Wednesday, July 29, 2009
BIG SURPRISE! PHARMACEUTICALS AT THE ROOT OF WRESTLER'S MURDER SUICIDE
Investigators found pharmaceutical drugs in the body of Chris Benoit, the pro wrestler who killed his wife and young son and then hung himself inside their home.
In addition to steroids, his body contained the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and painkillers according to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI said Benoit tested negative for blood alcohol.
His wife and son also tested positive for Xanax according to the agency.
Benoit killed his wife and their 7 year old son, placed Bibles next to their bodies, and then hung himself on the cable of their weight machine.
Can you even remember the last time a big, media-centered murder (Like Cho, Andrea Yates or Benoit) or premature death (Like Anna Nicole Smith's and her son's) was not related to the use of prescription medication?
As difficult a job as it is, we will work in
As told to us by our own government, "...health care is more deadly than terror." Looking at this article, I have to agree!
Please help us in our work. Take care of yourself!
FATAL ERRORS: WHAT IS BEHIND TODAY'S MURDERS AND SUICIDES?
In the safety behind the fire trucks, the father opened the blanket, expecting to look into the eyes of his little girl. Instead, he saw a plastic doll from the nursery. Through the smoke and stress, he had misjudged, made the wrong decision, and lost his precious treasure.
If there are wrong decisions being made about your health, misjudgments about the right treatments, and dysfunctional types of drugs and care, then lives are lost. Like the story above, you have fought to preserve your life or your precious family's life only to end up with something else.
When you do things well, it really is like being saved or saving someone else from a burning building. If, as a result of making the right moves with your lifestyle, you live a year longer - while not as dramatic - is not that as good as being rescued? The results are the same - more time on earth, with your family, and serving God the best you can.
Right now, there is someone you need and who needs you, someone you love and who loves you. While many, many things keep us busy - jobs, carpools, school work, house maintenance, etc., if you do not work to preserve your life, it is all gone in a puff a smoke.
If you want to save lives and be saved, follow these simple lifeguarding steps.
LIFEGUARDING 101
1) Spine: the housing point of the central nervous system, the command center of the entire body that controls all functions and healing. See a chiropractor regularly.
2) Toxicity: chemicals and poisons rule the day. Between the medications and processed foods, we can simply end up poisoned. Reducing and / or eliminating toxins will preserve and add value to life.
3) Nutrients: not dieting, but taking in the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in order to sustain life. Educate yourself on a regular basis on nutrition. It is an ever progressing field.
4) Movement: You and your family were created for motion. Intentionally being active as a team will create positive, constructive time in your life, and save your life. Learn the power of surge training and put exercises into your time management schedule.
5) Rest / Stress: The average person gets more than 365 less hours of sleep per year than they need. Similar to the effects of stress, it will hurt you, reduce immunity, cause pain, and disease. Have a maximum time to allow yourself to stay awake before heading to bed. By developing your spiritual life through committing control to God, you have less responsibility and less stress.
These are some of the very simple steps of maximized living. You will not only save yourself, but those you know.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Winsor Autopsies
The Winsor Autopsies
Henry Winsor, M.D. questioned Chiropractic. "Chiropractors claim that by 'adjusting' vertebrae, they can relieve stomach troubles, ulcers, menstrual cramps, thyroid conditions, kidney disease, constipation, heart disease, lung and other diseases-but how?" He decided to perform an experiment: he dissected human and animal cadavers to see if there was a relationship between any diseased internal organs discovered on autopsy and the vertebrae and nerves that went to the organs.
The University of Pennsylvania gave Dr. Winsor permission to carry out his experiments. In a series of three studies he dissected a total of 75 human and 72 cat cadavers and found 221 structures other than the spine were diseased. He found a nearly 100% correlation between "minor curvatures" of the vertebrae and diseases of internal organs. Let us examine some of these disease categories.
Heart Disease
All 20 cases with heart and pericardium conditions has the upper five thoracic vertebrae misalinged. (T1-5)
Lung Disease
All 26 cases of lung disease had spinal misalgnments in the upper thoracic area.
Stomach Disease
All nine cases of spinal misalgnment in the mid-thoracic (T5-9) area had stomach disease.
Liver Disease
All 13 cases of liver disease had misalgnments in the mid-thoracic area (T5-9).
Gallbladder
All five cases with gallstone disease had spinal misalgnments in the mid-thoracic area (T5-9).
Pancreas
All three cases with pancreatic disease had spinal msialignments in the mid-thoracic area (T5-9).
Spleen
All 11 cases with spleen disease had spinal misalignments in the mid-thoracic area (T5-9).
Kidney
All 17 cases with kideny disease were out of alingment in the lower thoracic area (T10-12).
Prostrate and Bladder Disease
All eight cases of prostrate and bladder disease had the lumbar vertebrae misaligned (L1-3).
Uterus
The two cases with uterine conditions had the second lumbar misaligned.
{Hint: Print this page and feel free to compare to our Nerve Chart.}
Dr. Winsor's results were published in The Medical Times. Other researchers have confirmed his discovery. Today medical literature contains many experiments proving chiropractic's theory and effectiveness. Dr. Henry Winsor's insights and research were prophetic indeed.
All quotes taken from: Windor, H. Sympathetic segmental disturbances--II. The evidence of the association, in dissected cadavers, of visceral disease with vertebrae deformities with the same sympathetic segments. Medical Times, Nov. 1921, 49, pp. 267-271.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Resolution of Earaches, Neck Pain, and Headaches in Child With Chiropractic - Case Study
In the June 17, 2009 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health is a case study of an 8-year old girl who was helped by chiropractic after suffering with complaints of severe, debilitating otitis media (earaches) with constant headaches and sinus pressure for the previous 3 years.
