JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE

JOY FEELINGS! Make hair grow Faster with joy Beauty Feature stories about Fear and how they Chose to overcome it Stay healthy with Joy health. Get tips On how to prevent Skin cancer.

The latest fashion Trends 2016

DAN BROWN author of the Best selling novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’

JOY HEALTH: ways to stay healthy and prevent cancer / secrets of super healthy people./ skin cancer prevention tips

JOY BEAUTY; How to make your hair grow faster and longer…tips on how you can easily achieve it too…

FEATURES: stories about fear and overcoming fear.

ENTERTAINMENT: The story behind the story in Dan Brown’s best selling book ‘The Da vinci code’…

FASHION FEVER: Pictures of fashion trends

Joy feelings magazine

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8 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY AND PREVENT CANCER Follow these 8 ways to help prevent cancer and stay healthy.

Eight healthy behaviors can go a long way toward improving your health and lowering your risk of many cancers as well as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis. And they’re not as complicated as you might think.

So take control of your health, and encourage your family to do the same.

Choose one or two of the behaviors below to start with.

Once you’ve got those down, move on to the others.

Joy feelings magazine

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight Keeping your weight in check is often easier said than done, but a few simple tips can help. First off, if you’re overweight, focus initially on not gaining any more weight.

This by itself can improve your health. Then, when you’re ready, try to take off some extra pounds for an even greater health boost. To see where you fall on the weight range.

Tips 

Integrate physical activity and movement into your life.

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Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Choose smaller portions and eat more slowly.

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For Parents and Grandparents 

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Limit children’s TV and computer time.

Encourage healthy snacking on fruits and vegetables.

Encourage activity during free time.

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For Parents and Grandparents 

2. Exercise Regularly Few things are as good for you as regular physical activity. While it can be hard to find the time, it’s important to fit in at least 30 minutes of activity every day.

More is even better, but any amount is better than none.

Tips 

Choose activities you enjoy. Many things count

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as exercise, including walking, gardening and dancing.

Make exercise a habit by setting aside the same time for it each day. Try going to the gym at lunchtime or taking a walk regularly after dinner.

Stay motivated by exercising with someone.

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Play active games with your kids regularly and go on family walks and bike rides when the weather allows.

Encourage children to play outside (when it’s safe) and to take part in organized activities, including soccer, gymnastics and dancing.

Walk with your kids to school in the morning. It’s great exercise for everyone.

3. Don’t Smoke

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You’ve heard it before: If you smoke, quitting is absolutely the best thing you can do for your health. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s also far from impossible. More than 1,000 Americans stop for good every day.

Tips 

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Keep trying! It often takes six or seven tries before you quit for good.

Talk to a health-care provider for help.

Join a quit-smoking program. Your workplace or health plan may offer one.

For Parents and Grandparents 

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Try to quit as soon as possible. If you smoke, your children will be more likely to smoke.

Don’t smoke in the house or car. If kids breathe in your smoke, they may have a higher risk of breathing problems and lung cancer.

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When appropriate, talk to your kids about the dangers of smoking and chewing tobacco. A health-care professional or school counselor can help.

4. Eat a Healthy Diet Despite confusing news reports, the basics of healthy eating are actually quite straightforward. You should focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains and keep red meat to a minimum. It’s also important to cut back on bad fats (saturated and trans fats) and choose healthy fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) more often. Taking a multivitamin with folate every day is a great nutrition insurance policy.

Tips 

Make fruits and vegetables a part of every meal. Put fruit on your cereal. Eat vegetables as a snack.

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Choose chicken, fish or beans instead of red meat.

Choose whole-grain cereal, brown rice and wholewheat bread over their more refined counterparts.

Choose dishes made with olive or canola oil, which are high in healthy fats.

Cut back on fast food and store-bought snacks (like cookies), which are high in bad fats.

Buy a 100 percent RDA multivitamin that contains folate.

People who drink more, though, should cut back.

Tips 

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For Parents and Grandparents 

5. Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation, If at All Moderate drinking is good for the heart, as many people already know, but it can also increase the risk of cancer. If you don’t drink, don’t feel that you need to start. If you already drink moderately (less than one drink a day for women, less than two drinks a day for men), there’s probably no reason to stop.

Joy feelings magazine

Choose nonalcoholic beverages at meals and parties.

Avoid occasions centered around alcohol.

Talk to a health-care professional if you feel you have a problem with alcohol.

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Avoid making alcohol an essential part of family gatherings.

When appropriate, discuss the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse with children. A health-care professional or school counselor can help.

6. Protect Yourself from the Sun While the warm sun is certainly inviting, too much Page 6

exposure to it can lead to skin cancer, including serious melanoma. Skin damage starts early in childhood, so it’s especially important to protect children.

Tips 

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Steer clear of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (peak burning hours). It’s the best way to protect yourself.

Wear hats, long-sleeve shirts and sunscreens with SPF15 or higher.

Don’t use sun lamps or tanning booths. Try selftanning creams instead.

For Parents and Grandparents 

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Buy tinted sunscreen so you can see if you’ve missed any spots on a fidgety child.

Set a good example for children by also protecting yourself with clothing, shade and sunscreen.

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7. Protect Yourself From Sexually Transmitted Infections Among other problems, sexually transmitted infections – like human papillomavirus (HPV) – are linked to a number of different cancers. Protecting yourself from these infections can lower your risk.

Tips 

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Aside from not having sex, the best protection is to be in a committed, monogamous relationship with someone who does not have a sexually transmitted infection.

For all other situations, be sure to always use a condom and follow other safe-sex practices.

Never rely on your partner to have a condom. Always be prepared.

For Parents and Grandparents Page 7

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When appropriate, discuss with children the importance of abstinence and safe sex. A health-care professional or school counselor can help.

Vaccinate girls and young women as well as boys and young men against HPV. Talk to a health professional for more information.

care professional about which tests you should have and when.

Cancers that should be tested for regularly:    

Colon and rectal cancer Breast cancer Cervical cancer Lung cancer (in current or past heavy smokers)

8. Get Screening Tests There are a number of important screening tests that can help protect against cancer. Some of these tests find cancer early when they are most treatable, while others can actually help keep cancer from developing in the first place. For colorectal cancer alone, regular screening could save over 30,000 lives each year. That’s three times the number of people killed by drunk drivers in the United States in all of 2011. Talk to a health Joy feelings magazine

6 SECRETS OF SUPERHEALTHY PEOPLE Admit it, you’re a little jealous of people who stockpile their sick days.

While you sneeze and cough your way through cold and flu season, they show no signs of even a sniffle.

