What if it was 680,000? Would that make you even MORE scared?

Here’s the thing: there’s a PREVENTABLE disease that kills 680,000 Americans. . .EVERY. . . SINGLE. . .YEAR! And has for many years.

Why are we not up in arms about that?

Let’s prevent THAT! (Along WITH doing what we can to prevent CoVID.)

Oh, yeah, and by the way, preventing it will also make it LESS LIKELY that you’ll get a SERIOUS CASE of CoVID!

A good Win-Win; no?

So what IS this disease? It’s heart disease! 

Yes, the most common preventable disease of the Western World. More than one person every. . .single . . .minute succumbs to this disease in the United States! 

It killed more people last year than CoVID did (though we don’t have the exact numbers yet.)

As someone living in this society, it’s highly likely you already have it without knowing or are well on your way to developing it.

“Who me?” I can hear you asking? 

Yes, you! The one with high blood pressure, who conveniently forgets that your dad died of a stroke, just like my dad did or your mom died of heart failure when she was only 70, or any of the other ways it can display that we just avoid thinking about.

What about your heart and properly placed fear?

Yes, you! Sitting there eating your cheese and crackers and your burgers! 

Yes, you! Who’s stressed about the kids, the job . . .and . . .and . . .and. . .

So, how do you prevent it? 

It’s not like you don’t know this: it mostly comes down to what’s on the end of your fork.

Doctors who work to prevent and reverse heart disease agree on the basics:

A whole food plant-based diet  with no added oil.

Keeping nuts & seeds to a minimum (2 ounces or less per day). Oh, yeah, and skip the avocados and coconut too. 

To become what they term ‘heart-attack proof’ you want to get to and maintain a total blood cholesterol of under 150. 

Once you cut out animal products, added oil, and most nuts, that’s really not hard. (Truth be told, if you don’t already have heart disease, you can eat a little animal food on occasion IF you can still keep your cholesterol below 150.)

Where do you begin?

How about by getting rid of the junk food and restocking with healthier whole food?

If that seems like a reasonable place to start, 

Let me help you by starting with a Zoom Pantry Clean-out. 

Once you’ve done that, the rest is SO much easier. Just like anything else you want to accomplish in life: you just need to make the ‘doing’ more effortless; putting systems and habits in place to get started and keep going in the right direction.

So let’s agree: what’s happening with CoVID19 is heart-breaking and what’s literally without hearts is heart-breaking as well. Let put the pieces in place to prevent ALL of it. NOW! Let’s concentrate on your heart and properly placed fear and appropriate prevention.

I know this has been harsh, but it all comes from love and compassion and from being sick and tired of remaining silent while people suffer.

You can schedule your pantry clean-out here:

The post CoVID19, Your Heart, and Properly Placed Fear appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Ok. Let’s all take a deep breath, shall we?! I’m going to take some time away from my usual topics of women’s health, diet and aging to look a little closer at CoVid 19 AKA Corona Virus.

CoVid 19 in the News

The media has done a great job of stoking the flames of fear about CoVid-19 AKA Corona Virus as evidenced by the run on hand sanitizer & toilet paper, the market sell-off/crash, events being canceled and other such actions.

I’m not saying we should completely ignore Corona Virus. I’m not saying CoVid-19 is a hoax. And I’m not saying it’s not an issue for some. But let’s take a closer look:

In China & Elsewhere:

In Wuhan, China (population 11 million)and the epi-center for CoVid-19 AKA Corona Virus.  About 79,000 people had been infected as of March 4th. (Earlier, as in last week, it was easier to find stats for Wuhan alone. Thus, I’m using those stats.) This represents an infection rate of 7 per 100,000 people; 81% of whom had only minor symptoms. Does 7 people in 100,000 sound like an epidemic?

In China, as a whole, as of today (March 11), there have been about 81,000 cases and 3,158 deaths; an infection rate (according to WHO) of 56.1 per million. Again, the question; does this constitute an epidemic?

Italy currently has the highest rate of infection, based on population at 206.1 per million.

Our Response:

Now, I think ANY deaths are worth talking about & taking precautions for. But what IS an appropriate response?

