By Sherry Dell   PhD, CN

For acne, try these handy tips.
 
Your mother probably already told you this:  “Don’t touch!”  Touching spreads breakouts.  Squeezing causes inflammation and scarring.
 
Try ice.  As soon as you feel a pimple beginning, wrap an ice cube in saran wrap and hold it on the pimple for a few minutes.
 
Apply apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice on pimple sores at bedtime for 2 to 3 weeks.
 
A mix of tomato paste and non-fat powdered milk dabbed on pimple and left on for 10 minutes can reduce spot.
 
Diluted tea tree oil (1 drop of pure essential oil on wet cotton ball) dabbed on pimple can be very drying.  Don’t over do this dose.
 
For wrinkles and aging skin, try these handy tips.  Much more economical than a trip to the spa but the same ingredients they use.
 
Try a mask of aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil once a week.  Very healing.
 
Another good mask: egg whites, honey, red wine.  Mix well and leave on for 20 minutes.
 
One more mask recipe:  1 tsp kelp granules mixed with 1 tbsp aloe very gel.
 
One more:  fresh papaya rubbed onto your face provides great enzymes.
 
One more: whip egg whites and yogurt and apply as mask.

Contact: Barbara Haumann (413-376-1220)
Organic Trade Association (OTA) hails panel for empowering consumers with ways to reduce their cancer risk

GREENFIELD, Mass. (May 6, 2010)—. The President’s Cancer Panel Report released on May 6 exhorts consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer. Organic products avoid the use of these chemicals.

“Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing, to the extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers…Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat raised without these medications,” according to the landmark report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” submitted to President Obama by Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr., an oncologist and professor of surgery at Howard University, and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, an immunologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

“Organic production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used on the farm all the way to our dinner tables,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

Organic production is based on a system of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) and synthetic fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. In addition, animal confinement in feedlots is prohibited.

“Consumers should know that organic foods have the least chemicals applied in their production and the least residues in the final products. Thus, those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals and follow the recommendations of the President’s Cancer Panel can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop,” said Bushway.

“The American people—even before they are born—are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures,” the panel wrote in a letter to President Obama. It added. “The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

It added, “Many known or suspected carcinogens first identified through studies of industrial and agricultural occupational exposures have since found their way into soil, air, water and numerous consumer products…Some of these chemicals have been found in maternal blood, placental tissue, and breast milk samples from pregnant women and mothers who recently gave birth. Thus, chemical contaminants are being passed on to the next generation, both prenatally and during breastfeeding.”

“OTA is gratified to see a prestigious scientific panel recognize what the organic farmers and the organic community have realized about environmental health and organic agriculture for decades, and we applaud them for taking on this critical issue,” Bushway added.

The full report is available online.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).

Organic Trade Association (OTA) encourages consumers to choose organic fruits and vegetables

By Barbara Haumann, 413-376-1220

Following closely on the heels of the President’s Cancer Panel Report exhorting consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer, a study published in today’s issue of the journal Pediatrics concludes that exposure to organophosphate pesticides at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these children.

“Studies have increasingly shown the importance of minimizing young children’s exposure to even low levels of chemical pesticides. This study adds to that wealth of knowledge and arms parents with information that helps them reduce their children’s pesticide intake,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director, pointing out that the use of organophosphates is prohibited in organic production.

The article reported findings from a study examining the association between urinary concentrations of metabolites of organophosphates and ADHD in children ages 8 to 15. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers led by Maryse Bouchard, a researcher in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Montreal, analyzed the levels of pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children and found children with above-average levels had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD.

As the largest study of this kind so far, it reminds consumers that organophosphates were originally developed for use in chemical warfare because they are known to be toxic to the nervous system. Organophosphate compounds are used in agriculture to kill pests.

“Organic food production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used,” Bushway added. “Those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop.”

The abstract of the paper published in the journal Pediatrics is accessible online.

For more information on organic, go to OTA’s consumer web site, www.organicitsworthit.org.

