Gender Benders, Sperm Discount and Chemical Toxicity

I have heard a number of women mention that the younger men of today seem more feminine.  Is this perception, culture or environment?  The variables are too numerous to quantify. There is documentation that chemical toxicity mimics estrogen causing hormone havoc with gender bending effects. 

 The book, "Hormone Deception" by Lindsey Berskson, outlines an array of hormone disruptors that include wildlife/environmental gender problems.  Birds that bring pesticide contaminated food to their chicks created masculinized females that sing male mating songs.  Weird. 

In 1980 the Tower Chemical Company had a spill of DDT in Lake Apopka, Florida.  DDT is an insecticide in the biphenyl compound group that mimics estrogen.  Bisphenyls also include BPA and PCBs.  The result in alligator egg hatch was a change from 90 percent survival to 18 percent.  Male alligators were demasculinized with problems in reproduction including the absence of a phallus.  Remember most cities fogged the streets with DDT in the fifties and sixties. 

Another infamous biphenyl is Dethylstilbesterol (DES) that was given to pregnant women in the 1950's and 1960's.   The drug "designed" to increase the health of a baby caused miscarriages.  The result was devastating for some daughters that developed cancer.  There was also a study that found that forty two percent of DES exposed women had bisexual orientation verses 18 percent of their untreated DES sisters.

DES also caused men to experience low sperm count and problems with reproduction.  Other problems may include problems with the urinary tract, prostate, testicles, and enlargement of the breast.  There have also been some psychological effects including depression.   

It is interesting that during development, men require testosterone to develop their masculinity.  This testosterone converts to estrogen in the brain as an important part of their development.  So while men need testosterone, they also have a small amount of estrogen.

Biphenyl compounds are stored in fat cells and mimic estrogen creating a gender bending effect.  This is especially true if exposure takes place in the first trimester of pregnancy.  There is the possibility of hormone changes that happen during development.  Since these types of toxins are stored in fat, there is speculation that this problem has been passed down to subsequent generations.  This means that the baby boomers exposure to DDT and DES could produce gender problems for future generations.

To Heaven and Back

Last weekend marked the birth of my first Grandchild.  I made an airline reservation to fly out the next day to see this new addition to the family.  While browsing the books in the airport, I noticed "To Heaven and Back" (video introduction)...."A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again".

The life account of Dr. Mary Neal is certainly extraordinary.  Her life's journey as a teenager to becoming a well educated orthopedic back surgeon is unusual enough.  On a white water kayaking accident in Chile she was involved in a vertical pin and drowned.  Her faith gave her peace in her death.  She experienced heaven while her friends unsuccessfully tried to free her.  Eventually the force of the water broke both of her legs below the knees and she washed out.  It had been 15 minutes before the start of a  frantic effort to revive the blue corpse. 

Her description of heaven is something you will have to read.  She learned many things of our purpose and the interconnection we experience.  Of angels and God's all encompassing love.  Her purpose here had not yet been fulfilled and she was sent back.  Life came back into her body and she had a long and difficult recovery.  The difficulty was physical, emotional, and spiritual.  How could one experience heaven only to come back to this world?

As I gazed upon my Granddaughter, I was overcome with the joy of seeing a new life.  I watched as my daughter nursed her first child on the first day of her life.  I watched her father carry her around the room whispering things that only he and she could hear.  I held her as she slept.  A miracle of a new life, a spiritual creature here to have a human experience. 

The book offers a different perspective.  It is so easy for us to get caught up in the day and the minor obstacles.  It is easy to respond in anger or frustration.  The book reminds me to respond in love and compassion. 

Stay Well!

Chagas Disease, Kissing Bug, Parasites, Vegetables

I often hear “disease starts with inflammation”!   No it doesn’t.  Ask the question, “Why do I have inflammation?”  “Where does it come from?”  It is because there is a toxin of some type that the body cannot deal with or is in the process of dealing with.  In this world we have a lot of possible toxic voluntary and involuntary “choices”.

As an example, an individual may come in contact with a parasite that uses a living person or animal as a host.  A parasite consumes your resources and creates waste (a toxin) that your body must deal with.  The Triatome (kissing) bug recently came to my attention. Known as the insect “vector” for Chagas disease is a major killer in Latin America.  The Triatomine Beetle is the American version of trypanosomiasis, the carrier for the parasite trypanosomes.  This is similar to the disease carried by the tsetse fly in Africa causing sleeping sickness. 

