The United States Department of Agriculture tells us that almost half of our food intake per day should be made up of fruits and vegetables (http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html).

But what all this hasn’t accounted for is the number of pesticides in our fruits and vegetables that could be not only killing the good effects of  the fruit and vegetables, but killing us as well.

We could be poisoning ourselves. And its important to know that washing or peeling fruit may remove some of the pesticides, but not all. So how else can we protect ourselves?According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there are several specific types of pesticides used regularly. Among them are:

• insecticides to control insects
• rodenticides to control rodents
• herbicides to control weeds
• fungicides to control mold and fungus
• antimicrobials to control bacteria

The EPA states: “The health effects of pesticides depend on the type of pesticide. Some, such as the organophosphates and carbamates, affect the nervous system. Others may irritate the skin or eyes. Some pesticides may be carcinogens. Others may affect the hormone or endocrine system in the body.”

So what can we do? First of all, we can know which types of fruits and vegetables contain the most pesticides, and try to limit the amount that we buy. Some of them include: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach and strawberries.

And which contain the least? Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mango, onions, papaya, pineapple and sweet peas.

So, should we stay away from the fruit that has the highest numbers. No, we don’t have to, but we should be educated. If you can possibly grow the food yourself, that is the best option. Or, consider buying organic so that you know the source. The least you can do, even with those that have low numbers, is make sure you always wash and peel them very well.

Here is a pocket guide you can print out for when you are food shopping:  http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehkids/pdf/walletguide.pdf

Is this something that you think about? Do you try to eat healthy but are worried about the quality of your food?

Actually, instead, it proves the point exactly, that medication and magic pills don’t really solve everything.

In years past, according to a New York Times article published about the findings, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/us/06suicide.html?ref=health, it has been those that are over 80 that accounted for most suicides. But that all changed five years ago when the numbers started to show that men and women (more men than women) were committing suicide between the ages of 45 and 54.

As baby boomers, the rise in numbers was attributed to easier accessibility to guns and prescription drugs, as well as a higher rate of depression. But why can’t these suicides be prevented, and what’s really causing people at that age to feel depressed.

The Center for Disease Control’s information can be found here http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/statistics/aag.html#3, and it will show that even with the access to more antidepressants, we are still more depressed. Why is that?

The important thing to know here is that you should not always believe what you read. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published information that notes that many pharmaceutical companies simply choose not to publish articles that don’t show antidepressants positively. As a matter of fact, after looking into 74 studies published about 12 various antidepressants. The study showed a scary figure that 22, all without positive results, were simply not published. How can they do this? (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/3/252).

The safest thing that we can do is to try to make ourselves as healthy as possible without relying on medication. For example, here are four things that we can work on to try and make ourselves a little bit healthier and happier:

• make sure that you get enough light during the day. Getting enough Vitamin D has proven to be healthy for so many reasons, from mood boosters to prevention of cancer.
• stress management: try to reduce the stress in your life with natural exercise and breaks, as well as time to relax and enjoy.
• Sleep: sleep is such a problem for many of us. Whether there is too much light that causes interrupted sleep or lack of sleep, we, as Americans, tend to not sleep properly.
• Eating the wrong foods: This is a major cause of how we act and feel. I always encourage a caveman diet of no wheat or dairy, plenty of leafy greens, water, and lean meats. Organic if possible.

Do you feel symptoms of depression but are worried about being on medication? Is the medication you are on not working for you?

Do you think that getting a few tiny wrinkles around your eyes is not a bid deal.  What you do not know is: a few wrinkles may portend a big disaster in your life — aging with hormonal imbalance.

You wake up one day and you really look at yourself in the mirror. It didn’t happen overnight, but it sure feels like it did. You got old! Your wrinkles are prominent, your skin in sagging, you have bags under your eyes from lack of sleep, and you look tired and haggard. What caused this, and how did it happen to you? You are not ready to think of yourself as old, yet.

