Synthetic Vs. Real

In the Experience Life magazine I leisurely browsed through a discussion on advantages of vegan and paleo diets (Paleo Vs. Vegan). Frankly, both diets seem a bit extreme to me. When you live long enough you eventually see many fads disappoint and their enthusiasts impacted in regretful way. 

However one remark caught my attention. It was by Mark Hyman, MD, a family physician, the author of four New York Times bestsellers, and chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine,

‘I think the Paleo argument of no grains is interesting and has some merit. If you go with traditional grains, such as buckwheat, quinoa and millet, which have been around for 10,000 years, you’re better off. But gluten-containing refined grains, and modern dwarf wheat full of super-starch and super-gluten, can be problematic.’

Mentioning of dwarf wheat and its properties struck me in correlation with gluten-intolerance epidemic that I hear about all too often lately. My parents (and grandparents) had no such concept. There is another new and mysterious diagnosis out there – the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). This one becomes popular in cases when a digestion problem is not exactly understood.

Though we are fairly informed on the controversy of genetically modified (GM) grain, no one seems connecting the dots:

We are sensitive (allergic, intolerant…) not to wheat per se, but to its genetic mutants that bring havoc into our bodies.

I say ‘we’ because stats indicate 30% of gluten-related diagnoses, and they are on the rise; also because, we still recognize very few effects of GM foods besides the most immediate.

Meanwhile mainstream media is comfortably dwelling on the absence of clear evidence against GM grains – i.e., they are safe.

‘A scientist examines a GM crop’ (this is the original comment from a pro-GM article)

My first afterthought was: well, I try to protect my family by buying mostly organic wheat products. How safe are we?

To assess the level of our vulnerability, I started researching the issue and here are my findings:

First of all the impact of mutated wheat is not limited to compromised digestion. As Dr. Mark Hyman said in ‘Three Hidden Ways Wheat Makes You Fat’:

…The first major difference of this dwarf wheat is that it contains very high levels of a super starch called amylopectin A…

… We know that foods with a high glycemic index make people store belly fat, trigger hidden fires of inflammation in the body, and give you a fatty liver leading the whole cascade of obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes.

…Not only does this dwarf, FrankenWheat, contain the super starch, but it also contains super gluten which is much more likely to create inflammation in the body…

… wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is the major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/02/13/three-hidden-ways-wheat-makes-you-fat/

And did you know that GM wheat already ousted the real one IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD?

Frankly, I didn’t.

For the vast expansion of GM wheat we have to thank, in particular, Norman Ernest Borlaug, an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate.

Borlaug received his Ph.D. in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942. He took up an agricultural research position in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties. Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India.

As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India.  Later in his life, he helped apply these methods of increasing food production to Asia and Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

The scientist had great intentions to feed the starving world. It worked short-term but also contaminated farming lands making them barren; destroyed traditional agricultural communities and made people sick. 

As a result the old-fashioned –i.e. real wheat became an exotic rarity. And therefore today, many nutritionists recommend to exclude gluten-containing products altogether without even explaining to their patients  that the problem is not with the food staple but with its industrial imposter. 

This simplification agrees perfectly with GM seed producers: they are not afraid to lose customers because not too many people are capable of rejecting wheat entirely.

I looked through several discussions on going gluten-free. Among a steam of enthusiastic confessions I noticed quite a few laments on difficulty adjusting to such a diet. The reasons are objective:

The modern dwarf mutant variant of Triticum aestivum (that our USDA urges us to eat more of) contains greater proportions of gluten proteins compared to wheat pre-1970.

Glutens are the source of wheat-derived exorphins. Beyond removing an exceptionally digestible carbohydrate that yields blood sugar rises higher than nearly any other known food (due to the unique amylopectin structure of wheat-derived carbohydrate), wheat withdrawal is a form of opiate withdrawal, somewhat like stopping heroin, Oxycontin, and other opiates. Stop eating whole wheat toast for breakfast, whole grain sandwiches for lunch, or whole grain pasta for dinner, and the flow of exorphins, i.e., exogenous morphine-like compounds, stops. You experience dysphoria (sadness, unhappiness), mental "fog," inability to concentrate, fatigue, and decreased capacity to exercise.

