I’ve been exploring this question for many years now. And the more I explore the more questions I have. Nonetheless, the exploration has been healing in and of itself.
Here’s a fascinating debate that I came across a few years ago whenI was working on a project. Thomas Szasz, M.D., Jeffrey Schaler, M.D., Ron Leifer, M.D., Donald Klein, M.D., Frederick Goodwin, M.D. and Peter Kramer, M.D. debate the question, “Is depression a disease?” Their insights are really fascinating.
On a somewhat related note, Carl Jung’s The Red Book has recently been published. A professor of mine had a copy of the book to show me. It’s unreal. It’s full of these intense, captivating pictures that beg to be stared at and studied. I’m dreaming about buying a copy and pouring over it (right now I need to save up $ for next semester’s books. Blurgh.). See the video below for more. And be sure to read the NYTs article on the book. The article is long, but worth the time– at the very least, check out the graphics of the book on the left side of the online article (on the first page).
These are the three things on my mind right now. I know, random. But, they’re kind of connected…
Last week was finals week for me. Ugh. The dreaded week always gets the best of me. One day last week, I actually had malt balls for breakfast. Yup, malt balls. And quite a few of them.
This evening was a bit different. I took some much needed silent time to just sit and be still. After some solitude, I enjoyed a square of extra dark chocolate that had bits of orange peel hidden within (a personal fave of mine). It was divine. I sat with the chocolate for a while and thought about last week. I realized that I likely missed a lot of wonderful moments last week because I was too wrapped up in the stress of my own little world. Seriously, I didn’t even take time to enjoy my malt ball breakfast.
This evening I was able to reconnect with the help of a great yoga class. It was actually this feeling of connection that attracted me to yoga nearly eight years ago (during a finals week). So, a recent article in the Star Tribune about bringing yoga into schools really got my attention. But what was even more interesting were the comments in response to the article. The main complaint was that “yoga is a religion” and it was wrong to push it in our schools.
I’m curious… what do you think? Is yoga a religious practice that should not be offered in schools?
Then I came across this interesting story about a practice called Dahn Yoga. The practice has been labeled a cult by some and a saving grace by others. Apparently, the founder of this practice should have been on a few episodes of MTV cribs. Some former Dahn practitioners believe much of the money from the organization goes to fund the founder’s extravagant lifestyle. Nonetheless, some people still see this practice (and its founder) as a path to enlightenment.
What do you think? Can spiritual transformation be assisted through the guidance of someone (or a system) who does not have pure intentions?
So these are my random musings of the day and week. Now that my life is a little less chaotic, I look forward to posting more on WG and reconnecting with my web family
This is a pretty good list of not-so-healthy foods:
Canned tomatoes, Corn-fed beef, Microwave popcorn, Conventional potatoes, Farmed salmon, Milk produced with artificial hormones and Conventional apples. Read the full article explaining why these foods have been called out and how you can make healthier choices.
I’m supposed to be writing a paper… thankfully, it’s my last for the semester. But instead of being productive, I’m laughing hysterically (and all by myself) to vegetables and other foodstuffs explain the importance of organics while dressed as Star Wars characters. And yes, they definitely have lightsabers.
Twenty-five years ago today, a leak at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India released about 75,000 pounds of Methyl isocyanate (MIC) into the surrounding neighborhoods. The toxic leak killed more than 3,800 people instantly and an estimated 20,000 in the months and years since. Read more about the disaster here. And a more recent article here.
We must have learned a lesson from this right??
Bayer bought the Union Carbide Corp in 2001. And even today, Bayer CropScience is believed to have a quarter-million-pound stockpile of MIC at their West Virginia plant. Bayer has recently pledged to reduce their stockpile, but seriously, 20,000+ deaths and 25 years later? Sorry, but you suck Bayer.
MIC is still used today to produce herbicides and insecticides that get sprayed on our crops. However, it looks like the pesticide Carbofuran (which contains MIC) will soon be banned by the EPA. The EPA writes, “Exposure to the pesticide carbofuran resulting from existing legal uses is unsafe– unsafe for the general population, and particularly unsafe for infants and children.”
Chemical companies get away with use of chemicals such as these because there is little data on long-term exposure or cancer risk. Unfortunately, for those of us who end up ingesting or soaking up these chemicals, a LACK of data doesn’t confirm safety– Bhopal is evidence of that.
