Did you know?

The Secret and The Law of Attraction "So let your deepest desires direct your aim. Set your sights far above the 'reasonable' target. The power of purpose is profound only if you have a desire that stirs the heart." - Price Pritchett

COMPASSION......not just for your skin

Some people think that cultivating compassion is good for others but not necessarily good for themselves, but this is wrong. You are the one who benefits most directly since compassion immediately instills in you a sense of calm, inner strength, and a deep confidence and satisfaction, whereas it is not certain that the... object of your feeling of compassion will benefit.

Dalai Lama

From the Mayo Clinic...

Mayo Clinic researchers have designed a new tool for identifying protein function from genetic code. A team led by Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., succeeded in switching individual genes off and on in zebrafish, then observing embryonic and juvenile development. The study appears in the journal Nature Methods.
The work could help shed light on health-related problems such as how cancerous cells spread, what makes some people more prone to heart attacks, or how genes factor in addiction. More complicated issues, like the genetics of behavior, plasticity and cellular memory, stress, learning and epigenetics, could also be studied with this method.
The research at Mayo Clinic’s Zebrafish Core Facility could help further unify biology and genomics by describing the complex interrelations of DNA, gene function and gene-protein expression and migration. The study examines protein expression and function from 350 loci among the zebrafish’s approximately 25,000 protein-encoding genes. Researchers plan to identify another 2,000 loci.
“I consider this particular system a toolbox for answering fundamental scientific questions,” says Dr. Ekker, a Mayo Clinic molecular biologist and lead author of the article. “This opens up the door to a segment of biology that has been impossible or impractical with existing genomics research methods.”

3 WAYS TO TREAT BLISTERS

1. Thoroughly wash your hands.
2. Sterilize a needle in a flame until it glows red. After the needle cools, use it to puncture the edge of the blister and then gently press out the fluid. Leave the loose skin in place - the blister will heal faster.
3. Dab on some antibiotic ointment, tea tree oil or clean your skin with a sterilizing wipe and cover the area with gauze or a gel dressing.

Be certain your tetanus shot status is up to date before piercing a blister; if you are not up to date, make an appointment with your doctor.

REMEDIES AND REASONS

DISSOLVE ANGER… hold the middle finger. Left, if mad at a woman, Right if mad at a man.

ADDICTIONS…fear, running  from self. Not know how to love the self.

ANXIETY…not trusting in the process of life/Universe

SEIZURES…running from family, self, or life.

ALCOHOLISM…feeling of futility, guilt, inadequacy, self rejection.

FAT…oversensitivity. Represents fear and maybe a cover up for anger. Resistance to forgive.

CONSTIPATION…Colon represents the ability to release, let go! A fear of letting go of ANYTHING: Painful relationships, stifling jobs, clothes that sit in closet for years and a resistance to forgive self and others.

CANCER…deep hurt, longstanding resentment. Deep secret, or grief eating away at the self. Carrying hatreds and feelings of futility.

BREAST CANCER…not nourishing self, only others.

…….Ask your doctor, if pharmaceutical advertising, is right for YOU?

The next time you see a commercial for a prescription drug that “MAY” help you to quit smoking, get over depression, or hold your bladder (for the boat ride you’ve been dying to take)……                                                 

                                         GET YOUR SMELLING SALTS.

Give yourself a chance to wake up, before you’re lulled into smiling faces and authoritative voices that claim to have the right pill for your condition. It’s delivered with such assurance that, “this might be right for you”….You are nodding in agreement before the commercial is over.

There is a chance however, that it just may be,” right for you” (?)  After all, look at all the happy people getting control of their lives. Sometimes you’ll even see someone looking and sounding like a real physician.  In the world of marketing, the pharmaceutical companies have the best.

If you haven’t paid close attention to the drugs disclaimers, take a whiff of your smelling salts. It shows how gullible, or uninterested the public is and how unbelievably unconcerned the Medical community is, for allowing it. 

When the pharmaceutical companies first started advertising their drugs, the disclaimers were generally brief. Warning the medication may cause drowsiness, diarrhea, or something else reasonably mild.     Now, you can’t write them down fast enough and turn oblivious, to this verbal fine print.  Yada yada yada,  This is certainly not unintentional.

Have you noticed how many of these prescription drugs, at the very end of a long list of possibilities, add it “may also lead to suicidal thoughts, or in some cases, even death”? Frankly, so does Cocaine, Heroin, Meth and others, we’ve already outlawed.

If commercials showed how good a person a person can feel on Cocaine, we’d all be in line. It’s too good, too habitual and too dangerous.  Yet should the pharmaceutical companies ever find a way to mask it, as a prescription drug, you can bet they will tell you about it in their commercials.