We know that the death rate is significantly higher for those who are older & have mitigating health issues, so certainly we should all do what we can to help them minimize exposure.

We know that likelihood of dying of the infection if you get it and are under 60 is significantly less than 1% and only a fraction of that if you have no other health issues.

Use Good Judgement

So, it seems to me that those who are older or have other health conditions should take precautions and not unduly expose themselves to the public-at-large. It also seems to me that those of us who have relationships with them should do a couple of things (1) make sure older folks have the things they need, including shopping for them if they feel that’s necessary (2) be extra careful to NOT visit with them if we have ANY suspicion we could have been exposed; even if we’re not symptomatic.

As a population, in general, we should all do a few things to help mitigate the possibility of getting sick.

1. Good hand-washing technique. Soap and water, though sometimes less convenient, is still superior to hand sanitizers.
2. Be extra cautious of the things we touch in public: consider bringing your own containers & bags to the store & filling them yourself, for example. (Better for the environment as well)
3. Eat more fresh fruits & vegetables: They help us make many of the compounds that are important in boosting our immunity.
4. Shy away from animal foods: Although CoVid 19 is now thought to be transmitted within the community, its original source was from an animal. Many of the people in Wuhan, China who were likely originally exposed to the disease had been at seafood markets.
5. Most importantly, if you’re sick; even if it’s ‘only a cold,’ STAY HOME!

In closing, I will reiterate that the media & the feeding frenzy are blowing things out of proportion right now. I think it’s always good to be knowledgeable and prudent but fear and downright panic do little good.

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The ‘novel device,’ an in-office finger prick test for PSA (prostate specific antigen) was approved by the FDA in January. There’s only one problem: It will cause more harm than good.

I can hear men cursing & screaming at me now. Am I being sexist? Absolutely not! According to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) (an independent volunteer panel of experts in prevention & evidence-based medicine) the risk of being harmed by a PSA test result is 30 times higher than the likelihood of benefiting from it! Here’s a summary  graphic and here is their detailed assessment. Statically, if 1000 men are screened, 240 will have a result that indicates they ‘may have cancer;’ 100 of those will have a positive biopsy result, 80 of those will choose surgery or radiation resulting in 50 cases of erectile dysfunction and 15 cases of urinary incontinence; 3 cases of potentially metastatic cancer will be identified; 1-2 of which could be potentially fatal. Looking at those stats, 50 to 65 men will have a serious life-long adverse effects in 80 procedures to potentially save 1-2 lives. . .  Hello, men, are you listening?  

This being the case, one might wonder why the FDA approved the new test. Better yet, one might wonder why PSA testing is done at all. It’s noteworthy that the test is ‘prostate specific antigen,’ not ‘prostate CANCER specific antigen.’ In fact, Robert Ablin, MD who discovered PSA is completely opposed to the way the test is being used. Further, there is considerable evidence of arbitrariness in setting of the levels used to indicate the need for further testing and biopsy. There are also data that show many factors, such as exercise can raise PSA levels but not cancer risk.

Similar stats exist for many other common screening tests; among them mammography, bone density scans and more. But in a culture that says more is better and, by the way, that’s how they get paid, there is incentive to doing more and disincentive to more closely examining and considering what we do and why.

I’m not saying anyone should avoid testing under appropriate circumstances; you find a lump, you see blood in your stool, you have a pain that doesn’t have an obvious source, etc. What I am saying and what the USPSTF agrees with, is that screening for screening sake because of basic demographic data (such as age and gender) has been shown time & time again to do more harm than good.

All of this shows the importance of being an informed medical consumer. Men should understand that the likelihood of dying WITH prostate cancer (not OF it) is higher the older they get, and women should know the same holds true of breast cancer. There is, you should know, considerable talk that some of these “cancers” should be reclassified because they do not behave like what we normally consider as cancer. That is, many are extremely slow growing, don’t metastasize or spread & don’t have other hallmarks we think of when we think of cancer. This is not true of ALL cancers of these organs but is true of the vast majority of them; a fact that holds true statistically even though you or I may know someone that died from cancer of one of these organs. This doesn’t mean I don’t care about those that died; only that I care MORE about those still alive who could be hurt by not having this information from which to make a more informed choice.