The normal venue for these beetles is a secretive nocturnal life in the cracks and holes of substandard housing or in any outdoor/indoor environment including doghouses, chicken houses, woodpiles, etcetera.  They like to bite faces, suck blood, and defecate leaving the parasite.  The area itches, is scratched, and unknowingly rubbed into mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.   Other possible transmissions is thru blood transfusions, organ transplantation, and the ingestion of food contaminated with the parasite.  How much of our food comes from Central or South America?

With the world’s mobile population, you can disregard the old textbook world parasite prevalence maps.  There are currently hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Latin America living in the U.S. 

The worst possible impact is a massive enlargement of the heart causing sudden death (cardiomyopathy).  Have you ever heard of a dog suddenly dying in the kennel?  The scary part is that most are symptom free.  Mild symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, diarrhea and vomiting.  There may also be a swollen eyelid on the side of the bite.

If you are at risk for parasites (blog), consider Verma Comp, Vermasode, and Verma HP.  A preventative for pets is diatomaceous earth(blog) dusted in the kennel.

Stay Well!

Arsenic, Victorian Lace, Draft Teams and Chicken

The old Belgium team survived on oats and arsenic.  Yes, arsenic was commonly fed to older horses to help them maintain their weight.  The old horse trader’s story was that one-month after buying a beautiful team the purchaser, who did not know about arsenic, witnessed his team turning to skin and bones. 

Arsenic is commercially used in insecticides, fungicides, and in treated lumber.  Victorian women consumed it to make their skin paler to show that they did not work outside. It is theorized that Napoleon Bonaparte’s death was due to arsenic poisoning.   I recently learned that it is or has been used as feed additive for poultry and swine production.  It improves weight gain and meat color.  What kind of twisted mind decided arsenic would be good to feed to chickens?  I guess chickens are made to sell and not to eat.

Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with lung, bladder and skin cancers.  It is also associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive problems.  Less associated symptoms include burning pains, diarrhea, anxiety, and restlessness.  The mental impact may include obsessive-compulsive disorder.  These individuals also have a fear of poverty, death, disease, and “germs”.  This is another example of a toxicity having a mental impact.

Ironically, homeopathic arsenic, known as Arsenicum album is a premier remedy that is especially useful for food poisoning.  Remember that a homeopathic is highly diluted and does not contain the element arsenic.  Homeopathy is in the realm of physics.  Arsenicum album 30C is a remedy you should always have available.  I remember being in Phoenix the day before a 6AM flight back to Charlotte.  Unfortunately, about midnight, I discovered that I had made a poor choice of restaurants.  Without the Arsenicum, I would not have been able to leave the motel at 4AM.

Tramp Stamps, Millennials, and the Road to Cancer

In my youth, a tattoo was only seen on military men or bikers.  Otherwise it was something that was covered up.  One lady described it as her permanent reminder of temporary insanity. The poor choices made with the aid of an altered state of mind.  The label is or was a “tramp stamp”.  Today, it amazes me the number of individuals with tattoos.  Thirty eight percent of the Millennials (those born after 1980) (full report)have tattoos, compared with 32% of Generation X (1965-1980) and 15% of Baby Boomers(1946-1964).  Ironically, Millennials are more conscious of social issues, organic food, conservation via recycling, and healthful exercise.  For some a tattoo may be a way of feeling special, or an expression of individuality, devotion, or commemoration. 

Most of the health focus is on the self-imposed cleanliness of the operator, equipment and facility.  The famous last words from someone you don’t know…“trust me”.  Death by 1000 puncture wounds via the magical manifestation of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, Epstein Barr Virus, tetanus, tuberculosis or any other imaginable blood born infectious disease?  While the initial and post tattoo pain is real, the other death by 1000 cuts is the slow un-noticed embracing of change with unwanted consequences that impact our heath.  The tattoo is nothing short of a future health risk.

The first rule of health is to avoid toxic material.  Few know the composition of tattoo ink that is no doubt toxic material foreign to the body.  So we inject toxic material into the skin.  The ink goes into the cell.  The impregnation of the cell is the fourth stage of disease.  The fifth stage is degeneration of the cell and the sixth is cancer.

