So many of today's maladies are caused because people just don't listen to their bodies. They have headaches or joint pains or they're tired all the time - and they look to a doctor to "cure" it without stopping to consult with the one who really knows what's going on - their own bodies!
Some alternative health experts say that EVERY illness is caused by an allergy, and while I don't have any documentation to prove it, I tend to believe it. If your body is continuously irritated by something, it's going to react in some way. Just think about the warnings on pharmaceuticals - telling you that you should take this, "but oh by the way, it could cause cancer, or maybe death."
The truth is, these drugs might well help one person and kill another - because one body was allergic and the other was not. We're all different.
Several years ago we started seeing an excellent acupuncturist who practiced NAET - Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique. Through him we learned to do muscle testing on ourselves, so that if someone didn't feel very well after a meal or after being exposed to some environmental substance, we could figure out what it was and treat it.
After a while, we became so in tune with paying attention to our body's signals that we could "know" when taking the first bite of a food we should avoid.
And anyone can do that!
Just think how much happier you could be if you knew ahead of time that the fancy dessert in front of you was going to give you a splitting headache. Or if you knew that the orange juice was about to make you have a pain in your knee.
A Google search for Muscle Testing yielded plenty of results, including some from people who don't believe in it. That's fine - they have a right to keep their headaches!
Meanwhile, this site has a good explanation of how it works, and gives a method of testing: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/BasicsofHealth/muscle_testing.htm
This site has videos you can watch to learn more.
What bothers me is that since this is so easy to do - and free - that more doctors don't use it. A simple test in the office could tell them if you should or should not take a certain prescription drug. But, it isn't something they can test and measure, so too many consider it unreliable.
I knew a woman once who decided to have an elective surgery. She was allergic to the anesthetic and she died on the operating table. I think her family would have been a lot happier if her doctor had done a test ahead of time and learned that she had that allergy. It was small comfort to them for him to say "I'm sorry - she was allergic."
Even if you don't try muscle testing - pay attention to your body. If you have a headache or start feeling "yucky," stop and think about it. Write down what you ate, smelled, touched, and breathed in the hour or so before you started feeling bad. Then the next time it happens, do it again.
You'll probably find a pattern and learn what you should avoid. And if you really pay attention, after a while you'll be able to "hear" your body saying "Oh oh, stay away from this or you'll be sorry..."
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Could We Lose the Right to Natural Health?
Plenty of people are worried about this right now - the Obama health plan could mean that doctors wouldn't be allowed to use any treatment but that authorized by big pharm and that health care could be rationed.
Those are scary thoughts!
It could also mean that getting our natural supplements would either be impossible, or too expensive to contemplate.
I just read an email by Robert Jay Rowen, MD. that outlines what could happen unless we as taxpayers raise enough ruckus to make our Senators and Representatives know that if they go along with this, their careers are over.
He suggests that the only way to make sure they get the message is to make phone calls - lots of phone calls. Here's why, in his words:
"With mail being irradiated and opened off-site, and auto-emailers flooding servers, one-on-one phone calls are about the only thing our elected officials pay attention to any more. You can find phone numbers at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov."
If you'd like to learn more, or sign up for his newsletters, visit www.SecondOpinionNewsletter.com
Those are scary thoughts!
It could also mean that getting our natural supplements would either be impossible, or too expensive to contemplate.
I just read an email by Robert Jay Rowen, MD. that outlines what could happen unless we as taxpayers raise enough ruckus to make our Senators and Representatives know that if they go along with this, their careers are over.
He suggests that the only way to make sure they get the message is to make phone calls - lots of phone calls. Here's why, in his words:
"With mail being irradiated and opened off-site, and auto-emailers flooding servers, one-on-one phone calls are about the only thing our elected officials pay attention to any more. You can find phone numbers at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov."
If you'd like to learn more, or sign up for his newsletters, visit www.SecondOpinionNewsletter.com
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Drug prices - enough to make you sick and broke
You already know I think pharmaceuticals are dangerous. But they're not just dangerous to our health - they're also dangerous to our financial situations.
One email I received recently suggested that health care - especially surgical procedures and prescription drugs, are behind the economic crisis we're facing today. They simply drain too much money from too many people.
The following prescription drug prices are excerpted from an e-mail I received today - and they're enough to make you say "That must be a typo!"
I'm a firm believer in free enterprise and in businesses making a profit. They take a risk by running a business, and deserve to reap some rewards. But these mark-ups are just a bit over the top!
Do note that these prices reflect the cost of the active ingredients. The drug companies do have to pay to put those ingredients into a pill, bottle it, add a label - and of course, to print the insert containing the very fine print that tells you possible side effects and drug interactions. And then, the pharmacy that sells them to you has to make a profit - they do take a financial risk by buying the drugs and making them available when you want them.
