There is a famous story about the good life that I have been thinking about lately of a Businessman who meets a Mexican man fishing on a little boat. It’s a great story that makes you think about your life a little clearer and see what is really important. The businessman notices that the Mexican man caught a few fish so he started a dialogue:

Businessman: how long did it take you to catch those fish?

Mexican: About 2 hours.

Businessman: What are you going to do now?

Mexican: I’m going to go to the market and sell the fish. Then I’m going home to take a siesta with my wife, play with my children and relax.

Businessman: Why don’t you fish a little more and sell the extra fish?

Mexican: Why would I do that? I make enough money from the fish I sell to buy what I need.

Businessman: Well… you can start a business and make a lot of money.

Mexican: What do you suggest I do?

Businessman: Well fish for twice as long, get twice as many fish and then sell the extras. Eventually you will have enough money to buy another boat and you can hire a second fisherman to work for you.

Mexican: And then what?

Businessman: Then you can make even more money and buy more boats and hire more people. Eventually you will have enough fish to start exporting them to the United States. You can purchase a packing facility, cut out the middle man and control the whole operation.

Mexican: And then what?

Businessman: Then you can build a business in the US importing the fish. Eventually you will be able to go public and make a ton of money.

Mexican: How long will all of this take?

Businessman: Oh, about 20 years or so if you work really hard.

Mexican: And then what do I do?

Businessman: Well, that’s the best part. You can retire with a ton of money, buy yourself a house by the beach, go fishing, take a siesta every day, play with your kids and relax.

Natural Health Techniques Newsletter

Dr. Denice Moffat, Medical Intuitive Volume 8 No. 2 Mar. 2012

In This Issue:

• From the Desk of Dr. Moffat: Shameless marketing
• Health in the News: Micro-chipped animals and Cancer
• What’s New on the Website? Book Give Away Contest Winner and This Month’s Contest
• Case of the Month: Food Allergies, Sensitivities, Intolerances and Adverse Reactions
• Product of the Month: Animal Communication–Interview with Lydia Hiby
• Media Reviews: (Book) A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter
• Ask Dr. Moffat: Can I feed my dog garlic?
• Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life: Pulse Testing for Allergies. Stop eating Round-up!
• Client Testimonials: Dog no longer depressed, abilities are shocking, eye is better, missed the crud
• Healthy Recipes: Sweet Breakfast Quinoa
• Inspiration & Perspective: Don’t settle for less. $20 bill self-esteem story.
• What’s New at Our House? Settling in for winter, power outage, farm website
• Local Events: Women in Agriculture Conference

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)

From the Desk of Dr. Moffat:

Some people do some. .  . I’d say less than ethical marketing. I got an inquiry about a homeopathic kit I was plugging on somebody’s website. After her consult I had her send me the link to this supposed kit. The man’s website actually had MY picture on his home page plugging this homeopathic kit that I had never even heard of! I was listed as his Advisory Board! I’d never heard of this guy. It was shocking! Needless to say I called his “hotline” number and discussed a few things with him. He has removed my photo thank goodness. As you research products it’s always good to check your companies and ask lots of questions then follow your gut instincts. I’ve been bequeathed with an extra dose of naiveté in this life. I guess I would never have imagined researching and asking questions of somebody’s board members. Live and learn, huh?

Health in the News:

Soylant Green or the Mark of the Beast? Would you let a family member be micro chipped? “When the FDA approved the device, it noted some Verichip risks: The capsules could migrate around the body, making them difficult to extract; they might interfere with defibrillators, or be incompatible with MRI scans, causing burns. While also warning that the chips could cause “adverse tissue reaction,” FDA made no reference to malignant growths in animal studies.”  Reported Associated press in this article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html Some studies suggest that the chip may cause sarcoma cancers in laboratory rats and in one dog. I hope not. . .we have three animals that are micro chipped. For what it’s worth, I’ve asked my vet buddies if they’ve seen problems with doing MRI’s on chipped pets but two responded that they have not BUT they haven’t done that many MRI’s on chipped pets.

GMO Sweet Corn? Monsanto, the corporation who produces roughly 90% of the world’s genetically modified seeds, is trying to bring their new, GMO sweet corn to a grocery store aisle or farmer’s market near you. Unlike Monsanto’s other GMO crops (which are primarily fed to animals before getting into human flesh as we eat these contaminated meats) this sweet corn is intended for direct human consumption. This is the first time Monsanto has engineered a vegetable that could be served straight to your dinner table. And if this unlabeled, potentially toxic crop succeeds, Monsanto is sure to bring us even more. I’ve got to tell you that finding non-GMO corn to feed our chickens is a constant challenge. Please tell your local grocers that you do not want this stuff in their grocery stores and that you’d like to know which foods are GMO (so you can make a choice and NOT purchase them.) Your buying choices count. Really they do.

Helpful Links for GMO’s:

• www.saynotogmos.org
• www.nongmoproject.org
• And here’s a movie you can watch online about this topic (It’s excellent) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4867493254318912106

What’s New on the Website?:

Last month’s winner for the book drawing was Cathy Edwards. Congratulations Cathy and thanks for contributing to my Random Acts of Kindness page. I used the Random Number Generator from http://www.psychicscience.org/random.aspx

This month’s prizes: For those of you who are currently signed up for my newsletter your name will be put into the hat for two things this month (March, 2012). The first is an Animal Communication reading for your pet by Lydia Hiby (www.LydiaHiby.com) and the second will be for a consultation from me. If you know of anyone who would like to join in the fun for these monthly drawings please have them sign up for my newsletter. A sign up box is on every page of my website at: www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com

I’m currently updating pages and inserting an annoying volume of keywords (some would call it optimizing your keyword density) and following a 12-step protocol to optimize my most popular pages so that they will be picked up by the search engines. It’s taking forever and my head is swimming. I’m taking some Search Engine Optimization e-courses and interviewing some spectacular healers who work over the phone. I’m also studying up on  how to best run contests on the web and in social media, so if you have any tips for me, please share! Oh, and I now have a YouTube Cannel if you can believe that! Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/user/denicemoffat?feature=mhee

Case of the Month:  Food Allergies, Sensitivities, Intolerances and Adverse Reactions

Some Allergy Statistics:

• About 10% of the population has food allergies.
• Between 10-35% of the population feel they have food sensitivities.
• Non-secretor blood types have more reactions to foods and chemicals than secretor types.
• Some foods can cause painful problems days after eating so they are difficult to track down, even with food diaries.
• From 1998–2000 to 2007–2009, the percentage of children who were reported to have a food allergy during the preceding 12 months increased from 3.5% to 4.6%, and the percentage who were reported to have a skin allergy increased from 7.3% to 10.7%.

Before I became adept at figuring out the core cause of my allergies through muscle testing I used food diaries, elimination diets and skin testing but muscle testing is so much easier!

Although I’m going to try to define food allergy, food sensitivity, food intolerance, multiple chemical sensitivities and adverse reactions these terms are commonly used interchangeably because the body often responds in more than one way with allergies. Core causes of these reactions are not that easy for the medical system to determine even with RAST tests, pin prick allergy tests and elimination diets. This is an area where muscle testing shines.

Food Allergies are defined as an immunologic response occurring when the immune system goes awry releasing IgE antibodies that bind to a protein within the offending food causing the release of histamines. This type of reaction is bad, and if the food allergy is severe, can be life threatening. Examples of IgE food allergies would be peanut allergies, but the top triggering foods causing IgE food allergy reactions also include milk products, eggs, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish and soy.

Food allergy responses affect all the organ systems of the body and can include specific symptoms such as itchy eyes, mouth tingling, itchy gums, swollen lips, blood blisters under the tongue, blurred vision, dizziness, digestive cramping, hives, hemorrhoids, asthma, chest pain, nose bleeds, runny nose, dry or tight throat, hoarseness, hives, swelling, fever, coughing, wheezing, breathing problems (including asthma and the life-threatening anaphylaxis), vomiting, diarrhea, headache, loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeats or a raise or lowering of the blood pressure or pulse just to name a few.

Reactions usually occur within seconds but some foods take up to 36 hours before symptoms show up (like in the case of headaches and certain food chemicals.) Even trace amounts of foods can be responsible for food allergies so it’s not like you can just remove the offending food from the dish when they’ve been cooked into it. Children can grow out of food allergies but often the allergy will manifest later on in life as eczema, asthma, sinusitis, migraines or colitis. Food allergies are often inherited.

“Although reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise” states the CDC.

Poorly understood? Boy, I don’t understand this with all the chemicals used in the production of foods, the eating out in fast food restaurants and the lack of cleansing fruits and vegetables in the American diet. Gee, I thought it was obvious. Sorry. As you can see this is a hot button for me.

Food Sensitivities are similar to food allergies but reactions are slower to come on. The immune system is still involved but different immunoglobulins released from specific white blood cells are involved (IgA, IgG and IgM.) Food sensitivities often manifest into chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia, GERD, sinusitis, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fetid gas, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and rashes.

Food Intolerances: With food intolerances the immune system is not involved and reactions are not life-threatening but they are none-the-less annoying. Symptoms of food intolerance include indigestion, fatigue, bloating, migraines, emotional changes, memory problems, ulcers, diabetes, obesity, epilepsy, accelerated aging, multiple sclerosis, acne, high blood pressure, depression, psychoneurosis, canker sores, irritability, total exhaustion after eating, impaired decision making abilities, constipation and IBS.

Digestive symptoms are the most common system affected by food intolerance. Imbalanced gut flora with associated yeast or candida are often part of the problem. The most common example of a food intolerance is lactose intolerance. Here, the body can’t break down the lactose and it affects they body with symptoms such as abdominal cramping and diarrhea. The funny thing about lactose intolerance though is that the process of pasteurization breaks down the lactase enzyme used in the digestion of lactose so this makes the dairy product a bigger problem than if the milk were ingested raw.

Multiple chemical Sensitivities fit into the food intolerance category. It’s my philosophy that many people are not intolerant to foods as much as they are intolerant to the sprays and chemicals used in growing these foods. I’ll be delving into this deeper in my next newsletter.

An adverse reaction to a food is any troublesome reaction after ingesting a food. This could include food poisoning or toxicity—like eating a tainted food or a poisonous mushroom or too much of a food that has tipped your body in the direction of a negative reaction.

Muscle testing works best for determining food allergies. Once you learn this technique you’ll have it always and even if the foods you eat now are modified somehow in the future you can determine what component is causing problems. We can also use food allergies to test which supplements or homeopathics will work in helping with the detoxification process which cuts out days of agony.

Case Study: How to determine what a person is allergic to.

I’ve been blessed with allergies, sensitivities and intolerances all my life. The last couple decades I’ve become multiple chemical sensitive as well so I’m going to go through some of the questions I use to figure out what has caused reactions in people. I’m hoping this will help you at home with  your own exploration into food allergies.

These are some of the questions I ask my body:

• What have I changed in my diet or in my environment lately? (I muscle test each thing I’ve added or tried in the last week and muscle test if it is one of these things.)
• Was it something that I ate? Drank? Or was it something I breathed in?
• Was it a fruit, vegetable, carbohydrate, protein, oil/fat. If yes, then I would go to the specific lists on these food items listed in the Exam Forms section of the website or just ask more questions to narrow it down. Most people can remember what they ate the day or two before if they are calm and relaxed. When they talk to me on the phone, however, often they will have what we call “psychic amnesia” but they will usually email me a day or two later with a list of foods they’ve remembered and I can test from that list.
• If it was something I breathed in, was it indoors or outdoors? In my house, at work, or somewhere else?
• What time did the exposure occur? What day?
• What was I doing at the time? (You’ll have to come up with a list here and ask yes/no questions for work, school, sleep, social event, etc.)
  

Comments and quick tips I’ve learned over the years:

• Your best bet for determining what you are allergic to and for treating yourself involves muscle testing.
• When in doubt, eliminate any and all processed foods.
• Eat whole, organic or unadulterated foods.
• Keep things simple. Don’t have a huge variety of foods each day.
• And just a side note here? If you’re a student and you need your brain to function at top capacity please eat your vegetables. Vegetables (cooked and raw) will help detoxify your system, eliminate depression and help you to think clearly. It’s just something you have to do if you want to be successful.
  

Helpful Links and References on Food Allergies:

• Pulse Testing for Allergies: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/pulse-testing-for-allergies.htm
• Statistics on food allergies in youth: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6011a7.htm?s_cid=mm6011a7_w
• Food allergies in school age kids: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/
• Family and School responsibility in managing food allergies in school: http://www.foodallergy.org/page/food-allergy–anaphylaxis-network-guidelines

Interview with Lydia Hiby- Animal Communicator

Lydia Hiby and her horse Traveler.

1. How did you get started in your career as an Animal Communicator? Well, in 1980 I met Beatrice Lybecker while I was working as a veterinary technician in New York. I had two jobs at that time. One was as a veterinary X-ray technician at a local animal hospital and the other one was in a horse barn. Beatrice was at the horse barn doing readings on the horses there and noticed me. Being the New York skeptic that I am, I thought she was making all of this stuff up and she knew that. She was following me down the barn telling me that I could do this kind of work and that she could see that I was a skeptic. I think she knew what was in store for me. She told me that I fit the characteristics of an intuitive. She finally convinced me to let her read a pet from a photo so I gave her my dog’s picture. She just blew me away with what she told me. That hooked me. Beatrice was getting older and wanted someone to carry on what she was doing. I ended up following her to California and mentored with her for about 1 ½ to 2 years while taking care of her critters when she would travel to do her animal communication work. At one point Beatrice said to me, “You’re good enough now. You need to do this on your own.” She started referring the local cases to me. What a trip. And to think my original intent was just to be able to communicate with the animals and tell them to settle down and be still for a few seconds as I was trying to get an X-ray.
2. How long have you been doing Animal Communication for a living now Lydia? Since 1984.
3. Do you have a favorite way to practice? On the phone or in person? It’s a 50-50 split. I do like working in person with the animals but you can’t help people in Croatia like I do now. And since my book has been translated to Japanese and Korean I have clients from all around the world. They send me photographs and a set of questions transcribed into English. I’m such a slow typist that it’s slow going answering the questions which then have to be re-transcribed back to their own language but I do it. I’m just here to help the animals.
4. I’ve heard recently that you don’t even need a photo to tap into the animal any longer is that right? That’s right. I haven’t used photographs for quite a few years now actually.
5. Do you have a favorite species you like to work with?  I love everything, but my heart goes to horses first. Horses have so much baggage and they are so misunderstood.  People give up on them so easily and they get passed from one home to another. Horses are like prisoners of war. Nobody asks the horses what they want to do. They assume horses go with the flow, but lots of them have ulcers from this type of stress. In my practice I see about two-thirds horses and one-third dogs, cats, iguanas and other exotic animals. People seem to have affection for animals they once were. I think I was a horse in some other lifetime.
6. Interesting. What was the most unique species of animal you’ve ever talked with?  The Iguana Cire (Eric spelled backwards). I wrote about him in my book. He was the first exotic animal I ever talked to and I didn’t know he was an iguana when I did the reading. After tapping in, I told the owner, “I’m licking the floor and it’s making me sick,” This made sense to the owner. She asked me if I knew it was an iguana I was reading and was I ever surprised. I could see an orange being and thought it was a Golden Retriever. This iguana had come from Honduras and now had full run of the house. Iguanas use their sense of taste to tell them about their environment. He was licking up residues of pine-sol on the floor that had been used for cleaning. Pets often know how to heal themselves so I asked him what he needed to heal and he told me sweet potatoes. Well, Cire had been to a local exotic vet and they had done all they could for him so she gave him sweet potatoes which cleaned out his liver. He started getting well after only three days. She never told her vet that she had consulted with me. A few months later I was able to meet Cire in person. He was nine feet long with these huge talons. Their tails are like big bullwhips. His head popped up immediately as I entered the room and he started to slink over to me. It was kind of scary. He actually knew who I was from our telephone reading. After that I developed quite a nice relationship with Cire and his owner. Cire and his owner would stay with me at my booth when I went to Pet Expos as a booth draw. His owner used him to educate people on how to care for iguanas. Most of them die after a couple of years because once they mature they no longer need protein and owners don’t switch them to a vegetarian diet. A couple of times he flew on the plane with us to the Expos. That was wild. When he’d get bored at the Expos he’d come down off his tree branch and start walking down the aisles. He caused quite the stir.  I love hearing that stuff Lydia. I’m thinking if the animals knew which herbs would do the same things to heal themselves they would communicate those as well. It’s a big reason why I spend so much time asking my clients about what they eat. My liver cases often respond to Safflower powder.
7. Do you communicate with animals that have passed over? No, I refer those cases to Teresa Wagner. I’m not that good with those cases.  We all need to figure out our limitations, don’t we? Let me ask you another question.
8. I’ve always wondered, is there really a Rainbow Bridge? Yes there is. When an animal is close to passing over a “fly by” animal checks in with it. This happens about a week before. The fly by may not stay with the animal at that time, but as the time gets closer they return and stand by the animal and stay there for about 48 hours. As the soul passes out the body through the death process the animal experiences a life review which is short–like a few hours. The life review for humans is way longer. The animal will often come back to its owner after it has passed and give their people a special sign that they have made it to the Rainbow Bridge. This will be a unique sign to that pet. My clients will tell me they  heard that specific pets tags jingling or the pet comes to them in a dream. Teresa knows when an animal is coming back to an original owner. Often they will come back as a different breed if the owner no longer has space for a big dog or whatever.
9. How did you meet Teresa? She sounds fascinating. We met through mutual friends as we were making the DVD called The Psychic Connection put out by The Entertainment Group in 2007. Teresa’s website: http://www.animalsinourhearts.com/
10. I’ve seen that film. It’s still for sale on their website (http://www.tegclassictv.com/inspirational-films.html). Is that how you got into the TV industry? Gosh, you’ve been on Leeza, The View, 48 hours, Amazing Tales and a bunch of other shows. I feel so blessed to be a part of this time in our world where we can honor communicating with everything on our planet. Every day I’m in awe. Yeah, it’s a trip. Actually the woman who co-wrote my book, Bonnie Weintraub worked for ABC and she would often give me a plug. Once you get your foot in the door it kind of snowballs from there. I got in at a time when animal communication was new so that helped. Eventually I had such a following that the stations would call me directly.
11. How long have you been working over the phone?  Oh since the beginning. I started doing that out of necessity. Cire was one of my first cases. He couldn’t come to me so I just did the best I could and discovered there was no difference really in the way I worked. The energy is all the same.
12. Which senses do you use when you talk to the animals, I mean, can you hear the words or do you feel what they are feeling or do you see symbols like some mediums and then interpret them?  Pictures come in the strongest and then I interpret them. I step into the animal first then become the animal. I’m seeing things from their eyes, use their taste buds, their pictures, emotions and physical sensations. When an animal has been traumatized, it is a very strong reaction.
13. Has your way of communicating changed over the years?  Yes, it’s gotten deeper. The dolphin experience has opened me up and I experience quite a bit more in intensity now. My work got better, clearer and more specific after swimming with them.
14. What kinds of questions and things do you talk about in your mind to the animal to get them to understand and trust you? How do you get them to open up and converse with you?  Well, of course I introduce myself to the animal. If they are hesitant I ask questions like, what do you like to do or eat and who are your friends. Eventually I get to questions like, so. . .you’re not using the cat box, what’s that all about?  
15. Are the animals surprised more often than not that you can hear what they are talking about? Only occasionally now. In the beginning more animals looked at me with surprise. Our consciousness has been raised quite a bit these last couple of decades. People are trusting their intuition more and talking more to their animals. Animal communication is no longer a new concept.
16. Do you ever question yourself and how accurate you are? Well I did when I first started out but I don’t any longer. With that said, I do let people know that I can make mistakes so if people are not getting what they need from a reading then there’s probably a reason for it. I agree. Occasionally I have inaccuracies when two animals are sitting side by side. This is called “bleed through.” I know when this happens though because the client will tell me that it sounds like the other animal is talking and that I’ve gotten their personality down to the tee. But sometimes maybe we’re just not supposed to know entirely what is going on. Know what I mean? I mean sometimes we’re not privy to the greater plan. We’re only given the information as a snapshot at that time and that things can change or unfold. I feel like I am allowed to give out what is needed at the time. Every day I’m just so amazed I can do this work.
17. Do you have Guides around you to help the communication process? Oh yes. I can feel my guides around me all the time. Then, when I go home at the end of the day, my own animals support me and help me to decompress.
18. Do you work with animal shelters?   Occasionally if needed. People who use Petfinder (http://www.petfinder.com/index.html) will often send me the picture of an animal and ask for a reading to see if the animal will integrate with their current situation, be OK with the other pets or the children and generally see if it would be a good match for the family. I also like doing the Greyhound Fun Days (https://www.facebook.com/events/24253854430/) Some of those dogs really loved racing. It’s good to ask them if they like family, other dogs and if so, what type of dog would they like to associate with. They’ll tell me if they’ve had a bad time racing. We had a few Greyhounds for our anatomy class in vet school. They were never initially housebroken and that took some time but they sure did make great pets.
19. You’re a busy lady and go to lots of events. How do you decide which events to go to? Wow. What day is booked? If I have the time and there is integrity in the activity, then I’m happy to do them. I’ve always wanted to be a fairy god mother for animals.
20. What comments do you hear most from your clients Lydia? What I hear most often is that I’ve validated what they already knew but that they were not confident enough to accept the information. Everybody has this ability but sometimes it’s hard to be objective when you’re talking to your own pets. I often get asked, “My animal always stares at me. What do they want?” I tell them that their pets are reading their minds. They are watching the pictures kind of like a movie screen and wondering if you’re going to talk to them about that vacation you’re planning on taking in the near future. “Are they planning on telling me about this” they’re asking. They get agitated at things you are worried about. It’s better to verbalize what you are thinking about to them so that they can let it go. They read your energy and your thoughts all the time.
21. Do you have a lot of inappropriate urination in cats consultations? Those are SO tough!  Oh yes, I sure do. Cats are not pack animals as you know. Every time you add another cat into your home, people like to collect them because they’re so cute you know, it really does a number on their issues with territoriality. Cats are very territorial. Tell me about it. Just when you get the home all organized and happy and all the spraying fixed the person will often go out and get another cat to put into the mix. Drives me nuts sometimes. I understand. Cats are so primal.
22. You once did a reading for my dog Maggie and told me about her past lives? How do you tap into those past lives? I’ll have to admit at first I didn’t believe what you were telling me but in all actuality she fit the exact persona that you depicted for her past lives. Being a veterinarian I know my breeds and I know that you were not just making things up that related to the breed. I was really impressed. How did you do that?  It depends on the animal. It doesn’t come up every time but some animals have had lifetimes you can feel. These animals are older souls. Maggie volunteered that information. An animal will let us know if they’ve been with us before and that they are here to help us again.
23. Lydia, I say a silent prayer before each consult which goes something like, “Lord, please let me say the words you want me to say in the way that the client needs to hear them for the highest and best good of all those concerned.” It’s an intention thing. How do you start? Ah, yes. I pray too before my consults. After that I just feel a sense of grace, like it’s time to begin.  God is on 24 hours a day you know. I can’t do this work without him. So true. I always tell my clients with health challenges that when they stop listening to people, God often brings them a pet with the same challenge. It gets them back on track to healing themselves again. So, Lydia. . .
24. How do we get a hold of you if we want a reading and how much do you charge at this point?  The fee for a reading is $40 for ONE pet for a 15 minute session; that’s all the time needed per pet. Consultations are pre-paid in advance by check or money order. In that time, I’ll ask your pet the questions you have, get answers, and give suggestions. I’ll also do a body scan on your pet so you have information for your veterinarian. A frequently ask questions page and contact info are on the site at www.lydiahiby.com. My phone consult days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM -10:00 PM California time, and you can call at your convenience. No appointment times are needed. Other days and times have to be arranged through the office. Boy, that’s a really good deal Lydia. I’ve got to tell you that the “No Appointment” thing threw me initially so I try to tell my clients that they may need to keep trying that phone number as you’re on the phone with one person and then another but really? I haven’t had to dial too many times before I finally reach you.
25. Did I miss asking you anything that you think is important for my readers to know? Well, one thing. Pets are more concerned about quality time than quantity time. When you go to work and then come home, if you spend quality time with them your absence is not that traumatic.  Thanks Lydia. As a child in a family of five children I can validate that. We didn’t have much time with my mom at the end of the day after she got home from work but those ten minutes or so really did make us feel loved. We knew she had to work to pay the bills. I don’t think any one of us felt shorted in anyway. I appreciate you sharing that.
26. If one of my readers wanted to sponsor a workshop given by you, how would they go about doing that? First, contact me through my website www.lydiahiby.com as I’m happy to do that for people. A good group count is between 8-10 people. I’m actually doing a workshop in Bend, OR soon. All my events are posted on the website.  Thanks Lydia. Here’s that link: http://lydiahiby.com/seminars.shtml
27. Conversations with Animals—cherished Messages and Memories as Told by An Animal Communicator. . .Will there be another book Lydia? Well yes, I’m saving up stories right now for a sequel. I’m still accepting submissions and feedback of my communications with critters.

Thanks for your time today Lydia and thanks for donating a reading. I’m really excited about our contests this year. Let me know how that turns out for you and if there’s anything else I can do for you.

Media Reviews: (Book) A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter

Imagine wanting to make cookies and not having the proper food additives to put in them so you send your child or husband to the store to pick up a few of them for you. “Oh, honey, could you pick me up some reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, caramel color, propylene glycol mono and diesters of fats and fatty acids, soy lecithin, BHT, citric acid, modified corn starch (but we’re already using corn starch—what’s this?), maltodextrin, gum acacia and oh, add in some artificial flavor.” Who makes cookies like these? Well, you’re trying to make Grandma’s Homestyle Chocolate Brownie cookies of course!

I don’t ever remember getting any recipes from my grandmother containing those ingredients! Whose grandma is this anyhow? Here are a few other ingredients that may surprise you. . . and after doing research for this topic it’s no wonder that more of the population are not having food allergy problems! What are we doing to our world?

Weird things in foods: Food Additives

2,4-dinitro-6-octylphenyl Crotonate + 2,6 Dinitro-4-octyl phenyl crotonate is used as an apple fungicide and in chemical warfare.

ADD and Anger problems? You may want to ferret out and eliminate blue dyes listed as FD & C Blue No. 1, Brilliant blue No. 1, Aluminum Lake and FD & C Blue No. 2 dyes. These dyes are used in bottled soft drinks, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, Bakery Products (blue frosting anyone?), cereals, candy (Skittles, hard candy, M&M’s and more) and in confections. Blue dye is a sensitizer to other allergens.

Allylmercaptan (listed as synthetic spice flavoring), poisonous by inhalation and ingestion, strong irritant to the skin and mucous membranes and a fire hazard but found in beverages, ice cream, ices, candy, baked goods and meats.

Alzheimer’s or memory problems? What about reproductive problems? Eliminate aluminum in a host of items. Aluminum is listed on the ingredient list as Aluminum ammonium, Aluminum ammonium sulfate, aluminum calcium silicate (in vanilla powder and in table salt at a 2% volume), aluminum hydroxide, aluminum nicotinate (as niacin),  Aluminum oleate (lacquer for metals and waterproofing sprays and as a leavening agents in baked goods, antiperspirants, dentifrices, toothpaste, styptic pencils, cosmetics, gastric antacids, gelling agents, anticaking agents, binders, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners for petroleum jelly) and Aluminum phosphide which is used in fumigation of corn grits, brewer’s malt and in brewer’s rice. Fuller’s Earth (Aluminum magnesium silicate) is in dry shampoo, hair coloring, beauty masks, dusting powders, lubricants and in soaps. Aluminum Potassium Sulfate is used for clarifying sugar, sweet and dill pickles, cereals, flours, bleached flours, cheese (looked at the label on American cheese lately?). Aluminum Sterates are used in waterproofing fabrics, chewing gum, lubricating oils, de-foaming agents in the processing of beet sugar and in yeast. Aluminum Sulfate (aka Alum) is used in packaged potatoes, pickle relish, shrimp, antiseptics, deodorants, skin fresheners, antiperspirants and in water purifiers. Alum may cause allergic reactions such as pimples in the underarms from using deodorant.

Ammonia and Urea are added to tobacco to increase the free-base (addictive) component in cigarettes. The brands highest in free-base nicotine are Winston, Camel, American Spirit, Marlboro and Gauloises Blondes. Reference: http://www.rense.com/general39/tobacc.htm and the list of the 599 additives added to cigarettes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes

Antifreeze- stabilizer in ice cream.

Arsenic is used as a growth promotant. It can cause birth defects in people but the FDA approves 0.5ppm in muscle tissue and 2ppm in the liver. People who eat too much kelp tend to have higher levels of arsenic in them so limit your Nori Wrapper consumption to 4/week to be safe. If you are using sea vegetables to control your thyroid problems also cut back on goitrogenic foods so that you won’t need as many sea veggies.

Asparagus: Do you have petrochemical allergies? If you do, you may want to minimize Asparagus consumption. Asparagus breaks down and produces gas in the large intestine releasing Methanethiol (methyl mercapten—oh man, does that stink!) which is a fungicide and pesticide produced by the roots of the plant. This particular chemical is also present in coal-tar, “sour” gas in Texas and in petroleum.

Benzyl Ethyl Ether is used in flavoring beverages, ice cream, ices, candy and baked goods. Benzyl Ethyl Ether stresses the liver, is a skin irritant and a narcotic in high concentrations.

Bleach (Nattypochlorite) is used to wash cottage cheese curds with. Now where do the leftovers from this process go? To make whey? No wonder so many people are allergic to whey. Actually the industry first used whey as pig food to try to get rid of it. Now whey is added to lots of things and you can purchase it as a protein powder for your smoothies!

Bleached wheat is made white with Acetyl Benzoil Peroxide (which may be good for acne as a germicide and disinfectant but why are we eating it? It’s also in blue cheese, gorgonzola and milk. Did you know they also use Benzoyl peroxide to harden certain fiberglass resins? It’s also in some cosmetics. It’s toxic to inhale and a skin irritant.

Caramel is used as a brown coloring in many foods, but did you know it may block absorption of Vitamin B6?

Carnauba wax: is made from the wax palm tree and is used as a candy glaze, polish and in varnishes. It is a texturizer for makeup, depilatories and deodorant sticks.

Chewing gum contains a bunch of stuff we shouldn’t ingest. The gum base contains Polyethylene, a product of gas or dehydration of alcohol (a thermoplastic actually) and most gums these days also contain Splenda.

Coatings on citrus, squash, grapes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, melons, papayas, plantains, turnips, watermelon and nuts may expose you to coal tar derivatives, antibiotics, ethoxyquin, natamycin, and lots of resins.

Cochineal (Carmine) is a red dye made of ground up insects (cochineal). It’s added to red applesauce, confections, baked goods, meats, spices, mascara, rouge, eye shadows, candy, yogurt and fruit drinks. The insect may be a carrier of salmonellosis. Did you know that it takes over 7000 bugs to make one pound of this dye?

Coal Tar Derivatives: Lots of foods have these in them. Beware of Phenethyl (a phenol derivative made of coal tar) if you have petrochemical allergies.

Creosol (4-methoxy-2-methyl phenol) is a synthetic flavoring agent occurring naturally in Cassia (cinnamon) and used in fruit, rum, nut and clove flavorings for beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods and liquors.

Decaf coffee anyone? It contains methane dichloride and methylene chloride if it’s not water-processed. Methylene chloride converts to carbon monoxide in the human body thus blocking the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin molecule. Methylene chloride is also used in nail polishes. Nail fungus anyone? It damages the liver, kidneys and CNS and is responsible for headaches, insomnia, nervousness and tremors.

Formaldyhyde/Paraformaldehyes are in Nutrasweet, used as de-foaming agents, in animal feeds and embalming agents, germicides, fungicides, preservative. It is in Grana Padano cheese and is used as an antifungal agent to put on the tap holes of maple trees after the syrup has been collected.

Formic acid (aka Eugenyl formate) (a key component to scorpion stings) is used as a synthetic spice flavoring for beverages, ice creams, ices and candy. Formic acid is highly corrosive and naturally occurs in apples and other fruit. It’s the reason why so many people are allergic to Hazelnuts, Walnuts and Pecans (these nuts are higher in formic acid than other nuts). Formic acid is used for de-hairing hides, as a preservative for silage (which should not be fed within 4 weeks of slaughtering.) Chronic exposure to Formic Acid causes albuminuria (protein or foam in the urine.)

Guanidoethylcellulose (Guaicic Wood Oil) is used as a tobacco flavoring, in berry, honey, coffee and smoke flavorings, in beverages, ice cream, ices, baked goods, candy and toppings.

Hickory Smoke Condensate is a popular food flavoring thought to cause pancreatic tumors.

