Nausea In Pregnancy

Nausea In Pregnancy.

Emily Kane N.D.

First Trimester Nausea… Yikes!

First, a tried and true quotation heard many times during my adolescence from my father… “this too will pass.” You’re thrilled, all your relatives are thrilled, you’re starting to dream about darling infant outfits, researching the best preschools, baby-proofing the whole house, and how do you feel? Yuk! Second, full-fledged, woozy, faint, lethargic, stomach-heaving nausea is one of the signs that yes, your hormones are changing, and the pregnancy is “taking.” This is not to say that you should be worried if you DON’T feel like throwing up every few hours for the first few months, just a reassurance that healthy embryos often stir up a lot of change.

Each woman is a blessed individual and there’s no universal panacea for first trimester nausea. Sorry. However, there are a few tricks that have worked for many gravidae (pregnant ladies):

• Mild ginger tea. A thin slice of fresh ginger in a pipping hot mug of pure water is best. Sip this throughout the day, especially before meals.
• Small, frequent meals especially heavy on the carbohydrates. Try the oft-cited soda crackers, or overcooked rice, or toast with honey, or a garlic bagel, or a baked potato or yam.
• The homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica works for some ladies. You can probably find it at the Co-op or health food store in the 12X potency. Try taking 5 pellets under the tongue three times daily and avoid strong odors, especially camphor, which will antidote the remedy.
• The classic acupuncture point for nausea and seasickness, called Pericardium 6 (“Nei Guan” in Chinese, which means “inner gate”) is located in the middle of the inner wrist, three finger breadths away from the wrist crease, between the two tendons. Locate and press firmly, one wrist at a time, or get a friend to hold both for 3 minutes or so. Sailors often wear snugly-fitting wristbands with little plastic pearls at the P6 location to alleviate the heaves.
• Apples and apple juice (freshly squeezed, of course) works well for some but almost all gravidae agree that citrus is positively horrible until the second trimester, when cravings for oranges, lemons, or limeade begin! Try putting a little snippet of ginger into the juicer along with the fresh fruit.

Military Stockpiling Anti-radiation Pills

Military Stockpiling Anti-radiation Pills.

by Adam Entous

WASHINGTON – At the urging of the Bush administration, military commanders are quietly stocking up on anti-radiation pills and making plans to give them to U.S. troops should they be exposed to radioactive fallout from an attack or accident, according to documents and officials.

Suppliers of potassium iodide say shipments to the military have increased in recent months amid fears of war between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, and new terror threats against American targets including nuclear power plants. One of the largest orders – 134,400 potassium iodide tablets for 9,600 troops – was shipped to the U.S. Army on May 28, according to records obtained by Reuters.

If taken immediately after exposure, the tablets have been shown to protect the thyroid gland from diseases caused by radiation.

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command said it was not distributing potassium iodide tablets to troops in Afghanistan and other South Asian countries, disputing the claims of several suppliers.

The Pentagon would not discuss its potassium iodide policy, which was outlined in an internal memorandum issued two months after the Sept. 11 attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.

In the memorandum, dated Nov. 19, 2001, William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, directed Army, Navy and Air Force commanders to assess the risk to troops and to develop “implementation plans on the use of potassium iodide.” “The U.S. military overseas, their families, U.S. civilian workers and contractors may be at risk from hostile actions and other events against nuclear power plants resulting in radioactive iodine release,” wrote Winkenwerder, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s chief health adviser. In November and in a follow-up memo issued on Jan. 24, Winkenwerder told the services that they “must ensure availability of supply” of potassium iodide. He also provided the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force with guidance on how the tablets should be administered. It depends on whether the radioactive material is inhaled or ingested and on how long troops are exposed to a radioactive plume.

Winkenwerder put the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute in charge of reviewing the plans. “We will take appropriate action when we get the plans,” said Peter Esker, spokesman for the institute.

The Pentagon would not elaborate. “The policy memo speaks for itself,” said James Turner, a Pentagon spokesman. “The commanders-in-chief, in any given part of the world, will assess the situation and will be responsible for providing appropriate material to their troops.”

Underscoring U.S. fears that terrorists will try to use weapons of mass destruction, Winkenwerder announced on Friday a separate policy to vaccinate some military personnel against anthrax and to stockpile the vaccine for civilian use.

