... from Hui Neng
A.D. 637-714:
"In the midst of all good and evil not a thought is aroused in the
mind- this is called 'Za'.
Seeing into one's self-nature, not being moved at all, this is
called 'Zen'."
and from the Bible:
"Be still and know that I am God".
Friday, 30 November 2007
Monday, 26 November 2007
cure for insomnia
Did you know that a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health
found the popular prescription sleep aids will get you an average of
only 11 minutes extra sleep.
So Americans are shelling out $4.5 billion each year for little more than ten minutes
of extra sleep.
what works for me:
lie in bed and think/remember everything that happened in the day in reverse order - after a few minutes i am asleep! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (so boring!) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
found the popular prescription sleep aids will get you an average of
only 11 minutes extra sleep.
So Americans are shelling out $4.5 billion each year for little more than ten minutes
of extra sleep.
what works for me:
lie in bed and think/remember everything that happened in the day in reverse order - after a few minutes i am asleep! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (so boring!) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Saturday, 24 November 2007
another experience with statin drugs
This was a comment to my previous posting 'an alarming experience with statins':
"Thank you for posting Dr. Graveline's experience of Transient Global Amnesia caused by Lipitor.
My own husband had multiple witnessed episodes of Transient Global Amnesia while taking Lipitor at only 10 mg/day.
Further, the Lipitor left him with profound short-term-memory loss. He started on Lipitor at 50 working as a corporate CEO. By the end of 4 years on Lipitor, at the lowest dose, his short term memory was measured at below the 1 percentile. He literally could not remember to the end of a sentence over 5 words. Keep in mind that "What do you want for dinner?" is a six word sentence - an beyond his ability to process, thanks to the Lipitor damage. He also developed aphasia, the inability to recall words, which prevented effective communication.
In addition he was left with Lipitor-caused mitochondrial damage, muscle pain, muscle wasting, chronic fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic insomnia.
A full DECADE after starting the Lipitor, he remains disabled, unable to function in his former capacity, or any other.
Extensive testing has eliminated all other possible causes - it was the Lipitor that destroyed his quality of life".
22 November 2007 17:50
"Thank you for posting Dr. Graveline's experience of Transient Global Amnesia caused by Lipitor.
My own husband had multiple witnessed episodes of Transient Global Amnesia while taking Lipitor at only 10 mg/day.
Further, the Lipitor left him with profound short-term-memory loss. He started on Lipitor at 50 working as a corporate CEO. By the end of 4 years on Lipitor, at the lowest dose, his short term memory was measured at below the 1 percentile. He literally could not remember to the end of a sentence over 5 words. Keep in mind that "What do you want for dinner?" is a six word sentence - an beyond his ability to process, thanks to the Lipitor damage. He also developed aphasia, the inability to recall words, which prevented effective communication.
In addition he was left with Lipitor-caused mitochondrial damage, muscle pain, muscle wasting, chronic fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic insomnia.
A full DECADE after starting the Lipitor, he remains disabled, unable to function in his former capacity, or any other.
Extensive testing has eliminated all other possible causes - it was the Lipitor that destroyed his quality of life".
22 November 2007 17:50
Magnesium oil - powerful form of magnesium
The Following are Excerpts taken from Transdermal Magnesium Therapy Book
by Mark Sirus, O.M.D.
What is exciting about this form of magnesium is that it is easily absorbed into the body through the skin and is delivered directly to the cellular level, thereby completely bypassing the body's natural rejection of magnesium as is so often experienced with oral supplementation. There are no reactions of nausea or diarrhea, and yet, the magnesium levels in the body can be significantly increased in this manner.
Some of the conditions magnesium may be useful in treating or preventing are:
Aging Aggressive Behavior
Alcoholism Alzheimer's Disease
Arrhythmia Asthma
Attention Deficit Disorder Autism
Brain Damage Cancer
Cerebral Palsy Cerebrovascular
Chemical Sensitivity Chronic Fatigue
Cluster Headaches Constipation
Cramps Diabetes
Fibromyalgia Fluoride Toxicity
Head Injuries, Central Nervous System Injuries
HIV, AIDS Heart Disease. Heart Attack,
Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular Disease,
Hypertension Kidney Stones
Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS) Migraine Headache
Menopause Symptom Multiple Sclerosis
Mitral Valve Prolapse Peripheral vascular disease
Osteoporosis Premenstrual Syndrome, PMS
Psychiatric Disorders Repetitive Strain Injury
Rheumatoid Arthritis Sickle Cell Diseas
SIDS Sports-related problems
Stroke Stress
Stuttering Tetanus TMJ
Stress begets stress. The lower your magnesium level, the lower your threshold for new stress - thus, you become increasingly more sensitive - more adrenalin, greater magnesium loss, greater sensitivity, etc. Soon the intracellular magnesium level is no longer 10 times that of serum and the cells are in a chronic state of hyperexcitability. anxiety, irritability, anger, depression and mood swings are
just the tip of the iceberg of magnesium deficient symptoms.
THESE ARE JUST SYMPTOMS!
Attention Deficit Anxiety Confusion
Diarrhea or Constipation Fatigue Faintness
Depression Intestinal Problems
Hyperventilation Insomnia
Muscle Cramps Muscle Tightness
Muscle Twitches Pain
Poor Memory Seizures
Excerpts taken from Magnesium Deficiency in "Holy Water, Sacred Oil" by Dr. C. Norman Shealy, M.D., PhD (available at Amazon )
by Mark Sirus, O.M.D.
What is exciting about this form of magnesium is that it is easily absorbed into the body through the skin and is delivered directly to the cellular level, thereby completely bypassing the body's natural rejection of magnesium as is so often experienced with oral supplementation. There are no reactions of nausea or diarrhea, and yet, the magnesium levels in the body can be significantly increased in this manner.
Some of the conditions magnesium may be useful in treating or preventing are:
Aging Aggressive Behavior
Alcoholism Alzheimer's Disease
Arrhythmia Asthma
Attention Deficit Disorder Autism
Brain Damage Cancer
Cerebral Palsy Cerebrovascular
Chemical Sensitivity Chronic Fatigue
Cluster Headaches Constipation
Cramps Diabetes
Fibromyalgia Fluoride Toxicity
Head Injuries, Central Nervous System Injuries
HIV, AIDS Heart Disease. Heart Attack,
Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular Disease,
Hypertension Kidney Stones
Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS) Migraine Headache
Menopause Symptom Multiple Sclerosis
Mitral Valve Prolapse Peripheral vascular disease
Osteoporosis Premenstrual Syndrome, PMS
Psychiatric Disorders Repetitive Strain Injury
Rheumatoid Arthritis Sickle Cell Diseas
SIDS Sports-related problems
Stroke Stress
Stuttering Tetanus TMJ
Stress begets stress. The lower your magnesium level, the lower your threshold for new stress - thus, you become increasingly more sensitive - more adrenalin, greater magnesium loss, greater sensitivity, etc. Soon the intracellular magnesium level is no longer 10 times that of serum and the cells are in a chronic state of hyperexcitability. anxiety, irritability, anger, depression and mood swings are
just the tip of the iceberg of magnesium deficient symptoms.
