Volume 2, Issue 8
Welcome to Heartland's NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY newsletter. We are excited to share relevant news
about natural health topics and offer alternative and complimentary
options for you and your family. We are committed to helping
you find more complete answers to your health concerns,
and look forward to being a friend as you seek greater health
through innovative natural products, ideas, and educational
resources. For personalized direction, call our helpline
at 1-888-772-2345.
TOPICS IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
-Did You Know? Research shows synthetic
Hormone Replacement Therapies may cause more harm than good.
-Q&A: How do you get off HRT (Hormone
Replacement Therapy)?
-Alkalizing Your Body
-Recipes for Health
“Whatever the struggle, continue to climb, it may
be only one step to the summit.”
- Unknown
“I have held many things in my hands, and I have
lost them all. But whatever I put in God’s hands,
that I still possess.” - Martin Luther
“Surely as the compass needle follows north, your
heart will follow your treasure.”
- Randy Alcorn, “The Treasure Principle”1
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DID YOU KNOW?
New research shows that hormone replacement therapies such
as Prempro (a combination of Premarin, a synthetic estrogen
and Provera, a synthetic progestin) may cause more harm
than good. You’ve probably seen the stories in the
news this month about a major drug trial being halted because
the results showed that Prempro significantly increased
a woman’s risk of invasive breast cancer, stroke,
and blood clots in the legs and lungs.2 Dr. John Lee could
have told you that long time ago. Let’s take a look
at what he wrote back in 1999: “The first attempts
at hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the 1960s used only
estrogen, and this human experiment cost the lives of thousands
of women who died of uterine (endometrial) cancer in the
1960s and 1970s before it dawned on the medical profession
that unopposed estrogen was the cause. It took another decade
of intense public relations and marketing campaigns to convince
women that it was safe once again to take HRT because they
would now be protected from cancer by the addition of a
synthetic progestin to the mix, most commonly Provera. But
as Gail Sheehy so aptly described in her pioneering book
“The Silent Passage”, there aren’t too
many drugs in the world that will make women feel worse
than Provera. Many women outright refuse to continue taking
Provera when they experience its side effects (something
akin to severe, permanent PMS).”3
Unfortunately, after getting hysterectomies, many women
go back to Premarin alone. Between hysterectomies and conjugated
HRT, Premarin became the most-prescribed drug in America
from 1992 through 1999. That’s a lot of drugs for
only one gender. In 2001 alone, Premarin generated more
than $2 billion in sales. Now women and researchers alike
are looking for new answers, and Dr. John Lee provides them
in his landmark books on menopause, premenopause and breast
cancer. He shows us, with unparalleled documentation, the
safety and true success women have found using natural hormones,
especially real natural progesterone. He writes, “there
is no reason to believe that progestins such as Provera
are as beneficial as real progesterone when it comes to
preventing cancer. When estrogen supplementation is indicated,
it should be preceded by progesterone supplementation, and
the estrogen dosage should be kept as low as possible. Since
progesterone restores normal estrogen receptor sensitivity,
maintaining normal progesterone levels decreases the need
for estrogen supplementation while at the same time preventing
undesirable estrogen side effects.”4
While natural progesterone has earned the reputation as
being “the great protector” (against cancer,
aging, early miscarriages and more), and HRT has lost popularity
because the risks outweigh the benefits, there’s never
been an argument over the power of common sense when it
comes to health. Drinking enough water, getting enough exercise,
sleeping enough, and eating right (lowering our processed
food and increasing fresh, plant based foods) go a long
way towards getting the effects we desire from any kind
of therapy. Dr. John Lee doesn’t skip over these,
either.
For life-changing resources from Dr. John Lee and help
with questions you have on HRT, call Heartland today at
1-888-772-2345.
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Q&A
Q: How do you get off HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)?
A: Since JAMA’s announcement of the risks of HRT,
over 6 million American women are wondering what to do next.
First and foremost women need to understand the difference
between synthetic hormones (prescription HRT), like Premarin
and Provera, and natural hormones, like Heartland Natural
Progesterone Cream. Synthetic hormones have always had a
long list of negative side effects, while natural hormones
have never posed such a difficult risk / benefit question
for women looking for relief.
