Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Empowerment: Women Now Choose Objectification Over ‘Creepy’ Breastfeeding

This just shows how far we have come from what is important, what is natural and what is best for our children and families… Vanity 1st

You’ve come a long way, baby. But make sure you keep babies off my “fun bags.” Or so says Kathryn Blundell, editor at the parenting magazine, Mother & Baby.

Under the headline “I formula fed. So what?”, Kathryn Blundell says in this month’s Mother & Baby that she bottle fed her child from birth because “I wanted my body back. (And some wine)… I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around my stomach.”

She goes on to say: “They’re part of my sexuality, too – not just breasts, but fun bags. And when you have that attitude (and I admit I made no attempt to change it), seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well, a little creepy.”

She concedes that “there are all the studies that show [breastfeeding] reduces the risk of breast cancer for you, and stomach upsets and allergies for your baby. But even the convenience and supposed healthbenefits of breast milk couldn’t induce me to stick my nipple in a bawling baby’s mouth.”

Thanks bunches, “sexual empowerment!” You’ve now made nurturing a child “creepy.” Many Web sites, like Lactivist, are upset over the negative, and misleading, message that the above article sends about breastfeeding and the benefits thereof. That is an issue; breastfeeding is frowned upon far too often and many women succumb to the pressures of family or work, and wean their babies earlier than they actually want to.

Finish reading, if you have the stomach for it here.

Hat tip to Rhonda Robinson on June 30, 2010 at 6:13pm @ AAM

Reposted: True Health Is True Wealth

VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV

Yet another advertisement for the competency of government-run… anything

Yet another advertisement for upcoming incompetency in government healthcare: ObamaCare

Yet another advertisement for having gays military!

By the CNN Wire Staff
June 30, 2010 6:10 a.m. EDT
clip_image001
Patients receiving dental work at a Missouri VA hospital may have been exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Missouri VA hospital sends letters to more than 1,800 patients at risk
  • Patients may be at risk to contract hepatitis and HIV
  • Congressman from Missouri angry and calling for investigation
  • Hospital says problem stems from handwashing dental instruments

RELATED TOPICS

(CNN) -- A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.

Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."

The issue stems from a failure to clean dental instruments properly, the hospital told CNN affiliate KSDK.

KSDK: VA dental patients at risk of infection

Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines.
The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.

The handwashing started in February 2009 and went on until March of this year, the hospital told KSDK.

The hospital has set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected. However, Carnahan said he feels more should be done and those responsible should be disciplined.

"I can only imagine the horror and anger our veterans must be feeling after receiving this letter," Carnahan said. "They have every right to be angry. So am I."

This is not the first time this year a hospital has been in hot water for not following proper procedures.

In June, Palomar Hospital in San Diego, California, has sent certified letters to 3,400 patients who underwent colonoscopy and other similar procedures, informing the patients that there may be a potential of infection from items used and reused in the procedures.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Top 10 Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

More and more people suffer from acid reflux, but many of us aren't excited about the prospect of going on medication permanently. If you want to see what home remedies are out there, this page provides a few recommendations.

These natural remedies are not listed in any particular order. On the contrary, it is highly likely that only some of them, if any, will work for you. Acid reflux is a highly individual condition that takes many different forms and has many different causes, and a remedy that works wonders for one person, does nothing for another, or might even make another person feel worse.

Treatment is therefore a trial and error process: you try a suggestion and see whether it works for you, and if it doesn't you try something else. I realize this is a rather frustrating prospect but unfortunately, there is no other way.

Also, you should always remember that these are home remedies, and this article does not dispense qualified medical advice. If your symptoms persist or even worsen, I strongly recommend that you consult your physician.

1. Drink a glass of milk. Even though opinions differ on whether it should be whole or skim milk, this is an accepted and often recommended measure for immediate relief for heartburn and acid reflux.

2. Drink water. The water will dilute the stomach acid and wash down anything that might be planning on defying gravity, so a big glass of water after your meal might do the trick.

3. Chew almonds. A few almonds, taken in the morning and/or after meals, chewed very well, have been hailed as the new miracle treatment for acid reflux by some people.

