Excerpt from the National Organization of Circumcision
Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) http://www.nocirc.org/
Infant
Circumcision: "What I Wish I Had Known"
by Marilyn Fayre Milos R.N., Director of NOCIRC
I didn't know what circumcision was when I consented to have my three
sons circumcised. My doctor had told me the surgery was a necessary health
measure, that it didn't hurt, and that it only took a moment to perform...
like cutting the umbilical cord, I thought. I certainly wasn't prepared
when, in nursing school several years later, I saw the surgery for the
first time.
We students filed into the newborn nursery to find a baby strapped spread-eagle
to a plastic board on a counter top across the room. He was struggling
against his restraints—tugging, whimpering, and then crying helplessly.
. . . I stroked his little head and spoke softly to him. He began to relax
and was momentarily quiet. The silence was soon broken by a piercing scream—the
baby’s reaction to having his foreskin pinched and crushed as the doctor
attached the clamp to his penis. The shriek intensified when the doctor
inserted an instrument between the foreskin and the glans (head of the
penis), tearing the two structures apart. (They are normally attached to
each other during infancy so the foreskin can protect the sensitive glans
from urine and feces.) The baby started shaking his head back and forth—the
only part of his body free to move—as the doctor used another clamp to
crush the foreskin lengthwise, which he then cut. This made the opening
of the foreskin large enough to insert a circumcision instrument, the device
used to protect the glans from being severed during the surgery. The baby
began to gasp and choke, breathless from his shrill continuous screams.
How could anyone say circumcision is painless when the suffering is so
obvious? My bottom lip began to quiver, tears filled my eyes and spilled
over. I found my own sobs difficult to contain. How much longer could this
go on? During the next stage of the surgery, the doctor crushed the foreskin
against the circumcision instrument and then, finally, amputated it. The
baby was limp, exhausted, spent." more
Listen
to the Experts: Are their spicific medical reasons to circumcise your
baby or are you being convinced to perform a very painful genital mutilation
on your new born baby for esthetics? Listen to a live recording of
an actual circumcision. Was this your baby?
Infant
Responses During and Following Circumcision
Excerpt from CIRCUMCISION RESOURCE CENTER at www.circumcision.org
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves forcefully separating
the foreskin from the glans and then cutting it off. It is typically accomplished
with a special clamp device. Over a dozen studies confirm the extreme pain
of circumcision. It has been described as “among the most painful [procedures]
performed in neonatal medicine.” In one study, researchers concluded that
the pain was “severe and persistent.” Investigators reported, “This level
of pain would not be tolerated by older patients.” more
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You
About Circumcision: Untold Facts on America's Most Widely Performed-and
Most Unnecessary Surgery by Frederick M. Hodges, Paul M., M.D. Fleiss
In the easy-to-read format the What Your Doctor May Not Tell You series
is known for, this book explodes the many myths and misinformation about
circumcision, which is the most widely performed surgery in the United
States today. From information about penile anatomy to the various health
risks related to the surgery to debunking all six of the most common arguments
doctors use when recommending circumcision, WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL
YOU ABOUT CIRCUMCISION lays out parents' options, and provides a helpful
list of questions they should ask before making that very important decision
for their baby.
About the Author
Paul M. Fleiss, M.D. has been a pediatrician for over 35 years. He
maintains an active medical practice in Los Angeles, and is a Fellow of
the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Note from Shirley:
Dr. Fleiss was my son's pediatrician for over 15 years. He is the best!
He has authored two other books: What
Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision: Untold Facts on America's
Most Widely Performed-and Most Unnecessary Surgery and Your
Premature Baby Comes Home. My son was severely brain-injured
since birth and passed away at age 21 on 12/31/2000. He was never circumcised.
Here
is Sterling's story: no longer blind
Frederick Hodges, D.Phil earned his doctorate in medical history at
the University of Oxford. He currently works and conducts research as a
medical historian and author, and has published several articles in medical
journals.
Pictures/Video/Audio
Is your stomach strong enough to watch?
What
Happens During Circumcision?
A video clip showing part of the circumcision
procedure (including audio)
Other Circumcision Videos
Online
General description
(with pictures) of the two most-used methods of infant circumcision: the
Gomco Clamp and the Plastibell.
Circumcision,
The Hidden Trauma : How an American Cultural Practice Affects Infants and
Ultimately Us All by Ronald Goldman
"Any reader may expect to be struck in the early pages by Goldman's
effective blend of emotional insight and objective fact, the latter documented
throughout the book by hundreds of footnotes. As Goldman continues, he
effortlessly distills and integrates decades of research on infants and
children. I appreciated his excellent summaries at the end of each chapter.
Particularly valuable was the list on page 74 of the many similarities
and the few differences between circumcision and female genital mutilation.
Have you ever wondered whether America's high rates of violence may
be related to our high circumcision rates? Goldman has done more than wonder;
he has extensively researched the possibility, although he is always careful
to add cautionary statements that at most, circumcision is one of several
factors affecting American men's (and women's) lives.
Goldman has an impressive ability to continue to generate and synthesize
new insights and questions throughout the book. Although circumcision is
often done so that the child does not have a different genital status from
his father, is it actually the PARENT'S fear of difference which is apparent
here. Is it possible that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is actually
infant suicide? Goldman relates circumcision to other problematic American
birth practices such as birth with the mother on her back, use of drugs,
forceps deliveries, routine episiotomy, and cesarian births. He includes
an admirable short section addressing the interrelationship of social problems
and noting the possible connection of circumcision trauma to the epidemic
divorce rates. Equally unforgettable are sections in which men circumcised
as adults speak about their incalculable loss and in which Goldman addresses
the disruption of the infant/mother bond.
