FLU Shots and increased health risks: Lungs and Asthma Worse

> Flu shots can make lung function worse

In 1998, a study of 262 adults in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial evaluated the effect of flu shots in asthma patients. Subjects kept a record of daily respiratory symptoms, medications, doctor visits and peak expiratory flow (PEF) before and after the vaccination. PEF readings measure of how well the lungs are functioning - an increase in PEF means lung function has improved, and a decrease means that lung function has gotten worse. Of the 255 patients with paired data, approx. 7% had worse lung function after they got a flu shot. In fact, 11 saw a reduction in PEF greater than 20% and 8 had a decline of >30%.

> Flu shots don't protect children with asthma

Vaccinating asthmatic children against influenza is unlikely to protect them from attacks and may even worsen their condition. Researchers found asthma-related emergency department visits are significantly more likely among children who have received a flu shot. Two groups of 400 asthmatic children were compared. One group received the vaccine, the other did not. Those who were vaccinated were found to be almost twice as likely to seek assistance at an emergency department because of their asthma.

Getting the H1N1 shot doesn't mean you won't get sick

From Section 12.1 of the Novartis 2009 H1N1 package insert: Mechanism of Action

"...antibody titers (after) vaccination with inactivated influenza H1N1 virus vaccine have not been correlated with protection from influenza illness." In plain language, having an H1N1 antibody after getting an H1N1 shot has no correlation with not getting sick.

Health Tips

Vitamin D Level: The only way to know for sure if your levels are sufficient is a blood test. Ask your doctor to order 25-OH Vitamin D. This is important because often, physicians order 1,25-Vitamin D instead. This is an incorrect test. Your 25-OH level needs to be between 60-80ng/mL. Many reference labs report antiquated ranges.
Your level must be consistently above 50ng/mL. Below this level, your body is unable to store any of the vitamin and you are using it as quickly as you are taking it in. Adequate levels are the same for children and adults.
As we approach winter, this is the most important parameter for avoiding the flu.
Another supplement that is good for those who may not be able to take large doses of vitamin D is NAC, which stands for N-acetyl cysteine, a natural derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine and a precursor to the antioxidant glutathione. NAC is an anti-inflammatory, an immune-boosting power, and supports liver function. It will not necessarily prevent the flu, but studies show it will decrease the severity of the symptoms. is particularly helpful in thinning lung mucus. Normal doses of NAC are 1500mg per day for liver support and prevention.
 
ORDER SUPPLEMENTS and  25 OH test, high potency Vitamin D or NAC

Health Bill: Good or Bad?

Clear evidence of GRAFT in Health Bill Debate

The cost of just getting the health care bill passed is raising eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu eventually voted yes to debate the bill, but only after the Senate apparently added $300 million dollars in federal spending for her state. And she is a Democrat. It turns out getting support from Republicans may cost billions of dollars. Could one particular tax loophole benefiting one state have anything to do with a potential “yes” vote? (source: ac360)

West Va. Chamber of Commerce Plays Dirty With Health Care Reform

The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is playing dirty with health care reform. It's pressuring its homestate Democratic senators, Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, to block health care legislation unless the Obama administration ends what the Chamber calls a "war on coal."

Healthcare reform: Is this bill better than nothing?

"...whatever bill this Congress is able to pass will probably set the cause of single payer health care back because it "would leave in place an inefficient, exploitive insurance industry that is dying by its own hand, even as [the bill] props [the industry] up with enormous future profits through subsidized mandates."

Devastating Consequences of the Corporate Health Insurance Bill

Wading through the endless debate over health care has exhausted the patience of most Americans — the zigzags, obscure language, and long-winded discussion is inherently repulsive.

But now the dust is starting to settle, and the Congressional vision for health care in the U.S. is emerging. Instead of being “progressive,” it will amount to a massive, corporate-inspired attack on American workers, the elderly, and the poor.

Longterm Damage from Thimerisol

"Now, a new study shows that administration of thimerosal leads to long lasting neurological impairment in rats, specifically by altering the neural process of handling noxious stimuli.

Analysis also shows that significant amounts of mercury from thimerosal accumulates in the rat brain and remains long term. The mercury is not readily cleared, as was previously believed. 

Though mercury readily leaves the blood stream, it does not leave the body. It is now recognized to accumulate in brain tissue."

High body burden of mercury and other toxic metals from vaccinations and environmental exposures has been increasingly given more attention.

What I can do to counteract electromagnetic field exposure

How to Block EMF Exposure

Making Sense of "Green Living"?

As some one who has been teaching and writing about Green Living since 1989 it seems funny that all of a sudeen there is a raft of writers who fancy them selves to be active greenies.


I usually get quite a laugh when I read some of the articles because they generally are too shallow and give too few facts.  Either the writer did not delve far enough into the data before coming up with their article, or they really have no actual experience with that about which they are writing.


This particular UK article got a "2 thumbs up" from the little ol'GL critic, "moi".

Top 10 green living myths

Better to Rethink Mammogram

UPDATE: 1 December

The US Government has known since the 1960s and perhaps before that mammogram causes breast cancer, they just failed to tell you so an industry could be created on false findings.

Mammogram Radiation May Put Some Women at Risk
By Julie Steenhuysen
Reuters
CHICAGO

Low-dose radiation from mammograms and chest X-rays may increase the risk of breast cancer in young women who are already at high risk because of family history or genetic susceptibility, Dutch researchers said on Tuesday.
They said high-risk women, especially those under 30, may want to consider switching to an alternative screening method such as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, which does not involve exposure to radiation.

"Our findings suggest that low-dose radiation increases breast cancer risk among these young, high-risk women, and a careful approach is warranted," said Marijke Jansen-van der Weide of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands.

"I should recommend to be careful with radiation before 30 and to think about alternatives," Jansen-van der Weide, who presented her findings at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago, said in a telephone interview.

For the study, Jansen-van der Weide pooled data from six published studies that involved 12,000 high-risk women from Europe and the United States.

The team found that of the 8,500 women who had been exposed to radiation from chest X-rays or mammograms before the age of 20 or those who had had five or more exposures were 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than other high-risk women who had not been exposed. read full story

UPDATE: 29 November

The Basic Problem With Screening Mammography
Reservoir of Silent Disease

The basic underlying problem with screening for breast cancer with mammography

is the "reservoir of silent disease". A series of autopsy studies show that indolent breast cancers are common in the population. These early cancers, called DCIS, are silent and rarely cause clinical disease. The most impressive study was from Denmark in 1987. The Danish group used specimen radiography on autopsy samples, which most closely approximates what screening mammography does, searching for and finding small clusters of calcifications. The Danish team found breast cancer in one out of five women, most of which was DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ).

One out of 5 women show breast cancer at autopsy, yet only 2 to 3 women per 10,000 die from breast cancer annually. (20% vs .03%) This indicates a disconnect between the huge reservoir of silent and clinically insignificant disease, and the much smaller numbers of invasive breast cancer presenting clinically.

DCIS in 18% of the Population

Current screening mammography technology detects >60,000 cases of DCIS annually, and this is only a small fraction of total DCIS which is present in one out of five women in the population. DCIS is ductal carcinoma in situ, an early form of cancer with good prognosis, a 98% five year survival with no treatment. I expect future refinements in xray technology to allow detection of even greater numbers of DCIS cases which have small calcifications. Ultimately the technology will catch up and replicate the Danish autopsy findings.

Do we really want to be detecting DCIS in one out of five women, and submit all these women to biopsy and lumpectomy? This is exactly what is advocated by the corporate-government-media sponsored mammography screening programs.

Just Stop Calling It Cancer

Recently, an NIH panel has asked pathologists to stop calling DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). Here is the NIH Consensus statement: "Because of the noninvasive nature of DCIS, coupled with its favorable prognosis, strong consideration should be given to elimination of the use of the anxiety-producing term “carcinoma” from the description of DCIS. "

Less is Better

I beg to offer a differing opinion more in line with the US Preventive Task Force revisions. The detection of massive numbers of cases of DCIS results in harmful over-treatment of the population with little benefit in terms of reduced mortality from breast cancer. This opinion is echoed by Dr Laura Esserman in a recent JAMA article on the limitations, and disappointing benefits of screening mammography.

Cancer Prevention With Iodine Supplementation

The discovery of a large reservoir of silent disease is a wake-up call that something is dreadfully wrong. Rather than screen the population for small calcifications, called DCIS, generating massive numbers of lucrative procedures with biopsies and lumpectomies that have little impact on overall mortality, I suggest a better approach.

The evidence is overwhelming that Iodine deficiency causes breast cancer, and Iodine supplementation prevents and treats breast cancer. Iodine supplementation is a less expensive and more effective alternative to the corporate-government-media sponsored runaway train called mammogram screening.

