The Health Plus Letter
January 20, 2004, Vol. 2, No. 3
By Larry Trivieri, Jr. – founder & publisher
Table Of Contents:
Special Announcement: My New Book and Interview with Gary Null
What’s New
Quote of the Day
Medical Freedom Alert: The FDA Is Out of Control
Self-Care Tips for Managing Stress (Part Two)
The Power of A Human Spirit - A Tribute to My Sister Andrea (Part 10)
Reader Feedback (Selecting An Appropriate Holistic Physician)
Recommendations
Special Announcement
To all of my readers in the vicinity of New York City, this coming Monday, January 26, at noon eastern standard time, I will be a guest on the Gary Null Radio Show, which airs on radio station WBAI. Gary is a long-time leader in the health freedom movement, and he and I will be discussing my newly released book Health on the Edge: Visionary Views of Healing in the New Millennium, which features interviews I conducted with 12 pioneering healers and researchers who are creating a new paradigm in health care and healing. Please tune in, if you are able to. Gary’s show is also syndicated in additional markets. For more information, please visit his website: http://www.garynull.com.
Starting next week, you’ll be able to order autographed copies of my book directly from 1HealthyWorld.com. For now, it’s available at your local bookstore and online at both http://www.amazon.com and http://www.bn.com (Barnes and Noble).
What’s New
In this week’s Medical Freedom Alert, I recount a chilling account of a recent Gestapo-like attack on a doctor right here in the United States at the behest of the Food and Drug Administration. His crime? Successfully treating cancer. Please be sure to read it so that you will know to what extent that powers that be are willing to go to destroy anyone who challenges our current failing but incredibly lucrative health care system.
In this issue, I’m also continuing my article on self-care tips for managing stress, culled from my own experiences and the information I’ve received from a variety of leading holistic practitioners.
I’m also continuing my tribute to my sister Andrea with the 10th installment of The Power of A Human Spirit. Overall, this issue is slightly shorter than usual, due to my schedule.
Send me your comments and suggestions. In particular, let me know what you would like to see me continue doing with this newsletter, as well as things you would like to see me start. Also, let me know what, if anything, you would like to see me discontinue. Your feedback is important to me and will help me tailor each issue to address your interests. You can email me at larry@1healthyworld.com.
And please spread the word about The Health Plus Letter by passing it along to your friends and inviting them to subscribe.
Quote Of The Day
"No amount of security is worth the suffering of a live lived chained to a routine that has killed your dreams.”
- Kent Nerburn
Medical Freedom Alert
Please do your part to ensure that the misleadingly named “Dietary Safety Supplement” Act (S. 722) is defeated. To become informed about S. 722 and to take action to help defeat its passage, please visit: http://capwiz.com/nnfa/S722.html
To stay informed of other developments related to medical freedom, please visit http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org the website of Dr. Mattias Rath, a leading crusader for medical freedom.
The FDA Is Out of Control
What I’m about to relate will, I hope, make you angry enough to want to demand change from the powers that be who control the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and see to it that viable alternatives to health care, especially those related to cancer, are suppressed or marginalized for the sake of the vested interests who capitalize on the current medical system, despite all its ills and failures.
This is a true story and involves a physician whose name, for n/o/w, I will keep to myself. I spoke with him last Friday after hearing about him from another physician who is friends with both of us. I’ll call him Doctor X. This is what he told me.
He’s developed an innovative approach to treating cancer that involves creating what is known as an autologous vaccine. Autologous simply means that the vaccine was prepared from the patient’s own tissues and body fluids. In Doctor X’s approach, it was prepared from the patient’s tumor and blood, and then administered to the patient. Because of the way it is prepared, the vaccine is applicable only for the patient from whom it is derived and cannot be used to treat anyone else. Admittedly experimental, the vaccine nonetheless produced impressive results, including remission among the majority of cancer patients whom Doctor X treated. Moreover, it was administered in a hospital setting and in many cases in collaboration with a surgical oncologist. Throughout the entire course of Doctor X’s work, he faithfully kept the FDA informed of what he was doing, fully complying with all that they required of him.
Because of the success Doctor X was having, one would think the FDA would have been interested in the work he was doing. They were interested, all right. So much so that on December 23 of last year, they told the local police force where Doctor X lived and worked that he was involved in criminal activity. Whereupon the police stationed armed marksmen on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding his clinic and them stormed onto the premises to seize his files and place him under arrest, charging him with illegally shipping unproven medicines across state lines. This despite the fact (more accurately, because of the fact) that his vaccine has successfully restored over 200 cancer patients to health.
