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Articles from Bette Dowdell | Selfgrowth.com
- Moobs, PMS And Other Disasters - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2009 from Bette DowdellIf you’ve read much of my stuff, you know that I do go on–and on–about the evils of soy. Why is soy bad? Besides stealing all your minerals, giving you kidney stones and depressing your thyroid function something fierce, soy is, among other things, estrogenic. That is, it adds bogus estrogen ...
Views: 1693(3 votes) - Death by Doctor - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2009 from Bette DowdellI ran into an acquaintance at a conference the other day. We got to talking about vitamins. (Somehow I always end up talking about vitamins; I could bore a stone.) Doctors recently installed her second pacemaker. She said her ejection fraction–the force with which her heart pumps blood–was ...
Views: 1627(2 votes) - Get Off That Treadmill! - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2009 from Bette DowdellIf you belong to the longer-is-better treadmill school of thought, you might want to reconsider. And if long distance running takes your time, you really need to think it through. Especially if you buy into the idea of high carb fueling. High carb fueling burns the fire hotter, that’s for ...
Views: 1956(2 votes) - Meeting Your Protein Needs - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2009 from Bette DowdellGood health requires protein. It’s protein that repairs the cells in our body, builds and maintains our muscles and bones, gives us energy and rides herd over a lot of what goes on inside us. And it’s protein that keeps our endocrine system chugging along. Diets with inadequate protein lead down ...
Views: 1920(1 vote) - The Nutrition Powerhouse We Laugh At - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2009 from Bette DowdellSuper foods, by definition, have more nutrition per ounce than your average health food. Most health foods strut around, proud as a peacock of their power and glory, but when a super food shows up, they fold up their tails and take a back seat. Now, I’m talking a real super food. Some people ...
Views: 1465(1 vote) - 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 - What to Do When Life Dumps Lemons All Over Your Head - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2007 from Bette DowdellWe’ve all heard the old saying that goes, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Now there’s a thought. We surely have to do something with the lemons as they come along. Sucking on lemons takes the enamel right off your teeth, so we don’t want to do that. Letting ...
Views: 1255 - ***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 - ***Bette’s Excellent Adventure - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2014 from Bette DowdellMold is my enemy, and it’s everywhere! In fact, it lives in all the soil, in all the world. Well, you ask, if mold lives in the dirt, how can it jump up and attack? Ah, my little chickadee, it has no need to do anything. The gentlest breeze wafts mold spores into the air where they weasel ...
Views: 1472 - ***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 - ***Death by Caffeine? - by Submitted on Mar 28, 2014 from Bette DowdellPerhaps you read about the death of John Jackson, of West Midands, England. The 40-year-old Mr. Jackson, unable to work because of advanced liver cirrhosis, the result of years of heavy drinking, is said to have died from eating mints. How could mints, specifically Hero Instant Energy ...
Views: 1406 - ***Facing Down Ebola - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2014 from Bette DowdellI tell you true, this Ebola thing is a mess, and the reactions to it are not promising. Medicine has nothing to offer, so they’re in a panic. Which means the media is beating a very loud drum about death and mayhem marching in shortly. Meanwhile, the President has sent soldiers, trained ...
Views: 1372 - ***Hypoglycemia: First The Truck Hits You, Then You Pass Out - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2015 from Bette DowdellMost of us know that our bodies create insulin to handle the sugary treats we eat. And most of us know we get diabetes if our insulin can’t get the job done. What few of us know is what happens when insulin does its job too well. It’s hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, and it’s the pits. I’ve ...
Views: 1544 - ***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 - ***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 - ***Mold Allergies And The Immune System - by Submitted on Dec 16, 2014 from Bette DowdellMold allergies are as common as dirt. Perhaps because the mold spores that cause the allergy are in dirt–from sea to shining sea and around the world, and dirt is out to play dirty tricks on you. Of course, any body of water, such as a lake, produces clouds of mold spores to play havoc with ...
Views: 2072 - ***Mrs. Obama's Salad Bar Caper - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Bette DowdellMichelle Obama is taking a star turn about putting salad bars into schools. One look at the cast of characters supporting this idea makes it obvious the salad bar hype isn’t about health or children or anything else one can praise. This misbegotten idea is about control Let’s look at ...
