Common Sense Living

Hi There!

In another move towards requiring an expensive trip to the doctor, followed by an expensive prescription for every little thing - the federal health advisors panel has recommended that over the counter cold medicines for children under 6 be pulled.

One problem is that parents accidentally overdose their kids, giving them one product for fever, another for cough, and so on. Many products contain the same ingredients. And I do think that’s a valid issue.

But another statement floored me. They said that they don’t work anyway.

What?

I guess they’ve never had sick kids.

Some products don’t work as well as others, but that’s true of anything. To make a blanket statement like that is ridiculous.

So what can you do as a parent? For now, the medicines for kids age 2-6 are still available (I believe they have pulled all infant formulas) and will be subject to FDA procedures, which can take quite a while - but they really seem to be stepping up the move to make things unavailable to us.

The best you can do is to make sure your kids are eating healthy so they have a strong immune system. Encourage hand washing. Make sure they get enough exercise and sleep. Keep your home clean and take special care to clean where germs gather, like the phones, the sinks, door-knobs, etc.

For a compelte guide on healthy foods you and your family already loves to eat, pick up a copy of High Energy Eating.

To your good health -

Carole

a.k.a. ‘Mother’

A couple of days ago, I was asked to pop over to a website and send a canned letter to my congress-people on the issue of DHEA, which is a supplement.

This is a substance in every cell in your body. As we age, our bodies produce less of it. Many people choose to supplement.

It seems that there is a bill going in front of congress to label this substance as a steroid. This is on the heels of the latest FDA escapades with the red rice yeast, or is it red yeast rice?

Now I don’t personally take either of these supplements. Why should I care?

I want these supplements to be available should I find that I need them to stay healthy for one.

And second, will they continue to errode the availability of supplements? Will I need a prescription to take vitamin C? And will the regulated permissable dosages be enough to make any difference?

I take 6 supplements a day. And most, I just take the RDA level. But there are a couple where, according to research that I’ve done, don’t do any good in those small Recommended Daily Doses.

And I’ve had subscribers from countries such as Belgium, tell me how difficult it is to get just the simple supplements that we take for granted. It’s all government controlled.

That’s my freedom being erroded. Don’t you agree?

Anyway, I sent the canned letter. I got a canned response back from Melissa Bean. Fair enough, I sent a canned letter, got a canned response.

But I got an actual thoughtful, well informed response back from Barack Obama. It was perfectly political and gave no indication of support or not, but he was well informed on the issue.

What bothers me the most about the whole thing is that the vote will go to whoever pays the most money, or who can make the issues the most visable. If they can get by with the money vote and not be seen, they will. That’s my opinion.

I’ve yet to see one single person in government stand up and say, “Listen, we could cut health care costs in this country if we took all chemically laced foods off the shelf.” or “Why don’t we see if there is a natural solution to this health epidemic that people could start using right now for little cost?”

That’ll be the day, right?

If you’re interested in finding out more about the DHEA issue, try
The Douglass Report - http://www.douglassreport.com/

And if you would like to send the canned email and see what kind of response you get back from your congress-people - it’s located here - http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1373182/16255855/832262/0/

I’m off to take my supplements.

Good Night -

Carole

a.k.a. ‘Mother’

How much happier would you be if you were naturally thin, healthy, and full of energy?

You might have read recently that the FDA is stopping the sale of Red Yeast Rice
because it contains a substance on their regulated substance list.

The problem is - the substance has always been there. It’s natural. It’s benefitted people for eons. But a big pharma company was able to recreate it in the lab and patent it. So now it’s a regulated substance.

You have to ask yourself - what is wrong with the FDA? They will stop at nothing to discredit natural substances that you can take cheaply now to protect your health. All the research, all the studies - means nothing to them.

How much it’s costing you once you become sick - that means a lot to them. It drives a big part of our economy. The food industry, pharmaceutical industry, doctors, hospitals, big clothing manufacturuers, weight loss industry - what would they all do if you stopped eating the junk and got healthy?

Now they’re looking at pulling DHEA supplements. One by one, they’ll be pulled, leaving you with no alternative but to see a doctor for a prescription supplement that will still only be a watered down version.

That’s what’s happened in Europe.

Please join me in urging Congress to protect access to dietary supplements

Please urge your U.S. Senators and Representative to support policies that protect your access to safe, effective and affordable dietary supplements. Just click here, or visit SaveOurSupplements.org and enter your ZIP code to work for healthy policies and make your voice heard. Thanks for your support!

To find out more about how you’re being manipulated everyday -
And how to get your sweet revenge >>>

To Your Good Health -

Carole

a.k.a. ‘Mother’

It was released that this last winter was the warmest in history. I gasped when I read that headline. It sure wasn’t here. Sure enough, the US had the 3rd coldest February in 113 years.

Information can be manipulated in a number of ways, can’t it?

I’ve been watching the battle between the FDA and nutritionists, and vitamin companies. It seems that the FDA wants to regulate all medical claims - period. So, if I tell you that broccoli can help remove excess estrogen from your body, and why this is important, I could be thrown in jail. The FDA would have to approve the claim that cranberry juice reduces inflammation - even though people have used it for years to stay healthy. Huh?

‘Broccoli removes excess estrogen’, or ‘Broccoli can remove excess estrogen’, or ‘cranberries fight inflammation’ are all health claims.

It’s a two edged sword.

There are unscrupulous vendors out there who will tell you that their product cures every disease known to man, and of course when you buy it - some are made of low quality ingredients, or may not even have the ingredients it claims.

