message from Dr Tedd Koren:
"Since flu shot season is approaching, we thought it appropriate to remind everyone
that according to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, the world's leading immunogeneticist and 13th
most quoted biologist of our time (over 850 papers in peer reviewed journals), if an
individual has had five consecutive flu shots their chance of getting Alzheimer's
disease or dementia is ten times higher than if they had one, two or no shots. (1)
Dr. Fudenberg reports that this is due to the mercury in flu shots (and many
childhood and RhoGam shots); these toxins build up in the brain causing cognitive
dysfunction. Is this why Alzheimer's is expected to quadruple? (2)
1. Dr. Fudenberg at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington, VA.
September 1997. Quoted with permission.
2. John's Hopkins Newsletter. November 1998."
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Friday, 5 December 2008
Thursday, 4 December 2008
why don't I ‘pop’ or ‘crack’ spines?
Many people when they think of chiropractic care envision their spines
being twisted, yanked, and pulled on with great force. In our office we
offer our patients a low force gentle technique that can
address the structural problems in the body. We use an electronically
controlled instrument called an Arthrostim that provides gentle
repeated tapping motions to help loosen stuck spinal joints and reduce
painful muscle spasms.
The Arthrostim instrument works to correct Subluxations in the spine,
and can also be used safely on the joints of the arms, and legs. Many
people who suffer from shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain as well as hip,
knee, and ankle/foot pain greatly benefit with the low force care.
The Arthrostim (TM) also works well for people that are suffering in great
pain as well as those in chronic pain. An added advantage of using the
Arthrostim (TM)instrument is that patients can be treated standing,
sitting, or laying down. Many people only experience pain and other
problems in certain positions. For example, sitting is often a problem for
people where as laying down is not. By using the Arthrostim instrument
a patient can be worked on sitting down or whatever position is causing
the pain.
The Arthrostim (TM) instrument is a versatile instrument that is
exceptional for people of all age ranges and conditions. It is gentle
enough for newborns and children as well as adults of all ages and
conditions. Many of our patients report that it is more comfortable
adjustment/treatment and they feel better in a shorter period of time.
being twisted, yanked, and pulled on with great force. In our office we
offer our patients a low force gentle technique that can
address the structural problems in the body. We use an electronically
controlled instrument called an Arthrostim that provides gentle
repeated tapping motions to help loosen stuck spinal joints and reduce
painful muscle spasms.
The Arthrostim instrument works to correct Subluxations in the spine,
and can also be used safely on the joints of the arms, and legs. Many
people who suffer from shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain as well as hip,
knee, and ankle/foot pain greatly benefit with the low force care.
The Arthrostim (TM) also works well for people that are suffering in great
pain as well as those in chronic pain. An added advantage of using the
Arthrostim (TM)instrument is that patients can be treated standing,
sitting, or laying down. Many people only experience pain and other
problems in certain positions. For example, sitting is often a problem for
people where as laying down is not. By using the Arthrostim instrument
a patient can be worked on sitting down or whatever position is causing
the pain.
The Arthrostim (TM) instrument is a versatile instrument that is
exceptional for people of all age ranges and conditions. It is gentle
enough for newborns and children as well as adults of all ages and
conditions. Many of our patients report that it is more comfortable
adjustment/treatment and they feel better in a shorter period of time.
WATCH YOUR BACK IN THE CREDIT CRUNCH!
If the credit crunch is making you work longer hours, and your stress
levels are increasing, take care. Your body may start complaining.
I’ve noticed a big increase in neck, back and shoulder pain since the
beginning of the credit crunch at my busy practice in Hough Lane, Leyland.
I believe it’s a direct consequence of increased pressure and hours of work,
and the stress and anxiety we’ve all been suffering in the past couple of months hasn"t helped.
You can’t hold excessive levels of tension in your muscles without causing
backache and neck pain.
According to BackCare, the charity for healthier backs, 40 to 50 per cent
of the UK population will suffer from some kind of back pain each year,
and about one in 10 GP consultations is for back pain.
"It’s well known that stress exacerbates any underlying problem, and that
sitting hunched in front of a computer screen for hours is asking for
trouble – An increased workload also means that you’re more likely to
leave out going to the gym an not have time for a relaxing walk in the
countryside."
So how can you keep yourself healthy in these testing times? You need to pay
attention to pain and discomfort. Take preventative
action, find a physical activity or sport you enjoy to counteract the
periods of stress and visit your local chiropractor if you are in pain. To
help local people I am offering a free consultation until 23rd December.
Call 01772 431133 for details
levels are increasing, take care. Your body may start complaining.
I’ve noticed a big increase in neck, back and shoulder pain since the
beginning of the credit crunch at my busy practice in Hough Lane, Leyland.
I believe it’s a direct consequence of increased pressure and hours of work,
and the stress and anxiety we’ve all been suffering in the past couple of months hasn"t helped.
You can’t hold excessive levels of tension in your muscles without causing
backache and neck pain.
According to BackCare, the charity for healthier backs, 40 to 50 per cent
of the UK population will suffer from some kind of back pain each year,
and about one in 10 GP consultations is for back pain.
"It’s well known that stress exacerbates any underlying problem, and that
sitting hunched in front of a computer screen for hours is asking for
trouble – An increased workload also means that you’re more likely to
leave out going to the gym an not have time for a relaxing walk in the
countryside."
So how can you keep yourself healthy in these testing times? You need to pay
attention to pain and discomfort. Take preventative
action, find a physical activity or sport you enjoy to counteract the
periods of stress and visit your local chiropractor if you are in pain. To
help local people I am offering a free consultation until 23rd December.
Call 01772 431133 for details
Sunday, 23 November 2008
statins
An interesting comment from Dr Paul Sherwood (author of The Back and Beyond - a very good book):
"A number of people feel positively miserable on Statins...If your cholesterol is a bit up and it is decided it is essential for you to have a Statin it is worth asking your doctor “are my arteries healthy?” This can be determined by a non-invasive scan of your arteries. If they are in good order, then why protect them? "
"A number of people feel positively miserable on Statins...If your cholesterol is a bit up and it is decided it is essential for you to have a Statin it is worth asking your doctor “are my arteries healthy?” This can be determined by a non-invasive scan of your arteries. If they are in good order, then why protect them? "
Friday, 7 November 2008
Dr John Sarno
I have become very interested recently in the work of Dr John Sarno - his theories are turning my understanding of pain upside down.
As far as back pain is concerned, Sarno's thesis, crudely stated, is that much back pain is generated by emotion, particularly anger. The pain in your back is real, genuine pain -- it's not your imagination. What you are feeling is muscular pain which results from the muscle being held in tension for long periods, which deprives it of oxygen (tension myositis syndrome). But Sarno argues that what is causing you to hold that muscle in tension, for far longer than is required in normal physical activities, is a largely unconscious group of emotions. Learn to understand your emotional reactions to events, and the pain can disappear.
Over the past couple of decades, Sarno has had a remarkable level of success in treating patients who suffer from back pain of this kind, and now he has extended this work to give sufferers some insight into the possible psychosomatic causes of other physical disturbances.
Sarno, who is now 83, is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center. As he will be the first to tell you, his work on back pain is not accepted by the scientific community, for a variety of reasons relating to 'academic rigour'. However, I think there are good reasons for supposing that the 10,000 patients whom he has successfully treated for back pain and RSI probably don't care too much about that.
Rachel's testimonial:
"My story, in a nutshell: I had RSI for about a year and a half. By random luck, a stranger (actually, two of them) referred me to 'The Mindbody Prescription' by John Sarno. This was September 1999. I had chronic arm pain, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I treated my arms like they were made of fragile glass, I didn't type at all (I used voice recognition software to do most of my work). I saw myself in the book, but I was afraid -- afraid that if I believed in Sarno's theory I might get worse, might hurt my arms more, etc. Nonetheless, over the course of the next 4 months, I gradually became more and more convinced of his theory, enough to take a leap of faith around January 2000 by choosing to take a lot of classes rather than a few (i.e. coddling my hands). By May 2000 I was very confident and was not restricting my physical activity at all. I was typing, writing, opening doors, lifting weights, everything. I still had some pain. By September 2000, the pain was gone. I was working a full-time job as a programmer, in an extremely un-ergonomic workstation, and I was completely pain-free"
As far as back pain is concerned, Sarno's thesis, crudely stated, is that much back pain is generated by emotion, particularly anger. The pain in your back is real, genuine pain -- it's not your imagination. What you are feeling is muscular pain which results from the muscle being held in tension for long periods, which deprives it of oxygen (tension myositis syndrome). But Sarno argues that what is causing you to hold that muscle in tension, for far longer than is required in normal physical activities, is a largely unconscious group of emotions. Learn to understand your emotional reactions to events, and the pain can disappear.
Over the past couple of decades, Sarno has had a remarkable level of success in treating patients who suffer from back pain of this kind, and now he has extended this work to give sufferers some insight into the possible psychosomatic causes of other physical disturbances.
Sarno, who is now 83, is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center. As he will be the first to tell you, his work on back pain is not accepted by the scientific community, for a variety of reasons relating to 'academic rigour'. However, I think there are good reasons for supposing that the 10,000 patients whom he has successfully treated for back pain and RSI probably don't care too much about that.
Rachel's testimonial:
"My story, in a nutshell: I had RSI for about a year and a half. By random luck, a stranger (actually, two of them) referred me to 'The Mindbody Prescription' by John Sarno. This was September 1999. I had chronic arm pain, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I treated my arms like they were made of fragile glass, I didn't type at all (I used voice recognition software to do most of my work). I saw myself in the book, but I was afraid -- afraid that if I believed in Sarno's theory I might get worse, might hurt my arms more, etc. Nonetheless, over the course of the next 4 months, I gradually became more and more convinced of his theory, enough to take a leap of faith around January 2000 by choosing to take a lot of classes rather than a few (i.e. coddling my hands). By May 2000 I was very confident and was not restricting my physical activity at all. I was typing, writing, opening doors, lifting weights, everything. I still had some pain. By September 2000, the pain was gone. I was working a full-time job as a programmer, in an extremely un-ergonomic workstation, and I was completely pain-free"
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
152 year old man dies!
If you're interested in living a long, youthful, healthy and vibrant life this my be of interest!
Westminster Abbey is the most famous church in England.
It was started in 170 A.D. That means, this famous church is now 1,835 years old. It is a work of architectural genius, a place of daily worship and the burial place of kings, statesmen, poets, scientists, warriors and musicians.
And...
This Church Has A Secret
Here's the story:
Inside this church are vaults and monuments of many of the most famous and powerful people on earth. However, one of the smallest burial places in that church is the final resting place of the oldest person who ever lived.
His name was Thomas Parr and he was born in the County of Shropshire, England in 1483 A.D. And, he lived until November, 1635 A.D. That means...
...He Lived 152 Years!
Not only did Thomas Parr live a very long life, he also lived a very healthy, vigorous and active life. He married his first wife when he was 80-years old. He married again in 1605 at the age of 122. He fathered his first child when he was over 130 years old.
After Parr's death, an English doctor named William Harvey (he discovered the circulation of blood) was hired by King Charles to perform an autopsy to find out why Thomas Parr lived so long.
Dr. Harvey's autopsy report was written in Latin and, it has been preserved to this very day in case anybody wants to read it. It says all of Parr's organs were in perfect condition and, his colon was as clean and healthy as that of a child.
so maybe good to research and use colon detox products.
full story here http://www.westminster-abbey.org/search/12190?query=parr&x&y
Westminster Abbey is the most famous church in England.
It was started in 170 A.D. That means, this famous church is now 1,835 years old. It is a work of architectural genius, a place of daily worship and the burial place of kings, statesmen, poets, scientists, warriors and musicians.
And...
This Church Has A Secret
Here's the story:
Inside this church are vaults and monuments of many of the most famous and powerful people on earth. However, one of the smallest burial places in that church is the final resting place of the oldest person who ever lived.
His name was Thomas Parr and he was born in the County of Shropshire, England in 1483 A.D. And, he lived until November, 1635 A.D. That means...
...He Lived 152 Years!
Not only did Thomas Parr live a very long life, he also lived a very healthy, vigorous and active life. He married his first wife when he was 80-years old. He married again in 1605 at the age of 122. He fathered his first child when he was over 130 years old.
After Parr's death, an English doctor named William Harvey (he discovered the circulation of blood) was hired by King Charles to perform an autopsy to find out why Thomas Parr lived so long.
Dr. Harvey's autopsy report was written in Latin and, it has been preserved to this very day in case anybody wants to read it. It says all of Parr's organs were in perfect condition and, his colon was as clean and healthy as that of a child.
so maybe good to research and use colon detox products.
full story here http://www.westminster-abbey.org/search/12190?query=parr&x&y
Monday, 22 September 2008
clay good for sheep
Researchers at the University of New England in Australia claim to have made a surprising discovery. While searching for means to combat a serious stomach disorder common to Australian sheep, they found that "small quantities of a naturally occurring clay, called bentonite, mixed into a sheep's drinking water" not only improved the animal's digestion but increased wool growth, reports The Australian. One of the researchers, Professor Ron Leng, said that a daily dose of a half ounce of bentonite mixed into their drinking water had resulted in increase of up to about one tenth of an ounce a day in a sheep's growth. It is hoped that use of this mixture on sheep nationwide will bring increases in wool production worth millions of dollars.
note:
there is much interest in the use of bentonite clay in humans - especially as a way of detoxing heavy metals such as mercury.
note:
there is much interest in the use of bentonite clay in humans - especially as a way of detoxing heavy metals such as mercury.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
the art of healing
"The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind."
~ Paracelsus
~ Paracelsus
our deepest fear
This quote is by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles
This is often incorrectly stated as a quote by Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994..
"Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
This is often incorrectly stated as a quote by Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994..
"Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
to heal is to be healed
"to help, is to be helped
to heal, is to be healed
to care, is to be cared for
and to love, is to be loved"
- Red Cloud
to heal, is to be healed
to care, is to be cared for
and to love, is to be loved"
- Red Cloud
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
cholesterol
from DR Al SEARS MD:
"Why Cholesterol Will Make You Live Better, Longer
Is everyone still telling you that cholesterol will kill you? Every time you see your doctor does he tell you to drive your cholesterol lower? And all those
TV commercials tell you how important it is to get your cholesterol
low.
But I've got a stack of studies on my desk proving that people with
the highest cholesterol live the longest!
Your body needs a
good supply of cholesterol. Even LDL, which youve been told
is bad cholesterol is needed by your body. I can prove that
LDL is critical for fighting infection in your body. And theres
proof that people with low LDL are more vulnerable to infection. This
sometimes can be fatal.
The truth is if you follow modern medicine's advice on cholesterol, you may as well be playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun. Drive your cholesterol
levels down and you put yourself at greater risk for cancer, major
depression, chronic illness, fatigue, low sex drive, broken bones and
weakened muscles, and brain disorders.
"Why Cholesterol Will Make You Live Better, Longer
Is everyone still telling you that cholesterol will kill you? Every time you see your doctor does he tell you to drive your cholesterol lower? And all those
TV commercials tell you how important it is to get your cholesterol
low.
But I've got a stack of studies on my desk proving that people with
the highest cholesterol live the longest!
Your body needs a
good supply of cholesterol. Even LDL, which youve been told
is bad cholesterol is needed by your body. I can prove that
LDL is critical for fighting infection in your body. And theres
proof that people with low LDL are more vulnerable to infection. This
sometimes can be fatal.
The truth is if you follow modern medicine's advice on cholesterol, you may as well be playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun. Drive your cholesterol
levels down and you put yourself at greater risk for cancer, major
depression, chronic illness, fatigue, low sex drive, broken bones and
weakened muscles, and brain disorders.
Friday, 15 August 2008
diabetes prevention
More and more research is emerging to support the value of physical activity and a
healthy balanced diet.
In one study, 3234 non-diabetic patients with elevated glucose - a
high-risk population for developing diabetes - were assigned to either a placebo,
metformin or lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle intervention was classified as a
goal of at least 7% weight loss and at 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
The average length of time for follow-up was 2.8 years. Results showed that after
this time the incidence of diabetes had been reduced by 58% in the lifestyle
intervention group as compared to the placebo whereas metformin group had reduced
their incidence of diabetes only 31%.
This has been backed up by numerous other studies and one particular
study suggested that lifestyle interventions could reduce the incidence of disease
by 20% and delay the development of diabetes by 11 years as compared to Metformin
which only resulted in an 8% reduction in disease and delayed onset of diabetes by 3
years.
Another study of lifestyle interventions in people at high risk for
type II diabetes showed sustained lifestyle changes and a reduction in diabetes
incidence that remained after the individual lifestyle counselling was
stopped.
healthy balanced diet.