Hormones found in meat: If you know anything about farming you wonder how they can sell meat for such cheap prices when your local farmer is selling theirs for about 3 times the price. Well, these animals are fed lots of cheap genetically modified grains and their diets are fortified with hormones and food additives to keep them growing fast. DES (the hormone that caused all those birth defects in the 60s) is still being found in meat along with estradiol, mibolerone, testosterone propionate, trenbolone and a bunch of others. These hormones are injected into the animals via growth implants or put into their feed. Melengestrol acetate is a progesterone used to treat animals and suppress ovulation. It’s added to animal feeds so regulate the flock so that all the babies will be born approximately the same time. Methylprednisone is found in milk. Other hormones used in the meat industry are Corlutin, Cyclogest, Luteal hormone, rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotrophin or  IGF-1), Synovex, Gesterol 50 and Progestaject.

Hydrogen cyanide. Cyanide? Really? Well, yes. The FDA tolerates up to 200 ppm in cocoa. Ahh, this gives a new meaning to the phrase “Death by chocolate” no? How does it get into the chocolate? Well, the compressed gas is used for exterminating rodents and insects that like the cocoa beans. Hydrogen cyanide is also acceptable in cereal flours, cereals, ham/bacon/sausage, and it’s OK to use in mastitis medications (which eventually get into our milk supply.) Signs of overdose include shortness of breath, paralysis, unconsciousness, convulsions, respiratory arrest, weakness and fatigue. The average fatal dose is 50-60mg.

Insect repellents with DL-n-Butyl Phthalate is an estrogen disrupter. Your best bet is to use something organic like Buzz Away (an essential oil spray you can purchase at the health food store which is quite effective.)

Isopropyl alcohol. A fatal dose of isopropyl alcohol is less than one ounce. Isopropyl alcohol is used as an antibacterial, solvent, denaturant, solvent for spice oleoresins, modified hop extract (used for making beer), lemon oil and it’s used as a de-foaming agent for processing beet sugar and in yeast. It’s in all the Purell type hand products you use every day to keep the germs away.

Lacquer, that shiny covering on some chocolates and candies (like those little red sour balls you can get two packages for a dollar in your gas station convenience store).  Well, this piles up in your vessels making arteriosclerosis!

Latex: This is a very dangerous allergy and it’s on the increase. Latex is found in chewing gum, beauty masks, balloons, condoms, gloves, synthetic rubber or plastics, racquet ball handles, dental devices and more. The FDA has reported over 50 life-threatening allergic reactions from the use of latex gloves. I have several clients with a stash of Latex glove detox drops on hand. Nurses are one profession that seem more at risk for this allergy.

Maleic Hydrazide is used in the tobacco industry to regulate unwanted sucker growth on 90% of the tobacco crops in the United States. It’s also used on potatoes and onions post-harvest to prevent sprouting. Symptoms of exposure include CNS and liver damage. This chemical is highly toxic.

Maple nut flavoring is made in part from insecticides.

Methanol (aka Wood alcohol or Wood Spirit). Beer contains trace amounts of methanol. This alcohol solvent is obtained by the destructive distillation of wood with a nauseating odor. It’s used for antifreeze compounds, paints, inks, varnishes, shellacs, wood strippers, windshield wiper solvent, gas antifreeze, radiators, dye solvents, Sterno fuel, home heating oil extenders, octane boosters in gasoline, fuel for soldering torches, softening agents for plastics, to extract hops and spices and in the making of formaldehyde. Methanol is highly toxic and readily absorbed through all routes of exposure. The narcotic properties severely affect the nervous system. It is a dangerous fire hazard. A ventilation system is a must when working with any of these products. Symptoms of methanol exposure include headache, dizziness, confusion, abdominal pain, lung problems, weakness, coma, blindness, death and blurred vision (gee, this sounds like the high painters get when they are in the spray booth too long without their respirators on.)

Methyl salicylate (Salicylic Acid or Oil of Wintergreen). These items should only be used for spot areas. The concentrated stuff is really toxic.

Methylcellulose (wood pulp) is in canned fruits sweetened with artificial sweeteners, Kosher foods, low-calorie crackers (they have to keep that fiber in the crackers somehow), as a beer foam stabilizer, in dietetic products, processed cheese and toppings. Large doses may cause flatulence—well, no wonder! We don’t have the same gut flora as a porcupine! Methylcellulose may bind up certain minerals in our bodies making them unavailable as well.

Mineral Oil clogs up the small intestine so it can’t absorb properly. It’s added to bread, de-foaming agents in the sugar beet sugar industry, yeast, used as a coating on fresh fruit and vegetables (remember those slippery tomatoes and cucumbers?), is a lubricant and binder for capsules and tablet making, as a lubricant in the meat packing facilities, as a confectionery sealant, in baby lotions and creams and in cosmetics. Mineral oil clogs pores on the skin causing blackheads.

Modified Food Starch: Is this still in baby foods? In 1980 this was on the FDA top priority list for reevaluation but in 1999 nothing had changed. It was questioned whether babies could handle the chemicals that adults are exposed to since several chemicals are used to modify the starch.

Non-dairy whipped cream, creamers, chocolate coatings, ice cream, frozen custard, shortening and some vitamin and mineral supplements contain Polysorbate 60 and polysorbate 80 which is associated with 1,4 Dioxane—a known carcinogen.

Paint thinner- Banana flavoring of ice cream.

PCB’s are difficult to stay away from as they are off-gassing from food wraps and plastics. NEVER microwave plastic. PCB’s also disrupt thyroid hormones, decrease intellectual development, are responsible in part for ADD, language disorders and behavioral memory learning disorders.

Petrolatum (Vaseline) is used in candies and as a de-foaming agent in the yeast and beet sugar industry, in baked goods and in confectionary items.

Phosphoric Acid is added to flavoring agents. This chemical is found in skin fresheners, nail polish, canned milk, soda pop, jellies, frozen dairy products, baked goods, candy, cheese and is used in the brewing industry. Excess phosphoric acid causes kidney disease and kidney stones.

Pizza crust contains ethyl alcohol.

Propionic Acid is a by-product of the wood pulp industry. It’s a waste liquor with a pungent rancid odor used to inhibit mold on butter, fruit, cakes, candy, ice cream, cheese, perfumes and cosmetics.

Propyl Acetate is derived from propane or acetate; it is used in synthetic flavorings for fruit beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods and for perfumes. It is also used as a solvent for resins. It may be irritating to the mucous membrane and narcotic in high doses.

Propylproionate is used to flavor liquors. Lower doses than what is allowed in these flavored liquors has caused birth defects in experimental animals. BUT, propylproionate is also added to frosting, nut products and is in 97% of all seasonings and flavorings.

Remember Melamine dishes? Unbreakable. Well, melamine was used as an experimental cancer-causing and tumor causing agent. It is moderately toxic by ingestion. I’d recommend against microwaving and eating from these dishes.

Snail Bait (Metaldyhyde) can be found on strawberries. Snails love strawberries so make sure these are organic! Scientists are also playing with ground up shrimp shell spray to help extend the shelf life of strawberries. Plus strawberries have extra histamines in them which cause headaches. Anyway signs of metaldyhyde poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, convulsions and coma.

Table salt contains ammonia, hydrocyanic acid and prussiate of soda used as an anticaking agent. Hydrocyanic acid is toxic if you inhale, ingest or absorb it through your skin (another plug for the use of Celtic Sea salt which is a much healthier option.)

Talc (French chalk aka Magnesium silicate) is added to vitamin supplements as a flavoring agent (now why do we need flavor when the supplements are encapsulated? Prolonged inhalation of talc leads to lung cancer and acts like asbestos. In Japan there is an increased incidence of stomach cancer because they like rice treated with talc.

Tartaric Acid also known as Cream of Tartar, Sodium Tartrate, Sodium Potassium Tartrate and Azo dye are also related. These chemicals are in over 450 foods including baking soda. Tartaric acid is made of Tamarind (an AVOID food for blood type O people) and also occurs naturally in wine, grapes and bananas. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartaric_acid

Vanilla flavoring, a common allergen I see in my practice, is actually p-cresol, a synthetic nut and vanilla flavoring agent obtained from coal-tar. It naturally occurs in teas and is used in beverages, ice creams, ices, candy and baked goods. It’s more powerful than phenol (also derived from coal tar) but less toxic. Those people who have petrochemical allergies would be more allergic to this flavoring. Symptoms of petrochemical allergies abound and include getting the munchies while in a vehicle, falling asleep in the car and feeling nauseous with the smell of diesel (there is a homeopathic remedy to clean up this allergy by the way.)

Walnut flavoring is actually trichoral hydrate used in the hide tanning industry

Wood Pulp (Methyl Ethyl Cellulose) or Cotton Chemical Extraction: These are used in bulk laxatives and vegetable fat whipped toppings, fruit pie fillings, meat patties, thickeners, baked goods, in the making of decaf coffee, as a degreaser and paint stripper solvent and in varnish thinner. These chemicals convert to carbon dioxide which causes the heart to pump faster causing coronary spasms and angina.

In summary? After going through 450 pages of information I can see that artificially flavored things are definitely out and highly suspect—especially artificially flavored fruit items. Most of the candy our kids eat are crammed with these things—actually more than a few chemicals for each type of candy!

To make matters worse sometimes the United States makes herbicides/pesticides and fungicides that are illegal to use in our country and then we ship them to other countries to use. The produce is then shipped back to us to eat. So everybody in the process gets exposed to the toxic chemicals. How rude!

I’d stay away from anything  pre-packaged—especially baked goods, beverages and anything where you don’t understand the ingredients listed on the package. Your best bet is to eat local and know your farmer. Ask lots of questions on what kind of chemicals they use and even where they farm. Are they farming next to a road? A chemical plant? In soil that has been contaminated with heavy metals?

Helpful Links and References on Food Additives:

• Book: A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter, M.S.
• Book: The Allergy Guide to Brand-Name Foods and Food Additives by Stephanie Bernardo Johns
• Book: Food Chemical Sensitivities by Robert Buist PhD. (This book has a wonderful chart on which drugs are excreted through breast milk and how to arrange timing of feeding.)
• Food Additives: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_additive
• Food Allergies and Reducing the Risk: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm089307.htm
• What are Food Additive E Numbers?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_number
• FDA’s Website page on Food Additives: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/default.htm
• Most common food additives: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002435.htm
• Top 12 food additives to avoid: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/04/05/12-dangerous-food-additives-the-dirty-dozen-food-additives-you-really-need-to-be-aware-of.htm
• Banned Food Additives: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#banned_additives

Ask Dr. Moffat:

Question: Is garlic harmful to feed to my dog? I’ve heard that garlic can cause anemia in my dog. I feed it for flea control and as a wormer.

Answer: Garlic seems to be much much safer than feeding onions when it comes to the anemia issue, but I wouldn’t feed more than 4 cloves/week maximum and less for tiny breeds. Studies show that it is only about 40% effective against worms by the way so if you have challenges with parasites you may want to look into other options. Of course management is the biggest factor when it comes to minimizing parasites, so be sure to clean up your animals feces often.

Onions are toxic to dogs and cats because they contain n-propyl disulfide, which can damage the membranes of red blood cells. The spleen then removes these damaged cells making the animal anemic. Garlic also contains this compound, but it seems to pose less of a problem. Interestingly, at one time onion powder was in baby food which many veterinarians used to force-feed animals with who were housed in intensive care facilities. We didn’t know any better then. How horrible.

Tricks and Tips for a Healthier Life:

Do It Yourself Allergy testing. So what if you can’t muscle test? There is another way to test for allergies and it has been around since 1956. It’s called The Pulse Test and it involves taking your pulse 30 minutes after eating a food you think you’re allergic to. If your pulse rate increases 12 beats above your normal resting pulse (or above a pulse rate of 85 beats/minute) you can be pretty sure you’re allergic to the food.

Stop eating Round-up (glyphosate): Gosh, it seems like each month my inbox is flooded with articles on Roundup. It’s not like I look for them or anything like that. Here’s the latest (very long and referenced) article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/roundup-scientists-birth-defects_n_883578.html The short of it is that Roundup, the top ranked herbicide in the United States (a Monsanto product introduced in 1976) is under intense scrutiny again for causing birth defects in the embryos of laboratory animals. Of course what the farmers don’t experience or see doesn’t ever seem to matter to them. And those of us who are allergic are making it up in our heads. We’re mental! If we don’t see them spray the stuff then it shouldn’t affect us. Of course they don’t live with us to see how it affects us.

“Our examination of the evidence leads us to the conclusion that the current approval of glyphosate and Roundup is deeply flawed and unreliable,” wrote the report’s authors.

Authorities have criticized Monsanto in the past for soft-pedaling Roundup. In 1996 New York State’s Attorney General sued Monsanto for describing Roundup as “environmentally friendly” and “safe as table salt.” They settled out of court.

This is becoming a world-wide issue. Some countries do not want our genetically modified crops and want nothing to do with Round-up ready soy, beets, wheat, corn or anything else. We’ll be seeing repercussions on this issue for decades to come I suspect as many farmers we talk to in our travels believe that Roundup is indeed “safe as table salt.” Ugh.

Client testimonials

Hi Denice, as for Kai, you said he was a bit depressed the last time we spoke, thanks for pointing that out to me, kicking myself for not noticing, but after we spoke, it was pretty clear.  We took him to the pet store and helped him pick out some mini-squeaky tennis balls and from that moment on he has been the happiest little dog you ever saw – keeps us entertained putting his ball in odd places and then problem solving on how to retrieve it from the odd location.  Occasionally, we have to retrieve them for him because he puts them in impossible places!  Angela

Dr. Moffat, thank you so much! I truly enjoyed the consult and have had a real blast talking about it to everyone I know. Several people were shocked at your abilities, picking up on things that I never told you about. You are clearly very blessed with a wonderful talent for healing. I look forward to receiving my supplements in the mail. I have already increased my fruit and vegetable intake. Take care and thank you again. Beth M.

Hello again Dr. D! My eye is doing much better ~ still a little gunky in the morning so still doing boric acid 1x/day. When you’re in town could you please drop off another bottle of viral immune? My husband is feeling better, too.  We old farts thank you!!   C.A.

Dr. Denice: Do you have a 10 or noon open on this coming Friday morning for my son’s first appointment? I have a babysitter!  Hooray! I think we missed the crud last week thanks to you! Talk with you soon, Blessings! Sara E.

Recipe of the Month: Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

The recipe this month was submitted to me by a favorite client of mine.  RoseAnne had this to say, “Hi all—thought you would enjoy this recipe. I tried it today and it was almost like eating French toast—almost. . .”  Here it is.

SWEET BREAKFAST QUINOA

Quinoa is naturally loaded with protein and fiber. To read more on Quinoa see the Product of the Month.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Red Quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Slivered Almonds
• ½ cup Dried Apricots cut into ½ inch pieces (get organic as they are sulfite –free)
• 2 tablespoons Pure (Real) Maple Syrup
• ½ Tea. Finely grated Orange Zest
• ¼ cup fresh Ricotta cheese

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 mins. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Add the apricots, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir well until heated through.

Add the quinoa to the skillet and stir gently to incorporate the almonds and apricots. Top each portion of quinoa with a tablespoon of ricotta and serve.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 5 days. Reheat as needed or serve cold.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.  Total time (including cooking) 25 minutes.   Makes 4 Servings.

Nutritional Information:  Calories/serving-311, Grams of fat-11, grams of saturated fat-2, grams of carbs- 44, grams of fiber- 4.

Reference: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sweet-breakfast-quinoa

Inspiration:

Don’t Settle for Less! Dream even BIGGER!  (From www.tut.com) Do you want to know why I have an issue, with compromising, economizing, and settling for less? I have to work just as hard whether the bar has been lowered or raised. Yeah, “Poor Baby.”   The Universe

On Self-Esteem: A well-known speaker started off his seminar holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special. Don’t EVER forget it.

What’s New at Our House?

This last fall we harvested and processed kale, onions, apples, zucchini and other summer squash, winter squash, made sauerkraut with the extra cabbages, set out over 325 bales of straw for mulching and straw bale beds and found a resource for 2-dollar 11 foot cedar fence posts (we hauled about 50 posts for next year’s fencing project around Pad #4). We’ve put the beds to bed and the snow is flying around here as we eat our fabulous Delicata and Butternut squash. We’ve spent hours shoveling and managing the snow around here this last day in January. The chickens are bored and won’t come out of their house but the ducks are having a hey-day in the back yard running back and forth. Renee Huffaker is helping me to build a farm website, but we have a ways to go on that project.  At one time this last month we were out of power for about 32 hours and my inbox backed up, but I think we’re back on track now. In the meantime Michael continues to do data input for the 2011 taxes.

Local Events:

Saturday, Feb 11, 2012. I’m headed up to the Women in Agriculture Conference in Spokane but the conference is via satellite and is being shown in 16 different locations in Washington State if you’re interested, here’s the link: http://extension.wsu.edu/womeninag/Pages/default.aspx

That’s a wrap for this month folks. Be well. Denice

Food Allergies, Sensitivities, Intolerances and Adverse Reactions

Some Allergy Statistics:

• About 10% of the population has food allergies.
• Between 10-35% of the population feel they have food sensitivities.
• Non-secretor blood types have more reactions to foods and chemicals than secretor types.
• Some foods can cause painful problems days after eating so they are difficult to track down, even with food diaries.
• From 1998–2000 to 2007–2009, the percentage of children who were reported to have a food allergy during the preceding 12 months increased from 3.5% to 4.6%, and the percentage who were reported to have a skin allergy increased from 7.3% to 10.7%.

Before I became adept at figuring out the core cause of my allergies through muscle testing I used food diaries, elimination diets and skin testing but muscle testing is so much easier!

Although I’m going to try to define food allergy, food sensitivity, food intolerance, multiple chemical sensitivities and adverse reactions these terms are commonly used interchangeably because the body often responds in more than one way with allergies. Core causes of these reactions are not that easy for the medical system to determine even with RAST tests, pin prick allergy tests and elimination diets. This is an area where muscle testing shines.

Food Allergies are defined as an immunologic response occurring when the immune system goes awry releasing IgE antibodies that bind to a protein within the offending food causing the release of histamines. This type of reaction is bad, and if the food allergy is severe, can be life threatening. Examples of IgE food allergies would be peanut allergies, but the top triggering foods causing IgE food allergy reactions also include milk products, eggs, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish and soy.

Peanuts cause Food Allergies

Food allergy responses affect all the organ systems of the body and can include specific symptoms such as itchy eyes, mouth tingling, itchy gums, swollen lips, blood blisters under the tongue, blurred vision, dizziness, digestive cramping, hives, hemorrhoids, asthma, chest pain, nose bleeds, runny nose, dry or tight throat, hoarseness, hives, swelling, fever, coughing, wheezing, breathing problems (including asthma and the life-threatening anaphylaxis), vomiting, diarrhea, headache, loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeats or a raise or lowering of the blood pressure or pulse just to name a few.

Reactions usually occur within seconds but some foods take up to 36 hours before symptoms show up (like in the case of headaches and certain food chemicals.) Even trace amounts of foods can be responsible for food allergies so it’s not like you can just remove the offending food from the dish when they’ve been cooked into it. Children can grow out of food allergies but often the allergy will manifest later on in life as eczema, asthma, sinusitis, migraines or colitis.

Food allergies are often inherited.

“Although reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise” states the CDC.

Poorly understood? Boy, I don’t understand this with all the chemicals used in the production of foods, the eating out in fast food restaurants and the lack of cleansing fruits and vegetables in the American diet. Gee, I thought it was obvious. Sorry. As you can see this is a hot button for me.

Food Sensitivities are similar to food allergies but reactions are slower to come on. The immune system is still involved but different immunoglobulins released from specific white blood cells are involved (IgA, IgG and IgM.) Food sensitivities often manifest into chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia, GERD, sinusitis, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fetid gas, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and rashes.

Food Intolerances: With food intolerances the immune system is not involved and reactions are not life-threatening but they are none-the-less annoying. Symptoms of food intolerance include indigestion, fatigue, bloating, migraines, emotional changes, memory problems, ulcers, diabetes, obesity, epilepsy, accelerated aging, multiple sclerosis, acne, high blood pressure, depression, psychoneurosis, canker sores, irritability, total exhaustion after eating, impaired decision making abilities, constipation and IBS.

Digestive symptoms are the most common system affected by food intolerance. Imbalanced gut flora with associated yeast or candida are often part of the problem. The most common example of a food intolerance is lactose intolerance. Here, the body can’t break down the lactose and it affects they body with symptoms such as abdominal cramping and diarrhea. The funny thing about lactose intolerance though is that the process of pasteurization breaks down the lactase enzyme used in the digestion of lactose so this makes the dairy product a bigger problem than if the milk were ingested raw.

Multiple chemical Sensitivities fit into the food intolerance category. It’s my philosophy that many people are not intolerant to foods as much as they are intolerant to the sprays and chemicals used in growing these foods. I’ll be delving into this deeper in my next newsletter.

An adverse reaction to a food is any troublesome reaction after ingesting a food. This could include food poisoning or toxicity—like eating a tainted food or a poisonous mushroom or too much of a food that has tipped your body in the direction of a negative reaction.

Muscle testing works best for determining food allergies. Once you learn this technique you’ll have it always and even if the foods you eat now are modified somehow in the future you can determine what component is causing problems. We can also use food allergies to test which supplements or homeopathics will work in helping with the detoxification process which cuts out days of agony.

Case Study: How to determine what a person is allergic to.

I’ve been blessed with allergies, sensitivities and intolerances all my life. The last couple decades I’ve become multiple chemical sensitive as well so I’m going to go through some of the questions I use to figure out what has caused reactions in people. I’m hoping this will help you at home with  your own exploration into food allergies.

These are some of the questions I ask my body when testing for food allergies:

• What have I changed in my diet or in my environment lately? (I muscle test each thing I’ve added or tried in the last week and muscle test if it is one of these things.)
• Was it something that I ate? Drank? Or was it something I breathed in?
• Was it a fruit, vegetable, carbohydrate, protein, oil/fat. If yes, then I would go to the specific lists on these food items listed in the Exam Forms section of the website or just ask more questions to narrow it down. Most people can remember what they ate the day or two before if they are calm and relaxed. When they talk to me on the phone, however, often they will have what we call “psychic amnesia” but they will usually email me a day or two later with a list of foods they’ve remembered and I can test from that list.
• If it was something I breathed in, was it indoors or outdoors? In my house, at work, or somewhere else?
• What time did the exposure occur? What day?
• What was I doing at the time? (You’ll have to come up with a list here and ask yes/no questions for work, school, sleep, social event, etc.)

DIY Allergy testing. So what if you can’t muscle test? There is another way to test for allergies and it has been around since 1956. It’s called The Pulse Test (See link below) and it involves taking your pulse 30 minutes after eating a food you think you’re allergic to. If your pulse rate increases 12 beats above your normal resting pulse (or above a pulse rate of 85 beats/minute) you can be pretty sure you’re allergic to the food.

Comments and quick tips I’ve learned over the years on food allergies:

• Your best bet for determining what you are allergic to and for treating yourself involves muscle testing.
• When in doubt, eliminate any and all processed foods.
• Eat whole, organic or unadulterated foods.
• Keep things simple. Don’t have a huge variety of foods each day.
• And just a side note here? If you’re a student and you need your brain to function at top capacity please eat your vegetables. Vegetables (cooked and raw) will help detoxify your system, eliminate depression and help you to think clearly. It’s just something you have to do if you want to be successful.

Helpful Links and References on Food Allergies:

• Pulse Testing for Allergies: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/pulse-testing-for-allergies.htm
• Statistics on food allergies in youth: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6011a7.htm?s_cid=mm6011a7_w
• Food allergies in school age kids: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/

Family and School responsibility in managing food allergies in school: http://www.foodallergy.org/page/food-allergy–anaphylaxis-network-guidelines

Interview with Lydia Hiby- Animal Communicator

Lydia Hiby with her horse Traveler

1. How did you get started in your career as an Animal Communicator? Well, in 1980 I met Beatrice Lybecker while I was working as a veterinary technician in New York. I had two jobs at that time. One was as a veterinary X-ray technician at a local animal hospital and the other one was in a horse barn. Beatrice was at the horse barn doing readings on the horses there and noticed me. Being the New York skeptic that I am, I thought she was making all of this stuff up and she knew that. She was following me down the barn telling me that I could do this kind of work and that she could see that I was a skeptic. I think she knew what was in store for me. She told me that I fit the characteristics of an intuitive. She finally convinced me to let her read a pet from a photo so I gave her my dog’s picture. She just blew me away with what she told me. That hooked me. Beatrice was getting older and wanted someone to carry on what she was doing. I ended up following her to California and mentored with her for about 1 ½ to 2 years while taking care of her critters when she would travel to do her animal communication work. At one point Beatrice said to me, “You’re good enough now. You need to do this on your own.” She started referring the local cases to me. What a trip. And to think my original intent was just to be able to communicate with the animals and tell them to settle down and be still for a few seconds as I was trying to get an X-ray.
2. How long have you been doing Animal Communication for a living now Lydia? Since 1984.
3. Do you have a favorite way to practice? On the phone or in person? It’s a 50-50 split. I do like working in person with the animals but you can’t help people in Croatia like I do now. And since my book has been translated to Japanese and Korean I have clients from all around the world. They send me photographs and a set of questions transcribed into English. I’m such a slow typist that it’s slow going answering the questions which then have to be re-transcribed back to their own language but I do it. I’m just here to help the animals.
4. I’ve heard recently that you don’t even need a photo to tap into the animal any longer is that right? That’s right. I haven’t used photographs for quite a few years now actually.
5. Do you have a favorite species you like to work with?  I love everything, but my heart goes to horses first. Horses have so much baggage and they are so misunderstood.  People give up on them so easily and they get passed from one home to another. Horses are like prisoners of war. Nobody asks the horses what they want to do. They assume horses go with the flow, but lots of them have ulcers from this type of stress. In my practice I see about two-thirds horses and one-third dogs, cats, iguanas and other exotic animals. People seem to have affection for animals they once were. I think I was a horse in some other lifetime.
6. Interesting. What was the most unique species of animal you’ve ever talked with?  The Iguana Cire (Eric spelled backwards). I wrote about him in my book. He was the first exotic animal I ever talked to and I didn’t know he was an iguana when I did the reading. After tapping in, I told the owner, “I’m licking the floor and it’s making me sick,” This made sense to the owner. She asked me if I knew it was an iguana I was reading and was I ever surprised. I could see an orange being and thought it was a Golden Retriever. This iguana had come from Honduras and now had full run of the house. Iguanas use their sense of taste to tell them about their environment. He was licking up residues of pine-sol on the floor that had been used for cleaning. Pets often know how to heal themselves so I asked him what he needed to heal and he told me sweet potatoes. Well, Cire had been to a local exotic vet and they had done all they could for him so she gave him sweet potatoes which cleaned out his liver. He started getting well after only three days. She never told her vet that she had consulted with me. A few months later I was able to meet Cire in person. He was nine feet long with these huge talons. Their tails are like big bullwhips. His head popped up immediately as I entered the room and he started to slink over to me. It was kind of scary. He actually knew who I was from our telephone reading. After that I developed quite a nice relationship with Cire and his owner. Cire and his owner would stay with me at my booth when I went to Pet Expos as a booth draw. His owner used him to educate people on how to care for iguanas. Most of them die after a couple of years because once they mature they no longer need protein and owners don’t switch them to a vegetarian diet. A couple of times he flew on the plane with us to the Expos. That was wild. When he’d get bored at the Expos he’d come down off his tree branch and start walking down the aisles. He caused quite the stir.  I love hearing that stuff Lydia. I’m thinking if the animals knew which herbs would do the same things to heal themselves they would communicate those as well. It’s a big reason why I spend so much time asking my clients about what they eat. My liver cases often respond to Safflower powder.
7. Do you communicate with animals that have passed over? No, I refer those cases to Teresa Wagner. I’m not that good with those cases.  We all need to figure out our limitations, don’t we? Let me ask you another question.
8. I’ve always wondered, is there really a Rainbow Bridge? Yes there is. When an animal is close to passing over a “fly by” animal checks in with it. This happens about a week before. The fly by may not stay with the animal at that time, but as the time gets closer they return and stand by the animal and stay there for about 48 hours. As the soul passes out the body through the death process the animal experiences a life review which is short–like a few hours. The life review for humans is way longer. The animal will often come back to its owner after it has passed and give their people a special sign that they have made it to the Rainbow Bridge. This will be a unique sign to that pet. My clients will tell me they  heard that specific pets tags jingling or the pet comes to them in a dream. Teresa knows when an animal is coming back to an original owner. Often they will come back as a different breed if the owner no longer has space for a big dog or whatever.
9. How did you meet Teresa? She sounds fascinating. We met through mutual friends as we were making the DVD called The Psychic Connection put out by The Entertainment Group in 2007. Teresa’s website: http://www.animalsinourhearts.com/
10. I’ve seen that film. It’s still for sale on their website (http://www.tegclassictv.com/inspirational-films.html). Is that how you got into the TV industry? Gosh, you’ve been on Leeza, The View, 48 hours, Amazing Tales and a bunch of other shows. I feel so blessed to be a part of this time in our world where we can honor communicating with everything on our planet. Every day I’m in awe. Yeah, it’s a trip. Actually the woman who co-wrote my book, Bonnie Weintraub worked for ABC and she would often give me a plug. Once you get your foot in the door it kind of snowballs from there. I got in at a time when animal communication was new so that helped. Eventually I had such a following that the stations would call me directly.
11. How long have you been working over the phone?  Oh since the beginning. I started doing that out of necessity. Cire was one of my first cases. He couldn’t come to me so I just did the best I could and discovered there was no difference really in the way I worked. The energy is all the same.
12. Which senses do you use when you talk to the animals, I mean, can you hear the words or do you feel what they are feeling or do you see symbols like some mediums and then interpret them?  Pictures come in the strongest and then I interpret them. I step into the animal first then become the animal. I’m seeing things from their eyes, use their taste buds, their pictures, emotions and physical sensations. When an animal has been traumatized, it is a very strong reaction.
13. Has your way of communicating changed over the years?  Yes, it’s gotten deeper. The dolphin experience has opened me up and I experience quite a bit more in intensity now. My work got better, clearer and more specific after swimming with them.
14. What kinds of questions and things do you talk about in your mind to the animal to get them to understand and trust you? How do you get them to open up and converse with you?  Well, of course I introduce myself to the animal. If they are hesitant I ask questions like, what do you like to do or eat and who are your friends. Eventually I get to questions like, so. . .you’re not using the cat box, what’s that all about?  
15. Are the animals surprised more often than not that you can hear what they are talking about? Only occasionally now. In the beginning more animals looked at me with surprise. Our consciousness has been raised quite a bit these last couple of decades. People are trusting their intuition more and talking more to their animals. Animal communication is no longer a new concept.
16. Do you ever question yourself and how accurate you are? Well I did when I first started out but I don’t any longer. With that said, I do let people know that I can make mistakes so if people are not getting what they need from a reading then there’s probably a reason for it. I agree. Occasionally I have inaccuracies when two animals are sitting side by side. This is called “bleed through.” I know when this happens though because the client will tell me that it sounds like the other animal is talking and that I’ve gotten their personality down to the tee. But sometimes maybe we’re just not supposed to know entirely what is going on. Know what I mean? I mean sometimes we’re not privy to the greater plan. We’re only given the information as a snapshot at that time and that things can change or unfold. I feel like I am allowed to give out what is needed at the time. Every day I’m just so amazed I can do this work.
17. Do you have Guides around you to help the communication process? Oh yes. I can feel my guides around me all the time. Then, when I go home at the end of the day, my own animals support me and help me to decompress.
18. Do you work with animal shelters?   Occasionally if needed. People who use Petfinder (http://www.petfinder.com/index.html) will often send me the picture of an animal and ask for a reading to see if the animal will integrate with their current situation, be OK with the other pets or the children and generally see if it would be a good match for the family. I also like doing the Greyhound Fun Days (https://www.facebook.com/events/24253854430/) Some of those dogs really loved racing. It’s good to ask them if they like family, other dogs and if so, what type of dog would they like to associate with. They’ll tell me if they’ve had a bad time racing. We had a few Greyhounds for our anatomy class in vet school. They were never initially housebroken and that took some time but they sure did make great pets.
19. You’re a busy lady and go to lots of events. How do you decide which events to go to? Wow. What day is booked? If I have the time and there is integrity in the activity, then I’m happy to do them. I’ve always wanted to be a fairy god mother for animals.
20. What comments do you hear most from your clients Lydia? What I hear most often is that I’ve validated what they already knew but that they were not confident enough to accept the information. Everybody has this ability but sometimes it’s hard to be objective when you’re talking to your own pets. I often get asked, “My animal always stares at me. What do they want?” I tell them that their pets are reading their minds. They are watching the pictures kind of like a movie screen and wondering if you’re going to talk to them about that vacation you’re planning on taking in the near future. “Are they planning on telling me about this” they’re asking. They get agitated at things you are worried about. It’s better to verbalize what you are thinking about to them so that they can let it go. They read your energy and your thoughts all the time.
21. Do you have a lot of inappropriate urination in cats consultations? Those are SO tough!  Oh yes, I sure do. Cats are not pack animals as you know. Every time you add another cat into your home, people like to collect them because they’re so cute you know, it really does a number on their issues with territoriality. Cats are very territorial. Tell me about it. Just when you get the home all organized and happy and all the spraying fixed the person will often go out and get another cat to put into the mix. Drives me nuts sometimes. I understand. Cats are so primal.
22. You once did a reading for my dog Maggie and told me about her past lives? How do you tap into those past lives? I’ll have to admit at first I didn’t believe what you were telling me but in all actuality she fit the exact persona that you depicted for her past lives. Being a veterinarian I know my breeds and I know that you were not just making things up that related to the breed. I was really impressed. How did you do that?  It depends on the animal. It doesn’t come up every time but some animals have had lifetimes you can feel. These animals are older souls. Maggie volunteered that information. An animal will let us know if they’ve been with us before and that they are here to help us again.
23. Lydia, I say a silent prayer before each consult which goes something like, “Lord, please let me say the words you want me to say in the way that the client needs to hear them for the highest and best good of all those concerned.” It’s an intention thing. How do you start? Ah, yes. I pray too before my consults. After that I just feel a sense of grace, like it’s time to begin.  God is on 24 hours a day you know. I can’t do this work without him. So true. I always tell my clients with health challenges that when they stop listening to people, God often brings them a pet with the same challenge. It gets them back on track to healing themselves again. So, Lydia. . .
24. How do we get a hold of you if we want a reading and how much do you charge at this point?  The fee for a reading is $40 for ONE pet for a 15 minute session; that’s all the time needed per pet. Consultations are pre-paid in advance by check or money order. In that time, I’ll ask your pet the questions you have, get answers, and give suggestions. I’ll also do a body scan on your pet so you have information for your veterinarian. A frequently ask questions page and contact info are on the site at www.lydiahiby.com. My phone consult days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM -10:00 PM California time, and you can call at your convenience. No appointment times are needed. Other days and times have to be arranged through the office. Boy, that’s a really good deal Lydia. I’ve got to tell you that the “No Appointment” thing threw me initially so I try to tell my clients that they may need to keep trying that phone number as you’re on the phone with one person and then another but really? I haven’t had to dial too many times before I finally reach you.
25. Did I miss asking you anything that you think is important for my readers to know? Well, one thing. Pets are more concerned about quality time than quantity time. When you go to work and then come home, if you spend quality time with them your absence is not that traumatic.  Thanks Lydia. As a child in a family of five children I can validate that. We didn’t have much time with my mom at the end of the day after she got home from work but those ten minutes or so really did make us feel loved. We knew she had to work to pay the bills. I don’t think any one of us felt shorted in anyway. I appreciate you sharing that.
26. If one of my readers wanted to sponsor a workshop given by you, how would they go about doing that? First, contact me through my website www.lydiahiby.com as I’m happy to do that for people. A good group count is between 8-10 people. I’m actually doing a workshop in Bend, OR soon. All my events are posted on the website.  Thanks Lydia. Here’s that link: http://lydiahiby.com/seminars.shtml
27. Conversations with Animals—cherished Messages and Memories as Told by An Animal Communicator. . .Will there be another book Lydia? Well yes, I’m saving up stories right now for a sequel. I’m still accepting submissions and feedback of my communications with critters.