Goldman concludes his masterful work with a truly stunning series of
innovative meditations, each three or four insight-filled pages long. These
address 1) the American motivation to circumcise (our lack of awareness
is alarming; the use and exclusion of certain words helps to maintain support
for circumcision); 2) science and medicine (flawed studies are the rule
not the exception, and doctors tend to MEASURE rather than to FEEL pain);
3) ethics and medicine (isn't it the medical profession's responsibility
to LEAD rather than FOLLOW community health care standards?; since when
does a trained surgeon take the advice of laypeople as to whether he or
she should operate?); 4) cultural and social perspectives (we can circumcise
our sons because we are so alienated from each other); 5) hope for healing
(no matter how "bad" our feelings are, expressing them feels good); 6)
preventing future harm (taking action to prevent others from being victimized
aids one's own recovery). Goldman closes his book by reminding us that
to think that newborn infants can be subjected to circumcision without
an impact on them or others ignores the interconnnectedness of all life.
When a baby's sexuality is not safe, no one's sexuality is safe.
Goldman's conclusions and speculations regarding the possible connection
of circumcision to high levels of American violence remain compellingly
plausible." an amazon.com reviewer
Historical Medical
Quotes On Circumcision
In order to get an accurate picture of circumcision, one must not only
look at what doctors and parents have to say today, but what they've said
in the past - especially WHY they said it, historically. Each section deals
with a different issue concerning circumcision; to each of these I've added
many quotes to help elaborate.
Questioning
Circumcision : A Jewish Perspective by Ronald Goldman
"Having chosen not to circumcise my son, and being an observant Reform
Jew, I found Doctor Goldman's book to be incredibly instructional. He opens
the door to a thoughtful introspection on the question of circumcision
in the Jewish world. A difficult, almost taboo subject, we find that Jews,
as a constantly evolving and forever questioning people, need to look circumcision
in the face and sincerely question its validity. Circumcision continues
to be performed even if there are many reasons for one not to practice
it. Goldman's precise examination of circumcision brings us to question
not only the Historical and religious aspects of this tradition, but also
to look at the medical and sexual facts. Finally, the author exposes the
psychological and ethical consequences of such an act. For example: are
we ethically entitled to alter the genitals of our infant sons? Have they
given us permission to do so? What psychological consequences can circumcision
have on these infants? How about their mothers? What do men who were circumcised
as adults have to say about the psychological and sexual changes they experienced?
A professional and thorought examination, "Questioning Circumcision, a
Jewish Perspective" is a brilliant analysis that one will find extremely
educational and...easy to read!" an amazon.com reviewer
Complications
of circumcision
"Williams and Kapila estimate that a realistic rate of complications
from neonatal circumcision ranges from 2% to 10%. To many men who become
aware of the function and value of the prepuce, the fact that this genital
sensory organ was amputated from them at birth is itself a complication
of circumcision; in which case, the actual complication rate is 100%...
For males fortunate enough to survive the surgery without immediate complications,
there is a growing awareness among men of other delayed, long-term consequences
of neonatal circumcision, which are only now beginning to be documented.
"
Paul M. Fleiss, MD - "It seems absurd that
today we choose to mutilate a significant percentage of our newborn infants.
As a young medical student in the 1960s, I learned the technique of performing
the surgical procedure of male circumcision. It was not difficult to learn
this procedure, and I very rapidly became expert at removing the foreskin
from a newborn. I was able to do circumcisions in a very short amount of
time -- four or five minutes. I did this at the parents' request, and I
was oblivious to the infant's cry.
Several years later into my pediatrics career, after having performed
perhaps a hundred circumcisions, I became aware of the newborn's pain that
I had somehow managed to put out of my consciousness. I now know that every
baby that I circumcised cried and that I never responded to their pain.
I then decided I was on their side; my job was to protect babies, not harm
them. It was only then that I began my study of the foreskin, how it is
unlike any tissue found elsewhere in the human body and accordingly, has
special functions. The doctors and others performing this procedure on
newborn babies do not know the pain they are causing nor do they appreciate
the functions of that unique bit of tissue." more
Circumcision
Exposed : Rethinking a Medical and Cultural Tradition by Billy Ray
Boyd
"It's about time that this cruel practice was put in its place
- in the history books (as far back in the history books as possible).
This book goes a long way to helping us find ways to overcome the pressures
of conformity and tradition. I can't believe there's still controversy
over circumcision - something so obviously wrong that it pains me to think
that supposedly intelligent people are still perpetrating this mindless
abuse on their own children even as we move forward into the 21st century.
To the religion argument: If God wanted men to be circumcised, we'd have
been born without a foreskin. To the medical argument: If it ain't broke,
don't fix it. When will doctors start practicing what they're taught -
"First, do no harm". amazon.com reviewer, Ian Cooper from
Boston, MA
The
Circumcision Decision: An Overview
Quite a number of famous child care experts and doctors recommend against
circumcision in their books. Sheila Kitzinger very emphatically recommends
that parents leave their sons intact. Dr. Lendon Smith goes into detail
explaining the foreskin’s purposes and giving all the reasons why circumcision
should not be performed. Dr. Spock, in his most recent book, stated “I
feel that there’s no solid medical evidence at this time to support routine
circumcision.” He recommends “leaving the foreskin the way Nature meant
it to be.” Penelope Leach also recommends against routine circumcision.
Circumcision:
A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery by David L. Gollaher
More than a million infant boys are circumcised every year in America,
the highest occurrence of this procedure in the world. Why? Out of sheer
cultural habit, concludes David Gollaher in his groundbreaking study.