THESE ARE JUST SYMPTOMS!
Attention Deficit Anxiety Confusion
Diarrhea or Constipation Fatigue Faintness
Depression Intestinal Problems
Hyperventilation Insomnia
Muscle Cramps Muscle Tightness
Muscle Twitches Pain
Poor Memory Seizures
Excerpts taken from Magnesium Deficiency in "Holy Water, Sacred Oil" by Dr. C. Norman Shealy, M.D., PhD (available at Amazon )
magnesium and cancer
Magnesium stabilizes ATP , allowing
DNA and RNA transcriptions and repairs.
There is a power and a force in magnesium that cannot be equaled anywhere else in the world of medicine. There is no substitute for magnesium in human physiology; nothing comes even close to it in terms of its effect on overall cell physiology. Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely. It goes against a gale wind of medical Science to ignore magnesium chloride used transdermally in the treatment of any chronic or acute disorder, especially cancer. (magnesium chloride is from Sea Salt )
Magnesium repletion produced rapid
disappearance of the periosteal tumors.
Aleksandrowicz et al in Poland conclude that inadequacy of Mg and antioxidants are important risk factors in predisposing to leukemias. Other researchers found that 46% of the patients admitted to an ICU in a tertiary cancer center presented hypomagnesemia.
DNA and RNA transcriptions and repairs.
There is a power and a force in magnesium that cannot be equaled anywhere else in the world of medicine. There is no substitute for magnesium in human physiology; nothing comes even close to it in terms of its effect on overall cell physiology. Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely. It goes against a gale wind of medical Science to ignore magnesium chloride used transdermally in the treatment of any chronic or acute disorder, especially cancer. (magnesium chloride is from Sea Salt )
Magnesium repletion produced rapid
disappearance of the periosteal tumors.
Aleksandrowicz et al in Poland conclude that inadequacy of Mg and antioxidants are important risk factors in predisposing to leukemias. Other researchers found that 46% of the patients admitted to an ICU in a tertiary cancer center presented hypomagnesemia.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
an alarming experience with statins
Transient Global Amnesia – A Side Effect Of Statin Treatment
Duane Graveline, MD, former NASA Astronaut, USAF Flight Surgeon, Space Medicine Research Scientist, Family Doctor. 4414 Cormorant Ln., Merritt Island, FL 32953.
Try to imagine the complete inability to formulate new memory. This condition is known as transient global amnesia, now known to be associated with statin drug use. My first encounter occurred six weeks after my annual astronaut physical at Johnson Space Center. Despite regular exercise, weight maintenance and proper diet my total serum cholesterol had risen to 250 mg and the recommendation of the flight surgeons there was to start Lipitor, 10 mg daily. My wife noticed me walking aimlessly about the yard after my return from my usual walk. I did not know who she was and would not enter our house. Our family doctor referred me immediately to a neurologist and finally, in the office of the neurologist, my senses returned to normal. Following a negative MRI the following day, the diagnosis of transient global amnesia was made. I discontinued Lipitor because I suspected it was the cause.
At my next NASA physical I was assured that statin drugs do not do this. Reluctantly I started again with 5 mg, daily, one-half my previous dose. Six weeks later I descended again into the black pit of amnesia, this time for an extraordinary 12 hours. In addition to the mainly antegrade amnesia which characterized my first attack, this time I had a retrograde element all the way back to my high school days. Gone was my medical school training, USAF flight surgeon career, my marriage and four children and even my selection as scientist astronaut. Again the same doctors made the same diagnosis, transient global amnesia. Again I stopped Lipitor on my own knowing it was the cause but I was the only one convinced.
Several months later I got in contact with the statin drug study at UCSD's College of Medicine. There, Dr. Beatrice Golomb reported she had several cases just like mine. A few days later, thanks to the Graedons of the radio program Peoples Pharmacy, thousands of case reports of memory dysfunction started flooding in from patients across the country, all with the same common thread - association with statin drug use. And the amnesia is just the tip of the iceberg of the true incidence of memory impairment associated with Lipitor, Mevacor and Zocor. For every case of amnesia, thousands of cases of extreme forgetfullness, incapacitating confusion and profound disorientation have been and are being reported. Neither patients nor doctors are aware of this side effect.ng lipids. The role of inflammation and stress
..and more about statins from:
Paul Rosch; MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, New York Medical College, President, The American Institute of Stress, Honorary Vice President, International Stress Management Association, 124 Park Ave.Yonkers, NY 10703, USA.
1. Increased dietary fat intake does not significantly elevate cholesterol or lipid levels.
2. Elevated serum cholesterol and/or other lipids are not the cause of coronary heart disease.
3. Statins can have significant side effects that have been overlooked or deliberately suppressed. In addition to rhabdomyolysis and liver dysfunction, these include: muscle pain, weakness and fatigue and biopsy evidence of myopathy and tendinopathy in the absence of elevated CK, memory loss, global amnesia, difficulty in sleeping and concentration, erectile dysfunction, problems with temperature regulation, difficulty in managing diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy.
4. All statins have been shown to be carcinogenic in experimental animals in dosages that approximate those given to patients. Although the lag time between exposure to a carcinogen and clinical detection is often a decade or more, a disturbing increase in breast cancer has already been reported in the CARE trial as well as certain skin malignancies in the simvastatin trials. Statins could initiate and/or accelerate malignant growth by a) blocking the production of Coenzyme Q10, which has been shown to have anti-cancer effects; b) stimulating the growth of new blood vessels that malignancies require to promote their propagation; c) decreasing the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells; d) blocking the production of squalene, an intermediate cholesterol metabolite with anti-cancer activities in animal studies and currently used as adjunctive therapy in treating cancer; e) reducing the production of DHEA, which has been shown to have anticancer and immune stimulating effects in experimental studies.
5. Cardioprotective effects are seen regardless of baseline cholesterol or LDL levels or the degree to which they are reduced and are achieved far too rapidly to be due to lowering LDL. If statins worked by lowering LDL one would expect to see dose-response relationship, which has not been demonstrated in any statin trials. Cardioprotective effects are seen in the elderly where LDL or other lipids are not a risk factor for coronary heart disease and in the HPS study statin treatment also prevented ischemic stroke although high LDL is not a risk factor for stroke.
6. There is abundant evidence that reducing inflammation, thrombotic factors and endothelial
damage may explain the statin effects. For example, in the CARE, the outcome was related to the degree of inflammation but independent of any lipid response.
7. Most coronary events are not due to progressive blockage of a vessel by gradual accumulation of lipid material but to thrombosis and disruption of an asymptomatic fibrous plaque with minimal protrusion. Human atherosclerotic plaque bears little resemblance to experimental atherosclerosis in animals force-fed high-fat and high cholesterol diets, but has all the hallmarks of an inflammatory response to infection and there is considerable evidence to support such an etiology, particularly for chlamydia pneumoniae. Homocysteine, angiotensin II and a host of inflammatory agents have also been implicated.
