Healthcare and The Environment

Over my many years working in healthcare facilities I have developed a green and clean system to help in the elimination of devastating bacteria that can lead to MRSA and other difficult infections.


It seems as the facilities make a major contribution to this problem and they must be addressed.

How Healthcare Impacts the EnvironmentHospitals make significant contributions to their communities by providing a wide variety of services.  They are also major employers, with healthcare comprising approximately 16% of the national and regional economy. Hospitals operate all day everyday, making their environmental footprint large in many communities.
Hospitals impact the environment by:

• Generating approximately 7,000 tons per day of waste, including infectious waste, hazardous waste, and solid waste.

• Using mercury in medical devices, equipment, light bulbs, etc.

• Using materials that may have toxic effects:  PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, heavy metals in electronics, pesticides, batteries.

• Consuming large amounts of energy in buildings and car fleets, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.

• Consuming large amounts of water for domestic use and heating/cooling as well as landscaping.

Read more

Continue reading →

Healthcare and The Environment

Over my many years working in healthcare facilities I have developed a green and clean system to help in the elimination of devastating bacteria that can lead to MRSA and other difficult infections.


It seems as the facilities make a major contribution to this problem and they must be addressed.

How Healthcare Impacts the EnvironmentHospitals make significant contributions to their communities by providing a wide variety of services.  They are also major employers, with healthcare comprising approximately 16% of the national and regional economy. Hospitals operate all day everyday, making their environmental footprint large in many communities.
Hospitals impact the environment by:

• Generating approximately 7,000 tons per day of waste, including infectious waste, hazardous waste, and solid waste.

• Using mercury in medical devices, equipment, light bulbs, etc.

• Using materials that may have toxic effects:  PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, heavy metals in electronics, pesticides, batteries.

• Consuming large amounts of energy in buildings and car fleets, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.

• Consuming large amounts of water for domestic use and heating/cooling as well as landscaping.

Read more

Continue reading →

Does Going Pink Lead to "The Cure"?

Real questions do need to be asked about pink products and real progress in prevention and cure of breast cancer.

Back in March, BCA re-launched the Think Before You Pink® blog to provide information and resources for those interested in shifting the dominant breast cancer narrative. One of our goals was to provide concrete tools that would help people start conversations with their friends, family and communities. As a result, I am excited to announce that we are finishing a “first draft” of our brand-new Think Before You Pink® toolkit. We’ll be offering a sneak peek next week, so stay tuned!

As a lead-in to the initial release of our toolkit, we thought that it would be interesting to revisit our campaign’s best known resource – our critical questions. We created these questions in response to the rise of breast cancer related cause marketing and the lack of transparency about how the generated revenue is spent.

In the years since we’ve started our campaign, we’ve seen a lot of changes: a number of organizations have adapted our questions, mainstream news outlets have reported on the unregulated (and sometimes problematic) use of the pink ribbon, and many companies have even started to disclose more information about their “breast cancer awareness” campaigns.

However, there’s still much work to be done.

The first of our questions is: How much money actually goes toward breast cancer programs and services?

In 2009, the Boston Globe ran an article with the following information:

“Research [has shown] that 79 percent of consumers would likely switch to a brand that supports a cause, all other things being equal. People want to buy from companies that appear to do good deeds. In one test conducted by Cone and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, shampoo aligned with a cause saw a 74 percent sales increase over the same brand without a cause.”

Donations to breast cancer organizations still pale in comparison to profits. Just last year, Reebok marketed an entire line of pink ribbon apparel and accessories, with prices ranging from $50-$100. However, they set a “cap” on the proceeds that they would donate to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade: $750,000. One wonders how much money they made by “linking” themselves to the breast cancer epidemic.

Similarly, Yoplait requires participants in its “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign to either mail lids to the company or enter a code online to donate a whopping 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Why not donate a significant portion of overall sales instead? Hmm.

It gets worse: a quick Google search yields a number of pink items without any apparent connection to breast cancer organizations at all.

These promotions are successful because people want to help end the breast cancer epidemic. They want action steps – and there are few provided.

With our advocacy and education work, we aim to provide more options.

Selections from 30+ Pink posts from Natural Health News

Pink Cause Marketing  Feb 24, 2011
This is why for more than a decade we have been saying THINK Before You Pink! Women's Health Month is March, and that is not too far away. FDA Warns of Potential of Serious Side Effects with Topical Numbing Agents . ...

Natural Health News: The Trouble With PINK
Aug 14, 2006
General Mills also refuses to allow our health education oriented non-profit organiztion, Creating Health Institute, from participating in the annual pink lid promotion. CHI does a very great amount of public health ...

