Those of you who have subscribed to my blog for the last couple of years know that I have been desperate to find a solution to the tooth decay that had been plaguing my family.

I had new tooth decay at every check-up from the time I became pregnant and throughout the next 10 years. Yes, I know that pregnancy and extended breastfeeding often result in increased tooth decay, but my diet and supplementation should have remedied that. My two older children also had cavities; my 7 year old had 2 cavities and my eldest had 6 cavities by age nine! The only child who did not have any cavities was my youngest who had been fed raw cow’s milk from the time of weaning at 18 months.

This rampant tooth decay plague was particularly galling when we were the only family I knew who ate unprocessed, organic food, fermented and raw foods and used stevia whenever possible. My kids ate the least candy and processed food of ALL their peers, yet their dental health was worse than many of their friends. What was going on?

I won’t bore you with the extensive research and experiments I tried to resolve this issue, but a big lightbulb went off when I read a clinical trial out of the University of Maryland Dental School where they had mixed some of the minerals used by the body to make bone, in nanoparticle-size, together with the filling material, and used it to fill cavities in decayed teeth. And the result was a reduction in subsequent tooth decay in the teeth filled with this mixture.

That got me thinking… I wondered: if the kids and I held a bone-building nanoparticle mineral supplement in our mouths and swished it round our teeth every night, would it have the same effect? Would it heal our tooth decay, or at least stop any new decay from forming?

So I found the best nanoparticle mineral bone and tooth supplement I could: Bone Support and we began holding it in our mouths after brushing our teeth every night, for as long as we could. This usually meant about 2 minutes for the kids and 3-4 minutes for me. Then we swallowed it. The kids took 1/2 – 1 capful and I took 1-2 capfuls. After three months of this, we all went for a dental check-up and GUESS WHAT?

NO MORE TOOTH DECAY FOR ANY OF US!!!

I truly cannot express the absolute glory and elation we felt at finally being free of this scourge. Our next dental check-up was also clear. These nanoparticle minerals even healed over existing decay.

My daughter’s two front teeth had half rotted from drinking rice milk from a bottle after weaning (we didn’t have access to raw cow or goat milk at that time) and were a medium brown color. Well, these two teeth became white again and the dentist pointed out that they had also hardened up – the same as normal teeth.

I even posted a video about using Bone Support to heal tooth decay on YouTube.

However – and here’s the important part – previously, as part of our healthy diet, my children had recognized the importance of limiting and avoiding sugar. After two clear check-ups though, my 7 year old daughter felt the minerals were a magic wand, so she could eat as much sugar as she wished! Of course, I continued to keep their sugar intake low at home, but as your kids get older and participate in sports, playdates, sleepovers, etc., you lose control of a large chunk of their diet.

Previously, my children would control themselves when they were away from home – knowing the importance of minimizing sugar. My 10 year old continued to be careful with his sugar intake, but my 7 year old went a little wild and took on a no-holds-barred approach to eating sugar at friend’s houses, birthday parties, sporting events, etc. And guess what? Yep, at our third check-up she had 2 small patches of decay, whilst my 10 year old continued to have none. In that span, my 4 year old had also begun having playdates and joined a swim club and I noticed his sugar intake had gone up significantly and likewise, he too had one patch of pre-decay (softening) on one tooth.

So whilst these nanoparticles minerals may be the missing piece of the puzzle in your battle against tooth decay, they certainly can’t make up for a diet poor in nutrients and/or with continual sugar consumption. But if you’ve got the diet part handled, then these minerals may be the final component to ensure healthy teeth.

And one last caution: If you’re drinking whey protein shakes or elemental diet shakes, then be extra careful to brush and floss well around the gum line. Whey protein and maltodextrin are very sticky and if you don’t clean them off properly, you can get decay at, or just under the gums.

Osteoporosis

Then I found studies showing that nanoparticle minerals are also effective at maintaining and increasing bone density in mouse models:

“The results of our in vivo studies indicate that administering nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate can enhance the serum calcium concentration and maintain the whole-body bone mineral density in ovariectomized mice. These data suggest that nano calcium carbonate and nano calcium citrate are more bioavailable than micro calcium carbonate and micro calcium citrate, respectively.”

My mother and numerous JPT Wellness Circle members are now using Bone Support to treat bone loss.

How Much Should You Take?

I use the cap on the bottle for easy measurement and one capful of Bone Support equals 2 teaspoons. The taste is very much like water – it has the least detectable taste of all the nanoparticle minerals that I recommend.

For osteoporosis: Jim Haszinger – the creator of Bone Support – recommends 1 tbsp, 2-3x/day for 3 months if you are suffering from osteoporosis, then get re-tested. Also, you may want to take 1 tbsp. of the Miracle of Life Trace Minerals each day. And don’t forget your daily Vitamin D3 – also crucial for bone formation.

For regular users: 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon per day is recommended. I take 1-2 capfuls per day and my 2 older kids (aged 7 & 10) take 1/2 – 1 capful (which is 2 tsp) – because they don’t eat/drink a lot of raw milk. My youngest child (aged 4), who consumes a lot of raw milk and raw cheese, only has 1 tsp (1/2 capful) every 3-4 days.

You can take it straight, or mix it in any liquid, but obviously, I’m going to recommend you take it after you’ve brushed your teeth and swish it around for as long as you can and then swallow – you might as well protect your teeth at the same time!

Click here to download my Nanoparticle Minerals Teleseminar with Jim Haszinger

The great thing is, you don’t need to worry about taking too much calcium when it’s in this naturally-occurring nanoparticle sized form. The calcium in Bone Support is the same size and form as the calcium you would get from green leafy vegetables. Nano-sized calcium does not behave like powdered calcium supplements, which can build up in your arteries and cause heart disease:

A report in the International Journal of Cardiology states that excess calcium building up in the aorta is the “main cause of hypertension in old age.”

However, in our teleseminar, Jim Haszinger (the manufacturer of Bone Support) said that if you somehow took too much of this naturally-occurring (not nanotech-manipulated) nano-sized calcium, your body would just excrete it – the same way it would if you ate too much kale – because it is in the same form.

So this is really good news for people with osteoporosis or taking steroid drugs or other medication that puts you at risk for osteoporosis – because you can supplement at higher levels without fear of heart disease.

We are now carrying Bone Support in our Holistic Health Shoppe, or, you can get it from Jim at World Health Mall.

I wish you healthy teeth and strong bones!

Oh and my next challenge?… I want to figure out how to regrow teeth! I’ll keep you posted….

Those of you who have my Revised Listen To Your Gut book/program know about the controversy of MAP (Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis) present in roughly 2% of the American milk supply (conventional, pasteurized milk).

You also know that I favor raw (untreated, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized) milk products from pasture-fed cows/goats over regular, pasteurized dairy products (even if organic) and that many people who are intolerant of dairy products actually can digest cheddar cheese and yoghurt made from raw milk (from pasture-fed cows – not cows kept in barns and grain-fed).

Well, the following excerpt – that appeared in a British newspaper – highlights yet another angle of the milk controversy. And it’s very interesting as it’s the woman’s personal story vs. a dry, scientific article.

Please see my additional comments and my assessment/thoughts on this article at the end of it…
_______________________________________________________
Daily Mail
Monday, May 27, 2000
Prof. Jane Plant, PhD, CBE

Why I believe that giving up milk is the key to beating breast cancer

Professor Jane Plant is a wife, a mother, and widely respected scientist, who was made a CBE for her work in geochemistry. When she was struck by breast cancer in 1987 at the age of 42, her happy and productive existence seemed destined to fall apart. But despite the disease recurring a further four times, Jane refused to give in. As she describes in an inspiring new book, [Your Life In Your Hands] serialised by the Mail this week, she devised a revolutionary diet and lifestyle programme that she believes saved her life and can cut the chances of other women falling prey to the disease.

Her theory remains a controversial one – but every woman should read it and make up her own mind. Today, she explains her personal breakthrough…

I had no alternative but to die or to try to find a cure for myself. I am a scientist – surely there was a rational explanation for this cruel illness that affects one in 12 women in the UK?

I had suffered the loss of one breast, and undergone radiotherapy. I was now receiving painful chemotherapy, and had been seen by some of the country’s most eminent specialists. But, deep down, I felt certain I was facing death.

I had a loving husband, a beautiful home and two young children to care for. I desperately wanted to live. Fortunately, this desire drove me to unearth the facts, some of which were known only to a handful of scientists at the time.

Anyone who has come into contact with breast cancer will know that certain risk factors – such as increasing age, early onset of womanhood, late onset of menopause and a family history of breast cancer – are completely out of our control. But there are many risk factors, which we can control easily. These ‘controllable’ risk factors readily translate into simple changes that we can all make in our day-to-day lives to help prevent or treat breast cancer. My message is that even advanced breast cancer can be overcome because I have done it.

The first clue to understanding what was promoting my breast cancer came when my husband Peter, who was also a scientist, arrived back from working in China while I was being plugged in for a chemotherapy session.

He had brought with him cards and letters, as well as some amazing herbal suppositories, sent by my friends and science colleagues in China.

The suppositories were sent to me as a cure for breast cancer. Despite the awfulness of the situation, we both had a good belly laugh, and I remember saying that this was the treatment for breast cancer in China, then it was little wonder that Chinese women avoided getting the disease. Those words echoed in my mind. Why didn’t Chinese women get breast cancer? I had collaborated once with Chinese colleagues on a study of links between soil chemistry and disease, and I remembered some of the statistics.

The disease was virtually non-existent throughout the whole country. Only one in 10,000 women in China will die from it, compared to that terrible figure of one in 12 in Britain and the even grimmer average of one in 10 across most Western countries.

It is not just a matter of China being a more rural country, with less urban pollution. In highly urbanised Hong Kong, the rate rises to 34 women in every 10,000 but still puts the West to shame.

The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have similar rates. And remember, both cities were attacked with nuclear weapons, so in addition to the usual pollution-related cancers, one would also expect to find some radiation-related cases, too. The conclusion we can draw from these statistics strikes you with some force. If a Western woman were to move to industrialized, irradiated Hiroshima, she would stash her risk of contracting breast cancer by half.

Obviously this is absurd. It seemed obvious to me that some lifestyle factor not related to pollution, urbanization or the environment is seriously increasing the Western woman’s chance of contracting breast cancer.

I then discovered that whatever causes the huge differences in breast cancer rates between oriental and Western countries, it isn’t genetic. Scientific research showed that when Chinese or Japanese people move to the West, within one or two generations their rates of breast cancer approach those of their host community.

The same thing happens when oriental people adopt a completely Western lifestyle in Hong Kong. In fact, the slang name for breast cancer in China translates as ‘Rich Woman’s Disease’. This is because, in China, only the better off can afford to eat what is termed ‘Hong Kong food’.

The Chinese describe all Western food, including everything from ice cream and chocolate bars to spaghetti and feta cheese, as ‘Hong Kong food’, because of its availability in the former British colony and its scarcity, in the past, in mainland China.

So it made perfect sense to me that whatever was causing my breast cancer and the shockingly high incidence in this country generally, it was almost certainly something to do with our better-off, middle-class, Western lifestyle.

There is an important point for men here, too. I have observed in my research that much of the the data about prostate cancer leads to similar conclusions.

According to figures from the World Health Organization, the number of men contracting prostate cancer in rural China is negligible, only 0.5 men in every 100,000. In England, Scotland and Wales, however, this figure is 70 times higher.

Like breast cancer, it is a middle-class disease that primarily attacks the wealthier and higher socio-economic groups – those that can afford to eat rich foods.

I remember saying to my husband– ‘Come on Peter, you have just come back from China. What is it about the Chinese way of life that is so different. Why don’t they get breast cancer?’

We decided to utilize our joint scientific backgrounds and approach it logically. We examined scientific data that pointed us in the general direction of fats in diets.

Researchers had discovered in the 1980s that only l4 % of calories in the average Chinese diet were from fat, compared to almost 36% in the West. But the diet I had been living on for years before I contracted breast cancer was very low in fat and high in fibre.

Besides, I knew as a scientist that fat intake in adults has not been shown to increase risk for breast cancer in most investigations that have followed large groups of women for up to a dozen years.

Then one day something rather special happened. Peter and I have worked together so closely over the years that I am not sure which one of us first said: ‘The Chinese don’t eat dairy produce!’

It is hard to explain to a non-scientist the sudden mental and emotional ‘buzz’ you get when you know you have had an important insight.

It’s as if you have had a lot of pieces of a jigsaw in your mind, and suddenly, in a few seconds, they all fall into place and the whole picture is clear.

Suddenly I recalled how many Chinese people were physically unable to tolerate milk, how the Chinese people I had worked with had always said that milk was only for babies, and how one of my close friends, who is of Chinese origin, always politely turned down the cheese course at dinner parties.

I knew of no Chinese people who lived a traditional Chinese life who ever used cow or other dairy food to feed their babies. The tradition was to use a wet nurse but never, ever, dairy products.

Culturally, the Chinese find our Western preoccupation with milk and milk products very strange. I remember entertaining a large delegation of Chinese scientists shortly after the ending of the Cultural Revolution in the 1980s.

On advice from the Foreign Office, we had asked the caterer to provide a pudding that contained a lot of ice cream. After inquiring what the pudding consisted of, all of the Chinese, including their interpreter, politely but firmly refused to eat it, and they could not be persuaded to change their minds. At the time we were all delighted and ate extra portions!

Milk, I discovered, is one of the most common causes of food allergies.

Over 70% of the world’s population are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose, which has led nutritionists to believe that this is the normal condition for adults, not some sort of deficiency. Perhaps nature is trying to tell us that we are eating the wrong food.

Before I had breast cancer for the first time, I had eaten a lot of dairy produce, such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese and yoghurt. I had used it as my main source of protein. I also ate cheap but lean minced beef, which I now realized was probably often ground-up dairy cow.

In order to cope with the chemotherapy I received for my fifth case of cancer, I had been eating organic yoghurts as a way of helping my digestive tract to recover and repopulate my gut with ‘good’ bacteria.

Recently, I discovered that way back in 1989 yoghurt had been implicated in ovarian cancer. Dr Daniel Cramer of Harvard University studied hundreds of women with ovarian cancer, and had them record in detail what they normally ate. I wish I’d been made aware of his findings when he had first discovered them.

Following Peter’s and my insight into the Chinese diet, I decided to give up not just yoghurt but all dairy produce immediately. Cheese, butter, milk and yoghurt and anything else that contained dairy produce – it went down the sink or in the rubbish.

It is surprising how many products, including commercial soups, biscuits and cakes, contain some form of dairy produce. Even many proprietary brands of margarine marketed as soya, sunflower or olive oil spreads can contain dairy produce. I therefore became an avid reader of the small print on food labels.

Up to this point, I had been steadfastly measuring the progress of my fifth cancerous lump with callipers and plotting the results. Despite all the encouraging comments and positive feedback from my doctors and nurses, my own precise observations told me the bitter truth.

My first chemotherapy sessions had produced no effect – the lump was still the same size.

Then I eliminated dairy products. Within days, the lump started to shrink. About two weeks after my second chemotherapy session and one week after giving up dairy produce, the lump in my neck started to itch. Then it began to soften and to reduce in size. The line on the graph, which had shown no change, was now pointing downwards as the tumour got smaller and smaller.

And, very significantly, I noted that instead of declining exponentially (a graceful curve) as cancer is meant to do, the tumour’s decrease in size was plotted on a straight line heading off the bottom of the graph, indicating a cure, not suppression (or remission) of the tumour.

One Saturday afternoon after about six weeks of excluding all dairy produce from my diet, I practised an hour of meditation then felt for what was left of the lump. I couldn’t find it.

Yet I was very experienced at detecting cancerous lumps – I had discovered all five cancers on my own. I went downstairs and asked my husband to feel my neck. He could not find any trace of the lump either.

On the following Thursday I was due to be seen by my cancer specialist at Charing Cross Hospital in London.

He examined me thoroughly, especially my neck where the tumour had been. He was initially bemused and then delighted as he said, “I cannot find it.’ None of my doctors, it appeared, had expected someone with my type and stage of cancer (which had clearly spread to the lymph system) to survive, let alone be so hale and hearty.

My specialist was as overjoyed as I was. When I first discussed my ideas with him he was understandably skeptical. But I understand that he now uses maps showing cancer mortality in China in his lectures, and recommends a non-dairy diet to his cancer patients.

I now believe that the link between dairy produce and breast cancer is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer. I believe that identifying the link between breast cancer and dairy produce, and then developing a diet specifically targeted at maintaining the health of my breast and hormone system, cured me.

It was difficult for me, as it may be for you, to accept that a substance as ‘natural’ as milk might have such ominous health implications. But I am a living proof that it works and, starting from tomorrow, I shall reveal the secrets of my revolutionary action plan.

Extracted from “Your Life in Your Hands” by Professor Jane Plant
_______________________________________________________

I think this scientist’s opinion is very important and certainly caused me to think. But it’s an important distinction to keep in mind that many (including me) feel it is not RAW milk that causes these kinds of problems, but rather PASTEURIZED milk.

Breastmilk, whether from a cow or human, is a living food, packed full of immune system substances, enzymes to aid digestion, and good bacteria (if the cow is a healthy, pasture-fed – not grain-fed animal). And once you heat breastmilk (whether from a cow, goat, or human), it is a denatured product that is very difficult to digest and many of the nutrients are unable to be absorbed.

Homeogenization is another nasty process that alters fats and produces substances that many scientists feel harm the arteries and are the primary cause of heart disease.

In the middle of all these debates on the nutritional value of cow’s milk, it’s important to remember the Masai tribe of Kenya – very strong, tall, healthy people and their diet is mainly raw cow’s milk and cow’s blood.

Dr. Weston A. Price (a renowned dentist in the 1950′s) also studied a village in the Swiss Alps whose primary food sources were rye bread, raw cheese, and raw fermented milk products. And they were extremely healthy with a tooth cavity rate of less than 1% – but again, all of their dairy products were from raw and often raw, fermented milk (traditionally fermented foods add additional necessary enzymes and good bacteria to aid digestion).

Store-bought yoghurt – even if it’s organic – is not properly fermented, and the strains of bacteria are not potent enough to derive much (if any) benefit from.

Remember too that humans have been consuming fermented milk products (made from raw milk) for thousands of years. There are even tales of how warring armies – like Genghis Khan – took their probiotic starter cultures with them as they travelled to wage war, since they recognized how important fermented milk was to the health and strength of their armies.

For more on this whole angle, read some of the articles at: www.realmilk.com
or www.westonaprice.org

You can see which brand of probiotics and yoghurt starter that I recommend at my Holistic Health Shoppe. And a number of my JPT Wellness Circle Infoletters & Teleseminars go into raw milk in depth, so you may want to check those out too.

I’ve written a lot about raw milk diet therapy at JPT Wellness Circle and did a really fascinating Teleseminar with with clinical nutritionist Jim Ehmke – an expert in using raw milk therapy to heal IBS, diabetes, liver disease, etc. To get you started, check out my podcast with Jim Ehmke about going on a Raw Milk Diet.

And one final comment from my brother Millan Patel MSc, MD (a medical geneticist):

“The Amsterdam siege in WWII and resulting famine did not alter long term breast cancer risk suggesting malnutrition is not protective (obesity is an important risk factor so this would have made sense). Despite this, women with anorexia are highly protected against breast cancer suggesting it is not their caloric intake, but either their disease, or their diet, or their exercise that is protective. The Nurse’s Health Study showed exercise is strongly protective for breast cancer suggesting the latter might be the correct explanation. Since exercise makes so many things better, perhaps a better question to ask is: what diet best facilitates lifelong exercise?”

The Minerals of Life Trace Minerals contain most of the minerals (64 in total) that used to be present in our soil, before industrial agriculture, mono-crops and widespread pesticide use degraded our soil. And they are all in a naturally-occurring, nanoparticle or angstrom sized form, for instant absorption into the cells, no digestion required. As Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND wrote in my Infoletter, Good Health Is Real Wealth:

“Physicists tell us that the size of the mineral channels in our cells, are between 4-5 angstroms in diameter. An angstrom is one ten billionth of a meter, a range between a nanometer and a picometer. If minerals are larger than this size, they are not readily absorbed through the cell membrane. What I call “dirt minerals” may be millions of times larger than the channel they are trying to enter. Colloidal minerals and ionic minerals, while they may claim to be smaller than dirt minerals can still be thousands of times bigger than angstrom minerals. Therefore, you not only need to take the proper type of mineral, but it also has to be in an easily absorbed form.”

These minerals also used to be present in our water – when our water ran through natural rock and soil and wasn’t filtered and processed, like it currently is, to remove pollutants.

So, whilst you can just swallow these Trace Minerals straight (1 tbsp/day), I feel the best way to take them is to mix them in with your water, or pitcher of herbal tea and drink throughout the day. This is because minerals help to alkalize the body, so I figure if you’re ingesting them throughout the day, it’s a good balancing mechanism.

Of course, that’s not always possible, so what I also end up doing is just dumping them into a glass of water, or Emergen-C, cooled herbal tea, or an Absorb Plus shake.

In my teleseminar with the manufacturer of Minerals Of Life, Jim Haszinger, Jim revealed that he often takes a lot more than the recommended dose. So it sounds like there’s some leeway in usage – but the recommended dosage on the bottle that should be fine for most people is 1 tablespoon per day, either taken straight, or mixed in water or juice. You can also blend them up in any kind of shake or smoothie – the taste is indetectable. On their own, taken straight, they have a taste, but it is so mild that all my kids just swallow it straight from the cap.

I use the cap on the bottle to measure and 1 capful equals 2 teaspoons, so I give my 4 year old 1/2 a capful and my 7 and 10 year old kids a full capful. I take 2 capfuls per day.

Click here to download my Nanoparticle Minerals Teleseminar with Jim Haszinger

If you have a hair analysis done, you will most likely be deficient in certain trace minerals because we no longer get what we need automatically from our food (soil) or water – by taking a comprehensive blend like this one, you can address or prevent deficiency and also provide your body with one of the foundational building blocks for good health.

Up until very recently, major and trace minerals were not available in this super-bioavailable form, so I recommended your standard powdered minerals (chelated whenever possible). But these naturally-occurring nanoparticle-sized minerals are so superior they just take supplementation to a whole new level. As Jim and I discussed in our teleseminar:

“Jini: I want to jump in here real quick because when I did my research on nanoparticle-sized minerals and the whole nanotechnology thing – which as you already pointed out, is manipulating objects to that nanometer size – one thing I discovered is that the minerals in plants are automatically in the size of nanometers. As you said, you’re not manipulating, you’re about which form does this mineral already naturally exist in. I just want to kick in with that there.

Jim: That’s correct. You’ll find in plants that some of the minerals will be colloidal-size and some of the minerals are already in nano size. That’s because the plant will pick up colloidal-size minerals and they’ll be there for a time until the plant can digest them and work them over and make them into a nano size and become part of the plant. You’ll have companies that will use minerals that they call ‘colloidals’ and the colloidal is much larger. Our minerals – if you line our minerals up in a vertical line or a horizontal line – it will take about a million of them, like one strand of them, it’d take about a million to make up a colloidal mineral. That’s how different they are in size.

Well, the plant produces a digestive juice that works the colloidal minerals and digests them into the nano size – we’ll call it plant saliva. Digestive juice is folic acid. Going back now, let’s go back to our little lab – we set up a lab and that lab is where we put into practice what we have discovered about creating an environment and we create an environment in which the minerals will grow from scratch. They actually go back in time and become fetus minerals and they will develop into these little crystals and they are, as nature would have them be, in that nano size. All we do is harvest them. We just harvest it as a mineral. We just create the environment and just harvest minerals all the time and they are in nano size.

So whenever you see the word ‘nano’ involved with our minerals, that’s what it is and we used that name down through time, I mean going way back. But now, the word ‘nano’ has got a much different connotation to it, I’ve had people be afraid of our stuff because of the name nano, but it’s not the same as the manmade nanos.”

We are now carrying the Minerals of Life Trace Minerals in our Holistic Health Shoppe, or, you can purchase them from Jim at World Health Mall.

For best results, also use the Bone Support nanoparticle minerals to prevent or heal tooth decay and prevent or heal osteoporosis.

bottoms up!

Occasionally I get emails from people on welfare or in dire financial straits, who would really love to pursue holistic healing, but they just can’t afford the supplements.

Or, sometimes people are using natural healing methods, but they find the cost of the healing supplements and practitioner visits eats up all their savings or extra money, so there’s nothing left for holidays, or entertainment.

Having been there myself, I can certainly empathize!

However, it’s a vicious feedback loop – because unless you can get healthy enough to work, you can’t afford the supplements, but without the supplements and healing therapies, you can’t get healthy enough to work.

So yes, one way is to put your healing supplements and therapies on your credit card and then pay off the debt when you’re strong enough to work and generate some money (been there, done that repeatedly!).

But, thanks to the wonder of the Internet, there’s also another great way to make money that doesn’t require a dedicated time commitment, or stress you out by having to work when you don’t feel well – it’s called outsourcing or freelancing.

I use these services all the time for my own businesses – website design and programming, logo design, converting audio and video to different formats, teleseminar transcription, CD artwork and design, etc.

Go to each of these websites and scroll through the service provider categories to get an idea of the thousands of freelance skills needed by companies around the world:

www.elance.com

or

www.ifreelance.com

Then, if there’s something you can do, register and start bidding on jobs.

Elance.com or ifreelance.com are great places (and there are many more) you can go to make extra money on the side, or when you’re too sick/weak to hold a regular job. Scroll through the job description categories and there’s sure to be some skill you can offer too.

The great thing about working piecemeal like this is you can really schedule around your existing life and restrictions.

You might want to underbid everyone to get your foot in the door (although, if you plan to do this long-term, then you may be better off bidding closer to your “real” price). Or, if you want to find out what people are bidding for certain projects, post an ad for the project, wait till all the bids come in, then cancel the job (there’s no penalty for doing this as businesses cancel projects all the time). Then, you will know what to bid for similar jobs/projects.

Hope that helps you.

p.s. If you’d like to find out how your business or job can actually be PART of your Healing Journey, then check out my interview with business consultant and Sufi Master, Mark Silver.

____________________________________________________

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

• An unpublished study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on a “measles susceptible” (malnourished) group of children showed that the group who hadn’t been vaccinated contracted measles at the normal contract rate of 2.4%. Of the group who had received the measles vaccine (MMR), 33.5% contracted measles. (i)
• In 1975 Japan raised the minimum age for infant vaccinations to 2 years. As a result, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or, crib death) and infant convulsions virtually disappeared. In the 80′s, Japan lowered the minimum age back down to 3 months and the rate of SIDS returned to previous levels. (ii)
• In an Australian study, a group of recruits were immunized for Rubella, and all produced the expected antibodies. When later exposed to the disease, 80% of the recruits contracted it. (iii)
• According to the U.S. National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (est.1986): To qualify for compensation, the adverse effects of vaccination must occur within four hours of receiving the vaccine. Despite this extremely severe limitation, as of February 28, 1998 compensatory payments have totalled $871,800,000.00. This figure is even more alarming when it is revealed that only one in four claimants were awarded compensation. (iv)
• Some researchers postulate that the use of live viral vaccines introduce foreign genetic material into the human system, which has contributed to the unprecedented escalation of auto-immune disorders (like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, cancer, Crohn’s disease, asthma, etc.) in recent decades. (v)

The above facts each highlight a different facet of the vaccination / immunization question; effectiveness, adverse effects, and long-term consequences. The unspoken thread running through each of these is a pressing question: Why haven’t more people been informed of this evidence, and indeed, why is vaccination presented carte blanche as a positive, imperative requisite for our children’s health?

As the mother of a newborn, it became important to find out what is really going on with infant and childhood vaccination and whether it is conclusively a beneficial or necessary procedure. Thus I embarked on four months of research into immunization – squeezed in between the demands of caring for and breastfeeding our firstborn son Oscar.

DO VACCINES ACTUALLY WORK?
As I researched the issue, I was amazed to discover that there is a large and growing body of clinical studies, fieldwork (in developing nations) and historical data refuting the safety and efficacy of vaccination. Unfortunately, the propaganda campaign for vaccination has been so successful that most of us automatically believe that vaccines are so effective they are responsible for the virtual eradication of serious childhood illnesses. In reality, this is not so, and if you examine the actual rates of incidence for each disease (from mainstream sources such as the Lancet, WHO and UNICEF), the graphs show a clearly different picture.

From the 1800′s to the present, in every case, each disease had been virtually eliminated decades before the introduction of the relevant vaccine; through improved hygiene, better nutrition, clean drinking water and improved sanitation. Basically, as people’s overall health and immune systems improved, they didn’t get sick. As the physician W.J. McCormick summarized in 1950 (before vaccines for measles, mumps, scarlet fever and rheumatic fever were introduced):

“…the decline in diptheria, whooping cough and typhoid fever began fully fifty years prior to the inception of artificial immunization and followed an almost even grade before and after the adoption of these control measures. In the case of scarlet fever, mumps, measles and rheumatic fever there has been no specific innovation in control measures, yet these also have followed the same general pattern in incidence decline.” (vi)

Furthermore, research reveals dozens of cases around the world where there was an outbreak of infectious disease (e.g. measles, polio, tetanus, smallpox, etc.) and contract rates were either similar among vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, or higher and more severe among the vaccinated. This clearly demonstrates the vaccination does not lead to immunity – it is not “immunization”. For example:

• Massachusetts in 1961 experienced a ‘type II’ polio outbreak and “there were more paralytic cases in the triple vaccinates than in the unvaccinated”(vii)
• In 1976, Dr. G.T. Stewart reported in the British Medical Journal that, “of 8,092 cases of whooping cough, 2,940 (36%) were fully immunized, while only 2,424 (30%) were definitely not immunized. (viii)
• Professor George Dick, speaking at an environmental conference in Brussels in 1973, admitted that in recent decades, 75% of British people who contracted smallpox had been vaccinated. This, combined with the fact that only 40% of children (and a maximum of 10% of adults) had been vaccinated, clearly shows that vaccinated people have a much higher tendency to contract the disease. (ix)

If vaccination is not responsible for the eradication of childhood illnesses, and vaccinated children are actually at a greater risk of contracting a disease than unvaccinated children, why is vaccination routinely presented as an effective safeguard for our children’s health?

When the historical data is referred to by pro-vaccine parties, it is often skewed and presented out of context. For example, in reference to a mass immunization campaign carried out in Thailand:

“…the immunization coverage for measles has increased from 6% in 1984 to 63% in 1988, leading to a reduction in measles prevalence from 93.7/100,000 in 1984 to 37.1/100,000 in 1986″ (x)

However, what the report doesn’t indicate is that in 1987, the infection rate of measles was 87.1/100,000. And in 1988 it was 59.1/100,000 which is actually higher than the rate of infection in 1982 (57.1/100,000) when no one had been vaccinated. These statistics however, are conveniently not included as they don’t support the pro-vaccination stance of the report.

Aside from establishing that vaccines are not the reason infectious childhood illnesses have virtually disappeared, and that vaccinated children are actually at a greater risk of contracting disease, there are also the adverse effects and long-term consequences of vaccination to be considered.

EFFECTS OF VACCINATION

Immediate Side Effects

Immediate or short-term effects of vaccination can include the following: encephalopathy (irreversible brain damage), ataxia (incoordination of voluntary muscle movements), mental retardation, aseptic meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of spinal cord or brain), seizure disorders, hemiparesis (half-body paralysis), retinopathy and blindness, hyperactivity, anaphylaxis, high pitched (encephalitic) screaming/prolonged crying, learning disorders, hay fever, asthma, sudden infant death (SIDS), brachial plexus neuropathy (disease affecting nerves which serve the arm, forearm and hand), and abdominal pain. Secondary complications can include juvenile-onset diabetes, Reye’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to determine the real incidence of damaging adverse reactions. For example, a British government report claims the rate of permanent neurologic damage from the DPT vaccine to be 1 in 300,000.(xi) However, other researchers indicate the permanent damage level to be anywhere from 1 in 62,000 to 1 in 300. Research by Coulter and Fisher on the 3.3 million children vaccinated yearly in the U.S. found there to be a total of 33,006 cases of acute neurological reactions (encephalitic screaming, convulsions, collapse) within 48 hours of receiving the DPT shot.

When the problems with vaccination are addressed in a serious manner by the pro-vaccination side, it usually involves a member of the bio-medical field qualifying that the dangers of vaccination, although real, are very rare, for example:

“Parents must be informed of the rare possibility of serious adverse effects, including seizure and allergic reaction. Every physician who administers vaccines therefore needs to become familiar with the reactions that may occur with each immunologic agent used. The best safeguard against litigation, when and if a serious reaction follows vaccination, is the indication that these considerations were discussed and that an informed choice was made.” (xii)

Doctors Who Report Vaccine Damage Become Liable

However, there is no scientific evidence as to the actual frequency or incidence of vaccine-induced injury, so in fact we have no idea whether reactions are indeed rare, or, statistically significant. In articles such as the one above, no verifiable statistical evidence, reflecting reliable reporting or monitored studies for this ‘rarity’ is ever presented. As shown in the official minutes of the 15th session of the US Panel of Review of Bacterial Vaccines and Toxoids with Standards and Potency:

“Many physicians are not cognizant of the importance of reporting untoward reactions, or may be unaware of their clinical features. Further, both physicians and manufacturers have been held liable for damage suits by patients who may suffer adverse effects from established vaccines. All of these factors undoubtedly discourage reporting; without some other form of surveillance, definition of the rates and significance of untoward reactions to current and future vaccines cannot be ascertained.” (xiii)

For this reason, it is suspected that the number of adverse reactions and vaccine-damaged children is actually much, much higher than is currently presented by the medical/pharmaceutical community. Instead, there is a growing number of mothers and lay people, whose children have been irrevocably damaged, forming vaccine risk awareness groups. There continue to be incidents like the one in West Germany in 1967, where smallpox vaccination damaged the hearing of 3,296 children, and of these 71 were rendered completely deaf. (xiv) At the extreme end of the spectrum, we have occurrences like the one in Australia’s Northern Territory where malnourished aboriginal children were vaccinated and in some areas 50% of them died. (xv) According to Dr. B. Bloom at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, there’s even an emerging reluctance to further develop vaccines because financial losses due to the liability of established vaccines actually exceed the profits derived from them.

