Subject: Re: Beginner's questions

From: [email-masked] (broomstick)
Date: Sat, 24 Dec 1994 09:18:10

In article <[email-masked]> Thomas Duda <[email-masked]> writes:
>From: Thomas Duda <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Beginner's questions
>Date: Mon, 19 DEC 94 02:33:37 -0500

>I am 49 years old, and have never, ever had a cold go away in so short a
>time. To say that I am astonished is to understate my feelings. The FDA
>will please pardon me if I see cause-and-effect; what other conclusion
>can I reasonably come to.

I always said that the day someone hands me an herbal allergy remedy that 
WORKS I would become a believer, which is exactly what happened.  The joy you 
experienced with your cold is my "normal" state between August and late 
October.  I've found a way to manage with minimal drugs and stuff without 
having to seal myself in a bubble for several months of the year.

Nothing succeeds like success.

>After some thought on the subject, I did something this morning that I haven't
>done since I was a kid and my mother made me...I took a vitamin. And not one
>of those mass-market products that are made with coal tar, thank you very
>much. I took a nice multi-vitamin that I got from the very same natural foods
>store that sold us the wonder pills that cured my wife and me. My physician
>likes to tell me that I eat a balanced diet and don't need vitamins. Well,
>maybe not, but if these things will help me stay well, then as for me I enjoy
>being healthy and would rather put my money into prevention instead of cure.

Please keep in mind that most allopathic-trained doctors - aka MD's - receive 
little or NO nutrition education in medical school.  If you have questions 
about how balanced your diet is see a NUTRITIONIST not a doctor.  Beware of 
those handing out "one diet fits all" type plans.  There is no ONE way to eat 
right, and different individuals have different needs at different ages.  That 
new "food pyramid" is a good start - any truly healthy diet will be very heavy 
on grains and vegees, easy on meat, fats, and sweets.  Contrary to myth, you 
don't NEED meat or dairy, although most folks can enjoy them in moderation 
with few problems.  Moderate meaning no more than about 4 ounces of meat daily 
(although an occassional overindulgence is OK as long as it really IS 
occassional).

Meanwhile, taking vitamins probably won't HURT you - in moderation.  You CAN 
OD on vitamin A and D, with very unpleasent effects.  Avoid vitamin A problems 
by taking beta carotene instead (your body will convert what it needs into 
vitamin A and dispose of the excess).  If your skin turns orange, you are 
taking too much.  Megadoses of some vitamins and minerals can cause problems 
absorbing other nutrients or other toxic effects.  But as I said, moderate 
intake will not hurt you and you've already expressed a desire to keep 
pill-popping at a minimum, so you've already got some good sense about this.  
The most common side effect of vitamin intake is that the excess is excreted 
through the kidneys, resulting in very valuable urine (so to speak).

The nuturients most people don't get enough of include vitamin C.  For women, 
calcium and iron intake is also very important.  However, keep in mind that 
the amount of calcium and iron required by a woman can cause problems in a 
normal man (such as bladder and kidney stones or a rare disease involving too 
much iron in the blood).  Men require a higher intake of calories as they are 
usually larger and more active.  Athletes and those who are ill usually 
require slightly higher protein intakes than the norm. Beware of "cure-alls" 
that treat you and your wife's body alike.  As you age and acquire some 
chronic problem or other you may need to adjust your diet and supplement 
intake to keep pace.

The FDA is peeved about the herbal remedies because instead of looking for 
"one pill fits all" approaches (which is what clinical studies are usually 
about) people are treated as individuals. Which is not to say solid, 
scientific research shouldn't be done.

Allopathy (western medicine) is crisis-oriented.  Go to an MD if you break a 
leg or suffer a heart attack.  Herbal medicine is preventive - and how do you 
prove a negative, that because of something you DIDN'T get sick?  MD's do not 
have the training to prevent many problems.  Take responsiblity for your own 
health.

And, oh yes, anything you take off the net should be taken with a grain of 
salt.  Do some research to back up anything you hear.  Yes, it's overwhelming 
at first, but stick with it.  Check out your library.  And stay healthy.

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			|
>---Broomstick---	| "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains,
			| however improbable, must be the truth."
			|				-- S. Holmes
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From: Thomas Duda <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 DEC 94 03:04:30 -0500

I've received a lot of mail asking me for the name of the product that my
wife and I took that made us better.
 
It is "Wellness Formula" by Source Naturals, Inc. This product is distributed
nationwide.
 
It is now 8 days since I contracted my cold. What I should be experiencing is
draining sinuses. Filling, draining. Filling, draining. You know the routine.
Well, they're clear. Absolutely clear. This is wonderful!
 
Tom