THE SPRAINED ANKLE

On her CBC Saturday afternoon radio program “The Next Chapter,” Shelagh Rogers interviewed the author of the book “Hold Me Tight.” This writer/instructor tells us the main reason for marriage is not necessarily to bear children but to have someone close who will be there for each other in a caring fashion. Later a repeat science program from Bob McDonald’s Quirks & Quarks reminded us that after scientific tests that in stressful situations mind is a powerful force in the healing process.

When pulling my grocery cart up a steep hill one of the wheels stuck in the sidewalk curb jerking my ankle. I rested it according to instructions in the B.C. Heath Guide and recalled the Quirks & Quarks program that advised positive thoughts. A good friend told me that if I was in need, day or night she would be there for me if I required emergency help and I repeated the same for her. With these cheerful thoughts I read more from my B.C. Health Guide. Page 104-5, suggests “Remember the key word, RICE: which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Crutches are needed for an injured joint for at least 24 to 48 hours. Injured muscle, ligaments or tendon tissue may need 2 to 4 months to recover. I wish for my caring husband of 54 years, but he has passed on. Trying to use his cane only makes the injury angry and painful. I reach for Dr. Harold J. Reilly’s book who was founder-director of Reilly Health Institute in Rockefeller Center that had been frequented by celebrities such as the Duchess of Windsor and Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller. “The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health,” advising to consult your physician before trying any of the remedies and exercises. As it instructed, I soaked several thicknesses of muslin in apple vinegar, added salt and wrapped it around my ankle securing a plastic bag over it with a tape. I moved with care and in the morning the pain was gone. More information is available by calling 1-800-333-4499 in U.S. or in Canada at 1-866-322-8209.

LEARNING TO CONNECT AT CAMP

Yesterday we learned about some of the benefits of summer camp experienced by grade school girls. Today we’re going to tune in to the experience of a teen age boy who is approaching manhood. Children of all races, colors or religion are invited to apply to this summer camp. In the ‘Youth Speak” column of “Venture Inward” ‘Kindra Wyatt, age 15 writes, “Camp started for me as a small child and as the years passed I still feel the love and acceptance of the group. An intense feeling of emotional/spiritual time is counterweighed with of the program of going to the beach, talking, drawing, and just chilling out.”

What makes the A.R.E Camp such a fertile ground for love and acceptance? I don’t know if I’ll ever have the answer to that question, but I do know that there is something distinctive about the people who participate in these youth programs. They are obviously loving, caring, and compassionate, with an impressive amount of both self and world-awareness. When they find themselves part of this camping experience they soon realize that this situation, these experiences we create, are far from the normal teen age stereotype.”

Anyone who is the age of 21 or under is invited to share his or her experience. Please e-mail letters@edgarcayce.org or mail your submissions to: Youth Speak, c/o Venture Inward, 215, 67th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. For more information on Camp and other A.R.E. youth activities, visit edgarcayce.org/summer camp and edgarcayce.org/youth.

GOODBYE SUMMER, HELLO FALL

For many it is also back to school soon, as we prepare to close the lid of our 2009 summer memory box. Before it closes, memories of the past leap from the pages of time to paint pictures of three quarters of a century ago of Summer Camp. I am 10 years old and my sister is l2. It was sponsored by a non profit organization called the Canadian Sunday School Mission. Summer camps are now usually sponsored by organized churches. There was no church in our small community except for a United Church student minister sent out if requested, to do his practicum during the summer before graduating for a degree from a Saskatchewan university. I suspect it was requested by the Weeks family who were upstanding and honoured members in our community.

Anyone willing to memorize 500 Bible verses could attend camp free. We presented our list to one of the leaders who selected a few verses to test us. Campers were given a Bible if they were all correct. All campers took a turn helping in the kitchen when we saw our names on the list. Playing ball, swimming in Gull Lake, and singing around the campfire gave us a lifetime memories. Half a dozen campers or more slept in cabins. We exchanged addresses with other girls and exchanged letters and books for years. Camp opened a new vista of the world for us and I feel we were all better for it. No trouble with the law for any of us in the future. Except once when I failed to notice the speed limit had been reduced by 10 miles when on a trip years later in the city of Paso Robles, California. I happened to be driving and my husband was asleep in the back seat. The officer took out his pencil and wrote on his pad, “Come and visit California again sometime. Write your address here and I’ll send you a copy of our Paso Robles Daily in case you might decide to move here. He did. We didn’t move to that city but it left us happy memories.