4. Chamomile or fennel tea. The soothing effects of chamomile or fennel tea are also known to provide acid reflux relief. The tea should best be sipped, not gulped, and should be of a moderate temperature, not too hot or cold.

5. Eat an apple. Eating an apple after a meal has also been found to alleviate acid reflux. Choose organic apples and chew well.

6. Candied ginger. Chew a piece when you're feeling the acid reflux kick in. You can also put a piece of candied ginger in your tea and let it sit for a bit before drinking it if you don't like eating candied ginger.

7. Apple cider vinegar. Swallow two to three table spoons undiluted for an acute attack, or dissolve the same amount in warm water to drink to prevent acid reflux from recurring.

8. Papaya enzyme. Available in the form of papaya enzyme pills, this enzyme has helped end acid reflux symptoms for some people.

9. Aloe. Despite its consistency which takes some getting used to, aloe juice also is some acid reflux patients favorite remedy.

10. Chew gum. After your meals, chew sugarless gum for 30 minutes. This stimulates saliva production which in turn like water that you drink dilutes the contents of your stomach and helps wash down anything from your esophagus into your stomach.

Obesity in a Lo-Cal Can

People are still surprised to learn diet sodas don’t give you what they promise. You may drink them because they have no calories. But diet sodas don’t help you drop weight. They make you fat instead. And you can get hooked on them.

I came across an article in JAMA about just how addicting those diet soft drinks are. When you drink them, changes take place in your brain that make you behave differently.1

Your self-control goes out the window. Your body actually becomes addicted to the unnatural sweetness like it’s a drug.

In one study, animals had the choice between cocaine and saccharin. Ninety four percent chose saccharin – even if they were already addicted to the cocaine.2

Early man had none of the sweet foods you have today. And this is when your taste receptors evolved. So now, when you’re exposed to hyper-sweet artificial sweeteners, your brain is tricked into thinking it’s getting nutrition.

When your drink contains aspartame, sucralose, or any other artificial sweetener, you over-stimulate your sweetness receptors. It changes the way you think about the way things should taste.

You crave high-intensity sweetness. And naturally sweet foods like fruit don’t taste as good to you. Vegetables lose their appeal, because they’re not sweet.

Your gut has sweetness receptors, too. It’s all ready to absorb nutrients, so you get a surge in hormones, like insulin. But when the calories don’t arrive, your body tells your brain to go out and get them.

Your appetite increases, and you get cravings that cause you to overeat. What’s worse, you turn to high-carbohydrate foods and sweets to make up the calorie void.3

But now, the insulin you’ve poured into your blood tells your body to turn whatever you do eat into fat.

I read one study of almost 2,600 people. Those who drank diet sodas had a 47 percent higher body mass index (BMI) than those who didn’t, and their risk of obesity was doubled.4

The solution? Go back to the real thing.

When you switch to naturally sweet drinks, your taste receptors adjust and go back to normal. You regain the ability to taste the sweetness found in natural foods and drinks. Your nutrition and the quality of your diet improve.5 And it’s far easier to drop weight.6

There are a lot of natural juices at the grocery store. But every one goes through processing and sits on the shelves, losing nutrients quickly. If you must buy them, stick to organic brands in glass bottles such as R.W. Knudsen, Lakewood, or Santa Cruz.

My suggestion is to invest in a juicer or a heavy-duty blender.
Citrus juicers are only for citrus like oranges or grapefruits. Juice extractors are for juicing fruits and vegetables.

A cheaper extractor will handle soft vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, and most fruits, but you’ll need a pricier, more powerful model if you want to juice hard vegetables like beets and large carrots.

I like to use a heavy duty, multi-use blender. It keeps the fiber in the drink you make. Throw in bits of vegetables and fruits, add water and ice, blend, and out comes a delicious drink in seconds.

If you blend hard vegetables, you’ll need a strong motor. Get one with as much as 2 hp. Many come with a 7-year warranty.

