Recently, I admitted all this lifestyle changes stuff I'd been writing about for a long time in this space finally got to me. I couldn't ignore all the extra pounds on my body weighing me down or my desire to "get old" with my wife of 20 years, my kids, my grandkids and all the family (and extended family) I'd accumulated over a half-century of living a second longer. I don't use the bad genes "defense" to deflect the responsibility, or the "I'm too busy to eat properly excuse" any more.

These changes have been easier for me to make thanks to a renewed commitment to exercise. In my case, it's nearly 40-minute sessions of brisk walking on a treadmill at least twice a week. Granted, this is a small commitment and not enough for many purists, but this makes sense for me based on my personal and professional responsibilities and I feel A LOT BETTER for doing it too.

If you're looking for excuses not to exercise, however, you can find them just as easily. Take, for instance, this recent New York Times piece detailing a position paper from the National Athletic Trainers' Association about that counsels athletes on various skin diseases and how to avoid them. Or, the side-story about a wrestler who developed a staph infection after being exposed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.

The aforementioned athlete says he did all the right things that would've prevented any exposure to MRSA, but it happened anyway. And, there are other lesser but annoying problems you'll face at the gym -- think athlete's foot or jock itch -- if you're not careful.

Fortunately, you can sidestep most of these nasties hiding out at the gym by taking some common-sense precautions, like those listed in a recent blog post from Outside magazine. In fact, I had already been following many of these simple suggestions before reading it.

Journal of Athletic Training, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 411-428, July/August 2010 Free Full Text Report

New York Times August 2, 2010

Considering the number of problems with all kinds of consumer products -- from supplements to Shrek glasses sold at McDonald's -- soaring, it was perfect timing that the General Services Administration announced its recent redesign of the USA.gov website and the launch of 18 mobile phone applications, including those tracking recalls, monitoring air quality and comparing healthy food choices.

The Office of Management and Budget had good reason to dive into the smartphone world: Recent surveys by Nielsen have found 21 percent of all Americans use smartphones, and by the end of 2011, roughly half of the folks who do will be connecting via a Blackberry, iPhone or Droid or models very similar to them.

The Recalls.gov website is particularly robust, with announcements divided into seven fields, ranging from cars and cosmetics to foods and environmental products.

The only downside about the USA.gov redesign I can see: Individual websites may be easy to access (they're programmed to mobile-friendly, low-bandwidth standards), but mobile apps aren't available from governmental agencies for all smartphones. For example, the Recalls.gov app is only available on Google's Droid, but not the iPhone. But, the FBI's Most Wanted listings and a BMI Calculator are only available as iPhone apps.

Image source: Recalls.gov

PC Magazine July 6, 2010

CNN.com July 6, 2010

Federal News Radio July 6, 2010

As someone who is deeply in love with TexMex foods of all kinds, I am deeply sorry to report that you may want to add fresh salsa and guacamole served at restaurants to your ever-growing list of risky foods to avoid, according to a recent CDC report.

Safety reports of contaminated salsa or guacamole at restaurants and delis more than doubled from 1998-2008 to nearly 4 percent, compared to just 1.5 percent from 1984-97. Simply put, almost one of every 25 foodborne outbreaks over the past decade can be linked to tainted guacamole or salsa. And, those are only the ones that have been reported...

The likely culprits:

* Food workers don't or won't wash their hands constantly between cooking and cleaning.

* Faulty storage procedures taint your favorite chip dip before it reaches your table.

* Raw produce used to make guacamole and salsa -- cilantro, tomatoes and hot peppers -- has been part of recent food recalls.

You don't need to give up salsa completely, however, as AllRecipes.com features some 150 fresh and delicious variations (some recipes are completely off-the-wall to this very basic salsa lover, while others are very basic mixtures).

