Why Vitamins are Vital

Choosing the perfect vitamin supplement

Vitamins are essential to our bodies for a number of reasons, and we all know this. But many of us really don't have a clue as to what they actually do in our bodies and what is the best way to get them. If you can't remember this information from high school Biology class, here's the scoop on your body's secret love affair with vitamins.

What are vitamins?

The catalysts for all human bodily functions are enzymes. These tiny agents control all of the body's chemical reactions. Their workforce is composed of coenzymes, which help speed these chemical reactions along smoothly. Coenzymes are vitamins and minerals that regulate the metabolism and assist in biochemical processes that convert digested food into energy.

There are two types of vitamins your body needs: water-soluble vitamins, which are needed daily, since your body has no way to store them; and the oil-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E and K, which your body stores in fatty tissue and in your liver. Both types are equally important, and most are present in a wide variety of foods.

When choosing a vitamin supplement, remember that your nutritional needs may vary according to several factors, including age, gender and level of physical activity. So your needs will differ at different stages of your life, and your supplementation should always be cycled and supervised by a trained health professional who can help you determine your actual deficiencies and needs. For example, during pregnancy and lactation your nutritional requirements increase, and your tolerance of certain substances may be affected. This is also true for people suffering from a chronic illness or recovering from surgery or chemotherapy, and certainly true for anyone taking prescribed medications. Drugs often interfere with the body's ability to absorb vitamins, and certain drugs interact with certain nutrients, so it is essential to seek the advice of a qualified health professional that fully understands these interactions.

As a general rule, when shopping for vitamin supplements, bear in mind that the recommendations for daily minimums set forth by many government agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, may err on the low side. In fact, the amounts recommended may be just barely enough to prevent diseases like rickets and beriberi, but hardly the dosage required for optimal health. Again, seek the advice of a licensed health professional that regularly uses vitamin therapy in a clinical setting and has gained substantial knowledge from actual experience with patients.

One thing to remember is that smaller doses taken several times a day may help you maintain your energy levels for longer periods. In general, take vitamins with meals so that the body will recognize them as food.

The formulas on the market include tablets, capsules, lozenges, liquid, powder and sublingual drops. The liquid forms and sublingual drops are very quickly absorbed, and in certain conditions may be warranted, but they are generally costlier than other forms. The heat process required to form many types of tablets often cancels out the benefits of the nutrients. Check not only the ingredients but also the process used to manufacture the tablets. Capsules are generally more economical than liquids and just as effective if the vitamins are balanced in proper proportions to one another and derived from natural food sources. But don't be fooled by clever marketing language on product labels. The word "natural" alone does not necessarily mean "natural food source" so make sure the product label denotes the actual source of each nutrient. Avoid all secret additives and fillers such as artificial colors and flavors, and unnecessary chemicals.

Ideally, our bodies should have their nutritional needs met through food intake. This is practically impossible in a world dominated by processed, biochemically-enginneered food sources marketed with irresistable sales pitches. For those who are generally healthy and interested in enhancing their diet with a good multi-vitamin supplement, the market does offer a variety. Nevertheless, it is always wise to read the label of each product thoroughly, compare several products, test by trial and error and consult your regular health-care practitioner. Once you find a vitamin product that really makes a remarkable difference in your energy levels, stick with it - the benefits will only increase over time.

Center Yourself and Relax

Managing stress is a leading concern for many adults. While taking time off work and getting away for a quick vacation may not be on your immediate agenda, nonetheless, there are a number of ways you can manage your stress level while still keeping up with your daily obligations. The following are some tips for achieving a state of deep relaxation regularly in order to keep your body and life flowing optimally.

Watch what you put into the body and when

Your diet actually has a lot to do with your overall well-being and stress level. Certain foods are more stress-producing than others, and it is important to note how much and how often you eat. The first of the stress-producing culprits are coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks and other caffeine-and-sugar-laden beverages. Caffeine is known as a powerful stimulant that affects the nervous system directly and daily comsumption may compromise your body's ablity to relax properly. The same goes for chocolate, black tea, yerba mate, and even green tea, so consume these stimulants at times when they will not intensify the already excited activity of your adrenal glands. In other words: avoid them during times of peak stress, such as when you're rushing out the door to get to work in the morning. Instead, enjoy them in moderation after a leisurely meal on your day off and disable the cyclic relationship between these substances and your stress level.

