ORGANIC FOOD

       

Not for You 47 Percent?

Mitt Romney hasn't divulged many details about what kind of agriculture policy he'd pursue as president. (Sound familiar?) 

But all signs suggest that he'd follow the agribiz party line. As Wayne Barrett showed in a recent Nation piece (my comment here), Romney has ties to agribusiness giant Monsanto that date to the '70s, when GMO seeds were an R&D project, not a business model.

According to Barrett, Romney, then a young Bain consultant, helped nudge Monsanto on its path away from disgraced industrial chemical concern toward its current status as world-beating agribiz player. Then there's the agribiz execs and shills the GOP nominee tapped for his campaign's Agriculture Advisory Committee.

But guess what? In the privacy of his campaign jet, the beleaguered presidential contender apparently eats organic, reports the Today show's Peter Alexander: And, while I've never been invited up front, sources close to the campaign tell me the shelves are stocked with a wide variety of healthy fare. Kashi cereals, hummus, pita as well as organic applesauce are well stocked. Everything's organic, I'm told, including the ingredients to Romney's favorite, peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

Nor is this the first time the Romney family has been linked to organic food. Get a load of this2002 profile of Ann Romney from the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette: Mrs. Romney was introduced to several practitioners of holistic medicine, who persuaded her to adopt alternative therapies. She now eats organic foods and very little meat. She practices reflexology and undergoes acupuncture treatments. She credits the lifestyle with turning her health around.

I have calls and emails into the Romney campaign to confirm these reports. I have yet to hear back. But if they're true—and it's hard to imagine either the Romney’s or the journalists would make them up—Romney would hardly be the only prominent politician to publicly promote genetically modified foods while privately avoiding them by sticking to organics. (USDA organic code forbids GMOs from any food labeled organic, along with the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides).

Indeed, he's following a tradition that dates to Bill Clinton, includes George W. Bush and his family, and is alive and well in the White House of Romney's opponent, Barack Obama. What's my evidence that the Clintons and Bushes ate organic? Get this, from someone who knows—Walter Scheib, who served as White House executive chef during the Clinton and Bush years:

From 1994 to 2005 I was the executive chef at the White House. This offered me not only the personal honor of serving two unique and interesting first families, but the professional challenge of fulfilling Hillary Clinton's mandate of bringing contemporary American cuisine and nutritionally responsible food to the White House.

This meant that nearly all the product used was obtained from local growers and suppliers. There was a small garden on the roof of the White House where produce was grown.The ethic of the purchasing and the cooking at the White House under my direction and under the continuing direction of [current Obama White House executive chef] Cris Comerford is one of respect for the pedigree of the product and manner it is grown, gathered, raised or caught.

The Clinton and Bush families dined regularly on organic foods. Both wagyu and grass-fed beef were frequently used.And here's Scheib again, in an interview with the blog Obama Foodorama, on Hillary Clinton's unheralded rooftop veggie garden: "Not certified organic," Mr. Scheib said. "But everything was absolutely grown without pesticides and fertilizers. I guess it's what these days we call 'natural.'"

And "the emphasis on organics became even more important when the Bushes arrived in the White House," Obama Foodorama reported. "Laura Bush was 'adamant' about organics, according to Mr. Scheib." Scheib also told the New York Times that Laura Bush "insisted that fresh, organic foods be served in the White House," but she just didn't talk "much about it outside the house."  

While the Clintons and Bushes quietly dined on organic and grass-fed, their administrations pushed policies that propped up industrial agriculture and the companies that dominate it. Clinton promoted GMOs to the very end of his term—a cause his wife Hillary has kept up as secretary of state. At least Clinton was fairly progressive on maintaining strict USDA standards for organic farming; Bush matched Clinton's zeal for propping up industrial farming but also tried to weaken organic standards.