ScienceDaily July 13, 2010

KSAT.com July 13, 2010

San Antonio Express-News July 13, 2010

When you heard about the latest product recall from a big-box retailer -- this time, it's 12 million drinking glasses used to market the "final" Shrek film sold at McDonald's -- you probably weren't surprised, especially if you're a parent or grandparent. The culprit is a familiar one…

Trace amounts of cadmium, the 48th element of the Periodic Table and a known carcinogen, have been showing up lately, not only coating Shrek glasses, but in Chinese-made children's products that have found their way to the shelves of big-box retailers in America, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). One bit of good news: Cadmium levels measured in those Shrek glasses were much lower than those detected in some children's jewelry -- think trinkets promoting Hannah Montana's alter-ego Miley Cyrus and The Princess and the Frog movie.

In fact, much of this recent attention paid by the CPSC was likely triggered by an Associated Press investigation that discovered 12 percent of the children's pendants and bracelets scientists tested contained at least 10 percent cadmium. And, the most contaminated piece was composed of 91 percent cadmium by weight.

So, if cadmium is a carcinogen used primarily in the making of batteries, why is it being found in other places? Chinese manufacturers may be substituting harmful heavy metals like cadmium, barium and antimony in place of lead, to achieve specific pigments, according to CPSC.

More recently, we warned you about excessive amounts of lead and cadmium also showing up in the darndest places, like St. John's wort, just another reason for you to do your homework when it concerns taking a supplement.

Image source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Christian Science Monitor June 10, 2010

Huffington Post June 4, 2010

New York Times June 9, 2010

Municipal water systems are tricky. It's next to impossible not to use them, and they can be risky, considering you may be showering with bacteria-laden water that harms folks with compromised immune systems. Unfortunately, the risk of illness may be more widespread for many children and adults using public swimming pools, according to a CDC report.

Based on a review of more than 120,000 routine public pool inspections conducted in 13 states two years ago, 12 percent of pools (some 13,500) were closed immediately due to serious health violations, of which most were related to faulty disinfectant (12,917) or pH levels (10,148). And, nearly 74,000 of those pool inspections identified at least one violation.

The variety of pool systems cited most often by the CDC for safety violations (those that were shut down or had disinfectant problems) may surprise you:

1. Child care facility pools: 17.2 percent

2. Hotel/motel pools: 15.3 percent

3. Kiddie/wading pools: 13.5 percent

4. Interactive fountains: 12.6 percent

5. Apartment/condo pools: 12.4 percent

Learn more about diseases that can harm your gut, skin, ears and respiratory system and how to avoid them by reviewing CDC data on recreational water illness.

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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 59, No. 19, pp. 582-587, May 21, 2010

healthfinder.gov May 20, 2010

CDC Online Newsroom May 20, 2010

The Law of Unintended Consequences -- unforeseen and often undesirable outcomes as the result of a particular action -- is definitely at work in the epidemic of childhood obesity. Unfortunately, this "law," popularized by the late American sociologist Robert K. Merton, is playing out in ways that may be harming our nation's security, according to Too Fat to Fight, a report issued by Mission: Readiness, a non-profit organization tasked with growing the next generation of soldiers.

Citing recent CDC data, this 16-page analysis (free link below) argues an alarming 27 percent of young adults (ages 17-24) -- at least 9 MILLION people -- are too fat to serve in the military. The number of states with 40-49 percent of its young adult residents who were obese or overweight exploded from one in 1996-98 to 39 a decade later. And, more than 50 percent of young adults living in three states -- Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi -- are too obese to enlist right now.

When combined with other disqualifiers -- among them criminal records, a lack of education, medical conditions like asthma and drug abuse -- an estimated 75 percent of young folks would be ineligible to serve, according to a prepared statement given to the House Armed Service Services Committee in 2009 by Dr. Curtis Gilroy, currently the director of accession policy at the Pentagon who oversees active-duty recruiting.

I can't blame you one little bit if you're skeptical about these numbers (particularly because few people, save athletes, gain massive amounts of weight intentionally). I was too, until I reviewed this equally striking USA Today story by Chris Joyner who discovered similar statistical problems with local police and fire department recruiting. Although no national studies have been conducted on the fitness of police officers and fire fighters, localized reports have consistently found about 75 percent of these professionals are overweight and a third would be classified as obese. And, one Harvard expert believes these fitness numbers may foreshadow something much worse: Some departments have lowered their physical requirements to avoid discrimination lawsuits.

