Your Life-Your Choice ISSN 1488-0253 August, 2000 Issue 59 Letter From the Editor With each day more people are turning to herbs and vitamin supplements to ease their pain and/or enhance their overall health. People are taking control over their own health and we're telling the medical profession that they are NOT the only answer. We are pressuring our doctors to become more enlightened and to educate themselves on natural alternatives. I have only one concern. Too often people just jump onto the herbal bandwagon blindly without doing the necessary research. It's common to think that "herbs and vitamins are natural, they can't hurt you." Well, a cactus is all natural, but I wouldn't recommend you take a bite out of one! For those of you who are not convinced, let me give you this analogy. You decide that you're going to calculate your own income tax this year. Unfortunately this is new to you and you're not up on all the tax laws. A licensed accountant provides you with a sample income tax return from a "typical" family. Would you just copy those numbers onto your form and send it in? NEVER! Your income may vary significantly from the sample given and you may have more dependants than they. You may have health care expenses or investments that are not reflected in the sample. You may have to do some independent research to determine exactly what to claim, and how this is going to affect the final outcome of your tax return. You how devastating it can be to submit your income tax without doing the necessary research. Did that accountant give you bad advice? No. He gave you a guideline to work with, a starting ground. Now you need to incorporate your "unique" information into that guideline in order to make it work effectively for YOU. Yes, herbs and vitamins can be very beneficial. But it is critical that you consider ALL of your health issues, and ALL medications you're on before deciding which supplements to take. You could be doing yourself harm, by helping one condition you may be hurting another. Here is just one example. It is well known that vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and is helpful to your health in numerous ways. It is beneficial for all heart conditions, cancer, cholesterol, arthritis, cataracts, Alzheimers, and many other health issues. You have likely read articles encouraging the use of vitamin E. However, I caution you! If you are taking aspirin on a daily basis, or blood thining medications such as warfarin, DO NOT blindly take vitamin E. In fact, you should also be cautious of the following herbs in the same situation; garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginger and feverfew. Each of these herbs as well as vitamin E also prevent blood clotting. A combination of these could cause very serious health problems. So you see how easy it is for big mistakes to happen? You may have read an article written by a qualified naturopath suggesting how helpful vitamin E can be for arthritis. You think to yourself "Great! Finally, I'll get some relief. I'll try it. It's only a vitamin, it can't hurt." Then off you go to your local health food store to buy vitamin E. Meanwhile there's been no consideration given to the fact that your doctor has you taking an aspirin every day for your heart. Understand that the articles and books you read are suggestions... starting grounds. Now you must determine how this suggestion fits into your "unique" situation. It's not a bad idea to keep a Health Diary. List all your health conditions and the medications you take. As you make discoveries like this make note of them in your diary, so you don't forget. I encourage you to find about 6 credible sources that you can refer to when making these decisions. Remember that nobody knows everything, not even your doctor. If we are going to exercise our right to take control over our health, we must also take on the responsibility that comes with it. It is YOUR health after all. And nobody cares more about you than you! Until next time I wish you the best of health, Brigitte Synesael Editor of Your Life-Your Choice Make it your business to be informed! No one cares more about you than YOU. *********************************************** To advertise in Your Life-Your Choice newsletter, visit: http://www.life-choices.com/sponsor.html or mailto:admin@life-choices.com SUBJECT: Send Your Choice Advertising Rates ********************************************** Featured Sponsors, please visit. Your patronage helps to keep our newsletter free: ********************************************** SIDS Protection Certain fungal organisms, commonly found in baby mattresses, can produce poisonous gases from chemical compounds containing antimony and arsenic. Virtually all baby mattresses and bedding manufactured in the United States contain these chemicals. These gases have been implicated in SIDS. Therefore baby mattresses, especially those that have been previously used and likely contaminated with mildew, significantly increase the risk of SIDS. The Babesafe Cover-designed by a New Zealand chemist to fit and completely enclose standard crib and bassinet mattresses- has been slept upon by over 100,000 babies, over the past five years without a death. The Babesafe Cover is safe, inexpensive, washable and reusable. Price $29.95/cover plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Contact Denton