New Years Resolution - Get Healthier

That time of the Year again - to make New Year's resolutions. What's your? Mine is to get healthier and stay healthier. But a resolution without a plan is usually doomed to fail.

What I resolve to do is to get back into the gym on a consistent basis; make healthier food choices when I do eat out; and become more educated so I can manage my health and help others better.

I have read many good books on nutrition, the best being "What Your Doctors Don't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You", by Dr Ray Strand, and "Releasing Fat" by the same author. Releasing Fat is not about diets and losing weight, it's abut reducing the treat of diabetes for managing this degenerative disease if you have it.

My reading list for the New Year, which I plan on finishing and applying what I learn, is by the end of January 2011 to finish the books I have not yet read. I have all of them on my bookshelf, just haven;t made time to read them yet.

Anyway, my reading list counting the two books I have already read, are listed below. I think that once someone reads one of these books, they yearn for more - not such a bad thing.





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Vitamin C - So Important

If you have read this site once or twice you have probably seen an article on the disconnect between the 60 year old RDA levels and what is called higher doses of nutrients for optimal cellular health. You have probably seen Doctor Ray Strand's name mentioned as well. Dr Strand spells it out in his book, "What Doctors Don't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You", and his Bionutrition Newsletters and Health Nugget e-mails, that the RDA’s have nothing to do with chronic degenerative diseases. They are simply way too low.

The RDA's were developed as the minimal amount required to avoid acute deficiency diseases like scurvy, rickets, and pellagra. Vitamin C is a perfect example. The body can’t manufacture vitamin C and it has to get it from our diet and through supplementation. Vitamin C is critical for proper immune function, prevention of oxidative stress, and prevention of DNA damage. Researchers who have looked at the RDA of vitamin C, which is 60 mg daily, have concluded that we need at least 10 times more or over 1,000 mg to receive a health benefit. The best way to achieve this goal is to eat a healthy diet that contains at least 6 to 8 servings of fruits and vegetables and also to use supplementation.

I ensure I get a high does of quality Vitamin C each and every day, especially throughout the late fall and winter months. Although it has been years I remember the racking joint pain in my knees and back brought on by the seasonal flu, I do not take any chances with my health and take a pharmaceutical grade supplement of multi-minerals and anti-oxidants to ensure I am giving my body the necessary nutrients for cellular health and my immune system.

One cannot just pick and choose their supplements and expect to be effective. All required nutrients need to be taken in the right doses in order to provide a synergistic effect.

Deruelle F, Baron B. Vitamin C: is supplementation necessary for optimal health? J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Dec;14(10):1291-8

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Diabetes Can Lead to Obesity and Impact on Knee and Joint Pain

Diabetes is rapidly becoming of epidemic proportions in the United States . We believe there are several causes among the obvious: increasing sedentary population dependent upon technology; increasing lack of nutrient content of foods; increasing reliance on processed foods; and, lack of nutritional education especially for children.

In fact some experts are now calling this trend the diabesity epidemic, combining the fattening of the population with the diabetes increase. Not only does this trend foretell major health issues occurring at earlier ages, but predicts chronic joint, especially knee and back problems, to be also of epidemic proportions. To complicate the issue, we’ll see an increase of treatment (Rx Pain Meds and surgeries) to address the symptoms rather than the cause which is nutritional deficiencies.

Dr Ray Strand is on the leading forefront of Nutritional Medicine and he addresses the concept of cellular nutrition where high doses of quality anti-oxidants and vitamins/minerals give the body the nutrients it needs to combat oxidative stress which is the root cause of degenerative disease such as arthritis, non-specific knee and joint pain, and diabetes to name a few.

The latest Health Nugget from Doctor Strand.

Antioxidant Supplementation May Reduce Risk of Diabetes:

In a new clinical trial, 48 overweight young adults that had signs of pre-diabetes were given a cocktail of antioxidants for 8 weeks. This cocktail included Vitamin E (800 IU), vitamin C (500 mg), and beta-carotene (10 mg). After eight weeks the patients had a significant increase in insulin sensitivity along with decreased oxidative stress. Their arteries also functioned much better with less inflammation.

Whenever I see studies that combine several different antioxidants rather than just looking at one particular one, I see much better results. This is why I always recommend the concept of cellular nutrition. Cellular nutrition is defined by taking a wide variety of antioxidants along with their supporting nutrients at these optimal levels that have been shown to provide a health benefit in our medical literature.

