Would you let your Physician work on Your car?

Here is a great little parable that shows the difference between what we do and what doctors do... and how they view those of us who take the Preventive approach!
(A little long but worth every word)

============================

What would happen if doctors were car mechanics?

An interesting thing happened to me today. My car was experiencing some trouble, but I couldn't find any local mechanics that were available, so I decided to take it to an MD. That's right, I took it to a doctor, figuring, "Well, gee, if they can figure out human anatomy, they can probably figure out what's wrong with my car, too." So, I took it in, and it was amazing. I learned some astounding things about vehicle health I never knew before; a whole new vocabulary.

When I arrived at the doctor's office, I said, "You know, Doc, the engine's making a lot of noise, the oil light is on and I think maybe it doesn't have any lubricants. It doesn't have any oil." He said, "Oh no, no, no." He took a look at it, listened to it with a stethoscope and he said, "You have engine hyperpingia."

It was a disease I've never heard of before, apparently characterized by a lot of excess noise and friction in the engine. This is some disease that's becoming more and more common. The doctor said, "Mike, the only thing you can do -- we don't know what causes this, we're working on a cure -- but until we know what causes this, you'll have to put this little pill in the gas tank every day, once a day. It¹s a noise-softener. So, it will absorb some of the engine noise, and that way you won't have this engine hyperpingia any more."

I said, "Okay, well how much is that going to cost?" And he said, "Oh, it's only $10 or $15 a day." I said, "Oh, gee. That's going to add up over time." He replied, "Well, maybe your auto insurance will pay for it." He wasn't sure. I said, "This pill I'm supposed to put in the gas tank that suppresses the noise; won't this gum up the works? Won't this have some other negative effects on the car?" He said, "No, no, not at all. It's all been approved by the federal regulatory agencies. Tens of thousands of people are using this, it's no problem. We've been assured by the company that makes this that it's perfectly safe."

Electro-degeneration disease
So, I said, "Well, alright. Let me tell you about the next problem. Look, Doc, some of the taillights are out on this car and one of the headlights has gone out too. Now, you know, I'm driving around at night and I don't have the lights I'm supposed to have. This is a safety issue and I think something's wrong with the electrical system. Maybe a fuse has blown."

He took a look at that and said, "Oh, no, no, no. That's not what it is at all. You have electro-degeneration disease in this vehicle." I was blown away, because I had never heard of electro-degeneration disease. EDD is what he called it. Apparently, they don¹t have a cure for electro-degeneration disease either. All they have is some stuff that will slow the progression of the electro-degeneration disease. He gave me some more pills to put into the gas tank that were supposed to slow this down a little bit.

I said, "But what about this? Is this safe?" And he said, "Oh yeah, it's perfectly safe, lots of people are using it. It's been clinically proven to slow the progression of EDD. Go ahead and use it, you'll be just fine." I said, "How much is that?" And he said, "It's $25 a day, no big deal. Maybe your car insurance will pay for that too." He also added that I should watch out for side effects of the EDD auto-medication, which could include uncontrolled lane switching and other vehicle behavioral disorders.

By this time, I'm absolutely amazed. I'm learning all this new stuff about cars and automobile health I never knew before. This is getting pretty exciting, right? I decided to tell him about another problem I'm having. I told him that, to save some money, I'd been putting some diesel fuel into the car, and then every once in a while, I'd be driving by the airport and I would just put in some jet fuel because I was able to get it at a volume discount thanks to some friends in that industry. I told him that basically I just put in whatever fuel I had, you know; I might put some kerosene in it, some lamp oil if I have that. Sometimes I just throw in some diesel,
sometimes I'll pour rubbing alcohol in the gas tank... just whatever I can find. It's the most economical way, it's more convenient for me to just sort of throw anything in there that I have around. I told my doc, "I'm concerned this is causing some of these engine noise problems and we're getting some performance issues; it refuses to start sometimes. The engine's overheating sometimes, and at other times it just won't do anything; it's like it's exhausted or something."

The doctor replied, "Mike, let me stop you right there. There is no correlation whatsoever between the fuels you put in the car and the performance you get out of the car. That's completely unproven. There's no scientific evidence whatsoever to support that notion at all. Just fill it up three times a week with any fuel you can get. That's all you need to do. Just three balanced fuel fillings a week, you'll be fine."

I felt good knowing that, because I thought that maybe the car had to have a certain kind of fuel, you know, something that would be built for that engine. Something the car, the vehicle, could "metabolize" in the way that it's designed to. It¹s a good thing I learned you can put anything in that car you want. So, I decided to just stop by some of these fast-food restaurants and get some grease and put that in the fuel tank. That'll save me some money over the long term. Good thing I ran into this doctor, because I could have spent a fortune trying to fill it with a specific fuel. Now, I can really save some bucks by just filling it with anything I can find.

Lastly, right before I was about to leave, I said to the doctor, "You know, next week I was going to take my car down the road here to a mechanic. He was going to do some preventative maintenance on the car. He was going to go in and clean the engine and replace all the oil, put in some new oil, add lubricant and grease to all the joints and bearings in the car, flush out the transmission fluid and basically just do some prevention." The doctor said, "Don't waste your money doing that. It's a complete waste," he told me. "Those mechanics are just running this big scam, charging people for oil and making them come back and keep taking that oil over and over again. It's just a big scam." I was not aware of that. I guess I'd been falling for that scam all these years, not realizing the answers were right there at the doctor's office; anything my car had wrong with it; I could just go to the doctor and he would give me something to put in the gas tank that would take care of it.

Don't be conned by car mechanics
So, this is a warning to everybody out there: If you have been taking care of your car in terms of changing the oil, transmission fluid and coolants, and lubricating it, you've been scammed. These car mechanics are scamming you just to take your money. Your doctor knows better. If you don't get those car diseases diagnosed, they might get worse. You don't want them to get worse, because then your car might need some kind of engine transplant or something. That would be very, very expensive. Don't let it happen to you. You don't want your car insurance rates to go up or anything.

You need to go to your doctor today and get your car diagnosed as soon as possible. Make sure you find out what diseases it really has, early on. It's better to do it early than to wait around. Also, don't be taken in by those alternative car mechanic con shops that claim to be preventing these car diseases. Like they have some "cure" for engine noise, like they have a "cure" for break noise or things like that. There's no such cure, I now know, because I've been told by a doctor. Thankfully, we live in a country that's trying to regulate this a little bit more, because it's a "wild west" out there. I mean, a guy can go set up a car mechanic shop anywhere and can
just start selling oil. Can you believe that? It's completely unregulated. Do you know how dangerous engine oil can be?

Fortunately, some of the doctors are getting together with the American Automobile Health Association and some federal regulators, and cracking down on this kind of con-artist activity. Thankfully, for our protection, they're seeking out these companies selling these cons; these so-called "oil changes," and they're cracking down on them, and putting some of them behind bars where, frankly, they belong. You need people who are certified to be working on your car. They need to have a valid degree in automobile health from a recognized school, because otherwise you just don't know whom you can trust. The government is always looking out for our best interests, we know that. Why would they want to hurt the public? They're just looking out for our good, and we should really listen to them so they can protect us from these unscrupulous "car mechanics" or whatever they want to call themselves.

I just wanted to share this with you. I hope you'll tell your friends about this, because this is apparently a nationwide scam. It's happening all over the world. Be sure to spread the world and help people get the right information: They should take their cars to their doctors, get the right
diagnosis of the right diseases and get some medications for their cars. Anything else is just wasting your money, believe me.

