Surviving Medicine!!

Barb and Pam and Obama and McCain

2008-09-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend of mine and I had an email discussion about healthcare. She encouraged me to post it on my blog. It was interesting discussion between a MSW, Relationship Coach and a MHN, RRT (registered respiratory therapist). I decided she was right, perhaps I should share it with you. But I should give you heads up Barb is Pro-Obama and Pam is well, decidedly not Pro-Obama ..... or wasn't? (Have to tell you that so the last sentence will make sense.) It's long but I think worth the read. And maybe it will help you get your thoughts together this campaign season.

It all started with this email BARB sent me:

Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:31 AM
Subject: As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Care
because you are someone who cares, i thought you might want to hear my thoughts on this vital issue.....

if you still question our need to do something radical about america's healthcare system, read this great article. even folks with employer-paid care and retired people on medicare are starting to feel the bite, which those of us who are self-employed and who have pre-existing conditions (or both) have been bearing the financial burden of for years......read about the lady here with crohn's - she didn't do anything to create her illness, chrohn's is genetic.

and, if you say - well, there's COBRA. have any of you ever had to fall back on COBRA? it's usually very expensive. yes, you can shop the individual market but if you are anyone other than a young person without a spouse, children or medical problems the cost is very high. or, you have to settle for a plan with a very high deductible.

i will have to dig it up on my old computer, but i think i saved another great article a few months back which talked about what seemed to be an unbiased study an american firm did that compared i think it was the UK or canada's system with ours and the main difference was that they get better care and coverage for less (even if you do hear horror stories - which are often trumped up - about waiting for care. that study found the wait times in American and Canada were actually similar, for non emergent/urgent care. both countries do acceptably and/or great with emergency care). don't be in denial - america has poorer health than alot of other 'westernized' nations.

we CAN do better for more of us.

thx for reading!!!!

barb

As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Careby Vanessa FuhrmansThe Wall Street JournalSeptember 22, 2008As the credit crunch threatens to throw the economy into a deep slump, Americans are already cutting back on health care, a sector once thought to be invulnerable to recession. Spending on everything from doctors' appointments to preventive tests to prescription drugs is under pressure.The number of prescriptions filled in the U.S. fell 0.5% in the first quarter and a steeper 1.97% in the second, compared with the same periods in 2007 -- the first negative quarters in at least a decade, according to data from market researcher IMS Health. Despite an aging and growing U.S. population, the number of physician office visits also has been declining since the end of 2006. Between July 2007 and 2008, the most recent month for which data are available, visits fell 1.2%, according to IMS.[Consumers Cut Back on Health Spending]Associated PressAs consumers cut back, spending on everythingfrom doctors' appointments to preventive tests toprescription drugs is under pressure.In a survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners last month, 22% of 686 consumers said that economy-related woes were causing them to go to the doctor less often. About 11% said they've scaled back on prescription drugs to save money. Some of the areas being hit include hip and knee replacements, mammograms, and visits to the emergency room, according to a survey conducted by D2Hawkeye Inc., a Waltham, Mass., medical data analytics firm, on behalf of The Wall Street Journal.Since sales at the Sebring, Fla.-area car dealership where Christopher Pye works have dwindled, so have the commissions that were 40% of his income in good times. Barely able to afford his $850 monthly mortgage and pay for groceries, he says something had to give: his two young sons' annual medical checkups."It's just a little too expensive right now," says Mr. Pye, 32 years old, who says he can't afford to have his family on the company health plan or to pay up front for the visits. This month, Mr. Pye is canceling his own insurance, hoping the $56 he'll save in weekly premiums will pay for the exams of his boys, ages 3 and 4, later.Health-policy experts say that patients' short-term care cutbacks could lead to more medical problems and higher spending down the road. As more people forgo screenings or wait until minor medical problems blow up into serious complications, hospital and emergency-room admissions could eventually spike."Once you've had that heart attack and end up in the hospital, that's when the expensive stuff begins," says Dana Goldman, director of health economics at the Rand Corp., a nonprofit research institute in Santa Monica, Calif.Health-care companies say the current economic slump's impact on demand for medical services has been surprisingly swift. Laboratory Corp., the country's second-largest clinical lab-testing company by sales after Quest Diagnostics Inc., says the number of blood tests and other types of lab work it does for uninsured customers fell 8% in the second quarter, compared with the 1% quarterly growth it usually sees.The company's analysis of outside market data also shows that obstetrician-gynecologist visits, the sole source of preventive care for many women, dropped 6% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year.[Consumers Cut Health Spending]"That says to me that people are just deferring care if it's not acute," says Laboratory Corp.'s chief executive, David King.Speaking at an investor conference this month, Walgreen <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?symbol=WAG> Co. Chief Executive Jeffrey Rein said the U.S. is experiencing the "tightest prescription market" in his 27-year career, as more cash-strapped patients skip their pills or take half doses. He said the company has looked at different ways to get people to fill prescriptions. For example, pharmacists are reaching out to patients through phone calls and emotional appeals such as, "Do they want to be around when their kids grow up, or their grandkids?" Mr. Rein said.Pricey Blood TestMarianne Falacienski of Pensacola, Fla., had health coverage through her husband's land-surveyor job until he was laid off in April last year. Her husband, Brian, has since bought a policy for himself and their 2-year-old daughter on the individual market, but the family couldn't afford to include Ms. Falacienski, who has a chronic inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn's. The premiums charged by insurers for health plans purchased by individuals with pre-existing conditions can be prohibitive.Ms. Falacienski, 33, has been putting off a pricey blood test to monitor her Crohn's-related anemia, which if it worsens, can indicate bleeding in the intestines. She says she already owes more than $3,000 for a blood transfusion she needed in January -- the result, she says, of skipping the tests last year and thus failing to spot her worsening blood count in time."I'm just trying not to get sick again," she says. She found a receptionist job in July but won't be eligible for its health benefits until late fall.A recent analysis of claims from 250,000 people in several dozen mid-Atlantic employer health plans suggests even people with coverage are cutting back on care. The study, conducted for The Wall Street Journal by research firm D2Hawkeye, found that a number of preventive or nonacute areas of care saw declines despite little change in benefits or employee cost-sharing. Knee replacements per 1,000 people fell 18.6% between March 2008 and March 2007, pap smears fell 6% and dispensed prescriptions for antidepressants dropped 29%, the D2Hawkeye analysis shows.Jim King, a family physician in Selmer, Tenn., says patient visits at his practice this summer were down 10% to 15% compared with summers past, even though 90% of his patients have some form of insurance. A big problem, he says, is getting patients to come back for tests to check their diabetes or to act on referrals to specialists, many of whom are at least 40 miles away in Jackson, Tenn."It's hard to get people to follow up when they're having to decide between the gas bill, the electric bill or deciding to come in and see the doctor," Dr. King says.Many insured Americans face much bigger out-of-pocket costs today than just a decade ago. The average family plan deductible at an employer last year ranged from $759 for health-maintenance organizations to $3,596 for a high-deductible plan with a savings-account option, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The cost of premiums to employees has nearly doubled to $3,281 a year since 2001.People who buy health plans on their own often face even higher deductibles. Patricia Campbell of San Diego bought a $7,500 deductible plan after she took fewer freelance television production assignments to help care for her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease.Her doctor has told her that the longer she waits to get a cataract in her left eye removed, the harder it will be. But she says she can't afford to pay for the surgery because she is still paying off her share of the costs of an appendectomy last year. "Since I don't work out of the home, it's not that crucial," she reasons. "And I can drive with one eye."Gabrielle Kenna, 33, who suffers from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, says she occasionally skips her weekly dose of methotrexate. The pills help with pain and inflammation, and require a $10 monthly co-pay. But Ms. Kenna says she has to balance that with the price of her main medication, a specialty drug called Remicade that costs her nearly $180 every six weeks. "When I'm not feeling so bad, I'll try to stretch [the methotrexate] out or wait until I have the money," she says.That task is about to get tougher now that her job as a school social worker in Fort Wayne, Ind., has been cut to a part-time position. Beginning this month, she'll no longer have health benefits. To stay on the school district's plan for a temporary period under federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or Cobra, rules, she'll have to pay $570 a month in premiums.Her mother, Edith Kenna, says she has been skipping her osteoporosis drug every other week and stopped taking her antidepressant, each of which require a $40 monthly co-pay, to help pay for her daughter's treatments. But, she worries about the day her daughter's Cobra benefits run out since Remicade can cost more than $12,000 a year.Hitting the Coverage GapMedicare beneficiaries on fixed incomes say higher energy and food prices are making it tougher for them to pay for drugs as well, even those who have the government program's drug benefit. Some, like Joan Stroup of Butte, Mont., are starting to hit the drug plan's coverage gap, which is $3,215 this year. The gap in 2008 begins after beneficiaries and their plans pay $2,510 in drug costs, at which point plans aren't required to pay benefits until spending reaches $5,725. Then benefits kick in again.For Ms. Stroup, a 73-year-old retired elementary-school principal, that means paying roughly $1,000 a month for various medications until she's bridged the gap. To make do, Mrs. Stroup says she's been skipping her asthma medication Advair, sometimes a week at a time, and switched to a cheaper but less effective pill for her acid reflux. "I don't always want to tell people I don't have the money for it," she says, "so I might wait a week or so to go to the drugstore to pick it up."