American medical profession credited circumcision with exaggerated health
benefits. Circumcision would eventually turn into a mark of class distinction,
and the surgery would become entrenched in modern medical practices, despite
scant study of its benefits, dangers, or side effects. Gollaher is to be
commended for maintaining an even perspective on a practice that is sure
to become increasingly controversial; he allows the research itself to
fascinate and illuminate. As expected, there are many unsettling graphic
descriptions in this book, but its most horrifying revelation is its most
casual: the incontrovertible fact that circumcision remains the least understood--yet
most widely practiced--surgery in the United States.
PROTECTION
OF MALE INFANTS IN AMERICAN HOSPITALS FROM UNWANTED CIRCUMCISION
"Parents should carefully consider the advantages, disadvantages, and
risks of both non-circumcision and circumcision for their son well before
the due date. Parents will be given little time at the hospital to make
up their minds on a complex matter that will affect their son for all of
his life. This file is addressed to the needs of parents who do not wish
the surgical procedure of circumcision performed on their son. "
There are many reports of boys being circumcised in hospitals in the
United States against their parents' wishes.
DOCTORS
OPPOSING CIRCUMCISION (D.O.C.)
"D.O.C. is an organization of physicians, and others who are opposed
to routine neonatal circumcision. D.O.C. has members in 50 States, 10 Canadian
Provinces and 2 Territories, and several other countries. These doctors
recognize that no one has the right to forcibly remove sexual body parts
from another individual. They also believe that doctors should have no
role in this painful, unnecessary procedure inflicted on the newborn."
What
you Need to Know about Anesthesia and Pain from Circumcision
by Mary G. Ray
Many parents believe their child can be protected against the pain of
circumcision through the use of anesthesia, but there is no pain control
method that is 100 percent effective. All infants suffer during and after
the procedure. There are risks from anesthesia and there are risks if anesthesia
is not used. If a baby is left intact, he is not subjected to any of these
risks.
Infants
Feel and Remember Circumcision Pain
Study, led by Dr. Gideon Koren, head of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology
at HSC and a Professor of Paediatrics, Pharmacology, and Medicine at the
University of Toronto, are reported in the March 1 issue of the British
medical journal Lancet.
Circumcision
Facts On-Line
Most have been told that circumcision does not cause any harm to the
male. A good majority of males and females have little idea of the benefits
afforded by the penis and the consequences of surgical alterations to it.
This is a must read for both men (intact or circumcised) and women.
Why
Doctors will Stop Performing Circumcisions
"Already, an evergrowing number of physicians are opposed to routine
neonatal circumcision. These doctors recognize that no one has the right
to forcibly remove sexual body parts from another individual. They recognize
that doctors should have no role in this painful, unnecessary procedure
inflicted on the newborn."
RESPECT YOUR SON'S BODY, HIS FEELINGS AND HIS HUMAN RIGHTS! THE ONLY
CARE THE INTACT PENIS NEEDS IS TO WASH THE OUTSIDE. DO NOT FORCIBLY
RETRACT THE FORESKIN! UNEDUCATED HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS MAY ATTEMPT
THIS! SAY NO! Learn about the Physical
Risk of Circumcision and the Myths About Circumcision
Sex
As Nature Intended It : The Most Important Thing You Need to Know About
Making Love, but No One Could Tell You Until Now by Kristen O'Hara,
Jeffrey O'Hara
This landmark book is the first to detail the many sexual functions
and benefits of the male foreskin for both the man and his female partner.
It presents unequivocal evidence that the foreskin plays a multifaceted
role during intercourse that not only promotes increased sexual pleasure,
but this enhanced pleasure also serves to enrich and continually re-cement
the love bond, borne from sexual union.
Circumcision's removal of the foreskin (ultra-erogenous tissue and the
penis's only moving part) not only diminishes the man's sexual pleasure,
but also the woman's. A national survey of women, conducted by the author,
reveals that circumcision abnormalizes the way the penis thrusts and feels
to a woman, significantly diminishing her sexual enjoyment and her ability
to achieve orgasm from intercourse. The book's explanations of the profound
negative effects circumcision has on the intercourse experience of both
partners will surely leave America stunned. But luckily, there is a bright
side to this shocking news: It is now possible to restore the foreskin
through various non-surgical techniques. The book addresses this topic
and enwraps the emerging movement for foreskin restoration with hope, promise,
and dignity.
Articles
on circumcision
from the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource
Centers (NOCIRC)
Mothers
Against Circumcision. org
.
CIRCUMCISION RESOURCE
CENTER - A nonprofit educational organization with the purpose
of informing the public and professionals about the practice of circumcision.
The Center is a valuable source of circumcision information for parents
and children's advocates; childbirth educators and allied professionals;
medical, mental health, and academic people; and all others who wish to
learn more.
Circumcision Reference Library
The
Library is an online collection of abstracts, full text articles, and other
material relating to male circumcision.
Circumcision Information Resource
Centre - a non-profit organization in Canada that provides information
about non-religious infant circumcision, the medical controversy, ethical
considerations, the anatomy of the prepuce, and much more.
Circumcision - The Basic Facts
- From NOCIRC of Ohio, a site for new parents featuring information about
circumcision.
Doctors Opposing Circumcision
- An organization of physicians and others who recognize that no one has
the right to forcibly remove sexual body parts from another individual,
and that doctors should have no role in this painful, unnecessary procedure
inflicted on the newborn.
In Memory of the Sexually
Mutilated Child - Possibly the most powerful source of information
about the damage caused by circumcision available on the internet. Be forewarned
that there are some extremely graphic and disturbing images at this site.
Intact - Intact is a Canadian organization
whose purpose is to end non-therapeutic male infant circumcision. Intact
works to this end through increased public awareness, legislation, and
litigation. Intact also seeks to have male infant circumcision internationally
recognized as a human rights violation.
