Lately I've been busy researching the mechanisms behind a disorder that has effected two important people in my life. The disorder is called peripheral neuropathy. Simply stated that stands for pathology of nerves in the peripheral nervous system. Remember that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is what brings information from "out there" into "in here". In other words, the PNS is what connects us with the world around us. All the sensations of cold, hot, pain, and vibration are carried by this system. Not only that, but the PNS is the data-gathering part of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is the main frame computer that runs the human experience and the PNS is all the sensors and data collectors that feed it. Just a simple explanation to help set the stage for what I'm about to talk about next.
The PNS also performs a very important task of telling the CNS where the body is in space. This may seem minor but it is a huge factor. The PNS has sensors all over the outside shell, or soma, of the body. Thousands of these sensors exist per square inch of skin and they also innervate the fascia, muscle, and joint surfaces of the body. If only we could conceive of a computer with this much sensitivity and intelligence!
Now it is important to note that the basic histology, or design, of the PNS nervous system involves a nerve body and axon. The nerve body serves as the brain of the individual neuron as it houses the nucleus, organelles, mitochondria, DNA, etc. This nerve body exists adjacent to the spinal cord in what is termed the dorsal root ganglion. The axon then grows during our fetal and infant development from the spinal cord to say, the outside of our foot. What I'm saying is that axon can be several feet long, traveling all the way from the outside of our feet or tips of fingers to the very edge of the spinal cord. The important point to get here is not to remember all this terminology but to start to build a picture in your mind of what we are talking about when we explain peripheral neuropathy.
What happens during peripheral neuropathy is that the nerve transmissions from far away places like the feet start to malfunction. Peripheral neuropathy affects the distal portions of our body first because the farther things are away from the core viscera, the more difficult it is to maintain healthy tissue. Its like when a plant dries out, it starts at the tips of the leaves farthest from the center and then dries out towards the stem. It is the same with the human body as those with peripheral neuropathy know that it begins in the feet but can progress to make its way up the ankle, then knee, then hip, etc. Its just a simple fact that providing nutrition to and removing toxins from areas of the body becomes more difficult as we get further from the heart. This is why when people start to lose neurological sensation like touch and vibration in their feet it is a warning sign that potentially could lead to more serious complications. Peripheral neuropathy is serious because of its effect on our activities of daily living - try walking and exercising when you cannot feel your feet!
The cause of the neuropathy can be multi-factoral but likely it is due to either a compromise in microvascular circulation and/or a dysregulation of fat metabolism. When nerves are injured they lose their function first in the most distal portion as we have already pointed out. This is why pain, tingling, and numbness in the feet are warning signs that PNS neurons are malfunctioning. As an example, in type 2 diabetes patients suffer from a multitude of symptoms including peripheral neuropathy that is often so severe that limbs are progressively amputated. Basically the nerve supply and blood supply are so compromised that no oxygen gets into tissues in the feet and large infections begin to take hold. This is a worse case scenario but does happen to many diabetics.
In the case of the two important people in my life, neither one are diabetics per se, but clearly there is an underlying set of metabolic conditions that is promoting the dysfunction of their peripheral nerves. Lets examine briefly by what mechanisms the nervous system can be affected in peripheral neuropathy and what measures can be taken by your astute chiropractor and natural healer to correct the underlying issues without resorting to dangerous drugs and surgeries.
Looking at the compromise in circulation we can understand how this will stress the nervous system because without the ability to expel toxins and take in nutrients the nerve cell will become toxic. More likely the Schwann cells that surround the axon will deteriorate which causes the transmission to be interrupted. Its just like losing the insulation of any electrical wire - without the high resistance and low capacitance of the insulating material, the electrical signal will leak out of the wire. And in the case of human nerves, the signal for vibration may be lost somewhere between the foot and the spinal cord because the nerve tissue has lost is insulation called myelination.
This loss of myelination is key in thinking about peripheral neuropathy. Once a clinician has ruled out upper motor neuron lesions, CNS problems, MS, etc. we are left with basic dysfunction of peripheral nerves. Losing the insulation of the nerve is possible when there is a great deal of inflammation in the body. As the blood inflames the body reacts to suppress it, releasing cholesterol and other blood-born anti-oxidant molecules. All of this is fine but when the blood becomes inflamed, all sorts of reactive molecules are present. This makes the blood "thicker" and more sludge like which makes it harder to pump into small vessels as effectively. So the big idea here is that with increased systemic inflammation, due to low anti-oxidant levels combined with modern high sugar, high fat, nutrient-deficient foods, the micro-vascular does not get as much blood. Less blood means less nutrition and less removal of toxins. It also alters the pH, creating more acidosis locally since CO2 is removed by hemoglobin. All these factors - thick blood, acid pH, high oxidation - will make it hard for the Schwann cells to keep the nerve properly insulated. This is one source of PNS dysfunction.
As I mentioned the other issue we deal with is fat metabolism gone awry. The same forces which compromise micro-circulation and promote inflammation in the blood will negatively effect how the neuron, way up by the spinal cord, will be able to produce energy. As we eat processed garbage, we get a huge amount of energy - glucose and fat - with very little anti-oxidants and vitamins to help us deal with all the energy. Too much energy is just as dangerous as too little. When you need to heat your house, you don't douse your fireplace with wood and gasoline just because more energy is better. You pick the right amount of logs and kindling and stay balanced between burning your house down and freezing. Your body is no different.
Insulin is required for the glucose and free fatty acids to enter most cells in the body. And we all know that Diabetes has "something" to do with insulin. Well as it turns out neurons are special cells who are so important to our survival that the innate intelligence of the human body designed them so they could get glucose into the cell without insulin. This is a blessing when blood glucose levels are low because this will guarantee that the CNS and PNS are fueled with energy so we can survive long enough to locate another source of food. However, this is a curse when we live in a world were people eat such toxic food.
As we consume processed food that is highly glycemic and high in energy but low in nutrition, our blood sugar spikes and remains elevated until we can secrete enough insulin to bring it down. Diabetics have insulin problems and they are not able to reduce their blood sugar effectively, which leads them to be susceptible to peripheral neuropathy. Excess blood sugar causes inflammation as discussed above, but it also forces neurons to absorb more glucose than they need. And when neurons are getting more glucose than they need, which happens via passive diffusion, they must convert the excess they do not need into free fatty acids. These free fatty acids are themselves converted into triglycerides which is the body's preferred method of energy storage - typical "fat" tissue.
