THE HEALING POWER OF ORDINARY THINGS

The bridge between traditional medicine and natural healing methods with the research behind mined-body medicine is explored by Larry Dossey, M.D. Acclaimed speaker and best-selling author, he has introduced spiritual and scientific thinkers alike to this ever growing field of medicine.

“If you want to hide the treasure, put it in plain sight. Then no one will see it.” Dossey proves this statement true in his latest book, The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things: Fourteen Natural Steps to Health and Happiness. Most of us can recall a time when we experienced the healing effects of optimism, tears, or music, but what about risk, unhappiness, and even dirt? Dossey gives us new eyes through which to see the world as he points out the healing that can be found in the most unlikely places.

The most interesting part of this book is the research that proves the healing capabilities of these “everyday” things. The power of optimism may not be an entirely new idea, but its role in the use of placebo treatments is astounding. He writes, “Researchers admit that the placebo response accounts for up to 50 percent of the effect of many drugs, and l00 percent of certain surgical procedures.” He notes that “surveys suggest that three-fourths of those who go to doctors’ offices have nothing wrong with them physically, that they are largely beyond the reach of what complex, modern medicine has to offer.” Facts like these help us employ natural healing methods with greater intention. He shows readers how to enhance their lives by paying attention to things that are right in front of them and encourages them to increase the value of natural healing methods on a broader scale. Dossey concludes, “In the end, it will not be weekend conferences, seminars, Web-based courses, or books that will teach people how to be optimistic, but what we do as a nation to create the conditions in which optimism can flower.” See www.edgarcayce.org.

THE ORION MYSTERY - SIGNS IN THE SKY

There has been a great deal of thought provoking material put out in magazines as well as on the internet concerning sudden changes about to unfold for humanity on Earth in 2012. Since I was raised 10 miles south of Orion, Alberta, I’ll check it out and see what Adrian Gilbert and Robert Bauval have to say about the correlation of the belt stars of the constellation of Orion. According to Gilbert the position and building of the south airshaft of the Queen’s Chamber align with Orion. He goes on about the “correct angle of the top of the obelisk, the Pillar of Atum, found in Heliopolis, being one of the keys used by Khufu to build the Great Pyramid with angles that would align with certain important dates, such as the Summer Solstice.

Using his expertise with “Skyglobe,” the astronomy shareware, Gilbert pinpoints the precise position of the stars in Orion on the horizon and zenith. Weaving together biblical events, such as the Exodus, the birth of Jesus and the Magi and their connection with the star Regulus in Leo, he points out that the Second Coming could happen soon, as Orion attains that culmination point above the horizon which it reaches only once in 13,000 years. He identifies Jesus as the Son of man in Heaven – the constellation of Orion that will appear prominently just {“as the lightening “stars” according to Gilbert} cometh out of the east… And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven. Gilbert gives us a clearer picture of the “predicted” future – a future we will all be part of. He correlates the symbols in the book of Revelation to the four fixed Zodiac signs and even back to Genesis, which tells us that the s tars were put in heaven for “signs and for seasons.” This body of knowledge was passed on through the initiates, who understood the principle “as above so below.” It all sounds very interesting. The book “Signs in the Sky,” would likely clarify it better than I have. A.R.E. Homepage: www.edgarcayce.org.

OVERCOMING ALZHEIMER'S AND RSD

The only hope for releasing pain in the lower back that gradually rose to the and neck was surgery. The doctor warned that it only had success rate of 65%. David wanted his veterinarian practice back as well as his music, with his guitar and banjo. The 6th cervical nerve was bruised and damaged in the process of the surgery, resulting in numbness of the arm, thumb and forefinger of one hand. Pain was relieved with medication but within six months the numbness returned and the neurosurgeon labeled it Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and this persisted over a period of 10 years. Nerves had not healed properly after neck surgery and opened the door for paralysis, pain, and sensitivity.
RSD usually spreads to other parts of the body. New medications prescribed were ineffective for pain control or resulted in nausea.
They decided to attend a retreat with David carrying his arm in a sling as the pain took its toll. They heard about possible help from electrical appliances that were recommended by some holistic doctors but they have to order it from the maker. After returning home they sent for the “Wet Cell” that was said to have helped many with RSD. Within two months on the Wet Cell, Eileen noticed changes in David. He was not experiencing the usual winter colds, he became alert, and could sleep soundly. His balding scalp sprouted new hair. He picked up his guitar again.

