America’s Birthday – A time to reflect

It’s our country’s birthday on this coming Sunday and just like anyone’s birthday who’s over 21, it’s a time of reflection. It’s a time to look back and see which direction we’re going. The question that’s most important to me at my birthday is not so much what I’ve done, but rather what am I doing NOW. After all, the now really tells me where I’ve been and where I’m going.
So, America right now. Where are we as a country? As a community? How is our health, our happiness, our outlook? It seems a bit gloomy. Kind of like the weather here in Santa Monica that we call June gloom. We know the sunshine is out there, but right now it’s a bit cool, dark and just makes me want to drink tea and curl up with a book. Are we in a crisis? Perhaps we are – economically, culturally, physically and spiritually. I believe though that there’s always hope. If we don’t have hope fagetaboutit!
I truly believe in the 2012 shift that’s occurring. It’s not a Hollywood disaster film where LA falls into the ocean etc. It’s more of a shift of consciousness. It’s kind of like the forest burning itself. Forrest fires occur naturally while spurring new growth and bringing diversity. It’s the natural cycle of death and rebirth. As the forest burns, it’s chaotic, scary and sometimes dangerous, but it’s necessary. We can’t go on like this. Our universe is brilliant and beautiful, but there’s a limit to our abuse. Our universe knows how to heal itself, and it knows when we’ve reached our limit. At this point, I picture The Statue of Liberty throwing down her tablet and starting a fire with her torch while screaming “I can’t take it anymore!”
We as Americans are destroying ourselves and everything in our paths. We have genetically modified foods with hormones, pesticides and other chemicals. Our water, air and consumer products, including toys for children are tainted with chemicals that we know are harmful. We’re still conducting wars in places like Iraq and Afghanistan where we send drones, our daughters and sons and call it a peacekeeping mission. Really? Our financial institutions and corporations are running on greed – So much for self-regulation, right? Our main spiritual institution has committed heinous crimes and hides behind legalities in the name of God, mind you. Right now, literally a storm is brewing. We’re at a loss of how to deal or even stop the worst environmental disaster in our history. To add insult to injury, there are those who don’t even want to a pause to make sure we have safety procedures in place before continuing a potentially dangerous practice. Wow.
This is a dreary report card. Letting our egos run our lives and basing all our decisions on the bottom line just ain’t working. We can’t sustain ourselves this way any longer. Isn’t it obvious? Despite it all though, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not because I’m super optimistic (even though I am) or psychic, it’s because the light is always there, even in our darkest moments. We just have to look and know where to look? Something can be right in front of us, but still we can’t see it or hear it. Why is that? Perhaps, it’s because it doesn’t look the way we want it to. We want to do business as usual. I sound like a politician – The change we can believe in. Yikes! Perhaps, since we are pointing our fingers at each other, we don’t take the personal responsibility. Like all answers to any questions, the answers are always within. If we just take the time, we’ll know what to do. Be still and know.
On the 4th we all pop open the beers, get the Barb going and light the firecrackers. When you think about it, it’s all very telling how we decide to celebrate – we explode things into the air. We pollute our bodies with beer and bad food. Hell – it’s just good old fashion fun right? I’m not saying not to do this. I’m sure I’ll be partaking. But, maybe, just maybe, we can spend the following day reflecting on how we can make changes in our own life that will get us healthier, bring more happiness to ourselves and others and just slow down our minds. The world is going too fast. We need to get off the rollercoaster and relax. We need to decide what kind of life we really want to lead. Maybe all the junk that we think we want is really more of a burden. Remember the more stuff you have the more time you have to take to guard it, clean it, or repair it if you want to even enjoy it.
So on July 5th, the morning after, let’s make a vow to ourselves to make some quiet time. Turn off the tv, cell phones and your minds. When we slow down our minds, we can start hearing the 60,000 thoughts that explode in our heads everyday. When we slow down our minds, we invite spirit in who can help us see the irony of it all, in a humorous way. Spirit can guide us to make better choices. Spirit is the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s invite it in, and not turn it off or destroy it. When those firecrackers explode or you see the flames from the grill, let it remind you about the light. The real light. Keep in mind what it’s all for. And if you’re not sure, that’s a good beginning. And remember, just like the fire in the forest – it’s necessary. Happy Birthday.

Substantial Increases in Arthritis Diagnoses Forecasted

I’ve just read (links below) about the substantial increase in Arthritis diagnosis and the outrageous increase of 100 billion dollar in medical expenditure associated with arthritis.