As for the Obamas, Michelle Obama, unlike her predecessors, was pretty open about her preference for organics—at least at first. For a pre-election 2008 profile, Ms. Obama told theThe New Yorker that "in my household, over the last year we have just shifted to organic." She added a little critique of a famous industrial-food sweetener:

And the fruit-juice-box thing, and we think—we think—that's juice. And you start reading the labels and you realize there's high-fructose corn syrup in everything we're eating. Every jelly, every juice. Everything that's in a bottle or a package is like poison in a way that most people don't even know…

And, of course, soon after she moved into the White House, Ms. Obama famously broke ground on an organic garden on the lawn—and launched a campaign to inspire children to make healthier food choices.

But the agrichemical industry quickly chided the Obamas for not using "crop protection products" (i.e., pesticides) in their garden; the administration began making pro-agribiz appointments and policy moves (a trend that continues to this day); and Michelle Obama shifted her kids' health campaign to emphasize exercise over diet change.

Now the Obamas appear to have settled into the pattern established by their predecessors: privately eat organic while publicly maintaining the food system status quo—a pattern that Romney, if he wins, seems ready to maintain. So, organic for the elite, GMOs for everyone else? That's precisely the kind of exclusive mindset that gives organic food a bad name.

—By Tom Philpott

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/09/report-monsanto-man-mitt-romney-eats-organic

Just thought you may want to know that the folks who run the world do not eat what they sell and promote. Think About It and remember,

CHIT CHAT WON'T BURN FAT

YOUR FOOD AFFECTS

Your Mood

Scientific research and personal experience both demonstrate that what we eat affects how we think and how we act. Still, most people don’t acknowledge the connection between their food and their mood. Stop and think for a moment about how you feel throughout the day. Do you sometimes feel fuzzy and tired after lunch? Do you feel angry and irritable between meals and energized by a great meal.

Food undoubtedly changes your mood. The most extreme examples are coffee and alcohol which change your state of mind within minutes. For this reason, I don’t even classify them as foods but as drugs. The standard American diet, high in processed carbohydrates and poor-quality animal meat while lacking in vegetables and water, leaves many people in a bad mood.

It’s hard to feel inspired and happy when you’re living on chemical, artificial junk food. Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure and a pioneer in the field of nutritional psychology, refers to this relationship as the law of malnutrition. The current epidemic of bad moods is definitely linked to an epidemic of deteriorating food quality and quantity: junk moods come from junk foods, she writes.  Is this why poor neighborhoods have higher levels of violence?

Soda, chocolates, ice cream, potato chips and fries are all easily accessible and less expensive fuels that people turn to when they want to be lifted out of a bad mood. The irony is that these low quality fuels are a big part of the problem. Salt impacts your moods making you feel tense. Sugar gives you a high and makes you feel energized. When your blood sugar goes up, you get that woo-hoo, good feeling. But as soon as it goes down, you feel like the world is coming to an end. 

We even crave more aphrodisiac food, such as chili peppers and spice, avocado and chocolate, when we are out on a date. What we are really doing with all this food is a form of self-medicating or seeking balance. We already understand the food-mood connection; we just don’t have a language to discuss these habits with each other. 

Eating carbohydrates releases serotonin in the brain, which makes people feel more relaxed. Eating too many carbs or overly processed carbs like sugar and flour releases even more serotonin, and causes drowsiness. You've probably experienced that sleepy feeling after eating too much pasta or heavy carbohydrates. 

Eating protein produces dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain which makes people feel more alert and full of energy, when protein is eaten in the appropriate portions. On the other hand, overeating protein can lead to tension and irritability. 

Each person’s food-mood sensitivity varies. Only you can determine the right amount of proteins, carbs and fats to keep yourself in balance. Once the correlation enters your consciousness, you will be more careful with your food choices. I simply encourage you to notice, explore, experiment and determine what works for you.

Above Excerpt from Integrative Nutrition

One of the best ways to learn what us best for you is to record what you eat and how you feel afterwards. Similar to recording your workouts recording what you are eating and how you feel subsequently will assist you in learning what is right for you. Your memory is not as good as you think and it only takes a few minutes to record. The time utilized to record may save you from sitting in the doctor’s office awaiting your exam.

