Do It Now : Personal Growth

Eating less fat and still overweight?

Have you ever wondered why more and more of us are cutting out fats yet still gaining weight?

I have a friend who buys low-fat everything, and wouldn't be caught dead eating butter (like I do), or peanut butter (like I do), or full cream icecream (like I do). She always chooses lean meat, skinless chicken, and skim milk, and even low fat cheese (which as far as I'm concerned, tastes and feels like rubber).

Yet in all the years I've known her, this friend has never lost weight, and battles daily to keep from adding more.

True. She eats lots of highly-processed packaged foods (low fat, supposedly healthy weight watchers kind of stuff), and the occasional bakery good (if she can't see the trans fat, she doesn't believe in it!). And as for raw fruits and vegetables, well....

But the sad fact is that no matter how much my friend eats, she's always hungry.

 So she becomes downright irritated when she sees me spreading lovely organic butter on my occasional bread, and thinks my habit of eating peanut butter with a spoon is plain revolting. She cringes when I drink leftover lemon-olive oil salad dressing (I tasted low-fat dressing once. Never again), and shakes her head in dismay when I cook with coconut oil. My icecream is full cream, usually Sara Lee double chocolate, and I eat more cheese (the good stuff) and nuts than are good for me.

No. Of course I don't lose weight eating this way. But nor do I gain it. I avoid anything that has 'low fat' on it; I am completely satisfied with a small meal, and rarely truly hungry.

What makes the difference? I believe it's the fats. Fats are good for you, and your body needs them. If you don't get enough fats (good fats, that is), your body is constantly crying out for them.

That's one reason that most overweight people crave fatty foods. Unfortunately, they don't turn to the good fats but instead, reach for baked goods and unhealthy snack foods or fast foods to try to satisfy their cravings.

I give my body the fats it needs, and I am satisfied with less!

Yes. I could be eating better to lose weight....not by cutting out my lovely fats, but by eating less of them. But right now, weight's not a priority. What is a priority for me is living more in the way nature intended: lots of fresh raw plant foods, organically and compassionately-raised animal foods, nuts and seeds, spring water, good sleep, loads of fresh air and time in nature, and regular exercise.  And after many stops and starts, I'm almost there!! (If I find someone with a camera, I'll post a picture of healthy, happy me).

Am I always hungry? No way. Because I eat avocados, olive oil and nuts, fatty foods that have been proven to increase feelings of fullness (University of Irvine research). Something called oleic acid in those fats stimulates production of oleoylethanolamide(OEA), which gives hunger-curbing messages to your nerves endings. OEA also lowers cholesterol.

As for my friend, she's made her choices, and they're in the low-fat section of her local supermarket.

(Painting, The Olive Pickers, courtesy of Vincent Van Gogh)

Eat More Fats...but the Right Kinds

and no, they're not those liquid fats being pushed by big food processing corporations!
The best fats are the ones your great grandparents throve on in the days when heart disease was virtually unknown.

Fats That Protect You From Disease

You can get the kinds of fats your body needs from olive oil, avocados, nuts and fish. These  wonder foods are rich in essential fatty acids, especially omega 3 fatty acids, and they’re a major part of a traditional Mediterranean  diet. Scientists have been touting the benefits of these foods since they first discovered that the Mediterranean diet protects the heart, and the benefits just keep on coming.

Research now shows that fish oil even reduces the risk of cardiac disease in cardiac patients who are still rehabilitating. Fish oil, olive oil and oleic acid found in good fats also inhibit the development of colorectal cancers! 

The anti-inflammatory and nourishing functions of these and other omega-3 fats also strengthen the tissues that make up much of your skin, digestive, cardiac and respiratory systems and nervous system. In fact, the healing, anti-inflammatory action of omega-3 fats is known to protect against and help relieve asthma, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions as well as autism, and helps keep your immune system healthy.