Don’t just envy them. Steal their secrets for a stronger Page 8

immune system and a healthier life.

those who didn’t exercise,” Nieman says.

1. Get a move on.

Exercise is “the single most important thing you can do to reduce sick days,” says David Nieman, DrPH, director of the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University.

Can’t carve out a half-hour or longer block in your day?

Divvy your exercise up into shorter sessions. “As long as each activity is at least 10 minutes you’ll reap the benefits,” Nieman says.

Although scientists aren’t really sure why, research suggests that consistent exercise gives your immune system a boost. It might be that moderate heartpumping workouts spark a rise in the germ-fighting cells in your body -- or that they lower stress hormones that can dampen your body's defenses.

You don’t have to live at the gym to get these perks, either. “People who exercise for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week have a 46% reduction in the number of days of illness compared with Joy feelings magazine

2. Wash your hands -- a lot.

Kelly Baez, a health and weight-loss coach in Columbus, GA, claims she never gets sick. Part of her stay-healthy MO? The stash of hand sanitizer she keeps in her gym bag to use between hand-washings.

And for good reason: Your fingertips are home to some serious bacteria, and research suggests you touch your face -- mouth, eyes, nose -- about 16 times an hour. To keep those germs at bay, wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, the CDC says.

Hand sanitizer doesn’t get rid Page 9

of germs as well as a goodhandwashing does, but formulas with at least 60% alcohol can kill some of them until you can get to a sink.

While you’re at it, consider opting for a fist bump or high five instead of shaking hands.

One study found that a handshake transferred nearly twice as many bacteria as the other two.

3. Get it on.

People who have sex on a regular basis may have higher levels of an immune system protein called immunoglobulin A (IgA).

Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who got between the sheets once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA compared to students who did it less often.

4. Mix up your meal plans.

Fad diets won’t do your Joy feelings magazine

immune system any favors.

Instead, eat a wide variety of healthy foods. “There’s not just one specific nutrient or food component that’s linked to staying healthy,” says Jackie Newgent, RDN, author of The AllNatural Diabetes Cookbook.

“Instead, it’s about synergy.”

A few tips: 

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Build your meal around vegetables. “Aim to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, such as gingery stir-fried asparagus, roasted curry cauliflower, sautéed garlic spinach, fresh tomato salad, or grilled mushrooms - and always do this first,” Newgent says. Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients called antioxidants that build up your immune system.

Drink green tea. It may increase the number of an important type of immune cell, called regulatory T cells, according to one study.

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Try probiotics. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that stressed-out college students who got these “good” bacteria had fewer sick days than those who didn’t. Even if they did catch a bug, they recovered faster. You can get probiotics from foods like yogurt -- look for “live and active cultures” on the label - or take them as pills.

5. Get enough shut-eye.

Americans who said they had very good or excellent health and quality of life slept more -- an average of 18 to 23 minutes per night -- than those who rated their health as good, fair, or poor, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

cold when they get the virus compared to those who get 7 hours of sleep a night.

No surprise. Your immune system needs sleep to keep you healthy. How much?

Researchers found that people who log less than 6 hours a night are about four times more likely to catch a

Research suggests she’s on to something. One study showed that mindfulness techniques like meditation may cut your chances of catching a cold. The participants who practiced

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If you can’t tame your inner night owl, try this trick: Set an alarm clockat night as a reminder that it’s time to go to bed.

6. Three, two, one, Ohm. Jessica McFarland, a middleschool science teacher in Philadelphia, comes in contact with 145 13-year-olds every day. “It’s a miracle that I never get sick!” she says.

Among her stay-healthy habits: She takes slow, deep breaths whenever she begins to feel stressed. If possible, she takes a moment for a mini meditation.

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meditation also said they had shorter colds and fewer symptoms when they did get sick.

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HOW TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER

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SKIN CANCER PREVENTION TIPS

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Do Not Burn or Tan Avoid intentional tanning.

Avoid tanning beds.

Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds causes skin cancer and wrinkling.

Seek Shade Joy feelings magazine

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When sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Wear Protective Clothing Long-sleeved shirt and pants.

A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

Generously Apply Sunscreen Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or higher for protection from ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.

Apply 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours.

Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow, and Sand These surfaces reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Get Vitamin D Safely Through a healthy diet.

Take vitamin supplements.

Early detection of melanoma can save your life. Carefully examine all of your skin once Page 12

a month. A new or changing spot should be evaluated.

over time also may cause skin cancer. 

Most skin cancers are preventable. To protect yourself, follow these skin cancer prevention tips: 

Avoid the sun during the middle of the day. For many people in North America, the sun's rays are strongest between about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day, even in winter or when the sky is cloudy.

You absorb UV radiation year-round, and clouds offer little protection from damaging rays. Avoiding the sun at its strongest helps you avoid the sunburns and suntans that cause skin damage and increase your risk of developing skin cancer.

Sun exposure accumulated

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Wear sunscreen yearround. Sunscreens don't filter out all harmful UV radiation, especially the radiation that can lead to melanoma. But they play a major role in an overall sun protection program.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.

Use a generous amount of sunscreen on all exposed skin, including your lips, the tips of your ears, and the backs of your hands and neck.

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Wear protective clothing. Sunscreens don't provide complete protection from UV rays.

So cover your skin with dark, tightly woven clothing that covers your Page 13

arms and legs, and a broadbrimmed hat, which provides more protection than a baseball cap or visor does.

Some companies also sell photoprotective clothing. A dermatologist can recommend an appropriate brand.

Don't forget sunglasses.

Look for those that block both types of UV radiation — UVA and UVB rays. 

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Avoid tanning beds. Lights used in tanning beds emit UV rays and can increase your risk of skin cancer.

Be aware of sunsensitizing medications. Some common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including antibiotics, can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

effects of any medications you take. If they increase your sensitivity to sunlight, take extra precautions to stay out of the sun in order to protect your skin. 

Check your skin regularly and report changes to your doctor. Examine your skin often for new skin growths or changes in existing moles, freckles, bumps and birthmarks.

With the help of mirrors, check your face, neck, ears and scalp. Examine your chest and trunk, and the tops and undersides of your arms and hands. Examine both the front and back of your legs, and your feet, including the soles and the spaces between your toes.

