Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Visit to Barnes & Noble
"What's Eating Your Child? was not officially scheduled to come out until June but my friend Lynn reported it was at Barnes & Nobel's already so I had to go take a picture.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Blog #33 The Case of the Passing Wind
Forty three year old Carrie sat down and frowned with concentration. “How can I help?” I asked.
“I am a little uncomfortable talking about this,” she hedged looking down at her lap.
“Take your time and start with what you are comfortable with,” I suggested.
Slowly, her story unfolded. Her health was excellent, in general and she did her best to “stay away from doctors”. Her main strategies for avoiding the medical profession were to eat well, exercise and generally take care of herself.
“I am pretty boring,” she confessed. “I don’t drink or smoke. Not even coffee.”
“Sounds good,” I said encouragingly.
Carrie fidgeted but continued her story. She was not one of those people who liked to complain about the little physical quirks of life, she explained. Her mother-in-law talked about her bowels like she was reporting on the weather, which Carrie thought was disgusting. Where she grew up, this was considered uncouth.
Now Carrie found herself in the embarrassing situation of having developed a sudden problem with her bowels. “Maybe I have no patience for the bowel report because mine have always been perfect,” she says with self-depreciation.
She had not changed her diet or habits but for the last month or so she had developed horrific flatulence. “I could burn a hole in the upholstery,” she laughed nervously, her face turning red.
I laughed with her and agreed that would be cause for concern then asked some questions.
Had she been traveling?
Yes, but only a short business trip. She took these several times a year.
Had she been sick? No.
Any history of bowel issues? None. Her bowels had always been reliable.
Had her bowel movements changed, too? Absolutely. They were now more frequent, mostly loose and “clear the room” stinky. Before they were well formed and regular.
I looked at her diet and was happily surprised to find lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. “As much organic as I can get,” she insisted. She avoided dairy products because they did not agree with her. There was little processed food and her weight was good.
Gas is the product of fermentation. The bowels have plenty of partially digested food slug to ferment and the bacteria to do the job. If there are enough of the right kind of good bacteria, there is clean processing and minimum bad gas production. But, if the wrong bacteria and/or excessive yeast get to the food they form all types of gas. One species of bad bacteria, for example, thrives on sulfur and produces methane gas. High levels of methane gas produced by people (and more famously, cows) are thought to be a contributing factor to global climate change. So, reducing personal emissions is another way to go “green”.
Clearly, Carrie had picked up or for other reasons was growing too many unhelpful bacteria. The questions were, which one and why were they growing so well? The most accurate way to measure what is growing in the gut is to have a good lab culture the stool. The test I like also looks at other factors such as digestive enzyme activity and has a marker for general gut immune function. This costs about $200.
After hearing my explanation Carrie was quiet for a minute. “My husband is about to change jobs,” she started hesitantly. “Is there any cheaper way to deal with this?”
I told her we could try to overrun the bad bacteria with good bacteria and then to be sure, we could give her some gut immune support. If the problem was a simple imbalance in an otherwise healthy system a few ecological shifts should make her right as rain. But if she was not better in 2 weeks, we could run the stool test. “That would be great,” she enthused.
The plan was laid out. She would take probiotics (good bacteria) twice per day. I recommended a brand containing 20 billion bugs per capsule that required refrigeration. Then I suggested a gut immune support supplement called Probioplex (2 twice per day).
“The gas may get a little worse for a few days, due to ‘die off’,” I explained. As the bad bacteria “die off” they release toxins which can smell bad and be absorbed into the blood. “But, if it is a simple problem, the system should settle down within a week. If not give me a buzz.”
“Either that or I will have to invest in an industrial grade air purifier and carry it with me everywhere,” Carrie quipped.
Carrie agreed to leave me a message in two weeks. She would report that all was well or request I send her a stool test kit. Two weeks passed and I was going through my e-mails when I saw her name. I clicked on.
“Furniture upholstery is safe and my husband loves you,” it read.
I guess the plan worked.
“I am a little uncomfortable talking about this,” she hedged looking down at her lap.
“Take your time and start with what you are comfortable with,” I suggested.
Slowly, her story unfolded. Her health was excellent, in general and she did her best to “stay away from doctors”. Her main strategies for avoiding the medical profession were to eat well, exercise and generally take care of herself.
“I am pretty boring,” she confessed. “I don’t drink or smoke. Not even coffee.”
“Sounds good,” I said encouragingly.
Carrie fidgeted but continued her story. She was not one of those people who liked to complain about the little physical quirks of life, she explained. Her mother-in-law talked about her bowels like she was reporting on the weather, which Carrie thought was disgusting. Where she grew up, this was considered uncouth.
