Thursday, April 24, 2008

Say NO to GMO!

I attended a very interesting talk a couple of nights ago at the Slow Food Organisation here in Perth. This is a very scarey story.. and one that we need to get informed about as the moratorium on genetically modified crops is due to be lifted in WA and if we want to keep ourselves GM Free we all need to get behind this movement.

And why should we may you ask?

Plenty of very good reasons.. and not least is the one that the farmers stand to lose their independence and freedom once they get under the yoke of the Monsanto giant GM seed supplier.

The agreements that need to be signed for a farmer to grow GM produce are extremely rigid including the fact that many of these seeds are so called terminator seeds.. that is they are not fertile - they will not grow from collected seed.

We also need to start acting and getting food labelling to be more stringent - currently it is not law to state whether there is GM products in your food.

Green Peace have produced a small card guide to what foods may be clean and what foods you don't want to eat. You may be saddened to find that you farvourite chocolate brand is not GMO free. Boo hoo .. Lindt was mine.. not anymore!
For some more information on the whole story you can check at the Conservation Council of WA.

There is a petition that can be signed and circulated.. so go for it..

we have the chance to maintain our clean land, and to have the advantage to be able to sell our GM free crops overseas.. to places that are fully contaminated and are looking for good quality produce. This is an advantage we should not give up lightly.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

New Practitioner at Best Health

Great news we are expanding!! Indi Lucaroni has joined our team. She is a qualified nutritionist and will be operating the Avatar EAV/EDS Testing System as part of her practice.

Indi trained in Perth and has also worked as nutritionist in Idaho USA before returning here last December. She is enthusiastic and really looking forward to helping all those who come by to better health and wellbeing.
Give us a call to make an appointment. 08 9385 3088.

Dental Amalgam Ban in Norway

I received this email yesterday. and asked Dr Robert Gammal for permission to reprint here for your information:

The news that Norway Denmark and Sweden have all banned the use of dental mercury amalgam (effective this year) has brought little support from dental associations world wide. Although it is one of the most important and critical assessments of the dangers of mercury from these implants, there has been virtually no reporting of this in the Australian media. If you feel that others should be made aware of this situation I would ask that you pass this letter on.

Following is the Response of the Australian Dental Association to the bans imposed by Norway, Sweden and Denmark on the use of mercury releasing dental amalgam fillings.

“Australian Dental Association News Bulletin March 2008
“President’s Comments” Page 3
Author John Mathews Federal President

AMALGAM

Norway moved over the Christmas period to ban amalgam as a filling material and it is likely that other Scandinavian countries will follow suit. The Norwegian Government, as a significant third party funder of dental services, has this power. (Don't you hate third parties directing clinical decisions!) The decision was made on environmental grounds and because "composite was an acceptable alternative". As an older dentist I would hate to lose the option of amalgam as an inexpensive material in certain circumstances. Certainly the disposal of surgery waste is a problem. The ADAVB is about to develop a disposal programme with a happy union of the EPA, ADA and the dental industry. I expect other states will follow.”


Robert Gammal Comment:
Clearly the Australian Dental Association, as represented by its Federal President, Dr Mathews, has low regard for the findings of the health authorities in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The insult to these authorities is clear in that they are called a ‘third party’ who is directing clinical decisions. Since when was the implantation of mercury into living human beings the realm of a dentist’s clinical decision? The dental associations world wide have refused to take responsibility for this mass poisoning. It is timely that some governments in the world are taking responsibility.

Reuters News agency states; “The Swedish amalgam ban is for both environmental and health issues, according to authorities...”

Perhaps the Federal President did not read the report clearly or just forgot (forgetfulness and poor comprehension are caused by mercury poisoning).

He states that “As an older dentist I would hate to lose the option of amalgam as an inexpensive material in certain circumstances.”

It seems to me that as an older dentist he has seriously lost the plot. Perpetuating the old argument of cost-effectiveness is pathetic when we are talking about human and environmental health – not that they are different accept in the mind of Dr Mathews. Perhaps he really believes that it is a safe and effective filling material or surely he would not use it.

This clear admission from the Federal President of the Australian Dental Association that he continues to use and promote mercury amalgam, flies in the face of well documented science and the responsible action of some governments in the world.
He does not care that both the environment and the patients are seriously at risk from mercury exposure caused by amalgam fillings. His older-dentist-clinical-decision-making seems to be seriously compromised.

I would suggest that the Australian Dental Association find a better representative than one who openly has disregard and distaste for the wellbeing of his patients, the environment and even the membership of this organisation. Even the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia has warned against the use of amalgam in pregnant women, children and people with kidney disorders. Perhaps Dr Mathews has contemptuous disregard for his own health-authority warnings. I wonder if they interfere with his clinical decision making.

Perhaps Dr Mathew’s happy union with the EPA etc will be held underground with the other mad hatters.

I too am an older dentist (graduated 1974) – one who has not used amalgam for over twenty years. I personally am appalled at the blatant disregard this man shows for anyone’s wellbeing.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Excellent Lives - Giving Back

As I told you in my last post, I have been privileged to become involved with Roger Hamilton and the XL Results Foundation. These guys are doing some wonderful work around the planet with the aim of eliminating world poverty by 2010. Creating wealth in order to give back.

It is an exciting concept and the workshop I did in March was a revelation - at one point one of the participants said "It feels like all the competition has been sucked out of the room!"

I have been reminded of this in a quote from Barry Brailsford's wonderful book The Wisdom of the Four Winds - when he says:
"We need to learn to work together for the greater good. Only by holding hands can we safely cross the dangerous rivers that run through our lives. More is achieved by cooperation than is ever achieved through force. And what is won in that manner is forever complete, for it honours each being. Such are the ways of the one-hearted people."

Roger is coming back to Perth in May - I will let you know soon how to attend his talk for free. Well worth checking out.