A Fault in Modernity

The last few years I have been using traditional medicine to help maintain my health and wellness. I've used chiropractic care, acupuncture, herbs, flowers, and even Reiki. Through my own experiences and research, I have grown to respect the power of our own ability to heal. Why is it that honoring that ability and using traditional medicine a negative thing when modern medicine is not needed? Don't get me wrong, modern medicine has done wonders. Between improvements in sanitation and housing, modern medicine has helped bring people back from the brink of death. That being said, I believe that we have become over reliant on modern medicine. We have lost the belief that our bodies can survive without these chemicals. We have lost the belief that our bodies can heal themselves from most pathogens with little help.

There is so little known about the immune system and how it works. We have a general idea - a really good general idea - as to how it recognizes foreign invaders, tags them for destruction, and heals the point of insult. For years we have been cleaning and sanitizing and placing ourselves into protective bubbles to prevent us from getting sick. Slowly this idea is starting to shift away from this hyper-cleanliness. Scientists are coming to realize that we do need to eat dirt once in a while.

So why do I write about this? I do so because I believe that we are on the edge of a cliff. There is a growing number of bacteria that are becoming resistant to our current antibiotics. Not just one antibiotic, but multiple! We have the heaviest vaccine schedule of any developed country, and yet we are also the sickest. Heck, the bacterium responsible for pertussis (B. pertussis) has mutated to "survive" against the TDaP/DTaP vaccine! There is also an alarming increase of chronic diseases over the last 20 years. Megan, the author of LivingWhole.org, wrote a rather fantastic post about some of these trends.  You can read the post HERE. To save time, here is the list of chronic diseases we are dealing with today:

1 in 6 kids has neurodevelopment disabilities,
1 in 68 has autism (1 in 42 boys), 1 in 10 has ADD or ADHD, 1 in 10 has asthma, 
 1 in 450 has diabetes,
20% of children have eczema 1 in 5 has allergies 1 in 3 children are obese.  Almost 2,000 children die from cancer (the leading cause of death by disease in children) each year, and childhood disabilities have jumped 16% since the year 2001. Coincidence?

Each link is for a government website, so these numbers are recognized by our government. I'll say it again, modern medicine has done wonders to improve the health of the human race. But how far is too far? How much chemical processing can our bodies handle before we step off that cliff from health to chronic disease? 

Modern medicine isn't the only piece of the puzzle. We have to look at our air quality, our soil quality, our food quality. We are the only industrialized nation that does not require GMO labeling. We are also one of the few industrialized nations that allow for certain chemicals in our food products when there are banned in European countries. Same manufacturer, two different products, because in one country it's banned while in the US, it's A-OK. Oh, but we couldn't ban those chemicals or require labeling. It would cost too much. I ask you this, if they're already doing it for Europe, where is the extra cost to make the same label in the US?



A large portion of our crops are Roundup Ready. This allows for farmers to spray this chemical that is laced with hormone disruptors all over the food that we eat. That in and of itself isn't too alarming, but the problem is that the weeds are becoming resistant. That leads to more herbicides being sprayed on our food. I wish I had taken a picture, but this weekend I was making apple sauce from some Sweet Tango apples that I bought from the grocery store a few days earlier. Like with all my produce, I soak them in a sink full of lukewarm water with ~1 cup of vinegar for roughly 15 minutes (less for berries) to help remove any lingering pesticides and herbicides. Much to my surprise, this film developed on the skin of the apples. The only thing that I could do to get rid of this film was scrape my nail over the skin. I'm not sure whether this was pesticide/herbicide residue or some funky wax to make the apples "look more appealing," the bottom line was that there was crap on the outside of my apples that shouldn't be there. We are eating this junk and it's effecting our health.

How our animals are treated is a whole other matter. They eat these crops that are genetically modified and fed medicines that increase their mass faster than conventional farming. The GMO crops have negative effects on these animals that aren't widely mentioned in main stream media. It would be "detrimental to the industry" to change their practice in order to produce healthier animals for healthier byproducts. There are more studies that the one I linked, but it gives you an idea.