“Every wrinkle has a reason,” says Sergey Kalitenko, MD, an Anti Aging Holistic Physician, practicing in Great Neck, Nassau county, Long Island, as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan. “There are several reasons why wrinkles happen, and it’s important to know that they cannot all be treated the same way.  You need to know the reason for wrinkles to treat them appropriately.”

At Dr. Kalitenko’s offices in Great Neck, they use biofeedback and other tests to look into the root cause of your aging problems, and find the right ways to identify, diagnose, and treat them.

Appropriate history taking, physical exam and tests will show that your wrinkles came from either:

1. Loss of skin thickness — your skin just isn’t as thick anymore, as you age.
2. Loss of volume — this has nothing to do with the skin actually, but rather with the fat underneath the skin and needs to be treated differently.
3. Excessive muscle pull — when the skin mimics the muscle pull and is working too hard.
4. Loss of normal skin texture — when the elastic fibers are gone and no longer in shape.

Each of these needs to be treated in the appropriate way. This is not a “one treatment fits all” plan.

“The first few wrinkles around your eyes are so small and can barely be noticed,” says Dr. Kalitenko.  “And you do not usually pay too much attention to them. So what? A little bit of makeup and you are ok.  But soon your problems start to pile up and soon disaster starts.”

Treatments are becoming too expensive. Visits to the makeup counter at department stores are costing hundreds of dollars but the results are almost a joke. You could be missing one approach that could prevent disaster.

Functional medicine can save you from that disaster, because it looks for the root cause of your problem and treats it. At our offices we look into the reason for your problem. We examine why your skin is wrinkled, we look into your diet, into vitamins, and we look to treat you to make the whole you feel younger and better.

Dr. Kalitenko has also teamed up with the healing services offered at Margaret’s Paradise, to offer a full, natural beauty experience. The office makes sure that you are taken care of inside and out.

Committing to look and feel younger is not an easy process. We encourage you to learn more by signing up for one of Dr. Kalitenko’s many free e-seminars. We feature in-depth articles about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, neurotransmitters, beauty, detoxification, and living longer.

“Most importantly, I ask that you come and see me personally for a consultation,” says Doctor Kalitenko. “There is no better way for me to tell you what I think would be the best for you, other than to meet you. I work with each patient, not their numbers, and every patient is different.”

Do you want to look and feel 10 years younger? Make an appointment for a consultation with Doctor Kalitenko: 718-382-9200.

What you need to do to get better:

1. Listen what your body is telling you: wrinkles? tired? no sleep? no energy?
2. if yes, then does your problems make your life harder, even miserable? if yes, then call us at 516 467 0253 or 718 382 9200 and schedule an appointment online

Our guarantee:
We do not share your personal information with anybody unless it is authorized by you or required by law.
More information? Get online workshops now:
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If you are interested in finding out more about looking and feeling younger, as well as available testing and treatments for Wrinkles or any other beauty issues, call Doctor Kalitenko at 516-467-0253 718-382-9200 to schedule an appointment.

Doctor Kalitenko is Board Certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative, Holistic and Integrative Medicine. His Long Island practice is located at 17 Maple Drive at Middle Neck Road, 2nd floor, Great Neck, NY. He can be reached at 516-467-0253.  Ample parking is available, or the LIRR is a short walk away. He also serves the NYC area with offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Dr, Kalitenko works with women and men from all over the tri-state area. For more information about his services and to get free proven tips on how to lose weight, how to look and feel 10 years younger visit www.doctorkalitenko.com.  For medical news, read his anti-aging blog at http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog, or sign up for valuable e-seminars that can help you achieve your anti-aging and health goals in the most natural way.

Please note that anti aging and holistic boards not recognized by the american board of medical specialities.  Opinions in this press release do not reflect the opinion of american boards of medical professions, FDA or othe government agencies.

