The Health Plus Letter
October 26, 2006, Vol. 4, No. 23
By Larry Trivieri, Jr. – founder & publisher,
http://www.1healthyworld.com
If you prefer to read this issue online, you can read it, along with all other back issues, at http://www.1healthyworld.com/ezine.
Table Of Contents
New This Issue
Quote of the Day
Fast Fact
On November 7, Be Smart: Vote for Love by Patch Adams, MD
Self-Care Tips for Dealing with Glaucoma
Reader Feedback: Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski
Recommendations
Medical F/r/e/edom
New This Issue
Welcome to another issue of The Health Plus Letter. This week I’m running a wonderful suggestion by Dr. Patch Adams, the holistic physician famous for healing using the principles of love and humor (you may recall the movie about him in which he was portrayed by Robin Williams). Though Patch’s article, on the surface at least, is focused on politics, the suggestions he makes have all been proven to provide major health benefits. In fact, an increasing number of physicians, including my friend, Dr. Robert Ivker, are n/o/w openly stating that the primary cause of all disease is the perceived loss of or separation from love. When we reconnect with love, we heal. It’s that simple, and that profound.
Also in this issue, you’ll find self-care tips for dealing with glaucoma, and a response from Dr. Stanislaw Burzysnki to me article defending him from the baseless comments made about him by Andrew Weil.
As always, please continue to send me your comments and suggestions. 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
“Happiness nev/er decreases by being shared.”
-- Buddha
Fast Fact
Research has shown that antidepressant drugs are virtually useless as a treatment for depression.
Source: Kirsch, I.; and Moore., TJ. “The Emperor’s New Drugs: An Analysis of Antidepressant Medication Data Submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” Prevention and Treatment 5 (July 15, 2002): Article 23.
Unabashed Plug
Learn the Truth about Heart Disease, Stroke and Hypertension. Most of what conventional medicine has to offer for treating these conditions is based on faulty and potentially dangerous assumptions. Discover the real causes behind these diseases and learn what you can do today to prevent and reverse them using safe and natural alternatives that have been scientifically proven to be effective. Read the critically-acclaimed eBook Burton Goldberg’s Definitive Guide to Heart Disease, featuring the contributions of Dr. Garry Gordon, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, and many other leading heart specialists. To order or to find out more about this potentially lifesaving guide, visit http://www.1healthyworld.com/ebooks/Heart-Book-Info.cfm.
On November 7, Be Smart: Vote for Love by Patch Adams
While the State Department’s Alberto Fernandez felt obligated to take back his comments that elements of U.S. policy in Iraq have been arrogant and stupid, the truth is that U.S. policy post-9/11 has been driven by arrogance and stupidity. What could be stupider than the idea that violence could end the threat of terrorism and make us safer at home? Simple logic tells us that responding to terror with more violence will only lead to more terror and more violence. N.o.w we have that logic confirmed by the grim facts on the ground in Iraq.
Isn’t it time for a radical change of course? There’s only one thing more powerful than violence, and that’s love. So shouldn’t we be fighting violence with love? I don’t mean relational love. I mean treating people with love. Feeding them. Educating them. Healing them. That kind of love.
As a doctor—and a clown—I’ve seen the tremendous healing power of love. The number one factor for surviving a heart attack is having a loving community. A study of 4,000 women with breast cancer found that with a little love—six hour-long support sessions—their survival rate increased five-fold. With the situation in Iraq imploding, tensions increasing with Iran and North Korea, and our government’s policies leading more and more people to hate Americans, it’s time to take the healing power of love to the global level. It’s time for a love platform.
What’s a love platform? It’s a set of policies that shows compassion for the elderly, the mentally ill, the homeless, the poor. It’s a platform that treats the environment with the loving respect it deserves.
A love platform would call for kissing, not killing. You switch two little letters and you get a whole new outlook on life. Kissing, not killing.
A love platform would put women in charge—women with loving instincts who would treat the world the way my mother treated my friends when they came to my house. She fed them, she wiped their noses, she was nice. That’s it. We’d have a policy called “Be Nice.” If everyone treated people like my mother did, we’d put an end to violence.
We need to create a massive global movement for loving. It would be like the Peace Corps times 10,000. People who have resources would go, en masse, to help those without. People with skills would teach those without. People who are healthy would take care of those who are sick.
We’d save cabinet positions for the Amish people who embraced the family of the man who killed their children. We’d put in charge of foreign policy the people who lost loved ones on 9/11 but insisted that revenge was not the answer, or the women of CODEPINK who tried desperately to stop the war in Iraq before it even began.
