I’m sensing a shift in thinking in the US (and hopefully other countries too) away from what can aptly be called “blind faith” in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

People are starting to question things more and more, and rightfully so.

I suspect this is the result of a long-standing series of events that follow this particular pattern:

Step 1- XYZ drug is touted as “safe and effective” with side effects being characterized as “typically mild.” And Pharma’s media darlings are more than happy to chime in since they receive most of their advertising revenue from Pharma.

Step 2- Down the road XYZ drug is shown to cause or be associated with a number of serious health issues such as turbo cancers, myocarditis, digestive problems, increased risk of fractures, diabetes, kidney failure, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, etc. The possibilities are practically endless!

Step 3- Eventually we find out the drug manufacturer:

• Seriously downplayed or swept those side effects under the rug and/or;
• Didn’t use a safety testing period that was long enough for the dangerous effects to be detected.
• And of course, the media darlings are completely mum at this point.

But people are catching on to this game and it’s about time.

A current prime example—antidepressants during pregnancy

I remember when I was pregnant with my kids (38 and 27 years ago!) I was told by my doctor that I could not even take an aspirin for a headache because ANYTHING could potentially harm the baby.

Boy, have things changed.

Currently about 6 percent of pregnant women in the US have been prescribed SSRI antidepressants for their depression, since SSRIs have been touted as “safe and effective” during pregnancy. 

But now we’ve reached Step 2 from above and sadly, pregnant women taking SSRI drugs are giving birth to babies with a high risk of congenital heart defects!

Explore natural answers!

While there will always be times when medications are necessary and appropriate, now more than ever it is crucial to explore natural answers to health issues and talk to your doctor about alternatives!

Here are some examples:

Hypertension/elevated cholesterol and triglycerides

Contrary to what you’ve been told, high blood pressure and/or elevated cholesterol and triglycerides are not the result of eating saturated fats and high cholesterol foods like eggs.

Your body needs saturated fats, plus it only gets 15 percent or less of your cholesterol from your foods.

Instead, inflammation is the primary root cause of hypertension and elevated lipids—and that is largely the result of our diets high in refined carbs, sugars, processed foods and vegetable oils, and our anemic consumption of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

How to naturally help: The first step is to avoid the inflammatory foods I mentioned and concentrate on wholesome real foods, especially lots of fresh vegetables.

Also, omega-3 fish oil formulas like VitalMega-3 have been proven to help reduce blood pressure and lipid levels.

Acid reflux

When it comes to acid reflux, the gold standard of the drug world is acid reducers—specifically proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These “work” by inhibiting your stomach’s acid production.

But this can come back to bite you.

First of all, you need stomach acid to break down proteins, so you’re ruining your digestion right out of the gate with these drugs.

Plus, PPIs have been associated with chronic kidney disease, heart attack, weakened immune function, dementia and increased overall death risk!

A very common cause of heartburn is digestive enzyme deficiency, and this is becoming increasingly widespread.

As we age, our production of enzymes declines, so people over 50 are at a disadvantage. So are people who have had their gallbladders removed.

How to naturally help: If you feel low enzymes may be an issue for you, then Digestizol Max Digestive Enzyme Formula can help pinch-hit where your body may be running low.

Digestizol Max’s complete blend of 15 natural plant-derived enzymes will give your body the boost it needs to help break down whatever you eat!

Depression

When it comes to depression, SSRI antidepressants (like Prozac) are the typical go-to.

But these drugs are not the “happy pills” the commercials with the attractive smiling actors will lead you to believe! In fact, former users of Prozac have reported the following effects and experiences while using the drug:

• Feeling extremely irritable

• A sense of being possessed

• Suffering panic and anxiety attacks

• Extreme difficulty with concentration

• No ability to love

• Impaired judgment

• Feeling out of control

• An overwhelming fear of being controlled by others

• Violent suicidal or homicidal thoughts

• No feelings of guilt or sense of conscience 

If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.

How to naturally help: Start with your diet and concentrate on super-nutritious real foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, meats, chicken and wild-caught fish, eggs, real butter, and full-fat dairy. 

Also, studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels are far more prone to depression, especially during the colder months where sunlight exposure is greatly limited. To help ensure you have health-supporting levels of this vital nutrient all year long, consider supplementation with Optimum DK Formula. Optimum DK provides the recommended dose of 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 plus vitamins K1 and K2.

Lastly, regular exercise has been shown to be a natural antidepressant, so get your doctor’s OK and get moving. Even taking a walk can be helpful.

Back pain

As you would expect, pain relivers are typically prescribed for back pain, with the most popular choices being NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and opioid painkillers.

While all three can achieve their desired result of reducing your pain, that pain relief comes with a very dear price.

For example, NSAIDs may cause gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiovascular problems, heart failure, hearing loss, liver damage, allergic reactions and even miscarriage! In the US, about 100,000 people who take NSAIDs are hospitalized every year and 15,000 die.

Acetaminophen has also been strongly linked to liver and kidney damage, and it has even been shown to blunt your ability to feel emotions!

And opioids are VERY addictive and are a bridge to heroin use (with its risks of overdose and death). According to a US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report, nearly 80 percent of people who started using heroin had previously used prescription painkillers.

How to naturally help: VitalMega-3 fish oil can help here too since inflammation is a common underlying cause of pain.

Also consider physical therapy, chiropractic or acupuncture. I have benefitted from all three of those modalities throughout my several years of running and martial arts! 

Additionally, make sure you get adequate sleep each night (strive for 7 to 9 hours) and ensure that you’re hydrated by drinking filtered water throughout the day.

Rely on Nature!

These are only a few examples of how safe, natural measures can make a tremendous difference in your health!

So, pay close attention to what you’re being told by entities that profit off of your sickness and strive to rely on the awesome power of Nature as much as you can.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

 

PS: A reminder that Danielle will be performing some important back-end maintenance and updates to the website and phone system on Thursday and Friday this week (October 2-3). 

Your experience on the website will not be interrupted – you may still place orders and read blogs to your heart’s content. 

She will, however, be unavailable by phone or email, and packages will be held for shipping until her tasks are completed on Monday, October 6.