Toxic soup

I’ve noticed a propensity I have for blaming myself if something goes wrong with my body.  Particularly, I zero in on eating habits, exercise habits and the like.  And you know, that often IS a big part of the problem.  But this book I’m reading now, The Ultra Mind Solution: The Simple Way to Defeat Depression, Overcome Anxiety, and Sharpen Your Mind by Mark Hyman,  M.D., while supporting that as an essential factor to look at in disease, is also calling to mind external causes and internal causes over which we have no control – our genetic makeup.

This book is truly fascinating – broadening my perspective in so many ways and providing clear antidotes to the issues raised.

Example:  “Researchers from the Free University of Berlin discovered a new virus called Bornavirus found in the limbic system (or emotional center) of the brain in 30 percent of the population.  One in six people who carry the virus have depression and can be cured by treatment with short-term anti-viral medication.  Think about it: a virus can cause depression and treating the virus can cure, not just reduce the symptoms of, depression.  Even the best antidepressant drugs don’t’ cure depression.”- p. 181

In the chapter I read last night on detoxification Dr. Hyman gave an example of a patient named George who had 4 different gene abnormalities, all of which impaired the ability of the body to detoxify heavy metals.  That’s the loaded gun – the genetic predisposition.  George couldn’t do anything to change the loaded gun.  However, it was George’s environment – his exposure to mercury (among other ways through the fillings in his teeth) that pulled the trigger.

The great news for George – and for us, really – is that Dr. Hyman’s 7 steps towards ultra wellness and specific herbs, vitamins, nutritional recommendations, et al – provided a way for George’s body to clear the heavy overdose of mercury. 

By the way, George got to Dr. Hyman because of early onset dementia.  After clearing the mercury from his body he was able to resume a normal life.

So for Puritanical Diane who assumes all problems are from the other causes Dr. Hyman calls out (nutrition, etc.) it is eye-opening to consider that the toxic soup we all live in could be contributing to any malaise I might be having. For instance, almost every year since I’ve lived in my upscale Chicago suburb, we get a notice from the EPA about the heavy metals, including arsenic, in our water.  It always says “but this water is safer for human consumption.” Uh, yeah.

So, on my next doctor visit, I’m going to ask for some blood tests for heavy metals in the spirit of ‘can’t hurt, could help’.  And I’m forging ahead with the positive changes I continue to make in caring for my body/mind.

What’s your take?  Do you believe that our genes doom us to ill-health?  That it’s “luck” or “just the way it is”?  Do you  depend on drugs to save you if “bad luck” sends disease your way?  Or do you prefer Dr. Hyman’s approach?  As always, I really want to know!

 

Read Full Post »

The Ultra Mind Solution – sneak preview

I haven’t written a book review in awhile and that’s mostly because my brain seems to be on summer vacation – lots of Words with Friends and magazines at night rather than reading. But I recently picked up a copy of Mark Hyman’s  2010 book The UltraMind Solution: The Simple Way to Defeat Depression, Overcome Anxiety, and Sharpen Your Mind.

My primary health care person, Lisa Decatorsmith of Healing Traditions of Barrington, had recommended Dr. Hyman’s Ultra Metabolism book to me a few years ago.  I read it and liked it and incorporated a lot of what he suggested at that time.  So when I saw this book I was intrigued.

I’m about 200 pages into it (about half way through) and it’s really good!  His evidence-based writing about the effects of various vitamins and minerals was so compelling that it got me into action about being more diligent about taking vitamins. 

He has compelling evidence on the perniciousness of sugar, which is really pushing me towards eliminating it entirely – I’m not there yet, but getting closer….

I’ve long believed that much of what we consider “our genes” or “bad luck” is, in fact, bad lifestyle choices.  I have believed that we have way more control over our physical health than most people seem to think.

But it’s intriguing to read about how much our lifestyle choices affect things like dementia, Alzheimer’s, forgetfulness that we associate with aging, or “mood disorders” such as depression, anxiety.  He makes a strong case that even things that I believed were intractable – bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD – can be ameliorated with nutrition, exercise and the like.

He believes, as I do, that people aren’t born with a Prozac deficiency (just as we aren’t born with a Lipitor deficiency). 

I’m very intrigued by this book and you’ll be hearing more about it – with quotes – from me.

