Placebo for Kids

I normally don't watch the Today Show, but for some reason, I had it on this morning while I was getting ready for work. What I saw really disturbed me. They had a woman and her husband on (Jennifer and Dennis Buettner) who have created a placebo company named Efficacy Brands. Mrs. Buettner had the idea for this company while taking care of her niece who suffered from hypochondria. She reasoned that her niece and other kids could benefit from taking placebo pills for small ailments because if they took a pill (thinking it was medication), they would feel better...thinking the medication was working in their bodies (aka: the placebo affect).

On the Today Show, I was glad to see Matt Lauer and the medical expert tell of how dangerous these placebo pills could be for the kids as they grow into adults because of their dependency on pills for all their ills (my words, not the shows). They explained that if kids get used to popping a pill every time they had any little thing wrong with them, our "pill-popping society" would become even worse. AMEN, MATT LAUER!!! The Buettner's countered with the idea that this would keep people off of medication because they would be taking placebo and not potentially dangerous medications.

I disagree. Matt Lauer and the show's expert had it right...our kids are already WAY too dependent on medication (as are our adults), and we're going to start making it worse by LYING to them and telling them we're giving them medicine and by teaching them that a pill can fix everything. SOMETHING IS MAJORLY WRONG WITH THIS IDEA! This is SO dangerous!
I was so so upset as I watched the interview. The sad thing is, a lot of people will buy into this and start giving their kids these placebo pills. Again, I think a tiny bit of what they're doing is good. I think they have good intentions, but I think their good intentions are going to bring very dangerous consequences. The only good thing about this idea is that the kids aren't taking dangerous meds. The super bad thing is that THEY WILL as they get older.

To read the whole story, check out this article I found from the NY Times:

Experts Question Placebo Pill for Children

My favorite excerpt from the article:

...some doctors worry that giving children “medicine” for every ache and pain teaches that every ailment has a cure in a bottle.

“Kids could grow up thinking that the only way to get better is by taking a pill,” Dr. Brody said. If they do that, he added, they will not learn that a minor complaint like a scraped knee or a cold can improve on its own.

Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist who studies placebos at the Stanford School of Medicine, said conditioning children to reach for relief in a pill could also make them easy targets for quacks and pharmaceutical pitches later. “They used to sell candied cigarettes to kids to get them used to the idea of playing with cigarettes,” he said.

Wouldn't This Be a Miracle?

According to an article I found on yahoonews.com, the FDA is being urged to offer a free hotline where patients can call and report serious side effects that they have experienced as a result of medication. Health experts said the hotline should be "mentioned in television commercials and also needs to be more widely promoted on pill bottles and pharmacy packaging."

'"You've got to make it real easy for folks to report this information," Cheryl Holt, a University of Alabama professor of preventive medicine, said at a meeting held to discuss the FDA's hotline for complications.'

To read the whole article, click on the title below:

FDA urged to push hotline for side effects

This should have been done LONG AGO. The FDA needs to stop looking the other way and do something to make serious medical side effects known to the general public. That's what they are paid to do, right?

Powerful Video

Turn YOUR Power On

Our office slogan is simple, "Is your power on?"
Though a simple sentence, it signifies something much more important...the nerve system and the power that God put in each of our bodies to heal.
Our slogan asks the question plainly and simply, "Is your power on?" You see, when your spine moves out of alignment, or subluxates, it causes pressure and damage in your central nervous system, and your body is not able to heal as it should. Think of it this way, your spinal cord is like a water hose. When that water hose kinks (by bones which have moved out of alignment), the life that flows from your brain, out the nerves, to all the organs and tissues in your body is unable to flow as it should...just like a water hose that kinks as it's going out to your garden. If it goes undetected, your garden will not get the water that it needs for life and will wither as a result. Your body is the same way. When subluxations go undetected, your body withers.

Check out this great article from best-selling author, Ben Lerner. He explains the importance of having your power turned on and gives some scientific facts about the spine and how it relates to the overall health and healing of your body.

Here's the article:

Vitalism--Turn Your Power On!

Do You Understand Drug Commercials?

I can't tell you how excited I am to see this article on Cnn News:

Do Consumers Understand Drug Ads?

