What an Exciting Weekend!

What an exciting weekend! This was the fifth weekend of the Wholistic Kinesiology practitioner course, the bodywork portion. It was an exciting weekend for myself and the class. Billy Beck III from Fort Lauderdale Florida, Al Musalin from Guelf Canada, Deborah Schrameck from Palm Springs California, and Jaime Hall from New York, all personal trainers, were able to combine their skills with the Wholistic Kinesiology with great results!! They were not only able to evaluate the nutritional status of their athletes but were able to balance the musculoskeletal system, optimize joint function, do emotional balancing and design a very exact workout program for their clients. The rest of the class learned a lot from watching the combination.
All participants got their postures evaluated before and after muscle optimization and joint optimization. The pre and post evaluations were remarkably different. Laura, one of the students, had fallen off a horse ten years earlier and had been living with neck pain since. After her treatment, all pain was gone. The following day she reported some soreness in the muscle but the joint pain was gone!!
Dominick had a similar experience with chronic low back pain. He became pain free immediately after years and years of dealing with severe pain. The following day was still pain free.
This class is so enthusiastic and excited about the possibilities. Final exams and graduation are next month. A whole new group of practitioners is about to be let loose on the world. I’m really impressed with their skills, and I’m so excited about how much good they will do for their clients!

Sunscreens, Sunburns, Sunshine and Vitamin D

Getting sunburned can put a crimp in your style while on vacation. Often vacationing, especially in tropical areas, will involve being in the sun more than you are used to at home. Preparing for your trip by getting sun before you leave can increase the amount of time you will be able to stay out in the sun and help you avoid the damaging and painful effects of sunburn. In addition, more and more information is coming to light about the toxicity of some sunscreen ingredients, and the benefits of sun exposure. There are healthier natural ways to prepare, prevent and even repair sunburn damage.

Most dermatologists will tell you “NO TAN IS A HEALTHY TAN”. They cite dozens of studies that link sun exposure to premature wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. Some recommend that you avoid the sun as much as possible to prevent these conditions and slather on sunscreen whenever you go out, even if you're only going out for a few minutes. But the latest research says differently. "Anybody who tells you you're supposed to wear sunscreen in the winter all day every day, even in the office, hasn't looked at the data," says Marianne Berwick, Ph.D., a researcher and epidemiologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In fact, research shows that sun exposure is necessary for good health; it boosts your mood, strengthens your bones, and may lower your risk for certain cancers, among other benefits.

Experts now agree that according to the new research, moderate sun exposure offers many health benefits. Doctors are now recommending sunshine to their patients to improve their energy, happiness levels, longevity, and overall health. While there is some risk with burning, the benefits far outweigh the risk.

How long you can safely stay in the sun depends on your latitude (the farther you are from the equator, the more time you need), the season, and your risk factors. In these amounts you will get the sun's health benefits, while minimizing your chance of wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer.

If you are at high risk for skin cancer (family history) Get up to 20 minutes of sun daily, for any longer periods. Wear a hat, long sleeves, and pants, and seek shade.

If you are taking a sun-sensitizing medication like birth control pills, St. John’s wort or antibiotics: Get sun exposure according to your skin type. If you experience a reaction to sunlight like a rash, see a doctor and consider dietary sources or supplements for vitamin D (a minimum of 400 IU daily) instead of relying on sun exposure.


What about Sunscreens: Are they safe?

Sunscreens have recently become controversial. A recent article in the New Scientist reports on a suspected link between some chemicals "that mimic the effect of estrogen [and] are common in sunscreens .... trigger developmental abnormalities in rats" Richard Sharpe from the Medical Research Council's Reproductive Biology Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland, is quoted in the article: "It's not good news that we are lathering ourselves with creams with hormonal activity."

The sunscreen chemicals in question are:

• 4-methyl-benzophenone-3 homosolate
• 4-methyl-benxylidene camphor (4-MBC)
• octyl-methoxycinnamate
• octyl-dimethyl-PABA
http://www.newscientist.com/newsletter/news.jsp?id=3Dns228733

A 2000 study conducted by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority showed that low doses of octyl methoxycinnamate killed mouse skin cells. According to researchers, their results suggest that OMC may be toxic to human skin tissue as well. So until we know more about OMC, the Norwegian research suggests that it would be wise to look for sunscreen alternatives that don't contain this chemical.

According to researchers at the ] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich, “Our findings indicate that UV screens should be tested for endocrine activity, in view of possible long-term effects in humans and wildlife.”
PMID: 11333184 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. schlumpm@pharma.unizh.ch

In order to protect consumers from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and enhance light stability of the product, three to eight UV filters are usually added to consumer sunscreen products. High lipophilicity of the UV filters has been shown to cause bioaccumulation (build up over time) in fish and humans, leading to environmental levels of UV filters that are similar to those of PCBs and DDT. “Experiments all supported our hypothesis that mixtures of UV filters act additively to activate the estrogen receptor (ER). In view of our results and observed plasma levels it cannot be excluded that daily exposure to sunscreen formulations may have estrogenic effects in humans.”
PMID: 16183391 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80176, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.Heneweer@iras.uu.nl

Sunscreens are designed to prevent skin cancer by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun before it gets to the DNA in skin cells.
Researchers at the American Physical Society presented findings that indicated that the octyl methoxycinnamate can bind to DNA, and cause alterations and damage.

