Category Archives: Health

Anything to do with health or the human condition.

Virtues of Soy. A review of the book by Monique N. Gilbert

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By Jeffrey the Barak

In May 2001 an article by Monique N. Gilbert appeared in the-vu outlining Six Ways Soy Benefits Your Health

Monique just appeared in the-vu’s inbox one day with this short and straight to the point feature introducing us to the beneficial properties of soy as a food.

Monique sent me a copy of her book Virtues of Soy for review and I have to say, the claim on its cover that it is truly the only comprehensive soy reference manual you will ever need, is true.

There are other books about soy, and other cookbooks featuring soy, but this book is concise and to the point. It contains well researched and well written information about soy, and then, quite suddenly at the start of chapter 9, it’s a cookbook!

The first eight chapters cover in an easy to read manner, the history of soy as a foodstuff, the nutritional and beneficial compounds, the relationship between soy and the control of health concerns such as heart disease, strokes, high cholesterol, cancer, osteoporosis, menopause, diabetes, kidney disease and more.

Considering the high cost of healthcare and the more important consequences of poor health today, it makes sense to encourage the widespread use of soy as a foodstuff and this book makes the reader eager to do just that.

In an overview of soy foods, the author describes the various kind of food items made from or consisting of soy. Some, such as tofu are widely known and used, whilst others are generally only known by those who partake in Asian cuisine or commercial health food.

After reading just this chapter, (a five minute task) you will know as much as anyone what varieties of soy foods are available and where to look for them.

The first eight chapters alone would make this book a worthwhile addition to any collection, but the next eight chapters are composed entirely of recipes. As a cookbook it’s a delight to use.

Almost all of the recipes in the book are simple enough for almost anyone to follow successfully, and yet the variety of dishes covers the entire meal spectrum.

Everything from breakfast to salads to soup to pizza to entrees to sauces to deserts is covered. There are over 169 complete recipes here.

You could survive healthily on nothing but items from this cookbook for the rest of your life and never get bored, never crave anything else, never get fat and never consume any more animal products including dairy. And you could do all of this without any worry of missing any essential nutritional elements from your diet.

To sum up, if you need a book about all things soy, and an easy and fun way to bring a lot of soy into your diet, you couldn’t make a better choice than Virtues of Soy!

Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook” by Monique N. Gilbert (Universal Publishers, $19.95).

Direct links to buy the book from Amazon or Borders or Barnes and Noble can be found at http://www.geocities.com/virtuesofsoy/ where the author also offers a PDF downloadable version for $9.00 (for those with computers in the kitchen.)

Six Ways Soy Benefits Your Health

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By Monique N. Gilbert

Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses.  Soybeans are the only plant food that has all of the essential amino acids our body requires, making it a complete protein.  Soy foods do not have any cholesterol, and most are high in fiber.  Soy also has many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemical compounds (like isoflavones) that work together to create numerous health benefits.  Research shows that a daily intake of at least 25 grams of soy protein and 30-50 milligrams of isoflavones can improve and safeguard your health.  This is the equivalent of 1-2 servings of soy foods a day.  Here is a list of soy’s properties and how they can positively affect you.

Soy’s protein and isoflavones lower LDL (the bad) cholesterol and decrease blood clotting (thrombosis), which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Soy’s protein and isoflavones provide antioxidants, reduce artery clogging plaque, improve blood pressure and promote healthy blood vessels, which protects the body from free radical damage, boosts the immune system, and lowers the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Soy’s soluble fiber protects the body from many digestive related cancers, such as colon and rectal cancer.  While its isoflavones may protect the body from many hormone-related cancers, like breast, endometrial (uterine) and prostate cancer.

Soy’s protein enhances the body’s ability to retain and better absorb calcium in the bones.  While its isoflavones slow bone loss and inhibit bone breakdown, which helps prevent osteoporosis.

Soy’s isoflavones help the body regulate estrogen when this hormone is declining or fluctuating, which helps alleviate many menopausal and PMS symptoms.

Soy’s protein and soluble fiber help regulate glucose levels and kidney filtration, which helps control diabetic conditions and kidney disease.

To find out more detailed information about these medical conditions, and soy’s influence and effect upon them, read  Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook” by Monique N. Gilbert (Universal Publishers, $19.95).  This wonderfully written book explains which soy foods are best, the optimum way to eat them and the amounts needed to achieve health benefits.  It also provides 169 delicious easy-to-follow recipes that include tofu, tempeh, soy flour, soymilk, textured soy protein(TVP) and miso.  With this book, you will discover how to easily make soy a tasty part of your everyday diet.  To learn more, visit the Virtues of Soy website at http://www.geocities.com/virtuesofsoy/

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc., is a Health Advocate, Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor, Recipe Developer, Freelance Writer and Author. Visit her site at http://www.geocities.com/virtuesofsoy/

Monique N. Gilbert,  Soy Food  Connoisseur, Recipe Developer and Author of… “Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook” (Universal Publishers, 2001).

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc., has received international recognition for helping people get healthier, feel better, look younger and live longer. Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates, inspires and teaches how to naturally enhancing your health, happiness, energy and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and tranquil living environments. Monique believes it is her mission to educate and enlighten everyone about the benefits of healthy eating and a vibrant stress-free lifestyle. For more information, visit her website – http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com

Self Massage Techniques

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By Kim Draper

Most people that instinctively rub their necks and shoulders when their muscles are sore and tense have no idea they are employing a self healing technique called self-massage. Generally people that are in good health are unaware that doing self-massage every day can also help prevent disease. If you are sick massage can initiate and sustain the healing process.

A primary benefit of this technique is that it can be combined with other healing methods to enhance their effectiveness. Performed slowly, and carefully, self-massage relaxes the body. Performed quickly, it lessens fatigue and revitalizes the body.

The Effects:

Massage helps stimulate blood flow, therefore relaxing tense muscles and relieving pain. It is also said, massage may also help heal an injury by bringing fresh oxygen to the affected tissues. This all depends on the techniques used, self-massage can stimulate or relax the body.