Whether these adverse reactions are caused by the vaccines themselves or the number of highly toxic additives contained in vaccines (e.g. formaldehyde, mercury, acetone, etc.), or a combination of the two, remains to be determined. As yet, no research has been carried out to resolve this question.

Long-Term Consequences

While these short-term consequences are alarming (especially if it happens to your child) the possible long-term consequences of vaccination are, in my opinion, even more of a worry. When you contract a disease naturally, the virus or bacteria normally enters via the body’s natural filtration system; by being inhaled or swallowed, passing through the liver. With measles, for example, the airborne virus is carried first to the tonsils, then the lymph nodes and then into the spleen, blood and other organs. This succession produces a variety of reactions; sneezing, coughing or the secretion of a local antibody within the respiratory tract, all designed to expel or weaken the virus at its port of entry. With vaccines, foreign antigens are usually injected directly into the body’s tissues and carried throughout the circulatory system, giving them direct access to all of the body’s vital organs and systems. To bypass the body’s natural defense system, and at such a young age, is simply asking for trouble. In addition, because the vaccine contains an attenuated (or weakened) form of the virus, the body doesn’t activate its major inflammatory response, nor its non-specific immune defenses.

Overloading The Immune System

Another long-term complication of vaccination involves the ‘one cell-one antibody’ rule. This means that once a B cell is committed to an antigen (disease-causing virus or bacteria), it becomes inert and incapable of responding to other antigens or attacks on the immune system. If a child contracts childhood diseases naturally, it is estimated that up to a total of 7% of their immune system is taken up with responding to these diseases. However, a child who undergoes the routine course of vaccinations, risks having up to 70% of his/her immune system committed to these antigens and no longer available for other immune challenges. Current research suggests this reduced immune-response capacity is responsible for increased susceptibility to other infections, allergies, and auto-immune diseases. Other researchers argue that these attenuated forms of the viruses remain in the body causing continual antigenic stimulation of the immune system – meaning the immune system is always in ‘attack’ mode – which also weakens it and leads to auto-immune diseases.

A placebo-controlled trial of acellular pertussis vaccines in Sweden, compared vaccinated children with un-vaccinated children of the same birth grouping. During the trial, an invasive bacterial infection occurred among the vaccinated group resulting in numerous deaths. A review of the trial data led researchers to conclude that “The hypothesis of an immunosuppressive effect of the vaccines, which would explain the deaths…could not be refuted by the data.” (xvi)

As further evidence, one of the few double-blind trials that have ever been conducted on a vaccine shows the same immunosuppressive effect. In the trial, of the group who were vaccinated with the Salk polio vaccine, over 200 people went on to contract polio. Among the control group (unvaccinated), not one of them developed polio. (xvii)

Citing references from numerous valid sources, including four recognized textbooks on paediatrics and immunology, Harold Buttram, MD and John Hoffman, PhD, conclude that childhood vaccination “cannot help but have adverse effects on the immunologic system of the child, possibly leaving this system crippled in its ability to protect the child throughout life…opening the way for other diseases as a result of immunologic dysfunction.” (xviii)

Latent Proviruses & Other Diseases

The other worrying aspect of live viral vaccines is they introduce foreign genetic material into the human body. Dr. R. Moskowitz, MD and Harvard graduate, explains how this can lead to auto-immune disease susceptibility:

“Vaccinal attenuated viruses attach their own genetic ‘episome’ to the genome (half set of chromosomes and their genes) of the host cell, and are thus capable of surviving or remaining latent within the host cells for years. The presence of foreign antigenic material within the host cell sets the stage for their unpredictable provocation of various auto-immune phenomena such as herpes, shingles, warts, tumors – both benign and malignant – and diseases of the central nervous system, such as varied forms of paralysis and inflammation of the brain.” (xix)

Dr. Markowitz states that in addition, vaccines do not just produce mild versions of the original disease, but all of them commonly produce a variety of their own symptoms. In some cases, “these illnesses may be considerably more serious than the original disease, involving deeper structures, more vital organs, and less of a tendency to resolve spontaneously. Even more worrisome is the fact that they are almost always more difficult to recognize.” (xx)

In addressing scientists at a conference sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Rutgers University professor R. Simpson warned:

“Immunization Programs against flu, measles, mumps, polio and so forth may actually be seeding humans with RNA to form latent proviruses in cells throughout the body. These latent proviruses could be molecules in search of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Parkinson’s disease and perhaps cancer.” (xxi)

The bulk of the evidence gathered from numerous countries points out that not only is vaccination ineffective at preventing the spread of infectious disease, but vaccinated children are actually at a higher risk of contracting these illnesses. In addition, the adverse reactions to vaccination are much higher than presently documented in the medico-pharmaceutical literature and the long-term damaging effect of suppressing the immune system is rarely addressed.

In light of all the evidence to the contrary, why have vaccines been pressed upon the public as a necessary, beneficial way of preventing our children from getting sick? In the words of Dr. Raymond Obomsawin (who’s held senior positions in UNICEF and CUSO), referring to mass vaccination, “It is reprehensible that such actions continue to be enforced by authorities, while parents and local health workers are not accorded any practical knowledge of the known dangers involved, and the extent to which there prevails a general ignorance of the longer term consequences.” (xxii)

Follow The Money Honey

Combine this ignorance with the millions of dollars in profit generated by vaccination that goes straight into the pockets of manufacturing companies, governments and medical doctors, and it becomes clear that vaccination is more of a political and economic issue, than a health issue. Barbara Fisher, who served for ten years on the U.S. National Vaccine Advisory Committee states:

“We have bad science and bad medicine translated into law to ensure that vaccine manufacturers make big profits, that career bureaucrats at the Public Health Service meet the mass vaccination goals promised to politicians funding their budgets, and pediatricians have a steady flow of patients…As the drug companies have often stated in meetings I have attended, if a vaccine they produce is not mandated to be used on a mass basis, they do not recoup their R&D costs and do not make the profit they want. In the medical literature official studies of vaccine risk are published purportedly proving there is no cause and effect. What the reader does not know is that often the studies have been designed and conducted by physicians who sit on vaccine policy-making committees at the Centers for Disease Control…some of whom receive money from vaccine manufacturers for their universities and for testifying as expert witnesses in vaccine-injury cases. And others are federal employees with an eye on career advancement within HHS and a future job with a vaccine manufacturer after retirement from public service. Many of these same physicians sit on the peer review boards of the major medical journals such as Pediatrics and JAMA, where they refuse space for studies or letters from the few brave physicians who dare to challenge their assertions that there is no cause and effect” (xxiii)

When you take into account the billions of dollars at stake in vaccination campaigns, it is not surprising that vaccination propaganda is foisted upon the public with almost religious fervour. The intense psychological pressure and fear that parents feel about vaccinating their children is no accident, but the result of well-planned, well-funded marketing campaigns.

Needless to say, having completed my research, Oscar and my subsequent two children remain completely un-vaccinated.

We have traveled with our un-vaccinated children to Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Caribbean Islands, England, USA, Hawaii and the only disease they ever contracted was when Oscar got croup (whooping cough) when he was 8 months old. I treated him with entirely natural herbs and eucalyptus steams and he was 100% recovered in 8 days – not even a sniffle remaining.

Of course, we are doing a LOT from all angles: supplements, organic, unprocessed diet, low sugar, very physically active, good emotional environment, low WiFi, cellphone exposure, etc. to keep our children’s immune system strong.

As to whether you should vaccinate your child or not, only you can and should make that decision. It is very difficult to stand strong and resolute against the ubiquitous pressure to vaccinate. It’s like having to keep insisting the earth is round when authorities, your community, intellectuals, and the majority of scientists etc. all insist it’s flat. As with all matters of health, each of us has to go with what our gut tells us is right, or the best possible option for us at that time.

VACCINE ALTERNATIVES

There are very effective alternatives to vaccination, but it’s beyond the scope of this article to address that here (see www.alternativemedicine.com and do a keyword search on vaccination for more info). Also, any good naturopathic physician will be able to advise you of the alternatives and prescribe immune support measures for your child. For those of you who are wary of the dangers of vaccination but not quite strong enough – or convinced enough – to decline immunization, there are a few options you might wish to explore:

• Only give your child the vaccines you feel are most necessary and omit the most dangerous ones, or the ones that have been banned in other countries. For example, opt for diphtheria and tetanus but omit the pertussis component of the DPT shot, skip the hepatitis B vaccine – especially in infants (200 doctors in France have banded together to try to get their government to ban it). The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot has also been banned in several countries.
• If you do vaccinate, assist your child/baby’s immune system before, during and after vaccination to reduce the risk of adverse effects. Dr. Lendon Smith (an Oregon pediatrician) administered the following to his patients during his practicing years: 1000 mg. Vitamin C, 500 mg. Calcium, 50 mg. Vitamin B6 the day before, the day of, and the day after vaccination. Consult with your doctor (medical or naturopathic) as to the best amounts and delivery method of these immune support substances for your child. Continue to supplement with a full range of vitamins and minerals daily thereafter (use 100% natural preparations specially formulated for infants or children).
• Continue to educate yourself by reading other sources and conduct your own research on vaccination. See some of the publications and websites listed at the end of this article for further reading.

Click here if you’d like to download a copy of this vaccination article.

Vaccine Risk Awareness Websites:

National Vaccine Information Center
http://www.909shot.com

Concerned Parents for Vaccine Safety
http://www.home.sprynet.com/sprynet/Gyrene/Home.htm

Vaccination Information Paradigm
http://www.cco.net/~trufax/vaccine/vacindex.html

Immunisation Awareness Society
http://www.netlink.co.nz/~ias/ias/htm

PUBLICATIONS:

Vaccination: 200 years of Orthodox Research Shows That Vaccines Represent A Medical Assault on the Immune System by Viera Scheibner PhD

Universal Immunization – Medical Miracle or Masterful Mirage? by Raymond Obomsawin PhD (available from Health Action Network tel: 604-435-0512)

What Every Parent Should Know About Childhood Immunization by Jamie Murphy

How To Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, MD

The Immunization Decision: A Guide For Parents by Dr. Randall Neustaedter

Vaccinations and Immunization: Dangers, Delusions and Alternatives by Dr. Leon Chaitow, ND, DO

Immunization: The Reality Behind The Myth by Walene James

Click here if you’d like to download a copy of this vaccination article.
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© 2000-2010 Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Those of you who have Listen To Your Gut, know that I have been warning people not to use cell phones since 2005. However, as microwave radiation technology expands, we have to be alert for other devices that use these harmful frequencies, such as:

• Cell phone use (and second-hand radiation from other cell phones)
• The family’s cordless phones in the home
• Wireless LAN (or Land-area Network) systems at schools or home
• Cell towers in the neighborhood, or near schools
• Wireless computers at home, work, or at school
• Two-way radios (think family ski-trips)
• WIFI systems (at McDonalds and Starbucks for wireless computers)

WiFi or wireless internet is a source of high exposure that needs to be avoided by anyone trying to heal from a chronic illness, or anyone susceptible – especially if you have a susceptible immune system.

If you take an actual EMF measuring device and measure the radiation coming off a wifi computer in a school – it is 3x stronger/higher than the highest emission point from a cell phone tower – not an individual cell phone, but a cell phone tower. This is key because we have plenty of documented information regarding cancer clusters around cell towers and most countries have banned them from school grounds on this basis.

But….officials are telling you that it’s safe to have to wireless in your school, home or office – hello??

As prominent doctor, researcher, author & lecturer, Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy, said recently:

“Apart from the symptoms of EHS, already caused by the Wi-Fi routers, longer term effects of the radiation from WiFi laptops are likely to be various abdominal cancers, digestive disorders such as IBS, and a loss of fertility.”

Learn about what you can do to reduce or shield yourself from exposure to these electromagnetic frequencies (non-thermal, pulsed radiation) which are appearing everywhere.

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© 2010 Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

If you absolutely cannot breastfeed your baby, or if you have to supplement with formula feeding then there are things you can add to commercial formulas to increase their low nutrient value.

But first, please go to a La Leche League meeting and/or search their website, as there is so much help available for breastfeeding difficulties of all kinds.

If your baby suffers from colic, projectile vomiting after feeding, or any other digestive problem, this can make breastfeeding difficult. And if you’re not getting enough sleep and continually stressed from a colicky baby, this can decrease your milk production – be sure and watch my video Baby Fart Aerobics to get colic and other digestive difficulties handled/healed quickly. Anemia is also a common cause of not being able to produce enough milk.

You can definitely solve whatever problem is causing you to not produce enough milk – did you know that adoptive mothers can breastfeed their new babies – even if they’ve never been pregnant or given birth? Also, even if your milk dries up completely due to illness or trauma, you can re-start it and get back to an exclusively breastfed baby. I know because this is what happened to me after the birth of my third child – it’s called relactation.

Exclusive Formula Feeding

If you do have to formula feed a newborn, you’ll need to add a number of crucial nutrients to facilitate proper brain development and help safeguard his/her gut. The best and most comprehensive instructions for infant formula supplementation can be found at Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website: “Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula”. There’s no point in me giving you additional instructions here, as this article really covers it all (and gives a few different options). If you’re exclusively formula feeding, you should also add Natren brand probiotic (Life Start – B. infantis) to baby’s formula bottles.

Partial Formula Feeding

If you’re using formula to supplement your breastfeeding, you should still read the article at mercola.com as the information is vital. Depending on the amount you’re still breastfeeding, you’ll either need to fortify your formula feedings as per the Mercola article instructions, or you can use Jini’s Formula Supplement Protocol below.

My protocol assumes that you are taking the supplements recommended below (see: Essential Supplements) – if you are not, then you need to follow the protocol on Dr. Mercola’s site instead. My protocol is nowhere near as good as the protocol on Dr. Mercola’s site. But, if you simply can’t manage to implement Mercola’s comprehensive protocol, then this protocol is still far better than just plain formula.

Jini’s Formula Supplement Protocol

• Raw, organic goat’s milk or raw, organic cow’s milk*
• 1 scoop of organic formula
• 1/8 tsp. Natren Life Start (B. infantis) probiotic until baby starts eating solids, then alternate/rotate with the other Natren probiotics: 1/8 tsp. Life Start, 1/8 tsp. Megadophilus, 1/8 tsp. Digesta-Lac
• 1/2 tsp. Udo’s oil
• 1 cod liver oil capsule (puncture and squeeze in baby’s mouth if possible)
• 1/2 Moducare capsule (plant sterols/fats) – boosts immunity after weaning. Note: If breastfeeding 3 times per day or more, then you don’t need to add Moducare.

Place formula, probiotics, Udo’s oil, and Moducare in baby’s bottle. Add 1 ounce of milk and mix with a spoon, crushing all lumps, until a smooth paste is formed. Then add the rest of the milk whilst stirring well. Put the lid on the bottle, block the nipple hole with your finger, and shake vigorously. It’s okay to heat the milk to normal infant feeding temperature – but closer to room temperature is better. Remember to never heat infant milk or formula in the microwave.

*If you can’t get raw (unpasteurized, non-homogenized) goat’s or cow’s milk (see www.realmilk.com for suppliers) then just use your regular formula with water or almond milk. However, if your baby is less than 4 months old and you can’t get raw milk, then you really should use the protocol on Mercola’s site instead. Do not ever use pasteurized cow’s milk or soy milk.

Rice milk has a very high glycemic index and will accelerate tooth decay. Soy milk contains massive amounts of estrogen, blocks mineral absorption and also depresses thyroid function – no one should ingest soy milk! Homemade almond milk (remember to strain it through a fine cheesecloth) is best – but organic store bought is okay.

Essential Supplements For Breastfeeding Moms

Note: I am going to give links to each product in my Health Shoppe, so you can see which brand I recommend and why – but it’s probably best to get them at your local health store so you can avoid the shipping cost.

Here are the supplements I believe every mother should take during pregnancy (and ideally for three months prior to conception), for the duration of breastfeeding, and then for at least three months following weaning (to replenish your own body stores and health):

•    Nature’s Way Prenatal Multivitamin
•    Udo’s Oil (or flax oil) – at least 1 tbsp. per day
•    Cod Liver Oil – 6 capsules or 2 tsp per day
•    Bone Support – 1 tbsp per day
•    Minerals Of Life Trace Minerals – 1 tbsp per day
•    Absorb Plus or protein shake – as needed -  if underweight, or no time to eat properly
•    Natren probiotics in powder form (Megadophilus, Bifido Factor, Life Start, Digesta-Lac) or capsules (if you prefer and have no diarrhea or heartburn).
•    Follow the Healing Diet in Listen To Your Gut that suits your symptoms, or at least follow the Maintenance Diet (see below) strictly

Other supplements that are also be beneficial:

•    Coenzyme Q10
•    Pycnogenol or Grape Seed Extract
•    Vitamin C in mineral ascorbate form
•    Angstrom/Nanoparticle-sized Iron if you need additional iron supplementation – when taken with lots of water, this form will not constipate you, nor will it aggravate or trigger intestinal bleeding.

There have been many long-term studies done showing that the health of your baby in-utero will pre-determine your child’s health until the late teenage years. So please don’t make the mistake of assuming that you can eat whatever you want whilst pregnant! Pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding) should be the most disciplined, healthy diet and lifestyle time of your life. It is absolutely crucial that you strictly follow the guidelines in this Maintenance Diet and take the supplements recommended above to give your baby the best chance at good health, optimal brain functioning, and avoiding allergies and obesity.

Maintenance Diet

• No processed, pre-packaged foods.

• No foods containing preservatives, nitrates & nitrites (these have actually been banned by the FDA, they are so carcinogenic to the gut, but the meat industry refused to comply and so they are still in all your commercial hot dogs and deli meats), monosodium glutamate (MSG – it interferes with neural functioning), carrageenan (large quantities have been used to induce Ulcerative Colitis in guinea pigs and primates), or anything else that sounds like a manufactured chemical compound.

• No margarine or butter substitutes – often treated with chemical solvents and bleaches, resulting in deformed, highly toxic, trans-fatty acids. Even the cold-pressed margarines are not good as your body doesn’t need so much of those oils, and they prevent you from using butter – which your body needs a lot of. Use real butter (preferably made from raw, organic milk), cold-pressed virgin olive oil, or unrefined coconut oil instead. Do not use regular mayonnaise either – only mayonnaise made from cold-pressed oils.

• No artificial sweeteners of any kind (like aspartame, nutrasweet, saccharine, splenda, sucralose, acesulfame-K, etc.) – toxic and proven to cause memory loss, can also be highly addictive and contribute to hyperactivity and seizures in some people.

• No artificial colors or flavors – especially since the introduction of neural flavor blockers and enhancers.

• No pasteurized milk products; milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc. Raw milk products are okay and actually promote health. But pasteurized or ultrapasteurized (UHT) dairy products must be strictly avoided. For more info on the health benefits of raw milk, see www.realmilk.com

My friend came to me with one of the most bizarre problems I’d heard of: Ever since she was pregnant with her first child, she would instantly develop a rash wherever her skin was exposed to the sun. Previously, she had no problems with the sun and would tan nicely like everyone else.

Well a little Google surfing revealed that there is actually an official name for this condition: Solar Dermatitis. And the typical recommended treatment is cool compress, oatmeal, aloe and staying out of the sun.

But none of those address any kind of a root cause – which is where I always look when treating the body. And if we don’t get to the root cause or imbalance in the body, we will never have healing – symptom soothing, masking or repression, yes, but not healing.

Well, sometimes I surprise even myself and I’m pleased to say that the first treatment I suggested to my friend worked a charm and her sun rash problem disappeared after only 2 weeks on this protocol – never to return again! Can you imagine? Nine years of not being able to go out in the sun (with any skin exposed) – and when you have 3 young children like she does, that’s a big deal.

In her case, since pregnancy triggered onset of the solar dermatitis, I wondered if there was a hormonal imbalance at work. However, I suggested we first look at balancing the gut (because whenever there’s a skin problem, you need to look to the digestive system) and taking nutrients specifically for the skin first. And if that didn’t work, then we could move on to investigating the endocrine system.

Fortunately, the gut/skin regimen worked brilliantly and we didn’t have to go any further. So here’s my natural treatment protocol for solar dermatitis:

1. Balance Your Gut Flora – this means you need to get an abundance of good bacteria into your gut, rather than bad bacteria and yeast/fungi. Take 1 Natren Healthy Trinity Capsule (the 3-in-1 capsule) per day until you no longer get a rash when you go out in the sun. Then stay on a maintenance dose of 1 per day for the next 6-12 months, just to be sure. If you don’t consume any food-based probiotics (fermented veggies, homemade yoghurt, etc.) then you should just stay on 1 Healthy Trinity capsule every 1-3 days indefinitely. This will also provide protection against a host of other diseases and ailments. You can usually get your local health store to order Natren Healthy Trinity in for you if they don’t already carry it – but don’t substitute another brand, or you will not get the same results.

2. Take Targetted Nutrients For Your Skin – take a high quality cod liver oil that contains ONLY naturally-occurring Vitamin A and D. I like either Carlson or Nordic Naturals brands (available at most high quality health stores). Take either 1 tsp (or 5 capsules) per day. Also take Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and again, I prefer Carlson brand, since it is naturally-derived. You need to take the right amount of Vitamin D – both according to your racial heritage and the climate you live in. Since my friend is light-skinned, blonde hair and we live in the Pacific Northwest (not much sun – not that she could go out in the sun anyway!) she took 2,000 IU per day. With my darker skin, I take 4,000 IU  Vitamin D3 per day.

3. Stop Putting Toxins Into Your Body – it makes sense that if you’re trying to help your body detox and balance it’s gut terrain, then you’re going to see the best results if what you’re ingesting every day helps that process – rather than hinders it. So this means: No processed, packaged food, no nitrates, no preservative, no artificial flavors and sweeteners, no hydrogenated/vegetable oils – basically, no standard crap that everyone else eats. You also need to reduce your sugar as much as you possibly can, because sugar (and simple carbs like white flour and white rice) are the preferred food source for candida yeast/fungus and bad bacteria. Do eat: fresh, organic vegetables, meat, eggs and eat them raw or use cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive oil) and organic butter to cook them in. When you need a treat, use these healthy recipes for muffins and puffed squares.

Since she is the only one I know of with this problem and this treatment worked brilliantly for her, if you try it, please post your results in the COMMENTS section below, so we can pool our knowledge…

soar higher,
Jini

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©2010 Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

I just got a phone call from my neighbour – whose friend wanted to know about natural remedies for acne. So I figured I might as well blog my answer so that many more can benefit!

Whenever someone has a skin problem – acne, excema, psoriasis, unexplained rash, etc – the first place we look is to the gut ecology. This is because the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and the skin are made from the same type of cells.

The second reason we look to the gut is that the skin is one of the organs of detoxification. And if your body is detoxing through your skin – using your skin to push out undesirables – then it’s yet another sign that something’s wrong with your gut, and possibly your liver.

So, treating acne requires a three-pronged approach:

1. Balance Your Gut Flora – this means you need to get an abundance of good bacteria into your gut, rather than bad bacteria and yeast/fungi. If your acne is mild, or you haven’t had it for very long this can usually be accomplished by using a therapeutic probiotic alone: Take 1 Natren Healthy Trinity Capsule (the 3-in-1 capsule) per day for one week, and then 2 capsules per day until your acne clears up. Then stay on a maintenance dose of 1 per day. You can usually get your local health store to order Natren Healthy Trinity in for you if they don’t already carry it – but don’t substitute another brand, or you will not get the same results.

If you have severe or long-standing acne (2 years or more) you may first need to take wild oregano oil to clear out the pathogens, and then repopulate with the good bacteria – we have a protocol for this and it’s called Jini’s Wild Oregano OIl Protocol. You can also go to my Free Stuff page and get my complimentary Wild Oregano Oil Report.

2. Stop Putting Toxins Into Your Body – it makes sense that if you’re trying to help your body detox and balance it’s gut terrain, then you’re going to see the best results if what you’re ingesting every day helps that process – rather than hinders it. So this means: No processed, packaged food, no nitrates, no preservative, no artificial flavors and sweeteners, no hydrogenated/vegetable oils – basically, no standard crap that everyone else eats. You also need to reduce your sugar as much as you possibly can, because sugar (and simple carbs like white flour and white rice) are the preferred food source for candida yeast/fungus and bad bacteria. Do eat: fresh, organic vegetables, meat, eggs and eat them raw or use cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive oil) and organic butter to cook them in. When you need a treat, use these healthy recipes for muffins and puffed squares.

Again, if you’ve had long-standing acne, you will also need to use a liver support herb – to help detox and restore liver functioning. Milk thistle or burdock root are good herbs for this – in either liquid tincture or capsule form.

3. Treat Topical Sores - you can also topically address infection and speed healing by dabbing wild oregano directly onto each acne sore. Apply 3-5x/day if you can – but even 2x/day will produce good results. If you can’t tolerate the normal wild oregano oil, you can further dilute it with olive oil. Make up a 6:1 dilution using 6 drops of olive oil to 1 drop of wild oregano oil. Another substance that can work well, if you have it to hand is potassium iodide (SSKI).

And that’s it! If you’re feeling overwhelmed by now, then just start with 2 simple things: Natren Healthy Trinity capsules, 1-2x/day and apply wild oregano oil topically. After you see positive change, it will encourage you to address the dietary aspect.

soar higher,
Jini

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©2010 Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

I recently had a 3-day stool and saliva test done through Jim Ehmke’s clinic – you may recall Jim as he is the clinical nutritionist I interviewed for a teleseminar on raw milk diets and a podcast on natural cancer treatments. The results of my stool sample came back perfectly clear (no ova or parasites), with an abundance of good bacteria. However, the saliva sample indicated a “positive” or “detected” result for Entamoeba histolytica, roundworm and tapeworm. Yikes!

Upon closer examination, the test specified that IgA antibodies to these parasites had been found. I had a lengthy phone conversation with Jim Ehmke about these results and he feels they are indeed indicative of infection with these parasites. He told me that when he worked with a parasitologist, they would see results like this, where the parasites were detected only in the saliva antibodies. But then they would do an extremely aggressive purge on the patient and after that treatment the parasites would exit via the stool.

I then consulted with three different integrative medical physicians to get their opinion. They all felt that the test was not a reliable indicator of the presence of these parasites. They stated that IgA antibodies merely indicate exposure to the parasites. For the parasites to actually be present in the body, the saliva would reveal IgM antibodies – which indicate infection.

Parasitic Infection Or Symbiosis?

So am I infected with parasites… or not? Personally, I don’t feel there’s enough evidence either way to make an unequivocal declaration. And here’s another thing I feel that may be a bit unusual: I don’t actually mind sharing my body and resources with other microorganisms. If mosquito bites didn’t itch, I wouldn’t mind sharing my blood either. Western mentality has a fixation on sanitation and “cleanliness”. But look at how humans have lived for millennia – side by side with all kinds of animals and organisms.

Yes, you may say, but look at the diseases they get! Sure, okay, but what about the diseases we get? I’m not saying I would be happy with a widespread infestation of parasites, because obviously that would compromise my health and lead to suffering. But what’s wrong with a few, unobtrusive, otherwise undetectable parasites that do not interfere with my energy, vitality, strength and functioning?

According to the Amebiasis Fact Sheet from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) only 10 –20% of those infected with Entamoeba histolytica ever become sick from it. And in many cases, E. histolytica is indistinguishable from E. dispar – which never makes people sick and thus does not need to be treated. It seems to me we are back to the susceptibility component of Germ Theory: it is not the germs themselves, which cause disease, it is the susceptibility of the host bioterrain that determines whether microbes remain harmless or become an “infection”.

For example, an infection of Staph A strikes dread into the hearts of many. But did you know that Staphylococcus aureus is a normal resident on the skin (and mucous membranes) of about 40% of the population? What causes it to turn infectious in some but mostly benign in others?

Also, don’t forget, the latest therapy for causing Crohn’s symptoms to subside is to have the patient swallow regular infestations of Helminth worms (from pigs). These worms do not stay indefinitely in the gut however, and eventually pass out through the stool, hence the patient has to periodically swallow a new batch of eggs.

An effective therapy for asthma and allergies in children consists of them playing with and inhaling African dirt. Why? Because dirt from Africa is not “clean” and contains all kinds of microscopic organisms and particles that effectively engage and thus balance the child’s immune system.

The theory that doctors are following now is that humans are designed to co-exist with various microorganisms. Our immune system has evolved to function in the presence of all kinds of “nasties”. And in our newly sterile western world, the immune system is now malfunctioning in this unnatural environment. Personally, this has always resonated with me and I have let all three of my children be less sanitary than “normal”, right from birth. For example, I don’t make them wash their hands before dinner, if food drops on the floor I let them brush it off and eat it (if they want). Simultaneously, I have provided the elements necessary for building a strong immune system – through diet, environment, emotional health, supplements and avoiding vaccines.

But getting back to my saliva test results: am I now worried? To be honest, I haven’t decided yet. If the actual parasites or their eggs were detected in my stool, then yes, I would definitely pursue treatment because this would indicate to me an unhealthy level of infection. Likewise, if my saliva showed IgM antibodies to parasites, that would be a more solid indicator for me. But IgA antibodies in my saliva only, that merely indicate exposure?

Let me tell you, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to be exposed to these parasites. I was born in Kenya and lived there for five years. When I was ten I watched our cat vomit up a mouse with a tapeworm wrapped around it (and yes, I stroked and napped with this cat). I have rescued any number of mangy stray dogs, cats and abused horses. I have traveled to many third world countries and eaten from roadside stalls. Exposure? No doubt. And possibly past infection that has since been cleared. But current, ongoing, pathogenic infection? I don’t know, I just don’t see the evidence of it.

Anti-Parasitic Protocols

Nevertheless, my test results caused me to delve deeply into the world of anti-parasitic protocols. Chlorine dioxide – which is sodium chlorite that has been ‘activated’ with citric acid (also known as MMS – Miracle Mineral Supplement) is showing great promise in this field. But it is also difficult to tolerate with many discontinuing treatment due to the unpleasant side effects – nausea being particularly bothersome.

There is also plenty of information available on MMS protocols and many people experimenting with it, so I decided to leave it alone for now. One thing I will say is that I believe Dr. Tom Hesselink is on the right track when he maintains the side effects from the MMS protocols are not the herxheimer reaction, but rather poisoning, from using too high a dosage. Personally, I would follow Dr. Hesselink’s protocols and use a 5% solution of sodium chlorite, rather than a 28% solution (as recommended by the MMS inventor, Jim Humble). Dr. Hesselink’s protocol can be found at:
http://bioredox.mysite.com/CLOXhtml/CLOXprot.htm

For my anti-parasitic protocols, I decided to experiment with potent substances I’m already familiar with and have a degree of fluency in their usage. I looked at combining certain natural substances to create a synergy of potentiated (exponentially increased) effect, in an attempt to create a protocol that was suitably powerful, yet with the highest chance of tolerance: wild oregano oil, potassium iodide, DMSO and nanoparticle silver.

This protocol is particularly powerful due to the combined anti-pathogen effect of each of its components. In addition to that, the DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide; derived from tree bark) carries the substances quickly and deeply into the tissues, bloodstream and cells. Nanoparticle silver (much smaller and very different from colloidal or ionic silver) is also instantly absorbed into the cells and bloodstream – no digestion required. When taken on an empty stomach, these four anti-pathogen substances are indeed powerful and hopefully effective.

I have tested this protocol myself and personally, I find it to be fairly easily tolerated – dizziness and periods of tiredness were my principle reactions. Depending on what’s happening, you may feel initially tired and experience some herxheimer (headaches, fatigue, mild nausea, diarrhea) reaction symptoms (just give your body extra rest), but as time goes on you will feel increasing amounts of energy. If you tend to constipation, then it is really important to give your body plenty of magnesium citrate or flushing enemas to keep your bowel moving and regularly eliminate the dead microorganisms and their toxins.

As you will see, I have provided two “strengths” of this protocol; the first is the one I have tested on myself and is for regular pathogens (yeast, fungus, bacteria, viruses, mycobacteria), or suspected parasites. The second one is for confirmed parasites. Please keep in mind that both of these are experimental – so far I am the only one who has done the first protocol and no one has yet done the second (I’ve had a few doses of the second, but I haven’t done it for two weeks). So proceed with caution and post any comments, etc. in the COMMENTS section below and I’ll try to provide feedback where I can. Please keep in mind that I cannot give personal health advice (due to liability issues) but I can discuss this protocol, ingredients, my experience, etc.

Induce Alkalinity To Increase Potency

I also heard of a trick to further increase the potency of each protocol by inducing alkalinity just prior to ingestion, to make the microbes more susceptible (many bacteria and viruses cannot live or thrive in an alkaline environment). I learned this trick from Maraline Krey – who I have done both a teleseminar and podcast on pH body balance. This is done by drinking some nanoparticle minerals, which have a pH of 12 – remember nanoparticle minerals do not require digestion and are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream.

This will also benefit those of you concerned with calcium levels or osteoporosis since the mineral blend is called Bone Support and contains calcium, magnesium, boron, cobalt and potassium. After ingesting 1 tablespoon of Bone Support, you then wait five minutes and then ingest the anti-pathogen substances in the protocol. I use Bone Support as my multi-mineral supplement, so I followed Maraline’s advice and ingested a tablespoon five minutes prior to administering the protocol.

Once more thing you can do to support this protocol is to also take adequate amounts of vitamin D (3,000 IU per day) and cod liver oil (1 tsp or 4-6 capsules per day) – with food. Vitamin D is one of those substances that increases overall body resistance to pathogens and cod liver oil aids the action of DMSO.

