The experimental and clinical trial work which forms the basis for the answers which follow has been done using mussel extract produced by McFarlane Laboratories of Auckland, New Zealand. This company is believed to be the only one producing the pure extract.

To avoid the use of trade names under which this extract is marketed it will be referred to throughout as mussel extract. In all cases this reference specifically means the extract from the New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel.

So far, it is not clear just how the extract works. However, as a result of research work, several features of this substance have been discovered. These features, which relate to its possible way of working in human and animal patients, are very interesting in both a medical and biological way. The research work has been conducted in animals and humans and has been carried out at research laboratories, university medical schools, drug company establishments, hospitals, clinics and even private homes right across the world — in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United States of America, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and the United Kingdom.

One of the first interesting features to be noted was that any attempts to refine or fractionate (split up into components) the product resulted in a loss of the activity. In other words, trying to find out if the activity against arthritis was involved with any specific component or group of components by separating the ingredients stopped the product from working. This is an interesting and important feature in that it suggests that the activity is due to a combination of two or more of the ingredients, or perhaps ingredients involved in more than one group, working together. If this is the case, then it would make the production of a synthetic version of this product not only very difficult but also improbable.

This aspect is one which is not unusual in a natural substance that has therapeutic effects. It is quite reasonable to accept that combinations of compounds or ingredients in a substance of natural origin may be so unique or so complex that all our present technology may fail in attempts to duplicate them. It may also be true to say that it could well be these unique combinations which cause or give the therapeutic effect. Thus we have the situation here of a substance which is effective therapeutically in the form of a ‘crude’ extract, to use a pharmaceutical term, but which loses its effectiveness upon being split up or refined.

During experimental work with the mussel extract preparation on animal subjects it became evident that this substance worked in a manner which was different from that of the usual anti-arthritic drugs. In very generalized terms, the mussel extract gave different results in trials with animal subjects to those produced by synthetic drug preparations.

The results were such that it might just be that the extract is attacking the cause rather than the effect of arthritis! The expression ‘might just be’ has to be emphasized because as yet no definite proof exists to clarify the possibility. What could stimulate such a dramatic thought?

It is based on the speculation that, as the standard anti-inflammatory treatments are known only to attack the effect of the disorder, i.e., the inflammation, and as the extract does not appear to attack inflammation directly, then it may be that the mussel extract is penetrating below mere symptoms to the cause itself. The results which provoked this line of reasoning came about through trials using rats in which inflammatory conditions ‘similar’ to those found in arthritic conditions are created in the animals by various means. The important fact is that these are inflammatory conditions, and they respond to treatment by anti-inflammatory drugs, but they are not of arthritic origin. They do not respond to treatment with the mussel extract, which suggests that the extract does not possess direct anti-inflammatory properties. However, inflammatory conditions which are of arthritic origin do respond to treatment with the mussel extract, which suggests that the anti-inflammatory properties of the extract are secondary and, that it might be working on the origin of the inflammation rather than on the inflammation itself.

A feature of the mussel extract which might add weight to these suggestions is that the pain and discomfort associated with rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis are relieved in subjects taking this product. It does not seem that any analgesic properties are present in the extract and therefore it might be postulated that the cause of the pain is being removed. If these factors are, in due course, proved to be true, then a very important step forward in the treatment of arthritic disorders will have been demonstrated. Just consider the significance of the difference between treating these conditions by reducing or removing the cause compared with just masking the pain and discomfort by palliatives. Not only would the disease be relieved effectively, but its progression and resulting deterioration of the afflicted person might also be stopped.

*13/48/5*

Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows it is extremely difficult to keep weight off once it is lost. Sure, she might shed a few pounds in the first weeks or so but, try as she might, that weight almost invariably returns. When it does, the person usually blames the diet or, more typically, herself. “It’s my fault,” she wails. “I have no willpower. I’m a failure-a washout.”

When I hear such remarks from a patient, I tell her as emphatically as I possibly can: “It is not your fault.” And I proceed to tell her about a scientific discovery that has revolutionized the way we think about body weight.

Simply put, that discovery-known as the set point model-has revealed that each person is biologically programmed to reach and maintain a body weight that falls within a certain, relatively narrow range. Within that range, body weight is strongly guarded against either increasing or decreasing substantially.

For the individual, the actual weight range is not a matter of personal choice or aesthetic preference, nor is it a response to cultural pressure. It is part of our genetic, physiological destiny (with perhaps some influence from the way we are fed in infancy). Just as we have no control over whether our eyes will be brown or blue, we have no choice over the body weight that our DNA says will be right for us.

The human body is an organic system that takes in and expends energy. Like the coal that stokes the furnace, food in the form of calories provides energy. Metabolism determines the rate at which our bodies convert the food into energy.