Feds Pushing Toxic Anthrax Drug

Feds Pushing Toxic Anthrax Drug.

by Elliot Borin

Many veterans advocates believe a certain anthrax vaccine to be a major cause of Gulf War sickness. The company manufacturing it has launched a massive lobbying campaign to persuade the Bush administration to stockpile the controversial drug so it can be administered to civilians.

Armed with a report prepared by a panel of company-paid scientific guns for hire, Lansing, Michigan-based BioPort is urging Congress to create a “civilian equivalent of the U.S. military’s Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP).”

BioPort cites anthrax-bearing letters received by Sens. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) as evidence that the United States needs “an articulated preparedness plan for immediate immunizations of at-risk civilians (and) a strategic anthrax vaccination stockpile” of the company’s BioThraxin (known as MDPH-PA or AVA before January 2000).

But some experts say the vaccine, which has been repeatedly withdrawn from distribution following FDA and congressional investigations, might not have been effective against the bio-engineered tech strain of anthrax mailed to Daschle and Leahy.

“The technology behind the Daschle letter, later the Leahy letter, was very sophisticated,” said Francis Boyle, professor of law at the University of Illinois and a principal author of the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989.

“(It contained) a trillion spores per gram,” Boyle said. “That is super-weapons grade. Second, tied in there was a special treatment to eliminate electrostatic charges so it would float in the air. You have to have special equipment, special treatment, special everything.

“The only people who would have the capability to do this would be individuals who either are currently employed by the Department of Defense or the CIA doing biowarfare work, or had been employed by the Department of Defense or the CIA doing biowarfare work.”

According to BioPort, which counts the Pentagon as its only anthrax-vaccine customer, over 2 million doses of its vaccines “have been given to over 500,000 service men and women.”

But some critics contend the company may come to regret even mentioning the AVIP in its bid to add the compound to the nation’s civilian preparedness arsenal.

Originally known as the “total-force anthrax vaccination program,” AVIP was launched by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen in late 1997. Cohen’s original order called for all 2.4 million members of the active and reserve armed forces to receive six shots of the vaccine over an 18-month period, followed by annual booster shots.

Transgenic Meat Scandal

Transgenic Meat Scandal.

Prof. Joe Cummins gives a prompt account of how the United States regulatory agencies allowed its universities to pass potentially poisonous transgenic meat to the millions, thus reflecting badly on both the regulatory agencies and the university scientists.

The inability of the US regulatory agencies to prevent contamination of the food chain with potentially poisonous transgenic plant and animal products has reached scandalous heights.

Within recent months, we’ve learned that transgenic pharm crops have contaminated food crops, and a transgenic papaya was approved for commercial production even though it contained a transgenic protein whose amino acid sequence is identical to a known allergen.

Now, the US Food and Drug administration (FDA) reports that the University of Illinois has marketed 386 pigs that were the progeny of transgenic animals. The FDA report indicates that the marketed animals had not been adequately tested for the presence of transgenes, and fails to give details of the transgenes in the experimental animals. It states its belief that the incident was an isolated one, and that the transgenic products posed no health risks. The FDA report is not entirely forthcoming or truthful; indeed, it reads more like a public relations text on behalf of the corporations than a serious public information document.

Andrew Pollack reported in the New York Times that some of the transgenic animals had the gene for insulin-like growth factor, but that the FDA still believed such genetic modifications posed no health concerns to those who have consumed meat from the transgenic animals. Pollack also contradicted the FDA’s claim that the present case was an “isolated incident”. In 2001, transgenic animals had been butchered and turned into sausage.

The FDA’s claim that there is no health concern associated with consumption of transgenic animals containing insulin-like growth factor is truly bizarre. Insulin-like growth hormone is a wellknown cancer promoter, as is documented in an editorial report published in the British Medical Journal in 2000. The cancers associated with high insulin-like growth factor include colorectal and breast cancer. The transgenic pork poses a real and immediate danger of cancer promotion for consumers.

Let’s now turn to the famous earlier sale of transgenic pork that was ignored by FDA. In 2001, carcasses from transgenic pigs created at the University of Florida were sold for human consumption rather than being incinerated even though they had, in addition, been treated with barbiturate drugs and chloroform. Some meat was turned into sausage and consumed by a number of people.

