My Sister's Garden

2009-10-25T18:48:00.018-04:00

Whose Afraid of the Big Bad...Whatever?

Be Prepared and You Won't Be Afraid. A few years ago there were dire warnings and predictions about a new strain of Avian or “bird” flu that was threatening a flu epidemic like the one that occurred in 1918 and killed millions of people worldwide. After 9/11 there were scares about anthrax and biological warfare. It seems like there's always something we're being "warned" out in the news. We continually hear dire warnings about this or that, and very little of it actually materializes. Of course, I’m sure that dire warnings like this are helpful for the profits of the drug companies (which are now the primary advertisers on radio and TV). I also think there’s an even deeper reason for the constant fear and concern pumped out on the daily news—people who are afraid are more easily manipulated. They’ll buy or do just about anything to restore their sense of security, including gladly surrendering their freedom. I won’t be running out to get a flu vaccine; in fact, I’ve never had one. I’m also not losing any sleep over purported drug shortages. I prefer, as much as possible, to keep my mind focused on positive things. I like the quote from the Sci-fi novel Dune, “Fear is the mind killer.”
It’s not that bad things don’t happen and it’s not as if a plague couldn’t happen. It has happened before and we’re in a prime position for it to happen again. After all, people’s immune systems are so weakened from stress, poor nutrition and toxicity that they would be very susceptible to some new strain of microbe. It’s also obvious that with modern transportation, it would be very difficult to contain the spread of contagious disease. And problems with hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters have amply demonstrated that Mother Nature can wreak havoc with even our “advanced” civilization.
For years medical researchers have struggled to find the answer to the common cold. Yet, in spite of the thousands of hours of research and the millions of dollars that have been put into this project, no one has yet discovered a cure for this common ailment. But continue on and you will find the answer to the problem of the common cold. In fact, you will gain an important key to understanding the nature disease symptoms in general.

Be Prepared
There are several reasons why I’m not worried about the Avian Flu, Anthrax, SARS or West Nile virus, etc. For starters, I was raised in a family that believed in preparedness. We had as much food as my fatner could bring home and my mother could preserve in the basement. I now include water and other emergency supplies in my preparedness supply. My religion taught/teaches, “If you are prepared, you will not fear,” and I have always sought to “be prepared.” (And yes, I went through 3 boys in Boy Scout, too—Eagle Scouts, in fact.) So, there’s never been a time in my adult life where I didn’t have some emergency supplies on hand, including emergency herbal remedies. At least have a 72-hour emergency kit. It takes that long for government to set up and help you if they can.

Should I be surprised at how many people are living in denial, thinking that our modern technological society means we’re not supposed to be susceptible to either man-made or natural disasters? Maybe that’s why everyone is rushing to point the finger of blame at somebody when disasters happen (think Katrina), as if it’s always somebody else’s responsibility to be prepared. Even worse, many people seem to think that if we just pass enough laws and set up enough bureaucracies that nothing bad will ever happen.
If anyone’s living in that bubble, then wake up! No amount of legislation, no amount of foresight, in fact, nothing we do is going to stop “bad” things from happening. It’s just part of this life. As the libertarians say, “utopia is not an option,” at least not in this world.
So let’s say you are now ready to want to prepare for winter flu’s or epidemics. Let’s take a middle-of-the-road approach and realize that confidence and positive thinking comes from being prepared. Then, we make some basic preparations, and hope and pray we never have to use them. "Be ye Prepared and ye shall not fear!"

YOUR FIRST-AID KIT
People don’t get sick at convenient times. You can’t always run to the health food store or herb shop when something happens. So, it’s wise to make up a home preparedness kit so that you have the tools on hand to be ready to take care of injuries and illnesses as they arise. Here are my recommendations:
General Activator
You want to have at least one herb or formula which you can administer which stimulates the energy of the body. You use this at the first sign of colds, flu or other acute illness and administer it in small, frequently repeated doses until the body reaches the disease crisis.
Ginger - commonly used in Chinese cooking, ginger is a powerful digestive herb that can help with a variety of digestive disorders. By stimulating blood flow to your digestive organs, ginger aids in the digestive process.
Turmeric - a powerful herb used in curry dishes, turmeric aid in the protection of the liver, which is a major center of digestion and detoxification in the body. Turmeric can help with irritable bowel syndrome and gall bladder problems.
Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) - one of the most popular energy boost herbs for athletes and exercisers, eleuthero acts to increase your stamina and adapt to external stress. It also increases immunity and recovery time.
Gotu Kola - long used in Indian medicine, gotu kola improves brain function and strengthens tissues and blood vessels. Gotu kola acts as a rejuvenator and a tonic, with anti-inflammatory capabilities.
Vitamin B Family - the B family of vitamins is known for its energy boosting abilities, particularly B12, Biotin and Folic Acid. B vitamins help fight fatigue by helping our body use the sugar glucose (fuel) and aiding in the formation of red blood cells (energy transport).
MSM, DMAE, NADH - natural substances that have all been shown to increase energy levels and fight fatigue.
Bee Pollen - called a "superfood", bee pollen contains every nutrient needed to sustain life. In addition to being a powerful energy booster, it can fight stress, regulate weight and aid in the digestive process. Bee pollen contains all 22 amino acids, along with vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

Support the thyroid gland. The thyroid is crucial in regulating body metabolism, energy levels, and balancing immunity.Thyromin (from Young Living Oils) is a supplement designed to feed, strengthen, and support the thyroid. Thyromin - A special blend of bovine glandular extracts (from Argentinian cattle), herbs, amino acids, minerals, and essential oils perfectly balanced to maximize nutritional support to the thyroid.* This gland regulates body metabolism, energy, blood sugar levels, and temperature. How to use: Take one to two capsules daily, immediately before going to sleep. Ingredients: Vitamin E (d alpha tocopheryl acid succinate), iodine (derived from kelp), potassium citrate, CoQ10, L-cysteine, L-cystine, carrageenan, bovine adrenal and pituitary extracts, parsley powder, magnesium stearate, and the essential oils of peppermint (Mentha piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), myrtle (Myrtus communis), and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha).

Immune Stimulant
It’s good to have something to stimulate the immune system. This can be used for fighting infections, but it can also be used for prevention. Take the remedy when colds or flu are going around to “immunize” yourself and your loved ones. Keeping Immune system strong is important.
*Echinacea is a good single herb for this purpose.
There are many essential oils and supplements that can help you accomplish this:

* Grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, (YL Essential Oil Singles) and Raven (YL Essential Oil Blends)

* The herbal complexes, ImmuneTune and Exodus (YL Supplements) offer powerful and effective support for the immune system. Exodus II (YL Essential Oil Blends) is a companion to both supplements for optimal results.
*Oregano Georgetown University researchers have found that oil of OREGANO appears to reduce infection "as effectively as traditional antibiotics." Read the entire article at http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi6.html

* Thieves Studies conducted at Weber State University (Ogden, UT) during 1997 demonstrated THIEVES® [essential oil blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary] killing power against airborne microorganisms. One analysis showed a 90 percent reduction in the number of gram positive Micrococcus luteus organisms after diffusing for 12 minutes. After 20 minutes of diffusing, the kill-rate jumped to 99.3 percent. Another study against the gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed a kill rate of 99.6 percent after just 12 minutes of diffusion.

* VitaGreen, the green food that provides a rich source of captured light (in the form of chlorophyll) along with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and important enzymes encourages healthy blood and supports immune function.
*EXODUS II (YL essential oil blend of cassia, hyssop, frankincense, spikenard, galbanum, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus]: Some researchers believe these aromatics were used by Moses to protect the Israelites from a plague. Modern science shows that these oils contain immune-stimulating and antimicrobial compounds. Because of the complex chemistry of essential oils, it is very difficult for viruses and bacteria to mutate and acquire resistance to them. (From the Essential Oils Desk Reference)
*Egyptian Gold At the 2004 YL Convention, Gary Young recommended EGYPTIAN GOLD [YL essential oil blend of frankincense, hyssop, lavender, myrrh, cedarwood, Idaho balsam fir, spikenard, rose, cinnamon bark] for the bird flu and other super bugs.

*Individual ESSENTIAL OILS THAT KILL SUPER GERMS – Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Tea Tree, Thyme, Geranium, Oregano, Mountain Savory, Basil, Lemongrass, Lavender, Peppermint, Spearmint, Eucalyptus.

*Inner Defense combines the Thieves oil blend with oregano and thyme oils, to reinforce your body's defense system.
Natural Antibiotic
I always keep raw garlic and onions on hand to use as a natural antibiotic for fighting infections.
Activated Charcoal
I believe every home that ever has small children in it should have some activated charcoal on hand for use in case of diarrhea. It lasts forever, so there is no worry about it going bad on you. Charcoal is also good for poisoning.
Expectorant/Decongestant
The eucalyptus family is one of the most useful essential oils for helping relieve symptoms of the common colds, the flu and any other type of congestion

I like to use Eucalyptus globulus mixed with the essential oil peppermint and Eucalyptus Radiata Essential oil for deep chest congestion. The peppermint opens the air way to reduce swelling and the eucalyptus oil combination helps to move the mucus out.

Many cold and flu remedies like Vick's Vapor Rub include the power of camphor and eucalyptus. But these products also include petroleum based chemicals which can clog the brain cell receptor sites and cause brain fog or mental confusion. Natural essential oils help to clean the receptor sites and produce mental clarity. Essential Oils also help alleviate the problem of congestion without the addition of added chemicals, killing two birds with one stone.

First and most important:

*Wash your hands. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Basic hygiene measures can prevent the flu’s spread.

*Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

* Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow.
* If you or your child falls ill, stay home. The contagious period stretches from one day before symptoms strike to five to seven days thereafter. The CDC recommends people stay home until they’re without fever for 24 hours.

Natural Flu Prevention and Remedies
Healthy lifestyle choices can keep your immune system in fighting shape. Sleep deprivation, stress, smoking, malnutrition and alcohol excess all undermine immunity. Conversely, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise and relaxation improve immune health.

1. Vitamin D and the Flu
Vitamin D plays a role in many bodily processes, including immune function. Some scientists have pointed to a correlation between wintertime troughs in vitamin D intake and respiratory viral infections. New research published this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine linked low blood levels of vitamin D with a heightened risk of upper respiratory infections, particularly among people with chronic lung conditions. No studies have yet determined whether supplementing with vitamin D can prevent the common cold, much less influenza. Because few foods provide vitamin D, many experts recommend supplementation with at least 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D — several times the current guidelines for 200 to 600 IU.

2. Physical Preparation

While stress can cause illness, illness can also cause stress, with the physical pain, missed activities, feelings of isolation and other costs that come with it. So improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can also save you a great deal of stress in the short run (by strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu and other minor illnesses) and the long run (by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it).

3. Mental and Spiritual Preparation
In addition to of all these physical preparations, there are two other forms of preparation that lend me even greater peace of mind. The first is the knowledge I possess. I’ve taken first aid classes. I’ve also studied outdoor survival, so I know how to find food and life saving plants in the wilds if I needed to.
It has long disturbed me that our society has become so far removed from nature that we cannot sustain ourselves without a huge infrastructure to support us. Most people don’t have the foggiest idea how to do the most basic things, such as start a fire (without matches or lighters), mend torn clothes, grow some fruits or vegetables in a garden, or perform other basic survival tasks. In native cultures, children mastered these skills by the time they were 12 or 13, so they knew how to sustain their own lives from Mother Nature’s Supermarket.
So, it’s no wonder people completely panic when cut off from civilization. They have no idea what to do to survive. If an epidemic arises, you could be put in a home lock down situation.
But knowledge or mental preparation isn’t the most important preparation either. I think it’s the sense of inner peace I’ve had through prayer, meditation and emotional healing work that has helped me the most. It’s enabled me to learn to feel my emotions, fear, pain, etc., but not react to them, so that I can retreat to the place of inner calm when there’s a crisis.

4.When to Get Medical Treatment for the Flu
Seek medical attention if you develop signs of severe illness: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest or abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion, or severe vomiting. Signs that a child needs immediate care include rapid breathing, poor fluid intake, extreme irritability and lethargy (the child is difficult to wake and won’t interact).
Anyone under the age of 18 should avoid aspirin, which, when taken during a viral illness, can lead to a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome, a rare disease characterized by neurological disorders, brain swelling and enlargement of the liver.

LET'S UNDERSTAND THE COMMON COLD FIRST before we rush off to get the shot or to the emergency room. This under standing of the common cold came from an analogy used in New Guide to Health by Samuel Thomson. Thomson compared the body to a furnace. A furnace takes in air and fuel and then with the assistance of air, burns the fuel to create heat or energy. It must also eliminate the smoke and ash that are created in this process.

A similar process takes place in our bodies. We eat food and breath in air to create the energy our bodies need to function. We must also eliminate the waste from this process.

When thinking about the body as a furnace, if we use high-quality fuel such as high-grade coal or hardwoods to stoke the fire, then we will get a hot fire with very little smoke and ash. On the other hand, if we burn cheaper fuels such as softwoods, then the fire will not burn as hot or as clean. If we throw green wood or other poor quality fuel into the fire the flame will smolder and produce a great deal of smoke and ash.

This also is true of our bodies. The body is a high performance engine made to run on quality fuel. When quality fuel is used, the body furnace burns clean and hot, as is suggested by the following diagram.