Intactivism - From New
Zealand, an excellent site concerning the work of abolishing involuntary
genital modification.
Mothers Against Circumcision-
A non-profit organization for parents opposed to circumcision.
NOCIRC - The National Organization
of Circumcision Information Resource Centers. NOCIRC is a non-profit educational
organization that has one of the largest collections of information about
circumcision in the world.
NOHARMM - The National Organization
to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males, a non-profit, educational
and direct-action men's network organized against circumcision of healthy
male infants and children.
Stop Infant Circumcision International
- Info on stopping circumcision and Genital Integrity Awareness Week, the
first week in April.
Tu parles
d'une peau! - This French-language site explains the consequences of
circumcision, and also features photographs and instruction in basic foreskin
restoration techniques.
Without your voice,
there is no choice! Citizens For Health is a free, grassroots,
consumer advocacy group that champions public policies empowering individuals
to make informed health choices. Let your voice be heard!
The FDA - Who
Do They Really Protect? by James DeMeo, Ph.D.
Anti-Constitutional Activities and Abuse of Police Power by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration and other Federal Agencies
If your rights or the rights of someone you know
have been violated by psychiatry, immediate action must be taken. The Citizens
Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) stands ready to assist you. They do not
give medical or legal advice but they can help you in how and where to
file a complaint against psychiatric abuse. The
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-profit, public
benefit organization dedicated to exposing and eradicating criminal acts
and human rights abuses by psychiatry.
"All truth
goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently"
opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Schoepenhouer
"Progress
in medical science is, as a rule, achieved only after overcoming the manifestations
of a fixed mental status, ranging all the way from violent and vitriolic
opposition down to apathy and deadly intertia." Dr. Edwin F. Bowers.
 Vaccines:
are they really safe and effective? NWhy are a growing number
of parents and health care professionals around the world questioning vaccination?
The controversy stems from the thousands of deaths and permanent disabilities
attributed to vaccination annually, as well as the many published medical
studies, government statistics, congressional testimonies, and other credible
sources that directly contradict commonly held assumptions about vaccine
safety and effectiveness.
"Bart Classen, a Maryland physician, published data showing that
diabetes
rates
rose significantly in New Zealand following a massive hepatitis B vaccine
campaign in young children, and that diabetes rates also went up sharply
in Finland after three new childhood vaccines were introduced."
Nicholas
Regush ABCNEWS.com
In fall 1997, two influential professional magazines featured articles
asking the question: Has the decrease of infectious diseases in childhood
through the mass use of vaccines been replaced with an increase in chronic
diseases such as diabetes and asthma? The Economist, a prestigious international
magazine read by world leaders in government, business and public policy,
and Science News, a magazine read by both health care professionals and
the general public, explored the reported links between vaccines and chronic
diseases in their November 22, 1997 issues. Learn
more about vaccine and diabetes connection --- asthma and
vaccine connection --- SIDS and autism and vaccine connection
--- "Shaken Baby Syndrome": the vaccination link What
Every Parent Should Know BEFORE Their Childen Are Vaccinated! Please
get informed!
KIDS: HIV, AIDS and AZT
"Considering the many side
effects of the AIDS drug AZT, the question of giving it to pregnant women
should be weighed carefully instead of being blindly accepted." Nicholas
Regush ABCNEWS.com
Forced Treatment Of Kids Why Parents With HIV
Don’t Treat Their Kids
NEWBORNS AND AIDS: To Test, Or Not
to Test Doctors say quick screening now used is too often wrong,
may do more harm than good
 ...... ... .... ....
ritalin, safe and
effective alternatives for ADD and ADHD
"The drugging of children has gotten so out of hand that America
is waking up to this. This is a national catastrophe. I'm seeing children
who are normal who are on five psychiatric drugs."Peter
R. Breggin, M.D. Director, International Center for the Study of Psychiatry
and Psychology
Treating mental disorders as chemical imbalances to be corrected primarily
by chemical intervention is, claims Dr. Breggin,
an outrageous hazard to health, damaging the brains of a high percentage
of those subjected to it. Breggin notes that the medical training of today's
biopsychiatrists ill-equips them for any other approach: They are taught
to make diagnoses and prescribe medical treatments; their communication
skills are undeveloped, and they know little about the art of listening
to patients' problems. Their penchant for prescribing drugs, according
to Breggin, is encouraged by a too-cozy relationship between the medical
profession and the pharmaceutical industry, which generously funds research
into the biochemical and genetic basis of mental disorders, and whose claims
for its products are insufficiently scrutinized by either the FDA or the
medical profession. Issuing a passionate, much-needed wake-up call for
everyone who plays a part in America's ever-increasing dependence on harmful
psychiatric drugs, a psychiatrist breaks through the hype and false promises
surrounding the "New Psychiatry" and shows how potentially dangerous, even
brain-damaging, many of its drugs and treatments are.
Dr. Dineen spent nearly 20 years as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist
in Ontario. In the mid-1990s, she packed it in. As she put it in an interview:
"I couldn't maintain my integrity in a profession that is almost devoid
of integrity. This book (Manufacturing Victims) is
my apology for decades of biting my lip about the pernicious effects psychologists
are having on individuals and society." "Psychology is an influential and
accepted force in our culture. It has become a kind of industry that generates
a great deal of money for its practitioners -- sometimes at the expense
of the patient. Manufacturing Victims: What The Psychology Industry Is
Doing To People describes the various types of psychological techniques
and assumptions that create and cater to "victims", often to the damage
of the patient, the division of families, the distortion of justice, the
destruction of businesses, and the weakening of the nation." Dr
Tana Dineen Ph.D.