Also check your genital area and between your buttocks.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side Joy feelings magazine

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HOW COFFEE PROTECTS YOU, AND 11 OTHER SURPRISING WAYS TO STOP THE MOST COMMON CANCER

1. All doctors are not created equal: When researchers from Emory University School of Medicine looked at the records of more than 2,000 melanoma patients, they found that those whose growths had been diagnosed by a dermatologist were more likely to have earlystage cancer — and to survive their disease — than those who'd been diagnosed by another kind of doctor. It may be that dermatologists are more skilled at finding smaller tumors — and less likely to brush them off as "nothing."

2. So-called harmless basal cell cancers aren't always so Joy feelings magazine

harmless:True, the growths are usually easy to remove, but of the million new cases each year, about 5 to 10 percent can be resistant to treatment, recurring over and over and requiring more extensive surgery. And some basal cells can be very aggressive, damaging the skin around them and even invading bone and cartilage. That's why if you have a suspicious growth, you should see a doctor promptly. "You want it removed before it disfigures your face," says Kishwer Nehal, M.D., director of Mohs and dermatologic surgery at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center.

3. Your daily coffee fix may help you fend off skin cancer: For each cup of caffeinated java that you drink every day, there's a 5 percent drop in your odds of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer later in Page 15

life, researchers recently reported. Down a couple of Starbucks' venti coffees at 20 ounces apiece, and you may score a 30 percent drop in risk (or more — researchers didn't ask study participants about more than six cups a day). "It's possible coffee's antioxidant effect helps to protect against skin cancer," says Ernest L. Abel, Ph.D., professor of OB-GYN at Wayne State University School of Medicine. "But part of it may be that people who drink a lot of coffee tend to stay indoors more."

4. You can see a dermatologist for wrinkles a lot faster than for mole checks: In a study from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, researchers posing as patients called more than 800 dermatologists across the country to see how long it would take to get different Joy feelings magazine

kinds of appointments. The disturbing results: When "patients" asked for a Botox treatment, the typical wait was eight days. But when their request concerned a changing mole, it went up — to 26 days, on average.

Doctors may argue that the current state of health insurance has driven them to sometimes favor cosmetic patients, who pay in full on the day of treatment (insurance companies can take months to reimburse with only a fraction of the fee). Still, a changing mole isn't a trivial symptom. Make sure the receptionist knows why you need an appointment. If that doesn't work, ask your primary-care doc to intervene or to recommend another specialist.

5. SPF is only half the story: By law, sunscreen labels must list the familiar sun Page 16

protection factor, which tells you how effectively the product blocks UVB rays, the ones primarily responsible for sunburn. But there's no rating system yet for how well a sunscreen stops UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into the base layer of the skin and can cause dangerous cell changes. The FDA has proposed a new sunscreen rule that would include label revisions for UVA. Until they're in place, David J. Leffell, M.D., professor of dermatology and surgery at Yale School of Medicine, recommends choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which offers greater UVA (as well as UVB) protection. To check if a product fits the bill, look for UVA-screening ingredients, including avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and ecamsule (Mexoryl SX).

Or use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are physical blocks that protect against all rays. But the FDA cautions Joy feelings magazine

that, no matter how broadspectrum, sunscreen isn't enough — you must wear sun-protective clothing, too.

6. If you live in Fargo, ND, and always use sunscreen, your risk of melanoma can be greater than your friend's in Miami: For years, researchers had puzzled over the fact that sunscreen users seemed more likely to develop melanoma than those who didn't protect themselves. But now scientists from the University of California, San Diego, may have figured out why. In a recent study, they found that the unexpected connection applies mainly to people with fair complexions in northern latitudes (north of Philadelphia or Boulder).

They speculate that sunscreen users in northern areas never feel the burning that would warn them to cover up or get out of the sun because their lotions do a good job of Page 17

blocking UVB rays. But meanwhile, they're being exposed to hundreds of times more cancer-causing UVA rays than they'd be able to tolerate if they weren't using sunscreen. Bottom line: Whatever your latitude, you need to practice sun-safety measures.

7. You're not fooling anyone with your tanningbed habit — especially your skin: Despite what the salon receptionist may say, there's no evidence that browning yourself in a bed is any safer than doing it at the beach.

"Even though there are federal guidelines for the amount of time someone should spend in a tanning bed, we know these are not always followed," says Michael J. Franzblau, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology (emeritus) at the University of California, San Francisco. The numbers tell the story: People who Joy feelings magazine

frequent tanning salons are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell cancer and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell. If you're still an indoor sunbather — a recent survey shows that over 15 percent of women in their 40s and 10 percent in their 50s and early 60s use tanning beds — stop now. But even if you've given up the habit, you could be in trouble.

Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 significantly increases your risk of melanoma. Protect yourself by being vigilant about monthly self-exams and yearly derm checks.

8. Like children, skin cancers don't always follow rules: The ABCDE rules for melanoma have been well publicized, but not all melanomas conform. One type, amelanotic melanoma, for example, has no brown or Page 18

black. Another kind, nodular melanoma, is often symmetrical, with fairly regular borders and few colors, says David Polsky, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at NYU Medical Center. And invasive melanomas can be smaller than six millimeters — the guideline in the ABCDE rules. The rule for you: Don't dismiss an odd-looking or changing mole because it doesn't resemble the textbook example; show it to a dermatologist.

9. If you're dark skinned, skin cancer is far less common — and far more likely to be fatal: No one's sure why, but among African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics, UV radiation does not play as strong a role in squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma as it does in Caucasians, says Hugh Gloster, M.D., Joy feelings magazine

associate professor of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati. He has found that non-Caucasians are far more likely to develop melanoma on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands than on areas that are more heavily sun-exposed like the face and chest. That and the likelihood that doctors aren't looking for skin cancer among dark-skinned patients means the disease may be diagnosed at a later, more dangerous stage, say experts.

Since UV rays do play a part in all skin cancers, and basal cell is an equal-opportunity enemy, people of all skin shades need to protect themselves in the sun.

10. You really can get skin cancer where the sun don't shine: The same human papillomavirus (HPV) that's responsible for cervical cancer can cause squamous cell carcinoma of the genitals. While squamous cell Page 19

growths have at least a 95 percent cure rate overall, those in the genital region tend to be found later, which lowers your odds of survival, says Martin A. Weinstock, M.D., Ph.D., professor of dermatology and community health at Brown University.

In a recent review of national mortality records, he found that non-melanoma skin cancers on the genitals, though much rarer than those on other parts of the body, caused about as many deaths.

