Too much of a good thing?

Today I listened to a discussion among people who are all taking medication for high blood pressure. One of them had done such a good job that when he went to the emergency room a couple nights ago, he had almost no blood pressure! Then another mentioned having frighteningly low readings.

The reason he went was a nose bleed that wouldn't stop, so the doctors there told him to quit taking his blood thinners until he went back to his regular doctor. Seems he was taking both a prescription blood thinner and an aspirin every day.

As he related his troubles, others chimed in with their own stories. And all of them had experienced trouble because of too much aspirin. They had all suffered from excessive bleeding any time they got the slightest scratch.

To give the benefit of the doubt, I think that none of them had actually told their doctors they were having that problem. Perhaps if they had, they'd have been advised to stop sooner. However, one woman said she took an adult aspirin every day - and after a year a nurse told her it should have been baby aspirin. The doctor hadn't mentioned that.

Hopefully, if you're on blood pressure medication you're checking it regularly. But keep an eye on that blood thinner and aspirin usage too. If you bleed profusely when you get a scratch, do tell your doctor! Maybe you can avoid going to the emergency room in the middle of the night because you got a nose bleed that wouldn't stop.

Yours for good health,
Marte

Garlic - for good taste and health benefits, too

Although I've always loved garlic, my Mother and my Grandmother hated it. They just could not stand the smell.

Why? Because as children going to school in a one room school house with lots of Italian kids, they had gotten an overdose. As well as having "garlic breath, those kids wore garlic on a string around their necks all winter.

That smell had mingled in my Mother's and Grandmother's minds with the smell of wet, dirty wool coats drying by the pot belly stove, and sweaty kids. In those days, there was no such thing as a shower every night before bed. Mom pulled the washtub out and got everyone cleaned up on Saturday night – so by mid-week those active kids were pretty ripe.

That's why I had to chuckle today when I read the latest newsletter from pillfreesupplements.com.

It's all about the benefits of garlic. Here's the quote: "Taking raw garlic or garlic supplements can also help to prevent colds and to treat colds as well. Many people start taking garlic when they have a cold and they actually notice that they begin to improve. Scientific studies show that garlic indeed does help boost the defense systems of the body, helping it to fight off problems, such as colds."

Other benefits are in preventing heart disease and cancer, and in reducing high blood pressure. To learn more, visit www.pillfreesupplements.com

Here's to good food that's good for you!

Marte

Do you take Lipitor? Beware

I really am on a mission to bring you natural cures - good news about taking care of your health while avoiding the dangers of pharmaceuticals.

But then, when I read something tucked into a small corner of the newspaper and think I haven't heard it anywhere else, maybe I have a duty to tell you about it.

Such is the case with Lipitor. Now to begin with, I believe Dr. Al Sears when he says we should leave our darned cholesterol levels alone. We need cholesterol. But I know a lot of people are convinced that they need to reduce the levels of "bad" cholesterol down.

So, many are prescribed Lipitor. One such person wrote to the "newspaper doctor" and told about taking Lipitor for a couple of months when he suddenly woke up one morning with amnesia. He didn't know what day it was, couldn't remember people's names, couldn't enter simple data on a spreadsheet because he had forgotten how.

Doctors did a myriad of tests over the next few weeks and diagnosed him with transient global amnesia - with no cause. When he asked if the Lipitor could be a cause, the doctor dismissed it with a casual "no way."

But he was suspicious, so quit taking Lipitor. He now takes prescription niacin and his cholesterol levels have dropped - but better yet, his memory is back, stronger than ever.

What did the newspaper doctor say about this? Amnesia is a not-uncommon side effect of statin-type cholesterol lowering drugs.

And yet, the man's doctor waved aside his concern with a curt "no way."

If you have a concern about a medication you're taking - and if your doctor waves you away when you express that concern - please do two things:

1. Do the research. The web is a goldmine of information.
2. Change doctors - find one who cares about helping you be healthy

Yours for abundant well-being,
Marte

Recovering from a stroke

Ever wonder why some people seem to get continually better after a stroke, while others appear to be stopped?

I just read a very encouraging article that says walking can improve brain function - even if you start to exercise many years after the fact.

If you or someone you love has suffered a stroke, Frank Mangano's article is worth a read...