In one study, 3234 non-diabetic patients with elevated glucose - a
high-risk population for developing diabetes - were assigned to either a placebo,
metformin or lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle intervention was classified as a
goal of at least 7% weight loss and at 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
The average length of time for follow-up was 2.8 years. Results showed that after
this time the incidence of diabetes had been reduced by 58% in the lifestyle
intervention group as compared to the placebo whereas metformin group had reduced
their incidence of diabetes only 31%.
This has been backed up by numerous other studies and one particular
study suggested that lifestyle interventions could reduce the incidence of disease
by 20% and delay the development of diabetes by 11 years as compared to Metformin
which only resulted in an 8% reduction in disease and delayed onset of diabetes by 3
years.
Another study of lifestyle interventions in people at high risk for
type II diabetes showed sustained lifestyle changes and a reduction in diabetes
incidence that remained after the individual lifestyle counselling was
stopped.
botox - poisons your face!
I would personally advise against the use of Botox for rejunevation. Botox is a neuro toxin, and as such, paralyzes the muscles causing them to atrophy. The effect tends to diminish lines. The down side of this is, as the muscle weakens, it tends to sag more over time.
This is where the idea of Botox had its conception: It was noticed that stroke victims, involving facial paralysis, exhibited, within time, a nearly line free, smooth face. However, they also exhibited considerable droop. It was discovered that by "freezing" certain muscles with a neuro toxin a similar result could be achieved. However, droop will occur. It is not as noticeable because the muscles usually being treated are the corrugators or orbicularis oculi muscle on the outer aspects, which are small. But anytime muscle wasting occurs, sag soon follow. Botox 'victims' come to look like stroke victims!
There are many natural methods of rejuvenation to explore: face lift acupuncture, Maharishi Ayurveda, living a stress-free life, improving one's diet, etc.
This is where the idea of Botox had its conception: It was noticed that stroke victims, involving facial paralysis, exhibited, within time, a nearly line free, smooth face. However, they also exhibited considerable droop. It was discovered that by "freezing" certain muscles with a neuro toxin a similar result could be achieved. However, droop will occur. It is not as noticeable because the muscles usually being treated are the corrugators or orbicularis oculi muscle on the outer aspects, which are small. But anytime muscle wasting occurs, sag soon follow. Botox 'victims' come to look like stroke victims!
There are many natural methods of rejuvenation to explore: face lift acupuncture, Maharishi Ayurveda, living a stress-free life, improving one's diet, etc.
the benefits of high cholesterol
This is from an interesting article on the weston price website( www.westonaprice.org) :
By Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD
People with high cholesterol live the longest. This statement seems so incredible that it takes a long time to clear one´s brainwashed mind to fully understand its importance. Yet the fact that people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers. Consider the finding of Dr. Harlan Krumholz of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University, who reported in 1994 that old people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did old people with a high cholesterol.1 Supporters of the cholesterol campaign consistently ignore his observation, or consider it as a rare exception, produced by chance among a huge number of studies finding the opposite.
But it is not an exception; there are now a large number of findings that contradict the lipid hypothesis. To be more specific, most studies of old people have shown that high cholesterol is not a risk factor for coronary heart disease. This was the result of my search in the Medline database for studies addressing that question.2 Eleven studies of old people came up with that result, and a further seven studies found that high cholesterol did not predict all-cause mortality either.
saturated fats that are good for you:
The following nutrient-rich traditional fats have nourished healthy population groups for thousands of years:
Butter
Beef and lamb tallow
Lard
Chicken, goose and duck fat
Coconut, palm and sesame oils
Cold pressed olive oil
Cold pressed flax oil
Marine oils
The following new-fangled fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems and osteoporosis:
All hydrogenated oils
Soy, corn and safflower oils
Cottonseed oil
Canola oil
All fats heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying
By Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD
People with high cholesterol live the longest. This statement seems so incredible that it takes a long time to clear one´s brainwashed mind to fully understand its importance. Yet the fact that people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers. Consider the finding of Dr. Harlan Krumholz of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University, who reported in 1994 that old people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did old people with a high cholesterol.1 Supporters of the cholesterol campaign consistently ignore his observation, or consider it as a rare exception, produced by chance among a huge number of studies finding the opposite.
But it is not an exception; there are now a large number of findings that contradict the lipid hypothesis. To be more specific, most studies of old people have shown that high cholesterol is not a risk factor for coronary heart disease. This was the result of my search in the Medline database for studies addressing that question.2 Eleven studies of old people came up with that result, and a further seven studies found that high cholesterol did not predict all-cause mortality either.
saturated fats that are good for you:
The following nutrient-rich traditional fats have nourished healthy population groups for thousands of years:
Butter
Beef and lamb tallow
Lard
Chicken, goose and duck fat
Coconut, palm and sesame oils
Cold pressed olive oil
Cold pressed flax oil
Marine oils
The following new-fangled fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems and osteoporosis:
All hydrogenated oils
Soy, corn and safflower oils
Cottonseed oil
Canola oil
All fats heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying
poem quoted by satya
"He is a god in my eyes -
the man who is allowed
to sit beside you - he
who listens intimately
to the sweet murmur of
your voice, the enticing
laughter that makes my own
heart beat fast. If I meet
you suddenly, I can't
speak - my tongue is broken;
a thin flame runs under
my skin; seeing nothing,
hearing only my own ears
drumming, I drip with sweat;
trembling shakes my body
and I turn paler than
dry grass. At such times
death isn't far from me" - Mary Barnard 1932
the man who is allowed
to sit beside you - he
who listens intimately
to the sweet murmur of
your voice, the enticing
laughter that makes my own
heart beat fast. If I meet
you suddenly, I can't
speak - my tongue is broken;
a thin flame runs under
my skin; seeing nothing,
hearing only my own ears
drumming, I drip with sweat;
trembling shakes my body
and I turn paler than
dry grass. At such times
death isn't far from me" - Mary Barnard 1932
Thursday, 14 August 2008
GM disaster
I aggree with Prince Charles on this one and applaud his couragious stance against the status quo: from the Telegraph:
"The mass development of genetically modified crops risks causing the world's worst environmental disaster, The Prince of Wales has warned.
Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster
Listen: The Prince of Wales speaks out
In his most outspoken intervention on the issue of GM food, the Prince said that multi-national companies were conducting an experiment with nature which had gone "seriously wrong".
The Prince, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, also expressed the fear that food would run out because of the damage being wreaked on the earth's soil by scientists' research.
He accused firms of conducting a "gigantic experiment I think with nature and the whole of humanity which has gone seriously wrong".
"Why else are we facing all these challenges, climate change and everything?".
# The Prince of Wales: 'If that is the future, count me out'
Relying on "gigantic corporations" for food, he said, would result in "absolute disaster".
"That would be the absolute destruction of everything... and the classic way of ensuring there is no food in the future," he said.
advertisement
"What we should be talking about is food security not food production - that is what matters and that is what people will not understand.
"And if they think its somehow going to work because they are going to have one form of clever genetic engineering after another then again count me out, because that will be guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time."
Small farmers, in particular, would be the victims of "gigantic corporations" taking over the mass production of food. "
"The mass development of genetically modified crops risks causing the world's worst environmental disaster, The Prince of Wales has warned.
Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster
Listen: The Prince of Wales speaks out
In his most outspoken intervention on the issue of GM food, the Prince said that multi-national companies were conducting an experiment with nature which had gone "seriously wrong".
The Prince, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, also expressed the fear that food would run out because of the damage being wreaked on the earth's soil by scientists' research.
He accused firms of conducting a "gigantic experiment I think with nature and the whole of humanity which has gone seriously wrong".
"Why else are we facing all these challenges, climate change and everything?".
# The Prince of Wales: 'If that is the future, count me out'
Relying on "gigantic corporations" for food, he said, would result in "absolute disaster".
"That would be the absolute destruction of everything... and the classic way of ensuring there is no food in the future," he said.
advertisement
"What we should be talking about is food security not food production - that is what matters and that is what people will not understand.
"And if they think its somehow going to work because they are going to have one form of clever genetic engineering after another then again count me out, because that will be guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time."
Small farmers, in particular, would be the victims of "gigantic corporations" taking over the mass production of food. "
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Muscle Weakness From Statins
Muscle weakness from statins can be a sign of a serious side effect, and should be brought to the attention of your doctor right away. In fact, due to severe muscle breakdown and even deaths, a popular statin called Baycol was recalled several years ago.
Muscle weakness is one of the most documented side effects from long term use of statin medications, and this could lead to total muscle cell breakdown, called rhabdomyolysis, which could cause kidney failure and in some cases, death.
What are some of the other statin side effects?
In addition to muscle weakness from using statins, side effects from long term use of statin drugs may include severe liver problems due to the medication's effect on liver enzymes. Therefore, anyone with liver disease or prior liver issues probably should not take Lipitor, Zetia, Zocor and other cholesterol drugs... all of the manufacturers actually warn against it.
Research has shown that statins can also cause sexual dysfunction and performance problems, as well as memory loss, personality changes and irritability, and statins decrease your body's supply of CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential nutrient for cardivascular strength and function.
There are natural cholesterol lowering ingredients, some of which have been shown to outperform statins in lowering cholesterol, without the possible muscle damage. (see posting on high vegetable diet reducing cholesterol).
Muscle weakness is one of the most documented side effects from long term use of statin medications, and this could lead to total muscle cell breakdown, called rhabdomyolysis, which could cause kidney failure and in some cases, death.
What are some of the other statin side effects?
In addition to muscle weakness from using statins, side effects from long term use of statin drugs may include severe liver problems due to the medication's effect on liver enzymes. Therefore, anyone with liver disease or prior liver issues probably should not take Lipitor, Zetia, Zocor and other cholesterol drugs... all of the manufacturers actually warn against it.
Research has shown that statins can also cause sexual dysfunction and performance problems, as well as memory loss, personality changes and irritability, and statins decrease your body's supply of CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential nutrient for cardivascular strength and function.
There are natural cholesterol lowering ingredients, some of which have been shown to outperform statins in lowering cholesterol, without the possible muscle damage. (see posting on high vegetable diet reducing cholesterol).
eat like the japanese to lose weight
Japan has one of the world's lowest obesity rates in the world. Only 3 percent of Japanese women are obese, compared to 13 percent in France and 33 percent in the U.S., according to the International Association for the Study of Obesity.
The Japanese also are global longevity champs, particularly the people of Okinawa -- home to the world's largest population of centenarians. Dr. Bradley Willcox, co-author of "The Okinawa Diet Plan," has been conducting a 25-year investigation of this long-living population.
Compared to the way we eat in America, the Japanese diet is much lower in calories -- primarily due to the dominance of high-water, high-fiber and low-fat foods
The Japanese achieve this "low calorie-dense diet" by eating a tremendous amount of plant foods, particularly vegetables, which pack the diet with disease-fighting antioxidants and other phytonutrients, such as flavonoids.
Instead of french fries -- the most popular vegetable in the United States -- the Japanese eat a wide range of veggies, especially those in the cabbage family, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy and kale. These cruciferous vegetables, named for their crosslike petals, contain substances that may protect against cancer.
Moriyama writes about aspects of the Japanese diet that may be linked to lower rates of heart disease. The Japanese eat more fish than red meat -- which keeps their diets low in saturated fat and rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
They avoid trans fat (and a ton of extra calories) by eating fruit at the end of their meals instead of cookies, cakes and pies. Instead of super-sized sodas, the Japanese regularly drink antioxidant-rich green tea, which may offer heart-health benefits.
Other countries could well take note of this. There are around 1 billion overweight adults worldwide, of whom 300 million are clinically obese. The World Health Organisation has described obesity as a ‘worldwide epidemic. Obesity can lead to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, and diabetes . The UK National Audit Office study from 2002 estimated that obesity cost the NHS £500 million a year, and the cost to the country overall has been put at up to £7.4 billion per annum.
The Japanese also are global longevity champs, particularly the people of Okinawa -- home to the world's largest population of centenarians. Dr. Bradley Willcox, co-author of "The Okinawa Diet Plan," has been conducting a 25-year investigation of this long-living population.
Compared to the way we eat in America, the Japanese diet is much lower in calories -- primarily due to the dominance of high-water, high-fiber and low-fat foods
The Japanese achieve this "low calorie-dense diet" by eating a tremendous amount of plant foods, particularly vegetables, which pack the diet with disease-fighting antioxidants and other phytonutrients, such as flavonoids.
Instead of french fries -- the most popular vegetable in the United States -- the Japanese eat a wide range of veggies, especially those in the cabbage family, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy and kale. These cruciferous vegetables, named for their crosslike petals, contain substances that may protect against cancer.
Moriyama writes about aspects of the Japanese diet that may be linked to lower rates of heart disease. The Japanese eat more fish than red meat -- which keeps their diets low in saturated fat and rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
They avoid trans fat (and a ton of extra calories) by eating fruit at the end of their meals instead of cookies, cakes and pies. Instead of super-sized sodas, the Japanese regularly drink antioxidant-rich green tea, which may offer heart-health benefits.
Other countries could well take note of this. There are around 1 billion overweight adults worldwide, of whom 300 million are clinically obese. The World Health Organisation has described obesity as a ‘worldwide epidemic. Obesity can lead to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, and diabetes . The UK National Audit Office study from 2002 estimated that obesity cost the NHS £500 million a year, and the cost to the country overall has been put at up to £7.4 billion per annum.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Vitamin C reduces risk of Type 2 Diabetes
A new Cambridge study has found that increased blood levels of vitamin C reduces
the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 62%. But dont expect this study to get much publicity (no money in it for the drug companies and their friends in the government and media..)
The new study followed 21,831 men and women for 12 years and analysed dietary
patterns using a food frequency questionnaire. The study also found a link
between fruit and vegetable intake and a reduced diabetes risk.
Lead author Anne-Helen Harding from Addenbrooke's Hospital in
Cambridge, England wrote, "the strong independent association
observed in this prospective study, together with biological plausibility, provides
persuasive evidence of a beneficial effect of vitamin C and fruit and vegetable
intake on diabetes risk".
Archives of Internal Medicine Volume 168, Number 14, Pages 1493-1499
the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 62%. But dont expect this study to get much publicity (no money in it for the drug companies and their friends in the government and media..)
The new study followed 21,831 men and women for 12 years and analysed dietary
patterns using a food frequency questionnaire. The study also found a link
between fruit and vegetable intake and a reduced diabetes risk.
Lead author Anne-Helen Harding from Addenbrooke's Hospital in
Cambridge, England wrote, "the strong independent association
observed in this prospective study, together with biological plausibility, provides
persuasive evidence of a beneficial effect of vitamin C and fruit and vegetable
intake on diabetes risk".
Archives of Internal Medicine Volume 168, Number 14, Pages 1493-1499
root canal dangers
ROOT CANALS POSE HEALTH THREAT - AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE MEINIG, D.D.S.
Dr. Meinig brings a most curious perspective to an expose of latent dangers of root canal therapy - fifty years ago he was one of the founders of the American Association of Endodontists (root canal specialists)! So he's filled his share of root canals. And when he wasn't filling canals himself, he was teaching the technique to dentists across the country at weekend seminars and clinics. About two years ago, having recently retired, he decided to read all 1174 pages of the detailed research of Dr. Weston Price, (D.D.S). Dr. Meinig was startled and shocked. Here was valid documentation of systemic illnesses resulting from latent infections lingering in filled roots. He has since written a book, "Root Canal Cover-Up EXPOSED - Many Illnesses Result", and is devoting himself to radio, TV, and personal appearances before groups in an attempt to blow the whistle and alert the public.
MJ Please explain what the problem is with root canal therapy.
GM First, let me note that my book is based on Dr. Weston Price's twenty-five years of careful, impeccable research. He led a 60-man team of researchers whose findings - suppressed until now rank right up there with the greatest medical discoveries of all time. This is not the usual medical story of a prolonged search for the difficult-to-find causative agent of some devastating disease. Rather, it's the story of how a "cast of millions" (of bacteria) become entrenched inside the structure of teeth and end up causing the largest number of diseases ever traced to a single source.
MJ What diseases? Can you give us some examples?
GM Yes, a high percentage of chronic degenerative diseases can originate from root filled teeth. The most frequent were heart and circulatory diseases and he found 16 different causative agents for these. The next most common diseases were those of the joints, arthritis and rheumatism. In third place - but almost tied for second - were diseases of the brain and nervous system. After that, any disease you can name might (and in some cases has) come from root filled teeth.
Let me tell you about the research itself. Dr. Price undertook his investigations in 1900. He continued until 1925, and published his work in two volumes in 1923. In 1915 the National Dental Association (which changed its name a few years later to The American Dental Association) was so impressed with his work that they appointed Dr. Price their first Research Director. His Advisory Board read like a Who's Who in medicine and dentistry for that era. They represented the fields of bacteriology, pathology, rheumatology, surgery, chemistry, and cardiology.
At one point in his writings Dr. Price made this observation: "Dr. Frank Billings (M.D.), probably more than any other American internist, is due credit for the early recognition of the importance of streptococcal focal infections in systemic involvements."
What's really unfortunate here is that very valuable information was covered up and totally buried some 70 years ago by a minority group of autocratic doctors who just didn't believe or couldn't grasp - the focal infection theory.
MJ What is the "focal infection" theory?
GM This states that germs from a central focal infection - such as teeth, teeth roots, inflamed gum tissues, or maybe tonsils - metastasize to hearts, eyes, lungs, kidneys, or other organs, glands and tissues, establishing new areas of the same infection. Hardly theory any more, this has been proven and demonstrated many times over. It's 100% accepted today. But it was revolutionary thinking during World War I days, and the early 1920's!
Today, both patients and physicians have been "brain washed" to think that infections are less serious because we now have antibiotics. Well, yes and no. In the case of root-filled teeth, the no longer-living tooth lacks a blood supply to its interior. So circulating antibiotics don't faze the bacteria living there because they can't get at them.
MJ You're assuming that ALL root-filled teeth harbor bacteria and/or other infective agents?
GM Yes. No matter what material or technique is used - and this is just as true today - the root filling shrinks minutely, perhaps microscopically. Further and this is key - the bulk of solid appearing teeth, called the dentin, actually consists of miles of tiny tubules. Microscopic organisms lurking in the maze of tubules simply migrate into the interior of the tooth and set up housekeeping. A filled root seems to be a favorite spot to start a new colony.
One of the things that makes this difficult to understand is that large, relatively harmless bacteria common to the mouth, change and adapt to new conditions. They shrink in size to fit the cramped quarters and even learn how to exist (and thrive!) on very little food. Those that need oxygen mutate and become able to get along without it. In the process of adaptation these formerly friendly "normal" organisms become pathogenic (capable of producing disease) and more virulent (stronger) and they produce much more potent toxins.
Today's bacteriologists are confirming the discoveries of the Price team of bacteriologists. Both isolated in root canals the same strains of streptococcus, staphylococcus and spirochetes.
MJ Is everyone who has ever had a root canal filled made ill by it?
GM No. We believe now that every root canal filling does leak and bacteria do invade the structure. But the variable factor is the strength of the person's immune system. Some healthy people are able to control the germs that escape from their teeth into other areas of the body. We think this happens because their immune system lymphocytes (white blood cells) and other disease fighters aren't constantly compromised by other ailments. In other words, they are able to prevent those new colonies from taking hold in other tissues throughout the body. But over time, most people with root filled teeth do seem to develop some kinds of systemic symptoms they didn't have before.
MJ It's really difficult to grasp that bacteria are imbedded deep in the structure of seemingly-hard, solid looking teeth.
GM I know. Physicians and dentists have that same problem, too. You really have to visualize the tooth structure - all of those microscopic tubules running through the dentin. In a healthy tooth, those tubules transport a fluid that carries nourishment to the inside. For perspective, if the tubules of a front single-root tooth, were stretched out on the ground they'd stretch for three miles!
A root filled tooth no longer has any fluid circulating through it, but the maze of tubules remains. The anaerobic bacteria that live there seem remarkably safe from antibiotics. The bacteria can migrate out into surrounding tissue where they can "hitch hike" to other locations in the body via the bloodstream. The new location can be any organ or gland or tissue, and the new colony will be the next focus of infection in a body plagued by recurrent or chronic infections.
All of the "building up" done to try to enhance the patient's ability to fight infections - to strengthen their immune system - is only a holding action. Many patients won't be well until the source of infection - the root canal tooth - is removed.
MJ I don't doubt what you're saying, but can you tell us more about how Dr. Price could be sure that arthritis or other systemic conditions and illnesses really originated in the teeth - or in a single tooth?
GM Yes. Many investigations start with the researcher just being curious about something - and then being scientifically careful enough to discover an answer, and then prove it's so, many times over. Dr. Price's first case is very well documented. He removed an infected tooth from a woman who suffered from severe arthritis. As soon as he finished with the patient, he implanted the tooth beneath the skin of a healthy rabbit. Within 48 hours the rabbit was crippled with arthritis!
Further, once the tooth was removed the patient's arthritis improved dramatically. This clearly suggested that the presence of the infected tooth was a causative agent for both that patient's and the rabbit's - arthritis.
[Editor's Note - Here's the story of that first patient from Dr. Meinig's book: "(Dr. Price) had a sense that, even when (root canal therapy) appeared successful, teeth containing root fillings remained infected. That thought kept prying on his mind, haunting him each time a patient consulted him for relief from some severe debilitating disease for which the medical profession could find no answer. Then one day while treating a woman who had been confined to a wheelchair for six years from severe arthritis, he recalled how bacterial cultures were taken from patients who were ill and then inoculated into animals in an effort to reproduce the disease and test the effectiveness of drugs on the disease.
With this thought in mind, although her (root filled) tooth looked fine, he advised this arthritic patient, to have it extracted. He told her he was going to find out what it was about this root filled tooth that was responsible for her suffering. "All dentists know that sometimes arthritis and other illnesses clear up if bad teeth are extracted. However, in this case, all of her teeth appeared in satisfactory condition and the one containing this rootcanal filling showed no evidence or symptoms of infection. Besides, it looked normal on x-ray pictures.
"Immediately after Dr. Price extracted the tooth he dismissed the patient and embedded her tooth under the skin of a rabbit. In two days the rabbit developed the same kind of crippling arthritis as the patient - and in ten days it died.
"..The patient made a successful recovery after the tooth's removal! She could then walk without a cane and could even do fine needlework again. That success led Dr. Price to advise other patients, afflicted with a wide variety of treatment defying illnesses, to have any root filled teeth out."]
In the years that followed, he repeated this procedure many hundreds of times. He later implanted only a portion of the tooth to see if that produced the same results. It did. He then dried the tooth, ground it into powder and injected a tiny bit into several rabbits. Same results, this time producing the same symptoms in multiple animals.
Dr. Price eventually grew cultures of the bacteria and injected them into the animals. Then he went a step further. He put the solution containing the bacteria through a filter small enough to catch the bacteria. So when he injected the resulting liquid it was free of any infecting bacteria. Did the test animals develop the illness? Yes. The only explanation was that the liquid had to contain toxins from the bacteria, and the toxins were also capable of causing disease.
Dr. Price became curious about which was the more potent infective agent, the bacteria or the toxin. He repeated that last experiment, injecting half the animals with the toxin-containing liquid and half of them with the bacteria from the filter. Both groups became ill, but the group injected with the toxins got sicker and died sooner than the bacteria injected animals.
MJ That's amazing. Did the rabbits always develop the same disease the patient had?
GM Mostly, yes. If the patient had heart disease the rabbit got heart disease. If the patient had kidney disease the rabbit got kidney disease, and so on. Only occasionally did a rabbit develop a different disease - and then the pathology would be quite similar, in a different location.
MJ If extraction proves necessary for anyone reading this, do you want to summarize what's special about the extraction technique?
GM Just pulling the tooth is not enough when removal proves necessary. Dr. Price found bacteria in the tissues and bone just adjacent to the tooth's root. So we now recommend slow-speed drilling with a burr, to remove one millimeter of the entire bony socket. The purpose is to remove the periodontal ligament (which is always infected with toxins produced by streptococcus bacteria living in the dentin tubules) and the first millimeter of bone that lines the socket (which is usually infected).
There's a whole protocol involved, including irrigating with sterile saline to assure removal of the contaminated bone chips, and treating the socket to stimulate and encourage infection-free healing. I describe the procedure in detail, step by step, in my book [pages 185 and 186].
MJ Perhaps we should back up and talk about oral health - to PREVENT needing an extraction. Caries or inflamed gums seem much more common than root canals. Do they pose any threat?
GM Yes, they absolutely do. But let me point out that we can't talk about oral health apart from total health. The problem is that patients and dentists alike haven't come around to seeing that dental caries reflect systemic - meaning "whole body" - illness. Dentists have learned to restore teeth so expertly that both they and their patients have come to regard tooth decay as a trivial matter. It isn't.
Small cavities too often become big cavities. Big cavities too often lead to further destruction and the eventual need for root canal treatment.
MJ Then talk to us about prevention.
GM The only scientific way to prevent tooth decay is through diet and nutrition. Dr. Ralph Steinman did some outstanding, landmark research at Loma Linda University. He injected a glucose solution into mice - into their bodies, so the glucose didn't even touch their teeth. Then he observed the teeth for any changes. What he found was truly astonishing. The glucose reversed the normal flow of fluid in the dentin tubules, resulting in all of the test animals developing severe tooth decay! Dr. Steinman demonstrated dramatically what I said a minute ago: Dental caries reflect systemic illness.
Let's take a closer look to see how this might happen. Once a tooth gets infected and the cavity gets into the nerve and blood vessels, bacteria find their way into those tiny tubules of the dentin. Then no matter what we do by way of treatment, we're never going to completely eradicate the bacteria hiding in the miles of tubules. In time the bacteria can migrate through lateral canals into the surrounding bony socket that supports the tooth. Now the host not only has a cavity in a tooth, plus an underlying infection of supporting tissue to deal with, but the bacteria also exude potent systemic toxins. These toxins circulate throughout the body triggering activity by the immune system - and probably causing the host to feel less well. This host response can vary from just dragging around and feeling less energetic, to overt illness - of almost any kind. Certainly, such a person will be more vulnerable to whatever "bugs" are going around, because his/her body is already under constant challenge and the immune system continues to be "turned on" by either the infective agent or its toxins - or both.
MJ What a fascinating concept. Can you tell us more about the protective nutrition you mentioned?
GM Yes. Dr. Price traveled all over the world doing his research on primitive peoples who still lived in their native ways. He found fourteen cultural pockets scattered all over the globe where the natives had no access to "civilization" - and ate no refined foods.
Dr. Price studied their diets carefully. He found they varied greatly, but the one thing they had in common was that they ate whole, unrefined foods. With absolutely no access to tooth brushes, floss, fluoridated water or tooth paste, the primitive peoples studied were almost 100% free of tooth decay. Further - and not unrelated - they were also almost 100% free of all the degenerative diseases we suffer - problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, joints, skin (allergies), and the whole gamut of illnesses that plague Mankind. No one food proved to be magic as a preventive food. I believe we can thrive best by eating a wide variety of whole foods.
MJ Amazing. So by "diet and nutrition" for oral (and total) health you meant eating a pretty basic diet of whole foods?
GM Exactly. And no sugar or white flour. These are (and always have been) the first culprits. Tragically, when the primitives were introduced to sugar and white flour their superior level of health deteriorated rapidly. This has been demonstrated time and again. During the last sixty or more years we have added in increasing amounts, highly refined and fabricated cereals and boxed mixes of all kinds, soft drinks, refined vegetable oils and a whole host of other foodless "foods". It is also during those same years that we as a nation have installed more and more root canal fillings - and degenerative diseases have become rampant. I believe - and Dr. Price certainly proved to my satisfaction - that these simultaneous factors are NOT coincidences.
MJ I certainly understand what you are saying. But I'm still a little shocked to talk with a dentist who doesn't stress oral hygiene.
GM Well, I'm not against oral hygiene. Of course, hygiene practices are preventive, and help minimize the destructive effect of our "civilized", refined diet. But the real issue is still diet. The natives Dr. Price tracked down and studied weren't free of cavities, inflamed gums, and degenerative diseases because they had better tooth brushes!
It's so easy to lose sight of the significance of what Dr. Price discovered. We tend to sweep it under the rug - we'd actually prefer to hear that if we would just brush better, longer, or more often, we too could be free of dental problems.
Certainly, part of the purpose of my book is to stimulate dental research into finding a way to sterilize dentin tubules. Only then can dentists really learn to save teeth for a lifetime. But the bottom line remains: A primitive diet of whole unrefined foods is the only thing that has been found to actually prevent both tooth decay and degenerative diseases.
To order "Root Canal Cover-Up EXPOSED - Many Illnesses Result", by Dr. Meinig, send your check or money order (U.S. funds) for $19.95 + $2.00 shipping ($2.50 to Canada, $3.00 to other countries), California residents add $1.45 for state sales tax. Send to Bion Publishing, 323 E. Matilija 110-151, Ojai, CA 93023.
Dr. Meinig brings a most curious perspective to an expose of latent dangers of root canal therapy - fifty years ago he was one of the founders of the American Association of Endodontists (root canal specialists)! So he's filled his share of root canals. And when he wasn't filling canals himself, he was teaching the technique to dentists across the country at weekend seminars and clinics. About two years ago, having recently retired, he decided to read all 1174 pages of the detailed research of Dr. Weston Price, (D.D.S). Dr. Meinig was startled and shocked. Here was valid documentation of systemic illnesses resulting from latent infections lingering in filled roots. He has since written a book, "Root Canal Cover-Up EXPOSED - Many Illnesses Result", and is devoting himself to radio, TV, and personal appearances before groups in an attempt to blow the whistle and alert the public.
MJ Please explain what the problem is with root canal therapy.
GM First, let me note that my book is based on Dr. Weston Price's twenty-five years of careful, impeccable research. He led a 60-man team of researchers whose findings - suppressed until now rank right up there with the greatest medical discoveries of all time. This is not the usual medical story of a prolonged search for the difficult-to-find causative agent of some devastating disease. Rather, it's the story of how a "cast of millions" (of bacteria) become entrenched inside the structure of teeth and end up causing the largest number of diseases ever traced to a single source.
MJ What diseases? Can you give us some examples?
GM Yes, a high percentage of chronic degenerative diseases can originate from root filled teeth. The most frequent were heart and circulatory diseases and he found 16 different causative agents for these. The next most common diseases were those of the joints, arthritis and rheumatism. In third place - but almost tied for second - were diseases of the brain and nervous system. After that, any disease you can name might (and in some cases has) come from root filled teeth.
Let me tell you about the research itself. Dr. Price undertook his investigations in 1900. He continued until 1925, and published his work in two volumes in 1923. In 1915 the National Dental Association (which changed its name a few years later to The American Dental Association) was so impressed with his work that they appointed Dr. Price their first Research Director. His Advisory Board read like a Who's Who in medicine and dentistry for that era. They represented the fields of bacteriology, pathology, rheumatology, surgery, chemistry, and cardiology.
At one point in his writings Dr. Price made this observation: "Dr. Frank Billings (M.D.), probably more than any other American internist, is due credit for the early recognition of the importance of streptococcal focal infections in systemic involvements."
What's really unfortunate here is that very valuable information was covered up and totally buried some 70 years ago by a minority group of autocratic doctors who just didn't believe or couldn't grasp - the focal infection theory.
MJ What is the "focal infection" theory?
GM This states that germs from a central focal infection - such as teeth, teeth roots, inflamed gum tissues, or maybe tonsils - metastasize to hearts, eyes, lungs, kidneys, or other organs, glands and tissues, establishing new areas of the same infection. Hardly theory any more, this has been proven and demonstrated many times over. It's 100% accepted today. But it was revolutionary thinking during World War I days, and the early 1920's!
Today, both patients and physicians have been "brain washed" to think that infections are less serious because we now have antibiotics. Well, yes and no. In the case of root-filled teeth, the no longer-living tooth lacks a blood supply to its interior. So circulating antibiotics don't faze the bacteria living there because they can't get at them.
MJ You're assuming that ALL root-filled teeth harbor bacteria and/or other infective agents?
GM Yes. No matter what material or technique is used - and this is just as true today - the root filling shrinks minutely, perhaps microscopically. Further and this is key - the bulk of solid appearing teeth, called the dentin, actually consists of miles of tiny tubules. Microscopic organisms lurking in the maze of tubules simply migrate into the interior of the tooth and set up housekeeping. A filled root seems to be a favorite spot to start a new colony.
One of the things that makes this difficult to understand is that large, relatively harmless bacteria common to the mouth, change and adapt to new conditions. They shrink in size to fit the cramped quarters and even learn how to exist (and thrive!) on very little food. Those that need oxygen mutate and become able to get along without it. In the process of adaptation these formerly friendly "normal" organisms become pathogenic (capable of producing disease) and more virulent (stronger) and they produce much more potent toxins.
Today's bacteriologists are confirming the discoveries of the Price team of bacteriologists. Both isolated in root canals the same strains of streptococcus, staphylococcus and spirochetes.
MJ Is everyone who has ever had a root canal filled made ill by it?
GM No. We believe now that every root canal filling does leak and bacteria do invade the structure. But the variable factor is the strength of the person's immune system. Some healthy people are able to control the germs that escape from their teeth into other areas of the body. We think this happens because their immune system lymphocytes (white blood cells) and other disease fighters aren't constantly compromised by other ailments. In other words, they are able to prevent those new colonies from taking hold in other tissues throughout the body. But over time, most people with root filled teeth do seem to develop some kinds of systemic symptoms they didn't have before.
MJ It's really difficult to grasp that bacteria are imbedded deep in the structure of seemingly-hard, solid looking teeth.
GM I know. Physicians and dentists have that same problem, too. You really have to visualize the tooth structure - all of those microscopic tubules running through the dentin. In a healthy tooth, those tubules transport a fluid that carries nourishment to the inside. For perspective, if the tubules of a front single-root tooth, were stretched out on the ground they'd stretch for three miles!
A root filled tooth no longer has any fluid circulating through it, but the maze of tubules remains. The anaerobic bacteria that live there seem remarkably safe from antibiotics. The bacteria can migrate out into surrounding tissue where they can "hitch hike" to other locations in the body via the bloodstream. The new location can be any organ or gland or tissue, and the new colony will be the next focus of infection in a body plagued by recurrent or chronic infections.
All of the "building up" done to try to enhance the patient's ability to fight infections - to strengthen their immune system - is only a holding action. Many patients won't be well until the source of infection - the root canal tooth - is removed.
MJ I don't doubt what you're saying, but can you tell us more about how Dr. Price could be sure that arthritis or other systemic conditions and illnesses really originated in the teeth - or in a single tooth?
GM Yes. Many investigations start with the researcher just being curious about something - and then being scientifically careful enough to discover an answer, and then prove it's so, many times over. Dr. Price's first case is very well documented. He removed an infected tooth from a woman who suffered from severe arthritis. As soon as he finished with the patient, he implanted the tooth beneath the skin of a healthy rabbit. Within 48 hours the rabbit was crippled with arthritis!
Further, once the tooth was removed the patient's arthritis improved dramatically. This clearly suggested that the presence of the infected tooth was a causative agent for both that patient's and the rabbit's - arthritis.
[Editor's Note - Here's the story of that first patient from Dr. Meinig's book: "(Dr. Price) had a sense that, even when (root canal therapy) appeared successful, teeth containing root fillings remained infected. That thought kept prying on his mind, haunting him each time a patient consulted him for relief from some severe debilitating disease for which the medical profession could find no answer. Then one day while treating a woman who had been confined to a wheelchair for six years from severe arthritis, he recalled how bacterial cultures were taken from patients who were ill and then inoculated into animals in an effort to reproduce the disease and test the effectiveness of drugs on the disease.
With this thought in mind, although her (root filled) tooth looked fine, he advised this arthritic patient, to have it extracted. He told her he was going to find out what it was about this root filled tooth that was responsible for her suffering. "All dentists know that sometimes arthritis and other illnesses clear up if bad teeth are extracted. However, in this case, all of her teeth appeared in satisfactory condition and the one containing this rootcanal filling showed no evidence or symptoms of infection. Besides, it looked normal on x-ray pictures.
"Immediately after Dr. Price extracted the tooth he dismissed the patient and embedded her tooth under the skin of a rabbit. In two days the rabbit developed the same kind of crippling arthritis as the patient - and in ten days it died.
"..The patient made a successful recovery after the tooth's removal! She could then walk without a cane and could even do fine needlework again. That success led Dr. Price to advise other patients, afflicted with a wide variety of treatment defying illnesses, to have any root filled teeth out."]
In the years that followed, he repeated this procedure many hundreds of times. He later implanted only a portion of the tooth to see if that produced the same results. It did. He then dried the tooth, ground it into powder and injected a tiny bit into several rabbits. Same results, this time producing the same symptoms in multiple animals.
Dr. Price eventually grew cultures of the bacteria and injected them into the animals. Then he went a step further. He put the solution containing the bacteria through a filter small enough to catch the bacteria. So when he injected the resulting liquid it was free of any infecting bacteria. Did the test animals develop the illness? Yes. The only explanation was that the liquid had to contain toxins from the bacteria, and the toxins were also capable of causing disease.
Dr. Price became curious about which was the more potent infective agent, the bacteria or the toxin. He repeated that last experiment, injecting half the animals with the toxin-containing liquid and half of them with the bacteria from the filter. Both groups became ill, but the group injected with the toxins got sicker and died sooner than the bacteria injected animals.
MJ That's amazing. Did the rabbits always develop the same disease the patient had?
GM Mostly, yes. If the patient had heart disease the rabbit got heart disease. If the patient had kidney disease the rabbit got kidney disease, and so on. Only occasionally did a rabbit develop a different disease - and then the pathology would be quite similar, in a different location.
MJ If extraction proves necessary for anyone reading this, do you want to summarize what's special about the extraction technique?
GM Just pulling the tooth is not enough when removal proves necessary. Dr. Price found bacteria in the tissues and bone just adjacent to the tooth's root. So we now recommend slow-speed drilling with a burr, to remove one millimeter of the entire bony socket. The purpose is to remove the periodontal ligament (which is always infected with toxins produced by streptococcus bacteria living in the dentin tubules) and the first millimeter of bone that lines the socket (which is usually infected).
There's a whole protocol involved, including irrigating with sterile saline to assure removal of the contaminated bone chips, and treating the socket to stimulate and encourage infection-free healing. I describe the procedure in detail, step by step, in my book [pages 185 and 186].
MJ Perhaps we should back up and talk about oral health - to PREVENT needing an extraction. Caries or inflamed gums seem much more common than root canals. Do they pose any threat?
GM Yes, they absolutely do. But let me point out that we can't talk about oral health apart from total health. The problem is that patients and dentists alike haven't come around to seeing that dental caries reflect systemic - meaning "whole body" - illness. Dentists have learned to restore teeth so expertly that both they and their patients have come to regard tooth decay as a trivial matter. It isn't.
Small cavities too often become big cavities. Big cavities too often lead to further destruction and the eventual need for root canal treatment.
MJ Then talk to us about prevention.
GM The only scientific way to prevent tooth decay is through diet and nutrition. Dr. Ralph Steinman did some outstanding, landmark research at Loma Linda University. He injected a glucose solution into mice - into their bodies, so the glucose didn't even touch their teeth. Then he observed the teeth for any changes. What he found was truly astonishing. The glucose reversed the normal flow of fluid in the dentin tubules, resulting in all of the test animals developing severe tooth decay! Dr. Steinman demonstrated dramatically what I said a minute ago: Dental caries reflect systemic illness.
Let's take a closer look to see how this might happen. Once a tooth gets infected and the cavity gets into the nerve and blood vessels, bacteria find their way into those tiny tubules of the dentin. Then no matter what we do by way of treatment, we're never going to completely eradicate the bacteria hiding in the miles of tubules. In time the bacteria can migrate through lateral canals into the surrounding bony socket that supports the tooth. Now the host not only has a cavity in a tooth, plus an underlying infection of supporting tissue to deal with, but the bacteria also exude potent systemic toxins. These toxins circulate throughout the body triggering activity by the immune system - and probably causing the host to feel less well. This host response can vary from just dragging around and feeling less energetic, to overt illness - of almost any kind. Certainly, such a person will be more vulnerable to whatever "bugs" are going around, because his/her body is already under constant challenge and the immune system continues to be "turned on" by either the infective agent or its toxins - or both.
MJ What a fascinating concept. Can you tell us more about the protective nutrition you mentioned?
GM Yes. Dr. Price traveled all over the world doing his research on primitive peoples who still lived in their native ways. He found fourteen cultural pockets scattered all over the globe where the natives had no access to "civilization" - and ate no refined foods.
Dr. Price studied their diets carefully. He found they varied greatly, but the one thing they had in common was that they ate whole, unrefined foods. With absolutely no access to tooth brushes, floss, fluoridated water or tooth paste, the primitive peoples studied were almost 100% free of tooth decay. Further - and not unrelated - they were also almost 100% free of all the degenerative diseases we suffer - problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, joints, skin (allergies), and the whole gamut of illnesses that plague Mankind. No one food proved to be magic as a preventive food. I believe we can thrive best by eating a wide variety of whole foods.
MJ Amazing. So by "diet and nutrition" for oral (and total) health you meant eating a pretty basic diet of whole foods?
GM Exactly. And no sugar or white flour. These are (and always have been) the first culprits. Tragically, when the primitives were introduced to sugar and white flour their superior level of health deteriorated rapidly. This has been demonstrated time and again. During the last sixty or more years we have added in increasing amounts, highly refined and fabricated cereals and boxed mixes of all kinds, soft drinks, refined vegetable oils and a whole host of other foodless "foods". It is also during those same years that we as a nation have installed more and more root canal fillings - and degenerative diseases have become rampant. I believe - and Dr. Price certainly proved to my satisfaction - that these simultaneous factors are NOT coincidences.
MJ I certainly understand what you are saying. But I'm still a little shocked to talk with a dentist who doesn't stress oral hygiene.
GM Well, I'm not against oral hygiene. Of course, hygiene practices are preventive, and help minimize the destructive effect of our "civilized", refined diet. But the real issue is still diet. The natives Dr. Price tracked down and studied weren't free of cavities, inflamed gums, and degenerative diseases because they had better tooth brushes!
It's so easy to lose sight of the significance of what Dr. Price discovered. We tend to sweep it under the rug - we'd actually prefer to hear that if we would just brush better, longer, or more often, we too could be free of dental problems.
Certainly, part of the purpose of my book is to stimulate dental research into finding a way to sterilize dentin tubules. Only then can dentists really learn to save teeth for a lifetime. But the bottom line remains: A primitive diet of whole unrefined foods is the only thing that has been found to actually prevent both tooth decay and degenerative diseases.
To order "Root Canal Cover-Up EXPOSED - Many Illnesses Result", by Dr. Meinig, send your check or money order (U.S. funds) for $19.95 + $2.00 shipping ($2.50 to Canada, $3.00 to other countries), California residents add $1.45 for state sales tax. Send to Bion Publishing, 323 E. Matilija 110-151, Ojai, CA 93023.
cancer is a fungus
Cancer is fungus
by Dr. Tullio Simoncini
oncologist
Among the many books that try to give an answer to the problem of cancer, the one given by the oncologist Tullio Simoncini distinguishes itself by its simplicity and its innovative ideology.
The book “Cancer is a fungus” describes how a fungus infection always forms the basis of every neoplastic formation, and this formation tries to spread within the whole organism without stopping. The growth of the fungous colonies, together with the reaction of the tissue that tries to defend itself against the invasion, causes the tumour. This is a simple and solely extracellular phenomenon.
Therefore, there is only one cause of cancer: candida, which, according to the anatomical branch concerned causes different histological reactions. This is the reason why there are so many types of tumours.
At the moment,according to Dr Simoncini, sodium bicarbonate (in a solution of 5% or 8.4%) effectively removes candida and is the only remedy capable of making the tumours disappear completely. In order to get the maximum of damaging effect, the sodium bicarbonate should be brought into direct contact with the tissue. This can be done by bringing a special catheter into the arteries that go to different organs, or by using the conventional endoscopic methods.
by Dr. Tullio Simoncini
oncologist
Among the many books that try to give an answer to the problem of cancer, the one given by the oncologist Tullio Simoncini distinguishes itself by its simplicity and its innovative ideology.
The book “Cancer is a fungus” describes how a fungus infection always forms the basis of every neoplastic formation, and this formation tries to spread within the whole organism without stopping. The growth of the fungous colonies, together with the reaction of the tissue that tries to defend itself against the invasion, causes the tumour. This is a simple and solely extracellular phenomenon.
Therefore, there is only one cause of cancer: candida, which, according to the anatomical branch concerned causes different histological reactions. This is the reason why there are so many types of tumours.
At the moment,according to Dr Simoncini, sodium bicarbonate (in a solution of 5% or 8.4%) effectively removes candida and is the only remedy capable of making the tumours disappear completely. In order to get the maximum of damaging effect, the sodium bicarbonate should be brought into direct contact with the tissue. This can be done by bringing a special catheter into the arteries that go to different organs, or by using the conventional endoscopic methods.
Frankincense Studied for Osteoarthritis
According to a Report in the British Daily Mail, a study was recently published
researching the use of frankincense for osteoarthritis.
In recent U.S. trials, osteoarthritis patients who took frankincense
capsules experienced significant relief from their symptoms within a week.
Over three months, the stiffness and pain associated with the condition
was reduced by up to two-thirds. Importantly, the frankincense capsules
were free of the side effects associated with the painkillers and
anti-inflammatories that usually treat osteoarthritis.
The whole article can be found here:(sorry - you have to copy and paste)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1039699/Frankincense-wise-mans-remedy-arthritis.html
researching the use of frankincense for osteoarthritis.
In recent U.S. trials, osteoarthritis patients who took frankincense
capsules experienced significant relief from their symptoms within a week.
Over three months, the stiffness and pain associated with the condition
was reduced by up to two-thirds. Importantly, the frankincense capsules
were free of the side effects associated with the painkillers and
anti-inflammatories that usually treat osteoarthritis.
The whole article can be found here:(sorry - you have to copy and paste)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1039699/Frankincense-wise-mans-remedy-arthritis.html
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Al Sears and PACE
Aerobics and other long-duration exercises like jogging and marathons create
changes in your body that weaken your heart and lungs. They tell you
body to make and store more fat. This way, your body makes sure it has
something to burn during your next aerobics class. And to cope with
long-duration stresses, your body will actually shrink your
heart and lungs.
Recent research on the PACE exercise invented by Dr Al Sears MD shows that it gives your body the right kind of challenge. And it only takes 10
minutes! Not hours of gruelling - not to mention boring -
jogging and jumping around that most fitness experts
tell you is the way to go.
changes in your body that weaken your heart and lungs. They tell you
body to make and store more fat. This way, your body makes sure it has
something to burn during your next aerobics class. And to cope with
long-duration stresses, your body will actually shrink your
heart and lungs.
Recent research on the PACE exercise invented by Dr Al Sears MD shows that it gives your body the right kind of challenge. And it only takes 10
minutes! Not hours of gruelling - not to mention boring -
jogging and jumping around that most fitness experts
tell you is the way to go.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Obese females' large waists 'raise pancreatic cancer risk'
Obese women who carry most of their excess weight around their stomach are 70 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, a new study claims.
Before now, the most well-established risk factors for pancreatic cancer were smoking and chronic pancreatitis but scientists behind today's research say it strengthens the evidence linking obesity to pancreatic cancer risk in women.
The team at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden followed more than 138,000 postmenopausal women in America for over seven years to investigate the effects of obesity on pancreatic cancer as a part of the Women's Health Initiative.
251 women in the study developed pancreatic cancer. Of these, 78 women had the highest waist-to-hip ratios.
This is 70 per cent more than the 34 women with the lowest waist-to-hip ratios who went on to develop the disease - after adjusting for other potential risk factors including age and smoking status.
Previous research has suggested that diabetes and abnormal insulin levels may play a role in pancreatic cancer and the authors of today's study argue that obesity could increase the risk of the cancer by affecting insulin levels.
Commenting on the study, Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "Pancreatic cancer is associated with particularly poor survival, so it's crucial that we learn more about how to prevent the disease.
"About a quarter of all cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy diets and obesity and it's important that people are aware of this risk."
Before now, the most well-established risk factors for pancreatic cancer were smoking and chronic pancreatitis but scientists behind today's research say it strengthens the evidence linking obesity to pancreatic cancer risk in women.
The team at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden followed more than 138,000 postmenopausal women in America for over seven years to investigate the effects of obesity on pancreatic cancer as a part of the Women's Health Initiative.
251 women in the study developed pancreatic cancer. Of these, 78 women had the highest waist-to-hip ratios.
This is 70 per cent more than the 34 women with the lowest waist-to-hip ratios who went on to develop the disease - after adjusting for other potential risk factors including age and smoking status.
Previous research has suggested that diabetes and abnormal insulin levels may play a role in pancreatic cancer and the authors of today's study argue that obesity could increase the risk of the cancer by affecting insulin levels.
Commenting on the study, Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "Pancreatic cancer is associated with particularly poor survival, so it's crucial that we learn more about how to prevent the disease.
"About a quarter of all cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy diets and obesity and it's important that people are aware of this risk."
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
forget statins eat up your veg !
A new study confirms that eating plenty of fiber and vegetables lowers cholesterol just as much as statin drugs -- and without the side effects!
From Reuters:
A diet rich in fibre and vegetables lowered cholesterol just as much as taking a statin drug, Canadian researchers reported Monday.
They says people who cannot tolerate the statin drugs because of side-effects can turn to the diet, which their volunteers could easily follow.
David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto and colleagues created what they called a diet "portfolio" high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fibre as well as plant sterols — tree-based compounds used in cholesterol-lowering margarines, salad dressing and other products.
They tested their diet on 34 overweight men and women, comparing it with a low-fat diet and with a normal diet plus a generic statin drug, lovastatin.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jenkins and colleagues said the low-fat diet lowered LDL — the low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol — by 8.5 per cent after a month. Statins lowered LDL by 33 per cent and the "portfolio" diet lowered LDL by nearly 30 per cent.
The portfolio was rich in soy milk, soy burgers, almonds, oats, barley, psyllium seeds, okra and eggplant. The Almond Board of California helped fund the study, as did several food makers and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
From Reuters:
A diet rich in fibre and vegetables lowered cholesterol just as much as taking a statin drug, Canadian researchers reported Monday.
They says people who cannot tolerate the statin drugs because of side-effects can turn to the diet, which their volunteers could easily follow.
David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto and colleagues created what they called a diet "portfolio" high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fibre as well as plant sterols — tree-based compounds used in cholesterol-lowering margarines, salad dressing and other products.
They tested their diet on 34 overweight men and women, comparing it with a low-fat diet and with a normal diet plus a generic statin drug, lovastatin.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jenkins and colleagues said the low-fat diet lowered LDL — the low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol — by 8.5 per cent after a month. Statins lowered LDL by 33 per cent and the "portfolio" diet lowered LDL by nearly 30 per cent.
The portfolio was rich in soy milk, soy burgers, almonds, oats, barley, psyllium seeds, okra and eggplant. The Almond Board of California helped fund the study, as did several food makers and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
burning incense lowers anxiety and depression
Incense is psychoactive: Scientists identify the biology behind the ceremony
Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. In a new study appearing online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), an international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.
“In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity,” said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study’s co-authors. “We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning.”
To determine incense’s psychoactive effects, the researchers administered incensole acetate to mice. They found that the compound significantly affected areas in brain areas known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by current anxiety and depression drugs. Specifically, incensole acetate activated a protein called TRPV3, which is present in mammalian brains and also known to play a role in the perception of warmth of the skin. When mice bred without this protein were exposed to incensole acetate, the compound had no effect on their brains.
“Perhaps Marx wasn’t too wrong when he called religion the opium of the people: morphine comes from poppies, cannabinoids from marijuana, and LSD from mushrooms; each of these has been used in one or another religious ceremony.” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “Studies of how those psychoactive drugs work have helped us understand modern neurobiology. The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion—burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!”
According to the National Institutes of Health, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15–44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults. A less severe form of depression, dysthymic disorder, affects approximately 3.3 million American adults. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million American adults, and frequently co-occur with depressive disorders.
Perhaps people should burn incense and throw away the prozac!
Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. In a new study appearing online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), an international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.
“In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity,” said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study’s co-authors. “We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning.”
To determine incense’s psychoactive effects, the researchers administered incensole acetate to mice. They found that the compound significantly affected areas in brain areas known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by current anxiety and depression drugs. Specifically, incensole acetate activated a protein called TRPV3, which is present in mammalian brains and also known to play a role in the perception of warmth of the skin. When mice bred without this protein were exposed to incensole acetate, the compound had no effect on their brains.
“Perhaps Marx wasn’t too wrong when he called religion the opium of the people: morphine comes from poppies, cannabinoids from marijuana, and LSD from mushrooms; each of these has been used in one or another religious ceremony.” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “Studies of how those psychoactive drugs work have helped us understand modern neurobiology. The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion—burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!”
According to the National Institutes of Health, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15–44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults. A less severe form of depression, dysthymic disorder, affects approximately 3.3 million American adults. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million American adults, and frequently co-occur with depressive disorders.
Perhaps people should burn incense and throw away the prozac!
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
statins, cholesterol, etc, etc.
More from Dr Al Sears MD : "Bombshell #1:
Statin Drugs Weaken Your Heart: Cholesterol-lowering
drugs rob your heart of the very nutrient that could save it. CoQ10
supplies your heart with the energy it needs. Without it, your heart
literally starves. And guess what? Statin drugs destroy your
supply of this life-giving enzyme.
Bombshell #2:
Low Cholesterol Kills Your Sex Drive: Your doctor ; and
all those TV commercials ; tell you to get your cholesterol
lower. But cholesterol is essential for life and health. When your
cholesterol is too low, your body can't make sex hormones. Aside
from causing other health problems, it has disastrous effects in
the bedroom."
Statin Drugs Weaken Your Heart: Cholesterol-lowering
drugs rob your heart of the very nutrient that could save it. CoQ10
supplies your heart with the energy it needs. Without it, your heart
literally starves. And guess what? Statin drugs destroy your
supply of this life-giving enzyme.
Bombshell #2:
Low Cholesterol Kills Your Sex Drive: Your doctor ; and
all those TV commercials ; tell you to get your cholesterol
lower. But cholesterol is essential for life and health. When your
cholesterol is too low, your body can't make sex hormones. Aside
from causing other health problems, it has disastrous effects in
the bedroom."
tim russert - heart attack
just got this interesting email from Dr Al Sears MD :
"Why do you think Tim
Russert died of a massive heart attack last month? Maybe it could have
been avoided...today I'll lay out what I know and let you
decide.
Russert was only 58.
He wasn't doing anything strenuous at the time;in fact,
hed just gotten back from a family vacation and passed away at
NBCs studios. He was under the care of a good doctor. He was
taking all his medications and doing everything his doctor told him to
do.
None of it saved
him. This sad news made me;and many of my patients and
readers;wonder what went wrong.
I have a few
ideas:
Heres one:
heart drugs don't work. I don't know all the medications
he was taking, but I do know one of them was a statin drug, probably
Lipitor or Zocor. (Russert's doctor reported this without naming
the specific drug.)
Statins drive down
CoQ10 to dangerously low levels. You know that CoQ10 is the vital
engine that fuels almost every cell in your body and powers all your
major organs;especially your heart.
Starve it of CoQ10,
and youre on the fast track to a heart attack. And it’s
not like the potentially fatal effect of statins on CoQ10 levels is a
secret. Those of us who've followed the research have known
about this for almost twenty years.
Still, the word hasnt gotten out.
A sad twist about
Russerts statin prescription: he didnt even have high
cholesterol. He was taking it as a preventive measure.
Another possible
cause: Russert was diabetic. That means his doctor may have put him on
one of the latest medications to treat it;either Actos or
Avandia. The problem here is that clinical studies have shown that one
of the major risks of taking these drugs is...heart failure. Drug regulators knew
this...and buried it. In
fact, the FDA employee who tried to get the warning put on the label
was fired."
"Why do you think Tim
Russert died of a massive heart attack last month? Maybe it could have
been avoided...today I'll lay out what I know and let you
decide.
Russert was only 58.
He wasn't doing anything strenuous at the time;in fact,
hed just gotten back from a family vacation and passed away at
NBCs studios. He was under the care of a good doctor. He was
taking all his medications and doing everything his doctor told him to
do.
None of it saved
him. This sad news made me;and many of my patients and
readers;wonder what went wrong.
I have a few
ideas:
Heres one:
heart drugs don't work. I don't know all the medications
he was taking, but I do know one of them was a statin drug, probably
Lipitor or Zocor. (Russert's doctor reported this without naming
the specific drug.)
Statins drive down
CoQ10 to dangerously low levels. You know that CoQ10 is the vital
engine that fuels almost every cell in your body and powers all your
major organs;especially your heart.
Starve it of CoQ10,
and youre on the fast track to a heart attack. And it’s
not like the potentially fatal effect of statins on CoQ10 levels is a
secret. Those of us who've followed the research have known
about this for almost twenty years.
Still, the word hasnt gotten out.
A sad twist about
Russerts statin prescription: he didnt even have high
cholesterol. He was taking it as a preventive measure.
Another possible
cause: Russert was diabetic. That means his doctor may have put him on
one of the latest medications to treat it;either Actos or
Avandia. The problem here is that clinical studies have shown that one
of the major risks of taking these drugs is...heart failure. Drug regulators knew
this...and buried it. In
fact, the FDA employee who tried to get the warning put on the label
was fired."
Friday, 18 July 2008
Need a Bit More Sunshine in Your Life?
A recent study has found that men with vitamin D deficiency have more than double
the normal risk of having a heart attack. In fact, in the study, men with vitamin D
levels below 15 nanograms per millilitre had 2.5 times the risk of having a heart
attack or dying - even after controlling for all other possible risk factors such as
hypertension, obesity and high lipid levels.
The body produces vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. That means that those
of us who live in less sunny climes are at a higher risk of deficiency of this
important nutrient.
the normal risk of having a heart attack. In fact, in the study, men with vitamin D
levels below 15 nanograms per millilitre had 2.5 times the risk of having a heart
attack or dying - even after controlling for all other possible risk factors such as
hypertension, obesity and high lipid levels.
The body produces vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. That means that those
of us who live in less sunny climes are at a higher risk of deficiency of this
important nutrient.
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Study Shows Usefulness of Omega 3 Fats for Weight Loss
Many people are still under the misguided impression that all fats are bad for you,
especially if you want to lose weight. Now a new study may help to show those
looking to lose weight that omega 3 fats really can help.
A new study has shown that obese people receiving supplements of omega 3 fatty acids
while following a weight loss programme experienced a feeling of fullness for
longer, which may in the long-term help to prevent overeating and so aid weight
loss.
"We show that the long chain omega 3 fatty acids can affect postprandial appetite
sensations in volunteers during a period of weight loss induced by energy
restriction," wrote lead author Dolores Parra in the journal Appetite.
"The usefulness of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in the nutritional treatment of
obesity has to be investigated further, since they could improve the patients'
compliance to changes in dietary habits required for weight loss and weight loss
maintenance."
"The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in
long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and 2
hours after then their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids
diet," wrote the authors.
Source: Appetite
Published online ahead of print 14 June 2008, doi:
"A diet rich in long chain omega 3 fatty acids modulates satiety in overweight and
obese volunteers during weight loss"
Authors: Dolores Parra, A. Ramel, N. Bandarra, M. Kiely, J.A. Martinez, I. Thorsdottir
especially if you want to lose weight. Now a new study may help to show those
looking to lose weight that omega 3 fats really can help.
A new study has shown that obese people receiving supplements of omega 3 fatty acids
while following a weight loss programme experienced a feeling of fullness for
longer, which may in the long-term help to prevent overeating and so aid weight
loss.
"We show that the long chain omega 3 fatty acids can affect postprandial appetite
sensations in volunteers during a period of weight loss induced by energy
restriction," wrote lead author Dolores Parra in the journal Appetite.
"The usefulness of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in the nutritional treatment of
obesity has to be investigated further, since they could improve the patients'
compliance to changes in dietary habits required for weight loss and weight loss
maintenance."
"The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in
long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and 2
hours after then their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids
diet," wrote the authors.
Source: Appetite
Published online ahead of print 14 June 2008, doi:
"A diet rich in long chain omega 3 fatty acids modulates satiety in overweight and
obese volunteers during weight loss"
Authors: Dolores Parra, A. Ramel, N. Bandarra, M. Kiely, J.A. Martinez, I. Thorsdottir
Friday, 27 June 2008
throw away your microwave oven
Throw away your microwave oven. Don't give it away. Throw it away! It's a very dangerous piece of equipment that is hurting your health in more ways than one.
Andreas Moritz , whose forum many of us consider the shining jewel of CureZone, devoted two pages of his recent book, Cancer Is Not A Disease, to the dangers of using microwave ovens (pp.160-162). Doctor Joseph Mercola, in his e-newletter of January 7th, 2006, had equally frightening information about the horrors of microwaves. None of the top alternative health doctors -- David Williams, Jon Barron, or Richard Schulze -- have one good word to say about microwave ovens.
Let me start by quoting and paraphrasing Andreas Moritz. Brace yourself,
"Did you know that microwave-treated water does not sprout seeds? Russian researchers have found decreased nutritional value, cancer-making compounds, and brain-damaging radiolytics in virtually all microwave-prepared foods. Eating microwaved-prepared foods can also cause loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decline in intelligence."
Andreas goes on to specifically explain how microwave ovens cause the damage they do:
"Microwaves rip apart the molecular bonds that make food to be "food." Microwave ovens hurl high-frequency microwaves that boil the moisture within food and its packaging, by whipsawing water molecules dizzyingly back and forth at more than a billion reversals a second. This frantic friction causes the food molecules to fracture, rearranging their chemical composition into weird new configurations, unrecognizable as food by human bodies. By destroying the molecular structures of foods, the body cannot help but turn the food into waste, but not harmless waste: rather, "nuclear waste."
According to the Russian scientists, microwaves also cause a host of illnesses and degenerative conditions, in addition to rendering food useless and toxic. Among the side effects are, "high blood pressure, migraine headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, anxiety, hair loss, appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive disorders, adrenal exhaustion, heart disease, memory loss, attention disorders, crankiness, depression, disconnected thoughts, sleep disturbance, and brain damage."
Scary, isn't it? And it's even scarier when you consider that 9 out of 10 families in the USA --about 250 million people -- use microwave ovens EVERY DAY! Additionally, most restaurants use microwaves to not only cook much of their food, but to zap the dinner order -- to make it hot-hot, just before the waiter puts the plate in front of you.
One of the reasons I'm in radiant health at 60, is because I've never owned or used a microwave oven.
Here's another quote from Andreas about how microwaves destroy vitamins and other nutrients in food.
"The B-complex, C, and E vitamins linked with stress-reduction and the prevention of cancer and heart disease -- as well as the essential trace minerals needed for optimum brain and body functioning -- are rendered useless by microwaves, even at short cooking durations. Microwave-cooked food is reduced to the nutritional equivalent of cardboard."
So, even though you're just zapping the water for a few moments, the microwave is destroying everything in that water that makes it useful for your body.
I am sure that the plague of obesity in the United States and the UK is directly linked to the almost universal use of microwave ovens. People are eating dead food. Their digestive systems know the food is dead, and so the digestive organs cry out for help by sending hunger-pangs to the person doing the eating. Hunger is a plea -- not for food -- but for vital nutrients! Alas, most people respond to that plea by filling themselves with more dead and toxic food. After a while, the body
gives up; the immune system shuts down. The inner organs are lined with a vast oil-slick of toxic waste; an oxygen-less environment that leads to cancer and a host of other horrors.
In his newsletter of January 7th (www.mercola.com), Doctor Joe Mercola says that microwaves leach carcinogens from the paper and plastic covers used in microwaves, and deposit it in the food. He adds that microwaves were once used to warm up blood for blood transfusions, but that hospitals no longer do that (they were sued) because the blood is altered, and often kills he person receiving it.
Andreas finishes up with a chilling story which I'll paraphrase. Russian scientists took thousands of healthy cats, and gave them nothing but nutritious and natural foods that had been heated in a microwave for just 1 minute. The result? In six months, all the cats were dead. When the scientists performed autopsies on some of the cats, they found that the animals had literally starved to death. The cells in their bodies contained no trace of nutrient components, even though the dead bodies looked well-fed. "Microwaves had turned their food into deadly poison."
Andreas Moritz , whose forum many of us consider the shining jewel of CureZone, devoted two pages of his recent book, Cancer Is Not A Disease, to the dangers of using microwave ovens (pp.160-162). Doctor Joseph Mercola, in his e-newletter of January 7th, 2006, had equally frightening information about the horrors of microwaves. None of the top alternative health doctors -- David Williams, Jon Barron, or Richard Schulze -- have one good word to say about microwave ovens.
Let me start by quoting and paraphrasing Andreas Moritz. Brace yourself,
"Did you know that microwave-treated water does not sprout seeds? Russian researchers have found decreased nutritional value, cancer-making compounds, and brain-damaging radiolytics in virtually all microwave-prepared foods. Eating microwaved-prepared foods can also cause loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decline in intelligence."
Andreas goes on to specifically explain how microwave ovens cause the damage they do:
"Microwaves rip apart the molecular bonds that make food to be "food." Microwave ovens hurl high-frequency microwaves that boil the moisture within food and its packaging, by whipsawing water molecules dizzyingly back and forth at more than a billion reversals a second. This frantic friction causes the food molecules to fracture, rearranging their chemical composition into weird new configurations, unrecognizable as food by human bodies. By destroying the molecular structures of foods, the body cannot help but turn the food into waste, but not harmless waste: rather, "nuclear waste."
According to the Russian scientists, microwaves also cause a host of illnesses and degenerative conditions, in addition to rendering food useless and toxic. Among the side effects are, "high blood pressure, migraine headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, anxiety, hair loss, appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive disorders, adrenal exhaustion, heart disease, memory loss, attention disorders, crankiness, depression, disconnected thoughts, sleep disturbance, and brain damage."
Scary, isn't it? And it's even scarier when you consider that 9 out of 10 families in the USA --about 250 million people -- use microwave ovens EVERY DAY! Additionally, most restaurants use microwaves to not only cook much of their food, but to zap the dinner order -- to make it hot-hot, just before the waiter puts the plate in front of you.
One of the reasons I'm in radiant health at 60, is because I've never owned or used a microwave oven.
Here's another quote from Andreas about how microwaves destroy vitamins and other nutrients in food.
"The B-complex, C, and E vitamins linked with stress-reduction and the prevention of cancer and heart disease -- as well as the essential trace minerals needed for optimum brain and body functioning -- are rendered useless by microwaves, even at short cooking durations. Microwave-cooked food is reduced to the nutritional equivalent of cardboard."
So, even though you're just zapping the water for a few moments, the microwave is destroying everything in that water that makes it useful for your body.