Views: 1805 - ***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 - ***The Misery of Nerve Pain - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2014 from Bette DowdellJane asks: "Will you please write about neuropathic pain and ways to alleviate it?" Neuropathic pain, a form of neuropathy, comes from nerve damage that causes pain, tingling, and burning–alternately or all at the same time. Some liken it to electrical shocks. It's estimated that more than ...
Views: 1606 - ***The Potency of Parsley - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2010 from Bette DowdellParsley is the Rodney Dangerfield of herbs; it gets no respect. Probably not even from Rodney Dangerfield. We’re talking NO respect. Once upon a time, most restaurants used parsley as a perky, colorful accompaniment on your plate, whatever you ordered. Most eaters ignored it, though, pretty ...
Views: 3484 - ***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 - ***The Problem With Medicine - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2010 from Bette DowdellSenator Patrick Lehman and Representative Henry Waxman rush about, day after day, year after year, to do Big Pharma’s bidding. Let’s talk about where this takes us. Big Pharma, the major pharmaceutical companies, is about money. They advertise their wares as wonders created especially to ...
Views: 1476 - ***The Reach-Out-And-Touch-Everything Immune System - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2015 from Bette DowdellDid you ever wonder how your body protects itself from disease? More important, did you ever wonder how you could help get the job done? Well, you probably know that your immune system leads the battle against diseases. And you may even know this defense system is the most complicated system ...
Views: 1435 - ***The Unknown Glands of the Immune System - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2014 from Bette DowdellOur thymus gland, leader of the immune system’s world, starts out strong, but as the years go by, sayeth the poobahs, it becomes a shadow of its former self, ending as just a few, lonely fat cells with no power, no glory. And that’s when cancer and other bad guys take us down. This is just ...
Views: 1440 - ***The Wonder of Parsley - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2014 from Bette DowdellParsley is the Rodney Dangerfield of herbs; it gets no respect. Probably not even from Rodney Dangerfield. We’re talking NO respect. Once upon a time, most restaurants used parsley as a perky, colorful accompaniment on your plate, whatever you ordered. Most eaters ignored it, though, pretty ...
Views: 1432 - ***THIS SOUNDS WEIRD, BUT . . . - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2014 from Bette DowdellThe immune system is kind of a mystery. We don’t hear much about where any of our immune system parts are, what they do, how they do whatever it is they do, etc. Well, maybe you’ve heard of lymph glands. Perhaps a huge lump showed up on the side of your neck–which, you decide, ...
Views: 1384 - ***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 - ***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 - ***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 - ***We Are Seriously Doomed - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2014 from Bette DowdellA while back, Dr. Steve Nissen, president of the American College of Cardiology, along with ten other prominent physicians, offered an outstanding proposal that would immeasurably improve medical care in this country. And what is this great idea? Take control of medicine back from Big Pharma, ...
Views: 1310 - ***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 - A Happy Health Food - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2012 from Bette DowdellI’m not much on the idea of eating bugs and twigs. And a lot of so-called healthy diets sound pretty twiggy to me. Seems like efforts to make the right health moves should lead to a reward, as in delicious. So today I’m writing about butter. Not just any butter, but KerryGold Irish Butter. ...
Views: 1772 - A Shortage of Grownups - by Submitted on May 11, 2007 from Bette DowdellBabies show the world what selfish looks like. On a whim, they set up a wail loud enough to wake the dead–or at least it sounds that way at 2:00 a.m. No matter that others may be tired or sick or have to go to work. Babies want what they want when they want it. So stop sniveling. Some ...
Views: 1327 - Busybodies Can Literally Make You Sick - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2009 from Bette DowdellSome years ago, self-appointed busybodies screamed and yelled and hollered about McDonalds using beef fat to cook their fries. Deciding ahead of time that McDonalds was evil incarnate, they accused McDonalds of purposely risking our very lives with saturated fat. And so it was in 1990 that ...
Views: 2117 - Coffee: The Health Drink - by Submitted on Jun 16, 2009 from Bette DowdellConventional wisdom says coffee’s bad. Doctors agree. Magazines second the motion. You can hardly find a kind word about coffee. Which is just a tad bizarre because coffee is a health drink. Since nearly 90% of the U. S. population drinks the stuff, this comes under the heading of good ...