In Thomson's words.
"Our life depends on heat; food is the fuel that kindles and continues to heat. The digestive powers being correct, causes the food to consume; this continues the warmth of the body, by continually supporting the fire. The stomach is the depository from which the whole body is supported. The heat is maintained in the stomach by consuming the food; and all the body and limbs receive their proportion of nourishment and heat from that source; as the whole room is warmed by the fuel that is consumed in the fire place. The greater the quantity of wood consumed in the fireplace, the greater the heat in the room. So in the body; the more food, well digested, the more heat and support through the whole man."

However, when poor quality fuel (i.e., 'junk" food) is used, the internal fire may begin to smolder and smoke. It no longer produces the heat or energy we need and we begin to feel tired and worn out. As smoke and ash begin to build up in the fireplace, the chimney may become clogged and the fire begins to smother. I call this condition "toxic overload."

Thomson described this condition in the following words.
"By constantly receiving food into the stomach, [food] which is...not suitable for the best nourishment, the stomach becomes foul, so that the food is not well digested. This causes the body to lose its heat; then the appetite fails; the bones ache, and the man is sick in every part of the whole frame."

If you've had any experience in making campfires, you probably realize that if the fire is hot enough, you can throw in a green branch or two and they will burn. However, if you continue to feed the fire with green wood, eventually in will smolder and die. Hence, we could get away with consuming this poor quality fuel if we only did it occasionally, but when we use inferior fuel constantly, our internal fire is going to diminish and our body will begin to accumulate an excess of smoke and ash (toxic waste). We will feel this first as a loss of energy.

According to Thomson's theories, disease occurs when the body energy or fire is diminished and the perspiration or elimination is obstructed. He felt that fever was not a disease, but rather an attempt on the part of the body to burn up the excess toxic material in the system.

"Is fever or heat a disease?

Hippocrates, the acknowledged father of physicians, maintained that nature is heat; and he is correct. Is nature a disease? Surely it is not. What is commonly called fever, is the effect and not the cause of disease. It is the struggle of nature to throw off the disease. The cold causes an obstruction, and fever arises in consequence of that obstruction to throw it off. This is universally the case. Remove the cause and the effect will cease."

As I thought about what Thomson had to say of fevers, I began to wonder if this was not true of symptoms in general. I began to understand that unlike a furnace, the body has intelligence. Hence, if one or more of the body's chimneys becomes partially blocked, the body will seek to remove the excess waste through one of the other channels of elimination. The body, you see, does not have one chimney, it has four (five in women). These chimneys are the bowel, the kidneys, the skin, the mucus membranes (lungs & sinuses) and, in women, the female reproductive system.

When one channel cannot handle all the waste in the body, then another, stronger, channel of elimination will take up the slack. I call this process emergency evacuation. It has also been called vicarious elimination. This process is illustrated by the following.

This emergency evacuation of toxins produces most of the symptoms of acute ailments. When this elimination of excess waste occurs through the bowel we call it diarrhea. When it occurs through the kidneys it may produce frequent or burning urination or other signs of kidney or bladder distress. When it occurs through the skin we have body odor, pimples, acne, rashes, hives and pox. When it occurs through the sinuses and lungs we have bad breath, sinus drainage, runny noses, coughs and other forms of respiratory congestion.

I am not alone in this line of thinking. Thomas Sydenham, known as the English Hippocrates stated "Disease is nothing else but an attempt on the part of the body to rid itself of morbific matter."
A modern medical doctor, Dr. Henry Bieler, came to these same conclusions after years of treating patients with changes in diet. In his book, Food is Your Best Medicine, he states:
The body's "terrific attempt" to burn up these waste products results in fever. And it is the changes (usually destructive) in the organs being used as avenues of emergency vicarious elimination which constitute the pathology, or conditions and processes of a disease.

Following this line of thinking the name of a disease is based upon a description...of the changes in the organs being used as emergency avenues of elimination.

This furnace analogy helps us to understand the truth about the common cold. Modern science will never discover a cure for the common cold, because the cold IS the cure. That is to say, the symptoms we associate with colds: fever, sinus drainage, coughs, sneezing, etc. are not the disease. They are not the enemy. They are the efforts of the body to heal itself. In fact, as we have suggested, this is true not only of colds, but also of all acute ailments. Symptoms like rashes, hives, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, itching, body odor, inflammation and even pain are all manifestations of the life process. They are all efforts of the body to cure itself. Hence, anything we do to try to block or supress these symptoms will only prolong the illness.

Going back to our furnace analogy, suppose we have a person whose body is in a disease state. The fire of life is burning low and the system is clogged with ash and smoke. To preserve the fire of life, the body is using what energy it does have to force an elimination of toxins through the respiratory passages. Because the person believes that this eliminative process is the enemy he takes a drug which poisons the respiratory system so that it is no longer strong enough to act as a channel for eliminating these toxins. This might be compared to puting a cork into that chimney. Now, the symptoms have been relieved, but at what price?

By this analogy, we can see that poisons destroy the vital power of the body, which supresses the symptoms and therefore interferes with the healing processes of the body. This helps us understand why poisons may give the appearance of a cure, but in the long run, they destroy our health and vitality. Unfortunately, most modern drugs are poisons. In fact, Eli Lily, the founder of one of our largest pharmaceutical houses said that all drugs are poisons. He maintained that by definition drugs are poisons and if a drug was not a poison it was not a good drug. This is why drugs supress symptoms, but they do not remove the underlying cause of disease.

The great secret of healing is that the body heals itself. All we can do is assist the body's own healing process and this can only be done by providing the body with those things which would have helped to keep it healthy in the first place. Thus, the true art of healing involves things like: adequate rest, proper nourishment, pure water, fresh air, proper elimination, exercise, touch, positive mental attitudes and all other processes which would tend to keep a healthy person healthy. All of these things are natural to the body. Hence, healing by means of these processes can rightfully be called: natural healing, because all of these therapies are therapies that are natural to the body, whether it is healthy or sick. Thomson put it this way, "The same thing will prevent disease that will cure it."

But wait a minute. We taught in school that germs cause disease. Cold symptoms don't arise from blocked elimination, they are caused by infection. We catch colds don't we?

The truth is, germs are not the primary cause of disease. They are a secondary effect and many herbalists and natural healers since Thomson's day have realized this.

Just prior to Pasteur's day Rudolf Virchow, in his pioneer work on cellular pathology, maintained that hte health of body cells depended on thier chemical make-up and this chemical make-up depended in turn upon the kind of food eaten by the individual. "If I could live my life over again," stated Virchow, "I would devote it to proving that germs seek their natural habitat--diseased tissue--rather than being the cause of diseased tissue: e.g. mosquitoes seek stagnant water, but do not cause the pool to become stagnant."

As with any disease, the germ can only take hold if the immune system is weak - This was an argument between Bechamp and Pasteur over a hundred years ago and we are only starting to recognize the correctness of Bechamp. So to protect yourselves from any disease, be sure you are well hydrated, eat less acid causing foods (ie sugar, white flour, meats), get your exercise, relax, and be sure your body has a good supply of nutritional supplementation including minerals and Probiotics.

The famous herbalist, Dr. Edward E. Shook explains this elequantly in his Advanced Treatise in Herbology. Speaking of orthodox medical tests he says:

"They will show you illustrations of minute living organisms (so-called pathological germs) which are found in sputum, or pus taken from diseased tissues or secretions. Probably, at first sight, you are astonished; then you wonder "Can this be true?" Yes, it must be true. There they are! Right in the pus, plain as can be. How awful that such creatures can live and destroy our bodies without our knowledge until too late. Surely these doctors have discovered the truth. They are right. The germs must be killed." But wait a minute before you jump to such a conclusion. We find the fly on garbage which is composed of decaying organic matter. Is he, the fly, the cause of the garbage, or does the garbage breed the fly? We find the white maggot in decaying flesh. Was he (the maggot) the cause of death? And what are these creatures doing there? They are eating, consuming, doing away with decaying matter...."

Shook recognized that germs, like flys and mosquitoes, live where there is stagnation and decay. Using Thomson's furnace analogy, germs live in the smoke and ash that accumulates where the fire is burning low. When the fire is burning hot and clean, germs cannot live.

In modern terms we call that clean, hot burning state immunity. Even in orthodox medical circles, it is recognized that immunity is an important factor in whether or not we "catch" a disease. Here are two statements which discuss this concept.

Microbes and viruses are to be found everywhere, in the air,in water, in our food. They are always present at the surface ofthe skin, and of the digestive and respiratory mucosas. Nevertheless, in many people they remain inoffensive. Among human beings, some are subject to diseases, and others are immune. Such a state of resistance is due to the individual constitution of the tissues and the humors, which oppose the penetration of pathogenic agents or destroy them when they have invaded our body. This is natural immunity. This form of immunity may preserve certain individuals from almost any disease. It is one of the most precious qualities for which a man could wish. We are still ignorant of nature. It appears to depend on some properties of ancestral origin, as well as on others acquired in the course of development...But natural immunity does not exclusively derive from ancestral constitution. It may come from our mode of life and alimentation, as Reid Hunt showed long ago. Some diets were found to increase the susceptibility of mice to experimental typhoid fever. The frequency of pneumonia may also be modified by food. The mice belonging to one of the strains kept in the mousery of the Rockefeller Institute died of pneumonia in the proportion of fifty-two percent while subjected to the standard diet. Several groups of these animals were given different diets. Themortality from pneumonia fell to thirty-two percent, fourteen percent, and even zero, according to the food.

The individual doing everything in his power to keep in the best physical condition can prevent disease. Disease is a common enemy of all of us, waiting to destroy, but Nature is in league with us if we obey her laws. With a normal body and pure blood, should the invader arrive, the fight is on our side. But once the body is weakened by heredity as a result of our parents' or forefathers' neglect of the body, through the abuse of alcohol, tobacco or immoral living, lack of exercise, overeating and loss of sleep, overwork or lack of work, or improper food, then will the soil be fertile for the planting of the germs of disease? When exposed and once planted, the fight will be in their favor, as the rundown body will not have sufficient vitality to overcome the invader and sickness and death result.

These quotes all suggest that our health is not dependent on the whim of germs, but rather that germs take advantage of ourbody when it is weakened by abuse. Our thesis is that germs invade the body only because of the weakened energy of the tissues and the accompanying accumlation of toxic waste. Hence, using antibiodics and drug medicines may be likened to spraying our garbage piles and swamps with insecticides. It may temporarily relieve the symptoms, but as soon as the poison wears off, the scavengers will return.

Thompson's analogy that the body is like a furnace is still useful and valid. So, what about the fuel we are "burning" in our modern stomachs? Is it high quality fuel, poor qualtiy fuel or kitchen garbage? It's something to think about. Go to my blog on The Gut.

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Dr. Henry Bieler healed people by making this broth or soup and juicing.

Bieler's Healing Broth

The Original Healing Soup The original recipe was developed by Maverick Physician Henry Bieler to heal a variety of illnesses. Many times the soup was used as a fast or a general detox. Dr. Bieler's Health Broth Adapted from "Food is Your Best Medicine" book Wonderful for a Fall or Winter Detox ·
3 stalks of celery ·
3 whole zucchini ·
2 cups of string beans ·
1 cup of (Italian)parsley
Dr. Henry Beiler created a vitamin and nutrient rich soup to heal his patients. Bieler's broth,(Beiler's broth) contains zucchini and string beans, which are rich sources of organic potassium and sodium. The liver and probably other organ's use those elements to clean and revitalize the body. Occasionally, when you’re sick, the best thing to do is not eat. See step one, contacting your inner wisdom for help with seeing what is right for you. Dr. Bieler’s famous health broth recipe for energy, weight loss, and cleansing Put 1 cup of water into a stockpot. Put the string beans in first and steam for about 5 minutes. Then put celery and zucchini into the pot and steam for another 5 - 7 minutes or until tender, but still crisp. Do not overcook. Then put the vegetable water and the cooked vegetables together into the blender. Blend until liquefied. Add a teaspoon of raw unsalted butter and a large handful of parsley. Blend again until parsley is liquefied. Dosage: Drink 2 cups a day of the broth/soup
*Optional add 1 clove of garlic.
**What I did was: equal parts of zucchini, celery leaves and stalks, and green beans. 2 clove of garlic, 1 cup of water, 5 basil leaves, 1/2 cup of watercress or equivalent for taste and 3 green onions. steam this for 30 minutes after the water comes to a boil. Remove from the fire and with the lid still on let it set for another hour so the mixure can envelop the juices. I placed all in a food processor along with a big handful of parsely and 1 T. of ghee or clarified butter. Mix well. I then transferred it to my blender and pulsed it 4 or 5 times to get a finer mixture but still chunky. Placed all in a big jar to refrigerater and took enough out for a small bowl and added 1/3 cup of water, salt and pepper. Heat to serve. It is really delicious.

