If you thought the FDA does a subpar job in regulating what goes into our food supply, you'll be equally appalled, if not more, on its regulation of cosmetic and personal-care products. The same way you look at food labels, you should do the same for your beauty products.
There are thousands of chemicals in your products, many of which are being absorbed into your body. These companies have cart blanche to use any ingredient or raw material without government review or approval.
This industry is highly unregulated. There is no pre-product approval before a product hits the market and enters your home. A minuscule approval process exists, but only for color additives and ingredients classified as over-the-counter drugs.
Many of these synthetic chemicals are skin irritants, skin penetrators, endocrine disrupters and are carcinogenic. I can't go through all of these harmful chemicals, but here are 10 you should highly avoid.
Parabens. Parabens are widely used preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast in cosmetic products. Sounds good, right? Not so fast, they do more than that. Parabens possess estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin and have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors. They can be found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. You can also find them in food and pharmaceutical products.
Synthetic colors. If you take a look at your product label and notice FD&C or D&C, they represent artificial colors. F -- representing food and D&C representing drug and cosmetics. These letters precede a color and number (e.g., D&C Red 27 or FD&C blue 1). These synthetic colors are derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. Synthetic colors are suspected to be a human carcinogen, a skin irritant and are linked to ADHD in children. The European Classification and Labeling considers it a human carcinogen and the European Union has banned it.
Fragrance. This particular category is pretty scary, because what does "fragrance" mean anyway? This term was created to protect a company's "secret formula." But as the consumer you could be putting on a concoction that contains tons of chemicals that are hazardous to your health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep Database, fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system. It can be found in many products such as perfume, cologne, conditioner, shampoo, body wash and moisturizers.
Phthalates. A group of chemicals used in hundreds of products to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. They are known to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Unfortunately, it is not disclosed on every product as it's added to fragrances (remember the "secret formula" not listed), a major loophole in the law. They can be found in deodorants, perfumes/colognes, hair sprays and moisturizers.
Triclosan. Tricolson is widely used antimicrobial chemical that's a known endocrine disruptor -- especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Studies raise concerns that triclosan contributes to making bacteria antibiotic-resistant. There also wasn't enough supporting evidence that washing with antibacterial soaps containing triclosan provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water. Tricolson can be found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps and deodorants.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products). SLS's are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. A major concern about SLS is its potential to interact and combine with other chemicals to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. These combinations can lead to a host of other issues like kidney and respiratory damage. They can be found in shampoo, body wash/cleanser, mascara and acne treatment.
Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRP's) preservatives are used in many cosmetic products to help prevent bacteria growth. This chemical was deemed as a human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens (IARC) and has been linked to occupational related cancers: nasal and nasopharyngeal. It is known to cause allergic skin reactions and it may also be harmful to the immune system. It can be found in nail polish, body washes, conditioners, shampoos, cleansers, eye shadows, nail polish treatments.
Toluene. A petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. You may see it on labels listed as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene. Toluene is a potent solvent able to dissolve paint and paint thinner. It can affect your respiratory system, cause nausea and irritate your skin. Expecting mothers should avoid exposure to toluene vapors as it may cause developmental damage in the fetus. Toluene has also been linked to immune system toxicity. It can be found in nail polish, nail treatments and hair color/bleaching products.
Propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin-conditioning agent. It's classified as a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated with causing dermatitis as well as hives in humans -- these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2 percent. It can be found in moisturizers, sunscreen, makeup products, conditioners, shampoo and hair sprays.
Sunscreen chemicals. These chemicals function as a sunscreen agent, to absorb ultraviolet light. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors and are believed to be easily absorbed into the body. They may also cause cellular damage and cancer in the body. Common names are benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalate and ethoxycinnmate. They can be found in sunscreen products.
It's impossible to avoid every single synthetic chemical, but you can do your part in limiting the amount of toxins your body is exposed to. Be sure to: eat clean, avoid chemical-laden processed foods, drink plenty of filtered water and look for products that are certified organic if you want to avoid these toxic chemicals.
Educate yourself and do your research before you buy. Think of something you absolutely love, and the time and energy you apply to it. Use the same, when it comes to your health. You have one life to live and one body. If you don't take care of yourself, you may pay for it later in sickness.
Be sure to check out the EWG's Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.
I would love to hear from you. Do you check your beauty product labels? Will you commit to limiting your exposure to these toxic chemicals?
Vanessa Cunningham is a New York-based nutrition & lifestyle coach and dynamic speaker. She helps busy working professionals reduce stress, banish unhealthy cravings, lose weight and increase their energy levels. Trained in over 100 dietary theories, Vanessa creates customized plans for all her clients that are fun, sustainable and empower them to meet their goals. To get her free gift 6 Ways To Accelerate Your Weight Loss, please visit www.unhealthynomore.com. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.
For more by Vanessa Cunningham, click here.
For more on personal health, click here.
Monday, November 25, 2013
What It Means to Be a Gentleman
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
Hunter S. Thompson
I cannot even begin to try to explain how difficult it is for men over the age of 25 years-old to cultivate friendships with fellow men. We live in a wickedly competitive, crazybusy society that most men have learned to play as a zero-sum game, meaning that whatever one man possesses or succeeds in results in something less for everyone else. Gore Vidal famously commented that in America "It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail." This is also known out here in woo-woo land as a "scarcity mentality," the opposite of believing that the universe is abundant and there is enough for everyone.
One would think that psychotherapists and yoga teachers would be above the common fray, but I have witnessed as much sniping, backstabbing, lying, money-grubbing and flakiness in the healing community in Los Angeles as when I worked in Hollyjungle. If Hollywood was infamously dubbed to be "High School with money," then putting two male therapists or yoga teachers together is often akin to putting Chevy Chase and Bill Murray together in an SNL dressing room with a pile of drugs.
On the other hand, in the last few years I have been privileged to meet several upstanding men who have embarrassed me with their generosity and I feel obliged to publicly express my gratitude towards them. If you have already studied with me you know that the final part of my course on cultivating happiness discusses how we must learn how to replace resentment (things our minds tell us should be different or otherwise) with gratitude/acceptance if we wish to be happy. So instead of harping on the small-souled, fear-based egomaniacs who didn't feel it was worth their time to return my emails or phone calls when I reached out to them, let me tell you about some wonderful, old-school gentlemen:
Larry Payne - the co-founder of Yoga Therapy - attended a lecture I gave at a bookstore when I first moved to Santa Monica. Just the fact that such a tremendous scholar, writer, and teacher would come to hear me speak impressed (as well as intimidated) me. From a place of genuine curiosity he asked poignant questions regarding how I thought yoga could be used to treat mood disorders. After that we began to lunch regularly and out of nowhere he called the director at Esalen on my behalf and now I am teaching several sold-out workshops there. "Thanks for making me look good," Larry said with a huge smile when he learned of my successes. Larry Payne is the paradigm of compassionate gentlemen and goes out of his way to help basically everyone who comes into contact with him.
Yariv Lerner - the founder of Udaya - approached me in Lauren Eckstrom's yoga class to tell me how much he enjoyed my writing. He invited me to lunch and then generously gave me an impromptu, three hour crash course on Search Engine Optimization and Google Analytics - showed me exactly who was looking at Optimum Integral Wellness and how they were arriving there. Mindblowing. Besides being a gentleman, I think Yariv is a genius and someone with great integrity. He envisions every phone call and every meeting as a opportunity for a win-win situation.
Edward Ines is widely respected as one of the most talented and compassionate dentists in Los Angeles. When I lived in Berkeley a few years ago, I had a root canal on an upper molar and was experiencing similar pain in the tooth directly beneath it. Instead of thoughtlessly opting for a $3500 root canal and crown, Dr. Ines suggested that he try shaving down one corner of the lower tooth. "A millimeter is a mile," I recall him saying. After years of pain, he graciously shaved down the inner corner of the tooth and my pain was immediately relieved. Over the past eighteen years Dr. Ines has demonstrated time and time again that he only wants what is best for me. As far as dentists go, Edward Ines is some sort of angel.
Before my first time teaching at Esalen I sent an email to all of my teachers entitled "I am standing on shoulders of giants," thanking them for everything that they had taught me and promising to pay it forward. Besides Noah Levine and Larry Payne, only Fred Luskin and Rick Hanson responded with support and well-wishes. I sat with Fred and Rick several times and liberally quote from their masterpieces "Forgive for Good" and "The Buddha's Brain" in my lectures. Besides being cutting-edge scholars and excessively erudite academics, Fred and Rick are two of the most loving, authentic and gracious people I've ever met.
Everyone out here knows that Ron Alexander is one true gem of a human being. When I moved back to LA he kindly invited me to sit in on one of his mindfulness classes and met with me a few times to mentor me starting my private psychotherapy practice. He was frank, direct and supportive and made me sit with my successes and "take them in." Ron's glass is never half-empty; Ron's glass is always overflowing. One Saturday afternoon my phone rang out of nowhere and it was Ron.
"I just wanted to tell you that I read your article in the Huffington Post this morning and I thought it was great!"
Wow... from the guy who wrote "Wise Mind, Open Mind" that is quite a complement! Thanks Ron! Anytime something falls outside of my scope I reach out to Ron who is always available as well as very smart, compassionate and funny.
There is no need to mention Gregory Colbert here because I already wrote an entire essay about him last summer entitled "Failure to Lunch." So I'll just round off this post by mentioning bumping into Steve Ross at (of all places!) the laundromat the morning after I had returned from a retreat at Esalen.
"I've never been to Esalen," said Steve with his usual boyish grin.
About a week later I got a crazy idea and emailed the director at Esalen: "How would you like to have Steve Ross from Oprah's network and Dr. Oz and the Today Show teach at Esalen?" When she replied yes, I sent an email to Steve asking him if he would like to teach at Esalen, that I could introduce him either solo or we could do a workshop together. We met, shared our interests in Vedanta, mantras, and different lineages of yoga and came up with a workshop entitled "Yoga, Meditation and Music for Eternal Bliss" that we are teaching together August 10th-15th 2014. So many amazing things can flow together simply and effortlessly when people are open to possibilities!
To summarize, a gentleman is someone who doesn't see other people as competition, clients, or threats. A gentleman is someone who is open and available, someone who sees every fellow human being and every experience as a possibility. It is someone who thinks "How can we make this a win-win situation? What do I have to learn here? What can I share? How can I be of service? How can this relationship make the world a better place? How can I pay forward the generosity that all of my teachers have bestowed upon me? How can I overcome all of the fear-based tendencies that my ego has learned and be the change that I want to see in the world?"
We are all part of the transition team, moving from the dying, white, male, highly-competitive, scarcity-mentality hegemony that has pillaged Gaia for the last few hundred years to the next, more sustainable, equitable, peaceful, compassionate, abundant, loving, win-win society.
Personally, I feel blessed to be surrounded and supported by such awesome and awe-inspiring scholars, leaders and gentlemen.
