MegaZEN Well-Being Journal - Volume 4 by MegaZEN

MegaZEN VOLUME 4

WELL-BEING JOURNAL

EXCLUSIVE

SECOND OPINION

A SERIES OF THOUGHT PROVOKING ARTICLES P.055

BRAS & BREAST CANCER

Could There Possibly Be a Link Between Underwire Bras and Breast Cancer? P. 014

UNDER THE BREATH

How childhood mouth breathing is the hidden cause of many health problems P. 026

THE BIG FAT LIE

Setting the record straight on dietary fat P. 078 2016 Collection â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE #1004

BUTTON SCORES A TOUCHDOWN

The spectacular halftime show headed by Chris Martin and Coldplay, puts the Love Button Global Movement center stage with the world watching. P. 040

BH-MZ2016: $24.95 US | $29.95 CAN

CONSCIOUSNESS | ENTELECHY | INTENTIONAL HEALING COMMUNITY

beingclarity.com

A Healing Gesture of a Gift from

Dr. Habib Sadeghi & Dr. Sherry Sami www.beingclarity.com

VOLUME 4

COVER ARTICLE 040 LOVE BUTTON SCORES A TOUCHDOWN The spectacular halftime show headed by Chris Martin and Coldplay, puts the Love Button Global Movement center stage with the world watching.

FEATURED ARTICLES 018 SCIENCE OF MOTHER’S INTUITION Do women carry the DNA of their children inside their brain? 026 UNDER THE BREATH Childhood mouth breathing is the hidden cause of many health problems. 092 COMPASSION & CONSEQUENCE Putting patients before profits comes with a price in corporatized medicine. 128 THE HEALING POWER OF TOUCH With kindness and intention, we magnify our healing energy.

SECOND OPINION A closer look at some of the most commonly prescribed health foods, practices and procedures

LOVE BUTTON GLOBAL MOVEMENT Appearance at Super Bowl 50 was a great acheivement for Love throughout the world

056 BALANCING ACT The ups and downs of hormone therapy 060 EARLY DETECTION DISASTER How the rush to diagnose and treat prostate cancer devastated millions 063 PERILOUS PREVENTION How mammograms and the early detection approach to cancer are harming women 073 THE MYSTERY OF MYOPIA Investigating an epidemic of nearsightedness 078 THE BIG FAT LIE Setting the record straight on dietary fat 084 WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? Misguided anger in today’s healthcare debate

STATUS SYMBOL

How stress, disease and death are directly related to social status

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BRAS & BREAST CANCER Could there possibly be a link between underwire bras and breast cancer?

014 FEATURED ON GOOP 032 THE ELUSIVE ORGASM Exploring anorgasmia, the inability to reach orgasm 044 BETTER WITH AGE Deepening the flavor of your relationship by understanding projections 098 REST & RHYTHM The importance of establishing a healthy sleep pattern

TANTRUM TACTICS

What to do when your child is out of control and how to ensure you honor their feelings

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130 INVISIBLE ATTACHMENTS How sharing the intimate spaces of the home bonds couples together

MIND, BODY & SPIRIT 022 COLEMAN BARKS EVENT World-renowned poet featured as key speaker at Be Hive of Healing 088 MEDITATION MINUTES Annual collection of inspiring quotes from our monthly newsletter the L.I.G.H.T.TM 090 DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? Understanding Medical Studies and Our Own Healing Potential

THE DARK SIDE OF SOY

A closer look at America’s favorite health food and staple ingredient

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102 POETRY LOUNGE A collection of healing and inspirational poetry from around the world. 120 NEW INTEGRATIVE SERVICES An in-depth look at Be Hive of Healing’s updated integrative medical services

Release & Resilience

Learning to let go keeps us in the flow of life.

Here we are with the fourth edition of MegaZEN. How can this be? It seems like only several months ago we were sitting down discussing the possibility of creating a health and wellness journal that would address the issues we cared about the most. Would it work? Well, you’re holding the answer in your hands. We’re thrilled our readership continues to grow and has long passed the limits of what we thought was possible. It fills us with joy each time we hear from readers how MegaZEN inspired them or provided the perfect spiritual or health information they needed at just the right time. That’s the reason we do this, and your gratitude is our greatest reward.

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Our 2015 was a collage of joy, achievement and unexpected challenges. Perhaps the greatest gift this past year brought us, was the lesson of release. In more ways than one we came to understand the importance of releasing our attachments to people, things, expectations, and needing a sense of control about the future. Life is an endless stream of gifts and experiences. When we cling to things, we stop this momentum and fall out of the flow of life. When our hands are clasped so tightly around something, they’re not open and available to receive the next gift. Living a human life is to understand the art of resilience, and when we finally learn to let go of everything, we find we enjoy everything much more. If we don’t waste our time with people and things, worrying about when we won’t have them anymore, we can be fully present with them and receive the gift life is trying to place squarely in our hands every day—the gift of now. Our gift to you is this new and expanded edition of MegaZEN, which includes in-depth features addressing, the safety and options of hormone therapy, over-diagnosis of prostate cancer, the benefits of saturated fat, the status of soy as a health food, the cause of the worldwide epidemic of nearsightedness, putting the rage against the unvaccinated into perspective, the real risk of mammograms and the rush to cancer treatment, using projections to heal relationships, resetting your sleep pattern, unlocking the female inability to orgasm, tantrum control for your children…and much more! You’ll also find all the usual things you love about MegaZEN, like updates on the Love Button movement, beautiful poetry from our readers and contributors, photos from Be Hive events and happenings throughout the year, as well as spiritual insights to uplift and inspire. So we release 2015 with love and gratitude and move into 2016 with a new appreciation for the blessing we call today. It is our prayer that you will accept this new year as the gift it is intended to be, and learn to relish it without worry for tomorrow, or regret when it has gone. Remember to hold on loosely to life, and you’ll always be able to catch the next blessing when it comes along. Yes, there will be much to celebrate in the coming year, including our 10th wedding anniversary, so let us learn to celebrate life in the way it was meant to be lived, moment to moment. In Love and Gratitude,

Dr. Habib Sadeghi & Dr. Sherry Sami WHAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT

BE HIVE OF HEALING INTEGRATIVE MEDICAL CENTER

HAPPY KIDS DENTAL PLANET

MEGAZEN WELLBEING JOURNAL

LOVE BUTTON GLOBAL MOVEMENT

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF SPIRITUAL NUTRITION

The Key

Living Consciously in Our

Spiritual Ecosystem Dr. Habib Sadeghi

ost people ost people don’t know this, but on the island of Guam, there are no birds. Imagine that. Imagine never seeing or hearing another bird again. We take their beauty and music so much for granted that we probably wouldn’t even notice their absence until it was too late. Once gone however, the silence would be deafening and their presence sorely missed. Guam used to have birds. Developed in relative isolation, the island’s bird population was broad and boasted species that existed nowhere else on earth. For thousands of years, Guam was home to a remarkable variety of kingfishers, swiftlets, starlings, herons and other birds. What weren’t native to Guam were snakes. The birds of Guam lived peacefully and flourished with no natural predators, until the mid-1960s, when all that changed. Experts believe several brown tree snakes stowed away on a cargo ship and found themselves on an island where the birds literally offered themselves up as their meal. The birds had no concept of what a snake was or that it was dangerous. They also didn’t have the time to evolve any defenses against snakes. They never had a chance. The brown tree snakes proliferated with astounding speed, and a diverse bird population that had thrived over several millennia

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was completely wiped out in just 20 years. Although restoration efforts are underway, the music of Guam is mostly silent. If we are to live the lives we consciously intend, then it is essential to pay close attention to our spiritual ecosystem. Like snakes, the limiting beliefs of others can slither into the corners of our minds without us ever noticing. They stow away under the guise of truth, and infiltrate our self-concept. Soon, we’ve accepted these erroneous ideas as fact, just because a supposed “authority” figure spoke them. We assume that just because a parent, teacher, clergyman or some other authority figure said it, it must be true. When we aren’t grounded in who we are, we let others define our identity for us. We have no defense mechanism to deflect the onslaught of negativity. What ends up happening is all that we understand and know to be beautiful about ourselves gets overrun by the insatiable appetite of self-doubt, self-hatred and uncertainty. Our spiritual ecosystem suffers a terrible imbalance and the natural order of our island, our body, begins to break down. The music disappears from our lives too. Many of life’s challenges come from negative beliefs that have snuck up on us, ones that we don’t even know are there. Rooting out these negative limiting beliefs we’ve unknowingly let onto 2016 Collection

our spiritual island helps us to restore balance once again. It’s said that St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland and healed the land. We can do the same with a simple exercise similar to word association. On individual index cards, write down these phrases - one phrase per card: Money is: Men are: Women are: I can’t: My health is: My mother is: My father is: My face is: My body is: God is: Sex is:, etc. Write down as many open-ended statements you can think of. Have a friend display these flash cards to you one at a time in random and rapid succession. Don’t stop to think about any of the answers! Reply as quickly and reflexively as possible to avoid self-censoring. You’ll be surprised at how many dangerous and limiting beliefs that drive your choices and behavior have stowed away in your subconscious. If you take the time to examine each one, you’ll likely be amazed at how there’s virtually no real proof for any of them! Most of the time, you won’t even remember why you believed them in the first place. You just do. As these falsehoods fall away, you’ll be diminishing the influence of the nocebo effect, which we discussed last month. You’ll now be able to claim more conscious control over your life and health. By unlearning limiting beliefs, truth returns to our spiritual ecosystem, and the music comes back into our lives.

MegaZEN

THE EXCLUSIVE BOND

s we honor our mothers this month, I want to share an incredible story of healing that demonstrates the unique connection that exists between a mother and her child. How does a woman intuitively know when her child is in danger? How is it that she can pick out her child’s cry from a group of children? We’ve always known that this special energetic connection, which they seem to share with no one else, exists. Until recently, we’ve had to accept this phenomenon on faith alone. Now, science and direct experience are proving the reality of this exclusive bond in more ways than one. In this issue, we’ll examine the energetic connection between mother and child. In an upcoming issue, we’ll explore some amazing DNA links that are only shared between mothers and their children. The body is an electrical mechanism and therefore, runs on real measurable energy. This energy, sometimes call Qi or life force energy, travels along 12 specific pathways through the body, penetrating and vitalizing every cell, tissue, fluid and organ, while supporting their ability to function optimally. These pathways, called meridians, are named for the major organ or organ system along their route. These include the lung, large intestine, spleen, stomach, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium (circulation/sex), triple warmer (head, also assists pericardium meridian), liver and gall bladder meridians. These are the same meridians treated with great success in acupuncture and which traditional medicine is beginning to research in greater detail.1 For nine months, mother and child share everything physical and 0

Exploring the Energetic Connection Between a Mother & Child Dr. Habib Sadeghi

energetic, from blood to emotions, even meridians. Whatever the mother experiences on a physical or emotional level, her baby experiences in equal measure. Because emotions are the vehicle for energy in the body, we can say that the baby swims in the conscious (and subconscious) thoughts and feelings of the mother. Most doctors don’t tell expectant mothers this, but a C-section is classified as major surgery. There are 20 million surgeries requiring general anesthesia conducted in the U.S. each year.2 When we include all that also require local anesthesia, like C-sections, the number could easily reach 60 million. This is significant because surgery, which is very helpful at times, can leave scars that disrupt the meridians of the body and create secondary problems that most doctors will never connect to the seemingly unrelated surgery. The body is a perfectly sealed environment containing everything within it to run optimally. When we breach that seal and disrupt the environment we upset its energetic equilibrium. The scar that forms after the surgery acts like a roadblock along the energy meridian where it exists, causing a condition called reverse polarity that can manifest in one of two ways. Either the energy will hit this wall and begin building a stagnate pool or ricochet off and travel down a neighboring pathway where it doesn’t belong. The result is a new physical problem in the vicinity of the scar or in a location that seems totally unrelated. I can’t tell you how many women come into my office suffering from dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or anorgasmia (inability

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SOURCES:

“The body is a perfectly sealed environment containing everything within it to run optimally. When we breach that seal and disrupt the environment we upset its energetic equilibrium.” to orgasm) after a C-section. By 2011, C-sections accounted for 33% of all U.S. births.3 Interestingly, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, which conducted the largest sexual survey in 20 years, reported that both anorgasmia and dyspareunia have increased, at 33% 4 and 30% 5 respectively, closely paralleling the number of C-sections performed. Women who’ve had breast augmentation or reduction often come to me after years of taking medication for heart arrhythmias that their doctors cannot explain. I’ve seen an equal number of men suffering from their own secondary problems after an appendectomy, circumcision, hernia removal or gall bladder surgery. To release or reroute the body’s energy in cases like these, I administer an incredible treatment called Integrative Neural Therapy (INT). Also known as German acupuncture, the procedure involves numbing the scar and surrounding area with Procaine. Once inside the body, Procaine gets converted to paraaminobenzoicacid (PABA), an antioxidant that some classify as part of the vitamin B complex. This generates the production of folic acid which begins to release some of the rigidity and stored energy of the scar tissue through the miasmatic process. Moments later, homeopathic healing agents imported from Germany, are injected into the area to reopen the energetic pathway and expedite the release of any lingering stagnation. The results are some of the most dramatic I’ve ever seen. Long term illnesses and even chronic pain that’s existed for year fades away, never to return after one or two treatments. The high success rate of INT is due to the way it stimulates the autonomic ganglia, peripheral nerves, related glands and trigger points associated with the affected meridian, which normalizes the illness-related function of the nervous

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system. I recently had an INT experience that demonstrated a simultaneous physical and energetic healing between a mother and child. I was the last in a long line of doctors for a woman whose 6-year-old son literally hadn’t spoken but one or two utterances in his short life. He was diagnosed with autism and selective mutism. The boy was quite restless, and an attempt to perform Integrative Bio-regulatory Medicine (iBm) on him was unsuccessful. After a few other short treatments, his mother mentioned that he was born via C-section. She also shared that since then, she had mysteriously suffered from dyspareunia. Because I couldn’t treat her son the way that I’d wanted, I spoke with her about energy meridians and offered to treat her C-section scar with INT. I know how this is going to sound, but I will stake my personal and professional relationship on what happened next. Near the end of the mother’s INT treatment, her son, who was occupying himself in another corner of the room, turned to his mother and clearly asked, “Mom, can we go home now?” In my astonishment, I struggled to finish the treatment, while the mother cried tears of joy. Although I cannot fully explain it, it seems that healing the energetic disruption in the mother from the scar related to her child’s birth, also healed the disruption in the child. I didn’t need any convincing, but this experience definitively underscored for me the existence of the singular bond a mother will have with no one but her children. Mother and child are connected to each other by a free-flowing energy that can never be severed. Lastly, I’d like to wish my beloved, Sherry, a very Happy Mother’s Day on behalf of myself, Hafez and HannaH, and send the same loving intention to all mothers within our healing community, the earth.

MegaZEN

(1) Ahn, Andrew et al. “Electrical impedance of acupuncture meridians: the relevance of subcutaneous collagenous bands.” Public library of science one. 5.7 (2010): 119.Print. (2) Roan, Shari. “Anesthesia’s effects may linger after patient goes home.” The los angeles times 20 July 2005. Print. (3) Caughey, Aaron. “Safe prevention of the primary cesarean delivery.” American congress of obstetricians and gynecologists. March 1, 2014. Society for maternal fetal medicine, Web. 12/6/14. <http://www.acog.org/Resources_And_ Publications/Obstetric_Care_Consensus_Series/ Safe_Prevention_of_the_Primary_Cesarean_ Delivery>. (4) Jio, Sarah. “10 surprising facts about orgasm.” Woman’s day. 2014: http:// www.womansday.com/sex-relationships/ sex-tips/10-surprising-facts-aboutorgasms-111985. (5) Herbenick, Debby. “Why does sex hurt for 1 in 3 women? .” Psychology today. 10 October 2010: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ the-pleasures-sex/201010/why-does-sex-hurt1-in-3-women.

Also known as German acupuncture, INT involves numbing the scar with Procaine, a natural anesthetic, which decreases the scar’s rigidity facilitating the discharge of stored energy.

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Emotion is the Language of Cells

The feelings we attach to what we think are the real catalyst for manifestation.

hen When it comes to consciously creating our lives, it seems we talk about thoughts most of the time. However, the truth is that the feelings we attach to what we think are the real catalyst for manifestation. We live in a feeling universe and therefore, emotion is the language of our cells. Emotions are energy in motion, and we can direct that energy to our benefit by choosing what we feel in any given moment. Instead of struggling with which thoughts to think or not to think, the fastest way to plug into the energy of what you desire is to be it now. Whatever it is you want, imagine what it would feel like to already have received it and then step into that state of being right now. When you’re feeling that you have your desire right now, collecting your thoughts is unnecessary because your conscious and subconscious minds are aligned, and they’re sending your cells a new blueprint for how to be in this moment. As we consciously change our being, this ever evolving being will eventually become our constant (subconscious) new state of being. In his book, Feeling is the Secret, author and teacher, Neville Goddard, reminds us that, “The only reality is consciousness, and consciousness becomes what it knows.” Whether you call it “acting AS IF,” or “faking it until you make it,” there’s much scientific proof behind this spiritual principle. One of the most amazing examples of this concept comes from a study Dr. Ellen J. Langer conducted at Harvard University in 1981. Dr. Langer placed two different groups of men, all in their 70s and early 80s, in an old monastery in New Hampshire one week apart. Unbeknownst to the men, before they arrived, she had transformed the entire place to look and feel as if it was still the 1950’s. Leave It to Beaver, Ozzie & Harriet and similar iconic ‘50’s shows played on all the TVs. The news reported on Nikita Khrushchev and the sportscasts on Mickey Mantle. The radios only played doo-wop music, and LIFE magazine was scattered across the period furniture. The pink Cadillac parked out front was the finishing touch to her time capsule. The first group was told to have fun and reminisce about the good old days. One week later, the second group took their place but was given a different set of instructions. They were told to be as you were in the 1950’s. Don’t remember the past, but act as if you are there now as your younger selves. Feel the way you felt 0

Dr. Habib Sadeghi then. Dr. Langer’s original intention was to study how preconceived ideas about aging affect the body. Her results were completely unexpected, and truly exciting. After one week, the group that was told to simply reminisce about their past showed improvement in all their biomarkers including skin elasticity, hearing, flexibility, systolic blood pressure and sight. Bone density increased and their posture was dramatically straighter. Arthritis that had gnarled many of their hands had begun to loosen its grip. The second group that was acting like their younger selves, instead of just remembering old times, experienced all the same improvements but at dramatically increased levels. Skin elasticity improved so much that their wrinkles started to disappear. Scores on intelligence tests improved, as well.

The quality of life we experience depends on understanding the difference between what is and what can be, releasing all preconceived notions and consciously acting on a new assumption. Dr. Langer’s study shows us that how we feel about anything, especially ourselves, is what drives the power of manifestation. Her work is proof of “As Above, So Below.” The mind doesn’t just have the power to halt illness and aging, it can reverse them too. The most amazing outcome of this study was the biological

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Heart Health & Athletic Performance

Carnitine and Ribose Synergy escribed as “cardiovascular health to the max,”

Healing Heart liquid dietary supplement is uniquely formulated to energize the heart

and muscles, while at the same time enhancing athletic performance and recovery. Sugar free, just

one teaspoon provides 2000mg of D-ribose and pure base L-carnitine and 100mg of pantothenic acid (B5). D-ribose is essential for cellular metabolism

and is the foundation for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary source of energy for evidence that showed that the men who felt and acted like their younger selves, were actually physiologically younger when the study concluded. Like Dr. Langer’s test group, you can “feel it real,” so to speak, in big and small ways each day. You may not have noticed, but at the top of each supplement label from Be Hive of Healing is the affirmation, “What a balanced and healing life you are living.” It’s our way of helping you stay grounded in a healing consciousness. Every time you’re scheduled to take your supplements, you might want to say to yourself, “What a balanced and healing life I am living.” Say it out loud and make sure you FEEL like you’re in a robust, healthy body. Then go about the rest of your day trying to embody as much of this idea as you can. Each time you imagine feeling healthy and strong, you send your cells a new set of directions.

the heart, muscles and rest of the body. L-carnitine supports energy production and the movement of fat

to the mitochondria, as well as athletic performance and heart health. When taken together, these nutrients

help keep energy stores at optimum levels and enhance the body’s ability to use fat as fuel. While L-carnitine exists in all foods, the only significant quantities are found in dark meats. Vegetarians or vegans may want to consider supplementing with Healing Heart.

Dr. Langer defines her unique brand of work as the psychology of possibility. For her, the quality of life we experience depends on understanding the difference between what is and what can be, releasing all preconceived notions and consciously acting on a new assumption. Imagine how it would feel to have what you desire. Step into the feelings of this new assumption and inhabit that state of being now. The powerful energy from the positive feelings generated by this new state will speak to your cells, and they will respond. Dr. Langer certainly agreed in a recent interview with Harvard Magazine: “Wherever you put the mind, the body will follow. At the end of the [monastery] study, I was playing football—touch, but still football—with these men, some of whom gave up their canes. It is not our physical state that limits us.”1 SOURCES: [1] Feinberg, C. (2010, September-October). The Mindfulness Chronicles: On the psychology of possibility. Harvard Magazine, 42-46. Retrieved from http://harvardmag.com/pdf/2010/09-pdfs/0910-42.pdf

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Could There Possibly Be a Link Between Underwire Bras and Breast Cancer? Dr. Habib Sadeghi

Published on

Forty years ago, at the height of the feminist movement, women were being encouraged by political activists to take off their bras and burn them in a symbolic declaration of independence and power. Today, women are still being encouraged to discard their bras, but by healthcare professionals, for reasons that have less to do with power than with breast cancer prevention.

Making the Connection

Restriction and Reasons

The idea that bras arewere connected with an increase in breast cancer was first raised by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer in their 1995 book, Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras 1. In the book, the authors were following up on a 1991 study conducted at Harvard University which was and published in the European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology. In examining breast size and breast cancer risk, the study discovered that premenopausal women who did not wear bras had half the risk of contracting breast cancer when compared withto bra wearers2. In conducting their own research with 5,000 women between 1991 and 1993, Singer and Grismaijer discovered that breast cancer risk dramatically increased in women who wore their bras over 12 hours per day. Their other findings included:

Naturally, numbers like these got lots of people talking. While the lingerie industry was quick to dismiss the findings, science set to work trying to discover the exact mechanics by which bras seemed to be greatly increasing breast cancer risk in women. The original suspicions still hold true today.

Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer. Women who wore their bras for more than 12 hours but not to bed had a 1 in 7 risk for breast cancer. Wearing a bra less than 12 hours per day dropped breast cancer risk to 1 in 152. Women who never or rarely wore bras had a 1 in 168 risk for breast cancer. Overall, women who wore their bras 24 hours per day increased their breast cancer risk by 125 times over women who rarely or never wore a bra.

Among those who acknowledge the bra/breast cancer risk connection, it’s widely held that a tight-fitting bra restricts the lymph nodes around the breast and underarm area, preventing toxins from being processed through them and flushed out of the body. Accumulated toxins anywhere in the body increase the risk for cancer. Dr. Michael Schachter, MD, of the Schachter Center for Complementary Medicine, explains it this way: “Over 85 percent of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes. Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow.” “The nature of the bra, the tightness, and the length of time worn, will all influence the degree of blockage of lymphatic drainage. Thus, wearing a bra might contribute to the development of breast cancer as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast.” 3 Free-flowing drainage throughout the entire lymphatic system is crucial for the body to quickly detoxify itself of waste products and any harmful or carcinogenic substances like PCBs, DDT, dioxin, and benzene from the industrial world we live in. The rate and

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degree to which the lymphatic system can drain these toxins away depends largely on the amount of body movement needed to stimulate it. The lymphatic system doesn’t simply work on its own. It gets fired up when the body gets moving through exercise, dancing, or even a brisk walk. When breasts are constricted in a form-fitting bra, they are not free to move in synchronization with the rest of the body and stimulate the lymph nodes around them to start moving toxins out. This kind of restriction problem is clearly evident in many women who display red creases or grooves along their bra lines. Dents around the sides of the chest near the bra edge are also sometimes visible through the clothes, depending on what a woman is wearing. Another concern that comes along with breast restriction is an increase in temperature. Breasts are external organs meant to hang out and somewhat away from the torso, maintaining a naturally lower temperature than the rest of the body. Certain cancers are temperature-sensitive. Temperature changes in the breast can alter hormone function and raise the risk of breast cancer, which is hormone dependent. It’s been known for quite some time that men who regularly wear tight-fitting pants can disturb testosterone production and even their fertility by altering the temperature of the testicles.

A Second Look Singer and Grismaijer certainly had their detractors, who were quick to point out that their study did not take into account issues such as a woman’s family cancer history, weight, diet, exercise habits, and other risk factors. This is because Dressed to Kill was an epidemiological study, which normally looks at a large number of case studies and draws mathematical conclusions from them based on comparisons of large amounts of data. Unlike a traditional double-blind study that isolates one factor to test its effect on something else, epidemiological research takes a more bird’s eye view of a situation by seeking out obvious trends under certain circumstances. This is why, although epidemiological research can certainly show that one thing (A) is correlated with another (B), it cannot absolutely prove that A causes B because too many other potentially causative factors are in play. Correlation and causation are not the same thing. From far away, it would seem that smoke is responsible for the destruction

of a building that burns to the ground. On closer inspection, however, it’s clear that the smoke was only correlated with the destruction and the real cause of the damage was fire. Even with its limitations, a strong correlation can be an invaluable clue when determining actual causation between two factors. In fact, further research under a controlled setting often goes on to prove that one factor, which is correlated with a certain outcome, is indeed the causative force or at least one among several others. While the Dressed to Kill study doesn’t present an open-and-shut case on bras and breast cancer risk, the correlation it draws between the two is so strong that it couldn’t be ignored, especially when the cancer risk is 4 to 12 times greater than the risk of getting lung cancer from smoking. In recent years, additional research has given even more credence to the original study, and those who laughed at the data are now giving it a serious second look. A Chinese study from 2009 found that not sleeping in a bra dropped a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 60% 4. In 2011, a study by the Department of Public Health in Venezuela found that bras played a primary role in fibrocystic breast disease and cancer, and that any bras that left indentations or red marks on the body were a risk, especially underwire and push-up bras 5. A study of 2,500 women in Scotland in 2014 also showed that bra fit and length of wear were connected to increases in breast cancer rates 6.

Refuting the Evidence In light of this more recent research, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) released data from its own study in September 2014, which was conducted by The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Originally published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the results contradicted virtually other every study done on the bra/breast cancer connection in the 23 years that preceded it. In examining 1,500 women with and without a history of breast cancer, the researchers found that there was zero connection between breast cancer and bra wear, regardless of a woman’s age, how long and at what time of day a bra is worn, at what age bra usage begins, bra style, or even breast/cup size (7). When interviewed by USA Today as part of a “myth-busting” story, one of the researchers, Lu Chen, said of the breast cancer/bra connection, “… there’s just nothing there.” 8 That was it. The researchers simply said that bra usage doesn’t influence breast cancer whatsoever, and completely ignored virtually every other study on the subject as if they’d never existed. The only previous research the Hutchinson study did acknowledge was the Harvard study from 1991 that found breast cancer rates were 100% higher in younger women who wore bras when compared with those who did not. The Hutchinson researchers referred to the Harvard study as “flawed,” without providing a detailed explanation as to why or how they came to that conclusion.

At the same time, other researchers and breast health advocates were finding their own flaws and conflicts of interest in the Hutchinson study. Of primary concern was the fact that the Hutchinson study only looked at women 55 and older, all of whom wore bras. There was no control group of women who did not wear bras with which the data was compared. Without a proper comparison with a control group, it’s nearly impossible to make any assumptions about the collected data. Is it possible the researchers were concerned that the lower breast cancer rates of women who went bra-free would disprove the desired outcome of their own study? It’s a valid question. How else do you explain a socalled scientific study with no baseline with which to compare its data? Ironically, the study actually does validate all the previous bra/cancer connection studies because every woman in the Hutchinson study cancer group was a lifetime bra wearer. Barely one week after the release of the NCI Hutchinson study results, Sydney Ross Singer, one of the authors of Dressed to Kill, was quick to point out the above research flaws, as well as a related conflict of interest that wasn’t widely known. According to Singer, The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center receives money annually from a fundraising event called the Bra Dash, a 5k run during which women wear pink bras on the outside of their clothes to raise money for research 9. Perhaps the researchers felt it was inappropriate to implicate bras in breast cancer when bras are used to raise money for the institution.

The concern with an underwire in a bra is that it comes into contact with two neuro-lymphatic reflex points on the body. The point below the right breast

In spite of the NCI Hutchinson stand on bras and breast cancer, Singer’s work and all the earlier studies continue to be validated. As early as February 2015, research published in the African Journal of Cancer found that, among other risk factors, “intensity of brassiere use…had association with breast cancer occurrence.” 10

An Underlying Problem In recent years, yet another cancerrelated concern has been raised about bras, particularly those with an underwire and their ability to magnify and sustain electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radiation from things like cell phones and Wi-Fi. While the fact that your bra could absorb and intensify radiation seems preposterous, it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Science has known for some time that metal objects can be used to sustain and magnify EMF radiation. Dr. George Goodheart, also known as the “Father of Applied Kinesiology,” discovered that taping a small metal ball over an acupuncture point generated a much longer electrical stimulation to that area of the body. He called this the “Antenna Effect.” That discovery led to the development of AcuAids, small magnetic patches that doctors and chiropractors all over the world use every day. Just like the metal ball, any metal on the human body has the ability to capture, sustain, and magnify EMF radiation depending on the environment you’re in and the electronic devices you’re using. The concern with an underwire in a bra is that it comes into contact with two neurolymphatic reflex points on the body. The point below the right breast is connected to the liver and gall bladder, while the one below the left breast is linked to the stomach. Over-stimulation of these points not only risks cancerous mutation of breast tissue, but additional problems in the liver, gall bladder, and stomach may result, as well. Doctor and chiropractor John D. Andre explains it this way:

is connected to the liver and gall bladder, while the one below the left breast is linked to the stomach.

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“These reflexes, like all acupuncture points, follow the Law of Stimulation. In the beginning of stimulating a point, it is stimulated—often causing an increase in associated function. Later on, this continued stimulation causes sedation of that point and a subsequent decrease in its associated function. It’s a mechanical thing…If a woman keeps the metal underwire on top of those reflex points, over time that will mess up the functioning of the associated circuits: Liver, gallbladder, and stomach.” 11

Change & Choice I’m a firm believer that if we are to make choices that serve us, the choices we make should never be fear-based. With that in mind, there is no need to panic about any of what has been shared here. While there is a legitimate reason for concern when it comes to bras and breast cancer, some simple changes, along with an existing healthy lifestyle, can result in a drastic reduction in breast cancer risk. Some of these include: Reduce the time you wear your bra by several hours each day. Try going bra-free once you come home from work instead of wearing it up until bedtime. Never wear your bra to bed. If you are small-breasted, an A or B cup, consider wearing camisoles or tops with built-in breast support as part of their design instead of a traditional bra more often. If your bra leaves marks on the body of any kind, it’s too tight. Make adjustments. Purchase bras without an underwire. Snipping the outer edges below each cup will allow you to remove the wires from your existing bras. Be sure to close the incisions up with a few stitches of thread. Bras with plastic under supports are available, too. Never carry your cell phone in a breast pocket, pants pocket, or in your bra. Always use an earpiece or speaker phone, keeping the phone away from your body. Consider a traditional internet connection for your home instead of Wi-Fi. The whole family will be healthier for it.

The Gravity of the Situation If there really is one myth surrounding bra usage that needs to be busted, it’s that bras keep the breasts toned and prevent the sagging that’s wrongfully blamed on gravity. If you’re concerned that going without a bra more often will cause your breasts to sag, let me reassure you that’s not going to happen. Better yet, check out these great quotes from experts, compliments of Breastnotes. com 12: “A mistaken popular belief maintains that wearing a bra strengthens your breasts and prevents their eventual sagging, but you sag because of the proportion of fat and tissue in your breasts, and no bra changes that.” –Susan M. Love M.D., Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book “Bras will keep your breasts from sagging while you’re wearing them, but not for the remainder of the time. There is no medical literature that shows bras prevent sagging. We have no evidence that wearing a bra could prevent sagging because the breast itself is not muscle, so keeping it toned up is an impossibility.” —John Dixey, Bras, The Bare Facts documentary “…going braless can actually cause the breasts to sag less. Bras cause breasts to sag because chest muscles work less when breasts are supported and confined in a bra. Over time, these muscles and ligaments can atrophy because of a lack of use…When the chest muscles and ligaments have to bear the weight of the breasts, muscle tone returns.” –Dr. Claire Heigh “Whether you have always worn a bra or always gone braless, age and breastfeeding will naturally cause your breasts to sag.” –Niels H. Laurensen, M.D., PhD, and Eileen Stukane, The Complete Book of Breast Care “Contrary to popular belief, going braless doesn’t mean that your breasts are destined to droop…Bras do not preserve the shape or perkiness of breasts.” –Columbia University, Columbia Health, Go Ask Alice! column So why not try going braless a little more often? The power and independence you feel this time around won’t be from rejecting political oppression but from taking charge of your health and resisting the social norms that seek to compromise it.

SOURCES: (1) Singer, Sydney . Grismaijer, Soma. (1995). Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras. Pahoa, HI: Icsd press. (2) Hseih, C. Trichopoulos, D. (1991). Breast Size, Handedness, and Breast Cancer Risk. European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology, 27(2), 131-135. (3) Schacter, Michael, B. (1996). The Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer, Schacter Center for Complementary Medicine. (link: http://www. mbschachter.com/prevention_and_complementary_tre.htm) (4) Zhang, A et al. (2009). Risk Factors of Breast Cancer in Women in Guangdong and the Countermeasures. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao, 29(7), 1451-1453. (5) Eduardo Quijada Stanovich, Marcos. (2011, October 14). Patologias mamarias generadas por el uso sostenido y seleccion incorrecta del brassier en pacientes que acuden a la consulta de mastologia. (link: http://www.portalesmedicos.com/publicaciones/articles/3691/1/Patologias-mamarias-generadas-por-el-usosostenido-y-seleccion-incorrecta-del-brassier-en-pacientes-que-acuden-a-la-consulta-de-mastologia-.html) (6) Amos, I. (2014). Bras Linked to Rise in Breast Cancer, The Scotsman. (link: http://www.scotsman.com/news/bras-linked-to-rise-in-breast-cancer-1-3422526) (7) Aleccia, J. (2014). Bras Cause Breast Cancer? No Support for that Claim, Fred Hutch Study Finds, Hutch News. (link: http://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/centernews/2014/09/Bras-dont-cause-breast-cancer-hutch-study.html) (8) Painter, K. (2014). Myth-Busted: No Link Between Bras and Breast Cancer, USA Today. (link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/04/brasbreast-cancer-myth/15074569/) (9) Singer, Sydney Ross. (2014). The Big Bra Bailout: Sloppy Study Shows Conflict of Interest, Killer culture. (link: http://www.killerculture.com/the-big-bra-bailoutsloppy-study-shows-conflict-of-interest/) (10) Othieno-Abinya, N et al. (2015). Comparative Study of Breast Cancer Risk Factors at Kenyatta National Hospital and the Nairobi Hospital, African Journal of Cancer. 7(1), 41-46. (11) Andre, J. (2014). The Dangers of Underwire Bras, Health, wealth, happiness. (link: http://www.relfe.com/wp/health/dangers-underwire-bras/) (12) Smith, Ken, L. (2015). The Purpose of the Bra, Breastnotes.com. (link: http://www.breastnotes.com/aware/aware-bra.htm#Footnotes.)

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The Science of Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Intuition A new study reveals how women carry the DNA of their children inside their brains. Dr. Habib Sadeghi

recent study published in the medical journal, PLOS One1 , examined the brains of 59 women who had died between the ages of 32 and 101. Nearly two thirds, or 37 women in the sample, were found to have traces of male DNA with the Y chromosome in various regions of their brains. The Y chromosome could not have come from the women’s fathers because if it had, they would have been born male. The only logical explanation was that the male DNA had come from their sons. During pregnancy, more than nutrients pass through the placenta between mother and child. Tissue cells and genetic material also seem to make the transfer. Science has known for some time that DNA passes through the placenta between the fetus and mother in mice, but now it seems the same phenomenon, called microchimerism, also happens in humans. Fetal DNA crossing the placenta can find a home in any of the mother’s organs including the skin, liver and spleen. The membrane protecting the brain known as the blood-brain barrier becomes less resistant to cells from the outside when a woman is pregnant, because a woman’s immune system is partially suppressed during pregnancy. This happens so that her body does not reject the fetus as a foreign invader. It was also surmised that fetal DNA entering the mother’s brain was yet another way for the mother’s body to identify the fetus as friend, not foe. It should be noted that the same effect most likely happens for daughters, as well. The researchers chose to focus on sons because it would have been much too difficult to distinguish a mother’s DNA from her daughter’s since they are both female. In either case, it appears that fetal DNA in the brains of mothers is there for life; the oldest woman in which the male DNA was found was 94. We hope you find this discovery as exciting as we do. The fact that women carry the DNA of their children inside their own bodies, specifically their brains, might explain a mother’s intuition. Many women can sense when their child is in danger, or pick out their child’s cry from within a group of other children. Women have felt the reality of this profound connection since the beginning of humanity, but now it seems we have scientific proof of it. While the study was very small and some valid challenges were made, it’s clear these initial findings justify broader investigation. If confirmed, many healing opportunities may lie in the unique mother/ child bond. Could it be possible to use this DNA connection between mother and child to facilitate a non-resistant organ transplant that wouldn’t require immune-suppressive drugs? We believe this DNA connection will eventually reveal how subconscious trans-generational traumas that create illnesses on the physical plane are passed down, as well as how we can heal them. So there you have it, a new reason to cherish our mothers and be grateful for the special bond we will share with no one else in our lives. It’s another beautiful example of our interconnectedness within the great One and a reminder of what a profound responsibility and blessing it is to be a mother, and to hold the future in your hands. [1] Chan, William, and Cecile Gurnot. “Male Microchimerism in the Human Female Brain.” PLOS One 7, no. 9 (2012): E45592. Accessed January 10, 2015. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0045592.

f you’ve been reading this newsletter or the Be Hive of Healing yearly well-being journal, MegaZEN, for any length of time, you know that nothing in life is random and that everything has purpose and meaning. This includes illness. When we get sick, it’s not because of bad luck. We believe that life is a classroom where we are to evolve and grow spiritually through every experience, regardless of whether we perceive an event as positive or negative. Everything that happens to us helps shape us in equal measure, but our subjective perception of each situation, not the situation itself, is what adds joy or suffering to our experience.

SHIFTING THE PARADIGM OF ILLNESS Healing Lessons from the Monarch Butterfly Dr. Habib Sadeghi

It is only when we go inward to examine the psycho-spiritual cause for which the dis-ease is only a physical metaphor, that we receive its protective and healing powers.

Recently, biologists at Emory University conducted an experiment with monarch butterflies that had been infected with a parasite that damaged their bodies and sometimes their wings, limiting their ability to fly. Although monarchs eat milkweed exclusively, some species of milkweed are toxic for them. The researchers placed an equal number of toxic and non-toxic milkweed plants in an enclosure with monarch butterflies that all suffered from the parasite infection. What the researchers found amazed them. When given a choice, the sick butterflies chose to lay their eggs on the toxic milkweed 68% of the time. The butterflies weren’t trying to cure their condition, but they were giving their larvae and future generations a chance to absorb massive amounts of toxins from the milkweed as they feasted on it. By absorbing the plant toxins into their larval tissue, these future butterflies would be much more immune to parasite infection, and protected from other predators like amphibians and birds. It’s interesting that the butterflies self-medicated by laying their eggs on a toxic plant. In doing so, the following generations would actually be healthier and better protected. How might our perspective change if we could look at our illnesses in the same way? Perhaps we, as students in the Earth School of soul development, are also placed in the perfect toxic environment for the lessons we need to learn from time to time. In a homeopathic sense, the toxin is the cure. We must take it upon ourselves to experience wholeness and healing. It’s difficult but necessary to practice non-judgment when going through a health challenge. To resist the situation or see it as an adversary that we must fight, prevents us from absorbing and incorporating the healing gifts it has come to bring us. It is only when we go inward to examine the psycho-spiritual cause for which the dis-ease is only a physical metaphor, that we receive its protective and healing powers. Once the unconscious emotional issue is resolved, the physical dis-ease resolves shortly thereafter because there is no underlying negative energy to sustain it any longer. Like the butterflies, the psycho-spiritual realizations left behind by the illness are our inoculation against ever experiencing that kind of dis-ease again. We are made whole by taking on what we see as the toxic situations of our lives, not rejecting them. They are the lessons we are here to learn and in so doing, our lives become an even greater experience of freedom and beauty.

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LOVE BUTTON GLOBAL MOVEMENT

Coleman Barks Event World-Renowned Poet Featured as Key Speaker at Be Hive of Healing

he Love Button Global Movement held its first international conference at Be Hive of Healing on March 21st, with featured speaker and world-renowned poet, Coleman Barks. Having taught poetry and creative writing at the University of Georgia for 30 years, Barks is considered to be the foremost literary authority worldwide on the poetry of the ancient Sufi mystic, Rumi. Beginning in 1976, his volumes of Rumi interpretations are credited with introducing Rumi’s work to the Western nations and as a result, making Rumi one of the most-read poets in the world. Since 1972 Barks has also published many books of his own poetry, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Tehran in 2006.

fter the initial conference message and proceedings, conducted in the Unity Garden, attendees were treated to the rare pleasure of hearing the master do what he does best, read interpretations of Rumi’s poetry, as only he can. Backed by musicians, Barks mesmerized the crowd with the talent that’s made him an icon in the international literary community. Also on hand was Barks’ partner and Rhode Island based poet laureate, Lisa Starr, who added equal amounts of inspiration and education through the recitation of her work. Please keep reading The L.I.G.H.T. for details on upcoming exciting events like this one.

LO V E B U T TO N G LO B A L M O V E M E N T Our mission is to remind people that their love is powerful. In a world where so many are struggling, the problems can seem unsolvable. When we reach out to others in a loving way, it dissolves the fears that keep us from seeing what we have in common. When we see ourselves in others, we naturally work together for the common good. Each time you reach out to someone in love, the Love Button you give them is a reminder of how easy it is to heal a little piece of the world right where you are. Together, we have the power to change the world because we are love.

Please keep reading The L.I.G.H.T.â&#x201E;˘ for details on upcoming exciting events like this one.

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Everyday Alchemy TURNING LIFE’S LEAD INTO GOLD Dr. Habib Sadeghi

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’ve always loved Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Not only is it one of his best comedies, it also contains a valuable message about life, perceptions, choices and consequences. You might not expect such depth from a romantic comedy, regardless of whether it appeared in the 16th century, or the 21st century. Actually, romantic comedies get a bad rap. They’re far more than just empty entertainment calories on a date night. The great ones use unforgettable characters, universal themes and clever humor to help us reflect on our own idiosyncrasies, both inside and outside of relationships. As the credits start to roll across the screen, we’ve been more than just entertained; we’ve begun to understand ourselves in a slightly different way. With that self-awareness comes the ability to make choices more consciously and create better lives for ourselves and our partners. After the lights come up in the theater, the guy may not have gotten the girl, or perhaps he ended up with a partner he hadn’t originally intended. In any case, both classic and current romantic comedy characters have much to teach us about using our fumblings and foibles to laugh in the face of life’s challenges, and spin them into golden opportunities that benefit us.

All That Glitters The Merchant of Venice explores the sin of greed through several plotlines, and takes place in Venice, Italy, which was the center of world commerce in the 16th century. Bassanio is the hero who seeks to marry Portia. Although she is an heiress, her deceased father has specifically stated in his will that Portia may only marry the man who can pass the test that proves he loves her for who she is and not for what she has. Each man will get one chance to choose one of three caskets: a gold, silver, or lead one. Each casket has an inscription on the outside, and a message with a “gift” on the inside. The ornate gold casket is stunning and contains the inscription, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” This sounds great, but it’s a trap. On the inside is a skull with a note that

chastises the potential suitor, “All that glisters [glitters] is not gold…” Naturally, the person who chooses the gold casket is superficial, and values appearances over substance. He seeks immediate gratification and gain before thinking of what he can give. He is prone to excess in all areas of life including, sex, partying, and so on. Of course, the classic message inside tells him that appearances are often deceiving. Immediate gratification, greed and avarice never lead to lasting satisfaction, but only to one’s downfall. The silver casket is certainly beautiful, but not as flashy as the gold one. It bears the inscription, “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” That sounds fair, but it’s also a trick. Inside, the casket contains the picture of an idiot with a nasty note saying, “So be gone: you are sped. / Still more fool I shall appear. / By the time I linger here / With one fool’s head I came to woo, / But I go away with two.” Choosing this casket exposes the man who is only pretending that he doesn’t put money first. He possesses a false humility; he secretly worships money above all, and is willing to compromise his principles to get what he feels he deserves. His pretentiousness and false modesty prove him to be a phony in all areas of life. The inside message dismisses him and tells him that everyone can see through his act, making him twice the fool he already is. The lead casket is a simple box with no adornments. The outer inscription reads, “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.” That sounds a bit scary, but it’s the right choice because it’s the same sacrifice we all must make when entering into intimate relationships. Inside is a picture of Portia. Much to Portia’s relief, Bassanio chooses the lead casket. Having met him previously, she already knows he possesses the qualities of the perfect suitor. By choosing the lead casket, Bassanio displays himself as willing to take big risks and “hazard all he hath” by giving fully of himself in marriage. Clearly, he isn’t wooed by appearances or materialistic gain. He can see that when it comes to the practical value of the things that really matter in day-to-day life, lead far outweighs gold in preciousness because of its hidden gifts. Likewise, he can recognize the inner gifts Portia has to offer.

