Bananas: help control blood pressure, protect the heart, and strengthen bones
Blueberries: fight cancer, stabilize blood sugar, help prevent urinary tract infections
Ginger: fights cancer, aids digestion, soothes heartburn
Grapes: helps eyesight, prevents kidney stones, enhances blood flow
Green Tea: combats cancer, protects your heart, helps stop strokes, promotes weight loss
Honey: aids digestion, prevents ulcers, fights allergies, increases energy
Peanuts: protect against heart disease, prostate cancer, lowers cholestrol, increases energy
Rice: fights diabetes, kidney stones, and cancer
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
9 Items that should be in everyone’s pantry
Celery: Eaten raw (especially with a little peanut butter!) celery is a tasty snack but can also be used in dishes where you sauté onions and garlic such as a gumbo, many soups, and meatloaf. Celery many help lower cholesterol and combat some forms of cancer.
Cinnamon: Most people think of cinnamon as a candy flavor or something to add in some baking but not much else. In fact, it can be used in many dishes as an interesting and subtle flavor. It is very common in Indian cooking. Like turmeric, it can aid in digestion and also helps stabilize blood sugar making it helpful for those with diabetes.
Garlic: Not only does it taste good in so many dishes it also has been shown to lower cholesterol, control blood pressure, and combat some kinds of cancer.
Oats: Much has been made of oats and their ability to lower cholesterol. But they can also help combat cancer, help with diabetes, and reduce the risk of stroke. For those reasons (and their yummy flavor) they should be a staple in the pantry.
Okra: Taken alone some people find okra to be too slimy to enjoy. But, added to a gumbo or other vegetable soups and stews they add a rich (and surprisingly slime free!) flavor. In addition to this they help control blood pressure, strengthen your bones, and ease arthritis.
Olive Oil: For most cooking and sautéing (especially of your onions, garlic, and celery!) olive oil is a good healthy oil to use and adds flavor as well. And olive oil has many good health benefits including helping with arthritis, combating cancer, and battling diabetes.
Onions: During the Civil War Grant always made sure to have onions for the men in his armies. It’s another versatile item in any kitchen and can be used on many soups, stews, and dishes. Cooked or raw onions are a tasty addition to your diet. In addition to being tasty onions also can reduce the risk of heart attacks, lower cholesterol, and help stop strokes.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes, either by themselves or in a dish, either cooked or raw add flavor and health to your diet. Among their many benefits include lowering cholesterol, combating cancer, protecting the prostate, and supporting your immune system.
Turmeric: Mostly known as an Indian spice in curries, turmeric can add an earthy flavor to most any soup or stew. Try adding it to your chili for an interesting and subtle new flavor. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent and also aids in digestion.
Cinnamon: Most people think of cinnamon as a candy flavor or something to add in some baking but not much else. In fact, it can be used in many dishes as an interesting and subtle flavor. It is very common in Indian cooking. Like turmeric, it can aid in digestion and also helps stabilize blood sugar making it helpful for those with diabetes.
Garlic: Not only does it taste good in so many dishes it also has been shown to lower cholesterol, control blood pressure, and combat some kinds of cancer.
Oats: Much has been made of oats and their ability to lower cholesterol. But they can also help combat cancer, help with diabetes, and reduce the risk of stroke. For those reasons (and their yummy flavor) they should be a staple in the pantry.
Okra: Taken alone some people find okra to be too slimy to enjoy. But, added to a gumbo or other vegetable soups and stews they add a rich (and surprisingly slime free!) flavor. In addition to this they help control blood pressure, strengthen your bones, and ease arthritis.
Olive Oil: For most cooking and sautéing (especially of your onions, garlic, and celery!) olive oil is a good healthy oil to use and adds flavor as well. And olive oil has many good health benefits including helping with arthritis, combating cancer, and battling diabetes.
Onions: During the Civil War Grant always made sure to have onions for the men in his armies. It’s another versatile item in any kitchen and can be used on many soups, stews, and dishes. Cooked or raw onions are a tasty addition to your diet. In addition to being tasty onions also can reduce the risk of heart attacks, lower cholesterol, and help stop strokes.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes, either by themselves or in a dish, either cooked or raw add flavor and health to your diet. Among their many benefits include lowering cholesterol, combating cancer, protecting the prostate, and supporting your immune system.
Turmeric: Mostly known as an Indian spice in curries, turmeric can add an earthy flavor to most any soup or stew. Try adding it to your chili for an interesting and subtle new flavor. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent and also aids in digestion.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Third Party Payment
It's become very fashionable to blame insurance companies for many of the problems in health care these days. But, here's another perspective to think about since we are now having a national conversation about health care reform. The premise of insurance is to have a third party (the insurance company) pay for things. But, there are always problems when you bring third parties into such economic transactions. Ask yourself: If you were the third party how many treatments would you be willing to pay for? How many treatments would you deny payment for? If it were your business to provide third party payment would you be as generous with your money as everyone is demanding that insurance companies be with theirs?
There's no question that the way our health insurance industry is structured and regulated distorts any free market principles at work in health care. But, to find a solution we must first understand the problem. Any attempt to separate the physician from the customer will distort the system in some way. This is the system we currently have and, unfortunately, it looks to be the system we will still have once reform legislation passes.
What nobody seems to be asking is what would happen if we allowed health insurance to work as car insurance works. We don't expect car insurance to cover every expense associated with our cars such as gas, oil changes, and other routine repairs. As a result, these services are affordable as is insurance. Part of the reason they both are affordable is because there is a free market at work. Unlike health insurance, car insurance can be sold across state lines and unlike health care services automobile services charge clear prices for their products that consumers pay.
One of the worries is that if we let the free market dictate prices most people won't be able to afford health care. Why would this be the case? What business would charge more than any of their customers (or the vast majority) could not pay. They would soon go out of business. But, you might say, health care is already expesive. Well, if we leave payment to third parties this is an inevitable result. If neither the doctor nor the patient can engage in a negotiation for their health care services and what they will pay for them costs will continue to rise.
But, what about medical procedures that are inherently expensive since they use expensive technology not yet widely available. The best analogy here is with consumer electronics. When flat screen and plasma televisions first came out they were expensive and only affordable for a few people. But soon after this prices fell and now these technologies are widely available and affordable. The same would likely apply if we allowed health care technologies to be available in a free market.
What about those who still cannot afford these services. We can address that problem as we do other affordability problems with much less disruption and much more beneficial results. There is no question that the current system is in need of reform, the real question is will we pursue a course of reform that might yield beneficial health results or just beneficial political results for our elected officials. These will not necessarily be the same benefits.
There's no question that the way our health insurance industry is structured and regulated distorts any free market principles at work in health care. But, to find a solution we must first understand the problem. Any attempt to separate the physician from the customer will distort the system in some way. This is the system we currently have and, unfortunately, it looks to be the system we will still have once reform legislation passes.
What nobody seems to be asking is what would happen if we allowed health insurance to work as car insurance works. We don't expect car insurance to cover every expense associated with our cars such as gas, oil changes, and other routine repairs. As a result, these services are affordable as is insurance. Part of the reason they both are affordable is because there is a free market at work. Unlike health insurance, car insurance can be sold across state lines and unlike health care services automobile services charge clear prices for their products that consumers pay.
One of the worries is that if we let the free market dictate prices most people won't be able to afford health care. Why would this be the case? What business would charge more than any of their customers (or the vast majority) could not pay. They would soon go out of business. But, you might say, health care is already expesive. Well, if we leave payment to third parties this is an inevitable result. If neither the doctor nor the patient can engage in a negotiation for their health care services and what they will pay for them costs will continue to rise.
But, what about medical procedures that are inherently expensive since they use expensive technology not yet widely available. The best analogy here is with consumer electronics. When flat screen and plasma televisions first came out they were expensive and only affordable for a few people. But soon after this prices fell and now these technologies are widely available and affordable. The same would likely apply if we allowed health care technologies to be available in a free market.
What about those who still cannot afford these services. We can address that problem as we do other affordability problems with much less disruption and much more beneficial results. There is no question that the current system is in need of reform, the real question is will we pursue a course of reform that might yield beneficial health results or just beneficial political results for our elected officials. These will not necessarily be the same benefits.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Health and the Constitution
Article I Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution specifically outlines the powers that Congress has. What I would like to know is where in that section of the Constitution does it allow Congress to legislate with regard to health care. Here is the relevant text, please help me out!
Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish post offices and post roads;
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish post offices and post roads;
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Waiting at the post office
Standing in line at the post office is an instructive experiment in health care reform. How so? Let's consider a typical example. Most days when you go to the post office you have one clerk working the desk and a line at least four or five people long, sometimes longer. People are often shaking their heads in frustration at having to wait and wondering why they can't open another window. Is it that they're short handed? Are they cutting the budget for front window clerks? Who knows?
The reason for the poor service is not relevant to my post here only the fact of the poor service. Do we think that having the government involved in health care (more than they currently are) is really going to be any different? I'm sure some of the people standing in line at the post office sighing in frustration are the same people who think we need a major overhaul in our health care system and can't wait for the federal government to work its magic on health care reform. But, do they think the same government which has trouble serving people efficiently at the post office will be better at serving patients in the hospital?
By contrast consider a visit to the grocery store or even better the UPS store. With rare exceptions you are presented with lots of choices and more than one person to wait on you and check you out. You can do the same study of contrasts elsewhere as well. Consider your experience renewing your driver's license versus your experience having your oil changed in your car.
Problems with government service are and have been legendary for years. They are so common they are the butt of jokes. But, the real joke is that no one seems to see that the same problems which plague the government services we have will plague any new ones we create.
No, the private sector is not perfect. Sometimes there are long lines and inefficiencies. But, these are memorable because they are the exceptions. Long lines and inefficiencies are memorable at the post office because they are the rule. While no one is harmed (usually) by them at the post office, will the same be true when it comes to health care reform?
The reason for the poor service is not relevant to my post here only the fact of the poor service. Do we think that having the government involved in health care (more than they currently are) is really going to be any different? I'm sure some of the people standing in line at the post office sighing in frustration are the same people who think we need a major overhaul in our health care system and can't wait for the federal government to work its magic on health care reform. But, do they think the same government which has trouble serving people efficiently at the post office will be better at serving patients in the hospital?
By contrast consider a visit to the grocery store or even better the UPS store. With rare exceptions you are presented with lots of choices and more than one person to wait on you and check you out. You can do the same study of contrasts elsewhere as well. Consider your experience renewing your driver's license versus your experience having your oil changed in your car.
Problems with government service are and have been legendary for years. They are so common they are the butt of jokes. But, the real joke is that no one seems to see that the same problems which plague the government services we have will plague any new ones we create.
