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Why Do Drugs Cost So Much?
The truth will aggravate you…
 A story in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) debunks the claim made by American pharmaceutical companies that they charge more for their products because they spend more on research and development than firms in the rest of the world.
In fact, the piece shows U.K. drug companies spend proportionately more on R&D than their U.S. counterparts, but British drug prices remain much lower than those in the United States.
The BMJ article argues convincingly that, in fact, American drug makers invest three times more money on advertising, marketing, and administration than on research, and could cut costs in those areas if they truly wished to.
--British Medical Journal
Editor's Comment: If you are using a prescription drug, you are spending at least three times as much for drug advertising, marketing, and administration as for research!
Think about that the next time you are faced with a high-cost prescription drug. Think about that...read entire article
Find Out How to End Your Blood Pressure Worries
Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure, is one of the major health problems of the 21st century. It is estimated that 43 million Americans suffer with High Blood Pressure, and less than 10 million are successfully treating it. An astounding 77% of people with Hypertension don't even know they have it, choose not to treat it, or treat it without success. Important medical research has conclusively shown that anyone with a family history of either Heart Disease or High Blood Pressure should take aggressive action to reduce or prevent it, even if they presently do not have any symptoms.
A healthy diet and lifestyle is your first line of defense. Additionally, several..read entire article
Lawmakers Attack Cokes Fraudulent Green Tea Energy Drink Claims
 The Connecticut Attorney General's Office is investigating claims by Coca-Cola and Nestle that their new Enviga green-tea drink can burn calories.
Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut Attorney General, was concerned that the claim may amount to nothing more than "voodoo nutrition."
Enviga contains caffeine, calcium and the green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG.) Coca-Cola has claimed that EGCG speeds up metabolism and increases energy use, especially in combination with caffeine.
An Enviga website states that the beverage causes drinkers to burn more calories than it contains.
Blumenthal demanded copies of all studies, clinical trials, and tests relating to the calorie-burning claim.
USA Today February 5, 2007
Editor's Comment:
I’m happy that fraudulent claims by Coca-Cola that its newest and worthless green-tea-based energy drink, Enviga, can help anyone lose weight are being questioned. The truth be known, there are...read entire article
5 Ways to Boost Your Body's Metabolism and Start Burning Fat
Losing weight does not require you to put yourself through months of self-sacrifice, stress and frustration. To loose a moderate amount of weight, (5-7 pounds) all you have to is: (1) do a few things that will increase your body's metabolic rate, and (2) replace high-calorie, low-nutrient foods with those that promote health.
Here are five ways to maximize your fat-loss efforts.
- Eat more healthy fats. One of the biggest weight-loss myths is that "fat makes you fat." The truth is that healthy fats can help make you thin. These are the fats you find in nuts, fish, fish oil, naturally raised meats, olive oil, and avocados.
- Don't miss breakfast. This is the meal that is most commonly skipped, and many people who do skip breakfast think they are doing themselves a favor by eliminating those calories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that eating a protein-rich, low-glycemic breakfast is essential for healthy weight loss.
- Manage your blood sugar levels. Maintaining stable, low blood sugar levels is one of the best things you can do to prevent your body from storing fat. Do it by avoiding sweets, processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates.
- Drink green tea, (hot or cold tea works equally) or water. These are, by far, your two healthiest beverage options, and they both help to maintain a healthy metabolism.
- Alternate between interval exercise and resistance training. By exercising with resistance, you build muscle. Muscle is active tissue, so the greater your muscle mass, the higher your metabolic rate will be. And by exercising in intervals at high intensity, you not only burn fat and calories during your workout, but for many hours afterward as well.
Don't Let Organic Food Packaging Fool You!
 The practice of branding a processed food as natural or organic, called greenwashing, involves a number of marketing tricks, according to an interesting New York Times essay.
Greenwashing, when it is used on food packaging, makes use of specific colors, images, and typefaces to sell food.
If the packaging works, then the food inside does not actually have to be organic; an impression of organic-ness is all that is required.
Signifiers of greenwashed packaging include an image of a field or a farm, and possibly oversized vegetables or fruits. Naturepops™ packages, for example, show a field of lollipops and a barn. Other greenwashed packaging shows an animal displaying special skills or emotional range, or makes promises of donations to charitable causes.
This kind of imagery is now being adopted by corporate food conglomerates such as Lay's Potato Chips ("Natural Lay's™") and others.
New York Times January 3, 2007
Editor's note: Perhaps, the mainstream media and consumers are becoming a bit more aware, as you are, that organic is becoming more preferred in many foods.
But be careful not to be misled. Just because someone slaps an organic looking label on a food product doesn't somehow magically transform a junk food into a health food.
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