Interview with Nicolette Dumke, Author of Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Weight Loss

Nickie Dumke enjoys helping people with food allergies and gluten intolerance find solutions to their health and weight problems. She began writing books to help others with multiple food allergies over 20 years ago and the process culminated in The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide. She says, “This book contains everything I know to help with food allergies,” and it has helped many people come back from near-starvation. Her other books address issues such as how to deal with time and money pressures on special diets, keeping allergic children happy on their diets, and more.


A few years ago, while listening to the struggles of an allergic friend on the Weight Watchers™ diet, she remembered her own weight struggles many years ago and thought, “There has to be a better way.” This was the beginning of a new quest, and she is now helping those who are overweight due to inflammation (often due to unsuspected food allergies) or high-in-rice gluten-free diets, as well as those who are not food sensitive but want to lose weight permanently, healthily, and without feeling hungry and deprived. Her unique approach to weight and health presented in Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Weight Loss is based on body physiology and reveals why conventional weight-loss diets work against rather than with our bodies and therefore rarely result in permanent weight loss.


Nickie has had multiple food allergies for 30 years and has been cooking for special diets for family members and friends for even longer. Regardless of how complex your dietary needs are or how much or little cooking you have done, she has the books and recipes you need. Her books present the science behind multiple food allergies and weight control in an easily-understood manner. She has BS degrees in medical technology and microbiology. She and her husband live in Louisville, Colorado and have two grown sons.


You can visit Nickie’s websites at http://www.foodallergyandglutenfreeweightloss.com/ and http://www.food-allergy.org/.


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’ve had multiple food allergies for over 30 years, but my medical educational background and extensive cooking experience have given me tools to deal with allergies that some people lack. I guess the thing that defines me the most is that I am very much a family person.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Denver, Colorado. The house we lived in was next door to the 100+ year old farmhouse where my father was born. By the time I was born, my grandparents had divided up the land of their original farm and sold most of it to people who wanted to build houses, so we lived in an ordinary neighborhood. My grandparents lived next door in the farmhouse when I was very young, although by then they were farming a few miles north of where we lived.

What is your fondest childhood memory?

Sunday afternoons at my maternal grandparents’ house. All of my mother’s siblings and their spouses and children were there, and we got to play with our cousins. My grandmother prepared an Italian dinner for everyone (about 30 people), and my grandfather told amazing stories to entertain us.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing in the early 90s. Our older son had been diagnosed with multiple food allergies in 1987, and I quickly learned that it took a lot more variety in cooking to keep a child happy on a food allergy diet than it took for me. I told my mother what I had been cooking for him on a near-daily basis, and she advised me to write a cookbook so other mothers did not have to invent new recipes like I was doing. At first I said, “Nah!” Eventually I decided to take her advice and wrote Allergy Cooking With Ease.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I usually write during the day. I find it easiest to make good progress if I have a long period of time for writing – like most of a day, without interruptions - rather than trying to write for an hour here and an hour there.

What is this book about?

Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Weight Loss is about the real reasons people gain or lose weight. Heavy individuals often are accused of lacking self-discipline or willpower. Yet, they may be skipping breakfast, eating moderately at lunch and dinner, exercising strenuously, and feeling hungry most of the time. Some of these factors, such as skipping meals and continual hunger, will compromise their body’s ability to burn fat. Weight is not determined solely by how many calories we eat minus how many calories we burn. Hormones, such as insulin, leptin, cortisol, and others, are what actually determine our weight and whether we burn body fat.

What inspired you to write it?

A friend provided the inspiration that got me started on the research for this book. However, before she inspired me, I had been hearing from and about many people who had gained weight on gluten-free diets, so I knew that there was a growing need for this book. A University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center newsletter reports that two years after being diagnosed with celiac disease and starting a gluten-free diet, 81% of the people in the study had gained weight, and 50% of them had a BMI (body mass index) of over 25, meaning that they were overweight. (http://www.celiacdisease.net/assets/documents/SP08CeliacCtr.News.v5final.pdf)

But back to my friend – she has multiple food allergies and was trying to follow the Weight Watchers™ program superimposed on her allergy diet. She was really struggling and losing little weight, although she was eating very lightly. I compared her struggle with the ease and lack of hunger I had experienced with my own weight loss over 30 years ago while on a plan that stabilized my blood sugar and insulin levels. Therefore, I thought, “There has to be a better way for her.” People with food allergies or gluten-intolerance must be able to lose weight with a system that allows flexibility for staying on their special diets but doesn’t require counting calories or being hungry.