No, the private sector is not perfect. Sometimes there are long lines and inefficiencies. But, these are memorable because they are the exceptions. Long lines and inefficiencies are memorable at the post office because they are the rule. While no one is harmed (usually) by them at the post office, will the same be true when it comes to health care reform?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Links to articles on health care reform
Here are some useful links to articles on health care reform:
Moral Health care versus Universal Health Care
Health Care Overhaul
Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals
Sweden's Government Health Care
Free Market Cure
Center for Health Transformation
A Short Course in Brain Surgery: The film shows the callousness of "single-payer", government-run health care systems as practiced in Ontario, Canada. His film highlights the plight of Lindsay McCreith, an Ontario man with a cancerous brain tumor who went to Buffalo, NY to receive the timely medical care that is rationed in his home country.
Moral Health care versus Universal Health Care
Health Care Overhaul
Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals
Sweden's Government Health Care
Free Market Cure
Center for Health Transformation
A Short Course in Brain Surgery: The film shows the callousness of "single-payer", government-run health care systems as practiced in Ontario, Canada. His film highlights the plight of Lindsay McCreith, an Ontario man with a cancerous brain tumor who went to Buffalo, NY to receive the timely medical care that is rationed in his home country.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
H.R. 3200
Members of Congress will be exempt from being forced into this plan. They will have their own. The liberals, Democrats and some Republicans - while forcing you to join the plan - refuse to include themselves. Members of Congress will have a better plan which gives them freedom you will be denied.
Reviewed, revised and adapted on July 29, 2009, by Liberty Counsel from the original authored by Peter Fleckenstein and posted on FreeRepublic.com
• Sec. 113, Pg. 21-22 of the Health Care (HC) Bill MANDATES a government audit of the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure in order to “ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure”!
• Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!
• Sec. 123, Pg. 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what treatments and benefits you get.
• Sec. 142, Pg. 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
• Sec. 152, Pg. 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.
• Sec. 163, Pg. 58-59 beginning at line 5 - Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID health care card will be issued!
• Sec. 163, Pg. 59, Lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Sec. 164, Pg. 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations (ACORN).
• Sec. 201, Pg. 72, Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private plans under government control.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 84 - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private Health Care plans in the exchange.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 85, Line 7 - Specifications of benefit levels for plans means that the government will define your HC plan and has the ability to ration your health care!
• Sec. 205, Pg. 95, Lines 8-18 - The government will use groups (i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps) to “inform and educate” (sign up) individuals for government plan.
• Sec. 205, Pg. 102, Lines 12-18 - Medicaid-eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No freedom to choose.
• Sec. 223, Pg. 124, Lines 24-25 - No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “administrative of judicial review” against a government monopoly.
• Sec. 225, Pg. 127, Lines 1-16 - Doctors – the government will tell YOU what you can make. “The Secretary shall provide for the annual participation of physicians under the public health insurance option, for which payment may be made for services furnished during the year.”
• Sec. 312, Pg. 145, Lines 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 149, Lines 16-23 - ANY employer with payroll $400,000 and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 150, Lines 9-13 - Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 who do not provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 401.59B, Pg. 167, Lines 18-23 - ANY individual who does not have acceptable care, according to government, will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Sec. 59B, Pg. 170, Line 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay for their health care.)
• Sec. 431, Pg. 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration (government) will have access to ALL Americans’ financial and personal records.
• Sec. 441, Pg. 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 239, Lines 14-24 - The government will limit and reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income and poor are the ones affected.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 241, Lines 6-8 - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have; you’ll all be paid the same. “Service categories established under this paragraph shall apply without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the service.”
• Sec. 1122, Pg. 253, Lines 10-23 - The government “validates work relative value units” (sets value of doctor’s time), professional judgment, methods etc. (defining the value of humans).
• Sec. 1131, Pg. 265 - Government mandates and controls productivity for private HC industries. “Incorporating Productivity Improvements into Market Basket Updates that Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements.”
• Sec. 1141, Pg. 268 - The government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Sec. 1145, Pg. 272 - Treatment of certain cancer hospitals: Cancer patients and their treatment are open to rationing!
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 280 - The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions (incentives for hospital to not treat and release).
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 298, Lines 9-11 - Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission and the government will penalize you for that action.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317, Lines 13-20 - “PROHIBITION on physician ownership or Investment.” Government tells doctors what/how much they can own.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317-318, Lines 21-25, 1-3 - “PROHIBITION on Expansion of Facility Capacity.” The government will mandate that hospitals cannot expand (“number of operating rooms or beds”).
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 321, Lines 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 335-339, Lines 16-25 - The government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures. Rationing.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 341, Lines 3-9 - The government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. This will force people into a government plan.
“The Secretary may determine not to identify a Medicare Advantage plan if the Secretary has identified deficiencies in the plan’s compliance with rules for such plans under this part.”
• Sec. 1177, Pg. 354 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people! “Extension of Authority of Special Needs Plans to Restrict Enrollment.”
• Sec. 1191, Pg. 379 - Government creates more bureaucracy – “Telehealth Advisory Committee.” HC by phone or the Internet – dial 1 for your health care advice?
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance (Death) Care Planning consultation. Think Senior Citizens and end of life. END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING. SOME IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED RATIONING HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 17-19 - Government WILL instruct and consult regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory end-of-life planning!
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 427, Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for life-sustaining treatment (i.e. end of life). The government has a say in how your life ends.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 1-9 - An “advanced care planning consult” will be used as patient’s health deteriorates.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 10-12 - “Advanced Care Consultation” may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans - from the government.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which Doctors (professional authority under state law includes Nurse Practitioners or Physician’s Assistants) can write an end-of-life order.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 430, Lines 11-15 - The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life, according to preset methods (not individually decided).
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 468, Lines 16-21 - “Community-Based Home Medical Services means a nonprofit community-based or state-based organization.”
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 472, Lines 14-17 - PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION: One monthly payment to a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 489 - The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. This will involve government control of your marriage.
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 494-498 - The government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating and rationing those services.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 502 - Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. Big Brother is watching how your treatment works.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 13-19 - The government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records. “The Center may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section.”
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the US, including your data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The “Center” will collect data both “published and unpublished” (that means public & your private information).
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 506, Lines 19-21 - An “Appointed Clinical Perspective Advisory Panel” will advise The Center and recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 518, Lines 21-25 - The Commission will have input from HC consumer representatives.
• Sec. 1411, Pg. 524, Lines 18-22 - Establishes the “Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.” More taxes for ALL.
• Sec. 1441, Pg. 621, Lines 20-25 - The government will define “NEW Quality” measures in HC. Since when does government know about quality?
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 622, Lines 2-9 - To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from “qualified entities” (government Trust Funds) to other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 624, Lines 19-23 - Qualified Entities: “The Secretary shall ensure that the entity is a public, nonprofit or academic institution with technical expertise in the area of health quality measurement.”
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 5-10 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 15-17 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to profile you, including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 628 - The government will give “Multi-Stake Holders” pre-rulemaking input into selection of “quality” measures.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 630-31, Lines 9-24, 1-9 - Those Multi-Stake Holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding what constitutes quality.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632, Lines 14-25 - The government may implement any “Quality measure” of HC services that bureaucrats see fit.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632-333, Lines 14-25, 1-9 - The Secretary may issue nonendorsed “Quality Measures” for physician and dialysis services.
• Sec. 1251 (beginning), Pg. 634 to 652 - “Physician Payments Sunshine Provision” – government wants to shine sunlight on Doctors but not government. “Reports on financial relationships between manufacturers and distributors . . . and between physicians and other health care entities.”
• Sec. 1501 (beginning), Pg. 659-670 - Doctors in Residency – government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you’ll live.
• Sec. 1503 (beginning), Pg. 675-685 - Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.
• Sec. 1601 (beginning), Pg. 685-699 - Increased funding to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. (Like the government with an $18 million website?)
• Sec. 1619, Pg. 700-703 - If your part of HC plan isn’t in the government’s HC Exchange but you qualify for federal aid, you don’t have to pay.
• Sec. 1128G, Pg. 704-708 - If the Secretary determines there is a “significant risk of fraudulent activity,” on HC provider or supplier, the government can do a background check.
• Sec. 1632, Pg. 710, Lines 8-14 - The Secretary has broad powers to deny HC providers and suppliers admittance into HC Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
• Sec. 1637, Pg. 718-719 - ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services is REQUIRED to be enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 721 - Government MANDATES that Doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for home health services.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 723-24, Lines 23-25, 1-5 - The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s health plan: Your kids).
• Sec. 1640, Pg. 723, Lines 16-22 - The government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other HC service.
• Sec. 1651, Pg. 734, Lines 16-25 - Proposes, for law enforcement sake, that the Secretary of HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL medical data.
• Sec. 1701 (beginning), Pg. 739-756 - The government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (and you have to pay for them).
• Sec. 1704, Pg. 756-761 - The government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to states (your taxes).
• Sec. 1711, Pg. 764 - The government will require preventative services - including vaccinations (no choice).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768 - Government-determined Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 3-5 - Nurse Home Visit Services – Service #1: “Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.” Compulsory ABORTIONS?
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 11-14 - Nurse Home Visit Services include determinations of economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement and school-readiness.
• Sec. 1714, Pg. 769 - Federal government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and government control intertwined.
• Sec. 1733, Pg. 788-798 - Government will set and mandate drug prices, therefore controlling which drugs are brought to market. (Goodbye innovation and private research.)
• Sec. 1744, Pg. 796-799 - Establishes PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control your doctor’s education.
• Sec.1751, Pg. 800 - The government will decide which Health Care conditions will be paid. Say “RATION!”
• Sec. 1759, Pg. 809 - Billing Agents, clearinghouses, or other alternate payees are required to register. The government takes over private payment systems too.
• Sec. 1801, Pg. 819-823 - The Government will identify individuals “likely to be ineligible” for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
• Sec. 1802, Pg. 823-828 - Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another bottomless tax pit.
• Sec. 4375, Pg. 828-832, Lines 12-16 - Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans, including self-insured, to pay for Trust Fund!
• Sec. 4377, Pg. 835, Lines 11-13 - Fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
• Sec. 440, Pg. 837-839 - The government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families that are expecting children.
• Sec. 1904, Pg. 843-844 - This Home Visitation Program includes the government coming into your house and teaching/telling you how to parent!
• Sec. 2002, Pg. 858 - The government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000 (That’s Billions).
• Sec. 2201, Pg. 864 - The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
o Sec. 2201 - “Fulfillment of Obligated Service Requirement”
o Sec. 2201, Pg. 864-875 - The NHS Corps is a program where Doctors perform mandatory HC for 2 years for partial loan repayment.