Hunter S. Thompson
I cannot even begin to try to explain how difficult it is for men over the age of 25 years-old to cultivate friendships with fellow men. We live in a wickedly competitive, crazybusy society that most men have learned to play as a zero-sum game, meaning that whatever one man possesses or succeeds in results in something less for everyone else. Gore Vidal famously commented that in America "It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail." This is also known out here in woo-woo land as a "scarcity mentality," the opposite of believing that the universe is abundant and there is enough for everyone.
One would think that psychotherapists and yoga teachers would be above the common fray, but I have witnessed as much sniping, backstabbing, lying, money-grubbing and flakiness in the healing community in Los Angeles as when I worked in Hollyjungle. If Hollywood was infamously dubbed to be "High School with money," then putting two male therapists or yoga teachers together is often akin to putting Chevy Chase and Bill Murray together in an SNL dressing room with a pile of drugs.
On the other hand, in the last few years I have been privileged to meet several upstanding men who have embarrassed me with their generosity and I feel obliged to publicly express my gratitude towards them. If you have already studied with me you know that the final part of my course on cultivating happiness discusses how we must learn how to replace resentment (things our minds tell us should be different or otherwise) with gratitude/acceptance if we wish to be happy. So instead of harping on the small-souled, fear-based egomaniacs who didn't feel it was worth their time to return my emails or phone calls when I reached out to them, let me tell you about some wonderful, old-school gentlemen:
Larry Payne - the co-founder of Yoga Therapy - attended a lecture I gave at a bookstore when I first moved to Santa Monica. Just the fact that such a tremendous scholar, writer, and teacher would come to hear me speak impressed (as well as intimidated) me. From a place of genuine curiosity he asked poignant questions regarding how I thought yoga could be used to treat mood disorders. After that we began to lunch regularly and out of nowhere he called the director at Esalen on my behalf and now I am teaching several sold-out workshops there. "Thanks for making me look good," Larry said with a huge smile when he learned of my successes. Larry Payne is the paradigm of compassionate gentlemen and goes out of his way to help basically everyone who comes into contact with him.
Yariv Lerner - the founder of Udaya - approached me in Lauren Eckstrom's yoga class to tell me how much he enjoyed my writing. He invited me to lunch and then generously gave me an impromptu, three hour crash course on Search Engine Optimization and Google Analytics - showed me exactly who was looking at Optimum Integral Wellness and how they were arriving there. Mindblowing. Besides being a gentleman, I think Yariv is a genius and someone with great integrity. He envisions every phone call and every meeting as a opportunity for a win-win situation.
Edward Ines is widely respected as one of the most talented and compassionate dentists in Los Angeles. When I lived in Berkeley a few years ago, I had a root canal on an upper molar and was experiencing similar pain in the tooth directly beneath it. Instead of thoughtlessly opting for a $3500 root canal and crown, Dr. Ines suggested that he try shaving down one corner of the lower tooth. "A millimeter is a mile," I recall him saying. After years of pain, he graciously shaved down the inner corner of the tooth and my pain was immediately relieved. Over the past eighteen years Dr. Ines has demonstrated time and time again that he only wants what is best for me. As far as dentists go, Edward Ines is some sort of angel.
Before my first time teaching at Esalen I sent an email to all of my teachers entitled "I am standing on shoulders of giants," thanking them for everything that they had taught me and promising to pay it forward. Besides Noah Levine and Larry Payne, only Fred Luskin and Rick Hanson responded with support and well-wishes. I sat with Fred and Rick several times and liberally quote from their masterpieces "Forgive for Good" and "The Buddha's Brain" in my lectures. Besides being cutting-edge scholars and excessively erudite academics, Fred and Rick are two of the most loving, authentic and gracious people I've ever met.
Everyone out here knows that Ron Alexander is one true gem of a human being. When I moved back to LA he kindly invited me to sit in on one of his mindfulness classes and met with me a few times to mentor me starting my private psychotherapy practice. He was frank, direct and supportive and made me sit with my successes and "take them in." Ron's glass is never half-empty; Ron's glass is always overflowing. One Saturday afternoon my phone rang out of nowhere and it was Ron.
"I just wanted to tell you that I read your article in the Huffington Post this morning and I thought it was great!"
Wow... from the guy who wrote "Wise Mind, Open Mind" that is quite a complement! Thanks Ron! Anytime something falls outside of my scope I reach out to Ron who is always available as well as very smart, compassionate and funny.
There is no need to mention Gregory Colbert here because I already wrote an entire essay about him last summer entitled "Failure to Lunch." So I'll just round off this post by mentioning bumping into Steve Ross at (of all places!) the laundromat the morning after I had returned from a retreat at Esalen.
"I've never been to Esalen," said Steve with his usual boyish grin.
About a week later I got a crazy idea and emailed the director at Esalen: "How would you like to have Steve Ross from Oprah's network and Dr. Oz and the Today Show teach at Esalen?" When she replied yes, I sent an email to Steve asking him if he would like to teach at Esalen, that I could introduce him either solo or we could do a workshop together. We met, shared our interests in Vedanta, mantras, and different lineages of yoga and came up with a workshop entitled "Yoga, Meditation and Music for Eternal Bliss" that we are teaching together August 10th-15th 2014. So many amazing things can flow together simply and effortlessly when people are open to possibilities!
To summarize, a gentleman is someone who doesn't see other people as competition, clients, or threats. A gentleman is someone who is open and available, someone who sees every fellow human being and every experience as a possibility. It is someone who thinks "How can we make this a win-win situation? What do I have to learn here? What can I share? How can I be of service? How can this relationship make the world a better place? How can I pay forward the generosity that all of my teachers have bestowed upon me? How can I overcome all of the fear-based tendencies that my ego has learned and be the change that I want to see in the world?"
We are all part of the transition team, moving from the dying, white, male, highly-competitive, scarcity-mentality hegemony that has pillaged Gaia for the last few hundred years to the next, more sustainable, equitable, peaceful, compassionate, abundant, loving, win-win society.
Personally, I feel blessed to be surrounded and supported by such awesome and awe-inspiring scholars, leaders and gentlemen.
Three Ways Modern Technology Increases the Likelihood of PTSD Among Veterans
Over the last decade or so, the American public's appreciation for soldiers has generally increased. I've witnessed dozens, possibly hundreds, of people thanking uniformed soldiers for their service, in stores, cafes, and airports. This commercial beautifully reflects that sentiment. We'll celebrate through local parades and discounted prices by major retailers who may or may not do anything special for veterans.
Thankfulness hasn't always been the experience of returning American soldiers. Things were very different for the guys who came home from Vietnam to find protesters waiting for them.
Many things have changed since then. One change is our understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Thirty years ago, PTSD wasn't well known outside of mental health circles. Today, most people understand that not all wounds are physical and that "triggers" can be anywhere. In short, we've learned that "what happens at war doesn't always stay at war."
Technology has changed our everyday lives. Twenty years ago, beepers were the portable gadget to have and the only people who used the Internet regularly were doing research for the Defense Department (and Al Gore). Today, most of us have smart phones and use the Internet regularly in some way. Other technologies that we take for granted today, like automobiles and airplanes, are less than 100 years old.
Not surprisingly, technology has also changed the experience of war and what it means to be a soldier in a combat zone. One hundred years ago, if you were going to kill someone in combat you had to be able to see them: arrows, cannonballs, and muskets might send their projectiles 100 yards at best and we aimed with our eyeballs. Today, a solider can kill someone on the other side of the world through the use of an ICBM or a drone.
These changes have both benefits and costs, of course. Here are three ways technology has helped increase the number of folks who experience PTSD.
1. Technology saves lives. From the chemical and materials engineering the creates the Kevlar in bullet-proof vests to the medical advances that help save lives in the battlefield and back at the aid station, some injuries that almost certainly would have been fatal in World War II have a much lower likelihood of ending a life today.
This means more soldiers survive their combat wounds. But healing from those wounds -- physically and emotionally -- often extends beyond a soldier's active duty time. Sadly, American politicians don't really stand by our veterans. George W. Bush cut their benefits early in his presidency, then restored them before invading Iraq. We've had recent scandals regarding neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the general backlog of cases and claims (which got better during the shutdown).
2. Technology means faster transportation. Americans who came home from WWII and Korea walked or rode across country then completed their international travel by boat. After WWII, most also spent a few weeks re-acclimating to the U.S. in camps in the desert. By contrast, veterans from Vietnam and every subsequent war have mostly flown back to the U.S. and were often discharged within a week or two.
This means a journey home that took 2-3 months at the middle of the 20th century now takes 2-3 weeks. If you know someone who served in WWII or Korea and you can get them to talk about it, they'll tell you the conversations shifted between the war, home, and the future. The balance of those topics matched their location. In the early stage of their journey, when they were still near the war zone, it was mostly about the horrors of war; later in the journey and closer to American soil, conversation was mostly about home and future.
If you can get them to open up, those men will also tell you they cried about the carnage they'd seen and the friends they lost, screamed from nightmares, and talked each other through it. After 2 or 3 months, including that re-acclimation time in the desert, most found some way to put their experience away, locked off in a part of their mind to never be examined too closely.
That makes perfect sense. The military is very clear that it takes a few months to create a soldier; you can't just pick someone off the street one day, put them in a combat zone the next day, and expect them to do anything other than be a target. The separation between wartime and peacetime has been at the center of a broad swath of movies, including Full Metal Jacket, GI Jane, Band of Brothers, and Ender's Game, as well as comedies like Private Benjamin and Stripes. If it takes months to toughen up both body and spirit before sending people to war, why would we expect veterans to re-adjust in a matter of days and without the help of other vets who've been there too?
3. Technology means routine contact with the folks at home. In the days before the Internet and before the ubiquitous presence of cell phones, going to war meant going away and having intermittent contact with home through letters, if at all. Today, one of the first things the U.S. military creates in a secured zone is a telecommunications center where off-duty GIs can access the Internet; these centers often facilitate cell phone service as well.
For American soldiers today, being at war -- even in a combat zone -- no longer automatically means that you're cut off from the folks back home. It helps service members maintain their connections with family members which, in turn, appears to help lower the divorce rate among active duty service members. The idea that a soldier on duty can see his family members in real time has become a staple of advertisers (for example, here or here). There are lots of local news stories about deployed soldiers attending events at home through the Internet, like childbirth (here or here) or their own wedding (here).
But let's think about that in a little more detail. If it takes the military months to change a civilian into a soldier, can that person really shift back and forth between those two roles in a matter of minutes? Many people say it takes them a little time to shift from work to home, and after a bad work day they may not really be ready to deal with the kids and home the moment they walk in the door. It often takes folks two or three days to really start to relax and settle in to a vacation, and that's surely not as dramatic a shift as mentally entering and existing a war zone.
