Archive for June, 2008
Why is it so hard for me to diet?
30 June 2008Diets and weight loss are on the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, or so it seems. Every second advert on the television is related to some new weight loss pill, exercise regime or food delivery plan. But we all know that the only true way to lose weight is by doing three things: Restricting calories, eating regular size portions at spaced intervals, and making time for exercise that lasts at least twenty minutes three times a week, these three components are a must for success. The idea is to adopt a lifestyle not just a temporary diet solution. Make choices that are easy to incorporate into your daily lifestyle and stick with it. Signing up for 5 days of boot camp every week might not be sustainable over the long-term, especially for families with children, likewise trying to fit an exercise class in everyday when you work ten to twelve hours might also be an unrealistic expectation. Look at your lifestyle and make plans accordingly. If you regularly find yourself on the couch for an hour in the afternoon commit to an exercise DVD during that time, if you have a dog and enjoy walking, commit to that three nights a week. Plan out your goals but make them realistic and a good fit for your lifestyle.
Preparing portions with small amounts of protein, fiber and a minimal amount of carbohydrate have been shown to maximize weight loss results. Bread and carbohydrates can be the death of many a diet. Try to limit the amount of calories from that food group, including rice and pasta, as everyone knows by now, a small amount is not going to do any harm but eating those in quantities can set you up for failure. But what about our liquid intake? Water, water, water – its not only cheap and accessible to the masses its also essential for our body to survive. Water is important to everyone, most people however do not drink enough in any given day to keep themselves adequately hydrated and healthy. Often water or dehydration is mistaken for hunger pangs. The recommended intake is at least 8 - eight ounce glasses a day, so switch that diet coke for a large water with lemon, and you will likely both feel and see the results: Including weight loss, clearer skin, and more energy.
There is an intriguing study from Researchers at Purdue University: They found that rats eating yogurt sweetened with saccharin later consumed more calories, gained more weight and put on more body fat than rats eating yogurt sweetened with glucose. Susan Swithers, PhD, and Terry Davidson, PhD, surmised that by breaking the connection between a sweet sensation and high-calorie food, the use of the synthetic sweetener changes the body’s ability to regulate intake. The saccharin eating rats consumed 5% to 10% more calories, gained 20% more weight and increased body fat by more than 5%.
Normally when we begin to eat, our metabolism increases. But the rats consuming the saccharin showed a much smaller rise in body temperature. All of these changes could help explain why obesity has risen as the use of synthetic sweeteners has increased. This article is in the February, 2008 issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Assoc.
Reprinted from Pure Facts, the newsletter of the Feingold Association of the United States, Feingold.org
It isn’t just artificial flavoring or sweeteners causing obesity, the nation’s obsession with fast food doesn’t help. Despite claims to massive weight loss on fast-food restaurant diets, one can assume that most of us will gain weight if we stick to the high-fat, high-sodium fare offered at most fast food joints. For instance: McDonalds Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips are a whopping 660 calories, add these to a salad and you will still go over the recommended 500 calorie suggestion for a healthy lunch or dinner. How about a smoothie made by a chain smoothie restaurant, fruit has to be healthy right? Smoothie King’s blueberry heaven (20oz) has 320 calories per serving, with 64 grams of sugar and 259 grams of sodium, ouch! The moral of this story is, moderation. Everyone can enjoy these treats once in a while, just not all the time, especially if you are trying to drop a few pounds. Go to your favorite restaurants website, they all post their nutritional information there, pick meals that give you the satisfaction you desire but the low sodium and fat content that you need.
For more ideas on healthy and achievable weight loss results talk to Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan while you are having your next adjustment. Call 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Make an adjustment: Stay healthy ~ Be Happy!
Be ready – how to build your emergency plan.
27 June 2008We are not exactly living in tornado alley here but the frequency of tornado sirens is beginning to make me nervous. I am located inland just south of Charlotte NC, but actually living in the slightly less taxable state of SC. It’s beautiful here for sure but we are close enough to the eastern seaboard to have to worry about those tropical storms that become hurricanes, or those tropical storms that turn into high winds and tornados.
