Drug Safety |

April 27, 2010

Should You Avoid Kombucha Tea?

Carpe Diem Kombucha Cranberry

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Brent a Bauer, an internist at the Mayo Clinic says:
“until definitive studies quantify the risks and benefits of Kombucha tea, it’s prudent to avoid it.”

Dr. Bauer says that there are no studies you can trust.

Well duh, Dr. Bauer. Nobody is going to get rich selling Kombucha. I mean, there are successful companies selling Kombucha, but they are not BIG business.

Big Pharma really likes LARGE profit. Much much larger than the natural foods companies are making. Any study that proves the value of Kombucha could only damage their sales.

You might not find research studies on Kombucha, but you can find LOTS of personal testimonials.

I’d love to share my personal Kombucha story!

About 6 years ago, I found out that I was expecting another baby. My daughters were 8 and 11 years old, so the thought of starting over again made me feel a bit weary. I wasn’t nearly as overwhelmed as my doctor was though!

I had been living with auto immune symptoms for about 7 years, and my doctor insisted that I terminate the pregnancy. She was convinced that I would have a tough time carrying a child to term and an even tougher time raising one with my health issues.

Since I just could not come to terms with killing my unborn child, I decided against abortion.

Much to my surprise, my symptoms of pain and stiffness began to fade and then vanished over the course of my pregnancy. I had been managing my symptoms with diet, supplements and exercise fairly well, but about half way through my pregnancy, it was evident that I was not living with the symptoms any more.

I was healed by pregnancy!

Unfortunately, I had another issue to deal with. From conception, I was unable to hold food down very well. Eating was definitely a challenge. I had to force myself to eat, and then it usually came back up.

It was a long haul, but the morning after my little guy was born, my appetite returned to normal. However, the 9 months had taken a huge toll on my body.

My little boy was a high maintenance baby, and I had very little help since I lived in a very isolated area. Within 2 months, I got very sick with an abscess in my neck.

After a short hospitalization and VERY powerful antibiotics I was on the mend. Unfortunately, the antibiotics had totally wiped out my normal healthy gut flora.

I began to bleed from my rectum!

My doctor recommended surgery, but I was not about to agree to that without looking for alternatives.

While chatting with a neighbor at a community picnic, I heard about the magic of Kombucha tea. I went directly to the natural food store and bought my first bottle.

YUCK! The stuff tasted like vinegar! But hey, I’d try anything, so I kept with it. After a while the tea didn’t taste so bad, and much to my surprise I really began to enjoy it!

The bleeding from my bowel stopped completely. I was thrilled to have found such an easy fix to such a worrisome problem.

I found that if I ate processed foods or sugar, that the bleeding would start again. However, if I avoided sugar, ate whole foods, and made sure to get several large doses of Kombucha tea each week, I continued to heal.

Today, I crave Kombucha tea even though my bowel issues are long gone! I always keep it around for its nurturing benefits and it’s great for symptoms of indigestion. Even my kids know that if their tummy hurts, Kombucha tea will help.

This is just my story, but you can find many testimonials online from thrilled people who have discovered this powerful healing elixer.

Dr. Bauer sites homemade Kombucha as being dangerous because it has the potential for contamination. You can purchase quality Kombucha from many natural foods companies. My favorite is GT’s Synergy Kombucha.

If your budget will not support plenty of commercial Kombucha, then check out the information and starter kits that are available online.

Back to the question I asked you in the beginning of this post ….

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Fred Bloem recently sent me an email message that shines a light on just how willing those in power are to take chances with your health.

Dr. Bloem says: Continue reading article →

Meditation&Exercise |

April 9, 2010

| by Carrie Tucker

Are You Dealing With Health Related Issues From Work Related Stress?

Get it Over With

Do you wake up every morning sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

Does the thought of getting up to go to work turn your stomach?

The work related stress that you have come to accept as normal may end up making you sick.

Kay was a very successful advertising executive and said she thrived on the stress at work. She said the stress level made her more alert and pushed her past her comfort zone.