Radiation Exposure Causes Breast Cancer

Iodine tablets are available from Natural Health News, just contact us to order.

************************

ORIGINAL POST 11/17

Larry King had a discussion last evening about the mammography controversy.  One of his guests was the TV OB-GYN Lisa Masterson who was very aggressive in her defense of this practice.

Listening to the other guests and Masterson discuss this topic it made it so very clear how graduate education seeks to make one believe that certain things are written in stone, and should never change.  And so once you've received your diploma and later a license if you are in a licensed profession, you will often go to great ends to defend what you were taught rather than look to see if there might be something else more effective.

As a person with an investigative mine I did look for all of the options and I will continue to support the science behind the dark side of mammogram that no one seems to want you to know.   And I will encourage thermography.

Mammogram accounts for finding 10% of all breast cancer cases. The woman herself discovers the other 90% of breast cancer cases.


Although the numbers are recorded separately from other breast cancers by the American Cancer Society, DCIS, Ductile Carcinoma in Situ accounts for 40% of all breast cancer detected by mammogram. DCIS is abnormal (sometimes called pre-cancerous) cells confined to the milk ducts of the breasts. (source:leaflady.org)

There are at least 45 articles here on Natural Health News addressing the issue of mammogram, and specifically the issue that it is known to increase breast cancer.

I think Dr. Susan Love is correct when she says the focus needs to be on prevention and finding out why so many younger women are getting breast cancer.

Of course there are many factors such as hormones, cell phones, fluoridated water, vaccines, environmental toxins, BPA, pharmaceutical drugs, cosmetics....and I am sure you can think of several others.

Instead of outrage, and of course knowing that Big Insurance will take this chance to limit screening as a cost cutting action, get more knowledgeable about the real facts on this issue.  And demand better methods of screening that detect sooner and do not increase your exposure to radiation that also can cause severe thyroid and heart problems.

There are some 22 articles regarding thermography, ultrasound and Breast Self Exam here and more here.

http://leaflady.org/mammography_risk1.html
http://www.leaflady.org/breast_thermography.htm
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natural-notes/1631-not-pretty-in-pink.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091117/ap_on_bi_ge/us_med_mammogram_advice

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Secret Training Tip #879 - The BEST Way I've Found To Do Incline Barbell Bench Press
By Nick Nilsson

The upper chest is a MUST to work if you want complete chest development... and the incline barbell press is a key exercise. I'll show you my favorite technique for getting maximum results from this exercise!

Male or female, training the upper chest is extremely important for overall balance in the upper body. Critical, in fact! And the Incline Barbell Bench is one of the primary exercises for working the upper chest.

But if you're like me, you may have a hard time getting results from this exercise...maybe all you get are tired triceps and sore shoulders, in fact!

If so, I've got the solution for you. It's a very simple adjustment to the setup that you use for the incline barbell press and a simple adjustment in how you perform the exercise.

One of the biggest problems I've encountered with this exercise, in myself at least, is the tendency for the chest and rib cage to flatten out during the exercise, which takes the tension off the pecs and puts it on the shoulders and triceps instead.

In order for the pecs to get a good contraction, the shoulder blades need to be tight in together behind your back with the shoulders back and chest/rib cage expanded.

With each rep of the "normal" incline barbell bench press, when you're at the top of the movement (especially when you unrack the bar), the full extension of your arms very quickly causes your shoulder blades to come forward and your rib cage to flatten out, taking the emphasis off the pecs and putting it on the shoulders (at the bottom) and triceps (at the top).

So basically, just by unracking the bar, you're immediately putting your body in a poor biomechanical position to perform the exercise with emphasis on the upper chest.

Granted, in a lot of people, they will still get a decent amount of stimulation on the upper pecs, even in this situation...these are the people with more favorable anatomical levers, i.e. they'll feel it in the chest no matter how they're arms and shoulder blades line up.

But for many (me included), performing the incline barbell press in this position simply doesn't work.

So how do you fix it?

It's not hard to do! Instead of performing the incline barbell press in the bench designed for it, we'll set up in the power rack using an adjustable incline bench.

Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees - you can experiment with what incline feels best to you - and set it inside the rack. Now here's the part that's going to take some trial and error...set the side safety rails of the rack to where you think the BOTTOM position of the incline press will be on you.

The first time you do the exercise, set the empty bar on the rack, just over top of the bench face then slide yourself underneath the bar to gauge the position.

Because the REAL key with this exercise (for those of us with unfavorable biomechanics) is to start from the BOTTOM and do SINGLE reps, resetting your body position each and every time you are about to press the bar up.

When I started doing incline presses with this technique, I was VERY surprised at how much better it felt and how it actually WORKED the upper chest. I had pretty much given up on the exercise as completely useless for me for quite a few years!

So back to our setup...with just the empty bar on the rails (and it should be a bit forward of where you're laying on the bench...you can roll it back into position), grip the bar with a slightly narrower grip than you'd use for flat barbell bench.

The bar should be just slightly above your chest while resting on the rails at this point. We want a good range of motion but we also are going to be setting the bar down on the rails after each rep in order to reset the shoulder blades and rib cage, so we still want the bar to finish ABOVE the chest.

If the rail height isn't quite right, adjust as needed then check again with just the bar. Once you've got the height right, load up the bar with a moderate weight...something you know you can do...then get back under the bar again. The bar should be a bit forward again when you lay on the bench...roll it back into position just over your upper chest.

Now here's the next trick...grip the bar and pull your torso just slightly UP off the bench like you're doing a pull-up row. When your torso is up off the bench, pinch your shoulder blades together behind your back (just like with a row!), puff and expand your rib cage up to meet the bar, then set your torso back down on the bench.

Notice how your shoulders are back, and your chest feels thicker? THIS is the correct position to perform the incline bench press...it's also the position that you LOSE almost as soon as you pass the halfway point of the incline press!

Now, with a powerful movement (and striving to keep your shoulders down and back), press the bar off the rails and all the way up in a straight vertical line - there is no backwards arc in the incline bench like there is in the flat bench. It should be straight up and down.

Press it all the way up. You'll notice how as you come to the top, you've probably lost that shoulder position and expanded rib cage. No worries! Lower the bar slowly back down and set it on the safety rails.

Now, RESET your torso, doing exactly what you did on the first rep! Pull your torso up off the bench, get your shoulder blades back, expand your rib cage then set yourself back down on the bench. Do your second rep the same as you did your first...power it up off the rails straight up then lower under control back down to the safety rails.

As for rep range, I find this technique lends itself better to lower reps...5 to 7 reps per set...because of the time it takes to reset yourself between each rep.

At the end of the set, when the bar is back down on the rails, just roll it forward on the rails so you have enough room to slide yourself out from under the bar.

CONCLUSION:

This technique is a very effective one for ANY trainer, but especially if you're not particularly biomechanically suited to the exercise. In order to really feel it where you're supposed to, you MUST reset yourself into the best position for your body to perform the exercise...the position that is immediately broken with a conventional unracking of the bar at the top.

Here's what this setup and execution will do for you:

1. Set your body into the best biomechanical position to perform the exercise on each and every rep, ensuring you're working the actual target muscles.

2. Gives you short breaks in between each rep, which helps you stay stronger during set, which will allow you to perform more reps with a given weight.

3. Allows you to perform the exercise by yourself, with no spotter, in complete safety.

4. Builds excellent pressing strength out of the bottom because each rep starts from the bottom off a dead stop, with no elastic tension in the muscles.

Give this version a try next time you work chest! You'll notice an immediate difference in strength and tension in the pecs.

For pictures and video of this exercise in action, click the following link:

http://hop.clickbank.net/?soyman/betteru&l=1148

------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion', "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://fitness-ebooks.rxsportz.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Who Really Benefits in the Health Overhaul

Some questions and answers on the House-passed bill and the version the Senate will begin debating in the week ahead; both measures were written by Democrats  - for the full article...

Health overhaul: Understanding the pros and cons

By Associated Press Writer Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, Sat Nov 28

WASHINGTON – Maybe you've been reading the health care bill in your spare time. Then perhaps you can answer this question:

If Congress makes history and puts a bill on President Barack Obama's desk by Christmas, how long before the uninsured get medical coverage?

If you said three years or more, you'd be right. Yet many people don't realize that to keep costs down, lawmakers made compromises that might not appeal to consumers.

"There's going to be a long period of great expectations and very modest deliveries," said economist Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute public policy center. That's assuming Democrats prevail.