David’s wife, Eileen, had her own health challenges. Her parents carried early and late-onset Alzheimer’s genes. Today, of the original 10 family members, only Eileen and her younger brother, a retired Methodist minister, survive. Eileen recognized the symptoms of Alzheimer’s developing in herself and started regular daily sessions with another electrical appliance called the Radiac that was recommended by holistic doctors. Both David and Eileen have recovered. For more information on these or other A.R.E.’s training programs e-mail Shay.harrison@edgarcayce.org, or Eric.Stahlman@edgarcayce.org.

SAFETY FIRST

After my posting dated January 24, 2010, entitled “Take Taxi Telephone Numbers Along,” I thank you for your response. E-mails and telephone calls were full of good advice. When I got home I recorded all the taxi telephone numbers listed in our phone book and attached them to any carriers and my wallet. I will not see my 86th birthday again. After my husband passed on I sold our car and decided it would be healthier if I walked. A friend whom I called “my borrowed daughter” advised me to wait for awhile since we often went shopping together. We even look alike, fair skin and blonde. Standing in a check-out line at a large retail store one man said, “You can tell you two are mother and daughter. She is the same age as my son and his wife who live in U.S.

My older sister in Kamloops had been injured from a fall and I hoped to spend time with her so my “borrowed daughter” said they would drive me there since they enjoyed meeting a relative there and having lunch together. I try to “put a tiger in their tank” but they always refuse money and claim they enjoy having the visit with friends at Kamloops. Two years ago a better job was offered to them in Alberta and they have moved there. My doctor tells me that since I haven’t owned a car for half a dozen years it would be best to save the hundred dollars required for the medical report and for me to keep walking or use other means of transportation.

In his meeting with our group last Wednesday on Residential Security, Ed Howard added, “We will visit your home and other residential units to offer suggestions for improvement in safety measures.” Phone: 250-260-5276 or Email: ehoward@vernon.ca.

TAKE TAXI TELEPHONE NUMBERS ALONG

Ed Howard, with the City RCMP Safe Communities met with our group last week. He gave printed handouts and warned not to wear dark clothing after dark like the woman last week who was hit by a car. I would never go out after dark, I told myself.

The phone rings. There has been a cancellation and would I like to take this 3:45 pm opening. I get there early to pay my bill and do the preliminaries. Tests are completed and the eye drops inserted and then a 15 minute wait to take before pictures can be taken and then it is closing time at 5 pm. One of the gracious employees opens the door for me and the lock clicks behind me. Still light but in about five minutes the curtain of darkness suddenly falls and the library has disappeared. I’ve walked to the library thousands of times and then up the steep hill to home. Now I am looking for a taxi or a telephone booth. They also have disappeared. I pass a school, it must be Seaton. The eye drops leave me partially blind in the dark and I cannot read the printed street signs. Huge stainless steel tanks loom up before me. That must be the brewery so I take a turn and head toward heavy traffic lights that suggests I might be near 30th Avenue that will guide me to downtown Safeway. The only clear markings are the “walk man” signs. I realize I am heading for Polson Mall. I meet a lady who wears a reflective cover and ask for help. If I can find downtown Safeway I will be okay, I say. This wonderful lady, on her way home from work says she always wears reflective clothing after dark. “Go l0 blocks that way,” she says as she points, “and then downhill and you will eventually see the Safeway sign.” I passed buildings with alcoves where dark figures lurked as they assessed the situation. They must have wondered who this strange woman was as I hurried on pulling my grocery cart. The brain must have called for an adrenal shot when my knees began to buckle. My fingers were so cold I couldn’t get my key in the door. My neighbour happened to drive in and helped. “Thank you,” all my guardian angels. Good lesson and always keep a taxi telephone number handy.