How surreal must it be to go from the carnage of combat to childbirth in the span of a few hours? Or stand watch on the perimeter, carefully checking to determine if anything that moves is a threat, and then watch an 8-year-old's birthday party that includes a zillion kids running across the back of the video feed? Or even just shift from the mundane activities of life in a war zone camp that gets shelled throughout the day -- if you can call that "mundane" -- to talking about the everyday challenges of childrearing or making ends meet with your sweetie? Today's soldiers can't keep those two worlds separate the way past-generations of Americans did.
--
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying technology is bad or that we should prevent active duty service members in combat zones from talking to the folks back home. The technology has clear benefits: More soldiers survive their injuries, they return home faster, and they're able to stay in contact with their families. Generally speaking, those are all good things.
But they're good in general, not for everyone and not in all ways.
Given all these changes, there's little wonder that more returning soldiers have PTSD today than in the past. In a culture where being a worker, earning your keep, and providing for your family are highly valued and taking time to sit and reflect is seen as an indulgence, we've deprived our returning veterans of something they very much need: time to wind down and return to the thing we call normal.
-- Originally published at Good Men Project
Thankfulness hasn't always been the experience of returning American soldiers. Things were very different for the guys who came home from Vietnam to find protesters waiting for them.
Many things have changed since then. One change is our understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Thirty years ago, PTSD wasn't well known outside of mental health circles. Today, most people understand that not all wounds are physical and that "triggers" can be anywhere. In short, we've learned that "what happens at war doesn't always stay at war."
Technology has changed our everyday lives. Twenty years ago, beepers were the portable gadget to have and the only people who used the Internet regularly were doing research for the Defense Department (and Al Gore). Today, most of us have smart phones and use the Internet regularly in some way. Other technologies that we take for granted today, like automobiles and airplanes, are less than 100 years old.
Not surprisingly, technology has also changed the experience of war and what it means to be a soldier in a combat zone. One hundred years ago, if you were going to kill someone in combat you had to be able to see them: arrows, cannonballs, and muskets might send their projectiles 100 yards at best and we aimed with our eyeballs. Today, a solider can kill someone on the other side of the world through the use of an ICBM or a drone.
These changes have both benefits and costs, of course. Here are three ways technology has helped increase the number of folks who experience PTSD.
1. Technology saves lives. From the chemical and materials engineering the creates the Kevlar in bullet-proof vests to the medical advances that help save lives in the battlefield and back at the aid station, some injuries that almost certainly would have been fatal in World War II have a much lower likelihood of ending a life today.
This means more soldiers survive their combat wounds. But healing from those wounds -- physically and emotionally -- often extends beyond a soldier's active duty time. Sadly, American politicians don't really stand by our veterans. George W. Bush cut their benefits early in his presidency, then restored them before invading Iraq. We've had recent scandals regarding neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the general backlog of cases and claims (which got better during the shutdown).
2. Technology means faster transportation. Americans who came home from WWII and Korea walked or rode across country then completed their international travel by boat. After WWII, most also spent a few weeks re-acclimating to the U.S. in camps in the desert. By contrast, veterans from Vietnam and every subsequent war have mostly flown back to the U.S. and were often discharged within a week or two.
This means a journey home that took 2-3 months at the middle of the 20th century now takes 2-3 weeks. If you know someone who served in WWII or Korea and you can get them to talk about it, they'll tell you the conversations shifted between the war, home, and the future. The balance of those topics matched their location. In the early stage of their journey, when they were still near the war zone, it was mostly about the horrors of war; later in the journey and closer to American soil, conversation was mostly about home and future.
If you can get them to open up, those men will also tell you they cried about the carnage they'd seen and the friends they lost, screamed from nightmares, and talked each other through it. After 2 or 3 months, including that re-acclimation time in the desert, most found some way to put their experience away, locked off in a part of their mind to never be examined too closely.
That makes perfect sense. The military is very clear that it takes a few months to create a soldier; you can't just pick someone off the street one day, put them in a combat zone the next day, and expect them to do anything other than be a target. The separation between wartime and peacetime has been at the center of a broad swath of movies, including Full Metal Jacket, GI Jane, Band of Brothers, and Ender's Game, as well as comedies like Private Benjamin and Stripes. If it takes months to toughen up both body and spirit before sending people to war, why would we expect veterans to re-adjust in a matter of days and without the help of other vets who've been there too?
3. Technology means routine contact with the folks at home. In the days before the Internet and before the ubiquitous presence of cell phones, going to war meant going away and having intermittent contact with home through letters, if at all. Today, one of the first things the U.S. military creates in a secured zone is a telecommunications center where off-duty GIs can access the Internet; these centers often facilitate cell phone service as well.
For American soldiers today, being at war -- even in a combat zone -- no longer automatically means that you're cut off from the folks back home. It helps service members maintain their connections with family members which, in turn, appears to help lower the divorce rate among active duty service members. The idea that a soldier on duty can see his family members in real time has become a staple of advertisers (for example, here or here). There are lots of local news stories about deployed soldiers attending events at home through the Internet, like childbirth (here or here) or their own wedding (here).
But let's think about that in a little more detail. If it takes the military months to change a civilian into a soldier, can that person really shift back and forth between those two roles in a matter of minutes? Many people say it takes them a little time to shift from work to home, and after a bad work day they may not really be ready to deal with the kids and home the moment they walk in the door. It often takes folks two or three days to really start to relax and settle in to a vacation, and that's surely not as dramatic a shift as mentally entering and existing a war zone.
How surreal must it be to go from the carnage of combat to childbirth in the span of a few hours? Or stand watch on the perimeter, carefully checking to determine if anything that moves is a threat, and then watch an 8-year-old's birthday party that includes a zillion kids running across the back of the video feed? Or even just shift from the mundane activities of life in a war zone camp that gets shelled throughout the day -- if you can call that "mundane" -- to talking about the everyday challenges of childrearing or making ends meet with your sweetie? Today's soldiers can't keep those two worlds separate the way past-generations of Americans did.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying technology is bad or that we should prevent active duty service members in combat zones from talking to the folks back home. The technology has clear benefits: More soldiers survive their injuries, they return home faster, and they're able to stay in contact with their families. Generally speaking, those are all good things.
But they're good in general, not for everyone and not in all ways.
Given all these changes, there's little wonder that more returning soldiers have PTSD today than in the past. In a culture where being a worker, earning your keep, and providing for your family are highly valued and taking time to sit and reflect is seen as an indulgence, we've deprived our returning veterans of something they very much need: time to wind down and return to the thing we call normal.
-- Originally published at Good Men Project
Sick Birds, Sick Production Methods: 9 Reasons to Think Twice About Your Holiday Turkey
With Thanksgiving days away, U.S. turkey growers are probably relieved that no arsenic, salmonella or cruelty stories have surfaced like they have other years. But that doesn't mean the turkey on your holiday table is exactly wholesome. In fact, the chemicals, food additives and extreme production methods used to deliver the nation's plump, affordable turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving are enough to make you lose your appetite.
Resistant Salmonella and Other Superbugs
Two years ago, huge recalls of salmonella-contaminated ground turkey from Cargill and Jennie-O/Hormel sickened many, and one person died. While the food giants say they have cleaned up their acts, that's not what Consumer Reports found in March. Five percent of 257 samples of raw ground turkey that was bought at grocery stores around the country and tested harbored salmonella, 67 percent of which was resistant to more than one antibiotic. The government itself admitted that 81 percent of ground turkey it tested is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The superbugs result from the routine use of human antibiotics on commercial U.S. farms so operators can grow the animals faster and with less feed. Seventy percent of the farm antibiotics are not for sick animals but to maximize profits and prevent infections.
Antibiotics
The U.S. turkey industry doesn't try to hide the stew of antibiotics it depends on for cheap turkeys -- it brags about them. "The increased costs to raise turkeys without antibiotics is real," said the National Turkey Federation's Michael Rybolt at Capitol Hill antibiotics hearings in 2008. "Today at retail outlets here in the D.C. market, a conventionally-raised turkey costs $1.29 per pound. A similar whole turkey that was produced without antibiotics costs $2.29 per pound. With the average consumer purchasing a 15-pound whole turkey, that would mean there would be $15 tacked on to their grocery bill." Antibiotics are also green. Without them, more land would be needed to grow crops because the birds would eat more -- requiring 175,550 more tons of feed and causing "an increase in manure," said Rybolt. More land would also be required from the "decrease in density" because the birds couldn't be squeezed together the way they are now.
Clostridium difficile or "C Diff"
Have you ever heard of C. difficile? If not, you're lucky. It is an intestinal bacteria that it increasingly antibiotic-resistant, consigning thousands of Americans in health care settings and the community to a life or chronic pain, diarrhea and expensive treatments. (C. Diff is why "fecal transplants" are in the news these days. They are thought to replenish intestinal bacteria.) Glenn Songer, Ph.D., of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, says 40 percent of beef, pork and turkey products tested had the C. diff strains found in humans, raising the possibility of a food-borne source for human illnesses. C. Diff "has been isolated from retail pork, turkey and beef products and reported associated with human illness," says an February article in the Journal of Food Protection. It was found in 44 percent of U.S. turkey products tested, says Food Poison Journal.
Human Drugs... and Drinks
This month the Associated Press reported that some U.S. turkeys are being fed beer to make them "fatter, more flavorful and juicier." After drinking the alcohol, one bird "appeared rather dazed, with eyes narrowed to slits and beer dribbling out of its beak," reported AP. Imbibing birds may sound innocuous or funny, but other human fare turkeys are given is not as amusing. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University examined feather meal from U.S. chickens and turkeys and found traces of the pain reliever acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), the antihistamine diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl) and the antidepressant fluoxetine (the active ingredient in Prozac). Turkey producers are even looking at giving turkeys statins like Zocor.
Arsenic and Other Feed Additives
Like antibiotics, arsenic has been routinely used in turkey and other livestock feed to prevent disease, increase feed efficiency and promote growth. Last month, the FDA announced it was rescinding three of four arsenic products that few knew were used in turkey production anyway. One drug, Nitarsone, is still in use, though, for the "first six weeks of a turkey's 20-week life span" says the National Turkey Federation, to treat a disease called histomoniasis. In fact, the Code of Federal Regulations for turkey drugs reveals a long list of permitted drugs with long names that don't make you want to reach for the cranberry sauce. Halofuginone, given to turkeys to kill pathogens, "is toxic to fish and aquatic life" and "an irritant to eyes and skin," says the Federal Code. "Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing" and "Keep out of lakes, ponds, and streams." Bon appetit.
Diseases From Fast Growth Production
Food risks in turkey don't just happen. They come from drugs and contaminants used by turkey growers to produce the maximum amount of fat turkeys with as little feed as possible in as little time as possible. The chemically-induced fast growth puts turkeys at risk for "sudden death from cardiac problems and aortic rupture," (diagnosed by the presence of large clots of blood around the turkey's lungs) hypertensive angiopathy and pulmonary edema. Growth drugs in turkeys may also "result in leg weakness or paralysis," says the Federal Code, a side effect that a turkey slaughterhouse worker at the House of Raeford, in Raeford, NC reported firsthand. Turkeys arrive with legs broken, dislocated and limp, he told the press. Slowing the rapid growth by reducing the excessive energy and protein in the turkeys' diets strengthens their bones, say poultry scientists -- something most turkey growers don't want to hear or do.
