Pat Sullivan Blog

Getting Healthy

I have spent a lot of time trying to learn how to get well.  I chronicle this effort in my book, Wellness Piece by Piece. 

In my book I make the observation that the body has an innate ability to heal.  If you cut yourself, everything in your body rallies to heal that cut.  You don't have to think about it, it just happens... most of the time.  Why not always?

I once had an open, ugly, weeping sore on my shoulder.  I am not sure how I originally got the sore but I had it for about 2 years.  I tried many things to cause it to heal.  I went to a few docs and they gave me various things but nothing caused it to heal.  It was very frustrating.  My shirts would have stains on the shoulder from the sore.  My wife thought I was doing it on purpose!

Overall during this time I actually felt pretty well.  I was in a good period with my recurring bouts of issues with IBS, fatigue, insomnia etc.  Because I was feeling pretty good overall I was not taking many supplements.  Usually when I am feeling good I tend to stop taking much of anything since "I am cured".  What a mistake but it is my tendency.  I call it the "power of a sense of well being."

So I have this big open sore and then my old symptoms return or relapse.  Naturally, I start to take a lot more supplements.  To my shock and surprise, within about 2 weeks my sore completely healed.  I was not even paying much attention to it since it had been there so long and my relapse was getting all my attention.  I don't know what it was in the supplements that I began to take but the sore completely healed. (I still have the scar)

I believe 2 things. 

1. If the body is missing some critical nutrient, it will NOT heal very well. 

2.If the body is having trouble getting rid of something that it does not want (detoxification) it will NOT heal very well.

If you give the body what it needs, it will heal on it's own.  If you help the body detoxify from whatever it is having trouble getting rid of, it will heal.  Often you have to do both at the same time.  Clearly I am simplifying the process of healing, but I believe that it comes down to these two things. 

If you eat a diet deficient in zinc for instance, you will have issues that don't resolve very well.  If you have a genotype that does not detoxify heavy metals very well you will likely have issues.  Often people with a genetic inability to detoxify metals also have a deficiency in minerals like zinc.  To get well usually these people have to help the body to detox AND they have to replenish the minerals that they lack in order to get well.  This takes time.

To get well you usually have to figure out just what the body needs that it does not have and/or you have to figure out what the body is having trouble getting rid of that it does not want.

Technorati Tags: Health

Harriet Miers: Sometimes I am right!

A few weeks ago, I posted "The Real Lesson of the Harriet Miers Debate." I finished that post with the statement, "BTW, I am predicting that Miers will NOT be the next Supreme Court Justice." I said this two weeks before Miers withdrew. 

How did I know?

My intuition said that she could not possibly be confirmed.  I knew that she would ultimately not get the support of most Dems because of her obvious evangelical ties.  I also knew that there would be at least several conservative Reps that would have to vote against her to satisfy their base.  This would make it impossible for her to be confirmed.  It was clearly a total political miscalculation on Bush's part.  (Maybe Rove really was distracted?)

What can we learn from this? 

1. Conservatives are not the blind, stupid, trusting, obedient robots that the media think.

2. Bush was trying to sneak one by everyone and that won't work in today's rabid partisanship.

3. Credentials matter.

4. Judge Alito's confirmation is going to be a nasty affair.

BTW, I am predicting that Alito will be the next SCOTUS.

Technorati Tags: Politics, SCOTUS, Alito

Fish and Health: Should We Be Eating Fish?

USA Today recently posted Eating Fish: There's a Catch, about the risks of eating mercury-contaminated fish. According to government and environmental reports, certain fish are "mercury-filled time bombs." Fish with the highest mercury content include the older, larger predatory fish such as tilefish, shark, swordfish, and mackerel, followed by grouper, orange roughy, and tuna. The Food and Drug Administration has advised that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children should eat no more than one tuna meal a week, because just two servings a week poses too much exposure to mercury.

