Did you know that it’s all about money – and control?

So says Garry Gordon MD in his forward to Dr Thomas Levy’s book ‘The Primal Panacea’. He also reports that, “Most drugs only mask symptoms, ignoring the real underlying causes of disease, all the while generating new illnesses and conditions that will require another drug.”

When the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the leading cause of death in the US is from fatal adverse drug reactions, we have to ask whether the 5 or more drugs that are frequently taken at a time by more than 10% of all Americans is something that should concern us.

The Australasian Integrative Medicine Association’s (AIMA) Conference last weekend addressed these concerns and concentrated on one Vitamin that may well be, as Thomas Levy MD feels, the fundamental and universal remedy.

Did you know that apes, guinea pigs and humans are the only members of the animal kingdom who do not manufacture their own stores of Vitamin C? And – that when all other animals are under stress they produce even greater amounts of this seeming ‘wonder drug’?

New Zealand and Australia hit the news headlines around the world when a 60 Minutes documentary revealed questionable behaviour in hospitals when the intensive care specialists initially refused to allow the administration of Vit C saying there was no point in trying as he was inevitably going to die! A young Australian woman did die – after Vitamin C was removed from her treatment.

If you didn’t see the documentary at the time, or would like to be reminded of the almost ‘fanatical’ behaviour within the Auckland Hospital, you can view NZ farmer Allan Smith’s journey (It  was great to hear him speak at the AIMA Conference).

The great thing about THIS Vitamin C is that you can take Lypo-spheric Vitamin C in large doses because of the lack of gastrointestinal irritations and, because it is presented in this form, our body can uptake so much more than with the usual Vitamin C supplements.

Check out the video on the LivOn Laboratories’ site for a great introduction.

Lypo-spheric Vit C contains:

• NO binders
• NO fillers
• NO gelatins
• NO capsule materials
• NO dyes
• NO sweeteners
• NO flavorings common with tablet and capsule supplements

Are you wanting:

• Better health?
• To look and feel younger?
• Better skin?
• Removal of toxins?
• To attack viruses, toxicity and poisoning?

Has your doctor recommended you take statins as a ‘matter of course’ – whether or not your cholesterol levels are high?

Do you know of somebody that has been suffering from health issues, such as ‘leaden legs’, uncontrolled low or high blood pressure, unsteadiness, dizziness, and nerve pain or other symptoms that suddenly appeared after changing a drug?

During this past month it has been an eye-opener for several clients who have realised that their symptoms may well be linked to statins and other commonly prescribed drugs.

As early as the early 1960’s the levels of Homocysteine in the body have been linked to heart disease.

Since then studies have shown that high homocysteine levels within the body are a 40x better indicator of future heart disease than cholesterol.

I routinely test for elevated homocysteine levels.

Medical diagnostic tests are not routinely carried out but you can ask your doctor to have your homocysteine levels checked.

If it’s higher than it should be, the introduction of a good quality Vitamin B complex that has sufficient levels of B12 and Folic Acid will usually have a positive effect in reducing the levels.

These two parts of the Vitamin B group must have the addition of all the other Vitamin B ‘family group’ or the body will not successfully absorb them. In other words – there’s no point in just taking B12 and Folic Acid.

If you have any concerns about whether you are taking any drug that may be causing debilitating side effects, please:

• check things out with your doctor or
• get a second opinion or
• find out more information about statins from the internet or
• call me so I can help provide more information

As always, I see my role as the provider of information so you can then make informed decisions regarding your health.

NB. High Homocysteine levels can lead to conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis to name only three.

I do have to question who funded the recent study that was published on 23 February 2012, when I see the suggested replacements for the foods on the ‘NEEDN’T’ List.

Individual food intolerances are one thing but… oh dear… I’m beginning to sound like a cracked record.

I have to ask how people with common sense can possibly recommend the consumption of  ’diet’ soft drinks, sugar-free substitutes and artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame?  (Maybe they need to read the ‘Thought for March’ in the newsletter? )

Results of a new study carried out in Otago University were announced to the New Zealand population last month…

I have spoken and written much about the concerns of the artificial sweeteners and you can read more on this blog  on the WDDTY site or on the Mercola site as a start.