American Physical Society Annual March Meeting, March 20-24, 2000 Minneapolis, MN, abstract #F36.093

Zinc Oxide

Many sunscreens contain the active ingredient zinc oxide. The problem with zinc oxide is that it is a natural anti-inflammatory. Normally, you would think that this was a good thing, but in a sunscreen, you don’t want a false reading! Zinc oxide prolongs the illusion that you are not burning beyond the point where damage has already occurred. Zinc oxide has been banned for use in Europe because it tends to hide the effects of sun-damage, possibly prolonging one’s exposure to harmful UV rays. In fact, A class action lawsuit filed recently in Los Angeles accuses sunscreen makers of exposing millions of people to cancer and other dangers through false and misleading claims about the effectiveness of their products.

This would explain the phenomenon where you might use sunscreen and stay in the sun all day with no apparent damage. Then the next day, your skin is completely raw. This is because the zinc oxide in your sunscreen hid the fact that you were already burnt!

Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide is another ingredient found in many sunscreens, but again it is a compound whose toxicity remains unclear. Researchers now say the chemical can be absorbed by human skin. Titanium dioxide is a fine, white powder, used in sunscreens because of its ability to reflect and scatter ultraviolet light. The compound's full effects on human health are still under investigation. The U.S. government's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) labels the chemical "a potential occupational carcinogen." Skin & Allergy News (February 1997, p. 15)

And do they work?

Although the American Academy of Dermatology will have you bathing in sunscreen, it is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body. It is full of toxic chemicals that can cause problems in your system. Even if it didn’t contribute to disease, the central issue is that it doesn’t even work.

SPF numbers only refer to UVB (burning ray) in the 290- to 320-nm range protection. SPF numbers do not protect you from a different part of the ultraviolet light spectrum, the UVA (tanning ray) in the 320- to 400-nm range. UVA is what causes skin damage, including skin cancer, advanced aging and wrinkling. Many popular sunscreens provide a high UVB protection but very little or no UVA protection.

A British dermatologist published an article earlier this year which showed no clear indication that sunscreens worked. Another study in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology last year found the same thing. A far more logical solution would be to use clothing to protect yourslf against the sun.

The rising rate of skin cancer has put using sunblock right up there with flossing your teeth when it comes to healthy habits. In 2002, 50 percent-- approximately 1.1 million cases--of all cancers in the United States were skin cancers, of which nearly 10,000 cases were fatal. It is easy to understand why many people have become fearful of the sun's warmth and glow.

Researchers at the UK's Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT) acquired skin samples from consenting patients undergoing surgery (such as breast reduction). In separate tests, three commercial sunscreens with high sun protection factors (SPF) of 20 or more were applied to the skin samples. The samples were then exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) light at intensities comparable to that of sunlight.

Using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (which determines natural radiation concentrations), the researchers found that free radical damage beneath the surface of the skin was reduced by approximately 50 percent in skin samples treated with sunscreen, compared to unprotected skin. And while that may seem at first to be effective, researchers determined that the actual "free-radical protection factor" was only 2.

In other words, the sun protection factor of 20+ held true only with ultraviolet B (UVB) rays - the rays that cause sunburn. But protection from the free-radical damage that corrupts DNA and may prompt skin cancer was judged to be insufficient.

The authors of the study fear that because sunscreen use helps prevent burning, people feel safe spending many extra hours in the sun. Meanwhile, those additional hours of exposure may add up to cumulative DNA damage and skin cancer because a considerable amount of UVA rays are still getting through.

Skin cancer experts have warned that sunscreens do not offer full protection against malignant melanoma, a highly dangerous form of skin cancer, even when they are applied correctly. Professor Roy Sanders and colleagues at a British medical charity called the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust found that sunscreens were not very effective at blocking ultraviolet A (UVA) light even when the packaging stated that the product offered protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Many people think that sunbathing is safe as long as they apply sunscreens, however Sanders says that this is not the case and that sunscreens may actually increase the risk of developing melanoma as people wearing them tend to stay out in the sun for much longer. Cases of malignant melanoma in Britain have doubled every 10 years since the 1950s. CATEGORY: Cancer
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 29th September 2003

Sunscreens May Not Prevent Melanoma

Sunscreen can prevent the most common types of skin cancer-- basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas -- but it does not protect against melanoma, a more rare but deadly type of skin cancer, according to a researcher from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Instead, genetic factors such as a tendency to develop moles, combined with fair skin and fair hair increase melanoma susceptibility. Those with red or blond hair and light colored eyes and pale skin are six times more likely to develop melanoma than those with darker features, and those with numerous moles also have six times the melanoma risk as those with fewer moles. Those who use sunscreen do not have a lower risk of melanoma, even though it has been theorized that preventing sunburns in childhood with sunscreen might lower the risk of cancer.Based on the evidence, researchers concluded that sunburn itself probably does not cause melanoma.

The study was presented last week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Philadelphia. Indeed, because sunscreen prevents sunburn it might encourage light-skinned individuals to spend more time in the sun, possibly increasing melanoma risk, said the researchers.

Cases of melanoma are on the rise, and it is now the 10th most common form of cancer in the US.