Caravan of Mothers to Commit "Milk" Crimes and Defy FDA -- LIVE BROADCAST NOW!

A caravan of mothers is on the way today, NOVEMBER !, 201,1 to FDA's doorstep in Silver Spring, Maryland, to defy FDA interstate commerce and food safety law on raw milk in support of farmers across the nation willing to supply fresh milk to mothers across state lines risking their business to serve their customers.

Check out the breaking news and videos from the event at www.RawMilkFreedomRiders.com

That website also has a map of the location if you'd like to join in the caravan of moms who are planning on transporting raw milk across state lines, in direct violation of current FDA regulations (which make no sense). They plan on eating raw milk and cookies in protest while Robert Scott Bell and Adam Kokesh from Adam vs. the Manride along as "embedded reporters."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034027_raw_milk_protest.html#ixzz1cTHknfZM

Speakers Include: Joel Salatin, Mark McAfee, David Gumphert, Max Kane, Michael Schmidt, Liz Reitzig and many other mothers from across the nation.

Will the raw milk moms be arrested? Listen to Robert Scott Bells' LIVE BROADCAST! http://www.naturalnewsradio.com/

OC

What "They" Want You to Believe About the New Vaccine Laws

There's a new law in California requiring 7th -12th graders to get a Tdap Booster before returning to school this fall.

Is the vaccine mandatory? NO.

California maintains Medical and Personal Belief Exemptions, as permitted by law.

• Medical Exemption
  A licensed physician (MD or DO) who feels a vaccine is not indicated for a student because of medical reasons should submit to the school (via the patient’s family as needed) a written statement documenting the medical exemption. A form that can assist in this process is available to physicians. The school will place a copy of the completed statement in the student’s file
• Personal Beliefs Exemption
  A parent or guardian may have a child exempted from required immunizations if immunization is contrary to his/her beliefs. Schools have standardized procedures for parents and guardians who request a personal beliefs exemption.

If you don't live in California, check your state vaccine exemption laws. You may need to spend an extra minute researching the information, but it's well worth your time.

For more information: http://www.shotsforschool.org/immunizationlaws.html

OC

The Council of Europe Calls for "Restricting or Prohibiting the Use of Amalgams"

The Council of Europe calls for “restricting or prohibiting the use of amalgams”

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on 27 May 2011 urging its 47 member countries to start “restricting or prohibiting the use of amalgams as dental fillings.”

Deputy Jean Huss, Luxembourg’s representative to the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union), drafted the meticulously researched report that explains two major reasons behind this call to action:

1. Amalgam is a health threat: “...amalgams are the prime source of exposure to mercury for developed countries, also affecting embryos, foetuses (through the placenta) and children (through breastfeeding). Exposure to mercury can seriously affect the health of patients and dental professionals…”
   
2. Amalgam is an environmental threat: “...between 60 and 90 tonnes of mercury from dental surgeries are released into and contaminate Europe’s atmosphere, surface waters and soil every year.”

The Council of Europe’s ground-breaking resolution will have a favorable impact on the ongoing mercury treaty negotiations. With this resolution, the Council of Europe joins the growing international call for the amalgam phase-out that is already endorsed by the African region, the Arab League, and the United States government. (The Council of Europe's report observed that the U.S. position itself is “likely to change the global debate on amalgams.”)

Thank you to Marie Grosman, who testified before Monsieur Huss and the Council of Europe Sub-Committee on Health in preparation for this report and the resulting resolution. Marie is the life science lecturer who leads the mercury-free dentistry movement in France along with the group Non Au Mercure Dentaire. She also serves as Vice President for Europe, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, the coalition that represents our cause on the international front.

Charlie

Charles G. Brown
National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry
1 July 2011

And the Gurneys Continue to Stack Up in Canada...

As we celebrate our long Independence Day weekend, I thought about the increased number of accidents and ER incidents typically predicated by usual holiday activities, and how life would be different if we, in the US, were subject to a socialized, government-run health care system.

The ObamaCare Health Care Reform Plan has long been compared to the government-run Canadian Socialized Health Care Program. There are some facts that we, as Americans, may not know.

Before we get into the down and dirty, I'll start with a true story as told to me by my friend, Mark. This incident occurred four years ago:

Mark's American aunt married a Canadian. They maintained two residences, one in Florida and the other in Toronto, Ontario. Mark's aunt was diagnosed with cancer while in Florida. They decided to have her tests performed there, but move to their Toronto home for treatment, as they qualified for Canada's socialized health care.

