Today, the news out of VietNam couldn't be more predictable.? In a development health experts are calling alarming, (remember the key word is alarm)?two bird flu patients in Vietnam died after developing resistance to Tamiflu, the key drug that governments are stockpiling in case of a large-scale outbreak.? Wow, am I surprised.......(read past posts and remember that drugs are not always the answer)

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The "experts" said the deaths were disturbing because the two girls who died from H5N1 infection had received early and aggressive treatment with Tamiflu.??They received the recommended doses.? The new report suggests that the doses doctors now consider ideal may be too little (or maybe the wrong drug-oriented perspective).??Up till now, reports of resistance involved people who had taken the drug in low doses.? Inadequate doses of medicine may promote resistance by allowing viruses or bacteria to mutate and make a resurgence.? Should we trust medicine to make everything alright?? I think not.? My health, your health and the health of those we love needs to be the business of every thinking individual on the planet.? If drugs are the only answer we are in deep trouble.

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I need anti-nausea medication to even read the one-sided drug-centric alarmism that passes for scientific inquiry.? The reality is that there are multiple herbal treatments that are likely to be effective and the panic from the pharmaceutical pholks <sic>?is simply silly.? Mutation is yet to arise and if it does I promise you that there will be hoards of hoarders running to the health food store to take the limited doses of Lomatium?dissectum (herbal medicine) that has been shown to have immense impact on flu-like illnesses for over 100 years.? Just because it's old doesn't mean it's impotent!!!

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Lomatium dissectum has been shown to be effective against deadly flu strains in the past.? It is not specifically effective against H5N1 but was shown in the early 1900's to allow all those who took it to survive the "Spanish flu" epidemic.? I have a personal connection to this because both of my mother's grandparents died from the Spanish flu.??Take care of yourself and remember that the "system" has a vested interest in creating a panic and selling you whatever comes down the pike.? People don't create these problems, systems do.? Be part of a system that embraces the greatness of the individual and question the experts about their motivation.? Only you can prevent?flu-risk choirs.?(A cheesy take-off on the well-worn "Only you can prevent forest fires")? The news?will continue to seep into our consciousness if we allow it.? Let the "Good News" be your guide.? There is a solution greater than the sum of all your fears.? It includes trusting in God, taking great care of yourself and the ones around you.? Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec 19, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- University of Central Florida scientists say they've found a safe and effective method of producing large quantities of anthrax vaccine. The researchers say enough anthrax vaccine to inoculate everyone in the United States could be grown inexpensively and safely with only one acre of tobacco plants. Professor of Molecular Biology Henry Daniell led a study that involved mice immunized with a vaccine produced in Daniell's laboratory by genetically engineering tobacco plants.

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Oh my!? Could it be that there is an elegant and inexpensive solution to the fears of an entire nation in the tobacco plant (GASP!).? I can't stand having my patients smoking cigarettes.? Yet, they do.? I assist them to quit when they are ready.? I use acupuncture, medication, pleading, begging and when all else fails I actually pray for them (honestly, I pray for them every time).? I am excited to see Yankee ingenuity figuring out a "fix" against the onslaught of the unwashed violent maniacs called terrorists.? If we can use one acre of tobacco to immunize a nation against anthrax can you imagine what we could do with a Texas-sized ranch?? It boggles the mind.?

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Immunization as a mechanism for social control, corporate profit or medical hegemony (My idea is the only right one)?is unacceptable.? Safe practices of immunization to stimulate the immune system make perfect sense to me.? I like the idea of inhaled immunization products?(our immune system was created to respond to that kind of stimulus).? Flu vaccines make me a little bit uncomfortable unless they are absolutely?necessary.? The rest we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.? If we are threatened with anthrax I say let's cultivate a couple of acres of tobacco and hem the crop?in with netting to?prevent the spread of pollen to other crops.? I think we could afford it.?

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I like it when novel ideas produce positive results.? This is the kind of thing that should make news.? I'm looking forward to the day when we can create enough vaccine for the entire planet to thwart the enemies of freedom on just a few acres.? That day is almost here!

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Merry Christmas.?

A Chicago Tribune investigative series by reporters Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne this week found the FDA and the commercial fishing industry have done little to inform consumers--and?especially their?children--about dangerous levels of mercury found in all kinds of commonly consumed fish. (Swordfish, Orange roughy, Canned tuna, Walleye, Yellowfin tuna).

