Shayla Lightfoot and Byron Westmorland Named Student-Athletes of the Year at Annual Awards Ceremony

BOWIE, Md.  The Bowie State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics wrapped up its 2012-2013 athletic year Sunday (5/5) afternoon with its 13^th Annual Awards Banquet on campus in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Building Auditorium.  Athletic as well as academic awards were presented to members of each of Bowie State’s athletic teams.

            Highlights of the evening included the presentation of 78 student-athletes with a 3.0 or better grade point average, 2012-2013 Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year (Shayla Lightfoot and Byron Westmorland), Volunteer of the Year (Ed Martin, Sr.), Service Award (Darrell Givens), Appreciation Award (BSU National Alumni Association), Highest Team GPA (Women’s Tennis – 3.22) and Coaches of the Year (Ken Scott – Women’s Bowling and Darrell Brooks – Men’s Basketball).  Following is a full list of awards presented at the event:

STUDENT-ATHLETE HONOR ROLL - 3.0 or Better

(Volleyball) Remi Anderson, Alexis Fisher, Briana Flowers, Marissa Martinez, Paige McIntosh and Yaje Ngundam …(Football) Paul Barnes, Matthew Brown, Michael Carter, Javan Carter, Ridwan Cole, Kaje Cowans, Nigel Cross, Quintin Deadrick, Omar Fahnbulleh, Ramano Flowers, Jordan Garrison, Kendall Jefferson, Urijah Johnson, Gregory Koepping (4.0 – Fall 2012), Oladimeji Layeni, Michael Miller Matthew Odezugo, Aaron Proctor, Curtis Pumphrey, Paxten Queen, Stanley Savoy, Dominic Shepard, Quentin Walker, Dalante White, Aaron Wilson and Jerel Womack …(Men’s Track & Field) Demetrius Barkley, Ndjami Chick, Cullen Moseley, Akinola Vaughan, Alonzo Williams and Rodney Williams … (Women’s Track & Field) Shayla Davis, Jade George, Rayshawn Penn, Indya Price, Kenya Rollins, Ayanna Tweedy and Kayla Watson … (Cheerleading) Shantel Assata, Tanisha Brown (4.0 – Fall 2012), Tamara Ellis, Aleisha Gillison, Giovanna Hunt, Erica Johnson, Latrese Lucas, Shannon Minor, Brianna Nelson, Jakira Proctor, Kendra Ross, Karina Sanchez, Lucritia Stewart, Raiven Taylor (4.0 – Spring 2012) and Stephanie Wilcher …(Women’s Bowling) Brina Evans, Shayla Lightfoot and Demetria Venable … (Men’s Basketball) Justin Beck, Branden Doughty, Dametric Scott and Byron Westmorland … (Women’s Basketball) Cortney Baynard, Alessandra Flores, Brooke Miles and Reven Smith… (Women’s Tennis) Kassandra Bishop (4.0 – Fall 2012), Channae Manning and Iyabode Sodipo (4.0 – Fall 2012) … (Softball) Cassandra Clayborne (4.0 – Spring 2012 and Fall 2012), Hayley Flint(4.0 Spring 2012) and Mariela Hernandez.

CHEERLEADERS

Most Improved Golden Girl – Chantel Lattimore

“Rookie” Golden Girl of the Year – Karina Sanchez

Most Valuable Golden Girl – Shannon Minor

FOOTBALL

Offensive Most Valuable Player – Dajuan Smith

Defensive Most Valuable Player – Olademeji Layeni

Jerome Harrington Courage Award – Delante White

VOLLEYBALL

Most Valuable Player – Marissa Martinez

Coaches Award – Briana Flowers

Most Improved – Brelyn Finley

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Unsung Hero – Jasmine Jacobs

Scholar-Athlete – Cortney Baynard

Most Outstanding – Bria Robinson

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Academic Award – Justin Beck