There are many so called natural substances, vitamins, herbs and such that are not regulated. If you take an Omega 3 supplement from one manufacturer, it may not contain what it claims, whereas another brand might be far superior. Because it’s not regulated, you as a consumer will have a hard time knowing the difference. You would have to spend a lot of time researching.

On the other hand - the outcry is that the FDA is in the Pharmaceutical companies’ pockets and will do anything to protect their profits, even if it means discrediting natural cures that could save not only tons of money, but your life as well.

There are stories of the FDA acting like the old mob - attempting to silence anyone who dares to challenge the profit machine. I mean, really scary stuff. Read more about the FDA’s antics here. Prepare to be sickened.

And truth in labeling? What a laugh that is. If you’re counting on packaged foods to give you nutrition, believe me when I tell you that you are not getting what you think you are. By the time they break down an element, like a grain for instance, you lose the nutrients. But they add synthetic nutrients to supposedly make up for what they took out. The resulting ‘food’ (I use the term loosely) has little resemblance to what you think you’re eating.

Is there a conspiracy to keep you fat and sick? I believe to a certain extent, there is. There’s a lot of money to be made. Money they wouldn’t be making if you were healthy. Think about how much less money would be spent on Doctors, prescriptions, hospitals, weight loss products, and even clothing. So far, vitamins and healthy eating are cheap in comparison. There’s just not much money to be made off you if you’re well.

So, do I think that the FDA wants to keep nutrition information from you? I don’t think it’s that exactly. I think it’s more a way for Big Pharma to make money in the vitamin business now that everyone is wising up. If vitamins are regulated - then the profit machine can be the ‘authorized’ sellers, and the prices will skyrocket. That’s my prediction.

But what about the fact that they want to regulate juice if it makes a health claim? You know, like lycopene in tomato juice helps prevent heart disease. You wouldn’t be able to say that without FDA approval. OK, maybe I need to take off my rose colored glasses…

But just in case they do intend to silence all of the healthy eating information, I would learn as much as I could now. Then we can pass it around in an underground movement just like in the early biblical times. At least we’ll be healthy criminals.

Your partner in crime -

Carole

a.k.a. ‘Mother’

OK, I stayed up until the wee hours reading the text of the FDA bills. I put together my comments, and hit enter.

ERROR -

Oh, wait - another new development -

AHH - Newsflash - the link for comments has changed - Click here to leave your comments-

What we are supposed to be reading and commenting on is actually Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. Aha. There it is. Sorry for the miscommunication - but that’s what was passed on to me. Now it all makes more sense.

Here’s one paragraph that basically sums up the whole thing. Though it is about supplements, the same basic thinking is throughout the document, including the chapter on ‘Food’. It’s only 17 pages long. You should take the time to read it.

“To illustrate how a CAM product might be a “dietary supplement” under section 201 (ff) of the Act, consider botanical products used in naturopathy. (Naturopathy is a CAM whole medical system that views disease as a manifestation of alterations in the processes by which the body heals itself) for example, naturopathic cranberry tablets might be labeled for use to maintain the health of the urinary tract. In this example, the cranberry tablets generally would be regulated as “dietary supplements” under section 201(ff)(l) of the Act if they were labeled for use to “maintain the health of the urinary tract” rather than “prevent urinary tract infections.” The cranberry tablets would be regulated as “drugs” under section 201 (g) of the Act if they were labeled for use to “treat urinary tract infections” even if they were labeled as dietary supplements.”

Here are my comments -

RE: Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration

I would like to comment on the idea that vegetable juice could come under regulation as a drug if used to prevent illness. Of course people eat fruits and vegetables, drink juices, and take supplements to prevent illness. That’s the whole motivation. There is a whole movement to find out more about the benefits of foods and nutrition for just that reason - to stay healthy. We should be screaming from the rooftops about all of the ways that people could be healthier. That would be the American way. But to say that “broccoli removes excess estrogen from your body” now makes it a drug is ludicrous.

To even hint that vitamins, or food items could come under these regulations would be particularly onerous, and drive the costs up to where no one could afford them. As it stands now, eating nutritious food and taking vitamins are relatively inexpensive ways that Americans can control their health issues to some extent.

The concern of the citizens is that the FDA and pharmaceutical industry are tied together to keep Americans sick and drugged for economic benefit. That is the perception. Passing this with any language that takes away the availability of non-medical alternative to managing health will only further cement that perception.

For some reason, the FDA has had an aversion to vitamins. That does not sit well with many of us. I am a 51 year old who has never been in the hospital for anything other than childbirth. I stay healthy on purpose. So do many of my friends and neighbors.

I don’t believe in drugging children instead of letting them get the exercise they need to run off their natural hyperactivity, or taking drugs to help avoid dealing the problems and living as a fully functional member of society, or taking drugs to lose weight. I think we are an over-drugged nation.

Imagine the impact if the FDA were to actually embrace healthy living and encourage the eating of natural foods and taking supplementation to make up for nutritional deficiencies.

Unfortunately, as it stands now, the FDA seems to be the enemy. The FDA is pro drug, and has never endorsed prevention of disease through the use of diet and supplements.

Discussing those issues at this time would not be prudent. The risk assessment portions of pending bill need to be passed and implemented. I would suggest that the discussions that are fueling the fears of Americans be put on the back burner and the important issues on the table such as the ‘unexpected risks’ of drugs now in use be addressed quickly.

Maybe at some future date, the issues of natural health care can be prudently addressed, but I don’t think this is the time. We need to be encouraging people to live healthier, and to educate them about all of the benefits of natural foods - not hiding important information under endless regulation.

Respectfully Submitted,

Carole Pagan

That’s it.

Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend!