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It was a very informative read. I really wish this book had been written before my children were born. I thought I was informed on Vaccines when I was making decisions, but I wasn't as informed as I should have been. There are some things I would do differently now.
Again, this book is not an anti-vaccination book. Her purpose is to inform parents on what is in the vaccination, some complications, the risks of both the diseases and the shots, and how best to protect YOUR child. Each vaccination has a list of who shouldn't receive it and how best to protect your child if they do receive it. She also has a recommended vaccine schedule to minimize risk. The only vax she recommends receiving together are the Hib and IPV. Other than that she has parents split up all the vax into single dosages spread out at least a month apart. Yes, more shots for you child, more visits to the doctor, but in the long run, I think it is WELL worth it to protect your child!
She also has a chapter on vaccine laws and our rights. I am frustrated that Missouri does not have a philosophical exemption, but after reading this, I am glad of the ease of Religious exemption we have. Some states do not have it as easy. I am sad that several states lost their philosophical exemption due to lack of a fight. We need to advocate for our rights. Some law makers are a little to zealous about insuring that the government has more rights to our child than we do. I am glad that I refused to be put on the "reminder" list for vaccines when my kids were born. The lady offering it to me was a nice lady. She obviously wasn't on the nazi vaccine board. She said something to the affect that she knew I was going to take care of my kids. But, I knew even then that that list was a bad thing!
The book was written in 2001 so some of the vaccines we have now (Flumist, HPV) are in the "vaccines of the future" chapter. Obviously not as much info on them as they were in the developmental stage when this came out. I was a little dissapointed that she didn't list all the cultures and such for all the vaccines. Some chapters were more in depth on the shots than others. But the back of the book has an exetensive list of books and articles and websites to research more.
I highly recommend this book to all parents, whether you are past the vaccinating stage or not. And actually, many of the new vaccines are coming out for our teens, it's not too late to start researching!
(Review written April 2007)
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Book Review: Special Diets for Special Kids
This was another good diet book. It explained a lot of the nutrient factors affecting autism and other spectrum disorders. A very good reference book. She discusses various vitamins and minerals, etc that help and what they do. She explains which ones would need to be under a doctor's supervision.
She had a very good review of the Feingold Diet, again with some scientific information to explain a bit how it works. Again, tying in with the PST deficiency and Phenols.
Good information on tests, dealing with doctors, etc. Includes some charts for documenting before and after behaviour to help convince doctors that it really is working, etc.
The second half of the book is GFCF recipes. She makes notes about how you can adapt the recipes if you are avoiding things like corn, soy, etc. Most of the recipes are FG ok. It even includes one recipe from the Feingold material. The author is Jewish so lots of recipes for Jewish Holidays and tradional Jewish fare, which is something that I haven't seen in the other books I have read.
Though the focus is somewhat GFCF, this is a good book to research nutrient therapy in general. The advise is not exclusive to the GFCF. Another highly recommended book!
(Review written May 2007)
She had a very good review of the Feingold Diet, again with some scientific information to explain a bit how it works. Again, tying in with the PST deficiency and Phenols.
Good information on tests, dealing with doctors, etc. Includes some charts for documenting before and after behaviour to help convince doctors that it really is working, etc.
The second half of the book is GFCF recipes. She makes notes about how you can adapt the recipes if you are avoiding things like corn, soy, etc. Most of the recipes are FG ok. It even includes one recipe from the Feingold material. The author is Jewish so lots of recipes for Jewish Holidays and tradional Jewish fare, which is something that I haven't seen in the other books I have read.
Though the focus is somewhat GFCF, this is a good book to research nutrient therapy in general. The advise is not exclusive to the GFCF. Another highly recommended book!
(Review written May 2007)
Book Review: Mother Warriors
Another great book on Autism and healing. Jenny tells a little more of her story, goes into the efforts she has been making for more Autism awareness, her efforts to get the AAP to recognize and learn DAN! protocol, etc. She also tells some amazing stories of Autism recovery as well as one tragic story of recovery and loss. She reminds us that Autism is not just a genetic disorder. It is not just a neurological disorder. It is an illness. That these kids are sick. They have so many health issues that can be treated. Kids in pain, kids with infections raging in their bodies, with leaky guts allowing toxins to enter their brains, will exhibit neurological problems. But the body CAN be recovered. They may try to convince us that it is untreatable, but these families are proving them wrong. As they say "come see my science".
Jenny would not have been my first choice for my advocate and spokesperson, but I am still very thankful for all that she is doing for our children and for us. She is doing an amazing job and I pray that it pays off.
(Review written Oct 2008)
As with Louder Than Words, I wish the story could have been told without some of the harsh language and questionable morals. But, I am grateful to her and the other parents for being willing to share their stories.
My favorite quote is at the very beginning of the book:
Amen. Yes, genetics plays a huge part in Autism, just as it does in all other auto-immune disease. My husband had a genetic disposition toward Diabetes. But something triggered the attack on his pancreas and caused the Diabetes. My daughter had a genetic disposition toward Autism. I see enough minor ASD traits in both my dh and I that there is no way I will deny the genetics. But, the environment pulled the trigger. She was not born Autistic. She was born with the potential to become Autistic. And it's probably thanks to my MILs reaction to the Hep B vax that she is not severely autistic. Because that caused me to refuse to load her up with HIGH dosages of mercury at birth which would have had increased the impact of the environmental bullet.
One environmental impact that I had never considered before was brought to my attention by one of the parents. They mentioned a connection between Herpes 6 virus and autism. Knowing that Jess has fought a mighty battle against a HPV in the form of warts sent me on a research. I wasn't sure what HPV number it was and wanted to see if that was the connection. Nope. HHV-6 is the Herpes virus associated with Roseola. There is a theory that latent Roseola virus in combination with the live viruses in certian vaccines may be one of the causes of the auto immune response. So, not only did my daughter have a measles issue, her case of Roseola, too close to a live vaccine, may have played a part. Too many viruses for the immune system to deal with at the same time. Who knows. All I know is both her case of Roseola and what I am convinced was a mild case of the measles where both horrible experiences.
Here is what the "Warrior Dad" in the book had to say:
Parents are recoverying their kids by fighting these infections and viruses. The autism symptoms are dissapearing when these illnesses are cleaned out of the bodies.
I also like the analogy of Autistic kids and the canaries in the coal mine. How their sensitivies to toxins are just a warning to the rest of us. She says:
Another thing I noted was that not all of these children regressed at 15-18 months. "Coincidentally", those children who were given their MMR vaccines at earlier ages regressed at earlier ages. One, who was given muliple live vaccines at the age of 6 months became Autistic very early. They try to convince us that we connect autism with vaccines because it just happens to manifest at the same time the MMR comes onto the schedule. How interesting that it manifested at the same time as the shot in all these kids, no matter what age they got the shot. Hmm. And remember, there is NO mercury in live vaccines. This is not a mercury issue. (Mercury and aluminum, etc is a side issue that doesn't help.) This is a viral issue. This is injecting live viruses into a body that may be immune suppressed for one reason or another. Sometimes it is the presence of illness. (Do you know how often doctors "catch up" multiple vax when kids are brought in for a sick visit?"). Sometimes it is a mitochondrial issue. There can be any number of reasons that the body is immune suppressed at the time of the shot, causing the body to be overloaded. I also find it interesting that a lot of these kids (like mine) were developing on time and sometimes ahead of schedule before they regressed. They were very neurotypical up until the time the trigger was pulled.
