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June 21, 2011  In This Issue... - Discover How Your Favorite Foods Can Help Fight Disease
- Zander on Personal Power -- How to Trust Yourself to Do the Impossible
- Drug-Free Treatment Reverses Even Bone-on-Bone Arthritis...
- Los Angeles Sees Superbug Invasion
- Happy UnFather's Day
Discover How Your Favorite Foods Can Help Fight Disease We’ve known for years that certain foods promote good health -- but now we know why. Scientists can point to specific substances in food that can lower your risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer, and other major ailments. And the evidence may surprise you -- did you know some of the healthiest foods are fats? A longer, healthier life can be yours if you understand the food-health connection. Now, the experts at Harvard Medical School share the science and principles of the new nutrition with you. Click here to learn more.
Zander on Personal Power Drape a cape on a small child and he/she is instantly transformed into a superhero -- but what would it take for the grown-up you to feel powerful? The answer I’m looking for doesn’t involve something that you put on yourself, like a custom suit or a pair of Jimmy Choo heels, but rather something you pull from deep within -- personal power. Wielded over others, power often is mishandled and frequently abused, but personal power is something else entirely. It is totally life-enhancing -- people with it make more money, have more good friends, get wonderful jobs and, in general, practice welcome control over their lives. And it isn’t always all about them, either -- people with personal power do much for the greater good of the world, including making others’ lives better. Clearly this is something worth developing, but many people aren’t certain as to what personal power is or how to find it within themselves. In fact, many good people see themselves as having virtually no power at all. According to Lauren Zander, our regular life coach contributor, they are absolutely wrong about that. "I have never met anyone who does not have personal power in some area or another," she says flatly. In case you’re not sure where your personal power may lie, it’s actually quite straightforward, Zander said. It’s in anything and everything that you do well. Whether managing money, being a parent or friend or manager, even giving parties, if you’ve figured out how to do something really well, you’ve created power for yourself in the sense that you feel certainty in yourself and enjoy being the master of something -- your way. Far more of a challenge is to learn how to cultivate power in other, more difficult areas of your life, the places where you wish you performed better but don’t. Zander believes this is integral to our journey through life, she told me. "The whole experience of life is having problems and figuring out what to do about them -- it is how we learn and grow." What’s Your Kryptonite? Just like kryptonite is the mythical radioactive ore that disabled Superman’s powers (supposedly created when Superman’s native planet Krypton exploded), we all have vulnerabilities that weaken us and block us in certain ways. We mortals are especially affected by anything that makes us feel awkward or inept, and we allow this insecurity to have power over us by using it to make excuses. Many of us react to our own "kryptonite" by blaming it for our lack of action... we’ll make up explanations such as "I really can’t help it" or "This is just how I am." Then, it seems natural to simply say, "Why bother trying?" Boiled down to its essence, this "lack of power" really is just a series of repetitious negative thoughts... but these thoughts create very real deficits in our lives -- friends who aren’t that caring... a job that’s not so great... a flabby body... and, eventually, dissatisfaction with life, Zander says. But wait -- there’s a secret weapon hidden inside: Zander points out that you can use the very same pattern of repetitious thoughts and actions, but turn them into positive statements to build successes that add to your power. Zap! Pow! Bam! Powerful Moves The first step toward unmasking your new, more powerful self is to make a firm decision to change in a given area, giving yourself what Zander calls "a threshold kick" -- summoning enough energy to get yourself into motion by declaring the way you want to be powerful. You don’t have to declare it out loud, but by stating it to yourself (or others) you are clear about what you want to do or be. But beware -- you may encounter an impediment when you try this, as it may well bring on a confrontation with what lurks at the core of your kryptonite, and that is fear. We all hold fears about ourselves -- such as not being appealing or deserving -- that block our progress, but we tend to keep them hidden, even from ourselves. When challenged by some happenstance, this previously unacknowledged fear won’t necessarily smack you in the face -- it’s craftier than that. It may take the form of a subtle discomfort, such as telling yourself, I can’t because I’m not going to be good enough... or I’m too tired... or I’m not the type to push myself. Whatever happens, do not ignore this! If you can isolate and then identify this fear that keeps you from being a more powerful person, you are on your way to real change. Here are some questions that Zander suggests asking yourself... - Does your fear lie in a belief about yourself... such as being too old to become an artist, too plain-looking to succeed in a relationship, not smart enough to have your own business?
- Are you afraid that your life will not, and in fact cannot, change? Are past failures keeping you from working to change your life in the here and now?
- Is there something you believe about people, the world or life (e.g., men are untrustworthy, women are selfish or the economy will never improve) that keeps you stuck?
- Are there old hurts and rejections that you hang onto, either out of fear that you will be hurt again (and so must live behind a wall!) or because you find a certain acidic satisfaction out of nurturing the anger?
