Today's Health

Priorities

We try to focus on health issues, usually physical; but, today's entry will be about a mental illness.

If you can, try to imagine a group of religious people who with all their hearts feel they are completely in tune with the spirit of the Bible. They now find themselves being ever more critical of those within and outside their ranks. They have developed an increasingly judgmental attitude and it is seriously fragmenting their efforts.

Is this a case of right being wrong or is this a case of a misunderstanding of priorities? Is this preoccupation with another person's perceived error a false path to righteousness? The highest calling of the Christian is to love God with all his being and to love his fellow man as himself. Judgment is invoked to produce condemnation. Those condemned in this way are excluded from this Christian spirit of love. This is reminiscent of the Crusades of several hundred years ago.

Is this whole apparatus purely worldly and contradictory to their original stance of being different from the world?

More problems for our children

Why are our children the victims of debilitating neuropsychological diseases? Autism has increased from a few cases per 10,000 children to around one case per 150 children. ADHD and its variants have reached epidemic proportions. Now there is another syndrome labeled SPD also known as sensory processing disorder and sensory integration dysfunction. Children with SPD have a "curious mix of problems. Some can't seem to get their motors in gear: they have low muscle tone and a tendency to respond only minimally to conversation and invitations to play. Others are revved too high: they annoy other children by crashing into them or hugging too hard. Many can't handle common noises or the feel of clothing on their skin. A number just seem clumsy."(See this site)

It seems that the almost unimaginable progression of autism which has occurred within the last twenty years would produce more alarm in the medical community and in those families who plan on having children in the future. In a few years the number of children needing special care because of autism and other idiopathic diseases could outnumber all other children of their age. At this point the health care system of this country will be unable to cope with the numbers. The Social Security system will be in shambles and the dominoes will continue to fall.

The economics of this trend are certainly horrific but what about the precious minds and lives that we are going to lose if we do not have another Jonas Salk or . . . ? Perhaps a better approach would be to consider prevention. There is a clich'e that says to find the root of a problem, "follow the money". The money trail will take you step by step to where the hidden story lies. To kick off the search, who makes the most money from any illness? Those that treat the illness and the pharmaceutical companies. There is a growing body of evidence that pharmaceutical companies have a great interest in treating ongoing illnesses and virtually no interest in curing any illness. Cancer, diabetes, obesity and many other diseases remain unchecked. Could the rationale developed by the pharmaceutical companies be embraced to some degree by the medical research giants?

There are many theories that have been developed about why today's children have such an inordinate number of mind involving diseases. It took some time several years ago to understand why hat makers in England suffered with an overly large number of cases of mental disorders. It was finally determined that the mercury that they used to cure the felt accumulated in their brain and was the culprit. Mercury has been suggested as a cause for autism. Many childhood immunizations contained mercury. The common flu shot still has mercury as one of its components. Mercury is spewed out the smoke stacks of many industries. This heavy metal is probably just the tip of the iceberg. In today's world we ingest food additives in the form of chemical preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate or MSG. Our food is irradiated and bio-engineered. We consume hormones given to animals to increase weight gain and egg production. We breathe in many unknown chemicals that are not regulated by the federal agencies.

There doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. However, there are a growing number of people that are taking steps to move toward a solution. The naturally grown or organic food industry is one of the fastest growing industries in this country. It might be wise to avoid foods that include unknown and unpronounceable items on its ingredients list. Expectant mothers should avoid all suspicious chemicals, even prescription drugs. Wise choices about your interaction with the environment are an important place to start if you would like to protect your unborn child.

EECP

Have you heard of EECP or Enhanced External Counterpulsation for the treatment of angina? Angina is heart associated chest pain which is brought on by physical exertion and relieved by rest.

EECP is a non-invasive mechanical procedure in which long cuffs similar to blood pressure cuffs are placed around the patient's legs while the patient is lying down. A computer controls the inflation of these cuffs which are inflated and deflated with each heartbeat. This “milks” the blood upward, toward the heart.

Angina which is due to insufficient blood flow to the coronary arteries responds very well to EECP and the improvement lasts up to five years. Clinical trials have indicated that patients with heart failure may see improvement in their symptoms also with EECP.