But there is a world of drinks you can easily make and enjoy without any additional equipment…

  • Brew herbal tea and use honey to sweeten it. Cool, add ice, and you’ve got a naturally sweet drink. Look for organic teas like Yogi, Tazo, and Rishi.
  • Squeeze lemons and add to filtered water to make lemonade. If it’s too tart, add raw, whole sugar or honey to taste.
  • You can make a soda-like drink by blending the pulp of one mango and a slice of lemon and lime with 4 cups filtered water.
  • Use cut up organic peaches, strawberries, and grapes in any combination. Add ice, filtered water, and blend.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Saturday, June 26, 2010

U.S. government panel now pushing “vaccinations for all!” No exceptions…

The Truth Shall Set Your Free

Natural News.com

An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that every person be vaccinated for the seasonal flu yearly, except in a few cases where the vaccine is known to be unsafe.

“Now no one should say ‘Should I or shouldn’t I?’” said CDC flu specialist Anthony Fiore.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 11-0 with one abstention to recommend yearly flu vaccination for everyone except for children under the age of six months, whose immune systems have not yet developed enough for vaccination to be safe, and people with egg allergies or other health conditions that are known to make flu vaccines hazardous. If accepted by the CDC, this recommendation will then be publicized to doctors and other health workers.

The CDC nearly always accepts the advisory committee’s recommendations.

Current CDC recommendations call for the yearly vaccination of all children over the age of six months, all adults over the age of 49, health care workers, people with chronic health problems and anyone who cares for a person in one of these groups. These recommendations cover 85 percent of the US population.

Excluded are adults between the ages of 19 and 49 who do not come into close contact with people in high-risk groups. The new recommendation, if adopted, would close that gap, bringing an end to a 10-year campaign by supporters of universal vaccination. In the past, the advisory committee has been reluctant to recommend universal vaccination for fear that it might produce vaccine shortages that place members of higher risk groups in danger. Yet even with current recommendations, only 33 percent of the public gets vaccinated every year, leaving millions of doses to be disposed of.

The H1N1 swine flu scare of the past year played a major role in the committee’s about face, both because the disease killed many people falling outside the current recommended vaccine demographic and because it raised public awareness of and demand for vaccines.

Sources for this story include: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy….

Friday, June 25, 2010

Americans Win This One… FTC Does Not Get Expanded Powers Over Supplements

Congressman Henry Waxman (D, CA) made a strong last ditch effort to save his Federal Trade Commission (FTC) power expansion provision in the finance bill.  He also had the support of powerful Congressman Barney Frank (D, MA).  The Conference committee deliberations went until 3:00 am this morning.  Fortunately, the provision was not accepted and will therefore not be in the bill that is submitted to both the House and Senate.  Our concern was that based on its prior actions, the FTC would have used expanded powers to restrict access to supplements.

Thank you for making this outcome possible by taking action and sending a strong signal to Congress.  They heard you!

We will have a full report Tuesday in our regular newsletter. 

Sincerely,

Alliance for Natural Health USA

Posted:  True Health Is True Wealth

Obama’s amnesty for illegal aliens will bring us deadly and costly diseases

The thought is disturbing but must be faced: Barack Obama’s administration is rapidly coming apart.

Each day he’s being exposed as an incompetent fraud and it’s driving him to be increasingly reckless and dangerous. He’s quickly morphing into something resembling a wounded animal.

Now we’re hearing rumors Obama is about to use an executive order to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens so they can vote Marxist/Democrat in November. This will preserve Obama’s power, and stress the healthcare system enough to stampede Americans into his single payer scheme.

As serious as this attack on our liberties will be, amnesty will also bring death and infirmity to our midst. Illegal aliens bring deadly diseases.

In California, a state soaked with illeagals, there’s a Whooping cough epidemic. The number of cases of this contagious disease, which is deadly to babies, is moving toward a 60 year high. Is there any doubt this disease has been brought to us by illegal aliens?

New TB epidemic?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified ten countries that are bringing Tuberculosis, a disease we’ve already beaten, back to our shores.