But still - these profits seem a bit obscene.
If these were products with a low demand rate you might say that the retailer has to make more profit on each item because volume is low. But at the rate that doctors write prescriptions, we know that these pills are sold in high volumes!
Here are a few of the costs vs. selling prices:
Claritin 10 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71 Percent markup: 30,306%
Lipitor 20 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80 Percent markup: 4,696%
Norvasec 10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14 Percent markup: 134,493%
Prilosec 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97 Cost of general active ingredients $0.52 Percent markup: 69,417%
Xanax 1 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024 Percent markup: 569,958%
The email also explained the profits to be made by pharmacies when they talk you in to using the generic equivalent of your name brand prescriptions.
If you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are “saving” $20.
What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10!
It pays to shop around. The email I received gave several examples, but I'll tell you my own experience instead.
I had read before that Costco charged far less than drug stores, so last time I filled my husband's prescription for pain pills, I tried them out. It was true. The same bottle of pills that cost over $30 at home was $14 at Costco. You don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy, by the way.
The email I received cited many more examples - and you might be interested in seeing if a prescription you take is on the list. To read the entire article, go to:
http://www.health-report.co.uk/obscene_drug_mark_ups.htm
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Old time remedy has odd reason for fighting colds and flu
I had to chuckle when I read this one...
There's an herb used in Italian cuisine called asafetida - when cooked it has an onion-like flavor. Some believe that when added to lentils or beans it will reduce flatulence.
But back in the early days of the 20th century, mothers used it to prevent children from colds and flu. They tied it in a bag and hung it on the children like a necklace. And it smelled so bad that no one wanted to come near them - thus cutting down on the transmission of colds and flu.
I don't suppose that's why they used it - they probably thought that breathing the herb kept the kids well. And maybe it did - who is to prove otherwise?
On that same note, my Grandmother said that when she was a young child in school (in the late 1890's and early 1900's) the Italian children came to school with garlic around their necks. Since I had never heard of asafetida, I suppose it doesn't grow around here, and that's why they used garlic instead.
The result of going to school with all those "garlicky" children was that for the rest of her life, my Grandmother didn't want anything to do with garlic. I don't think she even had it in the house.
And if you think about it, who could blame her? Think of a one room school-house with a wood stove, and all those wet, dirty coats drying around it. Kids weren't bathed daily in those days, either, so it must have been ripe! The smell of garlic was probably forever connected in her mind with the smell of that school room.
There's an herb used in Italian cuisine called asafetida - when cooked it has an onion-like flavor. Some believe that when added to lentils or beans it will reduce flatulence.
But back in the early days of the 20th century, mothers used it to prevent children from colds and flu. They tied it in a bag and hung it on the children like a necklace. And it smelled so bad that no one wanted to come near them - thus cutting down on the transmission of colds and flu.
I don't suppose that's why they used it - they probably thought that breathing the herb kept the kids well. And maybe it did - who is to prove otherwise?
On that same note, my Grandmother said that when she was a young child in school (in the late 1890's and early 1900's) the Italian children came to school with garlic around their necks. Since I had never heard of asafetida, I suppose it doesn't grow around here, and that's why they used garlic instead.
The result of going to school with all those "garlicky" children was that for the rest of her life, my Grandmother didn't want anything to do with garlic. I don't think she even had it in the house.
And if you think about it, who could blame her? Think of a one room school-house with a wood stove, and all those wet, dirty coats drying around it. Kids weren't bathed daily in those days, either, so it must have been ripe! The smell of garlic was probably forever connected in her mind with the smell of that school room.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Don't rely on medications - take care of yourself with diet as well!
Tonight I got word that a friend is in the hospital, too weak to talk, and will be starting on kidney dialysis. When I saw him a week ago he had gained 35 pounds in 2 weeks and looked like a balloon.
This friend believes in doctors and does not believe in natural cures. The stack of drugs next to his kitchen sink is staggering, and he doesn't know what most of the pills are for - just that various doctors told him to take them. He's been a walking toxic waste dump for a long while now.
Can you just imagine the inner turmoil caused from taking a couple dozen prescription drugs all at the same time?
He's a diabetic, and has had problems with both his heart and kidneys for the past few years. And yet... his breakfast food consists of candy bars, he skips lunch, and gets a burger and fries for dinner. And even though the doctors did tell him to cut out the salt-laden foods, he eats them because they taste good.
Obviously, he also doesn't believe that diet makes a difference. He must think that the pills can do it all.
I feel sad over the state he's in, but I'm not the only friend who has been urging him to pay attention to his diet - take vitamins to go with the drugs that deplete the system - and to talk to the doctors about the dangerous interactions possible when taking different drugs prescribed by several different doctors.