8. Therefore, the current therapy goals of lowering LDL to arbitrary levels are not only inappropriate but also dangerous, since this will only lead to larger doses and more side effects.
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2003/12/05/statin_drugs_memory_loss.htm
Duane Graveline, MD, former NASA Astronaut, USAF Flight Surgeon, Space Medicine Research Scientist, Family Doctor. 4414 Cormorant Ln., Merritt Island, FL 32953.
Try to imagine the complete inability to formulate new memory. This condition is known as transient global amnesia, now known to be associated with statin drug use. My first encounter occurred six weeks after my annual astronaut physical at Johnson Space Center. Despite regular exercise, weight maintenance and proper diet my total serum cholesterol had risen to 250 mg and the recommendation of the flight surgeons there was to start Lipitor, 10 mg daily. My wife noticed me walking aimlessly about the yard after my return from my usual walk. I did not know who she was and would not enter our house. Our family doctor referred me immediately to a neurologist and finally, in the office of the neurologist, my senses returned to normal. Following a negative MRI the following day, the diagnosis of transient global amnesia was made. I discontinued Lipitor because I suspected it was the cause.
At my next NASA physical I was assured that statin drugs do not do this. Reluctantly I started again with 5 mg, daily, one-half my previous dose. Six weeks later I descended again into the black pit of amnesia, this time for an extraordinary 12 hours. In addition to the mainly antegrade amnesia which characterized my first attack, this time I had a retrograde element all the way back to my high school days. Gone was my medical school training, USAF flight surgeon career, my marriage and four children and even my selection as scientist astronaut. Again the same doctors made the same diagnosis, transient global amnesia. Again I stopped Lipitor on my own knowing it was the cause but I was the only one convinced.
Several months later I got in contact with the statin drug study at UCSD's College of Medicine. There, Dr. Beatrice Golomb reported she had several cases just like mine. A few days later, thanks to the Graedons of the radio program Peoples Pharmacy, thousands of case reports of memory dysfunction started flooding in from patients across the country, all with the same common thread - association with statin drug use. And the amnesia is just the tip of the iceberg of the true incidence of memory impairment associated with Lipitor, Mevacor and Zocor. For every case of amnesia, thousands of cases of extreme forgetfullness, incapacitating confusion and profound disorientation have been and are being reported. Neither patients nor doctors are aware of this side effect.ng lipids. The role of inflammation and stress
..and more about statins from:
Paul Rosch; MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, New York Medical College, President, The American Institute of Stress, Honorary Vice President, International Stress Management Association, 124 Park Ave.Yonkers, NY 10703, USA.
1. Increased dietary fat intake does not significantly elevate cholesterol or lipid levels.
2. Elevated serum cholesterol and/or other lipids are not the cause of coronary heart disease.
3. Statins can have significant side effects that have been overlooked or deliberately suppressed. In addition to rhabdomyolysis and liver dysfunction, these include: muscle pain, weakness and fatigue and biopsy evidence of myopathy and tendinopathy in the absence of elevated CK, memory loss, global amnesia, difficulty in sleeping and concentration, erectile dysfunction, problems with temperature regulation, difficulty in managing diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy.
4. All statins have been shown to be carcinogenic in experimental animals in dosages that approximate those given to patients. Although the lag time between exposure to a carcinogen and clinical detection is often a decade or more, a disturbing increase in breast cancer has already been reported in the CARE trial as well as certain skin malignancies in the simvastatin trials. Statins could initiate and/or accelerate malignant growth by a) blocking the production of Coenzyme Q10, which has been shown to have anti-cancer effects; b) stimulating the growth of new blood vessels that malignancies require to promote their propagation; c) decreasing the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells; d) blocking the production of squalene, an intermediate cholesterol metabolite with anti-cancer activities in animal studies and currently used as adjunctive therapy in treating cancer; e) reducing the production of DHEA, which has been shown to have anticancer and immune stimulating effects in experimental studies.
5. Cardioprotective effects are seen regardless of baseline cholesterol or LDL levels or the degree to which they are reduced and are achieved far too rapidly to be due to lowering LDL. If statins worked by lowering LDL one would expect to see dose-response relationship, which has not been demonstrated in any statin trials. Cardioprotective effects are seen in the elderly where LDL or other lipids are not a risk factor for coronary heart disease and in the HPS study statin treatment also prevented ischemic stroke although high LDL is not a risk factor for stroke.
6. There is abundant evidence that reducing inflammation, thrombotic factors and endothelial
damage may explain the statin effects. For example, in the CARE, the outcome was related to the degree of inflammation but independent of any lipid response.
7. Most coronary events are not due to progressive blockage of a vessel by gradual accumulation of lipid material but to thrombosis and disruption of an asymptomatic fibrous plaque with minimal protrusion. Human atherosclerotic plaque bears little resemblance to experimental atherosclerosis in animals force-fed high-fat and high cholesterol diets, but has all the hallmarks of an inflammatory response to infection and there is considerable evidence to support such an etiology, particularly for chlamydia pneumoniae. Homocysteine, angiotensin II and a host of inflammatory agents have also been implicated.
8. Therefore, the current therapy goals of lowering LDL to arbitrary levels are not only inappropriate but also dangerous, since this will only lead to larger doses and more side effects.
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2003/12/05/statin_drugs_memory_loss.htm
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
my burning desire
My burning desire is to help people to be well by giving them the tools and responsibility to succeed. I fervently believe that ‘Only Nature Heals' and my job is to assist practically in promoting health.
Monday, 19 November 2007
cholestoral -lowering drugs bad for health
More from Al Sears MD:
'cholesterol-lowering drugs are bad for your health. Yet according to
another new study, doctors still just arent getting it.
Even worse, many
doctors continue to dismiss the warning signs when their patients
complain of dangerous side effects. Theyre just not
listening.
Researchers at the
University of San Diego recently surveyed 650 patients taking
cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Mevacor. The point
of the study was to find out how their doctors responded when they
reported having bad reactions.1
The results were
disturbing, to say the least. Forty-seven percent of
participants suffering from muscle or brain-related problems reported
that their doctors brushed their complaints aside.
Fifty-one
percent of patients with nerve pain said the same thing. Overall,
thirty-two percent of patients with a variety of complaints reported
that their doctors immediately ruled out the possibility that they
could be related to statin drugs.
And, the San Diego
researchers concluded that the pharmaceutical companies who make these
drugs were getting the word out about their dangers
(probably because of fear of legal repercussions). The doctors simply
weren't listening. And in the majority of cases, it was
the patient, not the doctor, who initiated
the discussion about possible side effects.
For my part,
I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing for many
years - warning anyone who will listen to avoid statin drugs. Not only
do they fail to address the real cause of heart disease
(which isn't high cholesterol, by the way) they hurt
instead of helping and can actually be fatal.