BREAKFAST EATING WITHOUT HEATING

A good breakfast is always in order before leaving for a Labour
Day hike, or even getting energized for any day. While shopping at a bulk food store I looked over the shelf holding the already packaged food. An item labeled “Chia Goodness got my attention so I read the ingredients because the label said it was high in protein and gluten free - very important for those who cannot tolerate wheat and so many of the other cereal grains. Here are the ingredients: Chia seeds, buckwheat, hulled hemp seed and celtic salt. Add about a half cup of water and let is set for a few minutes until it thickens. No cooking required. The tiny chia seeds are so firm I decided to add a small amount of pineapple juice and put it through the blender. Just a bit of help for the digestive system since the hard coats on some seeds (flax is another one) wear very protective coats. It was really quite delicious and falls into the classification of raw foods, which also qualifies it to be a “slow food” that is so popular lately for building health and avoiding flu and colds.

Since there may not be a blender handy, I ground it in my small nut grinder the next time. If you grind very much ahead of time it needs to be stored in your freezer. Perhaps it is the pineapple juice that made it taste so delicious. I keep a small jar of dried pineapple rings soaking in the refrigerator. A few chips of pineapple along with the juice can be added many other recipes for taste and digestion.

GRANDKIDS GAZETTE, AUGUST 2009

It’s my turn to write an article for the Gazette. Today my name is Miss Two, which means I will be 2 years old on October 23, and can get my great-grandmother to help me. We call her Gi-Gi for short. My family expects me to learn all their strange English words but I am happy without them because I have this handy pointer finger which helps them understand what I want. Why clutter up my mind with a bunch of incomprehensible words when life is so good this way.

I hear our door close as our Daddy and my two older sisters, Miss Four and Miss Six are leaving to call on Gi-Gi and then do some shopping on the way home. Now I have Mommie all to myself and we have such fun together, a nice warm bath and then she dresses me so pretty with my day clothes. When I get tired she gives me a loving hug before my nap. Daddy is going to put some new programs on Gi-Gi’s computer, but that is boring for me. Sisters Four and Six put all the stuffed animals down for a nap and when Daddy needs a tool they know just where to go to haul out the tool box and they think that is lots of fun.

At home when I get hungry Mommie has nice warm porridge, apple sauce or peaches for me. But at Gi-Gi’s house, there is just whole fruit sitting on the table, sometimes apples and bananas that I cannot chew. She digs out all the “fingernails” from apple cores. Apples put them there so bugs don’t try to lay eggs inside. I like Gi-Gi’s warm smile and pleasant hugs but she never takes the trouble to have my favourite toys handy like when I am at home - something about the logistics of that not being practical. I like sitting on her lap as long as I can see Mommie is still in the same room. I always want her and Daddy close to me, all my life long and never want to leave home. Bye now, Love, Miss Two.

RECIPES FOR EVERYDAY LIVING

A family ritual designs a set of behaviours to evoke feelings and experiences that are needed to effect pleasant memories in family life. Families who do not share special rituals often do not have a rewarding family support system and the children can feel alienated. With tight schedules, rituals can be forgotten and children do not feel connected to a family unit.

Dinner together and sharing a simple blessing at mealtime can enhance family life. Just a few words can be spoken, perhaps in turns, or a small rhyme that is easily remembered. An example might be: “Thank you Lord for good food to eat, Our home with Dad and Mom so sweet, And daily all their tender care, With loving hugs that we all share.” Bath time, bed time and story time all combine to round out the day cementing happy family memories.

I was amazed to see my 6 and 4 year old great-grandchildren sitting together in my large rocker, each holding a book they were pretending to read. “Look,” I said to my grandson, “they seem so relaxed with books.” He was making entries in my new computer, turned around and said, “They just love books.” It’s easy to guess what one of their family rituals might be.

The first time we were old enough to be allowed to bring “Breakfast in Bed” to our mother is a happy memory. Great Grandpa Bob tells how his grandparents with their nine sons and daughters and families all often gathered at the large parental home for Sunday dinner after church and each brought a favourite dish to share together.

