I found this in a recent article in the British Evening Standard

including this reference to an interview with Hilary Swank.  She's been
a winner in many ways besides her Oscar award.  In an interview with a
reporter from the "W" magazine, Miss Swank, 33, talked through the
array of pills she takes on a daily basis.  She explained: "This is my
Aloe C, which I dissolve in water.  Here's my flax. This one's for my
immune system, and this one is my BrainWave - it's great, like if I
have a lot of lines to memorize."  She added: "I just took my most
important ones, which are my Oz Garcia Longevity Pak. "I shoved them in my mouth right before I met you, which I actually shouldn't do, because I choked on my vitamins once before."

Vitamin D has become the “rock-star” of recent health research
showing reduction in cancer, bone and joint disease and all sorts of
serious medical problems.  The only legitimate concern revolves around
the possibility of toxicity (extremely rare) and the best method for
increasing healthy levels.  In the same news flash that shows the
powerful contribution of vitamin D against osteoporosis there is a
warning that the drugs (biphosphonates) for osteoporosis triple the
rate of hip bone death in the socket (avascular necrosis).  It is
heart-warming to know that I have been counseling my patients to trust
their instinct when it comes to taking drugs for “prevention” unless
there is no other option.  Bone, skin, immune systems and total health
require balanced vitamin and mineral levels.  Vitamin D is officially
“Major League!”

Apparently Dr. Robert Atkins was wise to conclude that high-protein dieting was a key to sustained weight loss.  Researchers have concluded
that protein suppresses hunger much better than carbohydrates or fats
through a hormonal appetite pathway.  Ghrelin and Acyl-Ghrelin are the
two hormones that cause hunger.  Meals high in protein suppress the
production of the ghrelins.  The concept of controlling hunger through
eating food rather than avoiding food got a big boost today.  The
Ghrelin “Gremlin” stirs up hunger and can be defeated by regular
protein consumption.  Carbohydrate IS a problem and fats have their
proper role in a weight loss program -  but only under specific
circumstances. 

Nearly every day medical journals report on the emerging
importance of “patient-centered care.”
In fact, the Journal of General Internal Medicine published an article
that promised a new vision for health care that centered on the patient by the
year 2020. The article went on to say,
“Seven attributes of patient-centered primary care are proposed here to improve
this dimension of care: access to care, patient engagement in care,
information systems, care coordination, integrated and comprehensive team
care, patient-centered care surveys, and publicly available information.” We’ve been working for years to improve the
way we take care of patients along that exact line.

The American Journal of Psychiatry published a couple of papers last
month that showed people with schizophrenia had a much higher
likelihood of infection with a parasite.  In fact, the parasite
(Toxoplasma gondii) can come from farm animals or cats.  This strongly
supports my theory that it takes a special kind of person to be a
cat-lover!  In the past scientists knew that parasites liked to grow in
the brain but just didn't recognize the connection between major
psychiatric disease and infections. 

A simple herbal treatment
with Artemesinin (Wormwood for all you Bible fans) can completely
eradicate the infection and is currently being studied in China to
treat schizophrenia.  Add this to last month's news that over 10% of
poor children with seizures had brain parasites and I think it's hard
to miss the connection.  If your immune system is weak or you have an
infection, you may just lose your mind!

It has long been a part of medical tradition to give the patient any possible bad news as soon as the opportunity arises.  I think this needs to be balanced with giving the patient every bit of evidence of good news as well.  When a patient arrives at my office with a "tummy ache" I can warn them of the possibility of cancer, dissecting aortic aneurysm and every other possible scary diagnosis.  I could also skirt my responsibility by saying "It's probably nothing."  Both approaches are weak medicine.  There is a better way to approach a patient that is infinitely more satisfying to both the doctor and the one who seeks their assistance.  I call it "Speaking Life."

It comes as no surprise to me that Swiss researchers found that quitting smoking was much easier for people who almost died of a heart attack but they did even better with a month-long program. Follow-up seems like a pretty lame intervention when dealing with adults until the data is considered. People really do better when someone else is looking over their shoulder. This is really about community. When other people are in the fight with you, it's much more likely you'll be happy and successful. I can see patients as part of my family and a community or as distant "consumers." The community orinetation yields greater rewards for everyone involved.

The British Medical Journal just released a study yesterday that showed acupuncture improves the rate of in-vitro fertilization. I've been using acupuncture in my practice to support hormonal treatments for years and have always thoughht that the high rate of pregnancies we see in our practice are a result of truly integrated medicine. Working with fertility specialists and maintaining an excellent health status for women makes much better sense than just "drugging and hoping!" I've seen the heartache that infertility creates and I love seeing the babies who cure the "ache." The acupuncture treatments that target the adrenal and other hormonal systems seem to be the most effective. In this study they actually did acupuncture while they were transferring the embryo. That's what I call putting it all together!

From the spotlight to the depths of depression, Mr. Ledger is a sad victim of a medical system that can't care, but only treat symptoms.  Though Health Ledger apparently had friends and people who cared for him he fell into the hands of a medical system gone mad with drugging instead of healing.  Though he may have had access to excellent counseling and all the financial capability necessary he still died from the prescription medication that was supposed to help him.  I'm not opposed to all medication.  I'm just opposed to a systematic reliance on drug therapy instead of identifying the roots of illness and addressing them.  Certainly Mr. Ledger could have afforded nearly any treatment in the world.  Regardless of his fame and financial status he became trapped in the treatment for his anguish.

In a recent essay by a distinguished statistics expert at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer center the true nature of Cancer research was exposed.  In the exhausting fight against cancer there ought to be no limitations on the victims' access to treatment or information that may give them a chance at getting out of the trenches.  Battle-weary patients and their families continue to seek ways that they can beat the odds and be "cured" from malignancy.  Unfortunately, the cancer industry hasn't seen fit to make information from studies available to the public.  Instead of the obviously altruistic sharing of data that might save a few from the gaping maw of cancer, researchers have concocted lame excuse after fractured conclusion to deny access to potentially life-saving truth.  The trials on drugs, outcomes and patient experiences have been intentionally squelched for reasons that can only be defined as "self-seeking."  When money, prestige and position become more important than human lives there's only one profession that comes to mind.  It's not cancer research.

Researchers in Tel Aviv have discovered that cranberry juice can do a lot more than prevent urinary tract infections.  It has a compound that is called "non-dialyzable material (NDM)."  This NDM makes a slick "teflon-like" coating on cells so that bacteria can't hang on and create infection.  Since we've discovered that h. Pylori causes some stomach ulcers, heart disease and who knows what else, it makes sense to start drinking that tart little berry's juice.  But wait, what about all those high-priced juices from around the world like Acai and Noni?  Ah, that's a good question!  Do these juices have great benefits?  You bet they do.  Are they worth the premium price?  I don't think they necessarily warrant spending 20 times their wholesale cost.

There has been an amazing success story built around the fruit juice business over the past few years.  Products from all over the world are bottled in expensive-looking containers and promoted as the next great "cure-all."  It's not that they're not great, it's just that it requires a huge mark-up to get them to market.  That's why you see these fruit juice mixes at Costco for a fraction of the price of the original product.  They are essentially the same thing as the heavily marketed multilevel product, but the "secret process" for extracting the juice isn't the selling point.  I think cold-pressing (low heat and NO chemicals) is the optimal way to extract juice from anything.  There are special methods that could possibly improve freshness or purity to some degree but I don' think it would ever warrant spending many times as much for the same product.  Your body's just too good at working with raw materials.

I bring up the cranberry juice research because tart cherries are great against arthritis (I think they fight infection in the joints).  Grape juice helps fight heart disease.  Orange juice reduces viral infections.  I could go on but I think you get the idea.  We don;'t need an exotic juide from deep in the darkest jungles to get a benefit.  We need whole foods in abundance and a clear focus on the power of God's creation in making health a reality.  Exotic products are wonderful as a novelty, but I'll take a good cold glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice to support my immune system anyday.  Don't fall for the pitch that "This is the only juice that has such an amazing anti-oxidant profile."  It's just a way to get you to part with your money wihtout any great difference in outcomes.  Look for fresh juices in your favorite flavors. Fresh-squeezed, expeller-pressed or blended into a smoothie............. you can't go wrong when you stick with God's cocktail selections!

The latest greatest study in the Journal of Pediatrics concludes that thyroid problems don't siginificantly contribute to weight problems.  WHAT?  That's the conclusion the authors came to when they treated kids with the least effective thyroid treatment available (levothyroxine).  Not only did they use the thyroid least likely to produce results, they didn't use anything but the TSH level to determine the effect of their care.  THe TSH level is useful in some cases to follow the course of treatment but always needs to be seen with the free T3 and free T4 components in the blood as well.  The TSH can be completely "out-of-whack" if the brain is not optimally functioning and can be very misleading in terms of creating a normal thyroid state.  If the researchers had used the TSH, free T3 and free T4 they would have had a more reliable method for deciding whether or not the thyroid treatment had a beneficial effect.  I have to suppose they are heading down this path because it's what they've always done.

