Healthcare and The Environment

Over my many years working in healthcare facilities I have developed a green and clean system to help in the elimination of devastating bacteria that can lead to MRSA and other difficult infections.


It seems as the facilities make a major contribution to this problem and they must be addressed.
How Healthcare Impacts the EnvironmentHospitals make significant contributions to their communities by providing a wide variety of services.  They are also major employers, with healthcare comprising approximately 16% of the national and regional economy. Hospitals operate all day everyday, making their environmental footprint large in many communities.
Hospitals impact the environment by:
  • Generating approximately 7,000 tons per day of waste, including infectious waste, hazardous waste, and solid waste.
  • Using mercury in medical devices, equipment, light bulbs, etc.
  • Using materials that may have toxic effects:  PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, heavy metals in electronics, pesticides, batteries.
  • Consuming large amounts of energy in buildings and car fleets, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Consuming large amounts of water for domestic use and heating/cooling as well as landscaping.
Read more

Does Going Pink Lead to "The Cure"?

Real questions do need to be asked about pink products and real progress in prevention and cure of breast cancer.
Back in March, BCA re-launched the Think Before You Pink® blog to provide information and resources for those interested in shifting the dominant breast cancer narrative. One of our goals was to provide concrete tools that would help people start conversations with their friends, family and communities. As a result, I am excited to announce that we are finishing a “first draft” of our brand-new Think Before You Pink® toolkit. We’ll be offering a sneak peek next week, so stay tuned!

As a lead-in to the initial release of our toolkit, we thought that it would be interesting to revisit our campaign’s best known resource – our critical questions. We created these questions in response to the rise of breast cancer related cause marketing and the lack of transparency about how the generated revenue is spent.

In the years since we’ve started our campaign, we’ve seen a lot of changes: a number of organizations have adapted our questions, mainstream news outlets have reported on the unregulated (and sometimes problematic) use of the pink ribbon, and many companies have even started to disclose more information about their “breast cancer awareness” campaigns.

However, there’s still much work to be done.

The first of our questions is: How much money actually goes toward breast cancer programs and services?

In 2009, the Boston Globe ran an article with the following information:

“Research [has shown] that 79 percent of consumers would likely switch to a brand that supports a cause, all other things being equal. People want to buy from companies that appear to do good deeds. In one test conducted by Cone and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, shampoo aligned with a cause saw a 74 percent sales increase over the same brand without a cause.”

Donations to breast cancer organizations still pale in comparison to profits. Just last year, Reebok marketed an entire line of pink ribbon apparel and accessories, with prices ranging from $50-$100. However, they set a “cap” on the proceeds that they would donate to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade: $750,000. One wonders how much money they made by “linking” themselves to the breast cancer epidemic.

Similarly, Yoplait requires participants in its “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign to either mail lids to the company or enter a code online to donate a whopping 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Why not donate a significant portion of overall sales instead? Hmm.

It gets worse: a quick Google search yields a number of pink items without any apparent connection to breast cancer organizations at all.

These promotions are successful because people want to help end the breast cancer epidemic. They want action steps – and there are few provided.

With our advocacy and education work, we aim to provide more options.
Selections from 30+ Pink posts from Natural Health News

Pink Cause Marketing  Feb 24, 2011
This is why for more than a decade we have been saying THINK Before You Pink! Women's Health Month is March, and that is not too far away. FDA Warns of Potential of Serious Side Effects with Topical Numbing Agents . ...

Natural Health News: The Trouble With PINK
Aug 14, 2006
General Mills also refuses to allow our health education oriented non-profit organiztion, Creating Health Institute, from participating in the annual pink lid promotion. CHI does a very great amount of public health ...

Natural Health News: The Politics of Breast Cancer
May 12, 2011
What is so wrong with pink ribbon marketing? THINK BEFORE YOU PINK. Why on earth would corporations involved in the treatment and diagnosis of women with breast cancer try to control how the public understands the ...

Make Your Effort to Save Water


For many years I served on one community's Health and Environment Commission.  Water Conservation  was one large issue on which we worked.  


I had the first community xeriscaped yard and brought in the rain barrel concept.  We created tiered usage rates, specific watering hours, and had a great array of water saving items available from the water department.  Audits were available from the water department as well.


As this problem continues, here are some tips you might wish to use.  For main stream media I thought this was quite helpful.

