Your Life-Your Choice ISSN 1488-0253 Issue 57 July, 2000 Letter From the Editor Water, water everywhere, now what drop dare I drink? Water, or "aqua vitae" is literally the "Water of Life". All known life forms require water to live. Our bodies are made up of approx. 70% of water. Water is involved in every body process, including digestion, absorption, circulation and excretion. Water is the natural way we receive nutrients and minerals. The old adage of 8 glasses of water every day is an absolute minimum requirement for healthy bodies. City water, well water, spring water, rain water, bottled water? So many kinds of water, but for today we are going to address the many new brands of bottled water on the market. Is bottled water better than natural, are there labeling restrictions, why is it better than regular tap water? Is bottled water better than tap water? Well in most areas this proves to be true. You can not be sure what is in your tap water unless you have it tested occasionally. Regardless of the source, lake, rain etc tap water can contain undesirable substances such as fertilizers, asbestos, cyanides, herbicides, pesticides and industrial chemicals. They can leach into the water supply from the ground or from your pipes. Even plastic pipes can produce impurities and contamination. So, you decide the safest course is to use bottled water. I mean it comes in a bottle, it must be pure, Right? Wrong! Bottled water comes in many kinds, and must be clearly labeled. It is usually classified as to its source type, spring, spa, glacier, public water supply etc. There can be a lot of confusion and overlapping in these labels, there are no rules in place to govern appropriate labeling, so some claims may be misleading or incorrect. Mineral water is natural spring water. The word natural on the bottle only means that the mineral content of the water has not been altered from its original state. Make sure you check that bottles labeled Natural spring water list the water source on the bottle. In addition to containing minerals, the water must flow freely from its source, it cannot be pumped or forced from the ground and must be bottled directly at the source. You need to be aware of the minerals in the water you choose to drink. If you drink mineral water for therapeutic reasons, and the water you drink contains minerals your system doesn't require, you could be doing yourself more harm than good. Sparking Water is water that has been carbonated. Watch for additives such as fructose and other sweeteners. Some are so high in sugar content they are comparative to drinking soda pop. If the bottled water is labeled "naturally sparkling water, the source of the carbonation is from the same source as the water. If the bottled water is labeled "Carbonated natural water, the source of the carbonation is added to the water. People with intestinal disorders or ulcers should avoid drinking carbonated water as it may irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Then we have Distilled water. This bottled water comes from the condensation of the steam after the water is boiled. This is thought to be the safest type of water to drink. Most of the bacteria, viruses, chemicals, minerals and pollutants are left behind. Distilled water can be somewhat tasteless, but you can add flavor by adding raw apple cider vinegar (from a health food store). One or two tbsp per gallon. Lemon juice is another excellent addition. You can add back the minerals lost in the distilling process by adding mineral drops. Two tbsps to every 5 imperial gallons. So as you can see, finding safe, healthy water to drink is no longer a given. Since you must have water, and if you use tap water, have it checked regularly to ensure no contaminants are present. Try one of the new filtration/purifiers that fit on your tap, or filter in a container. Don't take it for granted that if its in a bottle the water must be good for you. Always check the labels and know the label definitions. If you need more information I would suggest starting at http://www.water.com a website I found most informative. Many thanks to Dr. James F. Balch, MD and Phyllis A. Balch CNC, authors of Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (Second edition) which proved an excellent source of reference. Best of health to you, Brigitte Synesael Editor of Your Life-Your Choice Make it your business to be informed! No one cares more about you than YOU. *********************************************** To advertise in Your Life-Your Choice newsletter, visit: http://www.life-choices.com/sponsor.html or mailto:admin@life-choices.com SUBJECT: Send Your Choice Advertising Rates ********************************************** Featured Sponsors, please visit. Their patronage helps to keep our newsletter free: ********************************************** Your Horoscope is Infinitely more than your "Zodiac Sign"! Astrology reveals your personal traits and the potential outcome of your choices. Astrology also provides a detailed past life afterglow portrait. The Child Analysis is designed as a guide for parents, to help with your child's growth and upbringing, to emphasize and strengthen their assets. Adults, studying their own Child Analysis, examine the viewpoint of their own inner child and can gain new understandings to begin healing their own traumatic experiences from childhood. http://rightplace.net/astrology_ylyc/ *********************************************** FAT, FRUSTRATED AND FAMISHED??? Http://www.Diets-Dont-Work.com?ylyc010 ************************************************ ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Dental