ГАРМОНИЯ СЕКСУАЛЬНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ-HARMONY OF SEXUAL RELATIONS

Vitamin C is another vitamin which is seriously involved in heart disease.

The foremost authority on vitamin C in the world, Dr. W. J. McCormick, has shown that the deficiency of vitamin C is one of the causes of coronary thrombosis. Vitamin C deficiency causes ruptures in the blood vessel walls with resultant bleeding which leads to the development of the clot and consequent heart attack. Clinical studies of the vitamin C level in coronary patients showed that 81 percent of them had a subnormal level of vitamin C in their blood.

Russian scientists have found that vitamin C has the ability to drastically lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood. A sharp decline of the cholesterol level—up to 50 percent—was noticed within a 24-hour period after administering ascorbic acid, or vitamin C.

This evidence may suffice to impress upon you that your diet should contain plenty of vitamin C. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, as well as all the connective tissues of the body. It reduces the cholesterol level in the blood and in the walls of the arteries and prevents the development of atherosclerosis and heart attacks. In addition, vitamin C is the most universal of all vitamins in its prophylactic and therapeutic benefits. It is good for your gums, eyes, and skin. It protects against colds and infections, and is an effective anti-toxin. It will protect your body from the harmful effects of many poisons in food and environment and has a protective, buffering action in all conditions of stress. The average American diet is deficient in vitamin C, as has been shown in many studies and tests.

*88\58\2*

At the recent seminar on heart disease in Phoenix, Arizona, the famous heart specialist Dr. Paul Dudley White said that the key to heart disease is in the kitchen. Much heart disease begins in childhood and starts with overeating. He blamed mothers for raising a generation of prospective heart cases, and shortening the lives of their children and their husbands, by feeding them too much of the wrong foods. He particularly condemned the starchy foods of the refined carbohydrate category, such as white sugar and white flour, and too much meat, milk and milk products, as the chief fat producers and direct causes of heart troubles.

In order to understand how faulty nutrition can cause heart disease we must understand that health is a harmonious functioning of all the organs of the body, including the arteries and the heart, and is a result of living in a healthy natural environment and eating natural foods. When man’s environment and his foods are adulterated—as is the case now with processed, devitalized and poisoned foods, and polluted air and water—then an impairment in the general metabolism of the body results. Nutritional deficiencies, incomplete digestion and assimilation, glandular disturbances, malfunctions of the nervous system, autointoxication, biochemical imbalance in the tissues and blood—all these and many other physiological and degenerative changes are the result of man’s adulterated environment and faulty nutrition. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels do not develop suddenly, but rather are the end result of long-time neglect of normal body maintenance.

Faulty nutrition with too much of refined carbohydrates, white sugar and white flour, animal fats, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol, accompanied by lack of exercise, leads to obesity, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, digestive disturbances, constipation and many other conditions. Often these may be in so-called sub-clinical stages of which the individual may not be particularly aware. When these pathological changes occur, the body in self defense will attempt to cope with the adverse conditions and try to sustain life by adapting to the new situation. When blood vessels become clogged with cholesterol deposits, the heart increases blood pressure to assure an adequate blood supply through the narrowed blood vessels. When the digestive and eliminative organs and glands become affected and prematurely wear out or break down, the heart muscle will enlarge to cope with the increased amount of work and protect the whole organism from collapse. When the circulation has been so decreased due to the plugged coronary arteries that too little oxygen reaches the heart, pain occurs. This is known as angina. Thus, although we have many different forms of heart disease, they are not isolated phenomena but are related to the general health of the body. Heart disease is the result of long-time abuse in the form of poor living habits and faulty nutrition.

*81\58\2*

The following food supplements, in addition to the ones mentioned above, are used and recommended by most biologically oriented practitioners:

Brewer’s yeast (or food yeast) —about 3 tbsp. a day.

Note: never use yeast intended for baking!

Cod liver oil, plain, not fortified—1 tsp. a day.

Raw wheat germ—2 to 3 tbsp. a day.

Wheat germ oil—2 tsp. a day.

Lecithin (granules or liquid) —1 tbsp. a day.

Whey, tablets or powder (for better intestinal hygiene).

In addition, such natural foods as honey, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, raw nuts, yogurt, black molasses, and cold-pressed vegetable oils should be used to make a well balanced and nutritious diet.

Parenthetically, for the best effect and the fullest biological value, all vitamins and minerals and other food supplements should always be taken with meals. Because many vitamins are water soluble, and when taken in large doses may be readily lost in urine, it is advisable that the daily dose should be evenly divided between three meals, rather than taken all at one time.

*73\58\2*

In Finland, the steam bath, or sauna, is an historic tradition. For over a thousand years the sauna has been an important part of Finnish life and Finnish culture, cherished by every Finnish man.

woman and child. The sauna is credited for much of the rugged vitality and endurance—the sisu—of the Finnish people.

In a country of less than 5 million people, there are an estimated 700,000 steam bath facilities—one sauna for every 7 people! Most Finnish saunas are in separate buildings specially constructed for this purpose. Every farm has its own sauna, usually built on the shore of a lake or river. Most family houses in the city have saunas built on the lot, usually in the back yard.

Finnish sauna bathing starts with loyly, which is the Finnish word for steam Water is thrown over hot stones, hot steam fills the room and raises the temperature. The bather can sit on a low or high bench, depending on the temperature he prefers. The usual temperature for a Finnish sauna is about 212° F, sometimes even higher. For the uninitiated I would not advise temperatures higher than 180-190° F.

In order to further increase the effect of heat and stimulate sweating, the Finns use birch brooms, vihta. Fresh birch branches with leaves are tied together to form a short broom. They are used fresh in summer or dried in winter. The dried broom is dipped in warm water and regains the same shape as the fresh one. Bathers hit themselves all over with these birch brooms. It may seem odd and eccentric to the uninitiated, but you have to try it for yourself to appreciate the fantastic delight and unbelievable pleasure the sauna with a birch broom can give.

After hot loyly, bathers usually jump into the nearby lake or river, or in winter they run out and roll in soft snow. What an exhilarating and delightful experience! Then they return to the sauna and warm up again, either by sitting up on the benches or taking more loyly with the brooms. Following this they wash themselves with warm water and soap and finish by throwing a bucket of cold water over themselves. In modern saunas, of course, there are showers and even swimming pools.

Finally, the bathers take a long relaxing rest on the benches in the dressing room and allow the wide-open pores to close, perspiration to cease, and the body to return slowly to normal temperature.

Therapeutic properties of sauna

In addition to the prophylactic and therapeutic benefits of an artificially raised fever, which a prolonged steam bath always accomplishes, the sauna bath is specifically conducive to profuse therapeutic sweating. Many toxins, accumulated in the system as a result of metabolic wastes and sluggish elimination, are thrown out of the body with perspiration. The skin is our largest eliminative organ, «the third kidney.» The skin should eliminate 30 percent of the body wastes by way of perspiration. Hundreds of thousands of tiny sweat glands act not only as the regulators of body temperature, but also as small kidneys, detoxifying organs, ready to cleanse the blood and free the system from health-threatening poisons. When the kidneys, cannot eliminate the normal quantities of urine due to overwork or a weakened condition, the body tries to eliminate such wastes by way of the skin. Uric acid, a normal compound of urine, is found in large amounts in the perspiration. The chemical analysis of sweat shows that it has almost the same constituents as urine.

The American conception of the sauna seems to be that it is helpful in reducing weight by eliminating several pounds of water through sweating. But the benefits of the sauna are far beyond mere reducing. You not only lose water by sweating in the sauna, but sweating also cleans your body of toxins, wastes and impurities.

Thus, the prophylactic value of a steam bath for normally healthy people wishing to stay healthy and prevent illness, is easy to realize. However, the therapeutic value of sauna is just as great as the prophylactic.

The therapeutic property of sauna is attributed to the following facts:

Overheating with loyly stimulates and speeds up the metabolic processes and inhibits the growth of virus or bacteria.

The vital organs and glands are stimulated to increased activity.

The body’s healing and restorative capacity is accelerated.

The eliminative, detoxifying and cleansing capacity of the skin is dramatically increased by the stimulating action of the sweat glands.

The body is thoroughly cleansed and rejuvenated inside and out.

Many authorities attribute the phenomenal therapeutic properties of sauna to the Finnish custom of jumping into cold water or snow during bathing. The sudden changes in temperature are known to stimulate adrenal glands; the effect of the alternate hot and cold bath is likened to a cortisone injection.

*64\58\2*

American readers need no introduction to juices. The United States can take credit for the popularization of juice both as a food and as a drink. Juices of countless kinds and descriptions form a major part of the food processing industry. Just walk to any supermarket and you will see whole departments of long shelves full of various brands of juices and drinks. You’ll find juices in gallon jars, in tin cans, in glass bottles, and in waxed cartons. You may have your juice fresh, frozen, canned, concentrated, mixed, reconstituted, synthetic, sugar-added, natural, colored—have your pick! You can buy it at your favorite food store, get it from the automatic dispenser, buy it at the corner drug store or garage, or have it delivered to your doorstep each morning by your milkman. Almost all Americans drink juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We are, without question, the biggest juice drinkers in the world!

Although the popularity of juice is based on the premise that it is good for your health—and for this reason many a mother forces orange juice down the

throats of her kids each morning—it does not seem to have been doing any good for the health of the American people. It seems that we are much sicker now than a generation or two back, prior to the juice drinking fad. milkman. Almost all Americans drink juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We are, without question, the biggest juice drinkers in the world!

Although the popularity of juice is based on the premise that it is good for your health—and for this reason many a mother forces orange juice down the The explanation of this paradox is simple. The kind of juices most Americans drink not only lack health-giving properties, but may, in addition, be hazardous to health. Because of extensive processing, heating, chemical treatments, synthetic artificial colorings and flavorings, sugar or artificial sweeteners, and additions of many toxic preservatives, the juices or the so-called juice drinks you buy at your supermarket today bear no resemblance to the juices which were originally meant to be health-giving beverages—fresh, Taw, natural juices. Just read the labels on the cans and you’ll see what I mean!