The list of statin
drugs side effects is long and frightening. Here are just a
few:
Inability to concentrate
Confusion
Amnesia
Disorientation
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Nerve pain
Muscle weakness
Depression and other mood
disorders
Impotence
Lowered sex drive
Weakened immune system
Liver damage
Rhabdomyolysis (painful
bursting of muscle cells)
And death
With risks like
these, you have to wonder why so many doctors remain in the dark.
Statins remain blockbuster drugs - 12 million Americans are
currently taking them.
One reason may be
that the mainstream medical community continues to focus on
cholesterol as the chief culprit behind heart disease. There's
no doubt statins lower LDL cholesterol,
The problem is,
cholesterol isn't the problem. It may surprise you to learn that
75 percent of heart attack victims have perfectly normal cholesterol
levels.
The fact is
lowering your LDL cholesterol doesn't protect you from heart
disease. You want to raise your HDL, the good kind. As
long as your HDL is high - around 85 -; there's
no reason to worry about your LDL levels.
You can boost HDL
levels naturally and safely. One clinically proven way is to get more
lean meat in your diet
But if you're
on statin drugs and decide you want to stay on them, make sure your
doctor is responsive to your questions and listens to your reporting
of potential side effects. Take the lead in conversations about
possible side effects and dangers.
And if he or she is
like the doctors in the study and just doesn't listening to you,
find a new doctor.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
'cholesterol-lowering drugs are bad for your health. Yet according to
another new study, doctors still just arent getting it.
Even worse, many
doctors continue to dismiss the warning signs when their patients
complain of dangerous side effects. Theyre just not
listening.
Researchers at the
University of San Diego recently surveyed 650 patients taking
cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Mevacor. The point
of the study was to find out how their doctors responded when they
reported having bad reactions.1
The results were
disturbing, to say the least. Forty-seven percent of
participants suffering from muscle or brain-related problems reported
that their doctors brushed their complaints aside.
Fifty-one
percent of patients with nerve pain said the same thing. Overall,
thirty-two percent of patients with a variety of complaints reported
that their doctors immediately ruled out the possibility that they
could be related to statin drugs.
And, the San Diego
researchers concluded that the pharmaceutical companies who make these
drugs were getting the word out about their dangers
(probably because of fear of legal repercussions). The doctors simply
weren't listening. And in the majority of cases, it was
the patient, not the doctor, who initiated
the discussion about possible side effects.
For my part,
I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing for many
years - warning anyone who will listen to avoid statin drugs. Not only
do they fail to address the real cause of heart disease
(which isn't high cholesterol, by the way) they hurt
instead of helping and can actually be fatal.
The list of statin
drugs side effects is long and frightening. Here are just a
few:
Inability to concentrate
Confusion
Amnesia
Disorientation
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Nerve pain
Muscle weakness
Depression and other mood
disorders
Impotence
Lowered sex drive
Weakened immune system
Liver damage
Rhabdomyolysis (painful
bursting of muscle cells)
And death
With risks like
these, you have to wonder why so many doctors remain in the dark.
Statins remain blockbuster drugs - 12 million Americans are
currently taking them.
One reason may be
that the mainstream medical community continues to focus on
cholesterol as the chief culprit behind heart disease. There's
no doubt statins lower LDL cholesterol,
The problem is,
cholesterol isn't the problem. It may surprise you to learn that
75 percent of heart attack victims have perfectly normal cholesterol
levels.
The fact is
lowering your LDL cholesterol doesn't protect you from heart
disease. You want to raise your HDL, the good kind. As
long as your HDL is high - around 85 -; there's
no reason to worry about your LDL levels.
You can boost HDL
levels naturally and safely. One clinically proven way is to get more
lean meat in your diet
But if you're
on statin drugs and decide you want to stay on them, make sure your
doctor is responsive to your questions and listens to your reporting
of potential side effects. Take the lead in conversations about
possible side effects and dangers.
And if he or she is
like the doctors in the study and just doesn't listening to you,
find a new doctor.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
more weight loss secrets
Celebrities work hard to stay in peak shape for the camera. Many have their own personal trainers while others are following a strict diet with plenty of exercise.
* Oprah Winfrey used the “Total Body Makeover” from personal trainer Bob Greene.
* Lauren Graham does four-mile runs on the treadmill.
* Kristie Alley lost more than 50 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan.
* Jennifer Garner of Alias enjoys martial arts workouts and….
* Halle Berry follows a nutrtition and fitness routine known as 5-Factor Fitness.
Celebreties such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, and Meg Ryan follow the teachings of Hollywood’s most sought after fitness expert: Michael George. In fact, Michael has helped sculpt some of the best bodies in Hollywood.
However, his programs are certainly not for the weak of heart. To get an actress ready for the big screen, he perscribes a strict diet, five days of weight training per week and six days of cardio.
Like many of today’s nutritional experts, he promotes eating five small meals per day versus two or three large meals. By eating every three hours, the metabolism is put into overdrive, helping the body to burn fat at an optimal level.
Other fitness celebrities swear by the power of Pilates. Rebecca Romijin is one of them. In fact, she’s been doing Pilates for the past seven or eight years. She also works the treadmill and the elliptical machine for about 40 minutes each.
Julia Roberts shed much of her extra weight after pregnancy with regular Pilates workouts. Other celebrities using this incredible workout routine include Madonna, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Anniston and many more.
One of the most popular celebrity fitness trainers is Kathy Kaehler, who has trained the likes of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Ellen Degeneres, and others.
To get Julia Roberts ready for her role in America’s Sweethearts, Kathy designed a program centered around strength training, Yoga, and Pilates.
Kathy Kaehler also helped Drew Barrymore get in peak shape for her role
in Charlie’s Angels.
Although exercise is certainly an important part of staying in peak shape. You will never reach your fitness goals without proper nutrition. While starring in the popular TV show “Friends”, Jennifer Anniston chose the Zone Diet to look her best on screen.
The Zone diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears and promotes eating a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. He advises you choose low-starch fruits and vegetables as your carbs and lean protein sources as well as healthy fats. Pork and red meat are certainly not on this menu.
So, do these whole foods and healthy portions work? I’d say so, and I think Jennifer would agree, along with other celebrities who have used this diet, including Renee Zellweger and Cindy Crawford.
However, keep in mind that not every body is the same. Some have a lower tolerance of carbohydrates and may have to limit their carbs more than
others. The key is finding out what works for you and forming good habits that last a lifetime.
see Celebrities work hard to stay in peak shape for the camera. Many have their own personal trainers while others are following a strict diet with plenty of exercise.
* Oprah Winfrey used the “Total Body Makeover” from personal trainer Bob Greene.
* Lauren Graham does four-mile runs on the treadmill.
* Kristie Alley lost more than 50 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan.
* Jennifer Garner of Alias enjoys martial arts workouts and….
