Spices Could Help Fight Breast Cancer

According to new research published in the November online edition of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, popular spices, such as, pepper and turmeric, contain compounds which could help in treating breast cancer by limiting the growth of stem cells.

Turmeric and pepper have been widely explored as potential cancer treatments, however, this is the first study that suggests the two spices could also prevent cancer by targeting stem cells. Currently cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, are unable to eliminate cancer stem cells.

Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre studied curcumin (found in turmeric, an Indian spice) and piperine (a black peppercorn derivative) when administered to cell cultures reduced the number of stem cells without affecting normal cells. Both spices were used in a very high concentration - about 20-times the potency of that which would be consumed in a normal diet. More research on the role of these compounds in breast cancer treatment is needed before adding extra curcumin or piperine to our diets.

Curcumin has other well known health benefits in traditional Asian medicine for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and arthritis. Piperine has anti-inflammatory properties and is used to improve digestion, weight loss and improves absorption of nutrients from the diet.

Reference: PubMed

Targeting breast stem cells with the cancer preventive compounds curcumin and piperine.
Kakarala M, Brenner DE, Korkaya H, Cheng C, Tazi K, Ginestier C, Liu S, Dontu G, Wicha MS.
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, 2150 Cancer Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, USA, mkakaral@umich.edu.

Client Satisfaction Survey Results

Feedback is important to all of us. We all want to know how we are doing and through constructive feedback we learn how to get better. One of the best ways to get feedback is to ask. Back in my corporate days at Norlight Telecommunications we were very serious about making sure our customers were satisfied with our services. We did an annual customer satisfaction survey and a monthly new customer survey. Since it worked so well at Norlight, I knew it could help me too.

In October I asked my clients for feedback and heard back from almost 50%. For those of you not familiar with market research that is an excellent response – so thank you to everyone who participated. And, in December, I started my monthly new customer survey, which provides timely feedback. If someone is not happy with something, I can rectify the situation quickly. Fortunately, I learned this is hardly ever the case. In fact, I was very pleased with the results and would like to share them with you.

As far as overall satisfaction with the services provided and results achieved:

97% of respondents were satisfied with the services provided, with 88% being either extremely or very satisfied.
95% of respondents were satisfied with the results they have achieved, with 63% being extremely or very satisfied.
100% of respondents would recommend my services.

These are awesome results!

Some additional findings:

95% of respondents have been motivated to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
93% say I’m responsive to their individual needs.
86% have identified and changed unhealthy patterns or behaviors.
85% have made significant changes in their eating habits.

Pioneers of Nutrition: Francis Pottenger, Jr., MD

In a prior article I introduced you to Weston Price, the dentist who traveled the world studying the nutritional qualities of native traditional diets that produced very healthy humans with no dental problems (cavities and crooked or crowded teeth) and not plagued by the degenerative diseases of modern man – cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. He contrasted the native diets with the Western diet based on processed foods and the accelerating increase of cavities and crooked or crowded teeth he observed in his patients along with the rise of other degenerative diseases. He found the native diets vastly superior to the Western diet in terms of nutritional quality. They contained ten times the amount of fat soluble vitamins A, D and K and four times the amount of water soluble vitamins and important minerals than the Western diet. He concluded that the Western diet and its sub-standard nutritional qualities was a major cause behind the increase in disease (a cavity is one of the most basic forms of disease) he was observing.

Now I’d like to introduce you to another pioneer of nutrition – Francis Pottenger, Jr., MD. He is famous for his exploration of cats – over 900 cats were studied from 1932-1942. Dr. Pottenger’s interest was in preventing chronic illness, thus his research looked for its causes and focused on the role of nutrition in maintaining good health. His findings were remarkably similar to those of Dr. Price.

Like many discoveries, the basis for his research came about by chance. Here’s the “not so nice” part of the story. He was developing a formula to support adrenal gland function and as was practice of the time was using cats for the study. Part of the study was to remove their adrenal glands and then provide them the formula to see if it was effective. He noticed that most of his animals were not very healthy and many would not survive the operation thus impacting his ability to complete his study. He was feeding them what all the experts of the time said was a healthy diet for cats – raw milk, cod liver oil, and cooked meat. Then a funny thing happened. His supply of the cooked meat was cut off and he had to switch to raw meat. Then he observed something remarkable. The cats eating the raw meat were healthier and survived the operations.

With his scientific curiosity peaked he began to refine his studies looking at the meat and the milk he provided the cats. He investigated raw meat, cooked meat, raw milk, pasteurized milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, raw milk from cows fed grains, and raw milk from cows fed grass.

What he found was that only diets containing raw milk and raw meat produced optimal health, with the raw milk from grass fed cows superior to that of grain fed cows. Cats on this diet had healthy bone structure and density, no crowded teeth, shiny fur, no parasites, and no disease. In addition, they had no problems reproducing and were well behaved. They lived happy lives.

In contrast, cooking the meat or any milk other than the raw milk resulted in physical degeneration and reproductive difficulties which increased with each generation. By the time of the third generation, kittens of these cats died within six months and they were unable to reproduce. Even worse, these cats had miserable lives – parasites, skin diseases, allergies, weak bones, and behavioral issues. They died out completely by the fourth generation.

Now here’s the link to the work of Weston Price – they found the same results – poor nutrition leading to facial structural issues and the onset of degenerative diseases! Interesting enough is that many of the traditional diets studied by Price included raw milk and raw animal product.

What does this all mean? There is a definite link between the nutritional quality of the food we consume and our health. As we continue to consume processed foods our health continues to deteriorate. Another side note - do you know anyone who has had trouble or is having trouble reproducing? If you study the fertility rates now being experienced in the Western world you will learn that many fine people struggle to reproduce. And a little “food for thought” - what generation of processed food are we now on? And what health issues are we observing becoming more prevalent in today’s children?

If you’d like to learn more about the cat study the book to read is Pottenger’s Cats: A Study in Nutrition by Francis Pottenger, Jr. MD. I’d also direct you to the official website of the Price Pottenger Foundation – www.ppnf.org – a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public regarding nutrition. And, if you’d like to learn more about healthy diets and nutrition, there are many wonderful resources available.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

6 Tips for Endometriosis

From: Dr. Weil's Newsletter

Posted 12/21/09

Endometriosis, a condition where tissue resembling the lining of the uterus is found in the abdomen, is marked by severe pain, most often in the form of menstrual cramps. Its exact cause is not yet known, but it does have a strong inflammatory component and, like the lining in the uterus, is influenced by estrogen. (Endometriosis may result in powder-burn spots, ovarian cysts and pelvic scar tissue otherwise known as adhesions. At times, it can be significant enough to scar the fallopian tubes closed.) A number of dietary measures can help relieve symptoms by reducing inflammation and addressing the activity of estrogen in your system.

Start managing endometriosis nutritionally with an anti-inflammatory diet and try the following dietary changes:

1. Eliminate dairy foods (allow at least three weeks to observe any improvements).
2. Eat only hormone-free meat to avoid any additional estrogen exposure.
3. Emphasize whole soy foods in your diet. Tofu, tempeh and soymilk are rich in plant estrogens and seem to modulate the actions of other forms of estrogen.
4. Limit alcohol intake, which may influence estrogen production.
5. Choose organic foods whenever possible.
6. Drink a cup or two of red raspberry leaf tea daily to help relieve cramps.