I then replied:

Some thoughts:
#1. Our medical system is reactive instead of proactive ...... this pays well for the pharmaceutical industry but it does nothing to create health.
2. Take cancer for instance: the W.H.O. says 70 % of cancer can be prevented by good nutrition--- a varied diet of whole foods ------ why then are we still dumping billions of dollars into a "cure" instead of stepping up education about nutrition.
3. Take a look at Kelloggs Smart Start cereals: some of them have as many as 11 kinds of sugar in them ...... yet they are endorsed by the American Heart Association as being "heart healthy"...... hmmm heart healthy and a path to diabetes and obesity.
4. Even if everyone was covered by health insurance the problem would not be fixed. We would still have people sick for no good reason other than lifestyle. AND the system is still REACTIVE. Each of us must become personally proactive in taking care of our health .....
A.consciously giving our body the nutrients it needs to work properly....
B.getting our butts off the couch and MOVING ....
C. utilizing stress management techniques
5. AND YES research is showing that by utilizing a positive lifestyle you CAN keep bad genes from activating. We are literally making ourselves ill. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dean_ornish_says_your_genes_are_not_your_fate.html

Our nations health is so poor because we rely on reactive care with pharmaceuticals instead of a preventive healthy lifestyle. Reaching for the next best drug does not create health. It creates more problems.
Our nations health is so poor because everytime people turn on their tv they are lied too. Processed foods are not healthy..... they are nutrient-poor. We are dying because we like convenience and fail to take personal responsibility for our health.

The solution to the health of our nation lies with each of us..... the answer is not in the insurance or pharmaceutical industries. Had I not taken charge of my health... had i only listened to my docs ..... i would either be dead or in a nursing home in a wheelchair.

Pam

Barbs Reply

Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Care

you make good points, but don't get too narrowly focused. are you saying the current healthcare system economically and/or care-wise is sound? or that the only changes need to be within individuals????

see - part of the problem with today's system is the financial stress it is placing on folks which is impacting their health-seeking behavior. if we had a more accomodating system i think people would be less stressed #1 which would on it's own decrease illness and, #2 they may even have more time, energy, attitude, etc., to focus on health....just my sense. for example, i have a self-employed client who, if she had a plan that was more affordable she'd be able to go and get some of the tests she's putting off because of the high deductible. she needs a test to catch cancer, that her condition tends to cause. however she can't afford to get the test and she says she'd 'charge it' however is already in too much debt to take it on say, on a credit card right now.

there will always be folks who will be health slugs, but, in my opinion, perhaps a healthier system could also build in incentives for healthier practices.

i'm not saying i have the answers i just believe the solution doesn't totally lie within individuals. it also lies within the systems!

now, are you willing to engage with me in a discussion around that (i think alot of our difference in perspectives comes from the fact you are a medical provider and health coach and you sell products vs. i'm a social worker who is very careful before selling anything other than BEHAVIORAL solutions and understands the person in environment better than the average medical professional or psychologist???) . ;-)

the answers lie in more than just the individual. i also think anytime we trash what good is coming out of the current system, that's not good either. there's still plenty of good in today's system and we need to keep that and throw out the bad. i don't believe we should chuck out everything in the current system - especially the incentives for continued development of good things....

here's a final important point: have you ever had to purchase a plan on the individual market? or, do you benefit from being on an employer's plan? if so, you have no idea the cost of being on a self-employed plan. and, chances are in the current system you'd be subjected to a very extensive, stressful underwriting/application process, you'd be excluded for your lupus and/or health insurance entirely OR you'd have to be in the 'high risk' pool where you pay very high for your coverage.

i won't even go into the issue of the 'loss of freedom' many experience when they can't leave their current job to create the business they truly dream of because of issues like being able to afford insurance.

i welcome your response,

b

Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 3:45 PM
Subject: Fw: As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Care
here's how a colleague of mine responded to my article. i respect her alot. she's 60'ish, was one of those 'all but dissertation' doctoral folks. and she's originally from trinidad and also lived in UK.

i think the folks who've lived in various countries (not just here) are very valuable resources in this debate!

barb

"these problems sound so familiar and I'm well aware of them. having had the Brit. system for 17 years (!!) I knew what I was comparing with when I came to the US. I think Michael Moore's documentary got it right. the problems are deep and rooted in business principles rather than humanistic ones. I try to do an annual phys. exam ( at least) but avoid dr.'s care whenever possible. but it's sad for people with chronic/pre-existing conditions - how can companies profit from peoples' disabilities???"

MY REPLY

Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:12 PM
Subject: Re: As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Care

Oh I see the need for many changes not just in individual responsibility but also in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, commercial television AND in the doctors office and hospitals.

The most major reason I am still working at the hospital is for my access to health insurance. I'm well aware of what insurance would cost me outside my job due to my lupus diagnosis ...... IF I could even get it. This is a major source of stress for me. I do indeed feel a "loss of freedom" not being able to work my nutrition business fulltime because of my issue with insurance economics. Nutrition gave me back my life and my passion is to help others with nutrition and nutrition education to enhance the quality of their life. It's why I went back and earned my Masters in Holistic Nutrition.

Economically I don't know how to fix the current system though I agree there needs to be changes so that everyone has access to it. I don't entirely understand Canada's system and am really not prepared to debate the pros and cons of it, but I have friends in Canada and from what I hear from them its not a bed of roses up there either. I have one friend with Lupus in canada who tells me she only gets the good care she gets cos she pays extra. Paying extra is not an option for everyone in canada nor would it be here.

Here's some facts about government-run health care: The one common characteristic of all national health care systems is that they ration care. Sometimes they ration it by denying certain types of treatment altogether. More often, they ration indirectly, imposing cost constraints through budgets, waiting lines, or limited technology. One million Britons are waiting for admission to National Health Service hospitals at any given time, and shortages force the NHS to cancel as many as 100,000 operations each year. Roughly 90,000 New Zealanders are facing similar waits. In Sweden, the wait for heart surgery can be as long as 25 weeks. In Canada more than 800,000 patients are currently on waiting lists for medical procedures. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5871

Doesn't seem to me that is an answer.... I wish I could say I have a solution. I don't. However, the fact that economically the health system is out of reach to some does not negate the fact that there is much they can do for themselves that most aren't doing. In our culture health-seeking behavior has been viewed as when one gets sick you go to the doctor and he writes a script. I see patients who are on as many as 26 prescription drugs. During the 16 yrs my Lupus was active not once did any of my physicians (and I had a platoon of them) ask me about my diet. Nutrition is what ultimately gave me back my life. The 13 drugs I was on at one time only made me sicker. There was a point at which I didn't know what was lupus and what was side effects. Even though i had access to healthcare and the best docs it didn't give me my life back. Nutrition did.

We spend more on health care than any other country and yet 2/3 of americans are overweight and more than 15 million people have diabetes. Alarmingly kids are now coming up with diseases that used to be thought of as adult diseases ..... type 2 diabetes and cancer. Cancer is the number one killer of kids.