Perhaps, in time, we will transform our health care system to one based more in real prevention. (Diet and lifestyle can actually help you avoid these problems rather than just finding them earlier) Unfortunately, until we figure out a system that isn’t based in insurance, drugs & fee-for-service, this is not going to happen. So people like me who can help counsel people, helping them  take a more objective look, will continue to do what we can to inform. Hopefully you see or hear from us first.

If you have a health concern you’d like an objective yet caring look at, set up a consultation here.

The above is presented as information only. It is not intended as medical advice.

Photo from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPU3y6C4hvM & The Real Truth About Health

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Falsification of data that has resulted in at least 17 medical research papers being retracted and accusations that Duke was silencing would-be whistleblowers since at least 2008 are not something to simply to get over, nor should they be.

That Duke has now gotten a ‘slap on the wrist’ and has new restrictions surrounding all their grants is a good thing. How much difference it will make for them and others like them and if systemic change will happen, we will only see as time goes on.

This all makes the job of those of us committed to bringing you the truth in health even more difficult. There more and more papers being withdrawn for falsification all the time making it more difficult to discern who and what to believe.

In my last blog article, I talked about how the FDA is now using a technique known as “close-hold embargo” to dictate that those reporters and media outlets who agree to not ask (hard) questions will get information first (for controversial press releases). Thus, they can only parrot the press release which is often written in a way to make results look better. Now we find that information in peer-reviewed published studies is being falsified by those who used to be known as ‘the best of the best.’

Now, more than ever, it becomes incumbent on all of us to purchase health care; ALL medications and procedures, with caution. Is the procedure being suggested to you the best thing for YOU?

Often a procedure or medication is recommended because it is the proverbial CYA (cover your ass). The doctor who is recommending it is using opinion and recommendation based on demographics and other parameters promulgated by the very organizations that will benefit monetarily from you having the procedure done or taking the medication. It has been put forth so aggressively, that it has become the standard of care though the benefits may be negligible. Sometimes, though less often, the doctor benefits directly as well. Such is the case in cancer treatment where self-referral arrangements and mark-up of drugs can account for up to 60% of a center’s income! But it’s also true of many diagnostic procedures as well. 

How do you handle this? One way is to take a step back & require more information before consenting to ANYTHING. Information, NOT in the form of a brochure or a recommendation as they are also written by the same groups. Information in the form of at least 2 studies by different authors that you can take home and review before consenting.

If you or someone you love has a concerned based in any procedure or medication. I can help. Not through medical advice but thru consulting and research so we can look at the truth together and you can make the best decision for you. Call me today.

The post An Honest Look at Dishonesty in Healthcare Research appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

“It was a government agency (the FDA) picking. . .who it was going to talk to on a matter of public policy.” And you had to agree to NOT ask questions (of the FDA OR others) until after the FDA deemed it appropriate in order to be included! (The quote is attributed to Fox’s senior national correspondent, John Roberts.)

“Media coverage of the campaign is guaranteed; however, we want to ensure outlets provide quality coverage of the launch,” the (policy) document explains. “The media briefing will give us an opportunity to shape the news stories, conduct embargoed interviews with the major outlets ahead of the launch and give media outlets opportunities to prepare more in-depth coverage of the campaign launch.”

In other words, they, as a governmental agency, think it’s perfectly appropriate for them to dictate the conversation about. . .medications, procedures, black-box warnings, supplements, anything & everything related to YOUR health! And so the FDA is apparently using the ‘close-hold embargo’ whenever it deems it appropriate.

Fortunately, there are people like me in the world that do what they can both to expose this AND to ask the tough questions about drugs, procedures & more.

So do you want the real scientific skivvy (in plain English)?

• Am I more likely to find a dangerous cancer WITH mammography or am I more likely to develop cancer FROM yearly mammography?
• Do Lipitor and aspirin help?
• What REALLY is the world healthiest diet? (hint: it’s not vegan, paleo OR keto)
• And perhaps most importantly: What can I do to be assured that I won’t agree with my doctor and do something just because I don’t know if it’s the best thing, but I figure he/she must know best?