Now Carrie found herself in the embarrassing situation of having developed a sudden problem with her bowels. “Maybe I have no patience for the bowel report because mine have always been perfect,” she says with self-depreciation.
She had not changed her diet or habits but for the last month or so she had developed horrific flatulence. “I could burn a hole in the upholstery,” she laughed nervously, her face turning red.
I laughed with her and agreed that would be cause for concern then asked some questions.
Had she been traveling?
Yes, but only a short business trip. She took these several times a year.
Had she been sick? No.
Any history of bowel issues? None. Her bowels had always been reliable.
Had her bowel movements changed, too? Absolutely. They were now more frequent, mostly loose and “clear the room” stinky. Before they were well formed and regular.
I looked at her diet and was happily surprised to find lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. “As much organic as I can get,” she insisted. She avoided dairy products because they did not agree with her. There was little processed food and her weight was good.
Gas is the product of fermentation. The bowels have plenty of partially digested food slug to ferment and the bacteria to do the job. If there are enough of the right kind of good bacteria, there is clean processing and minimum bad gas production. But, if the wrong bacteria and/or excessive yeast get to the food they form all types of gas. One species of bad bacteria, for example, thrives on sulfur and produces methane gas. High levels of methane gas produced by people (and more famously, cows) are thought to be a contributing factor to global climate change. So, reducing personal emissions is another way to go “green”.
Clearly, Carrie had picked up or for other reasons was growing too many unhelpful bacteria. The questions were, which one and why were they growing so well? The most accurate way to measure what is growing in the gut is to have a good lab culture the stool. The test I like also looks at other factors such as digestive enzyme activity and has a marker for general gut immune function. This costs about $200.
After hearing my explanation Carrie was quiet for a minute. “My husband is about to change jobs,” she started hesitantly. “Is there any cheaper way to deal with this?”
I told her we could try to overrun the bad bacteria with good bacteria and then to be sure, we could give her some gut immune support. If the problem was a simple imbalance in an otherwise healthy system a few ecological shifts should make her right as rain. But if she was not better in 2 weeks, we could run the stool test. “That would be great,” she enthused.
The plan was laid out. She would take probiotics (good bacteria) twice per day. I recommended a brand containing 20 billion bugs per capsule that required refrigeration. Then I suggested a gut immune support supplement called Probioplex (2 twice per day).
“The gas may get a little worse for a few days, due to ‘die off’,” I explained. As the bad bacteria “die off” they release toxins which can smell bad and be absorbed into the blood. “But, if it is a simple problem, the system should settle down within a week. If not give me a buzz.”
“Either that or I will have to invest in an industrial grade air purifier and carry it with me everywhere,” Carrie quipped.
Carrie agreed to leave me a message in two weeks. She would report that all was well or request I send her a stool test kit. Two weeks passed and I was going through my e-mails when I saw her name. I clicked on.
“Furniture upholstery is safe and my husband loves you,” it read.
I guess the plan worked.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Blog #32 The Other War on Drugs
I think we might be losing the other war on drugs. More and more kids are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and put on stimulants to tolerate an increasing crazy education system and I have become less and less effective at talking parents out of it.
“It is normal for little boys to explore the world through motion,” I will insist.
“But the psychologist said his self esteem will suffer if I don’t help him with medicine,” the parents will counter.
Calling this situation the other war on drugs is not strictly accurate as it is more of a siege with growing numbers of parents ignoring their instincts and succumbing to the pressure to medicate.
The problem is that nutrition, cognitive and other approaches to support brain function work over a long time while stimulants or ‘speed’ work right away. Work how? That is not entirely clear, but stimulants do increase the speed of brain waves and distractibility is linked to excessive slow wave activity.
The brain has different types of electrical wave activity depending on what you are doing. When you are sleeping, for example, there is mostly slow delta wave activity. Concentrate on a calculus problem and there is more alpha activity. Theta waves are associated with semi-conscious, dreamy states such as when you first wake up. They are the next level of activity above delta sleep waves.
Drugs like cocaine and stimulates “speed” up wave activity shifting theta waves to an alpha or beta level. How can kids who are hyperactive have more dreamy waves? One theory is that they have to keep moving to compensate and concentrate. Here is the sticky point- all children have mostly theta wave activity until they are 6 or 7. This dreamy, unfocused state is normal developmentally. So when Molly or Erin or Stacey are pulling their hair out trying to decide if their 5, 6 or 7 year olds should take stimulant medicine because the school is saying their children might have ADHD, I know something is wrong with this picture.
