I’m sure many of you can relate to that middle-of-the-night scenario when your baby wakes up screaming, tugging on one ear, a bit feverish...Ugh---here we go again---another ear infection (and another sleepless night)! The above scenario sometimes continues with the parent making a quick trip to the ER, where the ear infection would be confirmed & a prescription for an antibiotic would be given.
Antibiotics may get rid of the infection a bit more quickly (see studies referred to below), but there are potential side effects as most of you know, like diarrhea---as well as a bigger risk that the bacteria causing the infection will become resistant to commonly used antibiotics, creating 'superbugs' that can't be easily treated. (MRSA is a ‘superbug’).
In recent years, the CDC and medical societies have put great effort into trying to convince parents (& health care professionals) that antibiotics often don’t help with children’s colds and ear infections, particularly for the common ear infection. Studies like those in the next 2 paragraphs clearly show why there is a need for moving away from antibiotics as a first resort.
A clinical study in the United Kingdom compared providing immediate antibiotic therapy with delaying antibiotic therapy for 72 hours in children aged 6 months to 10years. 76% of children in the delayed-treatment group never required antibacterial agents. 70% of the delayed-antibacterial group were symptomatically better at 3 days, whereas 86% of the immediate-treatment group were better. (Washington Post 8-4-09).
Another study showed that children who took antibiotics for an ear infection had a higher risk of further infections over the next 3 years.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians published an updated set of guidelines for the treatment of acute ear infections in 2004. These new guidelines recommend limiting the majority of antibiotic treatment for ear infections (acute otitis media) to children under 2 years of age. They adopted an antibiotic-free approach for most older children with ear infections as well. In these guidelines, they recommend treating with pain relievers and initial observation in otherwise healthy children. Antibiotics are recommended for these children only if they do not improve on their own in 48 to 72 hours, or if they develop severe symptoms (high fever or moderate to severe ear pain).
I consider this a BIG step in the right direction. We’re allowing the body to heal itself instead of immediately hitting it with antibiotics that can totally upset the normal GI (gut) bacterial balance & have long-lasting effects.
SO, WHAT ABOUT THE VERY UNHAPPY BABY THAT IS SCREAMING WITH EAR PAIN?
Warm compresses to the ear may be soothing.
Your health care provider will probably recommend some sort of pain relief option.
Magnetic pads (thin/small) placed behind the ear have been found to be helpful.
Other forms of magnetic technology can be beneficial as well.
Chiropractic adjustments in the cervical spine may be helpful with ear infections as well.
Keeping the immune system strong will decrease the overall likelihood of ear infections, which is the main goal. We do this by ensuring adequate amounts of good quality sleep, solid nutrition (whole food supplements are a great option), adequate intake of good quality water and clean air (air filtration in the home).
May all of you sleep well during this upcoming season of colds, flu & ear infections---Be Well!
Sana
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sports Drinks...Are You Sure??
Most of our kids and grandkids are bombarded daily with cool commercials and amazing ads for the 'Sports Drink of the Moment.'
Questions we should be asking:
Are sports drinks really better for us than water? Do they really 'hydrate' us better than water? Can they have negative effects on us or our children?
First, let's check out the sweeteners used in the majority of sports drinks: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a commonly used. The reason it is so popular is that it's cheaper and sweeter than sugar and extends the shelf life of foods. Many experts blame increased consumption of HFCS for the growing obesity problem and adverse health effects such as diabetes. A report from the University of California-Berkeley found that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year could gain about 13 pounds. The typical sweet-tart taste of sports drinks doesn't quench thirst, so a person is more likely to keep drinking sports drinks long after water has lost its appeal, which can lead to increased calorie consumption.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener, originally sold under the trade name Splenda. It is about 600 times sweeter than household sugar and when metabolized does not produce any energy (or calories). Now why would you want to have something in your sports drink that makes it sweet and does not give you energy? In addition, recent studies suggest that artificial sweeteners have been clearly linked to the rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Next, a quick discussion re: sodium. A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains about 27 milligrams of sodium, almost 12% of the recommended daily allowance for kids ages 14 to 18. The Institute of Medicine reports that over 75% of children consume more than the recommended daily allowance of sodium each day (due in large part to processed foods). Endurance and high intensity athletes may benefit from the extra sodium---the average person does not!
