January 05, 2006

Good News of the Day

Coffee can greatly reduce the risk of some breast cancers!

"Those women who drank six or more cups of coffee a day on average had about a 75 per cent reduction in the risk of breast cancer," Narod said.

Guess I better brew another pot!

Posted by Beth at 07:30 AM

July 13, 2005

Oh, no, Evil Soda Pop!!!

Okay, so there is this doctor, no, no, not a medical doctor, but Ph.D. kinda doctor (so why is he writing about soda pop and obesity?) by name of Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.

He has a research paper, well, no, he has a paper out that basically says that soft drinks are bad and evil and nothing but liquid candy. And then he, the Ph.D. in busybodiness, lays out his corrective actions:

In part because of powerful advertising, universal availability, and low price, and in part because of disinterest on the part of many nutritionists and other health professionals, Americans have come to consider soft drinks a routine snack and a standard, appropriate part of meals instead of an occasional treat, as they were treated several decades ago. Moreover, many of today's younger parents grew up with soft drinks, see their routine consumption as normal, and so make little effort to restrict their children's consumption of them.

It is a fact, though, that soft drinks provide enormous amounts of sugar and calories to a nation that does not meet national dietary goals and that is experiencing an epidemic of obesity. The replacement of milk by soft drinks in teenage girls' diets portends continuing high rates of osteoporosis. Soft drinks may also contribute to dental problems, kidney stones, and heart disease. Additives may cause insomnia, behavioral problems, and allergic reactions and may increase slightly the risk of cancer.

The industry promises that it will be doing everything possible to persuade even more Americans to drink even more soda pop even more often. Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they are -- liquid candy -- and do everything possible to return those beverages to their former, reasonable role as an occasional treat.

Individuals and families should consider how much soda pop they are drinking and reduce consumption accordingly. Parents should stock their homes with healthful foods and beverages that family members enjoy.
Physicians, nurses, and nutritionists routinely should ask their patients how much soda pop they are drinking and advise them, if appropriate, of dietary changes to make.
Organizations concerned about women's and children's health, dental and bone health, and heart disease should collaborate on campaigns to reduce soft-drink consumption.
Local, state, and federal governments should be as aggressive in providing water fountains in public buildings and spaces as the industry is in placing vending machines everywhere.
State and local governments should considering taxing soft drinks, as Arkansas, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia already do. Arkansas raised $40 million in fiscal year 1998 from that tax.63 If all states taxed soft drinks at Arkansas' rate (2 cents per 12-ounce can), they could raise $3 billion annually. Those revenues could fund campaigns to improve diets, build exercise facilities (bike paths, swimming pools, etc.), and support physical-education programs in schools.
Local governments could require calorie listings on menu boards at fast-food outlets and on vending machines to sensitize consumers to the nutritional "cost" of sugared soft drinks and other foods.
School systems and other organizations catering to children should stop selling soft drinks, candy, and similar foods in hallways, shops, and cafeterias.
School systems and youth organizations should not auction themselves off to the highest bidder for exclusive soft-drink marketing rights. Those deals profit the companies and schools at the expense of the students' health.
The National Academy of Sciences or Surgeon General should review the impact of current and projected levels of soft-drink (and sugar) consumption on public health.
Soft-drink companies voluntarily should not advertise to children and adolescents. Labels should advise parents that soft drinks may replace lowfat milk, fruit juice, and other healthy foods in the diets of children and adolescents. Scientific research should explore the role of heavy consumption of soft drinks (and sugar) in nutritional status, obesity, caries, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and heart disease.

Italics are mine.

Now, many of you will disagree with me, but it is none of the government's business to decide what parents let their kids drink as long as it ain't alcoholic.

Besides, he thinks that fruit juice (also full of sugar) would be a good substitute for soda pop. Also, his 'research paper' does not pull out the sugar-free soda from his graphs, making the report very misleading.

I know that many of you moms think that soda pop causes all kids to be obese.

Obesity in children, I believe, is caused more from lack of exercise than anything else. Parents don't let their kids play outside with the neighborhood kids for fear of them being kidnapped or some such, and the kids sit inside and watch TV.

Schools have cut back on Physical Education to give that time to anti-drug and anti-alcohol classes. (When I went to grade school and high school, we had 90 minutes of phys ed every day - and we had a longer school day because of it).

I hate it when people tell me what to eat, not eat, drink, not drink and how to live the way 'they' believe is the 'right' way. Gee, kinda like the Islamic terrorists who want to make all of us live the way they believe is the right way.

Okay, that's a little over the top, but ....

Posted by Beth at 01:31 PM

June 22, 2005

Let's talk about poop

If you are squeamish or get the willies when discussing things like poop, go read a different post.

