I hear people talk about their health every day, and what I can never understand... is why someone would rather take shot, or a pill, or a whole bottle of pills every day, than just make a few changes to their lifestyle.
Just about every illness known to man kind is affected by what we eat. Whether we are eating pills, or food, or junk food, its what we eat that drives our entire lives. Many of the pills that people consume are literally poisoning their bodies. Whether it is an over the counter item or a prescription, before you choose to swallow something you should consider the "side effects" or residual effects the item may have on your health. Just because you can purchase something at the store does not mean that it is harmless.
The FDA controls the drug market, over the counter and prescription. You can go to their site and research any drug that you wish to find information on. This particular page shows the Q & A information for Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and the drugs that have it in them. It has been proven that this long time "cure all" for headaches, fever, teething, body aches, flu, sleeplessness and many other ailments causes liver damage when taken for too long of a period, or too much at a time. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm168830.htm . The FDA will only post information that has been proven by studies. They also will pull a drug off the market if there is proof that it is harmful. This is great but what if they haven't been convinced to do a study yet? Or what if the study is still on going like the one for Tylenol? Its been proven that it is dangerous, but it is still being prescribed and available over the counter. Acetaminophen is the most common drug that is involved in overdoses and death in the US, partly because it is included as an ingredient in many over the counter items. People do not realize that they already have it in their system and then take two for pain. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1008683-overview According to this site http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/11017.php 450 people die every year from overdoses of this drug alone.
The FDA site mentions that you should not take more than recommended, nor should you take it for extended periods. It also states that you shouldn't take it if you consume alcohol, or if you have liver damage.
My concern with this information is that many people have a poorly functioning liver. Through poor diet choices, consumption of over the counter drugs, prescriptions and alcohol consumption your liver may not be working at its optimum levels. If your liver is weak, or not functioning well and you add any drugs to your system, it taxes your liver even more. Your liver cleanses many of the toxins in your body. If your liver is already overloaded from day to day work, and you add more toxins, like acetaminophen or pseudoephedrine, you could be doing more harm that good.
We need to take control of our own health. Eating a healthy diet, getting 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week and avoiding foreign substances, like acetaminophen, are very important. Pain and fever are the bodys way of telling you that there is an imbalance. If you take a pill to make the pain or fever go away, you are not treating the illness. You are only prolonging the inevitable, and hampering your body's ability to fight off the illness. There are times when there is no other choice than to take medicines or prescriptions to treat an ailment, but we need to be more careful to avoid these things unless it is medically necessary. Do not self medicate, and do not accept a pill for something that you can control or cure by dietary changes and a little exercise.
For many common viruses and illnesses time is the real answer for healing, but there are many natural remedies which will not damage your internal organs. Of course as with anything if you take the wrong supplement, or too much you can have detrimental effects. Taking too much Iron can make you ill. If you think you need to take a pill (supplement or drug) to prevent or cure an ailment, please seek the advice of a qualified holistic or functional medical professional.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Gardisil and HPV
Gardisil has been in the media lately as the HPV Vaccine. It was created to prevent the types of HPV that cause 70% of all cervical cancer. Unfortunately, there have been many cases of injury and some death caused by this vaccine. There have also been reports that it may be ineffective in preventing some of those cancers.
Some people believe that the FDA approved it prior to proper testing, and it's so new that we do not know yet how it will affect the people who receive this vaccine later in life. There are many websites available where information is available on Gardisil and its affects. There is obviously something to be concerned about when there are so many people posting websites about one particular subject. Current adverse effects noted on many of these sites state fatigue, pain, immune disorders and other complications including death have occured. This site is one that was created by an individual, but it does have some eye opening information http://www.cynthiajanak.com/Gardasil.html
One must remember that when using information off of the Internet, that there is no agency that verifies information that exists on thousands of websites. Some websites are only a persons opinion. It is best to check for references, and to make sure that you use your best judgement when choosing which sites to use for information. With that said, I decided to check the FDA site and did find that they are admitting that some people have been adversely affected by these vaccines. Their link is http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/fda-adverse-reports-on-gardasil-made-public.aspx?googleid=243428. Feel free to check that site for information, and do some searches for websites that were created for the purpose of explaining how this vaccine has affected people and their families.
Vaccines have been a subject of discussion for a while in the medical community. Many parents are choosing to not have their children vaccinated at all, due to the Mercury and other ingredients which are questionably unhealthy. Autism and SIDS have been named as childhood illnesses that may be caused by or at least affected by vaccinations.