So, should we eliminate fish from our diets? Clearly, the answer is no. Fish is rich in omega-3, an essential fatty acid (EFA) that is crucial for mental health and well-being. Americans consume 11 to 30 times more omega-6 than omega-3, when the ratio should be 1:1. Americans are eating far too many polyunsaturated oils that are heavy in omega-6, and not enough fish oil that is rich in omega-3.

How can you reduce your mercury exposure and still eat fish? One way to avoid mercury contamination is to choose smaller, younger fish. That's because older, predatory fish accumulate mercury by eating other mercury-contaminated fish during their lifespan. A good choice is wild salmon (not farm-raised). Farm-raised salmon contains very little omega-3 due to the fact that they are fed land-based diets that don't contain omega-3. Fish obtain omega-3 naturally through their wild diet. Also, farm-raised fish tend to have high levels of PCBs and other environmental contaminants, which should be avoided.

Another option is to look for companies that offer minimal-mercury fish and fish oil. Jigsaw Health offers Carvalho mercury-minimal tuna, and fish oil to ensure that you're benefiting from healthy omega-3 without having to worry about the toxic effects of mercury contamination.

Free ABA Program for Autistic Children

ABA4Autism.com and the Psychology department at the University of Tennessee at Martin are conducting a second survey on the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This survey is for mothers of children with ASD as well as mothers of normally developing children who are ten years of age or younger.

Mothers who participate in the survey will receive a free ABA program to teach their children to follow directions as well as free ABA mini programs for common problems like sharing. To take the survey, please go to ABA4Autism.com.

Technorati Tags: ABA

Goodness of God

I was recently thinking about the statement, "God is good."  Many hear this statement every week at their local place of worship.  The Bible and other religious holy books are replete with statements about the goodness of God.

I was thinking about the concept of "good" in light of bad things that obviously happen in our world (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, disease, etc.).  Since the dawn of time it seems man has been arguing about the issue of evil. (I am working on another post regarding this topic , so I won't go into that specifically now.)

The thing that occurred to me was a different way of looking at "good."

If a mechanic is "good," it is referring to his skill.  The same holds true for any skilled person.  They are GOOD at what they do. God is "good" in that sense.  I am not saying He is not also GOOD in the sense of what we think of the virtue called goodness.

I am always intrigued by statements of scientists, including Darwinists, who point to the "genius of Nature."  A commentator to my recent post on Intelligent Design referred to a book called The Genius Within.  When I look at the evidence of design in the universe and in living organisms I have to admit my awe at how incredibly "good" the design is. 

Obviously it is argued just how this "design" came to be, whether by random acts guided by some mysterious "natural selection," or the conscious, deliberate act of a highly intelligent designer.  Any objective observer, regardless of his or her persuasion, has to admit that the end result is nothing short of an amazingly good design. 

From my perspective, I think the weight of evidence from many academic disciplines points to God as the "Designer."  And in the sense that what we observe is really quite "good," one would have to come to the conclusion that God is good.  That is, He is good at what He does.  In the Book of Genesis it even states the God stepped back and looked at what He had created and called it "Very Good" (Gen 1:31).  I think His own observation of His handiwork is correct.

Technorati Tags: Intelligent Design, God, Creation

Trans Fats and High Fructose Corn Syrup - As bad as they seem!

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Thanks to a link by RandomJohn, I recently read Are These Foods Really Healthy? in Prevention Magazine.  Thankfully, the word continues to spread about the dangers of trans fats (usually "hidden" as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil) and high fructose corn syrup. 

These two ingredients--trans fats and high fructose corn syrup--are in 40 percent of the foods Americans eat every day. And a growing number of experts believe that both are contributing to the epidemic levels of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the United States.

...

The FDA allows any food with less than half a gram per serving to be called "trans-fat free." Half a gram might seem like nothing, but if it's a product you use a lot of--say, margarine--those half grams can add up quickly.

