Health News Blog. Lots of resources and information

This principle is a basic part of the relaxing mental exercises. When tension predominates we can use a train of thought like this:

Relaxed.

Whole body relaxed.

Relaxation in my arm.

Feel it in my mind.

Feel my mind relaxed.

There are both physical and mental aspects to the feeling of tension. With physical relaxation the tension of our body subsides and we experience the relaxation of our muscles. Then we feel in our mind the feeling of the relaxed muscles.

Start with your arm. Feel the relaxation in it; then feel this relaxation of your arm in your mind. Be sure that you are doing it properly. Feel in your mind the relaxation that is in your arm.

Relaxation of the Face Brings Relaxation of the Mind. We use to our advantage the very close relationship between the state of the muscles of our face and the state of our mind:

Relaxed.

Legs, arms, whole body relaxed.

It is in my face.

Jaw muscles loose.

Muscles around the eyes are relaxed.

Whole face smoothes out.

Forehead relaxed—deeply.

I feel it in my mind.

In all our exercises we make sure that we maintain relaxation of the face muscles because of their effect on our mental relaxation.

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Dr. Essen makes some important exceptions to some of the fundamental principles adopted by other major clinics in Sweden, as follows:

1. Dr. Essen has a general impression, based on practical experience and existing case histories, that prolonged fasting is undesirable in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. The same is true concerning the raw, uncooked diet Although it is general observation, including his own personal experience, that fasting and raw food diets result in an immediate and striking improvement in the condition of the patient, it is all too common that prolonged, continuous treatment of this kind will very often result in a change for the worse. The reason for this is that raw vegetable juices and raw vegetables, as well as fasting, dissolve the accumulated toxins too fast and thus activate biochemical changes in the joints to such an extent that the pathologically affected joints cannot tolerate it nor can eliminative organs handle the heavy load of wastes thus thrown into the bloodstream. This invariably leads to deterioration and worsening of the condition. Raw food therapy and fast therapy, as healing measures, are very powerful curative therapies and should be employed with great caution.

Consequently, Dr. Essen recommends repeated short fasts from three to five days followed by the cleansing diet for the same length of time. The intermediate diet should consist of a mixed raw and cooked vegetable diet, well balanced and individually planned in every case to prevent detoxification from occurring too rapidly.

2. The administration of certain biological preparations (organic medicines) is of very great importance in Dr. Essen’s treatments. The biologically oriented physician in Europe has access to a growing line of new biological medicines made from organic and inorganic substances found in nature and prepared in accordance with biological principles. They are never synthetic and never toxic. Several companies in Europe specialize in the production of such remedies. The preparations most used by Dr. Essen are the well-known remedies from Weleda and Wala in Switzerland. These preparations are administered both orally and as subcutaneous injections.

Dr. Essen says, “The therapeutic effect of these kinds of medications lies in the fact that they direct the life-force in the desired direction, stimulate the glands and other vital organs of the body, and accelerate the healing process. They do not alter nor interfere with normal metabolic processes, only support and activate them.”

Aside from these two exceptions, Dr. Essen’s program is in general similar to what we have described in the previous chapter: lactovegetarian diet, preferably of organically (without sprays and chemical fertilizers) grown products, fasting, enemas, therapeutic baths, physiotherapy, relaxation massage, etc.

In his practice all synthetic and chemical drugs are taboo. He warns, however, that cortisone should not be cut off abruptly. The doses should be reduced gradually until the body has time to adjust to the new situation. He replaces cortisone with biological medicines that stimulate the adrenals, hypophysis, and other endocrine glands.

In addition, he uses large doses of vitamins, particularly vitamin B-121 and large doses of vitamin E (300 milligrams a day), because of its anticollagenotic effect.2 Furthermore, he uses vitamin C (up to 1,000 milligrams orally or intravenously), also B-complex and C combination. The other remedies to note are pollen preparations, organic mineral supplements, medicinal herbs, biologically prepared elixirs, and Luvos Heilerde, a clay preparation which is very effective in absorption and elimination of toxins from the intestinal tract. To the same end he uses various preparations of lactoacid bacteria: L. acidophilus, L. thermophilus, L. bulgaris.

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What should a bystander do during a grand mal attack? The onset is often so sudden that it is difficult to do much at all in the early stage, though it may be possible to break the person’s fall. Parents or other relatives may recognize the warning signs that may occur if the generalized seizure follows a focal discharge, and so may have time to help the person to a chair or to a bed before the grand mal begins.