The body has mechanisms to remove toxins from the body, which means the material may travel thru lymph fluid or blood to end up anywhere.  It is possible that the liver may not be able to process such chemicals, especially if viruses, nutrients, drugs or alcohol compromises it.  This means the toxin must be deposited in fat or connective tissue for storage.  This is the creation of a disease state that will never be connected to acts of youth.  Do we really need a more toxic personal environment?

Live Well!

Know Ledge

Some take what they know as something that will not change.  Knowledge can become a fixed idea that ignores all else.  What if a new piece of information changes my mind?  It happens, so, how do you know that what you know is all there is?

After all, I have the complete ability to objectively perceive, analyze, and experience information without emotion or prejudice. I think I will just look for evidence that supports my preconceived fixed idea, which allows me to maintain my cerebral security.  That is simple.  “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest “ (The Boxer, Simon & Garfunkel).

There are those that make fun of past medical interventions as ignorant.  George Washington’s medical treatment, the bleeding of about 5 pints of blood in less than 16 hours contributed to his death.  That was the medical treatment of the day and I am sure the physicians were well intended.  I like the false security of just knowing how far we have come and how smart we are now.  

There are those that religiously believe in allopathic (today’s prescription/surgical treatments) medicine or “natural” medicine.  Some Allopaths make fun of natural medicine.  Some Naturopaths make fun of allopathic medicine.  There are strengths and weakness in both.  Stay open to both possibilities.

Stay Well!

Obesity as a Disease?

Last week the American Medical Association voted to classify obesity as a disease.  Obesity has been characterized as a major health concern, a complex disorder, and an urgent chronic condition.  It is reported that this move will add 78 million adults and 11 million children to the list of individuals needing treatment for a disease.  This will oblige physicians to offer treatment for an illness that requires no more than a visual assessment.   Is it really the physician’s responsibility?  I assume we all have a mirror. 

This begs the question, “what is disease”?  Perhaps obesity is just another symptom of a disease with a real underlying problem.  In a broad sense disease can be anything that impairs normal function.  The implications are huge.  Any new “disease” is worth big bucks to the pharmaceutical industry.  Add this to an overweight medical system with poor performance.  Will insurance companies be required to cover subsequent treatments?  It will more likely become a pre-existing condition for them to exclude coverage.  Some seek gastric bypass which generally results in them being uninsurable.  Will it open the door for individuals to get disability? 

In a world gone mad, the government food stamp program has contributed to the problem.  Covered items include soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, ice cream, bakery items, and energy drinks with a nutritional fact label.  The oversimplification is better food equals better health but not everyone has that luxury. 

The basic problem is too many calories of the wrong types of food verses the amount of calories burned.  Just for the record, obesity can include other factors such as food allergies, hormone balance, toxicity, addiction, and emotional considerations. 

Do we create our own disease?  Are we enabled to create our own disease?  Do we blame others for creating our disease?  Don’t think about this one too hard as it will be disruptive to your stress hormone system.

Stay Well!  It's your only chance!

The Pill Problem- Nutrition Depletion, Disease, and Decreased Libido

The advent of the oral contraceptive “pill” in the 1960’s certainly changed the female, how do you say it...uh...I will reframe from characterizing this from a male perspective.  From a woman's perspective, "The pill gave women an sense of control, or what we perceived as control."...."In the 1960's men were still telling their wives who to vote for in elections.  Freedom is so incredibly powerful when when you've never had it....to be in charge of our own bodies!"  While there were obvious benefits, there were also problems. 

Ross Pelton, Pharmacist/Certified Clinical Nutritionist, has written a book “The Pill Problem” as a means to educate women primarily in the area of nutrient depletion.  While the medical world is aware of some drug induced nutritional deficiencies the majority are never addressed.  Educated pharmacists have been talking about this for years.  Keep in mind the chemistry of the body requires nutrients to function properly.  It has always bothered me that a folic acid deficiency creates the birth defect of neural tube defects.  At the same time oral contraceptives create such a deficiency which is never addressed until one is pregnant.

“Oral contraceptives cause a depletion of a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants in women’s bodies.  These nutrient depletions increase the risk of depression, sleep disorders, anemia, low energy, migraine headaches, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, diabetes, a weakened immune system, giving birth to an infant with birth defects, and cancers in the uterus, colon and breast.”          ALARMING!