Nutrition for
Children and Babies
There are many serious consequences of generation after generation
having diets deficient in an element essential for normal development of
the nervous system. In 1996, Laura J. Stevens, of the Department of Foods
and Nutrition, Purdue University, and co-investigators published an extremely
important paper in Physiology and Behavior.
Healthier Food Programs Mean Healthier Students
By Pamela Wunder
The politics surrounding nutrition and disease prevention became self-evident
in 1977, in the last-minute rush before summer recess, when members of
the Carter' House and Senate were pounding out the farm bill. It was unusual
in that it read, "Congress hereby finds that there is increasing evidence
of a relationship between diet and many of the leading causes of death
in the United States; that improved nutrition is an integral component
of preventative health care; that there is a serious need for research
on the chronic effects of diet and degenerative diseases and related disorders..."
The proceedings included a comprehensive overview of the American diet
and recommended changes to improve health. The report was the work of the
Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs and 200 scientists
who reported that ten of the leading causes of death in the U.S. -heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure-stroke, cerebrovascular disease,
cirrhosis of the liver and several types of cancer-had been linked to diet.
The Surgeon General's report "Healthy People" stated that diet is the single
most important factor in the rise of degenerative illness.
The American diet has radically changed in the last fifty years, so
that now over one-half of the foods we consume are processed, high in fat,
sugar, salt and chemical additives. Because the concentration of corporate
power and wealth in this country is great, scientific evidence is often
ignored or hidden because of strong pressures from groups with vested interests.
Advertising is profitable and very influential. A great deal of what the
consumer learns about food is exactly what the advertiser wants him/her
to know. People are persuaded to think "food" is "nutrition" no matter
what it is or how it is prepared.
For countless generations humanity thrived on whole natural foods. Our
present food supply is depleted and processed with over 4,000 preservatives,
chemicals and additives, none properly tested for their long-term effects
or combined interactions. Medical statistics are alarming. The nation's
health bill will hit 3.2 trillion dollars this year. Money not well spent
when you consider that much of it is for degenerative diseases that could
be prevented through improved nutrition!
In the early 1980s, funding cuts by the Reagan administration seriously
crippled national nutrition education programs previously established in
the schools. The goals of these programs stated that the nutrition of the
nation's children should be of the highest priority. Evaluations revealed
that they had had very positive effects on children's nutrition-related
knowledge and attitudes toward food. Some districts experienced such dramatic
budget cuts that they had to discontinue school lunch programs, which for
many children provided the sole nutritious meal of the day. The food service
departments operated as self-sustaining enterprises, but federal and state
politics made it difficult for them to survive. They had to decrease their
services, compete with off campus concessions and often resort to selling
junk foods in order to balance their budgets. Thus, gradually, fast-food
corporations began to infiltrate the vast and profitable network of our
school systems.
Through conscious effort and the persistence of many, today there are
numerous innovative projects unfolding in our school systems, which have
positive implications for creating rewarding changes.
In Ashland, Oregon the high school decided it needed to make some changes
and opened the door to alternatives. They chose to work with The Earth
Save Healthy School Lunch Programs, which offered a different approach
of natural choices, and plant based foods, so children could experience
a variety of options. Then, school officials along with the community,
parents, students and food personnel met with food management companies
and local growers to decide what to do. The young people made many of the
decisions. A local bakery supplied fresh whole grain breads; vegan lunches
were offered; they created a soup and salad bar. Marriott, their food purveyor,
became so interested; they started providing vegan burritos, vegetarian
lasagna and alternatives to milk and dairy for children with allergies.
Educational materials were sent home with students to share with their
parents. The youth jointly decided that they did not want junk food or
fast-food businesses in their schools.
In Sacramento, California the Public Health Institute concerned about
the record level of obesity in young people in California commissioned
the 2000 California High School Fast Food Survey. It is the first
study in the state to research fast foods on California high school campuses
and student access to healthy foods at school. The survey was distributed
to all of the 323 district-level public school food service directors who
have high schools in their districts. Of the responding districts, 95%
reported selling fast foods. The survey revealed that an overwhelming majority
of districts (72%) allow fast food and beverage advertising on campus.
Resulting recommendations included the need to:
Offer students more healthy foods that are as convenient, inexpensive and
appealing as high-fat fast foods.
Explore new opportunities to generate support and revenue that are not
based on the sale of unhealthy foods.
Examine the use of schools as a channel for food and beverage company promotions.
Involve students in choosing the healthy foods available in their schools
through taste tests, surveys and classroom activities.
Investigate the reasons that students do not participate in the National
School Lunch Program and develop strategies to encourage them to do so.
Hold forums that inform students, parents, decision-makers and the community
about the effect of high-fat fast food on health.
Promote the link between a nutritious diet and learning.
One model program, which is currently operating in 30 California
high schools, is Project LEAN's (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition)
Food on the Run campaign. The program prepares teen leaders to promote
healthy eating and physical activity on their campuses. In addition to
helping educate their peers to make wise nutritional choices, teen advocates
have successfully worked with administrators and food service directors
to make menu changes, lower the fat in recipes and add healthier items
to school menus. Most recently, Food on the Run unveiled "The Simple Solution
to the Energy Problem," a teen-targeted media campaign promoting better
eating and physical activity behaviors. Additionally, the program has lesson
plans, brochures and tip sheets for use with high school students.
Berkeley, California a three-year study is underway to document how
good school performance is directly related to having a good breakfast
(the Universal Breakfast Pilot Program). It is now widely believed that
nutritional deficiencies significantly contribute to hyperactivity and
attention deficit disorders. As school attendance is up and tardiness is
down, the program pays for its self.