Certain people probably should not have EECP. This includes those who have some type of heart valve problem or have had a cardiac catheterization recently, heart rhythm problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure, leg artery blockage or a history of blood clots in the legs. For others EECP appears to be quite safe.

You will probably have to ask your doctor to include EECP in his list of options for your angina treatment. This type of treatment was not included in the present day medical school paradigm. Therefore since he was not taught this approach and the other doctors he associates with do not approve of this approach (not in their paradigm either), he ignores it. He relies on the mainstays of today's medical community, drugs and surgery (see this site).

MRSA and colloidal silver

Many health care professionals believe that the unnecessary use of antibiotics probably is one reason a particular strain of staph bacterium called MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has mutated into an extremely harmful organism. (See this site)

The key to avoiding a lethal run-in with this bug is good health practices. This staph germ is picked up by physical contact with objects or people carrying the germ. Eye tissue, mucus membranes in people with compromised immune systems and cuts and scrapes on the skin are areas that provide easy entry for MRSA contacted in the community. Wash hands thoroughly and often. Disinfect and bandage cuts and scrapes. Avoid rubbing your eyes with your unwashed fingers.

Since we are unable to rely on modern drugs to protect us against MRSA, it is important to maintain a strong immune system.  Get adequate exercise and sleep. 

If you find yourself infected with MRSA avoid prescription drugs that are not prescribed specifically to treat your infection if at all possible since most if not all prescription drugs alter your immune system's response. There are some alternative treatments that you may find very useful. First try to boost your immune system with two herbs, echinacea and ashwagandha. Also, take garlic supplements or eat as much garlic as possible.

Finally there is an anti-pathogenic substance that works in a different way from today's antibiotics. Germs do not build up a tolerance to it and it is effective against a broad spectrum of bugs, even viruses. Doctors were using it as their primary antibiotic in the 1930's. Its only side effect in rare cases is a bluish tint to the skin and then only after a massive overdose. Colloidal silver, if used diligently, could be of great value in your fight against MRSA. (See this site)

Obesity is still on the rise

According to a recent Associated Press article obesity is far from being under control. Trust for America's Health used information gathered from phone interviews to reach the conclusion that obesity has actually risen in thirty-one states in this country in the last three years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in a study last year that thirty-two percent of us are obese. If you have a body mass index greater than 30 you are considered obese. You can calculate yours here (see this site).

There are quite a number of theories about the reason for the epidemic of obesity. There is possibly one that has received very little attention and would actually make more sense than some of the simplistic views such as lack of will power, lack of exercise and the increase of portion size at restaurants. What if there were certain commonly consumed food additives that silently increase your desire for food. These food additives are found in foods that are advertised as weight loss foods. One such additive is known as aspartame or Equal. This is an artificial sweetener that has had a bad track record for years. It has been proved to increase your desire for food. Another such additive is monosodium glutamate or MSG. This additive is in most of the prepared foods we eat. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein is another term for MSG. In his book, "MSG - The Slow Poisoning Of America', John Erb found that the reason for the ever increasing use of MSG by the food industry is that it causes people to eat more of their products (see this site).

How to make young people happy

We are finding in some areas that young people are deserting their church background when they move away from home to work or attend college. Our society does not require a person to be spiritual to succeed and in most cases quite the contrary is true.

Even with this negative influence from the world, some young people between the ages of 13 and 24 tend to be happier than others. After doing a lengthy study the Associated Press and MTV found the reason for this group's happiness to be their feelings of spirituality and faith. Forty-four percent of all the young people polled considered religion and spirituality to be very important to them. Eighty per cent of these said that spirituality or religion was the most important thing in their lives. These also considered themselves to be happy.

There is a quote from today's AP article that may provide some insight into the problem of some young people leaving their church background. "Sociologists have long drawn a connection between happiness and the sense of community inherent to most religious practice. Lisa Pearce, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, said religion can indeed contribute to happiness, but she cautioned that the converse also can hold true." (see these sites: site 1, site 2)

In this same poll the researchers found that this sense of community was even more important in the home. The largest number in this age group answered that spending time with family was the thing that made them the happiest. The second and third most important thing influencing happiness was time with friends and then with a significant other.