* Halle Berry follows a nutrtition and fitness routine known as 5-Factor Fitness.
Celebreties such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, and Meg Ryan follow the teachings of Hollywood’s most sought after fitness expert: Michael George. In fact, Michael has helped sculpt some of the best bodies in Hollywood.
However, his programs are certainly not for the weak of heart. To get an actress ready for the big screen, he perscribes a strict diet, five days of weight training per week and six days of cardio.
Like many of today’s nutritional experts, he promotes eating five small meals per day versus two or three large meals. By eating every three hours, the metabolism is put into overdrive, helping the body to burn fat at an optimal level.
Other fitness celebrities swear by the power of Pilates. Rebecca Romijin is one of them. In fact, she’s been doing Pilates for the past seven or eight years. She also works the treadmill and the elliptical machine for about 40 minutes each.
Julia Roberts shed much of her extra weight after pregnancy with regular Pilates workouts. Other celebrities using this incredible workout routine include Madonna, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Anniston and many more.
One of the most popular celebrity fitness trainers is Kathy Kaehler, who has trained the likes of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Ellen Degeneres, and others.
To get Julia Roberts ready for her role in America’s Sweethearts, Kathy designed a program centered around strength training, Yoga, and Pilates.
Kathy Kaehler also helped Drew Barrymore get in peak shape for her role
in Charlie’s Angels.
Although exercise is certainly an important part of staying in peak shape. You will never reach your fitness goals without proper nutrition. While starring in the popular TV show “Friends”, Jennifer Anniston chose the Zone Diet to look her best on screen.
The Zone diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears and promotes eating a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. He advises you choose low-starch fruits and vegetables as your carbs and lean protein sources as well as healthy fats. Pork and red meat are certainly not on this menu.
So, do these whole foods and healthy portions work? I’d say so, and I think Jennifer would agree, along with other celebrities who have used this diet, including Renee Zellweger and Cindy Crawford.
However, keep in mind that not every body is the same. Some have a lower tolerance of carbohydrates and may have to limit their carbs more than
others. The key is finding out what works for you and forming good habits that last a lifetime.
herbs may also help:see
http://www.ultraherbal.com/?aid991705
* Oprah Winfrey used the “Total Body Makeover” from personal trainer Bob Greene.
* Lauren Graham does four-mile runs on the treadmill.
* Kristie Alley lost more than 50 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan.
* Jennifer Garner of Alias enjoys martial arts workouts and….
* Halle Berry follows a nutrtition and fitness routine known as 5-Factor Fitness.
Celebreties such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, and Meg Ryan follow the teachings of Hollywood’s most sought after fitness expert: Michael George. In fact, Michael has helped sculpt some of the best bodies in Hollywood.
However, his programs are certainly not for the weak of heart. To get an actress ready for the big screen, he perscribes a strict diet, five days of weight training per week and six days of cardio.
Like many of today’s nutritional experts, he promotes eating five small meals per day versus two or three large meals. By eating every three hours, the metabolism is put into overdrive, helping the body to burn fat at an optimal level.
Other fitness celebrities swear by the power of Pilates. Rebecca Romijin is one of them. In fact, she’s been doing Pilates for the past seven or eight years. She also works the treadmill and the elliptical machine for about 40 minutes each.
Julia Roberts shed much of her extra weight after pregnancy with regular Pilates workouts. Other celebrities using this incredible workout routine include Madonna, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Anniston and many more.
One of the most popular celebrity fitness trainers is Kathy Kaehler, who has trained the likes of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Ellen Degeneres, and others.
To get Julia Roberts ready for her role in America’s Sweethearts, Kathy designed a program centered around strength training, Yoga, and Pilates.
Kathy Kaehler also helped Drew Barrymore get in peak shape for her role
in Charlie’s Angels.
Although exercise is certainly an important part of staying in peak shape. You will never reach your fitness goals without proper nutrition. While starring in the popular TV show “Friends”, Jennifer Anniston chose the Zone Diet to look her best on screen.
The Zone diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears and promotes eating a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. He advises you choose low-starch fruits and vegetables as your carbs and lean protein sources as well as healthy fats. Pork and red meat are certainly not on this menu.
So, do these whole foods and healthy portions work? I’d say so, and I think Jennifer would agree, along with other celebrities who have used this diet, including Renee Zellweger and Cindy Crawford.
However, keep in mind that not every body is the same. Some have a lower tolerance of carbohydrates and may have to limit their carbs more than
others. The key is finding out what works for you and forming good habits that last a lifetime.
see Celebrities work hard to stay in peak shape for the camera. Many have their own personal trainers while others are following a strict diet with plenty of exercise.
* Oprah Winfrey used the “Total Body Makeover” from personal trainer Bob Greene.
* Lauren Graham does four-mile runs on the treadmill.
* Kristie Alley lost more than 50 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan.
* Jennifer Garner of Alias enjoys martial arts workouts and….
* Halle Berry follows a nutrtition and fitness routine known as 5-Factor Fitness.
Celebreties such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, and Meg Ryan follow the teachings of Hollywood’s most sought after fitness expert: Michael George. In fact, Michael has helped sculpt some of the best bodies in Hollywood.
However, his programs are certainly not for the weak of heart. To get an actress ready for the big screen, he perscribes a strict diet, five days of weight training per week and six days of cardio.
Like many of today’s nutritional experts, he promotes eating five small meals per day versus two or three large meals. By eating every three hours, the metabolism is put into overdrive, helping the body to burn fat at an optimal level.
Other fitness celebrities swear by the power of Pilates. Rebecca Romijin is one of them. In fact, she’s been doing Pilates for the past seven or eight years. She also works the treadmill and the elliptical machine for about 40 minutes each.
Julia Roberts shed much of her extra weight after pregnancy with regular Pilates workouts. Other celebrities using this incredible workout routine include Madonna, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Anniston and many more.
One of the most popular celebrity fitness trainers is Kathy Kaehler, who has trained the likes of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Ellen Degeneres, and others.
To get Julia Roberts ready for her role in America’s Sweethearts, Kathy designed a program centered around strength training, Yoga, and Pilates.
Kathy Kaehler also helped Drew Barrymore get in peak shape for her role
in Charlie’s Angels.
Although exercise is certainly an important part of staying in peak shape. You will never reach your fitness goals without proper nutrition. While starring in the popular TV show “Friends”, Jennifer Anniston chose the Zone Diet to look her best on screen.
The Zone diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears and promotes eating a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. He advises you choose low-starch fruits and vegetables as your carbs and lean protein sources as well as healthy fats. Pork and red meat are certainly not on this menu.
So, do these whole foods and healthy portions work? I’d say so, and I think Jennifer would agree, along with other celebrities who have used this diet, including Renee Zellweger and Cindy Crawford.
However, keep in mind that not every body is the same. Some have a lower tolerance of carbohydrates and may have to limit their carbs more than
others. The key is finding out what works for you and forming good habits that last a lifetime.
herbs may also help:see
http://www.ultraherbal.com/?aid991705
weight loss secrets of the stars
Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.