America’s Drug Safety System

America’s Drug Safety System.

How good is America’s drug safety system? Since 1997, more than a dozen prescription drugs have been taken off the market due to serious side effects – in some cases after hundreds of injuries and even deaths have occurred. Is the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for approving and monitoring the safety of the medications we take, up to the task? FRONTLINE asked several experts, including senior officials at the FDA, to weigh in. Here are excerpts from our interviews with the FDA’s Steven Galson and Paul Seligman, Public Citizen’s Sidney Wolfe, and Raymond Woosley of the University of Arizona.

Steven Galson, M.D.
Acting director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

What does “FDA approved” mean? Does it mean that a drug is safe and effective, and that we shouldn’t be concerned about taking it?

What it means when a drug is approved is that the risks are outweighed by the benefits for the indication and under the conditions that are in the label. That just means if the drug is used in the right patients, in the right way, at the right dose, and there aren’t drugs that are contraindicated taken with it, that the benefits outweigh the risks. There’s a lot that can go wrong that doesn’t fit under that definition. But the benefits outweigh the risks for the indication and under the conditions of use that we specify when we approve drugs, and the public should feel very comfortable with the review process.

So we should feel comfortable with that phrase “FDA approved,” that it really means something?

Absolutely. A tremendous amount of expertise has been built up here. We apply the most up-to-date scientific knowledge and tools to the data that we get from responsive companies. The public should feel very comfortable. But they also need to keep in mind that one, the system isn’t foolproof, and two, there’s no such thing as a totally safe drug. All drugs have risks, even over-the-counter drugs that are taken very commonly, like acetaminophen and aspirin. A lot of people don’t understand that, and they need to [understand] that all drugs, over-the-counter [and] prescription, have risks. …

How adequate is the system that we have in the United States for monitoring drugs once they’ve been approved and they’re on the market?

How to Convert Your Home to Solar Energy

How to Convert Your Home to Solar Energy.

The Benefits of Solar Energy

Solar energy is quite the buzz word in some circles. Most people don’t know all that it covers. And if you’re not looking into it, you may not know that there are some lenders who appreciate your efforts by offering you a better assessment on your home’s resale value. Fossil fuels are being depleted at an alarming rate. Solar energy is the alternative to compliment your green living effects.

How Does Solar Energy Work?

Homes that use solar energy are harnessing the power of the sun, in essence. Builders fit solar panels to homes to catch and store energy. The energy is converted to what is needed by the house, like electricity (solar photovoltaic) or solar water heating. And, voila! Your home is independent of traditional energy that uses fossil fuels. Best of all, you don’t have to buy a new home to take advantage of the technology. You can have your home, in most instances, re-fit to include the required mechanics.

Did You Know?

According to a Solar Direct® article, “the energy required by a typical water heater emits 2 tons of carbon dioxide per year.” The article goes on to state that this is two times more than some cars emit in a year.¹

How Do I Convert My Home to Solar Energy?

There are three options that you have for converting your home to using Solar Energy.

These example dollar and percentage amounts are from the Sun Direct article which uses the Florida area as a base.

1. The option made most popular by the media is also the most expensive. Investing in solar energy is the first way. Its cost is not enough to keep people away. In Florida, the utility bills for some are ranging from $400 – $900 monthly. And by investing in solar energy, there have been reports of immediate reductions by as much as 90%. If that’s not enough, this energy source can be used for backup when there is a power outage or during storms and hurricanes.
2. Solar Water Heating (SWH) is the next option. On average, heating water uses 25-30% of a household’s energy. In a new home, the energy savings of an SWH will quickly offset the higher mortgage rate. You could be looking at a savings of up to 95%; that’s potentially hundreds of dollars saved annually.
3. The third option you can choose is a system to heat your pool. The cost of a solar pool heater can be less than $2000 or as much as $6000, (pool size is a determining factor). With conventional fuel usage you can spend up to or more than $2000 annually. You can see why it becomes cost prohibitive to heat your pool. Whereas, the solar heating option restores the heating capability and there is no cost to operate.

Why Sleep Is Important To Your Health

Why Sleep Is Important To Your Health.

