Did Michael Jackson’s Diet Kill Him

Although Michael Jackson’s autopsy reports have not been fully disclosed, what is becoming very evident is that the King of Pop may have literally “popped off” by gross abuse of his body due to a constant use of dangerous prescription drugs, as well as adhering to a diet of too many sugars (i.e. sweets) and not enough elemental nutrients. Pathological reports that have been made public (either directly or indirectly), indicate that Jackson’s stomach contained undigested medications; and that traces of various medications in his bloodstream and body tissues indicate a history of various drugs that the pop star had taken to get relief from almost constant pain, as well as to be able to sleep (he suffered chronic insomnia).

Michael Jackason DeadThis need for medications became so intense that his nurse, Cheryl Lee (who was with him when he died) said he had literally begged her to acquire for him a powerful anesthesia-like sedative called Diprivan that is normally only available in hospitals. This combination of physical self-abuse is what most likely caused the 50 year old pop star to suffer the embolism that killed him. Regarding the loss of bone mass, the reports also indicate that he suffered several broken ribs due to attempts made to apply cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at both his residence and later at the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead at 2:34 pm PDT.

Jackson’s history of health self-abuse goes back a long way though, and his love for a variety of sweets were also a factor, although the sugar in them is probably what helped to give him the energy he needed to perform like he did; which not only involved all kinds of singing routines, but dance acts as well.

Had Jackson heeded advice from nutritionists and natural food experts (instead of all the medical “experts” he constantly consulted) he might still be alive to day – and much healthier than he was at time of death. By simply absorbing more vitamin D (available from sunlight) his bone mineral situation would have been significantly improved. He also would have benefited from a diet of whole grains and plants, as well as by ingesting Omega 3 rich foods, especially fish. Whole grain granola, especially containing buckwheat, royal jelly and bee pollen, and nuts such as raw almonds and walnuts would have helped to give him the energy he constantly needed and had to “supplement” with large intakes of sweets. Of course, turning his Neverland ranch into a virtual ice cream parlor and candy shop for the large number of children who visited him there didn’t help, as Jackson indulged in these items along with his guests. And by drinking natural juices instead of carbonated soft drinks, he would have subjected his body (and his liver) to much less caffeine, aspartame, and other harmful ingredients found in them.

All this is now purely speculation, but it could be words for the wise to other entertainers who might be headed in the same direction. Medication abuse has also recently taken the lives of other celebrities, including actor Heath Ledger, and model Anna Nicole Smith, whose lives might also have been saved with some sound nutritional advice; and by shopping at whole foods stores, instead of eating junk foods. The bottom line is: being rich and famous is worthless if you don’t maintain good health –it’s better than wealth!

Avoiding Soft Drink Monsters

The old saying “you are what you eat (and drink)” is certainly true in today’s modern society when diet drinks and junk food have become a large part of many people’s diets. Have you ever wondered why many carbonated beverages are simply not available in most “real” whole foods stores? And this also goes for all those “junk” snack foods like most potato and corn chips, candies, and “ding-dong” type cupcakes as well.

The reason is very simple: these foods not only put on plenty of excess weight, but also load up the body with excess sodium and sugars, plus a number of chemicals (including aspartame) that can cause cancer and other diseases. And drinking large amounts of cola, either regular of diet, can eventually result in kidney stones and other problems as well.

Scientific tests have proven that most soft drinks (except natural fruit drinks) not only clause obesity and kidney problems, but can cause a dangerous mineral imbalance in the body that can result in loss of bone mass and be miss-diagnosed as osteoporosis.

Diet drinks often contain aspartame, also used extensively in non-sugar sweetener in many homes and restaurants, the chemical causes a number of disorders, including a severe reaction to people suffering from a condition known as phenylketonuria or PKU. About one in every 20,000 people are inflicted with PKU in which their bodies are unable to metabolize an amino acid known as phenylalanine, one of two amino acids present in aspartame. If sufficient amounts of phenylalanine are ingested by PKU affected people, it can result in severe reactions, including mental retardation. Even in normal people, too much aspartame can result in physical symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis, dizziness, severe headaches, and menstrual problems. And excessive ingestion of aspartame is also said to be linked to early onset of Parkinson’s disease. And of course, many soft drinks contain large amounts of caffeine.

Soft DrinksThere are many natural flavored drinks, some of them carbonated; that do not contain ingredients such as caffeine and aspartame, and do not cause the body to lose calcium or are damaging to the kidneys. Best places to find these drinks are in quality organic and whole foods stores, which also offer healthier snack foods, including those made from bananas, beets, apples and other fruits and vegetables, and that are not fried in harmful oils.

All and all, you can still satisfy your desire for a cold beverage or snack without abusing you body. As the saying goes, you truly are what you eat.

Natural health personalities hold Longevity Conference in Vilcabamba Ecuador


Many of you will recall our article about a region in the South American country Ecuador known as Vilcabamba or the Valley of Longevity. This modern day Shangri-la is once again being featured in natural and environmental news sources due to a recent conference on longevity held there by the Natural News health website, under the organization by their editor Mike Adams. The conference included 25 health and fitness advocates who met in Vilcabamba’s beautiful settings and experienced for themselves the truly abundant and fresh fruits and vegetables that this place had already become world famous for the amazing longevity of it’s inhabitants, with ages past 100 being very common.