The new chocolate drinks from Caribou Coffee are flavored with all-natural Guittard chocolate– and lots of it. I’m loving the focus on all-natural, but are these drinks really any healthier than the previous ones?
Let’s consider the popular mocha: Some milk, espresso, all-natural chocolate… maybe some whip cream… oh, and chocolate pieces sprinkled over the whip… and of course, 2 chocolate covered espresso beans gently placed on the lip of the cup. Hmmm… uh-oh.
Here’s the damage:
A small size dark chocolate mocha from Caribou has 410 calories, 33 grams of fat and 26 grams of sugar. Hold the whip and swap to skim milk and you’ve got 280 calories, 19 grams of fat and 25 grams of sugar left in the cup. I’m definitely not into counting calories. It takes too much time and makes me compulsive. But, when it’s possible to burn through about 20% of your recommended caloric intake on one small mocha, then calories become an issue. Caribou’s previously lab-created mocha actually had less fat and calories, but came with some nasty chemicals. So, I’m not sure I can choose a “healthiest” winner here…
Certainly, the calories can be justified every now and again, but this is not a great choice for a daily beverage. Some easy swaps from a high-calorie coffee beverage to something healthier can result in some real weight loss and other health benefits. Here’s what I do:
At the coffee shop, I go for a hot tea (the cinnamint tea at Caribou is really yummy) and then for a sweet fix, coffee shops will usually have a small-size treat. Caribou has some decent dark chocolate covered graham crackers or single caramels to savor. A soy latte is also on my list (but the $ is crazy, so I usually stick with the cheaper tea). The soy milk at the coffee shop is likely already sweetened, so no need to add a shot of syrup. If you need more sweet in it, add a bit of honey, cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
Experiment with new types of teas at home. Spend a bit more to get a good-quality one– the flavors will be much more pronounced. I’m a big fan of TeaSource (you can order online and have your tea shipped).
And here’s the best beverage for a chocolate fix:
Dagoba Drinking Chocolate (unsweetened) makes THE best hot chocolate (or mocha). I just take a heaping tablespoon (or 2) and mix it with a cup of almond/hemp milk (or whatever milk you’re digging at the moment) and just a little maple syrup or agave. Ahhhmazing.
If you have a yummy warm-weather beverage, please share :)
After my H1N1 post yesterday, I came across two great discussions about the potentially inflated statistics for H1N1 and on the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Surprisingly good stuff by CBS:
Six of us were hanging out with our H1N1 buddy the same night she went to urgent care to get the diagnosis. We were all digging our hands into a bowl of pretzels, sitting close, giving hugs, playing board games… all sorts of dirty-germ-spreading things.
Hubby was hanging out at the H1N1 party as well. That means double our chances of getting sick. Additionally, it’s the end of the semester, so I’ll be a bit more crazy than usual (which also results in driving the hubby more crazy). Thus, it’s definitely time for some immune-boosting measures and some extra prophylactic pig flu duties.
We’re making sure we get enough sleep, taking the usual public health measures, popping our multi-vitamins, adding an extra boost of Vit C and Zinc, ingesting lots of ginger and garlic, drinking some teas and we’ve added this:
The above is a product from New Chapter, called “Immunity take care,” which is really just an elderberry extract (sambucus nigra). The stuff isn’t cheap– I got a bottle of 30 lozenges, which is a one month supply for $30. I buy this brand because of its potency and similarity to the full herbal chemistry of elderberry as it is found in nature.
Elderberry has been used for thousands of years to boost the immune system and there’s a lot of research to support its use today. The most interesting study is a recent one that put elderberry flavonoids up against H1N1. Amazingly, elderberry held its own. The authors of the study claim that the elderberry flavonoids compare to the anti-influenza activities of Tamiflu. (I’ll leave the Tamiflu discussion alone for the time being…)
The study was funded by HerbalScience Singapore, a life sciences company that also has a relationship with New Chapter. The authors are also affiliated with HerbalScience. Even so, the research is pretty interesting. And at the very least, it suggests that more research on elderberry and H1N1 is needed.
So, for the next 2 weeks, hubs and I are pumping the elderberry (and the rest of our anti-flu goodies) and we are NOT getting sick. Not getting sick. Not getting sick. (Adding positive affirmations as well.)
