Dennis McCuistion and a panel of guests discuss alternative ways to feel better and stay healthy. McCuistion is joined by three panelists:
- Robert Carpenter – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and President of a biotechnology company, Texas Enterosorbents, Inc
- Sheila George – Leadership Council for Nussentials, a nutraceutical company that helps people heal naturally
- Blaine S. Purcell – Medical doctor, senior physician in internal medicine at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and lawyer
Studies show that taking the right natural nutrients and supplements can increase your health, stamina, slow down aging and contribute to overall better health. In fact, some evidence points to supplements reversing the effects of some diseases. On this edition of McCuistion Television, experts discuss ways to feel better and be healthy.
Carpenter and Purcell’s backgrounds in veterinary medicine have allowed them to look at health differently than the average medical doctor, as there is more of a nutrition focus in veterinary medicine than in traditional medicine. There are natural ways to prevent disease and nutraceuticals are a big part of that. Nussentials focuses on nutraceuticals and incorporates them into their stabilized rice bran. Putting the right nutrients in the body and in the environment in which we live can help our bodies heal.
Together the panelists discuss micronutrient additions to a whole food diet and its benefits to diabetes patients and the critical nature of lifestyle changes. Ending the conversation, Carpenter touches on their clay products’ benefits to health as they are turned into pharmaceuticals.
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1716 – 07.27.08
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During an interview and follow-up Q & A with T. Colin Campbell, PhD., author of The China Study, Campbell discusses what we should eat, shouldn’t eat and how to eat right in a fast food nation. Campbell, a strong proponent of vegan benefits for health, disease prevention, and longevity of life goes on to further explain details of his research and findings during his China Health Study.
Campbell’s initial research consisted of in-depth lab research focusing on the consumption of animal based foods versus plant based foods and its effect on the rate of disease. In his research, conducted in China, he and his team surveyed 130 villages (6,500 families) taking necessary samples, such as blood and urine, and sited nutrient levels and elements of that nature. They then compared information on their blood health with the rates of disease for 400+ kinds of diseases.
Their findings clearly indicated that to have optimized health, animal products should be eliminated and a strict vegan diet is the healthiest way to prevent disease.
Throughout the course of the interview and Q & A, he continues to compare the China study’s diet with the Mediterranean diet, the myth of animal calcium intake, the role of fat in relation to disease and more.
Following the original airing of this episode, host, Dennis McCuistion tried out the diet to see if it was everything it claimed. Click here to see his findings on Vegan Benefits to Health.
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04.19.09 – 1714
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In Part One of the two-part series on science and health with T. Colin Campbell, PhD., Campbell discusses his findings on what science is actually saying about health and nutrition and the vegan benefits to health. Dr. Campell is the author of The China Study, a Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and the Project Director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project.
Click here to read how Dennis McCuistion applied the principles of this episode in his vegetarian diet experiment.
There is an obvious health problem in the United States. While, American citizens spend more on health care than any other country, two-thirds of the country is overweight. Greater than 15 million Americans have diabetes, more than 1 million have high cholesterol and half of all Americans have a health problem that requires them to use a prescription drug. Dr. Campbell sought to discover what, if any, are the changes that could be made to the American diet to better prevent disease. Partnering with Cornell, Oxford and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Dr. Campbell conducted his study.
The American diet consists of high quantities of protein. However, the findings of The China Study suggest that there are significant vegan benefits to health. Disease increases when a person consumes more than 10% protein in comparison to his or her daily caloric intake. The average American has a protein consumption of 17-18% and 70-75% of that is from animal foods. Through Campbell’s research, it became very clear that there is a direct relationship between animal protein intake and disease increase. The findings showed that as soon as animal protein started to show up in the diet, there was an increase in cholesterol, cancer and heart disease.
Dr. Campbell, closes his conversation noting that his intention in his message is not to push an opinion on listeners, but rather to provide information to the public that unfortunately has not been taught. His concern is that the information the public tends to receive is incorrect, therefore consumers cannot make educated choices on healthy diets. The facts from his study clearly point toward strong vegan benefits to healthy living.