Stay out of the hospital... even if you're on medication for a condition, take care of yourself with proper diet, vitamin supplements, and common sense.
This friend believes in doctors and does not believe in natural cures. The stack of drugs next to his kitchen sink is staggering, and he doesn't know what most of the pills are for - just that various doctors told him to take them. He's been a walking toxic waste dump for a long while now.
Can you just imagine the inner turmoil caused from taking a couple dozen prescription drugs all at the same time?
He's a diabetic, and has had problems with both his heart and kidneys for the past few years. And yet... his breakfast food consists of candy bars, he skips lunch, and gets a burger and fries for dinner. And even though the doctors did tell him to cut out the salt-laden foods, he eats them because they taste good.
Obviously, he also doesn't believe that diet makes a difference. He must think that the pills can do it all.
I feel sad over the state he's in, but I'm not the only friend who has been urging him to pay attention to his diet - take vitamins to go with the drugs that deplete the system - and to talk to the doctors about the dangerous interactions possible when taking different drugs prescribed by several different doctors.
Stay out of the hospital... even if you're on medication for a condition, take care of yourself with proper diet, vitamin supplements, and common sense.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Natural Cures for stinky feet
Athlete's foot can make your feet stink, and wearing shoes and sox all day can compound the problem, so try some natural cures:
Soaking feet in a vinegar or baking soda solution for 15 minutes daily can help both problems, as is an Epsom-salt solution. After soaking, dry your feet well, especially between the toes.
Tea tree oil or topical garlic in olive oil can also destroy the athlete's foot fungus.
Meanwhile, now that summer is here, try wearing sandals to let the air get to those feet!
Soaking feet in a vinegar or baking soda solution for 15 minutes daily can help both problems, as is an Epsom-salt solution. After soaking, dry your feet well, especially between the toes.
Tea tree oil or topical garlic in olive oil can also destroy the athlete's foot fungus.
Meanwhile, now that summer is here, try wearing sandals to let the air get to those feet!
Friday, June 5, 2009
"Good deals" in restaurants "bad deals" for your health
Restaurants want your business - so they're piling plates higher than ever and encouraging you to eat more and more.
Unfortunately, eating more is not exactly good for your health. It's especially bad if the "more" consists of high saturated fat, high calorie, salty foods. According to a new article at Web MD, some restaurant meals provide enough of all 3 to last a normal person for 3 days.
Check out this article for guidelines about how much saturated fat and salt you should eat in a day. The read the list of restaurants and their specials to see which meals are best to avoid - or at least which you should choose less often.
It really is no wonder that Americans are becoming fatter and fatter. After all, most of us were taught as children that we must clean our plates. It had something to do with not wasting anything - and children starving in some far-off country.
And now, with more people eating out rather than cooking at home, they're faced with plates piled with greasy, salty foods - and they eat the whole thing!
Unfortunately, eating more is not exactly good for your health. It's especially bad if the "more" consists of high saturated fat, high calorie, salty foods. According to a new article at Web MD, some restaurant meals provide enough of all 3 to last a normal person for 3 days.
Check out this article for guidelines about how much saturated fat and salt you should eat in a day. The read the list of restaurants and their specials to see which meals are best to avoid - or at least which you should choose less often.
It really is no wonder that Americans are becoming fatter and fatter. After all, most of us were taught as children that we must clean our plates. It had something to do with not wasting anything - and children starving in some far-off country.
And now, with more people eating out rather than cooking at home, they're faced with plates piled with greasy, salty foods - and they eat the whole thing!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Cinnamon: Good taste, good medicine
Cinnamon adds zest to many foods, but it can also add zest to your life - because of it's ability to lower your cholesterol. Only about a quarter teaspoon a day can make a dramatic difference. And you don't have to try to just swallow it - you can sprinkle it on your cereal or toast, or even stir some into your coffee or cocoa.
Of course you can also eat cinnamon rolls, but the added fats and sugars might not be such a good idea.
One study reported that cinnamate, an ingredient in cinnamon, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels even better than the statin drug lovastatin.
In addition to cholesterol control, research shows that cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity. In a study published in Diabetes Care, December 2003, scientists confirmed that cinnamon can improve blood-glucose and lipid levels.
Isn't it nice to know that such a tasty addition to your meals can also be a health benfit?
Of course you can also eat cinnamon rolls, but the added fats and sugars might not be such a good idea.
One study reported that cinnamate, an ingredient in cinnamon, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels even better than the statin drug lovastatin.
In addition to cholesterol control, research shows that cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity. In a study published in Diabetes Care, December 2003, scientists confirmed that cinnamon can improve blood-glucose and lipid levels.
Isn't it nice to know that such a tasty addition to your meals can also be a health benfit?
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