How about you?  Have you read The Ultra Mind solution?  Have you seen changes in your cognition or moods based on what you eat, how much you sleep, the exercise  you get?  I know for me, on the infrequent times I have suffered from depression exercise is 100% guaranteed to alleviate it.  I’m curious to hear your stories!  As always, I really want to know!

Read Full Post »

“happy just to be here, happy to be alive”

Pretty gloomy day here in Chicago yesterday.  And I’m ready to be back at work yet right livelihood hasn’t appeared exactly to the minute on my timetable.  I was feeling pretty glum.

My grandma said “if you’re unhappy, pick up your broom.”  My spiritual path teaches that the way out of our self-absorbed unhappiness is to be of service to others.  So after I painted a door in my basement (“pick up your broom”) I called my friend Kay and asked if she wanted to go visit our friend Ann.

About a month ago Ann, who had a serious stroke 14 years ago, was on her way to a medical appointment with her husband Tom.  They had a head-on car accident and Tom was killed.  Ann’s ‘bad’ leg (the one the stroke left impaired) was crushed.  The stroke left her unable to care for herself – Tom has been doing that.  Her fate is pretty up in the air right now and her day-to-day looks very hard.

We hope our visit was of some cheer to Ann – Kay and I remarked how it didn’t exactly lift our low spirits but that we were very glad we went.

Still feeling glum, I called my best friend who reminded me that walking always helps my disposition.  While on my walk, I got a call from my friend Caryn who reported that her new chemotherapy is working – her cancer cells are WAY down.

That’s when it all came together for me:”

“It’s all right
Even if the sun don’t shine
…happy just to be here
happy to be alive…”

Each morning when I awaken, my initial prayer includes gratitude for my good health and asking God for good health for today.

Kay and I had reflected on our car ride back how lucky we are to drive, to open our water bottle by ourselves, to walk into the house unaided, etc.

I forget that.  I forget how totally blessed I am to have robust good health.  Yes, I focus on health and try to ‘do the next right thing’ – but honestly? Ann probably did too.  Some of it is just ‘luck’/'chance’/being abundantly blessed.

So today, no matter what happens, it’s a GREAT day thanks to the tremendous blessing of health.  I am so grateful, I am so blessed!

Read Full Post »

Slaying shibboleths?

“A shibboleth is a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially a long-standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important.” – Wikipedia

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon lately.  When I post articles on Facebook that challenge the drug industry I almost always get immediate feedback saying, essentially, ‘you’re wrong, drugs are helpful.’

What’s interesting about this is that it doesn’t map to the point of the articles.  If I only posted “drugs are BAD – do not take them ever” articles this response would make sense.

Here’s two recent examples.

1. ADHD Drugs lose effectiveness over time.  (I don’t think this was the EXACT article I posted about on Facebook, but I believe the one I had linked to this one).  The point of the article was that these drugs, effective at first, lose efficacy over time, and, given their side-effects, may be a bad choice because of that.  I got very negative feedback on this from people saying “these drugs helped me” or “these drugs helped my kids” — when the point was never “they don’t help” but they stop being effective
2. Cocktail of popular drugs may cloud brain.  The point of this article was that people, most especially the elderly, can have brain fog:  “Called anticholinergics, the drugs block the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, sometimes as a direct action, but often as a side effect. Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger with a range of functions in the body, memory production and cognitive function among them.”  It went on to say that these anticholinergics are present in a wide variety of very common drugs and over the counter medications and the danger isn’t in taking one such medication, but from multiple medications.  In posting the article I wrote “think that’s why I’m relatively healthy – I take no prescriptions and virtually no over the counter – NOT taking drugs keeps me healthy, imho.  Have a read – what do YOU think?”  One of my friends responded that ‘some medications can save lives.’

I have strong opinions (have you noticed) and I have a passionate interest in health and in politics.  I would assume my political postings could annoy people as much as my health postings, but they never generate the firestorm that my health-related postings do.

I recognize that while my “anti-Big-Pharma” stance is partially based simply on the facts, it is clouded by emotion in that I feel that doctors and their drugs were major contributors to my mother’s lifelong health issues and ultimate death.  My family, by the way, probably does not agree with me on that – but that’s how I feel.

So I’m sure the emotional tinge to my postings probably does not help in my message.

But I think there’s more to it.

It seems to me that this ‘drug/no-drug’ issue is part of the big shift that’s happening now.  It’s my belief that the old order is beginning to die away and those attached to it are not happy about it.