Natural Health News: The Politics of Breast Cancer
May 12, 2011
What is so wrong with pink ribbon marketing? THINK BEFORE YOU PINK. Why on earth would corporations involved in the treatment and diagnosis of women with breast cancer try to control how the public understands the ...

Continue reading →

Does Going Pink Lead to "The Cure"?

Real questions do need to be asked about pink products and real progress in prevention and cure of breast cancer.

Back in March, BCA re-launched the Think Before You Pink® blog to provide information and resources for those interested in shifting the dominant breast cancer narrative. One of our goals was to provide concrete tools that would help people start conversations with their friends, family and communities. As a result, I am excited to announce that we are finishing a “first draft” of our brand-new Think Before You Pink® toolkit. We’ll be offering a sneak peek next week, so stay tuned!

As a lead-in to the initial release of our toolkit, we thought that it would be interesting to revisit our campaign’s best known resource – our critical questions. We created these questions in response to the rise of breast cancer related cause marketing and the lack of transparency about how the generated revenue is spent.

In the years since we’ve started our campaign, we’ve seen a lot of changes: a number of organizations have adapted our questions, mainstream news outlets have reported on the unregulated (and sometimes problematic) use of the pink ribbon, and many companies have even started to disclose more information about their “breast cancer awareness” campaigns.

However, there’s still much work to be done.

The first of our questions is: How much money actually goes toward breast cancer programs and services?

In 2009, the Boston Globe ran an article with the following information:

“Research [has shown] that 79 percent of consumers would likely switch to a brand that supports a cause, all other things being equal. People want to buy from companies that appear to do good deeds. In one test conducted by Cone and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, shampoo aligned with a cause saw a 74 percent sales increase over the same brand without a cause.”

Donations to breast cancer organizations still pale in comparison to profits. Just last year, Reebok marketed an entire line of pink ribbon apparel and accessories, with prices ranging from $50-$100. However, they set a “cap” on the proceeds that they would donate to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade: $750,000. One wonders how much money they made by “linking” themselves to the breast cancer epidemic.

Similarly, Yoplait requires participants in its “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign to either mail lids to the company or enter a code online to donate a whopping 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Why not donate a significant portion of overall sales instead? Hmm.

It gets worse: a quick Google search yields a number of pink items without any apparent connection to breast cancer organizations at all.

These promotions are successful because people want to help end the breast cancer epidemic. They want action steps – and there are few provided.

With our advocacy and education work, we aim to provide more options.

Selections from 30+ Pink posts from Natural Health News

Pink Cause Marketing  Feb 24, 2011
This is why for more than a decade we have been saying THINK Before You Pink! Women's Health Month is March, and that is not too far away. FDA Warns of Potential of Serious Side Effects with Topical Numbing Agents . ...

Natural Health News: The Trouble With PINK
Aug 14, 2006
General Mills also refuses to allow our health education oriented non-profit organiztion, Creating Health Institute, from participating in the annual pink lid promotion. CHI does a very great amount of public health ...

Natural Health News: The Politics of Breast Cancer
May 12, 2011
What is so wrong with pink ribbon marketing? THINK BEFORE YOU PINK. Why on earth would corporations involved in the treatment and diagnosis of women with breast cancer try to control how the public understands the ...

Continue reading →

Make Your Effort to Save Water

For many years I served on one community's Health and Environment Commission.  Water Conservation  was one large issue on which we worked.  


I had the first community xeriscaped yard and brought in the rain barrel concept.  We created tiered usage rates, specific watering hours, and had a great array of water saving items available from the water department.  Audits were available from the water department as well.


As this problem continues, here are some tips you might wish to use.  For main stream media I thought this was quite helpful.

Saving water at home

Where to start:

In order of water savings starting with the most bang for the buck, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute:

• Replace water-wasting fixtures with state-of-the-art products, starting with your showerhead.
• Fix a toilet that leaks water from the tank into the bowl, or replace an old toilet with a new "low-flow" model.
• Fix a leaky faucet, replace an inefficient one with a newer model, or add an aerator.
• If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis. (It's probably not cost-effective to replace your conventional machine if it still has a few years left in it.)
• Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water in pulses of 10-20 minutes with 15 or more minutes in between, allowing the water to soak in properly.
• Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants.
  

More about: Saving water at home

For most households, the vast majority of water is used indoors. You can get the biggest water savings in your home by installing efficient fixtures and fixing leaks.
But there are other ways too. Water and electricity are linked; the water-supply sector uses large amounts of energy to transport, treat, and deliver water. On the flip side, vast quantities of water are required to generate power. Use less power and you'll save water, and vice versa.

Food for additional thought: Meat is far more water-intensive to deliver to the table than vegetables. Skip meat once a week at your home, and the water savings upstream is significant.

Steam showers: Save water, ease stress

by Linda Merrill for Networx Steam showers are the modern day equivalent of the steam baths of ancient Rome and the traditional Finnish saunas.


10 things I learned while living without running water

The Green Cheapskate learns the hard way that it's much easier to save resources than he thought.


Water-wise around the house

The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. ...


Save money and the planet

Five actions you can take that will help to preserve and protect the planet and your budget.


Raining revolution: Collect rain water, help the planet

Lower your water bills by diverting the water that runs down your roof.


Fives ways to save time and money on your lawn

Already tired of cutting the grass? These green tips can help.


Showerhead with automatic shutoff

When you live in Australia, droughts are very real, and water conservation is a part of life. One Australian recently came up with a household invention to help reduce the amount of water being used in the shower. ...


Clean your car without toxics or water

Cheaper than the car wash and kinder to your water bill, the Eco Touch spray will shine your car without harming the environment.


Dishpan hands go green

A green strategy for hand-washing your dishes.


Dry to the bone

A selection of online tips for conserving water -- something much of the U.S. needs to do right now.


Grey water for flushing

Large-scale projects sometimes install systems to treat and re-use grey water from sinks for flushing toilets. Now, you can do this in your very own home!

SOURCE

Continue reading →

Make Your Effort to Save Water

For many years I served on one community's Health and Environment Commission.  Water Conservation  was one large issue on which we worked.  


I had the first community xeriscaped yard and brought in the rain barrel concept.  We created tiered usage rates, specific watering hours, and had a great array of water saving items available from the water department.  Audits were available from the water department as well.


As this problem continues, here are some tips you might wish to use.  For main stream media I thought this was quite helpful.

Saving water at home

Where to start:

In order of water savings starting with the most bang for the buck, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute:

• Replace water-wasting fixtures with state-of-the-art products, starting with your showerhead.
• Fix a toilet that leaks water from the tank into the bowl, or replace an old toilet with a new "low-flow" model.
• Fix a leaky faucet, replace an inefficient one with a newer model, or add an aerator.
• If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis. (It's probably not cost-effective to replace your conventional machine if it still has a few years left in it.)
• Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water in pulses of 10-20 minutes with 15 or more minutes in between, allowing the water to soak in properly.
• Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants.
  

More about: Saving water at home

For most households, the vast majority of water is used indoors. You can get the biggest water savings in your home by installing efficient fixtures and fixing leaks.
But there are other ways too. Water and electricity are linked; the water-supply sector uses large amounts of energy to transport, treat, and deliver water. On the flip side, vast quantities of water are required to generate power. Use less power and you'll save water, and vice versa.

Food for additional thought: Meat is far more water-intensive to deliver to the table than vegetables. Skip meat once a week at your home, and the water savings upstream is significant.

Steam showers: Save water, ease stress

by Linda Merrill for Networx Steam showers are the modern day equivalent of the steam baths of ancient Rome and the traditional Finnish saunas.


10 things I learned while living without running water

The Green Cheapskate learns the hard way that it's much easier to save resources than he thought.


Water-wise around the house

The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. ...


Save money and the planet

Five actions you can take that will help to preserve and protect the planet and your budget.


Raining revolution: Collect rain water, help the planet

Lower your water bills by diverting the water that runs down your roof.


Fives ways to save time and money on your lawn

Already tired of cutting the grass? These green tips can help.


Showerhead with automatic shutoff

When you live in Australia, droughts are very real, and water conservation is a part of life. One Australian recently came up with a household invention to help reduce the amount of water being used in the shower. ...


Clean your car without toxics or water

Cheaper than the car wash and kinder to your water bill, the Eco Touch spray will shine your car without harming the environment.


Dishpan hands go green

A green strategy for hand-washing your dishes.


Dry to the bone

A selection of online tips for conserving water -- something much of the U.S. needs to do right now.


Grey water for flushing

Large-scale projects sometimes install systems to treat and re-use grey water from sinks for flushing toilets. Now, you can do this in your very own home!

SOURCE

Continue reading →

‘One Good Reason’ Member Named Nat’l Youth Advocate of Year

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The national Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK) has honored Taylorsville student Kiley Atkins as “Youth Advocate of the Year.” She was chosen for her leadership in the Utah Department of Health-sponsored anti-tobacco youth group One Good Reason. Atkins recently returned from the nation’s capital where she accepted her award at a CTFK gala.