By Kurt Perkins

I was asked to write a piece on keeping kids ‘prescription free’ for the summer.  Before we talk about the logistics, I have to make 2 disclaimers.  One, I’m not a parent.  I’ve been married just over 2 years with kids being planned for the future.  I do take care of and consult with a lot of kids in my private practice and coach parents on ways to optimize their health so they don’t have to be put on drugs.

Two, I’m not a medical doctor.  I’m a wellness expert with a background in biochemistry and genetics.  I cannot legally tell, inform, or instruct you to get off prescription drugs.  What I can say is that the body is intelligently designed to live an abundant life without the use of drugs, both legal and illegal. 

In my 6 years of practice, seeing thousands of families, I can honestly say that I have never had a parent enjoy putting a child on medication, no matter the condition, whether it’s ADHD, asthma, allergies, headaches, infection, and even cholesterol.  Parents want to feel like they have done their best and by putting a child on medication, many often times feel like they have failed. 

I want to make it loud and clear that you are NOT a bad parent for putting your kid on drugs.  What I can say is that you may be an uninformed parent.  You are constantly getting bombarded with messages from only one side of the scenarios regarding symptoms and treatment options to create ‘health.’

What I would like to challenge is the notion and belief that there is disease.  To explain this, I need to get a little sciencey and make you pull out your mental library of physiology; how the body works.  If you remember back to biology, in order for a cell to stay healthy, it must stay balanced.  To stay balanced, you have to provide good things and avoid the bad things. 

I will refer to the bad things as those that are toxic or deficient.  For example, if a plant is wilting, you know to give it sunlight, water, and nutrients.  If the plant was missing the appropriate amount of sunlight, it would be deficient, therefore causing it to wilt.  Your job as the plant keeper is to make sure it stays sufficient. 

Your other job as the plant keeper is to make sure your neighbor isn’t dumping diesel fuel on your lawn, poisoning the plants.  You could be doing a perfect job of creating sufficiency but if your neighbor is poisoning the plant, there will be problems.  You must create purity as well. 

The division in paradigm is that medicine calls those problems ‘disease.’  In my world of wellness physiology, I call them ‘intelligent adaptive physiology.’  If you address what is causing the adaptations, the cell (your child) will return to balance (health).  Medicine will label that problem with a diagnosis and most likely prescribe a chemical (a toxin) to treat that diagnosis.  Never in the history of the world has adding toxic chemicals to the human body, produced a being to be well.  In my world, I ask what the person is deficient or toxic in and address those. 

Forget about this summer, if you want to keep your kids drug free, you MUST learn to ask a different set of questions.  Instead of asking, “what does my kid have, how do I treat it?” ask “in what area is my child deficient or toxic?”

People will express that adaptive physiology differently.  In one kid, it could look like behavioral problems.  For another child, it could look like asthma.  And for another, it may be a acne.  The diagnosis or label doesn’t matter, it’s figuring out what you and your child are missing and creating purity and sufficiency. 

To figure out how to create purity and sufficiency, let’s go back to the plant analogy.  If your plant is wilting, you instinctively give it water, nutrients, sunlight, and avoid poisons to nurse it back to health.  But how do you keep a healthy plant healthy?  The exact same way.  You give it water, nutrients, sunlight, and avoid poisons. 

You and your kids are no different.  What we as humans require are the same for all humans.  There’s a physical component, a chemical component, and a mental/emotional component.  When we are not providing these in sufficient and pure levels, the body adapts.

If it’s hard to remember physical, chemical, and emotional, just remember health is based on how we move, eat, and think.  Summer is the perfect time to start these changes but for changes to occur in a child, it begins with the parent.  YOU MUST ROLE MODEL!!!  

To begin the journey of role modeling behavior, start by adding, never taking away.  Think of the fight you have when you take away your child’s favorite toy.  It’s a disaster and nobody is happy.

If you want your kids to eat vegetables, you must eat more than you feed them.  If you want your kid to get off the couch and go play outside, you must play more and more enthusiastically outside.  If you want your kids to say ‘thank you,’ you must thank them for all great actions they perform.  If you don’t want your kids to eat the cake and ice-cream, don’t buy it for yourself. 