Graphic interpretation

Endometriose = endometriosis

Schokolade-Zyste = chocolate cyst (endometrioma cyst of the ovary)

Myom = uterine fibroid

Adhasion = adhesion

Hysterosalpingogramm = hysterosalpingogram (dye-infusion test to asses for tubal patency and uterine anatomy.)

ConsumerLab Issues Statement on Probiotic Quality

Studies have shown that probiotic supplements have been found beneficial for treatment of vaginal yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea caused by viral illnesses or antibiotic therapy, upper respiratory viral infections, facial acne and even high blood pressure. Probiotics are otherwise known as the “friendly” bacteria of the bowel. They can be purchased in yogurts, powders, miso, beverages or capsules.

However beneficial, not all probiotics are equal. According to a recent ConsumerLab report many brands don’t contain the bacteria cited on their label. The products may contain as little as 7 to 58 percent of the amount of viable organisms mentioned on the label. “It’s really shocking how many products really don’t have what they claim on their labels,” says Tod Copperman, the president of ConsumerLab.

What’s more, the amount of living cells (the bacteria must be alive to be effective) varied widely amongst the different probiotic products ranging from less than one hundred million to over 10 billion cells per dose. Because probiotic are not standardized, Mary Ellen Sanders, a probiotics exepert unaffiliated with ConsumerLab, states that, “The best products on the market are the ones that have been tested in human studies and have been shown to have a benefit.”

According to ConsumerLab, the highest quality probiotics they tested included Advocare Probiotic Restore, GNC Nature Brand Best Super Acidophilus and Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus.

The products with the lowest bacterial content were Nature’s Secret Ultimate Probiotics (13% viable bacteria), Swiss Natural Sources “5” Strain Dophilus (13% viable bacteria) and Dr. D Chocolate-Flavored (Pediatric) Probiotics (7% viable bacteria).

For the full ConsumerLab report, click here.

Pioneers of Nutrition: Dr. Weston A. Price

I am often asked by my clients or after a group presentation, “So, what do you eat?” My answer - I follow the dietary guidelines of Weston Price. Which of course leads to the next question, “Who is Weston Price?”

Weston A. Price was a pioneer in the world of nutrition. Through my next couple of articles I will introduce you to several more of these pioneers who have had great influence on the nutritional practices that I follow and teach.

So, who is Weston Price? He was a dentist from Cleveland, Ohio who lived from 1870-1948. Back in the early 1930s he began to notice an increase in cavities and crooked teeth in his patients. Whether you know it or not, dental caries (cavities) are one of the most basic forms of disease that is common in many humans. And, teeth come in crooked and/or crowded due to deformed dental arches due to not enough space in the mouth for the teeth to come in correctly.

His mission – to discover what was causing the degeneration in dental health he was witnessing. Coincidently, he repeatedly heard stories of isolated peoples in distant lands who supposedly had no cavities and perfectly straight teeth. If this were so, then what he was experiencing in his practice could possibly be the result of nutritional deficiencies and not inherited genetic defects (the prevailing thought of the time).

Over the next ten years he traveled around the world to every continent (except Antarctica). And what did he find? When native people ate their traditional foods – sure enough – there were no cavities and they had perfectly straight teeth. However, here’s what makes the study fascinating. This was a time when our Western processed foods were just beginning to creep into these native cultures. “Foods” such as canned milk and vegetables, white flour, and sugar were being introduced to those natives who wished to “modernize.” This is critical because it allowed the same genes to be analyzed based on the nutritional quality of the diet. What he found was that as the native people adopted a Western diet, they had more cavities and crooked, crowded teeth. The more they abandoned their native diet, the worse their teeth were. His travels are documented in his classic book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. It contains many pictures and stories about what he encountered along the way.

The next question was – how did these diets differ? What was in the native food that was not in the Western food? Since he traveled all over the world he saw a wide variety of diets. There were Eskimos that ate almost exclusively animal products; there were others who ate more grains and vegetables. As a side note, he did not find any native diet that was strictly vegetarian; they all relied upon some animal foods for survival.

He took samples of their foods and brought them back to the United States to be analyzed. What he found was that the diets of the isolated peoples in comparison to that of the American diet of the day contained at least four times the water soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, organ meats, eggs, and animal fats! Certainly not the foods your cardiologist will tell you to eat!

The specific nutrients in these foods are the fat soluble vitamins A and D, along with one that wasn’t yet identified. Price called it “Activator X”, which we now understand is vitamin K. These fat soluble vitamins are vital to health as they act as catalysts for mineral absorption and protein utilization.

And depending upon how closely you read the preceding paragraphs, what are some of the key nutrients missing? They happen to be ones we often hear today we don’t get enough of are we are deficient – calcium and vitamin D!

So, does this way of eating work? Well, it has proven successful for me and many of my clients. Following the guidelines we have lowered our cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increased our energy, and lost weight. But, I have an even wider audience. Recently I attended the annual conference of the Weston A. Price Foundation. I have referred to their excellent web site in the past (www.westonaprice.org). The conference had over 1200 attendees. Statistics for our general population show that 75% of adults are over weight (25% of them being classified as obese). At this conference, my quick visual assessment was that maybe 5% were over weight. Plus, when I talked to other attendees they all told the same stories of weight loss, improved digestion, and overall better health!

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Q: I was just wondering if you knew of any cook books or websites specifically aimed toward correct vegetarian diets? I am trying to avoid processed foods as much as possible as well as all meats, but due to the fact that I am so picky and don't eat a wide variety of foods, I'm concerned about getting and maintaining my correct nutrition levels.

A: Thanks for the question! I think your new nutritional efforts are great! Here is the best way I know to eat healthy and add to a very healthy lifestyle: The Anti-inflammatory Diet.

A very helpful link is noted below. It is quite technical talking about ratios of different food categories to provide a nutritionally balanced diet. The basic tenets: Eat two servings of fresh or frozen vegetables and/or fruit for each meal. Try to eat more vegetables than fruit and of varying colors. Eat low-fat protein with each meal. Cook foods and eat bread with extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil. Try to eat at least 2 servings of fish per week; if not, take a fish-oil supplement or a plant-based (algae) omega-3-fatty acid supplement.

Here is the helpful link:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

Hope that helps!

Processed and Fatty Foods Linked to Depression

Published on Yahoo! News: Mon Nov 2, 10:41 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – A diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression, according to British research published on Monday.

Researchers at University College London also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.

They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.

Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.

People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.

The researchers put forward several explanations for the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Firstly, the high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression.

Secondly, eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.

And they said it was possible that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient.

The researchers concluded: "Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people's diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders."

The study was carried out on 3,486 people with an average age of 55, who worked for the civil service in London.

Each participant completed a questionnaire about their eating habits, and a self-assessment for depression.

Hormones: Estrogen and Progesterone

Women and men have primarily three sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Levels and ratios of these hormones differ between the sexes. Estrogen and progesterone are the dominant sex hormones in women whereas, testosterone is the predominant sex hormone in men. Understanding the interaction of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is necessary to decipher symptoms and conditions caused by their imbalances.