Newcomer of the Year – Ray Gatling

Most Valuable Player – Byron Westmorland

CROSS COUNTRY

Women’s Most Valuable Runner – Brittany Williams

Men’s Most Valuable Runner – Ndjami Chick

Women’s Lisa Wiggins Courageous Award – Michelle Palmer

Men’s Lisa Wiggins Courageous Award – Sonny Hicks

Women’s Most Improved Runner – Faith Sykes

Men’s Most Improved Runner – Jalaeme Gomez

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Women’s “Moultrie” Award – Michelle Palmer

Women’s Co-Most Valuable – Kendall Reynolds and Brelyn Finley

Men’s Most Improved Runner – Ndjami Chick

Men’s “Moultrie” Award – Anthony Kiser

Most Valuable – Dana Smothers

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Women’s Most Improved Runner – Indya Price

Women’s Charles “Pop” Williams Award – Brittany Williams

Women’s Most Valuable – Kendall Reynolds

Men’s Most Improved Runner – Travis Scarborough

Men’s Charles “Pop” Williams Award – Alonzo Williams

Men’s Most Valuable – Christopher Allen

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Most Improved – Diara Mackey

Most Consistent – Mieke Allen

Most Valuable – Kassandra Bishop

WOMEN’S BOWLING

Most Improved – Demetria Venable

Come-Back Player of the Year – Ambrianna Bankston

Most Valuable – Shayla Lightfoot

SOFTBALL

Most Improved – Aurikshauna Ratliff

Offensive Most Valuable Player – Cassandra Clayborne

Defensive Most Valuable Player – Kiara Washington

Each student-athlete, including those listed above, received a certificate of participation for the 2012-2013 athletic year.

USSportsfitness.com Serious Fitness, Serious Results

8 hours from death, he found a way to beat cancer

From the desk of Lee Euler, Editor and Publisher

Oliver was doomed to die from cancer within 8 hours --

But then he found out what to do. . .

Oliver had reached the end of the road in his seven-year fight against cancer. His doctors didn’t think this 32-year-old man would live through the night.

But when I talked to Oliver six years later, he was the picture of health! He got rid of his cancer completely.

Yes, Oliver found the answer—his own cancer miracle.

I sat down with him and his doctor and they told me an incredible story. . . a story that could help save you or someone you love from this dreaded disease.

If you’d like to hear it, click here now.

D.C. Divas Player Profile

This is the first in a series of feature profiles on members of the DC Divas.

D.C. Divas Player Information

Becky Worsham	NAME	Becky "Small Z" Worsham
	JERSEY #	53
	POSITION	OL
	STATS	DOB 6/01/1984	Height 6'0"	Weight 235
	HOMETOWN	Springfield, VA
	FIRST YEAR ON TEAM	2008
SCHOOL		George Mason University
OCCUPATION		Student, Physical Therapist Assistant
Who was your childhood idol?		My old high school soccer coach because he helped form me into the committed / hardworking player I am today.
Who is your favorite NFL player? Why?		Peyton Manning because he is selfless and he makes sure everyone knows what they are doing at all times
Describe yourself in 3 words?		Loyal , Funny and Determined
What was your biggest adjustment to playing women's football?		Staying low and exploding without standing up.

Becky Worsham: A Leader on the Line
Neal Rozendaal

Becky Worsham can describe how she felt as a rookie with the DC Divas in one word…paranoid.

“I didn’t know anything about anything,” she laughed. “I only knew how to get into my three-point stance, and I barely knew that. I worried about the snap count and what play we were running. I was just really paranoid…paranoid about the snap count, paranoid I was going to miss my block.”

With a little bit of experience, however, that paranoia soon disappeared. Becky Worsham is now perfectly comfortable on the football field, and as the team’s starting left tackle, she stands as a leader on the Divas’ line. “She contributes greatly on and off the field and is a true team player,” head coach Alison Fischer said. “She’s the total package for an offensive lineman, bringing athleticism, size, and intelligence.”

Worsham always had the natural athletic talent for football. She attended high school at Word of Life Christian Academy in Springfield, Virginia, where her favorite sport was basketball. As a senior, she scored over 1,000 points and helped lead her small high school to the state tournament. She then played basketball for two years at Trinity Washington University, placing fifth in the nation in NCAA Division III in rebounding.

