Shrinks are Shrinking! - There is a better way!

Do you ever wonder if insurance company executives and drug company executives get together late at night and dream up ways to milk us for every dime we're worth?

I don't wear a tinfoil hat and I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'm convinced that they're in cahoots.

Exhibit A...

A recent New York Times article tells the tale of Dr. Donald Levin, an old-school "talk therapy" psychiatrist who's nearing retirement.

There was a time when Dr. Levin's session with a patient ran 45 minutes. Under his guidance, patients would talk about their most personal issues, learn to cope, and rediscover self-worth.

But throughout the 1980s and 90s, insurance companies sharply reduced reimbursement for traditional talk therapy. This amounted to a drastic pay cut for most psychiatrists who didn't have patients wealthy enough to afford $200 or more per session.

So the profession realigned. Today, instead of spending 45 minutes with a patient, most psychiatrists--including Dr. Levin--spend just 15 minutes. The patient quickly details or updates his primary personal concerns and the doctor writes or adjusts prescriptions for one or more psychoactive drugs.

In short, the insurance industry has created a new profession: Drug pimp.

There was a time when psychiatrists avoided the use of drugs while a patient improved with talk therapy. It was a point of professional pride. For the majority of the profession, that time is long gone.

Now, instead of earning about $90 from an insurance company for a single 45-minute talk therapy session, psychiatrists collect about $150 from insurance companies for three sessions per hour, 15 minutes each, little talk and mostly drugs.

If you're ever referred to a psychiatrist and find yourself in the express lane to the drugstore, say no thanks and ask for a referral to a psychologist, a social worker or your clergy person if they are trained in this speciality. The expense will be lower, and it might even be covered by insurance.

Some mental health professionals use nutrition to solve emotional problems.  www.BestSelfUSA.com is well known for nutritional solutions to emotional problems.  Best Self USA also does phone counseling from coast tp coast. 

Recent research, resulting in the “orthomolecular” approach to stress and the symptoms relating to it, has made some tremendous strides in the approach to emotional problems.

A growing percentage of the population is now beginning to experience anxiety or depression symptoms that seem to be uncontrollable without the simple fix of drugs, prescribed by doctors or otherwise. Ground breaking work by Dr. Carl Pfeifer, Dr. George Samra, and others addressing the nutritional basis of such symptoms has given us some clinical guidelines that consistently produce results.

We found that a percentage of clients seemed to respond to traditional psychotherapies better than others. On introducing high quality nutrition to our counseling regimen we found a startling increase in effectiveness.

What Causes Negative Feelings?

The cause of negative emotions—depression, anxiety, anger, impatience, frustration, guilt, irritability—is a matter of opinion.

• To Freudian psychoanalysts, they are the result of repressed feelings that typically date back to childhood relationships with parents. This is sometimes called “standard insight therapy” or “the talking cure.”  Best Self USA therapists are eclectic in their approach to problems and use standard insight therapy with those persons who need to “talk it out.”

• To biological psychiatrists, negative feelings stem from chemical imbalances in the brain.  Best Self USA uses nutritional solutions for biologically based emotional problems

• To cognitive therapists, they represent distorted thinking. Cognitive therapy is comparatively new to the mental health profession, but its approach was first espoused more than 2,000 years ago by the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, who said, “People are not disturbed by events themselves, but rather by the views they take of them.” Shakespeare put it well in Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”  Best Self USA uses Cognitive/Behavioral therapy in most cases.

Some emotional turmoil is clearly the result of problems early in life, for example childhood abuse, and Freudian-style talk therapies can help. “But most people don’t have to spend a great deal of time understanding the past to improve how they react to potentially depressing situations in the present,” says psychologist Mark Sisti, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in New York City.

Cognitive therapy is sometimes called “short term, solution focused” therapy because it finds direct solutions to problems using more efficient and effective techniques than other forms of therapy. This results in fewer sessions, and less expense, in helping clients achieve their desired results by building health, rather than prescribing medications which will cause a whole new onslaught of debilitating side effects. Thus people can more quickly return to an enhanced level of enjoyment and productivity in their lives and relationships.

Before seeking psychiatric solutions for emotional problems, consider seeking the guidance of a nutritionally oriented Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. Find natural, health building solutions to enhance your overall well being!

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Natural Supplements Work - Landmark Study key findings

Natural Supplements Work - Landmark Study key findings

Landmark Study ~ key findings

Shocking Revelation - If you are not using natural supplements the supplements you are taking may actually put you more at risk for disease than taking nothing at all.

You’ll see that taking no multi-vitamin may is safer than taking other company brands. Shaklee Corporation came out of the study with bragging rights that it’s users had markedly lower incidence of coronary heart disease, angina, congestive heart failure, diabetes, stroke and emphysema not to mention lower homocysteine, LDL,(bad cholesterol), Triglycerides and higher HDL (good cholesterol).

Quote from Landmark Study:
"In general, disease prevalence was lower in multiple dietary supplement users as compared to single multivitamin users and nonusers. Long-term supplement users also had a lower risk of elevated blood pressure and diabetes compared to single multivitamin users and nonusers."

The groundbreaking study of long-term dietary supplement users showed that people who took Shaklee supplements had markedly better health than both multivitamin and non-supplement users alike. The attached study at the link below is long, but could make a huge difference in your health! Please note that persons who took low quality supplements were at higher risk for disease than those who took nothing. Shaklee supplement users had significantly lower incidences of disease.

