The FDA, like so many govt. organizations, is trying to eliminate our First Amendment rights. This is plain evil, but all too typical of govts. Will we push back, before it’s too late? Check out this powerhouse message from the The Alliance for Natural Health. I support them in everything they do!
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: FDA Violates Free Speech to Limit Supplement Access. Take Action!
Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:04 -0500 (CDT)
From: Alliance for Natural Health USA To: john@fchute.com
Did you know that if a supplement company “Likes” a customer’s Facebook post, it magically transforms nutritional supplements into drugs? The same thing happens if a supplement’s website links to a scientific article!
The FDA is trampling free speech to limit your access to supplements. As recently as this week, the FDA has made attacks like these to expand the agency’s definition of “disease claim.” Why? By saying a supplement makes a disease claim, the FDA can call it a “drug”—and then remove it from the market!
This also has scary implications for the government regulation of Internet searches and speech. If supplement companies start deleting customer comments out of fear of FDA action, then the FDA has effectively limited consumer speech by using the company as a censorship puppet.
It doesn’t stop there: the FDA has something called its Evidence-Based Review System. It’s just a backdoor tactic to require prohibitively expensive studies—as in hundreds of millions of dollars—if companies want to make any claim about the science behind their supplements. Because natural products can’t be patented, supplement companies can never recoup these astronomical costs. Only Big Pharma and their blockbuster drugs can afford to “pay-to-play.”
ANH-USA has a bold new legal strategy. We’ve had enough. How about you? Will you join us in this historic battle?
Here’s our plan: ANH-USA will submit multiple petitions — strategically supported by our ongoing legal activities — to address, from various angles, FDA’s egregious First Amendment violations. If we win, we ALL win. If the petitions are denied, we’re ready to pursue further litigation.
Immediate action is critical. Unfortunately, this is an expensive project. This is why we need your help!
Our goal is to raise $40,000 by June 14, so we can kick off our FDA petitions to defend free speech and supplement access.
Please make a tax-deductible gift today! Any amount—even just a few dollars — makes a huge difference. http://aahf.convio.net/site/R?i=3rldrFXJ1ZDBewlchjf12Q
The FDA’s actions leave consumers in the dark about the dietary supplements they are buying for themselves and their families. This can be a matter of safety — for you and the ones you love.
The FDA is halfway down the slippery slope of taking away consumer access to supplements. Will you join us in saying, “Enough is enough!”?
Yours in the fight,
Liz Ardagna
Membership Director, ANH-USA
P.S.: As an extra bonus, through June 14, your qualifying donation earns you a reusable tote bag, BPA-free water bottle, picnic blanket, or yoga mat that lets you proudly show off your support for ANH-USA. Please make your gift today!
http://aahf.convio.net/site/R?i=3rldrFXJ1ZDBewlchjf12Q
More proof that Warren Buffett (King of Berkshire Hathaway, below) owns several MLM companies! This attention also gives more credibility to the direct selling process.
JC
http://directsellingnews.com/index.php/view/news_in_brief_may_2013#
“Direct Sellers Named to Fortune Most Admired Companies List“
“For the sixth consecutive year Tupperware Brands Corp. was recognized as one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” in the Home Equipment category of the annual ranking from Fortune. Tupperware reclaimed its second-place ranking in the category, surpassing industry peers including Stanley Black & Decker and Steelcase. Tupperware was noted for the quality of its products and services, global competitiveness and social responsibility, ranking first within the industry in those categories.
Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of direct sellers Kirby, The Pampered Chef and World Book, also received recognition from Fortune, ranking No. 8 overall on the 2013 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.
Released annually, the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies list is seen as the definitive report card on corporate reputation. The rankings reflect the observations and opinions of industry executives, directors and analysts on multiple criteria, from investment value to social responsibility.
Tupperware Brands Corp. is a portfolio of global direct selling companies, selling innovative, premium products across multiple brands and categories through an independent salesforce of 2.7 million.”
DirectSellingNews.com: 2012 GLOBAL 100 List!
