January 7, 2010

Pity the global warming advocates. Here we are, freezing our butts off and they’re still pushing this bogus “man-made global warming” scam. I have yet to have anyone explain to me how they account for melting of the ice caps…on MARS, if Man is responsible. Ah well, I guess they figure if they say it often enough, there will be enough of the brain-dead among us to make it fly–despite the facts.
 
The sun shining today, brightly, but without much warmth, brings up the subject of what to do during the winter months, for our vitamin D requirements.
 
As you may know, Vitamin D is an extremely important substance, which takes part in many biological processes, including the absorption of dietary calcium from the gut (and therefore, in preventing osteoporosis) and, more recently, enhancing the immune system and preventing cancer. In many ways,  Vitamin D acts more like a hormone than a normal vitamin.
 
It’s one of those vitamins that our bodies can synthesize, in addition to its uptake in certain of our foods, like fish liver oil, green leafy vegetables and, of course, supplements. When skin is exposed to sunlight, the vitamin’s precursor, naturally present in the deeper layers of the skin, is converted by the ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation into a compound that is eventually converted into the biologically active form of Vitamin D, called cholecalciferol, or Vitamin D-3.
 
Supplements or dietary sources, unless they specify that they’re D-3, are instead a slightly different chemical form, called ergocalciferol, or Vitamin D-2.  Though it used to be thought that D-2 was inferior to D-3 as a supplement, more recent research shows that they both will lead to the active form the body needs.
 
One common mistake is to think that what is commonly called fish oil is a good source of Vitamin D. This arises because it’s been known for years that taking cod liver oil, for example, is a good way to increase vitamin D intake. But fish oil, unless otherwise specified, refers to fish BODY oils, which are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, but NOT Vitamin D.
 
Conversely, people think that because they take cod liver oil, they’re covered for their omega-3 needs. Not so. In fact, that could be dangerous, because fish LIVER oil contains the FAT soluble vitamins D and A. So if they were taken every day, as frequently as fish BODY oil, you might easily become toxic, with overdoses of both D and A.
 
It’s best to remember that omega-3 fatty acids and the fat soluble vitamins (A & D) are two seperate types of nutrients, that are best taken from two seperate sources. 
 
Though sunlight is the best source of D-3 (you can’t overdose on Vitamin D derived from the sun), cod liver oil, or supplements derived from that, are acceptable substitutes. Fish oil, like my own POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
is best as an ultra purified, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade source of omega-3′s with many health benefits, including heart, brain and joint properties that are proven to be very beneficial, in many ways, with virtually NO significant side effects.
 
These contaminant-free, ultra pure fish oil capsules can and should be taken every day, two to three times throughout the day, to balance the overwhelming amounts of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, so common in the Western diet, today.
 
Though a daily dose of 400-1000 IU of Vitamin D is commonly recommended, many people actually need MORE. How can you tell what’s right for you?
 
Ask your doctor to check your blood levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, perhaps 3-4 times a year. Most investigators agree that this chemical is the best measure of your personal stores of this important vitamin. I personally take 2000 IU a day, as my tested 25-OH-vitamin D levels were only borderline, on 1000 IU a day. Remember, that was over twice the RDA. 
 
The key thing to take home from this is that everyone is an individual. Everyone is different. And everyone has different needs.
 
So measuring the actual stores you have, a few times a year, is the only way to really determine your personal needs. The RDA (recommended daily allowances) are almost a joke. Because they are average, designed to harm no one and “fit” everyone, they don’t address any single person’s actual needs. And even more aggressive recommendations, even mine, cannot be applied across the board, for all individuals.
 
So invest in the test. 
 
It’s easy, it’s relatively cheap and it is THE best way to be sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D. And enough Vitamin D is critical, not just for your bones, but even more important for this time of year, your immune system and resistance to disease, like the flu.
 
And do your exercises. Exercise has so many benefits, on virtually every physiological parameter, including your immune system, that it can’t be over emphasized. Try to do SOMETHING, every day. If you have knee pain (and, let’s face it, many of us do) these exercises in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM and DVD are good for relieving knee pain, and will serve as general exercise, as well. 
 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
That’s it for today, my friend. Stay warm. Keep smilin’. Talk to you tomorrow. Til then, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
 
DR. BILL
 
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 8, 2009

Have you noticed lately that you haven’t been hearing much about the dreaded Swine Flu, H1N1? For a while there, we were being bombarded by horror stories every day, how many died, dire predictions of disaster on every chanel and passionate debates and discussions by experts on both sides of the vaccination question. Then, almost all of a sudden, nearly nothing.
 