Every time I turn on the t.v., I see commercial after commercial telling me that I need a drug to handle everything I experience: from colds to arthritis to trouble socializing. Literally, there are commercials advertising for everything under the sun. It's incredibly disheartening.

According to this article, drug makers spend 5 BILLION a year directly marketing their drugs to YOU and YOUR families. Even more troubling is that it seems to be working. For every $1,000 the drug companies spend, 24 new presciptions are filled, that according to the House Commerce Committee.

"That's a feature common to most drug ads: they leave you confused about the information. The FDA states that DTC commercials must present a "fair balance" of the benefits and side effects of a drug, but it's obvious most don't. Drug ads are, not surprisingly, meant to sell products, not scare consumers off, so they're notorious for careening quickly through the obligatory list of the medication's risks."

I hope you realize this when you're watching your favorite show and these commercials come on. The drug companies don't want you to notice the possible dangerous side effects. They want you to focus on the magical qualites of their "wonder drugs". Ha! Read the article on Cnn.com/health to see all the psychology that goes into making drug commercials. They even have an example to show; a one-minute ad from Merck/Schering-Plough's cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin." They spend a lot of time and money figuring out how to distort the facts. Nice, right? Does that give you confidence in that new wonder drug you just got a prescription filled for?

Check out the article to see the "eye-opening data on several DTC drug ads" and how the stacked up. What you read may surprise you. It surprised me, and I've been studying this stuff for a few years.

Other people are noticing these insane drug ads. Check out this Saturday Night Live spoof of the drug "Annuale" meant to poke fun at a very real birth control pill, Seasonale.

The Cure For Cancer

If you're like me, you know at least one person with cancer or who has battled cancer in the past (if you're really like me, you probably know several). It's CRAZY how prevalent it is these days. Check out this powerful article written by Dr. Dan Yachter:

The Cure for Cancer

Let's get healthy the natural way!

Powerful Testimony About Twins' Overdose

Actor Dennis Quaid testified before the House Committee on Wednesday about how his newborn twins came dangerously close to death after an overdose of the blood-thinning medication, Heparin. He faults the drug company for not recalling bottles that were easily confused. The drug companies had previous problems because of the easily confused bottles.

Here are some stand-out quotes from the article:

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-California, said, "This is exactly the wrong time for the FDA to say, 'Trust us.' As a result of chronic underfunding and weak leadership, FDA's ability to protect the public is plummeting."

..instead of the 10 units of heparin they were supposed to receive, the twins received 10,000 units, 1,000 times the prescribed amount. The babies survived, apparently with no permanent injury, Quaid told members of Congress, although no one knows whether they will show any long-term effects.

In researching the incident, Quaid told lawmakers he found that the bottles of 10-unit Hep-Lock and 10,000-unit heparin were "virtually indistinguishable." Both drugs are manufactured by Baxter Healthcare.

He also learned that the labels' similarity led to an overdose of infants at an Indianapolis, Indiana, hospital in 2006. Three babies died and three were injured. Four months after that incident, he said, Baxter sent a warning to hospitals regarding the potential for mistakes. Seven months after that, Baxter received permission to change the labels. However, Quaid said, Baxter failed to recall the previous bottles that were in hospitals.

To read the whole article, click the title below:

ACTOR TELLS HOUSE PANEL OF NEWBORN TWINS' OVERDOSE

I applaud Dennis Quaid for refusing to remain silent about this HUGE problem. Pharmaceutical companies need to take responsibility for their actions. Maybe this case, and Quaid's celebrity, will shine a much needed light on the errors of Big Pharma. I just hate this had to come as a result of a near death experience from newborn twins.

Study Shows HALF of Americans On Drugs

"For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows."

Ok, people...this is HALF of all insured Americans...HALF! That is a HUGE deal.

To read the full article, click on the title below:

Study: Half of Americans on Medicine

A couple of stand-out quotes:

"...there is the pharmaceutical industry's relentless advertising. With those factors unlikely to change, doctors say the proportion of Americans on chronic medications can only grow."

Why are there not laws restricting drug companies from all this ENDLESS advertising???

