Alternative Medicine

                                                                                     K. Steven Whiting Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Nutritional Science points out that one of the main causes of “silent” inflammation is the use of vegetable oils in the diet. Now, although this seems counter-intuitive, he explains that these oils are poly-unsaturated and, when exposed to air, become rancid quickly. So, when used, they produce prostaglandins in the body which again stimulate “silent” inflammation. If you already have an inflammatory condition, such as bursitis or arthritis, this may actually increase the inflammatory process. At the Institute they have developed a formula which is high in ]anti-oxidants and omega 3 fatty acid oils. According to new patent inventors, Mahabaleshwar Hedge, Ulhas Wagh, Shahida Khan omega 3 fatty acid oils and anti-oxidants are “endangered” nutrients due to shifts in the usage of omega 6 fatty acid oils which increase the shelf life of products and fatten livestock. The inventors are promoting an organic honey and omega 3 fatty acid oil combination. Apparently, this increases the shelf life of omega 3 fatty acid oil to 6 months.

                                                                                   In a recent study in Brooklyn, Wall St. Journal Blog reported that by adding the component of human touch in the therapeutic regime of Alzheimer’s the Nursing Home at cobble Hill were able to reduce the reliance on anti-psychotic drugs for these patients. However, as Lisa Sneddon, of Senior Living wrote, according to Federal guidelines, it is more difficult for Nursing Homes to be reimbursed for hiring additonal staff, whereas they are reimbursed for the pills. In a previous article, My Name is Lisa I mentioned that researchers have found that omega 3 fatty acid oil can also be helpful in treating Alzheimer’s, reported Ben Kage of News Target. Omega 3 fatty acid oils, although commonly associated with fish, can be found abundantly in walnuts, avocados, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Since fish can often contain high levels of toxic Mercury, it would seem that this natural source of the omega 3 fatty acid oil is preferred. In the video is the “blindguru” making an avocado pit smoothie. Advice: don’t do this with an ordinary blender.

                                                                             After I wrote a brief article the other day about nutrition and ADHD, I stopped by Dr. Scott Saunders site and opted to receive some information about his methods of curing ADHD naturally. Today’s email spoke about the great benefits of exercise, even brief 45 minute exercise programs. he says that these will increase circulation to the brain and increase production of sensitive neurotransmitters that are often at low levels in these children. Similarly,Peter Schworn, Boston Globe also reported that there was a scientific study, called the Dore study in England that was created by Wynford Dore who was “looking to find a cure for his daughter’s dyslexia.” So with some success in England, it has now expanded to the U.S and there are now 5 centers in the States, including one in Needham in the suburbs of Boston. The Dore center is tuition-based and is geared towards helping children with ADHD, dyslexia and other neurological disabilities. So far, they’ve had some remarkable results. However, the “mainstream” medical community has not yet endorsed it. To me, it would seem like the Dore Center has some very good advice. The Dore Program was started to help dyslexia, but is being used also to help others with ADHD and dyspraxia according to Wynford Dore’s Blog. As you can see from the video, the Dore Center is quite different from what Dr. Saunders has suggested, and, truthfully, although there are some valid points in the Dore program, I would tend to KISS (keep it simple silly), and just have some good old-fashioned fun outdoors, and save the $4,500 tuition.

                                                                             As I mentioned in another post Dr. Scott Saunders has provided some valuable information about treating ADHD naturally. Today he suggested using behavioral modification, or “token economy” to produce changes in behavior naturally. He believes this is possible if the system is used consistently. Another gentleman, a psychologist Lawrence Weathers, Ph.D. is also of the same conviction, and believes that ADHD is a learned defense mechanism produced because of early trauma with which the child is unable to cope. He cites Sigmund Freud’s work in psychopathology as an explanation for the commonly observed “hyperactivity” of these children. On the other hand, Freud himself was a cocaine addict Wikipedia and, I believe, left this legacy of reliance on medication in psychiatry. Dr. Weathers was diagnosed with ADHD as a child himself, so he has first hand knowledge. Now he uses a program called Computer Aided Emotional Restructuring (CAER) in which the child, parent and teacher all participate. It is his contention that these children actually think in the same way as everyone else, but there may be an emphasis on certain patterns. He believes that most of the children with this “disorder” display a kind of avoidance to stress what he calls “the Conditioned Attentional Avoidance Loop. On the other hand, Dr. Wayne C. Jones, of Richardson TX, a board certified neurologist cites the MTA study of 1999 sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health which found that if a child is on the right medication and on the correct dosage, the child actually benefits, because they are able to live more normal lives and grow in their self-esteem. I have a grandson who was diagnosed with ADHD, and he’s a vegetarian, gets plenty of outdoor exercise, “token economy” and medication. He’s also an honor student, so maybe the truth is in using all these techniques appropriately, not just relying on pills to cure the problem.