As these neurons continually store more and more fats, the levels of free fatty acids inside the cell increase as the neuron begins to be saturated with too much energy. As these molecules are reactive, they start to create inflammation INSIDE the cell - a process called Lipotoxicity or toxic levels of fat. This results in damage to the mitochondria and other cell organelles. The net effect of this energy toxic scenario is that the neuron is both drowning in excess glucose and fat while at the same time losing the ability to effectively burn those molecules to create energy. This was all caused by the fact that the patient is consuming too many refined foods with high calorie loads while simultaneously not exercising or being physically active. This creates an environment where the neuron, just like other body cells, is forced to soak up this high blood sugar.
Now this neuron which has been drinking up blood glucose and storing it as fat eventually gets saturated with fats and this begins to interrupt the process of burning fat for energy. As the neuron becomes less efficient at producing energy, it can no longer effectively communicate with its most distal end. Thus as the neuron loses its ability to efficiently create energy, due to a lipotoxic effect, the transmission of nerve impulses along its axon is compromised.
In conclusion the reason for peripheral neuropathy in patients can be due to a lipotoxicity that is occuring in the neuron. The neuron is energy toxic with too much glucose entering the cell that must be converted to free fatty acids and stored as triglycerides. As this process occurs the cell cannot efficiently create energy. The oxidative stress and inflammation from excess energy in the cell (in the form of glucose and free fatty acids) damages organelles and mitochondria reducing the capacity for the cell to create ATP.
A natural practitioner will correct these deficits by directing the patient to alter their diet along the lines of the Modified Elimination Diet. Then the practioner will use the following supplements to help the neurons create energy efficiently and restore function to the peripheral nerve:
Acetyl L Carnitine - Helps cells burn fat by shuttling fats into the mitochondria to be burned for ATP.
Resveratrol - A powerful anti-inflammatory that quenches inflammation which is damaging the cells ability to efficiently oxidize energy.
Alpha Lipoic Acid - A power anti-oxidant that also protects the cell's membranes and promotes function of the mitochondria.
These supplements will aid the pathways of the cell which are involved in burning fat. This process is called beta oxidation and is different than the citric acid cycle. By using high doses of natural, safe vitamins and minerals a knowledgeable natural doctor can use the body's own systems to help heal it. Alpha lipoic acid and resveratrol will suppress inflammation while L-carnitine will help get the free fatty acids turned into useful ATP for nerve impulse transmission.
Using dietary changes and the above supplements in an intensive protocol, natural practitioners may be able to reverse the effects of peripheral neuropathy. The underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy may be that the neuron is toxic from excess energy consumption. By opening up the pathways inside the body that help cells burn fat more efficiently, neurons and other body cells will respond by lowering their toxic, pro-inflammatory burden. Once a doctor understands the complex nature of physiology, he or she can use simple, safe alternatives to expensive and risky drugs and surgeries to correct what is wrong with the human body.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Understanding Whole Food Nutrition
Chiropractic is a unique profession with a philosophy that sets it apart from mainstream health care. The underlying principal in chiropractic is that the body is able to heal itself through an inner intelligence often referred to as the Innate. The doctor of chiropractic respects the power of the body, and works with it, to promote a state of health and wellness. Whole food nutrition, like chiropractic, is unique in the nutritional world because it relies on the innate healing power of the whole, intact food source. Thus, whole food nutrition can be an important clinical resource for chiropractors to create health in patients from the inside out.
I am interested in providing the best care for my patients, and I am obligated to address the issue of nutritional deficiencies and the effect it has on their well being. Until recently, it would not have mattered to me whether vitamins were food based or synthetic. The only thing I looked for in a supplement was how many milligrams of a given ingredient it had. I soon came to realize that in fact quantity does not equate to quality. What we should be focused on is effectiveness and potency – two things that set whole food nutrition apart.
The issue of nutrition has fascinated me and it is clear that food is medicine, and conversely, food can be poison. What we put in our mouths is as important as the thoughts we put in our heads. It is easy to show that modern food sources are deficient in life-sustaining nutrients and that if we want long-term health, we must be diligent about what we choose to put inside our bodies.
As a chiropractor I will be a healer, a communicator, and a teacher. And with the position of being called “doctor” comes a great deal of responsibility. My experience as
President of the Applied Kinesiology Club at NWHSU has helped open my eyes to the importance of being balanced – structurally, chemically, and emotionally. The triad of health is a way to understand and correct the source of the subluxation using adjustments, nutrition, and a compassionate heart. Since receiving a Standard Process® test kit, our club has been able to branch out drastically, investigating how different whole food nutritional supplements can change the energetics of the human body. All of this has served to expand my awareness of the energetic effects of the different foods and supplements we put inside our bodies.
I believe that treating the subluxation, while ignoring the underlying causes of neuro-musculo-skeletal stress is not doing enough. In the most general sense, stress causes disease - with much of that stress coming from the food we eat. Personally, I view the subluxation as multifaceted phenomenon where visceral dysfunctions, caused in part by a lack of adequate nutrition, are capable of causing subluxations that chiropractors discover in their spinal exams. Our nutritional health is directly related to our skeletal health. From that perspective it is important to aid the body's self-righting mechanisms with correct nutrition. By addressing patients nutritional needs along with their structural and emotional concerns, I firmly believe that chiropractic is more effective. I have an obligation to patients to get them well as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and whole food supplementation is part of that process.
If we accept our responsibility as doctors to “first do no harm”, then we must be certain that our nutritional therapies are supportive of health and do not cause secondary issues of their own. Nutrition is a very popular topic today and there is no shortage of products on the market. On some level most people accept that adding nutritional supplementation to their diet may benefit them. The real question is which supplement and in what form should it be taken. It comes as a surprise to many that not all vitamins are created equal.
The difference between synthetic and whole food supplements could be likened to the differences between symptom-based and wellness-based healthcare. Both approaches to healthcare are interested in getting the patient well. However, just as symptom-based approaches will miss the underlying causes of disease, synthetic vitamins will provide a narrow-range of nutrition that may be lacking in other critical factors necessary for health. This happens because every synthetic vitamin must first be extracted or created chemically, and in doing so it enters body without natural co-factors and usually in high doses.
Whole food nutrition is important because the human body is designed to get all its necessary nutrition from the diet – i.e. food and drink. Everything that cannot be created internally must be accounted for in the diet. The benefit of whole food nutrition is that only the water and fiber has been removed, leaving intact the other known and unknown life-sustaining nutrients,. This means that the original energy of the food is preserved, along with low doses of specific vitamins. The idea is that it is easier for the body to optimize nutrition if it is given in a natural food-based form. Providing the body with a vitamin complex, with original food source still intact, yields a potent supplement that heals both nutritionally and energetically.
