Calling Out Dr. Oz

I am almost finished with the book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer".  Don't let the title fool you,  this book provides information about a whole lote more than breast cancer. As examples:
page 186 -thyroid
page 187 - osteoporosis
page 188 - epilepsy
page 189 - fibrocystic breasts

Pre-menstrual migraines, uterine cancer, anxiety, depression, insomnia, endometrial cancer, prostrate cancer - these and SO MUCH more are all related to hormone imbalance.  Studies have been in existence for 20 years, case studies conducted - there is so much proof out there -articles written in medical journals, magazines - it makes one question why hormone balance is not the very first thing a medical doctor looks at when examinng a patient exhibiting symptoms. Truth is, most doctors are not aware. Drug companies do not make NATURAL hormone creams (not to be confused by synthetic HRT containing progestins - i.e. Premarin, Provera, Tomoxifen, etc.) If drug companies don't make it, hospitals don't make money off it, and doctors are not educated about it. Unless a medical doctor is moved of their own accord to study, as did Dr. Jesse Hanley (co-author of "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause") after having so many womanly issues and not finding results for her symptoms. She explored natural hormone replacement therapy and was herself, a positive case study for the results of using natural hormone creams.

Case in point - I question why Dr. Oz is so quick to recommend drugs to the viewers who come up on stage. Perhaps the answer lies in what airs during commercial breaks - drug company ads. Ads pay for television shows - that's a no brainer.  I started watching the show after a couple of friends  proclaimed how good it was. Often I find myself getting frustrated -waiting for some mention of natural remedy or treatment versus drugs, drugs, drugs.
Last week, for example, Dr. Oz prescribed birth control pills to a women who looked to be of pre-menopausal age - for unwanted hair growth! Birth control pills are bad news...adding synthetic hormones into our bodies, including progestin and estrogen. You may be familiar with safety issues of progestin, as it was used in Premarin, a highly-publicized drug the FDA orginally approved and later banned after women developed heart disease, strokes and even death. The "nasty" estrogen hormones (estradiol and estrone), also contained in oral contraceptives, do things inside our bodies, such as proliferate cell growth, promote abnormalites and you guessed it - cancer!
I know, I know...he is Dr. Oz and just like we humans tend to do to anyone with celebrity status - we put them up on a pedastel. Still, they are human. I am human, and granted, I don't have years of medical school behind me, but I am reading the the works of  M.D.s, PhDs - those that do have the knowledge. It resonates with me because I have so many friends with illnesses that scream hormone imbalance once you learn the symptoms: breast cancer, prostrate cancer, depression, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis...I could go on, but who am I really talking to, anyhow? Probably myself. (LOL)
Per the Virginia Hopkins Health Watch site (Hopkins is a co-author on a number of Dr. Lee's books), excess facial hair is caused by:
Excess androgens (male hormones): This is most often caused by too much sugar and simple carbohydrates in the diet and is often found in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

You can take an on line test to see how your hormones are adding up - too much, or too little? Find out here.
Women: http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/womentest.html
Men: http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/mentest.html

Men? Yes folks, men have hormones too. An imbalance of hormones is actually one of the causes of prostrate cancer. A newer book has been released and is available on the Virginia Hopkins web site to purchase or download.
Once you have checked your symptoms you can click a link to find the possible hormone cause. Excess hair growth fell into group 5.
The book covers a lot more than the hormone imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. It explains how the body works and how everything functions together - in a way that I can understand (although I had to seriously concentrate a few times!). Bottom line - drug companies pay hospitals and clinics to sell their drugs, and who pays the doctors? You guessed it - the hospitals!
I reviewed Dr. Oz's web site to see what was written about natural hormone replacement therapy. I find a response on his site that is rather disturbing, but seeing that it is provided by a clinic (ie. one paid by drug companies) it is not the least surprising.
No one is being hoodwinked when the positive results of natural hormone replacement therapy have been proven time and time again. A study by French scientists indicated that natural progesterone cream had positive effects on women with fibrocystic breasts. All women with the fibrous tissue had elevated levels of estrogen and lab tests also showed a deficiency in progesterone, as compared to the women with non-lumpy breasts. Next, two groups of women with fibrous breast tissue were treated, one with a placebo and another group with natural progesterone cream, applied directly to the skin for three months. The group of women using the real progesterone cream had greatly reduced to no lumpy breast tissue at the end of three months. So, the Cleveland Clinic claims these natural creams have no bearing because the FDA does not regulate them, right - did you catch that? Despite what proven results are showing...
Yet, the FDA approved Premarin for use in post-cancer treatment of breast cancer patients, only to come back and ban it years later after women died from side effects of the very diseases it was said to prevent. Personally, I am not very confident in the FDA - there is great lack of regulation on the products it does regulate, and I would put my health on a natural remedy, anyday, that is consistently proving itself.
I posed a question to Dr. Oz's site this eveningk, asking why he is so quick to prescribe a drug but doesn't bring up the natural alternatives. I am certain my question will never be aired, but I do hope he takes my suggestion and brings Dr. David Zava on as a guest sometime, since the pioneer in women's alternative medicine, Dr. Lee, has since passed. May he rest in peace, knowing he left a legacy behind and paved the way for women to take charge of their own health.

