Category Archives: health care

The Power of Food Choices

Posted on July 13, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Food Inc. is a documentary of what is becoming its own genre, that of simply awakening the American public to the politics, economics, environmental and of course health implications of food. Similar movies also worth viewing include “King Corn“, and Super Size Me. Another independent movie, The Corporation, uses the DSM classification of sociopath as a way to make sense of the way huge corporate conglomerates operate. Insensitive, selfish and even brute behavior is the path some of these big businesses take and that is dangerous enough, but when they feed our nation it is not a small leap to see why “food” is about shelf life and profits vs. nutrition and well-being.

Is there an ever growing hubris in the world of agribusiness? The, “we are the experts, just trust us” is not sufficient, as the decisions made have far reaching effects. We, the public, the consumer need to assume a relationship with our food, beyond just buying it and eating it.

Whether you are a vegan, omnivore, meat-eater or any mix there of, food as we all know is essential to life. Food, Inc. discusses how we, the public and even the government have seemingly lost control of how our food comes to market. A few scenes display (not too graphically) what happens with the animals and the lack of care they receive in some cases. But please don’t let that stop you from seeing this movie! The old adage that “truth is stranger than fiction”, may come to mind during the watching of this flick.

Again, one of the key truths this movie highlights is the importance of food. We cannot underestimate the impact of food safety. Simply good, healthy food is essential to health. Our health as individuals, the planet, the animals, water, etc. depend on us caring about the earth’s resources. The diabetes epidemic can be reversed, our hearts can be healthier, public health can improve. When we understand that we have always had the power and simply start to make choices that take into account our generation and generations to come, improvement will come.

Posted in diabetes, diet, environment, food, Health, health care, healthy eating, meat, nutrition

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Fish in U.S. Rivers Tainted With Common Medications

Posted on March 31, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Do you eat fish as a means to a healthy diet? Well, er before you take out that fishing rod, or purchase that package of fish you may want to check out where that fish swam. Turns out waste from the many medications in use by the American populace is ending up as effluent in the river. Does any one feel for the fish?

Federal standards for treating waste water do not govern pharmaceutical by products. Read the article here.

The medications and chemicals found from among the 36 tested for were, aside from diphenhydramine:

* the cholesterol drug gemfibrozil (Lopid), which researchers say had never before been found in wild fish;
* diltiazem (Cardizem), a medication that helps control high blood pressure;
* carbamazepine (Tegretol), a drug used for epilepsy and bipolar disorder;
* norfluoxetine, an active ingredient in the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac);
* the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft);
* galaxolide and tonalide, common odor-enhancing ingredients in soap and other hygiene products.
Years ago, actually decades, the problem was mercury in the water…and I don’t think that ever went away, now add this.

Another reason to heal thyself.

Posted in environment, healing, Health, health care, healthy body, healthy eating, self-care, self-healing, Western diet, women, women's health

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Enter the “Polypill” to reduce heart problems, hbp and stroke

Posted on March 30, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

The “miracle” of modern medicine has led to bizarre side effects such as a treatment for restless legs, that has caused compulsive gambling. A medicine for Parkinson’s has a similar problem for some. Sleep drugs that cause people to stumble out of their home and drive. Fertility drugs that lead to multiple births. Hallucinations are a “rare” side effect of some ADHD medications. These are the considered a-typical, but the typical side effects are no fun either.

Help for High Blood Pressure

Enter the Polypill.  Researchers want to create a pill a 3 in one that can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure in one.  article here
Truth is it has been created or should I say they have been. When we eat whole foods, contained therein is a synergistic blend of vitamins, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, solar and lunar energy and maybe even (hopefully) love from the gardener. We cannot get this from a pill.

Run This Way

Instead of running from nature, run to nature. Nurture yourself with learning how to live in balance. It’s free. It’s the healthiest choice for yourself and the planet. Give it a try. Polypill? Try basking in the sun, or hugging a dear friend, cook yourself a meal with a big dose of love in it…you’ll be glad you did, for benefits no Polypill could ever provide.

At Continuum Wellness we offer homeopathic care and wellness coaching to promote wholeness, health and well-being.

Posted in adverse events, alternative medicine, baby boomers, behavior, cholesterol, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, health benefits of food, health care, healthy body, healthy eating, healthy mind, heart, heart attack, holistic, holistic medicine, integrative medicine, kindness, medications, medicine, men, prescription drugs, self-care, self-healing, thoughts, tips, wellness, Western diet, women, women's health

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Fructose versus High Fructose Corn Syrup

Posted on March 11, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

The article below is by the American Journal of Nutrition, odd that a nutritional organization would endorse high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  Does HFCS cause obesity?  Overeating leads to obesity.  The real question is the nutritive content of what we are ingesting, or lack thereof.