Products needed for this protocol:

* 1 bottle Joy Of The Mountains or NAHS wild oregano oil (available at www.HolisticHealthShoppe.com)
* 1 bottle 70% DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) available at: www.TahomaClinic.com
* 1 bottle of SSKI (super saturated potassium iodide) from Tri-Quench (available at: www.TahomaClinic.com)
* 1 – 32-ounce bottle of Molecula Silver (nanoparticle liquid silver – NOT colloidal nor ionic silver). Available at: www.WorldHealthMall.com
* Natren probiotics: If you are having 3 bowel movements or less per day, then you can take the Healthy Trinity capsules. If you are having more than 3 bowel movements per day, then you must use the powders: Megadophilus, Bifido Factor and Digesta-Lac (available at www.HolisticHealthShoppe.com)
* Optional: 1 – 32 ounce bottle of Bone Support nanoparticle minerals (available at www.WorldHealthMall.com or www.HolisticHealthShoppe.com)

Now that you have all your ingredients ready. Here is how to administer the protocol:

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Jini’s Quad Synergy Pathogen/Parasite Protocol

This protocol is administered orally for bacterial, viral or suspected parasitic infections and then both orally and transdermally for severe or confirmed parasitic infections.

For bacteria, viruses, yeast and mild or suspected parasites:
* 5 – 10 drops of wild oregano oil (shake bottle well)
* 6 – 8 ounces of water containing 1 tablespoon of nanoparticle silver, 3 drops potassium iodide and 1/4 teaspoon DMSO

For confirmed or strong parasitic infection:
* 10 – 15 drops of wild oregano oil (shake bottle well)
* 6 – 8 ounces of water containing 1 tablespoon of nanoparticle silver, 3 drops potassium iodide and 1/2 teaspoon DMSO (Note: If the taste of the DMSO is too strong for your tolerance, then replace 1-2 ounces of water with clear organic apple juice to help mask the taste.)

Take a sip of the water mixture, tip your head back, so it goes to the back of your throat, hold it there and drop the wild oregano oil into your throat. Immediately swallow and then wash all remaining traces of the oil down your throat using rest of the water/supplement mixture – drink until the glass is empty. For a demonstration of how to do this, see my video on How To Take Wild Oregano Oil.

Take this 3 – 5 times per day on an empty stomach. It’s a good idea to start with lower amounts or lowered frequency and then build up over time. For example, start with half the dosage of wild oregano oil DMSO, then gradually build up, or take once or twice per day to start, establish tolerance and then increase to full frequency and dosage.

Last thing before bed, and 2 hours after your last dosage (on an empty stomach), take a high dose of the Natren probiotics: either 1 tsp each of Megadophilus, Bifido-Factor and Digesta-Lac dissolved in 8 ounces filtered room-temperature water OR 1 Health Trinity capsule.

Take for a maximum of 2 weeks and then take a break for 2 – 4 weeks – unless you are having your thyroid monitored by your doctor – because the iodine in the potassium iodide affects thyroid function. Or, if you need to take it for longer than two weeks, then delete the potassium iodide (SSKI) from the protocol after the two week period.

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When you are finished the protocol, you should take high dose Natren probiotics three times a day for three to six months: either 1 tsp each of Megadophilus, Bifido-Factor and Digesta-Lac dissolved in 8 ounces filtered room-temperature water, taken 3x/day on an empty stomach OR 1 Health Trinity capsule, 2x/day. Thereafter, either take probiotics daily and/or eat foods rich in probiotics (homemade yoghurt, kefir, fermented vegetables, etc.).

You may need to cycle on and off this program for up to two years depending upon what you are infected with. Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) and various parasites have dormant and active lifecycles, so you need to do the protocol again each time they become active, until you have completely cleared the pathogen and it’s eggs, spores, etc.

Find out the dormant/active lifecycle for whichever parasites you’re infected with and schedule treatment for the active times – for maximum efficacy. For example, when treating roundworm and tapeworm, you may want to roughly mimic the drug treatment cycle: Implement oral and transdermal protocols on Day 1-14, then take a break, administer again on Day 30-35, then break, administer Day 90-95 then break, administer Day 180 – 185. Finished.

To find out more on each of the substances involved in this treatment, go to my article section at JPT Wellness Circle and look up my articles on DMSO and potassium iodide. Then go to the Reports section and download the Wild Oregano Oil Report. For those of you who are not JPT Members, this blog also contains lots of info on my experiments – and it is free, just use the Search box to search by topic. Lastly, do an internet search on each ingredient, like “nanoparticle silver” and it will pull up some fascinating research for you like this:

“In the first-ever study of metal nanoparticles’ interaction with HIV-1, silver nanoparticles of sizes 1-10nm attached to HIV-1 and prevented the virus from bonding to host cells. The study, published in the Journal of Nanotechnology, was a joint project between the University of Texas, Austin and Mexico Univeristy, Nuevo Leon.”

A word of caution: do NOT substitute products or brands other than the ones I have listed here (you can purchase them anywhere you want, just don’t change the brand). For example, you cannot substitute regular iodine or Lugol’s for the potassium iodide (SSKI), since Lugol’s has molecular iodine in addition to potassium iodide and will cause irritation when used with DMSO. Here’s another example: you cannot combine chlorine dioxide (MMS) with wild oregano oil, because the phenols in wild oregano neutralize or deactivate the MMS, rendering it worthless.

I have studied and compiled hundreds of pages of research to put together this protocol and since we are dealing with powerful substances, they have volatilities and interactions with other specific substances that can either cause unpleasant effects, or neutralize their action. This is why you have to use exactly the products specified here to obtain the desired effect and full potency of the protocol. As with any substance, if you react badly, develop a rash or other allergic reaction, then discontinue use. This is yet another reason to start slowly and gradually build up to test for tolerance.

Again, please keep in mind that these protocols are experimental, so be sure to listen to your own body at all times and post your results here so we can compile our knowledge together. Don’t forget, this is how Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol came into existence – I tested it on myself first, then about 30 of my consultation clients tested it and we compiled our feedback, altered the protocol a bit, and now we have an excellent protocol that has helped thousands.

soar higher,
Jini
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©2010 Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

As I get deeper and deeper into this whole WiFi/cell phone debacle, the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how people stubbornly insist on “proven data” quoting Industry-funded sources like Health Canada stating that “a person would have to be in a room within 20 cm of 1,000 WiFi routers for an extended period of time for there to be any health concern.” And these are the sources and opinions that get quoted in news articles.

It drives me crazy! When we now have literally hundreds of studies showing that people living in close proximity to just ONE cell tower or WiFi tower suffer cancer clusters, headaches, sleep problems, GI problems, etc. But does the media report on any of these peer-reviewed, scientific studies showing the clear dangers of WiFi and cell phones?

No, they continue to quote industry stooges or just plain misinformed people who haven’t taken the time to look at the actual data for themselves.

But let’s take it away from scientific data and just put it into the realm of pure common sense: If we have studies that show microwave radiation (from cell phones, cordless phones, wireless computers and other wireless devices) cause marked, measurable damage in plants and animals – then WHY do we think, “Uh, gee, it’s damaging everything else on the planet, but not us humans, we’re fine!”

Plants Damaged By Microwave (RF) Radiation

Again, we have hundreds of studies now amassed showing that WiFi radiation from cell towers and WiFi towers and yes, YOU using these devices are damaging plants and animals. Here’s just one:

This experiment with Aspen seedlings in Colorado pinpoints why the trees in the region have been showing steady death and decline since 2004.

They put these seedlings inside a Faraday Cage – to shield them from RF radiation and here’s what they looked like, healthy, well-formed leaves, with plenty of leaves per branch:

These seedlings were not shielded from the radiation and you can visibly see how they are damaged and stunted:

The author of this study, K. Haggerty, goes on to say:

“Currently a strong human-generated RF background exists at every point on the earth’s surface, although radio field strength is relatively greater in the most populous and urbanized areas. Globally, the highest field strengths occur in central Europe, the eastern United States, and in China (Figure 9). Forest decline was first recognized and defined based on observed events in central Europe and the eastern US, and China, at this time, is experiencing rapid desertification. [...]

More recently, it has been shown that mortality rates of all dominant tree species in the western United States have been doubling every 17–29 years in old growth forests, and that recruitment of new trees is now occurring at a lower rate than mortality [35]. Since aspen decline and other tree decline incidents worldwide have similar symptoms, and since no definitive explanation has been found for those events, it seems plausible that their decline may be related to RF exposure.”

Even Opponents of Wireless Carry Cell Phones!

And another thing that’s been bothering me: When I go to meetings where people gather who are concerned about the negative health effects of WiFi and cell phones….. nearly everyone there is carrying or using a cell phone! First everyone turns off their cell phone, and then we talk about how cell phone radiation is contributing to bees dying. How about putting your money where your mouth is?

If those of us who KNOW how wireless is damaging life forms will not stop using cell phones, how are we ever going to get Joe-public to stop using wireless devices?

Personally, I haven’t had a cell phone for about 2 years. But realistically, I don’t see how we’re ever going to get any kind of a ban on this technology, until as Dr. Allan Frey stated in the GQ magazine article, Warning: Your Cell Phone May Be Hazardous To Your Health, “there are bodies in the streets.” This technology is simply too widespread and the revenues at stake make vaccination (another industry-driven fiasco) look like a poor cousin.

EMR Shielding Solution?

I wonder if the solution lies in someone inventing a personal RF/EMR protection device. Something that throws up a “force field” or wave-interrupter, dissonance-generator, etc. that then extends a foot or so around the body – so you can go to the shops, or your kids can go to school without being irradiated. And then there would also need to be a home version of that device, so you can protect your entire house. And then a version that can protect your yard and your land – so kids can play outside.

And I’m not talking about some woo-woo device (there are a lot of those already out there). I’m talking about a device that when activated, you take your RF meter and turn it on inside the protected area and it does not register/show any microwave radiation present.

I’m currently contacting scientists in Russia (where a lot of microwave research originated) trying to find someone who could invent this kind of device – so if you know of someone, or you have some ideas, please post below and I’ll contact you.

No, this won’t save our bees, birds, trees, cows (reduced milk production, shortened gestation) and crops – but at least we won’t have to stand by and watch our children get cancer, chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, etc. until the rest of the world figures out that we have to change this technology to something safer.

And no, I am NOT a Luddite. I use the latest iMac, my entire business is automated on the Internet, before this I owned a telecommunications company. But I am also savvy enough to recognize a serious health issue when I see one – and seriously, this is one of the greatest health challenges of this century.

Animals Damaged By Wireless Radiation

I’m going to leave you with two more animal studies that are clear as day on the dangers this technology presents, in its current form:

“… when you also take into account studies such as one in rats that has shown that exposing pregnant rats to a mobile phone for one hour a day during pregnancy led to abnormal dead cells in the brain of their offspring and fewer healthy cells in regions involved in learning and memory after birth, then it becomes more worrying.”

“Scientists have found that when rats were exposed to a mobile phone in standby mode, switched on to speech mode for 15 minutes twice a day during pregnancy, the female babies had an average of 30% fewer follicles (containing the eggs) in their ovaries after birth.  If this were to happen in humans then it could seriously reduce the fertility of the next generation of females.  We don’t know whether it was the 11 hours and 45 minutes in standby or the 15 minutes in speech mode that led to the decreased fertility.  If it was the former then it is likely that living in a wi-fi environment could also reduce the fertility of subsequent generations.”

(Source: Dr Sarah Starkey, PhD, Neuroscientist)

When I came across this novel therapy for non-surgical healing of intestinal strictures, bowel adhesions and bowel obstructions I could hardly believe what I was reading. After doing this podcast with one of the technique’s inventors, Larry Wurn, I am even more excited!

As you’ll discover when you listen, this technique also works for anal stenosis and possibly for malrotation and volvulus. I didn’t ask about it in the podcast, but I suspect it would also work for dysphagia (difficulty swallowing, tight, spasming or obstructed esophagus).

In addition to listening to the podcast, you can also download an informative and inspirational chapter from Larry & Belinda Wurn, founders of www.clearpassage.com about their revolutionary, hands-on technique for literally dissolving the tough collagen cross-fibers that make up strictures, scar tissue, adhesions, etc. – providing a fantastic alternative to surgery:

Here we have yet another example of our craze for cheap ‘n easy resulting in health issues that weren’t present when quality and nutrition were the higher priority.

Modern people seem to have lost the knowledge that wheat is a grain, and like all grains, needs to be soaked and fermented prior to cooking/ingestion. As the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions points out, when you prepare grains properly, many tolerance issues disappear.

There are artisan bakers who use these natural fermentation techniques in their bread if you don’t want to start baking bread yourself. I’m lucky to have a local bakery, Fieldstone Artisan Breads, just down the road, who uses this natural fermentation method and I can tell you, the bread is delicious! As they say on their website:

Naturally leavened breads are easier to digest due to their slow, extended, 24 hour fermentation with leaven. During the long fermentation required to produce a natural leaven or sourdough, the natural cultures “predigest” the grain, converting carbohydrates into simple sugars and breaking down proteins, making naturally leavened bread easier to assimilate in our digestive systems. This is similar to how beneficial bacteria will culture milk into yoghurt and cheese.

And now, here’s an excerpt of an article from the Shipton Mill in England, which illustrates that when wheat is fermented properly, even gluten-intolerant and coeliacs can eat bread!!:

The timing of the emergence of coeliac disease, which was first diagnosed in the 1950s, coincides with the post-war drive to industrialise food production including baking.

Widespread wheat intolerance, however, emerged less than 20 years ago. At almost the same time, people started talking about an invasive strain of yeast called Candida albicans, which caused joint pain and digestive discomfort.

Andrew Whitley recalls in his book that at this time people started ringing up asking for breads made without wheat or baker’s yeast. As luck would have it, he had developed a sourdough rye bread that contained no wheat and was raised using a spontaneous fermentation (lasting about 24 hours) of ‘wild’ yeasts present in the flour. Customers tried it and found that their digestive problems were eased.

This experience was echoed elsewhere, as more people sought bread that didn’t contain wheat, or industrial yeast, or both. The bread on offer in the shops seemed to be making them ill.

Scientific evidence

The most interesting recent research, with considerable implications for making our daily bread wholesome again, has shown that lactic acid bacteria are capable of de-activating the very substances that cause wheat allergy and coeliac disease.

In 2002 Italian scientists demonstrated, for the first time that, with selected sourdough, lactic acid bacteria could neutralise some of the wheat gliadin that attacks the intestinal mucosa of coeliacs.

In 2004 a Japanese study showed how the lactic fermentation of soy sauce completely removes any allergens from wheat, which is one of its two main ingredients. This is no mean feat, since other studies have proved that the particular parts of the wheat gliadin that harm humans are hardly affected at all by stomach enzymes, and very acidic gastric and duodenal fluids.

It seems to be the unique property of certain lactic acid bacteria that, given time, they can knock out some otherwise impervious elements that make wheat unpalatable for so many people. Modern processes do not allow this to happen, leaving the allergens in place.

A ray of hope

But what do these are test-tube studies mean for the bread we eat – or can’t eat?

Most remarkably, the Italians made a bread with 30 per cent wheat flour (plus oats, millet and buckwheat) and fermented the dough with selected sourdough lactobacilli. It took 24 hours to hydrolyse almost completely the wheat gliadins and the ‘33-mer peptide, the most potent inducer of gut-derived human T-cell lines’ (the things that do the damage) in coeliac patients. They made a similar bread raised with baker’s yeast and fed samples of both to coeliacs in a double-blind acute challenge.

The results were emphatic, 13 out of 17 patients showed a marked alteration of intestinal permeability (popularly known as ‘leaky gut’) after eating the yeast-raised bread. But the same 13 patients, when fed the sourdough bread, showed no significant reaction: remarkably, coeliacs had eaten bread with wheat in it with no ill effects.

Currently, the only treatment for coeliac disease is a lifetime abstention from gluten. This experiment is a ray of hope for coeliacs and the wheat intolerant.

A traditional way to lessen suffering

There was a time when almost all breadmaking involved lactic acid bacteria and a long fermentation time. Before modern yeasts were isolated, most bread was fermented with what we would now call a sourdough and it would have taken many hours to rise. It is an intriguing possibility that, even if the wheats our forefathers cultivated contained the same potentially harmful gliadins as modern varieties, they were largely neutralised by the lactic acid bacteria that bakers couldn’t help developing in their doughs.

This suggests that a return to traditional breadmaking methods offers a significant reduction in the wheat intolerance people experience.

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© Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

You may have already done your research on cell phone safety, realized it’s not safe for adults or children and either drastically reduced your usage, gotten an air tube headset, or like me, just stopped using one (along with your cordless phone in your house, which uses the same microwave frequency).

But have you thought about WiFi safety, or wireless computer/internet safety? Perhaps you have a wireless computer network in your house, or at work? Or perhaps your kids’ school has installed a WiFi router to service their wireless computers? Or perhaps your kids play for hours on a Wii or Nintendo DS – both of which use wireless pulsed microwave radiation technology?

Here’s the big RUB: It doesn’t matter if your kids are using the computers or not, if the school has WiFi, they are being irradiated continuously, whether they are using a computer or not. That’s why this issue is making me crazy – I used to think, “Well, my kids aren’t on the computers so they’re okay.” NOT.

We have many scientists and researchers stepping forward to share the results of their research, and one of them is Barrie Trower – who worked as a specialist in microwave and stealth weaponry for the British military for 11 years.

Here’s what Barrie Trower has to say about WiFi or wireless radiation in schools:

For anyone who tells you there isn’t enough solid data on cell phone or WiFi risks, just point them to this page of quotes from experts on electromagnetic frequencies and radiation.

Here’s one of my favorites:

“We are constantly being bathed in an increasing sea of radiation from exposure to the above, as well as electrical appliances, computers, Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi installations and over 2,000 communications satellites in outer space that shower us with signals to GPS receivers. New WiMax transmitters on cell phone towers that have a range of up to two square miles compared to Wi-Fi’s 300 feet will soon turn the core of North America into one huge electromagnetic hot spot. Children are more severely affected because their brains are developing and their skulls are thinner. A two-minute call can alter brain function in a child for an hour, which is why other countries ban their sale or discourage their use under the age of 18. In contrast, this is the segment of the population now being targeted here in a $2 billion U.S. advertising campaign that views “tweens” (children between 8 and 12 years old) as the next big cell phone market. Firefly and Barbie cell phones are also being promoted for 6 to 8-year-olds.

It is not generally appreciated that there is a cumulative effect and that talking on a cell phone for just an hour a day for ten years can add up to 10,000 watts of radiation. That’s ten times more than from putting your head in a microwave oven. Pregnant women may also be at increased risk based on a study showing that children born to mothers who used a cell phone just two or three times a day during pregnancy showed a dramatic increase in hyperactivity and other behavioral and emotional problems. And for the 30% of children who had also used a cell phone by age 7, the incidence of behavioral problems was 80% higher! Whether ontogeny (embryonic development) recapitulates phylogeny is debatable, but it is clear that lower forms of life are also much more sensitive. If you put the positive electrode of a 1.5 volt battery in the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco and the negative one off San Diego, sharks in the in between these cities can detect the few billionths of a volt electrical field. EMF fields have also been implicated in the recent massive but mysterious disappearance of honeybee colonies essential for pollinating over 90 commercial crops. As Albert Einstein warned, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”
- Paul J. Rosch, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, New York Medical College; Honorary Vice President International Stress Management Association; Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners; Full Member, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; Fellow, The Royal Society of Medicine; Emeritus Member, The Bioelectromagnetics Society

If you would like to approach your kids’ school to have WiFi removed, or a strong cell phone policy put in place, you can see my petition with my local Surrey School Board for ideas.

Or, you can start by printing this open letter from Magda Havas PhD to school educators and giving it to your principal, school board, etc.

It’s a real shame, because my kids are in the Fine Arts program at a brilliant school with a professional theatre, dance studio and music studio (and with ocean views from all the upstairs classrooms!), fabulous teachers, and they couldn’t be happier. But the administration is unwilling to even examine the WiFi issue.

This is the FIRST generation of children to be exposed to wireless computers and cell phones like this – do I want my kids to risk cancer, leukemia, genetic mutation, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. etc. or would I rather pull them out: better safe than sorry?

We know from GQ Magazine (of all places!) that Wall Street brokers take 10 years of pretty high cell phone use to develop brain tumours. But no one knows what the risks, or timeline is for children. Do I want my children to be part of the experiment? Because right now, without my knowledge or permission, their school installed a WiFi network and presto, they’re guinea pigs. And many other parents have bought their children cell phones which they use in my child’s classroom – thus irradiating my child as well as theirs.

My choice now is what to do about it? As we teach our kids: Problem –> Solution. Don’t whinge, don’t waste energy whining, lashing out, just look for the solution.

For myself, I’m thinking more and more about re-locating to 20 acres somewhere affordable – that way even if all our neighbours have wireless, it won’t come into our house. Combined with some kind of shared homeschool arrangement with like-minded parents. We saw this in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico – some expats there got 5 families together and each would be responsible for one day of homeschooling at each house. I thought it was a brilliant solution – the kids benefited from a mix of talents/education in teachers, good social environment and variety, and then parents only had to homeschool one day a week!

One thing you can control immediately, is to get rid of your cordless phone in your house. Depending on the model, these can emit even stronger radiation than a cell phone and a double-blind experiment shows how they can induce tachycardia (among other nasty symptoms). Likewise, make sure you’re not using a cordless (DECT) baby monitor with your highly-susceptible infant.

p.s. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, electricity companies in the U.S. and Canada are now installing “Smart Meters” that relay information about electricity usage every few minutes via….you guessed it…WiFi! Or even better, WiMax!! Great, now we will all be forced to have WiFi in our homes, or no electricity.

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© Jini Patel Thompson. You can copy or distribute this article as long as you include the author’s name and this bio:

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

I found this article and thought it was remarkable enough to pass on. It’s the story of a young man’s dreams taking flight after being told he would never achieve them. If you have bad eyesight or know anyone that does, you’ll want to read this.

Everything Old Is New Again: Rebuilding Your Vision

Glasses, contacts, or surgery. These are the usual choices offered to those of us with bad vision. Orlin Sorensen, though, needed an alternative. A commercial airline pilot who found himself in jeopardy of being downsized after the 9/11 tragedies, Sorensen decided to go for broke and pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Navy fighter pilot. The only catch was that Navy fighter candidates were required to have near-perfect, uncorrected vision — no surgery allowed.

As for so many who seek different medical options, it was word of mouth that led Sorensen down a different path: a fellow pilot suggested eye exercises to naturally correct vision. Turns out, the exercises weren’t so much the “road not taken” as the “road not taken in a while.” Sorensen’s research revealed that natural vision training, in fact, had been around for almost a century.

Natural vision correction involves performing eye exercises and relaxation techniques daily to increase optical muscle strength and coordination. With a 30-minute daily routine, after just a month Sorensen improved his vision from 20/85 to 20/20; he went on to pass the Navy’s visual acuity test. In 2001, he founded a company, Rebuild Your Vision, to share his knowledge with the general public and to challenge the widespread belief that surgery is the only method of correcting vision. As more and more people turn to alternative medicine — one in three people in the U.S., according to the New England Journal of Medicine — Sorensen’s company has proven to be visionary in more ways than one.

A wholistic orientation to health

Watching TV, computer use, reliance on optical correction from glasses and contacts, as well as the normal aging process, all contribute to weak and distorted vision. Integral components of the eye are not stimulated but instead suffer from a narrow range of use, in the same way that repetitive mousing and typing tasks on the computer can lead to tendonitis in the arm and, eventually, carpal tunnel. Just as you exercise your body at the gym or practice yoga in order to improve muscle tone, agility, range of motion, and flexibility, so too do the eyes benefit from daily exercise. Designed to reverse the stresses placed upon the optical system, the vision-rebuilding process fortifies your eyes in ways that would never be achieved through normal daily activities.

Sorensen’s Rebuild Your Vision program provides multilevel goals and strengthening tools that challenge and stimulate different parts of the visual system. Customized training programs are available for those suffering from nearsightedness, astigmatism, and aging vision presbyopia). The program’s simple drills and exercises can be done at home, in the office, or on the road, thus enabling the practitioner to integrate them as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. It’s no accident that Sorensen is from Seattle, a city surrounded by natural beauty whose residents are perennially voted as some of America’s fittest.

An idea takes flight

Not only has Rebuild Your Vision become a success — according to surveys from customers worldwide, the program boasts over a 90% success rate in improving vision problems — but the medical establishment has also done research supporting the theories that the program is based upon, as in this excerpt from the Journal of the American Optometric Association describing the results of subjects who underwent natural vision training: “Subjects often stated that they had experienced the ability to make eye contact (without correction) with people across a room or street; they could see buildings and windows clearly without glasses many miles across San Francisco Bay, or in the case of high-diopter myopes (> -4.0 diopters) they were able to read books easily at arm’s length”.

Unlike eye surgery, natural vision correction is noninvasive and risk-free. And unlike glasses or contacts, it an active process rather than a palliative measure. So it’s no wonder vision rebuilding seems to strike a chord with health-conscious people today, who are increasingly choosing organic foods over fast foods, meditation over confrontation, and lifestyle changes over potentially harmful quick fixes. Ironic, but sometimes we need to take the long view to really appreciate what we’re seeing.

The Rebuild Your Vision program is a step-by-step program that systematically leads you through all the steps you need to take to improve your vision. I would also recommend you purchase a reputable supplement designed to specifically improve vision, like Vision Support from Dr. Ben Kim.

If you’re a self-directed learner, then you can access the original instructions for healing your eyesight – free of charge – from one of the founders of this therapy, Dr. William Bates MD, known as The Bates Method.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin and ibuprofen cause thousands of hospitalizations and deaths every year due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Fortunately, there are very powerful natural painkillers you can use that do not have harmful side effects. Learn about an effective painkilling herb used by Chinese, Indian and Native American Indians for centuries, as well as a do-it-yourself acupuncture tapping technique and become pain-free at last – with no damaging side effects.
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WHY YOU SHOULD ONLY USE NATURAL PAINKILLERS
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Nearly one-third of all gastrointestinal bleeding related hospitalizations and deaths are the result of using aspirin, ibuprofen, or other NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), according to an August 2005 report in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. But you may think, oh well I’m only on low-dose aspirin, or baby aspirin, and my doctor told me to take it for heart attack prevention. However, up to one-third of these GI bleeding deaths were due to low-dose aspirin. In real-life numbers, this means that out of every 100,000 people that use aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDS, 15 will die from it.

If these odds look okay to you, then carry on. But if they seem rather high, and out of proportion to the reason you’re using painkillers, then you may want to look at some natural alternatives.

If you find yourself in need of a painkiller, you should investigate both acupuncture and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), if you want long-term results. Taking a pill or supplement that kills the pain for a few hours is a coping mechanism, but not a solution. You have to find out why your body is experiencing pain and heal/release the root or cause of that pain from your body. I particularly like EFT (which involves tapping on acupuncture meridian points) for this, because once you know how to do it, you can perform it on yourself and do not have to see a therapist for relief. EFT is amazingly effective with all kinds of pain; back pain, migraines, gut spasming, joint pain, etc.

And here’s a special gift for you:

You can book a  free 30 minute Session with my personal EFT therapist, Annabel Fisher – just tell her you were referred by me – to try it out for yourself.
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Another natural painkiller is White Willow Bark (from which aspirin was derived). White willow bark was originally used by Native American Indians and boiled to make a tea which was drunk to alleviate pain. It was also used 2,500 years ago by Chinese physicians, who also used the bark of the willow tree to treat pain and fever.

In the 19th century, western scientists discovered the active ingredient in willow bark was salicin, a natural chemical which the body first converts into saligenin and then into salicylic acid. Using this model, German chemists synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (an non-natural molecular structure and therefore able to be patented by the Bayer drug company), from which all pharmaceutical ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) products are made. However both ASA and natural salicin work in a similar way.

White willow bark reduces pain by blocking the body’s production of inflammatory prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances involved in inflammation and muscle contraction. White willow bark is also a very effective fever reducer. You can buy it in capsule form and either swallow it, or, open the capsules and mix the powder with Cocoa Butter to make a suppository (I do this for children – but make sure to reduce the dosage appropriately).

In its centuries of use there have been no contra-indications recorded from the use of white willow bark, or salicin. Traditionally it has proved safer then Aspirin and other synthetically derived salicylate based anti-inflammatory drugs. No cases of any serious side effects have ever been reported in medical literature. It is gentler on the stomach, and has a less toxic effect on the body in general.

The only restrictions on usage is that white willow bark should not be taken with aspirin, or by those sensitive to salicylates (found in foods like berries, currants, prunes and raisins). People with gastritis or ulcers should also avoid it, or use it in suppository form only. It should not be used by children under 16, for the same reason aspirin should also not be used: there is the potential for developing Reye’s Syndrome in children, during a viral infection.

I’ve had numerous people test white willow bark for headaches and they all said it worked as well as a drug painkiller. You can take the white willow bark for immediate relief and to hold you while you’re learning EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Then, once you’ve addressed the root and cause of your pain using EFT, you’ll be truly pain-free for the long term and won’t need any herbal or drug painkillers.
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Detailed information on acupuncture, EFT and other painkilling protocols are in LISTEN TO YOUR GUT, Chapters Six and Seven.

Also, if you’d like to try a full 90-minute EFT session for a minimal cost, then consider our EFT Teleseminar with Annabel Fisher, EFT-Adv.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Did you know that:

1.4 million people at any given time are suffering from a hospital-acquired infection?

98,000 people per year die from hospital-acquired infections in the U.S.?

For more information on which infections are commonly picked up in a hospital environment and also how to protect yourself if you do wind up in the hospital, this site is useful.

For myself, I wound up with pneumonia and 7 different bacterial infections immediately following the birth of my third child (long story with many mind/body components), so I did end up having to go to the hospital (since there are no natural hospitals where I live).

In addition to measures mentioned in the site above, I also:

• used my own 100% cotton bedding and lined the mattress with a sheepskin from Ikea – trust me, this makes a huge different to comfort and prevents bedsores.
• took Natren probiotics 3x/day
• drank Absorb Plus shakes instead of eating nasty hospital food
• kept the window open in the room at all times (choose an older hospital as these likely still have windows that open)
• paid extra for a semi-private room
• wrapped my hand in a towel or edge of the hospital gown before touching any door handle, elevator button etc. Advise your visitors to do this too.
• when I got out of the hospital I went to my naturopathic clinic and received 10 IV Vitamin C infusions and 10 hydrogen peroxide. Also did acupuncture and inhaled glutathione. Remember that up to 40% of people suffer a secondary infection once the initial pathogen has been cleared – because the antibiotics wipe out your protective bacteria and you’re wide open for opportunistic infection. So in addition to the high dose probiotics, you need to also take preventive measures.

Many of you know that I warn in Listen To Your Gut against using toothpaste that contains fluoride and I recommend you only drink filtered or spring water. Well, here’s some recent research that further backs up those recommendations. And in my opinion, it is particularly vital for people on long-term steroids, or prone to osteoporosis to rigorously avoid any fluoride use or ingestion.

The following is excerpted from: Too Much Fluoride in Water Endangers Bones By Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fluoride in drinking water — long controversial in the United States when it is deliberately added to strengthen teeth — can damage bones and teeth, and federal standards fail to guard against this, the National Academy of Sciences reported on Wednesday.

Children exposed to the government’s current maximum fluoride limit “risk developing severe tooth enamel fluorosis, a condition characterized by discoloration, enamel loss and pitting of the teeth, ” the academy said in a statement.

Earlier reviews of health issues associated with fluoride have considered enamel fluorosis to be ugly but not a health hazard. But the new assessment considers it a health hazard as one function of tooth enamel is to protect the teeth and underlying dental tissue from decay and infection.

Over a lifetime, people who drink water with the level near the federal limit of fluoride probably have a higher risk for bone fractures, a majority of the panel concluded.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) allows up to 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter of drinking water — .000534 ounces per gallon — but the report found this level did not protect against known risks from the chemical.

The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit watchdog organization, applauded the academy’s report for raising health concerns about excessive fluoride in drinking water.

“The bottom line from the nation’s top voice on science is that you can protect your children’s teeth by brushing them and you can protect their bones by getting rid of fluoride in tap water,” Tim Kropp, the group’s senior scientist, said in an e-mail.
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This next article shows the extreme damage that fluoride can do (as evidenced in an Indian village), but also points out how and why the current “safe fluoride level” used by America is still too high:

Skeletal Fluorosis
by Darlene Sherrell
The Manchester Guardian, July 9, 1998

Madhya Pradesh is famous for its rich mineral deposits. “The problem is enormous, unbelievable,” says Andezhath Susheela of the Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation in Delhi. She has been unraveling the national story for a decade during which time her estimate of the number of people leading “a painful and crippled life” from fluorosis has risen from one million to 25 million and now to 60 million – six million of them children – spread across tens of thousands of communities. “In some villages three-quarters of the population are seriously affected.”

Many parents, including Krishna’s mother, suffer painful, stiff and misshapen backs and hips, and chronic gastro-enteritis. Bhaskar Raman, a local activist who brought the village’s plight to the attention of doctors, says there has been an epidemic of stillbirths and involuntary abortions – all known symptoms of fluoride poisoning.

In Britain, the Department of Health says the “optimum” fluoride dose for water supplies is 1 part per million. But in one Indian village studied in detail, Bhanakpur near Delhi, water with between 0.7 and 1.6 ppm of fluoride was enough to leave 17 per cent of the population suffering from the bent bones of skeletal fluorosis.

Crippling dosages

In 1985, when the EPA raised the maximum contaminant level to 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, they used dosage figures miscalculated in 1953 by Harold C. Hodge, who was chairman of the NAS committee on toxicology. Hodge’s original figures (20-80 mg/day for 10-20 years) were corrected by Hodge in 1979, and by NAS in 1993. The corrected figures, based on Roholm’s classic study of workers in the cryolite industry, amount to 0.2 to 0.35 milligrams of fluoride per kilogram of body weight per day, for eleven years. When extrapolated over a lifetime of 55 to 96 years, these crippling dosage figures equal 1 milligram of fluoride daily for each 55 pounds of body weight … 0.04 mg/kg/day.

In the early years of water fluoridation, this dosage was not the norm. At that time, water was virtually the only source of fluoride in the American diet. The total intake for most adults was 0.02 mg/kg/day… about one to one and a half milligrams of fluoride daily.

