Q: Please address the issue of seizures. My husband developed them after heart valve surgery 11 years ago but they were not diagnosed until two years ago. Since that time he has been on Dilantin, Neurontin, and now Keppra with varying results. The worst part of the medications is that he is so “foggy” mentally, and that is with a small dosage.

Q: Thank you for the article on emphysema (August 2002 Nutrition & Healing). I realize that you cannot offer medical advice, but I would like to ask where I can obtain glutathione in inhaler form. I showed my doctor the article and she was very interested in the inhaler-type glutathione.

One of the recommendations I make on a regular basis to Tahoma Clinic patients and to Nutrition & Healing readers is to have thorough allergy testing done. Over the years, I’ve found that hidden food allergies and sensitivities often play a major role in a person’s overall health–determining them and eliminating or desensitizing to the trigger foods almost always results in a significant improvement.

Summer is right around the corner, and you’re probably looking forward to spending more time outside. And more time outside usually means more activity–but it also means more exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and pollution in general (collectively known in the scientific world as xenobiotics). Even if you don’t use chemicals in your own yard or garden, chances are good that at least some of your neighbors do. But no matter where the exposure comes from, it’s an inescapable reality of modern life–and our bodies are “paying the price,” so to speak. You see, all this exposure to foreign chemicals forces your liver to work overtime trying to remove the toxins from your system. If it doesn’t do the job efficiently enough, it can lead to all sorts of health problems–including autoimmune diseases (like MS and rheumatoid arthritis), cancer, and organ damage.

Just a few months ago, in the January 2003 issue of Nutrition & Healing, I might have surprised you by recommending beef as a health-promoting food. But I wasn’t referring to just any beef. You see, the cattle used to produce most commercial beef you find in the grocery stores are raised in crowded lots and stuffed full of grain, hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs. This kind definitely ISN’T good for you. I was recommending beef in it’s “original” form –from cattle roaming the fields, getting lots of exercise, eating grass, and certainly not being pumped full of drugs.

Like most natural medicine physicians, I believe very firmly in helping every adult take responsibility for his or her own health care. That’s why Nutrition & Healing focuses mostly on things you can do for yourself to prevent illness, relieve symptoms, and restore health.

IN THIS ISSUE: End crippling spasms in minutes–even halt some heart attacks–with one amazing mineral; How safe is the meat you’ve been eating?; The exotic Chinese berry you (and your liver) shouldn’t be without this summer; Test yourself for hidden food allergies just by checking your pulse and weight; Where to find natural emphysema relief; Where to find natural emphysema relief