Driving Under the Influence

By On · Add Comment · In Body, Mind


Driving under the influence is a crime, but some researchers think we should make an exception…for the ADHD driver. Doh! According to research recently present to the American Psychiatric Association, adults with ADHD are more prone to auto accidents. So to combat this phenomenon, researcher recommend ADHD drivers to be cranked out on speed. Nice.

The study showed that adult ADHD drivers had significantly more auto collisions than the general public and received more citations. ADHD teens and adults have also been shown to be nearly twice as likely to having their licenses suspended. According to UC Berkeley psychologist Nadine Lambert, Ph.D., “People with ADHD have serious difficulties planning ahead, following through, and staying on task—things you need to do to drive safely.”

Apparently ADHD drivers are more likely to be convicted of speeding, not obeying signs and signals, following too closely, improper passing, and not following road markings. Additionally they’re somewhat more likely than non-ADHDers to participate in reckless driving, drunk driving, and poor lane placement.

So what’s the solution? Give ’em speed. Now that’s responsibility in the psychiatric research profession–recommend drugging our drivers, yeah! I’m never for the drugging solution, especially when it comes to mental health. Instead of encouraging our unfocused fellow citizens to develop good driving skills, we resort to the simple solution—drugs. I’m not anti-drug, but giving legalized speed, and that’s essentially what these ADHD drugs like Ritalin are, is foolish. It’s not going to make one a more attentive driver. Why don’t we just put a kilo of coke in their trunk—that’ll make them pay attention–guaranteed. But no one would seriously suggest that because it’s nonsensical. And so is drugging our drivers.

I deal with a lot of auto accident victims in my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood chiropractic office. Accidents caused by people under the influence are some of the worst I see. If the general public is considered impaired even under the influence of cold medications, why recommend speed for ADHDers? The use of drugs to treat mental “disorders” will remain somewhat controversial for years to come; but let’s hope cranking out our ADHD drivers won’t cause more problems than they fix.

Shiloh Pepin, Mermaid Girl

By On · Add Comment · In congenital disorder, kidney transplant, mermaid girl, mermaid syndrome, Shiloh Pepin, sirenomelia

Meet Shiloh Pepin, the mermaid girl. Born in August 1999, in Kennebunkport, Maine, Shiloh has a very rare congenital disorder known as sirenomelia, or mermaid syndrome, where the legs are fused together resembling a mermaid’s tail. But Shiloh is unique in another way, she is living well beyond what was ever expected.

Most people born with sirenomelia die within a day or two of birth because of complications associated with abnormal kidney and bladder development and function. It results from a failure of normal vascular supply from the lower aorta in utero. And little Shiloh was in fact born without a bladder, uterus, colon or vagina, and with only one partial kidney and one ovary.

But because of a kidney transplant at four months of age, and a second one in 2007, Shiloh fights on–a truly remarkable feat. Overall, she has survived more than 150 surgeries. It will be interesting to see what limits she’ll be able to push with a combination of modern-medicine and her will to survive. I send my thoughts and blessings to the sweet little mermaid of Maine–keep kicking, sister.

Dads Are Key to Making Us Human

By On · Add Comment · In Life


While most mammals have very little interaction with their offspring, human fathers are an integral part of their children’s upbringing; and this relationship, scientists believe, is what makes us unique, what makes us human.

Most popular theories on the role of the father have him as a protector of the young, and while this is true, fathers also play an important role in the optimum development of psychological and emotional traits considered to be primarily human, such as empathy, emotional control and the ability to navigate complex social relationships. This is uniquely human, as 95% of male mammals end their interactions at conception.

Prolonged human male interaction has important consequences to child development. While most other primates mature within 10 years, humans need 18-20 years before they can fend for themselves. The more involved a father is in family upbringing, research shows, the later sexual maturity develops in the child. In homes where fathers are absent, girls reach menarche sooner and form clingy relationships, while boys become aggressive and sexually exploitive.

The way fathers interact with children influences how they function as adults. For instance, as a result of possibly worrying about children’s financial future, fathers across cultures tend to give advice, encourage academic success and stress achievement. And father’s play tends to be on the rough side, riling up kids to the point of snapping, and then calming them down, which is believed to develop emotional control in children. As a result of his interactions, a father’s presence in the family correlates with improved health and decreased child mortality, increased emotional security and sexual maturity, and enhanced social skills.