WOMEN IN MEDICINE

As recent as September 4, l986, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association featured an editorial entitled “The Higher Education of Women.” It explained. . .”The production of children calls for far more physiological force on the part of the mother. . The functions of gestation and maternity require a great outlay of physiological force, and if this force is used up in other work the offspring of the world must suffer, as must the woman herself.’

The A.R.E News in August of l978, contained a lead article that announced the first vice president of the American Holistic Medical Association, Dr. Norman Shealy, reported that Dr. Gladys McGarey became the first vice-president, and the first secretary, Lindsay Jacob, were both long-term cooperating physicians with the Edgar Cayce Foundation. In October of l982, the A.R.E. News announced: “The American Holistic Medical Association elected Dr. Gladys McGarey as president in its meeting at River Forest, Illinois.

When asked about the objectives of the AHMA, Dr. McGarey stated “They are to promote scientific research and education related to the health of the whole person, recognizing the importance of integrating environment, body, mind, and spirit. The reason for establishing the AHMA is to give those physicians across the country a voice in the total welfare of the patient in the medical community.”

Dr. Gladys Taylor McGarey is coauthor of “The Physician Within You,” and with her daughter, also a physician, in practice at the Scottsdale Holistic Medical Group in Scottsdale, Arizona.

MORE USES OF CASTOR OIL

My wife and I had the opportunity to use castor oil during a trip to the southern coastal resort area of Portugal. A special event for us was a stay at the York House Hotel, a 16th century monastery converted to a hotel in the l9th century.

Upon checking out, I decided to assist the lone doorman/bellhop by carrying our luggage. After a successful drop-off of the first luggage, I brought the remainder of the luggage down the old dark wooden staircase. I misjudged the very last step, falling and landing on the luggage, severely spraining my left ankle. It immediately reddened and swelled, ugly red lines ran upward to the calf. We continued to the next hotel as the swelling and pain increased.

The next stop was an aquarium where a wheelchair was secured and my wife Trish pushed me around in it. She had brought a castor oil pack along and purchased an elastic bandage to secure it to my ankle. It slowly took the swelling down, and within a week the ankle looked almost normal. I continued applying the pack for 3 more weeks after returning to the States. There was still a slight pain in the ankle area, but after these nightly ankle wraps, there were no more problems with the ankle or the surrounding areas affected by the fall. Story submitted by Dave Kukor.

When making a Castor Oil Pack it is sometimes hard to find wool flannel at fabric stores. More details can be obtained by calling l-800-333-4499, or 1-866-322-8209.

SPECIFIC EXERCISE FOR A SPECIAL NEED

The following exercise is recommended by the Cayce Health and Rejuvenation Research Center, 215 67th street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-2061. It is very helpful in treating hemorrhoids.

This is the time of the year that many people are moving as preparations are made to settle in before school starts. There is a great deal of heavy lifting to do when moving. The following is one of the best exercises for anyone requiring treatment for hemorrhoids.

Rise on the toes while slowly taking a deep inhalation through the nostrils. Raise the hands above the head. Then bend at the waist and swing the arms down through the legs while returning to flat feet and exhaling the air forcefully from the lungs through the mouth. Repeat a few more times gradually as needed.

WELCOMING DAD'S VISIT

“It is always good to have a visit from my father (a widower) from Florida during Memorial Day week. A retired-teacher, he enjoys visiting our rural Farmington, Wisconsin home and attends a teacher’s “tea” held during Memorial Day week. After arriving he could hardly get out of his car, let alone walk unassisted. On a borrowed cane from our neighbour, Dad managed to move around the lower level of our house after I converted it to a spare room. Dad requested ice for his swollen right ankle and after almost one week of ice application there was no apparent relief. I suggested we try a castor oil bandage since I had received so much help for my back using a castor oil pack during my working years.

He agreed and after the first week the swelling began to go down, and the cane was returned to the neighbour. Dad was now able to walk without it. After the third week, Dad was complaining that his right loafer was too loose, the swelling had badly stretched it out of shape. I wondered how long he had suffered with this condition. Dad never had the lump on his right instep diagnosed and after another week the lump was almost gone and soon was as normal as the other. He phoned the following spring saying doctors had found the cause of his sciatic back condition. An ultrasound showed a stomach aneurysm and he was set for surgery in September. I reminded him of the castor oil pack but the father-child relationship kicked in. “No, the doctors will take care of it.” My wife and I arrived the day after his surgery. He was in the intensive care unit for 9 days. Less than a month later a call came from the doctor - Dad had had a massive heart attack and passed over.” Thanks to this wonderful son, David E. Kukor, who helped his aging father when in need. He suggests for more uses for castor oil to consult Dr. William McGarey’s book, “The Oil That Heals.” For further information call l-800-333-4499.

