The Wellness Bitch

Oh, to be young and sexy…

Ok, of course, it’s all a matter of perspective. I suppose a senior citizen might consider Yours Truly young and sexy, but I’m talking about the kind of young and sexy that needs to worry about birth control and sexually transmitted disease because they’re having lots of hot sex. I don’t want to presume that our guest blogger today, 25-year-old women’s health advocate Kristina Davidson is having lots of hot sex…but something tells me she is. And good for her! But even better yet, she’s a wellness bitch in the making and she wants to WAKE UP women her age to what she knows about The Pill.

By Kristina Davidson

I used to think I led a healthy life. I exercised on my elliptical machine an hour every night, avoided fast food at all costs, and always got enough sleep. I discovered recently, though, that all those carrots and hours on my elliptical machine might not have been enough for someone who also takes The Pill.

Did you know the danger you put yourself in when you start taking an oral contraceptive?  I didn’t.

Like many adults, I enjoy the health benefits of a monogamous, physically intimate relationship. Little did I know that despite being part of a monogamous relationship, I put myself at risk every morning when I popped The Pill. 

I’m not alone. The Pill is a bad habit that lots of young women share with me. With up to a 99.9% rate of pregnancy prevention, it’s been my go-to choice of contraception for the last two years.  As a contraceptive, The Pill is effective and convenient.  All I need to do is take it at the same time every morning. So what’s the problem?

Well, thanks to clever marketing, more than 100 million women worldwide (including me) have been led to believe these pills represent a completely safe option in pregnancy prevention. Many manufacturers, recognizing this is a highly profitable product, devote millions of dollars to its heavy marketing each year. The U.S. government even encourages Planned Parenthood Clinics to provide these drugs at very little or no charge, sometimes adjusting cost according to income. 

However, the FDA last year asked Bayer HealthCare, the manufacturer of the top-selling oral contraceptive pill Yaz, to remove misleading advertising for their products, in particular dishonest ads promoting their products as treatments for other unrelated health concerns, like depression and acne, despite a lack of evidence. 

These misconceptions aren’t the worst part of these drugs, unfortunately.  Oral contraceptives can also present frightening physical side effects, like the increased risk of cardiovascular disease because the estrogen in them also acts as a blood coagulator. One Yaz lawsuit   involves a woman who developed blood clots in her lungs after using this particular brand of oral contraceptive.

In the end, it’s up to the individual to educate herself about the risks before deciding whether the inconvenience of an unplanned pregnancy warrants the use of these hormone-altering drugs. After learning what I put my body through for the last two years, I decided to write this article to share my story and some of the frightening details of this product.  I now hope to inform women of the alternate forms of contraception that ensure against both pregnancy and unwanted side effects. I never thought it would happen, but I can now add cultural crusader to my list of activities.

Editor’s Note: The Wellness Bitch adds that my own experience on the Pill for many years makes me worry about future incidence of breast cancer — Not one of the three OBs that prescribed me The Pill over that period asked me if I was at risk for breast cancer because of being an Ashkenazi Jew or due to family history of breast cancer. Furthermore, while the Pill was awesome at keeping me not pregnant, it often turned me into a lunatic, particularly the one time I tried Yaz.

One of the best parts of being a wellness bitch is meeting other wellness bitches on a mission. Sue Ingebretson wouldn’t dare call herself a wellness bitch — she’s too nice — but read a few chapters of her new book FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the Ten Root Causes of Illness Restores Chronic Wellness and you discover that Sue is passionate (but not bossy!) about changing the way you approach your health. She transformed her own life…and in an interview with the WB shares with you some of the discoveries she made along the way.

1.  Why “rebuilding” wellness as the name of your website?

The image of rebuilding something is powerful. In fact, it’s empowering to imagine rebuilding something that’s broken. Chronic illness creates cracks and fissures to our health’s foundation and being able to fix them puts the tools in our hands. Too many chronically ill people are told (via news, ads, magazines, their doctors, etc.) that both getting sick and getting well are simply whims. As if chronic illness arbitrarily descends from the clouds one day. Chronic illness stems from a combination of causes. That scenario leads to the “cracks” in our foundations allowing systemic illnesses to seep in. Looking for the root causes of those cracks is exciting! We get to be our own detectives, ferreting out truths and treatments that work for us! It’s not about blaming ourselves or others for how we got sick. It’s about putting on our own Team Captain hat and figuring out how to get better.

2.  Wellness is becoming quite the buzz word these days. The subtitle of your book includes the phrase “chronic wellness.” Do you think this is really achievable considering our Standard American Diet, environment and lifestyle?