More Diseases From Fast Growth Production
Turkeys do not just arrive at the slaughterhouse with broken legs. According to veterinary journals, they are also likely to arrive with painful footpad lesions, swelling and dermatitis, deviated toes, arthritis, feathering picking and breast blisters. "Overcrowding, aggressive birds, poor-wet litter, decreased down time, a contaminated environment including feed and water, poor hygienic conditions, and contaminated vaccines and vaccine equipment" also produce the new emerging turkey diseases of Clostridial dermatitis and cellulitis.
"The disease is characterized by reddish to dark or greenish discoloration of the skin around the thighs, abdomen, keel, tail region, back, and wings," says another veterinary journal.
"The lesions can extend into the underlying muscles, and there can be gas bubbles under the skin which result in crepitation. Some cases present with dead birds having 'bubbly tail,' fluid-filled blisters associated with broken feather follicles around the base of the tail."
Pass the gravy.
Degraded Meat Quality From Fast Growth Production
"In response to high consumer demand, turkeys have been intensively selected for rapid growth rate and breast muscle mass and conformation," begins another disturbing article in a veterinary journal. "The success in breeding selection has coincided with an increasing incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat defect, especially in response to heat stress." (A similar defect called PSE, Pale, Soft, Exudative, is seen in mass produced pork which affects marketability.) Ractopamine, the asthma-like growth enhancer marketed as Topmax in turkey, also changes the quality of meat, according to its manufacturer's own data. Turkey meat produced with ractopamine has "alterations" in muscle such as a "mononuclear cell infiltrate and myofiber degeneration," says drug information from Elanco, on which the drug was approved. There was "an increase in the incidence of cysts," and differences, some "significant," in the weight of organs like hearts, kidneys and livers. Yum.
Cruelty
If you think of Butterball as a trusted name that operates a help line for Thanksgiving Day cooks, then the turkey giant has succeeded at its PR job. Less than a year ago, workers at Butterball turkey operations in North Carolina were videotaped kicking and stomping birds, dragging them by their wings and necks and slamming them into tiny transport crates. It was a year after Butterball workers were charged with criminal cruelty for the same actions! Who can say incorrigible? Butterball is "taking steps to help ensure that all new and existing associates have a clear understanding of our animal well-being policies," said Butterball CEO Rod Brenneman after the first offenses. Maybe employees don't know they aren't supposed to kick, drag and bash birds. After the second offenses, Butterball launched a audacious radio campaign about its convenient holiday help line with no mention of the criminal abuse. Twenty percent of U.S. turkeys on the Thanksgiving table come from Butterball, but it is hardly the only abuser. Shocking cruelty has also been documented at Aviagen Turkeys in West Virginia and House of Raeford in North Carolina.
Do you care about risks in the commerical food supply and animal treatment? Give Martha Rosenberg's award-cited expose, Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, for the holidays.
Resistant Salmonella and Other Superbugs
Two years ago, huge recalls of salmonella-contaminated ground turkey from Cargill and Jennie-O/Hormel sickened many, and one person died. While the food giants say they have cleaned up their acts, that's not what Consumer Reports found in March. Five percent of 257 samples of raw ground turkey that was bought at grocery stores around the country and tested harbored salmonella, 67 percent of which was resistant to more than one antibiotic. The government itself admitted that 81 percent of ground turkey it tested is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The superbugs result from the routine use of human antibiotics on commercial U.S. farms so operators can grow the animals faster and with less feed. Seventy percent of the farm antibiotics are not for sick animals but to maximize profits and prevent infections.
Antibiotics
The U.S. turkey industry doesn't try to hide the stew of antibiotics it depends on for cheap turkeys -- it brags about them. "The increased costs to raise turkeys without antibiotics is real," said the National Turkey Federation's Michael Rybolt at Capitol Hill antibiotics hearings in 2008. "Today at retail outlets here in the D.C. market, a conventionally-raised turkey costs $1.29 per pound. A similar whole turkey that was produced without antibiotics costs $2.29 per pound. With the average consumer purchasing a 15-pound whole turkey, that would mean there would be $15 tacked on to their grocery bill." Antibiotics are also green. Without them, more land would be needed to grow crops because the birds would eat more -- requiring 175,550 more tons of feed and causing "an increase in manure," said Rybolt. More land would also be required from the "decrease in density" because the birds couldn't be squeezed together the way they are now.
Clostridium difficile or "C Diff"
Have you ever heard of C. difficile? If not, you're lucky. It is an intestinal bacteria that it increasingly antibiotic-resistant, consigning thousands of Americans in health care settings and the community to a life or chronic pain, diarrhea and expensive treatments. (C. Diff is why "fecal transplants" are in the news these days. They are thought to replenish intestinal bacteria.) Glenn Songer, Ph.D., of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, says 40 percent of beef, pork and turkey products tested had the C. diff strains found in humans, raising the possibility of a food-borne source for human illnesses. C. Diff "has been isolated from retail pork, turkey and beef products and reported associated with human illness," says an February article in the Journal of Food Protection. It was found in 44 percent of U.S. turkey products tested, says Food Poison Journal.
Human Drugs... and Drinks
This month the Associated Press reported that some U.S. turkeys are being fed beer to make them "fatter, more flavorful and juicier." After drinking the alcohol, one bird "appeared rather dazed, with eyes narrowed to slits and beer dribbling out of its beak," reported AP. Imbibing birds may sound innocuous or funny, but other human fare turkeys are given is not as amusing. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University examined feather meal from U.S. chickens and turkeys and found traces of the pain reliever acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), the antihistamine diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl) and the antidepressant fluoxetine (the active ingredient in Prozac). Turkey producers are even looking at giving turkeys statins like Zocor.
Arsenic and Other Feed Additives
Like antibiotics, arsenic has been routinely used in turkey and other livestock feed to prevent disease, increase feed efficiency and promote growth. Last month, the FDA announced it was rescinding three of four arsenic products that few knew were used in turkey production anyway. One drug, Nitarsone, is still in use, though, for the "first six weeks of a turkey's 20-week life span" says the National Turkey Federation, to treat a disease called histomoniasis. In fact, the Code of Federal Regulations for turkey drugs reveals a long list of permitted drugs with long names that don't make you want to reach for the cranberry sauce. Halofuginone, given to turkeys to kill pathogens, "is toxic to fish and aquatic life" and "an irritant to eyes and skin," says the Federal Code. "Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing" and "Keep out of lakes, ponds, and streams." Bon appetit.
Diseases From Fast Growth Production
Food risks in turkey don't just happen. They come from drugs and contaminants used by turkey growers to produce the maximum amount of fat turkeys with as little feed as possible in as little time as possible. The chemically-induced fast growth puts turkeys at risk for "sudden death from cardiac problems and aortic rupture," (diagnosed by the presence of large clots of blood around the turkey's lungs) hypertensive angiopathy and pulmonary edema. Growth drugs in turkeys may also "result in leg weakness or paralysis," says the Federal Code, a side effect that a turkey slaughterhouse worker at the House of Raeford, in Raeford, NC reported firsthand. Turkeys arrive with legs broken, dislocated and limp, he told the press. Slowing the rapid growth by reducing the excessive energy and protein in the turkeys' diets strengthens their bones, say poultry scientists -- something most turkey growers don't want to hear or do.
More Diseases From Fast Growth Production
Turkeys do not just arrive at the slaughterhouse with broken legs. According to veterinary journals, they are also likely to arrive with painful footpad lesions, swelling and dermatitis, deviated toes, arthritis, feathering picking and breast blisters. "Overcrowding, aggressive birds, poor-wet litter, decreased down time, a contaminated environment including feed and water, poor hygienic conditions, and contaminated vaccines and vaccine equipment" also produce the new emerging turkey diseases of Clostridial dermatitis and cellulitis.
"The disease is characterized by reddish to dark or greenish discoloration of the skin around the thighs, abdomen, keel, tail region, back, and wings," says another veterinary journal.
"The lesions can extend into the underlying muscles, and there can be gas bubbles under the skin which result in crepitation. Some cases present with dead birds having 'bubbly tail,' fluid-filled blisters associated with broken feather follicles around the base of the tail."
Pass the gravy.
Degraded Meat Quality From Fast Growth Production
"In response to high consumer demand, turkeys have been intensively selected for rapid growth rate and breast muscle mass and conformation," begins another disturbing article in a veterinary journal. "The success in breeding selection has coincided with an increasing incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat defect, especially in response to heat stress." (A similar defect called PSE, Pale, Soft, Exudative, is seen in mass produced pork which affects marketability.) Ractopamine, the asthma-like growth enhancer marketed as Topmax in turkey, also changes the quality of meat, according to its manufacturer's own data. Turkey meat produced with ractopamine has "alterations" in muscle such as a "mononuclear cell infiltrate and myofiber degeneration," says drug information from Elanco, on which the drug was approved. There was "an increase in the incidence of cysts," and differences, some "significant," in the weight of organs like hearts, kidneys and livers. Yum.
Cruelty
If you think of Butterball as a trusted name that operates a help line for Thanksgiving Day cooks, then the turkey giant has succeeded at its PR job. Less than a year ago, workers at Butterball turkey operations in North Carolina were videotaped kicking and stomping birds, dragging them by their wings and necks and slamming them into tiny transport crates. It was a year after Butterball workers were charged with criminal cruelty for the same actions! Who can say incorrigible? Butterball is "taking steps to help ensure that all new and existing associates have a clear understanding of our animal well-being policies," said Butterball CEO Rod Brenneman after the first offenses. Maybe employees don't know they aren't supposed to kick, drag and bash birds. After the second offenses, Butterball launched a audacious radio campaign about its convenient holiday help line with no mention of the criminal abuse. Twenty percent of U.S. turkeys on the Thanksgiving table come from Butterball, but it is hardly the only abuser. Shocking cruelty has also been documented at Aviagen Turkeys in West Virginia and House of Raeford in North Carolina.
Do you care about risks in the commerical food supply and animal treatment? Give Martha Rosenberg's award-cited expose, Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, for the holidays.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
During Your Depression: A Letter to My Grandfather (Part 2 of 4)
continued from Part 1 of 4
Grandpa,
During the beginning of your depression, you were vulnerable and laid bare. All pride and ego
was gone. You were like a scared child again. You rose from the bed on your own, you showered, shaved and brushed your teeth. But you shut all the doors and blinds, living in darkness. You said the light hurt your eyes. You spoke all your thoughts. And we learned things about you which you had never revealed to us.
You wanted to hear no bad news or negativity, though your mind dwelt on the negative at all times. You trusted no one outside the immediate family. And in your worst state, you questioned whether or not you could trust your closest loved ones. When you weren't looking, Wayne and I both cried. You weren't losing your mind, we knew. But we grieved over your state, your pain, how the man we once knew as strong and confident was now paranoid, frail and jumpy. You turned into an elderly man overnight.
