What's Killing America

Why are Americans so Sick?

We pride ourselves as being an "elite" nation -- but what's elite about America today?

The American dollar is practically worthless. Jobs are scarce. And everybody's sick, dying or on prescription medications. And rarely do people take a single medication anymore. Pharmaceutical drugs have evolved--for one health condition, a person takes multiple medications, partly due to the fact that after a while each drug gives birth to a new set of symptoms that must be treated with another drug... That's how new diseases and disorders are born. And that's what keeps food on Big Pharma's table--new diseases and sick Americans. It also keeps lobbyists' private jets fueled and keeps the people at the top--at the top.

But that's not the starting point, the prescription drug treadmill is the middle of the road. It all began somewhere amidst the poisons clouding up the air we breathe--pesticides, herbicides, household cleaners, plastics, automobile exhaust, industrial fumes, lead paints, tobacco smoke and the absence of plant life and the vital oxygen it produces.

Our water supply is laced with deadly fluoride and chlorine, plus the sewage run-off mix of prescription drugs, antibiotics, pesticides and who knows what else. If you're still drinking water straight from the tap, it's a wonder you're alive to read this, seriously..

Here's one way to look at the anatomy and physiology of the human body: much like your car needs gasoline, oil and other materials to function, your body needs minerals to keep your bones strong and your heart beating, vitamins from which to synthesize hormones, enzymes and other catalysts which (among other things) create the energy you need to live your life. Without proper nutritional support, the body cannot carry out its functions. It's that simple! Does your car take you places if you don't put gas and oil in it? No, it doesn't. Your body, too, will cease to take you anywhere if you don't give it what it needs.

You may be wondering what do I know about any of this? What qualifies me to say these things? I don't have any suffix after my name. I'm not an M.D. or a biochemist. I'm someone who cares enough to learn and open-minded enough to compare what I see and feel to what I know and what I have learned. I am a researcher. I love science. I love all life. And I am immensely troubled at the needless suffering and untimely death amongst us that is becoming as common as life itself.

On August 13, 2003, Adam Bowerman--the love of my life--died after a 6-month battle against cancer. He was only 41, full of life, looked remarkably young for his age and left behind two darling little girls who thought he hung the moon. It is a horrible movie that will forever continue to play in my mind. He had a chance to make the changes in his life that would have helped him survive--to change his diet, habits and lifestyle--all small sacrifices he refused to make. In the end, he saw the err of his way right around the time he realized it was too late.

Human life is fragile. And your health is the most valuable asset you will ever own! Without it, life is no fun--it's misery and then it's gone. My parents know this all too well. My dad has had emphysema, a few heart attacks and strokes, prostate problems, no gallbladder, last I heard--he thinks he's going blind and his cognitive function is on a rapid decline. This is heartbreaking to me.

My mom, who had double bypass surgery a couple years ago, has diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, failing liver, bladder problems, skin disease, high blood pressure, poor memory, is wheelchair bound, and the latest of her maladies is gout (a terribly painful disease and a known side effect of blood pressure and diabetes medications.) Her case is infuriating to me because she is a perfect example of a person who's been strung out by the prescription drug rollercoaster. Many years ago (after her unnecessary hysterectomy) she was prescribed Premarin (estrogen), which today is widely known to raise blood sugar, damage the heart and increase cancer risk. After about 15 years of taking Premarin, she had her first heart attack, and then her second, and somewhere along the line, picked up at least a dozen other maladies.

I love my mom and dad dearly and am so grateful for them both. They took me in at a point when they were nearly finished raising their children. They will probably never know the full magnitude of my gratitude for them. When I was growing up, my mom was an excellent cook. Everything she made was the talk of the town. Fried chicken, the best biscuits and gravy, fried eggs & bacon (or ham or sausage or all of the above) and fried potatoes EVERY morning. We NEVER had a meal without meat! My mom always had a large can of Crisco on the counter, canisters of white flour, white sugar, corn meal, white rice, and at least a half dozen varieties of candies, cookies, and a freshly baked cake. My mom didn't believe in butter, she used margarine. People were led to believe that these things were good, or at least harmless.  She devoted herself to providing for her family (and anyone else who was hungry) the most delicious and filling meal you'd find anywhere. She really busted her rear taking care of everyone! God bless her for all she did. And shame on the authorities for not telling everyone they were setting themselves up for years of drugs, medical expenses and premature death!