Davis, M.D. for more information mailto:drd@criblife2000.com or 1-800-951-9255. *********************************************** Your Weekly Message...The Baum Group - a FREE weekly e-newsletter to help you stay focused, on purpose and much more! Subscribe by clicking mailto:DrRae@prodigy.net?subject=subscribe_YLYC ********************************************** ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE: 1. LOWER BACK PAIN MYSTERIES REVEALED AND HEALED: PART 2" by Laurel Duran, CMT 2. POUNDS AND PREDATORS by Danielle Carrie 3. A SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR SIDS (Crib Deaths) By Dr. Denton Davis. MD 4. TIME ZONE CHANGE (jet lag) SYNDROME 5. Talk to GARLIC from Furry and Fed up! =========================================== Section 1 Lower Back Pain Mysteries Revealed and Healed: Part 2" by Laurel Duran, CMT In part 1 of this series on healing lower back pain, I addressed proper exercise and diet. In this final installment I will address the pscyho/emotional causes and describe the therapeutic massage techniques I have successfully used to eliminate clients' lower back pain. If a person is in a state of fear about his physical safety and security, his lower back muscles can contract. Many areas of our daily lives seem to provide us with a sense of physical security: substantial bank accounts, secure jobs, happy homes, loving and supportive families, vibrant physical health. If any of these physical foundation areas of our personal lives seem to be endangered and beyond our ability to control, then the lower back, buttocks and colon can pick up the fearful psycho/emotional undercurrent and hold it. Every person I've ever met, including myself, has experienced periods in life when we feel our base of security is threatened. Losing a source of income unexpectedly, having a serious health problem, losing a family member to death or divorce are just a few examples of the major changes that life can present us with that we often have difficulty accepting and trusting. Many of these situations can threaten to hurl our lives out of control, but we may still try to hold onto control. Such a state of internal conflict can manifest as lower back, buttock and colon pain. Our thoughts and feelings are powerful affectors of our bodies, and just as negative thoughts and feelings can cause painful physical contractions, positive thoughts and feelings can relax and heal the body. When I had my near-death experience car crash that broke my neck and paralyzed me completely, I was going through a divorce, my business was in financial trouble, and I was in the earliest days of detoxification from alcohol addiction. You could accurately say that every aspect of my physical security (home, family, finances, physical health) was crumbling, but because I was also a quadriplegic, I literally could do nothing about it! This drastic life change called for one thing: spiritual faith. What got me through that period in my life was not a medical cure or a physical technique. It was an idea, a thought/feeling that I relied upon completely during my miraculous healing process and it went something like this: "Spirit, I trust that You hold me in your loving care. Please heal my body and my life. I safely rest in your power and rely on You to provide all that I need." While most massage clients' physical security issues take less dramatic forms than mine did, we are all fallible human beings who can occasionally become fearful for our safety. The same idea of faith and trust in divine intervention can universally be relied upon to help release tension in the lower back, buttocks and colon. I might say aloud as I massage a client's lower back, "I trust Life to provide all that I need. My muscles are relaxing now. All is well. I am safe." Such spoken ideas can help the client's psyche absorb a more positive healing reality into their tissue. Believe me, it works! Whenever a massage client complains of lower back or neck pain, I focus the bodywork session on emptying the excess tension out of their "bottom floor". First I massage the feet, particularly the heels, because the feet are the final spillage areas for the entire body, and the lower back, buttocks and sacrum regions spill out the heels. By clearing out the exits (feet), I've cleared the path for the the lower back tension to leave. Next, using both hands I combine kneading and friction ACROSS the fibers of muscle and connective tissue of the lower back and buttocks. Once this "digging up" of old excess tension has begun, I mentally picture what I do next while I am doing it. While I apply pain-point-holding with one hand, the other hand contacts the heel exit drain, thereby making myself like "jumper cables" for the excess static energy to move from the low back/buttock region, down the leg and out the bottom drain (heel). I say aloud to the client "You may notice the pain energy beneath my hand on your lower back is draining out your foot. Just watch as this happens." By sharing the mental picture suggestion with the client, we are joining our minds together as one, thereby strengthening the power of positive results. In every case, when I ask the client several seconds later if they feel reduced pain in the lower back point, the answer is always "yes". After I've thoroughly emptied the pain from the client's lower back, I address the neck. The