About Essential Oils

Plants contain complex and powerful substances known as essential oils. These are aromatic liquids derived from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. These distinctive components defend plants from insects, harsh environmental conditions, and disease. They are also vital for a plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings. Referred to as the essence of the plant, pure essential oils not only protect the plant but also determine its aroma. Essential oils have been used throughout time dating back to 4500 BC. From perfumes and aromatherapy to cooking and medicinal purposes, essential oils have been used in everyday life for centuries. In modern days, research shows that pure essential oils can provide similar benefits to humans and animals that they give to plants. IF interested in knowing more about Young Living's Pure essential oils and how to get them, email me at mysisgarden@yahoo.com

THIEVES
The use of essential oils for medicinal purposes dates back thousands of years and more recently, through scientific study, we know the power of essential oils on airborne pathogens. During the 14th century, the plague spread across Europe. It was estimated to have killed a third of Europe’s population while spreading to Asia and the Middle East. It was also known as the “Black Death” because one of the symptoms, acral necrosis, caused skin to blacken from sub dermal hemorrhages. So terrorizing was the disease that it killed within a week, usually 3-4 days, wiping out entire families. “The pestilence was so contagious that those who touched the dead or the sick were immediately affected themselves and died”. During this time, there was a group of four thieves who were able to not only go near the dying and dead, but were able to touch them. The thieves robbed the bodies of the inflicted and did not become ill, themselves. They were caught in 1413 in Marseilles, France. When they were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they exposed their secret to resisting the infection. The thieves disclosed a concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, which they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples in order to avoid contracting the plague. This recipe was recreated in Young Living’s blend, Thieves®, which contains the oils of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary. It is highly antimicrobial. When tested at Weber State University, it was found to have a 99.96% kill rate against airborne bacteria. There is an entire arsenal of Thieves essential oil-based products to keep your environment healthy such as Thieves Essential Oil, Thieves Cough Drops, Thieves Mouthwash, Thieves Spray, Thieves Hand Soap, Thieves Hand Sanitizer, Thieves Hand Wipes, and Thieves Household Cleaner. In addition, the new supplement, INNER DEFENSE contains the essential oils used in our Thieves blend plus Thyme and Citronella. This is a very powerful supplement for health and wellness support. Use Thieves in your washing machine, dishwasher, wash down counters and bathrooms, diffuse in your environment, put on cotton balls and stick them in your air ducts at home or in your car. Add lemon essential oil to increase your protection against airborne pathogens. Keep the air you bring into your lungs as clean as possible by using Young Living Essential Oils all day, every day! Simply removing and smelling the cap of your essential oils throughout the day provides health benefits. Airplane Travel: One of the ways the Swine flu is being carried from country to country is via air travel. If you must travel by airplane, please take precautions. * When traveling you could take a couple Kleenex and saturate them with drops of oils such as listed above then put the Kleenex into a baggie and keep it with you. Throughout the flight you can pull out the baggie and INHALE. * Mix a mild essential oil such as Lavender into a small amount of Animal Scents Ointment and rub a bit on the insides of your nostrils. * Bring along Thieves cough drops and share them with your airplane neighbors. * Use your Thieves hand sanitizer before, during and after your flight. Some additional tips: Inhale – Put a few drops on the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, cup your hands over your nose/mouth and inhale deeply three times. Inhaling essential oils throughout the day can greatly benefit your wellness goals. Gargle – Use Thieves Mouthwash and gargle morning and night. You can also gargle with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and water.

Many of these remedies are able to treat the symptoms associated with seasonal flu as well as the difficult symptoms of pandemic influenza. These remedies are being entirely ignored largely because modern medicine, and society as a whole, has decided that effective treatment of disease did not exist before the discovery of drugs. The economics and politics of modern medicine has in many ways blinded us to viable solutions for treating influenza.

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H1N1 Flu and Seasonal Flu: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

By Dr. Linda B. White

As winter approaches each year we brace for flu season. This year brings an extra complication: the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. In June, the World Health Organization declared H1N1 a pandemic. Since then, the media has brimmed with H1N1 stories, governments have stockpiled Tamiflu, flu vaccines have been developed, temperature sensors have been installed in Asian airports, and gallons of hand sanitizer have been dispensed.

While the concerns are justified, we have always been vulnerable to various forms of the flu (influenza) virus. Flu viruses continually undergo genetic modification, presenting our immune systems with new challenges each season. To help you make sense of what’s in the news and plan your own best course of action, here’s a quick look at what you need to know about H1N1 and seasonal flu, and how to stay healthy.
H1N1 and Factory Farms

Big changes can happen when influenza viruses jump species. Birds, humans and pigs each have their own viruses that circulate among their populations. Pigs, however, can become infected with avian, swine and human viruses. Viruses can trade genes, potentially creating a novel virus capable of infecting humans, such as H1N1. Some authorities have tied industrial-scale hog farms — where animals are crowded together — with the origin and spread of the H1N1 virus.
How Flu Viruses Spread

Influenza viruses are very contagious. Sneezes and coughs propel the viral droplets into the air, and an infected person begins shedding viruses a day before symptoms strike, thus thwarting quarantines from being a completely effective tactic. These viruses can survive on inanimate objects for two to eight hours. You touch that object (a borrowed pen, a shopping cart), then rub your eye, nose or lips — and presto, inoculation.
Recognizing Flu Symptoms

One to three days after exposure, flu symptoms develop: fatigue, fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, and even vomiting or diarrhea. Children may also develop middle ear infections. People with respiratory ailments, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are especially vulnerable to complications such as pneumonia.
Who Gets the Flu?

Whereas the seasonal flu or influenza viruses take a greater toll on the very young and the very old, the H1N1 virus (swine flu) has so far proved most dangerous to children and young adults. So far, most of the deaths have been of people with other significant health problems, and the vast majority of the million or so H1N1 flu cases have been mild, on par with seasonal influenza.
Vaccines for Seasonal Flu and H1N1

The vaccine for this season’s expected influenza viruses, though recommended to protect against these viruses, doesn’t work against the H1N1 virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) anticipates a vaccine against the novel H1N1 will be available this fall. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has prioritized the H1N1 vaccine for groups at higher risk of complications: people who work in the health care industry, live with or care for babies younger than 6 months old, are pregnant, are between the age of 6 months to 24 years old, or are 25 through 64 years old with chronic illnesses or immune dysfunction.
Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Prevention Tips

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Influenza Recipe for Bath

2 drops Eucalyptus radiata
drops frankincense
3 drops blue cypress
6 drops spruce
15 drops ravensara
1 drop wintergreen
Stir the above oil thoroughly into 1/4 c Epsom Salts or baking soda, then add the mixture to hot bath water while filling the tub.
Soak in hot bath water until it cools.

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this blog is based solely on the use of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils due to their high quality and tested purity. The use of a brand of uncertain quality and/or purity will provide you with potentially dangerous, if not lethal, results. The author assumes no responsibility for your improper use of this information.

The statements about these oils are for educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are ill, and especially if you have come in contact with the Swine Virus, seek immediate medical intervention.

Action Plan

This blog would be just a ranting and raving if I didn’t supply you with an action plan. I really encourage all of you to put together an emergency first aid and preparedness kit. It should contain basic herbs and first aid supplies and items you’d need in an emergency, like matches, a flashlight, etc. Everyone should also have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water on hand for emergencies. It’s not that hard to put something like this together and it comes in handy for day-to-day “emergencies,” too.

More importantly, get some knowledge about how to use this stuff. Take a first aid class if you haven’t done so. That way you know how to do mouth-to-mouth, CPR, apply pressure for bleeding and other basic first aid skills. Go on an herb walk and learn to identify your local herbs. You’re an herbalist, and people should be able to rely on you for help even if the time comes when you can’t order commercially prepared remedies.

Now, to address the specific issue of the flu, let’s remember that even in the Dark Ages, not everyone died when there was a plague. Some people were immune. The flu, like any other disease, is most likely to strike those who are susceptible, which means those whose immune systems are compromised.

So, taking care of your general health is one of the best ways to be prepared. Eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep, learn how to manage stress, and take some basic supplements when colds or flu or whatever are going around to help ward them off. I’ve posted my suggestions for an emergency preparedness kit in a separate article.

Forget the vaccines. Flu strains mutate all the time, and they can’t vaccinate you against all of them. Furthermore, all the flu vaccine does is challenge your immune system so it will build up its own defenses. If you’re immune compromised to begin with, then the vaccine can actually backfire and damage your body.

Opponents of vaccines claim that more people die from the vaccines than actually die from the flu, but scare tactics are really useful in selling flu vaccines, aren’t they? The vaccines that are being created now cannot keep up with the mutations.

WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Dr. Henry Bieler: Digestion is the first line of defense against disease

http://www.eczemacure.info/blog/2009/07/07/dr-henry-bieler-digestion-is-the-first-line-of-defense-against-disease/

Dr. Henry Bieler: The Liver is the 2nd line of Defense against Disease
http://www.eczemacure.info/blog/2009/07/09/dr-henry-bieler-the-liver-is-the-2nd-line-of-defense-against-disease/

Dr. Henry Bieler: The Endocrine Glands are the 3rd Line of Defense Against Disease

http://www.eczemacure.info/blog/2009/08/04/dr-henry-bieler-the-endocrine-glands-are-the-3rd-line-of-defense-against-disease/

The Colon

2009-02-23T19:53:00.012-05:00

Colon Knowledge is Power

I believe that when we empower ourselves with the right knowledge we can more directly guide our own health. So let's take a look at just what the colon is and what you can do to keep your plumbing in optimal condition.

The large intestine comes after the small intestine in the digestive tract and measures approximately 1.5 meters (or about 5 feet) in length. The large intestine is mainly responsible for storing waste, reclaiming water, maintaining the water balance, and absorbing some vitamins, such as vitamin K.

By the time the chyme has reached this tube, almost all nutrients and 90% of the water have been absorbed by the body. At this point some electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and chloride are left as well as indigestible carbohydrates known as dietary fiber. As the chyme moves through the large intestine, most of the remaining water is removed, while the chyme is mixed with mucus and bacteria known as gut flora, and becomes feces. The bacteria break down some of the fiber for their own nourishment and create acetate, propionate, and butyrate as waste products, which in turn are used by the cell lining of the colon for nourishment. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship and provides about one hundred calories a day to the body. The large intestine produces no digestive enzymes--chemical digestion is completed in the small intestine before the chyme reaches the large intestine. The pH in the colon varies between 5.5 and 7 (slightly acidic to neutral).

So to sum this part up, the colon absorbs water and electrolytes from undigested food that has been passed from the small intestine. At intervals, rhythmic contractions move the waste matter towards the rectum to be expelled before it becomes toxic waste.

There are 4 sections to the large intestine.

=>Ascending => Traverse=> Descending=> Sigmoid

Ascending colon The ascending colon extends up from the cecum at the level of the ileocecal valve to the bend in the colon called the hepatic flexure, which is located beneath and behind the right lobe of the liver; behind, it is in contact with the rear abdominal wall and the right kidney. The ascending colon is covered by peritoneum except on its posterior surface.

Transverse colon The transverse colon of the colon is from the hepatic flexure to the splenic flexure (the turn of the colon by the spleen). It hangs off the stomach, and attached to it by a wide band of tissuemesentery known as the greater omentum. On the posterior side, the transverse colon is connected to the posterior abdominal wall by a transverse mesocolon. The transverse colon is encased in peritoneum, and is therefore mobile (unlike the parts of the colon immediately before and after it). Cancers form more frequently further along the large intestine as the contents become more solid (water is removed) in order to form feces.

Descending colon The descending colon is the part of the colon from the splenic flexure to the beginning of the sigmoid colon. It is retroperitoneal in two-thirds of humans. In the other third, it has a (usually short) mesentery. Arterial supply comes via the left colic artery.

Sigmoid colon The Sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine after the descending colon and before the rectum. The name sigmoid means S-shaped . The walls of the sigmoid colon are muscular, and contract to increase the pressure inside the colon, causing the stool to move into the rectum.

Slow Decay = Accelerated Aging

An unclean, unhealthy bowel leads to the development of parasites. The stagnation of waste in the bowel releases putrefied matter into the blood, poisoning the nervous system and the brain. This can lead to deep mood swings and disorders like depression and chronic fatigue.

This toxicity in your blood causes all sorts of symptoms that directly hamper our lives. Bloated organs, foul breath from toxicity in the lungs, skin that lacks elasticity and glow. These are just a few symptoms evolving from an ignored colon.

In essence, we age prematurely. Our thinking is affected and our ability to process information is slowed. While these symptoms can obviously be associated to aging they don't require numerous years behind you to be in your life.

It is imperative we cleanse this toxic waste from our colon. It is not designed to continue processing feces. Yet the majority of people have a bowel that is between 15 and 40 lbs! Just imagine that much waste toxifying in your colon. How can we expect to be healthy if we treat our bodies like a dump, allowing waste to rest in our bodies?

Bowel movements are the basis of your health. If you don`t have at least 1 bowel movement per day, you are already walking your way toward disease. Man`s body has not changed very much in the past several thousand years... however man`s diet has certainly changed a lot. All the refined sugar, white flour, hormone/antibiotics-filled meats we constantly ingest constitute an assault on our bodies. We are continuously violating our bodies by eating terrible foods. Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

So, all congestion and toxins must be removed, and it must begin with cleansing of the bowel.

One of the most frequent bowel problems that people experience today is constipation. A constipated system is one in which the transition time of toxic wastes is slow. The longer the "transit time," the longer the toxic waste matter sits in our bowel, which allows them to putrefy, ferment and possibly be reabsorbed. The longer your body is exposed to putrefying food in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing disease. Even with one bowel movement per day, you will still have at least three meals worth of waste matter putrefying in your colon at all times.

Disease usually begins with a toxic bowel. Those having fewer bowel movements are harboring a potentially fertile breeding ground for serious diseases. Infrequent or poor quality bowel movements over an extended period of time may be very hazardous to your health.