The Berkeley school district is also involved in the Center for Eco
Literacy. It is one of four Food Systems Projects in the U.S. that links
farms to schools in order to provide fresh quality foods from local farmers.
Supporting the "urban fringe farmer," this project connects the institutional
buying power of government on a local scale. Before, large institutional
markets were closed to local farmers because quantity, processing and lowest
dollar amounts prevailed. Presently, it has become apparent that local
farms are the most logical place to create mutually rewarding "systems
benefit" relationships for children, communities and farms.
To put these measures into place, the Berkeley School District needed
to create a district policy. Their committee met regularly to share perspectives
and map out a plan. A main objective was to ensure that no child goes hungry.
Because many scientific studies directly relate learning ability to nutrition
the committee understood that nutrient needs, as well as caloric, must
be met. A cost-effective budget was established as well as a plan to work
with the food service departments, in order to create menus that gave students
a consistent experience from the classroom to the lunchroom. It became
a vital process that brought school meal decisions back to the community
and took the authority away from the corporations. In addition, junk food
vending machines were removed from the schools in the district.
This pilot program also offers special hands on education. Eleven of
fifteen schools have gardens in which the children participate. These activities
become meaningful events in the lives of many youngsters and help to restore
the "link" to nature-they grow, harvest and eat the food themselves. They
experience the whole process, so that when they are served new foods
in the lunchroom, they are more likely to eat and enjoy them. The gardens
and the cafeterias become complementary endeavors. The School Lunch Programs
are designed to be consistent with what is taught in the classroom with
the objective of offering children healthy, great tasting options, so that
they get hooked on "good" foods at an early age.
Credible scientific studies continue to link brain chemistry, attention
deficit and behavioral disorders, weakened immune systems, obesity and
many chronic degenerative diseases to refined, processed and depleted foods.
Education concerning these matters becomes a fundamental key. Conscious
food choices make common sense, for good nutrition is directly reflected
in health and happiness. Better food choices in our schools mean healthier
generations to come.
Pamela
Wunder, M.A, lives in Northern California. She is Nutrition Education and
Disease Prevention Specialization author of The Tale of the Kingdom
The Tale of the Kingdom
is a story about issues concerning our health. It deals with the
importance of being accountable to ourselves and our posterity. Chronic
degenerative diseases have become pandemic in our society, and there is
much confusion in the marketplace. Many Americans suffer from the effects
of inadequate diets, not because they are too poor to buy proper food,
but because they do not know what to buy. Therefore, it is critical
that we cultivate awareness and focus on disease prevention. We must empower
ourselves to make informed decisions, so that the natural flow of the free
enterprise system will work for the inherent good of all.
This book was designed as
a tool to help fill the “information gap” which currently exists, and to
assist greater numbers of people in realizing their personal power to consciously
create their lives. As millions of Americans do not have health insurance,
it is prudent and wise to focus on preventing disease by building healthy
bodies and strong immune systems, for it is painless, extremely cost effective
and much more fun! EDUCATION IS THE KEY!
$4.95 Retail Per Copy (quantity
discounts available)
Cell# (415) 608-9208
pamwunder@hotmail.com
Natural Health for Children
Transfer Factor in Pediatrics
David Markowitz, M.D. - a general pediatrician for more
than 20 years. and a pediatrician in Kennebunk, Maine with a patient base
of 4,500 children, is conducting an ongoing retrospective study of patients
who are consuming transfer factors."I have now completed a retrospective
study comparing children in our practice who did not use transfer factors
during the same period. 87 children, age 8 months through 9 years, used
transfer factors. We found 74% less reported illness and 84% less reported
use of antibiotics. " Thousands of testimonies reinforce these results!
transfer factors enhances the immune system. The immune system is the key.
"A 17-month-old toddler come to the pediatric office with a complaint
of three days of fever, poor sleeping and poor feeding, associated with
a week's congestion and cough. He is diagnosed as having his fifth ear
infection in 5 months and is sent home on this fifth 5-10 day course of
antibiotics and anti-cough and cold medication. This time, he doesn't tolerate
his meds well, with multiple diarrhea stools, a yeast dermatitis, and a
hive-like rash, necessitating a change in antibiotics, bowel rest, and
an antihistamine for his hives. Three days later, and five days out of
Daycare, with parents missing four days of work, our little patient is
finally better. Consumption of transfer factors is started by his parents
(out of pure frustration and worry) at low daily dosing (1 cap/day). Two
weeks later, he arrives at our office with a cold, but nothing more. Three
months later, we see him for a well child visit, with amazed and delighted
parents. A year later, another well child visit and no reported illnesses.
This is an everyday occurrence in our Pediatric office… This is the real
power of the immune boosting with transfer factors, and we have now seen
this for two full consecutive "sick seasons" in this General Pediatric
office."
"A newborn with a serious cold took transfer factors through pumped
breast milk and recovered in 3 days."
''As a practicing pediatrician, I actively use transfer factors in
my practice and look forward to drastic decreases in the number of colds
and their complications and middle ear infections that are so common. Of
the approximately 70 kids under my care and taking transfer factors, only
one has been back that required antibiotics."
"...I find that children in my care are thriving with transfer factors.
I have seen success with middle ear infections, upper respiratory infections
and several other repeated infections."
David Markowitz, MD - Dr.
Markowitz is a pediatrician in Kennebunk, ME with a patient base of 4,500
children and has served as the Senior Pediatrician in a Private Pediatric
Practice for 19 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from
the University of Rochester in New York. He received his medical degree,
general Pediatric training, and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut.
"I recommended 4Life transfer factors to the mother of an autistic
5-year-old. She says there is a 300% improvement over the last 2.5 months."
