Traditional Naturopath

The North Carolina Citizens for Healthcare Freedom have a special arrangement with a company called “GoodSearch” that will pay the North Carolina Citizens for Healthcare Freedom a penny every time you use their service to search the World Wide Web! Their search engine uses the Yahoo! Search engine to do the actual searching, so the results of your searches will be as valuable as usual to you, but by using their service, you will also be helping the cause of health freedom in North Carolina! Here’s how to do it:

1- Log on to: www.goodsearch.com

2- In the “Who do you GoodSearch for?” box, type in Citizens for Healthcare Freedom (Raleigh, NC) and click the “verify” button.

OR: to pre-select, simply type in your browser: http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=833735

3- Start searching the internet as you normally would.

Start using “GoodSearch” today — there’s no reason not to!

Also, if you leave us as your “GoodSearch” choice, you can also now use their new feature called “GoodShop.” Just click on this link:

http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx

Remember to choose us [Citizens for Healthcare Freedom (Raleigh, NC)]

Thanks so much for helping the CHF help North Carolina have natural health options available!

Technorati Tags: North Carolina Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, GoodSearch, Yahoo! Search engine, North Carolina

If you choose not to eat cloned meat, or drink cloned milk… as a personal decision… will you be able to tell the difference? Will the government prevent marking these “Franken-Foods” so that we can avoid them? It looks like it!

Cloned Livestock Poised To Receive FDA Clearance

“Get ready for a food fight over milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring. After more than six years of wrestling with the question of whether meat and milk from them are safe to eat, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to declare as early as next week that they are. The FDA had asked producers of cloned livestock not to sell food products from such animals pending its ruling on their safety. It isn’t clear whether the FDA will lift this voluntary hold. While many consumer groups still oppose it, the FDA declaration that cloned animal products are safe would be a milestone for a small cadre of biotech companies that want to make a business out of producing copies of prize dairy cows and other farm animals — effectively taking the selective breeding practiced on farms for centuries to the cutting edge.”

I see a long and hard fight ahead to preserve our right to have REAL foods!

Technorati Tags: Food and Drug Administration, FDA

And, more importantly, the FDA has KNOWN this to be true for several YEARS! This is outrageous! Remember when the Texas governor was going to FORCE all high school girls to get this vaccination? It was reported here in the Traditional Naturopath Blog (see this entry - The Truth on New Vaccines? Follow the Money!) This is why we MUST stay vigilant to our health freedoms! Agencies like the FDA are “in bed” with many pharmaceutical companies to insure “Big Pharma’s” profits!

From Newstarget: “For the last several years, HPV vaccines have been marketed to the public and mandated in compulsory injections for young girls in several states based on the idea that they prevent cervical cancer. Now, NewsTarget has obtained documents from the FDA and other sources (see below) which reveal that the FDA has been well aware for several years that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has no direct link to cervical cancer. NewsTarget has also learned that HPV vaccines have been proven to be flatly worthless in clearing the HPV virus from women who have already been exposed to HPV (which includes most sexually active women), calling into question the scientific justification of mandatory ‘vaccinate everyone’ policies. Furthermore, this story reveals evidence that the vaccine currently being administered for HPV — Gardasil — may increase the risk of precancerous cervical lesions by an alarming 44.6 percent in some women. The vaccine, it turns out, may be far more dangerous to the health of women than doing nothing at all. If true, this information reveals details of an enormous public health fraud being perpetrated on the American people, involving FDA officials, Big Pharma promoters, and even the governors of states like Texas. The health and safety of tens of millions of young girls is at stake here, and what this NewsTarget investigative report reveals is that HPV vaccinations may not only be medically useless; they may also be harmful to the health of the young girls receiving them.

This report reveals startling facts about the HPV vaccine that most people will find shocking:

• How it may actually increase the risk of precancerous lesions by 44.6 percent.

• The FDA has, for four years, known that HPV was not the cause of cervical cancer.

• Why mandatory HPV vaccination policies may cause great harm to young girls.

