Introduction

'What everyone knows' is sometimes wrong.

"When it comes to science, including medical science, history might even suggest that what 'everyone knows' at any given time turns out later to have been wrong to some degree. Scientific understanding has progressed after all, and it has often progressed by overturning earlier theories. But even as it's widely recognized that science has progressed, it's usually forgotten that this very progress has often meant superseding or rejecting earlier ideas. And the notion that a contemporary consensus might be wrong seems unbelievable to most people." says Professor Emeritus Henry Bauer. *

On MaieLiiv.com you will be introduced to many individuals who challenged 'what everyone knows.'

You will learn about the work of medical geographer Harold Foster PhD, his theories on what causes certain diseases including Alzheimer's, MS and AIDS; and his micronutrient formula for reversing the symptoms of AIDS. You will read about the work of Abram Hoffer MD PhD who treated over 5,000 schizophrenics with nutrients and not pharmaceuticals. According to Linus Pauling**: "You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a nutritional deficiency." You will learn about orthomolecular medicine and you will understand why it is not appropriate to treat nutrient-deprived brains with psychiatric meds.

You'll be introduced to the concept of brain allergies and how they can be the cause of mood disorders. Certain foods, especially wheat and dairy, can alter the electrical activity of the brain. They can even alter the electrical activity of the heart. Do you feel the controversy over the risk of cancer and cognitive dysfunction from exposure to radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields is overblown? Recent experiments show that the pulsed signals emitted by a cordless phone system reliably produced measurable and clinically significant disruptions in cardiac rhythm of 10 of 25 healthy volunteers. Research with PET scans shows that holding a cell phone to the ear increases activity in regions of the brain closest to the antenna.

And, yes, there is a perfect diet - it's the diet that is perfect for you, only you. Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics look at the interrelationships between food components and key cellular processes including inflammation, hormonal regulation, and cell division/differentiation. There are implications for health maintenance: for prevention of obesity, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. There are also very significant implications for 'mental' illness. And, obviously, implications for the choice of nutritional supplements: vitamins, minerals, and herbs and spices.

On MaieLiiv.com you'll find an extensive section on gluten intolerance. According to recent statistics, only 3% of us have outright celiac disease (the numbers are growing), but about 70% of us have the genetics which indicate gluten could be a problem. Some doctors believe that number is closer to 90%. Sometimes depression is the only indicator of gluten intolerance; sometimes it's osteoporosis; and sometimes celiac disease gets misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) or other autoimmune and neurological diseases.

You will read about new approaches to treating cancer. Nicholas Gonzalez MD and Linda Isaacs MD divide patients into metabolic categories, depending on their unique genetic, biochemical and physiological make-up. Each patient receives an individualized diet and nutrient/supplement protocol including pancreatic proteolytic enzymes. Richard Linchitz MD administers a kinder gentler type of chemo called Insulin Potentiation Therapy. With IPT a patient gets only 10% of a regular dose of chemo, but it goes directly to the cancer cells and does not affect the healthy cells. Patients do not feel sick during the process. Molecular biologist Mirko Beljanski PhD felt that cancer was caused by damage to the hydrogen bonds holding together the two strands of the DNA double helix and identified substances that could destabilize DNA function and cause cancer cells to multiply. He also identified substances capable of repairing damaged cells and killing malignant cells.

According to Konstantin Buteyko MD, hyperventilation is at the root of most chronic diseases. The Buteyko method, a shallow-breathing technique was first used by Soviet cosmonauts to conserve oxygen in outer space, and later by people with heart and lung problems. Now it's popular with asthmatics who are able to prevent attacks and lessen their dependence on inhalers and medications. The technique is great for athletes and swimmers. Learn why to breathe 'less', is to breathe' normally.'

Obviously there's more to illness than physical trauma, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental toxins. Most of us have emotional trauma. We are generally not equipped to deal with memories and issues from the past which continue to haunt us. The sections on Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology explain how rebalancing the body's energy field can restore health by reversing both physical and emotional symptoms. The work of William Bengston PhD is fascinating and you'll see (possibly for the first time) the scientific proof for 'energy healing.' Donna Eden demonstrates an energy-boosting routine and Norm Shealy MD PhD shows you how to 'bounce' for your health.

Keep an open mind. Have fun reading MaieLiiv.com. I hope you find the information interesting and useful.

* Henry Bauer (1931), Professor Emeritus of Chemistry & Science Studies and Dean Emeritus of Arts & Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.)
** Linus Carl Pauling (1901 - 1994), chemist, activist, educator. Nobel Prize Chemistry 1954, Nobel Peace Prize 1962

Sections on nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics; new material on cancer treatment; detox methods; electromagnetic fields; and placebos will be added in Sept/Oct 2011.

Medical Geography, Harold Foster PhD, micronutrients for AIDS

What is medical geography? Why do certain diseases occur in some places in the world and not in others? Medical geography studies the effect of environment - locale, climate, geology, geochemistry, and soils - upon health. Harold Foster, PhD was a medical geographer who devoted his life to finding innovative, accessible and affordable solutions for preventing disease and alleviating suffering.

The Harold Foster Foundation is dedicated to implementing his vision. Harold Foster's books: What Really Causes AIDS, What Really Causes Multiple Sclerosis, What Really Causes Schizophrenia, and What Really Causes Alzheimer's can be found under Dr. Foster's work/publications and can be downloaded for free. In the near future, his two finished, but unpublished books: What Really Causes Breast Cancer and What Really Causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome will also be available.

Harold Foster believed that although various genes were linked to diseases, environment and nutrition were the great keys because chemicals and nutrients can 'turn genes ON or OFF.' This aspect of medicine is being studied in the science of EPIGENETICS. Your genes may be a biological liability, but not necessarily your destiny. Foster's favorite mineral was selenium and his favorite saying was: "Don't forget to take your selenium."
www.hdfoster.com

Foster Health Inc. is a biotechnology company whose core business is to uncover and cure the cause of disease and not merely treat the symptoms. The cause is usually nutrient deficiencies. Replenish+™ was formulated using orthomolecular principles to provide key nutrients for optimal immunity. A nearly identical micronutrient formula was used to reverse the symptoms of AIDS in a successful clinical trial (2006) at Mengo Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. 10-minute video
www.fosterhealth.ca

"The market for truth is very small. Comfort is in great demand." Harold Foster

Orthomolecular Medicine: treating disease with nutrients

The term 'orthomolecular' was introduced in 1968 by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. Ortho is Greek for 'correct' or 'right.' Orthomolecular means the 'right molecule.' Orthomolecular Medicine is the practice of preventing and treating disease by providing the body with optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to create biochemical balance. Genetic factors affect not only the physical characteristics of individuals, but also their biochemical milieu. There is significant genetic variability in the biochemical pathways of the body. Diseases such as depression, schizophrenia, cancer, or atherosclerosis are associated with specific biochemical abnormalities which are causal or contributing factors.

Treatment should be individualized and always under the supervision of a health practitioner - an MD or an ND or a nutritionist or health consultant who has studied orthomolecular nutrition. Supplements are frequently used in mega dose amounts to achieve a "cure." What is appropriate for one individual may not be enough for someone else, or may be excessive for yet another. Many nutrients have a 'see-saw' relationship. If you take excessive amounts of one nutrient as a supplement, you may depress another equally important nutrient.

Vitamins are safe - even in mega dose amounts.

Why do we need supplements when we eat all the right foods?

Caution: Similar to over-fertilizing a plant, consuming excessive amounts of supplements may put an additional burden on the body as it works to eliminate the excess.

Check your supplements. Are they natural or are they synthetic? Do they contain potentially toxic additives like fillers, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, flavoring agents, coloring agents, coating materials and preservatives?

Both the Society for Orthomolecular Medicine and the International Schizophrenia Foundation (see link at www.orthomed.org ) hold regular Toronto public information sessions about Orthomolecular Medicine and Mental Health. ISOM deals with physical health. ISF deals with mental health. Subscribe to the email event list: centre@orthomed.org

You can read dozens of articles describing the benefits of Orthomolecular Medicine at the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

www.orthomed.org
www.orthomolecular.org
www.orthomolecularhealth.com

Abram Hoffer MD PhD, orthomolecular treatment of schizophrenia,
the last interviews - video with Jeffrey Bland PhD, audio with Eva Herr

Abram Hoffer MD, PhD used orthomolecular medicine instead of pharmaceuticals to treat over 5,000 people with schizophrenia. He used to ask new patients what they wanted to do when they were well. Being well included relating with family, working and paying taxes. In most cases he was able to restore their lives. In Harold Foster's words: "Doctor Abram Hoffer cured several thousand schizophrenics over the last 50 years. He uses high dose niacin and vitamin C and a few other nutrients like selenium. The effect is enormous. Many of his patients start taking nutrients regularly and then go on to university and become physicians, lawyers, politicians, etc. Schizophrenics who don't get this treatment …….. For his successes, Abram has been attacked relentlessly by the medical profession for half a century."