In fact, I'm so impressed by this, I think next week I'm going to go back to that doctor and ask him about the health of my lawn, because, if he knew about cars, I bet he knows something about lawn care. I have this lawn-care company that's been charging me a fortune just to keep my yard watered. So, I'm going to go to the doctor with my lawn issues next week and I'll report back to you what he tells me.

Author Unknown

What Does the Liver Do?

What is the liver?

=The liver is an organ located on the right side of the body underneath the lower ribcage.
It is connected to gallbladder and is involved in the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins.
=Blood carrying contents of the stomach and intestines flows directly to the liver, because the liver has a large role in protecting the body from harmful substances.
=The liver is also integral to countless other metabolic processes. It produces more proteins than any other organ in the body.

What exactly does the liver do?
The liver:
=Stores and Mobilizes Energy
-Controls Blood Sugar (Glucose)
-Regulates Glycogen
-Regulates Fat Storage
=Aids Digestion
-Produces Bile
=Regulates Blood Clotting
-Manufactures Clotting Factors & Other Blood Proteins
=During gestation the liver, forms blood in place of bone marrow.
=Produces Several (Non-Reproductive) Hormones
=Manufactures Cholesterol (a certain amount of cholesterol is beneficial)
=Filters Blood
-Eliminates Bacteria
-Detoxifies Poisons
Externally-Derived Poisons - Alcohol
Byproducts of Metabolism - Bilirubin
Breaks down Drugs
=Produces Vitamins
-Vitamin D
=Stores Minerals
-Iron
=Produces Essential Immune System Factors
=Monitors, as Well as Manufactures, Countless other Blood Proteins, to Maintain the Proper Levels of Numerous Chemicals in the Body

(For information on some of the specific enzymes and other proteins produced by the liver, see

Liver Function Tests)

Sources: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases American Liver Foundation American Academy of Family Physicians
The material in this article is provided for informational purposes only. For specific medical advice or diagnosis, consult a healthcare provider. For a physician referral, click the button above.

The information in this article found at this link
Also See: Liver and Gallbladder Health

Not all the information, found in this article and at links related to this article, is necessarily the opinion of the owner of this blog- Herbsplus4health (Karen Doolan). However, I thought much of the information was very informative and felt it would be nice to share what I found with my readers.

What Do the Intestines Do?

In the large and small intestine food is broken down and then passed into the bloodstream to provide the body with energy to function and grow.

What are the intestines for?
The intestines, which lie between the stomach and the rectum, are part of the digestive system.

Digestion consists of complex interactions involving numerous organs, nerves, hormones, and other chemical messengers.

The small intestine and large intestine (colon) each have distinct but overlapping roles in digestion. Both break down food with enzymes and pass it into the bloodstream for circulation throughout the body. In this way, the food is converted into nutrient forms capable of providing the organs with energy to function and to grow.

How does the food get inside from the intestines instead of just passing right through the digestive tract along with the feces?
The junctions between the cells lining the intestines are tight. Thus, in order to travel to the other side of the wall of the intestine, food must be transported right through the thin layer of cells, to capillaries on the other side.

The membranes of these specialized cells dispersed along the intestine contain pore channels (some regulated, some not) to carry the nutrients across. The food must first be chopped up into tiny molecules. Aided by bile (made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder), this degradation is accomplished by pancreatic enzymes.

What does the small intestine do?

Roles of the small intestine are:
=Digestion and Absorption of Fats
=Continued Digestion (the process begins in the stomach), and Absorption of, Proteins
=Further Digestion, and Absorption of, Carbohydrates
=Absorption of Vitamins and Minerals in Specialized Regions, for example:
-Iron in the duodenum (uppermost region)
-Absorption of Water
=Absorption of Electrolytes, including:
-Sodium
-Chloride
-Potassium
=Movement of the Food Along the Gut Via Muscular Contraction ("Peristalsis")
=Regulation of Other Components of the Digestive System:
*Stimulation of the Pancreas, via:
-Cholecystekinin (CCK)-Enzyme Production
-Secretin-Bicarbonate Release
*Stimulation of the Gallbladder, via:
-Cholecystekinin (CCK)-Bile Release
*Stimulation of the Liver, via:
-Secretin-Bile Production
*Coordination with the Stomach (complex two-way interaction), for instance:
-In response to eating, the hormone gastrin produced in the stomach simultaneously triggers:
Peristaltic activity in the small intestine (to prime it for entry of food), as well as The stomach's production of hydrochloric acid (to help break down food) and pepsinogen (to aid in digesting protein)
=When the meal is over another hormone, called somatostatin, is produced by the intestine to counteract gastrin.

What does the large intestine do?
Roles of the large intestine are:
=Further Absorption of Water to Compact Feces
=Further Absorption of Electrolytes/Resabsorption of Salts to Conserve Them
=Storage of Feces (rectum)
=Absorption of Vitamins, such as:
-Vitamin B-12
-Vitamin K (produced by beneficial bacteria which colonize the intestines)


Source American Gastroenterological Association
Also See: Gastrointestinal Health

Not all the information, found in this article and at links related to this article, is necessarily the opinion of the owner of this blog- Herbsplus4health (Karen Doolan). However, I thought much of the information was very informative and felt it would be nice to share what I found with my readers.

Why Not You? 5 Ways to Overcome Doubts

I received this newsletter today and I thought it was a great way to start off the week, so I wanted to share it with others who are trying to stay motivated too.

Have a great week everybody,
Karen Doolan

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THIS WEEK'S TOPIC:
Why Not You? 5 Ways to Overcome Doubts

Dear Friends,

This week, I'd like to share a message I wrote to you a few months ago. Please consider it a reminder of how to push past your doubts and live more fully.

Before I began writing books and speaking, I would often study authors and speakers who were doing what I wanted to do with my career. Their lives seemed somehow magical - like they knew some special secrets that I didn't have access to. Of course, that wasn't true. I had within me everything I needed to begin living the purpose for which I was created. What many of them had was a strong belief in their ability to live their dreams. They also had perseverance. They believed in themselves and their potential for success so much that they refused to give up when success didn't happen in their timing.
They believed it would come eventually - and it did. I began asking myself, "Valorie, why not you? You could fulfill your dream of inspiring others through your writing. Just begin doing it."

This week, I want to encourage you to simply believe in your own
possibilities and stay the course as you pursue them! I am amazed at
how often we stand in awe of the accomplishments of others, as though
we cannot achieve similar things. If you find yourself doing this, I
encourage you to stop looking at what everyone else has accomplished
and begin appreciating your own talents, experiences, abilities and
potential. You can have the life you were meant to live and successfully pursue the things that matter most to you, but first you must believe that you can. This is a basic foundation for success.

One of the most important elements of your personal foundation is simply believing in yourself. You must expect success - and then take action and persevere based upon those expectations. In my book Listen
to Your Life, I talk about cultivating an attitude of positive expectancy. If a video camera had recorded your life over the last week, what would I say you were expecting? Would your actions indicate that you are expecting success? Consider these five strategies to help you overcome doubts and cultivate an attitude of positive expectancy:

1. EXPECT DOUBT AND OVERCOME IT WITH TRUTH.
When you are pursuing important goals, doubts will surface. Expect them, but do not allow them to govern your actions. Make a list of your most persistent doubts and then counter them with the reasons
that you can overcome those doubts. For example, if you begin to doubt your ability to be disciplined because in the past you have not stayed on track with your goals, remind yourself that this is a new day and you are evolving into a stronger and more disciplined person. Your past does not dictate your future.