So let’s make this thing clear once and for all: the only juices which can be considered as health-giving, or conducive to good health and well-being, and can be recommended for the therapeutic use in the healing of disease or as a preventive measure in maintaining good health, are fresh, raw, natural juices, prepared immediately before drinking from fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, and green plants. Such juices you won’t find at the usual kind of supermarket.

*55\58\2*

When I recently met Dr. Karl-Otto Aly, a prominent Swedish doctor, upon his return from a lecture tour in the United States and asked, «What was the one most memorable impression of this trip,» he said:

«The American high-protein craze! Not only the general public, but even the so-called health enthusiasts are so thoroughly brainwashed on the question of protein in their diet that, to my mind, this factor alone may be held to a great degree responsible for the deplorable state of health of the American people—in addition, of course, to the American over-processed, chemicalized and devitalized foods.»

Dr. Aly told me that after his lectures people would come to the stage and look closely at his face to see if he didn’t have rouge on it. They just couldn’t believe that a man could look so healthy and robust without eating meat. They kept asking him, «But where do you get your proteins?»

The absolute maxim of any respectable American health system is its high-protein requirement. Yet, practically all the top men in the European health field are unanimous in their endorsement of a low-protein diet, particularly a low-animal-protein diet, as the diet most conducive to good health and long life! Empirical evidence in support of low-protein as against high-protein intake is equally impressive.

*47\58\2*

Perhaps of all natural living waters salt sea water has the greatest curative power.

We all have experienced the invigorating effect of a few days or weeks by the seashore. The reasons are obvious: It has been shown that minerals are absorbed through the skin and also through the inhaled mineral-rich air by the seashore.

Sea water is extremely rich in beneficial minerals. One to two teaspoons a day can be used internally as a mineral supplement. Make every effort to spend your holiday by the sea. In addition to providing the usual benefits of cold water bathing, salt water and salt air will recharge your system with health-restoring and rejuvenating minerals.

If you are not fortunate enough to live near the ocean, here is an easy do-it-yourself salt water bath which you can enjoy right in your own bathtub.

Three or four pounds of sea salt is dissolved in a tub half-full of cool water. Enjoy salt water swimming by rubbing yourself briskly, then drying yourself warm with coarse towels. If sea salt is not available (health food stores are the most likely places to find it), the following ingredients can be substituted for it:

3,5lb. common salt

0,5 lb. magnesium chloride

0,5 lb. Epsom salts

*39\58\2*

Once upon a time (until about 25-30 years ago) the United States had many well-known and well-frequented spas. Dr. Kellog’s Battle Creek Spa was one of the most familiar ones. Many others were active in Florida, near Chicago and on the West Coast. Most of them were operated by Europeans who migrated from Western Europe and brought with them the experience of similar watering places in the old country. Millions of people visited these spas, took baths or «cures,» and relieved themselves of aches and pains, of arthritis and high blood pressure, of depression and eczema.

But with the advent of the chemical takeover of medicine these spas have now almost completely disappeared from the American scene. An average American wouldn’t think of «tampering» with his health by going to a water cure spa or taking a mineral bath—any more than he would try to improve his health by eating organically grown foods. These things are strictly for the «health nuts»!

*31\58\2*

The young doctor who saved the life of a dying patient with raw foods was a Swiss, Dr. Max Bircher-Benner, who was later to become known in modern text books on nutrition as «a classic in dietetics.» He initiated a new school of medical thinking, and during 40 years of practical application and experiments in his clinic in Zurich, proved to his skeptical and conservative colleagues that there are powerful, curative and health-promoting factors in fresh raw foods.<неиAt the time when vitamins and enzymes were yet undiscovered, Dr. Bircher-Benner found that raw foods contained a higher order and quality of nutritive energy, or sun energy, and a life-sustaining and curative power, which were lost in foods subjected to physical and chemical changes such as processing or heating.<неиThis assumption was confirmed 40 years later by several scientific investigations. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Schroedinger, of Dublin, confirmed that raw foods contain «the life maintaining» power. Professor Eppinger, of the University of Vienna, showed that raw food raises the «micro-electric potentials» in living cells.

*23/58/2*

The classic form of fasting is a pure water fast—the abstinence of all foods or drinks with the exception of pure water. However, the most common fasting method in Europe now is a so-called juice fasting. All European practitioners whom I talked with in various clinics, including the champion of therapeutic fasting in modern times, Dr. Otto H. F. Buchinger, Jr., use fresh juices of fruits and vegetables and vegetable broths and herb teas during fasting.

The medical justification of juice fasting is that freshly pressed vegetable and fruit juices will aid the patient in his recovery from disease. This is attributed to the following physiological facts:

Raw juices, as well as freshly made vegetable broths, are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements and enzymes.

These vital elements are very easily assimilated directly into the blood stream, without putting a strain on the digestive organs.

They, are extremely beneficial in normalizing the bodily processes, supplying needed elements for the body’s own healing activity and thus speeding up the recovery.

Raw juices and vegetable broths provide an alkaline surplus which is extremely important for the proper acid-alkaline balance, since blood and tissues contain large amounts of acids during fasting.

*15\58\2*

In Sweden fasting is used not only in the hospitals and clinics by medical practitioners, but also by thousands of health enthusiasts around the country as a positive health measure to improve health and prevent disease.

Here are a few headlines from the clippings of Swedish magazines and newspapers lying on my table:

«Fast for better spring condition!»

«Fast this summer to keep in shape!»

«Eleven fasting vikings walk from Gothenburg to Stockholm (300 miles) without food!»

«Without food for 143 days!»

Every spring and summer several groups of Swedish health enthusiasts and hundreds of individuals fast for one, two or more weeks. This is done not for the cure of any particular pathological condition, but as a kind of spring cleaning to purify their bodies from the toxins and the waste matter accumulated during long winter months of sedentary life and the lack of fresh foods. In addition, many Swedes take a regular Fasting Cure at the various biological clinics in the country under expert supervision.

*7\58\2*

Ingredients:

one part Epsom salts.

eight parts fine white sugar.

just enough water to barely dissolve the above.

Mix all three ingredients together and heat to boiling. Have a small container of cold water beside the saucepan and put a drop of the hot mixture into the water from time to time. Continue to boil until the test drop will form a firm ball when dropped in the water. When the mixture reaches the stage where the ball is easily made, it is ready. Remove from heat and pour onto a greased plate or wax paper. Allow to cool slightly. Pull into ropes and cut into pieces before it gets too hard to be manageable. When this whole procedure is done correctly, it will produce a tough, hard candy lozenge.

How To Use The Lozenge.

Choose a time for this treatment when you have two to three hours to spend outdoors in the garden or on a long hike through the woods. Take a piece of the candy and work it around in the mouth. It will dissolve, filling your mouth with saliva. Do not swallow this. Neither white sugar nor Epsom salts are good in anyone’s stomach. Spit the mixture out; then, have another piece of the candy. Repeat this over and over for about three hours. After the last piece, wash the mouth out thoroughly with water. This will remove what is left of the sugar and the salts.

What is happening is this: The sugar activates the mucous membranes causing them to pour forth copiously. The Epsom salts, long recognized for their drawing power, take the toxins out with the saliva and thus get right to the root of the infection, with cleansing power.

For this treatment to be effective, it is essential that the prescribed amount of time be spent upon it. Natural treatments always take longer than taking a pill, but they are much better for the body and effect a much more permanent change in the end. Considerable relief should be experienced from this first treatment, but if you find that the cleansing has not been complete, then follow it with second and third treatments, as necessary.

Case History

As a fruitage of many years of bad eating habits, one man had developed quite a catarrhal condition. He became interested in the practice of healthful living and found much improvement in his health and vitality as a result. But the catarrh persisted. He tried to overcome it by fasting, fruit regimens and restricting himself to very simple dieting, but all without success.

Then he became acquainted with the Epsom salts cure and determined to give it a try. For over three hours one day while working in the garden, he sucked on the lozenges and, as fast as the saliva filled his mouth, he buried it along the rows of vegetables. He found that he did not need to continuously have the candy in his mouth for the process to continue. Once the saliva had been set going, it continued to leak into his mouth, and he only needed to add further candy at quite long intervals.

For the first time in many years, he experienced relief from his ailment, and what wonderful relief it was! However, after several weeks, there was a slight recurrence of the trouble. He had another session with the lozenges, which he now kept in an airtight jar. This time it was much shorter, lasting only about an hour or a little more. This apparently removed the last residues of the catarrhal infection, for in the intervening sixteen years he has had no further trouble with it.

It will be found that there is only a very slightly unpleasant taste as the sugar is so strong, and no one should have any difficulty with it from this point of view.

*37\62\2*

For the application of heat to an injury that is beginning to grow old and where swelling is pronounced, steam is very good. The method is as follows. Take some form of steam-generating equipment, such as an electric kettle, electric fry pan, or an electric jug. In all cases, leave the lids on or just pushed a little to one side or use the spout or vent for the steam escape. Place this a couple of feet below the injured part and form a tent with a blanket or heavy covering that covers both the injured part and the kettle. One article of furniture that lends itself well to this form of tent is a wooden chair. Place the kettle or steam utensil so that the steam rises and strikes against the bottom of the chair. Have the patient rest his leg or arm on the chair seat and envelop the whole with a blanket.

The steam will circulate around the injury, thoroughly heating and sweating it. The kettle will need to be regulated by turning it on and off; otherwise, the heat becomes too intense and the patient may be scalded. Every 5 or 10 minutes, bathe the area with ice water, or simply wrap a cloth saturated with ice water around the part.

In certain areas where electricity is not available, the steam can be generated by using a primus or other pressure fuel stove. Simply stand the primus on the floor with the kettle on top of the flame. Mount a plastic or metal pipe on the spout from which the steam will pour and insert the pipe into the tent. The pipe will need to be a little higher where it enters the tent than the level of the spout. Plastic waterpipe is ideal for the purpose.

Hamstrings, bruises, strains, sprains, and even the damaged tissues around broken bones can be very successfully treated in this way. In fact, before a broken bone is delivered to the doctor for setting, a thorough course of hot and cold treatments should be given to clear away pain, swelling and congestion.