Don’t try to open the person’s clenched mouth. The tongue, if bitten, is bitten at the onset of the attack, so there is no point in trying to save it. If the bystander uses his own fingers to try to force the mouth open, they may well be bitten in the clonic phase. If he tries to force a spoon or pencil between the teeth, the person’s teeth may be damaged. These manoeuvres are still sometimes attempted by tradition, and sometimes, presumably, because it is assumed that the person’s blue colour and arrest of breathing are due to obstruction to the passage of air into the lungs. Attempts to ‘loosen the collar’ presumably result from the same thoughts. However, all of us have enough gaps between our teeth to allow passage of air around them as readers can readily show for themselves by clenching their teeth, pinching the nose, and breathing in. Obstruction to the airway may occur during a seizure, if the person is lying on his back. The tongue may then fall backwards into the pharynx, and, for this reason, it is worth turning someone suffering a grand mal seizure into a position halfway between lying on his or her side and face, and thumping the back so that the tongue and any dentures fall forwards. This position also has the advantage that if the person vomits, as occasionally happens, the contents of the stomach pass easily out of the mouth, and there is no danger of vomit entering the trachea and lungs.

If a grand mal seizure occurs in a public place, it usually happens that someone calls an ambulance—very often to the annoyance of the person with epilepsy, who is well on the way to recovery by the time the ambulance driver delivers him to the local hospital. There is no need to call an ambulance unless it is clear that repeated seizures are occurring.

There is usually little to be done during a partial seizure, except to stand by in a reassuring manner until seizure activity ceases. Occasionally gentle restraint may be necessary in the case of complex automatic behaviour.

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Now when it comes to osteoarthritis we’re talking about events or circumstances that shock, damage, or exert excessive pressure and wear on the joints. Even normal but vigorous sports activities, not just injuries, can trigger the arthritic process. So can an automobile accident or a fall. So can working a jackhammer or regularly operating a keyboard. The former can seriously damage your joints and the latter can result in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Things like that are not hard to identify. And what would happen if someone were to take CMO shortly after such events?

Remember, we already know the arthritic process can start when macrophages encounter damaged or unhealthy cartilage and start their cleanup job, and then report their activities back to the Memory T-cells that program autoimmune processes. Well, there it is, the beginning of the autoimmune process that can result in arthritis sometime sooner or later.

Please note that we say can, not will, because it may be that every such event does not trigger the autoimmune arthritic process. But we well know that the great majority of athletes, jackhammer operators, and joint trauma victims do eventually develop arthritis in the affected joints. We see or hear from them every day.

But could CMO have nipped it in the bud? The answer is, as before, probably. There’s very likely a matter of timing involved. If a course of CMO capsules were taken only once before the whole macrophage cleanup action was completed, then the ongoing cleanup process would continue to affect the Memory T-cells and the autoimmune arthritic process would probably still be triggered.

But if the course of CMO capsules were taken after the whole macrophage cleanup process was completed, then it would probably correct the existing Memory T-cell programming and halt the arthritic process before it ever reached a stage where any symptoms would ever become evident. That would be true, of course, only if their were no additional traumas or damage to the areas.

On the other hand, for those who suffer repeated joint trauma, it is likely that taking CMO a couple times a year could well prevent arthritis from ever occurring. Or it could be taken after the events are no longer likely to occur – like retiring from football or changing jobs.

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Symptom

Red patches, blisters, or spots on the skin

Home care

If die rash causes itching, have the child take warm baths, or apply a soothing lotion such as calamine.

Precautions

-    Do not be concerned about a rash that disappears within a few days and does not recur.

-    Certain distinctive rashes are symptoms of specific diseases. A rash that j is a symptom of a disease will disappear when the disease is identified and treated.

A rash is a skin eruption which appears as red patches, blisters, or spots. It is often accompanied by itching. A rash can affect a limited area or be widespread over extensive areas of the body.

A rash can be caused by exposure to the sun, heat, cold, chemicals in household products, or fabrics such as wool. Certain foods – strawberries, for example – also produce rashes in people who are sensitive (allergic) to that particular food. These rashes are often known as allergic rashes; the rash is a symptom of the allergy.

A rash can also appear as a symptom of a disease, in which case the rash is usually characteristic of the disease producing it. Distinctive rashes appear as symptoms of (among other diseases) measles, rubella (German measles), chicken pox, and shingles, all of which are infectious diseases. Certain sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes and syphilis also display distinctive rashes.

A rash often disappears when its underlying cause disappears or is successfully treated.

Signs and symptoms

The rash itself is obvious, but the cause may not be so easily identified. A rash caused by a disease will be accompanied by other symptoms.

Home care

You need not be too concerned about a rash that appears and then disappears within a couple of days and does not recur. If the rash causes itching you can apply a soothing lotion like calamine. Another suggestion is to have the child take a warm bath. A rash that recurs may indicate an allergy. If you cannot immediately identify the allergy-causing substance (a certain food, for instance), have the child checked out by a doctor. You can only avoid the allergy-causing substance in the future if you know what it is. If the child has a rash accompanied by other symptoms, consult the doctor.

Precautions

• A rash that lasts for a few days and has no identifiable cause should be seen by a doctor.

• Certain types of rashes are warning signs of specific infectious or sexually transmitted diseases.

Medical treatment

The doctor may prescribe a soothing lotion for minor itching caused by a rash. In allergy-caused rashes the doctor will try to identify the allergy-causing substance. If the rash is caused by a disease, the doctor will diagnose and treat the disease.

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It seems like when AIDS came on the scene in the early 1980s we pretty much forgot about all the other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). But they didn’t forget about us. STDs are a hidden epidemic, newly infecting 12 million Americans a year. They haven’t gone away.

Here’s a roster of the heavy hitters.

Herpes simplex 2. This version of herpes may have found a home by now in as many as one in four sexually active men, two-thirds of whom don’t know they have it. When the characteristic open sores show themselves in the genital area, that’s when you can usually catch it-or give it. “But you can also actually pass it on to a sex partner when a lesion is nowhere in sight,” says Dr. William Kassler of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “That’s what has everybody concerned. We think it’s what’s fueling the herpes epidemic.”

Chlamydia. It’s the fastest-spreading STD, infecting as many as four million men and women a year. It’s a particularly insidious one, too, since men don’t have symptoms about a quarter of the time, and women three-quarters of the time. When symptoms do show up, you’ll probably experience either a genital discharge, painful urination, or both. Chlamydia also, though rarely, can cause painful or swollen testicles. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, so it’s curable with antibiotics-if you know that you have it.

Genital warts. Its given name is human papillomavirus, or HPV. The symptoms are what its nickname implies-warts on the anus, penis, or scrotum. About a million Americans join the HPV club each year. They never leave it.

Syphilis. This one has been rockin’ longer than Mick and Keith. It’s one of the more manageable STDs these days since it usually makes its presence known via a painless chancre on the penis and exits promptly with antibiotics. Ignore it, however, and it can result in blindness, heart disease, and death.

Gonorrhea. The symptoms are similar to those of chlamydia. Also like chlamydia, the symptoms sometimes fail to show up. The clap gets about 800,000 Americans each year but succumbs nicely to antibiotics.

Hepatitis B. Like HIV, it’s found in blood, semen, and vaginal secretions and is spread through sexual contact and shared needles. Unlike HIV, it usually clears itself up in a month or two. But this kind of hepatitis needs medical attention because possible liver damage puts you at risk for cirrhosis or liver cancer.

You can keep from getting any of these STDs by following much the same safe-sex guidelines that you do for AIDS-careful partner selection, mutual full disclosure before sex, and a strict adherence to condom use, says Dr. Kassler.

And for most STDs, you have an option you don’t have with AIDS-getting rid of it. “The thing to do is recognize the symptoms of STDs, go to a doctor, and get them treated,” Dr. Kassler says. “The earlier you get them taken care of, the safer you are.”

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Exercise

Exercise is also highly beneficial, as it can help alleviate period pains by increasing circulation to the pelvic region. Exercise can also reduce stress and it is well known that exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins which make us feel calmer, happier and more alert.

Exercise alone has been shown to have a very positive effect on people suffering from depression, stress, anxiety and insomnia and it is now often recommended as part of the treatment for these problems. Stress can have a direct effect on fertility so it is important to find ways of dealing with it.

Exercise can also have a direct effect on controlling oestrogen. A fascinating study, reported in the US Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that women who exercised for around four hours a week had a 58 per cent lower risk of breast cancer and those who routinely exercised for between one and three hours a week had a 30 per cent lower risk.169 Regular exercise seems to modify a woman’s hormonal activity in a beneficial way. We know that extremes of exercise alter the menstrual cycle dramatically – many women athletes, for instance, don’t have periods at all. So moderate routine exercise may suppress the production (or overproduction) of hormones, reducing a woman’s exposure during her lifetime. Some breast cancers are oestrogen-sensitive so it makes sense that if the hormone levels are more balanced then the risk of developing breast cancer will be lower. This knowledge is also valuable in other conditions where excess oestrogen may be a problem (e.g. PCOS, fibroids and endometriosis).

