What's being discussed in Congress and around the country isn't health care reform. What's being discussed is health care financing reform. If we really reformed health care, less money would probably be needed.
Money, of course, while a BIG problem with the way health care is administered, isn't the only one.
In brief outline, the problems include: we're too sick as a society; we don't need physicians for most health problems; for many of our health problems a chiropractor or other practitioner would work just fine; we have too many medical tests which are potentially harmful, and not just to our wallet; we tend to get too much health care for certain things - like bypass operations -- and not enough on others, such as preventive care.
I'll cover some of the other topics mentioned above in future postings, but let's first talk about the second thing mentioned. We really don't need physicians for most health problems, but when we're feeling sick, the thing that's done is to make an appointment with a physician. Some so-called Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) have taken a small step in the right direction by having an initial visit done -- at least sometimes -- by a nurse-practitioner, or a physician's assistant.
But they haven't gone far enough.
Many people go to a doctor for colds or the flu. Some go with headaches or stomach ailments. The first practitioner they should see would be an herbalist or a naturopathic physician. A naturopath, depending on the state's laws, may be able to prescribe drugs, but are more likely not to, and in some states they can't. An herbalist obviously doesn't prescribe pharmaceuticals.
What both practitioners do is to suggest temporary or long-term dietary changes, plus the temporary consumption of a substance -- an herb, a vitamin, or other nutritional supplement, that will likely resolve the problem. Clearly a cold or flu won't be cured by these methods, but they won't be cured by prescription drugs, either.
Both supplements and drugs will make someone feel better until the common malady has passed.
Do we need someone with 4 years of medical school to pay-off seeing those patients?
Most stomach ailments can be treated with Slippery Elm Bark, Ginger, or Cascara Sagrada. And before you turn up your nose at those suggestions, I should add that Ginger for its primary application was proved equally as effective as Dramamine, in the treatment of nausea, and with vastly fewer side effects. Cascara Sagrada is extremely effective for treating constipation (a common reason for a doctor visit) and Slippery Elm Bark is magnificent for the opposite problem.
Should we be paying for an M.D. and a pharmacy to treat these problems? A bottle of 100 Slippery Elm Bark capsules costs about $5.00. Care to compare that with even an over-the-counter medication for "the trots"?
So if we could establish a practice and pattern (and require insurance carriers -- as long as it appears we're going to retain private health insurance companies -- to pay for such treatments) of having patients see an herbalist or naturopath first (and training those folks so they know when to refer to a physician), we'd have significantly better health care (less waiting time, fewer side effects) at less cost.
Don't hold your breath.
As said above, we'll cover some of the other health care reform issues, next time.
Meanwhile, you'd do me a great favor by looking at, and recommending to your friends that they look at my book that's now available on the Internet. It's called Mobile Millionaire and is about investment in mobile homes as a way of improving income and increasing wealth, with very little money. If you'd like to do me a favor, you'll let all the friends and associates to whom you normally forward jokes or send things to on a regular basis, know of the book, and asking them to tell anyone they know who might be interested.
There are three different ways to access the book.
1) Go to http://www.scribd.com and in the search box, type in the words, Mobile Millionaire. After scrolling down past some dumb ads, you'll see the book.
2) Go to http://www.google.com/advanced_search and type Mobile Millionaire in the exact phrase box and in the top box (all the following words) type in Business Finance.
3) Go directly to the site where the book is (and you can click on this if your e-mail system permits it): http://www.scribd.com//doc/17883658/Mobile-Millionaire
Meanwhile, if you'd like to access my other blogs, you can go to http://www.blogspot.com/JeffOnPolitics or http://www.blogspot.com/JeffOnRadio.
Thanks very much, and please check back soon.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Anemia
Jeff Bushman has studied natural health for over 30 years (though he looks far too young for that!), and has advised family and friends for years. He's now established a practice as a lay herbalist. If you're in or plan to be in the metro Phoenix area, you can call for an appointment at 480-628-9786. Otherwise, you're welcome to e-mail him or call, and counseling can be arranged. Simple questions will be responded to as time allows, without charge, and for fee-based clients, a sliding scale is available. No medical advice is provided here, and none will be provided. What is given in this blog is information regarding what other people have used as folk and/or natural remedies. Readers should always check with their own health provider before choosing to follow any of the strategies outlined here or in conversation or e-mail communications with the author. The author is not and shall not be liable for any advice taken or misconstrued.