Women were particularly vulnerable; roughly three times as many females as males died of this cancer. Be sure to check the genital area when doing your monthly skin exam, advises Dr. Weinstock. If anything looks suspicious, show a dermatologist.

Joy feelings magazine

11. Your husband may not be much help around the house, but when it comes to skin cancer, he could be a lifesaver: Working with a partner significantly ups the regularity of skin exams, reports June K. Robinson, M.D., professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. And that could make all the difference: Previous studies have found that melanoma deaths could be lowered by as much as 63 percent if people performed monthly self-exams.

12. Painted toes look pretty, but what lies beneath may be deadly:Melanoma of the foot can hide under and around the nails and between the toes. And because this cancer has usually spread by Page 20

the time it's diagnosed, it has a fatality rate of 50 percent. If you polish your toes, remove the color at least once a month and inspect your whole foot, including the sole. Also, don't forget sunscreen — on the tops and

soles of the feet, says foot and ankle surgeon Neil Campbell, D.P.M. Originally published on June 10, 2008

FEATURES STORIES OF FEAR: DON’T STAY IN THE DARK…

A Story To Inspire You To Overcome Fear

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For many reasons, fear should be re-named “inter-fear” – because it is constantly interfering with your getting what you want in life.

DOPE ON A ROPE There once was this criminal who had committed a crime.

(Because, hey, that’s what criminals do. That’s their job!) Anyway, he was sent to the king for his punishment.

The king told him he had a choice of two punishments.

He could be hung by a rope or take what’s behind the big, dark, scary, iron door.

The criminal quickly decided on the rope. As the noose was being slipped on him, he turned to the king and asked. “By the way, out of curiosity, what’s behind that door?” The king laughed and said: “You know, it’s funny, I offer everyone the same choice, and nearly everyone picks the rope.”

“So,” said the criminal,

“Tell me. What’s behind the door? I mean, obviously, I won’t tell anyone,” he said, pointing to the noose around his neck. The king paused then answered, “Freedom, but it seems most people are so afraid of the unknown that they immediately take the rope.”

I love the message in this story. It’s a powerful reminder about how so many of us cling to the familiar.

Yes, unfortunately, too many of us live our lives choosing the familiarity of our rope (aka: familiar pain, familiar struggle, familiar patterns), fearful of going for the unknown alternative – which can lead to freedom and ultimate happiness.

Alan Watts, said it well when he said:“Our lives are one long effort to resist the unknown.”

The result? We’re a planet full of folks walking around

with metaphysical ropes around our necks, wondering why we feel a bit emotionally/ spiritually dead to the world around us.

Today decide to have the courage to push past your fears! Today decide to finally take off those ropes that bind you – and blind you! Start bravely opening up those doors which lead to the unfamiliar – knowing that you are also headed towards freedom, growth, and greater joy. You’ll see.

Don’t allow the pain of toxic love to stop you from appreciating the joys of life.

Get tools to let go of the hurt – and develop new ways of thinking and dating – which will lead you to true love with a good partner.

Overcoming Fears, One Step At A Time…

Being an entrepreneur has been a HUGE catalyst in Joy feelings magazine

helping me overcome many of the insecurities and limiting beliefs that I was still holding onto…

The first time I ever had to make a video, I was extremely nervous and intimidated… But I did it, and now I’ve been able to use video to create a massive online presence and profitable business for myself.

The first time I ever had to do a training call for my team, I was very nervous… But as I overcame that fear, team training calls became less and less scary. It was the same experience with doing webinars… In fact, the big webinar I did for the community last week even made me nervous at first.

But the more I pushed myself to ‘just do it’ and overcome my fears, the less of a grip fear really had over me.

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My Ultimate Fear…

But my BIGGEST fear is, without a doubt, public speaking. The mere thought of it still makes my body quiver and my stomach nauseous… It is the one thing I dread the most!

The very first time I ever had to speak in public was last year. I was asked by my company to fly out to Las Vegas and speak at an event in front of about 150 people.

I was scared to death, but I tried to hide my fear as I walked up to the front of the room with the microphone in hand…

As I started speaking, my throat became extremely constricted and it was very hard to breathe all of a sudden. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was convinced that everyone could hear it through the microphone! Like a deer in headlights, my mind completely blanked on the Joy feelings magazine

speech I had prepared. An overwhelming feeling of weakness started flowing throughout my entire body and I realized that I was about to faint! My knees started buckling and before I hit the ground, I ran back to my seat and held my head down before I went unconscious. My body was trembling, sweating, and I felt incredibly sick and nauseous.

I was absolutely humiliated… I wanted to just shrivel up into a little ball and disappear. Thankfully everyone around me was very understanding and compassionate and tried their best to make me feel better.

That day was one of the most embarrassing, but yet one of the most growth-inducive experiences of my entire life!

Facing It Again…

After that, I knew I needed to overcome my fear of public Page 24

speaking if I wanted to fully step into my own power. So when my company asked me to speak again this past weekend in Orlando, Florida, I had to say yes. My mind was resisting it and I was tempted to start coming up with any excuses I could think of to NOT do it… But my heart was telling me that this was important. I needed this chance to truly overcome my biggest fear and really walk the walk when it comes to personal growth and development.

So the morning of my speech, I spent some time alone in my room and did some deep breathing. I sat there with my eyes closed and envisioned myself walking out on stage with power. In my mind, when I looked out to see the crowd of people staring back at me, I felt the feeling of being completely and utterly FREE. I consciously invoked the feeling of freedom from any Joy feelings magazine

fear, worry, anxiety, or inhibitions. I chose to see this moment as a step towards the realization of my own power and freedom, not as something to fear.

Instead of worrying about nearly fainting again or imagining another awful scenario, I consciously chose to only focus on feeling empowered and free.

Whatever we focus on, we create… And there was no way I was going to sabotage myself by creating mental pictures of what I DIDN’T want. I mentally rehearsed the outcome that I DID want.

I also decided to feel my inner body and get very connected to myself beforehand. I spent some time observing my inner state and accepting whatever it was I was feeling. My body was still experiencing the physiological response of being scared and nervous, but Page 25

instead of resisting it, I just accepted it with compassion.

I had the sense of, ‘Oh, that’s just my body feeling nervous. That’s completely ok, and I see it as part of the growth process.’