Fathers also play an indirect role in the development of their grandchildren. As social skills develop in the child, increasing social standing, their parenting skills develop and the grandchildren benefit. Good fathering skills, then, can be passed down through generations–quite the responsibility. And finally, the more fathers help mothers following childbirth, the sooner mom becomes fertile, ensuring a bigger brood. Evolutionarily speaking, this is an advantage, as bigger families can become more powerful.

So celebrate fatherhood, dads–you are an essential part of your family’s dynamics and the development of your children. Without dads we simply wouldn’t be human.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!

Childhood Obesity Not Linked to Location

By On · Add Comment · In Body


I wrote a post back in March questioning some conclusions from a Columbia University and UC Berkeley study stating that fast-food restaurants located near schools increases childhood obesity. While I didn’t deny the data, I certainly disagreed with the authors’ conclusion that banning fast food joints near schools would decrease obesity in children. Well a new study has just been released that closes the lid on the fast-food ban argument. In fact, it shows that the presence of fast food restaurants has no effect on childhood obesity at all.

According to research conducted at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, which looked at a decade of data on more than 60,000 children aged 3 to 18, living near a fast food restaurant had little effect on weight gain. And surprisingly, living instead near a supermarket stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables wasn’t associated with lower weight either.

These results go against anecdotal data that have led some to believe that the types of food choices in a neighborhood have an effect on weight gain. The study looked at details such as both sick- and well-doctor visits, changes in a child’s address, annual food-service establishment inspection data, aerial photographs of neighborhoods and crime statistics over time. This study provides more accurate data since it was collected over a period of ten years and not a single year as in previous studies. As an interesting side note, living near recreational facilities was associated with lower childhood weight.

Well, all I can say is…I figured. C’mon folks, temptations are all around us, all the time. Does anybody really believe that not having a fast food restaurant near their home will prevent them from getting fast food? I mean, everybody knows that crack addicts come from every neighborhood, right?–even travelling into dangerous neighborhoods to get their goods, right? What’s the difference with junk food? Listen, staying away from junk is an issue of upbringing. You either learn fast food is junk, or you don’t–you think it’s food. Whether you’ve got a dozen fast food restaurants in your hood, or zero, if you think fast food is a viable dietary choice, then you’ll find it when you want it. And it’ll show in your waistline…your kids, too.

Thin Not More Healthy

By On · Add Comment · In Body


We keep hearing about the obesity epidemic, but are chubby people really less healthy? Not according to Japanese researchers who have found that slightly chubby people live longer than their thinner counterparts.

The study was conducted by a health ministry team at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. They looked at 50,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 for over twelve years in the northern Japanese prefecture of Miyagi. What they found was counter to the common wisdom: People who are slightly overweight at age 40 live six to seven years longer than very thin people. Even more startling is that very skinny people had shorter life span than even the obese–by five years!

“We had expected thin people would show the shortest life expectancy but didn’t expect the difference to be this large,” said Shinichi Kuriyama, an associate professor at Tohoku University. The prevailing thought among the researcher was that thinner people would have lower life spans because of underlying illness or smoking. The results remained unchanged, however, when eliminating those factors. The researchers believe the differences are due to thinner people being more susceptible to illness and having weaker blood vessels.

I don’t know about those conclusions but I will say that I’ve always endorsed a “natural” body type and diet. What I mean by this is that I see far too many people pushing their limits to become thin, with the belief that thin is more beautiful and more healthy. I’ve told many a washboard ab desiring client that “zero body fat just ain’t that healthy.” When fantasizing about that Men’s Health cover-boy physique, just know that those young studs are practically starving themselves for that shoot; but you can’t be that way year round. A little spare tire never hurt anybody, but maintaining zero body fat can–and here’s the study to prove it.

Saying that, I know that many of you reading this won’t take heed. You’ll still strive for zero body fat, and that’s cool–no biggie. Just know which contract you are signing because in the end nothing comes without a price.

Campos note: Before taking these results as a license to party, the scientists did conclude that the healthiest people were at their “normal” body weight. Going to town on the Ben & Jerry’s to plump-up a little is ill-advised. More important is that underweight people probably need to add a bit more weight. Again the take home lesson here is that too thin is not always in. Healthy and au natural is certainly better.