The only silver lining in all these numbers is a personal one for me and my family. I recall my XO soldier son, serving in the Delta Company/2nd Battalion -- 124th Infantry division in Kuwait (Army National Guard), spending his late evenings, when he wasn't training or teaching, doing 5-mile runs just to keep up with "the kids" in his unit. Mindful of the dire numbers I cited above, I can't help but be very proud of my son who is giving his best for his unit and his country. I hope you'll feel the same way after watching my son, 2nd Lt. John Beamer, who surprised me last year when he appeared in a National Guard recruiting video.

Mission: Readiness April 20, 2010 Free Full PDF Report

USA Today May 9, 2010

NJ.com/The Star-Ledger April 25, 2010

USA Today April 20, 2010

In their never-ending quest to tie up all the loose ends disguised as food safety regulations in America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture took a small step forward when it issued new performance standards to reduce the amount of Salmonella and Campylobacter, the most widely reported causes of foodborne illness, in turkeys and young chickens.

The goal of these "beefed-up" standards -- preventing an estimated 65,000 cases of foodborne illnesses combined -- is a good one, in light of the countless number of recent problems connected with dirty foods that may be hiding in your refrigerator (remember those prewashed bagged salads in your crisper). That said, one can make an air-tight argument that these changes were far too late in coming.

For example, these standards were the first ever enacted by the USDA for Campylobacter, and Salmonella rules hadn't been revised for chicken in 14 years. What's more, the USDA estimates half of the nation's poultry plants would fail to meet this new standard for Campylobacter right now.

Feel any safer yet?

Talking about safety and quality -- not to mention more harmful substances you’ll want to avoid -- it's very important for you to do your homework when it comes to picking the right supplement for your health, and CNCA’s Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts will help you do just that.

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USDA May 10, 2010

USA Today May 10, 2010

Los Angeles Times May 11, 2010

You've probably heard a good deal about the President's Cancer Panel's most recent report (review the full 240-page tome at the link below) and its most debated conclusions: A lack of research may have blinded experts into "grossly underestimating" the amount of cancers and "grievous harm" caused by our unknown exposure to environmental toxins.

Controversial, according to the American Cancer Society, because the report re-ignites a subject that's been vigorously debated for some 30 years, restating "hypotheses as if they were established facts." Heated, because the ACS estimates only 6 percent of all cancer deaths (34,000) can be blamed on environmental toxins versus smoking that's responsible for about five times more deaths (some 170,000). What's more, the ACS worries the report deemphasizes all the good lifestyle changes can have on an average American's cancer risks.

On the other hand, some cancer specialists regard the report as a welcome shift in emphasis that may shed more light on the importance of and better control over environmental exposures. This is a very compelling argument, considering the actual number of potentially toxic chemicals under the EPA's jurisdiction is murky at best due to the Toxic Substances Act that shields information about some 20 percent of chemicals from big business and the public.

There's no doubting the positive effect lifestyle changes can have on lowering your odds of cancer. Still, we have a great deal to learn as a society about the myriad of ways chemicals help and harm us.

USA Today May 6, 2010

ABC News May 6, 2010

Environmental Health News May 6, 2010

New York Times May 6, 2010

National Cancer Institute/ President's Cancer Panel Free Full Report

Unfortunately, fraud isn't the only problem with our nation's food supply, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) audit that found beef tainted with heavy metals, pesticides and veterinary antibiotics is being sold in American grocery stores.

The problem isn't just the porous testing of processed foods we eat every day (remember last year's salmonella outbreak in peanut butter). The real issue is a lack of regulation by the FDA and EPA that has failed to set even minimal limits on human exposure to potential hazardous substances, like heavy metals (copper and arsenic) and veterinary drugs (flunixin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug given to horses and cattle).