Thanks for your time today Lydia and thanks for donating a reading. I’m really excited about our contests this year. Let me know how that turns out for you and if there’s anything else I can do for you.

Lydia Hiby website:

www.lydiahiby.com

 A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives

by Ruth Winter

Media Review by Denice Moffat

Imagine wanting to make cookies and not having the proper food additives to put in them so you send your child or husband to the store to pick up a few of them for you. “Oh, honey, could you pick me up some reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, caramel color, propylene glycol mono and diesters of fats and fatty acids, soy lecithin, BHT, citric acid, modified corn starch (but we’re already using corn starch—what’s this?), maltodextrin, gum acacia and oh, add in some artificial flavor.” Who makes cookies like these? Well, you’re trying to make Grandma’s Homestyle Chocolate Brownie cookies of course!

I don’t ever remember getting any recipes from my grandmother containing those ingredients! Whose grandma is this anyhow? Here are a few other ingredients that may surprise you. . . and after doing research for this topic it’s no wonder that more of the population are not having food allergy problems! What are we doing to our world?

Weird things in foods: Food Additives

Food Additives by Ruth Winter

2,4-dinitro-6-octylphenyl Crotonate + 2,6 Dinitro-4-octyl phenyl crotonate is used as an apple fungicide and in chemical warfare.

ADD and Anger problems? You may want to ferret out and eliminate blue dyes listed as FD & C Blue No. 1, Brilliant blue No. 1, Aluminum Lake and FD & C Blue No. 2 dyes. These dyes are used in bottled soft drinks, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, Bakery Products (blue frosting anyone?), cereals, candy (Skittles, hard candy, M&M’s and more) and in confections. Blue dye is a sensitizer to other allergens.

Allylmercaptan (listed as synthetic spice flavoring), poisonous by inhalation and ingestion, strong irritant to the skin and mucous membranes and a fire hazard but found in beverages, ice cream, ices, candy, baked goods and meats.

Alzheimer’s or memory problems? What about reproductive problems? Eliminate aluminum in a host of items. Aluminum is listed on the ingredient list as Aluminum ammonium, Aluminum ammonium sulfate, aluminum calcium silicate (in vanilla powder and in table salt at a 2% volume), aluminum hydroxide, aluminum nicotinate (as niacin),  Aluminum oleate (lacquer for metals and waterproofing sprays and as a leavening agents in baked goods, antiperspirants, dentifrices, toothpaste, styptic pencils, cosmetics, gastric antacids, gelling agents, anticaking agents, binders, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners for petroleum jelly) and Aluminum phosphide which is used in fumigation of corn grits, brewer’s malt and in brewer’s rice. Fuller’s Earth (Aluminum magnesium silicate) is in dry shampoo, hair coloring, beauty masks, dusting powders, lubricants and in soaps. Aluminum Potassium Sulfate is used for clarifying sugar, sweet and dill pickles, cereals, flours, bleached flours, cheese (looked at the label on American cheese lately?). Aluminum Sterates are used in waterproofing fabrics, chewing gum, lubricating oils, de-foaming agents in the processing of beet sugar and in yeast. Aluminum Sulfate (aka Alum) is used in packaged potatoes, pickle relish, shrimp, antiseptics, deodorants, skin fresheners, antiperspirants and in water purifiers. Alum may cause allergic reactions such as pimples in the underarms from using deodorant.

Ammonia and Urea are added to tobacco to increase the free-base (addictive) component in cigarettes. The brands highest in free-base nicotine are Winston, Camel, American Spirit, Marlboro and Gauloises Blondes. Reference: http://www.rense.com/general39/tobacc.htm and the list of the 599 additives added to cigarettes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes

Antifreeze- stabilizer in ice cream.

Arsenic is used as a growth promotant. It can cause birth defects in people but the FDA approves 0.5ppm in muscle tissue and 2ppm in the liver. People who eat too much kelp tend to have higher levels of arsenic in them so limit your Nori Wrapper consumption to 4/week to be safe. If you are using sea vegetables to control your thyroid problems also cut back on goitrogenic foods so that you won’t need as many sea veggies.

Asparagus: Do you have petrochemical allergies? If you do, you may want to minimize Asparagus consumption. Asparagus breaks down and produces gas in the large intestine releasing Methanethiol (methyl mercapten—oh man, does that stink!) which is a fungicide and pesticide produced by the roots of the plant. This particular chemical is also present in coal-tar, “sour” gas in Texas and in petroleum.

Benzyl Ethyl Ether is used in flavoring beverages, ice cream, ices, candy and baked goods. Benzyl Ethyl Ether stresses the liver, is a skin irritant and a narcotic in high concentrations.

Bleach (Nattypochlorite) is used to wash cottage cheese curds with. Now where do the leftovers from this process go? To make whey? No wonder so many people are allergic to whey. Actually the industry first used whey as pig food to try to get rid of it. Now whey is added to lots of things and you can purchase it as a protein powder for your smoothies!

Bleached wheat is made white with Acetyl Benzoil Peroxide (which may be good for acne as a germicide and disinfectant but why are we eating it? It’s also in blue cheese, gorgonzola and milk. Did you know they also use Benzoyl peroxide to harden certain fiberglass resins? It’s also in some cosmetics. It’s toxic to inhale and a skin irritant.

Caramel is used as a brown coloring in many foods, but did you know it may block absorption of Vitamin B6?

Carnauba wax: is made from the wax palm tree and is used as a candy glaze, polish and in varnishes. It is a texturizer for makeup, depilatories and deodorant sticks.

Chewing gum contains a bunch of stuff we shouldn’t ingest. The gum base contains Polyethylene, a product of gas or dehydration of alcohol (a thermoplastic actually) and most gums these days also contain Splenda.

Coatings on citrus, squash, grapes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, melons, papayas, plantains, turnips, watermelon and nuts may expose you to coal tar derivatives, antibiotics, ethoxyquin, natamycin, and lots of resins.

Cochineal (Carmine) is a red dye made of ground up insects (cochineal). It’s added to red applesauce, confections, baked goods, meats, spices, mascara, rouge, eye shadows, candy, yogurt and fruit drinks. The insect may be a carrier of salmonellosis. Did you know that it takes over 7000 bugs to make one pound of this dye?

Coal Tar Derivatives: Lots of foods have these in them. Beware of Phenethyl (a phenol derivative made of coal tar) if you have petrochemical allergies.

Creosol (4-methoxy-2-methyl phenol) is a synthetic flavoring agent occurring naturally in Cassia (cinnamon) and used in fruit, rum, nut and clove flavorings for beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods and liquors.

Decaf coffee anyone? It contains methane dichloride and methylene chloride if it’s not water-processed. Methylene chloride converts to carbon monoxide in the human body thus blocking the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin molecule. Methylene chloride is also used in nail polishes. Nail fungus anyone? It damages the liver, kidneys and CNS and is responsible for headaches, insomnia, nervousness and tremors.

Formaldyhyde/Paraformaldehyes are in Nutrasweet, used as de-foaming agents, in animal feeds and embalming agents, germicides, fungicides, preservative. It is in Grana Padano cheese and is used as an antifungal agent to put on the tap holes of maple trees after the syrup has been collected.

Formic acid (aka Eugenyl formate) (a key component to scorpion stings) is used as a synthetic spice flavoring for beverages, ice creams, ices and candy. Formic acid is highly corrosive and naturally occurs in apples and other fruit. It’s the reason why so many people are allergic to Hazelnuts, Walnuts and Pecans (these nuts are higher in formic acid than other nuts). Formic acid is used for de-hairing hides, as a preservative for silage (which should not be fed within 4 weeks of slaughtering.) Chronic exposure to Formic Acid causes albuminuria (protein or foam in the urine.)

Guanidoethylcellulose (Guaicic Wood Oil) is used as a tobacco flavoring, in berry, honey, coffee and smoke flavorings, in beverages, ice cream, ices, baked goods, candy and toppings.

Hickory Smoke Condensate is a popular food flavoring thought to cause pancreatic tumors.

Hormones found in meat: If you know anything about farming you wonder how they can sell meat for such cheap prices when your local farmer is selling theirs for about 3 times the price. Well, these animals are fed lots of cheap genetically modified grains and their diets are fortified with hormones and food additives to keep them growing fast. DES (the hormone that caused all those birth defects in the 60s) is still being found in meat along with estradiol, mibolerone, testosterone propionate, trenbolone and a bunch of others. These hormones are injected into the animals via growth implants or put into their feed. Melengestrol acetate is a progesterone used to treat animals and suppress ovulation. It’s added to animal feeds so regulate the flock so that all the babies will be born approximately the same time. Methylprednisone is found in milk. Other hormones used in the meat industry are Corlutin, Cyclogest, Luteal hormone, rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotrophin or  IGF-1), Synovex, Gesterol 50 and Progestaject.

Hydrogen cyanide. Cyanide? Really? Well, yes. The FDA tolerates up to 200 ppm in cocoa. Ahh, this gives a new meaning to the phrase “Death by chocolate” no? How does it get into the chocolate? Well, the compressed gas is used for exterminating rodents and insects that like the cocoa beans. Hydrogen cyanide is also acceptable in cereal flours, cereals, ham/bacon/sausage, and it’s OK to use in mastitis medications (which eventually get into our milk supply.) Signs of overdose include shortness of breath, paralysis, unconsciousness, convulsions, respiratory arrest, weakness and fatigue. The average fatal dose is 50-60mg.

Insect repellents with DL-n-Butyl Phthalate is an estrogen disrupter. Your best bet is to use something organic like Buzz Away (an essential oil spray you can purchase at the health food store which is quite effective.)

Isopropyl alcohol. A fatal dose of isopropyl alcohol is less than one ounce. Isopropyl alcohol is used as an antibacterial, solvent, denaturant, solvent for spice oleoresins, modified hop extract (used for making beer), lemon oil and it’s used as a de-foaming agent for processing beet sugar and in yeast. It’s in all the Purell type hand products you use every day to keep the germs away.

Lacquer, that shiny covering on some chocolates and candies (like those little red sour balls you can get two packages for a dollar in your gas station convenience store).  Well, this piles up in your vessels making arteriosclerosis!

Latex: This is a very dangerous allergy and it’s on the increase. Latex is found in chewing gum, beauty masks, balloons, condoms, gloves, synthetic rubber or plastics, racquet ball handles, dental devices and more. The FDA has reported over 50 life-threatening allergic reactions from the use of latex gloves. I have several clients with a stash of Latex glove detox drops on hand. Nurses are one profession that seem more at risk for this allergy.

Maleic Hydrazide is used in the tobacco industry to regulate unwanted sucker growth on 90% of the tobacco crops in the United States. It’s also used on potatoes and onions post-harvest to prevent sprouting. Symptoms of exposure include CNS and liver damage. This chemical is highly toxic.

Maple nut flavoring is made in part from insecticides.

Methanol (aka Wood alcohol or Wood Spirit). Beer contains trace amounts of methanol. This alcohol solvent is obtained by the destructive distillation of wood with a nauseating odor. It’s used for antifreeze compounds, paints, inks, varnishes, shellacs, wood strippers, windshield wiper solvent, gas antifreeze, radiators, dye solvents, Sterno fuel, home heating oil extenders, octane boosters in gasoline, fuel for soldering torches, softening agents for plastics, to extract hops and spices and in the making of formaldehyde. Methanol is highly toxic and readily absorbed through all routes of exposure. The narcotic properties severely affect the nervous system. It is a dangerous fire hazard. A ventilation system is a must when working with any of these products. Symptoms of methanol exposure include headache, dizziness, confusion, abdominal pain, lung problems, weakness, coma, blindness, death and blurred vision (gee, this sounds like the high painters get when they are in the spray booth too long without their respirators on.)

Methyl salicylate (Salicylic Acid or Oil of Wintergreen). These items should only be used for spot areas. The concentrated stuff is really toxic.

Methylcellulose (wood pulp) is in canned fruits sweetened with artificial sweeteners, Kosher foods, low-calorie crackers (they have to keep that fiber in the crackers somehow), as a beer foam stabilizer, in dietetic products, processed cheese and toppings. Large doses may cause flatulence—well, no wonder! We don’t have the same gut flora as a porcupine! Methylcellulose may bind up certain minerals in our bodies making them unavailable as well.

Mineral Oil clogs up the small intestine so it can’t absorb properly. It’s added to bread, de-foaming agents in the sugar beet sugar industry, yeast, used as a coating on fresh fruit and vegetables (remember those slippery tomatoes and cucumbers?), is a lubricant and binder for capsules and tablet making, as a lubricant in the meat packing facilities, as a confectionery sealant, in baby lotions and creams and in cosmetics. Mineral oil clogs pores on the skin causing blackheads.

Modified Food Starch: Is this still in baby foods? In 1980 this was on the FDA top priority list for reevaluation but in 1999 nothing had changed. It was questioned whether babies could handle the chemicals that adults are exposed to since several chemicals are used to modify the starch.

Non-dairy whipped cream, creamers, chocolate coatings, ice cream, frozen custard, shortening and some vitamin and mineral supplements contain Polysorbate 60 and polysorbate 80 which is associated with 1,4 Dioxane—a known carcinogen.

Paint thinner- Banana flavoring of ice cream.

PCB’s are difficult to stay away from as they are off-gassing from food wraps and plastics. NEVER microwave plastic. PCB’s also disrupt thyroid hormones, decrease intellectual development, are responsible in part for ADD, language disorders and behavioral memory learning disorders.

Petrolatum (Vaseline) is used in candies and as a de-foaming agent in the yeast and beet sugar industry, in baked goods and in confectionary items.

Phosphoric Acid is added to flavoring agents. This chemical is found in skin fresheners, nail polish, canned milk, soda pop, jellies, frozen dairy products, baked goods, candy, cheese and is used in the brewing industry. Excess phosphoric acid causes kidney disease and kidney stones.

Pizza crust contains ethyl alcohol.

Propionic Acid is a by-product of the wood pulp industry. It’s a waste liquor with a pungent rancid odor used to inhibit mold on butter, fruit, cakes, candy, ice cream, cheese, perfumes and cosmetics.

Propyl Acetate is derived from propane or acetate; it is used in synthetic flavorings for fruit beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods and for perfumes. It is also used as a solvent for resins. It may be irritating to the mucous membrane and narcotic in high doses.

Propylproionate is used to flavor liquors. Lower doses than what is allowed in these flavored liquors has caused birth defects in experimental animals. BUT, propylproionate is also added to frosting, nut products and is in 97% of all seasonings and flavorings.

Remember Melamine dishes? Unbreakable. Well, melamine was used as an experimental cancer-causing and tumor causing agent. It is moderately toxic by ingestion. I’d recommend against microwaving and eating from these dishes.

Snail Bait (Metaldyhyde) can be found on strawberries. Snails love strawberries so make sure these are organic! Scientists are also playing with ground up shrimp shell spray to help extend the shelf life of strawberries. Plus strawberries have extra histamines in them which cause headaches. Anyway signs of metaldyhyde poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, convulsions and coma.

Table salt contains ammonia, hydrocyanic acid and prussiate of soda used as an anticaking agent. Hydrocyanic acid is toxic if you inhale, ingest or absorb it through your skin (another plug for the use of Celtic Sea salt which is a much healthier option.)

Talc (French chalk aka Magnesium silicate) is added to vitamin supplements as a flavoring agent (now why do we need flavor when the supplements are encapsulated? Prolonged inhalation of talc leads to lung cancer and acts like asbestos. In Japan there is an increased incidence of stomach cancer because they like rice treated with talc.

Tartaric Acid also known as Cream of Tartar, Sodium Tartrate, Sodium Potassium Tartrate and Azo dye are also related. These chemicals are in over 450 foods including baking soda. Tartaric acid is made of Tamarind (an AVOID food for blood type O people) and also occurs naturally in wine, grapes and bananas. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartaric_acid

Vanilla flavoring, a common allergen I see in my practice, is actually p-cresol, a synthetic nut and vanilla flavoring agent obtained from coal-tar. It naturally occurs in teas and is used in beverages, ice creams, ices, candy and baked goods. It’s more powerful than phenol (also derived from coal tar) but less toxic. Those people who have petrochemical allergies would be more allergic to this flavoring. Symptoms of petrochemical allergies abound and include getting the munchies while in a vehicle, falling asleep in the car and feeling nauseous with the smell of diesel (there is a homeopathic remedy to clean up this allergy by the way.)

Walnut flavoring is actually trichoral hydrate used in the hide tanning industry

Wood Pulp (Methyl Ethyl Cellulose) or Cotton Chemical Extraction: These are used in bulk laxatives and vegetable fat whipped toppings, fruit pie fillings, meat patties, thickeners, baked goods, in the making of decaf coffee, as a degreaser and paint stripper solvent and in varnish thinner. These chemicals convert to carbon dioxide which causes the heart to pump faster causing coronary spasms and angina.

In summary? After going through 450 pages of information I can see that artificially flavored things are definitely out and highly suspect—especially artificially flavored fruit items. Most of the candy our kids eat are crammed with these things—actually more than a few chemicals for each type of candy!

To make matters worse sometimes the United States makes herbicides/pesticides and fungicides that are illegal to use in our country and then we ship them to other countries to use. The produce is then shipped back to us to eat. So everybody in the process gets exposed to the toxic chemicals. How rude!

I’d stay away from anything  pre-packaged—especially baked goods, beverages and anything where you don’t understand the ingredients listed on the package. Your best bet is to eat local and know your farmer. Ask lots of questions on what kind of chemicals they use and even where they farm. Are they farming next to a road? A chemical plant? In soil that has been contaminated with heavy metals?

Helpful Links and References on Food Additives:

• Book: A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter, M.S.
• Book: The Allergy Guide to Brand-Name Foods and Food Additives by Stephanie Bernardo Johns
• Book: Food Chemical Sensitivities by Robert Buist PhD. (This book has a wonderful chart on which drugs are excreted through breast milk and how to arrange timing of feeding.)
• Food Additives: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_additive
• Food Allergies and Reducing the Risk: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm089307.htm
• What are Food Additive E Numbers?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_number
• FDA’s Website page on Food Additives: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/default.htm
• Most common food additives: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002435.htm
• Top 12 food additives to avoid: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/04/05/12-dangerous-food-additives-the-dirty-dozen-food-additives-you-really-need-to-be-aware-of.htm
• Banned Food Additives: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#banned_additives

This recipe for Sweet Breakfast Quinoa was submitted to me by a favorite client of mine.  RoseAnne had this to say, “Hi all—thought you would enjoy this recipe. I tried it today and it was almost like eating French toast—almost. . .”  Here it is.

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

Quinoa is naturally loaded with protein and fiber. To read more on Quinoa see the Product of the Month.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Red Quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Slivered Almonds
• ½ cup Dried Apricots cut into ½ inch pieces (get organic as they are sulfite –free)
• 2 tablespoons Pure REAL Maple Syrup
• ½ Tea. Finely grated Orange Zest
• ¼ cup fresh Ricotta cheese

Instructions for Sweet Breakfast Quinoa:

In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 mins. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Add the apricots, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir well until heated through.

Add the quinoa to the skillet and stir gently to incorporate the almonds and apricots. Top each portion of quinoa with a tablespoon of ricotta and serve.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 5 days. Reheat as needed or serve cold.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.  Total time (including cooking) 25 minutes.   Makes 4 Servings.

Nutritional Information:  Calories/serving-311, Grams of fat-11, grams of saturated fat-2, grams of carbs- 44, grams of fiber- 4.

Reference for Sweet Breakfast Quinoa: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sweet-breakfast-quinoa

DIY Home Food Allergy Testing: Pulse Testing

(aka: Coca Pulse-Dietary Method, The Coca Pulse Test, Coca Test, The Pulse Test)

Did you know that when you eat something you are allergic to that your pulse rate goes up? Dr. Arthur F. Coca, a medical doctor, determined from working with his clients in the mid-1950s that can use pulse testing to determine what foods a client is allergic to. Now why aren’t more of us doing this? It’s free, easy and accurate.

Here’s how to do Pulse Testing at home:

First get an idea of your normal pulse rate. Use your index and middle finger and find the pulse of your jugular vein in your neck. Locate the pulse and with a watch that shows the seconds measure your pulse for 6 seconds then multiply this by 10.

Pulse Testing should be recorded at these times:

• Before rising in the morning for 7 days
• Before retiring for 7 days
• 30 minutes after each meal for 7 days.

The pulses should be taken after sitting still and relaxing for three to five minutes.

Normal pulse rates for humans are around 50-80 beats/minute. Athletes may have a slightly lower rate and young children may have a higher rate. The thing is that you need to determine what your “normal” rate is.

Now eat one food you suspect you are allergic to. When you eat a food your heart rate will go up a bit. Up to six beats above your estimated normal maximal is fairly normal if you are eating foods you are not allergic to. If your pulse rate has elevated more than 12 beats above the resting rate (or beats over 84 beats/minute) when you are pulse testing, you may assume that this food you just ate contained an allergen.

You can use pulse testing to test several foods each day but the foods have to be eaten about one to three hours apart. Sometimes it takes a while for allergic symptoms to clear so you can add some time here and subtract some time if you are not reacting to the food before trying the next food. .

Common food allergies and sensitivities include corn, wheat, soy, nuts, dairy, port, solanaceous foods (e.g. tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, tomatillos), beet sugar (which contains sulfites), alcohol and tobacco. It would be very wise to eliminate these foods for the first three days, until they are tested.

Foods that are suspect:

• Foods you eat frequently.
• Foods that routinely make you feel lousy after you eat.
• Foods that a blood relative is sensitive to (sensitivities are often genetic).
• Trigger foods – foods that once you eat a little of, it creates further cravings for more.

Another way to narrow your allergies down is by taking your pulse each morning. If you have eliminated a large number of foods and your resting pulse upon awakening has slowed down by several beats, you can assume you are allergic to foods you were eating.

Helpful Links and references on Pulse Testing:

Complete E-book on the Pulse Testing method: (Excellent resource) http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020108.coca.pdf

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there. ”

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.  Ask their forgiveness if you leave a hole.

Natural Health Techniques Newsletter

Dr. Denice Moffat, Medical Intuitive  Volume 8 No. 1  Jan. 2012

In This Issue:

• From the Desk of Dr. Moffat: Book Give Away Contest!
• Health in the News: ADD/ADHD Medication Shortage. Facebook Vaccine Dodging Scam. Roundup is killing our soil and leading to a food shortage.
• What’s New on the Website? Still checking photo sizes on the site
• Case of the Month: Silva Method of Healing-Ideas for using the method.
• Product of the Month: Silva Intuition Course-Interview with Barbara Hawkins
• Media Reviews: (Book) Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie
• Ask Dr. Moffat: Improper dose on wormer?
• Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life: Kipper Brown Dye.
• Client Testimonials: Client referral of a pet.
• Healthy Recipes: Gluten-Free Almond Torte
• Inspiration & Perspective: Help teachers at donorschoose.org, Two Horses
• What’s New at Our House? It’s cold! Bagged leaf count over 900 now. Jam/Jelly time.
• Local Events: Nativity viewing at the LDS Church in Moscow
• In Memorium: Jerry Hicks and Charlene Coryell

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)

From the Desk of Dr. Moffat:

Well, that was exciting. The first annual Black Friday Special generated a BUNCH of appointments. It was fun to be booked solid for the month of December. It was also fun to help a lot of people out financially at this time by giving a hefty discount on those consults while still making enough to pay our own bills. I liked it enough to do it again next year. Thanks to all of you who participated by making an appointment or by forwarding the information.

Book Give Away Contest! I’ve decided to start having more fun in 2012 by spreading the joy of sharing some of the wonderful books we read around here. Blake Mycoskie, founder of www.toms.com is promoting his new book Start Something That Matters. He is sharing his story on how he was inspired to make a difference in the world by selling shoes. For every pair of shoes sold he gives one pair away. He’s given away over a million pairs of shoes to people who didn’t have shoes (see the book review/summary this month.) Blake’s goal in writing the book is to inspire others who want to make a difference. So. . .I’m going to put your name in the hat to win a copy of this book for anybody who sends me an idea for my Random Act of Kindness page this month. We’ll do the book draw at the end of January and I’ll tell you who won in the next newsletter. Then we’ll have another contest. So put your thinking hats on and tell me what somebody has done for you that really kept you going when you were discouraged. I’ll post your stories on the RAK page: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/tithing-random-acts-of-kindness.htm 

Health in the News:

It looks like there is an increase in ADD and ADHD in our world. Now there is a scarcity of ADHD medications like Adderall as so many children and adults are being diagnosed with the disorder.  The reasons for the shortages are unclear. In November methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin and generic equivalents was officially declared in shortage. One theory is that the DEA is involved because these medications are classified as potential drugs-of-abuse, and thus are controlled substances. The DEA sets an annual ceiling on how much of these drugs can be made. Read the full article here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/11/21/142571217/shortage-of-adhd-drugs-has-parents-doctors-scrambling

Of course alternative practitioners know there are many core causes to this disorder including multiple chemical sensitivities and poor diets. Determining the core cause is sometimes easier than getting the client to do what it takes to control the disorder. Sometimes you just need to use the best of both worlds until you find something that works. We shall see in the months to come whether we’ll have a whole new set of hyperactive kids and adults decide it’s now time to try alternative methods as “real” drugs get harder to obtain.

Facebook Vaccine Dodging Scam: NASHVILLE, Tenn (from 11/4/11). A federal prosecutor is warning parents not to try a new scheme for dodging vaccines: sending items infected with chickenpox through the mail. Imagine getting a package in the mail with some kids spit infected with chicken pox! This is a bad idea folks. And it’s illegal. What if that spit sample were also infected with hepatitis or a meningeal virus that infected your child. . . and killed them? Anyway, read the whole article here: http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_19266006 

Roundup interview: Most people think Roundup is safe, but is it really? I think not. If you haven’t yet been exposed to the controversy this article is a good place to start.  http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/toxic-botulism-in-animals-linked-to-roundup/#comment-23783 

What’s New on the Website?

I’m continuing to work away at making sure all the photos on my pages are within the border boundaries. Not quite done with this but I’m working between building the next newsletter and attending to all the appointments generated from the Black Friday Special. 

Case of the Month: 10 Silva Method Case Study Examples

Over the last year or so I’ve used the Silva method to work on my clients and to tap into their energy fields knowing for the most part what health problems they were dealing. I did this to practice so I could learn what it would feel like in my own body once I tapped into their fields. Often I would email them and tell them what I found and more often than not, they supplied the validation that I was on the right track. Love that validation. It’s a definite sign that one is on the right track with their Life Purpose!

I now know what neurological disease feels like (wavy energy in my hands as I envision scanning down the energy field of the body); I can tell when a person has just taken their pain medication (this is kind of trippy!); I can visualize where a spine is out and what it looks like (and put it back into place often); I can feel brain fog in a client with memory problems, but mostly I enjoy being able to visualize what part of the body draws my attention and letting Spirit guide me to use whatever is in the imagination to get that energy shifted. This all takes practice, so those of you out there just starting your path into energy healing, please know that I started out with just a desire to do this kind of work and just kept at it—taking classes, reading books and practicing on people. I wouldn’t change anything and fully encourage you to explore the possibilities of energy work.

The following are some cases where I’ve used the Silva Intuition Method. I thought you’d like to get an idea of how this technique works. In the morning I dedicate 30 minutes to my client cases. I often write in a journal after each session but sometimes not. Sometimes I just tape a photo of them next to my bed and look at the photo to tap in then go into the meditative state and fix whatever shows up.

Case #1: Protection for a healer living in a home with negative energyl: Sometimes I have a pretty strong imagination but once I started the ball rolling on this energy assessment it just kind of built on that energy and ran away with me. . .

I started scanning this healer’s energy field during my morning meditation and noticed that her auric field was disrupted. Outside influences were really getting to her. .I saw this silver cord come down from the heavens and I felt I should thread it through her chakras. When I did that, the thread expanded and filled her auric field like a fine electric mesh fence. “Now how are we supposed to charge this and keep it functioning?” I asked, when from the sky two little silver cords came down with clips on the end of them. Battery chargers! Direct from the God Generator Battery Bank! Ha. So I’ve hooked her fence up to protect her after I closed down my healing session with her. I recommended she pay particular attention to energetically setting up a force field each day to protect herself, calling in her guides and angels and the Archangels.

Case #2: A woman with a problem child who puts herself last over everyone else in her family. Hey Kim. That was wild. You had red shards and projections shooting from between the two sides of your brain like anger shooting out. I transformed the energy into white healing light and directed it back into your brain. Scanning the rest of your body, I found that your pancreas was really swollen so I worked on shrinking it to normal size. I then worked on your adrenals with blue and green lights and for some reason the LEFT leg wanted energy but I wasn’t so sure that it was the left leg that had the problem or was it the left leg compensating for an issue in the right limb which sometimes happens. I focused on making the bone and general skeletal system more dense and strong. Oh, and your heart felt really heavy (I’m thinking a daughter issue from what you shared during our consult). Sent healing energy to that area too, but it felt like it would take some time to let that sift out and heal.  That’s if for today. I’ll let you know when it wants more energy and what happens next. Denice

Case #3: 40ish woman with a spinal cyst. This morning during my meditation and check-in with your physical body I felt like you were having something stagnant in the upper arcade of your mouth (kind of like a tooth problem). Felt really stuffy and I think I was feeling your Tramadol. That was wild. The top of my head was fuzzy feeling like I was drugged. Anyway, I removed a gargolyle from your tailbone area and asked Archangel Michael to help destroy it. Bad things to attract! I’m thinking that this is a core cause of your spinal challenge. I then put in an IV drip into your right arm and am instilling a potent chemical to kill off any harmful bacteria, viruses and yeast. The drip will take three days to finish so let me know how you’re doing after that. Wild stuff! Kinda fun though. You may want to get a super mini magnet for that tooth problem if you’re not going to get to the dentist soon. Here’s that link: http://www.nikken.com/shop/details/!kenko-super-mini and you’ll need a package of NikStix to go with that. You can call Focus on Growth for that (800) 496-8508.