• Sec. 2212, Pg. 875-891 - The government takes over the education of Medical students and Doctors through education and loans.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure an adequate supply of public health professionals.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the United States as Secretary deems necessary.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
• Sec. 340M, Pg. 899 - The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians. Will animals have heath care too?
• Sec. 2233, Pg. 909 - The government will develop, build and run Public Health Training Centers.
• Sec. 2241, Pg. 912-913 - Government starts a HC affirmative action program under the guise of diversity scholarships.
• Sec. 2251, Pg. 915 - Government MANDATES cultural and linguistic competency training for HC professionals.
• Sec. 3111, Pg. 931 - The government will establish a Preventative and Wellness Trust fund, with initial cost of $30,800,000,000 (Billions more).
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 934, Lines 21-22 - Government will identify specific goals and objectives for prevention and wellness activities. More control of your life.
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 935, Lines 1-2 - The government will develop “Healthy People & National Public Health Performance Standards.” They will tell us what to eat?
• Sec. 3131, Pg. 942, Lines 22-25 - “Task Force on Community Preventive Services.” More government? Under the Offices of Surgeon General, Public Health Services, Minority Health and Women’s Health.
• Sec. 3141, Pg. 949-979 - BIG GOVERNMENT core public health infrastructure includes workforce capacity, lab systems, health information systems, etc.
• Sec. 2511, Pg. 992 - Government will establish school-based “health” clinics. Your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!
• Sec. 399Z-1, Pg. 993 - School-Based Health Clinics will be integrated into the school environment. More government brainwashing in school.
• Sec. 2521, Pg. 1000 - The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
Reviewed, revised and adapted on July 29, 2009, by Liberty Counsel from the original authored by Peter Fleckenstein and posted on FreeRepublic.com
• Sec. 113, Pg. 21-22 of the Health Care (HC) Bill MANDATES a government audit of the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure in order to “ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure”!
• Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!
• Sec. 123, Pg. 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what treatments and benefits you get.
• Sec. 142, Pg. 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
• Sec. 152, Pg. 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.
• Sec. 163, Pg. 58-59 beginning at line 5 - Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID health care card will be issued!
• Sec. 163, Pg. 59, Lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Sec. 164, Pg. 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations (ACORN).
• Sec. 201, Pg. 72, Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private plans under government control.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 84 - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private Health Care plans in the exchange.
• Sec. 203, Pg. 85, Line 7 - Specifications of benefit levels for plans means that the government will define your HC plan and has the ability to ration your health care!
• Sec. 205, Pg. 95, Lines 8-18 - The government will use groups (i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps) to “inform and educate” (sign up) individuals for government plan.
• Sec. 205, Pg. 102, Lines 12-18 - Medicaid-eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No freedom to choose.
• Sec. 223, Pg. 124, Lines 24-25 - No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “administrative of judicial review” against a government monopoly.
• Sec. 225, Pg. 127, Lines 1-16 - Doctors – the government will tell YOU what you can make. “The Secretary shall provide for the annual participation of physicians under the public health insurance option, for which payment may be made for services furnished during the year.”
• Sec. 312, Pg. 145, Lines 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 149, Lines 16-23 - ANY employer with payroll $400,000 and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 313, Pg. 150, Lines 9-13 - Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 who do not provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
• Sec. 401.59B, Pg. 167, Lines 18-23 - ANY individual who does not have acceptable care, according to government, will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Sec. 59B, Pg. 170, Line 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay for their health care.)
• Sec. 431, Pg. 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration (government) will have access to ALL Americans’ financial and personal records.
• Sec. 441, Pg. 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 239, Lines 14-24 - The government will limit and reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income and poor are the ones affected.
• Sec. 1121, Pg. 241, Lines 6-8 - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have; you’ll all be paid the same. “Service categories established under this paragraph shall apply without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the service.”
• Sec. 1122, Pg. 253, Lines 10-23 - The government “validates work relative value units” (sets value of doctor’s time), professional judgment, methods etc. (defining the value of humans).
• Sec. 1131, Pg. 265 - Government mandates and controls productivity for private HC industries. “Incorporating Productivity Improvements into Market Basket Updates that Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements.”
• Sec. 1141, Pg. 268 - The government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Sec. 1145, Pg. 272 - Treatment of certain cancer hospitals: Cancer patients and their treatment are open to rationing!
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 280 - The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions (incentives for hospital to not treat and release).
• Sec. 1151, Pg. 298, Lines 9-11 - Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission and the government will penalize you for that action.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317, Lines 13-20 - “PROHIBITION on physician ownership or Investment.” Government tells doctors what/how much they can own.
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 317-318, Lines 21-25, 1-3 - “PROHIBITION on Expansion of Facility Capacity.” The government will mandate that hospitals cannot expand (“number of operating rooms or beds”).
• Sec. 1156, Pg. 321, Lines 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 335-339, Lines 16-25 - The government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures. Rationing.
• Sec. 1162, Pg. 341, Lines 3-9 - The government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. This will force people into a government plan.
“The Secretary may determine not to identify a Medicare Advantage plan if the Secretary has identified deficiencies in the plan’s compliance with rules for such plans under this part.”
• Sec. 1177, Pg. 354 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people! “Extension of Authority of Special Needs Plans to Restrict Enrollment.”
• Sec. 1191, Pg. 379 - Government creates more bureaucracy – “Telehealth Advisory Committee.” HC by phone or the Internet – dial 1 for your health care advice?
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance (Death) Care Planning consultation. Think Senior Citizens and end of life. END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING. SOME IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED RATIONING HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 17-19 - Government WILL instruct and consult regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory end-of-life planning!
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 427, Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for life-sustaining treatment (i.e. end of life). The government has a say in how your life ends.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 1-9 - An “advanced care planning consult” will be used as patient’s health deteriorates.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 10-12 - “Advanced Care Consultation” may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans - from the government.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which Doctors (professional authority under state law includes Nurse Practitioners or Physician’s Assistants) can write an end-of-life order.
• Sec. 1233, Pg. 430, Lines 11-15 - The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life, according to preset methods (not individually decided).
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 468, Lines 16-21 - “Community-Based Home Medical Services means a nonprofit community-based or state-based organization.”
• Sec. 1302, Pg. 472, Lines 14-17 - PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION: One monthly payment to a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 489 - The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. This will involve government control of your marriage.
• Sec. 1308, Pg. 494-498 - The government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating and rationing those services.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 502 - Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. Big Brother is watching how your treatment works.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 13-19 - The government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records. “The Center may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section.”
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the US, including your data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The “Center” will collect data both “published and unpublished” (that means public & your private information).
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 506, Lines 19-21 - An “Appointed Clinical Perspective Advisory Panel” will advise The Center and recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.
• Sec. 1401, Pg. 518, Lines 21-25 - The Commission will have input from HC consumer representatives.
• Sec. 1411, Pg. 524, Lines 18-22 - Establishes the “Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.” More taxes for ALL.
• Sec. 1441, Pg. 621, Lines 20-25 - The government will define “NEW Quality” measures in HC. Since when does government know about quality?
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 622, Lines 2-9 - To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from “qualified entities” (government Trust Funds) to other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 624, Lines 19-23 - Qualified Entities: “The Secretary shall ensure that the entity is a public, nonprofit or academic institution with technical expertise in the area of health quality measurement.”
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 5-10 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.
• Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 15-17 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to profile you, including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 628 - The government will give “Multi-Stake Holders” pre-rulemaking input into selection of “quality” measures.
• Sec. 1443, Pg. 630-31, Lines 9-24, 1-9 - Those Multi-Stake Holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding what constitutes quality.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632, Lines 14-25 - The government may implement any “Quality measure” of HC services that bureaucrats see fit.
• Sec. 1444, Pg. 632-333, Lines 14-25, 1-9 - The Secretary may issue nonendorsed “Quality Measures” for physician and dialysis services.
• Sec. 1251 (beginning), Pg. 634 to 652 - “Physician Payments Sunshine Provision” – government wants to shine sunlight on Doctors but not government. “Reports on financial relationships between manufacturers and distributors . . . and between physicians and other health care entities.”
• Sec. 1501 (beginning), Pg. 659-670 - Doctors in Residency – government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you’ll live.
• Sec. 1503 (beginning), Pg. 675-685 - Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.
• Sec. 1601 (beginning), Pg. 685-699 - Increased funding to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. (Like the government with an $18 million website?)
• Sec. 1619, Pg. 700-703 - If your part of HC plan isn’t in the government’s HC Exchange but you qualify for federal aid, you don’t have to pay.
• Sec. 1128G, Pg. 704-708 - If the Secretary determines there is a “significant risk of fraudulent activity,” on HC provider or supplier, the government can do a background check.
• Sec. 1632, Pg. 710, Lines 8-14 - The Secretary has broad powers to deny HC providers and suppliers admittance into HC Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
• Sec. 1637, Pg. 718-719 - ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services is REQUIRED to be enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 721 - Government MANDATES that Doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for home health services.
• Sec. 1639, Pg. 723-24, Lines 23-25, 1-5 - The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s health plan: Your kids).
• Sec. 1640, Pg. 723, Lines 16-22 - The government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other HC service.
• Sec. 1651, Pg. 734, Lines 16-25 - Proposes, for law enforcement sake, that the Secretary of HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL medical data.
• Sec. 1701 (beginning), Pg. 739-756 - The government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (and you have to pay for them).
• Sec. 1704, Pg. 756-761 - The government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to states (your taxes).
• Sec. 1711, Pg. 764 - The government will require preventative services - including vaccinations (no choice).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768 - Government-determined Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 3-5 - Nurse Home Visit Services – Service #1: “Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.” Compulsory ABORTIONS?
• Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 11-14 - Nurse Home Visit Services include determinations of economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement and school-readiness.
• Sec. 1714, Pg. 769 - Federal government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and government control intertwined.
• Sec. 1733, Pg. 788-798 - Government will set and mandate drug prices, therefore controlling which drugs are brought to market. (Goodbye innovation and private research.)
• Sec. 1744, Pg. 796-799 - Establishes PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control your doctor’s education.
• Sec.1751, Pg. 800 - The government will decide which Health Care conditions will be paid. Say “RATION!”
• Sec. 1759, Pg. 809 - Billing Agents, clearinghouses, or other alternate payees are required to register. The government takes over private payment systems too.
• Sec. 1801, Pg. 819-823 - The Government will identify individuals “likely to be ineligible” for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
• Sec. 1802, Pg. 823-828 - Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another bottomless tax pit.
• Sec. 4375, Pg. 828-832, Lines 12-16 - Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans, including self-insured, to pay for Trust Fund!
