Recycling from Weight Loss History: Simeons and HCG

Those who do not read history are doomed to spend their days starving themselves and giving themselves injections of pregnancy hormone.  Simeons' book has been rereleased, in large part due to Kevin Trudeau.  More importantly, now patients are able to buy pregnancy hormone over the counter.  It isn't very strong, but I wonder if it will lead to false positive pregnancy tests or people not realizing that they are pregnant.  I'm really not a fan, and I've written about why this should not be on your top one hundred possible ways to lose weight.  If you don't believe me (and you shouldn't believe anything you read on the web these days), have a look at the studies that have been done on Simeons work.  I have many ideas for weight loss that might actually work, and if you want to do a starvation diet of five hundred calories a day, for goodness sake do it with a trusted medical advisor.  Taking these drops and reading a book is really not a good idea. 

Preventing Bed Bugs: Does Stinking It Up Help?

I have yet to see any studies on whether stinking it up with garlic, etc. would deter the little critters. 
http://www.drweilblog.com/home/2010/10/7/preventing-bed-bugs.html

Pandemic 2010: Will There Be a Sequel?

We've got the CDC gunning everyone up to a frenzy again, even as they declare a normal flu season.  Have a look at some of the offerings from 1918.  I somehow don't think we'll be seeing the 2009 equivalent, mostly because it was about average as a flu year.  For an update on vaccination, check out Alternative Health Answers (with funny video).  For way more information, check out Guerrilla Healthcare for the Flu. 

Back pain: Nonsurgical Options.

I just did an update on long term outcomes for back pain surgery and we still aren't seeing large studies.  The patients are there, but no one is doing follow up over a couple years.  In the meantime, there are a great many home treatments that are available. 

The little guy on the left is a TENS unit, every person with chronic pain's best friend (unless you have an inflammatory condition, in which case stay away).  Clinicians can get these for about $45 and they run on a nine volt battery.  I just don't see them being used instead of pain drugs, which is sad, because they are a much better option for specific pain.    

Khalil Gibran

Just a very good poet.  Lots of other things too, but focus on that alone. 

Learn Japanese with Manga.

For anyone who does not have a tween son into Manga, the idea of learning basic Japanese with a comic book may seem a bit farfetched.  But trust me, this is one language book that will get read over and over. 

Nobody is Perfick.

A little book about being a child, but it makes you realize just how little we all grow as we get older.  Cartoons, and little vignettes, which makes it a quick read.  It's the only place I've seen the word "yilkes," as a term of disgust.

The Organon: A Book Advanced For Its Time

Here's the most recent translation of the old master.  Pretty dense stuff, but with some very pertinent observations.  p.204 on Mental Health " The physician...must always appear as if they credit such patients with reason."   He then goes on to discuss the beatings and torture of mental health patients common in his time. 

Looking for Naturopathic Doctors?

Many people assume if they don't live in a licensed state (we're working on it) they can't see a licensed N.D.  Not so.  The best place to check is the AANP website, which lists all members (you can be licensed and not be a member, so also check your state licensing board).

If you are local and want a mostly complete list of licensed N.D.s go to the MAND website.  If you want a complete listing, go to the Maine State license search.  It's complicated, so I would use the MAND site first.