neck and lower back are on the same Earth-element energy circuit, and as such, if there is a blockage in one it is inevitably shared by the other. I have also found that most neck tension is secondary to lower back tension, and that when working to relieve neck pain, I must first address their lower back tension. I usually apply the same kneading and cross-fiber friction to the muscles and connective tissue of the neck. Next I apply pain-point-holding with one hand, while using my other hand to contact first the lower back/buttock areas, and next, the feet. In this way I am again acting as jumper cables on the Earth-element energy circuit, unblocking and opening up the body's natural energy flow from the neck to the lower back/ buttocks to the feet. The exciting result is all circuits are cleared, the patient is at last released from pain, and all is right with the world! ----- Read about Laurel Duran on our Meet the Team page; http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html ****************************************************** Our sponsors make this newsletter FREE to subscribers. Please take a moment to visit them. **************************************************** IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND WEALTH AT THE SAME TIME! Remarkable liquid nutritional supplements and more! Sign up to run your own home based business. Duplicable website, online training and professional support staff. Get a grip on your future NOW! Read this article: http://www.chiroeco.com/marchapril98feature4.html and then go sign up for a FREE 21 day tour of the website and get ready for the changes in your life! http://www.pcpowersystem.com/id/16494701-1/tour.html ********************************************* Get motivated! Become inspired to live life to the fullest with UnCommon Courtesy & Coaching's FREE motivational newsletter & quote service! Subscribe to our newsletter at mailto:ucc-newsletter-subscribe@egroups.com Find out about more than 50 inspirational quotation lists by visiting our website at http://www.uncommoncourtesy.com ********************************************* Section 2 Pounds and Predators by Danielle Carrie Weight is an issue that affects a large majority of the population. With all the hype these days on looking good and being thin even people with mild or no weight problems are soon starving themselves to keep up to societies standards, or so it seems. Women, have been used as a pawn in the weight loss game for years. Society plays on the role of the 'ideal' woman being slender and fragile. It is more acceptable in this day and age for a man to be overweight then it is for a woman. It is time to stop! I am not going to say that there are ANY quick fixes to weight loss. If I did, I would be one of "them". I will however, try to show you that the solution lies within the problem, which in this case. The solution is you! You are your own best friend when dealing with weight loss and you are also your own worst enemy. "Lose 10 pounds in 3 days", "lose all the weight you want for only 1 dollar per pound", "never crave food again". These are just some of the catchy ads you see, surfing the web, watching TV or reading through magazines. I guess the real question is... do you believe in magic? Well of course you do, this is how the weight loss industry generates such a high revenue. With such a sensitive issue, people dream of a quick fix that will take away the problem and deal with itself, by itself. Leaving you stress and worry free. I hate to be the bearer of bad news , but this method does not work and also not very safe. For example, how safe do you think it is to NEVER crave food again. Food is not always the problem and cutting your main source of energy that is needed to live an active and healthy life is not a reasonable weight loss solution. Think of it this way, if weight gain happens naturally then natural weight loss is a logical solution to loosing weight. It is not filled with gimmicks and pills which just end up leaving you broke in the end, and its success comes from you and only you. You have control over your own weight problem. It is up to you to get involved and find out the reason for your weight gain and find reasonable natural solutions to help lose the weight. It is possible. Fill yourself with positive self talk and believe in you. Not a product or gimmick. You are your own solution. Remember, what goes up must come down. Naturally! I welcome any comments or questions you have related to diet or weight loss mailto:research@life-choices.com and put "Diets Don't Work" in the subject heading. ----- Read about Laurel Duran on our Meet the Team page; http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html ****************************************************** Our sponsors make this newsletter FREE to subscribers. Please take a moment to visit them. ********************************************* FREE "Natural Health" Newsletter - BNHealth! Nutrition and Weight Loss articles and recipes. Published by the School of Natural Health. Offering the Online Weight Loss Program - Vibrant Health! And the home-study program - "God's Design". http://www.schoolofhealth.com/index3.htm School of Natural Health ************************************************ FUN FOR THE OLDER SET! START YOUR DAY GIGLING! If you're 45 or older, enjoy a good laugh, and find homespun