Mucoid Plaque----Even a thin layer of mucoid plaque weakens the body. Nature intended mucoid plaque to be sloughed off. But due to stress and diet, most Americans have many hardened layers of mucoid plaque. The healthy colon weighs about 4 pounds. One autopsy revealed a colon choked with 40 pounds of impacted mucoid plaque! A proper colon cleanse and detoxification program prepares your body for optimal health by removing the mucoid plaque.

Begin transitioning to a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables with very few cooked or processed foods to help keep your digestive system free of mucoid plaque. Regular and easy elimination will be the rule, toxins will not build up and foods will be fully digested and utilized.

This optimum nutrition allows rejuvenation and peak vitality. Of course it was a process of years or decades to get the body so full of plaque and toxins, so it will be a process, although faster, to detoxify and get your body pure and back to its highest possible state of health.

Natural Ways to Keep your Colorectal Region Clean and Healthy

Please note: A number of the following ways to keep your colon and rectum healthy are tied to preventing chronic constipation.

Chronic constipation is the single greatest cause of having an unclean and unhealthy colorectal region because over time, constipation causes your bowel walls to face excessive pressure - pressure that is created by you straining to go and by your colon walls creating stronger contractions to help eliminate hard stools.

Excessive pressure on your colon walls can cause little pouches called diverticuli to form. Sometimes, small bits of waste material can get lodged in diverticuli.

Eat substantial meals; don't nibble on small amounts throughout the day.

Each time you eat a substantial meal, you stimulate stretch receptors in your stomach that are responsible for triggering normal and mass peristaltic waves throughout your small and large intestines, ensuring regular movement of waste material through your colon and rectum.

Also, eating substantial meals allows significant "chunks" of waste materials to travel together through your colon, turn into well formed stools, and get eliminated from your body in an efficient manner.

Don't suppress the desire to go.

If you regularly suppress the urge to have a bowel movement, waste materials spend more time than is optimal in your colon, causing excessive dehydration of waste materials and formation of hard stools.

Ensure adequate intake of water and/or water-rich foods.

Water helps to move waste materials along, and is absorbed throughout the entire length of your colon. Insufficient water intake can cause stools to form far before waste materials reach your rectal pouch, which can cause constipation.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to drink several glasses of water per day. If you eat plenty of water-rich plant foods, then you can rely on your sense of thirst to dictate how much water to drink. For more guidance on this issue, please view:

Eat fiber-rich foods regularly.

Fiber adds bulk to the boluses of waste material that travel through your large intestine, and this bulk is essential to your colon's ability to turn waste materials into well formed stools.

A diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains ensures high fiber intake.

Ensure adequate vitamin D status.

Adequate vitamin D status significantly lowers your risk of developing all types of cancer, including colorectal cancer.

When you aren't able to get regular exposure to sunlight, enough to tan without getting burned, look to ensure adequate vitamin D status by eating healthy foods that contain vitamin D........

Wild Salmon Cod Liver oil Sardines Organic egg yolks

Ensure adequate vitamin A status.

As mentioned above, glands that line the mucosal lining of your colon are responsible for releasing mucous that is needed to lubricate your feces; vitamin A is needed to maintain the health of these specialized cells that release mucous.

It's best to ensure adequate vitamin A status by eating healthy foods that contain vitamin A. Pre-formed Vitamin A: Organic beef liver Organic lamb liver Organic eggs Organic butter Cod liver oil

Provitamin A: Sweet potatoes or yams Canteloupe Spinach Carrots Butter nut squash

Ensure adequate intake of healthy fats.

All of your cells, including those of your large intestine and nervous system, require a constant influx of undamaged fatty acids and cholesterol to remain fully functional. If you don't ensure adequate intake of healthy fats, your nervous system and the smooth muscles that surround your digestive passageway - both of which are responsible for creating peristaltic waves throughout your digestive tract - may deteriorate in function.

Also, intake of healthy fats is necessary for optimal absorption of fat-soluble vitamin A, which, as mentioned above, is critical to building and maintaining the mucosal lining of your colon.

Healthy foods that are rich in healthy fats include: avocados, organic eggs, olives, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconuts, raw nuts, raw seeds, and cold-water fish.

Build and maintain a population of friendly bacteria in your digestive tract

Large populations of friendly bacteria can keep your digestive tract clean and healthy by:

Promoting optimal digestion, thereby preventing build-up of toxic waste materials
Taking up space and resources, thereby helping to prevent infection by harmful bacteria, fungi, and parasites

Work at feeling emotionally balanced.

As mentioned above, stress can interfere with your ability to clean your colon through its effect on your enteric nervous system. Most people who have come to me over the years with a chronic colon-related health issue have had significant emotional stress in their lives.

If you have a challenge with colon and rectal health, I encourage you to take a careful look at ways that you can minimize emotional stress in your life.

Here's the bottom line on this topic: Your body is well designed to keep your colon and rectal regions clean and healthy. If you follow the steps outlined above, you can rest assured knowing that your lifestyle choices are minimizing your risk of having colon-related health issues.

What Does an Ideal Bowel Movement Look Like?

An ideal bowel movement is medium brown, the color of plain cardboard. It leaves the body easily with no straining or discomfort. It should have the consistency of toothpaste, and be approximately 4 to 8 inches long. Stool should enter the water smoothly and slowly fall once it reaches the water. There should be little gas or odor.

Stool That Sinks Quickly
Rapidly sinking stool can indicate that a person isn't eating enough fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, or drinking enough water. This stool is often dark because they have been sitting in the intestines for a prolonged time.

Pale Stool
Stool that is pale or gray may be caused by insufficient bile output due to conditions such as cholecystitis, gallstones, giardia parasitic infection, hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, or cirrhosis. Bile salts from the liver give stool its brownish color. If there is decreased bile output, stool is much lighter in color.
Pale stool may also be shiny or greasy, float, and be foul smelling, due to undigested fat in the stool (see soft and smelly stool).

Soft, Smelly Stool
Soft, foul-smelling stool that floats, sticks to the side of the bowl, or is difficult to flush away may mean there is increased fat in the stools, called steatorrhea. Stool is sometimes also pale.

Mucus in Stool
Whitish mucus in stool may indicate there is inflammation in the intestines. Mucus in stool can occur with either constipation or diarrhea.

Green Stool
The liver constantly makes bile, a bright green fluid, that is secreted directly into the small intestine or stored in the gallbladder.

Loose Stool
In traditional Chinese medicine, loose stools, abdominal bloating, lack of energy, and poor appetite can be signs of a condition known as spleen qi deficiency. It doesn't necessarily involve your actual spleen, but it is linked to tiredness and weak digestion brought on by stress and poor diet.

Pencil Thin Stool
Like loose stools, stool that is pencil thin can be caused by a condition known in traditional Chinese medicine as spleen qi deficiency.
Other symptoms of spleen qi deficiency are: easy bruising, mental fogginess, bloating, gas, loose stools, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools with little odor, symptoms that worsen with stress, undigested food in the stools, and difficulty ending the bowel movement. Spleen qi deficiency can be brought on by stress and overwork.
Eating certain foods in excess is thought to worsen spleen qi deficiency. Offending foods include fried or greasy foods, dairy, raw fruits and vegetables, and cold drinks, all believed to cause "cold" and "dampness" in the body. Dietary treatment of spleen qi deficiency involves eating warm, cooked foods. Ginger tea and cinnamon tea are also warming.

Pencil thin stool can also be caused by a bowel obstruction. Benign rectal polyps, prostate enlargement, colon or prostate cancer are some of the conditions that can cause obstruction.

Infrequent Stool
With constipation, infrequent or hard stool is passed with straining.

Pellet Stool
Pellet stool is stool that comes out in small, round balls. In traditional Chinese medicine, pellet stool is caused by a condition known as liver qi stagnation. Liver qi stagnation can be brought on by stress. Lack of exercise can worsen the problem.

Yellow Stool
Yellow stool can indicate that food is passing through the digestive tract relatively quickly. Yellow stool can be found in people with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Symptoms of GERD include heartburn, chest pain, sore throat, chronic cough, and wheezing. Symptoms are usually worse when lying down or bending. Foods that can worsen GERD symptoms include peppermint, fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate.

Yellow stool can also result from insuffient bile output. Bile salts from the liver gives stool its brownish color. When bile output is diminished, it often first appears as yellow stool. If there is a greater reduction in bile output, stool lose almost all of its color, becoming pale or grey.

If the onset is sudden, yellow stool can also be a sign of a bacterial infection in the intestines.

Dark Stool
Stool that is almost black with a thick consistency may be caused by bleeding in the upper digestive tract. The most common medical conditions that cause dark, tar-like stool includes duodenal or gastric ulcer, esophageal varices, Mallory Weiss tear (which can be linked with alcoholism), and gastritis.

Certain foods, supplements, and medications can temporarily turn stool black. These include:

* Bismuth (e.g. Pepto bismol)
* Iron
* Activated charcoal
* Aspirin and NSAIDS (which can cause bleeding in the stomach)
* Dark foods such as black licorice and blueberries

Dark stool can also occur with constipation.
If you experience this type of stool, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

Bright Red Stool
When there is blood in stool, the color depends on where it is in the digestive tract. Blood from the upper part of the digestive tract, such as the stomach, will look dark by the time it reaches exits the body as a bowel movement. Blood that is bright or dark red, on the other hand, is more likely to come from the large intestine or rectum.

Conditions that can cause blood in the stool include hemorrhoids, anal fissures, diverticulitis, colon cancer, and ulcerative colitis, among others.

Eating beets can also temporarily turn stools and urine red.

ICP™ from Young Living Essential Oils

A healthy digestive system is important for the health and proper functioning of all other body systems. And, keeping the colon clean and healthy is critical, because of its role in the absorption of nutrients.

Therefore, an on-going colon cleansing program is important. By continuing in a daily pattern of cleansing, you clear the toxins from your environment — and therefore, in your foods — from your system.

ICP™ provides you with an effective combination of soluble and insoluble fibers, which help to decrease the buildup of wastes in the colon, improve nutrient absorption and help maintain a healthy heart. ICP™ contains psyllium husk, oat bran and flax and fennel seed. These are enhanced with therapeutic-grade essential oils.

Each serving of ICP™ provides you with:

3 grams of soluble fiber, and
1 gram of insoluble fiber.

All of this makes ICP™ an important part of your on-going colon cleanse program.

How to use: Stir 1-2 tsp into juice or purified water, and take three times daily. Drink 8-16 oz of fluid per tsp ICP™. You may also sprinkle IPC™ on yogurt, cereal or other foods, or add it to Balance Complete or PowerMeal.

Ingredients: Psyllium seed powder, oat bran, flax seed, fennel seed, rice bran, guar gum, yucca root, plant cellulose, vegetarian protease enzyme formula, and aloe vera extract. Also contains the essential oils of fennel, tarragon, ginger, lemongrass, rosemary and anise.
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Re-Juva-nate Kit
Each Re-JUVA-nate Kit includes:

Re-JUVA-nate Kit™ contains powerful supplements that promote cleansing and rejuvenation. Juva Power and ComfortTone support healthy liver and colon function, while Detoxzyme enhances digestion.*

This kit also contains the Re-JUVA-nate Your Health booklet and an audio CD and cassette, in which Gary Young explains the Re-JUVA-nate Cleansing Program.
Detoxzyme - A powerful vegetable enzyme complex that promotes cleansing, completes digestion and detoxifies.
ComforTone - Contains herbs, minerals, bentonite, and essential oils that help with proper elimination and relax spasms that may occur.
JuvaPower 14 oz. - An advanced phytonutrient fiber supplement that cleanses the liver and intestines simultaneously. Contains the highest acid-binding foods for superior results
Re-JUVA-nate Your Health booklet
Audio tape "The Re- JUVA-nate Program-Cleansing with Comfortone, Juva Power and Detoxzyme" by D. Gary Young, N.D.
Code 3159

Go to my "How to order Young Living Oils" page

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

2009-01-03T19:46:00.020-05:00

This time every year, people draw up lists of New Year's resolutions: lose weight, exercise, quit smoking. The New Year offers us a sort of "restart" button. Sure, we're not cleaning out our mental or physical hard drives entirely. None of us change ourselves completely. But we can use this time to "reboot" — take a pause and, hopefully, perform somewhat better going forward.

“Where did the year go?”

What a routine question to ask yourself, opening yet another of Santa’s presents and adjusting Christmas ornaments on yet another tree. No doubt we have done a lot during the last 360-something days. Yet thinking about a new list of resolutions and goals, we find that the “old friends” are still there. Weight loss… Studies… That career goal that has been queuing for a while now…

What makes us “try once again” to write the New Year’s resolutions over and over?

The History of New Year's Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

New Year's Resolutions

January 1 is not only the start of the New Year, but is when many begin their New Year’s Resolutions, manage stress, eat healthier, exercise more, and/or spend more time with family. Sticking to your resolutions and making changes can be difficult but not impossible. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) would like to offer tips and other resources to help families and individuals keep their resolutions for a healthy mind and healthy life.

“A new year is a great time to think about the changes we want to make in our lives. Being and staying well is a resolution many people make for the New Year, but those resolutions can lead to frustration when we find we have set unrealistic goals,” said Philip R. Muskin, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University and Chair of the APA Council on Psychosomatic Medicine. “Making a resolution to change one thing that will make us healthier is a priceless gift that only we can give to ourselves.”

Try again. Everyone has made, and broken past resolutions, that does not mean that you won’t succeed this time. Start with a positive approach, including thinking about what has disrupted your good intentions in the past. Don’t discourage yourself with a negative outlook.

