HOLISTIC HEALTH NOTEBOOK

I just finished reading a book written by Nancy DeVille, a friend of mine, called "Death By Supermarket: The Fattening, Dumbing Down and Poisoning of American." I encourage you to read the book, although if you tend toward depression and despair, you might want to get those under control first because the author pulls no punches in describing why we are in the state we are in. Lest you think she just targets food quality in this country, she also goes after issues like popular weight-loss programs, pharmaceutical development and marketing, and so on. It really is a disturbing book but should be required reading for parents, educators, medical professionals, and anyone who is interested in preserving life on this planet.

Does she overstate her case? I might think so, except for a new TV commercial I saw the other day for a new drug that grows eyelashes… Yes, it's true and I have wracked my brain trying to think of a good medical reason why this drug might be necessary. Although I am sure that side effects of some drugs may lead to general hair loss, as well as an illness or two, I cannot think of any reason to risk the expected side effects just to grow longer, more luscious lashes. Has our culture really come to the point that inadequate eyelashes are now a medical condition? I'm afraid we really have been dumbed down.

Several years ago I wrote a column on what was then a new sweetener on the market called sucralose (Splenda) and why I was concerned about it. Shortly

after publication, I received a stern warning from their attorneys to stop saying bad things about their wonderful sweetener. But just this week, I saw an article published in the heavy-weight peer-reviewed journal called the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health (Part A: Current Issues, 1087-2620, Volume 71, Issue 21, 2008, page 1415- 1429) saying that "evidence indicates that a 12-wk administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1 which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs." (Lawyers, if you are reading this, they said it; I didn't…)

By the way, if you are like me, you need frequent mini-vacations. Even an hour or two of getting away from the pace of life can help revive the spirits. Our area boasts of many wonderful opportunities for little breaks in the daily routine but those of us who aren't tourists don't often take advantage of them. Last week I took a champagne cruise on Adventures in Paradise and it was glorious. Water lapping on the sides of the boat, dolphins frolicking in the surf, a golden stream of sun spreading out over the water, and the good humor of Capt. Noah made it a wonderful respite. I returned refreshed. I'm going to try something different next week (a massage perhaps?).

— Ms. Simontacchi is a certified lifestyle educator at the offices of Dr. Alan Gruning in Fort Myers and owner of the Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel.