FDA fast tracks more untested vaccines for pregnant women, despite deaths

In a November 2015 meeting the FDA proposed fast tracking approval for more vaccines for pregnant women.  Since 2006 the CDC has recommended a flu shot for every pregnant woman during every pregnancy.  Since 2011 they have recommended the Tdap shot during every pregnancy.  These vaccines were never tested for safety in pregnant women before these recommendations.  The FDA is now fast tracking approval for RSV and 3 doses of Hep B during pregnancy.  This would be fine if we knew they could not harm mother or baby, but that simply isn’t true.  Babies have died after their mothers were given flu shots.  You should be informed of the possible risks and benefits of any medical intervention before agreeing to it.  This includes vaccines.

Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center attended that public meeting on the newly fast tracked vaccines and gave her comments.  I encourage you to click here and read them in their entirety. 

According to Fisher “Women getting pregnant and delivering babies in America today have more than twice the risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth or within one year of giving birth than they did three decades ago”. 

TWICE the risk.  It is a little know fact that infant and maternal mortality statistics in the US are terrible, now a proposal to inject even more toxins into pregnant women’s bodies.  I keep wondering when it will end. 

You have no legal recourse if your health or the health of your child is damaged by a vaccine or vaccine ingredient.  That’s right.  Your child could be killed by a vaccine and you cannot sue the doctor, or the pharmaceutical company.  Your only recourse is the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program where the US Court of Federal Claims decides if you have in fact been injured or killed by a vaccine and can dole out monetary awards from a fund created by a $.75 fee added on to every vaccine sold.  So the company manufacturing the vaccine, and those promoting and injecting the stuff have ZERO liability, ZERO!  They don’t even pay the $.75 fee, you do.

For infants and children, injuries from the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) get the most monetary awards through the program.  This means of all childhood vaccines this one causes the most damage to health as determined by VICP.  For adults, the influenza vaccine is the cause of the majority of awards. 

So bottom line.  You have no legal recourse if you are injured by a vaccine.  No one takes responsibility.  There is a court, which determines if you have been injured or killed by a vaccine.  They can give you money for those damages, but not one is held accountable.  The two vaccines which receive the largest share of these monetary awards, because they have been proven to cause harm, are recommended by the CDC and FDA to be given to every pregnant woman during every pregnancy.  And did I mention these vaccines were not tested in pregnant women before they started receiving them? 

The FDA has granted fast track approval for an RSV vaccine for pregnant women and 3 doses of Hep B vaccine.  These would be added to the CDC recommended schedule also without adequate study. 

So if it didn’t sound crazy enough let me tell you one more thing.  Every year the flu vaccine is new, and during the 2009/2010 flu season the swine flu was a widely publicized health threat.  VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, our only system for tracking negative outcomes after vaccination, reported a 4,250% increase in fetal death reports for pregnant women following the vaccine.  Keep in mind that VAERS is completely voluntary and therefore it is estimated only 10% of vaccine reactions are reported to them.  The flu vaccine is new every year, so we don’t know how dangerous it will be year to year.  Click here for an article from greatergoodmovie.org with more details on this.

So what can you do?  Do your research, find a health care provider who is informed on this issue and not simply repeating the false mantra that vaccines are safe.  Ask holistic minded people and health care providers where to get information.  I recommend visiting www.NVIC.org or scheduling a vaccine consultation with me.  One hour of your time, so much peace of mind.

Parents using Americans with Disabilities act to get Wi-fi out of school

Parents in Maryland are fighting Wi-fi in their child's school.   Their child, and many other children, became ill after an upgrade to the Wi-fi network in their school.  Their child was diagnosed with Electrical Hypersensitivity.  Symptoms of Electrical Hypersensitivity include severe headaches, skin symptoms including prickling and burning sensations and rashes, fatigue, stress, sleep disturbances, muscle aches, nausea, nose bleeds, dizziness and heart palpitations.  Here is a link to an article about their fight.  For more information on Electrical Hypersensitivity visit the EMF safety network here.  For more details and references on electromagnetic radiation sources and health effects check out this report Wi-fi in Schools Radio Frequency Radiation Health Risks with facts from all over the world on health impacts, and calls for tighter regulation.