With that in mind my family and I decided to look at making an emergency plan, after all on any given day my kids are at school, I am at home or out somewhere, and my husband is diligently working away in his office. All points are a good distance apart from each other. The last time the sirens screamed a warning I had just put my son on the school bus and was practically still on the porch waving him off. That was a scary experience. It turns out though, that like all smart establishments, his school had their emergency plan in place. Everyone knew what to do, even the kids. The whole school district spent most of the morning on lock-down, with children playing in the tornado shelters set up in the school. My daughter and I were home where we spent the morning discussing all things 3-year-old in the laundry room under the stairs. Now bare in mind my laundry room is big enough for just the two machines and a slight gap that might be just big enough for a laundry hamper, or on tornado days, my daughter and her pillows! So there I sat on top of the dryer and she sits on the floor snuggly surrounded by old shoes and dryer lint, and we talk until the sirens stop wailing. Night time is a different matter of course, there have been nights that we have carried both children down stairs in the blankets and laid them to sleep on TOP of the washer/dryer. Those are the scarier times, we are disorientated and tired, and one is never sure how dire the threat might be or how long the alert might last. Huddled under the stairs in the cramped closet, overtaken by claustrophobia, all kinds of scenario’s run rampant through our heads. We laugh and joke in an effort to remain calm and diffuse the tension, but our bodies remain on high alert, waiting for the loud train to thunder overhead. It’s during these times that I begin to think that cowering in the laundry room might not be enough of a plan when it comes to keeping the family together. Never mind the immediate situation, what about meeting up after an emergency situation? Should we really nominate a family member in another state to be our go-to-contact? Who do we contact to help after a true emergency? So armed with my questions off I went with my notebook to see what I should be thinking about (in advance should a true emergency situation arise), to ensure our family could focus on the immediate problem at hand, not on the details of the aftermath.
Things to think about when making a plan:
- How will the family get in contact if separated? Designate a local meeting point. Designate an out of state family member or friend as the go-to-contact in the event of an emergency. Remember if power lines and cell towers are out in your area the only way to contact someone might be via a long-distance land line call. There is a very good chance your local wireless coverage might be incapacitated.
- What about basic supplies: Do you have pets? Pack a small cooler or box and stash it somewhere in your garage or laundry room with basic supplies. Include items such as a small first-aid kit (nothing worse than dealing with an emergency when you have a headache that won’t quit!) with the essentials: Pain pills – preferably ibuprofen as this will deal not only with pain but with inflammation as well, band-aids, a topical antiseptic ointment, gauze, tweezers and children’s pain medication if you have kids. Remember to pack half a dozen water bottles, and stash some dry dog or cat food if you have pets. Energy bars or cereal bars are long-lasting and can provide a good dose of energy when you need it and they are easy to pack and take with you. Finally throw in a small flashlight and some spare batteries. Remember it is best to just pack the basics, no one needs make-up, toothpaste or soap at a time like this, food, water, medical supplies and a method of staying in touch are the 4 basic requirements. Finally, remember to keep a weather alert radio in easy reach, it will broadcast emergency messages and warnings to you during the high alert.
- Know your children’s school emergency plan, keep those phone numbers close at hand, type them on a card and put them in your wallet, throw a copy in the emergency box/back-pack. What about employers? Know your emergency plan at work; know where those designated shelter locations are and who the point of contact is for an emergency situation. Share this information with the entire family. You may not need it, but your family might if they are looking for you after a disaster.
- Finally – prepare for an actual emergency event. Have your children practice what to do when at home, after all they make them do it at school. Practice makes for less hysterical and confused people and level heads are an asset in any crisis situation. If your children have been taught what to do and where to go, the hysteria will be kept to a minimum. This is a wise thing to do in regards to any emergency situation in the home. Set the fire-alarm off in test mode, have your kids leave their rooms and crawl across the floor (not too low not too high) and help them to leave the house in the safest way possible. Have them stand where you would want them to stand in the case of a house fire or other emergency. Make it fun, turn STOP-DROP-ROLL into a poem or game, and when the time comes hopefully their instincts and training will kick into gear. As a side note consider purchasing ladders for each child’s room upstairs, houses can burn fast, especially if the fire starts down-stairs and there is no clear escape route that way. In the case of a house fire time is the enemy. Window ladders are available at plenty of locations, including online and at your local hardware store. It could be the best investment you ever make. Be sure to research the best option for your home and the age of your children or other family members.
- Ready America has more ideas on what to do and how to respond in an emergency.
Make an adjustment: Stay SAFE ~ Be Happy. Call Dr. Paul and Dr. Susan for all your families chiropractic needs at 303.674.1500 or email the office in Evergreen CO. at office@fontanachiro.com
NUTS!
23 June 2008NUTS!
No not that kind of NUTS, the other kind, the kind you eat. This often overlooked “bring out for cocktail parties” food can actually increase your energy, help you lose weight, keep your heart healthy, and make your hair and nails strong and shiny. Quite a resume for such a little product.
