An Ounce of Prevention: Especially For Women

By Dr. Anthony Vendryes

With the increasing awareness of the connection between good nutrition, healthy lifestyles and the prevention of diseases, this book expands on the themes in the previous volume An Ounce of Prevention: New and Natural Ways to Prevent Common Health Problems, with a special focus on a variety of female disorders. Dr Tony Vendryes builds on his articles in the Daily Gleaner, giving greater detail on a wider range of topics. The book is intended to provide the reader with a simple explanation of the cause of many problems along with safer and more natural interventions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9789769570528

Book preview

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First published in Jamaica 2010 by

Tony Vendryes Enterprises Ltd.

P. O. Box 195

Montego Bay, St James

Jamaica W.I.

E-mail: [e-mail]

www.anounceofprevention.org

© 2010 by Dr Anthony Vendryes.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording or any information storage and

retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-976-95705-2-8

Cover and book design by Robert Harris (email: [e-mail])

Cover photograph of Dr Anthony Vendryes by Michael Chen.

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Dedication

This ebook is dedicated to

all the women of the world especially those who

have personally enriched my life: my mother Maria, my wife Dorothy, my sisters, aunts, nieces and other female family members, friends, staff, business associates and patients.

Thank you for your feminine energy, your love, your wisdom and your inspiration. May the information I share in this book, in some small way express my gratitude to you.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Section 1: Wellness Concepts

What Is Health

Is Your Problem A Disease Or A Symptom?

Stop Chronic Disease

Take Nutritional Supplements

Prevent Death By Diet

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Section 2: Healthy Agents & Practices

Can A Banana A Day Keep The Doctor Away?

A Good ‘Cop’: Castor Oil Pack

Cocoa

Coffee, Tea Or Just Caffeine!

Curry: A Spicy Treatment

Fasting

You Need Fish Oils

Foods For Depression

A Natural Tool Against Depression

Linseed: A Fat That Heals

Nine Reasons To Go ‘Nuts’ Over Nuts!

Prostate Foods

Raise Your Immunity With Selenium

Smart Foods

Are Soy Foods Safe?

Why I Recommend Vegetarian Foods

Vitamin C: Critical For Your Health

Vitamin D: Facts

Water

Section 3: General Problems

Is Memory Loss Normal?

Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease And Diet

Avoid Backache: Care Your Spine

Get Rid Of Bad Breath

Protect Your Eyesight As You Age

Emotions And High Blood Pressure

Eliminate Body Odours Naturally

How To Give Yourself Cancer!

More Facts About Cholesterol

Combat The Common Cold

It Takes Guts To Survive

Eliminating Ear Infections

Your Liver Can Get Fat

Is Your Heartbeat Normal?

Healing Heartburn Naturally

Prevent Inflammation

Kidney Stones

Low Blood Sugar

Andropause – The Male Menopause

More About Testosterone

Food And Mental Health

Relieve Pain Naturally

Sinus Problems

Tips For Better Sleep

Stress Without Distress

Stroke Recovery

Section 4: Female Issues

Lifestyle And Cancer In Women*

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors

Breast Cancer: Prevention

Yeast Infections

Endometriosis: A Woman’s Nightmare

Truths About Fibroids

Menopause

Osteoporosis: The Bones Of Contention

Stop Painful Periods

Premenstrual Syndrome

Is Your Thyroid Making You Tired?

Correcting Low Thyroid Function

Hot Flashes

Section 5: Danger Areas

Artifical Sweeteners: Sweet But Sickening

Correcting Low Thyroid Function

Should You Take An Aspirin A Day?

Are Cell Phones Safe?

The Dangers Of Chlorine

Popular Deadly Foods

Less Drugs, More Health

Are Food Labels Accurate?

Should You Give Up Meat?

Mercury: An Angel Of Death

Dangers Of Microwave Ovens

Msg: The Taste That Kills

Nitrosamines: The Cancer In Your Refrigerator

Sugar: A Sweet Poison

Trans-Fats: Bad Fats

Section 6: Weight Management

Shakes For Weight Loss

Five Appetite Control Meals

Breakfast

Change Your Shape

Stop Food Cravings

Eat More Protein To Lose Weight And Gain Shape

Eat Well, Live Well

Lose The Emotional Weight!

The Male Pregnancy Syndrome

Appendices

The Vendryes Wellness Centre

Glossary

References

Foreword

Dr Vendryes’ first book An Ounce of Prevention: New and Natural Ways to Prevent Common Health Problems has been at my desk for the last six years. It has served as a reference to counsel and guide my patients as they use herbs, nutrition and botanicals for their health. I felt it was almost like having a full time consultant in the office.