It is almost impossible to keep track of food recalls today. When we worried about mad-cow disease, the whole world seemed to stop and take notice, the tomato scare, a little bit less, the peanut-butter thing, ehhh, what could it really do? It’s how we as a society react to real threats. Unfortunately, media decides how we truly feel about something. Sure, if you look deeply into any subject you will know so much more, but most of us get our information from the evening news, or maybe a newspaper, possibly on our computers during lunch-hour, and if our reporters aren’t covering it, you aren’t hearing it.

Here’s a true story: several years ago, there was a summer when all you heard about was shark attacks. Do you remember? Everyday, there was a shark being spotted here, a person being attacked here. We were suddenly at risk of sharks. Then, all of the sudden, they disappeared. Truth was, that the year before, there were actually way more shark attacks than the year it was covered in the news, but you never would have known it. Here’s why. It was simply a boring summer. There were no elections, race riots, no stars being arrested. Media still has to fill an hour of TV time. They still need to get you to read their paper instead of someone else’s. And the way to do it is fear. Oh my gosh, I might be attacked by a shark. I should buy that paper and read how I can protect myself.

But, with food safety, it’s actually the opposite. Here, these are things we need to know, but media knows that they can only keep a person’s interest for so long. Everyone knows that blood sells, and there are way more exciting things to read about than people who got diahrrea from contaminated food. But it’s still so important, as little by little, we contaminate our bodies with unclean food.

You can keep up on food safety at www.foodsafety.gov, which lists all the most recent recalls and safety information. But that is not enough. You need to take control of the foods you eat.

Recently, there was an outbreak of salmonella in pistachios (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/business/31nuts.html). That is just weird! There should be no way in nature that it would happen.

There was a case a while back where several people suddenly fell ill with stomach infections. They all had gone out to eat and had a Caesar Salad  (http://www.carec.net/pdf/mobidityreview/8.%20Food-borne.pdf). But what in a Caesar salad would cause them to get so ill? Turns out, the lettuce was contaminated from not being properly washed.  Read more here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/foodspot.htm We think of diseases from things like dirty hands, meat and milk. But lettuce? How?

Everybody knows that food born diseases are caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses or their toxins.   But where do they com from?  They do not come from air!  Most of the time they come from feces:   human of animal.

Cows! Cows are just one example of animals being raised in confinement, being fed hormones to make them produce more milk, and leaving the animal succeptable to many more illnesses. When they move their bowels, it goes into the soil, the soil is used as fertilizer for our  lettuce, which is, in turn, not properly washed.

The most practical advice here is to wash, wash and wash. Wash your hands. Wash your salad. Don’t trust labels that say something is pre-washed. Just think of who is out there washing your lettuce the way it should be washed.

Also try to know the source of your food. If you can, you should grow your own, or buy organic where possible.

Make sure that you have acid in your stomach. What happens is that most of the people don’t have enough acid to fight off these infections. This is where you need to be under the care of a holistic doctor to help monitor you.

Now what about you?

• Are you suffering from food poison?
• Do you know if your body can fight certain viruses?
• Do you need to increase your immune system?

For more information visit Dr Kalitenko’s website at  www.doctorkalitenko.com to make an appointment or call our offices at 718-382-9200.

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Initially, they usually tell me, they put up with it for their mate’s sake. They do not want their partners to think that it was anything that their partners are doing. But eventually, they started avoiding intimacy, or coming up with excuses to not have it.  They tell their mates the truth and tried various positions, but eventually they get turned off at always being hurting their partners.  And they do not enjoy intimacy any more. Such patients are desperate.

Back pain is a very big issue for women when it comes to intimacy. Many women with hormonal imbalances complain of generalized pains, at least  80 percent of them. When a woman lays down, the constant movement and tension during love making is very painful and she cannot perform. A woman who is post-menopausal or has had an accident with back pain as a symptom, can put her totally out of business and make her partner crazy.

Another reason for pain during intimacy is vaginal dryness.  With age a woman’s estrogen level goes down, making her vagina dry.  This is  very uncomfortable for both the man and the woman.

