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Articles from Bette Dowdell | Selfgrowth.com
- Parkinson's Disease Ain't For Sissies - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2009 from Bette DowdellMy mom lived with Parkinson’s Disease the last seventeen ears of her life, Let me tell you for sure and for certain that Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is more like scaling Everest than walking in the park. It’s uphill all the way, with no certainty about the about the twists and turns you’ll ...My ...
Views: 1255 - Earning A Praise And Worship Brown Belt - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2008 from Bette DowdellPity the poor novice who innocently walks into a ‘with it’ church to worship. They expect to hear a little music, perhaps a reading from the Bible and somebody talking about God. But in the ‘Church of What’s Happnin’ Now,’ these stunned, would-be ...Pity ...
Views: 1249 - Is Your Liver Talking to You? - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2014 from Bette DowdellLiver disease is on the warpath–from sea to shining sea and around the world. If you have endocrine problems, the liver tsunami probably hit you. Perhaps your endo problems whacked the liver. Or maybe vice versa. It’s kind of like a tag team of misery. And since liver problems put a world ...
Views: 1247 - Salting Your Way to Energy - by Submitted on Mar 03, 2009 from Bette DowdellSo, let’s talk about salt. Poor salt! It pours out its very life to benefit mankind and gets only disdain in return. Well, maybe that’s a little over the top, but salt doesn’t deserve the bad rap it gets. It’s not manna from heaven, but it’s good stuff. Essential to life stuff. Here’s ...
Views: 1242 - The Sorry Truth About Soy - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2009 from Bette DowdellThere’s a huge soy bandwagon roaring down the tracks. It’s everywhere; 60% of prepared foods contain soy. Even some vitamins, too. Can we talk about this? Of course it’s everywhere; it’s the cheapest and easiest crop to grow. Farmers make some money. Food ...
Views: 1241 - ***Your Connected Body - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Bette DowdellWhen it comes to our bodies, everything affects everything because everything’s connected. And our endocrine system sits smack dab in the middle of all this connecting that’s going on. Here’s a quick look at the parts of the endocrine system and what they do (24/7, I might ...
Views: 1235 - ***Unmentioned Ingredients - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2014 from Bette DowdellIn 2009, Ronald Ball bought a can of Mountain Dew from the vending machine at work. One swig, and Good Old Ron was throwing up all over the place, sicker than the proverbial dog. Upon breaking the can open and pouring out its contents for a look-see, what to his wondering eyes did appear but ...
Views: 1231(3 votes) - In Praise of Strong-Willed Children - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2007 from Bette DowdellCervantes said, "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." As a matter of fact, a faint heart never won much of anything. But put a little determination and will into that heart, and it can shoot the moon. What you hear, though, is that parents should prefer the faint heart, that is, the passive ...
Views: 1230 - ***The Power of Garlic - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2014 from Bette DowdellWell, now, you probably think I’m talking about the odor, but no. Powerful as it is, the smell of garlic can’t hold a candle to all the wonders this homely herb can do. And garlic’s no newcomer on the block. Back in 3748 B.C., Egyptian slaves went on strike when they didn’t get their ration ...
Views: 1228 - Is Your Hand Lotion Doing You In? - by Submitted on Mar 10, 2009 from Bette DowdellThe incidence of thyroid disease doubled in the last thirty-or-so years. Auto-immune diseases, which relate to the endocrine system, are skyrocketing. So, too, are diseases of the brain, such as autism, Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer Disease. A significant part of the problem is the ...
Views: 1225 - ***And Yet Another Health Enemy - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2014 from Bette DowdellIt interferes with thyroid function. It gets estrogen and testosterone out of whack. It puts a hurt on your immune system by messing with your thymus gland. It increases your chances of becoming resistant to antibiotics. It sets your kids up for asthma and infections. And it’s ...
Views: 1219(1 vote) - The Road to Death Goes through Tolerance - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2007 from Bette DowdellTolerance. It’s a good thing, a socially desirable thing, isn’t it? What could possibly be wrong with tolerance? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s what’s wrong: The magnificently sold idea of tolerance is, in fact, destroying our highest and best values in life. ...
Views: 1213 - ***Three More Health-Improving Tips - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2014 from Bette Dowdell1. Today’s first tip is you should breathe. Well, that sounds pretty obvious, but there’s breathing and then there’s breathing. Most people, especially those in less than tip-top health, take shallow breaths. And that’s part of why they’re dragging their ...
