For those of you who are extremely observant and have been wondering why you have not received a newsletter since last October, your answer is finally here. I have been creating, uncreating, and recreating what has now become too large a project for one or even two newsletters.
     With this issue we shall begin an introduction to a coherent flow of comprehensive information focusing on digestion, enzymes, and foods for the recovery of your health and for the prevention of chronic, degenerative diseases. Using this as a foundation, we will incorporate information on a multitude of topics to show you how to optimize your health for now and how to ensure your quality of life for the future. You can sign up for newsletters for FREE on our web site.
     In a study published in the August 4, 2001 issue, Vol. 358, of The Lancet, the premier journal published for medical doctors, it was reported that the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations in elderly people was doubtful and not a prudent approach.
     They went on to state “Our data accord with previous findings of increased mortality in elderly people with low serum cholesterol, and show that long-term persistence of low cholesterol concentration actually increases risk of death. Thus, the earlier that patients start to have lower cholesterol concentrations, the greater the risk of death.”
     In addition they said,
“…individuals with a low serum cholesterol maintained over a 20-year period will have the worst outlook for all-cause mortality.”
     In other words, folks, aggressively lowering your cholesterol level with drugs may be very bad for your health, especially in the long run. In fact, according to this study, you will very likely be setting yourself up to get sick more often and die sooner.
     We have often expressed our concerns to many of you about cholesterol-lowering drugs. Besides the above noted problems, it has not been uncommon for patients to report experiencing muscle and joint aches and pains that totally went away after stopping their cholesterol medications.
     If you are taking cholesterol-lowering medications, talk with the doctor who prescribed them for you. Ask him/her if he/she has read the research article in The Lancet. If not, ask him/her to read it and then discuss with you whether you should continue taking such a prescription. As always, the final decision on what you put in your body remains yours.
     As a final note on this topic, we can also help you naturally with cholesterol problems with specific diets, enzyme formulas, and exercises. Interestingly, there are many people that have been diagnosed with high cholesterol who need to increase the fats in their diets to get their cholesterol to reach the level that is normal for them. We do not attempt to have you reach an arbitrary number such as 200. We help you correct and improve whatever may be the underlying cause of your problem.
     After so many questions recently from patients about the health effects of microwave ovens, cell phones, and other electrical devices, I felt this topic needed to be discussed right away.
     First, none of us will be able to avoid all exposure to all the different forms of electromagnetic energy. It is everywhere. Low frequency electromagnetic fields are even produced by the earth and our solar system. During the last one hundred years, however, mankind has increased the background levels of electromagnetic radiation by over two hundred million times.
     It is these manmade electromagnetic fields that have the potential of creating problems for your health. Anything that you use that is powered by electricity can create a potential problem.

This includes, especially, things that come in close contact with your body such as electric blankets, heating elements in waterbeds, TVs, stereos, toasters, VCRs, radios, lights, electric shavers, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, and on and on.
     In addition, anything that uses electrical frequencies to cook food, especially microwaves that alter the molecular structure of your food, produce extremely negative effects on your health. And, last but certainly not least, cell phones create electromagnetic fields that have been shown to have a statistically detrimental effect on human DNA.
     This does not mean that you have to avoid all electrical devices and return to a cave person existence. Remember, electromagnetic fields are everywhere. The best option, then, is to protect yourself with some common sense knowledge.
     Most materials such as concrete, lead, aluminum, etc. have no effect on reducing electromagnetic radiation. The most effective way to decrease your exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation, the type that is singled out as having the highest potential health hazard, is to increase your distance from the source. Most of you are aware of this since it has been well publicized that you, and especially your children, should sit back from television screens and computer monitors. There are charts available that list safer distances from different types of electrical devices.
     The next most effective protection is to decrease your time of exposure. Electrical devices, such as electric blankets and waterbeds, that are in close body contact for extended periods of time probably are better avoided outright. Other than not using them, one alternative might be to turn these on before you go to bed to preheat, then turn them off and unplug them before you retire for the night. Yes, you need to unplug them. Anything electrical produces a field when plugged in, even when it is turned off.
     Since night is the time for your body to repair itself, it is important to be exposed to as small an electromagnetic field as possible. Your bed should be located well away from any electrical appliances, including electrical dial face clocks (3 to 4 feet) and digital clocks (1 to 2 feet). Also, you should check to make sure there are no electrical appliances,