Another interesting finding: A study done at the University of Iowa showed that the common sports drink, Gatorade, eroded teeth faster than Coke---Yikes!
Now for the BIG question: Do our kids really need sports drinks? After all, they are in sports...sometimes...so don't they need the extra electrolytes? Not Exactly! Studies have shown that the loss of electrolytes is not extremely prevalent unless a person is sweating profusely for over 60 minutes. Until that time, water is able to replenish what the body loses in sweat. Sports drinks are only necessary in the context of serious sports...endurance and high intensity sports(like marathons & the Arizona Cardinals' preseason training camp).
What to do??
Honestly, the answer is water. Water hydrates better than any other liquid, both before and during exercise. Water tends to be less expensive and more available than any other drink. Juice may be nutritious, but it isn't the best choice for hydration. The fructose, or fruit sugar, reduces the rate of water absorption so cells don't get hydrated as quickly. Sports drinks are fancy sugar/ sucralose water. These 'cool-looking' drinks are becoming a popular beverage of choice, even when sports are not involved. Kids having them with their pizza at lunch is not a healthy scenario!
What to do with kids who don't like to drink water??
Big problem, I know! Explaining why you're not going the route of sports drinks any more is the first step (you don't want your child gaining extra weight, or being at increased risk for diseases like diabetes--as well as dental cavities). Offer the best quality water you can---most tap water tastes BAD (and is BAD for us! *). Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for a cold drink, which usually goes down better than room temp water. Add a few slices of lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, etc. to the pitcher of water for flavor--it's so good! Just a few slices---cut them in quarters for more taste in the water---experiment with combinations. You may want to start out with alternating sports drinks with the fruit-flavored water. Going from drinking at least one sports drink a day to 3 in a week is great progress! And set a good example for your kids by drinking adequate amounts of water yourself (while avoiding sports drinks!)
One last recommendation: Invest in 'BPA-free' hard plastic water bottles for you & your family---to keep this 'good water' (filtered--flavored with fruit of your choice) in for school & on the road. They're easy to find--I got ours at Target. It's very 'green'---no plastic bottle recycling and much more cost-efficient.
*Several of my June blog entries focus on quality water, pH of water, water filtration & more--please refer to them for further information.
I look forward to your comments and feedback!
Be Well...
Sana
Questions we should be asking:
Are sports drinks really better for us than water? Do they really 'hydrate' us better than water? Can they have negative effects on us or our children?
First, let's check out the sweeteners used in the majority of sports drinks: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a commonly used. The reason it is so popular is that it's cheaper and sweeter than sugar and extends the shelf life of foods. Many experts blame increased consumption of HFCS for the growing obesity problem and adverse health effects such as diabetes. A report from the University of California-Berkeley found that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year could gain about 13 pounds. The typical sweet-tart taste of sports drinks doesn't quench thirst, so a person is more likely to keep drinking sports drinks long after water has lost its appeal, which can lead to increased calorie consumption.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener, originally sold under the trade name Splenda. It is about 600 times sweeter than household sugar and when metabolized does not produce any energy (or calories). Now why would you want to have something in your sports drink that makes it sweet and does not give you energy? In addition, recent studies suggest that artificial sweeteners have been clearly linked to the rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Next, a quick discussion re: sodium. A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains about 27 milligrams of sodium, almost 12% of the recommended daily allowance for kids ages 14 to 18. The Institute of Medicine reports that over 75% of children consume more than the recommended daily allowance of sodium each day (due in large part to processed foods). Endurance and high intensity athletes may benefit from the extra sodium---the average person does not!
Another interesting finding: A study done at the University of Iowa showed that the common sports drink, Gatorade, eroded teeth faster than Coke---Yikes!
