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Restoring Health, Moving from Acid to Alkaline

Posted By on 2009-07-21 20:50

I attended the Kushi Institute Summer Conference  a week ago in Palisades NY at the idyllic setting that serves as the IBM Executive Conference Center complex.Over the years, I have been to many other conferences, but this year's venue stands out for the natural beauty of the grounds, the nature trails, rolling streams, and a multi-purpose facility offering lecture halls, conference rooms, indoor and outdoor dining areas and beautiful guest rooms.

The conference had many interesting workshops and lectures scheduled over the long weekend. One of the interesting ones I attended was given by my co-author, Tom Monte, on restoring your health by restoring your alkalinity.

I will capsulize some of what I learned that day. Human blood is alkaline and our bodies are designed to function in an alkaline state. Our Ph balance (measurement of acidity and alkalinity on a scale of 0 to 14) of our blood should be 7.35 to be neutral. Our immense and healing functions thrive in an alkaline environment. Unfortunately, most of the influences on our blood and tissue fluidstoday are acidic, especially the foods that dominate the standard American diet.  The other influences that create acidity are the by-products metabolism, emotions and stress. Scientists have found that almost every human disease flourishes when the blood and digestive tract are in an acidic state. On the other hand, all healing requires is restoring alkalinity to your blood, digestive system and tissue fluids. If we look at the facts about foods and keeping the acid-alkaline balance, we find the biggest source of acidity is protein (mainly animal protein) and processed foods. And all carbohydrates and fats create acids in our body as well. What should we be eating then? Foods that are rich in minerals and that alkalize the blood: green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables and fermented foods like miso,tempeh, shoyu, sauerkraut, burdock and several other root vegetables.

 Tom concluded by focusing in  on the 5 keys to good health: 1)maintain the acid-alkaline balance, 2)keep your weight under control, 3) boost your immune system by minimizing stress (stress raises your cortisol levels), 4)engage in regular exercise to keep your blood circulating and 5) maintain low levels of insulin by reducing the amount of glucose (sugar) in your diet.

 If you have an opportunity to atttend the Kushi Summer Conference next year, it will be at the same location in Palisades NY. You will find many interesting workshops and lectures by medical professionals, nutritionists and holistic health practitioners.

 

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Healthcare Reform in America, 2009

Posted By on 2009-07-13 09:11

Reform Needed, indeed! With 50 million Americans uninsured, Medicare almost broke and healthcare costs rising uncontrollably, something needs to be done and done quickly!

We have a new President in the White House who is moving forward with healthcare reform. His goal is comprehensive reform  of the system to control costs,guarantee coice of doctors and assure high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. A central point of the President's plan is to create a government-sponsored health insurance program that would be an option for all Americans, similar to how Medicare works. Included in this proposal is prohibitions against insurers discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions and incentivesw for people to use preventive services and wellness plans.

President Obama needs the support and cooperation of Congress, the House and the Senate. Congress is filled with men and women with many different agendas and with many different special interest groups knocking on their doors. There will be a lot of fighting and wrangling over WHAT IS and WHAT IS NOT included in reforming our healthcare system. Republicans, for example, want a less expensive system, and are proposing individual tax beaks for buying health insurance and incentives for people to build health savings accounts, allowing dependent children to stay on parents' policies until age 25 and encouraging employers to reward employees for improved health. And one powerful lobbying group, The Ameican Medical Association, does not believe in creating a public helath insurance option because the reimbursement rates will probably not keep pace with the rising costs of their practices.

With so many lives at stake with this reform package, we can not afford to leave the decision-making to our political representatives alone...make certain that your voices are heard!  Write to your Senators and Representatives, and if you are part of a coalition or organization that has a proposal, submit a petition and ask to be heard at the public hearings. NOW is the time to reform our approach to healthcare and to reform America's philosophy towards prevention and wellness!

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"I Made It Through the Rain", A Song of Survival and Hope

Posted By on 2008-09-20 09:05

One of my deep seated passions is MUSIC! When I was a very young girl, I wanted to be a singer (and even an actress at one point!). I took singing lessons and made it as far as going to Boston to "cut a record"! I sang at family weddings, put on recitals in our home when guests were over and joined the Glee Club in the all-girls prep school I attended.

You may be asking yourself, "so why is she telling us about her love for music and how does this relate to the website?" I will tell you why! The lyrics to most songs are written by some highly creative artists. One of my favorite artists is Barry Manilow who creates the music he sings.I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN has always been one of my favorites, but not until recently did I delve into the message of this piece of music.

The message is one of survival and one of hope:words of survival, "WE DREAMERS HAVE OUR WAYS OF FACING RAINY DAYS AND SOMEHOW WE SURVIVE" and these words of hope, "THEN ONE DAY THE SUN APPEARS AND WE COME SHINING THROUGH THOSE LONELY YEARS". Powerful words that can change your mental outlook and can turn negative into positive thinking. Another verse carries uplifting words: "JUST AIM BEYOND THE CLOUDS, AND RISE ABOVE THE CROWDS AND START YOUR OWN PARADE, 'CAUSE WHEN I CHASED FEARS AWAY THAT'S WHEN I KNEW I COULD FINALLY SAY...I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN! Visit www.manilow.com for more music and updates on Barry Manilow.

 For all who read this blog and visit this website, if you are stuggling with disease and illness, incorporate inspirational music like this one into your healing program! As scientists and psychologists have explored the many ways our thoughts and our moods can affect the course of our physical health, we  should use music that calms, heals and inspires.

In my research, I read a quote from Clive Robbins, DMM (Doctor of Medical Matters), cofounder of the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University in New York City. "At a nonverbal level, music activates our minds, integrates our attention, and seems to help regulate some body functions." 

Studies have shown music's ability to lower heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rates--and thereby ease stress. Deforia Lane, PhD, director of music therapy at the Ireland Cancer Center, University Hospitals in Cleveland was quoted as saying, "When I sing or play music for someone before or after a hospital procedure, I see these results very quickly." For more information on music as medicine and Dr DeForia Lane, please visit www.musicasmedicine.com

 

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