Kiley’s fight against the tobacco industry began early. She first learned about tobacco in 3rd grade, and went directly home to inspire her grandparents to quit smoking. In 2009, Atkins related that personal experience with a moving story to members of the Utah Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee

“I’m so proud of all that Kiley has accomplished during her three years of service in the youth group’s presidency,” said Andrea Deming, One Good Reason adult coordinator. “Her friends come from different backgrounds and most of them are exposed to tobacco. Kiley has been great at building up One Good Reason through lasting friendships, creating exciting events, and helping people quit smoking.”

Kiley was chosen for the award because of accomplishments like:

•   Running anti-tobacco events, rallies and demonstrations

•   Fighting the tobacco industry’s sponsorships of Utah college rodeos

•   Conducting a study to determine the influence of tobacco flavors and dual-use products

•   Meeting face-to-face with lawmakers to educate them about tobacco

“One of the coolest things we did with One Good Reason was collecting surveys about how youth perceive tobacco product packaging,” says Atkins. “Basically half of Utah teens would consider using tobacco products based on their colorful, candy-like packaging.” 

                               

Kiley is just one of many great anti-tobacco crusaders in One Good Reason, a youth group that shares a tobacco-free lifestyle. One Good Reason is open to all youth ages 12-18. The group is accepting applications for youth members. To apply or for more information go to http://www.onegoodreason.net/

The Youth Advocate of the Year Award is a national honor presented to youth who have promoted tobacco prevention legislation in their home states, helped reduce tobacco marketing in their communities, and worked to stop their peers from using tobacco.

The tobacco industry spends $60 million each year in Utah marketing its drugs. The Utah Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program efforts, combined with local health department efforts, have helped drive the youth smoking rate down by 29 percent since the campaign began in 1999. Ninety percent of adult smokers begin lighting up before age 19 and one in three will eventually die of their addiction. For more information and resources visit http://www.onegoodreason.net/.

Media Contact:

Andrea Deming

UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program 

(o) 801-538-7085 (m) 801-836-4066

Kiley Atkins

CTFK Youth Advocate of the Year

Mobile: (801) 403-5327

 

# # #

Continue reading →

Mercury a Concern as it Remains in Vaccines

You may or may not like, or know of, Tim Bolen.  This aside he is a relentless expositor of important issues in health care today.  And he should be applauded for the most part in his ongoing expose of the fraudulent actions of the over-relied upon quackbuster operation.  You know, Stephen Barrett's propaganda (false flag) fiasco relied on by too many journalists.

To the ire of many Bolen exposes the issues of mercury remaining in vaccines through the eyes and research of now attacked-by-MSM pundits -

The Attack on Mark and David Geier... 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate  Tim Bolen 

Saturday, May 21st,  2011

An attorney friend of mine, Bob Reeves, a mainstay in the mercury in health care wars, called me last April 28th, 2011 and asked me to look into some strange occurrences regarding Mark Geier MD and his son David Geier.  As everyone knows, the Geiers are severe critics of the fact that Thimerosal (mercury - deadly toxic to humans) has NOT, despite false claims and misrepresentations from the vaccine industry, been removed from vaccines.

Bob asked me, as a Crisis Management Consultant, to analyze the situation and give him, and the Geiers, my Opinion and make some Recommendations.  This, below, is the Public Version.  The Private Version is much grittier.

Who are these Geier guys?

In short, they are the nemesis of the world-wide vaccine industry.

(1)  Last January 27th, 28th, 29th, 2011 the Geiers, along with their colleague Lisa Sykes attended, by invitation as anofficial NGO, the United Nations Environment Programme - Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC2).  There, they officially presented, to the shocked international delegates, convincing evidence that mercury in vaccines, HAS NOT actually been removed, and represents a serious threat to the people of Planet Earth.  The Geiers have since been invited to present again at the next conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in October, 2011.

(2)  The Geiers have been a mainstay in the State legislative actions banning Thimerosal in vaccines across the US, and the world. More than half of the States are involved in Thimerosal ban legislation.  Already, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, California, and Washington state have legislated those bans.

(3)  The Geiers, through their non-profit corporation CoMeD recently sued the FDA for, as attorney Bob Reeves say"The failure of the FDA to follow their own regulations and require testing for the safety of vaccines."

(4)  Press Releases - the Geiers, through their organizations, have issued Press Releases documenting mercury in vaccine issues.  There are five of them.  You can read them by clicking on each one:  One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

(5)  Their peer reviewed studies, over a hundred, cover a broad range of Thimerosal caused issues including two extremely shocking revelations:  (a)  Thimerosal in vaccines is 300 times more toxic to the human brain than the bacteria in the vaccines it is designed to destroy, (b)  there is a Thimerosal substitute that is twenty times more destructive to bacteria and it has NO affect on the human brain.  You can find many of these published papers here.

