Is it bad not to eat breakfast?

I can't help but observe how most on the places I have travelled, breakfast is the most incidental small meal of the day. There are several reasons why this is probably occurring. One is of course how late the evening meal is eaten, the later the meal, the less likely food is needed in the morning. Second is the physiology of our body, when we wake up, there is an adrenaline and cortisol surge that triggers what is known as the "dawn phenomenon". This is when the body liberates stored sugars to use in the morning to "get the day going".

Ultimately, I see most cultures have evolved over time to include about 2 1/2 meals per day. No traditional culture eats more than 3 times a day as a rule. And breakfast is often the smallest.

Because of the dawn phenomenon, we don't need sugar in our diets in the morning. It is better that we eat fat and/or protein in the morning. Examples in my diet include 1) a well buttered thin-cut toast with an egg 2) fresh fruit with cultured cream 3) pork cretons on a cracker 4) and of course when in France - a buttery croissant with tea or cafe.

So don't be guilty if you are not hungry for breakfast. Make it incidental. Lunch and dinner can then become the meals that gain your nutritional attention.

Bon Appétit, and let's "get the day going"

--Richard

Antacid medication causes worsening of symptoms on withdraw

Here is the headline from July 2nd from the journal Gastroenterology: "Proton-Pump Inhibitor Withdrawal May Cause Rebound Acid Hypersecretion"

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) are the drugs being passed out like candy from primary care doctors and gastroenterologists. Common names are Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix & Nexium. The recent study found that PPI therapy for 8 weeks induces acid-related symptoms in healthy volunteers after withdrawal. What that means is that when you try to stop, you actually have symptoms that require you to stay on the medication. This is no doubt good for business if you sell the drug, but clearly it is bad for your health.

These acid blocking drugs join the many other drugs that cause worse rebound symptoms than the original complaint. Some other drugs that do this include, anti-deprssants, beta-blockers, anti-histamines and sleep inducing medications.

Rule to the wise...and to the healthy: Use more gentle and less invasive treatments for any condition whenever possible.

In health,
Richard

MyChelle Sun Sheild

This is an extraordinary sun block with ZinClear and organic aloe. We have looked long and hard for this unique sun block. IT is nice to have a sunblock that actually washes off when you don't want it on anymore. We wanted one that not only protected you, but one that was fully non-toxic, reef-safe and zinc-oxide based, but without the whitening. We finally have found and now carry it – MyChelle Sun Shield, SPF 28.
To order, call the office at 207-781-4447.

Book Review - Nina Plank's Real Food for Mother and Baby

I have tracked down the latest book by Nina Plank, "Real Food for Mother and Baby" and it is truly a refreshing look on the nourishing of our children and ourselves. The message is the same as the first book Real Food": meat and salt are essential to growth and energy, egg yolks are more essential than the egg white, butter is about as perfect a food as can be found. Forget carrots and crackers and think about a meatball with ground liver, egg yolks and meat. If you read and follow this book, you will never pass moral judgment on your grandmother’s food again. You will enjoy of a life of whole foods and extraordinary health.

Be well,

Richard

Travels to the Mediterranean with Dr. Maurer and Family

What is the Mediterranean diet? In the United States it is a diverse set of conflicting opinions, and these opinions do little to resolve the moral mess we have gotten into by stating things like "saturated fat is bad" or that "eating late in the day is bad". These myths get quickly broken to pieces when one actually lives the Mediterranean diet on location. So with friends living in Italy, and my French brother-in law inviting us to stay with them in France, we were ready to take a trip. Ready, here we go. Let's explore some of the observations first hand. The FatBack Diet is alive and well in the Mediterranean.

Throughout Italy and France, the pasta and bread are white. There has not been a piece of whole wheat pasta in Italy for several centuries. The bread is airy light with very few total calories. Its purpose is to deliver something that is nutritious, such as the juices that from the meat, the prosciutto, or the sauce at the bottom of the soup.

 

The meats are not lean and they eat the fat. The region of Chianti that we stayed in Italy was known for raising an heirloom species of pig that had a highly marbled fat content. The result was a fatty tender naturally cured, cultured ham slice. It was about 75 % fat with 25 % protein.

 

Espresso is served in 2-4 TBS amounts. Milk can be added in the morning, but not after a meal. Eating high volume foods for the sake of feeling full is frowned upon. Again, with full fat foods, not as much volume of food needs to be eaten.

 

"Whole meats" does not only mean bone-in and skin-on – it means organ meats. As with most traditional cultures, not much is wasted.

 

Meats are always served with ample vegetables. This is not a burger with fries and a bun. Olive oil is used liberally on the vegetables and salads greens.

 

Only 2 ½ meals are eaten. This is no surprise, as I have not traveled anywhere in the world that has food more than 3 times per day. The idea of eating 5 or 6 mall meals is fundamentally American and only 25-30 years old. It comes from wrongly removing the fat from meals and ending up hungry 3 hours after the meal.

