Comments for Perspectives... http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives celebrating multiple points of view Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:40:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 Comment on Genetically Modified (GM) Foods by Gurpreet Hari http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/11/genetically-modified-gm-foods/#comment-4195 Gurpreet Hari Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:42:16 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/11/genetically-modified-gm-foods/#comment-4195 I think we should not use genetically modified foods because they violate the natural organisms' intrinsic value. We are altering the DNA in food which is not natural. We should leave plants and animals as they are and do not feed them with growth hormones. Also we do not know yet what could be the long term effects of GM foods. Some studies suggest they cause severe and new type of allergy in children which is life threatening. I do not want to trust big biotechnological companies who are altering the DNA of natural foods. Many people are concerned that insects will become resistant and other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor.I am really worried about this Franakenstein stuff. I think we should not use genetically modified foods because they violate the natural organisms’ intrinsic value. We are altering the DNA in food which is not natural. We should leave plants and animals as they are and do not feed them with growth hormones. Also we do not know yet what could be the long term effects of GM foods. Some studies suggest they cause severe and new type of allergy in children which is life threatening. I do not want to trust big biotechnological companies who are altering the DNA of natural foods. Many people are concerned that insects will become resistant and other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor.I am really worried about this Franakenstein stuff.

]]> Comment on Lots of Açai - For The Longterm by Alton Johnson http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/09/lots-of-acai-for-the-longterm/#comment-1970 Alton Johnson Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:58:46 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/09/lots-of-acai-for-the-longterm/#comment-1970 Claire, thanks for the energy and support. Responses like this make what my colleagues and I do at Bossa Nova all the more rewarding! Claire, thanks for the energy and support. Responses like this make what my colleagues and I do at Bossa Nova all the more rewarding!

]]> Comment on Lots of Açai - For The Longterm by Claire G http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/09/lots-of-acai-for-the-longterm/#comment-1898 Claire G Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:01:33 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/09/lots-of-acai-for-the-longterm/#comment-1898 I so love your Save-A-Tree policy, Alton. I make a point of picking up a bottle of Bossa Nova every time I go shopping in order to make preserving our rainforests a routine. Your product provides such a wonderful synergy of taste, nutrition, and social consciousness, I wish Bossa Nova the best of luck in the years to come! PS I rock my bossa nova shirt with frequency :) I so love your Save-A-Tree policy, Alton. I make a point of picking up a bottle of Bossa Nova every time I go shopping in order to make preserving our rainforests a routine. Your product provides such a wonderful synergy of taste, nutrition, and social consciousness, I wish Bossa Nova the best of luck in the years to come!

PS I rock my bossa nova shirt with frequency :)

]]> Comment on Participatory Medicine and the Democratization of Knowledge by e-Patient Dave http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/15/participatory-medicine-and-the-democratization-of-knowledge/#comment-1647 e-Patient Dave Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:15:39 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/15/participatory-medicine-and-the-democratization-of-knowledge/#comment-1647 > you're one disease away from a much stronger opinion I couldn't agree more. Great series, Jon. I want to acknowledge you for your work in "Doc Tom's" e-Patient Scholars Working Group, which did so much foundation work long before I got sick and later discovered the group. I've personally benefitted from the democratization work to which you've contributed. And so will others when their time comes. A related tale about "one disease away from a stronger opinion" is implied by Phillip Longman's tale of what led to his writing <i>Best Care Anywhere</i>, as I recap in <a href="http://patientdave.blogspot.com/2008/10/highlighted-in-best-care-anywhere-part.html" rel="nofollow">my blog posts</a> about that book. During his wife's terminal illness he'd had the unpleasant experience of witnessing how imperfect - even unbusinesslike - the healthcare delivery system was. And that's a nasty thing to discover when someone's life is at stake. > you’re one disease away from a much stronger opinion

I couldn’t agree more.

Great series, Jon. I want to acknowledge you for your work in “Doc Tom’s” e-Patient Scholars Working Group, which did so much foundation work long before I got sick and later discovered the group. I’ve personally benefitted from the democratization work to which you’ve contributed. And so will others when their time comes.

A related tale about “one disease away from a stronger opinion” is implied by Phillip Longman’s tale of what led to his writing Best Care Anywhere, as I recap in my blog posts about that book. During his wife’s terminal illness he’d had the unpleasant experience of witnessing how imperfect - even unbusinesslike - the healthcare delivery system was. And that’s a nasty thing to discover when someone’s life is at stake.