Perhaps those religious groups that have the greatest sense of community and are truly spiritual are those that are producing the happiest young people. The Bible teaches that the simple act of moving your dependency from earthly things to a Heavenly Father is a requirement for happiness. In today's AP article Molly Luksik, a 21 year old ballet dancer from Chicago, said, "If you believe God is helping you, then everything else isn't as important and you can trust that there's somebody there for you no matter what."

Wacky treadmill

Dr. Amy Bastian of the Kennedy Krieger pediatric research institute in  Baltimore Maryland, has developed a split belt treadmill which can train you to walk with a lurch in fifteen minutes. In fact you cannot walk normally for about ten minutes after you step off the treadmill. Her treadmill has belts which can move in opposite directions or one belt can move up to four times the speed of the other. This treadmill is designed to help people with brain injuries and stroke survivors to retrain their legs to work normally.

Dr. Bastian says that when you step on the treadmill and conciously try to control your legs it doesn't work very well. When you turn the control over to your lower, less-conscious control networks you can handle the wacky treadmill nicely. These lower control networks are the areas that hold great promise for patients with brain injuries. Dr. Bastian reported that there are separate neural networks for each leg and for backward and forward walking.

Scientists at the Kennedy Krieger institute have sucessfully made it possible for patients that have walked with a lurch or limp to walk normally at least for a few minutes after a brief workout on the treadmill. This shows that the neural networks for each leg can be retrained (see this site).

Thin government protection

(Government agencies are not able to protect us from health threats as we once thought.) "Recently, I am sure you heard that thousands of pets were sickened and many died when the poison melamine was added to the gluten used in pet food.

Cough syrup contaminated by diethylene glycol - basically antifreeze - killed hundreds of people when it was apparently deliberately mislabeled as glycerine and sold to Panama where it was added to cough syrup.

The New York Times reports that the glycol is believed to have come from China. Toothpaste imported from China has also been found to contain the poisonous chemical.

All three poisonous products - the gluten, diethylene glycol, and toothpaste - were sold, and assured safe, by China.

Unfortunately, China isn't the only source of contaminated foods. A number of deaths were traced to green onions imported from Mexico that were contaminated with human waste used as fertilizer.

(We expect school lunches to be carefully monitored by government agencies. Consider the following:)

People send their children off to school to eat school lunches assuming they are getting nutritious meals under the watchful eye of a number of government programs.

A special report in the April 3-10, 2000 issue of Insight Magazine quoted the findings of the Government Accountability Project (GAP), the organization that blows the whistle on the USDA. It stated: "...deceased [cancerous and tuberculoid] animals condemned during admortem [before death] inspection are sent to slaughter in violation of the law, chickens and hams are soaked in chlorine baths to remove slime and odor and red dye is added to beef to make it appear fresh."

If that were not bad enough, they note that during one inspection they found "...6 tons of ground pork tainted with rust which was bound for the school lunch program in Indiana ... 721 pounds of green chicken that made employees gag from the smell." Taken from The Blaylock Wellness Report, July 2007.

There is another area of our safety in which we are at best minimally protected by government agencies. A Rhode Island surgeon operated on the wrong side of a patient's brain last week. An Archives of Surgery study reported that between 1300 and 2700 surgeries on the wrong body part or the wrong patient occurs each year in the United States. The Rhode Island surgeon had made the same error on another patient earlier this year.

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority recommends that the patient, while he or she is awake before the surgery ask the doctor to personally mark the part to be operated on with something clearly visible. In Pennsylvania wrong site surgery is performed once a week on average (see this site).

ADHD and dopamine

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADDH) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are terms that have been used to describe certain types of behavior found in children and adults. Many children have been medicated with Ritalin which is a stimulant and a controlled substance.

The U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) published the results of two studies which offer an explanation for ADHD. Researchers found that reduced activity of dopamine in the brain can cause a variety of symptoms. Dopamine is one of several chemical messengers or neurotransmitters in the brain.

When dopamine is released in the brain the chemical response is very much like that produced by cocaine. When dopamine activity is abnormally high there may be anxiety and finally emotional fatigue.

Low dopamine levels were found to be associated with reduced attention and cognition and feelings of inadequacy. A very short attention span and inappropriate behavior in children may in some cases be a symptom of low dopamine levels. The researchers found that adults may become substance abusers because cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and alcohol have an effect on dopamine levels in the brain.