*28\62\2*

At this point it would be well to explain another related treatment in this line, the castor oil pack. It is one thing to have an acid stomach and intestines, but when this situation becomes chronic and the glands and tissues round about the stomach area become clogged and break down because the system is becoming over-acid throughout, sterner measures need to be taken. Castor oil is a harsh laxative and should not be used internally. However, when used externally it penetrates through the skin to underlying tissues and breaks up the congestion being felt in the glands and tissues of the intestines. This congestion is then taken away through the eliminative organs. The quicker you can get rid of this loosened poison, the better, so periodic enemas would be beneficial, or better still, colonic irrigations.

How to make the pack:

Use a towel or an old sheet torn into a square about the size of a towel. Lay this on the table or bed. In the middle of this, or perhaps just slightly above center, fold a plastic bag large enough to cover the abdomen. (Plastic liners for small litter containers are fine for this if you cut off the sealed end so they will lie flat.) On top of this place a piece of thick cloth or a double thickness of sheeting. Warm the castor oil by placing the bottle in a pan of warm water for a few minutes until it becomes free-flowing. Pour this over the cloth on top of the plastic until it is evenly distributed.

Pick up this pack and place it, oiled side in, around the patient’s abdomen, securing it comfortably behind with a pin. He may feel a little over-burdened or frustrated for the first few minutes, but he should just relax and let it do its work. It will not be long until he will feel comfortable enough to drop off to sleep. In the morning just remove the pack and wipe over the skin with soap and water. Wear the oil pack on the abdomen for 3 nights in a row, then go without it for 3 nights. This pattern (3 on, 3 off) is repeated until 15 nights have been completed in this manner.

Castor oil is also useful in the case of painful hemorrhoids (piles). Take a piece of cotton (cotton wool) and dip it in castor oil. Insert this into the rectum. If the piles are protruding, lie down and gently encourage them back into the rectum with the cotton wool dipped in castor oil. Leave the cotton wool in place all night. If very painful piles are experienced, then a fresh piece with castor oil needs to be used about every two hours. However, it will not take long to ease the pain and shrink the piles.

Although castor oil should not be used as a laxative, olive oil is excellent for this purpose. One to two teaspoons taken 15 to 20 minutes before breakfast will relieve constipation and will also promote healing to the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract. For those who have inflamed, irritated stomachs, it is better than any drug. If you find this hard to take first thing in the morning, try it at noon before the mid-day meal, or in the evening before retiring.

*18\62\2*

This little boy started to go down with a fever in the morning and was sponged with cool water on and off through the day. In the late afternoon the temperature began to rise again, so an Epsom salts bath was tried. He went to sleep after that until seven p.m., when he awoke with a raging fever. The temperature taken from the arm pit registered 102° F. The wet pack was suggested. The child’s parents tried a slightly different variation of this treatment, but we record it here to show that the particular method is not as important as the general compliance with principle. For the sake of recognition, we will call it a cold compress. This will reduce a fever in the same way as the wet sheet, but only part of the body is covered at one time. Just like the wet sheet pack, in the cold compress the cloth must be removed as soon as it warms up and replaced with another cold cloth.

These parents understood the principle and worked at it in their own way for their child. First they placed him on a blanket; then they took a wet tea towel, folded it in four, and placed this down the front of his body. Next, a hot water bottle was put at his feet, and he was then wrapped up in the blanket. To quiet his fears, the parents assured him that they were doing all they could to relieve his troubles and sang hymns to help calm him. He soon responded to this soothing influence and allowed them to work away on him. It took three applications of the wet towel before his temperature dropped to 100° F. After the third application to the front, they rolled him over onto his stomach and applied the wet towel to his back. This time it did not take so long to bring the temperature down, and he was soon cool all over. He was relaxed, and it was easy to see that he had relief at last. The temperature did not rise again. He slept well that night and was soon over his problem.

*9\62\2*

A medicinal herb used in Europe since ancient times, St Johns wort or hypericum has recently caused excitement among scientists with its anti-viral action against the HIV virus which causes AIDS. This proven anti-viral activity may also lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis although research into its effect on both these retroviruses is still in its early stages.

St Johns wort taken internally has a proven effect on anxiety and depression and a reputation for suppressing urination, useful knowledge for parents of bedwetting children. It is a sedative and will relieve the pain of neuralgia as well as lessen the irritability triggered by menopausal change.

The aromatic herbal oil easily extracted from the plant’s bright yellow flowers has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and is an excellent dressing for sunburn and superficial wounds.

St Johns wort grows well in Australia, so well in fact that it is considered a noxious weed in some states.

*58\69\2*

Anna was 78 when she was first referred to Dr Volz by a local consultant. By that time, her experiences with recurrent episodes of depression went back a quarter of a century. In the early 1980s she was treated with lithium carbonate, which was discontinued when it resulted in thyroid troubles. In the early 1990s she was treated with amitriptyline, one of the older anti-depressants, which caused her severe dry mouth and, on one occasion, an episode of fainting when she got up one night to go to the toilet. Then Prozac (20 mg per day) was tried, and even though it helped her depression to some degree, it caused unbearable sleep problems. Sometimes it would take her as long as two hours to fall asleep at night and then she would wake an average of three times during the course of the night.

When Anna consulted Dr Volz, he judged her to be moderately depressed while on Prozac, scoring 21 points on the well-known Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, on which the higher the score the more depressed the individual. Because of the severe sleep difficulties, Dr Volz decided to switch Anna to St John’s Wort. He did this without any overlap between medications, immediately discontinuing her Prozac and starting St John’s Wort (900 mg per day). Four days later Anna reported an improvement in the quality of her sleep, but her mood had deteriorated slightly and she now scored 24 on the Hamilton Rating Scale. Her dosage of St John’s Wort was increased to 1,800 mg per day. After three weeks her Rating score dropped to 20, after six weeks to 15 and after another four weeks to 10. Anna’s depression continues to improve. Once again, St John’s Wort triumphed where other medications had failed.

There are several lessons to be learned from Dr Volz and his patients. For many people, like Greta, herbal remedies are simply more acceptable than synthetic drugs. Perhaps it is because we are used to eating plants that they seem more natural than pills do. Even though we need double-blind studies, which include placebo controls, to make sure that any effects of a medication are specific and not just due to a placebo effect, it is hard not to become a believer in the anti-depressant effects of St John’s Wort when one encounters patients such as Greta. Adamantly opposed to the very idea that she was depressed and uninformed about the purported anti-depressant effects of St John’s Wort, her symptoms nevertheless responded completely, suggesting a specific effect of the herbal anti-depressant. An added advantage of St John’s Wort over the older anti-depressants is that, like the SSRIs, it does not appear to have any adverse effect on electrical conduction in the heart. For this reason, Dr Volz felt quite comfortable in using it to treat Greta’s depression even though her EKG had revealed some abnormalities in her cardiac conduction.

In Anna’s case, we see the importance of persevering with an anti-depressant treatment. After she was switched from Prozac to St John’s Wort, she initially appeared to get worse before her slow but progressive improvement over the course of the next several months. Her depression was moderately severe when she first consulted Dr Volz and had apparently been somewhat worse before she started Prozac. Nevertheless, St John’s Wort successfully turned it round, indicating once again the potency of the herbal remedy. Despite this potency, the mildness of the herbal antidepressant was apparent in the ease with which this elderly woman was able to tolerate it in dosages that are very much higher than those widely recommended for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. This was in marked contrast with the synthetic anti-depressants she had previously taken and on which she had developed unacceptable side-effects.

*33\75\2*

Beverly Mehta came to me after reading in a popular sports weekly about my treatment of golf professional Billy Caspar. Miss Mehta was a singer and a teacher, but multiple, unexplained health problems were interfering with both of these activities. She often ran a low-grade fever of undetermined origin. She had rhinitis (runny nose). Above all, she suffered from physical and mental exhaustion and seemed to be unable to rouse herself to do anything. Because of the severity of her symptoms, she was hospitalized for diagnosis.

On the first day of her fast, a terrible headache set in. Her eyes became highly sensitive to light. On the next day she was listless, tired, and nauseated most of the time. Her head and legs ached. On the third day of the fast the symptoms started to clear. By the end of her five-day fast, she was feeling quite well—better than she had in a long time, she said.

Many foods, even in their chemically less contaminated form, caused unexpected symptoms. For example, lobster was followed by a hot, gassy sensation in her stomach. Her ears and eyes hurt, and two-and-a-half hours later her eyes were still visibly red, her glands swollen and painful.

Eating an orange was followed by a ringing sensation in the ears (tinnitus), itching, and chest pains. Carrots were associated with belching and sighing respiration. Potatoes made her feel hot and nauseous, with tremendous itching, perspiration, and sore throat. Her face became red and blotchy.

Wheat induced an equally dramatic reaction. First Miss Mehta felt warm and got transient pains in her fingers. She started sighing and complained that she felt as if «someone had given me knockout drops.» She said that she felt like crying, but couldn’t. These cerebral reactions were accompanied by belching, nausea, and coughing—and all this from some «innocent» wheat.

Coffee brought on «weepy» feelings. Corn and corn sugar caused a jump in her pulse rate from 90 to 135 beats per minute, a finding which Dr. Arthur Coca believed indicates food allergy.3

There were other foods to which Miss Mehta had no reactions. When some of these were given to her in a chemically more contaminated form, however, she had equally dramatic responses. Canned peaches were followed by huskiness in her voice and a chilled feeling which required her to be brought extra robes and blankets. She developed a sore throat, and her temperature rose to 100°F. «This is the way I feel at home much of the time,» said the young musician. «I simply sit in front of the television, with little desire to do anything. When I’m singing 1 slur my words at times like this.»

Athought she left the hospital in good condition, when she returned home she soon became sick again, with many of the brain-fag symptoms, although she had tried to follow the prescribed regimen. She told of feeling even worse at work.

I therefore decided to make a house call and I inspected her house and her place of employment for environmental sources of reactions. Her classroom was in the basement of a church. The janitor cheerfully showed me the plethora of chemicals used to clean the premises and to spray for insects on a regular basis. As I entered the room, I was immediately struck by the odor of solvent. The children in Miss Mehta’s class sat around a low table with big pads in front of them. Each child held an oversize marking pen of the solvent-based kind in his hand. The fumes from the pens filled the air. I also detected the odor of petroleum candles coming in from the church above. I suggested to Miss Mehta that this environment was helping to perpetuate her brain-fag symptoms and that she seek another job, which she did.