Once you get through the process of unearthing what it is that you are afraid of, you can evaluate it more objectively. (Note: You may need the help of a friend, therapist or coach.) You may find that your fears are completely unfounded and/or that there are ways to move past them and find solutions that will work for you. Once you do this, all it takes to create success -- to find more power -- is practice and discipline. (Hey, I never said it didn’t take effort!) Be a Superhero You can start today on the path to more personal power by selecting one area of life in which you want to improve. Clearly define your goals for it, and make them measurable so that you can better evaluate your progress. Tell people in your life what you are up to so they can cheer you on and, very important, so they can hold you accountable to your commitment. Don’t be shy about asking someone who is good at what you’re trying to do for suggestions and guidance -- people are almost always happy to help. By all means, enjoy the journey and keep your attitude positive and cheerful. In doing this, you will no doubt intrigue and inspire others and will discover that your personal power is indeed helping make your corner of the world a better and happier place.
Drug-Free Treatment Reverses Even Bone-on-Bone Arthritis... "Bone-on-bone" is the term doctors use for the last agonizing stage of arthritis. Your cartilage is totally ground away. Steroids and supplements are pointless. Alice was told her only hope was total knee replacement. Yet thanks to a brilliant physician, she skipped the surgery and feels like new. That's right. Alice licked "bone-on-bone" arthritis without surgery or drugs. And she did so with astonishing speed. In fact, not long after seeing this doctor, she left on a three-week shopping vacation -- then returned to the doctor's office with gifts for the entire staff and pronounced herself pain-free! What's the secret? Learn more...
Los Angeles Sees Superbug Invasion The rise of superbugs sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but as we know all too well, the problem is real. The bacteria are called superbugs because they can make people very sick or kill them and they are resistant to antibiotics. They have become a constant threat in our hospitals -- with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is the best-known. Now a different superbug has invaded our nursing homes and other health-care facilities, notably in Los Angeles but also in 35 states besides California. This bug, called carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), lives on equipment such as ventilators and catheters. While most healthy people are not at risk for infection, the bug can easily be carried on your hands or clothing and then transmitted to those who are frail, elderly or otherwise vulnerable. People At Risk A recent study from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health showed that between June and December 2010, about 350 cases of CRKP were reported in Los Angeles County alone. Another 2010 study, from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, revealed that 42% of affected patients died within 30 days of infection. I checked in with Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center in New York City, to talk about exactly how bad the "bug" appears to be. Dr. Tierno says that sometimes CRKP infection is so bad that it can kill the patient outright and sometimes CRKP is the co-cause of death. This infection most often presents itself as pneumonia, but sometimes as meningitis, urinary tract infection or blood and wound infections that are difficult to clear. He told me that he had heard experts calling CRKP very, very serious. They describe the bug, which belongs to the same family of bacteria as salmonella and E. coli, as even more difficult to treat than MRSA How then to prevent a CRKP infection? Dr. Tierno says that in addition to people in hospitals or nursing homes, those most at risk include people who are immunologically compromised because of extended hospital stays, those who have HIV or other chronic diseases that affect immunity -- and certainly transplant patients who must take drugs to suppress immunity. People who are on lengthy antibiotic therapy are at very high risk, he says, because the antibiotics suppress and partially kill off less hardy bacteria, leaving the stronger, more dangerous ones to survive and dominate. In fact, many of the geriatric patients who developed CRKP infections had recently been on antibiotics. What You Can Do Dr. Tierno said that in general, health-care facilities today are working hard to sanitize equipment and the environment to bring the infection rate down to "near zero." But he makes very clear that one of the best protections your loved one can have is actually you. Here are the guidelines he gave me... - Make yourself the germ monitor in the care facility. Health-care staff can and do spread germs from patient to patient. Be vigilant. "Speak up," says Dr. Tierno. Staff members must wash their hands or cleanse them with an alcohol-based gel when entering a patient’s room. Instruments such as stethoscopes must be kept germ-free as well. Embarrassed to say something? Don’t be, says Dr. Tierno. In fact in his hospital, identification badges include this query under staff names: "Are my hands clean? Ask me." This is the attitude the public must adopt, he says, because it may well be what keeps patients alive.
- Avoid becoming a low-level carrier of the CRKP bug. About 80% of infectious disease is transmitted by direct contact between an infected person and an uninfected person -- through coughing, talking (which lets vapor out of your lungs), kissing -- or indirect contact, such as when an infected person touches a doorknob and then an uninfected person reaches for the same knob. (The remaining 20% of infections are airborne or are transmitted through sources such as food and water.)
To shield yourself from becoming a carrier (and then infecting someone else), wash your hands regularly, especially before you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Also, to protect yourself, keep any wounds you have clean and avoid touching them. - If you must take an antibiotic, speak to your doctor about taking a probiotic as well in order to keep your "good bacteria" strong and able to fight off an invasion of "bad bacteria."
Dr. Tierno adds that there is currently limited success fighting CRKP with certain antibiotics such as tigecycline (Tygacil)... other drugs containing colistin, an older antibiotic that can cause kidney damage... and various combinations of drugs. Should someone you know become infected, such drug therapies will certainly be tried. Nevertheless, there is nothing on the horizon at this time that has real promise for successfully treating CRKP, and so the best approach continues to be a good defense.
Source(s):
Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, director, Clinical Microbiology & Immunology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York City.
Happy UnFather's Day I don't mean this in a bad way, but if you are a parent, Mother's Day or Father's Day isn't really "yours" -- your day to spend as you wish -- unless your parents are deceased or live far away. Otherwise, your day is spent making things special for your own parents. This past Father's Day yesterday was no celebration for my husband. Click here to read more...
Be well, 
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
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