You Come China You Go Shopping!

This year, I chose to take a vacation to The Peoples Republic of China. I was exited by what I had heard about its history and culture. I read every book I could get a hold of on the subject. I began to memorize every dynasty in order over a span of over 5000 years. I even began to learn a few mandarin phrases. I wanted to find out what the new modern China was like. How had it changed since the door began to open to the West 35 years ago?

Because, like most Americans, I am not allowed to leave my job for more then a brief amount of time, I only had two weeks of travel planned. So, I decided to focus my trip on the two largest cities in the country, Beijing, and Shanghai. While Beijing might be viewed as the political center of the country, kind of like Washington DC, Shanghai is a major metropolitan city much like New York City.

I had heard that China is a country that is changing quickly. The country has certainly become more open to tourist, more friendlily to foreign trade and foreign business. Everywhere I looked, while visiting the major cities I saw foreign companies had made their mark in China. There were Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chickens, Subways and McDonald's everywhere. Even the Forbidden City had advertisements for American Express as a foreign donor. From what I saw it was not the Chinese taking over America but America taking over China, and in the worst possible way.

I saw two things I did not expect to see in China, obesity and extreme wealth. I saw many Chinese that seemed to be quite wealthy (especially in Shanghai), and extreme poverty. I saw beggars deformed in the most hideous and heart wrenching ways. And I saw that the junk food and fast foods we have exported to the rest of the world beginning to take their toll on the health and welfare of the Chinese people. I saw classicism and greed of course, but I also saw a real love of money and everything that money brings.

The all American capitalist could learn a thing or two about greed from the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese themselves. while they were often helpful and gracious, they were also after my wallet.

In fact, the only English word I consistently heard was “shopping”. Suggestions to shop came up every where I traveled; while walking down the street, visiting museums and Buddhist Temples, and of course, while traveling to tourist sites. Getting into taxis with cabbies that don’t speak English usually ended with them taking me to the nearest shopping mall (even when I was trying to go somewhere entirely different). I quickly learned the best way to get around China was by bus or subway (Public transportation is excellent in most Chinese cities and well funded). The prices were cheap, and you were able to get to where you wanted to go without being hijacked and taken on a shopping spree.

This is what happened the first time I attempted to hire a driver and tour guide to take me to the Ming Tombs and Great Wall. Instead, I was taken from one shopping location to another. And in the end, only had a few minutes to visit the actual places I had wanted to visit.

I had been warned about culture shock and thought I had prepared myself well for the trip. But the truth is, nothing prepares you for going half way around the world to a place where you cannot communicate effectively with anybody else. I quickly realized I was as helpless as a child, and began to act like a frustrated two year old (much to the amusement and fascination of the locals). I became loud, temperamental, and downright frightening in my rants. I can safely say I now have a new found sympathy for babies as they become frustrated and annoyed at the seemingly well meaning clueless adults around them.

The nine-dollar Barnes And Noble Mandarin phrase book aside, being able to communicate effectively with others was one of the hardest challenges about vacationing in China. If you visit and it takes you more than 3 days to have a complete melt down in the streets consider yourself something of a saint.

My flight to Beijing left Los Angeles at midnight of October 14Th. Crossing the International Time Zone, I landed a day later in Seoul South Korea, at around 4:30 in the morning. And as the plane began its lazy decent I could not help but notice that the North Korean side was completely blacked out. I said a silent prayer hoping our plane wouldn't be shot down during some unforeseen scuffle between the North and South.

At the Seoul airport I took a photo of the mist covered mountains in the North; just as the sun was rising from the east. And realized it was the closest I would probably ever come to North Korea. The picture was sad in its beauty and left me with feelings I am not sure even I understand.