Views: 1281 - Concussions Can Change Your Life - by Submitted on Jan 07, 2011 from Bette DowdellWe’re way too casual about concussions. In fact, when I suffered a concussion in a car accident a few years back, the doctor didn’t tell me. And when I asked, she told me it wasn’t important. And she was wrong. Concussions are huge. You see, most concussions damage the pituitary gland, ...
Views: 3197 - Could it Be Lyme Disease? - by Submitted on May 24, 2009 from Bette DowdellA dismayed grandmother said her precious grandson was diagnosed and treated as autistic–when, in fact, he has lyme disease. She reports that a recent study said 90% of California kids diagnosed with autism actually had lyme. Then she asked the jackpot question: How come doctors don’t know ...
Views: 1489 - 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 - Defining Christianity Down - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2009 from Bette DowdellA fellow-attendee at a Bible study I attend, a self-professed mature Christian, said her sister had always been a Christian. While the sister had been a Buddhist and a few other religions from time to time and currently lives a life high in hedonism and low in integrity, she “has always been a ...
Views: 1663 - Do-It-Yourself Brain Damage - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2009 from Bette DowdellEvery day of every year, people across the fruited plain engage in do-it-yourself brain damage. Sadly, they have no idea. How can this be? I’m glad you asked. First, some background: Along the bottom of the brain is a small, sort of pancake-shaped thingy called the hypothalamus. And ...
Views: 1368 - Dorito Dangers - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2011 from Bette DowdellDoritos Well, looky here! I read that the CEO of Frito/Lay describes Doritos as a ‘healthful snack.’ Well, I had to check that out. Who knows? Maybe I could start eating Doritos. So off to the web! Holey Moley! It takes a special kind of dictionary to describe Doritos as ...
Views: 8417 - 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 - Everyday Life With Hypothyroidism - by Submitted on Sep 22, 2009 from Bette DowdellSo, there you are, dragging your patooty through one grey day after another, wondering where your brain went, why your body aches and if you’ll ever feel good again. Even doctors who test for thyroid problems typically prescribe the ineffective medicine Synthroid or its generic equivalent. It ...
Views: 2442 - Holy Basil: The Rest of the Story - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Bette DowdellHoley Moley, Chester, be careful out there! As you know, stress is the big kahuna of problems nowadays. And maybe stress-R-you. But just because somebody says something’s good for stress doesn’t mean you should take it. You need to know the rest of the story. An example: Holy Basil, a herb ...
Views: 2110 - How Good Timing Affects Your Health - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2014 from Bette DowdellFiguring out what we need to do for good health can get pretty complicated, but here are a few, easy-to-implement tips that pay big dividends for not so much effort. • If you’re still trying to lose the Freshman Fifteen after all these years, you’re more likely to get the job done if you ...
Views: 1313 - How Insecurity Can Kill Sales - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2010 from Bette DowdellWhat’s up with the lamebrains who speak in the potty-mouth dialect without even a hint of a thought about how others will receive their message? If you’re in sales in any way, this one’s for you. Step this through with me: Unless we’re speaking to ourselves (which is another topic for ...
Views: 2043 - How Much Exercise is Good Exercise? - by Submitted on Jul 06, 2009 from Bette DowdellExercise can kill you. Well, so can lots of other things, but people tout exercise as all good, all the time. Before couch potatoes get excited here, life as an inanimate object doesn’t get excellent results either. Well, then, obviously, some middle ground exists. However, since slugs ...
Views: 1705 - 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 - How Your Body Gets Out Of Whack - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2010 from Bette DowdellCarve this in stone: Your body will balance itself no matter what you think, do or say. This is one of the many things they don’t teach us in school. And I’ve never seen a headline about it on a magazine cover, either. It seems to be somebody’s secret, but we need to let that cat out ...
Views: 2495 - I Feel a Sigh Coming On - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2011 from Bette DowdellWe moved a lot, so I went to ten schools in twelve years. I was always the new kid. Take it from me, most teachers are a whole lot less than delighted when the new kid turns out to be a loud, energetic tomboy who doesn’t pay attention, but still scores the highest test grades. As if that ...
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