"Estrogen" comes in three variations in the female body: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), Estriol (E3). It is made in the ovaries, adrenal glands and fat cells. The scientific community often refers to all three forms collectively as "estrogen". However, each molecule has different actions and is present in different concentrations throughout a woman's life. Therefore, it is important to differentiate the three when referring to the "estrogen effects".

Estrone (E1) is the predominant form of estrogen in the postmenopausal period. It is manufactured in the fat cells primarily from androstenedione (a testosterone derivative). An increase in estrone correlates to increased body fat in the menopausal woman. Elevated estrone levels have been associated with increased incidence of breast tumors in animals.

Estradiol (E2) is the most active form of estrogen and is the predominant form of estrogen in women of reproductive age. Estradiol is made primarily by the ovaries and adrenals but is also made in small amounts by fat cells in the postmenopausal period.

Estriol (E3) is the weakest of the estrogens. It is primarily manufactured by the placenta during pregnancy. Estriol supplementation mainly affects the vaginal wall with little effect on the heart and bones. It also plays a role in hair, nail and skin health.

The scientific community often refers to all three forms (estrone, estradiol and estriol) collectively as "estrogen". However, each molecule has different actions. During the aging process, the ovaries cease to manufacture estradiol. The adrenal glands (small organs that sit onthe top surface of the kidneys) take over estrogen production in the form of estrone. The body transforms unused testosterone into primarily estrone and releases estrogen previously stored in fat cells.

Progesterone antagonizes the effects of estrogen, most importantly in the breast and uterus where it counteracts the stimulation of cell growth where overgrowth could lead to cancer. Progesterone is manufactured primarily by the corpus luteum on the ovary after monthly ovulation occurs and to a small degree by the adrenals. Progesterone is also manufactured by the placenta in great quantity during pregnancy. Progesterone is a precursor to most hormones making it extremely important far beyond the role it plays in the production of sex hormones.

For many reasons it is very important to maintain a healthy balance between these two sex hormones. Progesterone production diminishes significantly after menopause. Obese women who manufacture a significant amount of estrone in fat cells after menopause may not produce an adequate amount of progesterone, thereby increasing the likelihood of estrogen-related cancer, such as those of the uterus and breast.

More hormone discussion to follow...

Reference:
Schwartz ET, Holtorf K. Hormones in wellness and disease prevention: common practices, current state of the evidence, and questions of the future. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice 2008; 15(4)

Photomicrograph of estradiol crystals. Estradiol, the most potent of the natural estrogens, is used in its natural or semisynthetic form to treat menopausal symptoms.

Halloween? Who Cares! It's almost Christmas!!

We have a very interesting little family. Chuck's favorite holiday is Halloween. Hands down. Granted, he hasn't been much in the ghoulish spirit this year, but typically that's not the case.

On our way to dinner tonight (just seemed easiest at the time) he was expounding on how he's not in the Halloween-y mood when Zachary pipes up.

This is a true transcript (well, as good as my memory allows) of what was said in our car tonight:

Zachary: I like Halloween too. But I think it's my 2nd favorite holiday. My first favorite holiday, the holiday that I love more than anything is Christmas. And the reason I love Christmas is...well, maybe not more than anything because I love you two and my brother and sister and all my friends that aren't friends and my family more. Well, maybe I love Christmas as much as you two and my brother and sister.

Me: Wait. What are friends that aren't friends?

Zachary: The people at school that don't really play with me. I love Christmas because...yea, I think maybe I love you all the same as Christmas and then Halloween is second.

Me: Zachary, why do you love Christmas so much? (trying desperately to get him on track)

Zachary: Because it's a holiday about giving and love and caring about people and happiness and sharing and loving and all kinds of happy things.

Me: Zachary, you are an amazing child and you totally understand the meaning of Christmas more than people that are 4 times your age. You have it right on.
Then from the very back of the car, there's this little voice:

Lucas: I love Christmas too. I love it probably eleven times more than people. You know why I love Christmas?

Me: Why, Luke?

Lucas: Because I get presents!!

And thus illustrates the difference, once again, between my two boys.

Trick or Treat..It’s Halloween Every Day at the Supermarket

To stay on top of all the latest nutrition news requires lots of reading, but also lots of sorting through the marketing hype of the latest super food or breakthrough study. I subscribe to many magazines, newsletters, web sites, and blogs to keep up with the latest and greatest so I can pass that information on to my clients. I read what the people I agree with say and I read what the people I don’t agree with say – my form of spying!

Every now and then I come across something that truly amazes me. This occurs when an author is so blinded by either their personal bias or the bias of the publication; they do not even see the inconsistency and hypocrisy of their own writing. I’ve written about the American Diabetes Association on my blog. Here, I’d like to bring your attention to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, November 2009 edition.

To their credit, they do have an occasional useful article. That is where I learned how people are walking out of their favorite coffee shop with sometimes over 700 calories in their cup! But, at the same time they’ve told me that aspartame is poison, but sucralose (Splenda) is safe. I’ve even learned which the best margarines to eat are. Guess if you’re going to poison yourself you should do it with the best!

Back in June I wrote a column entitled The Truth about Soy. If you’d like to read it you can find it on my blog at http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-soy.html. So, where am I going with this? An article titled, Soy What? The jury’s still out on soy’s benefits. It looks at six areas where some have claimed that soy is beneficial – bones, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cognition, hot flashes, and heart disease. Each section discusses the latest research and then ends with what they call “The Bottom Line.” In each case “The Bottom Line” is a statement to make you think soy is healthy, even when the evidence cited basically says the opposite.

They have a quote that tells us, “Soy is a good food.” Yet, that is followed by, “But we can’t say right now that it has a positive effect on bones.” Or this one, “The idea that soy can stop prostate cancer is a wonderful hypothesis that hasn’t yet been adequately tested in men.” How about, “It’s unclear if any soy food reduce breast cancer risk.”

The true “Bottom Line” that they won’t come out and say is that there is not convincing evidence for any of the claims being made on behalf of soy. In fact, the FDA has been reviewing claims made for soy benefits and some of them are no longer allowed!

What does this mean to you and how does it tie to the Supermarket? There are so many health claims on all the boxes of packaged foods that are misleading and deceptive. Crackers are presented as “whole grain” or “multi-grain” and the main ingredient is white flour. Margarines say “Zero grams trans-fat” yet contain partially or hydrogenated oil. “Low fat” foods contain artificial sweeteners and more carbohydrates than the full fat versions which in your body actually produces more fat! “Natural” appears all over everything, but as I like to say – my wooden table is natural but that doesn’t mean I want to eat it!

If you like the information in these articles and have a Facebook account I’d encourage you to become a fan of Rosen Wellness. On a typical day I get many e-mails with all kinds of information about health and nutrition. The best ones I link to the Rosen Wellness Facebook page.

One other note – a book recommendation: Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet – One Room at a Time by Beth Greer. It provides useful tips for lifestyle shifts to enhance your health. “This practical guide offers page after page of tips for making the safest, healthiest choices in all kinds of goods including cosmetics, personal care products, household cleaners, furniture, food, and water.”

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Goodnight My Angel

Dear Elizabeth,

It’s not any special day. It’s not the day I found out we were pregnant with you. It’s not the day we found out we were having a girl. It’s not your birthday or even your half birthday. It’s just a regular, every other type of day.

