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FAT - the old New Truth about healthy eating

Smile... there is always a way to find balance! [Photo by Wylan Werth]

Smile... there is always a way to find balance! [Photo by Wylan Werth]

What is UP with the news lately? How to make heads or tails of it? Eat Fat? not sugar.... and Sugar DOES cause obesity, and can lead to diabetes, hypertension, poor immune response, as well as contribute to a host of other diseases "on the rise" since the 1960s. As usual, all the news stories can become a bit heady. Stick to the basics. But what are the basics anymore? (Be sure to click on the orange lettered link above the kewt kitty photo! for a very informative video by Dr Robert Lustig about fat's role in Your Good Health).

And read labels! Another necessity to be healthy??? The trick on us has been exposed. Reading labels is the only way to get ahead of eliminating sugar from your diet. But no worries! Right here in this blog, and in the blogs of many many others sincerely doing our best to get the info in your hands and the healthiest food In your body, the science is revealed. Food manufacturers can rename sugar and even place it lower in the ingredient list by splitting up the types of sugar they added to a food substance to trick your tongue and brain into ...WANTING MORE.

Bottom line: In late 1950s, early 1960s, some research about the impact of eating sugar was brushed under the rug. The sugar industry paid some influential folk to say that fat is the problem-causing substance, not sugar. [ See these links as well as others provided throughout Lifestyle Modification Support : Sugar Lobby Paid Scientists to Blur Sugar's Role... and JAMA's articles ] Then food manufacturers got busy! Changing food into food substances that would be so addictive (as the lab rats revealed) that people just could NOT get enough became as easy as train robberies in the old wild west!

So, if you cannot get enough of that food you are eating, ask yourself, what about this experience is any different than being hooked on drugs, alcohol, or gambling? We do have the chemistry to become an addict. We also have consciousness, if we wake up and decide that: balanced and healthy, life might actually be doable. If we do decide we have at least an obligation to do the best we can do, we can make an effort to use REAL science to return to health. And realise something really sweet.... You have been doing your best. But misleading information has been hand-fed to you. Question authority! Do NOT take my word for it. There is so much information now, there is not far to go to find it. The video that I began this article with, Dr Robert Lustig's third episode on "The Skinny On Obesity" is made for regular people to listen to and understand. And go to your search engine and start looking up things like "Whole Fat" and "The Sugar Problem"...

One more thing, before I go. I cannot reiterate enough that low fat products have LOADS of Sugar in them! Look up the many other names for sugar that can be used on the ingredients lists of foods. STOP eating low fat foods! That is, stop eating them, if your goal is to lose weight and, literally, feel much much better.

Be Well, friends

Janet's Eye on the media

Janet's Eye on the media

Posted on March 12, 2017 and filed under discussions, janet's writing, Research studies, information.

Imagine Our World if We Taught It How to Eat

News from the

theheart.org on Medscape > Heartfelt with Dr Melissa Walton-Shirley

COMMENTARY

Imagine Our World if We Taught It How to Eat

Melissa Walton-Shirley

I attended a session yesterday at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2015 Congress entitled, "What should you eat to live a heart-healthy life?" By all accounts, accolades, and high-fives following the presentation, it was life-changing. Dr Neil Thomas (University of Birmingham, UK), Dr Steen Stender (University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark), Dr Simon Poole (Cambridge, UK), and Prof T Meinert Larsen (University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark)—all nutrition gurus and scientists—spent 67 minutes teaching us how to save the world. It was probably the most important series of the entire ESC 2015 meeting because they advocated for nutrients whose side effects are nil (for most) and are readily available for mass consumption (in most places). They demonstrated how a population of unsuspecting individuals could be sickened when a government allows a food supply to become tainted by commerce and ignored by politicians. They proselytized with proof and enthusiasm that we need to educate and legislate on the topic of nutrition to save millions upon millions of lives and dollars.

You may say I'm a dreamer

Dr Steen Stender dreams of a world without trans fat. He knows why it has been favored by the food industry: it's cheap, can hold its shape as a semisolid at room temp, has an ultralong shelf life, and stands up to repeated heating. Dr Stender also understands why the 2006 Nurses' Health Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated a 33% increase in the incidence of coronary heart disease when 5 g or more of trans fat per day is consumed. Its ability to increase LDL and decrease HDL levels is a negative double-whammy in the lipid arena.

Because Dr Stender stood up to big commerce, he is now a superhero in the world of trans-fat legislation. As chair of the Danish Nutrition Council's subgroup dealing with trans fats and health, he convinced the country of Denmark to approve a ban there effective January 1, 2004. It is now illegal for any food to contain more than 2% trans fats, and offenders face hefty fines and even incarceration. Proof of the downside of taking a hard stand on trans fat is the fact that he was sued after he outed the content of a favorite snack wafer. He likened the public's risk of consuming it to that of smoking 10 cigarettes per day. Sales plummeted, and the company sued him for $1 million. Then, in a stunning turnaround, in 3 months, it dropped the suit and removed 100% of the trans fat in its product.

The number of Danes who died from cardiovascular disease fell by 70% between 1985 and 2009. No EU member state has recorded a greater decline in mortality. Could the ban on trans fats in 2003 be the cause? Indeed, it seems that Dr Stender's dream for Denmark may have already come true.

But I'm not the only one

In my office, I have a copy of the Mediterranean diet pyramid at checkout for every new patient. Many established patients who suffer from metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, or obesity receive a second or even a third copy. I spend hours teaching the simple mechanics of nutrition. I stress that it's more impactful on longevity than any metal scaffold electively deployed into a coronary artery. I found a kindred spirit in Dr Simon Poole. His salient points came rapid fire, finding their mark and leaving quite an impression.

"If patients with coronary artery disease came out of the office of a practicing physician or cardiologist not on a statin, you could argue that's a negligent practice, but I'd argue that most have no advice on diet. I lay down the gauntlet. We as physicians need to emphasize diet," he began. He then lauded Dr Stender by saying, "Steen has done remarkably well with his government. Our secretary of state wanted to make an impact. We were shuffled into a room to discuss how to decrease mortality in 2.5 years. We emphasized "brave legislation" (hinting at labeling, reduction in trans-fat content, and education). The reply was a terse, "Well, we don't do social engineering." Someone in the group argued, "If you look at eye-level in a market at the packaging of chocolates for children . . . if that isn't social engineering, I don't know what is."

He made the salient points that simple things like irrigation of olives decreases the antioxidant content of olive oil, which can ruin even good foods. When UV light replaces natural sunlight, it can be impactful. Furthermore, he consumes up to 50 cc of olive oil per day and recommends frying fish in it and pouring it on pasta. He doesn't count calories.

I quickly asked the expert if anything about my usual dietary recommendations could be improved. I told him that I advocate for cutting in half the consumption of bread, sweets, potatoes, pasta, and rice and to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. I recommend a maximum of four eggs per week and no more than one serving of red meat per month.

Dr Poole replied, "I don't discourage consuming pasta if they drizzle olive oil on it because it lowers the glycemic load. I'd die without having red meat once per week but the portion is very, very small," he said, pointing to a small portion of the palm of his hand. "It's always grass fed," he added and quipped, "I always know what my food ate." Further critiquing my recommendations, he added, "I would go for more than five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Butternut squash, for instance, and cucumbers are fruits of sorts. As for eggs, they are back on the menu."

His friend Dr Aseem Malhotra (Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Camberley, UK), who was standing nearby, added, "Following an MI, for mortality lowering, a high-fat Mediterranean diet is more effective than aspirin, statins, and coronary stents." It was a statement thrown like a fastball toward home plate, its implication staggering and dead on target.

Dr Poole concluded his presentation today by stating, "We need broader professional leadership and access to resources. Education is key. We need to take responsibility."

I hope someday you'll join us

Dr Neil Thomas emphasized the importance of respecting the many randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of the Mediterranean and DASH diets to reduce all cause mortality. The impact of uneven recommendations and the impact of the media's influence cannot be underestimated. He cautions against supplements, stating that, "The media regularly reports on omega-3 fatty acids for prevention and treatment of CV disease, but there are no interventional studies that demonstrate a reduction in mortality. The US Preventive Services Task Force found no evidence of a positive effect of any nutritional supplement. Although there was a 7% reduction in all-cause mortality in one study that included vitamin D, those studies included simultaneous calcium supplementation. Those with vitamin D alone are all negative," he said, then added, "There are two larger trials upcoming that will be definitive regarding whether it's beneficial." He concluded by saying, "With regard to beta carotene, as soon as you start giving it in interventional trials it actually increased the risk of death."