 

And yes, the smallest meal, if much of anything is eaten, is the morning. Then the mid-day meal is between 12 and 2PM. The final meal of the day is around 8-9 PM. If you are invited to a house for dinner, don't think of going home before 12 or 1 AM. I realize this may be why so little is eaten at breakfast. There is no snacking. No cheese sticks or nuts or any other snack. The only exception is that kids may have a snack after school to get through to dinner. It is a yogurt, or a half a grilled cheese or similar.

 

OK, one more observation. I thought grappa referred to how you feel when trying to deal with the sensation after drinking the strong Italian digestivo (after dinner drink). It turns out the drink originated in the town Bassano del Grappa. So it had nothing to do with gripping my throat while it was on fire.

 

Meta-Analysis Supports Heart-Health Benefits From a Mediterranean Diet. But what does this REALLY mean?

I cringe at this headline. Yes, another study has shown that processed food and trans-fats are harmful to your health. To review, trans-fats are made by turning cheap vegetable oil into a lard-like substance through a chemically intensive process. They are dirt cheap and have a long shelf-life. People who claim to eat foods high in these processed foods are likely to be eating a very poor diet indeed. The other food that is included in the “bad list” is processed meats – cheap sandwich meats and the like. With additives and preservatives, they are again a mark of people who make other bad processed food choices.

I am in fact writing this entry from the South of France – and I have just spent last week in Italy. The best way I know to realize the Mediterranean Diet is to be in the Mediterranean. I doubt that the researcher from Hamilton, Ontario Canada has ever actually been here.

Here is the Mediterranean diet at it’s core.
Breakfast is very light, if at all. Very small bread with butter and un café (about 1-3 ounces of coffee is normal)

Lunch is a very simple sandwich – or maybe a quiche and salad, dressed with olive oil. There may be olives with the meal. A piece of saucisson or fish will go with a meal – the meats are notable marbled with large pieces of tender fat.

Dinner is a relaxed affair with simple foods – 2 vegetables, a fish or meat, and some starch-bread, pasta, potato. In Italy, beans are always one of the vegetables, just simple white beans. Butter is used liberally in the cooking of foods and olive oil is used liberally when foods are raw or have been cooked already.

There is no snacking. The marbled meats provide ample saturated and monounsaturated fats to give a long-lasting calorie that provides satisfaction for many hours. Salad dressing is always made as needed of just olive oil and lemon or vinegar salt and pepper.

I will post more about meals and dietary patterns in the coming weeks. In the meantime – come join me in the Mediterranean sometime.

Salt Restriction, Fat Restriction, What is Next?

Salt restriction for all New Yorkers? “No Thanks” Mayor Bloomberg. How about the headline last week that New York “authorities” would put pressure on local restaurants and food industry to lower salt by half. The recent studies on salt intake have actually shown that mood and energy can be improved with salt intake. And past studies have refuted the claims that cutting salt in a population reduces blood pressure or heart disease. We have to beware of misguided authority creating guinea pigs of all of us.

Salt and fat have both been inappropriately singled out over the years. In the past, for the occasional fried food, a fat stable to high heat was used – lard. But then in the 70’s, saturated fat was on the “hit-list” and vegetable oils were said to be better. We could have been told to eat less processed fried food, but it was more alluring to attack the saturated fat. But what would we fry in? Unsaturated fats weren’t stable at high temperature so hydrogenated oils were manufactured and put into the fryers. By the 90’s the authorities said that hydrogenated oils are really, really bad, so now the fryers are filled with cheap vegetable oil, with a “heart healthy” sticker saying “No Trans Fats”. Now with overheated rancid, oxidized, cancer-causing oils back in the American diet, I am waiting to see what we will do in 10 years

We need to re-visit the generations-old science of cuisine. High temperature cooking should be done in stable oil, such as lard, coconut oil or other rendered animal fats. And Mayor Bloomberg, salt your food to taste.

It must be the red meat...Oh, or is it the candy?

Researchers are desperate for headlines.

First of all, studies that use retrospective questionnaires are of questionable value when trying to ascertain health risk and diet. That said, here are 2 headlines from the past year related to these questionnaire-based population studies. Media sources attacked the “red meat” as the cause of increased disease risk in both instances.
.
1 – (Sept. 2007) “A new study finds that the more “western” the diet — marked by red meat, starches and sweets — the greater the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal Chinese women”

2 – (March 2009) “People who eat the highest levels of red meat and processed meats — such as hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts — are about 20 percent more likely to die of cancer compared with people who eat less than 5 ounces per week.”

In the first study they had to include candy to get statistical significance. In the second study – processed meats are included. It’s not about the color of the meat!

