How Healthy is the United States Compared to Other Countries?
It’s no secret that health in the United States ranks lower than that of many other industrialized nations but did you know it was this bad?
Life Expectancy
According to the World Fact Book (data compiled by the CIA) the United States ranks 43rd for life expectancy at birth. with an expectancy of 79.68 years, nearly a full 10 years behind Monaco, the country holding the number one spot at 89.52 years. The 41 countries in between include Japan, Hong Kong, many of the European nations, Canada, and Israel.
Maternal Death Rate
There are 47 countries that had a lower maternal death rate in 2010 (the latest available data). In the United States, 21 women die from complications per 100,000 live births compared to 2 per 100,000 in Estonia, 3 in Greece, 3 in Singapore, 4 in Italy, and so on.
Infant Mortality Rate
The infant mortality rate, the number of infants who die before reaching their first birthday, is another shameful ranking – with 5.87 deaths per 1,000 live births. A terrible ranking with 57 countries ahead of us. Again, Monaco takes the top spot with 1.82 deaths per 1,000 births.
Fetal Death Rate
In 2011-2013, the fetal death rate, the rate of miscarriage after 20 weeks gestation, surpassed the infant mortality rate, though the numbers are very close. In 2013, the rate was 5.96 per 1,000 live births, giving the United States a high rate of loss before and after birth. What does this say about the health of our nation?
https://youtu.be/Cns6BCPjrss
Health Expenditures
In 2012, the United States actually rank number one in this category – health expenditures – 17.9% of the GDP. Let’s compare that to Monaco with its greatest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality. It ranked 155 on the list of 191 countries with 4.40%. Estonia, with its lowest maternal death rate, ranked 113 with 5.90%.
Conclusion
Something is very wrong with this picture. We spend the most on healthcare but our lifespan is shorter than the leading nation. What do we have an abundance of? An ever growing abundance of vaccines and processed “foods” filled with genetically modified organisms, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and pesticides.
We can choose a healthy lifestyle. We can choose alternative health care and focus on nutrition as our primary source of healing. We can choose to live an organic lifestyle.
Campbell Company announced their support for GMO labeling, federal legislation for a single mandatory labeling standard for both GMO-free and GMO-containing foods, in a press release dated January 7, 2016.
Campbell wants us to view them in a particular light. This one:
Campbell (NYSE:CPB) is driven and inspired by our Purpose, “Real food that matters for life’s moments.” The company makes a range of high-quality soups and simple meals, beverages, snacks and packaged fresh foods. For generations, people have trusted Campbell to provide authentic, flavorful and readily available foods and beverages that connect them to each other, to warm memories, and to what’s important today. Led by its iconic Campbell’s brand, the company’s portfolio includes Pepperidge Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Arnott’s, V8, Swanson, Pace, Prego, Plum, Royal Dansk, Kjeldsens and Garden Fresh Gourmet. Founded in 1869, Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the planet’s natural resources…” – BusinessWire news release.
Campbell states that their earlier opposition (to the tune of $982,888.00) was an effort to defeat fragmented state-by-state labeling laws, not consumers’ right to know what is in their food.
Why One Federally Mandated Label Law?
Campbell has also removed artificial flavors, coloring, and preservatives as well as “additional added” MSG for its condensed soups for kids…
The reality is that state-by-state laws could be a major problem and expense for Campbell or for any manufacturer.
All the fuss about higher costs to the consumer if GMOs were labeled is a smokescreen, an excuse to keep the consumer in the dark about what they are eating. But if a manufacturer had to label a product 50 different ways and ensure shipments were sent to the right state with the right label, then we are talking about a major expense.
If standards were set in place and all manufacturers had to alter their labels once, this change makes sense. Keep in mind, some of the manufacturers who are complaining about this possibility already have different labels for their European markets and/or different formulas for their products that meet European standards.
Campbell’s President and CEO, Denise Morrison, makes a good point regarding state laws when she uses Vermont as an example. The new law in Vermont only pertains to products regulated by the FDA, not the USDA. Their original variety SpaghettiO’s falls under the FDA regulations and therefore requires a GMO label. Their SpaghettiO’s meatballs does not. Due to the fact that it contains meat, it is regulated by the USDA and is therefore not bound by Vermont’s new law. These products sit side by side on many grocery shelves. Both contain GMOs, but only one is labeled.
Our Right To Know
Campbell wants to be sure we understand that they still support GMO technology.
Campbell continues to recognize that GMOs are safe, as the science indicates that foods derived from crops grown using genetically modified seeds are not nutritionally different from other foods. The company also believes technology will play a crucial role in feeding the world.” – BusinessWire news release.
They are conceding to our right to know because 92% of Americans support GMO labeling.
There you have it. They are now pushing for labeling, not because it is the right thing to do, not because it is logical, moral, and just. Not to protect our health. They are backing labeling because of overwhelming pressure from consumers, consumers whose well-justified fears the company continues to discount.
The best news is that they state they will go ahead with new labels even if a federal solution is not reached in a timely manner.
Other Changes by Campbell
Campbell has also removed artificial flavors, coloring, and preservatives as well as “additional added” MSG for its condensed soups for kids and the company plans to remove
…artificial colors and flavors from nearly all of its North American products by the end of fiscal 2018. Additionally, Campbell plans to move away from using high fructose corn syrup in certain products, including the complete line of Pepperidge Farm fresh breads by the end of fiscal 2017, as well as most new products launching in fiscal 2016 in its Americas Simple Meals and Beverages portfolio.” – Campbell Website Press
Why not all products? Why not now? Why not remove all MSG because is has been proven dangerous?
Is it not condescending and self-serving to say they are taking out these ingredients from kid’s soups so the recipes are simplified for parents rather than admitting parents are right in choosing non-toxic products for their children?
Conclusion
We want to applaud every decision they have made to remove toxic ingredients from their products and to label those that remain. But we can’t help feeling it’s a little bit late. We wish Campbell and other giant food companies would stand up for clean, healthy food. Not for the sake of profits. Not to fit in a niche. Because it is the right thing to do!