1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:
40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes
30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products
30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils
It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.
2. Kate Hudson
The daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.
3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.
4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.
5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.
6. Claudia Schiffer
The German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.
7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.
8.Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton doesn't seem to follow the normal Hollywood trend of eating low calorie food, training with weights or cardio workouts for fat loss. No, Paris is really on her own program when it comes to diet and exercise. Paris says, "I eat at McDonald's or Taco Bell." What does Paris Hilton drink? "I hate the taste of alcohol," Paris says. "When I'm drinking, I'm drinking Red Bull."
hoodia - weight loss herb: www.ultraherbal.com
1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:
40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes
30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products
30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils
It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.
2. Kate Hudson
The daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.
3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.
4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.
5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.
6. Claudia Schiffer
The German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.
7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.
8.Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton doesn't seem to follow the normal Hollywood trend of eating low calorie food, training with weights or cardio workouts for fat loss. No, Paris is really on her own program when it comes to diet and exercise. Paris says, "I eat at McDonald's or Taco Bell." What does Paris Hilton drink? "I hate the taste of alcohol," Paris says. "When I'm drinking, I'm drinking Red Bull."
hoodia - weight loss herb: www.ultraherbal.com
leaving babies to cry causes long term emotional problems
The Australian authors of Helping Your Baby To Sleep (Finch Publishing), Anni Gethin and Beth Macgregor, argue that controlled crying is detrimental to children and can have serious long-term effects.
Gethin, a health social scientist, and Macgregor, a psychologist, draw heavily on attachment theory showing the importance of secure parent-child bonding.
The authors say that when infants are left to cry for long periods, they become more and more despairing until they reach a state of "learned helplessness". They stop trusting their parents, the precious bond is broken and the child is at risk of developing emotional and social problems, including depression, later in life.
"Depriving a baby of parental care and contact at bedtime does not teach a baby independence," the authors say. "Instead he learns that his parents cannot be relied upon to provide comfort and reassurance and so gives up calling for help."
The book also refers to recent research that shows an infant's brain is flooded with toxic hormones following stressful situations, and that repeated trauma can damage neural pathways.
The book is bound to cause debate, especially as controlled crying is recommended by many early childhood nurses and well-known parenting authors.
Gethin, a health social scientist, and Macgregor, a psychologist, draw heavily on attachment theory showing the importance of secure parent-child bonding.
The authors say that when infants are left to cry for long periods, they become more and more despairing until they reach a state of "learned helplessness". They stop trusting their parents, the precious bond is broken and the child is at risk of developing emotional and social problems, including depression, later in life.
"Depriving a baby of parental care and contact at bedtime does not teach a baby independence," the authors say. "Instead he learns that his parents cannot be relied upon to provide comfort and reassurance and so gives up calling for help."
The book also refers to recent research that shows an infant's brain is flooded with toxic hormones following stressful situations, and that repeated trauma can damage neural pathways.
The book is bound to cause debate, especially as controlled crying is recommended by many early childhood nurses and well-known parenting authors.
Slovenia's president cures himself of cancer
From The Times
November 15, 2007
All hail the mystic President
Slovenia’s President is a recluse. Told he had cancer, Janez
Drnovsek moved alone to the woods and embraced his inner
spirituality. His Government despises him but he is a hero to his
people
Martin Fletcher
It is not often that you ask a European head of state whether he
has gone loopy, but in the case of Janez Drnovsek, Slovenia’s
reclusive President, the question seems almost unavoidable.
Bald, monkish and skeletally thin, Drnovsek has abandoned his
capital for a mountain retreat. He no longer speaks to his
Government. He boycotts state occasions, and disappears for weeks at
a time. He has turned vegan, talks like a New Age mystic of his quest
for “higher consciousness” and “inner balance”, and communicates with
the Slovenian people through books on spirituality. He set out to
tackle the problems of the world from a country smaller than Wales,
and has become a champion of progressive causes.
It is an astonishing transformation for a man who, as Slovenia’s
Prime Minister from 1992 until he was elected President in 2002, was
regarded as a dull, grey technocrat. It was triggered by the prospect
of imminent death. In 1999 he found that he had kidney cancer and, in
2001, that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. His doctors
said his condition was incurable.
Any serious illness comes as a shock, but “the shock can be
beneficial because one is caught in patterns of behaviour and somehow
you do them mechanically and without really thinking about them. You
do like others do,” Drnovsek explained in the course of a two-hour
interview with The Times– the first he has given in months. “When you
are confronted with the perception of the end of your life, it’s an
opportunity to look at things from a different point of view, to
change priorities and establish a distance to this daily existence
and all these material developments that you are taught are so
important,” he said as he sipped black tea in his office.
He accepted that some people thought that he had gone crazy, but
was not perturbed. They do not understand, he said in soft, heavily
accented English. “Why should I worry what people of this level of
consciousness should say or think about me? This is so irrelevant.”
He used a Chinese philosopher’s tale to illustrate his point: “The
frog in its well was convinced that this well was the whole world.
And then came a turtle from the sea. The turtle told this frog that
there was a big ocean and the well was nothing. The frog said: ‘OK.
This turtle is crazy’.”
In fact, most Slovenians have grown very fond of their singular
President. Despite – or perhaps because of – his eccentricities he
will complete his term of office next month as one of the most
popular figures in his country.
Drnovsek is an erstwhile banker who won his nation’s respect – if
not its affection – by helping to negotiate its peaceful secession
from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, and then steering it from
communism to democracy and membership of the European Union and Nato.
As late as 2000 – one year after he had a cancerous kidney removed –
The Economistdescribed him as a “singularly uncharismatic . . . poker-
faced trimmer” whose preoccupations were growth and stability. It
quoted him saying, glumly: “People demanded vision. I hate vision.
The cemetery of history is full of visionaries.”
Drnovsek says that his conversion from conventional politician into
“Slovenia’s Gandhi” – as one commentator has dubbed him – was
gradual, and he adopted a low profile as he fought his illness. He
abandoned conventional medicine because his doctors told him that
they could not cure him. He dabbled with Indian and Chinese healers.
He gave up meat, dairy products and alcohol in favour of organic
vegetables and home-baked bread. He fasted for days at a time. He
also sought to nourish his soul, leaving Ljubljana for a remote home
set in beautiful beech forests south of the Slovenian capital. He
lives there alone, reading and writing, without so much as a
television for company since his dog died. He says modern man has
lost contact with nature, but it is “very beneficial for health, for
body but also for soul . . . Somehow we can purify ourselves of all
negativities that are concentrated in towns and urban centres where
there is all this activity and stress.”