Dr Thomas Larsen is studying multiple dietary combinations like high- or low-glycemic-index diets combined with higher or lower fatty- and protein-content diets. According to the DIOGENES trial, he noted, patients who followed a low-protein and high-glycemic index diet were more likely to gain weight. He then added, "High-protein diets, not low-glycemic-index diets, are the most promising for regulation of fat mass and abdominal height." He concluded that based on the Diogenes diet and others, "a high-protein, low-glycemic-index diet may have additive effects to improve body-weight regulation, is more successfully maintained, and may be more likely to lower CVD risk factors if followed long term."

And the world will be as one

I challenge you take this information into your exam rooms tomorrow. Bring along a copy of the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Talk to patients about how adding extra virgin olive oil blunts the glycemic index of whole-wheat pasta. Advocate against unfounded claims for dietary supplements. Strike up a conversation with your local congressional representatives. Imagine how we as clinicians and practitioners can change the world one conversation at a time, one politician at a time, and one act of legislation at a time. If you can see the future, you can make it happen. Imagine how the world would eat and live if we all did that tomorrow. Just imagine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, imagine a world where wellness is revered and respected again!

Thank you, Melissa Walton-Shirley, for one of the most exciting and inspiring reviews I have read in some time!!

Photo by yaruta/iStock / Getty Images
Photo by yaruta/iStock / Getty Images
Posted on September 9, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources, visions.

6 Anti-Inflammatory Powerhouses

6 Anti-Inflammatory Powerhouses

Clean eating can put out the fire that's making you sick.

By Editors of Prevention August 24, 2015

Sweet potato Photo by Thinkstock

 

Chronic inflammation has been associated with an increased risk of arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and cancer. Sure, some inflammation is good—like the acute kind is a form of self-protection, your body's immune response to a cut or pathogens entering the body. Chronic inflammation, however, means that your body is constantly producing immune cells, which can damage the body. This harmful inflammation is a result of never-ending stress, being overweight, or a diet high in things like sugar, trans fats, and various toxins.

But while the wrong diet promotes excessive inflammation, a diet rich in clean foods can help reduce it and its harmful effects on your body. The following foods in particular are anti-inflammatory powerhouses:

Spices and Herbs
Herbs and spices like basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, turmeric, peppercorns, ginger, and cinnamon are loaded with all sorts of antioxidants that have even been found to reduce pro-inflammatory compounds that build up on meat during grilling. And ginger and turmeric, in particular, have been linked to joint pain relief. Add them to marinades, dressings, spice rubs, and teas for a dose of health and flavor.

Soy
Soy can reduce the inflammation marker C-reactive protein, which is linked to cardiovascular disease. Incorporate clean sources of soy into your diet, such as tempeh or edamame.

More: The Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Cold-Water Fish
Salmon, black cod, sardines, and anchovies are full of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is a particularly good choice—its rosy pink color comes from carotenoids, which also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins C and E and the carotenoids alpha- and beta-carotene, all of which reduce inflammation and promote healthy, vibrant skin.

More: 11 Weird Things Inflamming Your Body

Walnuts
Walnuts contain alpha- linolenic acid--an omega-3 fatty acid that reduces inflammation and is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Tea
Green, black, and white teas contain free radical-fighting catechins, which have recently been associated with reduced muscle inflammation and a speedier recovery after exercise.

Adapted from Eat Clean, Stay Lean

Article retrieved from: http://www.rodalewellness.com/food/6-anti-inflammatory-powerhouses?cid=NL_RNDF_2170216_09072015_6_Anti-Inflammatory_Powerhouses_title

Posted on September 8, 2015 and filed under discussions, information.

Eating Processed Foods

Processed foods aren't just microwave meals and other ready meals. The term 'processed food' applies to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way, either for safety reasons or convenience. This means you may be eating more processed food than you realise.

Processed foods aren't necessarily unhealthy, but anything that’s been processed may contain added salt, sugar and fat.

One advantage of cooking food from scratch at home is that you know exactly what is going into it, including the amount of added salt or sugar.

However, even homemade food sometimes uses processed ingredients. Read on to find out how you can eat processed foods as part of a healthy diet.

 

What counts as processed food?

Most shop-bought foods will have been processed in some way.

Examples of common processed foods include:

  • breakfast cereals
  • cheese
  • tinned vegetables
  • bread
  • savoury snacks, such as crisps 
  • meat products, such as bacon
  • "convenience foods", such as microwave meals or ready meals
  • drinks, such as milk or soft drinks

Food processing techniques include freezing, canning, baking, drying and pasteurising products. 

Dietitian Sian Porter says: "Not all processed food is a bad choice. Some foods need processing to make them safe, such as milk, which needs to be pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria. Other foods need processing to make them suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil.

"Freezing fruit and veg preserves most vitamins, while tinned produce (choose those without added sugar and salt) can mean convenient storage, cooking and choice to eat all year round, with less waste and cost than fresh."

What makes some processed foods less healthy?

Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and to prolong their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the food's structure, such as salt in bread or sugar in cakes.

This can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts for these additives, as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. These foods can also be higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them.

Furthermore, a diet high in red and processed meat (regularly eating more than 90g a day) has also been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. Some studies have also shown that eating a large amount of processed meat may be linked to a higher risk of cancer or heart disease

What is processed meat?

Processed meat refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives. This includes sausages, bacon, ham, salami and pâtés.

The Department of Health recommends that if you currently eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day, that you cut down to 70g a day. This is equivalent to two or three rashers of bacon, or a little over two slices of roast lamb, beef or pork, with each about the size of half a slice of bread.

However, it's important to remember that the term "processed" applies to a very broad range of foods, many of which can be eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

How can I eat processed foods as part of a healthy diet?

Reading nutrition labels can help you choose between processed products and keep a check on the amount of processed foods you're eating that are high in fat, salt and added sugars.

Adding tinned tomatoes to your shopping basket, for example, is a great way to boost your 5 a day. They can also be stored for longer and cost less than fresh tomatoes – just check the label to make sure there's no added salt or sugar.

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging.

This type of label includes information on energy (kJ/kcal), fat, saturates (saturated fat), carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. It may also provide additional information on certain nutrients such as fibre. All nutrition information is provided per 100 grams and sometimes per portion of the food.

How do I know if a processed food is high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt?

There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high or low in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar. These are:

Total fat

High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g

Saturated fat

High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g 

Sugars

High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Salt

High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

For example, if you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, try to limit the amount of foods you eat that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

If the processed food you want to buy has a nutrition label that uses colour-coding, you will often find a mixture of red, amber and green. So, when you're choosing between similar products, try to go for more greens and ambers, and fewer reds, if you want to make a healthier choice. 

However, even healthier ready meals may be higher in fat and other additives than a homemade equivalent. That's not to say that homemade foods can't also be high in calories, fat, salt and sugar, but if you make the meal yourself, you'll have a much better idea of what's gone into it. You could even save yourself some money, too. 

When cooking food at home...

For tips on how to eat healthily on a budget, read our healthy recipe ideas and check out the Eat4Cheap challenge.

Page last reviewed: 01/06/2014

Next review due: 01/06/2016

Another janet's eye on the media share....

Another janet's eye on the media share....


Posted on September 6, 2015 and filed under discussions, information.

Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats?

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/15-HHB-423-Dietary-Fats-Infographic_FINAL.pdf
http://health.clevelandclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/15-HHB-423-Dietary-Fats-Infographic_FINAL.pdf

For years, we’ve heard that saturated fatis bad for our hearts and that unsaturated fat is good. But experts’ views on dietary fat are changing. It’s easy to be confused. Learn which fats you can eat more of and which fats to avoid. And enjoy useful tips on heart-healthy eating, cooking and shopping from preventive cardiology dietitians Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, and Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD.

Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats? #infographic
Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats? #infographic
Posted on August 24, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources.

5 Food Additives You Should Avoid

Processed food has become more American than apple pie. But chemical additives in the food, if consumed in large quantities, may be a health concern. Here are five additives you should avoid.

Source: 5 Food Additives You Should Avoid | Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

5 Food Additives You Should Avoid

August 17, 2015 / By Heart & Vascular Team

Food additives prohibited
Food additives prohibited

“Mmm, sodium nitrate.”

When is the last time you heard someone say that? Right before you sunk your teeth into some juicy sodium nitrite?

Probably not.

People typically don’t consider the chemicals in their cuisine. However, additive-laced processed foods have become more American than apple pie.

Americans spend 90 percent of their food budget on processed food, claim some sources. It’s more convenient. It can be less expensive. But is it as healthy?

Dietitian Kate Patton and intern Sara Saliba of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation explain.

What is processed food?

“Processed food has been altered in some way from its natural state,” says Ms. Patton. “Often, that means it has been treated with additives – substances that add color, enhance flavor or increase shelf-life, for example. Additives are not necessarily bad. Most foods do require additives to prevent spoilage and maintain their nutritional value.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved thousands of additives for use in food. But while consuming small amounts is safe, it may be warranted to limit the amount of these foods you consume.