The real takeaway from this story is the power of public opinion and a reminder that we do vote with our dollars. Every time we buy a product with artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, MSG, HFCS, trans fats, or GMOs we are supporting the use of these products in processed foods. We are voting FOR toxic food. Every time we purchase whole, fresh, organic, foods, we are voting AGAINST toxic foods. Let’s applaud the 92% of Americans who want to know what they are eating for this victory and keep up the momentum.
NSAIDs Warning – These Drugs Are Not Safe (Motrin, Advil, Naproxen…)
The prevailing beliefs around pharmaceuticals in America are that prescription drugs are safe if used according to directions, over-the-counter drugs are even safer – that’s why they don’t require a prescription, and pharmaceutical complications are rare.
Drugs aren’t as safe as many assume. It seems using NSAIDs significantly increase your risk of heart attack or stroke, more so than previously believed, though doctors have known these drugs increase the risk of heart attack and stroke for 15 years, along with raising blood pressure and causing heart failure.
Dangers of Using NSAIDs
heart attack and stroke risk increase with short-term use possibly as short as a few weeks.
Apparently, they did not know the extent of the risk until Vioxx (rofecoxib), another NSAID, was pulled from the market and further studies on all NSAIDs were conducted. In the five years Vioxx was on the market, it caused as many as 140,000 heart attacks in the U.S. and 55,000 deaths.
After Vioxx was removed from the market in 2004, further studies into the safety of NSAIDs were conducted. In mid-2015, an expert panel reviewed the new information about these drugs and decided it was time for the FDA to modify the warnings associated with their use.
Aspirin (Note: these particular warnings do not apply to aspirin.)
Naproxen (Naprosyn®, Aleve®)
Nabumetone (Relafen®)
The new warnings from the FDA point out that the risk increases with increased dosage and the length of time NSAIDs are taken; however, heart attack and stroke risk increase with short-term use, possibly as short as a few weeks. The risk applies to all users but those with heart disease face a greater risk.
The FDA website says:
There is no period of use shown to be without risk,” says Judy Racoosin, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director of FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Addiction Products.
People who have cardiovascular disease, particularly those who recently had a heart attack or cardiac bypass surgery, are at the greatest risk for cardiovascular adverse events associated with NSAIDs.
FDA is adding information in the drug label for people who already have had a heart attack. This vulnerable population is at an increased risk of having another heart attack or dying of heart attack-related causes if they’re treated with NSAIDs, according to studies.
But the risk is also present in people without cardiovascular disease. “Everyone may be at risk – even people without an underlying risk for cardiovascular disease,” Racoosin adds.
Can You Safely Use NSAIDs?
The FDA tells consumers to take the smallest dose possible for the least amount of time possible to increase safety. The reality is, these drugs are not safe, though many still believe them to be. In addition to the cardiovascular risks, there is a risk of “… inflammation, bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach, small intestine, or large intestine, which can be fatal.” [Motrin Insert] Renal damage is also a concern.
Conclusion
The best approach is to managing pain and inflammation is to treat the cause rather than the symptoms – to heal the body. For many, this entails a sweeping lifestyle change. But those who choose to heal their bodies through nutrition, detox, and exercise, reap the rewards. Check out What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good.
Dying to Cut – Unnecessary Surgeries You May Want to Avoid, and Why
People respond to financial incentives. Physicians are no exception to this basic rule of human nature. According to Merrit Hawkin’s salary survey, the average compensation for a family general practitioner in 2011 was $178,000. For that same year, the average compensation for a general surgeon was $330,000, with orthopedic surgeons commanding an average salary of $532,000. Obviously, it pays to cut on patients.
Surgical procedures are commonly forced on patients by doctors who are not surgeons, with or without patient consent, often under enormous pressure from profit-driven hospitals, even when it isn’t in the patient’s best interest. And, of course, the charge is added to the bottom line.
Just A Little Cut, They Tell You, Before Performing An Episiotomy
An episiotomy is a surgical procedure wherein the surgeon makes an incision in the perineum, severing the tissue between the vagina and the anus. Routine episiotomies have been shown to be harmful to women and not beneficial to babies. Episiotomies run the risk of complications such as increased long-term discomfort, infection, hematoma formation, recto-vaginal fistula formation, and dysfunction of the anal sphincter. Many of the possible complications from episiotomies require corrective surgery. It is understandable why many women would not want such a procedure performed on them, and yet the procedure is forced on many women on a regular basis, under the guiding rule that the doctor knows best.
According to the authors of the national Listening to Mothers II Survey (2006) said, “The great majority of mothers who had experienced episiotomy (73%) stated that they had not had a choice in this decision.”
Routine episiotomy has been scientifically discredited for more than 20 years, and yes, child birthing experiences like this are becoming more commonplace:
Dr. A came into the room and after two pushes he had scissors in his hands and told the nurse that he was going to perform as episiotomy. I said, “Why?” … I pushed two more times, and he was going to cut, and I said, “No, Don’t Cut Me”. Then I said, “Why, why can’t we try?” He said why you don’t go home and try or go to Kentucky! So then after he yelled at me he cut my vagina twelve times. So before the episiotomy, the nurse said it’s only going to be a little cut. A little cut turned into Dr. A’s horrific rage against me as a human being and against my will to begin with. I wanted to cry so badly and I was so horrified while he was cutting me.”
Kimberly Turbin has since filed suit against Dr. Abbassi. Her attorney explains, “Today, legal protections for American women in childbirth are uncertain—but with Ms. Turbin’s case, I intend to show that there are, indeed, real consequences when providers inflict harm on vulnerable patients.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident. Rebecca Woolf did not want an episiotomy, and she clearly communicated that fact to her doctor in her prenatal visits. “Oh yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem. Sounds good,” Woolf recalled him saying. “But when we got into the delivery room, it was, ‘I’ve got to do this, I’ve got no choice. If I don’t cut you, you’re going to tear. It’s going to be terrible. It’s going to be way worse.”