Techniques:

There are several different techniques that can be applied for a self-massage:

Rubbing: Rub your muscles with your hands or fingers in a circular motion, this will help stimulate circulation and release tense muscles.

Kneading: Using a little warm pure vegetable oil or lubricant knead your muscles as if you were working with bread dough.

Vibrating: Use rhythmic knocking or light slapping, preferably with flat hands, to improve blood circulation and relax muscles.

Final Stroking: End every massage with gentle stokes, slowly moving outward.

The Treatment:

Begin each massage by gently stroking the skin. Then, either using one or both hands, start rubbing your muscles. When using two hands, move then together or alternate between them. In general, work with strokes toward the heart. Allow 20 minutes for a massage.

Be sure to take care before beginning the massage, in areas where the skin is red or painful, massage outward, being careful not to apply to much pressure. Where areas are pale these should be stimulated with an energetic massage.

About Kim Draper.
I am the mother of two teenage boys and the wife of a dear and wonderful man, who has a great amount of patience with me while I write and enjoy all of my other hobbies. I am a full time Executive Secretary for the City of Cedar Hill Economic Development Department (Texas, USA)  Writing has always been a hobby of mine, I enjoy writing poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and the infamous how-to articles.  I have always felt that if you know how to do something or if you have information that would benefit other people, then write it down and pass it out.  My other hobbies include, growing my own herbs, making soap, candles, and just about anything that is all natural.  I am also a certified Aromatherapist with a background in Massage Therapy and Chinese Medicine.  My motto is: you are never to old to learn new things, so I will keep on reading and studying and hopefully supply you with answers to your unanswered questions on as many topics as I can.

Post-Partum Depression

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A mother’s story in three parts.
By Lauri Jean Crowe

Lauri Jean Crowe writes about the depression associated with human reproduction and the terrible consequences of allowing Prozac to be part of the treatment.

* Part One:
My Struggle with Post-Partum Depression.
* Part Two:
Post-Partum Depression: Where Am I Now?
* Part Three:
Losing Vision: The Struggle of the Eye and the Soul.

Originally three separate articles, they are presented here together in sequence.

Part One:
My Struggle with Post-Partum Depression.

In 1997, shortly after my marriage I became pregnant for the first time. It was a pregnancy fraught with trouble from the start. Hypertension and low thyroid function quickly caused me to be pre-eclamptic and at just 12 weeks I was put on total bed rest. Quite a shocker after going to the doctor for what I though to be intestinal flu, after being told several years earlier I could never have children. Still, my son was born in July 1998, healthy even though born pre-term.

Just two months later I was rushed to the emergency room for gallbladder surgery. They removed the organ and over two-hundred stones. In December, after a routine pap smear I found that I had pre-cancerous cells on my cervix and surgery must be done to remove them. Still, I was a happy mom. I had my miracle baby, and these other things seemed inconsequential compared to that. However, at times my mood would dip because I was still very ill despite the pregnancy having gone to term. I never quite had the time to recover between birth and the surgeries.

So, six weeks after the surgery on my cervix, my husband and I happily went to bed, not to sleep. It was the first time we’d really had any couple time since the birth of our son, as I was either too ill or having surgery. We didn’t expect that on Valentine’s day I’d have another bout of the “flu” and be pregnant again. Still not recovered from the first pregnancy, I was thrilled that we were going to have yet another little miracle, but the instant bed rest was awful with one baby already.

Eventually this got to me. I began having crying spells that would sometimes last for hours, and the littlest thing like my husband not taking out the garbage the moment I asked him to would send me into fits of anger. This behavior wasn’t like me, but I wasn’t willing to admit anything was wrong besides the stress of two difficult back to back pregnancies until I found myself weeping on the kitchen floor unable to even get up. I was suffering from severe post-partum depression.

Fortunately, once I asked for help my OBGYN and primary care physician both recognized the signs and recommended Prozac. It’s one of the few drugs considered safe for the treatment of depression in pregnancy. I’d heard all the horror stories about Prozac and was quite against trying it, but it was at the point where I either had to try the drug or face the reality of committing myself for in-patient care and leaving my husband and child. I made it until my seventh month before I had to have medication, and at the time that seemed like a tremendous accomplishment on my part. In reality, it was a huge strain on my marriage and family.

I was started at 20 mg daily, and that was upped to 40 mg shortly after my second son was born, also pre-term, but healthy in October. I also had weekly therapy sessions with a social worker to discuss my feelings and bewilderment at the prospect of being a mother of two children when I thought I couldn’t get pregnant in the first place. It was a lot to deal with, and the biggest thing to deal with for me was the depression itself because it made me feel like a failure.

I’ve reached the point where the fog has lifted and I feel good again. The Prozac helped me get there. So did the regular therapy sessions and keeping track of my dreams. I found that by writing down my dream experiences, and then analyzing them for somatic causes verses mental ones I could see more clearly the tensions in my waking hours, and begin to slowly deal with them. Now, I am in the process of weaning off the Prozac, but I still keep my dream journal and have moved to monthly visits to my therapist. The doctors feel I’m over the post-partum depression and I feel like I have control of my life again.

Depression is an illness I never thought I would personally deal with. And it’s still shocking to me after being on Prozac for six months post-partum. In researching the illness I’ve found that it’s considered transient, and also that many woman don’t get help because like me, they feel like they’ve somehow failed as a mother to need help. I’m hoping that sharing the success of my story and battle with post-partum depression will aid those who need help in seeking it. Each person must deal with their depression as they see fit, but sometimes you must get medication or an outside perspective from a qualified professional in order to see through the fog.

Part Two:
Post-Partum Depression: Where Am I Now?

I wrote, My Struggle With Post-Partum Depression in April 2000. Things were just beginning to look up and my depression had cleared when I found out that my husband had decided to quit taking his lithium for his bipolarism, and to stop seeing his psychiatrist. It was about two weeks after that when I found out he had not been taking his medication for some time and hadn’t been taking it correctly since February. Although I could have easily gotten back on Prozac as a crutch (and I thought about it) or dipped headlong into another depression, I didn’t. To me this was a sure sign that I was on the right path to heal myself. Rather than wallow in all the bad that was happening and dwell on my husband’s role in my post-partum depression (he had been very verbally abusive during my last pregnancy and thereafter due to his bipolar episodes), I focused on what I could personally do to make the situation better.