I did not hear from her for a number of years. Then one day she called: she had gone back to college, then to medical school, and was doing well. But she had gotten into the habit of drinking ten cups of coffee a day to keep up with the grueling amount of work. I helped her break this addiction. She finally graduated and became a physician.

This case illustrates very well most of the features of environmental disease. The patient did not have just one or two neatly defined symptoms, but many and varied complaints, physical and allegedly mental. Because of this, other doctors tended to dismiss her problem as «hysterical» in origin. The actual illness remained hidden from Miss Mehta, as it did from her physicians, because of nature’s own coverup of food and chemical susceptibility. It was only through the methods of clinical ecology that her many symptoms could be put into some recognizable framework (the plusses and minuses) and her particular problem could be worked out.

It turned out in this case, as in every other, that the particular causes of illness were unique for this teacher, just as they are unique for every allergic patient. There was no universal prescription or panacea for all such cases, no pill, potion, or drug which could really serve as a cure-all.

Beverly Mehta was fortunate in that her allergy was discovered and corrected, and she went on to have a useful and productive life. Many others have seen their ecologic illness progress to the final stage, the minus-four category.

In summary, one of the most commonly occurring symptoms in medicine, and especially in the histories of allergy patients, is chronic fatigue. Although fatigue may be the only manifestation of clinical ecology, it more commonly exists in conjunction with other manifestations. It occurs so frequently with brain-fag—especially among students—that the two conditions are best described together. Indeed, this combination is often a cause of students being accused of not working up to their measured expectations.

*84\110\2*

When married couples try but fail to have children, both the wife and husband need to be tested. There are several possible causes. In men, the Journal of the American Medical Association (249:2947) reports, perhaps the easiest type of infertility to treat is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. This vitamin is also known as ascorbic acid, a name reflecting its ability to prevent scurvy (a disabling illness, with painful bruising around the bones that used to afflict sailors after months at sea without fresh fruit or vegetables).

A much less severe vitamin C deficiency, which is by no means severe enough to produce scurvy, can cause male infertility due to clumping together of the spermatozoa. Failure of separation prevents sperm from swimming towards the ovum. Mild deficiencies of this nature are diagnosed by measuring the concentration of vitamin C in the blood. The infertility can easily be overcome in a few weeks with one or two tablets of vitamin C (500 mg each) taken every day by mouth.

*161\143\2*

Acute gastroenteritis is a highly contagious infection of the digestive tract. It is probably caused by viruses, only a few of which have been identified. There is evidence that the disease may also be caused by some types of Escherichia coli bacteria. These bacteria are normally found in the human intestines, and most types of the bacteria are known to be harmless and even beneficial.

This disease is readily transmitted from person to person. Symptoms may begin within one to four days after being exposed to the germ. The disease is not generally serious except in young babies, who may become dehydrated (a serious loss of body fluids). Acute gastroenteritis has no relationship to true influenza (a disease of the respiratory tract).

Signs and symptoms

Acute gastroenteritis causes sudden vomiting or diarrhea and cramps. The disease may last one to three days or as long as a week. Fever may be high (40°C), low (38.3°C), or absent. Blood in diarrhea is rare. Occasionally, if vomiting is severe, there are small amounts of blood in the vomit, and petechiae (red spots) may appear on the face.

Acute gastroenteritis is more easily identified if there are other cases in the family or neighborhood. It occasionally may be confused with dysentery and food poisoning.

Home care

Treat both vomiting and diarrhea by limiting food intake to clear liquids until the illness subsides. To avoid dehydration, give the child plenty of the following clear liquids: tea, water, flavored gelatin water, and commercial mineral and electrolyte mixtures. Do not give the child milk. Paracetamol is better for relief of fever than aspirin because aspirin occasionally aggravates vomiting in some children.

Precautions

• Practice good hygiene. Be sure to wash your hands before going from the patient to other children in the house. Wash hands carefully before preparing food.

• If a young child develops the disease, watch carefully for signs of dehydration (infrequent urinating, dryness in the mouth, sunken eyes, drowsiness, rapid or slow breathing, sunken soft spot in the scalp). If any symptoms of dehydration appear, call your doctor.

• Do not give anti-diarrheal medications to children, since side effects are common and can be dangerous.

• If there is blood in the stools, high fever, prostration (extreme weakness or collapse), or severe or prolonged diarrhea (more than two to three days), call your doctor. Dysentery may be the cause.

Medical treatment

Your doctor will confirm the diagnosis by knowledge of what illnesses are occurring in the community, by the circumstances of the child’s illness, and by absence of other physical findings on examination. Blood count and a stool culture might be required if diagnosis is in doubt. Otherwise, your doctor’s treatment will be the same as home treatment. If there is evidence of dehydration in an infant, hospitalization will be necessary in order to give the child intravenous fluids.

*79/84/5*

Fibre

Food fibre is found in fruits, cereals, beans and vegetables. There are several kinds of fibre and they are not digested in the stomach or bowel, but assist in normal bowel function. They appear to be beneficial in the prevention of certain bowel diseases and particularly help prevent constipation.

There is some evidence that fibre in fruits and cereals and vegetables may help prevent too rapid an absorption of glucose from the carbohydrate in these foods. This is certainly helpful in the control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and may also be helpful in the diet of young people with diabetes. Recent evidence shows that a diet rich in fibre leads to better diabetic control.

Water

Fluids, either as water or in some beverage or food, are of course essential to health. Thirst is a good guide to requirements and you should respect a child’s desire to drink by letting him have water freely. Children sometimes drink large quantities of sweet drinks such as cordials and soft drinks and flavoured milk. They may drink these because of their sweet taste rather than their need to have fluids. For this reason sugar containing drinks are not used as part of the diabetic diet and artificially sweetened drinks may need to be rationed to help educate a child not to rely on sweet drinks.

Many solid foods have quite high water content and supply much of a child’s fluid requirements.

Meals provide constant glucose in the bloodstream

A diabetic diet takes into account the need for providing all these foods in proper amounts for good health. However, as well as providing the overall nutritional needs of the body, the regular taking of food ensures that there is a constant supply of glucose being absorbed into the bloodstream throughout the day. Sugars in food (such as fruit or milk) lead to a quick supply of glucose, whereas starches, being more slowly digested, lead to a steadier absorption over a longer period. With snacks at mid-morning, mid-afternoon and supper-time, the glucose supply is given a ‘boost’ which maintains a satisfactory level until the next main meal.

Meal times must be regular

Clearly, if this relatively constant supply of glucose in the blood is to be maintained, meal times have to be as regular as possible. Being late for a meal may mean that the glucose from the previous meal is disappearing from the blood, and too low a level may result. Being too early may lead to too long a gap to the next meal, with the same result.

*23/54/5*

The basis for teenage behaviour lies at least in part in the developmental process of adolescence. As every parent of a teenager knows, adolescence is not just a time of rapid growth and sexual maturation. It is also a period of psychological, emotional and social development. This development is just as important for the teenager as physical growth.

Adolescents have to proceed through a number of emotional developmental changes if they are to become mature adults. In many ways this is similar to the toddler as he passes from baby dependence to the independence of self-feeding, toileting and going off to kindergarten. Adolescents also have to achieve independence from their parents and they can make even more fuss in doing so. Teenagers must also establish their own self-esteem, measuring up with others of their age. They have to work out their own sexual feelings and develop a mature attitude to sex as part of a relationship with someone else. They have to work out where they are going, who they are and what their life career will be. They have to do all these things in a few turbulent teenage years with all the stresses of competitive school life and uncertain employment prospects.

It is no wonder that on top of all this a teenager with diabetes may have little time for sticking to all the rules of diabetic control. No wonder, in sorting out priorities, adolescent development may have a higher rating than exact diet and regular blood tests.

Fortunately for parents, adolescence only lasts a few years, but it is also a rewarding and entertaining time for the family. At this time it is important to set realistic goals for care of the diabetes. Realize that precise compliance probably isn’t possible just yet, but will occur later. Recognize that it is probably more important to be a parent and let your child’s doctor act the part of diabetes watch-dog.

*56/54/5*

How does your child feel about his diet?

It may be up to you to find out how your child feels about these sweet foods. If he has been used to a lot of sweets, and if the family has tended to regard sweets as rewards, then an abrupt denial of them all (particularly if the rest of the family goes on eating them) may be very upsetting for your child. He may even interpret the denial as a sort of punishment. ‘I ate too much sugar and so I got diabetes. Now I am being punished by being forbidden them.’ This is of course nonsense, but it is surprising how many children feel this way.

Diet is not a punishment

He may rebel and take sweets and cakes when no one is looking. He may yield to temptation occasionally and have a taste of some forbidden food (like a heavy smoker who is advised to stop smoking). In either case he will probably feel guilty afterwards, and this feeling of guilt will be made worse if you blame him, or reproach him, or worse still, punish him.

All children will break their diet occasionally

Children may not always seem logical. They may not believe you if you say that you are stopping them having cake for their own good (especially if you say this while you yourself are enjoying a luscious piece of iced cake).

Much explanation is necessary, and much understanding. If he does break his diet, and you find out, you may find that the best way to act is to let him realize that you know and disapprove, but avoid punishment or blame.

Your child has to live in a society where sweet carbohydrate foods are in profusion, and no party is a party without the cake. You cannot prevent him seeing other children enjoying these things, and although you will make some changes in your own home, you cannot perhaps deny all the rest of the family everything sweet. You may be able to help your child develop strengths of self-discipline in relation to food and show that you are also capable of some self-discipline yourself. You must help your child to accept, not only that he cannot freely have sweet things, but that other people can have them.

*48/54/5*

Early warning signs

At the stage when the level of glucose in the blood is falling rapidly, there will usually be warning signs before the level becomes too low. These include hunger, tremulousness, dizziness, headache, shaking, weakness or other odd feelings the child himself learns to recognize. At this stage the child may become pale and sweaty with a rapid pulse rate.