"A child in my care with a type of muscular dystrophy had a serious
bout with Bronchitis, 72 hours on transfer factors cleared her breathing
pathway completely."
transfer
factors clinical studies by pediatrician David Markowitz, M.D. shows
84% reduction of antibiotics in control group of children using Transfer
Factor
more
about Transfer Factor: - QandA about Transfer Factor - Education and
Instinct - An Explanation of T-Factors Plus By William J. Hennen, Ph.D.
AIDS/HIV/AZT
What
if everything you thought you knew about AIDS was wrong? A growing
number of scientists world-wide have publicly denounced the total failure
of the HIV/AIDS hypothesis, questioned the meaning of the "AIDS test",
and criticized the use of AZT which has been proven to be a toxic poison
that makes the patient sicker and is actually the cause of AIDS deaths.
The group includes scientists such as Kary Mullis, who won the Nobel Prize
for chemistry in 1993 for inventing the polymerase chain reaction used
to test for HIV, Peter H. Duesberg, Ph.D., a professor of molecular and
cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley and Charles Thomas,
PhD., Former chair of the Cell Biology Department, Scripps Research Institute
- Healing AIDS: a holistic approach.
|
Site
map
Home:
ShirleysWellnessCafe.com (aka: MyWellnessHouse.com) is a free educational
site site dedicated to help promote holistic health for you, your family,
and your animals.
 Natural
Herbal Solutions just for Infants, Children and Teens: Help your child
stay healthy naturally (ADD, ADHD, Depression, Bed wetting, Colic, and
more)
 Alternative
to Ear Tubes Stop
Your Child's Ear Infections Naturally Without Antibiotics
Everything a new mother
needs for a safe, natural journey from pre-conception to birth, and into
the baby's nursery. enter
Childhood
Insomnia We all struggle to sleep sometimes and children
are no exception. Sometimes sleep problems become chronic and a pattern
of insomnia sets in. This can cause much frustration for children and their
parents and can even result in relationship difficulties if the problem
is not addressed. If you find yourself struggling to put your child to
sleep night after night, then it is important to do something about it.
Childhood
Anxiety Children are also vulnerable to stress. Some
children suffer from anxiety and shyness and may struggle to adjust to
new situations like school and friendships. Others experience worries about
their safety or have intense fear of the dark, insects, animals or other
creatures.
Natural
Remedy for Bedwetting Bedwetting is common during the
pre-school years and children vary in their ability to control their bladders
at nighttime. It is quite normal for a child under the age of five to wet
the bed occasionally and boys often take longer than girls to become dry
at night. 'Accidents' do happen and should be dealt with kindly and sensitively
in order to prevent emotional problems. Children who wet their beds should
not be punished.
 Natural
Immune Booster
In a clinical study, pediatrician,
Dr.
David Markowitz, M.D. reports an 84% reduction in antibiotic use when
children used Transfer Factor. "There is no other product
in a nutritional substance, nor a drug, that has this kind of power and
ability to affect our immune system. With the increase of killer viruses,
mutated germs, super-resistant germs, and food contaminations, our only
hope and defense, must lie within our own immune system." Dr. Rob Robertson,
MD more
Tired
of struggling to get your children to eat vegetables?
If you want to get kids to eat more vegetables or fruits with the same
enthusiasm they eat french fries or candies, there is a company
that sells delicious dried RAW organically
grown foods that eat like a snack and snack like a meal. They are always
ready to go and good to go. Keep your cupboard, your cooler, your
backpack, your tackle box, your picnic basket, your saddlebags, and anywhere
else that you stash your snacks filled with these great products. FAQ
 Herbal
anti-depressant for children without the side effects of prescription
anti-depressants
 Standard
hospital practice is to place preemie twins in separate incubators to reduce
the risk of infection. That was done for the Jackson girls in the neonatal
intensive care unit at the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts in Worcester.
Suddenly, Brielle went into critical condition. She began gasping for breath,
and her face and stick-thin arms and legs turned bluish-gray. Her heart
rate was way up, and she got hiccups, a dangerous sign that her body was
under stress. Her parents watched, terrified that she might die. Learn
how she was rescued by her twin
 Learn
about the astonishing practice of prestigious
U.S. surgeons operating on babies with no anesthesia.
Shirley was once a victim
of the never-ending flow of propaganda from the medical establishment who
wants to maintain a monopoly on the word "cure" and who wants us to believe
that we have no control over our own health and that our only hope to get
"well" is with drugs, surgery and radiation. You can read an account
of Shirley's
journey into health without drugs, surgery or radiation.
 Watch
these Videos:
-
‘We
Become Silent" A must see documentary about the threat to medical freedom
of choice. The Last Days of Health Freedom' details the ongoing
attempts by multinational pharmaceutical interests and giant food companies
to limit the public’s access to herbs, vitamins and other therapies.
-
Prescription
for Disaster in-depth investigation into the relationships between
the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA, lobbyists, lawmakers, medical schools,
and researchers, and the impact this has on consumers and their health
care.
-
Video
library (whistleblower doctors)
More at Shirley's Wellness
Cafe:
Holistic
Animal Health
Natural
Health for Children
Natural
Health for Women
Natural
Health for Men
Steroids'
Side Effects - Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Natural Remedies
The
acid-alkaline balance's impact on health
Arthritis
Conditions - Natural Treatment
Eyesight
Conditions - Natural Solutions
Diabetes
Alternative Medicine
Health
Issues: Consumer Alert!
Alternative
Cancer Therapies
Gulf War Syndrome Causes and Illnesses
Chia
Seeds: The Wonder Food with Healing Power
Antibiotic
Resistance and Side Effects
Natural
Herbal antibiotics
The
New Healing Science of Glyconutrients
What
is Homeopathy?