DSN 2012 GLOBAL 100
If you didn’t see the new 2012 DSN list, check it out at http://directsellingnews.com/index.php/view/2012_dsn_global_100_list. If you’ve looked at the list in the last few years, you’ll notice some prominent companies are missing from the last two years’ lists, thanks to a long-awaited change to the list requirements: companies have to provide PROOF of stated revenue numbers (imagine THAT!). I’ll let the DSN officially explain:
“In an effort to support transparency and verify authenticity, DSN implemented a new standard for the 2011 ranking, which we continued this year: the Revenue Certification Form (RCF). In addition to an updated profile, each company was asked to submit an RCF signed by the CEO and CFO or designated agent. Some privately-held companies choose not to participate in the Global 100 process, and therefore do not appear on this list.“
(They didn’t put that statement out with their 2011 list.) You can see the list of companies playing hide-and-seek in the DSN’s “Detention Center” (my suggested name for the page), http://directsellingnews.com/index.php/view/dsn_global_100_the_top_direct_selling_companies_in_the_world/P8#. The most prominent company on detention is Melaleuca, a company that in 2010 announced their revenue to be $948 Million, and in Feb. 2013 said they hit $1.13 billion (http://www.melaleucanews.com/melaleuca-announces-1-13-billion-in-sales-for-2012/)! So a company with a BILLION in annual revenue won’t submit an RCF – why is that? There’s only one reason: they don’t want to admit their real numbers, and they don’t want to perjure themselves. So off to detention they go!
MLM DEFINITION
While I’m on the Melaleuca company’s interesting accounting choices, let me also touch on their confusion about the “Multi-Level Marketing” terminology. If you read the reference above where the $1.13 billion number is quoted, you’ll see the company’s CEO, Frank Vandersloot, continuing his annual tradition of saying, “I think our 27-year history of consistent growth proves that consumer-direct marketing is superior to multi-level.” I appreciate Frank not wanting to jam people with inventory – that’s admirable. But the MLM term doesn’t apply to product distribution; it’s how we get paid: if you’re in an MLM, you get paid on MULTI-LEVELS, as in multiple levels of distributors. His analogy of “consumer-direct marketing” being “superior to multi-level” is akin to saying his truck uses 4-wheel drive in the snow, not air conditioning. It’s two different topics, and all he’s doing is confusing an already conflicted topic. The World Federation of Direct Selling Associations definition of MLM (http://www.wfdsa.org/about_dir_sell/index.cfm?fa=direct_sub2): “An important component of the Direct Selling industry is multilevel marketing. It is also referred to as network marketing, structure marketing or multilevel direct selling, and has proven over many years to be a highly successful and effective method of compensating direct sellers for the marketing and distribution of products and services directly to consumers.” So if Melaleuca pays their reps on multi-levels of reps in a downline, then they’re an MLM, plain and simple. Listen to well-known MLM Attorney Kevin Thompson explain why Melaleuca is definitely an MLM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp03RQe_nhU.
JC
NP Update From John Cini: NP App PC Version Launched, BusinessForHome.org Press On NP, NP DSA Membership
NP Update From John Cini: HUGE News From Multiple Angles!
COMPUTER VERSION OF NP APP LAUNCHED!
Our biggest news, in case you’ve been sleeping under a rock somewhere, is the launch of our NP App for the desktop/laptop computer. You can download it at http://pearlapp.net. If you have MS Windows, then it’s a software program to download and install. If you use an Apple computer, then the pearlapp.net site is an online portal that you’ll have to use (no app software for Apple computers yet, although anyone who has an Apple computer has an iPhone and/or iPad, which DOES have a download for the NP App). This NP App is a complete game-changer, not only in how convenient it is for prospecting huge numbers of people, but also in how attractive it is as another reason for people to join our company. NP made an incredibly brilliant move in securing this app, to become an industry leader in prospecting innovation. No other network marketing company has an app like this!
For an overview of the app software, check out the training video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3uuk_T4f08. It’s an hour long, but you can skip a bunch of it: the actual explanation of the software begins at the 6-minute mark (so fast-fwd to that), and 20 minutes later you’ll understand everything that’s going on.
Also, if you haven’t updated your mobile version, now’s the time. I updated mine 3 days ago, and it’s working great! If all this tech stuff is new to you, the app gives you the ability to contact/invite prospects from both your cell phone and your computer, using data in “the cloud,” so your device, either a phone or a computer, is accessing info that’s stored on a data server remotely. When the info is changed or updated in the server, your devices get updated, too, because they’re simply displaying the data from the server. So you don’t have to worry about the info being different on multiple devices. And you don’t have to be tied to your computer at home in order to disseminate great info to prospects!
NP APP DRAWINGS & CONTESTS
I talked to the NP App developer John Preski about the “downloads” contest, and he enlightened me that it’s now a “click thru” contest: he said if someone clicks the link in your msg, that counts as a “download”! Who knew? So if you send out emails from the app and your contacts click the link for a gift or to watch a video, that enters them into the drawing for free gear. Love it!
NP FEATURED IN BUSINESSFORHOME.ORG MAY 10 NEWS!