When I first heard of a second book, I actually was not sure I needed it. I therefore waited in anticipation for a draft to review before I passed judgment as to a need for another book.

I was taken aback by the incredible addition that this new book brings to me personally and to my thousands of patients. If it was possible to improve on the first book, this book exceeded all my expectations!

Dr Vendryes has an uncanny ability to communicate in clear, precise, uncomplicated terms as he guides the reader through a topic. This clarity sets this book apart from others, which address similar topics.

Through radio, private consultations, public lectures and the written word, Dr Vendryes has profoundly affected thousands of lives. This new book adds one more chapter in his life of dedication to serving mankind and making the world a place where self-care and personal acceptance of health decisions draws together the wisdom of the past and the future course of health and wellness.

It is with no hesitation that I recommend this new book to all who care about quality of life, natural physiology, and the innate ability for our bodies to be healthy and well if given the proper nutrition and balanced with the gifts of botanicals.

Thank you Dr Vendryes for once again filling a need for more light and knowledge regarding these complex bodies we live in!

Steven A. Komadina, MD, FACOG, Director Health Horizons Lifestyle Medicine, Past President New Mexico Medical Society, New Mexico State Senator 2001–2009

Acknowledgements

The overwhelmingly positive response to my first book, An Ounce of Prevention: New and Natural Ways to Prevent Common Health Problems, along with the ever-expanding body of new and useful information on human health have been major catalysts for the writing of this book.

To the many individuals who contributed to its creation, I say thank you. To my wise and ever supportive project manager and publisher Robert Harris, and Lisa Morgan my efficient editor, thanks for enduring all my changes and delays. It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with you all.

To the editor and staff of the Gleaner Company and the Management and staff of POWER106 FM, I thank you for allowing the message of this book to be already read and heard all over the world in print and on air.

My thanks to that vast number of medical researchers worldwide, who continue to document and report on the amazing ability of the human body, mind and spirit to heal itself.

To my wife Dorothy, other family members, staff, inner circle of friends, my mentors and coaches, thank you for believing in me and my message. With very special gratitude and joy, I thank my spiritual Guru, Yogi Amrit Desai, for his love, his guidance and his grace.

Finally, to the Divine, from whom all blessings flow, I thank you my God!

‘Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure disease after it has appeared is like digging a well when one is already thirsty, or forging weapons after the war has already begun.’

– Chinese Emperor Huang Ti (Second century BC)

Introduction

An Ounce of Prevention, is subtitled ‘Especially for Women’ for several reasons. Over two thirds of the people who seek my advice are women: they are the majority of my patients. Also, the woman in a household has a potentially very powerful influence on the lifestyle of all who live there. She is usually the one who controls the kitchen and the food, who does the grocery shopping and sets the tone for the lifestyle habits of the entire family. So, in focusing on women, I seek to speak to the entire family, community and nation.

In addition, women have a number of unique health problems. It is not without significance that an entire specialty in medicine – Gynaecology – is devoted to the treatment of female disorders. But, our women are suffering unnecessarily and dying prematurely from conditions that are eminently preventable and often correctable with relatively simple approaches. This message needs to be heard.

This book, like its predecessor, is a compilation of articles published each week in the Daily Gleaner, Jamaica’s oldest and largest newspaper. Each chapter is an article covering a specific issue in a short easy to read format. My intention is that, in a few minutes, the reader will understand the approach I have to a specific condition or problem and the simple action plan of how to deal with it.

Some of the chapters from the previous book have been revised while others have been omitted to make room for new material. An entire section has been devoted to specific female issues while the other sections cover topics of relevance to man, woman and child.

I consider myself a ‘Medical Maverick’ and have often been asked by my patients ‘What do your medical colleagues think of your different methods?’ I can answer in the words of a 17th century English physician, himself a medical maverick:

It is my nature to think where others read, to ask less whether the world agrees with me, than whether I agree with the truth, and to hold cheap the rumour and applause of the multitude. (Thomas Sydenham, 1624–1689)

I hope that in reading this book many will be empowered to take action to prevent and reverse these common disorders, and so live healthier and happier lives. Notwithstanding the book disclaimer the approaches described here represents the actual recommendations that I make to my own patients. Remember, ‘Your health is in your hands. Treat it with care and handle it with love.’

