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Columbus Polarity Center for Integrative Health and Wellness Monthly Newsletter: October 2007 Volume V Issue X |
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Columbus Polarity Center specializes in complementary therapies and holistic healthcare.
There is a wide range of qualified practitioners available for Polarity Therapy, Cranial Sacral, Rolfing, Reiki, Herbal Therapy, Aromatherapy, relaxation massage and Massage Therapy by LMTs. Our practitioners work with an integrative healthcare focus and often will provide the client with various options that will meet their needs. Many of the practitioners work together to provider the best preventive care for the client. Please check our website www.columbuspolarity.com for more details.
Practitioners at Columbus Polarity are not Medical Doctors, Dieticians, or Mental Health practitioners, nor do they diagnose or treat illnesses or prescribe any type of medications. For medical needs consult your physician.
Article of the Month
Using an Integrated and Complementary Approach to Cancer Rehabilitation: Models for a New Millenium (Part II)
Presented by Mary Jo Ruggieri, PhD, RPP, Director of Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies & Bodywork at the JD Breast Cancer Foundation Benefit, April 2007
Written Material Edited by Fran Kerg, APP, Cranial Sacral Practitioner
Part II - Important Information (see the September 2007 Newsletter for Part I: How to Use CAM)
Researching CAM: Tips from the Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- Mark sure you know as much as possible about a particular case of cancer
- Be fully familiar with the conventional diagnosis and treatment options
- Evaluate alternative treatments from a number of perspectives
- Check out personal histories and anecdotal evidence of alternatives
- Discuss your assessment and decision with your physician
- Contact a Holistic Health Practitioner who can work with you and your physician
In the case, of cancer, as with other medical problems, it is difficult to obtain advice, referrals or simple information outside of mainstream medicine. Increasingly, patients and caregivers have to do much of the research for themselves. The Internet is an invaluable resource for conduction research. You will find:
- High quality information resources and databases where you can check out information and perform searches of the literature
- Lists of publications, professional associations, referral and other services
- Discussion groups where people swap experiences and anecdotes, much as you might seek the advice of a friend, colleague or family member
- Advertising pages, where you can find out how to obtain products or the address of specialist clinics
WARNING: Most of the web sites you visit will have disclaimers, warning you to check the information or consult a health care provider. If a site you visit does not have a disclaimer or makes extravagant claims then be very wary of the information given.
Alternative Cancer Therapy websites: These sites are both promotional and informational. Check out the information against a variety of opinions.
Alternative Medicine Digest
Burzynski Research Institute
C.O.S.E: Naessens Home Page
One Peaceful World: Cancer & Diet Information Center
The Max Gerson Memorial Cancer Center
CancerGuide
Additional online information
Natural Standard at naturalstandard.com
Natural Standard is an international research collaboration that aggregates and synthesizes data on complementary and alternative therapies. Using a comprehensive methodology and reproducible grading scales, information is created that is evidence-based, consensus-based, and peer-reviewed, tapping into the collective expertise of a multidisciplinary Editorial Board. The mission of this collaboration is to provide objective, reliable information that aids clinicians, patients, and healthcare institutions to make more informed and safer therapeutic decisions. Natural Standard is widely recognized as one of the world's premier sources of information in this area.
From the Ohio State University Medical Center website:
Despite the failure to positively prove the efficacy or the presence of subtle energy, the weight of such a huge body of anecdotal and historical evidence is driving continued research into the nature of subtle energies with some interesting results. An extremely sensitive magnetometer called a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been claimed to measure large frequency-pulsing biomagnetic fields emanating from the hands of practitioners. In another study, a simple magnetometer measured and quantified similar magnetic fields from the hands of meditators and practitioners of yoga and qi gong. These fields were 1,000 times greater than the strongest human biomagnetic field.
However, there are considerable technical problems in such research. For example, SQUID measurement must be conducted under a special shielded environment. And the connection between electromagnetic field increases and observed healing benefits reported in the current literature is still missing.
Other studies of subtle energies suggested that energy fields from one person can overlap and interact with energy fields of other people. For example, when individuals touch, one person's electrocardiographic signal is registered in the other person's electroencephalogram (EEG) and elsewhere on the other person's body. In addition, one individual's cardiac signal can be registered in another's EEG recording when two people sit quietly opposite one another.
Publications
Currently, there are eight general CAM journals written for medical practitioners who include clinical trial results. These are available to the public, also and most can be found at public libraries: Complementary Therapies in Medicine (CTM), Complementary therapies in nursing & midwifery, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies from UK; Alternative Medicine Reviews, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (ATHM), Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) from USA; and Complementary Medicine (CMR) from Switzerland. Of these eight, only two are electronic journals.
