It has been written that agave nectar may not be a  healthy natural sweetener substitute.  Instead it may be a highly refined form of fructose, that can contribute to disease.  Agave may be found in foods labeled “organic raw” such as health fo0d bars and health drinks.  Agave plants are in the lily family and for thousands of years natives to central Mexico used different species of agave plants for medicine.  But the natives would allow this agave plant to ferment naturally, and they also boiled the plant for several hours to make a sweetener.  But the agave nectar purchased in ths stores is neither one of these foods.  The agave is a created sweetener, whose  principle constituent is starch, (such as corn or rice).  The process to make the agave starch into fructose and then sold as agave nectar is through a chemial conversion that alters the nonsweet starch into refined fructose. 

And fructose is not what is found in fruit.  Fructose has adverse effects on insulin action.  It can actually have a decline in insulin sensitivity in the liver and later in peripheral tissues.  Considering there is an increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States, this may well be because of the substantial increase in the amount of dietary fructose consumption from high intake of sucrose (Sucrose is made up of 50% fructose )  and high fructose corn syrup.  Numbers of animal studies show: high fructose diets induce hypertension in animals; promotes atherosclerosis; raises triglycerides; raises LDL and VLDL. Fructose has also been reported to increase glycosylated hemoglobin more than any other sugar.  

Warning :  Many supplements do  contain fructose.   This added sweetener may be a health concern and not appropriate for diabetics.  The new MicroMiracles chewable digestive enzyme does not contain fructose, it contains the natural alcohol sugar  Erythritol   as does the BioSET Chewable Digestive Enzyme

If you would like to read more about this, here are some references:

Science Daily. http://www.science daily.com/releases/2008/10/081016074701.htm;

http://healthnews.uc.edu/news/?825/;Bray Ga, Nielsen SJ, Popkin BM

Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(4):537-543.

I would also recommend reading more on Agave in the Townsend Letter May 2009 Issue #310 Agave nectar by Rami Nagel  P 69-73

NutriSol, a product produced by Empire Health and endorsed by Enzymes Inc, may  be highly sensitive to patients  who seek out BioSET practitioners.  I therefore do not endorse this product and  am no longer involved with either of these two companies.  They previously produced enzymes for Dr. Cutler. 

More will follow relative to this product.  And it is an animal based enzyme.  Those who know my work and have read my books and see BioSET practitioners for their health care do know my enzymes are strictly vegetarian and some now have the  kosher seal. 

Again more to follow relative the ingredients in this product producing sensitivities !!

My new book, Live free From Asthma and Allergies has just been published by Ten Speed Press and will be available in bookstores this month.  This book is an updated revision of my first book, Winning the War Against Asthma and Allergies, which is out of print. 

Live Free From Asthma and Allergies  offers individuals who suffer with asthma and sinusitis and allergies some complementary techniques for evaluating their hidden sensitivities whether food or environmental, as well as  offering  ways to overcome these sensitivities  or be able to more tolerate them.  This book can shed some light on this condition, and check out the expanding resource/appendix and testimonials. 

Live Free From Asthma and Allergies  can help those who suffer better understand their condition  and perhaps help one to  resolve some sensitivities on their own.

Email Ellen Cutler, D.C  with any questions to my instititute  at: janie@bioset.net

In an article written in the medical journal "Thorax" by Dr. N.J. Wareham et al of Medical Research Council in Cambridge, UK reveals that modification of diet can reduce onset of asthma.  It is reported that people who suffer with asthma tend to consume less fruits and have decreased intake of Vitamin C and manganese.  It was also reported that blood levels of vitamin C were lower in people with asthma than their healthy counterparts. 

 So eat your raw meal each day, take your enzymes for good absorption of vitamins and minerals  and eat more vitamin C foods.  I have seen vitamin C to be extremely good for asthma.  I have actually seen it stop wheezing associated with an episode of asthma almost immediately.   

MSG Hides Behind many other names such  'Natural Flavouring' and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.  It is hidden in your coffee and and other favorite items. 

The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that MSG is addicting and it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people
eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.
 

Consider your diet  and read labels.  Remember to eat one raw food meal a day.  That will reduce the intake of MSG or other preservative automatically.  Be careful to notice and watch what your kids are eating.  Obesity is becoming epidemic and if we don't change this around, our children will develop health risks at earlier ages than we have ever known.

There are many advertisements on medications for acne.  And the side effects and risks are as numerous as the many different meds. 

I have seen success with treating acne by recognizing food allergies.  The most common food allergies are clearly the dairy products.  Most regard allergy to dairy as causing bloating, and bowel irregularities.  But there are other reactions that are just as common.  And one of those is acne.  Often a digestive enzyme with dairy food can reduce the reaction, but avoidance or minimizing is usually most successful.  It can't hurt to try and the results speak for themselves

It has often been said, that people who are raw fooders need less sleep than others that eat cooked food.  Perhaps this is true.  i was talking with someone tonight about this.  I have lived on the average of 5 hours of sleep for many years.  I truly can't imagine sleeping a whole 8 hours.  I always thought this was just my body type, and it actually may be exactly what it is, but on the other hand, it could very well be that I am one of those raw fooders.  Time will tell, when more people gravitate to that type of diet. 

But it also may be eating less food.  I encourage eating less – take half of your meal and push it away.  It can affect your overall health, stamina and weight.  Enzymes can also help accomplish this.

Over the past week, asthma and allergy symptoms have doubled. This was reported by the N.Y.C Department of Health and mental Hygiene.  The amount of asthma cases seen in the emergency rooms went from 250 a day in early April to 500 per day just last week. 

When I hear this I cringe in disbelieve.  There are natural treatments that can help reduce these numbers and help save lives.   

It is as simple as education of diet and making those dietary  changes as well as learning how lifestyle can impact allergies and prevent chronic health disorders such as asthma, and sinustitis. 

REad more about prevention of allergies and asthma.  Don't be a victim, taking your medications is crucial, but learning about prevention of asthma is equally crucial.

In the article on snoring and women over 50, an association  with snoring seems to occur more often with  woman in their 50's.  And the heavier a woman is, the more likely she is to snore.  For many, I have found snoring a direct result of eating certain foods and overeating.  The foods that seem to be the culprit are carbohydrates, yeast, sugar and dairy.  This includes bread, pasta, icecream, cookies, cakes, cereal, bars, and candy. 

Try avoiding these foods completely for 10-14 days, and see if there is a decrease in snoring.  Losing weight will usually occur with this diet, which will also help with snoring.  Complete avoidance is recommended, and take a digestive enzyme with foods.  This will cut down on craving for these foods.  Remember yeast is in breads, cookies, cakes, pastries and donuts. 

Wonderful news!  The top beverage companies are going to pull out all the soda machines in the schools within three years time.  Down with high fructose corn syrup and do away with  obesity.  This is great news.  Why does it need to take over three years?.  In this day and age, why not do it immediately.  Easy to replace with water or other healthier beverages. 

But I will not complain, it is a first step and hopefully more will come.  Education is key for these children and the education needs to begin early on in school.  As they learn to read and write, they should learn how to care for their bodies and how to prevent illness-eating correctly, balanced, the down side to sweets and carbs, exercise and what obesity is, and the health risks accompanying obesity.  Kids are fascinated by their bodies and love to learn how to care for it and make it strong and healthy. 

Happy to hear soda will need another home besides the schools.