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July 22, 2004
IN THIS ISSUE
KAT’S INTERVIEW SERIES: BILL HENDERSON, AUTHOR, LONG-TIME CO-OP MEMBER, & FRIEND
Bill Henderson is someone we affectionately call “a friend of the Co-op!” Over the past couple of years, we have regularly seen notes in the “Where from?” field (on every order form) saying “Bill Henderson.”
It only seemed fair that we return the favor. Recently, I spent some time on the phone with Bill, who has what one might call a “good-for-radio” voice and an easy way of being.
At age 72, Bill is the author of Cure Your Cancer, a resource for those researching alternative methods in curing cancer. Bill wrote this book after losing his wife to ovarian cancer. He observed the many toxic treatments that his wife had to experience and was determined to learn more about gentler treatments, which he details in his book.
When we first started chatting, I asked Bill how he found the Co-op.
“I explored other supplement companies and was flabbergasted when I saw your prices. There’s no way to know what you’re getting out there unless you trust a company. At least you test often enough to give me confidence in your products.
One of the interesting topics we discussed is how similar the experiences are for people seeking help through alternative medicine -- no matter where in the world they live. Bill’s newsletter subscribers hail from all parts of the planet, and he had this to say:
“I write about 20 newsletters per year. I get personal notes from thousands of people each year, many sending cancer treatments they’ve either used or learned about. It’s sad, but everyone tells essentially the same story, of suffering from arrogant attitudes within their local medical communities.”
From Slovenia to New Zealand, alternative medicine and healing traditions are still met with skepticism, if not outright disdain.
I asked Bill what things he was currently interested in, and he shared a lot more than I could ever fit into a single newsletter. Here are some highlights:
“I’m interested in artemisinin, which has long been used to treat malaria. The University of Washington has done a lot of the research and shown it to be useful in treating cancer. The FDA has approved its use and the good news is that it is readily available.”
We next talked about paw paw.
“I’m also interested in paw paw, which is related to the graviola tree. Paw paw reduces the growth of blood vessels that nourish cancer cells.”
This kat did a search on artemisinin and paw paw, to give our curious members a reputable place to learn more. Lo and behold, another member’s web pages appeared (Ann Fonfa publishes the Annie Appleseed Project web site and pages below – such a small world always!):
http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/artemisinin.html
http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/pawpawfruita.html
Ann’s artemisinin discussion is interesting, detailing the connection between high iron concentrations in malaria parasites as well as cancer cells.
Ann’s paw paw discussion included cautions about concomitant use with Coenzyme Q-10, thyroid stimulators, and antioxidants.
Bill did note that he doesn’t recommend that people self-treat with all of the alternative medicines on which he does research.
One of his favorites for safe self-treatment however, involves red raspberries, which have been associated with cancer treatments since, oh, only about 4 A.D.!
“Red raspberries are full of ellagic acid, which the body can absorb easily and which also has anti-carcinogenic properties.”
We’ve had requests for a red raspberry product, so this one gets yet another vote.
We talked more, about pau d’arco tea next, which Bill considers “good stuff.” He said that pau d’arco tea runs about $14.00 per pound for good material from South America.
Our discussion turned to the role of mind and spirit in treating cancer.
“Recovery from cancer is as much as mental and spiritual as physical. You need to be positive and take charge of your own care. Attitude is key. Patients that have a harder time are more defeatist, listening to relatives who say, ‘listen to your doctor’ and ‘get on with your chemotherapy.’”
I asked Bill about Patrick Quillin’s work, since our president, Cindy, dragged in Quillin’s CD after the Integrative Medicine conference in Miami in April.
A straight shooter, Bill replied enthusiastically, “I strongly recommend Patrick Quillin’s work!”
For those of you who haven’t heard of Quillin, he wrote “Beating Cancer With Nutrition.” You can learn more at www.nutritioncancer.com or you can check out reviews on www.amazon.com by searching for “Patrick Quillin.”
