How Women Can Protect Their Bodies During Pregnancy

Many of us have been led to believe a piece of conventional "wisdom" that is taking a significant toll on our health - especially on women and children, says Robert Thompson, M.D., an OB/GYN and integrative medicine specialist.

The conventional wisdom, more accurately described as ignorance, is that we need an abundance of prescription drugs and vitamin supplements, including calcium, to have strong bones and overall good health.

"Bones are composed of at least a dozen minerals and we need all of them in perfect proportions in order to have healthy bones and healthy bodies," says Thompson, author of "The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn't Know," (www.calciumliebook.com). The new book, coauthored by health journalist Kathleen Barnes, details the roles minerals play in overall health and how to identify and correct deficiencies and imbalances.

"Osteoporosis is caused by a loss of minerals from the bones, not just calcium, and we cannot possibly replace minerals with calcium alone, which hardens concrete!"

Consuming too much calcium, through food sources or by taking supplements, set up individuals for an array of negative health consequences, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, Type 2 hypothyroidism, hypertension, depression, problem pregnancies, dementia, heart disease, kidney stones, gallstones and more.

Mineral deficiencies are at the root of a host of health problems. Using flavor-of-the-month drugs or vitamins compounds the problem. Thompson reviews how this affects women, children and women who are experiencing menopause, and what they can do about it.

•  The mineral cost of pregnancy ... Women become very vigilant about their health during pregnancy, because they know it affects their babies. Although there are a lot of differences of opinion in the general public on what is best, it is a known fact that pregnant women lose about 10 percent of their total mineral supply to their babies. So, while pregnant, the average woman loses nearly four pounds of minerals to her baby with each pregnancy.

•  Don't underestimate the long-term benefit of using unrefined sea salt. Skilled and experienced farmers know that unrefined sea salt is essential to the health of his or her animals. For more than 50 years, farmers have known that sea salt, or rock salt, is essential for their stock to remain healthy and to breed without birth defects. While we're not farm mammals, all mammals do have similar physiology. It follows that unrefined salt, which is the best source of sodium and ionic minerals, may have similar benefits for pregnant women and their children.

"I want to emphasize that this is a long-term benefit," Thompson says. "Minerals gained from using unrefined sea salt - which yields 15 percent trace ionic minerals - should have similar benefits for human pregnancy in helping to prevent birth defects and miscarriage."

•  The problems women experience with menopause. It's estimated that up to 40 percent of perimenopausal (nearly menopausal) women have low thyroid function that adds to their symptoms when their hormones begin to fluctuate, "but I believe this is far too conservative of a figure," Thompson says. "More realistically, it's near 90 percent or more, and hypothyroidism is probably near 95 percent, especially if a woman is more than 20 percent above her ideal body weight. In addition to hypothyroidism, excessive calcium contributes to dementia and other menopausal problems." To be clear, excess calcium, usually from supplementation and fortification in foods leads to these problems.

•  Consider bioidentical hormones. There is overwhelming biological evidence that bioidentical hormone replacement is not only natural and safe, but it also improves the quality of life and reduces breast cancer incidence, heart disease, stroke, dementia, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and nearly all known chronic illness associated with aging. Balanced physiologic transmucosal bioidentical hormone replacement is the specific method to consider.

About Robert Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Robert Thompson is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and a nutrition specialist who helps patients get long-term relief from chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. His newest book, "The Calcium Lie II," is available for free at www.calciumliebook.com. Dr. Thompson received his medical training at the University of Kentucky and has been a leader in medical advances for more than 30 years.

Jordan Catholic School's Builders Club (middle school partner to Rock Island Kiwanis club) will present a check for $500 to Paws for Noah. Noah and his grandmother Betty will be at Jordan Catholic School, 2901 24^th Street, Rock Island, on Friday May 8^th (tomorrow morning) at 9:00am to accept the donation.

The 7^th and 8^th grade students have collected the money throughout the school year through fundraisers like a cheese sale and a pancake breakfast.

Eighth grade student and Builders Club president Emma Beardsley along with the other club members will present the check.

Clinton, IA (May 7, 2015) The Rotary Club of Clinton's "Celebrate our Heritage, Invest in our Future" fundraising campaign to renovate the 80 year old Eagle Point Park Lodge is well on its way to raising $1 Million thanks to a $250,000 contribution from a local foundation.

The Rotary Club of Clinton, a group of business leaders in the gateway area, is leading the efforts to raise $1 million by June 30th to update the inside and outside of the Eagle Point Park Lodge as part of their 100 year anniversary celebration.  Dedicated Rotarians picked this project and set the lofty, but attainable, goal to demonstrate how Rotarians serve the gateway area.

"We wanted to showcase the talent that lies within our Rotary club, how we have served the area the past 100 years and how we will light up Clinton the next 100 years.  We couldn't think of a better way to do that than by leading the charge on renovating one of the area's gems," said Kellie Hillis, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clinton and campaign co-chair.

The campaign team, which started seeking funding the beginning of April, has already raised almost $400,000 thanks in part to a generous $250,000 contribution from the Armstrong Curtis Foundation.  The Armstrong Curtis Foundation, started in 1954 by Edith Curtis Armstrong, Florence E. Curtis and Jacqueline N. Armstrong, typically supports projects in Clinton and Whiteside counties that would have significant impact on the community.  This contribution is the 3^rd largest donation the foundation has made over the last 20 years.

The Armstrong Curtis Foundation is excited to be a first lead donor to the Lodge project at Eagle Point Park and encourages the rest of the community foundations, corporations and civic minded community individuals to get behind this project so it can be fully funded by June 30^th.

The Eagle Point Park Lodge was built in the 1930's by WPA workmen.  There have been some additions and upgrades since then, but with crumbling walls, outdated fixtures and increased usage, the lodge is in need of some improvements.  The $1 million renovation includes leveling out the entrances and updating the bathrooms for ADA compliance, creating a grand entrance with lodge feel that can accommodate buses, expanding the veranda on the river side to allow for outdoor event space, aesthetic interior and exterior improvements plus the addition of a small meeting/bridal room.

If you'd like to contribute to the "Celebrate our Heritage, Invest in our Future" campaign.  Please mail check to: Gateway Area Foundation, PO Box 1024, Clinton, IA 52732 or email epplodgeproject@gmail.com.

##

This is a privately funded campaign.  No tax, city or government money is being used.  All contributions are tax deductible.

About Rotary Club of Clinton - The Rotary Club of Clinton, was founded on June 24, 1915.  There are currently 100 members who work together to serve the Clinton area.  The Rotary Club of Clinton has provided playground equipment at Rotary Park, Ericksen Center and Rainbow Park; in addition to building water/wells in Haiti, providing dictionaries to area 3^rd graders, Coats for Kids, scholarships to area high school students, sponsoring exchange students, helping to eradicate Polio and more.

About the Armstrong Curtis Foundation - The Armstrong Curtis Foundation likes to support project that will have a significant impact on the community and might not get done if the foundation didn't participate or lead.  The foundation has donated over $2 Million to projects in Clinton and Whiteside counties over the past 20 years.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed the following three bills into law:

House File 397 is an Act defining occasional work for purposes of the state child labor law.

House File 585 is an Act establishing an address confidentiality program in the Office of the Secretary of State for a victim of domestic abuse, domestic abuse assault, sexual abuse, stalking, and human trafficking and providing for a fee and including effective date provisions.

House File 615 is an Act relating to the establishment, operation, and dissolution of rural improvement zones.