‘Heroin, Oxycontin, and a whole wheat bagel’ By Dr. William Davis:

http://www.medpedia.com/news_analysis/68-The-Heart-Scan-Blog/entries/62642-Heroin-Oxycontin-and-a-whole-wheat-bagel

So, mutant wheat makes us specifically addictive to it, which justifies the title of the above article 100%. 

The information regarding genetic status of organic wheat that is now available on the market is quite confusing as well. Some experts say that often wheat is called organic, but it is the same mutant (because old-fashioned grain is hard to find), just grown without pesticides.

The only reassurance I found on the following site:

http://www.worc.org/userfiles/OrganicWheatProduction8-04.pdf 

They say:

In order to advertise their crops as (USDA) certified organic, farmers must show that their crops are free of chemicals and genetically modified material.

My relief was unfortunately short-lived, because they also say:

Complete segregation of GM crops from conventional and organic crops cannot be guaranteed, so the introduction of a new GM crop could contaminate the organic food supply.

So, here we are:

•     Organic farmers straggle to give us wholesome food
•     Industrial giants make it difficult in ways more than one. Even if you plant organic, your crop can be contaminated by neighboring  ‘conventional’ fields.

The entire situation reminds me of science fiction stories I read in my youth (Ray Bradbury? Isaac Asimov?) : An elite group of world rulers have captured all the real food and keep it away from the rest of the population. These less fortunate are fed artificially created synthetic products. To avoid unrest the rulers convince people that synthetic food was totally superior to the dirty, rotting and stinking natural produce.

By the way, Norman Borlaug’s contribution to the world food supply was called ‘Green Revolution’.

I wish it was fiction.

Aging Liberates

Passing lately a hair salon at a local plaza I noticed a poster of young woman with beads in her hair. The advertisement said ‘hair bling’. 

‘Rubbish!’ – was my immediate reaction but then I checked myself. ‘Maybe it is not attractive for me now, but 30 years ago I might’ve jumped on the opportunity of having something like this on my head.‘

Is this a sign that I do not care how I look anymore?

In one smart and insightful article about aging the author made her point that aging liberates - men do not notice you anymore, so why bother (dying your hair or wearing heels).

With this for some reasons I could not agree.



Old Woman by Guido Reni



I think, I never looked at my femininity as a burden.

Since early teens it was a big part of my stride towards becoming the best person I could be. Looking good was not about pretense – rather about self-expression and certain bravado. 

In my prime femininity was my closest friend, bold and challenging at times, but also deeply rewarding. Perhaps that is why I feel no need to be liberated from it now in my late 50s.

Why should I relax or change direction if I am not tired living my life?

I also doubt that people ignore older women entirely. I think, they still notice us, just for different reasons - for our approval, or expertise for example.

It is quite interesting though, that a man can be bald or hairy, neat or totally unkempt and still be considered smart or important. With us women this evaluation is much more connected to the way we look.

A well-groomed and nicely dressed woman is often perceived also as  more competent. This effect was recently tested by giving the group of people pictures of the same women with and without makeup and asking them to indicate those who seemed smart.  The major conclusion was – those with reasonable makeup – i.e., who looked good.

I guess, by making an effort to look nice we send a message that we care about people around us, their opinions and what they are comfortable with. We let them know that they are important to us, as well as the particular occasion.

We also somehow expect an older lady who took time to make a hairdo and touch her lips with a hint of lipstick to be in a good mood.  I am not sure how it works, but a smile and even the anticipation of a smile makes us feel better.

So when we get older it is not that we should abandon an effort – just gradually change means.  

And on another note:

Several years ago the grandmother of my then son-in-law  came to our parts for a visit. She was in her 80s, recently diagnosed with advanced stage of cancer, and decided to see her grandchildren for the last time. Her life, as I heard, was no picnic - a working-class wife and mother who had survived Depression and war. She lost to cancer first – her husband, then - one after another - both of her daughters.

I expected to see a woman in deep despair, a human wreck.   Instead on my porch arrived a nice little lady with silver curls and French manicure. She enthusiastically tried a glass of wine and strong Turkish-style coffee my husband made for her. She also looked genuinely interested in our exotic stories about life in former USSR.

She died several months later, and many things happened since then. I think though, that her visit taught me a lesson on not just how to live but how to go.

