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Self Marketing 101 – Why Students Should Tell Stories

Everybody lies, and storytellers are some of the best liars around. But here is the problem: People like storytellers. They hate liars. The meaning is similar but different. In the South, storytellers sit on porch swings and drink ice tea. Liars stare down the barrel of shotguns.

I should know. I’m from the South and we shoot liars all the time. Of course, I’m lying. But I can’t help it. After all, I am a “Southern” storyteller. I emphasis the adjective because I believe Southerners tell stories for reasons that are not always apparent to our friends in other parts of the United States. Our stories are more than entertainment. They teach lessons and those lessons are always filled with wisdom that is inspirational.

For example, everybody knows the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I bet what people don’t know is that it comes from the South. Of course, people in the Midwest will swear it’s theirs. They’re lying. If they just happen to be telling the truth, then it doesn’t really matter because I’ll still say it’s ours. In fact, we have been using that saying for so long that strong personal philosophies have grown up around it. One man says, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach old tricks to a new dog.” Then the man sitting next to him will say, “What dogs won’t learn, cats will.” These two men could sit on the porch and twist and turn one simple idea a million different ways–and I’m not lying.

This story illustrates a more complex idea that I want to make about the relationship between storytelling and students. In his book “All Marketers are Liars,” Seth Godin claims that marketing is about telling a good story. Successful marketers tell us stories that match our belief systems and these stories directly influence our behavior. I understand Godin’s points. What I fail to understand is why students don’t appropriate this behavior when it comes to marketing themselves to themselves. It seems to me to be the most important skill students can develop and exploit. But they don’t. Students are malcontent and maladjusted because storytelling has been outsourced to actors, singers, reporters, politicians, and marketers who are not always heavily invested in telling them the truth. These people influence the stories students tell themselves. This influence is why students have stopped telling themselves stories to celebrate their differences. It is more acceptable to be like others. Students have stopped telling themselves stories for inspiration. Religious leaders and talk show hosts fill this gap. Storytelling is in the hands of the folks in New York and Hollywood and they are not giving it back without a fight.

My advice to students is simple. Prepare to fight. Southerners are always up for a brawl. After all, we did lose the war. But we learned some lessons that no other region in the United States has ever had to learn. We learned to love ourselves. We learned that storytelling is transformative. It uplifts. It heals. And if we lack influence, wealth, beauty, and fame (qualities all students covet), we always own a more powerful tool. That tool is storytelling and stories are what it manifests. Now, that’s the truth.

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Introduction to Hot Stone Massage Therapy

Hot stone massage with the use of water-heated stones to heat and massage your body has become increasingly popular over the past few years. This use of heated water to treat the body, called thermal hydrotherapy, deeply relaxes your muscles and relieves stress.

Most massage therapists use basalt stones, because they are non-porous and smooth and retain heat longer than other types of stones. These beautiful stones come in various sizes. The massage therapist positions larger placement stones in one spot on the body for an extended time, while using smaller tooling stones to perform specific massage strokes.

The strokes are generally slow and gentle, in a way that many people find grounding, comforting, and calming. Some massage therapists use hot stones for energy work by placing them along the body’s meridians (energy lines) or on the chakras (energy points). Placing the stones at these key points can stimulate movement of the energy known as qi or chi and help release the effects of stress and facilitate healing.

Other potential benefits of hot stone massage include the release of toxins, relief of pain, and improved circulation. The combined healing properties of massage and heat bring many clients who have a hot stone massage once back for more.

Using the Stones

To heat the stones, the massage therapist uses a professionally designed heater with a thermometer for checking the water temperature. The water temperature is generally between 110 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Because everyone has different sensitivity to heat, it’s important for the therapist to make sure the temperature of the stones is appropriate for you. Always let your therapist know if the stones feel too hot.

When using placement stones, the therapist will put a barrier, such as a flannel sheet or terry cloth towel, between them and your skin to avoid the risk of a burn.

To maintain and clean the stones, therapists use different techniques. Some wash the stones and change the water after every client. Others use a spa oxidizer that breaks down bacteria in the hot water, keeping the stones sanitized all day. Then at the end of the day, the therapist empties the heating unit and washes and sanitizes all the equipment.

Cold Stone Massage and Contrast Therapy

In addition to hot stones, some massage therapists use cold stones. These marble stones are hand cut for use in cold stone therapy, which is especially useful for injury and inflammation. Cold stones can also invigorate the body or have a cooling effect on hot days or for hot flashes.

Another option is alternating hot and cold stones, a technique called contrast therapy. Contrast therapy takes advantage of the benefits of both heat and cold. The contrasting temperatures expand and constrict the blood vessels, stimulating blood flow and lymphatic drainage.

Cautions and Contraindications

To make sure that hot stone massage is safe for you, always tell your massage therapist about all your medical conditions and anything else affecting your body. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or are under a healthcare provider’s care for a serious medical condition, consult your provider before receiving a hot stone massage.

Heat can worsen some skin conditions, such as eczema, rashes, and psoriasis. Avoid heat if you are taking medication that causes skin hypersensitivity (such as antibiotics or Accutane for acne). Be cautious about any area that is numb. Avoid heat on varicose veins, open wounds, infected skin conditions, or inflammation.

In general, avoid cold stones if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, circulatory problems, reduced sensation, or nerve damage. Also, avoid cold stones on your abdomen if you have abdominal distress (discomfort, pain, bloating, gas, cramping, constipation, or diarrhea). However, warm stones moved in a circular, clockwise direction may help relieve these symptoms.

Enjoy Your Massage!

Now that you know the benefits of hot stone massage and understand when it’s safe to receive one, call your local massage therapist and enjoy the relaxing and healing effects of the penetrating heat of a hot stone massage.

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The Health Benefits of a Simple Egg Sandwich

This is the typical conversation most mornings and sometimes at weekends during snack time, between my wife and my 4 year old daughter.

“Mum, I’m hungry.” “What would you like to eat?” “Egg sandwich.”

She wants a fried egg, cooked in a small dab of virgin olive oil over moderate heat with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper in a sandwich of freshly baked wholegrain homemade bread. I introduced her to eggs when she was a toddler. Eggs are easy to chew and should be part of a daily diet given to any child of one year old or older. I remember when my daughter as a toddler would eat the egg white first and then pop the whole yolk of a hard-boiled egg straight into her mouth. I still remember when I was a child and my mother used to give me a hard-boiled egg whenever I was hungry. What happened to the good old fashioned days when eggs were given as snacks?

Today, we live in an addiction-prone society. Of all the addictions out there, one of the most deadly is one that is most often overlooked: Junk food. We feed our kids junk food everyday without realising it. We are all guilty of doing this. It is easier to pull out a bag of crisps when a child is hungry rather than have them suffer pangs of hunger. This practice is acceptable for the rare occasions but the problem with our society is that we use this kind of junk food as a common everyday snack.