It has long been recognised by well known and respected researchers that the effect of the artificial sweeteners are absolutely appalling and result in many negative symptoms.

As a reminder here’s a list of the artificial sweeteners that can cause all sorts of issues ranging from learning difficulties, skin problems and weight gain to depression, anxiety and mood swings.

•          E950 Acesulphame potassium (Acesulphame K)
•          E951 Aspartame (now also named AminoSweet)
•          E952 Cyclamates
•          E954 Saccharin
•          E955 Sucralose (sucrose with added chlorine)

One or more of these will definitely be found in products such as all ‘diet products’; Coke Zero, Diet drinks; most chewing gum; Berocca; Redoxon; Eclipse mints; Lemsip; etc, etc…

Here’s the complete ‘NEEDN’T’ list i.e foods that ‘needn’t’ be in our diet.

I love receiving my weekly reminder of the newly uploaded TED talks. The most recent email took me to the wonderful talk given by Paul Zak.

Paul takes us on a fascinating journey that ends with the same conclusion as mine, but I didn’t know the precise science behind it… until I watched this clip.

I’m sure many of us would like to share the same message but how frequently do we hear a Neuroeconomist presenting the same thoughts?

• Trust is what encourages me to get out of bed in the morning.
• Trust is giving and receiving love & support – unconditionally.
• Trust is looking for the good in people and situations, knowing that what goes round comes round.

So what has Trust got to do with prosperity? Check out the link to Paul Zak’s TED talk.

We can’t join the dots looking forward… only when looking back. Trust that every person you meet, and everything you experience, is significant!
Where will these people and experiences lead us when we review our lives in the future?

(Copy of letter to a well known Supplement provider)
As a Kinesiologist, based in Mairangi Bay on the North Shore of Auckland, I feel I must express my concern about one of the ingredients (an artificial sweetener) in your Chewable Vitamin C 1000mg.

Because I was to be in a situation involving many people last weekend I decided I would take a booster of Vitamin C to guard against any cold infections. I had no symptoms of any cold but decided, as it had been some time since taking Vitamin C, that this may be a sensible idea.

A client had visited on Thursday of last week and had brought along a container of aforementioned Vitamin C. It was not a product I had used before but, due to its ease of being taken (chewable), I looked at the ingredients list and thought, “Great, this is for me”, and promptly rang your suppliers and ordered it…

I picked up the Vitamin C on Friday morning and ate a couple of tablets before heading out to the event.

It surprised me that, by the time I was sitting in the briefing at 2.30pm, I felt my nose stuffing up and, when I blew it, I found I was suffering from a bleeding right nostril.

During the day/evening my nose became more and more stuffed up and by the end of the evening I was unable to breathe properly through it.

When I arrived home I sniffed up salted water and this alleviated the symptoms enough for me to get to sleep. However, by the morning, I was ‘stuffed up’ badly.

In order to breathe more easily I acquired an Otrivin nasal spray on Saturday morning and used it with great relief so I could comfortably treat two clients before heading out again for another long day working at the event.

I became convinced, at this stage, that I was indeed developing a cold and so took three more tablets during Saturday – a total of 3000mg.

By the time I finished my shift at 10.45pm I was finding it was impossible to clear my nose by blowing it and had to resort to using tissues to pull out the gunk that had accumulated… an unpleasant experience.

Apart from this problem I had no other ‘cold-like’ symptoms.

When I was still suffering on Sunday morning and my nasal passages, particularly the right one, were red and raw I decided that something else had to be going on.

On re checking the container I read, under the ‘Free from‘ area that this product contains Saccharin sodium.

As I have been confidently testing and using this company’s products for my own, and clients’, needs for many years it had never occurred to me that your company would be using an additive such as this in any product and had trusted the company name that they would not subscribe to the Aspartame / sugar free belief.