So off they went to Toronto. They took the required steps of first seeing a 'Primary Care Physician" to obtain the required prescription to see a Specialist. Even though they had the test results from Florida in hand, they had to satisfy Canadian law. Yes, LAW. The wait to see the specialist was 5 weeks...a wait time regarded by Canadian health care to be one on the 'short' side.

Mark's aunt died three days before her scheduled appointment with the specialist.

We don't have 5 week wait times in the US. In an emergency situation, a simple call to your doctor's office can get you seen the same day. In a US hospital ER, those more serious injuries are seen more quickly than those less seriously injured -- not necessarily so in the socialized medicine world.

I recently went to hear a Canadian-educated MD speak about both sides of the health care issue. He used to practice in Canada, but since moved to the US for many reasons. Let's just get right down to it.

Facts about the Canadian Health Care system:

1. Single payer system - government

2. Comprehensiveness

3. Universal

4. Portability - you can use it wherever you are in Canada

5. Accessibility - "reasonable access"

What is covered:

1. ALL hospitals are publically funded (by taxes, and are government-run)

2. Physician costs (are not set by doctors, but are determined by removed, non-medical parties)

What is not covered:

1. Prescription drugs - 10% of health care costs (CURRENTLY A CO-PAY IN MOST US HEALTH CARE PLANS)

2. Medical equipment - wheelchairs, etc. (CURRENTLY PAID FOR IN US BY MEDICARE)

3. Allied health providers - physical therapy, podiatrist, chiropractor, independent living help, etc. (CURRENTLY COVERED OR A CO-PAY IN MOST US HEALTH PLANS)

Common Fallacies:

1. The number of US uninsured has not changed since the 1970's. The population has grown, but the percentage is still between 16-17%.

2. There are actually more insured Americans than ever, but currently 14M legal Americans are without insurance, not by choice.

Points of interest and concern:

• Costs for pharmaceutical drugs have doubled, and represent 10% of current US health care costs.

• US government currently pays 45%* of medical costs.

• Canadian government currently pays 70%* of medical costs.

Participating in the Canadian health care plan requires a primary care physician, but there is a shortage of doctors in Canada due to restrictions because:

• Canadian government decides where doctor will practice, depending on their specialty.

• Government imposes ratio. When it's reached, it's capped.

• Government imposes restrictions on hospitals, based on funding. No funding, no care, and the hospital will close.

• Government rationing of ER and all other departments -- gurneys stack up in hospital hallways if there are not enough (funded) beds in the hospital.

• CAT Scan, PET Scan, radio therapy, etc., requires first seeing a primary care physician, then inside specialist 8-16 week wait. Then 4-8 week wait for tests. Total wait time can be 6-12 months for the scan.

• The doctor/patient relationship is key to well being, but has been disrupted by the Canadian health care plan.

• Significant caps on fees.

Socialized health care is dictated by the system (budget), and not the needs of the patient.

Once a highly regarded and respected position, Canadian doctors are now regarded as government employees, and no longer garner the respect doctors in other countries enjoy. There has been a significant reduction in Canadian medical school enrollment, creating a shortage of doctors. The 'best and brightest' no longer are attracted to this career choice, so the 'lesser qualified' are gaining entry to medical schools -- and graduating. The end result is lower quality of care.

There's even more decline in Canada:

• Crippling diseases still exist in Canada -- and they shouldn't.

• There are no longer research or drug companies in Canada, and only two manufacturers of vaccines in the world (one in the US).

The Law and Costs:

• Private insurance is ILLEGAL in Canada -- Doctors are fined, jailed and will lose their license to practice in Canada. Patients are fined and jailed.

• Care is not free, and has no known value (you're not writing the check).

• The less doctors do for you, the more money is left in the 'pot' for them to continue to work before reaching the cap.

• Cost shift from medical care to disability -

10.1% Canadian GDP (gross domestic product)

16% US GDP

Disability and unemployment costs are not figured into GDP.

• Canadian government charges values to keep budget balanced, meaning if one month has high costs, the available funding will be reduced the following month in order to keep the budget balanced.

Question:

If this system doesn't work for 33 million Canadian citizens, who would think it would be viable for 307 million US citizens?

*Suggestion to fix US Health Care: Eliminate the 3rd Party

US bureaucracy/administration/regulatory micromanagement is responsible for 1/3 of our medical costs. If we cut the micromanagement of our current system, our costs would be in line with those of the Canadian socialized health care plan -- and we would still enjoy high quality of care.