It has also struck me at times that people don’t read the article in question – and I get that.  I know I have done that too – put in my two cents without reading the entire article in question.  I’m going to change that – I’m not going to allow myself to add my two cents about something without having first read/listened to/watched the item in question.

I’m doing some self-examination as well on my own openness to new ideas.  I really AM passionate about health, and it is my belief that I’m open to the debunking of theories I’ve espoused when I see new evidence that proves my beliefs wrong.  I’m after good health, a long and healthy and happy life – if my outdated beliefs are preventing that, I change them.  That’s at least how I see it – I’ll follow-up with my close friends to see what their opinion is.

How about you?  What role do YOU think drugs should have in health care?  Primary?  Part of an overall regime?  Used only as a last resort?

What triggers you and why (as in my anger at Big Pharma and where it came from)?

And what sacred cows are you loathe to examine or get rid of?

Not just with health either – I really want to know about the shibboleths in YOUR life!

Read Full Post »

Pay me now or pay me later – healthy food vs health care

One of the pages I follow on Facebook is Mother Jones magazine.  They have progressive, thought-provoking content.  Yesterday they had an interactive tool on their magazine’s web site - Is Your Food Spending Normal?  I’m a sucker for these types of quizzes.  I also am competitive – I like to win.  So (insert frowny face here) I was at first bummed at seeing that I, picturing myself as Ms. Frugal (I am Scottish and Dutch, after all, nationalities touted for frugality) spends too much on food.

The me who can be negative and judgmental had a little snippy remark to self about comparing checkbook size and waist size.  But then I thought “Oh wait! Create Positive Change!  How can I make this into a GOOD story?”

While I am the first to admit that my food expenditures are not just on apples, broccoli and cod, and that Ms. No-to-Big-Corporations has a robust Starbucks addiction going, I DO think that eating high quality, nutritious food is part of the reason why I spend more —- on Food.

On health care?  not so much.

And I think there’s a correlation.  I had asked my friend Kay, when she worked as a nurse in our local hospital, what percentage of people were in the hospital due to lifestyle factors as opposed to genetics or accidents.  At that point she said something like “over 75%”.  When she and I discussed this again last week, she said she thinks it is well over 90%. This 2005 article “Only 3 percent of Americans live a healthy lifestyle” would seem to substantiate that.  Some common diseases caused by lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, smoking) are outlined in this recent Livestrong article.  And though this article is from 2003, I suspect the depressing facts and figures on how obesity contributes to health and health care spending have gotten more depressing, not less.

I could provide a million links, but you get my point.  As I’ve written here before, when people point out that it costs money to eat healthfully, I always say that I’d rather spend money now on good food than later on cancer or diabetes care.

Does eating healthfully guarantee that I won’t develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes or other lifestyle-related leading causes of death?  No, life does not come with guarantees other than death itself.  But if articles like this one are correct (and if you read just ONE link from today’s blog, make it this one) you can save lots of money for yourself – and the government (as you may well get these diseases once you’re on Medicare – the effects of bad choices often take a few decades to kick in).

So – the Create Positive Change me DOES need to look at some of the unhealthy food choices I make with all that excessive spending (can I justify a Snickers bar?  I’m thinking no.  The Starbucks, however, shall remain).  But I can feel good about the choices I make  – food, my gym membership, even reading Prevention magazine to stay motivated – that are helping me save money – both now and in the future – on health care.

How about you?  How did you do on MoJo’s “Is Your Food Spending Normal” quiz?  Do you feel okay about the results?  Or do you need to make some changes?  I really want to know!

Read Full Post »

Lisa’s amazing flu-curing tea

Mondays are Physical Day here at Taking it to the Streets

{And I’ll call it Monday a few hours early, since I had a special request for this recipe}

My primary health-care provider, Lisa Decatorsmith of Healing Traditions of Barrington, is also a personal friend and neighbor.  She has a daughter who is an amazing cat sitter.  When I called to talk to said daughter to arrange some kitten care on my upcoming vacation Lisa answered the phone and asked “How are you doing?”, to which I replied “oh, I have a horrid flu, but it will pass.”

She told me to make the following tea and to drink “as often as seemed right” {that ended up being 3x/yesterday and twice to keep bad germs at bay today}:

Into a cup of boiling water put

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (she actually said “some turmeric”  – I made up the 1/2 teaspoon part)

That’s it.  Here’s what’s great – within about half an hour of my first cup I could FEEL myself getting better.  Continued my regime of resting, drinking water, and then I had 2 more cups of this tea during the day yesterday.  Result? 