Did you also know that processed food is junk food? The first image that comes to mind for most people when they hear the term “processed food” is a wrapped burger and a sleeve of fries served over a counter at a fast food joint. But the truth is the very food you have in your cabinets is processed if it’s boxed, bagged, canned or jarred, frozen or dehydrated and has a list of ingredients on the label. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for “safety” and convenience reasons. Processed foods are more convenient, it’s so much easier to bake a cake by opening up a box, pouring out a dry mix, and adding an egg and some oil than starting from scratch. Instead of making a dish with fresh ingredients, why not pick up a ready-made meal from the store? Isn’t it easier to just pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes? No pots and pans, no mess! But processed food are laced with colours, those are often inedible, carcinogenic and harmful to the body. Studies have found that food colouring can cause hyperactivity and lapses of concentration in children. Chocolates, colas, flavoured drinks and snack are full of artificial colouring. These are not the only additives in processed foods. Don’t forget the refined salt, sugar, preservatives, flavour enhancers and other so called “beneficial supplements”. Children are especially vulnerable to these unnatural ingredients. Poor diets can slow growth, decay new teeth, promote obesity and sow the seeds of infirmity and debilitating disease that ultimately lead to incurable disease and death or worse make life insufferable.

Did you know that approximately 80% of mothers, who is usually the main parent controlling their child’s diet, considered that their child’s diet was ‘very good/good/healthy’ hence overestimate the quality of their child’s diet. This is extremely worrying, since mothers who do not perceive that their children follow an unhealthy diet will not make the appropriate amendments to improve their child’s dietary habits. Do not be one of these mothers, feed our children correctly and this can only be done by reducing your introduction of processed junk food into their diets. If you think you are one of these mothers who have already done this, think again. Do you feed your child bread from the bakery? Do you give them bottled “freshly squeezed” juice? Do you give them fruit yogurts? Do you spread their toast or sandwich with commercial butter or margarine? Do you use canned tomatoes to make your sauces? Do you feed them frozen sweet corn or peas? Worst of all, do you give them apples that you have not washed? This line of questioning could go on but if you answered “yes” to most of these questions already, your child has an unhealthy diet! (If you want to know more about the foods described above and why they are considered unhealthy read our research in “Is Your Food Killing You?”).

How can a simple egg sandwich contribute to a healthy diet? A fried egg sandwich for instance, consists only of bread, egg and possibly butter and the oil used for cooking the egg. The benefits of homemade bread are described in our article “Wholegrains and their benefits”. The benefits of homemade butter are described in our blog. The egg is a nutrient-dense food, containing high quality protein and a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

As a whole food, eggs are an inexpensive and low calorie source of nutrients such as folate, riboflavin, selenium, lecithin and vitamins B-12 and A. Eggs are also one of the few exogenous sources of vitamins K and D. Furthermore, whole eggs are a complete source of proteins as it contains all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. Although, eggs were found to have lower amino acid content compared with beef, the biological value of egg protein is greater. The protein source from eggs are good for the development of skeletal muscle and egg protein is widely used by athletes to increase muscle mass.

We all know the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality from heart diseases. Low levels of DHA have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Chicken feed is now enriched with omega-3 to increase the omega-3 levels in their eggs. Consumption of DHA-enriched eggs can greatly enhance current dietary DHA intakes from non-fish sources and help approach or surpass recommended intakes for optimal human health.

Eggs had fallen in and out of favour through the years mainly due to the perception of cholesterol-rich eggs as a “forbidden food” developed in response to the highly publicized 1970s recommendation by the American Heart Association (AHA) to restrict egg consumption and limit dietary cholesterol intake to 300 mg/d. The dietary cholesterol guidelines are similar in the most recent AHA report;however, their position regarding egg intake has become more specific. It was stated the intake of one yolk a day is acceptable, if other cholesterol contributing foods were limited in the diet. Although an egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol, dietary cholesterol has less of an effect on blood cholesterol than once believed. Also, cholesterol is a dietary component that has elicited much public and scientific interest in conjunction with CHD but extensive research has failed to establish a definite link between dietary cholesterol intake and disease progression. In fact, a recent review of years of research has concluded that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without CVD. Many conclusions can be made about the ill-effects of eating eggs but these have to be taken with caution. For instance, one study concluded that eggs were linked to increased risk of Type 2 diabetes but this was not the real story as the result of manifestation of this disease was the associated bad nutrition, mainly sausages and bacon taken with eggs in the individuals tested. The reality of the situation is that although egg intake has steadily declined since the original recommendations in the 1970s, CHD and Type 2 diabetes as well as obesity are still the leading causes of death in the U.S. today.

Eggs have been getting some attention for their role in maintaining eye health and potentially helping prevent age related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. This condition develops from long-term oxidative damage caused by the exposure of the eye to intense light. Recent research has shown the value of lutein, a natural pigment or carotenoid in egg yolks. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the macularregion of the retina therefore, because of their chemical properties; these two carotenoids may function to reduce the risk for development of AMD. Epidemiological studies support the fact that those individuals who consumed a greater number of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin had a lower risk for AMD. Even though eggs contain less lutein than leafy greens, the lutein in eggs is more easily absorbed. One yolk has been found to provide between 200 and 300 micrograms of these carotenoids. In a study that measured the total carotenoid content of several foods, lutein represented 15-47/100 parts of the total carotenoid found in various dark green leafy vegetables, whereas eggs were found to contain 54/100 parts. This suggests that one would benefit more by eating an egg than getting lutein from other sources. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also classed as antioxidants and their intake also may be associated with a decrease in the risk for rheumatoid arthritis, CHD and chronic diseases such as cancer.

Eggs contain many of the minerals that the human body requires for health. In particular eggs are rich in choline, an essential nutrient needed for the normal functioning of all cells. It is especially important for proper liver, brain and neural network, memory development and even in inflammation hence reducing risk of heart disease and breast cancer. The potential public health implications of not consuming enough of this essential nutrient have only recently begun to be examined. There is a significant variation in the dietary requirement for choline. When fed a choline-deficient diet, some men and women developed fatty liver and liver and muscle damage, whereas others did not. This brings in a genetic variability to the need of dietary choline. Nonetheless, it is strongly recommended not just for kids but also for moms-to-be as eggs are a concentrated source of choline without the added calories. To get the same amount of choline found in a single egg (125 mg/72 calories; most of the choline is in the egg yolk – 680 mg/100g), one would need to consume 3 ¼ cups of milk (270 calories) or 3 ½ ounces of wheat germ (366 calories).

Despite all their positive features, eggs sometimes are linked to food safety issues. They do need to be stored and handled properly. Eating raw eggs is not considered safe because eggs may contain salmonella, a type of bacteria that especially is dangerous for the very young, old and immune-compromised. In cases where raw egg is called for in a recipe, ensure that it is pasteurised.

If judged as a whole food, and not simply as a source of dietary cholesterol, the positive contribution of eggs to a healthy diet becomes apparent and far outweighs the myths about dietary cholesterol from eggs. Because eggs are a conventional food containing nutrients that play fundamental roles beyond basic nutrition, their promotion as a functional food should be considered. In conclusion, it is time is right to change the egg message. For the consumer,the most essential image is probably that eggs taste good. Taste is highly important to consumers. The second image needing change is that eggs be recognized as a nutritious food which also has health benefits beyond basic nutrition.The concept of eggs as a ‘functional food’ is new to many and requires a change in the perception of role of eggs in the diet. And finally, the evidence that eating eggs is unrelated to heart disease risk needs to be widely disseminated to health professionals and the public so that everyone can benefit from including eggs in the diet.