But with you, it’s not ever just a regular day. You are like a bright ray of sunshine in our lives. As I laid down to sleep with you the other night I realized just how different (not better, just different) it is having a little girl in our family. We laid together in the very same bed that I laid in as a little girl and read books together and laughed and giggled and smiled. I was so very content and happy that I would have a daughter to share the very special bond that I have with my own mom.

I giggled as you played the “kissing game” and would point to a place on my face that should be kissed and say “naaah”, point to the next—“naah”, point to the next place and say “YES!” and kiss me. It was so sweet and….perfect.

When you play the “how much does mommy love me” game, I act very upset when you put your hands only inches apart saying “this much?” and tell you “oh no, more than that!” You move your hands a little bit further apart to which I reply “nope, more”. You finally move your arms outstretched all the way, wiggling your little fingers and say “THIS MUCH?” to which I get to reply “from fingertip to fingertip, that’s how much I love you.” And what a more perfect time than when our arms are fully outstretched to give hugs.

I love reading with you every night before bed. I love how you have your favorite book...recently it's been "Looking for a Moose" and how everytime you'd find a moose on the page, you'd get so excited and scream out. It's wonderful how after I read to you, you must read for yourself and are able to describe every page in detail of what it says. These are the nights I will hold in my heart forever.

You are a very special little girl to all those around you. You are bright, funny, and beautiful. I’m so happy to call you my daughter and look forward to the nights when I get to put you to bed and have more kissing and mommy loves me games.

Goodnight, My Angel.

My ADHD Child

Well, one month (just a little more) into the school year and the fights have begun to make them see just how important the little things are with Zachary. That letting us know he's daydreaming a lot is important so we can discuss with the dr. and possibly readjust his meds. How hiding under the desk and refusing to do work is not acceptable and there IS a way to handle it...IF they would just let us know it's happening. I'm feeling as if the last month has been a lie. We've been lead to believe that his days are going well...and nothing out of the ordinary for a 2nd grader has happened until last Wednesday when he pushed his teacher and got kicked out of school for a day and a half. The teacher also stated how "if this were on the street, I'd call the police for assault." Good to know the teacher, aide, school understand bipolar rages.

And so the fight rages on. I know I'll never never be able to quit being an advocate for my child. I just wish sometimes that they wanted to learn how to make it easier for him and be willing to accomodate his special needs....like giving a 5 minute warning and sending home daily behavioral sheets. Both of which are in his IEP. Both of which are being completely ignored by his teacher.

I was going through my files on my hard drive looking for something when I came across this. I read through it again as my eyes filled with tears...it really does sum things up so well.

My A.D.H.D Child
By Tracey Nicolaus

He's bouncing’ off walls, a superball gone insane.
He runs through your world like an off-rail freight train.
Interruptions are constant, tantrums galore,
When it's time to do homework, he's gone out the door.

The drama is constant, oh his foot fell asleep.
He moans and he wails, the theatrics run deep.
School is a nightmare, the teachers are lost.
If they only could see, he is worth the cost.

He is brighter than most, as most these kids are.
And with patience and love, I know he'll go far.
But the crap I must take from "well meaning friends"
"Don't let him do that." "Oh these rules that he bends."

"You're not a good parent." "Your child's really rude."
"His temper's outrageous." "He has hands in his food."
He hears this and wonders, just what's wrong with me?
I tell him "You're special, you have A.D.H.D."

"Now A.D.H.D. is a gift from above."
"It teaches us grown-ups how to strengthen our love."
"It helps teach your teachers, no two kids are the same."
"You have awesome energy that could bring you great fame.'

"You don't need much sleep, you never wear down."
"You're silly and funny, when you act like a clown."
"You've felt lots of pain from what people have said,
But you pray for those people when you go to bed."

"So you try every day to make a fresh start."
"For God gifted you with an extra big heart."
As I look at my child, he sees through my soul.
My heart feels like bursting, as I realize my goal.

I know this young boy like no one else could,
He's a blessing to me, he's strong and he's good.
So I’ll love him and guide him through the worst of the worst
And he'll make a great man (if I don’t kill him first).

I'm kidding of course 'cause I know what's to be
When I look in his eyes, I see a reflection of me.

Mom's Worry...but like this?

As a mother, you start worrying about your children the instant they are born. At least it’s been like that for me.

Why isn’t he crying more? Is he crying too much? Is he eating enough? Is he eating too much? Is he making all his “milestones”?

As they get to be toddlers you worry about them running away from you in the grocery store or the parking lot or running into the road and getting smooshed flat like a pancake. Falling down the stairs or tripping and splitting their head open.

As your children get older and move into the next phase of their young lives, you worry if they are going to do well in school. If the other kids are going to like them. If the teacher is going to like them or if she/he will think you’ve done a lousy job as parents.

Never in all my years, would I ever have thought that’d I’d be worrying about my 7 year old attempting suicide.

But I am.

I do.

This is not something I regularly discuss. Probably my own ideas that if I don’t talk about it…I don’t vocalize it…it’s not really true. I can push it to the dark recesses of my mind until something makes it come slamming back to the front of my brain again. That happened this weekend. Sometimes, I wish that others could see the outbursts that we are subjected to in the hopes that maybe they’ll understand our use of medications, therapy, counseling and weird routines and rules. Maybe they wouldn’t think that we are psychotic parents who need to let a kid be a kid.

Because if they saw a 7 year old rummage through the kitchen drawers, looking for something and finally settling on a steak knife before raising it in his hand to try to bring it slamming down into his chest, people might begin to understand the terror and despair that we live through as parents to a child inflicted with mood disorders.

Now, of course, he didn’t slam that knife into his chest. We had him restrained and the knife away instantly but what if next time we’re not there? What if as he grows older he begins to get smarter and understand that we are ALWAYS going to stop him because we love him so much and he starts to attempt these things in private?

This whole thing started because he was asked to do a simple chore…bring his laundry bin into the kitchen so I could wash the clothes. What it turned into was a tantrum for over an hour in which I had to restrain him 2 times to keep him from punching and kicking me, a broken necklace, a broken broom that he took his anger out on, and an attempt to stab himself all the while screaming how much we must hate him and it’d be so much easier to be dead and how he wishes he could just kill himself.

Finally, Chuck was able to get through to him and calm him down. What started in tears, ended in tears but of a much different kind. When they came back inside from the back deck, Zachary’s eyes were red rimmed and puffy. A tell-tale sign that he’d been crying hard. He hugged me hard and apologized for breaking my sapphire necklace and not listening and how incredibly sorry he was to have hurt us. I, of course, cry too.

And the cycle continues. Tantrum, threats, violence followed by great amounts of remorse. I do feel hope though for the future, because he does feel that remorse. Once he’s calmed down, he understands that his actions were not appropriate. I just wish that we could get to the point of understanding this before the actions occur.

October is supposed to be the beginning of the rough times for people with mood disorders as the days start getting much shorter and lack of light affects the serotonin and blah, blah, blah. Once again, we’re seeing this phenomenon happen. Every summer, I lull myself into believing that maybe we’re turning the corner with his behavior to just be kicked in the gut in October. You’d think one day I’d learn.