What’s so bad about food additives?

“People should eat a healthy diet, rich in fresh vegetables and fruits. Eating a diet rich in processed foods is linked to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer,” says Ms. Saliba.

For example:

Preservation

  • Sodium nitrites help stabilize, flavor, and provide a bright red color to meat. When the meat is heated at high temperatures or combines with stomach acid, sodium nitrite can produce nitrosamines, which is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer.
  • Sulfites are a popular preservative that many people are sensitive to; and can aggravate asthma and deplete vitamin B1 (thiamine). These additives have already been banned from use on fresh fruits and vegetables in the U.S., but are still present in other foods. (Look for these ingredients on the label: sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite.)
  • Trans fats is a type of fat added to foods to extend its shelf life or improve the consistency. It increases LDL or bad cholesterol, which increases the risk for heart disease.

Flavor Enhancers

  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG) enhances flavor and texture in Asian foods, soups and other processed foods. Many people are sensitive to MSG. People with MSG sensitivity can experience nausea, breathing problems and other reactions. It also adds extra sodium, which can elevate blood pressure. (Look for these ingredients on the label: natural flavoring or hydrolyzed vegetable protein).

Artificial Colors

  • FD&C yellow #5 and #6 has been linked to hyperactivity in children. It can cause severe allergic reactions, especially in people with asthma. Food dyes come from chemicals, so try to choose foods that are in their natural state and color.

How can you avoid unhealthy additives?

The best way to eat healthy is to:

  1. Buy more fresh foods than processed (or “convenience”) foods. Farmers markets are good places to shop.
  2. If fresh foods are not available, choose frozen fruits and vegetables without any additives.
  3. Avoid prepackaged, pre-cooked meals. Cook your own meals so you know what is in your food.
  4. Check food labels. Don’t buy products with known additives, and beware of other ingredients you can’t pronounce.

“By following these tips, your food will be healthier and more nutritious as well as fresher and more naturally flavorful,” says Ms. Patton.

References

American Cancer Society

The World’s Healthiest Foods

Sustainable Table

Healthy Eating Politics

Schlosser, E. (2002). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Posted on August 24, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources.

Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic)

Do you have a sweet tooth? Most of us will overindulge at times. But the more sugar we consume, the more we want, says Mark Hyman, MD. However, the good news is that people can break the sugar addiction in 10 days. Here's how.

Source: Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic) | Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic)

May 21, 2015 / By Family Health Team

How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic
How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic

Do you have a sweet tooth? Most of us will overindulge at times. But the more sugar we consume, the more we want, says Mark Hyman, MD. However, the good news is that people canbreak the sugar addiction in 10 days. Here’s how.

How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic
How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic

What Eating 40 Teaspoons of Sugar a Day Can Do to You

“That Sugar Film” takes a look at what happens when you give up fresh foods for sugar-laden processed foods.

Source: What Eating 40 Teaspoons of Sugar a Day Can Do to You - The New York Times

Please open the above links to see That Sugar Film's website chock full of information vital to rebalancing your health! and to read the full article from the New York Times. Also check out LMS Welcome page link to Dr Hyman's plan to break your sugar addiction in 10 days.

"THIS is what I'm talking about...." ~janet

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photo-1-Version-5-203x300

brought to Lifestyle Modification Support by janet's Eye On the Media 

Posted on August 18, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, mission statements, resources, visions.

20 Names for Nasty MSG

"Food manufacturers just love it when you can't stop with a single serving. For them, it is the sound of cash registers ringing in sales. But what does this mean to us? It means that somehow the food is now in control. Somehow it has been manipulated to cause you to overeat."

Source: 20 Names for Nasty MSG | Rodale Wellness

20 Names for Nasty MSG

This ingredient can make you fat and sick in so many ways.

By Jayson Calton, PhD, Mira Calton, CN July 30, 2015

Food manufacturers just love it when you can't stop with a single serving. For them, it is the sound of cash registers ringing in sales. But what does this mean to us? It means that somehow the food is now in control. Somehow it has been manipulated to cause you to overeat.

Monosodium glutamate is the go-to add-in to create this desired effect. So much so that this menacing flavor enhancer is found in almost all processed and packaged foods in the United States. MSG-induced obesity is such an accepted concept in scientific circles that when studies require obese animals, the first thing they are given is MSG. Scientists in Spain found that giving laboratory rats MSG increased food intake by 40 percent.

MSG works as an obesogen in three distinct obesity-inducing ways. The most obvious way is that it intensifies the tastiness of any treat, and this makes you desire it even more. Second, MSG has been shown to make us leptin resistant. Remember that leptin is the hormone that makes you feel full. Why would you ever put down a snack if your brain never gets the message to stop eating it? Finally, MSG causes the secretion of insulin, your fat-storage hormone, which drops your blood sugar and makes you hungrier faster.

More: 4 'Healthy Food' Offenders

However, this ingredient also reduces our micronutrient levels because it is an excitotoxin. This means it can cross the blood-brain barrier and overexcite your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, and more. It's true--and your micronutrient levels pay the price because your available antioxidants are used at an accelerated rate when trying to repair MSG brain toxicity.

Rather than performing other important functions in your body, available antioxidants—such as vitamins C and E and selenium—are called on to repair the damage. Additionally, magnesium, chromium, and zinc are all very important protectors of neural cells, so their use is also accelerated in the presence of MSG.

More: Make Your Own 'Instant' Cup of Noodles

Can you imagine how many other essential bodily functions may not be able to be performed properly because food manufacturers snuck MSG into the recipe? Kick it to the curb by watching out for these ingredients that could harbor MSG:

• Autolyzed yeast

• Autolyzed yeast protein

• Calcium glutamate

Carrageenan

• Glutamate

• Glutamic acid

• Hydrolyzed corn

• Ingredients listed as hydrolyzed, protein fortified, ultra-pasteurized, fermented or enzyme modified

• Magnesium glutamate

• Monoammonium glutamate

• Monopotassium glutamate

• Natural flavors (ask manufacturers their sources, to be safe)

• Pectin

• Sodium caseinate

• Soy isolate

• Soy sauce

• Textured protein

• Vegetable extract

• Yeast extract

• Yeast food

Adapted from The Micronutrient Miracle

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Janet's Eye on the media.........

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photo-1-Version-5
Posted on August 11, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, resources.

Disease mongering and drug marketing

EMBO Rep. 2005 Jul; 6(7): 612–614.
PMCID: PMC1369125
Science and Society
Analysis

Disease mongering and drug marketing

Summary

Does the pharmaceutical industry manufacture diseases as well as drugs?

Most people may not have heard of metabolic syndrome, but that is likely to change. Once known mysteriously as Syndrome X, the condition, a precursor to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, is about to be transformed into a household name by the US pharmaceutical industry and its partners in the medical profession. A society dedicated to addressing the condition has been organized, a journal has been started, and an education campaign launched. Patients are already being tested for metabolic syndrome. As the trade publication Pharmaceutical Executive said in its January 2004 issue: “A new disease is being born” (Breitstein, 2004).

...industry has found itself under fire from detractors who contend that, in the pursuit of profits, companies are in league with medical doctors and patient advocacy groups to 'disease monger'...

The situation is reminiscent of the attitude towards cholesterol. Twenty years ago, physicians were not concerned about the effects it might have on heart disease. Today, thanks to efforts by pharmaceutical companies, high cholesterol levels are now recognized as a major health problem. In fact, IMS Health, a global healthcare information company, reports that the two best-selling drugs in 2004 were statins: Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) from Pfizer (New York, NY, USA)—valued at US$10.6 billion with growth of 13.9% over the previous year—and Zocor® (simvastatin) from Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA).Pharmaceutical Executive noted: “The emergence of cholesterol reduction as a market was a major event for pharma. Metabolic syndrome promises to be as big or bigger” (Breitstein, 2004).

However, critics note that not every new disease for which the pharmaceutical business provides a drug is necessarily a major public health problem, but rather a venue for drug companies to increase revenues. Pharmaceutical companies research, develop and exploit drugs to prevent, control and cure diseases and treat symptoms. Companies then market these medications to recoup their investments and reward shareholders. It would seem to serve the interests of society, but some critics characterize it as a vicious circle in which businesses invent new diseases to match their existing drugs. Increasingly, industry has found itself under fire from detractors who contend that, in the pursuit of profits, companies are in league with medical doctors and patient advocacy groups to 'disease monger': convince people that their usually mild ailment urgently needs drug treatment.

