Renewal

Refill Your Own Brita Filter

So yeah, it's another water post. I couldn't help myself with this one. Instructables is one of my favorite sites. It's a DIY community blog where anyone can post their own project. This one is about how to replace the activated carbon in the Brita filter.

Brita filters are disposable, but there's no reason to do that. Cut a hole in the top, pour out the old carbon and refill it with new activated carbon from your local aquarium shop (it won't be fishy, I promise!) and plug the hole with a plastic cork. Now, instead of paying more than $5 for a disposable filter, you've made a reusable filter that costs 50 cents to refill.

- Stephen Carter-Novotni
 

This Week in Wellness

Pick up your free White Pine seedling during the Public Library's Going Green campaign. Free. 9 a.m. March 28 as supplies last. Main Library, 800 Vine St., Downtown. 513-369-6900.

Join the folks at Park + Vine, Cincinnati's green general store, to learn all about local recycling programs Hamilton County from the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District. Free, but RSVP is requested. 10-11 a.m. March 29. 1109 Vine St., Gateway Quarter, 513-721-7275.

Participate in Earth Hour and show your commitment to the reduction of energy waste. You can join in the global effort to conserve energy by snuffing your lights for one hour, 8-9 p.m. March 29. Learn more at www.earthhour.org.

Guns Are a Public Health Issue

So argues the New England Journal of Medicine:

From the NEJM:
Firearms were used to kill 30,143 people in the United States in 2005, the most recent year with complete data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.¹ A total of 17,002 of these were suicides, 12,352 homicides, and 789 accidental firearm deaths. Nearly half of these deaths occurred in people under the age of 35. When we consider that there were also nearly 70,000 nonfatal injuries from firearms, we are left with the staggering fact that 100,000 men, women, and children were killed or wounded by firearms in the span of just one year. This translates into one death from firearms every 17 minutes and one death or nonfatal injury every 5 minutes. 

By any standard, this constitutes a serious public health issue that demands a response not only from law enforcement and the courts, but also from the medical community. In this issue of the Journal,² Wintemute provides an analysis of the important public health implications of gun violence in America.

The sooner we start treating violence and and drug abuse as health issues rather than simple crimes, the better. These are symptoms of much larger problems in society and have more to do with mental and psychological problems than they do with malice.

This article discusses the risks associated with just having a gun in your house:
Gun violence is often an unintended consequence of gun ownership. Americans have purchased millions of guns, predominantly handguns, believing that having a gun at home makes them safer. In fact, handgun purchasers substantially increase their risk of a violent death. This increase begins the moment the gun is acquired — suicide is the leading cause of death among handgun owners in the first year after purchase — and lasts for years. 

The risks associated with household exposure to guns apply not only to the people who buy them; epidemiologically, there can be said to be "passive" gun owners who are analogous to passive smokers. Living in a home where there are guns increases the risk of homicide by 40 to 170% and the risk of suicide by 90 to 460%. Young people who commit suicide with a gun usually use a weapon kept at home, and among women in shelters for victims of domestic violence, two thirds of those who come from homes with guns have had those guns used against them.

What do you think? Do you own a gun? Do you feel that it puts your life at risk?

- Stephen Carter-Novotni
 

Feeling Crazy Over Premenstrual Dysmorphic Disorder

For the last seven months I've gone through a whole spectrum of physical and emotional changes. First came the skipped cycles, then the weight gain, the mood swings, the exhaustion, the insane cravings and even certain days when I could have sworn I had morning sickness.

I went through nearly 12 different pregnancy tests and several different doctors just looking for a simple answer. I had both friends and family swearing I needed a blood test because I just absolutely had to be pregnant, and all I wanted was to stop feeling like some crazy chick in a bad Lifetime movie, drifting back and forth from happy to sad to a “ready to kill” kind of pissed off, all with a moment’s notice.

Mood swings aside; the weight gain was perhaps the worst for me. My usual figure was ballooning beyond my control. Regardless of diet or exercise, I continued to gain weight on a weekly basis and nearly all of it was through my mid section. The comments from people around me were nearly enough to drive me to tears on a daily basis, and all I wanted to do was explain to everyone I knew, that I wasn’t going on daily binges of cookies and Ben & Jerry’s. Something was really wrong with me.

Finally, at the very end of my rapidly fraying rope, I found a doctor who could say more than “This is a mystery, I’m not sure I can help you.” After seven months of feeling like a completely different person, and waking up each morning ready to cry, I finally found a doctor with an answer. I had PMDD (Premenstrual Dysmorphic Disorder).