Photo courtesy Jeff Rense

Damage Control For Holiday Eating "Accidents" (Part 2)

By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com 

It's lunchtime, and you're trying to decide what to make today. Normally, you would have your regular chicken salad with mixed nuts, but today is different. You're going to a party in the evening, and even though you're not quite sure what to expect, you know there will be a ton of food in an atmosphere of very little restraint. You decide that it's probably best to eat a lighter lunch than usual, to prepare for the evening calorie-surge. 

This is commonly known as “banking calories” which is analagous to saving calories like money because you’re going to consume more later.

I usually do not recommend this. Here’s why:

If you skip meals earlier in the day to “prepare” (bank calories) for a big feast at night, you are thinking only in terms of calories, but skipping meals is also depriving yourself of protein (amino acids), carbohydrates, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and other valuable nutrients that come from healthy food, as well as the small frequent meals which help control your appetite, stabilize your blood sugar and provide a steady flow of amino acids to your muscles. Skipping breakfast is especially detrimental.

Not only that, but eating less early in the day in anticipation of overeating later in the day is much more likely to increase your appetite, causing you to binge or eat even MORE than you thought you would at night when the big meal does arrive.

In fact, eating healthy, high fiber and lean protein food, as usual, earlier in the day is likely to make you LESS hungry for the holiday party meal and you’ll be more likey to eat only a harmlessly small amount of “party” foods.

I dont like the concept of “banking calories” if it means skipping meals or if it’s used as justification for binge eating.

Even if it worked the way you wanted it to, the starving and bingeing pattern may cause more damage than an occasional oversize meal, even if only on a psychological level. Some dieticians might even argue that this kind of behavior borders on disordered eating.

A better approach is to stay on your regular menu of healthy foods and small meals through the entire day - business as usual - and then go ahead and enjoy yourself at your party by treating yourself to a SMALL amount of “BAD” food.

This is supported by the 2nd Corollary of the law of calorie balance:

“Small amounts of ANYTHING - even junk food- will probably not be stored as fat as long as you are in a calorie deficit where you are eating fewer calories than you burn.”

It should be a big relief for you to know that when you’re at a party, a banquet, dining out or eating at a relative’s house for a special occasion, you can eat whatever you want with little or no ill effect on body composition, as long as you respect the law of calorie balance ans as long as it is done infrequently.

However, you CANNOT starve and binge and expect not to reap negative consequences.

If you sincerely want to burn fat and be healthy, then you have to have the discipline to stick with your nutrition plan consistently and control your portion sizes.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com 

To learn more about burning fat naturally in a healthy, sensible way, then be sure to take a look at Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

*FREE* download about to expire...

Are you interested in using your FAVORITE foods to LOSE fat over the holidays this year?

Then you need to make sure to download Joel Marion’s *FREE* Holiday Fat Loss Black Book report before the page gets pulled tonight at midnight.

Only a few short hours remain to get your hands on 17 different, easy-to-implement holiday weight loss strategies – all 100% F.R.E.E.

Download it here at no cost:

==> http://bit.ly/6eGFjm

I hope you enjoy this freee report as much as I did.

Get it here:

http://bit.ly/6eGFjm <------- Last day to get it F.REE

Talk to you soon,

Arthur M.

Senate health care bill: MUST READ

UPDATE: 31 March, 2010 -

A comment: "Approved by the FDA a class II implantable device is an “implantable radio frequency transponder system for patient identification and health information.” The purpose of a class II device is to collect data in medical patients such as “claims data patient survey data standardized analytic files that allow for the pooling and analysis of data from disparate data environments electronic health records and any other data deemed appropriate by the Secretary.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 2006 I have posted 24 + articles here at Natural Health News regarding electronic health records.  Some recent articles include:

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/electronic-health-records-your-data-at.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/06/electronic-records-and-data-mining-and.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/microchip-included-in-health-bill.html

*******************************************************

Buried in the Senate's 2,074-page health reform bill are provisions that undermine your health freedom and privacy.

Obama Health Plan

By Sue Blevins and Robin Kaigh from the November 23, 2009 edition

WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK - "There is no such thing as a little freedom," said Walter Cronkite. "Either you are all free, or you are not free."

Whether you're for or against federal efforts to help people buy health insurance, you should know that the reform bill before the Senate would mandate a healthcare system that is definitely "not free."
What most of us know about the Democratic bill is that it requires nearly all Americans to have health insurance. What most of us don't know is that it requires us to buy a minimum level of insurance approved by the federal government, and forces health plans and providers to share our personal health information with the federal government and other entities.

If this bill becomes law, we could each be assigned a national beneficiary ID number or card (possibly an electronic device). And our personal health information will flow electronically to the US secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) – and many others – without our consent.
Sound farfetched? Buried in the Senate bill's 2,074 pages are provisions that actually permit and foster such things. Freedom and privacy are often lost in the fine print – which is why we've been studying the Senate bill since it was released Nov. 19 to help uncover the facts. Here are five highly invasive provisions Americans should know:

1. MANDATORY INSURANCE- Bill text: "Sec. 1501. Requirement to Maintain Minimum Essential Coverage.... An applicable individual shall for each month beginning after 2013 ensure that the individual, and any dependent of the individual who is an applicable individual, is covered under minimum essential coverage for such month."

Translation: Uncle Sam will now serve as your national insurance agent and force you to buy "minimum essential coverage" – or else you'll have to pay an annual fine.

However, what Congress considers "minimum essential coverage" and "essential health benefits requirements" includes comprehensive coverage that many neither need nor want. Plus, those who prefer to carry catastrophic-only coverage won't have a free range of options for such coverage.

Bottom line: In a free society, the government should not force citizens to buy any product nor should the government mandate citizens' level of health-insurance coverage.

Rather than imposing penalties to coerce people into government-sanctioned health insurance, Congress should offer incentives to help those who wish to buy insurance but find it unaffordable.

Congress could allow everyone to deduct the full cost of health insurance (and provide tax credits for those with no tax liability), while offering assistance to those who can't afford insurance and subsidize high-risk pools for those with preexisting conditions.

Helping those in need is a much better way to reform our nation's healthcare system than overhauling the entire system and putting Big Brother in charge of deciding what is acceptable coverage for nearly every American.

2. ELECTRONIC DATA EXCHANGES- Bill text: "Sec. 1104. Administrative Simplification…. (h) Compliance. – (1) Health Plan Certification. – (A) Eligibility for a Health Plan, Health Claim Status, Electronic Funds Transfers, Health Care Payment and Remittance Advice. – Not later than December 31, 2013, a health plan shall file a statement with the Secretary, in such form as the Secretary may require, certifying that the data and information systems for such plan are in compliance with any applicable standards (as described under paragraph (7) of section 1171) and associated operating rules (as described under paragraph (9) of such section) for electronic funds transfers, eligibility for a health plan, health claim status, and health care payment and remittance advice, respectively."

Translation: Requiring everyone to buy federally sanctioned health insurance, and then forcing qualified plans to comply with Administrative Simplification requirements, provides the government and health industry with power they would not be able to exercise in a free market.

Administrative Simplification rules are a product of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. They lay the foundation for a nationally linked database of personal health information. A federal "Nationwide Health Information Network" (NHIN) is well under way in the United States, without assurances that individuals will control their personal health data.

Bottom line: Americans should be able to contract privately with the insurance companies of their choice. Patients should be able to decide whether to have electronic or paper medical records, and not have the government require electronic records, which are then included in a nationally linked database.

3. REAL-TIME HEALTH AND FINANCIAL DATA- Bill text: "Sec. 1104. Administrative Simplification…. (4) Requirements for Financial and Administrative Transactions. – (A) In General. – The standards and associated operating rules adopted by the Secretary shall – (i) to the extent feasible and appropriate, enable determination of an individual's eligibility and financial responsibility for specific services prior to or at the point of care.... (i) Eligibility for a Health Plan and Health Claims Status. – The set of operating rules for eligibility for a health plan and health claim status transactions shall be adopted not later than July 1, 2011, in a manner ensuring that such operating rules are effective not later than January 1, 2013, and may allow for the use of a machine readable identification card."
Translation: Administrative Simplification rules are being expanded to gather real-time financial and health data on individuals through a tracking ID, possibly a "machine readable" ID card (electronic device).

Bottom line: Moving forward with real-time data collection without an ethical patient consent provision means everyone loses their health-privacy rights. Congress needs to enact strong patient consent provisions for all health data, especially data collected "real-time."

4. HEALTH DATA NETWORK- Bill text: "Sec. 6301. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.… (f) Building Data for Research. – The Secretary shall provide for the coordination of relevant Federal health programs to build data capacity for comparative clinical effectiveness research, including the development and use of clinical registries and health outcomes research data networks, in order to develop and maintain a comprehensive, interoperable data network to collect, link, and analyze data on outcomes and effectiveness from multiple sources, including electronic health records."

Translation: Your personal health information may soon be studied by government scientists. Washington is creating a new research center that plans to use patients' electronic health records for conducting research and creating disease registries. The data network is comprehensive and includes use of electronic health records.

Bottom line: Federal funds should not be used to collect data electronically and conduct research on patients' personal health information without their consent.

5. PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION- Bill text: "Sec. 6301. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research…. (B) Use of Data. – The [Patient-Centered Outcomes Research] Institute shall only use data provided to the Institute under subparagraph (A) in accordance with laws and regulations governing the release and use of such data, including applicable confidentiality and privacy standards."

Translation: Think your health privacy is protected? It's not. This language refers to "applicable confidentiality and privacy standards," but HIPAA's so-called privacy law permits individuals' personal health information to be exchanged – for many broad purposes – without patients' consent (See 45 CFR Subtitle A, Subpart E – Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information; section 164.502(a)(1)(ii) "Permitted uses and disclosures").

Bottom line: Trust is a must for ensuring quality healthcare. Thus, as stated above, Congress needs to pass a strong, ethical patient consent law that ensures patients have control over the flow of their personal health information.

WHAT ABOUT THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED?

All told, the national mandatory health-insurance bill puts the federal government in charge of individuals' insurance choices and data privacy. This philosophy of governing is the opposite of America's founding principle: consent of the governed.

Without health freedom and privacy rights, Congress is opening the door for many wrongs to be committed – all in the name of covering the uninsured.

Sue Blevins is president of the Institute for Health Freedom in Washington. Robin Kaigh is an attorney and medical-privacy advocate in New York.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1123/p09s04-coop.html

Damage Control For Holiday Eating "Accidents" (Part 1)

By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

We've all been at the holiday get-togethers, and have quickly devoured something devilishly delicious with little thought. Some feel little shame for eating a cake or drinking half the bowl of punch, but others find themselves feeling guilty afterwards and can't help but think, "oops, I shouldn't have eaten that." I have to admit I do get a little chuckle out of the “accidental” part! Do you ever really “accidentally” eat anything? I think we are all responsible for everything we eat and how much we eat and until you consciously realize and accept this, and take the time to do some proactive meal planning, you will probably continue to have lots of “overeating accidents!”

After you overindulge, I definitely do NOT recommend skipping your next meal or skipping meals the next day to make up for it. I usually don’t even recommend cutting back either, although there may be exceptions where you could manipulate your meal size or macronutrient composition.

I generally recommend returning immediately to your “regularly scheduled meal programming,” because this continues to encourage the maintenance of positive habits such as eating 5-6 small meals every day.

I do suppose whether you cut back could depend on whether you’ve been on low calories a long time, how lean you were already, and on whether you were in a caloric deficit already. If you were in a calorie deficit for the day, then the extra calories might only bring you up to maintenance, not “over” your daily limit, which might not be as damaging as if you were in a calorie surplus.

If you were already very lean or had been dieting strictly for a long time (as in a bodybuilder coming off a competition), a large meal or entire high calorie day might not have any negative effect either. Your metabolism has a way of slowing down if you keep your calories too low 100% of the time.

With occasional (planned) higher calorie days, you’d be using the BURN THE FAT “zig-zag” or “cycling” principle, so eating more in this context can be a positive thing. (Note: You can learn more about this technique in the BURN THE FAT program at www.burnthefat.com). However, there’s a big difference between a planned “cheat meal” or a planned high carb, clean food “re-feed” day and a binge on junk food. Regardless of total 24 hour calorie intake for the day, you could still store body fat after heavy eating if it’s done at certain times and in a certain metabolic state.

Although I do prescribe calorie levels based on daily (24 hr) needs, I believe you should also pay attention to 3 hour “windows” when you’re thinking about adjusting your caloric intake. Calories and macronutrients (protein/aminos, carbs/sugar and fat) are partitioned into glycogen, muscle or fat tissue or burned immediately depending very much on present moment energy and recovery needs and on what’s going to happen over the next 3 hours or so as the food enters your system.

So, if you’re going to be plopping down on the couch to watch football games for the rest of the day and night after that big holiday meal, beware - you might just want to cut back on that next meal a little, especially starches and sugars.

Bottom line: It’s okay to eat small amounts of your favorite junk foods once in a while as planned “free meals,” and it’s a good idea to eat more in general from time to time to keep your metabolism humming along. However, your best bet if you’re really serious about fat loss is to avoid huge meals and avoid bingeing in the first place. ALWAYS practice portion control - even on holidays.

If you ever do slip, don’t beat yourself up, just get right back on the wagon with your next meal and remember, the past is behind you and today is a new day.

Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
www.BurnTheFat.com

P.S. If you’re interested in burning fat naturally in a healthy, sensible way, then be sure to take a look at Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle - it’s the best place to start your journey: www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com

Vitamin A deficiency

"What our research shows is that many women are simply not getting enough of this vital nutrient because their bodies are not able to convert the beta-carotene."

These researchers are proving that what we have said for years and years is factual.  To be able to realize the full benefits of vitamin A you must beable to convert betaCarotene to A, and a high percentage of folks cannot.

This is particularly important now with the flu cases in process as vitamin A will boost your immunity and protect your lungs.

We have always preferred a betaCarotene and fish oil blend with food extracts high in A and the A components.  

In a presentation at the 2nd Hohenheim Nutrition Conference this month in Stuttgart, Germany, Dr Georg Lietz of England's Newcastle University reported that many women in the UK could be at risk of vitamin A deficiency due to genetic variation.

Vitamin A's fat soluble property means that the vitamin can accumulate in the body. Concerns regarding potential toxicity have led to the suggestion that much of our vitamin A requirement could be met by consuming beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A when needed.

Dr Lietz and his colleagues examined the gene that encodes an enzyme known as beta-carotene 15,15'-monoxygenase (BCMO1) in 62 female volunteers. The enzyme is responsible for the conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A, a process that varies in up to 45 percent of healthy individuals. The team found that 47 percent of the women had a genetic variation that reduced their ability to convert beta-carotene.

"Vitamin A is incredibly important – particularly at this time of year when we are all trying to fight off the winter colds and flu," noted Dr Lietz, who is affiliated with Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. "It boosts our immune system and reduces the risk of inflammation such as that associated with chest infections. What our research shows is that many women are simply not getting enough of this vital nutrient because their bodies are not able to convert the beta-carotene."

"Worryingly, younger women are at particular risk," Dr Lietz added. "The older generations tend to eat more eggs, milk and liver which are naturally rich in vitamin A whereas the health-conscious youngsters on low-fat diets are relying heavily on the beta-carotene form of the nutrient."

Dr Lietz and his associates' research was described earlier this year in the Federated Association of Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal. The scientists plan to assess whether body composition also affects the ability to convert beta-carotene into vitamin A.

Flu vaccine put on hold in Canada

Higher than usual number having anaphylactic reactions with Swine Flu Vaccine.  Anaphylaxis is a serious reaction.

GlaxoSmithKline has advised doctors in Canada to stop using a batch of its swine flu vaccine, amid reports of severe side-effects in some patients.

The batch of some 170,000 doses was put on hold because of the reported higher than usual number of patients having anaphylactic reactions.

This may include breathing problems, raised heart rate and skin rashes.

The pharmaceutical company said it was investigating the reports, which could lead to the withdrawal of the batch.

The reports say one in 20,000 people suffered adverse reactions to the batch of GlaxoSmithKline's Aperanix vaccine.

         This is five times the expected number. None of the patients reportedly suffered long-term ill-effects.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/8376534.stm
Published: 2009/11/24 14:11:50 GMT
© BBC MMIX

No flu shot mandate for doctors

Dcotors no being mandated to take H1N1 vaccine.  A good move, but not sure I agree with the reliance on hand sanitizer.  Soap and Water washing frequently is vital.

AMA meeting: No flu shot mandate for doctors; hand sanitizer pushed


The AMA will study if there's any benefit from requiring all health professionals to receive influenza vaccine.

By KEVIN B. O'REILLY AND DAMON ADAMS, amednews staff. Posted Nov. 23, 2009.
Houston -- The AMA House of Delegates rejected a proposal to mandate vaccinations for health care professionals but approved other policy to prevent the spread of seasonal flu and influenza A(H1N1).

A resolution by the Infectious Diseases Society of America said the AMA should back universal seasonal and H1N1 flu immunizations unless health professionals have medical contraindications or religious objections. In October, New York state announced that it was requiring all health professionals to get the H1N1 immunization, but the mandate was suspended later that month due to vaccine shortages.

"It is our ethical duty to do no harm and prevent transmission of disease to patients," said Michael L. Butera, MD, an alternate delegate who spoke on behalf of IDSA. "Despite educational efforts, we have 40% to 70% immunization rates that are woefully inadequate." Mandates may be "the only way to achieve" the goal of universal vaccination, he said.