This is the conclusion as I see it. “Those who claim to eat more candy and processed food are at slightly higher risk for disease than those that claim none of these in their diets”

Pretty boring headline, but that is what the studies show.

Have you been reading about vitamin D?

I was recently attending the International Health Symposium in New York and so much talk was about vitamin D. Ready, here is some of the proven medical coverage …”low blood level of vitamin D is associated with multiple sclerosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia, depression, many autoimmune diseases, ADD, high blood pressure, many cancers…” The list goes on.

Vitamin D comes from animal fats such as butter, cream and egg yolks. We, being animals can make the vitamin in our skin is in contact with UV-laden sunshine for an adequate amount of time. Note that Glass, clothes and sun-block prevent the important UV rays that allow the synthesis of vitamin D.

I am reminded of the old naturopathic physicians Europe in the 1800’s, they knew that sunshine was as important to life as water and food. They did not need millions of dollars in grants to figure this out. I am also reminded of a painting from historic painter Rockwell Kent, where an Inuit woman is holding her naked baby up in the air as the first sunlight of the year is peeking over the horizon. Of course I know the temperature was probably minus 20 degrees F. Apparently she didn’t need scientific evidence to convince her that vitamin D was good for her and her child.


Let’s re-connect with our natural world. Eat real food, Exercise like you’re meant for it, and go outside. It’s almost spring in Maine, let’s go outside and play. The photo is taken of Claire and Linus skiing in Maine in April last year. So for us in Maine, we'll keep taking our cod liver oil with vitamin D.

Ginkgo biloba does not effectively prevent Alzheimer’s

I have been waiting for the conclusion of this study for many years. And, not surprisingly, when healthy people take Ginkgo biloba they are not at a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. (Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Nov. 19, 2008.)


This was a well-designed study spanning 6-7 years and the researchers did use the EGb-761, which is the German Ginkgo extract product that has shown successful for Alzheimers dementia and other conditions (Vitiligo, Intermittent claudication). However, this study does not negate prior studies that show that Alzheimer’s disease progression can be significantly slowed and symptoms reduced if taken at the early stages of the disease.

I am not surprised at the lack of effectiveness because the last 5-years have shown us that onset of Alzheimer’s is linked as much to high blood sugars as poor circulation to the brain. This implies that more factors are at play in the development of Alzheimer’s than 120-mg of Gingko extract can cure.

What than can we do to stave off Alzheimer’s disease? One study back in 2004 shows that supplemental magnesium may be helpful, the researchers state:
“Since it is estimated that the majority of American adults consume less than the estimated average requirement of magnesium (Institute of Medicine 1997) it is possible that such a deficit may have detrimental effects on synaptic plasticity resulting in declines in memory function.”
Slutsky I, “Enhancement of Synaptic Plasticity through Chronically Reduced Ca++ Flux during Uncorrelated Activity.” Neuron, Vol 44, 835-849, December 2004

Our other mechanism is to maintain healthy blood sugars with a balance of diet and exercise. See Prior Post on this blog for more information.

---Dr. Maurer

How Much Milk Is Enough For My Child?

Richard Maurer, ND

From the "Got Milk" campaign to get people to drink more milk, to the "Not Milk" campaign decrying the benefits of milk, this is no easy answer. But let’s give it a try. To begin, cow’s milk is not recommended under the age of one, as it is deficient in critical nutrients, breast-milk or specialized formula is recommended. Throughout childhood vitamins A and D are critical for a child’s growth and development, therefore, full-fat dairy products, which naturally contain these nutrients, are recommended.

From age one to three, calcium requirement is 350 mg (UK) to 500 mg (US). For reference, 8 oz. of plain yogurt contains 350-mg well-absorbed calcium. Tad-dah, you’ve already reached the minimum. But even the FDA reminds consumers not to capitalize on one source of nutrition. It recommends a variety of foods, so we must remember other sources of calcium. Minerals in vegetables are absorbable after the food is cooked; therefore cooked 4-oz servings of broccoli (250 mg), spinach and dark green leafy veg’s (200+/- mg) are desirable along with profoundly mineral-rich bone-broth.

From age 4 – teenage, the requirement increases to 600-800 mg and higher. One serving of dairy products daily might still be enough if the child is getting other sources of calcium, but two servings can be helpful as children approach teenage years. But before we leave this topic, let’s remember that calcium does not stand alone. Calcium rich foods that contain absolutely no other nutritional value such as calcium-fortified juice, does nothing for meaningful growth and development. “Nutrient-dense” foods that are rich in calcium should be emphasized whenever possible.