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How ‘Half Ton Teen’ Billy Robbins Was Saved by Weight Loss Surgery

You may have heard or read about ‘Billy Robbins’, the teenager who has unfortunately been nick-named ‘half ton teen’ by the mass media, who at just 19 years of age topped the scales at an incredible 800 pounds, making him the world’s heaviest teenager.

His plight has been well documented in a TLC special called, imaginably, ‘half ton teen’. Billy had been told he had literally months to live if his weight wasn’t drastically reduced and the only option for such drastic weight loss was to undergo weight loss surgery.

The most effective and commonly used surgical procedure for the clinically obese is called gastric banding which is when a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is placed around the top portion of the stomach, this procedure is not usually invasive and can be performed via Laparoscopic surgery or, keyhole surgery as it is more commonly known.

In Billy Robbins case, he was too large initially to receive the life saving operation and had to go onto a strict 1200 calorie diet, which may not seem too extreme to people of normal size and weight but when you have been consuming 8000 calories a day it is a massive reduction.

Eventually, after losing two and a half stone, he had the first of a three step surgical plan, devised by surgeons in Texas, who specialized in this type of procedure. This operation entailed removing a large amount of excess fat from Billy’s stomach, a five stone slab to be exact, that’s 70 pounds!

Then after 3 months of hospital care and continued dieting, during which time his weight had come down a remarkable 280 pounds, he underwent the second phase of his surgery.

This second phase was to implant the gastric band that would limit the amount of food that could be eaten, a month after this he was allowed to go home having lost a further 70 pounds.

The third and final part of this surgery will be to tighten the gastric band to limit further Billy’s food intake and help him lose even more weight. At the airing of this documentary in January 2009, Billy had lost a total of 30 stones, just over half his original starting weight.

Weight loss surgery has saved Billy Robbins from certain early death as it has many, many others but the real issue here is that of a nations diet and eating habits, sure Billy Robbins was something of a victim of circumstance, being pampered by a mother who gave him no direction regarding the correct diet and for whatever reasons she may have had, she was slowly killing the son she loves.

Children need educating about diet and exercise from an early age or they too will become victims of the lazy eating culture and we will see more cases such as Billy’s. Advertisers need to be governed much better as our children are under a constant barrage of one advertisement after another for fat filled, sugar drenched snack foods and drinks that have the health of our children as their lowest priority instead of their highest.

Many of these corporations that prey on our young people have the audacity to blame the victims for lack of self control yet the message they subliminally promote is more is good! We have to take measures, and place the control firmly into our own hands to ensure our children, and ourselves, live happier, healthier and longer lives.

At the last count over two thirds of Americans were overweight and around 15% of those were obese and the figures are expected to reach 75% by the year 2015! This issue has forced our medical insurance costs way up and out the reach of many as weight related illnesses are the number one drain on our medical resources.

It is never too late to take action, losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise will not only help us but our children also.

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How Does Colloidal Silver Help Heal Cuts?

We need, at first, to examine how the body functions in a normal way. You may be aware that your body sheds its entire skin every 8 to 30 days, and replaces it with new skin cells. This process may be accelerated by prolonged exposure to direct sun light, and many of you will peel sheets of skin, rather than small flakes, (these flakes account for up to 80% of household dust!) The blood is made up of three major components; red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients to all parts, these are called erythrocytes; white blood cells, which fight infection, called leukocytes; platelets, which are a clotting agent, called thrombocytes, and various proteins and chemicals carried in the plasma.

In the case of accidental trauma, such as a cut or a burn, the body reacts instantly, by reducing the blood supply to the extremities, in order to prevent excessive blood loss. This has the effect of making the casualty feel faint, the same effect being observed in witnesses, whose body reacts the same way. The body then sets about affecting a repair, rushing white blood cells and platelets to the site to prevent infection and stem the blood flow by clotting, forming a scab. Any toxins formed by the trauma are eliminated and carried away. On occasion, cuts may be too severe for the body to repair, and in these cases, stitches may be required. Once the scab drops off, sometime later, faint scarring may be observed. Under the skin, repairs have already taken place, sealing the cut.

This is where Colloidal Silver comes in. In his book, The Body Electric, Dr. Robert O. Becker reports that application and ingestion of Colloidal Silver accelerated the healing process by around 50%, and has a positive effect on the prevention of infection. Furthermore, he observed that with the application of Silver, the body not only provided replacement cells to replace those damaged, but also, for every cell produced, an unusually specialised cell was also formed, plus a duplicate cell, as the normal cell divided.

This “specialised” cell was then able to act as a stem cell, which can morph into any type of body cell, and travel to where needed.Thus it would not only duplicate and repair skin tissue, but could also regenerate damaged muscle as well. He noted a reduction in the production of scar tissue, and a lessening of the dimple effect at the site. It may be that the Colloidal Silver had, in some way, stimulated the DNA to produce these variant cells as a way of rapidly promoting the repair of the traumatised area. It was also found that the application of silver rods to the skin, and the passage of a small electric current through them had similar effects.

Whatever conclusions are drawn, it is a fact that colloidal silver is a known disinfectant and antibacterial agent, which is non-irritant, and perfectly safe for topical application, and should be part of everybody’s first aid kit.

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The Importance of Emergency Medical Services

Emergencies many crop up anytime and anywhere. It may be a severe accident or a flight passenger’s sudden heart attack. Such incidents often come up in the newspapers and many similar occurrences lie in obscurity. Whatever be the nature of the emergency it always needs help at hand and as fast as possible. The Emergency Medical Services aims to provide the help a person or many people need while stuck in an unpleasant or unprecedented event. Such services if provided efficiently are greatly valued and those providing the service are held in great respect. The most common cases where immediate medical attention is required are main road or highway mishaps, epileptic convulsions, cardiovascular seizures and major mass scale accidents. Immediate medical help is to be provided to the victim or victims and by trained professionals only favorably paramedics. A basic first aid is to be provided to the patient and it can be done so effectively if a well trained technician is there.

Emergency Medical Services mainly has two distinct divisions. The first one is the care provided to the patient before reaching the hospital or the pre-hospital care given to the patients. This first division chiefly includes first aid and the emergency transport services, most commonly services of the ambulances. Pre-hospital care also includes the transfer of a patient from hospital to another in times of need and for better treatment. Ambulance transport is the most common Emergency Medical Service provided to the patients. Recently, however due to the immense value of time involved in such emergency situations transport by air has also began to save time and get the patient to a hospital as fast as possible since by losing time one can lose his or her life. Emergency medical service transport in air is provided by helicopters. This is an emergency system which took some time to come into action but now is very active throughout the globe.

The second division of the emergency medical service is the medical attention provided to a patient immediately after he or she reaches the hospital. Generally some resident medical officers or trained paramedics are allotted the job of looking after the emergency sector. If the case turns out to be serious senior doctors are called in to tend to the patient. The second division of emergency medical service becomes pointless if the patient has not got to the hospital in time.

Time is the driving factor in case of emergencies and if medical attention is not provided then and there a mishap may turn out to be fatal. So it is necessary for emergency medical services to be active twenty four hours a day. People are aware that quick medical attention from paramedics or trained technicians is available and so help line numbers are in wide circulation. Especially those countries which have a huge population have more need for the Emergency Medical Service. People are the basic foundation of this service, care is provided by a person to a person who needs it. More than a professional job it is like social service with an appeal for humanity. Mistakes happens leading to grave consequences but for the Emergency Medical Services millions of lives around the globe are being saved every day.