In my research I discovered that in the last 30 years a tremendous amount of progress has been made in the science supporting the type of diet that worked for me. At that time, blood sugar and insulin were factors known to be involved in hunger and weight control. Today other hormones are known to be equally important – cortisol, leptin, eicosanoids, and more. A major breakthrough in the application of this science to real-world weight loss has been the development of the glycemic index. These factors all are pieces of the weight control puzzle. When we utilize all of them will we succeed at achieving and maintaining a healthy weight without hunger and constant struggle.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Yes. I would have self-published starting with my first book rather than seeking a publisher.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

They can purchase it online from Amazon.com, Barnes &Noble, or on either of my websites, http://www.foodallergyandglutenfreeweightloss.com/ or http://www.food-allergy.org/. I’m not sure where they can purchase it locally in most parts of the country, but in Denver, they can purchase it at The Tattered Cover Bookstores. NutriBooks, the major health food store book distributor, has the book, so local health food stores might carry it or can get it from NutriBooks.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

Yes. If they visit http://www.foodallergyandglutenfreeweightloss.com/ they can read how to control their hormones so they can lose weigh easily, permanently and without hunger and can also learn more about the book.

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

I’ve had the best results from co-op library mailings sent by the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association). Library sales lead to sales to individual readers. I have many people call and say, “I’ve checked this book out three times and can’t check it out again. I want to order my own copy.” I’m hoping the online exposure I’m currently working on will also help.

What is up next for you?

I’m currently working on a revision of one of my older books, Easy Breadmaking for Special Diets. When I was researching and writing Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Weight Loss, I learned that sourdough bread has a low glycemic index score, thus making it ideal for the book’s eating plan to keep blood sugar stable and reduce inflammation. Years ago all sourdough bread was made using live wheat-containing sourdough starters. This meant that people with wheat allergy or gluten-intolerance could not eat sourdough bread. Now there is a freeze-dried starter that is wheat-free and gluten-free and also a new programmable bread machine that easily enables people on special diets to make sourdough bread they can eat. These new products, the next-generation sourdough recipes, and the usefulness of sourdough for weight loss warrant an update of Easy Breadmaking.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes. People who suffer from food sensitivities, inflammatory problems, or overweight may receive little real help from our medical system and, therefore, feel their problems lack solutions. I would like to offer them some hope. Their weight loss efforts have failed because the traditional approaches are based on fallacies. Rather than treating allergies and inflammatory diseases with drugs, one needs to find and deal with the root causes. An older book of mine, The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide, discusses root causes of food allergies. Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Weight Loss tells individuals how to help themselves with inflammation and weight problems. Overweight is not all about calories; it’s about the hormonal control of body fat. By eating to keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable, we can affect the enzymes which allow us to burn recently-eaten food for energy (rather than storing it) and to burn body fat. By reducing inflammation, which inhibits the action of our master weight control hormone, leptin, we can regain normal self-regulating control of our weight. Knowledge is power; with it you can help yourself with problems for which “experts” have no real solutions.

Guest Blogger: Dr. Eric Osansky, Author of Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease

If you have hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and are looking for a natural treatment solution to get to the underlying cause of your condition, then this book will show you how to restore your health naturally…and avoid radioactive iodine.
In the United States, radioactive iodine is commonly recommended as the first line of treatment for hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease. While radioactive iodine is necessary at times, in most cases it should be the last resort. Antithyroid drugs may be necessary to manage the symptoms, but they of course do nothing for the actual cause of the disorder.

The author of the book, Dr. Eric Osansky, was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and restored his health back to normal after following a natural treatment protocol. Ever since then he has been helping other people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease use natural thyroid treatment methods restore their health.

By reading this book you will discover the following:

* How natural treatment methods help with the actual cause of the disorder, rather than temporarily manage the symptoms

* Whether or not natural treatment methods offer a permanent cure

* Why Radioactive Iodine treatment should usually be the LAST resort

* Hyperthyroid diet tips which are essential to your recovery

* Nutritional supplements and herbs which are important for any hyperthyroid condition

* The truth about hyperthyroidism and iodine supplementation

* Why many people who have genetic markers for hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease can still have their health restored naturally

* Are natural treatment methods safe during pregnancy and lactation?