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Hidden Gifts In Shakespeare’s time and for the following two centuries, lead would be much more valuable, from a practical standpoint, than gold. Yes, gold was beautiful, but lead would go on to be used in countless ways that improved life, such as in the construction of baths and drainpipes, the repairing of roof conduits, and the manufacture of stained glass, etc. In fact, lead would play a significant role in bringing piped water to public sewers and individual homes in early 19th century Britain, resulting in a massive reduction of deaths from infectious diseases. This was long before the dawn of pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, or vaccines. Lead made sanitation possible, and saved millions of lives. Back in those days, anyone who was skilled in working with lead, whether it was making a stained glass window for a cathedral, or repairing a drainpipe, was called a plumbarius. Today, we’ve shortened that term to plumber. Bassanio doesn’t know it, but he will be called upon to choose between lead and gold many times in his life and marriage. So are we. Life sets before us the task of becoming the plumbers of our personal

lead of life into gold. We do this by seeing that every problem contains within it an equal or greater reward, if we are willing to do the work. First, however, it requires us to “hazard all we hath” and take an honest, deep look inside the situation that’s heavy on our hearts, instead of choosing the temporary satisfaction of the instant gratification that we get through blaming, denial, escapism through addictions and so on.

Unexpected Help Even though we can’t see the massive plumbing infrastructure inside a modern city, that’s where the health of its people is supported as it constantly whisks away waste and brings clear, fresh water back into the system. Humans have their own physical and energetic plumbing systems keeping them healthy in the form of arteries, veins, nerve networks and energy meridians. Because the mind/body is one organism, having a proper plumbing system to process emotions is essential to maintaining the health of all the other systems. If we can’t process and remove our emotional waste, such as anger, resentment, guilt and fear, it builds up and makes us ill, first emotionally, then physically.

IF WE CAN’T PROCESS AND REMOVE OUR EMOTIONAL WASTE, SUCH AS ANGER, RESENTMENT, GUILT AND FEAR, IT BUILDS UP AND WE BECOME ILL, FIRST EMOTIONALLY, THEN PHYSICALLY. problems. Growth often comes from choosing to work with situations that seem heavy, dull and even painful. This is the lead of our lives, the relationship problems, job upsets, health challenges and more. They’re unattractive and seem to hold no value for us, but in reality they are the true gold, because it is through our challenges, not our successes, that we learn the most about ourselves. If that knowledge is discovered and applied, we can become emotional alchemists by transmuting the

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Choosing to look more deeply into a problem is difficult, especially when all you want to do is run away from it or point the finger at someone else. The good news is that you don’t have to have all the answers up front, or even know what to do. If you’re simply willing to take on the work that seems so heavy with pain, it’s amazing how the universe will respond to your energy, step in and provide some unexpected help to start the process.

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Driving & Darma A terrific example of this is a modern romantic comedy called Learning to Drive. The film stars Patricia Clarkson as Wendy Shields, a 50-something, Manhattan-based book critic whose world is turned upside down when her husband suddenly leaves her for a younger woman. Thrust into selfsufficiency, Wendy must learn how to drive. Ben Kingsley is Darwan Singh Tur, the Sikh driving instructor who is the unsuspecting recipient of much of Wendy’s misguided meltdown. Eventually, Darwan reveals he’s got relationship troubles of his own, and together they help each other transmute their pain into gold. Wendy’s husband obviously chooses the gold casket when he puts appearance above all else, and leaves for the younger woman. Like the gold casket, her assets are purely superficial and temporary, as her looks will surely fade, leading him to eventually seek out yet another source of instant gratification. Wendy, however, chooses to look inward and deal with the heavier issues of what the situation says about her. As she fumbles her way through heartfelt, yet hilarious self-reflection, she develops an emotional infrastructure, or plumbing system, that allows her to process her pain and traumas in a manner that improves her life in ways she hadn’t even expected. By choosing self-awareness as her prize, Wendy transforms every so-called problem into a learning opportunity, especially a funny and frustrating one-night stand. So let it be known that Shakespeare and life call us all to be psycho-spiritual plumbers when we’re challenged by the lead-heavy situations in our lives. Sometimes we’ll do the work alone, other times we’ll have help. Either way, it’s most often the harder choice that provides the greater reward. That’s why every romantic hero must be painted into an impossible corner. Even though we already know he’s going to get the girl and end up happy, it’s the choices he makes, the journey he takes, and how he grows through the process, that thrills us in the end. By investing emotionally in him, it gives us hope that we can overcome our challenges in the same way. We can, if we have the courage to name ourselves the hero (not the victim) of our own story, examine the options before us…and choose.

UNDER THE BREATH

How childhood mouth breathing is the hidden cause of many health problems Dr. Sherry Sami

ow many times have you seen children, perhaps even your own, with their mouths open? I don’t mean when they’re playing outside or exercising. I’m referring to the times when they’re watching TV, playing video games, shopping with their parents or when other people are speaking to them. Their lips are separated, and there is a clear open space between them. Perhaps even some of their teeth are visible. If you know children like these or recognize this behavior in your own kids, it’s very likely that they’re mouth breathers—children who breathe almost exclusively through the mouth and not the nose. This is important because how we breathe affects every part of our health and when children opt to breathe through the mouth instead of the nose, it alters their facial and cranial development which will create significant challenges later in life. The good

news is that if mouth breathing is caught early, while the child is still growing, all of these problems can be avoided with orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) and/or the services of breathing educators and therapists.

TELLTALE TEETH One of the most common signs of mouth breathing in children is crooked teeth. It might sound strange but in most cases, crooked teeth in children is a breathing and tongue placement problem, not primarily a dental problem. How can this be? When babies are born, the natural placement of the tongue when the mouth is closed is on the roof of the mouth or hard palate. Assuming your mouth is closed as you read this, notice

the position of your tongue. It’s most likely resting on the roof of your mouth just behind your top teeth. It’s very important for a baby’s tongue to return to this resting place when the mouth is closed because the upper jaw will use the tongue as a template to form its shape as it grows. With the tongue at the roof of the mouth, the upper palate will grow in tandem with the tongue allowing the child’s teeth to erupt around it, thus providing the perfect amount of space to accommodate them all in a beautiful straight appearance. The tongue in this position also provides important outward counter-pressure to the inward force of the cheeks as they grow. This balance of force is what keeps the child’s cheeks high and round as the jaw grows forward, preserving the natural shape of their face. If the tongue is in the right position and assuming a child’s bottom teeth are in or near contact when the mouth is closed, the bottom jaw will use the formation of the upper set of teeth as its template. This allows the bottom teeth to grow in straight with plenty of room and a perfectly matching bite. Interestingly, when I do my humanitarian trips to Guatemala, or Honduras, I rarely see any misalignment in children’s teeth. Lots of cavities are common because of the introduction of junk food and lack of hygiene, but beautiful, wide arches are the norm.

A CHANGE OF FACE If your mouth is closed and your tongue is still resting on the roof of your mouth, try this. Open your mouth slightly. What happened to your tongue? It fell from the roof of your mouth and ended up resting in the bottom jaw. It’s impossible to keep your tongue in the proper position when the mouth is open even a little. It’s also not possible to breathe solely through your nose because you’re not creating the vacuum inside the mouth to do so. With the tongue constantly out of its proper position, children become habitual mouth breathers. Because the teeth, mouth, tongue and jaws are integrated parts of the cranium and the rest of the body, if one is out of position it creates a cascade of misalignments throughout the head, neck and entire body.

arch that can’t possibly accommodate all the child’s teeth as they begin to erupt, causing overcrowding and a crooked appearance. Without the guidance of the tongue to help it grow forward, as the upper jaw collapses inward it also recedes backward into the cranium. The further back the upper jaw is, the less room the child has to take oxygen into the nasopharynx, the compartment just above the soft palate. The narrower the jaw, the narrower the nasal passages and airway will be. While all this is happening, the child’s cheeks begin to sink in and downward as the face develops because there is no counter-pressure from the tongue. With the mouth constantly open, the lower jaw can’t remain in close contact with the upper jaw. Without the feedback as to where its teeth need to be placed for a proper bite, the bottom teeth erupt randomly as the lower jaw simply develops where it’s held. This leads to a recessed lower jaw and the “weak chin” look. Aside from crooked teeth and a misaligned bite (malocclusion), mouth breathing alters how the child’s appearance would normally develop resulting in a sunken, elongated face with a retracted lower jaw and weak or non-existent jawline.

OXYGEN & ATTITUDES With the jaws growing in the wrong position and intruding on the nasal passages and airway, mouth breathing causes a host of secondary problems that most parents and pediatricians think are completely unrelated. Treating these problems individually without

understanding their underlying cause leads to frustration and little or no progress. With a narrower airway, children who mouth breathe will often unconsciously jut the head forward in an attempt to create a wider opening and get more oxygen. Unfortunately, this causes their head and neck to move out of alignment with the rest of the body as the shoulders slouch forward, too. The result is head and neck pain, as well as back problems and even pelvic misalignment into adolescence and adulthood. Since the average adult human head weighs 11lbs, that kind of pressure pulling in the wrong direction can create serious problems over time. Most people wouldn’t suspect that good posture depends on the placement of the tongue and that much can be determined about children’s breathing and oral health just by looking at the way they carry themselves. Not getting enough oxygen because of

“One of the most common signs of mouth breathing in children is crooked teeth. It might sound strange but in most cases, crooked teeth in children is a breathing and tongue placement problem, not primarily a dental problem.”

With the mouth open and the tongue out of position, the upper jaw collapses inward as it grows creating a narrower palate and

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a narrow airway naturally causes children to be anxious, triggering their sympathetic nervous system and the fight-or-flight response. Too often, their excited behaviors are interpreted as ADHD and treated with unnecessary drugs doing nothing for their other problems, which are also related to mouth breathing. The nervous tension from not being able to get enough oxygen can also manifest itself in anxious personality traits such as people pleasing and rigid perfectionism. Of course, all of these behavioral issues get exacerbated when the children go to school, where the lack of oxygen makes it difficult to concentrate properly, leading to poor academic performance. However, when children are taught to breathe through the nose with their mouth closed, these behavioral issues fade away in a matter of weeks, and it’s as if you have an entirely different child on your hands.

TRICKLE DOWN TROUBLES With the tongue down and forward in an open mouth, it’s impossible for children to chew and swallow correctly, especially since they’re breathing through the mouth at the same time. The tongue is responsible for rising up and blocking the airway when we swallow, but mouth breathing children lack significant tone in their tongue and lips. Because of this, they have to make a much more conscious effort to swallow, and there is a greater risk for aspirating food. Children with an easy gag reflex or hyper-mobile tongue are often mouth-breathers. The crooked teeth and misaligned bite that come with mouth breathing also don’t allow children to chew their food properly, leading to all kinds of digestion problems because

chewing correctly is what signals the stomach to begin producing hydrochloric acid. Actually, we swallow about one thousand times per day. It’s the pumping action of the tongue on the roof of the mouth that not only expands the nasal cavities but stimulates the sphenoid bone to rotate and signal the release of hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain. The pituitary gland is a master gland that is crucial in the production of many hormones. When the tongue lies in the lower jaw of a mouth-breathing child, the pituitary gland isn’t being activated nearly as much causing some children to experience slow or stunted growth. Some suspect mouth breathing as a possible cause in the failure to thrive syndrome in children. Of course when the tongue isn’t in the proper position, it contributes greatly to speech disorders. When the tongue is down and forward, a child can acquire a lisp or a “thick tongue” sound. The un-toned muscle of a slack lower jaw often leads to TMJ problems as an adult. A recessed upper jaw often causes unexplained headaches, hearing issues and eye problems as the cranium tries to compensate for the asymmetrical development caused by mouth breathing. Sleep apnea is also a serious problem in mouth-breathing children because their un-toned tongue can easily fall backward at night, completely blocking their narrowed airway. Each time this happens, the child is roused from sleep, which interrupts the important nighttime cycle of human growth hormone that’s required for proper growth and development. This also results in a very tired and inattentive child during the day.

“Not getting enough oxygen because of a narrow airway naturally causes children to be anxious, triggering their sympathetic nervous system and the fight-or-flight response. Too often, their excited behaviors are interpreted as ADHD and treated with unnecessary drugs doing nothing for their other problems which are also related to mouth breathing.” 0

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Interestingly, mouth breathers tend to have more airway issues, such as asthma, allergies, chronic congestion, larger tonsils and adenoids, and/or are more prone to getting sick with longer recovery periods. I feel truly blessed to see the radical changes in my patients, such as Emily, on an almost daily basis. Emily (8) came to my office with dark circles under her eyes and a posture that could only be described as lethargic. Unexplained tantrums were a regular occurrence, and she was always in trouble at school. Constantly congested and sick, it would take her two to three months to get over a common cold. After addressing her mouth breathing issues with exercises and a custom appliance, Emily’s parents feel like they’re meeting their daughter for the first time. The angry, agitated child is gone; Emily is now happy, contented and cooperative, and enjoys dramatically better sleep. She also appears taller because of better posture. She no longer needs to misalign her head and neck just to take in enough breath. Although to some children, it might feel like they’re getting more air into their bodies by breathing through the mouth, mouth breathing actually reduces oxygen at the cellular level, leading to a more acidic body environment. An acidic body chemistry predisposes a person to inflammation and major chronic disease

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“Sleep apnea is also a serious problem in mouth-breathing children because their un-toned tongue can easily fall backward at night, completely blocking their narrowed airway.” processes. An acidic body will always undermine every attempt to get well, regardless of the exercise, diet or supplement regimen someone is using. These are the reasons why some people’s health seems to collapse in their 30’s and 40’s. They never suspect that the collapse could be due in part to a lifetime of mouth breathing.

CAUSES OF MOUTH BREATHING To the extent that the developmental constellation of the jaw starts in utero, it takes shape and activates further at the moment a baby latches on to its mother’s nipple. The tongue is at the roof of the mouth trapping the mother’s nipple between it and the palate. It’s the upward and forward pressure of the tongue that’s driving the development of the upper jaw and airway. In contrast, bottle feeding can often create different dynamics, particularly with suckling and swallowing, and at times contributes to the tongue position and swallowing mechanism. Another cause of mouth breathing includes being tongue tied. In these cases, the slight band of tissue under the tongue that attaches it to the base of the mouth, the frenulum, may be too

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short, limiting the tongue’s mobility and keeping it from its proper position at the top of the mouth. A common sign of a tongue-tied baby is its inability to attach its mouth to the mother’s breast to feed. Unfortunately, many of these babies are bottle fed as a result, and the underlying issue is not detected, leading them to grow up as mouth breathers. In these cases, a simple frenectomy procedure releases the tongue and allows it to assume its natural position. Frenula also exist between the lips and the teeth, and can limit mouth mobility if they are too short. Incorrect swallowing due to neurological issues, as well as strains in the body, such as in the neck (torticollis), or in the spine (scoliosis), are crucial issues to investigate with your osteopathic physician or a knowledgeable chiropractor. Issues with enlarged adenoids and tonsils, as well as allergies (most commonly to dairy, gluten and soy), can cause a prolonged congestion, forcing children to temporarily breathe through the mouth. Habits such as thumb sucking and using things like pacifiers and sippy cups all contribute to keeping the tongue out of its natural position on the roof of the mouth, which leads to a

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collapsed upper arch, narrow airways, mouth breathing and all the problems that go along with it. As a side note, what and how we feed young children also contributes a lot to how the mouth develops. Parents can often be too concerned about chopping a child’s food up into very tiny pieces. Yes, it’s important to avoid a choking risk, but pureeing, mashing and chopping a child’s food too much leads to other problems. Feeding a child too many soft foods like mashed potatoes, pudding and pasta doesn’t require him or her to chew very much, or at all. This doesn’t allow the musculature of the jaw to develop - the muscles that keep the mouth closed at rest. Before civilization became industrialized, babies breast fed much longer and went straight from the breast to a more solid food diet without having to pass through the baby food phase we’ve created in modern times. It’s good to let your baby gnaw on a long piece of celery, carrot stick or apple wedge on a daily basis. Giving the jaws a good workout with the right kind of food is something to consider for children of all ages, especially since their modern diet has softened considerably with things like chicken nuggets, French fries, pizza and so on.

EARLY INTERVENTION ESSENTIALS If caught early, mouth breathing can be corrected through orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT). This intervention examines the overall structure and function of the head, neck, face, tongue and lips as they relate to the rest of the body. Special attention is paid to head posture and how a child breathes, chews and swallows. A highly-trained therapist, such as Zahra Peeran, RDH, Myofunctional Therapist and Buteyko Breathing Educator, who works in my office, will ask thorough questions about the child’s birth, disposition, bottle feeding vs. breastfeeding, ages at first walking and talking, hand-eye coordination issues, speech therapy, allergies, headaches, thumb sucking, diet, sleep positions, night drooling, sleep patterns, bed-wetting and more. A posture and oral evaluation will be done along with a few other diagnostic applications. Finally, a combination of oral exercises and custom-fit appliances will be included in a plan of care to re-tone and retrain the muscles of the lips, tongue and jaw to support closed-mouth, nose breathing and proper swallowing. Because a child’s mouth, face and cranium are growing at a very rapid rate, it’s important to start therapy as early as possible to take advantage of this phase of life where the body can be easily molded. By the time a child reaches the teens, most of the cranial development is set. When caught and corrected early, the results are dramatic. Anxiousness, lack of concentration, behavioral challenges, headaches, poor sleep, eye issues, and other seemingly unrelated problems completely resolve, never to return, often in as little as a few months. Seeing teeth realign beautifully, oftentimes without braces, is commonly seen in my practice. It’s quite amazing to witness how crucial nasal breathing is to the health of the entire body, especially when I look at the child’s blood work with my husband, who is an integrative family practitioner. Too often, crooked teeth are seen as an isolated problem, and parents end up taking their children to get braces. Forcing the teeth into a position that the cranium and facial muscles aren’t capable of sustaining creates even more internal pressure and problems down the road. Most orthodontists won’t tell you this, but the majority of orthodontic procedures fail over time, with teeth shifting and moving years later. Children often feel guilty because they think they didn’t wear their retainer enough, when in reality, it’s because their cranial and facial muscles weren’t adapted to support the new structure.

“If caught early, mouth breathing can be corrected through orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT). This intervention examines the overall structure and function of the head, neck, face, tongue and lips as they relate to the rest of the body. Special attention is paid to head posture and how a child breathes, chews and swallows.”

PREVENTIVE STEPS It’s time for the structural approach and functional approach to orthodontics to finally come together in order to help children heal in a more holistic way, rather than resorting to forced realignment that does more harm than good. Remember that as long as children have these four habits, they’re well on their way to greater health and more likely, naturally straight teeth: TONGUE RESTING ON THE ROOF OF THE MOUTH BEHIND THE UPPER FRONT TEETH LIPS TOGETHER AT REST BREATHE THROUGH THE NOSE NO VISIBLE MUSCLE MOVEMENT ON THE SUBCONSCIOUS SWALLOW.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for any of the various symptoms of mouth breathing in your child. If you suspect there is a problem, you can visit the website of the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy at www.aomtinfo.org to find a therapist in your area.

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THE ELUSIVE ORGASM and What It Can Mean for Healing Dr. Habib Sadeghi

FEATURED ON:

Bernie Sanders Images Courtesy of: Flickr user DonkeyHotey

What do a Presidential candidate and orgasms have in common?

The answer to that question is probably not what you think. In order to explain the connection, let me first tell you a little bit about my own history with a certain candidate and some of what I know about developmental challenges in the sexual realm. I was a young medical student when I first found the lump in my left testicle. Medical students are known hypochondriacs, so my late brother, then a doctor himself, counseled me not to worry too much about it. But I just had this feeling. When I went to the doctor, he confirmed the worst: I had Stage 2 testicular cancer.

As if that news weren’t bad enough, I then learned the treatment plan my doctors had devised for me. They offered only one option: to have all the lymph nodes in my gut removed, along with the affected testicle, followed by extensive rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, accompanied by recurring prescriptions for anxiety and depression. The plan was so extreme, so invasive, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the best one for me. After much anxious consideration, I decided to go through with some of the suggested treatment, opting to have just my left testicle removed. I have obviously lived to tell the tale, but beyond that, the experience put me on a new path, one that taught me about myself, led me to confront past traumas, and helped me discover the kind of doctor I wanted to be.

A pivotal moment in that journey came during a psychiatry lecture my second year of medical school when I got up in front of the class to talk about what I was going through. There I was, studying to become a physician while experiencing what it was like to be a patient with a critical condition at the same time. My professor listened to my story and something about it struck a chord. After class, he approached me and recommended an article for me to read that he believed related to my case. It was called “Cancer, Disease, and Society” by Bernard Sanders. At the 2016 Collection

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time, the name was unfamiliar to me, but today he is better known as Bernie, Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

That article, published in the Vermont Freeman in 1969, may have been several decades old at the time, but it offered a perspective on disease that was new to me. It led me to look beyond a person’s physical symptoms and the various tests, medicines, and treatments that Western medicine had to offer. It inspired me to wonder what else in a person’s life might be contributing to their condition. As Sanders asks at the beginning of the article: “Can disease be understood solely by looking into test tubes and microscopic slides, while ignoring the emotional lives of the people who succumb to them? Is disease just a tumor, or an ulcer, or a headache, or are those merely symptoms and manifestations of a person’s whole state of being?”

A New Perspective on Healing “A person’s whole state of being” . . . that phrase resonated with me. If I really wanted to heal myself, and go on to be of service to others, could I just treat symptoms in isolation or did I need to look at a person’s whole state of being? That question lead me to look more closely at the works referenced in Sanders’ article, including the writings of Dr. Wilhelm Reich, a psychoanalyst who came to the U.S. from Austria in 1939. I also looked at the work of my teacher, Dr. Morton Herskowitz, author of Emotional Armoring. I came to understand that there was no separation between mind and body when it came to health and healing. True healing meant taking into account a person’s emotional well-being, their sexual health, their past experiences and traumas, as well as their physical symptoms. It meant looking at anything and everything that might impact someone as a whole. So, what does this have to do with orgasms? Sanders’ article was essentially an exploration of the link between emotional and sexual health, and cancer. He even cited a 1952 study of breast cancer patients, which found that a high percentage of the

study’s cancer sufferers “had never experienced orgasm, did not enjoy intercourse, and considered it a distasteful, wifely duty.”

I don’t mean to suggest that an inability to achieve orgasm causes cancer. The link is not that simple or direct. What I am suggesting, however, is that our minds and our bodies are merely different parts of the same whole, and what affects one, affects the other. I came to view my own cancer from this perspective after reading Reich and Herskowitz. Their work helped me see how I’d donned emotional armor years before to cope with the physical and sexual abuse I’d experienced as a child. Based on everything I was learning, it suddenly seemed like no coincidence that years of sexual abuse, repressed emotions, and struggles with my masculinity created negative energy that manifested as cancer in my sexual organs. To some, this idea and its sources may sound controversial (Reich’s work was even burned by the government during this lifetime), but to others this idea may resonate, even if they aren’t sure why. Anyone suffering from sexual dysfunction, for example, is likely to understand that the problem is a lot more than just a set of physical symptoms.

“Maybe we’re not doing it right.” “He feels so bad that he can’t satisfy me, that it’s hurting our relationship.” “He said he’s never had a problem satisfying other women, so what’s wrong with me?” These are just some of the things I’ve heard from patients who are having trouble achieving orgasm. Depending on the severity of the problem, it can lead to depression and feelings of isolation. At the same time, a woman’s partner may feel sexually inadequate and the relationship suffers. Difficulty experiencing sexual pleasure can negatively impact a person’s emotional well-being, sense of self, intimate relationships and more. If we consider a person’s “whole state of being,” and how the different parts of ourselves—mental, physical, emotional, spiritual—are intimately intertwined, is it that much of stretch to think that a person’s inability to engage in a satisfying sex life can, if left unchecked, contribute to the development of other issues, including a disease like cancer?

When It Comes to Orgasms, What’s Normal? Before I talk more about this link and what you can do about it, it’s important to clear up a few things about female orgasm in general. Research shows that about 10% of women are anorgasmic, or have never had an orgasm1, and another 10% can easily reach orgasm.2 That means that 80% of all women require some work to reach climax, or may occasionally not reach orgasm during sex. Despite what many women and their partners may think, this is completely normal. In fact, women within the normal range reach orgasm only about 50%-70% of the time.3

It’s also important to know that, in spite of what we see in Hollywood and adult films, 75% of women cannot reach orgasm through intercourse alone and require the help of sex toys or oral/manual manipulation.4 This has far less to do with a woman’s desire or the skill of her partner than it does with her physical anatomy. The closer a woman’s clitoris is to her vaginal opening, the more likely she is to be able to climax from intercourse alone. For this to happen, the clitoris to vagina measurement, or C-V distance, should be no more than 2.5 cm or about one inch. Any further separation will prevent the clitoris from

receiving adequate stimulation during penetration. Many women needlessly worry because they’ve never had an orgasm through intercourse, but can easily reach one through masturbation. This, of course, is also normal. I encourage partners to educate themselves about C-V distance so there’s no pressure that a woman’s orgasm has to come from the penis alone, because it very rarely does.

In contrast to women, 98% of men say they always reach orgasm during sex.5 In her book, The Case of the Female Orgasm, Elisabeth Lloyd, professor of biology at Indiana University, gives her theory as to why there is such a difference between women and men when it comes to reaching orgasm from sexual encounters. According to Lloyd, the male orgasm is essential to continuing the human species, so it is directly connected to ejaculation. One might say that the consistent male orgasm has been highly selected by evolution. Because the female orgasm isn’t central to propagating the human race, women overwhelmingly don’t orgasm during intercourse. This is evidenced by the fact that a woman’s ability to orgasm has no effect on her fertility. In much the same way, nipples are highly sensitive in women as opposed to men, because they are also crucial to carrying on life on earth.6

So, if it takes you a bit of time to work up to an orgasm, if you have never had an orgasm from intercourse, or if you don’t make it over the top once in a while, congratulations, you’re normal. If, however, you have never experienced an orgasm (known as primary anorgasmia), have experienced orgasm but never again after a certain time period (secondary anorgasmia), or suffer from any other sexual dysfunction outside of what is medically considered to be the normal range of experience, it might be time to look more deeply into what’s

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going on. Because all women possess the proper anatomy to have an orgasm, there is no reason why all women can’t eventually achieve one with relative consistency.

This is a topic that’s often uncomfortable for women to talk about, even with their doctors. If the promise of a satisfying sex life isn’t enough to convince them to do so, then perhaps the ideas put forth in Bernie Sanders’ article will. There may be more than just good sexual health at stake. An issue in any part of your being can affect the whole. Sexual problems may be a signal that it’s time to look more closely at your life and consider what in your past or present experience could be contributing to your condition. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the common reasons why women have trouble achieving orgasm and what you can do about them.

Abuse Issues Many women discover that their inability to achieve orgasm is connected to some form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse from their past. Sex may be seen as dangerous, causing them to hold back. They may feel it’s wrong to enjoy sex, or low selfesteem may convince them that they don’t deserve the enjoyment. Negative body image issues may also come into play, as well as religious and social taboos. All this leads to a woman’s inability to remain present during sex, because she is distracted by sudden feelings of fear, guilt, shame, anger or isolation. These women often report experiencing a build-up of sexual tension and then hitting a wall. It’s important to remember that memories of abuse

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may be subconscious and just beyond a person’s immediate awareness. A physical disorder or illness can be an attempt by the subconscious to get our attention about a much deeper issue. In these cases, Reichian therapy could be of service, as would be a loving, patient partner. With courage and the right support, many women have overcome their past and achieved the joy of orgasm.

Lack of Intimacy Physical touch is very important for building momentum during sex, especially for women, but it has to be the right kind of touch. Most couples already touch, hug and kiss during sex, but is intimacy involved? Is it loving? How long does it last? How a woman receives and perceives touch makes a great deal of difference in whether her body is primed for orgasm or not. This isn’t to imply that a man is solely responsible for a woman’s orgasm, but touch is where every sexual encounter begins. It is a powerful form of communication that resonates in every cell of the body. When a woman feels loved, safe, adored and even worshipped by the kind of touch she’s experiencing, her mind will quiet and her body will relax and open into a receptive state that’s primed for pleasure. As we get older and hormone levels change, intimate touch becomes an invaluable tool to help build up to an orgasm that we used to achieve in only minutes when we were in our 20’s. In fact, a study from the University of Chicago found that women in their 50’s and older were nearly three times less likely to achieve orgasm when there was little or no intimate touching involved.7

Another study found that the optimal amount of time for sexual intercourse was between 3 and 13 minutes, with the average being 7.3.8 Sadly, this amount of time accounts for the entire sexual encounter for some people, not just penetration. During the rest of the time you might want to consider slow or prolonged kissing, spooning, touching the face while keeping eye contact, kissing the forehead, kissing down the length of the arms, legs or torso, laying your head on your partner’s chest to hear the heartbeat or playing with their hair. I can’t stress enough how important building intimacy in this way is to a woman’s orgasm. This means taking time and slowing things down, sometimes way down. Letting go of goal-oriented sex, where orgasm is the prize, greatly reduces sexual expectations and stress and allows the body to progress at its own pace. The reward will be a deepening of your relationship and the opportunity to have experiences that are in many ways even more satisfying and longer lasting than a fleeting orgasm.

the body in building to orgasm. A condition known as pelvic floor prolapse is a loosening of these muscles that support the pelvic organs and can be caused by pregnancy, childbirth, straining from constipation, chronic coughing or aging. If you leak a few drops of urine when you sneeze, laugh or cough, this might be an issue for you.

Kegel exercises help tone the pelvic floor muscles and are easy to do. Simply tense the muscles you use to stop urine flow, hold the contraction for five seconds and then release for five seconds. Repeat for a set of ten. Try to get three sets in during the day. Eventually, you’ll want to work your way up to contracting for ten seconds and releasing for ten. Remember, this is an internal exercise, so there should be no movement of the abdominals or any other visible muscles.

Imbalance Between Relaxation and Tension As the body approaches orgasm, it requires the perfect balance between relaxation and tension, but how can we be relaxed and tense at the same time? In this case, the body must be in a state of tension while the mind is relaxed or silent. Because the male orgasm is highly selected for sex by evolution and the male thought process is generally linear in nature, it’s not very difficult for a man to get his mind into the orgasm zone during sex. Odds are very good that in the heat of the moment, he’s not thinking about that business proposal he has to present at the end of the week. Some research suggests that women, however, can have a bigger challenge keeping their mind in the moment.

To minimize distractions, I usually recommend giving yourself enough time to have longer, more intimate sex. The time to have sex isn’t 30 minutes before you have to leave the house for an appointment. Make sure the kids are taken care of so you don’t have to think about them. Even holding back during sex because you’re afraid the noise will wake them up is enough distraction to prevent orgasm. Meditation can be helpful in learning to quiet the mind, as is visualizing an abstract concept like white light. If religious or sexual taboos are a distraction, Reichian-based counseling can be helpful. Regularly introducing new positions, toys and so on, can be a good way to keep your mind in the moment and stop it from zoning out because sex has become routine. While the mind relaxes, the body needs to be tense. For women, this means the buttocks, thighs and pelvic floor muscles, the ones you use to stop the flow of urine. Consciously tensing these muscles during oral or manual masturbation and even penetration helps increase physical tension, brings additional blood to engorge the genitals, increases sensitivity and assists

Medications & Surgery Drugs for depression, anxiety and regulating blood pressure, as well as sedatives, all delay or impede orgasm by preventing the muscles around the vagina and clitoris from becoming adequately engorged with blood, which is necessary for sexual pleasure. Consult your physician about the possibility of reducing your prescription or taking a trial period off the medication to see how your body responds. Sometimes switching to a different medication can make a difference. Some drug companies are now promoting brands they claim come with minimal or no sexual side effects. A clitoris vacuum pump, which draws extra blood into the clitoris, used in conjunction with a medication change, can provide added support.

Significant scarring from injuries or surgeries often blocks one or more of the energetic pathways in the body, called meridians. The result is a condition known as reverse polarity. When energy travels down a meridian and hits scar tissue, it either pools up and stagnates in this area, or ricochets off this roadblock and flows down another meridian where it doesn’t belong. In either case, it can create physical problems in the vicinity of the scar or in remote areas of the body. For many women who used to have orgasms but can no longer achieve them, the culprit is often a scar from a C-section birth. A procedure known as integrative neural therapy (INT) injects Procaine into the scar tissue. This generates a release of some of the rigidity and stagnant energy through the miasmatic process.

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Homeopathic agents are added to accelerate the release and reopen the pathway. Results are often immediate and dramatic. It sounds incredible, but many women have had sexual pleasure restored to their lives through INT, never suspecting that their C-section scar could have anything to do with the fact that they lost the ability to orgasm shortly after they had their babies. INT has also been effective in alleviating dyspareunia (painful intercourse) after C-section birth. Interestingly, the Japanese use a vertical incision for C-sections to avoid disrupting the energy meridians of the body.

Hormonal Imbalance In women, testosterone, not estrogen is the hormone of desire. Although women only need a small amount of testosterone for sexual health, the slightest imbalance is enough to create a big problem, such as lack of libido or inability to orgasm, which is why it can be a good idea to get hormone levels checked by a physician if you are experiencing a problem. Bio-identical testosterone is available in a number of

different applications, and testosterone-based creams are available that may be applied directly to the clitoris to heighten sensitivity.

Letting the Body Lead Our cells can’t speak to us, but our bodies still send us messages all the time if we are only willing to listen to them. Whether it is a lack of sexual pleasure, or another physical problem, understanding the factors that may be contributing to the condition is essential. Inability to orgasm doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong with your relationship, or that either partner is inadequate. The best prognosis is to be open to what your body is trying to tell you and to communicate with a loving partner about what you’re experiencing. In other words, consider using this as a way of creating a deeper level of intimacy. It’s important to remember that every woman is different and that orgasm isn’t always an earth-shattering experience. Let go of your expectations. Better yet, just let go, and let your body reveal what orgasm is for you.

“I’d like to dedicate this article to my teacher, Morton Herskowitz, author of Emotional Armoring, who taught me so much about the emotional armor that was weighing me down.” - Dr. Habib Sadeghi For more health and inspirational insights from Dr. Sadeghi, please visit Behiveofhealing.com to sign up for the monthly newsletter the L.I.G.H.T.TM (Leading Insights for Growth, Healing and Transformation) [1] Female Orgasms: myths & facts. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, http://sogc.org/publications/ female-orgasms-myths-and-facts/. [2] Thacker MD, Holly. (June 4, 2014). There’s Help for Women Who Can’t Achieve Orgasm. The Cleveland Clinic: health essentials, http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/06/help-for-women-who-cant-easily-orgasm/. [3] Thomas LMFT, Lisa. (November 19, 2011). Help! I can’t have an orgasm: inability to achieve orgasm or anorgasmia is a fairly common problem. Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/save-your-sex-life/201111/help-i-cant-haveorgasm. [4] Donaldson James, Susan. (September 4, 2009). Female Orgasm May Be Tied to ‘Rule of Thumb’. ABCnews, http://abcnews. go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/sex-study-female-orgasm-eludes-majority-women/story?id=8485289. [5] Ibid [6] Lloyd, Elisabeth A. (2006). The Case of the Female Orgasm: bias in the science of evolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard university press. [7] Galinsky, Adena. (2012). Sexual touching and difficulties with sexual arousal and orgasm among U. S. Older adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior. , 41(4), 875-890. [8] Corty, Eric. Guardiani, Jenay. (2008). Canadian and american sex therapists’ perceptions of normal and abnormal ejaculatory latencies: how long should intercourse last?. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. , 5(5), 1251-1256.

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Meeting La Beth Artwork and Article by: Dr. Habib Sadeghi

created this painting during an important time of transition in my life. I’d been struggling with the fear and confusion of a cancer diagnosis for quite some time. They were very dark years, but the more I continued with my spiritual journey to try to make sense of everything that was happening, the more convinced I became that no matter what happened with my body, I would reach the light again. That’s when I met and fell deeply in love with Sherry, who had no idea about my diagnosis. While I was at peace with whatever turn my life would take, I wasn’t so sure Sherry would be willing to attach herself to a man whose future was so full of uncertainties. After disclosing my health situation to her, to my relief and astonishment she confirmed that her love for me was unconditional and that we would face the future together, come what may. So in my darkest hour I was able to struggle my way to the edge of the light, but it was experiencing unconditional love that brought me back to the world of the living. Beth

LOVE BUTTON SCORES A TOUCHDOWN

Dr. Sherry Sami and Dr. Habib Sadeghi

his past February was a good month for love and not just because of Valentine’s Day. We’re talking about Super Bowl 50, which took place on Sunday, February 7th. Even if you aren’t a football fan, there was plenty to enjoy, particularly the spectacular halftime show headed by Chris Martin and Coldplay, which put the Love Button Global Movement center stage with the world watching.

In case you missed it, Coldplay took the stage surrounded by a kaleidoscope of lights, representing all the people of the world in different colors displayed on the beautiful canvas of life. At the same time, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA), conducted by maestro, Gustavo Dudamel, accompanied the band, playing instruments decorated in every color of the spectrum. Jamming out a medley of their biggest hits as the under-lit stage swirled in changing designs, Coldplay gave us a glimpse of a future world we all want to live in, one that could only be united by love. Front man, Chris Martin, underscored this sentiment by singing Up & Up, a song about reconciliation, and calling to the crowd, “We’re in this together!” No sooner had Coldplay finish their final chord, then Bruno Mars burst onto the scene, eliciting a huge response from an already energized crowd. Next, Beyoncé made her entrance, electrifying the stadium even further as she gave a passionate, retro-style performance of her newest hit, “Formation.” In an incredible finale, Chris Martin invited Beyoncé and Bruno Mars to meet him at center stage for a collaborative celebration. We all know the month of February as the month of Love. It’s the time of year when we show the people we love just how special they are. For us, this month was much more than that. February 7th, Super Bowl Sunday, was the day we watched tearfully as 75,000 people at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, held up plastic tiles, faithfully and without knowing why, to cohesively reveal the message, “Believe in Love.” In that moment, they showed the world that Love is an act of faith, regardless of what others do. The same responsibility falls to each of us to step out in faith and perform loving acts every day, trusting that the message will appear in life, just as it did in the stadium. This spectacular moment was indeed a powerful metaphor for how Love works, and it was preceded by an amazing performance from Martin, who took a stand for love. That moment, watched by 111 million people, was an act of synchronicity with a very different feeling from the game of football itself, which is built on conflict with advantage gained through brutal force. By contrast, the halftime show presented a message of unity and selflessness, reminding us that Love is the most powerful thing we have. We felt so blessed to witness the world watching the power of Love to create change, one person at a time. Since Super Bowl 50, we’ve been overwhelmed with press and people wanting to know more about the Love Button Global Movement and how they can get involved. The exposure Coldplay gave us has been a blessing we can hardly contain. Our little grassroots movement to change the world through individual acts of love is finally gaining the momentum it needs to make the kind of impact we’ve always envisioned. For this, we are truly grateful, especially to Chris Martin and Coldplay for believing in the Love Button Global Movement and in the power of love to change lives. Please consider learning more about the Love Button Global Movement by visiting the brand new website, www.lovebutton.org, where you’ll discover all the wonderful things we’re doing here at home and around the globe to heal the world with love.

“The halftime show presented a message of unity and selflessness, reminding us that Love is the most powerful thing we have.”

our lives thinking that everything is ruined only to come through the experience wiser, stronger, and, dare I say, grateful? This type of breaking down to build back up into something better explains the evolution of human consciousness and the reason we’re alive. This fermentation of the soul happens to us individually and together in our relationships, especially our intimate ones. Unfortunately, when the breakdown starts to happen and the condition of the relationship enters the acidic stage, we want to abandon the process. We trade the eventual sweetness of an exquisite cabernet sauvignon for the taste of vinegar. If, however, we can recognize that the acid in our relationships has a higher purpose, we can work with it and allow the breakdown to transform us into something much sweeter with greater depth, both separately and together.

SAME DIFFERENCE

veryone loves a fine wine because it gets better with age. In fact, if it’s processed and stored properly, wine has no expiration date. Technically, it can last forever. The oldest bottle of unopened wine is from 325 A.D., and the oldest full unopened bottle goes back to 1687. Both are on display in museums in Germany. In 2010, a group of Finnish divers found 168 bottles of 200-yearold champagne in a shipwreck. When one of the bottles popped open on its own, the divers dared a taste and were surprised that it was better than they expected. Even a sommelier said it had 0

a “freshness” and “wasn’t debilitated in any way.” Grapes have just enough sugar inside to feed the yeast on their skins to sustain a fermentation process that creates incredible depths of flavor over many years. The trick is, in order for the yeast and sugar to interact to create this state of richness, the grapes must be smashed. Wine has always had a sacred significance because it’s a metaphor for a state of being, and what it means to be human. How many times do we find ourselves feeling smashed by the circumstances of

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It doesn’t matter whether you’re using spiritual, psychological or scientific terms to explain how life works. While each of these approaches is different in their terminology, they can all be used to explain the process of how people and situations enter our lives. Spiritually speaking, we could say that we attract people and events to us that match our energetic vibration in order to learn from our experiences and grow in selfawareness. This is very much a “Law of Attraction” perspective. Scientifically, we could describe the same thing by saying that only objects emanating the same frequency will resonate together. In psychological terms, we can say the subconscious creates our life experiences based on the deepest beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world around us, compelling us to seek out, through our thoughts, feelings and actions, the people and events that will reinforce those perceptions. While all these definitions apply, for our purposes, we’re going to stick with the psycho-spiritual approach to help us understand projections and how they impact our relationships. The subconscious is always seeking to maintain order in your personal world, as you see it. It doesn’t matter whether the perceptions you hold about yourself, someone else, or a situation, are true, false, right or wrong. The subconscious 2016 Collection

is completely neutral and non-judgmental. It trusts that you’re the expert on knowing what’s best for you and guides you straight toward people and situations that validate your deepest beliefs, regardless of whether you experience those outcomes as positive or negative.

EASE & ERRORS The subconscious behaves this way for two reasons. First of all, it makes your life easier so you don’t have to think about certain things all the time. For example, when you were first learning how to tie your shoes, you had to consciously focus on every step of the process. Today, you probably couldn’t verbally describe each of those steps, but if you knelt down tie your shoe right now, your hands would fly through every one of the steps without you having to think about them. In this way, the subconscious is programmed to direct your behavior when it finds you in certain situations. Second of all, your subconscious seeks to make order out of your personal world by leading you into situations that substantiate your deepest thoughts and beliefs. In this way it provides you with a sense of certainty about life. These events continually corroborate “how things are” in your life (according to you) so you don’t think you’re crazy. The subconscious is great when it comes to helping you effortlessly navigate the many mundane aspects of life. The downside comes with the fact that virtually all of your subconscious beliefs about yourself and the world around you were neurologically wired by the age of eight. This creates a big problem for most of us who grew up in a less than ideal environment. We drew all sorts of subconscious conclusions about ourselves, men, women and relationships based on our interactions with our parents and their interactions with each other. It didn’t matter that our immature minds couldn’t consciously discriminate against any of this information. It all went in and created subconscious behavioral programs that run our lives today. Because of this, the subconscious will cause us to react in unconscious but predictable ways when we find ourselves in certain situations that echo a previous experience. This is great when it comes to tying our shoes, but can be very damaging if we integrated the assumption from childhood that we didn’t deserve love, and then have 2016 Collection

gone on to attract partners that treat us that way. In this sense, our outer reality always reflects our inner reality. It is there inside us, our consciousness, where we do the majority of the work that will change the outer circumstances of our lives, and not on the people or events happening around us. Nearly everyone is familiar with the axiom, As Above, So Below. In the same way, we could easily say, As Within, So Without.

YOU SPOT IT, YOU GOT IT At first glance, this might seem depressing, like you’re doomed to be an automaton controlled by subconscious beliefs that are limiting your life, and that you have no access to. The good news is that this isn’t really true. Life isn’t pre-determined, and you’re not a robot running along a pre-set track. At least you don’t have to be; you’re the only one who gets to think your thoughts and choose your beliefs. Once you uncover the subconscious beliefs that have been holding you back, or creating the same types of problems in your relationships, or causing you to attract the same type of person, you can consciously choose to alter your thought processes to trigger

new behaviors that serve you. Perhaps the greatest way to do this is by identifying and understanding projections. While your subconscious thoughts aren’t immediately accessible to you, they make themselves known in your reactions to the situations in your life, most obviously in relationships. There’s an old saying that goes, “You spot it, you got it.” This means that you cannot recognize any quality within another person unless you also have a corresponding element of it in yourself. I’m sure you’ve had a co-worker at some point who irritated you for some reason. Their behavior got on your nerves, but why didn’t it affect every person in the office? It’s because they didn’t have a similar belief in their subconscious that resonated with that person’s behavior. Because the subconscious isn’t accessible to us in a direct way, it gets our attention by causing us to project our unconscious beliefs about ourselves outward onto other people so that we can become aware of them. These are usually the judgments we place on other people. Instead of ranting at someone you feel doesn’t respect you, consider the possibility that your subconscious has created the experience to wake you

It’s impossible for a movie projector to reveal the images on the film inside of it unless it projects them onto an external surface. In the same way, your subconscious uses other people and situations as a screen so you can become conscious of the limiting beliefs you hold about yourself, neutralize them and move forward into a better life.

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up to the fact that you unconsciously don’t respect yourself. Why else would you continually put yourself in the company of people who treat you badly? It’s impossible for a movie projector to reveal the images on the film inside of it unless it projects them onto an external surface. In the same way, your subconscious uses other people and situations as a screen so you can become conscious of the limiting beliefs you hold about yourself. You then have the opportunity to neutralize them and move forward into a better life. At the same time, your body may be trying to get your attention. As a physician, I can’t tell you how many people come into my office complaining about things like neck stiffness, indigestion, acid reflux and so on. If no physical cause can be found, I always ask them about the quality of their current relationship. I’m not surprised anymore with responses like, “My husband is such a pain in the neck,” or “Things have gotten so bad, I just can’t stomach it anymore.” When we fail to understand the message we project onto another person, we continually reinfect ourselves with negative emotional energy that harms our health. That’s when the body starts talking to us. There’s no better way to get our attention than with pain.

Doing the Work The following seven step process is a tool I’ve developed to help clients work through issue resolution within their relationships using projections. This is a self-reflective exercise designed for one person. However, if your spouse, partner, or another person in a nonintimate relationship with you, such as a family member, is open to this work, it might be helpful to share the insights you gain with each other later on. For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll use the example of a wife who feels that her husband does not appreciate everything she does for the family.

FEELING IS FREQUENCY When it comes right down to it, there is no “out there” in life. Every person and situation you experience, either positive or negative, is reflecting back to you some aspect of yourself. If it pleases you, that’s great. If not, then you must begin the work of discovering the false belief that supports it, and change it. It’s the only way any significant change can happen in life. This is why trying to change someone else is always an exercise in futility. A new belief brings with it a new feeling, and a change in feeling is a change in frequency. This means that you’ll begin attracting to you people and situations that match your new energy and validate the supportive belief you now hold about yourself. You may also be surprised by how the existing people in your life start showing up differently without you even having to ask them to change in any way. If they don’t respond positively to your new energy, then your frequencies will be incompatible and they will fade out of your life. If nothing else, life is a continuous series of experiences designed to increase our individual awareness so that we can create better lives for ourselves. Regardless of whether you experience something as good or bad, your only response to it should be directed inward. You should ask yourself: What does this have to say about me? Why did I make the choices that got me into this situation? What did I do to attract this same type of person? To look outside yourself for an answer, or to blame someone, is to stay mired in unconsciousness, recreating the same negative experiences again and again. As I’ve said countless times to patients and clients I mentor, how you relate to an issue is the issue. It’s not about the details of the situation.

Recognition At this moment, it’s important to recognize that a problem exists in your relationship. This might seem simple, but too many times, one or both partners move through their lives in avoidance or denial that anything is wrong, just to keep the peace. Eventually, the pentup pressure becomes too great and explodes into a volatile situation that could have been avoided much sooner with a bit more selfawareness. It’s also important to admit that this problem is drawing your attention to a deeper issue within yourself that’s limiting your life in some way. There’s no need to identify what that issue is at the moment. This is also where you get in touch with the anger, sadness, rejection, jealousy or whatever emotions you’re feeling. It’s a fallacy that people who consider themselves “spiritual” shouldn’t experience negative emotions. In fact, the only negative emotion is the one that’s repressed. Find a place that’s private where you can give yourself enough time to fully release what your feeling. If you want to yell and scream at a photograph of your partner, that’s great. If you prefer to beat your mattress with a tennis racquet pretending it’s your partner’s head; that works, too. It’s essential to fully realize and release what you’re feeling. This action recognizes your emotions as valid and helps you move into the rest of the exercise with a more neutral, less emotionally-charged frame of mind.

Commitment Set a clear positive intention to resolve this situation within yourself, and make a commitment to doing the necessary work to see its outcome manifested in your life. In the case of our example, it might sound something like this: My intention is to heal the source of the hurt and anger inside of me that I feel when my husband ignores all that I do for the family, and to embrace what I learn about myself from this situation to bring peace and clarity to my life. It’s best to write your intention down. Writing intentions and affirmations has a very powerful effect on the subconscious. It’s been proven that goals are more often accomplished when they’re written down. This also provides a way of making your commitment to yourself more real by bringing it out of the mind and into the physical plane. Read your intention out loud often to recommit yourself to the work.

Ownership Here is where the blame game ends and you accept 100% responsibility for creating the situation as you currently experience it in your life. This doesn’t mean that you’re responsible for your partner’s actions or that anyone is condoning what he or she is doing. However, you are entirely responsible for the emotions you feel and how you’re experiencing the situation through the filter of your subconscious perceptions. This doesn’t mean you’re to blame either. The situation is no one’s fault. There is no right or wrong here. It’s just an experience generated from deep within you that’s providing you with the opportunity to heal an old emotional wound, reclaim a disowned aspect of yourself and live more fully as the person you really are. To do this, you must acknowledge that the situation is acting as a trigger for a deeper hurt inside of you that’s calling out for healing through the use of a projection from your subconscious mind. Claiming 100% responsibility for all the conscious and subconscious thoughts and actions that brought you to this present situation provides you with 100% of the power to change it. That’s because once you discover the subconscious limitation your projection is trying to bring to your attention, you can consciously choose your response the next time your partner exhibits the behavior in question. The minute you make someone else responsible for any part of your life or your feelings, you’ve entered victim mode and made yourself their prisoner. You’ve left them in charge of your happiness because you can’t be happy until they change, do something or admit fault. This is the fast track to a lifetime of misery. Changing people is an inside job, and the only person you’ll ever be able to change is yourself, but it requires taking full ownership for every thought, belief, action and choice you’ve ever made that has brought you to this moment. When you realize that it’s only you who can make choices in your life, anger transforms into empowerment. This step can be the most difficult part of this process. Take some time to write out this statement inserting your personal details. Sit with it for a moment and then read it out loud a few times. If you have any resistance to the statement, you’ll feel it in your body. In that case, you may need to release more anger as described in Step 1. My feelings are my responsibility. No one can make me feel anything. I recognize that my feelings arise from the judgments I place on a person or situation based on the subconscious perceptions I have about myself. When my husband doesn’t take notice of all that I do for the family, the upset I experience is a trigger for a deeper hurt that is trying to get my attention. I blame no one for this situation, including myself, and claim 100% responsibility for every thought, belief, emotion and action that has manifested itself in my life. I understand the real purpose of this situation is to realize and release a limiting belief I have about myself that’s been keeping me from being more of who I really am. I welcome this change and move forward in non-judgment for my highest good.

Inner Treatment In this step, it’s necessary to go inward and establish a dialogue with your Authentic Self. Whether you call it your Higher Self, Higher Power or something else, this is the highest part of your consciousness that holds all the answers you’re seeking. It’s the state of mind many people get in touch with during meditation. Prior to this exercise, take a moment and write down all the emotions you feel regarding your partner and the situation. Don’t focus on the details of who did what, but how those things made you feel and the judgments you placed on the other person. In the case of our example, the wife felt unappreciated, disregarded and taken for granted. She judged her husband as cold and selfish. With eyes closed, take a few deep cleansing breaths. Sit for a few moments in silence and let the thoughts of the day fade out of your mind. In a calm and respectful way ask, either mentally or aloud, that your Authentic Self be present. Wait for a few moments. There may be a slight deepening of your meditation, a sensation of warmth or just a sense of calm that washes over you. After another moment, focus on the emotion from your list that affects you the most. Try to embody it as much as possible, allowing it to flow through you. Ask your Authentic Self to show you the moment in your life when this feeling had the most significant influence on you. Sit with the sensation and see what comes forward. Move through the emotions on your list and allow your Authentic Self to reveal the hurt from the past that’s being triggered by your present situation. In our example, the wife grew up poor and saw her mother struggle to handle the matters of the household. Swearing to create a different type of home for her family, she dedicated herself to being an over-achieving supermom. Through this work, she came to realize that it was she who wasn’t giving herself credit for all she did for the family, not her husband. She held a subconscious belief that according to her unrealistic standard, everything she did somehow wasn’t enough. In order to compensate, she projected her un-appreciation for what she was doing onto her husband, and then sought outer validation from him to alleviate her feelings of guilt and inadequacy from a belief that wasn’t true. It was also helpful for her to examine other areas of her life where she wasn’t appreciating herself. Once the subconscious belief is discovered, it’s important to practice Authentic Self-Forgiveness. This isn’t about forgiving yourself for doing something, because we’re all doing the best we can with life, at any moment in time. Here, you forgive yourself for judging yourself as bad or wrong for what you believe you did or didn’t do. The woman in our example might write: I forgive myself for judging myself as inadequate, and guilty of failing my family. I recognize the validity of everything I do for my family and appreciate all efforts I make to help others and myself. I am enough.

Outer Treatment Now it’s time to apply your inner work to the outer world. Just knowing how your subconscious dynamics are affecting your relationship, it becomes easier to interrupt the kneejerk reaction that used to come so quickly when its trigger appeared. Sometimes, just having this information can diffuse much of the volatility from the situation. In our example, the woman might consider writing nightly in a journal ten things that she appreciated about herself each day. Again, writing is a powerful door into the subconscious. She might schedule several activities she’s been wanting to do, free from her family, as a way to anchor self-appreciation into her consciousness. It’s also a good idea to use the second half of the self-forgiveness statement as an affirmation, especially if the old belief arises again. Everyone’s situation is different, but there are lots of methods to incorporate your new belief into your life in a tangible way. This is how the subconscious gets reprogrammed. Get creative!

Gratitude Here, you express gratitude for recognizing and taking the opportunity to free yourself from old hurts and false beliefs that were negatively affecting your life and relationships. What was once viewed as a problem, turned out to be a gift. With the false belief gone, there is no longer a subconscious need to project it onto another person and create the same relationship problem again. You’re free! It doesn’t matter how you do it, just express your gratitude in a way that’s meaningful to you.

Surrender Here, you release the outcome of your relationship to powers greater than you. You’ve already done the inner work to heal the issue inside of you that brought you into this difficult situation. If you really commit yourself to doing things to anchor your new belief in consciousness, one of two things will happen. Either the other person in your relationship will change their behavior toward you because you have changed, or your higher frequency won’t be in sync with theirs, and they’ll move out of your life. Either way, it’s important to surrender to the fact that whatever happens is in divine right order and for the highest good of both of you. Symbolic rituals are great for anchoring concepts into our subconscious. Try this to help you get a sense of releasing your relationship problem to greater powers. Find a relatively smooth rock that can fit in the palm of your hand. With a marker or piece of chalk, write the name of the person involved in your relationship on one side. On the other, write all the emotions you’d like to release like anger, blame, jealousy, etc. If you’re near a body of water like a pond, lake, stream or the ocean, take it there and release it. Don’t just toss it in. Take a moment and feel the weight of the rock in your hand as if it’s the weight on your heart. Then, with a wide swing and the feeling of freedom that comes with it, throw the rock into the water. Feel the lightness in your palm. Now hold it to your heart. If you’re not near a body of water, dig a small hole and bury the rock. The earth has great transformative powers. Be sure to sense the feeling of lightness in your hand and heart, as well.

A VERY GOOD YEAR Your most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. It’s the only one you’ll have your entire life. When you understand projections and make an honest attempt at deepening that relationship, your relationships with others will improve proportionately. You’ll break unconscious behavioral patterns, make better choices, and know what it’s like to be in full charge of your own happiness. Like a good wine, from this sweeter position, you’ll be able to look back on the bitter times, not with regret, but with the self-awareness that allows you to say, “It was a very good year.”

Healing Brain & Mood Unfortunately, as we get older, most people assume brain fog, slowing thoughts and “senior moments” are just part of the process. Nothing could be further from the truth. Such symptoms point to deeper physiological issues that need to be addressed. Because the body and mind are connected in a single body/mind system, cognitive problems aren’t possible in a truly healthy person. The mind should remain sharp for life, and it will, if we’re feeding it the right nutrients.

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Status Symbol

How stress, disease and death are directly related to social status Dr, Habib Sadeghi

e all know that stress is bad. We also know that we need to reduce stress, but somehow we never get around to making it a priority. Perhaps that’s because we feel we’re not under “that much” stress, or we feel we can handle it, or that real stress requires a high level of anxiety. The truth is that stress is any emotional shift, no matter how strong or subtle, that disturbs our peace or sense of wellbeing. Can’t stop thinking about why your boss wants a private meeting next week? That’s stress. Worried about how you’re going to pay the rent next month? That’s stress. Feeling the pain of loneliness after being single for many years? That’s stress, too.

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes, but regardless of its origin, the results are always the same—physical and chemical changes in our bodies that are measurable, that damage our health and even shorten our lifespan. There is no event of the mind that doesn’t also reverberate in the body, and every cell feels the impact.

Imaginary Emergency

The stress response exists for one reason—to get us out of imminent danger and save our lives. Commonly known as the fight-or-flight response, this physical condition forces the blood 0

out and away from the internal organs and into the extremities so we can either come to blows with what’s threatening us or run away from it. The most important hormones involved in this split second transition are adrenaline and glucocorticoids, both made in the adrenal glands. In the animal kingdom, this process works perfectly. The antelope sees the lion and sprints its way to safety. Once the carnivore is no longer a threat, all mental and physical systems return to homeostasis. This entire process can happen in less than a minute.

In human life, the stress response is much more damaging because we’re constantly setting off our fight-or-flight response in reaction to situations that are nowhere near life-threatening. Think about your life in the last week, month, or year. How many times were you in mortal danger? My guess would be zero. Now remember how many times during that period you experienced stress, and how insignificant the circumstances seem today. With only a few exceptions, such as times of war, being the victim of a violent crime, or being involved in a terrible accident, humans are virtually never supposed to experience stress. We’re at the top of the food chain, after all. Still, we have this terrible habit of turning every situation into an imaginary emergency and keeping ourselves in a chronic state of lowgrade stress that we can’t even feel anymore. It’s become our new normal, or worse—we’ve become addicted to it.

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moment. The time to fight off infection isn’t when the body feels it needs to fight off an external threat. It’s also not the time for ovulation, digestion, healing or much else.

It’s also not the time for thinking. When we’re under stress, most of the blood in the frontal cortex of the brain, the area that’s used for thinking and analysis, gets pushed back into the hind brain or reptilian brain that controls reflexive actions. You don’t need your critical thinking skills to escape an imminent threat moving in your direction. Because of this, we are literally less intelligent when we’re under stress.

In modern life, the stress response we experience is more damaging than the stressor itself. Those who can’t find the off switch to their stress, face significant health disadvantages in every area in comparison to those who know how to prioritize real problems.

All Systems Down

When we experience stress, our heart rate increases and blood rushes away from the organs in the trunk of the body and out to the limbs. No matter the source, the body interprets all stress as an immediate physical threat and prepares itself to move you to safety ASAP. In situations like these, any body system that isn’t absolutely essential in getting you away to a safe place either slows down or shuts off completely to provide more energy to the fight-or-flight process. Biological functions related to cellular growth, tissue repair, reproduction, immunity and even thinking, all shut down in service to saving your life in the 2016 Collection

Naturally, those who live under constant high or low-grade stress experience much higher rates of poor health, chronic disease and premature death than those who do not. This is because they’ve put most of their vital bodily processes on stand down most of the time. Now, new research is showing there is a common link to all this unnecessary stress. Regardless of whether we’re stressed about a job, relationship, money or something else, the root cause of all this angst is the same.

The Ladder of Life

Researchers at University College Medical School in London followed 28,000 men and women over the course of two related studies beginning in 1967 and spanning 40 years. These people worked at Whitehall, the enormous British civil service institution that organizes thousands of employees into a rigid and complex hierarchy system. The ultra-bureaucratic agency was the perfect place to see if rank had any effect on stress and health. The results were published in a series of articles known as the Whitehall I and II studies.

In a clear and convincing way, the final data showed a consistent inverse relationship between rank and stress levels that significantly affected health. The lower someone was on the corporate ladder, the more stress they experienced along with a higher risk of heart disease

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and other illnesses. Even executives second from the top tier with minimal stress and good health had stress and disease levels higher than those who were at the very top.1 Whether it’s in the workplace or across society, rank is intimately tied to stress levels, disease risk and lifespan.

Interestingly, primates, who have a very rigid ranking structure in their societies, show the same relation to stress, rank and health. Macaques, a group of monkeys native to Japan, often subject each other to social stress and violent physical abuse to reinforce their positions in the social ranking order. Over the course of 20 years, Wake Forest University examined these primate societies and found that regardless of the fact that they were eating the exact same diet in the wild, the subordinate monkeys had significant amounts of plaque buildup in their arteries, while the leader of the pack, who got to wield all the authority, had none.2 Because primates are our closest cousins in the animal world, this is something to ponder, especially since they don’t have access to processed junk foods like we do. Perhaps stress is the single most important contributing factor to cardiovascular disease, even before diet and exercise.

A Burning Issue

For generations, the illness everyone associated with stress was the stomach ulcer. It was widely believed that incessant worrying would eventually bring on the classic burning sensation and erosion of the stomach lining. As it turns out, this is only partly true. It would later be discovered that ulcers are actually caused by a bacteria known as H. pylori, not the overproduction of stomach acid. What’s most interesting is that 85% of people with the bacteria never develop ulcers.3 As it turns out, those with the bacteria who are also under great stress, shut their immune systems down, allowing the microbes to flourish and breakdown the stomach lining. So more accurately, one might 0

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“Stress also accelerates aging. Stress makes us older faster by damaging our chromosomes. At the end of each one of our 46 chromosomes is a DNA sequence known as a telomere that keeps chromosomes protected and prevents them from fusing into rings or binding with other DNA. “ say that ulcers are caused by immune suppression set off by chronic stress. In the same way, we’re exposing ourselves to every other disease when we let stress run away with us.

No Brainer

Not only does stress drastically reduce our ability to think rationally and critically, it’s killing our brain cells at the same time. It’s been widely known that stress from worry and depression shrinks the brain through cell death.4 Since intelligence in all animals is directly linked to brain size in relation to body size, stress is making us dumber. After rats were exposed to chronic stress at Rockefeller University, stress hormones such as cortisol bound to receptors on brain cells preventing them from receiving the glucose they need to function properly. This caused them to shrink, shriveling the majority of their branches or dendrites. This happened predominantly in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that manages learning and memory.5 This is why when we’re stressed out we can’t remember obvious things likes names, phone numbers or where we’ve placed common objects. If you’ve ever endured the stress of an all0

night study session only to get to the exam the next morning to find that you are unable to remember much of what you studied, now you know why. Stress puts us on auto-pilot, making us unconscious of most of what we’re doing. The good news is that over time, brain shrinkage reverses and cognitive capacity returns when stress is eliminated and the related hormones exit the brain.6

It’s also been found that stress plays a significant role in depression. In essence, we’re never depressed for no reason. There is always a stressor weighing on us that causes a chemical change in the brain that leads to depression. Positron Emission Photography (PET) scans of the brains of alpha primates with all the authority in their clans showed high levels of dopamine lighting up areas of the brain that deal with enjoying the pleasures of life and receiving rewards. The subordinate primates showed significantly less, with no dopamine binding going on in the brain.7 Without adequate amounts of dopamine, food doesn’t taste as good, the sun doesn’t shine as bright, and life overall is basically a dull experience. Even the level to which we’re able to enjoy life is directly connected to our rank within it.

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As if predisposing us to all diseases, as well as making us less intelligent and depressed wasn’t enough, stress also makes us fat. The Whitehall study found that the lower a person’s rank within the agency, the more apt they were to carry extra weight. Not only does stress cause us to gain more weight, but it tends to distribute it specifically in the midsection of the body. This is why belly fat has been found to be so dangerously associated with cardiovascular disease, as opposed to fat found elsewhere on the body.8

The research from Wake Forest University also found the exact same results in their studies with macaques. The lower a monkey was on the pecking order, the more fat it carried around the middle. Not only is stress a significant factor in weight gain, but it controls how it’s distributed around the body. Maybe we should stop focusing on calorie counting and look into stress as a more predominant cause of the obesity epidemic. Even so, our society ignores stress reduction as a priority and continues to admire multi-taskers who can stress themselves out doing five things at once. In the corporate world, we tend to gauge our self-worth by how much we do. The more overwhelmed we are, the more important we must be. Unfortunately, this is the complete opposite way to live a healthy, balanced and satisfying life.

Cellular Stress

Stress also accelerates aging. Stress makes us older faster by damaging our chromosomes. At the end of each one of our 46 chromosomes is a DNA sequence known as a telomere that keeps chromosomes protected and prevents them from fusing into rings or binding with other DNA. Each time a cell divides, the DNA unravels and the information inside is copied. This does not include the telomere DNA sequence. When the cell is finished dividing, the DNA comes back together, but this time, the 2016 Collection

telomeres at the end of each chromosome are a little shorter. Like a pencil eraser being used, they get shorter each time the cell replicates itself. An enzyme known as telomerase works to preserve as much of the telomere as possible and ensure only the minimal amount is shed with each cell division. After about 50 cell replications, the telomeres become too short to protect the existing chromosomes and the cell goes into a process known as senescence or cellular aging.

Chronic stress whittles down the telomeres on chromosomes, causing them to become frayed and prematurely shortened. Not only does this cause premature aging, but it leaves the chromosomes and DNA exposed without adequate protection. Perhaps you’ve known someone who has gone through a devastating life crisis and witnessed how the resulting stress prematurely aged them. This is the external result of internal accelerated cell aging. A study at the University of California San Francisco examined mothers caring for chronically ill children with conditions such as autism and cerebral palsy. Results from blood samples showed that the chronic stress they lived under as a result of their constant caregiving caused their chromosome telomeres to become frayed and prematurely shortened to a great degree. The longer a mother had provided full-time care for her disabled child, the shorter her telomeres were. On average, the women’s cells were 10 years older than their chronological age with very little telomerase activity.9 This is why in many cases of long-term chronic degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s, the caregiver often dies before the patient. The good news is that mothers who managed their stress with support groups, by hiring a part-time caregiver, by sharing the responsibility with a spouse or family member, or by having a resilient sense of humor, had healthier cells than those who saw their situation as overwhelming and their sole responsibility.

To Have or Have Not

“As if predisposing us to all diseases, as well as making us less intelligent and depressed wasn’t enough, stress also makes us fat.”

So the fact that stress and all its negative consequences is connected to low rank in society, in a job or elsewhere, really comes down to one issue regardless of what is stressing us out: feeling a lack of control over our lives.

Think about it this way. Wealthier people are healthier people. That’s a fact. Everyone thinks it’s because their money buys them access to the best healthcare in the world, but that’s not the reason they’re healthier. Yes, they can get the best healthcare, but the truth is that they’re not getting sick enough of the time to need it. Why? It all goes back to rank. They’re at the top of the human pecking order. What comes with that? Unimaginable amounts of money. Someone once said that money doesn’t buy happiness, it just gives you more choices. What do we have when we have more choices? We have more control over our lives. Generally speaking, this provides wealthier people with an exponentially decreased 2016 Collection

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“In a clear and convincing way, the final data of the Whitehall I and II studies showed a consistent inverse relationship between rank and stress levels that significantly affected health. The lower someone was on the corporate ladder, the more stress they experienced along with a higher risk of heart disease and other illnesses.” stress level and as a byproduct, better health and longer lifespans.

It doesn’t matter what the source of stress is, the degree to which we experience it will depend on the amount of control we feel we have over the situation. The important word here is have. Perhaps what’s needed to mitigate stress in a situation isn’t millions of dollars in your bank account, but a shift in perception. We become terribly stressed when we feel we have to stay in an unfulfilling job, or have to stay married to a disrespectful partner for the children, or have to go on living somewhere we don’t like. The truth is, aside from dying, there really isn’t much in life we have to do. We have far more freedom and choice over our lives than we think we do, but the conditions we’ve placed on ourselves prevent us from seeing it. Sometimes, choices require taking risks, but great risks are often followed by great rewards. If your choice turns out to be a mistake, you can always make another choice. Ultimately, making a choice that might turn out to be a mistake will provide you with a greater sense of control over your life than the stagnant stress that comes from not choosing at all.

Often my patients are faced with making important choices in their personal lives that will affect their emotional health and by extension their physical health. In most cases, I have to work with patients to get them to see that they’re generating much of their own stress by convincing themselves they have no choice in their situation, or that choosing one way or another will be the end of the world. To get over this hurdle, I’ll ask a patient what would happen if they made a particular choice in their situation. They usually respond with some negative scenario. I simply ask, “What then?” They respond, and I ask again, “What then?” This goes on until the patient finally sees that their chain of worries doesn’t lead to the end of their world. Like a set of nesting Russian dolls, we go deeper and deeper into the issue until the fear that took their sense of control away is revealed as nothing but an empty vessel. Try this technique when you find yourself faced with a difficult choice.

You can achieve a greater sense of control in your life and increase your sense of rank by joining a social group or starting one where you can take a leading role and get to make decisions. Meditation, breath work and humor are fantastic ways to neutralize stress. Minimizing stress also comes down to understanding what you can control in a situation, what you 0

cannot, and the ability to tell the difference. This provides a sense of surrender and an ability to trust the process of life no matter what choices we make. This is most important because the only thing we can control in every situation is our state of being, and that is the key to all power, regardless of where we find ourselves on the ladder of life.

OUR HEALING UNIVERSITY This article is based on the National Geographic documentary, Stress: Portrait of a Killer, part of our large collection of spiritual and health related DVDs that we call our Healing University. These include presentations by the greatest names in health and healing including Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss, Dr. Habib Sadeghi, Bryon Katie and more, many of which are no longer available for sale or online. All are available for your viewing while at Be Hive of Healing. [1] Marmot, M et al. (1991). Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. Lancet. , 337(8754), 1387-93. [2] Shively, C et al. (2009). Social stress, visceral obesity, and coronary artery atherosclerosis in female primates. Obesity. , 17(8), 1513-1520. [3] Bytzer P, et al. (2011). Diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. Danish Medical Bulletin, 58 (4): C4271. [4] Kang, H et al. (2012). Decreased expression of synapse-related genes and loss of synapses in major depressive disorder. Nature Medicine. , 18(), 1413-1417. [5] Magarinos, A et al. (1997). Chronic stress alters synaptic terminal structure in hippocampus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. , 94(25), 1400214008. [6] Saplosky, R. (2000). Glucocorticoids and hippocampal atrophy in neuropsychiatric disorders . Journal of the American Medical Association. , 57(10), 925-935. [7] Shively, C. (1997). Social subordination stress, behavior, and central monoaminergic function in female cynomolgus monkeys. Biological Psychiatry. , 44(9), 882-891. [8] Mercola, D. (2012). Belly fat is far more dangerous than having a total BMI in obese range . Peak Fitness: Mercola.com. , http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/ archive/2012/10/26/belly-fat-health-dangers.aspx. [9] Epel, E et al. (2004). Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. , 101(49), 17312-17315.

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SECOND OPINION A Closer Look At Some Of The Most Commonly Prescribed Health Foods, Practices And Procedures

AG I N G

PREVENTION

NUTRITION

MEDICINE

DIET

H E A LT H C A R E

A S E R I E S O F T H O U G H T P R O V O K I N G A R T I C L E S W R I T T E N B Y: D R . H A B I B S A D E G H I

AGING

BALANCING ACT The ups and downs of hormone therapy

or men, unless a chronic disease process or an exposure to toxins is involved, hormones remain at healthy levels while gradually declining over a lifetime. Women, unfortunately, must face menopause, a more immediate and distinct decline in hormone levels over as little as 5-10 years. Needless to say, this kind of rapid hormonal decline often creates symptoms that run the gamut from irritability to debilitating pain. It’s during this difficult time that some women may need hormone therapy (HT) to regain their peace of mind and quality of life.

Dr Habib Sadeghi

experience widely varying degrees of a host of symptoms that include hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, memory loss, depression, night sweats, loss of libido, joint pain, dry skin, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, frequent urination, concentration problems and weight gain. The severity of these symptoms often depends on a woman’s biological make up and the type of introduction she’s had into perimenopause.

I want to make it clear that I am not an advocate of HT for the purposes of extending youth or elevating levels to those of a 25-yearold. The hormonal cascade requires a very delicate balance, and without the proper knowledge and precision of application, the introduction of exogenous hormones (those obtained from outside the body) can wreak havoc on one’s health.

If she’s in good health with no disease processes, a woman’s symptoms should begin in her 40s and progress naturally, which may or may not require HT. Women with chronic or auto-immune disease and sometimes those who over-exercise can begin perimenopause earlier, usually in their mid-30s, resulting in a more intense experience that often requires HT. About 1% of women reach menopause before age 40.2 Abrupt entries into menopause, through chemotherapy, radiation or hysterectomy, always cause severe symptoms that require HT.

UNDERSTANDING MENOPAUSE

BOOM & BUST

At any given time, there are about 50 million women in the U.S. going through the change of life we call menopause.1 The biggest misconception about menopause is that women are in it for years. Actually, menopause is a woman’s last menstrual cycle or period. In Greek, the word menopause means: month (meno) and to cease (pausis). The average age of menopause for women is 51, after which time their ovulation cycle stops and they are considered postmenopausal.

As we know it today, HT didn’t come into existence until the late 1960s. When Dr. Robert Wilson’s book, Feminine Forever, was released in 1968, it became an instant sensation. In it, he describes how estrogen treatment can benefit a woman’s health and wellbeing through midlife. By the early 1970s, 28 million women were taking the estrogen drug, Premarin. The name was created from the origin of the estrogen, pregnant (pre), mare (mar), urine (in). Yes, that’s pregnant horse’s urine. The HT revolution was short-lived when in 1975, the New England Journal of Medicine published research stating that women who took estrogen increased their risk for uterine cancer by 400%. After this made headlines, half of all American women

It’s mainly the 5 to 10-year period leading up to menopause that gets the most press and causes all the trouble. It’s known as the perimenopausal period or perimenopause. Here is where women

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quit taking Premarin immediately. In the 1980s, it became clear that it was crucial that any woman taking estrogen, who also had a uterus, needed to take progesterone as well, to prevent hyperplasia, the thickening of the uterine lining that can lead to cancer. About the same time, the first synthetic progesterone drug, Provera, was released, as well as an estrogen/ synthetic progesterone (progestin) combo called Prempro.

CLEARING THE AIR Over the years, there has been much confusion concerning HT and its relationship to increasing cardiovascular disease and cancer risk in women. Fortunately, there has been just as much research in the 48 years since HT began, and the air is finally beginning to clear. In short, HT can protect women from cardiovascular disease, and the only measurable risk for breast cancer lies with conventional HT, which is negligible at that. Research published in the Journal of Women’s Health in 2006 shows that women who start HT (estrogen only) within a decade after menopause experience an 11%-30% reduction in heart attack risk. The earlier HT is begun, the larger the benefit, with the youngest women receiving a 44% risk reduction.3 A periodic review in the famous “Nurses’ Health Study” showed similar results that year.4 The real cardiovascular risk comes with women over age 60 with a history of cardiovascular disease who begin taking Prempro (estrogen and progestin) for the first time. These women show a legitimate increase in heart attacks, artery blockages and even gall bladder disease. It is not recommended that these women utilize HT. If, however, a healthy woman began HT earlier in life she can expect no problems as she passes into her 60s and beyond.5

problematic when introduced into the human body. Breaking it down, Premarin is estrone sulfate (>50%), equilin (15-25%) and equilenin. These conjugated estrogens are called as such because they are not in the true molecular form of a woman’s own estrogen. Because of this, there is some concern over the equine (horse) estrogens in Premarin, particularly equilin and equilenin, and how the body metabolizes them. Research published in The Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine,8 and Chemical Research and Toxicology9 shows that the body breaks down these foreign hormones into metabolites that have an even stronger estrogenic effect than the horse estrogens themselves. They create DNA damage in tissue that has been shown to be carcinogenic.10 This could very well be the reason why studies show a very small increase in cancer risk in women on conventional HT. It should also be noted that because most prescription drugs like Premarin need to be heavily metabolized by the body, they raise insulin levels. Real progesterone doesn’t have a long half-life. The pharmaceutical companies needed something that lasted much longer, so they created medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), also known as progestin. It was created at the same time as the birth control pill, because in low, regular doses it prevents ovulation.

ASIDE FROM THESE MORE SERIOUS ISSUES, ALL CONJUGATED AND SYNTHETIC (CONVENTIONAL) HORMONES COME WITH A HOST OF SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT TRULY NATURAL AND WILL ELICIT A DEFENSIVE RESPONSE OF SOME KIND FROM THE BODY.

With regard to breast cancer risk, a follow-up review of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study in 2010 found that women taking Prempro had a higher rate of invasive breast cancer and mortality than the placebo group,6 but this amounted to an increase of only 1.3 women in every 10,000. To demonstrate how small this risk increase is, the percentage comparison would be 0.34% for the placebo group and 0.42% for the HT group—just eight one-hundredths of a percent. I’d also like to point out that although the media likes to keep American women’s attention focused on breast cancer, it’s not the number one cancer killer for women. That’s lung cancer.7

CONVENTIONAL HORMONE OPTIONS Because Premarin, the most common form of conventional estrogen, is made from the urine of pregnant horses it can be

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While estrogen has been shown to protect women against heart disease, synthetic progesterone or progestin (Provera), largely cancels out that benefit. When the WHI data was reviewed in 2010, women on Prempro did show an increase in myocardial infarctions and deaths from coronary artery disease, and blood clots in the first two years on HT.11

Methyltestosterone is a completely synthetic form of testosterone and has been around for nearly 50 years. As an anabolic steroid, it’s the most common type used by bodybuilders. It has a low bio-availability and is widely known for lowering HDL (good cholesterol), raising LDL (bad cholesterol) and damaging the liver.12 Aside from these more serious issues, all conjugated and synthetic (conventional) hormones come with a host of side effects because they are not truly natural and will elicit a defensive response of some kind from the body.

BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE OPTIONS Bio-identical hormones are called as such because they are identical in molecular structure to the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone found in the human body. They are the exact same hormones the body uses, making their bio-availability very high and side effects virtually non-existent. Identical means they are an exact match, unlike the label of “natural,” which can be used to include many substances that might be from nature but are foreign to the human body. Plants have hormonal properties just like humans, and in the

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1930s, it was discovered that a plant steroid, diosgenin, found in yams could easily be converted into an exact match for human progesterone using only heat and pressure, no chemicals. Bioidentical testosterone also comes from yams. In the same way, bio-identical estrogen is derived from soybeans. If you’ve already read the article on the dangers of soy in this issue of MegaZEN, there’s no need to panic. After the conversion process, none of the phyto (plant-based) estrogen properties remain in place. After conversion, it’s not similar to human estrogen; it’s identical. The plant-based estrogen structure no longer exists.

MYTH BUSTING Bio-identical hormones are the exact substances that the body creates, so unlike conventional hormones, they cannot be patented. Big pharma can’t make any money off of them. That’s why all the large longitudinal studies have always focused on synthetic and conventional hormones like Premarin and Prempro. It’s also the reason why drug companies like to spread misinformation about bio-identical hormones. The biggest misconception they perpetuate is that bio-identical hormones are not FDA regulated. Regulation simply means that the FDA guarantees their purity and efficacy and standardizes the dosages. Bio-identical hormones are not FDA regulated because they come in individualized not standardized dosages, which maximizes their effectiveness. It is important to understand however, that all bio-identical hormone ingredients are FDA approved for use. Bioidentical hormones are also provided by compounding pharmacies that follow the same state regulations as any other pharmacy. In addition to those safety measures, the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) applies an additional set of stringent standards that compounding pharmacies must meet. Supporters of conjugated and synthetic hormones like to claim that because bio-identical hormone prescriptions are formulated by hand, the levels of ingredients aren’t consistent from one prescription to another, altering their effectiveness. They liken compounding to cooking, putting in a pinch of this and a dash of that with no real measurement of any ingredient. This is absurd.

With a doctor’s order, a compounding pharmacist, using industryapproved measuring instruments, is able to raise or lower the amount of individual hormones to give a woman the ideal combination that works specifically for her. This frees women from being locked into standardized doses that may either be too much or too little to be appropriately effective. With hormones, very small amounts make very big differences, and accuracy requires flexibility in dosing. It’s also common for detractors to point out that the American Medical Association (AMA) doesn’t endorse bio-identical hormones because of a lack of research. That’s because nearly all research studies are paid for by the pharmaceutical corporations that want to promote their products. Even the WHI, which used Premarin and Prempro, was partially funded by Wyeth-Ayerst, the company that makes Premarin. Who’s going to fund a national study on bio-identical hormones that can’t be patented, and from which no one can profit? Fortunately, for over 40 years, women have taken bio-identical hormones without a problem. In addition to decades of anecdotal success, two recent independent studies on bio-identical hormones are proving what we’ve always known.

REASSURING RESULTS The Early versus Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE) began in 2004 and released its results in 2014. The study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and performed at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), examined whether bio-identical estradiol slowed the progression of atherosclerosis in women. Test subjects without a uterus took only estradiol while those with a uterus also took bio-identical progesterone. Accumulation in the carotid artery was examined by ultrasound. Results showed that bio-identical HT did slow the progression of atherosclerosis in women, particularly for those in the early stages of menopause. Older women who were further past menopause, while experiencing no negative effects, did not receive the same benefit. This seems to fit with other findings that show women receive protection against cardiovascular and other diseases from

WOMEN STARTING HT EARLIER, WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF MENOPAUSE, RECEIVE THE GREATEST BENEFITS AND DISEASE PROTECTION, WHILE HT SHOULD NEVER BE STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER AGE 60. THAT’S WHEN REAL PROBLEMS OCCUR.

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HT the earlier they begin. Hormones are about timing.

connected to insulin resistance, a benefit Premarin doesn’t provide. This is most certainly due to its bio-identical and easily metabolized structure. The fact that Premain raised triglycerides is a concern and needs more study.

The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) was conducted by the Kronos Longevity Research Institute in Phoenix, AZ. The goal of the double blind, randomized, controlled study was to discover whether conjugated or bio-identical estrogen decreased the risk of heart disease in women if started within a few years after menopause. Over 720 women between the ages of 42 and 58 who were within three years of menopause were divided into three groups. The first group took oral Premarin (0.45mg/day), a dose much lower than used during the WHI (0.625mg/day). The second group took bioidentical estradiol via transdermal patch (50ug/day). Both groups were given bio-identical progesterone. The third group was placebo.

HONORING LIFE Women have been taking both conventional and bio-identical hormones for nearly half a century now without a major health crisis. This is what we know for sure. Women starting HT earlier, within five years of menopause, receive the greatest benefits and disease protection. HT should never be started for the first time after age 60. That’s when real problems occur. Women with a uterus taking estrogen must also take progesterone to prevent thickening of the uterine lining. Tests also repeatedly show small but viable risks for cardiovascular disease and cancer when using conventional estrogen (Premarin), especially in conjunction with synthetic progestin (Provera/Prempro). Because bio-identical hormones have shown no detrimental health effects whatsoever in testing, or over the last 50 years, it’s no surprise that I recommend them to my patients when needed. Besides, what could be a better replacement for your own hormones than your own hormones?

Results released in 2012 showed that neither Premarin nor bioestradiol had any negative effects on blood pressure. It seems probable that the benefit for the Premarin group was the result of a much lower dose than was given during the WHI, as well as help from the bio-progesterone. The majority of studies have shown Premarin with synthetic progestin does pose some risk of heart attack and stroke. Premarin increased HDL and lowered LDL, but also increased triglycerides. Bio-estradiol had no positive or negative effects on cholesterol, but it did improve insulin sensitivity (reduced insulin resistance). At these doses, neither Premarin nor bio-estradiol had any impact either way on atherosclerosis. Both relieved symptoms and increased bone density while neither group experienced any major health crisis during the study.14

Hormones have a variety of delivery systems including capsules, sublingual pills, patches, creams and gels. Each woman will have her preference based on how they work for her. Bio-identical progesterone must be taken orally because it’s not absorbed well by transdermal methods. When you begin and how long you’re on HT is between you and your doctor. My recommendation is that levels remain light, just enough to alleviate symptoms. The goal isn’t to return to the energy level of your 20s. We must honor the natural progression of life, while at the same time using the tools we have to give us the best quality of life at the time of life we’re already in.

It comes as no surprise that during the tests, bio-estradiol had zero negative effects. In addition to relieving menopause symptoms and increasing bone density, it improved insulin sensitivity. This means that it’s protecting women against all the diseases that are

S O

[1] University of Maryland Medical Center, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide, menopause, introduction: http://umm. edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/menopause. [2] Northrup, C. (2012). The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating physical and emotional health during the change. (p. 120). New York: Bantam books. [3] Grodstein F, Manson J, and Stampfer M. Hormone therapy and coronary heart disease: The role of time since menopause and age at hormone initiation. Journal of Womens Health. 2006 Jan-Feb; 15(1):35-44. [4] Grodstein F, Manson JE, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Speizer FE, and Stampfer MJ. A prospective, observational study of postmenopausal hormone therapy and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Ann Internal Med. 2000 Dec; 113:933-941. [5] Hulley, S et al. (1998). Randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 280(7), 605-613.

Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/women.htm. [8] Bhavanni, B. (1998). Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of conjugated equine estrogens: chemistry and metabolism. The Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. , 217(1), 6-16. [9] Shen, L et al. (1998). Alkylation of 2‘-deoxynucleosides and DNA by the Premarin metabolite 4-hydroxyequilenin semiquinone radical. Chemical Research in Toxicology. , 11(2), 94-101. [10] Zhang, F et al. (1999). The major metabolite of equilin, 4-hydroxyequilin, autoxidizes to an o-quinone which isomerizes to the potent cytotoxin 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone. Chemical Research in Toxicology. , 12(2), 204-213. [11] Hulley, S et al. (1998). Randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 280(7), 605-613. [12] Steroid.com. Methyltestosterone. Retrieved from Http://www. Steroid. Com/methyltestosterone. Php#.

[6] Chlebowski R, et al. Estrogen plus progestin and breast cancer incidence and mortality in postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2010; 304(15):1684-1692.

[13] Hodis HN, Mack WJ, Shoupe D, et al. Testing the menopausal hormone therapy timing hypothesis: the Early Vs Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol. Circulation. 2014;130:A13283.

[7] U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2010 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2013.

[14] Tsagkas, V. Hormone therapy has many favorable effects in newly menopausal women: Initial findings of the Kronos early estrogen prevention study (KEEPS). http://www.keepstudy.org/news/ pr_100312_a.cfm.

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PREVENTION

EARLY DETECTION DISASTER

Dr Habib Sadeghi

A RUNAWAY MISTAKE

How the rush to diagnose and treat prostate cancer devastated the lives of millions of men.

ecause conventional medicine has largely failed at finding cures for all major diseases, the focus has shifted to early detection and quick intervention to save lives. Nowhere is

this approach more prevalent than in treating cancer. We all know someone who’s alive today because the doctors “caught the cancer in time.” All cancer awareness organizations like to share the survival percentages of those who get regular screenings and receive early intervention to promote the process. Today, the so-called fight against cancer has largely become a race game. Unfortunately, we’re finding that the early detection screening methods we once held up as the gold standard are seriously flawed, and in some cases, entirely inaccurate. This is exactly the situation with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the test that since 1994 has been the premier screening for prostate cancer. Now, more than two decades of rushing into treatment is revealing how the lives of tens of millions of men were ruined, fortunes were created, and a healthcare disaster exploded. 0

In 1970, Dr. Richard J. Albin, PhD, was a researcher at The State University of New York College at Buffalo. He was attempting to discover an antigen (protein) that was specific to prostate cancer that could be used in diagnosing the condition. Unfortunately, what he found, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), was present in both the benign (normal) and malignant prostate. There was no way to tell if a man had prostate cancer using the PSA, but with some additional analysis, it was found to be helpful for tracking the prostate for a recurrence of cancer but only after it had already been diagnosed and treatment administered. As an initial diagnostic tool for cancer, it was useless. In 1986, the FDA approved the PSA test as a tool to track the recurrence of prostate cancer. The biotech representatives present at the meeting were really after getting approval for cancer detection, because it would have bolstered their efforts in developing immunotherapy drugs. But it didn’t happen. Although only one biotech lab, San Diego based Hybritech, was authorized to make the PSA test kit, several other labs almost immediately began producing their own off-label versions. The urology market was instantly flooded with PSA test kits that doctors began using indiscriminately to test men, who’d never been officially diagnosed with prostate cancer, for the disease. The practice became so widely accepted, that by 1994, the FDA officially approved the PSA test for the detection of prostate cancer in men through regular testing beginning at age 50. In a 2010 op-ed article in the New York Times entitled, “The Great

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Prostate Mistake,”1 Dr. Albin poured out his regret over the entire tragic process. He explained that the 1994 approval process hinged on a so-called study that showed PSA could detect a dismal 3.8% of prostate cancers. This happened to be a higher rate than the standard method at the time - the digital rectal exam. In his book, The Great Prostate Hoax: How Big Medicine Hijacked the PSA Test and Caused a Public Health Disaster,2 Dr. Albin describes how the 1994 FDA approval committee meeting disintegrated into chaos. Some physicians pointed fingers and screamed that blood would be on the hands of those who voted in favor of PSA being approved for prostate cancer detection. On the other side of the table were those who knew the test didn’t work but yelled back that “millions of men were dying” and the American medical establishment had to do something. As it turned out, there would be a lot of blood on a lot of hands because in the words of the man who invented the test, “With the 78% false positive rate and being wrong 80% of the time, I don’t know how the test was approved.”3 In the end, in spite of the habitual misuse, the profit-hungry corporations that wanted to sell a prostate cancer prevention scam won. It was the tens of millions of American men who lost. The truth is that the PSA, which was once so revered and trusted as the definitive test for prostate cancer, has no cutoff for detecting the disease. Men have shown a PSA level as low as 0.5ng/mL and had prostate cancer, while those with a level as high as 11ng/mL have been cancer free. Still, in the early years of screening, any man whose test showed as little as 4ng/mL was immediately sent for a painful biopsy, regardless of the fact that the test couldn’t decipher between benign or malignant cells. If there was any sign of cancer at all, he was quickly pushed into surgery, with radiation to follow, along with other harmful treatments. This so-called early detection and quick response happened almost without exception.