Most importantly, Provera is not progesterone. It is a
progestin. Here’s Dr. John Lee’s advice about
progestins: “Foreign progesterone-like prescription
compounds, such as those found in Provera and in birth control
pills, should not be confused with real progesterone and
should be avoided. Birth control pills play an important
role in creating early hormone imbalances and should be
avoided if at all possible.”5 Natural progesterone,
on the other hand, is called natural because it is identical
to the progesterone produced by the human body – no
modified molecules, no synthetic chemicals, no patent, no
prescription, no big pharmaceutical market. For a side-by-side
comparison of progestin vs. progesterone, click www.heartlandnatural.com/progest_infoprogestins.htm.
Second, getting off HRT is not difficult – work with
your doctor and ask questions. This is what Dr. John Lee
says about moving from HRT to natural hormones: As for progestins
(like Provera), they can simply be replaced with the natural
progesterone. Synthetic estrogens (like Premarin), on the
other hand, should be reduced slowly. An example Dr. John
Lee gives is to begin by cutting the pill in half each month
for three months and then to completely discontinue use
altogether. He urges women to not be afraid of teaching
their doctors about natural hormones through their own clinical
experience and research.
You or someone you love can benefit from the change to
natural hormones. For directions more specific to your situation,
call the Heartland Helpline at 1-888-772-2345. We’ll
take the time to share the appropriate information and resources
to help you find specific answers.
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ALKALIZING YOUR BODY
Animal meats are all on the acid-forming side (fish less,
then chicken, then red meat). For non-animal protein as
well as the “good” omega fats, many people are
using more nuts and seeds. But which ones are alkaline?
Dr. Russell Jaffe maps them out for us in his chart “Food
& Chemical Effects on Acid/Alkaline Body Chemical Balance”.
Here they are:
ALKALINE HIGHLIGHT: Pumpkin seed (most alkaline), poppy
seed, chestnuts, pepper (more alkaline), sesame seed, almonds,
sprouts, (low alkaline), and most other seeds (lowest alkaline).
ACID HIGHLIGHT: Pine nuts (lowest acid), tapioca, seta
(low acid), pistachio seed, pecans (more acid) and hazelnuts,
walnuts, and brazil nuts (most acid).
Note: According to Dr. Baroody (Alkalize or Die), cashews
and sunflower seeds are a 3.0, or “slightly acid”.
These are favorites for cooking as in the recipe below.
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RECIPES FOR HEALTH
Recipe book recommendation submitted by Barbara Olson from
MN
Andrew Weil, MD and Rosie Daley have a new recipe book
called “The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better
Body, Life and Spirit”. In it, Andrew and Rosie argue
about what kinds of milk to use in recipes. Maybe you’ve
had this dilemma yourself, as you try to avoid the most
saturated fat in the American diet – butterfat (the
fat in cow’s milk) or as you try to reduce your intake
of estrogen, antibiotics and pesticides (also found in commercial
cow milk). One of Dr. Weil’s favorite options is nut
milk, which he tells us “you can make yourself”.
(Pages 34-35)
TO PREPARE NUT MILK:
Grind raw nuts (cashews and blanched almonds are delicious)
to a fine powder in a blender or food processor, then add
water and blend at a high speed for two minutes. The ratio
of water to nuts determines the richness of the end result
– the “milk” – which can be made
as heavy as cream for pouring over berries or as lean as
skim milk. You can improve the texture of nut milk by straining
it through a fine sieve, pressing as much liquid as possible
from the residue, and discarding the residue. You can then
use the nut milk in any recipe, such as a cream soup. It
offers these advantages: no lactose, no casein, and monounsaturated
fat instead of saturated. I use cashew milk instead of coconut
milk in Thai curries. It is delicious and much better for
you than the saturated fat of coconut. – A.W.
Note: Many raw foodists would argue that coconut is a good-for-you
favorite, including the milk when it is processed naturally.
Send us your own favorite recipes for keeping your family
healthy naturally! E-mail to recipes@heartlandnatural.com.
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REFERENCES:
1. Quote sources thanks to Randy Alcorn’s book “The
Treasure Principle”; www.multnomahbooks.com
2. JAMA, July 17, 2002; 288:321-333
3. Lee, John R., MD, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell
You about Premenopause”, p. 100.
4 & 5. Lee, John R., MD, “What Your Doctor May
Not Tell You about Premenopause”, Pages 233-34.
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NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY is written, copyrighted
and produced by Heartland Products, Inc. All trademarks
are representative of the company that owns them and in
no way endorse Heartland Products, Inc. Additionally, Heartland
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