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6 Types of Bankruptcy

In the United States there are six types of bankruptcy, as outlined by Title 11 (aka the Bankruptcy Code) of the United States Code. While only a couple of these six types are most commonly used, it can be interesting and helpful to be educated about all the different types, known as “chapters.” Here is some information about the six different chapters of bankruptcy:

Chapter 7

The most common out of the six types, Chapter 7 bankruptcy governs the process of liquidation. Liquidation is the process by which a company or person’s assets are redistributed or dissolved, and can be either voluntary or compulsory. When a business files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a trustee is appointed to oversee the liquidation process. The trustee determines which of the company’s debts are binding and which creditors must be paid, versus relationships which will simply be dissolved.

When an individual files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, he or she is allowed to keep certain property exempt from liquidation. Certain types of debt do not qualify as allowable exemptions, including home mortgage, child support, and student loans.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 bankruptcy is available exclusively to municipalities. Historically, if a municipality was unable to pay its debts, certain measures were taken, such as raising taxes. Chapter 9 bankruptcy was created during the Great Depression, when raising taxes did little to improve a municipality’s situation. In some places, a municipality must seek state approval before filing Chapter 9 bankruptcy. The two most famous Chapter 9 cases were Jefferson Count, AL, and Orange County, CA.

Chapter 11

This form of bankruptcy is available to both businesses and individuals, but it is most commonly used by corporations. Unlike the liquidation process of Chapter 7, with Chapter 11 the debtor remains largely in control of assets. Rather than having a trustee in charge, the debtor retains control under supervision from the court. Chapter 11 is geared primarily toward reorganizing a business. With the restructuring measures, however, ownership of parts of the business and rights to revenue can be passed out of the debtors’ hands and to the creditors.

Chapter 12

Similar to Chapter 13, which will be discussed below, Chapter 12 bankruptcy applies solely to farmers and fishermen. Originally, there were not any specific provisions for these agricultural professionals. Addendums and modifications were added several different times, with repeated expiration and renewal, until a permanent chapter was created in 2005.

Chapter 13

Unlike Chapter 7, which liquidates assets and offers immediate debt release, Chapter 13 is considered more of a debt rehabilitation. It is similar to Chapter 11 in that reorganization and restructuring of assets is involved. The debtor creates a plan to pay off all creditors in 3-5 years. Chapter 13 may not work for everyone because requires a certain level of disposable income to fund the bankruptcy plan.

Chapter 15

This type of bankruptcy involves cases in which assets are spread across more than one country. The provisions outlined in Chapter 15 bankruptcy help mitigate issues caused by cross-border litigation. In these cases, the U.S. courts can choose whether or not to provide additional assistance to aid an individual involved with a foreign law proceeding.

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Making Ketogenic Diets Work

The Truth

Ketogenic Diets (more specifically Cyclic Ketogenic Diets) are the most effective diets for achieving rapid, ultra low bodyfat levels with maximum muscle retention! Now, as with all such general statements there are circumstantial exceptions. But done right – which they rarely are – the fat loss achievable on a ketogenic diet is nothing short of staggering! And, despite what people might tell you, you will also enjoy incredible high energy and overall sense of well being.

The Perception

Despite these promises, more bodybuilders/shapers have had negative experiences than have seen positive results. The main criticisms are:

  • Chronic lethargy
  • Unbearable hunger
  • Massive decrease in gym performance
  • Severe muscle loss

All of these criticisms result from a failure to heed the caveat above: Ketogenic Diets must be done right! It must be realised that they are an entirely unique metabolic modality that adheres to none of the previously accepted ‘rules’ of dieting. And there is no going half-way; 50 grams of carbs per day plus high protein intake is NOT ketogenic!

So how are ketogenic diets ‘done right’? Lets quickly look at how they work.

Overview of Ketosis

Simply, our body, organs, muscles and brain can use either glucose or ketones for fuel. It is the function of the liver and pancreas (primarily) to regulate that fuel supply and they show a strong bias toward sticking with glucose. Glucose is the ‘preferred’ fuel because it is derived in abundance from the diet and readily available readily from liver and muscle stores. Ketones have to be deliberately synthesised by the liver; but the liver can easily synthesise glucose (a process known as ‘gluconeogenesis’ that uses amino acids (protein) or other metabolic intermediaries) too.

We don’t get beta hydroxybutyrate, acetone, or acetoacetate (ketones) from the diet. The liver synthesises them only under duress; as a last measure in conditions of severe glucose deprivation like starvation. For the liver to be convinced that ketones are the order of the day, several conditions must be met:

  • Blood glucose must fall below 50mg/dl
  • Low blood glucose must result in low Insulin and elevated Glucagon
  • Liver glycogen must be low or ’empty’
  • A plentiful supply of gluconeogenic substrates must NOT be available

At this point it is important to mention that it is not actually a question of being ‘in’ or ‘out’ of ketosis; we don’t either totally run on ketones, or not. It is a gradual and careful transition so that the brain is constantly and evenly fuelled… ideally. Ketones SHOULD be produced in small amounts from blood glucose levels of about 60mg/dl. We consider ourselves in ketosis when there are greater concentrations of ketones than glucose in the blood.

The reality is that most people – especially weight trainers – have had a regular intake of glucose for a good couple of decades, at least. The liver is perfectly capable of producing ketones but the highly efficient gluconeogenic pathways are able to maintain low-normal blood glucose above the ketogenic threshold.

Couple this with the fact that many people are at least partially insulin resistant and have elevated fasting insulin (upper end of the normal range, anyway). The small amount of blood glucose from gluconeogenesis induces sufficient insulin release to blunt glucagon output and the production of ketones.

Sudden glucose deprivation will have the consequence, initially, of lethargy, hunger, weakness etc in most people – until ketosis is achieved. And Ketosis will not be reached until the liver is forced to quit with gluconeogenesis and start producing ketones. As long as dietary protein is sufficient then the liver will continue to produce glucose and not ketones. That’s why no carb, high protein diets are NOT ketogenic.

Whats So Great About Ketosis Anyway?

When the body switches over to running primarily on ketones a number of very cool things happen:

  • Lipolysis (bodyfat breakdown) is substantially increased
  • Muscle catabolism (muscle loss) is substantially reduced
  • Energy levels are maintained in a high and stable state
  • Subcutaneous fluid (aka ‘water retention’) is eliminated

Basically, when we are in ketosis our body is using fat (ketones) to fuel everything. As such, we aren’t breaking down muscle to provide glucose. That is, muscle is being spared because it has nothing to offer; fat is all the body needs (well, to a large extent). For the dieter this means substantially less muscle loss than what is achievable on any other diet. Make sense?

As a bonus, ketones yield only 7 calories per gram. This is higher than the equal mass of glucose but substantially less (22%, in fact) than the 9 calorie gram of fat from whence it came. We like metabolic inefficiencies like this. They mean we can eat more but the body doesn’t get the calories.

Even cooler is that ketones cannot be turned back into fatty acids; the body excretes any excess in the urine! Speaking of which, there will be quite a bit of urine; the drop in muscle glycogen, low Insulin and low aldosterone all equate to massive excretion of intra and extracellular fluid. For us that means hard, defined muscularity and quick, visible results.