In a related note, I recently came across the American Dietetic Association's website and this article, Which is Healthier, Butter or Margarine?

From a fat and calorie standpoint, butter and margarine are the same with about 35 calories and four grams of fat per teaspoon. Both are primarily fat; only the source differs. Butter contains more saturated fats than most margarine. Because margarine is made from vegetable oil, it has no cholesterol.

For a spread with less saturated fat and minimal or no trans fat, buy soft tub or liquid margarine, rather than stick. Whipped versions of butter or margarine have less fat per tablespoon, too. Reduced-fat margarine is available, too, but is not suitable for some recipes.

Whether you prefer the taste of butter or margarine, enjoy it in small portions.

That is perhaps one of the least helpful, most politically-correct tidbits I have ever read.  But I'm pretty sure that the ADA is recommending that I go out and get tub margarine. 

Ok, so let's go see what Country Crock says about their margarine.

Are trans fats unsafe?

There is no evidence that products containing small amounts of trans fat are harmful to health [ed. note: That sounds eerily familiar...] when they are used sensibly within a balanced and varied diet. 

Elevated cholesterol levels are a known risk factor for heart disease. [ed. note: The theory of cholesterol being the cause of heart disease has been vigorously debated.] Both trans fats and saturated fats are considered cholesterol raising and should not be consumed in large quantities. Health professionals and FDA recommend minimizing the amount of trans fats in the diet while maintaining a nutritionally sensible diet. 

Does Shedd's Spread Country Crock contain trans fats?

Over the last several years, Unilever Bestfoods NA, the manufacturer of Shedd's Spread Country Crock has introduced several products which contain 0g trans fat per serving including Yogurt, Calcium, and Light.

Nice dodge!  But seriously, does it contain trans fats?  The question remains dubiously unanswered on Country Crock's website.

At JigsawHealth.com, there is an article called The Truth About Fat.  I highly recommend you to read it if you currently think butter is bad and margarine is good.

RELATED POST:  It's not the Fat that is making you Fat!

Technorati Tags: Health and Wellness, Fat, Sugar

Freeze-drying the Dead

This is pretty interesting.

DEAD bodies could be freeze-dried, shaken to a fine powder and used as compost under proposals to introduce a new, more eco-friendly method of corpse disposal to the UK.

The process, which is known as promession, has been developed in Sweden and aims to address the shortage of burial spaces and reduce the mercury pollution created by dental fillings during cremation.

Could someone please remind me why mercury is "pollution" in the ground but safe inside our mouth?

Technorati Tags: Mercury

It is not the Fat that makes you Fat!

Cholesterol levels are down.  Are heart attacks also down?  Nope! 

After decades of statins and low fat diets, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death!  Duh!  Maybe there is more to it?

This article points out that even though more and more people are prescribed statins and cholesterol levels are down, people are still very much at risk of cardiovascular disease.  Why?  The theory is that since people are taking a drug to lower cholesterol which "protects" them from cardiovascular disease, they feel like they don't have to watch what they eat and how they live.  I think that this theory is likely correct, at least to some degree.

I especially like this from the article:

"I'm happy to see that cholesterol is coming down," Weintraub added. "Statin medicines work very well and lower cholesterol levels and may minimize some of the impact of poor diet. But as people have lowered their fat intake, they've gotten heavier, which means they're eating carbohydrates and their triglycerides are going up."

I am so glad to see a credible medical doctor say that carbohydrates are a big part of the problem!  They are.  (See my post on this here.) And yet very few experts are telling people that it really is simple, mostly processed and refined carbohydrates and refined sugars that are the problem.  We have been on a "low fat, no fat" craze for decades and yet obesity and heart disease is the number one killer in America!  It is NOT the fat.

If you have no idea what the generic, feel-good advice of "eat a balanced, sensible diet" really means, may I offer my opinion.  And if you think margarine is healthier than butter, you really need to jump ahead to The Truth About Fat article.