Is it becoming clearer that food is fuel, pure and simple, nothing more? Yet in many places where food is abundant, it is romanticized and over used or used inappropriately. When it rains steadily and consistently, water seeps into the fuel pack on my truck. The truck will still run but it rumbles and shakes noticeably whenever I press on the gas. Like my  truck your body will demonstrate to you when the fuel you provide has been compromised. You may y not rumble and shake but there will be a response.

So let’s pay attention and record what fuel does what and begin to eliminate the contaminants from our system. Once you do your engine will purr and roar as it is supposed  to do.

So Get Up Get Moving and Get the Right Fuel for You and remember……….

CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT

EVERYTHING ISN'T FOR......

EVERYBODY

In 1956 Roger Williams published Biochemical Individuality, asserting that individuality permeates each part of the human body. This book explained how individual differences in anatomy, metabolism, composition of bodily fluids and cell structure influence your overall health. Each person, Williams wrote, “has genetically determined and highly individualistic nutrition requirements.” This theory influenced some independent-thinking minds in the nutrition world but is still largely ignored by mainstream medicine.

One of the major factors shaping bio-individuality is ancestry. If your ancestors were Japanese, you will most likely thrive on a Japanese-type diet, high in rice, sea vegetables and fish. If your ancestors were from India, your digestive system will probably love basmati rice, cooked beans and curry. If many generations of your ancestors from Scandinavia were accustomed to eating dairy on a daily basis, it’s natural that your body will be able to assimilate dairy foods. This theory also applies to foods that you have difficulty digesting.

For example, many traditional African communities had an abundance of beans, grains, animal protein, sweet potatoes and green vegetables. Dairy was not easily accessible or easy to store in hot regions, and therefore, not a part of the traditional diet. So, it makes sense that a lot of people of African descent are lactose intolerant. It is a fact that no other animal species, except for humans, naturally consumes dairy after infancy.

Your blood type also influences your bio-individuality. Many people don’t know their blood type, unless they have donated blood or received a blood transfusion, but the four blood types (A, B, AB, O) have evolved over thousands of years and offer insight into what foods work best in your body. Each type can be traced to a certain period of human history with distinct differences in diet, culture, and social conditions. Each blood type has developed particular strengths and limitations and knowing them can influence your health.

Many Type O’s feel energized by eating meat, while Type B’s are better able to digest dairy. These preferences are based on a chemical reaction that occurs between the foods you eat and your blood. Some foods are capable of causing the cells of individuals with a certain blood type to clump together, while having no impact on the cells of individuals with another blood type. If you eat a food that is incompatible with your blood type, it could eventually lead to health problems, demonstrating how one person’s food can be another person’s poison.

Another aspect of bio-individuality is metabolism, or the rate at which you convert food into energy. Knowing your personal metabolic rate is useful when gauging the quantity of food your digestive system can process. Depending on your metabolic rate, your body may quickly convert calories to energy, or it may store the extra calories. You may recall that as a teenager you could wolf down a burger, fries, milkshake and ice cream all in one meal, without any indigestion or tightening of your jeans. That’s because young people are still growing, have fast metabolic rates and burn calories more quickly than adults.

People can be divided into three general types of metabolic activity. Fast Burners, or Protein types, tend to be frequently hungry and crave fatty, salty foods and not do well on high carbohydrate or vegetarian-type diets. Their bodies burn through carbohydrates too quickly, and a higher protein intake helps slow down their metabolism. 

Slow Burners, or Carbo types, generally have relatively weak appetites, a high tolerance for sweets and problems with weight control. They require a higher percentage of carbohydrates to give them energy to speed up their metabolism. Mixed types generally have average appetites and moderate cravings for sweets and starchy foods. For them, the ideal diet is a balanced combination of protein and carbohydrates.

You can determine your metabolic type by answering questionnaires or taking simple medical tests. Keep in mind that even your metabolic rate and sensitivity can shift as you age, or as stress levels or nutrient deficiencies shift in your diet or lifestyle. If this all seems too confusing and complicated, don’t worry. Just observe how your own body responds to the food you give it.

