August 11, 2013

Last month I told you about the alarming number of women in this country dying due to accidental prescription drug overdoses.  About a week later I was watching Katie Couric’s daytime talk show when her guest was Cheryl Shuman, the 53-year-old founder of the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club and self-proclaimed “Martha Stewart of Marijuana.” Shuman began using medical marijuana after becoming frustrated with the prozac and xanax her therapist prescribed for the treatment of severe depression. Shuman was so pleased with how she felt after taking 2 hits on a joint (her therapist rolled for her) that she began growing and selling her own cannabis.  Shuman even credits her recovery from cervical cancer to her medical marijuana treatment.  Shuman doesn’t smoke cannabis, she vaporizes it, cooks with it, drinks cannabis juice on a daily basis and teaches Beverly Hills Cannabis Club members to do the same to cure what ails them. They’re also using cannabis cream, lotion and ointment topically to target specific nerve cells.  Shuman does stress that cannabis should only be used by responsible adults and does not endorse the use of cannabis by the young or those with addiction issues while also making the claim that cannabis is safer than aspirin. Now I need to tell you that Shuman is a PR expert and currently in development for a reality TV series based on her life and cannabusiness.  The natural conclusion you might come to is that she is just taking advantage of California law and desperate people.

But what would you think if I told you that highly respected neurosurgeon and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent (reportedly a one-time Obama candidate for Surgeon General of the United States) Dr. Sanjay Gupta has come out publicly in favor of medical marijuana? Dr. Gupta believes that marijuana has been “demonized” and that marijuana used for medical purposes is less addictive than many other drugs now being prescribed.  In fact, a majority of doctors say they would prescribe medical marijuana if it were legal but that they have some concerns regarding the quality of the cannabis, problems with dosing and potential side effects. Like it or not, marijuana is becoming more mainstream everyday. Fifty –two percent of Americans polled believe marijuana should be legal.  The newest “mother’s little helper” is currently legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia and compassionate care acts are the topic of debate in many state legislatures.  Medical marijuana is predicted to be a 47 billion dollar business by 2016.

Honestly, I’ve gotta tell you I’m a little conflicted. I certainly don’t want us to become a nation of stoners.  But as a breast cancer patient it’s hard for me to turn my back on the potential benefit of medical marijuana when there is credible research that indicates it may slow cancer growth, inhibit formation of new blood cells that feed tumors and help manage pain, fatigue, nausea and other side effects of cancer treatment. The conservative, mother and Midwestern housewife in me fears the effects of marijuana on the developing brain, the potential for misuse, overuse and abuse and the well documented health concerns related to the use of marijuana.  Is medical marijuana the answer to the prescription drug overdose epidemic, a potential treatment for cancer, a defense against the plaque build up in the brain that causes dementia and the answer for millions who live each day in debilitating pain?  Will the long-term health of women be harmed or helped by the legalization of medical marijuana?  These are all questions best answered by someone wiser than myself.

Find out more information on this highly controversial health issue by watching  “Weed:  A Dr. Sanjay Gupta Special” tonight, August 11 on CNN.

Make the time to be good to you and the next time you are invited to a “potluck” party you might want to verify what that means before you arrive with your famous tuna noodle casserole.

Good Health!

Terry

“The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there"

~ Betty Grable, American Film Actress

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July 2013

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently released data showing that between 1999 and 2010 there was a five-times increase in women dying from prescription painkiller overdoses.  In 2013 an estimated 7000 women will die due to a prescription painkiller overdose. Women ages 45 to 54 were most likely to ingest a fatal dose of prescription drugs, followed by women ages 55 to 64. Annually more men than women die from a prescription drug overdose but the concerning factor is the rate at which women are dying is increasing.  Why? Women are more likely to be prescribed painkillers for acute or chronic pain.  Often these drugs are prescribed in higher doses and are taken for a longer period of time.  Women are also more likely to “doctor shop” in search of multiple prescriptions and to mix painkillers with anti-anxiety medications.  Drug overdoses kill more women in the United States than car accidents, cervical cancer or homicide.  Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, believes that the medical community needs to consider the possibility of addiction and to seek alternative treatments for chronic pain before prescribing painkillers.  But most importantly, women need to understand the dangers and potentially deadly consequences of misusing these very powerful drugs.

Pinterest can be a huge time-waster but it can also be a great way to organize healthy living resources.  With Pinterest it’s easy to save links to healthy recipes, workout plans, medical articles and motivating quotes.  You can also see what’s worked for others who share similar goals and create a virtual network of support.   But the best part is that you can access Pinterest information anytime, anywhere on your smartphone.  Will Pinterest make you healthier?  No, you’re responsible for that, but Pinterest can make trying to stay healthy easier and fun.

Make the time to good to you and stop to smell the lemons. The smell of lemon awakens the senses and increases concentration and awareness.  Rub a little lemon essential oil on your skin for a mid-afternoon energy boost.

Good Health!

Terry

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

~Coco Chanel

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June 2013

Several weeks ago the media was buzzing about a study reported in General Dentistry that said drinking diet soda pop had the same effect on your mouth as using methamphetamine or cocaine. To illustrate this point a really gross photo compared the mouth of a meth user and the mouth of a 2-liter a day, diet soda pop drinker.  But, it turns out that the study was a bit exaggerated and the diet soda pop drinker was a woman who hadn’t seen a dentist in over 20 years.  Read further into the study and you find out that the sample group was only 3 people who admittedly did not practice good oral care.  It is true that drinking large quantities of diet soda pop can rot your teeth but there is a limited risk of developing “meth mouth” if you brush and floss your teeth regularly.  However, there are lots of other reasons why you should stop drinking diet soda pop:

• Women who drink diet soda pop are at increased risk of developing depression.
• The long-term effect of consuming large quantities of artificial sweetener is not known but research suggests that artificial sweetener has an adverse effect on kidney function.
• When you consume sweet liquids you crave sweets.
• Carbonation causes belly bloat.
• Many diet soda pop drinks contain caffeine.  Caffeine is addictive and has been linked to insomnia, anxiety and fatigue.
• Acidic chemicals in diet soda pop are believed to cause inflammation and corrosion of body tissue. Translation . . . Consuming diet soda pop makes your skin look older.
• Diet soda pop drinkers are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of metabolic disorders including obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and hormone resistance that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
• The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), used to coat the inside of soda pop cans and to produce polycarbonate plastic bottles, has been linked to all kinds of health issues including reproductive problems. 

Drinking diet pop every now and then is not going to kill you, rot your teeth or make you obese.  Just make sure you limit your consumption and stop being that gal who is never without her Diet Coke.  Most likely you will feel better and look better.

Make time to be good to you and stop making your bed!  When you leave the bed unmade dust mites are deprived of the humidity they need to survive.  

Good Health!

Terry

“Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president's spouse. I wish him well!”

~Barbara Bush, Wellesley College Commencement Address June, 1990

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