A diet too rich in meats and animal products may result in mood disturbances and compromise your ability to relax and even to achieve restful sleep. Raw foods and vegetables, on the other hand, support the body's nutritional needs while facilitating rapid digestion and the elimination of toxins that can cause tension and irritation in the body. Organic whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans, especially soaked and/or sprouted before consumption, help you maintain a clean digestive tract with optimal mineral absorption. The absorption of minerals is crucial to your body's overall well-being and your ability to ward off anxiety, irritability and stress. Fresh cultured dairy products such as yogurt, kefir and fresh mozzarella cheese are excellent sources of calcium, which nourishes your bones and nervous system, but avoid hardened and aged cheeses, as these are often much more difficult to digest, resulting in irritation. Taking a good mineral supplement will also help to keep your moods in check. Magnesium is known to expand and relax muscle tissue, and a warm bath filled with Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) is an excellent treatment for overall physical stress and muscle stiffness.

Honor the mind-body connection through movement and exercise

Taking time out to exercise, stretch your muscles and meditate is vital to the sustenance and vitality that your body needs in order to truly enjoy a full life. You can save time by combining the two activities into one, through a discipline such as T'ai Chi, Qui Gong or Yoga. Or, design your own relaxing and stretching routine using whatever movement elements you feel most comfortable with. The key is to reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, empty your mind, and massage your entire musculature as well as your inner organs. Bear in mind that stretching is not the same as aerobics nor is it the same as weight-bearing exercise. Those forms of physical activity are best performed after the body is fully stretched and relaxed.

Meditation

The best way to begin meditating is to find a tranquil spot and sit comfortably. Begin to inhale deeply using only your nostrils and the full capacity of your lungs, drawing the breath into the lower abdomen. Count to ten while holding the breath in your body, then release it slowly through your mouth. By repeating this deep-breathing exercise, you will soon feel your body challenging the depths of your breaths. Gently push onward, concentrating deliberately on relaxing every part of your body, beginning from the toes up. Focus on each part of the body as you visualize relaxation and expansion in your ankles, calves, knees, thighs, pelvis and so on. Allow yourself to stay in the meditation for a period of about 15 minutes. Setting a timer is a good idea so you do not have to worry about watching a clock.

After a while, you may find yourself thinking about all your current problems, situations in your daily life, and things that seem to be distracting you from your meditation. But wait! That is precisely what meditation is supposed to do: allow you to filter your thoughts through a state of utter tranquility and release them. Once you have systematically allowed all your thoughts to evaporate through the process of mental release, you will experience a soothing inner peace. At this point, you will know you have reached the state of absolute relaxation, the mental state known as Alpha. After lingering for a few minutes in the state of Alpha, you will have successfully relaxed your mind and body to a degree wherein toxins produced by stress and anxiety can be more easily processed and eliminated by your body.

Your sanctuary

By creating a quiet sanctuary where you can release your tension, you grant yourself the gift of space and expansion. Choose a private spot outdoors, in your garden or on a window-bench overlooking a tranquil view. If your sanctuary is indoors, make sure the room gets good natural light and is uncluttered. Burn a small amount of incense or use aromatherapy to elevate the spiritual and emotional energy of the space. Surround yourself with the colors, sounds, and fragrances that you love. By retreating to your sanctuary each day, you will feel mentally and spiritually replenished, charging your batteries for your otherwise hectic and busy lifestyle.

Neuro Modulation Therapy - the Feinberg Technique

The Feinberg Technique
Written by Leslie Feinberg, D.C.
The American Chiropractor,
Volume 24, Issue 02
Published 12/30/2005

NMT: The Feinberg Technique is a comprehensive system of healing that truly delivers on the promise so much of the world of health care has believed would one day emerge from the field of energetic medicine.

E=MC2 is the famous equation by which Albert Einstein explained that matter and energy were inter-convertible, one to the other, and not the two distinct forms of physical existence they had long been believed to be. Physicists Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, David Bohm and others later described a quantum mechanics worldview that added a third term to this equation—Consciousness—spelled with a capital “C” to differentiate it from the personal consciousness we all experience. Quantum mechanics describes the origin of the first elementary particles from which all energy is composed, which forms all matter as the product of Consciousness. This is the current scientifically accepted physical theory of the universe, and not science fiction. Consciousness is the primary “stuff” from which all that exists in our 4-dimensional space-time universe comes into being in its most primary form—the logos or logic that defines it.