The new Drnovsek began to reappear on the public stage in late
2005, but more in the guise of national guru than president. He cut
his staff. He quit his centre-left political party and launched the
Movement for Justice and Development that was open to “all people who
wish to change the world for the better”. He became a champion of the
environment, animal rights and the oppressed, and afierce critic of a
political class that is, he says, concerned only about power and
image. “If only we had a candidate like Drnovsek, or even a shadow of
him, the world would quickly become less intolerable,” gushed
Brigitte Bardot in the midst of the French presidential election.
Drnovsek travelled around the country. He was photographed wearing
a crown of leaves. He published books entitled Thoughts on Life and
Awareness and The Essence of the World that are found in the
spirituality – not politics – sections of Slovenia’s bookshops. He
wrote a monthly advice column in a popular women’s magazine, and a
blog in the name of “Janez D”, whose subjects ranged from diatribes
against pesticides to apocalyptic warnings about climate change – he
says that humanity has perhaps 20 years left to save itself.
Drnovsek also began to intervene in international affairs in a way
that infuriated Slovenia’s new conservative Government. He upset
nearby Serbia by supporting independence for Kosovo. He visited
Jerusalem, where he urged the Israelis to talk to the newly elected
militants of Hamas, and Sri Lanka, where he tried to meet Tamil Tiger
leaders. In China he defied the authorities by visiting Tibet. He
went to India for a conference on spirituality, and to Bolivia for
Evo Morales’s inauguration as that country’s first indigenous
president “after 500 years of colonialism and neo-colonialism”.
His most ambitious undertaking, however, was a one-man drive to
resolve the Darfur conflict that ended with the detention of his
envoy and the nonappearance of Sudanese and rebel leaders at a
Ljubljana peace conference. It was an embarrassing episode, and he
admits that he was probably naive, but says that he felt morally
obliged to try to stop the suffering. While international diplomats
were living in luxury hotels, earning fat salaries and indulging in
endless talks, people were dying, he says. “I thought somebody had to
do something to wake up everybody.”
By the summer of 2006 Drnovsek had exhausted his official budget,
and the Government seized the chance to ground him by refusing
further funds for his “exotic activities”. He was forced to cancel a
state visit to Spain and an appearance at the UN in New York, and
grew ever more scathing in his denunciations of the Government.
Drnovsek has described Janez Jansa, the Prime Minister, as the
“Prince of Darkness”. He disagrees with nearly all of what the
Government does, and accuses it of moving towards a “kind of
totalitarian system” by curbing the independence of the media. He
stops only marginally short of saying that it was unfit to assume the
EU’s rotating six-month presidency on January 1. “I will say nothing.
I’m still President of this country,” he replied when pressed.
Drnovsek has now abandoned his conflict-resolution efforts. He
tried his best, but was dismissed as “this crazy Slovenian
President”, he says. “I came to the conclusion that the only way to
change the world is to change the consciousness of as many individual
people as possible, and then the pressure on politicians will
increase to act differently.”
He has once again become an absentee President. He spurns official
receptions. He boycotted Slovenia’s National Day celebrations in
June. “ At a certain level of spirituality . . . it becomes more
difficult to do these things of this material life,” he says. “You
feel the ephemerality of everything, and if you know your activity
will have no real effect, you become more selective about what you do
and what not. I still have activities, but practically I stopped all
unnecessary political activities – those involved with other
politicians.”
He vanished entirely from June until mid-September, and failed to
greet Romano Prodi, the Prime Minister of Italy, when he visited
Slovenia in August. Drnovsek said that he spent some of that time
visiting monasteries in France, tapping into the “positive energy”
that monks had built up through centuries of prayer.
Drnovsek has infuriated the Government, but his people have warmed
to his evident humanity. His books are bestsellers, and while a few
of the Slovenes I approached in Ljubljana’s central market said that
they found his conduct embarrassing, many more expressed support and
affection for their unusual President.
“He’s a good and wise man,” said Katja Berlinc, a 21-year-old
theology student. “He’s great. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’
s not afraid of anything,” said Asim Begtasevic, who runs a flower
stall. “He stands for basic moral values,” said Sasho Adamich, a
young TV assistant. When a former lover revealed that Drnovsek had a
19-year-old daughter, it only boosted his popularity.
All this infuriates his critics inside and outside the Government.
“Nobody dares to question Drnovsek’s conduct or his travels because
of his illness, and because he was some sort of hero of the
transition to democracy,” says Janez Markes, the editor of the
newspaper Delo.
Drnovsek’s colourful and controversial presidency is drawing to an
end. He is not seeking reelection, and the charming old streets
beneath Ljubljana’s castle are awash with posters of the more
conventional politicians fighting to replace him. He is not planning
any great farewell when he steps down. He is not concerned about his
legacy or image. He accepts that a certain amount of ridicule is the
price to be paid for stepping outside the political system, and he
certainly will not mind the anonymity. “I don’t have worries. I don’t
have fears. I don’t have wishes. I’m very calm.”
Drnovsek also has one incontrovertible riposte to those who say he
went loopy. Against all odds, and in defiance of every medical
prediction, he has not died in office. Indeed, he now claims to be
cancer-free: “I am completely healed. I am cured of everything. I can’
t prove it beyond being alive. I don’t need confirmation from a
doctor. I just know.”
November 15, 2007
All hail the mystic President
Slovenia’s President is a recluse. Told he had cancer, Janez
Drnovsek moved alone to the woods and embraced his inner
spirituality. His Government despises him but he is a hero to his
people
Martin Fletcher
It is not often that you ask a European head of state whether he
has gone loopy, but in the case of Janez Drnovsek, Slovenia’s
reclusive President, the question seems almost unavoidable.
Bald, monkish and skeletally thin, Drnovsek has abandoned his
capital for a mountain retreat. He no longer speaks to his
Government. He boycotts state occasions, and disappears for weeks at
a time. He has turned vegan, talks like a New Age mystic of his quest
for “higher consciousness” and “inner balance”, and communicates with
the Slovenian people through books on spirituality. He set out to
tackle the problems of the world from a country smaller than Wales,
and has become a champion of progressive causes.
It is an astonishing transformation for a man who, as Slovenia’s
Prime Minister from 1992 until he was elected President in 2002, was
regarded as a dull, grey technocrat. It was triggered by the prospect
of imminent death. In 1999 he found that he had kidney cancer and, in
2001, that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. His doctors
said his condition was incurable.
Any serious illness comes as a shock, but “the shock can be
beneficial because one is caught in patterns of behaviour and somehow
you do them mechanically and without really thinking about them. You
do like others do,” Drnovsek explained in the course of a two-hour
interview with The Times– the first he has given in months. “When you
are confronted with the perception of the end of your life, it’s an
opportunity to look at things from a different point of view, to
change priorities and establish a distance to this daily existence
and all these material developments that you are taught are so
important,” he said as he sipped black tea in his office.
He accepted that some people thought that he had gone crazy, but
was not perturbed. They do not understand, he said in soft, heavily
accented English. “Why should I worry what people of this level of
consciousness should say or think about me? This is so irrelevant.”
He used a Chinese philosopher’s tale to illustrate his point: “The
frog in its well was convinced that this well was the whole world.