It really amazes me that we spend so many hours as a society focusing on love as s/e/x or love that some consider perverse: Mark Foley sending emails to underage boys, Bill Clinton with an intern, love between people of the same s/e/x. But we spend no time focusing on the big love that should drive our lives and our policies, i.e. love for the human family. We spend no time in school teaching yo.ung people how to grow up to be loving adults. The media gives us nev/er-ending examples of violence and hate, but rarely gives us the uplifting examples of the kid who spends his lunch mo.ney on feeding the homeless. We hear about the brave soldiers who fight, but not about the people—often women—who force the soldiers to put down their guns.
For those who say that a love platform is ridiculous and naive, I ask them to compare the results of the $300 billion we’ve spent on war in Iraq with what we would get if we had spent that mo.ney on setting up health clinics all over the world and feeding people who are hungry. I travel around the world and meet lots of people who fear and hate us. If we spent our energy and resources uplifting people in need—spreading laughter and light instead of bombs and bullets—we’d live in a world that was happier, healthier and safer.
So come November 7, be smart. Vote out stupid and arrogant candidates who think that occupying Iraq by force or bombing Iran will make us safe. And vote for candidates who understand the simple notion that love is not only the best medicine, it’s also smart policy.
Patch Adams, M.D., is a nationally known speaker on wellness, laughter, humor and life. To support peace candidates, go to www.givepeaceavote.org.
Self-Care Tips for Dealing with Glaucoma
Next to cataract, glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness in the United States. It is characterized by a loss of peripheral vision, usually in association with a buildup of fluid pressure inside the eyeball that can damage, and in some cases completely destroy, the retina and optic nerve.
Note: Glaucoma is a serious condition and requires ongoing medical attention. If you suspect you have glaucoma, see a doctor immediately.
Types of Glaucoma
There are two types of glaucoma—open angle glaucoma and closed angle glaucoma. Open angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma and is characterized by the too-slow drainage of eye fluid that is normally produced each day. The slower than normal fluid drainage, which typically occurs in the rear eye chamber, is most often caused by debris building up inside of the drainage channels.
Closed angle glaucoma is characterized by the eyes’ drainage channels being blocked by the iris. Unlike open angel glaucoma, which occurs gradually over time, closed angle glaucoma usually occurs due to the rapid buildup of fluid pressure, and can cause the eyeballs to feel hard to the touch.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Symptoms of open angle glaucoma usually progress slowly, with the first noticeable signs being narrowing of peripheral vision, headaches, tunnel vision, and other visual disturbances, such as seeing halos around lights or having difficulty adapting to darkness.
In cases of closed angle glaucoma, symptoms usually progress quickly—in some cases only a few days—and include intense eye pain, headaches, swollen eyelids, nausea, vomiting, eye redness, and vision loss, which can become permanent if not treated in time.
Causes of Glaucoma
Both types of glaucoma can be caused by premature aging, the accumulation of debris and waste products in the eye drainage channels, allergies, eye injuries, eye tumors, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, and pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and macular degeneration.
The use of pharmaceutical drugs can also cause glaucoma, as well as other types of vision problems. These include antidepressants, antihistamines, blood pressure medication, diurectics, oral contraceptives, steroids, chlorpromazine, digoxin, ethambutol, gold (used to treat arthritis and lupus), haloperidol, hydroxychloroquine sulfate, and tetracycline.
Self-Care
Note: All cases of glaucoma should be treated by a health care professional that specializes in vision disorders.
Aromatherapy: The following essential oils can help to relieve stress and tension, which can contribute to or exacerbate glaucoma: bergamot, jasmine, lavender, rose, sandlewood, and ylang ylang.
Ayurveda: According to Ayurvedic theory, most vision problems are due to digestive disorders. Emphasis is given to regular eye exercises, as well as the use of the herbs amla, licorice, and triphala, and a diet rich in organic, whole food with abundant quantities of antioxidant rich vegetables such as carrots and spinach.
Diet: Emphasize a diet of organic, whole foods, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. These include bell peppers, berries, carrots, celery, cherries, citrus fruits, dark-green leafy vegetables, kale, mangos, melons, parsley, plums, red grapes, spinach, tomatoes, and yellow squash. Organic egg yolks are also recommended because they are rich in carotenoids, a class of antioxidants. Also be sure to drink plenty of fresh, filtered water throughout the day to help flush out accumulated debris in the eye drainage channels. Proper hydration is also essential for maintaining the suppleness of the eyes’ lenses.
Avoid all processed and fried foods, coffee and caffeine products, soda, sugar and sugar products, refined, simple carbohydrates, alcohol, an unhealthy hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Milk and dairy products should be consumed sparingly, if at all. In addition, be tested for food allergies and sensitivities and eliminate those foods for which you test positive.