Another reason whole food supplementation is important is that science has not identified every part of the food that is beneficial. So by providing only select nutrients and discarding the rest of the food source, synthetic supplementation may create deficiencies as the body attempts to metabolize high doses without accompanying food factors. This concept is important to me as it would be difficult to explain to a patient that the vitamins I suggested had actually created a new problem of their own. I also believe that because of the fact that science hasn't uncovered every necessary co-factor for a given vitamin, that it is more conservative to provide said vitamin intact with the food source. Being conservative with my chiropractic treatment is essential for patient health, and it is the same for my nutritional therapies
Given that whole food nutrition addresses patients needs holistically, with food sources intact, it is a perfect tool for chiropractors. I will use whole food nutrition in order to help my patients heal their visceral dysfunction while I work diligently on their structural concerns. I will use Applied Kinesiology techniques, lab testing, symptom surveys, and patient histories to guide my nutritional therapies. Most importantly, I will use my knowledge of why whole food supplements are effective to give me the confidence that my patient's are getting the best nutrition available.
I am interested in providing the best care for my patients, and I am obligated to address the issue of nutritional deficiencies and the effect it has on their well being. Until recently, it would not have mattered to me whether vitamins were food based or synthetic. The only thing I looked for in a supplement was how many milligrams of a given ingredient it had. I soon came to realize that in fact quantity does not equate to quality. What we should be focused on is effectiveness and potency – two things that set whole food nutrition apart.
The issue of nutrition has fascinated me and it is clear that food is medicine, and conversely, food can be poison. What we put in our mouths is as important as the thoughts we put in our heads. It is easy to show that modern food sources are deficient in life-sustaining nutrients and that if we want long-term health, we must be diligent about what we choose to put inside our bodies.
As a chiropractor I will be a healer, a communicator, and a teacher. And with the position of being called “doctor” comes a great deal of responsibility. My experience as
President of the Applied Kinesiology Club at NWHSU has helped open my eyes to the importance of being balanced – structurally, chemically, and emotionally. The triad of health is a way to understand and correct the source of the subluxation using adjustments, nutrition, and a compassionate heart. Since receiving a Standard Process® test kit, our club has been able to branch out drastically, investigating how different whole food nutritional supplements can change the energetics of the human body. All of this has served to expand my awareness of the energetic effects of the different foods and supplements we put inside our bodies.
I believe that treating the subluxation, while ignoring the underlying causes of neuro-musculo-skeletal stress is not doing enough. In the most general sense, stress causes disease - with much of that stress coming from the food we eat. Personally, I view the subluxation as multifaceted phenomenon where visceral dysfunctions, caused in part by a lack of adequate nutrition, are capable of causing subluxations that chiropractors discover in their spinal exams. Our nutritional health is directly related to our skeletal health. From that perspective it is important to aid the body's self-righting mechanisms with correct nutrition. By addressing patients nutritional needs along with their structural and emotional concerns, I firmly believe that chiropractic is more effective. I have an obligation to patients to get them well as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and whole food supplementation is part of that process.
If we accept our responsibility as doctors to “first do no harm”, then we must be certain that our nutritional therapies are supportive of health and do not cause secondary issues of their own. Nutrition is a very popular topic today and there is no shortage of products on the market. On some level most people accept that adding nutritional supplementation to their diet may benefit them. The real question is which supplement and in what form should it be taken. It comes as a surprise to many that not all vitamins are created equal.
The difference between synthetic and whole food supplements could be likened to the differences between symptom-based and wellness-based healthcare. Both approaches to healthcare are interested in getting the patient well. However, just as symptom-based approaches will miss the underlying causes of disease, synthetic vitamins will provide a narrow-range of nutrition that may be lacking in other critical factors necessary for health. This happens because every synthetic vitamin must first be extracted or created chemically, and in doing so it enters body without natural co-factors and usually in high doses.
Whole food nutrition is important because the human body is designed to get all its necessary nutrition from the diet – i.e. food and drink. Everything that cannot be created internally must be accounted for in the diet. The benefit of whole food nutrition is that only the water and fiber has been removed, leaving intact the other known and unknown life-sustaining nutrients,. This means that the original energy of the food is preserved, along with low doses of specific vitamins. The idea is that it is easier for the body to optimize nutrition if it is given in a natural food-based form. Providing the body with a vitamin complex, with original food source still intact, yields a potent supplement that heals both nutritionally and energetically.
Another reason whole food supplementation is important is that science has not identified every part of the food that is beneficial. So by providing only select nutrients and discarding the rest of the food source, synthetic supplementation may create deficiencies as the body attempts to metabolize high doses without accompanying food factors. This concept is important to me as it would be difficult to explain to a patient that the vitamins I suggested had actually created a new problem of their own. I also believe that because of the fact that science hasn't uncovered every necessary co-factor for a given vitamin, that it is more conservative to provide said vitamin intact with the food source. Being conservative with my chiropractic treatment is essential for patient health, and it is the same for my nutritional therapies
Given that whole food nutrition addresses patients needs holistically, with food sources intact, it is a perfect tool for chiropractors. I will use whole food nutrition in order to help my patients heal their visceral dysfunction while I work diligently on their structural concerns. I will use Applied Kinesiology techniques, lab testing, symptom surveys, and patient histories to guide my nutritional therapies. Most importantly, I will use my knowledge of why whole food supplements are effective to give me the confidence that my patient's are getting the best nutrition available.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Subluxation Complex Part I
The chiropractic profession lives a stormy life. It's claims are proud and strong - that by adjusting the spine health can be restored to the body. Despite being around for over 100 years, chiropractic is still very misunderstood by the majority of people the world over. This blog is dedicated to teaching the world about Health, and thus about the role chiropractic plays in establishing and maintaining healthy vitality throughout our years. It is this author's conviction that only through patient education can chiropractic grow towards its rightful place as a foundational therapeutic aspect of all our lives. This piece is dedicated to the teaching effort.
Chiropractic exists as profession both at the cutting edge of holistic treatment and at the center of controversy. There are those who say it is just a bunch of quackery. However, the fact that chiropractic endures today, without mainstream sponsorship and subsidization is a testament to the effectiveness and importance of adjustive therapy. The free market has carried chiropractic along from its inception to where we are today. The free market is the ultimate test of any product or service. It represents the combined decisions of millions of people over a long time period. We are here today because chiropractic works. Now it is question of communication and education of why it works, and why it is necessary for long term health.
Chiropractors treat the subluxation. It is a complex phenomenon, and one that unfortunately does not yield to simple definition. It is better to consider the subluxation an energetic phenomenon with distinct physical manifestations. Those familiar with this idea will use terms like "sticky" joint, dysfunctional motion segment, restricted motion, tissue abnormalities, etc. to describe their physical palpation findings. We are speaking strictly of joints, for those who are not familiar with this idea. More specifically, the subluxation is when spinal vertebra (or other joints like the elbow or ankle) become dysfunctional and cause system wide adaptation patterns as the body is forced to make changes to survive.