There is a natural supplement called Neu-BeCalm'd which has been found to enhance dopamine levels. This all natural supplement has apparently been used by a large number of people with extraordinarily good results. This is truly a case where a safe natural supplement has proven to be superior to drugs. (See these sites: site 1, site 2)

We have no connection, financial or otherwise, with Neu-BeCalm'd.

Thinking weight loss

In its July 26th issue the New England Journal of Medicine published an article on obesity which covers research done on the effects your friends have on your weight.

The researchers studied a database of 12,067 people who were interconnected as family or friends and had participated in a heart study between 1971 and 2003. Each participant had named family members or at least one friend that would know their current address if their address changed. The information gathered on these family members and close friends produced some amazing statistics.

The likelihood that the participant’s weight would increase had a 57% correlation with the close friend’s weight increase. It would seem that the correlation between the friend’s weight gain and the participant’s weight would be near 0%, especially if they were separated by a five hour drive.

Spouses and siblings sharing genes had less effect on one another than close friends.  The researchers found that weight gain in your friend could influence your friend’s friends and then even to the third level of friends.

The researchers seem to be saying that obesity is accepted as a norm and is similar to the long hair styles of the seventies.

The fact that losing weight and keeping it off is a psychological rebirth was observed in a study done by Inga Freitler, Ph.D. Dr. Freitler found that people solve problems, process information and relate to one another according to one or more quadrants of the brain. Certain people have a default thinking process that is controlled, methodical and disciplined. They plan their life and are neat and punctual. These people effectively lost weight and kept it off. This type of thinking could be learned by those with less constructive ways of thinking.

Dr. Treitler discovered that those people who were dramatically successful at losing weight possessed another important psychological factor. They had gone through an inner change in which they withdrew from their old environment and embraced a new way of life. They had whole-heartedly undertaken the weight loss challenge. The combination of a planned, methodical, disciplined life with a whole-hearted effort seemed to be the key. 

Australia is preparing to put into service in Melbourne ambulances outfitted to safely carry heavier patients.  The Mercedes ambulances are equipped with an 1100 pound hydraulic lift, a stretcher which can carry a 683 pound patient at full height or 992 pounds in trundle mode.(See these sites: site1, site2, site3)

Doctors and religion

Recently, someone told me about their doctor leading his staff in prayer before their surgery. Many doctors in our area have various symbols of their religion displayed in their offices.

According to a Reuters news article a survey of 1820 doctors found that religious doctors were not any more likely to show concern for the poor than non-religious doctors. This conclusion was drawn from answers the doctors provided on the survey.

The religious doctors may have not considered their care for the poor something worthy of mention. Humility, after all, is also part of being religious. Also, the researchers may not have judged accurately which doctors were religious.  It seems that the frequency of attendance at religious services accounted for about 50% of the religiosity score. Many people attend college football games religiously but that does not allow us to necessarily assess them as either football players or college students.

Should people in the medical profession be the only ones who are expected to show kindness to the less fortunate? Maybe we should all be surveyed.

Avandia

You probably have noticed the long and carefully worded TV ads for Celebrex. This drug is produced by Pfizer and is in the same class of drugs as Vioxx which is produced by Merck. Celebrex and Vioxx are NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Vioxx has been pulled from the market and litigation is producing millions of dollars for patients who suffered heart attacks and other heart related problems after taking this drug. In one case a doctor who prescribed Vioxx for his patients and himself is testifying against Merck.

Pfizer admits in their mind numbing TV ad that Celebrex can cause your death; however, they say you should consider the possibility that the benefits may outweigh the risks. They also say that Celebrex has a much lower ulcer risk than similar drugs. This is inconsistent with the results of most studies.

The FDA must have a soft spot in their proverbial heart for Pfizer. Two years ago the FDA asked Pfizer to stop similar TV ads for Celebrex. Since then evidence has proven beyond any doubt that these drugs are linked to greatly increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Before Pfizer began this ad campaign in April of this year, the FDA approved the wording of the new ad, apparently forgetting and forgiving their differences from two years earlier.

The first Celebrex lawsuit was set to begin in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, last month.