Personally, I do truly wish that getting and staying well was as simple as taking a pill!  Pharmaceutical company advertising often potrays it that way.  And our sitcom-like expecations play well into believing that it is possible. 

But recovering from a chronic health condition is almost NEVER as simple as taking a pill.  It almost always requires numerous changes in diet, lifestyle, nutrient intake, and often detoxification. 

Read my book to find out how hard it's been for me.  You can start by downloading the first chapter for free.

Technorati Tags: Health, Cholesterol, Fat

German Chancellor Shroder's view of America

I read with interest what former German Chancellor Shroder said to his supporters after ceding power to the new Chancellor Merkel who ran on a much more Pro-America platform.  He basically said that America's system of government was wrong.  He said that our slow response to hurricane Katrina was due to our decentralized form of government where we have local, state and federal governments, each with their own responsibilities.  Because of this we have "no organized state" according to Shroder.

Well, I will take our system any day.  I agree that the Federal response to Katrina should have been better.  But I think in retrospect it is pretty easy to see that the local and state governments simply made mistake after mistake.  Check out the this version of the sequence of Katrina events.

Contrast New York's response to 9/11 versus Louisiana's and New Orlean's response to Katrina.  The failures of Katrina do not argue for a stronger central government.  It argues for a stronger local government.  No way a centralized mammoth outperforms a well run local group of leaders as was clearly demonstrated in New York.  No way a central government does a better job when the issues and problems are local.

It is argued that since there are some local governments that do a terrible job, Federal government should then be in charge of everything to prevent this.  That is stupid!  I think it has been proved quite well that "central planning" does not work, ala Communism!  The answer to bad local government is for the voters to vote in competent government.  I would not be surprised to see this happen in Louisiana next election cycle.

As far as Germany is concerned, my own experience with their form of government was not pleasant.  I once made the mistake of actually having a company office in Germany.  Having employees there is a nightmare.  You can't fire them!  One employee had actually stolen tens of thousands of dollars from us and we had absolute proof.  Even then, we could not fire her! 

We actually ended up having to pay her money to get rid of her and avoid her suing us!  She had the full backing of the German government even though they knew she was a thief.  It was very bizarre!  The cost of doing business in Germany is totally off the charts.  France is just as bad.

I hope Merkel is successful in bringing some sanity to a massive and oppressive central government.  The German businessmen are sure hoping that she succeeds. 

Technorati Tags: Politics, Germany, Chancellor Shroder, Chancellor Merkel

"Mercury doesn't cause Autism"

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

More of the same...  AAP: Vaccine Researchers Preach to Pediatrician Choir

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 - Vaccine-safety researchers picked a friendly crowd to pronounce that there is no scientific evidence linking thimerosal-containing vaccines or the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism or autoimmune disorders.

...

A 2004 survey of physicians in the United States found that 92% of pediatricians and 60% of family physicians had patients whose parents refused at least one recommended vaccine, he noted.

It is amazing to me that the "mercury moms" (and dads) don't just throw their hands up in the air and say "forget it!"  Kudos from me to you for your perseverance!

The AAP et al do not seem to understand that these people are not going to go away.  The more the AAP's statements continue to disagree with what thousands/millions of people are seeing with their own eyes (and reading on blogs like this), the more we become suspicious and work as enemies rather than partners.

Personally, I'd love to know what the vaccine refusal rate was for years previous to 2004.  If 2004 was higher, I would guess that it's largely due to the AAP et al trying to smear the anti-thimerosal/mercury crowd as anti-vaccine, a mislabelling that has been refuted over, and over, and over, and over again.  That smear strategy could be coming back to bite them in the tail.  As Jane Public hears rumblings about vaccines causing autism, she refuses any vaccines.

Related Pat Sullivan Blog Post: Autism - If not Mercury, then what?

Related Article:  A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule

Technorati Tags: Autism, Mercury