Cookie Recall

By On · Add Comment · In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), E. coli, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nestle's Toll House Cookies

Here we go again: Nestle’s is recalling its popular Toll House Cookies due to a possible bacterial outbreak. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), various Nestle’s Toll House refrigerated products may be contaminated with E. coli causing food poisoning in people who eat the raw cookie dough.

Nestle’s said the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were investigating reports of 66 illnesses across 28 states tied to E. coli O157:H7. Twenty five people have been hospitalized, but no one has died. A spokesperson from the company has strongly advised people to not eat raw cookie dough–a warning prominently displayed on the packaging. Food poisoning from E. coli can cause cramping, vomiting and diarrhea.

The following Nestle’s Toll House products are being recalled: refrigerated Cookie Bar Dough, Cookie Dough Tub, Cookie Dough Tube, Limited Edition Cookie Dough items, Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookie Bar Dough. If you currently have any of these products in your home, throw them away. The FDA advises against trying to cook the product as handlers may get the bacteria on their hands or cooking surfaces.

I never did get the fascination with cookie dough; I’ve always thought it was nasty. Saying that, I never considered that it was raw food. Duh, in hindsight. Of course it’s raw food and can harbor bacteria, so safety requires cooking it. Bet all those ice cream manufacturers feel dumb now–I sure would. So toss out the Toll House products sitting in your fridge, peeps–you’ll have to settle for Pepperidge Farms this weekend.

Chiropractic Left Off Health Reform

By On · Add Comment · In American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Beverly Hills, chiropractic, Chiropractic Legislative Action Center, Los Angeles, The Affordable Health Choices Act, West Hollywood
Well, well, well…never thought I’d see the day, but the first draft of The Affordable Health Choices Act has neglected to uphold one simple choice–chiropractic care! If adopted, this plan could wipe out the first choice in health and wellness of millions of Americans. Just think–a future of affordable health care…but no chiropractic. Sorry.

The bill sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy’s Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (“HELP”) does not include chiropractic coverage. No language in the bill guarantees chiropractic coverage in the future, nor does it guarantee that its national policy making board will include chiropractic in the “universal” health scheme. Now that’s progress! I’m so proud to be an American. Just think, a future of guaranteed health care–because that’s a right–but no chiropractic in the birthplace of chiropractic. God bless America…my home…sweeeet hoooooome!!!!

If this notions gets you as upset as it does me, please do your part in letting your Congress representatives know how you feel. Simply fill out the form provided by the American Chiropractic Association’s Chiropractic Legislative Action Center, and tell Capitol Hill that

YOU WANT CHIROPRACTIC!!!*

If there is going to be socialized health care, there’s no reason to push out chiropractic. This scenario would be the worst case of government and special interests manipulating the markets to form health care monopolies–very un-American. And more important, millions of citizens, people who rely on chiropractic care every day to be pain free and healthy, will be able to get their chiropractic care because private insurers will follow the government’s lead. As Obama says, a government plan will create competition, which translates to: all private insurance plans will do as the government plan does. So no chiropractic coverage in federal plan, no chiropractic coverage, period.

Well I guess there’s always cash. Cha-ching $

*Please all my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood chiropractic clients, please log into the Chiropractic Legislative Action Center and fill out the quick and simple form. Help keep chiropractic accessible for Americans.

STD Home-Testing Kits

By On · Add Comment · In Center for Reproductive Rights, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chlamydia, gonorrhea, Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), World Health Organization (WHO)
Los Angeles county health official have announced that they will be offering free at-home testing kits for sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Urine of fire can now be diagnosed in the privacy of your own home thanks to a new county public health program aimed at fighting the high incidence of STDs in L.A. County.

The L.A. County program is being created for women in need who are concerned that they may have contracted chlamydia or gonorrhea. It’s intention is to eliminate long waits at clinics or costs that might prevent women from getting tested. Any female Los Angeles resident aged 12-25 can get a free home test kit by calling the toll free number: 1-800-758-0880 or logging on to the website www.dontthinkknow.org.

The program is a response to the inordinately high rate of chlamydia and gonorrhea in Los Angeles County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Los Angeles first in chlamydia and second in gonorrhea cases throughout the nation. A few more statistics:

  • There are 19 million new cases of STDs each year in the United States, at an estimated cost of $15.9 billion annually to the national health-care system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  • In 1999, there were 340 million new cases of STDs worldwide–syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis–in men and women ages 15-49, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Financial support for a U.S. government program that funds low-cost, confidential family planing services is 61 percent lower today than it was in 1980, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

So if you are sexually active and suspect that you could have contracted a STD–don’t guess, know! Order your free STD home testing kit today. There are 10,000 kits available immediately, and more should be on hand shortly.