The most common deficiencies include all the B vitamins, magnesium(calcium/magnesium blog), Co Q 10,Vitamin C, tyrosine and selenium.  Anyone taking these synthetic hormones found in oral contraceptives should consider supplementation. 

Oral contraceptives can also have an impact on overall hormone balance that ultimately results in decreased sex drive, arousal, and orgasm.  The drug that allowed women to have more sexual freedom ironically quelled what they desired.

“The Pill Problem” is an excellent educational tool for the woman that wants to be proactive with her health.  Utmost importance in this is this day and age!

Stay Well!

Mind Mimizing Drugs at a Pharmacy Near You......

From a health perspective there is nothing more worrisome as having memory or mind processing issues.  This is especially true if you have seen the impact of Alzheimer’s disease.  The study published online, November 2012, in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia offered a look at common drugs that impact cognition.  In just as little as two months, this class of drugs, known as anticholinergics, showed a 50 % increased risk of “mild cognitive impairment”.  Personally, I need all the brain power I can get.

Anticholinergics impact the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  This communication chemical works in the brain and in nerve tissue for muscle activation.  It functions in memory, decision making and in sleep.  Acetylcholine is made from acetic acid (vinegar) and choline, a B vitamin.  A good source of choline is found in lecithin as phosphatidyl coline and is a good memory supplement.

Ironically, Benadryl® (diphenhydramine), an anti-histamine has long been used for sleep due to its drowsiness side effect.  Most would consider it as generally harmless.  But if it decreases your acetylcholine then sleep quality can be affected.  This is one of many drugs in a class of anticholinergic drugs that impair cognitive function.  Interesting is that many of the Alzheimer’s drugs work to inhibit an enzyme that degrades acetylcholine.  Some of these patients are also receiving some of the above drugs.

Others include but are not limited to:

Hyoscyamine (Levsin®, Donnatal®, Levbid®, HyoMax SR®)

Methscopolamine (Pamine®)

Dicyclomine (Bentyl®)

Bupropion (Wellbutrin®)

Dextromethorphan (common cough suppressant)

Ipratropium (Atrovent®)

Tiotropium (Spiriva®)

Products that may help memory include lecithin, coconut oil, Cerecomp, and Gaia Mental Alertness.

Stay Well!

Coke, Cocaine, Acid and Addiction

John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist at Jacobs’ Pharmacy created Coca-Cola in 1886.  That was a time when pharmacies dispensed cocaine, heroin and other currently illegal drugs at will.  Such medicines were thought to be helpful and harmless.  What a great way to have repeated sales for a fountain drink.  And what a bargain at just five cents a glass!

As a child the small 6-ounce green bottle was an occasional treat.  We would always look at the bottom to see where the bottle was made.  Collecting the bottles for the one cent deposit (nothing new about recycling) at the local filling station was the order of the day.  This practice eventually shifted to the no deposit no return concept for our modern convenience. 

“Soft” drinks have evolved from the occasional treat to a way of life.  The new addiction was not cocaine but sugar and artificial sweeteners.  Did I say addiction?  Just ask a long time user of diet drinks to stop and notice the blank stare on their face.  That information did not register.  For some these drinks completely replaced water.  After all, there is water in it…..right?

Smart Americans have becoming more health conscious to the point that even Coca Cola has noticed.  They realize they must change their marketing toward promoting their product as healthy.  So, we should drink our Coke and go to the gym?  After all it is really too much sugar that is the problem?

There is no doubt that the empty calories in sugar are not healthy and contributes to just about every known disease including cancer.  There are, however, many other considerations.  Normal body pH (the potential of hydrogen) of urine or saliva is a generally little acidic at 6.5 to 6.7.  Body pH is relative as the stomach pH is about 2 and the small intestine is 7.4.  Cellular pH is more acidic in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm.  We are actually like a battery with positive and negative charged areas.

Soft drinks can have a pH of around 3 depending on the drink.  In order to remain normal, your body will have to buffer this back up to 6.5.  Calcium is the most abundant buffer in the body.  The more you consume the more calcium you loose.  At some point your body may not be able to keep up resulting in a more acidic overall pH.  This can make you more susceptible to diseases of all types including cancer. 