These warning signs are readily corrected by taking sugar.

There may possibly come a time – perhaps because the / warning signs were not recognized or heeded or because they were only present for a few moments, or in some cases they may not have been present at all – when blood glucose may fall to very low levels. When this occurs, it may mean that there is insufficient glucose for the efficient functioning of the brain, which depends on a constant supply of glucose from the blood.

Later signs

So the brain, deprived of sufficient glucose, may act in an unusual fashion and this leads to unusual behaviour of the child. He may become irritable, or cry easily, lose concentration and seem vague or be unreasonable or bad tempered. He may get a headache, or feel dizzy, ‘funny’ or drowsy. He may become weak in some muscles, or develop trembling of his limbs. He may even lose consciousness and some children may have a convulsion although this is very rare.

A hypo reaction may happen quickly

Usually these things develop quite rapidly and at a time when the child has been otherwise well. A normal or even a high blood glucose level earlier in the day does not rule out the possibility that a hypo may occur later, as the blood glucose level may fall quite rapidly from a high to a low level in a few hours.

When may a hypo reaction occur?

Although one child differs from another in his behaviour during a hypo, he tends to have the same sort of reaction each time he has one. Thus he or his parents quickly come to recognize a hypo when it is developing, and treatment can be given at once before more serious signs develop. Hypos tend to occur when sugar produced from a recent meal is largely used up and at its lowest level; often just before the next meal is due. Other times to be on the lookout for hypo reaction are after strenuous exercise or unusual activity. Each type of insulin has its time of maximum effect and at these times there is the most likelihood of an insulin reaction.

Difficulties in recognizing hypo reaction

There will be times in the early stages of your child’s diabetes, and especially if he is a baby or toddler, when you may be uncertain whether unusual behaviour is due to a reaction or not. As you get more experienced, you will learn to recognize reactions quite easily, but if you are in any doubt it is better to regard the unusual behaviour as a reaction and treat it. Note whether there is an improvement after giving treatment; if so it was probably a hypo reaction and if not probably was not. Very occasionally some children ‘put on’ bad behaviour and complain of headache to get the extra sugar you will use to treat the supposed reaction. If you suspect this, do a blood test. A low test will tend to confirm the probability that it is a hypo reaction.

Some symptoms of a hypo – paleness, sweating, shakiness for example, are the result of the body’s reaction when the glucose level in the blood is rapidly falling. This can occur when the glucose is falling from say 6 to 3 mmol/1, so there is a true hypo, but can also occur if, say, the blood glucose falls from 12 to 8 mmol/1. In this case, the child is heading for a hypo but is not actually hypoglycemic. This may explain why the blood test is not always low when symptoms occur.

It also helps to explain why sometimes a child’s blood glucose level may be found to be low but there are no symptoms. In this case, perhaps the blood glucose has been falling slowly, so the body doesn’t recognize the fall and there is no reaction.

*39/54/5*

It is best to use a meter

You can use a meter to measure the blood glucose level. There are a number of different meters for this test and from time to time new meters are introduced or old ones upgraded. It is well worth while looking at each of these and discussing how they work with an expert. Diabetes educators are usually aware of the range of meters available and some specialist pharmacists stock a range and can explain them to you. You can also see the range in diabetes clinics and at Diabetes Australia. All of the meters operate on the same principle: they measure the strength of colour that is developed on the test strip and convert it to a blood glucose value. They have a timing mechanism to make sure that the blood is on the strip for the correct time and that the test is read at the correct time. They tell you the result by a digital readout.

You can estimate the blood glucose value without a meter.

Some test strips (the Boehringer BM Glycemie 20/800, Hypo-guard GA, and the AMES Glucostix) can be used without a meter. You have to time the test yourself accurately with a watch, wiping off the blood exactly on time, and then waiting a further 60 seconds for BM 20/800 or 30 seconds for Glucostix before comparing the colour with blocks printed on the container. This method is convenient to use when you are travelling or camping or if you want to do a check at school or work. It is a useful standby if your meter is being serviced. Some people find it difficult to read the test accurately and it must be done in good light.

Why get a meter if it’s not necessary?

Most people with diabetes and parents of children with diabetes have said they much prefer using a meter. It is more accurate and easier to read, especially at very low and very high ranges. The meter has a timing device and this is valuable as most young people tend to become careless at times and just glance at a watch. Older patients who have trouble with vision, may find strips difficult to read visually, a meter is then very helpful.

The main disadvantage is the price. This may not seem so much if you realize that you should get many years of use and hundreds of tests a year. If you do have difficulty affording a meter, some diabetes clinics can lend you one for a while. Sometimes a service club or other organization will help you purchase one. Some health insurance companies refund part or all of the cost.

*31/54/5*

Memory and concentration problems: Statins may affect your cognitive function. A study done at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA showed that patients who took statins for six months performed much worse in solving complex mazes, memory tests, and had poorer psychomotor skills than patients who took a placebo. Lapses in concentration, and short term memory loss may not be just because you are tired or getting older, it could be the cholesterol lowering drug you are taking. Duane Graveline is a former astronaut and author of the book «Lipitor: Thief of Memory». In his book Duane describes how he and many others have experienced complete memory loss for varying periods of time; they did not remember where they were and why. These memory blanks can occur suddenly and vanish suddenly. Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor and Lipex (simvastatin) are the statins most likely to cause memory loss.

Cognitive decline is not mentioned as a possible side effect of statins in patient leaflets. In fact, some doctors actually recommend that taking statins, and having a low cholesterol level can help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent research disputes this. A group of 1026 individuals who were part of the Framingham study were observed. All the participants were free of cardiovascular disease and dementia in 1988-89, and had their cholesterol levels checked twice a year between 1950 and 2000. Between 1992 and 2000, 77 people developed Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was in no way related to cholesterol levels.

Depression: Because cholesterol is required for the function of serotonin receptors in our brain, it makes sense that lowering cholesterol may trigger depression in some individuals. This is ironic, as depression is already a major health issue in Australia, and people who are depressed are at greater risk of heart disease.

Mr R. Ñ from Albury in New South Wales experienced significant depression while taking Lipitor. «For the past 15 years I have been in a high stress position dealing with teenagers and young people in a country high school. About 3 years ago I had my cholesterol checked, and my G.P. recommended I go onto Lipitor to lower the level of cholesterol. Over a period of time I began to feel depressed, wishing that there was some way out of the daily grind. I even took long service leave to see if the depression would lift, but it just kept getting stronger and stronger. I hated going to work. Once I was simply working on some landscaping at home when I broke down and cried on the front foot path. I wasn’t even embarrassed about it. I couldn’t care any more. There was no rhyme or reason for this apparent depression. I just felt awful and wanted to end my life.

Twelve months ago I had an appointment with Dr Cabot who asked what current medication I was taking. I listed several including Lipitor (the others were for high blood pressure) and she advised me to immediately stop taking the Lipitor.

The difference was very noticeable. I felt somewhat better during the next day when I didn’t take the Lipitor and within a week I actually looked forward to going to work. Life has become a much happier place for me and I now look forward to a full and rewarding life. AH the things that people do every day without thinking about I can now do with a positive outlook, and I am now living my life to the fullest».

Please note that we do not recommend you stop taking a cholesterol lowering medication abruptly, unless you have your own doctor’s permission.

*24/53/5*

We live in a society where we are bombarded with chemicals and toxins. All the time we are exposed to chemicals in our food, in the packaging around it, in pesticides, additives and preservatives. In our houses, we can be in contact with chemicals through household cleaners, aerosols, new carpets treated with moth-proofing, and anti-woodworm and wood preservation treatments.

Outside, the environment is equally laden with toxins – traffic fumes, factory pollution, pesticides sprayed on parks and railways. Dangerous chemicals seep out from landfill sites. The list goes on …

All this affects your fertility. Logic tells us that toxins must be one of the main reasons why an increasing number of couples face difficulties conceiving. The fact is that we are living in a ‘sea’ of hormones.

Of course it’s difficult to link a specific chemical to a particular medical problem or illness. So much else in our lives may affect our health that it’s often impossible to isolate the real culprits.

But we can learn a lot from the animal world. Infertility in wildlife is known to be linked to substances called xenoestrogens, oestrogen-like chemicals in the environment caused by pollution from pesticides and the manufacturing of plastics.

The power of these xenoestrogens was demonstrated when a group of scientists discovered that alligators which had hatched in Lake Apopka, Florida, had abnormally small penises and altered hormonal levels. In 1980 there had been a massive spill of Kelthane pesticide into the lake – the xenoestrogens from the pesticide were feminizing the alligators and stopping reproduction.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Department for the Environment found hermaphrodite fish in one river. The fish were part male and part female.

In view of all this it seems very likely that chemicals in regular use are having a damaging impact on our fertility.

Genetically Modified Foods

Fortunately the issue of genetically modified foods has provoked a groundswell of opposition amongst the British public. We were just recovering from the BSE crisis when suddenly our food faced another threat. If the commercial production of GM foods goes ahead in Britain, we could find ourselves sitting on yet another health time-bomb – possibly the most devastating of all.

GM foods are already affecting the fertility of insects that feed on them. For example, ladybirds that ate greenfly fed on genetically modified potatoes had a drastic reduction in fertility, with fewer eggs being produced.

Likewise, when a gene to produce redness was put into a petunia, it produced plants with more roots, hairier leaves and a reduction in fertility. Scientists should know by now that they cannot manipulate nature without consequences.

Household Chemicals

Think about the number of chemicals we have in our houses – all those cleaners and aerosols. There is plenty of evidence that the chemicals they contain can be harmful.

In an American study, published in 1991, women with a history of unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriages were found to have high levels of two chemicals commonly found in carpets, leather upholstery and wood preservatives.

Leading UK fertility expert Lord Professor Robert Winston believes that chemicals in emulsion paint being used in a closed laboratory over 100 meters away from his clinic affected embryo growth at a vital stage of treatment. No one is allowed to wear perfume or aftershave in Lord Winston’s clinic because he believes it is important to avoid chemicals when trying to maximize fertility. Some chemicals can stop women conceiving, or the egg may fertilise naturally but not be able to grow or develop.