2. REMEMBER THAT WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
When you are living within God's will for your life and fulfilling your unique purpose, you will experience "divine favor." Don't become overly concerned when you cannot figure out how something will happen.
Simply continue taking steps forward in faith and God will meet you at the point of your limitation.

3. FAILURES AND MISTAKES ARE LEARNING TOOLS.
Doubts and fears are often cultivated when we fail or make mistakes.
We begin to doubt our abilities. But failure today does not mean you will fail again tomorrow - not if you learn the lesson in your failure. So perhaps your relationship failed or you failed in school or at work. I spent my entire first year of college on academic probation, yet graduated in three years at the age of 20 and earned my master's degree a year later at 21. My first-year failure was no indication of my academic or professional future. In every experience, ask yourself, "What did I learn from this
experience that will empower me to succeed the next time around?"
Then keep on pushing forward!

4. TAKE ACTION EVERY DAY TOWARDS YOUR VISION.
Two weeks ago, I challenged you to identify your vision in the five key areas of your life - relationships, finances, health, work and spiritual life. When you take consistent action towards a vision that is based on your life purpose, you begin to see opportunities flow into your path. Doubt can cause a vicious cycle in which you are paralyzed by fear and as a result, never take action. When you don't take action, you also don't attract opportunities into your path. Thus, you reinforce your own doubts. Take consistent action and you will break the cycle of fear and doubt that can keep you stuck.

5. TALK TO YOURSELF.
Yes, that's right. Talk to yourself! Proverbs 18:21 tells us, "Life and death is in the power of the tongue." Sometimes you simply have to practice positive self-talk. When you are feeling doubtful, tell yourself, "I CAN do this." "It's possible." "I have what it takes." Speak positively about yourself and your circumstances, and you will discover new strength to move forward in positive ways. Sometimes you can't wait for others to encourage you. You have to encourage yourself!

My challenge to you this week:
Believe in your own possibilities. Today, make a list of your most
persistent doubts and then make another list of positive truths that will help you overcome those doubts.

Journaling assignment:
In what ways have you allowed negative experiences, mistakes or
failures from your past to dictate your possibilities for the future? Make a decision this week to learn from your past, but not to be limited by it.

Until next time ...

Warm wishes,
Valorie

* Online store special: 3 signed copies of What's Really Really Holding You Back for $33. Purchase at valorieburton.com/store.html .
* Remember THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO REGISTER for the Breakthrough
Weekend, July 8 - 10, 2005, at the Hilton Old Towne Alexandria. I'm
looking forward to meeting you there!

P.S. Encourage your friends and family by sharing this newsletter and
invite others to subscribe! Just send them to valorieburton.com where they can enter their email address
on the home page.

Valorie Burton, a life coach and speaker, is the author of Listen to Your Life, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards and her latest, What's Really Holding You Back?. She has been interviewed by CNN, InStyle, Self, Real Simple, Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, The 700 Club, The Los Angeles Times, and hundreds of other media outlets nationwide.

Subscribe to her FREE, inspirational e-newsletter at
valorieburton.com
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Please feel free to forward the Rich Minds, Rich Rewards E-Newsletter
to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety.
The Rich Minds, Rich Rewards E-Newsletter is written and distributed
by Inspire, Inc. Copyright (c) 2005 Valorie Burton.

All rights reserved. ValorieBurton.com .
Send mail to:
Valorie Burton
INSPIRE, INC.
938 E. Swan Creek Road #202
Fort Washington, MD 20744

US Codex Delegation Poised to Betray the Will of the American People

by Carolyn Dean
21 June 2005

The U.S. Delegation to Codex is in the process of ceding control of the domestic vitamin and supplement market to the United Nations.

The U.S. Delegation to Codex has just issued a formal written statement to the Codex Alimentarius Commission that the United States, during the July 4-9, 2005, meeting in Rome, will support compulsory rules created by this international organization directly overruling U.S. law regarding access to vitamins.

The U.S. law that is about to be vanquished is the Dietary Supplement, Health and Education Act of 1994. Codex is a joint venture between the United Nation's World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. (WHO/FAO) The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already stated that it will enforce Codex "guidelines" as the world standard for trade in dietary supplements. This will mean that gradually, pill-by-pill, our access to the dietary supplements we depend on will disappear.

For those not familiar with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, it was passed because 2.5 million ordinary citizens wanted to make sure dietary supplements such as herbs, vitamins, minerals and other food-based supplements could stay on the over-the-counter market. Movement to create this law, known as DSHEA, started when a 1992 FDA task force published a report announcing the FDA's desire to remove these products from the shelves as they represented a "disincentive for patented drug research."

Immediately following this announcement, millions of Americans learned about how famed vitamin doctor Jonathan Wright's patient-filled medical office was raided the same month by nearly two-dozen gun-toting, flak-jacketed FDA agents in the name of regulating supplements. Battering down an unlocked office door, these agents, backed by burly sheriff's department deputies, lined up staff and patients against the wall, pulled IVs from patients' arms in the middle of treatments, confiscated patient records, and took the hard drive from the office computer, all because Dr. Jonathan Wright was using nutritional supplements to heal very sick people who could not get help from standard allopathic medical care.

As the story developed, it turned out that this Gestapo-style raid was standard operating procedure for the FDA and as the general public became aware of just how many doctors' offices, manufacturing companies, distributors and health food stores had been assaulted by similar raids, the horror of all this forged a mighty health freedom army that resulted in unanimous passage of DSHEA.

The idea of the law was two-fold:

1. DSHEA was to make a clear distinction between food, which is considered generally safe and did not need to have permission from the FDA to be allowed on the market, and drugs, which are generally toxic, potentially deadly and in need of lengthy evaluation before they were available to the public under prescription from a doctor.

2. DSHEA provides the FDA with plenty of legal authority to remove herbs or dietary supplements from the market, providing the agency has plenty of real evidence of real harm to the public. The FDA also has the authority to limit the amount of a supplement to low levels if the agency has plenty of real evidence to prove higher levels are actually dangerous.

The FDA and its Big Pharma backers have never liked DSHEA because these products and the related natural healing arts services often related to them are putting the allopathic drug/surgical/chemical medical industry to shame.

In my book, Death by Modern Medicine, using the allopathic medical industry's own official reports, I document how 784,000 people die every year in the American medical system while following doctors' orders in a highly-regulated allopathic system. The proof that dietary supplements and the practitioners who promote them are safe and work as expected is evidenced everywhere. Studies conducted all over the world have shown that supplements are actually safer than food and there is simply no hard evidence to show there is any risk factor worthy of discussion, much less needing universal "risk assessment."

Yet, the U.S. Delegation, along with its Big Pharma backers, are bound and determined that Codex force "risk analysis assessments" upon the American dietary supplement industry so they can bypass the expressed will of the American people.

The real reason for promotion of "risk assessment" is based on two agendas. First, to be able to strip the over-the-counter marketplace of everything but low quality, low dose-level products that won't do much to support or improve health. Second, to set up the framework to allow Big Pharma to take over the supplement market as a new form of drugs where prices can be jacked up outrageously and doled out by doctors for a fee.