Now for the BIG question: Do our kids really need sports drinks? After all, they are in sports...sometimes...so don't they need the extra electrolytes? Not Exactly! Studies have shown that the loss of electrolytes is not extremely prevalent unless a person is sweating profusely for over 60 minutes. Until that time, water is able to replenish what the body loses in sweat. Sports drinks are only necessary in the context of serious sports...endurance and high intensity sports(like marathons & the Arizona Cardinals' preseason training camp).
What to do??
Honestly, the answer is water. Water hydrates better than any other liquid, both before and during exercise. Water tends to be less expensive and more available than any other drink. Juice may be nutritious, but it isn't the best choice for hydration. The fructose, or fruit sugar, reduces the rate of water absorption so cells don't get hydrated as quickly. Sports drinks are fancy sugar/ sucralose water. These 'cool-looking' drinks are becoming a popular beverage of choice, even when sports are not involved. Kids having them with their pizza at lunch is not a healthy scenario!
What to do with kids who don't like to drink water??
Big problem, I know! Explaining why you're not going the route of sports drinks any more is the first step (you don't want your child gaining extra weight, or being at increased risk for diseases like diabetes--as well as dental cavities). Offer the best quality water you can---most tap water tastes BAD (and is BAD for us! *). Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for a cold drink, which usually goes down better than room temp water. Add a few slices of lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, etc. to the pitcher of water for flavor--it's so good! Just a few slices---cut them in quarters for more taste in the water---experiment with combinations. You may want to start out with alternating sports drinks with the fruit-flavored water. Going from drinking at least one sports drink a day to 3 in a week is great progress! And set a good example for your kids by drinking adequate amounts of water yourself (while avoiding sports drinks!)
One last recommendation: Invest in 'BPA-free' hard plastic water bottles for you & your family---to keep this 'good water' (filtered--flavored with fruit of your choice) in for school & on the road. They're easy to find--I got ours at Target. It's very 'green'---no plastic bottle recycling and much more cost-efficient.
*Several of my June blog entries focus on quality water, pH of water, water filtration & more--please refer to them for further information.
I look forward to your comments and feedback!
Be Well...
Sana
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Mass Flu Vaccinations? Who Really Benefits?
I realize this is a longer blog entry---I encourage you to read it & share it with those you love---especially families with school-age children.
One of the biggest 'take-home' messages I hope to convey through these blog messages is to get fully informed on health-related issues that impact you and your family. Take for example, the news coming out about the government considering making the H1N1 flu vaccinations mandatory for our kids from USA Today-June 16,2009:
Schoolchildren could be first in line for swine flu vaccines this fall — and schools are being put on notice that they might even be turned into shot clinics. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday she is urging school superintendents around the country to spend the summer preparing for that possibility, if the government goes ahead with mass vaccinations.
Wait a minute---Check out what's happening in Australia, where the winter season has begun. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon is reassuring parents the swine flu is no more dangerous than regular seasonal flu. "Most people, including children, will experience very mild symptoms and recover without any medical intervention," she said. Hmmm...why such a discrepancy between countries?
It's crucial to understand that these vaccines are experimental, untested, potentially toxic and can be extremely dangerous to the human immune system. Flu vaccines can also contain a number of chemical toxins, including ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formaldehyde, phenol (carbolic acid) and even antibiotics like Neomycin and streptomycin. In addition to the viruses and other additives, many vaccines also contain immune adjuvants like aluminum and squalene. Squalene-based adjuvants can cause a multitude of health challenges, including auto-immune disorders.
The purpose of an adjuvant added to a vaccine is to boost your immune response to the vaccination. They make your immune system overreact to the introduction of the organism you’re being vaccinated against and are also supposed to get the job done faster, reducing the amount of vaccine required per dose & the number of doses given to each person.
Less vaccine required per person means more individual doses available for mass vaccination campaigns. This is exactly the goal of government and the pharmaceutical companies who stand to make millions (?billions) from their vaccines.