*12/73/5*

Fit in some folic acid and some Bs. Folic acid as well as vitamins B12 and B6 can help reduce levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine that has been found to damage arterial tissue.

«I think there is real promise here,» says Ronald M. Krauss, M.D., head of molecular medicine at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley and chairman of the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. «Although we do not have direct evidence that reducing homocysteine can reduce the risk for heart disease, we strongly recommend that people ensure adequate intakes of folic acid and  vitamins,» says Dr. Krauss. Folate (the form of folic acid in foods) is found in fruits such as oranges; in vegetables such as asparagus, beans, and Brussels sprouts; and in fortified grains and cereal products. The Daily Value for folic acid is 400 micrograms, and the Daily Value of vitamins B6 and B12 is 2 milligrams and 6 micrograms, respectively, Dr. Krauss says. You may need to take a multivitamin to get that much in a day, however, he adds.

Fill up on fiber. Whether it helps soak up cholesterol or simply prevents you from overeating isn’t clear. But the American Heart Association says that getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day can cut your risk for heart disease.

«The reasons why are still elusive, but people who eat more fiber have less heart disease,» says Dr. Ascherio. One simple way to make sure that you get more fiber in your diet is choosing a breakfast cereal that’s high in fiber. Look for brands that provide at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. «Some cereals have surprisingly little fiber, and others are really high. Check the side of the box,» he says.

Check your flax. Research has shown that eating bread made with flaxseed may help reduce cholesterol levels. A natural blood thinner, flaxseed apparently helps combat thickening of the blood as we age, says Tom Watkins, Ph.D., laboratory director of the Kenneth Jordan Heart Research Center in Mont Clair, New Jersey.

«Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linoleic acid, and in our own studies that appears to be beneficial,» says Dr. Ascherio. If you don’t have a taste for flaxseed or never bought one of those trendy bread machines, consider munching on a handful of walnuts. «There’s increased evidence that walnuts reduce the risk of heart disease because they’re also high in alpha-linoleic acid,» he says. Found in soybean and corn oil, polyunsaturated fat is much better for your heart than saturated fat.

Trash trans fatty acids. Better living through chemistry? Not always. When food manufacturers wanted to make margarine stiffer and lengthen the shelf life of other products, they created what are called trans fatty acids-a nutritional Frankenstein harder on your heart than even the dreaded saturated fat. «There’s no question that trans fatty acids have the worst effect on blood cholesterol,» says Dr. Ascherio. «Not only do they increase the bad cholesterol, but also they reduce the good cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol.» To purge trans fatty acids from your diet, avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, suggests Dr. Ascherio. But be vigilant. It’s found in prepared foods from bread to frozen French fries.

*88/36/5*

Which of these views is right? All of them-to an extent. But a complete picture only emerges when experts pool their information and examine the problem from all points of view.

Most anorexics are teenagers, and I believe that for them anorexia represents a way to avoid maturity. By maturity I mean not just physical or sexual development, but psychological and social development as well. A woman can translate her fear of growing up into a loss of body weight. If she can keep the same weight she had at age ten, maybe she can stay ten forever. Achieving thinness lets her turn back the clock and revert to a childlike physical appearance. Even more important, loss of body weight causes the menstrual cycle to shut down. The patient gains control over one of the most powerful-and perhaps frightening-signs of womanhood. (For males, of course, the issue is different, as I’ll explain later.) Thus anorexia can reflect problems in making the transition from childhood to adolescence.

In contrast, bulimia can reflect difficulty growing from adolescence into adulthood. Here the problem isn’t so much one of achieving maturity, but of handling its responsibilities: separating from the family; controlling oneself and others; assuming an identity through marriage or career; defining oneself through relationships with others.

A person with an eating disorder struggles with these deep and troubling issues. The pressures combine and drive her to create an identity based on her ability to control food and eating. Through such control she achieves something that everybody desires, something that society values: the ability to be seen as special.

Everyone wants to be special in some way. It’s a natural human trait. We seek distinction through our talents, achievements, or personalities. Some of us take jobs and provide things that people want. Others express themselves through the arts. Still others devote themselves to the care of their families. Rewards for our efforts come in many forms: a paycheck, applause, a child’s hug.

But victims of an eating disorder look for a different reward. They believe that the only way they can be special is to control their weight and eating habits-to starve themselves if they have to. An anorexic patient might say to me, «I want to be the thinnest person in my school,» or, «the thinnest in the world.»

Of course, many people realize that true self-esteem is based not just on physical appearance, but on other innate qualities. These are the people who answer the question, «Why must we be thin?» by saying, «I don’t have to be.»

As a specialist in eating disorders, I work to convince patients that defining self-worth through abnormal eating is a dangerously unhealthy business. To pursue the «ideal body shape» is to pursue a myth.

I see these myths every day in countless guises. I don’t know how many times I have heard my patients say, «I always felt that if I was thin I would be happy,» or, «If people really loved me then I wouldn’t binge out,» or, «Being fat lets people see me for the loser I am.»

Some people believe that someone with an eating disorder won’t get better unless she wants to. Wrong! For families to embrace this myth is to run the risk that their daughter will starve to death before she gets the help she needs. Many times, families refuse to get help for their daughter because they believe she can get better on her own. «Recovery is just a matter of willpower,» they claim. People who believe this graduated from the «Just snap out of it» school of thinking. An eating-disordered girl can’t «will» herself out of her condition any more than people can «will» themselves out of the flu.

Helping a patient to want to get better is actually part of the first stage of therapy. Once she has learned the importance of changing, she has reached a point where other types of therapy have a chance of succeeding. Patients need sensitive, thoughtful treatment to help them break the vicious cycle of disturbed eating, correct their faulty thinking, improve their eating behavior and resolve their difficulties in relationships with friends and family.

To me, the most frustrating thing about these myths is how deeply rooted they have become. Many people accept them as reality. Thus the first important step in treatment is to uproot these myths and correct them.

No patient is «typical.» Many share certain traits or experiences, but each patient has a different history-and a different future. Keeping that in mind, here are scenarios describing the course of these illnesses.

*19/35/5*

As the owner of an agency that provides makeup artists for stage actors and TV personalities, Juanita Dillard was constantly surrounded by thin, gorgeous women—and free buffets. The ever-present food proved to be too much of a temptation for Juanita, especially in such a high-pressure environment.

«I’d eat all day, then help the caterers clean up just so I could take home the leftovers,» says the 37-year-old Cheverly, Maryland, resident. Before she knew it, she weighed 274 pounds.

It took a souvenir photo from a vacation in the Cayman Islands to persuade Juanita to slim down. «The photo was taken in late 1989. When I saw how I looked, I became determined to lose weight in the new year,» she says. «I was tired of compliments that stopped at my face. There I was, surrounded by gorgeous women. I wanted g to be one, too.»

Juanita stopped cruising the big buffets and instead signed up for Weight Watchers, where she learned about portion control and the importance of filling up on vegetables. But the most valuable lesson she learned was how to journal. When she started writing about her stress instead of feeding it, the weight rolled off. In a year-and-a-half, she lost 137 pounds.

The biggest test of her weight-loss success came when her dog, Nikki, was killed by a car. Distraught, Juanita grabbed a block of American cheese, a box of Saltines, a jar of black-bean salsa, a super-size bag of Tostitos, and a bottle of blueberry wine—all the fixings for a binge. Before long, tears were rolling down her cheeks. The jar of salsa was empty; the bag of tortillas, half-eaten.

By chance, Juanita reached into her purse and felt her journal. She took it out and started writing about how much she missed Nikki. When she was through, she felt better, and her desire to eat was gone.

«Stress was what made me fat before, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again,» she says. «Now, journaling is my zero-calorie stress buster.»

WINNING A C T I O N

Put your feelings on paper. The next time you’re inclined to pick up a fork, grab a pen instead and start writing. Research shows that journaling when you’re tense can help avoid emotional eating.

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These pure oils cold pressed from nuts, seeds or fruits are highly nutritious and have many therapeutic properties. Cold-pressed vegetable oils are sometimes referred to as «carrier’ oils, as they are commonly used to carry essential oils in massage oils, and skin and hair care preparations. They have good skin penetration leavmg the skin nourished and feeling soft and supple. Base carrier oils are always cold pressed and stored in amber glass containers.

The life span of base oils becomes limited once essential oils have been added – approximately three months. To prevent oxidisation add 10% wheatgerm oil to base oil blends or vitamin-E.

The Most Common Cold Pressed Oils

Apricot Kernel Oil: (Prunus armeniacaa) oil is cold pressed from the kernel and is very pale yellow. Contains minerals and vitamins A, Bl, B2, B5, B12,andC.

It has a light texture making it easily absorbed by the skin. It is suitable for mature, dry, sensitive or inflamed skin. It is used in treatment for rough, or sun-damaged skin and for healing scar tissue. Avocado: (Persea americana) oil is extracted from the fruit and seeds and is rich in chlorophyll, the reason for the dark green colour. Contains vitamins A, B, C, D, B6, as well as protein, lecithin, potassium and essential fatty acids. The oil can be used to soothe the skin, being useful for eczema and nappy rash. Its moisturising properties are ideal for dry mature and ageing skin, it can assist in the treatment of climate damaged skin.

Castor Oil: (Ricinus communis), is a tropical plant and is derived from the bean like seeds of the castor oil plant. The healing properties have been known for several thousands of years, in the middle ages the herbalists in Europe used the oil as a kind of liniment and lubricant. Uses: Castor oil is used to relieve joint stiffness, pain from arthritis, for lesions such as a wound or injury, sore, rash or boil. For topical application , apply castor oil on by massaging into the area or by applying a castor oil pack.

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(Recommended for Adults)

Bath: Fill bath with water add 4-8 drops. Agitate water well to disperse the essential oil. Soak for 10-20 minutes.

Body Compress: Add 10 drops to 200 ml of water. Place cloth into water. Wring out, then apply to affected area for 10 minutes.

Body Massage: Dilute 10 drops of essential oil to 20 ml of cold pressed oils such as Sweet Almond Grapeseed or Sesame Seed.