So, you all know the drill -- this is when I ask about kats and humor and so much silliness. Bill was sooo cool! ^..^
“I’m a cat lover. I like your humor. My daughter loves your humor too. I think it’s all very appealing. Quite frankly, any humor is better than no humor. Don’t back off on it, even if some people complain.”
In closing this interview, Bill shared that he sincerely hopes his medical research will continue to help people struggling to beat cancer in more whole and humane ways.
Besides the fact that he opined favorably about moi, Bill’s commitment to helping others makes him one of the truly good souls around!
Bill is recently back from vacation in Spain. If you are interested in saying hello to Bill, here’s his email address: bhenderson@GetAndStayWell.com. Or go to http://www.getandstaywell.com.
HEALTH & SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
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Women at least twice as likely to get some musculoskeletal disorder.
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Olympic physicians offer advice on how to prevent sports injuries.
TELL A FRIEND LINK
Big purrs for our members who are helping “spread the word!” Click on the “Tell a Friend” link below to pass the word to someone you know who cares about quality and could benefit from a break on retail prices!
Our favorite member-pharmacist, Mike Ciell, told us recently that some of the people he works with have become even bigger fans since he has referred them to Our Health Co-op. One woman said, “Bless you! Do you know how much money this will help me save?!” He knows – he buys regularly from us too!
A public thank you to Mike for his referrals and for his ongoing service to people in his community!
Go to: Tell-A-Friend
FAVORITE PETS
With this feature being a favorite for members to click through, you’ll bring a smile to someone far away with your adorable pet shots -- so, send some along today!
For our latest pictures, take a look: Favorite Pets
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our fair members are nothing if not noisy. We tend to hear from folks with questions on their minds, and we do our best to answer the offbeat as well as the arcane. Here are a couple of recurring questions of late:
Q: Some of the Co-op’s supplements contain dicalcium phosphate? Can you tell me about this ingredient and whether it is safe?
A: Dicalcium phosphate is used to increase the volume of material in a tablet or capsule. In the world of manufacturing, tablets and capsules are made in relatively few sizes, so fillers are added to fill out space in the tablet molds or capsules.
Dicalcium phosphate has been used as a pharmaceutical and supplement filler for many years. It is absolutely safe and in fact can actually be a minor source of calcium.
Why the recurring question then??? Simple – it’s another example of a popular “urban legend.”
Many years ago, a supplement mail order company put out information that dicalcium phosphate was harmful. They even published a position paper to that end.
However, many scientists researched the details of the paper and found that the scientific studies had been mis-represented.
It didn’t matter, because the mail order firm did well with its “differentiation” strategy. Pffsstt!
It’s easy to understand why marketing folks are sometimes lumped with a variety of unsavory characters!
Q: I have been hearing a lot about carb blockers and their ability to help people lose weight. Does the Co-op recommend the use of carb blockers?
A: Alas, we have found no human scientific studies that suggest that carb blockers (otherwise known as starch blockers) are effective and safe.
As background, carb blockers are made from an extract of white kidney beans. So far, so good – sounds natural, right?
Well, it turns out this extract interferes with an enzyme in the body that breaks down carbohydrates into glucose.
Instead of carbohydrates being broken down and turned into fat, carbs are excreted from the body before they can enter the bloodstream.
Our take is that it’s not healthy to pop pills that alter the body’s core functions, especially without understanding long-term effects. Did you know that some of the old “starch blocker” products were implicated in health problems and even some deaths?
Sorry to those who long for a “quick fix.” I know, we're a bit conservative and believe there is no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet -- with real foods, plenty of exercise, and lots of fresh water. It also helps to have plenty of nurturing relationships, but that's another story!
I’m sure I’ve provoked at least a few carb blocker champions in our midst and will get a few flames! No worries. This kat can take the heat!
Feel free to send along your latest tease-the-kat questions and we’ll see what we can do.
Until then, “Ciao” for now! ^..^
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser (The Enforcer) ^..^
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
931 Village Blvd, Suite 905-480
West Palm Beach FL 33409
“Making Health Affordable Together”