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Newsletter: May 2009
| May 2009 | |
Balance
Point Acupuncture Newsletter
from BalancePointWellness.com
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Welcome! In this newsletter there is a contest. Can you identify the product from which the ingredients
came from (below)? Get it right and you are entered into a drawing for a free treatment! Also, get the scoop on the swine
flu. Is it really dangerous and what can you do for the next scare? Be sure to follow the link to Dr. Mercola's article as
it is not your average reporting, but in-depth investigation. Did you know that Genetically Modified corn was banned in Germany?
A great victory for the world! But one of many left to win. And finally, colonoscopy's are incredibly beneficial right? Well,
yes for most people they are. But what is that stuff you have to drink beforehand and what is it doing to your kidney's? Read
on to find some alternatives and why they might be a good idea.
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Swine
Flew and Natural Medicine
 Have you been worrying about the Swine Flu, or were you worried about it? When something threatens to kill massive amounts
of people, it is natural for all of our ears perk up and for us to become concerned. This is a basic survival instinct that
we have.
There are some interesting pieces of the swine flu story that are conveniently left out of the mainstream
news though. I don't think that anyone does a better job at helping us to understand this than Dr. Mercola in this must read article. Don't let the media scare you. To promote health, our consciousness needs to be free from fear, yet fear is so extremely
pervasive in our society. Trust yourself and your intuition. You are MUCH more than just your mind. Today's mind tends to
be parasitic, so don't allow it to control you.
Protect Yourself
You may be led to believe that Tamiflu is the only answer to viral outbreaks such
as these. However, there are alternative choices. In the case of any flu or mass pandemic, focus on the age old remedies that
keep people healthy and uncontaminated. Prevent diseases by getting enough vitamin D (15 minutes from the sun is best), keeping
healthy food in the house and throwing out refined, sugared, "aspartamed" rancid - hydrogenated, and other "non-foods".
If a virus does spread into your area, keep yourself protected by proven, immune enhancing, natural remedies like whole food
vitamin C, Calcium Lactate, Zinc, Echinacea Purpurea and Colodial Silver (I prefer "Argentyn 23" by Natural-Immunogenics
due to its extremely small particle size). Also not to be underestimated is to make a practice of regularly turning off the
news and nonsense and just listen to the quiet. We all long for peace, we have just forgotten. We are too often caught up
in the "fly-by" world available in every corner of our home (ie. iphone, laptop, television, radio). Stress is everywhere
today and causes 80% of our health problems. Let's decompress!
Oriental medicine actually has a very good
track record with treating a wide variety of respiratory viruses. When SARS hit a few years back, it was strict precautionary
measures and Chinese herbal medicine that got Asia through the crisis. Symptomology and pathogen progression are divided into
different phases. The phase that we all can participate in all the time and especially during flu season is the prevention
phase. The treatment phases are divided into Initial Exposure phase and fully engaged phase.
The prevention phase focuses on enhancing immunity. In terms of botanicals Echinacea, Astragalus (Huang Qi),
White Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) and Siler (Fang Feng) together are great at keeping the immune system up. Five common mushrooms
for immune enhancement are Reishi, Maitake, Cordyceps, Ji Song, and Yun Zhi. These are beneficial for all ages, from children
to the elderly. Many other herbal extract formulas can be taken long term in order to prevent common colds and flu.
The Initial Exposure Phase is when exposure is certain or probable. Time is
of the essence here due to the 1-4 day incubation period of most influenza stains. The treatment is based on killing the virus
before it has a chance to replicate. The five mushrooms mentioned above are a good addition to other antiviral herbs for treatment
of this phase. The mushrooms offer a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties while also enhancing the immune system.
The Fully Engaged Phase is characterized by more prominent symptoms, especially
of the lungs. During this phase, the immune system still needs to be a key part of treatment, but now that the virus has attached
to the lung tissue and further action is needed beyond the antivirals. Specific herbal formulas such as "Xie Bai San"
help to dislodge the virus from the lung tissue and are necessary in conjunction with the antivirals.
There is
also the critical phase in which these herbal formulas may help, but they should be administered in a hospital setting with
other drugs while the patient is closely monitored.
Please call
if you are in need of anything mentioned in this article.
Disclaimer: I
am not a medical doctor. All statements in this
article are my own opinion and
are not medical advice. Nothing
in this article is FDA approved.
Sources: Owen Waters, John Scott, and Lorena Monda
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Do You Know These Ingredients?
Enter to Win a
Free Treatment
Okay here is your challenge: What common grocery store
(and gas station) product label do you see below?
