The View From the Table

Flu Shots Protect Us?

2008-02-16T08:35:00.006-05:00

I have never liked the idea of getting flu shots. I have never received one and really don't plan on ever getting one. My biggest reason is that your body should be healthy enough to fight off any virus. By keeping your immune system strong you can protect yourself from being sick. Unfortunately there are many, many people whose immune systems are not strong enough. I blame this on lifestyle.

You can't expect your body to have a super immune system when you eat poorly, don't exercise and allow stress to be in control. Add on to that environmental toxins and the increase in prescription drug use and it's no wonder we get knocked out by cold and flu viruses. Our systems are already over-taxed and adding a foreign invader such as a flu virus is like the straw that broke the camel's back.

Another reason I won't get the flu shot is that it can not guarantee that you won't get the flu. In fact, this year,

"The flu shot is a good match for only about 40 percent of this year's flu viruses, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday."

Read more about it here: Flu Season Expected to Get Worse

A third reason, and this is a biggie: flu shot ingredients. Here are some ingredients:
-Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent
-Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
-Neomycin, Streptomycin and Polymyxin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people.
-Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease

Protect yourself naturally ...
-Eat well: increase fresh fruits and vegetables; decrease sugars and processed foods
-Drink enough filtered water: I'll talk about this more in a later post. The "8, 8-ounce glasses per day" is not for everyone. It has never been researched or proven. Just listen to your body on this one. If your urine is dark yellow you need more water.
-Get plenty of rest
-Exercise
-Lower your stress (might I suggest a massage or CranioSacral Therapy session)
-Properly wash your hands regularly and when in public try to avoid touching your face. This helps reduce the virus being easily transferred from your hands by wiping your eyes, nose, or mouth.

My yoga video suggests that if we sweat and laugh each day we can keep our bodies healthy. Sounds good to me. So check out this funny video about the Ingredients of the Flu Shot.

Artificial Sweetener is Artificial! Crazy, Isn't It?

2008-02-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

As I continue to learn and grow as a health care practitioner, I stumble across similar information over and over again: 'If it ain't natural, don't eat it!'

Here's just another example of this message. A lab study is showing that artificial sweetener may be linked to weight gain. Read the article here.

I have been against artificial sweeteners for quite some time. It's not natural and I feel it hurts the body in the long run. So, I did some digging around to find some facts about artificial sweeteners and I present them to you here for you to make your own informed decision. (This is a very short list compared to all the info out there.)

*Splenda (sucralose) has only had six human trials to date and the longest one lasted three months. Only two of these trials were completed and published using a total of 36 human subjects. No one really knows the long term effect on the body, and no trials included kids or pregnant woman.

*Some adverse effects reported in pre-approval research:
-Shrunken thymus glands
-Enlarged liver and kidneys
-Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
-Decreased red blood cell count
-Extension of the pregnancy period
-Aborted pregnancy
-Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights
-Diarrhea

*Sucralose is made through a 5 step process that adds three chlorine molecules to a sucrose molecule, creating a fructo-galactose molecule. This molecule does not naturally occur in nature therefore your body does not possess the ability to metabolize it so it passes through your system. This is how they can claim 'zero calories'. It is not that it doesn't have zero calories. If your body could process it, it would have calories.

*Ingesting aspartame leads to the accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain, other organs and tissues. Formaldehyde has been shown to damage the nervous system, immune system, and cause irreversible genetic damage in humans.

*In 1977 saccharin was banned in Canada and the U.S. because of research showing increased rates of bladder cancer in rats. At that time saccharin was the only artificial sweetener available. Eventually U.S. Congress lifted the ban requiring instead that all saccharin-containing foods display a warning label indicating that saccharin may be a carcinogen. In 2000, the U.S. Congress repealed the law requiring saccharin products to carry health warning labels.

CranioSacral Therapy and Alzheimer's

2008-02-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

I just came across this article: Does Brain Plaque Point to Alzheimer's?