Facial Compress: Add 2-4 drops to a bowl of warm water. Soak a face cloth in the water and apply to the face. Repeat 4-5 times.

Facial Massage: Dilute 5 drops of essential oil to 20 mis of cold pressed oils such as Apricot, Peach or Jojoba. Inhalations: 2-5 drops into bowl of hot water. Place face over steam, towel over head and «inhale». Close your eyes.

Cautions: In very rare cases it has happened that people may faint, To prevent accidents it is recommended to cover the bowl with a grid. Do not use steam inhalation during an asthma attack.

Mist Spray: Add 10 drops to 100 ml purified water. Shake well. Close your eyes, spray mist above the head and inhale.

Hand Bath: Add 2-4 drops to a large bowl and soak for 10-15 minutes. After the bath, massage the reflex point with the hand massage oil adding to each 5 ml hand massage oii 3 drops of essential oils. Sauna: Add 4 drops per litre water, then throw on the heat source Shower: 2-3 drops in wet face cloth, rub all over body.

Sitzbath: you require a large bowl to sit in. Add warm water and 4 drops of essential oils. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes Spa: Add 3 drops per person to the spa bath

Roomspray: Place in a 100 ml pump spray bottle 90 ml of water, 10 ml vinegar and 1 ml essential oils. Shake well before each use. Vaporiser/Oil Burner: Add 5-10 drops essential oil (depending on room size) into water on top of the burner. Foot Bath: Add 4-6 drops to a large bowl and soak for 10-15 minutes. After the bath, massage the reflex point with the foot massage oil adding to each 10 ml foot massage oil 5 drops of essential oils.

When using essential oils on children use half to quarter of the amount to adults, and dissolve the essential oils in a carrier oil or in milk before adding to bath water.

Do not use essential oils on babies or during pregnancy without advice from a qualified Aromatherapist

Remember : To achieve maximum benefits from essential oils use less rather than more.

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Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is especially useful in treating dry flaky skin, wrinkles, inflammation, rashes, stretch marks, muscle stiffness and limb paralysis. Also used in hair care for a conditioner, especially for blond hair.

Chickweed (stelllaria media) is great to bring comfort to chronic itching and rashes. Make up a salve by mixing together 1-1/2 cups of chopped fresh chickweed, 2 cups of olive oil, 6 tbsp. beeswax. Warm ingredients up to 2 hours then strain.

Cleavers or Bedstraw (Galium aparine, G. verum) excellent face wash to tighten wrinkled saggy skin. Add 31/2 tbsp. of dried herbs to 1 quart of boiling water, cover and steep for 40 minutes. Wash the face and neck with solution, also apply face compresses leaving them on for 10 minutes several times a day.

Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) leaves are used in a fomentation for abscesses, bruises, boils, cuts, insect bites, sprains, swellings, ulcers and wounds.

Elder (sambucus nigra) when used in a facial steam tightens the pores, and makes an excellent face lotion slightly astringent suitable for all skin types. When used in the bath it is stimulating and healing. It can also be used in an ointment to repair any chapping and keep the skin supple. Hops (humulus Lupulus) is well known for its calming, relaxing and rejuvenating effect. For a good night’s sleep it is recommended to soak in a warm (not hot) bath for 15 – 20 minutes. The estrogen’s contained in hops are used cosmetically to slow down the skin aging process. Hops extracts are used in creams and lotions for sensitive, and for sagging and impure skin. Beer can be used as a hair rinse to make hair glossy and to treat dandruff.

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There are two methods of making herbal vinegar’s.

Using commercial vinegar: herbal vinegar’s are commonly made by

buying a bottle of vinegar (important to avoid white and malt vinegar’s)

and adding herbs like marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme to it. The

bottle is sealed again and left for at least four weeks for the herb to

disperse.

Fermenting the herb itself to vinegar: you can easily make your own herbal vinegar. Make a herb tea with the herb of your choice and ferment with sugar and a Kombucha culture as you would prepare your Kombucha brew. Instead of drinking the herbal Kombucha brew after 7 to 15 days, simply forget it for a minimum of 6 weeks. You can now use your own herbal vinegar. It’s the best vinegar you can get and it’s next to free. For more information about Kombucha brewing it is recommended to read the book «Kombucha Teaology».

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The healing power of clay used externally increases the circulation and flow of oxygen to the skin and all over the body. Green clay is used to repair damaged skin without scarring. It has a strong exfoliating, purifying and toning effect at a cellular level. It is suitable for all skin types, but more specifically for oily and blemished skin. Red clay is high in iron oxide, and is most suitable for post-acne, mature, dehydrated, tired and stressed skin. It may be used for refining the texture of the skin, calming inflammation. White clay is rich in magnesium, stops perspiration and can be used as a lotion for eczema and for sensitive skins. Can be used as a replacement for talcum powder and is ideal for skin rashes. Also excellent as a treatment pack for dry and brittle hair, Pink clay refines the texture, improves softness of the skin, and has a tonic and firming effect on the epidermis. It is mainly used for dehydrated and sensitive skin. It is ideal as a body wrap, for it helps to firm the bust, thighs, stomach and upper arms. Yellow clay absorbs impurities and toxins from the skin high in iron content. It is suitable for most skin types, especially for sun damaged, combination and fatigued skins.

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Most ill people need to be dependent for a time. As they recover, they gain confidence and self-esteem, and reliance on the helper disappears. The odd time that this is not the case, it is up to the helper to encourage independence by gradually withdrawing attention unless really positive moves are made by the user.

Caution for Helpers

No matter how sincere you are in your efforts to help, there will always be someone who will direct their anger at you. Try not to be hurt by this, however unjustified you feel it to be. You may be serving a useful purpose. The person may feel it safer to express anger outside the family circle. It will be upsetting, particularly if you are not feeling completely recovered yourself. Get used to it—it will happen again.

It is good to have positive talk times, when all talk of withdrawal symptoms is banned, or to have social outings away from where the group usually meets. Marvellous things happen when people get together to work towards being well. It is touching to see how much strangers can care about each other if they are given the opportunity. If someone weeps, don’t be in a hurry to make tea—that may only be to save your own embarrassment. A box of tissues in one hand and the other on the shoulder of the distressed person usually means more.

Even if you do get a bit discouraged at times, the work in groups is very rewarding. It is exciting to see people looking healthier as they cut down their drugs, and to see confidence and animation return.

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Most of the hormonal symptoms are at their worst when the user is taking the full dose of tranquillizers. They may change during withdrawal, but return to normal when withdrawal is completed. For instance, all interest in sex may be lost whilst taking tranquillizers. The reverse may happen for a time during withdrawal before normality returns.

Some women who suffered heavy periods for years when they were on the pills, find they have a normal flow after withdrawal. Vaginal discharge, burning vulva, and increased pre-menstrual tension can also cause temporary discomfort.

Research has shown that a hormone called prolactin is increased whilst tranquillizers are taken. This stimulates lactation, and reports of breast symptoms are common. They range from a slight pale brown discharge to considerable quantities of milk. This has happened up to sixteen years after the last pregnancy. After you have been examined by your doctor, be patient and the symptoms will disappear when you are through withdrawal.

Men too report swollen tender breasts and slight discharge. They also complain of impotence, loss of seminal fluid, and pain in the testicles. Some have eruptions of adolescent acne.

When the hormone levels return to normal all the symptoms disappear.

*47\49\8*

The main principles of the diet are: Avoid or cut down on all quickly absorbed carbohydrate including sugar, chocolate, sweets, white bread, white flour, cakes, biscuits, pastry, alcohol, soft drinks and anything with added sugar. Man’s natural diet did not include these—you would be better off without them.

Reduce the intake of animal fat. Vegetable oils (corn or sunflower seed oil) may be used.

Eat whole meal bread, wholegrain cereal, vegetables and fruits. This can be lean meat, poultry, dairy produce, pulses, peas, beans, nuts and seeds.

Five or six small meals should be taken at regular intervals. Eat before going to bed, and as early as possible in the morning, to cut down the fasting time.

As soon as you get up: small glass of unsweetened fruit juice/half a grapefruit/ medium orange. Breakfast: more fruit juice or fruit.

Choose from:

Egg / bacon / kidney / baked beans/black pudding/kippers (or any fish)/cheese/cottage cheese/yogurt. Also whole meal bread or toast with butter. Milk or weak tea without sugar.

Two hours after

breakfast:

Lunch: small glass of fruit juice, milk or yogurt.

Choose from:

any cold or hot lean meat/ chicken/fish (fresh or tinned), sardines, tuna, etc., salads/ vegetables. Wholemeal bread or crispbread if desired.

Three hours after lunch: small glass milk/tea with crisp-bread/yogurt One hour before dinner: small glass fruit juice.

If you are hungry between meals, eat a handful of unsalted nuts.

Don’t try this diet for just a few days then revert to your sugar-laden diet—try it for several weeks—many have found it very helpful.

Digestive problems are common in withdrawal. If you cannot manage the diet because you feel sick, or have diarrhoea, try to eat steamed fish, minced liver/chicken/ meat or high protein baby food. To increase protein intake have Sanatogen powder or Complan in milk several times a day and particularly before bed. Vegetables will be easier to digest if sieved or liquidized.

Remember to eat often and avoid sugar and fat.

Note: Vegetarians can substitute all vegetable protein.

*26\49\8*

Some doctors prefer to change their patients from Ativan to Valium, then withdraw the Valium—10 mg Valium are substituted for 1 mg Ativan. Others prefer their patients to cut down their Ativan as far as they can, and then change over to Valium for the last part of withdrawal. If side-effects are a problem it is sensible to change over at the beginning.

If you are on 6-8 mg Ativan you may be able to cut down to half the dose quite quickly, giving up 1 mg per 1 to 2 weeks and then proceed with slow withdrawal for the rest.

Ativan tablets are difficult to cut into small doses. Some chemists are willing to make up ? mg doses into capsules.

Some people prefer to dissolve ? mg Ativan in 10 ml of water, then divide it into 2?5 ml doses. Plastic 5 ml spoons are available from chemists.

Librium (Chlordiazepoxide)

Some capsules can be taken apart and fitted together again. If not, ask the doctor to prescribe empty capsules. Divide powder and put it into empty capsule.