Why doesn't our government protect our health as well as we would hope? Follow the money.

I knew the pharmaceutical industry had a lot of influence in government, but I was still surprised to read in this article that the pharmaceutical industry spends double what the oil and gas industry spends on lobbying.  In the linked article Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserts that this is why congress is dragging its feet on investigating accusations that the CDC falsified data to hide a 240% increase in autism rates for African-American boys after MMR shots.  For a comparison of spending on congressional lobbying by industry look here.  I have come to understand that when something is being recommended, or mandated, that doesn't seem quite right, it is very important to follow money to see who might be behind it.  The list of lobbying dollars by industry provides some very interesting fodder.  I was also shocked to see the electric utilities at number 3 on this list.  That is very interesting in light of the current effort to force dangerous smart meters on everyone in the country.  

Another screening of the Smart Meter Documentary Take Back Your Power

I will be helping to host another free screening of the award winning documentary Take Back Your Power on Thursday September 10th, 7pm at the Glenwood Springs Library.  If you have not yet seen this film please join us for the screening and discussion.  Local utility companies are installing new electric smart meters in our valley and their safety record is questionable.  Learn about the possible threats to your wallet, home, and health from these meters, so you can make an educated choice about this new technology.

Radio Show

I was interviewed last week by local Stephanie Stanfield PhD on her Making Shifts Happen Blog Talk radio show.  The topic- Why should I choose a Naturopathic Doctor?  She does a lot of work and teaching here in the valley with holistic approaches to stress management.  She asked me about my background, training, what homeopathy and Bach Flower remedies are, who I help, and some tips for living a healthier life, including a description of my Micronutrient testing.  

Listen to the show, or read the transcript here.

Potluck! You are invited to a traditional foods meal Weston A Price Style

I have been the local chapter leader for the Weston A Price Foundation for a little while, and finally I am hosting the first event for the Roaring Fork Valley chapter, a potluck.  Who is this Weston A Price fellow and why does he have chapters you ask?  Read on.  For details about the food, skip to the bottom.   

Weston A Price was a dentist, and a meticulous researcher.  He looked all over the world for answers to why some people had dental cavities, and others didn't.  He was able to document very convincingly how diet effected dental health.  Populations who ate traditional whole foods diets with essential high fat animal foods were free from dental cavities, and many other diseases.  When those peoples incorporated the "modern" foods white flour, white sugar, and processed vegetable fats, their dental health deteriorated rapidly.  Dr. Price documented over and over that whether the diet was primarily plant based like the Polynesians, dairy based, like the Swiss, or primarily animal based and incredibly high in saturated fat like the Inuit people, as long as they were eating traditionally and consuming high quality fatty animal foods, particularly seafood, they were free from dental disease.  He went on to identify what he called fat soluble activators in these foods which he felt were the key substances.  You will recognize a few of these fat soluble activators as Vitamin A, and D, found only in animal fats.  He also did clinical trials feeding people cod liver oil and butter to restore them to health.  Of course his work flies in the face of conventional diet dogma, but I can not remember that last factual thing I heard about diet or health in the news... That is another topic.  

Weston A Price Chapters

The foundation has a network of chapters and chapter leaders all over the world.  The chapter leaders serve to connect members with the farms and ranches it their area producing food in line with the nutritional principles the Weston A Price Foundation supports.  Some chapters meet and hold events like this potluck.  For more information please go to the website.

The food- September 2nd at Sustainable Settings

You are cordially invited to a potluck for people interested in this traditional foods way of eating.  Weston A Price members in the area are invited.  Those who are interested in learning more about Weston A Price, his research, and where to find the highest quality animal foods locally, are also invited to attend.  If you are not familiar with Weston A Price, please go to the website WestonAPrice,org.  If you don't know what to bring you can look up recipes from Sally Fallon's cookbook Nourishing traditions, or give me a call.  Please RSVP to tell us who will be coming and what you plan to bring on our Facebook page Weston A Price Foundation Roaring Fork Valley chapter, or call the office at 970-236-6178 for details.