No single human being should be asked to teach a class of twenty seven 6 year olds. It is not possible to do this successfully unless you drug into submission a big hunk of them. They developmentally are not ready to focus.
And it gets even kookier. One of the main diagnostic criteria for ADHD is the ability to concentrate on things that are not interesting to you. The part of the brain thought to be responsible for this function is the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction is blamed for ADHD symptoms but the PFC is the last part of the brain to develop. It is not fully operational until age 18 to 22. (Earlier for girls but on the later side for boys.)
The PFC gives you perspective and allows you to do the hard things. A well functioning PFC allows you to wait your turn when you would rather not and recognize the last time you ate two donuts for breakfast you felt lousy all day so you better not do that again. Heck, it is why adults can do their taxes even though they are extremely boring.
It is not suppose to be working very well at age nine or fourteen. Part of the cause of teenage impulse control problems is that their immature PFC does not allow them to truly calculate the results of their actions ahead of time. Kids are not supposed to be little adults.
But who has time to respect or wait for development? We need kids to behave in overcrowded, movement restrictive classrooms now. And the studies show this is exactly what stimulants can do for us.
Most parents think giving their children stimulates will help with academic success and improve self esteem but what they really do is work as a classroom management tool. The few studies done looking at long term use of stimulates found they do not improve standardized test scores but they help kids sit better, at least temporarily. Over many months any perceived changes appear to level off.
Teachers cannot be blamed because they are trying to help kids in a system that does not respect learning differences or even child development. Parents are told that if only their child could concentrate, they would learn. I contend that if only they could learn, they would concentrate. Unfortunately, the education system is broken and we are not going to medicate it into health. But, don’t take my word for it. Before making any decisions, check out this spectacular video by Sir Ken Robinson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
His explanation is spot on and his accent makes everything sound better.
“It is normal for little boys to explore the world through motion,” I will insist.
“But the psychologist said his self esteem will suffer if I don’t help him with medicine,” the parents will counter.
Calling this situation the other war on drugs is not strictly accurate as it is more of a siege with growing numbers of parents ignoring their instincts and succumbing to the pressure to medicate.
The problem is that nutrition, cognitive and other approaches to support brain function work over a long time while stimulants or ‘speed’ work right away. Work how? That is not entirely clear, but stimulants do increase the speed of brain waves and distractibility is linked to excessive slow wave activity.
The brain has different types of electrical wave activity depending on what you are doing. When you are sleeping, for example, there is mostly slow delta wave activity. Concentrate on a calculus problem and there is more alpha activity. Theta waves are associated with semi-conscious, dreamy states such as when you first wake up. They are the next level of activity above delta sleep waves.
Drugs like cocaine and stimulates “speed” up wave activity shifting theta waves to an alpha or beta level. How can kids who are hyperactive have more dreamy waves? One theory is that they have to keep moving to compensate and concentrate. Here is the sticky point- all children have mostly theta wave activity until they are 6 or 7. This dreamy, unfocused state is normal developmentally. So when Molly or Erin or Stacey are pulling their hair out trying to decide if their 5, 6 or 7 year olds should take stimulant medicine because the school is saying their children might have ADHD, I know something is wrong with this picture.
No single human being should be asked to teach a class of twenty seven 6 year olds. It is not possible to do this successfully unless you drug into submission a big hunk of them. They developmentally are not ready to focus.
And it gets even kookier. One of the main diagnostic criteria for ADHD is the ability to concentrate on things that are not interesting to you. The part of the brain thought to be responsible for this function is the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction is blamed for ADHD symptoms but the PFC is the last part of the brain to develop. It is not fully operational until age 18 to 22. (Earlier for girls but on the later side for boys.)
The PFC gives you perspective and allows you to do the hard things. A well functioning PFC allows you to wait your turn when you would rather not and recognize the last time you ate two donuts for breakfast you felt lousy all day so you better not do that again. Heck, it is why adults can do their taxes even though they are extremely boring.
It is not suppose to be working very well at age nine or fourteen. Part of the cause of teenage impulse control problems is that their immature PFC does not allow them to truly calculate the results of their actions ahead of time. Kids are not supposed to be little adults.
But who has time to respect or wait for development? We need kids to behave in overcrowded, movement restrictive classrooms now. And the studies show this is exactly what stimulants can do for us.
Most parents think giving their children stimulates will help with academic success and improve self esteem but what they really do is work as a classroom management tool. The few studies done looking at long term use of stimulates found they do not improve standardized test scores but they help kids sit better, at least temporarily. Over many months any perceived changes appear to level off.