However, Becky Worsham admitted that her life had become mundane in 2007. Despite a good job as a physical therapist, she lacked a competitive outlet. “I just had nothing really going on in my life,” Worsham confessed. “I didn’t have anything to motivate me.”

One of her patients changed all that. Michelle Riddle, an offensive lineman for the Divas from 2002-2010, came into Worsham’s office for some physical therapy. The pair struck up a conversation about football, and Worsham mentioned she had played some flag football before. “It was full contact on the line with no pads,” Worsham recalled. “I thought it was great! When I told Riddle about it, she said, ‘Oh, then you’ll like playing for the Divas. You should totally come out and take a look at the team.’”

It was the camaraderie among her teammates that made Becky fall in love with football. “Honestly, I don’t think I would have stuck with the Divas unless I made friends like I did,” Worsham said. “The friends I’ve made in football are ones that I’ll never be able to make outside of football. You don’t make a connection like that with multiple people all at once the way you do on a football team. I’ve never had that experience before on any of the sports teams I’ve been on. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like you’re family.”

Playing on the line helped Worsham mature in ways she never imagined. “When I was a rookie, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” she admitted. “I had to change my mentality. On the offensive line, you have to be selfless. I struggled with that a little bit, because I realized I’m never going to touch the ball. But after I understood the concept of the game and the purpose of my position, I fell in love with it. I look at football a different way now.”

Slowly but surely, she learned the nuances of playing on the offensive line. It wasn’t always a smooth road. Becky has had five different position coaches in her last five years with the Divas, but she’s tried to take something from each of them that she can use to improve her game. Worsham remarked, “You just learn to be a team player and adapt. The Divas have taught me that you want to be a sponge wherever you’re at, absorbing and using as much information and whatever techniques they give me.”

She has nothing but praise for her current offensive line coach, Greg Gaskins. “I’m so happy we have Greg. He’s the best,” Becky exclaimed. “He starts with the basics and goes from there. I like how Greg makes everything in practice relevant to game situations, which will only make us better. I’m just trying to learn as much I can from him.”

While Worsham has been learning from her coach, Coach Gaskins has relied on her. “This is my first year coaching the Divas, but I am glad that I had someone as capable as Becky to help me,” Gaskins said. “She makes my job easier because she is so knowledgeable about the game, and her dedication and effort are unparalleled.”

Her coaches are unanimous in their praise of Becky’s work ethic. “She has a desire to be better and is willing to put in the work to do so,” Coach Fischer remarked. Worsham attributes that to a piece of advice one of her old coaches once gave her. “He said, ‘Whenever you go to practice, always strive to get better.’ That stuck with me. That’s how I feel whenever I get out there on the field. Let’s just focus on one thing today and get better.”

Becky Worsham has been transformed from a hesitant rookie into an experienced, intelligent team leader. “The first thing I think of is her intelligence as a player. Her ability to recognize situations and make accurate adjustments on the field helps make us a good offense,” offensive coordinator Eric Evans declared. “She is a leader for our team, consistent and reliable. I personally couldn’t imagine sending the offense out there without her.”

She has used that intelligence to assume the role of a coach on the field. “In the past, I really didn’t enjoy playing that much, but I enjoy it now,” Worsham admitted. “I feel like now I’m just seizing the moment and teaching my teammates how to get better, and that’s only going to make me better.”

Worsham was one of 45 players named to this year’s U.S. Women’s National Team. She will travel to Finland along with two other Divas to compete in the IFAF Women’s World Championship. Even that high honor has been used as fuel for Worsham’s competitive nature. “That was my whole mentality with Team USA. I wanted to go to learn from other people and to see how everyone else played, because I knew it would motivate me to get better.”

But for now, Becky Worsham’s main focus is on leading the Divas to victory. She was a member of the 2009 Divas team that lost in the national championship game, and she’s eager to help the team get back there.

“The Divas have grown and matured so much,” she observed. “We’re ready to win. In 2009, we deserved to be there, but I think we weren’t really ready to win. We’ve matured a lot since then. It’s been an up and down road, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Becky Worsham has come a long way since the paranoia of her rookie year. Now she’s helping her teammates to develop as well. “She is a great asset, not only to our offensive line but to the entire team,” Coach Gaskins said. “She makes everyone around her better, and there’s nothing more you can ask of a player than that.”

