The Death of Blind Faith: Most Astonishing Health Disaster of the 20th Century

Did you know......

Most drug side effects are mistaken for new disease symptoms, leading to further drugging and unnecessary medical procedures, increasing the risk of death even further.

The mortality rate for people between the ages of 45-64, who took their prescription drugs correctly, rose 90% in just five years.

As of 2001, Pfizer was the number one most profitable company of all the Fortune 500 companies. Their profit that year was 7.8 billion dollars, which is more than the profits of all Fortune 500 companies in the homebuilding, apparel, railroad and publishing industries combined. It's an industry that refuses to consider vitally important aspects of health, like

• how stress lowers the immune system

• how processed foods, alcohol, excessive calories and insufficient exercise are recipes for disease

• how exposure to the tens of thousands of toxins in our environment, and in our food supply, have direct links to the illnesses you suffer.

You are told to stay out of the sun, yet more than 50,000 people die from cancer each year, because they don't get enough sun exposure.

This short video is well worth your time. It's intent is to inform, educate and create awareness regarding the state of health and heath care in the US. Just click the link below to view.

The facts speak for themselves.

OC

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPI7zdGdqo4&feature=autofb

100,000 hits: Mercola Covers our California Victory

Dr. Joe Mercola, a great friend of our movement, made the Monahan Resolution his lead article yesterday; already, it has had over 100,000 hits.

Dr. Mercola recounts the advice of Anita Vazquez Tibau, our California leader who began a campaign to gain resolutions calling for a ban on mercury amalgam. As the Mercola Newsletter notes, Anita spearheaded the project with Kristy Mills and Marisa Russo, to make “a trio of Orange County California activists.” Councilman Gary Monahan of Costa Mesa, California, introduced a resolution against amalgam, and it passed at the 19 October 2010 city council meeting. The article includes videos featuring filmmaker Kelly Gallagher who chronicled the dramatic meeting and Dr. Jim Rota’s compelling speech to the City Council.

We encourage other Californians to pick up the torch in your community. Read Anita Tibau’s ten tips for community organizing at end of the Mercola article, then let me know at announcements@toxicteeth.org if you want to give it a try in another California town.

-- Charlie

11 November 2010

Red the article in full at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/10/first-legal-victory-to-ban-mercury-from-amalgams-in-the-us.aspx

Care to share? Feel free to forward this email to a friend.

You are receiving this email because you opted at our website, http://toxicteeth.org, or you contacted us directly by phone or email about obtaining our updates.

Our mailing address is:

Consumers for Dental Choice

316 F St., N.E.

Suite 210

Washington, DC 20002

*********

NOTE: Californians for Green Dentistry is grateful to Dr Mercola for his support, partnership and shared-vision for a mercury-free America.

In 2008, Laguna Natural Health partnered with Consumers for Dental Choice, a Washington, DC non-profit organization. Californians for Green Dentistry is a local coalition of concerned, forward-thinking people -- like you. How often does one get an opportunity to write American history? Be a part of it -- You can do this in your community. Go to www.toxicteeth.org for more information.

OC

Dr Mercola: "The Hazardous Gas in Your Mouth: Is This the First Crack in the ADA's Corrupt Cover-up?"

See the videos and the full story here:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/10/first-legal-victory-to-ban-mercury-from-amalgams-in-the-us.aspx

The two videos above are from the October 19, 2010 Costa Mesa City Council meeting, during which the Monahan Resolution banning the use of dental mercury was enacted.

The first one, created by Kelly Gallagher, poignantly captures both the testimony and the momentum of this watershed event, and one of the most compelling testimonies at this council meeting was in fact offered by a reader of this newsletter who took action and got involved.

This victory is reproducible, and below you'll find out exactly how.

Not only that; the success of this grassroots campaign against mercury amalgam is an excellent case study for others with similar goals for health care reform.

Effective change must start at the local level. Every leader made his or her mark in one community before moving to regional, national, and international leadership; they chose a real issue that directly impacted people's lives.

Historical examples include seamstress Rosa Parks who, joined by new clergyman Martin Luther King, led a bus strike in Montgomery, Alabama. Young lawyer Gandhi organized a strike over the British fingerprinting Indians in South Africa, and dockyard worker Lech Walesa led a strike at the shipyards of Gdansk, Poland.

Here, a trio of Orange County, California activists, led by Anita Vazquez Tibau, worked to find a community willing to fire the first shot across the bow at amalgam -- to eliminate its use entirely.

Anita's track record on this cause goes back to 2001, when she led the successful effort to disband the Dental Board of California for failing to prepare an honest fact sheet on mercury fillings, as required in the Watson law.

Now as director of Californians for Green Dentistry, a project of Consumers for Dental Choice, Anita is joined by dental hygienist Marisa Russo (www.simplyraisingawareness.com) and naturopath Kristy Mills (www.lagunanaturalhealth.com).

This team distributed flyers explaining the hazards of amalgam (unfortunately, most people are still not even aware that "silver fillings" contain mercury!). They allied with health professionals and green businesses for support.

They organized an extensive petition drive, collecting signatures from individuals asking city council to ban amalgam -- both by asking people directly to sign, and by enlisting friendly health professionals and businesspeople to keep the petitions in their front offices.

They surveyed all the city's dentists, and presented certificates to dentists who are mercury-free.

Then, they sought out Councilman Gary Monahan, a courageous Councilman from Costa Mesa who runs an Irish restaurant and understands the risks of mercury firsthand -- he has an autistic son. Councilman Monahan agreed to sponsor a resolution calling on the federal and state governments to "eliminate the use of mercury in dental practices ...immediately," and, at the local level, requesting that every dentist cease using this poisonous material.

On October 19, 2010, they were ready.

Dentists, a dental hygienist, chiropractors, victims of mercury toxicity, businesspeople, a scientist, a Navy veteran, and a lawyer descended on the City Council meeting to testify in favor of the Monahan resolution.

It passed unanimously, and Costa Mesa became the first locality in the United States to call for a ban on mercury fillings – all because of the passionate involvement of these courageous and industrious volunteers.

Join Us! Bring the Movement Against Mercury in Dentistry to Your City

Now it's your turn!

If you live in California, please join Anita, Kristy, Marisa, and the Californians for Green Dentistry team as they take this movement to other cities across the US.

The next step is to find other cities in California willing to follow suit in endorsing an immediate elimination of amalgam. Therefore, volunteers, especially in the L.A. and Orange County area, are being sought.

To volunteer, write announcements@toxicteeth.org, and give you home city and county along with your contact information.

As they say, all politics is local!

The Ball is Already Rolling… Let's Keep it Going!

For its national and international impact, the timing of the Monahan resolution could not be better.

In December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold hearings to reconsider its position on amalgam. The FDA's current stance is that mercury in dentistry is good for the public health. But even though they've long been the world's number one protector of mercury fillings, the FDA is finally starting to realize it has become a pariah in the world by covering up the massive harm being done.

Also, in January, the United Nations begins its second session on a treaty to address all sources of mercury.

And a new coalition called the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, led by Charlie Brown (charlie@toxicteeth.org), is leading the charge to phase out amalgam everywhere.

If consumers like you continue to organize and fight against the pro-mercury dental lobby, then the vote in Costa Mesa, CA could become the shot heard round the world!

Pro-mercury dentists, the FDA, and the world need to know that consumers will not tolerate dental mercury - a neurotoxin and a pollutant - any longer. Just like Costa Mesans have made it clear that the use of amalgam is no longer acceptable in their community.

To keep this momentum going, please sign the Californians for Green Dentistry's online petition to ban dental mercury in California, right NOW!

How to Organize a Grassroots Campaign at the Local Level – A First-Hand Account

The director of Californians for Green Dentistry, Anita Vazquez Tibau, recently told me her personal story of what got her started as a local activist in Orange County, CA, about ten years ago:

"In 2000 I discovered I was mercury poisoned by my 13 large mercury dental fillings. After burning the midnight oil, I realized the science and medical research clearly indicated that the mercury from my fillings was the cause of many of the health problems I was suffering from.

I decided almost immediately that this was a problem I could do something about, and that's where my journey started."

Anita graciously provided me with this helpful ten-point guide to organizing at the grassroots level. I hope her success will inspire you to follow in her footsteps, and become an advocate for safe dentistry in your local community. As Anita says:

"What I have learned over the past 10 years working with Consumers for Dental Choice about grassroots organizing can be accomplished by anyone!"

Organizing at the Grass Roots Level -- 10 points for Success

1. Be passionate!
   
   

   The first element for success is unbridled passion for your cause. People get involved with an issue because they or their loved ones have been affected. Do what you love and love what you do.

2. Become an expert.
   
   

   Whoever is chosen to become a spokesperson for the cause must absolutely become an expert on the topic. Anything less could become a detriment to the organization. Know your organization and never stop learning and growing.

3. Research – research – research!
   
   

   Research the cause of the problem; people who are most affected by the issue; and the experts who know and understand the cause. Beware that you must find legal experts as well. Use your contacts and create a database.

   Also know who is your opponent –you will not be successful unless you can defeat your opponent.

4. Think about who you should target for support on an issue, and how.
   
   

   Align yourself with other likeminded groups so that you can become a stronger organization. Also remember that people are more likely to support your cause if you present yourself professionally – believe it or not, doors will open faster if you solicit support in business attire.

5. Petition – Petition – Petition!
   
   

   If you are able to describe your cause in a sentence or two, people are more likely to help. You need a sales pitch! This becomes your mantra for the organization and builds brand recognition. For example Charlie Brown coined the term – "Say the "M" Word"…People would then be curious and ask "What is the "M" word?" and we would explain that it's about mercury…

   One of the problems your may encounter is where to find a location to gather signatures. Look for locations that may be open to your cause, then contact the manager at the store/location to see if you can set up an information table. Some businesses may not allow petitioning whereas others can be extremely helpful.

   Once they say yes, it helps to personally meet the manager and establish a positive working relationship. Again, professionalism is key, and so is appearance.

   Another great avenue for spreading the word is through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Non-profits are constantly fund-raising and these avenues are free! Consumers for Dental Choice placed a petition online with tremendous success.

6. Plan events to raise awareness.
   
   

   Once you've built a solid base of support, start planning events to build awareness around your cause. Look to your sphere of influence – people that you have met that can support your cause.

   When it is press related – visuals are a must! Signs carry a message, and visuals are powerful.

7. Look for win-win situations.
   
   

   Look for local businesses that can benefit by the exposure of helping you. For example, businesses that will carry your message by letting their clients sign your petition, while getting recognition through your organization in return. In essence they become stakeholders in your cause. Use local platforms as educational tools about your issue.

8. Identify allies in city government.
   
   

   Once you have garnered enough support, research and identify allies in the city government who will be sensitive to your issue.

9. Remember common courtesies.
   
   

   Always thank those who help you, and be sincere. A heartfelt thanks goes a long way, and it is best to say thank you in writing.

10. Stay positive!
    
    

    Remember, when the going gets tough. the tough get going. Never give up hope -- that is all you have, so have faith in what you do. We will always win if we don't quit!

Sign the Petition to Ban Dental Mercury in California

Even if you're not ready to take an active part in this campaign, you can still help keep this momentum going.

Please take a moment right NOW to sign the Californians for Green Dentistry's online petition to ban dental mercury in California by visiting this page, and share it with everyone you know.

For more information and regular updates, please join the Californians for Green Dentistry's Facebook page.

Together, we can WIN, and protect the health of countless children and adults who are still being poisoned by this ancient form of dentistry, every single day in the US.