"'Unless we do things to change the way we're managing health in this country ... things will get worse instead of getting better," predicted Jones, a heart specialist and dean of the University of Mississippi's medical school."

"Americans buy much more medicine per person than any other country."

"Dr. Robert Epstein, chief medical officer at Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Medco, said he sees both bad news and good in the findings. "Honestly, a lot of it is related to obesity," he said. "We've become a couch potato culture (and) it's a lot easier to pop a pill" than to exercise regularly or diet."

AMEN.

Shine a Light On Drug Industry's Influence

Drug marketing is out of control. Help send a message to Congress. Support the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which will require drug companies to publicly report their gifts and payments to doctors. Drug companies spend at least $25 billion each year marketing to doctors. We pay for that with every drug we buy. By increasing transparency, the Sunshine Act will help protect patients and help counter the skyrocketing costs of drugs. Sponsored by: National Coalition for Appropriate Prescribing.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/sunshine

Generation RX

Check out this trailer for a new documentary, "Generation RX". The trailer is only 3 1/2 minutes. It's worth the time. This movie looks like a must see for Channing and me. I hope you'll see it too.

Scientist Speaks Out About the HPV Vaccine

Want to hear what a top scientist has to say about the Gardasil vaccine? If you have a daughter or have been considering getting the vaccine yourself, you need to watch this video:

HPV Scientist Speaks Out

A super stand-out quote from this interview came from Dr. Harper, "We don't know yet what's going to happen when millions of doses of the vaccine have been given and to put in process a place that says you must have this vaccine, it means you must be part of a big public experiment. So we can't do that until we have more data."

This quote came from a doctor PAID BY MERCK. If this person is paid by Merck, yet still feels the need to share the possible dangers, we need to listen!

Do you want to trust Merck? The company who uses ghost-writers to write about the "safety" of their medications? The same company who was found by the FDA to have contaminated vaccines in their factory? Yes, that's the same Merck who wants to mandate this vaccine for our little girls. Makes no sense to me.

Here is a news story about more concern over the vaccine:

CBS4 I-Team: Vaccine Concern Part 1

CBS4 I-Team: Vaccine Concern Part 2

Alcohol Raises Cancer Risk

A new study out of Austrailia shows that women who consume just two alcoholic beverages a day and men who consume four increase their risk of mouth cancer by a whopping 75%! Bowel cancer by 64%! And when it comes to women, breast cancer by 22%!

You can read the story here:

Study: Alcohol Raises Cancer Risk in Men and Women

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18, NIV

Yet Another Reason to Breastfeed

Both my boys breastfed exclusively for the first six months of their lives (for exclusive honesty purposes, I will say that Asher probably had three formula bottles somewhere in the first six months...and that may be stretching it). Asher actually had very little solid food until he turned a year old. He predominantly nursed.
For those who don't know what breastfeeding exclusively is, it is simply this...the baby breastfeeds only...no cereal, formula, or solids. There are numerous studies showing the health benefits for children who nurse, but here is a new study that shows that if you are able to breastfeed your baby...YOU SHOULD. Check it out:

Study: Long-Term Breast-Feeding Will Raise Child's IQ

Is Your Power On?

For those of you who have always wondered about chiropractic and if it could help you, check out this video from Dr. Dan Yachter. He is an awesome wellness chiropractor in Florida. He does a great job of explaining exactly what wellness chiropractors do and why everyone should get their spines checked.

Do You Use Nasal Spray?

If so, you may want to check out this story I found on Fox News:

Patients Detail Horrors of Nasal Spray Dependency

I had a friend in high school who said he was addicted to nasal spray. I thought he was kidding...

10% of Kids in U.S. Are Still Using Cough Medicine EVERY WEEK

Despite all the dangers that have headlined the news and the studies that have shown that cough medicine is ineffective, one in every 10 kids in the U.S. are still using cough medicine weekly.

'"Given concerns about potential harmful effects and lack of evidence proving that these medications are effective in young children, the fact that 1-in-10 U.S. children is using one of these medications is striking," study author Dr. Louis Vernacchio, an assistant professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.'