*It’s unclear for me whether men are eligible for these free kits. The dontthinkknow website has a check box for men and transgender people, so it may in fact be available. It’s certainly worth calling the toll free number to find out.

Marijuana Damages DNA

By On · Add Comment · In AIDS, cancer, DNA, lung cancer, marijuana, toxic

News Alert: Smoking marijuana can damage DNA and cause lung cancer. The solution: Eat more brownies.

Seriously folks, nobody in their right mind thinks that marijuana use is 100% risk free, do they? My regular readers know how I feel about the marijuana issue–I think it should be legalized. Marijuana as a mind-altering substance is relatively benign–that is, it causes little physical harm when compared to alcohol and tobacco.

But saying that, marijuana is still a foreign substance to the human body, and as such, it will have some negative physiological effects. It doesn’t surprise me that the link to DNA damage and lung cancer has finally been found. It has certainly been suspected for years. Duh! Think about it: smoke of any kind will be toxic to the lungs. Yeah, we can filter some and remain relatively healthy–the body is that strong (self-healing and self-regulating)–but high or long-term exposure will damage the nuclear genetic material.

Marijuana has its medicinal uses, and all joking aside, ingesting it as an additive to food is a less risky alternative. So if you are an AIDS or cancer patient, choose the brownie–it’ll save your breathing apparatus over time.

Hospitals Oppose Reform

By On · Add Comment · In health care reform, hospitals, Medicaid, medical imaging, Medicare, President Barack Obama, The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition
Here we go. Hospitals, medical technicians and a medical imaging access coalition all oppose President Barack Obama’s latest health care reform proposal to reduce Medicare and Medicaid spending. These organizations believe that the proposed cuts will impair access to medical care to many who need it.

The president suggested yesterday that $200 billion could be saved over the next ten years by trimming federal payments to hospitals. He justified this change by noting broader insurance coverage, so in other words, they’ll make it up in volume. Many hospitals, especially those with large numbers of poor patients say these cuts will be unfair and will only hurt the poor, sick and elderly.

Although congress will sculpt the new laws, the president has influence. Obama has urged the congress to resist powerful lobbies trying to maintain their clout and profits. Like those greedy hospitals, medical technicians and imaging centers (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans), I presume. All in all, the president wants to cut $313 billion in both federal programs over the next decade.

All I can say is, “Wow!” Already being one of the worst reimbursing insurances in the country, Medicare under Obama’s proposal would pay even less? Does anybody have any idea of what the consequences will be? Why don’t we ask The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition, a trade group representing diagnostic imaging centers and their patients,

It would “impair access to diagnostic imaging services and result in patients’ delaying or forgoing life- and cost-savings imaging procedures.”

The group also said Obama’s efficiency estimates were based on a flawed survey. You don’t say…

What else? Some believe that providers–doctors, hospitals, imaging centers–will have to ration services due to the cuts. No kidding–what else do you think will happen? Do you think that doctors will pay for a patient’s lab tests themselves? C’mon! If you have been reading this blog lately, then you know I’ve been saying it repeatedly–health care reform, as proposed by our current government, will do little to improve health care and a lot to diminish its quality. Unfortunate, since quality is the one thing American health care has got going for itself.

Where’s the “Reform” in Universal Health Care

By On · Add Comment · In Body


Here’s a question: What medical treatment improves health? Chemotherapy? Heart bypass? Prozac? What? Feel free to answer below–all comments welcome. I really want to know, because if improving health is a goal of health care reform–and it certainly should be–then shouldn’t we define which aspect of today’s health care system is improving health?

Former Health and Human Services Secretary appointee, Tom Daschle had it right when he spoke of the importance of making “wellness cool”. But wellness comes from lifestyle behaviors, not medical procedures. If you’ve read my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, then you know where I place medical care on the health care spectrum–it’s for saving lives. And in saving lives, nothing beats American medicine.

But health giving? Yeah, what? One gentleman told me about his doctors visit where they found his thyroid to be under-functioning. “And that is medical prevention or wellness,” he said.