Then we get to the grocery store, only buy fresh produce and meat thinking we're doing good to ourselves and our bodies, and we still see these obesity levels among other chronic health ailments. CNN posted yet another opinion article on how childhood obesity should have us concerned. Thankfully the author mentions the endocrine disruptors in our food stuffs and environment that play a role. 

The health of our soil determines the nutritional component of our plants, which then determines the nutritional and overall health of ourselves and the animals and animal by-products that we also eat. Add to that the chemicals used on our plants, the medicines used in our livestock and for ourselves, the materials we use to process and store our food stuff, and the air and water quality - we have a LOT of factors that go into the deteriorating health of our families.


So what can we do about it?

• Write to your representatives: local, state, and national.  
• Buy local and organic whenever possible - I know money is a huge factor. 
• Try making your own heath care products. There are lots of recipes out there for toothpaste, shampoo, face wash, hand soap, etc.
• Use as little plastic as you can.
• Try using traditional home remedies before reaching for that antibiotic or pain medication.
• Walk or ride your bike instead of driving as often as you can.
• Support local community gardens and conservation organizations
• Research, research, and research some more to figure out how to do better for you, your family, and your community.

We all want to leave the world just a little bit better for our children. No, these things are not easy. Yes, you could say I'm being a little paranoid. When you look at the numbers and how they're growing, shouldn't we all be a little bit concerned?

To your health and mine. Enjoy this first day of fall :)

When a thing becomes a person...

I may get flack for this, but this is how I see things, and I will not apologize for my feelings or viewpoint. Any comments must be courteous and civil.

Back in elementary school we learn many things. I remember distinctly learning in grammar about nouns: is it a person, place, thing, or idea. What was the noun in one sentence or another? What category did it fall under? With the SCOTUS ruling on the Hobby Lobby case (and with Citizens United several years ago), a thing (businesses and companies) are now persons. Because these things are now considered persons (Citizens United), these things can now exercise religious freedom under the constitution. At least this is what was the result of the ruling - in the most simple terms. David Green, as owner, is now able to refuse providing 4 of the 20 approved birth control methods under the ACA for his employees at Hobby Lobby because he believes that they are a form of abortion.

If you are unaware, Hobby Lobby is a craft store. It's not a person. It's not a church. It's not affiliated with a church. Hobby Lobby is a craft store.

But what about the first amendment and freedom of religion? First of all (I just learned this), the first amendment really only applies to Congress, but it is generally applied to all US citizens. That being said, Congress cannot declare any religion a religion of the United States of America. We are to remain without a state religion. This is one of the reasons why the early settlers came to America in the first place - to be able to practice their own religion without persecution. Second, Congress cannot favor one religion over another.

So what if a person doesn't have a religion? What then? In this case with Green and Hobby Lobby, religion trumps non-religion in closely held companies. Huh? Isn't this favoring one religion over another? Yes and no. Things get tricky when there is an absence of something when comparing two groups to one another. If you would go back to the last paragraph where it says that Congress can't declare a religion of the United States of America, one would hope that non-religion would "win" over religion.

While we were founded upon Christian values, we are not a Christian nation. We are Catholic, Lutheran (and the various sects there of), Presbyterian, Mormon, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Islamist, Sikh, Scientologist, Jehovah Witness, Atheist, Agnostic...the list goes on. While some religions hold very similar beliefs, holding one belief over a non-belief in a country where there is no national religion doesn't sit quite right.

If Hobby Lobby were a Christian store, like Green's Christian book store, catering to Christians, promoting Christianity, etc., then maybe he has a leg to stand on when wanting to not provide coverage for the 4 contraceptives in question. Like I said above, Hobby Lobby is a craft store that just happens to be owned by a Christian.

The ACA was written to be a baseline for health insurance coverage. If a company wanted to go above and beyond that, they were more than welcome to. However, a baseline was needed so those with health insurance were guaranteed basic health coverage as determined by medical science for the overall good of public health. Other countries understand that access to basic healthcare is a human right, and they provide basic healthcare to their citizens. Why America doesn't is beyond me.