Check out the article on yahoonews.com:

10% of U.S. Kids Using Cough Medicine Every Week

Check out this video for The Dangers of Cough Medicine:

The Dangers of Cough Syrup for Young Children

This was in the news in January:

FDA: Over-the-Counter Cold Meds Too Risky for Babies

If your child has a persistent cough, try peroxide in the ears or honey. Honey has been proven to work in many situations, and it is completely natural! As for the peroxide, I have used it with Tristan, and it worked miraculously.

Anti-Psychotic Drugs Being Used by Our Sweet Babies...By Prescription!

I found this article this morning on CNN's Health site. Although this isn't really news to me, it may be to you.

Study: Anti-psychotic drug use soars among U.S. and U.K. kids

And let me make things clear...this article isn't talking about high school kids who are taking these drugs for recreation (which is a whole other post). These are our sweet little children being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs!!! The article states that, according to a comparison study with the U.K., "American children take anti-psychotic medicines at about six times the rate of children in the United Kingdom." WAY TO GO, AMERICA! Something to really be proud of, huh? We're filling our kids full of anti-psychotic drugs! Fabulous!

According to the article, experts say that both countries are OVER-PRESCRIBING drugs that have not been proven safe for children!!! Check out this excerpt:

"The new U.K. study, involving 1992-2005 health records of more than 16,000 children, is the first large examination of these drugs in U.K. children. It found the increase was mostly in medicines that haven't been officially approved for kids. They were most commonly prescribed for behavior and conduct disorders, which include attention deficit disorder."

Ok, so let me clear this up. Drugs are being prescribe to kids for "behavior and conduct disorders." Hmmmm...that's funny. Seems to me, the Bible has plenty to say about what to do with behavior and conduct disorders, and nowhere did I see to prescribe drugs for these problems. We have got to discipline our kids...not drug them!!!

Are you interested in any of the side effects of these drugs? Let me enlighten you:

"Side effects including weight gain, nervous-system problems and heart trouble have been reported in children using these drugs and there's little long-term evidence about whether they're safe for them, the study authors said."

Ok, stop here. Weight gain. Cause your children to gain weight. That will do a lot for their self-esteem. I'm sure they'll act just right then. Nervous system problems...hmmmm....your CNS controls all the functions of your body. Yeah, let's mess that one up! Heart trouble....do I really need to say anything about that???

And now, a super stand-out quote from the article:
'"I find it really interesting that we're now seeing increases in other countries besides the U.S., which suggests that the magnitude of this issue is global," said Cooper, also an author of the 2004 U.S. study'

Please forgive me for this post laden with sarcasm. I am just so tired of seeing our sweet innocent kids filled full of dangerous and unnecessary medications. I understand, some of these kids are being given medications for autism (which I believe is directly related to the dangerous chemicals in vaccines. In essence, drug companies are making drugs to moderate the problems they created, which, as you can see from the article, are only causing more health problems. Thus, MORE DRUGS!). I don't have an autistic child, so I cannot begin to imagine what those parents go through. However, I have seen lots of information about natural methods for treating autism, including nutrition and therapy.

Other kids are being treated with anti-psychotic drugs because of hyperactivity. I don't even know what to say about that. There is SO MUCH information out there that explains the causes of hyperactivity. Some include television shows, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, lack of discipline, etc. I have taught kids who were on these anti-psychotic drugs, and they were like zombies. It is heart-breaking!
For more natural methods of treating ADHD, you should check out Dr. Bob DeMaria's book "Dr. Bob's Guide to Stop ADHD in 18 Days." It's got a plethora of great information.

The over-drugging of our kids needs to stop. It's not fair to them, it's keeping them from their God-given potential, and it's reinforcing the need for drugs for fulfillment. If your child is on anti-psychotic drugs, I beg you to research, research, research!!! Don't take your doctor or the drug company's word that the medication is safe. Often times, there is a more natural approach that will render greater results.

Thanks for stopping by, and BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!

Goat Milk?

I have listened to enough of Channing's health talks and heard enough information about cow's milk to know that it should not be our #1 choice for calcium. In fact, studies have shown that we really don't get much calcium from milk after it has gone through all the processes it goes through before hitting the shelves in our favorite grocery stores. Not only that, cow's milk has been linked to asthma, allergies, and lowered immune systems.