People are different, and getting to know your own body is an essential first step in discovering how to stay healthy. 

Metabolic theory demonstrates that no one diet is right for all of us. You may know people who can eat processed carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta, and stay very thin while you gain weight on such a diet. It’s not because carbohydrates are “evil” or your body isn’t as healthy; it just shows that all people metabolize these foods differently. You might do better on a high-protein diet with lots of fresh vegetables and some whole grains.

Knowing what foods you metabolize best will help you to choose foods that make you feel good and support your individual body. Our personal tastes and preferences, natural shapes and sizes, blood types, metabolic rates and genetic backgrounds influences what foods will and won’t nourish us. So, when the experts say “tomatoes are good for you” or “red meat is unhealthy,” it’s too much of a generalization. One person’s food is another person’s poison, and that’s why fad diets don’t work in the long run. They are not based on the reality that we all have different dietary needs.

Sometimes it takes millions of dollars in funding and years of research for scientists to prove what we already know. I am certain that science will soon discover diet needs to be based on bio-individuality. To some extent, it’s already happening. We see it with the USDA’s new dietary guidelines and the 12 versions of the food pyramid. These small steps are just the beginning.

Above Excerpt from “Integrative Nutrition”

Based on what I’ve read here and in other resources including, “Eat Right for Your Type,” I’ve been aware of this for some time and have adjusted my nutrition to eliminate foods that are not right for me. Learning what is right for us requires conscious living and is a part of the mind/body connection, a key component of being well. Wellness includes all components of our being, mind, body and spirit/soul. To get well we need to live in a conscious manner and raise our levels of awareness.

Pay attention to everything you are thinking since our thoughts become our beliefs and our beliefs are who we are. Have you ever caught yourself thinking something in a stressful moment that you do not really believe belongs in your belief system? These are what I refer to as the implanted beliefs that are hoisted upon us by our influences from our inner circles. Even though intellectually, we may know these thoughts to be false or inconsistent with whom we think we are, they will continue to influence how we think and how we behave.

It is not as hard as it seems but it does take practice. Connecting the dots of belief, thoughts and actions does take work but until we do it we cannot clean out the junk. And remember, what another person eats doesn’t make you fat, and vice versa. Find out what’s best for you. Listen to your own heart and body about what’s best for you. As you start to pay attention to what makes you feel good and what does not, you will have the information you need that is best for YOUR body, mind, and spirit!

Get Up, Get Moving, and Get Well by figuring out what is right for your wellness and remember,

“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT

and won’t get rid of the junk holding you back from becoming the best you possible. Have a great day and Be Well.

Jay Henry

CASHEW ENCRUSTED GINGER

                               

Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 lbs.	Tilapia (approx. 8 pieces)
8 oz. can	Lightly salted or no salt Cashews
	Pepper Old Bay dry ground Ginger Mayonnaise

Directions:

1.  Use food processor or other tool to grate the cashews to a powder.                     

2.  Pour ground cashew into a medium size casserole dish.

3.  Season with the Old Bay, Ginger, and Pepper to taste.

4.  Put 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise in a small bowl.

5.  Use a barbecue brush to paint each piece of tilapia on both sides with a thin coating of mayonnaise.

6.  Place each piece individually in the ground cashews until fully covered on both sides.

7.  Place in a baking pan after covering with non stick spray. Do not cover.

8.  Place in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes on each side or until coating is brown and crisp.

Prep time 15 minutes

Total time 30-40 minutes

This a great recipe if you like fish and want to add some variety to the preparation. This a great tasting low fat recipe for anyone who enjoys eating good food. It is easy to prepare and easy to cook. It is even easier to eat. Enjoy and share this recipe with your friends and family. The only added fat is from the cashews and it is minimal.

Alright everyone, after you eat you know what to do. Get Up Get Moving, Get Well, and remember,

CHIT CHAT WON'T BURN FAT

AM I

LOSING CONTROL OF MY BRAND

Recently a friend of mine texted me and said, Google your brand and see what happens. So I did and my brand, “CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT,” came right up and went directly to my blog. I thought great barely noticing all of the other sites using it. I texted back and said great. The next communication made me take a closer look and when I did, I realized the brand was everywhere. My first thought was copyright/trademark infringement.