When she had been on the job about 3 years, she started having uncomfortable symptoms that often took her off her game, and started effecting her work performance.

She came to me hoping to sharpen her edge, so to speak, because she was hoping for a big promotion and she knew that her fatigue and illness were hurting her chances.

Before Kay could heal her symptoms, I had to help her create a paradigm shift. Kay did not value relaxation. If she spent more than 10 minutes visiting with a friend, she felt pressured to “get something done”.

Kay’s goals were all about money and things.

Kay had forgotten what life is all about.

As we covered her history I could see that there was a lot of pain in Kay’s past and not a lot of fun in her present.

The first time Kay followed my instructions to “sit with stillness for 10 minutes” she called me and asked me why I wanted her to torture herself.

I encouraged Kay to stick with it, and to ask herself what she feels and what she might have to say during that 10 minutes that she is devoting to nurture herself.

Kay didn’t like to walk or eat fruit either, but “sitting with stillness” was cruel and unusual punishment in her eyes.

By the end of week one of Kay’s New Personal Program, she reported feeling much better. Her focus and clarity were the biggest improvement. Her tension headaches and afternoon fatigue had not stopped but they were much less intense and frequent. She was sleeping much better and her blood pressure was down.

At the 2 week mark Kay admitted that she had stopped trying to do the “10 minutes of sitting with stillness” because every time she did it she cried.

I asked her what she was feeling when she cried.

She said the only thing she felt was ridiculous that she was sitting in her living room crying for no apparent reason.

After a good chat about why crying is beneficial and healing, Kay reluctantly agreed to keep trying to practice her program. She was really encouraged when I suggested that she may not need to figure out what she is crying about. The story behind the tears is not always necessary.

“Maybe you just need to cry.”

The very next week, Kay had completely changed her opinion of “sitting with stillness”. She wanted to know more. I encouraged her to try Holosync technology.

Kay really didn’t have an easy time surrendering to relaxation. She entertained us both with her stories of struggle and triumph. Holosync technology, which actually puts you in a state of meditation, “felt like cheating”, Kay said. “Being still was so hard, but it got easy when I started using Holosync.”

Today Kay will tell you that deep relaxation is a very valuable skill. It requires focused attention. She grew strength and learned a lot about herself, really improving her work performance. By the time she got the promotion, she was flirting with the idea of a career change.

Health related issues from work related stress creep into your life gradually. Maybe you don’t even see your health issues as work related, but work related stress certainly weakens your immune system and contributes to any disease process you’ve got going on.

Scientists say that the length and quality of your life is determined by how well you use your lungs.

Stress is like living in a vice! It’s pretty tough to breathe in a vice!

Stress kills!

Do you know how to breathe better? Continue reading article →

Drug Safety |

April 5, 2010

| by Carrie Tucker

Before You Drug Yourself, Do You Research Prescription Drug Information?

Before You Drug Yourself

Recently I was contacted by a web site that devotes itself to making patients aware of drug recalls, black box warnings, side effects, and other details about prescription drug information as well as over the counter meds they may be using.

They would like me to send you to their web site for your safety and protection. I am happy to do so.

I just wanted to point out to you that drug companies do not research drug interactions.

Any drug interaction on record is available because some poor soul suffered from experiencing the bad reaction AND it was reported.

If drug companies spent money to discover drug interactions they would hurt their drug sales. They would make less money for their stock holders, and they are not about to spend money to make less money.

Please be aware that the profit of their stock holders is without a doubt more important to the drug company administration than is their concern for you.

The following statement is from DrugWatch.com.

Drug Watch: Accutane, Yaz & Heart Disease

By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions and up to date information about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health. The safety and protection of consumers and patients must be the focal point of modern medicine.

(As I said above, safety and protection must be the focal point, but the truth is that it ISN’T. Drug Watch.com is simply working to protect you as best they can.)

Two drugs that have recently been in the news are Yaz and Accutane. Both of these can cause several side effects, including cardiovascular problems.

DrugWatch.com educates visitors by providing access to a database of thousands of medications and associated side effects. DrugWatch.com is updated daily with news breakthroughs, information about medications currently involved in clinical trials, up-and-coming drug recalls, and Food and Drug Administration warnings.

(Please be aware that adverse drug reactions are only recorded if they are reported. As a consumer, it is your duty to report any adverse reactions you experience from drugs. If you don’t, others may not have access to the information. You can go to the FDA web site to report incidence of adverse reaction.)

YAZ & ACCUTANE

Drospirenone, known as “Yaz,” was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16, 2006 as an oral contraceptive to prevent against pregnancy, treat acne and treat the symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The medication contains the hormone estrogen and a type of progestin called drospirenone to prevent ovulation.

Yaz and Accutane both share several relationships, including: Continue reading article →

Drug Safety |

March 18, 2010

| by Carrie Tucker

Concerned About Paxil Side Effects?

There was recently a class action law suit filed against GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Paxil, because “controlled release” tablets made between April 1, 2002 and March 4, 2005, contained a manufacturing defect that caused them to split apart.

Patient’s prescribed these drugs may have received the entire dose at once, or the time release portion of the pill without the active ingredient.

You should be concerned about Paxil side effects whether you took the pill back then, or you’re taking it today minus the manufacturer’s defect!

On March 22, 2004 the FDA issued an extraordinary Public Health Advisory that cautioned about the risks associated with the new generation of antidepressants

Prozac
Zoloft
Paxil
Luvox
Celexa
Lexapro
Wellbutrin
Effexor
Serzone
Remeron

The warning followed a public hearing at which dozens of family members of victims testified about suicide and violence committed by individuals taking these medications.

From agitation and hostility to impulsivity and mania, the FDA’s litany of antidepressant-induced behaviors is identical to those induced by:

PCP
methamphetamine
cocaine

(Drugs known to cause aggression and violence.)

These older stimulants and most of the newer antidepressants cause similar effects as a result of their influencing brain levels of the same neurotransmitter, serotonin.

A new FDA warning issued on January 31, 2008 declared that yet another group of chemical agents used to treat mood disorders carried the risk of “symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, hostility, mania and hypomania” which “may be precursors to emerging suicidality.”

This time the culprits are antiepileptic drugs – medications used to control seizures.

Because they cause sedation, these drugs are commonly used in psychiatry as “mood stabilizers.”

As a result of an orchestrated psychiatric campaign to diagnose children with “bipolar disorder,” increasing numbers of children are being given these drugs.

Be aware that all of these drugs work in the same way.

Paxil is contraindicated for patients younger than 18 because Paxil side effects are just too dangerous. (Look it up!)

Is the profit to be made by creating addicts very early in life causing the irresponsible recruiting of young people?

This group of anti-seizure medications includes:

carbamazapine (brand names Tegretol, Equetro)
gabapentin (Neurontin)
lamotrigine (Lamictal)
topiramate (Topamax)
valproate (Depakote)

All of these drugs are being prescribed for varying psychiatric purposes, including the treatment of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

Shortly after the release of the Public Health Advisory the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline notified healthcare professionals of revisions to the WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS sections of Paxil labeling to alert healthcare professionals that patients with major depressive disorder, both adult and pediatric:

“may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidal tendencies), whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications.”
In the most recent edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision under Differential Diagnosis it states:
“Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medications may produce akathisia . . .” “Akathisia may be associated with dysphoria (restlessness, depression & anxiety), irritability, aggression, or suicide attempts.”

So you tell me,

Was it ethical for the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline to calm worries about these drugs by stating that worsening symptoms may occur with or without the medications?

Let’s talk side effects! Continue reading article →

Ideal Weight |

March 14, 2010

| by Carrie Tucker

Will the Oprah Effect Cause You to Choose a Kind Diet?

The Kind Diet on Oprah

Oprah is talking about the source of our food!