This biological "cop" arrests cancer cells

This Biological "Cop" Makes
Cancer Cells Show their ID

    Cancer cells are masters of disguise. That's one of their greatest strengths, and one reason the disease is so hard to beat. Cancer cells can hide themselves from the body's built-in immune cells that target and kill "bad cells".

    But now you can give your body a secret weapon that strips away a cancer cell's disguise and allows your own immune cells to wipe it out.

Continued below. . .

This Cancer Cure Video Circled the Globe in 31 Minutes     Every 60 seconds someone dies from cancer -- and every 3 minutes, someone new is diagnosed with cancer. That someone could even be you.     If you know anyone who's suffering from cancer, you *must* watch this 5-minute video. This is the video that the pharmaceutical industry doesn't want you to watch.     When this video was first put online, it was viewed by 129,000 people within 31 minutes. Send the link to everyone who has cancer. You might even end up saving someone's life. Watch the video now here.

    Studies have shown that a potent natural compound is effective against a wide variety of cancers including, breast, colorectal and skin cancers. You can safely use it while receiving chemotherapy. So if you want to combine conventional treatments and alternatives, this one is especially good to know.

    It may also be a good supplement for preventing cancer. It makes sense, but researchers don't know for sure yet.

    It's called Avemar, and it's the brain child of Hungarian doctor and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Szent Györgyi.

    More than 100 papers published in prestigious journals have reviewed clinical and experimental results with this extract, and it's now a medically approved substance for cancer treatment in Europe.

    Avemar comes from a patented process that ferments wheat germ with baker's yeast. The result is a supplement that performs three vital functions in the body:

1. Helps the body regulate metabolism — and more efficiently create energy from the nutrients we eat
2. Boosts the body's immune system — and helps create stronger T-cells and macrophages (the cells that eat invaders)
3. Helps the body target "bad" cells and eliminate them — by shutting off the "cloaking mechanism" that tells the body not to kill cancer cells

    To understand how it helps the body exterminate cancer cells, you need to understand how cancer plays a dirty little trick on our normal immune function.

    Your body has a miraculous frontline defense of natural killer (NK) cells. These are the cells that jump on invading bacteria and viruses as well as mutated cells like cancer. An NK cell has receptors that tell it to either kill or move on once it attaches to a potential invader.

    The NK cell is like a cop that stops someone suspicious, demands to see an ID, and asks a few questions. If it decides the target cell is "innocent," it moves on. If not, watch out!

    This means any kind of invading or mutated cell is only able to grow and thrive if it convinces the body's NK "police" that it's a normal cell. Unfortunately, that's exactly what cancer cells do.

    Cancer "lies" to the NK cells, telling the NK's receptors, "It's okay, I'm a good guy." It does this with a surface molecule called MHC-1 that performs the same function as a criminal's fake ID. Once the NK cell "reads" this molecule, it moves on.

    But here's where Avemar comes in. Avemar suppresses the cancer cell's ability to display the "fake ID" and thereby lie to NK cells. Now the immune system can consume the invader and keep it from growing and multiplying. (Okay, a real cop doesn't devour a criminal, so the metaphor kind of breaks down here. But on the whole, I'm glad these NK cops are killers! After all, that's why they're called natural killer cells.)

    There are numerous published findings on successful human clinical trials of Avemar, with more underway as you read this.

    The FDA designates Avemar as a GRAS substance (Generally Recognized as Safe). This allows its use in foods, beverages and dietary supplements. Avemar has the toxicological profile of bread, so it's very safe to consume at the recommended usage levels.

    You can find Avemar in the U.S. under the brand name Avé. It's recommended as a dietary supplement in a once-a-day, instant drink mix. I'm told it's pleasant to drink — I haven't tried it myself. Folks who suffer from wheat or gluten allergies should avoid it, because it's a wheat product. The manufacturer also says to avoid it if you have bleeding ulcers or have received an organ transplant.