ARTHRITIS IN THE KNEES

The Editorial Department of Venture Inward invites readers to tell about health treatments that have worked or not worked for you. Send your questions or information to the Cayce Rejuvenation Research Center, 215 67th street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-2061.
A reader has asked for suggestions regarding his wife’s arthritis that gets progressively worse even though she has used anti-inflammatory medicines and glucosamine HCl and chondroitin sulfate. Her only other option seems to be surgery.

The doctor replies that peanut oil with a general body rub-down or massage with the peanut oil once a week, to help stimulate superficial circulation and coordinate peripheral nerve impulses and help with eliminations. A hot Epsom-bath bath or Epsom-salt packs over the affected joints should precede the peanut oil massage. Gentle motion to the joints is also helpful. As joints do not receive direct circulation, this movement helps the nutrients get into the joint. With severe arthritis, this is best done in water, where body weight is displaced and trauma to the joint is minimized. Finally, you may want to reconsider the surgery.

Dr. Oz, being interviewed on the Oprah show tells that he finds it very beneficial to review some of the old-fashioned suggestions. It could bring help during this H1N1 flu epidemic.

THE CASTOR OIL PACK

To three thicknesses of wool flannel (cotton flannel is okay if wool is unavailable) pour on castor oil until saturated but not dripping.
The 12 x 18 inch fabric should be about the same size as your heating pad but the heating pad should not touch the skin. This pad can be used many times and between uses should be stored in the refrigerator. Dr. Gladys McGarey advises a pad be kept for each person. When traveling they brought just one for the family.

Place on the right side of the body, a little above the sternum (breastbone) to about 4 inches below the navel, covering the right side as much as you can. Before retiring, spread out a large garbage-bag-size plastic on the bed so the castor oil won’t leak onto the bedding. Fold a towel (used only for the castor oil pack) because the oil is almost impossible to wash out completely. Remove the cloth cover from the heating pad and then place the heating pad on top of the towel. It is good to warm the heating pad at lowest oven setting (after turning the oven heat off first). Lie down on your back on the plastic bag. Keep the pack on for l to l-l/2 hours, warm and cozy but unplug it before you fall asleep.

For cleaning up have a paper towel handy to wipe oil off the skin when you get up. Be careful not to get any on the bed. Place two teaspoons of baking soda in warm water, and use paper towels or a sponge with the soda solution to clean off the castor oil. You may want to shower with soap after that. Use the pack 3 days, then take a break for 4 days, and repeat.

The active ingredient in castor oil, Ricinoleic Acid converts to prostaglandin, a powerful hormone-like substance that stimulates lymph and T-cell production, increasing the body’s ability to repair itself. Further information on the many uses of castor oil can be found at 1-800-333-4499 or 1-866-322-8209.

ALKALIZE THE BODY SYSTEM

With so many theories about the way the human body operates there is a way to take preliminary steps to promote good health in general while waiting for further information regarding the flu shots. According to Dr. Theodore a. Baroody, in his book Alkalize or Die, it is important to keep the body in its proper balance through menu planning. Chapter 9 of his book suggests certain foods that are known to be mucous producers (acid-forming). Step one includes reducing refined foods, sugars and foods containing chemical preservatives. Red meats can be replaced with chicken, fish and dairy for a main protein source. His chart places vegetables such as Broccoli, Celery, Carrots and Lettuce at the center. Further information can be found at his website: www.holographichealth.com.

In her bi-monthly column in Venture Inward, Simone Gabbay, RNCP, a holistic nutritionist in Toronto simplifies food choices in her book Nourishing the Body Temple as well as in her most recent book Edgar Cayce’s Diet Plan for Optimal Health. Further information is available at her website www.edgarcaycediet.com.

THE TEST

When the camper pulled in loaded with two slender boats on top I ask myself the name of this slender double boat affair. The first word that comes to mind is “catamaran.” That doesn’t sound just right I tell myself - and wonder if this is a “senior moment,” a precursor of losing my memory.

