Anti-vaccination sentiment is still spreading in our communities. People have lost faith in the authorities and in the medical field, and they are finding their own way. Unfortunately for them, the decision not to vaccinate their children will backfire.

Just this morning I read that there is a Measles outbreak ongoing in Ohio. For months now I've been reading about a resurgence of polio in New York. And of course Military personnel will no longer be required to take the Covid vaccine. The backlash against vaccination (what people perceive as an assault on bodily autonomy) will result in an increased death rate from vaccinatable diseases.

It's not an easy question, when and how to vaccinate. I don't exactly trust the official recommendations either, because I know that the guidelines are created by a council packed with representatives of Big Pharma. I am sympathetic with those who are skeptical. And I see the writing on the wall. If you don't vaccinate smartly, you are destined to be diseased.

There are a lot of anti-vax media personalities and websites that are spreading a bunch of BS. You can't believe everything you read on the internet. Of course you know that. But you also can't believe everything you read that you already agree with. If you seek "information" that supports your current position about ANYTHING, you could be allowing Confirmation Bias to steer you into a trap.

Rather than seeking supportive information, seek out the information that tries to prove your belief wrong. Test your belief. Check your understanding against what the experts say. Check your medical knowledge against the CDC, or come bounce it on me. I am not parroting anyone's sound bytes, I am a true student of medicine. I am interested in scientific studies or background information that sheds light on the hard questions.

The problem with the anti-vax craze is that a lot of the so-called "information" is coming from people who have zero science background and very little understanding of the actual risks and benefits of vaccination. Unfortunately for the anti-vaxxers, their sources are misguided and downright wrong about a lot of things. And they and their kids will suffer and die as a result.

I am always one to look for silver linings, and this particular situation has just one, which is that a reduction in the human population would be a quick way to reduce our impact on the planet. We are destroying habitat and polluting air and water at such a rate as to cause massive suffering and death in the not-so-distant future. Anti-vaxxers are offering to remove themselves and their children from the human population which will be a boon to future generations who survive diseases because their ancestors were vaccinated.

The kidneys are one of those organs that nobody pays much attention to when they are young. They're in the back of the abdomen somewhere, and they don't say much. They just do their thing, filtering the blood and making urine that we eliminate many times a day. Without them we would not be alive.

I'm here to suggest that perhaps your kidneys deserve a little respect before they start failing. The kidneys weaken with age and can really cause a lot of trouble if they fail, but there are things you can do to treat them nice and keep tabs on them.

The kidneys are busy all the time because they get ~20% of your total cardiac output and have a lot of housecleaning to do.  Take care of your kidneys starting now and improve your chances of finishing this life with kidneys that still work.  Here are 13 Ways:

1. Get your kidney function checked annually, or more often if you have a family history of kidney disease, unusual kidney structure, or you are hypertensive, diabetic, or obese, or if there are things on this list that you just can't do.
2. Take care of invisible medical problems.  Most of the conditions that damage kidneys are things like high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol—things that you can’t feel.  Deal with invisible problems because once you feel the damage it’s too late.
3. Avoid NSAIDS as much as you can.  This means ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen.  If you must take them, take the minimum dose for the minimum time.  High doses can be destructive.  Tylenol (acetomenophen) is the only OTC pain reliever that doesn’t hurt the kidneys, and it can cause liver failure.
4. Caution with Medications.  Penicillins, sulfas and thiazides reduce renal function if taken longterm.  If there are other ways to treat your problems, find them.
5. Stop Smoking.  If you’re a smoker you’ve probably already been told the thousands of medical reasons to stop.  Get help if you need it.
6. Get heavy metals (lead, mercury, etc) chelated out if you have too much.  Start with a hair test and go from there.
7. Fix prostate problems.  A swollen prostate can back up urine and drown the kidneys.  Get help if you can't pee.
8. Drink water.  It’s the fluid that you’re made out of, and drinking it helps prevent kidney stones which really suck.  If you have kidney disease already, your doctor will suggest specific amounts.
9. Stop boozing. Alcohol is a strong diuretic and can directly impact kidney function, as well as hurting the liver and adding to the kidney’s work.  Easy on the alcohol.
10. Eat fruit and veggies.  You don’t have to give up meat but limiting meat consumption might be recommended if you have kidney disease.  For prevention of kidney disease the best dietary advice is to eat lots of fruit and veggies for the antioxidants.
11. Be reasonable with salt. Too much salt makes your blood pressure go up which is really hard on the kidneys.
12. Manage your weight.  Obesity is a top risk factor for kidney disease and just like blood pressure, smoking and drinking, it’s not an easy one to fix fast.  Get help.
13. Know the symptoms of kidney failure and get help if they happen.  The early symptoms are non-specific: fatigue, brain fog, loss of appetite and swelling ankles.  The next stage is muscle twitches and cramps, itching, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, hipccups, a sore mouth or a bad taste in the mouth, sleep disturbances and possibly congestive heart failure.  The late symptoms are really bad; get help way before then.