Vincent HK, et al. Effects of antioxidant supplementation on insulin sensitivity, endothelial function, and oxidative stress in overweight young adults. Metabolism, 2009 Feb;58(2):254-62

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More Research on Vitamins B1, Vitamin C and Vitamin D

More Health Nuggets from one of America ’s leading experts on Nutrition Medicine. Doctor Ray Strand, author of several books, including

What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You” and Death By Prescription publishes weekly Health Nuggets passing the latest in research on how nutrients (vitamins, mineral and anti-oxidants) not only is essential for optimal health, but helps protects against degenerative disease. Dr Strand web site is wealth of information concerning Nutritional Medicine, click here to go to his site.

MyAchingKnees.com stands by the view that Chronic Joint Pain is a degenerative disease and caused or facilitated, in many cases, by a lack of nutrients provided to the body to combat oxidative stress which is the root cause of degenerative disease. We have made the decision to publish Dr Strands Health Nuggets even though there is a risk that people will try to “piece meal” their nutritional needs rather than take a supplement that is complete and has the nutrients in sufficient doses and in a pure and potent formulation so that the supplement can work synergistically to provide the body with the essential nutrients for optimal health.

Vitamin B1 Helps Reverse Early Kidney Disease in Diabetics

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) has been shown to reverse early signs of kidney disease in diabetics in a recent study reported in the journal of Diabetologia. Diabetes significantly increases the risk of kidney disease. Forty diabetic patients that had signs of protein in their urine, which is an indication of early kidney disease received vitamin B1 in supplementation. The researchers observed a 41% decrease in protein being excreted by the kidney and 35% of the participants saw their kidney function return to normal. Dr. Rabbani stated, “This study once again highlights the importance of vitamin B1 supplementation in our diabetic patients.

Vitamin C Supplementation Lowers C-Reactive Protein

Gladys Block, PhD, and her associates looked at nearly 400 participants who received vitamin C, vitamin E, or placebo for 2 months. They measured the amount of inflammation in the arteries by looking a blood test called C-Reactive Protein (CRP). Inflammation or elevated CRP is known to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. There was no effect for vitamin C in patients who had normal CRP levels; however, in those who had an elevated CRP, vitamin C users lowered CRP by .25 mg/L. This is the same level of reduction seen with statin drug treatment. Much of the clinical effectiveness of statin drugs is the fact that it lowers inflammation (CRP). Now simply supplementing with vitamin C accomplishes the same thing.

Block G, et al. Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein. Free Radical Biol Med. 2008 Oct 10.

Vitamin D Deficiency is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease

A recent study review published in the American College of Cardiology details the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes) in patients who have vitamin D deficiencies. They point out that vitamin D deficiency can lead to high blood pressure and thickening of the heart and blood vessels.

Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized, emerging cardiovascular risk factor, which should be screened for and treated,” stated study co-author Dr. James O’Keefe. You want to have your physician run a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level on your blood and you want that level to be at least greater than 50 and ideally greater than 60.

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Anti-Oxidants and Degenerative Disease

MyAchingKnees.com continues to receive Health and Wellness information from Dr. Ray Strand in the form of his weekly Health Nuggets. The common train of the last two Health Nuggets was the relationship between low levels of anti-oxidants and degenerative disease. This week Dr Strand talks about Macular Degeneration and Atherosclerosis. Chronic Knee and other joint pain and problems are heavily influenced by the same thing as Macular Degeneration and Atherosclerosis that is oxidative stress, releasing free radicals that cause inflammation affecting a wide range of problems. The only,…again, the only protection we have a high level of control over is the nutritional supplements we take in order to provide our body the nutrients to combat oxidative stress – hence the term anti-oxidants.

I have some clients who are taking pharmaceutical grade Glucosamine and Omega 3 Fatty Acids that I recommend and take myself, but I also tell them they will not get the most optimal benefits until they begin a pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplementation program as all the minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants work best and create synergy when they are consumed in the proper ratios.

Sunlight Exposure along with low Antioxidant levels Increases the risk of Macular Degeneration.

A recent study suggests that protecting the eyes from sunlight exposure (using hats or protective sunglasses) and consuming high levels of dietary antioxidants may significantly reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. The researchers looked at lifetime sunlight exposure and measured blood antioxidant levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, zeaxanthin, and zinc. They evaluated 4,400 older people and found that individuals with the lowest antioxidant levels and greatest sunlight exposure significantly increased the risk of macular degeneration.

