Did you know that our gastrointestinal tract contains over 40,000 different species of microbes and the large intestine, alone contains some 10,000,000,000,000 bacteria? That's about 4-5 pounds worth of microbes!
Our bodies contain more bacteria than human cells. So, I think that the function of microbes would be something that we should all understand. We have both native and acquired bacteria. The acquired come from fruits, vegetables, water and probiotics and are transient. They contribute little to our immune system.
Our native flora, the foundation of our immune systems, are passed from mother to child, unless that child is born via C-Section. Then, the child's gut contains mostly bacteria found on the skin, not in the bowel, and the problems begin.
Without the proper amount and quality of microbiota:
1. our immune systems will be compromised
2. our bodies cannot exist in homeostasis
3. we cannot properly utilize minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron
4. we are prone to blood sugar imbalances
5. we cannot produce sufficient bile (why our gall bladders go bad, sometimes) 6. the pH of the colon is imbalanced
7. we cannot resist the invasion of pathogens (sickness-causing microbes)
8. we cannot produce neurotransmitters (chemicals that keep our bodies functioning properly)
9. we become susceptible to cardiovascular and brain dysfunction
10. our small intestines become overgrown with "bad" bacteria...causing bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation and...
11. we may end up with IBS, auto-immune disease, erosive esophagitis, depression and so very much more.
What is the single most significant cause of the destruction of our native flora? If you don't know, I'll be happy to tell you.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Friday, April 29, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Art can Open the World to Autistic People
I have been reading about how expression through various art media can be extremely helpful to those with various types of autism. Often, those with autism cannot communicate either through speech or writing. Research is now being conducted about effective alternative forms of communication, specifically through drawing or painting.
Even children who show no particular interest in art, once introduced to painting, are able to show how they feel about themselves, those around them and the outside world. Emotions are often difficult for the autistic to express.
The use of art to help people with autism express themselves has gained momentum in recent years, and produced some notable success stories. One such story revolves around a young man named Jeremy, who is unable to verbally communicate. He was introduced to painting, and now, has an art exhibition which opened this month in San Diego.
Jeremy uses colors to express how he feels and sees a person. Each color represents an emotion that he attributes to the person with whom he interacts. According to him, the outside world, once closed, has now opened.
Temple Grandin, a professor at Colorado State University who is autistic, says that art has helped lead her to, "a very interesting career." She encourages parents to introduce autistic children to art and other non-verbal forms of expression. She states: "I encourage all parents to take the skills a child is good at and develop them. Kids with autism have uneven skills. They are good at one subject and bad at another. Areas of skill are often art, math or music."
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Even children who show no particular interest in art, once introduced to painting, are able to show how they feel about themselves, those around them and the outside world. Emotions are often difficult for the autistic to express.
The use of art to help people with autism express themselves has gained momentum in recent years, and produced some notable success stories. One such story revolves around a young man named Jeremy, who is unable to verbally communicate. He was introduced to painting, and now, has an art exhibition which opened this month in San Diego.
Jeremy uses colors to express how he feels and sees a person. Each color represents an emotion that he attributes to the person with whom he interacts. According to him, the outside world, once closed, has now opened.
Temple Grandin, a professor at Colorado State University who is autistic, says that art has helped lead her to, "a very interesting career." She encourages parents to introduce autistic children to art and other non-verbal forms of expression. She states: "I encourage all parents to take the skills a child is good at and develop them. Kids with autism have uneven skills. They are good at one subject and bad at another. Areas of skill are often art, math or music."
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Friday, April 22, 2016
Allergies to Red Meat are on the Rise
Over the past five years, I've noticed an increase in the number of patients whom I have found to be highly sensitive to beef. When I first started practice, I never saw this. Now, there appears to be a reason for this increase, at least among the population in the southeastern and middle Atlantic states...ticks. Specifically, the "Lone Star Tick." It makes sense as this pest, once confined to the southwest, is now spreading out its territory.
Some people have become so sensitized as to simply touching red meat (including lamb, pork and venison) becomes life-threatening. A carbohydrate found in red meat known as alpha-gal, is seen as a foreign invader to those who are sensitive and the body responds with an antigen-antibody reaction...full-blown allergic symptoms.