We are hearing the same old song, just with new lyrics in this next case. Consider this statement made by officials of another pharmaceutical company:

“The number of myocardial infarctions is small, the data are inconsistent and there is no overall evidence rosiglitazone is different from any other oral antidiabetes agents.”

Did you find as I did, “the number of myocardial infarctions is small” part to represent the true mindset of pharmaceutical companies? GlaxoSmithKline PLC officials made this statement in response to a presentation by FDA scientist Dr. David Graham. Dr. Graham said because of heart risks and the associated short term ineffectiveness of the drug, Avandia should be removed from the market. Dozens of studies demonstrated an increased risk of heart attack from this drug. When will the heart attacks and deaths caused by Avandia cease to be “small” and reach the level of significance in the opinion of GlaxoSmithKline PLC?

Shall we continue to toss all caution aside and accept any and all prescription drugs as safe? The death toll is mounting. Statistics are proving that pharmaceutical companies believe the profit potential of a drug far outweighs any dangers that the consumer may face.(See site1, site2)

Tuberculosis now

In yesterday’s post Welsh officials persisted in their duty to remove and slaughter a bull which was infected with tuberculosis. Most people living today are probably not old enough to remember when tuberculosis was often incurable and many of the people who survived its ravages struggled through months of treatment and recuperative care.

Antibiotics and other drugs reduced the mortality rate and TB was not feared as it once was. As with many other disease causing organisms, tuberculosis bacteria have now become resistant to antibiotics, in effect, returning us to the 1930’s.

There are now at least two strains of tuberculosis bacteria that have made the news in the last few days. Andrew Speaker, a thirty-one year old Atlanta lawyer, traveled to Europe and then back into this country. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials in Atlanta had warned him not to make the trip. He was found to have XDR or an extremely drug resistant form of TB in May before the trip. When he returned to the U.S. he was placed under a Federal quarantine, the first issued since 1963. This caused a panic among the people who were on his flights. Later he was found to have a somewhat less dangerous type of TB referred to as MDR or multi-drug resistant TB. Both of these types of TB can place the population in the position our parents and grandparents were in before the discovery of antibiotics.

Your chances of becoming infected with tuberculosis are increased if any of the following apply to you:

·    Someone who has tuberculosis has been in close contact with you.
·    Someone who has tuberculosis has you as their caregiver.
·    Your environment at home or work has many people in close quarters.
·    You have visited local or foreign areas which have a high incidence of tuberculosis.
·    You work in a health care facility.

Tuberculosis in cattle

Can we understand why people in India and other areas of the world who practice the Hindu religion believe cattle to be sacred?

This belief produced a run-in of sorts between the monks of a Hindu monastery and the Welsh government. It seems that Shambo, a bull cared for by the Skanda Vale monastery in Southern Wales, had tested positive for tuberculosis in April. Welsh regulations require that animals infected with this disease be slaughtered. Tuberculosis in cattle can spread to other animals and even to humans.

The monks attempted to draw public support for their cause with an internet petition and began posting Shambo’s thoughts on a daily blog. They also said they were prepared to form a human chain to prevent his removal. A Welsh judge ordered that Shambo’s slaughter be stopped but the Court of Appeals ruled that he be put down.

Shambo has gone the way of the average bull and was slaughtered, officials reported (see this site). Marvin Harris, a cultural materialist, has a very interesting opinion that explains why cattle are sacred in India. He says that in pre-Hindu times people in India slaughtered and ate cattle and sacrificed them to their gods. He theorizes that the Brahmans, a caste of people in a socially stratified society, incorporated into the Hindu religion some new restrictions. The Brahmans had in the past been those that promoted the slaughter of cattle. Growing populations and other factors began to force certain choices to be made. Cattle were the tractors for the agricultural industry. Indiscriminate slaughter would soon remove the means of providing agricultural products. According to Mr. Harris, “it turns out that the doctrines of Hinduism reflect the material realities and necessities which the people of the Indian subcontinent face in their struggle to provide sufficient amounts of food for their ever-increasing numbers.” Those people holding to the Hindu faith would now behave according to the economic beliefs of their leaders. Religion has a powerful influence.

Are we ignoring our immune system?