Sleeping is as important to health as are eating properly and getting proper exercise. It is actually damaging to your health to work too hard and not get enough rest. And yet that is what most people are doing on a regular basis. In America, we do everything at a fast food, on the go, hurried pace. Even though this is a built-in response, we work very diligently to defy the instinct.

Just as you need to breathe deeply (literally) from time to time to gain clarity, you also need to sleep to take care of the mind and body. It is how we are designed to recuperate from the activities of the day. Proper rest also is needed for your morning elimination cycle to be healthy.

One way to facilitate good sleep is to sleep in the darkest setting you can tolerate. Light disturbs the rhythm of the pineal gland’s production of serotonin and melatonin. If you need some light at night, it’s a good idea to not have it evenly in your line of sight. And, along with diminishing the quality of your rest, it also can ruin your night vision.

Brevi Bacillus Laterosporus

Brevi Bacillus Laterosporus.

More than 50 million people have from slight to continuing digestive episodes. It has now become acceptable and even proving helpful to talk about bloating, gas,diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux and other uncomfortable sensations.

Digestive health is an everyday consideration, especially as we grow older. The good news is that it is a “wellness issue” in most cases.

Over 400 distinct species of microorganisms inhabit the various regions of the human digestive tract, making up nearly four pounds of every individual’s total body weight. This vast population of microorganisms far exceeds the number of tissue cells that make up the human body.

What is beginning to be understood is that the gut has the power to influence our health, well-being and resistance to disease far beyond our previous convictions. How do probiotics fit into the gut health picture? Many consumers are starting to understand that prevention is one of the keys.

The “Wellness Issue” is an understanding that we may be bombarded with unwanted bacteria every hour of our day. These bacteria co-exist and in some cases balance each other in our vast internal ecosystem. It is with this balance that probiotics have protected your gut for many years.

Brevi Bacillus Laterosporus BOD strain is a very potent probiotic that is encased in a spore. This encasement allows this probiotic to survive the stomach acids and form colonies that will help maintain a healthy colon. This probiotic was first introduced to the market in the late 1980’s.

Best Squatting Positions for Bowel Movements

Best Squatting Positions for Bowel Movements.

The most natural and healthiest way to evacuate your bowels is to squat during bowel movements. Remember how toddlers do it? Squatting makes it easier to completely evacuate because it removes constriction from the anal canal. This constriction is automatically present when you simply sit on a conventional toilet.

A squatting platform will help you to replicate the squatting position while using a conventional toilet. There are different kinds available, so you should find the one that puts you at an angle that is comfortable, and steep enough to achieve the results of the natural squatting position.

Unnatural Squatting

Natural Squatting

Benefits & Dangers of Bentonite Clay

Benefits & Dangers of Bentonite Clay.

Bentonite clay has strong internal cleansing properties. As a result, it has become a very popular ingredient in some detoxification programs. It has helped people who were struck with symptoms of constipation, like bloating and gas. It has brought relief of symptoms from some diseases as serious as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Some of the benefits possible with taking Bentonite clay are:

• After radiation treatment, it can remove heavy metals and chemicals
• Healthful bacterial balance in the digestive system is promoted
• Liver detoxification
• Cleanses colon of toxins
• Boosts immune system

What Makes Bentonite Clay So Effective?

It’s adsorptive and absorptive properties occurring naturally in the clay.

Adsorptive abilities lie in the fact that its molecules are negatively charges. So as it passes through the intestinal tract it attracts the toxins which are positively charged. When they are in contact with each other, they swap ions and are bound together and the toxic molecule is absorbed by the clay molecule.

Absorptive abilities come from the low number of minerals that comprise it — only 17 minerals. This low number indicates a higher potential to absorb other molecules. The toxin molecules that bonded with the clay molecules are internalized in the clay molecule. In this state, your body can expel the toxin-filled clay in normal bowel movements.

A Cautionary Word About Bentonite Clay

• This is a powerful and effective substance. However, there are times when it should not be taken.
• Aged people and pregnant women shouldn’t taken Bentonite Clay or products containing Bentonite Clay.
• Should not be taken if you took medication or supplements less than two hours prior.

There are no known side effects related to ingesting pure organic Bentonite clay in the suggested doses. However, there has not been a longitudinal study on the effects from humans. It’s best to consult a healthcare professional before you use this substance.