Exceptions to 5 common health rules

Thank you. You've pointed out good and helpful things. But I noticed that you used him to describe a child under asthma. Hmm, well, what if it's a her? Please do not do that. We're in the 21st century. Men are not better. We've gotten past writing him to describe people. Thank you.

Okay, number one there's only one way to get passed asthema. That's get your ass out there and exercise. You're gonna have asthema attacks sooner or later. The more you get, the better you will become. Don't be scurred, you'll survive.

Does anyone know that the active ingredient in Coumadin is the same active ingredient in rat poison, just in a smaller dose. Then we are suggesting that they eat a less healthy diet...this is what most likely put them on Coumadin to begin with.

A note on #4: no pain med is completely safe

They all have side effects, have interactions with foods or other drugs, and can cause damage over long periods of use. It isn't that they should be completely avoided, but we tend to reach for them over every cold, headache, or soreness without thinking. We don't think.

The "eight glasses of water a day" is a myth. There is no research backing it up, as was determined by someone from Penn State about 10 years ago.

Tailor all of those if you have allergies. If you are allergic to sources of calcium and vitamin D, you have to supplement.

I appreciate such readings and obsevation as these are useful to good living and wellness. Thanks.

a note for tip #5. Stop being a wussy. There's nothing wrong being an omnivore (meaning eating both veggies and meats) It's different if you are allergic or there's a medical reason to avoid meats but if you're doing it by choice then there's no excuse for not getting all the nutrients you need, popping pills (or vitamins) really isn't the way to go either as it's not a safer alternative.

Good article: Another factor relative to eating green leafy vegatables (salad greens) is that if grown in areas watered by the Colorado River (as most are) may contain excessive amounts of perchlorate. Women, especially if nursing or pregnant should avoid perchlorates in the diet as their body burden is already half the safe limit. FDA has surveyed 500 foods for their perchlorate content.

Vegetarians EAT milk and eggs! Vegans are the ones who don't eat any animal products at all, vegetarians don't eat animals and fish-big difference! How can you make such a huge mistake, did you fact check any of this article?

when one talks about Vitamin D, when should mention the true Vitamin D, it is called D3, the kind your body makes from sun.

i agree with cranberry, if youve been eating a ton of green leafy veggies before starting coumadin (warfarin), do not alter your diet. your body is used to that much vitamin k and that could mess up your levels of the drug in your body. if you never eat green leafy veggies then 1 serving is okay. just dont change your diet, most importantly.

This is the dumbest article I've read in a while... There are certain conditions that make anything in the world unsafe to do; if you have one of these conditions you need to learn about it, not hope that an article comes along on yahoo and warns you that "This healthy habit might not be healthy if you have..." What a waste of space.

Dr Julie, My husband and I radically changed our diets when he had a melanoma on his ear. He did some internet research and found out that cancer thrives in an acidic body. We bought pH strips, became plant-based in our diet (some dairy and minimal meat) and his cancer went away. The doctor didn't want to give him credit for it. My point to your post is there ARE nutritious foods available to us - just not in the fast food restaurants and aisles at the grocery stores that are 90% junk food. We don't buy processed foods and we are able to find many organic products at our local store. He lost 30 pounds and me 20 in 6 months on top of it. Say NO to pharmaceuticals and take control of your own health, people! Most doctors in this country have very little education on nutrition.

Re.#5, Get Nutrients from Foods, Not Pills: it is virtually impossible for the body to get all the nutrition it requires from today's food. The soil has been depleted due to over farming, beef and chicken and even shrimp are fed corn (elevated omega-6), people spend less time outdoors and don't get enough vitamin D, and most of us just don't eat the right foods. Conclusion: we must take supplements--naturally derived (not chemicals)--if we are to stay healthy.

Instead of advising raging alcoholics not to take Tyelenol, shouldn't they be advised to stop drinking? Tylenol isn't perfect, but it's safer than alcohol. I get the point they are trying to make, but that just sort of jumped out at me.

Thank you for posting the B12 need for vegetarians! I've been telling people who are vegans that they risk brain damage if they don't take vitamins because the brain needs B12, and it's only found in animal products. Some of them told me I was nuts. Well, given enough time, YOU'LL be the one who's nuts!

Actually, people who start taking Coumadin should not alter their diets at all. If they ate a bunch of leafy greens in the past, they should continue eating them and not cut down. If they didn't eat them before starting this therapy, they shouldn't start. Altering your diet while on Coumadin can either cause dangerously high levels of anticoagulation or dangerously low levels.

I fall under the 'strict vegetarian' catagory. I've been looking EVERYWHERE for a great multivitamin designed for Vegetarians and Vegans, and I can't find one ANYWHERE!

Natasha, when I was a vegetarian I took Schiff's Vegetarian Multiple vitamins (even my friend, who was super strict about being a vegetarian and then vegan took them). You should be able at least to find the brand at most drugstores, if not the vitamin itself.
http://www.schiffvitamins.com/product_detail.asp?id=9