Vaccine Questions? Join me at the carbondale library for coffee talk

I will be participating in a panel discussion on vaccines August 26th at 6:30pm at the Carbondale Library.  This discussion is part of the library's coffee talk series, bringing you timely information and discussions.  There will also be free desert and delicious coffee from my friends, and sponsors of coffee talk, Rock Canyon Coffee.  Please bring your questions about vaccines, or simply sit in and soak up some information while enjoying a yummy treat and fabulous coffee.

Sunscreen, not as safe as you think

According to one of my favorite consumer protection groups EWG, more than half of the sunscreen products for sale in the United States would be prohibited for sale in Europe.  Their rules restrict the chemicals in these products to protect European citizens.  Why aren't American products safer?  Follow the money.   Manufacturers fight any restrictions on their products including one the FDA has tried to implement preventing them from claiming more that 50 SPF.  After SPF 50 there is no increase in sun protection.  Even if it says SPF 110 on the bottle it offers no more protection than the SPF 50 bottle next to it.  Manufacturers want no restrictions on their use of cheap ingredients even though they can cause endocrine disruption and cancer.

But doesn't sunscreen prevent skin cancer?

The research results are mixed.  Some say sunscreen helps reduce skin cancer, some say it doesn't.  And some, myself included, think that if you are slathering on sunscreen loaded with carcinogens you may not be doing yourself any favors.  Severe sunburns do increase your risk for skin cancer.  But regular sun exposure, which does not lead to a burn may be protective.  Remember Vitamin D?  It protects against cancer.  And exposure to the sun without sunscreen gives your body a chance to make some of it's own Vitamin D.  Notice I did not say all.  After seeing hundreds of test results from folks who get plenty of sun I am certain you need to consume foods with bioavailable Vitamin D to get optimal levels, particularly in Colorado.

Several studies have shown that people who wear sunscreen as their only sun protection burn more often than those who also use clothing and hats to protect themselves.  

So what should I do?

Get out in the sun, and if you are out for quite a while wear a hat and long sleeves for some of that time to help protect yourself, or seek shade.  

Check the EWG sunscreen report for recommendations on safer sunscreens, they rank products based on their safety to help you make safer choices.

Check out the EWG report on sunscreen here. http://www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/. 

New study showing links with antidepressant use and birth defects

A common class of antidepressants- SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) have been suspected by many as being unsafe in pregnancy.  Studies have been done and papers published with varying results.  This recent paper concluded that the use of the popular drugs Paxil, and Prozac, aka Sarafem, in pregnancy, correlate with higher rates of birth defects. These drugs were never studied in pregnant women before their wide spread use.  This is a tricky thing about research that many people do not understand.  It can be very frustrating for a pregnant woman to get a straight answer about whether drugs will affect her developing child.  This is because clinical trials of drugs with pregnant women simply are not done.  If we do not know if the drug will harm a baby, how do we ethically enroll pregnant women in a study on them?  And then there is the liability.  Drug companies do not like to get sued.  Intentionally testing a drug, which might harm an unborn child, is something they would like to avoid.  Doctors, faced with pregnant patients whom they feel need medication, have very little information to help their patients decide.  This leaves pregnant women with a tough choice between medicating themselves, and possibly exposing their child to risk, or suffering from sometimes debilitating conditions.  If they choose the drugs, they, and their babies become guinea pigs.  

So what we have is a long list of drugs, which were not tested in pregnant women, but are used by them without the kind of data gathering which takes place in clinical trials.  This means it can take years, even decades to discover the terrible consequences of those drugs.

With all things in health I want us to have the information we need to make educated choices.  More studies like the one I linked above can be done to track the women who do choose to use medications in pregnancy so we can learn how their children fair.

So what is a mother to do?  Torn between suffering with a health condition, and the worry of possibly harming their child if they take a drug.  My advice, don't take chances.  Seek a knowledgeable, qualified, alternative healthcare practitioner who has treatments which we know are safe for moms and babies.  