"How can something that makes well people sick, make sick people well?" Abram Hoffer

Jeffrey Bland, PhD, an internationally recognized authority on nutritional medicine, interviewed
Dr. Hoffer in December 2008. 10 minute video
www.jeffreybland.com

Eva Herr, author, intuitive, and host of internet radio talk show The Infinite Consciousness interviewed then 91-year-old Dr. Hoffer in May 2009. The interview is profoundly touching as
Dr. Hoffer insisted on proceeding even though he was weak and very close to death. Dr. Hoffer told Eva Herr that her job was to continue to publicize his work so there would be others like him to carry on. Close to the end of the interview he remarks that all 'psychiatrists should be exported to Mars - we'd be better off without them.' 50-minute audio (Please wait for audio to download completely.)
www.evaherr.com

Professor Bonnie Kaplan, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary: "If substantiated in controlled trials, the normalization of the mentally ill via nutrient supplementation would be the most significant breakthrough in the field of mental illness since the beginning of time." Micronutrients: Revolution or false hope? A new approach is drawing both praise and censure. Albert Nerenberg reported in the Montreal Gazette.

Cognitive dissonance: the confusion felt at the discrepancy between what one already knows and believes to be true, and new information.

An astounded pharmacist asked if I could provide testimonials to the efficacy of Dr.Hoffer's nutrient protocols. The best testimonials are on the Abram Hoffer memorial guest book pages of the Orthomolecular Medicine site.

Here are some of Dr. Hoffer's books: Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone: Megavitamin Therapeutics for Families and Physicians (2008, with Andrew Saul); Feel Better, Live Longer With Vitamin B-3: Nutrient Deficiency and Dependency (2007, with Harold Foster); Naturopathic Nutrition: A Guide to Nutrient-rich Food and Nutritional Supplements for Optimum Health (2006, with Jonathan Prousky); User's Guide To Natural Therapies For Cancer Prevention and Control: Learn How Diet and Supplements Can Help Prevent and Treat Cancer (2004); Healing Children's Attention & Behavior Disorders: Complementary Nutritional & Psychological Treatments (2004); Healing Schizophrenia: Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments (2004); How to Live With Schizophrenia (2003); Hoffer's Laws of Natural Nutrition: A Guide to Eating Well for Pure Health (1996.)

Read more about schizophrenia from research published in Genome Biology (2008.) "Here, we compare changes in gene expression and metabolite concentrations in the human brain and compare them to the changes seen in a disorder known to affect human cognitive abilities, schizophrenia. We find that both genes and metabolites relating to energy metabolism and energy-expensive brain functions are altered in schizophrenia and, at the same time, appear to have changed rapidly during recent human evolution, probably as a result of positive selection."
http://genomebiology.com:80/2008/9/8/R124

Depression and mood disorders, causes and solutions

Depression! There is no objective guide for a diagnosis of depression and there are no medical tests. Before you take that antidepressant…. is it really depression?

Could it be hormone imbalance, low progesterone, low testosterone, adrenal exhaustion, or thyroid imbalance? Could you be low in iodine, vitamin D, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, folic acid, or essential fatty acids?

You might be consuming insufficient protein and you may have amino acid deficiencies. You might even be eating all the right foods, but if you're low in digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid you may not be digesting and absorbing nutrients. Mild nutritional deficiency may affect normal brain function before other physical manifestations become evident.

Have you been exposed to toxins - mercury, cadmium, lead, carbon monoxide?
Do you smoke?
Do you have leaky gut syndrome or candidiasis (yeast overgrowth) or parasites?
Have you been checked for Lyme disease and other bacterial or viral infections?
Do you have food intolerances - especially dairy and grains (gluten?)
Do you have brain allergies - especially dairy and gluten? Nutritionist Patrick Holford explains brain allergies. Brain allergies are generally unrecognized and underestimated.
Sometimes depression is the only presenting symptom of celiac disease.
Are you hypoglycemic or diabetic? Do you have a leaky heart valve or heart disease?
Do you snore or have sleep apnea? Do you have an inner ear problem?
Are you getting enough exercise and sunlight?
Do you hyperventilate? (For the significance of hyperventilation in health, read about Buteyko breathing in the final section of this webpage.)
Are you sensitive to electromagnetic fields?

Have you checked your medication for adverse effects?

Most of the things mentioned above also apply to other mood disorders. For instance, people with anxiety are almost always magnesium deficient and frequently hyperventilate.

Remember, although you may have a genetic predisposition, look at it only as a biological liability and not as destiny. Everything you eat and drink, everything you breathe, everything you expose yourself to, even everything that you think, triggers your genes to act in beneficial or detrimental ways.

In her consulting practice Carolyn Dean, who is both a medical doctor and a naturopath, finds that most of these problems are overlooked by modern medicine. When doctors hear a patient say he or she is depressed, they are programmed to prescribe an antidepressant and look no further for the cause. Dr. Dean has spent the last thirty years providing people with information on how to stay healthy by using natural methods and avoiding drugs and hospitals. She's the author of 19 books including Death by Modern Medicine. She's an expert on magnesium deficiency www.nutritionalmagnesium.com, yeast overgrowth (candidiasis) www.yeastconnection.com, and also hormone imbalance, IBS and bowel disease, and most other chronic diseases.
www.drcarolyndean.com.

Here's a 'must read' article about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease 'from head to toe.'
www.celiac.com

Carolyn Dean MD ND supplied this explanation about candidiasis/yeast overgrowth.

Zoltan Rona MD MSc supplied another 'must read' article about leaky gut syndrome.

Professor Bonnie Kaplan, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary: "If substantiated in controlled trials, the normalization of the mentally ill via nutrient supplementation would be the most significant breakthrough in the field of mental illness since the beginning of time." Micronutrients: Revolution or false hope? A new approach is drawing both praise and censure. Albert Nerenberg reported in the Montreal Gazette.

Dr. Dean recommends EMPowerplus as a clinically proven orthomolecular vitamin and mineral treatment for depression. (Discuss with a qualified medical practitioner and use with caution if sensitive to phenylalanine.)
www.truehope.com

James Greenblatt MD, psychiatrist and integrative medicine pioneer, writes about biochemical individuality: " Did you know that, genetically speaking, you are different from every other person on this planet? Your DNA, or the genetic blueprint responsible for building and maintaining your body, is not even identical to that of your family's. Tiny changes in the DNA called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are part of the cause. Although usually vey minor, SNPs make each person's body function slightly differently. For instance, specific enzymes, which are proteins that make things happen in your body, may be more active in some people, and less active in other people."

"The idea that everyone is biologically unique, is called biochemical individuality, and it does have implications for your body's nutritional needs. Because of biochemical individuality your body will require different amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids for it to function optimally both physically and psychologically. Two people with a deficiency of the same nutrient may demonstrate different symptoms due to the deficiency. One may become
depressed: the other, not. Individual facts such as age, stress level and co-occurring medical conditions can affect nutritional status. "

Dr. Greenblatt's book Answers to Anorexia: A Breakthrough Nutritional Treatment That is Saving Lives explains that anorexia is a complex disorder with genetic, biological, psychological, and cultural contributing factors. It is not primarily a psychiatric illness, but rather a medical illness of starvation that causes malnutrition in the body and the brain. Many patients recover when their nutritional deficiencies are corrected.

In the acknowledgments section of his recent book about depression Dr. Greenblatt writes: "I would like to thank the thousands of patients who have led me to think about what truly helps rather that what is supposed to help." In The Breakthrough Depression Solution: A Personalized 9-Step Method for Beating the Physical Causes of Your Depression , Dr. Greenblatt lays out a proven approach to identifying and healing the physical contributors to depression, which may include nutrition, genetics, hormones, and stress. "Finding the right treatment is easier than people think and may be as simple as taking a vitamin or mineral tablet. Dr. Greenblatt discuses the latest technology and the may test available to ensure that medications and other treatments are targeted to each individual's unique biochemistry for the best possible outcome."
www.comprehensivepsychiatricresources.com

Michael Schachter, MD, orthomolecular psychiatrist and practitioner of nutritional medicine, has written about the possible causes of depression, how to evaluate them, and how to treat them in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Depression: The Breakthrough Integrative Approach for Effective Treatment. Dr. Schachter feels it's important to think about depression in a multidimensional way. The book begins with questionnaires to help determine what may be contributing to 'depression.'
www.mbschachter.com

The link between inflammation of the brain and subsequent behavioral dysfunction and infections; nutritional deficiencies; and environmental substances, such as foods, chemicals and electrical fields, has long been proposed by forward-thinking doctors and researchers. In Brain Allergies, The Psychonutrient and Magnetic Connections William Philpott MD and Dwight Kalita PhD explain in layperson's terms how supernutrition, magnetic therapy, and other cutting-edge therapies can offer hope for those suffering from so-called untreatable conditions. Dr. Philpott writes in his dedication: "To those patients who have sought so hard to find answers to their ecological and nutritional problems. Those parents falsely accused of causing illnesses in their children that were in truth ecologic and nutritional in origin. Those researchers and clinicians swimming against the traditional tide of drug palliative, symptomatic relief while simultaneously exploring not only the mysteries of man maladaptively reacting to his physical environment, but also the nutritional factors involved in all such reactions."