When I spontaneously came up with the spiffy saying, it was because 2 of my workout partners, Betty and Dave like to chit chat. It was just a quick little saying that caught on. Before I decided to use it, I checked with the Federal Trademark Commission and no one was using this brand. The literature indicated that because of its brevity I did not have to apply for a copyright and so the brand is mine. Let us be clear about that first.

I am not really sure of the next steps although I thought I was this morning. After watching a TED video entitled, “3 Ways to Lose Control of Your Brand,” I am not so sure. I think communication is required first since the more they use it the more popular it will become. However without communication it is infringement and there are clear laws that prohibit this activity. I am happy it is becoming popular and do not want unintended consequences but when using, “CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT,” all roads lead to me, Jay Henry.

So if you are going to use it I’d appreciate it if you credit me with it and attach the link to its origin http://purposedrivenpeoplesspace.blogspot.com/. Also it would be wise to not produce products with the trademark phrase or any portion of it. I encourage you to continue using it but let’s talk. 

Send me an e-mail and we can come to an agreement. Business not piracy will be a welcomed outcome by all. I am choosing to avoid the conflict of legal action by being practical and fair. I pray you choose the same.

So let’s talk business and until we do a word to the wise is Get Up Get Moving and remember,

“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT” started here.

DO THE TV PITCHMEN

 KEEP IT REAL?

LET’S KEEP IT REAL

Since I’ve begun writing my blog on a daily basis I seem to pay more attention to the information being offered about wellness and fitness. Earlier today, my wife and I watch a commercial that promised to burn belly fat without changing your lifestyle. In fact that was the primary selling point; get great benefits from doing nothing. You slather on the thermogenic cream and put on what looks like a girdle over your belly and hips. Leave it on for ten minutes and you lose belly fat.

Come on folks, has anyone really spent money on that?

I assume they have sold quite a few since the commercial was on during the day and not in the middle of the night. In this economy, people are spending money on weight loss products like never before. With the perception of less resources people are spending more of their money on things associated with weight loss and for medical conditions related to weight gain than ever before in our history. We may conclude 3 things from these factors.

 The first is people are desperate for a cure to the obesity disease that has overwhelmed our selves, families and communities. “Taste great and gain weight” seems to be the trend. The problem is we have been taught to request and wait for a magic bullet or the Holy Grail to health and weight loss. We have been conditioned to seek an easier solution. Truth be told, we have all benefited from advances in science and technology and the world has made great strides when it comes to developing some magic bullets, like the cell phone, remote control, and even automatic windows in our cars.

However there is also a down side to this as well. I frequently wonder what would happen if someone pulled the plug. I mean literally pulled the plug and the water, gas, and electric went down. As a society, we have become so conditioned to rely on gadgets and technology to do the job for us that I wonder if we would even have a clue how to turn on the television without a remote control in one hand and a bowl of potato chips in the other.

The honest truth is: There is no magic bullet for getting well and staying well. It is plain and simple. You must Get Up & Get Moving to get well and stay well. No one can do it for you since your formula and execution will be unique. What you need is real information and motivation.

The second factor is that there is a lot of bad information and bad products that claim to be good for you. No wonder people are confused and you are probably thinking the same thing my wife asked, “How can they lie like that and shouldn’t our government protect us from this stuff.” Isn’t this the same government that told us, certain classes of people were not human; there was a lone assassin that killed MLK and JFK; Hussein had WMD’s. I am just saying folks, let’s keep it real, we know they lie to us everyday and yet we still expect to hear the truth.

How many times will we pull that finger and get the same result. I always told my kids to pay attention and they would be fine. Now I am saying it in full voice to you.  Pay attention to what you are eating and how you feel. Pay attention to the medications you are taking and how you feel. Your body will not lie to you. Believing for one second that you can change any part of your life without doing anything different is foolish and detrimental to your health. Anybody who is trying to sell you the easy way out is dishonest and probably a crook. Pay attention and seek good information by looking at the real outcomes. When it comes to fitness and health, if it is easy it is probably false.

