Journal
Why I Will Never Consume Diet Soda
….. but occasionally enjoy a ‘full fat’ coke. A chance conversation with a lady struggling to sleep lead me to this blog. When she informed me her evening beverage of choice was Coke Zero I wondered could this be the issue? Much has been written about artificial sweeteners and the associated health issues and worryingly people are assuming that replacing sugar with a sweetener is a better choice. Not so. Aspartame, one of the ingredients in Coke Zero, is the number one source of side effect complaints to the FDA. It was actually denied approval for over 2o years because of flawed data, brain tumour findings in animal studies and lack of human studies proving its long term safety. Over 91 symptoms have been documented associated with its consumption, including – Migraines Irritability Weight gain Insomnia Vertigo Depression Numbness Fatigue Seizures Vision problems Tinnitus Aspartame has also been known to trigger or worsen health conditions such as – MS Epilepsy Chronic fatigue Alzheimer’s Brain tumours Fibromyalgia Parkinson’s disease Lymphoma Women who consume artificial sweeteners are more likely to gain weight. Unlike sugar, which signals to the body you have received enough calories, aspartame can actually leave you hungry and craving more. Most worryingly are the health concerns raised by airline pilots who suffered seizures in the cockpit. So if artificial sweeteners are neurotoxins, should we be drinking them? I certainly won’t, and avoid all drinks and foods with any artificial sweeteners. Look after your children – sugar free diluting juices, low sugar yoghurts, flavoured crisps, jelly, chewing gum, suspect all of these until you know otherwise. Developing brains are particularly susceptible to aspartame. Also look out for acesulfame potassium, neotame, saccharin and sucralose. The carcinogenic effects of aspartame The neurobehavioural effects of aspartame consumption
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The Happiness We Make By Sharing
What really is the meaning and meaningfulness of life? Are we here to be served or to provide service to others? Just recently I met a friend who has been absent from work for some months after a serious illness. I paid for our 2 cups of coffee and as we got up to leave she said “You know, I have been out with so many people for coffee since being ill and you have been the only one to offer to pay.” This small £2.40 gesture by me, meant more than I could ever have imagined to her. Jonathan Sacks in his book ‘To Heal a Fractured World”, tells of Moses Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbi’s of the Middle Ages. He rarely had time to take a meal, such was his service to others. When asked to define the task of a rabbi, he replied, “To redress the grievances of those who are abandoned and alone, to protect the dignity of the poor, and to save the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor.” Always in debt, he gave most of his money to the poor. Most movingly, in the winter he would leave the door to his wood store unlocked so that the poor could come and take fuel, without the embarrassment of having to ask. When we are unable to give money we should give time. For many of us it is a most valuable resource and possibly the hardest to give freely. Most of us are ‘time poor’ and I know that sometimes for me it is a sacrifice giving it up. Much research has been done on what makes for a happy life. When subjects were asked to choose one factor contributing to happiness, the only one not chosen was financial status. Studies have shown that those who own the most are only as happy as those who have the least, and only half as happy as those who are content with what they have. A sense of purpose, helping others and altruism have all been shown to provide the giver a more happy, satisfactory life. Human life comes with responsibility. The path of hedonism, pleasure seeking and materialism will never lead to a fulfulling life. All these bring temporary, fleeting pleasure. Happiness comes from living for certain values, acting on them, being part of a community, making a difference. To know that you lifted someone up, spent time with the lonely and oppressed and acted in grace is how we get close to the meaningfulness of life. These small gestures should be matters of every day life. “Yet there is one thing I have learned from the people I have met, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, it is that the meaningfulness of life lies not in what you take but in what you give”. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
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The Healing Power of a Cat Purr
By Naomi Murray on January 13, 2017 Healing by Association “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectation We visit pet shops and animal sanctuaries, watch Lonely Planet and veterinary programmes because there is just something about animals. They soothe and comfort, demand little and offer unconditional love. Growing up we had a varied collection of pets: goats, pheasants, rabbits, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils and stick insects. In the summer we collected green beetles, newts and crabs and saved the odd mouse from the cat. We loved them all, creatures great and small. The healing power of animals is nothing new with studies dating back more than 3 decades showing that just stroking your pet can lower blood pressure. If you own an animal you will acknowledge that time spent with your treasured pet brings about a sense of calm and peace. Research also show that animals and their owners can become so in tune with each other that their heart beats become synchronised. But who would have thought that a cat purr could be healing. This vibrational almost hypnotising sound. There is an old veterinary saying, “If you put a cat and a bunch of broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal.” Is it true? The vibration of a cats purr can speed up healing, not just in other animals but humans too. The optimal frequency for bone stimulation is 50 hertz. The frequency of a cat purr falls between 25 and 50 hertz. More reason to hug a cat to aid in the healing of bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles, as well as providing pain relief. The sound of a cat purring can lower blood pressure Petting your purring cat lowers stress and promotes calmness Cat owners (or having other pets) lowers your risk catching of colds and flu Some individuals claim to relive their migraines just by lying next to their purring cat Science shows that vibrational stimulation not only relieves suffering in 82% of persons suffering from acute and chronic pain but also generates new tissue growth, improves local circulation and oxygenation and reduces swelling Research has shown that a cat’s purr, can decrease the symptoms of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease called dysponea, in both cats and humans If you own a cat you are 40% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease
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Magnesium is a Miracle Drug
‘When someone dies in front of you it can be a little unsettling. Thankfully, sometimes, all they need is a little extra magnesium.’ Magnesium is a Miracle Drug is a guest post by Dr Dan Keown, an A&E doctor with a degree in Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and author of the best selling book The Spark in the Machine. If you could have the perfect drug what would it be? The answer is that it would probably look a lot like marijuana – cheap; safe; effective; cures cancer; stops fits; and, arguably, the best recreational drug too – but magnesium would be up there. Magnesium is that fantastic metal that any student of chemistry can tell you burns with a pyrotechnic flare. Magnesium is also the chemical element at the centre of chlorophyll that gives green leaves their hue, and creates energy from sunlight. This is important when we understand the Chinese medicinal properties of magnesium. I first got interested in magnesium when I needed to give a talk as a junior doctor. I found a review article on it and was astounded by what I learnt. Firstly, industrialisation of our diets had led to increasing loss of micronutrients in our food and magnesium was one of the worst affected. This loss was then being reflected in a chronic deficiency in our bodies. The next fact was the most astounding though. When scientists looked at magnesium in the cells in our bodies (serum, or blood, levels are not an accurate reflection of body magnesium) they found a simple correlation between the severity of illness and magnesium status. In the general population just a few percent have magnesium deficiency, but within hospital inpatients it rises to 11%. As severity of illness increases so does the rate of deficiency and by the time a patient is in intensive care there is an over 60% chance they are magnesium deficient! Magnesium deficiency appears to be an independent marker of ill-health. Magnesium treatment appears to be one of the simplest and most wonderful treatments we have available as doctors. It has showed benefit in asthma, arrhythmias, stroke, myocardial infarction and eclampsia: all severe and potentially fatal conditions. I love magnesium and will find practically any excuse to give it to patients, one of those being tachyarrhthymias. Tachyarrhythmias (a quite wonderful word which means a fast abnormal heart rhythm) all universally respond beneficially to magnesium. It might be atrial fibrilliation; ventricular tachycardia; torsade de pointes; or even a Wolf-Parkinson-White; but they all have a a chance of being cardioverted with iv magnesium. So when the ward doctor suggested iv magnesium for the following rhythm I said… why not? Now, you don’t have to be a doctor to find the last part of this rhythm, the bit where it goes flat, to be rather alarming. The nonagenarian owner of this rhythm strip had woken in the morning to find that his head was ‘full of bees’ as he went to the toilet. There he had passed out and when the paramedics had arrived they were rather alarmed to find that his heart was fluctuating between going at 200bpm and then stopping… for quite a long time. The paramedics were excellent and had phoned the cardiology lab to say that they were bringing someone in for a pacemaker but were told to go to the Emergency Room instead. And so there I was with this charming and engaging man, who was telling me about the ‘bees’ in his head, feeling his pulse bounding against my finger like a metamphetamine addict at a rave when… He died. His body slumped back against the bed, and the wind of life moving his body simply disappeared. His heart had stopped and, instantaneously, so had every other function of his body. I talk about this effect in my book – The Spark In The Machine – and how it is proof that the Chinese concept that the Heart, and not the brain, is the centre of our being is correct. When the heart stops death is instantaneous, like turning a light off or extinguishing a flame. I looked up to see the rhythm strip as a flat line and for a moment I felt a sense of rising panic in my own body… “The first thing to do at a cardiac arrest is to take your own pulse” — 3rd Law of The House of God I calmed my own breath and waited for just a few seconds more and then, like a generator restarting the electricity in a house, his body reanimated back to life. He looked around apparently oblivious to his near death experience and said: ‘It’s a very strange sensation, these bees.’ and smiled at me. “Nurse, I think we need to put out a peri-arrest call!’ I said, my relief only matched by my urgency. Shortly afterwards one of the arriving team suggested the magnesium. The remarkable thing about the magnesium is that it completely controlled his rhythm. You give 2 grams through a vein and you give it over 20 minutes because otherwise it can cause hypotension. Magnesium works because essentially it is a calcium antagonist: calcium makes our bodies hard, not just our bones but also our arteries and our muscles. Magnesium forces calcium to flow out of the cells and softens everything. This is why it relaxes the muscles in our airways and helps asthma; in the heart it relaxes and calms the conduction system that uses calcium as it’s fuel; in the arteries it relaxes the muscle and drops the blood pressure. Simple Yin/Yang philosophy explained what was happening to his heart. The heart was beating far too fast (excess yang) and exhausting itself and so stopping (excess yang turning into yin). In the iconic TaoJiTu this process of excess Yang turning into yin is represented by the small circle of white within the black, and vica versa. This process would have inevitably led to what the Chinese call ‘yin and yang separating’ or death. Every doctor there was in agreement that a pacemaker was needed, but this is where the miracle of magnesium appeared. The magnesium stabilised and slowed down the heart and when it did this the heart no longer collapsed from exhaustion. The last I saw of him his heart was poodling along at a pleasant 80bpm and the bees had all gone. (If you want a little extra magnesium in your life I can recommend this. I’m not on commission but the owner’s a good friend)