Saving water at home

Where to start:

In order of water savings starting with the most bang for the buck, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute:
  • Replace water-wasting fixtures with state-of-the-art products, starting with your showerhead.
  • Fix a toilet that leaks water from the tank into the bowl, or replace an old toilet with a new "low-flow" model.
  • Fix a leaky faucet, replace an inefficient one with a newer model, or add an aerator.
  • If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis. (It's probably not cost-effective to replace your conventional machine if it still has a few years left in it.)
  • Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water in pulses of 10-20 minutes with 15 or more minutes in between, allowing the water to soak in properly.
  • Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants.

More about: Saving water at home

For most households, the vast majority of water is used indoors. You can get the biggest water savings in your home by installing efficient fixtures and fixing leaks.
But there are other ways too. Water and electricity are linked; the water-supply sector uses large amounts of energy to transport, treat, and deliver water. On the flip side, vast quantities of water are required to generate power. Use less power and you'll save water, and vice versa.

Food for additional thought: Meat is far more water-intensive to deliver to the table than vegetables. Skip meat once a week at your home, and the water savings upstream is significant.
  1. Steam showers: Save water, ease stress

    by Linda Merrill for Networx Steam showers are the modern day equivalent of the steam baths of ancient Rome and the traditional Finnish saunas.
  2. 10 things I learned while living without running water

    The Green Cheapskate learns the hard way that it's much easier to save resources than he thought.
  3. Water-wise around the house

    The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. ...
  4. Save money and the planet

    Five actions you can take that will help to preserve and protect the planet and your budget.
  5. Raining revolution: Collect rain water, help the planet

    Lower your water bills by diverting the water that runs down your roof.
  6. Fives ways to save time and money on your lawn

    Already tired of cutting the grass? These green tips can help.
  7. Showerhead with automatic shutoff

    When you live in Australia, droughts are very real, and water conservation is a part of life. One Australian recently came up with a household invention to help reduce the amount of water being used in the shower. ...
  8. Clean your car without toxics or water

    Cheaper than the car wash and kinder to your water bill, the Eco Touch spray will shine your car without harming the environment.
  9. Dishpan hands go green

    A green strategy for hand-washing your dishes.
  10. Dry to the bone

    A selection of online tips for conserving water -- something much of the U.S. needs to do right now.
  11. Grey water for flushing

    Large-scale projects sometimes install systems to treat and re-use grey water from sinks for flushing toilets. Now, you can do this in your very own home!
SOURCE

Mercury a Concern as it Remains in Vaccines

You may or may not like, or know of, Tim Bolen.  This aside he is a relentless expositor of important issues in health care today.  And he should be applauded for the most part in his ongoing expose of the fraudulent actions of the over-relied upon quackbuster operation.  You know, Stephen Barrett's propaganda (false flag) fiasco relied on by too many journalists.

To the ire of many Bolen exposes the issues of mercury remaining in vaccines through the eyes and research of now attacked-by-MSM pundits -