How I start each morning is by adding.  I start with a glass of water.  Then I add my exercise.  Following my workout, I do my daily reading and then write in a journal for which I am grateful.  Don’t start your day by depriving yourself.  This type of change is fleeting.

For behavior to change, you must first change your beliefs.  To change your beliefs, you must learn to ask the right questions.  If you need help, contact me.  This summer won’t be your greatest because you accomplished a lot but because it’s the summer you made a decision to change for a lifetime of summers.  Have fun, be safe, and create purity and sufficiency.

by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Purple is my favorite color.  This predisposes me to love all things purple.  So when it comes to food, blueberries get my attention for several reasons.  Besides their luscious color and their delicious taste, they are one of the most therapeutic plants on the planet.

Purple and indigo colored food of all kinds is high in a flavonoid called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are very high in antioxidants.  Because oxidative stress and the free radicals that are produced by oxidation are linked with so many degenerative processes, not surprisingly, the fruit of the blueberry plant and its antioxidant capacity have been shown in research to reduce aging symptoms in general.

Oxidation essentially wears down the tissues of the body.  Just like your old car that had oxidized or rust spots on it, our bodies can also “rust out.”  Oxidation is caused by everything from just plain breathing to being exposed to toxins either by choice (processed foods, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) or by environmental features (smog, paint fumes, farm chemicals in food, etc.).

The natural design of our bodies allows these oxidative processes or “fires” to be quenched through the anti-oxidants in our foods.  Water, for example, has very high antioxidant capacity. Measurements vary but below is a list of the 20 highest antioxidant capacity foods as identified by a recent USDA study (1).  Eating from this list is a very good idea for most people.  Notice especially the rating of the blueberry.

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

To  be more specific about blueberries (both the fruit and the leaves), research has shown their positive impact on:

A close European cousin of the American blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium corymbosum)  is called bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Bilberry leaf has been researched to show similar results to the blueberry.

A therapeutic dose of blueberry fruit is one cup per day.  Not a bad prescription, eh?

_{(1) American Chemical Society. “Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources.” ScienceDaily 17 June 2004.}

_{(2) “Anthocyanins and Blueberries,” Nutrition Week, October 3, 1997;27(38):7/Doctor’s Guide to Medical and Other News, September 25, 1997;3.}

_{(3) “Blueberry-induced changes in spatial working memory correlate with changes in hippocampal CREB phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels,” Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, et al, Free Radical Biol Med, 2008 May 2.}

_{(4) “Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits,” Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26.} 

_{(5) “Blueberries May Reverse Some Aging,” Sison A, Medical Tribune, October, 1999;40(17):4.}

_{(6) “Antioxidant Activity of Berry Phenolics on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein and Liposome Oxidation,” Heinonen IM, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 1998;46(10):4107-4112.}

_{(7) “Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro,” Hurst RD, Wells RW, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 March; 54(3): 353-63.}

_{(8) “Dietary flavanols and flavanol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer,” Adebamowo CA, Cho E, et al, Int J Cancer., 2005; 114(4): 628-33.} 

Blueberry Smoothy

A simple way to take your “blueberry medicine” is to add the fruit to a protein drink.  Choose a low sugar, low carbohydrate protein powder such as rice, whey, or soy.  Add your protein powder to the blender with 1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries.  Perhaps 1 small banana, two or three ice cubes, and then 12-16 ounces water, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk or a mixture of all of the above. 

Blueberry or Bilberry Leaf Tea

A tea is prepared by combining 1 cup boiling water and 1–2 teaspoons of dried leaves and steeping for 15 minutes. Drink 1-3 cups/day to take advantage of the health benefits

“I am the Allower of my own Wellbeing”

A natural health newsletter written by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Volume 3, Issue 4
May, 2010

Purple is my favorite color.  This predisposes me to love all things purple.  So when it comes to food, blueberries get my attention for several reasons.  Besides their luscious color and their delicious taste, they are one of the most therapeutic plants on the planet.