After getting grounded and centered, I made my way down to the event. There were about 400 excited people in the room. I made my way backstage to get hooked up with a microphone and waited for my turn to go out on stage. As my name was called, I walked out there with a smile…

When I looked out to the crowd, I remembered what I had practiced about feeling empowered and free when I saw everyone looking back at me. I will admit, I was still incredibly nervous and started trembling when the words came out of my mouth.

Joy feelings magazine

Instead of focusing on how I looked or what others thought, I chose to focus on what I could GIVE to my audience. The more I spoke, the less nervous I became and the words flowed out of me clearly. When I finished and walked backstage, I was greeted with big hugs from everyone helping out behind the curtain (Most everybody had heard about the ‘incident’ the year before!). I felt so relieved and really proud of myself that I did it! I overcame the biggest fear of my entire life!

I sat back down in the audience and the speaker who went up after me decided to share the story of what happened to me the year before… The audience was so impressed and everyone was clapping proudly for me!

An Inspiration For Others…

For the rest of the weekend, I had TONS of people coming Page 26

up to me and telling me how much of an inspiration that was for them to see. They witnessed a huge tipping point in my life and watched me overcome a tremendous fear. They were all inspired to now go out and conquer the fears that were holding them back in life. Although they were inspired, no one could tell it was my first time really speaking in front of such a large audience… They all said it looked like I’d been doing it for years!

It is such an AMAZING feeling to overcome a fear that had such a strong grip on me… And I can’t even begin to express how empowering it truly is. When you overcome any fear you have, whether large or small, you move one step closer to freedom. And you start to see just how darn powerful you really are when you no longer let fear control your life.

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Personal Growth…

This is really what the personal growth journey is all about. Without challenges, we would never grow. And the people who are the most successful are those who have GROWN the most. So how do you really overcome fear?

Face it head on.

The more you run from fear or run from things that challenge you, the more you run from success. So I encourage you to ‘seek out’ experiences that terrify you.

Challenge yourself to face your fears and regardless of the outcome, you’ll be growing by leaps and bounds. There really is no such thing as failure… Only experiences that challenge us to grow.

I don’t see my experience in Las Vegas as a failure at all.

In fact, that was exactly the experience I needed to have Page 27

to help me overcome this crazy fear of public speaking! Now, I’m sure I’ll still experience nervousness again next time I have to speak in public… But now I have an inner strength that will keep getting stronger and stronger the more I challenge myself to grow.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t experience the success they’re looking for in life is their FEAR. They run from their fears, they run from what challenges them, and then they wonder why they’re not more successful.

It’s actually a very simple thing to figure out… But not always an easy one to do!

So when it comes to building a business for yourself and creating the life you want, what’s holding YOU back?

What are your biggest fears?

I’d love to hear from you, so please share them in the comment box down below.

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Just by acknowledging them and writing them down, they’ll already have less of a grip on you.

And if you’ve had the courage to go out and FACE one of your fears, I’d love to hear your story as well! The more transparent and real we are with each other, the more we’re able to really support and help each other along the path of personal growth and transformation. Our stories of courage are true inspirations for others!

It was so great to share this story with you here today and I hope I was able to inspire YOU to overcome your fears and start living a life of true freedom!

Yours In Freedom, Katie Freiling Page 28

How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster 1) As your hair grows, it is important to keep it in good condition, so you will be trimming your locks off again to get rid of split ends. Using a hair masks is a great way to keep your hair looking wonderful and h ere is extremely great and efficient hair mask, that will not only help your Joy feelings magazine

hair grow faster, but also will make your locks look shinier, healthier and even more beautiful: mix in a small bowl – one yolk of an egg with a tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (or linen oil) and a tablespoon of Vodka (or Cognac). Massage this mixture into the roots of Page 29

your hair and then, spread to the lengths; wait for about thirty minutes. For better results you can put a shower cup on your head and cover it up with a towel, but make sure that your special someone doesn’t see you wearing this extravagant construction on your head, as this might not look very seductive. After the thirty minutes, wash and condition your hair, as usual.

You will be astonished with amazing results, especially, if you do this mask regularly, once a week or once every two weeks, during one month or two.

If you don’t find an egg mask too appealing, then try a coconut oil, sweet almond oil and honey hair mask. Simply mix these three ingredients in equal proportions, warm it slightly in a pot and massage the mixture into your hair; leave for about thirty minutes before washing out. This wonderful natural hair Joy feelings magazine

treatment will nourish and rejuvenate your hair, making it shinier and glossier, while also boosting hair growth.

2) Do you want to know how to make your hair grow faster? Eat protein! Not only our outside beauty efforts, massages and sophisticated hair masks are important, but also, if you really want to have thick and beautiful locks, then watch what you eat! Did you know that food can make a tremendous difference in how fast your hair grows? Protein provides a building material for your hair to grow quicker, look healthier and be stronger, as protein is the very stuff that hair is made from, so the more protein you eat, the more your hair can grow; so make sure to include eggs, nuts, fish, chicken, red meats, etc., into your balanced diet.

Eat healthy and your hair will say: ‘Thank you!’

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3) Brush your hair every day for 1 or 2 minutes, do it every morning and every evening to stimulate circulation in your scalp. Make sure to massage your head gently, it’s not working by the principle ‘the harder you brush, the faster it grows!’ Gently brushing your hair twice a day for, at least, two minutes stimulates the blood circulation in your scalp and spreads your natural oils evenly over your hair. Healthy blood circulation is essential for hair follicles to work efficiently and grow new healthy hair. Remember never to forcefully brush your hair when it’s wet, because it can damage your locks and cause breakage. We don’t want it, because we love our hair, right?! Instead, gently brush through your hair with a wide tooth comb or use a special detangling brush for a smooth and pain free detangling.

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4) Massage your scalp every time you shampoo your hair; do it gently, use your fingers, massage your head for about a minute or two, push and move the skin around your head, and it will stimulate the blood flow in your scalp and help your hair grow faster.

5) Here is another simple hair mask that will help your hair grow faster; for this treatment you’ll need some potato juice! Yes, i know, it might sound bizarre, but it works! Isn’t it the most important?! At least, potato juice smells better, than an onion juice, for example. (Quick note: onion juice hair masks can be really great in helping to boost your hair shine, as well as hair growth, but it smells pretty horrendous, and that smell won’t go anywhere for weeks! This is the main reason why, I don’t suggest you using onion juice masks for hair growth, nor Page 31

for any other hair treatments!) So, how do we make our potato hair mask?

Juice two big fresh potatoes, add a tablespoon of raw honey and one yolk of an egg.