It is quite possible that when we make an effort to the end, we actually extend our life through people's memory. Even - of distant people.

They may think about us years after with respect, gratitude or just with a smile.

Gains and Losses

In my mother’s last weeks with cancer my sister and I once met the lady manager of our apartment building. She enquired us about our mom and then said:

‘Your mother is blessed to have both daughters beside her!’

At that moment I was mostly impressed by the American way of finding good sides to any situation (Russian compassion would be typically expressed in graver terms).   

Later, however, the direct meaning of the remark caught my attention: indeed, those of us, who in the end are surrounded by the loving family, are lucky. Even if you have it to the last day, your siblings may be far away and head-over-heels busy.

But there is more to this picture than reassuring smiles and kind words. This is from the book I am currently reading:

 ‘…She took down extra pillow and quilts from the shelves, shoved the bed up to the window, and propped Eva where she could see the doings in the yard. She went back, put one syringe in the water, finished up the pies and put them in the oven, then brought a little tepid water in a cup for Eva to drink. She did drink, which was good, and her color was up. Her eyes brighter.’

‘The Master Butcher Singing Club’, by Luise Erdrich

Eva is a German immigrant, a butcher’s wife in the Prohibition era, who is dying of cancer.  ‘She’ – is her friend and neighbor, a younger woman without a profession, a high school dropout and daughter of a small town drunkard.  The woman earns her living by helping in the butcher shop. She also nurses Eva out of love and respect.

What is important, both these women are, in modern terms, ‘uneducated’. All their skills are limited to meeting household needs and taking care of others.

Frontier woman

The female characters in the book (as well as some women of the older generation, we know) are remarkable experts in what they do, but on the modern social scale their skills are evaluated very humble.  A woman today that stays at home and has no career aspirations is often considered not very bright, or lazy. She is almost expected to explain herself, and I know a few who feel inferior even for a temporary break in corporate career.   

On the other hand, the prestige of many professions, as well as their financial worth, notably devalues just because too many women are now pursuing them. 

Another sad social paradox. 

But there is a third side to the situation that bothers me most: what we have lost by persistently disengaging women with humble family matters.

…Those bright and creative, who a century ago channeled their natural observance and smarts into making life around them comfortable and dignified…

…Those strong and daring, who kept their loved ones safe and, by their own everyday example, taught children to face life challenges and to persevere…

Now, when we need a fraction of their domestic expertise we go to specialists.

Well, to do what an uneducated neighbor in the extract above did for Eva, we would need the services of:

A certified nurse (preferably, 24-7)

A personal chef (specifically instructed to make everything from scratch)

A skillful housekeeper - to maintain things that poor Eva could not do anymore for her family of five

But even if one has money to pay for all the above, a certain ingredient would still be missing – that is, the whole-hearted care.

It just cannot be bought!

This is not so, because there are good and bad nurses, or good and bad housekeepers, but because development of ‘thick skin’ is an unavoidable stage of professional maturity. You either suffer with every client of yours, destroying your mental and physical health, or you figure out the ways of protecting yourself during your job and - of getting over it, as soon as the job is done. 

This genuine care is not even a component, but rather the binding agent that turns detached impersonal services with all their ‘9-to-5’ limitations, lack of ‘current knowledge’  and ‘honest human mistakes’ into the adjusted to a tee, living and breathing supporting system.

It makes mother a better doctor than a member of the medical academy and - a better cook than French chef.       

Quietly women did it for centuries turning wilderness into civilization and chaos – into live. But the appreciation of society was elsewhere, and in search for this appreciation many started seeking more respected roles, leaving traditional occupations behind or delegating them to machines and services.

Now we take a pill for every ailment and battle child obesity.

Besides other, more material reasons, this is also the price we pay for the deeply rooted in modern culture look down on clothes mending, floor scrubbing and lullaby singing. 

Victorian Lady

While our other cat, Max had already been a character of several emotionally charged posts of mine, Masia seems to never evoke any commotion and, consequently, gives no reason to rejoice when a dramatic event is over. 

She is more like a quiet, steady glow that brings you warmth so reliably - you start expecting it and, to be honest, take it for granted.   

In this respect Masia reminds me of a Victorian-era lady, who was supposed to be talked about only twice in her life: when she was getting married and when she died.  

And like a Victorian lady, Masia is essentially feminine – practical, cautious and eloquently verbal for a cat.

She smartly spreads our attentions through the day – sitting on my husband’s lap through most of his working hours and sleeping at my shoulder at night. She jumps on my side of the bed in the middle of the night, smelling of fresh outdoor air, fir tree needles and grass (or snow in winter). And if this did not wake me up, she produces a short assertive ‘murk’-like sound to let me know that she has arrived and is ready for being hugged and stroked.  

As much as I do not like to be abruptly wakened up, I am never irritated by her maneuvers, as the very next moment my face is immersed in soft and fuzzy roundness of her belly. It purrs and vibrates, and I have a completely scientifically-unfounded feeling that listening to a cat’s purr through its belly is particularly therapeutic.

Another lovely trick of hers – to place the pads of her front paws on my face. They feel like tiny leather cushions. My husband saw us many times fast asleep together, with two little paws neatly pressed against my cheeks.  And though I am well aware of the sharp claws hiding inside those cute cushions, which she might unleash in panic (and panicky she gets easily from any abrupt or unfamiliar sound), I take the risk. A couple of scratches could hardly  damage much a 57-year-old face.

It is in Masia’s nature to trust no one, and I mean - NO ONE. Each and every situation she must explore herself and make her own conclusions, as to how safe the things are.

Only selected few of our family and friends have actually seen her.

When an outsider enters our house she is already in deep hiding. But we have noticed that through the years she made a huge progress toward accepting new people. For example, lately she started appearing in front of certain guests, if they were fairly quiet and after they have been in our house for couple of hours.

Each time this happens we feel proud that in our care she became so brave and worldly (from a wild and scared kitten she had been). We usually rush to explain to the lucky guest, what a transformation is witnessed here, though not always our excitement is shared.

We also shower the particular guest with sincere complements on his/her goodness, because we believe that Masia would never show herself to a person of questionable qualities.

 I suspect, though, that some of our visitors think of us as little-bit cat-crazy.  

As I said, Masia is remarkably vocal. To us she speaks in practically every other way but words. According to her shelter record Masia is a mud described as ‘black DLH’, where LH – probably stand for ’long hair’ and D – I have no idea for. But my theory is that she resembles Angora cats, which are renowned communicators.

Anyway, Angora or not, her intonations are so unmistakably clear that made me thinking of words as slightly overrated. We also noticed that Max who had used to silently tap on the window when wanted us to open it, eventually started supporting his demand with a meow.  Apparently this more efficient way of grabbing our attention  he learned from Masia.

There are skeptics who say that pets are easy to love, because they are primitive and we do not have high expectations of them.

Well yes, they teach us to be more accepting and less judgmental.

But the longer I observe my cats, the more I am convinced that in a stride to perfection they are way ahead of us: they have better sense of balance and danger, they see in the dark, they do not need to cloth themselves and their saliva is antibacterial. The list can be continued.   

Still we love them not for their perfections but rather for their vulnerabilities. It grants us the privilege of being their protectors.

Maybe God loves us the same way - simply because we are fragile.

Minor Side-Effects

Something was always  troubling me about so-called 'minor' side-effects of medications, though I never could clearly verbalize it. Then in the P. Weintraub article (see Statins and More) I read that certain drugs cause

‘…reduced energy and a lack of interest in activity, increased fatigue after exercise, erectile dysfunction…’

It just made me realize that many modern medications, which sole purpose is  ‘to control a condition’, or ‘to improve one’s quality of life’ in fact do nothing of the kind!

For the moment let’s disregard that such drugs are not intended to cure - with this old-fashioned and naïve idea I parted years ago. So, because they are incapable of curing modern drugs are largely focused on alleviating symptoms (see… practically any doctor-related posting of mine).

And though frantically trying to avoid pills myself, I always hesitated criticizing those who were not, as for many people medication might be the only way to manage through the day.   

Regarding possible side-effects I used to think like this:

‘As long as I am generally healthy I naturally do not want to put up with minor discomforts. But if my life were at stake, I might become much more tolerant to such things.‘

When I started reading fine prints more attentively it hit me that side-effects of modern drugs may be much more damaging then they seem.   