Purple and indigo colored food of all kinds is high in a flavonoid called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are very high in antioxidants.  Because oxidative stress and the free radicals that are produced by oxidation are linked with so many degenerative processes, not surprisingly, the fruit of the blueberry plant and its antioxidant capacity have been shown in research to reduce aging symptoms in general.

Oxidation essentially wears down the tissues of the body.  Just like your old car that had oxidized or rust spots on it, our bodies can also “rust out.”  Oxidation is caused by everything from just plain breathing to being exposed to toxins either by choice (processed foods, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) or by environmental features (smog, paint fumes, farm chemicals in food, etc.).

The natural design of our bodies allows these oxidative processes or “fires” to be quenched through the anti-oxidants in our foods.  Water, for example, has very high antioxidant capacity. Measurements vary but below is a list of the 20 highest antioxidant capacity foods as identified by a recent USDA study (1).  Eating from this list is a very good idea for most people.  Notice especially the rating of the blueberry.

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

To  be more specific about blueberries (both the fruit and the leaves), research has shown their positive impact on:

A close European cousin of the American blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium corymbosum)  is called bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Bilberry leaf has been researched to show similar results to the blueberry.

A therapeutic dose of blueberry fruit is one cup per day.  Not a bad prescription, eh?

_{(1) American Chemical Society. “Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources.” ScienceDaily 17 June 2004.}

_{(2) “Anthocyanins and Blueberries,” Nutrition Week, October 3, 1997;27(38):7/Doctor’s Guide to Medical and Other News, September 25, 1997;3.}

_{(3) “Blueberry-induced changes in spatial working memory correlate with changes in hippocampal CREB phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels,” Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, et al, Free Radical Biol Med, 2008 May 2.}

_{(4) “Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits,” Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26.} 

_{(5) “Blueberries May Reverse Some Aging,” Sison A, Medical Tribune, October, 1999;40(17):4.}

_{(6) “Antioxidant Activity of Berry Phenolics on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein and Liposome Oxidation,” Heinonen IM, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 1998;46(10):4107-4112.}

_{(7) “Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro,” Hurst RD, Wells RW, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 March; 54(3): 353-63.}

_{(8) “Dietary flavanols and flavanol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer,” Adebamowo CA, Cho E, et al, Int J Cancer., 2005; 114(4): 628-33.} 

Blueberry Smoothy

A simple way to take your “blueberry medicine” is to add the fruit to a protein drink.  Choose a low sugar, low carbohydrate protein powder such as rice, whey, or soy.  Add your protein powder to the blender with 1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries.  Perhaps 1 small banana, two or three ice cubes, and then 12-16 ounces water, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk or a mixture of all of the above. 

Blueberry or Bilberry Leaf Tea

A tea is prepared by combining 1 cup boiling water and 1–2 teaspoons of dried leaves and steeping for 15 minutes. Drink 1-3 cups/day to take advantage of the health benefits

By Michelle Mukatis Culitvate Health

I‘ll bet most of you haven’t eaten many turnips in your lives. They grow bitter as they mature and are not widely cultivated, so not highly available. Try a baby turnip, coming into season in early June, and you’ll be hooked. Sweet, juicy and crunchy, you don’t need to cook them to enjoy their flavor. The edible greens are a great substitute for spinach. Color ranges from white to purple-tinged.

Turnips are high in vitamins A, C, E and K as well as folate, iron, manganese and calcium. An interesting note: lower amounts of calcium are found in vegetable sources, however what is there is more absorbable than that in protein and dairy sources, a good thing for vegetarians! Turnips are also a good source of other trace vitamins and minerals and provide excellent dietary fiber and protein.

Turnips grow in rich well-drained soil. They do well in the same bed with onions and peas. Plant seeds as soon as the soil can be worked. Turnips can handle light freezes. Because they are a brassica, rotate related crops so that they are not grown in the same location more than once every three years. The seed packet gives the best planting advice.