Information on results of clinical trials of CAM can be found at the PubMed website.
May the longtime sun shine upon you.
Mary Jo Ruggieri, PhD, RPP, is the Director of the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies (Cleveland and Columbus Polarity Schools), which is a state registered school for Polarity Therapy training and Energy Science studies. For information and classes visit www.ohioinstitute.com.
Healthy Tidbits
Healthy Eating on a BudgetBelieve it or not-it is possible to buy healthy foods and not break your budget. In fact, with these helpful tips, buying healthy foods can actually be less expensive than buying junk food and will save you money:
- Buy your foods whole - prepared and pre-cut foods cost more
- Plan ahead - planning and preparing meals ahead of time (freezing some for later) will save you time and money and keep you from high-priced & unhealthy fast food
- Say "NO" to junk foods - leave the chips, cookies, soda & other snacks in the aisle where they belong
- Buy fresh - fresh fruits and veggies are usually cheaper than canned, and many can be frozen
- Buy only what you need - knowing what's already in the cupboard & fridge, will prevent you from overbuying and also from waste
Reference: www.mercola.com
Safe and Effective RemediesFacial Scrub
1/2 cup almond meal
Honey
Mix to form a thick paste. Scrub face with paste, paying close attention to oily areas where black heads or blemishes occur and being careful to avoid the eye area. Leave on for a few minutes. Remove with warm water and a soft cloth. Leaves skin soft and refreshed.
Facial Softening
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Blend together and spread liberally over the face. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with tepid water. Pat dry.
Face Lotion
1 tbsp sweet almond oil
2 tbsp honey
Blend together. This lotion should be used after skin has been thoroughly cleansed. It should be permitted to remain on the skin for about 1/2 hour. Remove it with a soft cloth and tepid water. Following this, apply milk astringent to tone skin.
Reference: Patrick Quillin, PhD, RD, CNS. Amazing Honey, Garlic, & Vinegar Home Remedies & Recipes: The People's Guide to Nature's Wonder Medicines. The Leader Co., Inc., 1985
The Benefits of Red Tea
Move over, Green tea, there's a new tea in town. With no calories, no caffeine, vitamin C, 50% more antioxidants than Green tea and better-tasting to boot, Red tea is moving into the spotlight. In some rather exciting studies, Red tea, or Rooibos (Asplathus linearis), has shown strong evidence for positive effects on health.
Several studies have shown that Rooibos:
- reduces nervousness, allergies, colic in babies
- has potential benefits to those with cancer, AIDS, allergies and infections
- reduced signs of aging in the brains of rats
- helps protect the liver
Rooibos is also non-astringent and does not increase iron absorption as black tea does. With so many health benefits, what more reason do we need to drink Red tea? So, put on the kettle and brew yourself a pot of Red tea!
Reference: C. Norman Shealy, M.D., PhD, Youthful Aging-Health News
Uh-oh-PepsiCo!
Beware of the Smart SpotTM
In an attempt to jump on the health food bandwagon, PepsiCo has created the Smart SpotTM symbol, branding over 100 foods and beverages as "smart choices" and claiming that this symbol provides a TMquick way to be sure that the products [consumers] are choosing contributing to a healthier lifestyle. (www.smartspot.com)
Colored in a healthy-looking green and surrounded by the phrase "Smart Choices Made Easy," the official-looking symbol has been placed on products such as Diet Pepsi®, Gatorade®, & Baked! Lay's®. Many of the products PepsiCo is branding as healthy contain harmful additives such as aspartame, linked to over 90 recorded health problems, and the cancer-causing chemical, acrylamide, according to an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola.
Be an informed consumer. Read package labeling. Do your own research. And most importantly, do not rely on 'multi-national food giants', whose responsibility is to shareholders, to tell you what is good for you.
Reference: www.mercola.com
Mind, Body, Spirit
Let's Meditate
This section of our newsletter "Mind, Body, Spirit" will focus on a meditation or visualization per month. It is intended to give the reader a choice of meditation techniques to help with stress reduction and disease prevention. Please try these meditations daily to see how they work for you. Always start with some controlled breathing. Please remember how healing it is to meditate.
October Meditation: Miracle Bend
What Will It Do For You
This exercise is called "Miracle Bend." It adjusts the navel point and helps bring an emotional and angry person to calmness. If the spine were bent to 90° and the breath were four times per minute, it would also totally calm you, but it would take a very long time, whereas this exercise takes only a short while. There will be a strong automatic tendency to shake in the posture.