www.hriptc.org Pfeiffer Treatment Centre & Health Research Institute, research, articles

www.patrickholford.com Patrick Holford, articles, A-Z of Nutritional Healing, books: Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs, Natural Highs (safe and effective alternatives to prescription drugs, with Hyla Cass MD)

www.cassmd.com Hyla Cass MD, articles, videos, books: Supplement Your Prescription (prescription drugs can rob you of the very vitamins and minerals your body needs to overcome your current health condition,) Natural Highs (with Patrick Holford)

www.rhinebeckhealth.com Kenneth Bock MD, articles, book: Healing the New Childhood Epidemics (How most of the symptoms of autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies are triggered by deadly modern toxins, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, genetic vulnerabilities, and assaults on the immune and gastrointestinal systems.)

www.moodcure.com Julia Ross MA, book The Mood Cure

www.alternativementalhealth.com over 100 articles, non-drug approaches for mental health

Could it Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnosis by Sally Pacholok RN BSN and Jeffrey Stuart DO is the definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment. "Do you suffer form fatigue, anemia, depression or frequent falls? Is your child diagnosed with a developmental delay or autism? Has your loved one been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer's or MS?" This is an underground classic that has saved lives and is a must-read for everyone.

See also the sections on Specialty Laboratories and Specialty Pharmacies.

Epigenetics, nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics

Information to come.

Supplement your prescription, Hyla Cass MD; MedicationSense, Jay S. Cohen MD

Prescription drugs can rob your body of vitamins and minerals. If you are taking pharmaceuticals it's beneficial to 'supplement' your prescription to help prevent the depletion of nutrients and to minimize the adverse effects. Find out how by reading Supplement Your Prescription by Hyla Cass MD, psychiatrist and practitioner of integrative medicine.
www.cassmd.com

"For every dollar we spend on prescription drugs, we spend a dollar to fix a complication. Understanding how nutritional supplements affect these drugs could make them safer and more effective." Mehmet Oz MD. Read what Hyla Cass MD has to say in a Huffington Post article: Is Your Medication Robbing You of Nutrients?

In his introduction to MedicationSense.com Jay S. Cohen MD writes that medication errors are the #4 cause of death in the U.S. annually (JAMA 1998) and that's just the statistics from hospitals; adding adverse reactions in outpatients would make the numbers even greater. He writes mainly about medication side effects and their prevention and a little about natural alternatives to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of treatment. Dr. Cohen is the author of Over Dose: The Case Against the Drug Companies.
www.medicationsense.com

Dangers of pharmaceuticals, brain-disabling treatments: Peter Breggin MD,
Gwen Olsen, Heather Ashton DM, Jay S. Cohen MD, David Healy MD, Linda Andre

If you are taking medication and especially if you are getting worse, please read: Your Drug May be Your Problem by psychiatrist Peter Breggin. Dr. Breggin is also the author of Toxic Psychiatry, Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Murder, The Antidepressant Fact Book, Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry. Dr. Breggin writes in the Huffington Post (June 2009): "Modern biological psychiatry reflects and reinforces the worst in human values. Instead of liberating the spirit of overburdened and overwhelmed people, psychiatry denies and rejects the human spirit. It makes up fake biochemical theories that drive people to feel even more helpless. Most tragically, psychiatry then subdues the spirit by blunting the functions of the brain. "

In February 2010 Dr. Breggin became involved in the US congressional hearings on antidepressant-induced suicide in the military. He presented scientific evidence that antidepressants cause suicide, violence and mania and emphasized the profound danger of prescribing these drugs to heavily armed young men and women under stress on active military duty. Dr. Breggin writes: "Military suicides have risen rapidly in recent years at the same time that the prescription of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs has escalated." "According to the army, in 2007, 17% of combat troops in Afghanistan were taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills. Inside sources have given me an even bleaker picture: During Vietnam, a mere 1% of our troops were taking prescribed psychiatric drugs. By contrast, in the past year one-third of marines in combat zones were taking psychiatric drugs. The army confirms that since 2002 the number of suicide attempts has increased six-fold." Huffington Post (June 2009)
www.breggin.com

Gwen Olsen, a former pharmaceutical sales representative once considered 'one of the best of the best,' explains how medication can kill you in: Confessions of an RX Drug Pusher. Your medicine cabinet can kill you. Gwen Olsen spent 15 years as a pharmaceutical sales rep until she lived through several conscious-altering experiences. Olsen describes how her niece Megan committed suicide by setting herself on fire, thus 'ending her tortured life as a victim of the adverse effects of prescription drugs.' Gwen Olsen herself was both victim and survivor of life-threatening adverse drug reactions.
7-minute video
www.gwenolsen.com

Benzodiazepines, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the western world, are considered safe and effective drugs for short-term administration. They are used as sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and amnesic agents for minor surgery. However, when used for long term, they lose much of their therapeutic efficacy and may also produce a large range of adverse effects: impaired psychomotor performance, ataxia, muscle weakness, vertigo, poor memory and mental confusion, apathy, joint and muscle pain. Occasionally benzodiazepines produce paradoxical stimulant effects and provoke aggressive and hyperactive behaviour, increased anxiety, irritability, nightmares, permanent insomnia, and exhaustion. They can also aggravate depression and provoke suicide. Addiction is common. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe.

According to Heather Ashton, emeritus professor of clinical psychopharmacology, many long-term benzodiazepine users will have long-term, possibly permanent physical problems even after they stop. For Dr. Ashton’s manual: Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw please see
www.benzo.org.uk

Jay S. Cohen MD expert on medications and side effects, associate professor of preventive medicine, and author of Over Dose: The Case Against the Drug Companies writes about akathisia, a serious life-threatening adverse effect.

"The first type of akathisia occurs most commonly with antidepressant medications. Acute anxiety, panic, restlessness, intense physical agitation, mental turmoil, fears of losing one's mind, create a state that is difficult for people to bear. In severe cases, thinking may become disorganized, and judgment is often impaired. Behaviour can become impulsive. Suicidal thinking may occur. Severe akathisia is a medical emergency. Because of the seriousness of this reaction, all antidepressant medications carry black box warnings in their package inserts. In addition, antidepressants such as Prozac specifically include akathsia among their lists of adverse reactions.

Another form of akathisia is seen with medications known as neuroleptics. These medications are also known as anti psychotics and frequently administered to people with mania or schizophrenia. These drugs can trigger an akathisia that resembles some aspects of Parkinson's disease. This akathisia produces symptoms that are mainly physical, such as a constant need to move around, to pace, or be in motion." "Many doctors are not familiar with akathisia and tell patients to continue taking the medication."

Akathisia can occur not only with antidepressants and neuroleptics, but also with other drugs. Dr. Cohen recently reported on akathisia related to the use of Cipro. Cipro is a commonly used antibiotic!
www.medicationsense.com

Joseph Glenmullen MD is the author of two books on the side effects of antidepressants. In Prozac Backlash and The Antidepressant Solution he documents the dark side of antidepressants, the possible long-term toll they may take, and gives a step-by-step guide to safely overcoming antidepressant withdrawal, dependence, and "addiction." Dr. Glenmullen has also given expert testimony in state and federal cases regarding the side effects of psychiatric medication.
www.drglenmullen.com

In 'Let Them Eat Prozac: The Unhealthy Relationship Between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Depression' David Healy MD writes that he was one of the psychiatrists who prescribed Prozac. He soon observed that some of his patients became agitated and even attempted suicide. Could the new wonder drug actually be making patients worse? In an attempt to understand the varying effects of different antidepressants, Healy recruited twenty healthy non depressed volunteers. They were to keep diaries of their emotions. Two of the volunteers suddenly became suicidal. "We had veered away from the brink of disaster. Goodness only knows how we'd have handled it if anything had actually happened," said Healy. Dr. Healy discusses antidepressants and suicidality on the BBC special report Mind Games. 7-minute video
(Windows Media Player required)
www.healyprozac.com

The same David Healy MD co-authored with Edward Shorter Shock Therapy: A History of Electroconvulsive Treatment in Mental Illness. They endorse a point of view that is hotly contested in professional circles and in public debates, and state that ECT offers hope to clinically depressed patients who do not respond to drugs. Linda Andre has countered with Doctors of Deception: What They Don't Want You to Know About Shock Treatment. She examines the claims made for ECT and exposes them for what they are - brain-disabling treatments. Here's a book review by a psychiatrist who used to practice ECT. (While Dr. Healy was able to recruit healthy volunteers for a study on antidepressants, it's unlikely he would have been able to recruit volunteers for a study on ECT.)