I got NP a write-up on the BusinessForHome.org site: http://www.businessforhome.org/2013/05/natures-pearl-1-million-in-monthly-revenue/. This type of press does a couple things for us: it adds instant credibility with serious networkers, it may generate leads, and it definitely puts us on the map. I don’t know how much of a business-generator it’ll be, but I do know that any company making waves is on that site! As the article mentions, our Alexa “website traffic ranking” is now good enough that we’re in the Top 100 companies on the BusinessForHome tracking list, and our number of Facebook “Likes” is also now in the Top 100, so we’ll be followed regularly on that site now.
NP DSA MEMBERSHIP LOOMING
I mentioned this in April, but we’ve had so many new people join us in the last month that I’m repeating it: our impending DSA membership application will multiply things even more for NP. At the April Corp. mtg., NP Pres. Brock Agee said NP’s DSA application would be submitted in the next month or two. We’ll be a “pending member” from mid-2013 to mid-2014, since the DSA has a one-year approval process. It’s super-expensive, so this isn’t something a short-term company does. Once the year-long application process is completed, we’ll have the “DSA Member” logo on our site, but until then we’ll be listed on their site as a “pending member” for the entire year. The DSA has strict guidelines for member companies to follow in order to protect its reputation and solidify the integrity of the industry. This is another gigantic step in the right direction for NP to become a billion dollar direct sales company.
ANOTHER NP SITE UPGRADE
If you didn’t notice the new links at the top-right corner of your NP site (this is mine), linking to the NP Corp. Facebook page & Youtube channel, let me be the first to point them out to you! NP Corp. is gradually getting our site plugged into all the tech wonders of the world.
FAIL YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS!
Longtime networker Herb Hunter posted on his FB wall:
“Before success comes in any persons life, they are sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a person, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of people do. The ‘potting soil’ for all success is at least a 2:1 mixture of failure to success. Sometimes, 3:1.“
I would say the ratio is more like 5:1, minimum, but the point is still valid! 
Happy Hunting!
JC
A Call To Action: Dependent or Independent?
In 1900, 90% of the population was self-employed, and 10% worked for other people or the government;
In 1980, 10% of the population was self-employed, and 90% worked for other people or the government.
When you adopt the mindset in this video, THAT’S when you’ll make serious money in your own business!
JC
Nutrition Journal: “Dietitians Use and Recommend Dietary Supplements: Report of a Survey”
Do what I DO, not what I say!
Red highlights are mine.
JC
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/14#B10
Dietitians Use and Recommend Dietary Supplements:
Report of a Survey
Annette Dickinson1*, Leslie Bonci2, Nicolas Boyon3 and Julio C Franco3
Nutrition Journal 2012, 11:14 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-14
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/14
| Received: | 28 October 2011 |
| Accepted: | 14 March 2012 |
| Published: | 14 March 2012 |
Abstract
Background
Dietary supplement use is common in the United States, with more than half of the population using such products. Nutrition authorities consistently advocate a “food first” approach to achieving nutritional adequacy but some, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), also recognize that dietary supplements have a role to play in improving nutrient intake to support health and wellness. Surveys show that many health professionals use dietary supplements themselves and also recommend dietary supplements to their patients or clients.
Methods
As one component of a series of surveys of healthcare professionals (the “Life…supplemented” HCP Impact Studies), 300 registered dietitians were surveyed in 2009 regarding their personal use of dietary supplements and whether they recommend dietary supplements to their clients. Respondents were registered dietitians whose business involved seeing clients in a private practice or at a clinic.
Results
Seventy-four percent of the dietitians surveyed said they were regular users of dietary supplements, while 22% said they used dietary supplements occasionally or seasonally. The primary reasons for using dietary supplements were for bone health (58%), overall health and wellness (53%), and to fill nutrient gaps (42%). When asked if they “ever recommend dietary supplements to clients,” 97% of the respondents said they did. The primary reasons were for bone health (70%), to fill nutrient gaps (67%), and overall health and wellness (49%). Eighty-seven percent of the dietitians agreed with the statement, “There are gaps in clients’ diets that could effectively be addressed with dietary supplements.” The dietitians surveyed said they followed healthy habits including eating a balanced diet (96%), managing stress (92%), visiting their own healthcare professional regularly (86%), exercising regularly (83%), maintaining a healthy weight (80%), and getting a good night’s sleep (72%). Nearly all respondents (95%) expressed an interest in continuing education about dietary supplements on a variety of topics.
Conclusions
Many dietitians, like other health professionals, use dietary supplements regularly as part of their own approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle. They also recommend dietary supplements to their clients or patients, to promote health.