5 ways to keep your kids healthy this school year

These should seem obvious, but in today's overly busy world, they're often overlooked. They shouldn't be, because they could make the difference between your child enjoying a healthy school year and being continuously ill from now until next summer.

#1 - Get enough sleep. With kids having to get up super-early to catch busses, attending after school activities, and doing homework, it doesn't leave much time to spend with the family, let alone sleep. You as the parent need to insist - even if it means cutting back on extra curricular activities.

#2 - Eat breakfast. Every body needs some fuel to start the day. So even if you're all in a rush in the morning, make sure the kids get something nutritious. Not junk food - but something good for them. If all else fails, get some (real) juice or milk in small containers and keep boiled eggs and some fruit handy to grab and go.

#3 - Substitute real food for the junk food in your house. Cut back their intake of sugar - both natural and artificial. Prepare meals from scratch and avoid the processed stuff that's full of preservatives and who knows what other body-draining ingredients. Kids really can get through the day without soda pop, candy bars, and chips. You just have to show them how good they feel when they eat well, and they might even help you plan the shopping and cooking.

#4 - Teach the kids to wash their hands regularly. Schools are so filled with germs that if we could see them we'd run away screaming. Just think how many children are sent to school ill - and how often they touch the same things your kids are touching. Put some antiseptic wipes in their back packs too - and stress the importance of using them when they can't get to a sink and a bar of soap.

#5 - Choose your favorite anti-oxidant supplement and make sure they take it daily. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of toxins out there in the world, so give them the ammunition to fight them off.

By the way - those good-health practices are good for you too - not just the kids.

Yours for health and happiness,
Marte

How to treat yellow jacket stings

The yellow jackets and other bees are angry this time of year! From what I read, it has to do with not having enough good food available. They're hungry, so they're mad.

The result is that when we get into their space, we're apt to get stung.

Much as I shy away from pharmaceuticals, I know there are some that are beneficial - like antihistamines.

I do believe that if you already know you're allergic you should be carrying a yellow jacket kit to give instant attention to combating the venom. After all, people do die from it.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call 911 or race to a nearby clinic immediately (which ever will get you help the fastest!)

- Difficulty swallowing

- Slurred speech

- Wheezing or difficulty breathing

- Confusion or jumbled thoughts

- Tightness in the throat or chest

- Coughing or hoarseness

- Weakness leading to fainting

I've never been allergic, so the way my ankles reacted to stings this year was a shock - a painful shock. But I'm pretty well over it now. My ankles are just a bit sore.

So... if you are allergic, get the shot immediately and then work on relieving the pain at the sting site. If you aren't, you can go straight to pain relief. (Although I'd take an antihistamine just to be on the safe side.)

You can buy little vials of sting relief to carry with you, but if you don't happen to have them, here are a few home remedies that have helped other people alleviate the pain and swelling:

- Dab ammonia directly on the wound.

- Apply a paste of baking soda and water

- Apply a poultice made of an enzyme based meat tenderizer

- Apply a paste made of activated charcoal and water

- Apply a mudpack (good to remember if you happen to be out fishing when you're stung)

If you use baking soda or any of the other pasty remedies, try to find something to wrap it with so it doesn't fall off immediately.

The best thing of all is to stay out of their way.

So my recommendation is to avoid mowing the lawn for the rest of the season. (I think it's a good excuse!)

Yours for good health,

Marte

Unexpected toxins can wreak havoc!

Last Saturday I was hit with some very unexpected toxins - in the form of multiple yellow jacket stings. I've never been allergic before, so this was a shock. In the past, I'd feel pain for a short while and then forget about it. Not this time.

The yellow jackets attacked my ankles, and in spite of a quick dose of Benadryl and a baking soda pack, my ankles began to swell and burn - and itch. Each felt like someone was holding a hot match to my skin. Instead of getting better, they got worse, so I barely slept that night.

I tried everything in the medicine cabinet to sooth the heat and stop the incessant itching. None of it worked.

The next night I sat with my feet in a bucket of cold water before bed, and that calmed them down enough for sleep. Meanwhile, going up and down stairs was awful because they hurt when I bent them.