Whenever Channing has led health talks at churches and explains that there are better, healthier alternatives to cow's milk (and that we really aren't designed for drinking cow's milk), he would often hear, "They drank milk in the Bible." And they would be right. The Bible speaks of "the land flowing with milk and honey" and has other milk references. However, where they were wrong is that the Bible doesn't speak of cow's milk. In those days, people drank goat's milk.

If you're anything like me, you're thinking...goat's milk. GROSS! I must admit, the thought of drinking goat's milk kind of makes me nervous (mostly because I don't know what it will taste like). However, Asher has now turned a year old, and I know at some point, he won't be nursing anymore, and I'm going to have to decide what to give him. Channing, Tristan, and I drink organic cow's milk (although Channing much prefers rice milk and would drink that if I would be more diligent about buying it). Tristan nursed a long time, and once he was finished, we mostly gave him rice milk. I, however, never developed a taste for it and continued buying organic cow's milk. Tristan just kind of followed suit as he got older.

With Asher, I really want to keep him on the right path with milk. He enjoys nursing but has already begun to show signs that he will be ready to give it up much more quickly than Tristan did. That leaves me with precious little time to figure things out. I don't think I'm going to go the rice milk route with him because I just don't know exactly what the nutritional value is, other than it's healthier than cow's milk. I really don't want to do cow's milk because of the asthma, allergy, and immune system issues that go along with (plus, check out calves. They only drink their mother's milk while they are calves. Once they are grown, they don't drink milk anymore. And check out the size of a cow. It grows from a tiny calf into a great big cow. That's what cow's milk was intended to do; produce large cows. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a large cow! ;) ~ Please forgive my interpretation of a really important principle. I did a terrible job of explaining it!). I don't want to do formula because it has some not so great side effects too. So that leaves me with goat's milk. I think that's what I'm going to go with.

Check out this GREAT article that explains why goat's milk is better for us than cow's milk and ways to use it in our kitchens:

Goat Milk?

If you are already a goat's milk drinker, fill the rest of us newbies in.

Letter From Joyce

I got my Joyce Meyer "Enjoying Everyday Life" magazine in the mail yesterday and finally got a chance to flip through this morning. I found this letter to Joyce, and her answer, really interesting and wanted to share:

"Dear Joyce,

I have a family member suffering from a mental illness and would very much like to know what God's Word has to say about sickness in people's minds.
Sandy"

Here is Joyce's powerful answer:

"Sandy,

The Bible speaks of various conditions of the mind, but I don't know that it specifically mentions mental illness. Jesus did cast demons out of some who appeared to be mad or mentally ill. However, that does not mean that everyone who is mentally ill is demon possessed. They may have a chemical imbalance or have experienced so much tragedy that their mind has simply shut down. One thing is for sure-God understands and He is our Healer.

God expects us to do what we can to take good care of ourselves. We should eat right, get plenty of exercise, get rest and relaxation, and we should work and play. We should not indulge in the sin of worry, anxiety or fear, and we should eliminate excessive stress from our lives. In addition, we should pray and trust God for divine health. It is God's nature to heal, and He uses various methods to do so. He may use a doctor, medicine, nutrition, or He may supernaturally heal an individual.

I am an advocate of nutrition as an alternative to medicine. I take medicine when I need to, but I also seek to learn if I have nutritional deficiencies that may be the root cause of my trouble. For example, I once read that many people in mental hospitals and those with anxiety or depression have serious hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, and can be controlled through proper diet. A person may have spent years medicating symptoms but have never known how to treat the real disease.

In some ways the mind is considered to be more difficult to heal than the body, and perhaps that is because it is often challenging to get to the root of the problem. We also want to remember that nothing is impossible with God.

I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you what can be done because I do believe He has an answer for everything. When it appears to us that there is no way, we must remember that Jesus said, I am the Way."

Amen! I couldn't have said it better myself. :)

Taking Drugs AS PRESCRIBED, Yet They Still Died

If you have read many of my posts, you know that I am NOT anti-medicine. Rather, I believe it should be used only when absolutely necessary. I believe that many Americans today are on medications to treat problems they brought on themselves by living unhealthy lifestyles. Do I believe this is always the case? Absolutely not. However, many times, that is the case.