Don’t make too many resolutions. Trying to eat better, exercise more, quit smoking, and reduce stress is too much to tackle at once. Pick a realistic, attainable goal with a reasonable time frame.

Choose your own resolution. Make sure this is something that you want to accomplish for yourself and not for friends or family. When you attain the goal they will benefit from your success as well.

Make a plan and write it down. Plan what you’d like to accomplish in three or six months. Achieving small goals over time gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going. Writing your goals down is a good way to keep track of your progress.

1. Create a Plan Setting a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, (as the word "resolution" implies), it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. A good plan will tell you
A) What to do next and
B) What are all of the steps required to complete the goal.
2. Create Your Plan IMMEDIATELY
If you're like most people, you'll have a limited window of opportunity during the first few days of January to harness your motivation. After that, most people forget their resolutions completely.

It is imperative that you begin creating your plan immediately.

Involve friends and family. They can support your efforts, and can motivate you to keep going. Setting a personal goal is not a “promise” which can never be broken. Don’t paint yourself into a corner by overstating what can be a realistic change you plan to make.

Forgive yourself. If you get off track, don’t think that you failed. Review your plan and make adjustments.

Congratulate yourself. Reward yourself when your intermediate goals or resolutions are met.

The most important point to consider when deciding on your resolutions is to decide if you are truly willing to make the change in your life. Deciding to make the change just to have a resolution will not keep you motivated to attain your goal. Many people fail because they are afraid or don’t fully realize how the goal can benefit their every day lives. When you decide on your resolution, make a plan of action and list the ways it will improve your life. When you can see the prize, you are more likely to keep up the fight.

The Psychology of New Year's Resolutions

According to a survey, most people — 75 percent — who make a resolution fail on their first attempt and most people — 67 percent — make more than one resolution.

So, from a psychological perspective, it might be interesting to ask what exactly determines how many goals people set and how successful they are. Luckily for us, researchers Mukhopadhyay and Johar (2005) did just that and came to some interesting conclusions.

Their research found that people who believe that self-control is something dynamic, changing and unlimited (e.g., “I can stop smoking, all I have to do is put my mind to it. I can also change my eating and be a better person, it just takes willpower.”) tend to set more resolutions.

People who believe that we all are born with a limited, set amount of self-control that one cannot change (e.g., “I can’t help myself from eating all this chocolate — I inherited the ‘chocolate gene’ from my mom!”) and who also have little belief in their own capabilities to carry out their own goals (they have what psychologists refer to as “low self-efficacy”) naturally did worse on obtaining their New Year’s resolution goals.

As the researchers summarized, individuals with high self-efficacy attribute failure to insufficient effort, while individuals with low self-efficacy attribute failure to deficient ability. Higher self-efficacy generally is correlated with a greater likelihood of achieving one’s goals.

The investigators also found that if you are made to believe that self-control is a fixed or limited resource that you can’t change, you will also set fewer goals and will give up on them sooner, regardless of your level of self-efficacy.

What all of this means is that you’ll do better on your New Year’s goals if you believe that self-control is indeed an unlimited resource that we all have access to and can leverage with our resolutions. The more you believe in your own capabilities — high self-efficacy — the more likely you will succeed as well. And it also seems to help to set more goals, because you will be more likely to succeed at them if you do (people who set fewer goals seem to often go into the exercise with the self-fulfilling expectation of failing).

Other research points to having the actual skills to make the changes you’re proposing for your life.

For instance, it’s all fine and well to say you want to quit smoking. But do you really have any idea on how to do so? Researching the most effective methods for quitting ahead of time predicts better success in actually achieving your goal. And of course, being ready to change also helps. If you don’t want to change and so only make a half-hearted resolution to do so, don’t be surprised by your amazing lack of success.

The New Year’s task is not to write “resolutions” or “goals.”

It is to define the direction of your life for the next 365 days and set the stepping stones on this road of success -- set your goals. Remember the words of Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. "Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. Not everyone can be Number 1."

This doesn’t mean that your dream should be anything less than being Number 1! Choosing the life you live and choosing how to live it is the greatest gift you can give yourself each New Year’s Eve. It is challenging for a starter. But the rewards are well worth it.

Go to www.stevepavlina.com for a free download of the first chapter of Steve’s book Personal Development for Smart People, which includes a self-assessment exercise that will help you decide how you'd like to improve your life in 2009.

When you love what you are doing and where you are going, the only step-by-step guidance you need are the words of William Arthur Ward’s poem :

Believe While Others:

“Believe while others are doubting; Plan while others are playing; Study while others are sleeping; Decide while others are delaying; Prepare while others are daydreaming; Begin while others are procrastinating; Work while others are wishing; Save while others are wasting; Listen while others are talking; Smile while others are frowning; Commend while others are criticizing; Persist while others are quitting.”

OH, YOU WANT TO KNOW MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?
Mine is to better understand my Heavenly Father’s plan for me (and all of us) His growth plan for us is found in Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Now that is a resolution. It appears to me that our Father in Heaven has high expectations for all of us. Have we embraced those goals?

As you begin to formulate your personal resolution plan, may I give you one piece of advice? Please acquire some strategies from those who love you. Sometimes those who love us may not always present these methods in the right moment or with the right tone, but we must use good discretion when receiving this advice. Those who love us are not perfect, but most of the time the advice they give us is. I know my mother's goals for me as were mine for my children were: to do well in your classes, serve a mission, graduate from college or a trade school, find a good spouse, seal your love in one of God’s holy temples, have a great family, secure good employment, be a productive citizen, and of course live happily ever after. To do the ones I haven't been successful with yet, I turn them into resolutions to keep trying. So I need to follow the plan already set.

Keep the Commandments

Let us turn to the scriptures to discuss the first essential element. Lehi—a father and a prophet—spoke to his son Jacob and stated in 2 Nephi 2:25 that “men [and women] are, that they might have joy.” So we are here upon this earth that we might have joy. We are here to experience the good things of this life. I think every one of us needs to profit from this blessed feeling. How do we receive this joy? Nephi—a brother, husband, father, and prophet—stated in 2 Nephi 5:10–11:

And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things. . . .

And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly.

We receive this joy through keeping God’s commandments. As we keep His commandments, we feel true joy and we prosper both temporally and spiritually. King Benjamin said in Mosiah 2:41:

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state

of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual.

Commandments are our map. They are what we must follow in this game of life. They give us directions, guidelines, and a course of action. Obedience to this path will bring us to our eternal destination. “Commandments are nothing more than wise instructions from a loving Father.” He knows and cares for our earthly existence and wants more than we know for us to return back to His presence. What a reunion that will be! What joy can be greater than making it back to the Father who created us? He sent us off to school to learn the lessons of life, and He wants us back home.

Have Frequent and Fervent Prayer

Communication with our Father in Heaven is vital for so many aspects in our lives, especially the spiritual one. Alma told his son Helaman:

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou li

est down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. [Alma 37:37]

This is good advice from a father to a son.Most of us would find it very difficult to set an appointment with some of our most prominent leaders in this world. It commonly requires days, weeks, and sometimes months to schedule an appointment with anyone who has some type of professional title.

The greatest aspect of prayer for me is that we can speak to the highest-ranking individual in this universe—God, our Heavenly Father—at any time and in any place we so desire. There is no need for an appointment. He is always there and always listening. And, most important, He is always, always giving us answers to our supplications. Let me repeat this: You need no appointment.

Elder Richard G. Scott stated:

Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father. [“Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2007, 8]

Most people, young and old, have experienced the wonderful electronic device called the cell phone. You know how frustrating it is when calls are ignored or not answered. Our Father in Heaven always answers our calls. Our reception or signal is always in range. Our prayer plan consists of unlimited minutes.

Be Inspired by the Scriptures

The third essential element that is necessary for your personal strategy is dedicating your time to the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 4:15, Nephi stated: “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.”

The scriptures are the greatest books ever written. The scriptures provide answers for our temporal and spiritual well-being. The Spirit will inspire and convert our hearts and testimonies at different moments in our lives. Most of the time He will do it while we are pondering or studying the scriptures. The scriptures take on new meaning at different stages in our lives. The same verse can broaden our insight with new messages that differ from those of many years before.

In a First Presidency message in 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball said:

I am convinced that each of us, at some time in our lives, must discover the scriptures for ourselves—and not just discover them once, but rediscover them again and again. . . .

The Lord is not trifling with us when he gives us these things, for “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” (Luke 12:48.) Access to these things means responsibility for them. We must study the scriptures according to the Lord’s commandment (see 3 Ne. 23:1–5); and we must let them govern our lives. [“First Presidency Message: How Rare a Possession—the Scriptures!” Ensign, September 1976, 4, 5]

Protect Yourselves from the Adversary

Before we set our resolutions in place we need prepation. Ephesians 6:11–12 reads:

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

[Now listen to this:] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

I believe that for every good you try to accomplish in your life you will compete against the adversary—one whom we don’t see. We need to protect ourselves and be prepared to compete and to battle our nemesis for he will surely try to keep us from our betterment. Elder M. Russell Ballard stated:

I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body, but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience, covering many more years than you have yet been privileged to live, that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil. [“Be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His Might,” BYU devotional, 3 March 2002]

To me, that is another great apostle of the Lord shouting out helps.

Here is just one more example of one who loved me and gave me direction in a time of need. In the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

Actually, brothers and sisters, Jesus is already victorious in the greatest battle anyway: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world

” (John 16:33). . . .

. . . Moreover, though we live in a failing world, we have not been sent here to fail. [“Encircled in the Arms of His Love,” Ensign, November 2002, 16, 17; emphasis in original]

The battle has been won. We know the final outcome. We need to choose whose team we want to be on. Joshua 24:15 states: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith was an outstanding example. He said in Doctrine and Covenants 128:22: “Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!”

So there it is.
Everything else is small and do-able
if I can continue in just becoming
the best I can be
each day of this
new year.

ALKALIZE YOUR BODY

2008-09-30T18:18:00.003-04:00

ALKALIZE YOUR BODY

OR DIE

I want to mention two conditions that are evidence that the body is acidic and depleted of alkaline minerals. The first one is osteoporosis. The second is receding gums and gingivitis. Both are evidence that the body is deficient in alkaline minerals and is using calcium from bone to meet the pH needs of the blood. When you are too acidic you are either eating too acidifying of a diet or you have hidden fungal and bacterial infections. The waste by-products from these organisms is acidic and will rob you of the oxygen you need to live a vital energized life. Than comes dis-ease.

ACID SYMPTOM CHECKLIST

Beginning Symptoms:
1. Acne
2. Agitation
3. Muscular pain
4. Cold hands and feet
5. Dizziness
6. Low energy
7. Joint pains that travel
8 . Food allergies
9. Chemicall sensitivities to orders, gas heat
10. Hyperactivity
11. Panic attacks
12. Pre-Menstrual and menstrual cramping
13. Pre-menstrual anxiety and depression
14. Lack of sex drive
15. Bloating
16. Heartburn
17. Diarrhea
18. Constipation
19. Hot urine
20. Strong smelling urine
21. Mild headaches
22. Rapid panting breath
23. Rapid heartbeat
24. Irregular heartbeat
25. White coated tongue
26. Hard to get up in morning
28. Metallic taste in mouth

INTERMEDIATE SYMPTOMS:

1. Cold sores (Herpes 1 &11)
2. Depression
3. Loss of memory
4. Loss of concentration
5. Migraine headaches
6. Insomnia
7. Disturbance in smell, taste, vision, hearing
8. Asthma
9. Bronchitis
10. Hay fever
11. Ear aches
12. Hives
13. Swelling
14. Viral infections (cold, flu)
15. Bacterial infections (staph, strep)
16. Fungal infection (candida, albicans, athelete's foot)
17. Impotence
18. Urethritis
19. Cystitis
20. Urinary infection
21. Colitis
22. Excessive falling hair
23. Psoriasis
24. Gastitis
25. Endometriosis
26. Stuttering
27. Numbness and tingling
28. Sinusitis

ADVANCED SYMPTOMS:

1. Crohn's disease
2. Schizophrenia
3. Learning disabled
4. Hodgkin's Disease
5. Systemic Lupus Eerythematosis
6. Multiple Sclerosis
7. Sarcoidosis
8. Rheumatoid arthritis
9. Myastheia gravis
10. Scleroderma
11. Leukemia
12. Tuberculosis
13. ALL OTHER FORMS OF CANCER

Now if you have any symptoms from the Beginning list, it will lead to Intermediate and Advanced. If you have any of the Advanced symptoms, you'll remember at various time when you would have had some of the symptoms from the Beginning or Intermediate list that brought you to this Advanced state.

Call it what you will, but countless names attached to illnesses do not really matter. This does matter, that they all come from the same root cause...too much tissue acid waste in the body! And how do you know if your system is too acid? At this time it is possible to measure body fluid as being alkaline or acid, but it is impossible to evaluate the state of body tissues (skin, organs, glands, muscles, ligaments, arteries and vessels) based solely on blood, urine or saliva tests.

Waste acids that are not eliminated when they should be, unfortunately, are reabsorbed from the colon into the liver and put back into general circulation. They than deposit in the tissues. It is these tissue residues that determine sickness or health. Thus the alkaline/acid scale list above will help you determine your current level of acidity.
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What is the History of Alkaline Diets?