 According to international expert in lipid biochemistry, Mary Enig PhD, saturated fats have been framed as the ‘bad guys’ of the fat world. The truth is our bodies need some saturated fats.  Saturated fat, explains Dr. Enig, help to prevent stroke, protect against kidney disease and asthma, and are essential for the health of our cells, including brain cells. 

But how to get healthy saturated fats? Not from most commercial  dairy and meat. Those come from from animals that have been drugged, raised on polluted land, and stuffed with chemically treated or genetically modified grains.

Saturated fats from healthy, organically raised, grass-fed animals are another thing altogether.

You can also get excellent quality saturated fats from coconut oil. In its natural form or fermented, this fabulous oil contains lauric acid, a powerful antimicrobial, and also provides essential fatty acids to keep your tissues and skin healthy. I use it for most cooking, and sometimes just add it to my smoothies. (I also massage it on my feet for the ultimate softening treatment).    

Fats to Avoid Like the Plague

Steer clear of most saturated fats and the following new-fangled fats:

• All oils that have been hydrogenated (hydrogen added), including trans fats
• Soy, corn and safflower oils (most come from genetically modified crops anyway)
• Cottonseed oil
• Canola oil
• All fats heated to very high temperatures in processing and cooking.

It's partly the way these fats are processed, and partly what they've got in them. These fats glug up your arteries with cholesterol and fatty deposits, smother your organs and tissues, and clog up your body systems. They’re the fats that settle happily in your thighs, buttocks and around your middle. Even worse, they can cause cancer, heart disease, sterility, learning disabilities, immune dysfunction and osteoporosis.

The worst of all bad fats are man-made trans fats. Processed and junk foods and store bought baked goods (including those choc-chip cookies) are loaded with them. Eat them and you might as well be pouring glue into your body. Artificial trans fats have no nutritional benefit, and make it almost impossible to lose weight no matter how much you diet.

(Happy cows image from cafnr.missouri.edu/news/cows.php)

Asparagus for Cancer?

Today I'm playing Hermes, the messenger of the Greek gods who also has associations with medicine. I am passing on this email that I received today. Decide for yourself whether it sounds credible:

'Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article,entitled, `Asparagus for cancer ' printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979.

          I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: 'I am a biochemist,and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years.
     
       Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R.Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project.. We have accumulated a number of favourable case histories.

     Here are a few examples:

Case No. 1,  
            A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.
Case No. 2,
            A successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of  the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments,including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

Case No. 3,
            A man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it. By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared. He is back at his regular business routine. *

*Case No. 4,
            A woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by asking specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and nomore skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

           
     I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of Materia Medica', edited in 1854 by a Professor at the University of   Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones.

             We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy. For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh.

             I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives.

          * *  PROCEDURE:
1) Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator.

2) Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening.

          Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases.

              As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent'. Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals.  We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold.

               For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups.

               The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink...

               As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer. Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and in acting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance.

               The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good.. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

Please spread the news...

...the most unselfish act one can ever do is to forward all the kindness one has received even to the most undeserved person *

XXXXXXXXXXXX end of the message.

('Hermes' by R W Robinson)

Useful sites on glutathione:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50746

Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. 'Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health', J Nutr 2004 mar;134(3): 489-92

http://www.health-report.co.uk/glutathione.htm

Help to relieve your baby's skin rashes or dermatitis

I am not a doctor but I do a lot of research and I write for a holistic doctor, and I know that these steps are often very helpful in relieving, sometimes in clearing, skin rashes in babies. However, you should consult a good naturopath to make sure that these steps are suitable for your baby.

1.    Cut out dairy  It’s very hard on the infant’s immature digestive system. If you bottle feed your baby, try a hypoallergenic formula. If you're breast feeding, get calcium from sardines, raw almonds, lots of dark leafy greens in your diet, kelp, carrot juice, beans or lentils. Cut down on red meat, coffee, and sugar, as they interfere with calcium absorption. Organic milk seems to be better tolerated by most children, so you could try it.