I spoke to your Naturopath, at the company supply store on Monday (5 September), who told me there have been queries before about this sugar-free additive being in the product, but no reported symptoms such as mine.

Since stopping eating the Vitamin C tablets the membranes in my nose have started to repair and I can now breathe more freely and it is now 3 days since I took my last tablet. My right nostril is still red and raw but I can at least now put a bit of pressure on the side of my nose without too much pain.

In order to get a second opinion I had a doctor look at my nostrils yesterday and he described the nasal mucosa as being “inflamed, with scabs”.

I have to wonder how many people taking these tablets are suffering from similar symptoms, thinking they are doing the right thing by taking them but who are, in fact, exacerbating their symptoms.

During the past 3 months I have been running a promotion where I have been testing people for food intolerances and demonstrating the negative effects, and my concerns, with the very sort of artificial sweetener that is being used in this product.

What a clear demonstration of the negative effects of Saccharin this personal experience this has been for me, and a valuable confirmation to keep voicing my concerns about the use of artificial sweeteners.

Yours sincerely,

Judith Paterson

Negative thoughts only have power over us if we react to them.

Because our thoughts have a direct link to what happens to us in our day to day world it’s very important to make sure we keep our thoughts positive.

Negative thoughts do us no good at all. Worrying about things only creates stress, not solutions! Our mind is always chattering to us, and that’s cool when its good chatter, but no help at all when it keeps babbling on with negative thoughts.

Thinking negative thoughts never helps us at all!

I’m involved with the John Kehoe ‘Mind Power’ seminar (being presented by Robin Banks) at the moment and am particularly impressed with the suggestions that have been suggested for getting rid of those negative thoughts that fill out mind with an endless chatter!!

When we have a negative thought enter our mind we can use four different techniques in order to shift it to a positive one. Try them all and find which techniques you like the best.

1. Cut it off… and then replace the thought with a different thought. Often we will allow the negative thought to keep ‘talking’ to us and so we should just tell it to ‘shut up and go away’.  Then start thinking of something else… anything else!
2. Just observe the negative thought – as if it’s being thought by somebody else. Say to yourself “Wow – I’m thinking a negative thought… that’s interesting.” A negative thought only has power over us IF we let it. It has NO power unless we allow it to control us.
3. Exaggerate the thought until it becomes ridiculous. Have fun with this and make any negative thought bigger and bigger until it becomes really stupid!!!
4. Counteract the negative thought with its exact opposite. And so, as soon as you realise you’re thinking a negative thought, reverse it to the exact opposite. The brain can only think one thought at a time and so use the negative thought to your advantage to bounce from the negative to the positive.

All of these ideas will start to work better the more you practise them.

The key to long term success is consistency – as John and Robin say, some of those ‘weeds’ we have growing in our brain may take a number of ‘weedings’ to remove them – but they can be eradicated!!

Back in the late 1990s when I was living in the UK I used to repeat to myself,

“I’m always in the right place, at the right time,
successfully engaged in the right activity.”

……It’s amazing how many wonderful opportunities seem to ‘arrive’.  I’ve got back to doing this again. (Can’t understand why I let it go… it’s awesome!)

Try it yourself….

There really IS a difference between male and female tennis players…. and you think you know what it is?
Maybe not… check it out here!!!

I was recently mildly inconvenienced by the Chilean ash cloud when wanting to fly to Melbourne.

I love this idea of looking at things from a positive perspective…. Go guys!!

These photos bring a whole new meaning to DIY and it scares the living daylight out of me!
How these people avoided winning a Darwinian award is beyond my comprehension.

It was through a friend’s facebook page that I became aware of this amazing article and am thrilled to be able to share it with you now.

When you are close to somebody who is not well it often makes us re-evaluate our life and decide what’s really important.

This has become very pertinent to me recently and this article made me stop and look at whether I was living my life the way I will want to look back on it…

For many years Bronnie Ware has worked in palliative care. Check out Bronnie’s site here.

And now – in Bronnie’s words…

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.