However, many don't respond so violently, but show such symptoms as: hives; swollen lips, eyes, tongue and throat; respiratory issues; vomiting; diarrhea; increased heart rate and low blood pressure. And, to complicate things further, symptoms typically don't appear until hours after eating red meat, unlike other anaphylatic reactions which are virtually immediate.
My suggestion is if you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms hours or even a day after eating red meat, you cut out eating it for one week. Then, try red meat, again. If you develop symptoms, the meat is the culprit.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Some people have become so sensitized as to simply touching red meat (including lamb, pork and venison) becomes life-threatening. A carbohydrate found in red meat known as alpha-gal, is seen as a foreign invader to those who are sensitive and the body responds with an antigen-antibody reaction...full-blown allergic symptoms.
However, many don't respond so violently, but show such symptoms as: hives; swollen lips, eyes, tongue and throat; respiratory issues; vomiting; diarrhea; increased heart rate and low blood pressure. And, to complicate things further, symptoms typically don't appear until hours after eating red meat, unlike other anaphylatic reactions which are virtually immediate.
My suggestion is if you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms hours or even a day after eating red meat, you cut out eating it for one week. Then, try red meat, again. If you develop symptoms, the meat is the culprit.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Women are at Risk in the E.R.
Whether the health profession wants to admit it or not, diagnosis and even care are frequently ruled by bias...against women. This bias appears to be ingrained in medical care and, for the most part, probably unintentional.
Most E.R. standards are tailored to men. For decades, women were excluded from research studies partly because scientists didn't want to endanger either a pregnancy or the reproductive ability of women during testing for new drugs. Or, so says Marianne Legato, MD, director of the Foundation for Gender Specific Medicine in NYC. It wasn't until the establishment of The NIH's Office of Women's Health that scientists began to include women in their studies in 1990. I wonder if that's because the 'don't-want-to-expose-women-to-drugs' excuse was just that, an excuse.
Here's what women need to protect themselves against and advocate for:
1. Not being taken seriously for heart attack symptoms that differ from men's (women usually complain of nausea, back pain and "not feeling right")
2. The, "It's only stress," off-handed remarks by doctors when women are showing signs of stroke (women waited some 15% longer for brain scans than men even when showing the same signs)
3. Being taken seriously when complaining of pain (The, "Oh, it's not that bad," reaction of doctors because we women are "emotional") Research shows women get less pain medication than men.
Women need to be their own advocates. Bring another person along to doctor's visits, if necessary. Ask if this particular treatment works well for women. Trust yourself and your own instincts, especially if you think you are being ignored. Insist on another opinion...the more arrogant the attitude of the doctor, the more you need a second opinion.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Most E.R. standards are tailored to men. For decades, women were excluded from research studies partly because scientists didn't want to endanger either a pregnancy or the reproductive ability of women during testing for new drugs. Or, so says Marianne Legato, MD, director of the Foundation for Gender Specific Medicine in NYC. It wasn't until the establishment of The NIH's Office of Women's Health that scientists began to include women in their studies in 1990. I wonder if that's because the 'don't-want-to-expose-women-to-drugs' excuse was just that, an excuse.
Here's what women need to protect themselves against and advocate for:
1. Not being taken seriously for heart attack symptoms that differ from men's (women usually complain of nausea, back pain and "not feeling right")
2. The, "It's only stress," off-handed remarks by doctors when women are showing signs of stroke (women waited some 15% longer for brain scans than men even when showing the same signs)
3. Being taken seriously when complaining of pain (The, "Oh, it's not that bad," reaction of doctors because we women are "emotional") Research shows women get less pain medication than men.
Women need to be their own advocates. Bring another person along to doctor's visits, if necessary. Ask if this particular treatment works well for women. Trust yourself and your own instincts, especially if you think you are being ignored. Insist on another opinion...the more arrogant the attitude of the doctor, the more you need a second opinion.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Friday, April 15, 2016
Mars Food's Latest "Plan" for Your "Health"
Mars Food plans to label some of its Dolmio pasta sauces, macaroni
cheese and other products as fit for consumption only once a week due to
high levels of salt, sugar or fat.