Well cheer up, according to Barbara Sherwin, a professor of psychology at McGill University in Montreal, as the old joke goes, if you forgot where your car keys are, there’s nothing wrong with you, but if you forgot you have a car, you’re in trouble.”

According to Dr. Nathan Herrmann, a geriatric psychiatrist in Toronto, and reported in Good Times “It’s normal for older people to take a little longer to think of answers, come up with someone’s name, or remember appointments, but in general their ability to remember things is maintained pretty well into late life, and wouldn’t affect their day-to-day functioning.” On the other hand, he says warning signs of more serious memory loss include frequent incidents of:

• Leaving a stove burner turned on and burning pots and pans.
• Leaving taps turned on and causing floods.
• Forgetting to lock the doors to one’s home.
• Forgetting to pay bills or cash cheques.

“Most people who are really worried about their memory don’t have significant problems. But when patients say there is nothing wrong, yet their families complain bitterly about their memory, they almost always have cognitive difficulties. Insight into one’s situation is often lost very early in Alzheimer’s disease.” By the way, those uploaded “boats” are called Kayaks. Thanks J and D.

CHOOSING A PET

Close friends of ours are planning to get a dog. As I was searching for helpful information to post a Blog on this subject a CBC radio science program summer rerun obliged me today with very interesting information concerning the type of pet that would suit each family. Retirement is coming up for our friends in a few years.

There are some great books on the subject and Temple Grandin has written “Animals Make Us Human” that seems to cover all angles. During many years of constant travel while doing her research on all types of pets it was difficult for her to own a dog of her own. Dogs are considered very social, helpful, and family oriented, while cats are more independent. Working families find it more convenient to have cats since they sleep during the day and have the family around during the night. Dogs can become very lonely when left alone all day and often try to chew their way out to find their family. Our local library has 13 copies that are all checked out at the moment but one can sign up on the waiting list. Your local book stores will have copies available for purchase as well.

Until you choose your own local veterinarian further information regarding pet care including required vaccinations can be found at: www.BeaverAnimalClinic.com.

APPLES CAN HELP PREVENT CANCER

As researchers discover the value of vitamin C in fighting cancer, it turns out that they find that apples do the job the job better. Researchers from Cornell University and Seoul National University have determined what they believe to be the mechanism by which vitamin C inhibits the growth of cancer. Reporting in the medical journal The Lancet, the researchers reported their finding that vitamin C “prevents the inhibition of gap-junction intercellular communication induced by hydrogen peroxide.” This inhibition has been found to be essential to the carcinogenic process, and whatever prevents the inhibition from forming helps to fight cancer.

On the other hand, the researchers also noted that raw apples contain quercetin, a phytochemical that has even stronger anticancer activity than vitamin C.

For more information go to: http://www.newswise.com/articles/2002/l/VITCMECH.CNS.html.

PETS ARE GOOD MEDICINE

Rescue authorities have learned the hard way that folks will not abandon their homes unless their pets are taken care of also. Such is the very strong bond between pets and their owners. It should be no surprise, then that having one’s pet available during times of recovery from health crises would be a positive thing. Although no formal research studies have been performed, more and more doctors and hospitals are becoming savvy to this important ingredient to recovery, according to a report published in USA TODAY.

Some hospitals will allow pets into the room. Many doctors write a “prescription” for the patient, stressing the importance of maintaining that connection. Sometimes there is a concern for infections, but even the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which has guidelines for HIV patients to help them prevent infections, suggest only that dogs and cats under six months not be introduced because of the possibility of carrying certain “bugs.”

BEING HAPPY WILL BUILD STRENGTH

The more happiness you can maintain, the stronger will your body be. The more often you feel that you are as good as others, that you are hopeful about the future, and the more often you feel that you are enjoying life, then the less likely you are to become frail as you age. These conclusions come from a multi-year study of Mexican-Americans living in the southwest. The research, conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and published in Psychology and Aging, measured over time the weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed, and grip strength experienced by the participants as they aged. The results showed that those who reported more happiness and more positive emotions experienced significantly less development of frailty than the norm.

The researchers speculated that this effect could be mediated by the chemical and neurological correlates of positive emotions with a cheerful smile whenever possible. It is also possible that happiness increases one’s access to various resources for health, such as social support and intellectual stimulation.