philosophy entertaining, subscribe to the FREE, daily e-mail column, "A Chuckle A Day With Grampa Gray." Email grampagray@playful.com Put subscribe on the subject line. Love to have you in our always smiling and frequently giggling family. http://www.grampagray.com Grampa ********************************************* Section 3 A Simple Explanation for SIDS (Crib Deaths) By Dr. Denton Davis. MD I am a physician who has become convinced that the crib environment consisting of chemical compounds, mildew and mites is a real hazard. Since 1995, over 50,000 New Zealand babies have slept on mattresses, which have been protected by a Babesafe cover, without a single crib death. Statistically speaking this means 100 New Zealand babies didn't die from SIDS. A mother-to-be probably never gives much thought to the bassinet or crib mattress she is about to place her newborn on when she returns home from the hospital. After all, what was good for a prior child is probably good enough for the new baby. And besides, what could possibly be dangerous in a used mattress, anyway? The answer may be shocking to many mothers, as well as grandparents, nurses, midwives, and also doctors who have collectedly taken mattress safety for granted. This sense of security, however, may not be well founded for several reasons. First the material which is used in the mattress manufacturing process is most often polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The epidemic of sudden unexplained infant deaths appeared at approximately the same time that PVC was introduced and placed in and around baby mattresses. Chemical compounds were added to the PVC to soften, strengthen and to prevent fires. No one appears to have been concerned about the possibility that certain common forms of mildew would be able to digest these chemicals and release poisonous gases. Herein may lay the environmental mistake and the disaster we have sadly come to know as SIDS. Simple microorganisms consume large amounts of nitrogen. A baby's environment is rich in nitrogen containing chemicals, which are found in detergents and fabric softeners. Ammonia is an example of a gas, which is produced by microorganisms consuming nitrogen. Unfortunately, a common household mildew can form other gases from the other chemical elements found in PVC. These elements include phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. The gases of these elements are poisonous and may even become deadly, especially for an infant. Over time, all mattresses develop mildew. The fact that over a thousand babies died from the mildew generated gas of arsenic 100 years ago should have served as a warning. The gases of antimony and phosphorus resemble the gas of arsenic. Therefore, none of these chemicals should have been placed in crib mattresses. The likelihood of a crib mattress becoming contaminated and dangerous is extremely high. Sadly, no one appears to have paid much attention to mildew's potential harm until 1989. Barry Richardson, an English chemist and materials preservation expert, was asked if crib mattresses might be a cause of SIDS. A report surfaced from his laboratory that a danger could exist, if this interaction took place. His subsequent work confirmed that a mildew he identified in crib death mattresses could release the poisonous gases of phosphorus and antimony. Dr. Richardson recommended the removal of the dangerous elements, the back position for sleep, and a simple polyethylene cover to enclose the dangerous mattress if a new one could not be purchased. While Richardson was conducting his experiments, a friend named Peter Mitchell was analyzing SIDS data. He recognized a pattern he found very disturbing, because it appeared the risk of SIDS was not equal, for every baby. He found the risk of SIDS was twice as great for a second and still greater for a third or later child born to the same mother. He also noted a strong correlation of SIDS with mothers in lower socioeconomic circumstances, especially those mothers who were unmarried. Mitchell's work forced him to also conclude that used mattresses were the most important risk factor for SIDS, but his data, like Richardson's, has gone largely ignored by the medical community. Fortunately, the media, at least in England and New Zealand, made this information available to parents. The poisonous gas explanation became big news in the newspapers, and on television in these countries, because of the apparent link to SIDS. Simply covering older, previously used baby mattresses, with a thick non-porous, polyethylene material, which is free of phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, would be protective. In New Zealand a polyethylene cover called Babesafe, was designed and developed in 1995 by a chemist, Dr. T. James Sprott. Since the introduction of this cover there have been no SIDS deaths in the last five years among those babies protected from their mattresses by a Babesafe. As an emergency physician, I believe in the old expression, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." I am currently recommending that no infant during the first year of life be placed upon any new or old, unprotected mattress made from PVC. In addition, I would recommend that all babies be placed on their backs upon mattresses protected with a polyethylene cover. In conclusion, Dr. Richardson and Dr. Sprott have made the