Upon arriving in Beijing, I soon realized two things. First, that most cab drivers had no clue how to find my hotel (despite having printed out the directions in Mandarin from map quest). I often found myself driven in circles for what seemed like hours listening to frustrated cab drivers muttering to themselves in incomprehensible Chinese. And secondly, the Chinese have a very different interpretation of what constitutes a traffic law and how to obey them. You see, where we have traffic laws in the United States, the Chinese have only mild suggestions and little annoyances. You take your life in your own hands if you are crossing a street in Beijing or Shanghai. The annoying, self absorbed, cell phone toting, speed texting, snooty teenager (that Americans specialize in mass producing) is no match for the insane maneuverings of the cars, buses, scooters and bicycles on any given day in any given Chinese city. Remember, you cross the street at your own discretion. God help us all.

I soon discovered that the best way to cross a street in China is to latch on to some unsuspecting native as the crowds pushed forward against oncoming traffic and hope for the best. The odds are fairly good you’ll survive but don’t count on it.

But through it all I came to enjoy my trip to China, yes I really did. You see, by the end of the second week I came to understand that China has a rhythm all its own, and I learned to surrender to it. I let myself soon be moved by the tide of fellow foreigners hustled from one “bargain sale”, to the next. I learned to shop, and enjoy it (something I cannot stand to do in the United States). I bargained down prices with the best of them and bought cheap jewelry and trinkets I shared with friends and co-workers when I returned home. I stopped arguing with taxi drivers but instead thanked them profusely when they dropped me off miles from my destination and dumped me at yet another one of its new trendy western style malls. I learned to go to China and spend money. And realized I had done what I intended to do, I had experienced Chinese culture. I had learned to embrace capitalism. I came to China and I went shopping.

Stress In Childhood Can Impact Health Long Into Adulthood

The ways in which childhood trauma and abuse can impact a person's health for years to come is a disturbing idea to contemplate. We would like to believe that once a child has left an abusive or stressful home they can then begin to live a healthier and happier life. Unfortunately, the long term effects of abuse can last long after the abuse has ended.

A recently published article in the health section of the BBC, has revealed several studies showing the long term effects of poverty and childhood stress on overall health for years to come.

Childhood stress, abuse and poverty, were found to increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease, inflammation, high blood pressure and a host of other diseases. Childhood abuse and poverty has also been associated with long term stress in social situations; which can increase blood pressure and have a negative impact on health.

Research shows that children who survive childhood abuse and neglect are at greater risk of incarceration, drug abuse, suicide, relationship instability, shortened life span, and illiteracy.

The role of a Naturopath is to treat both the cause of disease and to encourage preventative measures be taken to insure people remain healthy. Having said that, it seems obvious to me that health care practitioners, or anyone who is concerned with public health, should take an active role in education and advocacy for policy changes necessary to reduce the risk of childhood neglect and abuse; which has such long term negative impacts on public health over all.

Alternative health care offers hope and education to people wishing to improve their health and well being, and I do not wish to suggest that their are no options to survivors of abuse to recover and improve their health. Rather, I would suggest that health care providers cannot address the idea of preventative health care; if that discussion does not address social inequality and its impact on public health.

Pacific Northwest Restaurants Make Local Fresh Cuisine An Art Form

Having just returned from a one-week stint in the Pacific Northwest I can say emphatically that there was no lack of great restaurants in that part of the world. Both my fiance and myself traveled to Oregon to attend the 25 annual AANP Convention, and also took some time to enjoy a little tourism. The most exciting development I have seen, from an environmental and health standpoint, is the creation of several restaurants that serve local, fresh, and whenever possible, organic cuisine.

Probably the best restaurant we ate at was located in the beautiful small town of Astoria Oregon. Astoria has a rich history (and once made the bulk of its money from the generous Columbia Salmon run that was once teeming with fresh fish). Unfortunately, like many business that are based on natural resources, the economy experienced a boom and then bust collapse leaving many locals out of work. And now, Astoria has reinvented itself and become a sleepy and beautiful tourist town with great local restaurants and artist.

When you do visit Astoria Oregon, be sure to visit on a Sunday, if you can, so that you can enjoy a walk through the local Sunday Market. And then afterward, visit the Restaurant Clemente’s for lunch. The owners, Gordan and Lisa Clemente, buy their vegetables and fish from local businesses and never freeze anything. The food is always fresh, preferably caught or picked that very day (the fish we had eaten for lunch, had been caught by Lisa’s brother that very morning). And the delicious salad we ate contained vegetables grown from the local family farm.