2. If breastfeeding, eat more raw fruits and vegetables every day (especially vegetables), and also fresh juices. If baby’s on solid foods, make them mostly vegetables that you have prepared at home. Go very light on grains and cereals, which can be hard on the digestive system.

3. If breastfeeding, take flaxseed oil every day. It is antiflammatory, and proven to help soothe and heal the skin. If your baby takes bottles or food, you can safely add flaxseed oil to the formula or the food. Baby may not like the taste at first, but you can build up the amount slowly. This is a very important step for skin healing.

4. Eat oily fish, especially wild (not farmed) salmon, sardines and trout, 3 times a week so that your breastfed baby gets more essential fatty acids. Or take a good cod liver oil.

5. Give your baby a probiotic supplement. These are safe, and will help rebalance the intestinal bacteria to support the immune system. If you can find it, choose a probiotic supplement that also contains colostrum (Yes, the same thing that precedes your breast milk) to help strengthen the immune system.

6. Wash your baby in pure, filtered water (get a chlorine filter on your bath tap), without soap. If you need soap, use pure castile soap.  After washing, you can put pure, virgin, cold pressed olive oil on baby’s skin.  But first, try in a small spot, as baby could react to it. If the child doesn't react, it will be very soothing.

7. If the dermatitis flares up, try soothing it with a cool compress of pure water. If you have to use cortisone until baby starts to improve, use it only when absolutely necessary to keep your baby comfortable.

8. Never put new clothes on your baby as many are treated with chemicals. Wash them first, and always wash in pure soap flakes, not detergent. If your baby doesn’t react to cotton, choose cotton clothing and bedding near the skin. These days you may find organic cotton bedding a lovely alternative.

9. Create a stress-free environment. It's not always easy, but once you make it a commitment, you'll find it easier than you expected. It's a matter of thought. Babies pick up your stress, so don't become over-preoccupied with your baby's skin condition. Do what you can and have faith that your baby will recover fully and be well. And be happy. All will be well.

 10. Get your child tested for allergies, especially food allergies, and get those allergies treated. There are a number of natural options around now, so do a bit of investigating.

     If you're the one with skin rashes, try these steps yourself. They can make an enormous difference but don't expect immediate results. It takes time for skin problems to emerge as the result of underlying changes in the body, and it can take time to correct those changes and see the skin respond. Persistence, patience and faith (always harness the awesome power of your mind!)

Remember your Fish Oil supplements

Here's another reason to take fish oil. It improves your mental function. Research shows that it can actually reverse memory loss.

That's good news for me because over the last few days, I've misplaced several things and been more forgetful than normal.

True, I've been eating more bread than usual, and wheat plays havoc with my mind (with many of our minds, in fact), but I've been almost blanking out. If I were pessimistic, I'd suspect myocardial sound infarctions (another word for tiny strokes in the brain. I like the sound of the words).

Fish oil is also very good for the heart, so there's another reason to take it. 

Researchers reporting in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest at least 500 mg of EPA and DHA (the fatty acids that your heart and brain need) daily if you are free of cardiovascular disease, and 800 to 1,000 mg daily (plus vitamin E) if you've been diagnosed with coronary heart disease and heart failure. (The vitamin E helps counteract free radicals produced by the fatty acids).

Well, my body has had a month's holiday from supplements, so I guess I'm ready to give it a little extra loving care. After all, I want to be around for my grandchildren for years to come, God willing.

Reminder to sleep tight

I've been experiencing the remarkable benefits of getting enough sleep.

Remember I wrote a few months ago how important sleep is to your health? Well, I was reminded of that again over the last few weeks.

I tend to have quite irregular sleep habits, but overall, I thought I was doing well...a little tired around 2 pm, but who isn't?  (I thought).