We turned off all electronics in your home. No more television or phones. The noises and screens "made you nervous" you said. The information emitted was just "too much." Instead of pictures on the screen, you saw jumbled images. And at times, just a black hole in the screen's center. Once we understood the role that three hormones played (Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine [see part 1], the doctor said you needed
1. Sleep
2. To be fed good tasting and nutritious food
3. To dwell on the positive
4. To be loved
5. To laugh
The doctor prescribed you sleeping pills, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medicine. She said the medicine would take a few weeks to build. Only then would we begin to see positive results. So your children and grandchildren swooped in. We made sure one of us was always with you. We even took turns at night sleeping in a bed adjacent to your own. That's how loved you are.
Food abounded. Everyone in our family wrote you a love letter, sharing stories of times from their own depression, so that you would know that you're not alone. They recalled how they overcame their dark times, why they're glad they struggled through it and overcame.
Barbara recalled outdoor Sunday lunches during the summertime when your own mother was still alive. How the tables were strewn with bedsheets. Your mother didn't believe in purchasing tablecloths when bedsheets would do just fine. The crisp, fresh, clean, pink and white rose-printed sheets, waved and popped. The table was laden with green bean and potato casserole, hams and fried chicken. The tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, radishes, peas and corn, were all grown in the garden in your backyard. The last table was adorned with Barbara's cakes she made from scratch for parties and weddings. Then there was watermelon, sweet potato pie, pecan pie and sweet tea. No one wanted unsweet tea. However, knock-off soda products were available by request.
The scents of sugar brought in hungry bees. A niece swatted at one after it landed on the sweet potato pie. Aunt Jean said, "Don't, hon'. The bee won't take much." Hummingbirds skittered, zipping in and out, curious and thirsty, but with all the people's commotions, they settled for the sugar water you had already provided in the red hummingbird feeders.
All the men hung one leg over the other, the end of their gray and tan slacks exposing their black socks with brown loafers. Dad wore pennies in his, having grown up in the 50s. Toothpicks dangled from their mouths as they talked about the high school basketball team and the rivalry football games between Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia.
You talked about your sister's family who we don't see much because they live in south Tennessee. They had a nephew, Edwin Caston, who moved to Alaska and never came back again. A World War II veteran turned mountain man who was hired to lay the path for the Alaskan pipeline. All the locals on the Kenai Peninsula knew him.
His hobby was dog-sled racing. To prepare himself for an upcoming race, since those races could go on for days, he would spend his nights sleeping in the snow by a firepit in his backyard, beside the dogs. To toughen him up. Edwin grew his hair out, wore a cowboy hat and on his belt he sported a set of matching pearl handled revolvers.
When he was hired to lay out the path for the pipeline, he needed a man to go with him. So, he hung a sign in the local bar saying he was looking to hire the "meanest, toughest son of a bitch this side of Alaska." Only one man agreed to take the mission with him. Before they set out, Edwin told him, "If we get up there and you get cold and tired and try to leave, I'll dot your eye." Meaning he'd shoot him. According to the story, that hired man tried to do that very thing. But Edwin reminded him about the dotted eye and that man decided to stick it out.
Sometime later, a rifle came up missing from Edwin's cabin. So he left a note in the bar, on the wall, that if the rifle wasn't returned by the end of the week, he would find out who stole it, and "dot his eye." And so Edwin returned home one day and the rifle was back in it's place. But not long after, he fired up his gas stove and it exploded on him. He died from the wounds. Foul play suspected. That was the story you heard about Edwin, Grandpa, when you went to his funeral in Kenai. You brought home one of Edwin's leather coats. The coat looked liked something you'd purchase as a souvenir at a tourist trap in the mid-west or in a Davy Crockett film. Tanned leather. Fringes down the arms. But it was authentic. And old. But Edwin had truly worn it.
You stared off. Your mind explored and digested thoughts that were too traumatic, heavy and rushed, experiences that you weren't able to handle the first time around. We reminded you to dwell on the positive and we shared funny and warm stories from the past. And you smiled. But as soon as our attention wained, you retreated back into the dark recesses of your mind. You stared off into nothingness again and groaned.
As boys, you told Wayne and I to direct our thoughts inward, and there we would discover a thousand regions left unexplored. But now, you have done the same, but seem the need to revisit dark places, which you left untouched and unexplored for far too long.
We all wrote down three things were thankful for that day. And every day, we repeated, until you had a small book of loved one's blessings to go back and read over and over. All positive thoughts your loved ones experienced in this life. All to remind you of the beauties in the world: The love of our family, the love of God, our morals, our good health we still have, our hometown and farm, our family values, that we were able to attend college, pay our bills, the ability to retire, seeing our children grow into adults, our parents who were good examples, that we've never starved or didn't have a place to sleep at night. And the list went on and on.
Family members enjoyed the project. "What a wonderful idea," one relative said to me. "This has actually helped us all. It makes me realize all the things I'm thankful for. I'm in a better mood now." Your experience with darkness has shown all those who love and care about you. For they came to your rescue. To live life with you. To ask what they could do personally to help. Not only has it brought us closer together as a family, but the exercises have made us all realize what is important to us in our lives, and where our priorities lie. Even in your dark times, you still change lives.
Part 3 of 4 coming soon
Make sure to check out The Mason Jar, a coming of age love story from the male perspective by James Russell Lingerfelt. The novel helps readers find healing after severed relationships. The novel would make a great Christmas gift for a loved one.
The Mason Jar movie is scheduled for pre-production in 2015 and will be directed in the same dramatic and romantic tones as The Notebook (2004) and Pride & Prejudice (2005). Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for updates.
Grandpa,
During the beginning of your depression, you were vulnerable and laid bare. All pride and ego
was gone. You were like a scared child again. You rose from the bed on your own, you showered, shaved and brushed your teeth. But you shut all the doors and blinds, living in darkness. You said the light hurt your eyes. You spoke all your thoughts. And we learned things about you which you had never revealed to us.You wanted to hear no bad news or negativity, though your mind dwelt on the negative at all times. You trusted no one outside the immediate family. And in your worst state, you questioned whether or not you could trust your closest loved ones. When you weren't looking, Wayne and I both cried. You weren't losing your mind, we knew. But we grieved over your state, your pain, how the man we once knew as strong and confident was now paranoid, frail and jumpy. You turned into an elderly man overnight.
We turned off all electronics in your home. No more television or phones. The noises and screens "made you nervous" you said. The information emitted was just "too much." Instead of pictures on the screen, you saw jumbled images. And at times, just a black hole in the screen's center. Once we understood the role that three hormones played (Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine [see part 1], the doctor said you needed
1. Sleep
2. To be fed good tasting and nutritious food
3. To dwell on the positive
4. To be loved
5. To laugh
The doctor prescribed you sleeping pills, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medicine. She said the medicine would take a few weeks to build. Only then would we begin to see positive results. So your children and grandchildren swooped in. We made sure one of us was always with you. We even took turns at night sleeping in a bed adjacent to your own. That's how loved you are.
Food abounded. Everyone in our family wrote you a love letter, sharing stories of times from their own depression, so that you would know that you're not alone. They recalled how they overcame their dark times, why they're glad they struggled through it and overcame.
Barbara recalled outdoor Sunday lunches during the summertime when your own mother was still alive. How the tables were strewn with bedsheets. Your mother didn't believe in purchasing tablecloths when bedsheets would do just fine. The crisp, fresh, clean, pink and white rose-printed sheets, waved and popped. The table was laden with green bean and potato casserole, hams and fried chicken. The tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, radishes, peas and corn, were all grown in the garden in your backyard. The last table was adorned with Barbara's cakes she made from scratch for parties and weddings. Then there was watermelon, sweet potato pie, pecan pie and sweet tea. No one wanted unsweet tea. However, knock-off soda products were available by request.
The scents of sugar brought in hungry bees. A niece swatted at one after it landed on the sweet potato pie. Aunt Jean said, "Don't, hon'. The bee won't take much." Hummingbirds skittered, zipping in and out, curious and thirsty, but with all the people's commotions, they settled for the sugar water you had already provided in the red hummingbird feeders.
All the men hung one leg over the other, the end of their gray and tan slacks exposing their black socks with brown loafers. Dad wore pennies in his, having grown up in the 50s. Toothpicks dangled from their mouths as they talked about the high school basketball team and the rivalry football games between Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia.
You talked about your sister's family who we don't see much because they live in south Tennessee. They had a nephew, Edwin Caston, who moved to Alaska and never came back again. A World War II veteran turned mountain man who was hired to lay the path for the Alaskan pipeline. All the locals on the Kenai Peninsula knew him.
His hobby was dog-sled racing. To prepare himself for an upcoming race, since those races could go on for days, he would spend his nights sleeping in the snow by a firepit in his backyard, beside the dogs. To toughen him up. Edwin grew his hair out, wore a cowboy hat and on his belt he sported a set of matching pearl handled revolvers.
When he was hired to lay out the path for the pipeline, he needed a man to go with him. So, he hung a sign in the local bar saying he was looking to hire the "meanest, toughest son of a bitch this side of Alaska." Only one man agreed to take the mission with him. Before they set out, Edwin told him, "If we get up there and you get cold and tired and try to leave, I'll dot your eye." Meaning he'd shoot him. According to the story, that hired man tried to do that very thing. But Edwin reminded him about the dotted eye and that man decided to stick it out.
Sometime later, a rifle came up missing from Edwin's cabin. So he left a note in the bar, on the wall, that if the rifle wasn't returned by the end of the week, he would find out who stole it, and "dot his eye." And so Edwin returned home one day and the rifle was back in it's place. But not long after, he fired up his gas stove and it exploded on him. He died from the wounds. Foul play suspected. That was the story you heard about Edwin, Grandpa, when you went to his funeral in Kenai. You brought home one of Edwin's leather coats. The coat looked liked something you'd purchase as a souvenir at a tourist trap in the mid-west or in a Davy Crockett film. Tanned leather. Fringes down the arms. But it was authentic. And old. But Edwin had truly worn it.
You stared off. Your mind explored and digested thoughts that were too traumatic, heavy and rushed, experiences that you weren't able to handle the first time around. We reminded you to dwell on the positive and we shared funny and warm stories from the past. And you smiled. But as soon as our attention wained, you retreated back into the dark recesses of your mind. You stared off into nothingness again and groaned.
As boys, you told Wayne and I to direct our thoughts inward, and there we would discover a thousand regions left unexplored. But now, you have done the same, but seem the need to revisit dark places, which you left untouched and unexplored for far too long.
We all wrote down three things were thankful for that day. And every day, we repeated, until you had a small book of loved one's blessings to go back and read over and over. All positive thoughts your loved ones experienced in this life. All to remind you of the beauties in the world: The love of our family, the love of God, our morals, our good health we still have, our hometown and farm, our family values, that we were able to attend college, pay our bills, the ability to retire, seeing our children grow into adults, our parents who were good examples, that we've never starved or didn't have a place to sleep at night. And the list went on and on.