Absolutely! That’s what’s so amazing! Our bodies have an almost unbelievable capacity to heal and even to thrive despite less-than ideal circumstances. This should be a popular topic, but alas, it is not. I love learning how, at a cellular level, the body can rebuild and rejuvenate when given the proper nutrients. We get to choose what we put IN and ON our bodies. We have much more influence over our health than most think. I believe chronic wellness is available to each of us and if you think that’s not “real,” that’s your choice. You might feel that’s a Pollyanna attitude, but I’ll take my positive thoughts and my healthy body any day over being a drag-my-tail Eeyore!

3.  Are you pissed that your doctors had no clue when it came to your fibromyalgia?

Nope. Not even a little. Let’s say that they gave me what I craved – validation that I was deathly ill. What if a doctor had taken me seriously and said, “You’ve got a crippling condition. You need constant care and medications. You can’t work, must avoid all stress, and should limit your activities.” Where would I be? I’d be FAR worse off physically (due to lack of exercise and proper nutrition), and I’d be a basket case emotionally. What kind of hope does that give? If you have no stake in claiming wellness as your personal goal, then what is your goal? Just to cope? To cling to life by your fingernails? The ignorance I experienced over and over again from the medical community spurred me to action. It made me grow up, get over it, and get on with life. For that, I’m eternally thankful.

4.  What advice do you have to someone who knows something is wrong with them, but is constantly told it’s all in their head?

I’d say that she should trust her instincts. First of all, she knows something is wrong. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be seeking the advice of others. Her intuition and her body are telling her that things are not right. The best advice I can give is for her to act just like the professionals she visits. She’s looking for a clinical diagnosis or validation, so she needs to provide them with what they’re looking for. She can begin by writing down her symptoms and any pertinent information such as possible triggers, duration, intensity, etc. She can document the medications, supplements, and activities that apply to her as well as any work or family issues that could impact her health. She can then take this documentation, approaching her doctor armed with the data needed for him or her to analyze and evaluate her condition objectively.

Yes, it’s unfair, but there’s no question that chronically ill patients (women in particular) are often viewed as complainers. Bringing in documented information takes the emotional aspect out of the equation and allows the doctor to do what he or she does best – process information and determine a diagnosis.

5.  You spent so long feeling sick and tired. Do you ever get sick and tired of doing what it takes to not feel sick and tired? (ie. sick of exercise, sick of eating right.)

I love this question! Don’t we all wish that others could experience our lives for even just a little bit? Sometimes I get frustrated with my husband when I feel like he takes my improved health for granted. I think it’s good for him to go to speaking engagements with me because he can see and meet attendees who are in varying stages of health/illness. It’s a great reminder for him of how I used to be (the canes, the wrist braces, the heating pads, etc.). It’s a great way to reinforce to him how important my self-care activities are.

6.  What’s the number one question people should be asking of their doctors but typically aren’t?
 
I’ll go out on a limb here and tell you what I really think. People should be asking for specific tests to be done and I’m painfully aware that most of them are not offered by traditional MDs. Patients need to go wherever they can find the answers to these questions:

1. Do I have vitamin and nutrient deficiencies (beginning with vitamin D)?
2. Do I suffer from thyroid and hormone dysfunction?
3. Do I have food intolerances or allergies?
4. At what state of adrenal fatigue/exhaustion am I (notice I didn’t say “do I have”)?
5. Do I suffer from heavy metal toxicity or exposure?

They need to understand how nutrition helps to nourish and feed the body and why implementing a fitness routine can help to tone and strengthen the body.

All of these questions need to be asked, but it’s up to the patient to find the right source. I can only encourage people to keep searching for the right practitioners. Knowledgeable and experienced people are out there. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of hunting.

“If I only knew then what I know now.”

This phrase should be deemed the Most Applicable Idiom of the Century.

When the phrase is used casually, as in “If I only knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have sold my stock in Apple,” well, it’s a bummer, but ultimately not life threatening.

But for those folks who are victims of FDA medication recalls, “If I only knew then what I know now,” might be the words you say from your death bed.

Over Thanksgiving dinner, my dad brought up the Accutane recall, remembering that one of my brothers used the popular acne medication in the 1990s.  Though extremely effective at combating acne, Accutane also led to birth defects, increased risk of suicide, and inflammatory bowel disease.

“Did you know you can sue Roche for compensation?” my father, the attorney asked. Since my brother is likely starting law school soon, the compensation package might ease the side effects of tuition.

“But what about the folks with mild acne who were put on antibiotics? Do we get a hush fund?” I wanted to know.

Looking back, my teenage “acne” constituted a few pimples around my nose and chin right before my period. Nothing compared to what I’ve had peppering my face as an adult.

And yet my dermatologist at the time — in an effort to ease the trauma that my constellation of menstruation-induced pimples might inflict upon me at the lunch table — sent me off with a monthly supply of  Tetracycline or Erythromycin,  along with a good strong dose of Retin-A.