Well, during my chest infection thing last month, I craved much more sleep than usual, around 9 - 10 hours a night! At first, I resisted because I like staying up fairly late and rising early. I've always done it. But then, I decided to listen to my body and slept a couple of hours earlier.  What a difference the next day! My chest was less congested; I breathed without wheezing, and I just felt better.

So  I started putting myself to bed earlier every night, and finally, after weeks of being unwell, quickly recovered ...even though I had stopped taking supplements or medications (natural, of course).

Since then, I've alternated between very late nights and getting loads of sleep. And now that I've begun paying attention, I now know that if I go to sleep late even one night, I start feeling sickly, my nose and head feel congested, I feel achey and tired. It's not just that I feel tired and irritable, but I feel unwell.

Not really surprising because the gallbladder and liver start self-detoxing from about 11 pm, so if you're up at that time, your body cannot detox itself overnight. 

I've always felt that I function very well mentally on 6-7 hours of sleep, maybe 8. If I did before, I am finally convinced that I no longer do. Anything less than 9 hours of sleep and I am a different person..easily irritated, irrationally impatient, mentally rather slow, and I crave carbohydrates. (There's research linking carbohydrate cravings to poor sleep, but I can't put my hand on it right now!). And these negative effects last several days: it takes some time to make up for the lost sleep.

With enough sleep, on the other hand, I feel well, energetic, calm. I am sweet and kind again, and think clearly, and crave good foods.

So do yourself a favour. Stop telling yourself that you're a night owl, and go to bed earlier.

Stop doing anything exciting or irritating at least an hour before bed, and let your body-mind start getting ready for sleep.

Turn off the tv or computer and give your body a rest from harmful  electromagnetic frequencies. Listen to restful music, if you like, or read something calming. Or just sit and talk to your partner or gaze at the night sky (When's the last time to did that?)

Don't make phone calls, and especially not from a mobile phone, as research has shown this affect your brain in ways that leads to insomnia or poor sleep (not to mention morning headaches or fogginess).

If you're hungry, eat a banana or have a glass of organic milk. No junk.

As you brush your teeth and whatever, intentionally think calming thoughts. I like to appreciatively review the good things about my day .

And put away any problems or distresses for the night. Don't worry. You can tend to them in the morning.

Have a deep long sleep and dream deep dreams.

Clear Your Lymph system with Skin brushing

It's Spring on this side of the world,and I love it. My favourite season! Well, one of them.
Right now, a thunderstorm is booming outside, and a soft rain is falling on my washing which, of course, I forgot to bring in. No matter. The air is sweet and cool, and I am feeling rather good within my skin.

One thing I am doing for myself now is skin brushing. It sounds funny, but it's an excellent way to help the lymphatic system clear itself of toxins. A healthy lymph supports your liver, gallbladder, spleen...well really, everything. But most people don't give it the attention they should.

If we lived the more balanced, active, natural lives we were designed to live, and our food came from untainted sources, the lymph would take care of itself. But as it is, the lymph needs our help.

So, here's how to do skin brushing. It will speed toxins through your system and help clear any blockages (which can eventually lead to cancers of the lymph glands such as breast or prostate cancer or lymphomas).

It also makes your skin glow, helps tone your muscles, and wakes you up. Do it for about 3 minutes before shower or bath. Use a natural bristle brush, long handled if you want.

1. Brush the soles and upper feet. Brush up all around the legs and over the buttocks with long, smooth strokes. 

2. One by one, raise your arms to help gravity drain the lymph to your armpit, and brush long strokes down the arm towards the armpit.

3. Brush your torso towards the heart. Follow the colon, brushing up the right side, crossing to the other side below the ribs, down the left side and across the pelvis.

4. Brush gently over the breasts towards the armpits.

Do this once or twice a day for 3 months, then twice a week.

You can increase the benefits by doing this mindfully. Relax and keep your mind fully on what you are doing, appreciating the body you are so kindly taking care of.

After your shower, smooth in some organic jojoba oil or virgin coconut oil. Nothing perfumed or artificial because your pores will be soaking it all in. Your body deserves the very best.