Take walnuts for example. Walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acid ALA (plant based as opposed to the kind found in fish of course). As this acid is plant based it isn’t thought to be as effective as the Omega-3 fish oil but it still helps to decrease the inflammation that can damage your arteries, it may even help to reduce bone reduction as you age. As far as cholesterol goes, Walnuts have been shown to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (the good cholesterol). Keep them in your fridge to avoid spoiling and grab a handful with apples and yogurt as a snack, or crumble onto your salad, even add to your pancakes or oatmeal in the mornings.
Peanuts: Who doesn’t like peanut butter? It seems to be a staple in every kid’s lunch box and on almost every diet plan nowadays. When you need something to stop the hunger and give you a boost, snack on these little nuts (technically legumes). Peanuts pack a great little punch, they are low on the glycemic index meaning that they take longer to process through your system. They keep you feeling satisfied for longer due to helping those blood sugar levels stay nice and even. Be sure to go for the salt free snackables or the “peanuts only” peanut butter, you may create one problem while solving another. Salt can be very detrimental to blood pressure, heart health, weight loss efforts and your overall well-being.
Almonds: 23 almonds pack an amazing 6g of protein but be warned that comes with a hefty 164 calories and 14g of fat. One serving (23 nuts) provides enough to give you 35% of your daily vitamin E. The extra fiber in almonds helps to make you feel full and ensure you don’t overindulge. This is a great nut to snack on later in the afternoon to help you make it through the hump; if you are looking for something to keep you satisfied until suppertime this is the nut for you. The almond nut has also been shown to lower LDL concentrations significantly. For the best nutritional value buy raw almonds and keep them in the fridge.
Not all nuts are created equal though, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts and Cashews all have some great qualities (Selenium, Magnesium, calcium and zinc) but they are also very high in saturated fat, which tends to counteract their awesomeness. Eat these nuts in lower quantities and maybe save them for a treat every once in a while.
Although the FDA has yet to offer official guidelines on what claims can be made by distributors to the benefits of nuts, they do agree that without doubt certain nuts do have great health benefits, go to the FDA website and type in “nuts” for more information. Even without an official statement everyone seems to agree that studies show, women who eat nuts on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart disease. Again, just be careful not to overindulge, while the benefits are surely there, the downside is that the calorie contents are high for just a handful of nuts. So think “a handful healthy, 2 handfuls – serious calories!”
Nuts are widely available at practically every grocery store across America, but try to ensure you are buying high quality raw nuts whenever possible, as with everything once they are processed and salted they become far from a healthy food. You can purchase or send nuts over the internet at nuts online or for those who prefer bulk buying Oh Nuts might be the place for you. What a great gift to send to your friends, its not often can you send them something tasty AND super healthy.
Make an adjustment: Stay Healthy ~ Be happy: Call Dr. Paul and Dr. Susan to schedule an appointment for chiropractic care or call us with your health concerns at 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
My feet hurt! Could it be Plantar fasciitis?
20 June 2008Who knew that simple stretching exercises could bring relief from those aching, burning feet that you experience in the morning? Not always of course, but for some conditions such as Planter fasciitis simply stretching out the back of the heel upon rising can relive that intense stiff pain many people experience in the morning. My husband and I used to describe it cracking the seal on our feet, it was super painful.
The problem occurs when excessive wear to the plantar fascia (located on the underside of the heel) comes from wearing flip-flops or walking around barefoot, culminating in pain to this area. The pain is usually most intense first thing in the morning and is thought to be worse after a day full of standing on your feet or long periods of weight bearing activities. To remedy this situation try wearing shoes with more support, look at fit-flops available at most retail outlets or something similar to support the arch of your foot. Stretch the foot (aiming to stretch the archilles tendon) at the end of the day; maybe even treat yourself to an Epsom salt foot bath a few times a week to further relax your feet. My massage therapist advises me to use the end of an eraser tipped pencil when it really hurts, she recommends using the eraser to gently massage directly under the area that is most painful, and I will warn you it can be pretty intense when I do it, but afterwards and especially the next day I can certainly feel the benefit.
In cases of chronic plantar fasciitis of at least 10 months duration, one recent study showed high rates of success by stretching the planter fascia. (Digiovanni, Benedict F.; Deborah A. Nawoczenski, Daniel P. Malay, Petra A. Graci, Taryn T. Williams, Gregory E. Wilding, and Judith F. Baumhauer (2006). “Plantar fascia-specific stretching exercise improves outcomes in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. A prospective clinical trial with two-year follow-up”. The Journal of bone and joint surgery (American) 88 (8): 1775-81.)
So remember to stretch out those feet at every opportunity, if you have to stand on your feet all day make sure the shoes you are wearing have adequate heel support, the flat style flip-flops can be inexpensive and trendy, but they can also do a real number on your feet.
