....to not just take your Doctor's word on it....

1. These days, unfortunately, it is almost impossible for doctors to keep up on the ever expanding body of knowledge regarding....our bodies. By the time they graduate, so much new information has exploded into the arena they would need to start their education over again, and again, and again. Keeping up on the latest discoveries is definitely considered mandatory to being a good and successful doctor. But try asking someone who already works too much (we don't have enough doctors to go around anymore, either...) and would probably like to enjoy some quality of life with friends and family to spend extensive amounts of time re-educating themselves continually...well, I am just saying you shouldn't dismiss what you know or have learned either. At this point you may know more than your doctor does on the matter- (http://business.highbeam.com/410545/article-1G1-19031388/so-much-learn-so-little-time)

2. Worse yet, not only is ignorance on the list today, greed and fraud are too. It has long been speculated that Doctors are bribed and influenced by the fat&happy pharmaceutical companies, and sadly, there is plenty of evidence to support this claim. It's bad enough that pharma ads (illegal in some contexts) have made their way onto television, into magazines, and everywhere else so YOU can ask you doctor about it....No need!! Big Pharma will just ensure that if YOU don't ask, your doctor will still prescribe. (

http://www.communicationagents.com/chris/2006/01/09/bribing_doctors_another_drug_marketing_trick.htm,

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/morreim/prescribing.html)

3. You thought that was bad? Get this: Doctors kill more people in america than guns and traffic accidents combined. And, yes, that fact does take into consideration that when a patient goes to the doctor, they may already be terminally ill. But most of these deaths aren't terminal patients- they're patients in for a minor surgery who then develop a major infection due to HUMAN ERROR at the hospital. You know, that thing that made you punch the wrong number into the calculator at your job? Well at their job, it's your life in their hands, and when they err, it could be the end of it.

Some Fun Facts:

The top five causes of death in the United States, in order, are tobacco, alcohol, medical malpractice, traffic and firearms.

The number of people that doctors kill per day from medical malpractice is roughly equal to the amount of people that would die if every day, three jumbo jets crashed and killed everybody on board.

Another JAMA (The Journal of American Medical Association-yeah, it's legit..) statistic stated that 1/5 (20 percent) of all people who see an allopath (conventional medicine) will suffer a doctor-induced injury.

American Medical News stated that 28 percent of people admitted to hospitals are there because they have suffered an adverse reaction to prescribed drugs.

And, one of my personal faves, according to JAMA, 16 percent of all people who die in the hospital are determined by autopsy to have died of something other than their admission diagnosis. In other words, the doctor had no idea what was really wrong with the patient and, therefore, the patient may have died for want of appropriate care that would have been subsequent to an accurate diagnosis. (http://www.relfe.com/doctors_kill.html, http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/562793/?sc=dwhr;xy=5046338, http://www.healthgrades.com/business/news/press-releases/emergency-medicine-2010.aspx)

So, in conclusion....I am definitely not saying that you should forget your doctor, ignore his advice, or anything else that might offend your modern, western sensibilities. But, I will argue that you should be responsible for your own health, since no one else is...

And you should stop making fun of people seeking alternative medical/healthcare options. Seems like they may just have a better idea- ;D

To your health!

...to add Kale into your diet...

1. It's a fabulously leafy green, so it's chock-full of vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin A and Calcium. And antioxidants? Oh yeah, it's got those. In fact, Kale is definitely a superfood by any standard...it's low in all the baddies (fats and such) and high in all the goodies (all the nutrients and phytonutrients you can pack into that pretty little leaf). (http://home.howstuffworks.com/kale3.htm, http://health.learninginfo.org/nutrition-facts/kale.htm)

2. It's loaded with Fiber (we could probably all use a little more in our pre-packaged, corn-laden diets...) One cup provides over 10% of your daily recommended intake of fiber. (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38)

3. It's easy to get it in the mix...you can eat it wherever you would eat spinach...in an omelette or Frittata, chopped up and mixed in lasagna, or even just sauteed and devoured. It's delicious and nutritious...but don't take my word on it...go try some for yourself! (http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/seasonal/winter/kale/top.aspx)

Bon appetit!

...to find out more about gluten-sensitivities...

1. A plethora of symptoms currently attributed to other health problems and diseases might really be a negative reaction to gluten. The symptoms include some of the most common health concerns in the US:

-Weight loss or weight gain

-Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion e.g. low iron levels

-Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)

-Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)

-Aching joints

-Depression

-Eczema

-Head aches

-Exhaustion

-Irritability and behavioural changes

-Infertility

-irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage

-Cramps

-tingling and numbness

-Slow infant and child growth

-decline in dental health
Misattributed to everything from chronic fatigue to irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal infections, treatments and drugs prescribed can't actually resolve the root of the problem.(http://glutenfreenetwork.com/symptoms-treatments/gluten-intolerance-symptoms-how-do-you-know-if-gluten-is-making-you-sick,

2. You think, sure, I have some of those symptoms and don't know why, but I couldn't have a gluten tolerance....could I? Well, researchers estimate that celiac disease affects about 1 in 133 Americans, and that a staggering 97 percent are undiagnosed- and that statistic doesn't even include those people who don't have celiac disease but do have either a clinical or subclinical sensitivity to gluten, which can still cause a lot of the same discomfort and related problems. Research shows that approximately 15% of the population is affected by some level of gluten-sensitivity. And that's an awful lot more people than I know avoiding that breadbasket at dinner-(http://www.alternet.org/health/66176?page=2, http://www.foodintol.com/wheat.asp)

3. Not a big deal, though, right? It's just a sensitivity and I don't want to give up pizza and sandwiches just because it's gonna make me tired and irritable. It's not like it's gonna kill me...right?

Wrong. Gluten sensitivities can lead to other problems like acid reflux and other digestive problems... which in turn can lead to bigger problems like esophagus or bowel cancer... which can most definitely kill you. And considering that bowel cancer (also known as colon cancer...yeah, that one) is the 5th most common cancer in the US and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world, it may be time for us to think twice about what's really killing us. And as if that wasn't bad enough, it's linked to other serious health risks like diabetes, anemia and osteoporosis. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en, http://www.foodintol.com/wheat.asp)

Be well!!! :)

...to get some sunshine today...

1. More and more of the diseases afflicting humans are being associated with Vitamin D deficiency...Vitamin D that you get from the sun. Everything from the common flu to a plethora of cancers are being attributed at least in part to the deficiency. (http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-to-more-2009-02-23; http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cancerMain.shtml)

2. Vitamin D supplements can't do for you what the Sun can do for you... in only fifteen minutes a day. Various Vitamin D supplements are now being shown to be either worthless because the body can't absorb it properly or worse yet, harmful because your body can't monitor the absorption from supplements like it can from the sun. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080125223302.htm)

3. The sun makes you happy. It's true- not only does it make you happy because it's sunny- the link between depression and the absence of the sun for long periods of time is irrefutable. (http://www.sunshine-health.com/Avoiding_Depression_With_Light.php)

Have a sunny day!!!