For example, when they warn you of ‘possible dizziness’ – it means - you might abandon your regular walks (out of fear to lose balance and fall).  Dizziness is also likely to lower appetite and weaken the determination to follow clean and healthy diet:

This is not easy to do even when you feel OK. Now imagine trying to eat right when you are nauseous and your taste buds are all confused.

When a drug instruction mentions such effects as ‘reduced energy and… increased fatigue after exercise’ – it means that your resolution to exercise regularly would be additionally and powerfully obstructed.  

It all looks like not a big deal, but healthy diet and exercise are exactly the factors that help body to heal: to strengthen its immune system, to increase metabolism, to suppress inflammation. This way diet and exercise contribute to prevention and reduction of practically all modern debilitating diseases!

Well, because of the side-effects of medications, people who need lifestyle changes most are particularly hindered in making these changes!

Quite a paradox.

Have you ever tried working out with an inflammatory back ache? 

Yoga, by the way, is highly beneficial against muscle inflammation. It increases blood circulation and flashes toxins out of your body.

But doing yoga with aching back or shoulder is hard. Almost every asana that you did with mindless ease hundreds of times turns into a pretty painful challenge. And it may take some time (weeks at least) to calm things down.

I know people who discontinued yoga for months in such conditions.

Even a zealous yogi would hesitate to work out while feeling ‘dizzy’ or ‘overly fatigued’ – that is, experiencing the most innocent of the common  medication side-effects.

It would present an even tougher challenge for a sedentary-living person. Would such a person dare to start exercising in these circumstances? I doubt it.

I also wonder how many people around me are driving every day with ‘minor cramps’, or ‘light markers of depression’ and other disregarded attention deficit inducers...

So it looks like the impact of drugs with minor side-effects basically comes to this:

Regular consumption of chemicals without cure

Experiencing all sorts of discomfort and having difficulty performing everyday tasks

Inability to assist natural healing processes

And then there are such effects as ‘lack of sex drive’ and ‘erectile dysfunction’ that do not physically hurt but may impact your life on a fundamental level.  

Who decided that these things are 'minor'?  

Statins and More

For quite a while I hesitated sharing my cholesterol doubts, thinking it could be perceived as yet another sample of my unconventional and anti-doctors views.

But then, and after the last posting had already been done, I came across an article ‘The Other Drug Problem’ by Pamela Weintraub. It was not only about cholesterol medications but also regarding high blood pressure treatments, anti-acids and more. This article changed my feelings completely:  

First of all, I realized that there is nothing original in my concerns – they are shared by many and are well grounded. According to Weintraub the issue is actually way deeper and is explored there in detail.

For a moment I even regretted my previous posting’s amateur reasoning, I wished, I could’ve simply put a string to this article instead. The problem was, I read it too late, and also – there was no electronic address underneath it in the Experience Life magazine.

Here I must say a few words about this magazine. And I am not encouraged in any way to do so. It is simply good. I paid little attention to it at first, because it started coming for free when we became Lifetime Fitness club members (I even threw several issues into recycling without opening).

But being quite skeptical at the beginning about this ‘auxiliary fitness promoter’ I was pleasantly surprised by sensitive and unbias health-related information I found there.

In this respect the Experience Life is in perfect contrast with the Whole Living - the magazine I‘ve been subscribing for several years. It started out as Organic Living with high standards on the ideas they promoted and products they recommended. But after it was bought by Martha Steward it became just another unscrupulous advertising engine.  

Feeling determined to share the information of the article by Pamela Weintraub I encircled several extracts in it and then surmised to go to the magazine's website. Isn’t it nice that every regular publication has a website nowadays?

I found the article right there!

I decided to copy the encircled extracts anyway, so that my effort and enthusiasm was not wasted. And then if someone is interested, the string to more information is below.

About the side-effects of statins and other drugs:

‘The Statin Study Group, directed by University of California at San Diego (UCSD) physician and scientist Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, who says:

Three common classes of prescription drugs in the United States — statins for reducing cholesterol, angiotensin II antagonists for lowering blood pressure, and proton pump inhibitors for reducing stomach acid — can all cause side effects worse than the problems they aim to treat. And the symptoms caused by one drug may necessitate the use of the others.’