With a grandmother who has pretty severe Alzheimer's, I often think about what role CranioSacral plays in helping to keep our brain tissue healthy, and how I as a bodyworker practicing CranioSacral Therapy can help in the prevention of this 'disease'. I know that there are many, many theories out there about what causes Alzheimer's and research is ongoing. My belief is that a poor brain environment plays the biggest factor in whether or not one develops Alzheimer's. What do I mean by this?

Many studies, including the one linked above, talk about deposits, or plaques, on nervous and glial cells of the brain and spinal cord. Others talk about heavy-metal toxic build-up. Some look at brain tissue deterioration. While they all have a different theory and focus to their research, there is one common factor in all of these: the immediate environment of brain tissue. Specifically, cerebrospinal fluid.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the interstitial fluid of the brain and spinal cord. In other words, it is found in all the spaces around the nervous and glial cells of the brain and spinal cord. It bathes all of the tissues and cells of our nervous system. CSF carries nutrients to the tissues, removes metabolic wastes, removes toxins, helps regulate pH, and supports the electromagnetic environment for nervous system neurons and cells.

In November 1998, volume 854, The New York Academy of Sciences talked about CSF having chelating agents that remove metal atoms to help prevent oxidation and toxic build-ups. You can clearly see how important CSF is to the health of our nervous system.

Stanford University released results of a study that concluded "that the rate of CSF production in patients with AD is markedly reduced." On average CSF turnover is about 4-5 times per day. What happens as we age and this slowly tapers to 3 times per day or even 2 times per day? Is our brain getting the nutrients it needs? Is our tissue struggling in an environment of dirty, stagnant CSF?

But how can one maintain a healthy environment for his/her nervous system? How does one access cerebrospinal fluid to help support its vital role in our body? One way is through CranioSacral Therapy.

I believe CranioSacral Therapy (CST) to be beneficial in helping to prevent Alzheimer's because our work is directly focused on enhancing the movement of CSF throughout the craniosacral system. A major focus of CST is the evaluation of the craniosacral system to determine if there are any restrictions in the system which may be causing problems in the body. We evaluate the bones of the skull, vertebrae and pelvis looking for areas of immobility. Using very light forces (usually in the range of 5 grams of pressure) we apply techniques to remove restrictions and enhance natural, physiological movement. This gives the system (and the entire body) a chance to function as it was intended: to regulate CSF with ease.

We also apply techniques which directly impact cerebrospinal fluid exchange: Still Points and cranial pumping. I'll be discussing each of these in future posts. For now know that it is possible to effectively enhance the environment of our nervous system.

I will be talking about CranioSacral Therapy a lot in future posts. CST may not be a 'cure all' but I do believe when given the chance, the body has amazing healing abilites. While CST may not reverse Alzheimer's, I truly believe it can help prevent it from progressing any further. And for those of us who are healthy, I believe CST can help us maintain good health well into our golden years.

New Web Page

2008-02-07T12:44:00.000-05:00

I have finally added a new web page to my website. I have wanted to add this page for some time now. It took a while for me to not only write the content, but to decide what to include on the page. There are so many styles of bodywork out there I had to choose what I thought were most popular and mix those with ones I thought are effective but not-so-known.

I'd love for you to take a look at this new page and tell me your thoughts. Is there anything missing? Is there something that doesn't make sense? Do you have any experience with any of these that you'd like to share? Let me know!

Check it out

BodyworkBiz Sale Continues

2008-02-05T23:09:00.000-05:00

This is for massage therapists and bodyworkers.

To celebrate their 5 year anniversary, BodyworkBiz will be putting one course or one resource on sale each week. Each will only be on sale for that week and the sale changes each Monday morning.

This week's sale:
Article Marketing for Massage Professionals
only $49 (regularly $99)..

(You will find this under the 'Online Courses' tab across the top of the page.)

Go Ahead, Call Me a Nerd ...

2008-02-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

So, I came across this link while reading the BodyworkOnline.com Forum today. It is a website with 27 different Cadaver Dissection Videos.(link below) Yes, this is the kind of stuff that gets me excited.