What we eat is what makes up our hair, skin, every cell of the body and influences our very thoughts.  The article is written by a trade group and goes as far to consider HFCS.  It goes as far to say it is a “natural” product.  A total corruption of the concept and meaning of the word natural.  HFCS is a highly refined product.  It is not a naturally occuring substance and it use is implicated as causative in a number of degenerative, chronic health conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.

This kind of article seriously reduced the credibility of the Nutrition Journal, imho.

Pure fructose frequently confused with high fructose corn syrup

New studies, ongoing misunderstanding can lead to consumer confusion

WASHINGTON, DC – As researchers continue to examine the role of sweeteners in the diet, it’s important that people understand the differences among various ingredients used in scientific studies, according to the Corn Refiners Association (CRA). Interchanging two distinctly different ingredients, such as pure fructose and high fructose corn syrup, creates factually incorrect conclusions and misleads consumers.

Recent studies using pure fructose that purport to show that the body processes high fructose corn syrup differently than other sugars due to fructose content are a classic example of this problem because pure fructose cannot be extrapolated to high fructose corn syrup. The abnormally high levels of pure fructose used in these studies are not found in the human diet.

Fructose consumption at normal human dietary levels and as part of a balanced diet has not been shown to yield such results. Moreover, human fructose intake is nearly always accompanied by the simultaneous and equivalent intake of glucose – a critical and distinguishing factor from pure fructose used in these studies.

Following are some facts about high fructose corn syrup and fructose:

* High fructose corn syrup contains approximately equal ratios of fructose and glucose. Table sugar also contains equal ratios of fructose and glucose. High fructose corn syrup and sugar are equally sweet and both contain four calories per gram.

* Fructose is a natural, simple sugar commonly found in fruits and honey. The absence of glucose makes pure fructose fundamentally different from high fructose corn syrup.

* Common dietary sources of fructose and glucose include fruits, vegetables, nuts and sweeteners (sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates and agave nectar).

* There is no meaningful difference in how the body metabolizes table sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Once the combination of glucose and fructose found in high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are absorbed into the blood stream, the two types of sweetener appear to be metabolized similarly using well-characterized metabolic pathways.

* High fructose corn syrup meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for use of the term “natural.” It is made from corn, a natural grain product and contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives.

The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest a common misunderstanding about high fructose corn syrup and obesity, stating that “high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.” Even former critics of high fructose corn syrup dispelled long-held myths and distanced themselves from earlier speculation about the sweetener’s link to obesity in a comprehensive scientific review published in a recent supplement of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008 Vol. 88).

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Learn more about the latest research and facts about sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrup, by visiting www.SweetSurprise.com.

Editor’s Note: Interviews available with health and industry experts available.

CRA is the national trade association representing the corn refining (wet milling) industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, ethanol, starch, bioproducts, corn oil, and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein, and fiber.

Posted in diabetes, diet, food, Health, health benefits of food, health care, healthy body, nutrition, self-care, wellness, Western diet, women, women's health

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Reversing Diabetes – Raw for 30 Days

Posted on March 11, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Diabetes is considered irreversible by conventional medical authorities, yet if you review the literature of various holistic therapies such as homeopathic and various diet therapies it has been done. The first key is the desire to want to heal the diabetic condition and its causes. If you only want to “manage” it, over time its disastrous consequences will most likely manifest.

Reversing diabetes requires professional guidance and a compassionate doctor who will work you. Here is a clip of some folks who found help by using a raw food approach.

Posted in African American, alternative medicine, diabetes, diet, food, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, health benefits of food, health care, healthy body, healthy eating, integrative medicine, men, self-healing, Western diet, women, women's health

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Women’s Health Week

Posted on March 10, 2009 by continuum wellness| 2 Comments

Not only will tulips and cherry blossoms be in bloom in May, throughout the country Women’s Health programs will be in full force. The week of May 10 – 16 2009, is National Women’s Health Week. Check this site to see what is going on in your state. Many programs are free or low cost. Click here.

The site also allows you to post a link to your event supporting Women’s Health Week.

Posted in family, Health, health care, women, women's health

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Why you should read the drug package inserts

Posted on March 4, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

If for some reason you need to take pharmaceutical drugs, protect yourself and loved ones by reading the package inserts. According to this research adverse drug events happen to the the tune of $3.5 billion dollars, and those are the reported incidents.

The new Food and Drug Administration drug package insert: implications for patient safety and clinical care.

