You Are What You Eat – and breath, and touch, and…
The Federal government has stated that either diet and/or toxins cause sickness. Unfortunately, the FDA, according to a retired head of the department, has claimed that the agency is not looking out for the health of the American public but on the side of big business.
So if you are working on your own health, then it is a constant diligence on your part. Don’t trust that your government will keep your environment clean and control the bad foods. And as a result, the American diet is mostly convenience and fast foods. We have diets consisting of sodas full of sugar and corn syrup, unhealthy fats, meats that are full of hormones and pesticides, and produce that has lost its nutritional value. Thus, if you want to stay healthy, you can’t dine anywhere that has a drive-through.
On average, Americans are gaining one to two pounds a year, says James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Hill predicts that, at the current rate, two out of five Americans will be obese by 2008. Obese is defined as being roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight. And being overweight is said to cut 7 years off your life in addition to putting you at risk for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Besides the issues with weight gain, I think we are lacking in nutrition. My friend Linda swears that her parents and other older folks in her Midwest hometown are living longer and staying healthy because they have always grown their own food. Mineral rich soil causes mineral rich produce. Farms and soil here in California are so overused and artificially fertilized that the amount of beneficial minerals is much less than years ago. So our store bought produce actually has less nutritional value. And once cooked or processed, it loses even more of its benefits.
Since we are lacking, I highly recommend taking a multivitamin that includes essential minerals as well as vitamins.
With this administrations support of big business and fossil fuel consumption, there are few if any regulations that curb industrial pollution. We are exposed to more heavy metals and other environmental toxins than ever before. As a result we are seeing an exponential increase in cancer, ADD/ADHD, Autism and other maladies. We are just learning of lead paint on Chinese manufactured toys. How long has it been going on? I know I chewed on a few China-made toys in my time. The Mothball Fleet here in the San Francisco Bay has just drawn attention as the old war ships decay and leach heavy metals and other toxins into our water. Our Concord Naval Weapons Station is moving to civilian ownership and thus housing developments. But this area has been a holding area for nuclear weapons since the first one was used in 1945. The cleanup of this base and others like the Alameda Naval Air Station and Treasure Island will takes years.
But as I mentioned the other day that if you get sick, we can only offer a for-profit drug to address your symptoms. Soit is left up to you to do the research and figure out how to cure your ailment. I predict that the future will bring an increase in services that specialize in detoxification, chelation (the removal of heavy metals), herbal remedies and other tools to help your body get on a better footing for health.
Doug on 09.10.07 @ 12:14 PM PST [link]
Thursday, September 6th
A Breath Of Fresh Air
I love it when someone sends me a lead on a treatment that may help me. I figure my job these days is to try and prolong or save my life. So when I do get a tip, I usually spend about 2 or 3 hours digging around the Internet learning as much as I can, seeing if it is viable and deciding whether it fits into my current treatments.
The other day Linda sent me a link regarding Hydrogen Peroxide. I had read about its use some time ago and had not pursued it. As I have mentioned before, oxygen is extremely important to our bodies. And Hydrogen Peroxide carries an extra oxygen molecule that can be freed by the body. “Oxygen plays a pivotal role in the proper functioning of the immune system. We can look at oxygen deficiency as the single greatest cause of all diseases."
--Stephen Levine, a respected molecular biologist and geneticist
And we know that cancer cells thrive in a low pH – low oxygen environment. By forcing oxygen into the cells, we can beat back cancer. There are many oxygen therapies being used out there with encouraging results. I have spent time in a hyperbaric chamber that “pushes” oxygen into the body. And many of the clinics in Mexico inject Hydrogen Peroxide into the body to add oxygen. Other treatments recommend drinking a diluted mixture, adding it to bath water or making a body lotion with an Aloe Vera gel and Hydrogen Peroxide. (If you are considering any of these, be sure you use a food grade H2O2.)
