GLOBAL HEALING CENTER, INC. "Worldwide Leaders In Advanced Alternative Medicine" www.ghchealth.com / www.oxypowder.com Alternative Health & Healing Newsletter December 2001 December, 2001 Dr. Group's Quote of the Month:"Life, love, spirituality and health come with daily practice! Learn to love, forgive and trust yourself. Remember, time does not exist in the past or future! The only time we have is NOW! Change is only a decision away." CONTENTS Featured Product: "ZERO-PAIN" Doctors Third Leading Cause Of Death In The USA Spirituality and Healing in Medicine Health News Enzymes: The Difference Between Raw and Cooked Foods Negative Is Positive: Negative Ions in the Air Reboot Your System Bath Humanity needs to know Strategies to Stay Healthy During This Stressful Time of the Year In The Drug Companies We Trust? Better Butter Dance For Your Health The True Meaning of the Holidays Healthy Recipes Words to Consider and Live By Christmas Carol Quiz Health Encouragement Important Announcement! "ZERO-PAIN" Pain Relief Formula We would like to share with you a new development to help you achieve faster and better results with pain, inflammation and healing time. Zero-Pain is made from the finest organic all natural ingredients chosen for maximum performance and absorption. Ingredients include Emu-Oil, Aloe Vera, MSM, Stabilized Oxygen, Apple cider Vinegar, Herbal Extracts, Capsaicin, Menthol, St. John's Wort, Helichrysum, French Lavender and Chamomile. We use only the best and finest equipment and supplies to ensure the best product available. Zero-Pain can be used to help relieve joint pains, arthritis symptoms, muscle pain and stiffness, sprains and strains and back pain. We guarantee that the Zero-Pain Formula will work better than any other product on the market. Call TODAY! 8 ounce pump bottle = $24.95 To order call: 713-476-0015 DOCTORS THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE USA Dr.Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR: 12,000 -----unnecessary surgery 7,000 -----medication errors in hospitals 20,000 ----other errors in hospitals 80,000 ----infections in hospitals 106,000 ---non-error, negative effects of drugs These total to 250,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!! What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication of treatment. Dr. Starfield offers several warnings in interpreting these numbers: First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients. Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include negative effects that are associated with disability or discomfort. Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM report. If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart disease and cancer. Even if these figures are overestimated, there is a wide margin between these numbers of deaths and the next leading cause of death (cerebrovascular disease). Another analysis 11 concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings with: 116 million extra physician visits 77 million extra prescriptions 17 million emergency department visits 8 million hospitalizations 3 million long-term admissions 199,000 additional deaths $77 billion in extra costs The high cost of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more expensive care. However, evidence from a few studies indicates that as many as 20% to 30% of patients receive inappropriate care. An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 among them die each year as a result of medical errors. This might be tolerated if it resulted in better health, but does it? Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators. More specifically, the ranking of the US on several indicators was: 13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall 11th for post neonatal mortality 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes) 11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males 10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males 10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males 7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males 3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males 10th for age-adjusted mortality The poor performance of the US was recently confirmed by a World Health Organization study, which used different data and ranked the United States as 15th among 25 industrialized countries. There is a perception that the American public "behaves badly" by smoking, drinking, and perpetrating violence." However the data does not support this assertion. The proportion of females who smoke ranges from 14% in Japan to 41% in Denmark; in the United States, it is 24% (fifth best). For males, the range is from 26% in Sweden to 61% in Japan; it is 28% in the United States (third best). The US ranks fifth best for alcoholic beverage consumption. The US has relatively low consumption of animal fats (fifth lowest in men aged 55-64 years in 20 industrialized countries) and the third lowest mean cholesterol concentrations among men aged 50 to 70 years among 13 industrialized countries. These estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report, and if the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the US, following heart disease and cancer. Lack of technology is certainly not a contributing factor to the US's low ranking. Among 29 countries, the United States is second only to Japan in the availability of magnetic resonance imaging units and computed tomography scanners per million population. Japan, however, ranks highest on health, whereas the US ranks among the lowest. It is possible that the high use of technology in Japan is limited to diagnostic technology not matched by high rates of treatment, whereas in the US, high use of diagnostic technology may be linked to more treatment. Supporting this possibility are data showing that the number of employees per bed (full-time equivalents) in the United States is highest among the countries ranked, whereas they are very low in Japan, far lower than can be accounted for by the common practice of having family members rather than hospital staff provide the amenities of hospital care. Journal American Medical Association Vol 284 July 26, 2000 Spirituality and Healing in Medicine By MARJORIE BEKAERT THOMAS, Ivanhoe President Dec. 17, 2001 (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Twenty-six years after writing his book, "The Relaxation Response," Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Harvard-affiliated Mind/Body Institute, is pleased with the growth conferences in spirituality and medicine but still frustrated with the slowness of medical professionals across the country to embrace his findings on the power of spirituality on healing. As the organizer of Spirituality and Healing in Medicine: Practical Usage in Contemporary Health in Boston, Dr. Benson reviewed the scientific findings on the relaxation response for the mixture of clergy and medical practitioners in attendance. He explained that studies establish that we can use our brains to cut off the tendency to worry, thus tapping into our own healing capacities. The method he and his researchers have used is the repetition of a word, phrase or sound. Regardless of whether that word, phrase or sound was secular or religious, in later studies both types of patients reported feeling increased spirituality. They are currently studying whether religion or spirituality in patients will enable doctors to decrease blood pressure medications. Following Dr. Benson, Dr. Harold Koenig from Duke University spoke on the effects religious belief and practice has on health. Dr. Koenig announced that the Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health at Duke University is beginning two-year post-doctoral research fellowships on religion and health. They will begin in the July 2002 and will train eight scientists to conduct research on religion and health and to effectively compete for NIH and private foundation funding in this area. Two slots are still available. Any Ph.D. or M.D. who is interested should contact Dr. Koenig at koenig@geri.duke.edu. Dr. Koenig believes that every doctor who treats a patient should take a "spiritual history" because spiritual beliefs play an important role in the decisions many patients and their families make. Without understanding this, the doctor cannot effectively treat them. Dr. Koenig also said doctors can and should pray with patients, but only after taking this spiritual history to find out that religion is important to them and then only if the patient requests it. SOURCE: Reported by Ivanhoe president Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at the Spirituality and Healing in Medicine: Practical Usage in Contemporary Health in Boston, Dec. 15 - 17, 2001 COMMENT: All I can say is "It's about time!" í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í í HEALTH NEWS Flu Shots and Alzheimer's Many people have asked me to reprint the flu shot information. Here it is from our Oct 2000 newsletter: "According to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, the world's leading immunogeneticist and 13th most quoted biologist of our times (nearly 850 papers in peer review journals), if an individual has had five consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980 (the years studied), his/her chances of getting Alzheimer's Disease is ten times higher than if they had one, two or no shots. (1) I asked Dr. Fudenberg why this was so and he said it was due to the mercury that is in every flu shot (and many childhood shots). The gradual mercury buildup in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction. Is that why Alzheimer's is expected to quadruple? (2) " (1) Dr. Fudenberg at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington, VA September, 1997. Quoted with permission. (2) John's Hopkins Newsletter Nov 1998. News Flash: Andrew Wakefield, MD who has been researching the connections between the MMR shot and autism has just announced that he has been asked to resign from his position at the Royal Free Hospital in London because his research results had been "unpopular" with the medical community. He left his £50,000-a-year job after 14 years, having been told that his ideas were "unwelcome." By coincidence the Dec 2nd Sunday Express [UK] reported on the largest study to date showing a causal link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and the development of autism in children. Dr. Vijendra Singh, lead researcher, studied 200 autistic children, 50 with other brain disorders and 100 'normal' children. He found that nine out of 10 of the autistic children had experienced a reaction to the MMR. Dr. Singh said, "It suggests MMR is not safe in certain children whose immune systems are not able to cope with the three vaccines and this is causing autism. More than 2000 families in the UK are currently involved in a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Health due to adverse reactions from the MMR vaccinations which include convulsions, autism, arthritis, intestinal and other problems. Comment: The 'chilling effect' from Wakefield's firing will send a message throughout the medical community: research vaccine damage and your career will suffer great harm. More Smallpox Info "Professor George Dick, speaking at an environmental conference in Brussels in 1973, admitted that in recent decades, 75% of British people who contracted smallpox had been vaccinated. This, combined with the fact that only 40% of children (and a maximum of 10% of adults) had been vaccinated, clearly shows that vaccinated people have a much higher tendency to contract the disease. " http://www.healingwell.com/library/health/thompson2.htm "In West Germany in 1967 smallpox vaccination damaged the hearing of 3,296 children, and of these, 71 were rendered completely deaf. " http://www.pwgazette.com/kimmelma.html "World health records (England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, British India, etc.) document the devastating epidemics which followed mass vaccination. The worst smallpox disaster occurred in the Philippines, after 10 years (1911-1920) of a compulsory US program which administered 25 million vaccinations to its population of 10 million resulting in 170,000 cases and more than 75,000 deaths from smallpox. http://www.relfe.com/vaccine.html "European countries that refused immunization for smallpox and polio saw the epidemics end along with those countries that mandated it. Other infectious diseases continued their declines in the absence of vaccines." Neil Miller in Vaccines: Are They Safe and Effective? Cipro - Just the tip of the iceberg The November 9, 2001 CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says one in five (20%) of people taking the antibiotic Cipro are experiencing adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, convulsions, rashes, itching, swelling of the face, neck or throat, breathing problems, ruptured tendons, heart rhythm irregularities and psychiatric illness. Since doctors are notorious for underreporting adverse reactions I wouldn't be surprised if it's really 4 out of 5 that are having reactions to the drug, or 9 out of 10. Herd Immunity - Your child is a danger to the community? Has anyone ever said to you, "The reason why your non-immunized kid is safe is because everyone else is immunized" or "Your non-immunized kid is endangering other children"? Herd immunity is a myth. If it worked then why do we see epidemics in highly vaccinated populations? The theory of herd immunity is that if 85% of the population has immunity then everyone else is protected from an epidemic. Well, look at how well herd immunity works: In 1984, 27 cases of measles were reported at a high school in Waltham, MA. Over 98% of the students had documentary proof of vaccination (Nkowane B, et al. American Journal of Public Health. 1987;77:434-438.). In 1985, 157 cases were reported over a 3-month period in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the surrounding Nueces County, despite a vaccination rate of over 99% and significant antibody levels in over 95% (Gustafson T, et al. Measles outbreak in a fully immunized secondary-school population. New England Journal of Medicine. 1987;316:771-774.). In 1989, an Illinois high school with vaccination records for 99.7% of the students reported 69 cases over a 3-week period (Chen R, et al. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1989;129:17382.). And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are reports of epidemics in 100% vaccinated populations. There's no proof the concept of herd immunity occurs in vaccinated populations. The concept of herd immunity, formulated in the early 1900s, was based on natural not artificial immunity (i.e. people getting the disease naturally and having lifelong immunity). MMR: Now get ready for the Quadruple Jab 16 November 2001 Dr David Salisbury, head of immunization at the department of health, has confirmed that the government is considering introducing a new chicken pox vaccine. One option is to combine the new shot with the controversial triple MMR jab. Much to the dismay of parents who believe their children have been damaged by MMR and who want more research into their children's conditions, a trial of the quadruple jab involving 200 children is already under way in Sheffield. Last week the government also introduced another triple jab, combining a new whooping-cough booster for pre-school four year olds with the existing diphtheria and tetanus injection, to be called DTaP. Pre-school vaccines are now one triple DTaP injection, one triple MMR shot and polio drops. Yet this increase in administering multi-doses of vaccines into immature bodies comes at a time when there is increasing concern about their potential combined effects. This week the US Institute of Medicine immunization safety review is looking at "multiple immunization and immune system dysfunction", specifically examining two areas of concern. Does the number of vaccines administered "overload" the capacity of the infant's immature immune system, perhaps impairing immunity to other infections or altering the body's tolerance to self-antigens, thereby contributing to a greater risk for allergic or auto-immune disease? And is there a relationship between any of these proposed outcomes and the number, the route of administration, or the nature of the vaccines and vaccine antigens? By the time they have reached five, children in the UK will have received no fewer than 25 vaccines - 15 of these given in the first five months of life. This compares to a total of 16 being given in 1988 (with only eight before five months) and before the introduction of MMR. Lawyers and families involved in the two multi-million pound legal actions against the pharmaceutical companies now underway in both the US and the UK, maintain the increase in vaccine and increase in auto-immune disease, like autism, is no coincidence and that the answer to both the IOM questions is: yes. Of course they have yet to prove their case. But should the government be careering down the multi-vaccine road until it has definitive answers? David Salisbury at the department of health clearly believes so, recently dismissing concerns thus: "There remains no study that identifies evidence of a link between MMR and autism. And I hope that soon, some of the silliness about MMR will have gone." Er... except that one of the latest studies published in the journal Adverse Drug Reactions suggests all the vaccine safety tests for the triple jab - and the more recent studies looking for possible links - are useless because not one of them followed up any children for more than a few weeks. Prof. Walter Spitzer, a professor of epidemiology in Canada, and Scottish child psychiatrist Ken Aitken, found that children who developed autism after receiving the jab were diagnosed on average about two and a half years after the jab. Therefore, the authors argued, it was "grossly inappropriate to argue that there is no connection if post jab follow-up only lasted six weeks". "The findings reported here warrant repeating prospective and historical safety studies or undertaking them for the first time, in most countries. Such studies should be planned with adequate length of follow-up - ie at least three years." That has not happened with this month's introduction of the latest whooping cough booster - a disease said to cause about nine deaths a year, despite high vaccine uptake of about 95 percent. It was introduced after a DoH-funded study at the Public Health Laboratory Service looked at its administration along with MMR and "identified no safety concerns". The follow-up was for only six weeks. A department of health spokesman said the UK had one of the largest and most successful immunization programs. "If there are vaccines being looked at and coming on to the market, which will protect people against disease or even death, we would be criticized if we ignore it," he said. Cardiovascular Exercise is an Effective Approach for Treating New Infections While some people spend a lifetime trying to hide the fact that they produce sweat, new study findings suggest that the bodily excretion may be a lifesaver. It seems that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may lend a hand in fighting off infections. What's more, German researchers have isolated the gene responsible for the compound. Investigators dubbed the gene -- and the protein it produces -- dermicidin. It can probably limit an infection very early. Sweating is in this way a first line of defense against infectious agents. It seems that dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat and transported to the surface of the skin, the report indicates. This is the first antimicrobial agent found which is produced by cells in the human skin and which is permanently produced -- this means that it provides a constant protection against invading microorganisms,. The investigators found that dermicidin was active against many different types of bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, which are normal inhabitants of the intestines that can infect wounds or contaminate food, as well as Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and Candida albicans (a fungus that is another cause of infections). The findings indicate that human sweat contains at least one antimicrobial protein, which may play a role in the regulation of human skin microbes. Nature Immunology online December 2001;10.1038/ni732 COMMENT: The human body has four elimination routes if you are male and five if you are female: Respiration, sweating, defecation, urination and menses. All of these routes allows the body to eliminate toxic matter. If you are not doing aerobic activity 3 to 5 times a week then 50% of the elimination route is blocked. Aerobic activity should cause you to sweat lightly and you should also be able to have a conversation for 5 minutes without being "winded". Babies of Vaccinated Mothers Susceptible to Measles Babies whose mothers were vaccinated against measles as children may be more susceptible to measles than those born to mothers who were not vaccinated. The investigators believe that this might have contributed to the increase in the number of cases of measles in the US between 1989 and 1991. Infants up to 15 months of age represented only 2% of the US population between 1989 and 1991, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But this group of infants accounted for 24% of the 55,622 cases of measles reported during that period. Women who are vaccinated against the disease have lower levels of infection-fighting antibodies in their blood than those who were infected naturally. Therefore, vaccinated mothers pass on less immunity to their infants, and these children may be more susceptible to infection. To test this theory, Papania's team interviewed the mothers of 128 infants who were 15 months or younger and had been exposed to measles between 1990 and 1992. In infants whose mothers were born after the measles vaccine was licensed in 1963, the measles rate was 33%. In infants born to older mothers, the rate was only 12%. Pediatrics November 1999; 104:e59 Enzymes: The Difference Between Raw and Cooked Foods by: Emily Kane ND ENZYMES: The tiny and enormous difference between raw and cooked foods Virtually all chronic degenerative diseases are caused or aggravated by digestive problems. After the most extensive study on nutrition ever undertaken by the government, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs concluded in its 1978 report entitled "Diet and Killer Diseases," that the average American diet is responsible for the development of chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, stroke, etc. Many of the most common health complaints revolve around a 20-foot, mucus-lined tube that directly interfaces us with our environment. This is no mystery: This is the gastro-intestinal tract, affectionately abbreviated "GI." The job of the GI is to alchemically transmute the food we eat into our flesh, blood, actions, thoughts and feelings... with a little help from our friends the salivary glands, the pancreas, the liver, and most importantly RAW FOOD -- all of which provide (now we're getting to the point) ENZYMES. Enzymes are delicate dynamos. Delicate because they are destroyed by temperatures over 118 degrees (some by as little as 105 degrees), which means that they may not survive even light steaming. Dynamos because they are powerful biochemical catalysts; they speed burning or building reactions in the body according to need. They are specialized proteins, often with long complicated names ending in -ase. The three primary digestive enzymes are protease, lipase and amylase which digest, respectively, protein, fat (lipids), and carbohydrates (which includes sugars). Amylase comes from the salivary glands: carbohydrates start digesting right in our mouth. Have you ever chewed a piece of bread or potato for an extra moment before swallowing, and tasted how sweet it is? (It is a good idea to chew our foods thoroughly; literally making juice in our mouths before swallowing.) Lipase is synthesized principally in the liver and protease comes from the pancreas. Although the enzyme-producing organs continue to function over the entire course of a healthy life, they eventually wear down, especially with the "standard American diet" (which, in the naturopathic community, we call SAD.) Dr. Francis M. Pottenger's nutritional studies have shown that a regular diet of cooked or canned foods causes the development of chronic degenerative diseases and premature mortality. Professor Jackson of the Dept. of Anatomy, University of Minnesota, has shown that rats fed for 135 days on an 80 percent cooked food diet resulted in an increase pancreatic weight of 20 to 30 percent. What this means is that the pancreas is forced to work harder with a cooked food diet. "Although the body can manufacture enzymes, the more you use your enzyme potential, the faster it is going to run out..." wrote Dr. Edward Howell, who pioneered research in the benefits of food enzymes. A youth of 18 may produce amylase levels 30 times greater than those of an 85 year old person. Enzymes are what make seeds sprout. Sprouts are, in fact, one of the richest sources of enzymes. Other excellent sources are papaya, pineapple and the aspergillus plant. Science cannot duplicate enzymes, because they are the stuff of life itself. Only raw food has functional "live" enzymes. Therefore the liver, pancreas, stomach and intestines must come to the rescue and furnish the requisite digestive enzymes to the individual nourished solely on a cooked food diet. This extra activity can be detrimental to health and longevity because it continually taxes the reserve energy of our organs. Furthermore, cooked food passes through the digestive tract more slowly than raw food, tends to ferment, and throws poisons back into the body. Colon cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer in America and is related, in various ways, to eating enzyme-deficient cooked food. Prolonged intestinal toxemia may manifest the following symptoms: Fatigue, nervousness, gasto-intestinal discomfort, recurrent infections, skin eruptions, hormonal disturbances, headaches, arthritis, sciatica, low back pain, allergies, asthma, eye, ear, nose and throat disorders, cardiac irregularities, pathological changes in the breasts, and so forth. All of these conditions have been shown to respond to therapy directed to correcting the bowel toxemia. Of course, it is important to have fiber in the diet to scrub the colon walls clean, but even more important are the enzymes which will allow proper digestion and assimilation of vital nutrients. Cooked food often passes into the bloodstream as unsplit molecules that are deposited, as waste, in various parts of the body. If it is a fat molecule we know it as cholesterol plaque; if calcium, arthritis; if sugar, diabetes. White blood cell count rises dramatically after ingesting a meal of canned or cooked foods ("digestive leukocytosis"). Elevated WBCs are correlated to bacterial infection, inflammation and depressed immunity. Raw foods do not produce this reaction. All raw foods contain exactly the right enzymes required to split every last molecule into the basic building blocks of metabolism: Amino acids (from protein), glucose (from complex carbohydrates) and essential fatty acids (from unsaturated vegefats). You are what you ate: Eat living foods (at least twice daily!). Everyone should be on a good enzyme formula especially at this time of the year. Call Global Healing Center at 713-476-0015 to order the absolute BEST enzyme formula available. Negative is Positive: Negative Ions in the Air In 1974, the Swiss Meteorological Institute first studied problems related to seasonal winds in various regions of the earth. The Foehn that blows across Switzerland, the Sirocco in Italy, the Sharav in the Middle East, and the Mistral in southern France were determined to cause physical and mental effects ranging from headaches and depression to heart attacks. The one common denominator in all these wind variants was the type of electrical charge of the ions in the air. A very high concentration of positive ions was found to be the culprit. Conversely, the air quality studied at the site of a waterfall, in the mountains, or after a spring rain showed significant amounts of negative ions. Further research revealed that human beings respond to negative ion levels above 1000 ions per cc. Scientific research concluded that negatively charged ions have positive effects on living organisms. Plants grow faster and healthier, lab animals are calmed and more able to perform certain tasks, and humans respond with increased alertness and relaxation. In ideal indoor living conditions the ion concentration will be anywhere from 2000-4000 negative ions per cubic centimeter (per cc) with only slightly more positive ions. When this balance is achieved and maintained the results are a healthy ecosystem where plants and animals can thrive. Researchers assert that optimal performance is impossible for a human to achieve in an environment of 1000 negative per cc or less. Unfortunately most of the elements in our modern day environments act as a vacuum for negative ions. Air-conditioning, heating and synthetic fibers in our clothing and furniture cause a severe depletion of negative ions. Pollution from car exhaust, cigarette smoking, fluorescent lighting, electrical and electronic equipment, TV screens, overcrowding and even breathing all contribute to negative ion depletion. The typical home interior can be measured to average 100 negative ions per cc. Workplaces, particularly factories and office buildings, generally have even more harmful air. This is largely due to the steel and concrete fabrication of commercial buildings. These materials absorb the charge of negative ions like magnets. Recent studies measuring air quality of office buildings report an average of 25-50 negative ions per cc! Negative Ions Neutralize Pollutants When released into the air negative ions quickly attach themselves to airborne particles. These include dust, smog, human and animal dander, smoke, allergens and pollution. These floating particles become too heavy to remain airborne and quickly fall to the ground. The creation of negative ions always result in the production of ozone. Ozone is three molecules of oxygen electrically bonded together which has an oxidizing effect on pollution. This