Many of the side effects, of legal prescription drugs, are even more threatening. Had I seen the possible side effects of the drug Chantix that aids smokers to quit…I would have kept smoking. Better to take the chance of skirting cancer, with a habit I enjoyed, than be encouraged with suicidal thoughts, while detoxifying.   Any smoker who’s tried to quit, has their own thoughts of “jumping” on occasion, without needing assistance.  A men’s drug that is supposed to shrink enlarged prostrates, warns women,  not to take OR EVEN HANDLE Avodart, due to possible birth defects.

I think the ultimate disclaimer, is the one that finally suggests, “ask your doctor if (said drug) is right for you.”  A clever attorney diminishing the pharmaceutical company’s liability, throwing it on the physician. (After all, he should know if it’s ok for you to take it, right?)  Brilliant!

Free marketing and the unbelievable trust given the pharmaceutical Gods, by the FDA and Medical Association, can and does, sell anything. We presume them to be the experts, looking out for our well being, because we want to. We don’t want to be responsible for ourselves and we’ve stopped thinking, for ourselves.

2.

Prescription drugs are not designed to cure the cause; they’re designed to treat the symptoms. Otherwise two things would happen.

1.      We would not have to take these drugs continuously for life.

2.     The Pharmaceutical Companies would put themselves out of business.

People not only take more pills than ever before, the costs have skyrocketed. Especially if,  life is threatened, without the drugs,  When the body grows dependant on these drugs, serious consequences can occur if stopped taking.

Do you notice any similarities to how the illegal drug trade operates?

1.     Show how good a person can feel, when taking the drug,

2.      Make it readily available, popular and even alluring.

3.     Get them dependant, so they need to continue taking the drug, for their well being.

4.     Keep the prices high, enjoy high profits and lure more clients to expand their network.

In all fairness to the Pharmaceutical Companies, there is no doubt, whatsoever; they are modern miracles, with a myriad of necessary and appreciated prescription drugs. No doubt in the least. They are invaluable.   What we don’t need is a drug for every “itch” the human condition is bound to encounter. RSL?... Restless leg syndrome?  Excuse me?                     

Many of the prescription drugs are not even biodegradable. 50 to 95% of each drug is excreted unchanged, or metabolized. Producing chemical effects forever and mixing into our sewage systems, land and atmosphere. As my friend Joyce, put it so well, “we have become  architects of our own demise.”

We need fewer pollutants, with unnatural side effects and more of the natural remedies long proven over the centuries.  Call it alternative medicine, wives tales, Grandmas remedy, or natural use of the healing properties of plants and herbs.

The very ones used by physicians and pharmacists before synthetic drugs. They had medical books that referenced which herbs treated which ailments. What so many of them have forgotten is, they work.  

Synthetic medicine is far cheaper to produce. It’s controllable and provides a much higher financial yield. Stockholders demand nothing  else, but profit.

Because profit is the leading drive in producing prescription drugs, I sadly find it doubtful that Cancer, Aids and any of our horrific disease will not be actually cured until life nears extinction. It doesn’t pay to. I’m sorry, but it’s common knowledge, drug companies know they will come up with an antidote, should one of their drugs fail. It’s called business. Very big business.

In 2002, according to Harpers, Aids killed 2500 Zimbabwe a week, while prescription drugs killed 1900 a week in the US.  And that was in 2002. Don’t you find that scary?

The next time you see a commercial for prescription drugs, pay attention to what it’s for and the disclaimers it gives.  Take responsibility, they’re insulting your intelligence.

The same way the FDA and the Medical Association does, for allowing it.

Say no to drugs, legal, or illegal.  It may save your life.

Meditation quiets the mind.

MEDITATION….MYTH  vs  TRUTH

(taught by Depak Chopra and every experienced meditator)

I often hear reasons why people don't pursue meditation and want to share my favorites.
I can't stop thinking. I say that's right, you can't - it is nearly impossible to stop thinking by thinking about it. The nature of the mind is to think like the nature of your eye is to see. As you practice meditation correctly, without effort, your mind will settle down and you'll access more and more subtle levels of thinking, and eventually, more and more silence. With the proper meditation technique, it is natural for the mind to transcend the thought process for a moment or two, but bear in mind, thoughts will always be a part of your meditation. Thinking doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. Be kind to yourself. * It takes hard work to meditate correctly….Wrong.

*I'll have to wear unusual clothing

*Meditation will make me too relaxed to be competitive.

*I'll probably have to change my religion

 *I am so busy; I don't have the time in my day.

*It is for weirdoes.

*My knees don't bend like that.

What’s your reason for not resting your mind, as you do your body?

What holds you back?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

5 Healthy Cheese Choices

From cheese-stuffed sandwiches to the samples on toothpicks in the grocery store, cheese seems to be everywhere. While it is a good source of calcium, its high calorie (and often high sodium) content means it should be enjoyed in moderation. This is not as hard as it may seem when you consider how flavorful cheese can be - try the following when the cheese plate comes your way:

1. Choose a small piece of a cheese you really enjoy and savor it.
2. Fill up on low-calorie vegetables and fruits, and add a piece of cheese on the side.
3. Try not to eat more than one to two ounces every few days.
4. Opt for high-quality, organic versions.
5. If you're pregnant, avoid soft cheeses (such as feta, goat, blue and brie) as they may harbor Listeria, a bacterium that can harm a growing baby. Instead, choose hard cheeses like Parmesan, Gruyere and hard Swiss cheese when you're eating for two.