The common definition of PMDD is a severe case of PMS, with symptoms including:

- Sadness and crying
- Feeling nervous, anxious, and irritable
- Anger or irritability
- Strong cravings for certain foods
- Problems paying attention and concentrating
- Fatigue
- Physical problems such as breast tenderness, headaches, joint or muscle pain and swelling or bloating, weight gain
- Trouble sleeping

Most women who suffer from this condition have these symptoms one to two weeks a month. In my case, because of an excessive production of estrogen (an additional problem), my cycles became more badly messed up than is usual with PMDD — meaning they were nonexistent. The doctor immediately changed my birth control to Yaz, which helps with PMDD, and informed me that it could take 6-8 weeks before I noticed a real difference. I am happy to report that after three-and-a-half weeks my mood swings have slowed and I had my first cycle since July of 2006. As for weight loss, I pray for the day the scale moves and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be any day now.

So what is the moral of my very personal little tale? Don’t ignore your symptoms. As women, we know our bodies better than anyone else, so learn to listen to what your body is telling you, and be persistent. The answer to your problem is out there; sometimes you just have to go through a whole lot of hell to find it!

— Sian Bitner

This Week In Wellness

Learn about managing diabetes through healthier eating and proper medication. Free. 1-3 p.m. March 20 at the Kenton County Health Center, 2002 Madison Ave., Covington, 859-363-2115.

Join more than 10,000 Catholics this Good Friday as they climb the 356 steps leading to the Holy Cross-Immaculata Parish. Pray or meditate as you climb. The long climb begins on Columbia Parkway at the end of the Martin Dr. exit ramp. The shorter climb starts on St. Gregory St. When you reach the church, there are Passion Services at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Donuts and coffee from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a fish fry from 3-7 p.m. 30 Guido St., Mount Adams, 513-721-6544.

Ten Numbers You Should Keep In Your Cell Phone

If you're carrying a cell phone you might as well make the most of it. You never know when you'll be stranded, locked out or in need of some assistance. This terrific post has a list of emergency contacts that you'll want to keep handy.

I added these to my phone as well as a local taxi service that charges a fixed rate for rides to and from CVG, my local police district phone number and the Red Bank Emergency Veterinary Clinic for my pets.

- Stephen Carter-Novotni

This Week in Wellness

Welcome the return of the sun at the Spring Equinox Celebration. There will be hiking, storytelling and a fire. Bring a snack to share. Free. 7 p.m. March 16 at Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Ave., Price Hill, 513-921-5124

Via Crucis: Immersion is an experiential Stations of the Cross event that uses mixed media to explore the Passion. Featuring a guitar and percussion free-form orchestra with David Woody and members of All the Day Holiday, Enlou, and The Pomegranates. Free. Opens 7-11 p.m. March 16 at St. Elizabeth's, 1759 Mills Ave., Norwood, www.viacrucisimmersion.com.

See the film The Matrix of Life, which explores our intimate relationship with water and air. Free. 7-9 p.m. March 18 at Rohs Street Cafe, 245 W McMillan St. Cincinnati, OH 45219

Are There Drugs in Our Tap Water or Not?

The Enquirer is reporting that Cincinnati's drinking water is safe despite reports of caffeine, estrogen, ibuprofen and anti-bacterial drugs in the water.

The Youngstown television report I linked to indicates that, at least in Northern Ohio, there's some question about whether or not people are drinking this stuff.

From the WYTV report:
"These drugs are flushed down the toilet, unused drugs, and drugs that are excreted by people's bodies when they take them.", says Mahoning County Health Commissioner Matthew Stefanak.

Right now there's no way to tell if these drugs will show up in the drinking water coming out of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District. They don't test for pharmaceuticals, because the EPA says they don't have to.

"We're testing for heavy metals, doing chlorine residuals, things of that nature that we're regulated to do.", says MVSD Chief Engineer Tom Holloway.

Holloway says the concentration of drugs found in drinking water are very small-- we're talking parts per billion or even trillion.

The Enquirer seems more sure of the situation, citing a "unique filtration system":
“We do find it in the Ohio River, but we remove it so we don’t find it in our tap water,” said David Rager, director of the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, which treats most water in Hamilton County, Boone County in Northern Kentucky and parts of Warren and Butler counties.

The water works utilized deep bed carbon filtration, technology staff perfected in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rager said. It’s basically the same technology consumers would find in water filters they can mount on water faucets in their homes.

“But the water goes through from the faucet in about three seconds, and at our plants, it takes about 20 minutes to go through the deep bed filter,” he said.

This AP article describes serious potential health risks associated with tainted water. It reports on the general issue, but not specifically on Cincinnati. This deserves more local investigation. I think it's worth noting that the gentlemen quoted in the Enquirer article are local water and sewer officials and have a professional interest in this discussion. It would be nice to hear if there's another side to this and to hear from someone without an interest in the issue. What's up? Do we have better drug detection and filtering that Youngstown? Some comparison would be helpful. Is this an issue or not?