Diet Soda=Diabetes=Dementia

Daily Consumption of Diet Soda Linked to Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes Care. Published online January 16, 2009

OK, it is now crystal clear that diet soda, at an average of one per day, raises one’s risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Well so what if we develop metabolic syndrome (aka. Prediabetes)? Take a look at the headlines that have come up over the past couple of years…

Prediabetes Ups Risk of Developing Alzheimer's - Swedish researchers report that people with borderline diabetes have nearly a 70% increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Tight Control of Blood Sugar May Also Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's - People who already have type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
SOURCES: 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Madrid, Spain, July 15-20, 2006

Midlife Diabetes Increases Alzheimer's Risk - Men who develop midlife diabetes have a significantly increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Diabetes. 2009; 58:71-77.

You get the idea, right? Maintain exercise and enjoy a diet that helps you keep good control of your blood sugar. The FatBack Diet will cover this. Oh yeah, and no diet soda.

---DrMaurer

New Topical Products at our office

ULTRA AESTHETICS …. an all natural, chemical-free skin and hair care line
We now carry this all natural, gentle hair and skin care product line made with botanical extracts and essential oils. All feature MSM, a natural ingredient rich in geological sulfur and a major constituent of skin and hair. Our Alpha Lipoic Acid line adds several special nutrients to reverse the ravages of sun, stress and pollutants and help smooth away the signs of aging.

MyChelle SUN SHIELD … an extraordinary sun block with ZinClear and organic aloe
We have looked long and hard for this unique sun block. We wanted one that not only protected you, but one that was fully non-toxic, reef-safe and zinc-oxide based, but without the whitening . We finally have found and now carry it – MyChelle Sun Shield, SPF 28.

To order or learn more about these products, call the office at 207-781-4447.

Cholesterol drugs are overprescribed.

“First of all, there is not a single randomized control trial that shows that cholesterol lowering statin drugs are beneficial for women of any age or men over 65 who do not already have heart disease or diabetes” John Abromson, MD (author of Overdosed America)

Dr. Maurer’s response:

Right on. We need to assess heart disease risk in a comprehensive and individualized manner. Prevent heart disease by addressing those other risk factors.

Cholesterol gets a great deal of press in our market-driven culture, addressing lifestyle factors of exercise, stress modification, social behavior and diet would more effectively improve cardiovascular health.

A case of Muscle Cramps & Fatigue in an athletic 17 year old girl

FROM THE DOCTOR"S DESK -

These are cases that reveal conditions that are more and more common in the recent years of my 15 years of naturopathic medical practice. Thanks for reading. ---Richard Maurer, ND

She was getting more and more tired, leg cramps, and not recovering quickly after exercise. She was highly-ranked in the State as both a runner and Nordic skier.

She was generally healthy in our office visit, but noticeably tired, hunched, and I found she was very lean. She was sick more that winter than ever in her life, tested for mono twice. She was eating a mostly vegetarian diet because she “thought it was healthier”. On body fat calipers, she was at 16%. (Normal body fat for women is 22-28%, runners will generally be lower at 19-22%). Below 18%, her body will breakdown proteins for energy rather than fat or glycogen, thereby weakening muscles.

Blood tests revealed 2 deficiencies I know see epidemic in women — LOW FERRITIN (iron) and LOW VITAMIN D.

I recommended dietary liver and marrow several times/week and more fats from animals that are, in fact, outside (egg yolks, dairy fats from cows on pasture/grass, etc.)
OK … the liver rarely sells to a teenage girl—but I guarantee her grandmother did it that way. We then added high Vit. D cod liver oil, good magnesium/calcium, and well-absorbed iron.
Her muscle cramps have been eliminated and she has regained her energy and remains extremely healthy despite the unique demands of college-life.

I am now receiving updates of faster and faster running times at her college.

A case of Autism/Asburgers - FROM THE DOCTOR'S DESK

These are cases that reveal conditions that are more and more common in the recent years of my 15 years of naturopathic medical practice. Thanks for reading. ---Richard Maurer, ND

I have seen similar cases as this countless times. A 5-year old boy came in with both parents; they reported a relatively healthy albeit highly active boy until 3 years old. At this time, there was a lack of eye contact, behavioral acting out, inability to play with others, and physical repetitive movements (self-stimulating behaviors). This resulted in several visits to pediatric OT’s and other specialists resulting in a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

On my physical evaluation I saw dry skin/eczema, pitted fingernails, and a moderately goopy nose. Mom claimed he had a “very healthy diet”. What I found out was that dad was told he had high cholesterol about 3 years ago and should be on a low-fat diet. Mom proceeded to lower the fat intake in the family so much; she removed virtually all the fats from the diet.

I discussed the basic nutritional recommendation to nourish a healthy child, yes it is a similar diet for healthy adults. We recommended higher natural fats (egg yolks, butter, quality animal fats, cod liver oil), fermented foods (whole plain yoghurt, sourdough bread, cultured butter), regular intake of nutrient-dense proteins (buying skin-on and bone-in meats whenever possible).

