The Pill : Fifty Years Young

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the oral contraceptive pill, more popularly kown simply as the Pill.

An exerpt from Pharma in Focus records that " It was on 11 May 1960 that Searle Pharmaceutical Corporation introduced the first oral contraceptive Enovid (norethynodrel and an estrodial called mestranol) to the US market. Nine months later on 1 February 1961, Australia was the first country in Asia Pacific to launch the oral contraceptive pill. Known as Anovlar, it was marketed by Schering Australia, now part of Bayer Schering Pharma, and only accessible to married women.

In 1964, Anovlar was offered in a calendar pack for the first time, following a regimen still in use today: 21 days of hormones followed by a seven day break to allow for menstruation. This 21/7 regimen was introduced to help make it easier for women to keep track of their Pill. By 1967, over 12.5 million women worldwide were on the Pill.

Now, about 100 million women worldwide use combination hormonal contraception."

Whilst there is no question, the Pill brought immense change to women's lives, like most things in life, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Debate has raged for many years as to whether the Pill might increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Clinical research would seem to indicate that genetically 'at risk' women, with the BRCA1 gene may have up to 11 times higher risk, however the consensus has been that within 10 years of ceasing to take the Pill, all women are on a level playing field of risk.

Common sense would suggest that the less chemical substances generally, we put in our bodies over time, the better the odds of remaining healthy.

If you would like further information on this topic, and strategies for detoxing your system from prolonged contraceptive use, call Patricia on 02 66559400.

In Good Health
Patricia

Closer Examination of the 'Latest' Vitamin Cancer Scare

Media outlets around the world have had a field day reporting on the release of a study, funded by the Swedish Cancer Foundation and the Swedish Research Council for Infrastructure. The study concluded that women who took multivitamins regularly, had a 19% higher risk of developing breast cancer, than non - users.

What fails to be mentioned is the framework of the study, which both the Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC) and Blackmores, raised as having questionable parameters, this past week.

Dr Wendy Morrow, executive director of the CHC, said it had "some concerns over limitations to the study", pointing out that there had been a lack of evaluation of bioactivity and the use of a self-administered questionaire.

In layman terms this means some key factors were overlooked, in terms of evaluation of the ingredients of the vitamins used in the study, the brands used, and the fact that throughout the study, data collected about dietary supplement use was solely based on individual feedback, which may have been skewed. No real control mechanism was in place to ensure correct recording of information.

Blackmores also pointed out that the evidence was inconclusive, and in fact clashed with results from other studies, citing a large study from Harvard University, over six years, which found "that multivitamin use was NOT related to overall risk of breast cancer and that multivitamin supplements may in fact, REDUCE the risk of breast cancer in some groups of women."

Such conflicting press coverage only serves to confuse and confound the general public, which makes one wonder about the true purpose of reporting results from a study that appears to have not been done particularly well. Frankly, I think I'd rather err on the side of the decision of an independent researcher, such as Harvard University, than one funded by a Cancer Foundation.

It pays to dig a little deeper at times, when you read such sensational headlines.

In Good Health
Patricia

Slow Chemical Death by Rubber Duck

I was delighted to see an article in the Weekend Edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, about a new book called 'Slow Death by Rubber Duck' , drawing attention to the ever present problems of toxic chemicals in our environment.

Natural health practitioners have been attempting to make this point for many years now, but as always, once the message finally starts filtering through to the mainstream media, it suddenly becomes the flavour of the month.

No doubt it will create a stir in some circles, as people start asking the hard questions. I strongly believe the accumulation of toxic chemicals in fatty tissue, may be one of the potential pre-cursors to developing breast cancer.

I recommend you make the time to read this article, and get the book and read it. I have a copy in my clinic and I'm happy to loan it. If you'd like further information on strategies for how to deal with this issue of toxic chemical accumulation, contact me on totalhealthoptions@bigpond.com.

In Good Health
Patricia

Early Exposure to 3 Classes of Common Chemicals Bad for Young Girls

ALL MOTHERS SHOULD READ THIS & PASS IT ON !
A study just published by the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives, highlights some disturbing trends for young girls, that are linked to increasing peer pressure to start using cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, beauty products, fragrances and lotions, at a far earlier age than ever before.
The evidence is mounting that some of the ingredients of these products have the potential to interfere with developmental growth, and disrupt hormonal balance. Right around the world, stories abound of young girls developing breasts and coming into puberty, earlier and earlier, and I believe that parents should be paying far more attention to this issue, and be aware of the potential dangers of what their young daughters may be exposed to.

One of the real risks is the danger of developing breast cancer at a far earlier age, down the line.

Having said that, it also occurs to me as I write this, that mothers of young boys should also be aware of this issue, as they often start using a range of personal hygiene products, long before they require any. My personal pet hate was when my own young teenage son started using a highly perfumed spray deodorant, convinced his peer group would ostracize him, if he didn't! The smell would linger for hours in the bathroom, long after he'd departed the house ! It was overpowering, in a sickly sweet way and highly irritating to the nostrils!

The power of media driven commercialism to brainwash our young, into believing these products are a perfectly natural part of daily life is indeed scary.

Sadly these days, the price of modern living, with all it's so called benefits, really means that the price of freedom, is to remain ever vigilant.

In Good Health
Patricia

Vitamin D : A Hidden Factor ?