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-6-30.pdf
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:30 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-30

If you're like nine out of 10 Americans, you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, which can really affect your health down the line. That's a great reason to supplement what you eat. But the important question is, how do you feel today?

The average person over age 65 has taken 19.1 prescriptions.

The average person 50 to 65 has taken 7.6 prescriptions.

The Shaklee user for 20+ years has taken 0.6 prescriptions. (avg. age 62)

View the Vitalizer Video
http://www.shaklee.net/bestself/prodVitalizer00

S.M.A.R.T Delivery system

S.M.A.R.T.™ Shaklee Micronutrient Advanced Release Technology™
The right nutrients, to the right place, at the right time.

12 patents and 2 patents pending on the S.M.A.R.T. delivery system means you can't find it anywhere else.

www.bestself.myshaklee.com   239/591-4565

Products in harmony with nature! Sam and Bunny Sewell

SHAKLEE LANDMARK STUDY - Natural molecules vs drugs

SHAKLEE LANDMARK STUDY

The Findings

DRAMATIC COMPARISON

Prescription Drug Usage

The average person 50-65 has been on 7.9 different prescriptions.

The average person over age 65 has been on 19.1 different prescriptions.

The average person taking Shaklee has been on 0.6 different prescriptions. (Average age 62)

A Landmark study—the first of its kind and the largest long-term supplement study conducted in history—to lend even more scientific support to this claim.

The Landmark Food Supplement Study was conducted by Dr. Gladys Block, head of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and considered one of the top epidemiologists in the US.  She and her team randomly selected 300 from more than 1000 people who had been using Shaklee supplements for at least 20 years (20 – 42 years, to be exact).  She chose Shaklee users because they were the only long-term group of supplement users that could be found for such a large sample.  Their health was assessed through questionnaires, a physical examination, and blood tests, then compared with the health of people who had supplemented for at least 20 years with non-Shaklee brand multi vitamins, and also with people who had not supplemented at all for at least 20 years.  

Officially the study is named “Usage patterns, health, and nutritional status of long-term multiple dietary supplement users: a cross-sectional study.”  It was published on October 24, 2007 in Nutrition Journal, a prestigious online peer-reviewed international scientific journal. 

The scientific language of the conclusion of the study says that the Shaklee supplement users “were more likely to have optimal concentrations of chronic-disease-related biomarkers, and less likely to have suboptimal blood nutrient concentrations, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes compared to non-users and multivitamin/mineral users.”  The more general, but accurate, interpretation is that the group that supplemented with Shaklee had dramatically better health than those who did not.

Published Study Explained

Dr. Block approached Shaklee with the idea for the study.  She was concerned over the media distortions of vitamin supplementation and wanted to do a long-term study to show the benefits and to overcome some of the flaws in the “bad” studies.  She asked Shaklee to provide subjects for the study.  While Shaklee did fund the study, the design and execution of the study and the conclusions drawn and published were under the control of Dr. Block from the start.  The structure of the study is to compare people who took a bunch of Shaklee supplements to those    who took just a multi to those who took none.  Finding people who took just a Shaklee multi for 20 years (for a direct comparison) would be nearly impossible, because Shaklee customers tend to be better nutritionally educated (because  their distributors provide good information) and therefore take more supplements.

The first, and most obvious, point is that the Shaklee group scored a more healthy total on virtually every marker in the study—disease-related, nutrient-related, or general-health-related.  There was absolutely no sign of any toxicity or “poisoning” from taking too many supplements—and this group took a lot of supplements.  In addition, the Shaklee group was older than either of the other groups (almost 10 years older than the non-supplement group!), and it still scored better, including a lower Body Mass Index (BMI).

The nutritional numbers (“serum nutrient concentrations”) were quite revealing.  In every comparative category, the Shaklee users had better results than either of the other two groups—most of them statistically significant.  Interestingly, when ferritin (iron) was measured, the results were different between men and women.  Women in general struggle with low iron—the Shaklee group had the highest measure at 117.4 (an optimal level).  Men are more prone to elevated iron levels—the Shaklee group had the lowest measure at 117.6 (much lower than the other groups).  So whichever gender was taking Shaklee supplements, whatever the tendency of that group, the score was right smack in the optimal range.  And the one non-comparative measure in the study—Vitamin D—showed the Shaklee group right in the middle of the optimal range—and no single individual tested was outside the optimal range on either end.

While the study doesn’t directly draw this conclusion, it’s clear that taking Shaklee supplements, even in relatively high quantities compared to the population at large (only 3 out of 11,000 individuals in the entire NHANES study, which was used for the comparative data, took supplements at the level of the Shaklee group) is not only safe, but it resulted in serum nutrient levels that are about as good as they can get. 

The serum biomarker concentrations section compares a number of non-nutrient blood components that are directly tied to health and disease.  Some of these measures are quite familiar (cholesterol, triglycerides), while others are less commonly known (homocysteine, c-reactive protein).  Again, in every category,   the Shaklee users had better numbers.  And this particular section produced two very dramatic results (as though winning every category isn’t dramatic enough!).

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a measure that is predictive of future cardiovascular disease risk (and has been strongly linked to the risk of developing certain cancers).  In other words, the higher the level of CRP, the greater the risk of heart disease and some cancers.  It’s one of those measures that you really want to be low in your bloodstream.  Not only was the Shaklee group the only one that was within the optimal range (<.3), but not a single individual in the entire group was outside the optimal range.  Let’s word that differently; while not one person in the Shaklee group had elevated levels of CRP, both of the other groups averaged in the elevated range.