Understand this: If you do not act now, you and everyone you love, will be condemned to living under an international law that denies your basic right to maintain your health. Without health, you have no freedom.

Dr. Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, herbalist, acupuncturist, nutritionist, as well as a powerful health activist fighting for health freedom as president of Friends of Freedom International. Dr. Dean is the author of over a dozen health books, the latest of which is "Death By Modern Medicine".

This article was found at intellectualconservative.com

New Codex guidelines on vitamins, minerals no longer guaranteed

6/20/2005 - A handful of countries are threatening the adoption next month of new world standards on how to set maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, reports Dominique Patton.

The Codex Alimentarius commission, charged with developing world trade standards for the food supply chain, has been debating guidelines for vitamins and mineral supplements for more than 10 years.

In 2003, the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CNFSDU) made an historic agreement to base maximum levels on safety and risk assessment rather than recommended daily allowance (RDA) of nutrients.

But although the new guidelines containing this article have now reached step eight – the final stage – of the decision-making process, ratification at the Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting in Rome, running from 4-9 July, is no longer so certain.

Small changes to the text of the guidelines have been submitted by Australia, China and Venezuela, and despite their relatively minor impact to the overall impact of the standards, they could force the committee to take several steps backwards.

This, fears the international supplement industry association IADSA, would result in delaying the ratification of the guidelines by at least a year, during which time, many countries will be left without an established reference on which to base new national rules.

IADSA is particularly concerned that Codex will lose its influence on how national laws set the maximum levels of vitamins and minerals allowed in supplement products.

While the guidelines are not binding on any member country of the UN, they can be influential, particularly where nations have not yet established rules in this area.

“It is important that they [the Codex guidelines] are brought in this year. Different countries are looking at revising their regulations, including Thailand, which is about to apply 100 per cent RDA," noted David Pineda, regulatory affairs manager of IADSA.

Norway, Malaysia, and much of Latin America also currently require that the maximum level of each vitamin/mineral contained in a supplement should not exceed 100 per cent of the recommended daily intake determined by the FAO.

But the industry insists that levels should be based on risk assessment, using upper safe levels instead of RDA, thereby allowing for higher, and more effective doses.

Pineda says that technical comments should not be taken into account at this late stage of the Codex decision-making process.

“The consensus was reached last year and they are now coming back on issues already discussed. It is too late but if Codex wants to reconsider the comments, the Commission won’t adopt the text and will send it back to the committee," Pineda told NutraIngredients.com.

"This means at least one year’s delay," he added.

During this time, Mexico will be looking at revision of its laws and for new members to WTO, such as China, Codex standards are likely to be key to future policy.

The guidelines will have more influence when officially ratified than in draft form.

"At committee level the decision is clear but often people who go to the commission aren’t clear on all the details," said Pineda. "National associations are now speaking to governments to brief them on the issues."

Among the amendments submitted, Australia wants to insert one word that would make sure that the standards only apply to those countries where supplements are regulated as food, while Venezuela wants to add ‘varied’ to a reference to ‘balanced diet’.

The decision by Codex to follow a risk assessment approach to maximum levels rather than one based on RDA was considered by IADSA director Simon Pettman to have as much impact as DSHEA in 1994 (US regulation) and the EU Food Supplements Directive of 2002.

“There is nothing more critical than this for many manufacturers. This is fundamental to whether their products can enter international markets,” Pettman said last year.

The article above was taken from foodnavigator.com
Related News:
Risk model on supplement levels prompts concern for EU law
Codex goes forth for ratification
Codex backs safety approach to maximum levels
Codex draws a line under RDAs, supplement guidelines move forward
Codex committee votes for upper safe limits

Kiss your Vitamins Goodbye

Published: Jun 20, 2005
Author: Dr. Carolyn Dean
Post Date: 2005-06-20 21:42:50 by rustynail

The U.S. Delegation to Codex has just issued a formal written statement to the Codex Alimentarius Commission that the United States, during the July 4-9, 2005, meeting in Rome, will support compulsory rules created by this international organization directly overruling U.S. law regarding access to vitamins.

The U.S. law that is about to be vanquished is the Dietary Supplement, Health and Education Act of 1994. Codex is a joint venture between the United Nation’s World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. (WHO/FAO) The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already stated that it will enforce Codex “guidelines” as the world standard for trade in dietary supplements. This will mean that gradually, pill-by-pill, our access to the dietary supplements we depend on will disappear.

For those not familiar with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, it was passed because 2.5 million ordinary citizens wanted to make sure dietary supplements such as herbs, vitamins, minerals and other food-based supplements could stay on the over-the-counter market. Movement to create this law, known as DSHEA, started when a 1992 FDA task force published a report announcing the FDA’s desire to remove these products from the shelves as they represented a “disincentive for patented drug research”.

Immediately following this announcement, millions of Americans learned about how famed vitamin doctor, Jonathan Wright’s patient-filled medical office was raided the same month by nearly two-dozen gun-toting, flak-jacketed FDA agents in the name of regulating supplements. Battering down an unlocked office door, these agents, backed by burly sheriff’s department deputies, lined up staff and patients against the wall, pulled IVs from patients arms in middle of treatments, confiscated patient records, took the hard drive from the office computer all because Dr. Jonathan Wright was using nutritional supplements to heal very sick people who could not get help from standard allopathic medical care.

As the story developed, it turned out that this Gestapo-style raid was standard operating procedure for the FDA and as the general public became aware of just how many doctors’ offices, manufacturing companies, distributors and health food stores had been assaulted by similar raids, the horror of all this forged a mighty health freedom army that resulted in unanimous passage of DSHEA.

The idea of the law was two-fold:

1. DSHEA was to make a clear distinction between FOOD, which is considered generally safe and did not need to have permission from the FDA to be allowed on the market and DRUGS, which are generally toxic, potentially deadly and in need of lengthy evaluation before they were available to the public under prescription from a doctor.

2. DSHEA provides the FDA with plenty of legal authority to remove herbs or dietary supplements from the market providing the agency has plenty of REAL evidence of REAL harm to the public. The FDA also has the authority to limit the amount of a supplement to low levels IF the agency has plenty of REAL evidence to prove higher levels ARE ACTUALLY dangerous.

The FDA and its Big Pharma backers have never liked DSHEA because these products and the related natural healing arts services often related to them are putting the allopathic drug/surgical/chemical medical industry to shame.

In my book, Death by Modern Medicine, using the allopathic medical industry’s own official reports, I document how 784,000 people die every year in the American medical system while following doctors’ orders in a highly-regulated allopathic system. The proof that dietary supplements and the practitioners who promote them are safe and work as expected is evidenced everywhere. Studies conducted all over the world have shown that supplements are actually safer than food and there is simply no hard evidence to show there is ANY risk factor worthy of discussion, much less needing universal “risk assessment”.

Yet, the U.S. Delegation, along with its Big Pharma backers are bound and determined that Codex force “risk analysis assessments” upon the American dietary supplement industry so they can bypass the expressed will of the American people.

The REAL reason for promotion of “risk assessment” is based on two agendas. First, to be able to strip the over-the-counter marketplace of everything but low quality, low dose-level products that won’t do much to support or improve health. Second, to set up the framework to allow Big Pharma to take over the supplement market as a new form of drugs where prices can be jacked up outrageously and doled out by doctors for a fee.