Oh, and the doctor who provided this information has been asked to return to Canada to practice. He has less than zero motivation to do so. He enjoys freedom to practice in the US, to get paid his self-determined fees, to live a high quality of life, to enjoy respect of patients and peers, and to be grateful for the privilege of living and working in the United States.

Happy Independence Day!

OC

Dr Drew On the Death of Jeff Conaway: "Jeff is another pharmaceutical death from the overutilization of prescription drugs."

We lost Jeff Conaway -- a tremendously gifted (and under-acknowledged) Broadway, TV (Taxi) and film actor (Grease), who recently became well known for his history of substance abuse.

Dr Drew Pinsky treated Conaway on Celebrity Rehab, and recently commented that there is no evidence showing Jeff died from an overdose stating, "This was aspiration with overwhelming pneumonia and sepsis."

Dr Drew also said Jeff's condition was inevitable because the actor had been a serious abuser of prescription drugs for years, and the constant substance abuse wore down his body.

Question: Who's monitoring the patient?

This story is nothing new. Anyone could read this and name at least a dozen other people who've died prescription drug-related deaths in recent years. So if we are aware of the problem, why does it continue? Have we really become this irresponsible?

It has been reported time and again that the US loses more people to overuse of prescription drugs than to auto accidents:

http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=4099

http://news.injuryboard.com/prescription-drug-deaths-surpass-fatal-auto-accidents-in-15-states.aspx?googleid=271936

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33091645/ns/health-addictions/t/drug-deaths-outpace-car-crashes-more-states/

http://promises.com/promisesnews/articles/overdose/drugs-causing-more-deaths-than-auto-crashes-in-many-states-2/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009985051_drugdeaths02m.html

When will it stop? When people are educated to cope with their issues using other (and safer) means.

Don't rely on anyone (or our government) to teach you how to take better care of yourself -- especially when any education may even slightly suggest the reduction of pharmaceutical use. It's up to each of us to step up, take responsibility and educate ourselves, our families and communities how to better manage our own health and well being.

It may surprise you to know that medical doctors do not receive nutritional training in medical school. They are taught to use pharmaceuticals as routine first line treatment. That said, I don't suggest going off drugs your doctor has prescribed for you without their knowledge. I do suggest learning about other means to assist with a given health issue. There are plenty of resources available -- especially with internet access. Seek the help of a naturopath, nutritionist or other holistic practitioner in your city who can assist with optimizing your lifestyle choices. That's right -- choices. There are usually plenty of choices in many cases -- many people aren't aware of them until they investigate their options.

So, dare to think outside the box, and find very simple, very available, and very inexpensive safe alternatives to assist with a myriad of health issues.

In the very best of health,

OC

Stevie Nicks Confesses Her Biggest Mistake - Klonopin Addiction

"Klonopin is a horrible, dangerous drug." ----Stevie Nicks

"I was really sick," she says. Even though her years of cocaine abuse left a hole in her head the size of a Sacajawea gold dollar, she claims that the Klonopin did far more damage. "It was not my drug of choice," she says. "I'm not a downer person. I was looking for things that made me want to clean the house and shop, write songs and stay up for four days. I was sad and I was sick. I didn't really understand right up until the end that it was the Klonopin that was making me crazy. I really didn't realize it was that drug because I was taking it from a doctor and it was prescribed. It just hit me really hard that that was the foundation for why I was completely falling apart."

The last time Stevie Nicks used cocaine onstage was in 1986, and then checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for treatment. But the drug prescribed to her by a psychiatrist was far worse, and Stevie became addicted to the tranquilizer, Klonopin.

Generally prescribed for seizures and panic attacks, experts say it should not be taken for more than nine weeks. Stevie says she took it for eight years, learning way too late that Klonopin is highly addictive and can have side effects like depression and weight gain.

"My woman's vanity could not deal with that at all. After being a rock 'n' roll sex symbol for all that time, and then all of a sudden to be 'little fat girl' was just so unacceptable to me. I could see the disappointment in people's faces when they'd see me walk in." It took 47 days for the singer to detox from the prescription drug, "...and it was horrible," she says. "My hair turned gray. My skin molted. I couldn't sleep, I was in so much pain. Legs aching, muscle cramps... The rock star in me wanted to get in a limousine and go to Cedar's Sinai and say, 'Give me some Demerol because I am in pain.' And the other side of me said, 'You will fight out this 47 days.'"

"Klonopin is a horrible, dangerous drug," says Nicks, an addict for eight years. "Doctors are dying to put you on drugs: 'Feeling a little nervous? Here, let's mask everything so you don't have a personality anymore.'