Case #4 Sinus stuff: Good morning Char. I adjusted your cranium and worked the eustachian tubes today which seemed to be stagnated and giving you some trouble. I then (and this seemed weird but I just went with it) just eased my hand into your abdomen and put gentle pressure on that coccyx area giving you trouble until it slipped back into place where it should be. At the same time I did this I felt C1 go in. Kind of made that association with the Lovett Brothers chart which shows that when the coccyx is out C1 compensates and also goes out. Hmmm. It may help today to massage around your ears. Especially above and to the front of the ear. I suspect you’ll find some tender spots to work. They will be associated with certain organs in your body but I’d have to dig that chart out and see what they would be. If I think of it, I’ll see if I can find it and photocopy it and put a copy in your records and mail it to you the next time you need something or do a recheck. I hope that input helps! Denice

Denice: Much thanks. How did you know I needed this?  Wow. And I am flying with my parents tomorrow to Southern California!! Blessings to you! Char

Awesome feedback Char. I was practicing my Silva Intuition method and was asking which clients to work on during my morning meditation. I muscle tested to work on you so my goal was to scan the body and have the top three areas pop out at me that needed to be worked on. Wonderful class Char. I think you’d like it!

Case #5: Adrenal Pain: Hi again.  Just want to thank you for the healing session of this morning.  I don’t know what you did, but by this afternoon while driving home I noticed that my adrenals were pain-free for the first time in weeks.  In fact even though I woke up with them screaming at me and despite being back on medication for that, I didn’t have much hope that they would get comfortable again anytime soon.  So thank you very very much!  It helped in an amazing way.  Just curious – what did you do, if I might ask?  Elisabeth

Dear Elisabeth: I did a scan on your body using the Silva Method, found the pain area and charged it with energy. Cool method. You the Healer by Jose Silva is the best book on the subject—I’ve read several books on this method now. The other thing I’ve been playing with lately is Reconnection work (Dr. Erik Pearl). . .see his website at: http://www.thereconnection.com/  You may want to check into that as well. Thanks for the feedback! Denice

Case #6: High-powered female executive working in a strong male environment. Hi Sherri. Just checking in on you because I’ve been sending you some energy during my morning meditation. I’ve been focusing on repairing your energy field (aura). I just read a good book I think you should read (having to do with your boss I think)–it’s called The Unquiet Dead: A psychologist treats spirit possession by Dr. Edith Fiore. I think this definitely relates to you. Get a copy and see what you think. OK? Denice

Thanks, Dr. Moffat.  I’m having a particularly hard time right now.  My Grandpa died yesterday.  The Holidays are also difficult to navigate alone and I just feel sad.  I do feel that my energy field and aura need repair, so I’m thrilled to know that you were working on that on my behalf.  I’ll check out the book. Will you share what you are feeling and doing exactly?

OK Sherri,Well let’s see. . . Here are my notes (now that you ask) 12/9/10.  I see what looked like a post hole digger digging into the shoulder area extending into the heart. I sent the area energy and spread the apparatus apart then levitated the thing out of your head and neck area. Then on 12/10/10 I did an energy treatment to the aura clearing out all the layers. Flicked out some annoying things in the auric field on the back side.  It felt like wavy energy around reproductive area and knees so I sent extra blue light energy to those areas. Does that help? Denice

Denice, that does help!  And it often FEELS like a post hole digger in my shoulder!  Love that description.  Thank you for working on my behalf.  I’ll check out that book you mentioned. Sherri.

Wow Sherri,how bizarre is that? That must be a very weird sensation. Wow. Thanks for sharing. Denice

Case #7: Female professional athlete with heart issues. Denice, Just thought I would check in.  I have been working with the Silva Intuition method for I would say a month now.  I focus on the Halo method and truly get down to getting inside my body and repairing my heart.  I also imagine my ultimate outcome.  My dad now wants to use my CD’s. Can you test my progress?  Can you ask my guides if there is anything my heart is saying that I am missing? Also, how many Cardio Plus do you test me on? I feel I have been moving in the right direction.  The only thing I am trying to pin down is why my heart rate shoots up in the night.  I have had great days, but in the middle of the night I will wake up having a high heart rate and it will be skipping like crazy.  I can’t remember my dreams or what I may have been feeling or thinking at that point.  Can my guides answer why my heart is reacting in the night? I see there are a lot of Silva intuition packages out there.  What package did you buy?  Thanks. Mari

Congratulations on your new job Mari! Wow. You did it! You’re on 7/day of the Cardio plus and you’ve made 30% progress Kari. Good!  I’m testing it doesn’t matter what time you take them for maximum effectiveness and you can take them all at one time if you like. Focus on the nerves to the heart. They are a bit irritated and “snappy” at 120% effectiveness.  Especially to the septal area.  I ordered my CD’s from Barbara Hawkins. We just have the Silva Life Course. I’m going to order the Intuition Course next for my husband as I’ve taken that class. But I don’t remember the halo technique. I’m excited to learn that one too! Middle of the night excitement? What time? The heart meridian runs from 11pm to 1am. Is it then? That would make sense with the nerves being super active. I’m also getting stress (in general) is the cause so you must be processing. What about doing some Silva on stress relief? I wonder if that would work. Hope that helps direct you. Thanks for checking in. Denice 

OK Denice, My heart rate increase is indeed at 11 – 1pm. I have the Silva Intuition Course.  I see there is another called Silva Mind Body Healing.  I wonder if I should have gotten that program.  Each program is $297.  Tough for me to purchase another. When you have done distance healing on me, what do you do?  What do you visualize?  Mari

Thanks Mari. Well the heart rate will be your indicator then that you’re getting better. Don’t give up or run out of the Cardio Plus Mari. To answer your question though, I go to “state” (the meditative level of alpha you learned and practiced when you read You the Healer) when I’m working on you and do a body scan to see where the healing is needed. For nervous system problems  (for me anyway) it feels like my hands are kind of wavy down the body as I visualize you in front of me and run my hands down your energy field from the top of your head to your feet. I check in with the internal organs as I go (visualizing them) and it seems to keep my attention at the places that need the energy. Then I shoot energy into those areas. Sometimes it looks like sparkles, sometimes I get that I’m supposed to fill the area with gold/silver/purple or green light and sometimes I feel other things or see things being done to your body. Does that help? I ask healing guides and angels to come in before I do the body scan.  I don’t test you need the Silva Mind-Body healing CD’s at this time. It sounds like you have the process down. You just need a bit of sharing and input to manipulate it for your use. Denice

Case # 9: Suicidal Tendencies in a teenager.  Good morning Deb. I did a healing on your son this morning. I removed a dark energy band around his head area but the rest of his body seemed very healthy. Dr. Denice

Oh my Dr. Denice, reading your email gives me goose bumps. I am so excited. We drove home from school today and he seems on top of the world. Deb.

Case #10: Status Epilepticus in a ten year old boy. I’ve been working on this one for a month or so now. The parents are not clients yet but the boy is the grandson of a friend of ours. He has these fits where he goes into an epileptic seizure and does not come out. He has to be airlifted to a hospital that is allowed to use a Versed drip. They put him on the drip for several days and then they wean him off over time. If he goes right back into a seizure they have to anesthetize him again. It’s a really tough case and if you all want to send prayer for Aiden then we’d really appreciate it. Please see him as healed, whole and healthy (not in the state he has suffered from).

When I tap into Aiden, sometimes I feel he is still under anesthetic, but lately I can feel that the anesthetic is out of his system because I don’t feel drugged up. When I use the Helmet Technique (pretend to take his head and put it onto mine like a motorcycle helmet) and breathe in through my nose, I can feel that oxygen is not getting to the right side of his brain. The left side feels fully oxygenated and I can see the oxygen swirl around without impedance. The right side feels plugged up like a sinus problem only it’s in the brain. So each day I tap in and try to oxygenate that side of the brain by taking bigger and bigger breaths, visualizing the oxygen penetrating in circles that are circulating in larger and larger areas. I can still feel a bit of a tough layer just on the inside of his skull so I’m assuming he is not totally healed, but I do believe it’s working. I haven’t talked to my friend for a while but I’ll call her every once in a while to check on him. I hope this treatment will heal him permanently.

Product of the Month: Silva Intuition Course 

What is the Silva Intuition method?  Silva courses have been around since the 70’s and are tried and true courses given by well-trained certified instructors.

The Silva Intuition Training teaches you to use your mind to such a powerful extent that within a couple of days you are able to demonstrate intuition and influence healing in others. You actually experience for yourself unquestionable proof of your newly developed ability to access concrete, tangible information with a degree of accuracy that goes beyond anything you ever imagined being possible. It is a life-transforming experience of changing limiting beliefs.

The Silva Intuition Training was designed to help you not just achieve what you want, but to achieve what is right for you, individually and uniquely.

The Silva Method has been used successfully for:

• Stress reduction
• Improved self-image
• Smoking cessation
• Weight reduction
• Developing a more positive attitude
• Compulsive habits
• Sports improvement
• Relationship improvement
• Strengthening family bonds
• Memory challenges
• Drug, alcohol, or other undesired habits
• Public speaking phobias
• Learning how to attract a life-mate
• Attracting great wealth
• Strengthening Creativity
• Overcoming insomnia
• Headache control
• Increasing income
• Increasing sales
• Staying awake
• Dealing with physical pain
• Dealing with emotional pain
• Intuition / ESP
• Study skills / better grades
• Understanding your life’s purpose
• Develop a personal mission
• Career clarity / focus direction / change / improvement
• Healing
• Feeling more alive
• Mood elevation
• Overcoming anxiety
• Overcoming depression
• Bringing about a more positive attitude
• Spiritual growth / balance
• Increased confidence
• Improving health

References: http://www.silvamethod.com/silva-intuition-training.aspx

An interview with Barbara Hawkins (a certified Silva Instructor)

My comments in bold italics.

How did you get introduced to the Silva Method?

After accepting a new job I decided to get several new suits. I took them to a nearby dry cleaner who had a professional alteration shop on-site. In addition to getting great alterations, I made a new friend … someone who was interested in the same kinds of things I was.  We talked about many topics for hours on end and she introduced me to Silva. Already assisting the local Silva Method instructor, she deeply desired to be an instructor herself. It was several years before she became certified and her children and I were her first students!

What was Jose like anyway? I heard that you knew him personally.

Yes. I spent only a few weeks with him. In that time I saw him as a terrific conversationalist; knowledgeable and experienced in many areas; funny; talented; kind and much more, I’m sure. Did you know he was a classically trained singer who had the option of an operatic career?!

No, I didn’t Barbara. Thanks for sharing that. Say, I heard that you broke your arm once in about a million places and that the doctors wanted to amputate but that you went home and did the Silva method on it and healed yourself. Can you tell us about that? It just sounds so incredible!

Ahh yes. In 1998 my wrist/arm was crushed in a fall. After surgery an OR nurse told me they had stopped counting breaks at 46 … and there were lots more. I later learned that amputation had been discussed but I had said no to it. (I have no memory of that conversation.)

Immediately after surgery the doctor informed me, “You came through surgery just fine but there’ll be more surgeries, at least seven, and you’ll probably regain only limited use of it…”  I stopped him by saying “No”. He looked at me sort of funny … probably never had a patient tell him no before … and started again to say the same thing. I said “No” again. A third time he started to repeat and I said “No, go away.” I was refuting serious expectations he was giving me.

I knew my arm could be completely successfully healed because a few years previously I had helped remote-heal a similar injury.

Asking questions of Guidance was vitally important to my actions after the injury; both short- and long-term decision-making; how to ‘program’ for healing and more. Ask, Ask, Ask! (If you’re interested sometime, I can tell you about getting my Spirit back with my body!)

Physical therapy led to an experience where I literally thought I had gone crazy yet it also gave me amazingly profound understandings of my body, myself and healing. I’ve used these understandings many times since that experience.

From the accident to the day I was discharged was almost exactly seven months. An unpleasant experience which taught me so much that it’s difficult to describe. I thank God, my friends, the doctor and all the nurses … everybody who supported and helped me through this experience.

I learned a lot with that experience. You can use the same principles listed below to help yourself too!

• For one thing, I trusted my Guidance and myself.
• Ask for information, assistance and guidance.
• I trusted the absolute best outcome would occur in spite of a very gloomy prognosis.
• I used visualization and Silva techniques for healing.
• I communicated with my body to know how to help it heal.
• Do not accept ‘dire predictions’ from a doctor or anyone else without realizing they may be overstated.  Something may be true in general but it may not be true for me!
• Do not accept statements such as “Have you learned your lesson now?”  This kind of question or statement is actually very hurtful and judgmental.  (Ask me about this concept.) 

How long have you been involved with Silva? How long have you taught it?

My first trip to Silva International was with my friend to take her certification course. My first certification course was 1994 and I’ve taught multiple classes each year since then – first in Kentucky, then in Tennessee and later in other Southeastern states. Now I’m teaching classes in Washington State and am available to teach in other areas when there’s a local person to organize.

That’s good to know. So, how do you use the Silva method in everyday life?

My intuition and connection with Guidance is deeply important to me. I use it before decision-making, for clarity, new ideas, deeper insight and understanding, cultivating and improving relationships, personal emotional and physical healing, in business, personal life, with clients, everywhere.  It would be easier to answer where I don’t use it!

I’ve learned the importance of asking questions of Guidance. Answers are always there for me if I just remember to ask!

Amen to that! So, how long do these interactions last? I have so many clients who just run out of time to meditate.

We learn that three times a day, for 15 minutes each time, is the optimum. While that’s fact, it’s also a target to help us develop our new habit. Sometimes I ask, get an answer and am finished within a minute … maybe less. When you’ve been doing it awhile, it’s quick and easy to do. I may do that many times a day!

I’m finding that to be true as well. I can get to state pretty quickly now.

As I tell students, soon you discover it’s become a way of life.  Daily I go “to my level” (meditative or alpha level). How many times? Whenever I need to!

Yep. Good answer. So, you have some perks for my readers then?

Actually yes, I have two invitations for you:

First I’d like to invite you to get my newsletter. Visit the http://www.silvamethod-washington.com/ and there’s a little box (at the top of the page) where you can choose to join my newsletter list.

Also I’m inviting you to email me your questions and comments.

Great Barbara. Let us know if you get any cool questions. I’ll post it in the newsletter. When is your next class?

You can check the 2012 schedule on my website www.SilvaMethod-Washington.com at any time.

Privately arranged training is available again. It seems that many people are travelling to take the courses and their schedule may not mesh with mine.

Right now there are only 6 classes for 2012.

• The next Silva Life System is March 10/11, 2012.
• The next Silva Intuition Training is April 28/29, 2012

Through the end of this year I’ve been offering either course for $497 – the 2011 tuition – a $100 savings off the 2012 prices. For readers of this newsletter, I’ll honor this special through the month of January 2012. When contacting me (Barbara.SilvaStars@gmail.com ) just mention “Moffat” to get the savings.

Thanks Barbara. We’re looking forward to it! Thanks for your time today as well. Very generous.

More Barbara Hawkins info:

• Silva classes:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silva-Living/258650021149
• Life Coaching:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Success-Coaching/329786110198
• Hypnosis:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-By-Design-Hypnotherapy/249547612970 

Media Reviews: Start Something That Matters

©2011 by Blake Mycoskie Book review/summary by Dr. Denice Moffat

I remember an old story from years back where two shoe salesmen from two competing companies went to a third world country to check out marketing opportunities for their companies. The first man came back home and told his boss, “Forget that idea. We’ll go broke on the project. Nobody wears shoes there.” Blake Mycoskie must have been the second salesman. After returning from Argentina in 2002 he saw that nobody there wore shoes and decided there was a HUGE market. It dawned on him that this may be the way to make a positive difference in the world. So, he started a company to provide shoes for these people who didn’t have any and didn’t wear any. He created TOMS shoes, a “for profit” company that generates enough funds to give one pair of shoes away for each pair sold. One for one. What a concept.

Blake’s idea so infused his initial interns that many have become long-term very dedicated employees. To date, over one million pairs of shoes have been donated to the underprivileged.

But Blake has not stopped there. His first book just out, Start Something That Matters presents inspirational stories of TOMS and other companies who have also had wonderful ideas of how to make our world a better place. Blake is challenging his readers to create and start more things that matter.

So, how does a young inspired naïve gentleman who had never made a pair of shoes, attended fashion school or worked in retail create one of the fastest growing footwear companies in the world by giving shoes away? Incredible isn’t it? Well, Blake Mycoskie, owner and mastermind of TOMS shoes tells us how and gives examples.

The examples in the book talk frankly of the challenges Blake and other companies have overcome and of ideas on how to make it easier for the rest of us who also want to make a difference in our world. Here’s an overview of the book:

Some Components to Models of Success:

Share a powerful story filled with wonderful mind pictures. For example, when Jared Fogle was desperate to lose weight a few years back he decided to only eat the lowest fat Subway sandwiches every day. Day after day. After losing 100# the news picked up the story and dubbed his process the Subway Sandwich Diet. It was an overnight success. People don’t remember facts and statistics. They remember the story. Share your story with everyone you can. Find people who also want to share your story.

Engage larger companies into partnering with your story. Big companies are always looking for human interest projects. Pick a project you are passionate about so that when the going gets tough you’ll have the extra shot of energy to keep going. Surround yourself with energetic people.

Make a good impression on the internet. Your online persona should represent what you stand for.

Face your fears. There IS no good time to start. Blake writes, “People tend to think that they should start something only when they are totally and completely knowledgeable about the field they want to enter.” But sometimes you just have to take the leap of faith and build your wings on the way down. No project is ever perfect from the beginning. The timing will never be perfect. There will always be trials, but life continues to move on, so just jump in and get your feet wet.

Live your story. If you can’t, then maybe it’s not the right story for you.

Be charitable: Making a profit is a great goal, but what if you could also accomplish a larger mission at the same time as you make a living? Get inspired. The businesses in Start Something That Matters are making a profit AND changing the world.

Start small. Small improvements made daily lead to massive improvements within a very short time.

Seek as much advice as you can from a variety of people and sources. You’ll be surprised how many people will give freely of their time to help a new upstart if they feel the person is honest and sincere.

Imagination often trumps money. Use what resources you have. Be frugal. People who invest funds into a startup company may not appreciate you spending lavishly when you could be investing those funds into something inventive and more useful to the long term health of the business. Why purchase a 3-bin color copy machine when a one-bin black and white would do?

Develop a presence where it’s free. Use social media. Space matters but you often don’t need to have an office to start. Borrow some space (or their address in a ritzy part of town) from a friend or work out of your garage. Use business cards—if you don’t have any, then write on the back of somebody else’s (it helps of course if the person’s card is somebody that has a big name).

Keep things simple. Keep the work space and business models uncluttered. Specialize in a specific passion. Become a minimalist. Combine activities. Keep a schedule. Always carry a notebook to write down ideas on and minimize, cull or eliminate energy suckers that drag you down and keep you from experiencing your greater good.

Forget titles. Everyone is important when you’re developing a team. It’s hard to be a team player when egos take hold. Reward employees.

Build trust both inside and outside your company. “A leader can create a company, but a community creates a movement,” says Blake. So rectify your errors—if you have a product defect then make it right—even if it involves a recall of the product.

Have a zero-tolerance policy for badmouthing other employees. Eliminate the bad apples if they violate company trust—even if it means letting a very talented person go. The rest of the team will be more trusting, work harder and will develop a better bond.

Empower your employees. Mr. Mycoskie says that there is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and how empowered people are to fully execute their job without a micromanager hovering over them.

Be as transparent and open as possible. People donate more often if they know the money will go directly to what the project is all about. If you can, have individuals or organizations underwrite your operational costs so this can be done. Be frugal with your money. People don’t appreciate their donation going to fancy offices, high salaries and extravagant operational expenses.

Use your own products. If you don’t believe in your product and use it, why should others?

Be a giver. Giving makes it easier to attract both great employees and wonderful partners. Give more than dollars. Give of your talents. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with where to begin—there are so many things to donate to. When feeling that heaviness of not knowing where to put your time, talents, love or dollars, take a few minutes to refocus on just one project or even just one person to donate to.

Know your audience and ask questions. Really listen to the answers before tailoring the gift to make it most impactful. Craft your business to support those people you want to appeal to.

The most important thing though is to take the first step and just start something!

Blake’s’ ideas for free media exposure is worth twice the price of his book, but even so, purchasing his book supports a one-for-one book company that donates a new book to a child in need for every copy of Start Something That Matters sold. Blake has truly mastered a system that works.

Ask Dr. Moffat: Improper wormer dose?

Hello Dr.  I went to a tractor supply store and bought some Strongid. You said Strongid T on your site. They didn’t have the liquid, only the paste. Is it ok to take the paste and how much? The same as you recommend in liquid form?  Thank you so much. Mike

P.S. One last question and I promise not to bother you again.  This article claims that 1 dose is not effective enough but requires 3 doses. I just trust you and wanted your opinion before I go ahead with it. Thank you. Mike  http://www.vitaroyalproducts.com/equine/faq/worming.html

Mike: OK, I read the article link you sent. It’s pretty good except that Strongid (Pyrantel) does not kill tapeworms at all. It only kills roundworms. At least that’s what the label says and what we were taught in vet school. You could take the paste but we’d have to figure out a dose for you Mike. Now, one ml equals how many mg of Pyrantel? And how much do you weigh? Guck. Wonder how you’ll ingest that? Put it on a sandwich? I’ve never done three doses in a row in 32 years as a veterinarian. You’re muscle testing at only one dose (so I suspect your load is really low and simple worming may not be the total answer for your challenges) Overuse of wormers is the reason why so many species become resistant to wormers! Kind of ticks me off. Oh well. . .moving on.

(Note, Mike emailed me back but he did not understand how to read the concentration of the drug on the label. He could have been WAY overdosed had he not confirmed the proper dose. It’s important to get the proper dose. Really.)

Are you sure you emailed the concentration correctly Mike? That means a 200 pound man would have to take 2.5 tubes at the minimum dose. Hmmm. This doesn’t make sense since a several hundred pound animal would take about one tube.  Let’s use some common sense here. I think you should set up a consult with me Mike. It’s up to you. I’m concerned that you’re going to WAY overdose yourself on this stuff. 

Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life:

Kipper Brown Dye? I’ve had three interesting cases this week. One person reacted to his T-shirts with an underarm rash (all the T-shirts were black), one woman’s history included the purchase of a very expensive dress which ended up causing total body hives after wearing said outfit (it was black) and the other person ended up with some multiple chemical sensitivities and was allergic to Kipper Black dye when we went through the lists and muscle tested her allergies.

The woman who purchased the dress had some interesting input. She called the store and asked where the dress came from because she had an understanding that sometimes chemicals get back into a country where they are illegal through products imported in. Kipper black is not legal to put in FOODS in the United States. But these were clothes. I had been wondering for several years now why people kept testing they were allergic to Kipper Brown even though I knew it was illegal. Where were they getting this stuff? Now I think I’ve made the connection. So wash your clothes well before wearing them and if you react to the black items you’ll know why in the future. 

Client Testimonials: Hi Denice, I saw Molly last week and she’s looking good! The couple I referred feel that your work with them has been the most helpful of any of the practitioners they’re engaged with so thanks for all of your support of them. Thanks very much! Chris

Chris, thanks for that referral! I’ve still got a ways to go on that case, but I’m glad they feel it’s working out for them. Much appreciated. Denice

Dear Dr. Moffat: I couldn’t sleep last night and your name came to mind while I was praying about healing my pituitary and adrenals. Again you were the only one out of over 77 Docs that told me my pituitary was not working right. The only other person was the top Endo anti-aging Doc in the world in Brussels.

(Dr. Denice’s Note: Geez. No stress here! This person had a consult with me 4 years back and didn’t follow through. Now she has a pituitary gland tumor. We’re working on it.)

Healthy Recipes: Gluten-Free Almond Torte

Gluten-Free Almond Torte

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups raw Almonds
• ¼ cups Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon  Sea Salt
• Optional: ¼ teaspoon pure Anise Flavor

Toppings:

• ½ pint Fresh Raspberries or other fruit
• Agave Nectar to taste
• Lemon Juice to taste
• 2 Tablespoons toasted, chopped Almonds

Directions: Heat oven to 375. Using an 8-inch round pan put a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. Grind the 1 ½ cups of raw almonds in your food processor until they are like flour but not sticky. Measure maple syrup, eggs, extracts and salt into a measuring cup. Mix well to break up eggs then pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the center is just set. Be careful not to let bake too long. Remove from oven and prick all over with a skewer, brush on lemon juice, top with toasted almonds. Let set until cool. Enjoy

This recipe was submitted with love for all of us gluten-intolerants by Kathleen Selleck, a long-term client and owner of the Victorian Rose Tea Garden & Gifts Restaurant in California. Thanks Kathleen! See her website at: http://victorianroseteagarden.com/about_us.htm.  

Inspiration & Perspective: 

This tip came from the book Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie. It’s a link for schools to register their needs (that they can’t afford to support financially). Donors can go on the link and donate to the educational project of their choice. I remember all the teachers in my life that made a difference. They always seemed to use up their paychecks helping out that extra student, purchasing supplies for the never-ending bulletin boards or coming up with supplies for a field trip. http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?keywords=outdoor+classroom 

Two Horses

Just up the road is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing….

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow…

As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk, to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way… Good friends are like that… You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.   Author Unknown

Thanks to all my clients and to all of you who are clients who have become my good friends over the years. May you enjoy the Holy season and the New Year! Denice

What’s New at Our House?

It’s cold! And windy (not my favorite.) While I’ve been trying to keep up with the consults that filled my book on Black Friday, Michael has been zipping all over picking up bags of leaves for our soil building project. He’s collected over 900 bags of leaves now! We have nearly every bed covered with them so that next year we can spend more time building fun stuff and less time weeding and watering the 2-3 acres that we have in production growing chemical-free fruits and vegetables. He’s a keeper. My hero. I took the day off (mostly) on Christmas to make a variety of unique jams and jellies—My favorite standbys are Cranberry Orange marmalade, Fig/Orange jam and Blackberry/Honey syrup but I wonder how the Goji Berry/Pineapple and the Lime/Raisin will taste. We shall see. I used sulfite-free Pomona pectin this year. It’s kind of different to work with. 

Local Events:

The nativity viewing at the LDS Church in Moscow was wonderful again this year. I think they had over 300 nativity sets displayed. If you haven’t been, plan on it for next year. What an awe-some event. As I was trying to Google for pictures I noticed that this may be a common thing for lots of LDS churches to do during the Holy season so check it out in your own community for next year. 

In Memorium: Jerry Hicks and Charlene Coryell

Jerry Hicks of the Esther Hicks-Jerry Hicks-Abraham (Law of Attraction) team made his transition (or croaked as Abraham calls it) on Nov. 18, 2011. You can view Esther’s comments about Jerry’s passing on their Law of Attraction blog entry: http://www.abe-blog.com/2011/11/23/note-from-esther-about-jerry/

Charlene Coryell (April 24, 1938 – March 26, 2011) a fellow healer in our community transitioned from an aneurism.

Now I know that we don’t really cease to exist as soul beings and that we just shift form upon our transition, but it is none-the-less still difficult for the living when these things happen. We toast the both of your eternal souls that are alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic. May God bless you on your way and congratulations on a life well-spent. You made it. Your souls got so big that your bodies could no longer house them. Thank you God for lending them to us in our physical lifetime.

That wraps it up for this month. Make a difference in 2012 and please tell a friend about the website. Be well.

Denice

Just up the road is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing….

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow…

As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk, to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way… Good friends are like that… You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Thanks to all my clients and to all of you who are clients who have become my good friends over the years.

Author Unknown

Gluten-Free Almond Torte

Almond torte with raspberry topping.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups raw Almonds
• ¼ cups Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon  Sea Salt
• Optional: ¼ teaspoon pure Anise Flavor

Almond Torte Toppings:

• ½ pint Fresh Raspberries or other fruit
• Agave Nectar to taste
• Lemon Juice to taste
• 2 Tablespoons toasted, chopped Almonds

Directions: Heat oven to 375. Using an 8-inch round pan put a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. Grind the 1 ½ cups of raw almonds in your food processor until they are like flour but not sticky. Measure maple syrup, eggs, extracts and salt into a measuring cup. Mix well to break up eggs then pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the center is just set. Be careful not to let bake too long. Remove from oven and prick all over with a skewer, brush on lemon juice, top with toasted almonds. Let set until cool. Enjoy

Nutritional Info:

8 Servings/Torte  Total Fat: 10.9 gm   Total Cholesterol  69.5mg   Sodium  68.8mg    Total Carbs: 10.7g   Dietary Fiber 2.1 gm   Protein: 6.1 gm

This Almond Torte recipe was submitted with love for all of us gluten-intolerants by Kathleen Selleck, a long-term client and owner of the Victorian Rose Tea Garden & Gifts Restaurant in California. Thanks Kathleen! See her website at: http://victorianroseteagarden.com/about_us.htm.  

Helpful Links and References:

• If you like these sort of recipes, see more of them in our Recipe Section:  http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/recipesrecipes1_filesrecipes1.htm 

Media Reviews: Start Something That Matters

©2011 by Blake Mycoskie

Book review/summary by Dr. Denice Moffat

Start Something That Matters!

I remember an old story from years back where two shoe salesmen from two competing companies went to a third world country to check out marketing opportunities for their companies. The first man came back home and told his boss, “Forget that idea. We’ll go broke on the project. Nobody wears shoes there.” Blake Mycoskie must have been the second salesman. After returning from Argentina in 2002 he saw that nobody there wore shoes and decided there was a HUGE market. It dawned on him that this may be the way to make a positive difference in the world. So, he started a company to provide shoes for these people who didn’t have any and didn’t wear any. He created TOMS shoes, a “for profit” company that generates enough funds to give one pair of shoes away for each pair sold. One for one. Over a million shoes given away so far.  What a concept.

Blake’s idea so infused his initial interns that many have become long-term very dedicated employees. To date, over one million pairs of shoes have been donated to the underprivileged.

But Blake has not stopped there. His first book just out, Start Something That Matters presents inspirational stories of TOMS and other companies who have also had wonderful ideas of how to make our world a better place. Blake is challenging his readers to create and start more things that matter.

So, how does a young inspired naïve gentleman who had never made a pair of shoes, attended fashion school or worked in retail create one of the fastest growing footwear companies in the world by giving shoes away? Incredible isn’t it? Well, Blake Mycoskie, owner and mastermind of TOMS shoes tells us how and gives examples.

The examples in the book talk frankly of the challenges Blake and other companies have overcome and of ideas on how to make it easier for the rest of us who also want to make a difference in our world. Here’s an overview of the book:

Some Components to Models of Success shared in Start Something That Matters:

Share a powerful story filled with wonderful mind pictures. For example, when Jared Fogle was desperate to lose weight a few years back he decided to only eat the lowest fat Subway sandwiches every day. Day after day. After losing 100# the news picked up the story and dubbed his process the Subway Sandwich Diet. It was an overnight success. People don’t remember facts and statistics. They remember the story. Share your story with everyone you can. Find people who also want to share your story.

Engage larger companies into partnering with your story. Big companies are always looking for human interest projects. Pick a project you are passionate about so that when the going gets tough you’ll have the extra shot of energy to keep going. Surround yourself with energetic people.

Make a good impression on the internet. Your online persona should represent what you stand for.

Face your fears. There IS no good time to start. Blake writes, “People tend to think that they should start something only when they are totally and completely knowledgeable about the field they want to enter.” But sometimes you just have to take the leap of faith and build your wings on the way down. No project is ever perfect from the beginning. The timing will never be perfect. There will always be trials, but life continues to move on, so just jump in and get your feet wet.

Live your story. If you can’t, then maybe it’s not the right story for you.

Be charitable: Making a profit is a great goal, but what if you could also accomplish a larger mission at the same time as you make a living? Get inspired. The businesses in Start Something That Matters are making a profit AND changing the world.

Start Something That Matters by starting small. Small improvements made daily lead to massive improvements within a very short time.

Seek as much advice as you can from a variety of people and sources. You’ll be surprised how many people will give freely of their time to help a new upstart if they feel the person is honest and sincere.

Imagination often trumps money. Use what resources you have. Be frugal. People who invest funds into a startup company may not appreciate you spending lavishly when you could be investing those funds into something inventive and more useful to the long term health of the business. Why purchase a 3-bin color copy machine when a one-bin black and white would do?

Develop a presence where it’s free. Use social media. Space matters but you often don’t need to have an office to start. Borrow some space (or their address in a ritzy part of town) from a friend or work out of your garage. Use business cards—if you don’t have any, then write on the back of somebody else’s (it helps of course if the person’s card is somebody that has a big name).

Keep things simple. Keep the work space and business models uncluttered. Specialize in a specific passion. Become a minimalist. Combine activities. Keep a schedule. Always carry a notebook to write down ideas on and minimize, cull or eliminate energy suckers that drag you down and keep you from experiencing your greater good.

Forget titles. Everyone is important when you’re developing a team. It’s hard to be a team player when egos take hold. Reward employees. In Start Something That Matters, Blake (the president of the company) does not call himself the president. He feels it’s possible to have every employee empowered. They make up funny titles there like “Shoe glue” for the office manager.