Regarding energy, our brain actually REALLY likes ketones so we tend to feel fantastic in ketosis – clear headed, alert and positive. And because there is never a shortage of fat to supply ketones, energy is high all the time. Usually you even sleep less and wake feeling more refreshed when in ketosis.

Doing it Right

From whats said above you will realise that to get into ketosis:

  • Carbohydrate intake should be nil; Zero!
  • Protein intake should be low – 25% of calories at a maximum
  • Fat must account for 75%+ of calories

With low insulin (due to zero carbs) and calories at, or below maintenance, the dietary fat cannot be deposited in adipose tissues. The low-ish protein means that gluconeogenesis will quickly prove inadequate to maintain blood glucose and, whether the body likes it or not, there is still all the damned fat to burn.

And burn it does. The high dietary fat is oxidised for cellular energy in the normal fashion but winds up generating quantities of Acetyl-CoA that exceed the capacity of the TCA cycle. The significant result is ketogenesis – synthesis of ketones from the excess Acetyl-CoA. In more lay terms: the high fat intake ”forces” ketosis upon the body. This is how its ‘done right’.

Now you just have to throw out what you thought was true about fats. Firstly, fat does not ”make you fat”. Most of the information about the evils of saturated fats, in particular, is so disproportionate or plain wrong anyway; on a ketogenic diet it is doubly inapplicable. Saturated fats make ketosis fly. And don”t worry; your heart will be better than fine and your insulin sensitivity will NOT be reduced (there is no insulin around in the first place)!

Once in ketosis it is not necessary, technically speaking, to maintain absolute zero carbs or low protein. But it is still better if you want to reap the greatest rewards. Besides, assuming you are training hard, you will still want to follow a cyclic ketogenic diet where you get to eat all your carbs, fruit and whatever else, every 1-2 weeks, anyway (more on this in another article).

Don’t be mistaken; ‘done right’ does not make ketogenic dieting easy or fun for the culinary acrobats among you. They are probably the most restrictive diets you can use and not an option if you don’t love animal products. Get out your nutritional almanac and work out an 20:0:80 protein:carb:fat diet. Yeah, its boring. As an example, your writers daily ketogenic diet is 3100 Calories at 25:0.5:74.5 from only:

10 xxl Whole Eggs

160ml Pure Cream (40% fat)

400g Mince (15% fat)

60ml Flaxseed Oil

30g Whey Protein Isolate

Supplementation?

There are a number of supplements that assist in making Ketogenic diets more effective. However, many popular supplements would be wasted. Here is an overview of the main ones:

  • Chromium and ALA, while not insulin ‘mimickers’ as many claim, increase insulin sensitivity resulting in lower insulin levels, higher glucagon and a faster descent into deeper ketosis

  • creatine is a bit of a waste – at most, 30% can be taken up by the muscles that, without glycogen, cannot be meaningfully ‘volumised’.

  • HMB (if it works) would/should be an excellent supplement for minimising the catabolic period before ketosis is achieved

  • Tribulus is excellent and comes highly recommended as it magnifies the increased testosterone output of a ketogenic diet

  • Carnitine in L or Acetyl-L form is an almost essential supplement for Ketogenic Diets. L-Carnitine is necessary for the formation of Ketones in the liver.

  • Glutamine, free-form essential and branched-chain aminos are worthwhile for pre and post training. Just don’t overdo the glutamine as it supports gluconeogenesis

  • ECA stack fat burners are very useful and important though don”t worry about the inclusion of HCA

  • Flaxseed oil is a great but do not think that you need 50% of your calories from essential fatty acids. 1-10% of calories is more than sufficient.

  • Whey Protein is optional – you don’t want too much protein remember

  • A soluble fibre supplement that is non-carbohydrate based is good. But walnuts are easier.

Conclusion

Ketogenic diets offer a host of unique benefits that cannot be ignored if you are chasing the ultimate, low bodyfat figure or physique. However, they are not the most user friendly of diets and any ‘middle ground’ compromise you might prefer will be just the worst of all worlds. Your choice is to do them right or not at all.

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Tips for Getting Rid of Genital Warts at Home

Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Caused by a strain of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), genital warts are small bumps of flesh that often appear in clusters on the genital region. Cases of genital warts have risen considerably in recent years and although you can easily be treated at a sexual health or genitourinary clinic, you might want some tips for getting rid of genital warts at home to save the embarrassment of being examined by a doctor.

How can I be certain you have genital warts in the first place?

Genital warts look like any other warts, except they appear on or around the genitals. The warts are usually small to begin with, but they can grow over time, and in people with a compromised immune system, genital warts can resemble large cauliflower-like protrusions. Some people only have one or two warts; others have multiple crops of warts. Some warts are flat in appearance; others are raised with a bumpy appearance. Even experts sometimes have trouble identifying genital warts, but one common way of testing a skin protrusion to see if it is a wart is to apply white vinegar to the area: an HPV wart will turn white.

Warts caused by the HPV virus are not painful, but they can be itchy, and if you do not have them treated you will pass on the HPV virus during future sexual encounters. Visiting a clinic or doctor is one way of treating genital warts, particularly if you are at all certain you actually have the virus. However, if you ARE certain you have been infected, there are tips for getting rid of genital warts at home you can try.

There are many genital wart treatments available online, but there are also several home remedies for treating the visible symptoms of the HPV virus.

  1. Over the counter freezing treatments for verucas and warts can also be used for the treatment of genital warts. They work via the application of a controlled dose of liquid nitrogen to the wart, which kills it and causes it to fall off after 7-10 days. These treatments normally take two or three goes to be effective and each wart will need to be treated separately. They are also not suitable for warts on the more delicate areas of the vulva or penis, but can be very effective for warts on the upper thigh area.

  2. Some people have found success treating warts on the genital area with duct tape. It might sound like a crazy home treatment for warts, but try covering the wart with a small piece of duct tape and leaving it for a week. This starves the wart of oxygen and eventually it will shrivel up and die.

  3. Tea tree oil is a popular natural remedy for many things, including warts. Tea tree oil has powerful antiseptic qualities and when applied directly to a wart on a daily basis, you should find the wart eventually dies and drops off.

  4. Application of apple cider vinegar can be used to get rid of warts in the genital region. Soak a cotton pad in apple cider vinegar and tape it over the wart or warts. Leave over night and repeat daily for as long as it takes the warts to fall off. Be warned, however, apple cider vinegar burns the skin and can be very painful if used in a more sensitive area such as the testicles or vulva. It can help to alternate ACV treatments with the application of Vitamin E cream to promote healing.

  5. Essential lemon oil and aloe vera gel can also be used in the same way as apple cider vinegar.

  6. Echinacea is a powerful natural remedy for the treatment of all kinds of skin problems, including warts. Try taking an Echinacea supplement daily to assist in the healing of the area.

  7. Banana skin can be used to treat warts. Tape a piece of banana skin over the wart, yellow side up, and leave overnight for at least a week. The surrounding skin will be unaffected and eventually the warts should fall off.

  8. Another method for removing larger and more prominent warts is to tie a piece of cotton around the base of the wart and leaving it in place until the wart dies and falls away.
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Natural Flea Treatment For Cats – How to Naturally Cure Cat's Flea Problems

For every pet owner I think fleas are the number one problem that faces all of us. Now with the warmer weather fast approaching, also with it comes the problem of fleas. You want to desperately get rid of your flea problem that is making your cat so uncomfortable.