MICE ARE SENDING US MESSAGES

Scientists gathered two groups of mice, born on the same day and placed them in two separate cages. Both groups were given the same kind and amount of food. One group had the chance to run on the exercise wheel whenever they felt like it, hoping to find an escape. The other group was given no exercise equipment.

When the brains of each group were examined after death, it was found that the mice who exercised showed brains with extra connections and their brains were even larger in size. They also lived much longer than the mice with no opportunity to exercise.

What a great message from the humble mouse which seems to be the most interesting “guest” in all scientific laboratories. Another tip they offer is to check for well hidden entrances to our basements where the winter winds can whistle in and create very cold floors as well as loss of heat during the winter months. It seemed almost impossible for a friend of mine to find her nocturnal guest who dined with delight on all food sources available as all cupboards and garbage cans were carefully researched. Then luck was with him as he sensed a fragrant food that was carefully served on a little board plate. A sharp snap was heard and the night visitor no longer arrived. No longer did she have to wash out the cupboards each day and clear out the mouse tracks.

THE HEALING ENERGY OF JOY

Joy and laughter are so important in the whole experience of healing according to Dr. Gladys Taylor McGarey. The daughter of medical doctors who were missionaries in India, she has carried on in the healing area for more than half a century.

A pioneer in holistic medicine, Gladys Taylor McGarey M.D., M.D. (H) writes a column Venture Inward Magazine. She explains: “Joy and laughter are so important in the whole experience of healing. Joy is not found in superficial pleasures, which can be pleasant and help us get through some hard times, but true joy is deeper than that – it does not look to things on the outside to give us joy, but comes from the inner experiencing of the at-one-ment of body, mind and spirit. It is important to understand that to be joyous does not mean there will not be times of sadness or depression. Life is full of mountaintops and valleys. We go through the valley so that the mountaintop experiences can help us through the work that is done in the valley. Life would be very dull and bland if we did not have our ups and downs, good times and hard times, our mountains and our valleys. It has been said that hard jobs are done by those who can, impossible jobs are done by those who care, and transforming jobs are done by those who are committed. Joy comes from being present in the moment, so that in the very experiencing of them we are transformed.”

Journalists who are covering the devastating earthquake in Haiti say they are amazed how the residents of that country are handling their desperate situation. Sorrow in the great loss of life contrasts with the joys of still finding some still alive as they dig through the rubble. In the night darkness those who remain gather outside and sing to avoid the falling debris during aftershocks. Our prayer: “That the troubles in Haiti will diminish as we send help and their lives will be filled with hope and joy for the future.”

JUST THE THOUGHT OF MONEY HURTS RELATIONSHIPS

Presenting just the thought of money cross one’s mind has a surprising effect only moments later on how a person will respond to an interpersonal situation, tending to make a person more solitary, self-reliant, and competitive, and expecting the same from others.

A series of experiments involving staged human interactions tested whether or not a momentary exposure to the concept of money (such as a mounted poster showing large silver coins) would affect how people would respond to others. Unwitting subjects who were presented with challenges and given opportunities to ask for help were much less likely to ask for help if the poster was on the wall is in the room. Subjects working on a task were less likely to respond to a request for assistance by a person entering the room if the poster was present.

RETRAINING THE BRAIN REDUCES PAIN

Patients with chronic pain can retrain their brain to respond differently to reduce or eliminate pain. In this study, conducted at Stanford University and published in the proceedings of the National academy of Sciences, researchers enabled patients to watch their brain activity on a functional MRI scanner. While the patient watched that portion of the brain involved in the perception of pain – the rostral anterior cingulate cortex – the researcher applied a pain stimulus to the patient’s brain response to pain would be visible. Then the researcher coached the patient on trying to change the way the brain responded. While watching the brain’s response, the patient would attempt various mental strategies, or visualize different images, to discover how to modify the brain’s activity. When successful, the experience of pain vanished.