How to Win the Battle Of The Bulge

By DENNIS R. SPARKMAN, PH.D.

Despite the daily medical warnings about the possible health effects of excess bodyfat, Americans are mostly concerned with their cosmetic appearance, especially the abdominal area. This preoccupation with the old spare tire has lead to the boom in the sale of the many abdominal exercise contraptions that promise to give you washboard abs. Still, Americans have gained an average of 10 pounds in the last decade--so much for the abs of steel.

What we are learning about losing visceral abdominal fat (VAT), or the old spare tire, is that it is easier to put on than get off. Studies have shown using obese women that for every kg of bodyfat lost, there is a 2-3% reduction in VAT when they used dieting alone. The role of exercise alone is conflicting as VAT in women appears to be resistant to exercise-induced weight loss, while significant results have been seen in men who exercise. The combination of diet and exercise was not different to that of diet alone in either men or women.

Dietary supplements may be able to enhance a person's ability to lose weight. Nothing is better to help with taking off pounds than diet supplements containing ephedrine and caffeine. The combination of these two compounds helps increase metabolism and decrease appetite. It also increases fat loss and decreases muscle loss. These compounds can reduce lipogenesis, which further prevents fat accumulation. One added benefit of these compounds is that they help maintain serum HDL levels during weight loss.Although some reports on the safety of these two compounds have been the subject of controversy, ephedrine has been used safely for more than 5,000 years as a herbal dietary supplement. When used responsibly, these two compounds are safe and efficacious allies in helping people lose weight in combination with exercise and diet.

Since the FDA-approved weight loss drugs Fen-Phen and Redux have been voluntarily recalled due to their causing heart-valve defects and pulmonary hypertension, overweight people need a safe and natural alternative to aid in weight loss. As the best way to lose weight is to avoid consuming excess calories and keeping active, supplementation with thermogenic herbs will help ensure that the body turns up the metabolism to help burn away those excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Ross R., Effects of diet and exercise-induced weight loss on visceral adipose tissue in men and women, Sports Med1997; 24; 55-64.

Go Get Your Comprehensive Exercise and Nutrition plan from your Online Fitness Coach! Try us FREE for 30 days.

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Big Train College Round-Up 5/3

Big Train College Round-Up 5/3

Jimmy Reed (BT '10) made the most of his pitches last Friday night as it took just 98 of them to pitch a complete game shutout of Duke. The Maryland pitcher, pictured above, gave up only five hits and two walks while striking out four as he took apart the Blue Devil lineup down in Durham. Reed's performance resulted in him being named ACC Player of the Week. On the other side of the country, a few Big Train players came up big for St. Mary's (CA) as well. Ben Griset (BT '12) continued his strong season with another good outing (6IP, W, 3ER, 7H, 2BB, 6K) while Patrick Keane (BT '13) made a few appearances out of the bullpen to help out (3IP, SV, 0ER, 3H, 0BB, K). At the plate, Brendan Kalfus (BT '11) continued his hot streak as he went 9 for 16 this week with three walks and a double. He scored four times and drove in five more. On a larger scale, the Bethesda Big Train would like to congratulate Michael Bass (UNC-Wilmington) and Hunter Renfroe (Mississippi State) on being named to the Watch List for the Golden Spikes Award. Bass and Renfroe played together for the Big Train in 2011 and 2012 and are having great seasons. They are both near the top of the leaderboards of triple crown statistics (batting average for Bass, home runs for Renfroe) and their teams have been very successful. Also, Bass has extended his on-base streak to an NCAA-high 41 games. Other notable pitching performances: Ian Gilbaut (BT '13 / Tulane) - 4.1IP, W, SV, 0ER, 0H, 2BB, 4K... Eric Martin (BT '12 / Tennessee) - 0ER, H, 2BB, 3K... Michael Frank (BT '11 / Bowling Green St.) - 6IP, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, 3HBP, 8K... Joe Mantiply (BT '10 / Virginia Tech) - 7IP, W, 3ER, 6H, 3BB, 5K... Bubba Derby (BT '13 / San Diego St.) - 3.2IP, 2SV, ER, 2H, 2BB, 5K. Other notable hitting performances: Brennan Middleton (BT '10-'12 / Tualne) - 4/13, BB, 4HBP, 2R, 2RBI, 2SB... Tyler France (BT '13 / San Diego St.) - 2/9, 6BB, 2R, RBI... Michael Bass (BT '11-'12 / UNC-Wilmington) - 5/14, 2BB, 3R, 2B, SB... Tyler York (BT '13 / Tallahassee CC) - 4/10, 2BB, 2R, RBI, SB... Hunter Renfroe (BT 11-'12 / Mississippi St.) - 3/10, 3BB, HBP, 2RBI.