• Sec. 4377, Pg. 835, Lines 11-13 - Fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
• Sec. 440, Pg. 837-839 - The government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families that are expecting children.
• Sec. 1904, Pg. 843-844 - This Home Visitation Program includes the government coming into your house and teaching/telling you how to parent!
• Sec. 2002, Pg. 858 - The government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000 (That’s Billions).
• Sec. 2201, Pg. 864 - The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
o Sec. 2201 - “Fulfillment of Obligated Service Requirement”
o Sec. 2201, Pg. 864-875 - The NHS Corps is a program where Doctors perform mandatory HC for 2 years for partial loan repayment.
• Sec. 2212, Pg. 875-891 - The government takes over the education of Medical students and Doctors through education and loans.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure an adequate supply of public health professionals.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the United States as Secretary deems necessary.
• Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
• Sec. 340M, Pg. 899 - The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians. Will animals have heath care too?
• Sec. 2233, Pg. 909 - The government will develop, build and run Public Health Training Centers.
• Sec. 2241, Pg. 912-913 - Government starts a HC affirmative action program under the guise of diversity scholarships.
• Sec. 2251, Pg. 915 - Government MANDATES cultural and linguistic competency training for HC professionals.
• Sec. 3111, Pg. 931 - The government will establish a Preventative and Wellness Trust fund, with initial cost of $30,800,000,000 (Billions more).
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 934, Lines 21-22 - Government will identify specific goals and objectives for prevention and wellness activities. More control of your life.
• Sec. 3121, Pg. 935, Lines 1-2 - The government will develop “Healthy People & National Public Health Performance Standards.” They will tell us what to eat?
• Sec. 3131, Pg. 942, Lines 22-25 - “Task Force on Community Preventive Services.” More government? Under the Offices of Surgeon General, Public Health Services, Minority Health and Women’s Health.
• Sec. 3141, Pg. 949-979 - BIG GOVERNMENT core public health infrastructure includes workforce capacity, lab systems, health information systems, etc.
• Sec. 2511, Pg. 992 - Government will establish school-based “health” clinics. Your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!
• Sec. 399Z-1, Pg. 993 - School-Based Health Clinics will be integrated into the school environment. More government brainwashing in school.
• Sec. 2521, Pg. 1000 - The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Glycemic Food Index
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a system of ranking the quality of carbohydrate in a food according to the immediate effect it has on blood glucose. Individual foods are compared to pure glucose, which has its Glycemic Index set at 100. For comparison, pearl barley has a value of 33, oranges are 49, and whole wheat bread is 71.
The Glycemic Index was conceived in 1979 by Dr. David Jenkins, together with Dr. Thomas Wolever and Dr. Alexandra Jenkins. The GI breakthrough was the outcome of research conducted at both Oxford University and at the University of Toronto to determine which foods would be best for people with diabetes.
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
The following foods are grouped according to their rating on the glycemic index . The best carbohydrate choices are in the low-glycemic group within the index. Restock the refrigerator and pantry to emphasize low-glycemic foods. Ditch the refined breads and breakfast cereals, baked and mashed spuds, white rice and rice cakes, toaster waffles, tator tots and french fries.
The consumption of high-glycemic foods spikes insulin and reduces glucagon thus preventing the burning of body fat. Try to stay away from high-glycemic foods and stick to lower glycemic choices (see lists below) that will produce less insulin. Insulin stimulates your 30 billion fat cell receptors and deposits carbohydrate energy directly into their interiors, making you fatter and fatter. There is no other way to store fat. Every time you eat a meal, your blood sugar rises. Your goal is to consume the foods (low-glycemic), which will cause the least amount of insulin production.
Any high-glycemic foods should only be consumed in minimum quantities and combined with dietary proteins and fats in a meal. The only exception is a high-glycemic drink after exercise. But remember, even too much of the low-glycemic foods can make you fat.
The Glycemic Index was conceived in 1979 by Dr. David Jenkins, together with Dr. Thomas Wolever and Dr. Alexandra Jenkins. The GI breakthrough was the outcome of research conducted at both Oxford University and at the University of Toronto to determine which foods would be best for people with diabetes.
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
The following foods are grouped according to their rating on the glycemic index . The best carbohydrate choices are in the low-glycemic group within the index. Restock the refrigerator and pantry to emphasize low-glycemic foods. Ditch the refined breads and breakfast cereals, baked and mashed spuds, white rice and rice cakes, toaster waffles, tator tots and french fries.
The consumption of high-glycemic foods spikes insulin and reduces glucagon thus preventing the burning of body fat. Try to stay away from high-glycemic foods and stick to lower glycemic choices (see lists below) that will produce less insulin. Insulin stimulates your 30 billion fat cell receptors and deposits carbohydrate energy directly into their interiors, making you fatter and fatter. There is no other way to store fat. Every time you eat a meal, your blood sugar rises. Your goal is to consume the foods (low-glycemic), which will cause the least amount of insulin production.
Any high-glycemic foods should only be consumed in minimum quantities and combined with dietary proteins and fats in a meal. The only exception is a high-glycemic drink after exercise. But remember, even too much of the low-glycemic foods can make you fat.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Calling Dr. Obama
President Obama's comments about a visit to the doctor where the course of treatment is dictated by insurance reimbursement raises some serious issues and illustrates some misconceptions about health care delivery.
For my patients I hope it goes without saying that I do not decide a course of treatment by consulting insurance reimbursements. I suspect that most doctors do not do this either. But, having said this it is clear that health insurance does distort the health care market by distorting the relationships between price and cost as well as supply and demand.
One of the worst effects of health insurance is that it causes people to demand hundreds of dollars of service while only wanting to pay pennies on the dollar for this care. In virtually no other area of our economic life does this presumption exist. Think about it. If you take your car to get gas or an oil change you look upon this as routine service for your car and would not expect car insurance to cover the cost. Because car insurance doesn't cover the cost the market is able to operate here and the vast majority of people are able to purchase gas and oil changes at reasonable rates while the companies which provide these services are able to make a profit doing so. What most people demand of car insurance is catastrophic coverage. Because insurance is mainly used for this purpose it is reasonably affordable for most people. But, since this is not how health insurance works it is in most cases more expensive.
What would be so bad about altering health insurance to more closely resemble car insurance? At the very least we could have an option where health insurance is used to cover major medical problems while individuals pay for routine health care. You might respond that this would be too expensive since the cost of a doctor's visit is too expensive. But, in a free market doctors could only charge prices that the market would bear. This would be the case for all health care services not covered by insurance. Doctors or companies which tried to charge more would lose patients who would vote with their pocketbook by going elsewhere.
Another benefit of this approach would be to alter the culture of payment that now seems to exist now in health care. Think about it. Would you go to the grocery, load your cart up with groceries and expect to leave the store without paying? Would you take your car to have the oil changed and expect to drive away without paying? Of course not! But, some patients seem to expect to be able to go to the doctor's office, avail themselves of services and leave without paying their bill! I think much of this would change if doctors could state up front what their fees for services were (as do most other service providers in the economy) and be able to collect these fees when services are rendered. In other words, operate without the burden of insurance. What to do about patients who truly cannot pay? Most doctors are willing to work with people on a case by case basis. Solving this problem does not entail a wholesale overhaul of the health care system. And no, I won't try to take your tonsils out just to earn some extra fees!
For my patients I hope it goes without saying that I do not decide a course of treatment by consulting insurance reimbursements. I suspect that most doctors do not do this either. But, having said this it is clear that health insurance does distort the health care market by distorting the relationships between price and cost as well as supply and demand.
One of the worst effects of health insurance is that it causes people to demand hundreds of dollars of service while only wanting to pay pennies on the dollar for this care. In virtually no other area of our economic life does this presumption exist. Think about it. If you take your car to get gas or an oil change you look upon this as routine service for your car and would not expect car insurance to cover the cost. Because car insurance doesn't cover the cost the market is able to operate here and the vast majority of people are able to purchase gas and oil changes at reasonable rates while the companies which provide these services are able to make a profit doing so. What most people demand of car insurance is catastrophic coverage. Because insurance is mainly used for this purpose it is reasonably affordable for most people. But, since this is not how health insurance works it is in most cases more expensive.
What would be so bad about altering health insurance to more closely resemble car insurance? At the very least we could have an option where health insurance is used to cover major medical problems while individuals pay for routine health care. You might respond that this would be too expensive since the cost of a doctor's visit is too expensive. But, in a free market doctors could only charge prices that the market would bear. This would be the case for all health care services not covered by insurance. Doctors or companies which tried to charge more would lose patients who would vote with their pocketbook by going elsewhere.
Another benefit of this approach would be to alter the culture of payment that now seems to exist now in health care. Think about it. Would you go to the grocery, load your cart up with groceries and expect to leave the store without paying? Would you take your car to have the oil changed and expect to drive away without paying? Of course not! But, some patients seem to expect to be able to go to the doctor's office, avail themselves of services and leave without paying their bill! I think much of this would change if doctors could state up front what their fees for services were (as do most other service providers in the economy) and be able to collect these fees when services are rendered. In other words, operate without the burden of insurance. What to do about patients who truly cannot pay? Most doctors are willing to work with people on a case by case basis. Solving this problem does not entail a wholesale overhaul of the health care system. And no, I won't try to take your tonsils out just to earn some extra fees!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Proceeds purchased on the following websites help support Family Medicine of Southern Indiana. Please visit them to show your support!
Kevin J. Browne
The Browne Academy Bookstore
The Family Medicine Bookstore
Radio Free Philosophy
Tranquility Retreat
Kevin J. Browne
The Browne Academy Bookstore
The Family Medicine Bookstore
Radio Free Philosophy
Tranquility Retreat
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Lab Results
LDL—the bad cholesterol. This value should be no more than 130, if you don’t have any other cardiac risk factors, such as overweight, hypertension (high blood pressure), or diabetes. For two or more risk factors, it’s best if this level is less than 100. If you have diabetes or heart disease, the level should be 70 or lower. The LDL is the portion of a cholesterol panel that goes out to the arteries and deposits as plaque. LDL is made by the liver, so if you have a family history of high cholesterol, you are more likely to have high cholesterol yourself. However, the LDL is also caused partly by what you eat. Eating a diet rich in whole grains and low in animal fats will help. Ask for the healthy diet handout.
HDL—the good cholesterol. The higher the better, as this is the component that takes the cholesterol from the arteries and periphery back to the liver. For women, the HDL should be 45-50 or higher. Quitting smoking and exercising for at minimum twenty minutes per day (aerobic so your heart gets pumping) will help with this.
Triglycerides. These should be no more than 150. Factors in the diet that elevate triglycerides are sugars or white, processed carbohydrates, and animal fats. Other factors that can affect them are elevated blood sugars and hypothyroidism.