Build trust both inside and outside your company. “A leader can create a company, but a community creates a movement,” says Blake. So rectify your errors—if you have a product defect then make it right—even if it involves a recall of the product.

Have a zero-tolerance policy for badmouthing other employees. Eliminate the bad apples if they violate company trust—even if it means letting a very talented person go. The rest of the team will be more trusting, work harder and will develop a better bond.

Empower your employees. Mr. Mycoskie says that there is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and how empowered people are to fully execute their job without a micromanager hovering over them.

Be as transparent and open as possible. People donate more often if they know the money will go directly to what the project is all about. If you can, have individuals or organizations underwrite your operational costs so this can be done. Be frugal with your money. People don’t appreciate their donation going to fancy offices, high salaries and extravagant operational expenses.

Use your own products. If you don’t believe in your product and use it, why should others?

Be a giver. Giving makes it easier to attract both great employees and wonderful partners. Give more than dollars. Give of your talents. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with where to begin—there are so many things to donate to. When feeling that heaviness of not knowing where to put your time, talents, love or dollars, take a few minutes to refocus on just one project or even just one person to donate to.

Know your audience and ask questions. Really listen to the answers before tailoring the gift to make it most impactful. Craft your business to support those people you want to appeal to.

The most important thing though is to take the first step and just Start Something That Matters!

Blake’s’ ideas for free media exposure is worth twice the price of his book, but even so, purchasing his book supports a one-for-one book company that donates a new book to a child in need for every copy of Start Something That Matters sold. Blake has truly mastered a system that works.

Start something that matters today!

If you have ideas for us we’d love to share them.

Over the last year or so I’ve used the Silva Method to work on my clients and to tap into their energy fields knowing for the most part what health problems they were dealing. I did this to practice so I could learn what it would feel like in my own body once I tapped into their fields. Often I would email them and tell them what I found after doing the Silva Method on them and more often than not, they supplied the validation that I was on the right track. Love that validation. It’s a definite sign that one is on the right track with their Life Purpose!

I now know what neurological disease feels like (wavy energy in my hands as I envision scanning down the energy field of the body using the Silva Method); I can tell when a person has just taken their pain medication using the Silva Method  (this is kind of trippy!); I can visualize where a spine is out and what it looks like (and put it back into place often) using the Silva Method; I can feel brain fog in a client with memory problems, but mostly I enjoy being able to visualize what part of the body draws my attention and letting Spirit guide me to use whatever is in the imagination to get that energy shifted. This all takes practice, so those of you out there just starting your path into energy healing, please know that I started out with just a desire to do this kind of work and just kept at it—taking classes, reading books and practicing on people. I wouldn’t change anything and fully encourage you to explore the possibilities of energy work.

The following are some cases where I’ve used the Silva Intuition Method. I thought you’d like to get an idea of how the Silva Method technique works. In the morning I dedicate 30 minutes to my client cases. I often write in a journal after each session but sometimes not. Sometimes I just tape a photo of them next to my bed and look at the photo to tap in then go into the meditative state and fix whatever shows up.

See the Barbara Hawkins Interview for class info.

Silva Method Case Interactions:

Silva Method Case #1: Protection for a healer living in a home with negative energy: Sometimes I have a pretty strong imagination but once I started the ball rolling on this energy assessment it just kind of built on that energy and ran away with me. . .

I started scanning this healer’s energy field during my morning meditation and noticed that her auric field was disrupted. Outside influences were really getting to her. .I saw this silver cord come down from the heavens and I felt I should thread it through her chakras. When I did that, the thread expanded and filled her auric field like a fine electric mesh fence. “Now how are we supposed to charge this and keep it functioning?” I asked, when from the sky two little silver cords came down with clips on the end of them. Battery chargers! Direct from the God Generator Battery Bank! Ha. So I’ve hooked her fence up to protect her after I closed down my healing session with her. I recommended she pay particular attention to energetically setting up a force field each day to protect herself, calling in her guides and angels and the Archangels.

Silva Method Case #2: A woman with a problem child who puts herself last over everyone else in her family. Hey Kim. That was wild. You had red shards and projections shooting from between the two sides of your brain like anger shooting out. I transformed the energy into white healing light and directed it back into your brain. Scanning the rest of your body, I found that your pancreas was really swollen so I worked on shrinking it to normal size. With the Silva method I then worked on your adrenals with blue and green lights and for some reason the LEFT leg wanted energy but I wasn’t so sure that it was the left leg that had the problem or was it the left leg compensating for an issue in the right limb which sometimes happens. I focused on making the bone and general skeletal system more dense and strong. Oh, and your heart felt really heavy (I’m thinking a daughter issue from what you shared during our consult). Sent healing energy to that area too, but it felt like it would take some time to let that sift out and heal.  That’s if for today. I’ll let you know when it wants more energy and what happens next. Denice

Silva Method Case #3: 40-ish woman with a spinal cyst. This morning during my meditation and check-in with your physical body I felt like you were having something stagnant in the upper arcade of your mouth (kind of like a tooth problem). Felt really stuffy and I think I was feeling your Tramadol. That was wild. The top of my head was fuzzy feeling like I was drugged. Anyway, I removed a gargolyle from your tailbone area and asked Archangel Michael to help destroy it. Bad things to attract! I’m thinking that this is a core cause of your spinal challenge. I then put in an IV drip into your right arm and am instilling a potent chemical to kill off any harmful bacteria, viruses and yeast. The drip will take three days to finish so let me know how you’re doing after that. Wild stuff! Kinda fun though. You may want to get a super mini magnet for that tooth problem if you’re not going to get to the dentist soon. Here’s that link: http://www.nikken.com/shop/details/!kenko-super-mini and you’ll need a package of NikStix to go with that. You can call Focus on Growth for that (800) 496-8508.

Silva Method Case #4 Sinus stuff: Good morning Char. I adjusted your cranium and worked the eustachian tubes today with the Silva Method. Your eustachian tubes seemed to be stagnated and giving you some trouble. I then (and this seemed weird but I just went with it) just eased my hand into your abdomen and put gentle pressure on that coccyx area giving you trouble until it slipped back into place where it should be. At the same time I did this I felt C1 go in. Kind of made that association with the Lovett Brothers chart which shows that when the coccyx is out C1 compensates and also goes out. Hmmm. It may help today to massage around your ears. Especially above and to the front of the ear. I suspect you’ll find some tender spots to work. They will be associated with certain organs in your body but I’d have to dig that chart out and see what they would be. If I think of it, I’ll see if I can find it and photocopy it and put a copy in your records and mail it to you the next time you need something or do a recheck. I hope that input helps! Denice

Denice: Much thanks. How did you know I needed this?  Wow. And I am flying with my parents tomorrow to Southern California!! Blessings to you! Char

Awesome feedback Char. I was practicing my Silva Intuition method and was asking which clients to work on during my morning meditation. I muscle tested to work on you so my goal was to scan the body and have the top three areas pop out at me that needed to be worked on. Wonderful class Char. I think you’d like it!

Silva Method Case #5: Adrenal Pain: Hi again.  Just want to thank you for the healing session of this morning.  I don’t know what you did, but by this afternoon while driving home I noticed that my adrenals were pain-free for the first time in weeks.  In fact even though I woke up with them screaming at me and despite being back on medication for that, I didn’t have much hope that they would get comfortable again anytime soon.  So thank you very very much!  It helped in an amazing way.  Just curious – what did you do, if I might ask?  Elisabeth

Dear Elisabeth: I did a scan on your body using the Silva Method, found the pain area and charged it with energy. Cool method. You the Healer by Jose Silva is the best book on the subject—I’ve read several books on the Silva Method now. The other thing I’ve been playing with lately is Reconnection work (Dr. Erik Pearl). . .see his website at: http://www.thereconnection.com/  You may want to check into that as well. Thanks for the feedback! Denice

Silva Method Case #6: High-powered female executive working in a strong male environment. Hi Sherri. Just checking in on you because I’ve been sending you some energy during my morning meditation using the Silva Method among other techniques. I’ve been focusing on repairing your energy field (aura). I just read a good book I think you should read (having to do with your boss I think)–it’s called The Unquiet Dead: A psychologist treats spirit possession by Dr. Edith Fiore. I think this definitely relates to you. Get a copy and see what you think. OK? Denice

Thanks, Dr. Moffat.  I’m having a particularly hard time right now.  My Grandpa died yesterday.  The Holidays are also difficult to navigate alone and I just feel sad.  I do feel that my energy field and aura need repair, so I’m thrilled to know that you were working on that on my behalf.  I’ll check out the book on the Silva Method you recommended. Will you share what you are feeling and doing exactly?

OK Sherri,Well let’s see. . . Here are my notes (now that you ask) 12/9/10.  I see what looked like a post hole digger digging into the shoulder area extending into the heart. I sent the area energy and spread the apparatus apart then levitated the thing out of your head and neck area. Then on 12/10/10 I did an energy treatment to the aura clearing out all the layers. Flicked out some annoying things in the auric field on the back side.  It felt like wavy energy around reproductive area and knees so I sent extra blue light energy to those areas. Does that help?

Denice: That does help!  And it often FEELS like a post hole digger in my shoulder!  Love that description.  Thank you for working on my behalf.  I’ll check out that book you mentioned.

Wow Sherri, how bizarre is that? That must be a very weird sensation. Wow. Thanks for sharing.

Silva Method Case #7: Female professional athlete with heart issues. Denice, Just thought I would check in.  I have been working with the Silva Intuition method for I would say a month now.  I focus on the Halo method and truly get down to getting inside my body and repairing my heart.  I also imagine my ultimate outcome.  My dad now wants to use my CD’s. Can you test my progress?  Can you ask my guides if there is anything my heart is saying that I am missing? Also, how many Cardio Plus do you test me on? I feel I have been moving in the right direction.  The only thing I am trying to pin down is why my heart rate shoots up in the night.  I have had great days, but in the middle of the night I will wake up having a high heart rate and it will be skipping like crazy.  I can’t remember my dreams or what I may have been feeling or thinking at that point.  Can my guides answer why my heart is reacting in the night? I see there are a lot of Silva Method packages out there.  What package did you buy?  Thanks. Mari

Congratulations on your new job Mari! Wow. You did it! You’re on 7/day of the Cardio plus and you’ve made 30% progress Kari. Good!  I’m testing it doesn’t matter what time you take them for maximum effectiveness and you can take them all at one time if you like. Focus on the nerves to the heart. They are a bit irritated and “snappy” at 120% effectiveness.  Especially to the septal area.  I ordered my CD’s from Barbara Hawkins. We just have the Silva Method Life Course. I’m going to order the Intuition Course next for my husband as I’ve taken that class. But I don’t remember the halo technique. I’m excited to learn that one too! Middle of the night excitement? What time? The heart meridian runs from 11pm to 1am. Is it then? That would make sense with the nerves being super active. I’m also getting stress (in general) is the cause so you must be processing. What about doing some Silva on stress relief? I wonder if that would work. Hope that helps direct you. Thanks for checking in. Denice 

OK Denice, My heart rate increase is indeed at 11 – 1pm. I have the Silva Method Intuition Course.  I see there is another called Silva Mind Body Healing.  I wonder if I should have gotten that program.  Each program is $297.  Tough for me to purchase another. When you have done distance healing on me, what do you do?  What do you visualize?  Mari

Thanks Mari. Well the heart rate will be your indicator then that you’re getting better. Don’t give up or run out of the Cardio Plus Mari. To answer your question though, I go to “state” (the meditative level of alpha you learned and practiced when you read You the Healer) when I’m working on you and do a body scan to see where the healing is needed. For nervous system problems  (for me anyway) it feels like my hands are kind of wavy down the body as I visualize you in front of me and run my hands down your energy field from the top of your head to your feet. I check in with the internal organs as I go (visualizing them) and it seems to keep my attention at the places that need the energy. Then I shoot energy into those areas. Sometimes it looks like sparkles, sometimes I get that I’m supposed to fill the area with gold/silver/purple or green light and sometimes I feel other things or see things being done to your body. Does that help? I ask healing guides and angels to come in before I do the body scan.  I don’t test you need the Silva Mind-Body healing CD’s at this time. It sounds like you have the process down. You just need a bit of sharing and input to manipulate it for your use. Denice

Silva Method Case # 9: Suicidal Tendencies in a teenager.  Good morning Deb. I did a healing on your son this morning using the Silva Method. I removed a dark energy band around his head area but the rest of his body seemed very healthy. Dr. Denice

Oh my Dr. Denice, reading your email gives me goose bumps. I am so excited. We drove home from school today and he seems on top of the world. Deb.

Case #10: Status Epilepticus in a ten year old boy. I’ve been working on this one for a month or so now. The parents are not clients yet but the boy is the grandson of a friend of ours. He has these fits where he goes into an epileptic seizure and does not come out. He has to be airlifted to a hospital that is allowed to use a Versed drip. They put him on the drip for several days and then they wean him off over time. If he goes right back into a seizure they have to anesthetize him again. It’s a really tough case and if you all want to send prayer for Aiden then we’d really appreciate it. Please see him as healed, whole and healthy (not in the state he has suffered from).

When I tap into Aiden, sometimes I feel he is still under anesthetic, but lately I can feel that the anesthetic is out of his system because I don’t feel drugged up. When I use the Helmet Technique (pretend to take his head and put it onto mine like a motorcycle helmet) and breathe in through my nose, I can feel that oxygen is not getting to the right side of his brain. The left side feels fully oxygenated and I can see the oxygen swirl around without impedance. The right side feels plugged up like a sinus problem only it’s in the brain. So each day I tap in and try to oxygenate that side of the brain by taking bigger and bigger breaths, visualizing the oxygen penetrating in circles that are circulating in larger and larger areas. I can still feel a bit of a tough layer just on the inside of his skull so I’m assuming he is not totally healed, but I do believe it’s working. I haven’t talked to my friend for a while but I’ll call her every once in a while to check on him. I hope this treatment will heal him permanently. I keep tapping into his head area on a daily basis with the Silva Method and then take a deep breath to see how clear his head it. Seems like it’s getting clearer.

Helpful Links and References for Silva Method Cases:

• Read about the Silva Method and meet a certified instructor (Barbara Hawkins): http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/silva-intuition-method.htm
• Silva Method Official Website:  http://www.silvamethod.com/ 
• Barbara Hawkins (Silva Method Instructor): www.SilvaMethod-Washington.com

What is the Silva Intuition method?

Silva courses have been around since the 70’s and are tried and true courses given by well-trained certified instructors.

The Silva Intuition Method Training teaches you to use your mind to such a powerful extent that within a couple of days you are able to demonstrate intuition and influence healing in others. You actually experience for yourself unquestionable proof of your newly developed ability to access concrete, tangible information with a degree of accuracy that goes beyond anything you ever imagined being possible. It is a life-transforming experience of changing limiting beliefs.

The Silva Intuition Method Training was designed to help you not just achieve what you want, but to achieve what is right for you, individually and uniquely.

The Silva Intuition Method has been used successfully for:

• Stress reduction
• Improved self-image
• Smoking cessation
• Weight reduction
• Developing a more positive attitude
• Compulsive habits
• Sports improvement
• Relationship improvement
• Strengthening family bonds
• Memory challenges
• Drug, alcohol, or other undesired habits
• Public speaking phobias
• Learning how to attract a life-mate
• Attracting great wealth
• Strengthening Creativity
• Overcoming insomnia
• Headache control
• Increasing income
• Increasing sales
• Staying awake
• Dealing with physical pain
• Dealing with emotional pain
• Intuition / ESP
• Study skills / better grades
• Understanding your life’s purpose
• Develop a personal mission
• Career clarity / focus direction / change / improvement
• Healing
• Feeling more alive
• Mood elevation
• Overcoming anxiety
• Overcoming depression
• Bringing about a more positive attitude
• Spiritual growth / balance
• Increased confidence
• Improving health

References for the Silva Intuition Method: http://www.silvamethod.com/silva-intuition-training.aspx

An interview with Barbara Hawkins (a certified Silva Intuition Method Instructor)

My comments italicized and bolded.

How did you get introduced to the Silva Method?

After accepting a new job I decided to get several new suits. I took them to a nearby dry cleaner who had a professional alteration shop on-site. In addition to getting great alterations, I made a new friend … someone who was interested in the same kinds of things I was.  We talked about many topics for hours on end and she introduced me to Silva. Already assisting the local Silva Method instructor, she deeply desired to be an instructor herself. It was several years before she became certified and her children and I were her first students!

What was Jose like anyway? I heard that you knew him personally.

Yes. I spent only a few weeks with him. In that time I saw him as a terrific conversationalist; knowledgeable and experienced in many areas; funny; talented; kind and much more, I’m sure. Did you know he was a classically trained singer who had the option of an operatic career?!

No, I didn’t Barbara. Thanks for sharing that. Say, I heard that you broke your arm once in about a million places and that the doctors wanted to amputate but that you went home and did the Silva method on it and healed yourself. Can you tell us about that? It just sounds so incredible! Did you use the Silva Intuition Method or some other techniques?

Ahh yes. In 1998 my wrist/arm was crushed in a fall. After surgery an OR nurse told me they had stopped counting breaks at 46 … and there were lots more. I later learned that amputation had been discussed but I had said no to it. (I have no memory of that conversation.)

Immediately after surgery the doctor informed me, “You came through surgery just fine but there’ll be more surgeries, at least seven, and you’ll probably regain only limited use of it…”  I stopped him by saying “No”. He looked at me sort of funny … probably never had a patient tell him no before … and started again to say the same thing. I said “No” again. A third time he started to repeat and I said “No, go away.” I was refuting serious expectations he was giving me.

I knew my arm could be completely successfully healed because a few years previously I had helped remote-heal a similar injury.

Asking questions of Guidance was vitally important to my actions after the injury; both short- and long-term decision-making; how to ‘program’ for healing and more. Ask, Ask, Ask! (If you’re interested sometime, I can tell you about getting my Spirit back with my body!)

Physical therapy led to an experience where I literally thought I had gone crazy yet it also gave me amazingly profound understandings of my body, myself and healing. I’ve used these understandings many times since that experience.

From the accident to the day I was discharged was almost exactly seven months. An unpleasant experience which taught me so much that it’s difficult to describe. I thank God, my friends, the doctor and all the nurses … everybody who supported and helped me through this experience.

I learned a lot with that experience. You can use the same principles listed below to help yourself too!

• For one thing, I trusted my Guidance and myself.
• Ask for information, assistance and guidance.
• I trusted the absolute best outcome would occur in spite of a very gloomy prognosis.
• I used visualization and Silva techniques for healing.
• I communicated with my body to know how to help it heal.
• Do not accept ‘dire predictions’ from a doctor or anyone else without realizing they may be overstated.  Something may be true in general but it may not be true for me!
• Do not accept statements such as “Have you learned your lesson now?”  This kind of question or statement is actually very hurtful and judgmental.  (Ask me about this concept.) 

How long have you been involved with Silva? How long have you taught it?

My first trip to Silva International was with my friend to take her certification course. My first certification course was 1994 and I’ve taught multiple classes each year since then – first in Kentucky, then in Tennessee and later in other Southeastern states. Now I’m teaching classes in Washington State and am available to teach in other areas when there’s a local person to organize.

That’s good to know. So, how do you use the Silva intuition method in everyday life?

My intuition and connection with Guidance is deeply important to me. I use it before decision-making, for clarity, new ideas, deeper insight and understanding, cultivating and improving relationships, personal emotional and physical healing, in business, personal life, with clients, everywhere.  It would be easier to answer where I don’t use it!

I’ve learned the importance of asking questions of Guidance. Answers are always there for me if I just remember to ask!

Amen to that! So, how long do these interactions last? I have so many clients who just run out of time to meditate.

We learn that three times a day, for 15 minutes each time, is the optimum. While that’s fact, it’s also a target to help us develop our new habit. Sometimes I ask, get an answer and am finished within a minute … maybe less. When you’ve been doing it awhile, it’s quick and easy to do. I may do that many times a day!

I’m finding that to be true as well. I can get to state pretty quickly now.

As I tell students, soon you discover it’s become a way of life.  Daily I go “to my level” (meditative or alpha level). How many times? Whenever I need to!

Yep. Good answer. So, you have some perks for my readers then?

Actually yes, I have two invitations for you: First I’d like to invite you to get my newsletter. Visit the website www.SilvaMethod-Washington.com  and there’s a little box (at the top of the page) where you can choose to join my newsletter list. Also I’m inviting you to email any questions and comments.

Great Barbara. Let us know if you get any cool questions. I’ll post it in the newsletter. When is your next class?

You can check the 2012 schedule on my website www.SilvaMethod-Washington.com at any time.

Privately arranged training is available again. It seems that many people are travelling to take the courses and their schedule may not mesh with mine.

Right now there are only 6 classes for 2012.

• The next Silva Life System is March 10/11, 2012.
• The next Silva Intuition Method Training is April 28/29, 2012

Through the end of this year I’ve been offering either course for $497 – the 2011 tuition – a $100 savings off the 2012 prices. For readers of this newsletter, I’ll honor this special through the month of January 2012. When contacting me (Barbara.SilvaStars@gmail.com ) just mention “Moffat” to get the savings.

Thanks Barbara. We’re looking forward to it! Thanks for your time today as well. Very generous.

More Barbara Hawkins info:

• Silva classes:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silva-Living/258650021149
• Life Coaching:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Success-Coaching/329786110198
• Hypnosis:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-By-Design-Hypnotherapy/249547612970

I know most of you don’t like making New Year’s Resolutions because you can’t keep them.

Have you ever just CELEBRATED what you have accomplished the previous year instead of make new New Year’s Resolutions? We do. Every year around this time we have a mocha at Starbucks and grab our appointment books and calendars to glance through to find our accomplishments.

We focus on these areas: Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, business, career, community, family, relationships, projects, home, celebrations, and Random Acts of Kindness. Sometimes we have to remind each other how we’ve touched other people’s lives in positive ways because neither one of us is that big on “tooting our own horns”. It takes us a couple of hours, but it’s worth it. Thought you’d like some ideas for your own lists, so here’s mine for 2007:

100 Things I Accomplished in 2007

1. Had no minor or major illnesses.
2. Drank more water than in 2006.
3. Took off at least 14 “Days of Joy” to do whatever I wanted to (on Sundays).
4. Hired a housekeeper (OK, so I didn’t keep her, but I’m in the process!)
5. Got all of my amalgam fillings removed.
6. Got my teeth cleaned.
7. Volunteered at several vaccine clinics.
8. Tithed to several areas where I felt guided to give.
9. Gave with intention to businesses that also support me.
10. Tithed time generously to answer questions from people who I knew would not make appointments due to funding issues.
11. Spayed/Neutered 982 animals this year.
12. Joined a gym for a month in the off-gardening season time.
13. Worked on decluttering and minimizing.
14. Took off the summer from newsletter writing.
15. Enjoyed several short trips with Michael to look for our dream property in the country with a 12-month babbling brook.
16. Had some great mother-daughter times.
17. Got my Christmas cards out before Christmas this year.
18. Kept up with emails in my inbox.
19. Had a fabulous vacation in Victoria Canada with mom and Michael.
20. 20. Prayed lots more each day and with gratitude at each meal.
21. Included long distance healing treatments for my clients when I did my meditations.
22. Started meditating routinely and daily starting Sept. 25^th with the Holosync program (www.centerpointe.com ).
23. Became approximately 10-15% more psychic.
24. Practiced better boundaries.
25. Got better at saying “No” and not feeling guilty about it.
26. Made several house calls for shut-ins.
27. Referred when I couldn’t help people with their challenges.
28. Walked our dog 30 minutes/day from May to present.
29. Became a doctor to doctors this year (dentists, chiropractors, osteopaths, medical doctors).
30. Did more consults for more horses than ever before this year.
31. Was a good neighbor to those in need and practiced random acts of kindness.
32. Got a credit card in my own name.
33. Started a Roth IRA.
34. Continued with our tradition of writing 100 things I accomplished each year.
35. Personally took home more money with my 1-person practice than I had when I had 13 employees working for me. (It’s a lot less stress, too!)
36. Paid down my school loans (approximately $4000 to go!)
37. Paid off hospital bills from 2005 (Michael hearing episode and my collapsed lung).
38. Put up over 75 new pages on my website.
39. Read 2 books on money (fulfilling my yearly quota).
40. Socialized 6 times (four over my yearly quota).
41. Got a dog I had been looking for and wanting for 18 years.
42. Kept current on tithing to Idaho schools via the purchase of lottery tickets.
43. Started taking credit cards using Total Merchant Concepts (http://www.totalmerchantconcepts.com ) using (www.PayTrace.com ).
44. Learned how to use Stamps.com (www.stamps.com) to process my packages starting in December (LOVE it!)
45. Received 1.4 million hits/month on my website.
46. Celebrated when nearly 1000 people signed up for my newsletter.
47. Read 13 fiction novels (I hadn’t read a novel since 1981).
48. Read greater than 20 books in my field and wrote some up as media reviews.
49. Watched more movies with Michael.
50. Relaxed in the evening more often instead of working until 10 p.m.
51. Transitioning through menopause with grace and ease (mostly).
52. Explored a few raw food recipes that Michael cooked (and actually ate some of them). See Grawnola Ambrosia.
53. Made and shared more soups.
54. Planted (and shared with eight neighbors) an organic vegetable garden.
55. Mentored a couple people who wanted to know more about planting.
56. Tithed time to beautification of local businesses (Random Act of Kindness).
57. Had our entire 100-year old house rewired.
58. Had most of the house re-plumbed with PEX tubing (Michael did this).
59. Replaced entire heating system.
60. Finished half of the basement with my brother Jerry and Michael.
61. Completely fenced the back yard.
62. Supported fellow authors through purchasing books or with moral support/brainstorming.
63. Helped a friend move to Central Idaho.
64. Ran Spybot Search and Destroy, AVG, and Ad-Aware weekly on my computer (which saved me lots of money in computer fees in not having to have anyone work on it to de-virus it this year.)
65. Figured out how to have an Out of the Office email auto-responder. (It’s amazing the instructions you can get just from typing into the search box what you’re looking for!)
66. Had weekly dates with my sweet husband.
67. Kept up with QuickBooks in all account until September (3 more months better than last year).
68. Filed “Bills Paid” paperwork and kept up until November (6 months better than last year).
69. Formed and met monthly with an all women Master Mind Group.
70. Went mushroom picking for the first time in my life.
71. Processed 500 appointments.
72. Paid all taxes ahead of time.
73. Kept all bills current.
74. Prepaid several bills.
75. Made yearly payments instead of monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly payments for three bills.
76. Paid all credit card charges in full very month.
77. Completed two postcard advertising campaigns with www.vistaprint.com postcards.
78. Went to a Tongue Diagnosis seminar as part of my Naturopathic Continuing Education credits.
79. Completed my goal of writing over 100 online articles with www.ezinearticles.com .
80. Had 94,000 people click/read my ezine articles so far.
81. Had my articles published 1,748 times.
82. Had over 19,647 views on my parasite article! (Holy crap! I used to tell my veterinary technicians “Pus is our friend. It makes us lots of money and helps to give you a paycheck.” I’ve changed my jingle to “Crap is our friend!” Wondered why I was getting so many emails about parasites! Parasites—How Do You Know if You Have Worms and What to Do About Them.
83. The next most popular article seen 5,578 times this year? What is a “Normal” Bowel Movement?
84. Celebrated that my www.alexa.com ranking went up more than 100,000 rankings from last year.
85. Processed and mailed 417 packages of supplements (most all within 48 hours.)
86. Did almost 80% of my business via the telephone and email this year (my goal is 100% so I don’t have to clean my house every time I see a client.)
87. Did phone consults for clients in England, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Uruguay.
88. Attended a Making Nutrition Work Seminar sponsored by Standard Process for my naturopathy continuing education credits.
89. Attended a Rural Roots seminar (www.ruralroots.org) on Small Farm Liability and Sustainability to further my goal in having a retreat center someday complete with interns.
90. Was interviewed by Adrienne Vincent for a KRFP (www.RadioFreeMoscow.org) Radio Talk Show.
91. Had a massage every other month to accomplish my commitment/goal to self-care.
92. Purchased a cam-corder and filmed about 25 “How To Do Things” videos and will have those posted on my site in 2008.
93. Posted Word Version Printer Friendly documents for recipes on my website.
94. Had a radio interview with Judith Piazza (http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=975 ) Nov. 6^th for a talk show in Florida.
95. Increased my average appointments per week by 34%.
96. Reorganized all inventory in stock and culled $2027 in expired homeopathics/supplements.
97. Laid linoleum tile in the kitchen, bathroom and closets and put 5 coats of wax on the finished project.
98. Ripped up carpet and painted exam room floor green (ran out of funds to put in flooring!)
99. Finally conquered the occasionally flooding problem in the basement after only 6 years of trying different things to divert the water.
100. Finished the garden shed and chicken coop metal roofing projects.
101. Gave lots of starts and plants away to people who wanted and would care for them.
102. Purchased my first new couch ever.
103. Purchased a new refrigerator when the old one quit.
104. Went to two weddings and one memorial service.
105. Figured out (with help) how to back up my computer using My Notebook.
106. Completed a 5-Day water only fast.
107. Completed year one of a five year cycle to pay everything off in full (including the house).
108. Empowered a client to quit her job, set some boundaries and take care of her cancer.
109. Supported local businesses.
110. Read an Abraham quote (www.Abraham-Hicks.com) every morning and every evening.
111. Continued to honor, cherish, value and love my husband on a daily basis.

Thank you God! And so it is. . .

Helpful Links and References for New Year’s Resolutions:

My friend Bonnie Barnard came up with a New Year’s Resolution idea as well. Focus on what wants to come forth from you in the upcoming year. Read about that awesome technique here: http://bonniebarnard.com/uncategorized/a-new-year-a-new-theme/

Fresh Water for Everyone:  http://www.charitywater.org/ 

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside.. I just finished cleaning.”
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
“Because I said so, that’s why.”
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
“Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
“Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTION-ISM.
“Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!”
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
“You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
“This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.”
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
“If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate!”
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
“Stop acting like your father!”
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do.”
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
“Just wait until we get home.”
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
“You are going to get it when you get home!”
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way.”
19. My mother taught me ESP.
“Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?”
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
“You’re just like your father.”
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
“Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?”
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
“When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”
And my favorite:
25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
“One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”
Only you folks my age understand these profound statements!!!
26. But, there is one missing from this list~~My personal all-time favorite!!
My mother taught me about CHOICE.
“Do you want me to stop this car?”

Dr. Moffat demonstrates how to apply a poultice to a dog’s paw, how to use Vet Wrap and how to tell if you’ve done an adequate job. She also gives tips on how to check the bandage to make sure there is no infection.

Dr. Moffat discusses how, when and why to take your dog’s temperature in this video:

Lick granuloma is seen mainly in older often obese dogs. It shows up on the front legs as a thickening of the skin in that area with some hair loss caused by chewing and licking incessantly at the area. The skin turns reddish and the hair becomes stained as the chomophores in the dog saliva connect with the sunshine. Continual licking leads to ulceration.

Lick Granuloma or Acral Lick Dermatitis is a real challenge for us in the veterinary world

. . .at least it was for me until I entered the Alternative Medicine world and found the core cause of this problem.

Lick granuloma or acral lick dermatitis

I used to just hate these cases. Anything I did including steroid injections into the area, topical steroids, Panalog, DMSO drops, antibiotic drops, bandaging and putting the dog into an Elizabethan collar just didn’t seem to work for long. It seemed like every vet I ever worked for or talked to had their own “secret” treatment for treating lick granuloma.

Now why was that? Was there a foreign body in there that I couldn’t see? Usually not. Did the dog scratch itself there and now it had a bacterial infection? Then why didn’t the antibiotic drops not work?

Well, I think lick granuloma is caused by a mild subluxation of the wrist joint. I was only treating the symptom (a red sore that wouldn’t go away.) Then I took a veterinary Contact Reflex Analysis course with Dr. Ron Carston back in the early 1990s. He showed me the trick to correcting these tough cases. Now I’m showing you.

Let me show you how to fix lick granuloma without spending hundreds of dollars and wasting lots of time. . .

We’d love to hear your story on how the lick granuloma resolves in your own pet! I hope it works for you.

Helpful Links and References:

For other tips and tricks on how to treat your animals holistically visit our Vet Stuff Section: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/veterinary_stuffveterinary_stuff1.htm

This is a do-it-yourself  technique any person with thyroid disease–especially hypothyroidism can do at home. They don’t need this special pack (but it’s really nice.)

How to do the thyroid hot pack technique:

Often my clients will have thyroid issues they have not yet discovered. As they are walking their thumbs point more towards their hips with the back of their hands facing forward. This is a typical thyroid stance. By forcing yourself to walk with your thumbs facing forward (this feels like a challenge initially) you can redirect the blood flow back up the thyroid meridian. Using a thyroid hot pack for a few minutes each day also helps to increase blood flow to the thyroid gland so that it can heal.