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04.12.09 – 1713
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The China Study, one of the most comprehensive studies of its time, pointed out the benefits of vegetarian diets. According to Dr. Campbell, meat and dairy are harmful and shorten a life span, not to mention the accompanying side effects that can be detrimental to one’s health.
Click here to view the episode on nutrition that provoked the vegetarian diet experiment.
Dennis McCuistion, host of the discussion, was so taken by the information, he decided to experiment and see if the benefits were all the study touted. He has and it worked… He is now almost a full blown vegan himself, with good results. I (Niki McCuistion) asked him about the up and down sides. Here’s what Dennis said:
“The China Study had information that was based on real, objective research that clearly pointed out the risks in eating animal protein and the advantages of plant protein. So I just asked, ‘Why am I killing myself when I have a third of my life left?’ I had already quit drinking milk due to lactose intolerance so that was easy to see.
I lost over 10 pounds in the next 90 days and have kept it off for over 2 years. I always felt good and now feel even better with one great unexpected side effect: I seldom ever have a headache. I cannot say there is a cause and effect, but it’s an added advantage.
It is not difficult to follow, just bothersome as there is virtually no way to eat anything at a fast food place. That is a shame as I am in the habit of often eating on the run, so to speak. At good restaurants, while there may be a limited menu, they will make a vegetable plate. Our American habits of filling up a plate is a shame as there is always a waste.
My typical breakfast is:
- Cereal with fruit (blueberries, strawberries and bananas) with man’s bread or equivalent and non-butter.
- Hot decaffeinated tea is good and some health supplements are also good.
Lunch is usually a vegetable dish. I shouldn’t have bread but usually do, and of course anything chocolate is my weakness.
Dinner can include:
- Salad and veggies, beans, in particular, for protein.
- I may have a protein drink occasionally.
- Pizza without cheese but with lots of veggies is also good.
- Eat lots of nuts, easy on the salt of course.
Oh, after about 30 days, I had no craving for a good steak or other meat. I do eat fish once or twice a week, preferably not fried. I am not obsessive; I just try to be sensible.
As to other regimes, I never really dieted before and don’t consider this a diet either, just a change in the way I eat and live. And I sure feel better.”
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive producer/Producer
Unemployment rate falls, but momentum weak in job market
The nation’s unemployment rate fell in June, though hiring by the private sector remained soft, according to a government report Friday. The figures suggest the economic recovery is moving forward this summer, but with weak momentum in the job market.
The jobless rate was 9.5 percent last month, down from 9.7 percent in May, a surprising decrease that came as hundreds of thousands of workers dropped out of the labor force. Private employers added 83,000 jobs in June, more than double the rate in May but still below the six-figure job creation numbers that would suggest a strong recovery in employment.
‘Game Changer’ Rule Looms For Health Insurers
One number in the health-care overhaul law could dramatically alter the health-insurance landscape.
How federal regulators interpret a metric known as a medical-loss ratio could affect players from industry giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. down to specialized companies such as American National Insurance Co. Plans could be forced to pay out millions in rebates, while others may be driven out of the market.
The medical-loss ratio measures how much of premiums insurers pay out for medical care versus administrative costs. The new law requires that insurers use at least 80% of the premiums from individuals and small businesses to pay for medical care and profit-taking, and 85% of premiums from larger employers.
Study: High-Fructose Diets May Raise Blood Pressure
July 1, 2010 — Foods and beverages with high amounts of fructose from added sugar may increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
A type of sugar, fructose is a key ingredient in table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Added sugars are found in processed foods such as candy, cookies, and cakes, as well as soda.
For the study, data on 4,528 U.S. adults were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2003-2006. Fructose intake was calculated based on self-reported diet information. Those participants who reported eating or drinking 74 grams of fructose or more per day (which the study equates to 2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) had a higher risk of high blood pressure than their counterparts who got less fructose. The findings took into account factors such as age, smoking history, physical activity level, and salt and alcohol intake.