Since 1978 the FDA has tested only four walleye and 24 shrimp samples for mercury contamination. That's fewer fish than the Tribune tested in the last eight months for its investigation.? That's not necessarily because the problem hasn't been known.? The politics of discovering certain facts becomes a problem for?government agencies.? If you don't test, you can't find anything amiss.

This issue is so important because mercury can cause learning disabilities like autism in children.?Mercury can cause?fatigue, nausea, blurry vision, hair loss, tremors and numbness in hands and feet in adults as well.? If the toxicity was easily reversible it would be less of a worry, but the problem is difficult to fix once it's in place.? The recommendations I would make are as follows:

1. Don't eat large fish more than once or twice a week
2. Take chlorella, 5 capsules three times per day on days when eating fish
3. Have all mercury fillings evaluated by a biological dentist and prepare to have them replaced with composite (whilte fillings)

There is some concern that mercury and other heavy metal toxicity is at the heart of major neurologic degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and ALzheimer's Disease.? Taking care to detoxify heavy metals sounds like a good idea to me.? Avoiding them in the first place sounds even better.

A report for Alzheimer's Disease International, published in The Lancet, found a new case of dementia arising every seven seconds. It estimated 24.3 million people currently have dementia, with 4.6 million new cases being diagnosed each year as the population ages. By 2040 the number is predicted to have risen to 81.1 million. There's no question about it.? The need for taking great care of each and every brain cell can't be overstated.? I'm sure you've seen http://www.centeru.com/library/alzheimer.php?which is the short Alzheimer's Disease discussion at CenterU.? The best news is that we can control our own march into the future without having to worry about dementia.?

Some simple nutrients have been shown to protect the brain against degeneration.? Vitamins C and E were shown to decrease the dementia rate by over 75% when taken in moderate doses (about 500 mg. of C and 400 IU of E).? That's stunning and strong evidence that everyone should be on nutritional supplementation.? Check out www.betterbodybrightermind.com and customize your own plan.? With the key nutrients that are designed to preserve brain function you can even get better results.? Dementia?? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Fish oil in doses of two capsules per day (about 2 grams per day) have been shown to reduce the risk of death from heart disease in a recent study in Respiratory and Critical Care.? The study was done to figure out whether soy oil or fish oil helped to reduce the impact of air pollution on heart disease and death.? Soy oil didn?t help but fish oil made a big difference.? They think that the heart rate benefits made the big difference.? Fish oil does a whole lot of good things and I?m a big fan.? Some of the biggest benefits include:

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???? Improve blood circulation

???? Reduce?inflammatory activity

???? Boost mood

???? Reduce depression

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It seems that the idea of supplementation is growing in popularity every day in the medical press.? If you want to learn how to use supplements in a precise way to match your needs you owe it to yourself to check out www.betterbodybrightermind.com. ?It?s a great way to personalize a health improvement plan.

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Source reference:
Romieu I et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Prevents Heart Rate Variability Reductions Associated with Particulate Matter Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 172: 1534-1540.

The FDA warned that Paxil may cause heart defects in the children of moms who take it early in pregnancy.? (The precise reason that I like to use non-drug methods as first-line therapy for depression)? The news release from the FDA website is ample reason for limiting the use of "the latest" medication until much more rigorous testing is completed.? I especially question the wisdom of patients and doctors opting for chemical approaches when natural treatment can be effective in more than 50% of the cases.

FROM THE FDA WARNING http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01270.html:?

The Food and Drug Administration today is alerting health care professionals and patients about early results of new studies for Paxil (paroxetine) suggesting that the drug increases the risk for birth defects, particularly heart defects, when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy.? Paxil is approved for the treatment of depression and several other psychiatric disorders.? FDA is currently gathering additional data and waiting for the final results of the recent studies in order to better understand the higher risk for birth defects that has been seen with Paxil.