OC

Dr Mercola's Comments on Mercury Dental Amalgam

Dr Mercola posted this video clip on his website: Here are his

comments:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/help-to-kick-the-fdas-butt-into-action-on-the-dental-mercury-issue.aspx

To the consumers of America and around the world, the Mercola Newsletter salutes you. You did it! FDA has agreed to re-examine its pro-mercury fillings position, and to consider protecting those whose brains are still developing, children and the unborn.

But FDA has pulled out the rug from consumers before on dental mercury. In 2008, settling a court case filed by Charlie Brown, FDA posted stark warnings that amalgam can injure the developing brains of children and fetuses. In 2009, FDA buried the warnings, placing them where they hoped parents wouldn't see them. If any agency requires continued vigilance, it is FDA.

The issue now is who will sit on the FDA panel that will determine the safety of dental mercury. FDA has a history of stacking the deck of its panels, so that the pro-industry staff position gets ratified. I ask you to write Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and ask that he convene a balanced panel -- that he not pack it with dental school deans and others with ties to the pro-mercury American Dental Association. If the FDA panel is to have any credibility whatsoever, Dr. Shuren needs all sides fairly represented on it.

So I recommend you write Dr. Shuren at Jeff.Shuren@fda.hhs.gov; ask him for a balanced dental products panel to review the FDA dental mercury rule -- a humane panel of people dedicated to protecting children and unborn babies from exposure to toxic products. Let him know that the public will not tolerate a panel biased in favor of the American Dental Association's pro-mercury position -- not when our children's health is at stake.

How You Can Help Eliminate Dental Mercury

See the video here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/help-to-kick-the-fdas-butt-into-action-on-

the-dental-mercury-issue.aspx

FDA's abysmal 2009 amalgam rule -- allowing a cover-up of the very existence of the mercury, and not even protecting children and unborn children from this unnecessary mercury exposure -- triggered a massive response from grassroots America.

"Unprecedented consumer-level pressure," according to the respected independent publication FDA Webview, meant that "no final rule in FDA's modern history, or perhaps ever, has attracted this kind of organized opposition." With a myriad of consumers repeatedly phoning and e-mailing FDA, the agency had to seriously consider a series of excellent petitions for reconsideration, one filed by Washington lawyer Jim Turner for Citizens for Health, another by IAOMT lawyers Jim Love and Bob Reeves, and a third by University of Virginia medical school professor emeritus Richard Edlich.

Then in June, 2010 the heat went from national to international. The United Nations convened the nations to negotiate a treaty on mercury, where the cause of mercury-free dentistry was well-represented. Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice founded the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and brought a delegation from seven nations to the conference.

As the chief protector of dental mercury, FDA was exposed for the pariah that it has become on protecting consumer health and safety.

On the fifth day of the United Nations conference, FDA caved. FDA announced it will convene hearings this December before its Dental Products Panel to determine whether to stop amalgam use for children and pregnant women.

OC

Men: Study Shows That Weight Training Can Cut Cancer Risk by 40%

Men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer, according to new research.

The findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors.

A team of experts tracked the lifestyles of over 8,500 men for more than two decades. Each volunteer had regular medical check ups that included tests of their muscular strength. The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor.

Even among volunteers who were overweight, regular weight training seemed to have a protective effect, although the researchers stressed that keeping a healthy weight was still crucial for avoiding premature death. 

But they added, "In the light of these results, it is equally important to maintain healthy muscular strength levels.”

Researchers said it’s possible to reduce cancer mortality rates in men by promoting resistance training involving the major muscle groups at least two days a week.

Sources:

The Telegraph May 26, 2009

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 18, 1468, May 1, 2009

Dr Mercola's Comments:

"The results of this study -- that men who regularly work out with weights and have high muscle strength can reduce their risk of cancer by 30-40 percent -- should provide major motivation for any of you still on the fence about adding strength training to your exercise routine.  

One of the primary reasons exercise works to lower your cancer risk is because it drives your insulin levels down.Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks. 

It’s also been suggested that apoptosis (programmed cell death) is triggered by exercise, causing cancer cells to die. 