"The overwhelming feeling of wellness and calm equals blah, nothing. My creativity went away. The fabulous Stevie everyone knew just disappeared. I became what I call the 'whatever' person. I didn't care about anything anymore. I got very heavy. One day I looked in the mirror and said, 'I don't know you.' And I went straight to the hospital for 47 days."

Stevie is back to her music, with a new chart-topping album, "In Your Dreams", and performed her new single "Secret Love" live on Dancing with the Stars last night. A fall 2011 solo tour and a possible 2012 Fleetwood Mac tour are in the works.

OC

Source:

http://www.benzo.org.uk/nicks.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20063904-10391698.html

What You Need to Know About Bisphenol-A (BPA)

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a hormone-disrupting chemical that lurks in food can linings, plastic food and beverage containers, and a slate of other consumer products. It has been linked with serious effects on human health such as:

• recurrent miscarriages in women

• neurological changes in children

• erectile dysfunction and hormonal changes in men.

Chemical industry lobbying has kept regulators from banning the use of BPA, but there is good news. A 2010 study found that BPA levels in five families dropped dramatically (by 60% on average) after just three days of not eating canned goods and food in plastic packaging.

Here are several more steps you can take to reduce your exposure to BPA:

• Avoid drinking out of plastic bottles. Use unlined stainless steel ones instead.

• Avoid canned foods and those that are sold in plastic containers.

• Buy products in glass or cardboard “brick-packaging” for a BPA-free alternative.

• Choose dried beans instead of canned ones, and stick with fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. If you can’t avoid canned fruits, vegetables, or beans, rinse the contents well before serving.

• Store leftovers in glass containers instead of plastic ones.

• Never microwave* food in plastic containers or while covered in plastic wrap. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.

• Don’t take receipts or wash your hands after touching one. The thermal paper used by many retailers for receipts contains high concentrations of BPA.

• Check recycling numbers on plastics. Types 3 and 7 are likely to contain BPA, so avoid these.

For Parents with Young Children: Unfortunately, many BPA alternatives are still being tested for safety and it is difficult to determine what products are truly better. For developing brains and bodies, cut to the chase and avoid plastics altogether.

• If you feed your infant formula, choose the powdered version instead of the liquid kind.

• Use glass or stainless steel containers for bottles and sippy cups.

• Avoid plastic toys, especially items that will be put into mouths.

Find out more about the harmful effects of BPA here.

OC

* LNH does not suggest the use of microwaves in any case.

Acid Reflux Drugs Tied to Bone Fractures

REPOST

By RONI CARYN RABIN/New York Times

Published: May 13, 2011

The analysis did not find a similar increase in fracture risk among patients taking older acid reflux medications, called histamine-2 receptor antagonists.A new analysis adds to growing evidence that people using proton pump inhibitors to control symptoms of acid reflux are more likely tofracture bones than those who do not.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration revised the label on proton pump inhibitors, or P.P.I.’s, to warn that they may raise the risk of fractures. In March, it removed the warnings from nonprescription P.P.I.’s, saying those were meant only for short courses of treatment while the fracture risk had been observed in long-term users.

The new analysis, published in the May-June issue of Annals of Family Medicine, examined 11 studies and found that patients taking P.P.I.’s were 29 percent more likely to get fractures.

The researchers also found that long-term users were 30 percent more likely to get fractures, and those taking high doses were 53 percent more likely to get hip fractures in particular.

Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung, a staff physician and senior scientist at the National Cancer Center in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the paper’s authors, said P.P.I. treatment may affect the intestine’s ability to absorb calcium. “Long-term or frequent use of P.P.I.’s should be avoided,” he said
.

Floridians Insist that FDA Act Now on Amalgam

For the second time in 60 days, a “town meeting” conducted by FDA’s Center for Devices has turned into a major media event highlighting the agency’s failed amalgam policy. Texans confronted Center for Devices Director Jeff Shuren in March; Floridians turned out en masse in Orlando on March 5, outraged over FDA’s failure to protect even children from dental mercury. The event was not only front-page news in Florida – it reached press outlets clear across the country: the Los Angeles Times proclaimed that “Mercury in dental fillings comes under fire at FDA meeting in Orlando.”