• Why HPV infections are self-limiting and pose no real danger in healthy women

• Little-known FDA documents that reveal astounding facts about Gardasil

• How Big Pharma promoted its Gardasil vaccine using disease mongering and fear mongering”

Technorati Tags: FDA, HPV vaccines, cervical cancer, Human Papilloma Virus, Gardasil, precancerous cervical lesions, Big Pharma, NewsTarget

The FDA (no friend of the natural health community) has long fought the use of the natural herb stevia rebaudiana in foods and beverages. Most industry watchers believe that this is due to the fact that the sugar and artificial sweetener lobbyists hold sway in the halls of the government. After all, stevia is a natural herb that has been used for thousands of years with no ill effects by hundreds of thousands, in fact, probably millions of people, with no ill effects. In fact, stevia can strengthen teeth, supports the heart muscle, and has no glycemic, or caloric value… yet it is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar… it would seem to be an answer to prayer for many facing obesity! Yet, the FDA will not allow it to be used as a sweetener. It can only be used as a “supplement.” And, many companies have, in fact, re-labeled their products as “supplements” to get around this conspiracy to keep a safe herbal alternative from consumers. Hain Celestial Teas recently applied to the FDA to allow them to use stevia as a sweetener in their beverages, however, the FDA has responded by “firing a new volley” in the war to prevent the use of this alternative from being used! This, in spite of the fact that in other countries, such as Japan, stevia is a common sweetener in foods. In fact, stevia makes up 40% of the sweetener market in Japan!

FDA warns Hain of stevia use; calls herb unsafe

In order to understand the war against stevia, we need only look to the power of the artificial sweetener and sugar lobbyists in the industry. After all, who would “lose” in a head-to-head battle of a safe, natural herb that could sweeten our beverages, against artificial chemical “frankenstein-like” creations like aspartame or saccharin? The public would quickly vote with their pocketbooks, and the artificial sweetener industry would soon be no more! They have everything to lose and nothing to gain by stevia’s universal acceptance! Is it no wonder that “hands are being greased” so to speak, to prevent this?

Links of interest with regard to stevia:

The History of Stevia

FDA Bookburning of Stevia Literature!

The FDA and Stevia

Also, for additional reading, I would recommend this book:

Technorati Tags: FDA, natural health, stevia rebaudiana, sugar, artificial sweetener, stevia, Hain Celestial Teas

Remember I said in earlier posts that we had until April 30th to offer public comment on the FDA’s attempt to take away our herbs, vitamins and supplements? Well, it turns out that we were SUPPOSED to have until May 30th… but they cut it short, so the public could not comment! That is why we had to scramble to get our comment in, in time!

FDA hoodwinks public over CAM Guidelines comment period, slams door shut on public comments one month early

“The FDA has slammed the door shut on accepting public comments over its contentious ‘CAM Guidelines’ that threaten to destroy natural medicine by classifying virtually all health-enhancing foods, juices, nutritional supplements and functional foods as ‘unapproved drugs.’ NewsTarget has acquired emails from an FDA employee and key author of the CAM Guidelines. This email contains statements that directly contradict the FDA’s own website and reveal a tactic designed to silence public commentary by retroactively declaring the comment period to be closed even while the FDA’s own documents state the period should continue for another 30 days. Check it out yourself: The FDA website says the comment period ends May 29, 2007. But in an email received today by NewsTarget, the FDA’s Philip L. Chao claims ‘…the entry was mistakenly changed by an employee in mid-April, and we will correct that error soon. Thus, internet media reports claiming that FDA has extended the comment period to May 29 are NOT correct.’ Thus, the public comment period for CAM Guidelines is now closed, one month ahead of what the FDA’s own website provides as the comment closing date. And this is explained as being due to a ‘mistake’ by an FDA employee that will be retroactively corrected, only after the public comment period has been officially closed.”

