Healthy Living Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common yet often underestimated health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While it may seem inconspicuous, high blood pressure can have serious consequences if left unchecked. Let’s delve into what high blood pressure is, its causes, associated risks, and how you can prevent it.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲?

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high. It’s often referred to as the “silent killer” because it doesn’t usually cause noticeable symptoms until it reaches a dangerous level.

“Normal Blood Pressure”…Big Pharma Keeps Moving The Goalpost.

• 1940: Normal 100+Plus Your Age/95
• 1970: Normal 160/90
• 2000: Normal 140/90
• 2017 & Now: Normal Needs To Be Less Than 120/80

Anti-Hypertensive Drugs worldwide achieved a revenue of $36.7 BILLION in 2024. Blood Pressure Medications do not treat the root cause & inflict grave side effects resulting in more pills prescribed to counter negative side effects. Making Big Pharma even more $$ profit for every additional Medication prescribed to mitigate the side effects from the original Hypertension Medications.

 

https://diggingdeeper.net/2025/02/01/healthy-blood-pressure/

When we are wanting something cold and sweet, we often reach for an ice cream bar. But those who are on a diet feel guilty because it’s deemed unhealthy. So what’s the solution?

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Week 164 - REFINED FOODS

The secret is out. It is now in the ‘mainstream media’. NPR has published an article highlighting the fact that the food we eat is slowly killing us.

Evidence against ultra-processed food piles up

A study published in the British Medical Journal finds people who consume high amounts of processed foods have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers including colorectal cancer and premature death.

The data come from more than 9 million people who participated in dozens of studies, which researchers analyzed as part of umbrella review.

One telltale sign that a food is ultra-processed is if its ingredient label includes substances you would not find in your own kitchen such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, hydrolysed protein, or additives such as artificial colors, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, anti-caking agents and thickeners.

Beauty products — everything from shampoo to makeup to cologne — can help you feel on top of your game. They can also cause irritated skin or an allergic reaction. A dermatology study published in 2010 found that more than a third of over 900 study participants had at least one allergic reaction to cosmetic ingredients. 

Problems can range from simple rashes to full-blown allergic reactions. Symptoms can start right after you use something new — or after years of using a product with no problems. But above and beyond the skin irritations, personal care products have been linked to several serious health issues like alzheimers, parkinsons, hormone imbalance and cancer.

Most ingredients in personal care products are in a category known as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, explains Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, a computational toxicologist at NIH. But certain chemicals that may cause health problems can be found in many of these products. How much you’re exposed to is often what makes a chemical harmful. The amount that’s “safe” varies for each.

“The general classes we’re concerned about include phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and metals like lead,” says White. Other problem chemicals include triclosan and triclocarban. These are included in many personal care products to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Many chemicals of concern, including phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and triclosan, are endocrine disruptors. These are compounds that can mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones. They’ve been linked to problems with the brain, development, and reproduction. Some have also been linked to a higher risk of certain cancer types.

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What Is a Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormones are chemicals in your body that are produced by the endocrine glands. Hormones move through your bloodstream to reach the organs and tissues in your body, and regulate functions like:

1. Appetite and metabolism
2. Sleep cycles
3. Heart rate
4. Sexual and reproductive functions
5. Overall growth and development
6. Mood and stress levels
7. Body temperature

A hormonal imbalance occurs when your body produces too much or too little of the important hormones in your bloodstream. Although an occasional irregularity is not harmful, a major imbalance can have severe consequences on your health.

For women in their 40s or 50s, that’s likely a sign their body is transitioning to menopause.

It’s common for those entering this natural stage of life to gain weight and belly fat (sometimes called “menopause belly”) and experience other bothersome symptoms — sleep-interrupting night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness that causes pain during sex, urinary tract infections, irregular periods, depression, thinning hair, mood swings, weight gain and more.

LISTEN IN to learn more!

How much do you know about Dementia or Alzheimers Disease? Chances are you know more than a few folks that have been affected by it! The numbers of new diagnoses are skyrocketing and there’s a reason for that!

Increasing age is strongly associated with the development of dementia, particularly from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative causes. Dementia is characterized by significant cognitive decline to the point where independence in everyday activities becomes affected.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

• Loss of smell
• Vision issues
• Trouble sleeping
• Mood swings / Agitation
• Difficulty remembering recent events
• Difficulty finding words
• Problems with spatial location

What we know about Alzheimer’s:

• The brain shrinks, starting with the hippocampus
• People are getting it at a younger age (as early as their 20s)
• There is a correlation between hyperinsulinemia and Alzheimer’s
• Treating amyloid plaque hasn’t produced results

Exercise can help reduce the onset of dementia

We’ve often been told that exercise is good for our health, specifically for the body. But is exercise specifically good for your brain? Ultimately, exercise will increase the amount of oxygen in your blood, which is beneficial to every cell in your body.

