Empowered Pathways Newsletter

Empowered Pathways Newsletter

June 30, 2003

Gen Abrams, Publisher
Gen@empoweredpathways.com

..your link to better living
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Welcome!
.. to your "Empowered Pathways" newsletter!

It is my hope that through this newsletter, you will receive
information that will improve the quality of your life.
Included in each issue is information about health,
nutrition, herbals and supplements, simplifying life, living
more frugally, fun, faith, and joy!

It's all about empowerment, stuff that helps you be
in control of your life, your own pathway to better living!

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Health, Nutrition and Supplements
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The Fork In The Road

Last week, I came to a fork in the road. You know the kind-
you are just bumping along, doing your thing and all out of
the blue comes something that makes you stop dead in your
tracks. Bam! A tree down in your road of life, blocking
your path. And you have to say, "okay, now which way do I
go?"

When people find themselves with a roadblock in front of
them, there are three choices that can be made. The first
option is to stand there and look foolish, hoping someone or
something will point you in the right direction, overwhelmed
by the possibility of making a wrong choice. Some people
choose to make themselves as small as possible and choose
the path of least resistance- the easiest road to travel.
(That is what my dog does when I say the word "bath" (-: )
The third choice is to dive in head first, take the path you
think is right and true, claim responsibility for the outcome-
to view the choice as an opportunity for growth.

I have to admit, when this wrench was thrown into my gears
I nearly did take that easy road. After some more thought,
however, I decided that taking that trail did not fulfill
anything for me and it certainly would not serve anyone else
well either.

Diving In...
You may have noticed last week's newsletter came out on
Tuesday, instead of Monday as it usually does. The reason
for this was that we were informed on Monday that we needed
to remove all references, links, and images to nutritional
products from our website. Apparently, although it goes
against all logical thinking on my part, it is in violation
of the FDA's Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of
1994. This statue says, in part, "The DSHEA provides that
retail outlets may make available "third-party" materials to
help inform consumers about any health-related benefits of
dietary supplements. These materials include articles, book
chapters, scientific abstracts, or other third-party
publications. These provisions stipulate that the information
must not be false or misleading; cannot promote a specific
supplement brand; must be displayed with other similar
materials to present a balanced view; must be displayed
separate from supplements; and may not have other information
attached (product promotional literature, for example)."
[ please see http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dietsupp.html ]
In other words, providing research findings and information
about a nutritional supplement's ingredients, and then recom-
mending a nutritional supplement product that I use cannot
occur in the same breath, page, or publication - such as this
newsletter.

WHAT? Does that even make sense????
That is like telling orange juice manufacturers that they
cannot talk about vitamin C... Does it not make sense that
to sell a product, you need to tell people how they will
benefit from it? And we are talking about food products
here, as far as I am concerned.

I have always believed that knowledge is power, but I guess
maybe I have been mistaken. The whole concept behind this
newsletter is to provide people with information (and there-
fore knowledge) to help them make choices that will have a
positive impact on their lives. That is the mission. I
would not make recommendations or provide information that
would lead anyone otherwise- it just simply is not an option
for me, not even a possibility. I have done this because
I believe that through the supplements and herbal remedies
I have been taking, and the research I have found on those
supplements, I am healthier and stronger than I have been
in a very long time. My immune system is stronger, and I
have not had to take any prescription medication- including
an inhaler for asthma- in over a year. So there is my
intent. Period. 'Nuf said.

"Congress's intent in enacting the DSHEA was to meet the
concerns of consumers and manufacturers to help ensure
that safe and appropriately labeled products remain available
to those who want to use them."
[please see http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dietsupp.html ]

Is that really the intent?
I have to question it in a really big way, and here are the
reasons why...

1. I started out for this issue with the intent of discussing
selenium, an important mineral that is generally depleted
in U. S. soil. Selenium, like vitamin E, is a naturally
occurring nutrient and antioxidant known for its free-radical
fighting features and remarkable defense of the immune system.
I found the results of a recent study in which a group of
British researchers revealed possible new links between a
deficiency in the mineral selenium and the risk of miscarriage.
I found this very interesting so thought I would do some
further digging. I went to http://www.cancer.gov/ and
entered selenium in their search engine. There were 261
current results for clinical trials and research findings!
(try it, it is true!) There is absolutely a ton of research
out there dealing with selenium's ability to promote cell
death (which has huge implications for cancer treatment and
prevention), among other benefits and possibilities!

Along with that, on April 23 of this year, the FDA allowed
qualified health claims to be made for the mineral selenium.
Here's how the FDA worded them:

--Allowable health claim: "Selenium may reduce the risk of
certain cancers." FDA disclaimer: "Some scientific evidence
suggests that consumption of selenium may reduce the risk
of certain forms of cancer. However, FDA has determined that
this evidence is limited and not conclusive."

--Allowable health claim: "Selenium may produce anticarcino-
genic effects in the body." FDA disclaimer: "Some scientific
evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may produce
anticarcinogenic effects in the body. However, FDA has deter-
mined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive."