Today, the figure is at least 0.095 mg/kg/day… from food and drinking water alone … more than 6 milligrams daily.

This increase in ingested fluoride, largely due to the use of artificial fertilizers containing fluoride, pesticide residues, dental products, and modern food processing, has changed a relatively safe dosage into one capable of causing crippling deformities of the spine and major joints, as well as the muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia.

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A HANDY RESEARCH TOOL
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The National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Household Products Database has been updated and now includes 6000 brand name products. The Household Products Database is a consumer guide that provides information on the potential health effects of chemicals contained in more than 6,000 common household products used inside and around the home. This resource helps scientists and consumers learn about ingredients in brand-name products.
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In “Listen To Your Gut” I have an entire chapter that walks you through, step-by-step, how to eliminate everyday toxins from your living environment and food supply. This is essential in creating a healing, supportive environment for your body – and then you can save your strength and detox efforts for those unavoidable toxins in our environment and keep your body from being overwhelmed!
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COMPLIMENTARY HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH TELESEMINAR

And while we’re on this topic, you absolutely MUST listen to, or read through the transcript of my Teleseminar with Holistic Dentist – Dr. Hal Huggins.

I normally charge for Teleseminars, BUT, the information in this one is SO crucial to everyone’s health, that I have made it available for free. So be sure and listen to/read it and then share it with all of your family and friends.

Also, if you’re primarily concerned with tooth decay, then check out my post and video on how I finally healed my family’s tooth decay using nanoparticle minerals! (scroll down)

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Some readers have asked about whether it’s safe to use L-Glutamine with children, based on an article that appeared on Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website. But again, read through it carefully and you’ll see that this is only an issue when intake exceeds need. Otherwise, there is no excess and the body utilizes it fully.

Also, in this article he completely warns against any L-Glutamine intake by pregnant women as it can cause retardation. However, I drank 1-2 Absorb Plus shakes per day (containing 1000 mg L-Glutamine in each shake) during both my pregnancies and breastfeeding. Both my children’s teachers are amazed at their quickness and intelligence and they consistently outperform many of their peers in both physical and mental function.

And one of my readers used The IBD Remission Diet for seven weeks during her pregnancy (to avoid having to use Prednisone), which meant she was drinking 4-5 Absorb Plus shakes per day (4,000 – 5,000 mg L-Glutamine per day) and her baby was perfectly healthy with normal brain development. The last time I heard from her, the baby was three years old and doing very well in all aspects.

Remember too that this article is just one professional’s opinion – and while it is worth reading, the majority of professional opinion and clinical trials in children show no adverse effect for appropriate L-Glutamine supplementation.

Here’s the result of my research and my personal opinion on the topic:

Kids with sickle cell anemia need higher amounts of L-glutamine. So this study assessed response/effects with a massive dosage of 600 mg of L-Glutamine per 1 kg of body weight. Which means, for example, that a child weighing 44 pounds would ingest 12,000 mg of L-Glutamine per day. Even at that very high dose, this study (below) on children as young as 5 years old showed no negative effects of supplementation.

STUDY #1:

Oral glutamine supplementation decreases resting energy expenditure in children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2004 Oct;26(10):619-25. To determine the effects of orally administered glutamine on the resting energy expenditure (REE) and nutritional status of children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia. Twenty-seven children and adolescents (13 boys, 14 girls), 5.2 to 17.9 years old, received orally administered glutamine (600 mg/kg per day) for 24 weeks. Measures of REE and other nutritional parameters were compared at baseline and 24 weeks.

RESULTS: After 24 weeks, the patients’ median REE (kcal/d) decreased by 6%. Patients with less than 90% ideal body weight had even greater declines in REE after 24 weeks. Improvements in nutrition parameters and in two amino acids in the plasma were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: After 24 weeks of orally administered glutamine, children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia had a decrease in REE and improvement in nutritional parameters. Those who were underweight had a greater decrease in REE than those of normal body weight. Lowering REE may be an effective way to improve the growth of these children and adolescents.

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As well, a few studies I looked at concerning L-Glutamine used on children with cancer (to prevent mucosal inflammation during chemo) showed only positive effects.

L-Glutamine is only a problem when you ingest MORE than your body needs, or can utilize. For anyone in a disease state, their requirements are going to be much higher since the body is engaged in ongoing repair of damaged tissue.

And just for another counter to the claim that L-Glutamine can cause mental retardation, I found a few studies done using L-Glutamine with Attention Deficit Disorder children, that show that supplementation INCREASES mental ability. Here’s one example:

STUDY #2:

“Intellectually impaired children and adults often show an increase in IQ after taking glutamine in combination with Ginkgo biloba and B6. Dr. Roger Williams demonstrated that children and adults diagnosed with ADHD showed a marked improvement when taking 250 mg to 1,000 mg of glutamine daily. Dr. C. Fredericks research also demonstrated a definite increase in the IQs of children given glutamine. When glutamine was given daily, children showed impressive improvements in their abilities to learn, to retain, and to recall. Glutamine is a major part of my orthomolecular program for hyperactive and ADHD children. Glutamine is one of the amino acids that create the neurotransmitters in the brain that enhance learning and memory. Hyperactive and ADD children have lowneurotransmitter levels, especially glutamine. Adding glutamine increases the level of neurotransmitters. Start with 500 mg of glutamine and gradually increase until you reach the optimal dose for your child, to a maximum of 3,000 mg per day.“
- ADD & ADHD Natural Control of ADD & ADHD
Billie J. Sahley, Ph.D., CNC

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So, the best route, as always, is to “listen to your gut” – and more importantly, listen to your child’s gut. She/he will let you know if it’s good for him/her, or not. And if you want to follow pre-established limits, as evidenced in clinical trials, then these indicate that you can safely give your child anywhere from 3,000 – 10,000 mg per day (depending on the study).

Don’t forget, many health sites are purposely looking for information that they can present in a shocking or “groundbreaking” way – this increases their subscribers and also gets higher readership of their newsletters (thus driving more people to their site). So try to be discriminating and don’t over-react to new findings until you have done your research and put it into context. It may be 100% valid, and it may not.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Did you know you can get Hepatitis C, HIV or even a mycobacterium infection (MAP) from a colonic?

Just like a colonoscopy, if the therapist does not use a disposable tip and tube, you risk disease transmission.

Join me in this podcast with the renowned Bianca James from the Sydney Colon Health Clinic (she’s the one who helped Dr. Thomas J. Borody develop his fecal infusion protocol) as we discuss:

-  what someone in any country needs to look for in a practitioner and how to find a qualified practitioner.

- WHAT colon hydrotherapy is – perhaps you’re a newbie and know nothing about it and maybe even feel nervous about it.

- size of tube, how many insertions, how long does it take, how do I feel afterwards, etc.

- who should have it done and Bianca’s thoughts regarding frequency, etc.

- Bianca’s opinion on raw foodists who recommend a colonic every day for a month and then once per month thereafter.

Just click the play button, or you can subscribe to my free Podcast show – Listen To Your Body – on iTunes.

My Personal Opinion on Colonics

Note: I have to mention, that my personal opinion on colonic hydrotherapy is that it is not required or beneficial for normal, ongoing functioning. From my research and experience, I have to conclude that a good balance of healthy microorganisms in the bowel should not be messed with. For extreme cases, or in disease states (as Bianca discusses), colonics can be necessary for a period of time. But once the flora is balanced and healthy, I feel there are better tools to ensure digestive health and that colon hydrotherapy is too disruptive and should not be utilized on an ongoing basis.

This remedy is not just applicable for Crohn’s, please read on for my comments on how this applies to colitis and IBS as well, at the end of the article…..

Testing Charcoal As Crohn’s Remedy

By Jamie Talan
Staff Writer

A pill containing activated charcoal is being tested to treat Crohn’s disease in a clinical trial that came about, in large part, because of Dr. Kenneth Kenigsberg, a retired pediatric surgeon at North Shore University Hospital.

Kenigsberg, 76, likes to say he spent 45 years as a plumber, navigating the complex terrain of the young human body, removing problems. Instead of retiring, he headed into the laboratory at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, part of North Shore University-Long Island Jewish Health System.

Three years ago, a lab colleague studying tubular cells in livers noticed a lot of tumor necrosis factor, a protein produced by immune cells that target tumors and inflammation.

Kenigsberg used his “plumbing” skills to help his colleague. He triggered sepsis, a life-threatening infection, in a rat, inserted a tube into its liver and removed its bile, where he found a buildup of tumor necrosis factor, TNF. He knew that the liver drains into the intestine, and that too much TNF could be toxic. It was then he got the idea of using charcoal. An age-old treatment for poisoning, charcoal soaks up toxins. He took rats and mice, made them septic, and fed charcoal to half his subjects. Those that were fed charcoal lived. The others died.

People with Crohn’s have high levels of TNF when they are sick. The condition, which affects 500,000 Americans, is marked by bowel inflammation. It flares up and goes into remission like other so-called autoimmune diseases. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and vomiting.

Treatments for Crohn’s, which has no cure, include antibiotics and corticosteroids. The latest treatment is an expensive drug called Remicade, an antibody against TNF. It’s infused every few months, at $5,000 per treatment.

What if charcoal did the trick? Kenigsberg got permission to conduct a clinical trial, both from his hospital and from the Food and Drug Administration. He’s been enrolling patients over 18 years old experiencing the active phase of the disease. He draws blood to test immune markers associated with Crohn’s. Then, after three weeks without treatment, patients take six charcoal pills in the morning and six at night for three weeks.

January 20, 2006
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
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This article is very interesting, but it is still a treatment aimed at alleviating a symptom – not getting to the root cause. Why are TNF levels elevated in people with Crohn’s? Why is the body producing a substance that combats inflammation? Why are the intestines inflamed?

Again, the more I read and the more of my readers I hear from, the more convinced I am that Crohn’s (and colitis) has an infectious etiology (cause). The body is not “overreacting” with the immune system inappropriately in “attack mode”. But rather, the body is doing everything it can to combat legitimate intestinal infection. And the best research we have at this time points to that new fungal/bacterial hybrid organism called mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) as being the infectious agent. For those of you who have Listen To Your Gut, you can read all about mycobacterium, why they’ve gone undetected for so long, and where to get tested: see pages 144, 148, and 159 of Listen To Your Gut.

Getting back to this article, the charcoal may also provide relief if it traps and flushes bad bacteria from your system (like Bentonite Clay does – a remedy I recommend in certain instances (see pg. 74 and 384 of Listen To Your Gut) – thereby reducing infection in the gut for a period of time. However, unless ALL of the infectious agents are eradicated, the body will still produce an inflammatory reaction.

That is why I still feel the best treatment for Crohn’s, colitis and diverticulitis (and moderate to severe IBS) includes:

1. Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol* to eradicate all infectious microorganisms. New trials have now confirmed that wild oregano oil does indeed kill MAP – but again, as I point out in Listen To Your Gut, MAP has a dormant/active lifecycle, so you have to treat every 3-4 months for 2-3 years to completely eradicate it.

2. Followed by Jini’s Probiotic Retention Enema and high dose oral probiotic supplementation* to repopulate the gut with good, protective bacteria to ensure good digestion/absorption, and prevent contracting any new infections.

3. Targeted supplements to heal and restore the mucosal lining and tissues of the GI tract (e.g. L-Glutamine, MucosaHeal, NAG, George’s Aloe Vera, etc.).

4. Endocrine (hormonal) system assessment and rebalancing/healing as needed (for anyone who’s been on any prescription drugs or had the diseases for longer than 2 years).

5. Emotional, dietary and lifestyle healing/balancing to promote long-term health and prevent recurrence of dis-ease (imbalance).

*Steps 1 and 2 may need to be repeated every 3-4 months for a period of 2-3 years to completely eradicate pathogenic miccroorganisms with dormant/active life cycles, like mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP).

Again, those of you who have Listen To Your Gut will already have in your hands detailed instructions for all of these protocols and supplements – I hope you’re doing the Workbook! (on the CD-Rom)

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

In my post about natural treatment for depression, vitamin D was mentioned as a substance that people are often deficient in. Today’s post (courtesy of the Vitamin D Council) goes into the problem of vitamin D deficiency and treatment more in depth.

Again, this is a very relevant issue for people with IBD and IBS since many have been on a steroid or immune suppressant drug that has greatly interfered with bone formation and maintenance (for which vitamin D is key). Also, if you get a lot of cavities in your teeth, adequate intake of vitamin D (or not taking minerals in an absorbable form) may be the culprit. In my family: All 3 of my kids take 2,000 IU vitamin D per day, along with cod liver oil. My husband and I take 4,000 IU per day, and of course, we take our cod liver oil and nanoparticle minerals.

Here’s the article. Enjoy……

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Another Vitamin D Quiz

This month we have a ten question quiz on the latest vitamin D research. Here’s a primer.

Question: Name a rat poison crucial to health and safer than water.

Answer: Vitamin D

Yes, cholecalciferol is a rat poison.

If it is a rat poison, why did Professor Heaney just recommend up to 4,000 units every day?
JSteroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jul 15; [Epub ahead of print]

The answer is dosage. To demonstrate the point, I recently swallowed an entire bottle (100 capsules) of vitamin D (40,000 units) in front of a skeptical audience to convince them that vitamin D is safer than water. Here’s why. Eight glasses of water a day is fine for healthy adults. Ten times that amount, eighty glasses of water, will make you sick from water intoxication.

Humans need about 4,000 units of vitamin D a day (from all sources). Ten times that amount, 40,000 units, is very safe in a single dose, as I demonstrated to the audience. Therefore, vitamin D has a safer therapeutic index than water.

(Taking the entire bottle certainly got the audience’s attention. I think they were paying close attention to see if I would drop dead. By the way, if you were to take 40,000 units every day for months you would get vitamin D toxicity, after years of such doses you would probably die. After taking 40,000 units at one time – equivalent to two days at the beach – I simply stayed out of the sun for several days).

A rat poison safer than water – but why do we need vitamin D? Within the last several months, scientists published impressive new evidence that vitamin D is involved in a staggering array of diseases: age related cognitive decline, heart disease, breast cancer, tuberculosis, Parkinson’s disease, prostate cancer, chronic pain, fractured hips, premenstrual syndrome and diabetes.

Good time for another quiz.

1. Vitamin D reverses inflammatory changes associated with age-related memory impairment.

a) True
b) False

True. Researchers from Ireland were the first to demonstrate that vitamin D3 acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and turns old brains into young brains – at least as far as inflammatory cytokines are concerned. This research suggests vitamin D may prevent, or even treat, age-related cognitive decline!
Biochem Soc Trans. 2005 Aug;33(Pt 4):573-7.

2. Your blood sugar is closely associated with your vitamin D level.

a) True
b) False

True. Researchers in Australia added to the growing evidence that sun avoidance may have caused the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. The Australians’ findings were straightforward and powerful. The higher your vitamin D level, the lower your blood glucose.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2005 Jun;62(6):738-41.

3. In July, a group from Minnesota found that 100% of elderly patients admitted for fragility fractures were vitamin D deficient despite the fact that half of them were taking vitamin D supplements.

a) True
b) False

True. The authors found that women taking supplemental vitamin D had average levels of 16.4 ng/ml while women not taking supplements had levels of 11.9.ng/ml, both dangerously low. None of the 82 women got enough sun or took enough vitamin D to obtain a level of 40 ng/ml. These were fragility fractures, not fractures caused by unusual trauma. That is, their bones just sort of fell apart.
Curr Med Res Opin. 2005 Jul;21(7):1069-74.

4. Women with the lowest vitamin D levels had five times higher risk for breast cancer.

a) True
b) False

True. Women with 25(OH)-vitamin D blood levels less than 20 ng/ml were more than five times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than were women with levels above 60 ng/ml. That is five, repeat five, times less likely!
Eur J Cancer. 2005 May;41(8):1164-9. Epub 2005 Apr 14.

5. Avoiding the sun doubles the risk of prostate cancer.

a) True
b) False

True. Again, the risk of avoiding the sun is clear, this time in another study with prostate cancer. However, the authors pointed out that sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer and believed that proper vitamin D supplementation ‘may be the safest solution to achieve an adequate vitamin D status.’
Cancer Res. 2005 Jun 15;65(12):5470-9.

I also believe supplementation is the only way to go for many people. African Americans are simply unable spend adequate time in the sun. In addition, the sun ages the skin and that fact alone will keep many Americans out of the sun. That said, I go into the sun whenever I can. The reason is simple: it is the most conservative thing to do. Until we know everything the sun does – and it does more than just make vitamin D – the conservative approach is to mimic our ancestors and the environment in which human evolved, whenever we can. Therefore, it makes sense to sunbathe sensibly in the late spring, summer, and early fall and take supplements or use UVB lamps the rest of the time.

6. South Korean researchers associated vitamin D deficiency with Parkinson’s Disease.

a) True
b) False

True. Actually, they showed that certain genetic malformations (VDR polymorphisms) are more likely in-patients with Parkinson’s Disease, implying an association with vitamin D and Parkinson’s.
JKorean Med Sci. 2005 Jun;20(3):495-8.

7. Researchers in England discovered that patients with chronic pain have phenomenally low vitamin D levels.

a) True
b) False

True. The authors added to the evidence that severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with chronic pain. They found that 88% of their patients with chronic pain had levels less than 10 ng/ml. If they treated their patients, they did not report it. However, Swiss researchers recently treated chronic pain patients with vitamin D and reported the pain ‘disappeared’ within one to three months in most of their patients. This is the second open study that showed adequate doses of vitamin D dramatically improve chronic pain.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 Aug;64(8):1217-9.
BMJ. 2004 Jul 17;329(7458):156-7.
Spine. 2003 Jan 15;28(2):177-9.

8. Severe vitamin D deficiency is common in TB patients.

Some English doctors don’t know the difference between ideal and “normal” levels.

Most American doctors don’t know the difference either.

a) All are true
b) All are false
c) Some are true and some are false

All are true. First, the authors reviewed the impressive animal evidence that vitamin D can help treat TB. Then they reported that most of their immigrant TB patients had undetectable vitamin D levels. Then they reported the normal range for their lab was between 5 to 47 ng/ml but “normal” was any level greater than 9 ng/ml. Finally, the researchers reported they treated their patients with “normal daily doses” of vitamin D, without reporting how much they gave. Apparently, they gave just enough to get patients above 9 ng/ml.
JInfect. 2005 Jun;50(5):432-7.

Keep in mind that different laboratory technique result in different ranges for 25(OH)-vitamin D levels. Now matter what technique is used, ideal levels can roughly be defined as any level above the median. In this case, as you will see below in Dr. Heaney”s article, the doctors should have treated their patients with 4,000 units a day. They should also watch for evidence of vitamin D hypersensitivity, which can occur when treating tuberculosis patients for vitamin D deficiency.

We can only mourn for the poor immigrants who have to suffer from both TB and vitamin D deficiency. Of course, few physicians in the USA know the difference between the Gaussian definition of “normal” (average ranges for the population tested) and the ideal definition of “normal” (levels above 32 ng/ml). Getting commercial reference labs to report ideal 25(OH)-vitamin D levels should be a priority of everyone involved in trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.

9. Virtually all nephrologists give renal failure patients a vitamin D-like drug.

Virtually all renal failure patients are severely vitamin D deficient.

Some nephrologists know the difference between vitamin D and calcitriol.

a) All are true
b) All are false
c) Some are true and some are false.

All are true. Finally, the truth about renal failure patients: most of them are vitamin D deficient despite taking vitamin D analogs! Most nephrologists prescribe activated vitamin D (calcitriol) or vitamin D analogs but not vitamin D. Calcitriol and vitamin D analogs do nothing to prevent vitamin D deficiency. Renal failure patients need both vitamin D and a calcitriol-like drug. Moreover, 400 units a day of vitamin D will not correct their deficiencies. As you will see below, they need up to 4,000.
Am J Kidney Dis. 2005 Jun;45(6):1026-33.

P.S. If you think nephrologists know the difference between vitamin D and calcitriol, read this months paper from some nephrologists at the University of Texas. They discuss the importance of vitamin D in preventing and treating heart disease. (I think adequate vitamin D nutrition may prevent more cardiovascular deaths than cancer deaths.) However, I read the Texas paper three times and still don’t know if the authors know the difference between vitamin D and calcitriol. I hope they know the difference between cholesterol and testosterone. (Some cholesterol is metabolized into steroid hormones, vitamin D is a prehormone; testosterone is a steroid hormone, calcitriol is the most potent steroid hormone in the human body).
Kidney Int Suppl. 2005 Jun;(95):S37-42.

10. Professor Robert Heaney proved, again, that he is a gentleman and a scholar.
a) True
b) False

True. In the most important clinical paper published this month, Heaney gave the three best reasons why we should all maintain minimum levels of at least 32 ng/ml, the level that:

(a) effectively suppresses PTH,
(b) maximizes calcium absorption,
(c) maximally improves glucose tolerance.

Then he goes on to show that some of us, especially African Americans, will need to take 3,000 to 4,000 units every day to maintain healthy 25(OH)-vitamin D blood levels.
JSteroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jul 15.

He then defends the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendation that we only take one-tenth that amount as the best science that was available in 1997. I admire Dr. Heaney for trying to cover for the IOM. The truth is that both Dr. Heaney and Dr. Holick told the IOM that 2,000 units a day was not toxic and would prevent both adequate treatment and meaningful research. The IOM then proceeded to ignore the only two vitamin D experts on the panel.

Writing two years later, Professor Reinhold Vieth came up with dozens of studies the IOM overlooked. These studies conclusively showed 2,000 units a day could not be toxic. Furthermore, Vieth found the literature published before 1997 clearly showed 10,000 units a day was unlikely to be toxic. Vitamin D toxicity probably starts around 20,000 units a day, and then only if taken for months or even years.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May;69(5):842-56.

Imagine. A rat poison safer than water and crucial to health.

John Cannell, MD
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
The Vitamin D Council
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Check out the bone-building supplements that I recommend (and that are free of aggravating ingredients):

- MINERALS to see my recommendations for high-absorption, bone building supplements
- VITAMINS to see the vit. D that I take
- HEALTHY OILS to see the cod liver oil that my whole family takes
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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Usually PMS-related pain (premenstrual syndrome) is due to the uterus cramping. Sometimes other pelvic muscles can be involved and sometimes the intestines can get triggered too.

There are a number of effective remedies you can use, so have a read and see which of these “twigs” your intuition. For severe cramping and spasming, you may even need to combine 2 or 3 of these.

Effective herbal muscle relaxants for smooth muscle tissue include Crampbark or Black Haw (stronger than crampbark). I find these easiest to use in tincture form. Just add 1-2 ml to some herbal tea (or a a few ounces of water), sweeten with honey or stevia if desired, and drink on an empty stomach, up to 4x/day (as needed).

A handy tip to remember is that nearly all herbal extracts or tinctures are more powerful when taken on an empty stomach – 20 minutes before food, or, 2 hours after food. I find taking herbal muscle relaxants to be more effective than just taking a painkiller. You can often find these herbs in a PMS blend, along with other beneficial herbs.

And since we’re talking about muscle relaxants, check and make sure you’re getting enough magnesium and potassium every day – as these important minerals are powerful muscle relaxants too. You can take these in either traditional powdered form, or, my favorite: nanoparticle-sized form.

But if you also want or need a natural painkiller, you can take White Willow Bark.

If the pain and cramping is very severe, a hot castor oil pack on your abdomen is also very effective. Cold-pressed castor oil sinks transdermally (through the skin) to relax smooth muscle. This simple mechanical action has a beneficial influence on all hollow organs, specifically the blood and lymph vessels, the uterus, fallopian tubes, bowels, gall bladder, and even the liver (which is not hollow but is filled with venous lakes).

A castor oil pack is placed on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. It is often used to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion. Just remember to use a cold-pressed castor oil and 100% cotton flannel (or wool) – no synthetics. You can use either a hot water bottle or a heating pad as the heat source. Here are detailed instructions.

The other thing that is often responsible for period pain, cramping and headaches is a hormonal imbalance. An easy remedy for this is to put a dime-sized amount of Emerita Natural Progesterone cream on the soles of your feet and rub it in (once per day in the morning). If your PMS is hormonally-based, that can often greatly relieve, or eliminate the problem entirely. Then, after a few months of this, the estrogen-dominance is often balanced and you don’t need to continue.

If your thyroid is low, or you have symptoms of thyroid imbalance, then another good remedy to balance your endocrine system wholistically is Thyroplex – developed by Jonathan V. Wright, MD.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

You may have noticed this already: Whenever a natural supplement or herbal medicine becomes well-known and widely used, with lots of evidence piling up for its efficacy – there will then be a slew of media releases in newspapers, magazines, and TV news reports, discrediting that natural medicine. Or, the FDA will ban the substance based on trumped-up charges of user damage.

This is exactly what happened with one of the best wound healers I’ve ever found called Comfrey. The FDA found one person who they claimed died of Comfrey use (the person had long-term, extensive medical problems, was very sick already and then began drinking ridiculous amounts of Comfrey tea) and based on that one incidence, they banned Comfrey use. Of course, no mention or comparison to the 7000 people who die EVERY YEAR in the US from Aspirin use! Then they set upon other bestsellers like Ma Huang (ephedra), St. John’s Wort, and Vitamin E, the list goes on and on.

Well recently I received this article from the Alliance for Natural Health (a European organization) that does an excellent job of detailing exactly HOW pharmaceutical-backed interests use “scientific experts” to compile evidence against natural remedies.

You need to know this information to help you understand how the medical and pharmaceutical industries are very clearly focused on keeping you on your drugs. It’s all about money. They don’t want anyone getting better, because then they lose massive amounts of money. They also don’t want you using natural remedies to heal yourself, because again, you won’t buy their drugs. Read on so you can educate yourself and become savvy about this insidious battle for your healthcare dollars…

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META-ANALYSIS: a new tool to discredit natural health supplements?
By Dr Robert Verkerk, Executive & Scientific Director, Alliance for Natural Health

On 24 March 2006, The British Medical Journal’ published a meta-analysis (a study of other studies) on omega-3 fatty acids [1] that prompted headlines around the world to the effect that “fish oils don’t work”. This is not the first time a meta-analysis has triggered headlines that discredit natural health supplements.

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THE VITAMIN E META-ANALYSIS OF 2004
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In November 2004, Dr Edgar Miller and colleagues published electronically in the Annals of Internal Medicine a meta-analysis [2] that provided headlines as bizarre as “High dose vitamin E death warning” (this headline was run by none other than the BBC on 11 November 2004). The meta-analysis appeared to be pitched to tarnish the reputation of vitamin E, a nutrient in which many are known to be deficient. Among many of its problems, the study failed to show how healthy people would respond to supplemental intakes of vitamin E and it only included studies on synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol). It therefore omitted any consideration of the effects of the seven other related compounds that make-up full spectrum, natural vitamin E, as found in vegetable oils. Interestingly, the body’s absorption of the most important dietary form (gamma-tocopherol) is hindered by high doses of synthetic vitamin E, and this could have explained the negative results found by Miller et al.

The overall conclusion that high-dose vitamin E causes increased mortality could also have been a statistical artefact, with no biological relevance. Since the study assessed all-cause mortality, and not just cardiovascular mortality, other factors could easily have contributed to the greater death rate in the higher dose vitamin E group found when trials were pooled. It should be noted that the increased death rate was marginal; just 63 additional deaths per 10,000 persons, compared with the control group. Given that the confidence interval ranged from 6 to 119, this increased death rate cannot be said to be statistically significant.

Prior to this meta-analysis on vitamin E, market research data from Frost & Sullivan showed that vitamin E was the second most consumed single vitamin supplement, after vitamin C, in Europe. High-dose Vitamin E could have easily been perceived by Big Pharma as a threat to its huge cardiovascular drug market, comprised of statins, beta-blockers and ACE-inhibitors. In fact, Big Pharma had demonstrated such a strong interest in vitamins that it established an illegal cartel to control the markets and prices of a range of key vitamins, including vitamin E. Fortunately for the consumer, the conspiracy was eventually exposed and pharma companies like BASF and Hoffman-La Roche, as well as some of their top executives, got busted. Fines imposed by the US Justice Department in the US (May 1999) and, separately, by the European Commission (November 2001), which amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars in the US and similar amounts in Europe, are still among the largest ever imposed following an anti-trust investigation. Undeterred by this prosecution, Big Pharma continued its campaign against supplements, with the meta-analysis on vitamin E appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine just three years later.

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THE ANTIOXIDANT VITAMIN META-ANALYSIS OF 2003
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A year earlier, in June 2003, another meta-analysis appeared. This one was published in the prestigious medical journal, the Lancet, by Dr Marc Penn and colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic [3]. These authors asserted that beta-carotene, vitamin A and other antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E, were harmful. These authors re-iterated yet again negative results from a very small clutch of studies on synthetic vitamins like synthetic beta-carotene and vitamin E, which were once more administered to diseased or high risk subjects, and often for inadequate periods of time.

Following the publication of the meta-analysis, the lead author was quoted in the media saying that people should stop taking supplements containing vitamins A, beta-carotene and E. These conclusions, some of which were carried over into the vitamin E meta-analysis the following year, are profound misinterpretations of the existing evidence base, and most certainly cannot be applied to the role of these vitamins in reducing risks of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in healthy people. Nor can these conclusions be applied to supplements containing natural forms of these vitamins.

Back to the omega-3 meta-analysis of 2006

Last month’s attack on fish oils prompted by the meta-analysis by Dr Lee Hooper and his colleagues, as published in the BMJ, must surely be seen in the same light as the two meta-analyses discussed above. Put bluntly, the meta-analysis appears to be, once more, a vehicle to generate negative headlines. In fairness, even the authors have now conceded that they were “misquoted in much of the press.” [4]

The scientific evidence for long chain omega-3 benefits on lowering triglycerides and other risk factors in heart disease, as well as clear, beneficial immune system modulation and behavioural effects, have been regarded by scientists, doctors and health authorities around the world as conclusive. This evidence has formed the basis of recommendations to consume oily fish or fish oil supplements by many governments. Where governments have stipulated a limit on the maximum amount to be consumed, such as no more than three portions of oily fish weekly, this has served mainly as a means to limit intake of heavy metals like mercury, or other contaminants such as dioxins or PCBs common in most wild fish [5]. Peculiarly, governments have appeared shy of recommending high-quality fish oil supplements which are often guaranteed as being free of any significant levels of these contaminants. This is particularly relevant given that specific batches of several low cost, mass market fish oil product lines have recently had to be withdrawn from the UK market owing to dioxin contamination (e.g. several Seven Seas [owned by pharma giant Merck] fish oil product batches were withdrawn on 14th March 2006, and on 11th March 2006 high street pharmacy chain Boots withdrew two batches of its own brand fish oil product).

In closely scrutinising Hooper et al”s paper, one thing becomes apparent: the findings are not nearly as damning as those suggested by the negative headlines on omega-3 fats that rebounded around the world for over a week. In fact, to the contrary; when it comes to the studies with fish oils only, the news appears just as rosy as we had all thought.

Ten out of 12 randomised control trials considered in the meta-analysis that assessed these oils in relation to total mortality point to positive findings. The same can be said for all three cohort studies considered by the meta-analysis authors. That’s thirteen out of fifteen studies showing favourable results for higher intakes of omega-3 fats. The remaining two studies have been presented as showing very slightly negative findings, but in both cases the studies deal with existing disease states, either angina or coronary artery bypass grafts. The negative effects, in both cases, are so small that they could be regarded as having little or no biological relevance (in one study there was half a percent greater mortality in the treatment compared with control, while in the other there was a little over a 2% difference). The meta-analysis authors themselves considered both studies as being of medium to high risk of bias, which might in itself explain or at least contribute to such variations.

So, while the world was assaulted with headlines such as “The benefits of fish and linseed oils as elixir of life are another health myth” (this example being courtesy of The Times newspaper), we could have just as easily, and much more correctly, read headlines along the lines of: “New meta-analysis reinforces the health benefits of fish oils.” But perhaps fewer newspapers would have sold on 24 and 25 March 2006.

Smearing the data with margarine

Even when Hooper and co-workers included studies with plant-derived, short chain omega-3 fats, such as those found in certain vegetable oils (e.g. flax) including margarines, the overall trend still pointed to reduced mortality for those consuming higher intake levels of all forms of omega-3.

The study that was presented as having the most pronounced apparent negative effect was one published in 2002 by Groningen University’s Dr Wanda Bemelmans and colleagues [6]. The study, known as the MARGARIN trial, investigated the effect on heart disease risk of a Unilever margarine enriched with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an important short-chain omega-3 found to be rich in Mediterranean diets, well known for their health promoting properties. The study also aimed to assess the effect of group education on the benefits associated with consuming a typical Mediterranean diet. Importantly, the subjects in the study all had multiple cardiovascular risk factors; nearly half were smokers and took anti-hypertensive drugs, while over 40% had family histories of cardiovascular risk.

Bemelmans and colleagues’ own findings, in contrast to their interpretation of these findings in the Hooper et al meta-analysis, are overwhelmingly positive. They demonstrate clearly the beneficial effects of ALA-enriched margarine on reducing heart disease risk. The study also shows that group education led to healthier diets, with increased consumption of fish, and consequently lower heart disease risk factors. These findings are actually fully in line with another major study, the Lyons Diet Heart Study, published in 1994 in the Lancet, which actually provided the inspiration for Bemelmans and colleagues’ MARGARIN trial.

So, how was this study distorted to give the impression that omega-3 fats might be bad for you? This is down to the very small number of deaths recorded, which could just as easily be a function of chance rather than any treatment effect. The study included only four deaths out of 266 subjects in total. The omega-3 meta-analysis authors managed to blacken this study because 3 out of 4 of these deaths (again from all-causes, not just cardiovascular disease) occurred in the high ALA, treatment group, while only one was in the low ALA, control group. This small number of deaths could easily have been a function of random, ‘statistical clustering’, particularly given that risk factors appeared lower in the high ALA treatment group.