The late medical journalist Lynn Payer addressed the issue in the early 1990s in her book Disease-Mongers: How Doctors, Drug Companies, and Insurers Are Making You Feel Sick. She wrote: “Disease-mongering—trying to convince essentially well people that they are sick, or slightly sick people that they are very ill—is big business.... Disease mongering is the most insidious of the various forms that medical advertising, so-called medical education, and information and medical diagnosis can take.” Similarly, Arthur Caplan, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, last December told the popular American TV programme 60 Minutes, “If you want to stir up worry in the public, and you've got the advertising dollars to do it, you can turn almost anything into a disease.” The focus of the 60 Minutes report was the recent emergence of a market for adult attention deficit disorder (ADD)—the traditional view was that ADD afflicted only children who would eventually outgrow it.

Critics such as Payer and Caplan maintain that the routine human condition...is increasingly being re-defined as disease...

Critics such as Payer and Caplan maintain that the routine human condition—unhappiness, bone thinning, stomach aches and boredom—is increasingly being re-defined as disease: depression in its milder forms, osteoporosis, irritable bowel syndrome and attention deficit disorder. Likewise, risks factors, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, are declared diseases in their own right—hyper-cholesterolaemia and hypertension—with falling thresholds resulting in more people considered to be sick. In other cases, drugs approved for devastating illness, such as clinical depression, are indicated for milder conditions, such as shyness, which is now dubbed 'social phobia'.

One such example is Strattera® (atomoxetine hydrochloride), developed by Eli Lilly & Co. (Indianapolis, IN, USA) and approved in November 2002 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating ADD in children, teens and, for the first time, adults. One Lilly advertisement shows a series of photographs of an uptight-looking model, and asks in the headline: “Distracted? Disorganized? Frustrated? Modern Life or Adult ADD?” The advertisement notes that adult ADD can go undiagnosed because “its symptoms are often mistaken for a stressful life.” The commercial suggests that readers get checked out by their physician, because Strattera®, the first approved medication for adult ADD, can help “you stay focused, so you can get things done at work and at home.”

“I certainly have watched adult attention deficit disorder start to spread out from the first grade/kindergarten crowd right up to adulthood. I am suspicious because I think that this expansion is fuelled by Lilly and Strattera®,” Caplan commented. “I don't like the way their website [suggests that] people go pester their doctor if they have problems waiting in lines or get frustrated being put on hold on the phone.” Lilly did not respond to a request for comment.

Adult ADD has been a favourite target of the critics. But psychiatrist Peter Jensen, a mental health researcher at Columbia University (New York City, NY, USA), concedes there is a dearth of epidemiological research on adult ADD, which can be a real condition that impairs and disables people. “Pharmaceutical companies are businesses that are out there to make money and sell things. But saying that diseases are invented seems a little over the top. [Companies] certainly spread information and increase awareness, but you can't sell it to the FDA that way,” said Jensen, who serves on the governing board of Children and Adults with Attention–Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD; Landover, MD, USA), a non-profit patient support group. “Illness is defined in a social context. Value systems are inherent in medicine. With adult attention deficit disorder, some people whose brains are easily distracted are [annoyed] at being labelled [and] will say that they are just high energy and creative; others will be thankful they were diagnosed, treated and had their attention span restored to almost normal.”

...it is not only companies who are to blame, but also physicians who diagnose a disorder and prescribe a drug, as well as patients who feel that they have a serious disease that needs treatment

Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry does not buy the 'disease mongering' critique. “Our [industry's] job is to look for cures, not to create disease. It's up to the medical community to develop new diagnostic tools and ways to evaluate patient response,” said Alan Goldhammer, Associate Vice President for Regulatory Affairs for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), an industry trade group based in Washington, DC, USA. He maintains that drug regulators, such as the FDA, approve drug therapies on the basis of clinical trials. “One can argue you can't do a clinical trial because if it's not a disease, it's unethical to treat people with a drug if you're not going to come up with any potential benefits. There are a number of checks and balances throughout the development process that are totally external to the pharmaceutical companies.”An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.<br /><br /><br /><br />
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Critics maintain that it is not only the pharmaceutical industry that has a role in the creation of new diseases, although they certainly fuel the process. For this reason, Australian journalist Ray Moynihan, a visiting editor at the British Medical Journal and co-author of the forthcoming book Selling Disease: How Drug Companies are Turning Us All into Patients, describes the process as 'corporate-sponsored drug creation' because it also involves physicians and patient groups. “There are informal alliances of doctors, drug companies and increasingly patient groups that help to widen the boundaries of illness in order to widen markets for those selling treatments. Often this process is driven by the medical profession, but it's driven with fuel provided by the drug companies,” he said. Nevertheless, drug companies have an important role in the process. “The meetings where these disorders are defined and expanded are all drug-company funded,” Moynihan said. “Drug company activity lubricates this process, but it's often not corporate executives in the driving seat. Often it's the so-called thought leaders at the top of the tree in their profession and in their specialties.”

Furthermore, it is not always obvious where the border should be defined between a mild symptom and a disorder that needs medical attention. “I wouldn't draw such a clean line between manufactured and real diseases,” said Joe Dumit, Associate Professor of the Anthropology and Science-technology Studies' Programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA, USA). He has been studying the topic of disease creation as part of his work on how patients with controversial sociomedical conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf War syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity, organized themselves to obtain research funding from the US National Institutes of Health. Dumit found that when patient groups were backed by pharmaceutical companies, such as patients with ADD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the character of the debate changed entirely. “When Zoloft [®; sertraline hydrochloride] was approved [in 1999 for PTSD], almost every article that came out about PTSD now more or less no longer questioned the existence of the disease, but instead talked about the treatment and whether [PTSD is] underdiagnosed or overmedicated,” he said. In addition to forming alliances with patient groups, drug companies also attempt to “maximize the detectable prevalence of conditions as part of the economic rationale for growing the market for the medications,” said Dumit. “Once you decide on a threshold like a cholesterol level or an amount of irritation in your bowels, and once you decide there's a drug that could reduce that in a population, they have a strong incentive to market to that whole population.”

One such example is social anxiety disorder, better known as shyness. GlaxoSmithKline (Uxbridge, UK) had the indications for its antidepressant Paxil® (paroxetine hydrochloride) extended to treat social anxiety disorder, an extreme form of shyness marked by fear of public speaking, eating in front of others or using public bathrooms. The FDA approved this new indication in October 2003. However, “shyness is a new disease invented by Glaxo,” said Sidney Wolfe, executive director of the Public Citizen's Health Research Group (Washington, DC, USA). “In a pathological way I'm sure that people are so shy it can be a disease. It can be a real downside for people. A lot of these people are depressed. A number of these people are shy because they have been physically or sexually abused when they were younger. Shyness is generally a symptom of something else and to gloss over finding the cause and to just throw a drug at someone is doing a disservice.” GlaxoSmithKline did not respond to a request for an interview.

In the end, it is not only companies who are to blame, but also physicians who diagnose a disorder and prescribe a drug, as well as patients who feel that they have a serious disease that needs treatment. “What you have in social anxiety disorder is senior clinicians who are often connected with [several] different drug companies promoting this almost as a horrifying psychiatric disease,” Moynihan explained. He therefore lays some blame on the medical profession if they are not forthcoming about these connections. “I just don't think you can be credible when you're taking money from drug companies. And often when these [experts] are communicating with the public, the public does not know of those ties,” Moynihan said. “This is the marketing of fear. This is not a healthy way to run a society. It's putting disease at the centre of human life.”

The USA is the epicentre for both drug and drug-marketing innovation. In addition, it is the only developed country apart from New Zealand that allows direct-to-consumer advertising for medications. According to Moynihan, consumers are exposed to an average of ten drug advertisements per day on news programmes, sitcoms and soap operas, which has a major impact on their view of disease. “The drug ads are changing perceptions of human ailments and conditions and experiences,” he said. Referring to the process in which disease prevalence is maximized, Moynihan cited GlaxoSmithKline's campaign to market Paxil in the late 1990s, when pamphlets were distributed suggesting that one in eight Americans had social anxiety disorder. “One in eight Americans! This is clearly an absurd fiction. The point of that is to try and make ordinary people feel sick,” Moynihan said.

It's not healthy for children or adults to sit in front of a wall of drug-company promotion every day that tells healthy people they're sick.

Although other developed countries may not have direct-to-consumer advertising, they are not immune to the influence of marketing campaigns. “This is a global phenomenon,” Moynihan said. “In other countries, you can't advertise drugs direct to the public, but you can run and sponsor disease awareness campaigns and that's what they see in Europe and Australia.” In fact, in the autumn of 2003, Germany's largest weekly news magazine Der Spiegel devoted a cover story on the topic, based on German science journalist Jörg Blech's book Die Krankheitserfinder (The inventors of disease), which analyses how the pharmaceutical industry invents new diseases to increase sales of their drugs.