oxidation results in the pollution being broken up on a molecular level into its basic chemical constituents. This neutralizes the harmful aspects of these chemicals. The ozone element also acts as a very powerful germicide quickly destroying bacteria molds and small fungus. Effects on Health Researchers believe that negative ions: - Stimulate the reticulo-endothelial system, a group of defense cells in our bodies that marshal our resistance to disease - Act on our capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen. Negative ions in the bloodstream accelerate the delivery of oxygen to our cells and tissues - Speed up oxidation of seratonin (5-hydroxtryptamine) in the blood. This is well known to have far reaching effects on mood, pain relief and sexual drive. Ionizers are often used as an alternative to drugs such as Prozac to treat of depression. Other noted benefits: - Offices and organizations using negative air ionizers have found employees are less likely to get colds, report in absent and are frequently more cheerful and alert. - Use of negative air ionizers in closed and artificial atmospheres of submarines and spacecraft has proved beneficial. - A 40-year study at UC Berkeley included the observation of brainwave amplitude rising by 20%! The study also demonstrated a considerable increase in alpha brainwave patterns and synchronization of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. How Ionizers Work Most ionizer manufacturers use the "corona discharge" method of producing negative ions, copying the same electrical mechanics as an electrical "lightening" charge. Negative ions are dispersed in all directions into the room. The ions leaving the ionizer are small, high velocity ions, found to be the most beneficial to health. When they collide with particles of smoke, odor, pollen, dust or other pollutants, the negative ions pass on their static charge and are attracted to the nearest surface, a wall or floor. As the ions drift through the room, pollutants cluster around the ions, they grow in size and fall to the ground. The ability of an ionizer to remove very fine particles from the air makes it extremely valuable for health. Recent studies indicate that smaller particle put stress on our immune systems. Removing microscopic particles can restore vitality to the air. The quoted range of an ionizer is usually the distance which it can maintain a certain concentration of ions. Beware that a poorly designed ionizer may emit ozone and with it, nitrous oxide. These substances can be toxic. The accepted level of ozone is 0.1 ppm (parts per million.) "REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM" BATH A long warm bath is an excellent way of relieving the stresses and strains of a busy day. This bath mixture has two added bonuses. First it moisturizes the skin as it gently soothes away cares and troubles. The essential oils induce sleep. The scent quiets the mind. The warmth relaxes the body. The experience soothes the soul. INGREDIENTS: 2 teaspoons almond oil 10 drops lavender Essential oil 5 drops marjoram Essential oil INSTRUCTIONS: In a small dish measure out all the oils. Mix together and pour them into the bath with the water running. Allow yourself time to enjoy "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." ~ Sylvia Plath Humanity needs to know that: We are biological (not technological or medical) creatures; natural is the way. Our biological/physiological dietetic constitution is frugivore. Alive raw fruits, succulent plants, seeds and nuts are the foods which constitute our natural, most delicious and most healthful diet; "live foods for live people" is the watchword. Cooking food is an act of destruction, creating toxins; cooked meat and grains are carcinogenic. Every nutrient we need is available in fruit and plant foods; there is no need to kill and eat dead animals. A meal of an apple is immeasurably nutritionally superior to any cooked food meal. Simple eating is not boring--it is deliciously liberating and reverses aging! Our bodies know how to self heal disease--we merely have to step out of the way, live on simple raw juices, and/or fruits and vegetables, or on water, get rest and sleep and the body will detoxify and heal. Germs do not cause illness--they are all beneficial, working symbiotically with the body to help digest plant foods, synthesize some vitamins and clean up wastes. We cannot become healthy if we attempt to drug and continue to pollute our bodies with medicines and dead deranged "foods." Every drug or medicine is poison and has no healing power. There are no quick fixes or short cuts to health--only the body itself can regenerate a healthier body, and it needs a clean diet and supportive conditions to do that. Relying on outside modalities for healing disempowers us; relying on Providence for self healing is the way to actualize perfect health and maximum longevity. There are no mysteries behind why we get sick--the information describing the cause of and way to overcome every illness, and the proper professional help, is here and available to everyone. Disease is not inevior out of our control--we only become diseased if we poison and enervate our bodies and minds. No one need fear "getting sick". "Getting sick" is nature’s way of detoxifying and telling us that we need to correct our thinking and live more healthfully. Perfect health and joyous living are our birthright, and we can all move toward their realization every day, on the glorious healthful living path. ~~Forgiveness is giving up all hopes for a better past.~~ Healthy During This Stressful Time of the Year At the first sign of illness, slow down immediately and rest to prevent the illness from taking hold. It is better to stop activity in the short term rather than having your activity stop you. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get 8 hours of sleep, relax often, eat moderately, drink plenty of pure waterand decrease consumption of alcohol, coffee, and sugar. [eliminate these completely for good health!] Sugar almost immediately decreases immune function. Viruses are often passed by touch. Wash your hands frequently and avoid shaking hands with those who are already sick. Eat very lightly at first sign of feeling badly in a non-specific way - it is especially useful to cut back toonly fruits and vegetables. Follow your body's inclination. If you are hungry, eat more and if not, eat less. Make choices that promote strong immune function. A few examples include: switching from coffee to tea consumption which has antibacterial and antiviral action; eating garlic liberally, for its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal activity [Be sure it's raw]; and adding organic yogurt to your diet as it sets up a beneficial situation in the colon, helping to strengthen this underpinning of good health. [Raw sauerkraut is excellent for vegans] Drink one quart of pure apple-cider vinegar distilled water... for every 50 pounds of body weight. Avoid all other fluids, coffee, tea, and sodas. Take a long, hot bath with a teaspoon of added Eucalyptus or Thyme oil (unless you are taking homeopathic medicines). Towel-dry and then pop into bed for a deep rest. In The Drug Companies We Trust? Filed November 7, 2001 To hear the drug companies tell it, in this time of national crisis, they’ve been as patriotic as Patrick Henry, as generous as Andrew Carnegie, and as selfless as Mother Teresa. Which would be true if Patrick Henry had proclaimed, "Give me liberty or give me profits!," Mother Teresa had enlisted Calcutta’s lepers as lobbyists, and Andrew Carnegie had spent millions on self-aggrandizing