The poor kids haven't gotten the benefit they could have if they were taking amixed natural thyroid like Westhroid or Armour. The only conclusion I can make is that levothyroxine doesn't benefit kids just like it doesn;t benefit adults.  I could've saved them a couple of bucks had they asked.  Bad science is just a bummer!

I just finished speaking with my office staff about a phone call with a mom whose little boy is recovering from autistic spectrum problems.  She told my staff that she has been looking for 4 years for someone to talk with about "eliminating the causes of autism."  The problem she has faced is that the medical professionals she has spoken to are all cut from the same traditional cloth (probably the same kind that goes into manufacturing white coats).  She has been told that all of her efforts to improve her child's nutrition are worthless.  When she asked a recent "new doctor" what she should plan on, he said "There's a list of special homes at the reception desk that may be good resources."  That makes me sick to my stomach!

The research on autism isn't complete but the fact that autism is treatable has been thoroughly developed.  The DAN (Defeat Autism Now) protocol has helped thousands of children to recover some or all of their capabilities to lead healthy and meaningful lives - even when they started out profoundly autistic!  It just doesn't make any sense that doctors can't consider something as simple as detoxification and nutrition as a small portion of therapy.  This is especially frustrating when the outcomes can be so profound and the risks are so miniscule.

Traditional medical care has little to offer the autistic child (and his/her heartbroken parents) except more immunizations and antibiotics that may actually be contributing to the problem in these particular little people.  When parents become better able to heal their children than the doctors who serve them there is little doubt that the medical profession is getting what it richly deserves as the profitability of medicine dissipates like morning mist.  It's hard enough to have an autistic child without having to hear ignorant and poorly-informed practitioners drone on about futility and hopelessness.  There is hope.  It looks an awful lot like conscientious parenting and doctoring.  That may be why it's so hard to come by. 

Autism is hard enough already.  If the DAN protocol helps some children, just imagine what we could do if ALL doctors acknowledged that God made us to receive miracles and be healed from every illness (including cancer, AIDS and autism).  There is always hope.  Sometimes the odds of a miracle are greatly increased by excellent parenting.  Sometimes the odds are improved by excellent eating and exercise.  In almost every situation I have ever seen, HOPE makes the difference between hearty success and stumbling, grueling, painful defeat.  Never settle for less than complete victory in every area of health.  Never settle for less.

Scientists (so-called) from the University of Texas came out with a brilliant discovery regarding the shape of a woman's lumbar vertebrae.  They concluded that evolution had "engineered" a wonderful solution to the pregnancy problem. 

"It's absolutely beautiful," she said. "A little bit of tinkering can have a profound effect."  Instead of concluding that an intelligent designer made this subtle accomodation in the woman's structure they concluded that evolution "figured it out."  That would suggest intelligence, not random chance as is assumed in evolution.

The back changes appear to have
evolved to overcome the cost of walking on two feet, said Harvard
anthropology professor Daniel Lieberman.  Wow!  A Harvard man concluding that the "changes occurred to overcome the cost of walking on two feet."  That just sounds stupid to me.  Couldn't my hypothesis be jst as reasonable?  Could God have designed women to carry children and made them different from men?  Of course!  Every bit of scientific design theory needs to be reconsidered through the lens of this kind of foolish unscientific conclusion.  Even the word "engineering" carries with it the suggestion of intelligent design, yet a scientist is robbed of his career if he dare mention it in an academic setting.  Now that's clearly evolutionary change that is pure regression!

The thinly veiled attempt to bring all of our economy under the control of the government is becoming increasingly obvious to even the most casual observer.  I can't help but be grateful for President Bush standing his ground like a true conservative when it comes to this ridiculous expansion of Medicare.  Medicare stinks to high heaven already as the festering rot of the concept permeates every level of health care.  Instead of guaranteeing the health and welfare of our great nation's elderly, it is driving doctors away from medicine almost as rapidly as malpractice lawyers.  If SCHIP didn't have the "children" bait in the name it would be a good skit for Jay Leno.  The only problem with it is that.......... it ain't funny!

If we lose any more incentive for doctors to practice medicine in excellence we are going to have a two-tier system that will provide minimal defensive medicine to the average "Joe" who isn't in the top echelon of the wealthy.  By that I mean compassion and tenderness will be fully absent from care.  Picture the post office at closing time on Christmas weekend and you rushing to the door to drop off a last minute package as the clerk turns away to ignore your urgent pleas.  Less government is good medicine!!!