Within our first follow-up, the self-stimulating behaviors were gone, sleep was better and the change in behavior was as different as night and day. As Mom said…”this is a miracle!”
Active children and adults require a diet that contains calories from foods that provide a long-term energy burn. These calories come from saturated fats. Yes, saturated.

Thankfully, these parents now enjoy an active healthy bright 1st grader with no medication or diagnosis of autism.

Cholesterol Drugs for Eight-Year Olds!?

As reported in the Portland Press Herald on Monday July 7th, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement suggesting that children as young as 8-10 years old might benefit at some unknown future date from taking drugs to lower cholesterol today. This leap of faith challenges the scientific process that should be found in our medical institutions.

The long term use of cholesterol drugs, starting that early in childhood, is not known. The empirical data simply are not available. The negative consequences of drug treatment of cholesterol early in life could prove to be catastrophic in future years or more likely, future decades. The reputed safety of such a treatment is strictly based on educated conjecture with the available data at hand, although it is acknowledged that the “data-on-hand” regarding cholesterol lowering medications is predominantly sponsored by drug companies. And while cholesterol gets a great deal of press in our market driven culture, the lifestyle factors of exercise, stress modification, lifestyle modification and a whole-foods diet would be more aptly applied to improve the cardiovascular health of our youth.

The pharmaceutical industry and supportive medical institutions will be enthusiastic about drug treatment as this medical approach could translate into billions of dollars of annual profits. To be fair, drug treatment, at least on the surface, also meets our “ease of care” medical model, not involving hours of lifestyle and dietary counseling.

Parents and health care providers must support the time and effort it takes to provide a healthy generation of children. Preventive health care is truly the most effective place to manage most of our modern degenerative illnesses, but this will require a more interdisciplinary approach and yes, may not be easy.

Richard Maurer, ND
Falmouth Maine
President, Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors
MAND.org