Wellness by Dr. John Trager 2. Part 1: Lower Back Pain Mysteries Revealed and Healed by Laurel Duran CMT 3. Healing through Ayruvedic foods by Har Hari S. Khalsa,D.C. 4. Talk to GARLIC 5. Tea Tips =========================================== Section 1 Dental Wellness by Dr. John Trager In our last article we began exploring Dental Stressors or causes of Periodontal Disease. We discussed faulty dental fillings, crowns, bridges and prosthetic appliances in relationship to our chewing function. Improper dental work can also affect how our jaw (TMJ) joints function. we will be addressing the jaw joints (TMJ) in future articles, but for now it is important to understand that functioning joints affect the functioning of the periodontal structures. (This relationship is reciprocal, where compromised periodontal structures can affect the jaw joints). Symptoms of Jaw (TMJ) Dysfunction can include: 1) clicking 2) popping 3) cracking 4) pain 5) ringing in the ears Whiplash injuries or other accidental trauma to the head and neck can affect jaw function in turn affecting the periodontal structures. Our next dental stressor is the compatibility of the materials that have been used in our mouths. In recent years we have learned that may of the dental materials used in the profession are not right for everyone. Adverse immune effects have been observed with one of these being a breakdown in the integrity of the periodontal structures. This breakdown reacts like a severe allergic reaction, but it can happen subtly over an extended period of time. Not only is there concern over individual material compatibility, but the reaction of dissimilar metals in the same mouth can set up a destructive electrolytic reaction, much like a battery. The effects can harm both the nervous and circulatory systems in the mouth and surrounding structure. On example is placing a gold filling or crown over or near a mercury\silver filling. Pain, bone loss or inability to chew can result from this common practice. Several tests have been designed to give accurate information about material compatibility. One, the Clifford reactivity tests utilizes our blood and tests its compatibility with thousands of materials used in dentistry today. Another utilizes a computer to analyze the effect of materials on our energy meridian systems. Both tests will give you needed information to make imformed choices regarding the safety of materials used in your mouth. Finally, I want to address atrogenic dental stressors. These stressors relate to those caused by the dental professionals themselves. By this I refer to careless, harsh, rough and abusive treatment. Our mouths are the source of our emotions, feelings and instincts, and are sensitive barometers of who we are as human beings, even to the level of our cells and organs. Our periodontal structures are like fine instruments which will reflect this violation and any other disturbances that we have had, or are presently experiencing. In our next article, we will look at environmental stressors, as well as personal, physical and emotional factors that may contribute to periodontal disease. I have developed a six week periodontal power program to build a healing foundation to reverse periodontal disease. For more information call (727) 384-4025. Read more about Dr. John Trager on our Meet the Team page; http://www.life-choices.com/team.html ********************************** Please visit our sponsors, they help keep our newsletter free for everyone. ************************************************ 20 Minute Recipes! Here is what our visitors are saying about our free service: "Your pasta with Mushroom Sauce was incredible!" "bravo on the introduction of the healthy foods!" Click here and try it! http://www.minutemeals.com ************************************************** If you stood in front of a mirror in nothing but a smile, would you be smiling at what you saw? Every one who has The Meal Calculator is! Hospital tested, doctor approved, info at: http://www.themealcalculator.com/ Visit now and receive free downloadable reports. ********************************************** Section 2 Part 1: Lower Back Pain Mysteries Revealed and Healed" by Laurel Duran, CMT Virtually every massage therapy client I have ever worked with over the last 21 years has, at one time or another, suffered from lower back pain and has found relief through receiving therapeutic massage. In this 2-part article I will touch on several causal factors involved with lower back pain, and suggest some practical wholistic solutions that have proven extremely beneficial. When the musculature of the lower back becomes overly tight, tense and densely packed with excess energy, I do NOT first recommend exercises that focus on strengthening supposedly "weak" lower back muscles! This superficial approach is based on a misconception regarding the actual causes of lower back pain. The fact is, the lower back muscles have actually been OVERused already. When I was a health club owner and corporate on-site fitness training program director, the customers who had frustratedly followed such injurious exercise advice not only increased their lower back pain and intensified their strained state, but they also remained in the dark about the actual body mechanics that caused the original pain. Once my staff and I put these fitness customers back on the right exercise, diet and positive thinking tracks, their pain became history. Here's the real story about lower back pain. More often than not, lower back pain sufferers have weak (meaning under used) abdominal muscles. Put simply, because our muscles work together