* How to find a holistic doctor who focuses on endocrine disorders

Natural Treatment Methods For Hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease: Are They Safe? by Dr. Eric Osansky

Most people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease choose conventional medical treatment methods, such as antithyroid medication (Methimazole, PTU, etc.), beta blockers, or radioactive iodine therapy. And while these conventional treatment methods are at times necessary, many people are looking into natural treatment methods in order to find out the underlying cause of the condition. I personally was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and restored my health back to normal using natural treatment methods. While it wasn’t an easy process, it definitely was worth it.

Many people want to know what to expect when following a natural treatment protocol. This involves numerous factors, as one definitely wants to eat well, as they should eat mostly whole foods, and minimize the refined foods and sugars from their diet. They also need to do a good job of managing their stress. I’m pretty sure that stress was a big factor in triggering my condition, and therefore it was very important to manage my stress. Most people can’t completely eliminate the stress from their life, but they can improve their stress management skills. Getting sufficient sleep is also important when trying to restore your health back to normal through natural treatment methods.

Taking certain supplements to address nutritional deficiencies is also very important when following a natural treatment protocol. Most endocrinologists don’t do anything to address these deficiencies, yet this is very important to address. Most people have multiple mineral imbalances which can cause or contribute to a hyperthyroid condition such as Graves’ Disease. Certain herbs can help people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease as well. For example, the herbs Bugleweed and Motherwort can help to manage the symptoms naturally in many people. Other herbs can also be beneficial for adrenal and immune system support.

As for whether natural hyperthyroid treatment methods are safe, when following a natural treatment protocol under the guidance of a competent holistic doctor, they are very safe. Of course no treatment method is completely risk free, but when you consider the risks involved with taking medication for a prolonged period of time, or the risks of having your thyroid gland obliterated through RAI, then there is no question that natural hyperthyroid treatment methods are the best option for many people. In fact, while many people who choose to receive radioactive iodine regret this decision, this rarely is the case for those who choose natural treatment methods.

Dr. Eric Osansky is a chiropractic physician who was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, and restored his health back to normal by following a natural treatment protocol. For more information on natural hyperthyroid treatment methods visit http://www.gravesdiseasebook.com/.

I'll be reviewing this book at a later date. My sister and an aunt have been diagnosed with Graves' Disease, so I wanted to read up on this topic. You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon!

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes!

In celebration of Eric M. Osansky’s new release, he will be appearing at Pump Up Your Book’s 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party on December 16. More than 50 books, gifts and cash awards will be given away including a print copy of Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease! Visit the official party page here!

Book Spotlight: Beyond Broccoli by Susan Schenck, LAc

This new book by an award-winning author discusses the urgency in avoiding factory farmed animals for health and moral reasons. It also discusses vegetarian myths, how weight loss is easier with a nonvegan diet, why the human brain has shrunk 11% in the past 11,000 years, man’s dietary history, how the vegan diet may affect the brain and emotions unless carefully planned, critical nutrients found only in animal products, how it is possible for some to adapt to a “veg” diet, dangers of soy, how to eat raw meat safely, flaws in the China Study, different metabolic types, and much more.

Read an excerpt!

Vegetarian Myths Dispelled

There are some common misconceptions in the vegetarian community we will briefly address here. Some of these issues will be fleshed out in more detail later in the book.

Myth #1: We should emulate the diets of our mainly vegetarian primate cousins.

The most relevant difference between man and other apes is man’s relatively larger brain. Our brains are believed to have evolved precisely because we ate animal products rich in DHA, a critically important fatty acid which chiefly comprises brain tissue. To maintain our brains, we need to continue eating this crucial fat.

When man split off from chimpanzees, he traded an energy-intense digestive tract with the ability to digest cellulose for an energy-intensive brain. In other words, more energy was required to maintain this larger brain endowed with advanced, forward-looking frontal lobes. The energy used for the brain had to be subtracted from elsewhere, and it came at the expense of the digestive tract.

We then began eating energy-intensive food that didn’t require such intensive digestion. For example, a cow has to devote so much energy to digestion that it has four stomachs! More energy is directed there than to the cow’s brain.

