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…
NAMI has finally admitted (kind of) that they are way too involved with Big Pharma.
Click here to read my earlier post on NAMI and why being BFF with Big Pharma is not the best route for advocacy organizations. If you donate money or volunteer with advocacy organizations, this is important info to be aware of. None of us need to be donating to help advertise for Big Pharma. They steal enough money from us as it is.
Check out the latest article about NAMI from the NYT. Apparently, NAMI is committed to having more “balanced” fund-raising and will also post on its Web site the names of companies that donate $5,000 or more.
So, here’s your chance NAMI. You have two options: 1) Keep making out with Big Pharma and continue to regurgitate an outdated and oppressive mental health message… or, 2) Clean up shop (like you say you will) and actually communicate an integrated message that brings awareness, decreases stigma and educates the public on prevention and the many treatment options available.
This is such an important statement. We’ve been scolded by our health care system and by annoying public service announcements that the only way to survive cancer is to get screened regularly. Unfortunately, it’s just not that simple.
The bottom line is that individuals must be informed of the pros and cons of screening. Educate yourself and then make a decision when- or if- you want to get screened and how often (if you choose to screen).
Additionally, screening is not cancer “prevention.” Screening is simply a picture of what already exists. Cancer prevention occurs in everyday life; engaging in exercise, healthy eating, stress reduction, reducing environmental toxins, etc. These are the most important prevention techniques that can be put into practice.
And I’m off to engage in a prevention behavior right now… sleep (yup, it’s an important one).
Tune in to PBS next Wednesday, October 28th at 8 PM to watch The Botany of Desire. Here’s a sneak peek:
And be sure to check out the show’s page on PBS, there’s some great info and interactive tools to play with.
The show is based on Michael Pollan’s book, The Botany of Desire. This is one of the books that really got me thinking about food in a whole new way. And ultimately, a book that has contributed greatly to my own personal health.
I thought this short was particularly funny being that burgers like these are actually sold in restaurants, cafeterias, stadiums and other eating establishments. You may want to walk a few laps after you watch this…
What do you think… Could you have one of these in “moderation,” or does it just cross the line?
So, I was sick all weekend. And as I lay defeated on the couch, hour after hour, I kept wondering how I got this little bug. OK, so I go to the U of MN which is a huge school… that’s probably where I got this nasty thing.
People kept asking me, “Do you have H1N1?”
Well, I’m not sure, my insurance deductible is so high it would cost me my rent and my car payment to find out (not to mention any treatment or Pharms). So, I began to imagine. What if I had H1N1…
I first thought, this is BS. I don’t have H1N1, I have swine flu. Seriously, the name was just changed to protect the pork industry. But, I can honor that. Not all pork farmers should get thrown under the stampede. Consider Polyface Farms– remember Polyface farmer Joel from Food Inc.? I love him! So, it’s not the ethical, humane pig farmers that are the problem, it’s actually the “Industrial Farm Animal Production” (IFAP) systems that are the problem.
So, I’ve decided that I had the IFAP flu.
IFAP is the system that produces the majority of meat eaten in the U.S. today. Picture a gaunt, muddy landscape with one big fence and a few barns. Contained in those fences and barns are an obscene number of animals with little room to turn around, let alone practice any sort of natural pig, cow or chicken behavior. That’s how the IFAPs work. More animals + less space = more money.
A recent project of the Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health assessed the impact that IFAPs have on our world. The report produced from this work is shocking. It clearly states the problems with pathogen transfer and infectious disease from IFAP:
The potential for pathogen transfer from animals to humans increased in IFAP because so many animals are raised together in confined areas.
Among the many ways that infectious agents can evolve to become more virulent or to infect people are numerous transmission events and co-infection with several strains of pathogens. For this reason, IFAP facilities that house large numbers of animals in very close quarters can be a source of new or more infectious agents. Healthy or asymptomatic animals may carry microbial agents that can infect and sicken humans, who may then spread the infection to the community before it is discovered in the animal population.
But, infectious diseases aren’t the only problems traveling out of IFAPs. The report also highlights the following concerns: Generation of novel viruses; Feed and Pathogen risk (addition of antimicrobrials and industrial and animal wastes into feed resulting in concerns like bovine spongiform encephalopathy); Nontherapeutic antimicrobial use and resistance (antibiotic resistance); Occupational health impacts; Community health effects (research has identified significant health concerns for those living near IFAP facilities: air pollution, asthma, depression, fatigue, negative mood states, memory problems).
Check out the report for yourself. If you eat meat, this is extremely important information to be aware of so that you can shop smart and eat safely.
Yet stories like Stephanie Smith’s (the young woman in the NYTs article who was paralyzed after eating a hamburger), don’t seem to phase these companies or even the USDA. The quote at the top of this post from Mr. Petersen is proof of this (“I have to look at the entire industry, not just what is best for public health”.)
Here are a few more posts on the concerns of IFAPs and how you can shop smarter:
These emotional benefits may be due to the healthy fats, vitamin B, high antioxidant levels, decreases in inflammation… the researchers aren’t quite sure. In fact, it’s likely that the diet relies on a variety of factors like these to ease depression.
These findings are a powerful reminder that nutrition plays a huge role in our human experience. Food is more than just calories; as Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This should be an empowering piece of knowledge to take forward. We have the opportunity to make choices in our eating that not only affect our physical body, but also our mind and spirit.
Tacky weight loss commercials are my favorite… and this one is particularly great, “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?” followed by a newly slim and extra-happy cookie-eater exclaiming, “I stole a cookie from the cookie jar… and lost 115 pounds!” Love it; so kitschy.