This article was posted on two different sites: Newsull and Libertypost

CODEX threatening country's health care

06/14/2005

Editor, the Courier:

How many of us take vitamins, minerals, etc. and use alternative health care? I have learned that the World Trade Org. (WTO) is trying to make it so we cannot get these things except through a Medical Doctor and in very low doses. This is to go into effect of July 2005 - right close. President Clinton signed the papers for this to happen in the 1990's. Did you hear about it? Neither did I. Look up this web site: www.healthFreedomUSA.org - it has to do with CODEX. Look it up - be alarmed at what is happening to our freedoms. Think it cannot happen? Don't be so sure - it's already happened in Germany and some other countries.

Our time is July 2005. That means - No Reflexology, no chiropractic, no acupuncture, no wonderful alternatives, no vitamins, homeopathy - only medicine and vitamins in low doses you can only get from M.D.'s. Don't let this happen. Look up CODEX.
For Truth -
Nancy Ellis
Ottumwa

To read this article on the Ottumwa Courier please click here

Your dietary supplements: Under attack again

By Henry Lamb
A WorldNetDaily exclusive commentary

Posted: June 11, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

The Codex Alimentarius Commission sounds like one of those shadowy, sinister organizations conjured up by one-world-government nuts to scare people.

Truth: It is!

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization created this commission in the early 1960s to set standards for food safety and to "harmonize" the laws of member nations. The commission was endorsed by U.N. Resolution 39/248, which says:

"When formulating national policies and plans with regard to food, governments should take into account the need of all consumers for food security and should support and, as far as possible, adopt standards from the ... Codex Alimentarius. ..."

The Codex Alimentarius Commission consists of delegates from 163 member nations representing 97 percent of the world's population. It meets every two years, either in Rome or Geneva. Between meetings, the commission is governed by an executive committee that directs the activities of its many committees.

Of immediate concern is the ongoing effort to bring dietary supplements in America under the control of standards set by this commission. Dietary supplements generate a $17 billion industry in the United States, which affects more than 150 million consumers, according to Congressional findings (H.R. 2485). Proposed procedures and standards could virtually destroy this market and deprive millions of Americans of the supplements they want to use.

The European Union Directive on Dietary Supplements, which becomes law in August, severely restricts the types and quantities of supplements that may be legally sold. Most forms of vitamins C and E, for example, are not available, or are available only in extremely small doses. If current plans proceed on course, American consumers are in for a shock.

How can this little-known international commission control what consumers buy in the United States?

An even less-known agency, deep within the bowels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for U.S. participation in the Codex Commission and designates delegates to each of the commission's committees. Barbara O. Schneeman is the delegate to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses.

The effort to regulate dietary supplements has been under way for more than a decade. In 1994, Congress adopted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which kept supplements beyond the reach of the drug police. In the past, Codex recommendations have been non-binding. Now, however, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is teaming up with the World Trade Organization to bring international enforcement to the dietary-supplement battle.

Ironically, it was primarily the U.S. that brought the WTO into existence in 1994, as the successor to GATT, the General Agreement on Tarriffs and Trade. The WTO agreement specifically requires that the member nations – including the U.S. – conform its laws to meet the requirements of WTO decisions. Failure to conform results in stiff financial penalties. The Codex Commission and the European Union want the WTO to enforce Codex standards, which fly directly in the face of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.

Pascal Lamy of France was just selected as director general of the WTO. Lamy served as a member of the French Socialist Party's steering committee and was chief of staff and representative of the European Commission for President Jacques Delors. Since 1995, he has served as a member of the Central Office of the Mouvement Européen (France) and as a member of the European Commission, responsible for trade.

The Codex Commission will be meeting in Rome July 4-9 to adopt the final rules on dietary supplement use. Dr. Carolyn Dean, president of Friends of Freedom International, will attend this meeting and return to the U.S. just in time to present her report to the Sixth Annual Freedom 21 Conference in Reno, July 14-16.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission's reach is much broader than dietary supplements. Its committees are also working on standards for pesticide residue, labeling of all kinds of foods, food additives and nutrients, veterinary medicine and drugs, as well as standards and methods for analysis. The function of this organization is to establish standards for all food worldwide and to enforce those standards through the power of the World Trade Organization.

Few people know that there is such a thing as the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It was created to promote food safety in international trade. It is on the brink of becoming an Orwellian bureaucracy – far worse than the worst fantasies of the one-world conspiracy theories.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is neither fantasy nor theory; it is real.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry Lamb is the executive vice president of the Environmental Conservation Organization and chairman of Sovereignty International.

This article was found at WorldNetDaily.com

Basic Vitamin Information

The term vitamin has its roots in the Latin "vita" meaning "life". This is highly appropriate as one of the defining characteristics of a vitamin is its necessity for our survival. Our bodies, for the most part, do not produce their own vitamins, so we must ingest them as part of our daily diet. When present in our bodies in the proper amounts, vitamins aid and promote in all aspects of our body functions, from digestion and metabolizing of our food to bone and muscle growth. When absent, the consequences can be crippling or fatal. Given the importance of vitamins to our health, fitness and physical welfare, it s surprising that this is a field many neglect or entirely ignore in the daily care and feeding of their bodies. This page should give the reader a general overview of vitamins, their sources and benefits, and the consequences of running low on the critical "life fuel" they provide.

Vitamin Types
There are two main types of vitamins: "Water Soluble" and "Fat Soluble". Fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) are stored in you body's fat tissues. They can remain there for months until they are needed. Water soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the B vitamins) are dissolved into your blood stream once ingested and, if not used up right away, leave your body through your urinary tract.

Fat Soluble Vitamins
Important Note!
Fat soluble vitamins can be harmful or fatal in high doses. If you are taking any vitamin supplements, keep them well out of reach of children.

Vitamin A
What it does:
Also referred to as "Beta Carotene", vitamin A is responsible for healthy eyes and also aids in the growth of skin and bone. It also helps your body create certain hormones.
Where it's found:
Vitamin A is found in milk, butter, cheese, vegetables (especially the dark green leafy ones!), liver and some fruits.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Without enough vitamin A, you may experience poor tooth and bone growth, bad gums, dry, scaly skin and night blindness. Poor appetite and fatigue are also symptoms attributed to a lack of this essential vitamin.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much vitamin A can cause nausea, weight loss (not the good kind) and more skin conditions.

Vitamin D
What it does:
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and teeth. It is a key factor in your body's ability to absorb the calcium it needs to build and maintain your skeletal structure.
Where it's found:
Vitamin D is found in eggs, milk and fish. It is also synthesized by our bodies in the sun.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Kids: get enough vitamin D! Not enough leads to poor, soft and misshapen bones when your skeleton develops. In adults, deficiency degrades the bones making our bones susceptible to cracks and breaks.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much vitamin D can cause kidney stones.

Vitamin E
What it does:
Vitamin E is important for building and maintaining cells in all parts of your body. It is a big player when it comes to keeping your blood healthy. It also functions as an antioxidant to clean harmful substances out of the body.
Where it's found:
Vitamin E is found in whole grains, green leafy veggies, egg yolks and vegetable oil.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Not enough vitamin E can cause anemia, a condition that impairs your blood's ability to carry oxygen, which has a pile of symptoms of its own. Deficiency also can lead to muscle damage to your heart and other muscles.
What happens if you have too much:
Dizziness or weakness.

