So, who do you believe about screening for BREAST CANCER?
 
The American College of OB-GYN recommends screening mammograms starting at age 40. In 2009, the US Government Preventive Services Task Force said NO to routine mammograms until age 50.
Our suggestion? Go with the American College of OB-GYNs.
 Obstet Gynecol, 2011;118:372-382

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements are used to slow the progression of osteoarthritis — the deterioration of cartilage between joint bones — and to reduce the associated pain. A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (or GAIT study), showed that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate seems to be effective in osteoarthritis patients with moderate to severe knee pain, although not those with mild pain. However, a 2007 review of several past, large-scale studies of chondroitin alone concluded that it did not provide a benefit.
A well-controlled study of glucosamine sulfate (1,500 mg per day) versus placebo for lower back pain caused by osteoarthritis showed that both glucosamine and placebo improved symptoms reported by patients. However, there was no significant difference in the level of improvement between the groups, suggesting that glucosamine is not truly effective for lower back pain (Wilkens, JAMA 2010).
A six-month study of chondroitin sulfate (800 mg once daily) versus placebo in patients with hand osteoarthritis showed a significantly greater decrease in hand pain and improvement in hand function among those taking chondroitin sulfate (Gabay, Arth & Rheum 2011). The duration of morning stiffness was also slightly reduced. These benefits were not noticeable until after 3 months of treatment. There was no significant difference in grip strength or the amount of analgesic used by patients. The chondroitin tested in the study was a tablet containing highly purified (95% pure) chondroitin of fish origin and is marketed as Chondrosulf (IBSA, Switzerland) in Europe where it is approved as a “Symptomatic Slow Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis” (IBSA website – accessed 9/21/2011).
Results may vary from patient to patient, but I can not recommend the use of glucosamine at this time. It is possible that chondroitin may be beneficial for hand pain, but be patient as it could take up to 3 months to work.
Please remember that OTC arthritis pills like Advil or Aleve will help pain but do NOTHING to reverse arthritis. These medications do have a lot of potentially severe side effects and you should discuss their use with your physician. 

www.kaizentotalwellness.com   (941)556-7788
www.drmishner.com   (941)747-2090

We have been using this technology at Kaizen Total Wellness® for the past 1 1/2 years with a great deal of success! We are currently the only facility in Florida offering this combination of technologies. If you have been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, this may be used by itself or in conjunction with prescription medications.

BStrong4Life™,  a Chicago-based wellness company has launched a 6-month pilot study to determine the effectiveness of their system on improving bone mineral density without medication. The system is a combination of two technologies: Power Plate, and bioDensity,  as well as a proprietary training system that integrates the two.
Power Plate equipment works on the principles of whole-body vibration. This proprietary system uses warm-up procedures to prepare the user for each bioDensity session and to optimize performance. The Power Plate equipment vibrates almost imperceptibly, causing whole body vibrations that create instability and trigger reflexive contractions in the muscles, as frequently as 25 to 50 times per second.
The equipment also oscillates, so the muscles must contract in multiple dimensions. This technique stimulates the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which can lead to increased muscle strength, endurance and overall agility. The user stands on the equipment while performing either static or dynamic exercises.
The user creates as much muscular force as possible while performing four comprehensive static isometric muscle contractions. The equipment uses a patented load cell/software interface that precisely measures, tabulates and records muscular force output at 30 times per second. All physical efforts are recorded, and compared and contrasted over time. Each user receives a Performance Report at the conclusion of each training session.

This article was recently seen on the internet and I thought it was appropriate since it is basically our philosophy: Some tips are obvious, but others like #9,8,7,5 and 1 are also very important.

For years now, we have been touting the benefits of eating nuts. At first, we noticed it’s benefits for hypertension. (low salt please!) This is because nuts are naturally high in magnesium and potassium which are known to help lower blood pressure. Now, let’s see what they can do for diabetes!
Sure, nuts are high in fat, but the GOOD FAT!
Just be careful of portion sizes. Too much of anything isn’t a good thing!
Please call Barbara or Annette for more information: 941-556-7788
Annette Schuchert is a Venice Nutrition Certified Nutritionist

Ever heard of Pai You Guo? Apparently it is a weight loss supplement from China that, even though recalled in the US, continues to be sold here. It contains sibutramine (Meridia), which was the subject of a recent blog and was pulled from the market due to cardiotoxicity. Looks like it has also been linked to cancer.
At Kaizen Total Wellness, we recommend weight loss the the old fashioned way: healthy eating and exercise. We do not sell any products, so we feel we are able to comment on supplements objectively.
For more information, please call 941-556-7788.Dieters May Unknowingly Buy Dangerous Weight Loss Supplements.

Please read the following article. It examines the benefits of certain spices added to foods. Please note it studied the actual spices and not antioxidant pills. At Kaizen Total Wellness, we recommend healthy eating, not taking unproven pill supplements! Enjoying real spices and fruits and veggies are not only cheaper then pills but taste better.

Barbara Bingham, Director
Kaizen Total Wellness Center
Nutritionist,  Wellness Coach

Here is a summary from a great article in Men’s Journal about dietary protein. It was published in the August 11, 2011 edition and a copy can be found in our office.

Mark MacDonald's appearance on Better TV was rescheduled for tomorrow, August 5th at 10am on ABC. Watch it to learn from the founder of Venice Nutrition, how the program can work for you.

Mark Macdonald                                                                                            Creator of the Venice Nutrition Program                                                     is scheduled to appear on Better TV Thursday, 7/28 to discuss the Top 5 Myths in the Health Industry.  Locally, you can watch it on ABC Thursday at 10 a.m. He will also be doing feature articles about the program in First For Women Magazine, Shape Magazine, and Fitness Magazine in the upcoming months. We will update you when those publications come out. 

From Annette Schuchert, Venice Nutrition Certified Coach:

Among elderly men, 87% with the worst life expectancy and 65% with the best life expectancy experienced more burden than benefit from fecal occult blood testing. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that colorectal cancer (CRC) screening be discontinued after age 85  (Incorrect! Don't think one can't get colon cancer after the age of 85!) and that decisions to perform screening be individualized for patients aged 75 to 85. Several other guidelines recommend against CRC screening if individual life expectancy is <10 years, but supporting evidence is mostly from short-term follow-up studies.??To assess the benefit versus burden of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening in the elderly, researchers conducted a 7-year longitudinal study involving 212 patients (age range, 70–84; 99.5% men) who received positive FOBT results at four Veterans Affairs medical centers. Net benefit was defined as detection of CRC or "significant adenoma" (adenoma ≥1 cm, 3 or more adenomas, or an adenoma with villous features), followed by treatment and survival for ≥5 years. Net burden encompassed false-positive tests, deaths within 5 years of FOBT screening, and undetected cancers when patients declined follow-up. Researchers analyzed benefit status by life expectancy, which they classified as follows, using the Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index (CCI) as a measure of comorbidity:

So what is the biggest cause of obesity? SODA? CANDY? ICE CREAM?

A 14 year old girl may need a corneal transplant after buying and wearing $20 colored contact lens.

 R. Bruce, Comedian, Singer - Songwriter

There is nothing like a little humor now and then, a nice break to refresh and renew our commitment to a healthy lifestyle....so please click on the link below for your laugh of the day!