I love studying the human body. It has been a passion of mine since before going to massage school; but since taking CranioSacral Therapy classes, has become almost an obsession. The body amazes me - how it works, how its put together, how it compensates for injuries, and of course how I can help someone to feel better. I think it is an absolute must for any bodyworker to have a strong understanding of anatomy & physiology to be effective. For me, the more pictures/visuals I can see of what is happening under our skin, the more specific, focused and accurate my work becomes.

Of course we watched dissection videos in Myology in massage school, and they were really good ones. But at that point I was still learning to put it all together. Now with over 5 years of bodywork experience, seeing videos like these has a much deeper level of meaning.

The Upledger Institute offers a dissection class designed for those of us studying CranioSacral Therapy. I look forward to the day I am a student in this class. Seriously.

Click here for Cadaver Dissection Videos

Super Bowl Sunday #1 Rule: No Double Dipping!

2008-02-03T16:38:00.000-05:00

Eww! Double dipping just gross, study confirms

38 Non-Organic Ingredients Found in 'USDA Organic' Foods

2008-02-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

Intersting information. Check out this post over at the daily green.

It is a list of approved non-organic ingredients that can be put into foods labeled "USDA Organic".

Hello? Anyone There?

2008-02-02T08:53:00.000-05:00

I know, I know .... I haven't posted much in the past week. I have been busy helping my brother build a website for the family business. Yes, that's right I have been building a website. If you didn't know I built my business website all by myself. It's really easier than you think it is. Well, Site Build It! makes it very, very easy for me.

Now that I have the home page and a few other 'support' pages up, I plan to be back here posting again soon.

Hey, look at that, I just posted something .......

BodyworkBiz Sale

2008-01-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

This is for massage therapists and bodyworkers.

To celebrate their 5 year anniversary, BodyworkBiz will be putting one course or one resource on sale each week. Each will only be on sale for that week and the sale changes each Monday morning.

This week's sale:
12 Client Education Newsletters for only $79. That's works out to only $6.58 per issue (normally $19 per issue).
(You will find this under the 'Marketing Tools' tab across the top of the page.)

Is It Safe To Eat Sushi?

2008-01-26T09:47:00.000-05:00

Those who know me know that I do not eat sushi. Not because of the health risks presented in this article, but because of the texture. I don't like how it feels in my mouth. Also, I don't care for the seaweed. I have eaten and enjoyed seared Ahi, but that's as far as I would go.

For those who do eat sushi, please take a moment to read this article. This is not in an attempt to get you to stop eating it altogether. Rather, just to bring to your awareness that you should be cautious of how often you consume sushi.

Article: Is it safe to eat sushi?

Training Day 2

2008-01-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

I had my second one-on-one training session yesterday. It was a much easier experience than the first day. Yesterday's focus was back, TVAs (Transverse Abdominals), and squats. For back and squats we worked purely on form, while TVA work focused on activation and strengthening.

For the back we went over proper alignment and lifting for bent over rows. The trainer showed me using both a barbell and dumbbells. We discussed how varying handholds and direction of the row slightly changes the muscles being worked. Even with light weight, I could feel how being in good alignment allowed me to target specific back muscles.

From the back we moved on to TVAs. The Transverse Abdominal muscles are the deepest layer of abdominal muscles. We hear a lot of fitness people talk about our 'core'. Well, the TVAs are part of our core. The TVAs are the muscles used when someone sucks in their gut to give the appearance of a thinner stomach, and they are used by women during labor and delivery.

TVAs are important to work on for lifting and conditioning because that act as a natural weight-lifting belt to support and protect the low back/spine and pelvis. For me, in my line of work, well-toned TVAs help support me through massage movements and keep me aligned while sitting during a CranioSacral Therapy session. I have learned that my TVAs need work!