Harvest when the roots are 3” or less in diameter. Turnips less than an inch in diameter, can be eaten without peeling. Peel the more mature ones. Then roast, steam lightly, add to pot pies and stews or cook and mash them with potatoes.

If you grow for greens, harvest them while the roots are less than an inch in diameter or greens can be bitter. Steam or sauté the greens, just as you would spinach.

Turnip Parsnip Gratin
Cooking Light, November 2009
8 servings (serving size: 1 gratin)
A mandoline will slice the veggies into uniform thickness and make quick work of it. Use a flavorful aged Gruyère cheese.

3 ¾ c. (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled turnip
3 ¾ c. (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled parsnip
6 c. water
Cooking spray
1 c. whole milk
1/3 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. kosher salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Gruyère cheese
2 T. butter
¼ c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Meanwhile, combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until almost tender. Drain; let stand 5 minutes. Arrange about½ c. vegetable mixture into each of 8 (5 ½”) round gratin dishes coated with cooking spray.

2. Combine milk, broth, flour, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until thick. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Spoon about 3 tablespoons sauce over each serving.
3. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko; toast 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over cheese mixture. Place dishes on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 196, Fat: 8.8g (sat 5.1g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 7.6g, Carbohydrate: 22.8g, Fiber: 5.3g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Iron: 0.9mg, Sodium: 424mg, Calcium: 236mg
Through Cultivate Health, Michele Mukatis works with individuals who want to improve their health and the health of the planet through gardening, both for landscape beauty and edibles.  She can be reached at www.CultivateHealthColorado.com

By Michele Mukatis, Cultivate Health

There are studies proving that organic produce is more nutritious than conventional. Conversely, there are studies that prove the opposite. In light of that, here are other compelling reasons why you might want to switch to purchasing organic produce.

#1 Organic produce does not use chemical pesticides. Truly, pesticides are meant to kill. There is every possibility that ingesting foods laden with pesticides will compromise your body and could even kill the “friendly” bacteria in your gut that helps you digest food.

Additionally, many pesticides used on crops are dangerous to human health. Many farm laborers on conventional farms must wear protective clothing or they become sick.

#2 Chemical fertilizers are not allowed on organic fields. Chemical fertilizers deplete the topsoil because they give nothing back to the soil and do not promote soil health. The run-off from chemical fertilizers has created a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which, in turn, compromises the fish we eat. In order to have healthy soil, we need to add back what we take away, which is where compost stars. Additionally, farms
 grazing livestock that use their lands for crop production are healthier than those growing a monocrop with no natural inputs to give back to the soil. Healthy soil means healthy plants that can take better care of themselves when an infestation occurs. 
#3 Organic produce is not genetically modified. We do not know if GMOs are safe for consumption. The crops with the highest GMO use are soy, corn, wheat, rice and cotton, some of which are in most processed products. Because of the health problems our population is facing, it’s a good idea to avoid GMOs until we truly know they are safe.

#4 Organic Foods are actually less expensive. When you consider damage to human health and the environment, we pay somewhere along the line. Most conventional foods are artificially inexpensive because they are subsidized by the government, so you’re still paying for them, just not in the checkout line.
Get to know a local farmer and consider helping on the farm. It’s healthy for your body to be outside and do physical labor and it creates a connection to where your food comes from, the best reason for going organic! 
© May 2010, Cultivate Health LLC, All Rights Reserved Through Cultivate Health Michelle works with people  who want to improve their health an call to schedule a free Health History consultation or to talk about gardening, both for landscape beauty and edibles. www.CultivateHealthColorado.com

According to Mayo Clinic, there is a new version of CPR that can be done on anyone who isn’t a drowning victim.

To do it

Ask if patient is okay – if they are conscious, don’t start CPR

Try waking them

If no response, place hand on sternum

Put other hand on top of first hand

Then push rapidly

I highly recommend watching the youtube video.  It does show how to place one’s hand and how fast to push.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5huVSebZpM

This is a voluntary recall of OneTouch SureStep Test Strips.  If you use the these strips, please contact your provider.  This notice says that you can use the strips; and, it’s best to err on the side of caution.