Sunblock and Sunscreen

Sun Protection

Dr. Richard Maurer
www.CoastalNaturalHealth.com
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), more than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year – this includes melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Protection, however, requires more than globbing sunscreens or sunblocks onto skin. We all know that using sunscreen dramatically reduces the incidence of sunburns – BUT, the reduction in future skin cancer is far from dramatic. "Sunscreens don't prevent skin cancer, they can only reduce the risk." according to Mark Chamberlain, PharmD at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Chamberlain offers this example: If time spent in the sun remains the same, a person with a 50 percent chance of developing skin cancer will reduce his risk to only 20 percent with daily use of sunscreen. Two forms of solar radiation are of concern: Ultraviolet-A (UVA) which are long-wave solar rays that are less likely to cause sunburn, but penetrate the skin more deeply; and ultraviolet-B, short-wave solar rays responsible for sunburns and considered the leading cause of basal and squamous cell skin cancer, as well as a significant contributor to melanoma. There is increasing evidence of UVA causing photoaging and UVA is believed to exacerbate UVB's carcinogenic effects, contributing to cancers, especially melanoma. Dr. John Knowland of Oxford University explains that in using sunscreens that absorb UVB but not UVA, "you can encourage prolonged exposure, thereby getting a much higher dose of UVA, and perhaps increasing the risk of melanoma."
Avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the rays are most powerful, is the best option for protection against UV rays, dermatologists say. But when this is not practical, one should use sunblock creams and wear protective clothing. Below are some recommendations for how to pick the most effective of both.
Ingredients to Avoid
Overall, there are two basic types of skin cream or lotion protection: sunscreens, which absorb and deflect (or reflect) the sun's rays via a chemical reaction, and "blocks"—zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—which create a physical barrier against rays. Sunblocks are the best for many reasons. But let’s at least start by avoiding the following ingredients:
• PABA: Though rarely used now in sunscreens, beware of products that contain the ingredient. Forty percent of the population is sensitive to it, experiencing red, itchy skin.
• Benzophenone (benzophenone-3), homosalate, and octy-methoxycinnamate (octinoxate): These chemicals are of more concern because they have shown estrogenic activity in lab tests. Dr. Margret Schlumpf of the University of Zurich's Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology says they have been shown to disrupt hormones, affecting the development of the brain (particularly the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal system) and reproductive organs in laboratory rats.
Because people are exposed simply by eating fish (where benzophenone accumulates in the fat), using sunscreen containing these chemicals unduly increases the exposure. Based on her studies, Dr. Schlumpf advises people avoid products containing benzophenone and the related chemicals above.
• Parabens (butyl-, ethyl-, methyl-, and propyl-): Parabens may also mimic estrogen, but because they are common in sunscreens, avoiding them may prove difficult.
• Padimate-O and Parsol 1789 (2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoic acid and avobenzone): These two chemicals have the potential to damage DNA when illuminated with sunlight. On the skin's surface, these chemicals do protect from UV damage; however, once absorbed into the skin, these same chemicals can prove destructive. Dr. Knowland's research indicates that Padimate-O and Parsol 1789 "are excited by the UV energy which they absorb and become reactive, acquiring the potential to attack cellular components, including DNA." Knowland cautions that "DNA damage inflicted by an excited sunscreen is much less capable of being repaired by naturally occurring repair mechanisms than the DNA damage inflicted by UV alone."
• Although insect repellents with sunscreen may seem like an easy option, Dr. Best recommends avoiding them because of the dangers of overexposure to DEET, which can cause eye and skin irritations, headaches, nausea, when the product is reapplied after swimming or exercise.
Choose Sun Blocks
Zinc oxide, which lies on the skin without being absorbed, is completely safe. Unfortunately, its most common form is lifeguard white which can make it an unattractive choice. Dr. Kazutaka Hirakawa of Shizuoka University has shown that when injected into tumor cells to test its usefulness in fighting cancer, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has shown phototoxicity (or the capability to damage skin upon exposure to light), but as a sunscreen appears to be safe, based on what is known so far. Dr. Hirakawa explains that "titanium dioxide itself is an effective sunscreen and does not show phototoxicity in a normal condition as a sunscreen. A protective action of TiO2 for UV light may be much greater than its phototoxic effect on human skin." Most titanium dioxide used in sunscreens is coated with materials that reduce its photoactivity. Dr. Knowland says that according to current evidence titanium dioxide is much less likely than other chemical sunscreens to penetrate human skin. Note that on sunscreen labels companies rarely distinguish between sunscreens and sunblock, and instead use the term "sunscreen" for both. Look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient when choosing.
Protective Clothing
The right clothing can protect against the sun's harmful rays. Sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats are obvious choices, but it is equally important to consider the rest of your clothing. Consider these factors when choosing appropriate clothing (most important factors are listed first): weave (tighter is best), color (darker fabrics let less light through than lighter), weight (the heavier, the better) and stretch (stretch clothing loses UV protection as the item stretches out). If this has you imagining yourself in a black wool sweater in the middle of an August heat wave, fear not. You'll be well-protected wearing unbleached cotton or high-luster polyester or satiny silk, which reflect radiation. You can also consider investing in ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) clothing.
Proper Use of Sunscreen & When to Use It
Remember some sunlight is necessary for proper Vitamin D metabolism and skin health. Vitamin D is a unique vitamin associated with protection from osteoporosis and a reduced risk of breast, prostrate, and colon cancers. Studies have also linked vitamin D with mood improvement, endorphin release and libido function. If you are only going to be out in the morning or after 4 or 5 PM in the summer, this UV exposure is healthy, so do not use sunblock at this time.
But when the sun is strongest – look for shade and wear cool comfortable long clothing and a brimmed hat. Then go for the sunscreen in the target areas. If you are on or near the water or snow, the UV is coming from all directions due to reflection. So take extra precautions in these circumstances.

Products
Not as easy as it looks. As Zinc is really the best of the blocks we have found and the white film in ghastly to some. ZinClear is the best active ingredient to date. Look for sunblock for a company called MyChelle.
207-781-4447

Soy milk versus Cow's milk for children?

Question from a concerned parent with 3 children under 10-years-old:
“I do not have access to organic cow’s milk where I live, but I do have access to organic soymilk. So would organic soymilk be better that non-organic cow’s milk?”

Answer by Dr. Maurer:

I do NOT recommend processed soy foods for kids. As a whole food, soybeans should be eaten no more than any other kind of legume – pinto, black, lentil, navy, etc. Legumes require soaking and cooking in water for extended periods to allow for humans to digest and absorb the nutrients. Improperly prepared beans will result in nutritional deficiencies, allergies and digestive problems. Nutritionally, beans are good but soy is nothing special. Processed soy products, such as soy protein isolate, soy protein, soy milk, soy cheez, and vegetarian meat substitutes are improperly prepared and represent the real reason modern soy is considered so bad for kids and adults. Additionally, kids are sensitive to the phytoestrogen effects of processed soy products.

Therefore, I would go with the best quality milk available - and perhaps better would be value-enhanced products such as kefir and yogurt. Even if milk has been pasteurized, the healthy probiotic bacteria used to ferment dairy products come with marked health benefits. The new-fangled ultra-pasteurized, homogenized skim/low-fat milk of today comes with no documented health benefits. In fact, nowadays, increased milk intake in kids is associated with increase allergies, diabetes, and Crohn's disease. I can't help but think something has changed from past milk.

So in Summary, processed soy is bad news for kids. I know ADM, Cargill and Monsanto disagree with this comment.