The third thing that came to mind is I have been blessed to be raised by parents and a community that valued hard work, support, and education. I have been fortunate to be exposed to men who worked hard every day and came home to their families to provide sustenance and protection. This has made me value hard work and, enjoy the fruits of my labor with a sense of pride, knowing that I put in the work to create the life I want. 

The challenges that I face have become my motivation. I hope to pay it forward to you. We all need motivation because the road may seem long. Stop concerning yourself with the length of the journey and think about what a story you will have to tell. I want to hear it and I am sure others do as well.

“ We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.”

—Marianne Williamson

Will you be the one to step up and lead your family, community and friends to a healthier lifestyle? Will you work at it with me? I am inviting you to join me in creating a healthier world for yourself and those you love nearly and dearly. Is your spiritual community healthy? Get something started wherever you go. I want you to be the one to Get Up Get Moving and Get Folks to go with you on this journey to better living.

Remember,

“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT”

AMERICA'S DEBILITATING INFLUENCE

On The World's Health

The 4 M’s, 

Mc Donalds, Microsoft, Medications and MTV

 have promoted a sedentary lifestyle and are explicit contributors to our poor health.

People around the world are hungry for American products—movies, television shows and cigarettes—and they love our food. American fast-food restaurants are sprouting up worldwide. McDonald’s announced its plan to open 700 new restaurants in China by 2013. 

As our eating habits become fashionable throughout the world, so do our health concerns. In December 2010, the European Commission reported that 50% of European women were obese. Food corporations spend millions of dollars to influence people in developing countries to consume more of these modern foods and abandon their traditional diets.

Overweight people now outnumber undernourished people in the world. The World Health Organization’s estimates agree: globally, there are about 1.5 billion overweight adults, and 500 million of them are obese; in contrast, about 800 million do not have enough to eat.

Even Africa, a continent previously thought of as being synonymous with hunger and food scarcity, is seeing a drastic rise in obesity and diabetes. More than one-third of African women are now overweight.

Creating A Turning Point

If we want to be healthy, we need to eat nutritious foods. It really isn’t difficult. Unfortunately, billions of dollars are spent every day trying to seduce us not to do it. The food industry, drug companies, politicians, civil servants and even the medical profession all have strong vested interests in making money and not in protecting our health.

In one way or another, almost all the sources of information we would expect to support our quest for overall health are contaminated for reasons of financial gain. Face it America, being sick and overweight keeps corporate profits healthy. But when will the world wake up to the reality that healthy food creates healthy people.

We see it in the papers, on television commercials and hear all sorts of people talking about it. Sales of organic produce in the U.S. increased from $1 billion in 1990 to $24.8 billion in 2009. 22 Corporations are responding. The success of stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and the incorporation of organic sections at Wal-Mart illustrate that consumers are concerned about their health and the quality of their food. Concern is not enough; we must educate our communities so they are able to make real healthy choices.

When individuals, like you and me, stand up for improving our own health, things do change. If we buy our food from health-food stores, farmers’ markets, and don’t spend our money on unhealthful foods, corporations get the message loud and clear. Don’t become a silent victim within the system. Use your money wisely and strategically to make the statement, “We want better choices.”

We are killing ourselves, and our children are suffering because of culture that calls for instant gratification. This we see in everything in our society today. Everything is made to be faster/easier, this is why we have fast food rather than cook; hop in the car rather than walk a block or so; take medications rather change our lifestyle. Creating and living a healthy lifestyle is not easy but it certainly takes less effort and money than treating an unhealthy lifestyle.

I challenge each of my readers to change one thing today and one more next week that will promote better health for you and your family. Me I have a nicotine patch on and I am serious about quitting this unhealthy habit. I am heading into week 3 and doing quite well. Write me and let me know what you are going to change and we can march towards better health together as an online community. Change one thing per week or per month but please, please start now.