The summertime here is glorious.  Roses bloom from March until October.  Sunshine pours down like the rain in winter.  I don't mind the returning coolness, though.  I thoroughly enjoy it.  I read once that people tend to be happiest when they settle at similar latitudes to where they grew up.  I think that perhaps this is true.  I am from farther south than here, and I find the summer days almost too long.  I get sleep deprived and feel a little manic.  The opposite happens in the winter, when the days are so short that all the daylight passes while I am at work.  I get plenty of sleep in the winter, but I can also get SAD.  Knowing that the seasons affect me in this way makes it possible for me to manage my moods accordingly.  Here are a few things to focus on in preparation for the shorter days to come.  May you have a beautiful fall and a blessed winter.

1) Start taking vitamin D again if you slacked off during the summer.
2) Get outside into the sunshine as often as possible while it lasts.
3) Look into an exercise program that will take you through bad weather.
4) Eat local fresh veggies and find ways to store some for winter.
5) Reconnect with friends close to home.

Macular degeneration is the #1 cause of visual loss in folks over 55, and it is #2 after cataracts in folks over 65.  Until your 40's, you might never even hear about it.  But if your own vision begins to change and worsen, you might wish you'd started to pay attention sooner.  To that end, here are a few things you can do to keep your eyes healthy.

One of the best things anyone can do for themselves is to eat foods that support health.  Any doctor who is worth her salt will tell you how to optimize your diet for your particular health needs.  The eyes in particular are sensitive to metabolic disease and systemic inflammation, which can be caused by eating bad (trans) fats, having high blood sugar, and not consuming enough antioxidants.

All antioxidants, including the ones you get from eating berries and bright colored vegetables, are fair game.  The more the merrier, in fact, because they seem to have synergistic effects.  The specific antioxidants that are protective pigments in the eye are lutein and zeaxanthin.  You can buy supplements that have these things in them, but you don't have to.  The best way to get these may be by eating good food.  Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of these and of vitamin A. Spinach salads, kale, turnip greens and collards are best, but anything green probably has some of it in there.  If you're not wild about greens, maybe you can find some other way to get a daily dose of them, such as putting them in casseroles and blending them up in a yummy fruit smoothie.  Other vegetable sources of are broccoli, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, and sweet yellow corn.  Anything that is brightly orange or yellow-colored has a chance of containing some.

One of my favorite sources is egg yolks.  Each egg yolk contains approximately 210 micrograms.  You'll notice, if you're an egg-eater, that egg yolks are not all the same color.  The ones you want are the brightest, orangiest ones you can find.  Usually organic eggs have better color, but they are so expensive that many people balk.  You can scope out the best source of eggs from your grocery store by noting the yolk color each time you break some open.  If you have two different brands, break open one from each dozen and compare.  When you go shopping again, bias your buying toward the brighter yolks.  They're good for your eyes.  Eggs also happen to contain B vitamins and choline which are good for your brain and liver and most everything else.  And in case you hadn't heard yet, eggs do not drive up your cholesterol, so if you stopped eating them for that reason, you can start up again now.

Another dietary addition that is great for the eyes is Brazil nuts.  They contain just enough selenium that eating 2/day will keep you replete for the nutrient.  If these nuts aren't your favorite, try chopping them up and mix them into your breakfast oatmeal.  You won't even notice them, but they will help your eyes and support many other body systems as well.

Aging gentlemen need to be aware that taking a lot of zinc, without also consuming plenty of antioxidants, could actually cause macular degeneration.  Zinc is great for the guys because it helps prevent BPH, so lots of men take it later in life.  Make sure you're also eating colorful fruits and berries to prevent this possible negative effect!


One last suggestion that might help you keep your vision longer is to always protect your eyes from the sun.  This means buying quality sunglasses and using them when you're in bright sun.  Never stare directly at the sun (just like your momma said), and use hats to help protect your eyes when you're out for a long time.

What I hear is that most everybody in America is frustrated about healthcare.  Maybe you have good insurance, but then the doctor doesn't listen, or the treatment doesn't work.  Maybe you're on pills and don't know what they're for.  Maybe you don't have insurance and flat out can't afford to get help.  Maybe you think something's wrong but don't want to confirm it because then you'd have to deal with it.  We all worry, and it's not easy to sort out what to do.  Doctor Google can be misleading, and sometimes terrifying.  The assortment of supplements at the store is overwhelming.  Everybody thinks they know what will help you, but they don't know your whole story.  They don't know the half of it.  It's not an easy situation.