Make an adjustment, stay Healthy ~ be happy:
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic, Evergreen CO.
Telephone: 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Could it be a magnesium deficiency?
16 June 2008What can help muscle cramps, sleepless nights, and even migraines? Is easily available in supplement form and in many of our everyday foods and grains? Its magnesium and it turns out many of us are magnesium deficient.
Having a problem focusing or staying on task? Magnesium is an essential mineral that can improve oxygen use, and dull the pain response in muscles, once it works on your sore aching muscles and sends that revitalizing oxygen back to where it needs to be, it will allow your brain to focus and concentrate so much better on the current events and tasks at hand.
Sore joints and muscles after being in the gym? After working out, soothe those tired muscles by sitting in a bath of Epsom salts (magnesium). Draw yourself a hot bath and dissolve about 2 cups of the salts directly in the water, sit in the bath for as long as you need. It’s said to be as relaxing and beneficial as a massage. Epsom salts are widely available and you will almost certainly find them in your local grocery store.
Also, if your child is having a reaction to something they ate (that blue cotton candy at the carnival for instance), or you just can’t get them to relax them before bed. Allowing them to soak in an Epsom salt bath will help to calm them and get them ready to settle down for the night. Just be sure they don’t drink the bath water as too much magnesium can have a laxative (think Milk of Magnesia) effect on anyone, young, or old. Also just before hopping in the tub, gently rub over the skin with a dry flannel to open up the pores and allow the soothing process to begin.
The good news is that magnesium is available in lots of foods including chocolate, that’s a fabulous excuse to allow yourself to indulge every once in a while. You can also get your daily allowence with a magnesium supplement, a great one you might try is Peter Gillham’s Natural Calm Plus Calcium, they write that it is formulated with 3 parts magnesium to 2 parts calcium. This is specifically to prevent a surplus of calcium robbing the body’s vital magnesium supply and avoiding further the symptoms associated with magnesium depletion.
Magnesium deficiency can be the cause of many different problems including but not limited to: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, imbalanced blood sugar levels, anxiety, depression, fatigue and weakness, cramps, seizures and dizziness. If you are suffering any of these or a combination of these symptoms schedule an appointment to discuss with your Doctor, it may be a simple magnesium deficiency but it might be something more. In the case of persistant migraines or sleeplessness try the magnesium trick and see if it might at least alleviate some of those symptoms.
Other ways to get your daily intake of magnesium; which by the way is 400 mg per day for a male between 19 – 30, 420 mg for 31+ years, and for women 310 mg raising to 320 mg per day once we hit 31. Try adding raw pumpkin seeds, spinach, salmon & halibut, and a wide variety of beans to you diet, and oh ~ don’t forget the chocolate! For more information on Magnesium.
For more supplement information and to discuss what you might be missing in your diet:
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic Evergreen CO. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Make an adjustment ~ Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy
Sunscreen – just what should you look for in your sunscreen protection?
13 June 2008SUNSCREEN
The heady days of summer are in full swing again. As the temperatures hit their summer highs it is still important to get the kids outside. Its great fun and exercise for them to be splashing around in the pool, not only to keep cool but to blow off a little steam. The all important job of parents, babysitters and nannies, at this time of the year is to ensure that both the little and big kids get quality outside time without the burn of prolonged sun exposure. A little bit of sun boosts our vitamin D and helps to keep our body in balance, too much can result in peeling and blistered skin, sidelining anyone for several days and increasing our risk of skin cancer later in life. It is thought that fair skinned people can benefit from 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight, while dark skinned people can tolerate up to an hour in order to gain the most vitamin D producing benefit; remember any longer can be very detrimental to our health. This can be a tricky thing to get right. Often certain parts of our body get more exposure than others; be aware that your tummy is going to be much more sensitive than your face. Spending a little time outside without protection is probably best done when most of your sensitive parts (tummy, back, thighs etc.) are covered up. For the rest of the time liberally slathering yourself with a high quality, non-toxic sunscreen is a great way to stay safe and avoid the burn!
To be effective sunscreen needs to protect us against both the UVA and UVB rays emitted from the sun. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, and are commonly blamed for wrinkles and sagging, dry skin, and the leather appearance you see in people who tan regularly. However, the UVB rays are the ones that actually cause cancer and are also the type that will cause you to burn. UVA rays exasperate the negative carcinogenic effects of UVB rays, and are beginning to be blamed for cancer in their own right.