Normally, the metabolic rate represents a balance between intake and expenditure. If we consume roughly two thousan calories a day, we will usually burn off roughly two thousand calories a day. Such burning occurs actively, through work or exercise, or passively, through sweating or regulation of body temperature. The very act of thinking burns calories. Even when we are sitting or sleeping, we are burning energy at a certain rate. Our metabolic balance is controlled by interaction among a number of different factors, including hormones and their receptors in the cells, neurotransmitters, diet, amount of exercise, our genetic inheritance-even the temperature of the air around us.

The set point model, supported by much scientific evidence, shows that metabolism tries to reach and hold a certain weight level. Some people are naturally skinnier and others are naturally heavier. The set point model implies that different body weights are appropriate and healthy for different people.

A person biologically programmed to weigh 160 pounds is healthy and normal at that weight. If she suddenly dropped thirty pounds, her metabolism would react as though the body were in a state of siege-which, in a sense, is what starvation is. Her metabolism would slow down tremendously-by as much as a whopping 30 percent-to help conserve energy. Her body would take the few calories it gets and use them more efficiently until it returned to its higher weight. Conversely, someone who should weigh 100 pounds and who balloons up to 140 will experience an acceleration of metabolism, a cranking up of the physiological furnace in an effort to burn off the unwanted weight.

You can see the vicious cycle. A person decides to diet-say, by cutting down her food intake by 20 percent. She loses some weight. Her body senses the change and reacts as though it is in danger of starvation. Her metabolism then drops as the efficiency by which her body converts food to body weight increases.

Thus, although the dieter eats less food, her metabolism also decreases. A recent study on a group of women found that after nine weeks of dieting they had lost an average of 3 percent of their original weight. Yet their consumption of oxygen-which the body uses to burn energy and which thus fuels metabolism- dropped by a substantial 17 percent.

When weight rises beyond the set point range, the body burns off energy-by raising body temperature, for example. Conversely, loss of too much weight triggers a kind of biological blackout. The person will feel fatigued and may begin to sleep more. Body temperature may drop to conserve calories. As we have seen, anorexics often complain of feeling cold.

Menstruation also stops. There is genetic wisdom-I’m tempted to call it “bio-logic”-behind this development. A starving woman can’t spare the energy needed to build another human being. In the interest of survival of both the mother and her future children, the reproductive system shuts down.

By undergoing this radical energy-conservation program, the body struggles to push weight back up to the right level for this particular person. But when her weight starts to rise again-as it inevitably will-the dieter begins to panic. She may take even more drastic steps to lose weight, triggering further metabolic disruption. And so on.

*47/35/5*

Talk about your dynamic duo!

In the mid-1990s, Patti Pottebaum and her husband, Gary, kicked their 20-year smoking habits. The couple, who live in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, say that attacking the problem as a team helped them succeed.

But in the months that followed, the usually trim Patti and Gary found their waistlines expanding—a byproduct, they believe, of substituting snacks for smoking. In 2 years, they wound up gaining 48 pounds between them.

So, in January 1997,41-year-old Patti and 44-year-old Gary decided to slim down. “We were tired of having to loosen our belts and buy bigger clothing,” Patti explains. “Plus, we were beginning to experience some post-40 aches and pains. We just didn’t feel like ourselves.”

Because the team approach had worked so well when they quit smoking, Patti and Gary decided to use it again to lose weight. They agreed to cook and eat low-fat meals loaded with fruits and vegetables; red meats and fried foods were to be used only sparingly.

Although they initially exercised separately—she with step-aerobics classes, he with running—workouts became a team effort before long. “We have always been a couple who enjoys doing things together, so we started walking in the mornings before work,” Patti says. “I had an easier time staying motivated when I knew that I’d be exercising with Gary.” They even kept things interesting by golfing together and placing friendly wagers on each round.

Neither Pottebaum wants to let the other one down by blowing off a workout. For example, since Gary is more lively in the mornings, his get-up-and-go helps Patti get out of bed, even if she initially says that she’s not in the mood for walking. Their commitment to wellness and to each other resulted in Patti losing 25 pounds and Gary losing 23 in a little more than 9 months.

Now that they are back to their trim sizes—she a 10 or 12, he a 36-inch waist—the Pottebaums have no intention of falling out of shape. “I like being in good shape, and I feel so much better,” Gary says. “We want to stay active and healthy forever so we can enjoy the rest of our lives to the fullest.”

WINNING ACTION

Recruit your spouse as a workout partner. Getting active with your spouse has definite advantages. Because you live under the same roof you can keep tabs on each other and motivate each other. And you won’t want to let the other person down by reneging on your workouts. Not cohabitating? Exercise with a parent, sibling, or child—someone who cares about your health and supports your weight-loss goals.