LOSS & PROFIT Considering the fact that the PSA is wrong 80% of the time, and that approximately 30 million men4 each year for the last 22 years have had the test, the number of men who have had their lives ruined is staggering. With prostates entirely removed or damaged beyond repair by radiation and chemotherapy, they’ve suffered through decades of urinary incontinence, impotence, hormonal imbalance, and the intense depression that comes with such abrupt

and severe biological changes. The tragic truth is that with very rare exceptions, prostate cancer is extremely slow-growing. It’s so slow, in fact, that the vast majority of these men could have lived full, happy lives and never died of prostate cancer. Most men don’t. If you tell a lie long enough, people will believe it. Author, Mark Twain once said, “It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they have been fooled.” That’s the story of the PSA. Even now, when what has always been known about the PSA has finally become common knowledge, hordes of brainwashed doctors still don’t want to let go of the test. They still recommend that men get their yearly PSA screening starting at age 50. Maybe it speaks to the power of habit, or profit, but it’s just inexplicable and certainly inexcusable. Maybe they believe the test still has some efficacy and they don’t want to be sued by patients who don’t get the PSA and then develop cancer at a later date. Perhaps they haven’t read Dr. Ablin’s book or the New England Journal of Medicine study that recently showed PSA screening does not reduce death rates in men age 55 and over.5 Many patients and their families still defend the PSA, claiming that it saved their lives or the lives of their husbands, fathers and grandfathers. It’s certainly understandable that someone would choose to believe this, especially when the thought that one’s life has been so unnecessarily and irrevocably damaged is just too much to bear. To find out who’s still pushing routine PSA screenings, all you have to do is follow the money. The PSA became so widely used, it created its own mini-industry within the healthcare industry. PSA screenings led to millions of unnecessary procedures that benefited surgeons, labs, radiology, pharmaceutical companies, a robotic surgical equipment market specifically for prostate procedures, and proton beam development firms. Why else would we, in Albin’s words, “…spend $3 billion [a year] on PSA screening in asymptomatic men using a test that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do.”6? Albin himself has spoken directly to the CEOs of biotech companies explaining why the PSA test doesn’t work for detection. He describes their consistent response this way, “Dick, this is very interesting, but nobody is going to be interested in your story. Too many people are making too much money to stop this.”7

CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE PSA IS WRONG 80% OF THE TIME AND THAT APPROXIMATELY 30 MILLION MEN EACH YEAR FOR THE LAST 22 YEARS HAVE HAD THE TEST, THE NUMBER OF MEN WHO HAVE HAD THEIR LIVES RUINED IS STAGGERING.

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American Cancer Society now urges “more caution” when pursuing

THE TURNING TIDE It’s no surprise that the mainstream media has been largely silent on this crucial healthcare development. Even with the release of his book in 2014, the press wasn’t exactly knocking down Albin’s door. The media sources that weren’t silent did what they tend to do best, confuse the whole issue in the public’s mind by running articles on why the PSA still mattered, and the so-called risks of not having a regular screening. What does seem to be changing minds is an official statement originally made by the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2009, which was reinforced as their final judgment, and published in 2012 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The national organization of preventative health experts stated: “There is convincing evidence that PSA-based screening programs result in the detection of many cases of asymptomatic prostate cancer. There is also convincing evidence that a substantial percentage of men who have asymptomatic cancer detected by PSA screening have a tumor that either will not progress or will progress so slowly that it would have remained asymptomatic for the man’s lifetime. The terms ‘overdiagnosis’ or ‘pseudo-disease’ are used to describe both situations…. The precise magnitude of overdiagnosis associated with any screening and treatment program is difficult to determine, but estimates from the 2 largest trials suggest overdiagnosis rates of 17% to 50% for prostate cancer screening.” And, “…the USPSTF now recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer in all age groups.”8

the PSA screening. The American Urological Association does not recommend PSA screenings for men younger than 54. African American men, who naturally have a higher risk of prostate cancer, and men with a family history of the disease should make individual decisions as to what’s best for them. Men 55-69 should participate in “shared decision-making” and consider screenings every two years. No screening for men 70 and older. The American College of Preventative Medicine has stated there is insufficient evidence to warrant regular screenings. The National Cancer Institute states that any man considering a PSA screening should be informed of the risks and benefits beforehand.

WATCH AND WAIT My recommendation is to watch and wait. Because prostate cancer is so slow-growing, most men will live happy lives and never die of the disease. In the meantime, we can use other, non-invasive, forms of treatment. If the cancer changes in anyway, we can address those issues when the time comes. This is the wisest and most humane approach, especially since American men have only a 16% chance of developing prostate cancer over their lifetime and just a 3% chance of actually dying from it.10 Pass this article on to someone you love. National health organizations have a strong influence on the minds of Americans, and it will take time to reverse the blind belief in yearly early detection screenings like the PSA test. With the each-one-teach-one approach,

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, after the USPSTF made their final recommendation, PSA screenings dropped by up to 50% in some primary care clinics across the country. The biggest drop was in men aged 50-70 and yet, some urologists are still wringing their hands with worry. The fact that 8 out of 10 doctors surveyed in Massachusetts said the PSA offered more harm than benefit suggests the tide may be turning.9

we can save millions of lives. Consider nationally-recommended

AWARENESS AGENCIES WEIGH IN

meantime, practice the early detection of fear-based healthcare

Meanwhile, some major health organizations are choosing a less decisive position, even in light of the overwhelming evidence. The

treatment, because what you’ll actually be preventing is a decision

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[1] Albin, R. (2010) March 9. The New York Times, The great prostate mistake. [2] Ablin RJ, Piana R. The Great Prostate Hoax: How Big Medicine Hijacked the PSA Test and Caused a Public Health Disaster. New York: Macmillan Publishers; 2014. [3] Topol, Eric. (August 8, 2014). PSA test is misused, unreliable, says the antigen’s discoverer. Medscape: news & perspectives. http://www. medscape.com/viewarticle/828854_3. [4] Mahar, Maggie. (2010). The doctor who invented psa test calls it “a profit-driven public health disaster” . . . Why this is good news - see more at: http://www. Healthbeatblog. Com/2010/03/the-doctor-whoinvented-psa-test-calls-it-a-profitdriven-public-health-disaster-whythis-is-good-new/#sthash. 0nrm87cj. Dpuf. . Health beat, (), http:// www.healthbeatblog.com/2010/03/the-doctor-who-invented-psa-testcalls-it-a-profitdriven-public-health-disaster-why-this-is-good-new/.

of health and lifestyle are different. Standardized recommendations to have a particular test at repeated intervals beginning at a specific age don’t work for many people, can be very harmful and are often profit-driven. Decisions like these should be made between the two people who know your body best, you and your doctor. In the recommendations that promote regular testing and fast follow-up you might later regret. 360(13), 1310-1319.

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[5] Andriole, G et al. (2009). Mortality results from a randomized prostate-cancer screening trial. New England Journal of Medicine.

preventative healthcare routines very carefully. Everyone’s body, state

[6] Topol, Eric. (August 8, 2014). PSA test is misused, unreliable, says the antigen’s discoverer. Medscape: news & perspectives. http://www. medscape.com/viewarticle/828854_3. [7] Ibid. [8] Moyer, Virginia. (2012). Screening for prostate cancer: U. S. Preventive services task force. Annals of Internal Medicine. , 157(2), 120-134. [9] Thompson, Dennis. (May 17, 2015). Prostate cancer testing drops off following controversial guidelines. Research News: Prostate Cancer Foundation. , http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.9283333/ k.9A1F/Prostate_Cancer_Testing_Drops_Off_Following_Controversial_ Guidelines.htm. [10] Mahar, Maggie. (2010). The doctor who invented psa test calls it “a profit-driven public health disaster” . . . Why this is good news - see more at: http://www. Healthbeatblog. Com/2010/03/the-doctor-whoinvented-psa-test-calls-it-a-profitdriven-public-health-disaster-whythis-is-good-new/#sthash. 0nrm87cj. Dpuf. . Health beat, (), http:// www.healthbeatblog.com/2010/03/the-doctor-who-invented-psa-testcalls-it-a-profitdriven-public-health-disaster-why-this-is-good-new/.

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PREVENTION

PERILOUS PREVENTION

Dr Habib Sadeghi

How mammograms and the early detection approach to cancer are harming women

ecause cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., it’s understandable that it gets a great deal of press coverage. The downside is that a lot of misperceptions get reinforced over time. When we constantly read or hear about cancer in the news, it generates fear. The overall impression of most people seems to be that 1.) cancer is a death sentence and 2.) all cancers grow quickly. I’m happy to say the public is wrong on both counts. However, I certainly understand, when faced with a diagnosis, how patients might struggle with these ideas. The assumption that most cancers are fast-growing has led to the approach that early detection and fast treatment is the best defense. Unfortunately, this fear-driven approach to find even the smallest anomalies in tissue and treat them as mature disease processes is leading patients to make decisions they later regret. For women, nowhere is this phenomenon more prevalent than in the “fight” against breast cancer. At the same time, compelling 2016 Collection

evidence is showing that the early detection method we once saw as the gold standard for testing and diagnosing breast cancer, the yearly mammogram, is less reliable than we once thought and worse, harming millions of women.

MISPLACED PRAISE Since the 1960s, the mammogram has been the most trusted method of breast cancer screening for women. If an irregularity was found, a woman could expect a biopsy and then find herself in treatment within weeks or even days. After the ordeal, she could be grateful that her life was saved due to the fact that she acted quickly and that the mammogram caught the cancer in time. Mammograms were viewed then as they are now, nearly infallible. Radiologists, oncologists, and many national cancer organizations insist that mammograms have saved millions of lives because of early detection and intervention. Today, new research is showing that

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mammography’s success rate is highly inflated because, as a screening tool, it’s much better at identifying slow-moving, non-aggressive cancers rather than the more serious kind. High survival statistics from millions of women who detected their cancer via mammogram aren’t due to early detection, but because their cancers were slow-growing or even dormant.

A COMMON PROBLEM One of the biggest reasons for the inflated mammogram early detection survival rates is a common breast pathology known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This condition, which affects a high percentage of women, often lays dormant in a woman’s body her entire life. Incredibly, DCIS is now being called stage zero breast cancer. I can’t even begin to explain that kind of reasoning. To bring clarity to this issue, DCIS has been the subject of many studies, but the most interesting appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine1 and the British Journal of Cancer.2

Both of these studies reviewed the autopsies of a wide cross-section of women. In their examinations, they discovered that 40% of the women had DCIS present in their breast tissue at the time of death. The most important point is that these women died from a wide range of causes, including car accidents. DCIS was even present in the breast tissue of women in advanced age. The point to understand here is that these women walked around the earth, happily living their lives, with DCIS, until they died of something else.

million U.S. women in the past 30 years. We estimated that in 2008, breast cancer was over-diagnosed in more than 70,000 women; this accounted for 31% of all breast cancers diagnosed.”

Since 1980, DCIS has increased 400% and accounts for 25% of all early stage cancers detected by mammography.3 The concern here is that DCIS is being categorized as cancer, and coupled with a fourfold increase in diagnosis in the last 36 years, women are rushing into fear-based decisions they will regret later on. It appears that this is exactly what’s happening.

This study got a lot of attention and has been instrumental in eroding some of the blind trust women and healthcare professionals have placed in mammograms and the idea that early detection saves lives. I say some, because old habits die hard in life and medicine. If the past informs the present, then we still have a lot of work to do.

EPIDEMIC OF OVER-DIAGNOSIS The New England Journal of Medicine released a study in 2012 that looked at breast cancer trends in women over 40 from 1976 to 2008. All breast pathologies were included, from DCIS to latestage cancers. The study makes an interesting point. From the time mammography was introduced on a large scale in the U.S., a simultaneous doubling of early-stage breast cancer diagnosis occurred. Before mammography was introduced, 122 women per 100,000 were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancers and after, 234. Once the researchers averaged out the women with late-stage cancers and those under 40, they came to the startling conclusion: “…that breast cancer was over-diagnosed (i.e., tumors were detected on screening that would never have led to clinical symptoms) in 1.3

“Despite substantial increases in the number of cases of early-stage breast cancer detected, screening mammography has only marginally reduced the rate at which women present with advanced cancer…and that screening is having, at best, only a small effect on the rate of death from breast cancer.”4

In 2000, the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the records from a study performed at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1988. Medical records were reviewed for the 233 women who participated in the study. They were all having their first experience with breast cancer at that time. The prognosis for all the women was excellent. The reviewers came to this conclusion not because the cancers were detected early, but because they were either slow-growing or dormant, requiring minimal treatment. Of the study participants, 31 were diagnosed with DCIS. The good news is that none died from cancer or experienced a recurrence. Unfortunately, half of them chose to have a mastectomy.5

BREAKING WITH TRADITION One respected healthcare institution heard this significant information and made the brave decision to break from outdated

THE AMOUNT OF RADIATION IN ONE MAMMOGRAM IS 1,000 TIMES STRONGER THAN A CHEST X-RAY. FREQUENT EXPOSURE AT THIS LEVEL FROM YEARLY SCREENINGS ACTUALLY INCREASES A WOMAN’S CHANCES OF GETTING BREAST CANCER.

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tradition. The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a national independent volunteer coalition of healthcare experts that makes evidence-based recommendations regarding medical prevention services such as screenings, medications and other interventions. In 2009, the USPSTF stated that it no longer recommended a yearly mammogram for women between 40 and 49. Instead the organization advised that the choice to have a mammogram should be the result of an informed decision arrived at between each woman and her doctor. For women over age 50, the recommendation is every two years.

published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed this to be exactly the case for 50% of women who get yearly mammograms.8 A Danish study titled, Is screening for breast cancer with mammography justifiable?, was published in Lancet in 1998. Reviewing seven randomized controlled studies on mammograms, the researchers stated that mammograms didn’t contribute to saving the lives of women in any that could be supported by statistics. They also mentioned the volume of unwarranted medical interventions like biopsies that were routinely performed after mammograms and a 20% increase in mastectomies, most of which were unnecessary.9

Regardless of the new recommendations released by USPSTF in 2009, the majority of national cancer research and awareness organizations still clung to the early-detection-saves-lives fallacy and continued to advise yearly mammograms for women beginning at age 40. This included the American Cancer Society (ACS), which took the USPSTF to task in a 2009 press release6 following the announcement of the new recommendations. It wasn’t until October of 2015 that the ACS finally changed its own mammogram recommendations. Unfortunately, the ACS still recommends a yearly mammogram for women, but beginning at age 45, not 40. After age 55, the ACS recommends a mammogram every two years.7 In comparison, the National Cancer Institute now recommends a mammogram every one to two years for women over 40.

Another fact most women don’t know, but the radiology industry does, is that the level of radiation a woman is exposed to during a mammogram isn’t safe. The amount of radiation in one mammogram is 1,000 times stronger than a chest x-ray. Frequent exposure at this level from yearly screenings actually increases a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer.

RESULTS & RADIATION

CELLULAR DETECTION

Another problem with the early detection ideology is that mammograms return a false positive scan 10% of the time. Simple statistics prove that if you have a mammogram every year for a decade, you’re working your way right into a biopsy. A study

Fortunately, there’s a better, non-invasive, non-toxic, highly accurate and pain-free way for women to have breast cancer screenings. Thermography uses infrared imaging to measure heat activity inside the breast. All cancer starts with inflammation at the cellular level, and inflammation generates heat. It’s also excellent at detecting increased blood flow to the breast. Cancer needs additional nutrients to grow. New blood vessel growth also becomes visible, revealing new networks built specifically to provide nourishment and support growth for a developing tumor. The amazing aspect of thermography is that because it’s looking for heat-related anomalies, it can detect cancerous activity at the cellular level before a viable tumor even takes shape. In fact, thermography is so sensitive that studies have shown it can detect cancerous activity 8-10 years before any other screening method.10 How’s that for prevention? In contrast, when a tumor is finally detectable either through self-exam or mammogram, it’s had a seven-year head start, doubling in size 25 times during that period.11

A dose of radiation is called a rad, and each exposure increases cancer risk by 1%. If a 40-year-old woman is getting yearly mammograms, she’s absorbed 10 rads of radiation into each breast for a total of 20 rads overall by age 50. By age 60, she’s absorbed 40 rads. To put this into perspective, the Japanese people who were able to survive the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during WWII absorbed 32 rads.

Over 800 peer-reviewed studies have shown that thermography is 95% accurate in identifying early-stage breast cancer.12 In 2003, the American Journal of Radiology published a study that used thermography to screen women who’d previously had a suspicious mammogram. Results showed that thermography was 97% accurate in detecting breast cancers.13 As if that news isn’t good enough, thermography is pain-free because heat sensitive cameras simply scan the breasts and make no contact with them. Density, scar tissue and implants do not hinder its accuracy because it’s not taking an x-ray of physical tissue, which is also the reason it’s completely non-toxic with zero radiation exposure. That means it’s entirely safe for women who might be pregnant or breastfeeding.

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THERMOGRAPHY USES INFRARED IMAGING TO MEASURE HEAT ACTIVITY INSIDE THE BREAST. ALL CANCER STARTS WITH INFLAMMATION AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL, AND INFLAMMATION GENERATES HEAT. IT’S ALSO EXCELLENT AT DETECTING INCREASED BLOOD FLOW TO THE BREAST. WHAT’S OLD IS NEW Thermography sounds like a new invention, but it’s been around since the 1940’s. In 1982, it was FDA approved as an adjunct screening method for breast cancer. So why didn’t you know about it? It’s probably because the influence behind the radiology industry would prefer that you have mammograms. That’s usually how these things go; follow the money. By equating DCIS with breast cancer and the consistent false positive rate, mammograms also generate a large revenue stream that supports surgeons and lab analysis, as well as chemotherapy and radiation services. For more information on thermography, you can visit the Pacific Chiropractic and Research Center Infrared Imaging at www. breastthermography.com, and the International Academy of Clinical Thermography at www.iact-org.org. When searching for an imaging center, you’ll want to confirm that the drift factor of the equipment is no greater than 0.2 degrees Centigrade to provide the proper image clarity. Because this is a heat-sensitive procedure, the room shouldn’t be warmer than about 72 degrees. The procedure should take place in a windowless room, and the scans should (preferably) be read on site, not sent out. The doctor should be the one to go over your results with you. Remember to confirm certifications and credentials. On average, thermograms cost between $150 and $250 around the country and generally aren’t covered by insurance. I want to say that I’m not anti-mammogram, just when they’re unnecessary, which tends to be most of the time. Why expose yourself to dangerous radiation, the inevitability and trauma of a false positive, and the painful biopsy that follows when there’s a safer alternative? I would suggest using both thermogram and mammogram to your maximum advantage. Having a yearly thermogram is excellent and accurate healthcare prevention. If any irregularity presents itself on a thermogram, discuss with your doctor the possibility of following it up with a mammogram. That’s breast cancer prevention performed properly. Be Hive of Healing is committed to health prevention services, which is why I’m excited to announce that we will be offering

thermography services in the near future. In the meantime, please feel free to call our office for thermography referrals.

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[1] Welch, H. Black, W. (1997). Using autopsy series to estimate the disease \”reservoir\” for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: how much more breast cancer can we find?. Annals of Internal Medicine. , 127(11), 1023-1028. [2] Nielsen, M et al. (1987). Breast cancer and atypia among young and middle-aged women: a study of 110 medicolegal autopsies. British Journal of Cancer. , 56(6), 814-818. [3] Northrup, C. (2012). The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating physical and emotional health during the change. (p.528). New York: Bantam books. [4] Welch, H. Bleyer, A. (2012). Effect of three decades of screening mammography on breast-cancer incidence. New England Journal of Medicine. , 367(21), 1998-2005. [5] Moody-Ayers, S et al. (2000). \”Benign\” tumors and \”early detection\” in mammography-screened patients of a natural cohort with breast cancer. Archives of Internal Medicine. , 160(8), 11091115. [6] American Cancer Society, press release, Nov. 16, 2009, American Cancer Society Responds to Changes to USPSTF Mammography Guidelines, http://pressroom.cancer.org/index. php?s=43&item=201. [7] Simon, Stacy, October 20, 2015, American Cancer Society Releases New Breast Cancer Guidelines, http://www.cancer.org/ cancer/news/news/american-cancer-society-releases-newbreast-cancer-guidelines. [8] Elmore, J et al. (1998). Ten-year risk of false positive screening mammograms and clinical breast examinations. New England Journal of Medicine. , 338(16), 1089-1096. [9] Gøtzsche, P. Olsen, O. (2001). Is screening for breast cancer with mammography justifiable? Lancet. , 355(), 129-134. [10] Bronzino, J. (2006). Medical devices and systems: Biomedical engineering fundamentals handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press/ Taylor & Francis Group. [11] Northrup, C. (2012). The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating physical and emotional health during the change. (p.533). New York: Bantam books.

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NUTRITION

THE DARK SIDE OF SOY

A closer look at America’s favorite health food

believe misinformation about the health benefits of food and supplements is broadcast every day with the intention of confusing consumers and serving corporate interests. Meanwhile, millions of people are making the best food choices they can based on the information available to them, never realizing those choices are undermining their health goals in very serious ways. When hundreds of millions of government subsidized dollars are at stake, the truth regarding soy, the purported queen of all health foods, is nowhere to be found. I’m sharing this information with you because you’ll never find these facts reported in the major media. Although there are many so-called health foods that do more harm than good, I’m focusing on soy for two particular reasons: 1) It’s an ingredient in almost all processed foods, which means avoiding it is extremely difficult, and 2) It’s marketed to and consumed by women and children at a disproportionately higher rate than men.

Dr Habib Sadeghi

major crops to replenish the earth. The beans weren’t harvested. Soy was used as a biological fertilizer, not a food.

DEADLY DEFENSE In nature, the rule is, eat or be eaten. When it comes to survival, animals have a host of different defenses, but what’s a plant to do? Plants can’t run or fly away or lash out with fangs and claws. They’re fixed in place, so their defense has to be subtle, but it is often no less deadly. Their main line of defense is toxins. With few exceptions, you’d be hard-pressed to find any plant with the toxic load of soybeans.

In 1913, soy was originally grown for its oil, which was used as an ingredient in the manufacturing of paint and glue. It was classified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as an industrial material. It’s hard to believe, but soy protein isolate and soy isoflavones have never received the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) rating for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, under its original use, soy does have a limited GRAS rating… as a cardboard binder.1

All seeds, grains (the seeds of grasses) and legumes (beans/lentils) contain phytates or phytic acid. None, however, come close to the level of phytates contained in soy. Phytates bind to minerals in other food and prevent the body from absorbing them. This leads to serious deficiencies, particularly in magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium. Women consume more soy than men, which may in large part explain the higher prevalence of anemia and osteoporosis in women. When the body cannot absorb the calcium that’s being ingested, it will leach it from the bones to carry on its essential functions. Currently, half the U.S. population has a magnesium deficiency2, and the hidden soy in nearly all processed foods just might be the reason why. Phytates also interfere with the proper assimilation of vitamins D, A, C and B12. Third world countries, where grains and legumes make up a large part of the diet, often display epidemic proportions of these deficiencies.

In its native land, Asia, soy was originally grown as a form of fertilizer. Soy has an incredible ability to pull nitrogen out of the air and transfer it to the soil through its root system. Nitrogen content is crucial for healthy soil, so farmers would rotate soy between their

Soy also outpaces all grains and legumes when it comes to enzyme inhibitors. Working like a biological pesticide, enzyme inhibitors coat the outside of the soybean protecting it from being eaten by insects. Enzyme inhibitors are very good at blocking the amylase,

A DUBIOUS RATING

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protease and lipase enzymes we rely on to digest carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The idea that soy is a good protein replacement is a myth because it’s not a complete protein at all, meaning it doesn’t contain all eight essential amino acids the body needs for survival. It’s lacking the sulfur-containing acids methionine and cysteine. It also contains trypsin inhibitors that prevent protein absorption, including the inferior protein soy happens to provide. Soy also contains high amounts of lectins, glycoproteins that further prevent the absorption of nutrients by damaging the microvilli, the fine brush lining inside the intestine. Simultaneously, lectins create perforations in the tight junctions of the intestine where only nutrients are allowed to pass into the bloodstream. These larger openings allow undigested food particles to enter the bloodstream, causing the body to see them as invaders, launching an immune response. Lectins can also pass through the perforations they create. Because the protein sequence of many lectins is nearly identical to tissues in the body, the immune system can become confused and begin attacking healthy cells because of what’s called molecular mimicry. This leads to a full blown autoimmune response. It’s interesting to note that the amino acid profile of the lectin in wheat is virtually identical to joint cartilage and the myelin sheath that protects the nerves. Because more women than men are drawn to vegan and vegetarian diets that put a much greater emphasis on grains, legumes and soy, it seems telling that of the 23.5 million Americans who suffer from autoimmune disease, 75% are women.3 The disproportionate ratios between women and men for certain autoimmune diseases are even worse: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: 10:1, Grave’s disease, 7:1 and lupus, 9:1.4 It should also be noted that no amount of soaking or fermenting can remove all the phytates and enzyme inhibitors in soy. Lectins have a high heat tolerance, so their levels aren’t even affected by cooking. Furthermore, the hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes in the stomach have no effect on them; they’ve been found intact and biologically active in human feces.5

THE ASIAN ARGUMENT Proponents of soy always point to the Asian countries declaring that they’ve eaten soy for thousands of years with no problem. The Japanese are supposed to be some of the healthiest people on earth, so soy can’t be that bad, right? It is, and here’s even more proof. Traditionally, Asian cultures only eat a very small amount of soy and even then, it is fermented to destroy some of the phytates and enzyme inhibitors. It is only eaten as a condiment. The portion size could never be mistaken as a side dish and definitely not the main course. Soy-filled “veggie” burgers and tofu lasagna were never on their menu. On average, the Chinese only consume about 4g of soy per day13, while the Japanese consume 8.6g.14 With the longest life spans on earth, no one knows how much soy the Okinawans of Japan eat. It is known that it’s always fermented and eaten with fish broth, which has a high mineral content. This is most likely to prevent the existing phytates from robbing their bodies of their own minerals. When Asians stray away from their traditional diet and begin consuming soy and soy-based food products at the rate of Western culture, serious consequences come into play.

THE OFFSPRING OF HAMSTERS THAT HAD BEEN FED GMO SOY-BASED FEED FOR TWO YEARS WERE COMPLETELY STERILE BY THE THIRD GENERATION. ON THEIR WAY TO INFERTILITY, THEIR PUPS GREW WEAKER WITH INCREASING MORTALITY RATES THAT WERE FIVE TIMES HIGHER THAN THE CONTROL GROUP.

As if the internal and external toxins that come with the soybean aren’t bad enough, it’s a genetically modified organism (GMO), meaning it has been bred to be immune to Monsanto Corporation’s herbicide, RoundUp. This means it’s one of the most highly-sprayed farming crops. Research shows that glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, causes birth defects at much lower rates than those used in aerial fumigations.6 Mounting research from independent agencies consistently shows that GMO crops create kidney and liver damage in mammals,7 along with pre-cancerous conditions and immune system dysregulation.8 Of even greater concern is research that has shown the genetic material from GMOs can enter human 0

DNA, reprogram organ function9 and “silence” other genes10. In addition, the unnatural genetic material in GMO soy that makes it immune to RoundUp can transfer into the DNA of human gut bacteria and continue to function.11 As of 2011, 94% of all soy crops were GMO.12 For more information on GMOs, I highly recommend the report, The State of the Science on the Health Risks of GM Foods by ResponsibleTechnology.org.

THYROID TROUBLE

Soy is classified as a goitrogen because it suppresses thyroid function that can lead to permanent damage if consumed over a long enough period of time. Scientific research since the 1930s has proven this definitively. According to The New York Times, iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions in impoverished areas of China where people have been forced to eat far more soy than is customary just to survive. Japan, with the largest soy consumption rate in Asia, suffers from high rates of thyroid disease. It’s telling that Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was first discovered there.15 The enormous amounts of seafood and seaweed consumed by the Okinawans, which is high in iodine, seem to protect them from these consequences. Closer to home, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition called it a “significant biological effect” when thyroid function dropped dramatically in pre-menopausal women taking 45g of soy isoflavones per day. That’s the equivalent of just one cup of soy milk! Incredibly, these hormonal disturbances continued for three months after the women stopped taking the soy supplements.16

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NO AMOUNT OF AGRIBUSINESS FUNDED PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH WILL EVER BE ABLE TO REFUTE 60 YEARS OF INDEPENDENT STUDIES THAT DEFINITIVELY PROVE THAT SOY IS UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

Isoflavones cause further hormonal disruption in two ways. Through mimicry, they can latch on to cell receptors for hormones preventing the body from utilizing its own hormones, especially estrogen, or they can prevent the actual production of estrogen by fooling the body that it already has enough of the real hormone.

What I’ve shared here doesn’t even scratch the surface. There is overwhelming evidence that soy drastically impacts hormonal balance and fertility. In 2010, the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, along with the National Association for Gene Security released research that got everyone in the scientific community talking. The offspring of hamsters that had been fed GMO soy-based feed for two years were completely sterile by the third generation. On their way to infertility, their pups grew weaker with increasing mortality rates that were five times higher than the control group. Livestock sterilization has also been documented with GMO feed corn.23 Because the hamster lifecycle is much shorter than a human, it can show us in a condensed form what we may expect over a longer period of time under the same conditions. This, along with decades of other data, is cause for great concern.

For over 70 years, research has been available that soy isoflavones disrupt the endocrine system of mammals. This research was initiated when a herd of sheep began grazing in a field full of plants that had high levels of phytoestrogens including genestein, which is abundant in soy. When fertility drastically fell among the herd, scientific investigation found that the sheep were suffering from, “endometrial damage and cervical mucus changes associated with the inability to conceive.”17 A wealth of scientific evidence from decades of research has told us that isoflavones cause complete infertility in sheep, cows18 and rodents.19 From its own research, the Swiss Health Service stated that 100g of isoflavones per day contains the same level of estrogen as a birth control pill.20 When speaking of soy in the Journal of Endocrinology, the Karolinska Institute in Sweden stated:

You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to have your hormones impacted by isoflavones. A quick trip to your kitchen pantry to check ingredient labels should tell you how much hidden soy you’re consuming. Ingredients like soy lecithin (a thickening agent), soybean oil, soy flour and soy protein isolate among others are used in nearly all processed foods and carry the same estrogenic impact as the soybean they came from. Some will say that fermented organic non-GMO soy (if you can find it) like tempeh or miso is safe to eat, but I have to disagree. Some of the phytates and enzyme inhibitors can be removed through fermentation, and in organic soy there is no herbicide toxin or genetic manipulation to worry about, but the level of isoflavones, which is the biggest threat, and the goitrogenic toxins that damage the thyroid, stay the same. These powerful endocrine disruptors are intrinsic to the soybean and cannot be washed off or cooked and fermented away.

“The contraceptive effect in animals suggests to us that it may be of interest to investigate the dietary habits and urinary excretion of equol [a soy isoflavone] in women with unexplained infertility or disorders of the menstrual cycle.”21

Although men consume less soy than women on average, they’re also dramatically impacted, but by even smaller amounts. A man’s body only needs a miniscule amount of estrogen to be healthy. Exceeding this low limit by consuming soy estrogens can create problems with testosterone production, the development of fatty breast tissue and low sperm count, among other issues. In fact, the impact even a small amount of soy has on a man’s fertility is significant.

MORE HORMONAL HAVOC A variety of plants, especially legumes like lentils and beans, contain isoflavones or phyto (plant-based) estrogens. Once again, no plant or legume can match the high levels of phytoestrogens found in soy. This is where soy has the potential to do its greatest damage. It seems that if it can’t defeat its predators through starvation by gradual malnutrition, it will do it by crashing the entire hormonal system or through sterilization.

It’s not widely known, but back in the 1970s the World Health Organization (WHO) spent $5 million researching plants that indigenous tribes used for contraception. Soy was among hundreds of plants that were tested. WHO abandoned the research when it became clear that although these plants were very effective contraceptives, they still posed all the same risks and side effects as the pill.22

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A study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the journal, Human Reproduction, showed that men who ate soy had 41 million fewer sperm per milliliter than men who did

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THE LEVEL OF ISOFLAVONES CAPABLE OF DISRUPTING HORMONAL BALANCE IN ADULTS, EXISTS IN AMOUNTS 6 TO 11 TIMES HIGHER (ON A BODYWEIGHT BASIS) IN SOY INFANT FORMULA....BABIES FED ONLY SOY FORMULA RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF ESTROGEN AS FIVE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS A DAY.

not.24 Some of the 15 foods included in the test were miso soup, tofu, soy ice cream, soy burgers and energy bars. What was most alarming was the fact that the men who had the largest decrease in their sperm count (41 million) had a mean soy intake of only half a serving per day! That’s the equivalent of just one cup of soy milk or one serving of tofu every other day. Research shows that a normal sperm count ranges between 80 and 120 million sperm per milliliter. Unless a man is at the very high end of this range, losing 41 million sperm per milliliter would drop him well below normal and risk infertility.

CHILDREN AND SOY The negative impact of soy on children is profound. When they eat soy, their bodies are flooded with phytoestrogens during the crucial developmental years from birth through puberty. This estrogen invasion causes serious alterations in their hormonal development, resulting in physical and functional changes that last a lifetime. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found in 1998 that the level of isoflavones capable of disrupting hormonal balance in adults, exists in amounts 6 to 11 times higher (on a bodyweight basis) in soy infant formula. Babies consuming soy milk formula were found to have isoflavone levels 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than biological estradiol levels in babies fed cow’s milk formula.25 The New Zealand Journal of Medicine reported that, based on bodyweight, babies fed only soy formula receive the same amount of estrogen as five birth control pills a day.26 Phytoestrogens can attach themselves to any hormone receptor on any cell. This creates a particular danger for infant boys. During the neonatal period or first three months of life, baby boys experience a surge of testosterone that’s equivalent to the level in adult men. This hormonal rush is vitally important for boys because it programs the body for proper genital development and sets neurological 0

patterns for how men perceive, think and process information. It also provides the signal to develop male physical characteristics at puberty. If the cells’ ability to receive this testosterone is inhibited during this crucial stage of development, serious problems can occur. Some of these include impairment of visual discrimination ability (needed for reading), spatial perception difficulty, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Physical problems include undescended testicles, inguinal hernias and hypospadias, a malformation of the penis where the urethra opening is on the underside rather than at the tip. Sadly, these conditions are seen so frequently now that medicine has collectively labeled them Developmental Estrogenization Syndrome.27 Early exposure to soy has also been linked to low sperm count and motility, inability to support conception and low weight of reproductive organs in adulthood.28 Girls exposed to soy experience premature, accelerated sexual development. According to the medical journal, Pediatrics, pubic hair and breast development are regularly found in 14.7% of Caucasian girls and 50% of African American girls by age eight.29 One of several malformations of the reproductive tract can be found in 50% of girls exposed to soy isoflavones in infancy.30 It’s unfortunate that these girls’ bodies are developing much faster than their maturity, forcing them prematurely into social situations they’re not prepared to handle. As evidence continues to mount on the damaging effects of soy isoflavones on developing children, New Zealand, Israel, France and Germany have all issued warnings about soy infant formula. The Swiss Federal Office of Health made this statement, “Soya-based infant feeding should only be used when there is a clear medical indication. It should never be used for ecological or ideological reasons such as strict vegetarianism.”31 It’s also an outrage that soy-free infant formula is virtually impossible to find in the U.S. I should know. My daughter, Hannah, was born in 2013, and Sherry and I were looking for a soy-free formula to use

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isoflavone supplements “potent drugs” and questioned the “longterm safety of phytoestrogens with regard to the endometrium.”33 Given this data and many other studies just like it, it’s strange that soy protein is often recommended by doctors and health organizations to women who have cancer or as a way to prevent cancer in the estrogen sensitive organs like the breast and uterus. Hormones are extremely powerful in their effect and control countless processes in the body. Obtaining the right balance for optimal health requires a level of precision so fine that they’re measured in billionths (nanogram) and trillionths (pictorgram) of a gram. Assuming a woman is living a healthy lifestyle that includes occasional detoxification, her biggest cancer risk doesn’t come from the environment, but her own estrogen. If estrogen levels become unbalanced and sustained over time from consuming hidden phytoestrogens in food and supplements, she faces a significantly increased risk of developing some form of female cancer. In addition to the thickening of the uterus, soy protein isolate also causes hyperplasia in the epithelial tissue, particularly in pre and post-menopausal women.34 This tissue lines the cavities of the body and covers the surfaces of many internal structures. For nearly 20 years, it’s also been known that soy isoflavones increase breast secretion and instigate the malignant cycle in breast cells.35 At the same time, it creates wild fluctuations and sometimes, even complete cessation of the menstrual cycle. Former vegetarian, author and food activist, Lierre Keith, has publicly documented her struggle to regain her health after consuming large amounts of soy for nearly 20 years, during which she, “…had maybe fifty periods.” 36 in the event that enough breast milk wasn’t available. We quickly discovered that the only thing you’ll find when doing an internet search for soy-free infant formula is an endless list of message boards where parents are looking for the same thing. For all the obvious reasons, it’s inexplicable and inexcusable why a soy-free infant formula is available in the U.K., parts of Europe and even China, but not the U.S. Even milk-based organic non-GMO infant formula still contains both soy lecithin and soybean oil. Breastfeeding is always preferable, but when it’s not possible, I recommend the homemade baby formula recipe from the Weston A. Price Foundation. The site offers two options, a cow’s milk formula and a hypoallergenic recipe for babies who can’t tolerate dairy. The video is extremely helpful, and the page even offers a side-byside comparison of the nutrition profile between the homemade formulas and breast milk. You can find the recipes by going to www. westonaprice.org and searching “baby formula.” From that page, scroll down to the heading “Formula – Homemade Baby Formula.” The tragedy of soy infant formula can best be summed up in the words of a former toxicologist for the FDA, Daniel Sheehan, who called the practice of feeding babies soy formula a, “large, uncontrolled and basically unmonitored human infant experiment.”32

CANCER & DEMENTIA Soy protein is highly promoted to women as a preventative measure against osteoporosis, as well as a way to relieve the symptoms of menopause. Earlier, we touched on how soy actually helps cause osteoporosis by using phytates to rob the body of calcium and other minerals. With regard to menopause relief, a group of 2,900 post-menopausal women in Italy who took soy isoflavone supplements for five years showed significant increases in endometrial hyperplasia or thickening of the uterine lining. This cell proliferation is a pre-cancerous condition. The researchers called

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In addition to the cancer risk, soy has been found to instigate brain aging and dementia. Research conducted by neuro-epidemiologist, Dr. Lon R. White, has shown that Japanese Americans living in Hawaii consuming two or more servings of tofu per week exhibited accelerated brain aging. Results also showed that consuming soy in midlife leads to lower cognitive function later in life with higher rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.37 It was also found that phytoestrogens contribute to the cognitive decline in men by preventing the conversion of testosterone into estradiol, which is critical for neurological processing. The results also supported much earlier research that found higher levels of circulating estrogen to be one of the primary causes of cognitive decline in post-menopausal women.38 It’s also important to note that soy requires an extensive amount of processing, some of which involves chemicals, to deodorize, debitterize, and remove its “beany” taste. One stage of this process involves running the soy slurry through an acid wash, usually with hydrochloric acid (HCL), in aluminum vats. While formal tests need to be done, it’s highly likely that the HCL causes aluminum to leach into the slurry and end up in the final product.

FOOD OR PHARMACEUTICAL Our bodies know how to be well and will often return to balance when we stop consuming poisons. You won’t find a bigger toxin in the human diet than soy. Processed sugar, refined vegetable oils and high amounts of starch all have their damaging effects, but soy is unique in its ability to create severe and often lasting consequences even when small amounts are consumed on an irregular basis. Because the U.S. government has spent $27.8 billion39 subsidizing soy since 1995, it’s everywhere and much more difficult to avoid than something like sugar. Get into the habit of reading food labels for soy-based ingredients. Remember that unless a product specifies the origin of its lecithin

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such as sunflower lecithin, more than likely it’s from soy. If you insist on consuming soy, I would highly recommend completely avoiding it during specific windows of vulnerability, especially the times in life when hormonal flow and balance are even more crucial to health and development. Never consume soy during pregnancy, and certainly never give it to your developing child from birth through at least age 18. Because the cancer risk is so high, it should be completely avoided by women who are peri-menopausal and beyond.

released an official statement that declared their own research showed soy isoflavone supplements had no effect on improving cholesterol levels, menopause symptoms, bone loss, blood pressure or cancer. As a result, the organization stopped recommending soy isoflavones in food or pill form for the improvement of any condition.40 At this point, there’s nothing left to say about soy. The evidence is overwhelming. No amount of agri-business funded public relations research will ever be able to refute 60 years of independent studies that definitively prove that soy is unfit for human consumption. Dr. Lon R. White summed soy and isoflavones up perfectly when he said, “The bottom line is these are not nutrients. They are drugs.”41

It’s incredible that the FDA still runs a public awareness campaign that promotes soy as great for heart health, while the American Cancer Society still recommends soy and soy protein for cancer survivors, particularly those with breast cancer. Fortunately, the tide is beginning to turn. In 2006, the American Heart Association

S O

[1] Fallon, S. (n.d.). Tragedy and Hype: The third international soy symposium – Part II. Retrieved from http://www.tldp.com/issue/11_00/soy.htm

[22] Manning, R. (2004). Against the Grain: How agriculture has hijacked civilization. (1st ed., p. 361). New York: North Point Press.

[2] Rosanoff, A. (2012). Suboptimal Magnesium Status in the United States: Are the health consequences underestimated?. Nutritional Reviews, 70(3), 153-164. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00465.x.

[23] Smith, Jeffrey. Genetically modified soy linked to sterility, infant mortality in hamsters. 2010, August, 8. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html.

[3] American Autoimmune and Related Diseases, Inc. (n.d.). Autoimmune Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/ autoimmune-statistics/

[24] Chavarro, J et al. (2008). Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic. Human Reproduction. , 23(11), 2584-2590.

[4] Autoimmunity In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Autoimmunity

[25] Setchell, K. (1998). Isoflavone content of infant formulas and the metabolic fate of these early phytoestrogens in early life. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1453S-1461S. doi: Dec. 1998 Supplement

[5] Cordain, L. (1999). Cereal Grains: Humanity’s double-edged sword. World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics, 84, 19-73. Retrieved from http://www.direct-ms. org/pdf/EvolutionPaleolithic/Cereal Sword.pdf [6] (2014). Herbicide used in Argentina could cause birth defects. . Latin American Herald Tribune. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=331718&Category Id=14093. [7] Spiroux de Vendômois, J. Roullier, F., et al. (2009). A comparison of the effects of three GM corn varieties on mammalian health . International Journal of Biological Sciences. , 5(7), 706-726. [8] Zhang, L. et al. (2012). Exogenous plant mir168a specifically targets mammalian ldlrap1: Evidence of cross-kingdom regulation by microRNA. Cell Research. , 22, 107-126. [9] Ibid. [10] Heinemann, J. (2012). Evaluation of risks from creation of novel RNA molecules in genetically engineered wheat plants and recommendations for risk assessment. Centre for Integrated Research and Biosafety. Christchurch, NZ. http://www.inbi.canterbury.ac.nz/Documents/Reports%20and%20others/ Heinemann-Report-20120828.pdf [11] Netherwood et al . (2004). Assessing the survival of transgenic plant dna in the human intestinal tract. Nature Biotechnology. 22, 2. [12] What is GMO? Agricultural crops that have a risk of being GMO. High risk crops as of December 2011. The Non-GMO Project. Retrieved from Http://www. Nongmoproject. Org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/. [13] Campbell, T. (2004). The China Study. (1st ed.). Dallas: BenBella Books. [14] Daniel, K. (2005). The Whole Soy Story: The dark side of America’s favorite health food. (1st ed.). Washington D.C.: New Trends Publishing [15] Manning, R. (2004). Against the Grain: How agriculture has hijacked civilization. (1st ed.). New York: North Point Press. [16] Cassidy, A. (1994). Biological Effects of a Diet of Soy Protein Rich in Isoflavones on the Menstrual Cycle of Premenopausal Women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60, 333-340. [17] Murkies, A., & Wilcox, G. (1998). Phytoestrogens. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism , 83, 297-303. [18] Adams, N. (1995). Detection of the effect of phytoestrogens on sheep and cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 73, 1509-1515. [19] Chapin, R., & Stevens, J. (1996). Endrocrine modulation of reproduction. Fundamental and Applied Toxicology, 29, 1-17.