Is the importance of our immune system being overlooked? According to one source, immunosuppressive drugs are the primary treatment for twenty-four conditions and an alternate treatment for twenty-four more. These immune system blocking drugs are the primary treatment for conditions such as Crohn's disease, eczema and arthritis. This medical approach relegates the immune system to being as disposable as tonsils or the appendix.

A health concern in the news today is an Atlanta man who has XDR TB or extensively drug resistant form of TB (see this site). About one-third of the world's population is infected with ordinary TB. If you are infected you may not develop symptoms of the disease or they may not emerge as an active disease until years later. Most of these cases can be treated but if left untreated TB can be fatal.

There are an increasing number of XDR TB cases appearing now. This form of TB occurs in people who for some reason have TB germs in their body that have developed resistance to current treatments or who have been exposed to this drug resistant germ from other people. This germ spreads the same as ordinary TB. The cure rate is a dismally low 30%.

As infectious agents such as XDR TB and MRSA which we discussed on 2-23-07 appear, our immune system will determine whether we live or die, if we are infected with one of these.

DMSO and arthritis

Would you like to have a safe all-natural compound that, when rubbed on a sore joint, penetrates instantly and completely and relieves just as instantly? Would you like this natural substance to be able to carry with it, as it penetrates into your body, other pain relieving substances of your choosing?

Dimethyl sulfoxide is such a substance. This natural compound, also known as DMSO, is found in the woody part of trees. DMSO was discovered by a Russian in 1866 and in the 1960's scientists in America found some interesting health applications for this substance. Its amazing pain relieving qualities were observed when it was applied to race horses and human athletes.

DMSO was the treatment of choice for many people including doctors during the 60's. Something this useful and available as a nutritional supplement had to be a thorn in the side of the pharmaceutical companies who set out to discredit it. Time, around forty years, has proven big pharma wrong and DMSO's reputation has withstood the attempt at discrediting.

DMSO is an important part of animal care and is returning to its proper place in human medicine. In veterinary medicine DMSO is administered both internally and topically and the worst side effects noticed are an odor of garlic and sedation. Very large doses are needed to produce these side effects. Humans normally use DMSO externally and in much smaller doses.

The FDA has approved clinical trials of DMSO as a treatment for closed head injuries and also has approved DMSO as a treatment for interstitial cystitis, a bladder disease. However, the FDA remains under the power of big pharma and does not choose to move ahead with exploring the true potential of DMSO.

Aspirin would face a tough time with the FDA today. DMSO is effective with so many things as is aspirin. The FDA clearly shows its inclination to preserve the fortunes of the pharmaceutical companies by its treatment of the Vioxx scandal. A few months ago Vioxx, a drug used to treat arthritis, was removed from the market after it had caused heart attacks, strokes and the deaths of thousands of people. Even with an obvious threat of death associated with this drug, TV advertisements appeared in a few weeks encouraging the consumer to take a chance on it anyway.

The safety of DMSO is a shining light and has a forty year track record to prove it. DMSO's effectiveness has been linked to arthritis as much as to any condition; however, the FDA has no desire to determine whether DMSO is effective or safe.

You can buy DMSO on the internet; however, it will be listed as a solvent rather than a supplement.

Reversing Alzheimer's

Scientists have found that mice bred to have a condition similar to Alzheimer's may actually still have their memories in storage. They have also found that their memories could be retrieved when the mice were placed in an environment that was interesting and stimulating.

An additional method to help the mice reestablish some normalcy to their mental abilities involved using a drug that encouraged new brain cell growth (see this site).

This type of research often is followed by years of delays and benefits come too late for many who will develop Alzheimer's.

We talked about a method a few days ago that could produce new brain cell growth without drugs. Exercise was shown by researchers to cause new brain cell growth (see this posting).

Many times when we find that a loved one has Alzheimer's our gut impulse is to find ways to help them maintain their normal life. While this is admirable, there may be a better approach. As shown by the studies mentioned earlier, something beyond a bland lifestyle is beneficial. The mice were able to function better mentally when they were placed in an interesting and stimulating environment. Along with the improved environment, physical exercise is essential. Physical exercise and new brain cell growth have definitely been linked.

TV and weight gain

TV programming is designed to produce revenue for all who are involved with its production. Its purpose, in most cases, is not to encourage us to think positively or improve our health. Television, for the most part, is directed toward the prurient interests of the world.

