You Can Make A Difference!

I received a letter today from Richard Feinman, founder of the the Nutrition and Metabolism Society. He's asking for everyone to sign a petition to make NIH take notice of existing science supporting carbohydrate restriction in treating diabetes and that they should fund more research with experts who have experience in this type of treatment. Here's the letter:

The Metabolism Society requests your assistance.
Biomedical science needs your help. The public needs your help.

Please ask your readers to sign this petition.

The NIH must acknowledge the existing science and fund more research by the experts who have experience with carbohydrate restriction as a means of treatment for diabetes.

June 12, 2008

New England Journal of Medicine published the ACCORD study results. "We investigated whether intensive therapy to target normal glycated hemoglobin levels would reduce cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes" (intensive therapy meant intensive drug therapy).

Conclusion:
"As compared with standard therapy, the use of intensive therapy to target normal glycated hemoglobin levels for 3.5 years increased mortality and did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events. These findings identify a previously unrecognized harm of intensive glucose lowering in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes."

An elementary understanding of science lets one recognize that it is likely the treatment (intensive drug therapy) that has the (unrecognized?) harm. A substantial background of studies shows that not reducing glycated hemoglobin is a health risk.
It is the absence of any consideration of dietary carbohydrate restriction, the most safe and effective method of improving glycemic control that is so objectionable.

Scientists are stymied. Fighting with the NIH is not simple, generally not a career builder, and the number of people involved in this trial is in the hundreds. Only the public can help. We need your help in reaching them.

Please ask your readers to contribute by signing this petition.

Thank you.


Richard Feinman
Professor of Biochemistry
Founder, Metabolism Society
www.nmsociety.org

When you sign the petition, you have the opportunity to add your own personal message for impact. Here's what I wrote:

Carbohydrate restriction has been utilized by many diabetics and has proven itself to be a fantastic method of treatment. As someone who has blood sugar issues, I want to know the TRUTH! I can't risk my health on speculation or junk science. Please give restricted carbohydrate regimens the consideration it deserves. Lives count on it!

It's very important that we make our voices heard! Please sign the petition, and pass it on to your friends so they can sign it. Together we can make a difference for so many who suffer needlessly.

Home-Schooling Families Need Your Support

This post may not mean much to many of you, but to me, it's very important. You see, I home-school my children. It wasn't an easy choice, nor has the road been smooth, but it's one we felt we must make. My children are thriving and enjoying the home-school enviroment. My kids are safe and I know what they are being taught, because I'm the teacher. They are socialized. We have weekly gatherings with other home-school parents and local educators for PE, art, 4-H, etc. Not to mention church and other community activities we take part in. I'm close to my kids and we have a wonderful relationship. I'm involved in their education. (I have to be!) I'm involved in my kids lives - something I think most of you would agree is sorely lacking in today's world. I'm not saying that you don't have this if your kids are in public school, I'm just saying this is how it is for us.. and we LOVE it! It's our right as Americans and parents to be in control of our children's educations. If your child is in public school, you still feel you should have some say-so in their education, am I correct?

Here is why this post is so important to me. There are people that do not like the home-schooling movement and would love to see it shut down. They do not believe parents are capable of teaching their children adequately. But statistics have shown otherwise. While I won't get into that right now, due to time, I will say that home schooling has not hurt our country one whit. Now these judges, and others, are working to tear our rights away from us.

Here's the story:

A state appeals court has decided California parents without teaching credentials do not have a right to home-school their children.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals ruling could affect up to 200,000 home-schooled students in the state.

“The court is guilty of an imperious assault on the rights of parents,” said Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family. “How dare these judges have the audacity to label tens of thousands of parents criminals — the equivalent to drug dealers or pickpockets — because they want to raise and educate their children according to their deeply held values?

"The case before them involved one couple — the ruling should have been confined to that one couple, not used to punish an entire class of people, the vast majority of them religious conservatives.”

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, California is set to become the only state to deny the vast majority of home schooling parents their fundamental right to teach their children at home. The group will file an amicus brief in the case.

I don't care if you like James Dobson or hate him. This isn't about him, even though he's quoted in the above article. My point here is that this is a precious freedom that is now in danger. Many home-schooling families will be put through some unbelievable stuff if this is allowed to stand. As a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association, I've learned that this particular freedom has not come easy. We've had to fight for our rights concerning this issue for years and years.

The HSLDA, and families like ours need your help. Don't worry, it won't cost you a dime - just a few minutes of your time. We are asking concerned citizens across America to sign a petition asking the state Supreme Court to "depublish" the case, which means to apply the case to the family involved — not to all California families. You don't have to be a member of HSLDA, or even a home-schooling family, to sign.

Just follow this link to help us out.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart, and from all the families you are helping through your effort!