[26] Irvine, C. (1995). The potential adverse effects of soybean phytoestrogens in infant feeding. New Zealand Medical Journal, 318. [27] Keith, L. (2009). The Vegetarian Myth: Food, justice and sustainability . (1st ed., p. 221). Crescent City, CA: Flashpoint Press. [28] Goyal, H., & Robateau, A. (2003). Neonatal estrogen exposure of male rats alters reproductive functions at adulthood. Biology of Reproduction, 68(2801), 2091. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.102.010637 [29] Herman-Giddns, M. (1997). Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in young girls seen in office practice: A study from the pediatric research in office settings network. Pediatrics, 99(4), 505-512. [30] Sheehan, D., & Doerge, D. (1998). FDA Scientists Protest Soy Approval. Retrieved from http://dcnutrition.com/news/Detail.CFM?RecordNumber=546 [31] Bulletin de L’Office Federal de la Santé Publique, No 28, July 20, 1992 [32] Manning, R. (2004). Against the Grain: How agriculture has hijacked civilization. (1st ed., p. 332). New York: North Point Press. [33] Unfer, V., & Casini, M. (2004). Endometrial effects of long-term treatment with phytoestrogens: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Fertility and Sterility, 82(1), 145-148. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. fertnstert.2003.11.041 [34] Petrakis, N. (1996). Stimulatory influence of soy protein isolate on breast secretion in pre and postmenopausal women. Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 5(10), 785-794. [35] Ibid. [36] Keith, L. (2009). The Vegetarian Myth: Food, justice and sustainability . (1st ed., p. 221). Crescent City, CA: Flashpoint Press. [37] While, L. (1996, July ). Association of mid-life consmption of tofu with late life cognitive impairmet and dementia: The Honolulu-Asia aging study. Fifth International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease, Osaka, Japn. [38] Yaffe, Kristine et al. (1998). Serum estrogen levels, cognitive performance, and risk of cognitive decline in older community women. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. , 46(7), 816-821. [39] Soybean Subsidies in the United States Totaled $27.8 billion 1995-2012. (2013). Retrieved from http://farm.ewg.org/progdetail. php?fips=00000&progcode=soybean

[20] L’Office Federal de la Sante Publique, (1992). Bulletin de l’office federal de la sante publique. No. 28.

[40] Sacks, F. (2006). Soy protein, isoflavones, and cardiovascular health. Circulation, 113, 1034-1044. Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/ content/113/7/1034.full

[21] Manning, R. (2004). Against the Grain: How agriculture has hijacked civilization. (1st ed., p. 359). New York: North Point Press.

[41] Manning, R. (2004). Against the Grain: How agriculture has hijacked civilization. (1st ed..). New York: North Point Press.

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MEDICINE

THE MYSTERY OF MYOPIA

Investigating an epidemic of near-sightedness

veryone knows someone who wears glasses. Maybe that someone is you. According to the Vision Council of America, about 75% of adults use corrective lenses either all day or

for occasional activities such as reading or driving. History has shown that 60% of people wearing corrective lenses are farsighted or hyperopic (have trouble seeing near objects), and 40% are nearsighted or myopic (have trouble seeing far objects).1 That was then. Now, everything seems to be changing very rapidly, as an epidemic of forced nearsightedness at much younger ages seems to be sweeping across all industrialized nations of the world. The Archives of Ophthalmology published a study comparing eyesight analysis for 4,400 people examined between 1971 and 1972, and 8,300 people examined from 1999 to 2004. Although there’s no pun intended here, the results were a real eye-opener. In the earlier sample from the 1970’s, only 25% of patients ages 12 to 54 were nearsighted or myopic. By the early 2000’s, that rate had jumped to 42%. This amounted to an overall 66% increase in myopia in barely 30 years. Not only were the overall percentages rapidly increasing, but the number of severe cases of myopia, as well. Physiologically speaking, African Americans do not experience visual impairment at the levels of Caucasians, however, that did not prevent their once low myopia rate of 13% from jumping to 34% in the same time period.2 Perhaps the issue of greatest concern is that this is the most recent research we have on the dramatic increase of myopia in the industrialized world, and it’s already 12 years old. Although published in 2009, the most recent samples in the study were from 2004. Given the previous trends, this may well indicate that current myopia levels in the U.S. for people ages 12-54 are probably around 2016 Collection

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55-60% and may have already surpassed farsightedness as the most common visual problem. It’s amazing to know, and embarrassing to admit, that while the first pair of eye glasses was made in Italy in 1286, 730 years later, science still does not have a definitive answer as to what causes someone to need corrective lenses. Although there are several theories, science is still far from a consensus as to what causes the structural changes in the eye that lead to focus and acuity problems. Time, however, isn’t on our side as a myopia epidemic continues to sweep across the world affecting increasingly younger patients. While North America and Europe have been hit hard, nowhere has the impact been deeper than in Asia, specifically China. As unfortunate as that is, the severity of the Chinese situation may just be the clue we need to solve the mystery of myopia.

HIDDEN CONSEQUENCES It was about six years ago that China’s largest eye hospital, the Zhongshan Opthalmic Center in Guangzhou, was forced to expand to accommodate tens of thousands of children showing up every year with vision problems that required glasses. The increase came so fast and lasted so long that the hospital had to relocate some of its doctors to a local shopping mall just to accommodate the massive influx during the construction phase of their expansion. This was just the beginning of what would become an ongoing epidemic of myopia in East Asia, but especially China, the likes of which the world had never seen. Just 60 years ago, only 10%-20% of Chinese people were myopic or nearsighted. In 2016, 90% of

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MYOPIA IS OF GREAT CONCERN FOR MANY REASONS. THIS ISN’T JUST A MATTER OF GETTING SOME CORRECTIVE LENSES, AND THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. WHILE THE VISION ITSELF CAN BE CORRECTED, SCIENCE STILL LACKS CLEAR EVIDENCE AS TO WHAT CAUSES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE EYEBALL THAT COME WITH MYOPIA. teenagers and young adults are myopic. In Seoul, Korea, 96.5% of 19-year-old men are, as well. Myopia is of great concern for many reasons. This isn’t just a matter of getting some corrective lenses, and the problem is solved. While the vision itself can be corrected, science still lacks clear evidence as to what causes the physiological changes in the eyeball that come with myopia. An eye with perfect vision is round like a ball, allowing the light coming into it to focus directly on the retina. Eyes with myopia are shaped like ovals or eggs lying on their sides. This extension of the eye from front to back forces incoming light to focus somewhere in front of the retina and not directly on it, causing images of far away objects to appear blurry. Depending on the extent of the elongation of the eyeball, this squashing effect stretches the delicate parts of the inner eye increasing the risk for retinal detachment, cataracts, glaucoma and blindness. It’s estimated that 20%, that’s 1 in 5, college students in East Asia have severe myopia and that half of them will experience some form of permanent vision loss through these conditions. Even in the best case scenario, corrective lenses will need to be adjusted with more power throughout life, making the visual capability of the eye progressively weaker as it becomes more dependent on external correction.

JUST GENETICS? In an interview with US News & World Report magazine, Dr. Maria Liu, head of the Myopia Control Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley stated that of all the genetic studies ever performed for myopia; only about 20 genes have been associated with nearsightedness, which only explains about 15% of the condition’s prevalence.3 In other words, myopia is not pre-programmed. How

we use our eyes and in what kind of environment matters much more. In fact, time may well prove these few genetic links completely irrelevant because family members, and especially twins, often find themselves spending much time in exactly the same environment and engaged in similar activities. Another clue that burst the genetic bubble on myopia was a study done in 1969. Among the adult community of Inuit people living in an isolated tribe in Alaska, only 2 of 131 people had myopia. Among their children and grandchildren who were living a more modern lifestyle, more than half were affected. This kind of rapid progression was proof that environment and usage were the driving force of their vision decline and not genetic changes, which require much more time to evolve.4

BOOK BOUND Perhaps the answer to myopia has always been with us, but we just needed a large enough sample group to make it convincing. Unfortunately, that sample group had to be over half the developed world and almost all of Asia, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It was over 400 years ago that German astronomer and optics expert, Johannes Kepler, blamed his own inability to clearly see faraway objects on his excessive study, which kept him focusing on books for hours, months and years on end. This theory, known as the Near-Work Hypothesis, was originally dismissed. It was far too simple an explanation, not “scientific” enough. Recent studies have vindicated Kepler and established a strong link between education and myopia. In Asia, where a uniquely high level of emphasis is placed on educational achievement, children are

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The real issue isn’t what a person is looking at, but how far away it is from the face. In the 21st century, myopia is the tragedy of the overuse of technology. Is it any wonder so many young people are becoming myopic today? Their faces are staring at screens barely 18 inches away from their faces for hours on end every day. Laptops, cellphones, iPads, e-readers, video games and so on keep children and young adults mesmerized. They rarely pick their heads up to look at the world around them. To make matters worse, children are now staring into computer screens in classrooms for even more hours because someone thought high-tech meant better education. Of course, adults don’t fare much better because they’re equally addicted to their electronic gadgets. A poll from The New York Times showed 1 in 7 people said they spend less time with their partner because of media. Even more shocking, 1 in 10 openly admitted to spending less time with their children, too!11 I guess that’s okay because their children aren’t paying attention to them either. Everyone seems lost in an electronic daydream. Thirty-five years ago, before this phenomenon began, you could walk into any coffee shop and actually see people being social, chatting and having coffee. Walk into any Starbuck’s today and nobody’s talking because they’re staring into an electronic gadget, and most of them aren’t even drinking coffee. Yes, times have changed.

required to spend many more hours in school and at home studying. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released a study that showed the average 15-year-old in Shanghai spends 15 hours per week on homework compared to 6 in the U.S. and 5 in the U.K.5 Boys in Israel who attend schools known as Yeshivas and spend many hours studying religious texts have been found to be disproportionately affected with high rates of myopia.6 In fact, many studies now exist that show myopia increases along with level of education, which would naturally require more studying and bookwork.7 Some research is also suggesting there is a link between people with high IQs and myopia.8 This, of course, doesn’t imply a genetic link, only that those with higher intelligence are more drawn to lifelong education and long hours of study. Higher rates of myopia have also been found among children in gifted education classes.9 The natural assumption of these findings is that because education and achievement are emphasized to such a greater degree in East Asia in comparison to the rest of the world, their increase in myopia has been all the more severe. Their population, specifically China, has been the canary in the coal mine, so to speak, for the rest of the world on this issue. Dr. Liu from UC Berkeley, who was born and educated in China, attested to this fact in her interview with US News & World Report by emphatically stating, “Not only do they start doing near work at a much earlier age, the total duration of the work at a very early age is very, very astonishing.”10

TECH TRAGEDY The point here isn’t that it’s only smart people who become myopic. We’re talking hundreds of millions of people across entire continents.

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The addiction to technology seems to play a clear and significant role in the myopia epidemic. This is particularly telling in the case of Asia, where the vast majority of these devices are manufactured. The introduction to this technology is also happening at much younger ages for children, as well. In the U.S., it’s not uncommon to see children in the 5th or 6th grade with their own cellphone.

OVER-TONING THE EYE The particular danger children face with this early introduction to technology is that their eyes are still developing and growing through age 21. By constantly focusing on handheld electronic objects and books during this crucial growth phase of their lives, they’re over-toning internal eye muscles, programming their eyes to see one way and altering the shape of the eye itself as it grows. The curvature of the lens in the eye is controlled by the ciliary muscle, which encircles it like a ring and attaches to it by stiff, inelastic tissues known as zonules. When the muscle is stimulated it bulges, relaxing tension on the zonules. This allows the lens to increase its curvature, evenly distributing this pressure across its surface, allowing a person to focus on an up-close task. After extended periods of near-focus, the ciliary muscle eventually retains some of this increased tone, preventing it from fully relaxing and reducing the lens curvature so that objects may be focused on at a distance. For children and young adults, timing is everything when it comes to introducing technology and setting limits on the duration of use. While safely out of the developmental phase of life, adults face their own risk of acquiring forced nearsightedness later in life. Today, it seems 75% of people sit in offices staring into computer screens for at least half the day. Two now-famous medical textbooks have linked near-work with late onset myopia since at least 1970.12 It might be a good idea to stick to your own technology rules after you apply them to your children. This is the perfect opportunity to teach by example and protect your vision at the same time.

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SEEING THE LIGHT In 2007, researchers at the Ohio State University College of Optometry released data from a study that added a new dimension to the near-work explanation for myopia while supporting the original conclusion, as well. The study followed 500 eight and nine-year-olds in California who started out with healthy vision. The researchers were particularly interested in how the children spent their days, and what their chosen activities were. After five years, 1 in 5 of the children had become myopic. The largest environmental factor between the children was that those who didn’t become nearsighted spent significantly more time outdoors.13 An Australian study from 2008 following 4,000 elementary and high school students for three years reached the same conclusion.14 What was interesting in both studies is that it didn’t matter what children were doing. As long as they were outdoors, they received preventative protection from myopia. Interestingly, children participating in sporting activities indoors did not receive this benefit. Immediately, researchers began focusing on natural light believing that it was the source of protection against myopia. The original hypothesis was that bright sunlight stimulated the release of dopamine in the retina, which blocked the development of an elongated eyeball. Retinal dopamine production is highest during the day. It tells the eye to switch from rod-based vision for nighttime to cone-based vision for the day. Some researchers now suspect that this cycle can become disrupted by spending lots of time in dimly lit classrooms, offices and even homes causing less dopamine to be produced in the retina resulting in a loss of protection against myopia. To put this into context, a bright sunny day produces about 100,000 lumens. A partly cloudy day might produce 10,000 lumens, while an overcast day would provide only 5,000 lumens. By comparison, even the most well-lit office or classroom will only provide 500 lumens. As encouraging as the light hypothesis was, many experts were not onboard to crown it the definitive cause of myopia. Dr. Ian Flitcroft, myopia specialist at the Children’s University Hospital in Dublin, replied this way after reading the findings, “Light is not the only factor, and making it the explanation is a gross over-simplification of a complex process.”15

suspicion that in the China study where children attended class outside, they were probably reading from books at the time, or focusing on a teacher, or lesson board that was less than 10ft away from them. The researchers of the light studies seemed to forget that while children are outside during leisure time, their heads are up. They’re focusing on trees, clouds, houses and animals at a variety of distances from them, some quite far. This provides their eyes with a variety of focal points to shift between and exercise the entire focusing capacity of the eye. All the sunlight in the world isn’t going to help you if you’re at the beach with your head buried in a book. Neither study took into account how much afterschool near-work the students performed, or how they used technology in their leisure time. Both would have worked against their short 40 minutes outdoors. With this in mind, I still believe near-work to be the predominant cause of myopia, regardless of whether that work is performed indoors or outdoors. The primary issue is where you’re focusing and how far away it is. The best place to focus on far things is outside where sunlight can also provide its additional benefit. Unfortunately, the world has now raised nearly three generations of “indoor” children who would rather experience nature virtually than realistically. There is a theory known as the Visual Stimuli Hypothesis that seems to combine both the near-work and sunlight ideas in the way in which I’ve just explained. Perhaps they aren’t separate theories, as I’ve suggested, but two sides of the same answer. The hypothesis says that lack of normal visual stimuli is what causes the eyeball to develop in a misshapen way.17 In this case, normal stimuli includes natural environments that the eye was exposed to over tens of thousands of years of human evolution such as forest, jungles, savannas, great plains, mountains, the ocean and so on. These environments are massive and dynamic with thousands of things to focus on with great depth. Oh, and there’s also an intense amount of sunlight to illuminate everything. This isn’t how you might describe a typical teenager’s bedroom, classroom, office or cubicle. Kittens18 and monkeys19 who have had their eyes sewn shut for periods of time and deprived of visual stimuli, as well as light, have developed elongated eyeballs associated with myopia.

IS IT ANY WONDER SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MYOPIC TODAY? THEIR FACES ARE STARING AT SCREENS BARELY 18 INCHES AWAY FROM THEIR FACES FOR HOURS ON END EVERY DAY. LAPTOPS, CELLPHONES, IPADS, E-READERS, VIDEO GAMES AND SO ON KEEP CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS MESMERIZED. THEY RARELY PICK THEIR HEADS UP TO LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

In 2009, a three-year study using outdoor light was conducted in China with six and seven-year-olds. Several schools agreed to hold their last class of the day outdoors, which lasted for 40 minutes. A selection of other schools made no change in their schedule. Of the 900 children who attended class outside, 30% developed myopia by age nine or ten, and 40% of the children who had all their classes indoors became nearsighted. A subsequent experiment conducted in 2013 in Taiwan also yielded the same 10% difference.16 Unfortunately, a 10% margin was nowhere near the amount of improvement required to explain a 90% myopia rate in China’s children and young adults. Apparently, Dr. Flitcroft was correct, while sunlight certainly plays a role, it isn’t the singular answer to preventing myopia.

MORE TO THE MIX I do believe that sunlight plays an important role in preventing myopia, but it isn’t simply a matter of walking out your door. What you do with your eyes while you’re outside matters. I have a strong

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ANTI-MYOPIA ACTION PLAN So, it seems that both near-work and lack of sunlight are two parts of the same cause we’ve been looking for. Luckily, they both have a singular solution. Here are some things you can use with your children to prevent the onset or progression of myopia.

Get outside:

Some experts suggest that children should spend at least three hours outside each day to counteract the amount of near-work done in school, after school and during leisure time. Plan family activities for the weekends. It’s a great time to turn all technology off and get to know each other again through outdoor games, hikes and daytrips. Three hours of outdoor playtime is the norm for children in places like Australia,20 where the weather is sunny all year round. While 96.5% of Korean 19-yearold men suffer from myopia, it only affects 30% of 17-year-olds in Australia. If you live in the Southern or Western U.S., your family must absolutely take advantage of the temperate climate. Elsewhere, unless temperatures are dangerous, it’s perfectly fine to take long walks in the winter months.

Take Breaks: It’s called the 20-20-20 rule.

If you’re doing near-work, take a break after each 20 minutes and focus on something at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. Research shows that the overall impact and development of myopia is very different for those who do long stretches of nearwork compared with those who are only exposed to it in intervals.21

Room with a View:

If your office or classroom has a window, take advantage of it. Take regular glances at objects in the distance for just a few seconds, allowing your eyes to relax from their close focus.

Practice Visual Hygiene:

Get an eye exam, not just a vision screening, each year. This will allow your doctor to remain current on the integrity, health and structure of the eye itself, not just how you’re seeing. Increase healing foods in your diet that support good vision such as salmon, eggs, bilberries, dark chocolate, garlic, leafy greens, apricots, carrots, spinach, kale and broccoli.

Supplement:

Take the best daily eye support herbal supplement you can find. Be sure it contains a broad mix of carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin esters, bilberry and taurine. Healing Eyes is an excellent choice provided by Be Hive of Healing. (get your bottle at www.behiveoflife.com) It’s amazing how when children are young, there’s nothing they enjoy more than going outside to play. I know mine would go out in the rain, if I let them. Then, something changes. They’re introduced

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to technology, and suddenly they prefer the virtual world to the real one. The light goes out in their eyes, and they lose the ability to be present for the best moments of their young lives. Lives that are passing by all too quickly. Be careful about how and when you introduce technology to your children. I can’t stress enough the health issues related to disconnecting yourself from the natural world in favor of immersing yourself in technology. Send your child outside, and then follow him or her. You might just be saving more than vision. You might find that you understand each other more because of the time you’ve shared. Imagine, families spending techfree time together. Now that would be a sight to see.

S O

[1] What percentage of the population wears glasses?. Retrieved from Http:// glassescrafter. Com/information/percentage-population-wears-glasses. Html. [2] Vitale, Susan et al. (2009). Increased prevalence of myopia in the united states between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004. Archives of Ophthalmology. 127(12), 1632-1639. [3] Medaris Miller, Anna. (2014). Is nearsightedness an epidemic?. Us news & world report, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/ articles/2014/12/01/is-nearsightedness-an-epidemic. [4] Young, F. A. et al. (1969). The transmission of refractive errors within eskimo families. American Journal of Optometry and Archives of American Academy of Optometry. 46(9), 676–685. [5] Salinas, D. Does Homework Perpetuate Inequities in Education? (OECD, 2014). [6] Zylbermann, R. et al. (1993). The influence of study habits on myopia in Jewish teenagers. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 30(5). 319–322. [7] Wu, Hui-Min et al. (2001). Does Education Explain Ethnic Differences in Myopia Prevalence? A Population-Based Study of Young Adult Males in Singapore. Optometry & Vision Science. 78 (4), 234–239. [8] Rosenfield, Mark and Gilmartin, Bernard (1998). Myopia and nearwork. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7506-3784-8. [9] Jensen, A.R. (1998) The g Factor. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, ISBN 0275961036. [10] Medaris Miller, Anna. (2014). Is nearsightedness an epidemic?. Us news & world report, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/ articles/2014/12/01/is-nearsightedness-an-epidemic. [11] Connelly, M. (2010). More Americans sense a downside to an always plugged-in existence. The New York Times. [12] Irvin M. Borish, Clinical Refraction, third edition, 1970. The Professional Press, pp.5-46;83-114; Bjrian J. Curtin, The Myopias: Basic Science and Clinical Management, 1985. Harper & Row, pp.121-123). [13] Jones, L et al. (2007). Parental history of myopia, sports and outdoor activities, and future myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. , 48(8), 3524-3542. [14] Rose, K et al. (2008). Outdoor activity reduces the prevalence of myopia in children. Ophthalmology . , 115(8), 1279-1285. [15] Dolgin, Elie. (2015). The myopia boom: short-sightedness is reaching epidemic proportions. Some scientists think they have found a reason why. Nature: international weekly journal of science. http://www.nature.com/ news/the-myopia-boom-1.17120. [16] Wu, P et al. (2013). Outdoor activity during class recess reduces myopia onset and progression in school children. Ophthalmology. , 120(5), 10801085. [17] Lieberman, Daniel E. The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease. New York: Pantheon Books, 2013. Print [18] Smith III, E. et al. (1980). Axial lengths and refractive errors in kittens reared with an optically induced anisometropia. Investigate Ophthalmology and Vision Science 19: 1250-55. [19] Hubel D., T.N. Weisel (1985). Myopia and eye enlargement after neonatal lid fusion in monkeys. Nature 266: 485-88. [20] Dolgin, Elie. (2015). The myopia boom: short-sightedness is reaching epidemic proportions. Some scientists think they have found a reason why. Nature: international weekly journal of science. http://www.nature.com/ news/the-myopia-boom-1.17120. [21] Zhu, X. (2013). Temporal integration of visual signals in lens compensation (a review). Experimental Eye Research. 114(), 69-76.

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THE BIG FAT LIE Setting the record straight on dietary fat

Dr Habib Sadeghi

o food has been more demonized, maligned and misunderstood in the media and court of public opinion than fat. For almost 50 years, we’ve been inundated with panic-laden media reports that fat causes heart attacks and strokes. Even worse, fat makes us fat! The message has been so loud and consistent for so long that we’ve all become fat phobic.

together in a tight, compact way. This is why they’re always liquid

Well, I’m here to exonerate fat and tell you that it’s not only good for you; it’s absolutely essential to your health. That depends, of course, on the kind of fat you eat, and I’m not just talking about eating more olive oil and avoiding trans fats. In fact, the vast majority of the so-called healthy fats that the experts encourage us to eat have a much darker and dangerous side that needs to be explored.

Their molecular shape is so crooked, they could never come together

Fats are composed of chains of carbon atoms linked together with hydrogen atoms. These are called fatty acids. When each carbon atom is partnered with a hydrogen atom, they form long, straight chains with very stable bonds. This is the structure of saturated fat. The saturation is what makes it stable and keeps it solid at room temperature. Saturated fats have a very high heat threshold, which is why they’re excellent for cooking and don’t go rancid during the process. All dietary fat is a combination of the three kinds of fat we’ll discuss, but these contain the highest percentages of saturated fat: coconut oil (92%), butter (60%), beef/tallow (50%) and pork/ lard (40%). Monounsaturated fats are missing two hydrogen atoms, leaving a couple of carbon atoms without partners. The result is a slight bend in their chain. Unlike saturated fat, their molecules don’t fit 7

The missing hydrogen atoms make their structure far less stable with little tolerance for heat. Olive oil and avocados are full of monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats are missing four or more hydrogen atoms. in a straight line. Because their atoms don’t fit together well, they’re highly unstable, which is why they’re always in liquid form regardless of temperature. They should never be heated under any circumstances and go rancid very easily, often just from exposure to the air. These include all the vegetable oils such as canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil and so on.

SATURATION VARIATIONS

at room temperature but will coagulate or thicken in the fridge.

There are two types of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-3. They’re called essential fatty acids because they’re essential to our health. Our bodies can’t make them, so we have to obtain them from our diet.

VITAL FOR VITAMINS Fat is crucial for helping us absorb certain vitamins because it’s the only way they can be transported throughout the body. Called fat soluble vitamins, these nutrients include vitamins A, D, E and K, and are found predominantly in dietary fat. Most people make the mistake of thinking vitamin A comes from carrots, but it’s really only pro-vitamin A, which must go through a conversion process that still requires fat. There is no reliable plant source for pure vitamin A. It’s only attainable from fat. True vitamin A is extremely important for

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countless body functions from reproduction and immune function to making tooth enamel. Vitamin D helps the bones absorb calcium, but it can only do so with the help of fat. With fat phobia, the media drove millions of women into a high carb / low fat diet, which is the perfect recipe for osteoporosis. Vitamin D is only found in fatty animal foods such as butter, egg yolks, fatty fish and liver. Vitamin E has powerful antioxidant properties that protect our cells from oxidative damage. Vitamin K supports bone density and blood clotting. Both E and K are found abundantly in fat, but some plant sources, as well. Regardless of where our fat comes from, it’s very important that we get it because the nervous system loves fat. How much? The brain is 60% saturated fat. Not a single neuron could fire without it. Over half the calories in breast milk come from saturated fat because it’s vital to the neurological development of the human brain. Sadly, the fat content in all commercial baby formulas is woefully inadequate. It’s saturated fat that provides optimal cognitive function along with its equally valuable partner, cholesterol.

CHOLESTEROL CLARITY Cholesterol is vital to the body. In fact, the demand for it is so high that it can’t depend on you to eat enough of it every day. That’s why 85% of the cholesterol in your body doesn’t come from your diet. It’s made in the liver, and 25% of that total is reserved for the brain. Of course, this doesn’t stop proponents of low fat diets from misusing this fact to convince people to strictly limit fat and cholesterol in their diets. To do so would still leave us with a 10-15% cholesterol deficiency which would seriously impact the nervous system in negative ways over time. As people age, increasing digestive problems often leave them unable to metabolize fat, and so they avoid fatty foods. It’s no coincidence that as fat and cholesterol consumption goes down as we age, brain fog, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease risk goes up. Biochemist, Mary Enig, PhD and author of Know Your Fats declares

in her book, “The statement, ‘even if you didn’t eat any cholesterol, your liver would manufacturer enough for your body’s needs’ has been made so frequently it is often believed. But in fact, there is evidence that for some people, cholesterol is an absolute dietary essential because their own synthesis is not adequate.”1 If cholesterol is so bad, why is it in every cell of the body? To be more specific, cholesterol is a sterol, and like fat, it doesn’t dissolve in water. It’s the substance that ensures the cell membrane remains stable. In a body that’s 70% water, that’s a good thing otherwise we’d collapse into a puddle on the floor. Cholesterol also maintains the integrity of the intestinal lining, has antioxidant properties and is fundamental to the creation of sex hormones. Because babies’ brains need to develop fast, breast milk is also loaded with it. If cholesterol is our friend, then who convinced us it was the enemy?

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS It was Ancel Keys from the University of Minnesota who conducted the famous Seven Countries Study (SCS) that set out to establish a definitive connection between saturated fat, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. He noticed that after WWII there had been a sharp decrease in heart attacks in Europe while the U.S. experienced a simultaneous increase. It should be noted that the SCS was an epidemiological study. This type of research looks across a wide range of existing data from many different categories and draws general conclusions. The emphasis here is on “general”. Epidemiological studies aren’t really research as much as they are surveys. That’s fine if you want to find out if A is correlated with B, but it’s impossible to determine if A causes B because there are too many variables involved. The only way to scientifically test a hypothesis is to isolate the factor you’re looking for and reduce the number of variables that might affect it among the testing group to an absolute minimum. Aside from the people in the SCS having widely different diets, Keys made no attempt to investigate the various cultural, social or environmental factors that affected their health or whether his subjects exercised or smoked.

REGARDLESS OF WHERE OUR FAT COMES FROM, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET IT BECAUSE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM LOVES FAT. HOW MUCH? THE BRAIN IS 60% SATURATED FAT. NOT A SINGLE NEURON COULD FIRE WITHOUT IT. 2016 Collection

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In this situation, it’s impossible to make a definitive statement about anything. Yet, that’s exactly what Keys did in 1963 when he unequivocally stated that saturated fat and serum cholesterol were directly related to heart disease, otherwise known as The Lipid Hypothesis. Within days, the American Heart Association and the media began broadcasting warnings for people to avoid eggs, butter, beef and so on. The rest, as they say, is history.

in death from other chronic diseases. Eventually, the FHS director, Dr. William Castelli had to publicly admit, “In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol… We found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active.”5

FILLING IN THE BLANKS

ZEROING IN

In 2000, researcher, Uffe Ravsknov, MD, PhD of the University of Lund in Sweden reviewed the entire dataset from Keys’ SCS study only to discover that he had originally collected data from 22 countries, not seven. It soon became apparent that when Keys wasn’t getting the outcome he expected, he cherry picked the countries that would provide that result and discarded the rest. The seven countries included in the published data were the U.S., England/Wales, Italy, Australia, Japan and Canada. When the data from the other 15 countries was added back into the study, the results directly contradicted Keys’ hypothesis: the more cholesterol and saturated fat that were consumed, the less the occurrence of heart disease.2

The gold standard in scientific research is the controlled double blind study where one factor is isolated among test groups with everything else remaining the same. That’s the only way to prove true causation. The Lipid Hypothesis was put to the real test back in 1965 in London. Participants all ate the exact same diet with only one difference. The test group had the saturated fat in their diet replaced with corn oil. These test subjects experienced a 23mg/dl decrease in serum cholesterol and much higher death rates from cardiovascular and chronic diseases. In their report, the scientists even commented, “… 12 under the circumstances of this trial, corn oil cannot be recommended in the treatment of ischaemic heart disease. It is most unlikely to be beneficial and is possibly harmful.”6

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick recently performed a modern day version of the SCS using the most current World Health Organization (WHO) data. The study spanned 21 countries, involved 10 million people and lasted a full decade. Once again, the results showed absolutely no correlation between cardiovascular disease and saturated fat and cholesterol intake.3 You can read more about this in his excellent book, The Great Cholesterol Con: The truth about what really causes heart disease and how to avoid it.

The first U.S. controlled study of The Lipid Hypothesis took place in 1966 and was called the AntiCoronary Club. After the SCS was released nationally, the New York City Department of Health was promoting a low fat/low cholesterol diet called the Prudent Diet that replaced saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oils). Almost immediately, the Prudent eaters’ cholesterol levels began to drop causing researchers to prematurely celebrate. Of the 1,100 Prudent eaters, eight died from heart attacks just nine months later. From the group eating saturated fat, none. When the study concluded, 26 of the Prudent men had died from heart attacks while just six did from the control group. It seems strange that the researchers gave this glaring fact no mention in their analysis.7

IN 2008, THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE EVEN CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MORE SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL MEANS LESS CANCER RISK. SO LET’S EXONERATE SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL ONCE AND FOR ALL BECAUSE OVER 50 YEARS OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CONTROLLED STUDIES PROVE DEFINITIVELY THAT THEY PROTECT US FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CANCER.

With Keys discredited time and again, people who refuse to let go of The Lipid Hypothesis still point to the 1948 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) to support their position. Involving 15,000 Boston residents, this study is still going on today 68 years later and is the longest, most comprehensive medical study in history. In an ongoing embarrassment for the researchers, results consistently show that declining cholesterol levels in people over 50 results in proportional increases in death from cardiovascular, as well as other chronic diseases.4 In fact, some of the first data showed that for every 1mg/dl decrease in cholesterol, participants experienced a 14% increase in death from cardiovascular disease and an 11% increase

CHANGING TACTICS Losing on the heart disease front, manufacturers of vegetables oils eventually switched their focus and funded research claiming eating saturated fat and cholesterol increased cancer risk. In time, all those “tests” were refuted, as well. In a 700-page report from

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1997, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund stated that there was no “convincing” or even “probable” evidence to even suggest a connection between saturated fat consumption and cancer risk. In 2006, the American Cancer Society agreed by stating, “…there is little evidence that the total amount of fat consumed increases cancer risk.”9 The Nurse’s Health Study from Harvard began in 1976 tracking 89,000 nurses with regard to cancer and heart disease and still continues today. Initial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 198710, as well as updates in 199211, 1999 and later all confirm the same findings: the more saturated fat women eat, the lower their breast cancer risk falls. For every 5% of simple carbohydrates a woman replaces with saturated fat in her diet, she experiences a 9% decrease in breast cancer risk. In 2008, the National Cancer Institute even came to the conclusion that more saturated fat and cholesterol means less cancer risk.12 So let’s exonerate saturated fat and cholesterol once and for all because over 50 years of epidemiological and controlled studies prove definitively that they protect us from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

DOUBLE EDGE SWORD As I said, all fats aren’t created equal. The ones that get us into trouble and do cause cardiovascular disease and cancer are the “heart healthy” vegetable oils or polyunsaturated fats that processed food manufacturers have been telling us to eat for over 60 years. The irony is that we actually need polyunsaturated fats in our diet, but only in very small amounts, only about 4% of total calories. To give you an idea, the body’s fat content is 97% saturated and monounsaturated with 3% coming from polyunsaturated. It’s really the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that we need, the omega6s and omega-3s. The ideal ratio in the tiny percentage that we need for health is 1:1 and can easily be found in plants, nuts and the meat and fat of grass-fed animals. While omega-3s have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, the omeg-6s can either help prevent inflammation or cause it, depending on how high they are in a food item. The problem is that vegetable oils are made from grains, seeds and legumes that have extremely high amounts of omega-6s and almost no omega3s. These include products like corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and so on. For example, here is the omega-6 to omega-3 percentage content of some common vegetable oils: safflower 75%-0%, sunflower 65%-0%, corn 54%-0%, sesame 42%-0%, peanut 32%-0%, soybean 51%-7%. By contrast, the percentage for fish is 0%-100%.13 It’s not that omega-6s are bad. We need them for health, but there are serious dangers if they get too far out of proportion with our omega-3 intake from eating vegetable oils and foods that contain them. Since vegetable oils are in virtually every processed food on the market, even baby formula, it’s no wonder that the average American diet contains an omega 6 to 3 ratio of 20:1. This leads to massive inflammation inside the body, which has been directly linked to every major chronic disease, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer.

FREE RADICAL FRENZY Earlier, I mentioned how the polyunsaturated fat molecule is missing

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many hydrogen atoms, leaving as many carbon atoms unpaired. This makes PUFAs highly unstable. Most of the time, they go rancid or oxidize very quickly, always when exposed to the heat of cooking and often when just exposed to the open air. An apple cut in half immediately starts to brown as it begins to decompose. That’s what happens to every cell and tissue that PUFAs’ free radicals come into contact with inside the body. When it happens inside the artery walls, it’s an emergency of the highest order. In this situation, it’s cholesterol that comes to the rescue, patching up the destruction and protecting the delicate arterial lining from further oxidative damage. Otherwise, you might spring a leak. This is how cholesterol creates plaque, but it’s not to kill you—it’s to keep you from killing yourself from eating foods loaded with PUFAs (aka vegetable oils). Calling cholesterol a killer is like blaming the fireman for the fire. This is why it’s so important to understand the difference between causation and correlation. Without this knowledge, too many people have replaced healthy saturated fat with vegetable oils at the advice of their doctors all while taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. This approach is the fast track for disease as cholesterol, the body’s greatest protector, is suppressed leaving the vulnerable artery walls defenseless against recurring waves of oxidative damage and inflammation. This is in addition to the effects of the cholesterol deficiency the rest of the body will experience, including the brain. It makes no difference whether the danger our cells face is from insulin, oxidation or something else, it’s always cholesterol that comes to the rescue. Just for the record, the breakdown of arterial plaque shows 26% is saturated and 74% is unsaturated with the latter amount being overwhelmingly polyunsaturated.14

FRANKEN-FOOD IIn addition to their highly inflammatory and oxidative properties, vegetable oils are toxic simply by the vast amount of processing they must go through. Grains, seeds and legumes are quite hard and contain very little oil per piece, which they don’t give up easily, so great efforts must be taken to extract it. This means that they must be put under extreme pressure for the oil to be extracted, generating incredibly high temperatures. Exposing the unstable PUFAs to this amount of heat during processing renders the oil rancid before it even enters the bottles. Hexane, a byproduct of manufacturing petroleum, is regularly used to accelerate the extraction process leaving measurable traces in the final product. Once the extraction is complete, the oil goes through the following phases: degumming, emulsification, fractionation, hydrogenation, interesterification, deodorization (removes the putrid smell of rancidity) and two rounds of bleaching. If it’s going to become margarine or shortening, it then goes through plasticization.

REPROGRAMMING YOURSELF Mark Twain said, “It’s much easier to fool someone than to convince them they have been fooled.” That’s just because we’ve heard the big fat lie so many times. Just keep repeating to yourself, “saturated fat is good for me”, and maybe reread this article a few more times while throwing out your vegetable oils. Ultimately, you won’t need me to convince you of the truth about saturated fat. Your body, heart and brain will do that by responding with excellent health.

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CLEARING OUT THE CUPBOARDS For your health and the health of your family, I highly EQUALLY RANCID, INFLAMMATORY AND recommend avoiding these toxic-laden, inflammatory TOXIC VEGETABLE OILS: Corn oil → 100% GMO vegetable oils and all foods containing them. Some of Soybean Oil → 100% GMO, full of phyto-estrogens, see the worst offenders are condiments and salad dressings. our article on soy. Canola Oil comes from the rapeseed plant. Rapeseeds

are toxic to humans because of their high eurcic acid content, which has been implicated in illnesses such Kishan’s disease and fibrotic heart lesions. Manufacturers have genetically modified (GMO) it to reduce the amount of eurcic acid, which can still be found in the finished product. The paltry amount of omega-3s that exist in canola oil convert to trans fatty acids (trans fats) during the deodorization process, with the trans fat content of the finished product being as high as 4.6%.15 This is never listed on the label’s nutritional facts because it occurs during processing and is not considered an ingredient. If hydrogenated before it goes into processed foods, the trans fat content content can reach 40%.16

Vegetable Oil → A blend of all the worst offenders. Peanut Oil → Peanuts are legumes, not nuts. Sesame Oil Sunflower Oil Safflower Oil Grapeseed Oil

Cottonseed oil comes from cotton, which the FDA does not classify as a food. As such, there are no regulations on how often or how heavily cotton can be sprayed with pesticides. Once the cotton is harvested, the seeds are collected for their oil, which is then put into processed food.

Vegetable shortening is a plasticized mixture of mainly cottonseed and soybean oil, both of which are GMO. Diglyserides are necessary to firm the gelatinous mixture up into its traditional pasty consistency. Unlike real food that rots or spoils over time, it will last indefinitely on your pantry shelf.

Margarine

is made from any combination of the various vegetable oils. To achieve spreadable consistency like shortening, it too must be partially hydrogenated, which requires hydrogen gas to be forced into the fat molecules, altering their structure. Even though trans fat free claims are being made by manufacturers, trans fats still exist in these products because it occurs during processing. Analysis from the Cleveland Clinic has shown that 3g of trans fat is contained in only 1 Tbsp. of margarine,17 and it still raises LDL cholesterol—for all the obvious reasons we’ve discussed. The added danger of trans fat is that incorporates itself into the healthy, saturated fat on cell membranes creating “dead” areas that are unable to receive signals from the environment. With its receptors encased in a layer of goo, the cell cannot communicate or receive important nutrients or hormones. Trans fat suffocates the cell, hastening cell death and disease. Avoid all margarine and any spreadable butter substitute. 0

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HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES Consider these healthy alternatives while avoiding vegetable oils:

Animal Fats: Fat from beef (tallow), pork (lard), chicken,

goose, turkey or lamb is excellent for cooking because of its resistance to oxidation and stability under very high heat. It also contains much saturated fat, which is vital for cell repair, neurological function and the transport of vitamins like A, D, E and K.

Butter:

With 60% saturated fat, butter is outstanding for cooking and very stable under high temperatures. Rich in vitamins A, E and selenium, try to find butter from grass-fed cows. Yes, it’s healthy to enjoy butter again.

Coconut Oil: Extremely stable under high heat, coconut oil will not turn rancid or oxidize. It also offers immune function and anti-microbial support with lauric acid.

Olive Oil:

Look for cold-pressed extra virgin. Olive oil is monounsaturated fat, which means it is less stable and prone to oxidation when exposed to varying temperatures. Never cook with olive oil! It should be consumed raw, perhaps as the base of homemade salad dressing. Get into the habit of making your own salad dressings with healthy fats, as nearly all commercial brands contain lots of vegetable oils.

Palm Oil:

Excellent for cooking. Watch out for the hydrogenated brands.

High Omega-3 Oils: These include cod liver, salmon,

krill or hempseed oil. They must be consumed raw and never heated. Be sure all marine oils are tested for heavy metals. Try to avoid flaxseed oil, as it contains very high levels of omega-6s, too.

Egg Yolks:

Not traditionally a fat, egg yolks are loaded with good cholesterol and are excellent for making homemade mayonnaise and other condiments.

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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF POLYUNSATURATED ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: OMEGA-6 AND OMEGA-3. THEY’RE CALLED ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS BECAUSE THEY’RE ESSENTIAL TO OUR HEALTH. OUR BODIES CAN’T MAKE THEM, SO WE HAVE TO OBTAIN THEM FROM OUR DIET. S O

[1] Enig, M. (2000). Know Your Fats: The complete primer for understanding the nutrition of fats, oils and cholesterol . (1st ed., p. 56). Bethesda: Bethesda Press.

[10] L, F. (1987). Link of fat to breast cancer disputed. The New York Times , (archives), http://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/01/us/link-of-fatto-breast-cancer-disputed.html

[2] Ranskov, U. (2000). The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the fallacy that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease. (1st ed.). Washington D.C.: New Trends Publishing.

[11] Willett, W. (1992). Dietary fat and fiber in relation to risk of breast cancer: An 8-year follow-up. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 268(15), 2037-2044.

[3] Kendrick, M. (2007). The Great Cholesterol Con: The truth about what really causes heart disease and how to avoid it. (1st ed.). London: John Blake Publishing.

[12] Taubes, G. (2008). Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, carbs and the controversial science of diet and health. (1st ed., p. 72.). New York: Anchor Books, Random House.

[4] Colpo, A. (2006). Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Cholesterol, Diet and Heart Disease is Wrong!. (1st ed., p. 17). Lulu.

[13] Kresser, Chris. (2010, May 8). How too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 is making us sick. Retrieved from Http://chriskresser. Com/how-too-much-omega-6-and-not-enough-omega-3-is-makingus-sick/.

[5] Colpo, A. (2006). Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Cholesterol, Diet and Heart Disease is Wrong!. (1st ed., p. 51). Lulu. [6] Colpo, A. (2006). Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Cholesterol, Diet and Heart Disease is Wrong!. (1st ed., p. 65). Lulu. [7] Christakis, G. Rinzler, S. (1966). Effect of the anti-coronary club program on coronary heart disease risk factor status. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 198(6), 597-604. [8] Glade, M et al. (1997). Food, nutrition, and the prevention of cancer: A global perspective 1997. Washington D.C.: American institute for cancer research. [9] Taubes, G. (2008). Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, carbs and the controversial science of diet and health. (1st ed., p. 74.). New York: Anchor Books, Random House.

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[14] Felton , C. (1994). Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and composition of human aortic plaques. The Lancet. , 344(8931), 11951196. [15] O\’keefe, S. (1994). Levels of trans geometrical isomers of essential fatty acids in some unhydrogenated U.S. vegetable oils. Journal of Food Lipids. , 1(), 165-176. [16] Sebedio, J. (1998). Trans fatty acids in human nutrition. The Oily Press, (Dundee, Scotland). 49-50. [17] Coffman, C. (2011). Do all stick margarines have trans fats? Livestrong.com. from Http://www. Livestrong. Com/article/510747-doall-stick-margarines-have-trans-fats/

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WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

Misguided anger in today’s healthcare debate

Dr Habib Sadeghi

here’s an old saying that goes, “If you’re not outraged, you haven’t been paying attention.” What amazes me isn’t that people get upset about healthcare today, but the specific health issues they choose to become upset about, while entirely disregarding much more serious, far-reaching and immediate threats to our health and well-being.

includes 22 epidemics that list death tolls of less than 1,000, most of which only reached double digits. In the majority of the remaining handful of cases, death tolls are usually listed as “less than 50,000” and so on. Well, less than 50,000 could be 49 or 49,000. As you can see, epidemic death toll record-keeping has been far from an exact science throughout history.

