Path to Wellness Starts Now

Read this Before Eating that Grapefruit

It may be filled with vitamin C and fiber, but if you’re on prescription medication, eating that breakfast grapefruit may be doing a lot more harm than good. A recent study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found 85 known prescription drugs that interact with grapefruit (including grapefruit juice). 43 of these have serious side effects, including kidney failure and gastrointestinal bleeding. The researchers from the Lawson Health Research Institute in Ontario, Canada also found that occasionally there’s up to a quadrupling of the drug’s effects, transforming a therapeutic dose to a toxic overdose. Timing is critical: The hazardous interactions can even occur many hours after you’ve eaten the offending fruit, meaning if you’re on a prescription drug, you should probably steer clear of the beloved citrus altogether. Not sure if your meds made the list? Check the warning label, ring your physician or pharmacist, or click on…

T H E E C O L I   K I L L I N G H E R B: OREGANO
Those flu-like symptoms might actually be a minor case of E. coli. More than 70,000 Americans come down with the bacterial infection each year, often from eating contaminated meat. Fend off the germs with oregano. Researchers at Kansas State University found that the Italian herb—fresh or dried—can help wipe out E. coli when added to ground beef. Mix in at least 1 tablespoon…

SWEET DREAMS ARE NOT M A D E O F T H I S
If Ambien is your antidote for restless sleep, you may want to kick the drug habit—for good. According to a recent study in The British Medical Journal, people who popped just one (and up to 18) prescription sleeping pills over the course of a year increased their risk of early death, 3.5 times over. Still, inadequate shut-eye triggers an assortment of health problems—from heart disease and high blood pressure to stroke and diabetes (not to mention, a zombie-like state during the day)—that can’t be ignored. To help ease your body and mind into sleep…

 

For the complete list of wellness tips download the Winter/Spring 2013 issue here, then skip to page 76.

 

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