The area between the chest and legs of a gorilla is much bigger than it is in man. The gorilla has a larger digestive tract equipped to break down cellulose, a dietary fiber. A chimpanzee is somewhere in between a gorilla and a human, having more intelligence than a gorilla, but less ability to break down cellulose. A chimp also eats more meat than a gorilla, but less than a man.

Myth #2: Apes and chimpanzees are strict vegetarians.

Chimpanzees were once thought to be vegetarians. Jane Goodall, who studied them extensively, proved that this was not the case. We now know that 8-10 percent of their diet comes from animal foods: insects, bird eggs, and even meat. Flesh is thought to be about 1-3 percent of their diet.(1) Some say it is as high as 5 percent.

H. Leon Abrams, Jr., MA, EDS, Associate Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Georgia and well-known nutritional anthropologist, relates the diets of monkeys and apes. He relates:

"Rather than being herbivores, these animals are now recognized as omnivores, and the reason that they do not eat more animal food than they do may be the result of a limited ability to provide it in great abundance. But in seeking the animal foods that they do consume, monkeys and apes are most likely driven by a basic need to meet nutritional requirements that are available only from animal protein."(2)

Abrams points out that golden marmosets in zoos were not breeding until given animal protein. Baboons often kill hares and gazelles. He claims that gorillas in the wild eat birds, rodents, and even small antelopes. In captivity, they prefer meat to their usual diets of fruit and vegetables. Orangutans eat insects, birds, and squirrels, while gibbons consume birds, small antelopes, and rodents. He relates:

"Apparently, all primates have a basic and fundamental physiological need for at least a minimum amount of animal protein."(3)

Myth #3: We haven’t adapted to meat.

The first homo genus, Homo habilis, was a meat eater 2.6 million years ago. Some vegetarians who are familiar with this fact will claim that we were originally frugivores in Africa, but have been “eating against our nature for millions of years.” Clearly they do not understand the principles of evolution: 2.6 million years is plenty of time to adapt! What we haven’t adapted to are grains and a high-carb diet.

Some speculate that our primate ancestors were frugivores over 5 million years ago, though others claim the African savanna was actually lower in plant life than the forests and arid regions. But even if the frugivore concept is correct, in 5 million years our digestive tracts have changed so much that one could very easily argue we are no longer adapted to a diet of primarily fruit.

Empirical observation indicates that this is the case. Our digestive tracts have grown shorter, our brains bigger. We need more protein and essential fats than a frugivorous diet provides. Most of us cannot tolerate the high carbs of a grain- and legume-based vegetarian diet, let alone a frugivorous diet high in sugar.

1 Billings, “Correcting the Vegetarian Myths about Ape Diets,” www.beyondveg.com, accessed 1-21-10
2 Abrams, Jr., “Vegetarianism: Another View,” www.biblelife.org/abrams2.htm, accessed 1-24-10
3 Abrams, Jr., “What We Can Learn from the Diet of Monkeys and Apes in Their Natural Habitat about Human Nutritional Needs,” Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, 1979:4 #2

For more on this topic, please visit: http://www.helium.com/items/2228891-is-a-vegetarian-diet-healthier

Susan Schenck, LAc, is a raw food coach, lecturer, and author of the 2-time award winning book, The Live Food Factor, The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet, which has gained a reputation as the encyclopedia of the raw food diet—as well as Beyond Broccoli, Creating a Biologically Balanced Diet When a Vegetarian Diet Doesn’t Work.


The book Beyond Broccoli can be viewed on Amazon.com. It was released on August 20, 2011.

Interview with Dr, Frederick Lukash, Author of The Safe and Sane Guide to Teenage Plastic Surgery

Joining us today is Dr. Frederick N. Lukash, M.D.,FACS, FAAP, author of The Safe and Sane Guide to Teenage Plastic Surgery. He has consistently been voted one of “America’s Top Doctors,” by the Castle Connolly guide, and by the Consumer Research Council of America (www.bestdoctors.com). A board-certified cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon in practice in Manhattan and Long Island since 1981, he is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.



Dr. Lukash received his college and medical degrees from Tulane University. His postgraduate training in surgery and plastic surgery includes Emory University, State University of New York, and Harvard University, where he held the position of Instructor in surgery.