I have known for some time that my core has not been as strong as it could be. When I was visiting the gym, I did several abdominal exercises. I have now learned that none of them worked my TVAs. While it may have been good to be working Rectus Abdominus (the six pack muscle) and the Obliques, I really wasn't targeting the TVAs enough. Now, I have some tools to work on this to start strengthening and, more importantly, protecting my core/low back.

Lastly we worked on form for squats. An interesting exercise he had me do was to stand facing a wall, toes about 3-4 inches from the wall, and slowly perform a squat. During this exercise I was to keep my knees or head from hitting the wall. This helped to show me proper form and balance through a squat. It really helped me to see how bad my previous squat form had been. I had always thought my form was pretty good. It's amazing to see the difference.

Even just performing slow squats close to the wall, without any weight other than body weight, I could feel it targeting the right muscles and I could feel my legs starting to burn.

From there I moved away from the wall and stood just in front of a weight bench. With my new squat form I practiced 'almost sitting' on the bench. I would squat down until I could just feel the bench under me and then straighten up again without resting my weight on the bench. I could feel how this exercise targets more than just the lower extremities.

We finished with an exercise that felt odd at first and then had my quads begging to stop. For this one, I would slowly squat down onto the bench except this time I would actually sit on the bench for a moment and the forcefully jump straight up off the bench into the air. Upon landing I would immediately go into another slow squat onto the bench, sit, and then jump again. After only a few of these, my quads were done.

It was a great session. It was not only nice to finally feel correct form, but it was nice to have such an effective, targeted workout without having to use weights (except for the back stuff). All the stuff we worked on for the TVAs and the squats I can do at home or in my office. It's going to be great to be able to work on those whenever I feel like it without having to run to the gym. I'm sure there will be exercises that will be more beneficial with weights (which means a trip to the gym) but I like the idea of balancing things to do at home/office and things to do at the gym.

I am hoping that this is all adding up to a fitness plan I enjoy and will stick with for some time.

Oh yeah ... and when I got home I was so motivated and felt so good, I did another yoga session with the DVD. And yes, my legs and I are not speaking to each other today.

Awakening My Kundalini Energy

2008-01-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

Last week while shopping in Whole Foods, I finally decided to buy the Kundalini yoga DVD I have been looking at for quite a while. I was introduced to Kundalini yoga a few years back by a friend who worked at the spa I was managing at the time. I went to some classes with her and found myself loving this type of yoga.

It had everything I was looking for: stretching, strengthening, cardiovascular, meditation and spirituality. It was challenging for my body and mind and I felt great after each class. The problem was it was $10 per class. $40 per month would only give me 4 classes; where as $40 per month at a gym would give me access to much more. So, the gym won out. (Which didn't last too long if you recall from a previous post.)

So, I had been looking at this DVD to at least do some of this yoga that I loved.

I popped it in a couple of days ago to do my first Kundalini 'class' at home. It started out a little weird. I had to get used to doing this in my living room. Plus, there is a certain energy when you are in a room with other people all there with a similar focus. But as I settled into the routine, my energy began to flow and I became focused on the movements. It felt really great to be moving like this again.

The energy beginning to flow through my body was wonderful. My spine was popping and cracking, loosening up and realigning itself through the various movements. Then I reached a point where I was so mentally and physically involved, it happened. I had a powerful surge of emotion and began to cry.

You see, Kundalini yoga can be very powerful work. It's about bringing up resistance and moving through it in your mind and body. It's about releasing stuck energy to get Kundalini energy moving up your spine from your root chakra (or base of your spine). I don't know what exactly it was about, but something needed to get out, so it did.

I wasn't sobbing, but did have a tear or two run down my cheek. It quickly passed. And in the next exercise, my eyes again welled up with tears as another wave of emotion rushed through my body. I then began to smile and laugh a bit at the wonderful feeling of my body working through this energy block and letting it go. I felt fantastic.

Plus it was a great physical workout for me. It has been a while since I have pushed my body that hard. I was out of breath, sweating, and could feel muscles burning from exertion. I was exhausted afterword, but my mind was clear and I felt great.

I'm looking forward to my next experience with this amazing practice.