]]> Comment on Genetically Modified (GM) Foods by Cheryl http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/11/genetically-modified-gm-foods/#comment-1436 Cheryl Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:07:49 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/11/genetically-modified-gm-foods/#comment-1436 Not only will GM foods hurt us, make us want to buy medicines to combat their effects the will also kill all the bees. Yes, they are killing our bees because the pollen from GM food are not adsorbed by the intestinal tract and the bees are literally starving to death. Not only will GM foods hurt us, make us want to buy medicines to combat their effects the will also kill all the bees. Yes, they are killing our bees because the pollen from GM food are not adsorbed by the intestinal tract and the bees are literally starving to death.

]]> Comment on Participatory Medicine and the Democratization of Knowledge by DrGreene http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/15/participatory-medicine-and-the-democratization-of-knowledge/#comment-1373 DrGreene Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:09:59 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/15/participatory-medicine-and-the-democratization-of-knowledge/#comment-1373 Heathcare is not something done 'to' us or 'for' us. Health is something we foster 'with' our family, our friends, our community, and with other people dedicated to fostering health. This includes doctors, yes, but could also include a wide variety of others such as nurses, NPs, PAs, midwives, pharmacists, nutritionists, therapists, etc. The 'participation' in Participatory Medicine isn't just a patient particpating with a doctor, but a patient participating in his or her own health, in constructive collaboration with a network of others with the same goal. Heathcare is not something done ‘to’ us or ‘for’ us. Health is something we foster ‘with’ our family, our friends, our community, and with other people dedicated to fostering health. This includes doctors, yes, but could also include a wide variety of others such as nurses, NPs, PAs, midwives, pharmacists, nutritionists, therapists, etc.

The ‘participation’ in Participatory Medicine isn’t just a patient particpating with a doctor, but a patient participating in his or her own health, in constructive collaboration with a network of others with the same goal.

]]> Comment on The Debate and the Conversation by DrGreene http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/14/the-debate-and-the-conversation/#comment-1371 DrGreene Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:02:20 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/14/the-debate-and-the-conversation/#comment-1371 Jon, Thanks for this post and for Twittering last night's debate. I wasn't able to watch until the midnight re-broadcast, so the live blow-by-blow kept me engaged while I was at an unfortunately timed event. This leads back to your point -- finding ways to be engaged in our health (and our kids' health) in the midst of the many events of daily life. Jon,
Thanks for this post and for Twittering last night’s debate. I wasn’t able to watch until the midnight re-broadcast, so the live blow-by-blow kept me engaged while I was at an unfortunately timed event.

This leads back to your point — finding ways to be engaged in our health (and our kids’ health) in the midst of the many events of daily life.

]]> Comment on GM foods on the market may cause allergies by admin http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/12/gm-foods-on-the-market-may-cause-allergies/#comment-1310 admin Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:58:15 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/12/gm-foods-on-the-market-may-cause-allergies/#comment-1310 You can see Jeffrey M. Smith's bio here - http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/jeffrey-m-smith/ You can see Jeffrey M. Smith’s bio here - http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/jeffrey-m-smith/

]]> Comment on GM foods on the market may cause allergies by Shannon http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/12/gm-foods-on-the-market-may-cause-allergies/#comment-1309 Shannon Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:24:29 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/08/12/gm-foods-on-the-market-may-cause-allergies/#comment-1309 Where is your bibliography or footnotes? One of your points is directly from another website. Where is your bibliography or footnotes? One of your points is directly from another website.

]]> Comment on The Far Ends of the Açai World by Alton Johnson http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/07/the-far-ends-of-the-acai-world/#comment-908 Alton Johnson Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:11:00 +0000 http://devmu.drgreene.com/perspectives/2008/10/07/the-far-ends-of-the-acai-world/#comment-908 Lisa, I did eat many fresh acai berries, and they are indeed tasty, but not necessarily what you might expect. They're not sweet or juicy. You can’t crush or squeeze one in your hands because of a giant seed that makes up about 80% of the berry’s volume. What you can eat is the pulpy skin that surrounds it and the oily layer surrounding the furry seed. Acai makes you work for every tiny bite! That’s why, when I was trying to figure out how to bring acai’s benefits to the U.S., I went to the idea of juice — a familiar, “user friendly” form of the berry. Clarifying the juice also helps the antioxidants last longer than leaving the berry in pulp form. Thanks for the question. Lisa, I did eat many fresh acai berries, and they are indeed tasty, but not necessarily what you might expect. They’re not sweet or juicy. You can’t crush or squeeze one in your hands because of a giant seed that makes up about 80% of the berry’s volume. What you can eat is the pulpy skin that surrounds it and the oily layer surrounding the furry seed. Acai makes you work for every tiny bite!

That’s why, when I was trying to figure out how to bring acai’s benefits to the U.S., I went to the idea of juice — a familiar, “user friendly” form of the berry. Clarifying the juice also helps the antioxidants last longer than leaving the berry in pulp form.

Thanks for the question.

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