Sometimes endometriosis (a condition in which the tissue that behaves like the cells lining the uterus (endometrium) grows in other areas of the body, causing pain, irregular bleeding, and possible infertility.) can cause severe pain during intimacy.  The pain can be so severe, that it can ruin any relationship.

So, what is the solution?

• First of all, the hormones should be balanced, because it will truly reduce the pain and brings comfort.  For vaginal dryness estriol vaginal cream works very well.  Long foreplay is also important.

• Another approach is to reduce the inflammation in your spine or joints, which is what causes the pain. The easiest way to do it — lose weight.  Sometimes you cannot do it without hormone balancing.

• Position is important too.  Two positions are known to help women who have back  pain during sex:

1. Woman on top. The movements here are minimized and pressure on the back is relieved.
2. More ferarum (most commonly known as doggie style in America). This position takes all the pressure off the back and relieves back pain, as the woman is on  her hands and knees.

Now what about you?

• Do you have pain during intimacy?
• Is it vaginal dryness?
• Back or joint pain?

Back pain can ruin your sex life and a bad sex life can ruin a relationship. Put a stop to it now. Dr Kalitenko’s website at For more information, www.doctorkalitenko.com to make an appointment or call our offices at 718-382-9200.

You may also find interesting:

• Menopause and Sex Drive
• How Does Low Testosterone Affect Women?
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Truthfully, the sun is crucial to our survival. We need it to help our foods to grow, to give us light and to make us feel alive. The effects of vitamin D, produced in our body with sunlight help,  are never disputed and the amount of vitamin D we can get naturally is always better than taking it in supplement form. But, as we humans always do, we take a good thing and take it too far.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal examines why the sun has become our enemy, but the writer really never comes up with a solution. But the solution is actually pretty obvious. Read the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703465204575208011470022100.html?mod=djemHL_t

Look at how we behave in the sun. It is totally unnatural. We sunbathe, we layout in the sun all day long. We make trips to the beach a social venue, where we bake our skin for hours and hours. We slather on sunblock because we think it will save us, but the sunblock can be doing harm, too.

Our bodies were not intended to bake in the sun. The amount of sun exposure we can get naturally, even on a beach, should be what we aim for as people. It is unnatural to lay out all day and let your skin turn different shades of red.

Sunburns are not natural. Dark tans are not natural. Laying in the sand is not natural. Just like you would never see a monkey using a treadmill or eating processed foods, you would never see one sunbathing either.

Sun exposure simple solutions.

• Do not go sunbathing, but rather get your sun naturally
• The sun is the worst between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., so try to stay out of it during those times.
• If you do go out into the sun, leave as soon as you feel uncomfortable. That is your body telling you that it is too much. Whether you are feeling light-headed, or too hot, or like you might be getting sunburned, it is time to go inside.  Usually the time in the sun is about 15 — 20 minutes.
• If you are going to spend time on the beach, use the time to build a sand castle, or take a walk in the sand. Try to take a swim often to break up the exposure. Go collect shells. Do not just lay there inviting in cancer.
• And make sure you apply sunblock if you are going to be out for more than 15 minutes.

The debate as to how long and how much sun we can have will always be prevalent. But taking a functional approach to how we are going to protect ourselves is the best choice we can make.

In our culture, being at the beach is a social event. Taking off our clothes, or being scantily clad, added to being in a social environment, often makes us forget the dangers of our surroundings. Fortunately, when you are treating your body natural, you can make things better. You can take your day on the beach and control it to make sure you are taking the best care of yourself.

What about you?

• How often are you going to the beach or to the tanning salon?
• At what time do you usually sunbathing?
• Are you easily sunburned?
• Do you apply sunscreen on the regular bases?

Learn more about the sun and living naturally by visiting Dr. Kalitenko’s website at www.doctorkalitenko.com.

Visit www.drkalitenko.com for more information, tons of blogs and tips, and to find out how to make an appointment to live a natural and more healthy life.