Jenny also touches the issues of siblings and spouses. Often when a mother is battling to recover her child, she gets tunnel vision and the rest of the family suffers. 80% of families with Autism deal with divorce. Siblings often feel left out in the single minded pursuit of dealing with the Autsim. This is a sad reality. I am fortunate in that my daughter is not severely autistic. I have not been faced with the same battle that many of these parents are dealing with, so I can't put myself in their shoes. But, I came to the conclusion that I must not rank up with the rest of the warriors because while I am very fanatical about doing what I can for my daughter, I am not willing to lose the rest of my family in the process. We are all in this together.
I admire these parents for fighting the battles for their kids. Pulling the toxins out, cleansing out the viruses, the bacteria, the yeast that is so prevalent in our autistic children is not a fun job. Often the symptoms get worse as the infections are moved out of the system. But the reward is great. The stories are awesome.
Of course I always come away from reading these awesome stories of recovery wishing I could afford some of these tests and treatments. There are so many things I want to pursue.
A must read book for parents of children with ASD, for doctors, for everyone. One thing I liked about this book was that at the end, there is a list of resources AND a list of DAN! doctors.
Jenny would not have been my first choice for my advocate and spokesperson, but I am still very thankful for all that she is doing for our children and for us. She is doing an amazing job and I pray that it pays off.
(Review written Oct 2008)
As with Louder Than Words, I wish the story could have been told without some of the harsh language and questionable morals. But, I am grateful to her and the other parents for being willing to share their stories.
My favorite quote is at the very beginning of the book:
"All illnesses have some hereditary contribution. Genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger."
- Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Amen. Yes, genetics plays a huge part in Autism, just as it does in all other auto-immune disease. My husband had a genetic disposition toward Diabetes. But something triggered the attack on his pancreas and caused the Diabetes. My daughter had a genetic disposition toward Autism. I see enough minor ASD traits in both my dh and I that there is no way I will deny the genetics. But, the environment pulled the trigger. She was not born Autistic. She was born with the potential to become Autistic. And it's probably thanks to my MILs reaction to the Hep B vax that she is not severely autistic. Because that caused me to refuse to load her up with HIGH dosages of mercury at birth which would have had increased the impact of the environmental bullet.
One environmental impact that I had never considered before was brought to my attention by one of the parents. They mentioned a connection between Herpes 6 virus and autism. Knowing that Jess has fought a mighty battle against a HPV in the form of warts sent me on a research. I wasn't sure what HPV number it was and wanted to see if that was the connection. Nope. HHV-6 is the Herpes virus associated with Roseola. There is a theory that latent Roseola virus in combination with the live viruses in certian vaccines may be one of the causes of the auto immune response. So, not only did my daughter have a measles issue, her case of Roseola, too close to a live vaccine, may have played a part. Too many viruses for the immune system to deal with at the same time. Who knows. All I know is both her case of Roseola and what I am convinced was a mild case of the measles where both horrible experiences.
Here is what the "Warrior Dad" in the book had to say:
Autism is a combination of infections and toxins that can ultimately lead to a neurological breakdown. It could be many types infections: bacterial, fungal, viral...a recent study found children with autism are 16 times likely to have mycoplasma, chlamydia or herpes virus 6. And that's just three of the many infections these kids can have. There are also studies showing that viral infections cause toxic metals to move to the brain. Other studies show that certain commonly undiagnosed bacterial infections in these children's guts can make toxins like mercury even more toxic. - Stan Kurtz.
Parents are recoverying their kids by fighting these infections and viruses. The autism symptoms are dissapearing when these illnesses are cleaned out of the bodies.
I also like the analogy of Autistic kids and the canaries in the coal mine. How their sensitivies to toxins are just a warning to the rest of us. She says:
I look at the older generation right now and and the rise of Alzhiemer's, Parkinson's, MS. Then I look at this young generation and see autism, ADD, ADHD, allergies childhood diabetes, and Tourette's and wonder what our future will look like when my generation grows old. If before us is Alzheimer's and Parkison's and behind us are all of these other diseases and disabilities, shouldn't we be a little worried about what the h--- we're gonna get?
Another thing I noted was that not all of these children regressed at 15-18 months. "Coincidentally", those children who were given their MMR vaccines at earlier ages regressed at earlier ages. One, who was given muliple live vaccines at the age of 6 months became Autistic very early. They try to convince us that we connect autism with vaccines because it just happens to manifest at the same time the MMR comes onto the schedule. How interesting that it manifested at the same time as the shot in all these kids, no matter what age they got the shot. Hmm. And remember, there is NO mercury in live vaccines. This is not a mercury issue. (Mercury and aluminum, etc is a side issue that doesn't help.) This is a viral issue. This is injecting live viruses into a body that may be immune suppressed for one reason or another. Sometimes it is the presence of illness. (Do you know how often doctors "catch up" multiple vax when kids are brought in for a sick visit?"). Sometimes it is a mitochondrial issue. There can be any number of reasons that the body is immune suppressed at the time of the shot, causing the body to be overloaded. I also find it interesting that a lot of these kids (like mine) were developing on time and sometimes ahead of schedule before they regressed. They were very neurotypical up until the time the trigger was pulled.
Jenny also touches the issues of siblings and spouses. Often when a mother is battling to recover her child, she gets tunnel vision and the rest of the family suffers. 80% of families with Autism deal with divorce. Siblings often feel left out in the single minded pursuit of dealing with the Autsim. This is a sad reality. I am fortunate in that my daughter is not severely autistic. I have not been faced with the same battle that many of these parents are dealing with, so I can't put myself in their shoes. But, I came to the conclusion that I must not rank up with the rest of the warriors because while I am very fanatical about doing what I can for my daughter, I am not willing to lose the rest of my family in the process. We are all in this together.
I admire these parents for fighting the battles for their kids. Pulling the toxins out, cleansing out the viruses, the bacteria, the yeast that is so prevalent in our autistic children is not a fun job. Often the symptoms get worse as the infections are moved out of the system. But the reward is great. The stories are awesome.
Of course I always come away from reading these awesome stories of recovery wishing I could afford some of these tests and treatments. There are so many things I want to pursue.
A must read book for parents of children with ASD, for doctors, for everyone. One thing I liked about this book was that at the end, there is a list of resources AND a list of DAN! doctors.