All I will say is that I am not sure what the FDA is needing
to prove conclusive evidence of selenium's benefits, but the
following is another example of their work...

2. On June 10, 2003, the Federal Trade Commission charged
the marketers of a dietary supplement called Coral Calcium
Supreme with making false and unsubstantiated claims about
the product's health benefits. The FTC has asked the court
for a temporary restraining order that would prohibit the
defendants from making the challenged claims and would freeze
their assets. In related law enforcement efforts, the FTC
and the FDA are sending strong warning letters to Web site
operators who are marketing coral calcium products claiming
that coral calcium is an effective treatment or cure for
cancer and/or other diseases. In dozens of warnings sent
this week, the FTC states it is aware of no competent and
reliable scientific evidence supporting such claims and that
such unsupported claims are unlawful under the FTC Act.
Accordingly, the FTC is instructing the Web site operators
to remove any false or deceptive claims from their sites
immediately. In a similar action, the FDA warned Web site
operators that disease claims and unsubstantiated structure/
function claims cause their products to be in violation of the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In the warning letters,
the FTC reminds the Web site operators that any claim that
coral calcium is an effective treatment or cure for any
disease must be supported by competent and reliable
scientific evidence to comply with the law. The FTC states
it is aware of no such evidence supporting these claims, and
that without the required support, the claims are illegal
under the FTC Act. You can read more about it here:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/trudeau.htm

Again, I will say- I am not sure what they are looking for
as evidence. While I can understand the importance of not
making medical claims erroneously, I can say I have found
research about the benefits and I do feel better when I take
the coral calcium myself. Incidently, I do not use Dr.
Barefoot's products and I did not receive a letter from the
FDA or the FTC.

And just why is there not the research dollars behind coral
calcium and other nutritional supplements to either prove or
disprove their effectiveness?

3. In the words of Allen S. Josephs, M.D., who is the pres-
ident of a nutritional supplement company- "I am sorry to
report that America has become a land of drug pushing doctors.
This phenomenon has occurred gradually over the last few
decades. A lot has to do with the fact that the pharmaceutical
companies are producing an unprecedented amount of new drugs
every year which are now being directly advertised to the
national audience via television, radio and print. Patients
have, likewise, developed an attitude of "if there's something
wrong, I just need a new wonder drug." If you want confirmation
of this, just look at the tremendous number of children and
teenagers in this country who have been prescribed Ritalin,
basically an amphetamine that is also called "speed," and
similar type drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder and
Hyperactivity (ADHD) Syndrome. Neither the parents nor the
teachers typically want to deal with the child in a more
natural fashion and elect to put the youngster on a drug which
a lot of doctors will freely offer." (06/26/03, A Better Way
to a Better Mood
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/html062603_static.html )

4. Last year, the pharmaceutical companies gave $50 million
to our distinguished members of Congress- soft money to elect
a Republican majority in the Senate. It gave the majority the
right to dictate what plan was right for you. They decided
that those on fixed incomes could not use Medicare as an
alternative to buy high price prescription drugs. It also
bought them a "no" on allowing poor countries' inexpensive
and affordable drugs. The United States was the only country
out of 144 on the World Trade Council to vote no and also
blocked any further attempt to continue the process.

Here are facts released by the Federal Election Commission
on Monday, April 28, 2003:

Since 1990, the Pharmaceuticals/Health Products industry's
contributions total 98,875,512 -33% to Democrats and 67%
to Republicans. In 2002 alone, $26,941,139 in contributions
were made with 24% going to Democrats and 75% to Republican
candidates.

The American Medical Association, since 1990, has provided
$19,666,070 in contributions to candidates, to push their
agenda in "our" legislature. This puts the AMA 7th on the
list of top ten donors.

There are no nutritional supplement companies on that top ten
list. The total donation from all company's representing
nutritional and dietary supplements in 2002 - $969,642.
[please see http://www.opensecrets.org/index.asp for more]

So who's in charge here???
As the old saying goes, money is the root of all evil. It
makes the world go around. But let me tell you, if you don't
already know, it won't make you happy or healthy.

Save Your Fork...
I am going to continue to write this newsletter, it may
become something more than it was- I do believe that with
every challenge comes an opportunity. And despite the
restrictions on my freedom of speech, and your ability to
receive information you have requested, we will find our
way down our own path.

*These statements has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease.
This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

If you need further information, or want information about
my research, sources, or products I use, you can email me at:
Gen@empoweredpathways.com

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends
or family who may benefit from this information!

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Opportunity Knocks
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Tips for Frugal Living
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Remarkable Quote
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"...Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest
fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,
not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,
who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel
insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children
do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is
within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated
from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others..."

~ From A RETURN TO LOVE by Marianne Williamson
© 1992 (Paperback; pp 190-191)

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Disclaimers:
*These statements have not been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose,
treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required
by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The purpose of this newsletter is informational only, and
the publisher cannot be held responsible for actions taken
as a result of the information provided herein.
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