Get up Get Moving and Remember

“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT”

Excerpts from Integrative Nutrition

MEDICATION VERSUS

Nutrition and Exercise

Something has gone terribly wrong in the pharmaceutical industry today. Medications in America are increasingly expensive. Every month a new magic pill emerges, and we are bombarded with commercials for drugs that cite side effects that sound worse than the original ailment. Does this make any sense to anyone out there?

Does this sound familiar? “Warning: may cause nausea, headaches, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness or in extreme cases death.” In the case of one drug they mention sleep driving. Are you for real; sleeping while driving? Americans spent $230 billion on prescription drugs in 2005. Pharmaceuticals are ranked No. 3 on the Fortune 500 list of most profitable industries in the country.

You name the health concern and a drug is out there for it. Drugs help us control cholesterol, lower blood pressure, regulate the menstrual cycle, prevent osteoporosis and end acid reflux. The idea that these drugs are helping you is a short term illusion created by the instant gratification of symptom relief. You may get the same relief from nutritional changes and have no risk of side effects. They only work as a band-aid to a larger problem.

She says profits for pharmaceutical manufacturers really took off in 1980, when new legislation allowed university medical researchers and big drug companies to form an alliance. Before that time, taxpayers funded drug research, and findings were available to any pharmaceutical company that wanted to use them.

With the new law, universities could patent their discoveries and grant exclusive licenses to drug companies. Suddenly, unbiased research disappeared. Then, Congress passed another series of laws extending monopoly rights for brand-name drugs to 14 years, another big win for the pharmaceutical industry.

Under this law, pharmaceutical companies could market their drugs without competition for 14 years, charging whatever they liked. Only after the 14-year period could companies sell generic copies of the drug. This law allowed government granted monopolies in the form of patents and FDA-approved exclusive marketing rights.

As profits increased from these new policies, so did the political clout of drug companies. Claiming to help with a particular condition, there is another way—a healthy path that involves nutritious food, physical activity and a healthy life.

By 1990, the industry had unprecedented control over its own fortunes. If it didn’t like something that its regulatory body, the FDA, decreed, it could force change on the policy through direct pressure or friends in Congress. The new found clout of the pharmaceutical industry led to a transformation in the ethos of medical school.

Medical schools began searching for commercial opportunities and now welcome big sponsorships from drug companies. Pharmaceutical sales teams offer presentations to medical students, teaching them about the benefits of their products. Future doctors may have idealistic notions about preventing illness and making Americans healthier, but many of them graduate believing modern drugs are the quickest and most effective way to cure any symptom.

Every year, 2 million Americans become seriously ill from toxic reactions to incorrectly prescribed medicines. Hello, where is the FDA? They appear to be overly focused on helping drug companies maximize profits rather than protecting consumer interests. Almost no one in the government is asking the right questions.

People don’t need more drugs. Maybe they need to understand disease prevention, the importance of exercise and how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. The fact that so many people are on medication should be questioned, discussed, and addressed. The greatest threat to our communities is not violence it is our poor health and the conspiracy to keeps us sick.

The reason I share this information is not to blame the FDA or drug companies. I want the American public to wake up to the fact that our system is broken. I want people to understand that even though a pill is out there claiming to help with a particular condition, there is another way—a healthy path that involves nutritious food, physical activity and a healthier life.

What I find so curious is that with all the money we spend on medical bills and pharmaceuticals each year, our life expectancy is nearly the same as Cuba’s. To be exact, life expectancy in the United States is 78.0 and in Cuba it is 77.1. We need to wake up and make change for ourselves. The health care industry is broken and they have no reason to support your healthier choices.

So folks what are you going to do? Will continue to take the medications and suffer the outcomes of poor medical practice? Or will you decide to take action and create a healthier environment for you and your family. Go to your cabinet get rid of the junk first, dairy second and wheat third. While you are up Stay Up Get Moving and remember,

Source: Integrative Nutrition

"CHIT CHAT WON'T BURN FAT"