My preference is to use herbs, homeopathy, Bach flower remedies , physical medicine, hydrotherapy, and other therapies which have stood the test of time.  We have been using herbs, acupuncture, and Ayurvedic medicine in pregnancy for thousands and thousands of years.  We have a very good idea of what effects they may or may not have on a pregnant mother and developing baby.  Drugs which have been on the market a few years to even a few decades are simply too new for me to trust.

California Vaccine Bill opposed from the Right and the Left

The battle between profits over vaccines, possible benefits to public health from mandatory vaccine programs, and a very real threat to personal health from forced vaccinations rages on.  The latest chapter comes as California recently passed SB277 taking away the right of a parent to choose which vaccines their child receives if they want to attend public school.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center.  People are being required "to give up the human right to informed consent to medical risk-taking in order to exercise a civil right to an education".

Click here for a link to a Washington Post article discussing opponents to the bill.  Politics does make strange bedfellows and this issue is a great example.  Opposition to the bill comes from the parents of vaccine injured children, Actor Jim Carey, Republicans who oppose too much government influence in personal lives, and liberals fearful of the chemicals in vaccines.  

As always I advocate for education and informed consent.  You should be informed of all the risks and benefits of any medical intervention, which could harm or kill you or your child.  For more information on vaccines please visit NVIC.org, or schedule an appointment with me for a vaccine consult.  

Aluminum, Hidden in food and skin care products, and linked to Alzheimers, fatigue and other health problems

I was shocked last year to learn that children may receive more aluminum from eating american "cheese" than from vaccines.  I am not talking about real cheese here, but the pasteurized processed cheese food product (that is what the label says) which comes in individually wrapped slices.  I ate TONS of it as a child.  Aluminum makes these fake cheeses easier to slice.  So even though it is harmful it is allowed in food to make things easier for the fake food manufactures.  It turns out aluminum is allowed to be added to many foods including flour, and baking soda.  Hopefully you have already thrown out your aluminum cookware to eliminate that source of exposure.  Aluminum is also common in skin care products particularly antiperspirant where it acts to block your sweat glands.  This is bad for you on many levels.  First you absorb a great deal of that aluminum which can damage your immune system, contribute to depression, fatigue, memory loss, confusion, impaired learning, Parkinson's, ALS, Lou Gherig's disease, bon and muscle problems, and possibly even breast cancer.  Secondly you need to sweat.  It is one of your bodies primary routes of detoxification.  We need to give our bodies every opportunity we can to dispose of the toxins we are exposed to every day.  

"But wait" you say "I don't want to stink!".  I hear you.  I have a few suggestions.  

First, clean up your diet.  If you eat live, organic, fresh, whole foods, you will smell better, no kidding.  I can notice the difference when I stray from my healthy whole foods diet in the way my sweat smells.  

Second, try switching to a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant.  Deodorants help mask the smell, without the pore clogging aluminum.  Many people have tried the deodorants at the health food store and hate them.  If you are accustomed to a commercial antiperspirant, you can not expect the same results from a natural deodorant.  They will not block your pores with harmful ingredients and prevent you from sweating.  Visit EWG.org for less harmful deodorant and antiperspirant options.  You can even make your own if you are so inclined.  

Third, If you just can not imagine the embarrassment of giving up your antiperspirant, try taking one day a week off.  Can you spend Saturday at home airing out your armpits?  One day a week not exposing your body to the harmful effects of more aluminum will add up, and contribute to your good health.

If you would like to learn more check out this post by Amy Neuzil http://primaldocs.com/members-blog/aluminum-deodorant-safety-and-natural-diy-deodorant/

Utility companies in the Roaring Fork Valley are installing new electric meters which may harm your health

New Electric Meters Carry Risks to Your:

Home

These meters have caused many house fires

Health

The radiation these new electric meters put out is classified by the World Health Organization as a class 2B carcinogen.  The same risk level as lead and DDT.

Privacy

These meters collect personal information available to the government, private companies, and hackers.