Eye Exercises: The following eye exercises are useful for preventing and reversing most types of vision problems.
- Rest your eyes for five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, relaxing your gaze and staring into space.
- Blink your eyes regularly. This reduces eyestrain.
- Take regular breaks throughout the day to breathe deeply for a few minutes, followed by stretching your neck and shoulders. This helps to ensure that your eyes muscles receive adequate amounts of oxygen.
- To further reduce facial tension, yawn in an exaggerated fashion. Doing so helps to stretch and relax your facial muscles.
- Cover your eyes with you palms for five minutes and breathe deeply. Do this every one to two hours.
- Spend 20 to 30 minutes each day rapidly switching your focus from near to far. An easy way to do this is to hold your finger six to eight inc.hes from your eyes. Focus on it for a moment, then focus on an object in the distance. Keep changing your focus from near and far. This is an excellent way to exercise your eye muscles.
- Roll your eyes all the way up and down in a full circular motion for five minutes three to five times a day.
- Pin a sheet of reading material to the wall and read it from two feet away (or closer if you need to). Each day, step further away from the wall. With regular practice, you will eventually be able to read the same material from across the room. If you are nearsighted, reverse this process, starting as far away from the sheet of paper as you need to be, then slowly moving closer each day until you are able to read it standing only a few inc.hes away.
Flower Essences: To help deal with unresolved mental or emotional factors that can contribute to glaucoma, the following remedies can be helpful: Aspen (to ease general fears), Clematis (if you tend to avoid your problems by “living in a dream world”), Honeysuckle (for those who avoid the challenges of the present by becoming nostalgic for the past), and Rescue Remedy (for cases of acute glaucoma).
Herbs: The following herbs can be very helpful for preventing and slowing the progression of cataracts: bilberry, curcumin, gentian root, grapeseed extract, ginkgo biloba, and pine bark extract (pycnogenol).
Caution: People with glaucoma should avoid using ephedra (also known as Ma Huang), as well as synthetic ephedra products such as epinephrine, which is contained in most over-the-counter cold and cough formulas, because ephedra can dilate the pupils of the eyes, increasing overall eye pressure.
Juice Therapy: Drink 16 ounces of carrot juice and/or carrot juice combined with fresh squeezed celery, cucumber, parsley, and spinach in two divided doses (eight ounces per serving) each day.
Lifestyle: Avoid eyestrain by refraining from working at computer terminal or reading for long periods of time. Also refrain from watching television of movies in the dark, as well as spending prolonged periods in darkness. In addition, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke and, if you smoke, stop. When outside on sunny days, wear sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays.
To help prevent and relief eye pressure, regularly engage in mild aerobic exercises such as jogging, brisk walking, and rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline).
Nutritional Supplementation: Useful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha-lipoic acid, beta-carotene, chromium, flavonoids, lutein, magnesium, N—acetyl-cysteine (NAC), riboflavin, rutin, selenium, taurine, zeaxthanin, and zinc. Omega-3 oils, such as fish oil, is also advised.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): According to TCM theory, most vision problems are due to diminished liver function. To restore healthy liver function, TCM practitioners combine acupuncture with dietary changes and traditional Chinese herbs, such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng.
Professional Care
The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for preventing and treating cataracts: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Bodywork (Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, reflexology, Rolfing, shiatsu, and therapeutic massage), Craniosacral Therapy, Chiropractic, Detoxification Therapy, Environmental Medicine, Magnetic Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Osteopathic Medicine.
(The above information in adapted from Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, edited and co-written by Larry Trivieri, Jr.)
Unabashed Plug
Protect Yourself From Energy Pollution With the BioElectric ShieldTM. Energy pollution is all around us in the fo/rm of harmful electromagnetic frequencies and radiation (EMFs and EMR) emitted by power lines, cells phones, computers, and many other so-called modern conveniences. By wearing the BioElectric Shield pendant, you can protect yourself from the harmful effects of EMFs and EMR. To obtain a BioElectricShield, visit http://www.mcssl.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=408491. To learn more about how and why the BioElectric Shield works, see my article about it at http://www.1healthyworld.com/ezine/vol4no9.cfm.
Reader Feedback: Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski
Earlier this week, I received the following email from Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski in response to the article I wrote last issue defending him against baseless claims made about him and his work by Dr. Andrew Weil:
<<De.ar Mr. Trivieri,
I appreciate very much your email of October 20, 2006 and the letter on my behalf to Dr. Andrew Weil. I agree with you in that the attack of Dr. Weil was completely unjustified and it was based on profound lack of knowledge about our research and treatment. There is no doubt that as a public figure that Dr. Weil should perform at least some basic search through the literature or contact our clinic before issuing this statement. He should be more responsible and realize that his publication may effect the lives of numerous people.