Jerry Avorn, a medical professor at Harvard University and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA, USA), is a long-time critic of the drug industry's marketing practices. However, he is also sceptical of the social critics: “The reason we're not still using leeches is we base our decisions about drugs on well done clinical trials of what works and what doesn't. Nothing that comes out of the realms of anthropology or philosophy matters much if the science isn't taken into account.” According to Avorn, there are two extremes in the discussion: those who overpromote the pill-for-every-ill philosophy and nihilists who view diseases as being invented. “The truth is somewhere in the middle,” he said.

Faced with increasing costs for healthcare services to cover drug prescriptions, politicians have also begun to investigate the issue of disease mongering. In 2004 and 2005, the British House of Commons held hearings on practices of the pharmaceutical industry, including disease mongering. In March 2005, the House of Commons Health Committee published a report, The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry, in which it expressed concerns about the effects of “medicalisation of our society—the pill for every problem.” The committee did not blame this trend solely on the pharmaceutical industry, but rather said the industry has encouraged it by acting as a “'disease monger', with the aim of categorising an increasing number of individuals as 'abnormal' and thereby requiring (drug) treatment. This process has lead to an unhealthy over-reliance on, and an overuse of, medicines. It also diverts resources and priorities from more significant disease and health problems” (House of Commons, 2005).

To increase people's awareness of disease mongering, Moynihan called for “a more robust conversation” on regulation. “The disease-awareness campaigns need to be seriously regulated. It's not healthy for children or adults to sit in front of a wall of drug-company promotion every day that tells healthy people they're sick,” he said. “I actually think quite strongly that there must be a conversation about how or if to regulate this. I think that's extremely unlikely [in the USA] in the near future. I think the Europeans are a little more civilized about this stuff. And in fact the Europeans recently rejected loosening the rules on advertising.” As governments and public healthcare systems are increasingly confronted with the high cost of medications, no doubt the issue of medicalization and disease mongering will become even more important in future debates.

References

  • Breitstein J (2004) The making of a new disease. Pharma Exec 1 Jan, www.pharmexec.com
  • House of Commons (2005) The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Fourth Report of Session 2004–2005, HC 42-I. London, UK: The Stationery Office Limited


Articles from EMBO Reports are provided here courtesy of The European Molecular Biology Organization
Posted on July 15, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources.

Do You Know the Colour of Body Fat?

Do You Know the Color of Body Fat? (Infographic)

By Chronic Conditions Team | 4/23/15 7:00 a.m.

Body fat gets a bad rap, but you’d die without it. Body fat stores crucial energy. It provides insulation. It protects your organs. It even helps hold your cells together.

But too much of a good thing can be fatal.

Explore this field guide to human body fat. Discover the different colors and what they mean. Learn which kind of fat can kill you and what you can do about it.

5 different types of body fat and how they help and harm your health. #bodyfat #diet #infographic

 

 

Posted on April 23, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies.

Research smee-search, what does it mean?

¬¬¬¬¬  I've written this description of research in answer to the oft repeated statement of friends and family that they do not know what research really is. In healthcare forums, some reveal their lack of awareness regarding research's place in science and in healthcare by the nature of their comments. Sharing this description also emphasizes the standard which I strive to match or exceed in my written discussions. Rationality and objectivity are valuable tools, especially when the well being of others is relying on conscious leadership. Though research/science is imperfect being of the physical world; we nevertheless must make some standard by which to provide the highest possible action in the given moment. ¬¬¬¬¬     by Janet Still MSN FNP

Research is a diligent, controlled study that validates and refines existing knowledge and develops new knowledge. The ultimate goal of research is the development of an empirical body of knowledge for a discipline or profession.  Research is essential to develop and refine knowledge that can be used to improve clinical methods of care, for example.  Young, smiling female doctor in a white coat. What some simply call "science" is the practice of this type of detailed and recorded observation, which is then analysed and compared to many (hopefully) other studies to draw a yet newer overall picture of the studied method/practice.

Critical thinking, developed and practiced, is essential to analysis of research results. So, setting up a formal study of a treatment or methodology for giving care for specific illness must consider carefully how to prevent "noise"  in the observations as well as in the reading and the application of results. Many procedures have been created for insuring unaffected and non-biased studies. These various procedures are the result of continued analysis too. Critical thinking, then, refers to a process of ordering thought such that reasoning is reliable and inarguable.

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The professional that provides specialize care must have the ability to provide exceptional physical assessments as well as good critical thinking to assist patients in serious and unstable conditions to reach their maximum health. You might say that goes without question...yet perhaps one should question this very situation! There are as many angles to scrutinizing your healthcare situation as there are words in this sentence (entirely too many haha). I have written on this topic in a number of philosophical articles in this blog. But practically speaking, what matters is what works; and I, like other healthcare providers and experts, have come to recognize that the patient at the center of decision-making is key to effective treatment.

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Communication is integral in healthcare on levels too many to attempt enumerating in this article. Understanding the basis of treatment....research studies ...at least a basic understanding, is you-the-patient's tool for assessing the validity of a treatment choice. As always, at the bottom of this article, I will include some resources for you to have in hand for those treatment discussion clinic appointments.

Despite the suppressed groan of healthcare workers and providers on seeing the patient arrive, armed with education of all things! you-the-patient are the primary decision-maker regarding your care, whether you abdicate your power or not. So their reaction expresses either their lack of understanding or their poor communication skills in previous encounters with educated patients. Let me insert here, especially for healthcare providers scanning this, that you-the-patient are not the expert on the latest research just because you found some articles. You are the expert on You, on what works for your balance in your life, on interpreting an illness' priority in your life, and on what amount of surrender you are willing to experience in a health crisis. The healthcare providers are your tools - to interpret pertinent research, to explain options in care, to find you the best specialists available at your behest, and/or to provide you the treatment that you both agree is most suitable given your unique circumstances. (See the References below for current thought on patient-centered healthcare).

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Portrait of happy business people with thumbs up against white background

One last example to flesh out the reasoning behind understanding research.... statistics. Ugh, one might comment, meaningless numbers. And I agree the numbers out of context are quite meaningless. Recently, my partner in a documentary presentation of chronic pain asked me why the total numbers given of the condition have such a wide disparity. He could not understand how to present such a spread when speaking of the occurrence of the condition. There are key pieces to creating a research study. One piece is what is called the sample. The sample is how large (or small) the number of subjects in the study. The media is fond of headlining big or small numbers for capturing your attention. But the number is meaningless unless you know how many people were actually studied. In other words, stating that 80% of subjects studied improved with a drug is not so sensational when you read further and learn only ten people were used in the study. Another study with a much larger sample of the population might (probably would) have a much smaller percentage result. There is even more to this number thing....how were the subjects decided upon? what age group? what gender? what region of residence? on and on.... so many conditions that can affect the outcome.

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Another piece that causes seemingly wide gaps in given results of formal studies is when was the study performed? Was the study you are reviewing for a particular nation? or global? What exactly is the study attempting to define? and what you are looking for? Like any internet search, the keywords determine the results. So before you begin to look for answers, define your question as concisely as you can in order to actually obtain some good leads. If you are coming up with widely diverse answers, why? Maybe this is a question for your provider as well. Yet, you may not be paying attention to details like how old the information is (look at dates on your links!), what aspect of the condition the research was designed to study (cause, symptomology, treatment, epidemiology), do you have the correct title of your condition (diabetes one or two give very different results).

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To encapsulate the point of this brief essay: research is meant to establish the most reliable observations of the current day on particular conditions or organisms. Of course research is of multiple disciplines, astronomy, biology, mathematics and physics, genetics, environmental mechanisms, and more. And research is an ongoing, ever dynamic study analysis of the discipline or of the condition....so there can be and ARE changes in the accepted thought and practice, based on research. In this essay, I attempt to provide another way of perceiving research that directly impacts You. My viewpoint is take all research "results" with a grain of salt as my grandparents used to say. And look further, deeper. Who funded the study? Did anyone building the study's design have reason to desire one outcome over another? Were the methods used of the highest standard today? and how do you know that? But finally, as always, get some varied expert opinions on the study results. And do not take the first opinion out of the gate! This is your life. Make it interesting....by taking part in the decision-making.

barefoot

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Resources

A quirky but informative (and short) video explaining the very basics of research by Greg Martin with Global Health:  https://youtu.be/PDjS20kic54 This is the first of several he produced to elucidate what is research and research methods. Essentially, he puts research in context in the world.

For a really fun learning experience the Khan Academy has raised the bar. A father wanting to help his son with mathematics has turned into a hugely popular online interactive virtual lesson platform. Keeping on topic with healthcare, I am providing you the link to the Biology school:  https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology Know that Khan Academy is known for its comfortable, friendly and fun demeanor making all "lessons" easy as a game.

