Social Connection |

March 6, 2009

Can America Afford Universal Health Care?

The US can’t afford Universal Health Care if the FDA has anything to say about it!

Protecting the interests of the drug industry is very expensive. There is no way any system can provide such a wasteful use of resources to all of its citizens.

Prioritizing profit over human life and productivity is insane, but that is exactly what is happening in the United States of America and every other country around the world to some degree.

Universal Health Care simply means health care for everyone.

Does everyone have the right to help when they are sick or injured?

Should you lose your home because you can’t pay for inflated medical bills. (Look at your charges from the hospital!)

Very poor people can often access medical help in the US.

Depending on the state they live in, it might even be relatively decent care.

However, the working poor are in a bad place. They really can’t afford health care until they are fighting for their life and can’t afford to worry about the expense.

What a shame to work all your life and be denied care when you need it most!

I recently got an email from Dr. Julian Whitaker, urging me to put my signature on a petition to reform the FDA.

Thank you, Dr. Whitaker, for bringing my attention to this project. I will gladly add my name to the list of citizens demanding that this government agency be completely restructured.

More money will not fix the FDA!

At this point, the agency admits that they lack the competency to keep up with scientific advances, and CANNOT determine if new drugs are safe or effective!

The agency can’t even promise us that our food supply is safe!

The worst part of this sad story is that rather than supporting the collaboration of the great scientific minds working to find natural remedies, Continue reading article →

Heart Disease |

February 10, 2009

| by Carrie Tucker

Is Awareness Enough To Fight Heart Disease?

“Being aware” is not an action step.

It may inspire you to take action, and it may not.

Making someone aware is lip service. Asking good questions is a step in the right direction. Discussion can give life to inspiration.

Inspired action requires that you get past denial.

Denial is very popular. It feels good. That is, until your problem gets right in your face.

Even though at this point, you are suffering the consequences of your denial, you may still cling to it.

Until you take back your power, you will not feel better, and you can’t heal from heart disease or any other disease.

Can you take inspired action, and still be in denial?

That is a good question. Usually denial is what keeps you on the side line, or keeps you so attached to your disease process that you never seek help to heal. If you can’t imagine yourself feeling good and living well, then you won’t be able to achieve it.

Recently I came across a story that tore my heart out. The story is about a young woman who was definitely taking inspired action.
She was a role model for inspired action, and her family loved and cherished her.

She had struggled with a weight issue all her life. Her family and friends, and even her “shrink”, considered her a hypochondriac and often joked with her about it. (After all, she wasn’t too proud to admit that she was.) Her many complaints fell on deaf ears, and she brushed any concern aside out of habit.

Until……her final complaint.

“I am so dizzy,” she told her mother over the phone.

Then the line went dead and a 19 years young woman, in the prime of her life, was gone.

Over the years she had learned to ignore her discomfort:

heavy sweating
not being able to catch her breath
being overtired
working hard to lose weight with little results
tendency to be “lazy”

This beautiful young woman lost her life to a congenital heart disease called myocardial bridging—a defect where an artery, instead of going where it’s supposed to in the heart actually goes through the heart muscle.

Her story was written by a close friend, who wishes that the American Heart Association would do a better job of raising awareness about Congenital Heart Defects, and remind people that often, genetics is the only cause.

Do you know that there are tests, treatments, and surgical repair for congenital heart defects?

Most people don’t. If you are far too young for heart disease, but experience symptoms like the ones listed above…..please complain loudly to your health care provider.

Be heard and live!

If you are listening to the American Heart Association, be aware that they promote profitable Cholesterol Lowering Drugs without warning us of the dangers.

Find out what the AHA won’t tell you!

Join The Life Breath Club and get all your questions answered by The Life Breath Coach.

That’s what The Life Breath Club is for!

Become a Member Today

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

Drug Safety |

February 3, 2009

| by Carrie Tucker

Is American Heart Month Inspiring Your Low Cholesterol Diet?

low cholesterol diet

A healthy heart is truly something to celebrate!

Any inspiration to improve your diet is a good thing.

However, if you are planning to make a contribution to the American Heart Association in honor of American Heart Month, please reconsider.

This “non-profit” organization is so busy supporting the pharmaceutical companies and the “drug it chop it out mentality”, that they have lost sight of the fact that diet and lifestyle are the way to reduce heart disease.

Diet and lifestyle do get a lot of lip service from the American Heart Association, but the cash is spent largely on promoting the profit of drugs and surgery.

With the type of money that is available to the American Heart Association, they should be ashamed of their half hearted effort to support the average American on their journey to change.

They are doing nothing to fight the poison in our food supply or the early signs of huge trouble from genetically modified foods.

Change isn’t easy.