The young girl had previous medical treatment that included 2 tympanectomy surgeries bilaterally (tube in ears), as well as several rounds of antibiotics, and sinus surgery. Due to the continuous headaches, the neck pain, ongoing earaches, and the sinus infections, and the lack of help from her medical care, the little girl's parents sought chiropractic care for their child.
A chiropractic examination and x-rays were performed. X-rays of the cervical spine (neck) showed a kyphosis, which is reversal of the normal forward curve that necks are supposed to have. The determination was made that subluxations were present and a course of chiropractic care was initiated.
Over the next three months the child received a total of 29 chiropractic adjustments. After 1 month of chiropractic care, the child no longer had headaches, sinus, and ear pain. Due to the child's improvement a third ear surgery that was previously scheduled was cancelled. The girls pediatrician confirmed that in addition to her headaches and neck pain, her ear and sinus infections were completely resolved.
Jonas Brothers Make Sure to Get Spines Adjusted Regularly
The article notes that their success is attributed to natural talent as well as good health practices. Part of the good health practices has meant regularly obtaining the services of their hometown chiropractor. Dr. Albert Wolyniec of New Jersey has been the family chiropractor for some time.
Dr. Wolyniec wrote in the Spring 2009 edition of The New Jersey Chiropractor, "They make sure they get their spines adjusted regularly, even if they have to fly me somewhere in the country just for the day. I have even done a coast-to-coast house call solely to maintain their spines free of nerve interference." The article notes that when playing at a local event in New Jersey, the Jonas Brothers and as many as 20 of their traveling party will receive chiropractic adjustments.
Dr. Wolyniec added, "They use chiropractic care not for pain, but to stay healthy. By keeping the nerve pathways open between the brain and the body, it keeps the pressure off the big heavy spinal nerves. When the vertebrae are kept in alignment, it translates into better health and better performance. They recognize this."
If I can't Drink Milk, Where Am I Going to Get My Calcium?
by Dr. Jack Kessinger, DC, ND, DABCI
If I can’t have cow’s milk, where am I supposed to get my calcium? The next question should be, “Where does a cow get calcium?” Naturally, it’s from the food it eats. Likewise, we should concentrate on foods rich in calcium. There are numerous foods which provide calcium — green leafy vegetables, almonds, parsley, beet greens, broccoli, spinach, green beans, just to name a few.
Nature provides the protein linkages, fat molecules, and hormones intended to bring calves to maturity in two years, at about 2,000 pounds and with a low IQ. Humans are the only mammals who do not wean their young (or drink milk from another species).
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies and has numerous essential functions. The National Academies Press reported in 1997, that in addition to building bones and teeth, calcium is needed for blood vessel contraction and expansion and secretion of hormones and enzymes, as well as sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid so these vital body processes function efficiently. Bone undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposit of calcium in new bone formation. The balance between resorption and deposition changes as people age. During childhood, there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown. In early and middle adulthood, these processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds its formation, resulting in bone loss, which increases risk for osteoporosis.
There are several types of calcium; calcium carbonate, lactate, gluconate, and citrate, are the ones usually associated with human needs. Calcium carbonate is the most abundant type of calcium, and the most difficult of all calciums for humans to absorb. Calcium carbonate is the type of calcium found in milk and often is described as “closely resembling chalk.” A very low gastric pH is essential for absorption of milk. Dairy tends to reduce HCl, thereby reducing the body’s ability to absorb the type of calcium found in cow’s milk.
In addition to the natural hormones found in all mammals’ milk, the latest high-tech onslaught on the cow is the addition of bovine growth hormone, better known as BGH. This genetically engineered drug is provided to stimulate increased milk production. A related problem is that it causes a marked increase (50-70%) in mastitis in cows. This, in turn, requires regular antibiotic therapy. These antibiotics and hormones are consumed with the milk by humans.
All lactating mammals excrete toxins through their milk. These include antibiotics, pesticides, chemicals, and hormones. Also, all cow’s milk is reported to contain blood. According to The Milk Letter: A Message to My Patients, by Robert M. Kradjian, MD, the USDA allows milk to contain from one to one and a half million white blood cells per milliliter (1/30 of an ounce). White blood cells found where they are not supposed to be found are called “pus cells.” If the cow has mastitis, there is pus in the milk. However, there are ways to camouflage that fact with language such as “macrophages containing many vacuoles and phagocytosed particles,” etc.
The dairy industry has done such an excellent job of marketing their product that the general public has the common belief that milk is its only source of calcium. We have been told that milk is an important source of calcium that helps kids grow up big and strong. Milk is said to contain vital nutrients and to help prevent osteoporosis. A well orchestrated $180 million annual advertising budget has convinced the US Department of Agriculture of the importance of dairy. Its dietary guidelines report that everyone should receive between 2-3 servings of dairy every day. Milk is advocated by various agencies of the US government, legions of physicians and white-mustached celebrities (e.g., Britney Spears, Carson Daly, Naomi Campbell, Spike Lee, and Rudy Giuliani).
A 12-year prospective study, reported in the American Journal of Public Health (1997; 87:992-7) was performed among 7,761 women (aged 34-59) who had never used a calcium supplement. Women who drank two or more glasses of milk per day had relative risks of 1.45 for hip fractures and 1.05 for forearm fracture, when compared with women consuming one glass or less per week. Higher intakes of total dietary calcium
less per week. Higher intakes of total dietary calcium (or calcium from dairy products) were not associated with decreased risk of hip or forearm fracture.
