The Hurbicide Guru

Copyright 2005 Joey Atlas

I rarely start an article with the conclusion at the beginning.
But, for this specific topic I couldn’t write it any other way.
So, here it is.

No magic pill, patented drink mix, sublingual tincture,
trans-dermal patch, man made food bar, proprietary mineral
blend, or secret capsule is capable of producing the results, or
anything remotely close, that can be achieved through the proper
strength and conditioning program combined with a smart, a
realistic nutrition program and adequate rest.

As the father of an eight year old baseball, soccer and football
player, I am often asked by other parents, “What products would
you recommend for my son/daughter to help improve their sports
performance?” The paragraph above is my answer, always.

It is no wonder why so many people believe that enhanced sports
performance can come from a bottle at your local nutrition
store. The advertising freedom that nutritional supplement
marketers are given is an absolute joke. The flexibility they
have allows them to prey on peoples weaknesses and exploit the
fact that most people want to believe what they see and hear
through advertisements.

The problem lies within the fact that even when following “the
rules” nutritional supplement marketers can still cleverly craft
unbelievably deceptive advertising campaigns and get away with it

Some supplement companies have attorneys on staff that
specialize in making sure that the company they represent is not
breaking any laws in its advertising campaigns. Some companies
who cannot afford full time attorneys hire them as outside
consultants to perform the same function. Their main job is to
compare the proposed advertising campaign, whether it is a radio
ad, a television ad, internet ad or print ad and make sure it
complies with all rules and regulations put forth by the Federal
Trade Commission and/or the Federal Communications Commission.
Keep in mind these hired pros work for the company who pays them
and not for you, the consumer.

Ponder this, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
does not require manufacturers to report adverse reactions or
side effects. Additionally, the sale of any supplement can only
be prevented if the Food and Drug Administration can prove that
the supplement is harmful. Amazing, isn’t it?

Despite the fact that supplement companies are restricted from
making unproven or exaggerated claims, many are still able to
get away with extremely deceptive advertising campaigns. Some
companies are even so greedy that they completely disregard any
of the industry rules and use outright lies in their marketing
campaigns knowing that the regulatory agencies are overloaded
and cannot catch every unscrupulous company. Even when caught,
some of these companies have to pay a fine which usually only
amounts to a small percentage of the profits it has taken in
from its fraudulent marketing techniques. They are then ordered
to clean up their marketing campaigns so they are in compliance
with industry rules and are then allowed to continue selling
their products.

So, what are a young athlete and/or parent to do, knowing that
all of the outrageous claims by supplement companies are either
false or grossly exaggerated?

Well, the answer is quite simple. Focus on what is proven, safe,
realistic, and effective. Improving athletic performance boils
down to three components:

1)A sound nutrition program constructed from whole, nutrient
dense, readily available, preferably organic foods. For your
specific needs it is best to consult with a sports conditioning
specialist or a sports nutrition consultant. 2)A carefully
designed and administered athletic strength & conditioning
program. Several key factors will determine what the ideal
training regimen for you should be. Again, it is best to consult
with a sports conditioning specialist to determine your needs.
3)Adequate rest. Your body can only get stronger, faster, and
better if you give it the proper amount of rest. During rest
time your body releases hormones and chemicals to help you
rebuild and recharge. Some of these substances interact with
certain components of the healthy foods you eat to achieve this.

For the record, I am not adverse to all nutritional supplements.
There are some fantastic multi-vitamin & mineral products,
nutritional shakes, nutrition bars and a few other basic
products on the market which can be helpful as supplements to a
well rounded, whole food, nutrition program.

One website that can help you make better informed decisions
about some of these helpful supplements is ConsumerLab.com.

Remember the old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it
most likely is.”, when you see or hear these crazy
advertisements because in reality, all you are seeing is a
modern day snake oil presentation.

Ear surgery, also called otoplasty, is a surgical procedure
designed to improve the appearance of prominent or protruding
ears. It is one of the few cosmetic surgeries that can be
performed on children, since an individual’s ears typically stop
growing by age five. Children and adults with severely
protruding ears are often the subject of persistent teasing by
their peers, resulting in psychological stress and mental
anguish. Ear Surgery can eliminate this problem by pinning
protruding ears back so they lie closer to the head. In fact, it
is recommended that children with severely protruding ears
undergo otoplasty at a very young age so the problem can be
corrected before any teasing begins. Young children also tend to
recover faster than do adults, making it an ideal time to
perform the surgery.

Most ear surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis,
although some doctors prefer to keep children overnight for
extra monitoring. The surgery itself is usually only one to two
hours long, depending on the complexity of the procedure.
General anesthetic is recommended for young children. Older
children and adults will generally undergo otoplasty with just a
local anesthetic to numb the ear and the surrounding tissue. A
two to three inch long incision is made in the natural crease
just behind the ear to hide the incision from view. This exposes
the underlying cartilage, a soft pliable tissue that gives the
ear its unique shape. Depending on the extent of the protrusion,
the doctor will either weaken the cartilage and bend it into its
new shape or remove excess cartilage to achieve the desired
results. The cartilage is secured using permanent sutures to
keep it from moving back into its natural shape. Once the
cartilage is secure, the incision is closed and sewn back up.

Following the surgery, patients wear a thick, tight dressing to
cover and protect their ears. After a few days, a more
lightweight bandage can be used. Ear surgery patients may find
they experience mild to moderate discomfort during the first
several days of the healing process, but this pain can be easily
controlled by over the counter medications such as Tylenol or
through a doctor-prescribed prescription pain reliever.
Recovering patients may find it difficult to sleep initially,
since many people rest their head on their ears while sleeping.
A soft pillow may help to alleviate some of this discomfort.
Sutures are removed approximately one week after the procedure,
assuming the surgeon did not use dissolvable sutures.

Complications arising from ear surgery are rare, but like any
surgery otoplasty is not completely risk free. Your surgeon will
discuss potential side-effects of the procedure with you in
advance of the day of your surgery so you are aware of what to
expert post-surgery, and so you have realistic expectations of
the procedure. Complications may include nerve damage that
results in a temporary loss of sensation in the ears, scarring,
infection, a localized reaction to the sutures used, or
asymmetry of the ears.

Individuals interested in learning more about ear surgery and
how it can improve their appearance should make an appointment
with a plastic surgeon with strong track record of successful
otoplasty experience.