At this point it is important to emphasize several critical concepts that will be necessary for understanding health and chiropractic.
1) The Body Never Makes Mistakes
It is a fact that every action taken by the body is to survive by maintaining homeostasis. Loss of homeostasis means loss of life - its that simple. Every cough, sore throat, allergy, and yes even cancer is an adaptation forced upon the body by some kind of stress (see below). It is hard to believe that the person dying from cancer still has a body making correct decisions, but it is true. When we sneeze, or get a cold, or get a disease, the body is attempting to deal with something that is threatening its survival. The common cold is natures way of getting rid of trash accumulated inside our bodies.
Have you ever realized that a cough, runny nose, and fever all act to remove or destroy microbes inside us? The body raises its temperature to destroy pathogens, then the cough and runny nose, or diarrhea, serve to excrete the toxins effectively. But what are we told by medicine? That these symptoms should be suppressed! How insane is it to think that by stopping the body's natural process of getting ride of trash that somehow we are healthier for it? Remember this always - the body doesn't make mistakes. Those who understand health will support the body's innate intelligence, which is far superior to any doctor, and allow the body to cleanse itself naturally. We can support this excretion/detoxification naturally by stimulating and supporting organs like the kidney, liver, and lymph tissues with chiropactic adjustments and targeted nutritional support.
2) Treating Symptoms Will Never Cure nor Prevent a Single Disease
What passes for healthcare in America is really no different than a teenager who cleans his room by throwing all his junk inside his closet. His room looks clean from the outside, it even feels clean, but just under the surface all the trash is piling up. But hey out of sight, out of mind! The pharmaceutical industry makes ridiculous profits selling us proprietary products (read unnatural) designed to suppress symptoms. The fatal flaw, the source of rampant disease in America, is the widespread use of this symptom-suppression model.
The real price we pay for suppression of symptoms, while never addressing the underlying cause of disease, is that our bodies accumulate toxins and begin to toxify, inflame, and breakdown. Continued suppression of symptoms, which are the body's perfectly intelligent responses to rid itself of disease-causing agents, forces the toxins to go deeper into our bodies. If the body cannot excrete/detoxify itself it is forced to fight the toxins locally. This is inflammation. Inflammation is like wagging a war. Unfortunately for us, like all wars there is collateral damage. And as the body slowly builds up with toxic matter, the body is forced to deal with it by fighting in its own backyard. Think about what war does to picturesque towns when bombs are dropped from above and tanks role through the streets. The same thing happens to our own tissues at a microscopic level. Over time this leads to diseases that are far more serious than just a common cold.
Most every culture on earth utilizes some form of detoxification to aid the body's natural mechanisms. Whether we are dealing with sweats, saunas, mineral waters, clays, etc. each is designed to draw out toxins which helps to lessen the energetic burden on the body. American culture today is arguably the most toxic in human history. Simultaneously we are living without widespread detoxification methods being practiced. This is a major contributor to our epidemic rates disease.
3) Stress is the Ultimate Cause of Disease
While this may seem oversimplified, it is in fact an excellent model for conceptualizing what is going on in the body to produce disease. It is hard to believe that the body doesn't make mistakes, yet we are are collectively a very sick society! Something must explain this discrepancy and stress is the concept that is able to connect the dots into a cohesive whole of wellness understanding.
D.D. Palmer, the founding father of chiropractic, understood that disease was a result of three main ideas: trauma, poisons and auto-suggestion. We can refer to these as physical, chemical (toxic), and emotional stress. This is a common concept in applied kinesiology where patients are treated in regards to the triad of health - structural, chemical, and emotional stress. D.D. Palmer recognized that disease has more than one origin, but the effect is still stress on the system. This stress creates dis-ease in our body by using up and consuming the fuel, or energy, necessary for maintaining homeostasis.
Consider that while energy in the universe is infinite, each one of us has a bucket and that bucket represents our energy account. Our body has a finite amount of energy and must live within its means and budget accordingly (which it does superbly). When we are on a stress-free vacation, enjoying life, feeling great our bucket is leak-free and full. This abundance of energy is perfectly spent by the body on maintaining a "tight ship" and keeping all systems robust, clean, and maintained. We experience low stress and the body spends its energy currency on growth and repair - and we feel great!
Yet for most of us, the majority of our lives are more stressful than we would like. It is the nature of our world today and must be dealt with proactively. That bucket that was full while we were on our care-free vacation now has a leak. Actually it has several leaks. Instead of putting its energy income into savings, for future enjoyment i.e. Health, the body is forced to adapt to the stress by spending energy fixing holes in the bucket. The more stress, the more holes, the more energy spent. This is all fine and dandy as long as the energy coming in is greater than the energy going out. People will have colds, maybe the flu, allergies, and mild symptoms of all kinds in this phase of dis-ease. The body can manage the stress, but at the expense of the immune system working top notch. Unfortunately for us, the immune system is the first thing to weaken when we start to experience stress. It is difficult to guard against outside invaders when there is chaos inside the castle walls.
A critical point is reached when the body is forced to dip into its energy savings to take care of all the energy requirements of dealing with stress. Remember stress is structural, chemical, and emotional so the body is working on many fronts simultaneously. Before this critical point, income was greater than expenses. And just like any business enterprise, when the body must dip into savings to continue to operate, it is operating at a loss. This is an unsustainable course.
As the body dips into energy-savings, it is forced to breakdown less-critical tissue in order to maintain homeostasis. As stress increases, holes in the bucket multiply, and the body must begin to use energy, vitamins and minerals stored in the body to keep up with demands. As the expenses for dealing with stress grow uncontrollably, the body breaks down its own tissue in order to stay alive. The body is still acting correctly, it is just in such a difficult environment it has no choice but to shift into catabolism or tissue breakdown. If calcium is needed to fix the holes in the bucket then osteoporosis results as calcium is taken from bone, where it is stored long term. If cholesterol is needed to reduce oxidation, then hormones are reduced because cell repair is more important than a good sex drive. Continual stress on the body will cause disease as there is no other choice but for the body to start to break itself down to stay alive.
To Be Continued...
Chiropractic exists as profession both at the cutting edge of holistic treatment and at the center of controversy. There are those who say it is just a bunch of quackery. However, the fact that chiropractic endures today, without mainstream sponsorship and subsidization is a testament to the effectiveness and importance of adjustive therapy. The free market has carried chiropractic along from its inception to where we are today. The free market is the ultimate test of any product or service. It represents the combined decisions of millions of people over a long time period. We are here today because chiropractic works. Now it is question of communication and education of why it works, and why it is necessary for long term health.