Technorati Tags: FDA, public comments, CAM Guidelines, natural medicine, nutritional supplements, NewsTarget, Philip L. Chao

There is an old saying, “Follow the money.” Big pharmaceutical companies develop drugs to fight disease (supposedly) and then sell it via doctors to consumers. Consumers are finding that readily available vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements are often just as effective (if not MORE so) as the drugs, but without harmful side effects. Wouldn’t it then make sense for lobbyists to push to regulate away these readily available, natural supplements to protect their big pharma constituents? Yes.

And therein lies the problem. Right now, we have the choice to use supplements and herbs, if we choose to… so, in steps the FDA to take away that choice! And, as I have pointed out in an earlier Blog entry… we only have until April 30th to say anything about it!

Health freedom action alert: FDA attempting to regulate supplements, herbs and juices as “drugs”

“When it comes to health freedom, this is the FDA’s end game. A new FDA ‘guidance’ document, published on the FDA’s website, reveals plans to reclassify virtually all vitamins, supplements, herbs and even vegetable juices as FDA-regulated drugs. Massage oils and massage rocks will be classified as “medical devices” and require FDA approval. The document is called Docket No. 2006D-0480. Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is accepting public comments on the docket until April 30th. They tried to sneak this under the radar, but word got out and now the natural health community is up in arms over this rule. If you wish to protect your access to nutritional supplements, herbs, essential oils, homeopathic medicine or any other ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative’ modality, it is crucial that you take action to post your comments with the FDA right now and write your representatives in Washington to put a stop to this outrageous effort to destroy natural medicine. (And be sure to really write them. Just sending an email has virtually no impact compared to writing a physical letter in your own words.)”

Write, call, or use this link to send the FDA a message… we want access to supplements, and natural health alternatives!

Click HERE to send a message to the FDA!

Here is the FDA’s address and their phone numbers:
Food and Drug Administration
1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 200N
Rockville, MD 20852-1448
Phone: 800-835-4709 or 301-827-1800

Be sure to cite Docket No. 2006D-0480. Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration in your message, letter, or call.

Here is a link to what the FDA is saying in its “Guidence:”

Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration

Notice that it says that this, “includes, but is not limited to, botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics: whole diets, and ‘functional foods’.” There is is, folks… do you want anything in this list regulated by the FDA?

Technorati Tags: pharmaceutical companies, drugs, disease, doctors, consumers, vitamins, minerals, herbs, supplements, side effects, lobbyists, natural supplements, FDA, natural health, botanicals, extracts, fatty acids, amino acids, prebiotics, probiotics, whole diets, functional foods

You can still send your comment to the FDA on their latest attempt to take away our vitamins and supplements! We have a very narrow window of opportunity to stop their master plan cold in its tracks!

Use this link to comment:

Submit Your Comment Directly to the FDA HERE!

PLEASE say your piece in your OWN words… a “form letter” is not as effective. Here’s what I said:

“Docket: 2006D-0480 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration; Availability Temporary Comment Number: 118596

It is up to the individual consumer to decide what they want to use to enhance their health. Herbs, minerals, vitamins and supplements are simply put, ‘food.’ A government agency should not be able to decide what foods I choose to eat, nor should they be allowed to decide what vitamins I can take, or how much. It should be an individual right. My body, my decision. I am the person most responsible for my own health, not the government, not a doctor, not a nutritionist. I should be allowed to make my own decisions. This is what basic health freedom is about!”

I can’t say it strongly enough… PLEASE tell them what you think NOW!

Technorati Tags: FDA, vitamins, supplements, health freedom

There is a crisis in health freedom! Tell everyone you know that is interested in natural health freedoms! On April 30, 2007 the FDA will close the public comment period on a “Guidance” which will classify every alternative health practice as medicine so that only licensed physicians can carry out the procedures, AND vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc., will suddenly become “untested drugs” which will be forbidden!

Use This Link to Respond to the FDA!

We MUST stand up now for our health freedoms while we can! PLEASE spread the word!