'Disturbing News for Patients and Shock Doctors Alike' is the title of a Huffington Post article by Peter Breggin MD. "Headed by a lifelong defender and promoter of shock treatment, Harold Sackheim, a team of investigators has recently published a follow up study of 347 patients given the currently available methods of electroshock, including the supposedly most benign forms and confirmed that electroshock causes permanent brain damage and dysfunction."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-peter-breggin/disturbing-news-for-patie_b_44734.html

Comment: There were clinical trials for pharmaceutical A and there were clinical trials for pharmaceutical B and there were clinical trials for pharmaceutical C, but there were no clinical trials for pharmaceuticals A+B+C. If you are on several medications YOU are the trial and the outcome might not be what you expected.

Here's what a MedPage Today article has to say about the continuing growth of psychiatric polypharmacy: "Significant time trends appeared to be mainly limited to concomittant prescription of two or more antidepressants or antipsychotics as well as combinations of antipsychotics and antidepressants," the researchers wrote. In their discussion of the results, they took a dim view of these trends. They noted that there was some evidence that combining antidepressants can improve the efficacy. But they also indicated that such combinations raise the risk of adverse effects." Some antidepressants inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes and thus impact the metabolism of other psychotropic medciations, including other antidepressants." "Are there studies showing that two drugs or three drugs are better than one drug? The answer is no." Here's the article.

According to the UCLA Newsroom (April 8, 2010) a simple test can detect signs of suicidal thoughts in people taking antidepressants. "....it has long been known that a small subset of individuals taking these drugs can actually experience a worsening of mood, and even thoughts of suicide. No clinical test currently exists to make this determination, and only time - usually weeks - can tell before a psychiatrist knows whether a patient is getting better or worse." Researchers from the UCLA Department of Psychiatry report that by using quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), a non-invasive measurement of electrical activity in the brain, they were able to observe a sharp reduction of activity in a specific brain region in individuals who proved susceptible to thoughts of suicide within 48 hours of the start of treatment. The placebo participants did not show this precipitous drop in brain activity.

The side effects of withdrawing from medications can be debilitating and weaning off should always be done under medical supervision. Those who find it overwhelming to cope with the anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, brain zaps and headaches associated with withdrawal, will find help in the book How to Get off Psychiatric Drugs Safely. Contents: a step by step nutritional program, pre-tapering and tapering instructions for benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety, anticonvulsants, sleep medications; antidepressants, antipsychotics, ADHD medications; tapering off multiple psychiatric drugs. Information, including the book, is available for free on The Road Back website.
www.theroadback.org

International Guide to the World of Alternative Mental Health is considered the world's largest site on non-drug approaches for mental health. "Thousands of people around the world have recovered from mental disorders and now enjoy the simple pleasures of a drug-free life. Most were told this was impossible. Many others have been able to significantly reduce their dependency on psychiatric medication. Commonly these people find that underlying their 'mental' disorders are medical problems, allergies, toxic conditions, nutritional imbalances, lack of exercise, or other treatable physical conditions. Our site has testimonials and over 100 articles."
www.alternativementalhealth.com

Beyond Meds is the brilliant blog of "Gianna Kali" who entered the mental health system and was misdiagnosed and force-treated after she had adverse effects from taking psychedelic drugs. It is the documentation of her journey off psychiatric drugs as well as an introduction to alternative forms of care for mental health disorders regardless of whether one is on medications, off medications, or coming off medications. "All diagnosis can potentially respond to natural treatments. It's possible for anyone to consider life without medication." Beyond Meds has multiple links and resources to information on psychiatric drug withdrawal (cold turkey is dangerous) and many basic ideas about how to avoid psychiatry and use natural and healthful alternatives. Gianna Kali continues to have 'chemical injuries' from pharmaceuticals.
www.bipolarblast.wordpress.com

From www.Breggin.com: "Most psychiatric drugs can cause withdrawal reactions, sometimes including life-threatening emotional and physical withdrawal problems. In short, it is not only dangerous to start taking psychiatric drugs, it can also be dangerous to stop them. Withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should be done carefully under experienced clinical supervision. Methods for safely withdrawing from psychiatric drugs are discussed in Dr. Breggin's books: Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry; Drugs, Electroshock and the Psychopharmaceutical Complex; and Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Crime."

Gluten (cereal grains, bread, pasta), celiac disease

More information to come.

Critical! Read this blog: www.wheatbellyblog.com and read the book Wheat Belly by William Davis MD (cardiologist.)

Wheat Belly looks at how eliminating wheat - even the so-called healthy whole grain wheat - from our diets is the key to permanent weight loss and relief from a broad spectrum of health and digestive problems. You will be surprised and shocked. Not only celiac disease, but also heart disease, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, bone density, psoriasis, hair loss, inflammation, arthritis, neurological disorders, dementia, depression and other mood disorders......etc, etc.

Modern-day wheat has been genetically altered to provide processed-food manufacturers the greatest yield at the lowest cost. Wheat has become a nutritionally bankrupt ubiquitous ingredient and a major immune system disruptor. Our bodies and our brains no longer recognize it as food.

William Davis writes: "Fourteen-chromosome wild grass has been transformed into the forty-two-chromosome, nitrate-fertilized, top-heavy, ultra-high-yield variety...." He describes his struggle "to come to terms with what has to be one of the biggest nutritional blunders conducted on an international scale."

Here's a 'must read' article about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease 'from head to toe.'
www.celiac.com

www.dangerousgrains.com

Life Without Bread Christian B. Allan & Wolfgang Lutz MD

In The Paleo Diet Loren Cordain PhD explains the genetics and the evolutionary history that determines what the ideal diet should be.
www.thepaleodiet.com

Candidiasis, yeast overgrowth
Leaky gut syndrome

More information to come, meanwhile, Carolyn Dean MD ND has supplied this explanation for candidiasis or yeast overgrowth, and Zoltan Rona MD MSc has supplied this article about leaky gut syndrome.

Life in a toxic chemical marinade:
EWG, Mirko Beljanski PhD, Slow Death by Rubber Duck, Chemerical, Doris Rapp MD, Environmental Illness Resource,
Fluoride, mercury, aspartame

Babies are coming into this world pre-polluted with toxic chemicals. A recent study by the Environmental Working Group found traces of close to 300 industrial byproducts and pesticides in umbilical cord blood. What influence does this toxic environment have on genes?
www.ewg.org

What is the influence of our toxic environment on genes? Some of the answers come from the research of biochemist and biologist Mirko Beljanski PhD who studied DNA and RNA biology for almost 30 years. DNA is the genetic material of a cell. It consists of 2 strands of molecules wound together as a double helix. The strands are bound together by hydrogen bonds. Dr. Beljanski demonstrated that pollutants, carcinogens and toxic molecules interfere with the structure of DNA and provoke abnormal destabilization of the double strands. He found that the structure of the DNA in cancer cells differed from normal DNA in that it contained some permanently open loops which allowed more carcinogenic substances to come between the strands of the double helix and lead the DNA to uncontrollable replication. He developed a test to check substances for carcinogenity. Pesticides and most of the rest of the contributors to our 'toxic marinade' show carcinogenity. Read more about Dr. Beljanski and his search to restabilize DNA in the Cancer section of this website.
www.beljanski.com

The headlines scream: Meds Lurk in Drinking Water, Drugs on Tap, Freaky Fish Mutations. And they're true. We're dosing ourselves with such high levels of pharmaceuticals that our streams, rivers, lakes and drinking water are being medicated with antibiotics, antidepressants, birth control pills, blood pressure and cholesterol drugs, and chemotherapy drugs. Most prevalent, apparently, are the over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Water and sewage treatment plants aren't designed to remove all drug residues. The amounts are tiny, measured in parts per trillion, but research shows that's enough to harm fish and other aquatic species, and that human cells can fail to grow normally in a laboratory when exposed to these trace concentrations. Scientists do not yet understand the risks of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals. It's all on the internet.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health shows that we are all guinea pigs in an experiment on how chemicals affect us. The authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie use their own bodies as test subjects to show us how poisoned and toxic we are from what we ingest and what we inhale. There are toxins in our blood and urine from: shampoos, toothpaste, deodorant, make-up and artificially fragranced body care items; from phthalates, flame retardants, stain repellants, air fresheners, fabric softeners, non-stick cookware, outgassing carpets and upholstery, pesticides, herbicides, paint, household cleaning products. Household dust is polluting our blood. It's time to clean up our act. Slow Death by Rubber Duck also shows us how. excerpt
www.slowdeathbyrubberduck.com

Environmental documentary film maker Andrew Nisker asked the Goode family to kick their chemical habit in Chemerical. The typical Canadian family with three teenagers removed upwards of 45 toxic cleaning products existing, seemingly innocently, in their cupboards and switched to eco-friendly natural cleaners. At first it wasn’t easy, but today baking soda, water, vinegar, borax, essential oils and soap replace ammonia, naphthalene, chlorine bleach, etc. Air quality was tested before and after. trailer
www.chemicalnation.com

Doris Rapp, MD, author of Our Toxic World, a Wakeup Call, is an environmental medical specialist and pediatric allergist. Our Toxic World is about chemicals and how they damage: our immune systems causing infections, allergies and cancer; our endocrine system causing thyroid and adrenal disease, and diabetes; our nervous system causing learning and behaviour problems; our reproductive system causing sexual difficulties and changes.