“What was prevented,” I asked.

“My thyroid becoming a problem.”

“But it’s already hypothyroid–that doesn’t change. The medicine or treatment prevents you from becoming lethargic. It’s saved your life–at least the quality, that is.”

I know that’s a tough point for people to accept, but it’s true. Antibiotics don’t kill bacteria; they simply poke holes in the cell walls of bacteria or stop their growth, and so they leave the bacteria susceptible to attack from the white blood cells of the immune system. Chemotherapy doesn’t bring the body back to health–it kills all the cells in the body, and the body must build itself back up through its own faculties.

Here’s the point: Nothing heals the body but the body itself. It can be helped along through medical procedures, but ultimately it must self-heal and self-regulate. The only way to nurture the body’s innate healing ability is through practicing healthy lifestyle habits.

With this in mind, how is providing universal health coverage going to “improve” the health of Americans? The only real way to improve the health of the masses is by teaching, encouraging and rewarding healthy behaviors. This doesn’t mean punishing business that provide junk–it’s everybody’s responsibility to know what’s healthy and what’s not. Instead, why doesn’t the government provide tax breaks for gym or yoga studio memberships? How about covering chiropractic and massage therapy in every health plan? Twelve a year–how ’bout it Obama? How about really making wellness cool. Or do we just have to hear the rhetoric, and see another law passed that helps the rich (insurance industry).

If what the President says is true, that a universal health plan should “place the American people’s interests above the special interests,” then shouldn’t it do more than just provide us with life-saving coverage. Shouldn’t we take the cool wellness concept to heart? It’s really the only way to bring health care costs down.

Insurance Companies Push for Universal Health

By On · Add Comment · In baby boomers, health care reform, individual mandate, insurance companies, private insurers, universal health care

I wrote in my last blog post that insurance companies have a vested interest in universal health care. This might be a surprise to some, since it might not be obvious how private insurers will profit from health care reform. A Los Angeles Times piece hot off the press explains just how–through mandated individual coverage.

“Individual mandate” is the provision private insurers are hoping for; without it, they might as well pack it in, because reforms are sure to destroy the industry. Why else would insurance companies back a plan to restructure the health care system that they’ve fought to block for sixty years plus? The individual mandate would require everyone to buy medical insurance, which insurers hope will be sweetened by taxpayer-funded subsidies for customers who can’t afford it, and enforced with fines.

If the individual mandate provision goes through, then insurers stand to gain millions of customers over night; and it will probably save the sinking ship as the insurance industry has been hurting for some time now. Since 2000, business has waned for private insurers as rising premiums pushed scores of people out of the market. The current recession has only heightened the problem. As baby boomers age, things will get worse: 79 million boomers will turn 65 in 2011 and move away from private insurance coverage to Medicare. And an estimated 170 million people will be making that shift over the next two decades. So, basically, health insurers need this mandate.

The scenario which the private health sector can least afford would be the one where the single-payer plan is adopted. In this scheme the government pays all bills, rendering private insurance obsolete. Clearly, for the health insurance industry, this can’t happen.

So that’s why you are now hearing insurance companies getting into the universal health care act. Playing their cards right can lead to huge profits; but playing the wrong hand can lead to a bust. Just pointing it all out so you understand the economics and politics behind this movement. I’m not against it, as long as the powers that be (or as it will probably turn out, the new powers that be) don’t start messing around with fee schedules. If it prevents waste and crookery and medical mistakes without making hard-working health professionals go belly under, then wonderful; erect the statues today. But I can’t see how all this is going to be funded without taxing the lot of us (bye-bye, small businesses), or slapping health care with mandated lower reimbursements. If it is the latter, expect the quality of health care to suffer big time.

Uninsured Raise Health Care Costs for All – Really?

By On · Add Comment · In Families USA, health care reform, insurance companies, medical care, reasonable and customary
What our federal government wants to do is reform the health care system–that is, make sure medical care is available to everybody. Universal health care, the belief goes, will lower costs and make people healthier (I’m guessing, because I don’t really get the ultimate goal of all this reform stuff).

Healthier? Really. And lower costs? Hmm. A recent report from the sham organization, Families USA, has suggested that uninsured people increase health cost for everybody. They claim that as medical bills go unpaid, the costs are shifted to the insured through higher premiums. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Families USA provides no rational argument–no facts, whatsoever. I’ve read their sorry report, and it’s obvious to me that it is just fodder for the politicos trying to push the health reform agenda. Most people, especially those that favor reform without question, won’t bother to read the report; and many more won’t understand it. In fact many doctors won’t understand it because they don’t do the billing in their office. But every billing manager in health care will know my words ring true. Listen.