So, I began researching more online writing venues, and building my career again. I had stopped working when I became pregnant with my first son due to bed rest and hadn’t really gone back to work except for an article here and there since my pregnancies. I’d been living either for my kids, or for my husband and I began to recognize that a lot of my post-partum depression was because I had lost a lot of self-time and wasn’t nurturing myself at all. So, I did what I needed to do for my family, tried to improve my relationship with my husband, but devoted at least 3 hours a day to myself, either writing, taking a bath or reading. Sometimes I just went for a drive. This time for my self kept me out of a depressive slump.

My husband refused marriage counseling, as well as to get back on the treatment protocol for his own depression. Our marriage hit the rocks and kept crumbling into pieces of flying dirt despite my best efforts. I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and autoimmune hepatitis as well as other liver problems in July and August 2000. In mid-August I had to spend a week in the hospital with heart trouble and my husband didn’t even bother to come see me. This led to a good cry, but not a depressive one. I knew something had irrevocably changed and that things were indeed over between us because he wouldn’t get help for his illness, and I was. On August 22, my husband in the midst of an argument asked me if I wanted him to leave. I said “Yes”. That one simple act is what kept me from becoming depressed again. I took charge of my life again, more than I had at any other time since my pregnancy. I filed restraining orders on my husband due to threats he had made, and on August 28, my birthday, I signed the divorce papers.

It’s been a real struggle but I have not gone back into a depressive slump. And the breakup of my marriage was just icing on a very sad cake. Exactly one month to the day my husband left, my 2 year old son was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a rare but potentially devastating kidney disease. My husband came to the hospital for our son and I had to spend 3 days sleeping in the same hospital room, where he insisted on going through all the bad in our marriage. I felt shattered again, I finally decided I needed to go see the psychiatrist who had first put me on Prozac. That was yesterday, October 3.

As I was speaking to him, I realized I didn’t need to be there. The stresses in my life were affecting me, as they should, but I was having normal reactions to them. I was taking the steps to get things accomplished. When I cried it was justified and traceable to a specific, rational reason. The psychiatrist asked me if I wanted to go back on anti-depressant medications. My reaction was “No”. Again, a simple little word, but it placed the power and responsibility in my hands instead of that of another or a pharmaceutical. I was pronounced, “not clinically depressed” and the psychiatrist suggested that if anything I might want to look into a divorce support group.

It will take a minimum of six months for my divorce to be finalized because I have minor children. My son is on an intensive 16 week protocol of steroids, antibiotics and blood pressure medications with a lot of home monitoring and clinic visits for his kidney condition. My own physical health problems are chronic and lasting. However, since my struggle with post-partum depression I have found new methods of coping that have made me a stronger individual who won’t give in to the demon of depression again. I have too much to live for, and I want to live it in the open, in the light, instead of the dark shadows of my mind.

Authors endnote:

Since writing this article, my husband and I have decided to work toward reconciliation with the caveat that he seek and maintain medical treatment for his illness. However, it will be another long hard struggle and I am not certain the outcome will be a happy one. I have not gone back into depression or on Prozac. Life has it’s trials. I’m ready to meet them.

Part Three:
Losing Vision: The Struggle of the Eye and the Soul.

I was in the eighth month of my second pregnancy when I began losing vision in my right eye. They thought it was pre-eclampsia again, or maybe a small stroke. The doctors put me on one baby aspirin a day, just in case it was a clotting problem. This did absolutely nothing.

After delivery, they told me the condition would most likely vanish. Nope. It only got worse. Have you ever changed a diaper and suddenly lost the view of the fecal matter you were trying to clean. Your head spins. It’s even worse if you’re driving down the road and suddenly have just one eye.

There’s a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul. Given that precept, does it mean that as I slowly lose my vision in my eye I am losing a part of my soul? Or just closing off the ability of others to look at it?

Do the ten minute sprees of blurriness mean that I am having a spiritual crises? And are the four hour ones more profound? Nope. I’m just going blind for some indefinable reason.

This has affected my art. You see things much more impressionistically through a blurred haze. Suddenly Monet seems to have made sense. You start to hate realists. And, well my writing has changed too. You look inward more even as your eye cannot look out.

It seems strange to me that this gelatinous blue orb should so profoundly affect me with its failures. But it has. It continues to. Sometimes I have fantasies of just popping it out, holding it in my hand and seeing if the soul is still inside.

Of course, I’d never do it. I love my vision, like being able to see my children’s eyes reflect back into mine. So, whether this is a spiritual crises or merely an anatomical one, I’ll keep my failing vision and my ever changing perspective.

Author’s endnote:

I am now a full year post-partum, and although my perspective is still ever changing it isn’t encumbered by a medical condition. Six months after I had my second son I went off of the Prozac which had been administered for my post-partum depression. It was strange to be both out of the mental fog that state of mind had placed me in, as well as to find out that it was the Prozac which was causing my vision to be faulty.

Medications have strange side effects. Orbs swell, blood vessels scream faster and faster. The skin breaks out in rashes and sometimes it’s hard to breath. That seems a lot like life to me. What I don’t understand are those who will continue with medication instead of life. Something common in cases of post-partum depression. Now there is a spiritual crisis.

Lauri Jean Crowe is a freelance writer known for such diverse topics as dreams, sexuality, gardening, health and parenting. She is a freelance writer, artist and designer living in Michigan, USA.

How I Quit Smoking

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By Julie Hartmans

First of all let me say, you can quit, even though it may take several attempts! Look at it as a process and don’t give up on yourself if you backslide.

Awareness was a major factor for me. Because I grew up in a smoking household, it wasn’t until my first attempt at quitting that I even realized how gross smoking makes you smell! Although I started smoking again, I was much more conscious of other people’s reactions to my foul habit. I became more considerate as well.