Dr. Rapp states that "Environmental illness can be every bit as real as that caused by germs…and trigger serious problems." Many of these problems result from atypical and unrecognized forms of allergies. The wide range of symptoms includes: "fatigue, moodiness, depression, irritability, hyperactivity, aggression, and an inability to focus and remember." Here are 29 TIPS to help keep chemicals out of your body and out of the environment.
www.drrapp.com

The link between inflammation of the brain and subsequent behavioral dysfunction and infections; nutritional deficiencies; and environmental substances, such as foods, chemicals and electrical fields, has long been proposed by forward-thinking doctors and researchers. In Brain Allergies, The Psychonutrient and Magnetic Connections William Philpott MD and Dwight Kalita PhD explain in layperson's terms how supernutrition, magnetic therapy, and other cutting-edge therapies can offer hope for those suffering from so-called untreatable conditions. Dr. Philpott writes in his dedication: "To those patients who have sought so hard to find answers to their ecological and nutritional problems. Those parents falsely accused of causing illnesses in their children that were in truth ecologic and nutritional in origin. Those researchers and clinicians swimming against the traditional tide of drug palliative, symptomatic relief while simultaneously exploring not only the mysteries of man maladatively reacting to his physical environment, but also the nutritional factors involved in all such reactions."

The Environmental Illness Resource is an information resource and interactive community site for people suffering from a range of chronic illnesses which are poorly understood. These conditions are grouped under the title of 'Environmental Illnesses' and they include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and allergies. Make sure you read the article on Intestinal Dysbiosis and the Causes of Disease by Leo Galland MD and Stephen Barrie ND.
www.ei-resource.org

Information on fluoride, mercury and aspartame to come.

Electromagnetic fields

Information to come.

Vitamin D
Zoltan Rona MD, Vitamin D Council, D*Action, SUNARC

Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc. has been practicing preventative and complementary medicine for over 30 years. He is the author of numerous books including the Alive Books series and the editor of the Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. Early on in his practice he realized that virtually nothing in conventional medicine ever treats the cause of the health problem and the patient continues to have the same problems over and over again. He started recommending diet changes and natural remedies and found that the results for patients were superior. There was no going back to just drugs and surgery. You can read dozens of articles under the HEALTH LINKS section of his website. His articles on Swine flu hype and hysteria, and flu shot alternatives are a must. In his most recent book, Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin (Alive Books), Dr. Rona explains that the deficiency of this essential vitamin is one of the root causes of a number of dangerous chronic conditions including depression, cancer, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.
www.mydoctor.ca/drzoltanrona

"Vitamin D's influence on key biological functions vital to one's health and well-being mandates that vitamin D no longer be ignored by the health care industry. Technically not a 'vitamin,' vitamin D is in a class by itself. Its metabolic product, calcitriol, is actually a secosteroid hormone that targets over 2000 genes (about 10% of the human genome) in the human body. Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more."
www.vitamindcouncil.org

D*Action is a consortium of scientists, institutions and individuals committed to solving the world-wide vitamin D deficiency epidemic. Learn about the diagnosis and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency, find out about seminars, and find out how you can get in on the action.
www.grassrootshealth.net

William Grant PhD has a doctorate in physics and a 30-year career in atmospheric sciences. He turned to epidemiological studies in 1996 and in 2000 he recognized that solar ultraviolet-B affected the risk of many types of cancer. He is currently investigating the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of various types of disease. SUNARC is the Sunlight, Nutrition And Health Research Center.
www.sunarc.org

Magnesium

Information to come.

www.nutritionalmagnesium.com
www.magnesiumforlife.com
www.ancient-minerals.com
www.naturalcalm.ca
www.angstrom-mineral.com

Linus Pauling: "Without minerals, vitamins are useless."

Iodine

Please read the article 'Iodine is Safe and Effective' by Jeffrey Dach MD

Immunizations/vaccinations, flu shots

Before you get that flu shot, or any other shot, read about writer George Galt's trip through healthcare hell. The reaction of his immune system was extreme. How many of us have less obvious immune system injuries? This article A Shot in the Dark appeared in Toronto Life magazine.

Shiv Chopra PhD is a microbiologist and human rights activist who worked for Health Canada for 35 years. His name is synonymous with food safety. Dr. Chopra writes about the health risks of vaccinations: "Vaccines contain foreign proteins from the infectious organism as well as material from the artificial media in which these organism are grown such as: bovine serum, horse serum, chicken egg, monkey kidney, insect cells and even human fetal cells. They may also contain other harmful substances, including mercury, aluminum, formalin, oily adjuvants, etc., plus an untold number of stray viruses with the potential to cause cancer, HIV, serum-hepatitis, and other illnesses.

Evidence indicates that except for smallpox, no other infectious disease has been eradicated despite decades of vaccination against each of these diseases. During the same period, the incidence of many previously uncommon diseases, such as autism, diabetes, allergies, and cancer, has been increasing in pandemic proportions."
www.shivchopra.com

Reducing the Toxic Effects if Forced to be Vaccinated, Russell Blaylock MD

1. Number one on the list says Dr Blaylock, is to bring a cold pack with you and place it on the site of the injection as soon as you can, as this will block the immune reaction. Once you get home, continue using a cold pack throughout the day. If you continue to have immune reactions the following day, have cold showers and continue with the cold press.
   
   
2. Take fish oil. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil supplements, is a potent immune suppressant. If you take high dose EPA you will be more susceptible to infections, because it is a powerful immune suppressant. However, in the case of an immune adjuvant reaction, you want to reduce it. Studies show that if you take EPA oil one hour before injecting a very powerful adjuvant called lipopolysaccharide (LPS), it would completely block the ability of the LPS to cause brain inflammation. Take a moderate dose everyday and more if needed to tame a cytokine storm.
   
   
3. Flavonoids are third on the list, namely curcumin, quercetin, ferulic acid and ellagic acid, particularly in a mixture. The curcumin and quercetin in particular have been found to block the ability of the adjuvants to trigger a long-term immune reaction. If you take it an hour before the vaccination, it should help dampen the immune reactions says Dr Blaylock.
   
   
4. Vitamin E, the natural form that is high in gamma-E will help dampen the immune reactions and reduces several of the inflammatory cytokines.
   
   
5. An important ingredient on the list is Vitamin C at a dose of 1000 mg, taken four times a day between meals. It is a very potent anti-inflammatory and should be taken in a buffered form, not as absorbic acid, says Dr Blaylock.
   
   
6. Also use astaxanthin as it's an anti-inflammatory. According to Dr Blaylock, fatal reactions to vaccines in aboriginal and African children occurred in those who were deficient in carotinoids, like astaxanthin. It is a good protection against the toxic effects of the vaccine.
   
   
7. Likewise, it was found that children who were deficient in zinc had a high mortality rate. Zinc is very protective against vaccine toxicity. (Do not use zinc mixed with copper however, as copper is a major trigger of free-radical generation according to Dr Blaylock).
   
   
8. Ensure you avoid all immune-stimulating supplements, such as mushroom extracts, whey protein and beta-glucan.
   
   
9. Take a multivitamin-mineral daily ¬ one that does not contain iron. This multivitamin-mineral is to make sure your body has plenty of B vitamins and selenium. Selenium, said Dr Blaylock, is very important for fighting viral infections and it reduces the inflammatory response to vaccines.
   
   
10. Magnesium citrate/malate 500 mg of elemental magnesium two capsules, three times a day.
    
    
11. What is very important is vitamin D3, which is the only 'vitamin' the body can manufacture from sunlight (UVB). It is a neural hormone, not really a vitamin says Dr Blaylock and helps if you are over-reacting immunologically by cooling down the reaction. Similarly, if you are under-reacting, it helps to boost your immune response. In addition it also protects against microorganism invasion.
    Black people and those in colder climates are particularly deficient, so they will almost certainly require supplementation.
    
    Dr Blaylock recommends that following vaccination it will help to keep the immune reaction under control if:
    
    i) All children get 5,000 units a day for two weeks after the vaccine and then 2,000 a units a day thereafter;
    
    ii) Adults get 20,000 units a day after the vaccine for two weeks, then 10,000 units a day thereafter;
    
    iii) And with that adults should take 500-1000 mg of calcium a day and children under the age of 12 years should take 250 mg a day, as vitamin D works more efficiently in the presence of calcium.
    
    
12. Ensure you avoid all mercury-containing seafood or any other sources of mercury, as the heavy metal is a very powerful inducer of autoimmunity, is known to make people more susceptible to viral infections and will be in (H1N1) vaccines.
    