Apply this mixture to your hair (mainly apply it to the roots), wait for half an hour and shampoo your hair, as you usually do. This hair mask is amazingly effective and, most importantly, it’s all natural!

6) Healthy and beautiful hair starts with a healthy scalp…It’s logical, isn’t it?

This is why it’s extremely important to take a great care of your scalp. Here is one easy tip: never apply a hair conditioner to the roots of your hair! Not only it will cause the loss of volume and your hair might get oily very quickly, but also, some hair conditioners contain waxes and silicons and, if you apply them to your scalp on a regular basis, it can prevent Joy feelings magazine

the skin on your head from breathing and clog pores.

Conclusion: apply your hair conditioner only on the length of your hair.

7) If you want more tips on how to make your hair grow faster, try warm oil scalp massage. It’s a very easy trick, but it works wonders! Just heat up a little bit of oil (my most loved oils for this purpose are: linen oil, olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil and jojoba oil); never boil the oil, just slightly warm it up, so that it’s pleasantly warm and comfortable to touch, then, gently massage your scalp with this treatment or ask your partner to do it for you. If you have a friend or, better, a lover, who will give you this wonderful head massage, this experience will become even more pleasant! Ask them to massage your head, gently going through the roots of your hair in circular motions.

This scalp massage can last Page 32

for about fifteen or twenty minutes; then spread the oil on the length of your hair, wait for about half an hour and shampoo your locks thoroughly; you might even need to shampoo your hair twice. Not only this experience is very relaxing, but also, you will love the result. This treatment works wonders for the hair growth and makes your tresses look very shiny, glossy and healthy, especially, if you do it regularly.

8) Care for your hair while sleeping. Probably, you are wondering: ‘How in the world is it possible to care for my hair, when I sleep?’ Yes, it’s actually as easy, as pie.

First of all, never sleep with a tight ponytail or a tight braid, it definitely won’t help your hair grow faster and can even cause breakage of your hair and pain in your scalp. Make a loose ponytail instead. And the second tip for an efficient night hair care is this – try to Joy feelings magazine

sleep on a silk pillow case; it won’t cause friction and it’s much kinder to your hair, than cotton pillow covers.

And, by the way, silk pillow case is not only beneficial for your hair, but it also can help prevent facial wrinkles from appearing. What a wonder is this silk: healthy and shiny hair, plus wrinkle-free skin on your face! Just perfect!

9) How to make your hair grow faster? Try overnight castor oil hair treatment. Using castor oil on your hair can have astonishing and wonderful effects. It’s all simple: just massage your hair with castor oil before you go to bed and leave it on overnight; then, the next morning, wash and condition your hair, as usual.

Do this treatment once or twice a week for a couple of weeks and you will be astonished by the amazing difference in the health of your hair! It works wonders for hair growth!Also, castor Page 33

oil can help you to grow longer lashes and thicker eyebrows, isn’t it a good bonus?!

10) Rinse with apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a great way to remove the dirt, grime and pollution that can accumulate on your hair, as well as strip away the residue that is left by hair products. Not only apple cider vinegar can help boost your hair growth, but also, being a natural detangling and shine improving treatment, it can tremendously change the appearance of your locks, of course, for better – hair becomes softer, shinier, stronger and looks healthier!

Add two tablespoons of vinegar into a litter of water and rinse your hair with this homemade healthy conditioner; use this treatment as the final step of your shampooing/conditionin g routine. If you aren’t a big fan of vinegar odor, then add Joy feelings magazine

a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil into your apple cider vinegar rinse, such as rose essential oil, for example (or you can mix lemon juice with water, in the same proportion, instead of using apple cider vinegar).

Another substitute of apple cider vinegar rinse, that can also make your hair shinier, healthier and stronger, as well as it can improve hair growth – is rose water. Just spray some rose water to your already clean shampooed hair, gently massaging it into your scalp in circular motions, then apply your regular hair conditioner to the lengths of your hair avoiding the roots, leave this treatment on for a couple of minutes, before washing off with lukewarm water. Great and simple, but most importantly – it works!

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There are no shortcuts to growing luscious, long locks.

On average, hair grows about a half an inch per month.

Your general health, wellbeing, and genetic factors affect your rate of hair growth.

You can encourage hair growth by maintaining healthy hair through a good diet and proper hair care.

Certain herbs can help make your hair grow faster, too.

Here are the top 10 ways to help your hair grow faster.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a diet rich in protein and vital vitamins and minerals is an essential prerequisite to healthy hair growth. Opt for foods high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium. Vitamin Bcomplex, in particular, is extremely important for making your hair grow faster.

So, include a variety of foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, chicken, eggs, whole grains, salmon, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, parsley, grapefruit, avocado, brown bread, oats, and alfalfa

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in your diet to nourish your hair and scalp. Plus, drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, such as orange, grapefruit, carrot, beet, and lettuce juice.

Being rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, especially omega-9 fatty acids, castor oil promotes hair growth naturally. 

Fish, flax seeds, walnuts, beans, winter squash, olive oil, and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also good for hair growth as about 3% of a hair shaft is made up of omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid nutritional deficiencies because they tend to affect your hair adversely. For example, vitamin E and zinc deficiencies lead to hair thinning and loss.

2. Use castor oil



As this oil is quite viscous, mix the castor oil with an equal amount of coconut, olive, or almond oil. Massage your scalp with it and leave it on for 30 to 45 minutes. Then shampoo your hair.

You can also add essential oils, especially rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, or thyme oil, to the castor oil and then put it in your hair.

3. Massage your scalp

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Massaging promotes blood flow to the scalp, which in turn stimulates the hair follicles. In addition, deep condition your hair once a week with a hot oil treatment or deep conditioning hair mask.

1. Apply the oil (preferably warm) or conditioner to your hair.

2. Gently rub your fingers on your scalp in a circular motion for three to five minutes.

3. Rinse the oil or conditioner out of your hair.

This is one of the most popular tricks to promote faster hair growth. Just flip your hair upside down by flipping your head over for two to four minutes daily. It is believed to work by improving circulation.

5. Stay stress-free

4. Flip your hair upside down

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Stress is one of the most important factors that contribute to hair loss. It is believed that stress can disrupt the normal hair cycle and trigger hairs to enter the telogen or fall-out phase.

Thus, when striving for faster hair growth, minimize the stress in your life.

To manage stress, you can use meditation, breathing exercises, or other relaxation techniques. Plus, be sure to get your beauty sleep as the growth hormone is released during sleep.