Watson KT, Barash PG.
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8051, USA.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the scientific, regulatory, and public health agency that regulates many products, including food products, drugs, medical devices, radiation emitting devices, and cosmetics for the federal government of the United States. The FDA’s mission is to assure that consumer products made and sold in the United States are safe, effective, and pure. The purpose of the package insert (also known as prescription drug product insert or professional labeling) is to provide detailed drug information compiled and distributed by the drug manufacturer, after FDA review and approval.

In 2006, the standard format for the package insert was changed in an attempt to make it more user-friendly and a more efficient resource tool for practitioners.

According to the Institute of Medicine, in-hospital adverse drug reactions occur at a rate of 400,000 per year and incur $3.5 billion of extra hospital expense. It is expected that the new package insert format will enhance rapid access to important pharmacologic information and improve patient safety by decreasing medication errors.

Posted in children, drugs, family, FDA, girls, Health, health care, medications, medicine, prescription drugs, women, women's health

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Homeopathy and Acupuncture Beneficial

Posted on February 18, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Homeopathy, acupuncture and reflexology are among a range of complementary and alternative therapies a new trial concludes should be provided on the NHS.

The major new Government-funded study found there would be a range of benefits to patients in providing access to complementary and alternative medicine, and that the treatments could even save the health service money.

As many as 81% of patients receiving the treatments on referral from their GP reported improvements in their physical health, and 79% in their mental health. (article continues, here)

Key Findings
• 81% of patients reported improvement in their physical health, 79% in their mental health.
• 84% of patients directly linked improvements in their health and wellbeing to the complementary treatment.
• 62% of patients were suffering less pain, with 55% said they had been able to reduce their use of painkillers.
• 64% of patients in employment said they took less time off work after treatment.
• Half of GPs reported prescribing less medication for chronic or acute patients during the trial.
• In 65% of cases, GPs reported a health improvement.

Source: Evaluation of Government-funded pilot project in Northern Ireland, carried out by Social & Market Research (SMR)

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, health care, healthy mind, holistic medicine, Homeopathy, integrative medicine

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Reflexology Feels Good

Posted on February 10, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

I thought I’d share just how wonderful my feet feel! Yes, I give reflexology sessions, and I appreciate that people enjoy our sessions together and experience relief and healing. Well, I love when I can get a session in too. Many of the areas of the foot you can reach on your own foot, but it is not the same as you relaxing…and receiving. Also doing your own foot still leaves much to be desired regarding technique.

Benefits of Reflexology
Have you tried reflexology? I’m fortunate to trade sessions with another reflexologist, yea! But who is rubbing your feet? Foot reflexology offers an easy way to treat the whole body/mind. It is relaxing, boosts your circulation, immunity, helps you to detox and get in touch with your own body.

It is amazing how easy it is to ignore one’s own body. The standard protocol of if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, doesn’t tell the whole story when applied to the body. For example many deep seated illnesses have very few symptoms, there are symptoms, but they are subtle. If we ignore our internal energy systems, we increase the chance for a more serious breakdown to occur. To make a difference take a break, listen to your body. Learn the art of wise self-care. Prevention is worth a pound of cure…and then some.

Posted in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, health care, healthy body, mind and body, reflexology, relaxation, self-care, self-healing, thoughts, women, women's health

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Hi Tech Blood Pressure Measurement

Posted on January 26, 2009 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

Is this enough to motivate one to take care and to work toward healing? You can heal yourself. One can have normal blood pressure.
What is your view of health? Has it come to this where you have to implant a device into your tissues to monitor your blood pressure? Instead of chipping people isn’t the purpose of medicine to foster and promote healing? Read the article below.

Sensor in artery measures blood pressure

A 1 millimeter-wide blood-pressure sensor inserted directly into the femoral artery in the groin has been developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems.

It provides remote monitoring by a doctor, replacing a burdensome inflatable sleeve on the patient’s arm.
“The sensor, which has a diameter of about one millimeter including its casing, measures the patient’s blood pressure 30 times per second. It is connected via a flexible micro-cable to a transponder unit, which is likewise implanted in the groin under the skin. This unit digitizes and encodes the data coming from the micro-sensor and transmits them to an external reading device that patients can wear like a cell phone on their belt. From there, the readings can be forwarded to a monitoring station and analyzed by the doctor.” Because the researchers use special components in CMOS technology, the system requires little energy. The micro-implants can be supplied with electricity wirelessly via coils.

Implantable pressure sensors are also suitable for other applications, such as monitoring patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency. The researchers are currently performing the first clinical trials.”

Posted in culture, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health care, healthy body, heart, medical devices, self-healing, wellness

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