In my early 30s I got serious about quitting due to health problems. My first long term success lasted two years, and I used a self-hypnosis tape. Again, increasing awareness was important. The tape made me realize the many cues I connected with my habit, such as finishing a meal, writing a letter, talking on the phone, etc. Although the tape did help me quit for a while, the hardest part was the extreme irritibility and anstiness of the first few weeks. If you’ve ever quit smoking, you know what I’m talking about! It’s as if you can’t think of anything else for a while there.

The bad news is that I did start smoking again. I made the choice at that point to not smoke in my home, which helped me smoke less and keep those cues disconnected, at least some of them.

When I decided after a couple of years to quit again I went to an acupuncturist. What a miracle! Of course, I still had to exert my will power not to smoke, but the acupuncture completely erased the irritibility and antsiness of those first weeks, so making that minute-by-minute choice became much easier.

Acupuncture is based on the eastern belief that energy runs through the body in meridians or pathways associated with the various organs and systems. Acupuncturists insert fine needles into points along those meridians that affect the energy and thus the associated organ. The needles are so small that they seldom hurt unless the organ is in pretty bad shape.

My acupuncturist used ear points; the ear has points for every meridian in the body. He needled points for my lungs, liver and one associated with addictions. The great thing about ear acupuncture is that he could tape small metal bb’s to the points as well that continued to stimulate the organs. I kept these in place for about a week. I repeated this sequence a couple of times, and it really worked!

I haven’t smoked in 10+ years now, and I must say that acupuncture really made quitting much easier. If you live in or near a city with an acupuncture school, they often have clinics where you can get low-cost or free treatment. Check it out!

Remember, don’t get discouraged if you start again. It really is a process. The bottom line is to use what works for you. I found acupuncture to be a great adjunct to awareness and just plain old will power and would recommend it for anyone. Give it a shot!

Julie Hartmans has eclectic interests and a beautiful boy who is the joy of her life. Her current straight gig is teaching. She loves to dance, sing, read, swim, go to movies, and learn about all things metaphysical. She’s been known to dabble in astrology and numerology, and finds alternative healing and the paranormal endlessly intriguing. Her writings appear in the Alternative Healing section of Fitness Heaven.

Adios Itchy Eczema!

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By Julie Hartmans

When I was 19, I developed a rash on one of my fingers. Soon it had spread to two, then three of my fingers. After a few months it appeared on the other hand. I was mystified. It itched and looked yucky and wouldn’t seem to go away. My doctor told me it was eczema and that I should keep my hands out of water. Thanks Doc! Like that was possible – I was working in a restaurant at the time!

A couple of years later, a college clinic MD (have you ever noticed how these guys seem to be the rejects of the medical profession?) decided that if I still had this rash that it must have a fungal growth in it! He had me rubbing Tinactin on it. Did absolutely no good. The rash waxed and waned, sometimes just in one little spot, sometimes blooming on all 10 fingers, with seemingly no rhyme or reason. After about 5 years I just resigned myself to living with it.

At about that time I discovered cortisone cream, which at the time you could get by prescription only. It seemed like a miracle! As long as I remembered to apply the cream twice a day, the rash stayed pretty much under control. It never went totally away though, and after a few years of using it, an acupuncturist friend told me I should stop. Cortisone is a steroid, after all, and long term use, even topically, can have profound ill effects on the body. As you can imagine, I did not want to give up that cream, but it seemed like the best thing to do. I used up my last tube and decided to see how I could treat the eczema naturally.

I heard that evening primrose oil is effective on eczema, so I tried that for a while. The only problem was that because my rash was on my fingers, it was nearly impossible to keep the oil on it for any length of time. Plus, evening primrose oil is quite expensive. It didn’t seem to be a good solution for me.

At 31 I went to massage therapy school, though I was hesitant about putting my rashy hands on people. Usually they didn’t notice, but I was always very self-conscious about it. By this time the eczema had changed somewhat, from a consistently dry, scaly rash to one that would alternate from raw and weepy to dry and scaly. It always itched! Sometimes giving a massage was excruciating, the eczema would start itching so much!

I went to work in an alternative health clinic with an iridologist/herbalist and a colonic hygienist. I began to trade with the colonic hygienist; once a week I would give her a massage and once a week she would give me a colonic. For those of you who don’t know, colonics are like a high enema. They cleanse the large bowel thoroughly, with a continuous flow of water in and out, all in a closed system (in other words, it don’t stink!). Lo and behold, after a month or two of weekly colonics, my eczema went away. It pretty much stayed away while I continued with this health regimen.

Alas, all good things come to an end… I got married and moved away. Although I continue to get colonics to this day, it is on a much more sporadic basis. Back then, it wasn’t long before the eczema crept back, first on one finger, then on another. Damn!! This was not fun! As the years went on, the eczema changed again – it started to appear on my palms and sometimes even on the backs of my hands as well. It itched and just like the ads say about a related rash, it was unsightly!

About a year and a half ago, I was doing some serious thinking about my diet and how various common foods might be affecting my health. Since my experience with the weekly colonics, I had always suspected my eczema was caused by a food allergy. It made sense that if cleaning out my bowel caused the rash to go away, that it must be caused by an allergen I was ingesting in food.

I was avoiding wheat and dairy products to see if that would help my asthma, and a few days later I noticed that after eating popcorn at a movie, I seemed more congested than usual. I figured what the hell, let’s ditch the corn too. I was really strict with myself for a good four months, and believe me, that is difficult with corn! If you’ve ever been a label reader, you know that corn syrup is in virtually everything from soda pop to ice cream. Corn starch is often a hidden ingredient as well.

After about 4 months, my eczema had totally cleared up. Hurrah! I wasn’t sure it was the corn until one day I just couldn’t stand it – I had to have some popcorn! I was at the movie theater and it just smelled so good! I got the kiddie sized bag, thinking that would be ok, just a little bit, right? Well, the next morning what did I find on my hand? An eczema outbreak! Can’t get much clearer than that.