I’ll never learn to not worry though.

Halloween Memories

When I was little, I loved Halloween. Still do actually.

It’s funny, though, the things that you remember about your time as a child. You would think that you’d remember the costumes or going out trick-or-treating with your friends. But the times I remember the most were going and visiting my Grandma and Grandpa in the town next to ours.

It wasn’t uncommon for us to see Grandma and Grandpa; in fact, we saw them at least once a week. But after we went trick-or-treating to all the neighbors in about a 10 block radius and waited on the sidewalk for my mom to finish chatting with every. single. one. of the neighbors, we would pile in the car to go see my Grandma on the farm and then after we’d get our full size candy bars from her (score!) we’d head out to the next town to see Grandma and Grandpa.

They lived in a tiny little house….barely bigger than my very first apartment. Actually, my apartment might have just been bigger than their house. My Grandpa would almost inevitably be on the c.b. squawking about this or that and Grandma would meet us in the kitchen with our Halloween baggies.

Those are what I remember the most. They were regular brown paper lunch saks, but to me as a kid they held the sustenance of life. She would always have it rolled down twice and there would be grease marks on the outside. It was the same goodies every single year. I looked forward to Grandma’s treat bags knowing that some of my favorites would be in there.

There was 2 cupcakes with orange frosting and some type of Halloween decoration…a spider ring, witch stick, or some type of poker that my brothers and I would later get in trouble with as we poked each other with the pointy end. A handful of each: Mary Janes, Bit o’ Honey, and Halloween foil wrapped chocolate candies.

Still, to this day, I love me some Bit O’Honey. Every time I see those little candies, I’m reminded of my Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Halloween and those grease marked brown lunch bags. I remember thinking how much Grandma must love us to make us such treat bags and not just buy us some of the same old candy.

So, it makes me wonder what exactly my kids strongest Halloween memory will be. Will it be the weekend that we spend camping with THEIR Grandma and Grandpa and aunts and uncles trick-or-treating at the campground, like we did this weekend?

Will it be carving their pumpkins that we take so much time in doing to get cool jack-o-lanterns?

Will it be the treat bags that they are given by their Great Aunt and Uncle? Or will they remember their super cool homemade costumes, pieced together with all sorts of items from Goodwill, home and thrift stores? The one thing that I’m sure of…it will be FAMILY that is in those memories. Because all of the Halloween activities include family….mom and dad, Grandma and Grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins. So, I guess it doesn’t matter what is their favorite memory as long as they remember how much they were loved…and how happy we all were to be there and doing it all with them.

Please Read New Post on MaternaCare 101

Home Birth Gone Awry.

15 Ways to Boost Your Memory in Your 30s, 40s, 50s, and Beyond - Healthy Living - Health.com

15 Ways to Boost Your Memory in Your 30s, 40s, 50s, and Beyond - Healthy Living - Health.com

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Butter vs. Margarine – What’s the Truth?

This past week I gave several nutrition talks about the foods you should include in a healthy diet. I was astounded by the looks I received from quite a few people when I stated that butter is good for you and margarine is not. I also noticed that most of the folks who gave me that look were in their 50’s and 60’s, precisely the group of people who have been pounded with the message that margarine is good for you. In this article I hope to set the record straight and explain why butter is good for you and why margarine is bad for you.

Why butter is good for you:

The proponents (and manufacturers) of margarine have spread the word that butter is a saturated fat and saturated fat causes heart disease. I don’t have the space here to get into the details, but let me say this – there are many doctors, nutritionists, and scientists who do not believe this, including myself. If you want to learn how this theory became the accepted norm despite those who do not agree I’d encourage you to read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s The Cholesterol Myths, or visit the Weston Price Foundation web site www.westonaprice.org.

That being said, there is a general consensus that we need some saturated fat in our diet. Butter is a healthy saturated fat, particularly when it is organic, and even better when it comes from a grass fed cow. It is high in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without proper vitamins we can not utilize the minerals we ingest, no matter what level we eat. Vitamins A & D are essential for growth, healthy bones, proper development of the brain and nervous systems, and for normal sexual development. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and vitamin K is important for bone building and blood clotting.

Butter also has CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) that helps fight weight gain and butyric acid which is anti-viral and anti-cancer. For those with an allergy to the dairy protein casein, ghee (clarified butter) is an equally healthy option.

Why margarine is bad for you:

What may get lost in the discussion of whether or not butter is good for you, is the fact that margarine is definitely harmful to you. The bottom line is that margarine is made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. That means trans-fats. One fact that everyone who talks about nutrition agrees on is that trans fats cause cancer. (The other fact is that sugar is bad for you.)

A major problem we run into is that food labeling, particularly trans fat labeling is very deceiving. Basically, food manufacturers abuse the FDA labeling rules. According to FDA guidelines if products have less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving it can be labeled as zero grams of trans fat. The typical serving size is one tablespoon – that’s not all that much. One manufacturer, Smart Balance, has created an advertisement to show it has the least amount of trans fats compared to other brands. They conclude that of all the leading brands theirs stands out as it is “the closest to zero grams trans fat nature allows.” Quite the statement. They admit there is trans fat; trans fat causes cancer; but hey, it is as close as we can come. Sounds like a cigarette company telling us to smoke just one cigarette each day, because that is as close to zero as you could come!

Another basic problem with margarine is that it is made from a variety of vegetable oils which are polyunsaturated fatty acids. When exposed to heat and oxygen – both during manufacturing and later in cooking at high temperature – “free radicals” are created. These are the villains that damage our cells and tissues causing cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Our body knows the truth:

A summary of the biological facts concerning saturated fats and trans fats: saturated fats are essential for healthy cell membrane function, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats enhance hormone production, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats suppress inflammation, trans fats encourage inflammation; saturated fats raise “good” cholesterol, trans fats lower “good” cholesterol; saturated fats help insulin receptors, trans fats inhibit them; saturated fats enhance the immune system, trans fats depress it. So as you can see, from a biological perspective we need saturated fats and not trans fats.


Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Lifestyle Changes Decrease Breast Cancer

The American Institute for Cancer Research/World Cancer Research Fund estimate that 40% of all breast cancers - over 70,000 breast cancer cases in the United States every year - could be avoided with simple lifestyle changes.

The update to the 2007 recommendations stem from review of 81 additional studies. The new AICR recommendations of lifestyle changes to decrease a woman's risk of breast cancer include:

1. Because of the link between excess body fat and cancer aiming to be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.
2. Physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day
3. If you drink alcohol at all, limit consumption to one drink per day.
4. Mothers should breastfeed exclusively for up to six months and then add other liquids and foods. Evidence is convincing that mothers who breastfeed reduce their risk for breast cancer. There is also probable evidence that children who are breastfed have a lower risk of gaining excess weight as they grow.

"This study represents the clearest picture we have ever had on how lifestyle affect's a woman's risk of breast cancer," declared Professor Martin Weisman, MD, Medical and Scientific advisor to the AICR and WCRF.

The AICR/WCRF report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007 and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/.