The Attack on Mark and David Geier... 
Opinion by Consumer Advocate  Tim Bolen 
Saturday, May 21st,  2011
An attorney friend of mine, Bob Reeves, a mainstay in the mercury in health care wars, called me last April 28th, 2011 and asked me to look into some strange occurrences regarding Mark Geier MD and his son David Geier.  As everyone knows, the Geiers are severe critics of the fact that Thimerosal (mercury - deadly toxic to humans) has NOT, despite false claims and misrepresentations from the vaccine industry, been removed from vaccines.
Bob asked me, as a Crisis Management Consultant, to analyze the situation and give him, and the Geiers, my Opinion and make some Recommendations.  This, below, is the Public Version.  The Private Version is much grittier.
Who are these Geier guys?
In short, they are the nemesis of the world-wide vaccine industry.
(1)  Last January 27th, 28th, 29th, 2011 the Geiers, along with their colleague Lisa Sykes attended, by invitation as anofficial NGO, the United Nations Environment Programme - Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC2).  There, they officially presented, to the shocked international delegates, convincing evidence that mercury in vaccines, HAS NOT actually been removed, and represents a serious threat to the people of Planet Earth.  The Geiers have since been invited to present again at the next conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in October, 2011.
(2)  The Geiers have been a mainstay in the State legislative actions banning Thimerosal in vaccines across the US, and the world. More than half of the States are involved in Thimerosal ban legislation.  Already, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, California, and Washington state have legislated those bans.
(3)  The Geiers, through their non-profit corporation CoMeD recently sued the FDA for, as attorney Bob Reeves say"The failure of the FDA to follow their own regulations and require testing for the safety of vaccines."
(4)  Press Releases - the Geiers, through their organizations, have issued Press Releases documenting mercury in vaccine issues.  There are five of them.  You can read them by clicking on each one:  OneTwoThreeFourFive.
(5)  Their peer reviewed studies, over a hundred, cover a broad range of Thimerosal caused issues including two extremely shocking revelations:  (a)  Thimerosal in vaccines is 300 times more toxic to the human brain than the bacteria in the vaccines it is designed to destroy, (b)  there is a Thimerosal substitute that is twenty times more destructive to bacteria and it has NO affect on the human brain.  You can find many of these published papers here.
(6)  Mark Geier MD testifies in Vaccine Court on behalf of brain damaged children. Article.
(7)  Both Geiers testified to the IOM on the problems of Thimerosal in vaccines.  Testimony.
(8)  Both Geiers have been active attempting to force the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to make vaccine adverse reaction data available to the public.  The CDC will NOT let anyone see that data.  Do you wonder why? Link.
(9)   David Geier was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Maryland Commission on Autism, and as such, has significantly effected the quality of treatment recommendations offered to Autistic children in the State of Maryland.
(10)   Mark and David Geier, because of their research into the question "Why do boys get Autism at a rate higher than girls," found that Thimerosal interacts with testosterone, increasing it in children, causing "precocious puberty."  They then found that the use of the drug Lupron reduces those effects, and significantly reduces incidents of violence, and acting-out, in Autistic children, sometimes almost removing Autistic behavior.
(11)  The Geiers set up, with every health insurance company in the US, pre-approved protocols, using Labcorptesting, for the use of Lupron, and the payment for that testing and that drug, directly to the lab and pharmacies on a case-by-case basis.
The Geiers, because of their activities, are a MAJOR thorn in the side of the vaccine industry.
Major...
Continue reading 

Sunscreen Safety at Issue

Just as the Northern Hemisphere is getting close to the sunnier summer season these consideration about using sunscreen may be important to consider -
It's that time of year when sunscreen advertisements become ubiquitous on television—cute kids prancing on the beach after their mothers conscientiously apply multiple coats of white lotion in an effort, the companies tell you, to protect against sunburns and skin cancer. Sunscreen has become big business. In 1972, sunscreens and sunblocks raked in $18 million. Last year, a single Banana Boat brand product brought in that amount, and the top 10 sunscreen products on the market netted more than $300 million in sales. Yet, as sales of sunscreen have grown, so has theincidence of melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer. Among white Americans, for example, incidence rates for melanoma have increased from approximately 8.7 per 100,000 people in 1975 to 25.3 per 100,000 in 2007, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Those numbers raise the question, if we're using more and more sunscreen, why haven't those cancer rates gone down?  SOURCE
Selections from our many Sunscreen posts at Natural Health News

May 15, 2011
In 2008 Natural Health News reported on sunscreen as unsafe and ineffective. Earlier than this, along with an expert on the subject, we tackled mis-information being promoted by Dr Oz's "Real Age". Over the years we have continued to ...

May 19, 2008
Today the BIG NEWS is about Sunscreen. Numerous problems remain even after many years of known issues with the chemical ingredients in these products. Some products listed as safe in the EWG report contain titanium dioxide, ...
Aug 16, 2010
But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays. And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide ...
Apr 22, 2010
Pomegranate Enhances sunscreen protection Lowers "bad" cholesterol Fights prostate cancer. Pumpkin Protects joints against polyarthritis Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk Reduces inflammation. Raspberries Inhibit growth of oral, ...

More Benefit from Vitamin D

Vitamin D found to boost functioning in the elderly

Vitamin D (actually, a hormone) appears to play a wide variety of roles in health and disease. Back in 2007 I reported on a study which found that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with better physical functioning in the elderly over time. This may not come as too much of a surprise when we consider the evidence that vitamin D has the ability to preserve muscle, and enhance balance and reaction times. 