BodyworkBiz Sale!

2008-01-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

This is for massage therapists and bodyworkers.

To celebrate their 5 year anniversary, BodyworkBiz will be putting one course or one resource on sale each week. Each will only be on sale for that week and the sale changes each Monday morning.

This week's sale: 60 Clients in 60 Days for $49 (reg. $99)
(You will find this under the 'Online Courses' tab across the top of the page.)

Great Quote

2008-01-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

Watching TV last night (Designed to Sell to be specific) this quote came at the end of the show as an outtake during the credits. However, it really made me think.

"You've got an interesting past ahead of you."

Childhood Traumas Can Lead To Disease

2008-01-18T12:13:00.000-05:00

In May 1998, the American Journal of Preventative Medicine published this article:

Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study

The study presented in the article concluded:

"We found a strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults."

This is interesting to me to see a study like this published almost 10 years ago. In my CranioSacral Therapy paradigm, this has always been my belief. In CranioSacral Therapy (CST) II and in the SomatoEmotional Release (SER) classes, we are taught to evaluate the body in a way that helps us locate 'energy cysts'. Energy cysts are areas of restricted or disorganized energy in the body that can be caused by physical, emotional or spiritual trauma. If the body is unable to dissipate the energy at the time of trauma, it does the next best thing to protect us and minimize the negative effect: It compacts the traumatic energy, making it smaller and more localized. In a sense it walls off the trauma to protect us if we are unable to 'deal' with it at that time.

We all have energy cysts and our body adapts to them. However, over time, our bodies will need more and more energy to go on with daily functions. Also, the longer the energy cysts remain the more they begin to effect the nearby tissues and structures. So, as years pass and we are exposed to more energy cysts, the body becomes stressed and begins to lose its ability to adapt. This is when symptoms start to appear that become difficult to suppress and/or ignore.

As previously stated, CST teaches us to locate these energy cysts in the body and support the body in releasing them, if the body is ready and able to do so. Often, the release of the energy cyst is accompanied by an emotional component.

It is my belief that in order for a symptom, disease, and/or dysfunction to truly be released from the body, one must address the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspect of the illness. For me, CST does all of that effectively in an extremely gentle, supportive environment.

I have personally experienced and been witness to the body releasing trauma (including emotional and spiritual) and healing illness associated with that trauma.

(ring ... ring ... ring) "Hello?" ... It's For Me!

2008-01-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

What a great way to start the new year ... with my own personal wake-up call ...

I tend to be one of those people who get really motivated to start going to the gym, get a membership, new workout attire, start going three times a week ... then two times a week ... then one ... then pay monthly to think about going.
I have always had a hard time putting on weight. I know some of you are thinking: 'Oh, poor baby. You can't put on weight. How awful. I'd love to be in your shoes. At least you don't have to lose weight.' Trust me I've heard it all. But, this is my personal struggle and should not be compared to anyone else's struggle. As far as I am concerned, it is as difficult for me to put on weight as it is for some to lose weight. And it shaped my self esteem and body image issues the same as anyone else struggling with weight issues. (And yes, I too was called names because of my weight.) So, back to the gym issue.

To start with I am uncomfortable even setting foot in a gym. I feel like people stare wondering what illness I have that made me so thin and wiry. Doing cardio presents two simultaneous issues:
1. I want to increase my cardiovascular health - but I don't want to burn calories and lose any weight.
2. People must be staring at me thinking, "Slow down on the cardio, stick boy".
Then weight training brings up even another level of poor self talk about what the muscle guys must be thinking about me invading their territory.

At this point some of you are thinking, "Who cares what others think, this is about you being healthy. Just go in there, do what you need to do and leave." Well, I tell myself the same thing, but easier said than done, right?

The point of all this is that I haven't seen the inside of the gym since this past May or June even though every month I continue to support them financially.