Book Review: Louder Than Words
I made the mistake of starting this book in public! I had to put the book down before I started crying! The first part is heart wrenching. I do highly recommend this book to everyone. Those with ASD kids and those without. Just take a box of tissue, be prepared for some bad language and realize she isn't a Christian. I would have rather she didn't include the language and I didn't agree with all her beliefs and the tarot card thing, though spooky cool in a way, was not my favorite part of the book.
Beyond that, she is a great voice for ASD. I hope that her voice is heard and it brings some attention to ASD and treatments that work! The book is short and easy to read (well, other than the language and the heart wrenching stuff!). I hope that it helps those with an ASD child to relate and to maybe find some support and answers. For those that don't, maybe it will help them be just a little bit more understanding of what those of us who do go through.
Jenny tells the story of how she came to find that her son had Autism, how she fought like crazy to get him help and their journey to healing. Her journey is different than mine, her son was much more severely autistic and we, thankfully, never had to deal with seizures, but I could relate. She is candid about the struggles and how hard it is. But, I know that this book only scratches the surface of how incredibly hard the struggle was for them. Especially with the new treatments and the detox and die-off and withdrawal symptoms. She mentions it, but not in great detail.
Some quotes I want to share:
"When your child is diagnosed with cancer, neighbors stop by your home bringing precooked meals, hugs, and support. When your child is diagnosed with autism, families who see you in the supermarket will slip away down another aisle." -David Feinberg
"Figure out the cause for all your kid's issues, and don't settle for the doctor's Band-Aid. " and
"...don't give up hope, and remember that acceptance of your child's condition does not mean giving up..."
Amen. She talks about how it's our job to find out why our kids are having problems and how we can fix the problems. That behavioral issues in ASD children are often caused by major health issues and pain! She does say that not all treatments will help all kids. She never claims to have all the answers. But that we need to advocate for our children and be willing to never give up.
I also SO related to the part about finally telling her son to be quiet for 5 minutes! I remember that. I remember needing to tell my now verbal child to be quiet and yet feeling bad because it hadn't been that long ago that she hadn't been able to talk. I also remember the ST saying it was not her job to get her to be quiet, it was her job to get her to talk. LOL
She also goes into the huge cost of autism treatment, and the lack of funds. How the rate of autism is growing so much and yet the funds are not there, compared to other diseases with lower rates. The medical community needs to wake up.
The back of the book has some great resources. She calls it her "I am sorry your child has Autism, here's what to do now." pamphlet. The one no one handed her. There are some sites that I didn't know about and have now bookmarked. Some great resources.
I was expecting more of a technical book. I guess something like Children with Starving Brains. Something to help guide me through our new journey of biomedicine. That is not what this book was. Thought it did direct me to some things that might do that and I think I may need to reread the Starving Brains book. It is a story of a mom who has walked the path of having an autistic child and who's desire is to help us find our way toward pulling our kids through the "window" and out of their autistic world.
(Review written Nov 2007)
Beyond that, she is a great voice for ASD. I hope that her voice is heard and it brings some attention to ASD and treatments that work! The book is short and easy to read (well, other than the language and the heart wrenching stuff!). I hope that it helps those with an ASD child to relate and to maybe find some support and answers. For those that don't, maybe it will help them be just a little bit more understanding of what those of us who do go through.
Jenny tells the story of how she came to find that her son had Autism, how she fought like crazy to get him help and their journey to healing. Her journey is different than mine, her son was much more severely autistic and we, thankfully, never had to deal with seizures, but I could relate. She is candid about the struggles and how hard it is. But, I know that this book only scratches the surface of how incredibly hard the struggle was for them. Especially with the new treatments and the detox and die-off and withdrawal symptoms. She mentions it, but not in great detail.
Some quotes I want to share:
"When your child is diagnosed with cancer, neighbors stop by your home bringing precooked meals, hugs, and support. When your child is diagnosed with autism, families who see you in the supermarket will slip away down another aisle." -David Feinberg
"Figure out the cause for all your kid's issues, and don't settle for the doctor's Band-Aid. " and
"...don't give up hope, and remember that acceptance of your child's condition does not mean giving up..."
Amen. She talks about how it's our job to find out why our kids are having problems and how we can fix the problems. That behavioral issues in ASD children are often caused by major health issues and pain! She does say that not all treatments will help all kids. She never claims to have all the answers. But that we need to advocate for our children and be willing to never give up.
I also SO related to the part about finally telling her son to be quiet for 5 minutes! I remember that. I remember needing to tell my now verbal child to be quiet and yet feeling bad because it hadn't been that long ago that she hadn't been able to talk. I also remember the ST saying it was not her job to get her to be quiet, it was her job to get her to talk. LOL
She also goes into the huge cost of autism treatment, and the lack of funds. How the rate of autism is growing so much and yet the funds are not there, compared to other diseases with lower rates. The medical community needs to wake up.
The back of the book has some great resources. She calls it her "I am sorry your child has Autism, here's what to do now." pamphlet. The one no one handed her. There are some sites that I didn't know about and have now bookmarked. Some great resources.
I was expecting more of a technical book. I guess something like Children with Starving Brains. Something to help guide me through our new journey of biomedicine. That is not what this book was. Thought it did direct me to some things that might do that and I think I may need to reread the Starving Brains book. It is a story of a mom who has walked the path of having an autistic child and who's desire is to help us find our way toward pulling our kids through the "window" and out of their autistic world.
(Review written Nov 2007)
Book Review: Living Gluten Free for Dummies
This was a good book to start my research into Gluten Free living. It definitely is a good book for encouragement! The author is very enthusiastic about the Gluten Free lifestyle, so while she understands and gives you suggestions for dealing with the emotional obstacles of embracing this lifestyle, she presents it in a very good light.
There are lots of good tips in here to diagnosis, shopping, eating out, helping kids embrace the lifesytle, dealing with friends and family, cooking, etc. A great book for anyone who must eat Gluten Free.
I also thought that the book would be a good encouragement for those of us on the Feingold Diet, or anyone who is constantly reading labels and who must deal with a restricted diet that causes issues when eating out or dining with others. I loved the line about how when a product says "new and improved" that is is really a euphamism for "now you definitely need to check ingredients -again- because we have changed our formula". So true! The description of the "flip-scan" method of shopping was humorous. Yep, definitely how I shop! Grab an item, flip it over, scan ingredients. Either replace quickly or leap for joy and add to cart! LOLI also liked finding there is a name for those of us with an "extreme desire to only eath health foods", orthorexia. Anyway, the tips on dealing with resturaunts, less then helpful friends, social situations, reading labels, calling manufactures, helping kids take control of their diet, etc those are good for anyone on a restrictive diet.
The book also goes into glycemic index, the "Caveman Diet" and eating healthy on the gluten free diet. One thing that detracted from the book was her belief in evolution and her belief that man did not always eat wheat, that it was not always around. Sorry, can't buy that. But, beyond that, I found it to be very informative. Lots of websites, suggestions, helpful tips, etc.
If you have Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Diabetes, Fibromyaliga, Chronic Fatigue, IBS, autism, any autoimmune disease, etc this would be a good book to check out. There are so many things that can be helped by this diet. And this book is a great place to start.