Not all squalene is bad--it depends on whether you ingest it naturally (as in olive oil which provides antioxidant effects) or whether it is unnaturally injected into the body. Injection of squalene provokes the immune system to attack all the squalene in the body, not just the vaccine adjuvant, including in places where it occurs naturally, and is vital to the health of our nervous system. Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Syndrome received anthrax vaccines which contained squalene, which has been linked to the devastating autoimmune diseases suffered by numerous Gulf War vets.
Many vaccine researchers are very concerned about this upcoming swine flu vaccination program, especially in light of the fact that the Washington Post has confirmed that the swine flu vaccine WILL contain mercury. U.S. health authorities are actually recommending that kids get FOUR flu shots this fall. Four shots that contain mercury?? Really??
According to the CDC, approximately 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. from the regular flu. That averages to about 100 people a day. The total number of confirmed mortalities in the U.S. from the swine flu since the virus was identified in March is less than 200, less than the number of people who die in two days from the regular flu. Yet don't be surprised if you soon start to see propaganda for mandatory vaccination, starting with our children. Mandatory vaccines bring billions of dollars to big pharmaceutical companies and more control to politicians.
What a lot of people don’t know is that true type A or type B influenza only causes about 20 percent of all flu-like symptoms that people experience during any given flu season. 80 percent of all flu-like illness in a normal flu season is NOT caused by the type A and B strains of influenza for which annual flu shots are given. And vaccine acquired immunity is temporary, while immunity gained after recovering from influenza is longer lasting.
In some states, like Massachusetts, public health doctors have persuaded legislators to quickly pass pandemic influenza legislation that will allow state officials to enter homes and businesses without the approval of occupants; to investigate and quarantine individuals without their consent; to require licensed health care providers to give citizens vaccines and to ban the free assembly of citizens in the state. Wow, where do we live? Is this the US, the home of the Free, home of the Well-Informed?
There is virtually no science to support the safety of vaccine injections on our long-term health or the health of our children. Follow-up studies last on average about two weeks, and look only for glaring injuries and illnesses. The presumed intent of a vaccination is to help a person build immunity to potentially harmful organisms that cause illness and disease. However, our body’s immune system is already designed to do this in response to organisms which invade your body naturally.
Realize that you can say NO to vaccines that you don't believe are in your best interest (or your family's!). This is what my family & I are doing to keep our immune systems strong and greatly minimize our risk of getting the flu:
Good quality sleep each night
Healthy eating (minimize sugar intake, which really 'hits' the immune system)
Adequate water intake (1/2 body weight in ounces/day)
Regular exercise (Walking!)
Basic nutritional supplements, including an Immunity whole food product to daily 'feed' our immune systems
May you and your family be blessed with health that YOU are in control of and informed about--
Sana
One of the biggest 'take-home' messages I hope to convey through these blog messages is to get fully informed on health-related issues that impact you and your family. Take for example, the news coming out about the government considering making the H1N1 flu vaccinations mandatory for our kids from USA Today-June 16,2009:
Schoolchildren could be first in line for swine flu vaccines this fall — and schools are being put on notice that they might even be turned into shot clinics. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday she is urging school superintendents around the country to spend the summer preparing for that possibility, if the government goes ahead with mass vaccinations.
Wait a minute---Check out what's happening in Australia, where the winter season has begun. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon is reassuring parents the swine flu is no more dangerous than regular seasonal flu. "Most people, including children, will experience very mild symptoms and recover without any medical intervention," she said. Hmmm...why such a discrepancy between countries?
It's crucial to understand that these vaccines are experimental, untested, potentially toxic and can be extremely dangerous to the human immune system. Flu vaccines can also contain a number of chemical toxins, including ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formaldehyde, phenol (carbolic acid) and even antibiotics like Neomycin and streptomycin. In addition to the viruses and other additives, many vaccines also contain immune adjuvants like aluminum and squalene. Squalene-based adjuvants can cause a multitude of health challenges, including auto-immune disorders.
The purpose of an adjuvant added to a vaccine is to boost your immune response to the vaccination. They make your immune system overreact to the introduction of the organism you’re being vaccinated against and are also supposed to get the job done faster, reducing the amount of vaccine required per dose & the number of doses given to each person.
