Repeat after me: Saturated fats are good.

It is really tiresome how mainstream media does not get the fats right. In the February 2007 Readers Digest, there is an article about 10 steps for a healthy heart. No. 7 is Eat no more than 20 grams of saturated fat a day and as little trans fat as possible. They have the trans fat correct, but then they say "trans fats .... are probably at least as bad as saturated fats and maybe a little worse." No, trans fats are a lot worse, they are synthetic, almost the same as plastic. Saturated fats are natural. Humans have been eating them for millions of years.

You can read up on fats at the Wise Traditions website. It bugs me no end that the grocery store sells lard, but it is hydrogenated, turned into trans fat, so they don't have to keep it refrigerated. They could just sell it with the meat in the meat cooler like they used to. And yes most of your baked goods have partially hydrogenated oil so they have better shelf life. They had to do this because coconut oil was demonized as a dreaded saturated tropical oil, when really it is one of the most stable and healthful oils, great for baking and popcorn making.

For a while there 15--20 years ago, I used margarine for cooking, baking, everything, because it was so cheap--4 lbs. for a dollar the cheapest brand. Hopefully, I wasn't too damaged by that ignorance.

Cranberry juice again

I need to read my own posts. I got another intestinal bug a few weeks ago, and I forgot what I learned and posted about cranberry juice. I did remember and take some cranberry pills after a couple of days, and then I was back to normal. So I don't know now if it was because of the cranberry, or I was just getting all better by then.

Plantar fasciitis

Last summer I got a bad case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot. Just now I'm about over it, but because I couldn't get my normal exercise I gained weight--about 20 lbs., a real bummer. No, I didn't go to see a doctor. It is easy to diagnose, a big pain upon taking the first steps in the morning right in front of the heel part of the foot. I think I got it from digging in the garden having boots on that did not support the foot.

I gave it as much rest as I could. Not easy as I take care of a 2 and 4 year old 24/7. But I think what helped the most was these clogs. I've had these for a long time, don't even remember where I got them, nearly threw them out a couple of times. But they are the best for plantar fasciitis, flat support, the sole is not real hard but not cushiony either. Trouble is it's hard to walk in clogs all the time I got blisters from them. My other foot started hurting from taking up the slack. I was a mess there for awhile. Now it hurts sometimes when I sit for a long time, or overdo the walking. I'm not sure when I will be completely back up to speed.

I didn't take any pain relievers, because that's when you really damage your foot. The pain is telling you to rest your foot and if you ignore that, you can get permanent damage, my theory anyway.

There are plenty of sites the talk about plantar fasciitis, but there are a lot of people out there who don't get relief. It would be really bad to have it in both feet. This is a comprehensive site that has about everything there is to know plus a message board. And here is a protocol for using vitamins and minerals. I do try to get a lot of Vitamin C and I got PABA to add to my B vitamins that I take every few days, but I wouldn't use such high dosages without being able to have tests or something to make sure I'm not overdosing.

Still here

Yes, I'm still here, just very busy. I've paid for one of those natural health newsletters, so I will let you in on anything really good after I investigate it, of course.

Babies, honey, botulism and vaccines

About Infant Botulism
Infant botulism can occur when a child ingests Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which are found in dirt and dust and can contaminate honey.

These bacteria are typically harmless to older children and adults because their mature digestive systems can move the bacteria through the body before they cause any harm.

But very young babies haven't developed the ability to handle the bacteria yet. So once an infant ingests them, the bacteria can produce a toxin. That toxin interferes with the normal interaction between the muscles and nerves and can hamper an infant's ability to move, eat, and breathe.

I don't understand how babies do not have mature enough digestive systems to handle botulism and yet they are supposed to easily handle all those vaccines they pump into them before they are a year old.

Cellphone radiation and your health

No, I haven't died, in case you were wondering. Here is some important info about cellphones from Dr. Sears, who has a very good website with lots of free information.

The 10 Highest Radiation Cell Phones
Maker/Model	SAR level
Motorola V120c	1.55
Motorola V265	1.55
Motorola V70	1.54
Motorola P8767	1.53
Motorola ST7868	1.53
Motorola ST7868W	1.53
Motorola A845	1.51
Panasonic Allure	1.51
Treo 650 GSM	1.51
Sony Ericsson P910	1.50
*Source Wireless Watch/ CNet9

The 10 Lowest Radiation Cell Phones
Maker/Model	SAR level
Audiovox PPC66001	0.12
Motorola MPx200	0.2
Motorola Timeport L7089	0.22
Qualcomm pdQ-1900	0.2634
T-Mobile Sidekick	0.276
Samsung SGH-S100	0.296
Samsung SGH-S105	0.296
Sony Ericsson Z600	0.31
Mitsubishi G360	0.32
Siemens S40	0.33
*Source Wireless Watch/ CNet10

You can find out the SAR of your phone on the FCC database. Go to www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid. The legal maximum for cell phone radiation is 1.6 W/kg. The next time you upgrade your phone, purchase one with a low SAR rating.

Make brief calls. Keep your calls short. And use your phone only when necessary. Use a conventional phone when possible. The less time you expose your head to microwave radiation, the better.

Use a speakerphone. Keep the handset part of the phone as far away from your body as possible. Although "Hands Free" equipment seems like a step in the right direction, evidence of safety is not yet available. Studies reveal some earpieces transmit the radiation along the wire into your ear. If you use a "Hands Free" phone, those marked filtered appear safest. For the very lowest exposure, use a wireless speakerphone with the microphone, earpiece and antenna all far away from your body.

Try a cell phone shield. You can buy a cell phone shield. The marketing claims are exaggerated but they probably do reduce the amount of radiation that enters your head.

Don't carry the phone close to your body. Carrying a phone in your pants or shirt pocket is not ideal. There are vital body parts in your chest and abdomen. These organs absorb radiation more efficiently than your head. Your phone emits low-level radiation in standby - even when you aren't using it. If you use a briefcase, you may want to do what I have done and start carrying your phone inside your briefcase.

Melanoma or not.

Interesting comments recently on skin cancer detection.

That also is the view of Dr. A. Bernard Ackerman, emeritus director of the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York. Dermatologists have gone too far, he said, with screening clinics, removing innocuous moles and diagnosing melanoma too freely.

It makes sense for a doctor to look at your skin during a regular physical exam, Dr. Ackerman said, but screening programs have led to an excessive zeal for skin biopsies and for diagnosing melanoma.

"There has been a mania for taking off these moles that are of no consequence," Dr. Ackerman said. "We're talking about billions and billions of dollars being spent, based on hype."

I remember about 10 or 15 years ago I had a large irregularly shaped mole between my big toe and the next toe. I suppose if I had made regular visits to a doctor, it would have been deemed precancerous and cut out with the accompanying expense and stress and increased life insurance premiums.

Sometime later I noticed it was gone.