Herbal Supplements Not Always The Path To Better Health

Dear Tazi:

I have a friend who thinks she knows everything just because she has a Masters degree in Biology. I am very into holistic healing, and take a lot of various herbal supplements such as bee pollen and horny goat weed. These supplements have made a huge difference in my overall health, but my friend insists that it is a placebo effect and that these supplements could actually be dangerous; that they haven't been reviewed by the FDA; and that I need to stop taking them immediately.

Tazi, the FDA is a government entity and, quite frankly, I do not trust the government. Bodies as large as the FDA are too easily corrupted. And besides, I firmly believe that the reason the FDA will not give its blessing to supplements is because they are all-natural and therefore cannot be patented by Big Pharma.

For the past five years I have eschewed fluoridated water (and the dentist, because my teeth are fine); over-the-counter medications; and prescription medicines and painkillers, relying solely on herbal supplements. I feel great and have not needed to see a doctor in all that time! Still the same, my friend keeps pestering me to see a doctor and get a full physical. I say I "ain't broke" so why try to fix me? What is your opinion, Tazi?

Signed,
Feelin' Fine

Dear Feelin' Fine:

I would trust your friend with the Masters degree in Biology; s/he has a lot more scientific knowledge than you appear to have, including the ability to wade through primary research reports that are written in highly scientific language; reports that are often misinterpreted by those without the background to fully understand them. Science is a language unto itself, one that uses common terms in an uncommon way. For example, to a layperson the word "theory" is often used as a synonym for hypothesis (I have a theory!); in scientific terms, a theory is something that takes decades - or even centuries - to confirm. Scientific theories are not just ideas; they have hard evidence on their side.

A recent study, published thisin the past few years, showed that most vitamins (excluding Vitamin D) have only a placebo effect in the amount packaged and/or recommended. In plain English, your body can only process so much of a vitamin at one time; the rest of it ends up in your toilet! Much of the money you are paying for supplements is resulting in very expensive urine.

I will not tell you to stop taking your supplements - I am not a medical doctor, and neither is your friend - but I will suggest that you take your friend's advice and see a physician - and a dentist - for a full check-up. You may feel fine, but serious health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease all have no discernible physical symptoms until the damage they can do is done! The same can be said for dental cavities; you cannot see them (they often start below the gum-line), and you cannot feel them until they reach the sensory nerves, deep inside the tooth, at which point tooth extraction or root canal are necessary.

I suggest that you and your friend reach a compromise that works for both of you: give in to your friend's concern for your health, but have him or her pay for the expense of the doctor's visit. Does this sound fair to you?

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. Dr. Paul Donahue - a widely published M.D. - discusses this issue in his column; I bow to his expertise!  Click here to read his words on the subject.


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Meddling Mother-In-Law Learns An Expensive Lesson

Dear Tazi:

My husband and I are of the belief that a healthy diet composed of fresh, local foods and limited preservatives is the key to a healthy lifestyle. We buy locally grown, in-season fruits and vegetables; organic meats and dairy products; and limit the amounts of what we buy to what we can eat within a few days. We don’t mind going to the grocery and the farmer’s markets three times a week; in fact, we enjoy it. My problem is that I cannot convince my mother-in-law of this.

“Darlene” lives a few hours away, and will come to stay with us for a long weekend every month or two. The first thing she will do after she arrives – before she even unpacks – is look through my cupboards to see what is in them. Since I do not believe in buying canned goods (with the exception of locally preserved food) my pantry contains dry goods – flour, raw sugar, dried pastas and beans – but little else. My refrigerator has fresh food to sustain us for two to three days, but no more since my husband and I prefer the taste of food at its freshest. Darlene seems to think that the reason we have so little food in our house is because we cannot afford it. She is constantly telling us we could afford more food if we stopped buying such expensive groceries. We have explained to her that cash flow is not a problem; we are financially comfortable and simply choose to live differently than she.

During her last visit, Darlene showed up early – while my husband and I were still at work – and went grocery shopping. She purchased $1,200 worth of canned goods, fresh meats (which she froze!), processed snack foods, soda, and other foods neither my husband nor I eat. She informed us that she did not have enough cash to pay for it all so she put the charge on her American Express card and will need the money for the purchases before the end of the billing cycle. I told Darlene if she wanted the money she could return the groceries and the store would give her back the money she spent. I realize this was not the best reaction, but I am not about to pay over $1,000 for food that will not be eaten.

Darlene spent the entire weekend complaining to my husband about how rude and ungrateful I am and how I did not appreciate all that she did for me by purchasing a month’s worth of groceries, plus extra in case of an emergency. Tazi, as my husband explained to her, we keep dry goods in the pantry for emergencies and we do not freeze our meats. He, too, encouraged his mother to return to food; since she charged it to her credit card the food cannot be returned without it and Darlene refuses to cooperate.

Obviously, by the time this letter is printed, it will be too late to return the food. In the meantime, Darlene is demanding we reimburse her for the full cost of all she purchased; my husband has suggested to me that we split the cost; and I think Darlene should be held fully responsible for the items she billed and refused to return. What do you think is fair, Tazi?

Signed,
Locavore

Dear Locavore:

I admire the lengths to which you go in order to commit to the diet that is right for you, and agree with you that fresh food tastes better. Darlene was wrong to fill your fridge with foods that you do not eat, especially since you have told her (on numerous occasions, I am certain) why your pantry is rather bare. It sounds to me like you want to teach your mother-in-law a lesson for meddling and your son wants to compromise to keep the peace. Meanwhile, a $1,200 American Express bill is coming due soon, so here is my solution: compromise.