Try to cover up with a protection factor of at least SPF 30. Remember that just because you are wearing sunscreen it doesn’t mean you won’t burn, reapply regularly and, as crazy as it sounds, make sure your sunscreen protects against BOTH UVA and UVB. Some products on the market today only cover against UVA rays. The sun screen without UVB protection will ensure you don’t burn, but can lure you into a false sense of security and allow you to stay longer in the harsh UVB rays. Our best advice when selecting any skin care product is to look for one without harsh, toxic chemicals. As always buyer beware – read those labels.
The best protection for your skin is protective clothing, a large brimmed hat and a good sun-screen that blocks both the rays from the sun, but doesn’t add harsh and toxic chemicals to your skin. Our family all wear UV protective swimwear to help eliminate those harsh rays, and we have very carefully selected our sunscreen to ensure it has the right SPF but no toxicity. As sunscreen is a mix of chemical agents formulated to prevent the ultraviolet radiation from the sun reaching your skin you really want to make sure that even though you are protected you are not adding any nasty chemicals to your body.
There are some great non-toxic options out there. We found a great natural product made by Dr. Mercola, its free of chemical fragrances, parabans, and nanoparticles. I use this on my kids and myself and have found it to be very effective, even at the pool.
We also use the Burts Bees sunscreen a lot. I often choose this one to use this on the kids faces as it seems to be a little stickier than the Mercola brand.
Other great brands we have heard about or our friends swear by are:
Alba Botanica Organic Lavender Sunscreen SPF 30.
California Baby SPF 30+ sunscreen (we love all their products and use their haircare items almost exclusively).
To make it really easy – all these products are available online. Hopefully this list will give you some great options to have a happy, healthy, sun-filled summer. If you have a product that you think should be on this list, we would love to hear from you, use the comment form at the bottom of the page.
Make an adjustment, Stay healthy ~ Be Happy! Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic to schedule your next appointment. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
New vaccination legislation proposed. Urgent action required by you today!
9 June 2008The following email was sent to my in-box today, and it struck me as so important I wanted to post it here. First I would like to clarify that I am not anti-vaccine (both my children have been vaccinated) but I did this on my schedule not a government mandated schedule. They were both compliant before they went to school.
This particular legislation isn’t about whether you are for or against vaccinations, the bigger question is this: does a government agency really have a right to mandate over our bodies OR over what we actually choose to put into our bodies? To fight this legislation wouldn’t mean you disagree with vaccinations, it would mean that you are fighting against a federal agency dictating what can be injected into your or your child’s body.
If this bill actually passes you also have to ask if it would then stop with just vaccines, after all if we are going to allow federally mandated vaccines for the sake of everyone’s health and well-being then we really should just go ahead and write legislation banning things like fast-food, cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco, even our morning latte or anything else that some politician decides we should or shouldn’t inject or ingest into ourselves for the “good of our health”. To take it even further, how about if we were overweight, not exercising enough, watching too much TV? Who is the chosen one who gets to decide and say enough is enough? If an abortion is a woman’s right to choose on an unwanted pregnancy, then a “philosophical exemption” is my right to choose on vaccines.
The cynic in me can’t help but think the goal of this bill isn’t one of “the good of our health” its one of money.
The bottom line is this, we live in a free-country and my health is and should be my concern; it should be my decision to eat or not eat fast-food, or my decision to enjoy un-protected or protected sex, its even my choice to eat that bucket of high salt, high fat fries, these are all things I CHOOSE to do, nothing that a government official should be making legislation about.
In my humble opinion it is the government’s responsiblity to focus on things such as the economy and enterprise of the community, to focus on increasing jobs, employment creation, attracting new business to the area, focus on keeping the community safe from crime, gangs and other skull duggery, do not focus on my body, that right belongs to me not society as a collective unit.
How about banning food dyes and other additives in our food that have been scientifically proven to cause cancer? Why are they not banned? Why is the government not jumping all over that one?
How about genetically modified corn products? They are not even mandating that food be labeled as GMO, no, no government official seems to care that we are potentially opening ourselves up to bad health from that un-tested avenue. And who was the bright spark who decided that all the seeds we use to grow our food could be patented by an enterprising few? Yes, the seeds are now owned by companies (Monsanto, Dupont to name but two) across the globe who are slowly becoming the main suppliers of the seeds. This all leaves us open to being monopolized and the threat of higher prices in the future. But I am sure that by the time that pile hits the fan, the person responsible for pushing through that piece of legal prowess will be dead and gone, having lived a fat life off the backs of the future of our children!