With out a doubt, the food was the best I have ever had and the attention and respect that the chef (Lisa prepared our meal), gave to every detail of the meal was exceptional. Afterwards, Lisa came and spoke to us about her vision of creating an excellent restaurant that incorporated local organic food with minimal negative impact on the earth. Another great thing about the restaurant was the local art. Clemente’s makes an effort to exhibit and promote the works of local artist (many of whom are quite exceptional).

A similar great meal was also had when we visited a local restaurant in Portland Oregon a few Days later. We chose to eat at a local gem called The Farm. This restaurant also has its produce, cheese and meats supplied by local businesses. The concept of both of these great restaurants is to attempt to minimize the environmental impact of shipping food from far away. Instead, both these restaurants attempt to buy within 50 miles of their location. They buy organic whenever possible. The impact on the environment is far less damaging and the food itself is much fresher and healthier then the food you would otherwise get at a more conventional restaurant. The great thing about this type of eating is that you are not only helping to support local businesses, and the environment, but you are having a meal that is having far less of a damaging impact on the environment and far better for your health over all.

How the City of Los Angeles Took The Life Of My Friends Dog

My friends dog Blue died last week. She was buried in a private ceremony at the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas, California. I believe her life was taken by living in the city of Los Angeles.

Blue was a great dog. She was a smart and affectionate Siberian Husky who could speak on command and always knew where I hid the dog treats; that I kept for her when she came to visit me at my job. But Blue became a victim of Los Angeles in what became a tragic disease caused by being a resident of Los Angeles, the victim of its toxic exterior. You see, Blue died from Carcinogenic lung cancer, due to long term exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment (it goes without saying that Blue did not smoke cigarettes-and for the record neither did her owner).

Carcinogenic forms of lung cancer are on the rise in our pets, and in case you think that does not effect you, think again. They are dieing because they are breathing the same air that we are. Like the canaries that use to be brought into the coal mines to warn of poor air quality, our pets are contracting the diseases that we are destined to contract years later. Indeed, had Blue lived in a city with cleaner air quality and better environmental policies, like Portland Oregon for example, there is a real chance that my friend's dog Blue might still be alive today.

Unfortunately for Blue, she lived in a toxic city. A city that saw such bad air quality last year that, during the ever reliable annual Los Angeles's fire season, the city became such a thick airless dingy blanket of smog, lasting for weeks, it made life in the city virtually uninhabitable. In response, those residents of Los Angeles that could afford to, piled into cars and planes and began clamoring out of the city in droves in a desperate attempt to find air. And those of us that stayed, tried to find solace in the nearest oxygen bar.

The concerns about air quality and its effects on health are not a new subject for health care practitioners, (or anyone concerned with social justice and inequality as it pertains to health) a considerable amount of data has been collected on the correlation between poor air quality, poverty, and illness. What concerns me is how the residents of Los Angeles have learned to adapt and accept conditions which are, for the most part, unbearable.

Indeed, the burden of the city is so great, it has grown increasingly more difficult for most residents to live here. And we are growing accustomed to it. We have grown accustomed to two-hour commutes on roads that have grown increasingly dangerous and dilapidated. We have grown accustomed to dangerous drivers that ignore the recent ban on using cell phones while driving. And spend more time looking at their navigational systems then looking at the road they are suppose to be driving on.

We have grown accustomed to ignoring and being ignored. We have grown accustomed to becoming annoyed by the countless homeless veterans and mentally ill displaced persons we see every day on our streets. Our annoyance replaces what should have, and what might have, once passed for human compassion. In a city filled with people that spend more time concerning themselves with celebrity gossip then the welfare of our citizens. And we have grown accustomed to that as well.

