One of the best preventative measures anyone can take to stay healthy and avoid disease is to choose foods that are alkaline in nature. It is also important to understand that some foods that we would consider acidic actually become alkaline when digested. Today's article presents a simple plan for eating that will help to support the immune system, thus preventing many types of disease.
When many people think about the wholesale change that must often accompany improvements to their health, it can become overwhelming when considering all that must be done and the level of lifestyle changes involved. If one would follow the list below of foods to eat and to avoid, as well as the simple advice offered, a major step towards wellness can be gained. Once you have some success at changing your diet in this manner, it will be easier and you will have greater confidence about tackling other health challenges. As the saying goes: "Success breeds success."
Prevent Disease by Eating More Alkaline Foods
by Sheryl Walters
Originally published November 9 2008
(NaturalNews) Maintaining a balanced PH is one of the most important things we can do to enjoy vibrant health and avoid disease. Unfortunately, most people are far too acidic, which creates an environment open to unwanted invaders and ill health. The incredible rise in modern day diseases is a symptom of our overly acidic diets.
Eating from a list of alkaline foods keep us vibrant and younger looking and will allow the immune system perform at its best.
Here is a list of Alkaline foods for Optimum health:
* Alfalfa
* Barley Grass
* Beets
* Broccoli
* Cabbage
* Carrot
* Cauliflower
* Celery
* Collard Greens
* Cucumber
* Dulce
* Eggplant
* Garlic
* Green Beans
* Green Peas
* Kale
* Lettuce
* Mushrooms
* Onions
* Parsnips
* Peas
* Pumpkin
* Radishes
* Spinach
* Spirulina
* Sprouts
* Sweet Potatoes
* Tomatoes
* Watercress
* Almonds
* Grapes
* Amaranth
* Apples
* Apricots
* Kiwi
* Artichokes
* Leeks
* Asparagus
* Limes
* Bananas
* Mangos
* Olive oil
* Berries
* Onions
* Brussels sprouts
* Oranges
* Buckwheat
* Okra
* Pears
* Pineapple
* Quinoa
* Fennel
* Swiss chard
* Flaxseed oil
* Wheat grass
* Grapefruit
* Watermelon
Some of the most acidic foods are:
* White flour
* sugar
* artificial sweeteners
* ready made meals
* processed meats
* alcohol
* carbonated drinks
* cakes
* ice cream
* cheese
* milk
* MSG
Some of the healthiest acidic foods are brown rice, oats, fish, beans and lentils.
Most experts suggest eating four times more from the list of alkaline foods than from the acidic foods. Don't get stressed if you don't achieve this, it's an ideal to shoot for.
The most important thing we can do is to ensure that the majority of foods that we eat are fruits and vegetables.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024755.html
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Beware of Lead Contamination in Wild Game
As we settle into hunting season in many parts of the country, some state health departments and the CDC are reminding people that toxic exposure to lead may occur when consuming animals killed with lead bullets. It is best to avoid any meat that may be contaminated by only eating deer and other game that is shot with unleaded ammunition, taken with a bow, or carefully butchered to remove the meat near the wound.
There is a certain amount of irony here because most commercial meats that are government inspected are probably much more dangerous than venison, for example. Venison is very lean, and free of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals. If you choose to eat meat, and are careful with the way it is hunted and processed, wild game is definitely the way to go.
Study: Lead in blood linked to wild game
By DOUG SMITH, Star Tribune
November 5, 2008
People who eat wild game killed with lead bullets tend to have higher levels of lead in their blood than people who don't, according to a first-of-its-kind study of 738 North Dakotans.
"People who ate a lot of wild game tended to have higher lead levels than those who ate little or none," Dr. Stephen Pickard, epidemiologist for the North Dakota Department of Health, said Wednesday.
The study also showed that the more recent the consumption of wild game killed with lead bullets, the higher the level of lead in the blood.
The blood lead levels of those tested were considered low, but even low levels can have adverse health effects, especially for children and pregnant women.
Officials recommended that pregnant women and children under 6 not eat any venison from deer killed with lead bullets -- the same recommendation made last month by the Minnesota Health Department.
"Children under 6 are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing," Pickard said. "It causes permanent brain damage even in very small quantities. There is no safe exposure level for small children. We see children with permanent lower intelligence and changes in behavior."
Lead can increase the risk that a pregnant woman could lose her baby or deliver it prematurely, Pickard said. In adults, lead can cause high blood pressure, hearing loss and infertility, though usually with higher lead levels.
The study, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the North Dakota Department of Health, appears to add to the evidence that using lead bullets can pose potential health problems for hunters and their families. A Minnesota study last summer showed lead bullets fired from high-powered rifles scatter lead fragments -- many too small to see or feel -- up to 18 inches from the wound.
The North Dakota blood samples were taken in May and June, and the study results were released just days before deer seasons open in North Dakota and Minnesota. Some 500,000 people are expected to hunt deer in Minnesota this fall. The study was conducted after lead particles were found in venison donated to food shelves last spring. Venison in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin also was found to contain lead. North Dakota is limiting venison donations this year to deer shot by archers.
The study was limited in scope. It didn't determine if careful butchering practices would reduce lead levels and didn't examine whether people were having adverse health effects from the lead.
The lead levels ranged from virtually none to 9.82 micrograms per deciliter. Health officials consider 10 micrograms per deciliter in a child to be the level when "intervention" should occur. That "intervention" level for an adult is 25 micrograms per deciliter.
"But any level of lead in children below age 6 is of concern," said John Stine of the Minnesota Department of Health.
After ingesting lead, a person will slowly get rid of it. Pickard noted the blood samples were taken last spring, months after the North Dakota hunting season. Had they been taken during or shortly after the hunting season, he suspects the blood levels would have been higher.
North Dakota also recommended that older children and other adults should take steps to minimize their potential exposure to lead.
"There is reason to be concerned,'' Pickard said. "And if you're concerned, there is one sure way to avoid having lead contamination: Use non-lead bullets."
