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Last month’s issue I started was a little controversial – FEVER. I realize that most of what I am
presenting represents a departure from old thinking, and that’s good. Let’s not stop here though.
Let’s explore an issue which is making billions of pharmaceutical dollars in OTC meds from
unsuspecting parents:
Fever Frenzy (cont’d)
If you look at all this extra activity, it has a
purpose - to eliminate the invading germ and to restore
normal health and order. Let me shatter another
marketing myth. As soon as a child has a fever, we are
automatically programmed to think that the child is SICK!
When we acknowledge that our child is sick, we are then
open to all sorts of drug remedies – wonderful for the
drug company profit margin.
Listen …When your child has a fever it does not
necessarily mean that your child is “sick.” After all, the
body is doing exactly what it has been programmed and
designed to do. This is not “sick.” This is an expression
of health. How is that for a different perspective?
Let me give you an example: When a child has a
respiratory infection, the flu or a cold, the breathing rate
increases. The aim is to provide extra oxygen for the body. With every extra breath your child takes in and
exhales, the lungs actually exhale the “bug,” through the process of letting air out. Along with the stale air
that is expelled from your child’s lungs, are millions of bacteria, viruses and other invading organisms.
Your child also has a loss of appetite, which is perfectly normal. The nervous system, in order to conserve
energy and deal with the infection in a more efficient manner, shuts down the digestive process. Most of
the body energy is then diverted to defense rather than digestion – makes total sense!
A cough is seen as another way of getting rid of the bacteria and viruses that have invaded the body. The
skin is cold and clammy as a result of the increased sweating and perspiration – again designed to rid the
body of the invading organism. Vomiting, diarrhea and nose drip are seen as the quickest way of getting
rid of the virus and bacteria.
At the same time, the body temperature
increases to what is generally considered above
normal. At this stage, there may possibly be damage to
the cornea of the eye, which is very heat sensitive. The
body’s protective measures call for a continuous
washing of the eyes with tears, in order to cool down
the cornea so there is no damage. Therefore, if you
look at your child when he is considered “sick,” the eyes
will look very glassy.
As you can see from this explanation, this is
really not “sickness.” This is an expression of health.
This is an expression of the innate wisdom of your
child’s body in knowing exactly what needs to be done
at the right time and in the right amount.
Now, I never said you have to like it, but it is quite
normal. This is also the point where most parents feel
they have to “do something.” Why? Because we have
been taught that when a child is sick, we must
intervene. Think about this for moment though. The
most important thing here is to understand why this is
happening, provide supportive care and allow your
child’s body to do what it needs to do all by itself with
no interference. That can be tough!
But think! The Innate Intelligence and Wisdom that created your child from two cells to over 40 quadrillion
in a matter of 280 days, knows exactly what that child needs, every time—as long as it is not interfered
with. I don’t think it is possible for that Intelligence to suddenly abandon your child when he/she has the
flu. That simply would not make sense. It is called trusting your body to do what’s right.
I want to interject for a moment – let’s talk about the efficacy of OTC (over-the counter medication) before
continuing on with our discussion on fever – seems like a perfect time to talk about this issue:
Researchers who studied a variety of over-the-counter cough medicines found no evidence that they
provide any significant relief. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol in England,
appeared in the British Medical Journal. Reviewed were 15 drug trials involving more than 2,000 patients
and compared oral over-the-counter cough medicines with placebo in adults with acute cough. In nine
trials, the drugs fared no better than placebo. The positive results in the other six studies were of
questionable clinical relevance, said the authors. Based on their study, the researchers concluded, “Over
the counter cough medicines for acute cough cannot be recommended because there is no good
evidence for effectiveness. Even when trials had significant results, the effect sizes were small and of
doubtful clinical relevance.” (Source: Schroeder Kurt, Fahey Tom, “Systematic review of randomised
controlled trials of over the counter cough medicines for acute cough in adults,” British Medical Journal,
Feb. 9, 2002)
Back to our discussion of Fever –The height (temperature) of a fever has really no bearing on the
seriousness of the condition. There is no clinical evidence that suggests that a high fever causes
convulsions or brain damage – the biggest worry of all moms! Think about this for a moment. Why would
the nervous system increase temperature to injure itself? It simply makes no sense. We have been
carefully taught, however, to believe this is fact - old wives tales or an ingenious marketing plan?
You decide.
I will conclude our discussion on FEVER in the next issue. Please stay tuned!
Five foods to help fight off sunburn
No one sets out to get sunburned, but the pleasant distractions of summer — the long, sunny days, the
beckoning beach, losing track of time in the garden — all make it easy to forget that extra coat of
sunscreen, or the need to take a break in the shade. Of course, it's best to practise sunburn prevention
and stop a burn before it starts, given its ability to cause skin cancer and premature aging. Luckily,
common foods in your kitchen possess sun-protection compounds to aid your current sun-protection
routine. Others may not help prevent sunburn but offer surprising relief if you accidentally catch too
many rays.