I understand from my readings that the oxygen content of the atmosphere is 30% less than just 200 years ago. This is due to a decrease in oxygen producing plants and an increase in industry and the burning of petroleum. Looking at the oxygen levels in the blood of several indigenous tribes who have been known for their longevity, we find they have venal oxygen levels of 70 percent on the low side, up to as much as 85 percent. Levels of 80 percent or more produce a dramatic increase in cellular activity yielding greater energy. People in industrial nations average between 60 and 70 percent with chronically ill people at 55 and death occurring at 50 percent.
So what can the healthy person do to stay healthy? Breathe deep! Research shows that shallow breathers are the ones that get cancer most often. Take time everyday to go through a few deep breathing exercises. This will not only increase your oxygen levels but stimulate your lymph system and reduce fat. Research links fat with cancer because its acidic properties lower the body's cellular pH and oxygen level. When you breathe and take in oxygen, your fat molecules are combined with oxygen atoms, causing oxidation. The main product is carbon dioxide.
Doug on 09.06.07 @ 09:40 AM PST [link]
Tuesday, September 4th
All I Need Is The Air That I Breath . . .
Just got back from a weekend on the Stanislaus river up Hwy 4 near Calaveras Big Trees. This is a camp area that my family has owned for over 50 years. There are many other families there that we have known all my life. On a holiday weekend like this one, it is really a great reunion. Its amazing to watch over the years as small boys turn into men and young girls to grown ladies with their own children.
After spending a week at Berkeley’s Tuolumne Camp’s 3,500 feet elevation and this three days at 4,500 feet, my lungs really feel it. I never used to be affected by the altitude. I have backpacked the high sierras, skied at 12,000 feet and ran workouts at other altitudes. So to get really winded just hammering a couple of nails or walking up the trail to the bathroom, is a little depressing.
Last night after we were home I spent much of the time coughing at the top of my inhale. This made me wheeze and gave me the feeling that I needed to clear some things out of there.
Regardless of these difficulties, I did get some good news last week. At my Wednesday appointment I was complaining that my lungs felt shorter. My doctor listens for fluid or wheezing and said she couldn’t hear either. She was worried that my current chemo drug was not helping me and was concerned as she wants to add Avastin and wasn’t sure the insurance would cover it if it isn’t combined with the standard drugs. So she sent me for a chest x-ray to take a look. I hadn’t had one at Alta Bates since May so she said we will expect to have them report a progression. Needless to say I went home a little depressed. When I called in on Friday to get my results, the nurse said that the report noted – no new tumors and no noticeable progression of existing tumors!
So even with a struggle to breath, I am optimistic. Thanks to all for your continued support and reading of this blog.
Doug on 09.04.07 @ 10:04 AM PST [link]
I have posted in the past a little bit about the importance of omega-3s but have not gone into depth. Omega-3 has been getting some good press lately and is looking like a fatty acid that we all need to make sure we are receiving. On September 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave "qualified health claim" status to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids, stating that "supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." There have been several studies supporting this conclusion. A recent study published in the journal, The Lancet, involved 18,000 patients over five years. The conclusion found that those who took the omega-3 supplements showed superior cardiovascular health compared to the control group. 
If I were to plant or have any fruit tree I wanted, it would have to be the Pomegranate. President Bush even brought it up in his meeting in May 2005 with Afghanistan President Karzai, suggesting they grow these trees rather than poppies. The more I read, the more this fruit impresses me. I remember being a kid and getting pomegranates off of someone’s tree. We would sit there and take it apart eating the little nuggets of fruit inside. By the time we got home, everything was red. Our faces were stained and so were our t-shirts. 
It has been about a year since I did a couple of triathlons in Monterey and Santa Cruz. I sure miss not being able to workout and play in a few competitions. These days it is difficult for me to climb a set of stairs without oxygen, so to think about making it through a triathlon is daunting. Instead of getting out there for runs and bike rides on the road, I spend my time taking it slow, reading, writing and painting.