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed a diet very different from what's typical today. The diet was based on minimally processed plant and animal foods. But with the advent of agriculture, the standard Western diet changed greatly.

Grains were introduced into the diet after the appearance of stone tools. Refined grains were available after the invention of automated rolling and sifting devices.
Milk, cheese and other milk products were introduced with the domestication of livestock.
Salt consumption rose when technology to mine, process, and transport it became available.
Meat consumption increased with animal husbandry. It further increased with the advent of technology that enabled grains to be efficiently fed to cattle, which allowed cattle to be fattened quickly.
Sugar consumption has risen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Almost all foods that we eat, after being digested, absorbed, and metabolized, release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into the blood. Grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt all produce acid, so the introduction and dramatic rise in our consumption of these foods meant that the typical Western diet became more acid-producing. Consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables decreased, which further made the Western diet acid-producing.

Our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect this pH level (as it did in the past) and be slightly alkaline. Alkaline diets that are a diet high in acid-producing foods disrupts this balance and promotes the loss of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium, as the body tries to restore equilibrium. This imbalance is thought to make people prone to illness. Think about it this way.....Too much acidity in the body is like having too little oil in your car. It just grinds to a halt one lazy Sunday afternoon. There, your stuck. Well, the body does the same thing. It starts creaking to a stop along the byways of life and you find yourself in some kind of discomfort.

The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal, or Aspartame, which are poison and extremely acid forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.

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Understanding pH

In his book ALKALIZE OR DIE , Dr. Theodore A. Baroody states this. "Whether a substance is alkaline or acid is determined by it pH (potential Hydrogen), which measures the number of hydroxl (OH-) ions which are negative and alkaline-forming as opposed to the amount of hydrogen (H+) ions that are positive and acid-forming."
"From the standpoint of true energy, pH is the measurement of electrical resistance between negative and positive in the body. In other words, pH measures how much the negative ions (alkaline forming) and positive ions (acid-forming) push against one another. We are vibrating beings (that will surely be another blog later)!"
As I have used Litmus paper to test from time to time, Dr. Baroody does not recommend it as an absolute measure of whether the overall body is really too alkaline or acid. He states that it is just too arbitrary and unpredictable which in my search as found also, but helps occasionally. In his book, he goes into a devised plan of new values and scales for food and situations that will act as an automatic, realistic monitor of pH levels without having to check constantly your urine or saliva. I will go over them briefly in this blog, but highly recommend his book because I know that by utilizing the values in these scales, you can determine with a reasonable degree of certainty your alkaline-acid levels over an extended period of hours, days or weeks.
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The great alkaline reserve is the body's bank account.

The body can call upon this reserve at anytime to release alkaline elements for the neutralization of acid.. This reserve acts as a buffer to maintain proper balance in the blood. The blood works in very narrow parameters and sickness quickly results if these are imbalanced. When we ingest more alkaline-forming minerals than the body needs at one time, the left over goes into the body's bank account or actually the body tissues for future use... like money in the bank.
Food goes into our mouth and with the assistance of saliva it is than ready to continue on its way to digestion. (Note here: What is food for?) After the food is digested-stomach to small intestines, it is carried to the tissues-through the small intestines to the blood- where it is oxidized. The carbonic acid salts of the alkaline elements react with the circulating acid, bind up the acid and release weak carbonic acid. This weak carbonic acid is readily eliminated through the lungs as carbon dioxide acid and water. The mineral elements, both alkaline and acid are than set free. If the alkaline and acid elements are freed simultaneously, the alkaline elements immediately neutralize the acids. If not, the acid elements are neutralized by the great alkaline reserve. Therefore, there must at all times be an excess of alkali stored in the body as a reserve. The body does not have an endless quantity available to neutralize all irresponsible habit eating that effects the law of alkaline-acid. When there is overindulgence in acid-forming foods the body sickens. In its marvelous wisdom, the body will make every possible effort to rebalance this transgression by expelling as quickly as possible, all the acid-forming residues. But when this alkaline reserve is depleted-----not a good picture, umm, umm.

To replenish and sustain your alkaline reserves, follow the RULE of 80/20--which means to eat 80% of your foods from the alkaline-forming list and 20% from the acid-forming list. Would you believe that competent practitioners from as long ago as Hippocrates have been using this ratio to heal virtually every condition know. Check Dr. Stanley Burroughs cleanse in my April 08 blog.

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(NOTE: for at least 99.85% of the world population, the suggestions here apply. However, there are exceptions pertaining to the remaining .15%.

It's a good idea to consult your doctor before trying a new diet. The alkaline diet should not be used by people with acute or chronic kidney failure unless under a doctor's supervision. People with pre-existing heart disease and those on medications that affect potassium levels in the body should check with their doctor first.

I don't see a doctor, but will rely on prayer for guidence. You choose.)

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Hydrochloric Acid--Alkaline Ace

Here's the facts

Hydrochloric acid is absolutely essential for life. Without it the body cannot make the proper chemical conversions to alkalinity. It is the only acid that our body produces. All other acids are by-products of metabolism and are eliminated as soon as possible.

Hydrochloric acid is the first substance in the stomach to break down the food. Or else, the food becomes a mass of poorly digested acid waste residues such as diacetic, lactic, pyruvic, uric, carbonic, acetic, butyric, and hepatic waste acids. Thus, reduced quantities foretell illness. Hydrochloric acid usually starts a disturbing decline after the age of 40, and now is seen in even younger years such as infants.

Hydrochloric acid keeps us alive by maintaining proper alkaline/acid balance and than becomes alkaline after its vital job in the digestive process is done. Eight essential amino acids, two vitamins and fifteen minerals are dependent on proper HCL for absorption. Vitamin B-12 and folic acid simply will not be absorbed from food sources without the correct amount of HCL in the stomach. (Strangely, medical practice often overlooks HCL therapy yet freely gives B-12 shots).

Hydrochloric Acid is our first line of defense against the various destructive microbes that enter the body by way of food. It actually kills and digests these harmful intruders. It also cleans up detrimental acid waste by-products caused by improper food combination, poor food choices, and assists in their elimination. Now this sounds like it greatly reduces tissue acid waste buildup.

Hydrochloric acid needs to be in balanced in the stomach so the alkaline hormone, secretin, will release from the pancreas in measured amounts. Secretin causes the pancreas to produce copious amounts of a highly concentrated bicarbonate fluid which is very alkaline-forming. Bicarbonate secretions by the pancreas provide an appropriate pH for the action of the pancreatic enzymes. As a result of low hydrocholic acid, the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is lowered. CCK is produced in the small intestines and signals the gall bladder to release necessary bile for dispersion of fat globules. Thus reduced HCL creates an improper, assimilation, and distribution of nutrients.

Here are some observed conditions from low hydrochloric acid:

Imbalances of calcium, magnesium, and sodium;
Boils, abscess and pus formation as a result of chlorine deficiency which is a part of the HCL molecule;
Flabby muscles because of protein deficiencies;
tendency to edema and asthma because of acid mucous congestion'
Inability to oxidize lactic acid in tissues;
An inability to destroy bacteria sufficiently in food;
Kidney afflictions as a result of excess wastes;
An under functioning pancreas and liver;
A toxic liver that can lead to hypertension;
Failure of endocrine glands to function normally;
Too much or too little carbon dioxide retained in the blood which is implicated in epilepsy or other brain afflictions;
A deficiency of potassium which can be very critical as small amounts are essential for the heartbeat, and functioning of the posterior spinal nerves.

CHECK YOUR STOMACH FOR SUFFICIENT HYDROCHLORIC ACID

To test for sufficient hydrochloric acid -

You need betaine hydrochloride tablets plus enzymes - they are available from health food shops.

Take half a tablet before the last mouthful of a main meal. Burning or indigestion means you have plenty of hydrochloric acid. Don't take any more tablets. Use antacid or teaspoonful of bicarbonate to relieve discomfort.

If no burning or indigestion, next day take 1 tablet in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, next day take 2 tablets in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, then you need more acid.

There are other tests for stomach PH but they're all invasive.

So if you need more acid, then you take 2 betaine hydrochloric acid tablets with main meals and 1 tablet with small meals.

Following is a list of Alkaline forming foods. I highly suggest that you pick up the book I mentioned above. When working on this for yourself, remember to keep things in perspective. Feel your way through the work one step at a time. Don't do it all in a day or even a week (unless very sick). To become overzealous could actually slow the progress.

First, assess your alkaline/acid balance, easing into the "Rule 80/20". Note the way your body is handling this new regimen. Good health is a process, not a quick fix. This information has been tried and tested, they will work. Above all, any effort made toward the alkaline way of life will lead to a closer tie with God. May you worship God in illustrious health!

ACIDIFYING
FOODS...

ACIDIFYING
Vegetables
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash

ACIDIFYING
FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums**
Prunes**

ACIDIFYING
GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, wheat
Bran, oat
Corn
Cornstarch
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Oats (rolled)
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Rice (all)
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spelt
Wheat
Wheat Germ
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Bread
Crackers, soda
Flour, white
Flour, wheat

ACIDIFYING
BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk

ACIDIFYING
DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk

ACIDIFYING
NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ACIDIFYING
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shrimp
Scallops
Shellfish
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison

ACIDIFYING
FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

ACIDIFYING
SWEETENERS
Carob
Sugar
Corn Syrup

ACIDIFYING
ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

ACIDIFYING
OTHER FOODS
Catsup
Cocoa
Coffee
Vinegar
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks

ACIDIFYING
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides
Tobacco

ACIDIFYING
JUNK FOOD
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Beer: pH 2.5
Coffee: pH 4

ALKALINE
FOODS....

ALKALIZING
Vegetables
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Beets
Beet Greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens

ALKALIZING
ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame

ALKALIZING
FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Lemon
Lime
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon

ALKALIZING
PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder

ALKALIZING
SWEETENERS
Stevia

ALKALIZING
SPICES & SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ALKALIZING
OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Green Juices
Veggie Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water

ALKALIZING MINERALS
Cesium: pH 14
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14
Calcium: pH 12
Magnesium: pH 9

Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system.

For best results use the EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR BLOOD TYPE with the above foods.

Would you believe that after downing a can of coke, it takes 32 bottles of pure water to wash it out of the kidneys.

Word of Wisdom

The Word of Wisdom is a law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children. On February 27, 1833, as recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord revealed which foods are good for us to eat and which substances are not good for the human body. He also promised health, protection, knowledge, and wisdom to those who obey the Word of Wisdom.

But why do these substances act as they do? Why does one person contract an infirmity, and another in the same situation and environment never have a problem?

Under normal conditions, the cells behave in a normal manner; however, certain factors can trigger the cells to go out of control. These cells then become fast-growing and destructive tumors that can disfigure and threaten life. The sensitivity level at which the cells respond to the triggering factor, or T-Factor as he called it, depends on the inherent nature of the individual. Some people are very sensitive, so just a small stimulus would cause the change, while other individuals appear to be more resistant. This inherent level at which the cells can be triggered to change could explain why some people live long and seemingly trouble free, while others are affected easily and early in life.

With this understanding, perhaps we might understand better the meaning of the words from the Word of Wisdom, “adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints” (D&C 89:3). For a person with a low level of resistance to a harmful substance, just one encounter may trigger unwanted and dangerous cellular changes.

THE MASTER CLEANSE

2008-08-30T08:25:00.009-04:00

THE MASTER
CLEANSE

OR
THE LEMONADE DIET

The Purpose

To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body.
To eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries, and blood vessels.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
When to use it
When sickness has developed--for all acute and chronic conditions.
When the digestive system needs a rest and a cleansing.
When overweight has become a problem.
When better assimilation and building of body tissue is needed.

How Often?
Follow the diet for a minimum of 10 days or more---up to 40 days and beyond may be safely followed for extremely serious cases. The diet has all the nutrition needed during this time. Three to four times a year will do wonders for keeping the body in a normal healthy condition. The diet may be undertaken more frequently for serious conditions.

How to Make It
2 Tbsp lemon or Lime juice (approx. ½ lemon)
2 Tbsp genuine maple syrup (not maple flavored syrup)
1/10 Tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste
Water, medium hot (spring or purified water)
Combine the juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in a 10 oz glass and fill with medium hot water. (Cold may be used if preferred)
Use fresh lemons or limes only, never canned lemon or limes juice nor frozen lemonade or frozen juice. Use organic lemons when possible.
The maple syrup is a balanced form of positive and negative sugar and must be used, not some “substitute”. There are three grades of maple syrup. Grade B is the second run with more minerals plus more taste. Do not use Honey.

Special Instructions for the Diabetic
Diabetes is the result of a deficiency diet consisting in part of white sugar and white flour. The lemonade with molasses is an ideal way to correct this deficiency. Follow the directions carefully for best results. The molasses supplies the necessary elements for the pancreas to produce insulin. As the necessary element are supplied to the pancreas, the amount of insulin taken may also be gradually reduced--as an example.
ON THE FIRST DAY use a scant tablespoon of molasses to each glass of lemonade and reduce insulin by about 10 units. Daily from then on reduce the insulin as you increase the molasses to 2 full tablespoons per glass. When this proportion has been reached the insulin can normally be eliminated; then replace the molasses with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in each glass. Make regular checks of the sugar level in the urine and blood to satisfy yourself and eliminate any possible fear. Reflexology may be used to advantage to stimulate the liver, pancreas, and spleen and thus insure proper use of the minerals supplied. Many people have found they no longer have need for insulin. They must be sure to follow every detail of the recommended diet as explained in the following .