The role vitamin D has here may have particular relevance to the elderly. As we age, we can be at increased risk of frailty and falls. It is possible, therefore, that maintaining higher levels of vitamin D might help preserve functioning and prevent falls in later life.

The study I reported on back in 2007 has validity, I think, but we’re limited in what we can learn from it due to it being ‘epidemiological’ in nature. Because of this, all it can tell us is that vitamin D is associated with improved function. We can’t tell if there’s a causal relationship here from this study. Even if there is, perhaps vitamin D does not cause improved function, but the other way round (improved function might lead to enhanced sunlight exposure and higher vitamin D levels).

I was therefore interested to read a recent study in which vitamin D therapy was tested in group of elderly individuals (average age 70). The study participants were divided into four groups:

Group 1 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D into the muscle
Group 2 received a placebo injection into the muscle
Group 3 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D as an oral supplement
Group 4 received an oral placebo

The group underwent a range of assessments at the start of the study and one month later.
Here are the changes seen after a month in each of the four groups:

Group 1. Reduced pain, improved functional mobility, improved quality of life, improved general health, improved mental health, improved social functioning.
Group 2. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.
Group 3. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.
Group 4. Reduced pain.

Overall, compared to placebo, just one big dose of vitamin D had significant benefits for this population, particularly when given directly into the muscle.

We have some evidence here, that vitamin D can directly enhance functioning in the elderly. It makes me think that many elderly individuals can get quite easily get caught in a cycle of impaired functioning, restricted movement, reduced sunlight exposure and then suboptimal vitamin D leading to impaired functioning and so on and so forth. ‘Institutionalised’ individuals in nursing and care homes may be at particular risk, as may any individuals who are long-stay patients in hospital. 

It’s impossible to know what sort of disease and disability burden is caused by suboptimal levels of vitamin D, though my suspicion is that it’s sizeable. On the plus side, it’s a problem that is easily tested for and treatable. Growing awareness of this issue may see many more individuals getting the management they require in later life to keep them alive and well.

References:
1. Sakall H, et al. The effect of oral and parenteral vitamin D supplementation in the elderly: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Rheumatol Int. 2011 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]

In Support of Health Forensics

Some years ago I began the arduous task of developing a better way to get to core issues in a client's health status.  I did this mainly because I have a strong commitment to public health.

Over time I honed this approach, always seeking just a little bit better way to accomplish the resulting "picture" of some one's health status.  It also came to be able to show the real core of the problems at hand: nutritional deficiencies related to organ system strength.

With the ever broadening of diagnostic classification, the extensive reliance on pharmaceuticals, and the loss of the art in health care, I  knew I had to find a better way.  With this approach I believe I can help people understand what has become an epidemic of no real method to prevent and improve health.

This process started off with a nutritional profile and an overview based on Five Element Theory.  Over time I added something or removed something to eventually come to the point where I began developing my patent application.

Patent applications are time consuming.  I know because I already have one.  This will be my second, and I hope to have the package ready to submit shortly.


In the mean time there three levels of my program are available.


The basic level is the ASK plan.  This allows you to ask a simple question and after payment you receive what is equal to my 15 minute mini-consult.


The second level available in my system is Health Detective.  This is a service that looks into your current health concerns and there is a $300 fee.  This plays out to about a 5-6 hour access to my expertise.  You receive feedback from the results of the forms I require you to complete and it includes a private phone consultation.  The information amazes most doctors.


The most in depth level in the system is Health Forensics.  There is an hourly fee for this service.  Many practitioners use this service when they are meeting with obstacles in a client's care.  I also have many attorneys using this system for help with difficult case.  This service is focused on complex and complicated health concerns, or it may be used to assist you in developing your own health protection program.  Additionally, our health, spiritual, nutritional, emotional, and specialized counseling services are provided under this designation.

All of these services are unique and highly customized and individualized to your needs. Telephone counseling sessions are available by appointment only (prescheduled and prepayment required).


We do offer retainer plans.

While we do not do insurance billing we do provide statements so you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

There is never any obligation to continue working with us after the first appointment.  All information is considered highly confidential and is provided only and directly to you.


Learn more about Health Forensics

Nonsense in Normal Lab Results 

Broadening Disease Definitions



More on Profit with Less for Care

Many people are finding that, even with health insurance, they cannot afford to pay for medical or dental work - a growing number of individuals are simply putting things off.

