The title of this blog is a quote from Jim Rohn, but as we know there are often barriers to his wise statement.
Obviously there is far more to taking care of our bodies than making sure we have enough B12 and this blog could be a mile long. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve limited it to just a few pertinent topics…
Vitamin B12
The vast majority of us with B12 deficiency often struggle to access the right frequency of treatment due to the restrictive prescribing of our life saving B12 injections. Many people are offered antidepressants for their B12 deficiency induced depression, they may also be offered antidepressant’s for their long term pain or insomnia also caused by B12 deficiency. This ‘off-label’ prescribing is medical nonsense and totally unethical when the cause is obvious and is being totally ignored.
I know it might be considered a radical idea, but perhaps we should make it an absolute rule that people with B12 deficiency are prescribed vitamin B12 injections as frequently as the individual needs rather than inappropriate drugs which come with with serious side-effects, dependence and withdrawal problems. Wouldn’t it make sense, be kinder and much simpler to treat vitamin B12 deficiency with vitamin B12?
We need a fine balance of all essential nutrients for a healthy functioning body. Things go wrong when we miss these out either intentionally, or by accident.
Veganism
This is an important lifestyle choice for many. Having the facts to hand and understanding how to counter nutrient deficiency with correct supplementation for a vegan diet is vital for good health but not everyone researches this diet fully before diving headlong into cutting out all animal products. Your body needs all vitamins and minerals to thrive.
There is always a huge push on the ‘Veganuary Campaign’ in the media and it seems this trend started in the UK in 2014. Dr Zoe Harcombe PhD, has written a fantastic executive summary of this campaign detailing the nutrients, including B12, that a vegan diet will miss. For anyone wishing to learn more about this sometimes emotional and contentious subject, please consider watching Zoe’s fact filled presentation.
In an article titled ‘Veganuary’ can make you depressed, cause higher risk of broken bones and miscarriages…” Dr Julian Owen a founder member of Club-12.org states, “If supplements are not taken, after six months of veganism, people may begin to experience neurological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and even psychosis—symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.”
See the related journal – The importance of vitamin B12 for individuals choosing plant‐based diets.
Exposing the secrets of the plant – based vegetarian guidelines
Watch the interview of Australian Belinda Fettke with nutritionist Judy Cho. (Thank you to Kathy for sending it my way!) See how Belinda uncovered how the cereal, and sugar industry and the church affect dietary guidance following the silencing of her husband, Dr Gary Fettke, an orthopaedic surgeon. It will be an eye opener and like Zoe’s presentation above, this should be shared widely.
Belinda used her voice to give Gary his back
Belinda, who describes herself as a health ‘disrupter and change-agent’ is a researcher and professional photographer with a background in nursing. Dr. Gary Fettke, was wrongfully ‘silenced’ by the Tasmanian AHPRA Medical Board in 2014. This was as a result of being reported by a dietitian who decided that Gary was acting outside of his professional scope for suggesting his diabetic patients limit their sugar intake and increase saturated animal fats. Gary was trying to help prevent end stage complications including amputations, secondary to diabetes.
Belinda states: “After discovering the pro cereal/grain/soy messaging, and the demonisation of animal protein and fats, were tied to industry and ideology I delved into the pages of history to discover “why?” .
Isn’t it complete madness that a good doctor was punished for caring and correctly advising his patients? Belinda’s passionate support of her husband lead to the creation of the #IsupportGary website and details Belinda’s investigation into the devout religious evangelism, demonisation of animal protein and fats and financial conflicts of interest. It was 4 and a half years before Dr Fettke received a formal apology and exoneration from the trumped up charges against him. Does this remind you of the silencing of Sally Pacholok?
Taking care of our bodies requires more than good food and all essential nutrients…. We have to be aware of what toxins we are taking inside and on using on the outside of our bodies too….
Water
We know that our bodies and the earth itself is made up largely of water.
Watch (and even replicate) Dr Maseru Emoto’s rice experiment. This helps us to understand just how water and therefore our bodies might react to what we say and think about ourselves and others. This interview Message in the water with Dr Emoto gives insight into his theory of water’s memory of vibration and frequency.
Writing this reminded me of a children’s nursery rhyme ‘Sticks ands stones’ but are you familiar with these alternative words from Lauren Child? One’s that make much more sense when we apply Emoto’s principles…
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words can also hurt me.
Sticks and stones break only skin,
Whiles words are ghosts that haunt me.
Pain from words has left its scar
On mind and heart that’s tender,
Cuts and bruises now have healed,
It’s words that I remember.