The Kase for Vitamin K (and another reason to avoid Splenda)

Vitamin K may be one of the most overlooked vitamins when it comes to our overall health. It is one of the fat soluble vitamins, along with A, D, and E that are critical for many bodily functions. In particular, it is very important for heart health and studies have shown it do reduce arterial calcification and improve bone density. Unfortunately, many of us lack sufficient levels of Vitamin K. The main food source of Vitamin K is leafy green vegetables. However, there is another source – the beneficial intestinal bacteria that live within us. For much of human history this provided a significant proportion of Vitamin K. Here again is a problem of modern man and our diets. Many of us do not have adequate levels of the friendly flora in our guts. If you suffer from digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and acid reflux (to name a few) it is likely your personal bacteria are out of balance.

And now here’s the big “ah-hah” moment! We’ve all heard how our use of antibiotics kills the friendly flora, well here’s another. When experimental animals were given “FDA acceptable daily intake” amounts of sucralose (that’s Splenda) for 12 weeks, numbers of key beneficial flora were decreased significantly. Even after another 12 weeks of being off sucralose key levels remained significantly depressed. (Information courtesy of Nutrition & Healing September 2009 newsletter by Dr. Jonathan Wright.)

So – if you are having digestive problems and can’t figure out why, Splenda may be the culprit. And to be honest, any time you have something you can’t figure out, lay off all the artificial sweeteners for about 45 days and see what happens. They’ve been connected to all kinds of health maladies.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Back to School Nutrition Ideas

In the spirit of “back to school” I thought I’d offer a few thoughts on nutrition for kids. (Of course this advice applies to adults as well.) In all honesty, it is probably the most challenging aspect of my private client practice. While it can be difficult to get adults to eat healthier, kids can be even more so. The food producers and manufacturers have developed special foods that they call “kid’s food”. If you take the time to read the list of ingredients you will find that most of it is not food and should not be consumed by anyone, particularly our children. Our children are growing and need the healthiest foods available to properly fuel their minds and bodies.

The consumption of “kid’s food” and more sedentary lifestyles (lack of exercise, lots of television, computer, and video games) is greatly impacting the health of our youth. Here’s some scary statistics from the CDC. Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 25 years, increasing from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, going from 5% to almost 18%. Keep in mind, before being classified as “obese” there is “overweight” classification, which I have seen estimates between 20 and 25%.

How do we get our kids to eat healthier foods? One successful strategy that I use is to make subtle substitutions to the foods they like to eat. Let’s take something as simple as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For the peanut butter use organic peanut butter that is nothing but peanuts and peanut oil. Most commercial peanut butters contain added sugar and hydrogenated oil (trans- fats). We know trans-fats are linked to cancer and that added sugar adds empty calories. I stress the organic because peanuts are one of the most highly pesticided crops, so non-organic peanut butter will contain potential chemical residues and toxins. Ever wonder why there are so many peanut allergies today? For the bread I recommend sprouted bread. It comes in a variety of flavors and is the healthiest bread option. It has more vitamins and fewer calories per slice. However, it is made from wheat so for those with gluten intolerance use another bread option such as flax and millet bread. For the jelly, find the most natural product you can. Look for spreads that do not add sugar or have less sugar added. The fruit already has plenty of sugar.

What are some other healthy substitutions? A major area to look at is the carbohydrates. Our kids eat a lot of them – bread, rice, pasta. Our goal here is to shift from the refined and processed white flour products to whole grains. In addition to the switch to sprouted breads, we can use brown rice instead of white rice and pasta from brown rice rather than refined wheat (the white pasta). All of these substitutions taste virtually the same. They just look a little different and that may turn off the kids. But, covered in tomato sauce they will never know the difference!

Then there are snacks. The kids get home from school and they are hungry and it is not quite dinner time. There are certainly some better choices than chips and dips. Another societal norm is this idea of “snack food.” Just like with “kid’s food” we need a little retraining. What is a snack? It is a small meal. So, think of something healthy that would be part of a meal. It can be a half of a sandwich, one hard boiled egg, a cup of yogurt, some fruit, something spread on a stick of celery, vegetables and dip. There’s nothing special about these foods, except that they are healthy. I like to tell people not to worry about if something is considered “breakfast” food or “snack” food – just eat healthy food when you are hungry!

A valuable resource is the web site www.mequonkids.com. It has lots of great ideas for school lunches and snacks. For more ideas and recipes go to the mequonkids.com web site and click on “Brown Bag Lunch Ideas” or “After School Snacks.”

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Things I've learned today

A seven year olds poop in a modern campground is even less fun and more stinky to clean up then a 2 year olds on a hiking trail when wearing no diaper.

Geocaching several caches in one day is stupid for us.

The geocaches that say bring your own pen are so samll that it doesn't have any fun trading items to keep the kids interested.

Apparently, my kids would love to live in a pickle barrell.

A day trip for our family usually lasts ALL day with lots of side trips. Its 9:57 and we're 1/2 hour from camp (strike that.....its now 10:45 and according to TomTom we won't be back at camp until midnight) .

However we see a lot of things that most people never see in their lifetime.

The UP has some gorgeous uninhabited country.

Which is a REALLY good thing considering that Chuck drove off and left me standing in a backcountry road with no pants on as I changed out of my swim bottoms and into pants.

Nylon swim bottoms are NOT comfortable to walk in all day long and the resulting rash is less comfortable.

Driving off the beaten track and into some primitive campgrounds of the NPS make me miss our tent camping days of Chuck and I.

However, driving back in the still of the night with sleeping children makes for some awesome quiet couple time.

And I'm going to enjoy it.

Bioidentical Hormones

Hormone therapy is a frequent topic of discussion with my patients. The media coverage of bioidentical hormones including Oprah, Suzanne Somers and Dr. Christiane Northrup have empowered women to seek a better quality of life and relief from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, impaired sleep, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, painful intercourse, loss of memory and weight gain. This has caused quite a stir in the medical community. Why? Because women are asking questions they’ve not asked before – especially about bioidentical hormones.

What are bioidentical hormones? Bioidentical hormones are prescribed hormones that are identical to the hormones produced in a women’s body prior to the onset of menopause. The most commonly prescribed include three different types of estrogen (estrone, estradiol and estriol), progesterone, testosterone and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA).

There are two categories of bioidentical hormones: compounded and manufactured.

Compounded bioidentical hormones are pills, creams, gels, suppositories, injectables, sublingual drops or lozenges that are prescribed by health care providers who tailor the dose to a woman’s individual symptoms and concerns. They are literally assembled in the pharmacy by a certified compounding pharmacist and are available through mail-order and some local pharmacies. Compounded bioidentical hormones are generally not covered by insurance and therefore are an out-of-pocket expense.

Manufactured bioidentical hormones are pills, creams, gels, sprays and injectable medications manufactured and marketed by large pharmaceutical companies. They come in standard doses and, therefore, are not available as tailor-made medications. There are other limitations with manufactured hormones. For instance, bioidentical estrogen is only manufactured as estradiol – the most potent of the three types manufactured in a woman’s body. Manufactured bioidentical hormones may be covered by insurance.