7. Infuse your hair with herbs

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Herbs like rosemary, catnip, nettle, burdock, horsetail, and sage promote faster hair growth. Rosemary, in particular, is excellent for hair growth because it stimulates the hair follicles. It also adds luster to your locks.

Furthermore, the polyphenols and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea are also linked to hair growth.

Plus, most herbs stimulate Page 38

hair growth by improving circulation. 





Prepare an herbal infusion by steeping any of these herbs in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes. Use it as a final rinse after shampooing and conditioning your hair. In addition to encouraging hair growth, it will strengthen your hair and make it soft and manageable.

You can also mix herbal infusions or essential oils in your shampoo.

Drink herbal teas.

8. Take vitamin and herbal supplements

In addition to eating a proper diet, you can take supplements like folic acid, biotin, kelp, fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and others to augment hair growth.

Folic acid and biotin are Bcomplex vitamins (vitamin B9 and B7 respectively) that aid faster growth of hair.

Before taking any supplements, though, make sure you consult your doctor.

9. Nourish your hair with aloe vera

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



You can also combine aloe vera gel with equal amounts of coconut milk and wheat germ oil and then apply it on your hair.

Drink aloe vera juice on a regular basis.

10. Address medical problems

Aloe vera encourages hair growth and prevents hair loss. It also reduces dandruff and helps restore your hair’s natural sheen. 

Apply fresh aloe vera gel mixed with a little lemon juice and leave it on for about 20 minutes.

Shampoo your hair. Do this once every week or two.

Joy feelings magazine

Your efforts to boost hair growth will not reap good results if you have underlying problems like a thyroid disorder, hormonal imbalance, chronic illness, or a severe infection.

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Certain medications like birth control pills, beta-blockers, anabolic steroids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and others may also contribute to problems such as hair thinning and hair loss.

Seborrheic dermatitis and scalp infections cause issues like itchy scalp and mild hair loss. So, identify any underlying issues contributing to hair problems and address them as soon as possible so they don’t hamper your hair growth efforts.

Indian gooseberry or amla oil, fenugreek paste, a mayonnaise hair pack, and other healthy hair ideas.

Maintain healthy hair by following a good hair care routine and using hair products that are suitable for your hair type. Plus, protect your tresses from sun damage and avoid the use of heat styling products.

In addition to these tips, try some home remedies such as

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THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY IN THE DA VINCI CODE BY DAN BROWN

Book Summary

lovers or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting story.

A fascinating and absorbing thriller -- perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the

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elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move.

Unless Langdon and Neveu Joy feelings magazine

can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -will be lost forever.

The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion. 

Reviews Media Reviews The New York Times Janet Maslin The word for The Da Vinci Code is a rare invertible palindrome. Rotated 180 degrees on a horizontal axis so that it is upside down, it denotes the maternal essence that is sometimes linked to the sport of soccer. Read right side up, it concisely conveys the kind of extreme enthusiasm with which this riddle-filled, code-breaking, Page 43

exhilaratingly brainy thriller can be recommended. That word is wow.

Library Journal Brown solidifies his reputation as one of the most skilled thriller writers on the planet with his best book yet, a compelling blend of history and page-turning suspense.

Publishers Weekly Brown sometimes ladles out too much religious history at the expense of pacing, and Langdon is a hero in desperate need of more chutzpah. Still, Brown has assembled a whopper of a plot that will please both conspiracy buffs and thriller addicts.

Harlan Coben Dan Brown is my new mustread. The Da Vinci Code is fascinating and absorbing -Joy feelings magazine

perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle lovers or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting story. I loved this book.

Robert Crais I would never have believed that this is my kind of thriller, but I'm going to tell you something--the more I read, the more I had to read. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown has built a world that is rich in fascinating detail, and I could not get enough of it.

Mr. Brown, I am your fan.

Nelson DeMille Dan Brown has to be one of the best, smartest, and most accomplished writers in the country. The Da Vinci Code is many notches above the intelligent thriller; this is pure genius.

Clive Cussler Intrigue and menace mingle in one of the finest mysteries I've ever read. An amazing Page 44

tale with enigma piled on secrets stacked on riddles.

Vince Flynn The Da Vinci Code sets the hook-of-all-hooks, and takes off down a road that is as eye-opening as it is pageturning. You simply cannot put this book down. Thriller readers everywhere will soon realize Dan Brown is a master.

Fact and fiction in the da vinci code

The story tells the investigation started by symbolist Robert Langdon and a good-looking cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, around the murder of a Joy feelings magazine

Museum Louvre's curator. In fact, the unfortunate murdered man was Sophie's grandfather, and the corpse was found with a series of symbols and codes, like a pentagram and a Fibonacci number sequence. But police detective Fache will begin to chase Langdon, who escapes after receiving a warning about the captain's real intentions. Sophie has with her a kind of key with dots and number 24 engraved on it, which opens to her and Langdon a big complex investigation that involves a supposedly heretic theory: Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were, in fact, a couple who produced a daughter named Sara. A millenarian sect called The Priory of Sion has kept for centuries the secret of that matter. A masochist and kind Page 45

of psychopath albino monk, Sibilas, an Opus Dei member, will chase Langdon and Sophie as well, in order to impede that they solve the mystery of Christ and Mary Magdalene, and also the real meaning and location of the Holy Grail. A passionate British researcher, will help Langdon in his quest, revealing to them several symbolisms in Da Vinci's master work The Last Supper, traveling to mythical places in the UK, such as The Church Temple, where it is believed that a group of Templars Knights are buried, and Sir Isaac Newton's tomb at Westminster Abbey, where are located some of the main keys to solve the Holy Grail's mystery.

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The thesis of the bestselling novel is that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child whose descendants later founded the Merovingian dynasty. Mary's womb, not the chalice of the Last Supper, was the real Holy Grail, and a Catholic sect is killing people to hush it all up. The book also makes Leonardo da Vinci the past leader of a shadowy order sworn to protect documents proving the existence of Jesus's child. Da Vinci depicts not the disciple John next to Jesus at the Last Supper, the book says, but Mary Magdalene, a symbol of the "divine feminine" principle that the church is determined to obliterate.

The book has spawned heated speculation: Why did the church wrongly label Mary a prostitute? Was she marginalized by a patriarchal Page 46

church afraid of female leaders? How intimate was she with Jesus? Does the debate over the child obscure a more profound role for Mary in the future of Christianity? "Most people who read The Da Vinci Code have no way of separating historical fact from literary fiction," says Bart Ehrman, chairman of the religious studies department at the University of North Carolina and author of Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code.