Less vaccine required per person means more individual doses available for mass vaccination campaigns. This is exactly the goal of government and the pharmaceutical companies who stand to make millions (?billions) from their vaccines.
Not all squalene is bad--it depends on whether you ingest it naturally (as in olive oil which provides antioxidant effects) or whether it is unnaturally injected into the body. Injection of squalene provokes the immune system to attack all the squalene in the body, not just the vaccine adjuvant, including in places where it occurs naturally, and is vital to the health of our nervous system. Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Syndrome received anthrax vaccines which contained squalene, which has been linked to the devastating autoimmune diseases suffered by numerous Gulf War vets.
Many vaccine researchers are very concerned about this upcoming swine flu vaccination program, especially in light of the fact that the Washington Post has confirmed that the swine flu vaccine WILL contain mercury. U.S. health authorities are actually recommending that kids get FOUR flu shots this fall. Four shots that contain mercury?? Really??
According to the CDC, approximately 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. from the regular flu. That averages to about 100 people a day. The total number of confirmed mortalities in the U.S. from the swine flu since the virus was identified in March is less than 200, less than the number of people who die in two days from the regular flu. Yet don't be surprised if you soon start to see propaganda for mandatory vaccination, starting with our children. Mandatory vaccines bring billions of dollars to big pharmaceutical companies and more control to politicians.
What a lot of people don’t know is that true type A or type B influenza only causes about 20 percent of all flu-like symptoms that people experience during any given flu season. 80 percent of all flu-like illness in a normal flu season is NOT caused by the type A and B strains of influenza for which annual flu shots are given. And vaccine acquired immunity is temporary, while immunity gained after recovering from influenza is longer lasting.
In some states, like Massachusetts, public health doctors have persuaded legislators to quickly pass pandemic influenza legislation that will allow state officials to enter homes and businesses without the approval of occupants; to investigate and quarantine individuals without their consent; to require licensed health care providers to give citizens vaccines and to ban the free assembly of citizens in the state. Wow, where do we live? Is this the US, the home of the Free, home of the Well-Informed?
There is virtually no science to support the safety of vaccine injections on our long-term health or the health of our children. Follow-up studies last on average about two weeks, and look only for glaring injuries and illnesses. The presumed intent of a vaccination is to help a person build immunity to potentially harmful organisms that cause illness and disease. However, our body’s immune system is already designed to do this in response to organisms which invade your body naturally.
Realize that you can say NO to vaccines that you don't believe are in your best interest (or your family's!). This is what my family & I are doing to keep our immune systems strong and greatly minimize our risk of getting the flu:
Good quality sleep each night
Healthy eating (minimize sugar intake, which really 'hits' the immune system)
Adequate water intake (1/2 body weight in ounces/day)
Regular exercise (Walking!)
Basic nutritional supplements, including an Immunity whole food product to daily 'feed' our immune systems
May you and your family be blessed with health that YOU are in control of and informed about--
Sana
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Difference Between Jill & Sue...
I gave a speech in Toastmaster's yesterday---poor guys---they have to endure all my 'health' related speeches. They give me great feedback before I take my speeches 'to the masses!' Here's how my talk went, in a nutshell:
Please join me in my Virtual Time Machine as we follow 2 women over a 20 year span of time. Jill, from Dallas and Sue, from Chicago. Both women are quite similar: married, 2 teenage children, part-time jobs, very busy with community activities, relatively 'healthy'...and both were raised in a typical 'Western Medicine' lifestyle (have a symptom, take a medication, etc). There is one major difference between Jill & Sue. Sue has watched several family members, friends & coworkers deal with both major & minor health challenges over the past several years and has recently made the decision to 'not go that route'---to take some ownership in her health and health-related decisions.
Our journey starts with Jill & Sue in their early 40's. The first health challenge they both encounter is poor sleep. Jill tells her Dr. about it & is given a sleeping pill prescription. She finds that it helps somewhat, but she's still waking up tired with low energy. Meanwhile, Sue decides to take control. She minimizes her caffeine intake, starts walking a few days/week, settles into a regular bedtime routine & begins using safe, clinically-proven sleep technologies with great success.