As stated in "The China Study" (by T. Colin Campbell) ...... it comes down to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Health-seeking behavior has to be redefined in our culture. Doctors aren't gods (or repairmen) and drugs do not create health. People take better care of their cars than they do their body. I can't begin to tell you how many COPD patients I've had over the years who continue smoking till the day they die. I've seen trached patients smoke thru their tracheostomy. I've lost count of how many diabetics I've seen who refuse to follow a diet and (how many of them who if they followed a diet would not need medication.) Or how many heart bypass patients I've seen come in for a re-do or a re-do re-do bypass because they didn't change their lifestyle. Or how about the friend of mine who is 35 yrs old has ITP and was just diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has had an internal defibrillator placed AND STILL SMOKES. People play russian roulette with their life. As a respiratory therapist I see it all the time.

These people all have access to their physician/medical care but aren't taking any responsibility for their health. And surprisingly I'm going to say most of these people aren't "health slugs". They have been conditioned by what they see on tv from the food and pharmaceutical industries to eat processed/convenience foods and go to their physicians (who don't educate them regarding nutrition) for the latest greatest drug. So that is what they do. Like lemmings jumping off a cliff.

And when these people land in the hospital ...... nothing is done to encourage a change in lifestyle ..... we get them back to their baseline or close to it and send them home to repeat the sickness process. Our system encourages sickness ...... it breeds sickness. The pharmaceutical companies, the cancer and food industries like it that way. They like it all the way to the bank.

Yes, we need reform in the economic side of our healthcare system. Everyone should have access to medical care. But we also have to change the mindset that our physicians are repairmen or that our health is the physicians responsibility. Reactive health care is sickcare. We need to teach everyone how much they can do for themselves, that lifestyle does impact health. We need to empower the individual with the "tools" to live a quality life.

Barbs REPLY

Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:41 PM
Subject: Re: As Economic Downturn Takes Toll People Cut Back on Their Health Care

very passionate and excellent reply. i hope you will consider putting some of this on your blog?

it's person and environment. and i think it even goes deeper than diet. how a person eats and lives is the result of their approach towards life (and death). perhaps it's a 'mental health' issue at it's core???? a mental health issue that needs support at a systematic level....as you say - a commitment to a health system vs. a 'treat the sick' system.....

do either of the candidates mention that????

b

MY REPLY

You are exactly right..... the mind and body are interconnected and what we say to ourselves in our thoughts and our beliefs determine a great deal about our life....being healthy or unhealthy.... being successful or not so successful.

I don't know if you are aware of the new medicare rules coming into effect (I'm not sure of the date) but one of them is if a patient gets a bed sore while in the hospital from that day on medicare will not pay the bill .... so who will pay the bill? the patient? or will hospitals be put into more of a crunch? We already work short ...... there has already been one layoff this year ... Yes it is motivation to provide better care. How you do that with not enough staff is beyond me. Another problem with this rule is patients who get bed sores are generally very debilitated and likely to get a bed sore no matter how good the care. The other new medicare rule is if a person falls in a hospital medicare will not pay the bill.

The candidates: http://www.health08.org/sidebyside_results.cfm?c=5&c=16 McCains $2500 tax rebate is a joke and will not help folks with chronic illnesses. In fact he doesn't help people with chronic diseases as far as i can tell. Well he does have a "Guaranteed Access Plan" but he puts an income level on it. The income level will leave out people caught in the middle (like me) and they will fall thru the cracks. Some guarantee. I don't see any cracks for people to fall thru in Obama's proposal and he does talk about prevention.

Ok so maybe he's only half evil.

******************************************************************

Visit Pam at http://pamsnutritionstore.com/
Visit Barb at http://coachsappho.com/

Change Your Diet, Change Your Life

2008-07-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

So you want to be healthier!!!! Changing your diet will literally change your life. You'll have more energy, less aches and pains and a healthier mentality. My clients tell me they know they need to overhaul their eating but they don't know where to start. Is that YOU?

Well, here is a strategy to help you get started on your new healthy lifestyle!

Start with eating approximately every 3 hrs. (i.e. 4 - 6 times a day, three meals and 2 or 3 snacks) ..... spreading the calories out benefits you a couple ways:

You maintain your energy all day.
You balance your sugar and prevent cravings.

And remember never ever skip breakfast. It sets you up for the rest of the day!

But what to eat and how much??

Let's look at your plate: divide it into thirds. One section will be for protein, one for a complex carb and the last for a fruit or vegetable.

So when you sit down to eat you will have one serving of a protein, a complex carb, and a fruit/vegetable. For example, have a 4 ounce piece of salmon with 1/2 cup of brown rice, and a salad.

The next meal substitute the salmon for turkey, the rice for quinoa, and the salad for asparagus.

Or substitute the salmon for chicken, the rice for a slice of whole grain bread, and the salad for broccoli. (Hint: I like to use flaxseed oil on my toast instead of butter! I even sprinkle it on my vegies!)

How do you do this for breakfast? Have a hard boiled egg with a few strawberries or a slice of melon and 1/2 whole grain bagel or english muffin. Or have a smoothie (soy milk, strawberries and banana).

Eating like this you will have approximately 300 - 400 calories per meal.

So what about snacks? Well, here are some ideas for 100 calorie healthy snacks:

1. 2 domino-sized slices low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
2. 1 cup sliced apples with 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter (I recommend organic peanut butter not the commercial peanut butter with added sugar).
3. 10 dry roasted cashews or 12-15 natural almonds.
4. One hard boiled egg.
5. 1 cup squash (baked acorn or butternut)
6. 5 oz. Turkey breast (roasted, no skin)
7. 25 pistachios
8. 10 cashew nuts
9. Half a small avocado
10. 3 ounces cooked whole-grain noodles with 1 fresh tomato and 1/2 ounce hard cheese
11. 3 handfuls of unbuttered popcorn, seasoned with herbs
12. 2 ounces of lean roast beef
13. 2 TB hummus and 10 baby carrots
14. as many cucumber and celery sticks as you'd like
15. Scramble 5 egg whites and cook in a non-stick skillet. Top with 1Tbsp of salsa.

And eating well is only one facet of your new healthy lifestyle! Do NOT forget exercise! Exercise is important to a healthy body. However, be sure to check with your physician before starting an exercise program; especially if you have been sedentary for a long time.

Did you know loss of muscle mass is a huge reason for a lagging metabolism? Being sedentary, as many of us are these days, is a great detriment to maintaining a normal weight. Muscle burns a lot more calories than fat. So get off that couch!!!

Find yourself a form of exercise you will enjoy and then DO IT! Hire a personal trainer to work with you to develop an exercise routine you can live with if you must. Do what you must do to get yourself off the couch and moving!

To your health!

Pam

It's Later Than You Think

2008-07-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

You would think reaching a long sought-after goal would make one jumping-up-and-down happy. I reached a goal a little over a week ago when I completed my Masters in Holistic Nutrition. Those that truly know me know how much this meant to me. Nutrition gave me back my life from Lupus. So at the age of 50 I went back to school to earn my Masters in Holistic Nutrition. The mission and yes, the passion, of the rest of my life is to help others the way I was helped. Because you see, western medicine isn't. It's shameful not once in the sixteen years I was battling active Lupus not one of my physicians (and I had a regiment of them) ever asked about my diet. You know even a mechanic would check to see if you had gas in the car.

But I digress. To my great surprise though I'm very pleased and proud about earning my Masters in Holistic Nutrition; I'm not jumping up and down happy. Instead my mind has turned to the next step of my journey. How do I help people understand the standard american diet is killing them? How do I help them understand there is an urgency to them understanding this? That nutrition CAN make a difference in chronic illness. That nutrition can even prevent chronic illness. New research is even showing that proper nutrition can STOP bad genes from turning on. Do you get the immensity of that information? This is HUGE. It's so huge it makes me feel, well, it makes me feel, inadequate.

You know though I've been in remission for five years, Lupus stole quite a lot of time from me. There were years (yes, years) when if I wasn't at work I was in bed so I could go to work when it was time again. Literally. But in all that downtime Lupus taught me something too. It gave me an appreciation for the time of my life which I don't think I would have had to such a degree had I not gotten sick. And in a very unmistakable way, it taught me time is elusive.