Individuals keep on saying we are a "Christian Nation," but how "Christian" are we when we deny a basic human right, such as basic healthcare - which includes contraception. Contraception that isn't necessarily meant to "abort" a fetus (I put that in quotes because not everyone believes life begins at the moment a sperm meets an egg), but to regulate irregular periods, control severe menstrual cycles, or any other issue that can cause severe discomfort or infertility in a woman.

When you own a non-religious business, whether or not it is privately held (and falls under the ACA rules), your religious views should have zero say in what kind of healthcare your employees are entitled to. When you incorporate, your religious views on healthcare no longer have merit. If you impose your views upon your employees, you are now infringing upon their religious (or non-religious) views. Unfortunately with this ruling, business owners can do just that. We are now sliding down a slippery slope until this ruling is reversed. Your religious views are your own and they end at the tip of your nose. That is the same with my religious views. When it comes to healthcare, we need to be tolerant of religious and non-religious alike, keeping medical decisions between the patient and their doctor. In that office is where the final decision on how to proceed with care can be based upon the patients religious views and not those of their employer.

Health Starts From Within

Please forgive the writing in this post. It's not quite as elegant as I would like it to be. When I get on a topic that I'm passionate about, my ideas don't flow very well from mind to paper.

I have been mulling about a wide range of topics regarding overall health for quite a long time; even more so in recent months as Dan is starting to eat solid foods. What I’ve concluded is that your overall health starts from within. Whoa, wait a minute – that isn’t new information. You’re right. Unfortunately, even though that fact is indeed correct, as a society here in the US, we don’t practice healthy lifestyles. We overwhelmingly eat overly processed foods, sit around and watch too much television, use cars to get to places even when it is 100% feasible to walk or ride a bike, and rely too heavily on modern medicine.

Now, don’t get me wrong, modern medicine and cars are a godsend to the human race. It’s when we over use them is when we find ourselves in trouble. Out of the industrialized countries, we spend the most money on healthcare, and yet we are sitting way down around the 27^th nation for overall heath (Link). What is the answer to that problem? Why spend more money on healthcare of course! Uh…wait a minute. We already spend a ton on healthcare. Why must we spend more? The reason is because as a society we want the quick fix. You can’t get the quick fix through proper nutrition and exercise. Companies also can’t generate billions in dollars in profits.

What is a person to do?

First thing is to stop looking at those magazine covers that promise “Lose 5lbs by ---“ and “7 Tricks for a sexier ---.” Those magazines are also plastered with the human figure that is so distorted either through excessive diet and exercise (and sometimes dangerous dehydration to get the desired muscle definition for the photo) and the ever-so-lovely Photoshop. Those pictures along with the headlines only emphasize that your own body is not perfect and that these bodies are the ideal. Your body will never look like those cover models. Why? Because those bodies are theirs and your body is yours. The ideal for your body is not the same as mine. Your exercise and dietary requirements are different from mine.

The second thing to do is to figure out where your food is coming from. Yes, yes…it comes from the grocery store. Oh, and the delivery guy. But where do they get their food? The best tip I ever received is when you go grocery shopping, stick to the outside of the store. There you will find all the fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and other foods that are the least altered from their original state. If you want to go a step further, be cautious about foods that have been altered using genetic modification (through gene splicing – not natural selection), go organic when you can, and try and stay away from factory farm raised meat products.

I recently watched a seminar that was given by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, on one of his recent books entitled Cooked (Link) In this 20-minute video, he makes an amazing statement that he was given by a person who works in the food industry. The quote is as follows:

"What mattered most about ones health was not necessarily the nutrients, good or bad, that you were consuming or staying away from, or even the calorie counts. But what predicted a healthy diet more than anything else is the fact that it was being cooked by a human being, and not a corporation."

This fact is stunning! Not only has it reenergized my desire to cook more, but to do more cooking from scratch. I’ve already been making my own taco seasoning (Link) and recently I’ve been working on getting pre-made pancake mix put together so all that is needed are the wet ingredients.  We are not long for this Earth so it is imperative that we treat our bodies with respect. Our health begins with how we take care of our bodies. One aspect of that is our food. Treat your body with respect; eat good food.

I have many more ideas in regards to overall health. Once I get my thoughts written down, I’ll make another post. Until then, go out and cook yourself a delicious, healthy, well-rounded meal.