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Newsletter: Summer 2000 Topics: Drug and Herbal Interactions, Pesticides and Parkinson's, Common Home Insecticide Dursban Banned by EPA, Aspartame, Soft Drinks Can Deplete Calcium In Bones, Giving Your Body Enough Water Can Change Your Physiology. |
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I have stored up a several items that I think are important to pass along. But first I would like to get a little philosophical about chiropractic and what role I can play in helping you stay healthy. It struck me recently as I was leaving my chiropractor's office (yes I do get chiropractic adjustments myself, averaging about two a month) that it's amazing how long many people go between adjustments. To say nothing of those who never get adjusted, who have never had the chance to experience what a chiropractic adjustment can do. I had been digging up some old dried flowers in the garden, the ground was really hard and the result was that I jammed my arm up into the shoulder socket (ouch!). My arm began to ache, especially at rest in bed. After the adjustment the arm felt immediately better and the nighttime pain has gone away. So many people put off getting an adjustment, thinking, "maybe it will go away." Those may be the five most dangerous words in the English language. Have you thought that yourself? There are two good reasons to get an adjustment. The obvious one is the immediate discomfort of pain, stiffness or weakness. But the other is the long-term problem of abnormal wear and tear and premature aging, arthritis or worse. Traditional chiropractic philosophy taught that reduced nerve energy flow from the spine would result in disease. This idea is now updated to a more modern concept of stress and the consequences of stress over a lifetime. But the concept of reduced energy flow is still relevant. In fact Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, which even American medicine has now recognized as effective for many problems, is based on the concept of Chi or the life force of the body. Practitioners of Oriental medicine use acupuncture, herbs and other modalities to "unblock the Chi" or the life force, allowing the body to heal itself. So we shouldn’t discount the effect of a misaligned joint in blocking the natural flow of energy in our bodies. The point is that getting regular adjustments should be one the of foundation blocks of maintaining your health, a key ingredient in your wellness program. Keep the natural flow of energy going in your body and you’ll be healthier over your lifetime! Have you noticed the great number of ads in print and TV for prescription drugs? The pharmaceutical industry is spending a great deal of money to get us all on expensive medications. My personal program to stay healthy is good nutrition, adequate exercise, loving relationships, managing my stress level, avoiding toxic exposures and keeping my spine and nervous system functioning optimally. Drugs and surgery are a last resort for me. I hope they are for you too. It is up to you to avoid many of the diseases of aging like heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, cancer and stroke. The habits you have, or don't have, do make a difference. A recent well-publicized study compared the effects of genes versus environment in causing the major diseases of aging. It concluded that environment was far and away the major contributor. What you eat, what kinds of exercise you get, what pollutants you are exposed do make a difference. What are your risk factors? This is a good introduction to these next few items. I hope this information will help you to steer your life in a health way, avoiding unhealthy habits and manifesting vitality and energy.
There has been a lot of media coverage of adverse reactions to the many herbal supplements now on the market. It is important to realize that herbs can be very powerful and many important pharmaceuticals were originally synthesized from herbs. Just as prescription drugs can conflict, so too can herbs and prescription drugs. Here is a rundown of some adverse reactions to watch out for. Contraindications for herbal use:
NSAIDS: (Non-steriodal Anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g., Motrin, Ibuprofen, etc.) Avoid herbal medications that cause gastrointestinal upset or antiplatelet activity: Gossypol, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, Sanguinaria canadensis, Chamaelirium luteum, Schinus terebinthifolia, Coffea arabica, Schinus molle, Cola acuminata, Symplocarpus foetidus, Cola nitida, Trillium erectum, Quillaja saponaria.
MAOI antidepressants: Ginseng, yohimbine, ma huang (Ephedra), St. John wort, licorice, evening primrose oil, borage oil.
Tricyclic or SSRI antidepressants: Gingko, evening primrose oil, borage.
Methotrexate: Echinacea
Corticosteriods: Ginseng, Echinacea, Astragalus, licorice root, zinc.
Sedatives: Valerian, kava. (Reference: Miller LG. Herbal Medicinals: Clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions. Arch Intern Med 158:2200-221, 1998.)
Researchers from Stanford report a correlation between exposure to ordinary pesticides used around the home and development of Parkinson's disease. Over 1,000 people were questioned about pesticide use; half of these volunteers had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. The data suggests that household insecticides double a person's risk of coming down with the disorder. Herbicides were also implicated but in the Stanford study, gardening pesticides and fungicides did not seem to have much effect on the statistics. (Reported to a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego by Lorene Nelson of Stanford, May 5, 2000.)
COMMON HOME INSECTICIDE DURSBAN BANNED BY EPA
In a related development, the Environmental Protection Agency announced in June 2000 that the home insecticide Dursban has been deemed to be unsafe. It is so dangerous, particularly to children, that it is unsafe for most or all homes and gardens as well as some agricultural uses. Dursban is the trade name for chlorpyrifos, a group of chemicals called organophosphates that were developed by the German chemical giant I.G. Farben as nerve gases during World War II. It is used in many common household products from flea collars to roach spray and is also the number one insecticide used to kill termites. Among other names it is sold as a lawn care product Spectracide. Go through your home and get rid of this stuff. In order to dispose of these dangerous chemicals safely you need to contact the San Mateo County Hazardous Waste Program at 650-599-1600 or 599-7263. They will give you an appointment to deliver these and other substances like left over paint, cleaning products, etc. so they can be disposed of properly.
This seemingly harmless sugar substitute may be a big health issue. I have read several very alarming articles recently regarding Aspartame. Here are some exerpts from one of them: "The poison in Diet Coke is aspartame. As a member of the National Soft Drink Association, Coke opposed FDA approval of aspartame for beverages. Their objections, running to several pages published in the Congressional Record of 5/7/85, said aspartame is uniquely and inherently unstable and breaks down in the can. It decomposes into formaldehyde, methyl alcohol, formic acid, diketopiperazine and other toxins. In a study on 7 monkeys, 5 had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%. "So why is aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal/Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi/etc. on the market and in thousands of foods? Can you say CORRUPTION? One FDA Commissioner and one acting Commissioner have changed sides to work in the NutraSweet industry, plus 6 underlings and two federal attorneys assigned to prosecute NutraSweet for submitting fraudulent tests to get it approved. 'It's like a script for Abbott & Costello.' lamented an honest FDA scientist writing to Senator Metzenbaum. It works like this: 'Approve our poison, and when you stop being a bureaucrat we'll make you a plutocrat! After it's licensed we'll pay off the American Dietetics, the American Diabetes Association, the AMA and anyone we need who's for sale.'" Are these alarming comments about Aspartame true? I haven't independently verified the above information but it is serious enough that I would avoid Aspartame. Avoiding diet beverages is not a hardship. Frankly, many people drink entirely too many sodas, diet or not. Water or unadulterated fruit juice is better. Avoid the diet stuff, especially for kids. Until we determine the truth of these charges, it's just not worth the risk. Read on about some other hazards of soft drinks, especially for young girls.
SOFT DRINKS CAN DEPLETE CALCIUM IN BONES
Soft drinks are very high in the mineral phosphorus. A recently published study has found that high soft drink consumption among teenagers is resulting in calcium depletion and the beginning signs of osteoporosis. Young girls with osteoporosis! The reason this happens is that the body naturally balances the minerals in our bloodstream. If we consume too much of one mineral the body has to find minerals from somewhere else to maintain balance. Calcium and phosphorus levels are intimately related. High phosphorus consumption causes the body to take calcium out the bones to maintain a rough balance in our bloodstream. This cautionary tale is good transition to a discussion of water. As parents and role models we should encourage youngsters to quench their thirst with the most healthful liquid there is, water.
GIVING YOUR BODY ENOUGH WATER CAN CHANGE YOUR PHYSIOLOGY
We Americans drink far too much soda water and coffee and not nearly enough water. We really do need those 8 glasses of water nutrition experts tell us to drink. And the more soda and coffee we drink, the more water we need because these substances are diuretic (i.e., they stimulate our body to loose fluid). And please keep in mind this fact: If you wait until you are thirsty you are in water deficit. You must drink water throughout the day and not wait for thirst to tell you to drink. Yes I know you will have to go to the bathroom more often. That's just the way the body works! This will keep your body cleansed and make sure all your tissues have adequate fluid. The spine and joints especially need a lot of water because discs and ligaments must be soft and supple, they must have proper hydration. I have seen the damage to the spine in the form of thin discs and fused vertebrae in those people who have not drunk much water during their lives. It's critical to good health! Water can change your physiology if you drink the proper amount. If you haven’t drunk enough consistently for a few weeks, try it and you will be surprised how much better you will feel. Especially for those who want to loose weight, drinking enough water will make a huge difference. How much is enough? The proper amount of water is half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces per day. I now use a water filter rather than buying bottled water as I did years ago. It's a lot more convenient and less expensive. Perhaps more importantly, the water coming out of our tap is of higher quality than the bottled waters available, no matter the source. In the past several months there has been reports regarding the questionable quality of bottled waters. Many of them are merely filtered tap water anyway. You are paying a premium for uncertain quality. In contrast, our water on the Peninsula comes from the Yosemite watershed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is stored in Crystal Springs reservoir. It is tested frequently by our private vendor, the California Water Service Company that is regulated by the State. It is a more reliable source than bottled water. All you have to do is remove the "wrapper" it is delivered in, the chlorine added to prevent bacterial growth (which some bottled waters contain usually due to improper storage). I never drink chlorinated water and really believe it is harmful. I use a shower filter to prevent inhalation and skin absorption of chorine. Try a shower in chlorine-free water and you will not go back to a chlorinated shower (especially if you have delicate skin or hair). Wherever you get your water, filtered or from a high quality bottled source, drink plenty of it, cut back on soda, beer, coffee, etc. You will feel better and live longer! |