Low Antioxidant Levels Associated with Hardening of the Arteries

A study looked at 220 men and women without a history of hardening of the arteries. Vitamin A, vitamin E, and Lycopene were decreased by over 50% in the participants who were found out to have hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) when compared to those who did not have any hardening of the arteries. The researchers concluded that regular intake of foods rich in antioxidant vitamins (nutritional supplementation) may slow the progression of hardening of the arteries and its consequences (heart attack or stroke).

Note: Riccioni G, et al. Plasma antioxidants and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;53 (2):86-90

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Vitamin D and the Link to Strokes

MyAchingKnees.com received the following information on Vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of strokes from Dr. Ray Strand's Health Nuggets publications,...www.drraystrand.com

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death (140,000 per year in the US) in the US and Canada. Adverse drug reactions are the third leading cause of death (180,000 deaths per year in the US) in the US and Canada. Everyone is very concerned about having a stroke because of the major disability it can cause.

A study published in September 2008, revealed that for every small decrease in blood levels of vitamin D there was a startling 86% increase in fatal strokes. The researchers concluded that low levels of 25 hydorxyvitamin D levels are independently predictive of fatal strokes and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation is a promising approach in the prevention of strokes.

So what are desirable vitamin D blood levels that we want to achieve and how do we find out what our vitamin D level actually is? The most accepted blood test is called a 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D blood level. This test can be done non-fasting; however, it needs to be ordered by a physician.

The proposed level for optimal health is 50 to 60 ng/ml. Now some practitioners would even like to see this as high as 80. However, everyone agrees that if this level is less than 20 you have a serious problem and need to address it immediately. A level between 20 and 40 is generally considered to be inadequate and increased supplementation with vitamin D3 is strongly recommended. Those whose level is between 40 and 50 should be sure they are at least supplementing their diet with vitamin D3 at greater than 1,000 IU daily thereafter.

The primary source of vitamin D is normally in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. However, it has been pointed out in previous Health Nuggets that vitamin D deficiency is still very prevalent throughout the world and especially in those individuals who live in higher latitudes. My advice is to actually check your blood levels of vitamin D and see where you stand. If you are not able to get this blood test through your own personal physician, you also have the option of ordering the blood work through the Dr Strand website at www.drraystrand.com.

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Low Vitamin D Linked to Knee Pain

I received a Health Nugget from Doctor Ray Strand, one of this Nation's leading experts in Nutritional Medicine. In this version, Dr Strand relates that low levels of Vitamin D are linked patients who experienced worse knee pain.

Dr Strand would be the first to tell people that if you are one who is experiencing knee pain, it is not as simple as buying a bottle of Vitamin D to supplement with. We all need to be taking advanced doses of quality nutrients (Vitamins, Minerals and Anti-Oxidants) so they can work in a synergistic fashion to combat free radicals and reduce the devastation of oxidative stress with our bodies. I also include alike high quality (pharmaceutical grade) Glucosamine and Omega 3 Fatty Acids which I attribute to my greatly reduced, in fact almost eliminated, knee pain. Besides having the benefits of no sickness for the past 5+ years which I attribute to pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.

Dr Strand's Health Nugget:

A recent study showed that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who also had low levels of vitamin D experienced worse knee pain and decreased mobility when compared with those who had higher levels of vitamin D. This research was based on studies that show that vitamin D influences both musculoskeletal health and neuromuscular function.

The researchers looked at over 100 men and women with osteoarthritis of the knee. Nearly half of the participants had vitamin D deficiencies. This deficiency correlated to the severity of knee pain and mobility.

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More on Vitamin D

MyAchingKnees.com will sometimes post information that has no direct link to Chronic Joint or Knee Pain. This is one of these posts. Vitamin D is one of nutrients that have recently received renewed scrutiny. We believe that not only advanced doses are supplementation are necessary for optimal health, but optimal health helps reduce the damage of free radicals from oxidative stress and therefore helps out entire body combat the resulting inflammation. So our overall health has an indirect or direct affect on chromic joint pain.

How Much Vitamin D do you need?

When you get your 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D blood level, the normal range is usually reported as 32 to 100 ng/ml. However, researchers are now beginning to believe that desired level of vitamin D should be over 50 ng/ml and some are recommending that it should be greater than 60 ng/ml. Depending on your level of vitamin D you will need to first get your level into the desired range. However, I would at least recommend that you try to achieve a blood level above 50 ng/ml.