Some powders are irritants. Avoid taking powder without capsule. When 2l/2 mg ( ? capsule) daily dose is reached, you may wish to ask your doctor to substitute an equivalent amount of Valium. It will be easier to complete withdrawal by cutting up tablets rather than dividing tiny amounts of powder.

*10\49\8*

Clean fitted carpets thoroughly two or three times a week using a powerful vacuum cleaner. Ordinary vacuum cleaners tend to force some of the mite’s droppings out into the air again, through the minute pores in the collecting bag. A special vacuum cleaner designed to eliminate this problem is now available. See p335 for the supplier. This machine comes with a detection device that shows when all dust has been removed from a given area of carpet.

Remember to clean under the bed. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to get rid of fitted carpets and have a polished or vinyl floor with small rugs. These should not have foam backing.

Pick up non-fitted carpets and rugs, beat them hard and leave to hang in the sun for as long as possible. This should be done once a week if you can manage it.

Get rid of all old duvets, quilts, eiderdowns, blankets and pillows. Buy a new quilt and pillows filled with synthetic materials. Shake these outside and hang in the sun as often as possible. Folded cotton sheets can be used instead of pillows, and cellular cotton blankets instead of woollen ones, for those who are sensitive to synthetic materials. Wash all new cotton goods first, as they are often treated with chemical preservatives.

If the affected person is sleeping on an old mattress, consider replacing it with a new foam mattress. A plastic covering will prevent the mites from building up within the mattress, although it is not entirely satisfactory – the bedclothes tend to slide off. It may be better to go over the mattress with the vacuum cleaner periodically.

Choose thin, smooth materials for curtains and upholstery. Velvet or thick, textured materials are potential dust-traps. Wash curtains every month or two.

Wash sheets, pillowcases and underblanket once a week. Do not keep unnecessary fabric items in the bedroom – cushions, upholstered chairs, dressing gowns, soft toys and items of clothing can all harbour mites. Hang clothing away in a wardrobe or keep it in another room if possible.

It may be difficult to part a child from its favourite teddy, even if this is harbouring millions of house-dust mites. Should you be faced with this problem, wash the soft toy as thoroughly as possible, dry it quickly (eg in a tumble-dryer) and hang it out in the sun for a day or two. Thereafter, the house-dust mites can be kept at bay by placing the teddy in a plastic bag and leaving it in a deep-freeze for one day each week.

Dust with a damp cloth regularly, remembering to do the tops of doors and cupboards. In the sitting room, vacuum all armchairs and sofas thoroughly each week, especially the arm-rests and head-rests.

*80\180\8*

Fill the tub ankle-deep with cold water. Holding onto a firmly anchored rail, march in place for a few seconds or minutes (as long as you can comfortably tolerate). Then rub your feet briskly with a towel.

Done twice daily, this technique creates a remarkable sense of well-being…and is great for relieving exercise-related leg cramps. Some believe that it builds resistance to disease.

Done at night, cold-water treading promotes sound sleep— yet it has an eye-opening effect when done in the morning.

To prevent or relieve headache pain, fold a washcloth in half, dip it in ice water and wring it out. Place it on your head or neck. Rewet it every few minutes to keep it cold.

To relieve a sore throat or laryngitis, fold a cotton cloth in thirds, wet it with cold water and wring it out. Wind it once around the neck and fasten with a safety pin. Over the cloth, wrap a wool scarf.

Leave this wrap in place as long as you like. With the cold trapped against the skin by the wool, the body continues to divert more warming blood to the area—helping break up congestion.

*23/47/1*

Most couples never experience sexual healing—because they’re too quick to give up on their relationship. It takes at least four years to achieve the intimacy needed for sexual healing. Most couples split after only three years. Why do so many couples split? Because of lack of intimacy. Intimacy doesn’t just happen. You make it happen by treating your partner with care and genuine affection…and by taking the time to really connect, both in casual conversation and via sex.

Three factors are central to a sexually healing relationship…

Commitment. Affairs and on-again-off-again sexual relationships are not healing because the two people never form a meaningful bond.

Consideration. The bond between a couple must extend beyond the bedroom. Each partner must continually express tenderness and caring toward the other—by smiling…touching…being polite…giving compliments…and showing respect.

Honesty. There must be no secrets within the relationship—only total connection and total confidence.

*18/47/1*

dream: Your dream self has sex with someone you’re not attracted to in real life—perhaps even a member of a gender you’re not attracted to.

meaning: Despite the conventional wisdom, these dreams usually don’t mean that you’re secretly attracted to the person or that you’re unhappy with your current relationship. More often, they show that you’re attracted to a quality this person has. Perhaps your dream partner is the wittiest person you know, and you would like to get in touch with your funny side…or he’s very confident, and you would like to be more confident.

what you can do: Work on developing the qualities you admire. Think about how you would act if you had those qualities and then act that way, taking small, modest steps at first.

*39/47/1*

dream: There are two distinct types of falling dreams. In one, you step off a sidewalk or some other small drop and feel yourself fall a short distance. In the other, you feel like you’re falling a great distance, such as over the edge of a cliff.

meaninc: The «short fall» dream is particularly common during the December holiday season. It might suggest that you’re feeling overwhelmed by a suddenly hectic schedule or a long list of commitments.

The «long fall» dream is common among successful people who are experiencing concerns about a temporary risk or loss of control. A businessman might have this dream after going into debt for the first time to expand his company. The dream indicates that the possibility of failure is weighing on you— even if you know rationally that the risk is worth taking.

what you can do: Reflect on situations that you can control, such as eating or spending habits. Adjust your expectations and pace where possible so that you can avoid heading for a «fall.»

*34/47/1*

These three stretches—each done while standing—loosen the joints and ease muscular tension.

Arm roll. Hold your arms out to the side, elbows straight, hands held up as if stopping traffic. Rotate your arms forward in three large circles, then backward in three large circles. Then do three small circles in each direction.

Head roll. With arms at your sides, bend your head forward while relaxing the muscles in the back of your neck. Slowly tilt your head to one side, then back, then to the other side, then to the front.

Do this head rotation three times clockwise, then three times counterclockwise.

Side stretch. Keep your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, with arms held out to the side. Inhale deeply. Then exhale as you bend to the right. Slide your right hand down your right thigh toward the knee, and bring your left arm overhead. Breathe in, and return to an upright position.

Do the same stretch on your left side. Repeat three times on each side.

*29/47/1*

Mix a teaspoon of honey with 20-30 drops of Echinaforce tincture and you will have a splendid healing salve for grazes, minor wounds and cuts, boils, and even scabs and crusts.

For wounds that are refusing to heal properly, mix some honey with 10 per cent horseradish; the horseradish can be finely grated, or use the fresh juice or tincture. Apply this reliable natural remedy to the affected part, and you will be surprised at the good result. This mixture is an excellent remedy for whitlows, nail mould and similar stubborn conditions that suppurate and take a long time to heal.

*887/28/1*

For applying to tumours an infusion made from horsetail (shave grass) or oak bark produces good results when mixed with clay. Inflammation of the nerves is best treated with a mixture of lemon balm and clay; and for rheumatic problems, an infusion of eucalyptus leaves, needle-like juniper leaves, or wild thyme with clay is recommended. Never boil aromatic herbs and leaves; merely pour boiling water over them and allow them to steep in the hot liquid (infusion). Non-aromatic herbs can be boiled a little. When ready, strain and mix the liquid with clay to make a paste. If you infuse the herbs in a small cloth bag, this will be useful for laying on top of the clay-herb poultice when it is in position. As previously explained, this will help to retain the heat.

*851/28/1*

The fact that ‘spring fever’ is partly a result of a deficiency in vitamins and important minerals should impel us to include in our diet plenty of early spring and wild salad greens and fresh vegetables. Then there are certain flowers and leaves that make superb herbal teas. For example, the bright yellow flowers of coltsfoot are a means of eliminating any phlegm and catarrh that may still linger on after the winter has passed. An infusion of various new leaf shoots is a rich source of minerals; as soon as the raspberry plants, blackberry branches and blackthorn and hawthorn bushes put forth tender new shoots, busy yourself with gathering them to prepare a wonderful spring tea from these fresh leaves. Do the same with young strawberry leaves and the tender shoots of the birch tree. Not only does such an infusion supply you with certain nutritive salts, but it also stimulates the kidneys to function more efficiently – an important aspect of any spring-cleaning treatment.

When the stinging nettles have grown large enough, gather some young shoots every day and add them, finely chopped, to your salads. They are delicious when lightly steamed as a vegetable, tasting something like spinach – which, incidentally, can also be used – or make them into a salad if you prefer. A little finely chopped bear’s garlic (ramsons) will enrich any salad and a number of people enjoy bear’s garlic leaves lightly steamed as a vegetable.

*815/28/1*

It is hardly believable that the poison of the hairy Cuban tarantula should possess such remarkable curative powers when homoeopa-thically diluted, but it does. Boils, felons (whitlows), or any other infection of the fingers or under the nails are cured by Tarentula cubensis as if by a miracle. In most cases the affected parts are characterised by a bluish colour and cause severe, burning pains, particularly during the night. For small abscesses on the hands and feet, as well as whitlows, there is no better medicine. Tarentula is without a par among homoeopathic medicines in the treatment of furunculosis (the recurrent appearance of furuncles and boils). To produce immediate results, use the injection method. As a word of caution, Tarentula cubensis should only be used in high potencies (8x-12x). It is also important not to confuse Tarentula cubensis with Tarentula bispanica (Spanish tarantula).

*776/28/1*

Black Eagle’s ideas about illness and disease were of great interest to me, and in this respect we discussed the importance of medicinal herbs as well as nutrition, or proper diet. He believed that the white man’s customs and habits had overtaxed the regenerative powers our Creator, or nature, had implanted in us and that he often had only himself to blame for the resulting diseases.

It was from Black Eagle that I learned about the curative effects of various plants growing in South Dakota, the home of his tribe. One plant in particular enjoyed his special appreciation. Considered as sacred, this medicinal herb had been a life-saver on many occasions. His ancestors, he said, used it to cure cases of blood poisoning.

*739/28/1*