*101\89\8*

Positive belief is an ancient concept. In the Scriptures we read: According to your belief is it done to you. I used to wonder about that. According to your belief in what? Now I understand it to mean according to your belief in yourself. Success, and failure, begin with your own beliefs.

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius believed that “our lives are what our thoughts make of it.” More recently, Frank Lloyd Wright said: “The thing always happens that you believe in. And the belief is a thing that makes it happen. And I think nothing will happen until you thoroughly and deeply believe in it.”

I tell my patients that if they fill their heads with negations, they cannot help but be failures: failureson the job, in personal relationships and in health. But if they prime themselves with positive thinking, affirmations and visualizations, they are well along the road to success.

Put a positive goal in your mind; see it in your mind’s eye. Think of yourself as having already achieved the goal. Feel those winning feelings. Now you’re ready to be successful.

Make affirmations and visualization a daily habit. You can use some of the affirmations in this chapter, or devise your own. Say your affirmations 50, 100 times a day—you can’t overdo it. As you say them, visualize yourself being or doing what you want to do or be. Write your affirmations on a card and carry it with you. Look at that card often, and repeat your affirmations silently. You can say your affirmations any time, any place. While driving through the inevitable traffic on the way to the office, I say my affirmation on serenity.

Repeat your affirmations in the morning, afternoon, evening and night. Say them quietly, with feeling; say them loudly, with enthusiasm. I like to repeat my affirmations over and over in my head when I’m exercising. It doesn’t matter when or where you do them, as long as you mean them!

*149\80\8*

In addition to brisk walking, exercises that strengthen the back and stomach muscles are important. Seventy to 80 percent of adults have some form of lower back pain. Strengthening the back and stomach muscles helps prevent or alleviate the problem. People with chronic back pain are less likely to be physically active and more likely to be depressed. Getting rid of back pain allows you to be active again, and it helps get rid of or reduce depression. This, in turn, has a beneficial effect on your endorphins and health in general.

Here are three good exercises for the back and stomach. Take it easy in the beginning, adding repetitions as you go along. You’ll find yourself becoming stronger and more energetic as you continue the exercise.

Caution: Do not do any of these exercises if you experience any pain while exercising. Stop and check with your physician before continuing your exercises. I don’t believe that pain is necessary for gain.

Shoulder Lifts: This exercise is good for your upper-abdominal and lower-back muscles. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Clasp your hands behind your neck. Raise your shoulders up until they’re several inches off the floor. Don’t try to pull yourself up with your hands—use your abdominal muscles.

Do as many shoulder lifts as you can, even if it’s only a few. Gradually work up to 50 shoulder lifts, twice a day. Then slowly work up to 100 shoulder lifts, twice a day.

Bicycle Riding: This is a good exercise for the lower-abdominal muscles. Lie on your back. Put your arms alongside your body, palms down. This helps steady your body. Bend your knees, then lift your thighs until they’re at a 90-degree angle to your belly. Raise your legs so that they’re parallel to the floor and in position to pedal an imaginary bicycle.

Pedal the imaginary bike, pumping your legs out (away from your body) and back in (toward your chest). Pedal as long as you can. Your initial goal is to be able to pedal the imaginary bicycle 100 times, twice a day. Stay with it until you can pedal the imaginary bicycle 200 times without stopping.

*107\80\8*

For a quick, easy-to-prepare entree or side dish, simply wash your favorite vegetables, and place them in a steamer. Steam lightly, so vegetables are crisp and tasty. How long you steam each vegetable depends* on your taste.

Lightly steamed food is generally more nutritious than foods cooked in other ways. With steaming, there aren’t the high temperatures or cooking oil that destroy and leach nutrients out of the food.

My favorite vegetables for steaming include carrots, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, corn and cauliflower.

I put all the vegetables in the steamer at once and steam them together for 10 to 15 minutes. I use a double-decker steamer, putting the lighter, quicker-cooking vegetables on top and the heavier ones on the lower level. BAKED POTATO

A baked potato is a nutritious, low-calorie dish that’s easy to prepare. Preheat oven to 400° Wash and dry the potato; puncture it several times with a fork. Place on baking sheet, tinfoil or oven rack and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until soft. (Cooking time depends on size of potato and your taste.)

Don’t add butter, sour cream, cheese or other fattening toppings to your potato. Eat it plain or sprinkle on chives, parsley, mint, basil, nonfat yogurt or one of the dressings. Believe me, try it and you’ll love it just this way.

Another tasty way to prepare potatoes is to steam or bake a potato, then cut it into 1/2″ slices. Put the slices on a nonstick pan and bake in the oven.