- Stephen Carter-Novotni

Supplementing With Essential Fatty Acids

Body fat is composed of substances called fatty acids. Omega 6 and omega 3 are two essential fatty acids (EFAs) that we cannot synthesize on our own and must obtain from our diet. EFAs are used by the body to make hormones called prostaglandins, which can cause inflammation. It is thought that inflammation may be related to heart disease, aging, memory loss, and other health-related conditions. Many people preventively supplement with omega 3 EFAs (less inflammatory than the omega 6 EFAs). Clinical studies supporting omega 3 health benefits are inconclusive. Furthermore, the doses and duration of omega 3 EFA use in these studies vary for each indication.

The typical American diet is rich in omega 6 EFAs and lacking in omega 3 EFAs. The optimal ratio in foods we consume would be 2:1 (omega 6:omega 3). Many foods contain both EFAs. There are three main omega 3 constituents in nature, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in fish oil, and alpha linolenic acid (ALA) in flax seed and flaxseed oil. ALA is a precursor to EPA and DHA. In addition to ALA, flaxseed oil and flaxseed contain lignan, so both products function as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, different from fish oil. Normally, the body can manufacture omega 3 constituents unless our diet is overloaded with omega 6 EFAs. An anti-inflammatory strategy would strive for a diet containing foods rich in omega 3 (i.e., EPA, DHA, and ALA) and lower in omega 6 content. Simply adding flaxseed to the equation may not be enough.

Foods rich in omega 6 EFAs in order of decreasing content include sunflower oil, corn oil, wheat germ oil, safflower margarine, sesame oil, walnuts, avocado oil, almond oil, peanuts, peanut butter, and palm oil.
Foods rich in omega 3 EFAs in order of decreasing content include flax seed oil, salmon oil, sardine oil, borage oil, cod liver oil, flax seed, canola oil, walnuts, wheat germ oil, soybean oil, herring, shrimp, olive oil (minor). Of all these foods listed, supplements and foods with good omega 6/omega 3 ratios are flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and cod liver oil. Cod liver oil also contains vitamin A and vitamin D3. Cold pressed flaxseed oil is an organic product extracted without solvents.

It’s important to note that the lignan content (e.g., seicoisolariciresinol) in flaxseed oil and flaxseed classifies them as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are constituents found in nature that act like weak estrogens and weak anti-estrogens, different from the mechanism of action for prescription hormone replacement therapy. Some phytoestrogens also have antioxidative effects. Flaxseed products may not be appropriate for men or women who are at risk for, or who currently have been diagnosed with, a hormone dependent cancer.

In general regarding potential EFA-related side effects, prostaglandins manufactured from omega 6 EFAs stimulate the immune system and form blood clots whereas those made from omega 3 are immuno-inhibitory and tend to thin the blood. More specifically, flaxseed oil or flaxseed may increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in a dose-dependent fashion due to reduced platelet stickiness. In addition, flaxseed contains soluble fiber and can act as a laxative. Flaxseeds must be ground up well before consuming.

When purchasing fish oil-based products, make sure you check with the manufacturer to ensure they have been tested for mercury, PCB, and other unwanted contaminants. This kind of information rarely appears on the label. Check to see how much EPA and DHA are in that 1,000 mg dose of fish oil to assess product value before purchase. If that amount is very low, you may not be getting the quality you desire for your money.

Finally, please know that the dose of omega 3 that’s right for you may not be appropriate for others and could differ for diabetics and people with heart disease. There is a new omega 3-containing prescription product on the market called Lovana for people with extremely high triglycerides. The prescription dose for this indication is much higher than the over-the-counter anti-inflammatory dose for general health.

- Cathy Creger Rosenbaum, PharmD

CATHY CREGER ROSENBAUM is a holistic clinical pharmacist. Visit her Web site at www.rxintegrativesolutions.com.

Friday Events: Making a Difference and Great, Good Places

Friday brings some terrific wellness community events:

Conversations: A Great Good Place is an opportunity to share stories about how cafes, coffeehouses and community hubs contribute to a sustainable way of life. The handbook to this philosophy is Ray Oldenburg's book, The Great Good Place. I bet Larry Bourgeois will be there. He's the former executive director of Old St. George and a local proponent of this way of thought. $10 suggested donation. 6-8:30 p.m. March 7 at Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Ave., Price Hill, 513-921-5124.

The Critical Centers Film Series presents the film Five Days to Change the World, which asks if college students can make a difference through the peace movement. Call for ticket prices. 3 p.m. March 7. Xavier University Women's Center, 1415 Dana Ave., adjacent to the Xavier Village Apartments, Evanston, 513-745-3939.

- Stephen Carter-Novotni