In many situations your health can be improved and many problems prevented with education and information 
This might make you want to consider subscribing to Health Forensics 

Health Insurers Making More Money Than Ever While People Postpone Medical Care

SOURCE



Cost keeps many U.S. adults from eye care

Published: May 19, 2011 at 11:09 PM


ATLANTA, May 19 (UPI) -- Cost, or the lack of health insurance, keeps many U.S. adults from getting eye examinations, putting their vision at risk, health officials say.


A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, says survey data indicate many people with visual impairment report not seeking eye care because of the cost, lack of health insurance, or the perception that they did not need care.


"People ages 40-64 are most likely to cite cost or lack of insurance as a barrier to eye care, while people ages 65 and older -- the age group with highest prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment -- were most likely to say they did not need eye care," the report says. "Residents of Massachusetts, which has the smallest proportion of uninsured people because of mandated health insurance were least likely to cite cost or lack of health insurance as a barrier to eye care."


CDC health officials say it is important to have people age 40 and older with risk of any age-related eye disease -- or chronic disease that affects the eyes, such as diabetes -- get regular comprehensive eye exams. Many serious eye diseases can be detected before symptoms appear and treated to reduce visual impairment, the report says.



Understanding Rhabdomyolysis


This is very important information if you are using statins or other drugs as mentioned in this article - YODA

 

Unusual Kidney Injury Can Be Caused By Hazing, Medication Interaction And Anesthetics

27 Apr 2011  

A muscle condition that injures the kidneys is well-known to football experts -- diagnosed recently in a professional player and 13 college athletes. Yet new studies are finding some surprising sources of rhabdomyolysis, the potentially deadly condition, according to research being presented at the National Kidney Foundation's Spring Clinical Meetings, held here this week. 

This condition causes muscles to break down, releasing their fibers and enzymes into the body. These enter the bloodstream and plug up the kidney, resulting in potentially fatal damage. Recently, the condition was diagnosed in Washington Redskins player Albert Haynesworth and 13 players on an Iowa college team, as well as two dozen high school football players in Oregon. In these cases, the condition - often called simply "rhabdo" - is attributed to intense workouts, injury, or heat exhaustion. But there are less obvious causes that can put even non-athletes at risk. 

One group of researchers presented findings from a 19-year-old man who developed rhabdo after being hazed by his fraternity. As part of the hazing, he was struck in the back and buttock areas up to 1,000 times with wooden paddles, injuring the muscles and triggering rhabdomyolysis. 

"This is yet another reason why hazing can be deadly," said study author Dr. Khalid Bashir of the Morehouse School of Medicine. Thankfully, with treatment, the man survived. "The strange thing is that the patient entered a fraternity thinking his brothers would protect him from other people," said Dr. Bashir. "When, in fact, it was the other way around." 

In another study, Dr. Gaurav Alreja at Baystate Medical Center and his colleagues describe a man who developed rhabdo after taking the combination of a cholesterol-lowering drug and an antibiotic. 

Previous research has shown that these cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, can increase the risk of rhabdo, explained Dr. Alreja. In this instance, a 73-year-old man on a relatively high dose of simvastatin developed rhabdo after he added the antibiotic azithromycin - a common drug thought to be very safe, he explained. 

"This patient likely had some predisposition to developing rhabdomyolysis, and the high dose of the statin increased that risk - adding this antibiotic likely tipped the balance," said Dr. Alreja. "Hopefully, doctors and patients will keep this interaction in mind when offering antibiotics to patients receiving statins." 

Thankfully, the patient recovered, and was able to continue taking high-doses of statins without the antibiotic, and the rhabdo did not return. 

In another less fortunate report, doctors describe a 24-year-old man who died after developing rhabdomyolysis as a complication from anesthesia. The man had been under anesthesia for days following a car accident, and patients in this situation are sometimes at risk of developing propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS), a series of complications resulting from the anesthetic propofol. 

In this instance, the patient developed rhabdomyolysis as well, and died. 

Many people - even doctors - may not be aware that PRIS can cause rhabdomyolysis, and hopefully this man's tragedy will help change that, said study author Dr. Tamim H. Naber of the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. "Knowledge of this rare condition is important to help diagnose the condition early, and potentially stop the course of the disease," said Dr. Naber. 