Similarly, triglycerides are clearly linked to heart disease risk and metabolic syndrome.  And similarly, not a single person in the Shaklee group had triglycerides over 150 (the top of the optimal range), while the Shaklee group as a whole averaged 121—really good.  The non-supplement users averaged over 180!

While perhaps not quite as dramatic, the measures of homocysteine (another important cardiovascular disease predictor) in the non-Shaklee groups were approximately 50% higher (a bad thing) than in the Shaklee group.  And again, while the Shaklee group measured well inside the optimal range (6.1, optimal is <9), each of the other two groups’ average was above the optimal range.

One of the very interesting findings concerned blood pressure.  A positive link between serum nutrient levels and blood pressure has been shown in some studies (and not in others), but it has been difficult to show that any particular nutrient  can reduce elevated blood pressure.  In this study, the Shaklee group had “significantly lower” blood pressure than either of the other two groups, but the multi user group was not significantly lower than the non-user group.  The authors speculate that Vitamins B and C (each of which has been studied individually, with mixed results, in relation to blood pressure, and each of which were present in optimal levels in the Shaklee group) together may have a synergistic effect—producing better results in combination than the sum of each of their individual benefits.  

Finally, in the area of incidence of disease, dramatic results can be seen in several areas.  In the cardiac-related group, which includes coronary heart disease,  heart attack, angina, and congestive heart failure, the Shaklee group—not surprisingly, given the blood readings discussed above—showed lower incidence of each disease.  And be reminded again, the Shaklee group is 10 years older than the non-user group and 6 years older than the multi group.  The Shaklee group also showed a lower incidence of emphysema.

Perhaps the most dramatic disease-related finding, however, was with diabetes.  The non-user and multi- user groups had a 4-5 times higher incidence of diabetes than the   Shaklee group—again, despite being younger.  The study even posits that the comparatively high levels of multiple antioxidants found in the blood of the Shaklee group members could be a contributing factor to this finding. 

It must be noted that the designers of the study eliminated cancer from the study.  Anyone with a history of cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) was removed from consideration in the study (in all 3 groups), because cancer and cancer treatment alter blood chemistry in a way that would have skewed the results.

And lastly, a measure of overall health that has been used in many studies and has been found to be a statistically accurate measure is self-assessed health status.  In this study, the Shaklee group reported their health to be much better than either of the other groups, and there was little difference between those other two groups in their reporting.  In other words, just taking a Brand X multi for 20 years did not result in a statistically significant difference in how people reported their health versus taking no supplements whatsoever.

So what does is all mean?  Well, a lot.  This study is a very big deal.  Conclusions in a scientific journal have to be proven by solid data and procedures.  Conclusions in a wrap-up paragraph like this one follow a somewhat looser set of requirements.  They can actually use common sense and logic instead of just data.

First, the study shows very clearly that using a broad array of Shaklee supplements for at least 20 years produces some pretty dramatic health benefits—both in indicators as well as disease incidence.  We’ve said for many years that you will pay for your health—whether it’s good health or bad health—so it makes more sense to pay for good health.  With this study, it’s clear that paying for (and taking!) Shaklee supplements produces dramatic, positive impact on health.  Now, the study results don’t mean that if you take Shaklee, you’re bulletproof.  But they do indicate that if you take Shaklee, you’ll be better off than if you don’t.  So now the question of “What is your health worth?” becomes a more meaningful one, because there are clear results to pin to the cost of the supplements.

Second, the study shows very clearly that taking a lot of Shaklee nutrients is a good thing for your health.  We often run into fears about “overdosing” on vitamins in people (but strangely, we’ve never run into anyone afraid of “overdosing” on M&M’s or ice cream, which have virtually zero benefits and plenty of downside).  The subjects in the Shaklee group took a lot of supplements, and the only results seem to be positive.  There is NO indication of toxic effects, and there are LOTS of indications of substantial health benefits—some of which seem to be clearly tied to taking relatively large amounts of Shaklee nutrients.  In other words, having plenty of a broad array of Shaklee nutrients in your system produces better health.  It’s a simple equation.  There may be (and likely are) limits beyond which there is diminishing effect, but this study gives no indication of where those limits may be.

Is the fact that the multivitamin-only group used Brand X (an assumption, but logically true) and the multiple-supplement group used Shaklee products a significant factor?  That’s a harder question to answer based just on the data.  But the fact that Shaklee supplements are scientifically tested in over 100 clinical studies, are manufactured to pharmaceutical standards, are tested and tested and tested for purity, are naturally-sourced from better-than-organic raw materials (not from chemicals produced in a lab), are produced in a way that preserves the “life” of the nutrients (no high temperatures, harsh solvents, etc.), and are unconditionally guaranteed by a company with more than 50 years of experience—the #1 natural food supplement company in the country—all would lead one by common sense to answer, “YES!”  And when you consider that the multivitamins consumed by the multi-only group were almost certainly synthetic (since the vast majority of multivitamins are synthetic), and that there are a number of measures in the study in which the no-supplement group actually had better readings than the multi-only group, it only adds weight to that answer.