Television producers are no longer interested in producing shows with Andy, Barney and Aunt Bea. Television has become a manual for criminals. On any given evening, shows involving criminal activities are hard to avoid. TV comedies, for the most part, are designed around bizarre situations which are actually social catastrophes painful to the participants and viewers with good common sense.

With the fact in mind that TV producers and programming are primarily concerned with making money and have little or no concern for your well being, should we not reevaluate our attitude toward television?

As adults we should keep in mind that our mental condition is very similar to a computer. In the early days of the computer there was a bit of information that explained erroneous computer behavior. The saying, "Garbage in, garbage out", applies to our mind as well.

"In the United States, and increasingly around the world, people spend much of their leisure time in the world of television . . . by the time the average person reaches the age of 65, she or he will have spent nine full years of life watching television." Nancy Signorielli, PhD

"In a study of preschoolers (ages 1-4), a child's risk of being overweight increased by six percent for every hour of television watched per day. If that child had a TV in his or her bedroom, the odds of being overweight jumped an additional thirty-one percent for every hour watched. Preschool children with TVs in their bedroom watched an additional 4.8 hours of TV or videos every week."
Dennison, et al. 2002

Researchers in the Cardia Study stated that, "In this study, we found associations of self-reported heavy TV viewing with obesity, physical inactivity, negative psychological characteristics and smoking" in young adults.

"The present findings indicate that duration of daily television viewing is strongly associated with obesity and super-obesity in adult males, as in children."
American Journal of Public Health (see this site)

It seems that we may be like King Darius who had Daniel thrown into the lion's den. He was accustomed to being provided with entertainment in the evening and was a little misguided about what or who to bow down to.

Graviola and cancer

A powder made from the leaves and twigs of the Graviola tree contains an array of natural compounds which seem to be effective against many diseases.

It was tested a few years ago for its anti-cancer properties and appeared to pass the test. The results were so promising that probably millions of dollars were spent over a period of seven years to find a patentable man-made chemical that duplicated the compounds found in Graviola. No such chemical was found and the project was shelved.

This major pharamaceutical company did not publicize their original findings. One of the researchers later revealed the findings that drove this profit seeking company to go to the expense and spend the time to find something that they could patent.

The Graviola tree and its fruit have been used by the people of the Amazon rain forest for centuries to treat a long list of diseases. Scientists have found that an extract of Graviola can, in the test tube, kill colon cancer cells at a rate 10,000 times faster than the best drugs offered by pharmaceutical companies. Graviola can kill at least twelve kinds of cancer cells and does not kill healthy cells. There seems to be a possible link between a non-typical type of Parkinson's disease among people of the Amazon rain forest and lifelong consumption of Graviola.

There are several sources for Graviola on the internet.

Some facts from HSI News Alert

Mercury remains in fillings

The fillings that may be routinely placed in your teeth are about 50 % mercury. Mercury has been shown to damage the kidneys and brain and may even contribute to Alzheimer's and autism.

A large number of people in this country have advocated that dentists stop using this dangerous filling and that the FDA ban it. Many dentists no longer use this amalgam consisting of silver, copper, tin and mercury but not all subscribe to the belief that mercury leaves the fillings and moves into the body. In any case, mercury is shipped as a "hazardous material" to the dentist's office and removed fillings must be disposed of as "hazardous material".

When the dentist works on teeth filled with this amalgam the mercury can be activated and delivered to the air that you breathe. Even the workers in the dental office can ingest this toxic metal.

Dentists began using this type filling in the 1800's and since then the dangers of mercury have been thoroughly documented. The FDA has steadfastly refused to acknowledge that mercury in fillings is harmful to patients except in cases of allergic reactions.

Recently, advocacy groups attempted to get the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to force the FDA to reclassify these fillings. The court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the position the FDA has taken for many years now.

It has often been said that you can't legislate morality; therefore, if the FDA and dentists who continue to hold our health in low regard refuse to act morally, we must have sufficient knowledge to protect ourselves. It would be very wise to determine what type filling your dentist plans to use before he starts work. Be very specific and ask if the fillings will have mercury in them as this amalgam containing mercury may be referred to as "silver" by dentists. (see this site)