Vitamin K
What it does:
Vitamin K is responsible for making your blood clot. This is a big part of why you don't bleed to death from a small cut!
Where it's found:
Vitamin K occurs in (once again!) green leafy vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, liver and dairy products.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Not enough vitamin K can lead to bleeding problems (hemorrhaging).
What happens if you have too much:
Too much vitamin K can interfere with anti-clotting medications and may cause jaundice.

Water Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B-1 - Thiamin
What it does:
Thiamin is a key player in your body's metabolic cycles. It helps digest carbohydrates, keeps your entire nervous system, heart and muscles functioning properly. It also helps balance your appetite.
Where it's found:
Vitamin B-1 is found in nuts, whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, etc), organ meats and pork.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Not enough thiamin is not good. Insufficient levels can cause heart damage, weakness, confusion and even paralysis.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much thiamin can cause rapid heart beat, insomnia, headaches and weakness.

Vitamin B-2 - Riboflavin
What it does:
Riboflavin is necessary for metabolizing pretty much everything we eat into energy. It is also important for maintaining healthy skin and eyes and generally promotes good health throughout the body.
Where it's found:
Vitamin B-2 is found in dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables (yet again) and whole grains.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Low riboflavin levels can lead to increased sensitivity to the sun and some skin conditions.

Vitamin B-3 - Niacin
What it does:
In addition to aiding in digestion, metabolizing, maintenance of the nervous system, Niacin also helps to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels.
Where it's found:
Niacin is fond in meat, milk, eggs, poultry, fish, whole grains and nuts.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Symptoms of not enough Niacin can include weakness, dizziness, loss of appetite, confusion, diarrhea and skin conditions.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much Niacin can lead to low blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, rash and swelling of the tongue.

Vitamin B-6 - Pyridoxine
What it does:
Vitamin B-6 is key in synthesis and breakdown of amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of proteins. It also contributes to metabolizing fats and carbohydrates, helps maintain a healthy nervous system, and promotes healthy skin and blood.
Where it's found:
B-6 can be found in meat, poultry, fish, whole grains, enriched bread and cereal, legumes (beans, peas, etc) and the ever-healthy green and leafy vegetables.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Lack of B-6 can cause skin disorders, anemia and nervous system disorders such as twitching and convulsions.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much B-6 can cause nerve damage, weakness and bloating.

Vitamin B-12 - Cobalamin
What it does:
B-12 helps our bodies form red blood cells, metabolize our nutrients, maintain a healthy nervous system and absorb calcium.
Where it's found:
B-12 is present in meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Not enough B-12 can lead to fatigue and anemia.

Vitamin C - Ascorbic Acid
What it does:
Vitamin C is essential for all sorts of things. It acts as an antioxidant to prevent pollutants from becoming cancer-causing agents in the body. It is required in order for your body to produce collagen, the glue responsible for holding all types of tissues together. It aids in wound healing and promotes healthy gums, teeth and bones. It helps the body fight infection and colds and may prevent some cancers. According to the late Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate and one of the leading experts on Vitamin C, Vitamin C will decrease the risk of getting certain cancers by 75%.
Where it's found:
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, melons, dark green leafy vegetables, cabbage, strawberries and potatoes.
What happens when you don't have enough:
Not enough Vitamin C can cause anemia, infections, sore gums, muscle pain, joint pain and scurvy.
What happens if you have too much:
Too much Vitamin C can cause diarrhea.

By now, if you have been paying attention, you will have learned one thing for sure: Eat your green leafy vegetables!!!

Share the Health,
Karen Herrmann-Doolan
An Independent Distributor of Nature's Sunshine Products
Herb Specialist, Nutritional and HomeSpa Aromatherapy Consultant
herbsplus@mynsp.com
704-588-7638
www.mynsp.com/herbsplus
www.herbsplus4health.com
Check out my Health & Nutrition Blog!
http://herbsplus4health.blogspot.com

"Those who do not have enough time for good health, will not have good health for enough time"?

The Above information was sent to me by Waldo van Cleef, from Kelowna, bc, Canada, who runs a site called Vitamins Rock. I thought the information was very good and thought I could share it with you. However, I do not have any information about the quality of products he sells.

What can your Fingernails tell you about your Health

FINGERNAILS -- JEWELS OR TOOLS?
By Judith Cobb, MH, CI, RNCP, ICCE, CLEAR

Tradition has it that in ancient Egypt it was illegal for a man to see a woman who was a member of another man's harem. When a harem member fell ill the physician was sent for. His assessment of the woman's problems had to be done based on what he could learn from her hand as she revealed it between the breaks in the curtains. While fingernails may not provide the complete and thorough diagnostic base of more modern, scientific and holistic methods, they can certainly point us in the right direction.

Medical doctors even learn a few select fingernail symptoms in medical school (as outlined in Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking), so we, as people who have a holistic bend, certainly can't be accused of being archaic or unscientific!

Nails are simply a specialized extension of skin. They are dead keratinaceous/epithelial material that is firmly attached to richly vascular nail beds. Because they grow rapidly in healthy people (fingernails up to .1 mm daily, toenails less quickly) they can provide fairly good recent history of physiological imbalances throughout the body. Also, changes in the vascularity of the nail bed will change the color of the nails and indicate other clinical problems in various areas of the body.
Fingernails that grow slowly and/or have deformities indicate potential problems. The white half-moon that should appear at the base of each fingernail is called either a moon or a lunula.

Let's look at fingernail symptoms in categories of color change, texture change, and combination changes. Obviously, when an organ system or specific disease process is listed below, the way to correct the accompanying fingernail problems is to address the organ system or disease process directly. Where there are less obvious remedies, I will include them.

COLOR CHANGES
Color changes can be the result of changes in blood supply to the nailbed, changes in organ chemistry, or toxic infiltration from the surface of the nail. Color changes may be in the nail bed (behind the nail) or in the nail tissue itself.
WHITE
White nails can indicate liver diseases, kidney diseases, and anemia. Anemia can be caused by iron deficiency in the diet, inadequate digestion of iron bearing foods, or poor absorption of iron in the gastro intestinal tract. Adding digestive enzymes and increasing iron (eg. Herbal Trace Minerals, yellow dock) are possible solutions for anemia.
YELLOW
Swelling in the hands, respiratory conditions such as chronic bronchitis, lymphatic problems, diabetes, and liver disorders can all cause nails to appear yellow, especially at the nail bed.
If the white tips of nails appear yellow it can be tinting from using nail polish frequently. Massaging the fingernails with lemon essential oil will help to prevent polish-induced yellow tinting.
PINK AND WHITE
When nails appear part pink, part white suspect kidney diseases.
RED NAIL BED
The nail bed is directly behind the nail. When this appears red, heart conditions may be present or building in the body.
PALE NAIL BED
Pale anything almost always means poor blood supply or poor oxygenation of the blood. The same is true here. Anemia is often the cause of a pale nail bed.
YELLOWISH NAILS with a slight blush at the base.
This is a potential indicator of diabetes.
TERRY'S NAILS
Terry's nails are opaque white nails with a dark band at the end of the finger. This is a somewhat more ominous sign. It often indicates a serious illness is in progress. Possibilities include cancer, cirrhosis, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Aging can also be the cause of this.
SLATE BLUE LUNULA
This indicates potential lung problems or over exposure to silver.
DEEP BLUE NAIL BEDS
Pulmonary obstruction, asthma, and emphysema, all conditions that reduce oxygenation of the blood, can create deep blue nail beds.
HALF WHITE WITH DARK SPOTS ON TIPS or 1/2 and 1/2 nails (brown at the tip)
This is yet another indicator that the kidneys may be in serious trouble.
WHITE WITH PINK NEAR TIPS
This color combination can indicate cirrhosis.
NAILS PITTED WITH RED-BROWN SPOTS, splitting at tips.
This complex set of symptoms can indicate a broad range of potential conditions. Consider psoriasis, nail injuries, dish soap (try Sunshine Concentrate instead), vitamin C deficiency, folic acid deficiency, and protein deficiency.
MEE'S LINES
These white lines run across the nail following the shape of the lunula. These do not resemble white spots at all. The nail bed appears white and opaque in a band or stripe across the nail. They are a strong indication of arsenic poisoning (try Vitamin C, MSM, Heavy Metal Detox &/or Detoxification) or acute or serious illness. They will generally grow out when the problem is corrected.
WHITE LINES
White lines that don't necessarily follow the shape of the lunula can indicate heart disease, liver disease, or history of a recent high fever. These look like the traditional `white spots' that run together across the nail.
WHITE SPOTS
Traditionally, holistic practitioners have recognized white spots on fingernails as being an indication of low zinc. Additionally, whites pots can indicate low calcium or injuries to the fingernail.
WHITE, SQUARE NAILS
When the nails are very white and square look towards hormonal disorders as the cause.