                                                                                             This afternoon, I listened to a lecture given by Dr. Michael Lyons, director of Functional Medicine. He is both a traditional, as well as an allopathic doctor. One of his primary interests is ADHD and the video I listened to is called “Is the Child’s Brain Starving?” It’s quite a long video, 79 minutes, so I’ll summarize a few points. First he points out that the brain requires a great deal of calories and , and minerals to function properly generate neuro-transmitters. In children with suspected ADHD disorder, their brains appear to be suffering from inadequate nutrition, as well as neurotoxins from pesticides contaminating the food supply. The reasons for this “starvation” may be due to the wrong type of diet, “leaky gut” (the child’s intestine is not absorbing nutrients) secondly Dr. Lyon’s group found that ADHD children had a higher percentage of intestinal parasites, and lastly, the child may be suffering from some type of food allergy. As far as the diet is concerned, the American Junk food, high sugar diet are the most likely culprits. The video I have attached here is a short interview by Arnold, who owns a Raw food store with one of his customers. Dr. Lyons describes the lateral prefrontal cortex as being the executive center of the brain and this has also been corroborated by Hajime Mushiake of Tohoku University School of Medicine. If this portion of the brain is underfed, then the child may act chaotically. Additionally, Dr.Kiki Chang, of Stanford Univ., an advocate of preventative bipolar medication, cites the amygdala as being the area of the brain that is underdeveloped in so-called bipolar children. There’s even a new group, BrainMatters, Inc. that will do an MRI and advise you if your child is bipolar or has ADHD. Even if that is the case, I might ask, what is the treatment? Dr Lyons and Arnold seem to feel that the cure is in the diet. Remember, with any of these medications, there are significant side-effects. I have also posted Dr. Lyons lecture (remember it’s 79 minutes.) I also wanted to mention another authority

                                                                               Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, author and FSU psychology professor states that verbal abuse, as well as physical and sexual abuse can mimic the symptoms of AHDH in a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders dated 6/2006. she and the co-author, Thomas Joiner found that adults who had been subjected to verbal abuse were more likely to display symptoms of panic disorder, anxiety and depression. as early as 1999, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical school, Dr. Martin Teicher was questioning the use of Ritalin and Adderall to treat ADHD according to an article dated 3/1999 in the Harvard Gazette. He says: “If a child behaves like we expect someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to behave, we label the child with that disorder, then treat him or her with medication,” notes Teicher. “That’s not the ideal way to make a diagnosis. It fails to distinguish between children who have a diminished capacity to sit still and those who have the ability but fail to use it.” Teicher also points out that Symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression may produce behavioral disturbances resembling ADHD. Many alternatives to prescription medicine exist. However, there is a strong bias in the community, especially amongst teachers to use the prescription drugs. I believe this has more to do with the over-crowded conditions of the school and the inability of the teachers to manage an unruly child in the classroom. it is simply easier to medicate the child. There are also those in the Field of complementary Medicine who feel that there are natural remedies available for the “hyperactive” child, like combinations of St.John’s wort, Lemon Balm, Passion flower, Bacopa, 5 HTP (Griffonia Simplicifolia and possibly some other co-factors, like Zinc, and Magnesium. However, I have also noticed that some who are diagnosed with ADHD are in fact bipolar and are later diagnosed with that at a later time. However, in 2000, Dr Joseph Biederman. MGH shocked the psychiatric world by claiming that some children , even as toddlers are actually bi-polar and argued to medicate them as such. so, if you think your child has this disorder, make sure you consult an expert, and also take the time to evaluate your own parenting style. Dr. Sachs-Ericsson and Dr Joiner point out that verbal abuse by a mother is more damaging than screaming by a father. This may lead to adult depression and anxiety. I have added an extremely informative video by Dr. John Breeding author of The wildest colts Make the Best Horses. He is speaking here in the video of the PBS documentary The Medicated Child, which I recommend that you watch if you didn’t catch it January 8, 2008. A few yrs ago, Bill Clinton mandated that the pharmaceutical industry had to do child-oriented research and offered an incentive. The results of that research indicated that adult prescriptions are not effective for children. Big profits for the drug industry?

                                                                                       I read an interesting article on Prevention.Com (MSN) today that cited a study published in Diabetes Care magazine by scientists at Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, concluding that a certain amount of fats include in the diet will actually help you lose weight, especially around the abdomen. However, they should be monounsaturated fats,which are derived basically from plants, such as avocadoes, olives and nuts. This is a well known fact already among raw food advocates. like David “Avocado” Wolfe. One of his videos is in the player. This same result was also found by the scientists at Harvard University in a study published in 2001. I have another friend, Phil McCluskey who lost about 120 lbs with raw smoothies and avocados. Another important point is that avocados, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds contain the valuable omega 3 fatty acid oils which have been shown to be important in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s. I have some wonderful vegetarian recipes posted on Veggie Bliss.us.

                                                                                      Just about a week ago, I was chatting with a friend of mine on the West Coast and he told me he was doing a “sketch” for an ashram in Santa Cruz. I was a little surprised, because my friend Sasa Raphael is otherwise known has a hip hop artist and webmaster. So I asked him if he was using Auto-Cad, which is the program that my son-in-law uses for his architectural renditions. He said, no; this was Sketchup.Google.com. So I downloaded a copy and checked it out. Maybe it’s not as sophisticated and as rigorous as what is needed for licensed architects, but it’s pretty far out and jammed pack with geometry and rotation devices and textures and just about anything you might need for a preliminary drawing. Now it’s not on the standard of Kobi Karp, Architect, but it’s challenging. So, I decided to take a run on it with my 5 yr. old granddaughter. And we had a blast! And, I’m pretty sure she’s learning her geometry. The picture is a Burj Al Arab, Dubai city’s 3rd-tallest building.