THE GIFT WE ALL CAN GIVE

My father-in-law often had little to add to family conversations but his words usually left a “mind-picture” that listeners would find digitized in their minds for a lifetime. Each day when I go for a quiet walk his words scroll through my mind again and I am cheered. There will soon be an opportunity to put them into action, and I hear them again: “If you meet someone who doesn’t have a smile, give them one.” Unwittingly, they have been gifted to me once again. Fortunately this pattern of thought was passed along to the next generation.

One of my favourite authors, Deepak Chopra describes laughter as a symptom of spirituality. “Laughter is the flow of love, coursing through your body, the nectar of the present moment. Scientific studies have shown that laughter can enliven the immune system, raise pain thresholds, and ease depression. Have the intention to lighten up and be open to the wonder and delight of living life.”

Children often show the example of bringing smiles of joy to parents and others. Their actions show the delight of movement requiring few words. Bob Hope, one of our greatest comedians needed few words. His lines were short and spirited, with no smile on his face, as he listened for their enthusiastic response.

The people of Haiti who face so many challenges at this moment can be heard singing together through dark nights outside as they waited for the light of day to help with the rescue of others and welcome help from the rest of the world.

RELIEVE NAUSEA FROM CHEMOTHERAPY WITH GINGER ROOT

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, have found that patients with breast cancer who were given a capsule containing ginger root twice a day, starting three days before beginning chemotherapy experienced remarkable results. Ginger root has often been used to calm an upset stomach so this news will come as no surprise when it was found to relieve the nausea of cancer patients.

Starting three days before beginning chemotherapy some were given a placebo substance, for others the capsule contained .25, .5, or .75 grams of powdered ginger root. The results reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, indicated that those who received the ginger treatment had significantly reduced nausea following the first chemo treatment. The reduction was greatest for those patients receiving the smallest dosage, and the least for those receiving the greatest dosage. Researchers noted that their study showed effectiveness for ginger where previous studies had not, because in the present study the researchers introduced the ginger three days before the first chemo treatment. Timing is very important.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE NEEDS

A clip on the CBC radio this morning reminded us that when we send donations in for the Haiti Earthquake Fund using texting equipment, callers should wait for the confirmation message or it may not be sent. Sometimes your local church provides an opportunity to forward donations for urgent needs by including a separate cheque in with your regular gift envelope. For confirmation of this possible option call your church first. The telephone numbers of all churches are listed in the phone book.

The same all-purpose prayer suggested in my yesterday’s blog could be used to send emotional help to the people of Haiti with a slight change: “I pray for those suffering in Haiti that their troubles be greatly diminished as continuing help arrives and fill them with hope and joy.” There have been remarkable stories of survival in CBC radio news clips today. An 18 month baby named Winnie was carefully dug from a pile of rubble and showed no major harm. Her parents were not found but she was handed to her uncle who will be able to make contact with any other family members that may yet be found.

FORGIVENESS PRAYER WORKS

From Dallas, TX, Randy writes that he considered prayer cosmic begging and yet he felt quiet moments of mediation and expressing gratitude was important. He felt he might have a pride barrier to break. He explained, “Several years ago I fell into obsessive negative thinking about a coworker who was troubling me and I couldn’t break out of it. I caught myself falling into the trap of negative thinking and recalled a sermon by a minister, Everett Iron, that I heard several years before and took his advice, repeating the following either mentally or out loud, ‘I pray for Karen (not her real name), may her troubles be few and may she be filled with joy.’ The repetition took my mind off my negative thinking and feeling and it was a way for me to break the cycle. I was grateful for that, but after a time I actually started to feel ‘good’ about the person. Today our relations are cordial and normal. I certainly did not want to wish on the person the opposite of what I prayed for.”

What a lovely thought and prayer that changed two lives. It would be a wonderful thing if each one of us would memorize that one line prayer and substitute it every time a negative thought tried to take control of our thoughts that could spoil a home or office situation. Condensed from the magazine, “Venture Inward.”