These are just some of the things we’ll address in “Empower Your Health & Choices: Food Over Medicine.” The 5 session course will happen live in Morro Bay April 2-16 (on Tuesday & Thursday evenings) 6:30-8pm. The program will be recorded and will be available to anyone that’s registered that misses any sessions. Register here

The post The FDA Now Dictates Media Coverage! appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Did you know that science doesn’t support and the U.S. Task Force on Preventative Medicine doesn’t recommend yearly physical exams for most people?

Did you know that science doesn’t support & US Preventative Medicine Task Force doesn’t recommend the use of low dose aspirin to prevent a primary cardiovascular event in people under 50 or over 70? Further, they only recommend it in those 50-70 if they have a greater than 10% risk assessment.

Did you know that over the past several years, the standard for what is consider abnormally high blood sugar has changed? Because of this, it’s estimated that 100million adults in the US are probably considered ‘pre-diabetic.’ However, there is no evidence that treating these people provides any benefit (aside from enhancing the bottom line of the drug industry and perhaps of doctors.)

Did you know that most blood pressure medications only lower blood pressure by an average of 2-6 mmHg!?

And did you know that you can lower you blood sugar and your blood pressure and correct multiple risk factors in as little as 2 weeks on the proper diet!?

So why is all this such a big deal? The inherent problem is turning healthy people into patients, disempowering them unnecessarily and then having to treat the REAL problems that develop. Take the case of the man that develops sexual dysfunction as a result of blood pressure meds; or the athlete I know that developed muscle problems after going on statins for a cholesterol level that could easily have been helped by diet. I could come up with many more examples. We must, as a society, begin to look at the real fact that much of the cost and harm done by medicine could be avoided if people had enough information to address issues with diet & lifestyle first.

Learn more in my upcoming program; Empower Your Health & Choices: Food Over Medicine; Tuesday & Thursday evenings April 2-16, 2019 at 6:30 pm in Morro Bay. Learn more & register here. Got questions? Book a time to talk here. (The program will be recorded. Registrants who miss a session will get access to the video)

The post The Medicalization of Life. . .the saga continues appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Ever feel confused about what to eat to maintain health? Who hasn’t?

Ever wonder where some recommendations come from and who you should trust? I know, even as a lifetimes healthcare provider and proverbial health nut, sometimes I, myself have been confused.

The thing is, there are standard and straightforward answer for much of this stuff. The way to understand is to figure out (1) who is paying for the information. Hint: if it comes from most governmental entities or disease non-profits (American Heart Association, AHA,  for example), millions of dollars have been donated to most of the entities in question by the food industry and the drug industry. Maybe that’s why the AHA’s website, for example, has over 30 pages of animal products listed on their “approved food list”! (maybe there’s a conflict there?) (2) Related: who will profit from what’s being recommended? (3) Is there science that backs up what’s being said and does that science represent the majority of the data? You can find studies that say almost anything; I can show you real studies that say cigarettes don’t cause cancer but that isn’t what the vast majority of studies say. However, when you look at both clinical trials and observational studies about diet you find some basic commonalities like the fact that those people who live the longest & healthiest eat mostly fruits, veggies, beans and grains. And people with good bio-markers (eg. low cholesterol) that they got by taking drugs or even supplements (not by changing their diet) are just as likely, in the long run, to experience disease and disability as those who have unhealthy blood levels and take no medication! These are just some things we’ll tease apart in my upcoming Food Over Medicine program. Learn how to understand the studies. Learn how to interpret conflicting info. Learn which medical tests have good solid backing & which may cause you more harm than good. Hope to see you there. 

The post Confusion in Health Literature appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

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But my reason for this article has more to do with overall dangers and alternatives than the individual drugs.

Also in the statement was the acknowledgement that current labeling which warns of increased of heart attack and stroke after 10 days on the medication is inadequate and needs to be revised. At least one recently published study indicates danger (stroke or deadly heart attack) can occur in as little as 7 days. In fact, a closer look shows us that studies in late 1990’s estimated NSAIDs caused about 107,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths yearly in the US and the use of these drugs has increased exponentially since that time. Circulatory events (stoke or heart attack) and gastrointestinal bleeding are the most common causes of hospitalizations and death.