It is much easier to build hype around cholesterol lowering drugs and rake in huge profits.

Efforts to educate and facilitate change will take more than a one day event, or even a month of events. Support needs to be ongoing. Bringing people together, in an effort to build community is the answer to reducing heart disease.

Does the American Heart Association have enough money to support Boys and Girls Clubs, so that kids get active early in life?

Do they have enough money to supply churches and community centers with dried beans and grains?

How about supplementing the electric bill for lung disease and heart failure patients when they can’t afford to operate their home oxygen machines?

How about organizing walking and bike riding clubs, or supporting local organizations to do it?

You need support all year, not just for the month of February!

Diet and lifestyle change is a process. Talking about it, and creating “awareness”, stops short of actual HELP.

The American Heart Association has an army of volunteers.

Every American, including this army of volunteers, should be asking the American Heart Association just where their money is spent.

Do You Know How The AMA Spends All That Money?

They claim to have “invested” over 543 million dollars from 2005 to 2006. The money, they say, was spent first on research and professional and public education, and then in “advocacy” and community service programs.

Americans need to hold this “charity” accountable. They CAN do more, and they SHOULD do more!

Want to celebrate American Heart Month? Continue reading article →

Meditation&Exercise |

January 28, 2009

| by Carrie Tucker

Confusion: Ever Feel Like You Have Your Head In the Clouds?

Do you ever notice confusion … walking around like you’ve got your head in the clouds?

You know… spacey?

Like….. ”what the heck was I just doing?”, or “what was I saying?”,

or “what did I come in this room to get?”

Oh come on, you know you do.

What is that all about?

Yesterday I bumped into Bonnie, a patient I used to care for. We were both out shopping, and just tickled pink to have a chance to catch up. I’m sure the other shoppers were wanting us to stop blocking the isle, but we just couldn’t help ourselves.

Bonnie is a colorful lady who loves antiques and beautiful bright colors. Her house is a fun place to visit. My kids were amazed by the place and always begged me to schedule with her when they could come along. They loved the house and Bonnie loved them.

I’d do my usual routine, express my concern about her low oxygen levels, and nag her to use oxygen 24/7. Then we always took time to laugh it up and enjoy each others company.

I noticed that after our delightful isle obstructing visit, I felt like I had my head in the clouds. You know, spacey. I even forgot what the heck I had come into WalMart to buy.

“That sweet old lady does that to me every time,” I thought with a smile. I always seem to be floating just above myself when I spend a little time with this charming, busy lady.

Even though she is very sick and needs to slow down and care for herself, she is still living at a crazy pace that has been the norm all her life. From her costume jewelry, snappy dress, and makeup, to her antique hunting and social life, Bonnie’s life is simply exhausting.

She just never learned to slow down and heal, even though she spent 3 weeks on a ventilator in ICU and almost died more than once.

Low oxygen levels cause short term memory loss. So Bonnie has the excuse of not remembering what changes she should make, long enough to make them.

If Bonnie had discovered the ability to heal herself by listening to her intuition, she could have slowed down long enough to smell the roses years ago.

The problem was that if Bonnie slowed down long enough, Continue reading article →

Drug Safety |

January 21, 2009

| by Carrie Tucker

Have You Checked Your Blood Pressure Lately?

High blood pressure can develop anytime.

Have you been under a lot of stress lately?

Lori has recently taken on the role of caregiver for her aging relatives.

The increased stress has resulted in her blood pressure climbing.

Fortunately, the tragedy of losing her sister too soon (to untreated high blood pressure) has made her painfully aware that denial, and lack of treatment can be a deadly combination.

She knows that she needs to evaluate her options and take action immediately because this is a life threatening condition.

So far she has been much better about getting out and walking each day.

She can’t change the stress that revolves around her, but she can choose to be gentle with herself.

The biggest challenge, she has found, is cutting back on red wine in the evening. It is such a comfort, and really seems to help the stress so much, that she has had a hard time keeping it under control.

Each day is a new day. Each day she faces the challenge.

I don’t worry about her. She is aware that she needs to make changes, and she is always making new goals for herself.

Just because you have not had health issues in the past …

That is no guarantee that you will not develop high blood pressure tomorrow.

Do you know what you do to cause high blood pressure? Continue reading article →

Social Connection |

January 10, 2009

| by Carrie Tucker

Are You Mourning the Loss Of Your Loved One Before Their Death?

Death is a part of life. When someone you love dies, your life goes on without them.

Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia can effectively take your loved one from you. Though your lives go on, the person you loved is gone. They are no longer who they were. Someone else is living with you.

Grieving for the loss of a loved one that is not dead is a heart wrenching kind of pain.

Do you feel angry and sad? Continue reading article →