Last September a new group formed in Northampton, The Northampton Area Young Professionals (The NAYP), and I decided to join. (More about that in posts to come.) Each meeting they raffle off prizes donated by members. Well, as luck would have it, I win the gift certificate for a physical assessment at a local fitness facility. Oh, joy! Well, after putting it off and making excuses why I couldn't go, I finally decided that I needed to go and that this year I would focus more on my physical health. Which brings me to yesterday.

Now, keep in mind I haven't been in a gym for almost eight months and even when I did go, probably didn't have the best routines for my body. So, yesterday ....

I started by filling out forms and chatting a bit with my trainer about what I do for work, past health experiences, thoughts on exercise, etc, etc. Then I got changed into my workout attire and met him back in the office for weigh-in, and measurements. My body composition (% of body fat) was so low that it wasn't even listed on the chart. This was certainly a fun activity for my day off, and I couldn't wait to get going with the physical assessment.

We moved to one of the training rooms. My first task was to do 72 step-ups in 3 minutes. 'That's not too bad' you think. However, my step was onto a weight bench. My guess is that it is about 12"-16" off the ground. Not your normal step. Both feet up onto the bench and then both feet back onto the floor was one step-up. Again, I needed to complete 72 in 3 minutes (or 24 per minute). The first 24 were actually not that bad and I thought, "Wow maybe I'm in better shape than I thought." Then about half way (around #36) my quads started to revolt and turn to gelatin. I am proud to say that I finished all 72 step-ups in just over 3 minutes. I rested for a minute and then he took my pulse. 176 beats per minute. My heart was beating out of my chest. One of the higher rates he had ever seen. Gee, I am so proud.

Then it was on to squats. Fortunately with no weight. For this one I had to raise my arms above my head and perform a squat as if I was doing it with weights. This wasn't too bad as he wanted me to do them slowly so he could watch my form and how my body moved through the squat. The only problem with this was that my quads were not speaking to me anymore because of what I had just put them through.

Next was one legged squats which actually turned out to be easier than I had expected, and my form was pretty good. However, my heart is still pounding, urging me to stop. So, onward I go .... To, of course, push-ups.

At this point I am having flashbacks of the torture we went through in high school gym class called 'The Presidential Physical Fitness Test'. Fortunately, it was just me and the trainer and not a class full of teenagers ready to laugh at how poorly you scored. Even in my state of near collapse, I completed 17 push-ups in fairly decent form. I am pretty proud of that.

Plank pose was the next assessment. I needed to maintain plank pose for as long as possible. Well, a modified plank pose: Forearms on the floor and lifting myself up so I was supported by my forearms and toes. I don't know how long exactly I did it, but it was under a minute. Not as easy as I had expected. Then let's do another exercise ...

This one was a bit odd to get into ... and odd to explain. My position was similar to that of an inclined bench press, except there was no bench under me. I was 'hanging' at an incline from a bar and had to pull myself up to the bar and back down. Kind of like a pull up but I was on an angle. It was a very odd position to be in but I did my best. Now, I had to sit down.

My heart still pounding, my mouth getting dry, my lungs starting to hurt, and I was starting to feel nauseous ... I was done! The trainer wisely decided to let me skip the last assessment. I was so thankful. I could barely stand my legs were shaking. I needed to get my stuff and get the heck out of there before I passed out of vomited. I wasn't sure which would come first.

I went back to the bathroom where I had left my bag and had to sit down on a smartly placed bench while I fished out my keys. I thought to myself, "If I am going to throw up, I don't want to do it here." So I grabbed my stuff and flew off to my car. I left without putting on any extra layers of clothing so I stepped outside in a short sleeved shirt and nylon/polyester track pants. The cold hit me like a slap to the face and I was grateful. It felt divine.

I made it home and collapsed on the couch. My heart still pounding and my body still debating about vomiting. I thought I was going to pass out or have a heart attack. I knew I needed to get some nutrition in my body. Fortunately, we have bananas. I slowly ate a banana and sipped some Vitamin Water. The nausea began to subside. It took almost an hour after finishing my assessment for my heart and breathing to feel normal. I had made it through ...