    
13. Avoid the oils that significantly suppress immunity and increase inflammation - such as corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, canola and peanut oils.
    
    
14. Drink very concentrated white tea at least four times a day. It helps to prevent abnormal immune reactions.
    
    
15. Pop parsley and celery in a blender and drink 8 ounces of this mixture twice a day. Dr Blaylock says the parsley is very high in a flavonoid called apigenin and that celery is high in luteolin. Both are very potent in inhibiting autoimmune diseases, particularly the apigenin, so go and plant some parsley in your garden now.
    

Dr. Blaylock is a retired neurosurgeon who has devoted full time to nutritional research.
www.russellblaylockmd.com

Stress: Gabor Mate MD, Ken Hamilton MD - H.O.P.E., Éiriú Eolas

Stress and the conflicts it creates play out in body symptoms. Your body is not failing you. It's using physical symptoms to solve the problem.

Disease is often the body's way of saying 'no' to what the mind cannot or will not acknowledge. In When the Body Says No Gabor Maté, MD writes about the hidden cost of stress - particularly the hidden stresses we all generate from our early programming.
www.whenthebodysaysno.ca

Welcome to H.O.P.E. (Healing of Persons Exceptional) where we know that at the core of their being all humans strive to be healthy and whole - a process called healing. H.O.P.E. was founded by Ken Hamilton, MD the author of Soul Circling: The Journey to the Who. "This book is all about finding out who you really, really, really are and what life has called you to do."
www.hopehealing.org

Éiriú Eolas (Gaelic for 'growth of knowledge') is a stress-reduction program which incorporates breathing techniques and meditation.

Curious? Have a look at www.eiriu-eolas.org.

For ways to de-stress, select from the menu:

Orthomolecular medicine
Magnesium
Normal breathing
Energy-boosting routines

Lyme Disease

Information to come.
www.nationallymereport.com is fierce advocate and resource for Lyme patients.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Sarah Myhill MB BS - CFS as mitochondrial dysfunction
Jonathan Prousky ND MSc - CFS as a disorder of microcirculation (to come)
The impact of breathing on disease, K.P. Buteyko MD
Farabloc: pain relief, phantom limb pain, fibromyalgia
The Environmental Illness Resource

UK-based Dr Sarah Myhill has seen and treated thousands of patients with CFS and knows there is a route to get well which entails a whole package of treatment. The basics are the same for everyone. Dr. Myhill works out the underlying nutritional, biochemical, immunological, toxic, hormonal, and lifestyle mechanisms that cause the symptoms. She considers the central cause of CFS to be mitochondrial dysfunction or failure. Mitochondria supply energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate.) ATP is the universal currency of energy used for all sorts of biochemical jobs from muscle contraction to hormone production. When mitochondria fail, the supply of ATP is poor and cells go slow because they do not have the energy supply to function at normal speed. This means all bodily functions go slow. Some patients get well with her standard work-up with respect to vitamins and minerals; essential fatty acids and amino acids; diet, pacing and sleep. Many need a specific package of supplements to further support mitochondria: D-ribose, CoQ10, acetyl-l-carnitine, NAD (B-3), magnesium and B12. All information is available for free from her website including a 140-page download of her book Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Download now.
www.drmyhill.co.uk

Dr. Myhill writes at length about the importance of proper breathing. Many CFS patients have a sensation that they are not getting enough oxygen to their tissues. They respond by breathing more deeply. "However blood cannot be more than 100% saturated with oxygen. All that happens is that more carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood. This makes oxygen cling more fiercely to hemoglobin in red blood cells and therefore oxygen delivery to the tissues is made worse. Paradoxically, to improve oxygen supply to the tissues, you have to breathe less! Breathing less increases carbon dioxide levels and improves oxygen delivery."

"Lowering carbon dioxide levels in the blood has other dire effects. It upsets the acidity of the blood and causes what is known in medical jargon as respiratory alkalosis. This causes all sorts of awful symptoms such as panic attacks, pain, fatigue, feeling spaced out and dizzy, brain fag, brain fog and so on."

Dr. Myhill writes that hyperventilation never made sense to her until she read Dr. Konstantin Buteyko's book on normal breathing.

Normal breathing is nasal. Normal breathing is mainly diaphragmatic. Normal breathing is slow.
Normal breathing is imperceptible. Hyperventilation (or breathing more than the medical norm of six liters per minutes at rest) results in tissue hypoxia. Breathing more means less oxygen in cells. There is a prevalence of hyperventilation in chronic diseases. Artour Rakhimov, PhD discusses the work of Konstantin P. Buteyko, MD.
www.normalbreathing.com

Farabloc is an electromagnetic shielding fabric which "reduces pain in human subjects who suffer from phantom limb pain and delayed on-set muscle soreness when assessed in placebo-controlled cross-over designed studies. The mechanism behind these observations is not known. Other authors have speculated that the alteration in EMF may have biological effects secondary to stabilization of the cell membrane and enhancement of antioxidant properties. This could explain the reduced levels of anti-inflammatory markers in the delayed muscle soreness study. Alteration of EMF by shielding from high-frequency exposure could alter the permeability of the cell membrane, and the subsequent reduced transfer of ions may stabilize the cell's response to excess exercise. Neither study reported any negative observations or side effects."

Farabloc was also tested as an analgesic in primary fibromyalgia. Reduced pain observation was reported consistent with studies in phantom limb pain and delayed onset muscle pain.
www.farabloc.com

(Comment: Farabloc is a fascinating product. It appears beneficial and safe for everyone, but those who work with 'energy' should be cautious with its long-term use.)

The Environmental Illness Resource is an information resource for people suffering from a range of chronic diseases whch are poorly understood. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one. www.ei-resource.org

Medicinal Herbs

www.herbnews.org lists 176 a-to-z illnesses and the 1, 765 medicinal herbs you can use to treat them.
www.HerbMinistry.com believes people can achieve optimal health with prayer, faith, and 'the simple plants God placed in nature.'
www.MyHerbs.net is a companion site and an excellent source of reasonably priced herbs.
www.drchristopers.com

More information to come.

International Medical Veritas
Association

Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD, founder of International Medical Veritas Association, writes: "...modern medicine has lost track of its root dictum to do no harm. Instead of being about health and healing it is about death, disease and the poisoning of the human race. Too many doctors today practice pharmaceutical terrorism, not medicine." Revolutions in healing and miracles of health are possible when we combine what is most new in medicine and psychology with what is most old and pure, gifts from mother earth." Read about the role of magnesium chloride, iodine, sodium bicarbonate and selenium in maintaining and restoring health.
www.imva.info

Therapeutic Touch™ Crystal Hawk MEd, Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario

Therapeutic Touch™, a contemporary interpretation of several ancient healing techniques, was developed in the late 1970's by New York University Professor of Nursing Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN and her mentor 'natural healer' the late Dora Kunz. It is a form of healing which is easily taught and easily learned. Crystal Hawk, MEd began teaching TT over 30 years ago and in 1994 she co-founded the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario which now has over 900 members. Most people are able to sense the human energy field with their hands after a one-day Level I course in Therapeutic Touch. Almost everyone can learn. Comment of a student: "Knowing Therapeutic Touch means never having to feel helpless." Crystal Hawk's site, below, also has information about EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques - another invaluable skill which almost everyone can learn.
www.therapeutictouch.com

Therapeutic Touch™ is a consciously and intentionally directed process of energy exchange during which practitioners use their hands as a focus for facilitating healing. TT promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety, and often alters the perception of pain. Comment of a recipient: "You have the hands of an angel." Comment of a child: "Mommy, make your magic on me." Here's a snippet (coming soon) from Therapeutic Touch™: The DVD. You can order your own copy from the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario.
www.therapeutictouchontario.org

The Healers: Bill Bengston, Geoffrey Morell, Adam DreamHealer

Eastern healing practices are based on a knowing that an 'invisible' energy field pervades the human body and has significant impact on health. The energy body just beyond the physical is the etheric, which forms a structure of meridians throughout the body. These meridians run through all the major organs, glands, nerves and energy centres. This etheric energy system permeates and sustains the physical body. Written reports from thousands of years ago describe how people could see and feel the acupuncture meridians that are used in Chinese medicine. We're no longer in touch with our potential.

John Davidson has written the Science and Mysticism series of books to show that an understanding of science is not incompatible with a spiritual perception of things. From Subtle Energy: "Subtle energies are the higher levels of energy beginning just beyond our normal perceptive abilities. They are sometimes seen as a scintillating, sparkling, rainbow effect around objects, making them seem almost transparent. Their subatomic and more inward structure is revealed to a heightened, perceptive gaze."