I’m sure you already know that I am extremely skeptical of diets. I struggled for many years with my own nutrition and eating. I tried most of the popular diets but saw no results. In fact, every year I gained another ten or so pounds. Defeated and frustrated, I finally raised the white flag to all the gadgets, programs, products and promises that had never followed through for me.
It was this surrender that helped me to look differently at my food. My nutrition transformation was then ignited through yoga, holding a commitment to practice self-acceptance and positive self-talk and reading some amazing books like Serving Fire by Anne Scott and Diet For a New America by John Robbins. I began to learn that food was not my enemy, it is not “good” or “bad.” Realizations like these transformed my mind and body in less than one year– I was suddenly down 40 pounds and actually enjoyed the journey.
Sorry, a bit of a tangent, but I think this is what’s missing in much of our nutrition today. We get so caught up in labeling our foods (good and bad) and then attaching emotional consequences to them (guilt, pride, defeat, failure, success). What a stressful way to spend such a large chunk of our lives.
OK, back to the blasted cookies. I was impressed when reading about the mission of the Smart for Life company and checking out the nutrition facts of the cookies. The company writes on their website:
Smart For Life™ recognizes that food should be free of chemicals such as pesticides and preservatives, and produces its food with triple-filtered water and pesticide-free Organic food ingredients.
Awesome! Off to a good start…
Smart for Life™ Cookie Diet is a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which utilizes natural, hunger-controlling diet foods to deliver visible results.
The site continues, “The Smart Cookie square features a blend of proprietary protein, fiber and amino acids which are naturally filling and hunger-supressing.” There may be some validity to this. There has been some research to suggest that particular amino acids may reduce hunger and overall caloric intake. But, these amino acids are found in many foods like nuts, grains, meat and others. And the secret is already out that fiber helps to keep us full (find fiber in foods like veggies, fruits and grains).
Smart for Life describes how the cookie diet works:
Once you receive your Smart Cookies and other Smart Foods, read the printed materials and then start the program the next day. Within 1 hour of waking up, eat your first Smart Cookie along with a glass of water. Then every 2-3 hours, when you feel hungry, eat another Smart Cookie. You should eat 6 Smart Cookies throughout the day and then a healthy, low fat dinner of chicken or fish with 5 cups of vegetables as outlined in your Program Guide included in your order.
OMG. Five cups of vegetables with some chicken for dinner?!? So, let me get this straight… I eat six cookies (some places on the website say seven) and then a mountain of vegetables?
Smart for Life describes the program further:
While on our weight loss program, you will consume about 800 – 1200 calories…. Since a person’s average caloric need is around 2500 calories, your body will be burning up to 1700 calories per day from fat you have already stored.
OK the cookie fun stops here. This is NOT enough calories. When caloric intake drops too low, metabolism will slow down as the body tries to conserve energy. Most individuals should not drop below 1200 calories if they don’t want to see a steep drop in metabolism (metabolism will drop during weight loss, but too little calories will increase this drop). I’ve seen this scenario way too many times. Clients come to me because they’ve hit a dead end in their weight loss. They feel frustrated, tired, moody, cognitively foggy and unmotivated to workout. I’ll simply have them bring up their caloric intake through wholesome foods and the problem is solved.
I was actually dismayed to read how irresponsibly low the calories are for this program. The company’s philosophy of organics and saving mother earth sold me initially. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t hold true to their mission. Yes, there are natural and organic ingredients in the products, but (contrary to their earlier statement that “food should be free of chemicals”) Smart for Life has put some really UNsmart ingredients in their foods:
The Zilch Coffee Creamers contain artificial flavorings and food coloring (doesn’t say which color additives are used). Some of the chemicals that fall into these categories are associated with cancers, behavioral problems (i.e. hyperactivity in sensitive children), allergies… the list goes on.
The salad dressings include Acesulfame-K. This is an artificial sweetener that might cause cancer and/or thyroid problems.
Though Smart for Life uses much better ingredients than other diet foods, the use of artificial ingredients amidst their philosophy makes the company look deceptive.
To sum it all up, I’m not a fan of this program. The calories are too low and the company doesn’t walk their own talk. The program costs about $10 per day. That means you are spending $10 per day on cookies. I would save those $10 and purchase some organic vegetables, fruits, grains, etc.
If you really want a cookie, go to a local bakery that makes a divine, homemade cookie from natural and organic ingredients. Enjoy one (not seven) and continue eating healthy the rest of the day. That would be a much better cookie diet (I would get a cookie from my local co-op or the Birchwood cafe).
If you’ve tried the Cookie Diet, please share your experiences by commenting below.
It’s interesting to notice that since The Biggest Loser has been back on, there has been more activity in the gym and more personal training sessions purchased. Of course, autumn also brings in more of the seasonal gym-goers, but I really think there is a surge from the reality show.
In my personal training, bootcamp and yoga classes, I’ll sometimes instruct an exercise from the show. After class (or during a training session), I’ll hear, “I saw that on last week’s episode!” I think it’s awesome; the show inspires, motivates and encourages healthy behaviors. Long live Biggest Loser.
But, on a sour note, sometimes the exercise form on the show is frightening. Understandably, the focus for the trainers is to kick the contestants’ tushes versus staying on top of their form. It makes for entertaining TV, but try not to copy what you see.
If you see an exercise on the show that looks new and fun, do some research on correct form before you dive in. Or, feel free to email me the exercise and I’ll explain correct form or do a video post on it. Correct form is more important than intensity, sets, reps or anything else. You can’t complete those reps or sets if you get hurt.
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