(Review written May 2007)
There are lots of good tips in here to diagnosis, shopping, eating out, helping kids embrace the lifesytle, dealing with friends and family, cooking, etc. A great book for anyone who must eat Gluten Free.
I also thought that the book would be a good encouragement for those of us on the Feingold Diet, or anyone who is constantly reading labels and who must deal with a restricted diet that causes issues when eating out or dining with others. I loved the line about how when a product says "new and improved" that is is really a euphamism for "now you definitely need to check ingredients -again- because we have changed our formula". So true! The description of the "flip-scan" method of shopping was humorous. Yep, definitely how I shop! Grab an item, flip it over, scan ingredients. Either replace quickly or leap for joy and add to cart! LOLI also liked finding there is a name for those of us with an "extreme desire to only eath health foods", orthorexia. Anyway, the tips on dealing with resturaunts, less then helpful friends, social situations, reading labels, calling manufactures, helping kids take control of their diet, etc those are good for anyone on a restrictive diet.
The book also goes into glycemic index, the "Caveman Diet" and eating healthy on the gluten free diet. One thing that detracted from the book was her belief in evolution and her belief that man did not always eat wheat, that it was not always around. Sorry, can't buy that. But, beyond that, I found it to be very informative. Lots of websites, suggestions, helpful tips, etc.
If you have Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Diabetes, Fibromyaliga, Chronic Fatigue, IBS, autism, any autoimmune disease, etc this would be a good book to check out. There are so many things that can be helped by this diet. And this book is a great place to start.
(Review written May 2007)
Book Review: The Healing Sun
I think I was led to this book through my research on Flouride. I get emails from someone who sends out info about flouride and other health hazards and one of them said something about the dangers of sunscreen. Which led me on a search for information about that subject.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with the sun. I suffer from Season Affective Disorder (SAD), so I need sunlight. And at the same time, if I get too much sun, I get sick. We have been using less and less sunscreen the past few years, partly do to the expense of Feingold approved sunscreen and partly because I prefer to use UV protective clothing, rather than slather chemicals on our skin. So all of this combined made me quite intrigued by the subject of this book.
The theory is that, while the sun definitely has some hazards, such as malignant melanoma, it is actually cable of healing or preventing quite a few things, including other cancers. The book documents the practice of heliotherapy (light therapy) before antibiotics came on the scene. Apparently, regulated sunbathing was used to heal TB, wounds and other infections. Once antibiotics came into play, this "unscientific" practice fell out of vogue. (I found it interesting to note that antibiotics came into use in the 50's. Yet another factor that came in at the same time as widespread vaccine usage and fluoride usage. Lots of things piling up on our systems around that time.)
There is several references to evolution, ancient sunworship and Chinese medicine. But, other than the evolution, these were mostly provided for historical background and examples of how other cultures used the sun to their advantage. So, I could forgive most of that. It does have to be factored in when weighing the information being presented.
Another thing to note is that it is written by a British author. On the one hand, it was good to read a book written within another country. Gives a new perspective. But, But, I was frustrated when I wanted a bit of information on optimal sun usage at my latitude. He mentions that in Britain optimal sun can not be reached during certain parts of the year. I really wanted to know what it was at my latitude! But, I will just have to do some research into that myself.
There are several references to the fact that architects used to have to have a medical background. That buildings were built with the well being of the occupants in mind. And that usually included making sure that optimal sun exposure was provided. With the advent of medicines, central heating, etc, we no longer build our buildings with health in mind.
On the subject of SAD, he mentions that many SAD sufferers have a "light hunger" or a craving for light. Turning on lights at every opportunity. That is me! Drives my energy conscience husband nuts, but I need light! Granted, artificial light is not always the best (and this book mentions it may even zap our energy or cause melanoma itself.) But I need light!
There is information on the connection between Vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis, MS, Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Very interesting reading and lots to think about.
As far as sunscreen and UV protective clothing it seems that these things block out the UVB rays which are what we need to stockpile Vit D, but they let through the UVA rays, the ones that damage our skin and cause certain cancers. So their use may actually be doing us more harm than good. It is suggested that it is better to gradually expose the skin to the sun to provide a natural protection against burning. But he does not give an exact formula for doing this and urges caution as each person's skin type, diet, location on the globe, etc affects how their body reacts to the sun.
Interesting to note that a whole foods diet, low in fat, is also recommended.
Anyway, it is a fascinating book that I have marked in several places and will keep as a reference. There are several books recommended in the back that I plan to read. In fact, a couple of them (on SAD) were already on my TBR shelf before got this book.
(Review written October 2007)
I have always had a love/hate relationship with the sun. I suffer from Season Affective Disorder (SAD), so I need sunlight. And at the same time, if I get too much sun, I get sick. We have been using less and less sunscreen the past few years, partly do to the expense of Feingold approved sunscreen and partly because I prefer to use UV protective clothing, rather than slather chemicals on our skin. So all of this combined made me quite intrigued by the subject of this book.
The theory is that, while the sun definitely has some hazards, such as malignant melanoma, it is actually cable of healing or preventing quite a few things, including other cancers. The book documents the practice of heliotherapy (light therapy) before antibiotics came on the scene. Apparently, regulated sunbathing was used to heal TB, wounds and other infections. Once antibiotics came into play, this "unscientific" practice fell out of vogue. (I found it interesting to note that antibiotics came into use in the 50's. Yet another factor that came in at the same time as widespread vaccine usage and fluoride usage. Lots of things piling up on our systems around that time.)
There is several references to evolution, ancient sunworship and Chinese medicine. But, other than the evolution, these were mostly provided for historical background and examples of how other cultures used the sun to their advantage. So, I could forgive most of that. It does have to be factored in when weighing the information being presented.
Another thing to note is that it is written by a British author. On the one hand, it was good to read a book written within another country. Gives a new perspective. But, But, I was frustrated when I wanted a bit of information on optimal sun usage at my latitude. He mentions that in Britain optimal sun can not be reached during certain parts of the year. I really wanted to know what it was at my latitude! But, I will just have to do some research into that myself.
There are several references to the fact that architects used to have to have a medical background. That buildings were built with the well being of the occupants in mind. And that usually included making sure that optimal sun exposure was provided. With the advent of medicines, central heating, etc, we no longer build our buildings with health in mind.
On the subject of SAD, he mentions that many SAD sufferers have a "light hunger" or a craving for light. Turning on lights at every opportunity. That is me! Drives my energy conscience husband nuts, but I need light! Granted, artificial light is not always the best (and this book mentions it may even zap our energy or cause melanoma itself.) But I need light!
There is information on the connection between Vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis, MS, Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Very interesting reading and lots to think about.
As far as sunscreen and UV protective clothing it seems that these things block out the UVB rays which are what we need to stockpile Vit D, but they let through the UVA rays, the ones that damage our skin and cause certain cancers. So their use may actually be doing us more harm than good. It is suggested that it is better to gradually expose the skin to the sun to provide a natural protection against burning. But he does not give an exact formula for doing this and urges caution as each person's skin type, diet, location on the globe, etc affects how their body reacts to the sun.