Why is that?
 
Perhaps it’s the fact that this latest scare tactic turned out to be a bust. Just the other day, I heard someone say on TV that she believed that the worst had passed and that the pandemic would continue to diminish as a public health problem in the days and weeks to come.
 
After much consideration and weighing all the factors, I had pretty much decided NOT to get the vaccine for myself and my wife. It might still be a good idea, if you haven’t gotten the vaccine yet, if you’re in a particularly high risk group, like health care workers (who you would think would already BE vaccinated by now), or pregnant women or young mothers with vulnerable children.
 
But it’s good to remember that the seasonal “regular” flu season is not yet over. You can still get THAT. Especially now that the Holiday Season and Christmas Shopping have arrived. That means that you’re more likely to come in contact with large groups of people, who may be contaminated with viruses, flu and otherwise.
 
So it’s probably a good idea to maintain some common sense practices, that should help protect you from the flu and from common colds, as well.
 
First up, wash your hands, every time you think about it. I know that sounds lame. It also sounds like your sainted mother. But it’s of critical importance. If you are out and use a public restroom, DO NOT immediately touch the handle of the exit door, or you will re- contaminate your hand. Instead, use the last hand towel to open the door (if it has a handle), then discard the towel. This is a no-touch technique.
 
Keep your hands away from your face, especially mucous membranes, like your eyes, nose and mouth. That’s the most likely way for you to get infected.
 
Try to avoid crowded venues, with large groups of people in close proximity. This would include stores, stadiums, theaters, airports, even gyms, etc. That’s a pretty good argument in favor of a home exercise program, rather than a gym, a program like my PAIN -FREE PROGRAM, which you can get here:   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
This recommendation alone will reduce your chances of contracting any disease, by reducing chances of exposure to people who may be carrying infectious agents. And obviously, avoid anyone who appears to be actively sick, sneezing, coughing, etc.
 
DON’T shake hands with anyone. That’s a terrific way to pass germs from one person to another. Nod your head with a smile and say hi, instead. If you forget, or feel you MUST shake hands, carry a small bottle of Purell (I personally prefer the Vitamin Shoppe sanitizing gel, which also has aloe, which is good for the skin). These gels don’t sterilize your hands (which means killing virtually ALL germs), but they DO sanitize them, meaning they dilute and kill quite a few of them, thereby reducing risk.
 
Take a zinc supplement daily (something like 50mg a day is fine) and carry some Zycam with you, in case you begin to develop the sniffles. This has zinc in it and zinc is an immune booster. 
 
Make sure you are getting plenty of B complex vitamins, vitamin C and perhaps even some colostrum (which contains some IgG and other immune boosters), either from your diet, or supplements. Anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories are also helpful. These would include curcumin (turmeric), ginger, even fish oil, like my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  
 
If it’s OK with your doctor, get and keep a prescription of Tamiflu (an antiviral drug), in case you do develop flu symptoms. This won’t prevent or cure the flu, but it will shorten the course of the disease and reduce symptoms.
 
Make sure you exercise daily. Exercise has been shown to boost the immune system and that’s your main defense against illness. Eat a healthy diet, with lots of greens, fruits and berries, which are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 
 
Drink plenty of water, to keep your mucous membranes moist and intact and your kidneys flushed.
 
And, be sure to get adequate vitamin D, either from daily exposure of 20-30 minutes a day to the sun, or from oral supplements. Have your doctor check your levels every three months, especially during the winter months. The test you want is 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D. These levels will tell you if you have enough. And vitamin D turns out to be a very potent substance for protecting you against diseases of all types, infectious and otherwise (even cancer).
 
If, despite all your efforts, you do become sick, STAY HOME. Don’t go to work and infect everyone there with your “bug.”
 
So, these are a few tips to keep you healthy in these waning days of the Swine Flu Pandemic and the regular Flu Season, as well. Has the Swine Flu flown? It’s probably on the way out, but don’t let your guard down, yet. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

Well, Christmas is just a week from tonight.  Unbelievable. I’ve expounded before about the Stillwell Theory of Seasonal Relativity. 
 
In brief, for the uninitiated, this theory states that time progressively accelerates, relative to an observer’s proximity to the Christmas Holidays.  In other words, time subjectively seems to speed up from around April, through the rest of the year, hitting a peak from August through December. 
 
I mean, once you reach Halloween, you blink, and it’s Thanksgiving. Blink again, it’s Christmas, then New year’s Eve. 
 