Iodine deficiency is the second major cause of hypothyroidism. The first cause of iodine deficiency is diet. So why not eat fortified table salt? Well, these kinds of salts are highly processed. All the natural minerals are extracted leaving only Sodium, Chloride and Iodine in inorganic form, which is not bioavailable. The body will use it if there is nothing else. The thyroid gland will store this iodine until it needs it, but it doesn’t use inorganic forms as efficiently and effectively as organic forms. To get around this problem, use Celtic Sea Salt, which comes from the ocean, is not refined, is gray, moist and is surrounded by organic “Mother Liquor”.

High consumption of raw soy products (soymilk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, and soy flour in protein drinks), flaxseed, and corn products all have cyanogenic glycosides in them. These plants produce natural goitrogens. Cooking and fermentation disables these goitrogens by breaking down the phytate components.

Phytates are the mineral blocking product of the food making the calcium, magnesium, manganese and copper unavailable. In the East, where they use soy, they always cook it. Americans are finding more ways to use uncooked soy products and it shows by the amount of thyroid disease we are generating.

Note: Cooking does not breakdown cyanogenic glycoside in corn syrup and corn syrup seems to be hidden in everything these days. Also, sugar of any kind is also known to suppress the immune system for several hours after it has been consumed.

Soymilk is especially bad for babies. If they can’t have regular milk, use 75% Goats milk plus 25% Carrot juice (to replace folic acid, which is low in Goat’s milk) as a wholesome, complete milk and formula substitute.

For a list of symptoms, treatments and diseases that mimic thyroid disease, go to: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesthyroid_disease.htm

Tell us what you think about they thyroid hot pack technique.

Helpful Links and References:

• Foods you shouldn’t eat if you have hypothyroidism: (Goitrogens) http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesthyroidbadfoods.htm 

Dr. Denice Moffat demonstrates the Thymus Thumping technique which positively stimulates the immune system.

Learn all the tricks and tips on how to fill herbal capsules with ease.

Dr. Denice Moffat  demonstrates how to fill herbal capsules  two ways including suggestions on how to make the capsules fairly standardized.

Link to the video on how to fill herbal capsules:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=gkdjovCPAZM

I fill herbal capsules when I have a custom formula I want to send home, or I let my clients fill their own and just sell them the bulk herb and some gel or vegicaps.

There are two ways to fill herbal capsules that work for me.

1) You can fill herbal capsules one by one. This video shows you the tips and trick on how to do that and it works just fine, especially if you only have a month or two of the custom formula to take. You don’t need fancy equipment for this method.

2) Method # 2 used to fill herbal capsules involves purchasing a small plastic apparatus called the Cap M’ Quik machine. I like this neat little do-hicky. You can fill 50 capsules at a time fairly easily, but there are some tricks to using this thing which I’ll show you as well.

The most important things are to keep your herbs stored in a dark, cool place and when you handle them, do it with a happy countenance as you are instilling that energy into the formulas as you fill your herbal capsules which ultimately affects your healing as well.

Helpful Links and References for how to fill herbal capsules:

• My Favorite Herbal Books:  http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/favorite-books-on-herbs.htm
• How to make a decoction: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesdecoctions.htm
• How to make infusions: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesinfusions.htm
• How to make a poultice: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquespoultices.htm
• How to apply a poultice (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLjAbrgrwGI&feature=related
• How to make a tincture: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquestinctures.htm

If you have any additional tips on how to fill herbal capsules please let us know. I’ll post them on the site.  Thanks!

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved  perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

“I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.  “Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied.  “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. . . Just for this time in my life.  Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.”

Remember these five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Kale Chips

(From November, 2011 Newsletter Volume 7 No. 2)

This recipe is fun, healthy and kids even like them. Pretty simple to make as well. We love kale because it is a natural source of calcium and other trace minerals.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale (about 12 small or 8 large leaves)
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
• Dash of Tamari, Braggs Aminos, Seasoning Salt or other favorite seasoning

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). We use air bake cookie pans to put the kale onto.  Harvest, wash and dry the kale with a salad spinner (or it will take longer to bake).

Tear, slice or cut the kale leaf from the stem into bite sized pieces. Put them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Toss until thoroughly coated then place the pieces single-layer onto cookie sheets and bake until crisp—about 15-20 minutes.

The edges will be brown but not burned, about 15-20 minutes.

We like them hot. They don’t last long, but if you make an extra-large batch you can store them in a zip lock baggie in the freezer. This bowl before baking was about 4 gallons of kale. They really shrink down, so you can eat a few and know that you’re really getting some concentrated nutrition.

Is your cell phone safe?

From November, 2011 Newsletter Volume 7 No. 2

Some research suggests increased risk of brain and mouth tumors and behavioral problems in children from the use of cell phones. Here are some tips on making cell phone activity as safe as possible:

By low-radiation phones. Check out how your cell phone compares to others on the release of radiation with the Environmental Working Group Buyers Guide at: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone. Cell phone model numbers are often printed under the battery. Some recommendation from the group include:

• Cell phone reception: The stronger the signal the fewer the rads so stay off the phone if you see fewer bars. Wait to answer calls when your signal is stronger.
• Keep your kids off the phone: Environmental Working Group research suggests that limiting cell phone use in children is the best plan. Young children’s brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults (and many children seem to stay on the phone longer so what does that tell us?)
• Listen more: Radiation is released when sending voice mail and text messages to another caller—so it’s safer to listen than to be talking all the time. Fewer rads are released when texting than talking. One theory is that your body is safer because you’re holding the phone away from your body to text.
• Store and hold your phone away from your body when not in use. Don’t store your phone in a pocket or on your belt where soft body tissues absorb radiation—especially if you are having infertility challenges.
• Use a headset or speaker. Some wireless headsets emit continuous, low-level radiation so take these off when you’re not on the phone. 

Radiation Shields: People ask me all the time if they should put those radiation shield gimmicks on their phones, computers and other electrical equipment. Save your money. These shields give us a false sense of security by reducing connection quality. The phone is then forced to transmit at higher powers with higher radiation.

We won’t even talk about cell phone safety tips while driving. Of course it’s best to refuse to drive with people who talk with their hands and give you their full attention while they are driving—especially while driving on snowy roads! I’ve seen people read books while driving and work on computers as well. I’m thinking that may be even more dangerous than using a cell phone!

(Note: Thanks to fellow healer Jessica Drollette for this topic for the newsletter.)

Read more:

• Cell phone safety tip use in automobiles here: http://www.progressive.com/vehicle-resources/cell-phone-safety.aspx
• Driving Distractions Legislature bills: http://www.ncsl.org/?tabid=13599

Boundaries—Where You End and I Begin

© 1991 by Anne Katherine

(From Volume 7 No. 2  Newsletter for November, 2011)

Boundaries: Where You End and I Begin by Anne Katherine

Boundaries bring order to our lives, empower us and protect us from the ignorance, meanness and thoughtlessness of others.

Big diseases like cancer, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, some types of depression and people with chronic low self-worth are often associated with boundaries issues. The types of personalities exhibiting these types of diseases often can’t say “no” to anybody. I’ve often recommended Anne Katherine’s book over the years and have not had one client tell me they didn’t like it, so I’m now sharing it with my readers.

In my opinion, a basic human premise is that we all just want to feel valued, loved, heard and respected. When these basic needs are not met, dis-ease happens and these diseases disrupt the emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the person.

In her book, Anne Katherine state, “You have the right to privacy. You get to choose what thoughts and feeling you want to share and with whom. Boundary violations may be deliberate or accidental. Either way, the violation is harmful to the being.”

I was in the consult room with a new client many years back when I had an office where people physically came to see me (unlike now where I only work on the telephone). The door was open and a man who has nothing better to do than to visit our business for an hour each day walks in. He raises his voice over my own as I’m talking to my client and says, “Have you gained weight?” Gee, what every girl wants to hear. . .I glance at my client with that “can you believe that?” kind of look. Being too kind and having weak boundaries, I actually answer him! “Not that I know of” and he says, “Yes. . .I think you have. Several pounds it looks like.” I say nothing and go kick the door shut so I can concentrate on the paying customer. “Can you believe that?” She asks me. “Uh, no. How absolutely rude!” I reply. That’s a boundaries violation.

Note, this is NOT acceptable behavior. People who tell you that you look bad or fat are intruding on your boundaries. If you allow these demeaning comments, you have poor boundaries and may want to work on them.

The role of the person defines the range of appropriate behavior. Even in a marriage there are times when “us” and “not us” are appropriate. Too much togetherness is called enmeshment. Let me give you an example.

A man emails me to make an appointment for his wife. When she calls, he is on the other phone and does not allow her to give input about her own health. He has already determined that she will do the treatment he feels most comfortable with.

This is WAY out of line. The woman is not chattel. She sounded intelligent and she was not deaf. She should have been encouraged to make her own choices. When I emailed her a month later to ask how she was doing her husband wrote back! He told me how she had gone to a specialist (which she finally got across to her husband that she needed to do for herself thank goodness,) but that she had decided against his wishes and was taking the medication her medical doctor suggested. This is a boundaries violation.

Your health is YOUR choice. I encourage all my clients to stand up for what they believe is best for their own body. It’s our job as healers to help the client make educated choices. We as healers are there to enlighten those areas of fear or lack of education when it comes to making choices, but once a person has made up their mind to do a treatment it’s not our job to convince them to change their mind and their treatment. Really. And if that client eventually wants to try something else, then that’s OK too.

Anne Katherine, author of Boundaries, Where You End and I Begin © 1991 relates that we have spiritual, sexual and relational boundaries. Exercises and examples are at the back of each chapter and her book has many easy-to-understand case examples that are wonderfully helpful. Here are some summary clips from her book:

Types of boundary violations:

The Intrusion Violation: Asking inappropriate and personal questions within the context of the relationship or violating physical or emotional boundaries. So, asking a fellow worker about their sex life is NOT OK.

The Distance Violation: When emotional and physical intimacy is inappropriate within the context of the relationship. People need safe nonsexual physical contact in order to define themselves. Cuddling, hugging and holding are part of close relationships (within the context of a relationship). So, for example, when you’re in a relationship it’s not OK to pretend they are not with you out in public and it’s not OK to leverage affection for what you want somebody to do for you.

Enmeshment defined: When a couple becomes enmeshed, the individualities of each partner are sacrificed to the relationship. One partner usually gives up opinions, perspectives and preferences to take on their mate’s views. One partner does the thinking and sets the limits making themselves feel more valuable and more important. The person who needs to feel more valuable of course, in my opinion, has major self-esteem problems.

Ultimately, each person should be whole and intact and not need the partner to complete them before coming into a relationship. They choose to live together because of common interests, morals and values. There is a balance of shared interests and only a few differences for the marriage to be healthy.

Enmeshment endangers the self-worth. It is an attempt to feel and think as if you were the other person so that you feel accepted—like you’re not good enough already and constantly need somebody to validate your worth by pretending to be somebody you’re not. When this happens you become a brainless servant with no life of your own. You are also not being and using the special gifts you came to earth this time around to share with the rest of the world.

It’s not OK to be told how to vote, which clubs to join, who should be your friend and which healers are on the “approved” list to visit. These are boundaries violations. It’s not OK to have to change your opinion to mesh with the person you live with so they will feel happy and comfortable and not make your life hell because you have your own opinions. Enmeshment means someone’s personality is being squashed!

Enmeshment is when we give up our entire wants, needs and dreams and become hostage.  As Anne describes in her book, “the main goal when a person is a hostage is to survive until they can escape or be rescued.” Being hostage disallows progression of personal development.

Physical Boundaries: You have the absolute say over who touches you and how they touch you. You do not have to endure any kind of contact that you don’t like.

In my own practice I find that women with atypical pap smears have poor physical boundaries. Abnormal paps are often a result of enduring unwanted sexual contact. It is not OK when your boss pats you on the behind or fondles you under the table (no matter what sex you are). This is sexual harassment and there are laws to protect you from this form of boundary violation.

Emotional Boundaries: Weak boundaries equal a weak self-image. Age and maturity define appropriate emotional boundaries. It’s not appropriate to discuss deep personal concerns with your young children. Children need a safe environment to discuss their feelings without being judged to develop emotional safety. Adults that share inappropriately are called Leaky Parents. A child exposed to adult problems thinks they are supposed to have the maturity to handle them so they have the tendency to worry about the problems that they can’t even fix. The healthier way to handle adult problems is to share with other (safe) adults.

What strengthens emotional boundaries? The right to say “no” and the freedom to say “yes.” Other things that strengthen emotional boundaries include respect for feelings, supporting uniqueness and expression/acceptance of differences.

Things that harm emotional boundaries include ridicule, contempt, sarcasm, mockery, scorn, belittlement, insistence on conformity, heavy judgments, abuse of any kind, abandonment, threats and stifling communication.

When you feel you have to pretend to be someone you’re not to feel accepted, you don’t have healthy emotional boundaries. Examples of  weak emotional boundaries include:

• Smiling at jokes you find offensive.
• Pretending to hold opinions/views contrary to your real views.
• Concealing conflicting opinions.
• Working too hard, too long, not resting when tired and not being able to say no and to set limits so that you can please others.
• Using chemicals like nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, pills or drugs to avoid yourself .
• Using addictions/compulsions to avoid yourself (food, exercise, shopping, TV, computer games, sex or sports). 

Boundaries that are too flexible:

When you allow others to encroach on your boundaries you may feel overwhelmed with life. These people allow the environment and the latest drama/trauma/needs of someone to take priority in their lives. Each new demand distracts them from what they want or truly need to do making them appear disorganized. Parents with boundaries that are too flexible end up making their children feel like they are never a priority. They deprive their children of a sense of security from having a specific schedule with clear limits and definite standards. These parents end up raising selfish children who never learn to respect the needs of others.

It used to annoy me after my best girlfriend from childhood had a baby and was never available to talk to me on the phone without the baby disrupting and breaking into our conversation. During the occasional 15 minute phone call she’d say, “Sandy honey, mommy’s on the phone” about 8 times. I thought this would settle down after the little girl learned proper etiquette but when I called her a couple of years back after losing touch for 15 years or so Sandy was in her early 20’s and still interrupting! I stopped calling after that. What’s the point? I was only a distraction on the end of the telephone and not important enough in her life to be able to spare a few minutes of conversation to catch up. Her boundaries were just too flexible for my security standards.

Sexual boundaries: Professions and people who have roles that carry power need to be very careful when it comes to sexual boundaries. Professions such as therapists, doctors, rabbis, priests, pastors, counselors, bosses, leaders, and teachers are associated with building trust.

Breaching sexual boundaries causes severe and long lasting life-affecting emotional boundary issues. Trust for entire professions can be damaged. An example would be the Catholic Church issues in the news these last few years. Knowingly permitting any kind of sexual abuse teaches the child to be a victim and a predator by destroying all kinds of boundaries.

I don’t know what the statistics are out there because people don’t talk about these things as a general rule and certainly in my practice people find me who are in the process of working through their issues, but it seems to me about 40% of my clients have been sexually abused at one time. Usually it’s some form of incest and it’s not only the female clients. Sexual abuse is widespread and very real.

I find it appalling that adults who are supposed to be looked up to within the family unit would so betray that trust to sexually abuse a child or ignore the abuse done to their own child and chose total denial of what is happening. When you teach a child that “children should be seen and not heard” or convince them they need to spend time with a person they definitely do not want to associate with just because “everyone love’s cousin Elmo” or whoever it may be, there may be a reason for the child not wanting to be with that person. Children don’t talk about abuse. They don’t have the words to describe how someone is making them feel uncomfortable or “icky”. It’s up to us to monitor and watch for this type of activity and to prevent it if possible or work through it and protect our children from future abuse.

It’s not my job to judge whether or not the perceived sexual abuse really happened or not. If the client feels they have a memory of being abused, then that is their emotional reality and I respect that. If they heal themselves, they will go out and help others to heal (either intentionally or unintentionally). We’re all in this boundary thing together. We all make mistakes. We all may at times knowingly or unknowingly abuse other people’s boundaries, but it’s our responsibility to ask for forgiveness and work to rebuild trust where that is possible.

“Sexual boundary violations include inappropriate touching, speaking or looking at a person that sexually gratifies one person at the expense of another who is unwillingly exploited.” Says Anne in her book.

If these types of violations occur in the family home, the child does not learn to set limits. Eventually affection gets confused with sex. The child learns to use sex to get nurturing or may fear that affection will cause sex. Often sexually abused children will exhibit eating disorders-usually overeating and morbid obesity. Overeating increases weight and the extra fat acts as a wall of protection.

Of course weight issues usually have multiple causes but often a person who has experienced sexual abuse will not be able to keep the weight off when dieting until they have overcome and conquered the abuse issues and have learned to establish appropriate and healthy boundaries.

How to teach healthy boundaries:

• Encourage your children to talk about their feelings. This helps to develop healthy emotional boundaries. Give them the proper words to explain how they are feeling.
• Teach your children that it’s OK to trust their feelings and that it’s OK to tell older people that they do not feel comfortable talking about or doing certain things.
• Validate the child’s feelings in a way that allows them to feel like they have been heard. For example, when a child says, “I’m scared!” don’t respond with “No, you’re not.” If your child, partner, friend or spouse says, “I don’t feel comfortable around that person,” don’t answer with, “Oh, that’s not true.” Or, “You just don’t know them like I do.” Or, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

No one owns your body. The different roles we play carry built-in limitations. Appropriate behavior in a mother may not carry over when she becomes a supervisor or boss.

If you see yourself as having weak boundaries and you are now an adult, it’s not too late to start repairing your own boundaries. As you heal, your children and people around you will also heal. The final chapter in Anne Katherine’s book on boundaries lays out six exercises you can do today to help build healthier boundaries. For many, this is a must-read and very important book.

 Kale—The Wonder Food

(From Volume 7 No. 2  Newsletter for November 2011)

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a descendent of wild cabbage and originated in Asia Minor. It was thought to have been transported to Europe around 500 B.C by Celtic wanderers.

Varieties of Kale:

Winterbor kale after a full season of harvest. They look like little trees by the end of the season. Note the lack of weeds due to the heavy mulching. This plant loves leaf mulch!

Redbor Kale after a full season of harvest.

Dinosaur (Lacinato or Toscano) Kale in full swing. As it gets on into the season the leaves start to get a bit bitter. During this time we stop harvesting for human consumption and harvest for the chickens. They LOVE this stuff and it gives their eggs a deep orange highly-nutritious yolk. Of course all during the harvesting season the Girls get any produce that does not look perfect or fit for human consumption. It helps to cut down the feed bills and I think raw stuff is better for them.

Red Russian (Winter) Kale. This one has stems that seem a bit more rubbery so it’s harder to snap off the base stem when you’re harvesting.

Insect Control on Kale:

We think it’s important to keep harvesting the kale we think even through the cycles of insects because those cycles only last for a few short weeks and the small centers of the plant will grow out and still be edible, but if you leave the older insect-damaged leaves on the plant this leaves a breeding ground for the insects and they will reproduce. The following year you’ll have a bigger problem. If you feed the damaged leaves to the chickens, it will help to stop the reproduction of the insects. We don’t compost insect-infested vegetation.

Nutritional and Health Benefits of Kale

Kale, a cruciferous vegetable, is recognized to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat. I’m surprised that it’s not a more popular vegetable because of all its health benefits.

• Anti-cancer benefits from its glucosinolates, carotenoids (lutein and beta-carotene) and flavonoids. Kale has been researched a bunch lately. Studies discovered that the isothiocyanates in the kale help bladder, breast, colon, ovary and prostate cancer. Kale turns off bad genes that cause cancer.
• Antioxidants:  Kale contains 45 different flavonoids (like Quercetin) which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Other cruciferous vegetables containing antioxidants include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, pak choi but a surprising number of other vegetables are also in this family—see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
• Kale relieves oxidative stress responsible for diseases such as cataracts, atherosclerosis and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Decreases cholesterol: Kale works better at cholesterol removal when steamed because the fiber in it can bind better to bile acids in the digestive tract. This process is part of the cholesterol lowering effect.
• Detoxifies the liver by affecting both Phase I and Phase II detoxification. Kale helps to detoxify the body as all dark green leafy vegetables to because they support these liver functions.
• Anti-inflammatory
• High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Excellent source of Vitamin K (better than any of the World’s Healthiest 135 Foods and twice the amount of other cruciferous foods.) See these foods here: http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
• Kale is an excellent or very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B6 and potassium. It is also quite good in iron, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, protein, Vitamin B1, folate, phosphorous and vitamin B3.

Dietary Suggestion: It is recommended to include 1 ½ cups cruciferous vegetables into your diet 2-3x/week minimum or more for their health benefits.

How to Pick the Best Kale to Eat: Kale should be firm, not wilted, fresh looking and have hardy (not floppy) stems. There should be no signs of browning, yellowing or holes. Smaller leaves are the most tender. From what I’ve read, kale’s peak time runs from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring, but it seems to grow best for us from spring to fall in our area. It’s considered a cole crop (not cold crop). “Cole” refers to any of various plants belonging to the Cruciferae or mustard family although most cole crops enjoy cold weather.

Storage of Kale: Store it in airtight bags in the refrigerator. It should keep for 5-10 days depending on how fresh it is. We’ve heard grocery stores rehydrate the kale by cutting off a bit of stem and soaking it in a bucket of warm water for an hour or two. Our suggestion is to purchase it as fresh as possible (like at a farmer’s market!) Extended storage makes the flavor bitter. One resource said not to wash it prior to storing because that encouraged spoilage. Our favorite way to use it is to pick it right off the main stem before chopping it up and stir frying it with onions, zucchini and a bit of garlic or pesto before adding the eggs to make a vegetable-packed omelet.

Whole Foods (www.whfoods.com) has several tasty looking recipes for kale. I featured Kale Slaws in the last newsletter: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/kale-salads-and-slaws.htm

Michael and I love the Redbor and Winterbor varieties best. I noticed that insects in our no-spray gardens don’t seem to recognize the red plants as quickly so leave them alone—so Redbor is my all-time favorite. Other varieties include Dinosaur (Lacinato or Tuscan), ornamental (Salad Savoy) and Red Winter (Russian Red) kale. The Red Winter variety attracted more aphids than the green Winterbor varieties this year.

How to Grow Kale: We start our plants from seed inside around February and set the transplants out as soon as we can. We use row cover to protect the baby plants from the elements and from the white cabbage moths, flea beetles and aphids.

Here’s a photo of that process:

Michael preparing the bed mid-April of this year. We leveled the area out with flakes of old straw (on the left) and fortified each hole we dug for the transplants with soil we built from straw bale beds (see remainder of one of those beds on the right just behind the compost bin made of pallets.)

Transplants out under row cover (above)

We remove the row covers on warmer days unless we see those white cabbage moths or have a flea beetle problem (then we leave them on and take them off only when we harvest once a week.) These row covers have lasted through5 inchesof snow, several hail storms as well as hard rain and wind. Row covers make our Zone 5 growing area a Zone 6 and when used inside a greenhouse it makes the plants think they are in Zone 7 so these covers are a real boon to serious gardeners attempting season extension.

Here we planted broccoli in between the kale because it would be harvested before I started harvesting the kale. (Napa cabbage on the left side of the photo.)

Harvesting Kale: For kale, we harvest 3-5 of the largest lower leaves of the plant each week once the plant is about 16” tall. We weeded once in the beginning of the season and just plucked the few straggler weeds as the season progressed. What bliss! Since the plants were planted using permaculture deep mulch techniques we’re happy to say they only need a deep watering once a week even in the hottest summer days. We choose to water either the day before or after each harvest to help prevent any post-harvesting stress.

The plants like colder climates, so in the heat of the summer here in Zone 5 we don’t get a full harvest again until it starts to cool down. We have excellent luck heavily mulching the area with leaves. Cole crops like cool roots.

Seed Saving: If you want to save seed for the following year then let a plant or two overwinter (they don’t need protection) and it will flower and set pods the following year. I let an entire row go to seed last year intending to dig most of the plants up to feed the chickens but noticed that they were one of the first plants to bloom this year and the bees went crazy over them, so I left them and pulled them after other flowers started to bloom. We felt like we were doing our part to keep the bee populations happy.

Some Cautions and Comments about Kale:

• Kale does have a small amount of oxalate in it so people with gout may want to limit the amount of kale they eat. Of course there are many other foods with higher amounts of oxalates:http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-high-oxalate-foods.htm
• And if you’re on Coumadin meds, you’ll want to eat a consistent amount of greens each day so that your coumadin levels will be consistent in your body. You should discuss this with your medical doctor though. Usually they say not to eat anything green (but then, how does one live?) (See my handout on Coumadin and vitamin K foods: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/coumadin-and-vitamin-k-foods.htm
• Non-organic kale is among the 12 foods on which pesticides have been most frequently found.
• Raw Kale in large volumes (along with the other cruciferous vegetables, peaches and pears) do have a goitrogenic effect on the body. I usually recommend limiting goitrogenic (thyroid hurting) foods to 4 cups/week maximum. Cooking inactivates this factor, so feel free to eat as much cooked as you want if you are on thyroid medicines. For more information on goitrogens go to:http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesthyroidbadfoods.htm

Helpful Links and References for Kale:

• About Kale: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
• The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Fruits and Vegetables Containing the Most Pesticides: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/dirty-dozen_n_875718.html#s290785&title=Apples
• How to Grow Kale: http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/kale-grow.asp
• Kale Facts: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/kale.html

Facial Twitch

(From Case of the Month for Volume 7 No. 2 Newsletter for November, 2011)

These cases are among my most favorite testimonials just because I tell my clients, “Jesus said you can do these things and more—so why aren’t we?” Of course I’m always surprised when I take my own advice and it works. Read on. . .

I was working on a new client long distance during my morning mediation.  She had a tick in her face for five years that would not go away and it was hampering her life. We had determined through muscle testing that she needed a neck adjustment. She told me she was afraid of chiropractors and that she would not go to one. Well, what does one do when they hear that kind of fear?

I decided to try an adjustment over the miles without her here. When I went into state using the Silva Method and imagined her lying on her back on a massage table I used some Cranio-Sacral work to determine where the issue was.

This is the email I sent to her that morning after I worked on her: “A huge amount of energy burst up on that left side but left a bit of a tweak in the muscles. Not quite a headache feeling but a muscle pull. I tried to release it for you but it wanted Yoga so do your practice and focus on that area today. Remind me in 2 weeks and I’ll repeat it for you. Good luck today.” Denice

From Erika a couple hours after my email to her: Thank you so much, Denice. Wow, I actually felt it. Amazingly enough I had a very strong feeling to go to a yoga class this morning. I originally wanted to run but then I just knew I needed to go to the yoga class which I did and felt great. It always feels like that my body just simply loves yoga. I feel amazing, happy and energized. I also feel that my sensing abilities increased. Last night I went into meditation using the Silva method and the Mirror of the Mind technique and concentrated on adjusting my neck. I have not twitched since then. I also felt a huge amount of “pressure” dropped from my facial/under the eye area this morning. I follow everything you said to the letter. I am going to ask Dr Rabenhorst about recommending a good chiropractor next week. Do you recommend any supplement for me to take apart from the probiotics twice  a day and the one you sent me? Thanks, Erika

Erika: You know. . .every time I do something long distance like that I am so amazed at what the power of mind and intention will do! It utterly blows me away! And when two people are working on it at the same time, that is extra nice. So glad you felt it. There are lots of supplements out there for nerves and nervous ticks but the ones we tested your body for are the only ones it wants at this time so until we meet again. . .But then of course you may not need them by that time! Good for you on the chiropractor referral but if you still need me in two weeks you let me know. I’ll be here. Thanks for checking in. Denice

Dr. Moffat’s Note: It has been over 4 weeks since her initial consult but Erika did write to me after three weeks to tell me the twitching has not come back so far. I’m in awe. Thank you God!

Natural Health Techniques Newsletter

Dr. Denice Moffat, Medical Intuitive  Volume 7 No. 2  Nov. 2011

• Health in the News: Google Alerts
• What’s New on the Website? Follow us on Facebook! (and Twitter, Linked In and RSS)
• Case of the Month: Facial Twitch
• Product of the Month: Kale—The Wonder Food
• Media Reviews: (Book) Boundaries: Where You End and I begin.
• Ask Dr. Moffat: How much raw vs. cooked should I eat? What’s causing these canker sores? Bottom incisors throbbing.
• Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life: Cell phone use. Resource Guide to Kids Health. The Grecian Garden website.
• Client Testimonials: Thanks for the referral!
• Healthy Recipes: Kale Chips
• Inspiration & Perspective: Inspiring water filter. Mother with no hands. Now, if you think you have your hands full! Your Bank Account
• What’s New at Our House? Completed harvest, Adopted new kittens, Getting the place ready for winter, Deary Idaho website

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)

Health in the News: Be the first to know about your topic. You don’t have to wait to read about disasters or your favorite passion. You can monitor the web for new and interesting content by going to Google Alerts sign-up sheet and typing in the key words you’re interested in. Here’s that link: http://www.google.com/alerts

Each time something with that word comes up, you’ll get an automatic email with a link to the article. Since many of my clients are sensitive to the earth changes and get kind of “edgy” when they happen one of my alerts is for natural disasters.

This week an article came in having to do with an expanding challenge within my practice—the risks associated with mold after a natural disaster: http://www.teatronaturale.com/article/3066.html. Even though I can often handle the side effects of mold exposure with the use of homeopathics, it just doesn’t work to keep treating the client when the core cause is still there. This article has some great education on what should be removed and disposed of and how to do that. 

What’s New on the Website:

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In now. We also added an RSS Feed. Now, I don’t really know how to use this stuff yet, but I’m getting the hand of Facebook so stay tuned.

Denice Moffat’s personal Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NaturalHealthTechniques#!/denice.moffat I’m using this page for what’s new in our lives and business not related to cases and health tips. 

Natural Health Techniques.com Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NaturalHealthTechniques This one is for keeping my Facebook clients/friends and family up-to-date on what is happening in the world and to share some fun cases with them (no names of course). 

Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elk-Meadow-Farm-Nursery/209184999104914  We don’t have a farm website yet. It’s a bummer but I just can’t do any more right now. If you’d like to see pictures of our lives out-of-the-office though, this would be the page to Like.

You can sign up for the RSS feed on the website by clicking the icon.

Case of the Month: Facial Twitch

These cases are among my most favorite testimonials just because I tell my clients, “Jesus said you can do these things and more—so why aren’t we?” Of course I’m always surprised when I take my own advice and it works. Read on. . .

I was working on a new client long distance during my morning mediation.  She had a tick in her face for five years that would not go away and it was hampering her life. We had determined through muscle testing that she needed a neck adjustment. She told me she was afraid of chiropractors and that she would not go to one. Well, what does one do when they hear that kind of fear?

I decided to try an adjustment over the miles without her here. When I went into state using the Silva Method and imagined her lying on her back on a massage table I used some Cranio-Sacral work to determine where the issue was.

This is the email I sent to her that morning after I worked on her: “A huge amount of energy burst up on that left side but left a bit of a tweak in the muscles. Not quite a headache feeling but a muscle pull. I tried to release it for you but it wanted Yoga so do your practice and focus on that area today. Remind me in 2 weeks and I’ll repeat it for you. Good luck today.” Denice

From Erika a couple hours after my email to her: Thank you so much, Denice. Wow, I actually felt it. Amazingly enough I had a very strong feeling to go to a yoga class this morning. I originally wanted to run but then I just knew I needed to go to the yoga class which I did and felt great. It always feels like that my body just simply loves yoga. I feel amazing, happy and energized. I also feel that my sensing abilities increased. Last night I went into meditation using the Silva method and the Mirror of the Mind technique and concentrated on adjusting my neck. I have not twitched since then. I also felt a huge amount of “pressure” dropped from my facial/under the eye area this morning. I follow everything you said to the letter. I am going to ask Dr Rabenhorst about recommending a good chiropractor next week. Do you recommend any supplement for me to take apart from the probiotics twice  a day and the one you sent me? Thanks, Erika

Erika: You know. . .every time I do something long distance like that I am so amazed at what the power of mind and intention will do! It utterly blows me away! And when two people are working on it at the same time, that is extra nice. So glad you felt it. There are lots of supplements out there for nerves and nervous ticks but the ones we tested your body for are the only ones it wants at this time so until we meet again. . .But then of course you may not need them by that time! Good for you on the chiropractor referral but if you still need me in two weeks you let me know. I’ll be here. Thanks for checking in. Denice

Dr. Moffat’s Note: It has been over 4 weeks since her initial consult but Erika did write to me after three weeks to tell me the twitching has not come back so far. I’m in awe. Thank you God!

Product of the Month: Kale—The Wonder Food

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a descendent of wild cabbage and originated in Asia Minor. It was thought to have been transported to Europe around 500 B.C by Celtic wanderers.

Varieties of Kale:

Winterbor Kale (Brassica oleracea)

Winterbor kale after a full season of harvest. They look like little trees by the end of the season. Note the lack of weeds due to the heavy mulching. This plant loves leaf mulch!

Redbor Kale near the end of harvest.

Redbor Kale after a full season of harvest.

Lacinato (Dinosaur or Tuscano) Kale

Dinosaur (Lacinato or Toscano) Kale in full swing. As it gets on into the season the leaves start to get a bit bitter. During this time we stop harvesting for human consumption and harvest for the chickens. They LOVE this stuff and it gives their eggs a deep orange highly-nutritious yolk. Of course all during the harvesting season the Girls get any produce that does not look perfect or fit for human consumption. It helps to cut down the feed bills and I think raw stuff is better for them.