And finally, the study provides something that no other supplement manufacturer anywhere in the world has—proof that taking their supplements long-term provides substantial health benefits.  No other company can make that claim and back it with evidence like this.  If you want better health over the long run—from lower CRP and triglycerides and blood pressure to lower incidence of diabetes and heart disease; if you want to be able truthfully to report your health as very good or excellent; if you want to feel better—simply swallowing a few Shaklee supplements on a daily basis is a very easy—and very effective—way to start.

Healthy Adults

Over the past 50 years we've been helping people with their health.  Thousands of health stories have been documented.  These are just a few.

Migraines-I had four children under five and was having migraines that would last for at least two days, two to three times a month.  My mom thought Shaklee might help.  I started using supplements and had amazing results.  I went three months without a migraine!  I tried to stop taking Soy Protein for a couple days but the headaches returned.  Now, I won't go on vacation without my Shaklee.  I live life to the fullest and don't worry about planning things around my migraines.  My husband can go to work without the worry of possibly having to leave to come home and take care of me and the kids.  This is my daily program: 3 Tbsp Soy Protein, 1/4 C Meal Shake, 2 Vita Lea, 3-4 OmegaGuard, 12 Alfalfa, 2 Fiber Tabs, 4 Cal Mag, 4 Lecithin, 1 CarotoMax, 2 Vita-E, 1 Iron, and 1 Zinc. -Lynn Burley

Fatigue-My health gradually declined after the birth of my daughter.  Labor was very long and I was given lots of medications for complications.  My biggest complaint was constant heart palpitations and fatigue.  I had EKG's, ultra-sounds, blood work and other tests but everything came back normal.  My doctor thought I was suffering from depression and anxiety and wanted me to take Prozac.  I declined knowing that although I was feeling those things, they weren't the cause of my problems.  Then I was introduced to a Shaklee distributor.  She believed, as my naturopath did, my thyroid was weak after the childbirth ordeal.  I started on Vita Lea, Vita-C, B-Complex, Vita-E, Soy Protein, and Optiflora.  In 30 days I noticed my energy was up and after 90 days, I felt like I did before I was pregnant.  Last year I caught everything my family brought home, but NOT this year, I feel great!  I can work out, clean, chase a toddler, run errands and grow my Shaklee business all in the same day without running out energy. -Elizabeth Verduga-Lodbell

Better at 63 than 23-I was a sick child with colds, flu, pneumonia (8 times) and hypoglycemia.  Add to that tranquilizers, antidepressants and heart palpitations.  I noticed only a slight improvement with generic vitamins.  After starting Shaklee, I slowly increased quantities until I was able to stay well.  My doctor no longer detects my floppy mitral valve.  I have lots of energy and stay busy from 6am to 11pm.  I never get sick.  If I feel a cold coming on, I attack it with Vita-C and Garlic (5 every 3-4 hours) and Defend and Resist (3 every 2 hours) symptoms disappear!  Daily supplementation include: 9 Vita-C, 3 Vita-E, 2 Vita Lea, 12 Alfalfa, 3 Cal Mag, 1 Herb Lax, 3-Mental Acuity, 1 Optiflora, 6 Lecithin, 9 OmegaGuard, 6 GLA, 2 Carotomax, 2 CoQHeart, 9Tbsp Soy Protein, and Performance throughout the day.  At 63 I feel 100% better that I did at 23! -Opal Hernandez

INITIAL RESULTS

Objective: to validate & quantify the effects of 20+ yrs of top brand vitamin supplementation and to verify safety & effectiveness
Headed by Dr. Bloch - one of the most well known nutritional epidemiologists.
Some background: The study was conducted by medical researchers at University of California, Berkeley. The study compared people who have consistently used Shaklee nutritional products for 20 years or more, with people who have used other brands of supplements over 20 years, and with people who have not used supplements.

THE NUMBERS

The Shaklee group had ZERO abnormal levels of C-Reactive Protein (marker for inflammation) or abnormal triglycerides.

Iron Levels Women:
Women: 100 is optimal level (below is increased risk for anemia)
Non-Supp - 109.5
Other Brands - 81.9
Shaklee Users - 124.5
Iron Levels Men:                          Men: Over 200 is dangerous and risk for liver & cardiac toxicity
Non-Supp - 200.2
Other Brands - 202.0
Shaklee - 117.7
Biomarkers for heart disease & cancer:
Homocysteine
Non-Supp - 9.9
Other Brands - 8.5
Shaklee - 6.3
C-Reactive Protein: should be below 3
Non-Supp - 5.1
Other Brands - 3.6
Shaklee - 2.2
HDL Cholesterol: over 55 is good
Non-Supp - 51.9
Other Brands - 53.4
Shaklee - 58.3
Triglycerides: Below 150 is good
Non-Supp - 173.8
Other Brands - 152.2
Shaklee - 116.5
Reported Incidences of Disease: Coronary Heart DiseaseNon-Supp - 7.9
Other Brands - 9.8
Shaklee - 5.0
*Note users of other brands actually had MORE reported heart disease than non-supp group.
Heart Attack
Non Supp - 7.4
Other Brands - 9.1
Shaklee - 2.5
Congestive Heart FailureNon Supp - 5.2
Other Brands - 5.1
Shaklee - 1.4
Diabetes Type 2
Non-Supp - 11.6
Other Brands - 13.1
Shaklee - 2.9
Quality of Life Questions:
Participants were asked to rate their quality of health.
Non Supp - 45%
Other Brands - 48%
Shaklee - 85%

DRAMATIC COMPARISON

Prescription Drugs

The average person 50-65 has been on 7.9 different prescriptions.