When I spoke with Doctor X, the first thing he told me was that he was out on bail, wanting me to know upfront that he’s accused of being a criminal. Moreover, because of the ordeal he is facing, and how he was defamed in the media, he is financially destitute and his patients are now avoiding him as if he were a pariah. As he told me, “I would not expect what I’ve been subjected to occur in Russia, let alone the United States,” where he came from his home in Great Britain 20 years ago, believing he would have more freedom to practice medicine. At the moment, Doctor X’s situation looks very grim, but it’s not over yet and a number of parties who may be able to help him are now becoming aware of his plight and taking an interest.
I will have more about this case as it unfolds in future issues of this newsletter. Till then, I urge you to consider the implications it holds. In this, the so-called “land of the free”, Doctor X is the latest in a long line of dedicated healers whose lives were derailed, and often destroyed, simply because the work they were doing was perceived as a threat to the medical establishment. Also, notice the tack the FDA took. By charging Doctor X with shipping his vaccine across state lines, they have ensured that the case against him will focus on that specific charge. One involving interstate commerce, not the practice of medicine. Therefore, the work that Doctor X has been doing will be deemed as not germane to the charge against him and thus not permissible as evidence in support of him at the time of a trial. In other words, the jury that deliberates his case will not know of the promise his work may hold for the future of cancer care. Be assured that this tack is deliberate, for what jury in this country would convict a man if they knew he was curing cancer? Which is exactly what Doctor X has done.
Were the case against Doctor X related to his actual work, the FDA wouldn’t have a chance of seeing him convicted. That’s why they have chosen this despicable tack instead. And unless we the people demand otherwise, they are going to win.
More on this as it unfolds.
Unabashed Plug
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Self-Care Tips for Managing Stress (Part Two)
[Part One of this article appeared last issue and can be read online at http://www.1healthyworld.com/ezine/vol2no2.cfm]
What follow are other self-care approaches recommended by holistic physicians for managing stress.
Diet and Nutrition
According to Dr. Konrad Kail, N.D., “Often symptoms of stress, such as anxiety, depression, allergic-like reactions, food and chemical intolerances, and hyperactivity can be explained by careful examination of diet, as well as vitamin, mineral, enzyme, and other nutrient levels.” He recommends that people suffering from stress avoid caffeine, sugar, and food additives, and eat a diet rich in fresh, whole foods, including complex carbohydrates and moderate protein.
Dr. Kail has found that many stress sufferers also have impaired digestion and malabsorption, resulting in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin B6, for example, is usually rapidly depleted during times of stress and therefore needs to be replenished on a regular basis. Dr. Kail’s nutritional protocol includes supplements of multivitamins and minerals, especially B-complex vitamins and vitamins A, C, and E, as well as calcium.
Harvey Ross, M.D., a nutritionally-oriented psychiatrist, finds that sufferers of chronic stress also often have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Conversely, he says, people who are hypoglycemic are particularly vulnerable to stress because they have low energy and often their thinking and concentration are impaired. To treat low blood sugar, Dr. Ross includes supplementation with multivitamins, chromium, and glutamine (1,000 mg, 3X/day, 30 minutes before each meal). He also recommends that patients eat smaller meals 5 times a day, with an emphasis on high-protein and low-carbohydrates, with frequent high-protein snacks in between meals. All sugars and processed foods should be avoided, as well.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal teas have long been valued for their stress-relieving properties. Among those most often recommended by herbalists for combating stress are chamomile (to promote relaxation and ease anxiety), passionflower (to lessen worry and promote a sense of well-being), valerian (to keep the nervous system from being overwhelmed, and to promote better sleep), and American ginseng (to protect against the effects of emotional, mental, and physical stress.)
Exercise
Physical exercise can be a very effective means of coping with and releasing stress. Not only has regular exercise been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, it also results in increased energy and improved self-esteem, and helps reduce various physical stress factors. Stretching and yoga are excellent exercises for relaxing tense muscles, while walking, weight training, jogging, and aerobic exercise all reduce stress in general.