Insulin. If I have checked your insulin level, it is because I am concerned you may have insulin resistance, a condition that predisposes you to diabetes. This is a condition in which the body doesn’t use insulin properly. It is much more common if you are overweight or if you have a family history of diabetes. Adipose or fatty tissue doesn’t use insulin very well, so the pancreas has to pump out additional insulin when you consume something with carbohydrates. Over time, the pancreas gets burned out. Once the pancreas is no longer able to keep producing extra insulin to keep the blood sugars down, you will develop first pre-diabetes, then diabetes. Depending on the lab used, a fasting insulin level should be no more than 16-17. It is very important that you follow a diet without sugar or white, processed carbohydrates.
Fasting blood sugar. Normal fasting blood sugars are less than 100. The limits of normal have been changed over the past couple of years; it used to be that the cut-off was 111. If you have two fasting blood sugars above 100, you have impaired fasting glucose, or prediabetes. If you have two fasting blood sugars 126 or greater, you have diabetes. Sometimes I will order a glucose tolerance test. If the blood sugar goes over 200, this is diabetes. Occasionally people will have normal blood sugars in the morning, but their sugars go way up after meals. If your bloodwork shows elevated triglycerides, I may order a glucose tolerance test.
Vitamin D level. If your vitamin D level is less than 20, you are deficient in vitamin D. Between 20-30 is considered insufficient. Often times I will check this level if you have bone loss, whether osteopenia (mild-moderate bone loss) or osteoporosis. Symptoms of low vitamin D include fatigue and generalized achiness. It is a very common finding. Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but a hormone, and it can be obtained only by eating or drinking foods fortified with vitamin D (milk, for example) or by sunshine.
HDL—the good cholesterol. The higher the better, as this is the component that takes the cholesterol from the arteries and periphery back to the liver. For women, the HDL should be 45-50 or higher. Quitting smoking and exercising for at minimum twenty minutes per day (aerobic so your heart gets pumping) will help with this.
Triglycerides. These should be no more than 150. Factors in the diet that elevate triglycerides are sugars or white, processed carbohydrates, and animal fats. Other factors that can affect them are elevated blood sugars and hypothyroidism.
Insulin. If I have checked your insulin level, it is because I am concerned you may have insulin resistance, a condition that predisposes you to diabetes. This is a condition in which the body doesn’t use insulin properly. It is much more common if you are overweight or if you have a family history of diabetes. Adipose or fatty tissue doesn’t use insulin very well, so the pancreas has to pump out additional insulin when you consume something with carbohydrates. Over time, the pancreas gets burned out. Once the pancreas is no longer able to keep producing extra insulin to keep the blood sugars down, you will develop first pre-diabetes, then diabetes. Depending on the lab used, a fasting insulin level should be no more than 16-17. It is very important that you follow a diet without sugar or white, processed carbohydrates.
Fasting blood sugar. Normal fasting blood sugars are less than 100. The limits of normal have been changed over the past couple of years; it used to be that the cut-off was 111. If you have two fasting blood sugars above 100, you have impaired fasting glucose, or prediabetes. If you have two fasting blood sugars 126 or greater, you have diabetes. Sometimes I will order a glucose tolerance test. If the blood sugar goes over 200, this is diabetes. Occasionally people will have normal blood sugars in the morning, but their sugars go way up after meals. If your bloodwork shows elevated triglycerides, I may order a glucose tolerance test.
Vitamin D level. If your vitamin D level is less than 20, you are deficient in vitamin D. Between 20-30 is considered insufficient. Often times I will check this level if you have bone loss, whether osteopenia (mild-moderate bone loss) or osteoporosis. Symptoms of low vitamin D include fatigue and generalized achiness. It is a very common finding. Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but a hormone, and it can be obtained only by eating or drinking foods fortified with vitamin D (milk, for example) or by sunshine.
Diabetes Primer
If you have diabetes, there are several things you should know and do. Once you have the diagnosis of diabetes, your risk for having a heart attack is the same as someone who has already had a heart attack. For this reason, goals for cholesterol and blood pressure change significantly. Having diabetes also increases your risk of peripheral vascular disease, kidney disease, visual problems (retinopathy), infection, and even impotence. I strongly recommend that if you have diabetes, you go through diabetes education classes. I also strongly recommend that you adhere to what the nutritionist there says regarding diet. Exercise, too!
Recommended supplements for a diabetic
ASA 81mg
fish oil 1g twice a day
Things for you to do (aside from exercising and watching your diet):
Yearly flu shot
Pneumovax or pneumonia shot
Check your feet daily—both for cuts or peeling and for numbness.
Opthalmologic exams yearly to check for retinopathy
Goals
Blood pressure ideally should now be less than 130/80
LDL, the bad cholesterol, should be less than 100 and as close as possible to 70
Triglycerides should be less than 150
HDL, the good cholesterol, should be 45 or greater
Hgba1c—the “three month sugar level”, should be 6.5 or lower
I also periodically check a urine test for microalbumin. This is a test showing loss of proteins through the kidneys that is the earliest indicator of kidney problems. If you have a positive test, it can still be reversible.
I often screen for hypothyroidism as well, as a low thyroid is associated with diabetes.
Why does it seem that I am quick to give you more medicines? Because it is all about preventing complications. I would rather give you a medicine for your blood pressure now, than three medicines for heart disease later. Some of the medicines do more than one thing, for example a class of blood pressure medicines called ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) not only lower the blood pressure, but they also protect the kidneys and help with the loss of protein from the kidneys, and they have been shown to lower the incidence of stroke. The cholesterol medicines not only lower the cholesterol, but also stabilize plaques in the arteries (so they don’t break off and head to your noggin), and lower inflammatory markers in the blood that are associated with heart disease. Incidentally, if you get achey with a cholesterol medicine, try some coenzyme Q10, an over the counter supplement. It is thought that the muscle aches due to the cholesterol medicines is caused by a decrease in CoQ10 in the body.
Recommended supplements for a diabetic
ASA 81mg
fish oil 1g twice a day
Things for you to do (aside from exercising and watching your diet):
Yearly flu shot
Pneumovax or pneumonia shot
Check your feet daily—both for cuts or peeling and for numbness.
Opthalmologic exams yearly to check for retinopathy
Goals
Blood pressure ideally should now be less than 130/80
LDL, the bad cholesterol, should be less than 100 and as close as possible to 70
Triglycerides should be less than 150
HDL, the good cholesterol, should be 45 or greater
Hgba1c—the “three month sugar level”, should be 6.5 or lower
I also periodically check a urine test for microalbumin. This is a test showing loss of proteins through the kidneys that is the earliest indicator of kidney problems. If you have a positive test, it can still be reversible.
I often screen for hypothyroidism as well, as a low thyroid is associated with diabetes.
Why does it seem that I am quick to give you more medicines? Because it is all about preventing complications. I would rather give you a medicine for your blood pressure now, than three medicines for heart disease later. Some of the medicines do more than one thing, for example a class of blood pressure medicines called ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) not only lower the blood pressure, but they also protect the kidneys and help with the loss of protein from the kidneys, and they have been shown to lower the incidence of stroke. The cholesterol medicines not only lower the cholesterol, but also stabilize plaques in the arteries (so they don’t break off and head to your noggin), and lower inflammatory markers in the blood that are associated with heart disease. Incidentally, if you get achey with a cholesterol medicine, try some coenzyme Q10, an over the counter supplement. It is thought that the muscle aches due to the cholesterol medicines is caused by a decrease in CoQ10 in the body.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Insulin and aging
Centenarians, people who have lived over 100 years, don't have much in common. Many are smokers, for example. They come from all over the world without a favoring any geographic location in particular.
However, there are 3 consistent blood metabolic indicators of all centenarians which are relatively consistent: low sugar, low triglycerides, and low insulin. All 3 are relatively low for age. Among these 3 variables, insulin is the common denominator. The level of insulin sensitivity of the cell is one of the most important markers of lifespan.
Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most powerful anti-aging strategies you can possibly implement. Sugar and grains cause your body to produce insulin and high insulin levels are the single largest physical cause of accelerated aging. If you want to slow down aging and be healthy then you need to change your grains for greens.
Insulin resistance is the basis of all of the chronic diseases of aging, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, all the so-called chronic diseases of aging.
Fortunately insulin is the variable most easily influenced by a healthy diet and exercise.
Traditional doctors will prescribe drugs to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetics and give verbal acknowledgment to exercise.
A low grain, no sugar diet is one of the most effective ways to lower one's insulin levels. This is especially effective when combined with an aerobic exercise program which increases the heart rate to about 75% of its maximum and maintains it there for 45 minutes, 5 times a week.
In addition to the steps we discussed related to diet and exercise, you may want to consider chromium supplementation. Chromium helps insulin to work efficiently. Many well-controlled clinical studies through the years show blood glucose improvements in the patients tested.
Important studies include one from the Human Nutrition Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture conducted in 1996. Researchers in the study randomized 180 adult-onset diabetics into 3 groups of 60 each: one group received placebo twice a day, the second received 100 mcg twice a say of chromium as chromium picolinate and the third received 500 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate twice per day. Their blood work was examined at baseline, at 2 months and at 4 months. The patients were told to remain on their anti-diabetic medications and to continue with their diets and activity levels as before. The results were impressive: blood glucose, insulin levels, and cholesterol all decreased, with the higher dose generally (but not always) more effective than the 200 mcg.
I spend a lot of time researching the internet for the best prices for high quality supplements, and in my opinion the lowest price for high quality chromium picolinate is here .
Your goals should be: Reduce insulin levels as much as possible, through diet and exercise, and control your weight. 90% of those with insulin resistance are obese.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm)
However, there are 3 consistent blood metabolic indicators of all centenarians which are relatively consistent: low sugar, low triglycerides, and low insulin. All 3 are relatively low for age. Among these 3 variables, insulin is the common denominator. The level of insulin sensitivity of the cell is one of the most important markers of lifespan.
Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most powerful anti-aging strategies you can possibly implement. Sugar and grains cause your body to produce insulin and high insulin levels are the single largest physical cause of accelerated aging. If you want to slow down aging and be healthy then you need to change your grains for greens.
Insulin resistance is the basis of all of the chronic diseases of aging, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, all the so-called chronic diseases of aging.
Fortunately insulin is the variable most easily influenced by a healthy diet and exercise.
Traditional doctors will prescribe drugs to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetics and give verbal acknowledgment to exercise.
A low grain, no sugar diet is one of the most effective ways to lower one's insulin levels. This is especially effective when combined with an aerobic exercise program which increases the heart rate to about 75% of its maximum and maintains it there for 45 minutes, 5 times a week.