Mexico the worst offender, brings more than twice the TB cases as the second place Philippines. Infected illegals are already coughing their way through our schools hospitals and public transportation centers and more will come.
Treating a TB patient costs between $250,000 and $1million meaning amnesty and dumping millions of illegals on our healthcare system will be devastating.

The festering diseases filling the slums of the poorest Mexican states will hitch a ride to our neighborhoods and we won’t have any say in the matter.

Atlanta: “sanctuary city”

Recently there have been large outbreaks of TB in two schools near Atlanta which is a proud “sanctuary city” for a flood of illegal aliens.

Aside from TB illegal aliens are bring hepatitis dengue fever LEPROSY and the very insidious Chagas which steadily destroys its victim’s heart and internal organs.
Obama’s amnesty will bring death to us from diseases we have already virtually eliminated but will now be forced to use vital resources to combat.

Draw your line in the sand. Resolve that today will be the day you start to fight back, because the number of tomorrows America has is dwindling down to a precious few.

If you are tired of what is happening to your future and the constant threats and attacks on our liberties stand up and fight.

Obama and his Marxist Democrats have put us in a very serious situation. They won’t stop hacking away at us unless we make them stop.

Did you convert a friend, co worker, or family member to conservatism yesterday? If not what did you do to defend American freedoms yesterday? What will you do today and what do you plan to do tomorrow?

Earn the name American today. Stand and fight for me as I will fight for you because there really is no one to depend on but each other. Pledge your allegiance to America. Our country needs each of us now more than ever.

Use this site to contact your Congressional Representative. Let him or her know you will work to defeat anyone who votes for amnesty for illegal aliens or against any effort to kick them out. Use this link to make your voice heard.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Granting amnesty to illegals will not only shred our Constitution but it will seriously threaten the very health of our families. The several deadly contagious diseases these criminals will bring will be quickly spread from sea to sea as the Democrats arrange for their relocation to Congressional Districts where their votes will be useful.

To learn more about this story go to these Collins Report sources:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/06/23/state/n111147D00.DTL&tsp=1

. http://www.examiner.com/x-35821-Immigration-Reform-Examiner~y2010m6d22-Obama-may-be-planning-to-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-by-executive-order

http://www.examiner.com/x-35821-Immigration-Reform-Examiner~y2010m4d18-Another-inconvenient-truth-about-illegal-immigrationdisease

Yesterday’s Rasmussen Presidential Index had Obama at –13

This day in history June 25
1950: The Korean War begins with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

Have you read this week’s “Betcha didn’t know this..” page? It’s loaded with interesting little “bite size” items you’re bound to enjoy.

By Kevin “Coach” Collins  -  June 25, 2010, 7:02 am  -  Comments on this or any other Collins Report essay can be sent to kcoachc “at” gmail.com

Posted:  True Health Is True Wealth

Monday, June 21, 2010

South African doctor invents female condoms with 'teeth' to fight rape

By Faith Karimi, CNN

June 21, 2010 -- Updated 1922 GMT (0322 HKT)

Dr. Sonnet Ehlers shows a spiked female condom, whose hooks she says stick on a man during rape.

Dr. Sonnet Ehlers shows a spiked female condom, whose hooks she says stick on a man during rape.

(CNN) -- South African Dr. Sonnet Ehlers was on call one night four decades ago when a devastated rape victim walked in. Her eyes were lifeless; she was like a breathing corpse.

"She looked at me and said, 'If only I had teeth down there,'" recalled Ehlers, who was a 20-year-old medical researcher at the time. "I promised her I'd do something to help people like her one day."

Forty years later, Rape-aXe was born.

Ehlers is distributing the female condoms in the various South African cities where the World Cup soccer games are taking place.

The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man's penis during penetration, Ehlers said.

Once it lodges, only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest.

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

Ehlers said she sold her house and car to launch the project, and she planned to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup period.

Video: Rape-fighting condom has 'teeth'

"I consulted engineers, gynecologists and psychologists to help in the design and make sure it was safe," she said.

After the trial period, they'll be available for about $2 a piece. She hopes the women will report back to her.

"The ideal situation would be for a woman to wear this when she's going out on some kind of blind date ... or to an area she's not comfortable with," she said.