The scheme is part of a larger initiative by the privately held U.S. food company to encourage healthier eating at a time when large food multinationals, or Big Food, are coming under increasing pressure from public health advocates and regulators struggling to fight a growing obesity epidemic.
The plan, however, does not extend to Mars' chocolate or sweets businesses, whose brands include M&M's, Snickers and Starburst.
Products that are particularly high in salt, sugar or fat, including Dolmio lasagna meal kits and lasagna sauces, will come with a label advising "occasional" consumption, meaning once a week. However, the company said most of its products in the UK would still be for consumption every day. It did not give details for other countries but plans to introduce the labeling in all markets where those products are sold.
Wow. This company is bordering on the philanthropic, isn't it? Hardly. This is simply the latest way that a company producing empty-calorie packaged "food" is attempting to stem the tide of government regulation. Seriously, whom do they think they're kidding?
The Mars Food products contribute to the most significant epidemic of our time: obesity in the very young. The CDC now estimates obesity-related conditions are responsible for a full 20% of deaths in this country. BMI levels are soaring in the southern states...the average mortality age in West Virginia is 65.
For the first time in history, the primary cause of death isn't starvation, it's an overabundance of zero-quality food!
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
The scheme is part of a larger initiative by the privately held U.S. food company to encourage healthier eating at a time when large food multinationals, or Big Food, are coming under increasing pressure from public health advocates and regulators struggling to fight a growing obesity epidemic.
The plan, however, does not extend to Mars' chocolate or sweets businesses, whose brands include M&M's, Snickers and Starburst.
Products that are particularly high in salt, sugar or fat, including Dolmio lasagna meal kits and lasagna sauces, will come with a label advising "occasional" consumption, meaning once a week. However, the company said most of its products in the UK would still be for consumption every day. It did not give details for other countries but plans to introduce the labeling in all markets where those products are sold.
Wow. This company is bordering on the philanthropic, isn't it? Hardly. This is simply the latest way that a company producing empty-calorie packaged "food" is attempting to stem the tide of government regulation. Seriously, whom do they think they're kidding?
The Mars Food products contribute to the most significant epidemic of our time: obesity in the very young. The CDC now estimates obesity-related conditions are responsible for a full 20% of deaths in this country. BMI levels are soaring in the southern states...the average mortality age in West Virginia is 65.
For the first time in history, the primary cause of death isn't starvation, it's an overabundance of zero-quality food!
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Do You Really Need that Aspirin You're Taking?
There are no hard and fast figures as to how many people are taking an aspirin a day that their doctor prescribed as a method to prevent heart attacks. According to recent research, at least 10% of people taking this drug don't need it.
Even the FDA has stated: "All that aspirin does if your heart attack risk is really low is cause you harm," said Dr. Steven Nissen, who served on an FDA advisory panel that recommended against widespread use of aspirin for primary prevention and chairs the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Interesting, isn't it? In fact, the research shows that aspirin is helpful for those with pre-disposing factors for heart attack and stroke ONLY in the 50's age group.
"People in their 50s with risk factors for cardiovascular disease - including high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of smoking - may benefit from starting a daily aspirin for at least a decade, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of independent physicians."
However, this advice doesn't apply to people in their 60's, according to the Task Force study, because of the increased bleeding risk associated with increased age. Also, this advice has not been studied for those under 50 years of age and over 70.
I find the following statement the most troubling:
"Patients can buy aspirin without a prescription, and doctors are also free to put people on medicines for purposes that aren't approved by the FDA."
And they call those who are interested in helping people prevent cardiovascular disease and strokes, "quacks."
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Even the FDA has stated: "All that aspirin does if your heart attack risk is really low is cause you harm," said Dr. Steven Nissen, who served on an FDA advisory panel that recommended against widespread use of aspirin for primary prevention and chairs the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Interesting, isn't it? In fact, the research shows that aspirin is helpful for those with pre-disposing factors for heart attack and stroke ONLY in the 50's age group.
"People in their 50s with risk factors for cardiovascular disease - including high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of smoking - may benefit from starting a daily aspirin for at least a decade, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of independent physicians."
However, this advice doesn't apply to people in their 60's, according to the Task Force study, because of the increased bleeding risk associated with increased age. Also, this advice has not been studied for those under 50 years of age and over 70.