Wallet

New meters have skyrocketed electric bills.

Learn More

Thursday May 7th at 5pm a Free Documentary Film screening of Take Back Your Power at the Crystal Theatre, Carbondale

Educate yourself so that you may make an informed decision

You have a right to refuse this new technology

For more information Click Here for my article on Smart Meters, and links to local information on what to do about these new meters

and visit www.takebackyourpower.net

Naturopathic Doctors in Colorado get legal ok to treat infants and toddlers

I am fully trained and qualified to treat children under 2 years old.  However, I was limited legally from treating them until the passage of a recent bill in the state legislature.  So Hip Hip Hooray!!  Please bring your babies to me.  I offer a non-judgmental environment.  I explain both conventional and alternative options for treating your child.  Then you can make your own decisions about their health care.  I spend a great deal of my time educating people on what Naturopathic Medicine is and what it has to offer them.  The lack of information the public has on my degree has been a huge problem in getting Naturopathic Medical care to the people of Colorado.  The bill the Governor just signed to allow ND's to treat children under 2 took a huge amount of work to pass.  We had to get enough legislators educated on who we are and what we are qualified to do.  Thanks to a big effort to meet with them and explain our profession, they understand that we are very well equipped to help infants and toddlers.  ND's, like Medical Doctors are regulated on the state level.  This means every single state has to pass laws to allow ND's to practice legally in their state.  Unfortunately, because so many people do not understand the training an ND has, and because many others feel the practice of Naturopathic Medicine threatens their bottom line, legislation to legalize the practice all over the country faces incredible opposition.  Thanks to 20 years of hard work from Colorado citizens and ND's a bill was finally passed last year to regulate the profession in Colorado.  This gave legal recognition and oversight to ND's in Colorado offering more protection to its citizens.  Now anyone who uses the initials N.D. after their name or calls themselves a Naturopathic Doctor in Colorado must have completed at least 8 years of college including 4 at an accredited Naturopathic Medical school.  They must successfully pass naturopathic board exams, and keep their education current by completing continuing education requirements.  Before this law, anyone could call themselves an ND and the public was not assured of their qualifications.  As part of the political compromise process (read-what we had to do to appease enough lobbyists to get the bill to pass) the original registration bill forbade Naturopathic Doctors from treating children under 2.  This had nothing to do with our qualifications.  ND's are trained and highly qualified to treat infants and toddlers.  It had everything to do with other healthcare providers in Colorado fearing the loss of "customers" to us, and ignorance of our qualifications.  I am so happy that we have been given the state's blessing to do more of what we are trained to do, cradle to grave primary care.  The next step... prescription authority.  One of the things I really appreciate about Naturopathic Medicine is that we are trained to be integrative physicians; we learn pharmaceutical drugs as well as herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic and other "alternative" modalities.  This is wonderful as it means we are able to offer our patients more options.  Although many naturopathic doctors prescribe few pharmaceutical drugs, and many of our patients come to us because they do not want to take drugs, many other patients use some pharmaceuticals along with herbs and other alternative medicines and would like to be able to get everything from one Doctor.  I feel it is my role to explain options to my patients, then they make the choices between drug therapies and alternative therapies.   When they want to combine conventional and alternative I am there to guide them and them make sure they avoid interactions.   Here is a link to the Law Week Colorado article on the latest Bill

Free Screening of Take Back Your Power -Documentary on Smart Meters

I am co sponsoring a free screening of this movie exposing the possible risks of the new electric meters local utilities are replacing our current electric meters with.  Learn the facts, so you can make an informed choice about this new technology that may threaten your health, wallet and home.  

Thursday May 7th, 5pm Crystal Theatre, Main Street Carbondale Colorado

Free Admission, Donations appreciated

Click Here for more information

Vitamin D, Are you getting enough?

I am so pleased that Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention these days.  Today I wanted to share with you why it is important, how to know if your are low, and how to bring your levels up.