Doug Smith -- 612-673-7667
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/33934504.html?page=1&c=y
There is a certain amount of irony here because most commercial meats that are government inspected are probably much more dangerous than venison, for example. Venison is very lean, and free of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals. If you choose to eat meat, and are careful with the way it is hunted and processed, wild game is definitely the way to go.
Study: Lead in blood linked to wild game
By DOUG SMITH, Star Tribune
November 5, 2008
People who eat wild game killed with lead bullets tend to have higher levels of lead in their blood than people who don't, according to a first-of-its-kind study of 738 North Dakotans.
"People who ate a lot of wild game tended to have higher lead levels than those who ate little or none," Dr. Stephen Pickard, epidemiologist for the North Dakota Department of Health, said Wednesday.
The study also showed that the more recent the consumption of wild game killed with lead bullets, the higher the level of lead in the blood.
The blood lead levels of those tested were considered low, but even low levels can have adverse health effects, especially for children and pregnant women.
Officials recommended that pregnant women and children under 6 not eat any venison from deer killed with lead bullets -- the same recommendation made last month by the Minnesota Health Department.
"Children under 6 are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing," Pickard said. "It causes permanent brain damage even in very small quantities. There is no safe exposure level for small children. We see children with permanent lower intelligence and changes in behavior."
Lead can increase the risk that a pregnant woman could lose her baby or deliver it prematurely, Pickard said. In adults, lead can cause high blood pressure, hearing loss and infertility, though usually with higher lead levels.
The study, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the North Dakota Department of Health, appears to add to the evidence that using lead bullets can pose potential health problems for hunters and their families. A Minnesota study last summer showed lead bullets fired from high-powered rifles scatter lead fragments -- many too small to see or feel -- up to 18 inches from the wound.
The North Dakota blood samples were taken in May and June, and the study results were released just days before deer seasons open in North Dakota and Minnesota. Some 500,000 people are expected to hunt deer in Minnesota this fall. The study was conducted after lead particles were found in venison donated to food shelves last spring. Venison in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin also was found to contain lead. North Dakota is limiting venison donations this year to deer shot by archers.
The study was limited in scope. It didn't determine if careful butchering practices would reduce lead levels and didn't examine whether people were having adverse health effects from the lead.
The lead levels ranged from virtually none to 9.82 micrograms per deciliter. Health officials consider 10 micrograms per deciliter in a child to be the level when "intervention" should occur. That "intervention" level for an adult is 25 micrograms per deciliter.
"But any level of lead in children below age 6 is of concern," said John Stine of the Minnesota Department of Health.
After ingesting lead, a person will slowly get rid of it. Pickard noted the blood samples were taken last spring, months after the North Dakota hunting season. Had they been taken during or shortly after the hunting season, he suspects the blood levels would have been higher.
North Dakota also recommended that older children and other adults should take steps to minimize their potential exposure to lead.
"There is reason to be concerned,'' Pickard said. "And if you're concerned, there is one sure way to avoid having lead contamination: Use non-lead bullets."
Doug Smith -- 612-673-7667
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/33934504.html?page=1&c=y
Friday, November 7, 2008
Drug Barons Falsify Research Studies
We have previously discussed on this blog how corrupt the drug company / FDA / academia network is, and today's article gives some fascinating details into how this whole system works for the benefit of all, except patients, of course. It is particularly interesting how research that supports nutritional therapies is suppressed in favor of the mass marketing of dangerous drugs that often do more harm than good and do little to heal or prevent illness.
No matter what one's opinion is regarding the outcome of the recent elections, let's hope that these cozy business relationships that are reaping windfall profits at the expense of the health and welfare of the American people can be shattered by the new administration. It's all about change, according to the Obama camp, so let's see if any long-overdue changes will occur in the disastrous health care system here in our country.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, November 5, 2008
Rigged Trials: Drug Studies Favor The Manufacturer
(OMNS, November 5, 2008) If you have often suspected that drug studies are rigged by the pharmaceutical manufacturer, you are right. "Drug studies skewed toward study sponsors," reported The Washington Post. (1) "Industry-funded research often favors patent-holders, study finds." Specifically, the American Journal of Psychiatry study authors said, "In 90% of the studies, the reported overall outcome was in favor of the sponsor's drug. . . On the basis of these contrasting findings in head-to-head trials, it appears that whichever company sponsors the trial produces the better antipsychotic drug." (2)
Marcia Angell, MD, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, agrees. "Is there some way (drug) companies can rig clinical trials to make their drugs look better than they are? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Trials can be rigged in a dozen ways, and it happens all the time." One "way to load the dice," she writes, "is to enroll only young subjects in trials, even if the drugs being tested are meant to be used mainly in older people. Because young people generally experience fewer side effects, drugs will look safer."
Another of the "common ways to bias trials is to present only part of the data - the part that makes the product look good - and ignore the rest." She adds, "The most dramatic form of bias is out-and-out suppression of negative results." (3)
You will rarely hear academia complain. Why? Because they are aboard the gravy train. Dr. Angell: "Columbia University, which patented the technology used in the manufacture of Epogen and Cerezyme, collected nearly $300 million in royalties" in 17 years. "The patent was based on NIH-funded research." That means you, the taxpayer, footed the bill. Harvard is in just as deep. In its own Faustian dealings with the drug companies, "a Harvard hospital has a deal that gives Novartis rights to discoveries that lead to new cancer drugs. . . Merck is building a twelve-story research facility next door to Harvard Medical School . . . In Harvard Medical School 's Dean's Report for 2003-4, the list of benefactors included about a dozen of the largest drug companies."
Clearly drug companies are more concerned with profits than with patients. The psychiatric drug market is a very big business. American doctors prescribe $10 billion worth of antipsychotic drugs every single year. The pharmaceutical industry, says Angell, is "primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit." Big pharma is "taking us for a ride." And it is no mere jaunt around the park. Total drug industry worldwide sales are in excess of $500 billion per year, half of which are in North America. Profit margins are typically 20 per cent, so high that "the combined profits for the ten drug companies in the Fortune 500 were more than the profits for all the other 490 businesses put together."