This morning, as I turned to flush the toilet, that my poop was electric green. Whoa! Being something of a hypochondriac, I figured I had some kind of weird disease.

So I Googled bright green poop. I found this site, where a guy documents his discovery that drinking or eating anything of a blue color will result in bright green poop. This article is a must read. Very funny.

And yes, I am relieved that the 32 oz blue margarita I had last night is the cause of my odd poop, not some mysterious disease.

I perused the Poop Report further, and found this report - since I fly a lot, I appreciate knowing that Seat 29E on Continental Airlines is one to be avoided at all costs.

Just thought you would like to know - maybe I can relieve some future green pooper.

Posted by Beth at 07:27 AM

June 02, 2005

Vaccine for Shingles - a good thing!

I got Shingles about 3 years ago. It kept me out of work for three week, and gave me pain for another 3 afterwards. I would not wish anyone to get it, even my worst enemy!

Vaccine Reduces Risk of Shingles

The vaccine seems to be pretty darn effective and doesn't seem to cause problems. Believe me, you don't ever want to get shingles - once the vaccine is approved and offered, get it!

Posted by Beth at 03:43 PM

February 24, 2005

Terri and Michael, her 'husband'

Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, has done everything to keep her in the state she is in or worse. He has forbidden any physical or speech therapy, even though Terri's parents offered to pay for it. He once ordered that her teeth not be brushed - and she went five years without any dental care.

Terri is confined to a small room, with little or no stimulation. This is not the way anyone should be treated - at best, it is neglect.

I am in Florida this week, and Terri's right to live is all over talk radio. This morning, I even heard two bloggers interviewed, hyscience and Richard of Blogs for Terri, and they were just wonderful with Pat Campbell, a local Orlando talk show host.

The thing is this - Terri has not been allowed to have the therapy most brain-damaged people get. Michael wants her dead. There are rumours that he may have been to blame for Terri's collapse - I don't know - but a scan has shown broken bones that could have been caused by abuse.

What I understand least of all is why this man, Michael Schiavo, who lives with another woman and has children by her won't do the right thing and divorce Terri and marry the other woman and allow Terri's parents to care for their daughter.

Yes, she is mentally disabled - but does that mean she doesn't have the right to live? Many news outlets are calling this a Right to Die case - when it is really a Right to Live case.

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with a living will - that is signed and witnessed properly. I would not want to be 'kept alive' by a respirator for a year or more (for a few months, hecky darn yes! Give me all the chances you can!). But taking food and water from someone is akin to murder. And having a judge decide that an innocent human being must die by starvation is cruel and unusual punishment - without a trial.

God gave us life. Jesus fed the crowds with loaves and fishes. I can't imagine that it would be the wish of the Lord to starve anyone to death when we have the technology to feed them and give them therapy that might make them better.

These fine bloggers are also praying and blogging for Terri's life:

Posted by Beth at 05:54 PM

September 30, 2004

The Doctor was good

We cut one medication out altogether (the ACE Inhibitor which never brought my pressure down anyway - a different medical providor prescribed that) and switched to a different beta blocker. I took the first dose last night with dinner and had enough energy to take Shadow (our big dog) for a 1 mile walk this morning - a good start.
Here's a picture of my Shadow puppy (well, he is 11 years old, not quite a puppy)

He really enjoyed the walk.

Posted by Beth at 06:31 AM

September 28, 2004

Depression

I thought I was depressed and had been depressed for a long time. It's been harder and harder for me to get my ass out of bed and to work and sweet, lovely, wonderful John has been picking up a lot of my slack around the house and at the barn, etc.

This morning, I was in a rush to get to work. I forgot to take the blood pressure pills I was on.

Oh. My. God.

For the first time in 3 years, I was not dizzy and light headed when walking from the car to the office. I did not feel like I was going to fall asleep at 1:00 this afternoon. I was in a genuinely good mood at work. I felt .. could it be .. normal?

So I looked up the 3 drugs I take and found that the side effects for 2 of them are ..... depression!!!!!

Yes, I know I need to take them, but now I can go to the doctor with data in hand and see if there aren't alternatives.

I had my blood pressure taken today and it was normal. But I know it might not be tomorrow.

I have gained a lot of weight in the past few years - it's probably a cause of the high blood pressure that I never had before in my life - but the pills that keep my pressure down also make me exhausted and depressed - with no energy to exercise. And when I say no energy, I mean the energy to put one foot in front of the other when just walking to the car some mornings.

So, the moral is - look at how you feel - check to see what side effects are likely with drugs you are taking and then - go see your doctor.