The high standards that Dr. Lukash lives and works by have gained him admittance to all the major plastic surgical societies. He achieved board certification by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In addition to serving on many of the societies’ committees, Dr. Lukash has authored questions for the Plastic Surgery In-Service Examination and has recently completed his term as president of the New York Regional Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He founded that organization’s magazine and served for many years as the editor-in-chief.

Dr. Lukash holds staff appointments at Long Island Jewish Medical Center / Schneider Children’s Hospital, North Shore University Hospital, Winthrop University Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital. He has also served as a plastic surgical consultant to the New York Islanders hockey team and the New York Jets football team.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Dr. Lukash. It is an honor to have you with us.

Where did you grow up?

New York.

When did you begin writing?

I have been writing my whole life.

What is this book about?

It is the first book about body image and self-esteem for teenagers. It is a parent's guide to navigate the waters of plastic surgery. It is not a frivolous manual on how to be beautiful. It does not propose to equate beauty with success. It does discuss the value society places on appearance and the impact that societal pressures place upon teens. This book was born of effort in trying to be of service to children with structural appearance issues.

What inspired you to write it?

30 years of collective experience.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My patients.

Are you a member of a critique group? If no, who provides feedback on your work?

Other writers.

Do you have an agent or are you looking for one?

Katharine Sands from Sarah Jane Freyman Agency.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Relatively smooth.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Better marketing.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

http://www.drlukash.com/

http://www.teenageplasticsurgery.com/

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Do not expect too much.

Is there anything you would like to add?

This is a great book that can be of service to teens, parents and anyone else who deals with teens and their behavioral issues.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Dr. Lukash. We wish you continued success.

Guest Blogger: Lorene Burkhart, Author of Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It!

Today's guest blogger is Lorene Burkhart, author of Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It! A Prescription for Patient Empowerment.

In this groundbreaking book, author Lorene Burkhart challenges each of us to enter the era of empowered patients by letting go of past practices and embracing outcome-based medical services. Being accountable for one's own body and health is a huge step toward improved medical relationships. She rejects the old authoritarian system of "handing it over" to a doctor as one that is no longer appropriate or wise, and that made its exit when the Internet made its entrance. Using a variety of resources as a guide, Burkhart encourages patients to be their own medical advocates with the ultimate reward being their own good health.



Tips on How to Be An Empowered Patient by Lorene Burkhart

How many of you are sick of your doctors? Sick of the system? And simply sick of health care? Let’s face it, with all of the talk about how to fix the system there’s really only one cure for us, the patient, start acting like a customer. We have choices. Start with these tips.

1) Be Prepared
When you have a medical appointment, take with you a clear, concise explanation of what you think are your medicinal issues.

One of the most important things you can do to prepare for an appointment is to take your medical notebook that contains the basics of your medical background—health history, names of your doctors, current prescriptions, recent illnesses/surgeries/illnesses and so on.

It doesn’t have to be fancy—just functional and informative.

2) Speak Up!
Doctors are scientists by nature. They want the facts and to draw their conclusion.
a) Be clear and concise about your problem – what, how long, medications.
b) Don’t tell the doctors what to do – I have a sore throat, so I want an antibiotic.
c) Enlist the doctor’s cooperation by explaining that you need their help to know what your next steps should be.
d) If the doctor tells you what to do (hands you a prescription), ask what the outcome will be if you don’t take it, what are the side effects, what are the other alternatives and why the dosage.

3) Say Thank You
Communicate to your doctor that you appreciate their expertise and are looking forward to working together to resolve your problem. Prepare yourself for the doctor to show total disbelief – they probably don’t get many compliments.



4) Exercise Your Right of Choice
Choice in a doctor-patient relationship means choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. We’ve all heard and read about obesity issues in America. Stop and think about what you’re eating and how (or if) you’re exercising. It’s not your doctor’s fault if you develop health issues as a result of not taking care of your body.

That said, choice also means consumer choice. We’ve all had bad and indifferent doctors. So why stay? Choose to find a better professional. You’re the customer!

Join us on the Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It! virtual tour. To learn more about the tour, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/04/26/sick-of-doctors-tour/. You can also learn more about Lorene Burkhart and the book at www.burkhartnetwork.com. If you would like to be a host on this tour, contact nikki @ nikkileigh.com

A great nutrient for the heart! by Dr. Jonny Bowden

Today's guest blogger is Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Do to Prevent Disease, Feel Great, and Have Optimum Health and Longevity.