Among the witnesses was the venerable Sam Queen, the long-time guiding hand of the mercury-free dentistry movement via his work with the Wallace Research Foundation, his treatise on mercury (co-authored with his wife Betty), and his Institute for Health Realities. Orlando dentist Jim Hardy, whose book Mercury Free has educated so many delegates at the mercury treaty negotiating sessions, testified. So did Bernie Windham, president of Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS), who presented his prodigious research on amalgam. They were joined by dentists, other health professionals, and consumers from all over Florida. Freya Koss of Philadelphia served as organizer, liaison with FDA, and press spokeswoman. (Dr. Shuren told Freya: “I see you more than I see some members of my family.”)

Just like in Texas, with cameras in his face, Dr. Shuren was compelled to answer for FDA’s inaction on amalgam – something FDA officials are able to duck when they sit behind their desks. And Dr. Shuren told the Orlando Sentinel that "If I had my druthers, I would like to say something this year,” noting that the agency would have to reconsider the scientific and legal issues surrounding the amalgam issue. It is hardly a timetable, but it’s more than FDA has been willing to say in Washington.

Please join our Florida team and our Texas team in speaking out about amalgam! I encourage you to drop Dr. Shuren a note at jeff.shuren@fda.hhs.gov

Remember that Dr. Shuren is very concerned that Europeans are being subjected to unsafe medical devices; he recently accused European device regulators of treating consumers as“guinea pigs.” It’s time to ask Dr. Shuren why FDA is using American children as guinea pigs for amalgam – a medical device for which even FDA admits "[v]ery limited to no clinical information is available regarding long-term health outcomes in pregnant women and their developing fetuses, and children under the age of six, including infants who are breastfed." Ask Dr. Shuren whether he seriously intends to stop using American children as guinea pigs for the amalgam industry this year.

Thank you!

-- Charlie

11 May 2011

Charles G. Brown

President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice

AB88 Passed! GE Salmon MUST be Labeled in California -- But There's More...

On May 3rd, 2011, the California Assembly Health Committee passed AB 88, which requires all genetically engineered salmon sold in California to be clearly labeled. This is a first victory, and we thank all of you who took action to make it happen!

The bill now moves to the Appropriations Committee where those members will decide if AB 88 (in terms of costs associated with its implementation) should go to the full Assembly for the final vote.

We need to persuade Appropriations Committee members to vote in favor of AB 88!

The Committee - see the list below - will make a decision on May 18th. It is most critical to persuade at least 8 of these members to vote "yes" to get the bill to full assembly.

What can you do? In brief:
1) check if any of the representatives below is from your district
2) if so, call them as soon as possible to tell them to support AB88 which protects your consumer rights (and let Stacey@responsibletechnology.org know you called)
3) email them or fax them a short letter that says you strongly support AB 88 and you count on them to also vote in favor. Please mention clearly in your call, phone message or written message that you live in the district (indicate city and leave a phone number if you are leaving a phone message).

This is a landmark bill and a serious test of our ability to influence legislators in regard to GMOs.

Thanks for taking action!

The Staff at the Institute For Responsible Technology

Appropriations Committee Members	District	Phone	District	Fax	E-mail
Felipe Fuentes - Chair	Dem-39	(916) 319-2039	818-504-3911	(916) 319-2139	Assemblymember.Fuentes@assembly.ca.gov
Diane Harkey – Vice Chair	Rep-73	(916) 319-2073	760-757-8084	(916) 319-2173	Assemblymember.Harkey@assembly.ca.gov
Bob Blumenfield	Dem-40	(916) 319-2040	818-904-3840	(916) 319-2140	Assemblymember.Blumenfield@assembly.ca.gov
Steven Bradford	Dem-51	(916) 319-2051	310-412-6400	(916) 319-2151	Assemblymember.Bradford@assembly.ca.gov
Charles M. Calderon	Dem-58	(916) 319-2058	562-692-5858	(916) 319-2158	Assemblymember.Calderon@assembly.ca.gov
Nora Campos	Dem-23	(916) 319-2023	408-277-1220	(916) 319-2123	Assemblymember.Campos@assembly.ca.gov
Mike Davis	Dem-48	(916) 319-2048	213-744-2111	(916) 319-2148	Assemblymember.Davis@assembly.ca.gov
Tim Donnelly	Rep -59	(916) 319-2059	760-244-5277	(916) 319-2159	Assemblymember.Donnelly@assembly.ca.gov
Mike Gatto	Dem-43	(916) 319-2043	818-240-6330	(916) 319-2143	Assemblymember.Gatto@assembly.ca.gov
Isadore Hall III	Dem-52	(916) 319-2052	310-223-1201	(916) 319-2152	Assemblymember.Hall@assembly.ca.gov
Jerry Hill	Dem-19	(916) 319-2019	650-349-1900	(916) 319-2119	Assemblymember.Hill@assembly.ca.gov
Ricardo Lara	Dem-50	(916) 319-2050	562-927-1200	(916) 319-2150	Assemblymember.Lara@assembly.ca.gov
Holly J. Mitchell	Dem-47	(916) 319-2047	310-342-1070	(916) 319-2147	Assemblymember.Mitchell@assembly.ca.gov
Jim Nielsen	Rep- 2	(916) 319-2002	530-223-6300	(916) 319-2102	Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov
Chris Norby	Rep- 72	(916) 319-2072	714-526-7272	(916) 319-2172	Assemblymember.Norby@assembly.ca.gov
Jose Solorio	Dem-69	(916) 319-2069	714-939-8469	(916) 319-2169	Assemblymember.Solorio@assembly.ca.gov
Donald P. Wagner	Rep-70	(916) 319-2070	949-863-7070	(916) 319-2170	Assemblymember.Wagner@assembly.ca.gov