…I had pushed, like, once and he said, ‘I’m going to have to cut you, or else you’ll tear.”
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reported 443,000 episiotomies performed in 2007. A 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that between 30 to 35 percent of vaginal births in the U.S. involve an episiotomy.
The episiotomy rates among American midwives is roughly 3%.
C-Section
According to survey results, (32%) of respondents gave birth via cesarean section. Many women said they would have preferred the option of giving birth vaginally, but their doctors refused natural childbirth as an option.
The mainstream media prefers to emphasize the glamor of “designer births” wherein labor is induced and babies are born by cesarean section on schedule, followed by a tummy tuck. Despite their emphasis on this way of giving birth, these options are rarely sought after. More prevalent than designer births are allegations of profound abuse. Andrea Davis explains that she can’t recall her most recent birth, “without crying and becoming physically ill at times.”
Angela’s doctor manually removed her placenta and performed a uterine sweep following her baby’s birth, while blatantly ignoring her distress and refusing to speak to her. “I have never had someone put their arm up inside of me in my three previous births, let alone without telling me what they were doing first, and without asking permission. [The doctor] had zero respect or regard for me as a human being.”
Another woman explains that she was rolled into the OR while she was screaming, “I don’t want a C section!” while being told, “If you don’t shut up, we will knock you out!”
Another shares her gruesome experience giving birth.
When my plans for an HBAC [home birth after cesarean] failed, the hospital treated me like a criminal. I was ignored, yelled at, verbally abused, denied pain medication, neglected, separated from my husband, held down, strapped to a table, and told that my baby and I would most likely die…
Then I was put to sleep.
Strangers witnessed my baby’s first breath; we were not surrounded by love in that operating room. I suffer from PTSD.”
Rinat Dray a mother of three boys had her first two children delivered by C-section that resulted in difficult recoveries. So in 2011, she was determined to have her next baby naturally, referred to “vaginal birth after cesarean,” or VBAC.
After several hours of labor, Dr. Dray’s doctor abruptly decided when and how Rinat Dray was to give birth.
He said, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re making good progress. I don’t think it’s going to be natural. I don’t have all day for you.’ …They pushed me into the operation. I was begging all the way, ‘Don’t do it, my baby is fine! Don’t do it!’ His answer was just, ‘Don’t speak.’ “
What if You Are Not Dead Yet? You Better Speak Up
According to consulting firm, Milliman, the recipients of single-organ transplants—heart, intestine, kidney, liver, single and double lung and pancreas—are charged an average of $470,000 dollars, ranging from $288,000 for a kidney transplant to $1.2 million for an intestine transplant.
The current criteria on brain death was put in place by a Harvard Medical School committee in 1968. In 1981, the Uniform Determination of Death Act made brain death a legal form of death in all 50 states.
The exam for brain death is straightforward, but by no means foolproof. A doctor splashes ice water in your ears, pokes you in the eyes with a cotton swab and checks for gag reflexes, and then he runs some other tests. The whole process takes less time than a typical eye exam. Finally, in what’s called the apnea test, the ventilator is disconnected to see if you can breathe unassisted. If not, you are often declared brain dead. (Some or all of the above tests may be repeated later for confirmation.)
Unfortunately, many people who are declared brain dead are never tested for higher brain activity. Even if testing for higher brain activity was to be required, brain death diagnoses would still not be an exact science. The harsh reality is that vital organs could become useless if doctors always waited until they were positive the donor was dead before they removed them. Giving the gift of life may be something that you do while you are still alive.
We’ll never know how many patients were pronounced brain dead who would have recovered if their doctors had not harvested their organs.
There have been numerous accounts of patients who came to consciousness just in the knick of time, people who recovered after a firm diagnosis of “brain death” was already given.
Zack Dunlap, a 21-year-old Oklahoman, flipped over on his 4-Wheeler and suffered catastrophic brain injuries in November 2007. Thirty-six hours after his accident, doctors at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas, declared him ‘brain dead.’ Preparations to harvest his organs were underway when friends and relatives gathered to say their final goodbyes. His cousin, a nurse, wanting to make certain, scraped his pocket knife along the bottom of Zack’s foot. Zack jerked his foot away. Just months later, Zack was walking and talking. Zack recalled hearing the doctor say he was dead and being ‘mad inside’ but unable to move.
Steven Thorpe, a British 17-year-old, suffered horrific injuries in a multi-car accident. Four doctors declared him ‘brain dead.’ Doctors asked his family to consider donating his organs before his life-support was turned off. The family sought a second opinion from a neurologist who detected faint brain waves. Seven weeks later, Steven was discharged from the hospital having made a near-full recovery. In 2013, at age 21, now an accountant trainee, he spoke to the media for the first time: ‘Hopefully (my experience) can help people see you should never give up. My father believed I was alive—and he was correct.’ ”
Doctors are expanding their definition of what it means to be a viable donor.
Colleen Burns was initially found unresponsive and surrounded by empty bottles of Benadryl, Xanax, a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory drug on Oct.16, 2009. If her prognosis remained hopeless, it would have proven to have been more profitable for the hospital.
Colleen did not meet the standards for withdrawal of care. Her paperwork documents a cardiopulmonary arrest, a heart attack that conveniently resulted in brain damage. The heart attack never happened and doctors ignored nurses’ observations that her condition was improving. Nurses noted that she curled her toes when touched, flared her nostrils, and moved her mouth and tongue. Poison control specialists recommended using activated charcoal to stop Burns’ body from absorbing the drugs, but the recommended treatment never happened. She became conscious not a moment too soon, waking up seconds before a transplant team was set to harvest her organs. (Unfortunately, Colleen’s later suicide attempt in 2011 was successful, taking her life at age 41).