I will try to get in tomorrow - I'm too young (even if I'm 51) to feel tired and depressed all the time.

Posted by Beth at 06:58 PM

August 03, 2004

Yesterday was my annual boob-smashing

You know how whenever you go to have those medical tests done they ask you for your medical history?

It seems like I always get someone who is mildly perturbed that I don't know my 'family' history in that I was adopted - I have no idea if I have a 'blood' relative who had breast cancer, diabetes or anything else.

Once again, I was asked, "Haven't you found your parents?"

I feel like Scooby Doo when people ask me that. Of couse I 'found' my parents. They were Mom and Dad, who adopted me and gave me everything possible, including more love than most kids get.

"No, I do not know who my biological parents are".

"Why not? Don't you want to find them?"

"No. Why should I complicate my life? Why should I complicate theirs?"

"Well, it's only natural to want to know where you came from."

"Is it? I know where I came from, and its not the DNA that makes me who I am as much as the incredible, wonderful life that my parents gave me growing up and for their entire lives."

I am really tired of nosey-assed people. Some of us are very happy with who we are, and really don't need to go find some mystery man or woman who was kind enough to let us live and be born. I have no intention of 'searching for my true parents'. What bullshit. Mom and Dad were my true parents. I wish they were still alive, but it is the nature of thing that our parents die before we do, most of the time.

So, any of you medical people out there - think twice before asking those questions - just accept it when we say, I don't know what diseases there might be in my 'family'. I was adopted.

Posted by Beth at 05:50 AM

July 15, 2004

This is one of the things you get with Socialized Medicine

In Britain, too many people are dying from viruses and infections while in the hospital.

Killer superbugs are now out of control with 5,000 people a year dying from viruses picked up in hospitals says a damning report. Health chiefs have been slammed for allowing patients to be treated in filthy hospitals where the number of patients contracting infections is soaring.The numbers of blood infections from Staphylococcus aureus has gone up almost 8% from 17,933 in 2001-02 to 19,311 in 2003-04 - of these 40% were a strain of the deadly MRSA.

My goodness, this is a government report, talking about government run hospitals in Britain, and the hospitals are described as filthy.

In the United Kingdom there is no competition for health care dollars, patients are assigned to facilities, they don't get to pick them. Therefore, the hospital administrators have absolutely no incentive to spend the time and money to keep the facilities clean. They are going to get patients, no matter what the condition of the hospital.

Britain has the highest infection rate in Europe for MRSA which is resistant to most antibiotics.

That's pretty bad - think of all the European countries that are considered to be a bit on the 3rd world side - Romania, Bulgaria, etc.

In fact,

The report says our (British) hospitals are dirtier than those in countries such as Romania.

What's really frightening is that most of these infections can be prevented, cheaply and easily.
But the National Health System works their employees so much that they can't go to the bathroom to wash their hands!!!!!

Staff are still not washing their hands properly says the report but this is not because they are lazy. Nurses and other staff are so overworked they don't have time to use the bathroom.

Aside from the lack of handwashing - when do they get to go potty?

Remember this article when the Democrats start their whining about nationalizing health care again.

In fact, read the whole article, and be afraid.
Killer Superbugs Soar In Hospitals

Posted by Beth at 06:43 AM

June 29, 2004

If only . . .

If only these pictures would change the mind of the pro-abortion crowd - just to admit that yes, at only 12 weeks, this is not a lump of flesh, but a human being.

I want abortionists to admit that they are ending a human life. Perhaps it will cause some women to rethink their decision to end it.

From the BBC NEWS; Scans uncover secrets of the womb

Posted by Beth at 06:39 AM

January 28, 2004

Witchy Itchy Woman

I'm sure that someone wrote a song about an Itchy Woman. But the benadryl has made me a little groggy, especially after a super large margarita in the casino (I don't gamble, but if you sit in front of a slot machine and put a buck in, chances are you will get a free drink out of it - I always ask for a pricey one) and I can't remember what group did that song.

Hmmm. Well, my hives and other skin allergic reactions are slowly subsiding. Last night, I took 2 benadryl, 2 margaritas, and slept for 10 hours. I bought a super duper gigantic tube of hydrocortisone and have probably already used half of it. The damn rash goes pretty much from my thighs to my neck, and my shoulders to my elbows.

I have allergies, but never have I had any kind of reaction to anything like this.
I stopped at the pharmacy yesterday, and the pharmacist really creeped me out by asking if there is any chance the hotel could be infested with bed bugs.

Arggghhhh. I said, hey, it's the Hilton! And besides, this didn't happen until my second night here.

I am probably oversharing here, but it's about the most exciting thing that has happened to me this week!

Posted by Beth at 10:38 PM