But more cash does not buy more cures. In fact, said the Washington Post: "When the federal government recently compared a broader range of drugs in typical schizophrenia patients in a lengthy trial, the two medications that stood out were cheaper drugs not under patent." (1) It gets even more interesting when we broaden our list of treatment options to include nutrition. With the therapeutic use of vitamin supplements, the cost goes down much further, and the success rate goes way up. Orthomolecular (nutritional) therapy, says psychiatrist Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, is many times more effective than drug therapy. He says that niacin (vitamin B-3) in sufficiently high doses is the most effective, least expensive, and safest treatment for schizophrenia and a number of other very serious mental illnesses. Hoffer and colleagues demonstrated this decades ago when, in the early 1950s, they successfully conducted the very first double-blind, placebo-controlled nutritional studies i! n the history of psychiatry. (4)
Niacin is a clinically proven therapy for serious mental illness, and yet the medical profession has delayed endorsing it for over fifty years. Instead, drug treatments dominate. But drugs are not doing the job. A double-blind study of schizophrenics showed that three-quarters of them stopped taking pharmaceutical medication either because of intolerability or inefficacy. That means that either the drug side effects were unbearable, or the drug just plain did not work. (5)
Perhaps drugs are not the answer because mental illness is not caused by drug deficiency. But much illness, especially mental illness, may indeed be caused by nutrient deficiency or nutrient dependency. Only nutrients can correct this problem. This not only makes sense, it has stood up to clinical trial again and again. (6) Vitamins like niacin are cheap, safe and effective. Modern "wonder drugs" are none of those. But they do make money. Especially when the drug makers control the research, the advertising, and the doctors. No wonder which approach you've heard more about.
We've all been carefully taught that drugs cure illness, not vitamins. The system is remarkably well-entrenched. 2.3 million Americans per year serve as human subjects for pharmaceutical company drug testing. Pharmaceutical companies set up patient support or advocacy groups to attract specific subjects for their clinical trials. Doctors are paid an average of $7,000 per patient for every patient they enroll in a drug study. Drug companies pay nearly two-thirds of the costs of continuing medical education. While the pharmaceutical industry's reach into education is bad enough, its grip on research is scandalous. For example: Drug company "publications strategies" have them "sponsor minimal research, prepare journal articles based on it, and pay academic researchers to put their names on those articles." So bad is it that Dr. Angell wrote an editorial in NEJM (7) entitled "Is Academic Medicine for Sale?" A reader wryly responded, "No. The current owner is very happy with i! t."
The result? "Bias is now rampant in drug trials. . . (Pharmaceutical) industry-sponsored research was nearly four times as likely to be favorable to the company's product as NIH-sponsored research." (3) Remember, "NIH-sponsored" means "taxpayer-funded." And then, when they need to use a drug, those same taxpayers pay again, and way too much, for the drug they already paid out grant money to develop, in a rigged trial, for a high-profit company.
What a sweet system for the pharmaceutical industry.
No matter what one's opinion is regarding the outcome of the recent elections, let's hope that these cozy business relationships that are reaping windfall profits at the expense of the health and welfare of the American people can be shattered by the new administration. It's all about change, according to the Obama camp, so let's see if any long-overdue changes will occur in the disastrous health care system here in our country.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, November 5, 2008
Rigged Trials: Drug Studies Favor The Manufacturer
(OMNS, November 5, 2008) If you have often suspected that drug studies are rigged by the pharmaceutical manufacturer, you are right. "Drug studies skewed toward study sponsors," reported The Washington Post. (1) "Industry-funded research often favors patent-holders, study finds." Specifically, the American Journal of Psychiatry study authors said, "In 90% of the studies, the reported overall outcome was in favor of the sponsor's drug. . . On the basis of these contrasting findings in head-to-head trials, it appears that whichever company sponsors the trial produces the better antipsychotic drug." (2)
Marcia Angell, MD, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, agrees. "Is there some way (drug) companies can rig clinical trials to make their drugs look better than they are? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Trials can be rigged in a dozen ways, and it happens all the time." One "way to load the dice," she writes, "is to enroll only young subjects in trials, even if the drugs being tested are meant to be used mainly in older people. Because young people generally experience fewer side effects, drugs will look safer."
Another of the "common ways to bias trials is to present only part of the data - the part that makes the product look good - and ignore the rest." She adds, "The most dramatic form of bias is out-and-out suppression of negative results." (3)
You will rarely hear academia complain. Why? Because they are aboard the gravy train. Dr. Angell: "Columbia University, which patented the technology used in the manufacture of Epogen and Cerezyme, collected nearly $300 million in royalties" in 17 years. "The patent was based on NIH-funded research." That means you, the taxpayer, footed the bill. Harvard is in just as deep. In its own Faustian dealings with the drug companies, "a Harvard hospital has a deal that gives Novartis rights to discoveries that lead to new cancer drugs. . . Merck is building a twelve-story research facility next door to Harvard Medical School . . . In Harvard Medical School 's Dean's Report for 2003-4, the list of benefactors included about a dozen of the largest drug companies."
Clearly drug companies are more concerned with profits than with patients. The psychiatric drug market is a very big business. American doctors prescribe $10 billion worth of antipsychotic drugs every single year. The pharmaceutical industry, says Angell, is "primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit." Big pharma is "taking us for a ride." And it is no mere jaunt around the park. Total drug industry worldwide sales are in excess of $500 billion per year, half of which are in North America. Profit margins are typically 20 per cent, so high that "the combined profits for the ten drug companies in the Fortune 500 were more than the profits for all the other 490 businesses put together."