Dr Bemelmans has actually gone on public record since the release of Hooper et al”s meta-analysis questioning the way in which her study has been used, and how her and her co-authors’ positive findings have been used to demonstrate negative findings in the meta-analysis.

Just as importantly, since the omega-3 sources are vegetable oils in margarine, it is not surprising that the benefits are perhaps less pronounced given the inefficient and limited conversion by the human body of plant-derived omega-3s to key long chain fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that are abundant in fish oils. Additionally, harmful trans fats in margarine could have been an additional confounding factor.

Cutting to the chase

Looking at all of the data in the omega-3 meta-analysis, the only area where it is possible to interpret a tendency towards very slightly negative effects, is in the case of randomised control trials (but not cohort studies) looking at the effects of omega-3 fats on cancer and stroke. However, these results could just as easily be the result of bias or confounding factors, inadequate periods of supplementation, or even the effects of contaminants in fish or fish oil capsules.

For the BMJ”s own view on the subject, it is worth referring to the Editorial published on 24 March which focuses on Hooper et al’s meta-analysis. Contrary to the thrust of the meta-analysis itself, and the related media, the Editorial takes a rather positive line on omega-3s, and demonstrates concern over dwindling supplies of marine-derived omega-3s.

Citing directly from the Editorial:
“For the general public some omega 3 fat is good for health….. Adequate intake of omega 3 fats is particularly important for women of childbearing age…… We are faced with a paradox. Health recommendations advise increased consumption of oily fish and fish oils, within limits, on the grounds that intake is generally low. However, industrial fishing has depleted the world’s fish stocks by some 90% since 1950, and rising fish prices reduce affordability particularly for people with low incomes. Global production trends suggest that, although fish farming is expanding rapidly, we probably do not have a sustainable supply of long chain omega 3 fats.”

Additionally, there are now many Rapid Responses published in the BMJ which reinforce problems with the authors’ conclusions. These can be found at: 
 http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/332/7544/752.

Let you be the judge. I don’t believe many people who read the full Hooper et al meta-analysis, as well as the BMJ editorial and Rapid Responses, would stop taking fish oil supplements. The problem is that only a tiny proportion of the population will do this. Many more will succumb to the negative headlines triggered by the meta-analysis and, contrary to the vast weight of evidence, they now run the risk of going against government advice to increase consumption of oily fish or fish oil supplements at recommended doses.

Those very few who interrogate the evidence considered by Hooper and colleagues might actually decide to alter their sources of omega-3 fats, shifting in the direction of high quality fish oil supplements and away from vegetarian sources of omega-3 and even oily fish, which runs the risk of contamination. This way, they can be guaranteed specific amounts of long-chain EPA and DHA, as well as being confident they are consuming products that are certified as free from contaminants.

So, despite the headlines, there is no new evidence clouding the efficacy of fish oils or long chain essential fatty acids. In fact, if the meta-analysis had included other health benefits such as immune system function, cognitive and behavioural function and joint health, the case for marine-derived omega-3s would have looked even stronger. So strong, in fact, one wonders if the media couldn’t be sued by fish oil supplement manufacturers for damages. But things are rarely this simple.

We are left wondering about those negative headlines. Could there have been a motive for the negative spin?

Pharma fish oils

Just as we’ve seen Big Pharma control vitamin and mineral markets globally, both legally and illegally, is it not possible that this most recent skewed meta-analysis is part of a plan to discredit fish oils consumed increasingly by the masses?

When you peruse the competing interests declared in the BMJ paper, the only possible link given is that speaker fees have been paid to one of the authors by a company, Solvay, that markets a product called Omacor. Solvay is not a small marketing outfit. It is part of an international chemical and pharmaceutical group, headquartered in Brussels, which employs some 33,000 people across 50 countries. Omacor also happens to be the first prescription-only fish oil. As a licensed medicine, unlike the much more common fish oil food or dietary supplements, it can brandish extensive health and medicinal claims. Omacor, manufactured by Pronova Biocare in Norway (a private, limited company owned by Ferd Private Equity Fund), is prescribed primarily for reducing triglycerides (a major heart disease risk factor) and is positioned firmly as a stable mate with cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. In other words, the evidence for taking high quality fish oils is so convincing, drugs companies perhaps now want a slice of the action.

And the timing for the release of the meta-analysis does appear most fortuitous. In November 2004, Omacor was approved as a drug by the US Food & Drug Administration. In September 2005, Solvay Pharmaceuticals and Pronova Biocare signed a licensing agreement for exclusive distribution rights for distribution into India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Furthermore, on 1 December 2005, EPAX Sales and Production de-merged from Pronova Biocare to enable Pronova to focus exclusively on the production of prescription-only Omacor. EPAX, also based in Norway, will continue to produce concentrated omega-3 oils for the ‘poor-cousin’, dietary supplement industry.

Is the way actually being paved to encourage patients to elect for the prescription-only fish oil version, resplendent with all the health claims allowed under a drugs regime and banned in the food or dietary supplement sector? Even if these processes are only coincidental, and we currently have no direct evidence to suggest otherwise, the effect is the same.

The crying shame from a public health and disease prevention perspective, is that some of the most robust evidence for taking fish oils relates to their early, protective effects against heart disease. And that’s why the free availability of high quality fish oil supplements is so important; people only take drugs when they become sick.

So now, those people – and there may be many – who have been unfairly frightened away from fish oil supplements might believe that they need to wait until they’re sick in later life before their trusted doctors can prescribe the fish oil supplements they should have been consuming all along.

It is indeed a topsy-turvy world of lies, damn lies – and statistics.

REFERENCES
1.    Hooper L, Thompson RL, Harrison RA, Summerbell CD, Ness AR, Moore HJ, Worthington HV, Durrington PN, Higgins JP, Capps NE, Riemersma RA, Ebrahim SB, Davey Smith G. Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. British Medical Journal, 2006; 332 (7544): 752-60.
2.    Miller ER 3rd, Pastor-Barriuso R, Dalal D, Riemersma RA, Appel LJ, Guallar E. Meta-analysis: high-dosage vitamin E supplementation may increase all-cause mortality. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2005; 142(1): 37-46.
3.    Vivekananthan DP, Penn MS, Sapp SK, Hsu A, Topol EJ. Use of antioxidant vitamins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet, 2003; 361(9374): 2017-23.
4.    Hooper L, Thompson RL, Harrison RA, Summerbell CD, Ness AR, Moore HJ, Worthington HV, Durrington PN, Higgins JP, Capps NE, Riemersma RA, Ebrahim SB, Davey Smith G. Rapid Response in British Medical Journal: Authors reply – omega 3s and health. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/332/7544/752#131349 [last accessed 19 April 2006].
5.    Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition / Committee on Toxicity (UK). Advice on fish consumption: benefits and risks. Food Standards Agency / Department of Health. 2004. 204 pp.
6.    Bemelmans WJ, Broer J, Feskens EJ, Smit AJ, Muskiet FA, Lefrandt JD, Bom VJ, May JF, Meyboom-de Jong B. Effect of an increased intake of alpha-linolenic acid and group nutritional education on cardiovascular risk factors: the Mediterranean Alpha-linolenic Enriched Groningen Dietary Intervention (MARGARIN) study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002; 75(2): 221-7.

Vanadium Nanostars

It’s taken me a long time (over 2 years) to go public with my positive account of using nanoparticle (or angstrom-sized) minerals. This is because nanotechnology is experimental and the full ramifications of any application of the technology are yet unknown. Hence, I didn’t want to unduly influence anyone one way or the other, but I do feel it’s important to share the results of my personal experimentation and also encourage you to do your own research to make informed decisions.

What is Nanotechnology & Nanoparticles?

Nanotechnology is the experimental process of manipulating matter on an incredibly minute scale (one thousandth of a millimeter and smaller), in order to create new products and materials, or delivery systems. It is the creation and manipulation of tiny objects at the level of molecules and atoms. At the nano-scale, the laws of chemistry and physics work differently and materials develop unique properties not seen at normal particle size. Opaque materials, such as copper and zinc, become transparent; stable materials, such as aluminum become explosive; and solids such as gold turn into liquids.

There are two types of nanoparticles:

Fine particle – 100 – 2500 nanometers (nm)

Ultrafine – 1 – 100 nm

Angstrom (so named for physicist Anders Jonas Ångström) size is: .10 nm

So 1 Angstrom = 100 picometers = .10 nanometers

To put 100 nm in context: a strand of DNA is 2.5 nm wide, a protein molecule is 5 nm, a red blood cell 7,000 nm and a human hair is 80,000 nm wide.

New consumer products with hidden nanotech ingredients hit the US market in a nearly unregulated fashion each week, including baby toys, personal care products, clothes and countless other products. The nanoparticles in these products are so small, they are rapidly absorbed through the skin and spread to the environment in unpredictable ways.

Scientists are applying nanotechnology to a wide range of industries, including food, food packaging, kitchenware, personal care, medicine, electronics, clothing, sports equipment, fertilizers and pesticides. There are more than 800 consumer products on the market now using nanotechnology.

Examples of Nanotech Products

For example, a tableware set contains a nano silver coating that kills bacteria, aiming to prevent food-borne diseases. A toothpaste contains nanoparticles that help remove plaque and provide minerals to protect against tooth decay. A golf club shaft is made from “nano composite technology” to be stronger and lighter weight. This technology could also be used to make chemical and biological weapons.

In food, proponents say nanotechnology can boost and target nutrition, extend shelf life, improve taste and texture and detect bacterial contamination. There are now up to 300 nano food and 400-500 nano food packaging applications on store shelves.

Toddler Health is a nutritional supplement containing nano ion particles that claim to offer toddlers increased bioavailability.

Canola Active cooking oil contains NutraLease, a nutraceutical technology that uses nanocapsules to enhance the delivery of nutrients.

A preservative known as AquaNova contains nano-capsules of water-insoluble substances to increase  absorption in the body.

McDonalds burger packages contain nano-spheres that require less water and less time and energy to dry.

Miller Beer bottles are made from imperm,  a plastic imbued with clay nanoparticles that are as hard as glass but stronger and provide longer shelf life.

Major food companies such as General Mills, Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo, Cadbury-Schweppes and Uniliver are researching and developing nano food and food packaging applications, building what is expected to be a $6 billion market this year.

There are nano agricultural applications. Syngenta developed a plant growth treatment – PrimoMaxx nano emulsion.

Cornell scientists developed a cloth with saturated nano fibers that slowly releases pesticides and herbicides when it is planted with seed. (Yikes!)

Health Risks

Like genetically modified foods, products of nanotechnology pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. Nanoparticles are more chemically reactive than larger particles. Because they are so small, they have greater access to the human body than larger particles.

They can be inhaled, penetrate skin, gain access to tissues and cells, and cross the blood-brain barrier. Assessing the risks of nanotechnology is lagging far behind development of applications.  “There is virtually no data on chronic, long-term effects on people, other organisms or the wider environment,” wrote  British scientist John Lawton, author of a report from the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution.

Sunscreens are the most widely used consumer product containing nanoparticles.  Tests on mice in the US have shown that sunscreen nanoparticles over-stimulated brain cells, which could lead to brain damage over time. Studies at the University of Toledo, Utah State University  and the University of Utah found that nano particles, including nanotitanium dioxide, found in sunscreens killed beneficial bacteria and soil microbes. So these are yet more reasons why sunscreens are bad for your health. Why do they make nanoparticle-sized sunscreens? Because the tiny size also means that the product/color is not visible on the skin – and people don’t want white stripes of zinc on their nose or body.

Articles of clothing (commonly socks and underwear) contain nanosilver particles marketed as “bacterial guards”. Unfortunately, these nanoparticles wash out in your laundry and are carried into our groundwater where they are changing the ecology of lakes and rivers by killing bacteria and algae. As you can well imagine, mucking with an ecosystem in this way is not likely to be a good idea.

Some initial studies raise red flags. A recent study published in Nature showed that carbon nanotubes may exhibit the same cancer-causing potential as asbestos. Keep in mind though, that nanoparticles don’t just exist through scientific manipulation, they have also been around a long time as the pollutants given off by cars and trucks. The president of the National Institute of Ecology (INE) in Mexico City, Adrian Fernandez says:

“Ultrafine nanoparticles are the most hazardous because they penetrate and lodge themselves in the deepest part of the respiratory system also accessing the cardiovascular system. They are generated by vehicular combustion processes, particularly of buses with diesel engines”.

In tests on rats, nanosilver has also been shown to be toxic to liver, brain and stem cells and may harm beneficial bacteria.

The Positive Side of Nanotechnology

However, there are also dozens more tests that show nanosilver kills pathogens like HIV, herpes, and other viruses which are very difficult to eradicate – so there is also a positive side to the application of the same technology.

And although nanoparticles have been present in vehicle exhaust fumes for decades, they have also been present in plants which we have been consuming for thousands of years. Plants absorb minerals from their soil and convert them to nanoparticle-sized minerals within their roots and stems – which we automatically absorb when we eat the plants. Scientists have even realized that this natural conversion ability of plants may be a better way to produce nanoparticle-sized metals for industrial use, then chemical processes which produce pollutants.

Nanoparticles were also used by artisans as far back as the 9th century in Mesopotamia for generating a glittering effect on the surface of pots.

My Conclusion

So, when I looked at the fact that plants naturally produce nanoparticle-sized minerals, thus indicating that our bodies have been safely absorbing minerals in this form for millenia, that gave me a base of confidence to try nanoparticle and angstrom-sized minerals.

As well, I looked at people/groups who have been consuming nanoparticle minerals for years already – athletes and children with autism. Jim Haszinger, the president of the company we get our nano minerals from, gave me a list of autism clinics in the U.S. who have been using his minerals for 2 – 6 years already. Jim and his family have been consuming his nanoparticle minerals for over 20 years. A good friend of Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND – veterinarian Terry Wood – has been using nanoparticle minerals and electrolyte blends with animals and athletes for over 5 years. There were no accounts of adverse effects from using nanoparticle minerals from any of these groups.

I also found a number of studies showing clear benefits to nanoparticle or angstrom-sized mineral supplementation for osteoporosis and tooth decay. I go into my research in a lot more detail at JPT Wellness Circle and we’re also going to be doing a teleseminar on nanoparticle minerals soon.

Lastly, I sat with all my research and “head knowledge” for few months and then plugged in to see what my gut said. Based on my intuition, I started taking Bone Support nanoparticle minerals (a blend of minerals that support bone and tooth formation and strengthening), Miracle of Life Trace Minerals (these are all the trace minerals, many of which have disappeared from our soil since the advent of pesticides and monoculture crops in the 1930′s) and Angstrom Iron. After taking them myself for numerous months, I started my kids on them too – and ALL our tooth decay disappeared:

In my family, we take one capful of the Minerals of Life – Trace Minerals in the morning (kids take 1/2 capful) – we just tip it into our mouths and swallow it straight. At night, we take our Bone Support minerals last thing before bed so they will stop decay by re-mineralizing our teeth and also shifting the pH of our mouths to an alkaline state (it is often the acidic pH in the mouth that causes tooth decay). We take 1 capful for adults, 1/2 capful for the kids. After brushing and flossing, we hold and swish the Bone Support around our teeth for about 2 minutes, then swallow. Both the kids and I have noticed that using these minerals to induce alkalinity right before bed also helps ensure a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

If you are suffering from, or concerned about osteoporosis, then you will likely need to take more of the Bone Support for a period of time. You might want to take 1 tbsp, 2-3x/day for 3 months, then get re-tested. Also, you may want to take 1 tbsp. of the Minerals of Life Trace Minerals each day. And don’t forget your daily Vitamin D – also crucial for bone formation.

The nanoparticle iron is especially exciting for people with gut disorders, since normal iron is quite irritating to the gut and can trigger intestinal bleeding and result in constipation. This lead to quite a multi-step process in Listen To Your Gut for taking iron in order to boost absorption and guard against adverse effects. All of that becomes unnecessary with angstrom or nanoparticle-sized iron since it does not require digestion and therefore does not irritate the GI tract. I even tested it by taking 8x and then 16x the dose on one day – as I was concerned by research on nanoparticle ferric oxide in mouse models – but there were no adverse effects.

I used this iron myself to raise both my hemoglobin and my ferritin (iron stores), taking 1 tablespoon once or twice per day. It works really fast and there are no intestinal effects as it does not require digestion. For this reason, it should be safe to use whilst bleeding – but go slowly and test it to be sure. The iron particles are angstrom-sized = .10 nm, very tiny nanoparticles, which are absorbed instantly into the blood and cells.

If treating anemia, ideally, you should take 1 tsp in the morning and 1 tsp in the evening. For severe anemia (hemoglobin less than 7 or 70) , I would take 1 tsp, 3 – 4 times per day. I always washed it down with lots of water or other liquid (just my intuition). It tastes only faintly of iron, but mostly just like metallic water. If you are using it for maintenance, then I would think 1 tsp every other day (or just twice a week) should be sufficient. You can get your hemoglobin tested (to track your progress) within 30 – 45 days since this product builds hemoglobin so fast. For best results, make sure you are also getting adequate B12 and folic acid – co-factors needed to utilize iron properly.

I also began experimenting with new anti-pathogen formulas using nanosilver, tea tree, wild oregano oil and DMSO and have had amazing results treating fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections among my family, friends and neighbours (also published at JPT Wellness Circle).

Whilst I feel good about taking nanosized targeted minerals from a trusted supplier, I do NOT feel good about being unwittingly exposed to all kinds of nanoparticles in food, clothing, packaging materials, etc. – as outlined above. We definitely need (as is the case with EMR – electromagnetic radiation) a non industry-influenced regulatory body to test and research these new technologies before they are unleashed en masse on all of us, without our knowledge or consent.

I’m not going to advise you on what you should do with your body, since this is a new technology. But I wanted to share my experience and research (as I said, lots more in-depth research results at JPT Wellness Circle). As it stands now, these nanoparticle minerals are the best thing for myself and my kids – since we had previously tried everything to cure our tooth decay, with no success.

soar higher,
Jini

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

My organic grocery delivery company often gets this question: “Why doesn’t this organic apple or banana look ‘as good as’ a conventional one?” Here’s why, when it comes to conventional produce, looks can be deceiving…

Extreme Produce Makeover

Today’s consumers are raised on TV, airbrushed photos and carefully manipulated images designed to sell illusions of perfection. But when it comes to produce, looks aren’t everything. Chances are that shiny apple, or yellow banana are gassed, bathed in pesticides and fungicides or injected with food dyes that make them a toxic treat for the senses.

Let’s slip into bananas. We’ve recently seen quality issues with this family favorite. This is because February and March are traditionally tough months for banana growers. Soaring humidity makes their crop very vulnerable to rot. Organic growers typically treat this disease naturally, with aids such as grapefruit seed oil extract. It’s not a perfect system. But the blemished bananas contain far fewer chemical contaminants than their photogenic golden “conventional” counterparts.

“Conventional” bananas are picked before they ripen naturally. Calcium Carbide, ammonia or sulphur dioxide then ripens them at super-speed. In high concentration, these toxins may damage the nervous system, kidneys and liver. The bananas might also be soaked in the carcinogen benonomyl, and repeatedly sprayed with pesticides.

Tomatoes are also picked before maturity and shipped long distances. They’re gassed with the plant hormone ethylene to ripen them and may be injected with red dye for eye appeal. Because the “conventional” tomato was never truly ripe it’s now vitamin deficient…unless you count the nutrient value of its chemical fertilizers, pesticides, ripeners and dye.

I’ll never forget when my cousin came to visit and stayed in our studio apartment that we were using as an office. Two months after his departure, I opened the fridge and saw a bag of tomatoes he’d left behind. I was aghast to see that they still looked perfect – no mold, no softening, nothing! I’ve eaten nothing but organic produce for the last 15 years, so I was used to our normal tomatoes that last about a week before being taken over by hungry microbes. Here’s the thing: Bacteria and fungi are extremely smart organisms – they have adapted and thrived where thousands of species have gone extinct. So if they won’t touch the food – that should tell you something!

Also, the taste of a conventional tomato pales next to a vine-ripened, fresh organic tomato full of flavor. Tip: For the best flavor, store tomatoes at room temperature, rather than in the fridge. I’ve tested both ways, and mine don’t last any longer when stored in the fridge, but they do lose a lot of flavor.

What about “juicy” ‘conventional’ grocery store apples? They’re full of enough preservatives to change the slogan to “an apple a day keeps decomposition away.” Picked while still green, apples are sprayed with thiabendazole at the warehouse, a chemical known to cause birth defects. After sorting they’re treated with preservatives to keep them juicy and crisp, and then covered with shellac or carnuba wax (just to really seal in all those chemicals and make sure they don’t wash off!).

Generally, exported cherries are fumigated with Methyl bromide for 2 hours at a temperature of 43 degrees Fahrenheit. The fumigation treatment is done with the aim to kill any potential codling moth (a type of post-harvest pest). 17% is absorbed by the bulk wooden bin that is used to store the cherries. The absorption into the wooden box will then lead to metabolic changes and decomposition. Cherries that have been treated in this manner do not rot away even after 7 weeks at room temperature. The cherries may have been treated multiple times during storage and shipment. When humans get exposed to high concentrations of methyl bromide (which also depletes ozone), it can lead to deleterious effects on skin, lungs and eyes, and both respiratory and nervous system failure. Does it sound like these cherries are safe to eat?

So, next time you say: “I’d love to eat organic, but I can’t afford to.” Think of how much it’s going to cost you in health care dollars after ingesting all these chemical agents, day after day, AND not getting the nutrients and enzymes from normal (i.e. “organic”) food. But if you truly cannot afford to eat organic, here are my tips and tricks of cheaper alternatives for healthy eating.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

After nine years of doing private consultations for people with Crohn’s disease and answering literally thousands of questions on my Forum, I have come to see that there are seven key protocols that nearly everyone needs to implement in order to see their digestive healing progress rapidly.

By the time people find their way to my protocols, their bacterial flora is usually unbalanced throughout their gastrointestinal tract. If they haven’t already had repeated antibiotic use since childhood, then the medical exploratory and diagnostic tests alone have destroyed much of the good bacteria in their small and large intestine. When the good, protective bacteria are depleted, then pathogens like yeast (Candida), viruses, parasites, and bad bacteria flourish.

Note: If you have had a colonoscopy, or are considering one, please download my complimentary Colonoscopy Report – where I outline the risks and what you can do to protect yourself.

This profusion of pathogens, combined with (and causing) inflammation and damage to the mucosal lining, then results in Leaky Gut Syndrome; whereby undigested food particles and bad bacteria leach into the bloodstream and trigger allergic reactions and infection in other locales.

The protocols needed to heal Crohn’s disease therefore focus on providing bowel rest via a special Crohn’s disease diet, eradicating pathogens from the gut, rebalancing the bacterial flora, healing the damage done to the mucosal lining and intestinal wall, healing the emotional factors that lead to susceptibility in the gut in the first place (and ongoing), addressing any nutrient deficiencies, and balancing the endocrine system.

Crohn’s Diet – Bowel Rest

In extreme cases, the best and fastest way of alternative healing for Crohn’s is to go on an elemental diet (as outlined in my book, The IBD Remission Diet) in order to provide bowel rest and eliminate any trigger foods, whilst addressing the underlying conditions of infection and inflammation in the digestive system. This is also used frequently if the person is very malnourished or underweight, or if there is ongoing intestinal bleeding.

If the person doesn’t require anything as drastic as an elemental diet, then they just follow the Healing Diet (in Chapter 3 of Listen To Your Gut) for their symptom profile, whilst implementing the protocols below. If they do begin with an elemental diet, then they also begin simultaneously on the protocols below. If tolerated, the multi-pronged healing approach produces the quickest results.

The great news is that a number of my clients have now tested using raw milk (unpasteurized milk from pasture-fed cows) instead of Absorb Plus for their elemental diet and they have tolerated it well and shown great improvement. Others have used a combination of Absorb Plus and raw cow or goat’s milk. If this interests you, I have provided a lot of information on this innovative healing therapy at JPT Wellness Circle (I have content on raw milk therapy in the infoletter, videos, podcasts and teleseminars sections). If possible, I would encourage you to use raw milk instead of Absorb Plus, because not only is it cheaper, it is a whole, unprocessed food and therefore healthier.

Eradicating Pathogens

To get rid of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, yeast (Candida albicans), mycobacteria and parasites, utilize Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol. If you have a mycobacterial infection, you will need to cycle on and off the Protocol for 2 –3 years to eradicate all the mycobacteria.

People generally start with Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol and then upon completion of the first cycle, move onto high dose, therapeutic probiotic supplementation. Of course, they have already begun probiotic supplementation with Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol, so their system doesn’t usually have much difficulty transitioning to high dose probiotics.

Probiotic Supplementation for Crohn’s Disease

Probiotics for Crohn’s disease treatment must be ingested in a potent, bioavailable form; the bacteria must be capable of colonizing the gastrointestinal tract and must be ingested in high enough amounts to have a therapeutic effect. This means, that to see results (based on clinical trials), you need to ingest a minimum of 7 – 10 billion c.f.u. of each species, per day. This works out to 1 teaspoon, 3 times a day of the Natren powdered probiotics: Megadophilus, Bifido Factor and Digesta-Lac. Or, 1 Healthy Trinity capsule, two times per day.

However, if your Crohn’s disease is in a very active state, or you are highly sensitive to probiotics, then you must start out with small amounts and very gradually build up. In these cases, it is often best to start with an infant species of bacteria called B. infantis and then gradually work your way up to the adult species of L. acidophilus, B. bifidus and L. Bulgaricus. B. infantis is available from Natren (called Life Start) in either cow or goat’s milk based formulas.

Note: If you are having more than 3 bowel movements per day, then you must not take anything in capsule form (probiotics or supplements) as the transit time through the gut is too fast to be properly absorbed and utilized.

Once you can tolerate therapeutic levels of probiotics (and many can right away) then the best results are seen from probiotic layering. This means you take both the powders and the capsules to maximize the beneficial effects of each and then you also perform Jini’s Probiotic Retention Enema. Probiotic layering can be done in a number of ways, but what most people usually do is to take 1 teaspoon of each powdered species, two times per day and 1 Healthy Trinity capsule, once per day.

Healing Crohn’s Inflammation & Ulceration

Whilst the protocols already outlined above greatly contribute to the healing of intestinal inflammation and ulceration, targeted herbal supplementation is also highly beneficial and produces more rapid healing.

If the person has ongoing bleeding from the colon, then Jini’s Healing Implant Enema is utilized whilst on an elemental diet. Once bleeding is no longer acute, or is only from the small intestine, MucosaHeal is used along with George’s Aloe Vera Juice.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Here are the nutritional supplements that pretty much everyone with Crohn’s disease needs to take due to increased loss through diarrhea and/or lack of absorption of nutrients:

• Full spectrum multi-vitamin and multi-mineral – yes, it would be ideal to ingest these in whole-food form, however many people with IBD cannot tolerate whole food vitamins. Angstrom-sized, or nanoparticle minerals are very easily tolerated and highly absorbable, but are also a bit more expensive. So whilst the regular mineral supplements are not ideal, they do still produce beneficial results and are certainly better than nothing. In fact, due to the alkalizing effect of minerals (since people with Crohn’s have a hyper-acidic system), I strongly recommend that Crohn’s sufferers take both the Bone Support nanoparticle minerals and the Trace Minerals – these will produce the most rapid healing.
• 3,000 IU vitamin D3 per day
• 4 – 6 capsules cod liver oil per day (or 2 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons Udo’s oil per day
• Pycnogenol or grape seed extract
• Coenzyme Q10
• Most people with Crohn’s disease also suffer from anemia. But then iron supplements are irritating to the gut and can trigger intestinal bleeding. The solution again, is to take your iron in nanoparticle, or angstrom-sized form. This means that the iron is instantly absorbed into the bloodstream and does not require digestion. Therefore, it also does not irritate the GI tract.
• Vitamin C in mineral ascorbate form – needed for immune system but also for blood clotting.

Each of these supplements is vital for healing various facets of the Crohn’s pathology and they also work synergistically to accelerate healing.

Note: If you are having more than 3 bowel movements per day, then you must not take anything in capsule form, as the transit time through the gut is too fast to be properly absorbed and utilized. In that case, you need to open capsules and dissolve the contents into an Absorb Plus shake, or diluted apple juice, or chew them.

Emotional Contributors

Over 60% of your body’s neurotransmitters are not in your brain, but in your gut! (see Michael Gershon’s book The Second Brain for lots more about this). There is now an entire field dedicated to this emerging knowledge about the interrelation of the mind, emotions and the digestive system called Neurogastroenterology. This is not airy-fairy, woo-woo stuff, this is hard science. And if you don’t heal the psychological and emotional components of your dis-ease, then you will never have long-term health. It’s really that simple.

The most effective mind/body therapies are EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), also called MTT (Meridian Tapping Techniques) and hypnotherapy. You need to work with a skilled therapist, at least initially, to really see good results. And it’s best if you can use someone (like Annabel Fisher) who is experienced with chronic illness; which is more complex and has many more layers than regular illness. For more information, see: www.MeridianTherapyTechniques.com

Balance Your Hormones

If you have been ill for longer than eight months, or if you have taken any kind of steroid or immune suppressant drug, then it is highly likely your adrenal gland and thyroid glands (at least) are not functioning properly.

Ideally, you should see a doctor who specializes in hormone balancing and have your endocrine system tested properly. You should then follow a natural hormone supplement program tailored to your specific needs. However, since we have seen that many people either cannot afford to do this, or just can’t seem to allocate the time/energy to do it, I am going to give you a shortcut that is likely to help in the majority of cases.

Endocrine specialist, Jonathan V. Wright MD, has developed a holistic endocrine supplement called Thyroplex. He reasons that you should never just treat one gland in isolation – since they are all linked like dominoes. Therefore, you need to support the entire endocrine system in a return to balance. I agree with Dr. Wright and many of my clients with Crohn’s disease see very good results from taking Thyroplex (there is one for males and one for females). Women with Crohn’s usually also benefit from taking natural progesterone cream (a dime-sized amount rubbed into the soles of the feet 1x/day).

But again, it is definitely recommended that you see a doctor who specializes in hormones and have your individual situation assessed properly.

And there you have it! If you implement each of the seven steps outlined above (simultaneously if possible) you will have the fastest, most thorough Crohn’s alternative treatment plan. Of course, you will need to use various additional supplements as needed – FissureHeal if you have anal/rectal fissures, or HemorrHeal if your bleeding is from internal or external hemorrhoids, syringed wild oregano oil for fistulas, L-glutamine, bentonite clay or psyllium seed for diarrhea, etc.

But the basic protocol for rapid healing of Crohn’s disease can be summed up in these seven targeted steps:

1. Rest the bowel
2. Eradicate pathogens
3. Repopulate with good bacteria
4. Heal inflammation and ulceration
5. Resolve nutrient deficiencies
6. Heal emotional contributors
7. Balance the endocrine system

The key is to do all seven thoroughly – preferably simultaneously – without skipping over any of them.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Note: If you suffer from constipation, then I highly recommend you get my new book, Listen To Your Colon: The Complete Natural Healing Guide For Constipation. Whilst I do address constipation briefly in Listen To Your Gut, this is a very complex disorder with a lot of different facets. Therefore, I wrote Listen To Your Colon to be able to address it properly; providing both short-term relief and long-term resolution of constipation.

Okay, just had to share with you my latest addiction. I first had this in a restaurant and was crazy for it – but since it is a half hour drive away, I had to figure out how to make it myself!

If you are sensitive to acidic foods, then just replace the tomatoes with 1 diced zucchini – and bake for only 10 minutes (rather than 20). Everything else in the recipe stays the same.

Gluten-free, super easy and incredibly yummy Tuscan Tomato & Goat Cheese Dip. Can be eaten as a meal or a snack.

Tuscan Tomato & Goat Cheese Dip

2 Roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. Italian olive oil
1 tsp dried OR 2 tbsp. fresh green herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil)
Himalayan salt to taste
1 packet goat cheese

1. Slice tomatoes and place in oven-proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, herbs and salt and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

2. Remove skins from tomatoes (if desired), dice, and lay sliced or crumbled goat cheese on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of green herb and broil on high for 5 minutes.

3. Serve warm with pita triangles, nacho chips, or crackers. Can also top with chopped olives or capers if desired.

If you’re avoiding tomatoes:

1 medium sized zucchini, washed & diced
2 tbsp. Italian olive oil
1 tsp dried OR 2 tbsp. fresh green herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil)
Himalayan salt to taste
1 packet goat cheese

1. Place diced zucchini in oven-proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, herbs and salt and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

2. Lay sliced or crumbled goat cheese on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of green herb and broil on high for 5 minutes.

3. Serve warm with pita triangles, nacho chips, or crackers. Can also top with chopped olives if desired.

____________________________________________________

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

This is awesome! Dr. Andrew Wakefield (prominent GI who was viciously attacked by drug/med establishment for daring to suggest even the *possibility* of a link between MMR vaccine and IBD) finally gets to tell his side of the story and what exactly has been happening.

He’s so articulate and this info is GOLD:

If you only have time to watch one segment, this is a good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENY_M1XEW4s

The biggest irony of it all is that Wakefield says himself that he is pro-vaccine – he has always advised patients to be vaccinated, but to use the single vaccines.

So, this is not really an anti-vaccine video, it is a pro vaccine safety video. But just by Dr. Wakefield presenting the facts/research accumulated to the present, you realize that – whilst great in theory – current vaccinations are not performing the way they were intended to.

Unfortunately, they do not address the issue of whether antibodies produced as a result of vaccination confer immunity – as is presumed. The only clinical trials I’ve been able to find on this, show that they do not. Perhaps this will be addressed in the future…

Well, I received a response from the School Board to my earlier letter about cell phone and wireless computer usage inside my kids’ school.

And their position – surprise, surprise – is hey, we just follow what Health Canada says! And Health Canada says there is no possibility of danger from radio frequency microwave radiation. Huh. So here’s my response to the School Board Director of Instruction (and Health Canada):

Dear Mr. MacKinnon

Thanks so much for your letter of response. I appreciate you taking the time to look into this issue and then consider how radio frequency microwave radiation may be affecting our children.