Without exception, the one healthcare issue that consistently draws the most violent reaction from the media, certain healthcare agencies, special interest groups, and a small but misinformed portion of the public, is vaccines. It seems odd that people who have had themselves and their children vaccinated would become so enraged at the idea that other people have chosen not to do so. Don’t these healthcare heretics also have sovereignty over their own bodies, and by extension, the right to make healthcare decisions based on what they believe is best for them and their families?

To find an epidemic that killed 1 million people we have to go back to the Hong Kong flu of 1968, but the outbreak was worldwide, spread across an approximate population of 5 billion people at the time. To add even more perspective, over half that death toll, approximately 569,000 people,2 die of cancer in the United States alone each year.

A PLAGUE OF MISPERCEPTIONS Perhaps the outrage comes from fear due in large part to the widely-held misconception that epidemics are common, fast-moving and kill millions of people. This is largely false. A quick study of disease outbreaks throughout history1 will reveal that the death tolls of 74% of all epidemics weren’t even recorded, quite possibly because they were so small. The remaining 26% of outbreaks

Even a casual glance over the list of historical epidemics immediately reveals that nearly all the outbreaks occurred in poor and developing countries where even today unhealthy hygiene practices, overcrowding and a lack of proper municipal sanitation systems continue to be the leading causes of disease outbreaks, not unvaccinated people. Vaccine supporters often hold the belief that the decline of infectious diseases in Europe was due to the development of immunizations, but the historical record does not support this claim. After installing proper municipal sanitation systems, Europe saw a dramatic decline in the number of disease outbreaks almost immediately, and this was long before vaccines or even antibiotics were invented.

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FAR FROM FULL PROTECTION One of the biggest fears of vaccine supporters is that the unvaccinated are prime targets for pathogens and if infected, will set off a wildfire epidemic wherever they go. Obviously, this isn’t happening, but if it were true, why should they worry? They’ve been vaccinated! They’ve opted for what they’ve been told is total protection against these same diseases. It seems somewhat of a contradiction that their fear of the unvaccinated is an informal admission that vaccines don’t really work. Even worse, evidence shows it just might be the vaccinated crowd themselves that are the disease risk. In late December 2014, there was a measles outbreak in California linked to exposure at Disneyland that affected a group of 51 adults and children. It immediately brought out the usual rage from the standard pro-vaccine groups. Although infectious disease experts never discovered the source, that didn’t stop the media from blaming some nameless, faceless unvaccinated child as the cause. What the media didn’t share until a week later, and without giving it much attention, was the fact that vaccinated children who’d received the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine (MMR) also caught the measles right along with the unvaccinated children.3 Two things are important here. If vaccines really provided the protection that’s claimed, then none of the vaccinated children at Disneyland should have gotten the measles, but that’s not what happened. In fact, media reports that claimed “most” of the infected children were unvaccinated eventually evolved to read “some” of the infected children were unvaccinated. Much research exists showing that the measles vaccine doesn’t provide the promised protection. Just one example is a study published in the American Journal of Diseases of Children back in 1965, showing that while antibodies were high in blood samples from children one month after receiving their third injection of the measles vaccine, antibodies were undetectable in the blood of 77% of the children when tested one year later. After receiving a booster shot, only 69% of the remaining children showed antibodies nine months later. Interestingly, a measles outbreak occurred in the location, and during the 2.5 years this study was taking place, it was

determined that 125 vaccinated children from the original sample had been exposed to the disease either at home or at school. Of that group, 54 or 43.2% developed measles. The researchers would go on to conclude: “It is obvious that three injections of killed vaccine had not protected a large percentage of children against measles when exposed within a period of two-and-a-half years after immunization.”4

THE CURE AS DISEASE The other important issue is that it’s been known since the 1960’s that in a high percentage of cases, the measles vaccine can predispose a person to, and not protect them from, the disease later in life. It’s believed that what causes a vaccinated person to contract what’s called atypical measles (AMS) is an altered immune hypersensitivity reaction to a natural measles infection due to having previously been injected with the virus.5 In fact, atypical measles have developed in children up to six years after being vaccinated.6 This is why reports exist of measles outbreaks among groups of 100% vaccinated people. A high school in Illinois, where records showed all students received the MMR vaccine, had an outbreak of measles which affected 16 of them. Interestingly, an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the “attack rate” of the disease was four times greater for students who’d received the vaccine as toddlers or babies, 10 or more years before the outbreak, as opposed to those who’d been vaccinated more recently.7 So the point here is that not only does the MMR vaccine not provide its promised protection, it’s very possible that the Disneyland measles outbreak was caused by a vaccinated child. Not only that, it’s very likely that any outbreak of measles today may very well be attributed to the vaccinations themselves. Measles mortality rates from the Vital Statistics of the United States clearly show the disease was naturally abating and in sharp decline in the U.S. beginning in 1916.8 The vaccine for measles wasn’t even available until 1963. Of course, there’s also the glaring fact that according to the CDC’s own data as reported through the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), there were zero deaths from measles in the U.S. in the last 12 years. In that same time period, 108 people died as a result of adverse effects from receiving the MMR vaccine.9

NOT ONLY DOES THE MMR VACCINE NOT PROVIDE ITS PROMISED PROTECTION, IT’S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE DISNEYLAND MEASLES OUTBREAK WAS CAUSED BY A VACCINATED CHILD.

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THE FINE PRINT

While it self-admittedly doesn’t provide protection against infection,

In spite of these facts and a great deal of additional research, vaccine supporters continue to push the assumed efficacy and safety of vaccines on the public, and none receive more blind, cult-like endorsement and advertising than the flu vaccine. It might surprise vaccine supporters to know that the manufacturer’s paper insert that comes with every box of the flu vaccine, Flulaval,10 states the following:

“…there have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Flulaval.” That means that the flu vaccine has never been clinically tested, and there is no proof that it protects against influenza. Yet the argument for vaccines is entirely based on the idea that scientific evidence proves they provide near total protection against disease. Would you put something in your body that was never tested for efficacy or safety, but simply put out to the public for mass consumption?

“Safety and effectiveness of Flulaval have not been established in pediatric patients.” “Flulaval has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential or for impairment of fertility.” “There are, however, no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, Flulaval should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.” This remark merely states the obvious—that animals sometimes have different responses than humans to a certain substance— but this is not a disclosure that any animal studies were actually conducted with the flu vaccine either. It clearly states, however, that pregnant women should avoid the vaccine.

the flu vaccine does offer:

“Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative. Each…dose contains 50mcg of Thimerosal. Each dose may also contain residual amounts of ovalbumin, formaldehyde, and sodium deoxycholate from the manufacturing process.” Mercury is one of the most powerful neurotoxins known to science, formaldehyde is also toxic to the body, and those with egg allergies may experience a reaction to the ovalbumin. Potential problems caused by accumulated mercury from regular vaccinations over time is a great concern. While the flu vaccine doesn’t provide any disease protection that’s backed by scientific evidence, it does offer more than 40 side effects that range from dizziness to debilitating neurological conditions such as Gullain-Barr Syndrome. The vaccine insert states:

“…the following adverse events have been identified during post-approval use of Flulaval…Adverse events described here are included because a.) they represent reactions which are known to occur during immunization generally or influenza immunizations specifically b.) they are potentially serious or c.) the frequency of reporting. “Blood and lymphatic disorders… gastrointestinal disorders… infections and infestations… cellulitis… convulsions and seizures… cranial nerve paralysis… limb paralysis… Gullain-Barr Syndrome… encephalopathy (unspecified brain malfunction)*… arthritis… muscle weakness…” *clarification provided by the author

WHILE THE FLU VACCINE DOESN’T PROVIDE ANY DISEASE PROTECTION THAT’S BACKED BY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, IT DOES OFFER MORE THAN 40 SIDE EFFECTS THAT RANGE FROM DIZZINESS TO DEBILITATING NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS GULLAIN-BARR SYNDROME.

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REDIRECTING THE ANGER

his was a critical and logical examination of the safety and efficacy of just two vaccines of which there are many. In light of this information, it’s obvious why millions of people would exercise their freedom to not expose themselves or their children to medical interventions that have admittedly never been clinically tested, provide no scientific evidence that they actually work, contain dangerous toxins, predispose them to the infections they claim to prevent, and frequently cause serious and sometimes debilitating physical conditions. Based on these facts, it makes no sense that vaccine supporters become outraged at people who simply make different medical choices, especially when there are countless real problems that pose much larger and more immediate dangers to the health of America. So perhaps they should:

Be outraged that that prescription drugs, taken as directed, kill 100,000 people each year. That’s one person every five minutes. Remember Vioxx? The flu kills practically no one. At worst, chicken pox killed 100 people per year. Be outraged that that while genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in 90% of our food supply have been proven to damage health, fertility and DNA, the U.S. government refuses to follow 64 other nations and ban them or even allow a label to be placed on products so people can know what they’re eating. Be outraged at the millions of gallons of pesticides, herbicides and hormones that contribute to serious health problems because they are sprayed on or injected into the fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products that are consumed by millions of Americans each day. Be outraged that your laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets all contain known carcinogens that you’re breathing in all day long as you wear your clothes. Long-term exposure to these toxins kill many more people than mumps, a virus that doesn’t actually cause anyone to die. Be outraged by the pollution which contains chemicals and heavy metals like mercury and aluminum that are known to cause cancer, auto-immune disease and a host of other illnesses, that mega-corporations spew into the environment, killing tens of millions of people. Even the worldwide death toll of measles is infinitesimal compared to those injured and killed by exposure to environmental toxins. Get furious about the fact that, according to the Environmental Working Group data, cord blood from newborns tests positive for 200 different chemicals due to environmental exposure through their mothers. Be outraged that generations of women were convinced to not breastfeed their babies, leaving their children with weakened immune systems. Where is the anger that 33% of all babies today are born via mostly unnecessary C-sections, denying them passage through the birth canal which provides important mucosa exposure that’s crucial for inoculating the gut and providing proper immunity? Finally, be outraged that all over the world people’s freedoms are being progressively eroded every day, including the right to make your own medical choices. If we do not support the freedoms of others, our ability to choose will soon become the target of those who would decide how we all should live, and that indeed would be an outrage.

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[1] Wikipedia, List of Epidemics, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_epidemics. [2] MedicineNet.com, US National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, http://www. medicinenet.com/script/main/art. asp?articlekey=125914&page=2. [3] Benson, Jonathan, Natural News, CDC lies: Measles outbreaks confirmed among children already vaccinated, Jan 13, 2015, http:// www.naturalnews.com/048391_ measles_MMR_vaccines_ Disneyland.html. [4] Rauh, L.W., Schmidt, R. Measles immunization with killed virus vaccine. American Journal of Diseases of Children. 1965;109:232. [5] Scheibner, Viera, Measles Vaccines Part I; Ineffectiveness of Vaccination and Unintended Consequences, International Council on Vaccination, January 18, 2013, http://vaccinationcouncil. org/2013/01/18/theineffectiveness-of-measlesvaccines-and-other-unintendedconsequences-by-dr-vierascheibner-phd/. [6] Fulginiti, V et al, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1967, 202(12), 1075-1080. [7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Monthly and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR), Measles Outbreak among Vaccinated High School Students -- Illinois June 22, 1984, 33(24), 349-51. [8] Vital Statistics of the United States, Historical Statistics of the United States-Colonial Times to 1970, Part 1, United States Measles Mortality Rates, http:// www.healthsentinel.com/joomla/ images/stories/graphs/usmeasles.jpg. [9] WND, Measles Vaccines Kill More Than Measles: CDC data shows no deaths from infections in 12 years, February 7, 2015, http:// www.wnd.com/2015/02/measlesvaccines-kill-more-than-measles/. [10] Adams, Mike, NaturalNews, Flu Shot Hoax Admitted: No controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza, January 27, 2015, http://www.naturalnews. com/048422_flu_shot_scientific_ fraud_controlled_trials.html.

Meditation Minute The annual collection of inspiring quotes from our monthly newsletter the L.I.G.H.T.TM

“I believe it is in my nature to dance by virtue of the beat of my heart, the pulse of my blood and the music in my mind.”

Robert Fulghum “Mother is the name of God on the lips and in the hearts of little children.”

Author

William Makepeace Thackeray Author

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

Nelson Mandela Words are like eggs dropped from a great height; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall.”

Politician & Peace Activist

Jodi Picoult Author

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

Rabindranath Tagore Nobel Laureate-Literature

Nathaniel Hawthorne Author

“The mind cannot forget what the hands have learned.”

Jon Zahourek Sculptor

“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.”

Gail Tsukiyama Author

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson Author

“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.”

Mahatma Gandhi Spiritual Teacher

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”

Mother Teresa Humanitarian

“There is no illness of the body apart from the mind.”

Socrates Philosopher

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? Understanding Medical Studies and Our Own Healing Potential Dr. Habib Sadeghi

want to share with you an article with some good news about cancer that was recently published in the medical journal, Science, which is a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Unfortunately, it also contains some very broad assumptions that I want to help you avoid. Gleaning the good news from medical studies often depends on knowing how to read them. The article is entitled, “Variation in Cancer Risk among Tissues Can Be Explained by the Number of Stem Cell Divisions.” It refers to two physicians at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center who conducted a review of a wide range of diagnostic literature related to cancer. They estimated the number of cells in various organs and what percentage of them are long-lived stem cells. They also calculated how many times the stem cells in each of these organs divided over the course of an average lifetime. Comparing this data to a diagnostic sample of how 31 different cancers were detected, the researchers determined that the organs that hosted the greatest number of stem cell divisions were the most vulnerable to cancer. This is because the more times a cell divides, the more it’s likely to generate a mutation. In fact, the researchers go on to say that their data shows two thirds of the variation in adult cancer risk for 22 of the 31 cancers they examined is not due to heredity, but stem cell mutations. The researchers attributed the causes of the remaining one third of adult cancers, or nine types, to a combination of exposure to toxins and inherited genes. Finally, medical science can stop scaring people to death by telling them that just because their father had colon cancer, or brother had bone cancer, they’re x times more likely to develop it. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while or know something 0

about epigenetics and the mind/body connection, then like me, you’ve always suspected that the heredity explanation for cancer isn’t the catch-all answer it’s purported to be. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, the article goes on to make some alarming assumptions that could lead people to make some very unhealthy choices. The researchers go on to say that the stem cell mutations that cause two thirds of all adult cancers are completely random. What causes these mutations? The research article and the press release from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine actually say that two thirds of adult cancers can now “be explained primarily by bad luck.” Bad luck? Is that a scientific term? Because they say these stem cell mutations are completely random, their conclusion is that there is nothing we can do about them. So two thirds of adult cancers are not hereditary and at the same time, completely unpreventable. We have to pin our hopes of not getting cancer on luck. This also implies that healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise, not smoking and a healthy diet will likely have zero preventative effect on someone who happens to draw the short straw. If it’s all about luck, why bother making healthy choices at all? The press release and journal article even pose these same questions. Their answer is to do what you can to prevent the remaining nine adult cancers. Somehow, being able to prevent nine types of cancer while being completely at the mercy of the other 22 provides no consolation and little motivation to live a healthy lifestyle. The researchers actually compare getting cancer to getting into a car accident. The farther the trip, the longer you’re on the road, the higher the possibility that you’ll get into an accident. The longer you live, the more high-count stem cell divisions you’ll generate in your organs, the higher the likelihood

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The body is a microcosm of the universe in which it exists, and is subject to all the same laws that govern it. As above, so below, is one of them. Nothing happens just because, and every effect has a cause.

condition. It’s been known for years that Japanese men out smoke American men and yet have significantly lower rates of lung cancer. What’s happening here? If smoking causes cancer then everyone who smokes should get cancer, and yet they don’t. When medical authorities fail to come up with an explanation for something like this, they lack the humility to admit that they just don’t know, and write it off as luck, good genes or some such nonsense.

of developing a mutation and ultimately cancer. This is the same as saying nearly everyone will eventually get cancer, which isn’t just irresponsible, it’s inaccurate. Most of us know someone who lived into their 90s and beyond, and never had cancer and certainly didn’t die of it. The researchers use another term to describe this medical phenomenon: “good luck.” I’m not kidding. That’s exactly what they attribute to people not getting cancer at advanced ages or those who smoked their entire lives. Just another roll of the dice. While it’s nice to see traditional medicine laying one of its most powerful and erroneous cancer theories to rest, the assumptions made from this research have the potential to do more harm than good by making people believe they are completely powerless against cancer, which simply is not true. Comedian, George Burns, lived to be 100 and smoked cigars for most of his adult life, and yet did not die of cancer either from his advanced age or smoking. He took a fall in his home and experienced several subsequent illnesses that progressively weakened his 2016 Collection

Nothing is random in an orderly universe. The body is a microcosm of the universe in which it exists, and is subject to all the same laws that govern it. As above, so below, is one of them. Nothing happens just because, and every effect has a cause. In a conscious universe, the first cause for anything is a thought. It is thought energy that creates and moves upon matter to change and manifest it in different ways. A cigarette is just a cigarette and has no consciousness of its own. Perhaps the luck of not getting cancer lies in the differing thoughts of the people smoking cigarettes, and how they perceive the practice. This is not an endorsement for smoking, but a point made to demonstrate that the creative power of our thoughts permeates all that we are and do. Every day it seems we’re bombarded with medical statistics about our odds of getting some dreaded disease and what we can or can’t do about it. We may not always be able to control the ideas we’re exposed to, but in a conscious universe, only we get to determine what they mean for us. The most potent form of cancer prevention you can ever put in your body, far more powerful than any medication, food or supplement, are the thoughts you have about yourself, your life and body. So as you move forward with the intention of creating a healthy, happy life I would ask, do you understand universal law, or do you feel lucky?

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COMPASSION & CONSEQUENCE Putting patients before profits comes with a price in Dr. Habib Sadeghi corporatized medicine

his past year, my beloved younger brother, Mehrdad, passed away suddenly. The outpouring of love and support I received from patients, friends and family was invaluable in helping me through some of the most profound grief I’ve experienced in my life. I’m doing much better these days, but can still be overcome by an occasional wave of loss that washes over me without warning. I think my grief now isn’t for Mehrdad. I know he’s at peace on the next part of the journey. What’s continues to weigh heavy on my heart are the events in the years leading up to Mehrdad’s passing, circumstances that I believe contributed to his death. You see, my brother was a gifted physician, but finding exceptional talent often isn’t the first priority of many major health systems. It’s learning to understand and participate in their culture. Institutionalized medicine is largely a rigid industry governed by cliquish vertical power structures and unwritten but widely understood rules that place commerce before compassion. When a doctor’s conscience doesn’t allow him to practice by that same philosophy, he quickly finds himself isolated in an environment where compassionate choices come with great consequences. History, as they say, is written by the victors, and much has been written about Mehrdad. That doesn’t necessarily make the story true. In fact, it isn’t. I share Mehrdad’s story with you here as a way to honor his memory, restore his reputation and shine a light on an industry that is in great need of healing and change. Having graduated from medical school five years early at the age of 21, it was apparent to everyone that Mehrdad was special. He went on to train at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan and would become part of the small but exclusive group of physicians in the U.S. to be licensed in the sub-specialty of interventional cardiology and peripheral endovascular treatment. Basically, he was trained to treat cardiovascular disease in the heart and extremities with catheter-based interventions such as balloon angioplasty, stents and a host of other procedures. These techniques, normally reserved for interventional radiologists and not cardiologists, open blocked arteries and prevent the need for high-risk invasive surgeries.

Fast Track to Success

Just two years after leaving Beaumont Hospital in 2003, Mehrdad found himself on the cardiology staff of a prominent medical center that is part of a very large health system that shall remain nameless for the purposes of this article. Until the time of his hiring, the hospital did not have a physician on staff licensed in interventional cardiology, so his arrival added much prestige to the institution and broadened their treatment options in a significant way. Two years later in 2005, Mehrdad became the director of the hospital’s catheterization laboratory. He was only 34 at the time. Everything seemed to be going well for Mehrdad until hospital administrators began to suggest that perhaps he was doing too many cardiac interventions on patients who would better benefit from cardiac arterial bypass grafting (open heart surgery), instead. What started out as friendly suggestions quickly became thinly-veiled demands to stop doing the interventions and prepare patients for surgery. By not doing interventional cardiology, most of Merhdad’s patients would eventually deteriorate to the point where they did need open heart surgery, but that was exactly the point. After further investigation, it quickly became apparent to Mehrdad that his suc-

Rude Awakening

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cess rate at cardiac interventions was keeping patients out of the operating room and thus depriving the hospital of enormous potential profits made by surgeons, anesthesiologists, pharmacy, hospitalization, follow-up visits and more. Because the majority of these patients were older, Medicare could be billed for huge sums of money when compared to a single interventional procedure that cleared a blocked artery. It was a trickle down economy that benefited everyone except the patient. Yes, it was malpractice and fraud. What was worse was that the hospital was putting mostly nonEnglish speaking patients through these unnecessary open heart surgeries because they would never become wise to what was happening. Much was also made of the length of time Mehrdad was taking to perform his intervention procedures. You see, hospitals get paid through reimbursements on a per procedure basis, regardless of how long a procedure takes. A hospital makes the same amount of money whether a procedure takes 2 or 10 hours. This is what causes hospitals to make their money in quantity of service instead of quality of service and leads to the conveyor belt style of treatment. See or treat as many patients as possible in the least amount of time. Mehrdad was now expected to put his patients on the conveyor belt and route them through the operating room.

“Institutionalized medicine is largely a rigid industry governed by cliquish vertical power structures and unwritten but widely understood rules that place commerce before compassion.”

By this time, he had learned enough Spanish to introduce his patients to some holistic healing methods and gave them diet tips to improve their conditions, such as how to make cinnamon tea to help balance their blood sugar. He also recommended the use of niacin for specific symptoms. Obviously, this was frowned upon, especially when another prescription filled at the hospital pharmacy could accomplish the same result. He also provided enhanced external counter-pulsation, a nonsurgical treatment to reduce the symptoms of angina, cardiomyopathy and heart failure by bringing more blood and oxygen to the affected areas of the body, another “first” for the hospital. These treatments made patients feel much better and also reduced their reliance on certain medications. Feeling the mounting pressure to work within the accepted hospital billing culture and compromise his ethics, Mehrdad made his concerns known to the hospital administration.

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Believing an internal investigation would be held regarding the matter, Mehrdad continued to treat his patients with his usual high standard of care. What he didn’t know was that an internal investigation was building behind the scenes, but not against the billing department; it was against him. He was now seen as an exposure risk to the existing culture. You see, when millions of dollars are at stake, it isn’t enough to terminate a whistleblower. His reputation must be ruined to the point where no one will believe anything he has to say. He must also be stripped of his ability to earn any kind of living in his profession for life as punishment for threatening the survival of the culture. In short, he must be destroyed. In Mehrdad’s case, all that was needed was the right incident onto which the hospital could hang some serious but false charges.

Becoming a Target In 2006, the lab physician who functioned as Mehrdad’s partner experienced a family emergency and was forced to take a temporary leave. This meant that all of his patients would now be under Mehrdad’s care, creating an extremely challenging workload. One of these patients was “Linda.” An 81-year-old, Linda was in constant pain from poor circulation in her left leg. She shared with Mehrdad what she’d told his partner shortly before he went on leave. She had no intention of having the leg amputated because she valued her independence and did not want to become a burden to her family by being unable to walk. Because of her age, the condition of her leg, and multiple disease processes including liver disease, Mehrdad explained the high risks involved in attempting a peripheral intervention on her leg. Linda confirmed that Mehrdad’s partner had previously expressed the same risks to her, but she was adamant about having the procedure because her focus was on quality of life. Linda’s family supported her wishes. In February 2007, Mehrdad began Linda’s procedure late in the evening. Experiencing many of the complications he anticipated and had shared with Linda, he did his very best to restore circulation in her leg. Linda survived the procedure, which carried on into the early afternoon hours the next day, but passed away

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from related complications three days later. At last, the hospital administrators had the opportunity they’d been waiting for. Almost immediately, a medical executive committee (MEC) was convened to investigate Linda’s procedure and subsequent death. It should be noted that these internal investigation “peer review” committees are conducted in a way that heavily disadvantages the doctor in question in favor of maintaining the institutional status quo. The due process of law that would normally be guaranteed to a doctor by the U.S. Constitution, as a citizen outside the hospital, is rarely available during these private tribunals. Mired in cliquishness, conflicts of interest and a general “old boy network,” it’s virtually impossible for any physician to get an objective review in what can only be described as a show trial. I’ve seen several colleagues become the victims of this humiliating process. A mere five days after Linda’s death, all Mehrdad’s hospital privileges were suspended pending further investigation. The decision, it was said, was to protect patients from “imminent danger.” In the meantime, Mehrdad was to present himself to the hospital’s Wellbeing Committee, which included a psychiatric evaluation.

Expanding the Attack The MEC met one week later and lifted Mehrdad’s suspension of privileges but inexplicably required him to undergo a second psychiatric evaluation, regardless of the fact that the psychiatrist from his first visit gave him an excellent report. This second visit was to be more in-depth and provide the MEC with a required lengthy analysis. In the meantime, the hospital’s lawyer informed the MEC that a review of Linda’s procedure from so-called experts outside the hospital had begun. Mehrdad had actually seen the Wellbeing Committee’s psychiatrist twice already and shared with the hospital’s chief of staff that he believed this satisfied the second visit requested by the MEC. In fact, the psychiatrist told Mehrdad that “nothing more needs to be done.” Mehrdad also expressed his concern about the members of the review committee, how they were making decisions and whether he could expect a fair investigation. The MEC had failed to interview key personnel involved

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in Linda’s procedure. A member of the review committee was involved with a business dispute related to Mehrdad and should have recused himself. Astonishingly, not one of the committee members had Mehrdad’s experience or shared his specialty. How could they possibly determine whether Linda’s procedure was conducted properly? The chief of staff told Mehrdad he would relay his concerns back to the MEC. Days later, the MEC told Mehrdad that he wasn’t in compliance with the psychiatrist visits because they never received anything in writing from his second session, a mere technicality. Even so, he scheduled a third visit. The committee also required that he make his intervention procedures shorter and provide them with a recurring report of all his completion times. In a matter of weeks, all the external “experts” returned scathing reports against Mehrdad. In May 2007, his suspension was reinstated, and this time he was required to attend a peer review course at a local university where other physicians would evaluate his medical knowledge and judgment skills. In the meantime, the outside experts would investigate a large sample of other patient cases Mehrdad had handled in the years prior to Linda’s procedure that had nothing to do with her case.

“After further investigation, it quickly became apparent to Mehrdad that his success rate at cardiac interventions was keeping patients out of the operating room and thus depriving the hospital of enormous potential profits made by surgeons, anesthesiologists, pharmacy, hospitalization, follow-up visits and more.”

As if matters couldn’t get any worse, Mehrdad’s lawyer, who came highly recommended, committed an inexplicable error that was more suited to a novice paralegal than a top notch attorney. Regardless of the outcome of these kinds of investigations, even the rumor of medical malpractice regarding a physician is enough to devastate his career and ability to earn a living. As such, nearly all of these kinds of proceedings are kept sealed and out of the public eye until all investigations are complete. All that is needed is for a simple form to be filed with the courts. Mehrdad’s attorney simply “forgot” to file this crucial request and his personal struggle suddenly became public fodder for the mainstream media. As a result, he was subjected to humiliating press coverage that labeled him guilty from the start.

The Family Speaks Unknown to Mehrdad, the Medical Board of California had sent a letter to Linda’s family

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requesting access to her medical records, stating that legal action might be taken if access was denied. In a four-page letter written in July 2007 to the hospital administration, and copied to the state medical board as well as Mehrdad, Linda’s family demonstrated that they sensed the predatory nature of the proceedings, and clearly stated, “…we are not interested in participating in this process.” Denying access to Linda’s records, the family went on to say:

“Dr. Sadeghi knew [my wife’s] wishes and fully discussed the risks associated with the procedure with us. It was [her] choice to do everything possible to heal her ulcers, decrease her leg pain, preserve her leg and maintain her ability to walk.” “We know this procedure was extreme in its length and had many complications, the large majority of which were related to our mother’s underlying conditions. The doctor kept the family informed and while there were points during the procedure it could have been stopped, if stopped, it would not have achieved our mother’s goals.” “Despite our mother’s outcome, we would utilize Dr. Sadeghi’s services and recommend him to others, as we know he will do his utmost to achieve the patient’s treatment goals.” Linda’s family would go on to ask several times in the letter who had filed a complaint with the medical board against Mehrdad because of Linda’s care and on their behalf? It certainly wasn’t them. In fact, the medical board’s letter to the family came with the statement, “Pursuant to your request…” when they’d never made one in the first place.

Piling on the Punishments In September 2007 after being cleared by the psychiatrist after a fourth visit, the MEC stated Mehrdad could have his general medical privileges reinstated, but not those for the catheterization lab, IF he submitted to a proctoring program, continued with the university-based physician judgment and skills review course, committed to six months of psychotherapy and spoke to no one in the hospital about any part of the investigation. The wheels of these hospital internal investigations turn very, very slowly. Suspensions of privileges can drag on for months and even 0

years, causing a severe financial hardship on the doctor involved who has no way to make a living while having to pay huge fees to his attorneys, in addition to paying his other bills. From a financial standpoint, the offer was tempting, but the continued piling on of punishments and humiliation forced Mehrdad to request an official review of the MEC’s actions by the hospital’s Judicial Review Committee (JRC). He knew the endless conditions, and refusal of his requests based on technicalities, was retaliation for his resistance to participate in the unspoken billing scheme. Hospital hierarchies are very incestuous, and the JRC turned out to be as conflicted and corrupted as the MEC. In fact, the interventional cardiologist on the panel had worked as a paid expert witness on past cases with the hospital’s present attorney, who was working against Mehrdad. This physician also had no license to perform or experience in conducting interventions in the legs. Incredibly, an objection to this conflict by Mehrdad’s attorney was over-ruled. The JRC also saw no problem with outside experts investigating scores of Mehrdad’s past patient cases that were unrelated to Linda’s case in any way, and about which not a single patient or family member had filed a complaint. At the same time, Mehrdad’s attorney wasn’t filing the required progress reports with the MEC regarding his participation in the university-based physician review course.

The Bitter End Because these internal hospital review committees use working physicians as panel members, hearings must be set around their schedules. Because their availability is limited, months can pass before a hearing is scheduled, and years can go by before a final decision is made, all while the physician in question goes without making a dime of income. Mehrdad’s appeal to the JRC took so long, three of the original five panel members dropped off because of other obligations. Finally, in May of 2010, two years and eight months after Mehrdad requested the JRC appeal, the panel declared that the MEC’s suspension of his hospital privileges and the handling of his case was reasonable. In fact, they said the MEC’s action in suspending his privileges only had to be justified based on the information they had at the time they made

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“When a man’s profession, passion, reputation and dignity are systematically dismantled in such a calculated and humiliating way, the spirit struggles to stay connected to a world that it feels has nothing left to offer.”

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the original decision. None of the other information that came afterword, including the family’s letter and most of his other evidence made any difference.

medicine. He was the boy genius who was going to change

Soon thereafter, he was found to have committed gross negligence in Linda’s case, violating the standard of care; he was terminated from the hospital. An appeal to the hospital board failed in July 2010, as did an external lawsuit in 2013. By that time, the Medical Board of California had revoked his medical license based on a complaint filed by a nameless, faceless person on behalf of a family that documented in writing he’d treated their mother with the highest standard of compassion and care.

humiliating way, the spirit struggles to stay connected to a

Parting Gifts Mehrdad has passed on, but I believe his death began long before his physical transition. His passion was practicing

the world. When a man’s profession, passion, reputation and dignity are systematically dismantled in such a calculated and world that it feels has nothing left to offer. Mehrdad may no longer be able to make the changes in this world he dreamed about, but those of us who knew him can, by honoring the spirit of selfless service that his memory carries on through us. His compassion showed us what it means to serve with humility, his principles taught us the importance of truth, and his perseverance showed us that we’re stronger than we ever imagined. These blessings were Mehrdad’s gifts to us and his patients, who like Mehrdad himself, are eternal and can never really die.

IN MEMORY OF MEHRDAD SADEGHI Lyrics to Everglow written by Chris Martin and dedicated to Dr. Sadeghi and his late brother, Mehrdad Sadeghi from the 2015 Coldplay CD, A Head Full of Dreams. Oh they say people come, say people go. This particular diamond was extra special and though you might be gone, and the world may not know still I see you, celestial. Like a lion you ran, a goddess you rolled. Like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple. So how come things move on? How come cars don’t slow when it feels like the end of my world, when I should but I can’t let you go? But when I’m cold, cold, oh, when I’m cold, cold, there’s a light that you give me when I’m in shadow. There’s a feeling you give me, an everglow. Like brothers in blood, sisters who ride and we swore on that night we’d be friends 'til we die, but the changing of winds, and the way waters flow, life as short as the falling of snow, and now I’m gonna miss you I know.

We love you Mehrdad

But when I’m cold, cold, in water rolled, salt, I know that you’re with me and the way you will show, and you’re with me wherever I go, and you give me this feeling this everglow. Oh- I I I I, what I wouldn’t give for just a moment to hold, yeah I live for this feeling this everglow. So if you love someone, you should let them know. Oh the light that you left me will everglow.I know that you’re with me and the way you will show, and you’re with me wherever I go, and you give me this feeling this everglow.

Rest & Rhythm The importance of establishing a healthy sleep pattern Dr. Habib Sadeghi

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ood sleep is so important to health, your body will spend one third of your life doing it. During sleep, the body has the opportunity to redirect the massive amounts of energy normally used for walking, talking, thinking, digestion and muscle exertion toward functions such as tissue repair, detoxification and physical healing. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of not feeling well and going to bed, only to wake the next morning feeling so much better that it’s almost as if a miracle happened overnight. That’s how important deep, rejuvenative sleep is. Building muscle also happens at night as surges of human growth hormone (HGH) course through the bloodstream. The more muscle you have on your frame, the more calories you’ll burn, even at rest. Most of these important biological processes start around 10:00pm and peak around 2-3:00am, so it’s better to be in bed sooner rather than later. If you’re in the habit of pulling all-nighters, these functions don’t happen as completely and will eventually compromise your health. The body’s sleep/wake cycle is known as the circadian rhythm (meaning around the day), because it synchronizes all of our body functions on a 24-hour schedule. How much sleep we need is the subject of debate. Most experts say eight hours, while others insist it’s closer to ten. The right amount of sleep can be slightly different for everyone.

Synching Up with the Sun

In addition to knowing how much sleep you need, what’s most important is when you sleep. Our bodies are designed to work with the rhythms of nature, and the circadian rhythm is synchronized with the sun. That means we’re supposed to get up with the sun and go to bed when it gets dark. No, you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn, but within an hour or two of sunrise is ideal. Most people usually do get up around this time just to get ready for of work. Going to bed when it gets dark is more difficult. No one wants to cut their day short, especially when it gets dark around 5:00pm during the winter. It just isn’t practical. Planning to be in bed by 10:00pm or 11:00pm during the week will still get you plenty of restorative sleep during the body’s crucial rebuilding phase throughout the night. If you happen to struggle with sleep issues, you’re not alone. Statistics from the National Institutes of Health and the CDC show that 50 to 70 million Americans have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, or have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.1 On average, 35% of people have admitted to sleeping six or fewer hours each night.2 Even moderate sleep deprivation can take its toll in a very short period of time.

Sleep Deprivation Disasters

In a study at the University of Chicago, students restricted to only four hours of sleep for six nights produced half the normal amount of antibodies after being injected with a virus.3 A similar study showed short term sleep deprivation raised cortisol levels and blood pressure in students, and triggered insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that affects glucose tolerance and encourages weight gain.4 In fact, the Harvard University professor of sleep medicine, Charles Czeisler, said that in just two weeks, this sleep-deprived metabolic syndrome would, “make an 18-year-old look like a 60-year-old in terms of their ability to metabolize glucose.”5 Restricted to just five hours of sleep a night, young healthy men in their 20s saw a 15% drop in testosterone levels after just six nights.6 This is just a sampling of the countless studies showing that sleep deprivation negatively impacts nearly every psychological and physiological process in the body. In order to avoid these and the other serious health consequences of poor sleep, it’s essential to understand what’s disrupting your sleep and how to get synched back up with the sun. Sleep can be disrupted in many ways. Consuming too much alcohol, as well as exercising or eating late at night can easily throw the sleep cycle off balance. One of the most common culprits of sleep disruption can affect nearly everyone, and it’s completely invisible—blue wave light rays. The blue ray in the light spectrum is perceived by the pineal gland in the brain as daylight. When stimulated by blue rays, the pineal gland won’t produce melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep. Blue rays are found in all artificial light, especially the light that is emitted from the televisions and computer screens we stare at in the hours before going to bed. Scientists have known for some time that just looking at the screen of an electronic device causes a drop in melatonin.

Blue Ray Blues

Research from Akita University in Japan discovered that it’s not just the blue rays that will keep you staring at the ceiling once you’re in bed; the content you’re watching or interacting with on screen, has an impact too. Playing a fast-paced video game, or watching an action movie or music video, generates a significant drop in melatonin when compared to an activity such as typing a letter on a computer. Interestingly, lowering the screen brightness made no difference.7 The quality of your sleep each night depends largely on what you do during the day. To reset your body clock, you’ll need to practice what’s known as sleep hygiene. It consists of informed advice, and a set of directions that sleep experts have devised to subconsciously train your brain to remember its circadian rhythm and get synchronized with the sun once more. Don’t dismiss some of these tips because they seem too simple. Remember, they’re designed to speak to your subconscious. If you remain consistent, it won’t be just your sleep that improves, but your health, as well.

Resetting Your Clock

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SLEEP HYGIENE DIRECTIONS

Bedroom Basics

Creating an environment that’s conducive to sleep is very important. This is why only two things should ever happen in your bedroom: sleep and sex. It’s essential that your brain learns that once you cross the threshold into your bedroom, one of only two things is going to happen. This means nothing, including reading, exercising, sorting laundry, watching TV or anything else, other than these two approved activities, should occur in the bedroom. In fact, if you have a TV or computer in the bedroom, relocate it to another room in the house so you’re not tempted to turn it on. The power of repetition is very effective on the subconscious and eventually, the brain will equate entering your bedroom with sleep and direct the body to react accordingly. You should love the feel of being in your bed. Cover it with all the colors, fabrics and textures you absolutely love so your brain and body crave being snuggled up inside. It also helps to sleep with a window cracked open. Sleep tends to be better if the air in the room is slightly cooler than the temperature under the covers. This goes for the winter months, too.

Sleep/Wake Schedule

Set consistent waking and sleeping times. Getting up within an hour or two after sunrise is ideal. As the sun goes down, melatonin production increases, but the pineal gland perceives artificial light as sunlight. So, you won’t start to feel sleepy until the interior of your house becomes dark. A great way to train your brain to fall asleep at an assigned time is to gradually start turning the lights off one by one about two hours before you plan to be asleep. Time it so that the house is completely dark in the final minutes you use for your bedtime routine. If you’re a night owl, these changes might be tough to make, but certainly not impossible. This doesn’t mean you can’t stay out late once in a while, but you should really say goodbye to burning the midnight oil as a way of life…and for good reason. Of all the important biological process the body performs throughout the night, the bulk of them are accomplished in the first sleep cycle or three hours. That’s approximately in the 10:00pm to 1:00am window. Missing this cycle regularly puts you at risk for many health problems down the road.

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed workers on the midnight shift had markedly increased rates of colorectal cancers. It should be noted that compounds in melatonin help suppress tumors, but late shift workers regularly have low blood levels because they work in brightly lit environments throughout the night. These workers also had hormonal imbalances with higher levels of estrogen. In women, excess estrogen stimulates breast tissue and the endometrium, raising the risk of breast and uterine cancer.8 Further research has shown that the occurrence of colorectal cancer in late shift workers is connected to their unnatural and out of synch digestion and elimination patterns, leading to constipation and other issues.9 As if that wasn’t bad enough, the journal Occupational Medicine found higher blood sugar and lipid levels among late shift workers predisposing them to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and even miscarriage.10

Blocking Blue Rays

All TV and computer work should be finished at least 2 hours before your scheduled sleep time, preferably earlier than that. If you have to make a cell phone call, view the screen only as long as it takes to dial. If you absolutely have to do any TV viewing or computer work after 8:00pm, wear a pair of blue ray blockers. These are sunglasses with special amber lenses that block the blue light spectrum from entering the eye and confusing the pineal gland that it’s daytime. They even make models large enough to fit right over top of prescription eyeglasses. If you’re really struggling to reset your circadian rhythm, you might consider wearing blue blockers beginning at 8:00pm around the house regardless of whether you have computer work to do or not.

Quiet Time

Avoid high energy activities at least two hours before you plan to sleep. This is the time for quieter tasks like calling a friend, doing the dishes, finishing some paperwork or reading a book. Light some candles and create a relaxing ambiance. It’s interesting to note that candle light does not affect the pineal gland the way artificial light or sunlight does. Never exercise or eat during this time. 1

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If you still can’t sleep after going to bed, try one or more of these tips. Get Up Earlier Start getting up 30 minutes before your normally scheduled wakeup time. This will cause you to start feeling sleepier earlier in the evening. If you need to shift your wake up time by several hours, do it in ½ hour increments, waiting a week before moving to the next earlier time. After you wake up, try to get some sun as soon as possible. Stepping out onto a patio or into the backyard and basking in the sun for just a few minutes is a powerful way to program the brain to be awake at a specific time.

Make a Bedtime Ritual Repetitive patterns make deep impressions on the brain. Find an activity that’s relaxing or soothing that you can do before bed, and keep doing it for 30 days. A candlelight bubble bath with music or journal writing while enjoying your favorite cup of herbal tea can work. It doesn’t matter what it is. If you remain consistent, eventually your brain will equate this sequence of events with preparation for sleep, and you’ll begin to feel drowsy at the right time every night.

It’s a Yawner ZZZZ

If you have trouble shutting off your mind chatter, use it to your advantage. Hear the self-talk inside your head in a very sleepy voice. Drag out the words. Slow it down. Hear yourself yawning through the sentences as you think things like, “I need to finish that report by Tuesday to meet the deadline. Oh, I forgot to buy eggs today.” Visualize yourself and other people yawning. Soon, these sights and sounds will have you yawning, too. You’ll be amazed at how effective this is.

Theater of the mind As we lay in bed, lots of nonsensical images can flash across the screens in our minds. Maybe we see a pirate ship that turns into a bouquet of roses that then morphs into birthday cake. It doesn’t matter how nonsensical these images are, just start naming (in your mind) the images you see in the most boring, monotone voice you can imagine. Dr. Win Wenger, author of Discovering the Obvious, created this exercise as part of a protocol to increase creativity and raise intelligence. One of the unintended effects, however, was that it made his test subjects consistently fall asleep! Some people swear by this and say that it’s very powerful.

Nix Napping It goes without saying that if you’re having trouble sleeping, don’t nap during the day. It will continue to throw off your efforts to establish a set sleep schedule. Supplemental melatonin at 1-3mg, 30 minutes before bed, can support sleep. Herbal supplements like valerian and passionflower, and mineral combinations of calcium with magnesium can also help induce sleep. Because sleep is crucial to healing, my partner and herbal expert, Dr. Robert Gross, and I have formulated an organic sleep aid, Healing Rest EZ, from these and other ingredients for our patients as an alternative to potentially habit-forming drugs. Be sure to consult your

doctor first before taking any supplements for any reason.

[1] Institute of Medicine. (2006). Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: an unmet public health problem. Washington D.C.: National Academic Press.

testosterone levels in young healthy men. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 305(21), 2173-2174.

[2] U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (March 4, 2011) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . Washington D.C. : U. S. Government Printing Office. . Retrieved fromHttp://www. CDC. Gov/ mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6008. Pdf.

[7] Shigekazu, H et al. (2003). Effects of VDT tasks with a bright display at night on melatonin, core temperature, heart rate, and sleepiness. Journal of Applied Physiology. , 94, 1773-1776.

[3] Speigel, K et al. (2002). Effect of sleep deprivation on response to immunization. Journal of the American Medical Association. , 288(12), 1471-1472. [4] Speigel, K et al. (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. The Lancet. , 354(9188), 1435-1439. [5] Lambert, Craig. (2005). Deep into sleep: while researchers probe sleep’s functions, sleep itself is becoming a lost art. Harvard magazine, http:// harvardmagazine.com/2005/07/deep-into-sleep.html/. [6] Leproult, R. Van Cauter, E. (2011). Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on

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So there it is, a prescription for sleep that supports good health and even weight loss. Be patient with yourself, and remember that consistency is everything when trying to change something like sleep patterns, so don’t give up! Your brain and body will eventually get the new message you’re sending, and you’ll be back in rhythm with the rest of the world.

[8] Schernhammer, E et al. (2003). Night-shift work and risk of colorectal cancer in the nurses ’ health study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. , 95(11), 825828. [9] Rosa, R. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. (1997) Plain language about shiftwork. Washington D.C.: U. S Government Printing Office. Retrieved fromHttp://www. CDC. Gov/niosh/docs/97-145/pdfs/97-145. Pdf [10] Knutsson, A. (2003). Health disorders of shift workers. Occupational Medicine. , 53(), 103-108.