The alternative to bioidentical hormone therapy is synthetic hormone therapy. They include manufactured hormones that are similar to but intentionally different than the chemical structure as those hormones produced in a woman’s body. Premarin (conjugated equine estrogen) and Provera (a synthetic progestin) are the most commonly prescribed conventional hormones. They are the suspect hormones studied in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Study that raised concerns about all hormone replacement therapy due to increased risks of blood clot formation, stroke, heart attack and cancer. Upon release of this information in 2002, many women abruptly stopped hormone usage and many physicians stopped or significantly limited prescribing hormone therapy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) and the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) have recently issued statements supporting the use of manufactured bioidentical or conventional hormone therapy when necessary. They have also issued statements against compounded bioidentical hormones due to their unproven safety and efficacy.

The debate in the medical community continues regarding the safety and effectiveness of the bioidentical hormones as they have not been studied in large standardized controlled trials such as the WHI. However, it is difficult to undertake such studies when medications are tailor-made for individual women. Small European studies from the 1980’s suggest an improved safety profile with bioidentical hormones. However, this has yet to be proven.

A review article published in January of 2009 in the Journal of Postgraduate Medicine states that patients report greater satisfaction with bio-identical hormone therapies. Clinical outcomes and physiologic data support that bio-identical hormones are more effective than synthetic hormones and are associated with lower risks, including the risk of breast cancer, stroke and heart attack. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to further expound upon the differences.

References:

1. Holtorf K. The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estradiol, striol and progesterone) safer or more efficacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replacement therapy? Postgraduate Medicine 2009:121(1). doi: 10.3810/pgm.2009.01.1949

2. Compounded bioidentical hormones. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 322. American College of Obstricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2005;106:1139-40.

3. North American Menopause Society Statement on Bioidentical Hormones Therapy

Rant and Rave avoided...thank your lucky stars.

So, I had another post started but it seemed like a huge bitchfest and rambling nonsense to me so I figured I’d restart it. Afterall, who really wants to read about the wicked witch of the west that I work with, my horrible Aunt Flo cramping this month or the shitty city that I live in that gives tickets for parking in your own driveway?

A couple of weeks ago I got a new blackberry; I love the blackberry. Seriously, I think I’d marry it if I could as I already sleep with it usually. Hey, I use it as a secondary alarm clock! However, I’ve had issues with keeping up on blogging. I find myself less and less on the pc and more and more on my blackberry, which for all its awesomeness, it isn’t exactly made for blogging. Unless they made a blogger application for it, then that’d be way cool! Everyone would get daily updates from my vacation next week as I seem to be doing a lot of Facebook updating through the easy-peasy app. So if you’d like to keep up to date on my daily comings and goings, add me as a friend!

One of the major goings in our household right now is the fact that 4 days before our annual week-long camping trip, Miss Elizabeth has decided to potty train herself. Yay! Except for the fact that I’m not sure how well driving in a car for 9 hours is going to work with a little girl *just* starting out in panties. Or how well, traipsing through Tahquammenon Falls is going to be with her in a backpack with just panties on and no where to use the potty. I guess it’s nature afterall and she’s always trying to pee standing up (its what happens when you live in a houseful of boys and your sitter is a boy too!) However, I’m not going to actively discourage her so we’re working on wearing big girl panties to go along with her big girl bed that she got last weekend. It’s been sooooooooo nice having my own bed back to just Chuck and I again. Well, at least until about 5 am every morning.

And considering that Chuck just celebrated his 41st birthday last Friday, he needs all the uninterrupted rest he can get. He keeps sputtering about how he’s getting old and needs more sleep now then he did before. I think it’s true too, despite all the studies done that suggest older people need less sleep. Maybe it means “older” people without young children….cuz we’re exhausted at the end of the day.

His birthday was a nice day; spent some time at the splash pad, the beach and had a huge dinner made by me and Lucas. Rachel Ray is one of my culinary heroes. Okay, maybe she’s my only culinary hero…but I love her recipes and the fact that it’s a 30 minute meal makes it even better in my book. This time we did a recipe for Chipolte grilled Porterhouse steaks with a cilantro-lime butter compound, cheesy smashed potatoes and a fire roasted vegetable mixture tossed in the butter compound. I know, yummy right? It was all gone at the end of the day too…even the boys loved the meat.

During the whole time, Lucas kept saying “I’m turning into a good little chef, aren’t I momma?” Of course, I agreed but not just out of the motherly obligation…he really is! He was a ginormous help and has really come out of his shell lately. He, being Lucas, had to get in the good-natured ribbings on his father’s 41 years; last night he informed me that we beat Daddy at the grocery shopping game because Daddy is “old now and getting slow”.

However, we’ll see just how “old and slow” daddy is when we’re hiking through the wilderness and geocaching for the first time. I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll have a hard time keeping up with him.

We leave for the UP tomorrow. Hope to update in the wilderness….maybe it will bring out my sentimental, thoughtful side. I’m really looking forward to doing nothing for 9 days….and when I say nothing, I mean hiking, boating, swimming, playing in the sand, geocaching, visiting the museums, possibly going to the zoo, visiting the fish hatchery, Kit-i-kippi springs and seeing my aunt and uncle for a day.

Sounds like heaven.

The Chocolate Monster

I’m starting to get a little frustrated. Well, more than a little really.

See 3 weeks ago, I visited a friend in DC; in this friend’s apartment were mirrors. LOTS of mirrors. Everywhere I turned I saw my reflection, and honestly, after not seeing my full reflection (except in pictures) regularly in more than a year, I was more than a little disgusted with how much weight I’ve gained.

For some reason, while I am pregnant, I lose weight and once I am no longer pregnant I gain. And I gain A LOT.

So on my way home, I made a decision to lose weight. I’m healthy…my cholesterol is 117. My blood pressure is 102/70. My blood sugar is perfect. Rarely do I let my weight get me down.

But I’m finding it harder to do things. Cedar point is completely out of the question, for example, until I lose enough weight to fit on the rides. I go hiking with the family, but am always well behind (usually I’m carrying or pushing or backpacking Elizabeth, but still). I want to look hot for my husband.

So, three weeks ago I started counting my calories. Eating smaller portions, better foods, getting in more fruits and veggies and less fast food/junk food. And I’ve done well staying below my calories almost every single day. (this weekend was harder as I was camping with the folks. But I did try to make good decisions).

I feel like my clothes are fitting me differently too.

So why am I frustrated? Because I cannot visibly SEE the weight on the scale going down. The scales that are close to me (at home and at work) don’t go up to my weight so I have no idea where I’m at. Whether I should start cutting more calories. Whether I’m losing anything at all.

Part of me wants to say screw it. What’s it matter anyway? The other part of me is encouraging me to go on…afterall, my pants feel looser right?

So, how (on days when I am craving chocolate) do I not give in to the defeated, loser feelings? Any suggestions?

Ten Things to Know About the Swine Flu Vaccine

I received this in e-mail form today and wanted to pass it along. I thought the Blog would be an efficient way! The author credits are at the bottom of the posting. This is definitely one line you want to be at the back of.


Let's not beat around the bush on this issue: The swine flu vaccines now being prepared for mass injection into infants, children, teens and adults have never been tested and won't be tested before the injections begin. In Europe, where flu vaccines are typically tested on hundreds (or thousands) of people before being unleashed on the masses, the European Medicines Agency is allowing companies to skip the testing process entirely.