The average person over age 65 has been on 19.1 different prescriptions.

The average person taking Shaklee has been on 0.6 different prescriptions. (Average age 62)

Sam and Bunny Sewell  239-591-4565

BUNNYSAM@BESTSELFUSA.COM

We do free nutritional counseling

 http://bestself.myshaklee.com/us/en/welcome.html

For a more complete overview of how
Shaklee can be used to create wellness, read:

 “I FIRED MY DOCTORS AND SAVED MY LIFE”

Sam & Bunny’s story of triumph over adversity!

*Doctors, drugs & surgery are not always the best answer!

*Includes scientifically validated Total Life Saving Regimen!

*NOW ~ You can buy our new book:

         “I FIRED MY DOCTORS AND SAVED MY LIFE”

     Healthy, Natural Alternatives to Drugs and Surgery

        and have it sent directly to family & friends at:

            http://www.lulu.com/content/1575438

         $19.95 PRINT ~ only $12.50 as PDF download

      For autographed copies, call 239/591-4565

View videos at: www.ifiredmydoctors.blogspot.com

Read our famous Chapter 16 on Stress Management at

 http://stressmood.blogspot.com/

prescription drugs kill more people than illegal drugs

NaturalNews) A report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has concluded that prescription drugs have outstripped illegal drugs as a cause of death.

An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together. According to state law enforcement officials, this is a sign of a burgeoning prescription drug abuse problem.

"The abuse has reached epidemic proportions," said Lisa McElhaney, a sergeant in the pharmaceutical drug diversion unit of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. "It's just explosive."

In 2007, cocaine was responsible for 843 deaths, heroin for 121, methamphetamines for 25 and marijuana for zero, for a total of 989 deaths. In contrast, 2,328 people were killed by opioid painkillers, including Vicodin and Oxycontin, and 743 were killed by drugs containing benzodiazepine, including the depressants Valium and Xanax.

Alcohol directly caused 466 deaths, but was found in the bodies of 4,179 cadavers in all.

While the number of dead bodies containing heroin jumped 14 percent from the prior year, to a total of 110, the number of deaths influenced by the painkiller oxycodone increased by 36 percent, to a total of 1,253.

Across the country, prescription drugs have become an increasingly popular alternative to the more difficult to acquire illegal drugs. Even as illegal drug use among teenagers have fallen, prescription drug abuse has increased. For example, while 4 percent of U.S. 12th graders were using Oxycontin in 2002, by 2005 that number had increased to 5.5 percent.

It's not hard for teens to come by prescription drugs, according to Sgt. Tracy Busby, supervisor of the Calaveras County, Calif., Sheriff's Office narcotics unit.

"You go to every medicine cabinet in the county, and I bet you're going to find some sort of prescription medicine in 95 percent of them," he said.

Adults can acquire prescriptions by faking injuries, or by visiting multiple doctors and pharmacies for the same health complaint. Some people get more drugs than they expect to need, then sell the extras.

"You have health care providers involved, you have doctor shoppers, and then there are crimes like robbing drug shipments," said Jeff Beasley of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. "There is a multitude of ways to get these drugs, and that's what makes things complicated."

And while some people may believe that the medicines' legality makes them less dangerous than illegal drugs, Tuolumne County, Calif., Sheriff's Office Deputy Dan Crow warns that this is not the case. Because everybody reacts differently to foreign chemicals, there is no way of predicting the exact response anyone will have to a given dosage. That is why prescription drugs are supposed to be taken under a doctor's supervision.

"All this stuff is poison," Crow said. "Your body will fight all of this stuff."
Tuolumne County Health Officer Todd Stolp agreed. A prescription drug taken recreationally is "much like a firearm in the hands of someone who's not trained to use them," he said.

While anyone taking a prescription medicine runs a risk of negative effects, the drugs are even more dangerous when abused. For example, many painkillers are designed to have a delayed effect that fades out over time. This can lead recreational users to take more drugs before the old ones are out of their system, placing them at risk of an overdose. Likewise, the common practice of grinding pills up causes a large dose of drugs to hit the body all at once, with potentially dangerous consequences.

"A medication that was meant to be distributed over 24 hours has immediate effect," Stolp said.

Even more dangerous is the trend of mixing drugs with alcohol, which, like most popularly abused drugs, is a depressant.

"In the case of alcohol and drugs, one plus one equals more than two," said Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lt. Dan Bressler.

Florida pays careful attention to drug-related deaths, and as such has significantly better data on the problem than any other state. But a recent study conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) suggests that the problem is indeed national. According to the DEA, the number of people abusing prescription drugs in the United States has jumped 80 percent in six years to seven million, or more than those abusing cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin, hallucinogens an inhalants put together.

Not surprisingly, there has been a corresponding increase in deaths. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, the number of emergency room visits related to painkillers has increased by 153 percent since 1995. And a 2007 report by the Justice Department National Intelligence Drug Center found that deaths related to the opioid methadone jumped from 786 in 1999 to 3,849 in 2004 - an increase of 390 percent.

Many experts attribute the trend to the increasing popularity among doctors of prescribing painkillers, combined with a leap in direct-to-consumer marketing by drug companies. For example, promotional spending on Oxycontin increased threefold between 1996 and 2001, to $30 million per year.

Sonora, Calif., pharmacist Eddie Howard reports that he's seen painkiller prescriptions jump dramatically in the last five years.