The ingredients (in Gardisil) are proteins of HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18, amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, yeast protein, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate 80, sodium borate, and water for injection.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm111266.pdf This site does state that if you have allergies to polysorbate 80 or yeast you should not have this vaccination.
The medical community and Merck have not yet decided to stop promoting this vaccine, and it is still on the market. It is up to you to determine what is right for your children and yourself. Do your research and make sure that you understand the ramifications of the treatments that you accept. You must weigh out the pros and cons of these types of treatments and decide if the possible outcome is worth the risk.
Some people believe that the FDA approved it prior to proper testing, and it's so new that we do not know yet how it will affect the people who receive this vaccine later in life. There are many websites available where information is available on Gardisil and its affects. There is obviously something to be concerned about when there are so many people posting websites about one particular subject. Current adverse effects noted on many of these sites state fatigue, pain, immune disorders and other complications including death have occured. This site is one that was created by an individual, but it does have some eye opening information http://www.cynthiajanak.com/Gardasil.html
One must remember that when using information off of the Internet, that there is no agency that verifies information that exists on thousands of websites. Some websites are only a persons opinion. It is best to check for references, and to make sure that you use your best judgement when choosing which sites to use for information. With that said, I decided to check the FDA site and did find that they are admitting that some people have been adversely affected by these vaccines. Their link is http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/fda-adverse-reports-on-gardasil-made-public.aspx?googleid=243428. Feel free to check that site for information, and do some searches for websites that were created for the purpose of explaining how this vaccine has affected people and their families.
Vaccines have been a subject of discussion for a while in the medical community. Many parents are choosing to not have their children vaccinated at all, due to the Mercury and other ingredients which are questionably unhealthy. Autism and SIDS have been named as childhood illnesses that may be caused by or at least affected by vaccinations.
The ingredients (in Gardisil) are proteins of HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18, amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, yeast protein, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate 80, sodium borate, and water for injection.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm111266.pdf This site does state that if you have allergies to polysorbate 80 or yeast you should not have this vaccination.
The medical community and Merck have not yet decided to stop promoting this vaccine, and it is still on the market. It is up to you to determine what is right for your children and yourself. Do your research and make sure that you understand the ramifications of the treatments that you accept. You must weigh out the pros and cons of these types of treatments and decide if the possible outcome is worth the risk.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
What is Preventive Health Care
Preventive health care, means exactly that. Many practitioners spend a great deal of their time consulting patients on how to prevent chronic and acute illness. Atherosclerosis, Cardiac events, Strokes, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, and many other illnesses can be prevented.
Preventive health care can be practiced by everyone, even people who have become ill already and wish to regain their health and stay healthy. Of course, if you wait too long to start a preventive health care plan you are no longer preventing disease, you are treating it. Either way, adopting healthy practices, having diagnostic testing done on a regular basis, and taking steps to adjust your lifestyle to accommodate any undesirable test results is key.
Insurance companies and employers are starting to understand the importance of preventive health care. Employers have taken notice of the amount of lost hours due to illnesses like Diabetes, heart surgeries to replace valves and install stents, and obesity. Many people do not consider obesity an illness, but if you add up all of the factors involved and the ramifications of not dealing with being overweight - it becomes illnesses - consider Diabetes and Heart Disease.
Diagnostic testing for preventive care is the same as testing for illnesses. Our clinic tests for several more criteria than a standard blood panel. We do this to get a complete picture of our patients health and organ function. Some of our patients pay cash for their testing, others do have insurance that will pay for their tests. It may take a few more years to get your insurance company to buck up the money for "preventive diagnostic testing" though. Insurance companies like to be able to put a label on what they are paying for. They like to be able to say you are being treated for Diabetes or Heart Disease. They are not comfortable with the term prevention. Insurance companies want to pay for something that is broken, or needs repair. They like to have definitive proof that illness is present. They also like to see precriptive drugs as treatment for illnesses. This information gives them a black and white definition and a name and treatment to go along with it.
Preventive medicine doesn't fall into those guidelines. To prevent illness you must examine a persons lifestyle, their eating habits, run specific diagnostic tests and comprehend the data that is received. Many times due to elevated levels of specific proteins or blood levels, a doctor recognizes the signs that if something doesn't change illness is coming. Often this doctor recommends or prescribes that a patient get 30 minutes of excercise 4-5 times a week, remove certain foods from the diet and add specific foods or supplements to prevent a disease. There are no prescriptions to prescribe, no surgeries to perform, no NAME to place on the disease, because it hasn't become a disease yet. There is nothing for the insurance company to pay for, except the diagnostic testing and the office visit. The responsibility lies on the patient, both for getting well and paying for the knowledge to do so.