The second health challenge is heartburn. Jill has heard all about the 'purple pill' and finds it very easy to get. She has some concerns about being on another medication, knowing that there are side effects---she just hopes she doesn't get the side effects. Meanwhile, Sue had read about heartburn being a symptom of dehydration, so she now drinks at least 1/2 her body weight in ounces of water each day and works on adding more vegetables to her diet, which have an alkalinizing effect. She finds her heartburn gone within a few days!
Next come achy knees. Both Jill & Sue were runners in their early 20's--and now arthritic changes have set in. Jill is given 'NSAIDS' (anti-inflammatories) by her physician. The first one didn't work--neither did the second one--the third one seemed to help (although it had a 'black box' warning on the bottle). When the pain got worse, Jill was given steroid injections in her knees, which, again, helped for a while. Meanwhile, Sue learned that adequate water intake helps with joint health, so she continued on her water drinking plan---along with a safe, clinically-proven joint health supplement, and magnetic & far-infrared technologies with great success: no more pain!
At age 50, Jill & Sue had a DEXA scan (bone density scan) & were both told they had osteoporosis. Yikes! Jill joined the 'Sally Fields Team' taking one of the biphosphonates (even though she has heard about the major side effects, including cancer and deterioration of the jaw bone)--she wasn't aware of any other options, so she just hoped & prayed she wouldn't get the side effects. Meanwhile, Sue learned about a totally safe & clinically-proven bone density-building nutritional product, which she started taking, along with calcium. DEXA scans 2 years later showed Jill with continuing osteoporosis and Sue with normal bone density.
The last two challenges 'popped up' together: high blood pressure and weight gain. Jill has been 'trying' various diets with minimal success & maximum frustration. She decided to 'go for it' with gastric bypass surgery. The thought of surgery scares her--along with the potential complications she was told about, but ultimately decided that this would be the quickest, easiest route to go. The Dr. also prescribed a new medication for her high BP. Meanwhile, Sue is already sleeping well & is drinking adequate amounts of water. Her BP is elevated, but not to the point of Jill's. She makes the decision to make exercise a priority EVERY day (she loves walking---and how it makes her feel!) She also makes a 'deal' with her Dr. to take a BP medication for the short term (no more than 4-6 months) while she ramps up on her exercise and diet, increasing her fruits & veggies to become the main part of her diet. Both women have normal BP readings after 6 months---the difference being that Sue's BP is normal without medication!
Let's take a tally after the 20 years:
Sue is now on 5 regular medications for her health challenges and 2 meds to counteract side effects from the regular medications. She has had 4 knee steroid knee injections & her knees still frequently bother her. She has had 1 major surgery and 1 minor surgery (for gastric bypass complications). She really doesn't feel health--low energy, painful knees, over 1/2 her weight that was lost with gastric bypass has returned--not quite what she was looking for!
Meanwhile, Sue sleeps well at night, has no heartburn or achy knees, is close to her ideal weight and has a normal Blood Pressure---all without meds or surgery. She has great energy & is enjoying this stage of her life, not even feeling like she's 60 years old!
Most of us end up in a 'box' (like Sue) created by Western medicine (pharmaceutical companies, to be exact) where we are led to believe that the only way of treating health challenges is with drugs or surgery. Sue chose to 'step out of her box'...her 'comfort zone' and be in charge of her health.
I leave you with this challenge: Choose your boxes carefully--Get rid of boxes that aren't serving you well--and may you be blessed with great health and long life!
Sana
Please join me in my Virtual Time Machine as we follow 2 women over a 20 year span of time. Jill, from Dallas and Sue, from Chicago. Both women are quite similar: married, 2 teenage children, part-time jobs, very busy with community activities, relatively 'healthy'...and both were raised in a typical 'Western Medicine' lifestyle (have a symptom, take a medication, etc). There is one major difference between Jill & Sue. Sue has watched several family members, friends & coworkers deal with both major & minor health challenges over the past several years and has recently made the decision to 'not go that route'---to take some ownership in her health and health-related decisions.