Then suddenly, on January first of the New Year, it’s like the brakes were thrown on–time is suddenly slowed to a crawl, not to speed up again until late Spring and Summer. Just look at how long it takes to arrive at Valentine’s Day. Seems like it takes forever.
 
And of course, the older you get, the faster and faster it all seems to go. Well, it seems that way to me, anyway. But math was always my worst subject…. 
 
There really is a scientific explanation for this subjective phenomenon, though. The older you get, the smaller the fraction of your entire life experience is each new experience. That’s why the two month summer vacation you enjoyed as a kid seemed to stretch forever, but it flashes by as an adult. Two months is a whole lot bigger fraction of the whole when you’re only ten years old, than when you’re fifty.
 
But now that we’re in the week before Christmas, it’s all going at warp speed. And it doesn’t help that I’m spending a lot of time running up and down the East Coast, to prepare the Northern Command and transport our cats. I STILL have to get all that last minute shopping done, even though I DID start during the summer.
 
With all the extra stresses of the Holiday Season, many people have emailed me with their complaints of sore backs and aching knees. Not surprising, though, is it? Everyone is running around, on their feet longer, shopping, going to office parties, shopping, and more shopping, despite the economy. 
 
And the physical stress is compounded by the extra mental and emotional stress, which transforms into biological stress. This kind of stress makes any inflammation in the body worse and reduces the body’s immune system, as well.
 
So, what to do? Well, even though it’s very tough this time of year, you have to keep up with your exercises.  If you have knee pain, my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM (click here:  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html )  is ideal for this, because it provides a MENU of proven, effective exercises, from which you can choose.
 
But when time is of the essence, I’d recommend that you concentrate on HACK SQUATS, with the heaviest weight you can handle, to meet the criteria that I outline, and the specially modified HINDU SQUATS I describe at  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
You can also do simple isometric QUAD SETS, while standing in line at stores, or at every red light, if driving. If you’re at a train station, lean against the columns and do WALL SITTING–effective, but inconspicuous in public.
 
And to boost your immune system and increase your strength and stability, try the life-enhancing topical cream that increases your own endogenous growth hormone,  safely and within physiological limits, like I do:   http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html 
 
If you try to do these few things, every day, despite being in the very midst of the Christmas Countdown, you will feel better, be less likely to get colds  and flu, and will relieve your knee pain. Try these methods and see what I mean.
 
Til next time, my friend, be well. 
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

I just read on one of the news services that Sly Stallone plead guilty in an Australian Court to importing banned performance-enhancing drugs. It seems he has been on an injectable form of human growth hormone (hGH), by prescription, of course, Jintropin. The problem is that Australia has banned such substances, unless a special permit is obtained.
 
Needless to say, Sly didn’t have the requisite permit. He wrote a letter of apology to the Court, citing ignorance of the local rules for his inadvertant violation of their laws. I think this is very likely true.
 
Now, anyone who has seen Sly Stallone in recent films, like Rocky Balboa, or the most recent installment of Rambo, will not be surprised to learn that Sly uses hGH. The guy is 61 years old after all, but has the muscle mass and definition of a guy many years his junior. Even with heavy weight training, which is probably not a good idea at that age, those results are unlikely without some enhancement.
 
Turns out that Jintropin is the most popular hGH injectable supplement in China. Like all available hGH injectables, it is a synthetic, recombinant form of growth hormone. It is most definitely a “performance enhancing drug.” And, therefore, it’s most definitely verboten in the Land of Oz (as the Aussies, pronounced “Ozzies,” like to call their island continent).
 
We’ve discussed this topic before. Human growth hormone levels are responsible for muscle growth, strength, speed, healing response to injury, and are associated with many characteristics of youth.  Growth hormone falls rapidly with increasing age, and is thought to be, if not the cause, at least a contribution to, or associated with the effects of aging. For this reason, it has been thought that increasing these GH levels will reverse the effects of aging, increase muscle mass, enhance performance and boost the immune system.
 
Injections of hGH, up to now, have been the most effective way to do that. But these injections are only available by prescription from a physician and there has been speculation, if not proof, that the increased circulating growth hormone levels could increase the emergence of cancer, at least theoretically. In addition, large doses of GH may result in blood levels of GH beyond what is needed for optimal health, with unknown consequences.
 
The fact is that hGH production is still carried out in the pituitary gland, even in older age, but it is NOT RELEASED. Wouldn’t it be better to be able to allow that natural GH to be RELEASED, than to artificially raise the level of the hormone?
 