In addition to the steps we discussed related to diet and exercise, you may want to consider chromium supplementation. Chromium helps insulin to work efficiently. Many well-controlled clinical studies through the years show blood glucose improvements in the patients tested.
Important studies include one from the Human Nutrition Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture conducted in 1996. Researchers in the study randomized 180 adult-onset diabetics into 3 groups of 60 each: one group received placebo twice a day, the second received 100 mcg twice a say of chromium as chromium picolinate and the third received 500 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate twice per day. Their blood work was examined at baseline, at 2 months and at 4 months. The patients were told to remain on their anti-diabetic medications and to continue with their diets and activity levels as before. The results were impressive: blood glucose, insulin levels, and cholesterol all decreased, with the higher dose generally (but not always) more effective than the 200 mcg.
I spend a lot of time researching the internet for the best prices for high quality supplements, and in my opinion the lowest price for high quality chromium picolinate is here .
Your goals should be: Reduce insulin levels as much as possible, through diet and exercise, and control your weight. 90% of those with insulin resistance are obese.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm)
Symptoms of insulin resistance
1. Fatigue. The most common feature of Insulin Resistance is that it wears people out. Some are tired just in the morning or afternoon, others are exhausted all day.
2. Brain fogginess. Sometimes the fatigue of Insulin Resistance is physical, but often it's mental. The inability to focus is the most evident symptom. Poor memory, loss of creativity, poor grades in school often accompany Insulin Resistance, as do various forms of "learning disabilities."
3. Low blood sugar. Mild, brief periods of low blood sugar are normal during the day, especially if meals are not eaten on a regular schedule. But prolonged periods of this "hypoglycemia," accompanied by many of the symptoms listed here, especially physical and mental fatigue, are not normal.
Feeling agitated, jittery and moody is common in Insulin Resistance, with almost immediate relief once food is eaten.
4. Intestinal bloating. Most intestinal gas is produced from carbohydrates in the diet. Insulin Resistance sufferers who eat carbohydrates suffer from gas, lots of it.
5. Sleepiness. Many people with Insulin Resistance get sleepy immediately after eating a meal containing more than 20% or 30% carbohydrates. This means typically a pasta meal, or even a meat meal which includes potatoes or bread and a sweet dessert.
6. Increased weight and fat storage. For most people, too much weight is too much fat. In males, a large abdomen is the more obvious and earliest sign of Insulin Resistance. In females, it's prominent buttocks.
7. Increased triglycerides. High triglycerides in the blood are often found in overweight persons. But even those who are not overweight may have stores of fat in their arteries as a result of Insulin Resistance.
These triglycerides are the direct result of carbohydrates in the diet being converted by insulin.
8. Increased blood pressure. It is a fact that most people with hypertension have too much insulin and are Insulin Resistant. It is often possible to show a direct relationship between the level of insulin and blood pressure: as insulin levels elevate, so does blood pressure.
9. Depression. Because carbohydrates are a natural "downer," depressing the brain, it is not uncommon to see many depressed persons who also have Insulin Resistance.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm)
Insulin and insulin resistance
Each time we eat, insulin is released into the bloodstream. This vital hormone, secreted by special cells in the pancreas, encourages our tissues - our muscles in particular - to gobble up the glucose surging through the bloodstream after we eat a meal.
That's good news, because glucose hanging around in the blood is dangerous stuff. It can stick to proteins and destroy their ability to do their job. Kidney damage, blindness, and amputations may result.
But insulin has many other vital roles. After a meal, insulin stops the liver from releasing any fat, a potential metabolic fuel, into the blood. Why after a meal? It turns out that just like glucose, these fats, released as triglycerides, are dangerous if they hang about in the blood too long.
In some organisms, insulin plays the role of controlling their lifespan. What is the purpose of insulin in humans? If you ask your physician, they will say that the role of insulin is to lower blood sugar and you must learn right now, that is one of insulin's many roles.
Insulin, sugar, and glycogen
When your body notices that the sugar level is elevated, it is a sign that you have more sugar than you need right now, your body is not burning it and therefore it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin is released to take that sugar and store it. How does it store it? Glycogen? Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscles would not last you through 1 active day. Once you have filled up your glycogen stores, that sugar is stored as saturated fat.
So the idea of medical professionals recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet is absolutely a mistake. A high complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing more than a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily.
Your body's principal way of getting rid of sugar, because it is toxic, is to burn it. The sugar which your body can't burn will be rid of by storing it as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat. If you eat sugar your body will burn it and you stop burning fat. Another major effect of insulin on fat is it prevents you from burning it. What happens when you are insulin resistant and you have all this insulin floating around all the time? You wake up in the morning with an insulin level of 90.
High levels of insulin cause health problems
High levels of insulin cause several problems: one of them is high blood pressure. One of the roles of insulin is to assist the storing of excess nutrients. Insulin plays a role in storing magnesium. But if your cells become resistant to insulin, you can't store magnesium so you lose it through urination. Intra-cellular magnesium relaxes muscles. What happens when you can't store magnesium because the cell is resistant? You lose magnesium and your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure.
Insulin also causes the retention of sodium, which causes fluid retention, which causes high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
A recent study(1) showed that overweight children with high levels of insulin in their blood are also likely to have high levels of homocysteine, a substance which appears to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and birth defects.
Osteoporosis is another potential problem resulting from insulin resistance. Insulin is a master hormone which controls many anabolic hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone, and progesterone. In insulin resistance, the anabolic process is reduced. Bone is built upon the command of such hormones. When these hormones are reduced, the amount of bone building is reduced, and the amount of calcium excreted is increased.
Insulin increases cellular proliferation. How does this affect cancer? It helps it grow. And there are some pretty strong studies(2,3) which show that one of the strongest correlations to breast and colon cancers are levels of insulin.
Insulin resistance
When your cells are exposed to insulin at all, they get a little bit more resistant to it. So the pancreas just puts out more insulin. Cells become insulin resistant because they are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin. They down-regulate their receptor activity and number of receptors so that they don't have to be subjected to all that stimuli all the time.
Different cells respond to insulin differently. Some cells are more resistant than others, as some cells are incapable of becoming very resistant. The liver becomes resistant first, followed by the muscle tissue and lastly the fats. As all these major tissues, become insulin resistant your pancreas is putting out more insulin to compensate. Any time your cell is exposed to insulin it is going to become more insulin resistant. That is inevitable, we cannot stop this process, but the rate we can control.
But the pancreas can't always keep up that high level of insulin production forever. Once the production of insulin starts slowing down, or the resistance goes up, then blood sugar goes up and the person becomes a diabetic.
"Insulin resistance syndrome" refers to a combination of risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including chronically elevated insulin levels, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, abdominal obesity and high blood pressure.
Excessive intake of all carbohydrates, especially the high-glycemic type, is the primary culprit in the development of insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body no longer responds to insulin. As a result, levels of insulin in the blood become elevated and over time, can raise the risk for kidney failure and blindness, as well as heart disease.
A recent study(4) has found that insulin resistance syndrome, or "syndrome X," is found in families with a history of early heart disease - a heart attack or blood vessel blockage before age 55 in men and before age 65 in women.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm)
That's good news, because glucose hanging around in the blood is dangerous stuff. It can stick to proteins and destroy their ability to do their job. Kidney damage, blindness, and amputations may result.
But insulin has many other vital roles. After a meal, insulin stops the liver from releasing any fat, a potential metabolic fuel, into the blood. Why after a meal? It turns out that just like glucose, these fats, released as triglycerides, are dangerous if they hang about in the blood too long.
In some organisms, insulin plays the role of controlling their lifespan. What is the purpose of insulin in humans? If you ask your physician, they will say that the role of insulin is to lower blood sugar and you must learn right now, that is one of insulin's many roles.
Insulin, sugar, and glycogen
When your body notices that the sugar level is elevated, it is a sign that you have more sugar than you need right now, your body is not burning it and therefore it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin is released to take that sugar and store it. How does it store it? Glycogen? Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscles would not last you through 1 active day. Once you have filled up your glycogen stores, that sugar is stored as saturated fat.
So the idea of medical professionals recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet is absolutely a mistake. A high complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing more than a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily.
Your body's principal way of getting rid of sugar, because it is toxic, is to burn it. The sugar which your body can't burn will be rid of by storing it as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat. If you eat sugar your body will burn it and you stop burning fat. Another major effect of insulin on fat is it prevents you from burning it. What happens when you are insulin resistant and you have all this insulin floating around all the time? You wake up in the morning with an insulin level of 90.
High levels of insulin cause health problems
High levels of insulin cause several problems: one of them is high blood pressure. One of the roles of insulin is to assist the storing of excess nutrients. Insulin plays a role in storing magnesium. But if your cells become resistant to insulin, you can't store magnesium so you lose it through urination. Intra-cellular magnesium relaxes muscles. What happens when you can't store magnesium because the cell is resistant? You lose magnesium and your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure.
Insulin also causes the retention of sodium, which causes fluid retention, which causes high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
A recent study(1) showed that overweight children with high levels of insulin in their blood are also likely to have high levels of homocysteine, a substance which appears to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and birth defects.
Osteoporosis is another potential problem resulting from insulin resistance. Insulin is a master hormone which controls many anabolic hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone, and progesterone. In insulin resistance, the anabolic process is reduced. Bone is built upon the command of such hormones. When these hormones are reduced, the amount of bone building is reduced, and the amount of calcium excreted is increased.
Insulin increases cellular proliferation. How does this affect cancer? It helps it grow. And there are some pretty strong studies(2,3) which show that one of the strongest correlations to breast and colon cancers are levels of insulin.
Insulin resistance
When your cells are exposed to insulin at all, they get a little bit more resistant to it. So the pancreas just puts out more insulin. Cells become insulin resistant because they are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin. They down-regulate their receptor activity and number of receptors so that they don't have to be subjected to all that stimuli all the time.
Different cells respond to insulin differently. Some cells are more resistant than others, as some cells are incapable of becoming very resistant. The liver becomes resistant first, followed by the muscle tissue and lastly the fats. As all these major tissues, become insulin resistant your pancreas is putting out more insulin to compensate. Any time your cell is exposed to insulin it is going to become more insulin resistant. That is inevitable, we cannot stop this process, but the rate we can control.
But the pancreas can't always keep up that high level of insulin production forever. Once the production of insulin starts slowing down, or the resistance goes up, then blood sugar goes up and the person becomes a diabetic.
"Insulin resistance syndrome" refers to a combination of risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including chronically elevated insulin levels, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, abdominal obesity and high blood pressure.
Excessive intake of all carbohydrates, especially the high-glycemic type, is the primary culprit in the development of insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body no longer responds to insulin. As a result, levels of insulin in the blood become elevated and over time, can raise the risk for kidney failure and blindness, as well as heart disease.