Physical inactivity ranks as the fourth major risk factor for death globally and has been recognized as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Successfully promoting increased physical activity, by engaging in regular aerobic exercise, has the potential to reduce age-associated disease. 

Some medication can increase loss of memory

According to Dr. Joel Wallach, “Alzheimer’s” is a physician CAUSED disease!!!

It didn’t even occur in people over 40 years ago, and now it’s the #4 killer of people in the USA over age 65!!

What is Alzheimer’s disease? Well, it’s the disappearing of your brain’s insulation, the Myelin!! What is Myelin made out off? It’s made from CHOLESTEROL!!!

"If a fish tank is dirty, you clean the tank. You don’t drug the fish."

‘Absolute Disaster’: Pharma Whistleblower Slams Popular Weight-Loss Drug

Calley Means, founder of health tech firm TrueMed, during the Feb. 2 episode of “The Tucker Carlson Encounter” cited numerous reported side effects — including gastrointestinal issues and suicidal thoughts — of the popular weight-loss drug.

Means, co-author of the book, “Good Energy: The Surprising Link Between Metabolism and Limitless Health,” also argued drugs like Ozempic fail to address the current metabolic health crisis in the U.S., which is rooted in poor nutrition and lifestyle choices.

And yet the messaging that is coming out of the media is that it is a disease that can be solved with drugs. Even Netflix is getting in the on the game. Meat bad – sugar good!?

It’s all about the numbers – 80% of the polulation are prediabetic

According to Means, surging obesity rates have created perverse financial motivations that prioritize lifelong pharmaceutical use over preventative care.

There are significant health concerns. It’s not even approved in Europe, where it is manufactured.

Means said that even in the U.S., where the drug is approved to treat obesity, up to 30% of patients prescribed Ozempic stop using it within three months, attributing this in part to harsh gastrointestinal side effects.

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Stomach (abdominal) pain
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Suicidal thoughts

Ozempic “paralyzes your stomach,” Means said. “And there are studies now saying that [the inability] … to digest food actually stays after you go off the drug. You’re consistently seeing patients who go off the drugs gain the weight back.”

The health care industry is corrupt

While Novo Nordisk downplays legitimate medical concerns in pursuit of sales growth, the potential costs to society are extreme according to health trends Means cited.

With 80% of American adults now overweight amid declining metabolic health markers, analysts forecast more than $1 trillion in annual Ozempic revenues if prescription rates increase in line with current obesity trends.

Weight Watchers has partnered with Ozempic

One of the oldest and most trusted weight loss programs, Weight Watchers, has added Ozempic prescriptions to their list of services.

“Our institutions, particularly the healthcare industry, have completely let us down. Why aren’t doctors giving their patients prescriptions for food interventions if they have pre-diabetes … or allowing them to use their medically tax-advantaged dollars to [pay for] exercise [programs]? If you actually follow the science,” these would be the correct medical interventions, rather than drugs like Ozempic. We’re so gaslighted by this. It’s just pill, pill, pill.”

“Our biggest industry, the healthcare industry, is profiting from us being sick. It’s just that simple. We need to unwind that or we’re going to destroy our human capital and destroy our [national] budget.”

CALLEY MEANS How can we stop it?

Stop letting Big Pharma buy everyone off. Pharmaceutical companies are paying dividends, grants, consulting fees, etc to the Universities, Health Care providers, individual Dr’s and Mainstream Media all to control the narrative.

Perfect Poo

By Andi Hale

Everybody poops, but nobody really talks about it. But while putting a lid on all potty talk may keep conversations civilized, it may mean we’re missing out on valuable clues to our health.

Your poop can tell you if you’re eating enough fiber and drinking enough water, or if your digestive system is processing food too slowly or too quickly. Also, lasting changes in your bowel habits or the appearance of your poop can be a sign of a medical condition that requires treatment.

Your poo is the end result of your digestion, but your health begins in your gut. It seems like maintaining a healthy gut is the new rage, so how do you know if your gut is healthy and how do you keep it that way?

What is a healthy gut?

Determining whether you have a healthy gut involves assessing various factors related to digestion, bowel habits, overall well-being, and the diversity and balance of your gut microbiome. While individual experiences may vary, here are several indicators that suggest you have a healthy gut:

1. Regular Bowel Movements
2. Absence of Digestive Discomfort
3. Diverse Diet Tolerance
4. Balanced Mood and Energy Levels
5. Strong Immune Function
6. Normal Weight Maintenance
7. Well-Being of Skin and Hair
8. Optimal Sleep Patterns

It’s important to note that individual experiences of gut health can vary, and occasional fluctuations in digestive function may be normal. However, persistent or severe digestive symptoms, changes in bowel habits, or other concerning signs should be discussed with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and management.