"I don't know that there is that much pain out there to demand such an increase," he said.
The trend concerns Howard, and he tries to keep an eye out for patients who are coming in too frequently. But he admits that there is little he can do about the problem.

"When you have a lot of people waiting for prescriptions, it's hard to find time to play detective," he said.

Still, the situation makes Howard uncomfortable.

"It almost makes me a legalized drug dealer, and that's not a good position to be in," he said.

Sources for this story include: www.nytimes.com; www.uniondemocrat.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

ALSO SEE:

DEATH CAUSED BY CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE IN AMERICA

also see: Doctors Are the Third Leading Cause of Death
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Why would big drug companies be interested in the outcome of vitamin studies? Well, common sense tells us that there is much more money to be made pushing drugs one must take for a lifetime, than in addressing real health deficiencies. You can't get a patent on one of God's molecules.

Scientific research tells us that there is more compelling reason for drug companies to discourage the use of high quality nutritional supplementation.


The average person over age 65 has taken 19.1 prescriptions.


The average person 50 to 65 has taken 7.6 prescriptions.


The Shaklee user for 20+ years has taken 0.6 prescriptions. (avg. age 62)


How can I find out what is natural, safe, and effective?

What healthy alternatives do you have? Especially when prescription – and even non-prescription – medications carry so much extra baggage in the form of dangerous side effects, not to mention the fact that these drugs don’t really address the cause of the problems, just the symptoms.

We share the SCIENTIFIC TRUTH on the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation!

Recently, the University of California at Berkley did a long-term (20 year) study of the effectiveness of supplements.

The scientists who conducted this research are the leaders in their field.

The study was published in a peer reviewed scientific journal: see the abstract at: http://www.landmarkstudy.com/

We will reveal and discuss this research and shed some light on such questions as:

* What supplements can I use that have the highest safety & effectiveness?

* Is there a significant difference between the health of high quality supplement users & non users?

* Are there certain kinds of vitamins that can actually damage my health?

* How can I get started on a simple, easy-to-manage, scientifically validated supplement regimen?

Feeling Good? Here’s how to stay that way!

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Live Longer, Feel Better:
Shaklee, Products in Harmony with Nature!
Please contact us for free nutritional counseling bunnysam@bestselfusa.com

and browse our Shaklee website at: http://bestself.myshaklee.com/us/en/welcome.html

Natural Supplements Work - 20 year study UC Berkeley study key findings

!!WARNING!! !!WARNING!!

There are many "HEALTH" products on the market that are "unhealthy"! When you buy these products you are paying for their advertising budget and their wife's new BMW rather than high quality ingredients and scientific studies. As a rule of thumb; if you have seen it advertised on TV or other media it may be poor quality and may even be bad for you.

A 20 year landmark nutrition study done by the University of California at Berkley recently discovered that people who use name brand supplements were more at risk for disease than those people who used nothing. However, people who used organically sourced - cold processed supplements were significantly more healthy.

Warning: There is much misinformation and lack of knowledge about vitamin supplementation. Below is a helpful summary of research done by Dr. Michael Pazdon, at the University of New Hampshire. His report is as follows:

“Of the vitamin supplements being marketed in the United States today, we found that there are basically three types (1) Synthetic (chemical), (2) Crystallized (heat processed) and (3) Lyophilized (low temperature dehydration).

These three types were tested by chromatograms prepared by the method of Pfeiffer (BioDynamics 50, 2t), with slight modification.

1. SYNTHETIC: A chemical vitamin isolate made from inorganic materials, i.e., petroleum by-products. Sold mainly in drugstores, these vitamins act as drugs in the body. They may set up toxic reactions, and thereby rob the body of its own storehouse of antibodies.

2. CRYSTALLIZED: Commonly labeled “organic” or “natural”, these vitamins are isolates derived at least partly from a whole food (organic) source by a High Temperature process (products need be only 10% organic to legally carry the label “natural ingredients”). Most of the live enzymes necessary for absorption into the body have been destroyed in this type of vitamin. (Example: If we labeled a dead horse “natural and organic”, our label would be correct. If we wanted to ride him to town, however, we would be out of luck. “Organic and Natural” do not necessarily mean “alive”.) This is the type of vitamin sold in some drug stores and most health food stores.

3. LYOPHILIZED: Whole food is dehydrated by a cold process (similar to freeze-drying), preserving the complex of vitamins, bioflavinoids and enzymes found in nature. Enzymes necessary for absorption into the body remain intact. The only company we could find marketing this type of supplement is Shaklee Corporation"

Natural Supplements Work - study key findings

Inflammatory Disease - My results with full spectrum nutrition

My results with full spectrum nutrition

including Vitamin D.  - Let’s Talk!

http://thenaturaladvocate.blogspot.com/2010/09/natural-health-advocates-speak-out.html

 
Psoriasis Poses Greater Risk For Developing Heart Disease,
ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2006) — People with the skin disorder psoriasis are at increased risk for developing heart disease, according to Mayo Clinic researchers presenting new study data at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting on Nov. 14. Although psoriasis is traditionally viewed as a skin disorder, recent research has led experts to categorize this disease as a systemic inflammatory or immune-mediated disorder. In these disorders, the immune cells attack healthy tissues and organs.
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Earlier research has shown that people with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are at increased risk for heart disease. To study whether a similar risk exists for people with psoriasis, Mayo researchers followed a group of 622 adults with psoriasis and a control group of 622 people, matched for age and gender, who did not have the disease. Researchers examined medical records for subjects in both groups, starting from age 18 until death, and noted the occurrence of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and heart failure in both groups.