(6)  Mark Geier MD testifies in Vaccine Court on behalf of brain damaged children. Article.

(7)  Both Geiers testified to the IOM on the problems of Thimerosal in vaccines.  Testimony.

(8)  Both Geiers have been active attempting to force the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to make vaccine adverse reaction data available to the public.  The CDC will NOT let anyone see that data.  Do you wonder why? Link.

(9)   David Geier was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Maryland Commission on Autism, and as such, has significantly effected the quality of treatment recommendations offered to Autistic children in the State of Maryland.

(10)   Mark and David Geier, because of their research into the question "Why do boys get Autism at a rate higher than girls," found that Thimerosal interacts with testosterone, increasing it in children, causing "precocious puberty."  They then found that the use of the drug Lupron reduces those effects, and significantly reduces incidents of violence, and acting-out, in Autistic children, sometimes almost removing Autistic behavior.

(11)  The Geiers set up, with every health insurance company in the US, pre-approved protocols, using Labcorptesting, for the use of Lupron, and the payment for that testing and that drug, directly to the lab and pharmacies on a case-by-case basis.

The Geiers, because of their activities, are a MAJOR thorn in the side of the vaccine industry.

Major...

Continue reading 

Continue reading →

Mercury a Concern as it Remains in Vaccines

You may or may not like, or know of, Tim Bolen.  This aside he is a relentless expositor of important issues in health care today.  And he should be applauded for the most part in his ongoing expose of the fraudulent actions of the over-relied upon quackbuster operation.  You know, Stephen Barrett's propaganda (false flag) fiasco relied on by too many journalists.

To the ire of many Bolen exposes the issues of mercury remaining in vaccines through the eyes and research of now attacked-by-MSM pundits -

The Attack on Mark and David Geier... 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate  Tim Bolen 

Saturday, May 21st,  2011

An attorney friend of mine, Bob Reeves, a mainstay in the mercury in health care wars, called me last April 28th, 2011 and asked me to look into some strange occurrences regarding Mark Geier MD and his son David Geier.  As everyone knows, the Geiers are severe critics of the fact that Thimerosal (mercury - deadly toxic to humans) has NOT, despite false claims and misrepresentations from the vaccine industry, been removed from vaccines.

Bob asked me, as a Crisis Management Consultant, to analyze the situation and give him, and the Geiers, my Opinion and make some Recommendations.  This, below, is the Public Version.  The Private Version is much grittier.

Who are these Geier guys?

In short, they are the nemesis of the world-wide vaccine industry.

(1)  Last January 27th, 28th, 29th, 2011 the Geiers, along with their colleague Lisa Sykes attended, by invitation as anofficial NGO, the United Nations Environment Programme - Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC2).  There, they officially presented, to the shocked international delegates, convincing evidence that mercury in vaccines, HAS NOT actually been removed, and represents a serious threat to the people of Planet Earth.  The Geiers have since been invited to present again at the next conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in October, 2011.

(2)  The Geiers have been a mainstay in the State legislative actions banning Thimerosal in vaccines across the US, and the world. More than half of the States are involved in Thimerosal ban legislation.  Already, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, California, and Washington state have legislated those bans.

(3)  The Geiers, through their non-profit corporation CoMeD recently sued the FDA for, as attorney Bob Reeves say"The failure of the FDA to follow their own regulations and require testing for the safety of vaccines."

(4)  Press Releases - the Geiers, through their organizations, have issued Press Releases documenting mercury in vaccine issues.  There are five of them.  You can read them by clicking on each one:  One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

(5)  Their peer reviewed studies, over a hundred, cover a broad range of Thimerosal caused issues including two extremely shocking revelations:  (a)  Thimerosal in vaccines is 300 times more toxic to the human brain than the bacteria in the vaccines it is designed to destroy, (b)  there is a Thimerosal substitute that is twenty times more destructive to bacteria and it has NO affect on the human brain.  You can find many of these published papers here.

(6)  Mark Geier MD testifies in Vaccine Court on behalf of brain damaged children. Article.

(7)  Both Geiers testified to the IOM on the problems of Thimerosal in vaccines.  Testimony.

(8)  Both Geiers have been active attempting to force the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to make vaccine adverse reaction data available to the public.  The CDC will NOT let anyone see that data.  Do you wonder why? Link.