Interesting to note that a whole foods diet, low in fat, is also recommended.
Anyway, it is a fascinating book that I have marked in several places and will keep as a reference. There are several books recommended in the back that I plan to read. In fact, a couple of them (on SAD) were already on my TBR shelf before got this book.
(Review written October 2007)
Book Reviews
Click on the title to read a review of the book. If you have read any of these books and would like to add a review/thoughts, please do so in the comment section for that particular book. If you would like to submit a review for a book not listed here, please email the webmaster.
Autism and Your Church by Barbara J. Newman
Children With Starving Brains by Jaquelyn McCandless
Cheating Destiny by James S. Hirsch
The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson
The Healing Sun by Richard Hobday
Healing the New Childhood Epidemics by Kenneth Bock, M.D.
Living Gluten Free for Dummies by Dana Korn
Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy
Mother Warriors by Jenny McCarthy
Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis
Sweet Deception by Dr. Joseph Mercola
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Children's Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave
Autism and Your Church by Barbara J. Newman
Children With Starving Brains by Jaquelyn McCandless
Cheating Destiny by James S. Hirsch
The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson
The Healing Sun by Richard Hobday
Healing the New Childhood Epidemics by Kenneth Bock, M.D.
Living Gluten Free for Dummies by Dana Korn
Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy
Mother Warriors by Jenny McCarthy
Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis
Sweet Deception by Dr. Joseph Mercola
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Children's Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave
Book Review: Children With Starving Brains
This book was written by a doctor who began researching autism and treatments when she realized her granddaughter was autistic. She is now a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctor.
This book was written to educate parents and physicians on the new treatments available for Autistic children. Though it explains in details the pathologies and symptoms that they are finding, the lab tests, the treatments, it is easy enough for a lay person to understand. The appendices are a little more technical and I found myself scanning a bit more in them, but they were still informative to my lay mind!
The book is divided into a Introduction that describes how austitic children are children with real medical illnesses that can be treated and how the author became involved in biomedical treatment. Part one describes the foundation for a broad spectrum biomedical approach to ASD. It includes causation models (gentics, vaccines, heavy metals, immunity, diet, etc), GI Pathology-Nutrient Deficincies and Impaired Detoxification, Toxic Accumulations and Politics. Part 2 gotes in to Diagnosis and Treatment. This is where she describes the clinical and diagnostic evaluations, Gut healing, nutrients, chelation (removing heavy metals) and Immune issues. Part 3 includes an overview and what we can learn from all this. There are several appendices with future devopments and research.
I greatly appreciated the information in this book. It really helped to pull together some of the information I heard in the talks from Dr. Davis and Dr. Walsh. It answered a lot of questions. Dr. McCandless explains the reasoning behind the diets, gut healing, nutrients, chelation, etc. She describes the lab tests and when and why you would order the various tests. She gives information on where and how the samples can be gathered and sent. She explains who a typical DAN! consultation will go. She gives resources for parents who may be limited in what help they can obtain. I appreciated that she provided sources for nutrient supplements for those who can't test.
She describes in detail the chelation process. The medicines used, the dosage and frequency. How it works. I also really appreciated that she discussed the differences and similarities between DAN! chelation protocol and the process used by Dr. Walsh at Pfeiffer. This was just what I was looking for as we try to determine which route to take. I will probably reread that chapter over. It was very helpful.
I found the chapter written by her husband to be a little new agey and evironmentalist. If he had written the entire book, I would probably have put it down! His anectodotal obsevations were interesting, but it was kind of a strange section.
Overall, I found it to be very informative. I challenge everyone who has a loved one, or treats someone on the Spectrum to read this book and educate yourself on the illnesses that most ASD children experience and the variety of treatments there are out there. Whether you choose to go the BioMedical route or not, I think it is important to be aware and informed of the options avaiable to us. It is not just some genetic disorder that one just has to live with. Children are individuals and no treatment is guarenteed to work with all kids or at the same success rate. But any improvement we can help our children to reach is better than none!
(Review written April 2007)
This book was written to educate parents and physicians on the new treatments available for Autistic children. Though it explains in details the pathologies and symptoms that they are finding, the lab tests, the treatments, it is easy enough for a lay person to understand. The appendices are a little more technical and I found myself scanning a bit more in them, but they were still informative to my lay mind!
The book is divided into a Introduction that describes how austitic children are children with real medical illnesses that can be treated and how the author became involved in biomedical treatment. Part one describes the foundation for a broad spectrum biomedical approach to ASD. It includes causation models (gentics, vaccines, heavy metals, immunity, diet, etc), GI Pathology-Nutrient Deficincies and Impaired Detoxification, Toxic Accumulations and Politics. Part 2 gotes in to Diagnosis and Treatment. This is where she describes the clinical and diagnostic evaluations, Gut healing, nutrients, chelation (removing heavy metals) and Immune issues. Part 3 includes an overview and what we can learn from all this. There are several appendices with future devopments and research.
I greatly appreciated the information in this book. It really helped to pull together some of the information I heard in the talks from Dr. Davis and Dr. Walsh. It answered a lot of questions. Dr. McCandless explains the reasoning behind the diets, gut healing, nutrients, chelation, etc. She describes the lab tests and when and why you would order the various tests. She gives information on where and how the samples can be gathered and sent. She explains who a typical DAN! consultation will go. She gives resources for parents who may be limited in what help they can obtain. I appreciated that she provided sources for nutrient supplements for those who can't test.
She describes in detail the chelation process. The medicines used, the dosage and frequency. How it works. I also really appreciated that she discussed the differences and similarities between DAN! chelation protocol and the process used by Dr. Walsh at Pfeiffer. This was just what I was looking for as we try to determine which route to take. I will probably reread that chapter over. It was very helpful.
I found the chapter written by her husband to be a little new agey and evironmentalist. If he had written the entire book, I would probably have put it down! His anectodotal obsevations were interesting, but it was kind of a strange section.
Overall, I found it to be very informative. I challenge everyone who has a loved one, or treats someone on the Spectrum to read this book and educate yourself on the illnesses that most ASD children experience and the variety of treatments there are out there. Whether you choose to go the BioMedical route or not, I think it is important to be aware and informed of the options avaiable to us. It is not just some genetic disorder that one just has to live with. Children are individuals and no treatment is guarenteed to work with all kids or at the same success rate. But any improvement we can help our children to reach is better than none!
(Review written April 2007)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Book Review: The Flouride Deception
The Fluoride Deception I saw this book recommend somewhere recently, either in the back of one of the books I've read or on Amazon. Not sure. But, I decided to check it out from the library, since I really needed to do some research into fluoride before the next dental appointment. Wow, I am not sure what I was expecting, but this was not it! I guess, though I had some questions about fluoride, due to little tidbits I have heard over the years, I had bought into the whole fluoride deception over the years and had no idea its history and that this kind of controversy was involved. It was a very eye opening book.