Today, I am surprised that my legs are not sore at all but my pecs and serratus anterior are incredibly sore. Other than that, I feel pretty good. My ego isn't nearly as bruised as I had expected it would be post assessment. I am actually happy with myself that I finally went through with this. I know that my health is important. Especially my cardiovascular health. My family's cardiovascular health history is not a pretty one. I need to break that cycle, and I know I can. But to do it, I need to get over some of my hang-ups about going to the gym.

I have another appointment with the trainer. He said next time would focus on core strength assessment. I am looking forward to that because as a massage therapist core strength is key to staying healthy and injury free, and is needed to give a great deep tissue massage.

So, what will become of these assessments and all this information we are gathering? The trainer says that what we will do is build a routine that is very specifically designed to give me workouts that I enjoy and that will meet all my needs. Routines that will build cardiovascular strength and lean muscle without using cardio machines and without becoming a body builder. And he will spend time showing me how to properly lift weights to prevent injury and target specific muscle groups accurately.

All in all, not a bad wake-up call to receive.

More Drug Talk

2008-01-16T12:08:00.001-05:00

Information recently released states that while Vytorin and Zetia do help reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) they do not prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The drugs may actually increase that build up.

Merck and Schering-Plough sat on the results of this study for 2 years before releasing this info.

Listen to the story here from npr.org.

Recreational Drugs vs. Prescription Drugs

2008-01-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

I am pretty much anti-drug company and anti-prescription drug in general. I think there are a many health alternatives to explore before going the medication route. That being said, I do believe that there are cases where prescription medication is necessary and helpful. I just don't think it should be our medical system's first choice in the fight against all illnesses.

This is not to suggest that I support the recreational use of drugs. It's just an interesting perspective to think that prescribed drugs kill far more people per year than recreational drugs; and we are all ok with it this, because it is legal!?!?!

And how do we cut down on the use of recreational drug use when we are teaching kids that popping pills is no big deal. From the article:

The desire to solve problems by taking drugs is a product of our culture. When a child is taught by loving parents that the appropriate response to pain or discomfort is taking a pill, it is obvious that such a child, when faced with the challenges of adolescence, will seek comfort by taking drugs.

Read through this article from Mercola.com. It is a very interesting take on what the drug war in this country should really be about.

Raw Milk

2008-01-14T11:28:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, after quite a bit of reading up on the subject, I made the switch to raw milk. That's right! Raw Milk. For those who are not familiar: Raw milk is un-pasteurized, un-homogenized milk that comes directly from the cow. This is where most people turn up their nose and make a 'eww gross' type of expression. However, most people do not know the history behind pasteurized, homogenized milk; and don't know that in fact it ruins the milk and does not protect us from bacteria.

Pasteurization came about in the 1920's to 'protect' us from TB, undulant fever, and infant diarrhea. But the spread of these diseases was mostly due to poor animal nutrition and unsanitary production methods. Modern milk farms now have stainless steel tanks and milking machines, better refrigeration methods and much more advanced inspection and testing methods to check for harmful bacteria.

Pasteurization destroys enzymes, decreases vitamin content (C, B12, B6), harms the calcium making it mainly insoluble, and kills beneficial bacteria. And pasteurization does not always kill the bacteria for Johne’s disease suspected of causing Crohn's disease in humans with which most confinement cows are infected. Also, pasteurization kills the bacteria, but does not clean it. So, you are still drinking the 'dead' parts of the bacteria. This can trigger asthma, and inflammation and triggers histamine release in your body.

Clean, raw milk comes from certified, clean, healthy cows. Cows that are fed properly and allowed to roam. Raw milk contains natural probiotics and beneficial bacteria to keep our digestion healthy. Raw milk has butterfat which contains vitamins A and D and is needed to assimilate calcium and protein. Butterfat also has good fatty acids that protect against disease, stimulate the immune system, prevent intestinal distress and has strong anticancer properties.

I am sure that I will be talking more about this topic. But, for now, I strongly urge you to watch this video (about 10 mins):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHcyAH0rOPE