To summarize, the degree that anything exhibits optimal form and function is the degree to which its definition at the level of logic reflects perfection. Similarly, form that is less than optimal and function that is inefficient can be seen to represent definitions at the level of Consciousness, or Logos, that are incoherent, incomplete, or corrupted. So it is seen, at the most primary and indivisible level, that all the world exists as information. So says the physics of the 21st century.

Now, imagine that we permit this quantum mechanics worldview to inform our understanding of health and disease. Remember, if quantum theory is true, and it has been the accepted worldview of physical reality for nearly a century, then quantum mechanics explains all things great and small and not just the world of elementary energetic particles. From the quantum vantage point, we see health as the outcome of an informationally complete and uncorrupted definition of the self that unfolds into physical reality. Similarly, we see illness as the 4-dimensional space-time expression of a definition of the self that is tainted by informational error. Two centuries ago, Samuel Hahnemann described illness as a consequence of informational corruption and he developed his system of homeopathy remedies to improve body function at this informational level. D.D. Palmer used the term “quality interference” to describe the source of disease at an informational level.

The late quantum physicist and philosopher, David Bohm, proposed what he called cycles of “soma significance” by which he explained that the human mind, through conscious intention, could feed back into this informational dimension at which the universe defines all that exists. In so doing, human consciousness can influence this process going forward, modifying the very definition of self by which health or illness unfolds. The psychologist and writer Wayne Dyer has recently popularized the concept that consciousness changes reality, in his television special, entitled The Power of Intention. This understanding has been reflected for decades in the writings of business gurus like Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich). Consciousness is the motive force that manifests what occurs in our personal and our business lives. The now classic movie, What The Bleep Do We Know, has introduced millions of people all over the world to an understandable quantum mechanics worldview. A fundamental paradigm shift has occurred.

NMT: The Feinberg Technique, also known as NMT (NeuroModulation Technique), is a system of “consciousness medicine” that efficiently addresses this fundamental level at which illness and wellness are manifested. The quantum mechanics worldview suggests two very empowering and profound possibilities. 1) Illness may be interpreted on an informational level to exist as a deficiency or corruption of meaning, significance, consciousness, and logic that defines the self. 2) Consciousness can be used, by way of specific therapeutic intention, to alter such informational distortion and, by so doing, improve the blueprint by which physical form and function of the body are determined.

NMT has produced unparalleled results in many patients suffering from degenerative diseases. One such case is documented here with pre- and post-NMT treatment Cavitat images, FDA approved ultrasound bone imaging technology. The image above shows three cavitations, areas of osteonecrosis and bone infection, that were healed completely in 4½ months using only NMT: The Feinberg Technique. The images are intuitive to read with a complete fully-filled cube representing perfectly normal bone. No other such non-surgical healing of bone cavitation has ever been demonstrated in all of medical history to our knowledge. Previous to NMT, the only documented cure for cavitations was surgery, which takes one year to heal, and many of which fail and require repeated surgery.

NMT: The Feinberg Technique produces effects so rapid and profound that those who first witness it are startled. In 27 NMT seminars, I have demonstrated the immediate correction of anaphylactic food allergies such that each of these patients was able to eat those previously allergenic foods—without a single case of anaphylaxis. The photo above is of a patient, anaphylactic to nuts, peanuts, and all shellfish, who flew to our Richland, WA, NMT Advanced Symposium in September ’05 from her home in Florida. She is shown eating coconut shrimp immediately following her NMT allergy treatment. She had no reaction to shellfish, tree nuts, or peanuts after being in NMT treatment for allergy at the seminar. In the three months since she was treated, she has had no allergy symptoms to any of these foods and has included them among her favorite foods.Chronic pain of many years is durably corrected in a matter of minutes.

NMT is used successfully by hundreds of trained health care professionals to resolve autoimmune diseases such as arthridites, Sjogren’s disease, anaphylaxis, asthma, chronic pain, irritable bowel conditions, chronic fatigue, infectious conditions, and emotional problems, among many others. NMT uses simple forms of biofeedback in a way that permits the practitioner to literally look at the way the body has defined its own illness and to immediately correct such confusion in the system and eliminate the reason for illness. NMT should be seen as a powerful integrative approach to health care, compatible with and complementary to allopathic medicine, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, psychology, and other professions.

To read more about this revolutionary system of healing, visit www.nmt.md or call the NMT office at 541-567-0200.