But delegates balked at the idea of a vaccination mandate, saying that requirements should be a last resort and can be counterproductive if implemented poorly. The house directed the AMA to study the ethical and scientific intricacies of the issue further.

Delegates said hand sanitizer dispensers should be available in well-trafficked areas and urged large gathering places to develop plans in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

Physicians briefed on H1N1

During a session at the Interim Meeting, two CDC officials briefed delegates on the latest epidemiological data on H1N1 and how best to manage the disease. They addressed hospitalization rates, vaccine availability, dosing and vaccine testing.
Most cases of H1N1 have not required hospital care. But the highest hospitalization rates have been for children through age 4, said Anthony E. Fiore, MD, MPH, a medical epidemiologist in the CDC Influenza Division. Among hospitalized adults, 70% have an underlying medical condition. If a patient appears to have the virus, treatment should be started as soon as possible. "We encourage people not to delay treatment awaiting laboratory confirmation."

Physicians and other health care professionals need to take precautions to make sure they don't get sick, said Michael Bell, MD, associate director for infection control at the CDC Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. Most exposure risk in hospitals is from sick workers, not patients. He cited an example of a resident at an Ohio hospital who infected 166 people with the virus.
To prevent the spread of H1N1 in physician practices, sick workers should stay home, and ill patients should be kept away from noninfected patients. Dr. Bell recommended vaccination for doctors and their staffs, saying it doesn't make sense to put patients at risk by skipping shots.

Health care personnel who develop a fever and respiratory symptoms should be excluded from work for at least 24 hours after the fever subsides, the CDC said. Workers who develop acute respiratory symptoms without fever should be allowed to work unless assigned to areas with severely immunocompromised patients. In those cases, workers should be reassigned temporarily or excluded from work for seven days from the onset of symptoms.

Meanwhile, CDC officials on Nov. 12 said about 22 million Americans had been sickened by H1N1 and about 4,000 had died, including 540 children. About 42 million doses of vaccine have been created.
"The amount coming out will increase rapidly in the next few weeks," Dr. Fiore said.

In a Nov. 10 letter to doctors, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, said no serious adverse events attributed to the vaccine had emerged in clinical trials on more than 3,600 patients. She encouraged physicians to report any vaccine-related problems to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

Colette R. Willins, MD, a family physician in Westlake, Ohio, and a delegate for the American Academy of Family Physicians, was among the physicians at the AMA Interim Meeting who voiced frustration about not receiving H1N1 vaccines yet.

"They keep telling us to watch for it," she said. "I can't even get my staff vaccinated."

The print version of this content appeared in the Nov 30, 2009 issue of American Medical News.

Cheat Your Way Through the Holidays? (YES!)

Over the past few weeks I’m sure you’ve been hearing a ton about my good friend and diet “guru” Joel Marion’s re-release of the Cheat Your Way Thin program for the holidays, and how you can actually LOSE weight this holiday season by strategically enjoying all your favorite holiday foods.

Well, the wait is over! The CYWT Holiday Edition is now ready to go – on sale TODAY (at less than half price via this exclusive invitation), November 24th, 2009!

==> http://bit.ly/6eGFjm

WARNING: The less than half price sale will be live through Thursday, but you’re going to want to make sure you grab your copy *today*, and for two reasons.

For anyone who orders today (Tuesday), and today only, you’re going to get not one, but TWO special bonuses that no one else will get:

1. Bonus #1: A 90-minute Q&A coaching call with Joel AND fat loss expert Vince DelMonte. Vince just used Joel’s exact program to drop down to an all time low 5% body fat for his upcoming photo shoot in the Dominican (while eating WHATEVER he wanted every 5th day), and both he and Joel will be hosting a 90-minute Q&A call exclusive to those who order today, and today ONLY.

2. Bonus #2: A 20-page PDF of a recent (never published) interview that author Tom Venuto conducted with Joel, *grilling* him with his toughest questions, causing Joel to dig deeper into the science behind the Cheat Your Way Thin program than he ever has before, revealing a slew of new, powerful, never-before-seen information. It’s called “The Leptin Chronicles” and if you’re serious about dropping body fat FAST this holiday season, you’re going to want to get access to this interview by acting today.

http://bit.ly/6eGFjm <== Get Both Bonuses (Today ONLY)

Now, in case you’ve missed out on the ridiculous buzz that literally everyone all over the internet has been talking about for the past two weeks, Joel’s program, based on 6 years of his own research, SHOWS you exactly how you can use your favorite foods to “trick” your body into losing fat faster.

And that’s NO joke. Just click on the “research” tab at the site and you’ll see that there’s enough medical research to back up this program 100 times over (actually, it’s 308 studies worth).

==> http://bit.ly/6eGFjm

And if that’s not enough to convince you to act today, he’s also including a KILLER bonus for the holidays (and this is *really* cool):

The Strategic Holiday Cheat Calendar – With this calendar, Joel has mapped out every single day of the next 6 weeks (from Thanksgiving through the first week of January) with each and every holiday reserved as a Cheat Day. And then he shows you exactly how to structure the rest of the program around each holiday cheat to maximize fat loss more than you ever could by "dieting" or depriving yourself.

Essentially, it’s a complete blueprint for you to lose up to 21 lbs of blubber this holiday season (while everyone else GAINS those same pounds) without ever missing out on a single holiday meal, party, or dessert!

Oh, and did I mention that the program starts with your first BIG Cheat Day – Thanksgiving!

http://bit.ly/6eGFjm <== Go Now!

If you’re ready to cheat your way through the holidays this year while being AHEAD of the game (with the easiest, most effective, and fun method possible) come Jan 1st, then you need to get over to the site and reserve your copy of the full Cheat Your Way Thin system (and the holiday bonuses) today.

Remember, both fast action bonuses are for individuals who invest in the system today ONLY.

Don’t miss out (and please, DON’T get stuck paying full price):

==> http://bit.ly/6eGFjm

Here’s to easily losing weight this holiday season!

Your friend,

Arthur M.

P.S. Why are you still reading this?! Go now!

==> http://bit.ly/6eGFjm

3 Secrets of Your Fat Burning Holiday Plan

If you want to do the impossible and LOSE fat over the holidays, then this is going to be the most important fat burning tips article you ever read.

Losing fat and keeping the weight off over the holidays is easier than you think. And I'm going to show you exactly what you need to do to lose fat while enjoying yourself at big meals and parties over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

There's just 3 simple steps you need to follow.

1) You need to plan out your reward meals in advance. Remember, it is a big psychological boost to your fat loss program if you can still enjoy your favorite foods while transforming your body.

So here's what you need to do. Simply grab a calendar and mark off the days when you have a big meal planned. Don't forget, you get at least one meal per week when you can have whatever you want.

That means you can mark off Thanksgiving Thursday, and then your work holiday party, then your family Christmas dinners, and any other event you have planned. Once per week you get to reward yourself for doing such a great job with your program. So enjoy!

2) The second thing you need to do is plan out your fat burning exercises sessions in advance, so you know exactly what you need to do in order to free up more time for holiday parties, shopping, and merry-making.

Remember, you don't have to do long, slow, boring cardio if you want to lose stomach fat. In fact, you have to do just the opposite. You need to cut your workout time, cut the time you spend at the gym, and just say NO to cardio and crunches. Both are a waste of your time - and that's my Christmas gift to you - never having to do those silly exercises ever again.

Switch to the simple, bodyweight and home fat burning exercises in the Turbulence Training system. You'll love how you can burn fat in the comfort of your own home in just a few short minutes each week.

3) Stay strong with social support. Now more than ever is the time of year when you need to spend time with your social support group. Make sure you are still checking in on the Turbulence Training member's forum to get help and support on sticking to your fat burning plan over the holidays. You'll get help from others all over the world to lose fat while everyone else at work gains weight.

So that's all you have to do...just follow that simple 3-step plan of reward meals, planning, and social support, and you'll lose fat over the holidays.

With today's special offer, you can try out the Turbulence Training Fat Loss System for only $4.95 for the next 21 days.

Click this link to try out Turbulence Training today:

=> http://bit.ly/8ASh80

To your fat burning success over the holidays,

Arthur M.

PS - Don't forget...

The Turbulence Training System has a 60-day guarantee. If you aren't 100% satisfied, just let Craig Ballantyne know and you'll get every penny back.

=> http://bit.ly/8ASh80

20 Vegan Holiday Recipes

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, a lot of vegetarians are getting a little anxious, because they don't know what to eat over these holidays.