AGREEMENTS AT THE HOMESTEAD

New immigrants from many countries worked the soil of their new homestead during the long days of summer and neighbours helped them learn the new language as they worked together. Agreements were unwritten and completed with a hand shake. What is now called “water-cooler” talk at the post office spread the news around when they picked up the mail. Banks were unwilling to loan money to farmers who lived in hail belts or dry land farms. My father heard someone in a nearby neighbourhood was hoping to borrow a rod weeder. Rental equipment places were not available at that time so the people in community borrowed equipment from each other. One time my father loaned his weeder to someone about 20 miles away. Telephones and texting were not available in those early days so later when he needed it back he hitched up his team to look for it. The borrower had found some temporary work on another farm. The implement was intact but imbedded in the tall grass due to good rains that summer. The borrower’s wife apologized but without a telephone it was difficult to get a message through except by letter. My Dad and brother were able to dig it out without harming it.

Immigrants from Europe often knew a number of languages and those who knew most languages often got the much preferred job as grain buyer with the Pool Elevator Co. A new neighbour had an item several of the men needed to fix something at the school. The man was glad to help and as they left my Dad said “Thanks.” This was the word used to thank the person for being willing to loan it. As they mounted their wagon to leave the man decided a little clarification was in order, and said, “None of this ‘Tank you’ stuff, it’s gotta come back.” My father loved to tell this story. By trusting each other and returning a borrowed item as quickly as possible they did not accrue bank interest that could be compounded on an item that may have been required only once and returned intact to the owner. Each person valued his reputation because anything negative would be reported by voice mail around the post office at the Orion Water Cooler Gazette. When my father was summoned to a lawyer's office in Medicine Hat he made the 65 mile trip. His father-in law had passed away and my father had to be there for the reading of the will. Lawyer's fees and all other expenses were paid and the rest, residue and remainder my grandfather willed to his daughter Elsa (my father's wife and my future mother) who had worked their farm and cared for her parents during their declining years. Returning home, my father withdrew a large envelope from his pocket saying it represented the accounts receivable from all the crops my grandfather had harvested for the entire neighbourhood. When others were unable to get credit from the bank to buy a harvester machine, my grandfather completed his own work and then did the harvesting for others in the neighbourhood and received a promise note for future payment. My father could have left them with the lawyer to hire a collector but my father declined. He walked over to their old iron stove after returning home, lifted the lid and watched the flames consume their legacy of thousands of dollars worth of accounts receivable. "Our neighbours would hate us and regard us as pariahs." my father told his bride. They made a good bonfire.

FIBROMYALGIA - PAIN IN MUSCLES AND FIBERS

According to the American College of Rheumatology up to six million Americans suffer from some form of this disorder. Sleep disturbance, past injury, infection, metabolic changes in muscle and protracted stress are considerations. Its close anatomical relation to the spine, and abnormalities in the nervous system have been postulated as a cause of fibromyalgia.

Medical treatments include recommendations for such aerobic exercise as swimming and walking, heat and massage treatments, sleep aids, physical therapy and relaxation techniques with guided imagery are all helpful.

“The liver and kidneys are akin to the body’s storage battery, with the liver serving as the positive pole and the kidneys as the negative,” says John R. Bomar, a chiropractic physician. “When these organs are deficient in function, the body’s storage battery is said to be run down and a heavy leadened feeling can result. The inner atmosphere of the body influences its vitality and strength. Scientific studies increasingly confirm this view. For maximum energy, health and wellness, vegetables and fruits should make up the great majority (70-80) of what we eat. Good quality local whole grains, seeds, nuts and oils, dairy and lean meats should make up the other percentage of food taken. This produces an anti-inflammatory effect and creates an alkalized internal atmosphere that discourages invasion and reproduction of human pathogens. Human biochemical processes require hydrogen and sufficient water. I find that very few of my patients consume sufficient water and use colas or coffee instead. “Water is medicine” is my advice to these patients, a cleansing diet, salads, raw celery and bran all act as a scrub brush going through the gut and cleaning the walls of accumulated waste. Further details in a future blog.