I am sure that the plague of obesity in the United States and the UK is directly linked to the almost universal use of microwave ovens. People are eating dead food. Their digestive systems know the food is dead, and so the digestive organs cry out for help by sending hunger-pangs to the person doing the eating. Hunger is a plea -- not for food -- but for vital nutrients! Alas, most people respond to that plea by filling themselves with more dead and toxic food. After a while, the body
gives up; the immune system shuts down. The inner organs are lined with a vast oil-slick of toxic waste; an oxygen-less environment that leads to cancer and a host of other horrors.
In his newsletter of January 7th (www.mercola.com), Doctor Joe Mercola says that microwaves leach carcinogens from the paper and plastic covers used in microwaves, and deposit it in the food. He adds that microwaves were once used to warm up blood for blood transfusions, but that hospitals no longer do that (they were sued) because the blood is altered, and often kills he person receiving it.
Andreas finishes up with a chilling story which I'll paraphrase. Russian scientists took thousands of healthy cats, and gave them nothing but nutritious and natural foods that had been heated in a microwave for just 1 minute. The result? In six months, all the cats were dead. When the scientists performed autopsies on some of the cats, they found that the animals had literally starved to death. The cells in their bodies contained no trace of nutrient components, even though the dead bodies looked well-fed. "Microwaves had turned their food into deadly poison."
Thursday, 26 June 2008
star fish
A man is walking along the beach and observes a woman frantically picking up and throwing starfish back into the ocean that had washed up on shore following a storm. The shoreline is literally covered with starfish and the woman could never save every one. The man walks up to her and asks what she's doing and is told that she is throwing them back because if she doesn’t they'll die.
The observer pauses and says "it doesn't matter since you'll never be able to throw them all back." The woman replies as she tosses another starfish into the surf "It matters to that one" and goes back to her work.
The observer pauses and says "it doesn't matter since you'll never be able to throw them all back." The woman replies as she tosses another starfish into the surf "It matters to that one" and goes back to her work.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Fat Britons “losing control” of their weight and money
The fatter people are, the less in control they feel about not only their eating but all aspects of their life - including money and jobs. A full 55 per cent of the very obese feel their finances are spiralling.
But despite their concerns about their size, 38 per cent of adults would break their commitment to a diet if their partner simply suggested a takeaway. Amazingly 13 per cent of the very obese claim they DO feel in control of their diet, says the survey conducted by LighterLife.(reported 28/01/08)
The nationally representative poll, conducted by BMRB, also quizzed 995 adults on what they thought of other people and how successful they are in running their lives through a series of images. The results showed that:
• Nearly a half of all women – 46 per cent – feel out of control of their weight, compared with 30 per cent of men – a total of 18 million people in the UK
• As bodyweight increases, the percentage feeling “out of control” also increases from 14 per cent of those of normal weight, to 42 per cent among the overweight, 73 per cent of obese people, and an alarming 87 per cent of the very obese
• A full 38 per cent of Britons would break a diet at their partner’s suggestion of a takeaway – with 48 per cent of obese people, saying they would succumb
• A quarter of people of healthy weight admit feeling out of control of their money, but this rises to 55 per cent among the very obese.
But despite their concerns about their size, 38 per cent of adults would break their commitment to a diet if their partner simply suggested a takeaway. Amazingly 13 per cent of the very obese claim they DO feel in control of their diet, says the survey conducted by LighterLife.(reported 28/01/08)
The nationally representative poll, conducted by BMRB, also quizzed 995 adults on what they thought of other people and how successful they are in running their lives through a series of images. The results showed that:
• Nearly a half of all women – 46 per cent – feel out of control of their weight, compared with 30 per cent of men – a total of 18 million people in the UK
• As bodyweight increases, the percentage feeling “out of control” also increases from 14 per cent of those of normal weight, to 42 per cent among the overweight, 73 per cent of obese people, and an alarming 87 per cent of the very obese
• A full 38 per cent of Britons would break a diet at their partner’s suggestion of a takeaway – with 48 per cent of obese people, saying they would succumb
• A quarter of people of healthy weight admit feeling out of control of their money, but this rises to 55 per cent among the very obese.
Monday, 26 May 2008
whats this mean?
"To be honest, I have stopped to judge anymore it just not needed.... we should LET GO of ALL THAT WE PERCIEVE as REAL and start living in THE NOW PRESENCE. Only then you become the silent watcher of your SELF. You become still like in a EYE OF THE HURRICANE. We all have this EYE in our Energy Field. THat place is a place where we meet GOD. Be Yourself, Surrender to LOVE. Take control of your emotions. BE WELL"
anon
anon
Australian Tourism
These were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual
responses by the website officials.
Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the
plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them
in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? (USA)
A: Africa is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Australia is that
big island in the
middle of the Pacific which does not ... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is
every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send
the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Austria is that quaint little country bordering Germany, which is ... oh forget
it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight
after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake
serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in America which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes
are
perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's
a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees
and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by
spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me
where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller
than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay night clubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.
thanks to tedd koren for these
responses by the website officials.
Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the
plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them
in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? (USA)
A: Africa is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Australia is that
big island in the
middle of the Pacific which does not ... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is
every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send
the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Austria is that quaint little country bordering Germany, which is ... oh forget
it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight
after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake
serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in America which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes
are
perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's
a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees
and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by
spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me
where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller
than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay night clubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.
thanks to tedd koren for these
3 minute depression cure for real?
I came across an ad today for the '3 minute cure for depression' by mike freeman
I then spent half an hour (10 X 3!)looked on the internet to see if anyone had purchased it ($100),and found this comment:
"Like a mug I sent for it. It's basically, if the life you have isn't what you want, either change it or change what you want.
I may be missing something but that's what it seems to be saying, couched in gobbly language like "Eomotional Logical Operators or ELOs".
I don't feel disloyal in telling you all. If it had been a dramatic, ground-breaking work I might have. Besides this stuff is not new is it? It must go back to the dawn of time. It's certainly in "The Human Givens", which is pretty neolithic"
Iansf
....actually that statement "if the life you have isn't what you want, either change it or change what you want." sounds very useful - rather like some of Dale Carnegie's points..
Here's something else for FREE:
" What’s depressed person's posture like? It's not hard to visualize a person who is depressed. Depressed people often walk around with their eyes down. (They're accessing in a kinesthetic mode and/or talking to themselves about all the things that make them feel depressed.) They drop their shoulders. They take weak, shallow breaths. They do all the things that put their body in a depressed physiology. Are they deciding to be depressed? They sure are. Depression is a result, and it requires very specific body images to create it.
How come you know these things without seeing him? Because you practiced this before haven’t you? We all have experienced it. Now if you do these to your body, you are gonna feel lousy, you are gonna feel depressed. Now if you change the way you use your body, your shoulders are back, you breathe if you use your voice different way, if you move your body with a different tempo.
It’s hard to feel depressed in that way. In fact there’s a research studied at the University of California, Berkeley, they tried something different without drugs. They did something sound so stupid. Here’s what they did. They came up with a simple approach that they took people that are clinically depressed, that means they have reached high level of depression. It’s like they get a certification saying that they are clinically depressed. They are achievers at the depression level. That means they practice the pattern of "being depressed" on a regular basis. They had these ‘patients’ come of 4 weeks, stand in front of a mirror and do one silly thing. They ask them to grin from ear to ear and they had made them smile for no good reason for 20 minutes 7 days a week. Now when they are doing it, they grin so big that they created a wrinkle on their side of the eyes. You know those sets of lines that when you smile so big? Interestingly, they kick their shoulders back while they are doing it and breathe fully. They go, “Dump idea!” But what happen is not a single person was able to remain depressed. What most interesting is, at the end of the 20 days, many of them had no need for medications and that’s all they change."
Thankyou Nelson Tan ( he derived this from Tony Robbins)..
I then spent half an hour (10 X 3!)looked on the internet to see if anyone had purchased it ($100),and found this comment:
"Like a mug I sent for it. It's basically, if the life you have isn't what you want, either change it or change what you want.
I may be missing something but that's what it seems to be saying, couched in gobbly language like "Eomotional Logical Operators or ELOs".
I don't feel disloyal in telling you all. If it had been a dramatic, ground-breaking work I might have. Besides this stuff is not new is it? It must go back to the dawn of time. It's certainly in "The Human Givens", which is pretty neolithic"
Iansf
....actually that statement "if the life you have isn't what you want, either change it or change what you want." sounds very useful - rather like some of Dale Carnegie's points..
Here's something else for FREE:
" What’s depressed person's posture like? It's not hard to visualize a person who is depressed. Depressed people often walk around with their eyes down. (They're accessing in a kinesthetic mode and/or talking to themselves about all the things that make them feel depressed.) They drop their shoulders. They take weak, shallow breaths. They do all the things that put their body in a depressed physiology. Are they deciding to be depressed? They sure are. Depression is a result, and it requires very specific body images to create it.
How come you know these things without seeing him? Because you practiced this before haven’t you? We all have experienced it. Now if you do these to your body, you are gonna feel lousy, you are gonna feel depressed. Now if you change the way you use your body, your shoulders are back, you breathe if you use your voice different way, if you move your body with a different tempo.
It’s hard to feel depressed in that way. In fact there’s a research studied at the University of California, Berkeley, they tried something different without drugs. They did something sound so stupid. Here’s what they did. They came up with a simple approach that they took people that are clinically depressed, that means they have reached high level of depression. It’s like they get a certification saying that they are clinically depressed. They are achievers at the depression level. That means they practice the pattern of "being depressed" on a regular basis. They had these ‘patients’ come of 4 weeks, stand in front of a mirror and do one silly thing. They ask them to grin from ear to ear and they had made them smile for no good reason for 20 minutes 7 days a week. Now when they are doing it, they grin so big that they created a wrinkle on their side of the eyes. You know those sets of lines that when you smile so big? Interestingly, they kick their shoulders back while they are doing it and breathe fully. They go, “Dump idea!” But what happen is not a single person was able to remain depressed. What most interesting is, at the end of the 20 days, many of them had no need for medications and that’s all they change."
Thankyou Nelson Tan ( he derived this from Tony Robbins)..
weight loss research with acupressure
Self-acupressure technique shows promise in pilot study
Portland, Ore. — Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research has received a $2.1 million grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to study the effectiveness of a technique combining self-acupressure with mental imagery to help people maintain weight loss.
The Center is seeking about 500 overweight people to participate in the LIFE study which will test the Tapas Acupressure Technique™. TAT involves lightly touching specific pressure points on your face and the back of your head. While holding these points for a few seconds or minutes you are asked to focus on a problem, in this case on losing weight or maintaining weight loss.
The technique was developed in 1994 by Tapas Fleming, a California acupuncturist. It has been used widely to treat trauma, stress and food allergies, but this is the first time it has been tested in a large clinical trial.
"The Tapas Acupressure Technique did show superiority in helping people maintain weight loss in a pilot study involving 90 participants," says Charles Elder, MD, principal investigator and an internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. In the pilot study, the TAT group maintained greater weight loss than a social support group, and another group that practiced the Chinese exercise and breathing technique known as Qigong.
Portland, Ore. — Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research has received a $2.1 million grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to study the effectiveness of a technique combining self-acupressure with mental imagery to help people maintain weight loss.
The Center is seeking about 500 overweight people to participate in the LIFE study which will test the Tapas Acupressure Technique™. TAT involves lightly touching specific pressure points on your face and the back of your head. While holding these points for a few seconds or minutes you are asked to focus on a problem, in this case on losing weight or maintaining weight loss.
The technique was developed in 1994 by Tapas Fleming, a California acupuncturist. It has been used widely to treat trauma, stress and food allergies, but this is the first time it has been tested in a large clinical trial.
"The Tapas Acupressure Technique did show superiority in helping people maintain weight loss in a pilot study involving 90 participants," says Charles Elder, MD, principal investigator and an internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. In the pilot study, the TAT group maintained greater weight loss than a social support group, and another group that practiced the Chinese exercise and breathing technique known as Qigong.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
bullet points
more fake bullet points:
. fake cocaine - the legal substitute that fools even the experts
. how to lose 3 dress sizes in under a week
. how to instantly generate $1000s without leaving your house
. the secret that the worlds billionaires dont want you to know ( see page 35)
. how you are sabotaging your success by thinking this thought
. the one food that will stop you losing weight
. How almost immediately, you can flood your business with eager new customers (no matter how dismal your
efforts have been before)
. Engorge your bank account with massive amounts of fresh cash (no matter how broke you are now)
. How to...Crush your competition (even if you're competing
against Attila the Hun)
. fake cocaine - the legal substitute that fools even the experts
. how to lose 3 dress sizes in under a week
. how to instantly generate $1000s without leaving your house
. the secret that the worlds billionaires dont want you to know ( see page 35)
. how you are sabotaging your success by thinking this thought
. the one food that will stop you losing weight
. How almost immediately, you can flood your business with eager new customers (no matter how dismal your
efforts have been before)
. Engorge your bank account with massive amounts of fresh cash (no matter how broke you are now)
. How to...Crush your competition (even if you're competing
against Attila the Hun)
Friday, 23 May 2008
"survival of the fittest" sucks!
Darwin never said "survival of the fittest" - except to complain about it.
That phrase was coined by Herbert Spencer who wanted to use Darwin's theories to
promote his "Social Darwinism" - a dangerous idea that the Nazis used to justify
murdering millions.
Leading Nazis, and early 1900 influential German biologists, revealed in their writings that they were influenced by "Social Darwinism" and this had a major influence upon Nazi race policies. Hitler believed that the human gene pool could be improved by using selective breeding similar to how farmers breed superior cattle strains. In the formulation of their racial policies, Hitler’s government relied heavily upon the theories of Herbert Spencer. As a result, a central policy of Hitler’s administration was the development and implementation of policies designed to protect the ‘superior race’. This required at the very least preventing the ‘inferior races’ from mixing with those judged superior, in order to reduce contamination of the latter’s gene pool. The ‘superior race’ belief was based on the theory of group inequality within each species, a major presumption and requirement of Spencer's ‘survival of the fittest’ theory. This philosophy culminated in the ‘final solution’, the extermination of approximately six million Jews and four million other people who belonged to what German scientists judged as ‘inferior races’.
In contrast Darwin hinself noted that compassion and cooperation were those qualities that distinguished advanced civilizations. That is the reason why some societies and
species survived and others did not.
Darwin never said "survival of the fittest"
That phrase was coined by Herbert Spencer who wanted to use Darwin's theories to
promote his "Social Darwinism" - a dangerous idea that the Nazis used to justify
murdering millions.
Leading Nazis, and early 1900 influential German biologists, revealed in their writings that they were influenced by "Social Darwinism" and this had a major influence upon Nazi race policies. Hitler believed that the human gene pool could be improved by using selective breeding similar to how farmers breed superior cattle strains. In the formulation of their racial policies, Hitler’s government relied heavily upon the theories of Herbert Spencer. As a result, a central policy of Hitler’s administration was the development and implementation of policies designed to protect the ‘superior race’. This required at the very least preventing the ‘inferior races’ from mixing with those judged superior, in order to reduce contamination of the latter’s gene pool. The ‘superior race’ belief was based on the theory of group inequality within each species, a major presumption and requirement of Spencer's ‘survival of the fittest’ theory. This philosophy culminated in the ‘final solution’, the extermination of approximately six million Jews and four million other people who belonged to what German scientists judged as ‘inferior races’.
In contrast Darwin hinself noted that compassion and cooperation were those qualities that distinguished advanced civilizations. That is the reason why some societies and
species survived and others did not.
Darwin never said "survival of the fittest"
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Fake cocaine: A legal substitute that fools even the experts!
How "Fake Cocaine" Can Send Your Sales Over The Top!
please note - read to the end of this - there is vital info here for addicts!
Once upon a time, in the 1980's, copywriter Gary Halbert wrote an ad for Entrepreneur magazine. The ad was for a business opportunity... and for some reason... Halbert put a bullet point in the ad that said:
* Fake cocaine: A legal substitute that fools even the experts!
For the record, this business opportunity was not being promoted by the Mafia... and... strangely enough... had nothing to do with the narcotics industry.
But... get this: People called for years after the ad ran... trying to find out about the "fake cocaine".
Hmn!
What's the lesson here?
Simply this:
The most POWERFUL human emotion you can tap into is CURIOSITY!
And, Good Sirs and Fair Maidens, one of the very best ways to drive your reader wild with curiosity... is to load your sales message with... and apply... an orgy of bullet points!
More often than not, the most insanely profitable sales letters, ads and web sites are laced with a HUGE list of ultra-compelling, benefit-driven bullet points.
And, in case you're not sure what a bullet point is, let me explain:
A bullet point is a block of words (copy) that offers a compelling benefit or "secret knowledge" to the reader. They are called bullets because they are usually preceded by a little round dot that looks like a bullet hole. Just like this:
*
Although a round dot (like above) is the most common symbol used for bullets, you can also use check marks, arrows, numbers, letters... and... anything else that draws attention to the point you are about to make.