Chiropractors treat the subluxation. It is a complex phenomenon, and one that unfortunately does not yield to simple definition. It is better to consider the subluxation an energetic phenomenon with distinct physical manifestations. Those familiar with this idea will use terms like "sticky" joint, dysfunctional motion segment, restricted motion, tissue abnormalities, etc. to describe their physical palpation findings. We are speaking strictly of joints, for those who are not familiar with this idea. More specifically, the subluxation is when spinal vertebra (or other joints like the elbow or ankle) become dysfunctional and cause system wide adaptation patterns as the body is forced to make changes to survive.
At this point it is important to emphasize several critical concepts that will be necessary for understanding health and chiropractic.
1) The Body Never Makes Mistakes
It is a fact that every action taken by the body is to survive by maintaining homeostasis. Loss of homeostasis means loss of life - its that simple. Every cough, sore throat, allergy, and yes even cancer is an adaptation forced upon the body by some kind of stress (see below). It is hard to believe that the person dying from cancer still has a body making correct decisions, but it is true. When we sneeze, or get a cold, or get a disease, the body is attempting to deal with something that is threatening its survival. The common cold is natures way of getting rid of trash accumulated inside our bodies.
Have you ever realized that a cough, runny nose, and fever all act to remove or destroy microbes inside us? The body raises its temperature to destroy pathogens, then the cough and runny nose, or diarrhea, serve to excrete the toxins effectively. But what are we told by medicine? That these symptoms should be suppressed! How insane is it to think that by stopping the body's natural process of getting ride of trash that somehow we are healthier for it? Remember this always - the body doesn't make mistakes. Those who understand health will support the body's innate intelligence, which is far superior to any doctor, and allow the body to cleanse itself naturally. We can support this excretion/detoxification naturally by stimulating and supporting organs like the kidney, liver, and lymph tissues with chiropactic adjustments and targeted nutritional support.
2) Treating Symptoms Will Never Cure nor Prevent a Single Disease
What passes for healthcare in America is really no different than a teenager who cleans his room by throwing all his junk inside his closet. His room looks clean from the outside, it even feels clean, but just under the surface all the trash is piling up. But hey out of sight, out of mind! The pharmaceutical industry makes ridiculous profits selling us proprietary products (read unnatural) designed to suppress symptoms. The fatal flaw, the source of rampant disease in America, is the widespread use of this symptom-suppression model.
The real price we pay for suppression of symptoms, while never addressing the underlying cause of disease, is that our bodies accumulate toxins and begin to toxify, inflame, and breakdown. Continued suppression of symptoms, which are the body's perfectly intelligent responses to rid itself of disease-causing agents, forces the toxins to go deeper into our bodies. If the body cannot excrete/detoxify itself it is forced to fight the toxins locally. This is inflammation. Inflammation is like wagging a war. Unfortunately for us, like all wars there is collateral damage. And as the body slowly builds up with toxic matter, the body is forced to deal with it by fighting in its own backyard. Think about what war does to picturesque towns when bombs are dropped from above and tanks role through the streets. The same thing happens to our own tissues at a microscopic level. Over time this leads to diseases that are far more serious than just a common cold.
Most every culture on earth utilizes some form of detoxification to aid the body's natural mechanisms. Whether we are dealing with sweats, saunas, mineral waters, clays, etc. each is designed to draw out toxins which helps to lessen the energetic burden on the body. American culture today is arguably the most toxic in human history. Simultaneously we are living without widespread detoxification methods being practiced. This is a major contributor to our epidemic rates disease.
3) Stress is the Ultimate Cause of Disease
While this may seem oversimplified, it is in fact an excellent model for conceptualizing what is going on in the body to produce disease. It is hard to believe that the body doesn't make mistakes, yet we are are collectively a very sick society! Something must explain this discrepancy and stress is the concept that is able to connect the dots into a cohesive whole of wellness understanding.
D.D. Palmer, the founding father of chiropractic, understood that disease was a result of three main ideas: trauma, poisons and auto-suggestion. We can refer to these as physical, chemical (toxic), and emotional stress. This is a common concept in applied kinesiology where patients are treated in regards to the triad of health - structural, chemical, and emotional stress. D.D. Palmer recognized that disease has more than one origin, but the effect is still stress on the system. This stress creates dis-ease in our body by using up and consuming the fuel, or energy, necessary for maintaining homeostasis.
Consider that while energy in the universe is infinite, each one of us has a bucket and that bucket represents our energy account. Our body has a finite amount of energy and must live within its means and budget accordingly (which it does superbly). When we are on a stress-free vacation, enjoying life, feeling great our bucket is leak-free and full. This abundance of energy is perfectly spent by the body on maintaining a "tight ship" and keeping all systems robust, clean, and maintained. We experience low stress and the body spends its energy currency on growth and repair - and we feel great!
Yet for most of us, the majority of our lives are more stressful than we would like. It is the nature of our world today and must be dealt with proactively. That bucket that was full while we were on our care-free vacation now has a leak. Actually it has several leaks. Instead of putting its energy income into savings, for future enjoyment i.e. Health, the body is forced to adapt to the stress by spending energy fixing holes in the bucket. The more stress, the more holes, the more energy spent. This is all fine and dandy as long as the energy coming in is greater than the energy going out. People will have colds, maybe the flu, allergies, and mild symptoms of all kinds in this phase of dis-ease. The body can manage the stress, but at the expense of the immune system working top notch. Unfortunately for us, the immune system is the first thing to weaken when we start to experience stress. It is difficult to guard against outside invaders when there is chaos inside the castle walls.
A critical point is reached when the body is forced to dip into its energy savings to take care of all the energy requirements of dealing with stress. Remember stress is structural, chemical, and emotional so the body is working on many fronts simultaneously. Before this critical point, income was greater than expenses. And just like any business enterprise, when the body must dip into savings to continue to operate, it is operating at a loss. This is an unsustainable course.
As the body dips into energy-savings, it is forced to breakdown less-critical tissue in order to maintain homeostasis. As stress increases, holes in the bucket multiply, and the body must begin to use energy, vitamins and minerals stored in the body to keep up with demands. As the expenses for dealing with stress grow uncontrollably, the body breaks down its own tissue in order to stay alive. The body is still acting correctly, it is just in such a difficult environment it has no choice but to shift into catabolism or tissue breakdown. If calcium is needed to fix the holes in the bucket then osteoporosis results as calcium is taken from bone, where it is stored long term. If cholesterol is needed to reduce oxidation, then hormones are reduced because cell repair is more important than a good sex drive. Continual stress on the body will cause disease as there is no other choice but for the body to start to break itself down to stay alive.
To Be Continued...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Why Chiropractic?
This is a fundamental question. And I am not the first person to have asked. There are many chiropractors who have blazed this trail before. But from the perspective of a student, following the signs where ever they lead, it seems like an important exercise to get some fundamental concepts straight. It is an incomplete list, but nonetheless it conveys the essence of what it is we are all about.