A large Harvard study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition (1997; 127:1782-7) and the American Journal of Public Health (1997; 87:992-7), of male health professionals and female nurses reported that individuals who drank one glass of milk (or less) a week were at no greater risk of breaking a hip or forearm than those who drank two or more glasses per week.
However, another study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1997; 337:670-6), reported supplementation with calcium along with vitamin D significantly reduced bone loss and the incidence of non-vertebral fractures
Very early in my chiropractic career, I serendipitously discovered that cow’s milk, if consumed regularly, will commonly contribute to a wide array of health problems including chronic back pain, a compromised immune system, and delayed food allergies. According to Amy Lanou, PhD, the nutrition director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), “Besides prostate cancer, milk has been linked to asthma, anemia, allergies, juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, obesity, heart disease, and ovarian and breast cancer.” A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology (May 1, 2007) reported a study of more than 130,000 US adults, followed for nine years, confirmed a relationship between large amounts of dairy products and increased rates of Parkinson’s Disease.
Just a few weeks ago, a mother brought her 15-year-old son to our clinic for examination and treatment for chronic lower back and hip pain. His mother reported that he loves and excels at sports and “hurt his back” playing football during the seventh grade. Furthermore, she reported that following the injury, they had spent several thousand dollars trying to find what caused the pain and fix it. During the history I learned he consumed milk every day, and with most meals. On the physical examination, in addition to subjective pain reported to the lower back, the kidney flank was reported to be tender. He reported relief following a spinal diversified adjustment to correct the subluxation. I predicted that if he would avoid dairy, he would be well in a week. Two weeks later, his mother reported him to be pain free, and he played in the season opening baseball game for his high school.
Two years ago a 45-year-old female fell down her basement stairs on a Monday and was then transported to the hospital via ambulance. Numerous MRIs showed two large bulging discs between C6 and C7. Surgery was scheduled for the following Monday, with the plan being to replace the two ruptured discs with discs from a cadaver. Recovery time was expected to last a year. She got some good advice to try alternative therapies first. Rather than the planned surgery on Monday, she called for an appointment and arrived at our clinic with her right arm resting in a sling, and her left hand supporting her right elbow. She reported the pain was intense and radiated from her lower cervical spine to the right shoulder and into her arm and fingers. She was unable to drive due to the unrelenting pain. She brought copies of the MRIs, which revealed two of the largest bulging discs I had ever seen. While conducting the history, I learned she had long suffered from sinusitis and experienced frequent sore throats, colds, and influenza. Her diet was not the best, and she reported consuming milk daily. A very conservative treatment approach, with dietary counseling, nutritional support, light manipulation, and ultrasound was initiated. Effectiveness of treatment was certainly slow for the first two weeks. However, five weeks later she asked when could she play golf again. I advised, that in order to allow for maximum healing, to wait until the next summer. The next week she reported that she had played golf, and it didn’t hurt. We now see her occasionally for adjustments. Her diet has improved, and she avoids dairy. She reports no sinusitis, colds, or flu. She also plays volleyball, reportedly at 75% effort.
The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking
by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell
Is it possible that millions of people are ignorantly sacrificing their health in exchange for the convenience of microwave ovens? Why did the Soviet Union ban the use of microwave ovens in 1976? Who invented microwave ovens, and why? The answers to these questions may shock you into throwing your microwave oven in the trash.
Over 90% of American homes have microwave ovens used for meal preparation. Because microwave ovens are so convenient and energy efficient, as compared to conventional ovens, very few homes or restaurants are without them. In general, people believe that whatever a microwave oven does to foods cooked in it doesn't have any negative effect on either the food or them.
Of course, if microwave ovens were really harmful, our government would never allow them on the market, would they? Would they? Regardless of what has been "officially" released concerning microwave ovens, we have personally stopped using ours based on the research facts outlined in this article.
The purpose of this report is to show proof - evidence - that microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine.
However, the microwave oven manufacturers, Washington City politics, and plain old human nature are suppressing the facts and evidence. Because of this, people are continuing to microwave their food - in blissful ignorance - without knowing the effects and danger of doing so.
How do microwave ovens work?
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy, like light waves or radio waves, and occupy a part of the electromagnetic spectrum of power, or energy. In our modern technological age, microwaves are used to relay long distance telephone signals, television programs, and computer information across the earth or to a satellite in space. But the microwave is most familiar to us as an energy source for cooking food.
Every microwave oven contains a magnetron, a tube in which electrons are affected by magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce micro wavelength radiation at about 2450 Mega Hertz (MHz) or 2.45 Giga Hertz (GHz). This microwave radiation interacts with the molecules in food.
All wave energy changes polarity from positive to negative with each cycle of the wave. In microwaves, these polarity changes happen millions of times every second. Food molecules - especially the molecules of water - have a positive and negative end in the same way a magnet has a north and a south polarity.
In commercial models, the oven has a power input of about 1000 watts of alternating current. As these microwaves generated from the magnetron bombard the food, they cause the polar molecules to rotate at the same frequency millions of times a second.
All this agitation creates molecular "friction", which heats up the food. This unusual type of heating also causes substantial damage to the surrounding molecules, often tearing them apart or forcefully deforming them.
By comparison, microwaves from the sun are based on principles of pulsed direct current (DC) that don't create frictional heat; microwave ovens use alternating current (AC) creating frictional heat.
A microwave oven produces a spiked wavelength of energy with all the power going into only one narrow frequency of the energy spectrum. Energy from the sun operates in a wide frequency spectrum.
Many terms are used in describing electromagnetic waves, such as wavelength, amplitude, cycle and frequency:
Wavelength determines the type of radiation, i.e. radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, etc.
Amplitude determines the extent of movement measured from the starting point.
Cycle determines the unit of frequency, such as cycles per second, Hertz, Hz, or cycles/second.
Frequency determines the number of occurrences within a given time period (usually 1 second); The number of occurrences of a recurring process per unit of time, i.e. the number of repetitions of cycles per second.
Radiation = spreading energy with electromagnetic waves
We've all been told that microwaving food is not the same as irradiating it (radiation "treatment"). The two processes are supposed to use completely different waves of energy and at different intensities.
No FDA or officially released government studies have proven current microwaving usage to be harmful, but we all know that the validity of studies can be - and are sometimes deliberately - limiting. Many of these studies are later proven to be inaccurate. As consumers, we're supposed to have a certain degree of common sense to use in judgment.
Take the example of eggs and how they were "proven" to be so harmful to our health in the late 1960's. This brought about imitation egg products and big profits for the manufacturers, while egg farms went broke.
Now, recent government sponsored studies are saying that eggs are not bad for us after all. So, whom should we believe and what criteria should we use to decide matters concerning our health?
Since it's currently published that microwaves - purportedly - don't leak into the environment, when properly used and with approved design, the decision lies with each consumer as to whether or not you choose to eat food heated by a microwave oven or even purchase one in the first place.
Motherly instincts are right
On a more humorous side, the "sixth sense" every mother has is impossible to argue with. Have you ever tried it? Children will never win against a mother's intuition. It's like trying to argue with the arm - appearing out of nowhere - that pinned you to the back of the seat when your mother slammed on the brakes.
Many of us come from a generation where mothers and grandmothers have distrusted the modern "inside out" cooking they claimed was "not suitable" for most foods. My mother refused to even try baking anything in a microwave.
She also didn't like the way a cup of coffee tasted when heated in a microwave oven. I have to fully agree and can't argue either fact. Her own common sense and instincts told her that there was no way microwave cooking could be natural nor make foods "taste they way they're supposed to".
Reluctantly, even my mother succumbed to re-heating leftovers in a microwave due to her work schedule before she retired.
Many others feel the same way, but they're considered an "old fashioned" minority dating back to before the 1970's when microwaves first overwhelmed the market.
Like most young adults at the time, as microwave ovens became commonplace, I chose to ignore my mother's intuitive wisdom and joined the majority who believed microwave cooking was far too convenient to ever believe anything could be wrong with it.
Chalk one up for mom's perception, because even though she didn't know the scientific, technical, or health reasons why, she just knew that microwave ovens were not good based on how foods tasted when they were cooked in them. She didn't like the way the texture of the microwaved food changed either
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu, Study Suggests
"The concerns that vaccination maybe associated with asthma exacerbations have been disproved with multiple studies in the past, but the vaccine's effectiveness has not been well-established," said Avni Joshi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the TIV in children overall, as well as the children with asthma, to prevent influenza-related hospitalization."
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (3rd revision) also recommends annual flu vaccination of asthmatic children older than six months.
In order to determine whether the vaccine was effective in reducing the number of hospitalizations that all children, and especially the ones with asthma, faced over eight consecutive flu seasons, the researchers conducted a cohort study of 263 children who were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota from six months to 18 years of age, each of whom had had laboratory-confirmed influenza between 1996 to 2006. The investigators determined who had and had not received the flu vaccine, their asthma status and who did and did not require hospitalization. Records were reviewed for each subject with influenza-related illness for flu vaccination preceding the illness and hospitalization during that illness.
They found that children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine. In asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the TIV, as compared to those who did not (p= 0.006). But no other measured factors—such as insurance plans or severity of asthma—appeared to affect risk of hospitalization.
"While these findings do raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, they do not in fact implicate it as a cause of hospitalizations," said Dr. Joshi. "More studies are needed to assess not only the immunogenicity, but also the efficacy of different influenza vaccines in asthmatic subjects."
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Cancer Institute Warns of Cell Phone Risks
For the full article click on the link below
The head of a prominent cancer research institute has issued an unprecedented
warning to his faculty and staff: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.
The warning came from
Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh
Cancer Institute. Herberman says his warning is based on early
unpublished data. He argues
that people should take action now --
especially when it comes to children.
"Really at the heart of my
concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to
come out,
but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman
said.
There are many simple precautions that you can take to
reduce your exposure to
information-carrying radiowaves and the
electromagnetic radiation emitted from
your cell phone – both of which
are hazardous to your health. Here are my best guidelines:
*
Children Should Never Use Cell Phones: Barring a life-threatening
emergency,
children should not use a cell phone, or a wireless device
of any type. Children are far
more vulnerable to cell phone radiation
than adults, because of their thinner skull bones.
* Reduce Your Cell Phone Use: Turn your cell phone off more often.
Reserve it for emergencies or important matters.
* Use A Land Line At Home And At Work: Although more and more people
are
switching to using cell phones as their exclusive phone contact, it
is a dangerous
trend and you can choose to opt out of the madness.
* Reduce or Eliminate Your Use of Other Wireless Devices: You would be
wise to
cut down your use of these devices. Just as with cell phones,
it is important to ask
yourself whether or not you really need to use
them every single time. If you must
use a portable home phone, use the
older kind that operates at 900 MHz.
They are no safer during calls,
but at least they do not broadcast constantly even when no call is
being made.
* Use Your Cell Phone Only Where Reception Is
Good: The weaker the reception,
the more power your phone must use to
transmit, and the more power it uses,
the more radiation it emits, and
the deeper the dangerous radio waves penetrate into
your body. Ideally,
you should only use your phone with full bars and good reception.
* Turn Your Cell Phone Off When Not In Use: As long as your cell phone
is on,
it emits radiation intermittently, even when you are not
actually making a call.
* Keep Your Cell Phone Away From Your
Body When It Is On: The most
dangerous place to be, in terms of
radiation exposure, is within about six inches
of the emitting antenna.
You do not want any part of your body within that area.
* Use
Safer Headset Technology: Wired headsets will certainly allow you to
keep the cell phone farther away from your body. However, if a wired
headset
is not well-shielded -- and most of them are not -- the wire
itself acts as an antenna
attracting ambient information carrying radio
waves and transmitting radiation directly
to your brain. Make sure that
the wire used to transmit the signal to your ear is shielded.
The best kind of headset to use is a combination shielded wire and
air-tube headset.
These operate like a stethoscope, transmitting the
information to your head as an actual
sound wave; although there are
wires that still must be shielded, there is no wire that goes all the
way up to your head.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Health Concerns Resurface Over Chemical Usedin Hard-Plastic Polycarbonate Water Bottles
While it is not news that some plastics are unsafe for storing drinking water, there are now reports coming out that question even the "safe" plastics.
Sunday December 23, 2:57 pm ET
By Ben Dobbin, AP Business Writer
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- Catching his breath at a fitness club, Matt McHugh took a gulp of water from his trusty, hard-plastic Nalgene bottle and pondered the idea of switching to an alternative made of glass, stainless steel or another kind of plastic.
Worries about a hormone-mimicking chemical used in the trendy sports accessory led a major Canadian retailer to remove Nalgene and other polycarbonate plastic containers from store shelves in early December.
"It's definitely a concern but I'd like to learn more before I make any decisions about my water bottles," McHugh, 26, a business manager for a reggae band, said with an easy laugh. "For now, I'll probably keep using my Nalgene until it breaks. It's indestructible, I've heard!"
Vancouver-based Mountain Equipment Co-op is waiting for Canadian health regulators to finish a preliminary review in May before it reconsiders restocking its 11 stores with the reusable, transparent bottles made with bisphenol A, or BPA, a compound created by a Russian chemist in 1891.
There is little dispute that the chemical can disrupt the hormonal system, but scientists differ markedly on whether very low doses found in food and beverage containers can be harmful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sides with the plastics industry that BPA-based products do not pose a health risk.
However, an expert panel of researchers reported at a U.S. government conference that the potential for BPA to affect human health is a concern, and more research is needed. The panel cited evidence that Americans have levels of BPA higher than those found to cause harm in lab animals.
Patagonia Inc., another outdoor-gear retailer based in Ventura, Calif., pulled polycarbonate water bottles from its 40 stores worldwide in December 2005 and, a month later, organic foods chain Whole Foods Markets stopped selling polycarbonate baby bottles and child drinking cups.
Some environmental groups in the United States and Canada expect others will soon follow suit.
"Given there are comparably priced, greener alternatives, I'm quite convinced that within a couple of years, we're going to see the end of this chemical in consumer products," said Rick Smith, executive director of Toronto-based Environmental Defense Canada.
The controversy turned an unwelcome spotlight on Nalge Nunc International, a division of Waltham, Mass.-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. It employs about 900 people at a plant tucked behind a shopping plaza in the Rochester suburb of Penfield.
"Rarely has a chemical been the subject of such intense scientific testing and scrutiny, and still important agencies across the globe agree that there is no danger posed to humans from polycarbonate bottles," Tom Cummins, a Nalge Nunc research director, said in a statement.
The company declined to allow executives to be interviewed. Its consumer products arm, with estimated sales of $50 million to $65 million, accounts for a fraction of Thermo Fisher's $9.5 billion in annual revenues.
UBS Investment Research analyst Derik De Bruin told investors Nalge Nunc also makes translucent containers made of other, softer plastics such as polyethylene. So even a wider retailer recall of polycarbonate products "would likely have minimal impact on the company," he wrote.
Nalge Nunc was founded in 1949 by Rochester chemist Emanuel Goldberg. The lab-equipment supplier evolved in the 1970s when rumors about its scientists taking hardy lab vessels on weekend outings led to a water-bottle consumer unit targeting Boy Scouts, hikers and campers.
In 2000, a new sports line of Nalgene-brand bottles offered in red, blue and yellow hues quickly became the rage in high schools and on college campuses.
Highly durable and lightweight, resistant to stains and odors, and able to withstand extremes of hot and cold, screw-cap Nalgene bottles are marketed as an environmentally responsible substitute for disposable water bottles. This holiday season, they're being offered in new colors such as amber, moss green and vibrant violet.
In this city of Lake Ontario's southern shore, judgments about a long-admired local business were invariably leavened with sympathy.
"Nalgene is the hallmark water bottle for the backcountry," said businessman and skiing enthusiast Rob Norris, 58, as he shopped for a backpack at an Eastern Mountain Sports store.
"I don't have any reservations right now," he said. "To me, it's one of these overreaching things where there's some microscopic particles that could leach out of a piece of plastic. But who knows what's in the water we're drinking?"
But Ellen Guisto, 31, a stay-at-home mother of two, said a growing chorus of concern about the chemical makes her hesitate. "I'm not an alarmist by nature but if I hear there's a chance that this may cause cancer, I don't think I would use it," she said.
Prompted by a swell of complaints over more than three years, Mountain Equipment -- Canada's largest consumer cooperative with 2.7 million members -- said it removed mostly polycarbonate water bottles and food containers, but left water filters and other products containing the chemical on store shelves. It also will continue to sell Nalgene containers made of other plastics, spokesman Tim Southam said.
In response, the FDA reiterated that "BPA has been used in consumer products for over 50 years. In that time, there has been no evidence that BPA is harmful to humans, either as the result of dietary intake or industrial worker exposures."
With more than 6 million pounds produced in the United States each year, bisphenol A is found in dental sealants, the liners of food cans, CDs and DVDs, eyeglasses and hundreds of household goods.
Citing multiple studies in the United States, Europe and Japan, the chemicals industry maintains that polycarbonate bottles contain little BPA and leach traces considered too low to harm humans.
But critics point to an influx of animal studies linking low doses to a wide variety of ailments -- from breast and prostate cancer, obesity and hyperactivity, to miscarriages and other reproductive failures.
An expert panel of 38 academic and government researchers who attended a National Institutes of Health-sponsored conference said in a study in August that "the potential for BPA to impact human health is a concern, and more research is clearly needed."
Fred vom Saal, a professor of biology at the University of Missouri and one of the study's chief authors said the panel reviewed 700 published articles on BPA, practically all published in the last 10 years. Yet U.S. health and environmental regulators "are pretending they're still in the dark," he said.
"Alkalize or Die"
Contains excerpts from "Alkalize or Die", by Dr. T.A. Baroody, Jr
ACIDOSIS is the basic foundation of all disease. We need to understand the simple process of alkalizing our body and the important role a properly alkalized body plays in restoring and maintaining our overall health. Our glands and organs function properly in exact proportion to the amount of alkaline and acid levels in our system. THE IMPACT OF ACIDOSIS ON YOUR ORGANS:
HEART
The heart is one of the most alkaline-dependent organs in the body. It is partly enervated by the vagus nerve which functions best in an alkaline environment. Correct heartbeat is altered by acid wastes. These wastes rob the blood of proper oxygenation and degeneration of the heart follows. An alkaline system creates an ideal heart function.
STOMACH
Digestive difficulties (belching, bloating, sensitivity at the waist, intestinal gas, regurgitation, hiccups, lack or limitation of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, colic in children) may indicate vagus nerve problems and possible hiatus hernia syndrome, which can produce acid residue throughout the system. Hiatus hernia can quickly reduce necessary hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Without proper hydrochloric acid breakdown of foods, the foods become too acidic.
LIVER
The liver has over three hundred functions, including processing acid toxins from the blood and producing numerous alkaline enzymes for the system and is your first line of defense against any poisons. All the nourishment obtained through the gastrointestinal tract enters the blood by way of the liver. The load on the liver is much heavier when acid waste products are constantly floating in the blood. If the liver becomes too congested with protein acid wastes, death is imminent.
PANCREAS
The pancreas is highly dependent on correct alkaline diet. All aspects of pancreatic function reduce excess acidity and regulate blood sugar balance. To have proper blood sugar balance, you must maintain a primarily alkaline-forming diet.
SMALL INTESTINES
The Peyer's Patches, in the upper portion of the small intestines are crucial to life. They are essential for proper assimilation of food and producing lymphocytes for the lymphatic system's wide ranging nodal network. They also produce large amounts of the enzyme "chyle", which is a major alkalizing substance. The uninterrupted flow of chyle into the system is crucial. Too much acid waste production from acid-forming foods is a great burden on the Peyer's Patches, which lessens the production of chyle.
KIDNEYS
In an adult, about 1 liter of blood per minute passes through the kidneys. By executing their primary duty, the kidneys keep the blood alkaline and extract acid. Kidneys that are over-stressed with too much acidity create kidney stones, which are composed of waste acid cells and mineral salts that have become gummed together in a waste acid substance. Therefore, by reducing acid-forming products from entering the body, the chances are better that you can avoid this painful condition.
COLON
The colon must be kept clean of accumulated acid wastes. Poisons collect on the colon walls and in cases of diarrhea or constipation will harden and reabsorb into the bloodstream. Good bowel action (complete elimination) must be done at least 2 times per day.
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
There are 600-700 lymph glands in the body. Lymph fluid carries nutrition to the cells and removes acid waste products. Lymph fluid flows best in an alkaline environment. When the body is overly acidic, it slows, creating one of the most chronic, long-term, life-threatening situations. Gradually, the lymph dries and begins to form very tiny to very large adhesions throughout the tissues. These adhesions can interfere not only with lymph fluid but with blood flow as well. Hindered lymph flow increases tissue acid storage. Not drinking enough purified water will also slow the lymph. Waste products from foods that are not properly digested are reabsorbed into general circulation via the lymphatic ducts of the small intestine. In addition, bowel movements that do not completely clear the body of its daily poisons are also reabsorbed.
HOW NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CREATE ACIDITY: Have you ever been so upset with someone or something that you get an upset stomach? All negative emotions create an acidic environment. Have you ever heard anyone say you are letting your problems "eat away at you" or "get the best of you"? Fear is the underlining cause of most disease. It will undermine your life and your health. Fear causes anger. Anger causes hate. Hate will consume you with continual suffering. Love and understanding cleanse and heal the body creating an alkaline environment within you.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
EXERCISE
Moderate exercise is alkalizing to the body. Excessive exercise (past the point of exhaustion) can create an acidic problem due to lactic acid buildup. People who are acidic usually feel worse from exercise because their detoxification organs are not working properly due to excessive acid in the tissues. Yet without exercise, acid and toxin buildup are likely.
QUALITY AIR
As the saying goes - "every step you take, every breath you take ...".If your environment is polluted with chemicals, dust, smoke, pet dander, mold, micro-organisms, then much of your energy reserve will go just in detoxifying. Today, even in the forest and near the ocean, the amount of negative ions are much lower than they were only a few decades ago. Also, since we sealed buildings to conserve energy and started making our homes and furnishings with synthetic materials, the number of cases of asthma and chronic fatigue have risen dramatically.
FOOD COMBINING
Food combining is key to creating an alkaline environment because when you combine properly you reduce putrefaction in the body creating a more alkaline condition.
ALKALIZING DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION
When you purchase supplements you must ask yourself what your goal is and will these supplements actually help alkalize and remove acid from your body. Green drinks are very helpful in filtering out toxins and acidity in the body.
ALKALINE DIET
Eating an alkaline diet is very powerful in making everything else work better. In general, it is important to eat a diet that contains both acidic and alkalizing foods. People vary, but for
most, the ideal diet is 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying (foods by volume).
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU STANDON THE ROAD TO ALKALINITY?
A pH test will tell you how alkaline or acidic your body fluids are. Scientists have found that healthy people have systems that are alkaline.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Adrenal Stress Index™
| The Adrenal Stress Index™ The adrenals are two small glands, each weighing 3 to 5 grams, that are located above the kidneys. The adrenals have one of the highest rates of blood flow per gram of tissue, and the highest content of Vitamin C per gram of any tissue in the body. Each adrenal gland is composed of two separate functional entities. The outer zone, or cortex, accounts for 80% to 90% of the gland, and secretes adrenal steroids (Cortisol, DHEA(S) and Aldosterone). The inner zone, or medulla, comprises 10% to 20% of the gland, and secretes the catecholamines adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. Cortisol, DHEA and adrenaline are the three main adrenal stress hormones. The Adrenal Rhythm & Its Importance The human adrenal gland does not secrete its steroid hormones at a constant level throughout the day. The hormones are actually released in a cycle with the highest value in the morning and the lowest value at night. This is easily understood by looking at Figure 1. This 24-hour cycle is called the circadian rhythm. An abnormal adrenal rhythm can influence many functions of the body, some of which are listed below.  1. Energy production Abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of cells to produce energy for activities of daily living. People who have a hard time rising in the morning, or who suffer with a low energy level during the day, often have abnormal adrenal rhythms and poor blood sugar regulation. The maintenance of a stable blood sugar level depends on food choice, lifestyle, adrenal function and insulin activity. This panel measures stress hormones and insulin, to help ferret out causes of fatigue, cravings and obesity. 2. Muscle & joint function Abnormal adrenal rhythms are known to compromise tissue healing. Reduced tissue repair and increased tissue breakdown can lead to muscle and joint breakdown with chronic pain. 3. Bone health The adrenal rhythm determines how well we build bone. If the night cortisol level is elevated and the morning level is too high, our bones do not rebuild well, and we are more prone to the osteoporotic process. Stress is the enemy of the bones. In postmenopausal women, the effect of stress worsens due to the female hormone imbalances. 4. Immune health Various immune cells (white blood cells) cycle in and out of the spleen and bone marrow for special conditioning, and possible nourishment and instructions. This immune system trafficking follows the cortisol cycle. So, if the cycle is disrupted, especially at night, then the immune system is adversely affected. Short and long-term stress is known to suppress the immune response on the surfaces of our body as in lungs, throat, urinary and intestinal tract. With the reduction in the surface antibody (called secretory IgA), the resistance to infection is reduced and allergic reactions are believed to increase. 5. Sleep quality The ability to enter REM sleep cycles, i.e. regenerative sleep, is interrupted by high cortisol values at night and in the morning. Chronic lack of REM sleep can reduce the mental vitality and vigor of a person and induce depression. 6. Skin regeneration Human skin regenerates mostly during the night. With higher night cortisol values, less skin regeneration takes place. So, a normal cortisol rhythm is essential for optimal skin health (See Figure 2).  7. Thyroid function The level of Cortisol at the cell level controls thyroid hormone production. Quite often, hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue and low body temperature are due to an adrenal maladaptation. 8. Grain intolerance & stress About 12-18% of the U.S. population suffers from a genetic intol- erance to grain. Specifically, a high incidence occurs in Celtic, Germanic, and Nordic derivation. The gut becomes inflamed within 30 minutes after consuming the grains and this can lead to an adrenal stress response, increased cortisol and reduced DHEA. (Several other functions that go beyond the scope of the pamphlet are also cortisol and DHEA dependent.) The Adrenal Stress Index™ (ASI™) Four saliva samples are used in the ASI™ for the following ten tests:
Your health care provider can use the findings in this panel to recommend customized treatment and preventive measures that may include diet and lifestyle changes, hormones, botanicals and vitamins. Advantages of the ASI™
Note: The ASI™ was invented and introduced by Diagnos-Techs, Inc. in 1989. All other panels offered on the market are copies. Abnormal adrenal rhythm can influence:
To determine if the ASI™ is the appropriate test for assessing your health condition, ask your physician for a stress questionnaire. The score can help your doctor determine a course of action. The ASI™ is mostly ordered for individuals that suffer from:
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Monday, July 6, 2009
FDA Advises Lower Dosage for Popular Painkiller
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended on June 30 that the maximum over-the-counter dose of the popular pain reliever acetaminophen be lowered and that the current maximum single dose of the drug be available by prescription only.