Teachers cannot be blamed because they are trying to help kids in a system that does not respect learning differences or even child development. Parents are told that if only their child could concentrate, they would learn. I contend that if only they could learn, they would concentrate. Unfortunately, the education system is broken and we are not going to medicate it into health. But, don’t take my word for it. Before making any decisions, check out this spectacular video by Sir Ken Robinson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
His explanation is spot on and his accent makes everything sound better.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
It's Coming!!!!!!
My book is printed and sitting in the warehouse ready to ship! Wahoo. I am so excited.
Here it is:
It can be preordered at a discount from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Here it is:
It can be preordered at a discount from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Blog #31 The Flu Cometh
Recently, I was congratulating myself on not getting sick for 3 or 4 years. Yes, nutrition and lifestyle really works, I told myself smugly. So when clients brought their sick children to my office, I did not think much about it. Half the people I have run into over the last month had one contagious illness or another. Many had the flu, despite the fact that they had gotten a flu shot. Funny how 40% of Americans get the flu shot, yet the number of people getting the flu does not seem to go down.
This was a particularly tough year for those who “believe” in the flu shot as the one offered did not actually contain the virus responsible for this year’s stomach flu. Personally, I would sooner believe in the Easter Bunny- there is more supporting evidence plus the chance of getting chocolate. But, it is just this type of bold, maybe even obnoxious statement that may make people wonder if I would reconsider my position if I actually got the flu.
Someone asked me a related question at a recent workshop. “What if you had immune deficiency, wouldn’t you get the shot then?” she wanted to know. Viewed logically, having immune deficiency does not make an ineffective shot work better, it only makes the recipient more desperate and willing to consider unproven technology. An understandable case of fear overriding logic.
I responded that I would be even less likely to get the shot because it can contain aluminum and mercury, both of which are immune suppressants. Plus, there are several viruses in the shot which elicit an immune response. Why use up immune resources mounting a response to viruses you are not going to run into that year anyway? Easy words to say when one is healthy. What a scary minefield life is when you pick up everything.
A few busy weeks passed. I took several trips involving cancelled planes, broken down trains and taxicabs with an inch of water on the floor. I was once again feeling thankful for handling it all when I woke up one day feeling extremely tired and crabby. Such is life, I told myself. Though I am fairly even tempered, everyone gets cranky and being tired makes sense given my schedule, so no big deal. As the day wore on and I found myself muttering and cursing over very minor issues, like a stuck drawer, I started to get suspicious.
There is a messenger molecule in the body called IL10. It is in a class of compounds called cytokines. Cytokines deliver all sorts of messages that modulate immune function and IL10’s message makes people feel tired and depressed. It is basically a shut down message telling your body to slow down and rest because the immune system is trying to fight off something. In other words, man the hatches, a storm is acomin’.
By early afternoon, I started thinking that I hated my life and work and need to find something else to do. While anyone can have a similar passing thought, the ferocity of my discontent finally registered. I am getting sick, I realized. As soon as I recognized the early signs provided by IL10 and probably a number of other cytokines, I took action. My acute prevention cocktail is 20,000IUs of vitamin D3, 1000mg of vitamin C, a probiotics, 30mg of zinc, 2 My Community (Host Defense) and 2 Transfer Factor Plus (4 Life). This group of nutrients has warded off any number of illnesses but the key is catching the virus before it has invaded the system too far.
Viruses cannot replicate themselves so they take over your cells and use them as incubators. They are little pieces of DNA or RNA (depending on the virus) and they inject themselves into the nucleus of a cell. Now their DNA or RNA is telling the cell what to do, not yours. Just like the movie, “Alien” but at a teeny tiny cellular level.
Once a virus has taken over a cell, the cell stops being useful to you and does nothing but churn out viruses. The immune system’s job is to identify rogue cells, destroy and discard them. The cold or flu symptoms are the result of the immune system coming in to clean up and heave ho the dead cells. (Think runny nose or diarrhea.) If enough cells have been infected, the symptoms are pretty ugly. The virus is trying to stay ahead of the immune system by infecting as many cells as fast as it can while the immune system is targeting and blowing up viral replicating factories as fast as IT can. The battle is on. No wonder you feel terrible.
The reason a cure for the common cold is evasive is that the cold itself partially reflects necessary clean up. The immune system has identified the interloper and is in the process of tossing it out. At that point you can only reduce the severity and length of the symptoms. By strengthening the immune system response, the viruses can tossed out before they invade more cells and cause more of a mess. The big opportunity is prevention. Was I too late?