Even worse, this lack of standards prevents the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) from doing anything about the problem, even when it discovers higher-than-normal levels of vet drugs or pesticides in meat.

This disconnect became very apparent two years ago, when one shipment of beef was rejected for sale in Mexico because the amount of copper detected by food regulators there exceeded the country's own standards. Unfortunately, due to the lack of any federal oversight on copper in America, FSIS couldn't prevent that food manufacturer from reselling that heavy metal-laden beef in America.

The U.S. House is considering a bill that would set limits on seven antibiotics commonly used by farmers. That said, isn't this attention coming a bit late in the game?

USA Today April 15, 2010

Food Safety News April 14, 2010

Two months after the FDA approved the use of rosuvastatin calcium -- the prescription drug known by its far more popular trade name Crestor -- for millions of healthy Americans who have no cholesterol problems, health experts still remain very divided on the necessity of prescribing it.

Some are overjoyed the FDA took a preemptive step, based on scientific evidence culled from the JUPITER study published in 2008, in recommending that Crestor be prescribed to healthy folks with normal or near-normal cholesterol levels but elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein and at least one other risk factor (a family history of heart disease, smoking, high blood pressure).

Others, however, see it as merely promoting a faster track to better health with the help of just one more prescription drug -- albeit a very popular one without a generic equivalent -- while ignoring the real problem: Incorporating realistic changes into their lifestyles and sticking to them.

Despite my family's general poor health footprint, so far, I've been lucky enough to avoid taking a statin drug. If my doctor ever recommended that I take a daily pill for my cholesterol, I'd probably clean up my lifestyle habits that got me into trouble first before considering it (baby steps that I'm already taking, by the way).

My main concerns about taking one more drug mirror those of Dr. Mark Hlatky, a health research and policy expert and professor at Stanford University: It is so much easier to prescribe a drug than to change behavior, and that is my worry. We're heading down that road. Cardiovascular risk prevention is moving in the wrong direction.

A question for my readers: When faced with making a lifestyle change versus taking a pill, do you have any suggestions for making that transition to healthier living any easier, for the benefit of folks like me in the midst of doing it?

healthfinder.gov April 2, 2010

ABC News March 31, 2010

U.S. News & World Report March 1, 2010

New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 359, No. 21, pp. 2195-2207, November 21, 2008 Free Full Text Study

The FDA has expended so much energy attempting to protect the safety of our nation's food supply, they've taken their eyes off another potential problem that may harm your health: Food fraud.

Before you start worrying about a Soylent Green scenario, what we're talking about here is producers selling foods that aren't exactly what they claim to be. For example, a cheaper catfish fillet being sold as more expensive red snapper at your local supermarket, or a diluted product -- corn syrup or sugar beets added to honey -- even though it's advertised as 100 percent pure.

Food fraud can be pretty easy to spot, if you're looking for it and paying attention. Just ask a pair of New York City high school students who worked in tandem with scientists using high-tech tools like isotope ratio analysis to analyze the DNA composition of foods purchased randomly in Manhattan to verify their true composition. Eleven of the 66 products they tested last year, among them sheep's milk cheese, were "mislabeled."

Even worse, one Michigan State University expert estimates at least 5-7 percent of our nation's current food supply is affected by fraud. Ugh!

Let's hope Congress adds stronger oversight on food fraud in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act that could reach President Obama's desk -- after nearly a year of delays -- by May.

Washington Post March 30, 2010

Roughly six months after the American Cancer Society released their own rosy report, the downward trend in American cancer rates -- based on data culled from the CDC, National Cancer Institute and other research entities -- continues, albeit slowly.

The mortality rate among cancer patients fell 1.6 percent annually from 1999-2006 as did the number of new cancer diagnoses by less than 1 percent (during that same period). Still, more than a half-million Americans will die from cancer and almost three times as many patients will be diagnosed with it every year, according to the report.

