February, 2003
LivingRight.com recently sat down with Shane
Ellison, founder of Health-Fx Nutraceuticals, producer of
natural medicines and creator of the Web site Health-Fx.net,
which educates consumers about the benefits of natural medicine
and attempts to sort health facts from health hype.
Shane holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology
and a Master's degree in organic chemistry. He has first-hand
industry experience with drug research, design and synthesis.
He is committed to raising health awareness by exposing
the shocking and sometimes-frightening truth behind FDA
approved drugs, sports supplements, and natural medicine.
His unique experience allows his clients to live naturally
healthy for life without the aid of synthetic drugs! Learn
more by visiting http://www.health-fx.net
Q: What are nutraceuticals and how do they
improve health?
A: A nutraceutical is a food or food extract
that has a positive physiological response within our bodies.
For example, acetyl-L-carnitine is naturally found in meat.
When consumed in the right doses as a supplement, it has
been shown to help prevent conditions including but not
limited to fatigue, Alzheimer's Disease, and obesity. When
used with the nutraceutical alpha-lipoic acid, both can
be very efficient at preventing most any age-associated
disease!
Basically, by taking a nutraceutical, we are
providing our bodies with something it may be lacking due
to diet. Additionally, a nutraceutical can help us achieve
better health in areas that we may be lacking due to genetics.
Any number of examples exist such as obesity, Alzheimer's
Disease, diabetes, digestion, etc.
Q: How can you combine, say, a juicing
program with a nutraceutical regimen for maximum health
benefits?
A: Technically a juice is a nutraceutical.
We know from experience that a juicing program can have
many positive effects such as boosting energy levels, immune
function and mental focus. When it doesn't help us achieve
a certain health goal, say for example to fight obesity,
then it is important that we seek out another nutraceutical
that can be combined with the juicing program to fight that
given deficiency. In this case we may use Bladderwrack,
or a properly formulated Thermogen.
Q: What advantages do you think juicing
and/or raw foods have in treating chronic illness, especially
as alternatives to prescription drugs?
A: As mentioned above, juicing can enhance
immune function considerably by providing a very concentrated
source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.
Raw foods do the same; however, I feel that juicing is a
bit more efficient. When our bodies have this dense source
of nutrients it is fully capable of fighting and preventing
most chronic illness. Rarely do we give the immune system
the praise that it deserves. It's important to remember
that the immune system needs the proper fuel to operate,
this is where juicing becomes so important. Done properly,
juicing and whole foods ensure that we live a healthy life
without having to utilize prescription drugs.
Q: What is the greatest health challenge
facing our society today, and how can natural foods help
us overcome this problem?
A: The greatest health challenge facing our
society today is the absorbent and irresponsible use of
FDA approved drugs. It is estimated that the USA spends
approximately 119 billion dollars per year on approved drugs!
Despite these expenditures Americans are getting sicker.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports
that out of 16 "health indicators" the U.S. ranks
on average 12th out of 13 countries in regard to the health
of its citizens. Further, JAMA and USA Today show that Americans
have become so intoxicated with FDA approved drugs that
the fourth leading cause of death today is from reactions
to FDA approved drugs that were properly used and prescribed.
This averages out to 300 people dying every day, which equates
to one person dying every five minutes. These deaths are
far greater than those caused by car accidents, AIDS, alcohol,
illicit drug abuse, infectious disease, diabetes, and murder.
To overcome this problem, it is imperative
that we grasp a solid understanding in the use of natural
products/foods and dietary habit for the prevention and
treatment of disease. History shows that everyone has the
potential to live healthy through the proper use of natural
products.
Interestingly, the majority of approved drugs
are simply derivatives of safe and effective natural products.
However, these natural products are rarely marketed to the
mainstream due to their inexpensive nature and their inability
to be patented. Additionally, prior to the corporate world
we live in now, humans lived healthy lives for thousands
of years with natural products used as medicine.
Q: If people must take medication, what
role does diet play in improving their condition and minimizing
side effects? How can people change their lifestyle to make
the medicines work?
A: All prescription drugs are considered "xenobiotics".
A xenobiotic is a foreign chemical that is toxic to the
body and ultimately compromises our health. If we must take
medication, for emergency reasons, it is imperative that
we have a proper diet to help the body detoxify itself.
The benefit of proper diet is two-fold. First, it will help
minimize the side effects through detoxification. Second,
it will boost the immune system, which will help fight the
condition.
Q: Do you juice and drink wheatgrass? If
not, do you still recommend it as part of a natural diet?
What benefits has wheatgrass had for people you've encountered?
A: Yes, certain times of the year I do utilize
a juicing program and highly recommend it a part of a natural
diet and detox program. When I'm in need of a quick boost
I always go for wheatgrass. I've met individuals who use
wheatgrass religiously and say that they are rarely sick,
have excellent mental focus, and don't have cravings for
junk food and sweets.