I find the following statement the most troubling:
"Patients can buy aspirin without a prescription, and doctors are also free to put people on medicines for purposes that aren't approved by the FDA."
And they call those who are interested in helping people prevent cardiovascular disease and strokes, "quacks."
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Monday, April 11, 2016
What Your Face is Saying About You
Let's face it, women spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics and other products to look their best. What many of us don't realize is that our face reveals much about how our body is actually functioning, no matter how much make-up or skin care product we use. Let's look at some of the ore important indicators.
The face warns of upcoming issues, sometimes years in advance of their arrival. This is a good thing if one knows what these indicators mean.
Coloring of the face is a very important harbinger of things to come. Most people know about yellow skin and its connection to jaundice. However, excessive sweets and sugar can also cause orange or yellow skin. Pale or white, transparent cheeks show a weakness in the endocrine system, stomach, lungs, inactive liver or anemia. Red blotches or blood vessels showing through at the temples or cheeks may indicate weakness in the cardiovascular system.
Deep facial lines are indicators of various organ dysfunction, according to their location. Any of you watching "Blue Bloods," can see this example in the face of one of the actors. And, no, those lines aren't there just because of age.
Acne is often thought to be a normal part of adolescence. While it's typical, it's definitely not normal. Acne is merely a symptom of toxicity in the bowel, causing excessive impurities in the blood as well as a particular vitamin deficiency that is accentuated by the rapid growth and hormonal changes due to adolescence.
Black moles between the nose and lips are markers for high levels of acid and toxins in the body. If those moles become darker, this indicates a possible risk for a specific serious disease.
These are only some of the things we can tell about a person through visual inspection. The chin, ears, eyes and lips all can tell stories of their own.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
The face warns of upcoming issues, sometimes years in advance of their arrival. This is a good thing if one knows what these indicators mean.
Coloring of the face is a very important harbinger of things to come. Most people know about yellow skin and its connection to jaundice. However, excessive sweets and sugar can also cause orange or yellow skin. Pale or white, transparent cheeks show a weakness in the endocrine system, stomach, lungs, inactive liver or anemia. Red blotches or blood vessels showing through at the temples or cheeks may indicate weakness in the cardiovascular system.
Deep facial lines are indicators of various organ dysfunction, according to their location. Any of you watching "Blue Bloods," can see this example in the face of one of the actors. And, no, those lines aren't there just because of age.
Acne is often thought to be a normal part of adolescence. While it's typical, it's definitely not normal. Acne is merely a symptom of toxicity in the bowel, causing excessive impurities in the blood as well as a particular vitamin deficiency that is accentuated by the rapid growth and hormonal changes due to adolescence.
Black moles between the nose and lips are markers for high levels of acid and toxins in the body. If those moles become darker, this indicates a possible risk for a specific serious disease.
These are only some of the things we can tell about a person through visual inspection. The chin, ears, eyes and lips all can tell stories of their own.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Thursday, April 7, 2016
The Medical Profession Finally Catches up to the Real "Skinny" on Low Fat Recommendations
For years you’ve been told to go for skim over full-fat dairy. Even
the latest dietary guidelines for Americans urge people to avoid the
full fat, and following this lead, school lunch programs provide only
low-fat milk and no whole milk at all, even though they do allow
chocolate skim milk with its added sugars. But large population studies
that look at possible links between full-fat dairy consumption, weight
and disease risk are starting to call that advice into question. And
some research suggests people who consume full-fat dairy weigh less and
are less likely to develop diabetes, too.
MORE: Why Full-Fat Dairy May Be Healthier Than Low-Fat
In a new study published in the journal Circulation, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and his colleagues analyzed the blood of 3,333 adults enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study of Health Professionals Follow-up Study taken over about 15 years. They found that people who had higher levels of three different byproducts of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46% lower risk of getting diabetes during the study period than those with lower levels. “I think these findings together with those from other studies do call for a change in the policy of recommending only low-fat dairy products,” says Mozaffarian. “There is no prospective human evidence that people who eat low-fat dairy do better than people who eat whole-fat dairy.”