Relaxation Therapies
Researchers in the field of mind/body medicine have long known that the body can be trained to enter states of deep relaxation, thus reducing stress. Herbert Benson, M.D. coined the term “relaxation response” to describe this process. Among the most effective self-care approaches for triggering the relaxation response are meditation, conscious breathing, and guided imagery and visualization.
Meditation has been proven to be a safe and simple means of balancing a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states to increase well-being. In addition, meditation is so effective in reducing stress and tension that, in 1984, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended it over prescription drugs as the first treatment for mild hypertension (high blood pressure). There are many ways to meditate. One of the easiest ways is to simply sit up straight yet comfortably, with your eyes closed, and to focus on your breathing. Once learned, the regular practice of meditation can be a highly effective self-care tool for creating and maintaining health on all levels.
Conscious breathing, or breathwork, involves being aware of your breath and ensuring that you are breathing freely and deeply. During times of stress, breathing usually becomes shallow, and often with pauses between the inhalation and exhalation. Simply taking a few moments to breathe deeply without pause can quickly trigger the relaxation response. Regular practice of breathwork will usually also result in increased levels of energy and a greater sense of ease and joy. Best of all, it can be done throughout the day without having to interrupt your regular daily activities.
Many people find guided imagery and visualization to be an easy way to learn to relax. A typical guided imagery technique, according to Martin L. Rossman, M.D., a pioneer in this field, is to close your eyes, take a few deep, easy breaths, and recall a time when you felt relaxed and peaceful. As you do so, imagine yourself being back there, noticing in detail the sights, sounds, and smells of the time and place you’re recalling. Focus especially on the specific feelings of peace and relaxation that accompanied this event and allow yourself to bring them into the present. With practice, you will be able to do so at will.
Laughter
Laughter, in my experience, is one of the most overlooked yet powerful forms of self-care. Research has shown that genuinely felt laughter reduces stress and the production of stress-related hormones, while simultaneously enhancing immune function. Just as importantly, laughter and a healthy sense of humor provides us with what psychologists call “cognitive control” over life events. Although events in our external world are often beyond our control, we can nonetheless influence our emotional response to them by shifting the perspective from which we view them. Laughter does just that. Moreover, your ability to laugh at a stressful situation or problem, and even yourself, can give you a feeling of power and imbue feelings of hope and a positive attitude. To cultivate more laughter in your life, train yourself to look out for humorous situations throughout the day, and cultivate a relationship with the childlike “inner clown” within yourself to become more playful and more open to the lighter side of life.
Note: Parts of this article were adapted from the 2nd edition of Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, co-written and edited by Larry Trivieri, Jr. (Celestial Arts, 2002)
Unabashed Plug
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The Power of A Human Spirit - A Tribute to My Sister Andrea (Part 10)
[The first 9 parts of this article appeared in issues 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of Volume 1, and issues 1 and 2, Volume 2 of The Health Plus Letter, all of which are available at http://www.1healthyworld.com/ezine.]
Andrea continued to be in good spirits after my March, 2002 visit, still thrilled to be following her dream of living in New York City. Shortly after I saw her, she decided to leave the sublet she was in to move into a new apartment complex in the Chelsea neighborhood. In typical fashion, she swiftly dealt with all the logistics of doing so, and was happily ensconced in her new home by the end of April. All the while, she also continued to receive maintenance chemotherapy at the advice of her oncologist, in order to keep her tumor markers within normal range. She did so cheerfully, convinced her treatment was working, despite the fact that she had developed arthritis-like symptoms and neuropathy in both of her wrists. Her oncologist admitted these were side-effects of her treatment (as was the frequent gastrointestinal problems she experienced), but to Andrea, they were small prices to pay in order to stay alive.
Ironically, by this time, as I awaited the publication of the 2nd edition of Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, which I co-wrote and edited, I took on my next project (one I am still involved with), the extensive revision of my friend Burton Goldberg’s Definitive Guide to Cancer book, originally co-written by Drs. W. John Diamond and W. Lee Cowden. It was a massive undertaking, and initially involved me contacting scores of clinics and alternative physicians purporting to have success treating cancer using nontraditional methods. As I soon found out, in all too many cases, the results that were being achieved were at best palliative, and often proof of the claims that were being made were not forthcoming. But the same time, I was able to contact a few dozen physicians who were indeed legitimately reversing cancer, often resulting in their patients experiencing complete and lasting remissions. Moreover, they willingly assented to my demand that they provide me with documented evidence (copies of lab work, blood tests, CT scans, tumor markers, etc) that what they were telling me was factual. As a result, I began to compile documentation that today takes up quite a bit of my office space.