A year later, I find that I can get away with occasionally ingesting corn. I drink a soda sometimes; sometimes I even eat some popcorn, a tortilla, or even half an ear of corn. My body tells me when I’m eating too much – right now I know I need to cool it because I have a patch of eczema on my right index finger. It has reverted back to the original dry, scaly variety, which is much less unsightly than the weepy form.

I miss corn. I love Mexican food, and between the wheat and corn allergies, that’s pretty much not an option anymore. One thing I have discovered is that salsa and guacamole are just as tasty on potato chips as they are on corn chips. I make do. When I look back, I realize that I first got eczema about six months after moving from western New York to East Texas. My corn consumption probably doubled after that move. Not only did I start eating Mexican food, there was all that yummy cornbread!

Eczema is not life-threatening; it doesn’t make me miss work. It’s just nasty! Itchy, ugly and nasty. And so I choose to abstain from corn most of the time. I enjoy having hands that don’t look ugly and bother me with itchiness, so it is well worth it. I have known others with much more debilitating effects from a corn allergy: one friend started getting hives – he took Benadryl and they got worse – then he read the label and saw that there is some kind of corn product in the medicine! Corn had a soporific effect on another friend of mine – even smelling a batch of popcorn cooking could put her in a stupor, and when she actually ingested corn by accident she would fall into a sound sleep from which you couldn’t rouse her! My allergy is mild by comparison, a fact I am thankful for. I can slip up occasionally and just deal with a scaly patch of eczema on my finger. And then I stop eating corn again – no big deal.
I find it fascinating how our bodies react to the various substances we put into them. It seems that my body is rather sensitive, which could be a good thing, I guess. For now, look for me at the Thai restaurant – gotta satisfy that yearning for spicy food somehow!

Julie Hartmans has eclectic interests and a beautiful boy who is the joy of her life. Her current straight gig is teaching. She loves to dance, sing, read, swim, go to movies, and learn about all things metaphysical. She’s been known to dabble in astrology and numerology, and finds alternative healing and the paranormal endlessly intriguing. Her writings appear in the Alternative Healing section of Fitness Heaven.

To Quiet the Mind

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By D. E. Boone

The Village Voice advertisement indicated the I could enhance my life with free a meditation workshop. Yeah right, I thought. Here we go again, with another urban fad appealing to people’s need to appear deep. I quickly turned the page and continued browsing. Then I remembered the success I had with yoga. Maybe this was something I should look into. Then again, maybe not. How far will I go with this? Next, I will find myself eating bean sprouts and chanting on the subway. But I was hooked in with the magic words – its free. So I called.

It was held in a small office. Only five people showed up. It was motley crew of all ages, shapes and backgrounds. They had a weird look about them, not what I expected. I wanted to leave immediately; their yuppie looks frightened me. Yet, I wondered what drove them here. They must have a lot of issues. Of course, I told myself that they had the issues – not me. I was perfectly stable and at peace with myself. I was just here out of curiosity. Well, I had to tell myself something. After much thought, I decided to stay. In doing so, I convinced myself that meditation was very esoteric, only for the specially initiated. This made me feel better.

The instructor was young and easy on the eyes. She said meditation is to quiet the mind. Boy, did I need to shut my mind up. She told us how meditation changed her life. She said, she used to be a big shot of some sort in the investment world, but quickly burned out because of the stress. Her eyes sparkled when she talked. Suddenly, without warning, they filled with tears. Again, I thought about leaving; she was too emotional for me. Why was she crying? Was there something in her eyes? Or was the meditation experience that moving?

As the droplets of water danced on her cheeks, in a quivering voice she managed to go on. She told us that meditation is a time-honored practice that revitalizes the mind, body and spirit. It’s an awareness of posture, an ease of breath and attentiveness of mind. Practiced daily, it can awaken our inner consciousness and cultivate our intuitive nature. I was impressed by her ability to talk and cry at the same time.

Despite this moving explanation, she was interrupted by an unkempt lady wearing a unflattering flowered hat. Covered in beads and trinkets, she looked like a throw back to the sixties. She said that she loved meditation, too. She said it calmed her spirit. She was a former Buddhist and believed in mantras.

“There were many different reasons why one meditates. However, from a scriptural point of view, meditation is to help us attain the fulfillment of the human incarnation, and the realization of our oneness with the infinite self,” she said.

This women irritated me. She had an air about herself that seemed way too deep for me. I thought of ways to shut her up. Maybe I should start crying, too. That would do it. How did this women gain control of the room? I was more comfortable with the weepy instructor. At least she spoke in earthly tones. But I couldn’t be rude. So, I bit my lower lip and stuck it out.

To my relief, the instructor regained her composure and continued her presentation. She told us that some of us nourish the hope that meditation will help make us a better person. But to others, it’s just a great way to ease our daily challenges.

“Given, our ever-demanding lifestyles, mastering mediation can be especially useful,” she said.

Prompted by soothing music, and the sweet perfume of lavender incense, it was time to begin. We were told to focus on the third eye; the little spot above our eyebrows and between our eyes. This was to evoke peace.

‘Don’t expect to go blank for twenty minutes. If your mind is quieted for just two minutes, you will feel the bliss,” she said.

I tried to calm myself, to stop all thoughts. But instead, I found myself listening to the music. Then I thought about what I will have for dinner. Chicken, rice and broccoli, seemed like a good idea. No, maybe I will have take out. I didn’t feel like cooking. Wow, I thought. Where those real tears or just a dramatic rendering? Why am I here again? Oh yeah, to quiet the mind. Well it wasn’t working; my mind seemed to race more than ever.

Unable to achieve inner peace, I decided to open my eyes and see how the others were doing. To my surprise, I seemed to be the only one who wasn’t in a comatose state. The instructor, with her eyes closed, and mouth wide opened, looked very peaceful. In fact, she almost looked dead.

Not wanting to be left out, I had to try harder. I decided to use the universal mantra – ohm. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. After a few more carefully calculated breaths, I felt my body relax. Focused, my mind was silenced by the whisper. Slowly, the journey inward began.

I lost consciousness of my body. It felt light as cotton. Like mist over a hot lake, my mind took a rest somewhere in the vicinity of bliss. At some point, I felt the magic; the effortless flow of awareness from my mind to the object of meditation (the third eye). The result was a feeling of peace, relaxation and euphoria.