Interesting, isn't it? My advice to patients for the past 28 years has been and continues to be to eat healthy fats, especially with vegetables...the body cannot fully assimilate vegetable nutrients without fat. Fat in dairy (if you are going to eat dairy) is essential for the body to utilize calcium...so much for drinking skim milk (my father used to call that, "Grade D Whitewash." We also know that eating medium chain triglycerides (Coconut fat) is thermogenic and helps reduce fat in the body. It's about time that the medical profession finally catches up!
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
MORE: Why Full-Fat Dairy May Be Healthier Than Low-Fat
In a new study published in the journal Circulation, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and his colleagues analyzed the blood of 3,333 adults enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study of Health Professionals Follow-up Study taken over about 15 years. They found that people who had higher levels of three different byproducts of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46% lower risk of getting diabetes during the study period than those with lower levels. “I think these findings together with those from other studies do call for a change in the policy of recommending only low-fat dairy products,” says Mozaffarian. “There is no prospective human evidence that people who eat low-fat dairy do better than people who eat whole-fat dairy.”
Interesting, isn't it? My advice to patients for the past 28 years has been and continues to be to eat healthy fats, especially with vegetables...the body cannot fully assimilate vegetable nutrients without fat. Fat in dairy (if you are going to eat dairy) is essential for the body to utilize calcium...so much for drinking skim milk (my father used to call that, "Grade D Whitewash." We also know that eating medium chain triglycerides (Coconut fat) is thermogenic and helps reduce fat in the body. It's about time that the medical profession finally catches up!
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
What the Tongue "Tells" About You
The most important and richest source of visual diagnostic information is the tongue. Entire books have been written about it.
The surface of the tongue is divided into areas that correspond to the organs. Changes to a specific area indicates the presence of diabetes. Heart, lungs, stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, urinary bladder and large intestine health can all be evaluated from changes to the corresponding areas.
The colors of the tongue body and coating also contribute to the clinical picture. Excessive redness, paleness, purple and blue-tinged colorations are all significant indicators to their corresponding organs.
Other indicators such as consistency and shape, puffiness, teeth marks along the edges, coating colors and abnormal movements of the tongue all give the informed clinician volumes of information about the health of the body.
One interesting thing to look for in people is the licking of the lips. Notice that many times when someone has engaged in strenuous exercise, they repeatedly run their tongue over their lips. What does that mean? They are dehydrated.
What's so important about reading the tongue is that the changes can be taking place before the onset of actual dysfunction, allowing for a correction and return of balance to the body.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
The surface of the tongue is divided into areas that correspond to the organs. Changes to a specific area indicates the presence of diabetes. Heart, lungs, stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, urinary bladder and large intestine health can all be evaluated from changes to the corresponding areas.
The colors of the tongue body and coating also contribute to the clinical picture. Excessive redness, paleness, purple and blue-tinged colorations are all significant indicators to their corresponding organs.
Other indicators such as consistency and shape, puffiness, teeth marks along the edges, coating colors and abnormal movements of the tongue all give the informed clinician volumes of information about the health of the body.
One interesting thing to look for in people is the licking of the lips. Notice that many times when someone has engaged in strenuous exercise, they repeatedly run their tongue over their lips. What does that mean? They are dehydrated.
What's so important about reading the tongue is that the changes can be taking place before the onset of actual dysfunction, allowing for a correction and return of balance to the body.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Chronic Pain and Depression
I don't know if any of you have noticed what seems to be an explosion of anti-depression medication media ads relentlessly blasting at us. I always mute television advertisements, but notice the up tick, nevertheless.
In many cases, depression is an effect, rather than a cause. The effect is often the result of chronic back pain or other types of chronic pain. Depression is a serious condition, and nothing to be ashamed of. It has been reported that as many as 50% of people with chronic pain are depressed. So, if you are depressed, you are far from being alone.
The signs and symptoms of depression can manifest themselves differently in each person, but tiredness, sleep disruption, changes in eating habits, listlessness, and feelings of hopelessness are all quite common. Notably, depression can then contribute back directly to chronic back and neck pain, as ongoing aches and pains are a very common symptom of depression. So, we see this can be a vicious circle and one that medications often cannot break.
In fact, we appear to have a serious problem with pain medication addiction in this country. So serious, in fact, that the White House has hosted a symposium on this topic, recently.