Fortunately, I just received an email from vegetarian recipe expert, Kardena Pauza, and here's what she has planned:

"For Thanksgiving, we are going to be at my good friend's house so we will bring some dishes over to contribute to the dinner.

The dishes I am going to make are in the new Vegan holiday recipe book that I just prepared for you.

So on Thursday, I'll be "cooking" up a storm, preparing...

1. Cauliflower mashed potatoes and vegan gravy
2. Healthy Vegan green bean casserole
3. Raw chocolate truffles - my specialty!    
4. Fresh, homemade cranberry sauce

And my vegan friends will surprise me with their awesome holiday dishes. I cant wait to have pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes! Two of my favorites!

If you want to try those out, plus 16 more of the best holiday Vegan recipes to help you eat healthy and veggie over the holidays, then I have great news for you.

You'll even discover a substitute for Thanksgiving Turkey, Beef Wellington, and more yummy chocolate desserts."

And to celebrate Thanks-Veganing (and November's World Vegan Month), Kardena is including her 20 Vegan Holiday Recipes book along with a $30 discount on the Easy Veggie Meal Plans System.

But hurry...the $30 off Easy Veggie Meal Plans celebration discount is only available until American Thanksgiving Thursday, November 26th at 11:59pm. As soon as "Black Friday" morning comes, the bonus is removed and the price goes back up.

Click here for the veggie holiday recipes bonus & $30 off holiday sale:

=> http://bit.ly/8tqp1e

I look forward to hearing about your success with the Easy Veggie Meal Plans program today!

Happy Thanksgiving (and Happy Vegan Month to EVERYONE in the world),

Arthur M.

PS - Be a FAST ACTION taker and start celebrating vegetarian eating and Thanks-Veganing by improving your health, boosting your energy, clearing your complexion, and dramatically transforming your body with these special holiday recipes and the Easy Veggie Meal Plans today!

=> http://bit.ly/8tqp1e

MS breakthrough

UPDATE 11/27: Multiple sclerosis 'blood blockage theory' tested

US scientists are testing a radical new theory that multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by blockages in the veins that drain the brain. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8374980.stm

**********

What Paolo Zamboni, a professor of medicine at the University of Ferrara in Italy, learned in his medical detective work, scouring dusty old books and using ultra-modern imaging techniques, could well turn what we know about MS on its head: Dr. Zamboni's research suggests that MS is not, as widely believed, an autoimmune condition, but a vascular disease.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/researchers-labour-of-love-leads-to-breakthrough-in-treating-ms/article1372414/

Morphine Could Encourage Cancer Spread

Morphine 'might spread cancer'


Laboratory tests suggest morphine could in fact encourage the spread of cancer, for which it is routinely prescribed to relieve pain from surgery and tumours.

US scientists say the opiate promotes the growth of new blood vessels which deliver tumours oxygen and nutrients.

Speaking at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Boston, they also claim to have found a drug which counters this effect.

Cancer Research UK said more tests were needed before any changes in treatment.

Dr Patrick Singleton from the University of Chicago told the meeting of experts that in laboratory tests, morphine not only strengthened blood vessels but also appeared to make it easier for cancers to invade other tissues and spread.

But he said this could be overcome by a drug - methylnaltrexone or MNTX - developed in the 1980s to prevent morphine-related constipation but only recently approved in the US. It appears to work without interfering with the pain-relieving properties of the opiate.

'Long history'

In mice with lung cancer, MNTX inhibited the apparent tumour-promoting effects of opiates, and reduced the spread of cancer in the mice by 90%.

"If confirmed clinically, this could change how we do surgical anaesthesia for our cancer patients," said Dr Singleton, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center and principal author of the research.

"It also suggests potential new applications for this novel class of drugs which should be explored."

The tests were started after his colleague, anaesthetist Jonathan Moss, noted that several patients receiving this kind of opiate blocker survived longer than might be expected after surgery.

Dr Laura Bell of Cancer Research UK said the drugs had a long history of providing effective pain relief.

"Research in this area is in the early stages, so it's too early to tell whether opiate-based painkillers have an effect on cancer growth.

"Much more research would be needed to justify changing the way opiates are used to treat people with cancer."
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8367301.stm

Published: 2009/11/23 01:40:55 GMT © BBC MMIX

The Real Thanksgiving

Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World

By Jack Weatherford

(NY: Ballantine Books, 1989. 288 pp. $15.00, ISBN-10 0449904962)
Native American Studies/ American History

“Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492, but America has yet to be discovered.” Jack Weatherford’s provocative book “Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World” seeks to change that.

He makes the reader aware that the average American today knows more about ancient Egypt “than we know about the pyramid builders of the Mississippi.”

It comes as a bit of a surprise to realize the truth of his statement, but even here in Lake County where the Pomo have lived for 10,000 years, most folks in Lake County probably could tell you more about the pyramids of ancient Egypt than they could tell you about the Pomo people.

Granted, the Pomo did not build pyramids, but they did build a society that thrived for thousands of years – here in the same place we are living today – not thousands of miles away. As a young nation, not even 400 years old, we have much to learn from our elders.

“Indian Givers” explores what modern society has learned from the native peoples throughout the Americas, even if we have not given them full (or any) credit for the original knowledge.

Some of this will not come as any surprise to the reader – particularly in the area of agriculture. It is well known that many new foods were introduced to the earliest European settlers by the natives, corn and potatoes perhaps being the most well known. The immense diversity of foods may come as a shock, however, as well as their impact, not just on the pilgrims, but around the globe.

In recent years there has been a resurgence of using herbal remedies but the surgical skills of the Aztecs far surpassed simply knowing which bark made good aspirin or could be used to prevent malaria. Weatherford claims that the Aztecs’ obsidian knives would equal the surgical steel of today and is only bettered by the precision of lasers.

The Aztecs knew how to perform a variety of surgeries, from the mundane to brain surgery, although Weatherford acknowledges they most likely had such advanced knowledge because they practiced human sacrifice.

Perhaps the most surprising knowledge Weatherford maintains we gained from the native peoples is in the arena of politics. He argues that the fledgling American government bore more resemblance to the League of the Iroquois than the Greek Senate or English House of Lords and that the Founding Fathers learned the practical potential of liberty from a variety of tribal communities.

Going a step further Weatherford proposes that the first person to suggest that the colonies form a united body of some sort was the Iroquois chief Canassatego in July of 1744, 32 years before the Declaration of Independence.

The scholarship in “Indian Givers” is well documented but not ponderous as to detract form the story telling style of Weatherford. Overall it's an excellent read, and as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, it may just inspire you to give thanks for the wealth of knowledge we have gained from the Aztecs, Iroquois and countless other tribal communities whose histories and knowledge ought be remembered.

Geri Williams

Yearly influenza vaccinations: a double-edged sword?

Influenza vaccinations
Summary - Yearly vaccination against seasonal influenza viruses is recommended for certain individuals at high risk of complications associated with influenza. It has been recommended in some countries, including the USA, that all children aged 6—59 months are vaccinated against seasonal influenza. However, it has been shown—mainly in animals—that infection with influenza A viruses can induce protective immunity to influenza A viruses of other unrelated subtypes. This so-called heterosubtypic immunity does not provide full protection, but can limit virus replication and reduce morbidity and mortality of the host. This type of immunity might be relevant to human beings when a new subtype of influenza A virus is introduced into the population, such as the new influenza A H1N1 virus responsible for the present influenza pandemic and the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses that are causing an ever increasing number of human infections with high mortality rates. Preventing infection with seasonal influenza viruses by vaccination might prevent the induction of heterosubtypic immunity to pandemic strains, which might be a disadvantage to immunologically naive people—eg, infants.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(09)70263-4/fulltext
 
CDC Estimates of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States, April – October 17, 2009
 
"Ever wonder why reports of the number of H1N1 cases, deaths and hospitalizations are all over the boards? It is because the CDC uses a "statistical modeling" method to estimate total numbers! These are ESTIMATES, and by their own admission, "It may never be possible to validate the accuracy of these figures."
http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm

Helpful resource and commendation for our quality blog

Dear Natural Health News,
Pathology.org is the largest up to date informational database consisting of general health and disease information. The only way to combat disease and promote healthy living is to provide the public current information on health and diseases. Pathology.org consists of breaking news in the health world and offers the information needed to take preventive and combative measures to fight disease. Your website seems to be a very credible resource and would beneficial to us in the fight to combat the contraction and spread of disease. You can aid us in this fight by simply making our site available to your vast public.

Thank you for your time, effort, and work you have done, we look forward to any thoughts you may have.