Oh my God, I am starting to sound like that lady with hat from the sixties. But now I understand her. One must truly experience it to appreciate it. Needless to say, I am hooked. I meditate every day. Why else would I write this article?

What have I learned?

The search for inner peace and spiritual realization can take many different paths. Meditation is but one road. Considering, our super-charged, high-stressed, fast-paced, lifestyles; it’s a wonder more of us aren’t taking a respite, by seeking refuge through meditation.

Regardless of our intentions, once mastered, the experiences associated with meditation can be exciting, inspiring and deeply rewarding. It can actually change the course of our lives.
I guess I am now one of those people who thinks he is deep. At least I like to pretend that I am.

D. E. Boone on D.E. Boone
I live in New York City. Every time I think I have all the answers, someone changes the questions. I am working on a novel and a play. Of course, working a full time job, means there is never enough hours in a day. I am always growing, and trying to learn new things. Writing allows me to be heard. If I write something that touches you in any way, don’t hesitate to let me know.

The Time is Now

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By D. E. Boone

Every step required more exertion than I cared to give. The wheezing sound from my throbbing lungs, added to my discomfort. My chest felt like it was on fire. With a cigarette dangling from two fingers, I reached into my back pocket, pulled out my inhaler and raised it to my lips. Then I alternated between puffing on the nicotine stick and sucking down the asthma pump. I had reached an all-time low.

I thought about my doctor’s words. I saw him as he stood over me in his white generic lab coat. His tone was distant and cold. “You have Asthma related bronchitis.” What is that? I thought. He never really told me. He just gave me an inhaler pump, then told me to get used to it.

I was too young for this. How could I, “get used to it?” Never once did he tell me to quit smoking. The frown on his long thin face spoke volumes. He didn’t believe I could quit. He didn’t know that I had quit smoking many times. Of course, I went back again with the first stress I encountered. Once, I quit for three months. Thanks to hypnosis. But the post hypnotic suggestion soon wore off. But this was different; my health was at stake this time. Also, I wanted to show up my doctor.

So, I planned it out in my head. I needed four days to detoxify my body. I knew I couldn’t handle work related stress. So, I took off Friday and Monday. I was conditioned to smoking every two hours. It would be especially difficult at work. I knew I had to give up my smoking buddies. I would miss standing outside in sub zero temperature smoking with them.

I discarded all cigarettes and ashtrays. I didn’t want any reminders around. Then, I went to the grocery store and stocked up. I would lock myself up in my apartment. I didn’t even want to go outside for a gallon of water.

The rest is all a blur. I vaguely remember cold sweats, vomiting, headaches, and bouts of nervousness. I turned off my phone. The last thing I needed was to hear my friends say: “oh you are quitting again?” It was apparent that my friends had lost faith in my abilities to quit smoking. But this was the most extreme method yet. I would exclude them until I had it beat. I didn’t want to hear a single “I told you so.”

When I emerged from my self-imposed prison, the real work would begin. Like a drug addict, I had to avoid all smokers. I stayed away from the clubs and bars. I had to learn proper stress management. So, I joined a gym, learned yoga, and took up meditation.

Two months later, one of my friends asked me if I still smoked? “Why do you ask? I inquired. She said it just dawned on her that she hasn’t seen me with a cigarette in a long time. Quite an accomplishment, I thought. I was so pleased. She would be the first person I would tell. With my feet planted firmly, and my chest poked out. I raised my head, as if singing to the world. “Yes, I quit smoking.”

It’s been five years since I have gone through that ordeal. I still haven’t smoked. I threw my inhaler away, and never had another attack of bronchitis. I feel great. I look great, too. Oh, and I found a new doctor.

D. E. Boone on D.E. Boone
I live in New York City. Every time I think I have all the answers, someone changes the questions. I am working on a novel and a play. Of course, working a full time job, means there is never enough hours in a day. I am always growing, and trying to learn new things. Writing allows me to be heard. If I write something that touches you in any way, don’t hesitate to let me know. (via Feedback)

The Fire of Yoga

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By D. E. Boone

“Breathe into the bow pose,” the instructor gently encouraged.

I struggled to maintain my position. At first it was very difficult. On the mat with my legs drawn back and feet raised high. I could barely clutch my ankles and keep my head up at the same time.

“Try to keep your chest off the mat,” she instructed.

I felt my lower back loosen as I stretched my spine. I inhaled deeply and tried to focus. Each long deep breath I took ignited a glowing fire within me. It flooded my body with new sensations, sending waves of energy throughout me. I could feel my insides awakening. It actually felt good. This both soothed and alarmed me. I had been comfortable with feeling bad for too long.

“Hold it, a little longer.”

Beads of perspiration formed on my brow. My muscles started to ache. Gasping, I looked around the room and was relieved that no one seemed to notice. Soon my breath gave out. I was the only male in the room, yet, most of the women held their poses with relative ease. I knew that true growth required change. Was I ready for this?

“Remember there is no competition in yoga,” I heard her warm voice say. “If you are having problems, modify your pose so that it is comfortable to you.”

Frantically I looked left and noticed the young women next to me. Apparently she was exhausted and simply collapsed on her mat. With no shame or embarrassment, she smiled reassuringly at me. It must have shown on my face that I’d had enough. That is when I knew it was true. This was not a sporting event. I began to feel comfortable. I could do as much or as little as I wanted. I removed all self induced pressures. Just then, my body gave out. Almost amused, I fell face first on the mat, savoring the moment.

It was my first yoga class. Led here by my desire to quit smoking I was determined to be healthy. It took tremendous effort. Inspired by all the dedicated ladies in my class, I stayed with the struggle. What followed surprised me. I fell in love with the practice of yoga. I became aware of my body. I learned meditation and saw something deeper in myself. I felt more energized and more relaxed. I truly discovered the mind/body connection.

Today, for the first time in my life, I can hear the birds singing. I can actually appreciate the flowers blooming. I am a new person. Yoga alone is not a cure all, but combined with dietary and lifestyle changes, it can make a profound difference in your life.