Tony Vendryes, MB, BS, DA, FRCA

Section 1: Wellness Concepts

What Is Health

‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

– World Health Organization, 1948

My own belief is that the human body was designed to be healthy. When the good book says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, it is not just a nice sounding phrase; it is really true. The human body has an incredible capacity to heal and repair itself. Illness and disease are a reflection of our failure to take proper care of our bodies and minds.

As a doctor, I have come to understand that I cannot really heal anyone. Healing is something that happens from within. Your body is the healer and the doctor’s role is to provide the support and assistance to facilitate the healing process. Until we, as a society, fully accept this concept, we will continue to face the dilemma of ‘more medicines, less health’.

Four Pillars of Wellness

From my experience, there are four basic concepts that underpin and support real health. I call them the Four Pillars of Wellness. These are:

• Nutrition

• Exercise

• Detoxification

• Stress management

These four simple but powerful processes form the basis of my approach to virtually all the common lifestyle related disorders that comprise health.

Nutrition

This is the first and probably the most critical pillar, because you literally are what you eat. Your body is composed of trillions of cells – the building blocks of the body. Your body is constantly repairing and renewing itself, as each day millions of old damaged cells die and new ones are created to replace them. Your body is a work in progress.

But the quality and vitality of the new cells being created in your body right now, as you read this chapter, depends on the quality of the food you have been eating. Garbage in will produce garbage out. Medical experts believe that as much as two thirds of today’s health problems are related to our unhealthy diet.

For almost 15 years, I have used and recommended a concept and program called Cellular Nutrition for my patients and myself to enjoy the best nutrition. The idea is simple: give the cells of the body the nutrients that they need and they will know how to heal, mend and repair. It works!

Exercise

As the old saying goes: use it or lose it. The human body can be compared to a high performance car. It needs high quality fuel in the gas tank. That’s the nutritional part. But the body is designed to be active. If you never drove your car and left it parked all the time, the engine would eventually seize up and the body begin to rust away.

Similarly, many people are in fact suffering from ‘seize up’ and ‘rust down’ because of inactivity. Muscles get weak, joints get stiff, heart and lungs lose their efficiency, and tension and stress overwhelm your mind. The research shows that as little as 20 to 30 minutes of exercise, three to four times per week can result in amazing benefits to your physical and mental health.

Detoxification

Not only do we live in a polluted world with chemicals and impurities in the food we eat, the water we drink and bathe in and the air we breathe, but just as a car engine produces toxic exhaust fumes, so the body’s metabolism produces toxic wastes. Sadly, the body’s natural pathways for elimination of these poisons are often blocked and function poorly. We all carry a toxic burden.

The body normally detoxifies itself via the bowels, the liver, the kidneys, the skin and breath. Several simple natural techniques are available to assist the body to get rid of accumulated impurities. These are referred to as cleansing or detoxification programs.

Stress management

Stress is a poorly understood concept. It is not a thing or person or circumstance. Those ‘things’ are called stressors. Stress is a reaction – your internal reaction – to the stressor. Understanding this is critical because, often, we cannot change or stressors, for example, our spouse or boss, but we can always learn to change the way we reduce them. In essence, stress management is self-management.

Sadly, many so-called stress management programs really focus on stressor management. Real stress management is a skill that can be taught and learnt, just like how we can learn to swim or ride a bicycle. Stress is indeed the enemy within!

So, make your Four Pillars of Wellness strong and solid and you will enjoy true health and wellness.

Is Your Problem A Disease Or A Symptom?

‘Symptoms, then, are in reality nothing but the cry from suffering organs.’

– Jean Martin Charcot

Ask yourself this question: Is an elevation of your blood cholesterol level or your blood sugar level or your blood pressure level or your body temperature a disease or really a symptom or sign of some underlying problem? I believe that the answer is that these are symptoms. They are like signposts warning us that there is some deeper disorder to be addressed.

If this is in fact true, then much of conventional medical efforts to treat these common issues are about symptom management, usually with a pill, with little attention to the root problem. If there were a flood in your house, would you first reach for the mop before turning off the tap? No, that would seem insane. So, is our so-called ‘Health Care System’ also insane?

BIGPHARM

No, our Sickness Care System is not insane. It is simply being manipulated by one of the greatest economic forces in the world – the Pharmaceutical Industry aka ‘BIGPHARM’. This is the power that controls, manipulates and directs the way medical care is delivered. To give some indication of their power, in 1995 it was reported that on the Fortune 500 (the 500 most profitable companies on Wall Street), the total profits of the top eight drug companies was more than the combined profits of the other 492 companies. That is POWER. That is INFLUENCE. That is CONTROL.