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCED WITH JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Networking among friends can be helpful in finding needed information. A reader from Silver Spring, MD shared her experience in a letter to the editor of “Venture Inward” magazine.

“My doctor had suggested I have a cardiac work-up. Like many middle aged, overweight Americans, he said I was hypoglycemic, which meant that I was a candidate for diabetes. My vascular system proved to be in good shape. But I was often at the mercy of blood sugar swings where if I didn’t eat soon I felt like I would faint. I read in the Cayce material that Jerusalem artichokes (sometimes called sunchokes) could be helpful by eating regular snacks of raw or cooked sunchokes. I thought they might help my body chemistry in some subtle way but I never expected to feel so much better. After about six months, I realized that I was feeling hungry, but it was a “normal” hungry feeling, not a frightening sense that I might faint. This return to normal hunger also meant that I could eat less often and be able to normalize my weight.”

These rather bland potato-like tubers are sometimes hard to find in the regular grocery vegetable department but health stores are usually willing to order them in. A friend of mine grew them in her back yard but they have moved away. They could be grown as potted plants as well and resemble a small version of a regular sunflower plant. The health store “Natures Fare” said they prefer to order them in the spring. Any time a person can find this kind of help from a simple plant that can be home-grown sounds good to me when your health in general can make you feel “so much better,” as the writer above described it.

FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM

Dreams can be exciting and it is good for everyone to consider the opportunities as they arise. In a previous blog I told about my father’s dream of having one of his descendants become a medical doctor. My parents had lost a son at the age of four due to a scarlet fever epidemic that swept the southern Alberta area in the mid l930s. My oldest brother with my father had our 1929 truck started for the drive to Medicine Hat for medical help. Just then their little boy said “Please Mommy, take my arms and lay them away, they hurt so much.” My oldest brother came in and announced their truck was warmed up and they were ready to leave. “Harold is quiet now, perhaps he is on the mend,” our mother said. But he had just passed away. Their third son was running a high fever and so the family went to the city with him as well. Al was kept in isolation, recovered and later served five years in World War II.

Our son graduated from the University of Victoria with a degree in science and math, was named top student and at the graduation ceremony also received the gold medal as top student for that year. He was interested in the research angle more than in a medical degree. He told us he did not require the money we had saved for any further studies, and returned it to us. He had been able to pay his own way through university with scholarships and summer jobs. These funds could be given to another descendant who could carry out this dream. After registering in pre-med for the first year, a student might know for sure this was the right decision and be able to continue on. If not the opportunity would be passed along to another student. It has been so difficult to find enough medical doctors to supply the urgent needs in Canada and we have been accused of urging trained doctors from Africa and other countries of enticing them to move to Canada.

MEDITATION GROWS BRAIN CELLS

While most workouts affect the body, a meditation workout affects the brain, and grows new cells. Past research has shown that meditation enables people to control their negative emotions and develop positive ones, leading to less stress and a stronger immune system. New research, conducted at UCLA, and published in the journal NeuroImage, has shown that meditation actually increases brain matter, developing new brain cells and connections.

When the researchers conducted brain scans on non-meditators and long-term meditators, they found that the meditators had larger brain mass in the hippocampus region and the areas within the orbitofrontal cortex, the thalamus, and the inferior temporal gyrus – all regions known for regulating emotions.

Recent news items regarding the pressure on our health system with Baby Boomers beginning to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it would seem that the practice of meditation should be considered. Many CEOs say they practice meditation regularly and find it very beneficial to themselves personally as well as for their organizations.

HELP FOR ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

Medium chain fats found in coconut oil can positively affect brain cells to both prevent and treat the damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Mary Newport, researcher and author of the Alzheimer’s case study. Since coconut oil is a natural food item (the same as vitamin D) it has not been extensively studied. Dr. Newport’s husband, a former accountant, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and although drugs slowed the decline somewhat, many devastating changes surfaced. She applied for pilot studies for her husband to be a candidate in each study.