I still consider myself a beginner. I strive for one class a week, along with daily practice at home. Sometimes I don’t want to do it. Then I remember the words of my instructor: “Yoga is successful when practiced with devotion, over a long period of time.”

It works. Sometimes I take a few days off, just to see. I notice a sharp decline in my mind and body, when not doing yoga. I feel off balanced. I feel lethargic. I never want to go back to the days when feeling bad was the norm.
All it takes to get started is one class. It’s just that simple. My first class lit the fire of yoga inside of me. It warmed me to the idea of greater harmony, balance and well being through a series of postures, breath of movement and inner awareness. That fire still burns in me today.

D. E. Boone on D.E. Boone
I live in New York City. Every time I think I have all the answers, someone changes the questions. I am working on a novel and a play. Of course, working a full time job, means there is never enough hours in a day. I am always growing, and trying to learn new things. Writing allows me to be heard. If I write something that touches you in any way, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Compliment or Conflict?

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By Caroline Baker

I recently got into a conversation with another person about Eastern and Western medicine and their differences.  This spurred me to realize how few understand the delicate balance that can be maintained between both.

Many folks outside of China or not directly in experience with modern-day Chinese doctors miss the fact that Chinese medicine is really a combination of many techniques together. Many of the Chinese doctors you may encounter these days also have a doctoral degree in Western medicine.

Too often, we think in absolutes. One Or The Other. Never In Between. No treatment ever has to be that way. But there are limitations.

Roughly translated from conversations with my parents, the purpose of Chinese Medicine is to detoxify the body, cleanse it of foreign substances. Poisons that prohibit the body to heal itself are removed from the body.

Now, those familiar with most cancer treatments will understand that this is in direct contrast to Western treatments for this disease. The premise behind chemotherapy is to “kill” or “poison” the “bad” cells from the body. Thus, often those that try to do both Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine to treat cancer end up nullifying their own attempts.

On the other hand, the two can very much be complimentary. While there are exceptions, Chinese Medicine tends to work slower, on the long-term cure. Western Medicine tends to be more immediate, promising “next day” service. There are some practitioners that are now using this combination to give both immediate relief and long-term results for their patients.

A good example of this is with pain. A Chinese doctor may prescribe a painkiller to relieve the patient from immediate pain and then an herbal brew to strengthen the body.

Finally, merely because something is Chinese Medicine, one cannot assume it is always safe.

ANY medicine, when taken for extended periods of time, will have side effects.

There are some Chinese Medicines that are literally “poisons” to the body and must be taken sparingly. A good example of this is the mushroom drink that was popular some 5 years ago. It called for folks to drink the excretion from a mushroom plant (which I can tell you from personally experience tasted horrible!).

The best advice I’ve heard from anywhere is to KNOW YOURSELF. Get to know your body and what it’s telling you. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. If you don’t see improvements, don’t continue. This is true for ANY type of medical practice out there.

Stay healthy!

Caroline Baker enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction.  She is a contributing editor at Suite101′s The Internet Society and has had her work featured in Futures magazine and MochaMemoirs e-Zine.  As well as being a writer, she is a freelance web designer and studying to become a tai chi teacher.  You can find more information on her at: Caroline Baker.

Anxiety, the fear of life

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By Julia Nielsen

So often, we look upon ourselves as a person who can’t succeed, a person who doesn’t have the guts to make anything of themselves. Because of that unfair judgment we make, we miss all the success that life has to offer. As a person who felt that way, I tended to look at things with the glass half-empty instead of half-full.

My whole life I was afraid of everything, literally. I was afraid of my classmates at school, afraid of thunder, lightning and anything that jumped in the night. I was a walking paranoid freak! Of course, my parent’s tried to make me see that there was nothing to be afraid of, but nothing or nobody was going to tell me otherwise! Growing up my mother told me I was quiet, shy. Yet, she didn’t know the half of it. I wasn’t shy, I was petrified! I conjured up in my head, people staring at me in the grocery store, a restaurant, anywhere. I imagined them judging me from head to toe. I wasn’t pretty enough, tall enough, good enough. When I grew up and finally received answers to my unwavering questions about the fear I possessed, I realized I was not the only one!

In fact, over twenty million people have anxiety over anything from public speaking, to a fear of driving in traffic. The important thing is that we first, acknowledge our fear, second, understand it and finally, accept it.

Coming to grips that I had an anxiety disorder was nothing short of a relief. The heart pounding, the sweaty palms, the rising blood pressure, the undeniable fear that something was seriously wrong finally had a name. On the other hand, anxiety meant you were mentally ill. It was as if I had cancer. Something horrible, taboo. The word “anxiety” made me think of a crazy person, stalking lost loved ones, madly running through the streets, completely out of their mind! Little did I know anxiety was just a word for “stress.” However, not just any stress, a normal reaction to the everyday challenges people meet, but anxiety, when you can’t identify or specify what it is your anxious of therefore, you don’t know how to react to it appropriately. When I came to that realization, only then, could I accept it and do something about it.

Now, is it no wonder that people who have anxiety, shriek from the thought of being in the spotlight? Stress causes reaction, reaction causes stress and so the inevitable cycle begins. When we are fearful, all rational, thought goes out the window. Something as simple as flying develops into avoiding everything that has to do with it. Fear of success turns into fear of challenges, goals and life.

However, I am here to say, anxiety doesn’t have to rule your life. You can be successful in your marriage, your job, and your life. All it takes is determination, self-belief and faith in God.

Editor’s note: Atheists can benefit just as much from determination as can those who believe in God.

Writer Julia Nielsen is an avid reader and writer who just completed a first novel entitled “One Step at a Time” to be published in the fall of 2000. She is a full time mother of three and along with her husband, raises them in the hot, sultry southwestern U.S.A.. She has been published on Themestream, The Literary Review, Momwriters, Writeforcash, and now in the-vu.

Food Combining

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By Jeffrey the Barak

Some say it’s the worst thing you can do, and others say there’s nothing wrong with it. the-vu looks at articles and books representing both sides of the controversy, so you can decide for yourself.