Families USA claims that doctors and hospitals charge more for their services when uninsured patients don’t pay their bills; they claim that providers primarily pass these increases on to insurance companies. Nonsense! That’s illegal. All medical procedures have reasonable and customary (R & C) rates that are determined by discipline (medical doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, etc.), procedure (examination, office visit, debridement, x-ray, etc.), and zip code (Beverly Hills, Bakersfield, Omaha, etc.). Charging more than this R & C rate 1) won’t get paid by the insurer and 2) is illegal. A provider also can’t raise the bill to insurers by upcoding either–that is, charging for a higher level of service to pad the bill. Illegal!

So the claims by Families USA are pure BS, plain and simple. And to the undiscerning reader it may seem like cold, hard facts; a good reason to support universal health care. But it’s a lie. Understand this, universal health care is being embraced by political groups, ideologues, and insurance companies alike. That’s right, insurance companies*. Because they smell the money-making opportunity in this horse turd. More insured means more premiums for the insurance companies–believe that. And they love it! They have a vested interest in perpetuating the complete falsity of passing costs onto the insured. Bull! Insurance companies raise premiums for one reason and one reason only; the same reason they withhold reimbursing health care providers for as long as they can–PROFITS. And profit from this political mumbo jumbo they will.

*“Reasonable and customary charges” are the allowable charges that Aetna will pay for medical services by contract with providers in its network. Rates are consistent with those normally charged by the provider for the same services or supplies and within the general range of rates charged by other providers in the same area for the same services or supplies. When you use a network provider, you pay only the coinsurance on the allowable charges. When you use an out-of-network provider, Aetna pays the allowable charges it would pay a network provider, and you pay the difference. You decide.

Abortion Doctor Killed

By On · Add Comment · In anti-abortion, George Tiller, late-term abortion, Operation Rescue

A doctor well-known for performing late-term abortions was shot and killed at church early this morning. Dr. George Tiller of Wichita, Kansas ran and operated one of only three late-term abortion clinics in the country. According to reports, he was shot dead at around 10 am Central time in the lobby of his church. The shooter has yet to be identified or captured.

Dr. Tiller has been the frequent target of anti-abortion organizations, and this isn’t the first attempt on his life. He was shot in both arms back in 1993, the shooter being convicted of attempted murder, and his Wichita clinic was bombed at least one time. Dr. Tiller was recently acquitted of charges that he had performed late-term abortions that violated state law. Kansas law allows late-term abortions when two independent doctors agree that a woman would suffer irreparable harm by giving birth.

Dr. Tiller was a controversial figure, being the subject of many efforts of prosecution by groups such as Operation Rescue–an anti-abortion organization. A spokesperson from the group denounced the killings, saying,

“Operation Rescue has worked tirelessly on peaceful, non-violent measures to bring him to justice through the legal system, the legislative system. I’m a tireless advocate and spokesman for the pre-born children who are dying in clinics everyday. Mr. Tiller was an abortionist. But this wasn’t personal. We are pro life, and this act was antithetical to what we believe.”

But leaders of abortion rights organizations expressed outrage. They point to the fact that Dr. Tiller was one of the only doctors in the country to perform late-term abortions to save women whose were at risk from the pregnancy and/or childbirth. They stated that it will now be even harder for women in need of these late term terminations to get the care they need.

All I can say is this world is getting crazier by the minute. I sometimes hear that it’s just our access to massive amounts of information that make these crazy occurrences seem like they are happening with greater frequency, but I’m not sure about that. I really think sometimes that large numbers of people are teetering on the edge of insanity. Maybe modern technology does increase the likelihood of these events happening, as well as our ability to hear about them; but this recent killing is just another attempt of people trying to control how others live. It’s all a part of the same stew. Just whacked. My condolences to the doctor’s loved ones. May Dr. George Tiller rest in peace.

Picture This, Smokers

By On · Add Comment · In Body


Want to quit smoking? Just focus on some nasty “effects of smoking” pictures, says the World Health Organization (WHO). According to Douglas Bettcher, head of the organization’s Tobacco Free Initiative, placing pictures of black lungs, bleeding brains and yellow teeth are enough to prevent some people from picking up the habit, and motivate others to quit.