New rules have been established to expand eligibility for donation. Patients on ventilators whom doctors find to be “hopeless” or “vegetative” are now seen as viable candidates for organ donation. Newer rules have also been put in place to allow donation after cardiac death. Despite the flawed track record of our current protocols, the changes put in place are ensured to maximize organ donation, not minimize mistakes. The true magnitude of the problem encompasses the countless cases no one hears about, all the patients who would have woken up if given the opportunity. We hear only about those who woke up in time.
Breast Augmentation
At what age should breast augmentation surgery be considered? Should a parent be allowed to force breast augmentation surgery on an unwilling child? How young is too young for breast augmentation surgery?
Sarah Burge had been under the knife since she was seven years old. She has spent nearly a million dollars on surgeries, earning her the nickname,”The Human Barbie.”
Poppy kept bugging me to have it done. She’d stomp her feet and throw a tantrum, and say things like, “Mommy, you had your first surgery at 7! I’m 10 now! I want my surgery!”
Sarah Burge had to extend her search to Latin America in order to find a doctor willing to do it. No physician in the UK or the U.S. would agree to perform the surgery, citing ethical prohibitions. She found a Mexican doctor who routinely performs surgeries from home, at a bargain price.
Sarah came to me after being turned down by lots of doctors. People with ethics and concerns for children. Me, I don’t have those things. I performed the surgery, and it went very, very well. Young girl, she has a great set of breasts now.
Male Genital Mutilation, AKA, Circumcision
Whenever a male infant is born, his country of origin is arguably the biggest factor in determining whether or not his penis will remain intact. American parents have been lied to, and they have been sacrificing their children for an ancient superstition, a medical myth, or what they perceive to be the cultural norm. Over a hundred children die each year from complications arising from circumcision. Many more suffer from botched circumcisions that often requiring corrective surgery.
Does it make sense to risk an infant’s life to make their genitals more closely resemble a family member’s? What if the operation were botched? Does it not follow that it would be beneficial for us to stop doing routine surgical procedures?
Justifications for circumcision vary. There are many myths surrounding circumcision. A growing number of men grow up resenting that they were circumcised because they did not consent to the procedure.
Ahmadi gave birth to a baby boy who loved attention, cried very little, and smiled at his parents. “He gave us the most amazing moments of our life.” Against their better judgment, Ahmadi and John Heydari were persuaded by their pediatrician to circumcise their son. They had resisted their doctor’s recommendation to have their son circumcised because they were believed that “Mother Nature created us the way she intended us to be.”
In a country that no longer circumcises the majority of their infants (32%), this Canadian pediatrician had to be determined in order to gain consent from the Iranian immigrants.
Ahmadi admits that she and her husband knew, almost immediately after their son’s surgery, that something was seriously wrong.
The previously cheerful baby –
Was crying so much, so hard, and he wouldn’t stop,…He was bleeding, and it only got worse over just hours … It was so obvious from the blood his tiny body had lost that he was in danger.”
Ryan Hedari was brought to Toronto’s North York General Hospital. Pathologists said he succumbed to “hypovolemic shock” caused by bleeding from the circumcision, incisions which emptied his body of approximately 40% of his blood supply. It was too much for him to take, and he died.
His parents are wracked with grief. “We … waited for care that could have saved his life, but that level of care never came.”
The loss of Ryan, our only child, has made us realize that we can’t possess anything, even our hopes and dreams. We hope that this never happens to any other baby.”
Mario Viera’s parents had repeatedly told the hospital staff that they did not want their son circumcised. Like most Latin Americans, they consider themselves culturally opposed to circumcision, and they made their position clear. Eight days after their son was born and was still being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit, Vera Delgado returned home briefly to take a shower and to change her clothes. By the time she got back to South Miami Hospital, the hospital staff had circumcised her child, supposedly by mistake. She is suing the hospital for assault and battery and asking for a million dollars for the deformity the circumcision caused.
Her attorney, Spencer Aronfeld, explains:
This is not medical malpractice. We are suing for battery, an unauthorized assault on this baby. They took a knife to him without his parent’s permission.
The baby was in neonatal intensive care with complications from a birth-related infection. They took the baby out and amputated healthy tissue from the penis in an irreversible procedure.
…The parents were very explicit they did not want him circumcised, and [the hospital] had asked the parents repeatedly.”
…We are the only country in the world that routinely does non-religious and non-medical circumcisions.
Americans need to learn circumcision is not the way penises were meant to be.”
Conclusion
Generally speaking, the more surgeries that take place, the more profit is made through patient care. It pays to cut. If doctors only cut on consenting patients, they wouldn’t make as much money. Childbirth is done by a schedule designed to enhance the profitability of hospitals, not the safety of the mothers or the newly born. The American infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment. Surgical interventions are increasingly common, and are forced on women for reasons such as a “failure to progress.” If you don’t achieve progress in due time on your own, they will cut you open to achieve their notion of “progress.” Surgical childbirths do pay better than natural childbirths.
Circumcised penises pay better than intact penises. Don’t be fooled. That is the main reason circumcision has been perpetuated in modern times. There are also a significant number of people who desire to cut on your children. They know it isn’t medically necessary, but they enjoy taking your newborn children to soundproof rooms, ripping the foreskin from the glans, and then cutting into the foreskin, amputating the prepuce. Dr. Raymond Rezaie stands accused of botching over 30 such operations. Despite his track record, he doesn’t want to stop doing them. Infants do not consent to circumcisions; they fight them. That’s why doctors strap them down.
Surgical operations are often done routinely, and often against a patient’s will. At a time when people are at their most vulnerable, they are either told they have no choice, or they are never given a choice. The choice to be an organ donor shouldn’t mean that the gift of life could cost us our own lives, but this remains a very real possibility.
It used to be commonplace to get a second or even a third opinion in order to confirm the diagnoses whenever surgery was recommended. This kind of due diligence is no longer the norm. Instead, patients trust their physicians, taking it on blind faith that it’s in everyone’s best interest that they be cut open. Rarely is it acknowledged that doctors are dying to cut on us, and they may be the only one to benefit.