The promising ingredient was medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, which is derived from coconut oil. He began taking seven level teaspoons each day. After two months of treatment with coconut oil, Dr Newport noted his tremor is scarcely noticeable and he is able to concentrate on regular routines and stay on task, whereas before coconut oil he was easily distracted and rarely accomplished anything unless directly supervised.

Using the standard Alzheimer’s marker of drawing a clock, Dr. Newport shows the obvious improvement after two weeks and then five weeks after taking coconut oil. The little known research mentioned earlier is about ketones as medicine and was done by Dr. Richard L.Veech of the National Institute of Health. MCT oil is digested differently than other fats. The liver converts these oils directly to ketone bodies. “Brain neurons are more limited than other cells in the kinds of fuels used and normally require glucose, but can also use ketone bodies,” Dr. Newport explains. “From earlier studies in Alzheimer’s disease, neurons in some areas of the brain are unable to take in glucose (sugar). With access to ketone bodies, these cells stay alive and continue to function,” Dr. Newport adds. For more information about Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s go to: http://www.coconutketones.com/

YOGA HELPS MILITARY VETERANS WITH PTSD

Participants suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome who were taking at least one anti-depressant and were also daily drinkers found their stress level cut in half after six weeks of daily yoga practice. Researchers also observed that this reduction continued for several months following the conclusion of the yoga class. Researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center believe that soldiers find yoga a more acceptable treatment than psychotherapy.

Although meditation receives the bulk of research on how to reduce stress, yoga, practiced by millions, has also received research that has confirmed its stress reducing qualities, according to a review published in Harvard Medical Publications.

In one study, regular yoga practitioners, fibromyalgia patients, and a control group of participants responded to a pain sensitivity test where a machine pressed down on a participant’s finger to determine at what pressure the participant would feel pain. During the test, the researchers conducted a brain scan of the participant. The results indicated that those patients with fibromyalgia had the lowest pain threshold, and their brain’s pain center showed the least amount of activity.

BRAIN SCANS WATCH MINDS AGE

The aging brain is becoming a national health issue as Baby Boomers are projected to lose their mental faculties to Alzheimer’s while their youngsters try to figure out what to do, according to a report published in The Wall Street Journal. Past research has been reported here on preventative measures to slow the onset of the disease (exercise, being mentally active, learning a new language, learning to play a musical instrument, being socially engaged), and scientists also are working to understand better what goes on in the brain to manifest the problem.

The ability to watch the brain as it behaves, through brain-scan technology, has provided scientists with the means to make some important discoveries. Researchers at Harvard University, for example, discovered that the aging brain is microseconds slower. The effect is that the brain’s ability to send out an “ignore” signal to distracting incoming information is delayed, and thus the person’s concentration is more easily interrupted. Understanding such effects can help researchers create even more efficient ways for us to keep our brains young.

ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION MOVES INSIDE

Chemicals polluting our environment are having a greater effect upon the males of the species than upon females. Males are becoming weaker genetically, and their gender qualities are trending toward the feminine, endangering reproduction. Every class of vertebrates (including humans) has shown more damage to the males of the species than to the females. One study demonstrated that sons of mothers who had high exposure to common household chemicals during pregnancy were born with smaller penises and feminized genitals.

Chemicals in food wraps, baby powder, and cosmetics for example, are known to be “gender-benders,” affecting the hormones of fetuses, creating endocrine imbalances and a trend toward the feminization of each species. An examination of fish in Britain, for example, determined that many of the males were developing eggs in their testes. One source of such a gender-bending effect in the residue of contraceptives states that they are passed through the body, into the sewer system, and finally into the water supply. Assembled by the charity CHEMTrust, these findings report from more than 250 scientific studies from around the world.

MONEY MAY NOT BE THE MAIN MEASURE OF WEALTH AFTER ALL

A recent book about the wonders of science proliferating in our present search for expanding the economy to provide employment for all will find every person in the world owner of a cell phone within two years. The Kepler telescope will reveal wonders in other worlds never even dreamed of before. Preditory landing contributed to the Downturn and was clearly explained on the January 3rd podcast of The Sunday Edition hosted by Michael Enright. It would be nice to balance our own world here first before inhabiting another. Perhaps we may already have the wisdom in book form while looking into our past for help in the present.