Everywhere I turn this past month, I've been confronted with reports pouring in from all around the world, about the benefits of Vitamin D. Even Oprah got on the band wagon! Seems it's the absolute flavour of the month, and whilst it's always good to take any 'new discovery' slowly, the evidence would certainly appear compelling.

An article out of Germany goes so far as to suggest a saving of 37.5 billion euros on the annual health bill, if correct levels of Vitamin D were maintained by the population. Increasing recommended daily intake would go a long way to reducing a myriad of health conditions connected to low levels of Vitamin D. Seems pretty simple really, so one can only wonder why the powers that be, have held the levels so low for so long ?

A really interesting article from the Science Daily in the US, as far back as 2007, comments that almost half of all breast cancers, and one third of colo-rectal cancers, diagnosed, may be prevented, by taking 2000 international units of Vitamin D3 a day, or getting 10 - 15 minutes of sunshine.

Interesting that it's taken this long to filter down, to the mainstream press!

If you'd like to know more about this topic, or have any questions, please feel free to write to me at info@thermalscans.com.au or visit my website.

Your in Good Health
Patricia

Unecessary Radiation Risks from 'Routine' Scans ?

Seems there's growing disquiet in the US about the vastly increased use of powerful CT scan technology, for a range of procedures, some that previously were done manually.

They're increasingly being used to check for bowel cancer and look at gastric ulcers, as well as map blood flow to the brain.

Research suggests that this trend has increased the average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation by a factor of seven, which is approximately equivalent to the radiation received from 400 chest X-rays.

The New York Times has a story about this situation, and in fact been following this trend for some time and earlier this year, published a series of articles related to excessive radiation harm.

I found it quite astounding to read that there are an 'estimated 70 million CT scans performed' in the US every year. In the early '80's it was around 3 million, but the real kicker is that researchers estimate there could be as many as 14,000 deaths a year now, from radiation-induced cancers.

Add in mammograms to the mix, and women are really faced with some sobering choices these days.

Obviously we have a much smaller population here in Australia, but it's a statistic that certainly gives reason to think twice about the wisdom of having a mammogram, for basic screening purposes, unless you absolutely have to! The more low dose ionising radiation a woman is exposed to, the greater the risk of possibly developing breast cancer as a result of it.

Having said that, it's still an important issue to be able to monitor breast health, and digital infrared thermal imaging ( DITI) definitely provides that option in a painless and non-invasive way, with the added bonus of NO radiation!

If you'd like further information about this technology, visit my site, and feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

In Good Health
Patricia

Broken Sick-Care System Seems to Miss The Point

This past week I've made the effort to travel to Sydney, following the speaking trail of a UK health researcher by the name of Phillip Day. I'd read his books, heard anecdotes, but never seen him in person. His mantra : Look Great, Feel Better, Worry Less, Live Longer.

I have to say he crystalised some basic philosophical viewpoints for me, apart from being an absolutely riveting and informative presenter! His message is both urgent and important. The health of industrialised nations is going down the gurgler, and mainstream medicine appears to not really be all that concerned!

Phillip Day has been sounding the alarm for over 25 years now, and has generated a long list of books, CD's, DVD's and information resources to spread the word in a grass roots fashion. He's not afraid to talk about the difficult and painful issues related to cancer, and he's angry at the way scientific data that's been around for well over 60 years, is manipulated, mis-represented and in many cases, actively suppressed by government, medicine and big Pharma.

One of his books "Cancer: Why We're Still Dying To Know The Truth" packs a real wallop. It's an overview that exposes the ongoing medicalcancer, and outlines what you can do about the disease YOURSELF!

He writes that science has known for 100 years that cancer is a healing process, that has not terminated upon completion of its task, rather than a disease per se.. This book details the amazing track record of nutrition and its role within the simple protocol of Vitamin B17 metabolic therapy, a science which has been researched to the highest levels of biochemistry, used by leading doctors around the world today to control and eliminate cancers of all kinds. Yet why do we hear nothing of it in mainstream media? He asks the difficult questions, and sets about answering them with well researched, independent, verified information.

If you want to learn from the medical experts themselves, about the simple facts of natural treatments; if nutritional therapy works so well with cancer, why doesn't everybody know about it?; why diet is so important; why chemotherapy and radiotherapy cancer treatments are not really working; and uncover why more people are making a living from cancer than are dying from it, then I suggest you do yourself a favour and buy this book and read it immediately.

It's packed with testimonials from people who have decided to take control over their illness and are now cancer-free, and best of all, Phillip Day is incredibly generous and giving of his time.

He freely gives out his email and home telephone numbers and connects with people all around the world to support them in their journey from disease and ill-health to wellness.

How many oncologists do you know that would be willing to do that ?

He has already responded to two of my emails in the last 3 days, about treatment protocols for some of my clients, despite being in the middle of a demanding road trip Down Under.

With all the current debate swirling around Canberra,this week, regarding the provision of health care here in Australia, surely it's the perfect time to once again raise the issue of including preventative natural health care as an underpinning of the medical model.

Without question the current prevailing paradigm appears to be focused on an illness model, as opposed to a wellness model.While ever providing health care is not viewed in a holistic context, but rather takes a compartmentalised approach, change will be excrutiatingly slow, and possibly too late for many.

If you would like further information regarding Phillip Day, visit his website here. Feel free to contact me if you would like support or to discuss any health protocols.

In Good Health
Patricia