*64\80\8*

A patient once said to me, “I don’t know why I keep getting colds. I guess a bunch of germs have decided to keep mugging me.”

I told this man that a painter cannot paint until the palette has been prepared: Neither can a builder build until the foundation has been laid nor an airplane land until a landing strip has been built. Disease cannot “strike” until and unless you allow it to.

Yes, we unknowingly invite disease by handicapping, even destroying, our natural defenses. And we’re doing ourselves more and more damage all the time. If we were to reverse this dangerous trend, if we would work instead to bolster our natural defenses, we could practically wipe out heart disease, eliminate much of the cancer striking us down and greatly reduce the incidence of arthritis, strokes, diabetes, colds, flus, depression, fatigue and many other problems that plague us. We could save billions of dollars in medical costs and increase our work productivity. We could add years to our lives and happiness to our years.

But as long as we think of disease as something that “just happens” to us because we’re unlucky, or because we get “mugged” by some germs, we will never take the necessary steps to prevent disease by strengthening our natural defenses. Instead, we’ll continue the many health-destructive habits that most of us unknowingly practice.

*20\80\8*

Elimination diets often act as weight-reducing diets, and on average, Dr Darlington’s patients lost about 4.5 kg (10 lbs) during the trial. Being overweight has a bad effect on diseased joints, especially those in the knees and ankles. So one might argue that the loss of weight could have contributed significantly to the improvement seen. To check this, Dr Darlington compared weight losses in those that had responded well and in those that had responded poorly. There was no difference, so this seemed unlikely to have been an important factor.

In spite of these striking results, Gail Darlington is in no way a propagandist for the food-intolerance idea: ‘I’m a very routine, orthodox physician and rheumatologist. If I spend the next ten years of my life helping to prove that the whole thing is a nonsense, or a placebo effect, or a non-specific manipulation of the immune system, I won’t be at all concerned -1 simply feel it’s an area that needs to be investigated in just as scientific a way as we look at Drug A versus Drug B. Before 1981, most people in the UK thought that food intolerance was rubbish in a rheumatologic context, as indeed I did at that time -one is fairly definitely trained to believe it’s rubbish. But I was impressed by the results I saw in my patients who had gone to other people to have their diets manipulated. After seven years working in this field, I’ve gradually come to believe that it is relevant to some patients. To take one example, I have a patient of 33 who has changed from being a limping acute arthritic to being a perfectly fit, normal young man – and that is an improvement he has maintained for two and a half years.’

Rheumatologists tend to attribute such results to natural remissions, because rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that comes and goes for no apparent reason. It is also notoriously susceptible to placebo effects. Gail Darlington understands these doubts, but feels they are misplaced: ‘Yes, obviously, it could be purely coincidental, but I do have quite a few patients in this bracket now, and it does seem unlikely that they all just happened to go into natural remission at the moment they began their diet. As for placebo effect, our trial was carefully designed to measure this in the control group. We showed that there was a placebo effect, but that it certainly couldn’t account for all the improvement seen in the patients on the diet. What is more, when the control group were later put on elimination diets, they responded just as well as the first group -far better than they had done on the placebo.’

*108\180\8*

This procedure costs less and is less invasive than open-heart surgery. Often, the patient can go home the same day.

The surgeon inserts a catheter into a tiny incision in the leg and threads it into the coronary artery. A balloon on the tip is then inflated to flatten the plaque against the artery wall, widening the artery and easing the flow of blood.

drawback: About 25% of the time, angioplasty has to be repeated to eliminate plaques that recur—sometimes within six months of the original operation.

To prevent recurrence, some cardiologists now use stents— tiny metallic tubes inserted into the artery to keep it open.

This experimental procedure is a less invasive variant of conventional bypass surgery. Instead of cracking the chest, the surgeon makes a small incision between the ribs. Using an endoscope, he/she removes the internal thoracic artery from the chest and grafts it onto the coronary artery.

For accessible blockages, keyhole surgery should prove just as effective as CABG. But it’s still too early to know its exact success rate.

*87/47/1*

I try to combine discounts from different sources. I’m able to get many products for free or close to it because I create “triple plays,” combining savings from store sales, newspaper coupons and Web sites.

example i: A 12-pack of Pepsi was advertised at my local supermarket for $2. A rebate sticker on the cans offered $10 back if I mailed in proofs of purchase for three 12-packs and three bags of Lay’s potato chips. I purchased the three bags on sale for $5, less 75 cents off because I used three 25-cent coupons that I found on the Frito-Lay Web site.

final cost for the soda and chips: 25 cents—$10.25 minus the $10 rebate.

I love “double coupons.” If I had made my purchases using double coupons at the supermarket, the soda and chips would have cost me nothing.

*78/47/1*