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think."

A few weeks ago while working a nightshift I had the privilege of watching the sunrise with a cancer patient. She was a delightful, perky lady; a truly amazing person. I remember wondering as we watched an absolutely awesome sunrise how many more she would have to enjoy. And to this moment I am in awe of her attitude. It's one sunrise I will never forget. Yeah the sunrise was beautiful but that isn't why I will remember it. I will remember it because that lady had such an awesome spirit. I felt so privileged to be able to share that sunrise with this person. It almost brought me to tears only I didn't want to cry in front of her. She was special. And perhaps, just perhaps, cancer happening to her didn't have to happen. Perhaps the standard american diet is what killed her. Processed foods are greatly lacking in the nutrients your body needs. According to the W.H.O. 70% of cancer can be prevented thru proper nutrition. So you might give some thought to changing your diet for the better to one brimming with whole foods . The human body can repair itself if given the nutrients it needs. And please consider this today, not tomorrow because......

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think".

As I sat down to write this blog post I thought of various clients and friends who only sporadically take vitamins or various supplements. Then they complain and blame the vitamin or supplement when really it's their inconsistency which fuels their health problems. Worse yet I thought of clients who sporadically purchase children's vitamins. Because what they are teaching their children is it's ok to put health second. They are unintentionally setting-up their children for an unhealthy life. Meanwhile time flies by.

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think".

Do you get what I'm trying to say? Time goes by quickly. It's elusive. And sometimes you run out of it. Life is such a priceless, wondrous gift. Wellness is the foundation of the quality of your life. Without wellness you lose choice. I've been there and done that. It's not fun. Unfortunately, it's really easy to let time fly by and to take wellness for granted. And it's a mistake to do so. Wellness must be taken care of and nurtured. Treasured. How many times have you thought "gee I should eat better" or "I'll quit smoking next week" or "gee I should exercise more" or "I'll do better tomorrow".

Tomorrow you may be sick.
It may be later than you think.

How Will You Feel In 90 Days?

2008-04-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard the old adage if you keep doing the same thing you'll keep getting the same results. Unfortunately, most of us aren't listening when it comes to our health.

How many times have you thought to yourself you need to eat better or exercise more? If you don't change anything in your lifestyle 90 days from now you will feel the same as you do right now ...... or maybe worse.

Do you realize five of the leading ten causes of illness and death (coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and atherosclerosis) are associated with diet ? Not to mention high blood pressure, obesity, dental diseases, osteoporosis, and gastrointestinal diseases are also related to dietary causes.

YOU have control over your diet. And what you eat MATTERS!

Everything you eat eventually makes up every cell in your body.

I'll say it again. What you eat matters.

Consider this:

Researchers with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Shanghai Cancer Institute in China have discovered a possible link between a diet rich in certain vegetables and a decreased risk for breast cancer. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The World Health Organisation feels 70% of ALL cancer could be prevented with nutrition.
The Lewin Group http://www.lewin.com/ has done a study showing sickness and chronic disease can be dramatically reduced by supplementing with nutritional supplements.
In 2002 the AMA in their Journal of the American Medical Association recommended everyone supplement their diet with a multi-nutrition product.
A Harvard study of more than 87,000 female nurses ages 34 to 59 found a 41% reduction in heart disease risk among those who took vitamin E supplements for at least two years.
A study of almost 40,000 male health professionals ages 40 to 75 found a 37% lower risk of heart disease among those who took daily vitamin E supplements of at least 100 IU for more than two years.
A National Institute of Aging study of 11,000 elderly people found those who used vitamins C and E supplements had a 53% reduction in mortality from heart disease and a 42% reduction in death from all causes, compared with non-users.

And most of all consider this:
An important video lecture by Dr Dean Ornish --- very short but very important! Unfortunately they elected to attach a short trailer about pangea day on this video ..... if it plays first its very short ..... hit play again and you'll get Dr Ornish's video.... it's well worth the few minutes. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/252 This was life-changing research!

Surely what Dr Ornish had to say made you do a double take! Poor lifestyle choices can turn on bad genes. By proactively choosing a healthy lifestyle you may keep bad genes from turning on.

Are you aware the Journal of the American Medical Association and the United States Department of Agriculture have admitted that today's produce no longer has enough nutrients to keep us healthy? They've even recommended everyone supplement their diet with a multi-nutrition product.

So what are you going to do? How are you going to feel 90 days from now?

I'm hoping you're going to choose to live your BEST life!

Don't forget I'm here ready to help you.

Prevention or Convenience: It's Your Choice

2007-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Why should you be mindfully aware of the nutritive quality of your food? The answer to that is found in a study by IBM entitled, "Healthcare 2015: Win-win or lose-lose?" This study should be an eye-opening wake-up call for everyone.

This study found: "Approximately 80 percent of coronary heart disease, up to 90 percent of type 2 diabetes, and more than half of cancers could be prevented through lifestyle changes, such as proper diet and exercise."

You are quite literally what you eat.
Very simply the quality of your life is up to you.

After counseling a great many people regarding their nutrition I am convinced there is a large majority of folks who simply don't know how to "eat right". They have grown up with convenience foods, microwavable dinners, fast food, processed foods and food company advertising. They never give a second thought to the lack of nutrition in these foods. The mother of three school age children even commented to me "with all the processed foods out there how can you eat any other way." The answer is simple. You choose to eat nutriously. You choose to not buy junk cereal and snacks. You choose to take the time to cook whole foods. You choose wellness over convenience.

Convenience is a hard habit to break. But folks you have to do it. The quality of your life and that of your children depends on it. Ahhhh what a concept. Taking charge of our wellness. Whole foods in our grocery carts. Thinking before we eat. Personal accountability. If that's not the lifestyle you grew up with it's the one you need to adopt. Remember 80 percent of coronary heart disease, up to 90 percent of type 2 diabetes, and more than half of cancers could be prevented through lifestyle changes, such as proper diet and exercise. Illness takes a lot of choices out of your life. It can prevent you from enjoying sports activities and travel. It can force you to be bed-ridden and prevent you from working to support yourself and your family. Illness takes choice out of your life. To know that much illness can be prevented by simply what you eat and how you exercise is a powerful reason to get serious about good nutrition and exercise.

But how do you change a lifetime of improper diet and lack of exercise? To start with get yourself a journal or a notebook or make a file on your computer. Then for your first posting write about why you want to make positive changes in your diet and exercise. Then educate yourself about nutrition. (I can help you with that.) Write down your goals. Then proceed to change your life one healthful change at a time. Maybe this week you will consistently eat two fruits per day. Next week maybe you'll do that and also eat a salad every day. Then the next week maybe you'll add drinking 8 - 8 oz glasses of water per day and so on. Make one change per week and rest assured you will be on a much healthier path.

Here's a nutritional guideline:
Aim to have 7 - 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Note that 1 medium sized fruit or 1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables is considered 1 portion. Don't forget to drink plenty of water; at least 8 - 8oz glasses per day. That's NOT tap water. Invest in a good water filtration system or quality bottled water. Also invest in a quality multi-nutrition supplement. (See the last blog article). We'll talk about protein in a future blog.

So what are you going to do this week? What healthful change will you add? Write and tell me! Do you not know where to start? Need some guidance? Don't hesitate to contact me. I want to help you! Contact me at http://pamsnutritionstore.com/

And if you'd like to read that IBM study it can be found at: www.ibm.com/healthcare/hc2015

How Malnourished Are You?

2007-08-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Why do you need to get serious about nutrition? Let's look at what has happened in the last 50 years with just two of the most popular vegetables:

Nutrients in POTATOES have decreased;
Vitamin A 100% ---Calcium 28% ---Vitamin C and Iron 57% ----Thiamine 18% ---- and Riboflavin 50%

Nutrients in BROCCOLI have decreased:
Calcium 62% --- Iron 33%---Vitamin A 55% ---Thiamin 40% ---Riboflavin 42%

This decrease in nutrients has happened in all of our fruits and vegetables. There-in lies the problem! USDA reports detail the nutrient poorness of our soil. Our produce which is lacking in nutrients to begin with is green harvested! Already nutrient-poor food is harvested BEFORE the few nutrients in the soil are able to enrich it. We may have plenty of food but the nutrient quality is sorely lacking. This is why servings on the food pyramid were increased and why it was recommended in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2002) everyone supplement with a quality multi-vitamin.