When my mom was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) she was in severe pain. Desperate for help, we blindly followed the advice of her doctor and put her on an aggressive treatment with Remicaid. She was to get an infusion ($6500) every 6 weeks. Unfortunately, the drug made her terribly sick. At first, it relieved some of her pain, but eventually she got other problems (infections, flu, and pneumonia) and felt horrible after each infusion. Her RA symptoms weren’t as great, but now her whole immune system was so weak she couldn’t eat, walk or live a normal life.
When we approached her doctor about all her new symptoms, each time he just sent her to new doctors who would give her new tests and new drugs. She was miserable and getting so weak I thought she was going to die. When I told the doctor that she’s going to stop taking the medication, he coldly told us that she’d be coming back in a wheelchair begging to be put back on drugs. Wow! I was in shock by his coldness and really lost all respect for him. I truly thought at that point that he was probably more motivated by the money and his ego than by helping my mom heal. This isn’t healthcare.
Well, it took her a long time to get her immune system stronger. We tried natural supplements such as Tumeric, MSM and others. She went to a Chinese herbalist and got some relief. However, she had such low energy, swelling, and was still not doing well. I started working in marketing for an acupuncturist and saw first hand what acupuncture could actually do for people. I did a lot of research and found out that most people and insurance companies don’t understand the power and benefits of this ancient method of healing. I saw how patients – young and old with different ailments were getting better without drugs.
My mom started getting acupuncture treatment along with herbs and immediately felt better. The swelling in her ankles which she had for years, probably due to her high blood pressure meds, went away the first treatment. She’s not 100% better yet, but at 83 years old, I think she has a better chance at living longer now. She’s only been in treatment for about a month (2 to 3 times a week) and I see such an improvement in her energy, her pain and her overall health. She’s not as depressed either. Now, she feels that she’s on the right path to heal.
Remicaid and other drugs like this are covered by medicare and AARP, but they don’t cover Acupuncture or Chinese Medicine. My mom pays a substantial amount on her AARP coverage but the treatment that works for her isn’t covered. At $6500 every 6 weeks plus the numerous test and subsequent doctors she had to go to because of the new symptoms associated with the drugs, seems like an awful waste of money, time and good reasoning, not to mention the utter lack of real healthcare. This drug was not only costly but it was dangerous.
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years and is proven to relieve pain and to treat chronic disease. I often hear that people want scientific proof, which I understand. However, where’s the scientific proof for all these drugs? Really. I mean I see so many problems associated with medication, yet this is our first choice.

How can we educate the public about acupuncture and natural Chinese herbs? Let’s do the research needed to substantiate these methods. Who can I write to share my story? I’m really concerned about the health of this country. The expense of drugs is outrageous. When I read blogs about fosomax or the purple pill, people are complaining about severe side effects. Let’s get America healthy. It will save us all money in the long run. But, most important, it will save the lives of our loved ones. Please help.

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/resources/spotlights/arthritis_diagnoses.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/resources/spotlights/dollars.htm

Meditation – A Life Changer

Meditation has changed my life. I hope it will change yours as well. I’ve been reading EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert and it’s prompted me to write. I love this book so much. It’s profound, interesting and witty – a fantastic combo plate for me. The passage that has me writing this blog today is the following – “Let go. Be still and let contentment come to you.”
That simple phrase is so deep and life changing and it’s really more simple than we can imagine. However, first we have to get our ego mind out of the way. Easier said then done perhaps, but so worth it. I always say to my ego, “Take a back seat.” It seems to work. The phrase “Be still and know” has had a profound effect on me for awhile. When I first started meditating, I think I was expecting to KNOW. Know something. Anything. Throw me a bone, please. I fell asleep very often. I had monkey mind. Then I read somewhere, maybe it was Wayne Dyer (another wonderful writer) who said not to put some false deadline to my progress. Just Allow. This concept of allowing was so strange to me. I was taught to have goals. I could reach anything as long as I planned it out, right?
Well, long story short. I learned to allow. I learned to let go. I learned to just be. What a wonderful concept. It’s so simple really. I am. It’s so beautiful not to force things to be. They just are. I still had a hard time balancing visioning my future and allowing it to unfold. However, through meditation it all started making sense. It’s not the kind of sense that you get when you solve a Suduko puzzle. It’s the kind of feeling when you just KNOW. You know what you know….you know what I mean?
You feel loved. You feel as if everything will be fine. In fact, you know everything IS FINE. You start allowing for the right people, places and ideas to come to you. It’s not a lazy approach. You still have to do your work. You have to discipline yourself to meditate on a daily basis no matter what’s happening or not happening, as the case maybe. You have to trust. You have to be aware of and stand up to your old thought patterns and be willing to and open to change.
I can’t remember a huge “Aha” moment when the blue light of enlightenment rained down on me. However, I did notice how I didn’t get so upset over things or people. I did notice that I smiled more and was kinder. I also noticed the worry and the negative thoughts were not coming around so often. Now, I wouldn’t go a day without meditating. Some days, I’ve had to cut it short and I haven’t reached Yogi status, but now I’d never leave home without.
Here’s a link of guided meditations I found on the Chopra Center Website. Check it out. Listen. Read books. Take classes. Just meditate. Just sit and be still. If your mind wonders, focus on your breath. Blow away any of your thoughts. Don’t judge. Let it be, man.