Views: 1212 - ***Your Thyroid on Drugs - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2014 from Bette DowdellPrescription drugs are dangerous, a leading cause of death year in and year out. Some drugs slay you in one fell swoop, but most just nibble your health away. To give you examples, I went to a health site that lists drug side effects. Since I write about the endocrine system, I looked at ...
Views: 1211(1 vote) - ***Body Connections - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2014 from Bette DowdellQuite a few of you responded to the 2014 “What Should Bette Write About” Contest saying you wanted me to continue to write about how the endocrine system works. Well, murder mysteries never go out of style, and neither do the mysteries of the endocrine system. According to studies, 50% of ...
Views: 1202 - ***Thyroid, Metabolism and All That Jazz - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2014 from Bette DowdellThyroid, Metabolism and All That Jazz Kelly asks, “How can my husband jumpstart his metabolism to lose weight? His TSH is ‘in normal limits’ at 1.1 and his Free T3 is low at 2.3, but his doctor won’t treat him since his TSH is normal.” Well, Kelly, before I launch, let me explain your ...
Views: 1200 - Planeturine.com - by Submitted on May 15, 2008 from Bette DowdellYou know life is not all you hoped it might be when you find yourself spending time at www.planeturine.com. Pray let me tell you a story of staggering to triumph through, over and around adversity. Once upon a time a girl named Bette thought it good to move from Tucson to Phoenix. Bette, you ...
Views: 1187 - What's the Truth About Cholesterol? - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2011 from Bette DowdellNow that you’ve all been taught that saturated fat is bad because it raises your cholesterol level and gives you heart attacks, give me a few moments to unlearn you. Cholesterol is your friend. Your brain, being mostly cholesterol, doesn’t do much of a job when it runs short of the good ...
Views: 1179 - ***The Dietitians’ Blank Slate - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2014 from Bette DowdellIn The Blank Slate Myth, I talked about parents who see newborn babies as blank slates, an invitation to push, pull and otherwise shape their kids to fit their parental fancies. Well, good luck with that. And parents aren’t the only blank-slate believers. Hoo boy! Medicine comes ...
Views: 1178(1 vote) - ***Symptoms vs. Causes - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2014 from Bette DowdellMedicos diagnose and treat symptoms. All day, every day, only symptoms matter. The cause of the symptoms gets scant, if any, attention. But putting Band-Aids on symptoms–which I call the patch, patch, patch approach–doesn’t work. For instance, diabetes shows up when the body can’t handle ...
Views: 1177(1 vote) - ***Three Easy-Peasey Health Tips - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2014 from Bette DowdellYou deserve a break today, so let’s talk about some things you can do for your health that don’t require heavy lifting, grunting, panting or any other sort of exhaustion. Some people like extreme exercise, but most don’t. Either way, healthy living shouldn’t feel like punishment. And here are ...
Views: 1177 - ***INNOCENT-LOOKING ENEMIES - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2014 from Bette DowdellWe’re surrounded by health enemies, and that’s a fact. Trouble is, they seem like such a part of everyday life, we don’t realize they might not be friends. One enemy was born in 1974, fluorescent lights. First, it was long tubes; now it’s curly-cue bulbs. Trouble, I ...
Views: 1174(1 vote) - ***Saturated Fat: Friend or Foe? - by Submitted on May 02, 2014 from Bette DowdellAccording to just about everything to you read or hear, saturated fat is bad, bad, bad. Dietitians say so. Doctors, too. Magazines follow along. Televisions shows such as “The Biggest Loser” agree. It’s kind of like some sort of mantra that gets repeated endlessly. One teensy little ...
Views: 1172(2 votes) - Learning Pain's Lessons - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2008 from Bette DowdellI talk to pretty much everybody. Starting conversations with strangers is my normal modus operandi. I mean, why stand in a line mute, an island unto myself, when I can have a perfectly lovely conversation with somebody I haven’t yet met? And I don’t talk about the weather. I talk ...
Views: 1160 - ***A Glimmer of Marginally Good News - by Submitted on May 09, 2014 from Bette DowdellOn May 1, 2013, neuroscientists announced, in the journal Nature, that the hypothalamus is important. Well, yeah! That baby is part of the brain and controls both the nervous system and the endocrine system, which, in turn, control everything that happens in our bodies. I think we can all ...
Views: 1159(1 vote) - The Perfection Myth - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2007 from Bette DowdellYou're not perfect. I'm not perfect. Nobody's perfect. Give it up. Nobody likes their nose. Or their knees, for that matter. Everybody finds annoying lumps, bumps and wrinkles, typically invisible to others, in various and sundry locations on their body. And if you have kids, ideas of ...