recommendation to cover crib and bassinet mattresses containing these potentially harmful chemical and biological ingredients, or to entirely remove them from the manufacturing process. This makes excellent common sense and, in the process, can do NO harm. A simple heavy gauge cover, such has the Babesafe, has not been a cause of any other problem such as overheating or suffocation over the past five years. Therefore the choice becomes relatively simple: a mother can choose to continue to ignore the fact that they are placing their baby in a contaminated environment that has the possibility of creating dangerous gases, or she can choose a new mattress for each additional baby. If it is not possible to buy a chemical free mattress, a cover made similar to the Babesafe may be lifesaving. --- Dr. D. Denton Davis, M.D. is an independent contractor to Associated Emergency Physicians (Richard Stennes, M.D.) for clinical work at Scripps and Paradise Valley Hospitals and to the Martha's Vineyard Hospital through Nolan and Nolan Physician Services, Orlando, Florida. I have organized, staffed, directed and provided clinical services for numerous hospitals from 1971-1986, total clinical hours were 30,000. My hours each of the last eight years have averaged 2100/yr., primarily at Paradise Valley Hospital, which is an extremely busy facility with high acuity. Recently, the Scripps East County Hospital contract was taken over by EPMG San Francisco. I have worked as a locum tenens for EPMG. Also I have worked as a locum tenens for JJ&R Emergency Group in Marina Del Rey at Punta Gorda Hospital in Florida. Website: http://www.criblife2000.com *********************************************** Section 4. Jet Lag Syndrome Time zone change (jet lag) syndrome consists of varying degrees of difficulties in initiating or maintaining sleep, excessive sleepiness, decrements in subjective daytime alertness and performance, and somatic symptoms (largely related to gastrointestinal function) following rapid travel across multiple time zones. The severity and duration of the symptoms vary considerably, depending on the number of time zones crossed, the direction (east or west) of the travel, the timing of takeoff and arrival, and individual susceptibility. The sleep-wake disturbances generally abate after two to three days in the arrival location. Symptoms are often associated with, but are not entirely dependent upon, sleep deprivation. Symptoms typically last longer following eastward flights. Adaptation of the timing of physiologic functions other than sleep and waking may take eight or more days. Individuals who routinely travel back and forth across time zones (e.g., airline flight personnel, diplomats, multinational corporation executives) may experience chronic symptoms of sleep disturbance, daytime malaise, irritability, and performance impairment similar to those experienced by shift workers. --- Resource: American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://www.assmnet.org *********************************************** Section 5. Dear Garlic, My best friend has 10 cats, they are her babies !! Whenever I visit they are everywhere, on the table when we eat, on my head!! I go home covered in Cat hair, ugh! Help... how can I tell her I don't like being covered in Cat hair or having those darn cats at the dinner table, without hurting her feelings? Signed : Furry and Fed up! Dear Furry and Fed up! I understand how annoying this could be. First of all, unless your friend lives on a farm I am not to sure how legal it is to have that many cats in one house. However, that is beside the point. I suggest you take control when you are there. Put the kittens back on the floor when they jump up on the kitchen table. Let them know who is boss. It is simple, what would you do if a person walked across the dinner table? You'd say "Get Down!" Don't feel ashamed. It is a completely natural reaction. Take the opportunity to explain to the cats how rude and impolite it is to do that. Maybe your friend will clue in. ***************************************** Like to talk to Garlic? Yes, men are welcome too: put "Dear Garlic" in Subject line. We can talk about *Note that the Dear Garlic segment of Your Life-Your Choice is for entertainment purposes only. The advice is intended to tickle your funny bone so put your Sense of Humor hat on and let's take a look at the "lighter side" of life. After all, LAUGHTER is supposed to be the BEST medicine. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Disclaimer All material appearing in this newsletter is provided for educational purposes only. It is provided with the understanding that authors and contributors are not offering medical advice or services. We strongly encourage you to consult with your own physician regarding any recommendations with respect to your own medical condition. Advertisement in the Your Life- Your Choice newsletter does not indicate endorsement on our part. 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Unsubscribe: You can unsubscribe by using the form at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.life-choices.com/subscribe.html or mailto:life-choices@oaknetpub.com with "Unsubscribe" in the body. Copyright 1997-2000 by Brigitte Synesael All rights reserved ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// This Ezine Is Listed At FreeZinesOnline.