Check out these natural food remedies to deal with — or prevent — summer sunburns.
Oatmeal
Burn-fighting effect: When your whole body is sunburned, oatmeal provides the best type of relief.
Sunburn treatment: Grind up a cup of oatmeal in a food processor, add it to cool bathwater, and soak.
You can also wrap dry oatmeal in cheesecloth or gauze, run cool water through it, and then toss the
oatmeal and soak compresses in the liquid, applying every two to four hours.
Fat-free milk
Burn-fighting effect: The milk creates a protein film on your skin that will help ease the discomfort of
fresh sunburn.
Sunburn treatment: Apply cool, not cold, milk to your skin using a clean cloth or gauze. Apply
compresses for 15 to 20 minutes, and repeat every two to four hours.
Pomegranate
Burn-fighting effect: Pomegranates are a rich source of ellagic acid, which can help protect your skin
from UVA- and UVB-induced cell damage, according to research from the Department of Nutrition and
Food Science at Texas A&M University.
Sunburn treatment: Indulge in pomegranates during the summer. The fruit's anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties could help add another layer of sun protection to your routine.
Strawberries
Burn-fighting effect: The berries' tannin content helps reduce the sting of a sunburn.
Sunburn treatment: Mash a few ripened strawberries and slather on sunburns for natural relief. Rinse
off after a few minutes. If you'd rather not go the fruit route to avoid stickiness, make a paste out of
cornstarch and water and slather it over sunburned skin for relief, too.
Tomatoes
Burn-fighting effect: As if you need another reason to indulge in organic tomatoes from your farmers'
market or garden. Turns out the red gems help protect your skin from sun damage. In one study,
volunteers who ate five tablespoons of lycopene-rich tomato paste daily for three months enjoyed 25
per cent more natural protection against sunburn.
Sunburn treatment: Indulge in fresh tomatoes and add organic ketchup to meals for a lycopene burst.
Source: Prevention magazine
100 Ways to live to 100:
44. Get informed about vaccination
There’s no such thing as a totally safe vaccine; official organizations like the US National Academy of
Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tacitly acknowledge that all
vaccines have the potential to kill or cause serious harm. Assess every last jab with the following
questions: How necessary is this vaccine? How effective? How safe? Especially question vaccinations
against illnesses that are rare or generally not life-threatening in healthy, well-nourished children. This
includes the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), cervical cancer, Hib (Haemophilus influenzaetype B) and
meningitis C vaccines.
45. Suspect allergies first
If your child has any chronic conditions like earache, eczema, bowel problems or hyperactivity, suspect
possible subluxations of the spine affecting the function of the nervous system, As well,
suspectfood/chemical allergies, and get them identified and treated
46. Avoid plastic toys containing phthalates
These chemicals have clear evidence of causing ‘feminization’ and abnormal gonadal development in
boys.
47. Be wary of giving your child unnecessary chemicals and drugs like antibiotics for benign
conditions
Antibiotics have been linked to childhood diabetes; cold and flu medications can be deadly in small
children; and steroids are responsible for many paediatric deaths. Avoid medications like salbuterol for
asthma – it doesn’t work and can make the condition worse.
48. Avoid Ritalin and other drugs for hyperactivity.
They can increase cardiovascular risk and trigger new psychiatric symptoms plus sudden death. If your
kids are hyperactive, suspect sugar or processed foods. Artificial colours like tartrazine used in juice
drinks or ‘squashes’ and salicylate foods can all cause hyperactivity and attention deficit.
49. Avoid toothpastes with fluoride, and filter your water if it’s fluoridated
High levels of fluoride in drinking water can dramatically lower IQ in children, say Harvard scientists –
enough to cause learning difficulties in children who already have lower IQ.
50. Throw kids outdoors
Most infants and toddlers have low levels of vitamin D, some with levels below those needed to
maintain and grow healthy bones. One school of thought maintains that by ‘protecting’ children against
exposure to dirt and germs, we are inadvertently destroying their immune system’s ability to respond
appropriately to infection and other stimuli.
Diseases like eczema are far less prevalent in children who live in less sanitized conditions like farms
and rural communities.
51. The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test for prostate cancer
It produces false negatives a third of the time and has over diagnosed more than one million men since
its introduction in 1987. Unless you have an aggressive cancer, consider watchful waiting.
Ditch statin drugs, which increase our risk of this cancer by one-and-a-half times, and reduce carbs,
avoid red meat and eat a Mediterranean diet.
I will continue this topic over the next issues until we reach 100 points. Please enjoy!