As you pointed out, our principal did indeed respond admirably and promptly to my concerns about cell phones in the classrooms. Unfortunately, ongoing, you are relying on children to police themselves – and we all know how reliable that is!

My son informs me that since then, a new boy in class has received a cell phone, which he carries around in his pocket – turned on – so that he can send and receive text messages from his Dad.

Then I started thinking about all the junior high and high school students… do you honestly think they are turning off their cell phones (and remembering to turn them off)? Especially since texting is so big among that age group.

So, I applaud the fact that school policy against having cell phones turned on in the schools already exists. But I request you put some serious thought into the actual enforcement of that policy.

How about requiring students to place their cell phone in a basket on the teacher’s desk and then the teacher (or a trusted student) doing a quick check to ensure that each is turned off? How about having random spot checks for cell phones with a seriously stiff penalty (like suspension for 3 days) if a phone is found left on? I’m sure if you put your head together with principals from several schools, you would be able to come up with something reliable and enforceable. I look forward to hearing your ideas on this matter.

Regarding the wireless computers, in your letter you stated that you are basing WiFi school policy solely on evidence and guidelines provided by Health Canada. Well, when you take a look at what’s happening in other countries, I would suggest to you that Health Canada is either behind the 8-ball on this issue, or it is unduly industry-influenced. For example:

• Germany warns citizens to avoid Wi-Fi due to health risks – September 2007

• Russian Radiation Protection Agency gives urgent warning to defend children’s health from RF/MW – April 2008

• Five public libraries in Paris shut down Wi-Fi due to health concerns – May 2008

• European Parliament votes to bring in stricter radiation limits – September 2008

• City of Herouville St. Clair, France removes Wi-Fi from primary schools due to health risks – April 2009

• Teachers in UK call for immediate dismantling of Wi-Fi in schools due to health risks – April 2009

• Sorbonne University, Paris passes moratorium on Wi-Fi – May 2009

• Los Angeles School District votes unanimously to protect children from ELF and RF/MW – May 2009

• Israeli Minister of Environment gives public warning on radiation emitting devices including Wi-Fi – July 2009

If the Health Canada standards are so accurate and reliable, then why have these other countries banned or warned against WiFi after recognizing that it is indeed a serious health hazard?

Obviously Germany, the UK, Russia and France do not concur with Health Canada’s position that, “These concerns appear to arise from some media reports and dubious Internet websites which contain inaccurate, unsubstantiated, controversial or contradictory statements regarding RF-health issues.” (quoted from pg 1 of the Email response from Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau you sent me, attached to your letter)

Damaging health effects are scientifically shown to occur at levels thousands of times below existing public safety limits. Reputable scientists state that our standards (i.e. the Health Canada standards) are obsolete because they are based solely on thermal effects.

In mice, exposure for approximately 2 hours/day to a mobile phone (0.9GHz GSM modulated mobile phone; 23-36V/m, 0.41-0.98W/Kg whole body exposure) for four days resulted in cognitive deficits in the Morris water maze, a test of spatial learning and memory.  Exposed mice were less able to transfer learned information to the next day, and had deficits in consolidation and/or retrieval of the learned information. “Our results provide a basis for more thorough investigations considering reports on non-thermal effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs).”
- Fragopoulou AF, et alDepartment of Cell Biology & Biophysics, University of Athens
Whole body exposure with GSM 900Mhz affects spatial memory in mice,
Pathophysiology, 2009 Nov 30

“No scientific evidence has determined that wireless technology is safe . . . This exposure affects our whole body . . . Are we equipped to face this sort of radiation?  Has evolution provided us with a shell that can protect us? And obviously the answer is no, we don’t have that kind of protection, so we are left to pray and to hope that it isn’t dangerous, but it’s an empty hope.”
- Professor Olle Johansson, PhD
Royal Institute of Technology
Stockholm, Sweden

If WiFi is so benign, then why do insurance companies refuse to insure cell phone providers?

“Non-Thermal Effects Confirmed, Exposure Limits Challenged, Precaution Demanded…All across Europe, the debate on exposure limits has flared up; insurance companies do not insure cell phone providers because of the incalculable health risks.”
- Austrian Insurance Company (AUVA) report confirming health risks associated with wireless technologies – July 21, 2009

I could go on and on, providing you with undeniably hardcore, reliable scientific evidence, but, if the Surrey Board of Education is resolutely refusing to look at any sources of evidence other than Health Canada, then I guess we have nothing further to discuss, or we will just go round in circles.

But if you are honestly concerned about being proactive and cautious with our children’s health, then I would encourage you to hold a position of pure inquiry like, “What is the proven public safety record of these technologies?” and then look at ALL reputable, scientific sources in the investigation of this question.

It would be nice (and really time efficient) if we could rely on Health Canada to be proactive, thorough, and rigorous on public health issues. However, remember the cigarette/tobacco issue? Swine flu fiasco? Pesticides on lawns? Health Canada’s record hardly inspires public confidence.

I remain hopeful that you will consider a more unbiased investigation of the facts – looking at non industry-influenced sources, non industry-funded studies, and reputable scientists worldwide who are willing to put their professional reputation on the line to speak up about this issue.

And of course, I am available to assist you in any way you would deem helpful.

Sincerely,
Jini Patel Thompson

Cc:       Wayne Noye, Secretary Treasurer
John Ormond, Assistant Superintendent
Lois Layton, Principal, White Rock Elementary

Get Involved: You can download this brochure about the risks of Wi-Fi and hand it out to help educate your teachers, other parents, etc.

“Radio frequency radiation and other forms of electromagnetic pollution are harmful at orders of magnitude well below existing guidelines. Science is one of the tools society uses to decide health policy. In the case of telecommunications equipment, such as cell phones, wireless networks, cell phone antennas, PDAs, and portable phones, the science is being ignored. Current guidelines urgently need to be re-examined by government and reduced to reflect the state of the science. There is an emerging public health crisis at hand and time is of the essence.”

- Magda Havas, PhD
Associate Professor, Environment & Resource Studies, Trent University, Canada.
Expert in radiofrequency radiation, electromagnetic fields, dirty electricity and ground current.

“The key point about electromagnetic pollution that the public has to realize is that it is not necessary that the intensity be large for a biological interaction to occur. There is now considerable evidence that extremely weak signals can have physiological consequences. These interactive intensities are about 1000 times smaller than the threshold values formerly estimated by otherwise knowledgeable theoreticians, who, in their vainglorious approach to science, rejected all evidence to the contrary as inconsistent with their magnificent calculations. These faulty estimated thresholds are yet to be corrected by both regulators and the media.

The overall problem with environmental electromagnetism is much deeper, not only of concern at power line frequencies, but also in the radiofrequency range encompassing mobile phones. Here the public’s continuing exposure to electromagnetic radiation is largely connected to money. Indeed the tens of billions of dollars in sales one finds in the cell phone industry makes it mandatory to corporate leaders that they deny, in knee-jerk fashion, any indication of hazard.

There may be hope for the future in knowing that weakly intense electromagnetic interactions can be used for good as well as harm. The fact that such fields are biologically effective also implies the likelihood of medical applications, something that is now taking place. As this happens, I think it will make us more aware about how our bodies react to electromagnetism, and it should become even clearer to everyone concerned that there is reason to be very, very careful about ambient electromagnetic fields.”

- Abraham R. Liboff, PhD
Research Professor
Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
Co-Editor, Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine

“The Venice Resolution, initiated by the International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety (ICEMS) on June 6, 2008, and now signed by nearly 50 peer reviewed scientists worldwide, states in part, “We are compelled to confirm the existence of non-thermal effects of electromagnetic fields on living matter, which seem to occur at every level of investigation from molecular to epidemiological. Recent epidemiological evidence is stronger than before. We recognize the growing public health problem known as electrohypersensitivity. We strongly advise limited use of cell phones, and other similar devices, by young children and teenagers, and we call upon governments to apply the Precautionary Principle as an interim measure while more biologically relevant exposure standards are developed.”

- Prof. Livio Giuliani, PhD
Spokesperson, International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety (www.icems.eu)
Deputy Director, Italian National Institute for Worker Protection and Safety, East Venice and South Tyrol; Professor, School of Biochemistry of Camerino University, Italy

“Claims that cell phones pose no health hazards are supported solely by Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits safety standards written by the telecommunications industry decades ago based on studies they funded. These have made the erroneous assumption that the only harm that could come from cell phone radiofrequency emissions would be from a thermal or heating action, since such non thermal fields can have no biological effects. The late Dr. Ross Adey disproved this three decades ago by demonstrating that very similar radiofrequency fields with certain carrier and modulation frequencies that had insufficient energy to produce any heating could cause the release of calcium ions from cells. Since then, numerous research reports have confirmed that non thermal fields from cell phones, tower transmitters, power lines, and other man made sources can significantly affect various tissues and physiologic functions.

We are constantly being bathed in an increasing sea of radiation from exposure to the above, as well as electrical appliances, computers, Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi installations and over 2,000 communications satellites in outer space that shower us with signals to GPS receivers. New WiMax transmitters on cell phone towers that have a range of up to two square miles compared to Wi-Fi’s 300 feet will soon turn the core of North America into one huge electromagnetic hot spot. Children are more severely affected because their brains are developing and their skulls are thinner. A two-minute call can alter brain function in a child for an hour, which is why other countries ban their sale or discourage their use under the age of 18. In contrast, this is the segment of the population now being targeted here in a $2 billion U.S. advertising campaign that views “tweens” (children between 8 and 12 years old) as the next big cell phone market. Firefly and Barbie cell phones are also being promoted for 6 to 8-year-olds.

It is not generally appreciated that there is a cumulative effect and that talking on a cell phone for just an hour a day for ten years can add up to 10,000 watts of radiation. That’s ten times more than from putting your head in a microwave oven. Pregnant women may also be at increased risk based on a study showing that children born to mothers who used a cell phone just two or three times a day during pregnancy showed a dramatic increase in hyperactivity and other behavioral and emotional problems. And for the 30% of children who had also used a cell phone by age 7, the incidence of behavioral problems was 80% higher! Whether ontogeny (embryonic development) recapitulates phylogeny is debatable, but it is clear that lower forms of life are also much more sensitive. If you put the positive electrode of a 1.5 volt battery in the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco and the negative one off San Diego, sharks in the in between these cities can detect the few billionths of a volt electrical field. EMF fields have also been implicated in the recent massive but mysterious disappearance of honeybee colonies essential for pollinating over 90 commercial crops. As Albert Einstein warned, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”

- Paul J. Rosch, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, New York Medical College; Honorary Vice President International Stress Management Association; Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners; Full Member, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; Fellow, The Royal Society of Medicine; Emeritus Member, The Bioelectromagnetics Society

See more quotes from top scientists about electromagnetic research.

Feeling overwhelmed by trying to raise healthy kids? Me too!

Immune System Protocol

After several requests, I’ve put together this video to share with you my family’s winter immune system protocol.

Good food, good sleep, Vitamin D & cod liver oil, probiotics, and immune boosters like astragalus and medicinal mushrooms. And wild oregano oil when needed.

Enjoy!

How do you figure out when to take all your different supplements – especially when some of them need to be consumed on an empty stomach. And what do you do if some of your supplements are not compatible with each other?

Here are some tips to help you figure out your supplement schedule:

* Take the supplements that are absorbed the fastest, first.

* If a supplement does not specify that it needs to be consumed on an empty stomach, then it’s probably okay to take it together with other substances.

* If a supplement is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach, is it because the empty stomach is a pre-requisite for adequate absorption? Or, is it because it’s a substance that needs to have a clear surface to apply it’s healing properties? Supplements like slippery elm, aloe vera juice, and marshmallow root fit into the latter category and therefore can easily be taken together – since they’re all trying to accomplish the same thing.

The trickiest supplements for everyone to schedule are probiotics vs. anti-pathogen agents like wild oregano oil. Here are the shortcut rules to keep in mind for these two substances:

1. Probiotics have to be taken completely on their own – 2 hours away from any antibiotic or anti-pathogen (this includes wild oregano, potentized garlic, olive leaf, etc) and 20 minutes before food, or 2 hours after food.

2. Wild oregano oil is best taken on an empty stomach, but can be combined with any healing type of substance that also requires an empty stomach – like aloe vera, MucosaHeal, slippery elm, marshmallow root etc. It needs to be taken 20 minutes before food, or 2 hours after food.

Read on to see how these guidelines are applied to a real-life situation. This correspondence between myself and one of my readers also demonstrates how sometimes you have to experiment to determine the best schedule to achieve maximum potency and effectiveness from your supplements….

____________________________________________________

Hi Jini,

I Need some help, I’m confused. Perhaps you could share your schedule of how you took or take your supplements. How far apart (time limit) should the following be taken from each other?

1. Natren’s probiotics and Psyllium?
2. Natren’s probiotocs and DGL?
3. Natren’s probiotics and L. Glutamine, NAG &
Slippery Elm( these 3 taken together) ?
4. Natren’s probiotics and George’s Aloe Vera Juice?
5. Psyllium and vitamins & minerals?

The problem I am experiencing is that I take:

1. Natren’s 3 time a day (A.M, NOON & P.M-bedtime)
2. Psyllium twice a day (AM & NOON best if taken before meals??)
3. DGL before or after each meal
4. L. Glutamine, NAG & Slippery Elm 3 times a day on empty stomach
5. Aloe Vera Juice juice before retiring for the night
6. Vitamins & minerals three times a day

My concern is that Natren’s states on their bottle that any herbs (DGL, Slippery Elm, aloe vera juice) should be taken at least 2 hours apart from their probiotics. I can only assume that herbs may kill the good bacteria in Natrens.

I hope that you can see my dilemma. I follow the Minimize Gas & Bloating Diet and it will be one year in Sept. that I am Colitis free. I’ve improved my bones from osteoporosis to osteopena. Your book “Listen to Your Gut” has been a God send. Any input you
can pass along will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jini for all you do for us.

Warm Wishes,
K.B. Canada
____________________________________________________

Dear K.,

Congratulations on your wonderful progress! I think you’ll also see some really good results from Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol. Also, you can speed up your bone-building even faster if you use nanoparticle-sized minerals – my whole family takes these now and for your condition you would definitely benefit from both the Trace Minerals and the Bone Support. Here are my suggestions in response to your questions:

Keep in mind that our food can contain many natural antibacterials (like garlic, onions, etc.) and Natren has had to set a time limit that applies to a wide variety of substances at all strengths/potencies. For example, if you’re taking Wild Oregano Oil or Olive Leaf, then you definitely cannot consume the probiotics sooner than 2 hours as you’d be wasting your money, however, other supplements (and foods) are far less potent against bacteria. Therefore, you may be okay to implement the following schedule:

Before a meal:
take the Natren Probiotics
wait 20 minutes
then take the NAG, L-Glutamine, Slippery elm and psyllium (in that order – you’re taking the most rapidly absorbed substances first) after the meal take the DGL

Before bed:
take the Natren probiotics
wait 20 minutes
then take the George’s aloe vera juice

OR

You may want to try this schedule:

Before each meal:
take the NAG, L-Glutamine, George’s aloe vera juice, Slippery elm and psyllium (in that order – you’re taking the most rapidly absorbed substances first) after the meal take the DGL (or in this case, you can also take it before the meal, if you prefer, since you’re not consuming the probiotics at this time)

Before bed:
Take 1 – 2 teaspoons of each Natren probiotic (Megadophilus, Bifido Factor, Bulgaricus)

Perhaps you may want to experiment with both schedules and see which one gives you better results. The Natren probiotics may work better for you in multiple doses and may not be affected much by the other supplements, or, they may work better taken on their own in a large dose. A good way is to test both and see which one works best.

____________________________________________________

Hi Jini,

Thank you for the two schedule suggestions, this clears up my confusion. I’m confident that I’ll have better results from my supplements now that I have a clear understanding of how to take them. I tell my husband I have two Bibles, one to save my soul and one to save my gut. Thanks for your wonderful support, God Bless.

Regards, K.
____________________________________________________

Visit our Holistic Health Shoppe to find out which supplements I recommend and to learn more about them – you don’t need to order from there, just use it as a resource to find out which brands I recommend and why, then you can write them down and have your local health store order them in for you.

____________________________________________________

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Remember the Healing Retreat I told you about? – that’s where I’ve really been developing these deeper healing tools. And now I’m hard at work with Annabel Fisher turning that retreat into a VIRTUAL retreat – that can be experienced from the comfort of your own home – no travel required. I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going.

In the meantime, one of those super-effective healing tools is to imagine or visualize the desired healing in a Theta brainwave state.

There’s a fascinating book called The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge MD and in it, he describes exactly why and how when you visualize or imagine something deeply, the brain (and subsequently the body) cannot tell the difference between reality and the imagined event:

To give you one example, on page 201, Doidge tells a story about Pascual-Luone, who taught a sequence of piano notes to two groups who had never studied piano before. One group just sat in front of the electric piano keyboard and “imagined” playing the sequence and also imagined hearing the notes being played. The other group actually physically practiced the music on the piano keyboard.

“Both groups had their brains mapped before the experiment, each day during it, and afterward. Then both groups were asked to play the sequence, and a computer measured the accuracy of their performances.

Pascual-Leone found that both groups learned to play the sequence, and both showed similar brain map changes. Remarkably, mental practice alone produced the same physical changes in the motor system as actually playing the piece.”

So, in this way, when we imagine or visualize a healing action or sequence – especially when we are in Theta brainwave state, the brain will action it without question or hesitation. Personally, I feel that when the “imagining” is done in deep meditative state (when the brainwaves are in Theta frequency), this will potentiate the effects/results.

The more we visualize a particular occurrence or sequence, the brain builds neural pathways, or maps, to support that sequence – like grooves being worn deeper and deeper. This continues until it gets to the point where a habit is formed, or you will automatically do that thing without thinking.

I’ve just uploaded 3 new healing meditations over at JPT Wellness Circle, but I also wanted to give all of my readers a chance to experience this healing modality.

In this healing meditation, I lead you through breathing and visualization techniques to bring you into deep relaxation and Theta brainwave state.

Once you are deeply relaxed, you can then visualize or imagine whatever needs healing in your body – whether it’s pain relief, or increasing circulation, or wound healing, or combating infection, or stimulating peristalsis, etc.

If you’re not sure how to imagine your healing, see Healing Visualizations on page 364 of Listen To Your Gut, or, listen to one of the other specific/targeted healing meditations to get some ideas.

You can also use this meditation to implement the Dialoguing With Your Body technique on page 350 of Listen To Your Gut.

When I stop talking and the music begins, that’s when you begin your visualizations. I also have another version of this meditation with silence, instead of music, if you prefer that. You might want to try both and see which one works best for you.

Simply download to your iPod or mp3 player, or, you can burn it onto a CD.

Do this healing meditation every night before you go to sleep, or perhaps during your quiet time in the daytime. Do it often, until the neural pathways have been reinforced to the point where you see the change in your physical body.

An added bonus will be the deep physical relaxation your whole body will receive by relaxing into deep meditative state every day.

Enjoy!

p.s. Do not play this meditation whilst driving, or doing anything other than lying down.

Meditation: (c) 2010 Jini Patel Thompson. All Rights Reserved.

Original music: Cloud Wings (c) 2004 Steve Martin, All Rights Reserved.

____________________________________________________

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

Unbelievable. The nasty things people are doing to factory-farm animals just keeps growing:

How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period?

The drug is banned in Europe, Taiwan and China, and more than 1,700 people have been “poisoned” from eating pigs fed the drug since 1998, but ractopamine is used in 45 percent of U.S. pigs and 30 percent of ration-fed cattle.

Even more frightening, 20% of the drug remains in the meat when you eat it, according to veterinarian Michael W. Fox.

We’ve discussed the importance of eating certified organic food in a number of teleseminars, but unfortunately, not everyone can afford to eat 100% organic. So for those of you who aren’t JPT Members, here’s a shortlist of guidelines you can take to the grocery store with you:

Organic Meat & Dairy Most Important

Due to the numerous nasty drugs, growth hormones and antibiotics given to factory-farmed (i.e. “normal”) animals, eating certified organic meat (or exclusively grass-fed, not just “grass finished”) and dairy products should be at the top of your list. Yes, meat is the most expensive thing to purchase organic, BUT, due to the serious health consequences, it is the most important.

So here’s what you can do: Eat meat like oriental people do, where the meat is thinly sliced and is just a small component of your meal. Unless you’re out working in the fields all day, doing manual labor, once you are an adult, you don’t need that much protein to support your body. You can also get protein from organic or grass-fed raw (not pasteurized) dairy and from organic, free-range eggs – which are all cheaper sources than meat. Fish is also a great protein source, just make sure it’s wild (not farmed) and mercury levels are not too high. Nuts and seeds are another good protein source when you cannot afford much meat.

The other great thing about animal protein is that even if you consume a very small amount of it, it substantially increases protein extraction and utilization from legumes and other non-animal sources.

If you make sure a large number of your calories (40%) are coming from organic fats – like butter, coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil – then that greatly reduces the amount of meat you need too and increases your health! Again, since an animal stores hormones and toxins in its fat, this is another area where you need to make sure the fats you eat are certified organic or grass-fed.

Here’s another facet to be aware of: If you live in the U.S., it has some of the lowest standards for organic certification for animals. So what you have occurring now, is that factory farm cows (for example) are kept in the same conditions – overcrowded, no access to pasture – but just fed organic grain and not given routine drugs, and presto, they are being sold as “certified organic” meat or dairy. The farmers have figured out that it’s more profitable to just have a higher death rate (from the poor conditions), but be able to get organic prices for their meat/dairy. For this reason, if you live in the States, 100% grass-fed (not just “grass finished”) meat/dairy or free-range chicken/eggs are often preferable. Especially if you buy from a smaller farm where the farmer is personally involved. If you order in bulk and keep frozen, this is usually cheaper than organic anyway.

Note: For these reasons, you also shouldn’t order meat in restaurants, since it is almost all factory-farmed. Stick to veggies, pasta, seafood, etc.

Cut Corners On The Veggies

Where you can save some money is in purchasing your vegetables and fruit. Here’s a simple guideline to follow so that you don’t have to cart a list around with you: the harder the surface of the fruit or vegetable, the less pesticide-absorption there is. Likewise, anything that requires peeling contains less pesticides, since you’re peeling off a lot of the pesticides. So, soft produce, like lettuce, spinach, strawberries, peaches etc. absorb the most pesticides and you want to make sure you buy them organic. But hard or peel produce, like oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, cantaloupe, apples, etc. contain less pesticides – especially after removing the skin, so that’s where you can save money if you need to. Also, check to see if produce is “no spray” – this is considerably cheaper than organic, but still cuts out a lot of pesticides. Likewise, look for transitional organic produce – again, less pesticides, but not as expensive.

One other tip: hot house vegetables usually require less pesticides used than field vegetables. So if you absolutely cannot afford organic, or no-spray, then get whatever you can that has been hot house or hydroponically grown.

Also consider planting your own veggie garden – all you need is a balcony off your condo or apartment and that’s sufficient. There’s an entire movement of people taking control of their food, at huge savings, by getting involved with urban gardening – we also did a teleseminar about this at JPT Wellness Circle that has all the info you need to get started.

Don’t Buy Processed Foods

Processed, packaged foods are where the costs can really escalate. If you need a sweet treat, then take one day and bake in bulk – banana bread, muffins and cookies all freeze really well. Package them up in one-week packets (i.e. the amount of treats your family wants to eat each week) and then just take a packet out of the freezer as needed. I’ve got LOTS of recipes for my family’s favorite (yet healthy) treats over at JPT Wellness Circle, but I also made a few of my healthy, delicious treat recipes available to everyone.

When you want a salty treat, just buy plain, salted potato chips. Or, even better, make your own organic popcorn with organic butter (or coconut oil) and salt. You can also add fine-grated parmesan for a cheesy popcorn taste – but don’t stint on the butter. Remember, 40% of your cell membrane is fat, so don’t be shy.

If you cook several meals in bulk and freeze them, that also cuts down on the impulse to buy processed foods when you don’t have time to cook. Excellent meals to freeze (again, package in whatever serving size suits your household) are lasagne, stews, soups, chicken nuggets, hamburger patties, meatballs, bolognese sauce and cheese sauce (for mac ‘n cheese).

If you buy a small deep freeze (check out Costco or Craigslist), this really helps you to buy in bulk and cut costs. Large bags of organic peas from Costco are actually cheaper than pesticide peas in smaller packets. Again, just divide them up into smaller bags when you get home for easy access. If you contact your local grocery store, you can find out (for example) how much chicken they need you to buy to get bulk pricing. Then buy a case and freeze it. I do this with everything and here’s what I save by buying cases:

Organic tomato sauce from Costco ($.75 vs. $2.49)

Organic Italian olive oil from Community Co-op ($8.49 vs $22.99)

Organic canned Tuscany tomatoes (imported from Italy) from Community Co-Op ($1.49 vs. $3.89)

Organic gala apples ($1.05/lb vs. $1.98/lb)

So, to sum up, get as much as you can at cheap places like Costco and Trader Joe’s and then buy staples in bulk from the cheapest organic supplier you can find. In the summer, if you live near any farms or farmer’s markets, get no-spray whenever possible.

What’s Your Health Worth?

My final comment on this whole issue is that the amount of money you’re willing to spend on groceries is largely a matter of attitude – not reality. In Europe, it is normal and expected to spend 20% of your income on food – because good quality food is valued and appreciated there. In the U.S., most people spend only 10% of their income on food. So when people say that they “can’t afford to eat organic” – well, even if organic food is double the price, you’d still only be spending what millions of families routinely spend.

In my family, food (groceries) is the most important thing we spend our money on, along with supplements. Because, if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything! Exercise you can get for free – brisk walking, hiking, going to a playground, soccer or football in a park – these are essential for health, but don’t require any money. Good quality, health-promoting food and supplements do cost money, but are so worth it. And these two elements form the foundation for not just good, but vibrant health:  Good Health Is Real Wealth.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. <a href=”www.ListenToYourGut.com” target=”_blank”>www.ListenToYourGut.com</a>

I’ll often get emails from readers saying that they’re doing everything they should in Listen To Your Gut, but they’ve hit a plateau and they’re not improving. Based on hundreds of consults over the last decade, here are the crucial areas people usually need to look at:

1. Get your hormones checked out and balanced. Although I advise people to do this in LTYG, since there are no instructions, I think people tend to miss this crucial step. Hormones need to be tested and balanced by a doctor specifically trained and experienced in working with them.

We did a very targeted teleseminar that comprehensively covers this issue at JPT Wellness Circle, called Chronic Illness & Hormone Balance with Dr. Wendy Ellis. Dr. Ellis works with Dr. Jonathon V. Wright, at Tahoma Clinic in Washington – who was made famous by Suzanne Somers’ books on HRT. You can contact Dr. Ellis at the clinic (she does phone consults where appropriate) or if you listen to the teleseminar, Dr. Ellis gives out her personal email where you can ask her a question or two, or get a referral to a GOOD hormone doc in your area.

You should also watch this video on Managing your Thyroid & Adrenal Glands – The Secret to Healing Chronic Disease by Dr. Frank Shallenberger, MD who has a clinic in Nevada and is also a very good doctor for these issues.

Balancing your hormones will help your immune susceptibility and also help you to gain weight or – in the case of a child – maximize their growth potential as well.

2. If you’re struggling with probiotics and find you just can’t tolerate any kind of traditional probiotic supplement, then forget about trying to get your probiotics from traditionally dairy-based sources. Instead, look to fermenting vegetables for this  – Nourishing Traditions is a good cookbook for that – just eat a small amount of fermented carrots, cabbage, beets, etc. with your meals. There are also other good  recipe books on Amazon for fermented veggies and even some good freebies on the internet, just do a Google search on “fermented vegetable recipes”. I found this post easily that has a number of good fermented veggie recipes – just leave out the cayenne on the Kimchi recipe.

Or, you could try Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics OMX 12+ which is non-dairy and derived from fermented plants. However, it does still contain lactic acid bacteria, so if that’s your sensitivity, then this won’t work and best to just eat homemade fermented vegetables:

“As Dr. Ohhira delved further into the science of good health, he discovered that certain naturally fermented foods consumed in Asia are a rich source of lactic acid bacteria. After years of studying the known strains of lactic acid bacteria occurring in fermented foods indigenous to Southeast Asia, Dr. Ohhira developed an award- winning probiotics that recolonizes the microflora in the digestive tract and enhances good health – a product that is several technological generations ahead of other probiotics.

Ingredients of OMX probiotics include 92 types of natural crops including special leaves, bark, herbs and fruits, which grow wild in a vast region of the Kibi Highlands and Hiruzen Highlands of the Chugoku district in Japan, several kinds of seaweed and various organic vegetables. This proprietary blend is combined with 12 strains of lactic acid bacteria, which include the most prominent strains of bacteria possessing the highest proteolytic power in the world. In fact, scientists have established that the lactic acid bacteria contained in Dr. Ohhira’s probiotics OMX 12 plus are 6.25 times stronger than any naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria.”

If you have an extreme probiotic intolerance (note: I mean EXTREME intolerance, and not to be confused with a Herxheimer Reaction) due to inflammation (I talk about this on page 170 of Listen To Your Gut), then there is no point in supplementing with probiotics of any sort until you have calmed the inflammation in the gut. This is best achieved by using anti-inflammatory and gut healing substances (like MucosaHeal, George’s Aloe Vera Juice, wild oregano oil, elemental diet, etc.) first, whilst weaning yourself off drugs (like Prednisone) that prevent healing. Then, after you have healed your inflammation to the point where your gut can tolerate bacteria, you can try to introduce probiotics, very gradually, only one species at a time, beginning with B. infantis. This approach is best combined with the next point below…

3. Do EFT specifically on food intolerances or allergies. YES it will help even though we think of food allergies as a physical phenomena, read these two articles and you’ll see why:

http://www.emofree.com/Allergy/multiple-food-allergies.htm

http://www.emofree.com/Allergy/food-sensitivities-jo.htm

4. REST more. I can’t tell you how many people are trying to work as usual, go to school, play sports etc. and wondering why their body is not healing. Healing takes a LOT of energy. You need to rest a LOT for your body to be able to heal.

When you do physical activity, it needs to be nurturing and relaxing (like yoga, tai chi, walking, etc.) not competititve sports.

If you are bleeding, then you need to lie down horizontal in order for the blood to clot. As long as you are up and moving around, you’re working against gravity. It’s just common sense: If you have a cut on your finger, do you keep using that finger? Or do you immobilize it and give it a chance to heal without being moved, bumped, scraped, etc.

Soar higher,
Jini
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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

QUESTION:

I’m wondering which elemental shake product is better? Because Absorb Plus has whey protein isolate and Optimental by Abbott has whey protein hydrolysate.

Wikipedia says that the hydrolysates are predigested, and more easily absorbed. So I’m thinking they might be better for my mom. Any comments?

Here’s what I read from Wikipedia…

“Whey protein typically comes in three major forms: concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate.

Concentrates contain a low level of fat and cholesterol but, in general, have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose ? they are 29 %-89 % protein by weight.

Isolates are processed to remove the fat, and lactose, but are usually lower in bioactive compounds as well ? they are 90 %+ protein by weight. Both of these types are mild to slightly milky in taste.

Hydrolysates are predigested, partially hydrolyzed whey proteins that, as a consequence, are more easily absorbed, but their cost is generally higher. [8] Highly-hydrolysed whey may be less allergenic than other forms of whey. [10] They are very bitter in taste.”

ANSWER:

Here’s a good link that describes how the different forms of whey are processed.

Basiclly, the issues are as follows:

1.       Yes, the product is better, but do they show what % is Hydrolyzed?
2.       The more Hydrolyzed, the worse the taste and the higher cost

If you are only using up to 20% Hydrolyzed, as shown in the link, then the absorption return on investment is not there. It’s more of a marketing move.

You can see from the ingredient panel that the Optimental product contains MORE sugar than whey. And the sugar is in the form of sucrose – which is a disaccharide, not even a monosaccharide. It also contains canola oil and soybean oil – which it does not state are cold-pressed, so they are likely hydrogenated. And it contains artificial flavors.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

In this month’s issue of Good Health Is Real Wealth, I share my tips and my top 10 different recipes for gaining weight using nutrient-dense, healthy, yet tasty foods. So I just had to post two of my favorite recipes here for you to enjoy as well.

And if you don’t need to gain weight, no worries, you can use these muffins to replace a meal (like breakfast) or simply as a healthy, nutrient-dense snack – instead of a chocolate bar. And don’t worry, this is not granola-cruncher fare, my recipes have all been kid-tested by my 3 demanding treat-connoisseurs (aged 3, 7, 9)!

I give my kids these muffins to take to school when they get bored with sandwiches and other snacks. For this reason, they are as high in protein (from almond flour – ground almond meal), whole grains and even veggies, as I could make them, so that even though they taste like a treat, they are actually a nutritious meal. For this reason, these recipes are also ideal for weight gain, or to use in place of breakfast, or as a late afternoon, or bedtime snack.

White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins

• 1 cup almond flour (made from finely ground almonds, available at health or organic grocery stores)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup liquid honey
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups grated zucchini (if your kid’s picky, then peel the zucchini before grating – that way they won’t see any ‘green bits’ in the muffins)
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Optional: If you prefer, you can use raisins instead of cranberries. You can also just delete the white chocolate, if you prefer.

1.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs, melted butter, and honey. Then stir in the grated zucchini and raisins.

2.  In another bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (almond flour, whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt).

3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just mixed.

4.  Bake in lined muffin tins at 350F for about 15-20 minutes. Makes about 20 muffins.

*High protein due to the almond flour and no refined sugar!

Chocolate Puffed Squares (gluten-free)

• 2 cups puffed millet
• 3.5 cups puffed rice
• 1/2 cup tahini, or cashew butter, or almond butter, or peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. In a large saucepan, combine butter, tahini (or nut butter) and honey on very LOW heat, until melted and well mixed.