Background
National nutrition surveys show that many Americans fall short in consumption of several vitamins and minerals, including calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, vitamins A and D, vitamins C and E, and vitamin B-6 [4,5]. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) urges improvement in overall dietary habits as the primary tool for improving nutrient intake, but the organization’s position paper on nutrient supplementation also recognizes that dietary supplements may have a role to play in helping people achieve nutritional goals [6]. The Dietary Reference Intakes established by the Institute of Medicine suggest supplemental intakes of some nutrients for some population groups, such as folic acid for women of childbearing age and vitamin B-12 for people over the age of 50, and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans also incorporate these recommendations [7,8]. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recognizes that some people may need supplemental intakes of calcium and vitamin D to reach levels considered to be necessary to build and maintain optimum bone mass during growth and early adulthood and to reduce bone loss during aging [9]. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have designed a modified Food Guide Pyramid with a sidebar recommending a “daily multivitamin plus extra vitamin D (for most people)” [10]. Long chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA are consumed at very low levels by most Americans, and increases in intake could improve cardiovascular health and also provide other benefits [11]. Fiber intakes in the U.S. are also low, and fiber supplements as well as consuming more foods high in fiber could be beneficial for a large fraction of the population [12].
This one bill would positively impact the health of more people than anything else our govt. can do. But the govt. is against it – why? Because it means more power to the people and less govt. power. 
[Why is govt. there? To protect the people, not to rule them.]
Send your congresspeople a letter via the link below, and spread the word! Also, join the http://www.anh-usa.org!
JC
https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=698
Protect Your Right to Know about the Science Behind Supplements!
Help us gain co-sponsors for the Free Speech about Science Act, HR 1364!
Consumers are largely kept in the dark about the potential health benefits of foods and supplements. Why? Because current law makes it illegal for food and supplement producers to share this information.
Congressmen Jason Chaffetz (R–UT) and Jared Polis (D–CO) have introduced the Free Speech about Science Act (HR 1364). This landmark legislation protects basic free speech rights, ends censorship of science, and enables the natural health products community to share peer-reviewed scientific findings about natural health products with the public.
At first sight, this might not appear to be a blockbuster bill. But look closely. If it passes, Free Speech about Science has the potential to transform the healthcare field by educating the public about the real science behind natural health. This is a small bill with vast potential leverage.
For this very reason, the bill will have opposition. It will be opposed by the FDA, which flatly forbids food and supplement manufacturers from mentioning any link between a product and a health condition. This is true even if the link is established by peer-reviewed scientific studies coming out of Harvard and other highly respected universities.
It will also be opposed by drug companies fearing competition from natural health approaches based on diet, dietary supplements, and lifestyle. Please do not let these special interests stop this bill. Please contact your representative today. Ask him or her to co-sponsor this vital legislation!
CNN.com: “U.S. manages disease, not health”
What an indictment of our current SICKcare system, which is shamelessly, erroneously, called “healthcare”! If you watch the 1.5-minute video here and read the accompanying article by Dr. Weil, you’ll get EXACTLY what I’m talking about when I say we need “Freedom of Speech in Health & Medicine”! Thanks so much to Samantha White for sharing this with me.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/opinion/weil-health-care/index.html
From CNN.com: “U.S. manages disease, not health”
“Andrew Weil says the health care system depends on ruinously expensive drugs and surgeries that treat health conditions after they show up. Prevention is key.“
40,000 HITS!
This Antipaper.net site reached 40,000 visitors today. That’s about a month before it turns two-years-old on June 9.
Thanks for visiting!
John
Frugaldad.com: “The Secret to Getting Out of Debt: Forget Snowballs and Interest Rates”
Read it, live it, love it. Red highlights are mine.
JC
http://frugaldad.com/2010/07/14/the-secret-to-getting-out-of-debt/
The Secret to Getting Out of Debt: Forget Snowballs and Interest Rates
by Jason (Frugal Dad)
I was in debt for nearly ten years, and for ten years I tried every debt elimination method known to mankind. I was like the overweight person who has tried every diet, but years later finds themselves more overweight than when they started.
The last two years of my personal journey to debt freedom something finally clicked. It didn’t matter how I ordered my debts, how many half payments I made, how many times I transferred balances from card to card chasing a lower rate, or how many times I consolidated my credit card balances. The only thing that was going to get me out of debt was boosting my income.
The 70-Hour Workweek
If you don’t do something radical to improve your income, you will be in debt forever. I hate to break that news to those still in debt who spend their nights creating elaborate repayment plans while dropping Netflix memberships to create an extra $15 to throw towards a $37,000 credit card balance. That’s like trying to dip out the ocean with a teaspoon. You obviously need a much bigger spoon.
