Posted by Dan Hammer //

11/08/2017

Today we’re going to answer the question – what causes heart disease? If you talk to most doctors the answer will be cholesterol. To combat this the pharmaceutical industry created a drug to dramatically lower a person’s cholesterol levels. This drug, and all its variations, are called statins.

In my last post we looked at cholesterol and statin drugs. We examined both the positives and negatives of this pharmaceutical drug.

And because cholesterol is the enemy, the medical community has also recommended a diet that severely restricts the intake of fat. This combination of a low fat diet with statin drugs was suppose to address the cause of heart disease.

Yet cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer of men and women worldwide.

And while total number of deaths due to cardiovascular concerns have decrease over the last 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in diabetes and obesity. Which is causing an increase in the number of deaths due to heart disease.

Well, we now know why. Read More →

Cholesterol and Statin Drugs

Posted by Dan Hammer //

11/01/2017

Over the last two decades the medical industry has made cholesterol the enemy of the cardiovascular system. To combat this enemy more and more doctors are prescribing statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin) and Pravachol (pravastatin) as the answer to good cardiovascular health.

But is cholesterol the real enemy? And, if so do the side effects of statin drugs outweigh their benefits? Or, could there be a better way to protect the endothelial cells of your cardiovascular system from oxidative stress?

Cholesterol – Friend or Foe!

I used an exclamation mark instead of a question mark because it can be both. Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for the proper function of your body. Every cell membrane needs cholesterol to help it function properly. Read More →

Nutritional Value of Halloween Candy

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/22/2017

Halloween is quickly approaching and treats are a part of this annual tradition. So I was wondering what is the nutritional value of Halloween Candy.

If you have kids, then you’re in the process of beginning to prepare their costumes. My children are grown up but they have kids. My grandson is going as Spider-Man. My granddaughter is going as Ariel. Most of their outfits are ready. And if the weather is good they’ll be spending a lot of time going from door to door collecting Halloween Candy.

Now unless you have a neighbor that is buying the large candy bars, almost all of the Halloween candy is packaged in “bite-sized” wrappers. And most likely the homes you’re stopping at aren’t giving you “Nutrition Fact Sheets” for the candy they’re dolling out.

I thought it would be kind of fun (yes I know it’s a geeky type of fun) to know the nutritional value of Halloween candy. This way you can control the amount of sugar you put into your kid’s system. Read More →

Walnuts and Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/15/2017

Who would have thought there could be a connection between walnuts and heart health. Yet recent research shows that not only is there a strong connection between walnuts and heart health but that this connection also benefits the endothelium, which lines and regulates your cardiovascular system.

If you’ve been following my posts you know that I’m a firm believer in endothelial health and function for improved cardiovascular health. Now organizations like WebMD and Life Extension are highlighting the benefits of walnuts and heart health. Here are excerpts from recent publications from these two outstanding organizations.

What WebMD Says About Walnuts and Heart Health!

Hydration Basics

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/08/2017

I recently received an email from a friend of mine whose son became dehydrated during a x-country meet. He wanted to know how it could have been prevent, especially since the trip to the hospital cost them $2500. So let’s look at some hydration basics:

75% of your body is water

80% of your brain is water

75% of your muscles are water

92% of your blood is water

Hopefully you’re seeing how important water is to your human performance. Add in the fact that water helps to convert food into energy, carries nutrients to all your cells and organs, and helps to regulate your body temperature, the effects of dehydration not only compromises your performance but can have life-threatening consequences. Read More →

Reversing Vascular Calcification

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/01/2017

Recently I’ve had several inquires about reversing vascular calcification. Is it possible? And if so how? Today’s blog post will address this concern. The short answers to the above questions are:

Yes, reversing vascular calcification is possible.

And the key ingredient is Vitamin K2.

It’s important to note that vascular calcification affects nearly 30% of Americans over the age of 45. And this percentage increases with age.

Why is Reversing Vascular Calcification Important

Good Natural Food Sources for Magnesium and Potassium

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/22/2017

Muscle relaxation is dependent upon the minerals magnesium and potassium. As I shared in my previous blog post titled How to Stop Muscle Cramps at Night, it’s this combination of minerals that is key to preventing muscle cramps.

Now before we look at natural sources it’s important to understand what your daily needs are for magnesium and potassium. According to the government the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for magnesium and potassium is:

Magnesium RDA for men is 400 mg per day

Magnesium RDA for women is 310 mg per day

Potassium RDA for adults is 4700 mg per day

And if you’re active, then the need for these two minerals increases. Read More →

How to Stop Muscle Cramps at Night

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/15/2017

For the past month I’ve been experiencing muscle cramps at night. Always in my calf muscles. And to the point where some nights I wake up several times. Usually having to get out of bed to stretch and try to relax my calf muscle so that I can go back to bed.

Because of this I decided to research this area of muscle cramps at night and found that I’m not alone.

Most people experience an occasional muscle cramp. But as we age they become more common. It’s estimated that for people over the age of 60 (I’m 64) one out of three people experience muscle cramps at night. And if your over the age of 80 then the number of people experiencing muscle cramps at night increases to 50 percent.

Now my background and education is exercise physiology. So I assumed that the cause of my muscle cramps at night was a lack of potassium in my diet. But as I researched this issue I found that it’s more than just a lack of potassium. Read More →

The Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/08/2017

Cayenne pepper is more than just a hot spicy herb. According to Dr. Schulze, “If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper.”

Cayenne pepper is a medicinal and nutritional herb. Its nutrients include beta carotene (precursor for vitamin A), capsaicin, lutein, amino acids, essential fatty acids, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, and E.

Before I begin our discussion about how important cayenne pepper is to your health, I wanted to list one additional quote. It’s from Dr. Patrick Quillin who served from 1990 to 2000 as the Vice President of Nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America. He is an internationally respected author, lecturer, professor, and consultant in the field of nutrition. His 15 books have sold over 1 million copies and include the best sellers Healing Nutrients and Beating Cancer with Nutrition. Here’s the quote:

“Cayenne pepper – prized for thousands of years for its healing power. Folklore from around the world recounts amazing results using cayenne pepper in simple healing and in baffling health problems. But cayenne pepper is not just a healer from ancient history. Recent clinical studies have been conducted on many of the old-time health applications for this miracle herb. Again and again, the therapeutic value of cayenne pepper has been medically validated.” – Dr. Patrick Quillin from The Healing Power of Cayenne Pepper Read More →

Benefits of a Healthy Breakfast

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/22/2017

In today’s fast pace environment a healthy breakfast is often skipped. Or fast food alternatives are eaten in hopes of getting a healthy breakfast.

Consumer Reports did an excellent article on the importance of a healthy breakfast. You can click here to read their article. I wanted to highlight two items and then give you a suggestion.

Healthy Breakfast – Two Items from Consumer Reports

The first item to note about a health breakfast are the benefits that you can potentially obtain if you do this right. Here are the ones listed by Consumer Reports:

It may protect your heart.

It might lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.

It gets you moving.

It might give you a mental edge.

It just might keep your weight down.

But the second item that I noted in their article is this graph. Here’s a picture of it: Read More →