"These studies illustrate the importance of overall awareness of the many uncommon causes of rhabdomyolysis, which can have devastating effects on athletes and non-athletes alike," said Dr. Lynda Szczech, National Kidney Foundation President. 

Source: 
National Kidney Foundation
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/223517.php
Main News Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Appears In:  Sports Medicine / Fitness,  

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Save time! Get the latest medical news headlines for your specialist area, in a weekly newsletter e-mail. See http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newsletters.php for details.
Send your press releases to pressrelease@medicalnewstoday.com

Drugs for Profit, the Same for Care

Pfizer worries about financial impact of the Aricept 10mg dose patent approval ending so it gets double dose OK from FDA.

Aricept 23 mg failed to demonstrate a clinically meaningful benefit

Public Citzen petitioned  FDA Commissioner to immediately removal from market Pfizer's Alzheimer's drug, Aricept  23 mg dose, because of serious safety hazards and failure to demonstrate efficacy. The petition also urges FDA to add a label warning on Aricept and generic donepezil (5 mg and 10 mg) stating: "Use of 20 mg per day is counter indicated."
Aricept  (donepezil) 23 mg was approved July 23, 2010 on the basis of a single clinical trial (Study 326) --despite the recommendation by both FDA medical reviewers and statistical reviewers NOT to approve the drug  because it had failed to demonstrate efficacy but significantly increased risks to patient safety.
Patients in the trial had already been taking Aricept 10 mg for three months. They were randomized to Aricept  at either 10 mg dose or 23 mg.  Complete article

Vitamins for Alzheimers
May 04, 2011
UPDATE: 3 February 2010 In the brain of his low dose test animals, Isaacson observed a tangling of capillary blood vessels, reduced oxy... Vitamins for Alzheimer's. September 2010 Good News for B Vitamins and Your Brain Ranks now in the ...
Dec 27, 2009
Vitamins for Alzheimer's. September 2010 Good News for B Vitamins and Your Brain Ranks now in the TOP10 out of 3.9 M Access the May 2007 issue of herbalYODA Says! that focuses on vitamin B12 with a donation to help us continue this work ...
Dec 13, 2008
REF: High-dose vitamin B12 for at-home prevention and reversal of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. REF: Vitamin C, E, Selenium. Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., writes about the JAMA study denouncing the benefit from Vitamins C and E. ...

For-profit hospice industry raises worries
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., May 19 (UPI) -- End-of-life hospice care is being dominated by investor-owned chains that cherry-pick patients and cut labor costs to maximize profits, U.S. researchers say.
Dr. Robert Stone, an emergency medicine physician in Bloomington, Ind., and Joshua Perry of Indiana University say end-of-life hospice care was once the province of charitable organizations, but 52 percent of hospices are now part of the for-profit sector.
For-profit hospice industry grew by 128 percent from 2001 to 2008, while the non-profit sector grew by only 1 percent. During the same period, government-sponsored hospices increased by 25 percent.
"Research shows that for-profit hospices, and especially publicly traded chain providers, generate higher revenues than their non-profit counterparts," Stone says in a statement. "They do this in part, studies show, by selectively recruiting longer-term patients, most of whom do not have cancer, thereby gaming the Medicare payment system."  Complete Article
Hospice Patients Alliance


Selections from Natural Health News
Apr 16, 2010
Dying hospice patients have been denied morphine in their final hours because a doctor couldn't be reached in the middle of the night, nurses told The Associated Press. Massachusetts, the model for the federal health care overhaul,
Oct 07, 2009
Ellen Wild told The Times that her father died at a hospice in Edina, Minn., on Sept. 18. This information is provided by Creating Health Institute through our Health Matters(c) project.
Oct 24, 2008
This item is important to me in relation to a recent case of the demise of a person with ALS in N. Idaho, through the hospice system. Dr. Hawking is renown as one of the great minds of our times, and yet with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
Aug 15, 2008
I received this article from Hospice Patient's Alliance. If people contemplate and really see the sanctity of life, their "quality of life" arguments fall away and they will understand that we are here to care for each other, ...

Twists and Turns: Politics and Your Health

Medicare and Political Antics

I try not to be too political when citing issues for Natural Health News, however I can’t let this one pass.
If you take the time to read these articles you get a clear picture that it’s the party and the dogma that matters. 
People just don’t count.

And the presumptive silliness on the part of these alleged adults and their ridiculous behavior tell you even more.
Might you ask, why did these men (sic) ever get elected?