But more cash does not buy more cures. In fact, said the Washington Post: "When the federal government recently compared a broader range of drugs in typical schizophrenia patients in a lengthy trial, the two medications that stood out were cheaper drugs not under patent." (1) It gets even more interesting when we broaden our list of treatment options to include nutrition. With the therapeutic use of vitamin supplements, the cost goes down much further, and the success rate goes way up. Orthomolecular (nutritional) therapy, says psychiatrist Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, is many times more effective than drug therapy. He says that niacin (vitamin B-3) in sufficiently high doses is the most effective, least expensive, and safest treatment for schizophrenia and a number of other very serious mental illnesses. Hoffer and colleagues demonstrated this decades ago when, in the early 1950s, they successfully conducted the very first double-blind, placebo-controlled nutritional studies i! n the history of psychiatry. (4)
Niacin is a clinically proven therapy for serious mental illness, and yet the medical profession has delayed endorsing it for over fifty years. Instead, drug treatments dominate. But drugs are not doing the job. A double-blind study of schizophrenics showed that three-quarters of them stopped taking pharmaceutical medication either because of intolerability or inefficacy. That means that either the drug side effects were unbearable, or the drug just plain did not work. (5)
Perhaps drugs are not the answer because mental illness is not caused by drug deficiency. But much illness, especially mental illness, may indeed be caused by nutrient deficiency or nutrient dependency. Only nutrients can correct this problem. This not only makes sense, it has stood up to clinical trial again and again. (6) Vitamins like niacin are cheap, safe and effective. Modern "wonder drugs" are none of those. But they do make money. Especially when the drug makers control the research, the advertising, and the doctors. No wonder which approach you've heard more about.
We've all been carefully taught that drugs cure illness, not vitamins. The system is remarkably well-entrenched. 2.3 million Americans per year serve as human subjects for pharmaceutical company drug testing. Pharmaceutical companies set up patient support or advocacy groups to attract specific subjects for their clinical trials. Doctors are paid an average of $7,000 per patient for every patient they enroll in a drug study. Drug companies pay nearly two-thirds of the costs of continuing medical education. While the pharmaceutical industry's reach into education is bad enough, its grip on research is scandalous. For example: Drug company "publications strategies" have them "sponsor minimal research, prepare journal articles based on it, and pay academic researchers to put their names on those articles." So bad is it that Dr. Angell wrote an editorial in NEJM (7) entitled "Is Academic Medicine for Sale?" A reader wryly responded, "No. The current owner is very happy with i! t."
The result? "Bias is now rampant in drug trials. . . (Pharmaceutical) industry-sponsored research was nearly four times as likely to be favorable to the company's product as NIH-sponsored research." (3) Remember, "NIH-sponsored" means "taxpayer-funded." And then, when they need to use a drug, those same taxpayers pay again, and way too much, for the drug they already paid out grant money to develop, in a rigged trial, for a high-profit company.
What a sweet system for the pharmaceutical industry.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Halloween Candy: Spread the Wealth??
I must admit I had very mixed feelings when reading the article below. It discusses a program to collect the Halloween candy of American kids and ship it overseas as a sign of support for our troops. I believe it is important to remember, encourage, and pray for our men and women who are in the military, but doing this using toxic junk like candy poses a bit of a problem.
American kids certainly do not need more candy. I believe it is valuable to teach them about sacrificing in order to meet the needs of others, and in that sense this program has some merit. Sending candy may deliver a message of comfort to the troops, and I'm sure the children overseas who receive it will be happy about it, but nobody should be feeding on this junk. Foreign children will only develop a taste for sweets, and that is not helping them at all in the long run.
Consuming mass amount of sugar is never a good nutritional approach, but the concerns over candy are even greater now due to revelations that some Halloween candy dispersed this year may be contaminated with a chemical called melamine that can cause severe kidney and liver damage, and may potentially cause fatal reactions. It is most often found in candies made in China, and as more imports pour in from China, this is becoming a bigger problem. Please be aware of this potential hazard, and do not let your children consume Halloween candy. It is also advisable to warn others so that they and their children are not exposed. Unfortunately, even though they are aware of this issue, the FDA has chosen not to address it.
Dentists' candy buyback nets half-ton
By Cliff Radel
cradel@enquirer.com
The morning after the night before, hundreds of trick or treaters went to the dentist.
No cavities were filled Saturday at the Covedale office of Dr. Larry Hagen or the Blue Ash office of Dr. Eric Henize.
But bag after bag of candy -- weighing nearly half a ton -- was emptied into boxes bound for American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As part of Hagen's second annual day after Halloween Candy Buyback, the dentists offered to pay $1 per pound of candy.
"But, like last year," Hagen said, "most people just made a donation."
Most people acted like Kerri Kuhn of Loveland. When offered money for her 14-pound bag of sweets, she just gave Henize's staffers a wave of her hand."There is so little I can do for the troops," she said, "I can't take any money."
The dentists only paid out a combined $346 while collecting 964 pounds of candy. Henize received 588 pounds to Hagen's 376 pounds of candy bars and assorted lollipops and bags of pretzels.
The dentists also took in $665 in donations for shipping. Last year, Hagen spent $4,000 of his own money to send 5,940 pounds of candy overseas.
"It's wonderful Dr. Hagen's doing this," said Valerie Miller. She drove to Covedale from Fairfield Township with her children, 6-year-old Kayla and 4-year-old Sydney. They dropped off nine pounds of candy.
"We hope this brings joy to the troops," Miller said. "We know it's going to bring joy to the kids over there because the troops share."
Miller told her children it was better to give the candy than eat it. "This will help kids," she said, "who have a rough, tough life." Kayla and Sydney nodded. But they still eyed their candy as members of Hagen's staff used assembly line efficiency to box, seal and address their sweet gifts.
Each box included thank-you notes from donors to the troops.
After depositing the 14 pounds of Halloween candy her four children gathered in Delhi Township, Mary Meyer added her thanks.
"I thanked the troops and their families for their sacrifices," Meyer said as she sealed the note before it was placed in a box. "I told them to keep up the good work. They are in our prayers."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081101/NEWS01/311010043
American kids certainly do not need more candy. I believe it is valuable to teach them about sacrificing in order to meet the needs of others, and in that sense this program has some merit. Sending candy may deliver a message of comfort to the troops, and I'm sure the children overseas who receive it will be happy about it, but nobody should be feeding on this junk. Foreign children will only develop a taste for sweets, and that is not helping them at all in the long run.
Consuming mass amount of sugar is never a good nutritional approach, but the concerns over candy are even greater now due to revelations that some Halloween candy dispersed this year may be contaminated with a chemical called melamine that can cause severe kidney and liver damage, and may potentially cause fatal reactions. It is most often found in candies made in China, and as more imports pour in from China, this is becoming a bigger problem. Please be aware of this potential hazard, and do not let your children consume Halloween candy. It is also advisable to warn others so that they and their children are not exposed. Unfortunately, even though they are aware of this issue, the FDA has chosen not to address it.
Dentists' candy buyback nets half-ton
By Cliff Radel
cradel@enquirer.com
The morning after the night before, hundreds of trick or treaters went to the dentist.
No cavities were filled Saturday at the Covedale office of Dr. Larry Hagen or the Blue Ash office of Dr. Eric Henize.
But bag after bag of candy -- weighing nearly half a ton -- was emptied into boxes bound for American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As part of Hagen's second annual day after Halloween Candy Buyback, the dentists offered to pay $1 per pound of candy.
"But, like last year," Hagen said, "most people just made a donation."
Most people acted like Kerri Kuhn of Loveland. When offered money for her 14-pound bag of sweets, she just gave Henize's staffers a wave of her hand."There is so little I can do for the troops," she said, "I can't take any money."
The dentists only paid out a combined $346 while collecting 964 pounds of candy. Henize received 588 pounds to Hagen's 376 pounds of candy bars and assorted lollipops and bags of pretzels.
The dentists also took in $665 in donations for shipping. Last year, Hagen spent $4,000 of his own money to send 5,940 pounds of candy overseas.
"It's wonderful Dr. Hagen's doing this," said Valerie Miller. She drove to Covedale from Fairfield Township with her children, 6-year-old Kayla and 4-year-old Sydney. They dropped off nine pounds of candy.
"We hope this brings joy to the troops," Miller said. "We know it's going to bring joy to the kids over there because the troops share."
Miller told her children it was better to give the candy than eat it. "This will help kids," she said, "who have a rough, tough life." Kayla and Sydney nodded. But they still eyed their candy as members of Hagen's staff used assembly line efficiency to box, seal and address their sweet gifts.
Each box included thank-you notes from donors to the troops.
After depositing the 14 pounds of Halloween candy her four children gathered in Delhi Township, Mary Meyer added her thanks.
"I thanked the troops and their families for their sacrifices," Meyer said as she sealed the note before it was placed in a box. "I told them to keep up the good work. They are in our prayers."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081101/NEWS01/311010043
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Study Confirms Mind-Body Connection
Too often the mindset of Western medicine tends to categorize health into compartments labeled "physical" and "mental," but those of us who believe in natural wellness understand that our overall health is a holistic concern, and that our emotions are deeply intertwined with physiological aspects. In other words, what happens in the body affects the mind and vice-versa. The article below covers an interesting study that took a look at the effects of heat and cold on our impressions and treatment of others.
While it is not "hard science," the study does give us some insight into how many things can positively or negatively touch us, often on a subconscious level that we are not cognitively aware of. It reminds me that wellness must also be considered on a holistic basis, seeing the forest, so to speak, and not just the trees. For example, taking steps to address our mental and emotional needs, such as exercise or stress management techniques, is critically necessary for our health. However, if we ignore our nutritional needs and fill up on junk food and empty calories, we cannot hope to achieve maximal health. To be well and fit we must remember that the body, mind, and spirit must all be nurtured, and that this philosophy will benefit each of these areas both individually and as a whole.
Warm hands lead to warm hearts, sneaky study shows
AP News
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Time to update that old saying "cold hands, warm heart." New research shows touching something warm can make you feel and act more warmly toward others. Whether someone is deemed to have a "warm" or "cold" personality makes a powerful first impression. That led Yale University scientists to wonder if physical warmth could promote psychological warmth, by subconsciously priming people to think better of others.
It took a sneaky study to find out: Scientists recruited 41 college students for what they thought was personality research. A lab worker escorted each participant up the elevator of Yale's psychology building and casually asked for help holding her cup of coffee _ either hot or iced _ while she recorded the student's name on a clipboard.
Inside the lab, the students were given a description of a fictitious person described as industrious, cautious and determined, and then rated that person's presumed personality traits.
Students who had held the hot cup saw the person as more generous, sociable and good-natured than those who had held the cold cup _ all traits that psychologists consider part of a "warm" personality, the researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science. Yet there were no differences between the two groups on ratings of honesty, attractiveness or strength, traits not associated with either warm or cold personalities.
Then researchers recruited 53 different students for a second study, having them briefly hold one of those heat or ice pads sold in drugstores for pain, allegedly as part of product-testing. Really the test was which trinket the students chose as a thank you for participating: An ice-cream coupon or bottled drink for themselves, or one for a friend.
Students who held the hot pad were more likely to choose a reward for a friend, while those who held the ice pad were more likely to choose a reward for themselves.
So is the moral of the story to hand out hot drinks when you want to make a good first impression?
Not quite. The bigger message is that very subtle cues from our environment can significantly influence behavior and feelings, said lead researcher Dr. Lawrence Williams, who conducted the study while completing his psychology graduate degree at Yale.
Physical and psychological concepts "are much more closely aligned in the mind than we have previously appreciated," said Williams, now at the University of Colorado.
Indeed, other research has found that the same brain region that processes physical temperature changes, called the insula, also processes feelings of trust and empathy associated with social warmth.
"Parts of the brain that we know process physical attributes, whether it's motor movements or physical pain _ the same circuitry more and more is seen with more mental qualities," said Dr. Caroline Zink of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the new research. "It's very interesting from a neuroscientist's perspective that there are those similarities."