The flu that laid two of my friends very low for days, passed through me in a total of two days (wish I would have called Lisa on Friday instead of Saturday).  Felt fine this morning, but just to keep it that way I had a cup this morning and am having a cup as I write.

You might ask – “how does it taste?” – I know, sounds weird, right?  It actually tastes fine. The cinnamon makes it slightly sweet, the pepper makes it slightly pungent and while I find turmeric a strong flavor (and not a favorite one) it is innocuous in this tea. Having been out of honey, I added maple syrup to the first cup, fearing it would be unpalatable absent a sweetener, but I realized that was not the case and all of the subsequent cups had just what the recipe said.

I’d like to think that the ways in which I’ve been “strengthening my terrain” (to quote the late Dr. David Servan-Schreiber from his book “The Anti-Cancer Lifestyle”) have helped too. 

Oh, and I ate chicken soup with 2 cloves of garlic in it for lunch and then added garlic to my dinner as well – I’m sure that was part of the cure.

Total cost?  Probably less than a dollar in spices for tea and garlic.  I had canned soup – so maybe that was another $2. 

Best part?  No insurance companies need participate!

Try Lisa’s tea – it worked for me, maybe it will for you too!

Read Full Post »

Health care – what works for me

Mondays are Physical Day here at Taking it to the Streets

Yesterday I had a massage from my  massage therapist/healer.  Then, whilst out riding my motorcycle I ran into my chiropractor and while we were chatting he asked a few questions about my health and gave me some good suggestions.  Tonight I saw my acupuncturist.  All three of them gave me helpful advice, all of it in synch with what the others said, none of it involving drugs (well, the acunpuncturist did give me some Chinese herbs – give being the operative word – and suggested a turmeric/black pepper concoction and some nettles). 

All of them asked me really good questions.  They looked beyond the obvious.  Each of them took other factors into account – how this pain in my left ring finger may be related to some systemic stuff I have going on, for instance.  Sharon (massage) and Lisa (acupuncture really studied my body, besides asking me questions). 

They gave me concrete specific things I can do to improve my health. They cheered on what I’m already doing and affirmed me in my quest for better and better health.  And gently pushed on some issues where they know i need a little pushing. 

They are knowledgeable, smart, caring.  And effective.

So, with the exception of Gordon (the chiropractor), of course, my “health insurance” doesn’t pay an ounce for this care that works.

What’s wrong with that picture?  Wow – what if I could spend the nearly $500/month I pay for useless insurance on their services – how great would I feel then?  I DO wonder what keeps me from doing that.  I always thought it was my fear of getting something like cancer. Then I watched what happened to my friend who had cancer.  It certainly doesn’t seem to me that anything that was done to her helped at all.

I also thought that mainstream medicine would be good for things like broken arms.  But when I broke my arm 2 years ago the people who actually helped were Lisa, Sharon and the physical therapist.

I think our priorities are nuts in this country.  And I think it has to do with who is in cahoots with who, money-wise – not much at all to do with health.  Or care. 

But I have good health and it’s largely from the good CARE I get from Lisa and Sharon.  I’m lucky.

What are your best health providers?  How is it working for  you in your world?

Read Full Post »

Blogs I read on health and wellness and food

Today, for your consideration, I’ll point you to some of the blogs I read about health, nutrition, wellness and food.

Agrigirl’s Blog - I LOVE Tammy McLeod’s blog!! If you like food, like reading about localvorism, sustainability and enjoy good writing from an insightful woman you’ll love this blog as much as I do. Plus she has a neat ‘signature’ in that she ends each blog post with a relevant recipe.  Today’s offering is about the herb rosemary and its medicinal uses.  Check out Agrigirl!

Ayurvedic Adventure - My dear friend Alan Myers is continuing his recovery from a bout of cancer – he is in India working with Ayurvedic practitioners and blogging about it.  I’ve always really loved Alan, but after all of these years of knowing him as a dear friend, reading his blog is opening up a whole new Alan to me.  What a deep, insightful guy. And what new things I’m learning about healing!  I hope he keeps blogging upon his return from India!