full-page ads. During a slew of recent high-level meetings with the likes of homeland security czar Tom Ridge, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, and even the president himself, the pharmaceutical industry’s chief executives have been eagerly exploiting the current crisis to make their lifelong legislative dreams come true: lower drug approval standards, less oversight, less regulation and immunity from lawsuits. This rancid lobbying campaign is being sweetened with the cherry-flavored rhetoric of munificent patriotism. Most inventively Orwellian were the comments of Alan Homer, head of PhRMA, the drug industry’s trade group. "This is not about profits," he said. "It is not about patents. It is about making sure we have an adequate supply of medicines available to the American people." And Peter Dolan, chief executive of Bristol-Meyers, proudly claimed: "We are part of the nation’s defense system. As an industry, there is a real opportunity for us to give our resources in a time of great need." Mr. Dolan must be using a different dictionary, because mine defines "giving" as "making a present of" — not "figuring out a way to make a ton of money while taking advantage of the nation’s bioterrorism fears." Instead of listening to what the drug companies say, we need to look at what they do. Take the deal that Bayer cut with Thompson to provide Cipro to the government at the special price of 95 cents a pill, marked down from its previous special price of $1.77. It sounds good until you realize that it costs Bayer about 20 cents to make a Cipro pill, which means that the company will still be making hundreds of millions of dollars off the anthrax attacks — to say nothing of the priceless free publicity the rush on Cipro has brought. "There will be so much trust," predicted Bayer CEO Helge Wehmeier. "We’ll benefit greatly from this." I’m sure America’s anthrax victims will be very happy to hear that. Give the drug companies credit for admirable consistency, though. In AIDS-ravaged sub-Saharan Africa, they fought tooth and nail for years to keep low-cost generic versions of their AIDS drugs off the market, thus dooming millions in their "time of great need." And these are the people we’re supposed to have "so much trust" in during a crisis? At this very moment, the Federal Trade Commission is investigating charges that Bayer conspired to keep a low-cost generic version of Cipro off the market by illegally paying three of its competitors a total of $200 million. Think of that: At the same time the public is worrying whether there is enough of the drug available, Bayer is actually paying other companies hundreds of millions of dollars not to produce it. And the fact that the company had a spare $200 million sitting around for corporate payola proves how insanely lucrative the drug business is. We can’t even trust the drug companies on the safety of their products. Just this summer, Bayer was forced to pull its best-selling drug, Baycol, off the market after it had been tied to 52 deaths — and hundreds of severe reactions — in this country alone. So when Helge Wehmeier promises us that "everyone in America can be assured that there is and there always will be enough Cipro on hand," I, for one, do not feel assured. Unfortunately, our elected watchdogs in Washington have no more immunity to the drug companies’ pressure than they do to smallpox. The pharmaceutical industry, which has 625 registered lobbyists -- more than half of whom are either former members of Congress or former government employees, spent a whopping $177 million on lobbying in the last two years. Washington’s revolving door, of course, spins both ways. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was formerly CEO of drug giant G.D. Searle, and White House Budget Director Mitch Daniels was a senior vice-president at Eli Lilly. As for the pair’s current colleagues, they are acting like they swallowed some sort of gullibility pill. Ridge said he was "grateful" for the drug companies’ strings-attached offers of help, while Thompson called the offers "generous." This is a very bad sign indeed. Our government backed the drug companies when they allowed business considerations to take priority while millions died in Africa. Now that the suffering has hit closer to home, and the American people face a future potentially laced with anthrax, smallpox and God knows what else, we simply cannot allow those in charge of our health and safety to abandon the public interest in favor of moneyed special interests. President Bush is right when he reiterates that America’s new war is being fought on two fronts, foreign and domestic. But what he doesn’t say is that the domestic front isn’t just about fighting those plotting to spread disease and sickness. It’s also about fighting those plotting to place profits ahead of lives. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly." BETTER BUTTER Better Butter is just a mixture of organic butter and healthy cold-pressed oil--such as olive, canola or safflower. You make it by letting organic butter soften to room temperature and then mixing equal parts of it with oil in a blender. (To wash the blender after emptying, just put some hot water and a few drops of dish soap init, put the lid on and turn it on for a few seconds, rinse and dry.) The Better Butter will set up in the fridge and be more spreadable directly from the refrigerator than plain butter. Butter should not be left out on the counter as it is comprised entirely of fat and will go rancid quickly. Of course, the other reason for making Better Butter is reducing the saturated fat and increasing the favorable EFA's. Use it in ALL baked goods calling for butter or shortening with great results! Dance for Your Health By Laurel Kallenbach Maybe you're mad about mambo or you've got disco fever. Does a samba really send you? Ever been wild for a waltz? Or jazzed from a jitterbug? Take away the inhibitions that hold us back, and everybody loves to dance - to move their limbs to music with abandon. There's no doubt about it - dance lifts your mood and gets your heart pumping. Just a few minutes of swinging around the ballroom will make you realize that dance is a great way to stay in shape. "Dance gets you into your body," says Nancy Cassman, a dance/movement therapist and founder of Express Your Self, a dance and movement center in Boulder, Colo. "In our society, people sit at desks and on couches all the time, and we've become very brain-oriented," she points out. "Dance bridges the gap between the brain and the body so that you tap into your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental being." Cassman believes wholeheartedly that when you start moving your body, you'll start moving the energy in your life too. One reason is that dance releases endorphins, so it functions as a mood enhancer. Part of her work as a movement therapist is exploring how and where people experience emotion in the body. In dance movement therapy, movement - especially the sensual, rhythmic response aroused by dance and music - is used as a way of bypassing the conscious mind and making contact with the inner emotional world. Through dance, hidden emotions can be expressed in a nonverbal way and accepted by the conscious self. Move Your Body "When you get into your body and use your senses, you naturally feel more grounded and more present," says Cassman. "And, you'll feel better - it's that simple." Dance's physical benefits include: Increase in range of motion and flexibility. Lubricates connective tissue and joints to help you maintain better health. Stretches and strengthens