We need to talk about what not to do first.
If you’ve been diagnosed with anemia and you’re a woman who hasn’t experienced menopause, and isn’t about to, you have less reason to be concerned with your doctor’s instructions than the rest of us do.
Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells. Doctors usually recommend taking iron pills to everyone who has that condition. Actually iron – if you can absorb and metabolize it(in other words, if your body can use it) – will actually increase your red blood cell count, and make you feel a lot better.
If you have anemia, you know that it can cause extreme fatigue and a feeling of being cold all the time (unless you’re in Alaska or Minnesota, in which case you really are cold much of the time, even without anemia), among other symptoms.
The problem with taking iron for men and post-menopausal women (because they no longer have the protection that estrogen seems to provide), is that there’s a high correlation between taking supplemental iron and the incidence of heart attacks.
So for men and post-menopausal women taking iron pills isn’t usually the best course, but physicians seem to prescribe them as if there’s no risk at all. My older brother and my mother have both been prescribed iron pills, but they’re just two examples.
If iron pills aren’t good and you’re anemic, then, what can you do? I’m glad I asked.
If you’re a meat eater and you’re anemic the problem is clearly NOT an insufficient intake of iron. Most meat is full of it (and vegetarians will give more meaning to that phrase than was intended). The problem is with ABSORBTION of the iron that you consume. Many young folks have that problem, but as we get older many of us have the problem of malabsorbtion of a variety of nutrients. The limitation on the ability to absorb iron, however, shows up in some pretty noteworthy symptoms.
To help your body absorb and metabolize iron, you probably need more Vitamin C. It’s also a good idea to cook with cast iron pans. OK, I’ll explain.
Vitamin C helps the body absorb and metabolize iron. As you use more iron, you get more red blood cells and thus no anemia. If you have anemia and a test is run to see if you’re deficient in Vitamin C, the test is very likely (despite what I’ve just said) to show that you have adequate stores of that nutrient. And the test will be wrong.
That’s because when tests are done for Vitamin C, they want to make sure that you’re not so deficient that you’re at risk for a disease called “scurvy.” No one in modern societies gets scurvy anymore, because you have to be extremely deficient in that vitamin, and you almost can’t help getting some Vitamin C in your diet.
BUT. The big “but” is that not being so deficient that you’re going to get scurvy doesn’t mean you have enough to avoid anemia. If you have anemia and you’re not a vegetarian (and probably even if you are), it’s not because you’re not getting enough iron.
So how much Vitamin C should you take? That’s a tougher question, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to start with 500 milligrams (mg) in the morning and the same amount in the evening. While your body will use the vitamin better if it’s taken with a meal, if eating isn’t convenient, take the C anyway.
After a week or so of that dosage, you can add another 500 mg at lunch. After another 7-10 days, you can make your morning dose 1000 mg, and increase to 1000 mg per dose after a 7-10 day period at each level.
Three thousand milligrams a day will be very unlikely to hurt you in any fashion. I take much more on a regular basis and I’m a non-anemic vegetarian who’s also a distance runner. I mention all of that because being a vegetarian I would otherwise be at risk for anemia. You can increase your dosage of Vitamin C to no more than 1000 mg per hour, if you wish, and there are many other benefits to that intake, some of which we’ll cover in another posting. If, however, you increase your intake of Vitamin C too rapidly, your stomach will let you know it’s had more than enough, at which point you need to cut back a bit and stay on a smaller intake for a while longer before moving up.
But when it comes to anemia, your increased Vitamin C intake will make a big difference.
I also said I’d talk about cast iron pans. Such cookware, when it’s not coated with something else on the cooking surface is also good for you to avoid anemia. Some iron will get into your food and therefore into your body. Unlike iron supplements, there’s no known correlation between eating food cooked in cast iron pots and pans and increased risk for heart attacks.
Remember, friends don’t let friends take iron supplements.
If you think you might be interested in a completely different subject covered by the same author, try http://JeffonPolitics.blogspot.com, OR http://JeffOnRadio.blogspot.com. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-available "Mobile Millionaire," a book on investments in mobile homes, for small investors.
We need to talk about what not to do first.
If you’ve been diagnosed with anemia and you’re a woman who hasn’t experienced menopause, and isn’t about to, you have less reason to be concerned with your doctor’s instructions than the rest of us do.
Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells. Doctors usually recommend taking iron pills to everyone who has that condition. Actually iron – if you can absorb and metabolize it(in other words, if your body can use it) – will actually increase your red blood cell count, and make you feel a lot better.
If you have anemia, you know that it can cause extreme fatigue and a feeling of being cold all the time (unless you’re in Alaska or Minnesota, in which case you really are cold much of the time, even without anemia), among other symptoms.
The problem with taking iron for men and post-menopausal women (because they no longer have the protection that estrogen seems to provide), is that there’s a high correlation between taking supplemental iron and the incidence of heart attacks.
So for men and post-menopausal women taking iron pills isn’t usually the best course, but physicians seem to prescribe them as if there’s no risk at all. My older brother and my mother have both been prescribed iron pills, but they’re just two examples.
If iron pills aren’t good and you’re anemic, then, what can you do? I’m glad I asked.
If you’re a meat eater and you’re anemic the problem is clearly NOT an insufficient intake of iron. Most meat is full of it (and vegetarians will give more meaning to that phrase than was intended). The problem is with ABSORBTION of the iron that you consume. Many young folks have that problem, but as we get older many of us have the problem of malabsorbtion of a variety of nutrients. The limitation on the ability to absorb iron, however, shows up in some pretty noteworthy symptoms.
To help your body absorb and metabolize iron, you probably need more Vitamin C. It’s also a good idea to cook with cast iron pans. OK, I’ll explain.
Vitamin C helps the body absorb and metabolize iron. As you use more iron, you get more red blood cells and thus no anemia. If you have anemia and a test is run to see if you’re deficient in Vitamin C, the test is very likely (despite what I’ve just said) to show that you have adequate stores of that nutrient. And the test will be wrong.
That’s because when tests are done for Vitamin C, they want to make sure that you’re not so deficient that you’re at risk for a disease called “scurvy.” No one in modern societies gets scurvy anymore, because you have to be extremely deficient in that vitamin, and you almost can’t help getting some Vitamin C in your diet.
BUT. The big “but” is that not being so deficient that you’re going to get scurvy doesn’t mean you have enough to avoid anemia. If you have anemia and you’re not a vegetarian (and probably even if you are), it’s not because you’re not getting enough iron.
So how much Vitamin C should you take? That’s a tougher question, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to start with 500 milligrams (mg) in the morning and the same amount in the evening. While your body will use the vitamin better if it’s taken with a meal, if eating isn’t convenient, take the C anyway.
After a week or so of that dosage, you can add another 500 mg at lunch. After another 7-10 days, you can make your morning dose 1000 mg, and increase to 1000 mg per dose after a 7-10 day period at each level.
Three thousand milligrams a day will be very unlikely to hurt you in any fashion. I take much more on a regular basis and I’m a non-anemic vegetarian who’s also a distance runner. I mention all of that because being a vegetarian I would otherwise be at risk for anemia. You can increase your dosage of Vitamin C to no more than 1000 mg per hour, if you wish, and there are many other benefits to that intake, some of which we’ll cover in another posting. If, however, you increase your intake of Vitamin C too rapidly, your stomach will let you know it’s had more than enough, at which point you need to cut back a bit and stay on a smaller intake for a while longer before moving up.
But when it comes to anemia, your increased Vitamin C intake will make a big difference.
I also said I’d talk about cast iron pans. Such cookware, when it’s not coated with something else on the cooking surface is also good for you to avoid anemia. Some iron will get into your food and therefore into your body. Unlike iron supplements, there’s no known correlation between eating food cooked in cast iron pots and pans and increased risk for heart attacks.
Remember, friends don’t let friends take iron supplements.
If you think you might be interested in a completely different subject covered by the same author, try http://JeffonPolitics.blogspot.com, OR http://JeffOnRadio.blogspot.com. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-available "Mobile Millionaire," a book on investments in mobile homes, for small investors.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Allergies - The Natural Approach
Jeff Bushman has studied natural health for over 30 years (though he looks far too young for that!), and has advised family and friends for years. He's now established a practice as a lay herbalist. If you're in or plan to be in the metro Phoenix area, you can call for an appointment at 480-628-9786. Otherwise, you're welcome to e-mail him or call, and counseling can be arranged. Simple questions will be responded to as time allows, without charge, and for fee-based clients, a sliding scale is available. No medical advice is provided here, and none will be provided. What is given in this blog is information regarding what other people have used as folk and/or natural remedies. Readers should always check with their own health provider before choosing to follow any of the strategies outlined here or in conversation or e-mail communications with the author. The author is not and shall not be liable for any advice taken or misconstrued.