TEXTURE AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.
ONYCHOLYSIS
When the nails separate painlessly from the bed it is called onycholysis. This, again, is a broad symptom that can be indicative of any one or more of several potential problems. Injury, psoriasis, drug reactions, fungal infections, reactions to nail hardeners or acrylic nails, and thyroid disorders are on the list.
FUNGAL INFECTIONS in the nails respond well to topical applications of tea tree oil. If this is not strong enough, one can add tea tree oil orally (one drop to a glass of water, taken two times per day, and add Olive leaf extract and/or colloidal silver also).
CLUBBING
When nailbeds bulge and the nails curve down around the fingertips this is a potential indication of oxygen deprivation, lung disease (including lung cancer), heart disease and liver disease.
BEAU'S LINES
Nail growth is susceptible to stress. When a body under goes severe illness or trauma, including major surgery, general anesthetic, even a serious flu, the nails may stop growing. The result is a crosswise indentation in the nails. This generally will grow out with time.
SPOON NAILS
When nails create upward spoons as they grow out an iron deficiency can be suspected. Good sources of iron include green leafy vegetables, egg yolk, red meat, and poultry. Combination Three (Herbal Trace Minerals), Green Zone, and I-X are some excellent herbal sources of iron. In the event the problem is assimilation of iron, look to Digestive enzymes and Slippery elm to enhance absorption. This may also be an indication of a B12 deficiency.
FLAT NAILS
Rants disease can cause flat nails. As mentioned in a previous article, Raynaud's can be controlled/corrected with strong adrenal gland support. AD-C, Stress formula (Nutri-Calm), pantothenic acid, and hawthorn are all excellent adrenal support choices.
DARK, THIN, FLAT, OR SPOON-SHAPED
These symptoms can indicate a B12 deficiency. Hawthorn Berries and spirulina are great sources of B12. Of course, B12 can also be found in beef, chicken, and egg yolk.
THICK, DISCOLORING NAILS
This is often an indication of psoriasis. Doing cleanses, alternating with building programs, and focusing on reducing the acid levels of the blood and body through diet are usually very helpful in correcting psoriasis.
THICK NAILS
This is a cardiovascular indicator. It indicates a weakening of the vascular system and poor circulation. Using MC (mega-chel), HSII, CoQ10 and other cardiovascular supporting supplements would be wise.
LENGTHWISE GROOVES
Kidney disorders, aging, and iron deficiency can all contribute to lengthwise grooves. For aging concerns, use IGF-1 or colostrum.
LENGTHWISE RIDGES
This is a strong indication of arthritis. Beside simply lowering the acid levels in the diet and supporting the kidneys and adrenals, using blood type diets is very helpful in controlling arthritic symptoms.
BEADING
This is a strong indication of rheumatoid arthritis. Use blood type diets to control this.
PITTED AND DENTED
Nails that resemble hammered brass port end of total or partial hairloss.
CHIPPING, CRACKING, PEELING, BREAKING EASILY
Nails that are this fragile indicate general nutritional deficiency, insufficient hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and deficient minerals and protein in the diet. Some of the best remedies for these problems include Greenzone, collatrim, and colostrum. Massaging lemon essential oil into nails can help to strenghthen nails and correct these symptoms.
BRITTLE, SOFT, SHINY, NO MOONS
These symptoms point to an overactive thyroid. Since the thyroid is controlled by the pituitary, working with the pituitary is often helpful. Parsley and alfalfa are good choices here.
THIN, SPLITTING NAILS
Indicate possible deficiency in Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, EFA's
THINNING NAILS ACCOMPANIED BY ITCHING SKIN
These are symptoms of lichen planus. This is a skin condition with itchy, purple, angular bumps. Medical science reports that causes can include drug reactions, color film developers, polymyositis, malabsorption syndromes and lymphoma. Cleansing and general nutrition support, including HSN-W, are helpful. Liver support is also important.
RAISED AT BASE WITH SMALL WHITE TIP
This can simply be hereditary, or it can be an indication of respiratory disorders.
RED SKIN AT BASE OF NAIL
While this is not really a fingernail symptom, red skin around the base of a nail can indicate connective tissue disorders. Collatrim and colostrum are key therapies here.

Fingernails are more than just jewels or tools. They are indicators of physical well-being.

Article written by Judith Cobb http://www.cobblestonehealth.com/

This information was posted earlier, but I have recently received requests for it to be run again, so I figured I would move it up on my blog to the current date.
(Anything Italicized Has Been added by Karen Doolan)
If you would like help finding a program to help correct a problem mentioned in this article, please email me herbsplus@mynsp.com

Product Focus Meeting - Wednesday, June 8, 2005

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Each month the NSP Training Department offers intense training on one NSP product. Product Focus Meetings are conducted via a tele-conference call and are available, at no cost, to anyone who has a touch-tone phone. Feel free to share the number with clients and friends. During this meeting, health experts from both inside and outside NSP will provide in-depth information on how to use the product and how it can improve your health.

Benefits:

=Expand your knowledge of specific NSP products.
=Ask questions of product experts.
=Take advantage of free training.

June Product Focus Call

When: Wednesday, June 8

Time: 6:00 PM Pacific (7:00 Mtn, 8:00 Central & 9:00 Eastern)
At the scheduled time, dial 1-800-756-4697 and enter pin 8626#.

Topic: Using Herbs for Seasonal Allergies

Guest Speaker: Dr. Duarte, M.D.
Alex Duarte, O.D., Ph.D., is well known for his natural, alternative approaches to solving health problems. Dr. Duarte is a nationally recognized lecturer, author, and radio and television personality. He has written 15 groundbreaking books on nutrition and health topics.

Dr. Duarte began his professional career as a research microbiologist. After earning a California secondary teaching credential, he taught biology and chemistry. Following his completion of a doctorate in optometry, he was in clinical practice for nine years. He has traveled the world to find nontoxic alternatives for treating degenerative diseases of the eye and body.

