food for thought

[Guest guest]

This article was written by my friend Anna Bond.

Anna is the herbalist and nutritionist for " Organica "

magazine.

I do not share her enthousiasm for the macrobiotic

way of life, but the article below is good food

for thought.

 

Taking responsibility for your health

 

With degenerative disease rising all around us, we do well to look

with beginner's eyes and mind at what sustainable health involves.

 

In our times, we are called upon to be professionals in every arena

that impacts our lives and that means many dozens of arenas.

 

Behind and before the specific knowledge we need to have to preserve

our health, happiness and freedom is a simple belief and trust in our

human bodies. They are indeed our best doctors.

They tell us what we are designed to thrive on.

 

Just look at your teeth -- 20 molars for grinding cereal grain,

4 canines for tearing animal food, and 8 incisors for biting into

vegetables, beans, fruit, seeds and seaweed.

Look at your intestines, roughly 30 feet long, compared to a

those of a dog, clearly a carnivore, whose weight is the same

as yours but whose intestines are 5 feet long.

You don't need to be a medical doctor or to conceptualize

about what to eat any more.

 

Health is simple: keep your intestines, liver and blood clean.

Then your body will be able to self-heal, self-balance,

and self-structure. You will feel good, look good, and

wish to be physically active.

 

Disease, as our culture sees it, is a complex and formidable

enemy, whose very name we hardly dare utter.

People often whisper the c-word.

What kind of superstition is this?!

 

Do ponder these things and spread the word.

Consider the third largest killer in the U.S. today:

 

Iatrogenesis

 

According to Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary,

" Iatrogenesis is any adverse or physical condition induced

in a patient through the effects of treatment by a physician

or surgeon. "

 

According to many published sources, including

The Journal of the American Medical Association, some

225,000 U S Citizens die each year from iatrogenesis

conditions.

 

The breakdown is roughly as follows:

 

* 12,000 deaths from unnecessary surgery

* 27,000 deaths due to treatment errors in hospitals

* 80,000 deaths due to infections contracted in hospitals

* 106,000 deaths from adverse drug side effects from

physician prescribed drugs

 

 

After heart disease and cancer, prescription drugs are the

third largest killer ahead of all other diseases, accidents,

murder, and illegal drugs.

 

Questions:

 

* Where is the outrage?

* Why is there no publicity, or public outcry about iatrogenesis,

the third largest killer in the USA?

* Why do we allow Pharmaceutical companies to advertise

their drugs like candy on TV?

* Why is the FDA and the FTC doing their best to generally

discredit, and suppress, natural supplements, and other

alternative methods, many of us use to maintain and support good health?

* Why have supplement and vitamin sales skyrocketed in the past 6 years?

 

 

Protect yourself by becoming educated.

Ultimately, your health care is " Your " responsibility!

 

Hopefully, being aware of iatrogenesis will help you understand

there are some very serious potential dangers connected to taking

" Over the Counter " and " Prescription Drugs " - and some

" Supplements " . Perhaps knowing that iatrogenesis exists will motivate

you to take an active and educated role in researching all drugs

and supplements before using them.

 

If you, or some one you love, is about to start, or is taking, over the

counter and/or prescription drugs, please use the resources available

for education purposes.

 

Use the " Medline " section of the United States National Library of

Medicine's web site. This Government site will allow you to search

any drug by simply entering the drug's brand name or its generic

name in the " search box " .

 

Please pay particular attention to the side effects and the

interactions with other medications. You may need to research some

of the terms on the Internet.

Use it while it is still relatively free.

Say goodbye to ignorance. Knowledge is Power.

You may find that you'd rather take the natural healing course ...

 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html

 

Ien in the Kootenays

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Stop. Breathe. Smile!

~Padma ( my TV yoga teacher)

See my smiling face:

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