muscles. You move in a variety of ways when you dance, so, many different muscle groups get worked. Improves circulation throughout the body and brain. Works the heart and lungs, thereby improving cardiovascular health. Burns calories, making it a fun way to manage weight. The Soul of Dancing - Freedom of Expression "I think dance is a spiritual experience - it's a manifestation of joy!" Cassman says. "When you dance, you're using your body; you feel alive, you're happy. I think our purpose in life is to figure out how to use our bodies as instruments of joy. When you align your spirit with your body, you become a fluid, expressive, in-the-moment creature." Though dance has many of the same physical benefits as other forms of exercise, it goes one step farther. By adding rhythm and music into the mix, you add the element of inspiration. Plus, dance frees your creativity as you try out different ways of moving. Most popular forms of dance let you open up your creativity and express yourself. For instance, Latin and African classes, while being highly aerobic, also allow time for you to ad-lib your movements with the lively music. One of the hottest movement trends now is NIA (it stands for "neuromuscular integrative action") - a type of dance that integrates mind, body and spirit. NIA classes blend movements from ballet and jazz dance, the martial arts, yoga and tai chi so students can achieve cardiovascular benefit; improve strength, balance and flexibility; and learn about breathing and consciously moving energy through the body. The results can be very freeing, since much of NIA is self-expressive. Women also flock to belly-dancing, a sensual and ancient art. Belly-dancing encourages you to freely move the abdomen, an area that most women tend to hold rigid. Instead of sucking your stomach in, you thrust it out during belly-dancing, so you get to shed some inhibitions and move in ways that society tends to frown on. Self-Esteem Booster Another advantage of dance is that it can help you feel more self-assured. When you're dancing for enjoyment, you shed inhibitions and gain self-confidence in your body. "Dance helps tremendously in self-esteem issues," Cassman emphasizes. "In my studio, I work with many shy and withdrawn children who literally come out of their shells after just two or three weeks of dancing," she says. "As they free up their self-expression, they develop a much better sense of themselves. For instance, my daughter has a wonderful presence when she's dancing, but she doesn't feel so confident at school. So, we focus on how self-assured she is while she's dancing, then transfer that feeling to school." The key to developing self-confidence through dance is to choose a class that's fun and is suited to your skill level. Finding the right teacher is important too - you want someone who's supportive and encouraging. "What ruins dance for most people is an environment where they feel slow or inadequate," says Cassman, who adds that the right dance class will keep you motivated and help you gain self-confidence. The Clothes Make the Dancer When you're choosing clothing to move in, keep in mind that you want to feel unfettered. Whether you choose tights, tanks or tees; a svelte unitard; or a loose, flowy dress, your dance clothes will be as much an expression of yourself as how you move. Here are a couple of things to remember: Choose clothing that won't bind or restrict your movement. You should be able to bend low or reach high and your clothing should provide both adequate coverage and maximum move-ability. Be sure the fabric you wear is breathable. Organic cotton is always nice, although many stretchy fabrics will also feel natural on your skin. Also, be sure that an expandable, comfortable waistband allows you to breathe easily. Whether you dance in a class, with a friend at a club, or alone in your living room, you're having fun and being healthy. And, while you're moving your arms and feet, you're also moving your soul - because it's hard to be sad when you're dancing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The True Meaning of the Holidays By: Deborahann Smith Gifts: Surveys show this is what first comes to mind when many people think of the holidays. While it's true that the season has been commercialized over the years, we actually have maintained the right idea in our seasonal celebrations - it is about giving. Christmas, of course, has its roots in the Christian religion. Literally meaning "Christ mass," December 25 is the day Christians celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, Christ, the son of God, in a manger in Bethlehem. "God so loved the world that he gave us his only son," says the Rev. Dr. James R. Ryan, council executive for the Colorado Council of Churches. "This is the true meaning of Christmas: God's love for us all and how that love coming into our lives leads us to care about and give love to others," Ryan explains. From Christmas to Santa Claus It's hard to imagine how a jolly old man in a red suit and white beard could be associated with the spiritual celebration of Christ's birth and Christmas. However, somehow this tradition wove its way into the season via 4th-century Turkey, where a wealthy and generous bishop named Nicholas often gave gifts to children. After Nicholas died, he was made a patron saint of children and his holiday was December 6. Later, in The Netherlands, the saint's name, Sinter Nikolass, was shortened to Sinter Klaas. As Dutch immigrants settled in the United States, the name evolved into Santa Claus, and thus Santa's gift-giving worked its way into Christmas. The Art of Giving Whether your own holiday celebration involves Santa Claus, traditional Christian rituals, or your own personal tradition, there are many opportunities to tap into the season's true meaning as you consider choosing gifts. Here are five ways to make gift-giving more meaningful this year. 1. Thoughtful Gifts "Consider what someone would really enjoy," says Ryan. What can you give that's straight from the heart? Has a friend mentioned a book or CD he would like to have? Does your aunt beam when she receives a simple bouquet of flowers? Does your daughter love it when you knit her a new pair of mittens each year or make her a special kind of fudge? Perhaps your mother likes a sentimental card and a book of stamps. "One of the best parts of giving," says Ryan, "is knowing a gift is received with joy." 2. Gifts of Time Do you know someone who could benefit from some quality time? Perhaps a relative might receive pleasure from a visit, listening to his stories as you sit by the fire. A newcomer to your neighborhood or office who doesn't have a lot of acquaintances in town might feel most appreciative if you take the time to invite her for lunch or a cup of coffee. Often, a little personal time can go a long way. 3. Gifts of Service Service operates on so many levels. It can be something simple such as vacuuming a family member's room once a week for a month - "You can write your service on a piece of paper and wrap it up as a gift," Ryan suggests. Or you could shovel an elderly neighbor's driveway, or cook a meal or offer a night of free baby-sitting to a busy friend. Ryan also recommends extending service to organizing your family or office group to volunteer at a nursing home or homeless shelter, either over the holidays or throughout the year. 4. Gifts to Charitable Organizations Write a check to an orphanage, community food share program or adopt-an-animal foundation. Donate directly or give in the name of family, colleagues or friends. 