Water is the recommended fluid of choice.  The most common water recommendation is weight divided by two equals the number of ounces per day.  This can vary due to weather and overall exertion.  Make sure you consume water without chlorine or fluoride.  There are water filters that will remove these harmful chemicals.  Water can be enhanced by adding lemon or lime.  Other options include Nitro Powder for electrolytes.  Hydrate I or Hydrate II can enhance the body’s ability to utilize water.

Stay Well!

Nocebo Expectations?

Some will remember the Andy Griffith Show where Emma Watson was taking her pill for her aches and pain.  The pharmacist, Ellie Walker, was conflicted about refilling her prescription with a placebo.  Emma simply could not live without her pill.  In a clinical trial some get a real drug and others get a placebo.  There can be a placebo effect on individuals taking the real drug.  This means that the placebo effect can be beneficial to the results for the real drug.  If you believe a medical treatment will have a positive effect then you are more likely to have that experience. 

The nocebo is just the opposite.  A harmless substance creates a negative effect.  If you are uncomfortable with a medical treatment, the inability to embrace it could be a problem.  What if a physician prescribes a statin drug for elevated cholesterol, which you do not want?  Every time you swallow you have a negative feeling.  The results can be about one’s expectations.

Interesting. 

Stay well!

PCB's and Hand-Me-Down Poisons

On April 9, 2013, the NC Department of Health and Human Services issued a fish consumption advisory for Lake Norman.  Due to elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) you should not consume Stripped Bass and Large Mouth Bass.  This is the first fish consumption warning for the 32,475 acres lake that was filled in 1963.  PCB’s have beenused as insulators for electrical transformers, lubricants and electric motors.  PCB’s are an environmental toxin that can cause neurological damage, reproductions, immune disorders and cancer.

Biphenyl compounds have been the chemical curse of the environment.  They also include diethylstilbesterol (DES), Bisphenol A (BPA), and DDT.  These chemicals do not readily break down, are fat-soluble, and readily penetrate the skin.  This means they can be stored in the fat of animals with an end storage point in humans.  Such a hand-me-down poison can be an underlying toxic load and a contributor for disease.  Theoretically, the larger and older fish will accumulate higher levels of toxins as they consume other contaminated fish.

The following are the chemical structures of these toxins, included only to demonstrate their structural similarity.

Picture of biphenyls

PCB



DDT


BPA

DES

It is not known why the Lake Norman fish have such elevated levels since there is no known contamination in the area.   They are made by electrically chlorinating a bisphenyl.  The most likely explanation could be related to the number of hydroelectric facilities or unauthorized dumping on the Catawba River.

At one time I was highly allergic to poison ivy as a child and adult.  I had mentioned this to Dr. Jack Hinze, a mentor and friend.  Questions led back to the DDT fogged in the summer streets.  He suggested homeopathic Addazen by Natural Creations along with herbal liver (Hepata Comp) and kidney (Kidney Comp) support as a possible detox.  I took his suggestion and, much to my surprise, my allergy to poison ivy decreased dramatically.  In theory, since homeopathy is based in “likes cures likes”, this product may be helpful in other biphenols. 

Stay Well

Detoxification & Terrain Part Three

Once you have taken care of Part One and Part Two then you can move on to other areas.  A parasite cleanse may be the next step if you are at risk.  Parasites can rob you of nutritional resources and add to your toxic load.  Please see the blog on parasites. 

The next concept in wellness is terrain.  Terrain is simply the overall environment.  Terrain can be internal or external.  It can be physical but can also be emotional or mental.  If you normalize the terrain or create an environment for wellness then health will follow.

If you spray herbicide around a spring or branch you not only kill the vegetation but you also alter the entire environment.  This includes a complex ecosystem of animal, reptile, insect, and microorganisms that live there.  With such a change different organisms that may be unwanted could thrive.  If you remove the herbicide residue then plant life will eventually return along with the ecosystem.  While we view this as external, it is an example of what can happen internally. 

Internal terrain could be any part of the body such as the intestinal environment.  Taking antibiotics alters the bacterial terrain, creating imbalance and allowing yeast or unfriendly bacteria to grow.  Keep in mind that an imbalance such as yeast can create waste products that can be detrimental to your health.  Maintaining the good intestinal bacteria is vital to your overall health.  Taking a probiotic such as Enterobiotic SBOis a positive step in gastrointestinal health.