Listening to Mothers II: Report of the Second National U.S. Survey of Women’s Childbearing Experience – Eugene Declercq, Carol Sakala, Maureen Corry, and Sandra Applebaum
Lip Balm Addiction? Here’s What You Should Know, Recipe Included
It’s chapped lip season, and many people are pulling out their trusty tube of lip balm more frequently than usual. All lip balms appear to protect your lips while moisturizing. In reality, a large number of them are actually drying out your lips. This creates a vicious cycle where you pay twice: once for the actual lip balm and once with the actual health of your lips.
When temperatures drop, vulnerable skin is prone to cracks and bleeding. What options do you have to protect your skin without ending up dependent on a product that damages your lips in the long run? Here are some strategies that can help you boost the health of your lips while they’re at their most vulnerable, including what to eat, what to look for in a lip balm, and what to avoid.
Why Use Lip Balm?
Lip balm is designed to combat dry skin in a few ways. It can provide a barrier to protect the lips from the elements. It can help fill in the gaps between skin cells. And it can help your lips absorb water by pulling moisture from other areas in the body.
Dry skin allows moisture to escape while speeding up skin production to the point that many of the skin cells being produced are not yet fully mature. Lips are a particularly problematic area, as they contain very few of the oil and sweat glands that protect other areas of the epidermis. A good lip balm can be used for a few days to help your lips recover and heal themselves, but it’s important to know what’s in the product you’re using and how it specifically affects you. The lips have a different outer layer of skin than the rest of the body, but despite that and the lack of oil and sweat glands, there are still ways you can increase their health and reduce the instances of cracked, dry, and uncomfortable lips that winter brings.
A good lip balm can be used for a few days to help your lips recover and heal themselves, but it’s important to know what’s in the product you’re using and how it specifically affects you. The lips have a different outer layer of skin than the rest of the body, but despite that and the lack of oil and sweat glands, there are still ways you can increase their health and reduce the instances of cracked, dry, and uncomfortable lips that winter brings.
How Diet Can Play a Difference
As tempting as it is to throw up your hands and declare moisturized lips in winter without a lip balm a lost cause, diet can make a difference in whether you spend the next few months with a plastic tube permanently affixed to your mitten. Upping your intake of healthy Omega-3 fats from foods like flax seed or oily cold water fish is a great idea, as they can help prevent dryness. Vitamins A, B, C, and E are also great nutrients to focus on when targeting dry skin. Vitamin A improves overall skin health. Vitamin B, most specifically niacin (B-3), is a good mood booster found in protein-rich foods that
Vitamins A, B, C, and E are also great nutrients to focus on when targeting dry skin. Vitamin A improves overall skin health. Vitamin B, most specifically niacin (B-3), is a good mood booster found in protein-rich foods that have been shown in studies to protect against some skin disorders associated with skin cracking. Skin benefits from vitamin E and, of course, vitamin C. Possibly the most recommended vitamin for staying healthy in winter, vitamin C also promotes collagen production for smoother skin.
Overall hydration plays a big part in how dry your skin gets and how quickly it recovers. Food and drinks that cause inflammation and leave you dehydrated can be swapped out for water and the hydrating powers of produce!
Also, smoking anything will rapidly dehydrate your lips.
A Good Lip Balm Looks Like….
Even the healthiest of skin still takes a hit every now and then, and having a quality lip balm can give your skin cells the quick break they need to rebuild and return to top form. But what does that lip balm look like? To begin with, fewer ingredients in the lip balm increases the likelihood of quality. All lip balms start with an oil base. Raw, organic, unprocessed plant oils and butters like jojoba, almond, shea, coconut, olive, avocado, castor oil, and cacao are some of the best options out there. The more closely the oil base mimics your natural body oils, the better it protects your lips.
Other beneficial ingredients in lip balms include herbal infusions, essential oils, and waxes. Herbal infusions can give lip balms an extra dose of skin-friendly ingredients. Some good ones to look for are calendula, yarrow, chamomile, and comfrey. Look for products that get their scent from pure essential oils. Preference obviously plays a big part in what you look for, but mint and its many varieties are the most popular options commercially available. Waxes in lip balm help your balm maintain its shape, and they create a protective barrier on the skin. Popular waxes like beeswax can also have some anti-inflammatory properties. Look for real ingredients
Look for real ingredients like cucumber, aloe vera, rose, or honey that are organic or sustainably sourced. If you have no idea what an item is or it’s called something along the lines of methyl-ethyl-para-oxide-whatchamagidget, it’s probably not going to have any real benefits for your lips.
Break Out The Red Tape!
Since the likelihood of ingesting your lip balm is extremely high, it makes sense to avoid balms with toxic ingredients and ingredients that cause more harm than good. Parabens are preservatives commonly used in beauty products that have been linked to estrogen disruption, and they have been found in malignant breast cancer tumors. Ingredients like menthol, camphor, and phenol create a cooling sensation on the lips that gives the impression the lip balm is working, but they can also dry out your lips, and in some cases, they increase lip redness and induce swelling. Artificial fragrances and colors, as well as some natural ingredients like aloe or vitamin E, can cause irritation, so it’s important to pay attention to what works for your lips.
Ingredients like menthol, camphor, and phenol create a cooling sensation on the lips that gives the impression the lip balm is working, but these ingredients can also dry out your lips, and in some cases, they increase lip redness and induce swelling. Artificial fragrances and colors, as well as some natural ingredients like aloe or vitamin E, can cause irritation, so it’s important to pay attention to what works for your lips.
And then there’s petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is frequently contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the FDA restricts the use of petroleum in food products due to these contaminants that are linked to cancer. Petroleum jelly can also interfere with the function of skin pores and trap in toxins. The FDA hasn’t, however, banned petroleum jelly from personal care products, and there is no rule that requires companies to refine the petroleum jelly they use. In contrast, the E.U. and Canada have banned the use of petroleum jelly in personal care products. Options that have the same function include beeswax, shea butter, and unrefined coconut oil, among others.