Back home a lot of voters are speaking out against his folly. In Arizona, constituents demanded to know why there is support for turning Medicare over to private insurers.

Of course you aren’t hearing too much at the same time about the republican handouts to Big Insurance over the Senior Drug Plan, Medicare Part D. Even in its reduced form that Obama dealt out some months back, the handouts and perks to PhRMA and Insurance are just too much for the budget. Cuts can be made here and strictly on the supply side.

Ever wonder where your member of Congress gets financial backing? 

And don’t you think we need responsible elected officials who are willing to stick their necks out to fight for the people who elected them rather than toting party dogma and panting feverishly in wait for the gravy train?

Gingrich lambasted over health care comments
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110517/pl_yblog_theticket/gingrich-lambasted-over-health-care-comments
House Republicans Face Backlash At Home Over Medicare Vote
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/17/house-republicans-face-backlash-medicare_n_863144.html
Gingrich apologizes to Ryan for Medicare comments
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-gingrich-ryan-20110518,0,4926524.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-gingrich-mistake-20110518,0,5534984.story

Paul Ryan's Money Sources

Top 5 Contributors, 2009-2010, Campaign Cmte

ContributorTotalIndivsPACs
Northwestern Mutual$24,650$15,650$9,000
Harris Assoc$18,300$18,300$0
American Family Insurance$13,000$13,000$0
Aurora Health Care$12,674$12,674$0
Credit Union National Assn$12,000$1,000$11,000

Top 5 Industries, 2009-2010, Campaign Cmte

IndustryTotalIndivsPACs
Retired$344,200$344,200$0
Insurance$234,352$65,845$168,507
Securities & Investment$229,850$155,550$74,300
Health Professionals$209,773$76,206$133,567
Real Estate$81,000$42,500$38,500

Maybe these cereals need to be left in their box


All these cereals and none of the GMO containing ones are noted to contain GMOs.  In addition Cascade and Nature's Path, EnviroKidz - these may be "organic" but are as sugary-sweet as the regular ones even without HFCS. My old favorite is Wheet-a-Bix but I prefer the "cake" to flakes..

Make sure you read the labels!

And remember, cold cereal turns to sugar faster than whole grain, hot cereal and can lead to health problems, organic or note.

Tired of your same-old flakes? These 18 breakfast cereal varieties will bowl you over.
By Lindsay Funston, RealSimple.com

The Classics

Many breakfast-cereal concoctions come and go (R.I.P., Donkey Kong Crunch; adios, Urkel-O’s). Then there are the beloved stalwarts―raisin bran, corn flakes, crispy rice―that will be breakfast staples forever. But which brands in these traditional categories are best? Real Simple testers ate their way through 42 boxes to find out. (Note: All cereals tested in this story were free of high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.)
Cheerios
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best O's

The pure oaty flavor and the hearty crunch of these whole-grain rings, which contain just one gram of sugar per serving, easily won over testers. “No wonder my toddler can’t get enough of them,” one enthused.
To buy: $4 for 14 ounces.







Erewhon Organic Original Crispy Brown Rice
Photo: Bob Hiemstra


The Best Crispy Rice

Erewhon Organic Original Crispy Brown Rice
Made with brown rice (a nice twist on the traditional white), these delicate puffs have “a pleasing nutty flavor,” a staffer raved. “Topped with strawberries, they would make a great light breakfast.”
To buy: $4 for 10 ounces.




The Best Shredded Oats

Life
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

Mikey liked it back in the 1970s, and Real Simple testers feel the same way today. The thin oat squares strike a tasty balance of salty and sweet.
To buy: $4 for 15 ounces.


Cascadian Farm Organic Raisin Bran
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Raisin Bran

“The plump, juicy raisins aren’t overwhelmed by the number of flakes,” said a fan. “Plus, the fruit is free of that awful coating of sugar so many companies use.”
To buy: $4 for 14 ounces.






Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Flakes
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Corn Flakes

Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Flakes
“These large, sturdy flakes hold their shape, have a strong corn flavor even when drowned in milk, and don’t develop a slimy film like some other versions,” said one appreciative tester.
To buy: $2.50 for 12 ounces.