As far as I know, that’s what dermatologists continue to do with today’s teens.

Wash your face with toxic facial scrub. Lather it up with a toxic cream. And then pop an antiobiotic.

If a supplement like Vitamin D were to produce the long term side effects that antibiotics usage does, I’m sure you’d see headlines on newspapers and warnings on labels.

Bottom line? It’s extremely careless for MDs to continue to ignore what’s becoming a widespread problem — Antibiotic resistance, immune suppression, and a whole host of illnesses potentially related to the damage to intestinal flora.

I’m extremely sympathetic to the physical and emotional pain of acne, particularly for teenagers. But I cannot support “treating” the acne with antiobiotics (and likely ignoring the root causes). In this case, doctors are certainly replacing one chronic illness with another.

I don’t expect the dermatologist to change his ways, but I do hope that if you are a parent of a child who is suffering from acne, or you are a grown up who suffers the unfair curse that is adult acne, you begin to consider your acne part of a larger problem.

If I only knew then what I know now about inflammation, I probably wouldn’t be The Wellness Bitch.

Some might call me an alarmist. Or a drama queen.

I like to think of myself as a realist with lofty goals.

It’s likely that you found your way to The Wellness Bitch because you had a WAKE UP CALL. Whether that WAKE UP CALL came in the form of illness or education or a frightening documentary, you’re here because you know that it’s time for you to take charge of your health.

One way the folks in charge like to pooh-pooh what we realists with lofty goals have to say about the alarming trend of new epidemics in this country is that the statistics aren’t there to support our alarm.

I’d like to prove those folks wrong. I want to get the Powers That Be to pay attention.

I’ll need your help, though.  Let’s tell the Powers That Be that:

We are the numbers. And we are NOT JUST numbers.

Is someone you love one of our numbers? One of us who have been impacted by chronic illness?

One of us who was told by a doctor that there was nothing wrong? Or nothing to be done?

If you are or know someone who is “one of us,” forward this blog post to them.

Ask them to read it, and if they feel inspired to action, to copy/paste the following statement in the comments section below:

 ”Powers That Be: I’m a number. I’m part of the alarming trend of new food- and environment-related illness. And I’m more than just a number. I’m someone you need to pay attention to.”

And then tell us what condition you suffer from. Feel free to add any personal message you want to send to the Powers That Be. For example, “Stop poisoning our kids with food dyes. Follow Europe’s example and get them out of our food supply.” Or, “If you want to be a true superpower, start paying attention to what other countries are doing to protect their citizens.”

Because there is power in our numbers. And before long, we will be the Powers That Be.

Here’s my powerful truth:

I’m a wellness bitch.

And, this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for my allergies, IBS, and anxiety – symptoms that served as my WAKE UP CALLS.

I’m thankful for my kids whose reflux, food allergies, asthma, and eczema inspired me to WAKE UP others.

I forgive those who do not know our struggle and invite you to join with us now that you know we exist.

We are:

Addison’s disease
ADHD
Anxiety
Asperger’s
Autism
Asthma
Back pain
Cancer
Celiac disease
Chronic fatigue
Childhood obesity
Chronic pain
Coronary heart disease
Crohn’s disease
Depression
Diabetes
Ear infections
Eczema
Fibromyalgia
Food allergies
Food intolerance
Hashimoto’s Syndrome
Headaches
Heartburn
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyrodism
IBS
Infertility
Lung disease
Lupus 
Migraines
Psoriasis
Reflux
Rheumatoid arthritis
Ulcerative colitis

We are the WAKE UP CALLS for the ones who will come after us.

We are numbers. And we are more than just numbers.

A few weeks ago, I invited holistic nutritionist, wellness expert, and school food activist Dr. Susan Rubin to guest blog for The Wellness Bitch. At that time, I thought we’d end up with a Better School Food-inspired rant from one of the original Two Angry Moms. I was excited! But who knew that Dr. SuRu’s expertise extended to dentistry? After an engaging conversation with other health-conscious folks on Facebook, we knew that inquiring minds wanted to know…What’s the deal with fluoride?

By Susan Rubin, DMD, HHC
Deep inside, I’m still a dentist.  At the turn of the century, I laid my drill down to embark upon a new career in holistic nutrition and school food advocacy. Before that, I drilled, filled and billed in private practice for over 13 years.

During the four long years of dental school, one point was hammered into our skulls: Hal Huggins was a quack!  Hal was a Colorado dentist  who was anti-fluoride, anti-amalgam and concerned about root canals.  When you’re in dental school, much like medical school, you study hard, sleep little and spit out the right answers on the board exams. I’m taking the time to explain this so that you understand why your dentist isn’t up on the latest information about fluoride.  Your dentist did well on those board exams and doesn’t often question what he or she has been taught. The same thing happens in medical school with vaccine questions.  Medical and dental schools are highly competitive, high stress environments, you don’t ask questions.