Herbs

Herbs can have a tremendous impact on these three conditions. If your problem is long-standing, it may be worth asking a medical herbalist for a private consultation.

• Agnus castus (vitex/chasteberry) is one of the most important herbs for female hormone problems. It stimulates and normalizes the function of the pituitary gland, which controls and balances the hormones in the body. Agnus castus works by restoring the balance, whether it is a hormone deficit or an excess.

• Milk thistle is an excellent herb for the liver and a number of studies have shown that its use can result in an increase of new liver cells to replace old damaged ones. Silymarin is the collective name for the substances found in milk thistle that produce this beneficial effect.

• Dandelion also helps cleanse the liver, the major organ of detoxification, which gets rid of accumulated ‘old’ female hormones.

Essential fatty acids

Our bodies produce beneficial prostaglandins from essential fatty acids. These prostaglandins help reduce period pains and they also have an anti-inflammatory effect which is especially beneficial for endometriosis sufferers.

Zinc and vitamin B6 are also important for the correct metabolism of fatty acids and their conversion to beneficial prostaglandins (PGE1 and PGE3). However, certain prostaglandins (PGE2) can have a negative effect in large amounts. They are highly inflammatory, and can cause swelling and pain and also thicken the blood.

In a 1998 study, women with endometriosis were asked to eliminate caffeine, to control blood sugar (and the over-excretion of insulin), and to supplement with essential fatty acids. The doctors found that by making these simple dietary changes, the women experienced a significant decrease in their symptoms. The control of blood sugar is also central to the dietary treatment of PCOS.

To ease fertility problems naturally, you need to:

• eliminate caffeine

• reduce or eliminate saturated fats

• eliminate alcohol

• get your weight within a BMI of 20-24.

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What are they?

Involuntary contractions of muscle groups (usually in the legs, neck or back) which make the area painful and tender. Some people get them in bed at night. A particularly unpleasant form occurs in some people in the muscles between the ribs when making certain movements-for example when turning round to look behind them when reversing the car.

What causes them?

Often the cause is unknown but several are recognized:

•     Tired or stressed muscles, in swimmers or footballers, for example.

•     Certain occupational cramps are well recognized. An example is writer’s cramp, which affects typists, musicians and type compositors, as well as writers.

•     Very hot working conditions leading to profuse sweating. Many of those who work in blast furnaces or ships’ boiler rooms know all about this type of cramp. It is caused by a loss of sweat together with its salt, and the cramps are really the result of sodium shortage. In a similar way dehydration during serious illnesses involving a fever can cause cramps.

•     Chronic alcoholism causes cramps in the legs and feet.

•     An elusive but common form of cramp is the ‘stitch’ in the side-experienced, for example, by long-distance runners. It is thought to be caused by a cramp in the diaphragm muscle.

•     A shortage of calcium.

•     A lack of vitamin E.

•     Uterine cramps occur in some women on the first couple of days of their period. These period pains are the biggest cause of lost work and school days in females. There are many ‘cures’ for these cramps, the best of which is a drug which prevents the release of prostaglandins in the uterus – now known to be the cause of the pains -but there is as yet no fully proven way of preventing period pains.

Prevention

•     The prevention of sports-induced cramps is usually straightforward and involves doing proper warming-up exercises before embarking on any strenuous sporting activity. Avoiding chilling the muscles helps too, and some sportsmen and women find that binding up the area helps. As soon as you get any form of cramp it is best to stop what you are doing until the symptoms go. The best treatment for cramps is to put the muscles involved under tension (stretch them). Someone else will almost certainly have to do this for a cramped sportsman or woman.

•     The prevention of occupational cramps is usually fairly obvious. Special attention should be paid to posture, seating, lighting, desk height, and so on.

•     Those who work in very hot conditions should take salt tablets regularly.

Calcium is vital for adequate muscle function. Prevention Magazine in the US carried out a survey in 1977 of 3,000 readers to find out how calcium had improved their health. Over half wrote to say that it had relieved their muscle cramps. Probably the best way to increase calcium intake is to take Dolomite tablets before each meal and one at bedtime.

