarine, vegetable oils, microwave popcorn, pesticide-contaminated fresh produce, table salt, soy protein isolate and other unfermented soy products, and artificial sweeteners.                                                                                                                                          •• Canned tomatoes contain BPA, a toxic chemical that has been linked to reproductive abnormalities, increased breast and prostate cancer risk, heart disease, and neurological effects. You may switch to brands that use glass containers instead of cans.

•• Processed meats (meats from animals given growth hormones and antibiotics) are full of sodium nitrites (preservative that adds color and flavor), which convert to cancer-causing nitrosamines in the body.

•• Margarine is loaded with trans fats that contribute to heart disease as well as free radicals, and emulsifiers/preservatives.

•• Foods made with heated vegetable oil are some of the worst. Vegetable oil converts good cholesterol into bad cholesterol by oxidizing it. So, which oil is best for cooking? Our very own coconut oil! Nearly completely saturated fat, it is less susceptible to heat damage and one of the most beneficial fats for the body.

•• Microwave popcorn bags are lined with harmful PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) that leaches into the popcorn when heated, posing developmental and reproductive risks to humans. Also avoid foods sold in grease-proof food packaging.

•• Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the Environmental Working Group, the following were found to have the highest possible pesticide load: apples, grapes, peaches, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, nectarines, cucumbers, spinach, kale, collard greens, hot peppers, potatoes, sweet bell peppers.

•• Salt is essential for life, but go for pure, unrefined salt (like Himalayan salt) that helps in many biological processes like carrying nutrients in and out of your cells, and maintaining and regulating blood pressure.

•• Soy protein isolate and other unfermented soy products could be hiding in words like bouillon, natural flavor, and textured plant protein.  Soy protein isolate comes from genetically engineered soybeans that are linked to immune system breakdown, reproductive disorders, infertility, even cancer and heart disease.

•• Artificial sweeteners can stimulate the appetite, increase carbo cravings, stimulate fat storage and weight gain.

Here’s to a happy, healthy new you in 2014!