Last year, researchers confirmed what veteran air travelers have known all along: Upper respiratory infections are one of the unpleasant realities that accompany a significant number of people off the airplane when they fly. This happens because the air in the airplane cabin is recycled throughout the course of your trip. So any germs floating around in that air are also re-circulated the whole time. Plus, the air on planes tends to be much drier, which means your nose and mouth also become dry. Without the mucous and moisture usually present to “catch” them, bacteria have a better atmosphere for setting in and causing infection. But here’s a simple tip you can use to keep yourself from joining this version of the “mile high” club.

You might remember me telling you about MHCP a while ago–in the April 2002 issue. It’s a flavonoid found in cinnamon that can mimic the action of insulin and work synergistically with insulin in your body to help regulate blood sugar more effectively. Quite a few of my patients with type 2 diabetes, and even a few with type 1, have told me their blood sugar control is significantly better with MHCP-containing supplements. But now there’s new information on another plant that can help regulate your blood sugar, too.

Q: “Thank you for the help you gave me through your newsletter. I had a blood clot in my leg, from groin to ankle…Eight doctors here looked at my ultrasound and said they could not dissolve the clot…

Q: I was disappointed that your articles on fish oil have made no mention, either positive or negative, of the EPA/DHA fish oil capsules taken by many of us, which concentrate the omega 3s, thus requiring us to take much less fish oil.

In the June 2003 issue, you read about the remarkable results achieved with estriol–one of the “good estrogens”–in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. But since autoimmune diseases are well-known to occur in women much more often than men, I’ve speculated that the estriol may not be the only factor at work–at least not in all cases of autoimmune disease. Instead, abnormal metabolism of several different “female hormones” might be what causes these disorders in so many women.

Last year, on the 23rd of October, the usual culprit–our old “pal” FDA–announced that it may require restaurant chains to display the nutritional content, including the calorie and fat counts, for each item on their menus. This probably sounds like a good thing. Normally, I recommend you read labels and always be aware of what you’re eating. And I am 100 percent in favor of good health and complete health information. But this particular instance of “food awareness” instigated by the FDA is anything but complete. It struck a nerve with me for a few reasons.

It’s February, and that means cold and flu season is in full swing–and that the little ones in your life have probably had several earaches by now. But there are a few steps your children can take to make sure your grandkids’ ears stop aching–maybe even permanently.

“Is Botox safe? What about collagen shots? How about some of the other cosmetic injections I’m reading about?” I’m hearing these questions often now from patients visiting the Tahoma Clinic -and not just from women, but from men, as well. So I thought it was a good idea to talk to you about them, too. You may be surprised: I’m not completely against all of them. In fact, one of these injections is actually OK for your health. But injections aren’t your only options for getting rid of those wrinkles. So let’s take a look at the hot new options we’re being bombarded with and then some proven stand-bys you can try if you want to avoid the shots altogether.

IN THIS ISSUE: Today’s anti-aging injections: Which ones work, which ones won’t, and what other treatments to try first; Save the little ones in your life from aching ears; Keep the menu police from raiding your favorite restaurant;Could “good” estrogen be the answer to autoimmune disease?; Don’t forget the fish oil!; Learning not to live with blood clots; Control your blood sugar with cinnamon’s new diabetes-fighting sidekick; The “mile high” club you don’t want to join ;