Quality of water
If you turn on your tap and the water smells like its come from the local swimming pool then clearly this is a problem. Not all water supplies are equal, some taste and smell so much better than others. We pay our water authorities an awful lot of money to provide our homes with clean water. However we know this water contains contaminants such as pesticides and herbicides, which we would choose not to ingest. There are many ‘cleaning’ additives in water supplies and others such as fluoride, which are supposedly added, for the good of our health but which are highly detrimental. If you don’t already possess a water filter then this comprehensive guide will set you on the path.
Fluoride
It has long been understood that fluoridation of water has a negative association with thyroid function When asked, “Is fluoride bad for you?” Dr Axe states: ‘I believe fluoride is an unnecessary chemical that should not be in public water supplies, and that it has the potential to damage your body.’ His article takes you through a whole examination of fluoride and its addition to water, toothpaste and even milk.
The BMJ Study published : A large observational study of GP practice data and fluoride levels in drinking water, which asks: Are fluoride levels in drinking water associated with hypothyroidism prevalence in England?
Their Findings We found that higher levels of fluoride in drinking water provide a useful contribution for predicting prevalence of hypothyroidism. We found that practices located in the West Midlands (a wholly fluoridated area) are nearly twice as likely to report high hypothyroidism prevalence in comparison to Greater Manchester (non-fluoridated area).
And their Interpretation In many areas of the world, hypothyroidism is a major health concern and in addition to other factors—such as iodine deficiency—fluoride exposure should be considered as a contributing factor. The findings of the study raise particular concerns about the validity of community fluoridation as a safe public health measure.
Earthing
Our connection to nature and the earth has diminished over time, when was the last time you were barefoot outside? The Earthing Movie below will give a fantastic insight into the benefits we gain by taking off our shoes and grounding or ‘earthing’ ourselves.
The research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and unwellness. Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits—including better sleep and reduced pain.
The following paper reviews the earthing research:
Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons
Could such an intervention be located right beneath our feet? Earthing research, observations, and related theories raise an intriguing possibility about the Earth’s surface electrons as an untapped health resource….The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity…
Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from the primordial flow of Earth’s electrons. For example, since the 1960s, we have increasingly worn insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes, instead of the traditional leather fashioned from hides…
And another connection to the thyroid in this paper:
Chronic Disease: Are We Missing Something?
The Sokals also discovered that thyroid function is influenced by Earthing, as documented by a significant decrease of free tri-iodothyronine and an increase of free thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone. Through a series of feedback regulations, thyroid hormones affect almost every physiologic process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate.
Gardening
We know that gardening offers us a way of exercising, relaxing and healing. Being close to nature can phenomenally enrich our lives. If you have a garden and have yet to try growing your own food, then why not have a go? The taste of homegrown food can’t really be beaten. Watching the seeds and beans you’ve sown sprouting and growing bigger every day is a joy that never gets old whatever age we may be!. Even a window box or some pots in a sunny spot can yield some incredible produce. Huw Richards’ gardening channel is full of fantastic tips even for the seasoned gardener. If you don’t have your own garden or allotment, there may be a community garden nearby that could do with your help or you could even start your own. Here’s a link to find US community gardens, please feel free add others in the comments.
One final note concerns something that’s addictive for many. I’m sure that addressing this would guarantee a vast improvement in health, particularly mental health…
The news
If you are a news watcher, try to cut down or totally eradicate the habit if you can. If your routine means that each morning you watch the news, remember that this is the time we are most creative. Imagine you’re just about to get started on a project and someone shouts to tell you a barrage of awful news – how that affects us is tangible. How much easier would life be without that interruption to your peace?
For people who insist on watching the news just before bed, how doo you sleep? Are you ruminating on what you see and hear? How much better would you sleep if you hadn’t ingested all that bad news?
This Guardian article by Rolf Dobelli states
News is toxic to your body. It constantly triggers the limbic system. Panicky stories spur the release of cascades of glucocorticoid (cortisol). This deregulates your immune system and inhibits the release of growth hormones. In other words, your body finds itself in a state of chronic stress. High glucocorticoid levels cause impaired digestion, lack of growth (cell, hair, bone), nervousness and susceptibility to infections. The other potential side-effects include fear, aggression, tunnel-vision and desensitisation.
I haven’t actively sat and watched the news or read newspapers for over two decades and believe me, you get to hear what you need to hear. Not watching it frees you of worry that has been ‘gifted’ to you over zealously. Cutting it out and seeing how you feel, how much more creative you are, how much better you sleep might be a revelation.
Kindness always
Tracey x
So many fantastic pointers for better health Tracey, many thanks.