Our journey starts with Jill & Sue in their early 40's. The first health challenge they both encounter is poor sleep. Jill tells her Dr. about it & is given a sleeping pill prescription. She finds that it helps somewhat, but she's still waking up tired with low energy. Meanwhile, Sue decides to take control. She minimizes her caffeine intake, starts walking a few days/week, settles into a regular bedtime routine & begins using safe, clinically-proven sleep technologies with great success.
The second health challenge is heartburn. Jill has heard all about the 'purple pill' and finds it very easy to get. She has some concerns about being on another medication, knowing that there are side effects---she just hopes she doesn't get the side effects. Meanwhile, Sue had read about heartburn being a symptom of dehydration, so she now drinks at least 1/2 her body weight in ounces of water each day and works on adding more vegetables to her diet, which have an alkalinizing effect. She finds her heartburn gone within a few days!
Next come achy knees. Both Jill & Sue were runners in their early 20's--and now arthritic changes have set in. Jill is given 'NSAIDS' (anti-inflammatories) by her physician. The first one didn't work--neither did the second one--the third one seemed to help (although it had a 'black box' warning on the bottle). When the pain got worse, Jill was given steroid injections in her knees, which, again, helped for a while. Meanwhile, Sue learned that adequate water intake helps with joint health, so she continued on her water drinking plan---along with a safe, clinically-proven joint health supplement, and magnetic & far-infrared technologies with great success: no more pain!
At age 50, Jill & Sue had a DEXA scan (bone density scan) & were both told they had osteoporosis. Yikes! Jill joined the 'Sally Fields Team' taking one of the biphosphonates (even though she has heard about the major side effects, including cancer and deterioration of the jaw bone)--she wasn't aware of any other options, so she just hoped & prayed she wouldn't get the side effects. Meanwhile, Sue learned about a totally safe & clinically-proven bone density-building nutritional product, which she started taking, along with calcium. DEXA scans 2 years later showed Jill with continuing osteoporosis and Sue with normal bone density.
The last two challenges 'popped up' together: high blood pressure and weight gain. Jill has been 'trying' various diets with minimal success & maximum frustration. She decided to 'go for it' with gastric bypass surgery. The thought of surgery scares her--along with the potential complications she was told about, but ultimately decided that this would be the quickest, easiest route to go. The Dr. also prescribed a new medication for her high BP. Meanwhile, Sue is already sleeping well & is drinking adequate amounts of water. Her BP is elevated, but not to the point of Jill's. She makes the decision to make exercise a priority EVERY day (she loves walking---and how it makes her feel!) She also makes a 'deal' with her Dr. to take a BP medication for the short term (no more than 4-6 months) while she ramps up on her exercise and diet, increasing her fruits & veggies to become the main part of her diet. Both women have normal BP readings after 6 months---the difference being that Sue's BP is normal without medication!
Let's take a tally after the 20 years:
Sue is now on 5 regular medications for her health challenges and 2 meds to counteract side effects from the regular medications. She has had 4 knee steroid knee injections & her knees still frequently bother her. She has had 1 major surgery and 1 minor surgery (for gastric bypass complications). She really doesn't feel health--low energy, painful knees, over 1/2 her weight that was lost with gastric bypass has returned--not quite what she was looking for!
Meanwhile, Sue sleeps well at night, has no heartburn or achy knees, is close to her ideal weight and has a normal Blood Pressure---all without meds or surgery. She has great energy & is enjoying this stage of her life, not even feeling like she's 60 years old!
Most of us end up in a 'box' (like Sue) created by Western medicine (pharmaceutical companies, to be exact) where we are led to believe that the only way of treating health challenges is with drugs or surgery. Sue chose to 'step out of her box'...her 'comfort zone' and be in charge of her health.
I leave you with this challenge: Choose your boxes carefully--Get rid of boxes that aren't serving you well--and may you be blessed with great health and long life!
Sana
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Who's Writing the Medical Research? Hmmm....
