The Significance of Optimism, Hope, and Kindness Over Medications

Unlocking Happiness, Cardiovascular Health, and Longevity

God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.
Meister Eckhart, sermon on Romans 8:18

While the United Nations and most scientists consider any age beyond 60 as old age, it’s important to recognize that aging varies for each person. Some individuals may feel elderly and frail at 60, while others are still vibrant and healthy. Numerous factors influence the pace of aging – some accelerate it, while others decelerate it.

The global population of individuals aged 65 and older is increasing at a faster rate compared to other age groups. Based on data from the 2019 Revision of the World Population Prospects, it is projected that by the year 2050, approximately one in six people around the world will be aged 65 or above (16%), which is an increase from the ratio of one in eleven observed in 2019 (9%).[1]

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Plant Medicine Can be a Powerful Ally for Cancer Patients

Improving Cell Metabolism with Botanical Compounds

Healthy cell metabolism or normal cellular metabolism is when the chemical reactions that occur in living cells are working properly. Our bodies are made up of over 37 trillion human cells: 37,200,000,000,000. For our bodies to work right, our cells must engage in healthy cell metabolism. Plant medicine can be a powerful ally for cancer patients.

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Searching for Happiness and Peace

Searching for happiness and peace has to do with our connectedness to ourselves, those around us, and to our universe.

“Many of us feel disconnected by difficult times, longing for ways to awaken God’s love in ourselves and the world,” Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, has written in his book The Universal Christ, “The reality we face is simple yet difficult—the healing of the world hinges upon honoring the inherent sacredness of the world and everyone in it.”

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A Bogus Study Makes False Claims About Statins Versus Supplements

Statins for Lowering Heart Disease: A Bogus Study Fuels False Claims

Do statins for lowering heart disease work? The headlines recently announced that low doses of statins reduce the risk of heart disease, while supplements do nothing. 

For instance, a CNN headline from November 7 reads: “Don’t bother with dietary supplements for heart health, study says.”

ScienceBasedMedicine.org crows: “Study – For Lowering Cholesterol, Statins Work, Supplements Don’t.”

This blanket mainstream praise of statins for lowering heart disease comes from a new study: “Comparative Effects of Low-Dose Rosuvastatin, Placebo and Dietary Supplements on Lipids and Inflammatory Biomarkers.” The study was conducted by an impressive team of researchers from several esteemed institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania.

Let’s take a closer look.

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Calcium and our Heart Health

When it comes to calcium and heart health, calcium is a major player.

Calcium is one of the Swiss army knives of our body’s chemistry. In addition to its contribution to our bones, teeth, and nails, calcium is essential to the chemistry that makes our muscles contract and release, including the muscles in the heart. You need calcium to conduct nerve impulses, create blood clots when you’re injured, and help your cells grow normally.

At the same time, however, calcium’s pervasive presence throughout the body, and its role in healing, can also lead to problems.

Older healthy happy people who take calcium for their heart health

I call this the calcium paradox.

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Cancer Screening—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Before I dive into my personal perspective on cancer screening, I want to address the dire state of healthcare in our country. A recently published paper evaluated the best and worst countries in the world in terms of healthcare.

This study included an analysis of 71 performance measures across five domains. The United States ranked last overall, despite spending far more of its gross domestic product on health care, which includes a massive amount on cancer screening. The U.S. ranks last on access to care, administrative efficiency, equity, and health care outcomes, but second on measures of care process.[1]

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