By late afternoon, I was desperate for a nap but still had 2 more clients to see. Finally, the work day ended. I stood up feeling a little dizzy and crankier than ever. My stomach cramped and rumbled. It was not happy. I suspected I was fighting the stomach flu which appears to be this year’s flu. After an uncomfortable interlude in the bathroom, I was sure. I felt off but not terrible yet. Time to rethink immune support.
The best strategy for fighting stomach bugs is good bugs. I had three different probiotics in the refrigerator and took an aggressive 200 billion bugs. This was two capsules as I had VSL3 on hand (www.VSL3.com). Before bed I took another probiotics and 2 more Transfer Factor.
The next few days I felt a little wobbly and tired. But all and all, I would say nutrition helps.
Here are my flu statistics:
Number of hours feeling crabby and depressed 36
Number of nights of restless sleep 1
Days feeling shaky and tired 2
Extra trips to the bathroom 3
Weight lost Half pound (It's back)
Percent of regular vitamins taken during flu period 50%
Extra Vitamin D3 (taken as a single dose) 20,000 IUs
Number of good bugs taken per day for 3 days 200 billion
Amount of Transfer Factor taken per day for 3 days 4
Amount of My Community taken per day for 3 days 4
Diet changes Bananas In Green Juice Out
Missed days of work 0
Cost of avoiding possible neurological and immune damage by skipping the flu shot Priceless
This was a particularly tough year for those who “believe” in the flu shot as the one offered did not actually contain the virus responsible for this year’s stomach flu. Personally, I would sooner believe in the Easter Bunny- there is more supporting evidence plus the chance of getting chocolate. But, it is just this type of bold, maybe even obnoxious statement that may make people wonder if I would reconsider my position if I actually got the flu.
Someone asked me a related question at a recent workshop. “What if you had immune deficiency, wouldn’t you get the shot then?” she wanted to know. Viewed logically, having immune deficiency does not make an ineffective shot work better, it only makes the recipient more desperate and willing to consider unproven technology. An understandable case of fear overriding logic.
I responded that I would be even less likely to get the shot because it can contain aluminum and mercury, both of which are immune suppressants. Plus, there are several viruses in the shot which elicit an immune response. Why use up immune resources mounting a response to viruses you are not going to run into that year anyway? Easy words to say when one is healthy. What a scary minefield life is when you pick up everything.
A few busy weeks passed. I took several trips involving cancelled planes, broken down trains and taxicabs with an inch of water on the floor. I was once again feeling thankful for handling it all when I woke up one day feeling extremely tired and crabby. Such is life, I told myself. Though I am fairly even tempered, everyone gets cranky and being tired makes sense given my schedule, so no big deal. As the day wore on and I found myself muttering and cursing over very minor issues, like a stuck drawer, I started to get suspicious.
There is a messenger molecule in the body called IL10. It is in a class of compounds called cytokines. Cytokines deliver all sorts of messages that modulate immune function and IL10’s message makes people feel tired and depressed. It is basically a shut down message telling your body to slow down and rest because the immune system is trying to fight off something. In other words, man the hatches, a storm is acomin’.
By early afternoon, I started thinking that I hated my life and work and need to find something else to do. While anyone can have a similar passing thought, the ferocity of my discontent finally registered. I am getting sick, I realized. As soon as I recognized the early signs provided by IL10 and probably a number of other cytokines, I took action. My acute prevention cocktail is 20,000IUs of vitamin D3, 1000mg of vitamin C, a probiotics, 30mg of zinc, 2 My Community (Host Defense) and 2 Transfer Factor Plus (4 Life). This group of nutrients has warded off any number of illnesses but the key is catching the virus before it has invaded the system too far.
Viruses cannot replicate themselves so they take over your cells and use them as incubators. They are little pieces of DNA or RNA (depending on the virus) and they inject themselves into the nucleus of a cell. Now their DNA or RNA is telling the cell what to do, not yours. Just like the movie, “Alien” but at a teeny tiny cellular level.
Once a virus has taken over a cell, the cell stops being useful to you and does nothing but churn out viruses. The immune system’s job is to identify rogue cells, destroy and discard them. The cold or flu symptoms are the result of the immune system coming in to clean up and heave ho the dead cells. (Think runny nose or diarrhea.) If enough cells have been infected, the symptoms are pretty ugly. The virus is trying to stay ahead of the immune system by infecting as many cells as fast as it can while the immune system is targeting and blowing up viral replicating factories as fast as IT can. The battle is on. No wonder you feel terrible.