Even when you keep your cat indoors, which naturally for your cats health and safety you most likely do, fleas can still be a problem.

When you use a natural flea treatment for your cat, the benefits are so much better then any product you would buy in a pet store or at your vet's office.

Commercial flea products come with some of the most dangerous side effects. Especially for cats who lick themselves. Many of the products like flea dips are topical and can by ingested by your cat.

At natural flea treatment that has shown to work very well when used properly is a combination of COOKED garlic and brewer's yeast.

I emphasized the garlic be cooked. Raw garlic can be harmful to cats. So always, cook the garlic thoroughly.

Why is this treatment effective for curing your cat's flea problem? Well the garlic and brewers yeast get into the blood and skin of your cat and makes it unpalatable to fleas.

For this treatment your cook the garlic and combine it together with the brewer's yeast. After it is combined, you will then add a very small amount to your cat's food.

You will not have to use very much of the cooked garlic and brewer's yeast to see results. Use only a teaspoon at most.

Another great natural flea treatment for your cat is apple cider vinegar. You take a small amount of apple cider vinegar, again a teaspoon or less and add it to your cat's drinking water.

Like the brewer's yeast and cook garlic treatment, this also gets into the skin and blood stream. The fleas do not like this taste either.

So hopefully these natural and safe treatments used correctly can solve your flea problem for you and your cat.

For a healthy and happy cat using natural home remedies are always the best treatment.

Whenever you can limit putting your cat in their carrying case and traveling to the vets office you will have a happier cat for sure.

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Paranoid Schizophrenia, the Krays, and Freud’s Confusion

There are various types of Schizophrenia, but Paranoid Schizophrenia is the most common. The patient has delusions that people are deliberately trying to persecute her, she may well consider herself of exalted birth, or maybe that she’s been sent on a special mission by the Government, although she’s not always sure what that mission might be.

Jealousy is another unpleasant symptom, together with hearing voices that are either of a threatening tone, or which threaten her directly. Sometimes she smells and tastes things which aren’t real.

The onset of this disease is usually between the ages of 15 and 35, and while there’s no cure, it can be controlled by conventional medications such as Thorazine, Prolixin, Haldol and Stelazine. These drugs became available in the 1950s.

In the last decade, more advanced medications appeared, such as Abilify, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Geodon. However, doctors recommend that if you’ve been placed on a course of the older drugs, you should stick to them and not try to change.

The DSM-IV, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, volume four), defines the illness as follows:

1 ‘Preoccupation with one or more systemized delusions, or with frequent auditory hallucinations related to a single theme.

2. None of the following must be present. Incoherence, marked loosening of association, flat or grossly inappropriate affect, catatonic behaviour, grossly disorganized behaviour.’

A man with a classic case of Paranoid Schizophrenia was Ronald Kray. He, together with his twin brother Reggie, were two of the most vicious villains that London, especially the East End, has had the displeasure of encountering. Their reign of terror spanned nearly two decades, through the 1950s and ’60s.

Their gang, or ‘The Firm,’ as they insisted it be called, included a character named Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie. They employed him as a hit man and general enforcer. Now Reggie was a lot more balanced than Ronnie, and often fell beneath his twin’s spell.

Jack the Hat had been given 1500 pounds to eliminate a rival gangster. For some reason, he failed to deliver on the contract, and the Krays invited him to a party at a house in Hackney, East London. Except that there wasn’t a party. Jack was the only guest.

As soon as he walked through the door, Ronnie told Reggie to shoot him. The gun misfired twice, so Ronnie took Jack in a bear hug, slipped Reggie a knife and told him to do the necessary. Reggie did so with a vengeance.

That’s just one example. Nobody knew where they stood with Ronnie. He could be your best friend one minute and carve his name between your shoulder blades the next. No reason. Just sudden violence, a sudden desire to kill or maim.

The brothers owned an upscale nightclub in the West End of London, and of course this suited Ronnie’s feelings of self importance. Violence, a dominant symptom of the illness, and jealousy were two of the foremost traits that Ronnie displayed.

Finally, he and his brother were arrested by Superintendent Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read of Scotland Yard, and imprisoned for life.

Freud was of the opinion that patients would be in the grip of serious mental disorders for life and that slowly but surely they’d be dragged down to the gutter. He was wrong, as we’ll see later.

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Human Resource Planning for Healthcare

The WHO defines HRH (Human resource for health) planning as “the process of estimating the number of persons & the kinds of knowledge, skills, & attitudes they need to achieve predetermined health targets & ultimately health status objectives”.

HR planning is a dynamic process, involves 3 stages; stocktaking, forecasting, & designing temporary workforce. In the first stage of stocktaking, recruitment & selection of key types of employees align with strategic business plan to achieve specific targets. The second stage of forecasting is subdivided into two phases, forecasting future people needs (demand forecasting) & forecasting availability of people (supply forecasting). The third & final phase involves flexible strategy to recruit temporary employees as per need assessment & cost-effective benefits.

1. Stock-taking: – The principle is to identify how many people are needed at every level of the organization to achieve business objectives- in line with overall strategic plans – & what kind of knowledge, skills, abilities & other characteristics these people need.

The optimal staffing of modern health services requires many different types of staff. These include; –

1. Clinical workers – doctors & nurses.

2. Technical staff for diagnostic services, such as laboratory & radiology, pharmacy staff.

3. Environment health workers, such as health inspectors.

4. Preventive & promotive staff, such as community health workers, administrative staff, etc.

In a healthcare organization, traditional quantitative approach are used to make enumerative judgments based on subjective managers prediction to allocate certain budgets for employee’s payroll expenditure & need assessment of key employee potentiating responsive to organizational system & design. Resource allocations are best executed with the help of activity based cost management, that controls cost & labor required for specific job/event & reduce wastage.

For example: Comparative rates of healthcare activity: –

Inpatient care bed days per capita

Acute care bed days per capita

Acute care staff ratio – staff per bed

Acute care nurses ratio – staff per bed

Inpatient admissions per 1000 population

Acute care admissions per 1000 population

Doctors consultation’s per capita.

The types of health staff in a particular country are dictated by the kinds of health services provided & level of technology available.

For example: –

Nature of health organization: primary, secondary, & tertiary.

Types of sector: public, private, non-profit funded organization.

Infrastructure: size of the hospital (200 beds, 400 beds, 1000 beds).

General (multispecialty) or specific care providers (cardiovascular, cancer).

2. Forecasting: –

Demand forecasting: – Planning for the medical workforce is complex & determined by relatively mechanistic estimates of demand for medical care. Dr. Thomas L. Hall (1991) proposed 5 generic methods for estimating demand for health care, such as

1. Personnel to population ratio method: – This method calculates ratio of number of health

Personnel as compared with the population count. However, with inappropriate data available, it has serious limitations, such as it is only applicable with acceptable health conditions, a stable health sector, & a limited capacity for planning.

2. The health-needs method: -This method requires & translates expert opinion about people’s health needs to staff requirements. Health needs are derived from the determination of disease specific mortality & morbidity rates. The staff requirements are evaluated from the norms for the number, kind, frequency, & quality of services,& staffing standards that convert the services into time requirements by a certain category of health workers to perform the services. This method initiates the need for sophisticated data system & survey capabilities, & a high level of planning expertise which are not readily available.