Our tool for evaluation of depression is a great place to start.? You can follow up with natural treatment recommended by your doctor or with the Better Body Brighter Mind System (www.betterbodybrightermind.com).? Some simple tools for depression include:

Nutritional Support

• Protein with every meal stabilizes blood sugar
• Artificial sweeteners
• Fish Oil (Omega-3) DHA and EPA 6-10 grams per day
• Sublingual or injection methyl B12
• St. John?s Wort 900 -1200 mg./day
• SamE 800-1600 mg./day
• 5-HTP (converts to L-tryptophan)
• Multivitamin

Exercise and dietary restriction of sugar and processed foods alone may make the difference.? No matter which course you choose make sure you're working with a doctor who understands the value of non-drug treatment options.? They really do work.? If you have questions about whether or not you may be depressed, try the free depression assessment tool at http://www.centeru.com/tools/depression/depression.php.

A study from the Lancet from December 10th revealed that of 7600 people studied all benefited from taking their prescribed treatment.? There's no big surprise there, eh?? The power of the study is in the finding that the group given "dummy pills" with no active ingredient got the same benefit as the ones who took a powerful drug (Atacand).? The result was that the rate of death from any cause decreased by approximately 10%.? That's amazing!? This suggests many things:

1. A doctor can create powerful forces for positive change
2. The mind has a pretty amazing pharmacy at its disposal
3. Intention has a power of its own
4. By properly using the "placebo effect" lives can be saved
5. Low toxicity treatments create an opportunity to heal regardless of active ingredients (with much lower risk)?

I believe that physicians directing care should always seek the least toxic method that creates a benefit.? After that the relationship between the doctor and his patient has to be nurtured so that an appropriate level of trust can be developed.??Through motivating and inspiring by example there is opportunity to create healing and subsequent life extension.? The traditional medical press?are embracing the notion that the folks who took the placebo regularly probably took their other drugs and treatment more faithfully and thus received the benefit.? I beg to differ.

Modern medical science has radically demoted the patient to bystander status.? Active participation must be actively encouraged.? The full effort of the entire medical community should be focused at a much wider target.? The patient knows best what they are experiencing and what gives them a sense of peace about their lives and their care.? These differences in experience are as varied as people themselves.? The effort to homogenize the entire population for political purposes or simply to commoditize the provision of health care is entirely counterproductive to the process of personalized health enhancement.? So many different systems are involved in the generation of symptoms that it is nearly impossible to apply a "magic bullet" treatment and expect to get a return to health.? The "magic bullet" is a single treatment (like antibiotics for pneumonia) that kills the seed of disease.? Though profitable to manufacture, medications are of much less value in generating health.? A comprehensive integrated approach that includes:

1. Personalized Eating Plan
2. Precise supplementation to address deficiency and enhance functional deficits
3. Enjoyable exercise
4. Emotional and behavioral health enhancement
5. Stress Reduction

If you're having trouble getting started on a program that is personalized for you I recommend the Better Body Brighter Mind System.? It can be found at www.betterbodybrightermind.com.? I use it for every new patient in my practice.? It helps me keep track of all of the possible problems that could be causing symptoms.? You can take it to your own doctor and use the doctor's notes section to guide the visit.? Doctors who are interested in nutrition and holistic health find it very valuable.

Whatever you decide to do I recommend that you do something to improve your health every day.? Start by eating better quality food or taking a few extra steps on your way to work.? This study reminds me that your body has an amazing ability to heal itself.?

It's unbelievable but true! An Israeli psychologist is teaming up with the phone industry to provide infrared imaging systems that piggyback onto cell phones to evaluate breast tissue for cancer.? If I didn't know how good infrared imaging is for screening I would think this was a hoax.? This is really great news for the people who want to take charge of their own health.? Self-care is rapidly becoming a reality through technology that is inexpensive and readily available.? You've got to read this to believe it!???

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Dr Nitzan Yaniv, an Israeli psychologist has reportedly developed a radical new technology which would enable an ordinary mobile phone to diagnose breast cancer and various type of heart disease. By installing new software and adding a basic infrared camera, a mobile phone could be transformed into a highly-effective diagnostic tool, offering far more accurate results than the self-checks many women do themselves, the Haaretz daily reported.?The scan could be immediately transferred to a medical laboratory where further tests could be ordered if necessary.

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The infrared camera uses two techniques, both of which have proven effective in diagnosing breast cancer: one analyzes temperature differences in different parts of the breast, while the other analyses oxygen flow to areas of the breast.? There are centers throughout the world that already use digital thermography to study all sorts of disease processes.