Who's writing the medical research? The answer should be very straight-forward and simple: by the authors (often physicians) listed in the published article. Not necessarily so...as you read the excerpt below from the August 5, 2009 New York Times. (The definition of a 'ghostwriter' is a writer who gives the credit of authorship to someone else). Just another powerful reminder of how important it is for us to 'Take Ownership of our Health.' One of the best ways to do so is by minimizing or eliminating the amount of drugs/medications we take---replacing them (working with your healthcare provider to do so) with SAFE, natural, clinically-proven options.
Medical Papers by Ghostwriters Pushed Therapy 8/5/2009 NYTimes.
Newly unveiled court documents show that ghostwriters paid by a pharmaceutical company played a major role in producing 26 scientific papers backing the use of hormone replacement therapy in women, suggesting that the level of hidden industry influence on medical literature is broader than previously known.
The articles, published in medical journals between 1998 and 2005, emphasized the benefits and de-emphasized the risks of taking hormones to protect against maladies like aging skin, heart disease and dementia. That supposed medical consensus benefited Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that paid a medical communications firm to draft the papers, as sales of its hormone drugs, called Premarin and Prempro, soared to nearly $2 billion in 2001.
But the seeming consensus fell apart in 2002 when a huge federal study on hormone therapy was stopped after researchers found that menopausal women who took certain hormones had an increased risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. A later study found that hormones increased the risk of dementia in older patients.
The ghostwritten papers were typically review articles, in which an author weighs a large body of medical research and offers a bottom-line judgment about how to treat a particular ailment. The articles appeared in 18 medical journals, including The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and The International Journal of Cardiology.
The court documents provide a detailed paper trail showing how Wyeth contracted with a medical communications company to outline articles, draft them and then solicit top physicians to sign their names, even though many of the doctors contributed little or no writing. The documents suggest the practice went well beyond the case of Wyeth and hormone therapy, involving numerous drugs from other pharmaceutical companies.
“It’s almost like steroids and baseball,” said Dr. Joseph S. Ross, an assistant professor of geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who has conducted research on ghostwriting. “You don’t know who was using and who wasn’t; you don’t know which articles are tainted and which aren’t.”
Wyeth faces about 8,400 lawsuits from women who claim that the company’s hormone drugs caused them to develop illnesses.
Blessings of Health and Wellness---
Sana
Medical Papers by Ghostwriters Pushed Therapy 8/5/2009 NYTimes.
Newly unveiled court documents show that ghostwriters paid by a pharmaceutical company played a major role in producing 26 scientific papers backing the use of hormone replacement therapy in women, suggesting that the level of hidden industry influence on medical literature is broader than previously known.
The articles, published in medical journals between 1998 and 2005, emphasized the benefits and de-emphasized the risks of taking hormones to protect against maladies like aging skin, heart disease and dementia. That supposed medical consensus benefited Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that paid a medical communications firm to draft the papers, as sales of its hormone drugs, called Premarin and Prempro, soared to nearly $2 billion in 2001.
But the seeming consensus fell apart in 2002 when a huge federal study on hormone therapy was stopped after researchers found that menopausal women who took certain hormones had an increased risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. A later study found that hormones increased the risk of dementia in older patients.
The ghostwritten papers were typically review articles, in which an author weighs a large body of medical research and offers a bottom-line judgment about how to treat a particular ailment. The articles appeared in 18 medical journals, including The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and The International Journal of Cardiology.
The court documents provide a detailed paper trail showing how Wyeth contracted with a medical communications company to outline articles, draft them and then solicit top physicians to sign their names, even though many of the doctors contributed little or no writing. The documents suggest the practice went well beyond the case of Wyeth and hormone therapy, involving numerous drugs from other pharmaceutical companies.
“It’s almost like steroids and baseball,” said Dr. Joseph S. Ross, an assistant professor of geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who has conducted research on ghostwriting. “You don’t know who was using and who wasn’t; you don’t know which articles are tainted and which aren’t.”
Wyeth faces about 8,400 lawsuits from women who claim that the company’s hormone drugs caused them to develop illnesses.
Blessings of Health and Wellness---
Sana
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