The basic message is that fluoride is a poison. It is needed for making aluminum and steel and many other things, including our Teflon pains and scotch guard. And it was needed to make the automic bomb. Bottom line, industry needs it. The government needed it to win the cold war. And they both have a lot of money and a lot of influence. They knew it was dangerous, but they could not afford to let us know that. They couldn't stop production. So they just let it poison workers, factory neighbors and vegetation. And they hid the truth. There was some connection between teeth and fluoride and they built on that. They decided to sell us on the idea that fluoride was good for our teeth and that it should be in the water, and that it was not only safe, but that we needed it! They used the fact that it was in our water to fight litigation claiming fluoride poisoning. How could such a vital chemical be bad for us? According to this research, pretty bad!
Now, the book is based on a lot of once top secret info and files. Some of which I wonder why is now public if it was such a secret. So, I did read it with a bit of reserve. But he has tons of sources and a quarter of the book is foot notes. He really had done his research and seems to be on the up and up. I will be doing some more research, but for now, I think I will play it safe and try to limit our fluoride.
Interestingly, though it was a Feingold issue that led me to this research, I didn't go in to it looking for anything to do with Autism. But, as I read the effects it has on the body, it has me curious. One study shows that fluoride carries aluminum across the blood brain barrier and creates Alzheimer like lesions on rats' brains. Mmmm. Something that carries a metal across the blood brain barrier. Sounds a lot like issues affecting ASD. There was also a connection between Fluoride and ADHD. Mmmm, we have been trying to think, what else got introduced to society besides vaccines? Fluoride started being dumped into our water about the same time. Fluoride messes with the enzymes. ASD kids have messed up enzymes. Just something to think about. The book made no mention of Autism. And I suspect that is because they were focusing so much on the fluoride cover up that they haven't thought much about the Autism cover up and made the connection.
The list of symptoms make me think of a lot of other illnesses we deal with in this generation as well. Asthma (mentioned in the book), Chronic Fatigue, etc.
After reading the lengths that industry and the government have gone to to cover their investment, to keep their production going, to keep from being sued, to keep from having to admit that they were wrong to put fluoride into our water, my trust that they will actually tell me if vaccines will harm us certainly hasn't improved!
Anyway, it was very interesting reading. It was pretty easy to read as well for the type of book it was. I am glad I got it. I know we will be making some changes around here. As I have said with mercury and vaccines, I don't think all the blame can fall in one place. They are many environmental insults that can affect our health. And I am beginning to think that fluoride may be one of them.
(Review written June 2007)
The basic message is that fluoride is a poison. It is needed for making aluminum and steel and many other things, including our Teflon pains and scotch guard. And it was needed to make the automic bomb. Bottom line, industry needs it. The government needed it to win the cold war. And they both have a lot of money and a lot of influence. They knew it was dangerous, but they could not afford to let us know that. They couldn't stop production. So they just let it poison workers, factory neighbors and vegetation. And they hid the truth. There was some connection between teeth and fluoride and they built on that. They decided to sell us on the idea that fluoride was good for our teeth and that it should be in the water, and that it was not only safe, but that we needed it! They used the fact that it was in our water to fight litigation claiming fluoride poisoning. How could such a vital chemical be bad for us? According to this research, pretty bad!
Now, the book is based on a lot of once top secret info and files. Some of which I wonder why is now public if it was such a secret. So, I did read it with a bit of reserve. But he has tons of sources and a quarter of the book is foot notes. He really had done his research and seems to be on the up and up. I will be doing some more research, but for now, I think I will play it safe and try to limit our fluoride.
Interestingly, though it was a Feingold issue that led me to this research, I didn't go in to it looking for anything to do with Autism. But, as I read the effects it has on the body, it has me curious. One study shows that fluoride carries aluminum across the blood brain barrier and creates Alzheimer like lesions on rats' brains. Mmmm. Something that carries a metal across the blood brain barrier. Sounds a lot like issues affecting ASD. There was also a connection between Fluoride and ADHD. Mmmm, we have been trying to think, what else got introduced to society besides vaccines? Fluoride started being dumped into our water about the same time. Fluoride messes with the enzymes. ASD kids have messed up enzymes. Just something to think about. The book made no mention of Autism. And I suspect that is because they were focusing so much on the fluoride cover up that they haven't thought much about the Autism cover up and made the connection.
The list of symptoms make me think of a lot of other illnesses we deal with in this generation as well. Asthma (mentioned in the book), Chronic Fatigue, etc.
After reading the lengths that industry and the government have gone to to cover their investment, to keep their production going, to keep from being sued, to keep from having to admit that they were wrong to put fluoride into our water, my trust that they will actually tell me if vaccines will harm us certainly hasn't improved!
Anyway, it was very interesting reading. It was pretty easy to read as well for the type of book it was. I am glad I got it. I know we will be making some changes around here. As I have said with mercury and vaccines, I don't think all the blame can fall in one place. They are many environmental insults that can affect our health. And I am beginning to think that fluoride may be one of them.
(Review written June 2007)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Book Review: Healing the New Childhood Epidemics
I found this to be a very informative book. It was well written so that it really delved into quite a bit of information and yet was easy enough for a lay person to understand. It presented some of the same information as books such as Children With Starving Brains and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, and yet in a much easier to read format and with a lot more information as well. I especially found all the information about the different parts of the brain and what they do and how they interact very fascinating and helpful. It really helps to understand why certain symptoms manifest in the different disorders.
I also really appreciated the detailed information on the various aspects of the healing program. This is the kind of information I needed to really understand what the various supplements do. I know it was covered in Starving Brains, but it was presented differently here. This is an invaluable resource for anyone using DAN! protocol.
I was surprised to see the section on medications but appreciated his point of view on why they are sometimes useful and necessary, even in conjunction with biomed treatment.
I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with any of the 4-A disorders (autism, ADHD, Asthma, and allergies) and those who would like to understand biomedical treatment better.
I also really appreciated the detailed information on the various aspects of the healing program. This is the kind of information I needed to really understand what the various supplements do. I know it was covered in Starving Brains, but it was presented differently here. This is an invaluable resource for anyone using DAN! protocol.
I was surprised to see the section on medications but appreciated his point of view on why they are sometimes useful and necessary, even in conjunction with biomed treatment.
I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with any of the 4-A disorders (autism, ADHD, Asthma, and allergies) and those who would like to understand biomedical treatment better.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Book Review: Autism and Your Church
This is a resource book for helping set up a ministry for special needs children and adults in the church, specifically in regards to individuals with ASD. It explains some of the challenges associated with ASD and how to work with them to make the worship experience better.