In this entertaining and life-changing book, best-selling nutritionist Jonny Bowden, PhD explains how all diseases of aging really come down to four basic processes which he calls “The Four Horsemen of Aging”—Inflammation, Glycation, Oxidation and Stress. You’ll learn exactly how they age you and just what to do to prevent them.

You’ll learn how aging affects five major components of the body - the brain, the heart, the hormone system, the immune system and the bones and muscles; and how to prevent or slow aging in all these areas.

Finally, you’ll learn the secrets of the “Blue Zones”- those areas around the globe where people routinely live healthy and productive lives into their late 90’s and beyond. You’ll learn the surprising truth about what to eat, what exercises to do, and what simple lifestyle changes you can make to support a ten-decade life of autonomy, health, joy and productivity

"A great nutrient for the heart!" by Dr. Jonny Bowden

Here’s a story I’ll never forget.

My mother was admitted to the hospital in the last week of her 87-year life. The doctors diagnosed her with congestive heart failure.

I immediately asked that, in addition to whatever treatment the doctors prescribed, she be put on a high dose of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). The first doctor told me he didn’t know what that was. The second doctor said he had heard of it but it couldn’t do any good and wasn’t on their hospital pharmacy list. And the head nurse said, “Oh, that’s some kind of enzyme that the heart makes when it’s in trouble, right?”

I knew right there we were in for trouble.

It didn’t matter that I faxed them fifty pages of peer-reviewed literature from the National Institute of Medicine. They wouldn’t budge.

Let me be blunt: The doctors who told me that they didn’t know what CoQ10 was or that it couldn’t possibly help were pompous idiots.

“Although coenzyme Q10 represents one of the greatest breakthroughs for the treatment of cardiovascular disease as well as for other diseases, the resistance of the medical profession to using this essential nutrient represents one of the greatest potential tragedies in medicine,” says my friend, board-certified cardiologist, nutritionist, and noted author Stephen Sinatra, M.D. “If there is just one thing you do to help maintain your heart’s health,” says Sinatra, “make sure you’re taking CoQ10 daily.”

The combination of CoQ-10 and carnitine is even better.

L-carnitine’s job is to escort fatty acids into the cells where they can be “burned” for energy. Because the heart gets 60 percent of its energy from fat, it’s critically important that the body have enough L-carnitine to “shuttle” the fatty acids into the muscle cells of the heart. Nutritionists have long used the combination of L-carnitine and CoQ10 as an “energy” cocktail for just this reason. Though it doesn’t necessarily make you feel more “get up and go” (although for many people it does just that!), it definitely helps give your heart muscle the tools it needs to function optimally.

People who take L-carnitine supplements soon after suffering a heart attack may be less likely to suffer a subsequent heart attack, die of heart disease, experience chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms, or develop congestive heart failure (a condition in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively). A well-designed study of seventy heart-failure patients found that three-year survival was significantly higher in the group receiving 2 g a day of L-carnitine compared to the group receiving a placebo.

If you think of your body as an automobile, then L-carnitine and CoQ10 can be thought of as agents (like spark plugs) that help turn the gas in the tank into energy to make the car go.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, a board-certified nutrition specialist with a master’s degree in psychology, is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. A popular speaker and a former personal trainer with six national certifications in exercise, he was the acclaimed “Weight Loss Coach” on iVillage for twelve years, and is now a regular contributor to AOL, a columnist for Better Nutrition and Clean Eating magazines and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Men’s Health. He’s also the nutritionist for the popular website, www.eatdrinkordie.com, where his entertaining videos on food and nutrition can be seen daily.

His books have been acclaimed by a virtual who’s who in the field of nutritional medicine, garnering endorsements by Christiane Northrup, MD, Mehmet Oz, MD, Barry Sears, PhD. (who calls him “one of the best”), Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD (who calls him “the personal health coach I would want in my corner no matter what”), and many others. His book, Living Low Carb: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss has more than 100,000 copies in print. He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising Truth About What to Eat as well as The Healthiest Meals on Earth and The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth and The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy.

He has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Post, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Time, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Oxygen, Remedy, Family Circle, Self, Fitness, Allure, Essence, Men’s Health, Pilates Style, Prevention, Woman’s World, In Style, Fitness, Natural Health and Shape and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS as an expert on nutrition, weight loss, and health.