Anyway back to the topic at hand. Really the question becomes, who is going to gain from this legislation? Why FORCE everyone to inject themselves with –
Diphtheria, Pertusiss, Tetanus vaccine: Cultured diphtheria bacterium, pertu ssis (whooping cough) organism and Tetanus Toxin. >From modified Cohen-Wheeler broth,,Sodium chloride Sodium Hydroxide (also known as lye, caustic soda, soda lye.) Is corrosive and is an Eye, skin and respiratory irritant. Can burn eyes, skin and internal organs. Can cause lung and tissue damage, blindness and can be fatal if swallowed. Found in oven cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and drain openers. Formaldehyde: A neurotoxin and carcinogen (effects the nervous system and known to cause cancer.) May cause insomnia, coughing, headaches, nausea, nosebleeds, and skin rashes. Commonly known to embalm corpses. It has been said that there is no safe level of formaldehyde to be ingested into the body. Hydrochloric acid: CAN DISTROY TISSUE UPON DIRECT CONTACT! Found in aluminum cleaners and rust removers. Aluminum: toxic, cancerous. Thimerosal: mercury derivative (contain mercury.) Extremely dangerous preservative. Made from a combination of Ethylene Glycol (AKA antifreeze!!!) and ethanol, thiosalicylic acid, sodium hydroxide and ethyl mercuric chloride. These chemicals are nerotoxic, dangerous, fatal and easily cause brain and liver damages. causes cancer. Phosphates: suffocates all forms of aquatic life. Found in laundry and dishwasher detergent and cleaners. Our government wants your child to receive 5 injections.
Or how about:
Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine
Live measles and mumps virus grown in cell cultures from chick embryos. Live rubella virus grown in human diploid cells (human aborted fetus) Wistar RA 27/2 strain grown in aborted fetus originating from the tissues of a fetus aborted in 1964 after the 25 year old mother developed rubella. Sorbital, neomycin antibiotic, hydrolyzed gelatin.
Also other preservatives, unknown to me which ones
The government wants your child to receive 2 shots of these 3 vaccines =15 !
This is just a sample, go to Vaccination news to get further information on ingredients used.
Surely this is not legislation to force-feed our children more chemicals, the same children who are already overloaded, toxic, hyperactive, and autistic. Is this a world where money and power overtake our basic rights to health; where people can play dangerous games with our health just to make money, or is it really and truly just misguided compassion. It’s more than cruel if it really is a case of money talks, in vaccines, in our food supply, in our drive to find alternative energies!
If I ever won the lottery I would spend my money advertising in the newspapers and magazines across the country, running ads on TV stations, heck I might even take a Superbowl commercial to try to give the average consumer an understanding that the things we put in our bodies, i.e. preservatives, chemicals, parabans, corn syrup, MSG, food dyes etc,. have a very real and detrimental effect on our health and well-being. We all know people who are struggling with cancer, infertility, autism, ADHD, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a host of other syndromes that seem to be on the rise no matter what we do, you have to wonder if there is a link.
If you are concerned about this legislation, and if you do not want the government making YOUR health choices. Ask yourself are these people really smarter than you when it comes to your body? Do they really know what’s best for you over what you know about yourself? Read the rest of this and choose to make a difference by writing to your congressman and your Senator, but first use the telephone number TODAY at the end of this article to voice your opinion. Do NOT let your health care decisions be made by someone you don’t even know, someone who you have no connection too, someone who really doesn’t care about you. You do not have to live in NY to voice your opinion on this issue. Speak now before someone tries to introduce this in your state. This is scheduled to be voted on TOMORROW! June 10 2008.
NO-EXEMPTION VACCINE BILL ON THE FAST TRACK IN NY
“We were sent the following information by New Yorkers for Vaccination Information and Choice (NYVIC). They have called for an ALERT on proposed NY legislation affecting vaccine mandates for students and others.
According to them, this is a major crisis that will take away your right to choose what vaccines to give your children and when. It also involves mandated vaccines for adults. If you choose, it is your chance to be involved. I am sending this to all our subscribers nationwide, because although you may live in California, you may have relatives and friends in New York. Moreover, what happens in New York may well be repeated in every other state over the next few months or years. I don’t want to leave you out.
A new bill, A10942, was introduced into the State Assembly and referred to the Assembly Health Committee on May 7, 2008. It will be used to amend many of the existing vaccination laws.
You can see more information and at click on Albany Rally link.
To read the bill summary ~ Be aware that the bill is carefully worded to sound much less dramatic than it actually is. I had to read it several times to “get” what they were saying.
BACKGROUND
Assembly Bill 10942 would make all vaccines the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends MANDATORY for all children in order to attend school, and for the first time vaccines would become MANDATORY for infants and toddlers.