One of the strategies was writing "stories" describing activities and social expectations for different parts of church. It talked about how this might be a help for more than just the people with ASD and I agree. It reminded me of the "bozo buttons" line in the Yada Yada book. About how we often speak in a language that others don't understand and assume that everyone automatically knows how to behave in the church environment. This is not always the case. For example, I have grown up in the church all my life and I have been in many different denominations, and experienced communion in many different ways. And yet we recently had communion in the church I go to Bible Study at and we were all (my whole family of church going Christians) thrown for a loop. We didn't know the procedure at this particular church as it was different than any we had experienced. It would have been nice to have it explained to us first. I ended up not taking communion because it just didn't feel right. There are so many instances where visitors feel out of place because they don't know what is expected and these "stories" would be so helpful.
Anyway, it was a good resource book and it had a list of other resources in the back that would be useful. I think it would be very helpful in helping us to serve those with special needs in our church.
(Review written Nov 2007)
One of the strategies was writing "stories" describing activities and social expectations for different parts of church. It talked about how this might be a help for more than just the people with ASD and I agree. It reminded me of the "bozo buttons" line in the Yada Yada book. About how we often speak in a language that others don't understand and assume that everyone automatically knows how to behave in the church environment. This is not always the case. For example, I have grown up in the church all my life and I have been in many different denominations, and experienced communion in many different ways. And yet we recently had communion in the church I go to Bible Study at and we were all (my whole family of church going Christians) thrown for a loop. We didn't know the procedure at this particular church as it was different than any we had experienced. It would have been nice to have it explained to us first. I ended up not taking communion because it just didn't feel right. There are so many instances where visitors feel out of place because they don't know what is expected and these "stories" would be so helpful.
Anyway, it was a good resource book and it had a list of other resources in the back that would be useful. I think it would be very helpful in helping us to serve those with special needs in our church.
(Review written Nov 2007)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Book Review: Cheating Destiny
This is a book that my mother suggested after hearing about it on a program on the radio. Sounded interesting. I decided to redirect some of my medical research for a bit. This time researching dh's disease. Though, as I read through the book, not only did I gain a lot of insight into his illness, I was struck by a lot of parallels to our other autoimmune disorder, Autism, and the treatment and research.
This was a good read. I enjoyed getting a chance to see into his world a bit and gain some more understanding about what he is dealing with. It has prompted me and reminded me to be a bit more proactive with his health as well as the children's. It takes a lot of support to deal with a chronic disease and I have kind of fallen into the habit of just letting him handle it.
The book is written by a man who has had Type 1 Diabetes for almost three decades, has a brother with Type 1 who is a doctor in the field, and who's three year old son has just been diagnosed. The book tells his and his son's story and how they deal with mananaging their blood sugars. It gives lots of history into the disease. The early starvation diet treatment, the discovery of insulin, new technology in pumps and monitors and research into a cure. Many stories of those who have lived with the disease and how they have beaten the odds or helped further awareness.
Some quotes that struck me. When his son is released from the hospital, newly diagnosed and is handed his insulin regiment, Mr. Hirsh notices that they have mixed up the order of his fast acting Humalog and slow acting, night time NPH and questions the nurse who takes it back and gets it corrected. He is later told by a ped endocronologist that "hospitals commit more serious errors on insulin than any other medication." It reminded me of when dh was in the hospital with pneumonia. The insurance company had him in as "out of control diabetes." Hmm, when you can't eat for days due to pneumonia, your blood sugars will be off! Though he did adjust his doages. Nurse gave him fast acting insulin an hour before the food arrived. By the time it arrived he was very low. He commented he would have been more in control at home! We did not allow them to give him any more shots until the food was in sight!
I was very interested in the point of view that would be presented on stem cell research. I was hoping he would give a balanced view. Nope. You know, I kind of got the feeling that people who's children have diabetes are more agressive toward it than patients, I don't know. At least that was their excuse. But they were very pro embryonic stem cells. The researcher (with two diabetic children) said that he believed it was a "waste of precious time and effort" to work with adult stem cells and that others are "spending huge amounts of money on things that are really just a shot in the dark." Hmmm, that's my opinion of his work. So far no one has done anything with embryonic stem cells, but adult stem cells have been proven to be useful.
I was equally disturbed a few pages later when the inevitable happened, they started working with cloning to get the cure they are looking for. Exactly we voted no against this kind of research. Not only is it murder, it leads to even more unethical practices.
As Maria C. Parker testified, stating that though her father died from diabetes he would have been against these practices, "science doesn't have to kill in order to cure." Of course when you take into account the animals that die, I don't think that is entirely true. There would be no insulin without death. But, we don't have to kill humans.
I found the research into figuring out the autoimmunity aspect fascinating. Not only does it not involve murder to kill, it seems to be the more sensible thing to do. Even the stem cell guy admits that creating new Beta cells is only half the cure. If the body is just going to kill them back off, what have you gained? Denise Faustman has cured diabetes in mice, by killing the defective cells that attacked the Beta cells. In the process, an unexpected thing occurred. The Beta cells actually regenerated after autoimmune problem was removed.
She battled for a long time to get the funding for the research that was approved by the FDA, to test this on humans. The big time Diabetes organizations fought her and tried to discredit her. Apparently they didn't like her making the other research useless! Apparently money and reputation are big factors in diabetes just like in Autism. Finding a cure is not always the goal. They presented the thought that some think that there is actually a cure out there already, but all the insulin and monitor manufactors don't want to not be needed anymore. Wow! That is a powerful charge! But given how much traditional medicine has faught biomedical treatment for Autism, it's not entirely out of the question. Anyway, thanks to Lee Iaccoca, she did finally get her funding and I am anxious to see what comes of it.
Tonight, I was thinking on another book that my mother showed me about this guy who claims that all diseases are spiritually based and he can cure anything by finding the spiritual problem underlying it. He has some bizzare thoughts and yet it is an interesting concept to explore. I was surprised at how spot on some of his observations where with different issues that people have with certain diseases. But is it a chicken or egg issue? Which came first, etc. Anyway, I was thinking about how dh is skeptical of anything that claims it can reverse Type 1 diabetes. Saying that the Beta cells can't suddenly start working. I have always agreed. Until this research. If the Beta cells will rejuvinate after the attack is gone, then it IS possible for the pancreas to heal! What if her approach is not the only way? Maybe other things can trigger rejuvination. Apparently the body has an amazing compacity to heal. If we can use biomedical treatment on Autism, why couldn't we also do biomedical treatment on other autoimmune diseases? I don't know, but I am no longer convinced that it is impossible to restore the beta cell function.
Which leads me to another question he raised? Why do the cells just attack the Beta Cells? Why in an autoimmune disease are only certain organs attacked? I guess some diseases are more widespread, but why do some only pick certain cells?
And I wonder too, as I think about the fact that autoimmune disorders are triggered by some environmental impact if the increase in young diabetic children is related to the increase autism. Why are so many children getting these diseases? What is happening to make their bodies work against them at such a young age?
Lots of mysteries.
Anyway, I could so relate to his complaining about sugary snacks being everywhere and parents having to deal with all the times their kids are tempted and offered forbidden treats. That's a road we have been on for the past year. Always having to refuse lollipops and rewards, and such. Society has really got a love affair with food and treats that is hard for people on restrictive diets to live with.