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I'm?really thrilled to see tools like this in the hands of regular people.? Because of expense or fear of the medical system people often shy away from having necessary screening.? Infrared imaging is totally safe and now may be accessible to the average person.? Our website at www.centeru.com is designed to put individuals in charge of their health.? This is one more step on the journey to health freedom.

If you really want to lose weight and keep it off, buy some small paper plates and try?this simple?experiment.? By using smaller plates and smaller portions the brain is tricked into believing that it has had a complete meal.? The effect is maintained permanently, as long as smaller plates are used.? A recent study at the University of Pennsylvania made the point using foods I might never think of using!

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Researchers, led by Penn psychology professor Paul Rozin, tested the effect of providing smaller and larger portions at to see how it changed the number of calories consumed. Would they eat more of the smaller treats and fewer of the larger ones?? No matter what size treat was offered -- a small Tootsie Roll or one four times larger, a whole pretzel or half a pretzel, one small scoop of M&M's or a large scoop -- they ate just one, even when they were encouraged to consume more. So those who were offered larger servings of treats ate more than those offered smaller portions.

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The findings "suggest that people see food as [discrete] 'units,' " says Andrew B. Geier, a doctoral student in experimental psychology and co-author of the study, which is slated to be published in the journal Psychological Science. "Whether you give them a six-inch sub or a nine-inch sub, a small plate or a large plate of food, one small scoop of M&M's or one large scoop, these 'units' are governing intake control of food.

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This isn't fancy psychology or hard to figure out.? The holidays are upon us and we can put this advice into motion right away.? I recommend paper plates so you can try this out without spending a fortune on plates you won't ever use again.? I know this works because we use it in our home all the time.? More tips will be coming over the rest of the Christmas season.? This Christmas let's make sure Santa's the only one eating too many cookies!!!

Coke and Pepsi are soon to feel the sting of a series of lawsuits that are intended to reduce their influence in schools and public venues throughout the United States.??Stephen Gardner, staff lawyer for the Center for Science in the Public Interest sites soaring obesity rates among children,?arguing that soda and other sugary beverages are harmful to students' health and that selling those drinks in schools sends a message that their regular consumption is perfectly fine.

In a lawsuit they plan to file in the next few months, Mr. Gardner and half a dozen other lawyers who have made some spare change in tobacco litigation, will seek to ban sales of sugary beverages in schools.? The lawsuit is to be filed in Massachusetts where some of the lawyers are based, and will name Coca-Cola,?Pepsi and their local bottlers, the lawyers say. They hope to succeed here and ply their trade throughout the rest of the U.S.? Interestingly, in December 1773 the people of Boston symbolically threw off the shackles of the British Empire by dumping tea in their harbor.? The?patriots?dressed up as native Americans and "raided" the ships because they didn't like the idea of a tax being rammed down their throat by King George.? I love it when history repeats itself!

Back at the home front we rarely keep soft drinks around.? I don't believe they are the "Great Satan" but am convinced that they are definitely harmful to the immune system and increase diabetic tendencies.? The soft drink industry has begun to use high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in most products because it is inexpensive and really sweet.? The kicker is that HFCS produces no feedback to tell you to stop eating and drinking.? In other words the normal signals that tell you to stop eating are shut off by the consumption of HFCS.? The liver may also be adversely affected by HFCS because of the way it must be digested.? The best advice I can give you about soft drinks is:

1. Don't keep them in your home
2. Don't let your kids have them as a drink with meals
3. Try to find drinks that are sweetened without sugar or HFCS
4. Learn to enjoy less sweet beverages (your tastebuds will adapt)
5. Water is the best sport drink and thirst quencher
6. Don't go overboard and freak out if your kids drink a Coke at a birthday party or other function....... they'll live!

I'm disappointed that the legal profession has to be so involved in every part of our life.? If we would use our power as consumers and parents to limit the consumption of low-quality high calorie foods we'd be much better off.? When every person accepts responsibility for their health our whole society will benefit.? Medications are only band-aids to cover the ill-effects of poor food choices in most cases.? The medical profession needs to transfer most of the responsibility for health to the consumer.? This has to happen "on-purpose."? Patients need to become health advocates and eventually savvy consumers with the help of the medical profession.? We can't continue to use medication as a substitute for personal responsibility or we'll be in "deep weeds", as they say in Texas!

Step one........ dump the Coke in the Boston Harbor?? That sure sounds familiar!