The reason a cure for the common cold is evasive is that the cold itself partially reflects necessary clean up. The immune system has identified the interloper and is in the process of tossing it out. At that point you can only reduce the severity and length of the symptoms. By strengthening the immune system response, the viruses can tossed out before they invade more cells and cause more of a mess. The big opportunity is prevention. Was I too late?
By late afternoon, I was desperate for a nap but still had 2 more clients to see. Finally, the work day ended. I stood up feeling a little dizzy and crankier than ever. My stomach cramped and rumbled. It was not happy. I suspected I was fighting the stomach flu which appears to be this year’s flu. After an uncomfortable interlude in the bathroom, I was sure. I felt off but not terrible yet. Time to rethink immune support.
The best strategy for fighting stomach bugs is good bugs. I had three different probiotics in the refrigerator and took an aggressive 200 billion bugs. This was two capsules as I had VSL3 on hand (www.VSL3.com). Before bed I took another probiotics and 2 more Transfer Factor.
The next few days I felt a little wobbly and tired. But all and all, I would say nutrition helps.
Here are my flu statistics:
Number of hours feeling crabby and depressed 36
Number of nights of restless sleep 1
Days feeling shaky and tired 2
Extra trips to the bathroom 3
Weight lost Half pound (It's back)
Percent of regular vitamins taken during flu period 50%
Extra Vitamin D3 (taken as a single dose) 20,000 IUs
Number of good bugs taken per day for 3 days 200 billion
Amount of Transfer Factor taken per day for 3 days 4
Amount of My Community taken per day for 3 days 4
Diet changes Bananas In Green Juice Out
Missed days of work 0
Cost of avoiding possible neurological and immune damage by skipping the flu shot Priceless
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Blog #30 The Trouble with Traveling
Having a detective mindset means having an inquisitive nature and asking a lot of questions. “Why should I care if the IRS clarifies the sub part F regulations?” I asked my husband the tax attorney recently. Or, “why does it cost $1,400 to join a sorority?” this to my daughter, the college sophomore.
So, it is not surprising that when I was at the airport this week-end on my way to teach a course in New York, I found myself asking, why, oh why, oh why? I watched with utter perplexity as a line of people allowed themselves to be lead into a milliwave machine and radiated.
According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, a physician and writer, TSA naked body scanners can cause sperm mutations and increase the risk of breast cancer. The Pilot’s Association has reportedly sent a letter to its members urging them to opt out of the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). Other sources report that the ionizing radiation by the machines concentrate on the skin increasing the risk of skin cancer.
This all sounds ominous to me and I figure I should at least wait for some good long term safety data before getting ready for my milliwave close up. So, I was dismayed to watch one person after another dutifully and passively walk in to the mystery machine and get zapped. Not a single person opted out.
I was bracing for a body cavity search or whatever other indignity I was going to be subject to for opting out when I noticed there were two lanes and you could just avoid the X-ray machine. So, I did.
Why are people not objecting? The acceptance by so many of the invasive and unsafe is distressing to me. Ask questions. Object when things don’t make sense. Get patted down but do not add to your chances of getting cancer which are already 1 in 3 over a lifetime.
Depressed by this full scale display of submissiveness, I trudged to my gate. On the way, I saw a man drinking a tall beer at one of the many generic bars. The scene would not have been notable except for the fact that it was 11:00 in the morning. Yes, traveling has gotten to the point that a beer with breakfast is about what you need to get through a typical airport experience.
I realized I was hungry and went searching for food. The places I can most reliably depend on finding edible food at airports is Cibo and Starbucks. Cibo has small salads, mini chicken Cesear chicken wraps, tiny hummus containers, veggies with dip and Be Kind bars. They have reasonable portions. Most of the other places that have single salads that could feed a family of four or lunchmeat sandwiches. What can I say? Lunchmeat is gross. Sadly, this terminal did not have a Cibo, which meant looking for a Starbucks.
Of the chains usually represented at the airport, I have been surprised to find myself sometimes looking for Starbucks, even though I do not drink coffee. This morning, I stood in a long line to order their very tasty oatmeal. I threw away the brown sugar packet but added the nuts and dried fruit. It was made with water and was delicious.
I walked back to my gate and enjoyed every bite. But, I still needed something. Maybe a beer.
So, it is not surprising that when I was at the airport this week-end on my way to teach a course in New York, I found myself asking, why, oh why, oh why? I watched with utter perplexity as a line of people allowed themselves to be lead into a milliwave machine and radiated.
According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, a physician and writer, TSA naked body scanners can cause sperm mutations and increase the risk of breast cancer. The Pilot’s Association has reportedly sent a letter to its members urging them to opt out of the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). Other sources report that the ionizing radiation by the machines concentrate on the skin increasing the risk of skin cancer.