Milk should be as unprocessed as possible - Local, whole, not ultra-pasteurized and if available, un-pasteurized/raw is great. If this milk is not available, milk products such as raw milk cheeses, yogurt, kefir, crème fraiche and cultured butter are useful. As for calcium remember, most cultures in the world get their calcium from bone broth, bones (think whole sardines or canned salmon with bones) and cooked green vegetables not from dairy. We in America have a dairy association not a broth association. Our health would be better if we had the latter. Broth is a vastly superior food as it has all the minerals not just calcium.

Yours in health,
Richard Maurer, ND

Cholesterol Will Be Vindicated: How Alzheimer’s Disease and Autistic Spectum Disorder may be prevented with adequate cholesterol

Richard Maurer, ND

I have seen hundreds of cases, and they all begin to sound the same except for the different ages and different diseases and different genders. What is the same then?

Deficient cholesterol and saturated fats in the diet.

The most recent headline that just came across my desk: “Alzheimer's Association Report Estimates 1 in 8 Baby Boomers Will Develop AD”. One in Eight!? Since when?

It was in Germany in 1901 that Dr. Alzheimer wrote down the degenerative process of a patient, Mrs. Deter. He would later discover the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that characterize one of the brain changes of the disease. The striking matter is just how rare the condition was in 1901 – “1 in 8 people” is unprecedented. Longevity of people nowadays does not come close to explaining this increase in diagnosis frequency.

There is another disease that follows this epidemic pattern. Autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Only about 25 years ago the numbers of kids diagnosed with Autism was about 5 per 10,000. Now the number is 1 per 150! I know that the diagnostic criteria have become much looser and include many children that have milder symptoms and would never have received special clinical attention 25 years ago. But again, the change in diagnostic criteria does not adequately explain this epidemic of disease.

CHOLESTEROL PROTECTS!

Alzheimers

Simple anatomy teaches us that the human brain makes up only two percent of the body's weight, yet contains nearly 25 percent of its cholesterol. It is no surprise therefore that a recent hypothesis is presented to show that cholesterol might actually have a significant protective effect in the nervous system and brain. [Borh, Iwo J., "Does cholesterol act as a protector of cholinergic projections in Alzheimer's disease?" Lipids in Health and Disease, 2005, 4:13.]

Autism

Kids with severely low cholesterol universally have autism. [Sikora DM, et. al. “The near universal presence of autism spectrum disorders in children with Smith-Lemli-Optitz Syndrome”, Am J Med genet A. 2006 Jul 15;140(14):1511-8]

Kids with Autistic Spectrum Disorder tend to have defects of cholesterol metabolism. Lower cholesterol levels are associated with suicide, aggressive behavior and accidents.

WHY NOW?

The story I hear in my office is classic. Mom has her second child, 18 months after her first. She is on a “low-fat” diet, because she has believed the bogus theory that reducing her fat intake will result in a loss of weight. And dad, who has been under more stress with work and a young child, has just been told by his doctor that his cholesterol is 240 and therefore he should eat a low cholesterol diet. The dad requests this at home, believing another bogus theory that removing dietary cholesterol has a significant impact on heart disease risk. The 2 young children therefore are tragically given a diet of non-hydrogenated spreads, skinless chicken, egg whites, and skim dairy. The learning disabilities and developmental delays in the children are quick to show. The second (or third) child gets it the worst, as mom’s fatty acid depletion gets more and more pronounced. The adults, I believe are more likely to develop cerebral defects on this diet. The short-term effect (1-10 years) of this deficiency is an inability to properly deal with stress, showing as anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Dementia, I believe is on this continuum, but takes several decades to develop.

THERE IS A CURE

Clinically, I have seen Autistic kids no longer autistic at all when the proper saturated fats are re-introduced. The recovery can be dramatic if the child is under the age of 5. Over 5 years old, the improvement from dietary changes are slower to take effect, not surprisingly, as so much development already took place under deficient circumstances. Alzheimer’s is not effectively treated with this dietary change, as I believe the damage was long in the past. So with Alzheimer’s we have to abide by the Naturopathic Physician’s adage, “prevention, prevention, prevention”.

Whole foods mean whole fats. We cannot espouse the health benefits of a whole food diet and then process the fats out. Bring the fat back! And let’s make Alzheimer’s disease and Autistic Spectrum Disorders revert back to less than 1 in a thousand.

---Dr. Richard Maurer

Body Fat % Using Calipers

At Coastal Natural Health we insist on body fat %. Forget relying on a scale – forget the overly simplified BMI. Remember, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was at his best condition, he would have been considered obese using the USDA's approved BMI scale. By using a more accurate measurement of health and conditioning, we can assess health, not just mass.