And then came a turtle from the sea. The turtle told this frog that
there was a big ocean and the well was nothing. The frog said: ‘OK.
This turtle is crazy’.”
In fact, most Slovenians have grown very fond of their singular
President. Despite – or perhaps because of – his eccentricities he
will complete his term of office next month as one of the most
popular figures in his country.
Drnovsek is an erstwhile banker who won his nation’s respect – if
not its affection – by helping to negotiate its peaceful secession
from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, and then steering it from
communism to democracy and membership of the European Union and Nato.
As late as 2000 – one year after he had a cancerous kidney removed –
The Economistdescribed him as a “singularly uncharismatic . . . poker-
faced trimmer” whose preoccupations were growth and stability. It
quoted him saying, glumly: “People demanded vision. I hate vision.
The cemetery of history is full of visionaries.”
Drnovsek says that his conversion from conventional politician into
“Slovenia’s Gandhi” – as one commentator has dubbed him – was
gradual, and he adopted a low profile as he fought his illness. He
abandoned conventional medicine because his doctors told him that
they could not cure him. He dabbled with Indian and Chinese healers.
He gave up meat, dairy products and alcohol in favour of organic
vegetables and home-baked bread. He fasted for days at a time. He
also sought to nourish his soul, leaving Ljubljana for a remote home
set in beautiful beech forests south of the Slovenian capital. He
lives there alone, reading and writing, without so much as a
television for company since his dog died. He says modern man has
lost contact with nature, but it is “very beneficial for health, for
body but also for soul . . . Somehow we can purify ourselves of all
negativities that are concentrated in towns and urban centres where
there is all this activity and stress.”
The new Drnovsek began to reappear on the public stage in late
2005, but more in the guise of national guru than president. He cut
his staff. He quit his centre-left political party and launched the
Movement for Justice and Development that was open to “all people who
wish to change the world for the better”. He became a champion of the
environment, animal rights and the oppressed, and afierce critic of a
political class that is, he says, concerned only about power and
image. “If only we had a candidate like Drnovsek, or even a shadow of
him, the world would quickly become less intolerable,” gushed
Brigitte Bardot in the midst of the French presidential election.
Drnovsek travelled around the country. He was photographed wearing
a crown of leaves. He published books entitled Thoughts on Life and
Awareness and The Essence of the World that are found in the
spirituality – not politics – sections of Slovenia’s bookshops. He
wrote a monthly advice column in a popular women’s magazine, and a
blog in the name of “Janez D”, whose subjects ranged from diatribes
against pesticides to apocalyptic warnings about climate change – he
says that humanity has perhaps 20 years left to save itself.
Drnovsek also began to intervene in international affairs in a way
that infuriated Slovenia’s new conservative Government. He upset
nearby Serbia by supporting independence for Kosovo. He visited
Jerusalem, where he urged the Israelis to talk to the newly elected
militants of Hamas, and Sri Lanka, where he tried to meet Tamil Tiger
leaders. In China he defied the authorities by visiting Tibet. He
went to India for a conference on spirituality, and to Bolivia for
Evo Morales’s inauguration as that country’s first indigenous
president “after 500 years of colonialism and neo-colonialism”.
His most ambitious undertaking, however, was a one-man drive to
resolve the Darfur conflict that ended with the detention of his
envoy and the nonappearance of Sudanese and rebel leaders at a
Ljubljana peace conference. It was an embarrassing episode, and he
admits that he was probably naive, but says that he felt morally
obliged to try to stop the suffering. While international diplomats
were living in luxury hotels, earning fat salaries and indulging in
endless talks, people were dying, he says. “I thought somebody had to
do something to wake up everybody.”
By the summer of 2006 Drnovsek had exhausted his official budget,
and the Government seized the chance to ground him by refusing
further funds for his “exotic activities”. He was forced to cancel a
state visit to Spain and an appearance at the UN in New York, and
grew ever more scathing in his denunciations of the Government.
Drnovsek has described Janez Jansa, the Prime Minister, as the
“Prince of Darkness”. He disagrees with nearly all of what the
Government does, and accuses it of moving towards a “kind of
totalitarian system” by curbing the independence of the media. He
stops only marginally short of saying that it was unfit to assume the
EU’s rotating six-month presidency on January 1. “I will say nothing.
I’m still President of this country,” he replied when pressed.
Drnovsek has now abandoned his conflict-resolution efforts. He
tried his best, but was dismissed as “this crazy Slovenian
President”, he says. “I came to the conclusion that the only way to
change the world is to change the consciousness of as many individual
people as possible, and then the pressure on politicians will
increase to act differently.”
He has once again become an absentee President. He spurns official
receptions. He boycotted Slovenia’s National Day celebrations in
June. “ At a certain level of spirituality . . . it becomes more
difficult to do these things of this material life,” he says. “You
feel the ephemerality of everything, and if you know your activity
will have no real effect, you become more selective about what you do
and what not. I still have activities, but practically I stopped all
unnecessary political activities – those involved with other
politicians.”
He vanished entirely from June until mid-September, and failed to
greet Romano Prodi, the Prime Minister of Italy, when he visited
Slovenia in August. Drnovsek said that he spent some of that time
visiting monasteries in France, tapping into the “positive energy”
that monks had built up through centuries of prayer.
Drnovsek has infuriated the Government, but his people have warmed
to his evident humanity. His books are bestsellers, and while a few
of the Slovenes I approached in Ljubljana’s central market said that
they found his conduct embarrassing, many more expressed support and
affection for their unusual President.
“He’s a good and wise man,” said Katja Berlinc, a 21-year-old
theology student. “He’s great. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’
s not afraid of anything,” said Asim Begtasevic, who runs a flower
stall. “He stands for basic moral values,” said Sasho Adamich, a
young TV assistant. When a former lover revealed that Drnovsek had a
19-year-old daughter, it only boosted his popularity.
All this infuriates his critics inside and outside the Government.
“Nobody dares to question Drnovsek’s conduct or his travels because
of his illness, and because he was some sort of hero of the
transition to democracy,” says Janez Markes, the editor of the
newspaper Delo.
Drnovsek’s colourful and controversial presidency is drawing to an
end. He is not seeking reelection, and the charming old streets
beneath Ljubljana’s castle are awash with posters of the more
conventional politicians fighting to replace him. He is not planning
any great farewell when he steps down. He is not concerned about his
legacy or image. He accepts that a certain amount of ridicule is the
price to be paid for stepping outside the political system, and he
certainly will not mind the anonymity. “I don’t have worries. I don’t
have fears. I don’t have wishes. I’m very calm.”
Drnovsek also has one incontrovertible riposte to those who say he
went loopy. Against all odds, and in defiance of every medical
prediction, he has not died in office. Indeed, he now claims to be
cancer-free: “I am completely healed. I am cured of everything. I can’
t prove it beyond being alive. I don’t need confirmation from a
doctor. I just know.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)