Combine the loss of nutrients in our whole foods with the nutrient poorness of processed foods and you come up with a whopping nutrient deficit!! And very, very few people eat in a truly healthy way to begin with. What did you eat yesterday?

Every cell in your body is made from the food you eat. The human body can take an amazing amount of abuse. But sooner or later a shortage of nutrition will catch up to you. The quality of your wellness is directly tied to the quality of the nutrition you give your body.

That is why you need to get serious about your nutrition. As recommended by the Journal of the American Medical Association combine a well-balanced diet with a quality multi-nutrition supplement.

And yes, I have a multi-nutrition supplement suggestion for you!
Click here Super Nutrition Made Easy

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if you wish to use this article in your blog, newsletter, etc you must use this resource box:

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT has been a healthcare professional for 27 yrs. She enjoys helping others support their wellness. Contact her thru http://optimizetoheal.com/

A Letter to Michael Moore

2007-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

As a healthcare professional for 27 yrs. who is in remission from Lupus; I have experienced our healthcare system from both sides. To say I'm not impressed is an understatement. But you've given me reason to be hopeful. I am anxiously awaiting your movie Sicko. Sicko will be, I hope, a grassroots wake up call.

It is a travesty that conventional health care is now the number one killer. We have to stop thinking the next best drug is a route to wellness. There are plenty of studies to validate it isn't. Illness is a cry from your body for nutrients it isn't getting. Our bodies are not deficient in antidepressants, antacids, anticholesterol drugs, steroids or the myriad of other pharmaceuticals available to us. Nor does treating symptoms create wellness. Pharmaceuticals may stifle symptoms but they do not create wellness. In treatment of chronic illness pharmaceuticals many times create a need for more pharmaceuticals. The body needs and utilizes nutrients not synthetic drugs. It's an oversimplified way to say it but basically, nutrients support the body whereas drugs deplete the body of nutrients and cause the body to work harder to perform the biological actions it needs to make in order to survive.

I was diagnosed with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease back in 1987 which then gradually morphed into mostly Lupus. Conventional drug-oriented medicine does not have good answers for auto-immune illnesses. I found my salvation and regained my life thru nutrition and glyconutritional supplementation. Remission is a wonderful thing!

There came a time in my journey when my rheumatologist threw his hands up and said "I don't know". The sad thing is he was a good doctor. They simply really "don't know" when it comes to auto-immune disorders and other chronic diseases. Our medical system is as poor in treating chronic illness, as it is good for treatment of trauma and acute care. There are no good treatments for lupus and other auto-immune illnesses.

The moment my rheumatologist said "he didn't know" was a turning point for me. I realized if I was to have any quality of life at all I would have to take responsibility for my wellness and seek what answers I could find. My search led me to nutrition and glyconutritionals. If I had continued only conventional treatment ...... well, let me put it this way ..... my pulmonary physician referred to me as "unfortunate" and "steroid dependent" in his notes when he sent me to pulmonary rehab. All my docs concurred I would be on steroids the rest of my life and disability was looming in my near future.

Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food."

The glyconutrient supplementation I take is basically food; nutrients we should get in our food supply but don't for various reasons. It is important to note every cell in your body is made up of the nutrients you put in. Frankly, if you put in junk you're going to get junk. The body is a miracle and it can compensate for lack of good nutrition for a time, but sooner or later poor nutrition will result in illness.

The average person thinks because they have a full plate of food three meals a day they are well-nourished. We aren't. In fact, because of the amount of processed food we eat, the nutrient-depleted soil we grow our food in and green-harvesting; we are grossly under-nourished and this is one of the reasons we are seeing such a rise in autoimmune illnesses, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It is also a big part of the reason we are seeing typically adult-onset diseases striking our children.

Do you know how nutrient-poor our produce is? Today, it takes 2 lbs of spinach to get the amount of Vitamin A we used to get in 1 lb of spinach. All of our produce is this vitamin deficient and because of this we can't eat enough to get the nutrients we need for health. That is why the food pyramid was re-formulated to include more servings. And that is why in 2002 the AMA in it's Journal recommended everyone supplement their diet. Sadly that recommendation came and went pretty much unnoticed.

Mr Moore, it's startling to realize that in the fifteen years my lupus was active no physician ever inquired about or made any suggestions as to my nutritional intake. Unfortunately, the lack of doctor/patient discussion regarding nutrition is not unusual. Some folks give doctors a pass on that; saying they aren't trained in nutrition. But I don't give them a pass. FOOD is what makes the body work. Would we give a pass to a mechanic who didn't know the importance of gas or oil to a car?

For a number of reasons it is unconscionable nutrition is not the first line of (prevention and) defense put in action by conventional medicine. First, a body fighting an illness requires more nutrients. Second, it is known pharmaceuticals deplete your body of crucial nutrients. Why then, is nutrition not the first thing discussed with patients? Surely nutrition (and/or the lack of) impacts the course of disease and at the cellular level the ability to combat the disease. Why is the medical community not giving sick folks every opportunity to heal? And seemingly healthy folks the chance to prevent illness?

Do you know cancer is the #1 killer of children? Think about it, Mr Moore, the only species on the face of the earth which goes out of it's way to feed it's children crap is the human species. It's deplorable. Look in folks grocery carts next time you go to the grocery store. What kind of society allows their children to be killed with cartoon characters?

It is unconscionable, Mr Moore, that we dump so many billions into cancer research and barely (if at all) discuss PREVENTION. Do you know according to the World Health Organization 70% of ALL cancer can be PREVENTED by proper diet? Why then are we dumping billions into research and barely discussing prevention when so many lives could be saved by nutrition education? What does that say for the multibillion dollar cancer industry? Powerful conglomerates and even goverment agencies block access to alternative cancer treatments which have been proven to be efficacious. No, Mr Moore, the war is not being fought on cancer. Not seriously. Someone is making too much money from it.

We must learn to take personal responsibility for our wellness instead of relying on the next best drug, enact a strong national nutrition education program to make proactive wellness a cultural norm (just as the pharmaceutical industry uses tv commercials to make drug taking a normal action) and we desperately must reform the FDA. It's sad to say but no wonder the number one killer today is conventional medicine.

That's why I'm excited about your movie Sicko Mr Moore. Only a person of your stature could of made this movie. Thank you for putting yourself on the line in making it. The truth needs to be told. Desperately. In addition to hopefully spurring reform of the FDA, perhaps, it will wake folks up to the personal responsibility they MUST take for their wellness. Reaching for the next best drug is a prescription for just more illness.

And Mr Moore...... about your weight...... email me!

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If you wish to use this article in your blog, newsletter, any print medium, website, etc you must include the following resource box:

Pam Murphy, B.S.,RRT has been a healthcare professional for 27 yrs and has a thriving wellness business. She is completing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition and enjoys helping others support/regain their health. Contact her at: http://pamsnutritionstore.com

God Bless Anna Nicole

2007-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

My heart sank when I heard the news about Anna Nicole's passing on the radio as I was driving to work. No I didn't agree with her lifestyle. I wasn't a fan. Only watched her reality series once. I found it too painful to watch. Anyone could see she was a person in trouble. Her death saddened me because no-one's life should be over at 39. What a tragic beginning to her little baby girls life. No matter what her mothers lifestyle was it is a tragedy she will never know her mother.

Anna Nicole was a brand; famous for being famous. I don't believe it will be an enduring fame such as Elvis's. Unlike Elvis she will be forgotten. 99% of us don't live like she did. But we can take a lesson from her life. I believe a high percentage of us take so much about life for granted. The problem with that is life can be so much more when you are mindful of it's beauty and gifts.

How often do you think about purpose, passion and play in your life?
How often do you mindfully consider the nutrition content of your food?
How often do you take time to slow down, relax and take stock of your life direction? How much daily exercise do you get?
How often do you take a walk in the park or in the woods?
How often do you get in touch with the beauty of nature?
What values do you consider important in your life?