Against.
Why you shouldn’t combine certain types of food.

Certain foods, if mixed in the digestive system, will cause problems with the body’s digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested in different ways by your body. Starchy foods require an alkaline digestive medium which is supplied initially in the mouth by the enzyme ptyalin. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion, hydrochloric acid.

Acids and alkalis neutralize each other, so If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested! The undigested food mass can cause various kinds of digestive disorders. Undigested food becomes soil for bacteria which ferment and decompose it. Its poisonous by-products, include alcohol, a narcotic that destroys or inhibits nerve function. It plays havoc with nerves of the digestive tract, suspending their vital action such that constipation may well be a result.

A well known publication on the subject of food combining is Dr. Herbert Shelton’s Food Combining Made Easy which sets the following basic rules of proper food combining:

* Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

* Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

* Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

* Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

* Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

* Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

* Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

* Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

* Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

(From the book Food Combining Made Easy by Dr. Herbert Shelton.)

The consequences of eating meat and potatoes at the same time have been said to be severe, so before your next burger and fries, consider that besides the fact that meat is not an ideal food, visualize this combination of foods entering your stomach.

It takes one kind of enzyme to digest the potato, and a totally different one to digest the meat. The two enzymes clash, neutralizing each other, and the mixture rots inside your intestines. The free radicals produced attack the intestinal walls, potentially causing disease, even cancer.

Certain classes of food require different enzymes, different rates of digestion, and different pH’s for proper digestion. Cooperating with the body’s natural digestive processes will help you to optimize digestion, build strength and stamina, conserve energy, and strengthen your immune system.

Those nutritionists who warn us about food combining have provided many rules, including the following, designed to aid digestion:

  • Fruits and vegetables should always be eaten at separate meals. Eat only one concentrated protein food or starch at a meal.
  • Drink your fresh vegetable or fruit juices 30 minutes before your meals. Otherwise, avoid drinking liquids 30 minutes before meals, during meals, and for one to two hours following meals as liquids dilute the digestive juices and hinder digestion.
  • Avoid drinking liquids which are too cold (out of the refrigerator, or with ice) or too hot (close to e boiling point) since the temperature extremes stress the digestive system and may cause indigestion.
  • Since most dessert items do not combine well with foods eaten at meals, it is best to avoid them or eat the desserts suggested in the recipe section as a full meal.
  • Eat only when hungry.
  • Avoid eating immediately before or after strenuous exercise.
  • Avoid eating when under physical or mental distress.
  • Thoroughly chew all foods and juices.
  • Avoid overeating.
  • Avoid eating three to four hours before retiring to bed. Fruit or fruit juice can cause a wakeful unpleasant night’s sleep. You will sleep more soundly without fruit.

For
Why all of the above is a load of old rubbish!

In September 1999, Nutrition News Focus published the following:

Tee-hee!! Sorry, this is just so laughable that a scientist cannot take this so-called theory with any degree of seriousness. The theory of food combining basically states that eating the wrong combinations of foods causes a variety of problems because different foods require different enzymes for their digestion. For instance, eating protein with carbohydrates is supposed to cause the protein to not be digested, which will then ferment and putrefy, spending up to two years in the large intestine. It’s all fiction.

This type of suggestion lives up to the “Tell a big enough lie and people believe it” school. The body puts out a variety of digestive enzymes in combination. Digestion begins in the mouth, continues in the stomach, but really cranks up in the small intestine with different aspects of digestion occurring along the way. Pancreatic juice is secreted into the small intestine and contains enzymes that digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. We have evolved to eat meals of mixed foods. No human population has ever subsisted on eating single foods at a time.

Here’s what you need to know. An especially ludicrous variant of the food combining theory is that when you don’t digest foods properly, you get fat. Well, exactly the opposite happens – if you don’t digest foods properly, you absorb fewer calories. This erroneous assumption was the basis for a book that was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years.

In April 1996, The University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter published the following:

Food combining: A myth that never dies.

As if people didn’t have enough worries, there are always books on the market purveying notions about food combining. Some say that it’s vital to eat foods in the right combinations – never combining, for instance, carbohydrates and protein at the same meal. They usually also recommend that fruits always be eaten raw and alone, because otherwise they will ferment and turn toxic in the stomach.

There’s no evidence to support such contentions, according to Dr. Sheldon Margen, Professor Emeritus of Public Health Nutrition. Nearly all foods are themselves combinations. If you eat beans, for example, you’re getting carbohydrates (sugars and starches), protein and fiber, among other things. Bread combines protein, carbohydrates, a little fat and many other things. A simple dish like macaroni and cheese, a peanut butter sandwich, or oatmeal with milk contains sugars, starches, protein and fat. Our digestive system handles food combinations very efficiently. The process begins in the mouth as we chew food and saliva acts upon it, beginning the breakdown of starches into sugars. Other enzymes come into play along the line, resulting in almost complete digestion and absorption of nutrients, no matter how they are combined.

As for that supposedly fermenting fruit, anyone who has studied human physiology can tell you that fermentation does not occur in the stomach. Fruit is nutritious, raw or cooked, and is readily digested in combination with other foods, including vegetables, grains and dairy products. Fruit is not a hard-and-fast category anyway: many things we call vegetables, such as tomatoes, are really fruits.

Nearly all foods are themselves combinations

The overwhelming weight of evidence is on the side of a varied, balanced diet with foods eaten in nutritious, appetizing combinations. Most vitamins and minerals are best utilized when consumed as part of a complex mixture of foods. For instance, foods high in vitamin C (such as fruits) boost the body’s absorption of iron from grains. That’s one reason fruit and whole grains make such a good breakfast combination.

Variety aids digestion, rather than making it more difficult.

So, which argument is right?

Some people are telling us that food combining is bad, and others are telling us that it’s okay to combine. We must therefore exercise our freedom of choice until a definitive answer is proven.

Of course, if certain combinations of foods seem to disagree with you, then eat them separately. I’m still waiting for them to bring out licorice-sardine flavored ice cream.

Jeffrey the Barak is the publisher of the-vu.com