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Hold 2017 in the palm of your hand
3 easy ways to improve your health in 2017 Every day, without any thought, the average person breathes in and out about 25,000 times. We are not conscious of this fact and yet science shows us that conscious deep breathing can boost immunity, ward off depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure and even help you lose weight. ‘Breath holding’ is common in our hectic lifestyles and natural deep breathing gives way to short, sharp, held breaths. Deep diaphragmatic breathing massages our internal vital organs, promotes deep inner peace, oxygenates the blood, energises the body and aids restful sleep. Try every morning before rising and before going to sleep breathing in for a count of 7 and out for a count 11, through the nose and allowing the abdomen to expand and relax. The vagus nerve, an integral part of the parasympathetic nervous system is the longest nerve in the body and you really need to know about it. Known also as the ‘wandering nerve’ it is critical for optimal health and key to how you ‘rest and digest’. It is rooted in the brain stem and wanders down to the lowest visceral of your abdomen touching all your major organs along the way, including the heart. It constantly sends messages upstream from the gut to the brain and vice versa and is why you may suffer from diarrhoea when experiencing a worrying thought and why poor gut health can cause depression. When people say ‘trust your gut’ this really is referring to trusting the vagus nerve. As shown in the anatomical drawing much of this nerve system is in the abdomen. The vagus nerve is the commander-in-chief and incredible recent research shows that if you have an active vagus nerve, cancer stage may no longer be important. It is vital for a long life. Healthy vagus nerve tone is indicated by a slight increase of heart rate when you inhale and a decrease of heart rate when you exhale. To activate the vagus nerve practice deep breathing as mentioned above, adopt daily physicality, laugh, foster loving kindness and embrace gratitude as a form of well-being. Foster positive emotions – curiosity, love, joy, contentment, wonder and excitement. Science tells us that cultivating just a modest amount of positive emotions can activate the vagus nerve and in turn improve health overall. Socrates said “wonder is the beginning of wisdom”. Somewhere along the traverses of life child-like wonder can disappear but it is such a wonderful habit to adopt, to see each new day through the eyes of your younger self. Fostering these emotions have a positive impact on physical health carrying messages to our vital organs from the Amygdala in the brain, the centre for emotional processing. The human body has an amazing capacity to regenerate and heal and the cultivation of the above healthy habits provide the ideal environment to begin the process. “To see a World in a Grain of SandAnd a Heaven in a Wild Flower,Hold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour.”― William Blake, Auguries of Innocence
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Reflections of 2016
“Dear old world’ she murmered, ‘you are very lovely and I am glad to be alive in you.” -L.M.Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables. Before we go headlong in to another year it is always good to reflect. We might already have ‘New Year Resolutions’, but surely we must look back a little to go forward. In the media there have declarations from various public figures that they are glad to see the back of 2016. How shortsighted to make such a statement. There is much to be grateful for this past year. Regardless of what has occurred during the last 12 months, much of it is good if we just look at the miracle of life. Personally I look back on wonderful occasions where I have met inspiring people, walked in the hills in Spain, watched the Echinacea bloom and grow over the summer in my garden, taking on a new beauty as it went to seed. In my field of work I have been amazed and encouraged at what nature has to offer us in terms of health support and healing. There have been challenges along the way but these only strengthen reserve and allow for often needed changes in attitude and decision making. As human beings we need constant refining and only by truly looking at ourselves with honesty can we grow. At Botanica over the last few years we have shared some very important information – Sunlight is protective Diet products are not healthy and in fact may do you harm Fat is not your enemy, embrace butter, coconut oil and olive oil E-cigarettes are not a healthy replacement for normal cigarettes Magnesium is truly a miraculous mineral and your heart depends on it Mammography often leads to over-diagnosis and over-treatment Decisions and not DNA are your destiny Depression is not caused by low serotonin B-12 deficiency is a silent epidemic often masquerading as dementia Heartburn is mostly caused by too LITTLE stomach acid Liver is a ‘superfood’ Your grandmother was right, bone broth can heal many a malady The appendix is not a useless organ but a safe house for good bacteria Thyroid disease is under-diagnosed and under-treated, seek alternative help Thoughts have a profound effect on the gut as does poor gut health on the mind Busyness does not equal success The heart gives off a powerful electromagnetic field that changes according to you emotions Your gut feeling is often right and many authors call it the ‘first brain’ and not the ‘second brain’ as commonly reported May the coming year be one of peace and health in abundance.