"Subtle energies are the blueprint of denser forms of matter and energy, the energy matrix out of which our perceivable universe is manifested. Indeed, some theories in modern physics are now able to provide a conceptual framework in which this manifestation from the subtle state can be both understood, and even engineered. Around and within living creatures, including man, subtle energies can be seen as an aura, reflecting the health, personality and spirituality of the individual."
www.johndavidson.org/ScienceandMysticism.html

William Bengston, PhD, professor of sociology and energy healer, challenges the reluctance of conventional medicine to accept the power of 'chi' and the power of intent. In Chasing the Cure Bengston (with coauthor Sylvia Fraser) writes about his ability to cure or remit various illnesses including cancer, using energy medicine. Bengston's hands-on techniques are painless, noninvasive, and have no unpleasant side effects. Tests with fMRIs and EEGs show that when Bengston begins to heal, the brainwaves and hearts of human patients in different rooms synchronize with his. His work is supported by 10 controlled animal experiments conducted by trained skeptical researchers in 5 university medical and biological laboratories. Here's Bengston's story in his own words as it appears in EdgeScience magazine (affiliated with the Society for Scientific Exploration).
www.scientificexploration.org
www.bengstonresearch.com

"This is important work." Mehmet Oz, MD
(In his 1998 book Healing From the Heart: A Leading Heart Surgeon Explores the Power of Complementary Medicine Dr. Oz describes why he allowed energy healer Julie Motz to work in his operating room while patients were undergoing heart transplants and coronary bypasses. In her 1998 book Hands of Life: An Energy Healer Reveals the Secrets of Using Your Body's Own Energy Medicine for Healing, Recovery and Transformation Julie Motz describes her experience.)

"Bengston is a harbinger of a marvelous trend: the return of healing to medicine."
Larry Dossey, MD

Geoffrey C. Morell ND JP, is an energy healer and medical intuitive in his early 80's. His career as a healer began in the mid-70's when he witnessed a demonstration of Magnetic Healing by the well-known New Zealand healer Colin Lambert, who, by merely using his hands, was removing 'diseased' energy or 'dross' from the patient lying before him on a table. "It felt as if my hands had been severed from my body and were up on stage participating in the process. The experience was electrifying," says Geoffrey.

Just three days later he had the opportunity to try this healing technique himself. A friend undergoing chemotherapy was thoroughly nauseated and invited Geoffrey to 'have a go.' He followed the process he had just observed and tested the power he had felt in his own hands, and 'lo and behold' the nausea vanished. Since then Geoffrey has pursued this path of energy healing and developed his own method, which he calls the Clendinning Technique. He, too, uses his hands as tools as he passes them over the subject's body, be it human, animal, or even a photograph.

All living things possess an energy field or aura. Geoffrey first clears the patient's energy field of any negativity, which we can absorb from others. His fingers sense this negativity and he is able to 'scoop' it up and cast it out into the ether. He then proceeds with his 'reading' of the body for any imperfections, beginning with the feet. As he moves along, he 'asks' the body if there is a problem, even as he visualizes that particular part of the anatomy. His hands will begin to shake* if he finds a disharmony and he will then remove it by scooping it up and discarding it as with the negativity in the aura. This 'reading' process is performed on both sides of the body, generally beginning with the back. If required, his right-hand middle finger can act as a scalpel or laser, to perform psychic surgery.

Sometimes a physical problem may have psychosomatic origins and Geoffrey then refers the patient to Louise Hay's book Heal Your Body which describes such physical/emotional connections. He also recommends the nutritional advice given by the Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org), that is, eating the foods of one's ancestors.

In addition to his practice, Geoffrey also holds demonstrations and workshops at exhibits nationwide as well as in other countries, sharing his knowledge, as he believes that we can all be healers.

It is not necessary to believe in this work to benefit - it is only necessary to be receptive. Geoffrey says that he, the healer, is the one who must believe, for he is the one working as the instrument of the Universe, the Almighty, God, or whatever word one wants to use. The objective for each and everyone of us is to experience the sheer joy of living, so that when we wake up in the morning, we can all look in the mirror and say , "I feel great!"

* shake - Geoffrey Morell's hands shake when he finds an area of imbalance, other healers may feel tingling, heat, cold, etc.

Adam, in his very early twenties, is a molecular biologist studying to be a naturopath. He is also the internationally renowned 'DreamHealer' and the author of four DreamHealer books and a DVD.

As far back as Adam can remember he saw auras (the subtle energy or light surrounding all living things.) Many telekinetic events occurred around him and he thought this was normal until his early teens. When he was 14 his mother was in excruciating pain from trigeminal neuralgia, a symptom of MS. He placed his hand on her head, went into a deep trance, saw a throbbing bright green blob in her head, grabbed it and pulled it out. His mother's pain stopped and she has not had a recurrence since.

Adam then read that his mother's favorite performer, rock legend Ronnie Hawkins, had been diagnosed with terminal, inoperable pancreatic cancer. With Ronnie's agreement he spent several weeks treating the tumor on an energetic level from 3000 miles away. Hawkins is still alive and his CT and MRI scans show no evidence of a tumor. Edgar Mitchell, astronaut and physicist, was diagnosed (2004) with a carcinoma on his kidney and was also treated at a distance by Adam. Several months later, Mitchell's physician declared him cancer- free.

Adam no longer does private healing sessions. He holds workshops during which he gives group healing treatments so he can help more people. Many of the participants in his workshops are healers themselves who are interested in improving their practice. Because Adam is able to perceive or 'see' how energy moves, he recognizes the potential of visualizations. He considers healing to be an innate and teachable skill and says everyone of us can maximize our own healing through intentions. The most effective way for people to focus their intentions on healing is to visualize it happening.

His story, his books, and his DVD DreamHealer: Visualizations for Self-Empowerment are described on his website.
www.dreamhealer.com

Brain health: Christine Harrington

Information to come.

Energy-boosting routines with Ken Cohen, Donna Eden and Daisy Lee; and bouncing with Norm Shealy MD

Working with Qi energy has been a healing and self-healing science and art form in China for over 5000 years. Qi means "life energy." Qi or chi is known as ki in Japan and prana in India. It is rarely recognized in the West, at least not by conventional science.

According to Kenneth Cohen MA, MSTh: "Qigong means "qi skill' - the psychophysiologic skill of regulating qi flow in oneself or directing qi to a patient. Breath, posture, movement, and meditation are used to cleanse, gather and circulate healing energy. The primary purpose of qigong is to prevent illness, improve health and quality of life, and promote longevity. It was created by Chinese shamans and Taoists and later adapted by Chinese medicine. Martial artists also practice qigong: it increase strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination, and lessens the likelihood of sports-related injury." Read more about Qigong in Ken Cohen's book The Way of Qigong.
www.qigonghealing.com

Here are some techniques for generating vital energy:

Feel alive, activate your natural healing abilities and boost your energy level with a Qigong exercise routine. Daisy Lee's 2-minute Qigong Balancing Movement is especially good for stress.
www.radiantlotusqigong.com

Start your day with Donna Eden's Five Minute Energy Routine workout to revitalize your energy and optimize your health.
www.innersource.net

Bounce for a minute to reenergize. Norm Shealy MD demonstrates how.
www.normshealy.com

Energy Medicine

The term 'Energy Medicine' appears to have been in use since the founding of the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) in 1989. "ISSSEEM is dedicated to exploring and applying subtle energies as they relate to the experience of consciousness, healing, and human potential. ISSSEEM is in a unique position, acting both as a bridge builder between communities and a leader in the field, offering a community with a widespread appreciation of the energetic component within many disciplines including quantum physics, therapeutic modalities, healing, psychology, consciousness, psi and the understanding of our multidimensional existence."
www.issseem.org

Energy Medicine brings flow, balance, and renewal to the body's vital energies." Energy medicine is the oldest, safest, most organic, most accessible and most affordable medicine there is. Energy Medicine teaches you how to participate more fully and knowledgeably in your own healing, health and well-being. Energy Medicine is both an empowering system for self-help and a powerful tool in the hands of a competent health-care practitioner."
www.innersource.net
www.energymed.org

More information to come.

Energy Psychology

Energy Psychology has been called ''acupressure for the emotions." By tapping on energy points on the surface of the skin while focusing the mind on specific psychological problems or goals, the brain's electrochemistry can be shifted to quickly help overcome fear, guilt, shame, jealousy, anger or anxiety; to change unwanted habits and behaviors; to enhance the ability to love, succeed, and enjoy life.
www.innersource.net

Energy Psychology is the name for a broad range of psychological treatments that utilize the human energy system. They are often called the 'Alphabet Therapies': TFT - Thought Field Therapy, EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques, BSFF - Be Set Free Fast, TAT - Tapas Acupressure Technique, EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. There are many more.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has been described by it's developer, Gary Craig, as "an emotional version of acupuncture...without needles."