The whole concept of social warmth is learned in infancy, Williams said. He pointed to a classic psychology study that found attachment and affection were more dependent on hugs and cuddles that happen to be physically warm than on merely ensuring a baby is fed.
As for a practical use for the finding: Those free food samples distributed in grocery stores probably entice more shoppers if they're warm, advises Williams, now an assistant marketing professor.
http://srnnews.townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=281d14cb-490b-4f8b-b01d-16049fd2ee9f&t=c
While it is not "hard science," the study does give us some insight into how many things can positively or negatively touch us, often on a subconscious level that we are not cognitively aware of. It reminds me that wellness must also be considered on a holistic basis, seeing the forest, so to speak, and not just the trees. For example, taking steps to address our mental and emotional needs, such as exercise or stress management techniques, is critically necessary for our health. However, if we ignore our nutritional needs and fill up on junk food and empty calories, we cannot hope to achieve maximal health. To be well and fit we must remember that the body, mind, and spirit must all be nurtured, and that this philosophy will benefit each of these areas both individually and as a whole.
Warm hands lead to warm hearts, sneaky study shows
AP News
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Time to update that old saying "cold hands, warm heart." New research shows touching something warm can make you feel and act more warmly toward others. Whether someone is deemed to have a "warm" or "cold" personality makes a powerful first impression. That led Yale University scientists to wonder if physical warmth could promote psychological warmth, by subconsciously priming people to think better of others.
It took a sneaky study to find out: Scientists recruited 41 college students for what they thought was personality research. A lab worker escorted each participant up the elevator of Yale's psychology building and casually asked for help holding her cup of coffee _ either hot or iced _ while she recorded the student's name on a clipboard.
Inside the lab, the students were given a description of a fictitious person described as industrious, cautious and determined, and then rated that person's presumed personality traits.
Students who had held the hot cup saw the person as more generous, sociable and good-natured than those who had held the cold cup _ all traits that psychologists consider part of a "warm" personality, the researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science. Yet there were no differences between the two groups on ratings of honesty, attractiveness or strength, traits not associated with either warm or cold personalities.
Then researchers recruited 53 different students for a second study, having them briefly hold one of those heat or ice pads sold in drugstores for pain, allegedly as part of product-testing. Really the test was which trinket the students chose as a thank you for participating: An ice-cream coupon or bottled drink for themselves, or one for a friend.
Students who held the hot pad were more likely to choose a reward for a friend, while those who held the ice pad were more likely to choose a reward for themselves.
So is the moral of the story to hand out hot drinks when you want to make a good first impression?
Not quite. The bigger message is that very subtle cues from our environment can significantly influence behavior and feelings, said lead researcher Dr. Lawrence Williams, who conducted the study while completing his psychology graduate degree at Yale.
Physical and psychological concepts "are much more closely aligned in the mind than we have previously appreciated," said Williams, now at the University of Colorado.
Indeed, other research has found that the same brain region that processes physical temperature changes, called the insula, also processes feelings of trust and empathy associated with social warmth.
"Parts of the brain that we know process physical attributes, whether it's motor movements or physical pain _ the same circuitry more and more is seen with more mental qualities," said Dr. Caroline Zink of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the new research. "It's very interesting from a neuroscientist's perspective that there are those similarities."
The whole concept of social warmth is learned in infancy, Williams said. He pointed to a classic psychology study that found attachment and affection were more dependent on hugs and cuddles that happen to be physically warm than on merely ensuring a baby is fed.
As for a practical use for the finding: Those free food samples distributed in grocery stores probably entice more shoppers if they're warm, advises Williams, now an assistant marketing professor.
http://srnnews.townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=281d14cb-490b-4f8b-b01d-16049fd2ee9f&t=c
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Medications Used for Acne -- and All Conditions -- Can Be Deadly
Our society has been so conditioned to popping a pill for any and all health problems that most of us do so without thinking twice. However, the fact is that literally all drugs have potentially serious side effects, and those that manufacture, sell, and regulate these concoctions know it. Today's post discusses an article highlighting the unfortunate death of a healthy teenager who used an antibiotic to "treat" his acne.
This tragic story brings several points to light. First off, the use of medications to treat acne does not address the true causes of this most common condition. Acne, as well as other skin conditions, in most situations, is a holistic concern that needs to be managed and prevented by pursuing a lifestyle that incorporates a natural and healthy diet, plenty of pure water, and proper cleansing of the intestinal tract, liver, and gallbladder. Proper attention should also be paid to hormonal balance. In addition, the skin should be kept clean using natural skin care products that are free of toxic chemicals and abrasives. Despite the many millions of dollars that are spent on acne treatments every year, both prescription and over-the-counter, the condition cannot be healed by these drugs, and the consequences of their use can be very serious indeed. The use of antibiotics to treat acne is quite common, but many in the health field are now stating that such practices can actually worsen acne because bacteria become stronger by building up a resistance to such drugs.
Whether its acne or any other health concern, do not casually use or give to your children any drug without thoroughly researching the potential side effects, or without determining if the concoction will actually help with healing or simply cover up the symptoms without addressing the core issues that are causing the condition. It is sad, but very true, that deaths such as those of this Welsh young man are not isolated. Thousands of people are killed or seriously affected by pharmaceutical drugs every year.
Teenager dies after suffering allergic reaction to acne tablets
Sarah Boseley, health editor
The Guardian
Thursday October 30 2008
A 14-year-old boy has died after suffering an allergic reaction to the acne medication he was given by his doctor, his father said yesterday.
An inquest into the death of Shaun Jones, from Rhydyfelin in Pontypridd, south Wales, has been opened and adjourned while further inquiries are made. Jones was said to be a fit and healthy rugby player, but appeared to suffer a severe reaction on October 21 after taking the first dose of antibiotic tablets.
Graeme Jones, the boy's father, said nobody was to blame and it was just "one of those terrible things."