In the interest of possible avenues to figure out what the heck my doc is talking about to cute questions my kids ask to well what is this symptom about anyway, Its The Small Things offers some readable info on things we cannot see but sure can feel! https://heathermicrobiologyjackson.wordpress.com/tag/immunology-2/page/2/

On a more serious note, how about a reliable source for research studies more likely to be reliably performed? The Cochrane Library is widely accepted as a reliable peer reviewed source to locate many many MANY research studies. This video helps you learn how to find it and how to use it: https://youtu.be/Iv-cI03UMP8

References

De Silva, D. (2011). Evidence: Helping people help themselves; from The Health Foundation; 52. Retrieved from:  http://www.health.org.uk/public/cms/75/76/313/2434/Helping%20people%20help%20themselves%20publication.pdf?realName=03JXkw.pdf

Epstein, R., Fiscella, K., Lesser, C., & Stange, K. (2010). Why the nation needs a policy push on patient-centered health care; Health Affairs 29(8); 1-7.

Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care (2014). Useful links. Retrieved from:  http://www.ipfcc.org/tools/links.html

 

Posted on April 18, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, janet's writing, Research studies.

What The Color of Your Urine Says About You

What The Color of Your Urine Says About You (Infographic)

By Urinary & Kidney Team | 10/31/13 11:01 a.m.

Human urine has been a useful tool of diagnosis since the earliest days of medicine. The color, density, and smell of urine can reveal much about the state of our health. Here, for starters, are some of the things you can tell from the hue of your liquid excreta.

 The color of your urine says something about your health. Infographic from Cleveland Clinic HealthHub

Posted on April 18, 2015 and filed under information, Research studies, resources.

Happy Heart Know Your Heart Healthy

Happy Heart … Know Your Heart Healthy

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Someone very dear to me is being harangued about their blood pressure by a well meaning provider who must stick to their clinic's guidelines regarding testing, diagnosing, and procedural prescription. This beloved person has come to me questioning the whole picture and more natural ways to lower blood pressure rather than a single chemical medication, which is known to have uncomfortable side/adverse effects. I have sent this initial share of information to her and decided why not initiate the conversation with those of you following this blog. This is a direct copy of my message to her.

"Right off the bat... motherwort tincture is a daily to lower BP; but Hawthorn is considered specific to reducing blood pressure by strengthening the heart. Seaweed daily in your diet; and garlic, lots of it, in your daily diet.

I am going to attach some great links, all to Susun Weed sites, because she is rising to the top of the wise woman of our times group, very understandable, and always keeps herself educated on conventional research regards the matters of health that she addresses.

Additional links are:

Take Heart From Hawthorn by Susun S Weed

Garlic - stinking rose - health benefits - phytoestrogens - lowers blood pressure - Susun Weed

There is much more I could share but I do not want to overload you. So look for the attachment and this link is to a video (the two links above are quickie reads). Not that Susun begins saying that motherwort and Hawthorn; hawthorn and Motherwort.... Susun Weed Show ~ The Basics -- Healthy Blood Pressure ~ SWS1110 "

I also shared this excellent page of heart health information from Project Aware : Heart Conditions and Healthy Remedy

Take care, Be happy and Be healthy!

beautiful beach
beautiful beach

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References from Project Aware include:

  1. Balch, JF and Balch, P. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group, 1997. ISBN 0-89529-727-2
  2. Brandt, KD. Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on chondrocyte metabolism in vitro and in vivo. Am J Med 83(5A):29-34, 1987.
  3. Brooks, PM; Potter, SR; and Buchanan, WW. NSAID and osteoarthritis—help or hindrance? J Rheumatol 9:3-5, 1982.
  4. Brown, Donald J. Vitex agnus castus. Clinical Monograph. Quarterly Review of Natural Medicine Summer 1994: 111-120.
  5. Burton, AF and Anderson, FH: Decreased incorporation of 14C-glucosamine relative to 3H-N-acetylglucosamine in the intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol 78:19-22, 1983.
  6. Carper, J. The Food Pharmacy. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1988.
  7. Capps, JC et al. Hexosamine metabolism II. Effect of insulin and phlorizin on the absorption and metabolism, in vivo, of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine in the rat. Biochim Biophys Acta 127:205-12, 1966.
  8. Capps, JC and Shetlar, MR: In vivo incorporation of D-glucosamine I-C14 into acid mucopolysaccharides of rabbit liver. Proc Soc Expot Biol Med 114:118-20, 1963.
  9. Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy Ever Published. Random House UK; Revised edition (October 4, 2005). ISBN-13: 978-0091906610
  10. Drovanti, A et al. Therapeutic activity of oral glucosamine sulfate in osteoarthrosis: a placebo-controlled double-blind investigation. Clin Ther 3:260-72, 1980.
  11. Fulder, S. and Blackwood, J. Garlic, Nature's Original Remedy. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 1991. ISBN 0-89281-436-5
  12. Hendler, SS. The Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1990. ISBN 0-671-66784-X
  13. Hoffman, David. The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal. Shaftesbury Dorset, England: Element Books, 1996. ISBN 1-85230-847-8
  14. Horvilleur, A. The Family Guide to Homeopathy. Virgina: Health and Homeopathy Publishing Inc., 1986. ISBN 0-9616800-0-8
  15. Kohn P et al. Metabolism of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in the intact rat. J Biol Chem 237:304-8, 1962.
  16. Lark, Susan M. Women's Health Companion Self-Help Nutrition Guide and Cookbook. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 1995, paperback 1996. ISBN 0-89087-733-5
  17. Lark, Susan M. The Menopause Self Help Book. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 1990. ISBN 0-89087-592-8
  18. Morrison, M. Therapeutic applications of chondroitin-4-sulfate, appraisal of biologic properties. Folia Angiol 25:225-32, 1977.
  19. Murray, Michael T. Menopause: How To Benefit From Diet, Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Other Natural Methods. Prima Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1559584270
  20. Murray, Michael. 5-HTP, the Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity, and Insomnia. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1998. ISBN 0-533-19784-4
  21. Murray, Michael. Glucosamine sulfate: Effective osteoarthritis treatment. The American Journal of Natural Medicine 1(1), Sept. 1994.
  22. Newman, NM and Ling, RS. Acetabular bone destruction related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Lancet: 2:11-13, 1985.
  23. Peirce, A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York NY: Stonesong Press, 1999. ISBN 0-688-16151-0
  24. Pujalte, JM et al. Double-blind clinical evaluation of oral glucosamine sulphate in the basic treatment of osteoarthritis. Curr Med Res Opin 7:110-4, 1980.
  25. Ronningen, H and Langeland, N. Indomethacin treatment in osteoarthritis of the hip joint. Acta Orthop Scand 50:169-74, 1979.
  26. Setnikar, I et al. Antiarthritic effects of glucosamine sulfate studied in animal models. Arzneimittelforschung 41:542-5, 1991.
  27. Shield, MJ. Anti-inflammatory drugs and their effects on cartilage synthesis and renal function. Eur J Rhematol Inflam 13:7-16, 1993.
  28. Solomon, L. Drug induced arthropathy and necrosis of the femoral head. Journal Bone Joint Surg 55B: 246-51, 1973.
  29. Tesoriere, G, et al. Intestinal absorption of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. Experientia 28-770-1, 1972.
  30. Vliet, Elizabeth L. Screaming to be Heard, Hormonal Connections Women Suspect and Doctors Ignore. New York, NY: M. Evans and Company, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-87131-784-2
  31. Weed, Susun. Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way—Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90. Woodstock, New York: Ash Tree, 1992. ISBN 9614620-4-3
  32. Weil, A. Eating Well for Optimum Health. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. ISBN 0-375-40754-5
  33. Willard, Terry. Textbook of Advanced Herbology. Calgary: CW Progressive Publishing Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-9691727-1-0
  34. Willard, Terry. The Wild Rose Scientific Herbal. Calgary: Wild Rose College of Natural Healing, Ltd. 1st hardcover 1991; 2nd printing 1998. ISBN 0-9691727-0-3
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Scientific papers

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  • Kaiser, K. Cross-cultural perspectives on menopause. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 592: 430–432, 1990.
  • Kronenberg, F. Giving hot flashes the cold shoulder—without drugs. Menopause Management April: 20–27, 1993.
  • Kronenberg, F. Hot flashes: Phenomenology, quality of life, and search for treatment options. Experimental Gerontology 29: 319–336, 1994.
  • Okker, E et al. Effects of extracts from cimicifuga racemosa on gonadotropin release in menopausal women and ovariectomized rats. Planta Medica 57:420–424, 1991.
  • Windsor, AC; Misra, DP; Loudon, JM; and Staddon, GE. The effect of whole bone extract on Ca47 absorption in the elderly. Age & Ageing 2:230–234, 1973.