5. Gifts of Support Unfortunately, many people face loneliness and personal loss during the holidays, which interferes with their enjoyment of the season. Wonderful gifts for these people might be as simple as taking the time to listen, possibly connecting them with a spiritual advisor or counselor, or inviting them to a holiday gathering. Whatever your faith, the true meaning of the holidays - giving the gift of love - is a powerful message. Not just on your given holiday celebration, but every other day of the year as well. RECIPES VEGAN BANANA BREAD 1 1/2 cups flour -- whole wheat 1/2 cup wheat bran 1/2 cup wheat germ 3/4 cup turbinado sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 bananas -- mashed 1 apple -- finely chopped Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 F for 60-75 minutes in a greased and floured loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on its side. CREAMY CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP Serving Size : 12-14 32 ounces fat-free chicken broth -- 4 cups (homemade, defatted) 8 cups potatoes -- peeled and cubed 1 1/2 cups onion -- chopped 1/8-1/4 tsp. celery seed 1/2 tsp. black pepper 4-6 cloves garlic -- minced 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 2 1/2 cups 2% milk (or rice or soy milk) 1 tablespoon chives -- dried 1 teaspoon salt -- to taste cheese and / or soy bacon bits (optional) Place first 6 ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Reduce to Low and cook 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender. Increase to High heat. In a mixing bowl, place flour and gradually whisk in milk until flour and milk are well blended. Stir into soup. Mix in chives. Cook uncovered on High for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until soup is thick and creamy. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Serve with extra chives, or topped with cheese or soy bacon bits. CAJUN PECANS 1 pound pecan halves 4 tablespoons butter -- melted (organic) 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes. Turn on low, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2 hours. Transfer nuts to a baking sheet and cool completely. Comments: Pack nuts into glass jars and decorate with bows for holiday gifts. WORDS TO CONSIDER AND LIVE BY Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future. Love ... and you shall be loved. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. All people smile in the same language. A hug is a great gift ... one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange. Everyone needs to be loved ... especially when they do not deserve it. The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity. Laughter is God's sunshine. Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it. It's important for parents to live the same things they teach. Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for. Happy memories never wear out ... relive them as often as you want. Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow. Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it. Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together. The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for. Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others. You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back. Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are. CHRISTMAS CAROL QUIZ Can you decipher the REAL titles of these exaggerated titles of very familiar Christmas tunes? From dark 'til dawn, soundless and sanctimonious. Celestial messengers from splendid empires. In a distant bovine diner. Universal elation. Ornament the enclosure with large sprigs of berry-bearing evergreen. Miniature Nazarene village. May Jehovah grant unto you hilarious males retirement. Those of you who are true, come here! Are you detecting the same aural sensations as I am? The diminutive male of less than adult age who plays a percussion instrument. Primary Yuletide. Heavenly cherubs announcing in song--listen! Reigning monarchs of the Far East. Proclaim it to the hills. HEALTH ENCOURAGEMENT By: Loretta Lanphier, CCN As the year 2001 swiftly comes to an end many of us will be contemplating our goals for 2002. A very important consideration should be our health and well being. For the past four months I have made a conscious attempt to "watch" people. I have done this at the grocery store, restaurants, in parking lots and in shopping malls. On the average at least 85% of the people that I observed were over-weight. Many looked tired, stressed and hurting (both physically ∓ emotionally). I have had conversations with people who complained how bad they felt about their excess weight all the while stuffing a doughnut/potato chips/pastry/candy bar, etc. into their mouth or sipping on a soda...sort of like wanting to put out a fire but continually adding gasoline! When it comes right down to it, folks, the most important consideration should be what we are putting into our bodies. In all disease diet plays such an important role. Try as we may to convince ourselves that what we eat really doesn't matter (believe me when I say I hear this ALL the time..."My doctor says it doesn't matter what I eat.") the bottom line and the TRUTH is that it does matter IF you want to have a healthy body. What goes in is what shows on the outside. Refined white sugar and flour, hydrogenated oils, processed foods, sodas, sugary fruit drinks, dairy and meat that is full of antibiotics and hormones, etc. all add to weaken the immune system which most certainly will cause early disease and aging. Let's decide to be very mindful of what we put into our bodies in the year 2002. Do whatever it takes to get your body and emotional being healthy. By continually "working on ourselves" we can offset most degenerative disease. The choice is up to each individual...not your doctor, not your spouse, not your friends...YOU! And guess what, this is attainable by EVERY person...no one is so bad off that they can't make a decision to work on themselves...THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! I challenge each of you to think about areas in which you can improve yourself...both inside and outside. Our main goal at Global Healing Center is to educate the whole person and provide the absolute best in supplements and nutritional programs. What we recommend works and we desire for EVERY person to have the tools necessary to bring their bodies into total health. Let us help you...we are only a phone call away. :o) Wishing all of you a very peaceful and joyful Holiday Season and a healthy New Year! Thank you for allowing us to serve you this past year. Dr. Edward F. Group III, D.C. Loretta Lanphier, CCN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! For those of you in the Houston area, Dr. Edward F. Group III will be speaking at the International Wellness Conference to be held in Galveston at Moody Gardens Hotel and the Galveston Island Convention Center. January 16-22, 2002 Dr. Group's Topic will be: "The Cause and Prevention of All Degenerative Disease" For more info: www.iwellcon.com (click on speakers) For those not able to attend you may purchase the cassette tape "The Cause ∓ Prevention of All Degenerative Disease" from Global Healing Center for $7/postage paid. Call 713-476-0015 or email Loretta@globalhealingcenter.com to get your copy. DISCLAIMER: The views and nutritional advice expressed by Global Healing Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice. We do not claim to "cure" disease, but simply help you make physical and mental changes in your own body in order to help your body heal itself. PLEASE PASS THIS NEWSLETTER ON TO OTHER POTENTIAL SUBSCRIBERS.