How does poop demonstrate a healthy gut?

Poop, while often a subject of humor or discomfort, holds significant clues about our digestive health, particularly the state of our gut microbiome. The gut microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms that reside in our digestive tract, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes. These microscopic inhabitants play a crucial role in various aspects of our health, including digestion, immune function, and even mental well-being.

Here’s how poop can serve as an indicator of a healthy gut biome:

1. Consistency: The texture and consistency of stool can provide insights into the efficiency of digestion and absorption in the gut. Ideally, stool should be well-formed and easy to pass, indicating that the digestive system is functioning optimally. Loose stools or diarrhea may suggest an imbalance in the gut microbiome or issues with food tolerance.
2. Color: The color of stool can vary depending on factors like diet, hydration, and the presence of certain substances. Generally, a healthy poop color ranges from light to dark brown, reflecting the breakdown of bile pigments in the digestive process. Unusual colors like red (indicating blood), black (suggesting bleeding in the upper digestive tract), or pale (possible bile duct obstruction) may warrant further investigation.
3. Odor: While nobody enjoys discussing poop odors, they can provide valuable information about gut health. Normal stool typically has a mild odor due to the fermentation of undigested food by gut bacteria. Strong, foul-smelling stool could indicate an imbalance in the gut microbiome or the presence of certain infections or digestive disorders.
4. Frequency: Regularity in bowel movements is often considered a sign of good digestive health. While individual bowel habits can vary, most people pass stool anywhere from three times per day to three times per week. Consistent changes in bowel habits, such as increased frequency or constipation, may indicate underlying issues with the gut microbiome or digestive function.
5. Composition: Poop is composed of various elements, including water, undigested food particles, bacteria, and waste products. Analyzing the composition of stool can provide insights into the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut microbiome.
6. pH Level: The pH level of stool can also offer clues about gut health. A slightly acidic pH (around 6.7) is considered normal and helps inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. Significant deviations from this range may suggest imbalances in the gut microbiome or digestive disorders.

Over 80% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it because they don’t get tested regularly.

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. More than nine in 10 cases are type 2 or “adult-onset” diabetes, the kind linked to excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver can’t use the insulin it makes. As a result, the pancreas produces more insulin to help glucose get into your cells. The CDC relates insulin to a key that lets sugar into cells for use as energy.

One in three adults in the U.S. has prediabetes – that’s about 96 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with prediabetes have high blood sugar levels that can lead to developing type 2 diabetes.

Over 80% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it because they don’t get tested regularly.

Prediabetes can leave you at risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Some good news is that an active lifestyle and weight loss can help prevent or delay serious health problems.

The American Diabetes Association recommends testing for prediabetes and diabetes in adults without symptoms who are overweight and have one or more risk factors. They include:

• lack of physical inactivity
• parent or sibling with diabetes
• family background is African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaska Native, American Indian or Pacific Islander
• gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• high blood pressure
• low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol
• high triglyceride levels
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• impaired fasting glucose or glucose tolerance in previous testing
• severe obesity and other conditions associated with insulin resistance
• cardiovascular disease

Can I change it?

The good news about a prediabetes diagnosis is that it can be used as warning sign. Prediabetes can allow you to take control of and change your health and habits before it’s too late. Modest lifestyle changes can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in prediabetics. These changes can even restore normal blood-glucose levels.

A 5-7% weight loss along with 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity can reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes in prediabetics by nearly 60%.

If this sounds like a lot, here’s some perspective: For someone who weighs 200 pounds, a 5-7% weight loss means 10-14 pounds. And 150 minutes of exercise can translate into a brisk 30-minute walk, five days a week.

What foods should I eat?

“People with prediabetes do not have to eliminate entire food groups,” she explains. “All foods can fit in the meal plan, and patients should steer clear of fad diets and other strategies that promise quick fixes, since their claims are not supported. We encourage making gradual behavior changes. Small changes can lead to big results.” – Tara Seymour, clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at Johns Hopkins

The ADA’s version of the recommendations suggests these proportions for meals:

• 50% of the plate filled with nonstarchy vegetables, such as leafy greens
• 25% with healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains like brown rice, farro or quinoa
• 25% with lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, fish or tofu, not fried

Water or another zero-calorie beverage is preferred.

Seymour also recommends:

• Avoiding excessive intake of added sugars by limiting sugary beverages, cakes, cookies, candy and snacks
• Limiting portion sizes of refined carbohydrate foods such as white bread, white rice and white pasta
• Incorporating fiber to reach a goal of 25 to 30 grams per day by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Limiting saturated and trans fats by choosing lean protein and low-fat dairy

Blood sugar levels are important indications of prediabetes, and it’s no secret that most Americans eat more sugar than they should. Sugar can hide in less obvious places, including processed foods such as breakfast cereals, frozen meals, snacks, sauces and dressings.