Books

  • Coney, Sandra. The Menopause Industry: How the Medical Establishment Exploits Women. Hunter House books, Publishers Group West, 1994.
  • Gillespie, Larrian. The Menopause Diet. Healthy Life Pubns, 1999. ISBN 0967-131-707
  • Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal Healing for Women. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.
  • Griggs, Barbara. The Green Witch: A Modern Woman's Herbal. London: Vermillion, 1993.
  • Henkel, Gretchen. Making the Estrogen Decision. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1992.
  • Northrup, Christiane. Womens' Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing. Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub, 1998. ISBN 0-553-37953-4.
  • Soule, Deb. The Roots of Healing: A Woman's Book of Herbs. New York: Citadel Press, 1995.
  • Wolfe, Honora Lee. Menopause, A Second Spring: Making a Smooth Transition with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Boulder, Colorado: Blue Poppy Press, 1995.

Publications

The following publications also may help. You'll need to order them:

A U.S. government publication, "Menopause," may be ordered from the U.S. Government Bookstore, Room 118, Federal Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. It costs $3.25.

A pamphlet, "Taking Hormones and Women's Health: Choices, Risks, and Benefits," may be ordered from the National Women's Health Network, 514 Tenth Street N.W., Ste. 400, Washington, D.C., 20004. It costs $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers.

Net Resources

Menopause, The physiological cessation of menses as a result of decreasing ovarian function by David L. Hoffman, M.N.I.M.H. Menopause is one of the major rites of passage human beings go through. In our "civilized" society, menopause is too often approached with dread by many women, fearing it as a time when their role as women becomes devalued. It is a time of change in their role as mother, lover, and wife. As people, unfortunately, tend to create their self-image and persona from their perception of socially defined roles, becoming those roles in time, there seems to be not much left when these roles are "gone". From a different perspective, menopause can be seen as a great gift in a woman's life, a liberation, an initiation. It presents an opportunity to re-evaluate one's purpose in life, perhaps to change in many ways, to see change not as something to fear but as an opportunity to embrace, moving on to greater fulfillment.

Yoga stretches can benefit both the body and the mind, bringing energy and balance. This is particularly helpful to women who are currently in menopause or in menopause transition because their hormonal levels and body chemistry may be fluctuating rapidly.

Weight loss, menopause and hypothyroidism Larrian Gillespie, M.D. is author of several popular books on health, including The Menopause Diet, and in this two-part interview, talks to Mary Shomon about how weight loss and menopause relate to hypothyroidism, and much more.

Posted on January 29, 2015 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources.

What Food Manufacturers Don’t Want You To Know

healthy family 3
healthy family 3

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/what-food-manufacturers-don-t-want-you-know-pantry-principle GreenMedInfo reviews a few of the dangerous ingredients commonly used in processed food today and described in the book, The Pantry Principle, by Mira Dessy (2013). If you are like some folk, the term "processed foods" has little meaning. Let me be specific: processed food refers to convenience food or as wikipedia writes, "tertiary processed food"...in other words, someone else made it and sold it to you in a package usually, and/or often made the item from packaged ingredients. The idea became popular, in the 60s pretty much, when women started "leaving home" to add to the income of their families by taking work outside of housework. Nowadays people have come to prefer food made by strangers, as I call it.  There is an insidious reason for that preference.  And the reasoning has been purposefully thought out and manifested by those profiting from sales of processed food. But the important thing for you is how the heck do I know what is healthy and what isn't???

I was surprised and pleased to read the Collins'  Dictionary definition: "foods that have been treated or prepared by a special method, especially in order to preserve them; Pure food is safer and more filling than processed food <and>diets high in refined and processed foods." (Collins 2014). This preservation has taken extreme direction in our modern world, traveling from the innovative idea of keeping food through the winter months to now providing food with shelf life of many many years. Why don't we notice that the food we eat has lost its nutritive value and its native flavours? That which makes processed food remain looking good! baby! also includes ingredients meant to distract us from the lack of nutrition by creating addiction to the food-like substance. Why I use the word, insidious, is that ultimately the outcome of making processed food your primary source of nutrition is not pretty...not pretty at all. 

Mira Dessy spells out very easy to understand principles to update your thinking on how to be healthy, how to actually lose weight, and how to feel good again about your body... and I say, if you feel good about your body because it is healthy, you do feel good about life, about living. The GreenMedInfo article quickly shares some particular "uh-ohs" to watch for on labels. I hope the article might be a teaser for you to find your way to more....

Read : Mira Dessy's book: The Pantry Principle; go to her website Grains and More; read Hungry for Change or watch the engaging and chock-full of helpful tools Hungry for Change video; check out more contemporary sources of valid facts and resources, such as bodyecology.com ;  Dr Mark Hymen's book The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now! ; check out Holford and Burne's Food Is Better Medicine Than Drugs; Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe; and so many more ....

And remember... "Processed foods are made for long shelf-life, NOT for long human life!" (Hungry for Change 2012).

References:

Collins Dictionaries (2014). www.collinsdictionary.com

Colquhoun, J. and ten Bosch, L. (2012). Hungry for Change. HarperOne: New York NY.

Dessy, M. (2014). Grains and More website, retrieved from: http://grainsandmore.com/

Dessy, M. (2013). The Pantry Principle. Versadia Press: The Woodlands TX.

Gates, D. (2014). 10 things the processed food industry doesn't want you to know. Retrieved from the Hungry for Change website at: http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/10-things-the-processed-food-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know

Holford, P. and Burne, J. (2006). Food is better medicine than drugs. Piatkus Books: London.

Hymen, M. (2012). The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now! Little, Brown and Company: New York NY.

Vangness, R.D. (2014). 10 things the processed food industry doesn't want you to know and body ecology's 2 powerful tools to help you fight back. Retrieved from bodyecology's website at: http://bodyecology.com/articles/10-things-processed-food-industry.php#.VIhjdTGsV8E

Waldman, H. (2014). What food manufacturers don't want you to know: The Pantry Principle. Retrieved from the GreenMedInfo website at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/what-food-manufacturers-don-t-want-you-know-pantry-principle

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2014). Convenience food. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convenience_food

Wolfe, D. (2009). Eating for Beauty. North Atlantic: Berkeley CA.

Posted on December 10, 2014 and filed under discussions, information, resources.

- One Billion Rising Revolution

- One Billion Rising Revolution.

Guess what I am talking about again?One Billion Rising!

Get Up! Stand Up for Ending Violence Against Women! Dance and Sing and Celebrate our right to joy and self-empowerment... to speak of our right and to use the fullness of our power in speaking. Please check out the site and watch the top video and any/all the videos on the site. The music and the beautiful faces telling their story is inspiring and promising...joyful truly.

http://youtu.be/6guRQb9Plkk

www.onebillionrising.org

One Billion Rising was the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history.

The campaign began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime.

With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.

~One Billion Rising for justice. Join the world in rising up.

Posted on November 9, 2014 and filed under discussions, information, janet's writing, mission statements, resources, visions.

Six Simple Numbers

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29658778 photo-1-Version-5As Obama implores, we need to stop Ebola at its source in order to truly end this dangerous threat.

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I will share a video story at the bottom of this post to illustrate the difference between Nigeria and Liberia as far as potential to eradicate the deadly Ebola virus.

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This very brief article, Six Surprising Numbers, states plainly some very simple needs that would not even take that many of us to help fulfill the desperate situation in Liberia... for, my friends, they have almost nothing with which to fight this disease!

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Six numbers....six things to give to keep not just strangers in a strange land safe....to keep your loved ones safe too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29658778  

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Please also open this additional link [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29769782 ] to scroll down for the video of BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse traveling with a Liberian ambulance crew picking up Ebola victims. The article is titled Ebola Outbreak: Cases pass 10,000 WHO reports. But the video...scroll down to the fourth picture you see and click the arrow to open the video....is a live-wire experience riding with the ambulance crew and visiting the only Ebola doctor in Liberia. Nothing can more plainly describe the desperate situation than the actual images of what is happening right now.

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If you cannot bear to watch...please listen to it. Then you will understand why I am sharing the very simple list above of just six things we can contribute to help Liberia stop the rapid onslaught of Ebola within their borders.

~j

Posted on October 25, 2014 and filed under information, janet's writing, mission statements, resources, visions.

Diagnosis: P.A.D. Now What? Progression of the Disease

 PAD: Progression of the Disease

Introduction

Save your arteries, save your life.

Your health care provider warns you that your body is showing signs of Peripheral Artery Disease. The name sounds complicated, so naturally you want to understand better what is happening in your body and why. Peripheral Artery Disease, or PAD for short, is a catch-all name for conditions that damage your arteries. Weakening artery walls, and plaque trying to repair the artery walls, disrupt the easy flow of blood through the artery vessels. Caught early, progression of PAD can be controlled.