Views: 1146 - ***Introducing Your Immune System - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2014 from Bette DowdellAs your body’s official Defense Department, the immune system protects against all enemies. Toxins in the air. Viruses and bacteria that get into the body. Everything. And immune system headquarters is smack-dab in the middle of the most interactive, butt-into-everybody-else’s-business system ...
Views: 1144 - ***A Close Look at a Multi - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2014 from Bette DowdellA doc from Harvard Medical School published some findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association a while back. The two top-notch names like Harvard and AMA aside, you’ll want to know a few things before you start believing all the article said. This study says multivitamins ...
Views: 1132 - Why Do Doctors Ignore 500-Pound Gorillas? - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2010 from Bette DowdellMedical research is beginning to look more and more like an old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie. A problem rears its ugly head, our plucky protagonists put on a show, the amazingly talented cast of friends and neighbors sings and dances its way to the finale–after which everybody lives happily ...
Views: 1116(1 vote) - ***You Mean Cholesterol’s Not A Problem? - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Bette DowdellThe crusade against cholesterol seems to be losing steam, so the poobahs are working on the real cause of heart problems. WooHoo! You shouldn’t hold your breath, howsomever. First off, cholesterol drugs bring in really, really big bucks, and that won’t stop until patients start ...
Views: 1097(2 votes) - ***The Blank Slate of Seeing What Isn’t There - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2014 from Bette DowdellIn my articles, The Blank Slate Myth and The Dietitian’s Blank Slate, I wrote about the blind spot of seeing only what you want to see so you can do what you want to do. Today, let’s talk about the blank slate of doctors. With so many examples and so little time, where do I ...
Views: 1074 - ***Where Medicine Goes Astray - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2014 from Bette DowdellMedicine sees our various body parts as separate and entire unto themselves. Each speciality treats a specific body part–with almost no reference to anything else. There’s no point in asking, say, a heart doctor about your digestion. Heart doctors don’t do digestion. And while nobody can ...
Views: 1072(1 vote) - ***Have You Poked Your Lymph System Today? - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2014 from Bette DowdellI tell you true, our bodies are a wonder. Leading the parade of wonder is our endocrine system, a model of intricate cooperation. Part of the endocrine system, the immune system, is a complex mystery all on its own. And a part of the immune system, the lymphatic system, raises ...
Views: 1069(1 vote) - How To Save A Tea Party - by Submitted on May 28, 2010 from Bette DowdellMy three-year-old niece Rachel came to live with us the on the same day we moved from New York to our new home in Connecticut. Nobody really planned it that way; it just happened. Ten-year-old Chrissie already had the willys about the move, and eight-year-old Charles didn’t lag far behind in ...
Views: 1062(1 vote) - Death by Label - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2007 from Bette DowdellThe whole world's in the label business. Every time we turn around, somebody's jamming a label on us. Not those “Hi, My name is” stick-ums, Not any sort of tangible, visible label, in fact, but psychological Post-It® notes. Even early on in life, we’re covered with ...
Views: 1061 - Emotional Strength Through Muscle Building - by Submitted on May 24, 2007 from Bette DowdellIt’s a much mourned fact of life that watching exercise videos doesn't build muscles. Couch potatoes who can legitimately boast about six-pack abs don’t exist. Reading bodybuilding books doesn't get the job done, either. Reading can take us on many wondrous journeys of the mind, ...
Views: 1055 - ***Medicine’s View of the Immune System - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Bette DowdellOur thymus gland, located behind our breast bone, leads the immune system into battle against evildoers intending to snatch our health away. So we know where it is and what it does. And that about sums it up for most of us. It seems like we should know more about such a big-time player, but ...
Views: 1049 - What Vitamins Actually Work? - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Bette DowdellThere’s a lot of to-do going on about natural vitamins having an edge on the synthetics. And, truth to tell, going natural sure sounds good. The way God intended and all. But like with so many things, the devil’s in the details. The major sources of natural vitamin B vitamins are wheat and ...
Views: 1043 - How To Make It Through Life's Train Wrecks - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2008 from Bette DowdellSomehow, despite all our hopes, dreams and efforts, life became a train-wreck. We may or may not have had an inkling of the impending doom. Perhaps we were in denial or maybe completely unaware of what was swirling around just out of sight. We may have seen it coming but didn’t realize its ...
Views: 1038 - It's Always About the Timing - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2007 from Bette DowdellSo, here’s the situation: We’re thinking about making some changes in life, and we’re wondering how to spot the perfect time to act. Perfect timing means perfect success, right? Here's a news flash. There are no perfect times. There are bad times, good times, even excellent ...
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