This industry determines how medical research is carried out, what drugs are developed, how doctors are trained and how patients are treated. Is there a legal drug cartel? There is nothing wrong with these companies making a profit, but what if the price we pay is too high?

A High Price to Pay

The current drug based health care system is too expensive. The economies of affluent countries like the US and Britain are burdened by the cost of their health care models. A prominent economist recently suggested that the thing most likely to cripple the US economy is the cost of its health care system. The US government will not be able to afford the spiralling cost of Medicare and Medicaid. Too much of its budget is being spent on health care. This is apart from what people themselves pay for health insurance and doctors’ fees. What about a country like Jamaica? Can we afford to be using such a system?

A Dangerous Way to Go

The well-researched documentary, Prescription for Disaster, reveals that the number one cause of death in the United States today is doctoring! Doctor-prescribed medication and medical treatments now kill more Americans than any other single agent. Is this the model that Jamaica should be imitating?

The number of drugs that have to be withdrawn from the market because of adverse side effects is most alarming. Even more distressing is the evidence that, in many instances, the drug companies knew about these side effects and manipulated the research results so that the drug would still be sold to the gullible public by misinformed or indifferent doctors.

Only after the death, suffering and distress of the patients became too great to ignore, would the authorities apologetically withdraw the drug and the drug companies be allowed to make off with their huge bloodstained profits. In the language of warfare, they write the suffering off as ‘colateral damage’. The arthritis drug VIOXX® is only one example of this phenomenon. On September 30, 2004, Merck voluntarily withdrew VIOXX® from the market because of concerns about increased risk of heart attack and stroke associated with long-term, high-dosage use.

Yes, modern medicine has developed wonderful technologies for treating many acute problems. I recognise and applaud these. If I am injured in an accident, I will be heading for the hospital. But the fact is that most of today’s major health problems are chronic, lifestyle-related disorders. These require the coaching, training and motivation of our people in lifestyle and behaviour modification, not drugs and surgery. The answers to these health issues are often found in simple things like nutrition, exercise and stress management.

Obesity, high blood pressure, blood sugar imbalance, high cholesterol levels, and so on, are mostly indicators that we need to change our lifestyle. Drugs to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, reduce blood pressure or gastric bypass surgery to treat obesity should be reserved for rare, exceptional circumstances. Instead these drugs and procedures are being promoted more and more as a first line response. Madness!

So why are we doing this madness? This madness makes some people rich. You find the answer by following the money trail. That is the problem.

The Answer

The present situation will not change by itself. BIGPHARM will not surrender its profits and I fear that, sadly, the medical profession has surrendered its moral authority and power to create change. The change will have to come from the patient, the public, the consumer – you and mavericks like me.

We are actually the ones with the power. We are the ones who decide how we spend our money, what kind of doctor we consult and what we choose to take or not take. We can demand a different approach, but we must inform ourselves about our choices. Sometimes the conventional approach may be appropriate and at other times it may not. We must make informed decisions.

The change is in fact happening. Back in 1991, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that more Americans chose alternative health care than conventional medicine, even though they had to pay out of pocket as their insurance companies did not cover those therapies.

On a daily basis I am approached by people who refuse to accept the advice that their only option is to take this or that drug for the rest of their lives. Something deep inside resists the idea that their problem is incurable and that they can only control their symptoms with drugs. They are tired of just using the mop. They want to try to turn off the tap. They want to get to the root of their problem. They want to take more responsibility for their health.

I champion and promote that thinking. Whatever empowers the individual, I support. Whatever is disempowering and makes a person feel like a helpless victim, I strongly question. Let us all make a commitment to be a part of the solution and not just ‘hug up’ the problem. Let us reduce the attention on sickness management and let’s really emphasise prevention, healthy lifestyles and wellness.

Stop Chronic Disease

If I knew that I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself

– Woody Allen

Many of our commonest illnesses are called chronic degenerative diseases. Why? Because they develop slowly, over many years, from abuse and poor care but end up causing severe pain, suffering and even death. In effect, our bodies degenerate because of the way we treat them.

The undeniable medical evidence is that poor nutrition and bad lifestyle choices during childhood predispose us to these debilitating degenerative diseases later in life. Examples of these diseases include heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension.

Focus on What you Eat

Medical research has established an indisputable link between nutrition and health. Literally hundreds of scientific studies have indicated a strong association between diet and the incidence of chronic degenerative disease. We know, for example, that by eating a varied and balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and rich