Why Chiropractic?
Because......
1) the nervous system controls the body.
2) nerves must be balanced/healthy to correctly carry out important functions
3) the body heals itself, when properly maintained and corrected
4) the skull and spine are the most complex and critical bony structures in the body
5) our brain also lives inside our spine, irregularities and subluxations interfere with nervous system function
6) chiropractic care is preventative care, designed to keep the body "tuned" much like an automobile
7) investing money today in prevention will save large amounts down the road ("an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Benjamin Franklin)
8) health isn't free, but it is a lot cheaper than disease
In the end chiropractic is all about LIFE, quality and quantity of LIFE. We study LIFE to learn how to better live it. We study HEALTH to learn how to better create it. We study LOVE to learn how to better give it. We study WEALTH to learn how to better grow it. All of this is self-evident, logical, rational, based on science (asking questions and observing), and firmly grounded in reality. It is what being HOLISTIC is all about.
Chiropractic is all about focusing on what you want more of - LIFE and HEALTH - while avoiding things you want less off - DEATH and DISEASE. Yet despite the self-evident truths above, many in the establishment have yet to embrace the truth that focusing on something will inevitably bring about more of that same thing.
We still invest massive sums of research dollars into studying disease, thinking erroneously that such efforts will yield magical results that can alleviate the chronic diseases that are literally plaguing our society. Would it make sense to study poor, gambling-addicted citizens who have wasted all their resources if we are trying to learn about saving and growing our wealth? What good will it do us to understand mechanistically how all kinds of diseases happen while ignoring how to create health and vitality? We do not want more disease. Yet by focusing on disease and ignoring health, we are getting tons and tons of disease in return.
The Universe works on the principal of electro-magnetism, aka the law of attraction. Basically it should be obvious to everyone that the more we focus on something, the more we will get of that thing. For example, if we go around feeling like we "want" things, the signal we are sending out is that "we don't have enough". Sure enough, the universe oblidges us and will give us situations were we don't have enough. It may not be true in the fullest sense of the word, but our perception of the world will have imprinted the "wanting" feeling which inevitably leads us to live a life of "not enough, not ever enough". You can imagine people who live this way. If they don't have enough, don't expect them to share!
If we expect to get out of our current crisis then my money is on the holistic, vitalistic, quantum energy based healing sciences. Medicine has to shrink....way down. It must be reserved for emergencies, where it is most effective. For most of us we won't need it. Instead we will pay for a service from a chiropractor or other holistic healer who will teach us how to be healthy, grow healthy, and stay healthy.
Why Chiropractic?
Because......
1) the nervous system controls the body.
2) nerves must be balanced/healthy to correctly carry out important functions
3) the body heals itself, when properly maintained and corrected
4) the skull and spine are the most complex and critical bony structures in the body
5) our brain also lives inside our spine, irregularities and subluxations interfere with nervous system function
6) chiropractic care is preventative care, designed to keep the body "tuned" much like an automobile
7) investing money today in prevention will save large amounts down the road ("an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Benjamin Franklin)
8) health isn't free, but it is a lot cheaper than disease
In the end chiropractic is all about LIFE, quality and quantity of LIFE. We study LIFE to learn how to better live it. We study HEALTH to learn how to better create it. We study LOVE to learn how to better give it. We study WEALTH to learn how to better grow it. All of this is self-evident, logical, rational, based on science (asking questions and observing), and firmly grounded in reality. It is what being HOLISTIC is all about.
Chiropractic is all about focusing on what you want more of - LIFE and HEALTH - while avoiding things you want less off - DEATH and DISEASE. Yet despite the self-evident truths above, many in the establishment have yet to embrace the truth that focusing on something will inevitably bring about more of that same thing.
We still invest massive sums of research dollars into studying disease, thinking erroneously that such efforts will yield magical results that can alleviate the chronic diseases that are literally plaguing our society. Would it make sense to study poor, gambling-addicted citizens who have wasted all their resources if we are trying to learn about saving and growing our wealth? What good will it do us to understand mechanistically how all kinds of diseases happen while ignoring how to create health and vitality? We do not want more disease. Yet by focusing on disease and ignoring health, we are getting tons and tons of disease in return.
The Universe works on the principal of electro-magnetism, aka the law of attraction. Basically it should be obvious to everyone that the more we focus on something, the more we will get of that thing. For example, if we go around feeling like we "want" things, the signal we are sending out is that "we don't have enough". Sure enough, the universe oblidges us and will give us situations were we don't have enough. It may not be true in the fullest sense of the word, but our perception of the world will have imprinted the "wanting" feeling which inevitably leads us to live a life of "not enough, not ever enough". You can imagine people who live this way. If they don't have enough, don't expect them to share!
If we expect to get out of our current crisis then my money is on the holistic, vitalistic, quantum energy based healing sciences. Medicine has to shrink....way down. It must be reserved for emergencies, where it is most effective. For most of us we won't need it. Instead we will pay for a service from a chiropractor or other holistic healer who will teach us how to be healthy, grow healthy, and stay healthy.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Speaking of Epidemics
On a daily basis we hear about the upcoming epidemic of H1N1 - erroneously referred to as Swine Flu. While there is little evidence that the word epidemic applies in this case, people are certainly getting an ear full from the MSM. Being cautious is a good thing, but can we take it too far? At what point does being cautious spill over to being fearful? When we live in a state of fear, we tend to make quick, rash decisions that can have lasting effects on our lives.
As we transition from summer towards fall there is a good chance the fires of fear will be stoked to a frenzy. As I have pointed out before, the "normal" flu kills about 36,000 people each year. That's right, each year an entire small city-sized portion of our population passes away because of the flu. Yet this flu, which is part of our world every year, is taking a back seat to the propaganda espousing that Swine Flu / H1N1 is the real danger. Common sense would suggest that the illness with a confirmed yearly kill rate in the US of 36,000 would gain more attention.
The Mainstream Media, er propaganda machine, that consistently blasts its fairytale version of reality out to the masses clearly is not interested in the scientific facts underlying this entire episode. For example, just today on the CDC.gov website anyone who is interested can clearly find the following facts:
1) The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was below the epidemic threshold.
2) A total of 7,983 hospitalizations and 522 deaths associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses have been reported to CDC.
3) The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was below national and region-specific baseline levels.
Now I am not an expert on communicable disease but it appears that the CDC's own fact sheet shows that the H1N1 Flu is not a serious and widespread illness that is consistent with the word epidemic. But if using the word epidemic is more profitable to the media networks and their big-pharma advertisers (who by the way will be in line for as much as $50 billion in yearly profits) then we are just going to have to get used to it.