Pathology.org is awarding you as top resource.
(Kia)

FLU INFO RESOURCES

UPDATE: 11/21/09

Tamiflu resitance reported in North Carolina

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu spreads 'between patients'

One of 32 Tamiflu related articles from Natural Health News

WAVE  Vaccine Ingredient Information and News

Tamiflu dangers reported

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has asked Swiss drug maker Roche AG to warn consumers of possible health risks linked to its influenza drug Tamiflu, the health department said on Wednesday.

Ottawa took the step after receiving international reports of side-effects such as hallucinations and abnormal behavior, including self-harm. The reports include cases involving children and teenagers, primarily in Japan.

"Health Canada has requested that the manufacturer ... update the Canadian prescribing information for Tamiflu to include this new information," the department said in a statement.

According to Health Canada, there have been 84 reports as of November 11 of Canadian patients having adverse effects when using Tamiflu. Ten of those cases involved fatalities...

Swine Flu Campaign a mess

--------------------------------------------------------

Additional updates 11/12/09

Scientific comments

Blaming Vaccine Victims

--------------------------------------------------------

These new resources are from reliable colleagues, posted 11/08

Treating Children's Flu

Vitamin D and You

Some followup on vaccine mishaps.

Origianl post date: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Vitamin U Well Known to Herbalists for Decades

I would call this progress but I'd be much happier if Dr. Gary Peltz would have given credit to the long time use of Vitamin U by herbalists and traditional naturopaths for a good hundred years if not more.

I'd also be happier if I knew Peltz wasn't going to try to create a patented DRUG from Vitamin U at his company, SandHill. As my mentor in Oriental Medicine told me many times, they medical people just do not understand how the herbs work.

I was reading about this in the 1950s and it was in my ND education in the 60s-70s. I also taught about it to my students when I had a Natural Healing school.

Ever wonder why sauerkraut and other fermented cabbage products have been used for healing over so many years?

This post is ranked in the top 10 out of 6 Million

MORE ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CABBAGE 1, 2

Common herbal medicine may prevent acetaminophen-related liver damage, says researcher

ScienceDaily (2009-11-18) -- A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a new study. The finding came as a surprise to the scientists, who used a number of advanced genetic and genomic techniques in mice to identify a molecular pathway that counters acetaminophen toxicity, which leads to liver failure.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184535.htm


http://www.leaflady.org/sauerkraut.htm


http://www.leaflady.org/healing_that_gut_feeling.htm


Comment: You know, I've never actually heard of this vitamin... You know, I've never actually heard of this vitamin u before. It's pretty interesting considering I do know a little bit about fermented foods but I didn't know it was all this helpful. This was definitely an interesting article, thanks for the info! (John) 11/20/09

A different approach to weight loss

This is the first of three reports that we are releasing on our 90 Day Weight Loss Project here at The Oake Centre for natural health education.

Please feel free to contact us for more information and with any questions you may have.

Many people know that stress in a factor in weight gain. Stress of course can be from many sources including lifestyle, work, lack of exercise, sedentary work and lifestyle situations, food allergy, chronic illness, environmental toxins and many more concerns that might not always be identifiable.

With the approach we are investigating in this project, cause isn't the focus. While cause can be important the use of this different approach, we believe, makes it possible to focus on results, regardless of cause.

What is the Neuroliminal process -

Some years ago I joined a professional discussion group that was established by the Safe Harbor Project through its website.

Through this group I met one of the pioneers of orthomolecular medicine. Orthomolecular medicine is an approach that began as a non-drug treatment approach in mental health and psychiatry. During this time several other applications for health conditions such as cardiovascular disease were validated.

I recall reading many articles about orthomolecular approaches in the late 1960s when I was working in a psychiatric facility. It made much more sense to me but it wasn't very popular. Now the interest in other than drugs for health is catching on.

Would you be surprised to learn that most mental problems are caused by the stress of unsuspected allergens? It's true! Both EEG BF (Biofeedback) and NT (Neuroliminal Training) may help resolve this stress. This reaction is also called “inflammation” and now it is being noticed as very important in health.

Wanting to see for myself, but really to determine how this process could be of benefit to my clients and those who read my articles, subscribe to my newsletter, attend my educational programs and others I contacted the inventor and that's how this project began.

I've just completed the first month of the 90 day trial. I have to say that the reactions have been interesting. One thing I noticed early on was that I experienced a real craving for fat. This lasted about two days and since then I have noticed no real cravings for any particular food.

I also noticed that I did not need to eat as much, so smaller portions were as filling and satisfying as larger ones. This is important to me because I grew up in a family that has a heritage in the Deep South and loved to serve enough food for Cox's army. And they expected that you'd eat it.

However, over the last few years I learned through a simple home testing process I offer in my work that I had a very wide range of food allergies. I also was dealing with tremendous stress on a daily basis. No matter what approach I tried little seemed to change. Once things calmed down to a manageable and quiet roar, I sought out this program.

So far I haven't seen too much in the way of lost pounds, although I did get past a major obstacle and broke a weight barrier that even with a great fitness program did not seem to budge.

I seem to be less reactive now to foods when I test those on my allergy list. Usually if a food bothers me I itch behind my right ear or experience ringing sounds in my ears (tinnitus). Now I experience far fewer of these reactions.

Whether this is a positive outcome of the program or not, I notice better motivation for holding to the plan I set up in my fitness program.

Now as I am just starting in to phase 2, look for our next report in mid December.

The Neuroliminal process is easy to use. You'll need to have a CD player that has the repeat function. Just set this up so it plays while you sleep, and listen to the subliminal messaging. And no, it doesn't interfere with sleeping. In fact, I think my sleep has gotten better.

In this process, as with biofeedback, blood flow to the brain improves, especially as allergic reactions are removed, the Theta brain wave (T operates between 4 and 8 cycles per second. Theta is associated with intuition, and allows us to access our subconscious. It is activated during dream sleep and deep meditation states. Theta is also associated with healing and creative thinking.) is lowered and SMR (Sensorimotor Response or Low Beta Brainwave - B has the highest frequency, and the SMR brain wave is usually thought of between 12-15 Hz, with most people between 13-13.5. This is associated with our normal, everyday waking state. Beta helps in logical thinking, analysis, and active attention. Stress can throw the frequency to the higher ranges of beta.) is raised.

Safety is important in any approach to health and wellness. With NT, Dr. Bate found that the force that seems to inhibit and even frighten persons using Neuroliminal Training is the “Hawthorne Effect”. This effect is well known in science and education, teaching and training, and seems to be an unconscious effort to “protect” the mind from “unknown” dangers.

It's been discovered that sound can be used to elicit responses in the brain; the brain becomes "entrained", which means it starts to resonate at the same frequency as the sound. When this happens, it can change the brain wave patterns in your brain. Studies have shown that with continued use, sound therapy techniques can eventually “rewire” the brain to a more balanced state, with long lasting results. These results also have been reported to raise IQ in other studies.

Dr Bate tells me that using “ NT doesn't really raise IQ, but lowering allergy stress seems to clear thinking process.” At least that's what he thinks, and he adds that “ in school, ADD/ADHD kids actually get about a 15 point raise in the few that have been tested before and after” their using the NT process.

The majority of participants in prior studies reported results after the fourth or fifth weeks. In today's hurried world this may benefit overall health because it helps you slow down and become more patient.

The program isn't expensive, order here,

and it comes with a money back guarantee.

DISCLAIMER: NT has a range of applications in addition to weight loss and allergy relief. These include PTSD, Depression, ADD and ADHD, Autism, Asperger's, Epilepsy, Insomnia, Schizophrenia and others.
Neither Neuroliminal Training nor EEG BF (aka Neurofeedback, NF) are "magic". There are NO instant "cures". The process may may take a month or more before any noticeable progress or improvement is seen. Both EEG BF and NT work to do the same thing (change brain waves), and both are slow. One night's sleep corresponds roughly to one half hour session of EEG BF. The primary difference is that Neuroliminal Training is inexpensive, much simpler and easier to do, and yet just as effective.
Neither Neuroliminal nor EEG BF (NF) solves 100% of all "brain problems". The "average" success rate for EEG BF (NF) clinics is about 85+%. Subliminal Training may be somewhat higher.
Progress is individual for both Neuroliminal Training or EEG BF (NF), as always, when dealing with human brains (conscious or unconscious). There are no dangerous or long lasting harmful side effects possible from Neuroliminal Brain Wave Training.

Copyright © TOC 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Tom Venuto's Holiday Fitness Challenge to You

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Every year as Thanksgiving gets closer, you’ve probably seen the depressing reports: “Most people gain between 5 and 10 pounds of body fat in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.” I’m not sure if this worries you or not, but a lot of people are terrified about getting fatter in the next two months. They anticipate the workouts falling by the wayside and the holiday food calling out to them irresistibly, defeating even the strongest willpower. There’s good news and bad news about this.