Alternative proposed legislation, called A5468/S3031, would give individuals a right to a philosophical exemption from vaccine mandates.
Here are a few more features of the proposed bill:
* Elected New York representatives would no longer determine the schedule of vaccines to attend school; decisions made by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) would automatically become mandatory.
* All children – infants and toddlers included – in New York would be required to get all vaccines recommended by the ACIP and according to the ACIP schedule.
* All children in New York up to age 18 would be required to get annual flu shots.
* All girls in New York would be required to get a human papilloma virus shot.
* All junior high school children and college students would be required to get meningococcal shots.
* Vaccines would be provided WITHOUT parental consent being required.
* Doctors would be required to issue certificates for every shot given and parents would be required to maintain the records and provide them to school and other authorities.
It was not mentioned in the Alert, but upon reading the Summary it was clear that vaccines would also be required for all adults in healthcare and long-term care facilities – both the personnel and the residents. And, again, their vaccination status would be reported and tracked.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:
This bill is fast tracked for a vote on TUESDAY, JUNE 10, so the NYVIC asks you to please take two minutes of your time MONDAY to make a phone call to each of the following:
Governor David Paterson (518) 474-8390
Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791
Your message:
‘I AM OPPOSED TO ASSEMBLY BILL 10942 AND
IN FAVOR OF A5468/S3031′
(A5468/S3031 is the one allowing philosophical exemption).
FURTHER ACTION:
If you wish, please write your Assembly Member and members of the Assembly Health Committee, urging them to vote AGAINST bill A10942.
Find your assembly representatives here:
Some ‘talking points’ are:
* This is an un-funded mandate for a never-ending list of vaccines. In other words, the state (you, the taxpayer) will have to come up with the money for the vaccines when state social service agencies provide them to patients unable to pay.
* The bill would take the power to make decisions about vaccine mandates away from the state legislature and give it to the federal government. Ask your legislators if they want to surrender their responsibilities to an agency of the federal government.
* In the future, there may be controversial or objectionable vaccines that they, the legislators, would not want to give their children – if they approve this bill, how would they be able to protect their own child from such a vaccine?
* Critics of vaccine mandates argue that federal health agencies do not use appropriate criteria for making vaccine recommendations, that the different sources of recommendations are not uniform nor in agreement, and that vaccine recommendations were never intended to be mandated by law.
* If bill A10942 passes, the day may come when a new vaccine will be so risky and controversial that the majority of NY parents will be opposed to it, but there will be nothing they can do to stop it from being mandated for their children.
Make an adjustment, Stay Healthy ~ Be happy: Become an advocate for your own health. Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic Evergreen CO 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Views expressed in this article are mine alone and are in no way meant to reflect the opinions of Fontana Chiropractic.
Epilepsy diet is shown to be effective in recent study
6 June 2008The high-fat Ketogenic Diet has been found to be a valuable treatment for the control of seizures. Even though it has been used effectively for many patients since the 1920’s, most doctors have ignored it, opting for drug use instead. The drugs have mixed results and often have severe side effects.
The study, which was conducted in London, appears in the June issue of Lancet Neurology. One group of children had seizures reduced by half, and in five children seizures were reduced by more than 90 percent.
The Ketogenic Diet uses very high amounts of fat and must be precisely controlled to achieve benefits; parents receive training from the various centers around the world that use the diet.
While the Feingold Association applauds the parents and doctors who opt to follow this regimen, we believe that an initial trial of the much simpler Feingold Diet would be wise since we have had positive results addressing seizures. The Ketogenic Diet includes sythetic additives that are removed on the Feingold Program.
Reprinted from Pure Facts, the newsletter if the Feingold Association of the United States, Feingold
The Ketogenic Diet is not to be undertaken lightly, it is a strict eating program low in carbohydrates and high in good fats. It can be stressful on the kidneys so should always be followed under a physician’s care. The amazing sucess rate (2 out of 3 children who try it, reduce or eliminte seizure activity) makes it worth while trying. Many parents try it in conjunction with other therapies. Often parents find a combination of therapies and diet work the best to control any seizure activity.
What to do during a seizure:
- Stay calm and stay with your child.
- Try to take note of what time the seizure starts and stops, and pay attention to which body parts are affected.
- Try to lay the child on the floor making sure their head is stable, lay them over on their side in the recovery position, a soft pillow or object may be placed under their head to prevent injury.
- Keep the child on their side, in case they vomit they should not be on their back to prevent choking.
- Loosen tight clothing
- Gently slide your child away from tables, chairs or other sharp, heavy objects that may cause injury.