Healthy, Simple, Homemade Lip Blam Recipe
This recipe makes just under a cup of lip balm that you can put into small tins or a lip balm container.
Ingredients
¼ cup beeswax
¼ cup shea butter
¼ cup almond oil (contains vitamin E)
10+ drops essential oil (any essential oil you want for the scent, I like peppermint)
Teaspoon of raw honey
Instructions
Melt beeswax and shea butter in a double boiler. Alternatively, you can use a or small glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. Stir continuously until melted.
Turn off stove (remove pan from heat if electric), but keep stirring; keep it warm and melted.
Add essential oils. And add honey last.
It’s ready! Use the pipette or a dropper to fill the tubes if you are using them. This must be done quickly since the mixture will tend to harden as soon as it is removed from the heat.
Let tubes sit at room temperature for several hours until cooled and completely hardened before capping them.
Notes:
Use an extra teaspoon or two of beeswax if you prefer a thicker and longer-lasting lip balm or slightly less if you prefer a smoother and softer lip balm. This makes 12-14 tubes.
Winter Lips Can Be Lovely
Winter weather is practically designed to exacerbate skin woes, and chapped, cracked lips are no exception. You can increase your chances of making it through winter unscathed by managing and maintaining your skin by increasing the nutrition you provide it through your diet and by using quality skin care products that do not contain problematic ingredients. Protect your skin and set it up for success.
How to Get Rid of Muscle Cramps, Charley Horses, Muscle Spasms
You’re sound asleep or floating in that delicious half dreaming, half aware state of limbo. Suddenly you are jolted awake as a white-hot, searing pain rips through your calf. You scream. You cry. You try to stretch out your leg or you force yourself to stand up and limp around in circles until the pain subsides. Sanity returns as the muscle relaxes and you collapse back into bed. But what caused that muscle to twist itself into a knot?
To relieve a cramp right now, stretch the muscle. The muscle cramping needs to be elongated. A bit of unrefined sea salt under the tongue followed by eating a banana can keep them from coming back for the time being, but if you get muscle cramps regularly it’s time to put a stop to them with a holistic approach that addresses the cause.
Causes of Muscle Cramps
Dehydration, mineral deficiency, or muscle strain are common causes of a muscle spasm also known as a charley horse. Poor circulation, nerve compression, or an adverse reaction to a prescription medication may also be to blame.
How To Avoid Muscle Cramps
Too often we look at one symptom and try to resolve it with medications instead of looking at the body from a holistic viewpoint. If you move away from the conventional medical model and realize that there is one disease – cellular dysfunction with its many symptoms, you will change your approach to health. You can heal the individual cells through detox, exercise, and nutrition. In other words, give the body what it needs, remove the interfering toxins, and it will heal itself.
Dehydration
Your body needs plenty of pure, clean water each day. The rule of thumb is ½ ounce to 1 ounce per pound. If you weigh 150 lbs., that’s 75 to 150 ounces of water per day, roughly half a gallon to a gallon a day. If you weigh 200 lbs, that’s 12 .5 to 25 cups of water or ¾ gallon to a 1 ½ gallons a day. Hotter weather and more exercise puts you on the high end of the range, whereas cooler weather and a more sedentary lifestyle lowers your requirements.
1 cup of unsweetened, organic cranberry juice, not from concentrate
3 organic fresh lemons
A citrus juicer
Liquid stevia
Liquid cayenne
Fill the jar to about 85% capacity with spring water (or distilled water). Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice into the water. Add cranberry juice. Add stevia to taste and then add cayenne to taste. The amount of cayenne used is up to you, but the more the better.
Nutrition
You can easily increase nutrition through raw fruits and vegetables. Muscle spasms can be caused by low levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium. If you eat a truly healthy diet consisting of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce, you will increase your overall health.
Foods rich in magnesium include pumpkin seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, quinoa, cashews, black beans, cashews, sunflower seeds, and navy beans.
Foods rich in potassium include beet greens, Lima beans, Swiss chard, bok choy, sweet potato, potatoes, spinach, avocado, pinto beans, and lentils. Of course, bananas are a good source as well, but compare their 422.44 mg of potassium per serving to beet greens at 1,308.96 mg per serving. Greens really pack in nutrients.
Greens alkalinize the body and keep calcium levels up in the body as well. Collared greens, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, beet greens, and bok choy are all excellent sources of calcium. Try to eat a large salad every day with lots of greens, plenty of other colors, garlic, cilantro, ginger, and more.
It’s not an exact recipe; the point is to eat a very diverse (and incredibly tasty) salad every day. Personally, I like some balsamic vinegar for my dressing, but there’s a dressing recipe in the 80% Raw Food Diet article.
Exercise
The body needs exercise to maintain muscle strength and limberness, bone density, lymphatic movement, and blood flow. All are vital for health. In order for the body to dispose of waste and toxins, blood and lymph must move through the tissues. Exercise and massage aid in circulation of blood and lymph.
Chiropractic and Massage
If muscle spasms are a regular occurrence, especially if you maintain a healthy diet and get good exercise, it’s a good idea to check in with your chiropractor, your masseuse, or both, to relieve any impinged nerves that may be contributing to the problem.
Stretch Properly
Lightly stretch after your muscles are warm, and take care not to injure yourself as you build up flexibility. Incorporate Dynamic stretching with your workouts. Dynamic stretching means your body is still continuously moving while you elongate, or stretch, the muscles, like with stiff-legged deadlifts and high kicks. Use static, slow-and-hold stretching to grow and maintain your flexibility after your workout when your muscles are hot, not before when the muscles are cold. Doing static stretches at the end of a workout will help reduce muscle soreness the next day and allow your muscles to heal faster due to the increase in blood flow to the muscles.