Calipers are the most accurate way for people of all ages and all conditions to assess their body fat percentage. As a practitioner, I am looking for the distribution of fat, not just the presence of it. For example, if a woman has a skin caliper measurement of 20 on her triceps and 40 on her hip, I guarantee she has late metabolic syndrome or diabetes type II. Whereas if someone has a balance of measurements, say 30 in both the triceps and hip, I suspect that 50% of the improvement will come from the FatBack Diet and 50% will come from exercise implementation. Balance and strength are key elements for health – and that is different than saying that someone is healthier if only they are lighter.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome diagnosis

Every week, the medical research headlines show another study indicating that metabolic syndrome is an impressively strong indicator of heart disease risk. 3 times heart attack risk, double stroke risk, 10 times more likely to be obese. What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is the gray area that lies between normal blood sugar control and diabetes. Nicknames include insulin resistance, syndrome X, pre-diabetes. Before enrolling someone in effective treatment including the FatBack Diet, several tests need to be performed. Here is the list.

1. Fasting Glucose – Greater than 100 indicates metabolic syndrome

2. HGbA1C >6.0 confirms the chronic elevated glucose

3. Lipid panel - Elevated triglyceride (especially with depressed HDL) – Gerald Reavens, MD of Stanford University has offered a diagnostic criterion for metabolic syndrome of Triglyceride:HDL ratio of 3:1 or greater.

4. Liver enzymes – elevations may indicate benign fatty liver disease due to excess storage of sugars as fat. This is a complication of metabolic syndrome especially in those with elevated insulin.

5. Dynamic Serum Insulin – This test requires 2 parts. Fasting insulin & fasting glucose then a challenge of 75 grams of glucola (sweet orange flavored), and in 2-hours, another insulin and glucose are drawn. The reference ranges are different from lab to lab. At Coastal Naturopathic Center we use NorDx Labs – we expect normal fasting insulin to be less than 10; 2-Hour insulin post-glucola insulin should be between 20-70. Glucose should be < 100 fasting and after 2-hours, the glucose should be within 10-15% of the fasting value.

6. Uric acid levels are often elevated and these patients are on drugs for gout forever until the metabolic syndrome is properly treated.

7. Body Fat % is necessary to map one’s body composition and body fat distribution. The more the hip is greater than the triceps, the more likely metabolic syndrome. The closer the hip is to doubling the triceps, the more likely it is to be diabetes.

Get diagnosed! Get treated! Metabolic Syndrome is impressively treatable with dietary and nutritional intervention. Although the specifics differ from person to person, the FatBack Diet is what works for the vast majority of people we see.

---Richard

What is a Whole Foods Diet? Resources to get you there.

What is a Whole Foods Diet?
By Richard Maurer, ND

When I ask patients what is healthier…a whole foods diet or a refined foods diet? Their answer is clear and certain – “A whole foods diet”.

When I then ask which is healthier boneless skinless chicken breast or a piece of chicken cooked with the bone-in and the skin on? The answer is again a clear, albeit hypocritical, “The skinless chicken breast”.

With all this health hype on whole grains and whole foods, how have people accepted the Wonder Bread of the protein world (boneless skinless chicken breast) as healthy? The confusion goes on. Health conscious people will purchase pasteurized homogenized low-fat dairy products versus the whole raw milk dairy products that make up traditional curds, whey, butter and buttermilk, most of the best Swiss, Italian, and French cheeses, and thankfully some very interesting artisan US varieties. These well-intentioned people are choosing egg whites over egg yolks, or worse yet, some packaged preserved egg white product instead of eating whole eggs – Let's recover a yolk for every white.

Since “Whole Foods” as a term indisputably means healthy to so many people, a proper definition is required. Where did the food come from, what did the animal eat. When a whole chicken is purchased, the bones and fat can be used in a broth – giving an impressively mineral rich food to the family meal. If the fat is to be skimmed from the broth when cool (essentially producing rendered chicken fat – sometimes referred to a “schmaltz”), it can be used as the fat on some roasted vegetables in the oven.

If anyone is unfamiliar with rendered chicken or goose fat, there is nothing better. In fact, A related expression "falling into the schmaltz pot" refers to the concept of having something good happen to you, often by sheer luck (e.g., being born into a good family).

I have found some resources helpful at putting the pieces together of what is a healthy whole foods diet.

Nourishing Traditions, a cookbook by Sally Fallon, current president of the WestonaPrice.org foundation

SlowFood.usa – Look for a convivia in your area to connect with regional artisan foods in a healthy and community-based format.

Fine Cooking – A periodical by Taunton Press – This remains my favorite magazine for cooking tips and insight into food.

The Best of Gourmet – This is a great cookbook, Judith Reichl after many years as editor of Gourmet put together a great compilation of recipes and food insight.

Get a copy of a pre-1980 Joy of cooking. You know the one with the parts of a cow marked out and instructions on how to skin a rabbit. It still has the best recipe for homemade mayonnaise.

Enjoy and Salud.

---Dr. Maurer

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