There must be something magical about this place to induce people such as Edwin Veelo, founder of Fitura.com, makers of one of the most potent anti-viral extracts on the market today, and Steve Sinclair, co-founder of the super food supplements company Enerfood to go all the way to this remote place, located in a mountainous region of southern Equador, bordering with Peru. Historically, Vilcabamba was a favorite resort location for Incan royal families, who must have known about the benefits of this region as early as 600 years ago.

Not everyone agrees that Vilcabamba is a modern version of Shangri-la however, and many scientists who have gone there to study the place, and it’s people, have come back saying that older people who claim to be well over age 100 may be exaggerating their age (and due to a lack of official birth certificates). Other scientists have confirmed that a combination of a year-round non-variable climate and a diet of healthy naturally grown organic fruits and vegetables; and eye tissue of 100 year old residents have been compared to those of persons living cities who are less than half their age.

Not everyone may go for the simple life styles and vegetarian diets (including juices from raw foods), but many people from modern Western societies have given up a life of electronic gadgetry and prepared food products to live the simple life. And if it means living to the ripe old age of 120, there might something to eating mani butter pudding (from a plant related to the peanut) and exotic cocktails of organic herbs fresh from the garden – all year round.

No, Oprah, Chicken Little does not eat at KFC !

Ever since Chicken Little tried to tell everyone “the sky is falling” people have taken advantage of the tasty little bird, especially those who like to eat at chicken fast food places Like Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC for short. This particular food chain has been under fire for quite a while because of the way it buys all those chicken ‘body parts’ that wind up being sold as regular recipe and “extra crispy” KFC meals to people all over the world, including places like Moscow and Tokyo Japan.

KFC Witness protection programAmerica’s talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey, has really taken it on the chin ever since she announced that her website that she is giving away coupons for free chicken dinners, KFC restaurants around America have been literally inundated with people coming with coupons in hand for a free chicken meal, including two side dishes and a fluffy, calorie packed farm-style biscuit. The situation has gotten so bad that many KFC places either ran out of chicken or had to turn people away without honoring the coupon.

Why would America’s most popular female talk show host want to offer such a deal is beyond the comprehension of most sane people, including those who are against the killing of millions of innocent fowl to satisfy the hunger of these people, especially when it was revealed that the poor victims, all relatives of Chicken Little, are often thrown into scalding water while still alive, clucking and all.

KFC executives have promised to look into the matter, although it appears that Oprah’s endorsed promo has come with their knowledge, as it certainly brings attention to the product they sell. But it also has brought out that these chickens are raised in giant, overcrowded “factory farms”, injected with all kinds of hormones and antibiotics to grow to larger sizes, and then “processed” in such horrible manners, which might make vegetarians of us all, which would make Chicken Little very pleased.

Oprah’s PR people might be wise to remove the promo ad before things really get out of hand and millions of Mr. Little’s relatives do a march on her studio in Chicago. Seriously, her PR department might reconsider her involvement with KFC, especially in light of so much attention being drawn to the matter of animal rights and animal cruelty.

Oprah is said to be against animal cruelty; but her personal opinions seem to have become lost along the way in her organizational hierarchy.

Factory farming has also been recently in the news in light of the swine flu epidemic, in which large swine raising farms in Mexico have been blamed as being the possible cause of the flu scourge which has spread over much of the world. I t wouldn’t be advisable for Oprah to offer a promo for BBQ ribs or other pork products after the “KFC chicken giveaway”.

Of course there is free-range chicken, like Chicken Little is said to be one of, but KFC suppliers wouldn’t be able to catch enough to satisfy the craving of all of Oprah’s fans.

Vitamin C Prevents Gout in Men

Vitamin C, that sunshine vitamin that is good for colds and other diseases, as well as preventing scurvy, has now been found to be effective in preventing as well treating gout in men. A 20 year study, conducted by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine in 47,000 male test subjects, found that a regular daily dose of between 1,000 and 1,400 milligrams of vitamin C reduces the chance of gout in males by at least 34%

Vitamin CFor those of you who are not aware, gout is condition usually caused by abnormally high levels of uric acid in the blood. Often referred to as the “Rich man’s disease” because it strikes people who eat “rich” foods high in purines or heterocyclic aromatic organic compounds, gout results in uric acid crystallizing in places like hand and toe joints, resulting in extreme discomfort, swelling, and pain.

Although not confined exclusively to men, the studies found that men over age 40 are more prone to have this condition, especially if their diets are high in organ meats (liver, kidneys, etc.) alcohol, certain shell fish like scallops or oysters, and over consumption of alcohol. High levels of purine are also found in “non-rich” foods such as fava beans and other lentils.

“Given the normal safety profile usually associated with the consumption of vitamin C in this study, it provides a good alternative in the prevention of Gout” the study research leader, Hyun Choi, said. The study did mention, however, that maintaining a healthy, low purine diet is probably the best way to prevent gout from occurring.