A recent study(4) has found that insulin resistance syndrome, or "syndrome X," is found in families with a history of early heart disease - a heart attack or blood vessel blockage before age 55 in men and before age 65 in women.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm)
Therapeutic Diet for Insulin Resistance
This low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein and moderate-fat diet is focused on real foods as the solution to Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IR), sometimes called Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X. It is mainly refined foods, especially sweets, combined with deficient exercise that gets people into trouble so a program based on whole foods, not more refined food products, is the best long-term solution in IR, and a host of other health problems as well. It is also recommended to take a good multiple vitamin/mineral.
Based on human evolutionary history and physiology this should be your most natural and optimal diet. It reflects what our Paleolithic ancestors (i.e., before agriculture) evolved eating over a million years and, as such, has the highest potential of supporting healing and preventing disease. In addition, this diet is naturally alkalizing, which is considered by some people to be healthier than the typical American acidifying diet.
If you need more dietary support than this webpage provides, the popular diet that is closest to this IR diet is The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, M.D. We also recommended reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. It gives a good background on the problems of the modern diet and the advantages of the Paleolithic diet. However, use this webpage as your main reference and refer to these books only for recipes, background and support.
It will take at least 2 to 3 months to reestablish normal insulin sensitivity. If there is severe IR or obesity it could take much longer to stabilize. However, most people will experience some improvements early on in the program. After stabilization has been shown through lab values, blood pressures, improved energy, loss of weight (especially abdominal), loss of carbohydrate cravings and loss of hypoglycemic symptoms, then switching to the Maintenance Diet for Insulin Resistance is possible. However, it will be essential to continue to monitor the lab values, signs, symptoms and weight.
With this diet you should not be hungry until its time for the next meal. If this is happening try increasing the non-starchy vegetables, nuts, fats and/or protein intake in the meals. Do not avoid naturally fatty foods, but limit saturated fats. Avoid hydrogenated oils and fried foods. For hypoglycemia symptoms eat smaller more frequent meals. Try to eat for hunger and not emotional reasons. If you must eat for emotional reasons, eat non-starchy vegetables or lean protein. Snacks should be non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds or protein foods.
PROBLEM CARBOHYDRATES (refined and starchy) – The cause of the problem!
· No potatoes or simple sugars/carbohydrates (common table sugar, fructose, sweets, cookies, candy, ice cream, pastries, honey, fruit juice, soda pop, alcoholic beverages, etc.). Anything that tastes sweet (including artificial sweeteners and Stevia) may raise insulin levels, thus aggravating IR and perpetuating the cravings for sweets. As IR improves, sweet cravings usually decrease.
· Almost no grain products (breads, pasta, cornbread, corn tortillas, crackers, popcorn, etc.) and no refined grains/carbohydrates (white flour products, white pasta, white rice, etc.).
· Whole grains (whole brown rice, wheat, rye, barley and buckwheat) only in very small amounts.
GOOD CARBOHYDRATES (non-refined and non-starchy)
· Small amounts of fruit are OK but eat it with protein meals and not alone. Berries are best. No dried fruit.
· Eat lots and lots of non-starchy vegetables. Raw or lightly cooked is best. These should be the main source of carbohydrates in the diet. Fresh vegetables are best, frozen is OK but canned is to be avoided except for canned tomatoes and tomato sauce.
· Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, soybeans, soy products, etc.) have a low glycemic index so are OK.
PROTEINS
· Consume moderate amounts of leaner meats, seafood and fish. The best are wild fish, wild game, free-range chicken & turkey, range-fed beef, lamb, buffalo and naturally grown pork. Grain-fed means more saturated fats and omega-6 oils. Wild and range-fed means less of these and more omega-3s. The more omega-3s the better. Feeding grain to animals, like cows, that were meant to eat grass is not healthy for the animal nor the person eating the animal.
· If you do not have a dairy allergy, some dairy is OK. Interestingly, the lower the fat in milk the more it raises the blood sugar, so low fat milk is worse than whole milk. But the best is no milk, it raises the blood sugar too much, plus cow's milk is for calves, not people. Other dairy products are okay. Use only unsweetened yogurt. Limit butter and no hydrogenated margarine.
· Eggs are fine unless you have allergies to them, but the best are eggs from free-range chickens and eggs grown to be high in omega-3 oils. Best is no more than 7 per week due to the high fat content.
· For most people: moderate amounts of nuts (walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.) and seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.). Raw are best. Walnuts are high in omega-3s. Nut and seed butters are good (almond, cashew, sesame). Peanut butter and peanuts are legumes.
FATS
· Consume moderate amounts of healthy oils. A low-fat diet is not healthy, nor is it compatible with this diet.
· Healthy oils are: Monounsaturated oils (olive, canola, nuts). Polyunsaturated oils that are high in omega-3 oils (canola, flax, fish oils, walnuts). Saturated fats from vegetable sources (coconut, palm, avocado).
· Limit animal sources of saturated fats as found in dairy products (cheese, butter, etc.) and most commercial red meats.
· Freely add healthy oils to salads, sauces for vegetables and when cooking lean meats. Natural palm and coconut oil are excellent for cooking and frying. Flax oil is high in omega-3 oils but goes rancid very easily so refrigerate and do not heat and add only after cooking.
· No hydrogenated oils and limit fried foods. Some low-heat frying with natural palm and coconut oil is okay.
MISC.
· Drink lots of pure water.
· Organic is always best when available.
· Cut down on salt but feel free to use other spices liberally.
· Except for non-starchy vegetables, the other carbohydrates should be limited to protein meals.
· It is usually safe to assume that most processed foods will interfere with this diet, even if low-carb.
· Finally, it must be emphasized that exercise is a very important component of success.
(Source: http://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/irdiet.htm)
Based on human evolutionary history and physiology this should be your most natural and optimal diet. It reflects what our Paleolithic ancestors (i.e., before agriculture) evolved eating over a million years and, as such, has the highest potential of supporting healing and preventing disease. In addition, this diet is naturally alkalizing, which is considered by some people to be healthier than the typical American acidifying diet.
If you need more dietary support than this webpage provides, the popular diet that is closest to this IR diet is The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, M.D. We also recommended reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. It gives a good background on the problems of the modern diet and the advantages of the Paleolithic diet. However, use this webpage as your main reference and refer to these books only for recipes, background and support.
It will take at least 2 to 3 months to reestablish normal insulin sensitivity. If there is severe IR or obesity it could take much longer to stabilize. However, most people will experience some improvements early on in the program. After stabilization has been shown through lab values, blood pressures, improved energy, loss of weight (especially abdominal), loss of carbohydrate cravings and loss of hypoglycemic symptoms, then switching to the Maintenance Diet for Insulin Resistance is possible. However, it will be essential to continue to monitor the lab values, signs, symptoms and weight.
With this diet you should not be hungry until its time for the next meal. If this is happening try increasing the non-starchy vegetables, nuts, fats and/or protein intake in the meals. Do not avoid naturally fatty foods, but limit saturated fats. Avoid hydrogenated oils and fried foods. For hypoglycemia symptoms eat smaller more frequent meals. Try to eat for hunger and not emotional reasons. If you must eat for emotional reasons, eat non-starchy vegetables or lean protein. Snacks should be non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds or protein foods.
PROBLEM CARBOHYDRATES (refined and starchy) – The cause of the problem!
· No potatoes or simple sugars/carbohydrates (common table sugar, fructose, sweets, cookies, candy, ice cream, pastries, honey, fruit juice, soda pop, alcoholic beverages, etc.). Anything that tastes sweet (including artificial sweeteners and Stevia) may raise insulin levels, thus aggravating IR and perpetuating the cravings for sweets. As IR improves, sweet cravings usually decrease.
· Almost no grain products (breads, pasta, cornbread, corn tortillas, crackers, popcorn, etc.) and no refined grains/carbohydrates (white flour products, white pasta, white rice, etc.).
· Whole grains (whole brown rice, wheat, rye, barley and buckwheat) only in very small amounts.
GOOD CARBOHYDRATES (non-refined and non-starchy)
· Small amounts of fruit are OK but eat it with protein meals and not alone. Berries are best. No dried fruit.
· Eat lots and lots of non-starchy vegetables. Raw or lightly cooked is best. These should be the main source of carbohydrates in the diet. Fresh vegetables are best, frozen is OK but canned is to be avoided except for canned tomatoes and tomato sauce.
· Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, soybeans, soy products, etc.) have a low glycemic index so are OK.
PROTEINS
· Consume moderate amounts of leaner meats, seafood and fish. The best are wild fish, wild game, free-range chicken & turkey, range-fed beef, lamb, buffalo and naturally grown pork. Grain-fed means more saturated fats and omega-6 oils. Wild and range-fed means less of these and more omega-3s. The more omega-3s the better. Feeding grain to animals, like cows, that were meant to eat grass is not healthy for the animal nor the person eating the animal.
· If you do not have a dairy allergy, some dairy is OK. Interestingly, the lower the fat in milk the more it raises the blood sugar, so low fat milk is worse than whole milk. But the best is no milk, it raises the blood sugar too much, plus cow's milk is for calves, not people. Other dairy products are okay. Use only unsweetened yogurt. Limit butter and no hydrogenated margarine.
· Eggs are fine unless you have allergies to them, but the best are eggs from free-range chickens and eggs grown to be high in omega-3 oils. Best is no more than 7 per week due to the high fat content.
· For most people: moderate amounts of nuts (walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.) and seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.). Raw are best. Walnuts are high in omega-3s. Nut and seed butters are good (almond, cashew, sesame). Peanut butter and peanuts are legumes.
FATS
· Consume moderate amounts of healthy oils. A low-fat diet is not healthy, nor is it compatible with this diet.
· Healthy oils are: Monounsaturated oils (olive, canola, nuts). Polyunsaturated oils that are high in omega-3 oils (canola, flax, fish oils, walnuts). Saturated fats from vegetable sources (coconut, palm, avocado).
· Limit animal sources of saturated fats as found in dairy products (cheese, butter, etc.) and most commercial red meats.
· Freely add healthy oils to salads, sauces for vegetables and when cooking lean meats. Natural palm and coconut oil are excellent for cooking and frying. Flax oil is high in omega-3 oils but goes rancid very easily so refrigerate and do not heat and add only after cooking.
· No hydrogenated oils and limit fried foods. Some low-heat frying with natural palm and coconut oil is okay.
MISC.
· Drink lots of pure water.
· Organic is always best when available.
· Cut down on salt but feel free to use other spices liberally.
· Except for non-starchy vegetables, the other carbohydrates should be limited to protein meals.
