Dear Health Conscious Reader,
I like to keep up on the latest news in my field.
The other day, I picked up my copy of Family Practice News, and I couldn’t believe what I saw: three articles side by side on the front page – all addressing the same thing: three different drugs … and three different deadly side effects not reported at the time that the FDA approved these drugs. And all three are still on the market.
The first story that caught my eye was about the diabetes drug Avandia. This drug is still on the market, even though it’s been proven to have caused over 83,000 heart attacks and 304 deaths.1,2
The FDA’s solution? They’re limiting the number of people allowed to take it. Now only patients who can’t manage their diabetes by taking a different medication will be allowed to take Avandia – and risk cardiac arrest. And patients who are currently taking the medication can continue if they wa
nt to. But only if they sign a waiver saying they understand the risks.The next story was about how the FDA can’t decide on whether to remove the weight reduction drug Sibutramine from the shelves or not.
They know there are risks of “cardiovascular safety” – heart failure – but eight out of the 16 weight reduction specialists on the FDA panel voted to keep it on pharmacy shelves, even though there’s a lack of evidence that there’s any sort of health benefit associated with the drug.
Instead the FDA has decided to allow the manufacturer to sell Sibutramine with a few restrictions on its distribution.
The final story I read was about anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). People pop these pills like they’re candy to relieve everything from headaches and minor arthritis to back pain.
According to a study cited in the article, these drugs can dramatically increase the risk of fatal and nonfatal strokes. The study followed a million Danish people over the course of nine years. And at the end of the study, they found the risk for stroke was increased by 30 percent for ibuprofen users and 60 percent for diclofenac users. And when the two NSAIDs were used together, the risk of stroke increased by a whopping 80 percent.3
Geesh – what a mess! So what to do? I just don’t use prescription drugs for anything but short-term problems. The longer I practice medicine, the less faith I have in a drug to address a long-term problem. For chronic problems, you just have to take the old-fashioned approach and get to the root of the problem.
My fall-back position for prevention in general is to give yourself back the good nutrition your body needs and physical challenges that mimic our native environment.
1. The Native Way to Feed Your Organs and Muscles
Our native ancestors lived on natural foods like fish, meat, nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables. They were robust, full of energy … never fat … and they got all of the nutrients their bodies needed from the food they ate.
Your body is 99.99 percent the same as these ancient ancestors, yet the modern way of eating is completely different. Almost everything available at your local grocery store is processed and lacking any sort of nutritional value.
To help give your body the proper nutrition it needs to feed your organs and muscles and keep your weight under control, avoid “diet” and processed foods.
The best choices are grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs, free-range chicken and locally grown organic produce. This way you know the food you’re eating is free of toxins and hormones and is pure nourishment for your body.
2. Get Back Your Native Strength
Exercise also plays a big role in fighting diabetes, obesity, and believe it or not, pain. A weak body is more susceptible to everyday aches and pains because it’s not strong enough to function properly. But a lean, strong body is better equipped to handle daily tasks with less muscle and joint pain.
Let’s go back to our ancient ancestors. Do you think a caveman would hit the gym? How about do a bicep curl with a rock for three sets of 20 reps?
Probably not.
This is why I believe the majority of people (trainers, included) are exercising the wrong way. They think aerobic exercise and weight training is the way to go, but that’s simply not the case.
Your body isn’t meant to do those types of repetitive, isolated movements. Your native ancestors had to be spry and agile to catch food, strong to lift heavy objects and build shelter, and quick to sprint away from predators. They didn’t continually run four miles without a break or lift a heavy log 15 times in a row the exact same way to work out their pecs.
If you want lean muscle that’s ready for action at a moment’s notice, and a heart and lungs with the extra capacity to deal with stress, it’s crucial to make your workouts brief but “progressive.”
What do I mean by progressive? You start off easy at what’s comfortable and then increase the difficulty (pick up the pace or increase the resistance) but not the duration.
In this way, you’ll be training your heart, lungs and muscle for strength and peak capacity but not endurance. And you can cut fat, stay lean, prevent pain and build real functional strength.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1 Harris, Gardiner, “Research Ties Diabetes Drug to Heart Woes,” The New York Times Feb. 19, 2010;
2 “Senate Report Links Diabetes Drug Avandia to Heart Attacks,” CNN, Feb. 19, 2010,
3 Chang, C., Shau, W., et al, “Increased Risk of Stroke Associated With Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs,” Stroke 2010