But, it's no surprise taking better responsibility for your health can pay huge dividends when it comes to cancer prevention. Taking current colon cancer rates into consideration, without lifestyle changes, treatments or extra screenings, deaths linked to such cancers are projected to drop 17 percent from 2000-2020 just by themselves. Factoring in the aforementioned preventative measures, however, mortality statistics for colon cancer could be slashed by an amazing 50 percent over time.

Lifestyle changes identified in the study that would accelerate the positive trend in reducing cancer risks among all Americans:

* Eating a healthier diet.

* Better moving through exercise.

* Smoking cessation.

* Keeping off the extra pounds.

Cancer, December 7, 2009

MedlinePlus December 8, 2009

USA Today December 8, 2009

Earlier this month, the FDA issued a recall of 65 dietary supplements sold by Bodybuilding.com through their Web site, based on concerns these products contain ingredients the agency either currently classifies, or should be classified, as steroids. Turinabol, androstenedione, superdrol, madol and tren are the ingredients under federal scrutiny.

Some of the side effects associated with steroids are alarming. Among them:

* Acute liver injury

* Male infertility

* Increased risks of death, heart disease and stroke

* Male breast enlargement

Among the 65 supplements recalled by the FDA (review the links below for a full product list): Anabolic Xtreme Hyperdrol X2, Diabolic Labs Revenge, Myogenix Spawn, Performance Anabolics Methastadrol, Rage RV5 and Transform Supplements Forged Extreme Mass.

All the more reason for you to do your homework when it comes to choosing a safe supplement for your health. Learn more about the lack of testing and quality standards associated with other supplements by reviewing CNCA's Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts.

FDA.gov November 3, 2009

eNews Park Forest November 3, 2009

Citing an "understandably anxious and confused" public, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson recently announced an urgent push for major reforms for the long outmoded 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that governs how the agency regulates toxic chemicals. "Over the years, not only has the TSCA fallen behind the industry it's supposed to regulate, it's been proven an inadequate tool for providing the protection against chemical risks that the public rightfully expects," Jackson says.

It's about time. During TSCA's sorry, 33-year history, the FDA has issued either strong regulations or banned only five chemicals out of some 80,000. Among the reforms being considered:

1. Giving greater authority to the EPA to take action when chemicals don't meet safety standards.

2. Mandating more timely assessments of new and existing priority chemicals.

3. Reviewing chemicals against risk-specific safety standards based on sound science that safeguard the environment and human health.

4. Requiring manufacturers to provide the agency with enough information to make informed assessments about the safety or non-safety of chemicals.

5. Changing the mindset of assessments, so that chemicals aren't automatically assumed to be "innocent until proven guilty," says an Environmental Working Group spokesperson.

A big surprise: The American Chemistry Council endorses the move by the EPA to revamp TSCA, considered by many environmental health experts to be obsolete.

Toxic "surprises" are just another thing to consider when you're weighing the pros and cons of a product to improve your health. Read more about protecting yourself and your family from our toxic world here.

EPA.gov September 29, 2009

San Francisco Chronicle September 30, 2009

USA Today September 29, 2009

If you've been reading our blog from the very beginning, one of the major themes we often discuss in this space is the need for you to do your homework when considering a quality supplement. It's not rocket science by any stretch... just using some good old fashioned common sense and doing a bit of due diligence on your end.

So, you may be interested -- if not a bit confused -- to learn that even as the FDA is cracking down on the questionable quality of some supplements, the agency lists a trio of vitamin strategies in their latest video Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins, to help you select the best and safest supplements for your health (particularly if you're a vegetarian or vegan, pregnant or breastfeeding). No doubt, faithful readers of this space should know them by heart.

1. Don't "chase" headlines (trendy studies may not yield safe, optimal results over the long term).

2. More is not better (too much of a good thing isn't always safe or ideal).

3. Watch for false claims (too good to be true usually is).

Learn more about how CNCA protects your health in many ways by reviewing our Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts.

NutraIngredients-USA.com October 2, 2009

FDA.gov February 21, 2009