Though their treatment methods varied, all of the physicians I spoke with shared an underlying philosophy that cancer was best approached via a combination of detoxification and immune enhancement, augmented by mind/body strategies to deal with stress and any beliefs and/or emotions that might be inhibiting the healing process. Some of the physicians were averse to the use of chemotherapy and radiation, while others employed it where necessary, but in dosages and frequencies that were far lower than those used in conventional cancer care. The reason for this, all of them agreed, was that both measures were extremely toxic and, over time, could do far more harm than good. None of this was news to me, but hearing it from them only increased my concerns for Andrea.
In early May, I visited her again. Though she’d only moved in two weeks earlier, already she’d decorated her new apartment to reflect her artistic esthetic. It looked beautiful and suited her perfectly. Both she and Bebe were happy to see me again, and I was glad to see that Andrea’s complexion still appeared healthy. “I feel great!” she told me, putting my fears, if not to rest, at least in abeyance. “Getting Bebe was the best thing I could have done for myself. He’s my best medicine!” She hugged him close, and Bebe yipped happily. The three of us spent the weekend walking around Andrea’s new neighborhood, shopping, doing errands, and eating in the new restaurants Andrea had discovered nearby. Throughout my stay, Andrea’s energy and good humor remained indefatigable. When it was time for me to return home, I did so marveling once more at how positive and fulfilled Andrea was. She truly was living her dream!
Over the next few weeks, we spoke quite a lot by telephone. Her spirits remained high, and I recall that both of us laughed a lot. Normally, I would call her in the evening, because her days were usually full of activities, but one afternoon in June I got a sudden urge to call her, just wanting to say hello. As soon as she answered, I knew something was wrong. “Oh, Larry, hi,” she said. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to say hello and see how you’re doing?”
She laughed. “I’m having a glass of wine. Remember that dizzy spell I told you about a few weeks ago? Well, I had a few more of them, so I called my doctor. As a precaution, she arranged for me to have a cat scan, and I just got the results. Don’t tell anyone yet, but the cancer has gone to my brain.”
My heart lurched. “What did they tell you?” I managed to say.
“Well, they don’t really know what to say. The good news is that the tumors are small and they think they will respond to radiation. Also, even though it’s spread, it’s still breast cancer, so my chances are a lot better than if I had primary brain cancer. But right now, I’m not thinking about it. I’m going to get drunk, and then tomorrow I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry, Larry, this is just another challenge and I’m going to get through it. Like I said, please keep this to yourself. I’ll tell Mom and Dad and everyone else once I know more. I’m meeting with my oncologist again later this week. So … what’s new with you?”
And just like that, she had me laughing again, and the laughter continued for the rest of our conversation. The fears I’d harbored about her since I saw her in March had come true. But even after I hung up and the news sank in, I didn’t cry. For the moment, at least, Andrea had once more managed to comfort me, even though privately I knew she was scared. If she hadn’t been, she would not have been drinking wine. With the exception of my sister Cindy, who intuited that something was the matter, I did as Andrea had asked me and kept the news to myself. Eventually, though, it got to me, and I wept like a baby, thinking of what lay in store for her.
[Continued next issue.]
Unabashed Plug
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Reader Feedback (Selecting An Appropriate Holistic Physician)
Barbara L writes: “Some time ago I saved an article by Burton Goldberg called ‘Step One in Preventing Illness.’ In the article he recommended three diagnostic devices - EDS, microscopy, and thermography. I am a long-time proponent of wholistic healing, but do not know any one practitioner that could perform all these tests. How would I go about finding someone, and who would he be--an MD, osteopath, chiropractor, natropath? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.”
The diagnostic tests Barbara is referring to are electrodermal screening (EDS), darkfield microscopy, and thermography. Of the three, thermography has perhaps the widest application in this country. It has been in use in this country and Europe since 1962, and is a method of diagnostic imaging based on infrared heat emissions from targeted regions of the body. It is increasingly being used by forward thinking physicians as a means of early detection of cancer, since cancerous growths tend to emit more infrared energy. For this reason, a number of health experts I know prefer to use thermography as a safer alternative to mammography. (The latter involves radiation and its safety and effectiveness in now being called into question by various researchers, most notably John W. Gofman, whose research indicates that the routine use of x-rays and mammography is responsible for the rising incidence of both cancer and heart disease. For more information about this, do a web search of John’s name and/or the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility. To learn more about thermography, contact the American Association of Thermology at (703) 938-6140.)