Dr. Duarte also holds a Ph.D. in nutrition and is Fellow of the International Academy of Medical Preventives. He has been the nutritionist for several Olympic champions and has lectured for the American Naturopathic Association and the National Nutritional Foods Association. Dr. Duarte is a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Applied Nutrition.

Hydrated Bentonite - Cleanse Yourself Internally

Hydrated Bentonite (32 fl.oz) -
Nature's Sunshine Products - Stock # 1725-9

The notion of eating clay to produce internal healing will no doubt strike many as farfetched if not a little primitive. But natural clay, especially the form known as bentonite, has not only been used medicinally for centuries by indigenous peoples around the world, but has, in recent years, been increasingly prescribed by practitioners of alternative medicine as a simple but effective internal cleanser to assist in reversing numerous health problems.

Clay is a great healer, according to clay expert Ran Knishinsky in The Clay Cure (Healing Arts Press, 1998), who quips “I have been eating dirt every day for the past six years.” Indeed, in over 200 cultures worldwide, every day people eat or drink clay—the medicinal form of “dirt”—as both a nutritional supplement and detoxifying agent, observes Knishinsky.

It is not ordinary “dirt” of course. The name bentonite refers to a clay first identified (or named) in cretaceous rocks in Fort Benton, Wyoming. Although bentonite deposits occur worldwide, many of the largest concentrations are found in the Great Plains area of North America.

Bentonite is not a mineral but a commercial name for montmorillonite, the active mineral in many medicinal clays and which comes from weathered volcanic ash. This name derives from Montmorillon, France, where the medicinal mineral was first identified. Sometimes mineralogists use the term smectite instead to describe the same substance.

A VOLCANIC DETOXIFIER—Bentonite, a medicinal powdered clay which is also known as montmorillonite, derives from deposits of weathered volcanic ash. It is one of the most effective natural intestinal detoxifying agents available and has been recognized as such for centuries by native peoples around the world. Whatever the name, liquid clay contains minerals that, once inside the gastrointestinal tract, are able to absorb toxins and deliver mineral nutrients to an impressive degree, says Knishinsky. Liquid clay is inert which means it passes through the body undigested.

Technically, the clay first adsorbs toxins (heavy metals, free radicals, pesticides), attracting them to its extensive surface area where they adhere like flies to sticky paper; then it absorbs the toxins, taking them in the way a sponge mops up a kitchen counter mess.

There is an electrical aspect to bentonite’s ability to bind and absorb toxins. According to Yerba Prima, a company based in Ashland, Oregon, which markets Great Plains® Bentonite, the clay’s minerals are negatively charged while toxins tend to be positively charged; hence the clay’s attraction works like a magnet drawing metal shavings. But it’s even more involved than that.

Once hydrated (combined with water), bentonite has an enormous surface area. According to Yerba Prima, a single quart bottle can represent a total surface area of 960 square yards or 12 American football fields. Bentonite is made of a great number of tiny platelets, with negative electrical charges on their flat surfaces and positive charges on their edges.

When bentonite absorbs water and swells, it is stretched open like a highly porous sponge; the toxins are drawn into these spaces by electrical attraction and bound fast. In fact, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology (31 [1985], 50-53), bentonite can absorb pathogenic viruses, aflatoxin (a mold), and pesticides and herbicides including Paraquat and Roundup. The clay is eventually eliminated from the body with the toxins bound to its multiple surfaces.

According to Sonne’s Organic Foods of North Kansas City, Missouri, a company that markets Detoxificant (a liquid montmorillonite), “There is no evidence that bentonite has any chemical action in the body. Its power is purely physical.” Clay’s adsorptive and absorptive qualities may be the key to its multifaceted healing abilities. Knishinsky reports that drinking clay helped him eliminate painful ganglion cysts (tumors attached to joints and tendons, in his case, in his wrist) in two months, without surgery.

According to Knishinsky, benefits reported by people using liquid clay for a period of two to four weeks include: improved intestinal regularity; relief from chronic constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and ulcers; a surge in physical energy; clearer complexion; brighter, whiter eyes; enhanced alertness; emotional uplift; improved tissue and gum repair; and increased resistance to infections. “Clay works on the entire organism. No part of the body is left untouched by its healing energies,” he notes.

A medical study by Frederic Damrau, M.D., in 1961 (Medical Annals of the District of Columbia) established clearly that bentonite can end bouts of diarrhea. When 35 individuals (average age 51) suffering from diarrhea took two tablespoons of bentonite in distilled water daily, the diarrhea was relieved in 97% (34 of the 35 patients) in 3.8 days, regardless of the original cause of the problem (allergies, virus infection, spastic colitis, or food poisoning). According to Dr. Damrau, bentonite is “safe and highly effective” in treating acute diarrhea.

Knishinsky’s research suggests that the regular intake of liquid clay (typically one to three tablespoons daily, in divided doses) can produce other benefits including parasite removal from the intestines, allergy and hay fever relief, and elimination of anemia and acne. For example, clay helps anemia because it contains both types of dietary iron (ferrous and ferric) in an easily assimilated form; it reduces discomfort from allergies by quickly neutralizing allergens that would otherwise produce allergic reactions; and it reduces heartburn and indigestion by absorbing excess stomach acids.

However, clay’s forte is probably its role as a general internal detoxification and cleansing agent. According to Keith Payne of White Rock Mineral Corporation in Springville, Utah, clay scrapes and cleans the lining of the colon. “As the colon becomes cleaner, its ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients increases, making the minerals even more bioavailable, thus giving more energy.”

White Rock’s clay, called Bentonite Minerals™, contains 71 trace and ultra-trace minerals, including many that are probably unknown to most consumers, such as ruthenium, tellurium, and thulium. Trace minerals enable the body to absorb nutrients—“they are the bonding agents in and between you and food,” explains Payne.

Bentonite Minerals are derived from an ancient seabed formation in Utah; according to geologists, the clay formed when a layer of volcanic ash fell into what was, long ago, a shallow inland sea. “As the ash filtered through the seawater, it collected pure minerals, forming a layer of highly mineralized clay,” says Payne.

The best way to drink clay is on an empty stomach, or at least an hour before or after a meal or immediately before sleeping at night, says Knishinsky. Typically, clay is available as a thick tasteless, pale-grey gel, but it also comes as a powder or encapsulated.

Generally, it is advisable to start with one tablespoon daily, mixed with a small amount of juice; observe the results for a week, then gradually increase the dosage to no more than four tablespoons daily, in divided doses. Drinking clay can be an annual spring cleaning of your gastrointestinal tract or it can be a symptom-focused, self-care method.

No information in this letter should be construed as medical advice.
This information is for educational purposes only.

The above information was forwarded to me by fellow NSP health enthusiast Jeff Frankel of N. Ft. Myers, Florida. He also posted the following information about how Nature's Sunshine's brand Hydrated Bentonite helped him.
I am in my second week of using this product, bentonite seems to help quite a bit, my stiffness in my lower extremities and bowel area seemed to be much better. My itching of my scalp, and arms seem to have improved. I am going to add a third dosage right before bedtime.

Related info: check out recipe for reducing acne which includes Nature's Sunshine Products, Hydrated Bentonite Clay. This helps to cleanse the colon and thus helps acne to disappear. Please check out my personal testimony on how the Hydrated Bentonite used in this recipe helped me.