Regarding the so-called 'minor side-effects' of statins (and other drugs) that were never paid much attention to:

‘…reduced energy and a lack of interest in activity, increased fatigue after exercise, erectile dysfunction…’

“In these studies, the decrease in death from heart disease was fully offset by increases in violent death from suicide, homicide and accident,” (Golomb)

‘A 2010 study published in The Lancet Oncology, for instance, reported an increase in cancer diagnoses among ARB users. Other side effects include headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, nasal congestion, back and leg pain, and diarrhea. And, while rare, side effects such as kidney failure, liver failure, allergic reaction, a drop in white blood cells and localized swelling of tissues (angioedema) can all be fatal.’

On the biasness of medical studies financed by the pharmaceutical industry:

‘As Golomb notes, clinical studies designed to prove the efficacy of a certain drug have inherent limitations, particularly as it relates to examining safety.’
‘Underlying their marketing strategy is a host of scientific studies that “exaggerate positive results and bury negative ones,” says Shannon Brownlee, author of Overrated: Why Too Much Medicine is Making Us Sicker and Poorer (Bloomsbury USA, 2007).’

On high blood pressure:

‘…while doctors routinely treat patients with mild to moderate systolic pressure of 140 to 160, it is only for those with moderate to severe hypertension — people with blood pressure over 160, the top 5 percent of the curve — that “we get a modest bang for our buck. Between 140 and 160 there is no good evidence that the benefits outweigh the harm,” James M. Wright, says.’

On the concept of medical prevention by giving drugs to healthy people:

‘According to internist and clinical pharmacologist James M. Wright, MD, PhD, professor at the University of British Columbia, statins have no proven net health benefit as a preventive.’

The Other Drug Problem

By Pamela Weintraub / April 2011

http://www.experiencelife.com/issues/april-2011/wellness/the-other-drug-problem.php

With the last and so popular concept I had a personal encounter (see Health Advocate Wanted).  Still I think, there is much more to discuss about it. 

Who is Afraid of Suzanne Somers

Before we discontinued cable TV I saw her quite often, mostly on QVC or some other shopping network.  Then she was on Oprah show describing her anti-aging regimen.  The camera had shown a battery of plastic cups filled with pills that she took regularly and sworn by.  It looked slightly odd but I deeply sympathize with a cancer survivor on her journey to sustaining health. 

Suzanne Somers on the Oprah show

Lately I saw Somers again in “60 minutes” that was dedicated to her book ‘Knockout’ about doctors providing alternative cancer cures. Though being not a fan or follower, I was still struck by the attermost rejection of it by conventional medicine.

Our praised political correctness was nowhere in sight.

The representatives of the mainstream medical science interviewed in the episode explained that no success story can prove effectiveness of the treatment or approach, because all these successes are subjective, and could’ve been resulted from other factors (misdiagnosis, other treatments taken in parallel, etc.) Personal success stories are usually called anecdotes and are not admitted as scientific evidence. Only clinical studies can be admitted as such.

Not trusting my amateur understanding I checked the term in several dictionaries and on relevant Internet sites. According to them a clinical study (trial or protocol) is a thoroughly documented testing provided on a group of volunteers. The results are obtained via monitoring certain measurable parameters and comparing them to similar parameters in the group taking placebo.

It looks like such an approach excludes subjective judgment and coincidental reactions. But does it really?

Is the possibility of misdiagnosis not applicable to participants in a clinical study, or a possibility of alternative (or other) treatment taken in parallel clandestinely or unconsciously?

 We know that emotional support can be a powerful weapon against despair and thus, - a contributor to successful healing. But is it possible to make all the participants in a trial getting such support in equal (measurable) portions?  How about different lifestyles and medical history that are also difficult to reliably measure? Besides, there are multiple evidences of placebo being as effective as the tested drug.

And to make things worse we hear all too often of drugs thoroughly tested and FDA approved yet shown in years of application no sizable benefits (though caused dangerous side-effects.)

All these weaknesses of even the most unbiased medical trials are well known, still the representatives of mainstream science  demonstrate unshakable superiority. They are science. Others are charlatans.  

...The actress who usually projects a rather gregarious and flamboyant personality this time was uncommonly reserved. In response to accusations in incompetency she did not mention any of the issues above, just asked:

‘Why then so little success is gained against cancer in almost a century of research?’ 

