Alternative Medicine News – June 9, 2014

Dirty Foods / Clean Foods

Each year the Environmental Working Group analyzes produce. They are looking for those with the most, and least pesticides.

The new list is out for 2014. There are different ways to see it. The most immediate is to click the link below. It shows 51 different foods. They are listed in order of most to least pesticides.

You also have the option of downloading a PDF file copy for reference. However to do that you need to give your email and zip code to get it.

As a preview, here are the top, and bottom five:

Most pesticides (most to least):

1. Apples

2. Strawberries

3. Grapes

4. Celery

5. Peaches

Least pesticides (least to most):

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Cabbage

5. Sweet peas (frozen)

There were also two categories of foods were separately singled out because the pesticides found are more toxic than most. These were greens (kale and collard greens) and hot peppers.

Oh, and even though sweet corn has among the least pesticides, be sure to only eat organic. Almost all non-organic corn is GMO.

Get the full list here.

11 “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t

As a reader of Balance Point, you want to be healthy, right?

Unfortunately there are many foods that people think of as healthy that aren’t. You might be surprised at what they are.

This article talks about 11 common foods sold as “healthy.” This is a very good list. It includes:

• Fruit juice

• Whole wheat

• Agave nectar

• Sports drinks

• Heart-healthy vegetable oils

• Low-fat or fat-free foods

• Gluten-free junk foods

• Margarine and fake butters

• Energy bars

• Low carb packaged snacks

• “Healthy” breakfast cereals

Check out the reasons why these are not good for you here.

P.S. – If you are interested in knowing more about healthy foods, you can take the 7-question quiz on the Reno Alternative Medicine web site. If you read the above article you will already know the answers to several questions.

The Devil in Pain Drug Details

It’s hard to protect yourself from the side effects of pain relievers.

For example, many over-the-counter pain meds are not as safe as you think. And many of them have multiple ingredients that aren’t on the label. Even if you think you know what’s in them, you might not.

Dr. Al Sears recommends not using OTC pain meds. Instead, he offers a list of natural options. This article has 4 of them. See the list here.

I’ve got a few more on the Balance Point blog, which you can find here.

Wrinkle-Filler Injections Could Make You Go Blind

Everyone wants to look good. That helps explain why cosmetic surgery and other techniques are so popular.

Among the other techniques is different kinds of injections. These include injecting fat, hyaluronic acid and collagen.

A new report talks about a possible complication to injections. The problem happens if injections are done around the eyes. Apparently some of the injected material can migrate into the nerves of the eyes. And this can cause blindness. There have been three cases in one doctor’s practice where this has happened.

If you are planning on improving your looks with injections, this is important information. Check it out here.

P.S. – Another non-surgical alternative is acupuncture. I am certified to offer this. If you want to learn more, click here.

Popular Antidepressant May Promote Breast Cancer

One in four women in their 40s and 50 takes antidepressants.

Now it turns out that at least 2 of these, Paxil and Pexeva, have estrogenic effects. And in estrogen-sensitive women, this can potentially lead to breast cancer.

Other substances with estrogenic effects include the toxic plastic, BPA.

You should also know that the generic name for Paxil is paroxetine. Ironically, a low-dose version of this drug is being marketed as Brisdelle for hot flashes. That means this drug designed to promote women’s health may be dangerous. Even the FDA panel that approved it only did so by a slim margin. The objections were to the side effects.

Learn more here.