OneTouch SureStep Test Strips (LifeScan): Recall

Audience: Diabetes healthcare professionals, consumers

LifeScan and FDA notified healthcare professionals of a voluntary recall of eight lots of OneTouch SureStep Test Strips, used by people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose levels at home. The test strips are being recalled because they may provide falsely low glucose results when the glucose level is higher than 400 mg/dL.

If patients use the falsely low test results to determine their insulin dose, they may give themselves too little insulin, which could result in poor blood glucose control. High blood glucose must be recognized and treated promptly to avoid serious complications, such as coma and death.

The eight lots of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips being recalled are identified in the firm’s press release. Lot numbers  are located on the outer carton and test strip vial. LifeScan estimates approximately fourteen thousand packages (50- and 100-count) of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips were distributed nationwide between August 1, 2009 and January 28, 2010.

It is important that patients with recalled test strips continue to test their blood glucose. Patients with access to a meter that does not use OneTouch SureStep Test Strips should use this other meter to test their blood glucose until replacement product from LifeScan arrives. If an alternate meter is not available, patients may continue to test using the recalled OneTouch SureStep Test Strips. However, if patients obtain results above 400 mg/dL, they should contact their healthcare professional for further instructions because their glucose may be significantly higher.

Read the complete MedWatch 2010 Safety summary, including a link to the firm’s press release, at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm202254.htm

By Amy Cook Porter

Okay, I can never resist writing about the obvious, especially if the information comes from a legitimate source and who better to comment on than the the FDA’s weekly press synopsis.

Fresh on their website:

Effects of Switching from Whole to Low-Fat/Fat-Free Milk in Public Schools – New York City, 2004-2009www.cdc.gov/media/mmwrnews/2010/n100128.htm#2
Press Contact: Jessica L. Scaperotti
Press Secretary New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
(212) 788-5290
These results suggest that substitution of low-fat and fat-free milk for whole milk in schools can substantively reduce student consumption of calories and fat. Changes to the New York City Department of Education’s milk policy greatly reduced the amount of calories and fat available to public school students. Due to the system-wide switch from whole to low-fat/fat-free milk in 2005, a milk-drinking student is exposed to 33 fewer calories and 3.4 fewer grams of fat per school day, or almost 6,000 fewer calories and over 600 fewer grams of fat annually. Annual savings are larger for students who drink white milk (7,000 fewer calories and over 900 fewer grams of fat) and school purchases of milk per student actually increased 1.3 percent after the switch. Given the prevalence of childhood obesity, school milk policy changes are a viable way to reduce calorie/fat exposure without decreasing consumption of important vitamins and minerals.
Anyone who follows a holistic approach notices two problems with the press release.

1. Children over the age don’t need milk, especially at the middle of the day.
2. Why don’t we give our kids milk in the middle of the day, it’s the sugar in milk that elevates their blood sugar and is associated with the calories, not the fat.

Anyone following me over the years has heard my rant as to why water is the best drink for kids at lunch time.  Fruit drinks, flavored waters and teas, and milk all have sugars.  Sugar gives our kids short term energy boosts.  Two hours later, they are tired and dragging.  So what do they want to do?  Eat a high calorie snack to recreate the sugar buzz.  Only this time, it takes more sugar or calories to create the sugar high.

As to the fat issue, reducing fats is dangerous.  Our kids’ bodies are growing as they approach puberty.  Thei bodies needs fats to make hormones.  These need to be good quality fats: fats from range fed cows; organic yogurts and butter, and my favorites – nuts, avocados and coconuts.  Here’s an easy to remember rule for choosing oils: use only oils made from nuts and plants with seeds.  Don’t use vegetable oils.

And my message to the Department of Education, take a refresher biology class.  The solution to the obesity problem is not found in milk.  It’s found in a well rounded diet that includes more fresh fruits and vegetables, less grains, less dairy and more exercise.  It does not come from watering down dairy products.