The Circadian Cycle and its Overall Impact on Your Health

The circadian cycle is nothing particularly complex. It's really just the cycle of night and day.

Virtually every living thing on earth adjusts its physiology and behavior to the 24-hour day-night cycle under the governance of internal "circadian clocks". This circadian rhythm represents a natural cycle of rest and activity that automatically responds to the energetic variations created by the earth's rotation around the sun in each period of 24 hours.

So what does this have to do with human health?

For most of my adult life, I was the quintessential "Night Person". Like many artists juggling the demands of a career and a family, I was trained to find my most creative time at night, often working into the wee hours of dawn and finally crashing right around the time that the sun was beginning to rise.

All seemed well in my life for a while, until I hit a certain age and my body began to alarm me to the dangers of this bohemian practice - quite unexpectedly.

Advanced Periodontal Disease

Living without health insurance for over 30 years, I was unaccustomed to visiting dentists or conventional medical doctors, and honestly, I never worried much about my teeth, as I had always been told that I had a great set of them.

But one day I realized that my teeth and gums were in horrifying condition, my teeth were loose, my gums had receded dramatically in less than one year, and my teeth were actually separating and wearing away, leaving unsightly gaps all over my mouth.

I visited three conventional dentists. $450 dollars and 3 sets of x-rays later, I was in shock processing the opinion of all three of them that my case was hopeless and that the only course of action for me to take was to have all of my remaining teeth removed and wear removable dentures until I could afford to drum up some $33,000 for gum surgery, bone grafting and individual dental implants and porcelain crowns.

Whew!
I'll let you absorb that.
Imagine how I felt.

Holistic Dentistry


Now, I am not by any means a newbie to alternative medicine, as I have been avoiding pharmaceutically-driven, insurance-robot medical practitioners for over 30 years now, and have successfully cured a number of ailments in my own body as well as raising two children to adulthood using only holistic healing to treat them. So I was ready to manifest my solution.

I found Dr. Steven N. Green, a Naturopathic Physician and DDS with a decades-old dental practice inherited from his own father, a neighborhood dentist in the South Miami area. When I walked into Dr. Green's office, not only was I was not reprimanded for having failed to brush and floss sufficiently (as I had been at the other 3 offices), but surprisingly, the Doctor's first question to me was:

At what time of the day do you eat breakfast?

And it was this little question that set off perhaps the most advanced healing process of my entire life.

Once the easy-going doctor got me in his dental chair, the education process began as he prodded around, testing the stability of each tooth, measuring gum pockets, and determining the degree of bone loss and overall ailing condition of my mouth.

The good doctor then enthusiastically proceeded to explain a very simple thing to me that he promised would change my entire prognosis and that in fact has changed my life and restored my ability to smile again:

Mineral Absorption and the Circadian Cycle

Dr. Green explained simply that my condition was due to a severe mineral deficiency, that my problem with severe bone loss (osteoporosis) was probably not isolated to the area of my teeth and gums, and that it was very likely augmented by my nocturnal lifestyle. He explained that every cell in the body, along with every other living organism on the planet, responds automatically to the circadian cycle, which dictates at what time of day things metabolize and break down, at what time of day nutrients are absorbed, and at what time of day organisms need to sleep and rest.

His main point was: the most optimal time of day to absorb the minerals that my body was desperately starved for is within one hour to ninety minutes after sunrise.

Gulp. Did you get that?

For someone used to going to bed at 4 a.m., this was shocking.

But I was in pain, desperate, terrified and willing to listen and obey. So I went home and changed my life that night by forcing myself into bed before 11pm.

I left Dr. Green's office fully committed to following his list of primary recommendations. These were: Eat the diet recommended for your blood type Eat Right 4 Your Type, take Chelated Mineral Supplements twice a day, and eat a full protein-packed, mineral-rich breakfast (i.e. a spinach omelet) within one hour after sunrise every day.

The Benefits of a Protein Breakfast

I have now been following Dr. Green's protocol for over six months, including his additional recommendations to eat soaked nuts and seeds, sprouted grain bread and fresh, raw organic food daily. I am thrilled to report that my teeth have stabilized dramatically. They are far less loose, and I have no more pain or abcessing in the gums.