The mother of two daughters said she visited prisons and talked to convicted rapists to find out whether such a device would have made them rethink their actions.

Some said it would have, Ehlers said.

Critics say the female condom is not a long-term solution and makes women vulnerable to more violence from men trapped by the device.

t's also a form of "enslavement," said Victoria Kajja, a fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the east African country of Uganda. "The fears surrounding the victim, the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted all represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to."

Kajja said the device constantly reminds women of their vulnerability.

"It not only presents the victim with a false sense of security, but psychological trauma," she added. "It also does not help with the psychological problems that manifest after assaults."

However, its one advantage is it allows justice to be served, she said.

Various rights organizations that work in South Africa declined to comment, including Human Rights Watch and Care International.

South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, Human Rights Watch says on its website. A 2009 report by the nation's Medical Research Council found that 28 percent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl, with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year, according to Human Rights Watch.

In most African countries, rape convictions are not common. Affected women don't get immediate access to medical care, and DNA tests to provide evidence are unaffordable.

"Women and girls who experience these violations are denied justice, factors that contribute to the normalization of rape and violence in South African society," Human Rights Watch says.

Women take drastic measures to prevent rape in South Africa, Ehlers said, with some wearing extra tight biker shorts and others inserting razor blades wrapped in sponges in their private parts.

Critics have accused her of developing a medieval device to fight rape.

"Yes, my device may be a medieval, but it's for a medieval deed that has been around for decades," she said. "I believe something's got to be done ... and this will make some men rethink before they assault a woman."

By Faith Karimi, CNN  -  June 21, 2010 -- Updated 1922 GMT (0322 HKT)

Source: CNN: Inside Africa

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Vaccine Shock of the Year


Updated Vaccine Videos:


Making Your Own Herbal Remedies Pt 1

Time to Get Prepared… Just In Case!

Making Your Own Herbal Remedies Part 1

God has provided us many remedies to meet our needs in nature. These can be purchased many places presently, but are also very simple to make on your own as well as being far less expensive most times. Gathering the herbs can be as simple as wandering in the fields or woods near your house or can be purchased bulk from retailers. You can store small amounts of your own remedies or large amounts. What you should do will depend on the time available to commit to the project, needs and storage capabilities.

Education

The first step is to gain information on what herbs to use for which conditions, how to use them, when to use them and more. There are many places to get that information online, in person and correspondence. It is vital to know what you are doing to avoid unintended consequences such as interactions of herbs or interactions with prescription medications. It is also vital to know what you are doing if you plan on wild-crafting your own herbs. One wrong choice could potentially be fatal, but good training will keep you safe. If you can, find a local herbalist to take you on an herb walk to show you in person what the safe and unsafe herbs look like. That is the best way to learn in my experience. Take a camera and get several shots of each plant. Write on a notepad what picture number goes with what plant and the information you are told about that plant. Following are links to courses, books on herbal remedies and plant identification, resources for purchasing herbs, DVDs to show the making of remedies and more.

Herbal Courses:

Shonda Parker’s Certified Family Herbalist Course
Mountain Rose Herbs Herbal Education Resource

Plant Identification Courses:

Alderleaf Wilderness College Medicinal Plants Course
The Science & Art of Herbalism Course
Ozark Tracker Society Edible & Medicinal Plant Series
Wilderness Survival Edible & Medicinal Plants
Wilderness Survival Poisonous Plants

Books on Herbal Remedies & Wild Plant Harvesting:

The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism
The Herbal Home Remedy Book
Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-use A-Z Reference
Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in the Wild

Instructional DVD:

Herbal Remedies from your Garden
Herbal Preparations and Natural Remedies: Creating and Using a Home... Chest

How to find an Herbalist:

Find an Herbalist: American Herbalists Guild

Reliable Herbal Sources for Bulk Herbs and Supplies:
Mountain Rose Herbs

Starwest Botanicals

Source: Christine Kabush (AAM) on June 1, 2010 at 4:30pm

Cross-Posted: True Health Is True Wealth