Allergies are a complex subject. In part, that's because even more than most ailments, allergies will respond to one treatment in some people and that same treatment will leave someone else sneezing and coughing.
As with all our recommendations, if you're taking a prescription drug for any ailment, please check with your primary care provider, to make sure there's no risk of interaction of which (s)he's aware. It wouldn't hurt to do a Google search as well.
If you know you're not allergic to bee stings, you might try bee pollen. Iowa's long-time U.S. Senator, Tom Harkins swears by this stuff, as do numerous others. Like the rest of the items mentioned here, you can get bee pollen at a vitamin or health foods store and if you're not near one, you can probably obtain it on-line. The two places where I usually buy supplements are http://www.vitaminworld.com and http://www.i-herb.com. The latter is usually a little less expensive, but sometimes they don't have what I want.
If you have environmental allergies, you'll want to take this every day. Naturally, if it doesn't work after 2-3 weeks, or you have any adverse reaction, stop taking it. In the latter case, if the reaction is mild, cut down on your usage first, and if the reaction goes away and the substance works for you, maintain the lesser dose. There's no reason to assume you'll have a negative reaction, but this is always good advice.
Two other remedies we'll mention, as well -- Butterbur and Oregano Oil. We'll also talk about an old standby that doesn't involve taking anything.
Butterbur and Oregano Oil aren't things you need to take every day. Take Butterbur to the maximum amount on the label instructions (in other words, take no more than they suggest), and only when you're system is under allergic attack. My wife gets great relief from Butterbur, and obviously I hope you do too.
Oregano Oil is really good for allergies (and about a million other things). But you need to limit its use to retain its effectiveness and to prevent possible liver damage. Usage of Oregano Oil should be 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. If the 2 weeks don't help you, you might as well stop using it. If it is helping you, stop after 2 weeks, even if you feel you desperately need it. You can start again after 2 weeks off, as suggested. Pure Oregano Oil is much more potent than the oregano with which you cook, so don't think that eating pizza -- which contains the spice -- is going to do for you what Oregano Oil will. It won't. Also, because the oil is concentrated, it's very powerful and works in some of the same ways that a drug would -- except more in harmony with the body.
The standby referred to above is Vitamin C. I know an allergy isn't a cold, but Vitamin C often helps with allergies. How much you take (as with everything else said here) is obviously up to you, but if you're going to take more than 1000 milligrams (mg) a day, you need to build up to higher usage. I take 1000 mg an hour, and it has many additional benefits. We'll cover those in another post. If you start to take high dosages, however, without building up to them you'll likely get diarrhea.
The other thing you can do -- and yes, I know it's obvious -- is to avoid the allergen. If you're allergic to cats, you probably don't want to obtain a new kitten. But if you don't know what you're allergic to, try a little detective work. If you always sneeze when you drive down a certain street at a certain time of year, guess what? Don't take that street.
More questions? If you think I can help, e-mail me at jbushman@gmail.com.
Be well!
If you think you might be interested in a completely different subject covered by the same author, try http://JeffonPolitics.blogspot.com, OR http://JeffOnRadio.blogspot.com. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-available "Mobile Millionaire," a book on investments in mobile homes, for small investors.
Allergies are a complex subject. In part, that's because even more than most ailments, allergies will respond to one treatment in some people and that same treatment will leave someone else sneezing and coughing.
As with all our recommendations, if you're taking a prescription drug for any ailment, please check with your primary care provider, to make sure there's no risk of interaction of which (s)he's aware. It wouldn't hurt to do a Google search as well.
If you know you're not allergic to bee stings, you might try bee pollen. Iowa's long-time U.S. Senator, Tom Harkins swears by this stuff, as do numerous others. Like the rest of the items mentioned here, you can get bee pollen at a vitamin or health foods store and if you're not near one, you can probably obtain it on-line. The two places where I usually buy supplements are http://www.vitaminworld.com and http://www.i-herb.com. The latter is usually a little less expensive, but sometimes they don't have what I want.
If you have environmental allergies, you'll want to take this every day. Naturally, if it doesn't work after 2-3 weeks, or you have any adverse reaction, stop taking it. In the latter case, if the reaction is mild, cut down on your usage first, and if the reaction goes away and the substance works for you, maintain the lesser dose. There's no reason to assume you'll have a negative reaction, but this is always good advice.