EFT practitioner Nadine DeSanto Ed.S. writes: "EFT is a drug-free, self-help technique that can relieve anything from minor stress and upset, to panic attacks, debilitating grief, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, migraine headaches, as well as many other emotional and physical pains. Even decades-old issues can be resolved, sometimes very quickly! Sounds too good to be true? You've got nothing to lose, and much to gain by learning EFT!"

www.EFTuniverse.com
www.FasterEFT.com
www.EFTisland.com
www.energypsych.com
www.emdr.com
www.rogercallahan.com
www.tatlife.com
www.besetfreefast.com
www.psych-k.com
www.wholistichealingresearch.com/wheearticles.html

The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) is an international nonprofit organization of mental health professionals who are dedicated to developing and applying energy psychology methods for (among other things) the treatment and relief of those suffering from emotional challenges such as addictions and compulsions, anxiety, depression, limiting beliefs, personality disorders, phobias, stress and trauma.
www.energypsych.org

The Canadian Association for Integrative and Energy Therapies.
www.caiet.org

More information to come.

Empathic Therapy: Peter Breggin MD

Information to come.

Cancer: Nicholas Gonzalez MD, Richard Linchitz MD, Mirko Beljanski PhD

This section is still being compiled. Some useful reading material and websites are listed. These sites are for information only.

A good place to start is by reading the cancer treatment information supplied by Michael Schachter MD who has over 35 years of experience in Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine.
Schachter's approach to cancer " presupposes that the body has the ability to heal itself under the proper circumstances. Much less emphasis is placed on destroying the cancer at all costs. Emphasis is placed on building up the body to handle the cancer with relatively non-toxic methods." At the Schachter Centre for Complementary Medicine, innovative ideas in nutrition and holistic health are combined with the latest developments in mainstream medicine. Michael Schachter MD explains.
www.mbschachter.com

Self-Help Cancer was prepared by British author John Davidson after he underwent emergency surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer. This extensive site provides information and internet links for those seeking to augment the treatment offered by their hospital oncology unit. Davidson describes it as the result of one person's search for solutions. Dietary options, herbal options, proprietary product options, mineral and chemical options, and particular therapeutic options are all listed.
www.self-helpcancer.org

All of us have cancer cells in our bodies, but not all of us develop cancer. After David Servan-Schreiber MD PhD was diagnosed with brain cancer he found himself on a fifteen-year journey from disease and relapse and finally to health. HIs internationally acclaimed book Anticancer: A New Way of Life tells us: why the traditional Western diet creates the conditions for disease and how to develop a science-based anticancer diet; how and why sugar and stress feed cancer and ways to achieve life balance and good nutrition to combat it; why the effects of helplessness and unhealed wounds affect our ability to restore health; how to Freap the benefits of exercise, yoga, and meditation; how to minimize environmental toxins; how to find the right blend of traditional and alternative health care.
www.anticancerbook.com

InspireHealth is a non-profit integrated cancer care centre in Vancouver, Canada where research-backed natural approaches are integrated into cancer treatment and recovery. Hal Gunn PhD is the co-founder and CEO. Dr. Gunn is also the founder and CEO of Qu Biologics which is based on more than 25 years of clinical experience in the use of Site Specific Immunotherapy to stimulate the innate immune response to cancer. SSI works in harmony with the body's own natural imune response. It is not targeted on attacking the tumor, but on correcting the imbalance that underlies cancer development.
www.inspirehealth.ca
www.qubiologics.com

Natural Cancer Cures examines safe and effective natural substances that have been scientifically validated to fight and prevent cancer (2008) Freedom Press ISBN 978-1-893910-52-2

User's Guide to Natural Therapies For Cancer Prevention & Control, Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD. FRCP(C), Basic Health Publications (2004) ISBN 1-59120-136-5

www.cancerdecisions.com Ralph Moss PhD

www.imva.info Mark Sircus Ac OMD

www.vitamindcouncil.org John Cannell MD

www.grassrootshealth.net

www.beljanski.com Mirko Beljanski PhD discovered that the structure of DNA becomes altered when it is exposed to toxins and pollutants in the environment. When a cell's DNA becomes destabilized, chronic disease and cancer follow. DNA destabilization is a cumulative process, influenced by the level and frequency of contact with harmful molecules that damage DNA structure. Dr. Beljanski created a test to evaluate the potential of harmful molecules to further destabilize DNA. He also discovered that the extracts of two tropical plants (Pao pereira and Rauwolfia vomitoria) would inhibit the synthesis of cancerous DNA, but would not affect normal DNA .

www.lowdosenaltrexone.org

www.normalbreathing.com

www.qigonghealing.com Kenneth Cohen MA

www.radiantlotusqigong.com Daisy Lee

www.innersource.net Donna Eden

www.dreamhealer.com Adam Dreamhealer, note especially the visualizations DVD

www.healthjourneys.com Belleruth Naparstek's site on guided imagery

www.bengstonresearch.com William Bengston PhD

In When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress Gabor Maté MD explains the biological mechanisms that are activated by stress and trauma and by unconscious patterning from childhood. Is there a 'cancer personality?' "When we repress emotions we may also suppress our immune defenses. In some people these defenses may go awry, destroying the body rather than protecting it. We must understand the mind-body link in order to take an active role in our overall health."
www.whenthebodysaysno.ca

www.hopehealing.org Ken Hamilton MD, author of Soulcircling: The Journey to the Who

Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer is the originator of the highly controversial German New Medicine. Hamer found that every disease originates from an unexpected shock experience. "He established that such a sudden shock affects not only the psyche, but impacts at the same time (visible on a brain scan) the part of the brain that corresponds biologically to the specific trauma. Whether the body responds to the unexpected event with a tumor growth (cancer), with tissue degeneration, or with functional loss, is determined by the exact type of conflict shock. Since healing can occur only after the conflict has been resolved, German New Medicine therapy focuses on identifying and resolving the original shock. German New Medicine offers a completely new understanding of what we commonly call 'diseases.' By understanding the Five Biological Laws that Dr. Hamer discovered, we liberate ourselves from the fear and panic that often come with the onset of an illness."
www.newmedicine.ca
www.germannewmedicine.ca

www.EFTuniverse.com Emotional Freedom Techniques - free manuals and free videos

What to Eat When you Don't Feel Like Eating James Haller, Nimbus Publishing (1984) ISBN-13:978-0889995581

Salvestrols are plant derived compounds in the diet which are converted inside diseased cells, by a specific enzyme, into compounds that can destroy the diseased cell. They are part of a natural rescue mechanism. It is estimated that 100 years ago, we would have consumed about 10 to 20 times the amount of salvestrols in our diet as we do now.
www.salvestrols.ca

www.brightspot.org

www.dr-gonzalez.com Nicholas Gonzalez MD

www.dangerousgrains.com

Life Without Bread Christian B. Allan & Wolfgang Lutz MD

In The Paleo Diet Loren Cordain PhD explains the genetics and the evolutionary history that determines what the ideal diet should be.
www.thepaleodiet.com

www.MyHerbs.net

Pharmaceutical News (April 2010) reported that scientists at California's Stanford University sought out drugs that could disrupt the molecular pathway in cancer development. They found that when an antifungal drug called itraconazole was administered to mice, cancer cell growth slowed significantly. Itracoazole, marketed as Sporanox, is normally used to treat the fungal infection aspergillus . Future trials of Sporanox within human context are anticipated. (Alternative and complementary medicine has long recognized the fungal connection to cancer.)

"Intestinal dysbiosis should be considered as a mechanism promoting disease in all patients with chronic gastrointestinal, inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, food allergy and intolerance, breast and colon cancer, and unexplained fatigue, malnutrition or neuropsychiatric conditions." Read more about Intestinal Dysbiosis and the Causes of Disease from The Environmental Illness Resource site www.ei-resource.org Here's the article.

HeartMath

Information to come.

Specialty Laboratories

www.doctorsdata.com
www.greatplainslaboratory.com
www.genovadiagnostics.com
www.rmalab.com (Canada)

With the advent of biochemical and microbial stool analysis panels, an increasing number of physicians are seeking a clearer understanding of the relationship between the ecology of the digestive tract and local and systemic factors affecting health and disease. Dysbiosis is a state of living with intestinal flora that has harmful effects. It can be described as being due to either putrefaction, fermentation, deficiency, or sensitization. A number of inflammatory diseases within the bowel or involving skin and connective tissue have been reported in association with dysbiosis..The most useful test for this condition is a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA.) which is one of the tests done by a specialty laboratory.

"Intestinal dysbiosis should be considered as a mechanism promoting disease in all patients with chronic gastrointestinal, inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, food allergy and intolerance, breast and colon cancer, and unexplained fatigue, malnutrition or neuropsychiatric conditions." Read more about Intestinal Dysbiosis and the Causes of Disease from The Environmental Illness Resource site www.ei-resource.org Here's the article.

More information to come.

Specialty Pharmacies

Information to come.

Get better before you go broke! Already broke?

Information to come.

Why exercise? Why and how to detox

Information coming soon, but meanwhile, please read this article on how exercise can boost brain power: 'Lobes of Steel' from the New York Times.

Placebos and nocebos

Information to come.

Snails and Bears

Information to come.

Spirits and survivors

Information to come.

Reading List

Coming soon.