Blog 16 (The Last One...Until Next Semester)

This is an article about a Minnesotan boy who refuses chemotherapy and radiation for Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that doctors believe to be very curable. In the article, it is stated that the court has gotten involved for issues of child neglect. The boy's mom said that her family’s religious convictions say to do no harm to the body, and chemotherapy and radiation were poisons. “This is our religious belief, and we believe in traditional methods, and to strip that away would be stripping the soul from his body,” she said of Daniel (Forliti, 2009). Daniel's doctors think otherwise, though. “In my opinion the benefits of treatment far outweigh the risks of treatment,” Bostrom testified (Forliti, 2009).

Adding to the family's stress, they believe an aunt died from chemo while being treated for cancer. The mom also said that she was upset because her boy was sick from the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is one of most significant advances in the history of medicine. There is a website dedicated to informing viewers of chemotherapy and a long list of side effects was listed. The side effects may be acute, chronic, or permanent. Most of the side effects like nausea, mouth sores, and hair loss sound very uncomfortable and awful to have to deal with. But when you think about it, is dealing with these seemingly mild symptoms in comparison to cancer worth it? Many people believe so, but this boy and his family don't. So who is the government to tell this family what to believe? When I first read this article, I thought that it was crazy that this boy would refuse chemo for cancer. The latter of the two obviously has worse side effects and a greater risk of death. But when I really began to think about it, I realized that everyone has their own beliefs and convictions. What others believe, I may not and vice versa.

The website lists other treatments for cancer, but the boy and her family are taking their own approach--one that isn't listed on the site. Rather, their treatment program is widely suggested to prevent cancer. Among other things, Daniel is following a nutritious diet, drinking ionized water, and taking vitamins and herbal supplements. His spiritual beliefs and faith in his natural medicines are also helping him heal, they say. I don't know how well I think this will work. I'm far from a cancer expert, but I know that cancer can be genetic. No matter how healthy you eat, you can't defeat your family's genes. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think that the boy's mother should be charged for child abuse or is she just looking out for what she thinks is best for her child?

Blog 15 (Blue Zones)

The topic for today's blog wasn't too hard to find. I thought of blogging about this as soon as I read the article. This is an article about people who live on the island of Icaria who have a very high chance of reaching the age of 90! In fact, one in three people will live to be 90 years old or higher. Places with high longevity like this island are called blue zones. No, they're not magical places that bless its residents with a long life span. In blue zones, like the island of Icaria, the citizens practice very healthy lifestyles.

One of the things that this article said that contributes to the longevity of the citizens is that the people on the island walk pretty much anywhere they go. The article said that this ends up burning more calories than going to the gym for 20 minutes a day. I will never underestimate the power of walking again. I have done a lot more walking since the temperatures have warmed, and I think after reading this I may have to do more of that! I don't consider it a workout but apparently it helps. Plus, the islanders do a lot of other physical activity such as gardening. Also, their diets consist of olive oil and lots of fruits and vegetables that are native to the land. I love fruits and veggies but often times they are not fresh in the grocery store. I buy a package of strawberries and have to throw half of them out. I kind of think of them as a waste of money when I have to throw them out, so I don't eat them as much as I should.
Additionally, these islanders drink herbal tea everday morning, noon, and night. These teas contain lots of antioxidants plus it lowers blood pressure.

Icaria isn't the only blue zone, though. Costa Rica also has citizens who likely make it into their 90s. This article mentions that Northwestern Costa Rica residents live a very traditional lifestyle: they work as farmers and still cook on wood-burning stoves. This articles doesn't answer any questions as to why they live as long as they do, but a team of reserachers plan to do that. I couldn't find a followup article, though.

There are only a few known blue zones in the world and all of them have citizens who eat healthy and organically as well as get plenty of exercise and socialization. I think all cultures are capable of doing this, but when you live in North Dakota it's hard to find organic food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and 9 out of 12 months are too cold to allow exercise outdoors. Exercising indoors on equipment is just too boring. Maybe we ought to think of ways we can increase our longevity.