Countdown to Fitness

I’m dedicating this to some family members who have age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  AMD is a disease that strikes older adults and results in vision loss in the macula, the center of the retina.  According to the National Eye Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years and older.

Normal Vision

Two Types:
There are two forms of this disease: “dry” and “wet.”  In the dry form, also known as central geographic atrophy, the macula typically degrades gradually, so people may not realize that their vision is being impaired.  While the most common symptom of the dry form is blurred vision in the center of the field of vision, according to the “Dry macular degeneration” article on the Mayo Clinic website, a person may notice the following changes: (more…)

Escarole or any endive lettuce is a great addition as a salad veggie, but it has a slightly bitter flavor.  I like to add a little sweetness to offset it.  I’ve rarely seen this beautiful purple escarole while the green variety is quite common.  Add a bit of both purple and green color to this salad to obtain a healthy mix of phytonutrients and a beautiful mix of color.

This recipe makes 4 large salads.  I made it with pineapple and mango salsa, but any sweet fruit, like a peach, would work just fine. (more…)

Photo courtesy of Jenny Downing

We’ve all been led to believe that fluoride is good and that it prevents cavities.  However, I’ve recently read quite a few studies that exposed the dangers of fluoride.  It is actually an industrial pollutant, and sodium fluoride, which is used in drinking water and toothpaste, is used as a rat poison.  So how did an industrial pollutant and rat poison make it’s way to our drinking water?  Journalist Christopher Bryson wrote a book The Fluoride Deception that talks about how this nuclear waste by-product became a standard additive to drinking water across the U.S. (more…)

Weight issues, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, allergies of various types — including food, asthma, some cancers, and many other diseases have a common tie.  Inflammation.  Which is triggered by inflammatory foods in one’s diet.  The Inflammation Syndrome — “the cumulative effect of low-grade inflammation–including the aches and pains that we all experience–that grows into chronic, debilitating disease” — is a must-read book to create long-term good health.

I highly recommend The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma, a well-written book, to prevent or reverse these health issues.  It’s imperative to learn what causes inflammation and how to reduce it, and author, Jack Challem, does a fantastic job of describing the issues and laying out a fifteen-step diet to reduce inflammation.  He is a leading health and medical writer with articles published in several journals, and he’s also a contributing editor for two magazines, as well as consumer health publications. (more…)

Gwen Olsen, according to her video and website spent 15 years as a sales rep in the pharmaceutical industry working for several different well-known companies.  She is now speaking out about the dangers of this industry and the dangers of some of the prescription medications.