Family members enjoyed the project. "What a wonderful idea," one relative said to me. "This has actually helped us all. It makes me realize all the things I'm thankful for. I'm in a better mood now." Your experience with darkness has shown all those who love and care about you. For they came to your rescue. To live life with you. To ask what they could do personally to help. Not only has it brought us closer together as a family, but the exercises have made us all realize what is important to us in our lives, and where our priorities lie. Even in your dark times, you still change lives.
Part 3 of 4 coming soon
Make sure to check out The Mason Jar, a coming of age love story from the male perspective by James Russell Lingerfelt. The novel helps readers find healing after severed relationships. The novel would make a great Christmas gift for a loved one.The Mason Jar movie is scheduled for pre-production in 2015 and will be directed in the same dramatic and romantic tones as The Notebook (2004) and Pride & Prejudice (2005). Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for updates.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thanksgiving Thanks for a Healthy Life
Each Thanksgiving, we have a tradition in my family (aside from the usual feast of turkey and stuffing and assorted other foods): Before we begin our meal, we take turns going around the table and each say a few words about what we are especially thankful for. We've been doing this for as long as I can remember -- ever since our children were old enough to talk.
It's about so much more than the turkey.
An attitude of being grateful goes a long way to make you happy.
When I think back to some of the answers, I smile. Early on in our ritual, my youngest son, then a few months past 2, said he was thankful for Sesame Street. Another year, my older son told us he was thankful for his favorite football team, the Jets.
As the years pass, naturally their answers became a bit more serious and grounded in reality. Life -- and so-called age -- has a way of doing that, I suppose.
With Thanksgiving upon us, I've begun thinking again of our approaching ritual. There are never too many things to be thankful for. And sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in everyday minutiae and lose sight of that, or even forget that there are endless things -- no matter how bad life might get -- to be thankful for. Even the smallest thing, like the incredible scent of roasting coffee or the wonder of the intricate shape of a flower petal -- can be overlooked when distractions threaten to drown out the here and now.
By the way, research is finding an "attitude of gratitude" to have a host of health benefits like sounder sleep, lower levels of anxiety, stress and depression and greater optimism about the future. It's also been found to be a buffer where interpersonal relationships are concerned (so helpful in those emotionally-charged family gatherings!).
My gift to myself: a list, from A to Z, of what I am grateful for. Feel free to add your own.
Allergies/Asthma. I am grateful I am free of these, since allergic diseases are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting more than 50 million Americans (that's one in every six adults and children).
Breast Cancer. It is frustrating and unfortunate that close to 40,000 women lose their lives each year from this insidious disease. I am beyond grateful, though, to be among the more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
Cellulite. I am grateful not to be plagued by too much of it. Yes, it's there... but thankfully, it's subtle and no one sees it except for moi. Or, at least, they claim they don't see it. And since there is partly a genetic element to it, I guess I have to include my mother here in my thanks.
Diabetes. I am eternally grateful I am not one of the 79 million adults living with prediabetes, nor one of the 26 million who have this disease. And I truly hope to keep it this way by keeping healthy habits like eating very little processed foods, bulking up on whole grains and beans and watching my weight.
Exercise. I'm not only grateful that such a thing exists, I am grateful that I can indulge in something that boosts energy and endorphins, decreases things like high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and helps prevent or manage conditions or ills like stroke, metabolic syndrome, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.
Friends. How can I count the health benefits of friends? They are as essential to my life as air. Good friends help keep stress levels manageable, boost your self-esteem, help you cope with traumas and make life happier in general. It's hard to argue that they keep you healthier, especially when you learn about an Australian study that found people with a large network of friends outlived those with the fewest by 22 percent.
Glaucoma. I'm grateful my eyes are thus far healthy, especially free of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness (everyone over the age of 60 is at increased risk of glaucoma). And since some types of glaucoma have no warning signs, I'm grateful for my ophthalmologist, who examines my eyes annually.
Hot Flashes. I feel grateful every day that these have finally subsided, after years of turning red in the face and feeling like I was swaddled in a heating pad turned onto the highest setting possible. I gave away all my pretty fans to my (younger) friends who are suffering with hot flashes now. It's my way of recycling and showing gratitude, I guess.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I know so many people who suffer with this chronic common condition, and I am grateful not to be one of them who deal with bloating, abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea or constipation on a sometimes-daily basis.
Jokes. I'm grateful for my ability to laugh at one, since nothing feels better than a great big laugh, which is a huge boost to your immune system.
Knee Replacement Surgery. I hope to be able to say this every year, since I fear it may be in my future: I am grateful to have my own knees. While it's true my left knee is missing a lot of its cartilage and the right one is not lagging far behind, I am hoping to keep my knees to myself by strengthening my quadriceps, avoiding weight gain (which puts a lot of stress on knees) and boosting my intake of fruits, veggies and whole grains.
Listeria. I am very grateful that my intake of cantaloupes has not put me in danger of contracting the food-borne illness listeria that has been, more than once, linked to melons and other foods and is the third-leading cause of death from food poisoning.
Melanoma. With all the sunbathing I did as a teen, I breathe a sigh of relief every time my annual skin check is clear. I hope to keep it that way by shunning direct contact with the sun and using sunscreen (even in the winter and on cloudy days).
Nuts. Each day when I need something quick to satisfy my hunger, I am happy I can reach for something I love, whether it be a handful of peanuts, walnuts, pistachios or almonds. Packed with unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, nuts are a healthy way to keep your hunger in check while benefiting your heart, cholesterol and diabetes risk, to name just a few.
Overactive Thyroid. I thank my thyroid for staying in the right zone. Having an overactive thyroid can cause all sorts of health complications, from brittle bones and heart problems to red, swollen skin and bulging or irritated eyes.
Psoriasis. I'm grateful to be spared this autoimmune disease that causes skin cells to grow too quickly and can lead to a painful condition called psoriatic arthritis, where joints become swollen, tender and painful.
Not Smoking. I see how so many people struggle to quit smoking and how some don't succeed. Too bad: People who quit before age 50 have one-half the risk of dying in the next 15 years compared with those who keep up the habit. I'm grateful I never had to do this, since I never took up smoking.
Recipes. I am grateful for the myriad recipes I've found that make eating not just tasty but nutritious, as well.
Shingles. I'm grateful to have only the wooden version on the outside of my house, rather than the painful and uncomfortable one caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. And I'm grateful, too, for having the option of a shingles vaccine.
Time. I'm running out of it -- and you likely are, too -- and the older I get, the more precious it gets. So, in the interest of us both, I'll make it snappy with the rest of the alphabet.
U, V, W, X, Y and Z. Continued thanks goes to remaining ulcer-free, being able to supplement my diet with vitamins (especially vitamin D, which is difficult to get enough of in food), keeping bones strong with weight lifting, the invention of X-rays for diagnosing things like broken bones, pneumonia and cavities, yoga for relief from stress, anxiety and depression, and finally Z, a letter that is difficult enough to cause me to pick up a dictionary and exercise my brain and learn a few new words, like zeugma and Zoroastrianism.
You can read more about things that move me by visiting my blog, http://mysocalledmidlife.net
It's about so much more than the turkey.
An attitude of being grateful goes a long way to make you happy.
When I think back to some of the answers, I smile. Early on in our ritual, my youngest son, then a few months past 2, said he was thankful for Sesame Street. Another year, my older son told us he was thankful for his favorite football team, the Jets.
As the years pass, naturally their answers became a bit more serious and grounded in reality. Life -- and so-called age -- has a way of doing that, I suppose.
With Thanksgiving upon us, I've begun thinking again of our approaching ritual. There are never too many things to be thankful for. And sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in everyday minutiae and lose sight of that, or even forget that there are endless things -- no matter how bad life might get -- to be thankful for. Even the smallest thing, like the incredible scent of roasting coffee or the wonder of the intricate shape of a flower petal -- can be overlooked when distractions threaten to drown out the here and now.
By the way, research is finding an "attitude of gratitude" to have a host of health benefits like sounder sleep, lower levels of anxiety, stress and depression and greater optimism about the future. It's also been found to be a buffer where interpersonal relationships are concerned (so helpful in those emotionally-charged family gatherings!).
My gift to myself: a list, from A to Z, of what I am grateful for. Feel free to add your own.
Allergies/Asthma. I am grateful I am free of these, since allergic diseases are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting more than 50 million Americans (that's one in every six adults and children).
Breast Cancer. It is frustrating and unfortunate that close to 40,000 women lose their lives each year from this insidious disease. I am beyond grateful, though, to be among the more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
Cellulite. I am grateful not to be plagued by too much of it. Yes, it's there... but thankfully, it's subtle and no one sees it except for moi. Or, at least, they claim they don't see it. And since there is partly a genetic element to it, I guess I have to include my mother here in my thanks.
Diabetes. I am eternally grateful I am not one of the 79 million adults living with prediabetes, nor one of the 26 million who have this disease. And I truly hope to keep it this way by keeping healthy habits like eating very little processed foods, bulking up on whole grains and beans and watching my weight.
Exercise. I'm not only grateful that such a thing exists, I am grateful that I can indulge in something that boosts energy and endorphins, decreases things like high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and helps prevent or manage conditions or ills like stroke, metabolic syndrome, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.
Friends. How can I count the health benefits of friends? They are as essential to my life as air. Good friends help keep stress levels manageable, boost your self-esteem, help you cope with traumas and make life happier in general. It's hard to argue that they keep you healthier, especially when you learn about an Australian study that found people with a large network of friends outlived those with the fewest by 22 percent.
Glaucoma. I'm grateful my eyes are thus far healthy, especially free of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness (everyone over the age of 60 is at increased risk of glaucoma). And since some types of glaucoma have no warning signs, I'm grateful for my ophthalmologist, who examines my eyes annually.
Hot Flashes. I feel grateful every day that these have finally subsided, after years of turning red in the face and feeling like I was swaddled in a heating pad turned onto the highest setting possible. I gave away all my pretty fans to my (younger) friends who are suffering with hot flashes now. It's my way of recycling and showing gratitude, I guess.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I know so many people who suffer with this chronic common condition, and I am grateful not to be one of them who deal with bloating, abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea or constipation on a sometimes-daily basis.
Jokes. I'm grateful for my ability to laugh at one, since nothing feels better than a great big laugh, which is a huge boost to your immune system.
Knee Replacement Surgery. I hope to be able to say this every year, since I fear it may be in my future: I am grateful to have my own knees. While it's true my left knee is missing a lot of its cartilage and the right one is not lagging far behind, I am hoping to keep my knees to myself by strengthening my quadriceps, avoiding weight gain (which puts a lot of stress on knees) and boosting my intake of fruits, veggies and whole grains.
Listeria. I am very grateful that my intake of cantaloupes has not put me in danger of contracting the food-borne illness listeria that has been, more than once, linked to melons and other foods and is the third-leading cause of death from food poisoning.