Dr. Bowden is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and the American College of Nutrition and is adjunct faculty for Clayton College of Natural Health. He lives in the Topanga Canyon area of Southern California with his three dogs, Woodstock, Emily and Lucy.

His DVD “The Truth About Weight Loss” as well as his popular motivational CDs, programs and free newsletter can be found at www.jonnybowden.com.

Dr. Bowden is on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion during the month of January to discuss this book. You can follow his tour all month long by checking in each weekday at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.

Dorothea Hover-Kramer Talks about Limiting Beliefs and How to Treat Them

Today's special guest is Dorothea Hover-Kramer, author of Second Chance at Your Dream. This new book is the first book to apply the breakthrough insights of energy psychology to stress-free aging. Energy Psychology is an exciting new healing method that changes the vibrational patterns in the body’s energy fields to produce rapid emotional healing and a sense of well-being. With the help of the over fifty exercises for rebalancing yourself offered in this book, you can face the challenges and opportunities of later life to create a time of energy, abundance and joy.

One of the topics from this book discusses changing limiting beliefs. I've asked Dorothea to discuss this topic for us today.

Limiting Beliefs and Three Ways to Treat Them
by Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, DCEP
website: www.secondchancedream.com

Have you ever wondered if new advances in science could change the way you see the world? Or, have you thought, “Maybe, it’s too late for me to change my worldview”?

If so, you’re in the same boat with many others who have limiting beliefs about later life and its seemingly downhill path. Actually, some to the strongest myths about aging are being debunked by surprising recent scientific advances.

Some of the prevailing myths held that brain cells don’t regenerate, that new learning is difficult or non-existent after age sixty or seventy, and that our genetic material is a fixed reality. In truth, these myths have been debunked. Neuroplasticity of brain cells is evident in the many ways we can recover from illness to let other parts of the brain take over; or, as hearing decreases, our sense of touch or taste may actually become more acute. Neureogenesis, reproduction of brain cells, happens in people of all ages as science unlocks mysteries of the human mind which is especially supported by seeking out learning activities and novel experiences. The human mind is incredibly capable and flexible when we choose to recharge our interest in life. Similarly, genetic material can express from its protective sheaths to increase cellular healing when we are open-minded and able to release stress. The human body and its electromagnetic energy system are a vibrant accumulation of flexible and capable potentials just waiting to be discovered.

1.The first step to releasing limiting beliefs is to notice their presence. It’s often easier to see negative patterns in others, and from there we might begin to notice a few of our own. Phrases like, “I’m too old for new stuff,” “I can’t change,” “This is just who I am” express a mindset, not a truth.

2. We continue by affirming we are more than the limiting belief and that it’s all right to start by acknowledging someone else’s pattern of thinking you don’t like. “Even though__(state the name)__ believes___(state the belief)_, I deeply and profoundly accept and respect myself.” Repeat this phrase until it becomes natural for you and add a gently rub to the mid-chest, heart center area. This thought pattern combined with touch begins a gradual path to recognizing you are much more than your beliefs, your limitations or problems.

3. We add choosing a positive idea or goal. Thus, the reminder phrase change in this way, “Even though I worry about my future, I still deeply and profoundly accept and respect myself and I choose to do something I really enjoy _(name the activity)___/or I choose to find out more about____ (the new biology and its implications for my life).”

As you open to these possible actions, horizons literally expand. There is so much more to do to fill life with meaning. I recently overheard a conversation at a coffee shop. An elderly man complained to his buddy, “I went to the doctor yesterday and it was a total waste of time. I sat around and wasted the whole day waiting for test results.” The friend replied thoughtfully “Well, I always take a book to read with me, so a trip to the doctor is filled with something useful to do. I also send good wishes to the others in the waiting room because they need all the help they can get. Doctors seem overly busy but I’m sure glad we have them.”

Which view would you like to encourage within yourself? Which is less stressful and more satisfying? It’s never too late to create the life you want with your attitude and intention.


Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a psychologist and clinical nurse specialist in private practice who has authored 6 books about energy therapies including her most recent entitled Second Chance At Your Dream. She is co-founder and past president of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, an international network of therapists and health care professionals utilizing energy-based approaches for emotional freedom and healing. You can visit her website at www.secondchancedream.com.