While cleanliness is important, avoid antibacterial soaps that alter bacteria on the skin.  A good vegetable based soap such as Dr. Bronner's Castile soap is adequate. Brushing the skin while bathing aids in lymphatic flow and exfoliation of dead cells.  

Another example of external terrain may include a clean hygienic space.  This may also include a spiritually healthy space that is supportive, friendly and happy.  Such an external environment is supportive of emotional health, which impacts your internal environment.  Negative emotions can increase blood pressure, decrease respirations, and cause hormone disruption.  While this is a sidelight to physical detoxification, there is such a thing as emotional detoxification.

Stay Well!

The Blessing

My Grandfather's blessing started with, "Father, give us grateful hearts for these tokens of Thy kindness."  My blessing starts with, "Heavenly Father, thank you for this food, bless this it to the nourishment of our bodies."  Can such a blessing change anything?  Absolutely!

It is easy to see and feel that giving thanks to God can change our inner being.  Such a positive thought is calming feeling of satisfaction.  It allows our bodies to be able to properly accept nourishment.

So often I have found myself saying "the blessing" from rote memory.  Words and thoughts can be powerful.  Giving voice to your thankfulness is powerful.  This is mindful intent. 

There is so much concern over the quality of food these days.  I believe that a mindful blessing can actually change the food.  We are asking God to consecrate the food and that the food will be able to nourish and sustain us.  Is this scientific?  Perhaps not in this world of so called "evidence based medicine".  However, in the world of quantum physics there is evidence of words that can change water.  The bible has many references to the spoken word. 

This Thanksgiving, I intend to be mindful of what I am asking.

In the name of Jesus Christ

Natural Coping

The diversity of individuals in this country is amazing.  Particularly when you consider the different religions, races, cultures, and economic conditions.  There are those that grow up with privilege and those that grow up in extremely poor conditions.  Rich or poor, children have survived some incredible conditions.  Humans have the incredible ability to cope and adapt.  Our motivation-we have no choice.  We want to survive.  We adapt to our cultural environment.  One human coping mechanism is humor.  Sheila Robinson, author of "People In Hell Want Ice Water", explores the world from the eyes of Ramona Poarch, who is only 10.  It is a humorous fictional account of life in a small southern town in the 1950’s.  She endures her father’s alcoholism, her mother’s affair, her father’s murder by her mother, and her siblings abuse all from an innocent child’s perspective.  It is her book, “For all of us from humble beginnings.”

Room to Room Memory Loss

I always figured that I had attention deficit as I would go to the bedroom to get something just to discover that I could not remember why I was there.  I sometimes thought, “I am losing it” but now I can blame it on the door.  A University of Notre Dame study discovered that passing through a doorway triggers an “event boundary” in the mind that separates one set of thoughts and memories from another.  So my brain separates the thoughts I had in one room and prepares a “blank slate” for the next location.

I think this makes a lot of sense as we tend to compartmentalize things in our world and in our head.  The door as a metaphor is powerful.  We view doors that open for us and doors that shut as beginnings and endings.  It is a transition from inside to outside, a new chapter, or one life to the next.  Anyway, I am happy to have a reason (excuse) for my forgetfulness. 

Stay Well!

Natural Time

As my twin daughters turned 30 this month, I am reminded of how time often moves too quickly.  Dr.Robin Murphy's interpretation of the line in Hotel California, "They can stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast"- the beast is time.  It is the dimension we cannot stop.  The Byrd's lyrics "Turn, Turn, Turn", is a reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  Time is what we run to and away from.  We can not escape time which makes “anti-aging” a myth.  Just where did they put that fountain of youth?

Natural time happens relative to astrophysics, the movement of the sun, moon, and planets.  We have day, month, season, and year clock.  We also appear to have a 7 year cycle with changes in life stages.  Think about how you changed in multiples of 7 years.  Hence, the seven year itch and the "mid-life crisis" at 49 to 56. 

When we are out of balance, our natural clock is off.  Symptoms may include daytime fatigue and poor sleep.  For women, the monthly cycle may be out of balance as in PMS.  We cannot stop the clock, but we can reset it by understanding what is out of balance and making the necessary adjustments. 

Chronic stress can lead to a maladjusted day clock.  An Adrenal Stress Index saliva lab may be the ticket to adjust the day clock.    Stay Well!