New translations of ancient wisdom may soon be bringing more of this ancient wisdom to light that will help our search for solving our world wide challenge of all economies and the need to balance them and lead to our long sought for peace and prosperity for all and finally bring an end to regular depressions. Partnering with the British Library, the Nation of Russia, Leipzig University Library and Saint Catherine’s Monastery, ancient scriptures are being translated and studied by scholars. Called the Codex Sinaiticus, it is the oldest complete copy of the New Testament and other biblical texts. Its name comes from the location in which this handwritten copy was handwritten in Greek on papyrus scrolls by four scribes and found in Sinai, Egypt and thus called Codex Sinaiticus. Older copies of individual portions of the Christian bible exist, but not as a complete text. Dating to around AD 350 years – near the time of Constantine the Great (AD 274-337) the Roman emperor who embraced Christianity, an early copy is held at the Vatican.

Visiting the Monastery of St. Catherine, the scholar Constantine Tischendorf recognized its significance in l844. The English translation is not complete but may be seen at: www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en.

GRANDKID'S GAZETTE, NEW YEARS DAY, 2010. By Jayda

The New Year has welcomed us with a snow white blanket and a temperature of zero degrees. The branches and leaves on many of the deciduous trees are heavy with snow and swaying in the gentle breeze and seem to be waving a welcome to the New Year. We’re waving back and are still wondering why some of the leaves failed to drop in the fall. We did have a quick flash of early winter that froze the gardens earlier than usual. The trucks are still rolling on our highways and will be bringing us fresh greens from warmer climates for our dinners. When I was just over two years old Gi-Gi was so impressed when she saw me reach for the leaves of lettuce in my salad and stuff them in my mouth with my fingers. She says it’s the best way to do it when too young to use a fork.

Daddy is “on call” this weekend and has to stay near his cell phone but Mommy, my sisters and I are happy to have him home with us. GiGi’s computer stalled this morning and phoned Daddy to see if he could fix it. He was able to do it from our computer right here and of course we find that to be very clever. Now she can type up my report for our Gazette. My sister and I love school and will be going back on Monday. When Grandpa and Grandma Davis come up for a visit after Easter we’ll be able to tell them about the new things we have learned at school. Gi-Gi said that Grandpa Davis told her that he was so impressed when he noticed how we love books. We do find it exciting to go to the Library and borrow the books we don’t have at home yet. There is just enough space left to wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with understanding and love. We had such a wonderful Christmas Season. We were able to enjoy visits with Great Grandpa Poppa and Grandma Dee as well as Grandparents Irwin and had such fun at Grandma Stewart’s house on Boxing Day with Uncle Roger and all the others. Friends from Olds, Alberta just phoned and said it was minus 37 with wind blowing over 40 kilometers an hour and they’re shoveling snow.

THE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

During the winters I did volunteer work at a non-profit clinic in Arizona. It is easy to recall some of the basic information their medical doctors asked me to type out for their patients. In addition to general inquiries their advice usually included a “hand-out” page, “Simple Steps to Stay Healthy.” It included:

l. Eat plenty of vegetables. A well nourished system can fight off infections better by including carrots, lettuce and celery in the diet each day.

2. Exercise regularly – A 30 minute walk every day will kick your immune system into gear.

3. Immune Support Supplements can make an illness milder and shorten the time of sickness. Consider adding vitamin C or take a multiple vitamin with meals. Ask your doctor what is best for your specific case.

4. Stress Reduction: A seven or eight hour sleep helps build up the immune system. Consider the habit used in Italy. Have a siesta every day after lunch or if that is not possible even a short rest after work will help.

5. Drink several ounces of grape juice about 15 minutes before meals so the correct weight for your system can be established. A large salad eaten before meals can keep the system in balance and maintain the proper weight that can add years to your life span.