Now, thanks to the research done by a physician friend of mine, you can do just that with Trans-D Tropin
 http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html  Trans-D Tropin is a botanical formulation that is applied topically, for absorption through the skin.  It stimulates the release of one’s own naturally produced growth hormone. This means that you can return your body’s level of GH back to the level you enjoyed during your teens, but NOT to abnormal levels. It literally “turns back the clock.” 

In addition, Trans-D Tropin has been shown to DECREASE  IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), the substance identified in association with increased cellular growth and tumor formation. In other words, according to the manufacturers, this formula actually REDUCES the risk of cancer. It also reduces levels of insulin and cortisol, two hormones associated with inflammation and aging. 

I use this myself. I was never a fan of injectable GH–too many unknowns, too much risk for me. But Trans-D Tropin http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html   enhances GH levels, with all its benefits, within physiological parameters (in other words, within limits that are normal for a young man), and reduces cancer risk, as well. 

Reported benefits of Trans-D Tropin include an improved youthful appearance, with reduction in wrinkles, decreased body fat, increased lean muscle mass, with attendant increased strength and performance, improved stamina and endurance, reduced chronic pain, faster recovery from injury or surgery, increased REM sleep with better, more restful sleep, a stronger immune system, improved overall health and a general sense of well-being.
 
Dr. Nicholas V. Perricone, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine wrote, “Trans-D Tropin technology is the single most effective age reversal therapy I have found in over 15 years of clinical practice.” 

So, if you want to look like Stallone when you’re in your sixties, feel better, stronger, faster and healthier and do it with a DECREASED risk of cancer, do what I do.  Get some and rub it on your skin today: Trans-D Tropin  http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html  It’s safe, it’s easy and, compared with injectable GH, it’s cheap. It’s a no-brainer. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

This afternoon, as I was just sitting down in my office to write an email to all my friends, I heard an important announcement on the TV. It seems that a team of medical researchers has made an amazing breakthrough with the HIV virus, the agent responsible for the world-wide plague of AIDS. HIV has been responsible for thousands of deaths in our own country, and millions around the world, especially throughout Africa, where it seems to be endemic.

One of the major problems with HIV is that the virus is highly mutable, meaning that it changes rapidly and frequently, just enough to make it very difficult to create a vaccine. That’s what makes this breakthrough so major–it may be the key to an eventual vaccine against this dreaded disease. 

Researchers have reportedly identified one stable region within the physical structure of the HIV virus, a region that does not change, but remains stable and constant from variant to variant of the virus. This means that they have identified a reliable, consistent target on the virus for the first time. And this target can be attacked by chemical agents to bind to this this region of the virus. 

Wait. It gets better. They’ve actually developed an agent that does exactly that. And it has proven highly effective in laboratory studies and in animal studies.  This means that they now have the basis for developing a truly effective vaccine. Researchers believe that the findings are so promising that human clinical trials could begin as early as six to nine months.
 
However, the FDA being the way it is, the vaccine that may be developed from this is still perhaps five to ten years away, at best. But still, it’s a beginning.
 
What a great advance that vaccine will be and what a profound effect it will have on the entire world community. But, we must wait for that day. And meanwhile, we need to continue all the known methods for avoiding infection with HIV. That includes common sense safety measures for physical intimacy, avoidance of known high risk behaviors, and known methods of boosting our immune systems, the compromise of which is the main problem in AIDS. 

In my opinion, the immune system will ultimately prove to be the key to cures for a number of currently incurable maladies, like HIV and cancer. We live in a toxic world, beset constantly by environmental hazards, bacteria, viruses, and carcinogens of all kinds. But our bodies were designed to deal with these attacks–that’s the function of the immune system. But with time and increasing age, the immune system becomes progressively weaker, allowing cellular damage that results in aging and disease.
 
So strengthening our immune systems is the best thing we can do to avoid infections, toxins, tumors and other maladies. Known measures to boost the immune system include dietary measures, such as avoiding red meat, nutritional supplements like vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and growth hormone releasing compounds like Trans_D Tropin (which you can get here at http://drbillslcinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html ),  adequate, good quality sleep, and above all, exercise.
 
Exercise is a proven way to combat aging, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, improve cardiovascular fitness, decrease body weight, increase endogenous GH, increase strength, flexibility, and endurance, and, yes, boost the immune system. And if you have knee pain, as many of us do, you can combine these benefits with an effective method for eliminating knee pain, with my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 

So, kudos to the researchers. This is great news. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed, and hope and pray for medical breakthroughs. But since they’re likely to take many years to actually reach us, we have to take action NOW, to protect ourselves. We can do this by accepting personal responsibility for ourselves and doing what we know to be effective. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved