Dr Pete's Health Secrets

        My  experience as a surgeon practicing across three continents, has given me the opportunity to interact closely with clients across all races and age groups, afflicted with a wide spectrum of health challenges, including the terminally ill with cancer. It has resulted in my developing a very strong bond with many of them which sometimes has extended to family members and friends.  This myriad of experiences has given me a unique insight into what factors contribute to making us live healthy fulfulling lives. In this article I will examine what we need to do to archieve and remain in optimal health so as to live to see our 100th birthday. So what’s the health secret to living to a 100? Get breastfed as a baby Several reseach studies have demonstrated the protective effect of breastfeeding on the health of both the baby and mother. Breast milk is designed by nature to contain all a new born baby needs for optimal growth and development.  It is r...

    There are lots of supplements and multivitamins out there being marketed aggressively by big pharma, no wonder we get confused.  When one of the highest paid sportswomen in the world, tennis star, Maria Sharapova, failed a drug test, she tested positive for Meldonium.  She claimed that she used the drug to treat a magnessium deficiency which adversely affected her health and exercise tolerance. Whatever the merits of her case, it brought into the limelight the importance of magnesium a largely overlooked mineral. Magnesium is a very valuable mineral to the human body, but it is not a nutrient you usually hear about. For the rest of us we probably don't know we are deficient. Unfortunately, because of this lack of information about the mineral, many people come out as magnesium-deficient. It is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body after Calcium, Sodium and Potassium. Yet 60% of American adults are deficient in Magnesium. The daily requirement of t...

         Very low in calories, naturally fat free and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating, coconut water is quite simply a nutural wonder drink. These are just a few of the many benefits of the World's latest health drink craze,  Coconut water. Yes, the world is waking up to what Tropical Island and coastal dwellers have known for centuries. The demand is also propelled by celebrity and athlete endorsements and promises to hydrate the body and help with a whole host of conditions, from hangovers to cancer and kidney stones desolution. Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sucrose and electrolytes.  Not to be confused with the high fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts. Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to beat tropical summer t...

              Feel “invincible” when you are young, but acting as though you are will take its toll.  Start caring for yourself properly by getting enough sleep, eating healthy food and minimising toxins. Here is our list of 8 foods that have been acknowledged by science for their health-prolonging and rejuvenating effects. Organic foods have less toxins and are nutrient richer 1. Pomegranate Pomegranate has been associated with immense cardiovascular benefits in actual human studies, which found that it reversed arterial plaque that is thought to be a prime cause of serious or even fatal heart conditions. 2. Berries Berries of all types are antioxidant rich which means that they combat free radicals, inflammation and inflammation-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis , osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s. 3. Omega-3 Rich Fish and Nuts Omega-3 which is found in wild-caught salmon an...

        In Ancient Rome, Apple cider vinegar (ACV) was considered the holy grail of the 'fountain of eternal youth'.  It was commonly consumed for its properties as an elixir ! Yes, one that has been forgotten in modern times until recently. Apple cider vinegar as a food additive, not only tastes great on potato chips, it has many health benefits as well. Apple cider vinegar is a very powerful health tonic and healing elixir, and is actually one of the best natural anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal remedies in existence!  It is a natural cure for urinary tract infections and also helps to re-colonize the digestive system with friendly bacteria. The beauty of ACV is not only does it cure just about every ailment in existence, it is inexpensive. Traditionally, vinegar is made through a long, slow fermentation process, leaving it rich in bioactive components like acetic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, and more, giv...

    Much better than beer and grape wine and loved by bees, Palm  wine is a natural juice, a white translucent sap of a variety of palm trees.  Although I have never climbed up a palm tree, I do own a few trees in the village. Professional tappers are normally hired to climb the palm. After tapping the tree, they position a calabash to collect the constant flow of nectar.  The nectar flows up the palm naturally by osmosis and is harvested twice a day for 5 consecutive days. No artificial prservatives are used. The most delicious palm wine or better called palm juice is gotten at the bottom of the tree when the taper comes down. I should know, been there, done it. In Igbo culture, a tribe that originates in West Africa  in the south-east of present day Nigeria,  the tapper gets paid in kind with a share of the wine. The owner of the palm tree gets the palm wine for 3 days and the tapper's share is 2 days. Then the palm tree gets to rest for 2 days...