Do you just "go thru the motions" of life? To busy to "think"? How often do you tell yourself you are too busy? Does life consist of work, home, sleep...paycheck on friday? Is your work meaningful to you?

I have a friend who is a professional Life Coach specializing in relationship coaching. She speaks about knowing your "requirements" for a potential spouse. Those qualities in another person you must have for a successful relationship. I believe we also need to formulate "requirements" for life in general. Those things we value which we feel enhance and give meaning to our lives. Some potential requirements could be: gratefulness, forgiveness, playtime, wellness, meditation time, exercise time, meaningful work, volunteer work, etc. I think far too many times we don't stick with our requirements in life. What are your "requirements" for a joyful life?

I believe...well no....I am SURE... we are intended to have a life of purpose, passion, wellness and joy! You have an opportunity to live every day of your life to the fullest extent. If you're spending more time being stressed than joyful, choose to take time to examine why. If you are not connected with your purpose in life, choose to take time to discover it! Set goals which set you on fire with a passion for life! Surround yourself with people who are supportive and positive.

Be mindful of what you put into your body. If it isn't going to honor your wellness don't eat, drink or smoke it. Your body is precious. You are precious. The human body can take a lot of punishment but there is a time when Mother Nature is unforgiving. Change the things in your life which don't promote wellness and joy. Your life can be everything you desire and more. You don't have to fall thru the cracks. Anna Nicole, I believe, for whatever reason, fell thru the cracks. God bless Anna Nicole. May she rest in the peace she didn't have on earth.

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This post may be reprinted in your newsletter or blog only with the following resource box included.

Pam Murphy, B.S.,RRT has a thriving wellness business. She is completing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. She enjoys helping others support their health and/or helping others create residual income. Visit her at: http://selfgrowth.com/experts/pam_murphy.html

The Day I Met An Angel

2007-01-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

You may, if you've read my writing for any time, recall I was diagnosed in 1987 with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease which eventually morphed into mostly Lupus. Though today I am in remission almost three years, back in the late 80's early 90's I wasn't doing so well. My pulmonary physician referred to me in his notes as "unfortunate" and "steroid dependent". He had sent me to pulmonary rehab which in the end really didn't do much for me. Well, it did depress me. I was at a lowpoint emotionally and physically.

Not having a washer or dryer I would take my clothes two blocks away to the local "Duds N Suds". One day during my lowpoint I was there and a lady who was dressed as though she were really poor came up to me and asked me if I knew that God loved me. I said "yes i do". That lady turned and walked out then and I never did see her again. Interestingly she didn't have any laundry with her. I believe to this day and always will believe that she was an angel sent from God to remind me......to pick me up and remind me and give me hope. Because hmmm I really hadn't been living as though I knew God loved me. On some level I knew it. I just needed a kick in the pants. The love in that lady's eyes and her question was more than a kick in the pants. Those few moments changed my life.

Those few moments contributed as much or more to the remission I would finally achieve as did the nutrition and nutritional supplements I added to my foodplan. Do you know someone who is chronically ill? You can be their angel. When you feel like there's nothing more for you but dying, that because of illness you don't have much left in you to contribute, that there is no hope of wellness and then someone cares enough to reach out to you and tell you God loves you, and that they care about you; that changes your life. It creates hope. Puts a fire under the will to live and gives renewed worth to a life. You can change someones life. Go hug somebody and make sure they know God loves them. He does.

Wishing you wellness and joy!

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT enjoys helping others improve and support their health thru nutrition and supplements. Visit her at: http://discover.vitamarkpower.com if you're interesting in helping others too.

Wishing You.....A Death-Defying Christmas

2006-12-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the midst of another end-of-the-year holiday season. Like a lot of people do during this season, I've been reflecting on this past year and am looking forward with gleeful anticipation to this next year. Have you been reflecting on your life? Are you where you want to be and are you doing what you are meant to do? Are you busting-at-the buttons happy?

It is my belief a great deal of the angst in life stems from people not understanding their purpose in life and not having a passion for what they currently do and/or the life they currently lead. To me that is monumentally tragic. Life is to wondrous and to great an adventure to not be passionate about it.

At least in part of my life I can honestly say I am doing exactly what God means for me to do (i.e. sharing wellness) and I can see a not-to-distant future when I will be able to do so without any of the current distractions in my life. My life truly began the moment I understood my life's purpose. You know what? There is a tremendous joy in knowing your life's purpose. With all my heart I hope you know that kind of joy!

As you reflect on the past year I want you to know something. I want you to know that miracles are within your reach and within your own mind. Do not scoff at that statement. Rather give it your most serious consideration. The quality of your life depends on your understanding the truth of it.

Do You know how special you are?
Do you know your life's purpose?
Are you living your life's purpose?

Do you know you have all you need to create a miracle in your life?

Do you understand the impact of words and thoughts on the quality of your life?

Consider the words of Maya Angelou:

"Words go into the body. So they cause us to be well and hopeful
and happy and high-energy and wondrous and funny and cheerful.
Or they can cause us to be depressed. They get into the body and
cause us to be sullen and sour and depressed and, finally, sick."

Words are important. Thoughts are important. What kind of words or thoughts are you holding inside of you. You have a choice as to what kind of words and thoughts you hold near you. Positive or negative. Words and thoughts can be death .......or death-defying.

What are you choosing to hold within you?

My gift to you this holiday season is a short movie. I hope you will
take 3 minutes to watch it and an hour to consider it.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/tcyrv

Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT

This post may be reprinted in your newsletter or blog only with the following resource box:

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT has a thriving network marketing wellness business, is completing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition and enjoys mentoring others in both improving their health and financial freedom. http://pamsnutritionstore.com

Cancer and Nutrition: Revisited Fairly

2006-11-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

In a recent post I was hard on doctors who tell cancer patients not to take nutritional supplements. I spoke in anger and disappointment and did not evenly cover the topic. I am deleting that post. In fairness I need to address this issue again.......

You see there is a controversy regarding certain nutrition supplements and cancer. Consider the information in the following links:

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-153.shtml#humanresearch

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-153.shtml#animalresearch

Recent studies have been positive on the use of antioxidants:
http://www.newstarget.com/021070.html

None of these above articles discuss the use of glyconutritional supplements. Glyconutrients are not vitamins, antioxidants, minerals or amino acids. They are in a class of their own. There are so far eight known necessary glyconutrients (ie monosaccharides). These are discussed in Harpers Biochemistry, a medical textbook. Though there are four Nobel prizes which discuss cell to cell communication and the integral part these monosaccharides play in cell to cell communication, glycobiology is a young field and not well understood yet by the vast majority of physicians. There is however, a Glycomics Conference every October in which increasingly more physicians are learning this information. http://www.endowmentmed.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=40

Case studies and research point to a positive benefit with dietary supplementation of glyconutrients:

http://www.fisherinstitute.org/bestcancer.htm

http://www.fisherinstitute.org/cancer.htm

http://glycoscience.org/ (search "cancer")

What I most wanted to get across is that folks need to educate themselves and not rely solely on physician input. Doctors are not gods; nor should we expect them to be. They are not trained in nutrition. They are largely educated by pharmaceutical companies. I learned this the hard way in my battle with Lupus. Had I not taken responsibility for my life and wellness; had I solely relied on my physicians input I would either be dead or in a wheelchair and in a nursing home today; instead of celebrating over two years in remission. My physicians did not value nutrition and didn't know about glyconutrition. Thru all the years I battled Lupus, not once did any of my physicians ask me about my diet. Has yours?

Uncommon Courage: A Life of Significance

2006-08-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

There came a time during my long journey with Lupus when my mother asked me how to cope with illness. She was well into her journey with Shy-Drager, a very debilitating version of Parkinsons. To say it's difficult when the roles in life turn is an understatement. I wish I had been full of wisdom at that moment. Maybe in a small way there was some wisdom in what I said.