Melanoma. With all the sunbathing I did as a teen, I breathe a sigh of relief every time my annual skin check is clear. I hope to keep it that way by shunning direct contact with the sun and using sunscreen (even in the winter and on cloudy days).
Nuts. Each day when I need something quick to satisfy my hunger, I am happy I can reach for something I love, whether it be a handful of peanuts, walnuts, pistachios or almonds. Packed with unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, nuts are a healthy way to keep your hunger in check while benefiting your heart, cholesterol and diabetes risk, to name just a few.
Overactive Thyroid. I thank my thyroid for staying in the right zone. Having an overactive thyroid can cause all sorts of health complications, from brittle bones and heart problems to red, swollen skin and bulging or irritated eyes.
Psoriasis. I'm grateful to be spared this autoimmune disease that causes skin cells to grow too quickly and can lead to a painful condition called psoriatic arthritis, where joints become swollen, tender and painful.
Not Smoking. I see how so many people struggle to quit smoking and how some don't succeed. Too bad: People who quit before age 50 have one-half the risk of dying in the next 15 years compared with those who keep up the habit. I'm grateful I never had to do this, since I never took up smoking.
Recipes. I am grateful for the myriad recipes I've found that make eating not just tasty but nutritious, as well.
Shingles. I'm grateful to have only the wooden version on the outside of my house, rather than the painful and uncomfortable one caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. And I'm grateful, too, for having the option of a shingles vaccine.
Time. I'm running out of it -- and you likely are, too -- and the older I get, the more precious it gets. So, in the interest of us both, I'll make it snappy with the rest of the alphabet.
U, V, W, X, Y and Z. Continued thanks goes to remaining ulcer-free, being able to supplement my diet with vitamins (especially vitamin D, which is difficult to get enough of in food), keeping bones strong with weight lifting, the invention of X-rays for diagnosing things like broken bones, pneumonia and cavities, yoga for relief from stress, anxiety and depression, and finally Z, a letter that is difficult enough to cause me to pick up a dictionary and exercise my brain and learn a few new words, like zeugma and Zoroastrianism.
You can read more about things that move me by visiting my blog, http://mysocalledmidlife.net
Friday, November 22, 2013
The Most Prevalent and Devastating Disease Your Doctor Has Never Heard Of
Every Disease Is a Story
Three years ago February, I was sitting in a restaurant, about to sign the check, when I realized I had forgotten how to write my own name.
The intention was there. I could visualize the letter J. I could even imagine what it would be like to write it, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to move my hand. I was 28 years old. I had temporarily lost the ability to draw circles or curves. By May, if I left my house, it was in a wheelchair. Mostly, I was bedridden. Some days, I did not have the strength to lift my head.
Naturally, I turned to my doctors for answers. I learned that having access to the health care system is about a lot more than having health insurance.
Without knowing it, I'd told myself a story: If I ever got sick, it would be like an episode of House, only with less Percocet. A team of brilliant doctors from different specialties passionately debating my case. A deep curiosity and desire to get to the bottom of it. A love of the puzzle. And I would not be lying idly in my sickbed. I'd be busy trying to unravel the mystery, too.
My doctors were not particularly interested in getting to the bottom of anything. Instead, after a few basic tests, they told me that my symptoms were not real. I was diagnosed with conversion disorder -- a nicer, modern version of "hysteria." In their story, symptoms they could not explain needed to be explained away.
Not wanting to be one to reject a hypothesis without testing it, I decided to live with the possibility for a few days that all of it -- the recurrent infections, the fevers, the dizziness, the bizarre neurological symptoms -- really was, as my neurologist believed, all in my head.
I walked home a mile from the clinic that day, ignoring the ostensibly psychosomatic pain in my legs. The next day, I went for a walk down by the river with a friend. I'd always been active. I didn't know then how dangerous physical exertion could be. When I got home, I collapsed. I could not bend my head or walk. My brain and my spinal cord were burning. I have never been the same since.
Preview of Canary in a Coal Mine, a new documentary film about ME
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: An Old Disease Hiding in a Waste Basket
When we first get sick, many patients who are eventually diagnosed with myalgic (muscle pain) encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), encounter doctors who do not believe they are ill. They tell them their symptoms cannot be medically explained.
These beliefs are about professional training, not science. ME is not taught in medical schools. It has no home in any specialty. Without medical education, despite well over 6,000 scientific articles published on the disease, and the 1 million people who suffer from it in the US (over 20 million around the world), it may as well not exist.
ME is an old disease. There have been dozens of documented outbreaks in the last 100 years. Before widespread vaccination, doctors believed it was a new type of poliomyelitis, and in fact, clusters often appeared in areas that were experiencing polio outbreaks.
The outbreak that looms largest in American memory occurred in 1984, in Incline Village, Nevada. Dubbed by the media "the Lake Tahoe mystery illness" and "Yuppie Flu," the U.S. government named it "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome."
The diagnostic criteria were broad, vague and bore only a passing resemblance to the disease doctors treating patients in Lake Tahoe, and the accounts by physicians who witnessed other outbreaks, observed. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome became a waste basket of a category that lumped myalgic encephalomyelitis together with a number of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed conditions like post-viral fatigue, lyme disease, celiac disease, and depression.
ME has all the makings of a very scary movie. It can affect anyone at any stage of life but seems to prefer to hit young women in their prime. Like polio or multiple sclerosis, it can occur in seemingly unconnected individuals and it can also occur in outbreaks. In most cases, there seems to be a viral trigger, but genetic and environmental factors likely play an important role.
The disability is more severe than many types of cancer, or AIDS two months before death. Dr. Nancy Klimas, a leading researcher, describes the severity as equivalent to congestive heart failure, only it rarely kills. It shortens your lifespan. It turns your body into a prison and locks you away for decades. That has been one part of the problem: We don't have a narrative for a disease that is a life sentence.
It is similar in many respects to multiple sclerosis, but three times more prevalent. Some estimates suggest as few as 5-10 percent achieve full remission. Twenty-five percent cannot leave their homes. Many are bedridden for years.
Yet, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an idea that strikes fear in the heart of no one.
What happens when, for decades, the story among doctors is that a serious illness is psychosomatic? For starters, there is no FDA-approved drug nor are their any drugs in the pipeline. In fact, it is unclear what, if anything, any aspect of our medical system -- the government, academia, or industry -- has done in the last 30 years to make this devastating disease a priority. There is $3 million in federal funding for "CFS" each year, $16 million for male pattern baldness.
What's maddening is that science tells a different story entirely. Studies show severe immunological abnormalities -- damage that, according to Mady Hornig, a professor at Columbia and principal investigator of a project to uncover the pathogens responsible for triggering ME, is unlikely to be caused by anything other than an infectious agent. They show distinct abnormalities in spinal fluid, EEGs, and SPECT scans; bodies ravaged by opportunistic infection; pathological alterations in the bacteria living in our guts. And that physical exertion, that same exercise that is recommended for nearly everyone, healthy or sick, causes abnormal gene expression.
Who Gets to Define a Disease?
There is a new effort underway to close the gap between medicine and science. The Institute of Medicine (IOM), under contract by the Department of Health and Human Services, is assembling a panel of clinicians and researchers to devise a new definition for the disease. On the face, this is a good thing and long overdue. It's a chance to get the story straight.
Yet, nearly every expert who would be qualified to serve on that committee is publicly opposed to it. Not to mention many patient leaders. Some consider this the most important crises the patient community has faced since the 1980s.
Why the uproar? First, it is an expensive process: $1 million in public funds that could otherwise be used for biomedical research when there's already a newer definition many doctors around the world who specialize in treating patients with ME have been using for years.
The real concern is that what will come out of the IOM is a story that will condemn us to the same fate we've been living for thirty years: nearly no public funding for research; a medical system that often abuses patients; and no real treatment, outside of a handful of clinics that probably can't take health insurance.
Earlier this year, the IOM publicly advocated cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, and exercise for ME: the same paradigm my doctor was operating under when he told me my illness was psychosomatic; the day before I over-exerted myself and was never the same again.
I was one of the more than 170 patient advocates who signed an open letter asking HHS to cancel the IOM contract. Many patients would say that a democratic government taking an action that virtually all of its constituents oppose is about dirty politics. There's probably some truth to that. I would like to believe that part of it is a matter of being profoundly out of touch.
There is something elusive in the nature of the illness such that unless you live it, or live with and care for someone who does, it's almost impossible understand or describe. You might come close after decades of treating patients. At every turn, language fails.
I am making a documentary film about ME not because I have any illusion that a film is a cure or that a film on its own can change policy. Rather, so much of the suffering that comes with this disease is needless and borne of ignorance. For too long, we've let others tell our story.
It's hard for me not to wonder if the first doctors I saw had been told a different story about my disease, if they had the experience to recognize what was unfolding before I did, and advocated complete bed rest, if I had never gone on those "healthful" walks, how my story might be different today.
And what might happen to the next generation of patients if we don't have a say in how our own story is written.
Three years ago February, I was sitting in a restaurant, about to sign the check, when I realized I had forgotten how to write my own name.
The intention was there. I could visualize the letter J. I could even imagine what it would be like to write it, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to move my hand. I was 28 years old. I had temporarily lost the ability to draw circles or curves. By May, if I left my house, it was in a wheelchair. Mostly, I was bedridden. Some days, I did not have the strength to lift my head.
Naturally, I turned to my doctors for answers. I learned that having access to the health care system is about a lot more than having health insurance.
Without knowing it, I'd told myself a story: If I ever got sick, it would be like an episode of House, only with less Percocet. A team of brilliant doctors from different specialties passionately debating my case. A deep curiosity and desire to get to the bottom of it. A love of the puzzle. And I would not be lying idly in my sickbed. I'd be busy trying to unravel the mystery, too.
My doctors were not particularly interested in getting to the bottom of anything. Instead, after a few basic tests, they told me that my symptoms were not real. I was diagnosed with conversion disorder -- a nicer, modern version of "hysteria." In their story, symptoms they could not explain needed to be explained away.
Not wanting to be one to reject a hypothesis without testing it, I decided to live with the possibility for a few days that all of it -- the recurrent infections, the fevers, the dizziness, the bizarre neurological symptoms -- really was, as my neurologist believed, all in my head.
I walked home a mile from the clinic that day, ignoring the ostensibly psychosomatic pain in my legs. The next day, I went for a walk down by the river with a friend. I'd always been active. I didn't know then how dangerous physical exertion could be. When I got home, I collapsed. I could not bend my head or walk. My brain and my spinal cord were burning. I have never been the same since.
Preview of Canary in a Coal Mine, a new documentary film about ME
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: An Old Disease Hiding in a Waste Basket
When we first get sick, many patients who are eventually diagnosed with myalgic (muscle pain) encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), encounter doctors who do not believe they are ill. They tell them their symptoms cannot be medically explained.
