Total Health Breakthroughs: Alternative Solutions for Mind, Body, and Spirit

Can men go through menopause? Absolutely! You might not know it, but estrogen dominance, or andropause, is a major health hazard for men over 40. This hormone imbalance occurs when your body builds up too much estrogen and xenoestrogens — which are synthetic forms of the hormone.

You’ve probably never heard of estrogen dominance — and your doctor would probably misdiagnose your symptoms. But this could be the reason you suffer from…

• Memory loss and “senior moments”
• Depression and mood swings
• Sleepless nights
• Unwanted weight gain– especially belly fat
• Muscles turning into flab
• Low sex drive and erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Enlarged prostate and other prostate problems– and a frequent need to urinate
• Hair loss
• Male breasts or “man boobs”

There are three main reasons why these unpleasant symptoms of male menopause may be tormenting you: 1) aging, 2) environmental pollutants, and 3) your diet.

It’s always encouraging to hear that something you enjoy, such as a food or beverage, has exceptional nutritional value or prevents a disease.

Recently, red wine and even alcohol, in general, have been headlines because moderate amounts of alcohol seem to be protective against heart disease. Alcohol decreases the stickiness of blood cells so they’re less likely to form a clot, and it prevents constriction of coronary arteries; both are scenarios that may lead to a heart attack.¹

Researchers are trying sort out whether the benefits come from the alcohol itself or from other substances — like resveratrol in red wine. To me it’s pretty clear that flavonoids like resveratrol have tremendous benefits.

So often, we lose the meaning of the holiday season in the hustle and bustle of “doing”. There are meals to prepare, shopping to be done, gifts to wrap, and cards to mail. All of which can sap your energy, leaving you weary and flustered when guests finally arrive.

But through the years, I have learned two very important lessons that help to keep me relaxed and put my guests at ease:

It must have been 26 years ago that I had my first experience with so-called “alternative medicine.” I was 13 and had been suffering chronic daily headaches and mid-back pain for half-a-dozen years. I was already seeing the best in Philadelphia’s mainstream medicine, taking a plethora of prescription meds, and being put through dozens of tests, scans, and protocols…. All to no avail.

My father then took me to see a chiropractor, and do you know what? Within minutes my back and neck felt so much looser! My restricted movement was returned to within normal ranges. And I also started taking supplements. Over all, it was an amazing feeling… empowering!

I went back several times that week for treatments, and at home, attempted the exercises he instructed me to do. But the pain, and my suffering, returned and continued. This is not surprising. In fact, it is a common occurrence when people try alternative therapies — making them think that they don’t work.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer for a good reason. It both strains the heart and damages delicate organs such as the kidneys, eyes, and the brain. Yet very often, it causes no symptoms at all until the damage is done.

Diagnosing high blood pressure is pretty straightforward. We’re all used to having our blood pressure checked as part of a routine exam, and now you can find screening booths in places such as pharmacies and health fairs, or even buy a machine that lets you check at home yourself.

Once diagnosed, the standard medical response is, as usual, drug therapy.

Yes, the drugs work, but at a price. They have side effects such as dizziness, electrolyte imbalance, impotence, fatigue, and more. We all would just as soon avoid any of them.

In a recent clinical trial study by the University of Washington (Seattle) and the Northwest/Alaska Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities, dental researchers found a significant drop of tooth decay in children 6 to 15 months old.¹ These children were treated topically with xylitol syrup, a naturally occurring noncavity-causing sweetener.

Recently, I did some radio and TV interviews on the topic of osteoporosis. Rates are increasing, especially in men; 55% of people over the age 50 have osteoporosis; and another 34 million or so have low bone density.

As a pharmacist, I feel obligated to warn people that one of the contributing factors to these increased rates is taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs that reduce or block the production of gastric acid. I’m talking about proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other acid blocking drugs like H2 antagonists for heartburn and ulcers.

Besides lowering B12 absorption which influences red blood cells and homocysteine levels, these drugs reduce stomach acid so effectively, they keep your body from absorbing calcium, and therefore can reduce bone density.

In people aged 50 and over, PPIs are associated with a 2.6 times increased risk of hip fracture when taken for over one year. The longer you use PPIs, the greater your risk of fracture.¹ In 2003, one PPI became available over the counter. Needless to say, this tremendously increased the use of this class of drug. Used short term, acid blockers and PPIs are not a problem, but many people use them for much longer than the recommended few months.

If you’re one of the tens-of-millions of Americans whose pH balance is too acidic, your body is working hard to neutralize acid and bring you into balance. To do that, it needs certain key minerals that are known to neutralize acid. Sadly, most of us get far too few of these essential minerals — and so your body has no choice but to “borrow” them from organs and tissues where they’re needed.

Essential minerals are stolen away from your heart… your brain… your bones and joints… your muscles and skin… and your lungs, liver and every other organ in your body. And as they begin starving for the minerals they need to function properly, they begin to weaken, function less effectively, and fail.

As newborn babies, we are full of alkaline reserves and our metabolism moves smoothly and cleanly. When we die, we rapidly turn to acid waste. Alkalinity is health, longevity and quality of life. Acidity, in simple terms, means sickness and death.

When I see a patient with chronic symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, emphysema, arteriosclerosis or cancer, I know their tissues and metabolism are running acidic.

More and more evidence shows that pesticides can disrupt our hormonal balance and even suppress our immunity and cause neurological damage. In past articles I have noted that to reduce your body’s toxic burden from pesticides, one of the most important steps you can take is to eat organic foods as often as possible.

But for many people, the higher price tag on many of these foods can be cost prohibitive. If you can’t afford to buy “all organic,” here are some pointers to help you prioritize which foods to spend a little more on and which foods will be the lesser of evils if you can’t buy the organic version.

If you have an addiction to caffeine, you usually know it fairly quickly — especially if you ever miss your regular fix. Not only can caffeine withdrawal make you feel very sluggish and cranky, it can give you severe headaches.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. And usually we get started on it because we enjoy the energy boost and the increased alertness it can give us. But there can be downsides. Caffeine increases acid production in the stomach and can lead to gastric reflux. It is also associated with fibrocystic breast disease.