I told her my philosophy was to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going and that's what she had to do too. We agreed we would do that together for as long as we each could. Then we had a discussion about what we each wanted and didn't want in regards to medical treatment. We made each other promises to safeguard each others dignity in the event we couldn't do it for ourselves. There were no tears during our conversation, but in the years since her passing I have often wilted into tears when remembering it. I kept my promise to her, there was no medical intervention with feeding tubes, IV's or medical machinery at the end of her journey.

Thinking back on the difficult times of my lupus journey I can say it's really not a simple thing to do to "keep going" when in the grip of 24/7 pain, shortness of breath and overwhelming fatigue. In fact, when faced with an incurable illness it takes an uncommon courage to even want to keep going. There were many times when I begged God to take me home.

But at the time when my mother and I had our conversation, I simply thought that to put one foot in front of the other and keep going was all I knew to do and certainly didn't think of it as courageous. To me it was just survival. In fact, everything I did; changing my diet to one without processed foods, being a guinea pig for an investigational drug, reframing my thoughts, exercising when I was physically able and my physician would let me, incorporating daily
meditation, trying glyconutrient supplementation, was all, I thought, just a matter of survival. Not just to stay alive, but to keep my lifestyle and my independence.

But I've been told by four different people in the last few months that they view me as courageous. As I sit here pondering my journey to remission I have a hard time thinking of myself as courageous. It blows my mind that anyone thinks of me as courageous. My journey to remission wasn't about courage, and though I thought it was about survival, it really wasn't even
about survival; it was about having a significant life. Everyone wants their life to mean something. I have always thought one of the worst things about chronic illness is the loss of human potential. Illness illustrated to me very clearly the insignificance of monetary success and about personal growth and living a life of significance. Financial freedom means nothing if you're not also making a difference.

It takes real courage to live a life of significance. It takes insight, (some would say wisdom), to understand you can live a significant life even if you are coping with a seemingly incurable illness. Sometimes that is hard to see when you're living with 24/7 pain and little hope for respite. When illness strikes and your dreams suddenly seem unreachable; you must understand your illness, no matter what you no longer can do, does not make you any
less important to the world. You must understand every existence is significant. By putting one foot in front of the other and keeping going you are, in fact, living a life of significance. You are giving value to life. There is nothing more noble.

So whatever hardships you are coping with in your life; change the things in your life which are negative or don't promote wellness and keep on keeping on. You are precious and your existence is significant.

Wishing you wellness and joy

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com

Wellness: The Power of Change

2006-07-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've talked a lot about taking charge of your wellness and changing the things in your life which aren't promoting wellness. Have you decided to make wellness your top priority? Does changing things in your life to promote wellness seem a bit overwhelming?

The answer to overwhelm is to choose and change one thing at a time. Every week or two weeks (whatever feels right to you) incorporate a new wellness habit.

Here's a suggested (but not all inclusive) list to get you started:

Week One: Drink water instead of soda. If your doctor does NOT have you on any water restrictions divide your weight by two - this will give you the ounces of water you should drink per day. Drink SPRING water ( which you will find in any grocery store) or Wellness Enhanced water http://tinyurl.com/s8b6o .

Week Two: Eat one salad every day. Do NOT use a high calorie salad dressing. I would also not recommend the low calorie "chemical ridden" salad dressings. Try Annies Green Garlic Dressing (found in the health food section of your grocery store or in a health food grocery store). Check out the salads/dressings in the "Healthy Kitchen" section of http://www.drweil.com/ . Go to your bookstore and peruse the vegetarian recipe books for healthy salad dressings.

Week Three: Resolve to eat Five vegetables a day. This isn't hard when you stop to realize a serving is 1/2 cup. Make your plate colorful! Eat veggies of different colors!

Week Four: Resolve to not eat fast food. Fast food is normally high calorie, high fat.

Week Five: Cut down on coffee! Resolve to have only one cup in the morning. IF you are a bigtime coffee drinker you may consider having one cup of caffeinated coffee and remaining cups 50/50. Gradually change over to just 50/50 and then slowly decrease how many cups you have in the morning till it's only one cup. You might even consider booting coffee out of your life.....You might substitute Green Tea for it's antioxidant qualities!

Week Six: Eat four fruits a day. If you haven't been wild about eating fruits up till now then go easy eat two a day and work up to four.

Week Seven: Do you smoke? With the issuance of the recent Surgeon Generals report don't you agree it's clear how bad smoking is for your health. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/ If you are a heavy "nervous" type smoker I recommend you talking with your doctor about how to quit. You can also find a smoking cessation group in your area. Most hospitals have smoking cessation groups. Call the Respiratory Care department of your local hospital. The American Lung Association offers smoking cessation http://www.lungusa.org/ and also the American Cancer Society http://tinyurl.com/z4vju .

Especially if you are quitting smoking you should consider incorporating an excellent antioxidant supplement into your wellness regimen. Even if smoking is not an issue and you just want to be proactive about your wellness an antioxidant supplement is important.
I recommend: http://tinyurl.com/gt7ur

Week Eight: Incorporate some form of exercise into your daily regimen. Check with physician before starting an exercise regimen especially if you've been mostly sedentary for some time. Your exercise regimen could be as simple as walking. Get a pedometer and work up to 10,000 steps per day. But find some form of exercise you enjoy and DO IT!

These changes will get you started. You might also read the books:

"Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman,MD http://tinyurl.com/po88c

"Ultraprevention" by Mark Hyman,MD http://tinyurl.com/r7y28

So have you decided to change the things in your life which don't promote wellness?
Write to me! Let me know how things go! I care about you........

Wishing you wellness and joy!

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT

ARE YOU READY TO GET WELL?

2006-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

At first reading it seems like a stupid question.
Are you ready to get well?
Who wouldn’t rather be well?

In my business I spend countless hours talking to chronically
ill people. Some folks have convinced me they aren’t ready
to be well. There's actually lots of reasons some folks aren't ready
to be well. There's the folks who don't want to make a commitment
to change; the folks who get an inordinate amount of secondary gain
from being ill (this article isn't about them); and the folks who believe
there is no hope for a better life.

Will they increase the servings of salads and veggies in their diet,
cut back on red meat,
eat four fruits a day? No.
Stop eating processed foods? No.
Will they stop drinking soft drinks? No.
Will they stop using fake sweeteners? No.
Will they increase the amount of water they drink? No.
Will they stop smoking? No

Will they reach for another drug? Sadly, yes. Even when they are
on ten different drugs none of which have improved how they feel
or their quality of life; they will return to their physician for yet
another drug. Is this you? Hey don't feel bad. One can only do what
one knows to do. We have been trained to look to our doctors for
answers and doctors have been trained to give us drugs.
Now you're going to learn a better way.

If you keep doing what you’re doing you’re going to keep
getting what you’ve always got. Yes, if you have a chronic
illness you should be under a physicians care. But you
also need to change the things in YOUR life that
aren’t promoting wellness. By the way has your
doctor ever suggested that? Does your doctor ever talk to
you about eating fresh produce? Have you and your
doctor ever talked about what you eat? (did i hear a "no"?)

When it comes down to committing to the actions necessary to regain
their life they find a million reasons why they can’t. Some have
actually told me change is too inconvenient. Some have told
me that enjoying a soda is their one joy in life and they aren’t going to
give it up for anything.

OK. I understand that feeling. I was there once. But what if……
What if the chemicals in that soda are contributing to your
illness? Wouldn’t it be worth stopping to find out?

Is healthful change more inconvenient than illness? Is anything more
inconvenient than illness? I don’t think so. Why would anyone want
to be ill rather than make healthful changes that could give them their
life back? Sometimes it’s so easy to see why these folks are ill. But
there’s nothing I can do to help them until they are ready to help
themselves. It frustrates and saddens me.

I’m sure everyone wants to be well. Nobody likes the inconvenience
or physical and emotional pain illness causes. I think we all need to
understand there is not a good pharmaceutical answer for chronic
illnesses. Drugs treat symptoms not causes.

Nutrition on the other hand works at the level of the cause.

You would not think of putting gas in your car, but ignoring the oil or
transmission fluid. Your car would not run for long. Your body is the
same way. Put in the right nutrients and it works optimally.