- Do not try to force anything between the teeth, or open the mouth. If there is mucous or food gently try to remove it.
- Do not try to stop the movement.
- Do not try to shake a child out of a seizure.
There may be subtle signs that your child is about to have a seizure, some children get a feeling before the seizure: Muscle twitching, irritability, headache, stomach upset or vision changes are all common things to watch for.
Call 911 if your child turns bluish or has trouble breathing, call your doctor or emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, the child is not awake after 30 minutes, there is a change in frequency or type of seizure activity, the child has a fever with no obvious reason as to why. Always call 911 if there is a medical emergency you do not feel you can deal with.
Make an adjustment. Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic, Evergreen CO. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
What does buying a “Natural” Shampoo really mean.
2 June 2008I made a rookie mistake and I am not a rookie, I have been shopping 100% natural and organic for about 4 years now. I was busy and rushed, I had to be home within 10 minutes to get my son off the school bus, I was in the Health Food Store and just grabbed what I thought would be a good choice of shampoo. Boy was I ever wrong!!! The text on the bottle advertises “Herbal, Daily cleansing, herbal extracts to naturally purify and cleanse hair”, there is even Nature right in the product logo. So what exactly did I buy?
The ingredients are as follows: Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sufonate, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricara) Flower extract, Lavandula Augustifolia (lavender) extract, Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) leaf extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Prunus Serotina (wild cherry) bark extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance.
So what’s not to love? Well the water is obviously fine, and I could find nothing readily available on Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, however the Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a synthetic surfactant (an agent that reduces the surface tension of liquids so that the liquid spreads out, rather than collecting in droplets, e.g. a detergent or a drug) that it is known to be a skin and eye irritant; it may cause dermatitis; and may be contaminated with dangerous levels of toxins; it is used as a penetration enhancer. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) considers this safe if used as specified, good to know! I had best follow the rinse and repeat instructions carefully for this one.
Cocamide DEA: Synthetic; skin irritant; may cause contact dermatitis, allergies; may cause formation of carncinogens in products containing nitrogen compounds; CIR panel says its safe as used in rinse-off products and up to 10% concentrations in leave-on products, but should not be used in products that contain nitrosating agents.
The nettle extract is quite benign however even though it is a herb that has some healing and anti-aging properties it may irritate the skin and may not be safe to use while pregnant.
Sage Oil is an essential oil, it is an astringent, antiseptic and disinfectant, and as with the nettle it should be avoided during pregnancy. Also good to avoid apparently if you are epileptic, have high blood pressure. This oil can be toxic if swallowed.
Phenoxyethanol: Synthetic solvent; rose fragrance; eye and skin irritant; non-irritating at 2.2% dilution or less (not sure what amount this product has); can cause contact dermatitis; harmful if absorbed thorough the skin (! its going on my scalp), inhaled or swallowed. CIR says safe as used.
Disodium EDTA: Synthetic; may cause formation of carcinogens in products containing nitrogen compounds; mucous membrane, eye and skin irritant; may cause asthma, kidney damage: penetration enhancer; CIR says it is safe as used.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine: synthetic from coconut oil; may cause contact dermatitis, eyelid dermatitis, eczema, cheilitis (redness, swelling, and sometimes pain in the lips); may contain carcinogenic contaminant, nitrosamines (an organic carcinogenic compound found in various foods. Formula: R2NNO); skin sensitizer. CIR Panel says safe as used in rinse-off products, but only in less than or equal to 3% in leave-on products.
So that was enough for me, I didn’t need to look up the rest of the ingredients. I basically looked up the ones that seemed a little science based and a couple of the ones that “seemed” natural to get a general take on what was in this “natural” shampoo. Much of it seems to be an irritant to either the skin or eyes. This product just reiterates what we already know; that companies can package and label a product “natural” without really needing to apply it to a standard, simply because there isn’t one. There are no guidelines on what can be sold as a natural product. Natural products are not subject to the same scrutiny as organic products which have to be certified organic and then display a label on the packaging.
And although this product advertises itself as Paraban free, colorant free, alcohol free and pH-balanced, it really doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain any ingredients that I myself would like to avoid rubbing into my scalp for three minutes once a day.
There are many options out there to avoid all these chemicals; to shop for your best option search the web on toxin free products. To avoid running into these or other nasty chemicals added to your daily cleansing regime take a look at the book “Dying to Look Good” by Christine Hoza Farlow, DC and check the reviews, it’s one to keep in your handbag while shopping. If I had this the other day on my mad dash to the store I might have avoided an $8.00 mistake.
Get adjusted, Stay healthy – Be Happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic, Evergreen CO. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com