Somers’ opponents were not intimidated by the question. They looked confident and comfortable replying that some progress had been made, in particular, not all (?!) the drugs of the 70s are still in use today. 

Indeed with no goals or timelines ever been set and no real competition to mind such a progress may qualify as totally fine.

And feeling so, the major scholarly concern is not about lack of their achievements but rather with the possibility of people being misguided by the books like Somers’. They worry that some of her readers might decide against conventional treatment and that would be detrimental to their health. 

Here I would like some help to check the logic. Please, tell me where I make a mistake:

      Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in our part of the world.

      Success of modern science against it is still modest, which means that MANY PATIENTS DIE AFTER CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS.

 Why then the decision to do something else is considered fatal?

Mrs. Somers did what all of us do when we straggled for a solution (medical, or other) for a long time, and finally found it – we rush to share the good news with our family and friends. By doing so we expect no other rewards than seeing someone else benefited from it. Today with the advantages of the Internet we can share our little victories with virtually the entire world.

There must be something good in this!

Of course, no health-related information should be trusted without questioning. And Somers’ book is no exception from this rule.  But nowadays we all need to learn processing information and taking the responsibility for our decisions.

Because, frankly, no one else would.

So here is the link to another information  regarding healing cancer naturally:

http://greensmoothiesblog.com/cancer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenSmoothiesBlog+%28Green+Smoothies+Blog+by+Victoria+Boutenko%29

It is from the blog that I follow. Check it if you know someone who may need it.

Max in Winter

In summer our cats Max and Masia are pretty much look-alikes. Though they are not blood-related, there is a reason why they resemble each other (see “Our Furry Stress Busters - 2” for explanation). 

But somewhere around Thanksgiving Max starts to expand. While Masia seems not to be impacted by dropping temperatures (she remains sleek and elegant), Max becomes more and more furry.

“Look at me, just look at me! What am I supposed to do with all this fur?”

He is not happy about it and about things in general.

The first time he saw snow he was very enthusiastic. He lifted up his little flat face so that it was practically parallel to the sky and tried to figure out where these white things were falling from. He also chased them around the deck.

But then he realized that green grass was gone and with it – chipmunks, and baby moles, and mice, and rabbits. He had no one to play with and to chase after. He was disappointed.  

And I got a strong impression that he blamed me for all these unfortunate changes.

I guess his logic was the following: as I was, in his opinion, the person responsible for all important things in our house (such as, food and comfort) then, I also should have been the one who controlled weather. He was incapable of preventing me from spoiling it, but at least, he could show me his uncompromised disapproval.

I did what all the arrogant adults do around unhappy minors – pretended that I was unaware of his feelings. I joined everyone in patting him and telling him how cute he was, because he was awfully cute in spite of his attitude.

When he entered the room as a scowled furry cloud on short paws people usually reacted “Whoa-a!” and rushed to touch and pull at him. 

In the early February his fur turned to felt. Once rubbing his belly I noticed an egg-size spot of bare skin. The spot was accurately oval and had a pink tint that seemed inappropriate. I rushed to my computer to make a quick research on feline skin problems.

First of all, I must warn everyone – never do any research in panic. But if you did (I probably would anyway) please, do not trust your conclusions. Because in such state of mind all  scary conditions look exactly like the one you are researching. 

I was convinced that Max got ringworm. When (and where) I grew up this condition was considered extremely contagious and impacted cats were not even treated. They were…

In the vet hospital my husband and I were reassured that it was not the case anymore. Max was promised doctor’s attention even though he had no prior appointment.

Waiting for the doctor in the lobby with Max in the carrier on my lap, I was  watching  very well-behaved big dogs with their owners passing by. Dogs looked like they did not mind it, even the one with front paw in cast and in plastic bag wrapped around it.  Its owner was deservingly relaxed and smiling.

I was neither. I worried that Max was scared and tried to cover the carrier with my puffy parka sleeves so that he could not see the dogs. But he did not need to see them to know - they were there. Max also sensed my anxiety (cats can do this). From time to time he screamed and tried to get out. This added to my neurosis which added to his…

When finally we got into the doctor’s office we both were shaken and Max did not want to behave. He lashed his claws at anyone approaching him. The doctor offered a sedative shot for Max and I asked one for me. Everyone (except Max) laughed.