A Day at the Orchard

Every fall we spend a family day visiting a new apple orchard in the area. Once we visit all those within 1-2 hours driving distance, I am sure we will have favorites that will become regulars.
Yesterday we visited Door Creek Apple Orchard and had a great time. The sun was shining, Wes and his team of Morabs gave our family a ride in the carriage, and we filled several bags of apples. We came home with a peck of Cortlands and Jonagold. The photo shows the cortlands on the tree.

I really wanted to pick Galas, my favorite, but had a hard time finding any - I think they were well picked through. There may have been more somewhere else on the premises, but when you spend time at an orchard with an almost thirteen year old boy, it loses its leisurely ambiance at his constant urgency to be done so he can go home and do "his thing". Ah yes, I remember well the day he enjoyed our orchard outings...
Inside the store samples of Galas were available - yum, yum! Abby totally enjoyed hers as you can see.  I did learn something new from Tom, the orchard owner yesterday, about Cortlands. As you may note in the photo a few are shiny but others have a white wash appearance. It is NOT from pesticide, as I initially thought, as did some friends when mentioning it on facebook.
Tom explains, "Many people over the years have noticed the hazy appearance of Cortland apples.  They, more than most , show a "bloom" on their skin.  This is also very apparent on some of our grapes.  Fruit growers refer to this as  a "bloom" and it is mostly a function of an interaction between disorganized wax molecules and natural organisms like wild yeast strains.  Wine and hard cider makers often depend on these yeasts for fermentation.  I don't have a reason why some would be shiny and often wonder why myself.  We see terrific variation throughout the orchard.  If you rub a Cortland apple on your shirt it will become wonderfully shiny because you have flattened all the natural wax molecules arranging them in the  same plane.  It's always best to wash your fruit, but those Cortland apples were sprayed in the last week of July and environmental degradation should remove significant concerns about harmful chemical residue.  The "bloom" you noticed on our Cortlands is natural and neither a chemical residue or an eco-friendly bio-pesticide.  All apples have varying degrees of natural wax on their skin."

Who knew? We certainly did not! Take note that this natural wax molecule appearance may not be the same "polished shine" seen on apples in the grocery store. Today on Dr. Oz they talked about pesticide mounts found on grocery store produce.
Produce that the USDA tested with greatest amount of pesticide includes peaches (because of their soft skin and peach fuzz), strawberries, spinach and apples.

At Home Produce Cleanser
1 c. water
1 c. white vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 T. baking soda

Mix and pour into spray bottle. Spray mixture onto produce 2 minutes before rinsing well.   Note, it is real difficult to spray and wash produce such as softer spinach leaves - make it simple and buy organic.

The benefits of buying local are huge. Obviously, it gave me the ability to ask Tom about the haze seen on the Cortlands - other apples in the orchard did not have this that we noted. We learned something from a grower.  Try to ask the grower of bananas grown in Chili about the fruit...not!  Enjoy this time of the year the chance to visit local orchards and markets for the last remaining bell peppers (I snagged 15 peppers from the garden this evening - still green, so they can finish turning red and yellow indoors - our nights are getting dangerously cold.), squash, pumpkins, apples, pears and more. 

A day talking business...and life...and cancer prevention...

We had a gorgeous fall day, and I spent much of the afternoon with my friend Brenda Bunbury-Carlson. I am so blessed to have met her through our day job, but even more so that we can share our individual consultant businesses. She is my sponsor, but has not yet had a chance to teach a class on  her own. Her day is coming next weekend at her daughter's home. If you live near Whitefish Bay and would like to learn more about why we are so passionate about the products, please let me know.
Today she practiced and we went over her talk, making sure important facts are shared and not so pertinent info cut out to keep the presentation well under an hour. She will do great.  As a cancer survivor her "I" story is important. She is concerned about the products she uses - the last thing she needs is to have more estrogen added to her body, which would put herself at risk for recurrence.  Mineral oil is an estrogen receptor. This is not a good thing for any woman, but is a huge concern for a cancer survivor.
I just ordered more books by Dr. John Lee - both discuss hormone imbalance for cancer survivors as well as for women already in the life chapter of menopause. October is breast cancer awareness month, and it is my goal to have studied Dr. Lee's book for cancer survivors before the month ends.
Brenda and myself, like many Independent consultants, are doing a fundraiser through October, and will be donating $10 to the Susan G Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. These sets will make awesome Christmas gifts, and are a very special gift for a breast cancer survivor.  Every woman deserves to be pampered, and especially those who have fought the fight - and WON! I am blessed to have a number of survivors in my life... Betty, Meri, Brenda. I pray that their earthly journey does not end because of cancer, For Brenda and I, it is our mission to educate the women in our lives about the products they are using daily in their lives. Education allows for wise choices, and wise choices allow for health to flourish. May you all have a desire to seek the knowledge that can benefit you from the inside out.

Dr. Oz or Dr. Lee??