Most people live with depression. Some seek counseling, while others just suffer through the symptoms. Many learn to live with the symptoms until life is only a shell of what it used to be. But this is not how to handle depression. Even treatment, with a psychiatrist and medication, may not always help the ways that one may expect.

Some of the basic signs of depression include:

1. Feeling helpless and hopeless
2. No interest in usual daily activities
3. Weight loss or gain
4. Changes in sleep patterns
5. Restlessness or irritability
6. No energy
7. Lack of concentration
8. Unexplained aches or pains

Just like there is no switch to turn depression on, there is also no switch to turn depression off. There are pills, but they are not magic.
A recent article published in the Huffington Post, talks about how some of these drugs that are often prescribed for depression, don’t actually even work. Read the full story here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/depression-medication-why_b_550098.html.

Drug companies published several articles recently stating the benefits of some of these medications, only to get caught lying. The truth is that some of these drugs were actually ineffective but the companies chose never to publish those reports. In the end, it was shown that about 80 percent of people showed no improvement on these medications.

What does it mean to you?  It means that may be you should not rely on drugs alone.

Depression is always a serious matter.  This is the way your body tells you that something is very wrong.  It was shown repeatedly that depression is associated with heart disease and cancer survival.  What is means is: depression is not only in you brain, it is everywhere.  It affects whole your body.

Depression usually is a neurotransmitter problem: serotonin or dopamine or both.  To solve the problem you need to find out the root case ad treat it if possible.  Seeing a physician is a must.  You should not make any decisions about your health care without consulting physician.  Remember: depression is a deadly disease.

The seven ways you can help to make your life better:

1. Fix your gut first.  Serotonin, responsible for depression, is produced in the gut.  What antidepressants do? Raise serotonin level.  But instead of taking Prozac may be you should take care of your gut first?  There is no such thing as Prozac deficiency.  Also you need to make sure that your gut is working properly so that if you are taking vitamins or supplements and they are not being absorbed, you may not be getting the treatment that you need.
2. Sun exposure but in moderation.
3. Get enough sleep: when you sleep you synthesize neurotransmitters.
4. Make sure, that you are checked for heavy metal toxicity: mercury blocks SAMe which is necessary for cathecholamine O Methyl transferase which degrades adrenaline.
5. Make sure that your partners are not toxic and that they don’t suck life out of you, but rather bring you more and better life
6. More love making (intimacy) can help with depression.
7. Diet: what you eat can make you feel physically and emotionally sick. Make sure that you stick to a diet of lean meats and green vegetables, as well as fruits. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, dairy, wheat.  Carbs in moderation actually can help with depression.   Want to help a depressed friend?  Give him something sweet.  Or potato. See more on my website about the caveman diet.

What about you?

• Are you suffering from depression?
• Did you lose interest in your life?
• Did you lose your sex drive?
• Are you fatigued all the time?

If you feel like you are suffering from depression and want to seek a natural and effective solution, call Dr. Kalitenko at 718-382-9200 to make an appointment.

Every doctor will stress the importance of good sleeping habits, but a doctor, practicing functional medicine, will get to the root of the problem, find out what it causing your bad sleep, and help you solve it. There could be many reasons why you are not sleeping well. Everything from stress, to what you eat can easily affect your sleep.

You need a good, healthy night of sleep in order to be your best for your family, your job and yourself.  Maintaining good sleeping patterns can also help you solve problems in a dream state that you may not be able to solve when you are awake.

A recent New York Times article discussed how much we actually learn while we sleep. The reporter talks about new research that may show our dreams are our way to learn while we sleep.

A study followed nearly 100 volunteers while they studied a maze. Half the volunteers were then allowed to sleep. Afterwords, those who did not sleep, did not show any improvement. Those who slept showed slight improvement, but those who slept and dreamt about the maze improved incredibly. So, was the brain solving their problem while they slept?

In the New York Times Article, one doctor describes it as the things that really grip you and stick with you are considered important and they are what your brain will go back to, to try and solve as you sleep.