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y r t Poe

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Silence

MARGOT BICKEL

Silence is full of the unspoken, of deeds not performed, of confessions to secret love, and of wonders not expressed. Our truth is hidden in our silence, Yours and mine.

The Moths and the F lame FA R I D U D - D I N AT TA R

Humming Bird D. H . L AW R E N C E

I can imagine, in some otherworld Primeval-dumb, far back In that most awful stillness, that only gasped and hummed, Humming-birds raced down the avenues. Before anything had a soul, While life was a heave of Matter, half inanimate, This little bit chipped off in brilliance And went whizzing through the slow, vast, succulent stems. I believe there were no flowers, then, In the world where the humming-bird flashed ahead of creation. I believe he pierced the slow vegetable veins with his long beak. Probably he was big As mosses, and little lizards, they say were once big. Probably he was a jabbing, terrifying monster. We look at him through the wrong end of the long telescope of Time, Luckily for us.

Moths gathered in a fluttering throng one night To learn the truth about the candle light, And they decided one of them should go To gather news of the elusive glow. One flew till in the distance he discerned A palace window where a candle burned — And went no nearer: back again he flew To tell the others what he thought he knew. The mentor of the moths dismissed his claim, Remarking: “He knows nothing of the flame.” A moth more eager than the one before Set out and passed beyond the palace door. He hovered in the aura of the fire, A trembling blur of timorous desire, Then headed back to say how far he’d been, And how much he had undergone and seen. The mentor said: “You do not bear the signs Of one who’s fathomed how the candle shines.” Another moth flew out — his dizzy flight Turned to an ardent wooing of the light; He dipped and soared, and in his frenzied trance Both self and fire were mingled by his dance — The flame engulfed his wing-tips, body, head, His being glowed a fierce translucent red; And when the mentor saw that sudden blaze, The moth’s form lost within the glowing rays, He said: “He knows, he knows the truth we seek, That hidden truth of which we cannot speak.” To go beyond all knowledge is to find That comprehension which eludes the mind, And you can never gain the longed-for goal Until you first outsoar both flesh and soul; But should one part remain, a single hair Will drag you back and plunge you in despair — No creature’s self can be admitted here, Where all identity must disappear.

Joy

J U L I E C A D WA L L A D E R - S TA U B

Who could need more proof than honey — How the bees with such skill and purpose enter flower after flower sing their way home to create and cap the new honey just to get through the flowerless winter. And how the bear with intention and cunning raids the hive shovels pawful after pawful into his happy mouth bats away indignant bees stumbles off in a stupor of satiation and stickiness. And how we humans can’t resist its viscosity its taste of clover and wind its metaphorical power: don’t we yearn for a land of milk and honey? don’t we call our loved ones “honey”? all because bees just do, over and over again, what they were made to do. Oh, who could need more proof than honey to know that our world was meant to be and

Succulent Heart LORI PUTOTO

was meant to be sweet?

A succulent heart weeps like the morning dew from the inside out. It sparkles like a crystal radiating various hues and always creating new ones. It can transcend all the challenges of life, and take root in the shallowest of soil, and blossom there with no effort. A succulent heart turns toward the sun and thrives. It is so juicy and full of life, it continues to grow from within, even when there is a drought. It is naturally low-maintenance. It emits a trough of light just by being. It needs no thing but to be a giver of beauty in all forms. A succulent heart is a rare, rare gift that bleeds with truth and opens with no thought. *Dedicated to Dr. Sadeghi, my soul brother, who embodies the succulent heart in the vastness of his love for humanity. I am so grateful to have your presence in my life and the life of my family!

The Cycle of Life Distinction HABIB SADEGHI

Love Begets Love, Love Creates Life, Life brings forth suffering, Suffering generates fear, Fear accompanies Courage, Courage Carries Confidence, Confidence whispers Hope, Hope Gives Life, Life invites Love, Love Begets Love.

Ceasura

HABIB SADEGHI

I used to read books the way I used to eat food. To have them. Just In a case of MY Stomach. Just in case someone, Hungry, might whisper a question. Feeding them for ME Became who i thought i were and i was as i became more of ME While Thinking, For Them. Although I got fatten on my ferocious appetite of collected knowledge and authority while looking good, d I s C O v e r Y left me. Just long enough for Her to be forgotten.

Family?

HABIB SADEGHI

I was awakened by a nightmare: I was having a baby. Then, I smiled, Realizing that I had started a pilgrimage of a dream: Be-Coming a Father! There, Then, I reckoned there is no destination and Luckily, I am getting glimpses of Soul-Gazing with sweet cultivations of our j-our-ney, together.

Crippled, i came to learn how to Yearn for more crutches of knowledge, Screaming: “Feed Me, Feed ME!” Then came, Famine of a deep caesurae Leaving the me wounded as i wound up to be: Learning, The Thirst for the first time. Yearning, The joy of eating water, s l o w L Y as i discovered the alphabet of LIFE that has always been Here to be fed on.

Life as a P ilgrimage HABIB SADEGHI

Don’t compose, Be composed. De-Compose, Sublimate. Herein lies the personal mythology of everything & everyone: YOU!

Looking for Your Own Face FA R I D U D - D I N AT TA R

Your face is neither infinite nor ephemeral. You can never see your own face, only a reflection, not the face itself. So you sigh in front of mirrors and cloud the surface. It’s better to keep your breath cold. Hold it, like a diver does in the ocean. One slight movement, the mirror image goes.

Invictus

WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.

Don’t be dead or asleep or awake. Don’t be anything. What you most want, what you travel around wishing to find, lose yourself as lovers lose themselves, and you’ll be that. * Translated by Coleman Barks, The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

The Tear Catcher MILDA MORSE

I hold the tear catcher  On my cheek,   Capturing liquid emotions  As I weep.   Whether for joy Or deepest sorrow   I save my tears  For all tomorrows.   Into a jeweled tear bottle  My tears are poured.   Displayed for all to see  How much you are adored.   My tears are poured

I Am Not I

JUAN RAMON JIMENEZ

I am not I. I am this one walking beside me whom I do not see, whom at times I manage to visit, and whom at other times I forget; who remains calm and silent while I talk, and forgives, gently, when I hate, who walks where I am not, who will remain standing when I die. * Translated by Robert Bly

Thank ME?

HABIB SADEGHI

mouth-fool-Mouth-Full: There is a laughter, close, visiting me, now;

Good Grief

ANNIE SHULMAN

Looking at the gratitude of pilgrimage food to the Divine gate of mouth. Bowing, its head to get through The Majestic Door, saying:

I was an acorn resting on top of the soil, Afraid to go into the dark, Ignoring that I was risking rot.

“Thank You. Thank You. Thank You for receiving me.”

The loss of you drove me into the ground, My shell broken.

“Thank Me? Don’t you See? You are feeding Me! Thank You. Thank You. Thank You for arriving!”

It happened. In the dark, Through the cracks, I spread out. Turned off, I found water; Suddenly I had roots. Now I am back in the light, A sapling on my way to becoming an Oak that will give shade and a place on which to lean as you dream of the ones you will love. There are no words except, “Thank you.”

The mouth-fool-Mouth-Full wants to scream:

@ the B eginning HABIB SADEGHI

At the beginning, Be-came “an” i of “an” eye of “a” Neuron. As each H2O molecule of The water of “a” neuron Turned on, There, In The Eternity Of Then, be-came a mist of a moisture With An eventual liquidity of Wetness, Witnessed. Intentionally, Turning on a sanctified sacredness of “an” unexpected fermentation Which just Happened, Intentionally: Eloqui liquid water of physical brain, Spoken, Into intoxicating wine of consciousness. That, Just Occurred; through the

spokes of juxtaposition of a spoken wheel Miracle, Now; An indivisible invisible constellation appeared Just Long Enough To dis-appear: Saturn Accepting the unKnowable Known of linguistic planet, abstraction; Kreatively constraining unto existence “an” amorphous bottle Of the mother lIfe Wine Without any whine, Or Mine, nOw! * Dedicated to my teacher, Mr. Werner Erhard

Dr. Habib Sadeghi

e wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some exciting new research that was featured in the science journal, Nature.1 It involves a 150-year-old scientific experiment thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making a comeback and the positive effects it may have on the diseases of aging, particularly Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. In the 19th century, scientists began experimenting with parabiosis in mice. This condition is created by making an incision on the right flank of one mouse and the left flank of another. Both mice are sutured together, and their paired front and rear legs are tied together. As the incisions heal together, the regrowth of capillaries combines their circulatory systems and they end up sharing the same blood much like conjoined twins or animals that share a placenta in the womb. The twist is that one mouse is always young and the other old. Those early experiments showed that by sharing blood with the younger mouse, the old one had more energy and was clearly more alert, although scientists had no idea why. These experiments carried into the 20th century but were inexplicably dropped in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Now over 40 years later, a resurgence of interest in these early findings is driving new research that is providing some very exciting results.

Much research has now shown that when old rats are exposed to young blood via parabiosis, they show significant improvement in brain function, muscle strength and heart health. Their fur even becomes shinier. After being joined for from 9 to 18 months, the bones of the older rats become similar in weight and density to the younger rats’ bones. The liver and muscles are restored as their dormant stem cells begin dividing again. After just five weeks, there is even enhanced growth in brain cells. In addition, the older rats live 4-5 months longer than control rats, suggesting that exposure to young blood may increase longevity.

and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has demonstrated that young blood promotes the repair of damaged spinal cords in older mice, forms new neurons in the brain and olfactory system, and reverses age-related thickening of the heart walls. Of particular interest has been a protein called growth differentiation factor 11 or GDF11, which is abundant in young blood. Old mice receiving a direct injection of GDF11 experience a significant increase in muscular strength and stamina, while DNA damage inside the

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publication deeming them too good to be true. After the results were repeated at the University of California, San Francisco with a completely different staff, instruments and tools, the findings were finally published in the May 2015 issue of Nature Medicine.2 The best news of all is that the journal article in May caught the eye of a company in has a history of Alzheimer’s disease. When the family experienced a dramatic but unexplained improvement in a family member with Alzheimer’s disease after he received a plasma transfusion, the family contacted the researchers who conducted the study at UC San Francisco. That family has now created a foundation and is currently funding the first human clinical trials in which young blood plasma from men age 30 or younger is being administered to older Alzheimer’s patients. The study is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Nonetheless, the research hasn’t been without problems. A small percentage of the experimental rats died from what is called parabiotic illness, which researchers attribute to a sort of tissue rejection response.

Further research out of Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and Brigham

These results were so dramatic that many medical journals rejected the studies for

Hong Kong, where the owner’s family

In spite of these incredible findings, researchers resist calling this phenomenon “rejuvenation” or “restarting the aging clock.” No one is turning old rats into young rats, but researchers do acknowledge that young blood exposure repairs tissue damage and restores function. Among other intended uses, scientists hope to use these discoveries to help elderly people heal faster after surgery, as well as devise new treatments for agerelated diseases.

Even so, the race is on to discover the specific components in young blood that contain these amazing healing properties. In 2008, research from the University of California, Berkeley linked muscle rejuvenation to the act of Notch signaling, which promotes cell division. Last year it was found that the hormone oxytocin in young blood is also responsible for much of its age-defying effects. Oxytocin exists in both men and women, but is well known as the hormone that generates strong feelings of bonding and attachment between mother and child during and after birth. Although oxytocin declines with age, old mice injected systemically with the hormone experienced reactivation of their muscle stems cells and increased lean muscle mass in just two weeks.

formation in older mice.

There has been some uncertainty regarding how young the blood needs to be to provide its rejuvenating effects. There is also concern that because receiving young blood activates stem cells, too much cell division over the long-term may raise cancer risk. Fortunately, parabiotic disease isn’t an issue because donor and recipient are no longer physically conjoined, and humans have been doing blood muscle stem cells is reversed. Because young blood consistently generates new neuron growth in the brains of older rats and mice, its application in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementiarelated conditions has been a natural and new focus of this exciting research. It’s now been found that the exchange of the whole blood isn’t necessary to experience the benefits of parabiosis. Thank goodness for rats and humans! Experimentation has now shown that merely being exposed to young blood plasma activates brain plasticity (necessary for learning) and memory

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transfusions successfully for nearly 100 years. It is hoped that when the results are published in 2016, young blood plasma will lead to powerful interventions not just for Alzheimer’s disease, but all age-related degenerative conditions.

[1] Scudellari, M. (2015). Blood to blood: by splicing animals together scientists have shown young blood rejuvenates old tissues. Nature, 517(2), 426-429. http://www.nature. com/polopoly_fs/1.16762!/menu/main/ topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/517426a.pdf [2] Villeda, S. A. et al. Nature Med. 20, 659–663 (2014).

WEIGHT LOSS FROM THE INSIDE OUT Succeeding with the Nelson Method

y very first memories are of being afraid. I grew up in a rough town in the heart of Texas, and I was under constant threat of physical violence as far back as I can remember— from my alcoholic father, kids in the neighborhood, the kids at school, and even the teachers (corporeal punishment).

From an early age I got the message that I was stupid, I was bad, and I was ugly. Religious folks taught me that I was unworthy and I deserved to be punished. The painful feelings from my circumstances festered inside of me, but I was terrified to feel them. So I buried them in numerous ways—with masturbation, food, cigarettes, alcohol, sex and making money, just to name a few. By the age of 32 I weighed 275 pounds and was dependent on pills and alcohol to try and control the panic attacks and phobias that plagued me.

For 4 years prior I had sought help from doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and even spiritual teachers—but to no avail. I had run out of options.

Late one night when all my painkillers had failed me I lay in bed, unable to sleep and wallowing in despair. I had nowhere to turn. I picked up a pamphlet that said, “Even if you don’t believe in God, if you ask him for help, he’ll help you anyway.” I had turned my back on the idea of God long ago, but since I was a gambler, I knew that I had nothing to lose. I rolled out of bed and onto my knees. I cried out to this God that I didn’t believe in and begged for forgiveness. A peace came over me that was like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life. I was amazed. The first miracle is that I was able to get back into bed and sleep like a baby. The excess weight, alcohol and other compulsions were lifted from me starting that night, and I began a process of deep emotional and spiritual healing that changed the course of my life forever. I eventually felt called to help others, using 1

the same means that had helped me overcome my problems. Today this process is known as The Nelson Method. The Nelson Method is based on the premise that addictive habits serve three primary functions: as a Painkiller, Escape and Punishment. (I call this the PEP Test.) A person uses unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, overeating, or drinking as a Painkiller for one’s emotional—and sometimes physical— pain. Whether it’s painful childhood memories, difficult life circumstances, or incompatible relationships, if a person doesn’t have a healthy way to address this pain, he or she will self-medicate with negative habits. Additionally, people with addictive personalities tend to be easily overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. The addiction is used to Escape one’s worries and fear. Punishment is the third function of an addiction; the addict carries a tremendous burden of guilt, and consciously or subconsciously believes that he or she deserves to be punished. While one’s indulgence may be considered as a “reward” at the end of a long, stressful week, if chronic use deteriorates one’s health, self-esteem, finances and relationships, it has become far more of a punishment than a reward. For 30 years people struggling with every form of compulsion and personal hell have come from all over the world to see me. I specialize in helping people who have tried many paths to healing, but still continue to struggle. My work involves helping clients feel safe enough to address and heal the underlying pain, fear and guilt that drive every addiction. Obesity and eating disorders, chronic alcohol and pill abuse, sex addiction, phobias and anxiety, etc. have all been healed with the proper balance of safety, love and guidance through The Nelson Method. Read about Roy’s work and The Nelson Method in his book, Love Notes from Hell and at www.RoyNelsonHealing.com.

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TANTRUM TACTICS What to do when your child is out of control Dr. Habib Sadeghi and Dr. Sherry Sami

FEATURED ON

t some point, it happens to every parent. You’re already stressed out and on your last nerve when your child decides to have an emotional meltdown, usually in a public place like a restaurant, supermarket or department store. Whether it’s at home or not, trying to communicate with a child in the middle of a tantrum and bring calm to the situation can try the patience of saints, even under the best of circumstances. While every scenario and child is different, your best bet for de-escalating the situation and getting your child to talk to you lies in understanding how not to get drawn into a power play, and what it takes to re-establish communication.

REWARDS & CONSEQUENCES When a child is acting up or refusing to comply with a request, it’s easy and common for parents to resort to the time-honored countdown to consequences. “You’d better stop screaming and start putting the toys away by the time I count to three. One…” It’s easy to pull rank on our children in similar ways to get what we want, because we’re bigger and stronger. It certainly shuts the situation down, but can our children actually respect us when our actions have just said to them, “What you want is irrelevant and your feelings don’t matter.”? Imagine how dehumanizing it would be if your boss gave you a three-count to do something at work, no questions allowed. Just do it or else. If it’s not okay to treat others this way, why do we do it with our children? When we use fear-based tactics to control behavior, we teach children that love is conditional. We’ll love them based on how we treat them, after they do what we want. It also teaches them to equate love with approval, and that can be very dangerous to self-esteem as they grow up, especially for girls. Likewise, the “I’m Leaving You” drama, where parents pretend to walk out of a public place leaving their sobbing children behind, not only traumatizes them, but violates their trust. If children can’t even expect their parents to remain by their side as their protectors and supporters in tough times, then what can they really rely on them for at all?

by establishing a connection with them. Creating connections is all about communication and when we’re truly communicating with our children, we make learning part of the process.

SUPERIORITY VS. AUTHORITY In order to communicate with an upset child, parents have to get rid of the idea that parent is synonymous with power. It’s an easy assumption to make because as parents, we think of ourselves as the homework checker, chore allocator, allowance giver, disciplinarian, etc. These are all positions of power, but parenting is far more than just telling children what to do. To reconnect with an emotionally ungrounded child, we must treat their feelings and needs as equally valid as our own. In order to do this, we can’t take a position of superiority over the child. Superiority gives orders from the ego. Authority, however, provides guidance through wisdom. Superiority creates power struggles and competition, while authority creates connection. Owning our authority and not resorting to kneejerk superiority during confrontations with our children keeps us from feeling our power has been threatened when they tell us “No.” It also helps us make more conscious choices as to how we respond to them. From this mindset, we understand that noncooperation isn’t a challenge to our authority. As with adults, behavior is communication, and an upset child is trying to communicate through his behavior a deeper need that he can’t express verbally.

When stress levels rise during a child’s tantrum, it’s very easy to resort to a fear-based tactic to bring a quick end to the situation. It’s important to know, however, that our choices in these moments will have long-lasting effects that far outweigh our temporary need to get the child into the bathtub or off the playground. Personally, we try to approach these situations from the perspective of loving our children rather than them fearing us. From this perspective, if our children are behaving badly, we know that while they may not be happy with the outcome, they won’t be afraid of us. In contrast to fear-based tactics, some parents respond to their child’s outburst by rewarding him if he settles down and just does what they want. “If you stop crying right now so we can leave, mommy will get you some ice cream on the way home.” Unfortunately, rewards in these situations teach children to disown their own feelings or mute them with external distractions to feel better. It also teaches them to manipulate to get what they want. So the overly punitive or permissive approach to tantrums, do equal harm to children and don’t do parents any favors either. If a child is acting out in a rebellious or confrontational way, the best way to neutralize that behavior isn’t through coercion, but

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The most important aspect in re-establishing a connection with your upset child is to honor their feelings. TM

HONOR THEIR FEELINGS The most important aspect in re-establishing a connection with your upset child is to honor their feelings. Unfortunately, many parents respond to their upset child in a dismissive way such as, “You can’t be hungry again. We just ate an hour ago,” or “We paid a lot of money for that dress and you’ll wear it for the family portrait whether you like it or not.” Denying the child’s feelings only escalates the situation. Think about it. How would you feel if your spouse or partner refused to acknowledge what you were feeling while trying to communicate something? When we honor anyone’s feelings, we’re telling them that how they feel about something is important to us and by association that they’re important to us, as well. So how do we honor the child’s feelings?

Listen Attentively Don’t be planning your comeback in your head while your child is expressing his upset. Really LISTEN to what he’s saying beneath the talking, whining or screaming. Every person has the right to their full emotional process, even if that means you remove the child from the restaurant and drive him around the block so he can fully discharge all that pent-up stressful, negative energy. Unfortunately, in adulthood, we’ve learned to repress our emotions through either the dismissiveness or punishment of our caregivers, and suffered the emotional and physical health consequences for it. Keep in mind that this isn’t an opportunity for your child to disrespect you. If perhaps your child calls you a name or says he hates you, you might respond with, “I didn’t like what you just said to me. Can you express that in another way?” This isn’t easy, but do your best to listen without judgment. Much of the time, people who are upset aren’t nearly as interested in being “right” as they are in just being heard. Often times giving someone their full say without the need to interject can be enough to de-escalate the situation. You’ll hear the tonal shift in your child’s voice when this happens. Then, it’s time to move to the next step.

Validate Their Feelings The child has spoken, but now is not the time for lecturing or even giving advice. Now, it’s time to show him you’ve understood. Don’t say you understand; show him you do by repeating back to him what he’s shared with you in your own words. “I see. You didn’t want to leave the store because you were having so much fun with the big blue ball and the dump truck, which you told me is so much better than the three you already have. It doesn’t have any rust or dents. That’s why you wanted me to buy it.” Validating your child’s feelings doesn’t mean you agree with what’s been said. You’re simply validating that his view of the situation is legitimate to his own experience of it.

Name Their Feelings Labeling the child’s feelings adds even more validation and offers comfort that you’ve acknowledged his inner experience. You might say, “You seem

pretty sad that you couldn’t stay in the swimming pool for longer. That would have been nice.” An additive empathic response recognizes the hurt that underlies the angry outburst and admits that what the child wanted would indeed have been nice, had it been possible. In contrast, a subtractive empathic response carries a judgmental tone by implying that someone shouldn’t be feeling what they’re feeling. It tells them they’re wrong. An example might be, “You don’t need to be sad, because it was going to rain, and it’s unsafe to swim when it’s raining anyway.” Don’t worry about identifying your child’s feelings exactly. Just do your best. Children know how they’re feeling and if you’re wrong, they’ll tell you. They’ll be glad that at least you’re making the effort to understand them.

Ask Questions Now that the child has de-escalated and been validated, he’s out of fight-or-flight mode. His thought processes have left his reptilian hind brain and moved forward into his frontal cortex where reasoning and negotiating are possible. Now is the time to ask, “What would you like me to do?” At this point, the child has to stop and think, which gets the mind functioning in a completely different way. Most of the time, what a child wants and needs are different things and by listening attentively, a parent can discover the underlying need of a tantrum and use it to neutralize the drama. For example, maybe the upset isn’t really about having to stay longer in the toy store. Maybe the child just doesn’t want to stop having fun. In that case, maybe playing his favorite songs and having a sing-along in the car on the way to the next errand can satisfy the needs of both parent and child.

A UNIVERSAL APPROACH Much of the time, this intervention with children works very well. Too often, however, parents make the mistake of taking a punitive, superior stance and addressing the situation from a purely logical point of view while completely ignoring the child’s feelings. Anyone would respond negatively under those circumstances and yet we’re surprised when children become even more upset. Every situation is unique and when this intervention doesn’t work, don’t worry. Even though your child is still upset, he knows you’ve listened to his concerns and validated his feelings. That’s the victory, and that you’ve done it without using fear is even better. In the end, it’s essential to let the child know how much you love him and why you’ve made the decision you did. You might be surprised to know that these four simple steps work quite well with any angry person, not just children. It sounds silly, but if you see an angry adult as a child in your mind and treat them with these steps as you’re being confronted, you’ll be surprised by how effectively you’ll be able to diffuse an adult tantrum at home or work. Just don’t offer to buy them an ice cream cone afterward.

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Dr. Habib Sadeghi

Revealing Life’s Gifts by SHIFTING OUR PERSPECTIVE

’ve read many books over the years, and like most people, I can say there are several that have truly changed my life. One of those books is Answer to Job by Carl Jung. Although it’s relatively small, the book carries a very big lesson on dealing with hardships. As you may know, the biblical parable tells the story of Job, a hardworking man of God who seems to do no wrong and yet every conceivable misfortune falls upon him. He ultimately loses his family, health and wealth. It’s one of the first examples of someone asking why bad things happen to good people. The story has been interpreted in many ways, but to me, it carries two significant meanings. If you follow my newsletter, you understand that we are all co-creators of our life experience. Nothing happens to us for no reason or from out of the blue. We live in a universe governed by laws, and the “Law of Attraction” is one of them. At rock bottom, Job cries out, “For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” I’ve said before that the most important thing you can ever give anyone or anything is your attention. To fear something, whether it be a disease, a doctor’s dim prognosis, or anything else, is to give it your attention and thus, begin drawing it into your experience. 1

Where attention goes, energy flows and fear is faith too...just directed toward the wrong things. The story of Job tells us to mind our minds, because regardless of all our good deeds, we won’t be held guiltless when it comes to universal law, and how we consciously or unconsciously choose to create our lives. No matter how bad things might get, continue to focus on where you want your life to go, and a shift will occur. Even Job gets a happy ending. Jung’s evaluation of the tale also gave weight to the idea that even our troubles shape us in positive ways. How many times have you gone through a difficult situation, only to look back on it and see how it shaped you into the person you are today, or that it imparted a profound understanding of some kind that you later applied to better your life? It’s not just the good times that make us who we are. Gifts are hidden inside our difficulties, but we can’t see them when we’re buried deeply inside the experience. In a way, they’re spiritual optical illusions, because we usually don’t see the gift inside until we change our perspective and rise above the experience, or several years have put distance between us and what has happened. A great example of this can be found in Howick, South Africa. At the end of a nondescript concrete path is a menagerie of 50 iron bars jutting out of the earth. Nearly

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30 ft. in height, each bar bears jagged edges and is irregularly shaped. When you’re standing within or near the bars, they seem to make no sense. They appear to be just a collection of scrap metal stuck in the ground. It’s only from a much farther distance away, and from one specific angle, that the secret within appears: the face of Nelson Mandela. To see the incredible memorial sculpture created by artist, Marco Cianfanelli is quite an experience. It’s also a reminder that our trials, our less attractive life experiences, and our triumphs, make us who we are and come to us offering their own unique hidden gifts. Everything happens for a reason, and nothing is ever wasted in a universe that operates with exquisite economy. So many people have looked back on their lives, difficulties and all, and said they wouldn’t change a thing because they understand how their struggles have made them into the people they are today. I’ve heard Mr. Mandela say the same thing, and he spent 27 years in prison. I know I feel the same way about my experiences. You may not understand why you’re going through a difficult situation. That’s okay. It’s not necessary to begin the healing process. It is important, however, to know that it’s not some form of punishment, and that with time and distance, a different perspective will reveal a new gift, and a new you, as well. 2016 Collection

The Performance of Speaking Written by: Deborah Shames and David Booth

udiences and speakers alike crave authenticity. But without the mechanics of how to present and connect with an audience, the impact of any message will be lost. And like it or not, when speaking, you are judged by the same standards as a performer. Yet few outside of the Entertainment Industry employ the tools performers use to capture the heart and soul of an audience. Here are tips from the professional’s playbook. FOCUS O N YO UR IN TE N T I ON : Every actor worth their salt identifies what they want to achieve before going on stage or on camera. It’s how they make the ‘script’ or material their own. It is the same for you. Before a meeting, presentation or event, identify what you want more than anything else. It can be “I will inspire you to join me,” “We will partner together to do business” or “I will make sure the fit is right.” An intention gives you laser focus, and prevents rambling or going off course. HAVE Y O UR O P E NI N G D OW N C OLD : Your opening sets the tone and frame for everything that follows, so don’t wing it. Like any A-list performer, rehearse your open, and each time, change

up the wording and phrasing slightly so that you will sound natural and spontaneous. Rather than delivering traditional welcomes or obligatory thanks, share something colorful about your topic, or your experience with the subject. Be specific and use concrete language. C A L L TO A C T I ON : Experiencing a great performance, we feel the actors’ pain, excitement, or joy. The same is true about decisions: they are also emotive. Move your audience to take an action. If you educate people, you get them to think. But if you persuade them, you get them to act. BEING ON THE ICE: To be successful, great performers must be in the moment. Eliminate all distractions and focus on your message when you are speaking or presenting. And put your attention on the audience. FINALE: Since we remember most what we hear last, slow down. Like a performer, commit to your content and make it more important to you, not the audience. And with total confidence, “bring the curtain down.”

“Deborah Shames and David Booth are masters at commanding the attention of an audience gracefully. They are the epitome of the poise, presence and passion it takes to make the kind of impact that inspires action and changes minds.”--Dr. Habib Sadeghi, author, Within: A Spiritual Awakening to Love and Weight Loss For more Eloqui techniques, check out Own the Room: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage and Get Results, written by Deborah Shames and David Booth. The book was published by McGraw-Hill in 2010 and has become a business bestseller. Order copies on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/z5og8jb

A Healing Idea

We are a network of multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals united to empower individuals in achieving optimal wellness.

Be Hive of Healing Year in Review

Our Expanded Website & New Integrative Services

his year we had the pleasure of expanding our healing center in a few exciting ways. Starting with the launch of our new Be Hive of Healing website which provides visitors a more streamlined, informative and user friendly experience. Through a modified and mobile-friendly patient portal, new and existing visitors can easily keep up with whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening at Be Hive of Healing with access to press coverage, event announcements and photo galleries. Each of Dr. Sadeghiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s articles from The L.I.G.H.T.TM (Leading Insights for Growth, Healing and Transformation) and other media outlets have also been catalogued in The Hive (our newsroom), to provide a comprehensive, easy access spiritual reference library for all visitors. Be sure to visit behiveofhealing.com/news when you need inspiration and encouragement for yourself or someone you love. In addition to the website we have also expanded our healing services with various executive wellness programs for individuals and couples, as well as new medical services. We stay committed to serving our intentional healing community. Please continue reading to learn about all our services, and feel free to contact our office with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

Explore our center at www.behiveofhealing.com

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Integrative Services at Be Hive of Healing Your Comprehensive Journey to Wellness

Our ultimate goal with the Integrative Services at Be Hive of Healing is to rejuvenate the body by removing dependence on artificial substances or medications and to restore the body’s own natural equilibrium. Our Wholistic healing methodology includes all aspects of you—body, mind and spirit.

Preventive Medicine

A Dynamic Approach to Well-Being Preventive Medicine is based on the philosophy that the most dynamic approach to wellbeing incorporates prevention and education, both of which allow us to sustain a quality of life and level of health, even into advanced age, that was once thought of as impossible. Patients are our partners in the care process, and through their active involvement, they learn to incorporate our best practices into their daily living for a lifetime of health and well-being. INCLUDED SERVICES: Family Medicine, Wellness Exam, Women’s Health

Integrative Bioregulatory Medicine (iBm) Identifying the Imbalances

Your health is determined by a delicate balance between nerves, hormones, organs and organ systems. This balance is affected by genetics, lifestyle, emotional state and environment. Imbalances in one or more of these areas often give rise to diseases that can be difficult to explain, much less treat. Integrative Bioregulatory Medicine is a multidimensional approach to health care designed to awaken the body’s healing intelligence to the memory of its wholeness. INCLUDED SERVICES: Thyroid Imbalances, Adrenal Fatigue, Female Hormones, Male

Hormones

Family Medicine

Comprehensive Care Through Every Stage of Life As people grow and change, so do their health care needs. Our multi-disciplinary approach to healing grows with you, supporting your resilience and vitality through every stage of life, from child development to senior care. FAMILY MEDICINE INCLUDED SERVICES: Complete medical and nutritional evaluation, Nutritional medicine for improved development, Immune-boosting treatments and supplements, Restoration of proper digestion and absorption.

Anthroposophical Medicine

Alchemy of Healing Plants and Natural Organisms Our homeopathic supplements contain only the highest quality organic herbal and botanical ingredients sourced from around the world. Great attention is given to the cultivation, harvesting and production processes to ensure that the maximum level of potency is preserved. In most cases, these specialized formulations outperform pharmaceuticals with none of the toxic ingredients or harsh side effects. INCLUDED PROTOCOLS AFTER INITIAL EVALUATION: Prescription & preparation of custom-formulated homeopathic agents, Iscador (mistletoe) infusions, Attended intravenous therapy

Nutritional Medicine Maximizing the Healing Power of Whole Foods Nutritional medicine is grounded in rebuilding and supporting a strong digestive system. When the digestive system is functioning optimally, we gain the maximum healing benefit from the foods and supplements we consume. A comprehensive profile is obtained to investigate nutritional deficiencies, absorption rates, hidden food sensitivities, allergies, gut integrity and microbiome balance. NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE PLAN INCLUDED SERVICES: Digestive evaluation and healing protocol prescribed based on results, Nutraceuticals prescribed for specific conditions, Concentrated I.V. nutrition therapy which accelerates healing and strengthens immunity.

Osteopathy Well-Being Begins with Balance Osteopathy is a distinctive and holistic form of health care that brings healing to the body by restoring its innate sense of balance. By correcting misalignments within and between body structures, the body regains its natural functioning rhythm. This is accomplished through gentle manipulation of the bones, muscles, ligaments, organs and fascia (the fine layer of tissue beneath the skin that binds organs and organ systems together). Correcting misalignments in the body not only improves the harmonious relationship between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems, but has cascading effects that positively impact problems patients hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t originally connected to a misalignment issue.

Weight Release

Individualized Plans for Maximum Results Far more than the standard meal plan weigh-in approach, your personalized weight release program is augmented by a protocol of potent herbal supplements specifically formulated to restore, support and accelerate metabolism, helping you burn more calories while retaining lean mass. THE PERSONALIZED WEIGHT RELEASE PROTOCOL INCLUDES THESE SERVICES: Extensive nutritional and hormonal evaluation, Nutritional and natural alternative therapies to restore optimal metabolic function, Patented medical therapies for those requiring more immediate and substantial weight loss

Transformational Intensive (T!)

Comprehensive Medical Prevention and Diagnostic Services Transformational Intensive (T!) is a premier executive wellness program that provides the most comprehensive medical prevention and diagnostic services available. Participants receive a full-scale health evaluation that includes a comprehensive physical exam, dental evaluation, blood, urine and stool panels, CAT scan, MRI, EKG, EEG, body composition analysis, allergy and food sensitivity testing, as well as extended consultations with both Dr. Sadeghi and Dr. Gross. Each participant receives a fully-detailed report on every facet of their current state of health with a personalized plan of care to restore and/or maintain health and provide maximum protection against the diseases of aging.

Chinese Medicine Mobilize the Bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Qi

Various Interventions, grounded in ancient healing traditions over 2,000 years old, are provided to mobilize the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vital life energy or Qi in support of healing and correcting bio-energetic imbalances that contribute to disease. Integrative medical acupuncture is often applied to treat a wide range of conditions including autoimmune disease, depression, fibromyalgia, headaches, PMS, irritable bowel syndrome, sciatica, carpel tunnel syndrome, circulation problems, arthritis, digestive issues and respiratory disorders. Massage (Tui na) and specific herbal applications are also provided to support the treatment plan.

“Without loving, healing is but a sublime folly.” Lymphatic Rejuvenation Therapy (LRT) Relax, Rejuvenate, Release

Originally created by Dr. Sadeghi, Lymphatic Rejuvenation Therapy (LRT) combines the luxury and sensuality of the best spa treatment with the benefits of deep detoxification and meditation. Based on the principles of anthroposophical medicine and Pancha Karma Ayurveda of India, LRT is designed to simultaneously treat the mind, body and spirit in a single therapeutic session. LRT significantly reduces the body’s toxic burden, so healing results are often dramatic..

Healing Magnetic Field Therapy (HMFT) A Specialized Cellular Calibration The human body emits an electromagnetic frequency (like a magnet) that cells require to function properly. Healing Magnetic Field Therapy (HMFT) is a non-invasive, relaxing treatment that restores the body’s natural vibration by applying the proper frequency (Hz) to the affected area. This is accomplished by delivering alternating frequencies of low intensity waves in pulses to the problem area with specialized calibrations of waveform, field strength, frequency and resonance for a particular condition. Impressive results are often seen across a wide range of conditions but especially for osteoporosis, inflammatory conditions, and fibromyalgia, which is referred to as magnetic deficiency syndrome in Japan.

Integrative Neural Therapy (INT) Homeopathic German Acupuncture

Scars from surgeries or injuries can easily interrupt the flow of energy throughout the body by creating a roadblock along the meridians or pathways along which energy travels. Integrative Neural Therapy (INT), also known as German acupuncture, involves numbing the scar with the natural anesthetic, Procaine, which gets converted to the antioxidant, para-benzoicaminoacid (PABA), which then generates the production of folic acid. This reaction decreases the scar’s rigidity, facilitating the discharge of stored energy. Additional homeopathics support a complete opening of the meridian, ensuring a full release.

Integrative Auto-Hemotherapy (IAH) Intensive Immune Enhancement

Strong immunity is the key to disease prevention. Fortunately there’s a great natural way to enhance immunity that is simple, fast, long-lasting, doesn’t produce side effects, and costs a fraction of more conventional treatments. Integrative Auto-Hemotherapy (IAH) involves drawing a small vial of blood from the patient and immediately injecting it back into the patient’s muscle tissue, most generally in the thigh muscle. The body immediately sees the incoming blood as a substance that needs to be eradicated and signals the bone marrow to increase its production of macrophages. These white blood cells are responsible for destroying and removing bacteria, viruses and even cancer cells in the body.

Integrative Medical Apitherapy Healing Power of Bees

Integrative Medical Apitherapy employs the application of bee products - honey, pollen, royal jelly and propolis - in healing therapies. Of all the substances produced by the honey bee, its venom is the most powerful. Rich in enzymes, peptides and amines, bee venom contains 18 components that have pharmaceutical properties, one of which is melittin, a highly potent anti-inflammatory agent. This makes bee venom extremely effective in treating orthopedic and neurological problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, multiple sclerosis and Lyme disease.

Integrative Medical Colon Hydrotherapy Detoxification & Hydration

Over 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, along with every neurotransmitter also found in the brain. In addition, 90% of the body’s serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for producing a sense of happiness and well-being, as well as supporting cognitive functions such as memory and learning, is produced in the gut. Integrative Medical Colon Hydrotherapy is a gentle and thorough way to remove stagnate waste from the colon. Using sterilized and disposable equipment, warm filtered water is cycled into the colon, which allows any impaction to dissolve and be carried away through an entirely closed system.

Prolotherapy

Natural Pain Relief Mechanism Incorrect use or overuse of joints can cause ligaments and tendons to become overstretched. Over time, this can decrease blood supply to the area, resulting in significant pain. Prolotherapy is a natural treatment that introduces collagen to the affected area, purposely creating localized inflammation. This mechanism restarts the body’s natural healing process by triggering the growth of new collagen, the same substance of which tendons and ligaments are made. Prolotherapy fortifies the affected area, relieving pain and restoring the natural blood supply.

Integrative Medical Acupuncture Reconnecting Healing Energy Pathways

Grounded in the 5,000-year-old principles of Chinese medicine, integrative medical acupuncture uses extremely fine needles placed at acupoints along the body’s energy meridian pathways to stimulate the movement of healing life force energy, the ancient Chinese called Qi. A blockage along any of the twelve main meridians that prevents energy from flowing freely often develops into a disease process in that area of the body. Integrative medical acupuncture works by triggering the nervous system to signal the brain to release neurotransmitters that activate the body’s self-healing mechanism.

Heavy Metal Detoxification Get the Lead Out

Heavy metals like mercury, aluminum, cadmium and arsenic are everywhere in our daily lives. They’re so toxic that the body sequesters them deep within its tissues to keep them out of the bloodstream. A simple heavy metal test kit using urinalysis is all that’s needed to determine if heavy metals may be hindering your health. Over a prescribed series of IV treatments, agents with opposing charges are administered to slowly and gently draw heavy metals out of the body like a magnet. Minimal discomfort is experienced during this process, and detoxification takes place in the following hours as the heavy metals are released through urination.

Medical Skin Care

Rejuvenating Well-Being The time-tested facial is far more than a beauty treatment at Be Hive of Healing. The skin is the body’s largest detoxification organ, and sebum or buildup from lotions, sunscreens and cosmetics can block the pathways the body employs to remove toxins. Deep, yet gentle, cleansing and exfoliation opens pores and allows the skin to resume proper detoxification. The accompanying facial massage increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the face, rejuvenating the skin and alleviating existing sinus or allergy symptoms. Penetrating naturally-based moisturizers high in antioxidants are applied to nourish and support healing of the skin, while aroma therapy used during the treatment activates the endocrine system for further detoxification.

Therapeutic Healing Yoga

Harnessing the Healing Power of Sound Therapeutic Healing Yoga (THY) is a simple and straightforward way of demystifying these ancient healing principles and helping patients apply them to their lives in a practical yet powerful way to dramatically improve health and well-being. This is accomplished by harnessing the healing power of sound. In private sessions, an instructor guides the patient in the ancient healing techniques of breath work, toning and chanting in a way that resonates within the body at the cellular level.

Integrative Medical Distillation Herbal & Homeopathic Therapeutic Remedies Be Hive of Healing contains one of the most complete herbal and homeopathic medical dispensaries in the world, housing over 25,000 therapeutic remedies. This is due in large part to the fact that Dr. Sadeghi began researching and collecting exotic herbs from around the world at a very early age, and took on the practice of distillation as a pastime. Today, his hobby has grown into the most comprehensive bank of botanical therapeutics across the entire field of integrative healthcare. Because Be Hive of Healing maintains its distillery onsite, customized herbal remedies that aren’t available anywhere else, can be formulated for specific conditions.

Hijama Integrative Therapy (HIT) Boost Your Health Maintenance

Most people are familiar with the cupping procedure of Hijama Integrative Therapy, which is based on the ancient principles of traditional Chinese medicine, but that is only one part of the therapy process. Our HIT includes additional components such as diet, exercise and supplementation to shore up stagnate chi (or “life energy”), which the ancients felt was the cause of all dis-ease. The cupping portion of the therapy involves massaging the affected area with black seed or olive oil. In “dry” HIT, one or several lightly heated glass cups are placed on the skin with a mild suction applied from a regulated electronic monitor.

“We are divine beings having a human experience.” Integrative Psycho-Synthesis (iPs) Master Mind Mentorship Program (M3P)

Many people feel they understand the spiritual concepts of manifestation but still struggle with making their desires a reality. The Master Mind Mentorship Program (M3P) provides you with a tangible way to access and direct your creative energy by eliminating unconscious emotional blocks that limit your potential. M3P is the most powerful psycho-spiritual intervention. By merging psychological exploration and spiritual inspiration with physical motivation, it synchronizes mind, body and behavior.

Strategic Healing Integrative Partnership (SHIP) One-on-One Collaboration

Based on some of the most powerful motivational principles used by business executives and professional athletes, the Strategic Healing Integrative Partnership (SHIP) program puts a compassionate twist on the corporate model for getting things done. During SHIP, Dr. Sadeghi acts as your healing mentor. He’ll create a personalized Strategic Healing Plan for you that works in tandem with your medical protocol. This includes individual instruction of techniques that reveal the psycho-spiritual aspects of illness, and exercises to raise bio-energetics to the frequency where healing takes place.

Integrative Family Decoding and Healing Three Dimensional Intervention

Death, abandonment, suicide, child abuse, domestic violence, poverty and job loss within a family, all leave their specific emotional imprint on each person. Integrative Family Decoding & Healing is a three dimensional intervention that works with families to discover and dissolve negative generational emotional patterns through awareness, forgiveness and conscious living techniques. When decades-old negative energy is finally released, long-term physical illness often fades away. Science is beginning to prove more and more that disease isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so much a genetic heritage as it is an emotional one. Contact us today for more information about scheduling a session.

Soul-ution Integration Trio (SIT) Correct Imbalance Through Intervention Much of the bio-energetic disruption connected with illness comes from the stress we feel in challenging or difficult relationships. If sustained over time, this energetic disturbance often manifests as physical illness. A Soul- ution Integration Trio (SIT), with Dr. Sadeghi acting as the equalizing force, functions as an intervention between the patient and the person in question to correct any imbalance in the relationship. Sessions may address relationships of all kinds, including those between spouses, family members and friends.

Conscious Completion

Separation Grounded in Consciousness The Conscious Completion program is much more than simply agreeing to divorce amicably while remembering the needs of the children involved. This in-depth intervention is designed to prevent bitter divorce by guiding couples, who have decided to end their marriage, through a separation grounded in consciousness. From this level of consciousness, both parties can do their respective work healing their inner wounds, which will facilitate their transition into healthier relationships in which they do not repeat the behaviors of the past.

Couples Transformational Intensive (CT!) Experience a Deeper Level of Love and Commitment Difficulties are addressed by accepting personal responsibility, identifying projections and unconscious emotional wounds, establishing empathy, practicing authentic communication, and reinforcing understanding through perception checking. The CT! bonding exercises increase physical contact, deepen intimacy and strengthen the primal subconscious bonds that tell couples they belong to each other. Participants regularly report dramatic improvements in their relationships after this series. Many couples with healthy relationships who have participated, experience an even deeper level of love and commitment.