There are alternatives to addictive pain medications for chronic pain. Dr. Kollars has helped many patients to avoid the horror of pain medication addiction through his specialized and highly effective harmonic resonance therapy that targets the causes of chronic pain.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
In many cases, depression is an effect, rather than a cause. The effect is often the result of chronic back pain or other types of chronic pain. Depression is a serious condition, and nothing to be ashamed of. It has been reported that as many as 50% of people with chronic pain are depressed. So, if you are depressed, you are far from being alone.
The signs and symptoms of depression can manifest themselves differently in each person, but tiredness, sleep disruption, changes in eating habits, listlessness, and feelings of hopelessness are all quite common. Notably, depression can then contribute back directly to chronic back and neck pain, as ongoing aches and pains are a very common symptom of depression. So, we see this can be a vicious circle and one that medications often cannot break.
In fact, we appear to have a serious problem with pain medication addiction in this country. So serious, in fact, that the White House has hosted a symposium on this topic, recently.
There are alternatives to addictive pain medications for chronic pain. Dr. Kollars has helped many patients to avoid the horror of pain medication addiction through his specialized and highly effective harmonic resonance therapy that targets the causes of chronic pain.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Saturday, April 2, 2016
The Feds Finally put Limits on Arsenic in Baby Food
My first thought was, "Why in the world did this take so many years?" and my second thought was, "Isn't that wonderful...we've finally decided to agree as to how much poison-by-arsenic in baby food is acceptable." Based upon what information have we concluded there to be a "safe" amount of poison in baby food?
For decades, Consumer's Union has been pushing the FDA to officially limit the arsenic levels in rice cereal as that appears to be the food of choice of many mothers of infants for their first "real" food. I'm guessing that pediatricians all push rice cereal, so, without bothering to do any research, mothers simply do what they are told.
What's an acceptable amount of poison for our precious babies? 100 parts per billion. How did they arrive at that amount? Great question, to which I have found no answer.
"The proposed limit is a prudent and achievable step to reduce exposure to arsenic among infants." said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
I also particularly like this quote from the FDA:
" In 2016, FDA completed an analysis of evidence linking relatively high levels of inorganic arsenic during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes."
Adverse pregnancy outcomes? Political speak for, "Arsenic can destroy your baby's health and cognition."
We could do away with all the poisonous heavy metals: arsenic, selenium, lead, mercury, etc. if we truly wanted to....it's just that we really don't want to because it would cost a whole load of money. What's the alternative? Honestly, no matter what one decides to do...breast feed, avoid rice cereal, make one's own baby food... were never going to fully escape exposing our children or ourselves to all chemical poisons.
The only thing we can do is to limit the exposure by the choices we make: purifying our drinking water, eating only organically grown foods, using only non-toxic cleaners and laundry soaps, personal products and cosmetics, using in-home air filtration and hoping for the best.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
For decades, Consumer's Union has been pushing the FDA to officially limit the arsenic levels in rice cereal as that appears to be the food of choice of many mothers of infants for their first "real" food. I'm guessing that pediatricians all push rice cereal, so, without bothering to do any research, mothers simply do what they are told.
What's an acceptable amount of poison for our precious babies? 100 parts per billion. How did they arrive at that amount? Great question, to which I have found no answer.
"The proposed limit is a prudent and achievable step to reduce exposure to arsenic among infants." said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
I also particularly like this quote from the FDA:
" In 2016, FDA completed an analysis of evidence linking relatively high levels of inorganic arsenic during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes."
Adverse pregnancy outcomes? Political speak for, "Arsenic can destroy your baby's health and cognition."
We could do away with all the poisonous heavy metals: arsenic, selenium, lead, mercury, etc. if we truly wanted to....it's just that we really don't want to because it would cost a whole load of money. What's the alternative? Honestly, no matter what one decides to do...breast feed, avoid rice cereal, make one's own baby food... were never going to fully escape exposing our children or ourselves to all chemical poisons.
The only thing we can do is to limit the exposure by the choices we make: purifying our drinking water, eating only organically grown foods, using only non-toxic cleaners and laundry soaps, personal products and cosmetics, using in-home air filtration and hoping for the best.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)