And yet, amazingly, people are lining up to take the vaccine, absent any safety testing whatsoever. When the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. announced a swine flu vaccine trial beginning in early August, it was inundated with phone calls and emails from people desperate to play the role of human guinea pigs. The power of fear to herd sheeple into vaccine injections is simply amazing...Back in Europe, of course, everybody gets to be a guinea pig since no testing will be done on the vaccine at all. Even worse, the European vaccines will be using adjuvants -- chemicals used to multiply the potency of the active ingredients in vaccines.

Notably, there is absolutely no safety data on the use of adjuvants in infants and expectant mothers -- the two groups being most aggressively targeted by the swine flu vaccine pushers. The leads us to the disturbing conclusion that the swine flu vaccine could be a modern medical disaster. It's untested and un-tried. Its ingredients are potentially quite dangerous, and the adjuvants being used in the European vaccines are suspected of causing neurological disorders.

Paralyzed by vaccines

I probably don't need to remind you that in 1976, a failed swine flu vaccine caused irreparable damage to the nervous systems of hundreds of people, paralyzing many. Medical doctors gave the problem a name, of course, to make it sound like they knew what they were talking about: Guillain-Barre syndrome. (Notably, they never called it "Toxic Vaccine Syndrome" because that would be too informative. )

But the fact remains that doctors never knew how the vaccines caused these severe problems, and if the same event played out today, all the doctors and vaccine pushers would undoubtedly deny any link between the vaccines and paralysis altogether. (That's what's happening today with the debate over vaccines and autism: Complete denial.)

In fact, there are a whole lot of things you'll never be told by health authorities about the upcoming swine flu vaccine. For your amusement, I've written down the ten most obvious ones and published them below.

Ten things you're not supposed to know about the swine flu vaccine

(At least, not by anyone in authority... )

#1 - The vaccine production was "rushed" and the vaccine has never been tested on humans. Do you like to play guinea pig for Big Pharma? If so, line up for your swine flu vaccine this fall...

#2 - Swine flu vaccines contain dangerous adjuvants that cause an inflammatory response in the body. This is why they are suspected of causing autism and other neurological disorders.

#3 - The swine flu vaccine could actually increase your risk of death from swine flu by altering (or suppressing) your immune system response. There is zero evidence that even seasonal flu shots offer any meaningful protection for people who take the jabs. Vaccines are the snake oil of modern medicine.

#4 - Doctors still don't know why the 1976 swine flu vaccines paralyzed so many people. And that means they really have no clue whether the upcoming vaccine might cause the same devastating side effects. (And they're not testing it, either...)

#5 - Even if the swine flu vaccine kills you, the drug companies aren't responsible. The U.S. government has granted drug companies complete immunity against vaccine product liability. Thanks to that blanket immunity, drug companies have no incentive to make safe vaccines, because they only get paid based on quantity, not safety (zero liability).

#6 - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D to protect you from influenza. That's an inconvenient scientific fact that the U.S. government, the FDA and Big Pharma hope the people never realize.

#7 - Even if the swine flu vaccine actually works, mathematically speaking if everyone else around you gets the vaccine, you don't need one! (Because it can't spread through the population you hang with.) So even if you believe in the vaccine, all you need to do is encourage your friends to go get vaccinated.. .

#8 - Drug companies are making billions of dollars from the production of swine flu vaccines. That money comes out of your pocket -- even if you don't get the jab -- because it's all paid by the taxpayers.

#9 - When people start dying in larger numbers from the swine flu, rest assured that many of them will be the very people who got the swine flu vaccine. Doctors will explain this away with their typical Big Pharma logic: "The number saved is far greater than the number lost." Of course, the number "saved" is entirely fictional... imaginary... and exists only in their own warped heads.

#10 - The swine flu vaccine centers that will crop up all over the world in the coming months aren't completely useless: They will provide an easy way to identify large groups of really stupid people. (Too bad there isn't some sort of blue dye that we could tag 'em with for future reference... )

The lottery, they say, is a tax on people who can't do math. Similarly, flu vaccines are a tax on people who don't understand health.

John Miksa ND, Co-Owner
The Natural Path LLC
2910 S Delaware AveMilwaukee, WI, 53207
414-483-9402
www.naturalpath- online.com
www.thecompasssyste m.com/af/ link.aspx? a=thenaturalpath

Don't Get Tricked at the Grocery Store

One of my pet peeves in the world of nutrition is all the false claims and misleading marketing that we are subject to each day. Everybody (including me, although of course I am right!) is telling you what to eat and what not to eat. Often times the information is conflicting and/or confusing. As a result two things can happen. Either you will begin to ignore the information and give up on your attempt to eat healthier or even worse you will be misled into believing something is healthy when in fact it is not.

On top of the list comes the “low fat” craze. I’ve written before that we need fat. It is an essential nutrient for a healthy body. However, we’ve become scared of fat. We believe that eating fat makes us fat. While that is true to a certain extent when we consume large amounts of bad fats, for most people the true culprit making us fat is eating too much processed flour and sugar. Here’s a classic example. We buy the low-fat version of our favorite cracker. The label claims “33% less fat than the original.” Sounds great. But here’s what it really means. The original version has 3 grams of fat per serving, while the low-fat version has 2 grams. That’s your 33% - one gram! Now here’s the problem. In order to make the cracker taste like anything you’ll want to eat the manufacturer adds more refined flour and sugar. So guess what – in your body this will create more fat!

Another problem with “low fat” foods is that they often contain either more sugar, or for “low calorie” they contain artificial sweeteners. Let’s look at our human biology again. It is fat that is satiating. It is fat that tastes good. It is fat that fills us. When they take out the fat, in order to make the “food” palatable, that’s where the sugar and artificial sweeteners come into play. I’ve written several past columns about sugar and artificial sweeteners so I won’t go into that here. The point being, neither the sugar nor the artificial sweetener will satisfy our hunger and we will want to eat again soon and consume more of these empty and non-satiating calories. Recent studies have shown that these “diet” foods actually cause us to eat more!

Ever notice all the different logos on products claiming various health attributes. Did you know that those are bought? Did you know that the instant oatmeals with the American Heart Association health seal actually have more sugar per serving than the perceived “sugary” cereals such as Froot Loops? All the logo means is that it meets the AHA’s “food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.” The irony of course is that sugar is one of the contributors to stress and ultimately the cholesterol our body is making to deal with the stress!

Another favorite of mine is the “good source” claim. If a serving has 10% of the recommended daily value of a specific nutrient is qualifies as a “good source.” On that criteria a good source of calcium is honey teddy grahams. The only problem is that they also contain 23 grams of carbohydrate or almost 6 teaspoons of sugar to your body. And here’s the list of ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Honey, Maltodextrin, Calcium Carbonate (Source of Calcium), Baking Soda, Salt, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier) – sounds real healthy! By the way the calcium you’ll note is from calcium carbonate – not the most absorbable form of calcium; or better known as chalk, limestone, or marble. Now that sounds yummy!

So, as you can see there is quite a bit of deception going on with food labeling. It is all legal and within regulatory requirements. Unfortunately it does not protect you – the consumer. If you are going to buy boxed food it is in your best interest to read the label very carefully. Know what you are buying and putting in to your body. And, if you need more help, please give me a call or e-mail me.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.