3. The service -demands method: -This method accounts the numbers & kinds of health services people will use at an anticipated cost of obtaining them, rather than their professionally determined need for such services. This specifically provides data about economical regression pertaining to utilization of private healthcare sector as compared to government funded health sector.

4. The managed healthcare system’s method: – The managed health care system’s entails a known client population who would have reasonably good access to health amenities. But flexible socio-political trends & economical recession influence healthcare reform policies.

Supply forecasting: –

Forecasting HR supply involves using information from the internal & external labor market. The calculation of staff turnover & workforce stability indices measures internal supply for HR Planning. External labor market gives detailed spectrum on tightness of supply, demographic factors, & social/geographic aspects.

Internal supply: – The evaluation of the gross number of people needed for a specific job & arrange for other provisions of HR processes, such as training & developmental programs, transfer & promotion policies, retirement, career planning, & others have crucial importance in maintaining constant supply of HR in an organization.

1. Stock & flow model: – This model follow the employee’s path through the organization over time, & attempt to predict how many employees are needed & in which part of the organization.

a)Wastage analysis; – This analysis refers to the rate at which people leave the organization, or represents the turnover index.

The number of people leaving in a specific period

Wastage analysis= x 100

The average number employed in the same period

b) Stability analysis ( Bowey, 1974): – This method is useful in analyzing the extent of wastage in terms of length of service.

Total length of service of manpower employed at the time of analysis

Stability analysis=x 100

Total possible length of service had there been no manpower wastage

2. Replacement Charts: – Replacement chart is a list of employee’s for promotion, selected upon the opinions & recommendations of higher ranking people ( Mello, 2005). Some replacement charts are more systematic showing skills, abilities, competences, & experience levels of an employee.

3. Succession Planning: – An aging workforce & an emerging “Baby boom” retirement waves are driving the need for new management process known as succession planning that involves analyzing & forecasting the talent potentials to execute business strategy.

Will Powley,senior consulting manager for GE Healthcare’s performance solutions group says, that the first step in effective succession planning is a quarterly talent review that begins with an examination of the hospital or health system’s organizational chart.

In a 2008 White Paper on succession planning, GE Healthcare identified a few best practices for healthcare for succession planning:

1. Identify & develop talent at all levels

2. Assess top performer’s talent rigorously & repeatedly

3. Link talent management closely with external recruiting

4. Keep senior management actively involved

5. Emphasize on-the-job leadership & customized employee development

6. Create systematic talent reviews & follow-up plans

7. Maintain dialogue with potential future leaders.

External supply: – HR managers use outside information, such as statistics concerning the labor market from the organization & external labor market, in other words external & internal statistics.

External statistics: – Graduate profile

Unemployment rates

Skill levels

Age profile

Graduate profile: – There is substantial public sector regulation of all health care markets, & entry to labor market is highly constrained by licensing & professional regulations.

Unemployment rates: – There is lack of economic principles, the role of incentives is largely ignored & supply elasticity in the labor market is mostly unknown & poorly researched.

Skill levels: – Higher education (specialization & super-specialization) are proportionally restricted to limited seats of admission governed by medical regulatory bodies.

Age profile: – The organizational charts of recruitment gives details of rates of recruitment, retention, return & early retirement of employee’s, which helps to enumerate future vacancy rates, shortages, & need for replacement.

Internal statistics: – Demographic profile

Geographic distribution

Demographic profile: – Demographic changes (e.g. the number of young people entering the labor force) affect the external supply of labor. Age composition of workforce will force to review recruitment policies. The trend of increasing proportion of women in employment has lead to progressive development of both organization & country.

Geographic distribution: – The attraction of workforce to urban areas are influence by following reasons; employment opportunity, access to facilities – transportation & technology, & others.

3. Temporary workforce planning: –

Herer & Harel (1998) classifies temporary workers as: temporary employee’s, contract employees, consultants, leased employees, & outsourcing.

High social costs has initiated work sharing strategy which are flexible & provides more benefits, such as

1. Part- time temporary workers numbers & hours can be adapted easily with low maintenance cost to meet organizational needs,

2. Employees possessing appropriate/ specialized skills benefits functional areas within & outside the organization.

3. No responsibility for exclusive benefit enrollments, such as job security, pension plan, insurance coverage, etc.

In today’s work environment, outsourcing can be added as a temporary worker planning technique. Outsourcing requirement is assessed & evaluated on cost & benefit decision. Ambulatory services, pathological or diagnostic testing services, laundry, catering, billing, medical transcription, & others are most commonly outsourcing services promoted in healthcare organization.

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The American Boy – Drugged

Esquire magazine boldly published an article titled, “The Drugging of the American Boy” and when reading the article, it was startling to see that our boys, our future men are most certainly at risk. A silent war of sorts is taking place between psycho-pharma and the American family that results in the American boy being drugged at a rate that is altering the course of our nation’s future. The war is silent because most families don’t recognize the attack that the psycho-pharma industry is launching their way. The diagnosing of American boys, with mental disorders, is akin to a plague. Esquire reports, “By the time they reach high school, nearly 20 percent of all American boys will be diagnosed with ADHD. Millions of those boys will be prescribed a powerful stimulant to “normalize” them. A great many of those boys will suffer serious side effects from those drugs. The shocking truth is that many of those diagnoses are wrong, and that most of those boys are being drugged for no good reason-simply for being boys. It’s time we recognize this as a crisis.”

Bravo for Esquire for publishing this article and bravo to the author. This is a courageous notification to all families to beware, if they have a son, the chances that he will be diagnosed with ADHD are 1 in 7. It takes courage to make clear the threat that psycho-pharma poses to their children. The psychotropic drugs have clear warnings and with those warnings are the adverse effects that ADHD stimulants carry, including sudden death in children who have heart problems. They can bring on an apparent bipolar condition in a child who didn’t exhibit any symptoms of such a disorder before taking stimulants. The drugs can cause new or worse aggressive behavior or hostility. They can cause new psychotic symptoms (such as hearing voices and believing things that are not true) or new manic symptoms.

Going even further, to support the rights of families and individuals, this article is clear in telling its readers that there is no single medical test to evidence any mental health disorder. Especially, with the prescribing of mind altering and potentially life-threatening drugs, it is a crucial fact to convey to our nation. The heart that it took to write this article and publish it is the heart of a warrior, an advocate, a truthful group of individuals that stood up and communicated into the vast expanse of psycho-pharma marketing that occurs daily throughout America.The article expresses concerns that the child may be diagnosed erroneously and with only a 12 minute exam by the doctor and vague reports of the child having trouble sitting still in school, the child is then placed on mind-altering drugs.

For those who have sons in America, it is probable that they will be diagnosed and prescribed these drugs without true evidence of a mental disorder.

Ned Hallo-well, a psychiatrist who had been diagnosed with ADHD, co-wrote two books about this subject and the Esquire article offers us a bit of information from this noted author and professional. Dr. Hallo-well points out that boys are being targeted for this diagnosis because they are full of energy and in a classroom setting, do not necessarily sit still. The boy is told he is bad and now needs to go to a doctor and be put on meds. Dr. Hall-well is clear in his message that boys are just boys.