Steady on Your Feet: Prevent Falls and Fractures

About five years ago, I fell and for the first time ever, I dislocated my shoulder and fractured my arm. Very painful. A few months later, I fell again, this time tripping over a garden rake in the dark, and again, it really hurt. It took years to get back the full use of my arm and shoulder.

 

So now I am very careful about falling, and take steps to make me feel more sure-footed.

 

Falls have become part of our stereotypes about aging. But getting older doesn’t automatically mean losing your balance. Poor balance and falls in older people are often due to a combination of other factors such as medication, illness or disease, nutrient deficiencies, aches and pains and cognitive impairment.

 

A deficiency of vitamin D increases your risk of falls and fractures, and many older people have low levels of vitamin D. The resulting muscle weakness, unsteadiness and poor bone mineralization lead to higher risk of falls and fractures.

 

The good news is that to some degree you can correct, even reverse, these problems, and stop worrying about falls well into your eighties!

 

Eastern Art of Balance

 

One thing you can do to be steadier on your feet is to become more mentally and physically centred. Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Yoga are excellent for centering and grounding your energies. Studies show that people who practice any of these methods for as little as 30 minutes two times a week enjoy significantly improved balance, flexibility and mobility.

 

Your mind also has an enormous influence on how you move. As these exercises increase your physical balance, they also help balance your mental energies.  You feel stronger and more confident, and less fearful of falling.

 

Strength Training

The human body is made to be active and to bear weight. You can’t expect to achieve good body balance if your underlying framework – your muscles and bones – are weak. What you need is exercise that strengthens your core muscles – the ones around your waist, and running up and down your front and back – and the muscles of your legs and arm. The best path to strong muscles and bones is weight training.

 

If you’re turned off by the idea of bench pressing hefty weights in a sweaty gym, relax. You can achieve excellent results from regular weight training with 5-10 kilo hand and ankle weights, and simple resistance exercises. Certain yoga postures and Qi Gong moves will also build muscle strength, though perhaps more slowly.

 

The point is, increased muscle and bone strength will greatly reduce your risk of falling and fractures, and also improve your overall health, stamina and wellbeing. Whatever kind of exercise you choose – Qi Gong, Yoga, Tai Chi or weight and resistance training – it can also knock years off your age. Isn’t that worth an hour or so of your time each week?

 

Burning mad about swine flu vaccine tests

Did I hear that Swine flu vaccine will be tested on Australian children? Do you know what that means? Our children will be guinea pigs for a drug that is still in the experimental stage, and given the deplorably poor testing record for previous vaccines, that has probably only undergone minimal preliminary testing.

We have no idea how a vaccine will affect children until we test it on children!

Is this good medicine, or is it plain stupidity? Are the people in our government so ignorant of the dangers of vaccines, so trusting of drug companies that have consistently failed to act responsibly, that they put our kids in danger....again?

Where will this nonsense stop, for heaven's sake? Just how many toxins and live toxic viruses can a little body be expected to take.

Do you realise that the average child now gets forcibly injected with 20 potentially harmful viral cocktails by the age of three? And now one more?

And you wonder why so many children get serious diseases?

According to a report in the Age today:

"A trial in adults has already begun, but the trial in children will test the appropriate dosage and safety of the vaccine for those aged between six months and eight years.

Professor Robert Booy, from the National Centre for Immunisation, Research and Surveillance, said the vaccine being trialled was similar to the one used to prevent seasonal flu.

"This is the first time in the world there has been a trial of this particular vaccine," he told reporters at the Children's Hospital at Westmead.

"But I hasten to add it is based on proven technology, we're just substituting the virus for different ones that we have used before."

So they're testing a vaccine virus whose long-term effects we still do not know anything about. Very reassuring.

And considering that in Prof. Booy's own words, 'We know for most children it <swine flu> is a mild infection', all this seems like an ghastly overreaction.