Worth pointing out that many water filter systems do not remove fluoride, which is quite hard to do. https://andrewswater.co.uk/
sell some that do.
I signed up for your newsletter because we have a daughter [early thirties] living a shadow existence with hypothyroidism, Ehlers Danlos, CFS, etc. I did years ago persuade her to get the Drs to give her B12 challenge injections but a] she found them extremely painful and b] did not feel that she felt any better for them. I’m still not 100% convinced, as the doctors do not care about her. Ref the fluoride also, we discovered only after she started getting stomach aches every morning just at school time, she had been swallowing the toothpaste because it was sweet and we did not give them many sweets. Thank God for the late very much lamented charity Foresight [Association for preconceptual care] which I supported because of friends’ experiences. The newsletter had an article about fluoride, I had a lightbulb moment and switched to non fluoride toothpaste, apparent end of problems. There is hypothyroidism in the family, paternal grandmother and my sister. But our daughter’s did not materialise until her late teens, soon after the Ehlers Danlos joint hypermobility. She’s heterozygous for the D102 gene but the head of endocrinology at Addenbrookes claimed it to be ‘of no clinical significance’!
After our experience I strongly supported the Bedford Anti Fluoride campaign. This was successful but still needs final Gov’t stamp. And now said Govt is taking away the power to choose from local authorities and threatening to impose it nationally for the supposed dental benefit. It is a now proven developmental neurotoxin as well as what you have mentioned. If any doubt references can be found via Fluoride Action Network. Decreasing IQ is already a problem, I saw this myself working as a teaching assistant from 2000 to 2016.
Power to your elbow, hope the above is of interest.
Dear Dee
Thank you for sharing your daughters experience and for the valuable information you give. I always think the gold is in the comments!
Yes I agree, you need to look carefully to find a filter which removes fluoride.
Oh crikey, I bet there’s millions of children swallowing toothpaste. The adverts don’t help when they show the image of using an inch at a time. Switching to non fluoride toothpaste stopped tooth sensitivity in me and I think it tastes and cleans better too. Thankfully there’s lots of brands to choose from these days.
Yes the B12 injections can be painful, but they may have been given too infrequently for your daughter to feel the benefit. She will have needed folate alongside, which may not have been given? The thyroid story is also a big one, the NHS treatment does not suit everyone, have you heard of Lorraine Cleaver? I add this in case you haven’t and hope it strikes a chord. -https://thyroiduk.org/about-thyroid-uk/lorraines-story-the-scottish-parliament-petition/
Very best wishes
Tracey
Thank you Tracey for presenting the facts again there will always be some people who disagree but don’t let that stop you
Thank you Ann 😊
Dear Tracey – This is the best health newsletter I’ve *ever* seen or received from anywhere. That may sound like an exaggeration but it isn’t. I expected the usual unthinking health advice with out of date dietary recommendations and platitudes about exercise and stress, perhaps with some B12 stuff thrown in, but it had new and interesting ideas and links. It was such a pleasant surprise!
It hit on many of the key health actions I am interested in taking, coming to these independently from my personal enquiry into health and knowledge of what works best for my body. It really validated my own long and focused health journey, reinforcing things I have learned via my own research and difficult trial and error with my health.
I learned a lot about B12 when I was finally diagnosed with Pernicious Anaemia after struggling with fatigue all my life. I have since gained full health, helped by a low carb high fat diet and many other things including walking in bare feet and not watching the news!
Yet with all this knowledge I have still had to watch several friends deteriorate over time via eating a vegan diet. It is distressing to watch them slowly lose physical and mental health but refuse to consider breaking their vegan diet. It is as though they have chosen to be on a long, ineffective hunger strike against something that isn’t actually the problem. (I also studied human ecology in a recent Masters degree, looking in-depth into the question of whether vegetarianism will help the planet’s environment).
I am still working my way through the different YouTube videos and peer reviewed articles linked in this newletter! And they are taking me to others which are helping me with issues like menopause hot flashes.
Thank you!! 🙂
Dear Imogen
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your valuable experience and perspective, it’s so appreciated!
Very best wishes
Tracey
A wonderful blog with lots of information. Thank you Tracey. I know a few clinicians who have been silenced as poor Dr Gary. It is a big shame.
Earthing, forest grazing and just being in nature is fantastic for our bodies and brains.
Last month, I listened to a lecture by Professor Margaret Rayman on the role of Iron and selenium with regards to thyroid function. It was extremely interesting. I believe I have suboptimal thyroid function.
Best wishes
x
Thank you! I shall have a look at Prof Rayman with interest! x