Here’s the theory on how systemic fluoride supposedly works. During the ages of 1-7 when the adult teeth are being formed, a higher level of fluoridated water will build teeth that are more resistant to decay.  There is no benefit in drinking fluoridated water before 1 year and beyond 7 years.  So, we are fluoridating an entire population for the alleged benefit of those who are ages 1-7.  Not very ethical, huh?

The American Dental Association, a big pro-fluoride lobby group, acknowledges that fluoridated water is not recommended for babies ages 0-12 months. 

Here’s the real deal on fluoride that your dentist has never questioned.

Fluoridated water has never been proven to actually decrease tooth decay.

Fluoridated water was never approved by the FDA. It was grandfathered in,  it was never safety tested for ingestion in human or animal studies.

Fluoride is hazardous to your health. It is a cumulative poison that accumulates in bone over the years. The list of health issues connected to fluoride ingestion is long, visit the Fluoride Action  Network to see what I’m talking about.

Next step: its time for YOU to do some homework.

Read a book:

The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson
The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There by Paul Connett

Choose one of these books, read it, fully understand the history and current issues with fluoride. When you’re done, wrap the book up nicely and give it to your dentist with a great big smile.

Remember, he or she went through four years of Hell and hard work to get that dental degree. Now that there are no more board tests to take, he or she can now start to re-think what was taught.

And remember: books, parachutes and minds function best when open.

Dr. Susan Rubin is an eco-gastronomically focused health professional and school food advocate who graduated New Jersey Dental School in 1987.

Today’s guest blog is by my buddy, Alexander Rinehart, a Chiropractor, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Wellness Adviser to ZenfullyDelicious.com

My name is Alex Rinehart. I am a health professional and I do not have health insurance.

While this might not be your typical AA meeting, please do not judge as I start my own 12-step program:

1. Profess congruency to a philosophy of health where it counts most – my wallet
2. Commit personal responsibility for my own health through diet and lifestyle
3. Scour social media and the internet to find trustworthy health professionals, rather than first checking to see who participates in my plan
4. Spend $400 a month on fresh, organic produce and grass-fed, hormone-free meat
5. Spend $50 a month on a gym membership (and actually use it)
6. Pay for herbs and supplements that meet my individual needs with little worry for side effects and polypharmacy
7. Refuse to spend $330 a month for an insurance policy that still charges a high deductible and co-pay to a 25 year old in great health (while still not covering preventive services)
8. Charge a reasonable cash-per-service fee for my own health services
9. Refuse to play an insurance game that underserves both provider and patient
10. Spend $1 on prevention today to save $3-4 in future treatment (that others pay through higher taxes and higher prices of goods & services)
11. Pay reasonable fees ($25-40/month) for accident insurance to protect me (and my family) from emergency expenses in case of unforeseen injury
12. Seek a tax-friendly, high-deductible Health Savings Account (HSA)-eligible plan, that makes more sense than “settling” with a basic HMO-plan still charges $110/month for coverage I don’t want (when paying out of pocket has cost me historically $80/month out of pocket)

A Brief History Lesson

The American health insurance industry has its roots in 1929, the year of the stock market collapse and beginning of the Great Depression. This was after the “Roaring 20′s” – an economic golden age.

As people were watching their money much more closely (and thus not visiting the hospital), a nearby hospital found a way to attract more patients.

A group of teachers at Baylor University got together and paid the hospital a sum of money in advance so that they could receive full hospital care. Within 10 years, 1300 covered individuals turned into 3 million covered and the company we now know as Blue Cross Blue Shield was born.

That early system has since evolved into the managed care mess we see today. Insurance companies, rather than physicians, now “manage” what care is covered, what the price is going to be, and who (up until Obama) can be denied because of “preexisting conditions.”

The overwhelming focus in the medical-insurance industry has been periodic “screening” and “check-ups”, while only covering treatment deemed “medically necessary” by computerized algorithms. Great for business and defeating early diseases like polio, but a poor model for creating wellness.

Wellness is a Verb

Wellness is about eating well, moving well, and thinking well.

I can’t help but make comparisons to 1929. We’re in the middle of a recession following a golden age of the Bush tax-cuts — a period where more millionaires were created than any other time in known history. Increasing access to an expensive and failing system, looks great on paper, but will do little to fix our enormous health problems.

Wellness is needed more than ever. But we need to overcome our addictions, and it just might take a 12-step program to get there.

Through his NJ practice at CoActive Health, Alex Rinehart’s commitment to mind/body/spirit integration is emphasized by working in partnership with his patients to achieve wellness, with specialized services to support chronic conditions.