Urine
therapy:
medically proven natural cure
Toxic
Environment - Toxic Cosmetics
Detoxification
for Optimum Health: Chemicals and toxins are the primary cause of disease
and obesity
Tonic
Herbs for Longevity, Rejuvenation, Immunity
Raw
Food and Juice Therapy
Therapeutic
Fasting
Healing
with Herbs and Other Natural Remedies
Water:
the great healer
Clay
Therapy - Our Earth, Our Cure
Bee Pollen:
healing from the hives
Magnesium
Medical Miracles
Marine
plants to enhance health
Profound
Life-Giving Properties of Marine Phytoplankton
Guide
to natural treatments for Fibromyalgia
Immune
system: the body's defense department
Sunlight
to restore health
Cayenne
Pepper: the great healer
Wheatgrass
juice: nectar of health and rejuvenation
Healing
Earth: Fulvic Acid and Shilajit
Stem
Cell Physiology - Supporting Bone Marrow Adult Stem Cell Release
Naturally
A healing
crisis: what is it?
Transfer
Factor for people and animals
Emotional
Freedom: overcoming stress naturally
Overcoming
The Sugar Blues and Getting Off Prozac
Healing
shingles/herpes zoster naturally and rapidly
Flaxseed
Oil The Wonder Healer
Cholesterol
Myth - Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill!
Salt
Deficiency:
the cause of many serious disease
Radiant,
healthy skin: the natural way
Words
Of Wisdom Follow Your Dreams!
Dangers
of Modern Medicine: Iatrogenic Diseases
Healing
asthma: a drugless approach
Alzheimer's
Disease: There is Hope!
Healing
eczema: a drugless approach
Healing
psoriasis: a drugless approach
Parasites
Infections: Symptoms and Natural Treatment (humans and pets)
Basic
Healing Principles
AIDS/HIV/AZT:
truth behind the propaganda
The
bitter truth about nutrasweet
Canola
oil: how toxic is it?
Bovine
Growth Hormones in your milk
Beware
of Genetically Engeneered Foods
Radiation
Emergencies: Protecting The Thyroid Gland
Weight
Loss: natural and healthy solutions
West
Nile Virus - what the media won't tell you
Most
Popular Natural Health Products Safe and Effective Remedies for
People and Pets
About
the author of this website
 most
popular health products
 
Free Google Videos. Doctors and parents expose how
vaccines are crippling our children.
Dr.
David Ayoub, M.D. lectures on Vaccines, Mercury, Autism and other disease
Vaccines:
deception and tragedy
Vaccines
and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Shaken
Baby Syndrome or Vaccine-Induced Encephalitis?
Misdiagnosed
Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Criminal Consequence of Vaccine Injury
AUTISM:
is there a vaccine connection?
Criminal
Consequence of Vaccine Injury
Anthrax
Vaccine Facts and Gulf War Syndrome
Government
Enforced Vaccinations: Vaccination Tracking Registry
How
To Legally Avoid Unwanted Immunizations Of All Kinds
Vaccine
Support Groups and Organizations
Animals:
chronic dis-ease caused by vaccines
Nosodes:
alternative to conventional vaccines
Library:
Vaccine Controversy books
 The
Terror of Pediatric Medicine is a free downloadable e-book from
IMVA Publications. The e-book covers in-depth the vaccine controversy,
pediatric dentistry, oncology as well as childhood psychiatry and psychology.
Holistic Children's Health
:
Holistic
Pediatrics (general)
Nutrition
for Babies and Children
Attachment
Parenting
Ear
infections: alternative to tubes and antibiotics
Pshychiatry
- betraying and drugging children for profit
Childhood
vaccinations: are they really safe and effective?
Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome: astonishing facts
Autism:
is there a vaccine connection?
The
Circumcision Decision: what I wish I had known...
Understanding
your baby's needs
Natural
Birth and Home Birth
Ritalin
Free Kids: Helping Children, Not Drugging Them
Homeopathy
for Children and Infants
Forced
Drugging of Children Parents facing jail over compulsory drug
orders.
No
longer blind: the story of Shirley's baby born blind and brain-injured
Holistic Animal health
:
Do
You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food? by Dr. Jane Bicks DVM
Why
RAW food?
Food
Unfit For Pets
All
Natural Healthy Pet Food
Animal
Nutritional Therapy
Natural
Animal Health
Homeopathy
for animals
Renal
Failure - Urinary Tract condition
Pet
Allergies, skin problems, obsessive biting self, chewing paws
Rearing
healthy pups and kittens
Saving
Shasta's life: a holistic approach
Sample
RAW pet food recipes
Toxic
environment and your pet's illness
Alternative
to antibiotics
Testimonials
of amazing animal healing.
Preventing
and Healing Animal Cancer without drugs or surgery
Holistic
Health for Horses
Feline
Holistic Health
Natural
diet for pet birds
Vaccinosis:
chronic dis-ease caused by vaccines
Nosodes:
alternative to conventional vaccines
List
of holisitic veterinarians
Managing
flea bites and hotspots naturally
Improving
your animal's health with kelp
Books
and video: holistic animal health
Training
Shasta for personal protection
Non-toxic
health products and supplies for your pets
|
Circumcision Exposed
Optimum
Nutrition and Natural Health for Animals:
Holistic
Health for Horses,
for
dogs,
for Pet Birds,
for 
Ferrets
and for Cats
Natural
Health for Women:
Natural
Health for Children:
Oxfam is dedicated to creating lasting solutions to hunger, poverty, and social injustice through long-term partnerships with poor communities around the world.