One problem I find with the medical approach is that they insist they must know why and how something happens and this tends to minimize its affect in the public’s eye. Here’s what I mean: understanding physiology on a holistic level, I can come up with a number of plausible reasons, but maybe not the exact mechanism for how these drugs can cause a heart attack. In the meantime, they wring their hands because they don’t know exactly how it happens. Human nature is such that we tend to ignore what we don’t understand or can’t explain. Thus, the doctor can’t explain the danger to the patient OR understand it exactly in his/her own mind and still writes the prescription. The patient, while being aware that all drugs carry risks, figures if the doctor has prescribed it, the benefit must outweigh the risk. Some of these patients are tripling the likelihood that they will die of a heart attack and they are completely unaware of it.

In the meantime, natural approaches, while they may not work as quickly, do work, are safer and actually have a byproduct of producing health! One could start with an alkaline, anti-inflammatory diet and the elimination of GMO foods and foods the person may be sensitive to.  The addition of whole food anti-oxidants, specific enzymes like Bromelain (which is anti-inflammatory), specific herbs like turmeric,  boswellia or others, live cultured vegetables and more can give the right balance for pain reduction. Add to that gentle exercise, weight reduction when appropriate and Acupuncture and/or Chiropractic care to help tune the body’s innate response, some detox if appropriate and other mechanism and you have a health creation plan rather than a symptom-based drug treatment.

This is generalized example of the kind of step-by-step approach and guidance you can get through health coaching and consulting with me. Such care is not medical advice or medical care and it doesn’t take the place of it. What it does do is give you the step-by-step guidance, knowledge and motivational tips that your doctor or other provider doesn’t have the structure to provide.

Please pass this on to anyone you know that might benefit from it.

The post NSAID Dangers in the News AGAIN! appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

What constitutes a healthy diet?

There is much debate about the answer to this question. In the media, on the internet and among health professionals the answers vary widely. Yet when we look at the science, the answers are quite simple.

People in the Western world are dying from an excess of rich foods. Heart disease, stroke and cancer account for more than half of the deaths in the Western World. If we were to add other lifestyle diseases: diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, Respiratory illnesses, auto-immune diseases; the results are even more staggering. Yet, all we need to do is look to specific areas of Asia, Africa and other pockets of the world to find places where heart disease, stroke and cancer are almost non-existent. Indeed the World Health Organization statistics show that many European countries and the United States not only have higher rates of the diseases mentioned above but also have lower longevity stats. Indeed, the US ranks 49^th; behind not only Japan and Hon Kong but far poorer countries like Singapore and Bosnia.

We now have ample data from diets all over the world to determine what a healthy diet looks like. Scientists can (and have) compared diets & lifestyles in different parts of the world. They have been able to determine the best diet by comparing diet & lifestyle habits, disease rates, death rates and other factors in populations throughout the world. What they have found is fairly straight-forward: those whose diets consist mainly of whole plant-foods: fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, legumes, nuts & seeds and only small amounts of animal protein have a much lower rate of the degenerative conditions mentioned above. They also have much lower rates of other health issues I’ve not yet mentioned: arthritis, obesity, Osteoporosis- to mention just a few more.

To many looking at this list, the first thing they will say is that genetics must play a role. It has been shown time & time that this isn’t the case. Just 2 examples: Japanese women have a very low rate of breast cancer. However, Japanese women who move to US AND adopt a western diet have cancer rates similar to other US females. A second example: Okinawa is well-known for its longevity and extremely low rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. However, Okinawans now in their middle ages that have adopted a Western style diet are experiencing a much higher rate of heart disease and diabetes and lower longevity than their elders. Genetics does play a role but that role is far less than diet and lifestyle.