Good news: According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average amount gained is much more modest - just over a pound.

Bad news: A study by the National Institutes of Health found that this seasonal weight gain - even just a pound - is the kind of weight gain that most people don’t lose when the holidays are over; it simply adds to the “weight creep” that “sneaks up” on you as you get older.

People often wonder how it’s possible to wake up one morning at age 40 or 45 and “suddenly” they’re 30 pounds fatter - or more - than they were in college. Mystery solved.

Of course, some people really do pack it on over the holidays, but whether its a pound or ten pounds, did you ever ask yourself why does holiday weight gain happen at all?

In previous years, I’ve asked my readers and here are some common answers I was given:

Holiday Excuse Survey Says…

“I’m too busy over the holidays to work out as often as usual.”

“I’m more stressed over the holidays, and the food is there, so I eat more.”

“I have at least three parties to attend and then there’s Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s impossible to stay on a diet”

“No one can tell me not to enjoy myself over the holidays so I’m just going to eat whatever I want.”

These answers all have a few things in common:

“Either/Or” Thinking and “Reverse Goal Setting” Exposed

First, they assume that you can EITHER get in better shape OR enjoy yourself, but not both. Stated in reverse: You can either deprive yourself of holiday enjoyments or gain weight, but it has to be one or the other. The truth is, “either/or thinking” is neurotic thinking and a great killer of fitness programs.

Second, these are all excuses or rationalizations. “I’m too busy” for example, is always an excuse, because I have never known someone who was too busy to make time for his her highest life priorities. We all have the same amount of time - 24 hours a day – the real problem is, most people don’t make exercise and healthy eating a priority. And remember, words mean little. Actions reveal a person’s true priorities.

Third, none of these are the real reasons most people gain weight over the holidays to begin with. The real reason is because an intention was never set for the opposite: To get in better shape over the holidays.

Most people set a “goal” to get in worse shape over the holidays. It’s not consciously set, of course, as few people would intentionally set out to get fatter. They simply do it by default. In their minds, they accept that it must be just about impossible to stay in shape with everything going on over the holiday season, so why bother?

Rationing Lies For Holiday Failure

Once the decision has been made, then the rationalizing continues:

“Why should I deprive myself?”
“Family is more important”
“Worrying about diet and exercise during the holidays is neurotic”
“I don’t care if I gain a few pounds, I’m going to enjoy myself anyway”
“It’s only these two or three weeks that I let myself go wild”
“I’ll start the first week in January and lose the weight then.”

As a result of this “negative goal-setting,” they expect to work out less, eat more and gain a few pounds, and they don’t seem to even consider alternatives.

But what would happen if you…

SET A GOAL TO GET IN BETTER shape over the holidays?

What would happen if you decided that it was not an all or nothing proposition and that you could enjoy the holidays and all it has to offer and get in better shape at the same time?

And what if you decided that your health and your body were the highest priorities in your life, because you realized that can’t enjoy anything else in life, including family or holidays, if you don’t have your health?

Here’s what would happen: You’d get in better shape!

I’m not all that different from you just because I’m a bodybuilder and fitness professional. I have many of the same problems, concerns and struggles as you do. Although today I always get in better shape between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, that’s a result of a conscious choice, a close examination of my old belief systems and a lot of action. For me, it all started about eight years ago.

For most of my adult life, I wasn’t much of a traveler and I didn’t enjoy flying or staying in hotels. For one thing, I had so many business commitments in the East Coast health club business, that I seldom left town for long, as I had to “tend to the stores.” But I also had a belief that if I traveled, my workouts and nutrition would suffer. After all, “it would be hard to stick with my usual bodybuilding diet, and I wouldn’t have access to my usual gyms”, I told myself. For these reasons, I never did much travel..

Then I was forced to take some trips for business reasons. Predictably enough, my nutrition and workouts suffered while I was spending time in airplanes and in hotels. With my experience having confirmed my beliefs, I re-affirmed to myself, “See, travelling is nothing but a pain. You just can’t stay on a diet and training program when you’re out of town.”

After several more trips, I noticed that something very negative happened: I surrendered. I had resigned myself to “not bother” while I was on the road. I let my expectations create my reality.

But I didn’t let it go on for long. As soon as I became aware of what was happening, I decided that I wouldn’t tolerate it, so I challenged myself and my previous limiting beliefs. I asked myself, “Why the heck not? Why let myself backslide? Why even settle for maintaining? Why not challenge myself to improve while I’m traveling?” The answer was: There was no good reason, there were only excuses.

From that day forward, I set a challenge for myself…

To come back from every trip or vacation in better shape than when I left.

Of course there were exceptions, as when I went on a vacation for total R & R. But I never let travel get in my way again. I prepared food that I would eat on the planes so airline food was never an excuse… I usually chose hotels that had kitchens, so I could cook my own food. I went food shopping immediately after check-in. I wrote my training schedule and scouted gyms in advance… And I actually found myself training harder than usual.

No matter where I was training - it could even be some “dungeon” of a gym in the middle of nowhere - it didn’t matter because my mind was focused on improving and looking better when I came home than when I left. I had a goal to motivate me!

What do you think happened? It’s not hard to guess: I always came home in better shape than when I left.

Since then, my “travel challenge” has become somewhat of a ritual in my life. When I’m away from my “home-base” it becomes a “fitness road trip.” I search the Internet or yellow pages or ask locals to help me find the most hard-core gym nearby wherever I will be staying (Gold’s Gym works for me!) When I get there, I train every bit as hard as if I had a competition just weeks away. I look forward to it now. In fact, this is what led me to my “holiday fitness challenge” idea.

Like many people, I travel over the holidays, so I’m automatically in “travel challenge” mode at thanksgiving, Christmastime and New Year’s. But with the additional temptations and busyness that the holidays bring on top of the usual travel stresses, I saw fit to declare a new challenge: “The Holiday Challenge.” The difference was that for my “holiday challenge,” I pledged to not only to return home in better shape than when I left, but to enjoy the holidays to the fullest at the same time.

People who think I deprive myself to look the way I do would be shocked: I eat like a KING over the holidays including Pumpkin (or apple) Pie at Thanksgiving and OF COURSE my mom’s famous red and green Jell-O Christmas cake. Then on New Year’s I’m usually toasting champagne and having a blast with friends or family….

The difference is, I don’t eat like that very often.

Every other meal stays right on schedule and I work out hard and consistently over the holidays; I don’t let everything fall apart just because ‘tis the season.’

The idea that you can EITHER enjoy the holidays OR stay in shape - but not both - is wrong, it’s damaging and it’s limiting.

Life is not an either or proposition; it’s a matter of balance.

Success does not mean going to extremes. Success can be a simple matter of re-examining your beliefs, rearranging your priorities, setting goals, changing the questions you ask yourself and re-evaluating your expectations.

Your expectations will become your reality. What are you expecting? Are you expecting success? Are you expecting to be in better shape after holiday parties, celebrations, banquets, dinners, and desserts? If not, then why not? What’s preventing you from enjoying all of the above and still getting in better shape? Do you have a limiting belief which dictates that it’s one or the other? Could it be that you never set a goal, intention or expectation to do it? Could it be that you’re rationalizing or making excuses? If so, then I challenge you to change it this year.

As of this writing, there are less than two months until the end of the year. Why not see how much you can improve your physique over the holidays, without depriving yourself of any holiday enjoyments or festivities? Just step up your expectations. Step up your standards. Step up your nutrition. Step up your training. Step up your action. Step up and accept the “Burn The Fat holiday fitness challenge and see what happens!

That’s right… The First Annual Burn The Fat Holiday Fitness challenge contest is open from Wednesday November 18th to Wednesday November 25th.

Over the course of a “50-Day Burn” which spans all three major holidays - Thanksgiving (US), Christmas and New Year's - you'll have the motivation, the accountability and structured program to end the year strong, start the new year on the foot and possibly get in the best shape of your life.

Even better, you'll be able to eat delicious Holiday Food and enjoy yourself to the fullest at the same time because this is a lifestyle program which allows your favorite foods in moderation and balance.

And the best part of all: I'm sending the winners of the contest to Negril Jamaica to show off their new bodies on the beach in 2010!

Taking the Burn The Fat Challenge is simple. You can enter the contest two ways:

(1) Purchase the Burn The Fat e-book from http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com or

(2) Join the Burn The Fat Inner Circle fitness support community ("contest central") at http://bit.ly/Yl1Bf.

You'll be automatically enrolled with either purchase.

Or, if you want ALL the contest details and the FULL list of prizes, visit the contest page at: http://bit.ly/1qjpJS

Train hard and expect success!

-Tom Venuto,
Author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
Founder/CEO, Burn The Fat Inner Circle

About the author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com