I offer a win-win deal: I will take a thorough history and get to know you enough to have an idea how the parts of your life are affecting you.  Then I educate you about your options, including alternative and conventional therapies.  In the end, using real information you choose what you want to do.  Conventional medicine is the best answer for some situations and conditions.  Naturopathic medicine helps as long as you are willing to do more than pop pills and sit on the couch.  If I can't help you, I will help you find someone who can.  I consider it my job to provide you with current, personalized, unbiased information, not to keep you a slave to some treatment that only I can offer.

My personal slant is scientific.  I realize that many people consider Naturopathy to be quite "alternative".  Considering what has happened with pharmaceutical medicine, an alternative is much needed.  Naturopathic Medicine (as I use it) is a combination of traditional healing (forgotten in the age of pharmaceuticals) and the application of new knowledge about how our choices affect body function and healing.  Conventional medicine is not keeping up with the changing times. A simple change in your diet or lifestyle could do you more good than a drug that you take for the rest of your life (and save you a gazillion dollars).   Making informed, gradual improvements to your diet and lifestyle will save you money, increase your quality of life, and help you stay away from the doctor, the pharmacy, and the hospital.

If you are one of those skeptics who has avoided alternative medicine because you don't think naturopaths have any real training, come see me for a free 15 minute introduction. I would like to tell you how a science-minded skeptic like myself can embrace Naturopathy.  I can show you some of the great research that supports nonpharmaceutical and nonsurgical approaches to health.  There's plenty of it.

There are plenty of reasons to seek alternatives when facing the gauntlet of what insurance will buy for your health.  It's not cheating to get a second, or third opinion about any persistent health problem.  Before you take the toxin, or submit to the knife, it is wise to be sure that is what you need to do.

I never would have thought I'd say that.  When I was a BLM ranger in California for a summer, I covered myself in DEET to work in clouds of mosquitoes, and I thought it made me sick.  I was so eager to wash that stuff off at the end of a workday!  But it does work on bugs.

Recently I did a 6 day kayak self-support trip on the mighty Yampa river in northwestern Colorado.  I got sick when I got home.  BAD sick.  I think I had West Nile virus, and that it infected the meninges of my brain.  But I am bouncing back, finally.  The only upsides I can detect is that I lost some weight that I didn't mind losing, and that if I did have West Nile, I won't be getting it again.

A couple days ago I read the recent missive of the EWG (Environmental Working Group) about bug repellants (which we didn't have).  They pretty much said that the herbal ones don't really work, and with stuff like West Nile and malaria out there, you want one that works.  Hence the DEET recommendation.  I have more research to do about it because I hear that there's another chemical that may be less toxic to humans and work as well as DEET, but I don't know it yet to report on it.  I've heard that the clothing that is impregnated with bug stuff really works well too, so if I ever go "Yamping" again I'll take some of that.

Suffice it to say that I really recommend avoiding mosquito bites this season.  Apparently it's a bad West Nile season in Colorado and in Oregon, because of the mild winter and warm spring.  It's probably bad nationwide.  And the disease that can be caused by West Nile is sorely unpleasant.  Don't get it, but if you do get a big fever and headache after mosquito bites, get naturopathic support.  Conventional docs will just tell you to take ibuprofen or acetomenophen and go to bed.

Speaking of mixed feelings....  I learned today that the penalty for not participating will be $95.  That's only $15 more than a Portland Parking ticket.  Of course, there is the possibility that decent care might result from being covered within this system.  But not necessarily.  I have a deep distrust, and dislike, of health insurance and what it has done to healthcare in America.  Mandating health insurance is... un-American.  Letting health insurance control what care is given and to whom is no better than socialized medicine.  It simply puts the power in the hands of megacorporations that are already mixed up with our government.  And it requires that everyone's personal health information go into an electronic medical record, supposedly to improve care, but potentially useful for other projects.  If the government would decide what care to provide based on what has the best outcomes for the most people, I would be less opposed to that.  It's not a simple situation, that much is for certain.  The best answer is just as the bumpersticker says: don't get sick.

Every year the Environmental Working Group tests fruit and vegetables from grocery stores and comes up with their list of the most pesticide-contaminated foods.  This year's list is almost entirely food that I personally eat, so I am very glad that we are growing a lot of them in our home garden.  The spinach overwintered and came up on its own!  But for the foods that are on the list, which we don't grow, I plan to buy organic.  I would recommend that you do, too.  Only by voting with our dollars can we change the market.  Without further ado, the dirty dozen:

1. Apples (99% of apples tested were contaminated)
2. Strawberries (these are bad because it goes in the pores and you can't wash or soak it off)
3. Grapes (one grape tested positive for 15 different pesticides)
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines
9. Cucumbers
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry Tomatoes
12. Hot Peppers (looks like they lumped a lot of kinds of peppers together)