Then, after 3 days of misery, I thought what to do. My husband regularly drinks detox tea, so I went to the refrigerator and poured myself a glass before bed. And it worked - by morning my ankles were their normal size and the burning had ceased.

We're exposed to toxins every day, and most of the time don't notice them. They come from vehicle exhaust, dry cleaning chemicals, plastics, teflon, our carpeting, and often from pre-prepared foods, not to mention pharmaceuticals. And they take a toll that's so incremental that we don't notice that either.

It took a dramatic episode for me to realize that the detox tea isn't just for my husband (because he still takes a couple of prescriptions)but for me as well. I'll go for prevention over cure any day...

Yours for good health,
Marte

Thinning skin? Try a change in diet, plus CoQ10

Yesterday we talked about how Advair can cause your skin to thin and become easily damaged. But what if you aren't taking Advair, or any other steroid medication, and you still have thinning skin?

My research tells me that one cause is aging, another is genetics, another is too much sun exposure. Of course, serious disease can be a cause too, but one shouldn't assume illness just because of thinning skin.

More research tells me that we can do a lot about it with diet and supplements. And water - drinking plenty of water is one of the keys to healthy skin.

Sugar seems to be a culprit - as it is in so many other cases. But back to the diet - try plenty of green leafy vegetables, anti-oxidant fruits such as blueberries and raspberries, and fish such as tuna and salmon.

Recommended supplements include CoQ10 (which is good for almost everything), multi-vitamins containing C and E, and alpha lipoic acid.

Seems like we keep coming back to the basics - plenty of water, good overall diet, a minimum of sugar, and anti-oxidant supplements to fight back against the pollutants in our modern environment.

Diet seems to be the toughest part - because we're all rushing around all day and it's so fast and easy to choose some kind of pre-prepared food from the grocer's shelf rather than buy ingredients and cook a meal.

But we do owe it to ourselves to try...

Yours for radiant health,

Marte

Do you take Advair? Here's the side effects

This week's doctor's column tells about a woman who experienced thinning skin from the use of Advair for her asthma. Her lung specialist had insisted that the Advair wasn't responsible for her bruising, and deep gashes resulting from just a bump.

The newspaper doctor was surprised that a specialist could be unaware that Advair contains steroids and that steriods can affect the skin. The official prescribing information lists bruising and wounds as potential adverse reactions. Other dangers are higher risks of cataracts, glaucoma and penumonia.

But do doctors read that information? With all the new medications coming on the market, do they have the time to read all that information?

We know they could, if they considered research a part of their duties. But do they? Or are they so anxious to run the next patient through and collect the fee that research gets shoved aside?

I keep harping on this - but we really do all have responsibility for our own bodies. It's our duty to ourselves to really read those package inserts, or to go on line and look for the side effects.

Not all people experience the side effects, because we each have a different body. But if we know what they are, then we know to stop taking the medication if we begin to experience them.

Leaving your health in someone else's hands is just plain goofy.

So I say it again: read.

Can't sleep? Try Bach Flower Remedies

This week-end a friend without computer access called to ask me if I'd order some "Sweet Dreams" from Feel Bach! for him. He'd run out and was once again experiencing sleepless nights. I said of course I would, and I did. Then I started thinking about how much Bach flower essences have helped him.

This is a man who was constantly worn out. He was sleeping only an hour or two at a time all night, every night. He's ill and on a LOT of medication. I'm sure that fact has a lot to do with his sleeplessness. Not only is he full of chemicals, but he's worried. He's afraid of the medication, but afraid not to take it.

Anyway, the doctors had given him prescription sleep aids, which helped a little but left him groggy and lethargic all day. The same happened with over the counter medications - some relief, but feeling terrible all day. At least - as far as we know - he didn't get up in the night and go driving in his sleep, as others have done when taking pharmaceutical sleep aids.

When I gave him a bottle of Sweet Dreams to try I expected that it might take several days before they had an effect, but I was mistaken. He called me the very next day to tell me he'd had the best sleep he'd gotten in months, and he felt rested and awake.

If you have sleep issues, give Bach flowers a try. They're safe for everyone and very inexpensive. Go to www.feelbach.com and read all about them. Then choose which sleep problem you have, and order accordingly.

Yours for good health,
Marte