It was not ringworm – just fur peeled away by excessive self-grooming. The doctor trimmed it a little and we took Max home enormously relieved. I mean my husband and me, because Max was still very upset.

So much so, that he peed in the car on our way home. He was still in the carrier on my knees when it happened. I remember being surprised that the smell of his urine was actually much lighter than the one coming from the litter box.

But with regard to the cause of the accident my husband and I  disagree completely. I think, it was Max’s reaction to stress, while my husband is adamant that Max had just to hold it for too long being  away from his litter through the ordeal.

I guess, he can not admit such a weakness in a male member of our family.

Some More WWM

For those who did not read my previous posting – WWM (What Works for Me) - are little arrangements that help me against food cravings. 

Here are some more WWM as promised:

Healthy snack: You would probably have it anyway, so a little extra effort to have a healthy one could actually increase guilt-free enjoyment.

Once or twice a day I like to munch on something plant-based, crunchy and long-lasting (to stretch the pleasure). Some people prefer carrots or trail mix, my snack of choice is radish.

I do not remember liking it much in my childhood. In fact, traditionally we snacked on apples, maybe due to their availability. I had radishes only in season and in salads, because on their own I found them quite bitter.

After we stopped eating meat I developed a real addiction to radishes. When I crunch them, you can show me chocolate cake or melting triple Sundae – not tempted! And they are never bitter for me anymore – just slightly poignant.

Wait after dinner: There is another rule I try to follow – waiting half an hour after a meal for the feeling of satiety. Nutritionists say that when your portions are more or less reasonable, you can expect to be satisfied in a while even if you did not feel it right after dinner.

I noticed however, that cravings might last more than half an hour, so I give myself a whole hour before making any decisions. If I still feel like eating after that I would not hesitate grabbing something – I am not a saint!

And another observation: whether I snacked after dinner or not, when it is finally bed time, my stomach calms down anyway. I guess, you either want to eat or to sleep - never both.

Being an early bird I am fully aware that this trick may not be working for the night owls who feel most hungry late in the evening. This difference in human dynamics is totally mysterious for me and I would not dare suggesting that those who tend to wake up late must simply change their habits.

There should be a  reason for such a strong distinction between these two categories.

Some alterations, though, are doable and advisable as many of us need to start early on a working day anyway. And based on the experiences of the owls I personally know regular breakfast makes such shift much easier.

No cooking shows in the evening: This is a little-bit outdated restriction, because I am rarely inspired by cooking shows nowadays. I see all tricks of the trade used by  TV chefs  – excessive list of ingredients  which they mix in surprising combinations, oil and butter casually thrown in one pan, charcoaled garlic “just for flavor”, fistfuls of salt sparingly added and far from healthy appearance of the cooking gurus themselves.  

But there was a time when I was much excited to see these shows. Well aware of the effect they had on me I used to bargain with myself: “I will only check who is there”, “This is a healthy food show”, “I need inspirations to expand my menu”.

But no matter what smart reason I would come with, the results were always the same – I felt like eating what I saw, or… just, anything.

Being seduced by cooking shows many times I decided to never watch them unless armed with a bowl of radishes (see above). And after a while it became clear to me that in most of the cases those recipes were not wholesome!

Have a nice alternative: I also share the common opinion that you should not eat after 7 p.m. or at least three hours before going to bed. Sometimes, though, it can make you anxious: “No food until tomorrow - this is too long!”

For such a case I like to have something pleasant to look forward to, for example, a delightful book on my bedside table, so instead of feeling bad I can anticipate happy reading.

Strategy of diverting activities: Another trick of mine – diverting physical and other activities strategically placed along the day that keep your appetite down and mind – occupied.

Physical activities like yoga class or dancing lesson have two additional benefits: they protect you from overeating before (you really do not want to do yoga on a full stomach!), and right after the activity  - it usually takes at least 30 min. to bring the appetite back. These sober minutes may be used for planning a sensible meal.

And finally -  remember that you will probably fail now and then. It is just better to be prepared than to feel powerless and disappointed. For situations like this specialists in nutrition (or maybe in psychology?) suggest to sincerely forgive yourself and start tomorrow from scratch.