To put this all in terms of numbers, a research study regarding ADHD drugs, is mentioned and this is what was found:

“48% OF SUBJECTS OF ONE STUDY WHO TOOK ADHD MEDICATIONS EXPERIENCED SIDE EFFECTS LIKE SLEEP PROBLEMS AND “MOOD DISTURBANCES.” IN ANOTHER, 6% OF CHILDREN SUFFERED PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE.”

Summarizing the points made, with no medical test to evidence one single mental health disorder, with the risks of mental health drugs being potential fatally, and with an over-medicalizing of our boys, comes the string we, as citizens, can pull and thanks to Esquire and the author, it is unmistakably simple to see. A clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, Lisa Cosgrove took part in researching the financial ties between the makers of the diagnostical manual used by the mental health community and the pharmaceutical industry.

The research findings showed that the majority of the mental health community, involved in the creation of the diagnostic manual and therefore the diagnoses, were financially linked to pharmaceutical companies. Ms. Cosgrove points attention to the influence those financial ties have on the mental health industry and the drugging of our children.

Vested interests have led our nations’ families to be misled and as a result the American boy is being drugged at a rate that will eventually paralyze a nation. As these boys are our future leaders in business and industry.

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Alternative Medicine vs Conventional Medicine – Part 1

The term ‘alternative medicine’ that is so commonly used today is somewhat unsuitable since that would seem to indicate that it is a form of treatment departing from so-called ‘traditional’ scientific practices and is just a

possibility for a new treatment of disease. The truth is, so called ‘alternative’ medicine is the natural treatment of disease that was in effect in ancient times long before conventional medicine was ever introduced. Alternative medicine is traditional, whereas conventional

medicine is relatively new and not traditional. So conventional medicine should rightly be deemed ‘alternative.’

Upon the introduction of conventional medicine, what is

now called alternative medicine was suppressed, insomuch

that many sufferers are very distrustful of the use of

ancient treatments because they have been made to believe

that such treatments are ineffectual or even dangerous.

Yet, many ancient practices as Chinese, water treatment,

herbal remedies, massage and Ayurveda (Indian medicine

believed to be the oldest and most complete medical system)

are still being practised with great results; and, in recent

times, other systems also based upon the ancient forms of

natural healing have emerged. These include such therapies

as homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, aromatherapy,

nutritional medicine, naturopathic, and many other natural

therapies that have proved to support the natural healing

function of the body with excellent results.

In spite of this, there are persons who would prefer to suffer

than give such treatments a chance. However, when all else

fail, many of those same persons are now returning to such

therapies with the hope of finding relief.

Although there are different alternative therapies with

varying beliefs and techniques, there are common principles

under which they are all operating:


1. The body can heal itself naturally and remain stable.

2. Health problems can be contributed to factors of mind,

body and emotions.

3. It is more important to get to the root cause of an

illness and treat the whole person than to concentrate upon

symptoms only.

4. A person can contribute to his own healing if he pays more

attention to his health.

5. The same method of treatment cannot be suitable for

everyone since each person is unique in his physical, mental,

and spiritual build. This is why two persons may be diagnosed

with the same disease and the same level of illness, and one

survives and the other succumbs. Your mind can work wonders.

The main difference between so-called alternative medicine

and conventional medicine is that the latter is too concerned

with treating the symptoms of disease by scientific

techniques and technology instead of treating the whole person

and the cause of disease. On the other hand, alternative

medicine puts much emphasis upon the prevention of disease

(as mentioned above), and seeks to treat the whole person so

as to strengthen the immune system to bring about a sustained

healing.

Many diseases that have been deemed “incurable” are being

healed by natural ‘alternative’ means today but, unfortunately,

they have never been heard of by countless sufferers.

I enjoy making my own natural remedies from nature’s herbs,

vitamins and nutrients. I have been doing this for years and

have always been quite healthy. You too can avoid the effects

of costly synthetic prescription drugs used as medicines. It

is up to you to stop poisoning yourself, maintain good health

and save.

This article is written for information only and is not

intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information

contained herein is based on research I have done and just

want to share with interested persons. Anyone suffering from

a disease is advised to consult a recognized practitioner for

advice.

Part 2 to follow …

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Niacin and ADHD – The Smart Parent’s Guide to Supplements For ADHD

Niacin and ADHD have been in the news recently. You may have read that kids with ADHD tend to be deficient in this vitamin. If you’re wondering if supplementing your child’s diet with this niacin (vitamin B3) will be helpful in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, read this article and you’ll learn more about this vitamin and the best way to give it to your child.

ADHD Niacin – What is Niacin and Why Is It Helpful?

Niacin or vitamin B3 is one of the B-complex vitamins. Crucial to proper brain function and the production of energy, niacin release serotonin in the brain. If your child’s brain does not produce enough serotonin, he may suffer from lethargy and low energy.

B vitamins are plentiful in tuna, seeds (like sunflower and pumpkin seeds), sprouts, watercress, tomatoes and bananas. If your child does not eat a balanced diet or does not eat enough of these foods, you might want to consider a supplement.

Niacin and ADHD – Dosage Recommendations

Give your child a supplement that has 25-50 mg of niacin or vitamin B3. If your child happens to be overweight in addition to having ADHD, this vitamin will help because it helps to control blood sugar levels.

One warning about giving your child niacin: rather than giving him a niacin supplement, give it in the form of a B-complex vitamin which will give your child all the all the essential B vitamins in a form that is balanced and meets the recommended daily allowances. Studies have shown that kids with ADHD are also deficient in other B vitamins such as thiamin or vitamin B1.

In fact, since nutritional deficiencies can be the cause of ADHD and its resulting brain dysfunction, it’s best to give your child a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Niacin and ADHD and a Healthy Diet

Of course, vitamins cannot make up for an improper diet. Make sure your child drinks plenty of water and eats a diet that is made up of natural foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially dark, leafy greens) and lean protein such as fish, chicken and turkey. It is also helpful to supplement your child’s diet with omega 3 fatty acids which are essential to heart and brain health.

Although this may seem like a lot to do, you need to remember that food is our medicine and that immunity and proper brain function actually begin in the gut, where good food provides the nutrients to run our bodies efficiently and optimally.

ADHD, Niacin and Homeopathic Remedies

In addition to the recommendations above, you might want to consider a homeopathic remedy that has been formulated specifically to treat the symptoms of ADHD like agitation, restlessness, hyperactivity and inability to stay on task or concentrate. These remedies are used in place of prescription drugs and are actually much more effective.

Homeopathic remedies work to suppress the symptoms of ADHD, while healing the brain at the cellular level, restoring optimal brain function over time. Since they are completely natural, they have no side effects and will not interact with any other medications your child might be taking.

Look for a homeopathic remedy that contains hyoscyamus which has been shown to reduce disruptive outbursts, alleviate overexcitability and restlessness. Other herbs such as verta alb and arsen iod will help soothe and calm your child, so he can focus and his brain can begin to heal. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking such a supplement.

So there you have it. While niacin and ADHD are partners in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, this B-3 vitamin alone is not enough. In addition, feed your child a healthy diet with a multivitamin and mineral supplement and a homeopathic remedy formulated specifically to suppress the symptoms of ADHD and heal the dysfunction that gave rise to it.