Significant Findings Mayo researchers found that the people diagnosed with psoriasis experienced heart attacks more than twice as often as people of the same gender and age in the control group. Those with psoriasis also appeared about 1.42 times more likely to develop heart failure; subjects with psoriasis also appeared about 1.42 times more likely to develop heart failure, but these results were not statistically significant.



"The fact that people with psoriasis exhibit this increased risk for heart disease offers additional proof that psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease rather than just a skin disorder," says Sherine Gabriel, M.D., Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and the study's lead researcher.



Mayo researchers hope that these preliminary results may yield additional clues about the mechanisms that contribute to cardiovascular disease.



"We're now seeing increased risk for heart disease associated with a broad range of systemic diseases, all of which share a high level of inflammation and immune system dysfunction," says Dr. Gabriel. "This knowledge could provide us with a better understanding of the connections between these conditions and their underlying causes."



The Mayo research findings also emphasize the need for psoriasis patients to monitor their cardiovascular health at an earlier age and to take measures to lessen their risks for heart attack, heart failure and other cardiovascular problems.



Future research will focus on explaining the potential drivers of this risk by studying the role of cardiovascular risk factors (such as smoking), medications, and biological factors (such as genetics). Facts about psoriasis



Psoriasis is marked by patches of thick, red skin covered with silvery scales that occur primarily on the elbows, knees, legs, lower back and scalp. Although not life threatening, the disease can be painful, affect a person's ability to function, and cause psychological and emotional distress. Facts about heart attack and heart failure



Heart attack is an injury to the heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply. It usually occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a coronary artery -- a blood vessel that feeds blood to a part of the heart muscle. Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, usually occurs when coronary artery disease or high blood pressure cause the heart muscle to become too weak or too stiff to pump efficiently.



The Mayo Clinic research team also included Hilal Maradit Kremers, M.D., Marian McEvoy, M.D., and Cynthia Crowson. This work was supported in part by grants from Amgen Inc. and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

And as a bonus health boost, Vitamin “D” is good for many more things than a stronger immune system

BREAKING RESEARCH SHOWS VITAMIN D LINKED TO HDL CHOLESTEROL

Shaklee Corporation Research Suggests an Important Role of Vitamin D for Supporting Cardiovascular Health

Research supported by Shaklee Corporation, the number one natural nutrition company in the U.S., shows that a lower blood vitamin D level is associated with metabolic syndrome and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The study results were presented at the National Lipid Association Annual Scientific Sessions in Miami, Florida and suggest an important role of vitamin D nutrition for maintaining cardiovascular health.

“I am so proud to be associated with a company whose heritage has always been about improving people’s health and well-being. It’s very exciting that Shaklee has helped to bring this important research to the world, say Independent Shaklee Distributors, Sam and Bunny Sewell “The findings may have significant public health implications related to new understanding about benefits related to vitamin D supplementation,” adds Bunny.

In this study, intake of vitamin D from dietary supplements was strongly linked with vitamin D levels in the blood. The greater the intake of vitamin D from dietary supplements, the higher the amount of vitamin D found in the blood. More importantly, as vitamin D intakes increased, HDL cholesterol (or “good cholesterol”) levels increased as well. Future research is needed to determine if vitamin D from dietary supplements can lower risk levels for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

“Our next study, which is already underway, is intended to confirm causality by showing that vitamin D supplementation improves cardiovascular risk factors,” says Dr. Jamie McManus M.D., Chairman of Medical Affairs, Health Sciences and Education, Shaklee Corporation.

Kevin C. Maki, PhD, the study’s Principal Investigator and the Chief Science Officer of Provident Clinical Research, Glen Ellyn, IL, says, “Results from population studies suggest that a low serum vitamin D concentration is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, but this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D status and cardiovascular risk factors in a group that includes a large number of vitamin D supplement users.” He continues, “Additional research is warranted to assess whether increasing vitamin D intake will improve the metabolic cardiovascular risk factor profile.”

Please contact us for free nutritional counseling or for more information, contact Sam or Bunny at The Natural Advocate bunnysam@bestselfusa.com

Future Rheumatology
Inflammatory disease and sunlight: the vitamin D–poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase connection
Environmental factors have long been suspected to affect the pathogenesis and incidence of inflammatory diseases. Epidemiological research has demonstrated that sunlight, or rather ultraviolet radiation exposure, is one such environmental factor that can affect inflammatory diseases. Increased exposure levels of ultraviolet radiation have been shown to decrease the incidence of autoimmune diseases – including rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and colitis. The immunomodulatory effects of ultraviolet radiation are mimicked by administration of vitamin D, suggesting that photosynthesized vitamin D is the mediator involved in the biological effects of sunlight. Vitamin D has a variety of roles in the body, including regulation of the immune system predominantly affecting Th1 immunity, increasing T-cell apoptosis, reducing immune-cell infiltration, decreasing cytokine/chemokine production and suppressing proinflammatory transcription-factor activation and protein expression. Our group has provided evidence suggesting that vitamin D directly inhibits the activity of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, a multifunctional nuclear enzyme that also has a central role in regulating inflammation. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition also affects Th1 immunity in similar ways to vitamin D regulating transcription-factor activation, decreasing immune-cell infiltration and suppressing proinflammatory protein expression. Hence, inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase by vitamin D may represent a novel mechanism for sunlight-mediated immunomodulation.