Medical Underwriting: It’s Better than the Alternatives
Paul Krugman says the opposition to ObamaCare is conducting a campaign based on “blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency.” The proponents’ case, by contrast, has been principled.
Hmmm…..Krugman and I must be listening to completely different sound bites. Over the past few weeks I can’t recall a single TV appearance by a proponent that did not involve an anecdotal horror story in which a hapless victim is abused by a mean insurance company. Is the purpose of these anecdotes to make us feel sympathy?… To get our checkbooks and make a contribution?… Or is the purpose to make us fear that we too could be abused?… In other words, to scare us??
[Interestingly, Krugman himself wrote a column only a few days earlier in which he based the entire argument for ObamaCare....on....on....you guessed it....a fear-mongering horror story! I'll let readers decide whether the delivery was "unconstrained by facts or any sense of decency." (David Henderson gives the rest of the story here.) Meanwhile, I predict that abuse of the sick by insurance companies will become more likely, not less likely under ObamaCare -- a subject I'll reserve for another day.]
Just how scared should we be? It’s been illegal to rescind a person’s insurance because of a change in health status since the passage of HIPAA in 1996. It’s also been illegal for any employer to discriminate against employees because of their health condition over the same period of time. So it’s only in the “individual market” (less than 10% of the total) that people get charged premiums which tend to reflect their expected health care costs.
Okay. So how well does the individual market work? Better than you might think. In his new book, Health Reform Without Side Effects (previously reviewed by me at the Health Affairs blog), Mark Pauly shows that the market works better than the health insurance exchanges ObamaCare would replace it with and better than the small group market that Obama would leave largely untouched. Moreover, with a few reasonable reforms, the individual market would work better still.
Continue Reading on John Goodman‘s Blog.
In today’s news update, we have links to updates on Citigroup repaying the government for the bailout, climate negotiations and an update on the healthcare debate.
Citigroup to Repay $20 Billion of Government Bailout
Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) — Citigroup Inc., recipient of the biggest U.S. bank bailout, struck a deal with regulators to repay $20 billion to taxpayers and escape government-imposed pay restrictions.
Citigroup, the only major U.S. lender still dependent on what the government calls “exceptional financial assistance,” will raise the funds with a sale of $20.5 billion of equity and debt. The New York-based company also plans to substitute “substantial common stock” for cash compensation, the bank said in a statement today.
Talks Stall as Poorer Nations Threaten to Walk Out
COPENHAGEN — Ongoing climate negotiations were temporarily upended on Monday when dozens of developing countries threatened to walk out in protest, saying that the world’s richer countries were not doing enough to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
The move seemed to be tactical, as climate talks entered a second, more serious week, and by Monday afternoon, representatives from developing countries said they were ready to return to the table. Still, the threat of nonparticipation underscored the tenuous balance between richer and poorer nations.
Long-Term Care Stirs Health Care Debate
WASHINGTON — Embedded in sweeping health legislation passed by the House and being debated on the Senate floor is a major new federal insurance program for long-term care intended to help people like Anne M. Rader.
Ms. Rader, 45, works at Booz Allen Hamilton as a consultant to federal agencies on emergency preparedness. Even though she has cerebral palsyand multiple sclerosis, she leads a full, active life. But she worries that she will lose her independence if her conditions grow worse.
In today’s news update we provide links to updates on retail sales, the health debate and Democrats splitting based on views on Afghanistan.
Retail Sales in U.S Increase More Than Forecast
Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) — Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than forecast in November, a sign consumer spending is gathering speed heading into 2010.
The 1.3 percent increase followed a 1.1 percent gain the prior month that was smaller than previously estimated, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Purchases excluding autos climbed 1.2 percent, also more than anticipated and the biggest gain since January.
Senate health debate hits snag over imported drugs
Reporting from Washington – Expanding access to low-cost prescription drugs from overseas might look like a sure winner in the effort to make healthcare more affordable. President Obama supports the idea, as do many Democrats and several Republicans.