"He was popular with the girls and had a couple of spots, so the doctor gave him some antibiotic acne tablets. A lot of his friends are taking them," Jones told BBC online news.
"It was the first time he'd taken them and he developed breathing difficulties. We called 999 and he went to hospital - but it was too late. The doctors couldn't save him.
"The doctor that gave him the tablets is really upset, but we don't blame him. It was just one of those terrible things. We're still coming to terms with losing him. One minute he was here and now he's gone.
"Shaun's little sister is devastated. She can't bear to leave our sides because she thinks something will happen to us too."
Jones declined to name the tablets while inquiries are ongoing. Many antibiotics commonly used to treat acne do have warnings of the possibility of allergic reactions, which can cause breathing difficulties, but deaths are rare.
Teresa Bates, a local councillor and governor at Hawthorn high school, which Shaun attended, said: "I understand he had acne and was given medication and had a massive allergic reaction to it.
"I know his grandmother and the family is devastated. So is the whole community."
Shaun played for his village rugby club. Rhydyfelin coach Dai Watkins said: "He was an awesome player whose name was first on the teamsheet."
"The fact that he was so fit and strong makes it all the harder to take. He was so dedicated and talented."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/30/health-antibiotic
This tragic story brings several points to light. First off, the use of medications to treat acne does not address the true causes of this most common condition. Acne, as well as other skin conditions, in most situations, is a holistic concern that needs to be managed and prevented by pursuing a lifestyle that incorporates a natural and healthy diet, plenty of pure water, and proper cleansing of the intestinal tract, liver, and gallbladder. Proper attention should also be paid to hormonal balance. In addition, the skin should be kept clean using natural skin care products that are free of toxic chemicals and abrasives. Despite the many millions of dollars that are spent on acne treatments every year, both prescription and over-the-counter, the condition cannot be healed by these drugs, and the consequences of their use can be very serious indeed. The use of antibiotics to treat acne is quite common, but many in the health field are now stating that such practices can actually worsen acne because bacteria become stronger by building up a resistance to such drugs.
Whether its acne or any other health concern, do not casually use or give to your children any drug without thoroughly researching the potential side effects, or without determining if the concoction will actually help with healing or simply cover up the symptoms without addressing the core issues that are causing the condition. It is sad, but very true, that deaths such as those of this Welsh young man are not isolated. Thousands of people are killed or seriously affected by pharmaceutical drugs every year.
Teenager dies after suffering allergic reaction to acne tablets
Sarah Boseley, health editor
The Guardian
Thursday October 30 2008
A 14-year-old boy has died after suffering an allergic reaction to the acne medication he was given by his doctor, his father said yesterday.
An inquest into the death of Shaun Jones, from Rhydyfelin in Pontypridd, south Wales, has been opened and adjourned while further inquiries are made. Jones was said to be a fit and healthy rugby player, but appeared to suffer a severe reaction on October 21 after taking the first dose of antibiotic tablets.
Graeme Jones, the boy's father, said nobody was to blame and it was just "one of those terrible things."
"He was popular with the girls and had a couple of spots, so the doctor gave him some antibiotic acne tablets. A lot of his friends are taking them," Jones told BBC online news.
"It was the first time he'd taken them and he developed breathing difficulties. We called 999 and he went to hospital - but it was too late. The doctors couldn't save him.
"The doctor that gave him the tablets is really upset, but we don't blame him. It was just one of those terrible things. We're still coming to terms with losing him. One minute he was here and now he's gone.
"Shaun's little sister is devastated. She can't bear to leave our sides because she thinks something will happen to us too."
Jones declined to name the tablets while inquiries are ongoing. Many antibiotics commonly used to treat acne do have warnings of the possibility of allergic reactions, which can cause breathing difficulties, but deaths are rare.
Teresa Bates, a local councillor and governor at Hawthorn high school, which Shaun attended, said: "I understand he had acne and was given medication and had a massive allergic reaction to it.
"I know his grandmother and the family is devastated. So is the whole community."
Shaun played for his village rugby club. Rhydyfelin coach Dai Watkins said: "He was an awesome player whose name was first on the teamsheet."
"The fact that he was so fit and strong makes it all the harder to take. He was so dedicated and talented."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/30/health-antibiotic
Monday, November 3, 2008
Incidence of Food Allergies Soaring
It seems the dietary suicide that many Americans have been exposing themselves and their children to for decades is taking another measureable toll on their health. A steady supply of junk food and genetically altered nutrition is producing more and more allergies of all types in our society, but it tends to impact children harder than the rest of the population due to their immature bodies and immune systems.
Now that this dietary madness has continued for several generations in many cases, kids are not getting proper nutrition even before they are born. Much of the groundwork for a healthy (or unhealthy) immune system is laid in the womb. Allergies of all types, including those to food, are ultimately the result of a weakened immune system that does not respond properly to the body. Much of this could be avoided and prevented from ever happening if families dined on natural, whole-foods that contain the nutritional building blocks we need and are designed to eat instead of high-calorie foods that are often void of any nutritional value.
The allergy answer is not the latest medication proffered by your local pharmacy, which can often lead to very hazardous side effects, especially in children. Allergies are a holistic problem, and can only be cured and prevented by following a comprehensive lifestyle that leads towards wellness.
Food allergies increasing in US kids, study says
AP News
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise, now affecting about 3 million kids, according to the first federal study of the problem.
Experts said that might be because parents are more aware and quicker to have their kids checked out by a doctor.
About 1 in 26 children had food allergies last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. That's up from 1 in 30 kids in 1997.
The 18 percent increase is significant enough to be considered more than a statistical blip, said Amy Branum of the CDC, the study's lead author.
Nobody knows for sure what's driving the increase. A doubling in peanut allergies _ noted in earlier studies _ is one factor, some experts said. Also, children seems to be taking longer to outgrow milk and egg allergies than they did in decades past.
But also figuring into the equation are parents and doctors who are more likely to consider food as the trigger for symptoms like vomiting, skin rashes and breathing problems.