Winter Red Russian Kale

Red Russian (Winter) Kale. This one has stems that seem a bit more rubbery so it’s harder to snap off the base stem when you’re harvesting.

Insect Control on Kale: We think it’s important to keep harvesting the kale we think even through the cycles of insects because those cycles only last for a few short weeks and the small centers of the plant will grow out and still be edible, but if you leave the older insect-damaged leaves on the plant this leaves a breeding ground for the insects and they will reproduce. The following year you’ll have a bigger problem. If you feed the damaged leaves to the chickens, it will help to stop the reproduction of the insects. We don’t compost insect-infested vegetation.

Nutritional and Health Benefits of Kale

Kale, a cruciferous vegetable, is recognized to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat. I’m surprised that it’s not a more popular vegetable because of all its health benefits.

• Anti-cancer benefits from its glucosinolates, carotenoids (lutein and beta-carotene) and flavonoids. Kale has been researched a bunch lately. Studies discovered that the isothiocyanates in the kale help bladder, breast, colon, ovary and prostate cancer. Kale turns off bad genes that cause cancer.
• Antioxidants:  Kale contains 45 different flavonoids (like Quercetin) which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Other cruciferous vegetables containing antioxidants include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, pak choi but a surprising number of other vegetables are also in this family—see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
• Kale relieves oxidative stress responsible for diseases such as cataracts, atherosclerosis and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Decreases cholesterol: Kale works better at cholesterol removal when steamed because the fiber in it can bind better to bile acids in the digestive tract. This process is part of the cholesterol lowering effect.
• Detoxifies the liver by affecting both Phase I and Phase II detoxification. Kale helps to detoxify the body as all dark green leafy vegetables to because they support these liver functions.
• Anti-inflammatory
• High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Excellent source of Vitamin K (better than any of the World’s Healthiest 135 Foods and twice the amount of other cruciferous foods.) See these foods here: http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
• Kale is an excellent or very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B6 and potassium. It is also quite good in iron, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, protein, Vitamin B1, folate, phosphorous and vitamin B3.

Dietary Suggestion: It is recommended to include 1 ½ cups cruciferous vegetables into your diet 2-3x/week minimum or more for their health benefits.

How to Pick the Best Kale to Eat: Kale should be firm, not wilted, fresh looking and have hardy (not floppy) stems. There should be no signs of browning, yellowing or holes. Smaller leaves are the most tender. From what I’ve read, kale’s peak time runs from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring, but it seems to grow best for us from spring to fall in our area. It’s considered a cole crop (not cold crop). “Cole” refers to any of various plants belonging to the Cruciferae or mustard family although most cole crops enjoy cold weather.

Storage of Kale: Store it in airtight bags in the refrigerator. It should keep for 5-10 days depending on how fresh it is. We’ve heard grocery stores rehydrate the kale by cutting off a bit of stem and soaking it in a bucket of warm water for an hour or two. Our suggestion is to purchase it as fresh as possible (like at a farmer’s market!) Extended storage makes the flavor bitter. One resource said not to wash it prior to storing because that encouraged spoilage. Our favorite way to use it is to pick it right off the main stem before chopping it up and stir frying it with onions, zucchini and a bit of garlic or pesto before adding the eggs to make a vegetable-packed omelet.

Whole Foods (www.whfoods.com) has several tasty looking recipes for kale. I featured Kale Slaws in the last newsletter: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/kale-salads-and-slaws.htm

Michael and I love the Redbor and Winterbor varieties best. I noticed that insects in our no-spray gardens don’t seem to recognize the red plants as quickly so leave them alone—so Redbor is my all-time favorite. Other varieties include Dinosaur (Lacinato or Tuscan), ornamental (Salad Savoy) and Red Winter (Russian Red) kale. The Red Winter variety attracted more aphids than the green Winterbor varieties this year.

How to Grow Kale: We start our plants from seed inside around February and set the transplants out as soon as we can. We use row cover to protect the baby plants from the elements and from the white cabbage moths, flea beetles and aphids.

Here’s a photo of that process:

Michael Robison prepares the kale bed for planting

Michael preparing the bed mid-April of this year. We leveled the area out with flakes of old straw (on the left) and fortified each hole we dug for the transplants with soil we built from straw bale beds (see remainder of one of those beds on the right just behind the compost bin made of pallets.)

Kale beds under row cover 5-2-11

Transplants out under row cover 5/2/11:

Kale and Napa cabbage beds 6-24-11

6/24/11. We remove the row covers on warmer days unless we see those white cabbage moths or have a flea beetle problem (then we leave them on and take them off only when we harvest once a week.) These row covers have lasted through5 inchesof snow, several hail storms as well as hard rain and wind. Row covers make our Zone 5 growing area a Zone 6 and when used inside a greenhouse it makes the plants think they are in Zone 7 so these covers are a real boon to serious gardeners attempting season extension.

Here we planted broccoli in between the kale because it would be harvested before I started harvesting the kale. (Napa cabbage on the left side of the photo.)

Harvesting Kale: For kale, we harvest 3-5 of the largest lower leaves of the plant each week once the plant is about 16” tall. We weeded once in the beginning of the season and just plucked the few straggler weeds as the season progressed. What bliss! Since the plants were planted using permaculture deep mulch techniques we’re happy to say they only need a deep watering once a week even in the hottest summer days. We choose to water either the day before or after each harvest to help prevent any post-harvesting stress.

The plants like colder climates, so in the heat of the summer here in Zone 5 we don’t get a full harvest again until it starts to cool down. We have excellent luck heavily mulching the area with leaves. Cole crops like cool roots.

Seed Saving: If you want to save seed for the following year then let a plant or two overwinter (they don’t need protection) and it will flower and set pods the following year. I let an entire row go to seed last year intending to dig most of the plants up to feed the chickens but noticed that they were one of the first plants to bloom this year and the bees went crazy over them, so I left them and pulled them after other flowers started to bloom. We felt like we were doing our part to keep the bee populations happy.

Some Cautions and Comments about Kale:

• Kale does have a small amount of oxalate in it so people with gout may want to limit the amount of kale they eat. Of course there are many other foods with higher amounts of oxalates: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-high-oxalate-foods.htm
• And if you’re on Coumadin meds, you’ll want to eat a consistent amount of greens each day so that your coumadin levels will be consistent in your body. You should discuss this with your medical doctor though. Usually they say not to eat anything green (but then, how does one live?) (See my handout on Coumadin and vitamin K foods: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/coumadin-and-vitamin-k-foods.htm
• Non-organic kale is among the 12 foods on which pesticides have been most frequently found.
• Raw Kale in large volumes (along with the other cruciferous vegetables, peaches and pears) do have a goitrogenic effect on the body. I usually recommend limiting goitrogenic (thyroid hurting) foods to 4 cups/week maximum. Cooking inactivates this factor, so feel free to eat as much cooked as you want if you are on thyroid medicines. For more information on goitrogens go to: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesthyroidbadfoods.htm

Helpful Links and References for Kale:

• About Kale: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
• The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Fruits and Vegetables Containing the Most Pesticides: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/dirty-dozen_n_875718.html#s290785&title=Apples
• How to Grow Kale: http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/kale-grow.asp
• Kale Facts: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/kale.html

Media Reviews (Book): Boundaries—Where You End and I Begin

© 1991 by Anne Katherine

Boundaries bring order to our lives, empower us and protect us from the ignorance, meanness and thoughtlessness of others.

Big diseases like cancer, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, some types of depression and people with chronic low self-worth are often associated with boundaries issues. The types of personalities exhibiting these types of diseases often can’t say “no” to anybody. I’ve often recommended Anne Katherine’s book over the years and have not had one client tell me they didn’t like it, so I’m now sharing it with my readers.

In my opinion, a basic human premise is that we all just want to feel valued, loved, heard and respected. When these basic needs are not met, dis-ease happens and these diseases disrupt the emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the person.

In her book, Anne Katherine state, “You have the right to privacy. You get to choose what thoughts and feeling you want to share and with whom. Boundary violations may be deliberate or accidental. Either way, the violation is harmful to the being.”

I was in the consult room with a new client many years back when I had an office where people physically came to see me (unlike now where I only work on the telephone). The door was open and a man who has nothing better to do than to visit our business for an hour each day walks in. He raises his voice over my own as I’m talking to my client and says, “Have you gained weight?” Gee, what every girl wants to hear. . .I glance at my client with that “can you believe that?” kind of look. Being too kind and having weak boundaries, I actually answer him! “Not that I know of” and he says, “Yes. . .I think you have. Several pounds it looks like.” I say nothing and go kick the door shut so I can concentrate on the paying customer. “Can you believe that?” She asks me. “Uh, no. How absolutely rude!” I reply.

Note, this is NOT acceptable behavior. People who tell you that you look bad or fat are intruding on your boundaries. If you allow these demeaning comments, you have poor boundaries and may want to work on them.

The role of the person defines the range of appropriate behavior. Even in a marriage there are times when “us” and “not us” are appropriate. Too much togetherness is called enmeshment. Let me give you an example.

A man emails me to make an appointment for his wife. When she calls, he is on the other phone and does not allow her to give input about her own health. He has already determined that she will do the treatment he feels most comfortable with.

This is WAY out of line. The woman is not chattel. She sounded intelligent and she was not deaf. She should have been encouraged to make her own choices. When I emailed her a month later to ask how she was doing her husband wrote back! He told me how she had gone to a specialist (which she finally got across to her husband that she needed to do for herself thank goodness,) but that she had decided against his wishes and was taking the medication her medical doctor suggested. Good for her!

Your health is YOUR choice. I encourage all my clients to stand up for what they believe is best for their own body. It’s our job as healers to help the client make educated choices. We as healers are there to enlighten those areas of fear or lack of education when it comes to making choices, but once a person has made up their mind to do a treatment it’s not our job to convince them to change their mind and their treatment. Really. And if that client eventually wants to try something else, then that’s OK too.

Anne Katherine, author of Boundaries, Where You End and I Begin © 1991 relates that we have spiritual, sexual and relational boundaries. Exercises and examples are at the back of each chapter and her book has many easy-to-understand case examples that are wonderfully helpful. Here are some summary clips from her book:

Types of boundary violations:

The Intrusion Violation: Asking inappropriate and personal questions within the context of the relationship or violating physical or emotional boundaries. So, asking a fellow worker about their sex life is NOT OK.

The Distance Violation: When emotional and physical intimacy is inappropriate within the context of the relationship. People need safe nonsexual physical contact in order to define themselves. Cuddling, hugging and holding are part of close relationships (within the context of a relationship). So, for example, when you’re in a relationship it’s not OK to pretend they are not with you out in public and it’s not OK to leverage affection for what you want somebody to do for you.

Enmeshment defined: When a couple becomes enmeshed, the individualities of each partner are sacrificed to the relationship. One partner usually gives up opinions, perspectives and preferences to take on their mate’s views. One partner does the thinking and sets the limits making themselves feel more valuable and more important. The person who needs to feel more valuable of course, in my opinion, has major self-esteem problems.

Ultimately, each person should be whole and intact and not need the partner to complete them before coming into a relationship. They choose to live together because of common interests, morals and values. There is a balance of shared interests and only a few differences for the marriage to be healthy.

Enmeshment endangers the self-worth. It is an attempt to feel and think as if you were the other person so that you feel accepted—like you’re not good enough already and constantly need somebody to validate your worth by pretending to be somebody you’re not. When this happens you become a brainless servant with no life of your own. You are also not being and using the special gifts you came to earth this time around to share with the rest of the world.

It’s not OK to be told how to vote, which clubs to join, who should be your friend and which healers are on the “approved” list to visit. It’s not OK to have to change your opinion to mesh with the person you live with so they will feel happy and comfortable and not make your life hell because you have your own opinions. Enmeshment means someone’s personality is being squashed!

Enmeshment is when we give up our entire wants, needs and dreams and become hostage.  As Anne describes in her book, “the main goal when a person is a hostage is to survive until they can escape or be rescued.” Being hostage disallows progression of personal development.

Physical Boundaries: You have the absolute say over who touches you and how they touch you. You do not have to endure any kind of contact that you don’t like.

In my own practice I find that women with atypical pap smears have poor physical boundaries. Abnormal paps are often a result of enduring unwanted sexual contact. It is not OK when your boss pats you on the behind or fondles you under the table (no matter what sex you are). This is sexual harassment and there are laws to protect you from this form of boundary violation.

Emotional Boundaries: Weak boundaries equal a weak self-image. Age and maturity define appropriate emotional boundaries. It’s not appropriate to discuss deep personal concerns with your young children. Children need a safe environment to discuss their feelings without being judged to develop emotional safety. Adults that share inappropriately are called Leaky Parents. A child exposed to adult problems thinks they are supposed to have the maturity to handle them so they have the tendency to worry about the problems that they can’t even fix. The healthier way to handle adult problems is to share with other (safe) adults.

What strengthens emotional boundaries? The right to say “no” and the freedom to say “yes.” Other things that strengthen emotional boundaries include respect for feelings, supporting uniqueness and expression/acceptance of differences.

Things that harm emotional boundaries include ridicule, contempt, sarcasm, mockery, scorn, belittlement, insistence on conformity, heavy judgments, abuse of any kind, abandonment, threats and stifling communication.

When you feel you have to pretend to be someone you’re not to feel accepted, you don’t have healthy emotional boundaries. Examples of  weak emotional boundaries include:

• Smiling at jokes you find offensive.
• Pretending to hold opinions/views contrary to your real views.
• Concealing conflicting opinions.
• Working too hard, too long, not resting when tired and not being able to say no and to set limits so that you can please others.
• Using chemicals like nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, pills or drugs to avoid yourself .
• Using addictions/compulsions to avoid yourself (food, exercise, shopping, TV, computer games, sex or sports). 

Boundaries that are too flexible:  When you allow others to encroach on your boundaries you may feel overwhelmed with life. These people allow the environment and the latest drama/trauma/needs of someone to take priority in their lives. Each new demand distracts them from what they want or truly need to do making them appear disorganized. Parents with boundaries that are too flexible end up making their children feel like they are never a priority. They deprive their children of a sense of security from having a specific schedule with clear limits and definite standards. These parents end up raising selfish children who never learn to respect the needs of others.

It used to annoy me after my best girlfriend from childhood had a baby and was never available to talk to me on the phone without the baby disrupting and breaking into our conversation. During the occasional 15 minute phone call she’d say, “Sandy honey, mommy’s on the phone” about 8 times. I thought this would settle down after the little girl learned proper etiquette but when I called her a couple of years back after losing touch for 15 years or so Sandy was in her early 20’s and still interrupting! I stopped calling after that. What’s the point? I was only a distraction on the end of the telephone and not important enough in her life to be able to spare a few minutes of conversation to catch up. Her boundaries were just too flexible for my security standards.

Sexual boundaries: Professions and people who have roles that carry power need to be very careful when it comes to sexual boundaries. Professions such as therapists, doctors, rabbis, priests, pastors, counselors, bosses, leaders, and teachers are associated with building trust.

Breaching sexual boundaries causes severe and long lasting life-affecting emotional boundary issues. Trust for entire professions can be damaged. An example would be the Catholic Church issues in the news these last few years. Knowingly permitting any kind of sexual abuse teaches the child to be a victim and a predator by destroying all kinds of boundaries.

I don’t know what the statistics are out there because people don’t talk about these things as a general rule and certainly in my practice people find me who are in the process of working through their issues, but it seems to me about 40% of my clients have been sexually abused at one time. Usually it’s some form of incest and it’s not only the female clients. Sexual abuse is widespread and very real.

I find it appalling that adults who are supposed to be looked up to within the family unit would so betray that trust to sexually abuse a child or ignore the abuse done to their own child and chose total denial of what is happening. When you teach a child that “children should be seen and not heard” or convince them they need to spend time with a person they definitely do not want to associate with just because “everyone love’s cousin Elmo” or whoever it may be, there may be a reason for the child not wanting to be with that person. Children don’t talk about abuse. They don’t have the words to describe how someone is making them feel uncomfortable or “icky”. It’s up to us to monitor and watch for this type of activity and to prevent it if possible or work through it and protect our children from future abuse.

It’s not my job to judge whether or not the perceived sexual abuse really happened or not. If the client feels they have a memory of being abused, then that is their emotional reality and I respect that. If they heal themselves, they will go out and help others to heal (either intentionally or unintentionally). We’re all in this boundary thing together. We all make mistakes. We all may at times knowingly or unknowingly abuse other people’s boundaries, but it’s our responsibility to ask for forgiveness and work to rebuild trust where that is possible.

“Sexual boundary violations include inappropriate touching, speaking or looking at a person that sexually gratifies one person at the expense of another who is unwillingly exploited.” Says Anne in her book.

If these types of violations occur in the family home, the child does not learn to set limits. Eventually affection gets confused with sex. The child learns to use sex to get nurturing or may fear that affection will cause sex. Often sexually abused children will exhibit eating disorders-usually overeating and morbid obesity. Overeating increases weight and the extra fat acts as a wall of protection.

Of course weight issues usually have multiple causes but often a person who has experienced sexual abuse will not be able to keep the weight off when dieting until they have overcome and conquered the abuse issues and have learned to establish appropriate and healthy boundaries.

How to teach healthy boundaries:

• Encourage your children to talk about their feelings. This helps to develop healthy emotional boundaries. Give them the proper words to explain how they are feeling.
• Teach your children that it’s OK to trust their feelings and that it’s OK to tell older people that they do not feel comfortable talking about or doing certain things.
• Validate the child’s feelings in a way that allows them to feel like they have been heard. For example, when a child says, “I’m scared!” don’t respond with “No, you’re not.” If your child, partner, friend or spouse says, “I don’t feel comfortable around that person,” don’t answer with, “Oh, that’s not true.” Or, “You just don’t know them like I do.” Or, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

No one owns your body. The different roles we play carry built-in limitations. Appropriate behavior in a mother may not carry over when she becomes a supervisor or boss.

If you see yourself as having weak boundaries and you are now an adult, it’s not too late to start repairing your own boundaries. As you heal, your children and people around you will also heal. The final chapter in Anne Katherine’s book on boundaries lays out six exercises you can do today to help build healthier boundaries. For many, this is a must-read and very important book.

Ask Dr Moffat:

Denice: I meant to ask this before when I was reading your newsletter. There seems to be a raw vs. cooked way of eating in the holistic community.  Those who believe everything should be eaten raw, soaked or sprouted to preserve its life force and enzymes and another camp like Traditional Chinese Medicine that believes all food should be cooked by heat, freezing, fermenting, drying or marinating in oil so it’s less stress on the body and that life force cannot be reduced by cooking. I was wondering what the guides think is healthier for a person and if the enzymes from the plant foods (except papaya, kiwi, pineapple, honey) we eat are good for our body or just destroyed by it? Quan

Dear Quan. As far as I can tell some raw is good. You are actually testing you need about 40% in your diet (I’m using muscle testing and tapping into your energy field here and asking your Higher Self this question,) but what about all the parasites and the fact that your gut is not used to all that raw stuff? It seems like people have a difficult time switching to raw as a total diet (and so do pets). Of course I think “everything in moderation” and people on both sides of the controversy are often quite vigilant in their thinking.  Ultimately isn’t it about finding that right balance for YOU?

The controversy is not about the practitioner cramming their opinions (and what works for them) down the throats of their patients. It’s about listening, learning, finding the lifestyle changes that they can shift into with not a lot of work, gently guiding and nudging them into a better way of living. Even if it’s just a few changes moving towards better health they make each year, your patients will end up doing better in the long run. And it’s about finding a program they can stick with.

I don’t know anyone who has stuck with raw or fermented diets for any extended period of time.  Additionally, I feel that when we bless our food and find gratitude for what we have, the food is then converted to a healthier vibration. What we think about (according to some famous naturopaths like Dr. Bernard Jensen) totally affects the acidity in our body no matter how alkaline you are eating.

Very complicated answer, but for me and my own practice I tend to pay attention to individual needs. Eventually people come into an equilibrium and find certain foods, techniques and ways of doing things that they always feel good about and that always seem to give them a higher level of health and energy. Does that make sense?

Dr. Moffat: I have been getting these painful canker sores on the left side of my mouth that go away after a week and then reappear in a different area. Each time it’s just a single one and always on the left side of my mouth. This is the third occurrence. I was reading canker sores are usually food allergies or nutritional deficiency and since I eat pretty well, I was wondering if I am developing a new food allergy? Jamie

Dear Jamie: Canker sores now huh. What is it that you’re holding back on from saying? Specifically Louise Hay (You Can Heal Your Life © 1984) suggests festering words held back by the lips and blame can cause canker sores and sometimes herpes breakouts on the lips. I’m not testing they are viral or bacterial related, food allergies OR nutritional deficiency. So. . .the left side of the body represents female issues. Any ideas there? A common sense core cause may be that you are brushing your teeth too hard with your dominant hand and/or using a toothbrush with too harse a bristle. All good things to cogitate on for sure.  I hope that helps.

Hi Denice, My lower bottom incisors have been throbbing for the last week at night when I go to sleep. I was wondering if it’s a sinus issue. Sincerely, Webb

Well Webb, there are no sinuses down in that area although sinus issues would cause increased circulation to the area and that possible feeling of congestion which could feel like throbbing. I’m muscle testing it’s an infection. When was the last time you visited a dentist? Clindamycin is the way to go for you (I muscle tested my antibiotics list for you– http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-antibiotics.htm ).  Ten days’ worth is what I’m testing you need your doctor or dentist can get that proper dosage for you. Good luck and don’t let it go on too long. Tooth issues can affect the entire body. Please see my tooth chart to figure out which organs the lower incisors would be affecting: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/tooth-chart.htm 

Tips and Tricks: Is your cell phone safe?

Some research suggests increased risk of brain and mouth tumors and behavioral problems in children from the use of cell phones. Here are some tips on making cell phone activity as safe as possible:

By low-radiation phones. Check out how your cell phone compares to others on the release of radiation with the Environmental Working Group Buyers Guide at: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone. Cell phone model numbers are often printed under the battery. Some recommendation from the group include:

• Cell phone reception: The stronger the signal the fewer the rads so stay off the phone if you see fewer bars. Wait to answer calls when your signal is stronger.
• Keep your kids off the phone: Environmental Working Group research suggests that limiting cell phone use in children is the best plan. Young children’s brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults (and many children seem to stay on the phone longer so what does that tell us?)
• Listen more: Radiation is released when sending voice mail and text messages to another caller—so it’s safer to listen than to be talking all the time. Fewer rads are released when texting than talking. One theory is that your body is safer because you’re holding the phone away from your body to text.
• Store and hold your phone away from your body when not in use. Don’t store your phone in a pocket or on your belt where soft body tissues absorb radiation—especially if you are having infertility challenges.
• Use a headset or speaker. Some wireless headsets emit continuous, low-level radiation so take these off when you’re not on the phone. 

Radiation Shields: People ask me all the time if they should put those radiation shield gimmicks on their phones, computers and other electrical equipment. Save your money. These sheilds give us a false sense of security by reducing connection quality. The phone is then forced to transmit at higher powers with higher radiation.

We won’t even talk about cell phone safety tips while driving. Of course it’s best to refuse to drive with people who talk with their hands and give you their full attention while they are driving—especially while driving on snowy roads! I’ve seen people read books while driving and work on computers as well. I’m thinking that may be even more dangerous than using a cell phone!

(Note: Thanks to fellow healer Jessica Drollette for this topic for the newsletter.)

Read more:

• Cell phone safety tip use in automobiles here: http://www.progressive.com/vehicle-resources/cell-phone-safety.aspx
• Driving Distractions Legislature bills: http://www.ncsl.org/?tabid=13599

Good morning Dr. Moffat! My name is Allison and I am a teacher for some wonderful students at Coastal Academy in California.  I just wanted to let you know that we came across your page, http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/links-to-top-health-websites.htm , and found it very helpful for one of our projects in class.  My students just absolutely loved your site! One of my students, Samantha, came to me with another resource that was very helpful: http://www.lifeinsurancequote.net/prolong-your-life-a-resource-guide-to-kids-health/

She thought it would be a perfect addition to your site of already valuable resources! (She is always going above and beyond…such a great kid!) I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind adding it to your resource list?  I, too, think it is a great resource and I would love to show her that her hard work has paid off!  I know that if she saw it up on your page she would be delighted!

P.S. I’ve decided that Samantha will be awarded with our “Student of the Month” reward for her special find and a good deed done well. Have a wonderful day! Sincerely, Allison  http://valleycharterschool.com/

Allison: Looks like a great resource! I’ll put it into this month’s newsletter Health Tips & Tricks section. Thank Samantha for her input and thanks for helping to raise healthy kids! Namaste. Denice

Gluten Soy Dairy-free Website: I just have to plug a wonderful website that a couple of my clients built. If you are gluten, soy, dairy and refined sugar sensitive, this site and it’s recipes are for you! Great job Melanie and Nick!

“After being comfortable in the kitchen I got kicked in the butt with food allergies. Gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar were off my list of go to foods. So what did I do? I went to the kitchen and began experimenting. To my surprise and after much research, I realized the diet I had embarked on was a traditional whole foods diet. The book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price changed my entire perspective on food and I haven’t looked back since.” Quote by Melanie Angelis, creator of http://thegreciangarden.com 

Client Testimonials: Dr. Moffat: A note to thank you for your great web site and the reference to Susann Clark at Clear Water Colonics. She is FANTASTIC!! We would’ve never found her without you. Continued Success, Kevin C.

Wonderful Kevin. Glad I could help and thanks for the feedback on her as well. I try to plug only the best healers on my site! Denice

Healthy Recipe: Kale Chips 

This recipe is fun, healthy and kids even like them. Pretty simple to make as well. We love kale because it is a natural source of calcium and other trace minerals.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale (about 12 small or 8 large leaves)
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
• Dash of Tamari, Braggs Aminos, Seasoning Salt or other favorite seasoning

Raw kale chip pieces in bowl

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). We use air bake cookie pans to put the kale onto.  Harvest, wash and dry the kale with a salad spinner (or it will take longer to bake).

Tear, slice or cut the kale leaf from the stem into bite sized pieces. Put them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Toss until thoroughly coated then place the pieces single-layer onto cookie sheets and bake until crisp—about 15-20 minutes.

Kale Chips fresh from oven

The edges will be brown but not burned, about 15-20 minutes.

Baked kale chips ready to bag or freeze.

We like them hot. They don’t last long, but if you make an extra-large batch you can store them in a zip lock baggie in the freezer. This bowl before baking was about 4 gallons of kale. They really shrink down, so you can eat a few and know that you’re really getting some concentrated nutrition.

Inspiration and Perspective: 

Inspiring water filter system using a bicycle. Two minute video. Very cool. http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/innovations/bike-that-purifies-water.html

And just when we were starting to feel sorry for ourselves with our economy and all. . .this video is about a mom who has no hands. She uses her feet to take care of her baby. Check it out. http://silvamethodlife.com/more-than-meets-the-eye/

And finally, thanks to my friend Carol C. for sending this inspiration. . .

Your Bank Account

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved  perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

“I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.  “Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied.  “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. . . Just for this time in my life.  Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.”

Remember these five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

What’s New at Our House?

I have been trying to keep a farm diary online complete with photos on all the projects we’ve been doing. In September we hosted the Robison Family Reunion here on the farm. We scrambled (as gardeners often to) to harvest everything we could the day before the first hard frost around here. We adopted three kittens. Michael is working outside all day to batten down the hatches and complete fencing and other projects before winter hits.  I try to find time for at least an hour a day to play in the garden and put things to bed for the winter. Leaf pick up starts this week so we’ll be heading out to collect our usual 800 or so bags of leaves to build soil on the farm. Check out our activity on the Facebook page for Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery. Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elk-Meadow-Farm-Nursery/209184999104914

Deary Idaho now has a website: http://www.dearyidaho.com/site/Welcome.html  Our little community has been meeting one evening and one morning (at the insane hour of 6:30 I might add) each month for over a year to discuss goals, dreams and visions for the support of Deary. We are blessed to have many people that are very dedicated in supporting Deary and its businesses. Very professional website. I’m proud of our town.

That wraps it up for this month. Have a wonderful holiday season and please tell a friend about the website. Be well.

Denice

Can I Still Eat Greens While Taking Coumadin?

Thanks to Mary B for forwarding the information. I have clients ask me all the time what they should do because they hear so much conflicting advice from their doctors, alternative therapists and nutritionists about the use of greens in their diet while on coumadin.

The trick is to be consistent with what you eat and if you can’t eat a salad or greens every day then you must accommodate with an appropriate dose of natural blood thinning agents. My suggestion would be to always use high quality and, if possible, Standardized products (Nature’s Way brand makes a standardized dose of Gingko biloba and Horse Chestnut). And watch for symptoms of overdose on the blood thinning agents. I see that often where the skin bleeds easily and bruising does not go away with even the slightest of bumps.

“Most people on Coumadin would be much safer if they ate an ideal diet with lots of vitamin K containing greens; took an aspirin, EPA/DHA fatty acids, and LDL protect daily; and stopped taking the Coumadin. The risk of all causes of death would decrease precipitously. Eating right will not cause you to bleed to death. Instead, it can save your life.” Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Did you know that another name for coumadin is Warfarin? (Rat poison).

Coumadin (Warfarin) pills

Picture reference: http://www.drug3K.com 

Natural anticoagulants to consider instead of Coumadin include:

• Tomato juice
• Pomegranate juice
• Fish oil
• Vitamin E
• Horse chestnut seed extract
• Ginkgo biloba
• Aspirin (use buffered baby aspirin)

“For those who absolutely must take Coumadin, because of a recent thrombotic event, the danger of not eating a healthful diet exceeds the risk of increasing the Coumadin dose slightly to accommodate the healthier diet. As long as the amount of greens you eat is consistent, your doctor can adjust your Coumadin dose to accommodate it.” Says Dr. Fuhrman

“For the patient who must stay on Coumadin, the diet must be consistent from day to day to avoid fluctuations in the effectiveness of the drug. To keep the vitamin K amount constant, it is sensible to eat one large raw salad a day and one serving of dark green vegetables such as asparagus and string beans, but leave out the dark green leafy vegetables, such as steamed kale, collards, and spinach. Adding some of those to a soup is okay, however. The goal is to keep your vitamin K level stable, so the amount of blood thinning does not swing into a danger zone. A dangerous level of blood thinning can occur if the dose of Coumadin is adjusted to a high vitamin K intake and then suddenly the patient does not eat many vitamin K-containing foods for a few days. In other words, the main goal is to eat the same amount of vitamin K-containing foods every day.”  From Dr. Fuhrman’s blog (see link below).

Helpful Links and References about Coumadin:

• Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the man who wrote this article/blog below is an MD and a health advocate. Lots of common stuff here and help for those who are on coumadin, aspirin or who have heart fibrillation:  http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-pregnancy-coumadin-vitamin-k-and-a-plantbased-diet.html
• Article discussing natural blood thinner foods affecting coumadin including herbs/spices and dried fruits: http://www.livestrong.com/article/311259-foods-that-are-natural-blood-thinners/
• List of Vitamin K Foods:  http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/vitamin-k.htm 
• Information on Coumadin as a drug: http://www.drugs.com/coumadin.html 

Weight Management Systems Block Charts for Blood Type O

These are charts I worked on for almost three months integrating the Blood Type Diet (www.dadamo.com) with the Zone Diet (www.drsears.com)

WMS Block Chart Blood O Best Choices

WMS Block Chart Blood O Good-Fair

WMS Block Chart Blood O Poor Choices

Weight Management Systems Block Charts for Blood Type AB

WMS Block Chart Blood Type AB Best Choices

WMS Block Chart Blood AB Good-Fair Choices

WMS Block Chart Blood AB Poor Choices

Weight Management Systems Block Charts for Blood Type B

Weight Management Systems Block Charts for Blood Type A

These are charts I worked on for almost three months integrating the Blood Type Diet (www.dadamo.com) with the Zone Diet (www.drsears.com)

WMS Block Chart Blood A Best Choices
WMS Block Chart Blood A Good-Fair Choices
WMS Block Chart Blood Type A Poor Choices

Here is an exhaustive list and description of all the sugars and sugar substitutes you will run across:

• Amazake
• Agave Nectar
• Aspartame, Nutrasweet, Equal
• Barley Malt or Rice Syrup
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Brown Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Date Sugar
• Dextrose
• Fructooligosaccharide (FOS)
• Fructose, Crystalline
• Fruit Juice Concentrate
• Glycerine
• Honey
• Just Like Sugar
• Lactose
• Licorice Root
• Lo Han Kuo, Lo Han Guo, Lo Han
• Maltose
• Maple Sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Peru Root (Yacon)
• Saccharin
• Sorbitol
• Sorghum Molasses
• Splenda
• Stevia rebaudiana (Sweet Herb)
• Sucanat
• Sugar, Raw
• Thaumatin (Talin)
• Turbinado Sugar
• Xylitol

To read more about these sugars to to the Many Faces of Sugar page: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/diet_nutritionsugar_substitutes.htm

Part 1 of 3 on How to Bathe a Cat:  Preparing your feline for bath time. Set up, combing, water temperature and other details. Part 1 of 3 parts. Dr. Denice Moffat a veterinarian and naturopath demonstrates how to bathe your cat in the kitchen sink.