But the seemingly popular proposal brought the Senate healthcare debate to a standstill Thursday, as Democrats divided over whether they should bow to the drug industry’s fierce opposition.
Regulatory reform poised to pass House
WASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) — The House is poised to pass legislation aimed at preventing the next big financial crisis and usher in the most sweeping set of changes to the banking regulatory system since the New Deal.
The bill would impose more oversight and stronger capital cushions for the largest banks and Wall Street firms. It would force them to pay a total of as much as $150 billion into an emergency fund that could be tapped when a troubled firm needs to be taken over and broken up.
Health care, Afghan war splits Democrats
Washington (CNN) — Health care reform is a signature issue for Democrats, but the attempt to overhaul the nation’s health system has pitted liberals against centrists, exposing fissures 11 months before the 2010 midterm elections.
A year ago Democrats were united in victory after winning back the White House and picking up additional seats in Congress. But with victory comes expectations that are accentuated when a party controls both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Monday’s news round up includes articles linking to the health bill, Obama and Afghanistan and holiday spending post Black Friday.
Cost Control Big Question in Senate Health Bill
As the Senate takes up health care legislation this week, the question of whether it will “bend the curve” of soaring costs has emerged as a central dispute among experts and the subject of an all-out push by the White House.
With polls showing the public alarmed about deficits and dubious about the health care bill, White House budget director Peter Orszag said last week that the Senate legislation will control costs. He cited a letter signed by 23 top economists, including former Bush administration Medicare chief Mark McClellan, that said four provisions of the bill will help slow spending.
3 Keys to Understanding Obama’s West Point Speech
The president still must convince ordinary Americans he can be trusted to keep the nation safe.
When President Obama finally announces his Afghanistan decision Tuesday, the number of additional troops he sends will dominate headlines. But the real test of his leadership will depend on the depth of his commitment.
This article offers keys to understanding the speech.
Cyber Monday: Hope for disappointed stores
The good news for merchants is that more Americans this year turned out to bag Thanksgiving weekend deals than last year. The bad news, however, is that shoppers on average spent less on their purchases compared to a year ago.
For nervous sellers, it’s next about Cyber Monday, or the online retail world’s version of Black Friday, when millions of people take a few minutes at work to surf the Web to score “doorbuster”-like deals from e-tailers.
Considering how the story of the balloon boy was all over the news and the Twitter community yesterday, we are going to break from some of our traditional news reels and add a bonus link to the “balloon boy” story. Thankfully the six-year-old was at home and safe while the world feared the worst.
‘Balloon boy’ dad: It wasn’t a stunt
Upset that anyone would think he would stage a stunt involving his own son and a homemade flying-saucerlike balloon, and struggling with still-raw emotions, Richard Heene called Thursday’s riveting drama played out in the skies over northern Colorado a “horrible moment.”
ECONOMY
Bank of America Posts Third-Quarter Loss on Defaults (Update3)
Bank of America Corp., the biggest U.S. lender, posted its second quarterly loss in less than a year, unable to shake off effects of the economic contraction that drove the company to take two taxpayer bailouts.
Production in U.S. Increases More Than Anticipated (Update2)
Industrial production in the U.S. rose more than three times as much as anticipated in September, putting manufacturing at the forefront of the emerging economic recovery.
THE WORLD
Pakistan faces new wave of Taliban attacks
Pakistan’s army chief briefed the country’s top leaders Friday on the tenuous security situation as the government combats a new wave of attacks believed to have been orchestrated by Taliban militants.
HEALTH
Local people, agencies prepare for H1N1 outbreak
It’s October and flu season’s here. But along with concerns about the seasonal flu that typically occur this time of year, health agencies are warning people about the H1N1 flu virus.
H1N1 was originally called “swine flu” because tests showed that many of the virus’ genes were similar to ones that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study showed that the new virus is very different, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