Technorati Tags: health freedom, FDA, alternative health, physicians, vitamins, minerals, herbs

A new version of the NC Consumer Health Freedom Bill has been posted on the North Carolina Legislative Site! This bill is supported by the Citizens for Healthcare Freedom (their website link is below.)

Citizens for Healthcare Freedom Website

I would STRONGLY encourage you to read the Consumer Health Freedom Bill at this link:

North Carolina House Bill 1358

Then, PLEASE sign the electronic petition for the bill at this link:

Electronic Petition for HB1358

Here is some information that will explain the need for this excellent legislation!

Problem: The concern is that consumer access is limited in NC to complementary and alternative health care because many practitioners do not practice in NC or if they practice they do so under the threat of being criminally charged with practice of medicine without a license. NC law’s broad definition of medicine requires anyone practicing the healing arts to have a license or be practicing under an exemption or safe harbor. NC does not provide a safe harbor for the many natural healing arts that are widely practiced and pose no risk of harm to the public.

Solution: This bill is a common sense approach used by other states. It provides an exemption to the practice of medicine violations for those persons practicing a healing art within the prohibited conduct parameters and provides clients with proper disclosures.

Rationale
1. Liberty - Every citizen has the right to choose the path of his/her own healing.

2. Free Market - Citizens want more healthcare options broaden the availability of all natural
healing modalities, consistent with worldwide trends. Total U.S. out-of-pocket expenditures related to alternative health care were conservatively estimated $27 billion, comparable to the amount spent on out-of-pocket expenditures for all U.S physician services in 1997*.

3. Cost Effectiveness and Efficacy - Citizens are facing substantial health insurance cost increases.

An estimated 1.4 million (16.75%) North Carolinians do not have health insurance. Citizens want
more healthcare options, particularly for chronic illness. Complementary and alternative health care can be used for chronic as well as preventative medicine. Several studies have found that complementary and alternative health care services, as they are currently provided, do not represent a substantial risk to the general public, and may even contribute to improved safety of health care.

4. States with Exemptions - Six states (MN, CA, RI, ID, LA, OK) have passed similar health freedom bills. Health freedom bills are being introduced in nine additional states and a total of thirty states are known to be addressing this issue.

5. Education - Once protected, the marketplace can more effectively provide citizens with detailed information about complementary and alternative medical services. Freer communication between patients and their conventional and alternative health care providers can benefit all. Two North Carolina medical schools (UNC-CH and Duke) have Integrative Medicine programs actively promoting allied health education in complementary and alternative therapies.

Complementary and Alternative Healthcare Services in North Carolina Extent of Current Practice - As many as 3.3 million North Carolina citizens receive a substantial volume of health care services from complementary and alternative health care practitioners.

Popularity among Patients - The usage of the broad domain of healing arts including complementary and alternative practices continues to grow even though the patient typically pays for the total cost of the service. Americans made more visits to complementary and alternative healthcare providers (629 mi) than to all primary care physicians (386 mi) in 1997*. Total number of visits to complementary providers increased by 47% from 427 mi in 1990 to 629 mi in 1997 nationwide.*

* Per David Eisenberg, M.D., Harvard Medical School

Technorati Tags: NC Consumer Health Freedom Bill, North Carolina, Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, Health Freedom, legislation, complementary and alternative health care, practitioners, medicine, natural healing arts, healing, healing modalities, health insurance, chronic illness, health freedom, Integrative Medicine

Can you handle the content of this video? It is information about what the WTO and the FDA plan to do to take away your rights to use vitamins and supplements… it is about basic health freedoms.

Sad… but true. Encourage people that you know are ignorant of these issues to take the 28 minutes to watch this video. We have to stand up against this kind of health tyranny!

For more information on Codex Alimentarius… check out this link:

Codex Alimentarius - The Sinister Truth Behind Operation Cure-All

Wow! If, as the video says, a woman in Europe has been arrested for selling a 500mg Vitamin C tablet… what would they do with me, personally, taking 3000mg (3 grams) of Vitamin C per day?

Technorati Tags: WTO, FDA, vitamins, supplements, health freedoms