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April 9, 2004
INTRODUCING MIKE CIELL, R.PH., FRIEND OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, & CO-OP MEMBER
When I put out the call for experts to be interviewed, Mike Ciell was
one of the first to respond. Here’s what he wrote:
Dear Guido:
I received my first order a few weeks ago and wanted to say thanks for
carrying such wonderful products at such great prices! Also,
congratulations on your quality award--well deserved.
Well, at the risk of seeming self-promoting, I wish to nominate myself
to be on your panel. I am a Florida registered pharmacist with a
national certification in geriatric pharmacy and am also the "main"
pharmacist at "ECKERD-On-CALL" (our toll-free nationwide drug/health
information line).
For the last 10 years my personal interest has been in the
alternative/complementary medical field. I have taken many courses in
herbal, homeopathic, nutraceuticals, etc. and am a proponent of
orthomolecular medicine and what I call "advanced cellular nutrition"
(the latest interests along these lines being the Pauling-Rath heart
disease theory and the "Budwig" flaxseed oil diet for degenerative
conditions).
My belief is that the chronic diseases that we see today are usually a
direct result of inadequate diet, lifestyle, and/or environmental/food
toxins. Pharmaceuticals may help you "live with your condition" but
usually aren't intended to "fix" the problem.
However, sometimes if we add certain natural products -- vitamins,
herbs, foods, etc. -- that are compatible with a person's meds, truly
significant positive health changes can be made.
Mike went on to share his educational background (pre-med at Gettysburg
College and bachelor of science from the University of Florida’s College
of Pharmacy – honors, no less) and his work experience (community
pharmacist for more than ten years before heading up the call line for
Eckerd Health Services).
Oh, stop hissing, he’s not a big pharma spy sneaking into our midst!
Mike had this kat in stitches when we first talked. As a New Jersey
native, living in the Tampa, Florida area, Mike shared the following
when asked about his qualifications in the area of alternative medicine.
“Originally, I was your typical arrogant, scientific type. When people
asked for recommendations on herbs, I was pretty dismissive. I told them
terrible things like, ‘You don’t know if someone with leprosy picked
those herbs or if they came across the ocean on a filthy boat!’ Looking
back, I had a huge ego thing going on.
Over time, the interest was just too overwhelming to ignore. I kept
getting asked questions that I could not answer. I finally took a
three-week course in herbal medicine, with lecturers from Bastyr
University. The naturopaths leading the course were genuine gurus, and
what got me was that they were speaking my language, including the raw
chemistry of active ingredients and
interactions.
Naturopaths go through the same medical training that regular physicians
go through; they just didn’t use pharmaceuticals. I quickly became a
convert.”
Mike’s father was an Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor from the old days, when
doctors still had relationships with patients. Mike shared:
“Yeah, I took the long road to medical school, owning a commercial
fishing boat for a number of years. After 291 days at sea, with a
herniated disk, I knew I had to get into something else. I was always
supposed to be a doctor. I was lucky to get into the University of
Florida as an older student. I loved the work, but at times, I felt like
it was all big business. In the old days, doctors used to have real
relationships with patients.”
When asked what experiences most shaped Mike’s understanding of
patients’ worlds, he replied:
“As a community pharmacist, I used to deliver prescriptions. I got to
see what people have in their cabinets. Sometimes
it seemed like a full pharmacy."
"It’s a big job for anyone to make recommendations when you don’t know
what a person is taking, so I always ask ‘what else do you take, what
else do you have in your cabinets?’ People forget to tell you about the
closet of medicines and supplements in their homes, so I ask.”
Currently, Mike manages a national call center, which answers more than
5,000 calls each week, mostly from seniors about
drug interactions.
When asked how he found Our Health Co-op, Mike said that he found us
through an Internet search.
“I was looking for a cheap source of l-proline and found your
Heart Plus
product. I was amazed by your prices, but what really impressed me was
that
you were offering solid products like
CoQ-10,
Alpha Lipoic Acid and
Heart Plus. You didn’t have anything I would consider junk either. Then
I saw
your laboratory tests, which were a nice surprise.”