2. Remove from heat, mix in cocoa powder and vanilla extract.

3. Gently (but quickly) stir in the puffed rice and millet.

4. Press into a well-buttered 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Allow to cool and then cut into squares.

Note: because this recipe doesn’t use marshmallows or sugar, it does not set as hard as rice krispie squares. However, it is still delicious and much healthier!

I also find that it can be easier to drink your extra calories, so here’s a nutrient shake that is also kid-tested and delicious. For people who are not trying to gain weight, you can just use this in place of breakfast:

Raw Nutrient Milkshake

• 1 cup raw milk or organic yoghurt (use rice or almond milk for dairy-free)
• 1 very ripened banana (black is ideal – means it’s “predigested”)
• 2 whole organic raw eggs
• 1 organic raw egg yolk
• 1 tsp. Udo’s or liquid unrefined coconut oil
• raw honey, maple syrup, or stevia to sweeten, if needed

Optional: Add 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder or 1 tsp of hot chocolate mix to make a chocolate shake. Or add nutmeg, cardamom and/or cinnamon for a Christmas eggnog taste.

Puree milk and banana together in a blender on low speed (or use hand blender) until smooth, then add rest of ingredients and blend for 10 seconds. Pour into a glass and serve with a straw.

You absolutely cannot tell there are eggs in here – it does not thicken the liquid, or anything.

Note: The blending instructions are to avoid damaging the protein in the raw eggs, which is quite delicate.

And in case, you haven’t seen it yet, here is my video where I show you how to get more healthy fats into your diet. Whether you are underweight or overweight, consuming more good fats will help normalize your weight. Many experts advocate getting 40% of your calories from good healthy fats, since the cell membrane is 40% fat and studying healthy indigenous people has revealed they consume a very high amount of fat in their diet (up to 80%). Good, healthy fats include:

• cold-pressed organic olive oil
• unrefined organic coconut oil
• cold-pressed organic flax or Udo’s oil
• organic butter (preferably raw)
• fish oils
• animal fats from organic, grass-fed animals only

Soar higher!
Jini

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

A January 2010 survey reported on CBS News found that only 45% of Americans liked their job. This means that 55% are not satisfied with, or dislike their job! This is a very high figure – why do so many people stay in jobs they hate?

Freelance journalist Cosmo Dookelo has an answer for this:

“In today’s regimented office environments, in any building type, security is paramount. In return for half a paycheck every other Friday, they are loyal to jobs they hate, and they come home to pour themselves into projects like model railroading, hang gliding, etc. at hobbies they love, all the time having to quell the voice in their heads that they OUGHT to be doing what they LOVE. They OUGHT To be experiencing God’s Favour. They OUGHT to do it whether they are paid or not.

But instead they work to fulfill some other person’s goals, or to prop up another person’s ego all the while despising themselves for doing so. This makes the minutes tick by like HOURS. They had a vision when they were 10 years old that they would be an ATTRACTION and would do something IMPORTANT… and instead, because they seek the total security with (of) their resources, they repel people. They repel increase… they repel the good life and their lives become pleas for more poverty and want. You don’t solve this problem by chasing money.

Americans hate their jobs because they hate themselves. They hate themselves because they are too cowardly to strike out and go hungry for a week, a month, finding the work that Needs Them, and that They Need. They are trapped in communities of negativity who simply tolerate them. Because of this, any new idea brewing might be stillborn it in someone’s mind.

It rots there.”

But can your business or your job be part of your spiritual journey? Can it actually be a healing process? Find out as I interview Mark Silver - a Sufi Master and Business Consultant.

Also find out what it takes to transition from a job to self-employed.

Find out what helps you deal with fear and anxiety over financial security. Just click the PLAY button on the podcast below…

p.s. You can also subscribe to my podcast show on iTunes (no charge) – then you can automatically download all my podcasts and listen to them on your mp3 player at your leisure.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

My hubby is looking for a new laptop and he’s quite taken with the new wireless technology. As soon as I hear “wireless”, I think, “radiation?” So I decided to do some research on this. I asked the salesperson at the computer store (and we all know how honest they are) what the electromagnetic radiation was like from a wireless computer. He assured me that computers, unlike cell phones, used radio waves. So it was exactly the same amount of radiation as having as radio playing on your desk, and perfectly safe.

Hmmm….that just didn’t intuitively make sense to me.

So I hit the Internet for further research, and here’s what I dug up. Now, if you like to see original research, you can read this next part and click on the links. But if you just want the end results, then scroll down to the end section titled: CONCLUSION.
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WIFI RESEARCH
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You can go here to NASA’s site to get an easily understood definition of exactly what electromagnetic radiation is, and the distinction between the different types of waves: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html

This article tell you what wavelength/freqency wireless computer devices work with (frequency and wavelength are inter-related as explained in the NASA article): http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Wi_Fi.html

Once we know the frequency wireless (WiFi) technology uses, we can then compare that to Radios and TVs.

FM Radio is in the 88 – 110MHz range Analogue TV (what most people have in their homes) is at 400 – 600MHz Digital TV is at 600 – 1000MHz.

If you go to: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RF.html

They give a great definition of radio frequency and then an excellent chart showing the strength of the various frequencies:

“Radio frequency is also abbreviated as rf or r.f. – any frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is created that then is able to propagate through space. Many wireless technologies are based on RF field propagation.”

“These frequencies make up part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum:
- Ultra-low frequency (ULF) — 0-3 Hz
- Extremely low frequency (ELF) — 3 Hz – 3 kHz
- Very low frequency (VLF) — 3kHz – 30 kHz
- Low frequency (LF) — 30 kHz – 300 kHz
- Medium frequency (MF) — 300 kHz – 3 MHz
- High frequency (HF) — 3MHz – 30 MHz
- Very high frequency (VHF) — 30 MHz – 300 MHz
- Ultra-high frequency (UHF)– 300MHz – 3 GHz
- Super high frequency (SHF) — 3GHz – 30 GHz
- Extremely high frequency (EHF) — 30GHz – 300 GHz”

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CONCLUSION: WIFI IS NOT SAFE FOR FREQUENT, ONGOING USAGE
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So, based on the information gathered above, here’s where each item (cell phones, radio, TV, wireless computers) lies in terms of intensity of electromagnetic radiation:

FM Radio is 88-110 MHz –> Very high frequency electromagnetic radiation

Cell phones are 824-869 MHz –> Ultra-high frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Wireless computers/internet are 2.4 GHz –> Ultra-high frequency electromagnetic radiation (but nearly up into Super High frequency range).

Therefore, surprise-surprise, wireless computers and their networks are NOT SAFE for frequent, ongoing human use!

Worrying also is regular TV transmission at 400-600 MHz (Ultra-high frequency) and the Digital TV in the 600-1000MHz range (also Ultra-high frequency). But at least one tends to sit a good distance away from a TV! Those of you that already have my new, revised, expanded LISTEN TO YOUR GUT book/program, will know exactly why and how cell phone radiation damages your health – I have an entire section in the book about it with research from prestigious sources like The Lancet (British medical journal). Therefore, we already know how damaging radiation in the Ultra-High frequency range is.

Now, granted, a computer is not pressed up right against your head, or in your pocket like a cell phone is. But once you know the serious damage that cell phones can cause (at the cellular level – no pun intended!), you know that there’s no way sitting a couple of feet away from a similar frequency of electromagnetic radiation for hours at a time is going to be good for your body.

WiFi technology has now been around and used for long enough that there is now solid research on the damage it causes to the body.

If your health is already an issue (and especially with children), or you like to protect yourself against long-term damage, this is just one more stressor you should avoid.

Needless to say, after seeing these results, our house remains filled with just normal computer radiation from plug-in laptops! Also, keep the radiation issue in mind if you’re thinking about buying a new computer with a really big, high-definition screen – in this case, bigger is not better.

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THE HEALTHIEST COMPUTER TO USE
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I had my Apple iMac 8.1 with a 17″ glass LED screen tested for EMR and by the time you get about 18″ away from it, there is almost none. I then put a plant next to it to further defray the radiation. So if you are electrosensitive or  protective of your health – then this is a good computer to get.

My healing program, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT has an entire chapter on eliminating unnecessary toxins (like electromagnetic radiation) from your everyday life. I take you through your kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. step-by-step and tell you exactly what is harming your health and what you can do about it. Making the changes is EASY as I also provide you with step-by-step instructions and checklists in the Workbook that comes with the program.

You need to use your energy and healing resources for healing yourself – don’t let it be drained away by fighting easily eliminated toxins. Create an environment that supports your healing process, not undermines it.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

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ARE HOMEMADE BROTHS WORTH THE TIME & HASSLE?
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Many of you who have my book, The IBD Remission Diet will know that I strongly advocate that people drink meat and vegetable broths in between the Absorb Plus shakes on the Diet. This is largely due to the amazing health benefits of homemade bone broths. But it also serves to stimulate the appetite: If you just consume sweet tastes all the time, you’ll hit satiety quite quickly and just not be able to face the thought of yet another shake!

However, if you alternate sweet and salty tastes, this keeps the appetite stimulated and makes it much easier to consume the number of calories you need each day from the Absorb Plus elemental diet shakes.

For those of you who have purchased the new Listen To Your Gut program, one of your Complimentary Bonuses included a Healing Diets Recipe Book, and in that recipe book, I give you all the recipes for making homemade broths. You can then use these broths when you make soups, stews, or gravies/sauces. Again, I did this partly for the taste benefits, but primarily for the health benefits.

Traditional cultures all over the world – from Jewish to Asian – have always used homemade broths as an integral part of their diet. Sally Fallon and Mary Enig have written a fantastic cookbook based on traditional/primitive food preparation techniques, called Nourishing Traditions. If you’re to the point in your healing journey where you’re on the Minimize Gas & Bloating Diet or Maintenance Diet, then I highly recommend you pick up this cookbook and begin eating this way for optimum health. If your system has not yet healed to the point where you can move on from the Reduce Diarrhea Diet, then it’s too early for you to use the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. Until your system is healed more, you won’t be able to benefit from it. However, whatever stage of healing you’re at, you can most certainly benefit tremendously from homemade broths.

As Sally Fallon writes in her article Broth is Beautiful:

“Thus, broth is a vital element in Asian cuisines–from the soothing long-simmered beef broth in Korean soups to the foxy fish broth with which the Japanese begin their day. Genuine Chinese food cannot exist without the stockpot that bubbles perpetually. Bones and scraps are thrown in and mineral-rich stock is removed to moisten stir-frys. Broth-based soups are snack foods from Thailand to Manchuria.

Asian restaurants in the US are likely to take shortcuts and use a powdered base for sweet and sour soup or kung pau chicken but in Japan and China and Korea and Thailand, mom-and-pop businesses make broth in steamy back rooms and sell it as soup in store fronts and on street corners.”

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WHAT’S IN THE BONES?
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Now, to be honest, the recipes for broths in “Nourishing Traditions” are actually better than mine – because they call for more bones in the pot, and also get you to add vinegar to draw out the minerals from these bones. I like to use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (another health product) and you don’t have to worry about the acidity because the vinegar is boiled off in the cooking. As Sally Fallon points out in her “Broth is Beautiful” article:

“Peasant societies still make broth. It is a necessity in cultures that do not use milk because only stock made from bones and dairy products provides calcium in a form that the body can easily assimilate. It is also a necessity when meat is a luxury item, because gelatin in properly made broth helps the body use protein in an efficient way.

The French were the leaders in gelatin research, which continued up to the 1950s. Gelatin was found to be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer. Babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk. The American researcher Francis Pottenger pointed out that as gelatin is a hydrophilic colloid, which means that it attracts and holds liquids, it facilitates digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut.

Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily-not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Fish stock, according to traditional lore, helps boys grow up into strong men, makes childbirth easy and cures fatigue. “Fish broth will cure anything,” is another South American proverb. Broth and soup made with fishheads and carcasses provide iodine and thyroid-trengthening substances.

When broth is cooled, it congeals due to the presence of gelatin. The use of gelatin as a therapeutic agent goes back to the ancient Chinese. Gelatin was probably the first functional food, dating from the invention of the “digestor” by the Frenchman Papin in 1682. Papin’s digestor consisted of an apparatus for cooking bones or meat with steam to extract the gelatin. Just as vitamins occupy the center of the stage in nutritional investigations today, so two hundred years ago gelatin held a position in the forefront of food research. Gelatin was universally acclaimed as a most nutritious foodstuff particularly by the French, who were seeking ways to feed their armies and vast numbers of homeless in Paris and other cities. Although gelatin is not a complete protein, containing only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal. During the siege of Paris, when vegetables and meat were scarce, a doctor named Guerard put his patients on gelatin bouillon with some added fat and they survived in good health.”

When you go to make your own homemade broths, you can either use Sally’s recipes (provided in her article) or you can use mine, but add extra bones (and feet if possible) and 1 tbsp. Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar to each of my recipes.
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AN EASY WAY TO GET STARTED
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I know that cooking organic, unprocessed food from scratch takes a lot more time than the way all your friends and neighbors eat! So here’s one of my favorite procedures to get the “biggest bang from your buck”. The steps below show you how to get 2 meals, plus a gorgeous broth from one organic chicken:

1. Buy a whole, organic chicken (remove the gizzards, neck etc. from the chest cavity and set aside in the fridge). Place the chicken (breast down, spine up) in a roasting pan. Surround the chicken with quartered potatoes, peeled carrots, and peeled, quartered onions (you can also add peeled, cubed squash if you like). Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken and vegetables and then sprinkle the following spices on the chicken: powdered garlic, basil, oregano, hungarian (non-spicy) paprika, powdered ginger (use whichever of these spices you have on hand). Then put the lid on the roasting pan and put it into a preheated oven at 350 degrees Farenheit. An average size chicken should cook in about 1.5 hours.

2. When the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan and set aside for supper or later. You can use the lovely roasted chicken meat and vegetables for that night’s dinner. You can make a gravy from the drippings left in the pan, if you wish.

3. Remove all the good, useable meat from the chicken. Eat some that day, package the rest up and freeze it for future meals. Cut into chunks ready for use in stews, casseroles and curries. Dice finely and freeze for Chicken Salad sandwiches (add equal parts yoghurt and cold-pressed mayonnaise to make the chicken salad – serve in sandwiches, or open-faced with raw cheddar melted on top). You see, from one easily cooked chicken (much easier than even pan-frying!) you get at least three meals!

4. Now take all the remaining skin, bones, gristle, and the gizzards and neck you removed initially, and throw them all back in the same roasting pan. Add filtered or spring water to within 2 inches of the top of the pan and 2 tablespoons of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (or regular vinegar is okay too), and 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Put the lid back on and put it back in the oven (still at 350 degrees Farenheit) for at least 2-3 hours (longer if you can leave it – up to six hours). Stir contents and break up softened bones halfway through.

5. Remove pan from oven and throw chicken parts away, or give them to your cat or dog (depending on how long you boiled it for, the bones can be as soft as cooked carrots). Strain the contents of the pan through a sieve into a large bowl underneath the sieve. Place this bowl into your fridge and allow to cool overnight.

6. The next day, use a spoon to scrape all the congealed fat off the top of the broth and throw the fat away. Then package up the broth into freezer bags for future use in stews, sauces, soups, etc.

Think of all the goodness and body-strengthening nutrients you can get from just one organic chicken! As with all things, the barrier is to just do it once, then it becomes a whole lot easier once you’re familiar with it.

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Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

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LANCET STUDY SUGGESTS CROHN’S DISEASE DUE TO WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM
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In February 2006, the BBC News (a London, UK news agency) reported on a study published in the UK medical journal, The Lancet. I’ve printed the article below as it is yet one more piece of evidence that supports my growing conviction that Crohn’s (and colitis, diverticulitis and moderate to severe IBS) are infection-based diseases. The article is also further encouragement for those of you following my Listen To Your IBS or Listen To Your Gut program, or The IBD Remission Diet – all of which focus on balancing the immune system to return to it’s proper functioning (as well as addressing the infectious component). Here’s the article (do you think the makers of Viagra were involved in funding the study??!):

“Fresh Theory On Cause Of Crohn’s”

A weakened immune system – not an over-active one as had been suspected – may cause the intestinal disorder Crohn’s disease, research suggests.

However, work by University College London (UCL) suggests Crohn’s is more likely to be due to a weakened immune system failing to destroy bacteria.

The Lancet study also suggests the anti-impotence drug Viagra may help to treat the disorder.

Viagra was found to correct low blood flow among Crohn’s sufferers.

“There are several pieces of information that suggest Crohn’s is linked to an abnormality of the immune response, rather than an excessive one” – Dr Alistair Forbes

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes ulcerations in the small and large intestines.

The UCL team compared the immune system response of Crohn’s patients and healthy individuals to minor injuries, such as skin abrasions.

They found the Crohn’s patients produced much lower numbers of infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils, and lower quantities of chemicals involved in the inflammatory process.

Blood cells taken from Crohn’s patients also turned out to be abnormal when cultured in the laboratory.

E. COLI INFECTION
***********************************
The UCL team also tested Crohn’s patients’ response to bacteria by injecting a harmless form of E. coli under their skin.

This resulted in a huge increase in blood flow to the inflamed area in healthy volunteers – but a much smaller increase in the Crohn’s patients.

The researchers found this abnormally low blood flow could be corrected by treatment with Viagra.

The researchers believe that, because Crohn’s patients have weakened immune systems, they are unable to destroy bacteria that penetrate the intestinal wall.

Thus the bacteria are left to build up in the tissue, stimulating the secretion of inflammatory chemicals that trigger the symptoms of Crohn’s.

Dr Alistair Forbes, medical director of the gut disorder organisation Core, told the BBC News website the work was “very exciting” and consistent with other pieces of work which suggested Crohn’s was linked to a weak immune response.

RESPONSE
*************************************
Dr Forbes said Crohn’s patients had been reported to benefit from a treatment usually given to cancer patients to stimulate the production of white blood cells.

If Crohn’s were an auto-immune disease then one would expect this treatment to make patients worse, rather than better.

In addition, a mutation of a gene linked to Crohn’s was thought to weaken, rather than intensify the immune response.

He said: “The cause of Crohn’s remains unknown, and although there are genetic factors, it is quite clear they don’t explain the whole thing.

“Crohn’s is clearly related to the bacterial flora in the gut, but how is not clear at all.

“There are several pieces of information that suggest Crohn’s is linked to an abnormality of the immune response, rather than an excessive one in the first instance.”

***************************************

Again, those of you who have the Revised edition of Listen To Your Gut or Listen To Your IBS will already have in your hands detailed instructions for balancing your immune system and eradicating the various infectious agents that may be in your gut – and I hope you’re doing the Workbook! (on the CD-Rom).

____________________________________________________

Jini Patel Thompson’s books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold in over 40 different countries. Her health articles have been published in journals and magazines in the U.S., Australia and U.K. www.ListenToYourGut.com

One of my readers, Roland Lemus, sent in these excellent tips for dealing with the J-Pouch procedure, or if you are considering it…

While there are many Dr. related medical items to follow when dealing with the J-Pouch recovery, here are the nitty-gritty personal-experience things I wish I’d known ahead of time:

I can only speak from a male’s perspective as well, because there are some very sensitive items related to the male’s libido and the genital area that the J-Pouch operation impacts. The J-Pouch operation is a two-step process, where the time on having an Ileostomy (see picture at left) differs from person to person. Mine was a 2 month transition from the initial operation and I only had to wear the bag for two months. They call the reconnection a “take down process” in the terminology used.

THE ILEOSTOMY

1.  You will still have mucus coming out your anus, even though the doctor will tell you that nothing is going to come out there, you still have to check and wipe as necessary, residual fluid will find it’s way out, so don’t be alarmed.

2.  The pain medication right after the first operation is wing dinger, it hurts to move around. If you have relatives or a loved one to help you, that is so important.

3.  More important than anything else is the fact that you have to have the replacement bags and the fittings ordered and figured out on who is paying for them, whether your health insurance covers them or not. The J-Pouch surgeon should have nurses assigned to help transition the process of changing the bag and getting in touch with the re-supply. When you are on pain-killers, all of this is a blur and fuzzy and this info is critical to ensure you change the bag in a timely fashion.

4.  Ileostomy bag irritation is inevitable at the point where the bag connects to the stoma; there is a powder that is used to help shave the excess stomach hair that helps calm the irritation. However, the patient will soon realize that they can eat things that they could NOT eat before, like hot wings, etc. Do not go crazy and start eating past foods with high ACIDITY content. The fluid that comes out of the stoma during a bag change can STING so bad that it will make you yelp in pain. I learned this the hard way. You should powder the area around the stoma and the connection, dry shave and change the bag as quickly as possible. Having a lot of wet towels and keeping the changing process clean is a must. If you do not shave you can have skin literally ripping off when you change the portal area and the bag. I had to go to the doctor about this because the acid from the bile was burning my skin.

5.  Wearing clothes that are baggy doesn’t hurt; however, anything that is see-through can be uncomfortable.

6.  Noise from the bag filling up with gas and liquid will happen. You will have to let out the gas once in a while when you feel the balloon effect happening. Could be embarrassing for some, but not really a big deal.

7.  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: When emptying the bag in the toilet, if you are a male, at the toilet, do yourself a favor and place a good cushion of toilet paper in the toilet bowl BEFORE you empty the bag into the water, because splashing will occur and you could STAIN your shirt or clothing and a bile stain doesn’t come out easy. Placing toilet paper on top of the water first, greatly reduces the splashing of the bag contents. I learned this the hard way.

AFTER THE CHANGE AND TAKE DOWN

Here is where the REAL potential pain starts, because now you are really using your new J-Pouch. Critical pain management is mandatory if you do not want to go back to the doctor pleading for help. I am not kidding about this. I won’t go into pain management, but it is really something important, and that is why I’m bringing it up. Visits to the bathroom will increase three-fold. The amount of wiping on your rear makes everything feel like pins and needles, like glass being raked against your skin. The acidity from just regular eating will also increase the pain level. There are many products that you can use but here is what worked for me:

1.  Calmodine is a good lotion to use, and has a thick consistency like a cream. I helps in small portions, however, it will not take away the pain and using too much will ADD pain.

[Note from Jini: I would try Burt's Bees Diaper Cream or Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment comfrey salve]

2.  The real life-saver and pain-reducer is to stop wiping so much and start dabbing and splashing water to clean yourself. Slowly and carefully. Washing your hands afterwards is obviously hygienic and necessary; this small but important process will relieve 90% of the pain from the acidity. Also take things to help reduce the cramping and burning (like probiotics).

[Note from Jini: we've found it's best to use Kleenex 2-ply, white, (nothing else added) tissue to wipe, but flash it under warm water first and then dab/wipe very gently. Use repeatedly until clean. Then apply salve if needed with a q-tip or your finger. For extreme pain around the anus, use a perineal wash bottle to spray warm water over the entire area until clean. Then dab dry gently with Kleenex.]

3.  Take Probotics, and anti-acids. They are critical to making you feel better; also, Echinacea is also helpful. The doctor will state what you cannot eat any longer and I have stopped eating raw vegetables and things that might clog up the Pouch.

[Note from Jini: I don't advise people consume antacids as they cause long-term problems by down-regulating the acids needed for digestion and preventing probiotics from colonizing effectively. Better to use minerals and alkalizing foods like JUICED green veggies and whey protein isolate shakes to calm acidity]

4.  Spicy foods and drinking alcohol during the first year is just asking for unnecessary pain and cramping. It will almost feel like you have UC again. But the changes will be slow and you will start to feel the difference.

5.  Everyone is different, but here are some items that I still cannot eat unless I want to spend some time in the bathroom: anything with Marinara sauce and some barbecue sauces.

6.  Protein drinks and other supplements are still effective and helpful, I still do this and I recommend it highly. Nutrients are essential.

7.  Remember, everything you eat now, goes through you in about 4 hours, give or take a few minutes, mileage may vary for others.

8.  Do not take anything that is time-release and expect it to work, Time-release medicine will no longer work because of how fast your body processes everything.

Male issues:

If you have a tough time getting an erection, do not wait to see what happens; go to the Urologist and get an assessment of what the problem could be. The main drawback from this operation is that the male nerves for the penis are moved around and it could impact the ability to get an erection, impact the ability to ejaculate or all of the above. I only mention this because males need to know that it is not them, and that this is a REAL possibility and could be traumatic. The male genital is a muscle and as in any muscle, if not used, its recovery will be slower. It can take a YEAR for full use and some males need help to push that effort along.

Dehydration: Drink water all the time!

This is a huge factor on anyone who has a J-Pouch and they really need to monitor their fluid intake at all times. I have been hospitalized several times for dehydration from getting sick and having diarrhea and vomiting can easily go into a point of no return. The symptoms are stiffness and soreness, but your kidneys will hurt and you will start to feel SEVERE cramping in your legs, your calves, and other areas. Since the large intestine is the re-hydrating mechanism for your body, you now have to really be your own police on fluid intake. The items listed below relate to just one night of not taking in a lot of fluids and letting 10 hours go by and being very ill. Everyone will vary, but this is not just an idle scenario.

[Note from Jini: people with J-pouch may want to try the lemon water (filtered water, fresh lemon juice, stevia) we learned about in my teleseminar with pH acid/alkaline expert Maraline Krey. Instead of just drinking regular water, the lemon (which becomes alkaline after ingestion) water helps the body to hold onto the water longer.]

1.  If you get sick, and think you need to sleep it off, do not go through a whole night with these conditions and not drink water, in the morning you may not be able to recover and you will be dizzy and could even faint due to the condition.

2.  If you are an athlete you can exercise and go for hours if you drink and keep fluids going that contain potassium and salts. I cannot stress this enough about doing this process.

3.  Watch the food you intake, avoid food poisoning as this alone can also create a visit to the hospital. At the hospital, and your muscles are in pain and cramping, you need to tell the ER staff immediately that you have a J-Pouch, failure to do so could mean they catheterize you to get a urine sample when in fact that isn’t necessary at all.

In closing, I hope these little tidbits are helpful, I feel much better, but now MY challenge is the hydration game, I fight in medieval armour and I had food poisoning, which put me in the hospital for several days with getting fluids etc. I have managed to gain total remission from using some of your recommended protocols as well as the SCD Diet , and believe that the key to success is to understand the known causes of the IBD problem (your books  do this very well) and to address the tested remedies with an awareness consciousness  at all times and discipline, especially when eating  food.

[Note from Jini: Sports Blend Electrolytes will likely solve your hydration problems. It is recommended by Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND and many of my readers use it with chronic diarrhea. Because the electrolytes are angstrom-sized (nanoparticles) they are instantly absorbed into your bloodstream - no digestion required.]

Thanks again Roland, for sharing this important information!

If you read through the probiotic selection criteria given in Chapter Two of Listen To Your Gut, you will see that VSL#3 doesn’t meet all the criteria for a fully bioavailable, therapeutic probiotic of maximum potency (these selection criteria were taken from microbiology research). But yet, this probiotic has shown great results in clinical trials. How can that be?

Something that is not common knowledge is that the trials done using VSL#3 were not done using the commercial product that is sold to customers, but using fresh product, straight out of the lab. I contacted the manufacturers years ago about this, but they refused to comment or send me any further information.

This is not to say that VSL#3 and other probiotics have no therapeutic value, because the final decision to action must be based upon experiential evidence. You can have all the scientific theory in the world proving or disproving any given thing. Whilst we must research and use our intellectual gifts, at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what works!

Often I have had a strong intuition about something and years later scientific evidence has proved me correct. And, as has already been pointed out, different things work for different people. Which is why my book is titled, Listen To YOUR Gut – not someone else’s. And never give your power away to any authority.

One last interesting tidbit to chew on: In Natasha Trenev’s book, Probiotics: Nature’s Internal Healers, she outlines several studies that show that even when bacteria are completely dead, or even absent, they still have a protective effect! One example given is that they put a species of probiotic into the center of a petri dish containing a pathogenic bacteria. The pathogens fled to outer edges of the petri dish, trying to get as far away as possible. Then they dumped out the contents of the petri dish and cleaned it thoroughly. When they added the pathogen again, they still fled to the outer edges of the petri dish. Why? Was there an ‘energetic footprint’ left behind by the probiotic? Or some incredibly minute particle that still remained despite washing the dish? Who knows. But it’s absolutely fascinating and illustrates how even if you consume a probiotic that’s mostly dead, it can still have a positive effect.

So, in the end, do what works. If you get better results from VSL#3, then use that. Again, I must refer to one reader’s story who got the best results from probiotic cycling – he alternated Natren, VSL#3 and Dr. Ohira’s. If he stayed on any one, his symptoms would return, but by cycling through them, he avoided any flares (as soon as symptoms would begin to return, he’d switch brands). All these brands are good ones to experiment with as none contain anything harmful.

Personally, I wish more people would experiment with this (probiotic cycling) as I’d love to hear what happens, and perhaps we can come up with an even more improved protocol.

Oh yes, one last thing. Previously, I did express my reservations about not taking probiotics whilst bleeding. This was not based on any scientific evidence, but merely my own feeling about not doing too many things at once (since when the body is very ill it is often oversensitized and trying to treat everything at once can trigger a flare). However, as I do state in LTYG, there is a colon clinic in Sydney that has used high dose oral Natren probiotics and daily Natren retention enemas to treat bleeding cases of Crohn’s and Colitis with much success, for several years now.

So again, please follow your own gut. As long as you are not supplementing with bacterial soil organisms (like Mercola’s, Primal Defense, etc.) you should be fine.

Many people with IBD and IBS are also on prescription antidepressants, either prior to their intestinal diagnosis, or, because of it! Sometimes it’s overwhelmingly difficult to deal with the restrictions these illnesses place on your life, your relationships, your desires, your body, your plans, etc,

However, this is not a good idea, because aside from numerous other damaging side effects, many antidepressants also create an alkaline pH in the digestive system. This causes ongoing damage to your gut since good bacteria need an acidic pH to survive and colonize properly. However, Candida albicans (yeast) and other pathogenic microorganisms love an alkaline pH.

Therefore, taking a prescription antidepressant can often exacerbate your IBS or IBD. Be sure and check the list of possible side effects too, as one medication I checked for a consultation client (Zoloft) listed Gastroenteritis as a side-effect and Colitis as a “rare” side-effect. She had developed Colitis after taking this medication (no gut problems previously) and every doctor she suggested the connection to scoffed at her – so don’t rely on your doctor to read or know the pharmaceutical printout for the drugs he/she prescribes.

The good news is the following article outlines a very effective natural treatment protocol for depression. To tailor this supplement regimen for people with IBD and IBS, I recommend the following modifications:

1. Make sure the Vit.C you take is in mineral ascorbate form only (not ascorbic acid). Calcium ascorbate is a good form of Vit.C.

2. Experiment with the magnesium dosage recommended, if it causes you diarrhea, just reduce it or use magnesium in transdermal form (applied to the skin) or angstrom-sized. See my Holistic Health Shoppe for the brands of magnesium I recommend.

3. Do not ingest soy protein as it depresses thyroid function and prevents the absorption of key minerals – see Ch.3 of Listen To Your Gut for all the details on why. Fermented soy, like soy sauce and miso are fine though.

4. Visit my Holistic Health Shoppe to see my recommendations for a multivitamin and B vitamins that do not contain any aggravating ingredients. Remember to check all of your supplements against the list given on pg. 54 of “Listen To Your Gut” to make sure they do not contain any aggravating ingredients. The most common problem ingredients for people with IBD or IBS are:

- MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)
- Vit. C in ASCORBIC ACID form (mineral ascorbate form is fine)
- too much magnesium or a non-absorbable form
- bacterial soil organisms (HSO’s, SBO’s, etc.)
- Betaine HCL

Okay, now on to the article…

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MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT THAT WORKS
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 7, 2005

(OMNS) Doctors report that mental health problems including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, anti-social and learning disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders often have a common cause: insufficient nutrients in the brain. Nutritionally-oriented physicians assert that the cure for these problems is to give the body the extra nutrients it needs, especially when under abnormal stress.

Orthomolecular medical researchers say the future of psychiatry is in nutrition because nutrition has such a long, safe and effective history of correcting many mental problems. Nutrients such as the B-vitamins are most successful when taken regularly, taken in relatively high doses, and taken in conjunction with vitamin C, the essential fatty acids (EFA’s), and the minerals magnesium and selenium.

A summary of what has worked for many people follows below. The safety of vitamins and minerals is extraordinary, and the expense of trying them is much less than the cost of hazardous pharmaceutical drugs. These nutrients can be purchased in a discount or heath store.

Taking 1,000 mg of vitamin B-3 three times a day often cures mild to moderate depression. Dramatic results are often achieved within one week of beginning this nutritional program, especially in alcoholics. (1)

Sometimes a simple deficiency of vitamin D causes depression. 3,000 I.U./day from all sources can alleviate the problem. (2) 3,000 mg/day or more of niacin (vitamin B-3), along with the same quantity of vitamin C, taken in divided doses throughout the day can successfully treat both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. (3)

Vitamins B-3, B-6, C and the minerals magnesium and zinc frequently produce a good response in ADHD and autistic children. (4)

Vitamins B-6, folate, and B-12 taken together lower elevated homocysteine levels in the elderly while improving mental function. (5)

As pointed out by chemistry professor and vitamin discoverer Roger J. Williams, PhD (6), each individual has different nutritional needs and responds differently to nutrients. Are you tired of being depressed, suffering from anxiety, paying huge prescription drug bills for unsafe prescriptions that don’t solve the problem or produce undesirable side effects? Are you tired of the piece-meal trial and error approach to finding a solution to your mental or emotional problems? If so, adults should consider the following nutritional protocol, which will bathe your brain and nerves in natural nutrients and may well produce dramatic results. The cost of trying the program below is less than the cost of a typical doctor’s office visit. It is safe and convenient. All of these nutrients can be purchased at large discount stores.