Part 2 of 3 on How to Bathe a Cat: Pre-bath grooming, wetting your cat down, soaping them up and the thorough rinse.

Part 3 of 3 on How to Bathe a Cat: The rinse and dry cycle with advice on how to clean ears.

NATURAL HEALTH TECHNIQUES NEWSLETTER

July, 2011                 Volume 7 Number 1

In This Issue:

• Health in the News: E. coli in the news again with contaminated sprouts in Germany
• What’s New on the Website? Website revamped. Everything works now. More pages! More lists.
• Case of the Month: My feet hurt
• Product of the Month: Yucca stalk
• Media Reviews: (Book) Building Your Field of Dreams by Mary Manin Morrissey
• Ask Dr. Moffat: Our cat attacked my husband!   Dry brushing and Keratosis pilaris, Vitamin D2 vs. D3 allergy, Brain and black licorice craving, limping dog issue
• Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life: Mammogram and Dental X-ray Precautions: New technique for skin grafts for burn victims; How long do supplements/herbs/homeopathics last?
• Client Testimonials: I love TUT!
• Healthy Recipes: Kale slaws and salads
• Inspiration & Perspective: Getting back on track; Money and the Law of Attraction
• What’s New at Our House? Dry Brushing info in a new book on health

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)

Health in the News: E. coli in the news again!

(May 22, 2011) A new superbug E. coli O104 (STEC O104:H4) originating in Germany has been identified as initially originating from  cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes only to be narrowed down to bean sprouts and shoots. Germany and Spain were under the gun of investigations originally. Sadly, many tons of uncontaminated produce, our economy, the trust of vegetable eaters and the good reputation of many farms were damaged before determining the source of contamination.

Washing hands and good food handling practices are ways to minimize food contamination through the dilution factor but it doesn’t totally eliminate some forms of certain pathogenic E. coli. Even just a few germs on the hands of people peeling the vegetables can be an issue. With this latest outbreak only heat-treated foods inactivated the pathogenicity.

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), kidney failure and bloody diarrhea caused by Shiga tonxin-producing E. coli (STEC) was found to be the latest cause of sickness and deaths in the human population—specifically adult females (68% of infections). This particular pathogenic E. coli is being spread throughout the world possibly by their visiting the European countries and eating these contaminated vegetables.

As of June, 22, 2011 the Robert Kock Institute in Germany reported 823 patients with HUS and 29 deaths caused from the STEC.  Over the past few weeks, the number of cases associated with this outbreak has markedly decreased. The farm selling the sprouts has been shut down.

Reference: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/

What’s New on the Website?

Holy smokes. . .what’s new? Well, let me tell you. I’ve spent the last 9 months upgrading the website. The search box stopped working over a year ago then, little by little, other things stopped working and it felt like a degrading radioactive isotope. So, I researched programs to use to update it, threw a bunch of money at the project and then settled on using WordPress. I hired a programmer on the referral from Tonya Somers (master psychic friend of mine) and he built templates, designed and a fantastic site map for me.

It was my job to plop in the old pages, update them, re-upload pictures (boy—did I ever have a lot of pictures in this site!) and update links.  Check out Nick’s fabulous job on my site map! http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/sitemap.htm It took every spare minute, nights and weekends for months at a time to do this project. My goal was to be up and running by mid-March, but that didn’t happen I am sorry to say. It put me way behind on getting out newsletters too as the old program wouldn’t let me update information any longer and the old program wouldn’t work on the new computer. Now I have to double-opt in all of you because the process has taken so long. What a mess. SO happy that it is mostly complete now and that I can see the end of it for a little while anyway (until I put up more handouts that is.)

I still have a few sections to check to resize photos but all the links are working, the search box is now working, I have added Facebook, Twitter and Linked in and that cute little bar at the bottom? Well, on the very left is a button that makes printer friendly documents! I don’t have to do that by hand any longer. What a surprise and a relief! The website looks very nice now.

Next will be the addition of videos and a client back East is going to be helping me with a better look for the newsletters. So, check it out and see what’s new. I’ve put all the lists I’ve developed and use to test with on the site for all you healers out there who use muscle testing. Feels like I’m finally coming out of my little hermit cage and getting back into the real world again. What an adventure it was I tell ya. I hope you like it.

Case of the Month: Case of the Month: My feet hurt

Our neighbor was up visiting the other day and her five-year-old daughter asked me, “don’t you have any other shoes?” As her mother was telling her that this was an inappropriate question to ask I answered, “Yes, I have four pair of this same shoe. I rotate the pairs as they get older and wear the best ones out in public. This particular shoe model fits my feet better than any shoe I’ve ever owned and it’s important to wear shoes that feel good on your feet.” I think after you read this handout you’ll agree that many foot problems can be prevented by wearing proper fitting shoes.

Foot Facts:

• Each foot has 26 bones — together the feet have almost one-quarter of the bones in the entire body.
• Thirty-three joints make the feet flexible.
• 19 muscles control foot movement.
• The arches in the feet are constructed like small bridges giving each foot its shock absorbability, support and springiness.
• Numerous nerve endings in the feet make them sensitive (and ticklish).
• The foot is held together by more than 100 ligaments.
• The feet and ankles carry approximately 25 tons of weight in any given day.
• We walk about 3000 miles in a month.
• The average person walks the distance of two times around the world in their lifetime.

Core Causes of Foot Pain:

One thing is for sure. The cause of chronic foot pain doesn’t just come on overnight. It is usually the culmination of doing a lot of things your body doesn’t like, bit by bit, over a period of time. So, it will take some time to correct these kinds of situations but they can often be corrected.

Much of the foot pain we experience comes from overworked lower limbs but pain can also be caused from improper shoe fit, excessive wear and tear, nutritional deficiencies and allergies that cause the muscle fibers to become sticky which gums up smooth movement of the muscle fibers.

Movement of the foot is controlled by four groups of muscles in the leg. These muscles get a workout not only when our feet are visibly moving (such as when we walk or run) but even when we stand still, because they help keep us balanced and upright. And like nearly all muscles (the heart muscle is an exception), these muscles can become fatigued, decreasing their ability to properly support the feet which can cause discomfort. Standing in place for long periods also tends to result in a pooling of blood in the lower extremities, which can cause uncomfortable swelling.

What makes feet hurt? Let’s talk about that and discuss some of the common causes of foot pain.

A foot doctor is called a podiatrist. Podiatrists are medical doctors with years of extra study specializing in the treatment, diagnosis, disorders and surgery of the foot. Podiatrists also treat skin issues and birth defects involving the feet.

Ankle sprains: Ligaments that are stretched or torn should be attended to quickly with an ice pack, support wraps, splints if necessary, arnica gel or Traumeel gel and Traumeel tablets and oral Ligaplex I (for acute support) or Ligaplex II (for chronic support). Elevate the limb to decrease swelling. Limit weight-bearing activities, and stay off the feet for a few days. In cases of a severe sprain, your podiatrist may recommend a brace or surgery. Traumeel gel and tablets can be obtained through your local health food store. Awesome product.

Arthritis in the feet: Painful stiff feet can be treated fairly well with nutritional supplements that support the bones, tendons and ligaments.

Big Toe Pain is often a result of gout. I’ve written about gout before. You can review that and the list of High Oxalate Foods here:http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesgout1.htm and http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-high-oxalate-foods.htm

Black toenails: Caused by a hematoma (bruising) under the nail as a result of trauma or poor fitting shoes. Black nails can also be a symptom of weak blood vessels or rotting flesh caused from cancer so if you know you didn’t physically injure your toe and you notice this symptom you should have it checked out by an appropriate health care professional.

Bunions: A misaligned big toe joint where the toe slants outward causing inflammation and swelling of the metatarsal and phalangeal joint. One common cause is tight-fitting shoes. Choose shoes that are wide enough for your feet. Treatment includes resting and soaking the feet. Bunions can be treated by a podiatrist.

Burning feet: Core causes include nerve damage from diabetes, vascular challenges, multiple sclerosis or other idiopathic (which means we don’t know the cause) dis-ease processes. Sometimes wearing shoes made from synthetic material can also cause this. Try changing to natural leather and cottons. Other sources suggest this may be a result of heavy metal overload and that if you cleanse the liver it will resolve the issue. We use carob powder quite often for heavy metal detox. About ½ teaspoon daily for 30 days. Another technique suggested to help hot/burning feet is the kidney flush technique:http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniqueskidney_flush_technique.htm

Burning/aching feet at the end of the day: Often accompanied with hobbling out of bed in the morning. See Heel Pain in the Morning.

Calluses (Hard dry skin on the heels): Calluses are a buildup of skin over areas of increased pressure or repetitive friction. The balls of the feet and heels are common places for this to occur. Skin cracking can also result. Good shoes that hold the heel of your foot well are a must. Remove the old skin with skin remover and moisturize the skin in those areas. But that’s not all. You’ll need to increase the pliability of your skin from the inside out. This may mean changing your diet from eating excessive hard (saturated) fats and fried foods to a diet higher in polyunsaturated fats. Occasionally surgery to repair dropped arches (one core cause of food calluses) is needed.

Charlie Horses or Muscle Cramps in the Feet: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium levels all need to be checked and balanced. Also, one trick is to take EFA’s, Fish Oil or Udo’s 3-6-9 Oils with the meal that has the most minerals in it (so. . . the meal with all the cooked veggies and/or salad) as the oils draw the minerals into the system so they can be utilized by the body more efficiently. Many clients also are helped by putting a bar of Ivory Soap (still in the wrapper) at the bottom of the bed. I don’t know why this works, but it seems to work quite often.

Feet hurting during exercise: The heavier you are, the more foot problems you can have. So, exercise is important. Find a person who really knows their exercise shoes, get a pair that fits and use them for short periods each day. Get to the core cause of the pain to be sure this is not something more serious—an X-ray may be in order.  Combine these recommendations with a weight management program and think about using an orthotic in your shoes.

Foot pain in the morning: Usually a biomechanical problem caused from too much exercise, walking or time spent on the feet.

Hammer Toes. Hammer toe is when a toe bends inward and upward becoming very rigid and stiff. They are often tender and painful and it’s difficult to find shoes that fit. The core cause is often a viral or staph allergy. Nutritional supplements support repair of the core causes and strengthen or build healthy bones.

Picture Reference: http://www.thefootandankleclinic.com/images/uploaded/footother01.jpg

Heel spurs. Some resources say that heel spurs don’t necessarily hurt but I find this rather surprising. A spur is the result of chronic pulling on the attachment of a ligament which is attached to the bone. The area being chronically aggravated (usually repetitive stretching of the fascia) responds by increasing bone formation which results in a spur. Getting to the core cause is really the treatment for this condition but if you’ve let it go too far you may have to correct the condition surgically. Heel spurs can be a result of too much of the body’s electricity being turfed to that area, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and an imbalance of the heart’s electrical energy. Treatments for heel spurs: Nutritionals supplements to repair this foot challenge include AC Carbamide—a natural diuretic that helps to purify and cleanse the kidney, bladder and urine and Phosfood which helps to remove stagnant water from the bladder and helps to stop burning and dribbling. You see, the kidney helps to regulate calcium and phosphorus in the body. If the kidney is not able to keep up with this process, excess minerals build up in the joints which can end up making spurs in several areas of the body or stones in the bladder/kidney/gallbladder. If the spur becomes too painful, surgery can be done to shave it off—but this is just an indicator of what is happening to other joints in your body. All systems tie together.

Heel pain in the morning: Usually caused from the tightening of the tendons and ligaments associated with the feet. Heel pain especially involves the plantar fascia (the tough connective tissue surrounding the foot muscles at the bottoms of your feet). A common treatment is to stretch those ligaments out by standing several feet away from the wall while leaning against it and stretching first one leg and then the other. This stretches both the calf muscles and the fascia on the bottoms of your feet. Other treatment modalities include anti-inflammatories, using different and more comfortable shoes that fit the foot better and using orthotic devices. Some orthopods (the nickname for an orthopedic doc) recommend surgery but this would be as a last resort.

Ingrown toenails: This happens when the side of your toenail cuts into your skin. These are common. The cause is usually a bad toenail clip job, but pressure from a bad shoe fit can cause ingrown nails as well. A mild ingrown nail can be removed with careful clipping, but if it is deep or painful, consider a trip to the podiatrist. The recommendation is to cut the nails straight across, but it’s also important to keep dirt and debris from building up in the little crevice between the nail and the nail bed. If the nail gets ingrown past the point of management, partial nail removal is in order. A local anesthetic is used in an out-patient procedure so that the nail can be cut at the base and removed. The growth center of the nail is treated so that it won’t regrow. One website said this was quite painless but sheesh! Really?  It’s also important to wear shoes that don’t squeeze your feet.

Morton’s Neuroma: A cyst or small tumor in the lymphatics of the foot caused by viral and staph allergy. Support the immune system, recharge the lymphatics and flush the adrenal cortex.

Picture Reference: http://www.mayoclinic.org/images/mortons-neuroma-2col.jpg

Nail Fungus: Thick, malformed discolored nails can be isolated or can affect every nail on the foot. You can’t have this symptom and not have an overgrowth of yeast in your gut. Even when you treat it topically you’ll have to follow up with an internal cleanse or cleanses. Medical treatment includes a drug called Griseofulvicin which needs to be taken for several months. The challenge with this drug is that it is processed in the liver and can cause stress and harm to the liver. Topical application of Vick’s Vapo Rub every night for three months often works. Keep cutting the nail down as it grows out and file the nail to thin it out. Use a disposable nail file each time or really scrub the file after you use it with soap/water and a disinfectant so those spores will be gone. You wouldn’t want someone else in the household to use that file and pick up the fungus from your nail equipment. Vick’s Vapo rub contains camphor which penetrates and oxygenates the nail so that it can kill the fungus. Some of these nails are painful. Wearing proper shoes can be helpful. Don’t wear any shoes that pinch as trauma to the nail creates an opportunity for the fungus to take hold. Nail fungi like warm, dark, moist environments and easily spreads to other nails.

Nodules (Dupuytren’s Contracture): Palpable bumps in the connective tissue on the sole of the feet. Core cause of this syndrome is often Chronic Fatigue, poor blood quality, zinc and manganese deficiency, essential fatty acid imbalances and certain vitamin deficiencies. This syndrome is more common in the hands but here’s a photo of what it looks like in the foot:

Picture reference: http://www.wsiat.on.ca/images/mlo/dupuytren_plantar.jpg

Neuroma: A pinched nerve, causing pain between the third and fourth toes. It can feel like a tooth that needs a root canal. One of the most common causes is a poor shoe fit or using shoes that are not the proper type for the job you’re doing.

Pain in the arch of the foot: This type of pain can be in the arch OR the heel and manifest as arch pain. For this type of pain you’d have to rule out a stress fracture or tendon rupture. The arch of the foot holds the reflexology points for the small intestine, so if one has diarrhea and small bowel problems it would make sense that you would have some tender spots there. An X-ray may be in order.

Pain in the toes and balls of the feet—worse when standing or jumping: Possible nerve entrapment also called a neuroma. Neuromas can be isolated or generalized (called plantar fibromatosis). It’s easier to manage or heal a single neuroma. In the natural medicine world we think this may be related to a manganese and zinc deficiency, but manganese is a trace mineral so it’s safer to take supplements made from natural products so you don’t overdose on it. We use quite a bit of Ligaplex II here. It’s an awesome product and can be taken long-term.

Peripheral neuropathy: Tingling, stabbing, shooting pain in the feet caused from the nerves being pinched, not getting enough circulation or not getting enough oxygen. (See Burning Feet above.) Some treatment options include chiropractic or osteopathic adjustments of the appropriate joints, medications that alleviate nerve pain (Neurontin or Gabapentin), topical applications of hot pepper (capsicum) and magnetic insoles (MagStrides from Nikken). Nutritional supplements recommended to help support the nerves, detox heavy metals, and give the tissues nutrition they are missing as well as treating the underlying cause of diseases causing the neuropathy are also necessary.

Plantar fasciitis. A heel injury, affecting the area where the arch meets the heel. Plantar fasciitis is marked by heel pain with first steps in the morning, possible swelling, and heel pain while walking. It can usually be worked out with activity. What to do: Wear better shoes, or try orthopedic shoes prescribed by a podiatrist. Don’t walk barefoot. Use ice unless you have circulatory problems or are diabetic. Try heel cups in your shoes for shock absorption. If the pain is persistent, see a podiatrist.

Planter’s warts: Ouch. Planter’s warts are caused by a virus that affects the superficial layers of the skin in the foot. This wart grows inwards instead of outwards as in hand warts. Localized treatment is in order and sometimes the treatment needs to be repeated.  Some kind of caustic agent is usually the treatment of choice—either applying a chemical or freezing them off. These types of warts are usually found in younger people as their immune systems are not yet totally developed and they can’t fend off viruses very well. Some treatments to try on these warts are rubbing the wart several times each day with 3-in-1 machine oil, Vicks Vapo Rub Cream, a styptic roll on Nic pencil or wheat germ oil. Prevention is key so practice good foot hygiene and disinfect the shower regularly (especially if there is someone in the house with other foot problems). Bleach in a dilution of 27 parts water to one part bleach will get most all viruses. Please air the house out after using though, because bleach is not that healthy to breathe. For more info on warts, see my handout on warts and moles:http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseaseswarts_moles_skin_discolorations.htm

Stress fractures: A break in the bone usually resulting from repetitive pounding. Common to athletes. Limit weight bearing exercise and stick to low impact exercise until the bone heals (6-8 weeks). An orthotic device may be necessary to reduce pressure at the fracture site. Be sure to confirm and locate the stress fracture via X-ray for proper treatment. Nutritional supplements to support healthy bone will help to heal the bone about 50% faster. We use Cal-Ma Plus for this and it’s wonderful.

Tendonitis. An inflammatory process in the tendons, common in athletes which can be a serious, painful, and persistent. Unfortunately for the exercise-addicted personality, rest, ice, using anti-inflammatory drugs, changing exercise techniques and shoe gear are all necessary to heal this condition and it takes time. Too often the person thinks they feel a little better, pushes themselves and then it turns out they re-injure the area.

A Few Notes about Shoes:

Some sources claim that improper fitting shoes are responsible for 90% of all foot problems. Bad shoes are any shoe that no longer supports you, will not control abnormal movement, does not fit properly in ANY way (no matter how much it cost or what brand it is), wears unevenly or causes pain or rubbing in any way. Improperly fitted shoes can also cause back and leg pain. Here are some tips for purchasing the right shoes for you. . .

• Try many brands and types on to find one that feels comfortable.
• Shoes don’t get more comfortable with wear. Shoes don’t stretch that much after you purchase them. Purchase ones that fit in the store and walk around the store with them on for a few minutes.
• Try shoes on at the end of your day when your feet are already a bit swollen and tired.
• Wear the socks you will wear when wearing the shoes to get the correct fit.
• Did you know that high heels can be responsible for some types of headaches? If you suffer from headaches maybe you should choose a nice pair of flats.
• Be sure the toes accommodate your feet. Don’t purchase shoes that pinch and don’t wear a pair of shoes just because they look good on the outside. They must meld with your particular foot structure.
• Many shoes have removable insoles. These can be removed and replaced with a custom orthotic—especially if you need extra arch support.
• Choose shoes to match the way you will use them. For example running shoes should not be used for the basketball court.
• Ask lots of questions of the shoe salesperson. They may be able to give you some hints and clues as to what shoe would fit your needs.
• Your feet are slightly different in size when you measure the right and the left foot. Measure BOTH feet and purchase shoes for the largest sized foot.
• If you can’t wiggle your toes inside the shoe, the shoe is too tight.
• Make sure the widest part of your foot is comfortable and secure.
• Never purchase shoes without first trying them on.
• You should be able to fit your little finger (no more and no less) between the heel and the back of the shoe when standing in them.
• Does the heel slide in the shoe? If so, it doesn’t fit. Put it back on the shelf.
• Recycle shoes that no longer fit.

I remember a story about Oprah’s shoes: Oprah once had a yard sale and had a bunch of shoes included in her stuff for sale. A woman purchased a pair of her shoes (which did not fit her by the way), but she used the shoes in a different way. When life got difficult for her, she’d take Oprah’s shoes out of her closed and put them, imagining herself walking in Oprah’s shoes. “What would Oprah do?” she’d think. And it would give her strength to carry on. I’d say that this would be an appropriate use of shoes that didn’t fit right.

Herbs, Supplements, Homeopathics, Foods and Treatments for foot pain:

CAUTION: If you have circulation problems or diabetes, do not use any of these remedies without the approval and supervision of your health professional. If you choose to use these remedies this is your constitutional right however. But it’s nice to have some professional input.

Foot soaks: Remember to dry your feet completely after soaking them so no fungus or bacteria will grow in that nice moist dark environment. Often attending to your feet just before you go to bed will help you sleep better and more soundly.

• Hot water soaks for 10-15 minutes with or without a few drops of essential oils. Peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, sage, clove or cinnamon oils are most commonly used. My favorite is White Flower Analgesic Balm essential oil which is a combination of yin/yang oils. You can also use strong-brewed peppermint or sage tea if you don’t have any of these essential oils.

• Hot/Cold alternating soaks: Add ½ cup Epsom salts to 1 gallon of very hot water in a pan large enough to accommodate your feet. Fill another container with ice water. Soak the feet in hot water for 2-4 minutes and then in the ice water for 1-2 minutes. Repeat the alternating of temperatures three times or up to ten minutes to help flush toxins from the area and to increase circulation. This even helps people with chronically cold feet if done on a regular basis. Briskly rub the feet after soaking with a coarse towel holding the ends of the towel and running it back and forth across the arch of the foot.
• Modified water soak version: Stand in the bathtub and first let hot water (as hot as you can handle it without burning your feet) run on your feet for one minute, then let ice-cold water run on your feet for 30 seconds, alternating the hot/cold water for a total of 10 minutes.
• Salt Soak: Add 1 cup of salt to a bathtub of hot water filled ankle-high. Soak feet for 15 minutes. Dry and massage the feet with damp salt for 3-5 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and then dry thoroughly.
• Try adding a teaspoon or so of Arnica tincture to the soaking water to help take the pain away.

Foot Massage: If you can’t get someone to massage your feet then roll your feet over golf balls, smooth stones, a tennis ball, rolling pin or specially designed foot roller. You don’t need oil for this massage but if you decide to use some kind of moisturizing oil, try sesame or a combination of peanut/castor/olive oil(an Edgar Cayce remedy). Lavender, chamomile and geranium essential oils mixed into sesame oil are also used in foot massage. Sesame oil is a thinner oil that easily soaks into the body. Other fine oils to use are Apricot, Almond and Avocado.

Cayenne Pepper: sprinkle some into your socks or rub some directly onto the soles of the feet. They also make a capsicum roll-on that works pretty well I hear.

Foot Poultice: Now here’s an interesting folk remedy reportedly to draw out pain and tiredness. Boil or roast a large turnip until it’s soft. Then mash it and spread half of it on a white cotton handkerchief. Spread the other half on another handkerchief. Apply the turnip mush to the bottoms of your bare feet, bandage them in place and sit with your feet elevated for about half an hour.

Ice Packs: Apply an ice pack to the heel up to 3 times/day for a few minutes. This will increase heel circulation. Don’t do this one if you are a diabetic. It makes things a bit more painful.

Pickup sticks (or Pencils in this case): Scatter a few pencils on the floor and practice picking them up with your toes to help relieve foot aches.

Rubber Band Gym: Wrap a thick rubber band around all the toes on one foot and then spread the toes and hold the stretch for 5 seconds. Do 10 repetitions with each foot.

What is an orthotic? Orthotic devices are usually a custom made shoe insert made from a mold of the patient’s foot that will control abnormal motion, provide support, and accommodate specific problems. Orthotics can be made for specific physical activities so it’s good to consult with a doctor who specializes in these things. Many offices use a computer that senses all the pressure points in your foot to custom-fit the orthotic. As the feet heal or as your feet age and spread, you may need to update the orthotic.

Yucca Stalk: Helps with inflammation causing foot pain. See the Product of the Month in this newsletter.

Foods to help with swollen feet: For bloated, uncomfortable feet we recommend high potassium foods and natural diuretics. Some of these foods include watermelon, parsley, asparagus, bananas and kiwi. Coffee and tea also work as diuretics. Note that eating large amounts of asparagus may make your urine smell awful. Yogurt (especially all-natural or that made at home) contains components that help reduce histamine-producing bacteria. It’s the histamine release that results in swelling.

More Do’s and Don’ts:

• Don’t stand too long, and don’t stand on hard surfaces if you can avoid it. Foot pain is often muscle fatigue from standing. Take frequent breaks. Sit down and elevate your feet for ten minutes.

Standard Process Nutrition:

Several Standard Process products came up time and time again while researching this topic for you. Here’s a list of those products and a simple explanation as to why they may be used for these cases:

• A-C Carbamide: A natural diuretic that purifies and cleanses the kidney, bladder and urine.
• Albaplex: A natural antibiotic that digests the bacteria and heals and rebuilds the kidney.
• B6 Niacinamide: Dilates the blood vessels and pushes the circulatory system.
• Bio-Dent: Contains nutrients to support growth and repair of bone, teeth and related structures such as ligaments and tendons.
• Biost: Supports growth and repair of teeth, ligaments, and tendons.
• Cal-Amo: an acid salt that acidifies the lymph system and lungs drawing water and toxins out of the lungs.
• Calcium Lactate: A diffusible source of calcium to maintain ionized calcium levels.
• Cal-Ma plus: Digestive source of calcium with Vitamin D and  parathyroid components to help the bones take up the calcium.
• Calsol: A triple mineral which works on and stimulates the body’s immune system and creates a natural fever to eradicate infection.
• Catalyn: Natural super vitamin supplement. (Note: The word Cataplex means whole-food based vitamin.)
• Cataplex A: Contains naturally occurring vitamin A to support the epithelium.
• Cataplex ACP: Reduces fever and inflammation.
• Cataplex D: Removes excess calcium from bones, skin and scar tissue in the body.
• Cataplex E: Natural and mixed tocopherols from green peas, chlorophyll to help red blood cells and RNA for the cell function.
• Cataplex E2: works like a natural nitroglycerin by dilating and contracting the blood vessels. Heals and repairs injured blood vessels, especially the coronary artery.
• Cataplex F Perles: Helps to lubricate the bursa of the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
• Cataplex G: Helps the liver detoxify, benefits neuro-muscular disorders.
• Cataplex GTF: An electrolyte to the cells of the pancreas. Helps the pancreas produce more insulin and pancreatic digestive juices.
• Chezyn: An electrolyte that keeps the pancreas cells charged and alive. Natural copper source.
• Chlorophyll Complex: Fat soluble vitamin factors (especially K) and sex hormone precursors.
• Cholacol: Absorbs fat and promotes bile flow.
• Cholacol II: A nutritional clay which works as an astringent to absorb the chemicals, metals, toxins, mucus and pus that are the end products of infection.
• Choline: Choline is a B vitamin useful for intestinal colic, hypertension, tachycardia and increases circulation. It also helps the brain by helping “brain-fog”. Choline also makes the bile thinner so digestion moves better, fats are more easily assimilated and all the side effects from gall bladder issues eventually get resolved. Many clients test they need this particular product for up to 4-6 months every few years.
• Cyruta-plus: Protects and cleans the tiny capillaries.
• Fen-Cho: Acidifies the large bowel and acts as an astringent by pulling the toxins created by infection or allergy out of the bowel through the liver and kidneys.
• Ferrofood: Makes the blood cells healthier. Natural source of iron.
• For-Til B12: A light electrolyte which recharges and builds the blood. Contains whole food-based  minerals, vitamin and hormone precursors.
• Ligaplex II: Contains glandular and protomorphogen components of tendons and ligaments. Good natural source of manganese which helps repair connective tissue.
• Linum B6: Lubricates the veins, arteries, lymphatics, skin and sex organs of the body that have been dehydrated by fever, infection and/or metals.
• Niacinamide B6: Draws lymph fluids out of swollen organs.
• Parotid PMG: Parotid gland extract. Rebuilds the body’s parotid gland and assists the body to rid itself of harmful poisons by chelating the substances and opening up the arteries. This supplement is especially suited for those with red hand palms (a sign of environmental chemical sensitivities.)
• Prolamine Iodine: contains a natural concentration of iodine which is needed for the thyroid gland. Iodine is an electrolyte to the thyroid gland and a lubricant to much of the body.
• Spanish Black Radish: Absorbs, cleans and siphons all of the poisons, debris, chemicals and pus left behind by dead and dying bacteria. Helps to move toxins through the kidneys, bowels and sweat glands.
• Thymex: Stimulates the lymph to produce antibodies and the thymus gland to produce the hormone that the lymphatic tissues need to increase its production of antibodies.
• Vasculin: Helps repair leaky blood vessels, strengthen the vessels and increase circulation.

Take care of your feet, and they’ll take care of you.

Helpful links and references:

• Reflexology: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/HealingTechniques/reflexology.htm
• Cold food remedies: http://www.herbal-home-remedies.org/remedies/cold-feet.htm
• Foot Levelers: http://www.footlevelers.com/
• Contact Reflex Analysis and Designed Clinical Nutrition: A Physician’s Desk Reference for Alternative Health Care by Dr. D.A. Versendaal and Dawn Versendaal-Hoezee © 1993

Product of the Month: Yucca Stalk Capsules

Yucca (also known as Spanish bayonet, Spanish dagger or soap weed) is a perennial desert plant or tree which primarily grows in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America preferring sandy, rocky soils, hillsides, grasslands and deserts. It grows to a height of about four feet and produces edible flowers, fruits and stalks. Yucca is in the lily family and related to the Joshua tree.

Picture references:

• Yucca plant: www.wildflower.org
• Yucca fruit: www.thefloweringgarden.com

The key active component in yucca are its water and fat-soluble saponins which make a soapy consistency. Poultices or baths with yucca were used for skin sores, sprains, inflammation of all sorts, dandruff, baldness and bleeding. In the food industry yucca is used to make froth on root beer. One study used yucca in the treatment of certain melanomas.

Yucca schidigera stalk and root were historically used by several tribes of Indians. The mature reddish-brown fruits (large brown seeds removed) of this plant were dried or roasted and mixed with grass seed and venison and were used as the chief foods of the early Navajo warriors when traveling great distances. Sounds delicious doesn’t it? Young flower stalks and buds can be boiled, chopped and used in salads or the cores of the stalks can be boiled and mixed with a bit of butter and eaten as a vegetable. The fruits were sometimes baked on hot coals or stones and then ground and made into cakes used later in gruel, bread and soups.

Yucca leaf fibers were soaked and softened then pounded to separate their fibers so that they could be woven into cordage to be used in the making of mats and baskets. Yucca root was crushed  and used by the Hopi Indians as soap and a hair restorer. The Teton Dakota Indians used the yucca stalks as fire drills. Apache Indians boiled the older flowers or ate them raw.

Several studies have explored yucca as a remedy for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis which is why I include yucca stalk in my Old Dog Formula. The brands I use are Nature’s Way (because it is standardized at 490 mg and it’s easier to dose that way) or Starwest Botanicals bulk herb. If your body vibrates to this product, it only takes a week or two to feel positive results. I like that. The adult human dosage for yucca is about 1-2 capsules/day and some think that it should not be taken for more than three months at a time as the saponins may interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Of course I’m an advocate in taking only what your body needs but I know there are many of you out there that purchase and try things on your own so if you’re taking too much of this herb and you end up with loose stools, you’re taking too much OR it’s the wrong product for you.

There is speculation that the saponins in yucca block release of toxins from the intestines that inhibit normal formation of cartilage (who figures these things out anyway?) But, the proof is in the pudding. I’ve seen this herb give relief many times over for mild inflammation for both humans and dogs. Because it may cause hemolysis, I wouldn’t use it on cats since their cells are sensitive to drugs in that way.

Contraindications: One study suggested that yucca was responsible for the red blood cells lysing (hemolysis) but those people who regularly drink root beer do not have this problem according to research, so the herb is on the GRAS list (Generally Regarded as Safe).

Media Reviews: (Book) Book Review: Building Your Field of Dreams

© 1996 by Mary Manin Morrissey. Review by Dr. Denice Moffat

This is one of my favorite books and it seems appropriate to write a review/summary on it at this time as so many people are out of work and wondering what they are going to do with their lives and if they should start a new career. Sometimes I think the Universe taps us on the shoulder and pushes us into our discomfort zones to keep us spiritually progressing. I believe we are all here to do some pre-determined jobs but sometimes we end up in a rut that stagnates our spiritual progress. These are the times that push us into finally doing the things we’ve always wanted to do and I certainly urge you that to take those steps and just DO IT! You’ll be glad you did. Manifesting your ultimate calling may not be as easy as it looks, but it certainly will be fulfilling on yourlLife’s journey.

Now, even though this book was written by a minister,