The Heart Scan Blog - I came across this one when I was ardently trying to prove that the current “anti-wheat” movement was a fad, misguided and just wrong.  After reading Dr. William Davis’s blog, I stopped eating wheat.  He says it’s the cause of much of the heart disease in this country (he’s a practicing cardiologist in Milwaukee) and adequately answered my prior rallying cry “humans have been eating wheat for thousands of years” – yes, but they weren’t eating one species – they had variety – and they weren’t eating it by the bushel-full.  A good blog, albeit very one-pointed.

Read Full Post »

“Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes

Monday is Physical Day here at Taking it to the Streets

I’m reading a fascinating book now called Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes.  Common wisdom says we get fat because we eat too much and/or exercise too little.

He says we eat too much and exercise too little because we are fat.

And says that science has not done an adequate job of determing why we are too fat.  I’m only about halfway through the book but I read about this book whilst reading something else so I already know where he’s going with this – insulin and glycemic indexes and WHAT we eat, not how many calories the food contains.  I think this book could also be called Dr. Atkins vindication – it seems to be going that way.

I’ll report more on the book when I’ve actually read the whole thing, but what interests me besides my innate interest in health and nutrition is the idea that “common sense” or “everyone knows that…” needs to be examined.  I’m thinking of  Galileo and the earth being the center of the Universe and all.  Sometimes it just isn’t so.

I do know that as I’ve continued to move away from many carbs, I have very effortlessly lost weight.  is that scientific evidence? No, but it makes me want to keep reading this book and keep doing what I’m doing.

Gary Taubes wrote an earlier book, on which this one is based, called “Good Calories, Bad Calories” which contained even more scientific backup for his assertions.  This is the “for the general public” version – and i’m glad he wrote an accessible book for those of us for whom scientific writing is a bit like Japanese.

At just half way through the book, I’d say it’s definitely worth a read – I’ll keep you posted.

Read Full Post »

More on food and health (and oh those secret Coke ingredients….)

It’s Monday – my day to write about the Physical aspects of life.

Couldn’t help but notice some ideas in the juxtaposition of the book I’m reading  (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver - expect a review tomorrow on Ideas/Books day) and the news story about the secret formula for Coca-Cola being revealed, combined with my ongoing shock at my 46-year-old friend’s fast slide into death from liver cancer.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a perfect book for me – food activism, localvorism, nutrition, health and a kickass writer to bring arch observations to it all. 

Coca Cola contains (no shit!) coca (you know, the stuff they make cocaine from…) and alcohol.  Lovely.

And Becky’s cancer has had me thinking hard about what goes into my mouth (see We Can Make a Difference – Killing Ourselves with Forks or Choosing Health from this blog).

I am still making choices that I think I ultimately won’t – blackberries in February in Chicago (goes against my localvorism), bananas anytime (actually, I don’t see myself giving up bananas – we aren’t meant to be perfect – smile), eating industrial chicken when I go to restaurants. 

During the stress of my friend’s last month I had a few more York Peppermint patties than I think I should have (my regime is plain dark chocolate only in the realm of sweets).

But at least I’m conscious, making choices, in general choosing health, and being aware of what I put into my body. The problem with eating packaged/processed foods is that you really DON’T know what you are putting in your body.

“things go better with Coke” – yeah, just give me a snort of cocaine and bottle of Jack Daniels while you’re at it, ya know?  No wonder they sell gallons of it.  And what’s scarier?  People give this crap to their children.  Yowser.

We ARE what we eat.  Our lives, our health, the welfare of the planet and our spiritual condition are all intertwined with the choices we make.  Even the staid American Cancer Society says 3-14% of cancers are a direct result of obesity.  Sugar is cancer fertilizer. 

I’m troubled by two things:  one, that corporations hoodwink us (coke’s secret ingredients) for their own profit.  Two, that we are too lazy, pleasure-seeking or oblivious to inform ourselves and make better choices.  I know there are times when the 2 minutes of “ahh” with something that I know isn’t good for me pulls me in despite the fact that I actually know plenty and still sometimes make dumb choices.  But my friend’s death has had a sobering effect.  When I look at the big picture, how I love and feed myself seems pretty important.

This is an issue about which I have a lot of passion.  I’m curious – what’s YOUR take?  Do you believe that what you eat is a major factor in your health and the health of the planet or do you think I’m a spoilsport and need to lighten up?  How do you view food and health?  I’d really like to know!

Read Full Post »