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