(9)   David Geier was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Maryland Commission on Autism, and as such, has significantly effected the quality of treatment recommendations offered to Autistic children in the State of Maryland.

(10)   Mark and David Geier, because of their research into the question "Why do boys get Autism at a rate higher than girls," found that Thimerosal interacts with testosterone, increasing it in children, causing "precocious puberty."  They then found that the use of the drug Lupron reduces those effects, and significantly reduces incidents of violence, and acting-out, in Autistic children, sometimes almost removing Autistic behavior.

(11)  The Geiers set up, with every health insurance company in the US, pre-approved protocols, using Labcorptesting, for the use of Lupron, and the payment for that testing and that drug, directly to the lab and pharmacies on a case-by-case basis.

The Geiers, because of their activities, are a MAJOR thorn in the side of the vaccine industry.

Major...

Continue reading 

Continue reading →

Sunscreen Safety at Issue

Just as the Northern Hemisphere is getting close to the sunnier summer season these consideration about using sunscreen may be important to consider -

It's that time of year when sunscreen advertisements become ubiquitous on television—cute kids prancing on the beach after their mothers conscientiously apply multiple coats of white lotion in an effort, the companies tell you, to protect against sunburns and skin cancer. Sunscreen has become big business. In 1972, sunscreens and sunblocks raked in $18 million. Last year, a single Banana Boat brand product brought in that amount, and the top 10 sunscreen products on the market netted more than $300 million in sales. Yet, as sales of sunscreen have grown, so has theincidence of melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer. Among white Americans, for example, incidence rates for melanoma have increased from approximately 8.7 per 100,000 people in 1975 to 25.3 per 100,000 in 2007, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Those numbers raise the question, if we're using more and more sunscreen, why haven't those cancer rates gone down?  SOURCE

Selections from our many Sunscreen posts at Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Sunscreen Allergies

May 15, 2011

In 2008 Natural Health News reported on sunscreen as unsafe and ineffective. Earlier than this, along with an expert on the subject, we tackled mis-information being promoted by Dr Oz's "Real Age". Over the years we have continued to ...

Suncreen May be Hiding the Facts

May 19, 2008

Today the BIG NEWS is about Sunscreen. Numerous problems remain even after many years of known issues with the chemical ingredients in these products. Some products listed as safe in the EWG report contain titanium dioxide, ...

Yes, you do need more D

Aug 16, 2010

But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays. And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide ...

More Foods for Health

Apr 22, 2010

Pomegranate Enhances sunscreen protection Lowers "bad" cholesterol Fights prostate cancer. Pumpkin Protects joints against polyarthritis Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk Reduces inflammation. Raspberries Inhibit growth of oral, ...

Continue reading →

Sunscreen Safety at Issue

Just as the Northern Hemisphere is getting close to the sunnier summer season these consideration about using sunscreen may be important to consider -

It's that time of year when sunscreen advertisements become ubiquitous on television—cute kids prancing on the beach after their mothers conscientiously apply multiple coats of white lotion in an effort, the companies tell you, to protect against sunburns and skin cancer. Sunscreen has become big business. In 1972, sunscreens and sunblocks raked in $18 million. Last year, a single Banana Boat brand product brought in that amount, and the top 10 sunscreen products on the market netted more than $300 million in sales. Yet, as sales of sunscreen have grown, so has theincidence of melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer. Among white Americans, for example, incidence rates for melanoma have increased from approximately 8.7 per 100,000 people in 1975 to 25.3 per 100,000 in 2007, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Those numbers raise the question, if we're using more and more sunscreen, why haven't those cancer rates gone down?  SOURCE

Selections from our many Sunscreen posts at Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Sunscreen Allergies

May 15, 2011

In 2008 Natural Health News reported on sunscreen as unsafe and ineffective. Earlier than this, along with an expert on the subject, we tackled mis-information being promoted by Dr Oz's "Real Age". Over the years we have continued to ...

Suncreen May be Hiding the Facts

May 19, 2008

Today the BIG NEWS is about Sunscreen. Numerous problems remain even after many years of known issues with the chemical ingredients in these products. Some products listed as safe in the EWG report contain titanium dioxide, ...

Yes, you do need more D

Aug 16, 2010

But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays. And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide ...

More Foods for Health

Apr 22, 2010

Pomegranate Enhances sunscreen protection Lowers "bad" cholesterol Fights prostate cancer. Pumpkin Protects joints against polyarthritis Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk Reduces inflammation. Raspberries Inhibit growth of oral, ...