Cassandra Clayborne Selected to Capital A-District Softball Team

BOWIE, Md. - The 2013 Capital One Academic All-District ® Softball Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Of those recognized Lady Bulldog sophomore Cassandra Claybornewas a member of the District 2 team. District 2 consists of schools in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).ALL-DISTRICT DIVISION II TEAM

The Academic All-District ® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national
governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2012-13 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and
third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital
One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $216.5 billion in deposits and $294.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of
March 31, 2012. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One and ING Direct offer a broad spectrum of financial products and
services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has approximately
1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A
Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100
index.

Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One
Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN's Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC
College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot team, Capital One Academic All Program, and supports all 89 NCAA
Championships including the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics
programs.

Is the government poisoning your water?

Is Your Water Supply Being
Poisoned by the Government?

    If you live in the U.S. you're probably being administered a drug without your consent. That drug is fluoride, and it's the most consumed drug in the entire country thanks to government-mandated additives in your water supply. Right now, authorities are adding fluoride to a shocking 70 percent of tap water in the United States.

    A public health issue — tooth decay — was the initial motive for adding fluoride to municipal water systems. But mounting evidence shows what these governments are really doing is forcing people to consume a hazardous chemical — for the sake of a doubtful theory of dental health. What does this stuff do to you? Let's take a look. . .

Continued below. . .

Your Body Has Its Own "Blue Zone"     What would you do with an extra 10… 20… even 30 years of life?     Not years spent in a nursing home or drugged up on prescription medications But years of active, happy, productive and independent living...     You see, on the tiny Greek island of Ikaria, there's a small community of people so healthy they're 3 TIMES MORE likely than an American to live into their 90s. And they live 8 to 10 years longer than Americans before showing any signs of illnesses like cancer or heart disease.     But before you start packing your bags, there's something you need to know. You DON'T have to move to a "blue zone" to live a long, energetic and meaningful life.     New research is showing how these long-lived people have high levels of a super protective molecule inside every one of their cells.     Click HERE to read more about this amazing molecule...

Mounting evidence shows disastrous health effects

    Here's what we know: Fluoride is a toxin — a poison, really — that accumulates in your body over time. Use of fluoride has been linked to osteoporosis, birth defects, and disruption to your endocrine system, especially in the thyroid.

    In 1977, Dr. Dean Burk, former chief of cytochemistry at the National Cancer Institute for 30 years, showed that studies on rats who drank fluoridated water resulted in an increase in tumors and cancers in oral squamous cells along with a higher likelihood of osteosarcoma and thyroid tumors.

    Then in 2008, toxicologist Dr. John Doull, chair of the National Sciences Academy review on fluoridation, concluded that the safety of fluoridation remains poorly studied and largely unknown. In his review, he wrote that "... many of these questions are unsettled and we have much less information than we should, considering how long [fluoridation] has been going on."¹

    Doull and his committee published a 500-page review on fluoride's toxicity, concluding that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor, wreaking havoc on your bones, brain, thyroid, pineal gland, and blood sugar levels.

    It's the effect on your endocrine system that chiefly concerns me. Disruptions to this key bodily system lead to multiple kinds of cancers (see Issue #275 to learn more about the disastrous effects of messing with your endocrine system). Some evidence even points to a link between fluoride and bone cancer.

    In July of 2012, researchers out of Harvard linked fluoride toxicity with neurological development problems. High fluoride exposure correlated with lower IQ. And lab tests on animals show exposure increases the risk of bone fracture. Especially at risk are diabetics and the elderly.