Gout was very prevalent during the 19th and early 20th Century, especially in the UK, when diets were high in foods like steak and kidney pie, washed down with large quantities of beer and other alcoholic beverages. After a long decease, it has started to return in the last 30 years, however, due to dietary abuses involving high consumptions of meats and alcohols.

“It would be unwise for people to think that by simply taking high amounts of vitamin C, they can compensate for too many pints in the pub”, said Michael Snaith of the UK Gout Society.

Drinks Not Food May Cause Weight Gain Faster

Sweet DrinksPeople trying to prevent weight gain may be surprised to discover that what they drink may be a bigger factor in weight gain than food. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that weight loss is more associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption; and the liquid calorie intake had a bigger impact on weight gain than solid foods.

The results of the study, as published in the April 1 edition of the American Journal of clinical nutrition, found that although food and liquid drinks had an influence on weight gains, a reduction in liquid calorie intake was found to have a more significant influence on weight loss, than simply eating less. The study most noticed that in drinks containing sugar, a reduction of one serving resulted in a weight loss of 0.5 kg in six months and 0.7 kg in 18 months. The study was conducted on 810 adults aged 25-79, in an 18 month randomized, controlled behavioral intervention. The consumption by test subjects was measured by conducting unannounced interviews during various hours by telephone. Test beverages were divided in several categories, including soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit punch, diet drinks with artificial sweeteners, whole and skim milk, coffee and tea sweetened with both sugar and artificial sweeteners, and alcoholic beverages.

Sugar sweetened beverages, especially soft drinks, were found to be significantly associated with weight at both the 6 and 18 month follow up periods. Although changes in the consumption of diet drinks and alcoholic beverages were inversely associated with weight loss the amounts were not statistically significant.

The conclusions of the studies were to encourage public health awareness programs to persuade people to reduce intakes of liquid calories, particularly from sugar sweetened beverages. It was also recommended that people significantly reduce the consumption of diet beverages containing aspartame and similar artificial sweeteners.

No doubt, drinking unsweetened bottled water instead of other types of beverages is better for one’s health in the long run.

Thinking Outside the School Lunch Box

School lunches for kids in America these days need to be more creative as well as health oriented. Many public schools still serve their students lunches that are heavily loaded down with carbohydrates and saturated fats; with many foods being those that are simply available from USDA commodities warehouses. While this is probably better than turning all this surplus food into bio-fuels, it doesn’t do much to reduce overweight problems brought on by too much starches and fats.

While many schools have had salad bars available for their students, cafeterias also have lunch menus which closely resemble those found in fast food places like McDonalds or Burger King complete with processed French fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets, and other junk foods that are loaded with “CARBS”, “SATS” and heavy amounts of sodium and other food preservatives. For this reason, many parents are once again sending their children to school with lunch boxes containing salads and sandwiches made with whole grain breads and other healthier food items. These new “school foods” are much healthier than the school lunches brought from home a generation or two ago when a typical box or sack lunch consisted of a baloney sandwich or hot dog , a piece of fruit, and maybe some cookies.

Lunch Bag

Trying to convince most kids to eat some forms of exotic menus found in whole foods stores won’t really work, unless they already eat these kinds of food at home anyway. What is interesting is that European schools have much healthier school lunch menus, and some schools in countries like France and Belgium even hire chefs to prepare more interesting as well as healthy diets for school children.

It’s not likely that American schools will go this route. But more nutritious, as well as appetizing meals can be made, even it they prepared beforehand at a central kitchen and sent to schools and reheated there. Children who must have special menus, either for health or religious reasons, are more likely to bring their lunches from home. But one thing is for sure; a child’s success in school is either helped or hindered by the type of diet during the day. As U.S. President Harry Truman said back in 1946, “In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children”.

Using a bit of creativity for school meals is far better than serving “high-carb” fast foods or baloney sandwiches.

For and Against Soy Milk

There’s so much controversy about soy milk, that I’ve decided to summarize all this mess into a short list:

The good stuff:

  • Soy milk is casein free.
  • Soy milk is lactose free.
  • Soy milk contains proteins and other essential nutrients in high percentage.
  • These nutrients make soy milk lower your cholesterol levels.

The bad stuff:

  • Soy milk contains the dangerous phytic acid.
  • Soy milk is filled with female hormones such as estrogen, which may cause breast cancer in women and lower sperm count in men.

Dry Brain

Dry BrainOne of the most prevalent conditions affecting all humans throughout their lives is headaches. Most of us take it lightly, so to speak, and shrug it off with a bit of aspirin. However it’s important not to underestimate the importance of a clear mind as a fundamental of living a healthy life.

More often than not, we get a headache due to dehydration. When the volume of water in our blood vessels drops below a certain point, we feel pain that’s aimed at alerting us: “Hey, it’s time to saturate the body!”

In fact when the levels of water in our brain decrease, our blood vessels constrict, and this occurrence slows the overall metabolism of the brain, making us less ” mentally sharp”.

So please, don’t dry your brain out. It’s your most valued commodity. Indulge it with a glass of water. It’s the best gift you could give it.