This all sounds ominous to me and I figure I should at least wait for some good long term safety data before getting ready for my milliwave close up. So, I was dismayed to watch one person after another dutifully and passively walk in to the mystery machine and get zapped. Not a single person opted out.
I was bracing for a body cavity search or whatever other indignity I was going to be subject to for opting out when I noticed there were two lanes and you could just avoid the X-ray machine. So, I did.
Why are people not objecting? The acceptance by so many of the invasive and unsafe is distressing to me. Ask questions. Object when things don’t make sense. Get patted down but do not add to your chances of getting cancer which are already 1 in 3 over a lifetime.
Depressed by this full scale display of submissiveness, I trudged to my gate. On the way, I saw a man drinking a tall beer at one of the many generic bars. The scene would not have been notable except for the fact that it was 11:00 in the morning. Yes, traveling has gotten to the point that a beer with breakfast is about what you need to get through a typical airport experience.
I realized I was hungry and went searching for food. The places I can most reliably depend on finding edible food at airports is Cibo and Starbucks. Cibo has small salads, mini chicken Cesear chicken wraps, tiny hummus containers, veggies with dip and Be Kind bars. They have reasonable portions. Most of the other places that have single salads that could feed a family of four or lunchmeat sandwiches. What can I say? Lunchmeat is gross. Sadly, this terminal did not have a Cibo, which meant looking for a Starbucks.
Of the chains usually represented at the airport, I have been surprised to find myself sometimes looking for Starbucks, even though I do not drink coffee. This morning, I stood in a long line to order their very tasty oatmeal. I threw away the brown sugar packet but added the nuts and dried fruit. It was made with water and was delicious.
I walked back to my gate and enjoyed every bite. But, I still needed something. Maybe a beer.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blog #29 Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick: The Bonus Material
After writing a book there is a big hunk of empty time while waiting for it to be printed and released. That time for me is happening right now. The down time should be welcomed because of the exhaustive push of deadlines along with my regular work schedule. But, of course, I am too excited to be sitting around waiting so I had to come up with a productive way to fill the time.
My kids are all in college so I can only call and annoy them so much. I took a few baths, trimmed back the liriope (a fast spreading ornamental grass used in landscaping) and sold stuff of my husbands that he almost never uses on Ebay. That took a week and I still have four months left until the June 6th release.
My publisher (Workman) puts out some interesting books and while I had read some before signing with them, I had not had a chance to read any since. I decided to look at books that were in the same health genre as mine. The title, “Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick,” by Gene Stone caught my attention immediately. At least half of the people I have talked to over the last few weeks have been sick so I decided to see what he had to say on the subject.
Most of the hardly-ever-get-sick people I know do what you would expect, they exercise, think bright and happy thoughts, eat a diet full of whole foods (some vegans, others animal eaters) and take a handful of supplements everyday. Stone chose to reveal the secrets of 25 people who concentrated on one main area to maintain their health and avoided those with complex regimens.
I am not going to be a book spoiler though if you are the health conscious type you can probably guess ½ of them. (That could be a fun game to play at your next party if charades is not going well.) Reading it made me think about my own personal keep healthy tricks. Consequently, I am adding my very own bonus secret: mushrooms.
Naturopaths and herbalists have long recommended certain mushrooms for immune enhancement but the exact reason they worked was not discovered until recently. Dr. Ikekawa, arguably the father of mushroom science, discovered that the cancer rates of families of Enoki mushroom growers had remarkably low cancer rates compared to the rest of the population. The cancer rate in the men from mushroom growing families was 1/3 (or 2/3rds less) than other men in the same area. Women had ½ the predicted cancer incidence. If there was a drug that could claim this near miraculous cancer reducing capability, it would be the best selling medicine in the country. Ikekawa isolated the chemical responsible for the immune protecting properties of this little fungi and the science mushroomed from there.
We now know different mushrooms have different immune enhancing compounds. Some prevent cancer, others fight tumors, still others increase first line defense against illness or decrease inflammation. There are species that produce antibiotic compounds and one even helps nerve regeneration. This last one is called Lion’s Mane and it is a white mushroom that grows on trees and logs.
In Blog # 18- What to do to prevent the flu, I mention three great immune enhancers. One, Immpower (American BioSciences) is extracted from specially cultivated mushrooms and has been studied in cancer and AIDS treatment as a natural killer cell enhancer. Natural killer cells are part of the immune system that respond first when an illness threatens. I have used this product for years and it is very effective as a first line defense against colds and flus. I take two twice per day for a few days if I feel run down or am being exposed to a particularly high amount of germs in a stressful environment such as traveling. Whenever I fly, inevitably I am sitting right next to someone who is copiously sneezing and snorting. Then I think about the one cubic feet of air being filtered for the 280 people on the plane and I take out a bottle of mushroom extract and pop a few for peace of mind.