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Healing Turmeric Golden Paste Recipe
HEALING GOLDEN TURMERIC PASTE Turmeric (Curcuma longa), is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the ginger family Zingiberaceae, which is native to tropical South Asia. How to make and use this this highly bio-available golden turmeric paste The Recipe 1/2 a cup turmeric powder 1/3 a cup of coconut oil 1 – 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper (Important!! Increases bio-availability of curcumin by 1000%!!) 1 cup of water plus an extra cup for desired paste consistency The Method In a saucepan add the turmeric powder and water. Stir over a gentle heat until you have a thick paste. This should take about 10 minutes. You may need to add a bit more water as you go. Then add the coconut oil and the black pepper at the end of cooking. Whisk or stir well to incorporate the oil. Leave to cool Store the golden paste in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Use in smoothies, ‘golden milk’ (warm up a cup of milk, stir in 1 teaspoon of the golden paste, pinch of cinnamon and a heaped teaspoon of honey), add 1 teaspoon to whipped up eggs before frying, add to curries or as an addition to a salad dressing. For humans and animals! Why Turmeric Science has started to back up what the Indians have know for a long time, that this is food as medicine. Medline, an open access database now contains over 1,000 studies on turmeric and its components such as curcumin. These are some of the most amazing demonstrated properties of turmeric – Prevention and reversal of Alzheimer’s disease and other brain diseases Reduction in inflammation Cancer prevention and destroying of cancer stem cells Protection against radiation induced damage Protection against heavy metal toxicity Lowered risk of heart disease Benefits against depression Read more here how turmeric may help over 500 health conditions
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A Voice in the Dark – Decisions and not DNA are your destiny
Genes may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger Dr Chaterjee’s approach has been our philosophy for the last 20 years. He explains in absolutely crystal clear terms that disease doesn’t just happen and is rarely bad luck. We must take back control and empower ourselves. He is a doctor that wants to treat the root cause and not just the symptoms. Real medicine that emphasises the ‘why’, and not just the ‘what’. Bruce Lipton in The Biology of Belief wrote “The Wisdom of Your Cells is a new biology that will profoundly change civilization and the world we live in. This new biology takes us from the belief that we are victims of our genes, that we are biochemical machines, that life is out of our control, into another reality, a reality where our thoughts, beliefs and mind control our genes, our behavior and the life we experience. This biology is based on current, modern science with some new perceptions added. The new science takes us from victim to creator; we are very powerful in creating and unfolding the lives that we lead. This is actually knowledge of self and if we understand the old axiom, “Knowledge is power,” then what we are really beginning to understand is the knowledge of self-power. This is what I think we will get from understanding the new biology.”
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The trouble with rest
There is no trouble with rest.The only trouble with rest is the guilt we put on ourselves.Too much to do, keep going, reply to all those emails, especially the ones that say “did you get my email” – oops. It is okay, good and right to rest.You don’t need permission from anyone. We are all so busy. Tangled in commitments.I confess, I too feel tangled in the brambles of a busy life. I am learning to take it easier. Kick through the leaves, go to bed early, say no, look at the sky, lie down, close your eyes, breathe deeply and nourish your soul. You must. Let us together start a rest revolution. Life is better when we feel nourished, for you and those around us. Most cures are not in a bottle. Rest might just be the cure you need. “Be as religious and disciplined about your sleep as you are about your work. We tend to wear our ability to get by on little sleep as some sort of badge of honor that validates our work ethic. But what it really is is a profound failure of self-respect and of priorities. What could possibly be more important than your health and your sanity, from which all else springs?” ~ Maria Popova Read this beautiful post here – Winterruhe: Bed Rest, Sleep Recovery and the Lost Art of Convalescence
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