We are making substantial progress in the approval process. At this moment, we are successfully closing our Phase II trials and n.o.w involved in discussion with the FDA about the final approval of antineoplastons for marketing and Phase III trials.
With kind regards,
S. R. Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D.>>
As I replied to Dr. Burzynski, I hope that the FDA treats him with the fairness and respect he deserves so that one day soon antineoplaston therapy may be widely available to cancer patients everywhere. The fact that the Phase II trials are successfully coming to a close and that the FDA is considering approving Phase III trials only adds to what I wrote last week, namely that Weil doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to this matter.
Recommendations
Book:
Oxygen Healing Therapies by Nathaniel Altman. Nearly all disease conditions, from a biochemistry perspective, are caused by a lack of oxygen at the level of the body’s cells. Restoring proper oxygen levels to the cells can therefore dramatically improve a wide variety of disease conditions, including cancer and AIDS. The therapeutic enhancement of oxygen levels to the cells is the province of healing techniques known as bio-oxidative therapies, and this book by Nathaniel Altman is the finest and most authoritative reference for lay readers ever written on the subject. In addition to explaining what bio-oxidative therapies are and how they work, Altman also provides readers with a wealth of how-to information they can make use of as part of an overall holistic protocol that also includes tips for detoxification and how to eat to increase oxygen levels, as well as information on what nutritional supplements and herbs can be used. He also shares breathing and aerobic exercises that can also help, and includes a wonderful chapter that discusses the relationship between healing and its relationship to our emotions, thoughts, and connection with Spirit. I have been aware of the important role oxygen therapies can play in healing serious illness for nearly 20 years. In all that time, I have nev/er found another book that so comprehensively encompasses the wide range of applications bio-oxidative therapies have, nor one that is as empowering as Altman’s book. I give it my highest recommendation.
Websites:
http://alternet.org/envirohealth/43242/ - This link will take you to a news article on the grave health effects pharmaceutical drugs are having on our nation’s water supply, providing further proof of how dangerous such drugs are.
http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/141233/1/ - This link will take you to an article on the laxity on the part of the federal government when it comes to protecting its citizens from the dangers (including cancer) of radiation exposure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-diane-watson/the-beginning-of-the-end-_b_32394.html - At this link you can read about the dangers of mercury contained in dental amalgam fillings and how the FDA actually did the right thing recently in rejecting its own advisory committee’s findings that amalgam fillings are safe. The oppor.tunity n/o/w exists for finally banning the use of such fillings, but only if enough people put pressure on the FDA to do so. Read what has to happen next to make this happen.
Unabashed Plug
Discover and Gain Control of Your Human Energy Field. Read Dr. Valerie Hunt’s Mind Mastery Meditations: A Workbook for the “Infinite Mind,” the empowering guide created by one of the world's foremost researchers into the human energy field, energy medicine, and the relationship between consciousness and health. Each of the meditations this eBook contains is designed to give you mastery of your mind and to empower you to discover the answers to why you are the way you are, your soul's needs, your unique talents and capacities, and your self-designed destiny. By practicing and mastering these meditations, you will become able to live your life with greater ease and success, speed your self-healing, and dramatically increase your ability to manifest your deepest goals. To order this life-changing guide, visit
http://www.1healthyworld.com/ebooks/Mind-Mastery-Book-Info.cfm.
Medical F/r/e/edom
Please contact and support the following organizations dedicated to protecting our health freedoms.
Citizens for Health - http://www.citizens.org
Alliance for Natural Health – http://www.alliance-natural-health.org (The leading organization fighting to preserve health f/r/e/edom in England and the EU.)
Institute for Health F/r/e/edom – http://www.ForHealthF/r/e/edom.org
International Advocates for Health F/r/e/edom (IAHF) – http://www.iahf.com
And to learn how corrupt and extensive Big Pharma’s monopoly is, visit http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/online/research/index.html the website for the Campaign Against Fraudulent Medical Research. In particular, read their in-depth report The Pharmaceutical Drug Racket that you will find th/e/re.
That’s all for this 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) 1514 Genesee Street, Suite 52, Utica, NY 13502. It is made available without charge for info/rmation purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical care. If you are experiencing a health problem, seek prompt medical attention.
The Health Plus Letter is fully compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
Le/gal Notice: The info/rmation in this eZine may be f/r/e/ely and widely disseminated so long as full attribution is made as follows: The Health Plus Letter, October 26, 2006, Vol. 4, No. 23. Copyright © 2006 by Larry Trivieri, Jr. All rights reserved.
To Subscribe Or Unsubscribe to The Health Plus Letter, please visit http://www.1healthyworld.com/lists