Last year, I discovered Paul Stamets and his company Host Defense. Stamets is a mushroom nerd. There is probably a more technical term for his avocation like fungologist. All I know is if you ever read anything he has written it makes you want to go out and eat mushrooms by the handfuls. After reading one of his treatises last week, I ran out and bought a half pound of shitake mushrooms to sauté. He talks about mushrooms like they are the most luminous and magical plants in the world.
His classic mushroom mixture product for general immune enhancement is called My Community. Host Defense has a line of mushrooms but My Community is the place to start for beginners. If you are having a hard winter, immune-wise, consider taking two per day. If you are having an awful winter, double that dose. If you are still having trouble, you might have to take a deeper look at your sleep, eating and exercise habits and brush up on those happy thoughts.
My kids are all in college so I can only call and annoy them so much. I took a few baths, trimmed back the liriope (a fast spreading ornamental grass used in landscaping) and sold stuff of my husbands that he almost never uses on Ebay. That took a week and I still have four months left until the June 6th release.
My publisher (Workman) puts out some interesting books and while I had read some before signing with them, I had not had a chance to read any since. I decided to look at books that were in the same health genre as mine. The title, “Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick,” by Gene Stone caught my attention immediately. At least half of the people I have talked to over the last few weeks have been sick so I decided to see what he had to say on the subject.
Most of the hardly-ever-get-sick people I know do what you would expect, they exercise, think bright and happy thoughts, eat a diet full of whole foods (some vegans, others animal eaters) and take a handful of supplements everyday. Stone chose to reveal the secrets of 25 people who concentrated on one main area to maintain their health and avoided those with complex regimens.
I am not going to be a book spoiler though if you are the health conscious type you can probably guess ½ of them. (That could be a fun game to play at your next party if charades is not going well.) Reading it made me think about my own personal keep healthy tricks. Consequently, I am adding my very own bonus secret: mushrooms.
Naturopaths and herbalists have long recommended certain mushrooms for immune enhancement but the exact reason they worked was not discovered until recently. Dr. Ikekawa, arguably the father of mushroom science, discovered that the cancer rates of families of Enoki mushroom growers had remarkably low cancer rates compared to the rest of the population. The cancer rate in the men from mushroom growing families was 1/3 (or 2/3rds less) than other men in the same area. Women had ½ the predicted cancer incidence. If there was a drug that could claim this near miraculous cancer reducing capability, it would be the best selling medicine in the country. Ikekawa isolated the chemical responsible for the immune protecting properties of this little fungi and the science mushroomed from there.
We now know different mushrooms have different immune enhancing compounds. Some prevent cancer, others fight tumors, still others increase first line defense against illness or decrease inflammation. There are species that produce antibiotic compounds and one even helps nerve regeneration. This last one is called Lion’s Mane and it is a white mushroom that grows on trees and logs.
In Blog # 18- What to do to prevent the flu, I mention three great immune enhancers. One, Immpower (American BioSciences) is extracted from specially cultivated mushrooms and has been studied in cancer and AIDS treatment as a natural killer cell enhancer. Natural killer cells are part of the immune system that respond first when an illness threatens. I have used this product for years and it is very effective as a first line defense against colds and flus. I take two twice per day for a few days if I feel run down or am being exposed to a particularly high amount of germs in a stressful environment such as traveling. Whenever I fly, inevitably I am sitting right next to someone who is copiously sneezing and snorting. Then I think about the one cubic feet of air being filtered for the 280 people on the plane and I take out a bottle of mushroom extract and pop a few for peace of mind.
Last year, I discovered Paul Stamets and his company Host Defense. Stamets is a mushroom nerd. There is probably a more technical term for his avocation like fungologist. All I know is if you ever read anything he has written it makes you want to go out and eat mushrooms by the handfuls. After reading one of his treatises last week, I ran out and bought a half pound of shitake mushrooms to sauté. He talks about mushrooms like they are the most luminous and magical plants in the world.
His classic mushroom mixture product for general immune enhancement is called My Community. Host Defense has a line of mushrooms but My Community is the place to start for beginners. If you are having a hard winter, immune-wise, consider taking two per day. If you are having an awful winter, double that dose. If you are still having trouble, you might have to take a deeper look at your sleep, eating and exercise habits and brush up on those happy thoughts.
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