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Staying Healthy Around Water - Raising Awareness about Recreational Water Illnesses

(Salt Lake City, UT) –The week before Memorial Day (May 23–29, 2011) is Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week. Recreational illnesses include diaherreal illnesses which are caused by germs such as Crypto, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E.coli 0157:H7.  The observance is aimed at increasing awareness about healthy and safe swimming behaviors, including ways to prevent recreational water illnesses (RWIs) and injuries.

RWIs can occur when a person:
• swallows water
• breathes in water, or
• comes in contact with contaminated recreational water.

Recreational water includes:
• swimming pools
• hot tubs
• water parks
• water play areas
• interactive fountains
• lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water

This week also begins the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Bureau of Epidemiology’s surveillance efforts for cryptosporidium.  In the summer and fall of 2007, Utah experienced the largest reported recreational water-associated outbreak of cryptosporidiosis (crypto) in the United States. Between June and December, public health officials confirmed more than 1,900 cases of crypto throughout the state.

Most of the victims reported swimming at a recreational water facility prior to getting sick. Infection with cryptosporidiosis causes watery diarrhea, stomach cramps/pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and as a result of the diarrhea, dehydration and weight loss. Symptoms usually last about one to two weeks, and may go in cycles in which a person may feel better for a few days, and then feels worse again.   

To keep yourself and others safe from crypto, follow the guidelines below.


• Do not swim if you have diarrhea and don’t let family members, especially young children, either.
• Wait two weeks after diarrhea has stopped before swimming.
• Take a shower with soap and water before swimming (referred to as a “cleansing shower”).
• Do not swallow pool water or get pool water into your mouth.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom or changing a diaper.
• Take regular bathroom breaks while swimming.
• Change diapers often. Change diapers in the bathroom, not at the poolside.
• Wash your child’s bottom with soap and water after changing a diaper and then wash your hands with soap and water.

For more information on RWI prevention, visit www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/rwi-prevent.html. 

For more information on drowning prevention, visit www.cdc.gov/SafeChild/Drowning/index.html.

For more information about healthy swimming, visit CDC’s Healthy Swimming website at www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming.

Media Contact:
Theron Jeppson
Health Educator
(801) 538-6783

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More Benefit from Vitamin D

Vitamin D found to boost functioning in the elderly

Vitamin D (actually, a hormone) appears to play a wide variety of roles in health and disease. Back in 2007 I reported on a study which found that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with better physical functioning in the elderly over time. This may not come as too much of a surprise when we consider the evidence that vitamin D has the ability to preserve muscle, and enhance balance and reaction times. 

The role vitamin D has here may have particular relevance to the elderly. As we age, we can be at increased risk of frailty and falls. It is possible, therefore, that maintaining higher levels of vitamin D might help preserve functioning and prevent falls in later life.

The study I reported on back in 2007 has validity, I think, but we’re limited in what we can learn from it due to it being ‘epidemiological’ in nature. Because of this, all it can tell us is that vitamin D is associated with improved function. We can’t tell if there’s a causal relationship here from this study. Even if there is, perhaps vitamin D does not cause improved function, but the other way round (improved function might lead to enhanced sunlight exposure and higher vitamin D levels).

I was therefore interested to read a recent study in which vitamin D therapy was tested in group of elderly individuals (average age 70). The study participants were divided into four groups:

Group 1 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D into the muscle
Group 2 received a placebo injection into the muscle
Group 3 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D as an oral supplement
Group 4 received an oral placebo

The group underwent a range of assessments at the start of the study and one month later.

Here are the changes seen after a month in each of the four groups:

Group 1. Reduced pain, improved functional mobility, improved quality of life, improved general health, improved mental health, improved social functioning.

Group 2. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 3. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 4. Reduced pain.

Overall, compared to placebo, just one big dose of vitamin D had significant benefits for this population, particularly when given directly into the muscle.

We have some evidence here, that vitamin D can directly enhance functioning in the elderly. It makes me think that many elderly individuals can get quite easily get caught in a cycle of impaired functioning, restricted movement, reduced sunlight exposure and then suboptimal vitamin D leading to impaired functioning and so on and so forth. ‘Institutionalised’ individuals in nursing and care homes may be at particular risk, as may any individuals who are long-stay patients in hospital. 

It’s impossible to know what sort of disease and disability burden is caused by suboptimal levels of vitamin D, though my suspicion is that it’s sizeable. On the plus side, it’s a problem that is easily tested for and treatable. Growing awareness of this issue may see many more individuals getting the management they require in later life to keep them alive and well.