Socialize for a Better Brain...by Dr Weil

"We know that exercising the brain by doing puzzles, learning a language, reading or engaging in other mentally stimulating activities can lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Now researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have learned that socializing can help as well. The investigation team is studying 1,138 older adults (mean age 80) in an effort to understand what kinds of activities improve cognition as we age. All the participants receive yearly evaluations that include a medical history and neuropsychological tests. The study group also responded to a questionnaire about their social activities, including going to restaurants, sporting events, playing bingo, taking trips (day or overnight), doing volunteer work, visiting friends or relatives, attending religious services or participating in group activities (the researchers gave the Knights of Columbus as an example). The study has shown that the participants who were most socially active experienced only one quarter of the cognitive decline over an average of five years as those who were least active socially. In analyzing their results, the researchers took into consideration other factors that could have influenced cognitive decline and tried to rule out the possibility that cognitive decline leads to avoidance of social activity, rather than the other way around.
My take? Throughout life, connections to others are vital to our health and well being. I believe that we are not meant to be all alone, but rather parts of bigger families, bands, and tribes. We are naturally communal beings and derive great satisfaction from the experience of belonging to a group with a common purpose. I'm happy to know that the Rush study confirmed what many of us know intuitively - that it is better (at any age) to maintain our connections with others than to isolate ourselves. As we age, the more stimulation we receive - intellectual and social - the greater our chances of keeping our minds, and memories, as sharp as they are today."

Caring for more than your skin.......how bout your TUSH?

Scheduling a Colonoscopy: Have It Early in the Day
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that as the day goes on, doctors who perform colonoscopies are less likely to spot suspicious polyps. The investigators looked at the results of nearly 1,100 colonoscopies and noted the time of day the procedures were performed. They found that at least one polyp was identified in 42 percent of the colonoscopies but that for each hour later in the day, the number of polyps seen dropped by four percent. The probable reason? Doctors' fatigue.  However, the investigators noted that the chief reason for missing polyps is still improper bowel cleansing by patients in preparation for the exam. They also advised prospective patients to query the doctor who will be performing the colonoscopy, make sure that he or she is aware of the study, and ask them what can be done to compensate for factors that may lead to missing polyps. The study was published on March 29, 2011 by the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Did you know.....per Dr Weil

Cleaning Ears and Broken Eardrums
You've probably heard that cleaning your ears with a cotton swab can push wax further down. It can also lead to a perforated ear drum. A study at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that more than half the patients seen in ear, nose and throat clinics admit to using cotton swabs to clean their ears. The research also showed that when the eardrum is perforated as a result of swabbing, 97 percent of all cases heal within two months without treatment. The rest require surgery. Symptoms of a ruptured eardrum include hearing loss, drainage, dizziness or abnormalities in facial movements - see a doctor if any of these occur. One of the study co-authors advises that instead of using cotton swabs, you can play it safe cleaning the ears by irrigating them once or twice a month with a mixture of equal parts of peroxide and warm tap water (be sure the fluid is body temperature). Other options: use a combination of plain vinegar and water - and place four or five drops in the ear once a week. You can also have a doctor remove your earwax or use an over-the-counter earwax treatment.

LIGHT, FRESH AND COLD......a perfect summer dish.

Cold Cucumber Soup

 
Description

Early summer, when cucumbers are cheap and plentiful, is the best time to make this soup. It is so easy that you’ll be making it a lot on warm afternoons or when you feel you want to eat something less than a complete meal. When I have guests for a late-evening meal, I serve this soup, along with steamed Alaskan crab legs, and mixed field greens, because it is so light. The crab legs and the salad round out the meal. You can make this soup ahead of time and chill it, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 
Ingredients

3 leeks, washed and sliced in rounds
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups milk
6 cucumbers, peeled, sliced, and seeded
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onion or chive
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH
plain low-fat yogurt, or low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons capers

 
Instructions

1. Cook the leeks in the stock in a large soup pot for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cucumbers.
2. Pour small batches at a time into a blender and purée until smooth. Add the dill, lemon juice, green onions or chives, salt, and pepper. Stir once or twice.
3. Chill covered in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
4. Pour 1-cup servings into each of 6 bowls, garnish with a dollop of plain low-fat yogurt or low-fat sour cream, and sprinkle a few capers on top.

GET A ROUND TUIT......it will make your day.

"Start doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi

Did you know.....

National Women's Health Week May 8th - May 14th
May is also National Skin Cancer Month