And yet the debate goes on. . .

    You might think all this evidence would settle the matter, but so far it hasn't made an impression on our rulers. They always know better, as you may have noticed. Outside of a small circle of "cranks" and "conspiracy theorists" most Americans consider fluoride a wonderful thing.

    It's hard to believe, but people have been debating whether fluoride is safe for more thansixty years — my whole life. I can remember seeing articles about it when I was a child. Yet this unethical, ineffective practice remains part of our way of life. And it may be slowly poisoning your body.

How fluoridation got started. . .

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) hails the fluoridation of drinking water as one of its top public health achievements. They tell a pretty little story about a dentist in Colorado who, back in the early 1900s, noticed that patients with brown stains on their teeth were less likely to suffer tooth decay.

    A dentist in Arkansas noticed the same brown stains on his younger patients after a new well was dug in his town. Tests conducted in 1930 showed the well water had high levels of fluoride.

    The Dental Hygiene Unit at the National Institutes of Health reviewed the claims and concluded that water laced with fluoride was an easy way to prevent tooth decay. That led to widespread "dosing" of community freshwater systems with fluoride.

    The U.S. Public Health Service endorsed water fluoridation in the 1950s, though it hadn't been proven safe for consumption (and still hasn't, for that matter). The general goal is to raise the concentration of fluoride ions to 1 ppm (parts per million).

    Yet, some communities already have higher levels of fluoride in their water systems, even without government-mandated fluoridation. You see, the stuff occurs naturally in some communities.

    Thanks to naturally-occurring fluoride deposits and government-mandated water fluoridation, some communities have levels as high as 4 ppm. Of note: 23 studies show that levels as low as 1.9 ppm are statistically associated with lower IQs.

    Let's say, for the sake of argument, that small amounts of fluoride do promote healthier teeth. Even so, there's no effective way to regulate groundwater sources. Fluoride is an ion that derives from the basic element, fluorine. It occurs naturally in rocks and minerals and readily dissolves in water. Once dissolved, fluoride has no taste or odor.

    But it's not as if officials take time to check pre-existing fluoride levels before dosing communities with more of the toxin.

Even the FDA hasn't approved of fluoridation

    I'm not a fan of the FDA in general. But it's ironic to me that not even the FDA approves fluoride for widespread ingestion. It has not okayed the chemical for mass use and officially classifies it as an "unapproved drug." Fluoride pills are available by prescription only, and the FDA requires fluoridated toothpastes to carry a toxicity warning.

    Yes, there's a warning on your toothpaste tube that the contents are dangerous to swallow.

    Although lacking FDA approval, the organizations that support fluoridation echo the endorsements of other associations and agencies in a widespread "me-too" consensus. But endorsements by big-name organizations are not the same thing as scientific inquiry with supporting data.

    Here's where it gets really awful. Even though fluoride is a naturally-occurring compound, that's not actually what authorities are adding to your drinking water. They use a corrosive acid called fluorosilicic acid, and their source for this substance is the air pollution control devices of the phosphate industry. Why? You'll cringe at the answer. Fluoride gases are hazardous pollutants when in the air. They wreak environmental harm.

    Yes, the stuff that's added to your water is the toxic waste product of a manufacturing process. If they weren't putting it in your water they'd have to handle is as a "hazmat" — a hazardous material.

    Authorities dilute these waste products and put them in our tap water. But along with that, they unknowingly add other chemicals found in the plant pollution. What it means is this: You're being medicated without consent, for the convenience of big industry. And the dosage of the medication can't be controlled.

But at least it prevents tooth
decay, right? Uh, not quite. . .

    Remember, there's no clear, conclusive proof that fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay. It appears to be a spurious correlation that got the dental authorities excited, not to mention everyone else involved with water fluoridation. What they failed to consider was the effect of fluoride on the rest of the body.

    Regardless, health officials continue to promote fluoridation of our water system as the best way to prevent tooth decay. Yet most developed countries around the world don't share this view, and they refuse to fluoridate their water — including 97 percent of Western Europe.