I also believe that Americans are too quick to run to medication for every little thing. God designed our bodies as amazing healing machines, yet so often times, our bodies are never given that opportunity. Like usual, we think we know more than God and don't need His help. "I've got this one, God. I'll let you know if I need you." We save "God-healing" as a last resort; when the medicines have failed to heal; when we have no other hope. For some reason, I just don't think that's what God intended.

I had an "anonymous" poster post that medication is "safe as long as it is taken as prescribed". Really and truly, I don't know if I should laugh or cry. All I can guess is that this poster has not read my many posts about people who have had terrible reactions to drugs that they were taking AS RECOMMENDED (re-read the Asprin article. They were taking AS RECOMMENDED).

Believe me, people, if I ever feel like my kids or I need medication, we'll take it. I just feel so fortunate and so blessed that thus far, neither of my boys has needed it. My Tristan has made it FOUR YEARS MEDICATION FREE...PRAISE GOD!!! And you know what? When he does get colds and viruses, he bounces back really quickly because his immune system is continually strengthening. Thank you, Lord!

I don't know if you guys have been following this story, but here is a prime example of people who took a drug AS RECOMMENDED and died anyway. Read the testimonials of the family members who lost loved ones. It's heart breaking.

Heparin patients' suffering recounted

Families of contaminated heparin victims tell stories of deaths

FDA Official: Heparin Contamination May Have Been Intentional

Let me just say, I have not always been this way. I have not always tried to avoid medication. I grew up in a home where we had medication for anything and everything. However, in the many years since then, I have come across story after story of people taking medication as prescribed or recommended who have had horrible side effects. I have seen story after story written about the corruption in the pharmaceutical companies. I have seen friends lose parents to suicide because of addictions to medications that they were prescribed! If that's not Satan at work, I don't know what is! We have got to wake up and see what the enemy is doing! Right now, I bind the spirit that blinds our minds in the mighty name of Jesus!!!

In the meantime, take your medication that you need. However, really take a look at what you're taking. Do you really need what it is you're taking? If you don't understand it (like my most common anonymous poster who didn't seem to understand the Gardasil vaccine), don't take it until you know more! Listen, you're not hurting me by taking unnecessary medications. You're only hurting yourself. If that's what you choose to do, then fine. However, your kids deserve more. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!! Don't do anything just because the crowd is doing it.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

Don't take it from me. Research for yourself. PLEASE!

Let me close with one more example. Back in the day, women were expected to have x-rays done during pregnancy so that doctors could monitor their babies' growth. These days, that is almost seen as barbaric. Most women, and doctors recommend, to avoid x-rays during pregnancy. Back then, though, they saw no problem with it.

Each day and year that passes, we are learning more and more about the ways that we are destroying our bodies. I just hope we learn before it's too late, especially for our little ones.

God bless you all on your health journey!

In Regards to Asprin

To My Most Recent Anonymous Poster:

Sorry! I couldn't get the link to post on the comments. Check out this link to read more dangerous side effects that people who take asprin may have:

Another Reason Seniors Need to Avoid Aspirin

The article also has links to other articles that have more information about Asprin. They are worth checking out.

Thanks, and blessings to you!!! To all of you!

Don't Let a Hospital Kill You

That is the title of a new article I found on CNN today. The article points out that, according to the CDC, 99,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired infections. In other words, people are going into hospitals for ailments, often times non-threatening, and end up dying due to an infection that they acquire IN THE HOSPITAL! It is a common misconception that hospitals are the cleanest place on earth. Rather, than are riddled with germs, germs that can cause serious, life-threatening infections.

I have a friend who was in the hospital preparing to birth her second child, and her husband found, and was stabbed by, a used needle laying on the ground (I believe it was kind of under the t.v. hutch). How scary is that?! To make matters even more serious, her oldest son (who was two at the time) was in the room playing with his cousin. What if they had been the ones to pick the needle up?

Anyway, check out this article to see ways that you can best protect yourself if you do have to be admitted into a hospital:

Don't Let a Hospital Kill You