Only 522 people have died in the US from H1N1 since its appearance in the media during April 2009. So in the five months since it began, we have an averaged monthly total (including August and excluding April) of 130 deaths each month. Now if we take the "normal" flu and compare we come to a figure of 3,000 deaths each month on average. So H1N1 Flu is killing people at a rate of merely 5.0% of the typical flu. Yet despite this mathematical and scientific disparity, it remains on the front page of media outlets worldwide.
Maybe the real epidemic we should concern ourselves with is that of misinformation and lies being promoted as journalism. It will be impossible for us as a society to move forward, with meaningful change, if we remain subject to a fantasy world painted for us daily by the powerful industries behind our media networks.
When faced with a world that seems full of danger and chaos, that doesn't seem to make sense, remember to follow the money. If you follow the money you will then be pulling back the veil and can more easily identify those who stand to gain from the hysteria and chaos. People don't make the best decisions when they are hurried and stressed. If you wish to profit from people making poor decisions, it is in your best interest to maintain an atmosphere of fear and danger to ellicit the behavior that will make you rich.
Lastly we should all remember to ask the question, Cui bono? In latin this phrase is meant to ask "to whose benefit?". Clearly big pharma gains financially. And the federal juggernaut gains more direct control over what goes into our bodies. But faced with several innoculations that contain such toxic substances as mercury and squalene what benefit, if any, is there to subjecting oneself to a vaccination program that hasn't proven to be safe or effective? And when you consider that makers of the H1N1 vaccine have been granted complete legal immunity for any damages that will arise from the use of their product...how could anyone willingly go along with this scheme?
Ultimately it is a choice about freedom. The freedom to be healthy is at the top of that list. When a government no longer protects its citizens from the predatory practices of powerful organizations, and in fact enables their behavior through legislation, then it is up to the people to stand up for themselves. We might remember it is "government for the people, by the people", not "government against the people."
Stay positive, healthy, and strong. These are interesting times and those who remain cool, calm, and collected will surely do the right thing.
Yours in Health,
Andrew
As we transition from summer towards fall there is a good chance the fires of fear will be stoked to a frenzy. As I have pointed out before, the "normal" flu kills about 36,000 people each year. That's right, each year an entire small city-sized portion of our population passes away because of the flu. Yet this flu, which is part of our world every year, is taking a back seat to the propaganda espousing that Swine Flu / H1N1 is the real danger. Common sense would suggest that the illness with a confirmed yearly kill rate in the US of 36,000 would gain more attention.
The Mainstream Media, er propaganda machine, that consistently blasts its fairytale version of reality out to the masses clearly is not interested in the scientific facts underlying this entire episode. For example, just today on the CDC.gov website anyone who is interested can clearly find the following facts:
1) The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was below the epidemic threshold.
2) A total of 7,983 hospitalizations and 522 deaths associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses have been reported to CDC.
3) The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was below national and region-specific baseline levels.
Now I am not an expert on communicable disease but it appears that the CDC's own fact sheet shows that the H1N1 Flu is not a serious and widespread illness that is consistent with the word epidemic. But if using the word epidemic is more profitable to the media networks and their big-pharma advertisers (who by the way will be in line for as much as $50 billion in yearly profits) then we are just going to have to get used to it.
Only 522 people have died in the US from H1N1 since its appearance in the media during April 2009. So in the five months since it began, we have an averaged monthly total (including August and excluding April) of 130 deaths each month. Now if we take the "normal" flu and compare we come to a figure of 3,000 deaths each month on average. So H1N1 Flu is killing people at a rate of merely 5.0% of the typical flu. Yet despite this mathematical and scientific disparity, it remains on the front page of media outlets worldwide.
Maybe the real epidemic we should concern ourselves with is that of misinformation and lies being promoted as journalism. It will be impossible for us as a society to move forward, with meaningful change, if we remain subject to a fantasy world painted for us daily by the powerful industries behind our media networks.
When faced with a world that seems full of danger and chaos, that doesn't seem to make sense, remember to follow the money. If you follow the money you will then be pulling back the veil and can more easily identify those who stand to gain from the hysteria and chaos. People don't make the best decisions when they are hurried and stressed. If you wish to profit from people making poor decisions, it is in your best interest to maintain an atmosphere of fear and danger to ellicit the behavior that will make you rich.
Lastly we should all remember to ask the question, Cui bono? In latin this phrase is meant to ask "to whose benefit?". Clearly big pharma gains financially. And the federal juggernaut gains more direct control over what goes into our bodies. But faced with several innoculations that contain such toxic substances as mercury and squalene what benefit, if any, is there to subjecting oneself to a vaccination program that hasn't proven to be safe or effective? And when you consider that makers of the H1N1 vaccine have been granted complete legal immunity for any damages that will arise from the use of their product...how could anyone willingly go along with this scheme?
Ultimately it is a choice about freedom. The freedom to be healthy is at the top of that list. When a government no longer protects its citizens from the predatory practices of powerful organizations, and in fact enables their behavior through legislation, then it is up to the people to stand up for themselves. We might remember it is "government for the people, by the people", not "government against the people."
Stay positive, healthy, and strong. These are interesting times and those who remain cool, calm, and collected will surely do the right thing.
Yours in Health,
Andrew
Friday, July 24, 2009
No Cause for Alarm
pan·dem·ic (p
n-d
m
k)
H1N1 Flu is now considered to be a pandemic. We can all rest assured, however, that the powers that be are "on top" of the situation. The CDC, the government-sponsored disease authority, has posted the total infected and the total deaths so far in all of the United States (all 50 states plus territories) due to the H1N1 virus. At this moment there have a grand total of.....303 deaths in the USA. Hmm...303 deaths total since this whole scare began back around mid-April during Obama's trip to Mexico. Thats roughly about 3 people per day since the outbreak in the USA. 303 people have died out of a population of over 300,000,000! This breaks down to about 0.0001% of the population of the United State that has died from H1N1 flu virus. Does this data support the use of the word Pandemic (see definitions above)?
Compare that number against the "normal" flu. According to the CDC each year in the United States over 36,000 people die from the "regular" flu. That works out to around 0.12% of the entire population that dies from the flu each year. If we multiply the 3-month outbreak of H1N1 by 4 we would then have 0.0004% of the population (assuming similar death rates for the year). Looking at H1N1 against the "old, not-headline-worthy" flu, we can see that the "boring, business-as-usual" flu that has been with us forever is actually 300x more deadly than H1N1. Does this data support the use of the word Pandemic (see definitions above)?
Suffice it to say that the results as of July 24th, 2009, just don't seem to justify the alarm. Some have suggested that by increasing the amount of panic and fear in the general population that we are being distracted from other things - wars, unemployment, destruction of the middle class, the rise of facism, etc. Clearly there are many things we would be better served to pay attention to than the hysterical propaganda coming out of the government-sponsored disease center.