    And here's an interesting fact: Tooth decay levels are not lower in countries with water fluoridation than in countries without. While it's true that the U.S. saw tooth decay decline as water fluoride levels rose, the same decline in tooth decay was also seen in non-fluoridated countries.

    The World Health Organization — a branch of the UN -- reports there's no discernible difference between countries with fluoridated water and countries without.

    For what it's worth, I stopped drinking fluoridated water and using fluoride toothpate many, many years ago. My dentist doesn't apply it during my twice-yearly visits. Yet I have no more cavities than before (in fact, I get no cavities at all, even though I had a great many when I was a child.)

    Because of all this evidence, several communities across North America are fighting the unauthorized fluoridation of their water. The number of people in Canada who are subject to fluoridated water has dropped by 25 percent in the past five years, thanks to public outcry.

Warning: You're being experimented on
without your informed consent

    It's clear that water fluoridation compromises medical ethics. No doctor is allowed to prescribe medication without an individual's informed consent. But dosing the water supply does exactly that, and in a reckless manner since there's no control or oversight regarding the dose of fluoride each person gets.

    Leading authorities, based on new research, acknowledge that any potential benefits of fluoride to your teeth can be achieved by applying it topically, e.g. by toothpaste. That further underscores how ridiculous and appalling it is to force people to swallow this chemical and allow it into blood, bone and tissue.

    If you'd like to know more, I recommend the documentary Fluoridegate — An American Tragedy by Dr. David Kennedy.

    The quickest way to protect yourself is to buy filtered water, but make sure you verify that it's fluoride-free. You can also install a reverse osmosis water filter in your home, which is supposed to remove fluoride ions from your water. Specialized filters are also available — look for something called an activated alumina defluoridation filter. You have to replace them often, and they run about $30 a filter.

    Keep in mind that fluoride isn't just coming from your water. Of course, you know that most mainstream brands of toothpaste contain fluoride. So do many "natural" brands found in health food stores. You have to read the labels.

    I'm not impressed with the evidence that fluoride prevents cavities, and I recommend avoiding it in any form. Children have a tendency to swallow a bit of toothpaste when they brush, so I absolutely would not allow them to use a fluoridated brand.

    Processed foods and beverages made in fluoridated countries also tend to carry high amounts of fluoride. You're even at risk for extra fluoride consumption when you consume specific pharmaceuticals, cook with Teflon pans, or drink certain black or red teas.

    When it comes to tea, instant tea appears to be the most likely to contain high fluoride levels. After that, infusions of black tea brewed for more than five minutes appear to increase fluoride content in your beverage more than other teas. Now, there are many different types of black tea and I don't know how much science is behind this allegation, and whether the alleged fluoride content is related to the species of tea, to the type of soil it's grown in, or to over-processing.

    Tea lovers recommend brewing a quality black tea for four minutes, certainly no more than five. If you follow the recommendation any fluoride problem should be minimal.

US Sports Launches New Personal Training, Strength Coaching, Fitness Site

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BOWIE STATE COMPETES IN 119th PENN RELAYS

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Members of the Bowie State University women's track & field team were in action Thursday and Friday at the 119^th running of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field. For complete results, visithttp://pennrelaysonline.com/Results/schedule.aspx?DB_OEM_ID=1720.

Thursday action featured Kendall Reynolds and Kayla Watson in the women’s Long Jump and Brelyn Finley in the Shot Put. Reynolds placed eighth (5.63m) and Watson as 17^th (5.18m) in the Long Jump. Finley placed 16^th in the finals with a throw of 12.98m.

On Friday, Reynolds placed 23^rd in the Triple Jump (11.60m). The Lady Bulldogs Sprint Medley team of Indya Price, Michelle Palmer, Faith Sykes and Brittany Williams placed 23^rd with a time of 4:06.14.

The BSU men’s Sprint Medley team of Travis Scarborough, Anthony Kiser, Alonzo Williams and Sonny Hicks finished in 32^nd place, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:34.39.

On a men’s individual basis, Channing Johnson competed in Friday’s Shot Put and placed 18^th with a throw of 13.05m while Alonzo Williams finished 45^th in the 400 Meter Hurdles (56.29).