Taking Antidepressants

For years, I've been telling readers to stop taking antidepressants. In April 2010, I wrote:

If you're taking antidepressants, you could be wasting up to $2,500 a year Two new reports, one from the New England Journal of Medicine, show that 74 studies - between 1987 and 2004 - done on 12 antidepressants approved by the FDA were never published.

Is there any doubt why they weren't published? All 74 studies showed the drugs did nothing more than a sugar pill. And another 11 studies with negative findings were falsely published as if they were positive.

Trials for Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, and Serzone showed the medications had the same effect as a placebo.

I'm not the only one advocating against antidepressants. A recent article in The Week magazine confirmed what I've said for years: The positive effects people say they get from antidepressants is nothing more than the "placebo effect."

Several studies conclude that 50%-75% of the drug's power comes from the placebo effect. And the placebo effect is powerful. But that's no reason to ingest potent psychoactive drugs.

If you suffer from depression, you have healthier, safer alternatives. Try exercises like tai chi or yoga - both of which have been shown to effectively combat depression. You could even take a few minutes out of your day to meditate or go for a walk in the sun.

If you're not motivated to move... at the least increase the amount of magnesium in your diet or consider taking a daily magnesium supplement. There is good evidence magnesium helps with mood, energy, and mental stability.

If you've never tried Yoga Before

If you've never tried yoga before, October is the best month to try a class. Although September is the official Yoga month, until October 30, you can use a Yoga Month Card that gives you access to one week of free classes at more than 1,600 participating studios across the U.S. To find a studio near you, visit yogamonth.org.

Start Eating Broccoli

In the August issue, I wrote that broccoli is one of the three foods you need to start eating today to instantly improve your health. Broccoli is one of the best cancer-fighting foods. It includes a compound called isothiocyanate and a phytochemical known as sulforphane, both of which are shown to help fight cancer. And broccoli also contains an antioxidant known as indole-3-carbinol.

Recent research shows that eating just one cup of broccoli (or other "cruciferous" vegetables) a week can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer. Researchers found that the compounds in broccoli block mutant genes known to cause about 50% of cancers.

Buy a New Air Conditioner

October is the best month to buy a new air conditioner. Demand for air conditioners is usually highest in the summer ... when people are more desperate to replace their old models. By the end of the summer, stores begin clearing out their inventory. Look for last year's models to get the best deal.

Avoid wrinkle-free clothes.

Avoid the new, higher-priced wrinkle-free clothes ... They often contain perfluorochemicals (PFCs). PFCs are chemicals that can harm reproduction and development and are linked to several cancers. They are also commonly used in clothes that are labeled permanent press" or wrinkle-free." But when absorbed through the body, they cannot be broken down or eliminated. Washing clothes several times gets rid of some of the chemicals, but not all. And of course ... it makes them less wrinkle-free.

To avoid PFCs in your clothes, avoid anything labeled wrinkle-free," iron," or "permanent press." Look for clothes that are made from 100% natural filiers like cotton, wool, or even bamboo.

Your Mattress

If you bought your mattress before 2005, it's time to toss it. Mattresses made prior to 2005 contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers - highly toxic flame-retardant chemicals. These chemicals were used to counteract the flammability of polyurethane in most mattresses. Most mattresses still contain toxic chemicals, albeit less toxic ones.

To reduce your exposure, use a natural latex or organic cotton mattress protector. Or avoid the chemical all together with an organic mattress. One popular maker of organic mattresses is Naturepedic ... and its products won't cost you much more than traditional innerspring mattresses.

Women... Cut Their Health Care Costs.

Here's a simple way for women to cut their health care costs ... strength train weekly. A study shows that women (of all ages) who strength train just once a week have fewer falls than women who don't exercise that way. Over their lifetimes, the women who strength trained spent less on health care. Strength training keeps your bones stronger and even improves attention in older adults.

But don't be intimidated by the strength exercises. You don't have to use heavy weights or train for more than 30 minutes for it to be effective. Join a gym and watch others, or splurge and get a trainer a couple of times a month to learn how.

Oatmeal health-giving food.

Oatmeal is one of my favorite health-giving foods. It's packed with fiber, and you can add many types of spices or fruits to kick up the nutritional benefits. Many people tend to think instant oatmeal isn't as healthy as steel cut oats. But new research shows that instant oatmeal gives you as much fiber - four grams - per serving as old-fashioned oatmeal.

But stay away from the flavored stuff... it packs a lot of sugar. Do what I do ... Add fruit (like fresh blueberries when they're in season) to your oatmeal. You'll get the combined nutritional benefits of oatmeal and berries.

Olive oil.

For centuries, the therapeutic benefits of olive oil, particularly the first-press (the so-called extra virgin, or IJEVOO"), have been touted. In fact, Hippocrates - considered by many the father of western medicine - prescribed olive oil for almost every ailment. Early on, the people of the Mediterranean region recognized the uses of olive oil for nutritional, cosmetic, and medicinal purposes. The chemical structure and function of olive oil protects other cholesterols in your body from oxidation. Thus, it discourages heart disease, arthritis, and even high blood pressure.

But there are even more benefits ... a new study from France showed that frequent users of olive oil are 41% less likely to suffer a stroke than people who never use olive oil.

Two tablespoons of olive oil a day is all you need to reap the health benefits. I easily get this much by cooking eggs in the morning with EVOO. I encourage you to do the same.

Use it in place of fats, like butter and other oils, every time you eat and cook. You can flavor the oil with simple things like basil or garlic or more complicated mixtures like the restaurant Carrabba's does. Better yet, do what I do ... Toss out your salad dressings laden with high-fructose corn syrup and simply mix a little vinegar with olive oil for your dressings and marinades.

Retirement Millionaire

By: Dr David Eifrig Jt. MD, MBA, Baltimore Maryland

Stop Taking Antidepressants