After today's Dr. Oz show - I vote Dr. Lee. Today was an eye opener. After hearing Dr. Oz prescribe birth control pills for excess hair growth, I will say I was shocked. Birth control pills DO mess up women's hormones - it's a synthetic estrogen.  If I had read Dr. John Lee's book, "What Your Doctor MAY Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause" I would have likely found a different source for birth control other than The Pill.
Listening to Dr. Oz it makes me wonder if he has even heard of, or read up on, natural hormone creams. You don't have to live with excess hair in unwanted places - you just need to get your hormones in balance, and it can be done with NATURAL treatments.
I did note the advertisers for his show - Walgreens and other drug pushing companies - of course he is going to prescribe products that pay for his show. I am beginning to think the pharmeceutical companies are the ones who are really RUNNING this country.
Oh how I would love to see a NATUROPATH versioin of the Dr. Oz show!
Ok - I am allowed to my own personal opinion. I know people LOVE Dr. Oz. I do enjoy Dr. Oz - most of the time he has very good advice. I simply don't agree that drugs are the answer to everything - especially after reading Dr. Lee's book.
Want to know more about that natural treatment for unwanted hair? email me.

Another cancer diagnosis...no longer surprising...

Sad, but true. As of late it seems not a month goes by where I do not learn of three people receiving a diagnosis of cancer. It may not be someone I know personally, but a friend of a relative or of one my friends.
My self-education efforts to learn more about hormone imbalance and the effects it has on our bodies has been revealing, to say the least. I have been shocked, disgruntled and just plain angry. We live in such an advanced society, yet there is little effort to study the effects of the industrialized nation and the environment we live in. I am convinced that the reason for this is $$$$$ and greed.  U.S. industries thrive on putting chemicals and xenohormones into our environment. We clean with them, put them on our bodies, inhale them, and even eat them when commercialized growers and farmers spray their produce and feed hormones to their animals, which we subsequently ingest.
*"All xenohormones should be considered toxic; the majority of them  have estrogenic effects on both male and female bodies."
I am convinced that cancer runs amuck because we subject ourselves to more chemicals. Although cancer cells can be genetic, the number of environmentally induced cancers has been steadily on the rise. A pesticide derivative (Triclosan) is an active ingredient in many popular pretty smelling soaps - this past week alone I found this active ingredient in handsoaps found in bathrooms of a best friend and of two relatives.
Pharmaceutical companies are doling out one nasty side effect after another, with the help of our doctors. We are essentially bathing ourselves in xenohormones. I am no longer surprised when I hear of yet another friend or acquaintance having cancer diagnosed, it is frustrating. But I also get angry - because if we were educated on this, I feel we would all be more careful of how we live and how we take care of our bodies. Of course the costs to clean up our industries producing and using hormonally active chemicals would be huge, not to mention these same companies are investing a lot of money to keep the information "quiet".
When I first learned about AB I wasn't sure my family could afford it, but the more I learned, the more I researched about the fillers and ingredients used in over the counter, drugstore, and department store products - my thought process was no longer, "how can we afford it? but HOW CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO?"  I vowed to provide my family with safe products. I am fully aware of what we are exposed to and what we  had been putting into our bodies, so how could I, with good conscience, continue to use such products? I could not. The risks are too great, in my personal opinion.
We made a choice.  The products my family now uses are products we were buying anyhow - we redirected our buying focus to safe products from a company that has been around for 30 years with a philosophy focus of pure, safe and beneficial. The products are Swiss formulated, and subject to higher standards and European regulations, which are much different from the U.S.
What do "safe choices" mean for our family financially? It means fewer trips to Culvers, reevaluating our needs from our wants - do we need another music CD or movie DVD? How necessary is the latest iPhone? Are the latest in electronic toys necessary to our survival? We have talked about this in my family, and we all can agree that we want to use safe products. As a parent, I feel it is my responsibility.
I am reminded in this scripture from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," that we are responsible for our own bodies and how we treat it.
If the FDA were to take an active role in cosmetic industry, and actually focus on testing chemicals, and if consumers were to redirect their purchasing power to safe products, and leave those with carcinogens on the store shelves...things would change. There is power in the people, words are spoken through action and our buying power - I firmly believe that. Maybe someday, safe products will be the norm and not an exception.

Here are some facts to "chew on".

• The average person has 148 synthetic chemicals in their bodies.
• Experts estimate that 40 million pounds of hormonally active chemicals are produced in this country per annum, with 2000 new varieties introduced to market each year.
• Chemical hormones do NOT show up in a blood test.
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency 60% of what you put on your skin enters you blood stream and every organ in your body in 26 seconds.
  
  Curious about that last one?  Try this at home - take a clove of peeled garlic and place it between your big toe and second toe and hold it there. Start counting, and see how long it takes before you taste garlic in your mouth.  The human body is an amazing piece of equipment - to say God put a lot of thought into it is an understatement. We are called to take care of our bodies so that the Spirit can live well within us.

Pardon if today's post has me on my soapbox....I know I am. This week alone I received news of two people diagnosed with cancer. I am just plain sick of it - I hate cancer. It has robbed me of people I love, and I cannot help but wonder why, and what if...

Resources:
*Dr. John Lee, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause", pg. 81