It is becoming increasingly clear that a well-rounded exercise program is an important component of staying healthy. 

1. Aerobic
2. Interval
3. Strength
4. Core

Unfortunately, many public health guidelines are still focusing only on the aerobic component, and merely focusing on aerobic activity will most definitely lead to imbalances that will cause other parts of your body to not be healthy. You really need a well balanced exercise regimen.

It’s important to vary your exercise routine as otherwise your muscles simply get used to the same activity. They require a level of muscle confusion if they are to continue to improve and grow stronger. Further, each type of exercise has very different and very specific impacts on your body, and you’ll want to take advantage of all of them.

This topic is truly very near and dear to my heart, as I went to medical school in large part because I wanted to use exercise as a therapeutic tool to help people get healthier. I strongly believe that without fitness, it is virtually impossible to achieve optimal health.

The Benefits of Strength Training

As you age your muscle mass diminishes, and strength training is one of the best ways to replace the lean muscle mass that you’ve lost. If you don’t challenge your muscles in this way, the percentage of fat in your body will keep increasing while your muscle mass will keep decreasing.

So strength training is of utmost importance as you get older, but should ideally be done regularly throughout your life to both preserve and enhance your muscle mass.

Strength training also offers these additional benefits:

• Increases your bone density while lowering your risk of osteoporosis
• Lose weight (the more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body burns calories)
• Protects your joints from injury 
• Helps maintain flexibility and balance
• Improves your stamina and lessens fatigue

How to Use Strength Training for Optimal Benefits

Contrary to popular belief, a 1-set strength training routine is typically plenty to get the most out of your workout.

A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise confirmed that for the average person exercising by strength training, the number of repetitions (the number of times a muscle or group of muscles is used to lift a weight) is not of major importance; a single set of repetitions was found to be almost as effective in maintaining fitness as three sets. 

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) -- the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world -- and the U.S. Surgeon General have also been recommending a 1-set exercise program for some time.

So incorporating a simple 1-set, five- to 30-minute weight lifting routine into your regular program will definitely improve fitness, and is a practical, obtainable goal for most people. There are some key concepts to keep in mind, however, as not just any set of weight training will do.

You need to do enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and rebuild -- more is not better here.

Later this year I plan on introducing a comprehensive state of the art comprehensive personal training option that can easily guide you through this entire process.

How to Round Out Your Exercise Routine, and Why You Should

I highly recommend finding a personal trainer to help you reach your fitness goals, but if you cannot afford it or live in an area without access to one, you can still reap the benefits of exercise if you focus on varying your routine. So along with your strength training program, make sure you also incorporate the following into your exercise routine:

1. Aerobic: Jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. As you get your heart pumping, the amount of oxygen in your blood improves, and endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, increase. 

Meanwhile, aerobic exercise activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, and increases your stamina over time.

2. Interval (Anaerobic) Training: Research is showing that the BEST way to condition your heart and burn fat is NOT to jog or walk steadily for an hour. Instead, it’s to alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle recovery periods. 

This type of exercise, known as interval training or burst type training, can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities.

For example, intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your skin within the exercising muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation increases weight loss. So, short bursts of activity done at a very high intensity can help you reach your optimal weight and level of fitness, in a shorter amount of time.

3. Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.

Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you can learn from a personal trainer.

Ready to Get Started?

More than half of U.S. adults don’t get the recommended amount of exercise, and one out of four don’t exercise at all. 

Why? 

A lack of time is the most common reason given for not exercising.

To help avoid falling into this trap, you need to arrange your schedule around exercise. Plan it into your day the same way you would an important meeting and consider it non-negotiable, like mealtimes and sleep.

When you begin to view exercise as a necessary component to your health, rather than a luxury, it becomes easier to find time for it during even the busiest days. For you, the best time to exercise may be first thing in the morning. Others may find early afternoon to work best. 

The important key to remember is that it doesn’t matter when you exercise (with the exception of exercising too close to bedtime, which can keep you awake), just that you make time for it most days of the week."

LNH