Endurance athletes are known for taking high doses of Vitamin C to help keep their immune system strong. Vitamin C has been shown to fight free radicals, substances linked to membrane and DNA damage, aging and immune system depression.

Researchers from Spain (published in the American J. of Clinical Nutrition) found that Vitamin C in dosages of 1000mg interfered with the capacity to increase endurance through training. The reason given was that it prevented increases in cell mitochondria and oxygen related enzymes that produce ATP (cells’ major energy source). Endurance training triggers cell processes that help them cope with damaging free radicals. Vitamin C supplements interfered with cellular adaptations that occur with endurance training.

Bottom line. High doses of C and endurance training do not mix because it interferes with training gains.

Who would have thought this?

Interested in regaining your health? Losing fat? Reshaping your physique? Running is one of the safest and most effective way of doing all of the above and more.

Not a solo artist? Then consider group running.

A new running group has started in Orange County, FL.  The address is www.WOrun.org.

If you live in this area, please check this group out.

My friend Ed sent along this information regarding diet soda consumption. . .

Is it also true that aspartame was originally formulated as an  insecticide? (The answer is yes) I know from here that whenever I see someone who is seriously agitated I ask about possible diet soda consumption. “Yes” is the most common answer and I tell them to get it off the menu for 2 weeks and see if it makes a difference. It almost always does. Regardless of the sport, that shit can’t be good for you either. Several years ago, I had a private conversation with an FDA agent.

He mentioned to me that the FDA receives more complaints about artificial sweeteners than anything else by far. They regret the day it was allowed on the market.

In the “Fridge Wisdom” of the June issue of Runner’s World, someone wrote in with the question of “Will diet soda hurt my running?” The “expert” who is listed as a Ph.D., replied in no uncertain terms that “drinking a few cans of diet soda a day will not harm your running or your health.” This “advise falls somewhere between dumbfounding and just plain dumb.

Despite the authors claims, there is a significant correlation between soda consumption and bone loss. In a study of almost 3,000 people, Dr. Katherine Tucker, a nutritional epidemiologist at Tufts University, found a significant correlation between soda consumption and bone density loss. The levels of bone loss ranged from 2.5 percent to more than 5 percent for women who drank multiple cans per day. This is just one study.

Ask a nutritionally oriented dentist and s/he will tell you that those who drink soda - diet or otherwise - are known to have weak teeth. Often the front teeth will begin to look somewhat transparent. The reason is that soda leaches valuable minerals from the system including bones and teeth.

Some experts are now exploring the possibility that artificial sweeteners confuse our taste buds and all those brain measures of satiety upon which we base what we eat. Specifically, Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio have recently completed compilations of data that provided surprising results.

Fowler and her team studied more than 1500 people between the ages of 25 and 64, looking at whether each consumed regular or diet soft drinks. It was no surprise to find a correlation between the daily consumption of multiple cans of all soft drinks and obesity — which they did. But, as Fowler noted, “What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks; their risk of obesity was even higher” [than that of those drinking regular soft drinks]. In fact, Fowler found that for each can of diet soft drink consumed per day, the risk of obesity went up by 41%.

Specific to diet soda, it may not have the sugar or calories of regular soda, but it’s loaded with other health-draining chemicals, like caffeine, artificial sweeteners and phosphoric acid.

So we  have bone loss, weight gain and intake of health reducing ingredients.

It is very odd that this type of “advise” would appear in Runner’s World. Someone missed the boat on this one.

Natural Medicine has a treatment for virtually every emotion a human can experience. Ex/ For worry, one should treat the spleen. For the anger, the treatment would focus on the liver and would include something as simple as clean your room. For grief, lungs are the focus and foods such as asparagus would come to the forefront. Kidneys and fear go hand in hand and an herb such as Fo Ti would  be used. For regret, it is. . . uhh. for regret, the focus is on. . . . well. . .maybe it would be. . . For regret, there is really no treatment. Only prevention.

Regret has pronounced language patterns known to all. There are 2 “stars” of the show, so to speak:

1. I could have. . . .
2. I should have. . . .

What follows after this is an endless parade of possibilities, ones that will unfortunately, remain in the ether versus being materialized. The effect this has on the system is pronounced. The “monkey mind” kicks in with stories and rationalizations about the given topic. This weakens the spleen. Often anger is experienced due after a dozen sentences of “I really, really should have. . . ” followed by “Then it would have turned out differently. . . .” This poisons the liver.

Sadness comes to visit right around now and the lungs are then stripped of vital energy. This is most regrettable as the lungs are a vital component to the immune system. How often do you note a correlation between sadness followed by a cold or allergies.

So there is no treatment. What do I then do? The question actually provides the answer.

The only known antidote for regret is doing. Take action. Create movement for in this process of doing, the path eventually becomes clear. The individual who waits for the ideal time, the perfect sign etc., is the one who never does.

They just regret.

In its raw form, it look a little like a turnip. Ground up, it looks like oatmeal. In your system, it can provide an increase in strength, stamina, energy and even libido. I am talking about Maca or Lepidium Meyenii. It is a member of the mustard family and is native to the highlands of Peru and has been harvested for over 2000 years. It has been called “Peruvian Ginseng” though it is not in the Ginseng family at all.

Maca’s effect comes on slowly. Unlike a substance like caffeine, Maca engenders a feeling of core strength. Its effects are based on 2 substances — macamides and macaenes. Both are associated with increases in stamina, power, overall energy and as mentioned libido, thus earning it the title of “Peru’s Viagra.” Scientific studies support all of these claims.

Maca can be found in caps, powder or concentrated forms. A tablespoon mixed with juice is the standard dosage. Be sure the Maca is standardized to 0.6% macamides and macaenes. Daily dosage is typically 2-4 grams. It can be found in most health stores and herb shops.

I would guess that in the next year, this substance will be found in many endurance (athlete) based formulas. It has that type of favorable potential for increasing performance.

When you think of heart disease, a number of images may come to mind. Bet you a nickel not one of them was the image of a kid with heart disease. A remarkable trends has crept into America in which children and teen are being diagnosed with life threatening diseases such as cardiomyopathy.  Cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should. According to the medical experts, viruses and bacterial infections in the heart itself are considered the major causes.

This is a rough situation. The heart itself becomes inflamed and begins to weaken or deteriorate. It swells and continues to gather water, all the while neglecting to pump adequate amounts of blood. This is life threatening. Mind you, we are talking about kids and teens here.

One of the overlooked causes and the likely source of the problem is beriberi of the heart. Beriberi is caused by deficiency of the B vitamins and contributes to paralyzing weakness of muscles including the heart.

Treatment is straightforward:

• Cardio Plus
• Cataplex B or a high quality B complex
• Cod Liver Oil

Noticeable improvements should be noted within 2 months. If such is not the case, an antibiotic may be needed to clear infections.

Bottom line - current diets for kids in particular are devoid of B vitamins. This is the ultimate source of both the problem and the solution.

Older men with lower levels of the male sex hormone testosterone in their blood may be more prone to depression, a study suggests. A study of about 4,000 men aged over 70 found those with lowest testosterone were three times more likely to be depressed than those with the most.

Researchers suspect the hormone may affect levels of key brain chemicals. The study, by the University of Western Australia, features in Archives of General Psychiatry. Research has found that women are more likely to be depressed than men until the age of 65, when the difference between the genders almost disappears.