After the morning meal take:

A multivitamin tablet
1,000 mg of vitamin B-3 (as niacinamide or inositol hexanicotinate)
One B-complex tablet
100 mg of vitamin B-6
1,200 mcg of vitamin B-9 (folate or folic acid)
1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D (the lower number if you get sunshine, the higher number if you don’t)
1,000 mg of vitamin C [Jini Says: use Vit. C in mineral ascorbate form - NOT ascorbic acid - if you are prone to diarrhea]
200 mg of magnesium [Jini Says: use nanoparticle magnesium if you are prone to diarrhea]
50 mg of zinc
200 micrograms (mcg) of selenium

30 grams of soy protein powder and one tablespoon of lecithin granules mixed into a small glass of juice or milk [Jini Says: Never use soy; it depresses thyroid function and inhibits mineral absorption. Use whey protein isolate or hemp protein instead. Also use only raw (unpasteurized) milk.]

A supplement of omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA))

After the midday meal:

1,000 mg of vitamin B-3
1,200 mg of vitamin folate
100 mg of vitamin B-6
One B-complex tablet
1,000 mg of vitamin C [Jini Says: use Vit. C in mineral ascorbate form - NOT ascorbic acid - if you are prone to diarrhea]
200 mg of magnesium [Jini Says: use nanoparticle magnesium if you are prone to diarrhea]

After the evening meal:

A multivitamin tablet
1,000 mg of vitamin B-3
1,000 mg of vitamin C [Jini Says: use Vit. C in mineral ascorbate form - NOT ascorbic acid - if you are prone to diarrhea]
One B-complex tablet
100 mg of vitamin B-6

All of the above supplements are safe in the recommended amounts, as well as inexpensive and convenient. There is not even one death per year from vitamins. Pharmaceutical drugs, properly prescribed and taken as directed, kill over 100,000 Americans annually. Hospital errors kill still more.

Restoring health must be done nutritionally, not pharmacologically. All cells in all persons are made exclusively from what we drink and eat. Not one cell is made out of drugs.

The most common mistake made by people who take vitamins is they fail to take enough vitamins.

The reason one nutrient can cure so many different illnesses is because a deficiency of one nutrient can cause many different illnesses.

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?

Linus Pauling defined orthomolecular medicine as the treatment of disease by the provision of the optimum molecular environment,
especially the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human body. Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information:
http://www.orthomolecular.org

References for further reading:

1. Hoffer A. Vitamin B-3: Niacin and its amide. http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_niacin.html Also: Cheraskin E, Ringsdorf WM and Brecher A. Psychodietetics. Bantam Books, 1974.

2. Vieth R, Kimball S, Hu A, Walfish PG. Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients. Nutr J. 2004 Jul 19;3:8.

3. Hoffer A. Healing schizophrenia: Complementary vitamin & drug treatments. Toronto: CCNM Press, 2004. Also: Hawkins D and Pauling L. Orthomolecular psychiatry, San Francisco: Freeman, 1973. Also: Hoffer A. Niacin therapy in psychiatry, Charles C. Thomas, 1962.

4. Hoffer A. Healing children’s attention and behavior disorders: Complementary nutritional & psychological treatments. Toronto: CCNM Press, 2004. Also: Hoffer A. Dr. Hoffer’s ABC of natural nutrition for children. Kingston, Ontario: Quarry Press, 1999.

5. Selhub J, Jacques PF, Wilson PWF, Rush D, Rosenberg IH. Vitamin status and intake as primary determinants of homocysteinemia in an elderly population. JAMA 1993. 270:2693-2698. Also: Verhoef P, Meleady R, Daly LE, Graham IM, Robinson K, Boers GHJ, et al. Homocysteine, vitamin status and risk of vascular disease. European Heart Journal 1999. 20:1234-1244.

6. http://neon.cm.utexas.edu/williams/
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Again, to find out which brand and formulation of vitamins and minerals I recommend for people with IBD & IBS and why, see my Holistic Health Shoppe. You don’t need to buy them from here – you can just use it as a resource to copy down the product names and then get your local health store to order them in for you.

My kids have been educated on the dangers of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cordless phones and WiFi networks, so they were aware enough to come home and tell me how they’re unwillingly getting exposed to EMR at their school – via other kids’ cell phones and the wireless computers in the computer room.

This is the letter I put together and sent to my kids’ school, the school district and the provincial board of trustees. Feel free to copy/paste any of it if you would like to raise this concern with your own child’s school.

Dear Principal,

I’m writing with regards to cell phone usage, WiFi Internet and any other ultra-high frequency radiation devices used inside the school building.

I’ve also cc’d this letter to the Surrey School District and BC School Trustees Association, since I’m not sure who is in charge of setting school policy on these issues.

My children have told me that many children in their classes own cell phones, which are allowed to remain turned on, whilst in the classroom. Whether these phones are set to ring or just vibrate is not the issue. If they are turned on, then they are transmitting (and receiving) to the nearest cell phone tower continually and emitting electromagnetic radiation (EMR) throughout the classroom.

My son has also told me that all the computers in the computer room are wireless. Again, as computers on a WiFi network are in the “ultra-high frequency range” and nearly up to the “super high frequency” range (see attached info on radiation frequencies from NASA), this likewise is transmitting very high EMR to the children (and teachers) in that classroom.

When we were in Singapore in 2001, there was huge coverage in all the newspapers because 20-year-olds throughout the city were having heart attacks and they couldn’t figure out why. Then, someone figured out it was because it was the fashion at that time for young people to wear their cell phones on decorative cords around their necks. This meant that their cell phones were hanging right next to – you guessed it – their heart. So a warning went out in all the local newspapers, telling kids not to wear their cell phones on these cords. But funnily enough, no one I’ve spoken to in Canada (or the U.S.) ever heard about that. And no one thought about warning people not to wear their cell phones clipped to their belt, or in their pocket.

Of course there are huge revenues at stake with wireless technology and until recently, not much long-term hard data on the risks or effects. But as you can see from the first reference listed below (from the head of a cancer research institute), that has now changed, and there IS enough data in place for respected scientists and doctors to conclude that cell phone and other ultra-high frequency wireless devices are not safe for long-term, or cumulative human use – especially for children.

I have also listed my own research – including hard data from NASA’s website, that has led me to completely ban cell phone, cordless phone and wireless computer usage in my family and my house.

Many people are comparing cell phones and WiFi network usage to cigarettes – which were also once thought to be a “private” choice, but later acknowledged as a public health issue – where your choice affects my health.

I ask that you review the attached research and sources – of the thousands of references available, I have included only a few of the most pertinent as I know your time is limited – and then please let me know your thoughts/plans for school policy on these issues.

I realize that assessing your current computer set-up is a more serious (and possibly costly) endeavour, so I understand that may take time. But something that could be addressed immediately (and to me is more worrying) is the cell phone issue inside the school and classrooms.

If you could find a way to ENSURE that cell phones are turned completely off whilst inside the school, that would be great.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on this matter.

Sincerely,

Jini Patel Thompson

p.s. I will also email this letter to make it easier to access the web links.

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Associated Press

Thurs., July 24, 2008

PITTSBURGH – The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.

The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don’t find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science and he believes people should take action now — especially when it comes to children.

In the memo he sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff Wednesday, he says children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.

Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone’s electromagnetic fields.

“Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use,” he wrote in his memo.

************************************

CBC News

Saturday, July 12, 2008

“Toronto’s department of public health is advising teenagers and young children to limit their use of cellphones to avoid potential health risks.”

************************************

Dr. Robert Becker, M.D., one of the first medical pioneers to study natural electrical currents in the human body and to caution about electropollution, answers the question, “Can EMR exposure cause harm?” in this interview. Dr. Becker was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

************************************

Good summation article on CELL PHONE RISKS TO CHILDREN by Dr. Joseph Mercola

Children today will experience previously unimaginable exposure to information-carrying radio waves from mobile phones because they start out using them at a very early age.

I am absolutely convinced that the explosion of cell phone usage around the world is a health disaster in waiting, and contributing to the rapid rise in several neurological epidemics, such as autism and early-onset of Alzheimer’s.

One reason for this is that the information-carrying radio waves from cell phone base stations and cell phones make children’s exposure to vaccines and heavy metals much more dangerous than they typically are. EMR can actually trap heavy metals inside your cells, causing cellular damage and hindering your body from detoxifying. For this reason — while I realize that most people will not get rid of their cell phones because of their convenience — I would still urge you to not let your kids use them.

I am so convinced this danger is real, on par with the dangers of tobacco, which all the “experts” claimed was safe, that I’m writing an entire book on the subject, due out in 2009.

And, I’m not alone in trying to educate the public. In fact, some European countries are already working on public health campaigns designed to warn school-age children of the dangers, by putting up posters in schools and community halls.

Will Europe Ban Cell Phones for “Under-age” Use?

The Vienna Medical Association is demanding the removal of zero tariffs and the banning of mobile phone advertising targeting children and adolescents. Says Erik Huber, environment advisor for the association: “Children under the age of 16 should never use a mobile phone.”

Many scientists and government agencies in Europe have already accepted that EMF from cell phones does pose health risks, reflected in Huber’s statement, “Scientists do not argue anymore whether mobile phones are harmful, but how harmful they are.”

Don’t be Deceived – SAR is Not an Indication of Safety

Although the National Research Council’s report states that Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) for children are likely to be higher than for adults, let’s not get confused.

Because the danger from most land-based portable phones, cell phones and WiFi routers is NOT from the magnetic radiation or the microwave carrier wave for which typical SAR ratings are given on phones. Unless you have massive exposures like you might expect in a microwave oven, these thermal effects are insignificant.

So simply lowering the allowable SAR will NOT make cell phones safer.

Instead, nearly all the biological damage comes from the modulated signals that are carried ON the carrier microwave. These modulated information carrying radio waves resonate in biological frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second, and can stimulate your cellular receptors causing a whole cascade of pathological consequences that can culminate in fatigue, anxiety, neurological decline, and ultimately cancers.

The density of your child’s skull is also far less than yours, and therefore their brain is far more susceptible to these information-carrying radio waves.

This Deserves Your SERIOUS Attention

The studies showing the long-term risks of cell phone use are just beginning to come in because cell phone use didn’t become widespread until the late 1990s. It typically takes at least 10 to 20 years for cancers to show up, so now is the time when these risks will become apparent.

It is almost as if NO ONE was smoking and then all of a sudden nearly 90 percent of the planet started. Of course, we would not see any spectacular increase in major damage for more than 10 years. It takes time for this damage to accumulate and be noticed.

Unfortunately, most people fail to correlate common symptoms and health problems to their exposure to cell phones and other radio frequencies, perhaps because these conditions can so easily be attributed to other causes (including so-called “unknown” causes) as well.

Take a look at these common illnesses and ailments, which have all been scientifically linked to cell phone information carrying radio waves:

* Alzheimer’s, senility and dementia

* Parkinson’s

* Autism

* Fatigue

* Headaches

* Sleep disruptions

* Altered memory function, poor concentration and spatial awareness

Although cancer and brain tumors are most often cited as the potential health risks from cell phone radiation, as you can see, cancer is not the only, or most common danger that you and your children face.

Protecting Yourself and Your Children From Dangerous RF

The best way to protect yourself would be to simply not use a cell phone and revert back to a corded phone. At the very least I would urge you to not let your kids use them or severely limit their use. Their developing nervous systems and thinner skulls are simply too vulnerable to cell phone damage.

If you choose to keep your cell phone, make sure you use a non-Blue Tooth headset. Also remember, even when you’re not using your phone, keep it as far away from your body as possible. Do not keep it on your belt or in your pocket as the radiation WILL penetrate your body wherever the phone is attached. According to a scientific study published in Fertility and Sterility in May 2007, statistically significant changes were found in men’s sperm count and health of the sperm, based on cell phone use.

Their conclusion?

“Use of cell phones decreases the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones, and independent of the initial semen quality.”

So, make sure you stow your cell phone in a bag, briefcase, or your car’s glove compartment.

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Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND recently shared this information:

Last September Dr. Devra Lee Davis, an epidemiology professor from the University of Pittsburgh testified before the U.S. Senate…

“Dr. Davis,” asked Senator Tom Harkin, chairman for Health & Human Services, “you said that a cell phone should not be kept any closer than an inch to your body?”

Dr. Davis nodded.

“Where does that come from?” asked Senator Harkin.

“That actually comes from the BlackBerry manual,” replied Dr. Davis, “as well as from the iPhone manual. If you read the manual– which almost none of us does — that is what they say.”

Seeing is believing… so I found a PDF copy of iPhone’s “Important Product Information Guide” online which states: “iPhone’s SAR measurement may exceed the FCC exposure guidelines for body-worn operation if positioned less than 15 mm (5/8 inch) from the body…”

The BlackBerry manual takes it 10mm further by advising: “…keep the device at least 0.98 inches (25mm) away from your body…”

So if you can’t avoid cell and cordless phones entirely — at least do what the industry’s own manuals suggest: Avoid any direct physical contact while they are activated.

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An article in the Los Angeles Times reported:

“Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Russia and Israel have publicly discouraged use of cellphones by children. (Independent research in Sweden last year concluded there was an astonishing 420% increased chance of getting brain cancer for cellphone users who were teenagers or younger when they first started using their phones.) France has gone so far as to issue a generalized national cellphone health warning, banned cellphones in elementary schools and considered outlawing marketing the phones to children.”

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WIFI RESEARCH

You can go here to NASA’s site to get an easily understood definition of exactly what electromagnetic radiation is, and the distinction between the different types of waves.

This article tells you what wavelength/freqency wireless computer devices work with (frequency and wavelength are inter-related as explained in the NASA article):

Once we know the frequency wireless (WiFi) technology uses, we can then compare that to Radios and TVs.

FM Radio is in the 88 – 110MHz range

Analogue TV (what most people have in their homes) is at 400 – 600MHz

Digital TV is at 600 – 1000MHz.

Here’s a great definition of radio frequency and then an excellent chart showing the strength of the various frequencies:

Radio frequency is also abbreviated as rf or r.f. - any frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is created that then is able to propagate through space. Many wireless technologies are based on RF field propagation.

These frequencies make up part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum:

•           Ultra-low frequency (ULF) — 0-3 Hz

•           Extremely low frequency (ELF) — 3 Hz – 3 kHz

•           Very low frequency (VLF) — 3kHz – 30 kHz

•           Low frequency (LF) — 30 kHz – 300 kHz

•           Medium frequency (MF) — 300 kHz – 3 MHz

•           High frequency (HF) — 3MHz – 30 MHz

•           Very high frequency (VHF) — 30 MHz – 300 MHz

•           Ultra-high frequency (UHF)– 300MHz – 3 GHz

•           Super high frequency (SHF) — 3GHz – 30 GHz

•           Extremely high frequency (EHF) — 30GHz – 300 GHz

CONCLUSION: WIFI IS NOT SAFE FOR FREQUENT, ONGOING USAGE

So, based on the information gathered above, here’s where each item (cell phones, radio, TV, wireless computers) lies in terms of intensity of electromagnetic radiation:

FM Radio is 88-110 MHz –> Low frequency electromagnetic radiation

Cell phones are 824-869 MHz –> Ultra-high frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Wireless computers/internet are 2.4 GHz –> Ultra-high frequency electromagnetic radiation (but nearly up into Super High frequency range).

Therefore, surprise-surprise, wireless computers and their networks are NOT SAFE for frequent, ongoing human use!

Worrying also is current TV transmission at 400-600 MHz (Ultra-high frequency) and Digital TV in the 600-1000MHz range (also Ultra-high frequency). But at least one tends to sit a good distance away from a TV!

Now, granted, a computer is not pressed up right against your head, or in your pocket like a cell phone is. But once you know the serious damage that cell phones can cause (at the cellular level – no pun intended!), you know that there’s no way sitting a few feet away from a similar frequency of electromagnetic radiation for hours at a time is going to be good for your body.

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For lots more info on this issue, check out the EMR Network (a non-profit organization).

If your kids go to school in Vancouver or the Fraser Valley, BC, Canada, then the Citizens For Safe Technology are a local group that is trying to raise awareness and affect change. Contact them for assistance, information or to volunteer!

You can also view the School Boards response to this letter and our ongoing correspondence.

For those of you who have received my email about the AWESOME Healing Retreat we’ve got planned for people with Serious Or Chronic Illness – I would love to hear your feedback about what you think of the price, event curriculum, etc. Please leave your comments, questions, ideas in the COMMENTS section below…

I also received this email from a reader already and he brings up some very valid points – for which I am very grateful he took the time to write:

I am writing in regards to the May retreat you are offering in San Diego. While I am a fan of Jini’s work and would love to meet her one day and to also be part of this event, I find the price absolutely outrageous. I don’t doubt that people will invest in this event but for many people it makes this 2 day event untouchable. I have done week long retreats with equally knowledgeable teachers for around this
price point.

So while I was looking forward to my wife and I attending this weekend we unfortunately will not be able to at this time. As someone who has organized retreats myself I know what is involved, so what makes the
event so costly? Please consider that you limit your demographic by keeping fees at this level and after all this is about helping people heal right?

Thanks SO MUCH for your feedback. The price point was something we had a lot of trouble addressing in that it was difficult to find a venue that could accommodate the health sensitivities and dietary needs of the people who are likely to attend, AND be close to an airport so people didn’t have the stress of extra travel – especially if you are holding a retreat for more than 20 – 30 people. In fact, you can read about my difficulties finding a venue here:

http://www.ziggazag.com/biz/best-holistic-conference-center/

I can’t comment on the pricing others have set for their retreats since I don’t know a) how many people were in attendance. For example, there is a local healer (Adam Dreamhealer) in Vancouver here, who charges only $150 for a 1 day (5 hour) event – but he holds this event in his hometown (no travel, or accommodation, or childcare costs for him or his staff) and he does not provide any food – only water. Lastly, he gets 600 people in the room at a time.

Annabel and I considered holding this retreat locally – which would eliminate a substantial expense for us – but then everyone else would have to travel to Canada (international flights are more expensive), and then have either another long drive or a ferry ride + a drive AFTER a long flight = not good for ill people. Also, it is difficult to find a venue that is willing to cater so extensively to food restrictions (dairy-free, gluten-free, only cold-pressed oils, 100% natural, etc.) for a large group.

So, yes, I sure wish we could have set the price cheaper than $760 (Early-bird price,  less 10% Gold Member discount – only costs $9.95 to become a Gold Member of JPT Wellness Circle) for the evening and 2 days (8 hours/day).

We could have made it cheaper if we held it in say… a church or community hall and everyone just brought yoga mats to sit on – but would that work for 8 hours a day? It would be difficult to control the heating/ventilation and would the space feel nurturing and healing? Then they would also have to rent a car so they could drive out for food, or bring all their own food and drinks… but then we wondered if people who are already in fragile health would want to come when faced with all the “extras” and unknowns they would have to think about/plan for, or would it just seem like too much trouble, or too much discomfort?

In the end, we had to make a decision about the type of event, 3-star hotel vs. 5-star hotel, food or no food, travel, comfort, etc. So we chose the conditions that would be most conducive (we thought) to what we’re trying to effect here – relaxation, safety and healing.

We’re wide open to suggestions though – do you know of a venue that could accommodate all the elements outlined above for substantially cheaper than the Estancia La Jolla? Don’t forget, we are providing morning refreshments (fruit, granola, baked goods, and drinks), full gentle-gut catered lunch (8 dishes plus dessert and drinks) and afternoon refreshments (fruit, munchies, cookies, trail mix and drinks). We chose California since a large percentage of our customers are West Coast – thereby cutting the travel costs for them.

Oh wait, I actually did find a venue in the Napa Valley that met our health requirements and it would have been about $200 cheaper. However, when I did the final check to see past visitor’s feedback on Trip Advisor – I found out this “eco-hotel” was in the middle of town, located next to a strip mall! People said the rooms were poorly maintained and most said they would never stay there again. Plus it was a one-hour drive from the nearest airport. When I checked the visitor feedback for Estancia La Jolla – people said they felt this great peace and calm come over them the minute the taxi drove through the gates, the gardens, grounds (9.5 acres of greenery) were so beautiful and peaceful with lots of private spaces, staff was great, food was great, BEST conference space they’d ever been to, etc. etc. It was no contest.

So, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas and likewise for anyone else reading this post, or who also would really like to attend the LISTEN TO YOUR BODY Mind/Body/Spirit Healing Retreat.

Because as you pointed out – if no one can come, then no one’s going to benefit from the powerful healing anyway!

Please leave me any and all of your ideas in the COMMENTS section below…. While I may feel I have examined every possibility, I’m sure others may be able to come up with a way to make it work better for everyone, so I really am open to any and all ideas. We REALLY would love to have this be an enjoyable, powerful, affordable healing experience for the greatest number of people possible.

Soar higher,

Jini

Before looking at treatments for constipation, it is important to first identify which kind of constipation you have. Through the course of my research, consultations with clients, feedback from readers, and my own struggle with constipation, I have come to identify two different types of constipation. Since I have not come across any labels for these in the medical literature (or perhaps I just didn’t read widely enough), I have made up my own labels to distinguish between these two different types of constipation. I call them peristaltic constipation and stenosis constipation. Of course, while most people seem to suffer from one or the other, there are people who suffer from a combination of the two.

1. Peristaltic Constipation

This type of constipation can consist of many different symptoms or factors, but the defining elements are as follows:

* You just don’t often (or rarely, never) feel the urge to have a bowel movement. You can have stool building up in your colon for days, but no urge or urgency to poo.

* If you’ve been constipated for a long time, this build up of stool may not even be uncomfortable anymore.

* When you do have a bowel movement, your stool is large and fairly wide. Even if it is in hard balls, the diameter is larger than half an inch.

Colonic massage can really help get your bowels moving and assist your body’s peristaltic mechanism.

2. Stenosis Constipation

I came up with the name for this one based on the medical label of anal stenosis (narrowing, tightness or stricture of the anal canal). Stenosis constipation means that you experience one or more of the scenarios below:

* You often feel the urge to defecate. In some cases, the urge can be frequent or continual. You may even feel the stool pushing against your anus, but when you try to poo, it is very difficult to pass stool and sometimes, or often, nothing comes out. When you do manage to poo, your stool can be any width, length or consistency.

* If you’ve had this type of constipation for a long time, then your urge to defecate may have greatly lessened, if not disappeared (remember the bowel is easily trained). However, passing stool is still extremely difficult and your anus/rectum can spasm and be very tight or narrow.

* When you manage to pass stool, the stool can be very thin, sometimes only the width of a flattened pencil. You strain and push mightily and it may feel like you’re passing a huge stool, but when you look in the toilet there’s only a very narrow or small amount of stool. Stools can be soft, hard, balls, or cylinders, but rarely larger than 1/4 inch – 1/3 inch in diameter and the maximum diameter is not usually more than1/2 inch.

Listen to my podcast for even more insights and a simple remedy:

This article was sent in by one of my readers (Amy Spiegel) to share their experience in hopes that it may help others with a similar problem. Keep in mind that WE are the cutting-edge of innovative treatments for IBD-related problems, so we need to share our experiments and results with each other. So if you try this therapy and it works, please let us know in the COMMENTS section below. Likewise, if you try it and it doesn’t work, it would also be really helpful if you let us know.

IMPORTANT: Amy’s story prompted me to do some research into laser therapy for infection and wound healing and so be sure to read my corresponding article on How Does Infrared Light Therapy Work? before testing this protocol – as it will ensure you use an infrared laser of sufficient strength.

But let’s get started with Amy’s article:

By Amy Spiegel

My son is now in remission and has been ever since I started naturopathic remedies and the Absorb Plus shakes. His main problem that lasted two years was a peri-anal abscess that WOULD NOT HEAL.

My son’s Crohn’s first presented itself with a peri-anal abscess, which was drained in the ER. While we thought that healed it, it really didn’t and it would fill up and ooze about every 10-12 days for almost two years. Now I know this was because the internal infection was still there. It would get very red and painful so I would put hot compresses on it until I could release the infection. Once we did this it would take about another 10-12 days to “fill” back up.

In the meantime I applied the oil of oregano topically, tried the FissureHeal and other suppositories the naturopath gave me, hot baths, mud packs, etc. Nothing seemed to work. His naturopath suggested trying the infrared laser pen light, as she had used it for other wound healing with success.

Her theory was that the laser penetrates deeper into the tissue. If you add a treatment to the skin first, then the laser carries that deep into the wound for healing. So we used ITIRES homeopathic ointment for lymphatic drainage and SanPharma Notatum Drops (for bacterial infections) topically prior to the laser treatment. I also would sometimes add the oil of oregano topically. I did infrared laser pen light treatments of 1-2 minutes every night for about 6 months.

I started noticing immediately that the duration between the abscess “flares” began to lengthen. It went from 10 days, to 14 days, then 18 days, then three weeks, then 45 days – sometimes backsliding to 14 days – but it kept a pattern in general of lengthening. I also noticed that the flares were less painful, less red and less pus, sometimes only a drop. This encouraged us to continue. It was very slow healing.

All the while I kept him on the oil of oregano orally and the Healthy Trinity probiotics. We then got to the point that the infection was completely gone and we stopped the infrared pen light treatments. It has now been nine months with absolutely no recurrence.

However, I felt that he needed to continue maintenance treatment, so our other naturopathic/MD doctor suggested the Lumen Photon 90 Infrared therapy product. I thought this would be better, since he is in his teen years and this is something he can do on his own. It is a pad with several laser lights and can be placed anywhere on the body (except the eyes). He does this a couple times per week (just to make Mom feel better).

He also has started placing it on his stomach. My acupuncturist states “the bad guys do not like the light.” Sounds spiritual to me. So if the light kills off the bad bacteria in the abscess why not the stomach? I hope that this can help someone else and would love to hear another success story. I don’t know how it worked but something did as it started to change and then disappeared.

Amy Spiegel (B.A. in Community Health Education) is the married mother of two boys aged 14 and 10 in North Atlanta. Before going on sabbatical to care for her children, she was a medical assistant for two surgical physicians and then the director of exercise physiology for the Texas Back Institute.  She’s dedicated the past two years to researching natural remedies and dietary wellness practices for the treatment of Crohn’s disease in response to her son’s diagnosis – who was unable to tolerate the toxic medication protocols recommended by physicians.

Now that you’ve read this article, head over to my article where I explain how infrared lasers work and what strength and intensity of laser is necessary to get good results from this treatment.

Coherent photons, which are particles of electromagnetic energy, are emitted from an infrared cold laser (also referred to as low level laser, soft laser or therapeutic laser). These particles enter the tissues and are absorbed in the mitochondria – which are tiny structures within the substance of each individual cell. The energy is converted to chemical energy within the cell.

The permeability of the cell membrane then changes, which in turn produces various physiological effects. These physiological changes affect a variety of cell types including macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and mast cells, resulting in wound healing, pain relief, reduced inflammation, drainage, etc.

When comparing lasers, two measurements are key. The first is the wavelength, which determines the color of the light and is measured in nanometers (nm). The second classification is the power of the laser, which is measured in milliwatts (mW). A laser of 500 mW or less is classified as a Category 3, cold laser. This means there is no danger of burning the skin or tissues, or causing damage from overheating. Lasers that are stronger than 500 mW are classified as Category 4 lasers and these should only be used by professionals, or in conjunction with a device that monitors the temperature of the tissue during exposure.

Another defining characteristic of laser light is that it is coherent light. This means that if you shine the light against the wall and then you back up farther and farther away, the laser point will stay the same size. If you happen to have a laser pen that is just an LED, then as you back away the light will fan out – this is the quick way to tell the difference between the two.

Simple colored laser lights have an affinity for the same color. For example, if you set up a green balloon that has a red balloon inflated inside it, and then you shine a red laser light on the balloons, the red balloon inside will pop, but the green one will stay intact. This is because the red laser has an affinity for the red balloon only.

However, infrared lasers are “colorblind” so they will penetrate deeply into tissue. An infrared laser light needs to be a minimum of 650 nm and 5 mW – at this strength it will penetrate almost half an inch into the skin. So if you have a shallow wound or an abscess, this strength is probably sufficient and infrared laser pen lights of this strength can be purchased fairly inexpensively.

After 6 Weeks of Vetrolaser Use

If you have a deeper wound or a fistula, then you may want to invest in an infrared laser that can penetrate deeper into the tissue. Unfortunately, these infrared lasers can be very expensive. The ones I found ranged from $1,200 – $13,000. How many people suffering from fistulas are likely to be able to afford that? So I went “outside the box” and I found an infrared laser – called the Vetrolaser II – that is sold for animal-use, for only $525. This is exactly the same quality, technology and strength of the expensive human-use lasers. It has three 808 nm diodes (lasers) in one unit, at a strength of 200 mW. Thus it can penetrate two inches when used on Caucasian skin (darker skin results in less penetration).

To sell or advertise a laser for human use, you have to submit it to the FDA and get approval – this is possibly the cause of the high price tag on human-use lasers. But if you specify that it is for animal use only, then you can avoid the FDA process.

I spoke with Dr. Daniel Kamen D.C, who sells this “veterinary laser” and he said that the ideal way to use the laser (to get the fastest results) is to put the laser directly in contact with dry skin. However, if the skin is wet, or the wound is open, then you need to hold it off the skin to avoid wetting the laser, but hold it as close as you can.

It’s worthwhile to note Amy Spiegel’s article about healing her son’s peri-anal abscess: She used an infrared laser pen light and the healing took six months when used for 1-2 minutes per day. We couldn’t get any information about the wavelength and power of the laser she used. But I did find a photo that looked just like it and the seller said that whilst the laser was 635 nm, it was less than 5 mW in power. So this is perhaps why her son’s abscess took so long to heal.

Interestingly the infrared laser pad Amy’s son is using now (for maintenance) contains 50 diodes (infrared lights) of 880 nm and 100mW for each diode – which a lot stronger than the pen light used to heal the fistula (and, at $844, is a lot more expensive).

Below are some places to purchase therapeutic-quality lasers at the cheapest prices I could find. And, as per usual, if you try this therapy, please let me know how it worked in the COMMENTS section below.

Infrared Laser Sources

Beurer Softlaser (635 nm, 5 mW, 1/2″ penetration) – has on/off switch

If you order this from the UK it’s cheaper than any supplier I could find in the U.S.  The price was 50 pounds ~ $82 but check what the shipping would be as the shipping (and customs duties) may be so expensive it cancels out the savings if you live in North America. If you live in Europe, then this may be a good supplier for you.

The cheapest place in the US I found, was retailing this laser at $149

Vetrolaser II – Triple Diode Infrared Laser (3 x 808 nm, 200 mW, 2″ penetration)

This is the “veterinary-use” laser I wrote about above and it currently retails for $525.
Tel: 1-800-742-8433 and Dr. Kamen can answer any questions you might have.

Okay, I need your help again! Some of you may already know about Dr. Silvio Najt, MD. He’s been quite active over at JPT Wellness Circle and I’ve also been posting some podcasts with him and articles he’s shared on this blog.

But for those of you who don’t know of Silvio, or haven’t heard his full story: Dr. Najt is a board-certified cardiologist, with an additional specialty in emergency medicine. When his daughter was first diagnosed with colitis, of course he went full-speed into medical treatment protocols.

However, like many of us, when he discovered the medical protocols didn’t work, he began researching. Although his research focused on the medical sources of information, clinical trials, etc., it was actually another MD in New York who told him to get my book, Listen To Your Gut.

In Silvio’s own words (this quote is from Ch. 1 of our new book):

“I bought Listen To Your Gut just as a possible source to help my daughter with the “minor elements” of her illness. I have to admit that from the beginning I had to fight against my “medical prejudice”. Jini Patel Thompson was not a physician, but still she was showing a radical way of treating this ailment. It made sense, a lot of sense. But I still had to fight against my medical mindset. As I got deeper and deeper into the book, it completely blew my mind and I decided to finish my “toxic” relationship with the medical world and embrace the “patient world.”

So here’s where you come in: We need help deciding on the best title for this new book!

It is co-authored by Dr. Najt and myself and we are hoping it will make these healing protocols available to a much larger audience – people who aren’t comfortable, or don’t feel safe unless a medical doctor endorses it.

But it is not just a re-hash of the protocols in Listen To Your Gut. This book tells the story of Dr. Najt and his daughter’s healing journey. It also has an entire chapter on the pharmaceutical drugs used for these diseases – absolutely fascinating info on WHY they are used and what the true effect of these drugs is, on the gut and the body as a whole.

Likewise, Silvio goes into detail, in another entire chapter, about surgical procedures, what’s really involved, what the risks really are (as evidenced by the med literature) and when surgery is indicated, but also when it can likely be avoided.

So this book will also be a valuable tool for people who:

• Want to really understand what their doctor is telling them (and the important info they’re NOT being told!).
• Want to combine medical and holistic treatments.
• Want to use natural protocols, but are unsure if what they’re doing is safe or proven.
• Need to have solid data they can take to their GI (and unsupportive family members!) to garner support and provide justification for their treatment choices.
• Want to have a more simplified treatment protocol than is contained in LTYG. Listen To Your Gut accounts for every variation or complication and that’s why it’s nearly 500 pages. But, some people find this too daunting and they want to just have a simple step-by-step protocol to follow. So the refined 5-step protocol in this new book is one I have gleaned from JPT Members and my private consult clients as being successful for the majority of people, about 90% of the time.

Okay, so now you have an overview of what the book is about and who would benefit from it, what should we call it so that the title reflects these elements?

It can have both a main title and a subtitle.

And the author credit will read:

By Dr. Silvio Najt MD

with Jini Patel Thompson

You guys gave me such great suggestions for my book on constipation, that I wanted to get your advice/ideas again. But this time, I don’t have a working title already in mind – I’m wide open to any and all suggestions.

And just to make it more fun – let’s get some prizes going….

If we use your title, as is, you’ll win an ebook and printed copy of the book (when it’s published) plus a $100 gift certificate for the Holistic Health Shoppe.

If you have the best suggestion, you’ll win both an ebook and a printed copy of the book, when it’s ready.

The 3 runner-ups will win an ebook copy of the book, when it’s ready.

Sound fun? Silvio and I are ready, so let ‘er rip!

Leave your title ideas in the COMMENTS section right underneath…

p.s. when you go to leave your comment you will be asked for your email address (which is not made public) and that’s where we’ll contact you if you win.

muchas gracias,

Jini