__________________________________________

Brain Injury and Depression: Physicians Working in the Dark -- So What Should We Do In the Meantime?

Review Reveals Only 2 Treatment Trials in This Large Patient Population

"April 25, 2011 — Despite the fact that depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects up to 30% of patients — or approximately 360,000 individuals annually — an extensive analysis reveals a stunning lack of research into effective treatments."

source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/741448?sssdmh=dm1.682894&src=nldne

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem, especially among male adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 24, and among elderly people of both sexes 75 years and older. Children aged 5 and younger are also at high risk for TBI.

TBI costs the country more than $48 billion a year, and between 2.5 and 6.5 million Americans alive today have had a TBI. Survivors of TBI are often left with significant cognitive, behavioral, and communicative disabilities, and some patients develop long-term medical complications, such as epilepsy.

Other statistics dramatically tell the story of head injury in the United States. Each year:

• approximately 270,000 people experience a moderate or severe TBI,
• approximately 70,000 people die from head injury,
• approximately 1 million head-injured people are treated in hospital emergency rooms,
• approximately 60,000 new cases of epilepsy occur as a result of head trauma,
• approximately 230,000 people are hospitalized for TBI and survive, and
• approximately 80,000 of these survivors live with significant disabilities as a result of the injury.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
TBI, also called acquired brain injury or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. The damage can be focal - confined to one area of the brain - or diffuse - involving more than one area of the brain. TBI can result from a closed head injury* or a penetrating head injury. A closed injury occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object but the object does not break through the skull. A penetrating injury occurs when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

*National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement, October 26-28, 1998. Rehabilitation of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury. Bethesda, MD, September 1999.

source: http://www.doereport.com/displaymonograph.php?MID=92

While the medical and pharmaceutical industries are spending billions trying to come up with a new magic bullet for depression, those who suffer from depression can go the tried and true "old skool" route by balancing their lifestyle choices.

Depression is more often caused by a lack of certain foods in the diet rather than something present in the diet. It is known that carbohydrates in the diet increase the brain’s production of serotonin. Also, the body needs the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in food proteins, to produce serotonin. So depression can sometimes be the result of a diet that is low in carbohydrates or tryptophan.

Here are some things you can do for yourself:

• drink plenty of pure water

• consume organic produce and hormone/antibiotic-free meats

• salmon, tuna, mackerel, spinach, fresh or frozen peas (not canned), chick peas, chicken and turkey are especially helpful

• prepare your own meals and serve yourself as if you were royalty

• get 20 minutes of sunshine a day

• exercise (in accordance with physical condition)

• have mercury dental amalgams ("silver fillings") removed by a properly trained biological dentist and replace them with biocompatible materials (see http://www.iaomt.org/patients/search.aspx)

• laugh often

• do something interesting and fun every day

• spend time with those who make you feel good

• read something interesting

• pray/meditate/quiet time

• get 8 hours of deep, restful sleep

• check folic acid iron, phenylalanine, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 levels

Avoid:

• sugar and foods that metabolize as sugar

• caffeine

• artificial foods

• refined foods

• food additives

• alcohol

• those who make you angry/upset

• too much television, computer, cell phone (EMF)

• grains, (except rolled organic oatmeal) especially if gluten intolerant

A balanced lifestyle is a proven way to rebalance the body, mind and spirit -- and some of it is FREE!

Feel GOOD!

OC

source: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may2001/989491596.Ns.r.html