Ingredients: Enriched Wheat Flour [flour, barley malt, ferrous
sulfate (Iron), "B" vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], dextrose, vegetable
shortening (soybean, palm and hydrogenated cottonseed oil), water, sugar. Contains 2% or less of: nonfat milk, soy flour,
leavenings (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate), egg yolks, salt, soy lecithin,
modified wheat starch, mono and diglycerides, tapioca dextrin, corn dextrin, guar gum, karaya gum, cornstarch, cellulose gum,
enzymes, modified corn starch, citric acid, wheat starch, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening 9soybean and cottonseed
oil), titanium dioxide (color), extracts of annatto and turmeric (color) natural and artificial flavors, sorbic acid and sodium
propionate and potassium sorbate and calcium propionate (to retain freshness). Contains wheat, milk, soybeans and egg.
What is this? Reply to this email with the right answer and receive an entry into
a free treatment giveaway. There are no dumb answers...
| Germany
Bans GM Corn!
April, 2009
 German Agricultural Minister Ilse Aigner banned the cultivation and sale of MON 810 genetically modified corn seed, a product
of the biotechnology company, Monsanto.
Aigner told the media the decision was made to prevent "danger to
the environment," a rationale that the Environmental Minister supported. Aigner told SPIEGEL magazine that her decision
only applies to GM corn-not future genetic engineering decisions-and is justified based on a clause in an EU law that allows
individual countries to impose restrictions.
Currently the only GM crop allowed in Germany, MON 810 was
due to be planted in almost 9,000 acres. The agricultural community is concerned that the decision's timing, literally within
days of corn planting season, could place German farmers in a vulnerable position to acquire non-GM seeds right away. In addition,
commodity speculators are fearful that the decision could shift the market for German corn elsewhere until the issue is resolved.
MON 810 is banned in five EU countries: Austria, Hungary, Greece, France and Luxembourg. In the past,
environmental groups have been very vocal about their desire to turn Germany into a "GM free food zone." According
to reports in SPIEGEL, Bavaria's environmental minister Markus Söder has led this call based on the argument that MON
810 poses a danger to plants and animals.
Monsanto responded with the following statement (translated from German):
"We are convinced that the reasons, which led to the decision of minister Aigner, are not adequate to pull the product
in doubt. They do not justify a ban," said Dr. Holger Ophoff, leader of the allowance department Monsanto agricultural
Germany GMBH. Adding, "Worldwide the responsible authorities - under EU, Japan, the USA or Canada as well as the German
allowance authority BVL - confirm moreover again and again the security of MON 810...Farmers worldwide have used the advantages
of the insect resistant corn for more than 10 years - with increasing tendency." Monsanto said the company is looking
into whether to start immediate legal proceedings.
Watch "The World According to Monsanto" for a chilling look into the history and law-making-power this company yields.
If you missed the December newsletter, it also has information on the effects on GM products and fertility, as well as a GM Free Shopping Guide.
Source:Spiegel Online April 14, 2009
| Colonoscopy Alert
Before you do a colonoscopy read this!
People resist doing colonoscopy procedures
and now there is a reason to resist it! Imagine adding permanent, hazardous consequences due to a class of very commonly prescribed
pre-colonscopy drugs.
The warning on colon-cleansing drugs containing sodium phosphate has managed to stay out
of the spotlight.
Colon-Cleansing Drugs (which include Visicol and OsmoPrep) got slapped with the black
box warning because they've been linked to permanent kidney damage. This damage is irreparable, and can set you up for a lifetime
of dialysis and other complications. Yet, somehow, they've managed to fly under the radar.
Colonoscopy's
are a good idea. Potentially life threatening problems can be caught in the nick of time. But there are alternative ways to
clean out the colon for the exam. Ask your doctor for a different pre-procedure colon cleanser, such as Miralax, Colyte, TriLyte.
However, these drugs still have side effects. They contain a polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution. Side effects include
kidney damage, bloating, nausea, rectal irritation, stomach fullness or cramps, vomiting.
A safer alternative is
to use a buffered l-ascorbate (vitamin C) powder. Now those of you that know me, know that I am much more interested in using
whole food concentrates as opposed to a fractionated chemical. However, several grams of l-ascorbate intake will cause diarrhea
sufficient to clean out the colon. Generally we will add the entire C complex to the powder for a more balanced ratio (of
course you must also fast for the recommended time). Call me for more information or to purchase only the needed amount of
l-ascorbate powder for your next colonoscopy.
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| | Only
when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.
-Dorothy Thompson
Sincerely,
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Michael Meuth L.Ac., M.Ac.O.M
Balance
Point Acupuncture | | |
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