Compounding Pharmacies

The tragic news of deaths related to contaminated injectables goes beyond the personal responsibility that every healthcare professional shares.  The “compounding” pharmacy involved is obviously not a compounding pharmacy but a manufacturer.  The production of 17,700 vials of product is not compounding.  Compounding is where a pharmacy combines ingredients that are not commercially available for a specific patient.  Pharmacists are allowed to compound stock for anticipated prescriptions.  I provided sterile compounding from 1983 to about 2002 and actually made the product in question.  However, after each batch was compounded, a sample was sent to an independent lab for testing to confirm potency and sterility before any product was dispensed.  This was not a requirement but just good procedure.  This is now a current “standard” according to USP guidelines.  The manufacturer in question was obviously not following current compounding guidelines or what is known as FDA good manufacturing practices.

Dr. John Carr has a more detailed blog about compounding pharmacies at his Holy Hormones blog spot.

Fast Horses, Bruising and Arnica

Thirty some years ago I went for a horseback ride with my sister.  It had been years since I had ridden a “trotting” horse.  This was not the average Quarter Horse.  Jay was a tall former racetrack horse that she bought as a barrel horse.  I remember asking if he was fast.  She gave me a look, kicked her horse and was off.  I gave Jay his head, came from behind, passed her like she was standing still and wondered if I could get him stopped before going into a sharp blind turn 200 yards away.  At this eye watering speed, I doubted he could make the bank without his feet coming out from under him on the hard packed dirt road.  This was going to be ugly.  Five hundred yards or so later one fool was able to stop another. 

After about two hours of riding I became uncomfortable.  My posterior bruising blossomed into a fully orchestrated crescendo of “personal” discomfort.  I decided to walk and lead the horse only to find that walking was just as bad.  It hurt to sit or walk and we were miles from the barn.  And now you know why I value the smooth gait of the Tennessee Walking Horse.  Looking back, I also wish I had known about Arnica (and perhaps not to call on a former race horse).

Arnica montana is a common remedy for bruising, stiffness and muscle soreness.  It is a yellow-orange flowering herb that grows at high altitude and is said to “possess an affinity to the effects of falls.”  It is primarily used in creams, ointments, and tinctures and in homeopathy. 

Homeopathically, it can be used for trauma and its effects, recent or remote, which include emotional shock, for those that have the feeling of being “beat up”(as I felt) or bruised.  It is also known as a remedy for stroke.  

It is one of the premier herb and homeopathics that is embraced by skeptics of such remedies.  Plastic surgeons are even known to recommend it to reduce the trauma of surgery.  Arnica is found in Natural Creations Surg HP which is for pre and post-surgical support.  It is also found in Peaceful Mountain topical Rescue products.

 

Natural Delusion

A delusion is a belief with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.

Today’s world is technologically advanced.  Computers are powerful and amazing and the connectivity is better than ever.  Our communication devices can track anything on the web with a touch or voice command.  Our cars are computerized and soon our homes will have the futuristic features of cartoons and movies.  Our medical community is so advanced we have individuals that specialize in time of life or the smallest body part.  With all the advances we live longer.  Surgeons can replace organs, knees and hips with great skill.  Our chemical/drug interventions have made the world a better place to live.  If we have any problem there is a medicine to fix it.  We produce more food, products, and modern conveniences via the marvels of chemistry than at any time in world history.  Our entertainment venues are so realistic that our minds believe us there.  You can even enjoy reality TV instead of living our own life.  Our organized sports rival the gladiators of Rome.  The musical artists are better than ever with their computerized productions.     

How much of this is true?  Are our senses at peace?  Are you so connected that you can not relate to your family and those around you?  Have you noticed how in a group of people that many will be holding and interacting with their “smart” phones.  Can your doctor just look at one part of your body and understand the whole person?  Are we really living longer or did the advances in sanitation, water quality, maternal care, and organ transplant boost the numbers?  Why do we have more Autism, ADD, and ADHD?  Why are more people on dialysis?  Why are our joints wearing out by our 50’s?  Why are we ranked 37th in health care of the 190 countries in the world.  Is our food really healthy?  Are we poisoning the earth with our chemicals?  Is it helpful for us to play video games and spend hours on the computer watching murder, mayhem, and rape?  How many virtual deaths do our children experience by the age of 18 years old?

A delusion is a safe comfortable place that lulls us into complacency.