EDS, also know as electroacupuncture biofeedback, involves assessing the state of a person’s health by measuring the energy readings of the body’s acupuncture points. Particular points correspond to particular organs, and in the right hands, EDS can be an important tool for early detection of both latent and active health problems.
Darkfield microscopy studies live blood cells under a specifically adapted microscope. Skilled practitioners can detect early stages of illness in the form of known disease-producing microorganisms seen in the blood. This method is also useful for detecting free-radical damage to the cells.
Unlike thermography, at least to my knowledge, there are no associations which oversee the use of EDS or darkfield microscopy in the U.S., but both methods are employed by a growing number of alternative physicians. As to how to go about finding such practitioners, at this time the best way is to simply ask the practitioners you are potentially interested in if they use these methods. (See http://www.acam.org for a list of practitioners across the U.S. who may fall into this category.)
But Barbara’s question goes to the heart of a larger question that I often am asked: How does one go about selecting a holistic practitioner in general? This is an important consideration. Just because a person bills him- or herself as an alternative or holistic physician, does not necessarily mean he or she is any more competent than a conventional physician might be. Moreover, many alternative physicians do not practice holistic medicine, which treats the “whole person.” Instead, while they may substitute safer substances such as nutrients or herbal remedies in place of prescription drugs, their focus remains allopathic, meaning, like conventional MDs, they are doing little more than treating symptoms. As a health care consumer, you need to determine if that is all you are looking for. If not, you will want to work with a practitioner who takes a more “whole person” approach and, ideally, is skilled in a variety of therapies. What follow are some more guidelines for choosing wisely:
Continue to educate yourself about the general principles of holistic medicine. If I do say so myself, a good place to start, in addition to this newsletter, is by reading the books I’ve written or co-written. In particular, I recommend my latest book, Health on the Edge (see the Special Announcement above) and The American Holistic Medical Association Guide to Holistic Health. Once you’ve selected a practitioner to work with, don’t be shy about asking him or her questions. I find that the best physicians I know are also excellent educators willing to make time to address their patients concerns and questions. This is as it should be, since the root word for “doctor” is docere, which is Latin for “to teach.”
Select a practitioner with a diverse background and expertise in a wide variety of healing disciplines, or who is part of a holistic clinic that offers such services. Ideally you’ll want to work with someone who combines the best of both conventional and alternative medicine, who also has a lot of experience in the therapies offered. To find out, simply ask how long a practitioner has practiced the therapies he or she employs. Generally, the longer they have done so, the better.
Choose a practitioner with whom you feel comfortable and have a good rapport. This is very important. Your physician can be brilliant, but if you don’t feel comfortable around him or her, you will likely experience stress and anxiety during your office visits, which can impede the healing process. My friend Dr. Valerie Hunt has shown that certain physicians are simply inappropriate for certain patients because of the way their energy fields affect each other. When that is the case, Valerie says, no matter what the physician does, the benefits for the patient will always be less than ideal. So “trust your gut” and if you feel uncomfortable, find someone else to work with.
Choose to explore therapies in which you have confidence. It is vital that you believe in the healing approaches you choose to explore. Faith in your whatever approach you choose, whether conventional or alternative, can make a big difference in how well and quickly you respond to it.
Lastly, use your common sense. If a practitioner is making claims that sound too good to be true, most likely they are. Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded by hype. Insist on the facts and, if in doubt, ask if you can speak with other patients who might recommend the practitioner you’re considering. The time and energy you invest in these guidelines can make a big difference in your health.
See you next week.
Health and Blessings!
Larry Trivieri, Jr. (larry@1healthyworld.com)
Disclaimer: The Health Plus Letter is a weekly eZine published by Larry Trivieri, Jr. and Library of Health, LLC (dba www.1healthyworld.com). It is made available without charge for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical care. If you are experiencing a health problem, seek prompt medical attention.
Legal Notice: The information in this eZine may be freely and widely disseminated so long as full attribution is made as follows: The Health Plus Letter, January 20, 2004, Vol. 3, No. 2. Copyright © 2004 by Larry Trivieri, Jr. All rights reserved.
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