Celibate. Take the book's notion that Jesus had to be married because celibacy was condemned according to Jewish custom. The Essenes, a sect that shared Jesus's expectation of an apocalypse, were unmarried, celibate men, Ehrman points out.

Furthermore, there is no mention of Jesus's wife in the Bible or in any ancient sources.

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The book's main character, Leigh Teabing, says the Gnostic Gospel of Philip calls Mary a "companion" or spouse to Jesus. But the Greek word the Gospel uses, koin么nos, means simply friend or associate, Ehrman says. The text says Jesus kisses Mary, but Jesus kissed all his disciples; the gesture was not considered sexual. Still, the Gospel of Philip does not completely dispel the possibility that Jesus and Mary had a sexual relationship, says theologian Bruce Chilton.

Ehrman also disputes the novel's claim that Jesus intended for Mary Magdalene, not Peter, to lead the church: In the secondcentury Gospel of Mary, supposedly the source of these instructions, Jesus discusses the soul's salvation, Ehrman says, not who will guide his mission. Indeed, in another Gnostic text, the Page 47

Gospel of Thomas, Jesus seems to pronounce that Mary must be made male to enter heaven.

Legend. The idea that Mary Magdalene bore Jesus's child, a folk legend for centuries, was given a boost in the 1960s by Frenchman Pierre Plantard, who forged documents purporting to show that that this child was the ancestor of the French Merovingian kings. Plantard later recanted under oath. The 1982 book Holy Blood, Holy Grail popularized Plantard's theories and added that Mary's womb was the Grail.

Author Dan Brown lifted much of his conspiracy material from this book, but Ehrman slams it. "Of the hundreds of professional New Testament scholars whom I personally know...there is not a single one, to my knowledge, who finds the claims of the book Joy feelings magazine

to be historically credible," he writes.

The Truth, Dan Brown, and The Da Vinci Code

By Richard Abanes Author of The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code

CBN.com – The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is one of the most intriguing, yet disturbing, books to ever hit bestseller lists. It has entertained millions of fiction fans and will probably continue to do so thanks to director Ron Howard's motion picture adaptation of it starring Tom Hanks.

Unfortunately, the saga boldly attacks Christian beliefs relating to the Page 48

reliability of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the organization of the early church, and the activities of church leaders during Christianity's formative years. It basically condemns the entire faith as nothing less than a wicked fraud. As one book reviewer put it, The Da Vinci Code promotes "the gleefully heretical notion that the entirety of JudeoChristian culture is founded on a misogynist [womanhating] lie." Or as the novel itself reads, "Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false" (p.

235).

According to The Da Vinci Code, true Christianity was started by a Jesus Christ whom others viewed as just another prophet. He allegedly made no claims of divinity.

Moreover, he was married, and his wife was none other than Mary Magdalene, who not only bore his child, but Joy feelings magazine

who also was handpicked by him to lead the church. This plan, however, fell through after Christ's death because the other apostles, especially Peter, were enraged about Mary being Christ's successor. So she fled in fear of her life to France, where she raised Christ's daughter.

There, so the story goes, Christ's lineage intermarried with French royalty, thereby creating the Merovingian bloodline of kings.

Virtually everyone knew this "truth" during Christianity's earliest years, says Brown's book. But then, by recasting Mary "as a whore in order to erase evidence of her powerful family ties," male church leaders were able to begin "the greatest cover-up in human history." These religious villains also changed the originally pagan, goddess-worshiping church into a Jesus-worshiping, Page 49

power-crazed den of evildoers who perverted Christ's teachings to further their own political agenda.

In The Da Vinci Code, we also learn that Mary Magdalene's story would have been lost forever had it not been for her protectors.

They chronicled Mary's life, and even catalogued her descendants. Nevertheless, the Church relentlessly sought to annihilate all documents relating to her identity and "her family's rightful claim to power." This ongoing attempt by Roman Catholic authorities to eradicate all evidence of "the true story of her life" went on for centuries.

The Church's diabolical plot failed, however, because a group of truth-honoring knights stepped into the conflict. These warriors "known collectively as the Knights Templar" were Joy feelings magazine

organized by a brotherhood called the Priory of Sion, a secret group allegedly founded in 1099 by the French king Godefroi de Bouillon. He was a descendant of Jesus and Mary, who according to The Da Vinci Code, formed the Priory so the truth would be protected and passed on to future generations.

Who were the members of the Priory of Sion? This is where Leonardo da Vinci comes into the picture. He and Sir Isaac Newton, along with the Italian painter Botticelli, the French author Victor Hugo, and many other historical figures, were all supposedly Grand Masters of the Priory. For proof of Leonardo's involvement, Brown says that one need only look at some of the artist's most famous paintings. They supposedly contain symbols and codes that reflect Leonardo's own Page 50

worship of the sacred feminine (or the goddess), his disdain for traditional Christianity, and the truth about Mary Magdalene.

It is difficult to know where to begin dissecting The Da Vinci Code. Brown's story is little more than a wellcrafted, cleverly written 454page diatribe against Christianity, especially its Roman Catholic sector.

Equally troubling is the way that he, his publisher, and the media have presented The Da Vinci Code as a "fact-based" expose wherein the characters reveal truths long hidden from, or at the very least ignored by, the general public. To use the author's own words, "When you finish the book, like it or not, you've learned a ton." Nearly every reviewer has parroted this line, which is not surprising since the book itself, on the very first page, reads: "FACT:... All Joy feelings magazine

descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."

The truth, however, is that Brown's story has very little to do with truth. Instead, errors abound in The Da Vinci Code and not just about Christianity either, but also about the Knights Templar, Medieval witch hunts, pagan symbolism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gnostic gospels, and the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Brown does not even get right the number of glass panes in the Louvre Museum's pyramid (there were 673 panes not 666) or the origins of the Olympic games in ancient Greece (he claims they were based on an eight-year cycle in honor of Venus, when in reality, they ran on a four-year cycle in honor of Zeus).

Such mistakes illustrate the book's main weakness: its Page 51

lack of accuracy and misrepresentations of history.

In other words, beyond the issue of whether or not Christianity is true, readers must also ask themselves several questions that are far more basic to the story: 



Does it properly interpret classic works of art?

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Does it accurately represent Christian teachings?

Ultimately, the facts will speak for themselves.

Does it correctly present historical events?

OTHER BOOKS BY DAN BROWN

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