Supplementation
Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula and Sunwarrior’s Liquid Light are excellent for daily supplementation. It’s best not to take potassium or magnesium by themselves unless recommended by a doctor who has verified a deficiency. There are many good liquid multi-mineral formulas on the market (and a lot of bad ones), but not many great whole-food supplements like Shillington’s formula (you can also get the recipe here).
Conclusion
When you embrace a healthy lifestyle and reject processed foods, replacing them with whole healthy foods and an alkaline diet (which is very easy to do with whole foods), and you drink plenty of clean water, exercise, and get good rest, healing begins. Muscle spasms, along with other aches and pains or symptoms attributed to age or other circumstance, simply disappear. If you get cramps in your feet, look into hypothyroidism.
ADHD, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Autism – What Do They Have in Common?
At first glance, ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and autism have little in common. When we think of ADHD, we tend to think of hyperactivity, kids zooming from room to room. Chronic fatigue brings up opposite images, of people so wracked with fatigue they can barely get out of bed. Autism suggests children lost in their own world, spinning objects while rocking from side to side. How could they possibly have anything in common?
In order to answer that question, we have to take a serious look at the numbers and understand the diagnostic criteria. If we don’t, the myths and lies will continue to overshadow every effort to understand the real story behind the rise in these debilitating conditions.
ADHD, CFS, and Autism – Epidemics
The first thing these diseases have in common is the fact that all three have reached epidemic proportions. The CDC reports the following statistics:
ADHD (> 6 million children in the U.S.)
11% of our children have ADHD as of 2011 (up from 7.8% in 2003)
1 out of 42 boys
1 out of 189 girls
Rates vary from state to state
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (up to 2.5 million estimated in the U.S.)
Between 0.2% and 2.3% of children or adolescents (up to 1.7 million) suffer from CFS.
Autism (> 11 million Americans)
30% increase from 2012 to 2014
5 times more prevalent in boys
Up 119.4% since 2000, though some current reports now say it has moved from 1 in 68 children to 1 in 50; other reports say 1 in 45.
Add up the current numbers afflicted with one of these three illnesses, and we are talking about 6% of the population – without counting adults with ADHD.
Public Perception of ADHD, CFS, and Autism
The perception of these three illnesses are skewed and no clarity is in sight.
ADHD Myths and Propaganda
ADHD is horribly over diagnosed
Children can’t sit still in a classroom; ergo, hyperactivity is normal
All active little boys are diagnosed with ADHD
The rising numbers of ADHD cases are all due to over diagnosis
Kids diagnosed with ADHD are spoiled children who don’t behave
For decades, we have heard the number of children with ADHD is dramatically over reported. This myth has resulted in the public ignoring the alarming rise in the number of children (and children who have grown into adulthood) afflicted by this disorder.
The idea that children are diagnosed with ADHD just to medicate them is ludicrous. That might be a good argument if tranquilizers were the medication prescribed for ADHD, but the opposite is true. Put any child without ADHD on amphetamines and the child will become hyper, anxious, and out of control. Amphetamines have the opposite effect on most of the children with ADHD. The child is able to calm down, focus, concentrate and control impulsivity. (Note: We are NOT advocating the use of medication to treat ADHD).
As long as we continue to discount the validity of this diagnosis, the sheer number of afflicted children won’t alarm us, and we won’t shake the boat by looking for the cause or causes.
Chronic Fatigue Myths and Propaganda
It’s all in their head
They’re not sick, they’re lazy
There is no such thing as chronic fatigue syndrome
Like ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome has been discounted, but in this case, it is dismissed as a non-disease. It was even given a derogatory nickname, the yuppie flu. Severe chronic fatigue is a devastating illness, and yet, due to propaganda within the medical field and vague diagnostics, many doctors believe it to be psychosomatic. Patients are dismissed as attention seekers, histrionics, and malingerers. This is an all too common occurrence whenever doctors cannot find a cause or determine a diagnosis for autoimmune or neurological symptoms unless evidence can clearly be shown through a blood test, an MRI, or some other definitive test.
Although it is estimated that twice as many Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome as HIV, the National Institutes of Health budgeted a paltry $6 million in funding for chronic fatigue research for 2016 while HIV/AIDS research is budgeted at $3.1 billion. (Compare this amount to headaches budgeted at $25 million – migraines have a separate budget of $21 million.) So we have a serious, debilitating illness on the rise that affects a huge number of Americans, but since it became an issue, it has been discounted and largely ignored.
Autism Myths and Propaganda
The change in diagnostic criteria is responsible for the increase in rates.
Vaccines have no association with autism.
Autism is an entirely genetic disease.
Autism was a rare diagnosis in the last century. In the 1980s, estimates from multiple studies suggest autism affected 1 in 10,000 children. In a mere 20 years, the year 2000, that number rose to 1 in 150 children. By 2010, the number was 1 in 68. The 2010 numbers are still being reported as the official numbers by the CDC and used by other organizations, though some are now estimating 1 in 45 children. Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist from MIT, stated, “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3P6wVUH0pc
While there is truth to the claim that new diagnostic parameters created a bump in the numbers, the increase happened once. Once! And again the numbers climbed and continue to climb. Like ADHD and CFS, autism is a relatively new disease with the first case diagnosed and named in 1938.
The autism epidemic is huge. How can we continue to deny the truth? The numbers are frightening and not just for the afflicted child and parents. The impact on our society will be tremendous when the children with severe autism grow to adulthood. Who will care for them when their parents are no longer able to provide for them?
Diagnostic Criteria
The myth that “ADHD is horribly over diagnosed,” is a bit harder to swallow when you understand the diagnostic criteria, when you appreciate the severity of the impact ADHD has on a child and his/her family, and when you see how unlikely it is for a child to be improperly diagnosed.
CDC Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The CDC uses the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V – the diagnostic manual for mental health professionals) definition as follows:
“People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.”
Inattention: Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
Is often easily distracted.
Is often forgetful in daily activities.