Though some sugar is necessary for your body to function, too much can worsen prediabetes. Seymour explains: “Carbohydrates are an important source of energy since glucose [blood sugar] is the preferred molecule to fuel the brain. However, excessive intake of refined carbohydrates from added sugar can cause adverse health effects.

Plant Enzymes Can Turn Sugar to Fiber

The average American consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, or 270 calories, well more than the 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoons for women recommended by the American Heart Association.

Harvard University’s Wyss Institute, in a study funded by the Kraft-Heinz Co., found sugar exposed to encapsulated plant enzymes in the gut can be turned into fiber. The finding, if verified, could have a significant impact on an estimated 34.2 million U.S. diabetics.

The enzyme activates only when it encounters a rise in pH “such as that which occurs in the transition from the human stomach to intestine.” 

“This could help diabetics, but it would not make eating sugar healthy,” said Amy Shapiro, founder of Real Nutrition NYC. “Many foods that contain sugar also contain artificial colors, flavors, and processed ingredients which makes them unhealthy and can promote other illnesses like high blood pressure, weight gain, and fatigue.”

These enzymes are available under the name 'Transform' at https://www.greengoldnaturalhealing.com

 

What are SSRI’s

Antidepressants work by changing the balance of certain neurotransmitters in your brain, but which ones they affect and how they affect them varies from one antidepressant to another — and there are many different classes of antidepressants.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are indeed the most common type of antidepressant prescribed in the United States, and they have been ranked number one for several decades.

Serotonin regulates certain aspects of your mood, including feelings of happiness, and SSRIs increase the amount of serotonin in your brain by blocking your brain cells from reabsorbing (or reuptaking) existing serotonin. Most of the time, SSRIs produce a noticeable improvement in people affected by depression within about two to four weeks.

Currently, several different SSRI antidepressants are used to treat depression, anxiety disorders and other conditions. They include: 

• Citalopram (Celexa®)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro®)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac®)
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox®)
• Paroxetine (Paxil®)
• Sertraline (Zoloft®) 
• Vilazodone (Viibryd®)
• Vortioxetine (Trintellix®)

SSRI Side Effects

• Gastrointestinal Issues
• Insomnia
• Weight Changes
• Dry Mouth
• Dizziness, Tremors and Headaches
• Nervousness, Restlessness and Agitation
• Sexual Side Effects

Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect among SSRIs. Women may experience sexual side effects such as difficulty experiencing an orgasm and decreased sex drive. These side effects can affect both men and women. For men, adverse effects can be having difficulty  experiencing orgasm, erectile dysfunction and decreased sex drive. Between 40 and 65 percent of people who take an SSRI experience some form of sexual dysfunction, according to a review of studies published in the journal The Mental Health Clinician.

SSRI’s and Gender Dysphoria

Anti depressants (SSRI’s) can potentially have nasty side effects long after stopping them. One of these is PSSD Post SSRI sexual dysfunction This can cause Total loss of libido Genital numbness Emotional blunting For years or decades You think people are told this prior?

For many users of antidepressants, the sexual side-effects are the reason they eventually discontinue the drug, with or without medical supervision.

When patients bring our concerns about sexual functioning while on antidepressants to our health care providers, they are almost universally told that their sexuality will return to normal after tapering off the drug. Unfortunately, recent data has emerged showing that this is not always true. Some people continue to experience sexual dysfunction for weeks, months, or years after stopping the medication. Sometimes, these symptoms emerge only after tapering off the medication.

For an unfortunate minority, a total elimination of sexual drive persists indefinitely. They may have severe or total loss of erotic sensation in our genitals, sometimes to the point of tactile numbness.

The effects of losing my sexuality have been absolutely devastating to my relationships and mental health. I have been robbed of an essential aspect of my humanity.

EMILY, AGE 24, PSSD 2 YEARS

A growing movement of people across the globe are trying to raise awareness about a seldom discussed topic: youth sexual dysfunction and its ties to these popular medications. Sexual issues such as low libido and erectile dysfunction are not unusual for those over the age of 40, but many young people may not know that they could possibly run into these physical health issues if they are prescribed meds to treat mental health issues.

The brain chemical mechanism that many of these drugs use to prevent low emotions may also have the side effect of killing the joy of not just sexual relations, but also of human experience joys such as music and artwork.

In addition to the loss of libido and sexual sensation (numbness of genitalia and other erogenous zones), my general sensitivity to the pleasure of touch has declined. A caress on bare skin registers as little more than pressure…. There is a feeling of numbness, as if there is some kind of barrier between my skin and the source of contact.

ELLEN, AGE 48, PSSD FOR 14 YEARS