Three Sisters Sweet Wheat
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Frosted Wheat

Three Sisters Sweet Wheat
These bites have a dusting of icing on one side that adds a touch of sweetness to the milk. Bonus: The resealable plastic bag cuts down on wasteful packaging.
To buy: $3.40 for 15.5 ounces, Whole Foods Market.




The Best High-Fiber, Low-Fat

Cereals touted for their nutritional profile can’t always make the same claim for taste. Real Simple staffers sampled 77 options―all containing at least 3 grams of fiber, no more than 10 grams of sugar, and less than 2 grams of fat, as recommended by Marilyn Tanner-Blasiar, a registered dietitian and an American Dietetic Association spokesperson. Here are the breakfast champions.
Kashi Go Lean
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best High-Fiber

A medley of bran twigs, honey whole-grain puffs, and mini soy graham crackers, this won praise for being hearty and delicious. One of the healthiest of all the winners, it packs 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber into a single serving.
To buy: $4 for 14.1 ounces.




Kashi Autumn Wheat
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Shredded Wheat

Passionate shredded-wheat devotees raved about how the squares “absorb the milk just enough, without soaking it up like a sponge.” Said one of them, “It’s tightly woven and yet has a lovely, airy crunch.”
To buy: $4.20 for 17.5 ounces.





Multi-Bran Chex
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Crispy Whole Grain

Molasses perks up the flavors of corn, wheat, and rice in these woven brown crisps. “Forget toast in the morning. This reminds me of my favorite wheat bread, but with a more robust, nutty flavor,” a panelist said.
To buy: $3.30 for 14 ounces.






Organic Weetabix Crispy Flakes
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Whole Wheat Flakes

This flake version of a popular English cereal has a pleasant, grainy texture and a slight sweetness, thanks to cane juice and a touch of sea salt.
To buy: $4.50 for 12 ounces.






Fiber One Original
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best High-Fiber Twigs

Fiber One Original
Many twigs are thin and brittle, said a taster. “This sturdy example stands up well to milk and fruit.” For an afternoon snack, try the cereal solo or sprinkled on yogurt. Half a cup contains a whopping 14 grams of fiber.
To buy: $4.20 for 16.2 ounces.




Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Flax

It’s easy to get more heart-healthy omega-3s in your diet with these golden flakes. “They have a cute, cuplike shape that holds the milk,” commented a fan.
To buy: $4.60 for 13.25 ounces.






EnviroKidz Organic Gorilla Munch
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Kids' Cereals

Remember when you loved visiting Susie Schumacher’s house because her mom bought “sugar” cereal? It’s still a special treat today. A panel of 32 elementary-school testers munched their way through 93 contenders, none exceeding 15 grams of sugar (the limit for registered dietitian Tanner-Blasiar). These picks hit the sweet spot.

The Best Puffs

“Super crunchy!” one youngster said of this gluten-free corn cereal with 8 grams of sugar (the lowest per serving of the bunch). “I’d eat them during recess as a snack,” another noted.
To buy: $4.60 for 10 ounces.

Total Cinnamon Crunch
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Cinnamon Squares

The “fresh cinnamon-stick taste” of these small, ultra-crispy squares enticed many panelists to go back for seconds.
To buy: $3.90 for 15.4 ounces.







Three Sisters Marshmallow Oaties
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Marshmallow Cereal

Three Sisters Marshmallow Oaties
Testers liked that the white, pink, and purple marshmallows in this addictive cereal didn’t dissolve. “They keep their shape until the very end,” one noted.
To buy: $3.40 for 12.5 ounces, Whole Foods Market.






Honey Nut Cheerios
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Honey-Nut O's

“Drinking the flavored milk is the best part,” one tester proclaimed after sampling this honey-and-almond classic made with whole-grain oats.
To buy: $3.80 for 12.25 ounces.






Apple Jacks
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Fruity Cereal

Red flecks of dried apple cover these frosty-hued O’s. Made of corn, wheat, and oats, this cereal gets extra sweetness from apple juice and cinnamon.
To buy: $3.80 for 12.2 ounces.




Erewhon Organic Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice
Photo: Bob Hiemstra

The Best Cocoa Cereal

“I could eat these all day,” said one 10-year-old panelist of the airy rice pebbles. “They stay crisp in the milk but seem to melt in your mouth. And they taste like hot chocolate.” (For a fourth grader, that’s a good thing.)
To buy: $4 for 10.5 ounces.