Most often, atherosclerosis is what people, even your medical provider, are talking about when they say PAD or peripheral artery disease. But the name PAD actually means any of the conditions that can afflict the arteries. So listen and ask questions to understand which type of PAD you have. In this article, I address atherosclerosis since this is what many people come to me with questions about. And I am also discussing atherosclerosis because some dear friends and associates of mine have learned their thickening arteries are threatening their well-being.

Later, I will follow up this article with more on other types of peripheral artery disease.

Quiet Signs of PAD

Your provider’s diagnosis of PAD may have come as a surprise because you feel fine, no unusual symptoms. Maybe you feel a little bit of achiness, tightness or heaviness in your legs climbing the stairs, maybe some occasional numbness in your toes or fingers, or maybe some cramping in your legs or buttocks. Rest improves the discomfort and those crampy muscles can mean many things, but these signs can also indicate poor circulation. With PAD, poor circulation results in less blood reaching the muscles during exercise. Think of how blood brings life and warmth to all parts of your body, then you will understand how poor nail and hair growth is also a sign of PAD. Other possible changes include sores on your feet that heal slowly, cold feet especially if one is colder than the other and the corresponding pulse is weak too.

How PAD Happens

Plaque build-up along the artery walls, atherosclerosis, is the most common cause of PAD. Plaque occurs as your body tries to heal damage to the lining of your arteries. For example, high blood pressure from smoking tears at the lining of vessels. Plaque tries to cover the damage. High sugar levels in your body, from diabetes and insulin resistance, damage the lining of blood vessels too. Eating the wrong kinds of fat, which alters cholesterol levels, creates more plaque-building material in your vessels. Since more of these conditions are seen as we age, old age is a risk factor. If you or a close family member have had a stroke, you are at risk for PAD. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and heart conditions all have ways of weakening the artery walls.

PAD Keeps Progressing

If the causes of PAD do not make it obvious why your provider is concerned about your peripheral artery disease, here is a short list of what conditions and discomforts could be in your future unless you take steps now to redirect your body. Having PAD increases the chances you will experience other cardiovascular diseases such as: heart attack, stroke, mini stroke and other threatening heart complications. Once plaque lines an artery wall, more plaque is attracted, eventually making less room for blood to flow through the artery. Clots from the plaque can break away and suddenly jam a heart or brain artery. The symptoms of PAD are uncomfortable and painful but the long term effects are dangerous to your longevity.

Save Your Life

Over time, the effects of poor circulation add up. But you can take steps to slow down PAD and possibly halt its continued ravages to your arteries. You must have a provider to oversee your lifestyle changes, because the provider recognizes and teaches you to recognize the danger signs, helping develop a safe plan back to health. Learn the red flags right away: severe pain in your leg; infections that worsen despite care; loss of feeling in one or both feet; and know the signs of stroke and heart attack. There are surgical repairs for the worst case scenarios or, better yet, get help now to stop smoking and to alter your eating choices in a wise and safe manner. And get more active again to avoid weight gain contributing to plaque build-up and to improve circulation to the areas of your body where bloodflow has been limited by PAD.

Alternative

As always, there are nutritional changes you can make to ease up some of the load, plaque build-up, your arteries are taking. One of the worst additions to our modern diet that people do not even realize they are eating is sugar in its many forms with its many, many names. Sugar, especially the new forms of sweetener via high fructose corn syrup and its numerous derivations, are added to nearly every pre-made and/or processed food you purchase in our modern nation. Sugar ravishes your body in countless insidious ways. Please review my previous ongoing discussions/articles regarding what has become common knowledge today among providers keeping up with the latest research on nutrition and on research of the effects of modern food additives.

For an example, if you are still choosing the low fat products, you are consuming sugar in far greater than balanced proportions. How can this be so? Besides going back and rereading my articles and the links to the research that I have previously provided, you can contemplate how money is the bottom line when it comes to selling. So what makes you choose a food? Taste figures in there near the top, doesn't it? When naturally occurring whole fat is removed from a dairy food, the feel-good and taste are altered. To compensate, the big food companies early on recognized a bit-o-sugar makes the medicine go down. Today, in order to keep consumers from noticing they are buying sugar, chemical names and new brand names are given to the various sugars added to foods for flavor.

So heads up! if you have PAD, you need to cut the sugar out of your diet everywhere you can sniff it out! This is a good start. In subsequent articles, I will continue to expose the unsuspected sources of sugar in commonly chosen foods in affluent, wealthy, and developed nations. In subsequent articles on PAD, I will also discuss other ways you can alter your lifestyle to help you win the race against this mysterious killer.

Key Concepts

  • peripheral artery disease
  • atherosclerosis
  • P.A.D.
  • vascular disease

References

Royalty-free image    www.dreamstime.com

Resources (Further Reading)

Related Posts on the Lifestyle Modification Support website:

http://stilljanet.com/2013/08/08/brain-food-continuing-the-dialogue-on-how-to-make-a-healthy-brain/

http://stilljanet.com/2013/07/11/got-skim-milk-maybe-a-recipe-for-obesity-and-cancer-talking-back-scientific-american-blog-network/

http://stilljanet.com/2013/04/08/eat-whole-fat-real-fat-for-health/

http://stilljanet.com/2013/02/22/bbc-news-scrubbing-up-do-hospitals-legitimise-junk-food/

http://stilljanet.com/2013/01/31/feed-your-brain/

http://stilljanet.com/2012/09/10/organic-vs-biotech/

http://stilljanet.com/2010/01/07/probiotics-why/

These are just articles and reviews written by Janet Still MSN FNP. There are also many links on this website with articles by others on the same topic of how to become more aware of what is really going on with your eating habits and what to stay abreast of in the current food industry trends and research on the effects of current food industry practices.

Author Bio

Family Nurse Practitioner Janet Still began writing and sharing fiction and poetry in her early years as a pre-med student. Still expanded her published writing to non-fiction after earning her Masters of Science in nursing in 2007. She is a contributor to academic health forums and blogs and the primary writer on the Lifestyle Modification Support blog.

Posted on May 22, 2014 and filed under discussions, information, janet's writing, Research studies.

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Coffee

http://www.naturalblaze.com/2014/04/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-coffee.html 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Coffee ... 

These ten benefits definitely fall in the category of "Amazing" given that many of us were raised in a culture negatively biased regarding coffee. But many of you, like I have, may have been following the results of lab studies over the last decade or more revealing why we love to love coffee. I appreciate this article because it offers links to cited information and discusses research on our favorite pick-me-up. However, hands down, the exciting details revealed in the article are the specific details regarding in what way coffee prevents, and in some cases, cures some of the worst serious illnesses of our times.

The end of the article shares coffee recipes including information about new innovations in how to make use of all parts of this beneficial plant for our good health.

So, cheers! fellow coffee aficionados.

Posted on April 29, 2014 and filed under discussions, information, Research studies, resources.

Susun Weed's Herbal Infusion Class

Wise Woman UniversityChecking out "Lesson One and Assignments" on Wise Woman University: http://j.mp/RJUGB A few of you have been slowly working through Susun Weed's Herbal Infusion Class with me. I just added some reflections on Lesson One, (in the Lesson One forum-see link above), which I spent over a year working through. If you are unfamiliar with the class, there is no time limit, no cost other than supplying your own ingredients and supplies to accomplish the lessons, and the class is always open so far. Since the class is online and includes a group forum that stays fairly active, there is always someone to talk to and share your results and lessons, triumphs and muddles.

 Susun Weed even chimes in from time to time to comment on the  ongoing discussions. For me, this was a great way to have some direction in increasing and maintaining my experience with utilizing herbal medicine/food in my life. And because I have relied on Susun's wisdom, knowledge, and experience for much of my adult life when it comes to practical uses of herbs in my daily life, I welcomed the opportunity to "play" as it were in the field of her creative mind by going along with her lessons the way she purposefully set them up.

If you are experiencing any difficulty figuring out how to get included in this particular class, send me an email or comment on this post and I will happily send you a direct invite from the class. There are many classes offered at the Wise Woman University, most require a payment. This is an exceptional opportunity to check out what all there is to learn from Susun and the many experts she collaborates with ...for free. The website/university has many types of forums that one can be part of once you are in the class and many informative Webinars are going on all year, also for free usually. Expect the unusual and the creative and the very strongly supported feminine as well as practical and beneficial knowledge for all members of your family and community.

http://www.wisewomanuniversity.org/

fnpstilljanet@gmail.com  Remember to write "LMS question" in the subject line of your email message.

Posted on April 22, 2014 and filed under discussions, information, mission statements, resources.