It’s a kat’s prerogative to ask loaded questions, so I lobbed one at
Mike: “What do you think of the Co-op’s quirky sense of humor, and, more
importantly, what do you think about getting newsletters from a kat?!”
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen. We lose a lot in the electronic world, and I
like what you’re up to. I think there must be
a reason I connected with your organization, because a lot of what you
stand for resonates with me.”
Yawn. I had hoped for a little feline recognition, but I decided to let
this one pass.
The humans met with Mike over a long lunch after the Integrative
Medicine conference in Miami. I asked Mike what he thought of the outfit
after meeting Cindy, Stephen, and Teri.
“I had hoped that companies like yours existed. I was thoroughly
impressed and appreciated the warm welcome. I felt as if I had known
everyone for a very long time. And, I can see why your customers like
Teri so much!”
Good grief. I think I’m starting to get jealous. Everyone falls in love
with Teri, but let me remind you all that “kat’s rule” in this Co-op!
Mike went on to talk about being a Reiki master and participating in
monthly meetings at an Indian sweat lodge. No boring, nerdy pharmacist –
he definitely got “two paws up.”
We talked about some alternative medicines Mike has seen used with
promising results.
“I worked with one guy with neuro-endocrine cancer -- this is one of the
really bad ones. He had been given no hope by his regular doctors --
zero. Based on Johanna Budwig’s work, I put him on a diet that included
flaxseed oil and cottage
cheese, and now his blood work is totally normal.”
For those of you who have never heard of Budwig’s work, the premise is
that the blood of seriously-ill cancer patients is, without exception,
deficient in certain important essential substances, which include
phosphatides and lipoproteins. Check out the research and draw your own
conclusions.
I wondered if Mike would fall for my trap question (if he had, our
conversation would have been over -- pronto!): “What’s your take on
refrigeration for flaxseed oil?”
“It’s like buying a carton of milk. You want a production date and an
expiration date. It’s perishable, so you definitely want to keep it
refrigerated and use it by its expiration date.”
Phew! We’re on the same page! Many members have asked us to carry
flaxseed oil and we’re not aware of any flaxseed oils that are
shelf-stable for a mail order business like ours. So far, so good!
We moved on to research topics and Mike shared a favorite recent piece
of research.
“Anyone who wants to maintain healthy cholesterol and insulin levels is
going to love this one! You take two tablespoons of raw honey and mix in
a whole lot of cinnamon, stirring it until it becomes this thick
ball-like emulsion. It’s like liquid chocolate in texture. It tastes
delicious and you can smear it on a piece of toast or dab it into your
oatmeal. It’s really a great combination and it’s already on most spice
racks.”
Mike is referring to the research that demonstrated that cinnamon (1-6
grams a day) can help normalize blood glucose and blood lipid levels
alike. The study citation is:
“Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes”
Authors: A. Kahn, M. Safdar, MM. Ali Kahn, et al
Publication: Diabetes Care, 2003, vol. 26, pp. 3215—3218
And for an article on the research:
http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gc=39!gid2=2812
Mike is most interested in heart health, diabetes support, and cancer
support, and has lectured often on these topics, as well as weight
loss. We plan to interview Mike often, since there are plenty of topics
we could explore together.
Meanwhile, our story on member, Tricia Andrews, and her fight to cure
herself of fibromyalgia naturally will be next in this series.
Feel free to nominate someone you know (or yourself) to be featured in a
future Kat's Interview Series.
HEALTH IN THE NEWS
- Music with exercise boosts brain power of those with coronary artery disease: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/hartsong.htm
- Calcium’s role in cell signaling (how cells know what to do and when to do it): http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/504153/?sc=wire
- Caution urged for testosterone therapy for men: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/504050/?sc=wire
TELL A FRIEND LINK
Thanks to our members who are helping “spread the word!” Click on the
“Tell a Friend” link to pass the word to someone you know who
cares
about quality and could benefit from a break on retail prices!
That’s more than enough 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