"A couple of decades ago, it was not uncommon to have kids sick all the time and we just said 'They have a weak stomach' or 'They're sickly,'" said Anne Munoz-Furlong, chief executive of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a Virginia-based advocacy organization.
Parents today are quicker to take their kids to specialists to check out the possibility of food allergies, said Munoz-Furlong, who founded the nonprofit in 1991.
The CDC results came from an in-person, door-to-door survey in 2007 of the households of 9,500 U.S. children under age 18.
When asked if a child in the house had any kind of food allergy in the previous 12 months, about 4 percent said yes. The parents were not asked if a doctor had made the diagnosis, and no medical records were checked. Some parents may not know the difference between immune system-based food allergies and digestive disorders like lactose intolerance, so it's possible the study's findings are a bit off, Branum said.
However, the study's results mirror older national estimates that were extrapolated from smaller, more intensive studies, said Dr. Hugh Sampson, a food allergy researcher at the Mount Sinai School of medicine.
"This tells us those earlier extrapolations were fairly close," Sampson said.
The CDC study did not give a breakdown of which foods were to blame for the allergies. Other research suggests that about 1 in 40 Americans will have a milk allergy at some point in their lives, and 1 in 50 percent will be allergic to eggs. Most people outgrow these allergies in childhood.
About 1 in 50 are allergic to shellfish and nearly 1 in 100 react to peanuts, allergies that generally persist for a lifetime, according to Sampson.
Some people have more than one food allergy, he said, explaining why the overall food allergy prevalence is about 4 percent.
Children with food allergies also were more likely to have asthma, eczema and respiratory problems than kids without food allergies, the CDC study found, confirming previous research.
The study also found that the number of children hospitalized for food allergies was up. The number of hospital discharges jumped from about 2,600 a year in the late 1990s to more than 9,500 annually in recent years, the CDC results showed.
Also, Hispanic children had lower rates of food allergies than white or black children _ the first such racial/ethnic breakdown in a national study.
The reason for that last finding may not be genetics, said Munoz-Furlong. She is Hispanic and said people in her own family have been unwilling to consider food allergies as the reason for children's illnesses. "It's a question of awareness," she said.
http://srnnews.townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=d9fdff19-995f-486a-a23a-f2a8cf7cef71&t=c
Now that this dietary madness has continued for several generations in many cases, kids are not getting proper nutrition even before they are born. Much of the groundwork for a healthy (or unhealthy) immune system is laid in the womb. Allergies of all types, including those to food, are ultimately the result of a weakened immune system that does not respond properly to the body. Much of this could be avoided and prevented from ever happening if families dined on natural, whole-foods that contain the nutritional building blocks we need and are designed to eat instead of high-calorie foods that are often void of any nutritional value.
The allergy answer is not the latest medication proffered by your local pharmacy, which can often lead to very hazardous side effects, especially in children. Allergies are a holistic problem, and can only be cured and prevented by following a comprehensive lifestyle that leads towards wellness.
Food allergies increasing in US kids, study says
AP News
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise, now affecting about 3 million kids, according to the first federal study of the problem.
Experts said that might be because parents are more aware and quicker to have their kids checked out by a doctor.
About 1 in 26 children had food allergies last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. That's up from 1 in 30 kids in 1997.
The 18 percent increase is significant enough to be considered more than a statistical blip, said Amy Branum of the CDC, the study's lead author.
Nobody knows for sure what's driving the increase. A doubling in peanut allergies _ noted in earlier studies _ is one factor, some experts said. Also, children seems to be taking longer to outgrow milk and egg allergies than they did in decades past.
But also figuring into the equation are parents and doctors who are more likely to consider food as the trigger for symptoms like vomiting, skin rashes and breathing problems.
"A couple of decades ago, it was not uncommon to have kids sick all the time and we just said 'They have a weak stomach' or 'They're sickly,'" said Anne Munoz-Furlong, chief executive of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a Virginia-based advocacy organization.
Parents today are quicker to take their kids to specialists to check out the possibility of food allergies, said Munoz-Furlong, who founded the nonprofit in 1991.
The CDC results came from an in-person, door-to-door survey in 2007 of the households of 9,500 U.S. children under age 18.
When asked if a child in the house had any kind of food allergy in the previous 12 months, about 4 percent said yes. The parents were not asked if a doctor had made the diagnosis, and no medical records were checked. Some parents may not know the difference between immune system-based food allergies and digestive disorders like lactose intolerance, so it's possible the study's findings are a bit off, Branum said.
However, the study's results mirror older national estimates that were extrapolated from smaller, more intensive studies, said Dr. Hugh Sampson, a food allergy researcher at the Mount Sinai School of medicine.
"This tells us those earlier extrapolations were fairly close," Sampson said.
The CDC study did not give a breakdown of which foods were to blame for the allergies. Other research suggests that about 1 in 40 Americans will have a milk allergy at some point in their lives, and 1 in 50 percent will be allergic to eggs. Most people outgrow these allergies in childhood.
About 1 in 50 are allergic to shellfish and nearly 1 in 100 react to peanuts, allergies that generally persist for a lifetime, according to Sampson.
Some people have more than one food allergy, he said, explaining why the overall food allergy prevalence is about 4 percent.
Children with food allergies also were more likely to have asthma, eczema and respiratory problems than kids without food allergies, the CDC study found, confirming previous research.
The study also found that the number of children hospitalized for food allergies was up. The number of hospital discharges jumped from about 2,600 a year in the late 1990s to more than 9,500 annually in recent years, the CDC results showed.
Also, Hispanic children had lower rates of food allergies than white or black children _ the first such racial/ethnic breakdown in a national study.
The reason for that last finding may not be genetics, said Munoz-Furlong. She is Hispanic and said people in her own family have been unwilling to consider food allergies as the reason for children's illnesses. "It's a question of awareness," she said.
http://srnnews.townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=d9fdff19-995f-486a-a23a-f2a8cf7cef71&t=c
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