Bringing Wellness to the Mind, Body and Spirit in a State-of-the-Art Medical Facility. Be Hive of Healing Integrative Medical & Dental Center 5017 Lewis Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 452-4483 | www.behiveofhealing.com

The Healing

POWER OF TOUCH Dr. Habib Sadeghi

n the past, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discussed the importance of creating a healing culture in both your mind and external environment. We also touched on how quickly thoughts of fear and negativity, or health and positivity can multiply when the psychological conditions are right. In addition to healthy relationships and positive words, one of the most important things we need to enculturate a healing external environment is the power of touch. The skin is much more than just a barrier to protect the inside of our bodies. Most people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it, but the skin or epidermis is made from ectoderm, which has the same origin as neural tissue. Our skin, nervous system and brain all originate from exactly the same embryonic tissue. In fact, the skin functions more like an external brain and nervous system than anything else. From the amazing work of cell biologist, Bruce Lipton, we now know that the skin of every cell (its membrane), is the brain that directs its function, not the nucleus as previously thought. A cell can function long after its nucleus is removed.

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This tells us that sensations in our skin are taking in far more information from our environment than we ever thought and using it to direct our body functions. Consider this. You could spend hours trying to understand something intellectually with your cranial brain, but once you have a physical sensation, you understand instantly. For example, if I said, “I love you,” you’d be grateful for the kind words, but probably not moved too much. If I hugged you instead, your skin would provide you with a rush of sensation that comes with the instant realization that you are loved, and words would be completely unnecessary. All that positive healing energy registers in every cell of your body in a fraction of a second. This is why I make it a point to hug everyone who walks through my office door. I’m not just being polite. It’s my way of touching heartto-heart and giving you a jolt of healing energy. Still not convinced of the healing power of touch? Science knows that the human body emits an electrical field that is substantial and measurable. You are an electrical creature. Research at The Institute of HeartMath shows that when you are touched in a loving way, the energy in your electroencephalogram (brain activity) transfers to and can be measured in your electrocardiogram (heart). Even more amazing is the fact that this exchange begins to happen before you touch. You simply have to be in the presence of a loved one for the exchange to start happening on a lower level. This is why healing is a somatic experience, not an intellectual one. When you feel something, you’ve experienced it. Just casually thinking about something isn’t having the experience. Thinking about the beach doesn’t give you the sensation of the wind on your face, sand under your feet or splash of the waves.

Loving touch is healing in any form, but its power is magnified when it’s paired with an intention.

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Loving touch is healing in any form, but its power is magnified when it’s paired with an intention. Like our physical bodies, our thoughts carry energy which can be measured as well. Holding a healing intention for someone while touching them transfers this energetic image to them. Every time I hug my patients, I hold an image of them as thriving and healthy in my mind. This image is transferred to the patient subconsciously, and enculturates their mind as they carry it with them. Liminal expression includes every material thing we can see, while subliminal expression is much more powerful. Although unseen, it gives rise to all that is eventually seen in our world. So the healing idea is to turn away from all liminal expression and work at the deeper level of healing touch energy and directed intention. All healing energy work is done this way, and I have been at the forefront of incorporating it into integrative medicine in a much more substantial way. When we touch our bodies or someone else with loving kindness and intention, we magnify our healing energy. This is why many spiritual philosophies have traditions of a laying on of hands for healing. This idea embodies my practice of medicine, particularly because I am a fourth generation Sufi healer. My practice involves a high touch approach, combined with herbal and somatic treatments that, while minimally invasive, penetrate deeply on an energetic level. During a treatment that requires physical touch, I will often whisper an ancient Sufi prayer intention into the patient’s left ear (the receptive side of the body) to maximize the energetic effect. These ancient traditions have lasted so long because there is scientific truth in them. The problem comes when practitioners appeal to a third party source, thinking that the healing is coming from “out there,” and then having an impact on the patient. All healing energy exists right where you are. You just need to activate it.

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Invisible Attachments Are couples unwittingly choosing convenience over connection?

Dr. Habib Sadeghi & Dr. Sherry Sami

ack in 2007, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) predicted that by 2015, 60% of upscale, custombuilt homes would have dual master suites, one for each member of a married couple.1 Demand was strong from homeowners, and the NAHB expected it to continue. To help sell the idea, everyone from marriage counselors to real estate agents were talking about the advantages. No more putting up with your spouse’s snoring. Gone were concerns about disturbing a partner who worked non-traditional hours. Want to watch TV in bed until 2:00 am? Fine. Some even said that such an arrangement could spice up a couple’s sex life by helping to maintain an element of mystery in the marriage.2 Separate suites certainly sounds luxurious, and it might be

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fun to try for a while. Even so, one has to wonder what effect more time away from each other has on a couple’s sense of intimacy. Yes, the sex might be better at first, but are couples gaining convenience while losing connection? For the majority of Americans, dual master suites isn’t an option, but a similar home amenity is, and it comes with the same pros and cons: separate bathrooms. Many couples swear by them. No more dealing with her tubes and jars cluttering the countertop. He’s such a slob, now he can drop his underwear anyplace he wants. The days of crashing into each other during the morning rush are over. Privacy and peace at last. Unfortunately, this convenience can come with a cost. It was just last year we met Windsor Smith, interior designer and author of Homefront: Design for Modern Living, at a dinner party where this very subject came up. Ms. Smith, who specializes in designing upscale estates for powerful people, said that, in her experience, when a couple opts for separate bathrooms it usually leads to separate houses and eventually, divorce. Can it really be that absence, even under the same roof, makes the heart grow less fond? The answer is yes, it can. Logistics aside, sharing space keeps us bonded to our partners in ways that are primal. Whether we know it or not, invisible forces are at work that continually reinforce our subconscious sense of belonging and attachment to one another. Nowhere does this happen more than in the most intimate spaces of our homes.

These days many working couples scramble through their hectic morning routine trying to get themselves and their kids out the door on time. Late work nights and after-work errands mean many couples and families don’t have dinner together anymore. It seems that one of the last opportunities busy couples have for making a real connection is during their evening routine, usually in the bathroom. In a recent British poll, nearly half (45%) of the couples responding said they share their nightly bathroom routine with their partner as a way to wind down and talk about the day. This was in contrast to just 29% who said they were still able to eat dinner together. For the under-34 crowd, just 16% said they could manage eating dinner together, but the same group largely felt that bathroom bonding, as they called it, was an important way to keep from growing apart.3 A great way to deepen this kind of experience is for each person to participate in some aspect of their partner’s nighttime routine. No, you’re not going to brush your wife’s teeth, but brushing her hair while she talks about what’s on her mind is a very loving thing to do. Although it might sound unusual, mutual grooming is a high bonding activity in the animal kingdom of which we are a part, and it affects us in a similar way. Even something as simple as applying lotion to your partner’s body or showering together provides the same benefit.

Signature Scents While bathroom bonding is in progress, unseen forces are at work, increasing intimacy on a subconscious level that can deepen our connection to each other even when we’re not together. When we share intimate spaces like a bathroom or bedroom, we’re constantly taking in the scent of our partners, even when they’re not present. Put on your partner’s bathrobe because yours is in the laundry and suddenly you’re smelling his scent. As far as your nose is concerned, he’s practically in the room. Our sense of smell has a strong connection to memory, and thoughts of our partners can enter our minds at times like these, further strengthening our connection to them. Post-workout clothes thrown on the bed, hair caught in a brush on the counter, a spouse’s pillowcase and even a shared towel give off olfactory cues that deepen the bond between us and our partners, whether we know it or not. Although science has never officially determined that each human has an individual scent, police and trailing dogs have been proving it anecdotally for decades. In fact, a study performed at University College in London in 1955 proved that dogs could even detect the difference in scent between identical twins. Although the source of human scent wasn’t the subject of the study, the researchers inferred that whatever it was, it was probably genetic.4 Science is beginning to suspect the unique chemical composition of sebum is what gives us our individual scent.5 Produced by the sebaceous glands, sebum is a fatty substance that helps lubricates the skin. It’s liquid at body temperature and solid at room temperature. Chemically speaking, it’s made up of fatty acids, wax alcohols, sterols, terpenoids

and hydrocarbons. Some of these compounds aren’t found anywhere else in the body. If sebum is removed from the skin, the sebaceous glands work very quickly to replace it. That’s why dogs can still identify someone’s scent after a vigorous shower or even a series of showers. A structure similar to cholesterol called squalene is also found in sebum. It’s the component that helps dogs and other animals distinguish us as different from their species. It’s estimated that unique combinations of fatty acid components and wax alcohols in squalene are what differentiates one human’s scent from another.6 Just to give you an idea of how individual scent bonds people together, studies using T-shirts worn over several days showed that not only can people detect their own scent,7 but they can identify those of family members as well.8 Separate studies show that babies only a few weeks old can identify the breast scent of their mother over those of other mothers.9 Likewise, mothers can recognize the scent of their own baby.10

There is a very real physiological and chemical connection to our intimate partners is going on just beyond our awareness. It’s strengthened when we share our intimate spaces because like the rest of the animal kingdom, we’re leaving our scent everywhere.

Pheromones

Bathroom Bonding

Attachment Beyond Awareness Sharing our intimate spaces with our partners allows for another powerful chemical swap to take place, the exchange of pheromones. Like human scent, the actual existence of human pheromones and our ability to detect them hasn’t been officially demonstrated by science. A primary reason is that other mammals have a special organ to sense pheromones called a vomeronasal organ (VNO), which humans lack. When pheromones are in the air, a bundle of nerves in the VNO sends messages to the brain that excite the hypothalamus, which controls many functions including aspects of parenting and attachment behavior. Interestingly, a study showed that the hypothalamus of women lit up when exposed to

4,16-androstadien, a synthetic steroid or pherine with male pheromone-like properties.11 Since the late 1990s, a mountain of evidence12 has been building demonstrating that humans probably do have a VNO and that it’s most likely connected to the nasal septum.13 14 At this point, searching for the existence of pheromones is like trying to discover what wind looks like. Even though we can’t see them, we can clearly see their effects all around us.

and communications keep us bonded together on a very real but subconscious level, we have to ask: have we become too clean? The impulse to disinfect everything, especially in the bathroom, might be blocking the important chemical messages we’re supposed to be receiving from our partners. Maybe some simple soap and water would do instead of a caustic drugstore cleaner. It might also be a good idea to reconsider highly fragrant colognes, as well as hair and skincare products that can disrupt the scented signal we’re getting from our mates.

Unlike sebum, which adheres to the skin, pheromones are projected into the environment by our bodies. When we’re Kissing & Connection sharing a bathroom or bedroom with our partners, we’re giving off these signals all the time. Androstadienone is a prominent Several times each year we conduct a series of workshops steroid hormone in men believed to contain pheromones. It’s called the Couples Transformational Intensive (CT!) most prevalent on the skin and hair, under the arms, and designed to reduce conflict, increase bonding in semen. Several studies have shown that when and bring intimate partners closer together. heterosexual women and homosexual One of the simplest but most powerful men are exposed to androstadienone, 15 16 parts of the program is when it heightens their arousal and 17 couples commit to kissing for five promotes a positive mood. This is consecutive minutes each day. why a synthetic androstadienone The kissing doesn’t have to lead in the form of a nasal spray is to sexual activity. If it does, currently being developed for that’s fine, but the main goal is women with social anxiety to make a consistent physical 18 problems. Androstadienone connection every day. exposure for heterosexual women also alters the length Kissing strengthens the and timing of their menstrual connection between people, cycle, affecting fertility. 19 In but especially intimate partners, because the lips fact, women are so sensitive to contain an enormous amount masculine scents that they can of touch receptors and sebaceous detect exaltolide, a male musk-like glands. When we kiss, we exchange compound, at dilutions 1,000 times sebum that contains our unique lower than men.20 Some feel this chemical signature along high sensitivity to smell aids with countless proteins and makes women better able to Kissing strengthens the hormones at homeopathic choose a mate because they connection between levels. Research continues have more invested in the act people, but especially to show that the exchange of procreation. of sebum most likely plays a intimate partners, Likewise, estratetraenol, a prominent role in feelings of because the lips contain powerful steroid hormone attachment between intimate thought to contain an enormous amount partners, as well as parents pheromones and found and children.26 This is why we of touch receptors and predominantly in female instinctively want to kiss those sebaceous glands. urine, increases arousal21 and we love. We want to strengthen elevates mood22 in heterosexual the bond between us, creating a men. In addition, distinct activity in sort of chemical WiFi that keeps us the hypothalamus area of the brain connected, even when we’re not together. (involved in bonding and attachment) has We call this invisible bond psycho-spiritual been detected in the brains of heterosexual men interraintment, and it’s crucial to maintaining the and homosexual women when exposed to estratetraenol.23 mindset of two becoming one in a marriage. 24 25 The same activity occurs in heterosexual women and From this simple exercise, our workshop couples regularly homosexual men exposed to androstadienone. report dramatic improvements in their relationships, which The point to all this science is that a very real physiological and parallel much of the research that’s been done on consistent chemical connection to our intimate partners is going on just kissing. A recent study followed couples who committed to beyond our awareness. It’s strengthened when we share our increasing their daily kissing over a 6-week period. Results intimate spaces because like the rest of the animal kingdom, showed the couples experienced “statistically significant” we’re leaving our scent everywhere. This “marking” of territory decreases in stress and cholesterol levels along with a marked subconsciously confirms to the brain that you belong to me. increase in relationship satisfaction.27 When we think about how these invisible chemical connections

Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Luc Montagnier, has

demonstrated that a substance, although diluted thousands of

If possible, consider expanding your bathroom. Not only will

times over in water, still remains chemically potent and active.

this improve the value of your home, but you’ll naturally want

This supports the idea that infinitesimally small amounts of

to spend more time pampering yourself and your partner in a

sebum and pheromones can have a powerful effect on us. In

larger, more modernized space. Always set rules for sharing the

fact, Montagnier’s research went on to show that even when

bathroom that support privacy and respect in the relationship.

the original substance could no longer be detected in water, its

If you don’t like pop-ins while you’re on the pot, say so, but you

electromagnetic signals were still present, producing dramatic

might want to leave the door unlocked during your shower in

biological effects.28 So maybe it’s time to start taking more

case your partner wants to slip in and surprise you.

baths together?

It’s nice to dream about having a big house and lots of things

Choosing Connection

with which to fill it, but the truth is that big houses and their dual master suites take us further away from each other. They

Our primal chemical bonds exist for a reason, and we need

also lessen our need to compromise or to work things out

to consciously use them to our advantage to keep our modern

with our partners. This can lead to isolation and narcissism.

relationships intact even as the demands of life give us less

When we hear people say they fell out of love with someone,

time together. Quality of time more so than quantity is what

we often wonder: did they really just “lose that loving feeling”

will strengthen the 21st century relationship, and a shared

or did they lose their loving connection?

bedroom or bathroom has much to offer if you know how to use it.

Discover Couples Transformational Intensive (CT!) at www.behiveofhealing.com

If your bathroom is the size of a broom closet, you will likely face some challenges, but do what you can with what you have.

[1] BBC News, . (2007, March 12). Us couples seek separate bedrooms. Retrieved from Http://news. Bbc. Co. Uk/2/hi/americas/6441131. Stm.

alters levels of cortisol in women. Journal of Neuroscience. , 6(7), 1261-1265.

[2] Krasnow, Iris. (2012, July 4). Separate bedrooms can steam up a marriage. The huffington post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iriskrasnow/separate-bedrooms-can-steam_b_1480448.html.

[17] Jacobs, S. McClintock, M K. (2000). Psychological state and mood effects of steroidal chemosignals in women and men. Hormones and Behavior. , 37(1), 57-78.

[3] Winter, K. (2014, June 30). Is bathroom bonding the key to a healthy relationship? Couples spend more time in the washroom together than they do at the dinner table. . Daily mail, (), 2. http://www.dailymail. co.uk/femail/article-2674974/Is-bathroom-bonding-key-healthyrelationship-Couples-spend-time-washroom-dinner-table.html

[18] Liebowitz, Michael et al. (2014). Effect of an acute intranasal aerosol dose of ph94b on social and performance anxiety in women with social anxiety disorder . American Journal of Psychiatry . , 171(6), 675-682.

[4] H. Kalmus; The discrimination by the nose of the dog of individual human odours and in particular the odours of twins. The British Journal of Animal Behaviour, 3 (1955), pp. 25-31. [5] Tebrich, Spencer. (2011, August 4). Human scent and its detection. Central Intelligence Agency, studies archive indexes. https://www.cia. gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol5no2/ html/v05i2a04p_0001.htm. [6] Ibid. [7] Russell, M . (1976). Human olfactory communication. Nature. , 8(260), 520-522.

[19] Preti, G et al. (2003). Male axillary extracts contain pheromones that affect pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone and mood in women recipients.. Biology of Reporduction. , 68(6), 2107-2113. [20] Doty, R et al. (1981). Endocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological correlated of olfactory sensitivity changes during the human menstrual cycle. Journal of Comparitive and Physiological Psychology. , 95(1), 45-60. [21] Bensafi, M et al. (2003). Sex-steroid derived compounds induce sex-specific effects on autonomic nervous system function in humans. Behavioral Neuroscience. , 117(6), 1125-1134.

[8] Porter, R. Mooer, J. (1981). Human kin recognition by olfactory cues. Physiology and Behavior. , 27(3), 490-495.

[22] Olsson, M et al. (2006). A putative female pheromone affects mood in men differently depending on social context. Revue Europeene de Psychologie Appliquee. , 56(4), 279-284.

[9] Varendi, H. Porter, R. (1992). Breast odour as the only maternal stimulus elicits crawling towards the odour source. Acta Pediactrica. , 90(4), 372-375.

[23] Savic, I et al. (2001). Smelling of odorous sex hormone-like compounds causes sex-differentiated hypothalamic activations in humans. Neuron. , 31(4), 661-668.

[10] M et al. (1987). Mothers’ recognition of their newborns by olfactory cues. Developmental Psychobiology . , 20(6), 587-591.

[24] Savic, I et al. (2005). Brain response to putative pheromones in homosexual men. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. , 102(20), 7356-7361.

[11] Savic, I et al. (2001). Smelling of odorous sex hormone-like compounds causes sex-differentiated hypothalamic activations in humans. Neuron . , 31(4), 661-688. [12] Mahmood, Bhutta. (2007). Sex and the nose: human pheromonal responses. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. , 100(6), 268-274. [13] Bhatnagar, Kunwar. (2001). The human vomeronasal organ. III. Postnatal development from infancy to the ninth decade. Journal of Anatomy. , 199(3), 289-302. [14] Trotier, D et al. (2000). The vomeronasal cavity in adult humans.. Chemical Senses. , 25(4), 369-80. [15] Bensafi, M et al. (2003). Sex-steroid derived compounds induce sex-specific effects on autonomic nervous system function in humans. Behavioral Neuroscience. , 117(6), 1125-1134. [16] Wyart, C et al. (2007). Smelling a single component of male sweat

[25] Berglund, H et al. (2006). Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. , 21(23), 8269-8274. [26] Nicholson, B. (1984). Does kissing aid human bonding by semiochemical addiction? British Journal of Dermatology ,111, 623–627. [27] Kory, Floyd et al. (2009). Kissing in marital and cohabiting relationships: effects on blood lipids,stress, and relationship satisfaction. Western Journal of Communication. , 73(2), 113-133. [28] Montagnier, Luc et al. (2009). Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial dna sequences. Interdisciplinary Sciences Computational Life Sciences. , 1(2), 81-90.

DR. HABIB SADEGHI

THE ANTI-HEALING POWER OF THE NOCEBO EFFECT

e’ve talked about the importance of words and the role they play in health and healing. Words have power, meaning, and the ability to change our perception, especially when they’re spoken by an authority figure we trust, like a doctor, or issued by a large medical organization like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or the American Medical Association (AMA). We take whatever is said at face value because they’re the experts, right? Thinking about and speaking to our bodies positively, especially during illness, is essential. It’s astonishing how often physicians unconsciously undermine a patient’s efforts with words that are poorly chosen, or don’t necessarily apply to the situation. My concern here is that patients hold physicians in such high regard that a physician’s misspoken words can be heard as definitive, thereby negating much of the positive mental healing work the patient has been doing. Recently, a patient of mine reviewed the results of a full blood panel with another physician. I’d ordered the test, so I already knew that the results were excellent. In fact, I’d never seen triglycerides that low in my entire career. After reviewing the results, the other physician, whom I know 1

and respect, said to my patient, “This is all great, but if I had to mention anything, I’d say your HDL [good cholesterol] is on the low side. You know, they say you can tell how long you’re going to live if you multiply your HDL levels by your ____.” At that point, my patient politely interrupted by saying, “Save it. You know what? I don’t need that in my consciousness.” The doctor took no offense and obliged. This “factoid” had nothing to do with why my patient was there. Causal, off-handed comments like this have the potential to create unnecessary fear and invalidate much of the positive mental energy patients put into their own healing. Aside from creating fear, a doctor who misspeaks can generate the nocebo effect. We’ve all heard of the placebo effect. That’s when an inert substance like a sugar pill actually relieves symptoms or cures an illness because the patient believes it will. In Latin, “Placebo” means I shall please. “Nocebo” means I shall harm, and has the same power as a placebo, but elicits the opposite or negative response. It’s important to know that a placebo or nocebo response can be caused by anything, even words. Here’s a great example from a peerreviewed medical journal.1 In 1957, “Mr. Wright” was suffering from advanced stage lymphoma and had less than

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three months to live. While his doctor had given up hope, Mr. Wright had not. When he learned that the Long Beach, California hospital he was staying in was part of a new cancer drug trial, he begged to be a part of the study. His short life expectancy disqualified him from participation, but after relentless requests, his physician was able to acquire a single dose for him. Two days after the injection, Wright was smiling, had more energy and acted like a new man. By the third day, his tumors were half their original size. After ten days, Wright was sent home, completely cured. His doctor said the tumors, “melted like snowballs on a hot stove.” Several months later, Wright heard a radio report that the drug trial had ended and that the supposed miracle injection was 2016 Collection

“Aside from creating fear, a doctor that misspeaks can generate the nocebo effect.“ a complete failure and totally ineffective. Wright’s cancer reappeared almost immediately. At this point, his doctor suspected the placebo effect was in play and moved quickly. He told Wright that his injection was from a faulty batch and that he’d acquired a “double-strength” dose. After the injection, which was really distilled water, Wright’s tumors vanished in days. All was well until Wright heard the AMA announce on TV that the drug manufacturer was being indicted for fraud. The injection was nothing more than mineral water with some amino acids. Within days, Wright was dead. For Mr. Wright it took a placebo in the form of an injection to ignite his faith and power to heal. All it took to undo that were words. Too often, doctors don’t feel they’ve done their job if they don’t find anything wrong 2016 Collection

with the patient, or haven’t at least provided some health advice. This is where we, as physicians, can get into trouble with the nocebo effect, as nearly was the case with my patient in the earlier example. While we need be forthright with our patients about their conditions, we must take care not to prognosticate negative outcomes that may or may not be far into the future. A lot can change in three years, three weeks or three days. Be wary of statistics, as well. Everyone likes to throw statistics into conversations because they sound so definitive. We feel authoritative when we say things like, “Four out of five people _____.” Statistics are commonly bent to fit the agenda of the agency sponsoring the study or survey. The best way you can prevent yourself from becoming a nocebo statistic is to stop listening to statistics. If

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your physician misspeaks, kindly ask him to refrain from predicting unnecessary doomsday scenarios. It takes courage to go against conventional medical “wisdom,” but healing often requires it. If you can, resist going online and researching your condition. While being informed is important, there is a great deal of medical misinformation on the internet that has the potential of being a powerful nocebo. If you don’t understand something your physician says during an appointment, never assume; always ask him or her for clarification. Remember, no words carry more power than the ones you think and speak. When chosen wisely, your words can be your own placebo. [1] Klopfer, B. (1957). Psychological variables in human cancer. Journal of Projective Techniques. , 21(4), 331-340.

Being Aware of Our Cultural Context Dr. Habib Sadeghi

here’s a theory that the culture we’re brought up in colors the way we see the world. Put another way, culture influences what we perceive. An easy example of this is the typical “okay” hand sign. In many areas of the world, it means, “I understand,” or “All’s good-to-go.” In Japan, however, this gesture stands for money. In France, it means zero or worthless. In Brazil, it’s the same as giving someone in the U.S. the middle finger. Naturally, our cultural environment wields great influence over how we perceive both the large and small aspects of our world.

In 1976, through his cultural perception studies, Edward T. Hall defined what he called high-context and low-context cultures. In low-context cultures, elaborate and highly specific verbal messages are very important. Verbal eloquence is highly valued, as are logic and reasoning. The focus is on the individual in the environment. You might even say lowcontext cultures are masculine or yang in nature. In high-context cultures, often less is said, because more meaning is derived from the shared experiences of the group. Individuals are seen as part of, not separate from, their environment. These are more yin or feminine cultures. Neither is better than the other. It is part of the way the world balances its own energy. Some examples of high-context cultures include Japan, Korea, China, Latin America and the Native American. Low-context cultures include the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany and the Nordic countries.

In a fairly recent study (Miyamoto, Nisbett & Masuda, 2006), American and Japanese participants were shown a sequence of photos of the same scene with progressive changes in the objects in the foreground and background. Americans were significantly better at detecting changes in the foreground, while the Japanese were more adept at finding differences in the background. Some argue that this means those of European descent take an analytical viewpoint, focusing more on objects independent of their context, while Asian cultures, by being able to see the bigger picture, have a more holistic perspective.

In a related study that mirrors this idea (Chiu, 1972), American and Chinese children were asked to group two pictures that belonged together from a group of three - a cow, a rooster and a patch of grass. The American children regularly paired the cow and rooster together because they were both animals and belonged to the same taxonomic group. The Chinese children usually paired the cow and grass together because cows eat grass.

Further emphasizing this principle, Japanese and American adults were shown a pyramid made of cork called a dax (a nonsensical word, meaningless to both cultures). They were then shown a white plastic pyramid and an irregular shape made of cork and told to, “Point to a dax.” Most Americans chose the white pyramid, seeing it as an object. The Japanese most often chose the cork sculpture, focusing instead on the substance from which it was constructed (Imae & Gentner, 1994).

Culture affects our perception and representation of the world in everything from customs to cuisine. In some cultures, whistling is a sign of disapproval at public events, but in the United States it’s the exact opposite. Dogs are pets in some cultures and seen as food in others. Cultural influence also affects how we see each other. For instance, it is not uncommon for a non-Japanese person to mistake a Japanese woman in her mid-20’s for a teenager. Our brains are programmed to look for cues and differences between people in our own culture, but not those of others. When Sherry first came to the U.S. at age 15, she admitted that she initially struggled to see the individual differences between Americans. How could this be when they could have blue, brown or green eyes, and black, brown, blonde or red hair? It was because her brain had conditioned

her to focus on physical differences within a certain cultural context. That changed, of course, once she became acclimated to her new environment.

With this information in mind, how might your cultural environment and upbringing be affecting how you see yourself, others, the world and your current situation? Are you seeing individual elements in your life as isolated objects, and not considering how they fit together in a bigger picture? How might your perception relate to the way you view illness? What kind of conclusions are you drawing between your associations and the relationship you have to the circumstances in your life? Are you losing yourself in a “big picture” perception and not paying enough attention to your individuality and personal needs? Understanding how our culture informs what and how we see everything allows us to balance our perception with the opposite perspective. Don’t make the mistake of assuming, when considering high-context and low-context cultures, one is better than the other. Although many highcontext cultures are more clued in to the inter-relatedness of life, they often aren’t as emotionally demonstrative, which is essential to healing. Whether we’re from a high-context or low-context culture, we can take the best from both worlds and create an existence where consciousness and not culture informs our perception. Becoming aware of our cultural context can help us change our perception and in so doing, create new healing opportunities. This can happen even when perception is challenged by neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and brain fog. Keep reading for more information on how to supercharge your precious brain.

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Head Space & Acute Awareness Quieting the noise and stopping the mind from spinning creates the head space we need to simply “be”. Dr. Habib Sadeghi & Dr. Sherry Sami

herry and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your wonderful comments regarding how the Be Hive of Healing newsletter uplifts and inspires you. It’s hard to believe that we now have over 40,000 subscribers! Your feedback fills us with joy because helping others is the heart of our mission. It is never our intention to come across as preachy or imply that we have all the answers. We speak directly from our own experiences and hope that our stories and insights shed some light along your path to finding your own truth. In the spirit of that purpose, we’ve decided to officially name our newsletter, The L.I.G.H.T., or Leading Insights for Growth, Healing and Transformation. We hope this month’s message will bring some additional light into your life. It is based on a webinar that Sherry and I were asked to present on March 19th for over 1,000 registered participants on behalf of the American Nutrition Association (ANA), in which we addressed the integrative aspects of spiritual nutrition and physiology. Recently, I was stuck in traffic and did what most people do in that situation. I sat and took in what was around me as I waited it out. That’s when I noticed a cement mixing 1

truck a few lanes over that was spinning away even as it sat still on the highway. For years, I never knew why they continued to spin regardless of whether they were moving or stationary. It always seemed like such wasted energy. I learned later that if the truck’s tumbler stopped rotating, the concrete inside would solidify and become useless. That seems analogous to how our egos keep our minds spinning, particularly when we’re living our lives unconsciously. Our minds are constantly spinning over and over from one thought to another and back again. It’s as if our ego, which creates its identity in relation to every thought we think, is terrified that it will cease to exist – become useless - if we stop thinking, even for one moment. Thought is the ego’s food, its life force, and it knows that if we stop thinking and open our minds to make space, it will die. To prevent this, our ego keeps us spinning thoughts so fast and so continuously, that we don’t even notice we’re doing it anymore. Mental noise and the unconscious state in which we exist as a result of our unrelenting thinking, become our new norm. It’s like listening to a “white noise” machine that makes a low-level sound like static on a TV

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screen. You notice it at first, but in a very short time your mind shifts it into the background of your awareness. You cease to notice it as you forget what it’s like to experience real silence. Everyone knows that meditation is a great way to stop the mind from its endless churning while bringing clarity into your life. We also know that it is a great way to destress and is excellent for your health. What most people don’t know is why. The most obvious way meditation is healing is that it reduces our cortisol levels by helping to neutralize our anxiety. Lowering cortisol levels is tremendously healing because it redirects energy to more important body processes, and can even help you lose weight. Most importantly, it reduces the brain’s use of glucose. Glucose is the simple sugar-like substance that our bodies transform into energy. Every system, organ and function in the body requires glucose to operate. Not surprisingly, the brain demands more glucose than any other organ or organ system. That’s because it processes trillions of bits of information every second. It’s constantly evaluating data, from what’s happening inside our bodies to our external environment. That requires an incomprehensible amount of energy, which is only supplied by glucose. When our minds are spinning with extraneous thoughts, a huge amount of glucose dedicated for other body processes is pulled into the brain. The result is weakened organs and systems that eventually cause us to develop health problems. The brain is Central Command for the body. If it says, “I need more glucose STAT,” there isn’t an organ in your body that’s going to argue with that demand. In service of the leader in charge of running everything else, our organs will willingly compromise some of their glucose. When we stop extraneous thought, we stop siphoning off glucose from other parts of our bodies, and can initiate healing, which also requires energy. In the absence of extraneous thought, we create open space and clarity in our minds where the clutter used to be. When we don’t clear our minds, we risk mental blowout. Fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut are put in containers that are only filled up to about one inch from the top. This is called “head space” and is the open area where carbon dioxide gas, that’s continuously produced by the growing cultures, will escape and dissipate. If the head space was not there, the gas pressure would build up and eventually blow the top right off the container. I meditate every morning to create my head space. Because of this, I go through my day without stress, but most importantly, I go into it with the mental space to accommodate the new thoughts my day will generate. If I brought thoughts from yesterday into today, I’d have no head space to accommodate anything new. My brain would

“In the absence of extraneous thought, we create open space and clarity in our minds where the clutter used to be. When we don’t clear our minds, we risk mental blowout.” spin away generating tons of excess energy while robbing my body of glucose, which would cause my top would blow off, especially in a health crisis. This is why I stopped scheduling ½ hour in-office appointments for patients. Although I still conduct brief phone consultations when necessary, for all face-to-face meetings, I see everyone for a full hour, because I want to avoid spinning through my day. This allows me to maintain my head space so I can clue into my intuition, which allows me to sense a patient’s mood, and focus on expression, word choice and other subliminal behaviors that impact health. When I meet a patient, I’m not just having a conversation, but translating the subconscious information at the same time. That requires the acute awareness that comes from real head space. If you’ve never meditated before, here’s a simple but powerful exercise. When you’re not in a hectic environment, stop what you’re doing and mentally ask yourself this question: “What is my next thought going to be?” Then, see what happens. Do it now. What happened immediately after you asked the question? Nothing. You stopped and waited in the silence. You could simply “be” without your mind spinning. That’s head space. When we can generate that state for longer periods of time, we can return much needed healing energy back to our bodies, and peace to our lives.

behiveofhealing.com/newsletters

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Health Lounge |

T H I S

Y E A R ’ S

Integrative Sufi Healing

(ISH) Therapy

R E C O M M E N D E D

P R O D U C T S

A N D

S E R V I C E S

ntegrative Sufi Healing (ISH) Therapy is something I do with all my patients. The best part is that you can give yourself or a loved one a dose of ISH Therapy anytime you need it. It combines the healing power of physical touch with a visualized intent. If someone you love needs healing, hug them a bit more often than you normally would. Their energy stores are low and you're helping to fill them back up. The hugging is the easy part. To supercharge your ISH Therapy, you'll need to hold in your mind as vivid an image as you can of that person completely healthy. Make sure the image is alive and moving, not just a static mental picture. You'll also want to be sure that it's in the present moment, not some point in the future. Imagine them in your arms, right NOW, vibrant and healthy. Hold it for as long as the hug lasts. If you are the one who needs healing, imagine both of you are radiantly healthy. This ensures you are giving something back to your loved one and not merely taking the energy. I’m always available for ISH Therapy and never say “no” to a chance to give and receive healing energy. I’ve practiced ISH Therapy for many years and can verify the real and lasting effects of healing touch. I still incorporate it as part of my personal regimen because as Carl Jung said, “The patient gets well when the physician gets well.” So, every one of my patients is a reflection of my spiritual and physical health. As I continue to heal, so do you and that is the magic of giving and getting in the divine embrace of healing touch.

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e Hive of Healing is extremely proud and excited to announce the availability of Healing D-Tox, an exclusive whole-body detoxification supplement that is unmatched in its ability to completely remove heavy metals, radiation and other environmental toxins from the body, including cesium 137, which is highly radioactive. Healing D-Tox achieves such a deep, thorough and quick cleanse because of its active ingredient, hydrolyzed clinoptilolite (HC), which is a subset of zeolite, a silicate mineral. Zeolite carries a very high negative charge. When introduced into the body, it easily attaches to all heavy metals and other toxins (which are positively charged), that it comes into contact with, and carries them out of the body. Powdered zeolite has been available in capsule form as a digestive cleansing aid for years. The problem with the zeolite molecule is, that in its current form, it’s too large to penetrate tissue, and so has been limited to cleansing toxins only from the intestinal tract.

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enough to pass through tissue and fluid everywhere in the body, thus enabling it to facilitate a truly systemic, whole-body cleanse. Currently, only one other competitive product is on the market, and at 3-5 microns in size, it’s still molecularly much too large, and therefore limited in its cleansing capabilities. It’s also not water soluble. In contrast, the patented HC in Healing D-Tox provides zeolite particles that are one million times smaller. In fact, HC is the same size as molecular mercury! There is simply nothing else like it in the world. Back in 1986, the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster were treated with zeolite. Today, Healing D-Tox provides a comprehensive detoxification with results unlike anyone has ever seen. It’s already showing impressive applications for conditions such as cancer, autism and cardiovascular disease. Even better, it comes in 4oz bottles and can be self-administered. Just drink a few drops in a glass of water.

Recently, a scientific breakthrough occurred that created HC, a form of zeolite that is 230-650 Daltons in size and completely water soluble. It’s infinitesimally small, which makes it small 2016 Collection

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Mystery

LEARNING TO LOVE THE

The certainty of uncertainty

: Dr. Habib Sadeghi

ife can be difficult. When we reflect on our own painful experiences and those of people we know, it’s easy to go through life with a subtle fear of what misfortune might come next. Because we’re afraid, we feel we need to prepare. We need to be certain of what waits for us down the road, so we can prevent it or lessen the blow. In a world where the only constant is change, the only thing we can ever be certain of is uncertainty. Releasing the need to know all the answers or have things a certain way means letting go of fear and jumping with both feet into the mystery of life. With this kind of vulnerability comes great power because in a co-creative universe, uncertainty means possibility.

Entering In In his Easter Vigil address this year, Pope Francis declared that it is time for us as human beings to “enter into the mystery.” It’s time that we mature spiritually and understand the true nature of our existence. To demonstrate this, he shared the portion of the Easter story in which Mary Magdalene and several other women went to the tomb of Jesus only to find it empty with the closing stone removed. They entered the tomb and became the first to witnesses the mystery of the resurrection. Pope Francis urged us to enter the mystery of life with the same sense of wonder instead of fear. He stressed that the only way to really live life is by entering the mystery and immersing ourselves in powers and principles that are far beyond our comprehension. For it is only inside the mystery,

where we don’t have all the answers as to how and why things happen, that we can put those powers to work for us. We can’t enter the mystery if we’re trying to figure things out all the time. All that mental noise leaves no room in the mind to hear the voice of God, our intuition, or creative impulses when they come. Living in the mystery means living in the question, not waiting for an answer. Pope Francis explained it this way: “Entering into the mystery means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us… it demands that we not be afraid of reality: that we not be locked into ourselves, that we not flee from what we fail to understand, that we not close our eyes to problems or deny them, that we not dismiss our questions.”

Ambiguity and Answers A mystery hides many secrets and slowly reveals its clues, but you can’t find them if you refuse to play the game. Claiming you have all the answers, or demanding them up front, keeps you chasing all the red herrings down one dead end after another. Just ask renowned mystery novelist, Agatha Christie. In a mystery, you have to be open to all options, including the ones you haven’t thought of, or the ones that seem to contradict your so-called plan. In her book, Dying to Be Me, Anita Moorjani explains her astonishing recovery from stage IV lymphatic cancer. Her tumors disintegrated

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within days after a near death experience (NDE). During her NDE, she wasn’t told how or why her cancer would disappear. The two main messages she received were, “live life fearlessly,” and “step into the ambiguity” that is life. She understood intuitively that it was her fearful orientation to life that was the main contributor to her cancer. Once she regained consciousness, she did all sorts of things, including eating foods, that cancer patients aren’t “supposed to” do or eat. Abandoning her fear and need for concrete answers, Anita focused only on things that uplifted her, and took a “let’s see what happens” approach to her life. What happened was a complete healing that’s still a mystery to most doctors, but not to her.

Forsaking Familiarity The mystery only exists in one place, outside your comfort zone. There, nothing is predictable and anything can happen. When we discard the false sense of safety that comes with familiarity, we unleash our creative potential and tell the universe: “Here I am. I’m ready to work with you, and open to anything.” This is because it’s impossible for anything new to be created from something that’s already been created. A rabbit can only create more rabbits. A sunflower seed can only create another sunflower. The new never comes from the known, but the unknown. The creative process only flows in one direction, from the infinite - where all information and possibilities exist - to the finite, our material world. 2016 Collection

The first airplane wasn’t created from another airplane. It came into existence through the minds of two men who went into the mystery with the idea of a manned flying machine when everyone else thought it was impossible. Just because their limited minds didn’t know if or how it could happen didn’t mean the mystery couldn’t provide a way of making it happen. It certainly did. Many inventions have come into being literally by accident, because someone went into the mystery with an inquisitive, playful frame of mind, and the image of the next multi-million dollar gadget just popped into their head. Many actors have said that their best performances in film and on stage have come out improvised scenes, and not from the pre-existing dialogue in the script. Since the process of creation happens in the unknown, to be creators we must enter that realm. We must take risks when pursuing our desires without needing guarantees about the outcome. When others say our desires are impossible, we must learn to trust in greater powers to work out the details, while we remain focused on the work at hand. It means becoming a pioneer, whether it’s in art, science, medicine or our own lives.

Mystery Masters The masters of understanding the mystery of life are the meek. These quiet, unassuming people hardly seem like the crowd that would have the skills to conquer the world, but they are. The

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Bible tells us that the meek shall inherit the earth. Why? Because the primary requirement for becoming a conscious creator within the mystery is humility – the willingness to admit you don’t have or even need all the answers to see your dream become a reality. Pope Francis says: “To enter into the mystery, we need humility, the lowliness to abase ourselves, to come down from the pedestal of our ‘I’ which is so proud, of our presumption; the humility not to take ourselves so seriously, recognizing who we really are: creatures with strengths and weaknesses…” When we attach ourselves to rigid ideas of how our manifestation should look and the “only” way could it ever become a reality, we assume we know more about the way life works than the mystery itself. That’s incredibly arrogant. No one likes a know-it-all, especially the laws of the universe. That’s probably why those who stick to rigid plans about how their life should turn out, or demand “proof” before they believe that universal laws even exist, have such trouble making life work for them. Famous for their humility and meekness, the Buddhists tell us that in order to live in harmony with the mystery, we must remain detached from our desires. It’s okay to have them, but to leave ourselves open to whatever comes. If we insist our desires manifest in a specific way, we’re limiting ourselves to just one possibility. In the meantime, the mystery contains infinite ways of bringing the same thing or something even better to us, but it can’t because those things don’t fit our description.

Mystery Solved Children make no assumptions about life, and that makes it easy for them to live inside the mystery. Maybe that’s why we’re fascinated, entertained and overjoyed by them. They’re certainly meek. They have absolute trust that their needs will be met. They never assume to know more than powers greater than them, namely their parents. Their inquisitiveness keeps them asking questions instead of claiming to have all the answers, and they never have rigid expectations that

“To enter into the mystery, we need humility, the lowliness to abase ourselves, to come down from the pedestal of our ‘I’ which is so proud, of our presumption; the humility not to take ourselves so seriously, recognizing who we really are: creatures with strengths and weaknesses.” - Pope Francis one day should look any different from the next. Perhaps that’s why we’re told, in order to live in harmony with the mystery and experience heaven, we must be like little children. We must trust that the mystery will care for us as its children. This is the definition of fearlessness. Needing certainty about anything is a fear-based approach to life. It keeps us locked out of the mystery. The opposite of fear is love. When we let go of the need for things to be a certain way, we begin to love what is. When we take a loving orientation to life, the mystery will begin to bring more things that we love to us. The easiest way to move back into the mystery is through what poet, John Keats, called “negative capability.” It simply means having the ability to be okay with things not being okay. Even though everything may be topsy-turvy right now, and you have no idea how the situation will ever be resolved, you’re okay with that, in this moment. That window of serenity, if maintained, provides enough room for the mystery to introduce the ideal solution. Like the women who entered Jesus’ tomb, we must make a conscious choice to enter the mystery every day by embodying a sense of wonder, humility and trust about life. We must be able to admit that there are powerful forces in life that we will never fully understand, and have the confidence to place our lives in their care. When we are finally cleansed of our arrogance, fear, neediness and rigidity, we give the mystery permission to act upon our lives in profound and personal ways. When this happens, we come to realize that we’ll never solve the mystery. It exists to solve the mysteries inside of us.

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RECOGNITION

Bob Chartoff

A Gentle Soul with a Valuable Lesson

ob Chartoff was once described to me as “the gentlest soul on the planet.” After meeting him as my patient, I can affirm that this is absolutely true. How rare it seems that we meet people like Bob, whose compassion made us feel instantly at home in his presence, and whose way of being in the world, inspired us to do and be more than we thought possible. Through his towering achievements in film, and 25 years of philanthropic aid for children in India, Bob accomplished what others might see as impossible.

During one of our conversations, he shared his philosophy of life with me, which seemed to be the secret to his success and the very essence of his spirit. It’s based on Psalm 118:17, I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. Bob shared the Hebrew translation of the prayer with me as, Lo amut ki-echyeh va’asaper ma’asei yah. His interpretation was, Please do not let me die while I am alive. Bob saw an unfulfilled life as the real death, and so became determined to immerse himself in all the joy, inspiration, creativity, laugher, philanthropy and fellowship that an experience like being alive can offer. He lived his life on purpose, and wove his passionate and empathic life force or chiyut into everything and everyone he touched, declaring the magnificence of a greater power that clearly worked through him.

I learned much from Bob in our time together, but also from his wife, Jenny WeymanChartoff, whose dedication and commitment made me reevaluate how deep I thought a love between two people could be. I put this collage together in recognition of my friend, Bob Chartoff, not to honor something that has ended, but as a call to action to all who knew him, to not die while we yet live, and to allow ourselves to be vessels through which his to legacy continues. To further this message in Bob’s memory, I will be publishing this collage in my yearly medical journal, MegaZEN, in 2016. May his memory be a constant inspiration for us all to be more alive every day.

Highlights & Memories

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WELL-BEING JOURNAL

Editor in Chief Dr. Habib Sadeghi Associate Editor Luke Cowles Contributing Writers Dr. Habib Sadeghi Luke Cowles Dr. Sherry Sami Creative Director Shervine Dolatshahi/Persius Creative Art Director Arash Nazerpour/Persius Creative

Contributing Photographers Vivian Liu Photography Rodin Photography James Marcus Haney Matt Miller Lead Graphic Artist Shervine Dolatshahi/Persius Creative Magazine Design Persius Creative

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MegaZEN Well-Being Journal - Volume 4

Articles inside

Love Button Scores a Touchdown

Emotion is the Language of Cells