Your personal physician should actually prescribe the amount of increased vitamin D that you will need to bring your vitamin D up to the proper level. It should then be rechecked to be sure that this goal has been accomplished. I work with the members of my online medical practice at www.drraystrand.com to achieve this goal through email or phone consultation and bloodwork that I can order for them. Once you have achieved this goal, you then should supplement with 1,000 to 1,200 IU of vitamin D3 daily.

Low Vitamin D levels increase Cardiovascular Risk

A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 11,2007) added more evidence in the link of low vitamin D levels and heart disease. These researchers measured the 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D levels in over 15,000 women. Those women who had the lowest levels of vitamin D had significantly higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and elevated triglyceride levels (the other fat in the blood other than cholesterol). These are all risk factors for heart disease and strokes.

These researchers again pointed out the fact that low vitamin D levels carry a significant risk factor to our health. They concluded that current intake of vitamin D is far to low for optimal health. This is why I recommend that my patients should get their vitamin D levels checked and act accordingly. First, to bring their vitamin D levels back up to the recommended level (at least greater than 50 ng/ml) and second, to maintain these levels by taking at least 1,000 to 1,200 IU of vitamin D in supplementation.

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation - Health Nugget from Doctor Ray Strand

Another Health Nugget from a subscription I have to Dr Ray Strand's Bionutrition Newsletters and Health Nuggets. Doctor Strand is one of this Country's foremost Doctor's practicing Nutritional Medicine. His book, "What Doctor's Don't Know About Nutritional Medicine May be Killing You" is an absolute must have for anyone serious about a healthy lifestyle or simply understanding how nutrition, both bad and good, affect your body and therefore your health. This Health Nugget talks about Inflammation. Although not in this Health Nugget, Doctor Strand is the authority that convinced me to get on a pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 Fatty Acid to reduce the ratio of Omega 6's to Omega's 3 and therefore help combat inflammation. The Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Glucosamine (Procosa II) have absolutely been a God send to my knees and even my back pain. If you would like to sign up for Doctor Strand's newsletters and Health Nuggets, visit his site here.

Oxidative stress and inflammation is an underlying factor in the development of numerous age-related diseases. In clinical trials, vitamin D has been shown to suppress what is referred to as pro-inflammatory cytokines. This offers additional protection against conditions ranging from rheumatoid arthritis, pre-diabetes, heart failure, stroke, and heart disease.

It has become evident that those individuals who live in higher latitudes contract multiple sclerosis at much higher rates than those living where they get sunshine throughout the year. Scientists have identified specific vitamin D receptors in the white matter of the brain. The reduction in inflammation, which is the result of adequate vitamin D, may play a role in protecting you against developing multiple sclerosis

Osteoporosis and the Importance of Vitamin D - Health Nugget from Doctor Ray Strand

I subscribe to Dr Ray Strand's Bionutrition Newsletters and Health Nuggets. Doctor Strand is one of this Country's foremost Doctor's practicing Nutritional Medicine. His book, "What Doctor's Don't Know About Nutritional Medicine May be Killing You" is an absolute must have for anyone serious about a healthy lifestyle or simply understanding how nutrition, both bad and good, affect your body and therefore your health.


Osteoporosis is epidemic in the US and Canada and yet physicians seem to focus primarily on calcium supplementation and medication. However, it is a well-known fact that you cannot even absorb calcium from your diet without adequate levels of vitamin D. The most potent vitamin D is vitamin D3. Our nation is in the midst of realizing that over 90% of the population is seriously deficient in vitamin D. This becomes a critical health issue especially when you consider how critical this nutrient is in helping to build and maintain bone density. One interesting report even showed that elderly people with the highest levels of vitamin D suffered far fewer falls and were less frail.

Anyone who has been diagnosed or is concerned about osteopenia (early thinning of the bone) or osteoporosis needs to have their vitamin D blood levels checked. As mentioned in a previous "Health Nugget", the best test is a 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D blood level. You want to have a blood level greater than 50 ng/ml. You can order this blood test at www.drraystrand.com or ask your personal physician to order it for you from your local lab.

Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation

Vitamin D is now thought to be much more necessary, in advanced doses, not only for optimum health and as protection against degenerative disease, but for joint health as well. Even though I attribute my pain free knees to pharmaceutical grade Glucosamine and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, I have also added a pharmaceutical grade Calcium and Vitamin D supplement as well. Click here to find out more about these products.