If you have any other immune-boosting practices, please share them in the comments below!
The video above is pretty lame, so if you didn’t watch it, here’s my summary: the TMS Therapy system uses a targeted magnetic field to stimulate an area of the brain associated with mood. Treatment lasts 40 minutes daily for four to six weeks. Neuronetics, the developer of the TMS Therapy, claims the device is “an effective option for treating major depressive disorder.” Learn more from the TMS website.
Brain stimulation therapies like this have been around for a long time. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) was developed in 1938 (see earlier WG post on ECT) and I suppose we could go as far back as 10,000+ years when trepanation began. Trepanation is a surgical procedure to create a hole in the skull. Sharp stones, knives and “drills” were used to remove bone and sometimes surgeons would dig further to remove brain tissue. In the case of mental illness, trepanation was mainly believed to release evil spirits. And the treatment is actually still in practice today in small tribal cultures. Learn more about Trepanation (AKA trephination)– it’s a seriously fascinating read.
Back to TMS… It’s important to know that researchers are uncertain as to how brain stimulation techniques might work and if they are truly successful. In the case of TMS, there is no evidence to support the details of the treatment. Specifically, is TMS targeting the right area of the brain? Why have the treatment for 40 minutes? Why 20-30 sessions? Are there long-term side effects? TMS is really only backed up by two studies and there are concerns about the accuracy of the findings.
But, here’s my main issue with TMS: there are serious financial side-effects from this contraption. Individual sessions cost around $300. That means the full treatment would set you back $6,000 to $9,000. Individuals dealing with major depression who are unresponsive to traditional treatment are in a vulnerable state and are often desperate to find some sort of relief. And based on the crazy price for this treatment, I think TMS is taking advantage of this.
Believe me, I understand that when an individual is fighting against suicidal thoughts, some side effects just aren’t important anymore and any bit of relief can be a blessing. But, if the treatment is no more successful than doing absolutely nothing (which, in my opinion, has yet to be determined for TMS) then, why not spend a lot less money on a treatment (perhaps in combo with medication) that offers at least a little evidence of success (e.g., holistic psychotherapy, acupuncture, herbal tonics and supplements, MBSR, nutritional interventions, yoga…)?
I would love to hear some other thoughts on this treatment (or other brain stimulation therapies), so please share your thoughts by commenting below
Babies have good reason to be colicky. And so do adults. Products that we use every day in our homes are full of toxic chemicals (learn more by watching the “10 Americans” video in an earlier WG post). The problem is that manufacturers of these products go through little (if any) red tape before they throw out a new “recipe” that includes the latest– and potentially more dangerous– chemicals. In the last 30 years, the EPA has required testing on only 200 of the 80,000+ chemical compounds now in use.
Here’s more info from Dr. Alan Greene about chemicals and how we can take action to clean up these nasty products:
Sincere thanks to Seventh Generation and other companies who actually care enough to create safe and effective products. Here’s how you can get involved:
Attend a “Crawl to Action” event on Wed, November 18. As of today, there are events in 7 cities across the nation. Click here to see if there’s an event near you. Those of us in MN, we have a Crawl to Action event at Southdale Center (there will even be a mommy and me yoga class and some great prizes).
Purchase healthier products. Here are the Seventh Generation products that I use and love:
Mysterious physical pain is frustrating enough– and adding confusion, misdiagnosis and wrong treatment to the mix only amplifies the pain and increases the emotional struggle. It’s a real blessing then when answers come out about these mysterious aches and pains.
Here’s a recent discovery: Dr. Richard Berger, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, has identified the split tear of the UT ligament– previously known as mysterious wrist pain right… about… there (see where “there” is in the video below).
Visit the Mayo Clinic blog for more information on diagnosis and treatment and for a video from Jayson Werth about his experience with wrist pain (Werth is a baseball player for the Phillies).
Below are some interviews with Dr. Berger about the split tear, possible treatment for the condition and why mysterious pain can be so troublesome for docs:
Unlike adults, children are still in fragile states of development and in effect, toxins can have more harsh consequences to these younger bodies and brains. And the worst part of all this is that these cleaning products are completely unnecessary. There are cleaning products available that are 100% natural and are as effective as the toxic ones.
The video below is awesome. It discusses more about these chemicals and how they make their way into our bodies. It’s pretty crazy…
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