Dr. Green prescribed a non-surgical peroxide gel treatment that wiped out the persistent bacterial infection in my gums (i will write more on this in future posts), and by following his recommended lifestyle changes, my body immediately began to respond to the treatment. The difference in my overall energy has been amazing, and i have experienced visible improvements in my skin, hair and level of muscle tone.

Above all, I am thrilled to have defied the surgical/pharmaceutical establishment once again, and beat their game.

Can I get a Witness?

So, let it be known that I am today the proud owner of a stable and permanent smile and a set of healthy teeth that I can use to chew on anything I choose! And that I have sworn forever to go to bed before 11pm, get up just after sunrise and scramble up a spinach omelet at that hour.

Be on the lookout for some more of Dr. Green's amazing recommendations in future posts and/or visit him at his website sngreen.com.

Why Vitamins are Vital

Choosing the perfect vitamin supplement

Vitamins are essential to our health for a number of reasons, and we all know this. But many of us really don't have a clue as to what they actually do in our bodies and what is the best way to get them. If you can't remember this information from high school Biology class, here's the scoop on your body's secret love affair with vitamins.

What are vitamins?

The catalysts for all human bodily functions are enzymes. These tiny agents control all of the body's chemical reactions. Their workforce is composed of coenzymes, which help speed these chemical reactions along smoothly. Coenzymes are vitamins and minerals that regulate the metabolism and assist in biochemical processes that convert digested food into energy.

There are two types of vitamins your body needs: water-soluble vitamins, which are needed daily, since your body has no way to store them; and the oil-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E and K, which your body stores in fatty tissue and in your liver. Both types are equally important, and most are present in a wide variety of foods.

What to look for in a good vitamin supplement

When choosing a vitamin supplement, remember that your nutritional needs may vary according to several factors, including age, gender and level of physical activity. So your needs will differ at different stages of your life. For example, during pregnancy and lactation your nutritional requirements increase, and your tolerance of certain substances may be affected. This is also true for people suffering from a chronic illness or recovering from surgery or chemotherapy, and certainly true for anyone taking prescribed medications. Drugs often interfere with the body's ability to absorb vitamins, and certain drugs interact with certain nutrients, so it is essential to seek the advice of a qualified health professional that fully understands these interactions.

As a general rule, assume that the recommendations for daily minimums set forth by many government agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, may err on the low side. In fact, the amounts recommended may be just barely enough to prevent diseases like rickets and beriberi, but hardly the dosage required for optimal health. Again, seek the advice of a licensed health professional who regularly uses vitamin therapy in a clinical setting and has gained substantial knowledge from actual experience with patients.

One thing to remember is that smaller doses taken several times a day may help you maintain your energy levels for longer periods without undergoing frequent ups and downs. In general, it is recommended that vitamins be taken with meals so that the body will recognize them as food.

The formulas on the market include tablets, capsules, lozenges, liquid, powder and sublingual drops. The liquid forms and sublingual drops are very quickly absorbed, and in certain conditions may be warranted, but they are generally costlier than other forms. Tablets in general are not recommended because the heat process required to form tablets often cancels out the benefits of the nutrients. Capsules are generally more economical than liquid forms and just as effective if the vitamins are balanced in proper proportions to one another and derived from natural food sources. But don't be fooled by clever marketing language on product labels. The word "natural" alone does not necessarily mean "natural food source" so make sure the product label denotes the actual source of each nutrient. Avoid all secret additives and fillers such as artificial colors and flavors, and unnecessary chemicals.

Ideally, our bodies should have their nutritional needs met through food intake. Yet this is practically impossible in a world dominated by processed, biochemically-enginneered food sources marketed with irresistable sales pitches. For those who are generally healthy and interested in enhancing their diet with a good multi-vitamin supplement, the market does offer a variety. But it is always wise to read the label of each product thoroughly, compare several products, and test by trial and error. Once you find a vitamin product that really makes a remarkable difference in your energy levels, stick with it - the benefits will only increase over time.

Rejoice! Resolutions for a Healthier, Happier New Year

* Begin each day with joyful gratitude.
* Stretch and bend before starting your daily activities.
* Take time to relax and meditate.
* Eat fresh, raw, organic foods at each meal.
* Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.
* Walk at least one hour each day.
* Laugh frequently.
* Limit TV time.
* Live simply.
* Practice humility and compassion.
* Nurture personal relationships.
* Get to bed early and enjoy an early start every morning.

"Fear not... The ocean takes care of each wave until it reaches the shore..." ~ Rumi