Welcome to my Summer 2008 newsletter! Aside from my practice, I've been busy writing, speaking at conferences, and appearing on radio and TV, addressing new developments in integrative medicine, and helping people take better charge of their health.

On the writing side, my new book, Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutrition has been very well received and is now on its second printing. I explain how many prescription drugs can rob your body of vital nutrients, leading to many of the dangerous side effects associated with pharmaceuticals. The book helps you determine which supplements you should take to protect your health when taking specific drugs. It also provides important information on a variety of natural supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbs that you can take instead of prescription drugs. Rather than just treating the symptoms, these nutrients work with your body’s chemistry to treat the root causes of many conditions, including diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, and arthritis. Instead of side effects, you get side benefits!

As part of my ongoing book media tour, I visited New York City to appear on better.tv (home, family, life) and abetterworld.net. I also had a book-signing event at the beautiful ACA Galleries in Soho. I recently spoke the Annual Natural Products Trade Show and Convention in Las Vegas, addressing natural products retailers, and have many presentations coming up both for the public and professionals. I have done a number of radio interviews as well, many of them archived for convenient listening. For these and a list of upcoming events, please check my event schedule.

I am delighted to be part of The People’s Guide to Health CD series, with 10 other top health and fitness experts, with topics ranging from weight loss to life extension and more. My section is on Drug-Nutrient Depletion. Hosted by ‘The Fit Advocate,’ and author of The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie, Craig Pepin-Donat, the series is full of great information, and a great value — I learn something new every time I listen to it!

I will be interviewed on Friday Aug 15th at 9 PM by E! Entertainment Television as part of an upcoming special on mental illness, including depression, bipolar illness, and addiction. I’ll be discussing such celebrities as Carrie Fisher, Heather Locklear, and Britney Spears, all of whom have had recent publicity regarding their own mental health issues. While my appearance will be only a brief 5 minutes or so, I‘m pleased to be able to educate a large viewing audience about the importance of using natural supplements and a healthy lifestyle to help treat and prevent mental illness. Be sure to check my events page as the time approaches, since show schedules sometimes change.

I have several conference presentations coming up, including Parker Seminars in Dallas Sept 25-27 and in Las Vegas January 15-17. In between, it’s off to London in October to speak at the 2nd Annual 'Food for the Brain' conference, where I will be joining an impressive group of international authors, researchers and scientists, including my co-author from Natural Highs, Patrick Holford, to discuss the use of diet and supplements for treating mental illness.

New Recommendations for Vitamin D
Research is revealing daily that people who are deficient in vitamin D have higher risks of cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and, according to the most recent study, heart attacks as well. I have been testing my patients vitamin D levels for several years, and find most people are deficient. Current recommendations call for an intake of 400 IUs, or international units for most people, twice that for the elderly. However, I recommend taking 1,500 to 2,000 IUs per day, to attain blood levels of 50 to 60 nanograms per milliliter.

Sunbathing at noon in summer produces 20,000 IUs in 20 minutes in Caucasians. Additional exposure simply damages the skin. Darker-skinned people require three to five times as much exposure to produce the same amount. Sunblock interferes with production. For more information on vitamin D, including ordering information, click here.

Prozac, Antidepressants No Better Than Placebo
In a recent journal article scientists have concluded that Prozac and other antidepressants used by over 40 million people work little better than a placebo. I not only agree, based on my clinical experience, but believe that these drugs pose additional dangers as well, as described in Supplement Your Prescription. Instead of medications I recommend natural products that treat the problem at its root cause. I prescribe these nutrients to individuals who are weaning off medications, as well, to support their nervous system and reduce withdrawal effects during the process. In fact, I developed the Brain Recovery AM and PM packets – 2 simple packets a day, for this very purpose – and to help to reverse many of the nutrient deficiencies responsible for depression, anxiety, and addiction. Many individuals addicted to alcohol, drugs, including prescriptions, and even sugar and caffeine, have done very well not only in stopping the cravings, but restoring excellent brain function. You can continue to take these for many months afterwards, as well. For those with memory problems, I add in my Brain Balance formula, 2 capsules daily.

Water Fluoridation Poses Serious Health Risks
In a statement first released August 9, 2007, over 1,450 professionals urged Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. Click here for more information on this important issue.

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