Read the article here. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/learning-while-you-dream/

So what should we learn from this article?  Get enough sleep at night.  Otherwise you won’t be able to work and enjoy life.

But how it can be done? Drugs? Of course not.

Practically, there are some ways that you can try to correct your sleep habits. They include:

1. Avoid stress: stress will always keep you from falling or staying asleep. Try to solve your problems, but if you cannot, put them behind you, meditate, use relaxation techniques etc.
2. Enough sleep: make sure that you are getting eight hours a day.  How to do it? Make your sleep a priority.
3. Fix the gut  –  what  you eat can be affecting your digestion and, in turn, your sleep patterns.  Avoid carbs, coffee, alcohol, dairy and wheat.
4. Take a warm bath-the warm water will soothe you, and the down-time will be beneficial
5. Early to bed early to rise…- go to bed when the sun goes down.
6. Darkness: make sure that you sleep in total darkness. Even the light from a clock or outside lamp can tell your brain that it has to wake up, and not give you the amount of restful sleep you need
7. Right partner not giving you stress: the person you sleep next to should make you calm and relaxed and comfortable so that you can sleep more peaceful.

So how about you?

• Are you having difficulty falling asleep?
• Do you have night dreams? Nightmares?
• Do you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep?

Do you see something wrong with this? Let us take a look.

Statins have two major side effects:

1. Rhabdomyolysis, which is the breakdown of muscle fibers and release of those fibers into the bloodstream. This can cause aches and pain all over the body. Rhabdomyolysis can also cause dark colored urine. If the kidneys get loaded up with these fibers, it can even cause kidney failure and death.

2. Increased Liver Enzymes: statins in the body can cause an increased production of liver enzymes, which can be linked to liver damage.

Last year when a CNBC host asked why we couldn’t put statins in the drinking water, if they were so healthy for us, it became a huge joke in the medical community, that someone could recommend that. And yet, here comes the FDA now are getting close to supporting this recommendation.

The answer is: statins are not for everyone! You can achieve the same results with a healthy diet and fish oil supplements! As a matter of fact, fish oil can bring down your cholesterol almost just as well as a statin can. So why we should take the drug with known side effects and not take natural fish oil without sided effects?

Fish oil, vitamins and a caveman diet of mostly vegetables, fruits and meat can help you stay healthy in this case. Everyone has cholesterol. The difference is that some people can get rid of cholesterol excess and others can’t.

You can find out so much more about the benefits of fish oil at www.doctorkalitenko.com.

Here is an old but relevant article about how we can’t always trust these wonder drugs. http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/20-wonder-drugs-that-can-kill

How to lower your cholesterol naturally:

1. Reduce your calorie intake.
2. Eat plenty of fresh fruits, greens and vegetables.
3. Fish oil, fish oil and fish oil! But in moderation.
4. Stay away from dairy and wheat, but eating a low-fat yogurt may be beneficial.  If you are allergic to milk – a coconut milk yogurt may be the alternative.
5. Get enough sleep.

The outlook for 2010 is bleak. Homes will continue to be foreclosed, jobs will be lost, and less money will be flowing as compared to years past. Also inevitable: we will get another year older. Bad news, right?

Not really!

Though we may not be able to control the outside elements that affect our lives and the world around us, we can do something to make sure than in the survival of the fittest, we are, indeed, the fittest we can be.

To thrive this year, we need to be better than we have been. We need to make sure that we take care of our bodies, our minds, and our relationships.

We need to do something practical to help our situation:

1.    Eat better. The foods we eat not only give us essential vitamins, but help our bodies to function better, including vegetables, lean organic meats, and fish.
2.    Stress reduction: techniques like improving sleep and stress relief exercises can help you to be more alert, work more, and develop and keep better relationships
3.    Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy: working to replace the hormones we lose as we get older. It is necessary to make you competitive with younger and healthier like rival.
4.    Neurotransmitter balancing can help us to deal with our changes like depression, lack of  motivation, ability to concentrate, etc…