Dear Healthy Friend,

Ah, the dieting bandwagon. We've all hopped on at some stage of our lives - I know I have.... a couple of times. And fallen off. There're a million different diets out there and they all seem to contradict each other, in some form or another. But what if a diet has been proven to increase cardiovascular risk? Would you still do it?

Keep reading to see what Dr Ferril has uncovered about the high-carb, low-fat way of life...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. We all know that saw palmetto helps fight an enlarged prostate... but did you know you could fight BPH with two simple minerals? See what Dr Wright has to say...

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Skip the carbs and live better
Dr William Ferril
Contributor to Healthier News

Get ready to forget everything you've been told about food.

I've been warning you about the dangers of what I call the Torture Chamber Diet, that high-carb, low-fat nightmare that has helped make many people fatter and sicker than ever before.

The latest science shows more clearly than ever how even the most "healthy" of the Torture Chamber foods could contribute to these conditions.

One new study published in June in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology illustrates the direct relationship between high-carb foods and cardiovascular risk.

The researchers looked at foods especially high on the hypoglycaemic index - some of the worst carbs - such as white bread and cornflakes. In this case, they fed patients cornflakes and studied their bodies as compared to patients who got better foods and other patients who got only water.

They found that high-glycaemic meals such as cornflakes impair the function of endothelium, or the cells inside our blood vessels. Poor endothelium function has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Another study, presented in June at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, showed how even moderate cutbacks in the amount of carbs you eat could help you feel fuller and eat less as a result.

In this study, people who cut back on their carbs were allowed to eat more fat. And after just a month, they had lower blood insulin levels, more stable blood sugar levels and were less likely to be hungry after eating than those who ate a more typical high-carb meal.

So now you can see where this is going - how every single meal has a direct impact on the tiniest parts of your body, including the cells lining the inside of your blood vessels.

A common breakfast of cornflakes and toast, for example - something many people consider a "healthy" way to start the day - is a carb-crazy recipe for poor health and disease. And it would be off the charts on the glycaemic index.

Most people eat a meal like this one and find that they "need" a cup of coffee a couple hours later, not long after the workday gets under way. I've got nothing against that cup of coffee - unless you load it with sugar - but the reason people feel that way is because they've eaten a breakfast that does nothing to help the body prepare for the day.

But that's only the immediate impact of that supposedly 'healthy' meal.

Processed foods, packed with starches and sodium, are the only foods some people eat. Cornflakes for breakfast, fast food for lunch and something in a bag from the freezer for dinner.

I'm worried sick over these diets - people are making bad food choices day after day, meal after meal and in many cases have no idea they're doing it - because we're being told these foods are low in fat.

Eat some eggs for breakfast. Enjoy a steak. You could even have butter as long as it's the no salt kind.

And then be sure to get a little steady exercise.

Implement a healthy eating plan today to lose wight and protect your body from the inside out

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Prostate protection beyond saw palmetto

Q: My husband has been taking saw palmetto for about 15 years. So I was alarmed when I came across a recent article claiming saw palmetto may actually damage healthy prostate tissue. Have you heard this?

Dr. Wright: I have never seen research indicating that saw palmetto causes damage to prostate tissue. Just the opposite, in fact: Countless studies over the years have proven it to be one of the most beneficial herbs for treating enlarged prostate (technically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH).

However, as effective as saw palmetto is for helping men with existing cases of BPH, no man ever developed this condition as a result of a saw-palmetto deficiency. In my practice, I've observed that many men who try supplementing with the essential nutrients their bodies aren't getting enough of almost always experience a big decrease and sometimes even a complete reversal of their BPH symptoms. Two of the biggest nutrient deficiencies in men suffering from BPH are zinc and essential fatty acids.

I usually recommend 30 milligrams of zinc (in the picolinate or citrate form) along with 2 milligrams of copper three times a day to start, tapering down the dose as symptoms improve. I also recommend taking 1 tablespoon of fish oil (for its high essential fatty acid content) along with 400IU of vitamin E each day.

(Click here to find out more about a supplemt that gives you all the nutrients and minerals you need for a healthy prostate)