· It is usually safe to assume that most processed foods will interfere with this diet, even if low-carb.
· Finally, it must be emphasized that exercise is a very important component of success.
(Source: http://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/irdiet.htm)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Nutrition: How to Make Healthier Food Choices
Why is healthy eating important?
When combined with exercise, a healthy diet can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol level and improve the way your body functions on a daily basis.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid divides food into 6 basic food groups, consisting of
1) grains, 2) fruits, 3) vegetables, 4) meats and beans, 5) dairy and 6) fats.
The USDA recommends that an adult daily diet include the following:
3 ounces of whole grains, and 6 ounces of grains total
2 cups of fruit
2 1/2 cups of vegetables
3 cups fat-free or low-fat dairy
The following are some ways to make healthier food choices and to get the recommended amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and dairy.
Grains
Whole-grain breads are low in fat; they're also high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which helps you feel fuller longer and prevents overeating. Choose these breads for sandwiches and as additions to meals.Avoid rich bakery foods such as donuts, sweet rolls and muffins. These foods can contain more than 50% fat calories. Snacks such as angel food cake and gingersnap cookies can satisfy your sweet tooth without adding fat to your diet.Hot and cold cereals are usually low in fat. But instant cereals with cream may contain high-fat oils or butterfat. Granola cereals may also contain high-fat oils and extra sugars. Look for low-sugar options for both instant and granola cereals.Avoid fried snacks such as potato chips and tortilla chips. Try the low-fat or baked versions instead.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat. They add flavor and variety to your diet. They also contain fiber, vitamins and minerals.Margarine, butter, mayonnaise and sour cream add fat to vegetables and fruits. Try using nonfat or low-fat versions of these foods. You can also use nonfat or low-fat yogurt or herbs as seasonings instead.
Meat, Poultry and Fish
Beef, Pork, Veal and Lamb
Baking, broiling and roasting are the healthiest ways to prepare meat. Lean cuts can be pan-broiled or stir-fried. Use either a nonstick pan or nonstick spray coating instead of butter or margarine.Trim outside fat before cooking. Trim any inside, separable fat before eating. Select low-fat, lean cuts of meat. Lean beef and veal cuts have the word "loin" or "round" in their names. Lean pork cuts have the word "loin" or "leg" in their names.Use herbs, spices, fresh vegetables and nonfat marinades to season meat. Avoid high-fat sauces and gravies.
Poultry
Baking, broiling and roasting are the healthiest ways to prepare poultry. Skinless poultry can be pan-broiled or stir-fried. Use either a nonstick pan or nonstick spray coating instead of butter or margarine.Remove skin and visible fat before cooking. Chicken breasts are a good choice because they are low in fat and high in protein. Use domestic goose and duck only once in a while because both are high in fat.
Fish
Poaching, steaming, baking and broiling are the healthiest ways to prepare fish. Fresh fish should have a clear color, a moist look, a clean smell and firm, springy flesh. If good-quality fresh fish isn't available, buy frozen fish.Most seafood is low in saturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in some fatty fish, such as salmon and cold water trout. They may help lower the risk of heart disease in some people.Cross-over FoodsDry beans, peas and lentils offer protein and fiber without the cholesterol and fat that meats have. Once in a while, try substituting beans for meat in a favorite recipe, such as lasagna or chili.TVP, or textured vegetable protein, is widely available in many foods. Vegetarian "hot dogs," "hamburger" and "chicken nuggets" are low-fat, cholesterol-free alternatives to meat.
Dairy
Choose skim milk or low-fat buttermilk. Substitute evaporated skim milk for cream in recipes for soups and sauces.Try low-fat cheeses. Skim ricotta can replace cream cheese on a bagel or in a vegetable dip. Use part-skim cheeses in recipes. Use 1% cottage cheese for salads and cooking. String cheese is a low-fat, high-calcium snack option.Plain nonfat yogurt can replace sour cream in many recipes. (To maintain texture, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into each cup of yogurt that you use in cooking.) Try mixing frozen nonfat or low-fat yogurt with fruit for dessert.Skim sherbet is an alternative to ice cream. Soft-serve and regular ice creams are also lower in fat than premium styles.
Fats, Oils and Sweets
Eating too many high-fat foods not only adds excess calories (which can lead to obesity and weight gain), but can increase your risk factor for several diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer and osteoarthritis have all been linked to diets too high in fat. If you consume too much saturated and trans fats, you are more likely to develop high cholesterol and coronary artery disease.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Adult ADD Myths: Fact or Fiction
MYTH: ADD is just a lack of willpower. Persons with ADD focus well on things that interest them; they could focus on any other tasks if they really wanted to.
FACT: ADD looks very much like a willpower problem, but it isn’t. It’s essentially a chemical problem in the management systems of the brain.
MYTH: Everybody has the symptoms of ADD, and anyone with adequate intelligence can overcome these difficulties.
FACT: ADD affects persons of all levels of intelligence. And although everyone sometimes has symptoms of ADD, only those with chronic impairments from these symptoms warrant an ADD diagnosis.
MYTH: Someone can’t have ADD and also have depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric problems.
FACT: A person with ADD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most other people. ADD usually overlaps with other disorders.
MYTH: ADD doesn’t really cause much damage to a person’s life.
FACT: Untreated or inadequately treated ADD syndrome often severely impairs learning, family life, education, work life, social interactions, and driving safely.
MYTH: Unless you have been diagnosed with ADD as a child, you can’t have it as an adult.
FACT: Many adults have struggled all their lives with unrecognized ADD impairments. They haven’t received help because they assumed that their chronic difficulties, like depression or anxiety, were caused by other impairments that did not respond to the usual treatments.
(Source: Dr. Thomas E. Brown, Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults)
FACT: ADD looks very much like a willpower problem, but it isn’t. It’s essentially a chemical problem in the management systems of the brain.
MYTH: Everybody has the symptoms of ADD, and anyone with adequate intelligence can overcome these difficulties.
FACT: ADD affects persons of all levels of intelligence. And although everyone sometimes has symptoms of ADD, only those with chronic impairments from these symptoms warrant an ADD diagnosis.
MYTH: Someone can’t have ADD and also have depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric problems.
FACT: A person with ADD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most other people. ADD usually overlaps with other disorders.
MYTH: ADD doesn’t really cause much damage to a person’s life.
FACT: Untreated or inadequately treated ADD syndrome often severely impairs learning, family life, education, work life, social interactions, and driving safely.
MYTH: Unless you have been diagnosed with ADD as a child, you can’t have it as an adult.
FACT: Many adults have struggled all their lives with unrecognized ADD impairments. They haven’t received help because they assumed that their chronic difficulties, like depression or anxiety, were caused by other impairments that did not respond to the usual treatments.
(Source: Dr. Thomas E. Brown, Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ADD/ADHD in Adults
Many people have a stereotypical picture in their head of what someone with attention deficit disorder looks like: hyperactive, loud, a whirlwind of energy and unchecked impulses. And let’s face it: it’s probably a kid they’re picturing in their mind’s eye. However, ADD / ADHD is not just a childhood disorder. Kids don’t simply grow out of ADHD, as if it’s a phase. In fact, the symptoms of ADD / ADHD typically get worse as children grow into adulthood and face life’s increasing pressures and demands.
Adults with ADD / ADHD struggle daily with self-regulation: regulating their attention, regulating their impulses in talking and action, and regulating their emotions. If you have trouble staying focused, getting organized, starting and completing your work, managing your time and money, and remembering all the little things in your daily life, you may very well be one of these people.
The chaos of living with unrecognized and untreated ADD / ADHD can take its toll: never-ending to-do lists, the stress of missed deadlines and forgotten appointments, aggravated friends and family members who just don’t understand why you can’t pull it together and self-recrimination over your lack of accomplishments.
The good news: life doesn’t have to be this way. Treatment can go a long way toward getting ADD / ADHD in check. But before you can manage the problem, you have to be able to identify it, starting with a thorough understanding of what ADD / ADHD looks like in adults.
(source: http://mitalk.umich.edu/adhd.php)
Adults with ADD / ADHD struggle daily with self-regulation: regulating their attention, regulating their impulses in talking and action, and regulating their emotions. If you have trouble staying focused, getting organized, starting and completing your work, managing your time and money, and remembering all the little things in your daily life, you may very well be one of these people.
The chaos of living with unrecognized and untreated ADD / ADHD can take its toll: never-ending to-do lists, the stress of missed deadlines and forgotten appointments, aggravated friends and family members who just don’t understand why you can’t pull it together and self-recrimination over your lack of accomplishments.
The good news: life doesn’t have to be this way. Treatment can go a long way toward getting ADD / ADHD in check. But before you can manage the problem, you have to be able to identify it, starting with a thorough understanding of what ADD / ADHD looks like in adults.
(source: http://mitalk.umich.edu/adhd.php)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Questions for my patients
Are you exercising? (Please say yes, please say yes!). You should be exercising a minimum of 30 minutes five days a week. Remember, walking and swimming count.
Are you eating healthfully? Ask me for a heart healthy handout.
Have you had your yearly physical? Women, if you have had a hysterectomy, you still need a yearly physical with a bimanual exam.
Have you had your mammogram? Should be done yearly. Baseline mammogram at age 35 then yearly starting at age 40.
Have you had your prostate checked? Should be done yearly with a blood test and digital rectal exam.
Have you had your colonoscopy? Recommended at age 50 for colon cancer screening. Should get it done earlier if a family history of colon cancer or if any changes in bowel movements.
Have you had your pneumovax (pneumonia shot)? Should get it at age 65. Need to get it earlier if you have heart disease, diabetes, or any other major medical problem. It protexts you against the most serious type of pneumonia.
Have you had a tetanus shot within the past ten years? Ask me for one if you haven't.
There may be other things you need done if you have a family history of certain cancers or other medical problems. Ask me.
Are you eating healthfully? Ask me for a heart healthy handout.
Have you had your yearly physical? Women, if you have had a hysterectomy, you still need a yearly physical with a bimanual exam.
Have you had your mammogram? Should be done yearly. Baseline mammogram at age 35 then yearly starting at age 40.
Have you had your prostate checked? Should be done yearly with a blood test and digital rectal exam.
Have you had your colonoscopy? Recommended at age 50 for colon cancer screening. Should get it done earlier if a family history of colon cancer or if any changes in bowel movements.
Have you had your pneumovax (pneumonia shot)? Should get it at age 65. Need to get it earlier if you have heart disease, diabetes, or any other major medical problem. It protexts you against the most serious type of pneumonia.
Have you had a tetanus shot within the past ten years? Ask me for one if you haven't.
There may be other things you need done if you have a family history of certain cancers or other medical problems. Ask me.
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