Having said that, let’s examine where one might find reliable information about diet and lifestyle:
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The USDA:

The good news is that USDA has recently revamped their confusing pyramid (The UDSA Dietary Guidelines) in favor of a plate. There are several positive differences between the plate and the old pyramid. The plate now shows that fruits & vegetables should make up at least half of every meal. The plate doesn’t show sweets, oils and other foods that most of us are better off not consuming. However, the plate still shows all protein foods as equal. (No difference between a serving of bacon and a serving of beans according to the plate) It also shows dairy as an integral part of the diet. (We’ll discuss dairy separately.) It suggests that you make half of your grains ‘whole grain;’ implying that there is nutritional value in processed grains.

A quick look at the history and mission of the USDA will reveal the reasons: The USDA came into existence when President Lincoln signed the Agricultural Act of 1862. It’s mission is about leadership in food, agricultural and natural resources. (From the USDA website: We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.)  Its original charge was and still is about promoting farming & farmers. Unfortunately, it is this same organization that is now charged with developing nutritional guidelines for Americans. How can it tell Americans the truth about the foods it is bound to promote?

The American Dietetic Association (ADA):

This is the nutritional professionals group comprised mainly of Registered Dieticians. In theory, their advice should be sound. However, conflicts of interest affect many of their stances. For example, in 2008, the ADA reported that it accepted $123,000 in advertising, $1.8 million in sponsorships, and $308,000 in grants. In addition, it reported separately on groups that made donations of over $10,000 in the prior year; Mars, Kraft, Colgate-Palmolive and Coca-Cola were some of the companies named. In addition, they accepted over $4 million for programs and meetings (some of this was undoubtedly registration fees but much was sponsorship of the meetings as well). How can an organization that funds its programs with money from Mars and Kellogg tell you the truth about the foods these companies produce?

Further, the food conglomerates mentioned and others also donate heavily to universities and colleges where the ADA dieticians get their education.

The AMA and other Medical Professional Organizations:

The AMA has a long history of promoting ‘public safety’ that is really consolidating its power base. Most of the other medical organizations follow suit. Just a few examples: as far back as the 1920’s, the AMA worked at systematically closing homeopathic hospitals & marginalizing natural health practitioners. When they were done, there was no such thing as a homeopath or a naturopath that could hang out a shingle in this country. In the 1950’s, the AMA put so much pressure on Osteopaths, they basically agreed to buy into the AMA model and be absorbed by it. From the 1920’s until today, but most obviously in the 1960’s & 70’s, the AMA worked to contain & eliminate chiropractic. So strong was its effort, that in 1989, they and several other organizations were found guilty of violating the Sherman Anti-trust laws. While they have been forbidden by law from their former activities, not much has really changed. Several weeks ago, a chiropractic organization got a very curt letter in which a medical organization refused to allow the chiropractors to advertise in their journal.

The AMA and it’s brother organizations (along with the drug companies) also keep pressure on the FDA to limit pharmacists’ ability to compound drug under the guise of patient safety. Similar pressure has been exerted for the use of other natural compounds like tryptophan or herbal supplements. Yet the fact remains that drugs and medical procedures are inherently far more dangerous and result in far more deaths.

National Disease Interest Groups:

The American Diabetes Association, The American Heart Association and The American Cancer Society are just 3 examples of other organizations who take huge amounts of money from drug and food companies that result in conflicts of interest.  The AHA’s website, for example comes up with only 1 reference when you type in ‘reversing heart disease’ and it is about a study on high doses of drugs; no reference to diet or lifestyle. Yet Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn has published numerous papers (CT scans included) on the patients he has helped with diet alone. Each of Dr. Esselstyn’s patients was told they were ‘terminal’. Yet on his diet, angina disappeared in days and they have never has another heart incident or procedure. His original study is over 20 years old.

Each of the national interest groups promotes a lifestyle that, to a degree is better than the Standard American Diet (SAD). Each of these organizations has well-meaning individuals who want to help the public. However, despite that and despite following these diets, Americans get sicker and sicker. It seems to be that if we are going to make any headway, we must begin to look elsewhere for our information and most importantly, begin to really examine who is making the claim, who pays them and the science behind the claims.

So now you have a clearer picture of why most of the better known organizations may have a biased view. In my next article, we’ll look at some ‘alternative’ sources and see what we can deduce.

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