Scientific Proof for Acupuncture!

I hear time and time again that people want scientific proof about the effectiveness of Acupuncture. I find it so strange that people feel secure about taking drugs just because the FDA approves them for treatment. Sadly, everyday I read about the dangers of these so-called approved drugs. I also am appalled how easily and quickly doctors put people on these drugs when they really shouldn’t be on them. Then, unfortunately, most people stay on them for the rest of their lives. Not only are they expensive, but often times they are very harmful.

Let’s wake up and seek natural healing methods such as Acupuncture. It works. If we keep ourselves healthy with natural methods, we won’t have to get so sick and check into an ER.

Blessings to all.

Here’s the link to the article – http://health.msn.com/health-topics/alternative-medicine/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100257997

Good News: Future Health Problems are Preventable

As science gets more and more sophisticated, it can seem like the list of illnesses being diagnosed gets longer and longer by the year. There’s just hundreds of ways to get sick! Fortunately, many of these illnesses can be prevented. Unfortunately, most of today’s young adults are not headed in the right direction!

Among the top killers are chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and stroke, chronic lung diseases, cancer and diabetes. In 2004, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services stated that, “Three factors – tobacco use, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity – are major contributors to the nation’s leading killers. America’s poor eating habits and lack of physical activity are literally killing us. Even worse, America’s children are more sedentary and overweight than ever before. The prevalence of overweight has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents, and there are indicators that suggest that diabetes rates among children are also increasing…The total cost of obesity is up to $117 billion per year.”

In little more than a decade, the numbers of young adults (ages 18 to 29) who are obese rose from 8 percent to 24 percent. The CDC National Center for Health Statistics, published a report in 2009 called, “Latest Report on the Nation’s Health Focuses on Young Adults,” which found that only around a third of young men and women engaged in regular physical activity, and a third of young men and one fifth of young women took part in strength training at least twice a week.

But unlike some factor such as genetics or mutating viruses, obesity and inactivity can be remedied at home, normally without major medical intervention or cost. Healthy lifestyles that include fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, cooked at home, usually cost less than eating out and buying sugary snacks. Community exercise and sports activities are ordinarily very low in cost. By changing one’s lifestyle as a young adult, a person can count themselves as very smart to do everything they can to prevent chronic, dangerous diseases later in life!

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics “Latest Report on the Nation’s Health Focuses on Young Adults,” February 18, 2009, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/09newsreleases/hus08.htm, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf#listfigures, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/, Testimony by Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary Department of Health and Human Services on Preventing Chronic Disease throught Heathly Lifestyle before the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, July 15, 2004, http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t040715.html

Big Pharma:Marketing,Not Research, Is Main Expense

 

If you think that the main purpose of pharmaceutical companies is to help mankind, you might consider changing your mind when you see the statistics behind the propaganda.

Drug companies uniformly claim that the high cost of drugs is due to the vast amounts they spend on research. One could easily be led down this path of deception, but careful research shows that the bulk of drug company spending is not on research, but on marketing.

The top 10 pharmaceutical companies invest about 14% of their profits in research and development. However, about 35% is spent on marketing!

For every $1 spent on research, $2.50 is spent promoting the drugs to the medical profession and the public. Literally billions of dollars are spent on television advertising on almost every TV channel, seven days a week. Print advertising consumes untold millions more. Add to these the expenditures of handing out millions of free samples, constant promotion to doctors, sponsoring lavish medical conferences at expensive resorts, and thousands of “research” and “educational” grants to groups, hospitals and universities around the world.

Keeping prices — and profits — in the sky

There are many other ways that Big Pharma keeps prices – and profits – sky high. Here are the main three:

Bogus front groups: Many more millions are spent on helping to create and support mental health related front groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). There are many more of these, all indirectly forwarding the drug company’s marketing messages and helping to sell a lot of drugs to treat a lot of bogus conditions that have no real scientific basis.

Lobbying and politics: Even more millions are spent lobbying Congress to protect drug company profits. The U.S. government is the largest bulk buyer of drugs, after Wal-Mart, but the Social Security Prescription Drug Benefit Program forbids the government from negotiating drug prices with Big Pharma, and President Bush recently stated he will veto a Democratic-sponsored bill calling for drug price negotiations on behalf of Medicare.

Bogus drug “breakthroughs”: A typical breakthrough in drug research is often a drug company in partnership with a university announcing and marketing their own slightly different new version of a previously released drug for the same disorder. Some of these “new drugs’ are variations  of a competitor’s drug and others are to replace existing drugs with expiring patents. The FDA will approve the new drug when provided with short-term studies that purportedly show that the drug performs better than a placebo – not better than the older drug. In 2002, the FDA approved the use of 78 new drugs but classified only seven of them as improvements over older drugs.

SOURCE: http://www.americanchronical.com/articles/viewarticlte.asp?articleID=18805

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