So why on earth are these people testing on perfectly healthy children? Why, if they must test, aren't they testing on children who already have swine flu?

More important, why aren't they knuckling down to the more useful task of building health and immunity...the best known protection from swine flu and any flu virus?

What Drug Companies Don’t Want You to Know about Ritalin and Anti-Depressants

“Just how dangerous are the amphetamine stimulant drugs prescribed for children with so-called ADHD? According to scientific research funded by the FDA and the National Institute of Mental Health, drugs such as Ritalin increase the risk of sudden death by five hundred percent among children and teens”.                                                          (Reported june 2009 on Naturalnews.com)

In May 09, I wrote a post titled, ‘Governments, Companies and Trust: What is an Acceptable Risk?’, where I questioned the credibility of a medical establishment and drug companies that push drugs as solutions to all sorts of health problems. And I have written about dodgy drugs and unethical practices by drug companies in other posts.

You can expect to hear a lot more from me on this subject, because the more I investigate the widespread use and promotion of drugs by conventional medicine, the more cause I find for alarm.

The dangers of Ritalin have been pooh-poohed for too long. Now, even the FDA cannot turn a blind eye. Research proves that Ritalin, the mostly widely prescribed drug for hyperactivity in children, is a killer.

And what for?

 

Hyperactivity has been repeatedly linked to toxins – food additives and other toxins – as well as food allergies.

 Toxins and allergies can both affect the nervous system, and hence, the brain, moods and behaviour. In most cases, children diagnosed as hyperactive respond beautifully to detoxification and a diet free of artificial substances. And many esteemed allergy specialists have noted that hyperactivity and other behavioural issues disappear in most cases when food allergies are eliminated.

 (Sugar and food additives are toxic to a child's system, affecting the child's moods, mind, behaviour and health. What helps Kody is a change in diet, and some ways to manage frustration!). 

Antidepressants can actually make people worse. 

The U.K. University of Hull reported that patients improved on placebos as much as they did on anti-depressant drugs. Only severely depressed patients showed improvement.  In other words, anti-depressants are of no use to the majority to depressed patients.

“There seems little reason to prescribe antidepressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients,” said the leader of the research team. 

In 2006, the Vice-President of the Swedish Psychiatric Association admitted that a great number of patients actually get worse on antidepressants, with increased anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, hostility and mania, as well as deepening depression. In some cases, this has led to suicide and murder.

Again, diet, toxins and allergies are most often to blame. Food allergies and toxins can create biochemical changes in the body that lead to depression, anxiety and other ‘psychological’ disorders in children and adults, including aggression and hyperactivity.

According to Patrick Holford, President, London Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, food allergies can create an initial ‘high’ followed in a day or two by emotional slumps, which can  be mild or very severe.

 

Until nutrient deficiencies, food addities, food allergies and toxins have been carefully ruled out, don’t risk your child’s life with drugs. Psychoactive drugs should be the very last resort.

In all but a very few cases, your child’s so called ‘psychological’ problems can be easily corrected by eliminating the allergies, detoxification to clear the system of accumulated toxins, correcting nutrient deficiencies, and some cognitive behaviour therapy to help the child cope more  effectively with life’s stresses.  The same applies to adults.

Sources:

Adams Mike, ‘Ritalin ADHD Drug Linked to 500 Percent Increased Risk of Sudden Death in Children’,

June 16, 2009,  http://www.naturalnews.com/026459_adhd_drugs_ritalin.html

Holford, :Patrick, ‘Brain Allergies’, www.patrickholford.com;

Kirsch I, Deacon BJ, Huedo-Medina TB, Scoboria A, Moore TJ, et al. (2008) ‘Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration’, PLoS Med 5(2): e45 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045;

Larsson Janne, ‘An immense number of patients get worse from new antidepressant drugs, says Vice President of The Swedish Psychiatric Association’, Press release,

doi: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release.php?rID=20858