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults; symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for the person’s developmental level:
Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.
Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.
Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless).
Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly.
Is often “on the go” acting as if “driven by a motor”.
Often talks excessively.
Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed.
Often has trouble waiting his/her turn.
Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games).
In addition, the following conditions must be met
Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
Several symptoms are present in two or more setting, (e.g., at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder. The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g. Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, or a Personality Disorder).”
DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive, see text):
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.
Specify current severity
Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior (see Table 2)
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):
Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat food every day).
Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g, strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interest).
Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).
Specify current severity
Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (see Table 2)
Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).
Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.
Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Individuals who have marked deficits in social communication, but whose symptoms do not otherwise meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder, should be evaluated for social (pragmatic) communication disorder.
Specify if:
With or without accompanying intellectual impairment
With or without accompanying language impairment
Associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor
(Coding note:Use additional code to identify the associated medical or genetic condition.)
Associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder
(Coding note: Use additional code[s] to identify the associated neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder[s].)
With catatonia (refer to the criteria for catatonia associated with another mental disorder, pp. 119-120, for definition) (Coding note: Use additional code 293.89 [F06.1] catatonia associated with autism spectrum disorder to indicate the presence of the comorbid catatonia.)
Table 2 Severity levels for autism spectrum disorder
Severity level
Social communication
Restricted, repetitive behaviors
Level 3
“Requiring very substantial support”
Severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills cause severe impairments in functioning, very limited initiation of social interactions, and minimal response to social overtures from others. For example, a person with few words of intelligible speech who rarely initiates interaction and, when he or she does, makes unusual approaches to meet needs only and responds to only very direct social approaches
Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres. Great distress/difficulty changing focus or action.
Level 2
“Requiring substantial support”
Marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills; social impairments apparent even with supports in place; limited initiation of social interactions; and reduced or abnormal responses to social overtures from others. For example, a person who speaks simple sentences, whose interaction is limited to narrow special interests, and how has markedly odd nonverbal communication.
Inflexibility of behavior, difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors appear frequently enough to be obvious to the casual observer and interfere with functioning in a variety of contexts. Distress and/or difficulty changing focus or action.
Level 1
“Requiring support”
Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Difficulty initiating social interactions, and clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful response to social overtures of others. May appear to have decreased interest in social interactions. For example, a person who is able to speak in full sentences and engages in communication but who to- and-fro conversation with others fails, and whose attempts to make friends are odd and typically unsuccessful.
Inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts. Difficulty switching between activities. Problems of organization and planning hamper independence.
CDC Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A clinician should consider a diagnosis of CFS if these three criteria are met:
The individual has unexplained, persistent fatigue for 6 months or longer that is not due to ongoing exertion, is not substantially relieved by rest, has begun recently (is not lifelong)
The fatigue significantly interferes with daily activities and work
The individual has had 4 or more of the following 8 symptoms:
post-exertion malaise lasting more than 24 hours
unrefreshing sleep
significant impairment of short-term memory or concentration
muscle pain
pain in the joints without swelling or redness
a sore throat that is frequent or recurring
tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit
headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity
Association Not Cause
In a recent interview, Judy Mikovits, PhD eloquently explained the scientific definition of cause and effect versus association. In order to say that a disease is “caused” by something, there has to be a clear cause and effect that is the same each time. For instance, mumps is caused by a particular virus – every time. It isn’t caused by a virus in one case and a bacteria in another.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6HPe-s1V2o
Most of us are used to defining an illness through cause and effect of a bacterial or viral infection. Contagious illness and trauma are well understood by the general public. Autoimmune diseases and neurological diseases are much harder to understand, and this is true for medical professionals as well as the general public.
There are few definitive diagnostic tests for ADHD, CFS, or autism. Most of the diagnostic criteria is based on observation and patient report.
However, MRI studies with children diagnosed with ADHD have shown lower activity in the frontal lobes as well as recent discoveries of disrupted connections between different areas of the brain showing structural and functional abnormalities.
In 2011, Judy Mikovitz, PhD, found an association between gammaretrovirus XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome and autism. Retroviruses damage DNA and cause autoimmune and neurological damage. Judy believes up to one-third of our vaccines are contaminated with this retrovirus that accidently contaminated cell lines in the labs where vaccines were made.
Fragile X syndrome is “…the most common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities. It is also the most common known cause of autism.” – Fraxa Research Foundation website.
Fragile X is caused by a defect in the FMR1 gene. The gene shuts down and fails to produce a protein vital for brain development. Symptoms include mild to severe attention deficit and hyperactivity and autism. One can’t help but wonder if damage to the FMR1 gene is caused by a retrovirus.
What Do We Know?
Vaccines are certainly proving to be a major factor associated with ADHD, autism, autoimmune disease, and other diseases with mercury poisoning, retrovirus exposure, and damage from aluminum and other toxins all playing a part. But vaccines are not the only toxins we are exposed to and clearly not the only factor in play. We know that there are multiple means to damage the immune system and the neurological system and that damage is cumulative.
Damage begins in utero. A fetus pulls mercury out of its mother’s body. It is tragic that doctors continue to recommend pregnant women get vaccines, especially the flu shot that contains mercury.
In addition to vaccines, environmental toxins contribute to damage. Herbicides and pesticides accumulate in our tissues along with the countless chemicals we are exposed to every day.
Conclusion
If we are to stop the current epidemic of neurological and autoimmune diseases including ADHD, CFS, and autism, we have to stop poisoning our bodies and our children’s bodies with chemicals and heavy metals. We need to clean up our food, eliminate toxin exposure in our homes and workplaces, and stop poisoning ourselves and our children through vaccines. The numbers don’t lie. ADHD, CFS, and autism are the result of our polluted lives and a vaccine schedule that would defy common sense even if our vaccines were safe and effective. Too many of us are sick. Too many children are sick. It’s time we stand up and demand change.
Life Expectancy
Maternal Death Rate
Infant Mortality Rate