We have grown tolerant of a level of rudeness that is completely unacceptable in any society with even a minimal understanding of propriety and decency. In my practice, I have gotten use to treating patients that hold up their hands to silence me mid-sentence while they talk to a faceless someone on the other end of their cell phone. I have gotten use to people walking away from me while delivering the patient's treatment plan as they respond to a text message. And I have grown accustomed to a city so toxic, it continues to leave its soiled footprints on every aspect of our health and the health of our pets.

So while we vote in the next election, and begin to contemplate who will hold California's next governor's and senate seats, I hope when we cast our ballots we take a moment to think about the toll Los Angeles is taking on our health, and the toll it could take on our futures if things don't begin to change soon. As for me, I plan on thinking of my friends pet Husky. Her name was Blue, she was a great dog and great companion, and I miss her greatly.

A Mother's Love Breeds Confidence for Life

For people who have not grown up with the security of a loving family, a recent article in the BBC, that points out how a loving mother can impact a person's confidence for life, should come as no surprise. In researching mothers who responded immediately and lovingly to their children's needs, it was found that the long term effects were adults who had confidence and a more positive out look about their place in the world.

In contrast, children who grew up without the stability of a loving and attentive mother often experienced a lack of confidence, insecurity and difficulty created stable bonds with other people long into adulthood.

Death of the American Vacation

In a growing and disturbing trend in American business, more and more Americans have stopped taking time off to vacation. Unlike Europe, where the average citizen is granted an average of six weeks vacation, often with pay, American workers are often denied paid time off. And in some jobs, employees are not permitted vacation time at all. Currently in the United States, there is no law that requires American companies to grant employees vacations or vacation pay.

According to several surveys, including one conducted in 2005 by RoperASW and another by the online travel web site expedia.com, nearly 30% of adults are skipping vacations altogether. The reasons cited are lack of vacation pay, financial constraints, overwhelming work loads, and a fear that if they leave for a few weeks their jobs might not be there when they get back. Fear of lost wages and unemployment is especially true in lower paying jobs, service jobs, and those jobs typically characterized as "blue collar."

With a strained economy that has led many employers to reduce their number of employees to only a skeleton crew, many employees feel that taking time off for a vacation would leave their employers and fellow employees in a bind. Many Americans also feel that they cannot afford a vacation; especially with the current economic recession, families are seeing one spouse unemployed or seeing a reduced number of hours with their current job. Another side of the recession is that many Americans are not being promoted or given raises, creating even more financial constraints.

This shrinking of the American vacation is also the shrinking of America’s connection with the rest of the world. While Europeans are free to travel for weeks on end and to explore distant places and diverse cultures, Americans have steadily become more disconnected from the rest of the world, incapable of seeing and interacting with other world views. This lost time to travel and explore other cultures has a detrimental effect on American education and places us at risk of not only isolation from the outside world, but also a failure to understand how people in the rest of the world think. The long term consequences of American isolation not only impact how we see ourselves, but also the policies we enact both domestically and abroad. Too often, these policies reflect a genuine distrust and lack of understanding of our world neighbors both near and far.

Agave Syrup May Not Be So Healthy

For those people who have decided to switch to Agave Syrup instead of sugar, in the hopes it is a healthier sweetener, there is mounting evidence that it may in fact be just as bad if not worse then corn syrup. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/agave-this-sweetener-is-f_b_537936.html

Replacing Bad Fats With Good Fats Proven To Reduce Heart Disease

A recent report conducted by Harvard medical school and published by the BBC, reveals that replacing fats obtained from animal products with fats obtained from vegetables products can decrease a persons chances of a cardiac event by 20%.
Fats from animal meat, specially what are termed trans-fats, can be detrimental to heart health. In contrast, the fats from vegetables, commonly referred to as polyunsaturated fats, can be found in vegetables. These fats remain liquid at room temperature, and have not been found to have the same detrimental effects on health commonly seen in animal fats.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8580899.stm

Walking and Talking May Be Hazardous To Your Health

In a development of no surprise to anyone who has spent significant time in a major metropolitan area over the past few years, the New York Times reports on a new study showing that cell phone usage can be hazardous to pedestrians--not just due to distracted drivers, but also due to distracted pedestrians themselves...