The Daily Gumbo

Hello there -

I'm supposed to be blogging about the Biodrux product Noagin and I've run into a few snags. For one, is my disappointment in not getting the Appetite Suppressant Lip Balm, whose main active ingredient seems to be Rhubarb. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, of which I am a Doctor, this herb is quite famous for causing instant diarrhea. Adventures in not eating, for sure.

The second is my own health. Years ago, a blood test picked up antibodies to my thyroid. This does not—I repeat, does not—constitute thyroid disorder and doctors within the western paradigm have no tools with which to treat me, but that hasn't stopped me from being denied coverage by Presbyterian Healthcare for my non-condition. Now imagine, just for a second, what people who are actually sick have to contend with and call your congressperson, please.

But I digress...

Purporting to "help defy the aging process by providing complete protection against cellular damage for twenty-four hours," Noagin is supposed to help me live longer. At the moment, I'm rather more interested in living better and, instead of beginning to take Noagin now, I've been exploring thyroid enhancers, like iodine, selenium, vitamins B and D. I've also gone back on the Chinese herbs that have held symptoms like lid-lag, depression, and weight gain in check over the years (a combination of the formulas Jia Wei Xiao Yao San and Ming Mu Di Huang Wan for those of curious and pinyin conversant.)

Meanwhile, I thought I might comment on the ingredients within Noagin, which don't appear on the bottles, but do appear on the website. They are: "Beta-carotene, Alpha-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Astaxantin, Zeaxanthin, Cryptoxantin. Also contains naturally occurring: tocopherols, phytosterols, phtofluene, phytoene, gamma-carotene, and zeta cartene. As well as Omega-3, Omeg-6, and Omega-9."

The ingredients in the first line are all different forms of Vitamin A, which naturally occur in foods like carrots, pumpkin, tomato paste, kale and spinach, and shrimp or salmon. Tocopherols and phytosterols are found in vegetable oils, while phtofluene and phytoene are intermediate steps in the breakdowns of Vitamin A and gamma-carotene and zeta-car(o)tene are isomers of beta-carotene. And the Omegas are fish oils.

In other words, this product is shrimp gumbo in a pill.

And it kinda makes you wonder how long-lived the residents of New Orleans actually are, dunnit? So, of course I looked it up and found that the life expectancy in Louisiana is ranked number 49th in the nation and suddenly 'the daily gumbo' seems a tad unwise, though, admittedly, a good name for a blog...

Yeah, yeah. I'm being silly. Of course there are other factors involved in the lowered life expectancy of the 'Pelican State.' And of course we'd rather take a pill than have a bowl of warm soup each day to ward off the grim reaper. We're Americans!

Later,
Love,
Stella