Archive for November, 2009
At first glance it may seem strange that natural and organic bedding products, without industrial chemicals, toxins and pesticides, should cost more than conventional bedding.
Remember that industrialization over the past century was developed to produce products as cheaply as possible, and as quickly as possible, for maximum profit. After WWII, industrial mass production and farming industries exploded with phenomenal investment in the latest, most efficient, artificial crop production and manufacturing processes. Millions of tons of chemicals have saturated our foods, fabrics, soils, air and water. But the only result that matters to corporations: consumers annually buy billions of dollars of unbelievably cheap artificial bedding and chemically saturated cottons. Just look at happy mass retailers both online, and offline.
There are numerous theories with regard to the causes of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, many of which may be indeed touching on the truth or at least touching on an aggravator or contributor to these afflictions. Diseases in general have been growing in epidemic proportion over at least the past 20 years, especially in the United States, where our increasingly toxic environment and lifestyles have drifted further and further away from what is natural in the name of progress, technology, and profit. Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia are no exception, the two often being experienced together, and possibly symptoms of the same disease. Many agree that having one or both of these conditions reflects a compromised immune system, but whether this has resulted from viruses or chemicals or heredity or DNA mutations or other causes is much debated. As in the question of the chicken or the egg, I think the answer lies in what came first, at least in terms of triggering the disease.
We all have unique genetic weaknesses and tendencies, but usually a disease that we may be predisposed to will not surface unless an external environmental factor triggers it. Viruses lay dormant in all of us, as do many bacteria. The body’s immune system keeps them in check unless the body is damaged and becomes weak and imbalanced to the point that viruses and bacteria grow out of control and flourish, causing disease. But what external “triggering” factors came first to weaken the immune system to allow such a systemic breakdown to occur?
Embarrassing as it may be, we have all suffered from constipation at one time in our life or another. According to the National Health Interview Survey as many as 3 million Americans suffer from frequent if not chronic constipation. While constipation is not recognized as a degenerative disease or serious disorder, people who are constipated often feel bloated, uncomfortable and even sluggish. Constipation by itself is miserable enough, but sufferers often experience painful bowel movements that can become compounded by hemorrhoids that form due to straining.
To understand constipation, it is important to understand how our digestive system works. When we eat, food is ground up in our stomachs so it can be digested. This "liquid" food passes into the small intestine where nutrients are extracted. It then moves on to the colon, where water is removed, allowing a stool to form. If too much water is extracted from the stool as it passes through the colon, it can become hard and difficult to pass leaving you constipated.
The 8 That Are Produced in Your Brain
When you’re in serious pain, the medications you’re taking are mainly designed to neutralize the brain chemistry that relays pain signals. Here’s why your subconscious may be more effective than drugs at doing that.