“Although some people question the need for such pictures, the evidence is absolutely clear that they convince people to quit,”says Bettcher. More than 20 countries, including Britain, Iran, Peru and Malaysia already use visual warnings on their tobacco products. Around 80% of smokers live in developing countries; this has led to ramped-up marketing by tobacco producers, so WHO officials believe that the use of shocking images should go a long way in combating the efforts. They point to the recent emergence of designer cigarette pack-holders and other accessories to cover up some of these health warnings in Canada.

I don’t know if shocking images are enough to get people to quit smoking. I smoked for twenty years; I smoked all through undergrad and chiropractic college. I was exposed regularly to the nasty images of black lungs–didn’t stop me. I quit right before graduation from chiropractic college because I knew that smelling like an ashtray wouldn’t be good for business, and I was all about my upcoming career. But I applaud the effort and I hope it works. As I’ve said countless times: my life is extraordinarily better since I quit smoking, no doubt about it.

So if you are a smoker and you want to quit, and you think it’ll help, here you go:


Free Yoga at Runyon Canyon

By On · Add Comment · In free yoga, Glendale, Hollywood, Los Angeles
For Los Angeles residents who love to salute the sun but have limited funds, free yoga classes go on every day at Runyon Canyon in Hollywood. The daily schedule is:

Monday – Friday
10:30am, 2pm, 6pm

Saturday & Sunday
10:30am, 6pm

And if Hollywood is too far west or parking is a beast, try Yoga on The Green at the Americana at Brand in Glendale! This goes on every Sunday morning from 9:30am-10:30am and is also FREE!!!

There you have it. When funds are tight, options still exist. So no excuses people: For ohm grown fitness and fun, try the free yoga in Hollywood and Glendale–and get your asanas moving!

So What if You Encounter Swine Flu?

By On · Add Comment · In bird flu, flu vaccine, H1N1, influenza virus, mutation, natural immunity, swine flu, triple reassortant virus

Since starting this blog two years ago, I’ve spent a lot of time writing about the flu vaccine. Regular readers know my feelings on this completely bogus inoculation–it does nothing. My reasoning behind this belief is two-fold: First, the influenza virus is one of the most rapidly mutating viruses on the planet. The difficulty of developing a viable viral vaccine against such rapid mutation is close to impossible–it’s not entirely impossible, just a low probability of effectiveness from year to year. We need only to look at the 2007-2008 flu vaccine to confirm my point exactly.

The second point of my reasoning is that I believe that we must encounter the influenza virus head-on from time to time (yearly, every other year, whatever) to develop natural immunity. I believe that each time we get sick with the flu, we are exposed to the latest strain, the latest mutations if you will. This is necessary to keep our immune system up-to-date, much like downloading the latest updates for your virus scan. This provides a degree of protection against new flu strains that arise as a result of their constant mutation.

Case in point: Experts now say that the H1N1 swine flu virus is not a new virus. Instead it’s a mutated hybrid of human, pig and bird flu strains; and that it has probably been circulating undetected for years. Somewhere, maybe in Mexico, maybe in Asia, it made the jump from swine to humans. The three most recent flu pandemics–1918, 1957 and 1968–started when a new avian flu virus started infecting people. Experts are saying that the current “triple reassortant virus” as the swine flu is called, is not a rapidly mutating virus–a sample from a patient in Mexico is virtually identical to samples from various U.S. states and other countries.

So again I make my point: It’s important to get sick; It’s important to encounter new flu strains as they arise; mutations create potentially new bugs, and only by encountering them periodically will we develop recognition of their deadlier cousins in the future.

Swine flu? It can be mild or it can be nasty; but like any other virulent microorganism, the environment is as important as the bug. So swine flu is here. It’ll kill some people, but lots of people are surviving it now, and many more will continue to do so. Just take care of yourself. Get lots of rest, stay hydrated, stay away from immune lowering toxins like narcotics, heavy alcohol or loads of pharmaceuticals. And if you smoke…well just know it lowers immunity. And don’t freak if you get the flu, or the swine flu; same as usual, sleep, water, nourishing food–you’ll be fine.

Ashtanga yoga guru, K. Pattabhi Jois dies.