(Review written June 2007)
This was a good read. I enjoyed getting a chance to see into his world a bit and gain some more understanding about what he is dealing with. It has prompted me and reminded me to be a bit more proactive with his health as well as the children's. It takes a lot of support to deal with a chronic disease and I have kind of fallen into the habit of just letting him handle it.
The book is written by a man who has had Type 1 Diabetes for almost three decades, has a brother with Type 1 who is a doctor in the field, and who's three year old son has just been diagnosed. The book tells his and his son's story and how they deal with mananaging their blood sugars. It gives lots of history into the disease. The early starvation diet treatment, the discovery of insulin, new technology in pumps and monitors and research into a cure. Many stories of those who have lived with the disease and how they have beaten the odds or helped further awareness.
Some quotes that struck me. When his son is released from the hospital, newly diagnosed and is handed his insulin regiment, Mr. Hirsh notices that they have mixed up the order of his fast acting Humalog and slow acting, night time NPH and questions the nurse who takes it back and gets it corrected. He is later told by a ped endocronologist that "hospitals commit more serious errors on insulin than any other medication." It reminded me of when dh was in the hospital with pneumonia. The insurance company had him in as "out of control diabetes." Hmm, when you can't eat for days due to pneumonia, your blood sugars will be off! Though he did adjust his doages. Nurse gave him fast acting insulin an hour before the food arrived. By the time it arrived he was very low. He commented he would have been more in control at home! We did not allow them to give him any more shots until the food was in sight!
I was very interested in the point of view that would be presented on stem cell research. I was hoping he would give a balanced view. Nope. You know, I kind of got the feeling that people who's children have diabetes are more agressive toward it than patients, I don't know. At least that was their excuse. But they were very pro embryonic stem cells. The researcher (with two diabetic children) said that he believed it was a "waste of precious time and effort" to work with adult stem cells and that others are "spending huge amounts of money on things that are really just a shot in the dark." Hmmm, that's my opinion of his work. So far no one has done anything with embryonic stem cells, but adult stem cells have been proven to be useful.
I was equally disturbed a few pages later when the inevitable happened, they started working with cloning to get the cure they are looking for. Exactly we voted no against this kind of research. Not only is it murder, it leads to even more unethical practices.
As Maria C. Parker testified, stating that though her father died from diabetes he would have been against these practices, "science doesn't have to kill in order to cure." Of course when you take into account the animals that die, I don't think that is entirely true. There would be no insulin without death. But, we don't have to kill humans.
I found the research into figuring out the autoimmunity aspect fascinating. Not only does it not involve murder to kill, it seems to be the more sensible thing to do. Even the stem cell guy admits that creating new Beta cells is only half the cure. If the body is just going to kill them back off, what have you gained? Denise Faustman has cured diabetes in mice, by killing the defective cells that attacked the Beta cells. In the process, an unexpected thing occurred. The Beta cells actually regenerated after autoimmune problem was removed.
She battled for a long time to get the funding for the research that was approved by the FDA, to test this on humans. The big time Diabetes organizations fought her and tried to discredit her. Apparently they didn't like her making the other research useless! Apparently money and reputation are big factors in diabetes just like in Autism. Finding a cure is not always the goal. They presented the thought that some think that there is actually a cure out there already, but all the insulin and monitor manufactors don't want to not be needed anymore. Wow! That is a powerful charge! But given how much traditional medicine has faught biomedical treatment for Autism, it's not entirely out of the question. Anyway, thanks to Lee Iaccoca, she did finally get her funding and I am anxious to see what comes of it.
Tonight, I was thinking on another book that my mother showed me about this guy who claims that all diseases are spiritually based and he can cure anything by finding the spiritual problem underlying it. He has some bizzare thoughts and yet it is an interesting concept to explore. I was surprised at how spot on some of his observations where with different issues that people have with certain diseases. But is it a chicken or egg issue? Which came first, etc. Anyway, I was thinking about how dh is skeptical of anything that claims it can reverse Type 1 diabetes. Saying that the Beta cells can't suddenly start working. I have always agreed. Until this research. If the Beta cells will rejuvinate after the attack is gone, then it IS possible for the pancreas to heal! What if her approach is not the only way? Maybe other things can trigger rejuvination. Apparently the body has an amazing compacity to heal. If we can use biomedical treatment on Autism, why couldn't we also do biomedical treatment on other autoimmune diseases? I don't know, but I am no longer convinced that it is impossible to restore the beta cell function.
Which leads me to another question he raised? Why do the cells just attack the Beta Cells? Why in an autoimmune disease are only certain organs attacked? I guess some diseases are more widespread, but why do some only pick certain cells?
And I wonder too, as I think about the fact that autoimmune disorders are triggered by some environmental impact if the increase in young diabetic children is related to the increase autism. Why are so many children getting these diseases? What is happening to make their bodies work against them at such a young age?
Lots of mysteries.
Anyway, I could so relate to his complaining about sugary snacks being everywhere and parents having to deal with all the times their kids are tempted and offered forbidden treats. That's a road we have been on for the past year. Always having to refuse lollipops and rewards, and such. Society has really got a love affair with food and treats that is hard for people on restrictive diets to live with.
(Review written June 2007)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sweet Deception by Dr. Joseph Mercola
A very informative book about artificial sweeteners, the food and drug industries and the FDA. Not only does it outline the dangers or using artificial sweeteners that are not as safe as the FDA would have us to believe, it gives a lot of information about sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other sugar alternatives.
This is a must read for everyone. Even if you never use artificial sweeteners, there is a lot of important information here
I appreciated the information on the "natural sweeteners". I don't touch artificial sweeteners knowingly so it was good to see which alternatives are really safe and good to use or not. I will be throwing out my Agave syrup after reading this. I was actually a bit surprised at his comments on some of the sweeteners that I have come to depend on. Of course, this doctor recommends that we severely limit the amount of sugar/sweeteners that we have in our diet at all but he does have recommendations about which ones we should choose if we are using them.
I also appreciated knowing what kinds of things to look for when I am doing my label checking. This is just another confirmation to look for ingredient lists with very few ingredients, all of which you know what are. However, he did mention that the "natural" food industry will often mislabel things to mislead us into thinking things are healthy. Hmmm.
An excellent overview of the FDA, how it was formed, what it is supposed to do and how it has been corrupted by too much connection with the food and drug industries. The organization that was set up to protect us is tied too much to the companies it is supposed to protect us from. It includes an interview with an FDA scientist who testified before congress on the inefficiencies of the FDA.
One line that I marked was:
Organic, nongenetically modified, nonirradiated, locally produced food, which was once the standard for all Americans, is now considered an unusual alternative that can only be found only in a few specialty stores located primarily in large, affluent urban areas.Yes, isn't it interesting how things that used to be common place and the norm (eating organically, courting, homeschooling, etc) are now considered eccentric fads?
This is a must read for everyone. Even if you never use artificial sweeteners, there is a lot of important information here
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