These beliefs are about professional training, not science. ME is not taught in medical schools. It has no home in any specialty. Without medical education, despite well over 6,000 scientific articles published on the disease, and the 1 million people who suffer from it in the US (over 20 million around the world), it may as well not exist.
ME is an old disease. There have been dozens of documented outbreaks in the last 100 years. Before widespread vaccination, doctors believed it was a new type of poliomyelitis, and in fact, clusters often appeared in areas that were experiencing polio outbreaks.
The outbreak that looms largest in American memory occurred in 1984, in Incline Village, Nevada. Dubbed by the media "the Lake Tahoe mystery illness" and "Yuppie Flu," the U.S. government named it "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome."
The diagnostic criteria were broad, vague and bore only a passing resemblance to the disease doctors treating patients in Lake Tahoe, and the accounts by physicians who witnessed other outbreaks, observed. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome became a waste basket of a category that lumped myalgic encephalomyelitis together with a number of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed conditions like post-viral fatigue, lyme disease, celiac disease, and depression.
ME has all the makings of a very scary movie. It can affect anyone at any stage of life but seems to prefer to hit young women in their prime. Like polio or multiple sclerosis, it can occur in seemingly unconnected individuals and it can also occur in outbreaks. In most cases, there seems to be a viral trigger, but genetic and environmental factors likely play an important role.
The disability is more severe than many types of cancer, or AIDS two months before death. Dr. Nancy Klimas, a leading researcher, describes the severity as equivalent to congestive heart failure, only it rarely kills. It shortens your lifespan. It turns your body into a prison and locks you away for decades. That has been one part of the problem: We don't have a narrative for a disease that is a life sentence.
It is similar in many respects to multiple sclerosis, but three times more prevalent. Some estimates suggest as few as 5-10 percent achieve full remission. Twenty-five percent cannot leave their homes. Many are bedridden for years.
Yet, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an idea that strikes fear in the heart of no one.
What happens when, for decades, the story among doctors is that a serious illness is psychosomatic? For starters, there is no FDA-approved drug nor are their any drugs in the pipeline. In fact, it is unclear what, if anything, any aspect of our medical system -- the government, academia, or industry -- has done in the last 30 years to make this devastating disease a priority. There is $3 million in federal funding for "CFS" each year, $16 million for male pattern baldness.
What's maddening is that science tells a different story entirely. Studies show severe immunological abnormalities -- damage that, according to Mady Hornig, a professor at Columbia and principal investigator of a project to uncover the pathogens responsible for triggering ME, is unlikely to be caused by anything other than an infectious agent. They show distinct abnormalities in spinal fluid, EEGs, and SPECT scans; bodies ravaged by opportunistic infection; pathological alterations in the bacteria living in our guts. And that physical exertion, that same exercise that is recommended for nearly everyone, healthy or sick, causes abnormal gene expression.
Who Gets to Define a Disease?
There is a new effort underway to close the gap between medicine and science. The Institute of Medicine (IOM), under contract by the Department of Health and Human Services, is assembling a panel of clinicians and researchers to devise a new definition for the disease. On the face, this is a good thing and long overdue. It's a chance to get the story straight.
Yet, nearly every expert who would be qualified to serve on that committee is publicly opposed to it. Not to mention many patient leaders. Some consider this the most important crises the patient community has faced since the 1980s.
Why the uproar? First, it is an expensive process: $1 million in public funds that could otherwise be used for biomedical research when there's already a newer definition many doctors around the world who specialize in treating patients with ME have been using for years.
The real concern is that what will come out of the IOM is a story that will condemn us to the same fate we've been living for thirty years: nearly no public funding for research; a medical system that often abuses patients; and no real treatment, outside of a handful of clinics that probably can't take health insurance.
Earlier this year, the IOM publicly advocated cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, and exercise for ME: the same paradigm my doctor was operating under when he told me my illness was psychosomatic; the day before I over-exerted myself and was never the same again.
I was one of the more than 170 patient advocates who signed an open letter asking HHS to cancel the IOM contract. Many patients would say that a democratic government taking an action that virtually all of its constituents oppose is about dirty politics. There's probably some truth to that. I would like to believe that part of it is a matter of being profoundly out of touch.
There is something elusive in the nature of the illness such that unless you live it, or live with and care for someone who does, it's almost impossible understand or describe. You might come close after decades of treating patients. At every turn, language fails.
I am making a documentary film about ME not because I have any illusion that a film is a cure or that a film on its own can change policy. Rather, so much of the suffering that comes with this disease is needless and borne of ignorance. For too long, we've let others tell our story.
It's hard for me not to wonder if the first doctors I saw had been told a different story about my disease, if they had the experience to recognize what was unfolding before I did, and advocated complete bed rest, if I had never gone on those "healthful" walks, how my story might be different today.
And what might happen to the next generation of patients if we don't have a say in how our own story is written.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
How to Eat Healthy for Under $6 a Day
By Nate Morrow
Is good nutrition developing a bad reputation based on outrageous costs?
A number of recent studies have demonstrated the increasing cost of fresh, nutritious food. Conventional wisdom suggests that this cost can keep you from eating as healthfully as you might like -- this makes it difficult for many people who would rather buy and prepare unprocessed, natural foods.
But is eating healthy really as expensive as everyone claims?
No. No, it's not.
Study Claims a Healthy Diet Costs 10x More -- But Is It Misleading?
Much of the recent rabble surrounding the price of food stems from a 2007 study by University of Washington. This study compared the price of snack foods to fresh fruits and vegetables.
In particular, the study claims that eating a healthy diet can cost up to 10 times as much as a diet based on junk food. Well, no wonder people don't eat healthy! With numbers like that, who could afford to?
As it turns out, though, the study uses price per calorie, as it's an easy metric for determining the cost of food. This means that when comparing junk foods loaded with fat and sugar to nutrient-dense foods like spinach, broccoli or apples, the junk food is going to dominate calorie count every time!
If we discount the fact that the calories in junk food are, by and large, nutritionally worthless, a more appropriate metric would be price per serving. Fruits and veggies, by nature, have a much lower calorie count per serving (hint: that's partly why they're better for you).
Let's look at an example:
| Food | Price | Servings | Total Calories | Price/ calorie | Price/ serving |
| Nacho Cheese Doritos (11 oz bag) | $2.99 | 11 | 1540 | $0.0019 | $0.27 |
| Twinkies (6 ct box) | $1.99 | 6 | 900 | $0.0022 | $0.33 |
| Baby spinach (6 oz bag, 8 cups) | $1.99 | 8 | 50 | $0.04 | $0.25 |
| Broccoli crowns (about 4 cups) | $0.99 | 4 | 120 | $0.01 | $0.25 |
| Gala apple (6oz) | $0.24 | 1 | 80 | $0.003 | $0.24 |
It's pretty clear that the junk food items (that would be the Doritos and Twinkies, in case you're wondering) are the champions of price per calorie, both coming in at a fraction of a cent. But when we look at the price per serving numbers, all of a sudden the playing field levels, making the fresh fruit and veggies actually come out a bit cheaper!
How Much Does It Really Cost to Eat Healthy?
According to a New York Times article about the study, the average American spends $7 a day on food -- nearly $50 a week -- so I decided to put together a healthy meal plan for a day to see how it compares to the national average. While I do live in Klamath Falls, Oregon, which is less expensive than a metropolitan area, this daily plan is for a 6-foot, 3-inch, 200-pound man, so I'm not exactly skimping on calories here. Check it out:
Breakfast:
- Scrambled eggs with cheese
- Oatmeal with raisins and honey
Lunch:
- Turkey sandwich with whole-grain bread, cheese, avocado, tomato and lettuce
Dinner:
- Grilled chicken breast
- Steamed broccoli
- Baked sweet potato
Snacks:
- Apple
- Almonds
Shopping list in hand, I set out for my local supermarket, ready for the massive grocery bill I was about to face. You can imagine my relief when I found that my little shopping trip was not nearly as costly as the doom-speakers would have me believe. Fresh fruit and vegetables are actually not that expensive and even the meat and dairy is quite reasonable, if you know what to look for. Here's the breakdown of what I bought:
| Shopping List | Price | Price per serving |
| Brown eggs (30 ct) | $3.58 | $0.12 per egg |
| Frozen chicken breasts (4 lbs) | $10.72 | $1.34 per 6-oz breast |
| Deli style turkey breast (1 lb) | $4.99 | $0.31 per 1-oz slice |
| Mozzarella cheese (2 lb) | $4.98 | $0.16 per 1-oz slice |
| 100% whole wheat bread (18 slices) | $1.69 | $0.09 per slice |
| Oatmeal (42 oz) | $2.18 | $0.21 per ½ cup serving |
| Sweet potato (1 medium) | $0.37 | $0.37 per potato |
| Gala apple (1 medium) | $0.24 | $0.24 per apple |
| Avocado (1 medium) | $0.88 | $0.88 per avocado |
| Broccoli (1 head, about ½ lb) | $0.49 | $0.25 per cup serving |
| Roma tomatoes (5 ct, about 1 lb) | $1.19 | $0.24 per tomato |
| Romaine lettuce (1 head) | $1.99 | $0.20 per cup serving |
| Almonds (½ lb) | $3.40 | $0.42 per 1-oz serving |
| Honey (local, 12 oz) | $3.59 | $0.15 per tbsp serving |
| Raisins (½ lb) | $1.50 | $0.19 per 1-oz serving |
The meat and cheese were the most expensive part of the whole trip, but even so, they were not unreasonable. Now here's how those prices apply to the meal plan for the day:
| Item | Price |
| 3 eggs | $0.36 |
| 1 slice mozzarella cheese | $0.16 |
| 1 cup oatmeal | $0.42 |
| 1 oz raisins | $0.19 |
| 1 tbsp honey | $0.15 |
| Breakfast total | $1.28 |
| 2 slices whole wheat bread | $0.18 |
| 3 slices turkey breast | $0.93 |
| 1 slice mozzarella cheese | $0.16 |
| ½ avocado | $0.44 |
| ½ Roma tomato | $0.12 |
| ½ cup Romaine lettuce | $0.10 |
| Lunch total | $1.93 |
| 1 chicken breast | $1.34 |
| 1 sweet potato | $0.37 |
| 1 cup broccoli | $0.25 |
| Dinner total | $1.96 |
| 1 Gala apple | $0.24 |
| 1 oz almonds | $0.42 |
| Snacks total | $0.66 |
| Grand total | $5.83 |
Wow. So there you have it: a whopping $5.83 for me to make healthy meals throughout the entire day. That's 17 percent below the national average!
As you can see, these studies that count calorie-value, and the articles promoting them, are misleading at best and dangerously disingenuous at worst. It's this kind of self-perpetuating nonsense that makes people give up on the notion of a healthy diet. If you have hugely popular mainstream media like the New York Times spreading the idea that most people will never be able to afford nutritious food, what kind of chance do they have?
For more tips on how to eat healthy on a budget, read the rest of the article on BuiltLean: How To Eat Healthy For Under $6 A Day.
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