Speaking of which, the most powerful bullets apply what I like to call: "The Teaser Torture Treatment". That's to say, they're loaded with a healthy dose of curiosity and reward!
Perhaps the best thing for me to do to help you "get this", is to open fire with a list of bullets from my "private" swipe file.
Check out the bullet points below, and see if you can grasp just how POWERFUL a properly constructed bullet can be (Note: all of the following bullets were written by copywriter John Carlton... because... hardly anyone can touch him when it comes to "bulletizing"):
* How to control the RPMs of your ball's spin with pinpoint accuracy! (So instantly accurate, you'll be able to practice with your 8-iron in your living room... and never hit a lamp or knock a picture off the wall!)
etc...
HOWEVER, THERES ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT DRINKING YOUR OWN URINE AFTER TAKING DRUGS YOU GET THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF THE DRUG WITHOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS !!! AND SAVE A PILE OF MONEY !!
please note - read to the end of this - there is vital info here for addicts!
Once upon a time, in the 1980's, copywriter Gary Halbert wrote an ad for Entrepreneur magazine. The ad was for a business opportunity... and for some reason... Halbert put a bullet point in the ad that said:
* Fake cocaine: A legal substitute that fools even the experts!
For the record, this business opportunity was not being promoted by the Mafia... and... strangely enough... had nothing to do with the narcotics industry.
But... get this: People called for years after the ad ran... trying to find out about the "fake cocaine".
Hmn!
What's the lesson here?
Simply this:
The most POWERFUL human emotion you can tap into is CURIOSITY!
And, Good Sirs and Fair Maidens, one of the very best ways to drive your reader wild with curiosity... is to load your sales message with... and apply... an orgy of bullet points!
More often than not, the most insanely profitable sales letters, ads and web sites are laced with a HUGE list of ultra-compelling, benefit-driven bullet points.
And, in case you're not sure what a bullet point is, let me explain:
A bullet point is a block of words (copy) that offers a compelling benefit or "secret knowledge" to the reader. They are called bullets because they are usually preceded by a little round dot that looks like a bullet hole. Just like this:
*
Although a round dot (like above) is the most common symbol used for bullets, you can also use check marks, arrows, numbers, letters... and... anything else that draws attention to the point you are about to make.
Speaking of which, the most powerful bullets apply what I like to call: "The Teaser Torture Treatment". That's to say, they're loaded with a healthy dose of curiosity and reward!
Perhaps the best thing for me to do to help you "get this", is to open fire with a list of bullets from my "private" swipe file.
Check out the bullet points below, and see if you can grasp just how POWERFUL a properly constructed bullet can be (Note: all of the following bullets were written by copywriter John Carlton... because... hardly anyone can touch him when it comes to "bulletizing"):
* How to control the RPMs of your ball's spin with pinpoint accuracy! (So instantly accurate, you'll be able to practice with your 8-iron in your living room... and never hit a lamp or knock a picture off the wall!)
etc...
HOWEVER, THERES ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT DRINKING YOUR OWN URINE AFTER TAKING DRUGS YOU GET THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF THE DRUG WITHOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS !!! AND SAVE A PILE OF MONEY !!
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax is Bad for Your Heart
Women who have used Fosamax are nearly twice as likely to develop atrial fibrillation (quivering of your heart’s upper chambers), which is the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat.
Fosamax is the most widely used drug treatment for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. The FDA approved the first generic version (called alendronate) in February.
The drug was associated with an 86 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared with never having used the drug. Atrial fibrillation can cause palpitations, fainting, fatigue, or congestive heart failure. They can also lead to embolic strokes.
Sources:
* Eurekalert April 28, 2008
* Archives of Internal Medicine April 28, 2008; 168(8):826-31
Fosamax is the most widely used drug treatment for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. The FDA approved the first generic version (called alendronate) in February.
The drug was associated with an 86 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared with never having used the drug. Atrial fibrillation can cause palpitations, fainting, fatigue, or congestive heart failure. They can also lead to embolic strokes.
Sources:
* Eurekalert April 28, 2008
* Archives of Internal Medicine April 28, 2008; 168(8):826-31
pain killers..
Pain is a signal from our body that something is not right. It can be due to a physical injury, some kind of disease, or emotional upset. Taking pain killers and not looking into into the cause of the pain is like when driving down the road and your oil warning light comes on taking a hammer and smashing it.. the pain killers will most likely kill you in the end..
Friday, 16 May 2008
vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms
A deficiency of vitamin B12 can gradually lead to abnormal neurologic and psychiatric symptoms, like:
* fatigue
* diarrhea
* pale skin
* dementia
* spasticity
* psychoses
* sore mouth
* hypotension
* incontinence
* appetite loss
* bleeding gums
* rapid heart rate
* vision problems
* tongue problems
* muscle weakness
* shaky movements
* mood disturbances
* shortness of breath
* impaired sense of smell
* tingling/numbness in hands/feet
* unsteady gait ~ especially in the dark
* personality changes ~ “megaloblastic madness”
oh dear! better get some of this!
* fatigue
* diarrhea
* pale skin
* dementia
* spasticity
* psychoses
* sore mouth
* hypotension
* incontinence
* appetite loss
* bleeding gums
* rapid heart rate
* vision problems
* tongue problems
* muscle weakness
* shaky movements
* mood disturbances
* shortness of breath
* impaired sense of smell
* tingling/numbness in hands/feet
* unsteady gait ~ especially in the dark
* personality changes ~ “megaloblastic madness”
oh dear! better get some of this!
American Idol judge Simon Cowell
American Idol judge Simon Cowell has been aging gracefully until now and is never going to have plastic surgery when he gets older. The 47 year old Cowell believes that cosmetic surgery looks unattractive on men.”I wouldn’t have plastic surgery, it looks ridiculous on guys,” said Cowell.
Simon Cowell says that his youth regimen consists of doing exercises at home and in his office. “I’d do 100 press-ups before I get in the bath in the morning, then at work after a meeting, I’ll shut the door and do more.”
Cowell also dismissed rumors that he uses hair color to hide gray hairs. “I’d never dye my hair either. Everyone thinks I do, but I never have”, says Cowell.
It is admirable that Simon Cowell is comfortable in his skin and is looking forward to aging without any cosmetic intervention. Looking at Cowell closely, his face looks youthful, except for the crows feet from the sides of his eyes and slight under eye bags. Additionally, Simon’s forehead is astonishingly free of any wrinkles or lines, suggesting that he may condone and use non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox or Restylane injections.
On the other hand, Simon has a normal aging man’s belly and man boobs which he cannot get rid of with just exercise as only going under the knife and having liposuction or male breast reduction can eliminate the breasts. Simon Cowell is apparently self-conscious about his man boobs and was recently embarrassed when a young girl did an artistic portrait of Simon Cowell with a pair of boobs. Cowell said, “What are those? What are those? Are you saying I have those? Are you? I’m not very happy.”
In medical circles, man boobs are a medical condition known as gynecomastia, which is the development of abnormally large mammary glands in males. This condition is generally the result of a hormonal imbalance, or the side effect of certain medications, obesity, and old age. For many men, the combination of natural weight gain and the aging process will lead them to develop gynecomastia at some point in their lives as in the case of Simon Cowell, Harrison Ford, and John Travolta. While gynecomastia is not a serious physical threat to health, it can lead to increased self consciousness for the person.
Simon Cowell says that his youth regimen consists of doing exercises at home and in his office. “I’d do 100 press-ups before I get in the bath in the morning, then at work after a meeting, I’ll shut the door and do more.”
Cowell also dismissed rumors that he uses hair color to hide gray hairs. “I’d never dye my hair either. Everyone thinks I do, but I never have”, says Cowell.
It is admirable that Simon Cowell is comfortable in his skin and is looking forward to aging without any cosmetic intervention. Looking at Cowell closely, his face looks youthful, except for the crows feet from the sides of his eyes and slight under eye bags. Additionally, Simon’s forehead is astonishingly free of any wrinkles or lines, suggesting that he may condone and use non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox or Restylane injections.
On the other hand, Simon has a normal aging man’s belly and man boobs which he cannot get rid of with just exercise as only going under the knife and having liposuction or male breast reduction can eliminate the breasts. Simon Cowell is apparently self-conscious about his man boobs and was recently embarrassed when a young girl did an artistic portrait of Simon Cowell with a pair of boobs. Cowell said, “What are those? What are those? Are you saying I have those? Are you? I’m not very happy.”
In medical circles, man boobs are a medical condition known as gynecomastia, which is the development of abnormally large mammary glands in males. This condition is generally the result of a hormonal imbalance, or the side effect of certain medications, obesity, and old age. For many men, the combination of natural weight gain and the aging process will lead them to develop gynecomastia at some point in their lives as in the case of Simon Cowell, Harrison Ford, and John Travolta. While gynecomastia is not a serious physical threat to health, it can lead to increased self consciousness for the person.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? B12 Alert!
If you are feeling tired, your cells are suffering from an energy crisis. They are struggling - and failing - to produce sufficient energy to power both your body and
your brain for a full day of activity. Thats why you often feel tired out - both physically and mentally- and become fatigued more than you used to. Its like trying to start your car when the battery is dead or there's no gas in the tank.
The reason for your fatigue could be a shortage of an essential co-factor your cells need to produce energy. The energy co-factor I am referring to is vitamin B12.
As we get older, our body becomes less efficient at absorbing this critical vitamin,
and so our B12 levels decline with age. In fact, an article in the medical journal The Lancet reports that as many as 4 out of 10 older patients suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the reasons why so many people complain of feeling tired and worn out.It's also often why your mind sometimes feels fuzzy, unable to concentrate or peform demanding mental work at a high level.
Vitamin B-12, a water-soluble vitamin, aids in forming red blood cells and in building genetic material. Vitamin B-12 also helps in the functioning of the nervous system and in metabolizing protein and fat in the body.
Vitamin B12 is found in liver, kidney, yogurt, dairy products, fish, clams, oysters, nonfat dry milk, salmon, and sardines.
Borderline B12 deficiency can sometimes cause symptoms so dramatic that B12 deficiency may be rejected as a possible cause because it may be thought that such symptoms wouldn't be caused by a mere borderline deficiency. B12 deficiency sometimes goes undiagnosed until the symptoms become moderate to severe, although this is not necessarily the fault of the medical profession. The symptoms often come on so slowly that a B12-deficient individual may become accustomed to them and not complain until the symptoms become severe.
What are some of the symptoms of B12 deficiency?
First, bear in mind that each of these symptoms can be caused by something else, often something serious. It is probably safe to say that if you have a wide range of these symptoms, the cause is much more likely to be B12 deficiency than if you have a just a couple of similar symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, you might actually consider yourself fortunate if the cause turns out to be B12 deficiency because it is easily treatable, at least if not so far advanced that it has done permanent damage.
An effort was made to put the following symptoms more or less in order, beginning with those perhaps most likely to be indicative of B12 deficiency.
1. Itchy or tingling tongue. The tongue suddenly itches from time to time without warning. This occurs on the edge of the tongue, along one side or the other or at the tip. There is an irresistible urge to scratch the tongue on the teeth to stop the itching. Some individuals experience stinging, pain, or tingling instead of itching.
2. White spots in the skin, resulting from melatonin becoming absent in the area. These often occur on the outside of the forearm, but may occur in other places. The longer these spots are there, the whiter they get. As time goes by, the spots become very dry and flaky to the extent that small raw spots of skin may be exposed.
3. Sharp stabbing, tingling pain in the palm of one or both hands. This occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason in a spot directly below the ring finger, approximately where the first palm crease is. If B12 deficiency is not treated, a tingling pain may begin to occur along the outside edge of the hand, starting from the wrist. This pain occurs when the wrist is flexed backward.
4. Sores at the corners of the mouth, sometimes extending along the edge of the lip. These are raw spots, not blisters, and they tend to come and go.
5. Nerve shock in the side of the body. It can be felt coming on a few seconds before it hits, and then it hits almost like a mild but deep electric shock and quickly subsides. It can occur at the side of either hip or on either side of the upper body, along the ribs. Worse yet, it can occur consecutively in at least two or three locations, one right after the other.
6. Shortness of breath, but without chest pain. This can occur when walking just a few yards.
7. Eye twitch, usually in one eye or the other. It can occur on the eyelid or just below the eye. This is not usually painful, just annoying.
8. Facial pain, usually on only one side of the face at a time. This pain varies so much that it would be difficult to describe all the possibilities. It can be a dull pain in the cheek bone right underneath an eye. It can also be a sharp shooting pain across the forehead, sometimes coming downward from the scalp to the edge of the nose by the eye. This pain can be excruciating but is usually fleeting.
9. Tingling along the back of one or both thighs, staring at the hips and shooting downward. This starts out as more an annoyance than pain, but can develop into pain if not treated.
10. Memory loss and/or disorientation. For borderline deficiency, these should be mild if they occur at all. They can be severe with extreme deficiency.
11. Migraine headaches. These may be preceded by a temporary blind spot in the center of the field of vision, usually lasting about ten minutes, and sometimes followed by facial pain under the eyes. After the blind spot vanishes, there may be zigzag streaks through the vision that may last up to hours. Even in the same person, there may be extreme variations in the headaches themselves. They may be quite severe with nausea or they may be virtually nonexistent. How can it be a migraine if there's virtually no pain? Doctors say it's a migraine if the described visual problems occur, whether there is significant pain or not.
(Migraines of most individuals have causes other than B12 deficiency, but migraines of certain individuals diminish or stop completely after they are treated for B12 deficiency.)
12. General feeling of fatigue. Although listed last, this may be the most common symptom, but it is also a symptom of many, many other ailments.
First of all, discuss your symptoms with your physician or other health care provider if you haven't already. Don't try to make your own diagnosis because you may have an entirely different problem that needs to be treated. If no satisfactory diagnosis is reached, you may want to broach the subject of a possible B12 deficiency with your doctor. If you've been given blood tests, find out whether your B12 level is near borderline or lower. Bear in mind, that even a near borderline B12 level can cause symptoms.
Keep in mind that even if you have another long term physical problem, if you acquire new symptoms they may be caused by a new problem. In other words, if you have another ailment, actual symptoms of B12 deficiency might erroneously be blamed on that other ailment.
What could cause me to be B12 deficient?
There are several possible reasons. If you're in your fifties or older your stomach may have lost its ability to process B12 from the food you eat. This could also happen at a younger age, but it is not likely unless you have a genetic defect. In either case, a needed protein called gastric intrinsic factor would be lacking in the stomach. In this situation, a dangerous condition called pernicious anemia can develop if B12 deficiency is not treated.
Another possible reason for B12 deficiency is that you simply may not be eating enough meat or animal products, or not any if you're a vegetarian. If this is the case, you must take B12 supplements or injections.
There is an additional less widely known reason for B12 deficiency for those who have multiple sclerosis (or MS). MS causes nerve myelin to be destroyed and B12 is used in the manufacture of myelin as the body struggles to replace the lost myelin. MS can contribute toward B12 deficiency if the body uses up B12 in manufacturing myelin.
If I'm found to be deficient in vitamin B12, what should I do about it?
Your doctor will probably prescribe a series of B12 injections, likely starting daily, then going to weekly and then monthly. You may be told that you'll have to take B12 shots regularly for the rest of your life. B12 tablets exist, but they don't help all who are B12 deficient. If your stomach little or no ability to process B12 from food, then it won't be able to process B12 from swallowed tablets either.
If I start receiving B12 injections for deficiency, how soon can I see an improvement?
You may feel a difference in as little as 12 hours. If you start out with daily shots, your milder symptoms may disappear completely within a few days. Some may take a few months or longer to completely clear up, especially white spots. On the other hand, some symptoms, such as nerve shock or eye twitch, may quickly vanish temporarily but then try to emerge again at times. Extra B12 taken when this happens may eliminate the emerging symptoms.
Is there a way I can avoid taking B12 shots for the rest of my life?
There is now available a sublingual B12 tablet, or nugget, with as high as 5000 mcg of B12. You hold these under your tongue or in the side of your mouth until they dissolve and are absorbed into your bloodstream. As they dissolve, they turn into a pleasant-tasting bright red liquid (cobalamin) which looks the same as the B12 used in injections. In a study, these nuggets have been shown to be effective in some people in overcoming B12 deficiency and maintaining a sufficient level of B12 in the body.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that if taken daily, sublingual nuggets can maintain a constant level of B12 in the body and constantly hold off symptoms, whereas with B12 injections, the symptoms sometimes creep back between injections. Periodic injections keep some people on a rollercoaster but nuggets, when taken daily, tend to create a steady condition of B12 adequacy.
You should consult your doctor before taking B12 nuggets, especially substituting them for B12 injections. There may be a reason why you should not in your particular case. Another possibility is that you may be given injections until you recover from your deficiency and then permitted to take nuggets to maintain a normal B12 level. Your doctor may or may not recommend that you take certain other oral supplements along with B12 nuggets. This is one reason why you should ask your doctor before switching from shots to nuggets.