Unfortunately, insurance companies prefer that you wait until the disease has taken over and medical intervention is required. They prefer to pay for expensive prescriptions, repetitive check ups, and surgeries because they can measure those results. If you are prescribed insulin to inject yourself with daily, because you have diabetes, they understand that. Have you ever tried to measure what might have happened "if"? If I hadn't started walking a mile a day and stopped eating processed foods I would have diabetes today... Insurance companies do not deal in "what if's".
Whats the answer?
Don't count on your insurance company to pay for your health. Insurance companies pay for illnesses. They pay for something when it's broken. You must make the choice not to wait until you are broken to be concerned about your future health. You only have one heart, one pancreas, one liver and fortunately a couple of organs that come in twos!
If you wait until your heart is sick or damaged to start taking care of it.... what happens if it can't be returned to 100%. If you wait until your pancreas can no longer make insulin to prevent diabetes... Guess what!!!! It's too late. Once your pancreas is exhausted from making too much insulin to fight off all of the sugar and processed food and it runs out... it's done. It can not make insulin ever again. You will be dependent on a shot for the rest of your life.
Preventive health care is important for all of us. Changing our lifestyles to include exercise, a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and regular check ups with your preventive health care doctor are the best way to get started.
Preventive health care can be practiced by everyone, even people who have become ill already and wish to regain their health and stay healthy. Of course, if you wait too long to start a preventive health care plan you are no longer preventing disease, you are treating it. Either way, adopting healthy practices, having diagnostic testing done on a regular basis, and taking steps to adjust your lifestyle to accommodate any undesirable test results is key.
Insurance companies and employers are starting to understand the importance of preventive health care. Employers have taken notice of the amount of lost hours due to illnesses like Diabetes, heart surgeries to replace valves and install stents, and obesity. Many people do not consider obesity an illness, but if you add up all of the factors involved and the ramifications of not dealing with being overweight - it becomes illnesses - consider Diabetes and Heart Disease.
Diagnostic testing for preventive care is the same as testing for illnesses. Our clinic tests for several more criteria than a standard blood panel. We do this to get a complete picture of our patients health and organ function. Some of our patients pay cash for their testing, others do have insurance that will pay for their tests. It may take a few more years to get your insurance company to buck up the money for "preventive diagnostic testing" though. Insurance companies like to be able to put a label on what they are paying for. They like to be able to say you are being treated for Diabetes or Heart Disease. They are not comfortable with the term prevention. Insurance companies want to pay for something that is broken, or needs repair. They like to have definitive proof that illness is present. They also like to see precriptive drugs as treatment for illnesses. This information gives them a black and white definition and a name and treatment to go along with it.
Preventive medicine doesn't fall into those guidelines. To prevent illness you must examine a persons lifestyle, their eating habits, run specific diagnostic tests and comprehend the data that is received. Many times due to elevated levels of specific proteins or blood levels, a doctor recognizes the signs that if something doesn't change illness is coming. Often this doctor recommends or prescribes that a patient get 30 minutes of excercise 4-5 times a week, remove certain foods from the diet and add specific foods or supplements to prevent a disease. There are no prescriptions to prescribe, no surgeries to perform, no NAME to place on the disease, because it hasn't become a disease yet. There is nothing for the insurance company to pay for, except the diagnostic testing and the office visit. The responsibility lies on the patient, both for getting well and paying for the knowledge to do so.
Unfortunately, insurance companies prefer that you wait until the disease has taken over and medical intervention is required. They prefer to pay for expensive prescriptions, repetitive check ups, and surgeries because they can measure those results. If you are prescribed insulin to inject yourself with daily, because you have diabetes, they understand that. Have you ever tried to measure what might have happened "if"? If I hadn't started walking a mile a day and stopped eating processed foods I would have diabetes today... Insurance companies do not deal in "what if's".
Whats the answer?
Don't count on your insurance company to pay for your health. Insurance companies pay for illnesses. They pay for something when it's broken. You must make the choice not to wait until you are broken to be concerned about your future health. You only have one heart, one pancreas, one liver and fortunately a couple of organs that come in twos!
If you wait until your heart is sick or damaged to start taking care of it.... what happens if it can't be returned to 100%. If you wait until your pancreas can no longer make insulin to prevent diabetes... Guess what!!!! It's too late. Once your pancreas is exhausted from making too much insulin to fight off all of the sugar and processed food and it runs out... it's done. It can not make insulin ever again. You will be dependent on a shot for the rest of your life.
Preventive health care is important for all of us. Changing our lifestyles to include exercise, a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and regular check ups with your preventive health care doctor are the best way to get started.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