•     Vitamin E also seems to play a part in cramps. When a team of Los Angeles doctors gave the vitamin to 125 patients with night-time leg and foot cramps, 103 had complete or near-complete relief. Some of these people had had their cramps for thirty years. Almost half the patients got better on 300IU units or less of vitamin E a day. The other half needed 400 IU or more, and many had to stay on the vitamin if they were to remain cramp-free. Vitamin E has also been used to treat a cramp-like condition in the legs known as intermittent claudication. In a study of forty-seven men with severe intermittent claudication, thirty-two were given vitamin E and the rest drugs to prevent and cure the cramps such men experience on walking. After three months the men were tested to see how far they could walk. In the vitamin group 54 per cent could walk the maximum distance set by the tester (just over 1/2 mile) but only 23 per cent of the drug group could do so. It appears that the vitamin E improved the circulation in the legs. After eighteen months of taking the vitamin twenty-nine of the thirty-two men showed an increase in the blood flow to their legs whereas most of the men in the drug group had a decreased blood flow.

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Relaxation techniques are now used extensively for the control of chronic pain. Many women with endometriosis coupled with chronic pain have forgotten how to relax. It is not a new skill but one that needs to be re-learnt. It will take time and practice, but once mastered it will not only give relief from pain but will also offer a general improvement in your total well-being.

Pain is a vicious cycle. It causes fear, tension, stress and anxiety which leads to muscles tightening, which in turn aggravates the pain. An increase in blood pressure and heart rate may also occur. More energy is used up when a woman is anxious and tense and this may lead to feeling drained and exhausted.

If the cycle of pain, tension, more pain and exhaustion can be broken, then it should eventually result in a reduction of pain.

Most people develop tension throughout their lives as a reaction to some type of stress. You need to learn how to release your tension and develop the ability to relax. There are several ways of developing relaxation skills. Here are two examples of relaxation techniques that you may like to practice.

Controlled breathing

This is one of the oldest and simplest relaxation techniques. With this method you can relax tense muscles, slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

Choose an area where you will be alone and undisturbed for about half an hour. Find a spot where you can sit or lie in a well supported, comfortable position.

Close your eyes and try to relax your body. Now take a breath slowly and deeply through your nose and out through your partly-closed lips. Concentrate on the rhythm of breathing in and out and feel your tension begin to melt away. Try to maintain this slow, deep, rhythmic breathing for fifteen minutes. It is recommended that this breathing technique be performed daily to gain maximum relief.

Progressive muscle relaxation

If your muscles are tense and tight as a direct consequence of your pain then muscle relaxation can be helpful.

When practicing muscle relaxation you should again choose an area where you will be undisturbed for about twenty minutes.

Start by taking slow deep breaths and then concentrate on curling up your toes and tightening them as hard as you can. Maintain this tension and tightness in your toes and feet for about ten seconds. Then relax the feet completely and you will notice how the toes uncurl and your feet become heavy. Feel the contrast between when your muscles are tense and when they are relaxed.

Gradually move up your body, systematically tensing and relaxing the muscles of your legs, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, jaw and face.

As you continue to work through this regime you will again notice the contrast between muscle tension and relaxation; with practice you will be able to relax your muscles when they tighten in response to pain.

*66/41/5*

Home-made Vegetable Stock (Cleansing Broth)

4 tomatoes

2 potatoes

1/4 small cabbage

2 sticks celery

1 litre water

2 onions

2 carrots

4 spinach leaves

Combine all of the ingredients with skin still on and simmer for one hour. Strain, discarding the vegetables. Store vegetable stock in a glass jar, in the refrigerator.

Salt Substitute

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried sage

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Yogurt Cheese

100 ml of low-fat yogurt

Line a bowl with muslin cloth. Fill the cloth with yogurt and tie the cloth in a bundle. Suspend the bundle over a sink or bowl for 5 to 6 hours, or until the whey has drained completely. Store and cool.

Vitality Sandwiches for a Snack

Here is a selection of my favourite sandwich fillings. Simply fill two slices of rye bread or pita bread with any of the following combinations. The sandwiches are great with a salad or can be eaten on their own.

• 120 grams cottage cheese with a large handful of alfalfa sprouts.

• 120 grams hummus and a large handful of alfalfa sprouts, together with some refreshing

cucumber slices.

• 1/4 packet of cooked tofu with lettuce, sprouts and grated carrot.

• 1 sliced tomato and a large handful of watercress.

• 50 grams canned salmon or tuna in brine, cucumber slices and a large handful of watercress.

• 120 grams of cottage cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket leaves

• 1/4 packet of cooked tofu, watercress, black sesame seeds

• 1 hard-boiled egg with watercress, tomato and lettuce.

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