Vitamin D Dose For Pain Relief

Dr. Cannell, Executive Director of The Vitamin D Council recommends supplementing with Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). D3 is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D and is made in large quantities in skin when sunlight strikes it. Dr. Cannell explains that Calcidiol is the only blood test that should be drawn. Doctors can order calcidiol levels although labs will know calcidiol as 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Take enough vitamin D3 to get 25(OH)D levels above substrate starvation levels, 50 ng/mL or 125 nmol/L. Current recommendationst for adults and children are inadequate to maintain optimal health and certainly to treat chronic pain conditions and illness.

Dr. Cannell suggests people supplement with vitamin D before getting their blood tested, then adjust their dose so their 25(OH)D level is between 50–80 ng/ml during both the summer and the winter. These are conservative dosages explains Dr. Cannell. People who avoid the sun, and nearly all dark-skinned people need to increase their dose if their blood levels are still low, even after two months of the above dosage, particularly during the winter months.

Exact levels are difficult to determine because requirements vary by age, body weight, percent of body fat, latitude, skin coloration, season of the year, use of sun block, individual variation in sun exposure, and how sick someone is.

“If you use suntan parlors once a week,” says Dr. Cannell, “or if you live in Florida and sunbathe once a week, year-round, do nothing.” However, if you receive very little UVB exposure the Council recommends the following dosing levels of D3 (maintenance level):



healthy children under the age of two - 1,000 IU per day*

healthy children over the age of two - 2,000 IU per day*

adults and adolescents - 5,000 IU per day.

*The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 mg per day for children.

While the exact relationship between vitamin D and chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia isn't fully understood, most researchers agree that vitamin D deficiency contributes to muscuskeletal pain. Patients and practitioners should consider including vitamin D supplementation in their therapy for patients suffering with chronic pain syndromes.

Sources:

"Vitamin D Inadequacy May Exacerbate Pain," American Academy of Anesthesiologists, Press Release, October 15, 2007.

Tandeter H, Grynbaum M, Zuili I, Shany S, Shvartzman P., "Serum 25-OH vitamin D levels in patients with fibromyalgia." Israeli Medical Association Journal, 2009.

Badsha H, Daher M, Ooi Kong K. Myalgias or non-specific muscle pain in Arab or Indo-Pakistani patients may indicate vitamin D deficiency. Clinical Rheumatology. 2009.

Leavitt, Steward, B. MA, PhD., "Vitamin D: A Neglected ‘Analgesic’ for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: An Evidence Based Review and Clinical Practice Guideline," June 2008, http://Pain-Topics.org/VitaminD.

"Vitamin D for Pain: Update of Research Evidence," Pain Treatment Topics, Accessed: January 10, 2010.

Arvold DS, et al., "Correlation of symptoms with vitamin D deficiency and symptom response to cholecalciferol treatment: a randomized controlled trial," Endocrine Practice, 2009 May-Jun.

Armstrong DJ, Meenagh GK, Bickle I, Lee AS, Curran ES, Finch MB., "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with anxiety and depression in fibromyalgia," Clinical Rheumatology. 2006 Jul 19.


Dangerous new recommendations on D

Daily Dose with William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
Anyone who thinks Americans get enough vitamin D is really in the dark -- and yes, I'm talking to you, Institute of Medicine.
The Institute -- part of the National Academy of Sciences -- claims we don't really need much vitamin D, and that Americans already get the amount they need.
That's it -- toss your supplements, put the sunscreen back on, end of story... right?
Not on your life!
These screwy new recommendations aren't just wrong -- they're potentially deadly. And that's not just my opinion, that's scientific fact.
The recommendations are so baffling that even many in the mainstream were caught off guard by them.
But not me -- I expected this.
After all, this is the same cast of characters behind the laughably low recommendations for every other key nutrient, from folate to vitamin C -- so of course they were bound to get it wrong on D.
The simple fact is, this is an organization that HATES alternative medicine, and especially HATES supplements. They've even urged the feds to regulate vitamins like meds, a position that even the FDA considers too radical -- and you know they're not exactly pals with the supplement industry.


But let's get back to this D report. It's so badly flawed I could write a book on it -- and in fact, I'm working on one -- but for now, I'll just break it down to what I call the Four Great Lies:

They raised the recommended levels of D to 600 IU per person, then claimed most people won't need a supplement to reach it -- despite the fact that few people spend enough time outdoors and fewer still can get that amount of D from food.


They claim nearly everyone between the ages of 1 and 70 should get the exact same amount of D -- despite strong evidence that the amount of D you need varies based on everything from age to size to skin color.


They claim that 10,000 IU of vitamin D is deadly -- despite the fact that anyone who's ever spent 30 minutes at the beach with no sunscreen has generated that much vitamin D on his own. Last I checked, no normal person has keeled over from 30 minutes of sun exposure.


They claim vitamin D is for bone health only, and there's no evidence it can reduce the risk of anything else -- despite repeated studies that show it can fight depression, flu, heart disease, cancer and more.

If there's any good news here, it's that now even most mainstream docs realize that the Institute of Medicine is completely bonkers -- and many are telling their patients to keep taking their D supplements anyway.
Rebellion. I love it!
And maybe -- just maybe -- this will cause those docs to take a closer look at the rest of the Institute's inadequate recommendations, too.

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