By On · Add Comment · In ashtanga yoga, Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois
Krishna Pattabhi Jois, the modern guru of ashtanga yoga has died at the age of 93. Jois, who studied ashtanga yoga since he was twelve years old and taught his first western student in 1964, died on Monday according to his institute’s website. Ashtanga yoga, one of the most rigorous forms of yoga, was popularized by celebrities like Sting and Madonna. Jois visited the United States for the first time in 1975 and also brought his form on yoga to Europe at that time.

“If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter – if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self.” — Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

For the guru Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois biography, click here. And for more on ashtanga yoga, click here.

Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois will be dearly missed.

Panacea It’s Not

By On · Add Comment · In aging, health, healthy behaviors, social class differences, universal health care
Read what Carolyn Aldwin, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University has to say about health and aging and pay very close attention:

“It is also interesting that social class differences in morbidity and mortality* exist in every country in the world, even those, like Britain, that have universal health care. Although this relationship is partially mediated through factors such as health behavior habits, perhaps social class differences in neonatal health may have life-long effects (emphasis mine).”

Maybe, good doctor…but more likely, as you’ve said, through lifestyle choices. So I again reiterate: Healthy behaviors are the primary factors involved in reducing risk to the development of ill health, disease and premature death. Period.

And a little more information for all you universal health care groupies, Dr. Aldwin says:

“Baby Boomers will also demand more services and better quality ones. I am eagerly awaiting the first sit-down strike or takeover of the administration in a nursing home! (emphasis mine)”

Yeah, just what we’ll get with universal health care “more and better services.” You probably won’t have to wait long for that strike, sister.

*Morbidity and mortality = Illness and death

Health Insurance Crookery

By On · Add Comment · In Blue Shield, good faith, health insurance, Health Insurance Access and Equity Act of 1993, insurers, rescinding

Check the scenario: Family gets health insurance coverage through wife’s employer, pay their premiums, and then husband gets into car accident. When the bills reached more than the annual premium, the insurance company canceled the policy. Why? They went back into the man’s health records and found that he failed to disclose previous conditions. It’s now a big court case in California.

This is a fairly typical scenario when it comes to private insurers. Insurers are in the business of making money–nothing wrong with that, I mean, who isn’t? But what makes this case important is a question of “good faith.” What that means is: Did the insurance company violate good faith practices by failing to check on the man’s health history before accepting him as an insured. That’s the main question that will determine this case.

According to the insurance company, and rightly so, the man withheld that he had been treated for complications related to obesity and a stomach condition two months prior to obtaining the Blue Shield coverage. This omission is legally cause for rescinding of an insurance policy. You lie, you lose–that’s fair. However, Blue Shield failed to carry out its due diligence, and according to the Health Insurance Access and Equity Act of 1993

“No health care service plan shall engage in the practice of postclaims underwriting. For purposes of this section, ‘postclaims underwriting’ means the rescinding, canceling, or limiting of a plan contract due to the plan’s failure to complete medical underwriting and resolve all reasonable questions arising from written information submitted on or with an application before issuing the plan contract. This section shall not limit a plan’s remedies upon a showing of willful misrepresentation.”

The last line is the important one, “a showing of willful misrepresentation.” The insurance company is trying to prove that the family willfully withheld the previous conditions. The family states they did not, they thought that only the wife’s information was required since the policy was under her name (from her employer).

This case will be very important as far as how insurance companies will be required to treat incoming clients. Why would an insurance company not carry out its due diligence to the tee before insuring someone? Cha-ching…premium dollars, that’s why. What are the chances one person will run up a $45,000 medical bill? Slim, most people don’t (sorry, universal health care groupies, despite the propaganda, this type of medical expensive is not as common as we are being Kool-Aid drugged into believing), so health insurers make a nice chunk of change from each underwritten premium. It’s not until they have to pay out that a foul is committed–at least in their eyes. But, this might just be a case of the health insurance industry’s game just coming back to bite them. Oh well.

Anyway, this type of shenanigan is not an isolated incidence when it comes to health insurance. Many people find themselves at the losing end of rescinding policies for “withholding medical information” which happen after an medical expense is incurred. In fact, health insurers have been shown to reward employees for rescinding policies (cutting coverage), an act described as “reprehensible” by a California arbitration judge in an earlier case. We’ll find out how this one turns out, but I think the insurance company will get nailed on this one.

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