I read that the House has passed the health care reform bill! This is exciting considering how momentous this could be for those Americans who have suffered without it for so long. I personally know people, including someone in my own family, who could not afford health care and chose to go without to their own detriment. Sometimes you just can’t get the care.

Hopefully this will be good for those people who continue to smoke but have not had check-ups, lung x-rays, blood pressure tests, or otherwise consulted with a doctor regarding the effect that smoking may have on their health. Hopefully we’ll begin to see a reduction in emphysema and possibly lung cancer if people can see doctors and get checked in the early stages rather than when it’s too late.

I’ve heard people refer to smoking as very slow suicide. It occurs to me that most young people don’t think of it that way, simply because it’s inconceivable that they can get sick. I remember thinking in my 20s and 30s that smoking was somewhat inconvenient, but I didn’t believe anything would happen to me. I was immortal! I even called myself an “addict,” without really thinking about what that word meant. It wasn’t until I started trying to quit that I realized how hooked I really was.

Stay well dear readers. Winter’s a-comin’ and bronchitis, flu, colds, are more prevalent. If you are a smoker, take extra vitamin C as smoking depletes your immune system. There is a Chinese herb called Jade Screen that is great to take if you are exposed to illness but aren’t showing any symptoms, or if you are feeling vulnerable and need an immune booster. Garlic is also great for the immune system. Take care of yourself as we begin to enter the holiday season.

Happy fall, starting into Winter,

Catherine