How Much Does One drink?
Take from 6 to 12 glasses of the lemonade daily during the waking period. As you get hungry just have another glass of lemonade. NO OTHER FOOD SHOULD BE TAKEN DURING THE FULL PERIOD OF THE DIET. As this is a complete balance of minerals and vitamins, one does not suffer the pangs of hunger. Do not use vitamin pills.
All solid food is turned into liquid state before it can be carried by the blood to the cells of the body. The lemonade is already a food in liquid form.
You can blend a part of the lemon skin and pulp with the lemonade in a blender for further cleansing and laxative effect.
Mint tea or Young Living mint essential oil may be used occasionally during this diet as a pleasant change and to assist further in the cleansing. Its chlorophyll helps as a purifier, neutralizing many mouth and body odors that are released during the cleansing period.

Helping the Cleansing Along
As this is a cleansing diet, the more you can assist Nature to eliminate poisons, the better. If your system feels upset, it is because you are not having sufficient elimination. Avoid this possibly by following the directions completely. Above all, be sure you have two, three, or more movements a day. This may seem unnecessary not eating solid foods, but it is Nature’s way of eliminating the waste it has loosened from the various cells and organs in the body. They must leave the body some way. It would be the same as sweeping the flour around and around and never removing the dirt from the house if the waste were not passed out. The better the elimination, the more rapid will be the results.

THE LAXATIVE HERB TEA is found to be the best helper for most persons. It is a good practice to take a good laxative herb tea right from the beginning--the last thing at night and the first thing in the morning.

INTERNAL SALT WATER BATHING As it is necessary to bathe the outside of our bodies, so it is with the inside. Do not take enema or colonic at any time during the cleansing diet or afterwards. The salt water bath will cleanse the entire digestive tract .
Prepare a full quart of luke-warm water and add two level teaspoons of unionized sea salt. Do not use ordinary iodized salt as it will not work properly. Drink the entire quart of salt and water first thing in the morning. This must be taken on an empty stomach. Make sure you are staying home for 1 hour, for it will thoroughly wash the entire tract in that time and several eliminations will likely occur.
Take the laxative herb tea at night and do the salt drink in the morning as often as you feel the need. As you detoxify you need to get it out. Any uncomfortable feelings will be a result of the toxins in your digestive and colon track.

THE NUTRITION YOU GET
The Lemon is a loosening and cleansing agent with many important building factors. The ability of the elements in the lemon and the maple syrup working together creates these desired results.
Its 49% potassium strengthens and energizes the heart, stimulates and builds the kidneys and adrenal glands.
Its oxygen builds vitality
Its carbon acts as a motor stimulant
Its hydrogen activates the sensory nervous system.
Its phosphorus knit’s the bones, stimulates and builds the brain for clearer thinking
Its sodium encourages tissue building.
Its magnesium acts as a blood alkalizer.
Its iron builds the red corpuscles to rapidly correct the most common forms of anemia.
Its chlorine cleanses the blood plasma.
Its silicon aids the thyroid for deeper breathing
The natural iron, copper, calcium, carbon and hydrogen found in the sweetening supplies more building and cleansing material. It truly is a perfect combination for cleansing, eliminating, healing, and building. Hence, supplements are not needed during the diet and may actually interfere with its cleansing action.
Cayenne pepper is necessary as it breaks up mucus and increases warmth by building the blood for an additional lift. It also adds many of the B and C vitamins.
THE MASTER CLEANSER DETOXIFICATION STAGES
Here is an overview of the detoxification stages during a juice fast. The time periods are a general estimation.

Stage 1 (Day 1 to Day 2)
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70 mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for half a day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness. The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst.
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period unless the enema is used which quickly assists the body into the fasting state by ending digestion in the colon.

Stage 2 (Day 3 to Day 7)
Fats, composed of transformed fatty acid, are broken down to released glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are formed by affecting the food-satiety center in the hypothalamus. You may feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last 40 to 60 days, depending on whether you are on water or juice.
The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to have a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cells and immune system activity increases. You may feel pain in your lungs. The cleansing organs and the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul (or could be) and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall start to loosen.

Stage 3 (Day 8 to Day 15)
On the latter part of an extended fast, you can experience enhanced energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since childhood. On the downside, old injuries may become irritated and painful. This is a result of the body’s increased ability to heal during fasting. If you had broken your arm 10 years before, there is a scar tissue around the break. At the time of the break, the body’s ability to heal was directly related to lifestyle. If you lived on a junk-food diet, the body’s natural ability was compromised.
During fasting, the body’s healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body scours for dead or damaged tissues, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a recurrence of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected, as toxins accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the excessive bacteria in the mouth. Daily gargling with salt and water will prevent or heal cankers.

Stage 4 (Day 16 to Day 30)
The body is completely adapted to the fasting process. There is more energy and clarity of mind. Cleansing periods can be short with many days of feeling good in-between. There are days when the tongue is pink and the breath is fresh. The healing work of the organs is being completed. After the detoxification mechanisms have removed the causative agent or render it harmless, the body works at maximum capacity in tissue proliferation to replace damaged tissue. While a short fast will reduce the symptoms, a longer fast can completely heal. Homeostatic balance is at optimum levels. The lymphatic system is clean except for a
Rare discharge of mucus through the nose or throat. After day 20, the mind is affected. Heightened clarity and emotional balance are felt at this time. Memory and concentration improve.

Stage 5 (Breaking the Fast)
The sticky, toxic, mucous coating on the intestinal wall is loose, and the first meal frees it from the intestinal wall. Toxins enter the blood through the colon. The gallbladder dumps its waste in a heavy discharge of bile. This can cause an instant bowel movement upon eating followed by intense diarrhea. If the symptoms are too uncomfortable, an enema will help.

And a quote to go with this: "As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big." Donald Trump

And just another thing to think about now that you feel great and want to make a difference in the world around you, check out this video: http://www.dashpoemmovie.com/

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR JOURNEY OF FREEING YOUR TOXIC BODY.

PS. second photo was taken by my son Elton while on a Kayak trip at Lake Powell

A Gut Feeling-August

2008-05-15T16:27:00.005-04:00

A Gut Feeling

By Gail Vin

What's the difference between the contents of your bowels and the noxious black sludge at the bottom of an estuary? Not a lot perhaps --particularly if you live on a diet of junk food.

The same sulfur loving bacteria that give mud in estuaries and ocean sediments their pungent, rotten-egg smell may have invaded your gut.

In the sea, they are notorious troublemakers with a penchant for corroding oil pipelines, and their effect on human passageways may be equally devastating.

All these microbes need to flourish in your guts is a good supply of sulfurous compounds. And that's where your diet comes in. Eat large amounts of animal protein and processed food and you could be giving these bad bugs everything they need to triumph at the expense of your natural healthy gut microbes.

Over the past decade, the researchers doing this work have steadily accumulated evidence to implicate sulfur bacteria in a range of human diseases from inflammatory bowel diseases to colon cancer.

"It's a potential bombshell," says John Cummings, head of the "gut group" -- the team pioneering this type of work at the Dunn Nutrition Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Sulfur-based preservatives are in most processed foods, from instant potato to jams and dried fruit, as well as in most wines, beers and ciders.

Sulfur compounds are one of the world's oldest food additives, used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians to preserve wine, and widely regarded as both versatile and safe. So if these foods do encourage the growth of alien microbes that are linked to disease, the food and drinks industry could face a crisis to rival salmonella or BSE.

The story involves a series of coincidences and begins 500 kilometers north of Cambridge, in the port of Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. There, in the mid-1980s, two PhD students from Dundee University, Glenn Gibson and George Macfarlane, were studying the ecology of the Tay estuary. "As it happens, the results weren't particularly exciting," chuckles Gibson. But the young researchers did learn a lot about sulfur bacteria -- knowledge that was to prove useful in a very different quarter.

These mud-loving organisms, officially known as sulfate-reducing bacteria, find plenty to feast on in the oxygen-free (anaerobic) sea sediments. That's because they can exploit both the hydrogen that comes from the fermentation of countless microbes in the stagnant mud, and the plentiful sulfate in seawater.

The bugs make their own energy from these raw ingredients, converting sulfate to sulfite and then creating a poisonous waste product: hydrogen sulfide, with its telltale smell of rotten eggs.

To humans, the compound is as toxic as cyanide. In water, it rapidly becomes highly corrosive sulfuric acid.

In the late 1980s the oil industry was well aware how caustic byproducts of the sulfur-loving organisms could wreck their pipework, but no one yet imagined that they could also be causing trouble in the human gut. This idea was to emerge from multidisciplinary teamwork as Macfarlane and Gibson moved south to Cambridge, to join Cummings and his gut group.

The timing was good for the two young microbiologists. "Researchers were discovering just how important the gut bacteria are in health and disease," says Cummings. His own team's decision to pursue this line of enquiry was to lead them eventually to finger the sulfur lovers as the agents of disease.

Something In The Wind

The quest began in an unlikely place -- with the gases made by gut bacteria that people give off when they belch or fart. The team devised an elegant technique to provide the first accurate measurements of the composition of intestinal gas in healthy people.

For 36 hours, volunteers lived in a small airtight room, while researchers controlled the flow of air through it. By measuring the difference in the concentration of gases in the air entering and leaving the room, the investigators could determine which gases were coming from volunteers.

The results, published in 1992, were a surprise. Everyone knew that gut bacteria churn out a variable mix of odorless, mainly harmless gases --

* hydrogen
* nitrogen
* carbon dioxide
* methane

But the team was surprised by how little hydrogen they found in the air leaving the room -- given the chemical composition of the foods the volunteers had eaten.

Something in the gut was gobbling up much of the available hydrogen. Another finding was puzzling too:

some people produced substantial amounts of methane, while others produced much less, or none at all.

The methane could have come from only one source: methane-producing bacteria, otherwise known as methanogens. These bacteria consume hydrogen, which would explain the low levels of this gas given off by people harboring methanogens. But breath tests designed to detect methane suggest that only about half of the people living in North America and Northern Europe have methanogens living in their gut. Why do some people have them, while others do not? And what is soaking up the hydrogen if methanogens aren't?

Sulfate-reducing bacteria, first reported in the human gut in the late 1970s, looked like good contenders. Gibson and Macfarlane, recalling their experiences in the Tay estuary, quickly realized that this was not such a preposterous idea. After all, microbial fermentation in the final part of the gut, the distal colon, provides anaerobic conditions on a par with those in marine muds.

And sulfate-reducing bacteria predominate in marine sediments where they use up hydrogen as well as sulfurous compounds. What's more, on the seabed these microbes get the better of methane-generating bacteria if sulfate is present.

High levels of sulfur are also present in the typical Western diet. Could sulfate-reducing bacteria be displacing methanogens inside the guts of people who eat large quantities of meat, packed with sulfur-rich amino acids, and processed foods and fermented drinks preserved with the ubiquitous sulfur-based food additives?

Fighting Back

To test this idea the team asked volunteers who normally produce methane in their breath to eat a diet rich in sulfate. Ten days on, the breath of half of their subjects no longer showed significant traces of methane. By day 15, sulfide levels in their feces had shot up. When they stopped eating the added sulfate methanogens returned while the sulfate-reducing bacteria went into sharp decline. In another study, the Dunn team found that rural South Africans, eating a diet low in sulfur, were virtually all methane-producers.

Intrigued, the Dunn researchers next began to wonder if these gut microbes affected human health. They compared the levels of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the feces of healthy people and in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis, a serious inflammatory bowel disease that afflicts up to one in a thousand people in Britain and the US.

Work done in the US during the 1970s showed that "germ-free" lab animals lacking any gut bacteria do not develop colitis-like symptoms, even when exposed to irritants such as sulfated seaweed.

Bacteria in general had been implicated in the disease, but could the sulfate reducers be major players?

The team's results were striking.

Virtually everyone with colitis -- 96 per cent of the sufferers tested -- played host to the sulfate lovers, but only 50 per cent of the healthy people did.

In particular, the gut of someone with colitis was home to large numbers of sulfate-reducing bacteria from the genus Desulfovibrio. "There turned out to be more subtypes of these bacteria in the human gut than we had expected, with some more active or virulent than others," says Cummings.

One strain isolated from the colons of people with colitis showed signs of being adapted to life in an inflamed gut, Gibson found. Growing in a continuous culture "gut model" fermenter in the laboratory, the strain can survive high flushing rates that simulate diarrhea in the colon.

Nevertheless, not everyone harboring the sulfate-reducing bacteria was ill. And some ill people did not have the bacteria.

So, what exactly is their link with colitis?

Do they cause it, exacerbate it, or simply take up residence in a diseased colon because they can? Macfarlane points out that pinpointing an individual cause of ulcerative colitis is virtually impossible because it is a chronic inflammatory condition intimately involved with the body's immune response.

"It may be that sulfate-reducing bacteria contribute to the maintenance of the disease rather than kick it off," he cautions. "It is difficult to tie gut disease to a particular organism," adds Gibson. The gut is home to at least 400 species of microbes, many of which are difficult or impossible to grow in lab cultures -- and the vast majority of which are harmless.

Gibson, who is now at the Institute of Food Research in Reading, is investigating why some sulfate-reducing bacteria are linked to bowel disease but others are not. By studying mutant strains genetically engineered not to make hydrogen sulfide, he hopes to find out whether it is the bacterial invasion of gut cells alone that causes damage, or whether the sulfide byproducts are to blame, or indeed both. Gibson hopes this will reveal how sulfate-reducing bacteria can cause colitis.