Two other remedies we'll mention, as well -- Butterbur and Oregano Oil. We'll also talk about an old standby that doesn't involve taking anything.
Butterbur and Oregano Oil aren't things you need to take every day. Take Butterbur to the maximum amount on the label instructions (in other words, take no more than they suggest), and only when you're system is under allergic attack. My wife gets great relief from Butterbur, and obviously I hope you do too.
Oregano Oil is really good for allergies (and about a million other things). But you need to limit its use to retain its effectiveness and to prevent possible liver damage. Usage of Oregano Oil should be 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. If the 2 weeks don't help you, you might as well stop using it. If it is helping you, stop after 2 weeks, even if you feel you desperately need it. You can start again after 2 weeks off, as suggested. Pure Oregano Oil is much more potent than the oregano with which you cook, so don't think that eating pizza -- which contains the spice -- is going to do for you what Oregano Oil will. It won't. Also, because the oil is concentrated, it's very powerful and works in some of the same ways that a drug would -- except more in harmony with the body.
The standby referred to above is Vitamin C. I know an allergy isn't a cold, but Vitamin C often helps with allergies. How much you take (as with everything else said here) is obviously up to you, but if you're going to take more than 1000 milligrams (mg) a day, you need to build up to higher usage. I take 1000 mg an hour, and it has many additional benefits. We'll cover those in another post. If you start to take high dosages, however, without building up to them you'll likely get diarrhea.
The other thing you can do -- and yes, I know it's obvious -- is to avoid the allergen. If you're allergic to cats, you probably don't want to obtain a new kitten. But if you don't know what you're allergic to, try a little detective work. If you always sneeze when you drive down a certain street at a certain time of year, guess what? Don't take that street.
More questions? If you think I can help, e-mail me at jbushman@gmail.com.
Be well!
If you think you might be interested in a completely different subject covered by the same author, try http://JeffonPolitics.blogspot.com, OR http://JeffOnRadio.blogspot.com. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-available "Mobile Millionaire," a book on investments in mobile homes, for small investors.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Plans For This Blog
In this blog, we'll talk about a subject that affects us all. The subject is health, but it's from a natural perspective.
I've been studying the subject for over thirty years and have been applying that knowledge to the health of my family and myself. The result is that we're pretty healthy, look good and feel much better than our contemporaries. I've also given information to friends and work colleagues that they've used to their benefit.
You can feel better too, and we'll cover a variety of subjects and tell you how other folks have fared using the kind of information provided.
As a not so "by-the-way" fact, I should add that that I've recently established a practice as a "lay herbalist." Frankly that title sounds a lot more interesting that it probably is.
We'll also tell you about other blogs that we've established or will on other subjects, including politics, life and job coaching.
If you're in need of examining natural alternatives for health issues that you or a family member's concerned about, you can contact me in a couple of ways. You can e-mail me at jbushman@gmail.com, or you can call me at 480-628-9786.
Meanwhile, if you're interested in this subject generally, check back in a couple of days or a week and see what's on here. My plans include addressing what to do about environmental allergies, how to find out if you have food allergies, without using a doctor or expensive tests, and how to take care of really important issues, like cold hands or feet.
Welcome.
I've been studying the subject for over thirty years and have been applying that knowledge to the health of my family and myself. The result is that we're pretty healthy, look good and feel much better than our contemporaries. I've also given information to friends and work colleagues that they've used to their benefit.
You can feel better too, and we'll cover a variety of subjects and tell you how other folks have fared using the kind of information provided.
As a not so "by-the-way" fact, I should add that that I've recently established a practice as a "lay herbalist." Frankly that title sounds a lot more interesting that it probably is.
We'll also tell you about other blogs that we've established or will on other subjects, including politics, life and job coaching.
If you're in need of examining natural alternatives for health issues that you or a family member's concerned about, you can contact me in a couple of ways. You can e-mail me at jbushman@gmail.com, or you can call me at 480-628-9786.
Meanwhile, if you're interested in this subject generally, check back in a couple of days or a week and see what's on here. My plans include addressing what to do about environmental allergies, how to find out if you have food allergies, without using a doctor or expensive tests, and how to take care of really important issues, like cold hands or feet.
Welcome.
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