This subject has been close to my heart for 20 years. However, I am not quick to talk about it since I have not had much positive feedback around the subject over the years.

Twenty years ago I was a weirdo!

Now it seems that the Oprah Effect will make this subject fashionable. Three cheers for Oprah!

I experienced some BIG changes from “The Kind Diet”:

my panic attacks disappeared

within a week severe bowel troubles that had plagued me all my life vanished

In spite of the recommendation to choose processed foods, “The Kind Diet” is a good read that will help you make better choices concerning the foods you put on your plate.

Kind is good, and WHOLE and organic is better!

Will the Oprah Effect improve your health? I hope so!

What you choose to eat has a big effect on the planet and on your body!

My dramatic improvements drove me to research food even more than I already had.

You’ll hear diet advice everywhere so let me share with you the basics that will really change your health for the better.

#1 Processed foods are really not good for you.

This includes bread. What could be more processed than bread?

#2 Genetically modified foods are harmful.

GMO foods are lacking bio-energy that you need from your foods, and they also introduce allergens and transfer antibiotic resistance markers.

#3 High fructose corn syrup does not belong in your kitchen OR your body!

Just these basic guide lines will serve you well as you alter your diet.

Make a few small changes and see if you don’t feel an immediate difference.

As The Life Breath Coach, I teach that you can heal yourself with Sacred Breathing even without altering your diet, but proper nutrition is definitely the raw material that makes you who you are. You really are what you eat!

If you have questions, join the life breath club and get answers from The Life Breath Coach!

Click on the link and discover the benefits of membership.

Join Now

This is a private membership site to protect your medical privacy.

It’s free!

Many blessings,

Carrie Tucker, RCP

The Life Breath Coach

Heart Failure Solutions

PS– Remember everyday:

Relax and Release tension
Exhale Slowly
Be active in a way that adds Joy to your life

Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter

Social Connection |

March 9, 2010

| by Carrie Tucker

Is There a Simple Solution To Universal Health Care?

What if there was a simple natural remedy for fatigue? …

For Swine Flu? …

For the common cold? …..

Do you think your doctor would tell you about it?

What if this same natural remedy was found to cure bad breath, acne, stomach aches, and bone cancer?

Surely a natural substance with all those benefits would be on the evening news … right?

What if this natural remedy had no side effects and was perfectly safe to be given to the old and frail, AND the very young?

This type of good news would travel fast, don’t you think?

Where there is NO profit to be made, this remedy actually IS being used to treat patients and the research is being recorded.

We are talking legitimate science here.

In the United States and Canada this natural remedy is being successfully used in nursing homes to revitalize their elderly tenants.

This natural remedy is very safe to administer and has no side effects.

You’d think that under the circumstances, the powers that be would be testing this natural remedy! Hell, maybe Universal Health Care really is affordable and realistic.

The Scientists of today accept this natural remedy as “Ram Ban” medicine, which means it is very effective medicine for all kinds of disease.

Is it hard for you to believe that this wonderful news would be suppressed?

Why would a cost effective medicine that really helps people not be widely used and accepted in the medical community?

Are you aware that if there were an alternative treatment discovered for chemo therapy 98% of all the medical institutions in the United States would be devastated, and likely teeter on the verge of bankruptcy?

Barry Lynes, author of The Healing of Cancer, cites evidence that the FDA itself has a history of ignoring dangerous drugs and chemical additives marketed by drug companies while using bureaucratic delays, legal harassment, unconstitutional procedures, and falsified evidence to stop alternative cures.

Just be aware that “first, do no harm” is an oath that every doctor must make.

When the system puts profit before benefit, that oath becomes a joke.

So who can you trust to give you the simple truth?

Speaking the simple truth may very well put me under scrutiny, but I am ready to speak out and face the wrath of the drug lords and the brain washed citizens who want to believe that they are powerless victims of disease.

Are you wondering what that simple natural remedy is that has the respect of scientists around the world? Continue reading article →