So how does one go about increasing their income – particularly those already busting their butt 50 hours a week in a full-time job, trying to be a devoted spouse, a parent to their kids and run a household? The answer: more work.
For a short period of time you need to find more work. Easier said than done, particularly in an economy where unemployment is high and even part-time jobs are scarce. I started my final push to debt freedom in December 2007, so I understand just how bad timing can be. But you can’t use the broader economy as your excuse to staying in debt, limiting your opportunities and stifling your dreams of financial independence.
Exactly what am I saying here? I’m saying you need to work another 20-30 hours a week earning money for the sole purpose of repaying debt. I don’t care what you do (as long as it is legal), but maximize those 20-30 hours to earn as much as possible.
Part-time retail work at minimum wage may not be the answer. Starting your own business may require capital – something you probably don’t have much of if you are in debt. At great risk of sounding like a back-of-the-magazine ad, I highly recommend considering a low-cost opportunity you can do from home. Maybe something related to your full-time gig that doesn’t conflict with your full-time gig.
If you are a teacher, consider tutoring at night and on the weekends. If you are a programmer, consider doing some freelance work. If you like doing yard work, offer to mow lawns for friends and neighbors. And no matter what you decide, start a blog and write about it – landscaping, programming, child care, pet sitting, delivering pizza – all interesting topics that you can develop into an interesting blog if you put your personal touch on it.
I was interested in finance and frugality. I used to work in the financial industry. I also enjoyed writing. It only seemed natural to declare my side hustle writing about finances (after mowing lawns and part-time work wasn’t yielding enough money to make significant dents in our debts).
Idle Hands are Useless at Paying Off Debt
So that’s not quite how the saying goes, but comparing debt to the devil’s workshop was a stretch (then again, maybe not). The point is that while you are sleeping in, watching television, or “just relaxing,” you are essentially wasting time that could be spent developing a second income stream to pay off debt.
I know you work hard, and you have a family, and you deserve a break. You can rest after you are debt free. For now, you need to work.
After starting Frugal Dad, I made a goal to get up every morning at 4:30am to answer emails, comment on other blogs, write new content, research and do anything else I could do to help build my blog before heading off to my full-time job. Those three hours each weekday morning were some of the most productive times of my life. I was completely focused on my mission.
On lunch breaks, I carried a memo pad and pen and brainstormed ideas for topics. At night, after the kids were in bed, I set things up for the next day, reviewed daily statistics, etc. On the weekend, I carved out a few hours dedicated to trying to get ahead for the next week. I banked a couple posts, cleared my inbox and read 20 other blogs in the personal finance niche to stay current.
It wasn’t easy. My first month blogging I earned $33.88 – that’s only a fraction more than a dollar a day. But I pushed ahead. In six months, I had earned a total of $4,600 (after taxes) to go towards debt repayment. Now I was getting somewhere.
I stayed at it for two more years from that point, and my family just recently celebrated debt freedom. I can’t say it was easy. There were a couple times I wanted to quit. There were many setbacks. There were more than a couple times we were tested with a medical emergency, or something breaking, but we just refused to stop until we got back to zero.
Snowballs, Interest Rates and Spending are Still Important
The order you pay back your debts with the money you earn from your 70-hour workweek is still important. And of course, if you don’t reduce, or at least hold firm, your spending, you will simply spend all this new money and remain in debt (I like to describe this as running faster on the treadmill while someone increases the speed – you’ll sweat a lot harder, but get nowhere).
There are risks associated with working a 70-hour workweek. It puts a strain on your physical health. Relationships may be strained as well. Your social aptitude will suffer. You won’t have a clue who won American Idol, that Lost is finally over, or who’s playing in the Superbowl. It’s alright; you can catch up later.
Despite the risks, the rewards are 100% worth the effort. Since paying off our credit card and school debts, my wife and I have felt more freedom to enjoy life than any point in our 12-year marriage.
We were able to buy our first home (and now we’ll work to pay off our mortgage early, though not quite as hard). We own our cars free and clear. We have an emergency fund for the first time in our lives. We are beginning to learn about investing and savings products that we could never afford. And most importantly, we have options.
Debt has a way of trapping you – in bad jobs, in bad relationships, in bad locations. It’s a suffocating financial cancer that eats away at your future dollars, and your current enjoyment. It adds immeasurable risk to your life. It is not to be ignored for another moment.
You simply cannot win, financially, while you keep debt around. Draw a line in the sand today – no more new debt…ever. Make a plan to boost your income. Make a plan to reduce your expenses. Throw every single extra dollar that comes into your life towards that debt. You aren’t throwing it away, you are investing it in your financial future.