Why Vitamin D is important

Low vitamin D levels are associated with many different health problems including; diabetes, back pain, depression, osteoporosis, cancer, colds, heart disease, fatigue, flu, hearing loss, muscle pain, autoimmune disease, and many more.

How to know if you are low- A few things about testing

There are several different tests available make sure you are being tested for 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, NOT for 1,25(OH)D.

When you get your test results, look at the actual number, not just whether the lab report says you are low.  You want to see at least 50 ng/ml, better yet 80 ng/ml, but not more than 100 ng/ml.  

How to bring your levels up- A few things to know about Vitamin D supplements and food sources.

The best food source of bioavailable Vitamin D is Cod Liver Oil, other oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines are also good sources.  Thats it.  Oily fish or sun exposure are you 2 best natural routes to getting enough vitamin D.  It is not a big surprise then why so any people are deficient.  We slather on sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, and many of us are not big fans of fish let alone cod liver oil.  By the way, depending on what kind of sunscreen you use, you may be increasing not decreasing your skin cancer risk by using sunscreen with cancer causing ingredients.

I recommend a fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil blend to all of my patients who are low in Vitamin D.  Not only does it provide a highly bioavailable form of Vitamin D, it also has Vitamins A and K, 2 other fat soluble vitamins I find many people to be low in when I test them.    If you choose a vitamin supplement for Vitamin D make sure to get D3, not D2.

We are still being told over and over that 15 minutes in the sun will give us all the vitamin D we need.  I wish that were true, but it simply isn't.  Sun exposure does help, and I do recommend some sun exposure without sunscreen for short periods of time- less time than it would take to get "pink" or show signs of sun exposure an hour afterwards.  But it is not likely to get your levels into the optimal range when you live in Colorado, of anyplace else so far from the equator.

Conclusion;  More people are taking it, and more doctors are testing for it.    We have the technology to test for this vitamin, lets do it rather than guessing.  A test once a year and a daily high quality vitamin D supplementation might cost you $200 per year.  That is a small price to pay for reducing your risks of cancer, osteoporosis, depression and all those other things I listed above.

 By the way my prediction for the next vitamin to get mass media attention- Vitamin K.  

Need another reason not to drink soda? How about Cancer?

For some of us soda can be a real Achilles heel in trying to improve out diets.  Diet sodas have proven themselves to be truly terrible as they contain artificial sweeteners which wreak havoc on your blood sugar regulation, cause cancer, and are addictive.  Please, please, if you do drink an occasional soda choose organic brands with real, non GMO sugar available at health food stores.  A new study has found another potential carcinogen in sodas with caramel color.  This chemical 4- Methylimidazole, or 4-MEI for short is formed during their manufacturing and therefore not listed on the label.  The researchers of this study suggest that federal regulation of the chemical may be appropriate.  California Law recognizes 4-MEI as a carcinogen and requires labels on sodas sold in California if they exceed the levels set by California's Prop 65 law, which requires warnings on products which may increase your risks of cancer. 

Sign up now for Farm Fresh Produce all Summer from my favorite Farmers!

My good friends at Sustainable Settings Ranch are sharing the bounty of their better than organic produce with CSA shares available to the public.  CSA stands for community supported agriculture.  It is a brilliant system where a community works with their local farmers to bring the absolute freshest high quality foods to your table.  When you participate in a CSA you purchase a "share" of the seasons produce which comes to you in bags or boxes once a week.  You receive a variety of produce based on  where we are in the season, with everything picked at the peak of freshness.  Sustainable Setting CSA will include root vegetables, fresh greens, herbs, and you can even get farm fresh eggs, and fruit.  You benefit from food grown with love in nutrient rich soils, without toxic pesticides and fertilizers.  You also have an opportunity to get to know the people growing your food, and best of all- never pull a weed!  Although I am sure the folks at the Ranch would let you pull a weed if you like, just make sure they show you which one, as many of those weeds are food!  The benefit for the ranch is that when they sell shares they know they have a set number of families to feed each week, and they can plan their planting accordingly.  The "shares" are paid for before the growing really starts so they have money for seed and supplies, then they can focus on growing and harvesting your beautiful food all season rather than trying to market their products when they are working long days tending the gardens.  I purchased my share months ago and am very excited to see the variety of foods in my reusable hemp bags each week.  I know this food is being grown in the healthiest, best way possible for my health and the health of the environment.  Please do your health a favor and go to www.sustainablesettings.org/market-garden-a-csa for more information and to sign up!