This article is intended as general information which may or may not be pertinent to a particular individual. It is strongly recommended that you consult your physician for medical advice if you suspect you may have B12 deficiency.
from dr al sears and others
your brain for a full day of activity. Thats why you often feel tired out - both physically and mentally- and become fatigued more than you used to. Its like trying to start your car when the battery is dead or there's no gas in the tank.
The reason for your fatigue could be a shortage of an essential co-factor your cells need to produce energy. The energy co-factor I am referring to is vitamin B12.
As we get older, our body becomes less efficient at absorbing this critical vitamin,
and so our B12 levels decline with age. In fact, an article in the medical journal The Lancet reports that as many as 4 out of 10 older patients suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the reasons why so many people complain of feeling tired and worn out.It's also often why your mind sometimes feels fuzzy, unable to concentrate or peform demanding mental work at a high level.
Vitamin B-12, a water-soluble vitamin, aids in forming red blood cells and in building genetic material. Vitamin B-12 also helps in the functioning of the nervous system and in metabolizing protein and fat in the body.
Vitamin B12 is found in liver, kidney, yogurt, dairy products, fish, clams, oysters, nonfat dry milk, salmon, and sardines.
Borderline B12 deficiency can sometimes cause symptoms so dramatic that B12 deficiency may be rejected as a possible cause because it may be thought that such symptoms wouldn't be caused by a mere borderline deficiency. B12 deficiency sometimes goes undiagnosed until the symptoms become moderate to severe, although this is not necessarily the fault of the medical profession. The symptoms often come on so slowly that a B12-deficient individual may become accustomed to them and not complain until the symptoms become severe.
What are some of the symptoms of B12 deficiency?
First, bear in mind that each of these symptoms can be caused by something else, often something serious. It is probably safe to say that if you have a wide range of these symptoms, the cause is much more likely to be B12 deficiency than if you have a just a couple of similar symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, you might actually consider yourself fortunate if the cause turns out to be B12 deficiency because it is easily treatable, at least if not so far advanced that it has done permanent damage.
An effort was made to put the following symptoms more or less in order, beginning with those perhaps most likely to be indicative of B12 deficiency.
1. Itchy or tingling tongue. The tongue suddenly itches from time to time without warning. This occurs on the edge of the tongue, along one side or the other or at the tip. There is an irresistible urge to scratch the tongue on the teeth to stop the itching. Some individuals experience stinging, pain, or tingling instead of itching.
2. White spots in the skin, resulting from melatonin becoming absent in the area. These often occur on the outside of the forearm, but may occur in other places. The longer these spots are there, the whiter they get. As time goes by, the spots become very dry and flaky to the extent that small raw spots of skin may be exposed.
3. Sharp stabbing, tingling pain in the palm of one or both hands. This occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason in a spot directly below the ring finger, approximately where the first palm crease is. If B12 deficiency is not treated, a tingling pain may begin to occur along the outside edge of the hand, starting from the wrist. This pain occurs when the wrist is flexed backward.
4. Sores at the corners of the mouth, sometimes extending along the edge of the lip. These are raw spots, not blisters, and they tend to come and go.
5. Nerve shock in the side of the body. It can be felt coming on a few seconds before it hits, and then it hits almost like a mild but deep electric shock and quickly subsides. It can occur at the side of either hip or on either side of the upper body, along the ribs. Worse yet, it can occur consecutively in at least two or three locations, one right after the other.
6. Shortness of breath, but without chest pain. This can occur when walking just a few yards.
7. Eye twitch, usually in one eye or the other. It can occur on the eyelid or just below the eye. This is not usually painful, just annoying.
8. Facial pain, usually on only one side of the face at a time. This pain varies so much that it would be difficult to describe all the possibilities. It can be a dull pain in the cheek bone right underneath an eye. It can also be a sharp shooting pain across the forehead, sometimes coming downward from the scalp to the edge of the nose by the eye. This pain can be excruciating but is usually fleeting.
9. Tingling along the back of one or both thighs, staring at the hips and shooting downward. This starts out as more an annoyance than pain, but can develop into pain if not treated.
10. Memory loss and/or disorientation. For borderline deficiency, these should be mild if they occur at all. They can be severe with extreme deficiency.
11. Migraine headaches. These may be preceded by a temporary blind spot in the center of the field of vision, usually lasting about ten minutes, and sometimes followed by facial pain under the eyes. After the blind spot vanishes, there may be zigzag streaks through the vision that may last up to hours. Even in the same person, there may be extreme variations in the headaches themselves. They may be quite severe with nausea or they may be virtually nonexistent. How can it be a migraine if there's virtually no pain? Doctors say it's a migraine if the described visual problems occur, whether there is significant pain or not.
(Migraines of most individuals have causes other than B12 deficiency, but migraines of certain individuals diminish or stop completely after they are treated for B12 deficiency.)
12. General feeling of fatigue. Although listed last, this may be the most common symptom, but it is also a symptom of many, many other ailments.
First of all, discuss your symptoms with your physician or other health care provider if you haven't already. Don't try to make your own diagnosis because you may have an entirely different problem that needs to be treated. If no satisfactory diagnosis is reached, you may want to broach the subject of a possible B12 deficiency with your doctor. If you've been given blood tests, find out whether your B12 level is near borderline or lower. Bear in mind, that even a near borderline B12 level can cause symptoms.
Keep in mind that even if you have another long term physical problem, if you acquire new symptoms they may be caused by a new problem. In other words, if you have another ailment, actual symptoms of B12 deficiency might erroneously be blamed on that other ailment.
What could cause me to be B12 deficient?
There are several possible reasons. If you're in your fifties or older your stomach may have lost its ability to process B12 from the food you eat. This could also happen at a younger age, but it is not likely unless you have a genetic defect. In either case, a needed protein called gastric intrinsic factor would be lacking in the stomach. In this situation, a dangerous condition called pernicious anemia can develop if B12 deficiency is not treated.
Another possible reason for B12 deficiency is that you simply may not be eating enough meat or animal products, or not any if you're a vegetarian. If this is the case, you must take B12 supplements or injections.
There is an additional less widely known reason for B12 deficiency for those who have multiple sclerosis (or MS). MS causes nerve myelin to be destroyed and B12 is used in the manufacture of myelin as the body struggles to replace the lost myelin. MS can contribute toward B12 deficiency if the body uses up B12 in manufacturing myelin.
If I'm found to be deficient in vitamin B12, what should I do about it?
Your doctor will probably prescribe a series of B12 injections, likely starting daily, then going to weekly and then monthly. You may be told that you'll have to take B12 shots regularly for the rest of your life. B12 tablets exist, but they don't help all who are B12 deficient. If your stomach little or no ability to process B12 from food, then it won't be able to process B12 from swallowed tablets either.
If I start receiving B12 injections for deficiency, how soon can I see an improvement?
You may feel a difference in as little as 12 hours. If you start out with daily shots, your milder symptoms may disappear completely within a few days. Some may take a few months or longer to completely clear up, especially white spots. On the other hand, some symptoms, such as nerve shock or eye twitch, may quickly vanish temporarily but then try to emerge again at times. Extra B12 taken when this happens may eliminate the emerging symptoms.
Is there a way I can avoid taking B12 shots for the rest of my life?
There is now available a sublingual B12 tablet, or nugget, with as high as 5000 mcg of B12. You hold these under your tongue or in the side of your mouth until they dissolve and are absorbed into your bloodstream. As they dissolve, they turn into a pleasant-tasting bright red liquid (cobalamin) which looks the same as the B12 used in injections. In a study, these nuggets have been shown to be effective in some people in overcoming B12 deficiency and maintaining a sufficient level of B12 in the body.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that if taken daily, sublingual nuggets can maintain a constant level of B12 in the body and constantly hold off symptoms, whereas with B12 injections, the symptoms sometimes creep back between injections. Periodic injections keep some people on a rollercoaster but nuggets, when taken daily, tend to create a steady condition of B12 adequacy.
You should consult your doctor before taking B12 nuggets, especially substituting them for B12 injections. There may be a reason why you should not in your particular case. Another possibility is that you may be given injections until you recover from your deficiency and then permitted to take nuggets to maintain a normal B12 level. Your doctor may or may not recommend that you take certain other oral supplements along with B12 nuggets. This is one reason why you should ask your doctor before switching from shots to nuggets.
This article is intended as general information which may or may not be pertinent to a particular individual. It is strongly recommended that you consult your physician for medical advice if you suspect you may have B12 deficiency.
from dr al sears and others
sungazing
It’s becoming common knowledge in alternative medical circles that the sun, far from being the enemy to health that western medicine has made it out to be is really our best friend when it comes to health, healing, immunity and even strengthening our eyesight. How can this be? Well in this article, I’m going to show you how and teach you a little known Taoist technique to not only improve the eyesight and eye strength, but to increase your overall immunity simply by using the sun with a simple eye exercise that only takes a few seconds to do each morning and evening.
see http://www.naturalnews.com/022961.html
see http://www.naturalnews.com/022961.html
Saturday, 10 May 2008
statins - atrogen-1
A team from Harvard Medical School says it has cracked the mystery behind statins' tendency to cause muscle damage in some patients
Statins basically are an unnatural way of lowering cholesterol level, and in the new study researchers found that statins activate a gene signal in muscles called atrogen-1. When this gene activates, it targets key muscle proteins for destruction. The activation of this gene drives the process of muscle atrophy and muscle wasting. It is induced in cardiac muscle in failing hearts. Why on earth would any person want this gene activated by a drug?
Statins basically are an unnatural way of lowering cholesterol level, and in the new study researchers found that statins activate a gene signal in muscles called atrogen-1. When this gene activates, it targets key muscle proteins for destruction. The activation of this gene drives the process of muscle atrophy and muscle wasting. It is induced in cardiac muscle in failing hearts. Why on earth would any person want this gene activated by a drug?
fibromyalgia shock
An article in the New York Times this week talks about a new drug for fibromyalgia which has been aggressively marketed in the states. The thing is that this drug, which apparently manages to reduce the pain, causes weight gain, swelling, dizziness and sleepiness. Is this drug helping or hindering the healing process? I will leave you to make up your own minds. But when the body is suffering even more after the visit to the doctor, maybe its time to not go to the doctor for the cure! I found it interesting that Dr. Nortin Hadler, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina who has written extensively about fibromyalgia said “The diagnosis of fibromyalgia itself worsens the condition by encouraging people to think of themselves as sick and catalog their pain” Lets face it when we get a label we then tend to start to fulfil it!
“These people live under a cloud,” he said. “And the more they seem to be around the medical establishment, the sicker they get.” This is something I really do agree with, I don’t see how on the whole the medical establishment are helping to heal people, when the medications they are giving them are giving them even more symptoms.
Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined the diagnostic guidelines for fibromyalgia, says he has become cynical and discouraged about the diagnosis. He now considers the condition a physical response to stress, depression, and economic and social anxiety.
“Some of us in those days thought that we had actually identified a disease, which this clearly is not,” Dr. Wolfe said. “To make people ill, to give them an illness, was the wrong thing.”
“These people live under a cloud,” he said. “And the more they seem to be around the medical establishment, the sicker they get.” This is something I really do agree with, I don’t see how on the whole the medical establishment are helping to heal people, when the medications they are giving them are giving them even more symptoms.
Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined the diagnostic guidelines for fibromyalgia, says he has become cynical and discouraged about the diagnosis. He now considers the condition a physical response to stress, depression, and economic and social anxiety.
“Some of us in those days thought that we had actually identified a disease, which this clearly is not,” Dr. Wolfe said. “To make people ill, to give them an illness, was the wrong thing.”
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
marathon running causes heart disease!
For a Strong Heart, Heed this Lesson:
" If you're looking for a New Year's resolution, don't let your good intentions put you at greater health risks. My suggestion: Nix long duration exercise from your plan. There's a body of clinical evidence to support what I've been telling my patients for two decades. Long-distance workouts - especially marathons - traumatize your heart and mimic the effects of heart disease. So this may not be the best way to support your favourite charity!
Back when I was in medical school, I saw this first hand. At the time, I was working at an emergency aid station for marathon races. During one race, I saw 2 runners fall to their knees, their lips turning blue, suffering from irregular heartbeats and fearing a heart attack. Unfortunately, the damage is continuing. In 2006 alone, at least 6 runners lost their lives in marathons in the US. In March, two police officers, one 53, the other 60, died of heart attacks at the Los Angeles Marathon. Three runners in their early 40s all had fatal heart attacks during marathons in Chicago, San Francisco and the Twin Cities. And on October 29th, at the Marine Corps Marathon, a 56-year old man collapsed at the 17th mile marker, never to recover. Science Finally "Discovers" the Risks of Marathon Running Results from Boston area hospitals reveal the risks and damaging effects experienced by dozens of marathon runners they've studied over the last ten years."
from Dr Al Sears MD
" If you're looking for a New Year's resolution, don't let your good intentions put you at greater health risks. My suggestion: Nix long duration exercise from your plan. There's a body of clinical evidence to support what I've been telling my patients for two decades. Long-distance workouts - especially marathons - traumatize your heart and mimic the effects of heart disease. So this may not be the best way to support your favourite charity!
Back when I was in medical school, I saw this first hand. At the time, I was working at an emergency aid station for marathon races. During one race, I saw 2 runners fall to their knees, their lips turning blue, suffering from irregular heartbeats and fearing a heart attack. Unfortunately, the damage is continuing. In 2006 alone, at least 6 runners lost their lives in marathons in the US. In March, two police officers, one 53, the other 60, died of heart attacks at the Los Angeles Marathon. Three runners in their early 40s all had fatal heart attacks during marathons in Chicago, San Francisco and the Twin Cities. And on October 29th, at the Marine Corps Marathon, a 56-year old man collapsed at the 17th mile marker, never to recover. Science Finally "Discovers" the Risks of Marathon Running Results from Boston area hospitals reveal the risks and damaging effects experienced by dozens of marathon runners they've studied over the last ten years."
from Dr Al Sears MD
Sunday, 27 April 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS BLOG!
I started this bog a year ago. It has been reasonably successful (over 10,000 visitors) and a lot of fun..
some tips about starting your blog:
Starting a blog is one of the simplest ways to join the online community. Follow these tips to ensure your blog is positioned for success.
1. Define Your Goals
Before you start a new blog, it's essential that you define your goals for it. Your blog has a greater chance of success if you know from the beginning what you hope to accomplish with it. Are you trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field? Are you trying to promote your business? Are you simply blogging for fun and to share your ideas and opinions? Your short and long term goals for your blog are dependent on the reason why you're starting your blog. Think ahead to what you'd like to gain from your blog in six months, one year and three years. Then design, write and market your blog to meet those goals.
2. Know Your Audience
Your blog's design and content should reflect the expectations of your audience. For example, if your intended audience is teenagers, the design and content would be quite different than a blog targeted to corporate professionals. Your audience will have inherent expectations for your blog. Don't confuse them but rather meet and exceed those expectations to gain reader loyalty.
3. Be Consistent
Your blog is a brand. Just like popular brands such as Coke or Nike, your blog represents a specific message and image to your audience, which is your brand. Your blog's design and content should consistently communicate your blog's overall brand image and message. Being consistent allows you to meet your audience's expectations and create a secure place for them to visit again and again. That consistency will be rewarded with reader loyalty.
4. Be Persistent
A busy blog is a useful blog. Blogs that are not updated frequently are perceived by their audiences as static web pages.
happy blogging!
I started this bog a year ago. It has been reasonably successful (over 10,000 visitors) and a lot of fun..
some tips about starting your blog:
Starting a blog is one of the simplest ways to join the online community. Follow these tips to ensure your blog is positioned for success.
1. Define Your Goals
Before you start a new blog, it's essential that you define your goals for it. Your blog has a greater chance of success if you know from the beginning what you hope to accomplish with it. Are you trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field? Are you trying to promote your business? Are you simply blogging for fun and to share your ideas and opinions? Your short and long term goals for your blog are dependent on the reason why you're starting your blog. Think ahead to what you'd like to gain from your blog in six months, one year and three years. Then design, write and market your blog to meet those goals.
2. Know Your Audience
Your blog's design and content should reflect the expectations of your audience. For example, if your intended audience is teenagers, the design and content would be quite different than a blog targeted to corporate professionals. Your audience will have inherent expectations for your blog. Don't confuse them but rather meet and exceed those expectations to gain reader loyalty.
3. Be Consistent
Your blog is a brand. Just like popular brands such as Coke or Nike, your blog represents a specific message and image to your audience, which is your brand. Your blog's design and content should consistently communicate your blog's overall brand image and message. Being consistent allows you to meet your audience's expectations and create a secure place for them to visit again and again. That consistency will be rewarded with reader loyalty.
4. Be Persistent
A busy blog is a useful blog. Blogs that are not updated frequently are perceived by their audiences as static web pages.
happy blogging!
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