References:

1. Sakall H, et al. The effect of oral and parenteral vitamin D supplementation in the elderly: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Rheumatol Int. 2011 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]

SOURCE

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More Benefit from Vitamin D

Vitamin D found to boost functioning in the elderly

Vitamin D (actually, a hormone) appears to play a wide variety of roles in health and disease. Back in 2007 I reported on a study which found that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with better physical functioning in the elderly over time. This may not come as too much of a surprise when we consider the evidence that vitamin D has the ability to preserve muscle, and enhance balance and reaction times. 

The role vitamin D has here may have particular relevance to the elderly. As we age, we can be at increased risk of frailty and falls. It is possible, therefore, that maintaining higher levels of vitamin D might help preserve functioning and prevent falls in later life.

The study I reported on back in 2007 has validity, I think, but we’re limited in what we can learn from it due to it being ‘epidemiological’ in nature. Because of this, all it can tell us is that vitamin D is associated with improved function. We can’t tell if there’s a causal relationship here from this study. Even if there is, perhaps vitamin D does not cause improved function, but the other way round (improved function might lead to enhanced sunlight exposure and higher vitamin D levels).

I was therefore interested to read a recent study in which vitamin D therapy was tested in group of elderly individuals (average age 70). The study participants were divided into four groups:

Group 1 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D into the muscle
Group 2 received a placebo injection into the muscle
Group 3 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D as an oral supplement
Group 4 received an oral placebo

The group underwent a range of assessments at the start of the study and one month later.

Here are the changes seen after a month in each of the four groups:

Group 1. Reduced pain, improved functional mobility, improved quality of life, improved general health, improved mental health, improved social functioning.

Group 2. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 3. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 4. Reduced pain.

Overall, compared to placebo, just one big dose of vitamin D had significant benefits for this population, particularly when given directly into the muscle.

We have some evidence here, that vitamin D can directly enhance functioning in the elderly. It makes me think that many elderly individuals can get quite easily get caught in a cycle of impaired functioning, restricted movement, reduced sunlight exposure and then suboptimal vitamin D leading to impaired functioning and so on and so forth. ‘Institutionalised’ individuals in nursing and care homes may be at particular risk, as may any individuals who are long-stay patients in hospital. 

It’s impossible to know what sort of disease and disability burden is caused by suboptimal levels of vitamin D, though my suspicion is that it’s sizeable. On the plus side, it’s a problem that is easily tested for and treatable. Growing awareness of this issue may see many more individuals getting the management they require in later life to keep them alive and well.

References:

1. Sakall H, et al. The effect of oral and parenteral vitamin D supplementation in the elderly: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Rheumatol Int. 2011 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]

SOURCE

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In Support of Health Forensics

Some years ago I began the arduous task of developing a better way to get to core issues in a client's health status.  I did this mainly because I have a strong commitment to public health.

Over time I honed this approach, always seeking just a little bit better way to accomplish the resulting "picture" of some one's health status.  It also came to be able to show the real core of the problems at hand: nutritional deficiencies related to organ system strength.

With the ever broadening of diagnostic classification, the extensive reliance on pharmaceuticals, and the loss of the art in health care, I  knew I had to find a better way.  With this approach I believe I can help people understand what has become an epidemic of no real method to prevent and improve health.

This process started off with a nutritional profile and an overview based on Five Element Theory.  Over time I added something or removed something to eventually come to the point where I began developing my patent application.

Patent applications are time consuming.  I know because I already have one.  This will be my second, and I hope to have the package ready to submit shortly.


In the mean time there three levels of my program are available.


The basic level is the ASK plan.  This allows you to ask a simple question and after payment you receive what is equal to my 15 minute mini-consult.


The second level available in my system is Health Detective.  This is a service that looks into your current health concerns and there is a $300 fee.  This plays out to about a 5-6 hour access to my expertise.  You receive feedback from the results of the forms I require you to complete and it includes a private phone consultation.  The information amazes most doctors.


The most in depth level in the system is Health Forensics.  There is an hourly fee for this service.  Many practitioners use this service when they are meeting with obstacles in a client's care.  I also have many attorneys using this system for help with difficult case.  This service is focused on complex and complicated health concerns, or it may be used to assist you in developing your own health protection program.  Additionally, our health, spiritual, nutritional, emotional, and specialized counseling services are provided under this designation.

All of these services are unique and highly customized and individualized to your needs. Telephone counseling sessions are available by appointment only (prescheduled and prepayment required).


We do offer retainer plans.

While we do not do insurance billing we do provide statements so you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

There is never any obligation to continue working with us after the first appointment.  All information is considered highly confidential and is provided only and directly to you.

Learn more about Health Forensics

Nonsense in Normal Lab Results 

Broadening Disease Definitions

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