Acetaminophen, more commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, is one of the most frequently used pain and fever relievers in the U.S. It has the advantage of not causing stomach bleeding or other gastrointestinal side effects that other popular pain medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can cause. Acetaminophen is also found in several cold- and cough-remedy products as well as in prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet. (Read "The Year in Medicine 2008: From A to Z.")
But despite its widespread use, there have been growing concerns about the non-prescription drug's effects on the liver. The 13-member FDA committee convened specifically to address liver toxicities due to acetaminophen overdose. The group of doctors and patient representatives concluded that the daily maximum dose of acetaminophen should be reduced from the current allowable 4 g and that the maximum single over-the-counter level be set at 650 mg, down from the current 1,000 mg.
Experts stress that taken as recommended, the drug is safe. But because the agent is present in so many over-the-counter medications, there is the potential that users can unintentionally overdose. "People might be taking Tylenol and taking a combination cold product that also has Tylenol in it, and Vicodin, which also has Tylenol in it, and start combining medications and not realizing they are taking that much acetaminophen," says Dr. Michelle Ruha, a medical toxicologist at Banner Good Samaritan Poison Control Center in Phoenix.
Since 1998, acetaminophen-containing products have carried a warning label advising users to consult their physician when using the pain reliever in combination with alcohol. In 2002, the medication earned a warning advising users to avoid taking more than two acetaminophen-containing products at the same time. Nevertheless, in a study of adverse event reports submitted to the FDA since the 2002 label change, the number of liver problems has doubled, says Bill Soller, a professor of pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco, who conducted the survey. "People don't read labels, and physicians aren't doing the communication in the office," Soller says. "At some point, when you find the labels don't work, then you've got to bump it up to the next level."
That's what the committee's conclusions represent — a strong message that as safe as acetaminophen is, it can be made safer, to help people avoid accidental overdoses. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Tylenol's manufacturer, disagrees, citing 150 clinical studies on the drug's safety if taken as recommended. In a statement, the company said, "McNeil Consumer Healthcare strongly disagrees with the committee's recommendation. McNeil Consumer Healthcare believes that this recommendation is likely to lead to more serious adverse events as consumers shift to other over-the-counter products ... in search of pain relief." (See the most common hospital mishaps.)
There's no guarantee that the FDA will actually follow the advisory committee's advice and reduce the over-the-counter dose of acetaminophen. And even if the agency does, some experts aren't convinced that the move will lead to fewer liver toxicities associated with the medication. "Honestly, I don't think that is going to solve the problem," says Ruha. "Most of the problem is with the prescription pain medications that contain acetaminophen." Many people using drugs such as Vicodin or Percocet still don't feel relief from their pain and either abuse their prescription or supplement with an over-the-counter medication. "The patients we see coming to our hospital from liver failure have either intentionally overdosed or taken too many prescription pain medications with acetaminophen in them," she says.
Still, if the FDA does decides to follow the committee's advice, it would represent an aggressive attempt to address the growing problem of liver problems associated with the non-prescription painkiller — one that goes beyond simply adding another warning label on a pill box.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Water Hydration Fact Sheet
-Dr. Tang
HYDRATION FACT SHEET
Fact #1: Muscles are comprised of 60-70% water, while fat cells are about 25-30% water. Dehydration has a much greater negative affect on muscle cells than on fat cells. Therefore, dehydration negatively effects strength and power very quickly while doing nothing to help lose fat.
Fact #2: On a daily average, a person loses 80 ounces (ten, 8-ounce glasses) of water through breathing, perspiration and other body processes. This does not take into account perspiration through exercise! Those ten glasses of water need to be replaced daily, in addition to any lost during exercise.
Fact #3: Weight lost during practice or competition is sweat. For each pound of weight lost through sweating, the body needs 2-3, 8-ounce glasses of water to replace the water lost. If you lose five pounds, you need to drink 10-15 glasses of water to replenish the fluid lost. This is in addition to the 10, eight ounce glasses your body needs every day!
Fact #4: It takes 24-48 hours (1-2 days) to rehydrate your body after being dehydrated. Being hydrated before competing is essential because a 2% loss of body weight due to sweat loss is equal to a 15-20% loss of performance! It is impossible to drink enough immediately before competition, or during competition, to make up for being dehydrated.
Fact #5: Thirst is a poor indicator of the body's need for fluids. Drinking enough to quench one's thirst replaces only about ½ to 2/3 of the body's water requirements. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink, performance has already decreased by as much as 10%. For a runner who can run a 7-minute mile that 10% performance loss means they will run a 7:42 mile!
Fact #6: An easy way to monitor hydration status is to check the color of the urine. Clear, or pale, urine indicates adequate hydration while yellow urine indicates dehydration. Expect yellow urine after a workout or when getting up in the morning. Begin drinking fluids immediately.
Fact #7: Drinking cold water during exercise is preferable to room temperature water because it is available for use by the body faster. Cold water also helps cool the body during exercise.
Fact #8: Sports drinks consumed before or during exercise should be low in fructose and should not contain more than 50 calories per 8-ounce serving. Fructose, and drinks with more than 50 calories per serving, put sugar quickly into the body too quickly which slows the absorption of water and can cause nausea, cramps or diarrhea. Pop and fruit juices are not recommended during exercise because of the high sugar content. 100% fruit juices are nutritious and can help replenish depleted energy reserves after exercise.
Fact #9: Avoid carbonated and caffeinated beverages before and during exercise. Carbonation can cause a feeling of fullness and stomach upset in some athletes. Caffeine is a diuretic which can cause dehydration.
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