Obviously, you are not going to eat the food your mother-in-law brought into the house, but this does not mean that it must go to waste. The perishables will have perished by the time this letter is printed, so there is nothing that can be done with those, but you can pack up the frozen goods and send them home with Darlene after her next visit, along with any canned and packaged goods she might want. The remainder of the food can be donated to your local food pantry. Too many people go hungry due to a lack of food (not because they are dieting, like me). A pantry full of food that you will not eat will keep several tummies well-fed and your donation will be appreciated. The value of this donation may even be tax deductable, which will ease or even erase the burden of splitting the bill down the middle – which is what I am suggesting you do, if only to keep the peace with your mother-in-law while simultaneously teaching her her not to meddle in your affairs.

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. Should there be a tax deduction, your M-I-L might ask to split it. That will be up to you, but it might be the fastest and easiest way to avoid another disagreement.

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Healthy Living Is Making Man Wish For A Quick End

Dear Tazi:

My wife is driving me nuts! At my last annual check-up the doctor told me that I am “entering heart attack country”, due to my age, and should watch my diet and exercise. I have always been one to do things in moderation, which is why my wife’s new and excessive behavior is driving me up a wall!

“Bea” has decided that our pantry will now be a fat-free, low-sodium, health zone. The cream for my coffee has been replaced with fat-free, non-dairy creamer; the butter for my toast is now some sort of cholesterol free “spread”; my eggs have been replaced with Egg Beaters®; my salt with Mrs. Dash®; and my Planters® peanuts with soy nuts, which I won’t touch.

Tazi, I have always been one to watch my weight and exercise three times a week. I have never been more than 10 pounds overweight. I drink in moderation. Bea insists that because my father died of a heart attack I am at higher risk of one myself, and therefore must take extra precautions such as the ones she is implementing. I try to remind Bea that my father weighed over 300 pounds; his favorite meal was a double bacon-cheeseburger with extra everything and a side of fries; and the only exercise he ever got was getting up to change the channel on the TV when nobody else was around to do it for him. Bea is deaf to my defense.

Short of getting a note from my doctor telling Bea that my new diet is excessive, can you think of any I can get Bea to see reason? All of this “healthy living” is killing me!

Signed,
Too Much of A Good Thing

Dear Too Much of A Good Thing:

One thing is obvious, your wife loves you and wants to see you among the living for several years to come; if she didn’t, she would be fixing you double bacon-cheeseburgers with extra everything and a side of fries and changing the TV channel for you every time the remote was lost.

Your mantra of everything in moderation is a good one, if lived by religiously, not just in moderation! Your idea of having your doctor explain to Bea that her intentions are sweet but extreme is a good one. I suggest that you write a list of the changes in diet that Bea has made; review them with her for accuracy and agreement; and take the list to your doctor. Together you can discuss with him/her what changes are necessary; what changes are recommended; and what changes can wait until the future. Once Bea hears it from the doctor that such extreme measures are not necessary she may be inclined to lighten up on the lightening up! If not, you can always hide food around the house!

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. The pendulum swings both ways; if the doctor regards Bea’s changes as reasonable and necessary, you will have to abide by your wife’s new diet plan for you.


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Permanent Weight Loss Requires Discipline, Commitment, and Exercise

Dear Tazi,

I am extremely obese and am not happy with the way that I look. I am barely five feet tall and weigh over 330 pounds. My weight is causing me medical problems such as asthma and diabetes. I tried taking up smoking because I have been told it speeds up your metabolism, but all it did was aggravate my asthma. I want to change but do not know how.

Every year around this time People magazine prints an issue about people who have lost half of their body weight and now look like beauty queens. My goal is to one day be featured in that annual article. I just don't know where to start. I have considered getting gastric bypass surgery, but I do not want to have to give up food completely. I tried the OptiFast diet and it did not work for that reason. I also hate exercise. It bores me, and the thought of going to a gym is upsetting; I am afraid that all the other people will stare at me because I am so huge.

Do you know of any way that I could lose weight without all of the discipline required to do so? I know this sounds lazy, but I am not. I am just scared of being judged and getting easily discouraged because I am not progressing as quickly as I would like.

Signed,

Big Bertha

Dear Big Bertha:

If you bother to read the articles in People magazine that you reference, you will notice that a proper diet and regular exercise are a large part of how those profiled lost the weight and kept it off for good. I doubt that you reached your current weight overnight, and it is going to take several months to lose it. This is just the cold reality of the matter. You will have to be disciplined enough to stick with a long-term diet and exercise regimen if you are serious about reaching a healthy weight.

Your first step should be in the direction of your primary care physician's office. He or she will be able to direct you to a qualified nutritionist who will teach you how to eat healthy, control your diabetes, and still lose weight at the same time. S/he should also order blood work to make sure your weight gain is not thyroid related. As for joining a gym, I suggest that you research local fitness clubs in your area. Many of them may offer programs tailored to the extremely obese and could be exactly what you are seeking. Furthermore, professional trainers specialize in working with people who need to lose 50% or more of their total body weight. Your local YMCA or Jewish Community Center is a great place to start your search.

If you are completely against joining a gym at this point, your home and neighborhood provide opportunities to exercise. The stairs in your house make for a great manual StairMaster and neighborhood parks make for excellent places to go walking. In time, you will find you enjoy the way exercise makes you feel and will become less self-conscious as the extra pounds start to fall off of your body.

In order to be featured in People magazine, you will have to keep the weight off for a minimum of one full year, so you will have to remain committed to your new disciplined lifestyle if you wish to see your dream realized. I wish you all the luck in the world! Please keep me updated as to your progress.

Snuggles,

Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.