They should’ve kept that name – it’s about as honest a product description as you’ll find, because “Honey” Smacks is actually 55.6 percent sugar by weight, according to Environmental Working Group.  Other cereals to watch for include Golden Crisp, Captain Crunch and any cereal where fruit is written as “Froot.”  Unfortunately, you can’t always tell by the name.   A single cup of Honey Nut Cheerios, for example, has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy cookies.

As we have been recommending for years, eggs are the perfect breakfast food. They are practically a multivitamin in a shell with hardly any sugar.

A University of Massachusetts Medical School study has found that statins significantly increase risk of type 2 diabetes among postmenopausal women—an increased rate of 48% compared to those not on cholesterol-lowering drugs. The data comes from the massive Women’s Health Initiative, which surveyed 161,808 women.

But in the face of this research, the media is bending over backwards to say that the risk of statins do not outweigh the “benefits”! The headline of the Associated Press article (which was picked up by countless media outlets) says that statins are linked to “small diabetes risk,” calling them “cholesterol-lowering wonder drugs.”

The AP also notes that more and more doctors are urging otherwise healthy people to use statins as a way to prevent heart disease.

Conspicuously absent is any reference to recent findings from mainstream medical authorities that statins show no benefit in reducing cardiovascular disease risk among patients who are currently at low risk of heart attack.

 It’s not just what you eat or how much you exercise that matters; it’s the timing of each component that is the true secret to weight loss success. Research shows that our bodies’ inner eat-and-sleep clocks have been thrown completely out of whack, thanks to all-day food cues and too much nighttime artificial light. The result: You’re caught in a “fat cycle”: a constant flow of hunger hormones that makes you prone to cravings. By tuning in to your body’s natural eat/sleep schedule, you can finally say good-bye to your belly.

Drop Around The Clock! Follow this hour-by-hour slim-down schedule to control hunger hormones, banish cravings, and get trim and toned–fast!

6 TO 8 AM: GET MOVING.
Within a half hour of rising and before you eat breakfast, do 20 minutes of cardio. Research has found that exercising before breakfast may help you burn fat more efficiently. If you can get outside, even better. Early morning sunlight helps your body naturally reset itself to a healthier sleep/wake cycle (regular indoor lights don’t have the same effect).

6:55 TO 8:55 AM: DRINK UP.
Before every meal, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water. Research shows that people who drank this amount lost 5 pounds more than nonguzzlers.

7 TO 9 AM: EAT BREAKFAST.
The alarm clock also wakes up ghrelin, the “feed me” hormone made in your stomach. Ignore ghrelin and your body will produce even more, eventually making you ravenous. To suppress ghrelin’s effect, eat a mix of complex carbs and protein, such as eggs and whole grain toast, within an hour of waking.

10 TO 11 AM: MUNCH MIDMORNING.
Ghrelin begins to rise again a couple of hours before lunch. It turns off when you chow down, particularly on carbs and protein, so have a small combo snack, like blueberries and Greek-style yogurt.

12 TO 1 PM: HAVE YOUR MIDDAY MEAL.
Galanin, another hunger hormone that makes you crave fat, rises around lunchtime. However, dietary fat causes you to produce more galanin, which then tells you to eat more fat. Instead, fill up with complex carbs and protein, such as chicken-vegetable soup or black bean chili.

2 TO 3 PM: TAKE A NAP.
Instead of hitting the vending machines, find a quiet place to grab a few Zzzs. (Hint: Your parked car is the perfect impromptu sleep pod!) Just set an alarm–15 to 20 minutes will energize your body without affecting your ability to sleep at night.

3:30 PM: GET BUZZED.
Need a boost? This is your last chance to have a cup of joe. Drinking coffee after 4 PM disturbs circadian rhythms and can keep you from falling asleep at night.

4 TO 8 PM: TRIM AND TONE.
Now’s the time to do your strength training, plus any additional cardio. This is when your body temperature is highest, so you’re primed for peak performance. In one study, subjects who worked out in the late afternoon or early evening built 22% more muscle than morning exercisers.

5 TO 7 PM: TIME TO DINE.
To ensure you don’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night, add a serving of healthy fats, such as flaxseed or fish oil, to your meal. If you’re a wine drinker, pour a glass now. Drinking later can delay dream (REM) sleep, waking you frequently during the night.

9 TO PM: HAVE A PRESLEEP SNACK.
Enjoy a carb-based bedtime snack, such as a serving of low-fat frozen yogurt. Nighttime carbs create tryptophan, which helps your brain produce serotonin. This feel-good chemical triggers your body to make melatonin, the sleep hormone.

9 TO 10:30 PM: POWER DOWN.
Step away from digital devices, including the TV. They emit a blue spectrum of light that’s even more disruptive to sleep than regular bulbs. Do something calming–read, take a bath–in dim light so you’re ready to nod off when you hit the sheets.

9:30 TO 11 PM: GO TO SLEEP.
Crawl under the covers at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. Having a regular sleep-and-wake schedule helps you fall asleep faster over time.

How many flu-like illness are caused by type A or B influenza?

 According to the CDC, only about 20% of flu-like illnesses are actually caused by influenza type A or B. What this means is that if you think you have the flu, odds are five to one that you actually don’t have the flu but a flu-like virus, against which the flu shot is absolutely worthless!

Thus the total effectiveness of the flu shot is 1.5% of 20% of flu-like illnesses.

Every little sneeze and sniffle has turned into a big drama and now, just about everyone who gets sick assumes they have the flu.

New research has shown us that most people who THINK they have the flu really DON’T and if you catch a bug this winter yourself, odds are it won’t be the flu for you, either.

The CDC accidentally confirmed that most winter illnesses blamed on the flu are really just run-of-the-mill colds. Of the 24,027 suspected flu specimens tested in 30 states in October and November, just 266 turned out to be the actual flu.

The rest? A case of the nothings.

The feds of course are praising the flu shot. See? The vaccine works; only 266 people got the flu.

There is just one problem. The agency also admitted that nearly two-thirds of us are unvaccinated this year.  Oops.

But let’s turn those numbers around and find out what they REALLY mean. While only 266 people had the flu, 23,761 people were sick enough to visit a doctor and get tested.

All they had was a cold; maybe a bad one, but still just a cold and not even a 100 percent flu vaccination rate would have prevented a single one of those illnesses.

So forget flu shots and remember what mom told you instead. Wash your hands. Keep up with your regular chiropractic adjustments to allow your nervous system to be at its best.  (After all, it is the nervous system that controls your immune system.)  Throw in some immune-boosting nutrients such as vitamins C and D and the mineral zinc, and you’ll be protected against every illness-causing germ, all year ’round.