The Associated Press recently broke a story regarding the H1N1 flu, vaccines, and immunity. Except that upon reading the article one quickly realizes that immunity is not being offered for sick and suffering Americans. No, legal immunity is being given to makers of H1N1 vaccines. It must be nice to offer a product for sale, have the government demand that everyone has to purchase it, then to be granted immunity from damages should the product forced down everyones throat actually turn out to be harmful.
Remember that in the 1970's there was a swine flu outbreak. And over 300 deaths occurred - from the vaccines themselves. History doesn't always repeat, but it usually rhymes. Things are coming to a head, a sort of crisis on many levels - economic, ecological, and spiritual. Staying healthy is the best defense against whatever "bug" is out there.
Click here to learn about a petition against mandatory vaccination. Mandatory vaccination by the federal government would be taking another gigantic step down the road towards a fascist dictatorship. When we are no longer free to say no to being injected with dangerous, experimental vaccines.....what are we then?
Yours in Health,
Andrew
n-dmk)adj.
1. Widespread; general.
2. Medicine Epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population: pandemic influenza.
n.
from Merrian-Webster.com A pandemic disease.
from TheFreeDictionary.com
from TheFreeDictionary.com
- Main Entry:
- 1pan·dem·ic
- Pronunciation:
- \pan-ˈde-mik\
- Function:
- adjective
- Etymology:
- Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandēmos of all the people, from pan- + dēmos people — more at demagogue
- Date:
- 1666
: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population <pandemic malaria>
H1N1 Flu is now considered to be a pandemic. We can all rest assured, however, that the powers that be are "on top" of the situation. The CDC, the government-sponsored disease authority, has posted the total infected and the total deaths so far in all of the United States (all 50 states plus territories) due to the H1N1 virus. At this moment there have a grand total of.....303 deaths in the USA. Hmm...303 deaths total since this whole scare began back around mid-April during Obama's trip to Mexico. Thats roughly about 3 people per day since the outbreak in the USA. 303 people have died out of a population of over 300,000,000! This breaks down to about 0.0001% of the population of the United State that has died from H1N1 flu virus. Does this data support the use of the word Pandemic (see definitions above)?
Compare that number against the "normal" flu. According to the CDC each year in the United States over 36,000 people die from the "regular" flu. That works out to around 0.12% of the entire population that dies from the flu each year. If we multiply the 3-month outbreak of H1N1 by 4 we would then have 0.0004% of the population (assuming similar death rates for the year). Looking at H1N1 against the "old, not-headline-worthy" flu, we can see that the "boring, business-as-usual" flu that has been with us forever is actually 300x more deadly than H1N1. Does this data support the use of the word Pandemic (see definitions above)?
Suffice it to say that the results as of July 24th, 2009, just don't seem to justify the alarm. Some have suggested that by increasing the amount of panic and fear in the general population that we are being distracted from other things - wars, unemployment, destruction of the middle class, the rise of facism, etc. Clearly there are many things we would be better served to pay attention to than the hysterical propaganda coming out of the government-sponsored disease center.
The Associated Press recently broke a story regarding the H1N1 flu, vaccines, and immunity. Except that upon reading the article one quickly realizes that immunity is not being offered for sick and suffering Americans. No, legal immunity is being given to makers of H1N1 vaccines. It must be nice to offer a product for sale, have the government demand that everyone has to purchase it, then to be granted immunity from damages should the product forced down everyones throat actually turn out to be harmful.
Remember that in the 1970's there was a swine flu outbreak. And over 300 deaths occurred - from the vaccines themselves. History doesn't always repeat, but it usually rhymes. Things are coming to a head, a sort of crisis on many levels - economic, ecological, and spiritual. Staying healthy is the best defense against whatever "bug" is out there.
Click here to learn about a petition against mandatory vaccination. Mandatory vaccination by the federal government would be taking another gigantic step down the road towards a fascist dictatorship. When we are no longer free to say no to being injected with dangerous, experimental vaccines.....what are we then?
Yours in Health,
Andrew
Monday, July 13, 2009
Staying Centered
Its been a busy, busy summer. But now that midterms are behind us (we had two more exams before 10:00 am today) there might just be a little more room for some commentary...
Staying centered is crucial. From the center, all things are possible and all information is equally within reach. It is here, in the center, that athletes break records, that musicians record masterpieces, and that philosophers uncover a new way to look at the world. The center is akin to the singularity that all great religions seek - some have called it peace, love, zen, happiness, etc.
In the center there is unity - oneness. Struggle doesn't exist on its own. Neither does pain, or hate, or even death. All these negative, death-energy concepts rely on a splitting and dividing. All things are connected in the center, and when we are consciously present there, we too benefit by sensing the connections all around us.
In order to heal others its important to realize many people, structurally, chemically, and emotionally, are way off center, lacking balance. Its important for those doing the healing to know where the center is and how to get there. If they are successful in placing their self into a grounded, open-minded, and empathetic posture, then they will have access to intuition and insight that will greatly benefit the healing process.
While talk is cheap and its easy to point to where one wants to go, taking the steps to get there will challenge everyone who dares. The point is that we will all be challenged. Those who challenge themselves as they attempt to grow will be paying their fees upfront and enjoying dividends down the road. However, those who avoid being tested and take the easy road will simply be using their dividends today and will suffer with more serious challenges and consequences down the road.
Find the center and all things become possible...What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
Yours in Health,
Andrew
Staying centered is crucial. From the center, all things are possible and all information is equally within reach. It is here, in the center, that athletes break records, that musicians record masterpieces, and that philosophers uncover a new way to look at the world. The center is akin to the singularity that all great religions seek - some have called it peace, love, zen, happiness, etc.
In the center there is unity - oneness. Struggle doesn't exist on its own. Neither does pain, or hate, or even death. All these negative, death-energy concepts rely on a splitting and dividing. All things are connected in the center, and when we are consciously present there, we too benefit by sensing the connections all around us.
In order to heal others its important to realize many people, structurally, chemically, and emotionally, are way off center, lacking balance. Its important for those doing the healing to know where the center is and how to get there. If they are successful in placing their self into a grounded, open-minded, and empathetic posture, then they will have access to intuition and insight that will greatly benefit the healing process.
While talk is cheap and its easy to point to where one wants to go, taking the steps to get there will challenge everyone who dares. The point is that we will all be challenged. Those who challenge themselves as they attempt to grow will be paying their fees upfront and enjoying dividends down the road. However, those who avoid being tested and take the easy road will simply be using their dividends today and will suffer with more serious challenges and consequences down the road.
Find the center and all things become possible...What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
Yours in Health,
Andrew
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