Thoughts On Health & Medicine

First, let me introduce the D-word. It’s like the F-word except that it’s OK to use the D-word but I choose not to. But I will use it once, so that reading this will make sense to you.

The D-word is DRUG(S) or, as you will see it, D****.

I don’t want to use that word, here, because everything posted to this blog effects the ads Google displays, and the last time I made big mention of D****, Google showed a bunch of ads for rehab programs and that’s not what this site is about.

Now I’m hardly pro-D****. There’s nothing like a clear, rested, lucid mind to reach natural, unstoppable peaks. Read A. H. Maslow if you want a clue. But there are people who really need D**** of the kind that tend to get abused, people who suffer from severe or excruciating pain that no OTC formula can touch.

Opposite those who need them is a class of people who, for whatever reason, choose to short circuit their minds with D**** and who dumb government policies “TRY� to protect from themselves by making D*** use illegal and putting those who use them, without medical approval, in jail, to show just how much the government cares.

The result is an increase in crime and other social problems which, of course, keeps big government perpetually big in an attempt to solve the problems it creates.

But who is being forgotten? Who is hurt in the process? Who does government show the least amount of care for in its pretnese of caring by creating and enforcing D*** laws?

That’s right, the people for whom these D**** have been developed. People in BIG pain.

Anyone who needs drugs to relieve pain is an addict. That’s the basic response from the medical profession. And it seems many if not most doctors would either rather not, or simply refuse to, deal with people in need of what it calls “comfort care.�

Besides being looked at with suspicion, people in real need of pain relief are denied medication or the strength of medication they need. Those who are able to get prescriptions are forced to return every 30 days because, by law, that’s all they may be given lest the D**** turn up on the street.

Yes, they must show up in pain seeking relief from pain, with their D**** or empty containers, and are often required to take an expensive D*** screening test (about $300-$600 on the bills I’ve seen) to show the medications are actually being used and that no illicit D**** are being taken. These compulsory visits generally aggravate the pain and/or the underlying condition, waste everyone’s time, and increase the cost of sick care. No, the required visits aren’t free. Neither is the D*** testing.

For tales about how government D*** policies are harming the helpless, visit the Usenet pain discussion group.

I was looking for a quality liquid nutritional supplement a few months ago when a colleague sent me information about a brand new product that looked like it was well worth trying.

Tablets and capsules may be a convenient way to manufacture, store and ship nutritional products, but not very good if you expect your body to make use of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants they are meant to supply.

Tablets are also loaded with binders and fillers making the nutrients they bind into rock hard pills, barely ready to be absorbed by living cells.

Here’s what the Physicians Desk Reference or PDR that can be found in every doctor’s office in the land has to say about them: “supplements in tablet or pill form are only 10% absorbed by the body.â€?

Ten percent absorbed!

So they’re not only not doing you that much good, you’re throwing away most of what you pay for in the process.

So what’s better?

It’s called VIBEâ„¢ — and it’s “cell-ready,” that is, ready to be absorbed by your body at the cellular level where the nutrients it provides can do you the most good.

VIBEâ„¢ has the highest antioxidant score (ORAC) of any liquid supplement tested. Better than Goji Juice, better than Xango Juice, better than Noni Juice. It’s verified and documented!

And just one ounce contains:

The Vitamin A equivalent of 13 tomatoes.

The Vitamin C equivalent of 20 peaches.

The Calcium equivalent of 25 fresh walleye fillets.

The Zinc equivalent of 13 slices of cracked wheat bread.

The Folate equivalent of 10 cups of raw green beans.

The Vitamin E equivalent of 15 raw mangos.

The Magnesium equivalent of five 6 ounce beef steaks.

And more.

Needless to say, I’m very happy with it.

Try a bottle of VIBEâ„¢ and see if you don’t see a difference in the way you feel.

I sure did!

You’ve heard about people taking natural remedies to either improve their health, or to cope with a chronic illness such as diabetes, or for an acute illness like a cold. It might surprise you to find out that natural remedies are not a new idea. Cultures around the world have used them for thousands of years. So read a little more about the history of treating disease, and the choices you’ve got in treating yourself with alternative medicines.

Some of the eastern practices of medicine coming from the country of China is slowly becoming accepted by the western practice of medicine in the US and Canada. The general public has accepted the idea of using natural remedies much quicker than the medical establishment. The focus of this type of remedy is to naturally return the body to it’s stability before sickness occurred. For example, the use of green tea leaves has natural antioxidants that fight and slow down cancer production. Other vitamins exist in the tealeaves and that’s why it fights the common cold and flu so well.

Today it’s good to know that there are some doctors that are practicing an integrative approach of natural remedies and traditional western medicine for their patients. Many years ago, it would’ve been impossible to find one. Even if you’re not lucky enough to have a local doctor or specialist that considers natural remedies important, there is a solution. You can use some of the natural remedies on the market as a preventive measure, or to fight with an already existing disease. However if you do always check with your doctor to make sure that there could not possibly be an interaction with any treatments or drugs that you’re taking.

Babies need a lot of stuff these days. To help you prepare for your arrival we’ve posted a new article from Sue Talbert called Choosing Baby Equipment for Baby. You’ll find it under the New Moms & Newborns page on the menu at the right.

Fitness and exercise are not just for children and young people. Older adults can reap substantial benefits from regular exercise and many older adults are doing just that. In fact, older adults, today, are taking fitness and exercise more seriously than their parents and grandparents ever did.

Mall walking is a popular fitness and exercise activity for older adults. Brisk walking is one of the best forms of exercise available, and shopping malls offer the walker both constant temperature and protection from the elements. If it’s snowing or sleeting outside, you can still walk the mall, deriving the benefits of a fitness and exercise program without having to brave inclement weather.

Swimming is another popular fitness and exercise method many older adults enjoy. Swimming uses every muscle in the body but is easy on the knees and joints. While many older adults enjoy swimming laps, others have incorporated water-based calisthenics into their program, with great results.

The baby boom generation of Americans is getting older, with many baby boomers now reaching retirement age. This generation is, however, different from preceding generations since baby boomers tend to live longer and show more concern for their health. More baby boomers watch their diets, try to control their weight, and make fitness and exercise a regular part of their lives than have older Americans in past generations. Add to that advances in medicine, and these baby boomers can expect to live for many years to come.

Of course, fitness and exercise are not everything. Diet also plays its part. A diet that’s high in fiber with most carbohydrates coming from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and protein coming from leaner cuts of meat also contributes to health. When proper diet is linked to fitness and exercise the result, more often than not, is a healthy person no matter what their age.