Defective Cells

Meanwhile, an Australian abdominal surgeon has already found one way in which sulfide might damage the gut. In the 1980s Bill Roediger, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woodville, near Adelaide, first noticed that, in people with ulcerative colitis, the epithelial cells that line their colons don't function normally. These cells lack the ability to oxidize a vital fatty acid called butyrate, which is normally their main nutrient.

This metabolic abnormality could be the first step in the development of the disease: it seems to precede the start of obvious colitic changes in the colon. Significantly, in 1993, he showed that exposure to sulfides selectively inhibits the ability of colon cells to use butyrate.

More work is needed to understand the link between diet, bacteria and disease, says Macfarlane. Such research could tell us how to encourage beneficial bacteria and freeze out the harmful ones. One day there might even be a vaccine against harmful gut organisms. But at the moment, the most hopeful strategy is to encourage a process of "natural displacement" through changing what we eat.

Meat and other foods high in protein release sulfur-amino acids as they are digested. Cummings's team believes these feed bacteria in the same way that other sulfur compounds do. A preliminary study at the Dunn shows that as meat consumption rises from 60 to 600 grams per day sulfates in the urine double, and sulfides in feces increase tenfold. A diet rich in meat has long been implicated in colon cancer, and Cummings suspects that the toxic sulfides released by these microbes might promote cancerous changes in gut cells by damaging their DNA.

But what about vegetarians? Are they off the hook? Vegetable protein -- notably in beans and seeds -- also contains amino acids with sulfur groups attached, so why are vegetarians at lower risk of colon cancer? The crucial difference could be in the balance of nutrients. In plant foods, protein comes in carbohydrate-rich packages. Cummings suspects that this combination could make the sulfur-amino acids harmless.

Carbohydrate fuels the growth of beneficial bacteria which snap up the sulfur amino-acids to incorporate into their own proteins. The end result isn't harmful sulfide, but lots of beneficial "biomass" -- bacterial bulk that helps to speed the passage of feces through the gut. It is possible, he says, that carnivores who eat lots of plant foods and carbohydrates along with their meat could be protected too.

The second major source of sulfur in our diet is a large family of sulfur additives in foods and drinks: sulfur dioxide, sulphites, bisulphites, metabisulphites and sulfates, known in Europe by E number codes E220 to E227, but often collectively called "sulfur dioxide".

These sulfur compounds are the major preservative in the Western diet.

"They are in hundreds and hundreds of foods," says Cummings, everything from sausages and burgers to jam, dried raisins and instant soup. Even fresh foods may not be sulfur-free -- packaged salads are "gassed" with sulfur dioxide to prolong their shelf life.

Soft drinks, wines, beers and ciders can contain widely varying levels, which do not have to be listed on the label. It is detoxified by enzymes in the liver and kidneys which makes sulfur dioxide "a very safe additive -- about the safest thing we've got that does that job", says Bronik Wedzicha, professor of food science at the University of Leeds.

Nonetheless, a shadow of doubt has already been cast on this venerable preservative. Especially lavish use -- in American salad bars, for instance -- has now been curtailed, after allergic reactions particularly in people with asthma.

Although sulfur additives are in such a huge variety of foods, no one has yet systematically monitored the amount ingested with an average Western diet. In Britain, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food recognizes an acceptable daily intake for sulfur-based preservatives.

But if you eat large amounts of processed food, washed down with beer or wine, your daily consumption could be well above this level. So, with funding from MAFF, Cummings and his colleagues are assessing how much sulfur people typically consume, by measuring their dietary intake and monitoring the amount of sulfate excreted in urine.

"The aim is to discover how much sulfur we are getting from protein and how much from sulfur additives," says Cummings.

Although the evidence is not yet in, Cummings suspects that other inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease, as well as the ill-defined irritable bowel syndrome, could also be linked to sulfate-reducing bacteria.

If a link between Desulfovibrio bacteria, gut disease and a dietary source of sulfur can be tied down and the mechanism identified, it will mark a major turning point in the way we think about human health. As bacterial warfare is waged in the human gut, our health may yet depend on feeding an army of friendly microbes and starving the foe into submission.

New Scientist, August 8, 1998

Maybe that's what Brigham Young, the second prophet of the LDS Church who led the pioneer saints across the plains, had in mind when he said, "It is an unusual circumstance to see a man a hundred years old, or a woman ninety. The people have laid the foundation of short life through their diet." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 187)

Let's make an effort to do better !!!!

Meet Alice cont.

2007-09-20T21:41:00.000-04:00

My training started out after High School when I attended Martin Anthony Cosmetology School in Philadelphia. For the next 30 years I worked for salons or was self-employed while raising my 5 children. Through the years it has evolved into blending our natural self with nature around us, to bring out the best we can be.

Always having an interest in the workings of our bodies has lead to studing at Our Lady of Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Studies learning Reflexology. I am able to bring both together as to appreciate ourselves as a part of nature.

Having spent 15 years researching, lecturing, and teaching others how to begin their Genealogy, it has become a reminder that we cannot think only of our own generation as through it exists alone. Such work even grounds us from a society dominated by a belief in scientific reationalism.

ALL WE HAVE TO SHOW FOR OUR EXISTENCE IS OUR AWARENESS.

How to Shop for the Right Food in Your Regular Grocery Store in 10 Easy Steps

2007-09-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

By Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege
Your health is the most important thing you own, so investing in it through the right foods is the best investment you can make. However, I realize that finding the "right" foods can be challenging for some. If you:
Can't always order the healthy products recommended online
Don't have access to a natural health food store
Have a very tight budget and are restricted to a regular supermarket
... then the following steps will help you to find the best possible foods no matter where you are or what your budget. It will help if you take a new approach to the way you look at buying food. According to Jim Marlowe, a nutrition counselor here at the Optimal Wellness Center, American consumers make their food choices based on the following five food criteria: taste, price, convenience, appearance and shelf life. Notice that these have nothing to do with health. He says:
"If you are making all your food choices based on these [criteria] you may be indulging your taste buds, staying within your budget and minimizing your trips to the grocery store but your cells may all be starving for nutrients that they aren't getting because they are not in those foods. I am not saying to ignore taste, price, convenience, appearance and shelf life. Go ahead and consider those, but consider those after you consider the nutritional value because nutritional value is the real reason we need to eat--the body needs nutrients and it is important to wake up to that and the sooner you wake up to that the better."
So where do you go once you commit yourself to focusing on a food item's nutritional value? Whether you live in a rural area with no access to a health food store or are simply on a very tight budget, there are ways to weed through the offerings in any grocery store to come out with the most nutritious food available, and the following principles should help to guide you along your way.
Learn Your Metabolic Type
This is the first step you should take, and it's an important one. Learning your metabolic type will allow you to choose the proper foods for your type, and this can vary drastically from a focus on meat to a focus on vegetables or healthy fats. My Total Health Program--the culmination of my last 20 years of work--is designed around metabolic typing, and will give you everything you need to assess your general metabolic type and gives you a full plan to start eating the right macronutrient (proteins, fats and carbs) ratio for your type. It will also teach you how to "listen to your body," that is, it will teach you how to subtly adjust and fine-tune your macronutrient ratios so that you feel your best. Take our quick and easy test to find out your metabolic type.
Learn How to Shop Smart
Now that you've determined your metabolic type, be sure to tailor all of your groceries to your individual type, whether it's protein, carb or mixed.
Buy the Freshest Items
The fresher the food, the more nutritious it will be. Only buy produce that is fresh and firm, otherwise you are wasting your money on food that has passed its prime, in terms of both nutrition and taste. This also applies to meat, poultry and fish. If it's not fresh, don't buy it.
Pick the Leanest Cut of Beef, or Request Bison
Free-range meats and poultry are always the best choice, but there are other options if these are not available to you. In terms of beef, choose the leanest cuts as most of the toxins from hormones and antibiotics will settle in fattier tissue, so the fatter cuts tend to have more toxins. Lean cuts of beef include flank steak and round steak.
Another option is to ask the butcher to order some bison. In general, bison are raised much more naturally than other livestock, which means they're not given antibiotics or hormones and the meat is very lean. If you haven't ever tried it I suggest you give it a try, as in my opinion it's one of the best tasting of all meats. Its flavor is similar to prime beef, but sweeter and more tender.
If the Chicken is From a Factory Farm, Don't Eat the Skin
Most chicken sold in typical grocery stores is raised in factory farms. Each full-grown chicken in a factory farm has as little as six-tenths of a square foot of space. These extremely overcrowded conditions pave the way for disease. Many are also genetically modified, and due to genetic manipulation, 90 percent of broiler chickens have trouble walking. If you don't have access to free-range, organic or cage-free chicken, be sure to remove the skin before eating. Also be sure to follow the white meat/dark meat guidelines based on your metabolic type.
Fresh Food is Always Better Than Frozen, but Frozen is Better Than Canned
There is some confusion over whether frozen vegetables are as healthy as fresh vegetables, but you can rest assured that fresh vegetables are always preferable to frozen ones. The freezing process causes damage to the cells in the food, which compromises its nutritional value. Eating pre-frozen food is acceptable, however, but be careful to not overload your diet with pre-frozen foods. If you have no choice and must choose between frozen or canned, frozen would be the better option.
Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods, including canned goods, are among the most nutritionally devoid foods. Plus, they tend to be expensive, especially when you get into all of the packaged, name-brand junk foods. Save the money that you'd normally spend on pricey and unhealthy items like potato chips, cookies, ice cream and frozen pizzas, and spend it on some fresh vegetables or meat instead.
Check Prices on Organic Food--It's Not Always More Expensive
If you have access to organic food, don't just pass it up because you assume it's too expensive. Sometimes organic food is actually less expensive than traditionally grown food, especially when it's on sale. It may also be only slightly more expensive than a comparable regular item, and in that case the increased nutritional value (and lack of pesticides, etc.) would be well worth the extra price. So be sure to compare prices and choose the best value, which may in fact be organic.
Ocean-Caught Fish is Better Than Farm-Raised Fish
I don't recommend that you eat any fish unless you can be certain that it does not contain toxins like mercury and PCBs. The only fish I have discovered, via independent lab testing, to be free of harmful mercury and other toxins is the Vital Choice brand of salmon.
If you do choose to eat fish from your grocery store, don't eat farm-raised fish, as numerous studies have found it may be harmful to your health. Instead, your best choices would be fresh, ocean-caught Alaskan salmon, arctic Char (similar to salmon), fresh sardines and anchovies. Remember that these may still contain toxins, though probably a lesser amount than the other options. Sardines and anchovies are likely fine to eat, as they are small enough to have minimal contamination. As fish is not typically labeled thoroughly, you may have to ask the fishmonger where the fish came from (farm, lake or ocean) to be sure.
Adjust to Your New Way of Eating, and Enjoy the Feeling
Once you become accustomed to eating the best-quality foods for your metabolic type and start to experience the increased energy, weight normalization and other health benefits, you may find that you're inspired to seek out even more of the healthiest foods. You may want to ask your grocer to start carrying some of the healthier foods mentioned in this article or be inspired to try some of the products recommended online.
The habit can become quite addictive and I suspect you'll discover that healthy foods are available in places you hadn't thought of before. Local farmers, farmers' markets, and health-food coops represent some great potential places to find healthy, and likely inexpensive, food.

How to Order Young Living Products

2007-09-14T09:23:00.000-04:00

How to order from YOUNG LIVING on the Internet
Type in www.youngliving.com/
You may want to take a minute and press YLFarm to enjoy the lovely pictures and information presented.

Press Country tab to the right of screen.

Across the top you will see Sign-up Here and click on this.

You are given three choices to pick from.
If you don't want to become a Distributor, than I recommend Preferred Customer.
A Preferred Customer is a customer who is participating in the Autoship program. A Preferred Customer receives a 12% discount from the customer price.
Essential Rewards Autoship provides amazing benefits! Including:
1. Rewards Credits redeemable for FREE products. Earn FREE product credits of 10%-20% on each Essential Rewards Autoship order!
2. Essential Rewards members pay a $6.50 flat fee for shipping charges on their monthly order ( up to 7 pounds) within the continental US (ground shipping only) and a $10 flat fee for shipping charges (up to 7 pounds) to HI and AK.
3. Members are also eligible to participate in "members only" specials as well as educational opportunities and training materials including a FREE monthly audio-training CD and product research updates.
4. You can change your order each month and you will see the savings also when you will be using the oils in place of store brought cleaners, drugs and etc. Also the gas that is saved as you don't need to run around to purchase things that are not benefiting your family.
Continue with following. If you choose to be a Customer, that is just fine and will continue as follow.
You will need to type in my number 851525 to continue.
Young Living is a Multi-Level Marketing Company and as such Distributors work hard to to bring you the most information they can to help you find the oils for your needs. We are here to support you in your commitment to your health. To reward these efforts the Distributors receive commissions for those that sign up under them. We want our distributors to receive credit for their hard work but the only way that can happen is if we have the name and/or member number of the person who told you about us. This is why we require this information.

The rest is just filling in the personal information that is needed.

You than will push on Create Account and you are done.

You will than receive a number to be used whenever you are ordering.

Choose the oils or products that you would like

When you have selected all you would like, click on Check Out

If you have any question—please call me 609-268-9358 or e-mail me at

youngrestless7@hotmail.com