How To Do It
In a standing position with knees and heels together, feet are flat on the ground and angling out to the sides for balance, arms are raised straight overhead close to the ears with the palms facing forward. The thumbs can be locked together.
Keeping the legs straight, bend back from the base of the spine 20°. The head, spine, and arms form an unbroken curve with the arms remaining in a line with the ears.
Hold the posture and keep the breath long, deep and gentle. Continue for 2 minutes. (Look up with eyes and head tipped back)
From this position, very slowly bend forward to the maximum extent keeping the arms straight and close to the ears. (Hands dangle towards floor. Go down as far as you are comfortable.) Inhale and with the breath held in as long as possible, pump the navel point. Then exhale and do the same on the held exhale. Continue this process for 2 minutes.
Reference: Survival kit, Meditations and Exercise for Stress and Pressure of the Times by Yogi Bhajan, complied by S.S. Vekram Kaur Khalsa, edited by Mary Jo Ruggieri, (Hari Kaur)
Essential Herbs
Ask Charoula
Question: As soon as my children go back to school, they begin to catch viruses, especially in the upper respiratory tract. They are sneezing and coughing; they get sore throats, headaches, etc. How can we prevent this and what do we do for it herbally speaking?
Answer: I'd say that part of the problem is a somewhat weakened immune system. It is hard to think of going back to school and the risk of catching germs and viruses when it is hot outside and it is play and vacation time. But the wise thing to do is precisely to look ahead and start building up the system about a month ahead of time.
A tincture of Astralagus and Reishi Mushroom with some Elder Flowers or Berries in it would be a good thing for children. These are understood to be very safe herbs, and they are meant for long-term use. I would suggest starting this regime even at this belated date. Get either a tincture that contains the above herbs or three separate tinctures and mix them together. Give the child about fifteen to twenty drops twice a day, depending on their age.
If a cold or virus has set in already, below is some suggestion of how to confront this situation.
At the very beginning of symptoms, begin giving them Echinacea.
Note: The adult dose is 40 drops every three hours of so for twenty-four hours, reducing after the first day to 40 drops three times a day.
For a child from six to twelve years old, I generally reduce the dosage a little, although the metabolism of a child that age is very fast and whatever they take in usually goes through their system pretty fast. Fifteen to twenty drops is a good dosage for children, but more can be given depending on the weight of the child. The more the weight, the higher you can go with the dose. After 12 years of age, they can go on the adult dosage.
The following tea is good for the Upper Respiratory Tract:
Equal amounts of
Elder flowers
Chamomile flowers
Licorice root
Peppermint leaf
You can purchase the herbs from a reputable health food store, mix equal amounts together ahead of time, and boil 8 oz. Of water and pour over a tablespoon of the mixture, let it sit for half an hour, drain and keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator, Have the child drink half a cup every four hours.
For sore throats, the following is a very good gargle:
1-cup sage tea (prepared as the tea above) with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, pinch of cayenne, some sea salt.
Do this every 1/2 hour, followed by Throat Coat Tea.
You can buy this tea ready made from Traditional Medicinal. Or you can purchase the herbs below and mix them together in the proportions given. Because these are roots and it is harder to get the proprieties out of them, we need to do a different type of preparation: place two tablespoons of the mixture in two cups of cold water in a saucepan, heat and immerse for half an hour, strain, and serve a quarter of a cup at a time.
1 part wild cherry bark
1 part slippery elm
1 part marshmallow root
3-part fennel
1 part ginger
2 parts licorice
Sweeten with cinnamon, orange peel
Try feeding the children some warm Miso soup to warm up their system. Be sure to give lots of Vitamin C.
For sinus problems, try having them cleanse their noses with a Neti Pot, available at our own shop and other health food stores. It is a fun thing to do and it works like a miracle. Follow the instructions on the box.
Also, get some essential oils of Eucalyptus and Tea Tree boil some water on the stove, drop four or five drops of each in it, and have the child do some deep inhalations. Eucalyptus clears the passages and Tea Tress has strong antiviral and antibiotic properties.
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Hope this is of help.
- Charoula, Herbalist
THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER/PRACTITIONER! INFORMATION IN ANY PART OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
"Expectation is a powerful attractive force. Expect the things you want, and don't expect the things you don't want."
– The Secret
Elemental Foods: The Fire Element
Coping with Fall Allergies