March and April Classes! Healthy Baby, Healthy Home, Healthy Body, Healthy Diet & Paleo!

I am working with CMC to present a Healthy Living Series of classes.  Each class is just $25 or buy 4 get one free!  Learn ways to keep your baby safe from chemicals, and your whole family safer by choosing non toxic skin care, cosmetics, cleaning products, and home furnishings.  Then 2 classes will focus on diet, How to make good choices, and what the pale diet is all about.  If you are wondering if this diet would be good for you, join me and find out!  The first class is March 24th at 6pm at the CMC Carbondale Campus.  Registration is through CMC.  Click here for more information.  

Cooking with gas Health concerns

In preparation for my cleanse class today I was looking for some information on the fumes created while cooking on a gas stove.  I came across an article that summed it up well and thought I would share it with you in a post.   Burning natural gas produces toxic fumes including formaldehyde.  In the Berkeley study this article expands upon they measured the levels of toxic gasses coming from everyday gas cooktops and found that they exceeded the levels allowable in outdoor air.  This means that if you are standing over a stove cooking without an exhaust fan running you are breathing very unhealthy air, so unhealthy that if it were being produced outside, California Law would require it to be cleaned up.  So should you stop cooking?  Heavens no!  I do not believe you can be truly healthy unless you cook, but turn on the fan, and if you do not have one get one installed or get a small fan you can run in your kitchen while you cook.  When the weather is good open the windows.  Lastly, please, please do not cook with teflon coated pans!

Here is a link to the article.

Fatigued? Carrying a few extra pounds? Hows your Thyroid?

Your thyroid gland is composed of several spongy square inches of glandular tissue just below your adams apple and holds the key to your body temperature regulation, energy level, healthy weight maintenance, and much more.   Thyroid dysfunction is incredibly common, so common that if you get routine blood work from your doctor or even a health fair there will likely be at least one marker for thyroid function included namely TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone.  If you have your test results pull them out and take a look at this number.  If it is between 0.3 and 5.0 you fall within the "reference range" or "normal" and most Doctors would say your thyroid is fine.  That is the conventional "normal".  With my patients my goal is for that number to be between 0.5 and 2.0, that is where people seem to feel their best, have the least problems with infertility, and plenty of energy to enjoy their live.  When the number gets above 2.0, symptoms of low thyroid function can begin to show up.  These include weight gain, feeling cold, hair loss, and depression to name a few.  When the TSH gets below 0.5 symptoms of hyperthyroid can show up like anxiety, heart palpitations and weight loss.  These are short lists a quick Google search will give you many more.  If you have any of these symptoms or had a TSH above 2.0 or under 0.5, you could be feeling better.  Be forewarned if you levels are within the "reference range" your doctor may tell you you are just fine, but as a Naturopathic Doctor, I say you are not, and there are many things you can do.  I treat thyroid problems daily in my practice.  When I am suspicious of thyroid problems I order more testing to find out exactly what is going on and recommend natural treatments with vitamins, supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies to restore thyroid function, and in many cases reduce or eliminate the need to medications.  A great home test to see how well your thyroid is functioning is to take your temperature.  As I mentioned your thyroid gland helps control your internal thermostat and for most of us a low body temperature is the first sign that your thyroid gland is struggling.  To do this test all you need is a thermometer, and a pen and paper.  Each day for 3 days take your temperature in the morning, mid day, and in the evening, for cycling females it is best to do this test during your period.  If your temperature averages below 98.5 and you have symptoms, you would likely benefit from natural treatments.  Abnormal body temperature (remember 98.6 is normal) can be due to thyroid dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, or other hormone imbalance.  See a qualified practitioner, and get it checked out.