Yes! It really is that simple. Your body is capable of healing itself if you
give it the nutrients it needs to do the job. You've seen the body heal
itself when you've had a paper cut or a broken bone. Think about it.
Your immune system can do even more when it's not starved for
nutrients.

Nutrition! That is the key! Unfortunately, we are killing ourselves with
processed foods, green harvesting and fake sweeteners. Do you know
why the government increased the serving amount of veggies on the
food pyramid? Because they KNOW we aren’t getting the nutrients we
need in our food supply. They also have supported the use of supplements,
as has the AMA.

For instance, to get the same amount of Vitamin A that was in one peach in 1953, you would have to eat 50 peaches today. It's that way with all our produce. We can't possibly eat enough to get all the nutrients our body needs.

That's why we MUST supplement.

You know I know what it’s like to be sick 24/7 for years. I know what it’s like to have a doc refer to me as "unfortunate" and "steroid dependent". I know what it’s like to have a disorder docs have no answers for and no real treatment which restores quality of life. I know what it’s like to not have hope for a better future.

Yes I know why it might be hard for you to believe ANYTHING will help. I really understand that. Western medicine tells you there are no answers. But put your disbelief aside and understand what I am telling you is logical and backed by science.

I am talking to you today as I celebrate two years in remission
because I made changes in my life. I took charge and kicked lupus’s
butt for a change. (It feels GOOD.)

YOU are no different than me. YOU CAN TOO!
So are YOU ready?

Will you increase the servings of salads and veggies in your diet,
cut back on red meat,
eat four fruits a day?
Stop eating processed foods?
Will you stop drinking soft drinks?
Will you stop using fake sweeteners?
Will you increase the amount of water you drink?
Will you stop smoking?
Will you commit to a supplement regimen?

If you are ready to get well I am here and more than
ready to help you make the healthful changes you need
to make.

Wishing you wellness and joy,

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com

PS: You need to read these books. These three books will change your life.

"Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman, MD
"The Healing Power of 8 Sugars" by Allen Somersall, PhD
"The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, PhD

AND THEN.....I DIED

2006-06-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I get goosebumps when I stop to think about it.

Oct., 1987 - I was diagnosed with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease. Somewhere in time it morphed into mostly Lupus.

I could rattle off many different symptoms, annoyances, frustrations, obstacles, physical and emotional pain it caused me, but if you are healthy my litany would mean nothing to you and if you are dealing with lupus (or any chronic potentially life-threatening disorder) you already understand. Anyway the dark side of my journey is not what I want to talk about. Not exactly.

The me I was died in October of 1987. You know what, despite all that happened on my journey from then to now; it's not bad that the me I was passed away. Oh that me was a good person. I worked hard in my job. I was truthful; a good friend to my friends and tried to do the right things in my life. I worshiped my Father God on Sundays and even talked to Him a lot in prayer in my everyday life. But I really didn't "get it".

I didn't "get" life. So many people don't.

When I died I didn't see a path to a bright light. I didn't feel warm and fuzzy. I didn't even know I died. I was like millions of other people going thru the motions of everyday life; who don't know they are alive. I really died before my diagnosis.

After my diagnosis I just kept putting one foot in front of the other doing my best to keep going; despite the physical and emotional limitations lupus set forth for me. Slowly after my diagnosis; I realized how much I had taken for granted and how appreciation enriches one's life. Lupus taught me so much. (And yes, even in remission I'm still learning.)

I've learned that most everyone is living "too fast". By our choices we can choose to live "fast" and miss the beauty and treasures of life, or choose to live slower, appreciatively, in a way which enriches our experience of the gift of life.

Are you "taking time" to live? Or are you "giving" time away?
Letting it slip thru the cracks of your life.

I learned as I sat on a park bench one day, how to have peace, by watching ants on the ground below scurry about their duties to their community. Ants really aren't unlike us. Except they work better together. The preciousness of time I learned to appreciate taught me that politics at work or game-playing in relationships of any kind is a tragic waste of precious time, energy and this gift called life. In feelings of anger, resentment, jealousy, hatred, envy or fear; there is only destruction, a tearing down of all that is good. Time is to fleeting, to precious to waste even one second in negativity.

WHAT IF....we all just learned to get along with respect for each other? How different would corporate life and the relationships in our lives be? How different would each person's life be? And how would that impact the world? Why I think it would be awesome! Don't you? I choose to envision that world.

I learned.....by taking time to experience peace....by taking time to really study the color and beauty of roses and other flowers in the park...and on my kitchen windowsill the value of taking time to appreciate beauty.... I see a richness of color in a red rose or lacy -ridged dianthus that before my journey with lupus I didn't used to see. It wows, thrills and amazes me!

Do you take time to foster your inner peace? Do you have flowers in your living space? You should. It's a good thing to do for you. Have you taken time to study their beauty? The appreciation of beauty creates inner peace. God is a wondrous artist. Our eyesight and the incredible beauty in nature are gifts of unexplainable pricelessness. Do you take time to
feel gratitude for these gifts?

I learned, as I observed people at work, at the mall, yes, even at church; folks don't smile anymore. They frown, they hold their shoulders in a tense, stressed manner and they hurry about their errands. But they don't smile, they don't say hello, their eyes don't meet yours. A mall full of people can still be a very impersonal place! Hmmmm.....

Isn't that a sad observation? I wish it weren't true. A smile given to another person is an immense gift. It lifts both people up. It carries on through-out the day. There's no reason we can't all give the gift of a smile to one another everyday. Please think about it.

WHAT IF......everyone took the time to compliment someone else everyday?
Even a stranger!

Hey, I really like that shirt you are wearing and it really looks good on you.
Hey you have really pretty eyes.
Gee you did a great job!
I know you worked really hard.
You're really good at_________.
Wow you sure keep your car looking spick and span.
I'm glad you're my friend you add so much to my life.
Those shoes really look sharp with that outfit.
You always look so nice!
You have a pretty smile you know!

How much would a few positive words change the world? It would change YOUR world and it would change THEIR world. And it would change it positively. Immensely.That which changes your world; ultimately changes THE world.

We can all change the world in a positive way with even tiny actions. We just have to INTEND to and then take action.

WHAT IF......you took the time everyday to just-for-you "slow down"?

Eat lunch in a park.
Read a personal development or self-help book each week or month.
Meditate for 30 minutes daily.
Set aside time to keep a journal.
Set aside time to take a walk for thinking, observing and appreciating beauty.
Take a bubble bath, sit in a sauna, get a massage.

Your life does not NEED to be hurried or frenzied or overwhelming. Have the intention to have control over your life. Intentionally stop the frenzied hurriedness. And think of the example you are giving to the children and young people in your life. Do you want their life to be frenzied? Life does not need to be that way. It's a choice. Let's teach our children better choices for a rich, full life.

So take time for you. It will impact your health in a positive way. It will enrich your life. You are not taking away from your family or friends by taking time for you. There will be more of you to give to others and a healthier, happier you. If you're happier, others around you will be happier. And healthier!

I learned, in my illness; illness is a teacher and we MUST be good students. Illness teaches us how little time we have and what is important for our survival. Illness is your body crying out for help; for nutrients it isn't getting and love it isn't feeling. When we give our body the nutrients it needs our immune system can overcome nearly every disorder. The exploding
incidence of auto-immune, cancer, heart disease, etc points to the necessity of taking charge of our health and responsibly giving our body the nutrients required to sustain life.
Processed foods, fake sugars and fast food are killing us.

I went to a health lecture the other night. The speaker said something life-altering .....it's not that we are living longer......it's that we are taking longer to die. Statistics are showing the average persons health is failing the last ten years of life. Is this the quality of life you want at the end of your life?

I learned.....we must be deliberate, thoughtful, serious and responsible about giving our bodies the nutrition it requires. I am in remission from Lupus because I cleaned up my act..... took responsibility for my wellness.... gave my psyche a gratitude mindset and my body the nutrition it needs.

What choices will you make?
Will you stop smoking?
Will you stop eating junk food ?
Will you take time for you ?
Will you smile at someone today?

In good choices, in being aware and attentive to your wellness, both physical and emotional, your whole life will be richer. You'll live everyday of your life, instead of dying before your diagnosis.

I wish you wellness and joy!

Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com