From Doctor Ray Strand, www.raystrand.com

A four year clinical was done that involved nearly 1200 women. This is the kind of study physicians love and always talk about when it comes to pharmaceutical trials. However, very few of them realize that there are these kinds of studies regarding the health benefits of taking supplements. Subjects were assigned to take 1400 mg of calcium alone, or 1400 mg of calcium plus 1100 IU of vitamin D, or a placebo. After only 4 years, the risk of developing any type of cancer was 60% lower in the vitamin D group. If you excluded the cancers diagnosed in the first year because these cancers were most likely already present before the study, there was a 77% reduction in all types of cancer in the vitamin D group.

The researchers pointed out that vitamin D has an effect on at least 200 human genes and is critical in the normal functioning of our immune system and cell division. When there is less than an optimal level of vitamin D, the regulatory process involving cell proliferation and differentiation becomes defective. This can lead to abnormal cell division and thus cancer growth. However, if individuals simply supplement their diet with 1100 IU of vitamin D, they can significantly decrease their risk of all cancers.

Doctor Ray Strand’s Releasing Fat

As you can tell, from time to time MyAchingKnees.com goes off azimuth on Aching Joints and Chronic Joint Pain subjects and delves into areas like basic Nutritional issues. Long a proponent of Doctor Ray Strand and his writings, his web site http://www.releasingfat.com is a gem of knowledge in the area of natural healthy lifestyle.

MyAchingKnees.com believes that a healthy lifestyle, through proper nutrition, supplementation and moderate physical exercise supports healthy joints and possibly reduction in chronic joint pain, especially for the knees which takes the brunt of our weight. Doctor’s Strand ’s ReleasingFat.com is not about losing weight, more so than it is about a healthy lifestyle in which losing weight is often a beneficial side effect.

Part of any Healthy Lifestyle should include diagnostic blood work to derive values for essential nutrients that you may or may not have. MyAchingKnees.com has previously posted here, about Health Screening such as Health Check USA which is a Laboratory we have used (and can recommend) for blood testing.

Doctor Strand also offer’s blood testing through a partnership with Lab Corp a well respected laboratory and blood testing facility with offices throughout the United States. Please visit Doctor Strand’s website, http://www.releasingfat.com to obtain additional information through a site tour. He offers memberships which provide discounts, especially for blood testing.

The Releasing Fat Program offers comprehensive blood testing for its members located in the continental United States . These blood tests are offered at very competitive rates for its members. Our members are able to order their blood tests from the convenience of their home and are able to go to over 1,000 draw stations across the nation to have their blood work drawn. The results are then available in just a couple of days to the physicians involved with the Releasing Fat Program. You will receive a complete health risk assessment from our medical staff after you have filled out your Health Survey and our physicians have received your blood work. This medical evaluation also allows us to establish your baseline prior to entering our program. Follow-up blood work is then recommended after you have completed the 12-week Releasing Fat Program and annually in our Maintenance Program.

Some of you may be located in an area where a LabCorp blood drawing center is not located. This means that we will need to mail you a blood drawing kit, which will need to be taken to your local lab or physician's office. They will draw your blood and then place it in an overnight package (this will be provided) so that the blood can be shipped overnight to LabCorp. There will be an additional charge of $25 for each time blood needs to be drawn. Your local lab or physician will also charge you a standard blood draw fee, which usually ranges somewhere between $5 to $10.

Sports Injuries Now # 2 in Doctor's Visits

According to a new report from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, visits to Doctor's Offices for Sport related injuries and chronic pain are now only second to visits complaining of a cold. 

Of the 8 most common reasons for Sports related injuries or pain, all of them involve joints.  Only two of them are from tissue damage such as tears, the other six are from degenerative problems such as joint pain, arthritis and tendinitis.

Arthritis was described as "cartilage breaking down, allowing bones (in the joint) to rub together".  Counter-measures, now get this, mentioned included avoidance of high impact activities, physical therapy, heat pads, possible anti-imflammatories, then surgical solutions such as joint replacement.

No where did this article mentioned joint nutrients such as Glucosamine.  Even though the Glucosamine that I take is listed in the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR),...not the Supplements version where companies pay to have their products listed, ,,,,,but the actual PDR were prescriptions medications are listed.  

Lack of informing people about nutrients involved in joint health and combating join pain, particularity knee joint pain is wht most Doctor's have earned the title "Disease Care Specialists" rather than "Health Care Specialists".  Doctor Ray Strand actually wrote a great book entitled "What Your Doctor's Don't Know About Nutritional Medicine May be Killing You."  Guess he had the insight into what most M.D.'s aren't taught about nutritional therapy.