in pairs, if one partner in a pair is weak, then the other partner has to carry more workload. If you look at your body profile before a mirror, you can see the easy logic of the symbiotic relationship between your abdominal muscles and your lower back muscles. If your lower back is responsible for carrying the workload while your abdominal muscles are on vacation, the imbalance is bound to create physical problems. Usually, when someone has a heavily protruding belly, their lower back is improperly arched and painfully strained from too much workload. The most elementary solution might be to redistribute the workload by exercising the abdominal muscles in ways that DO NOT STRAIN the lower back muscles. By lying on the floor with knees bent, first press your lower spine as flat to the floor as you can. This simple "pelvic tilt" begins to simultaneously open up the spaces between the lower back vertebrae, thereby taking pressure off the lower spine, and to exercise the "partner" abdominal muscles. This makes a very safe beginning position for a variety of healthy abdominal exercises. From here you could inhale deeply, then on the exhale, slide your hands up your thighs, gently raising your head and neck, keeping your lower back pressed to the floor for spinal safety the entire time. Gradually, as you build up your abdominal strength, you can more easily bring yourself up into a sitting position if you wish. The objective of a sit-up type exercise is not to sit up. The objective is to exercise your abdominal muscles. In order to avoid injuring your lower back it's essential that you avoid arching your back during abdominal exercises. Now let's get back to that profile view of you in the mirror. If you notice, your lower back is at the same level as your colon (large intestine). Those simple abdominal exercises, with therapeutic massage, can stimulate peristalsis, the natural wavelike motion that causes waste to move through and empty out the colon. In addition, here's another very simple but major key to relieving lower back pain: drink plenty of water throughout the day. Lack of water flowing through the "pipes" (intestines) can clog the waste matter and directly contribute to hardness in the paired lower back muscles. Without sufficient water intake, varying degrees of constipation and lower back pain can result. Many folks have been happily surprised at the improved waste elimination AND lower back pain relief they get simply by drinking more water. If you are really serious about colon cleansing and lower back pain relief, you can also make dietary changes. By introducing more "fresh and raw" foods ( like fruits and vegetables) into your diet and concurrently decreasing your dense digestion load by reducing or eliminating heavy meats from your diet, you can further help your body's cleansing for a period of time. The easier the food is to digest, the more suitable it is for a serious colon cleanse. Therapeutic massage that focuses on the lower back and buttock muscles as well as the neck musculature can empty out much of the excess energy build-up that contributes to lower back pain. In part 2 of this series, I will describe a few simple techniques involved in emptying lower back pain out of the body, and I will address the primary psychological issues that underly lower back pain, namely, trying to hold onto "control" of situations out of fear. ---------------------- Laurel Duran, CMT, has been a practicing Certified Massage Therapist since 1979. She is the author of "The BLUE CORD", the inspired story of her miraculous healing from quadriplegia; "I Remember Heaven: Learning to heal mySelf", an audio-cassette; and "WISHNotes: the Workbook for Wisdom of Intuitive Self-Healing Workshop". Laurel has a private Massage Therapy practice in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado, USA, and she travels and conducts audience-interactive lectures and workshops. To contact Laurel or purchase her books and tapes, visit her website at: http://www2.amigo.net/bluecord or call 1-800-OAK-SOUL ************************************************* Section 3 Healing through Ayruvedic foods Har Hari S. Khalsa,D.C. Ayruveda is a five thousand-year-old science developed in ancient India. Ayruveda literally means the science of life. It is a system of health and wellness care that emphasizes creating balance and harmony on all levels of human existence. Ayruvedic science recognizes the importance that food plays in creating perfect health and has a great abundance of choices for many health conditions. The first goal in working with Ayruvedic foods is to balance what are called the 6 doshas or tastes. It is understood that in order to bring balance to the subtle healing energies within the body these 6 tastes must be present to some extent in each meal that is eaten. The 6 tastes include foods that are sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, saltish, and spicy or hot. In traditional Indian cooking a combination of the above tastes are present in many dishes. These dishes when combined with rice and vegetables create the perfect foods for creating health. One of the most common of these recipes is called Kichery or Mung beans and rice. It is a delicious combination of mung beans, basmati rice, vegetables and a masala that includes; garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, chili pepper, gram masala (a pre made mixture of cumin, cloves, coriander and cardamom) that is sautéed in glee (clarified butter) or extra virgin olive oil. When eaten with yogurt it is has all the 6 doshas and is the perfect healing food. Another favorite recipe is Yogi Tea. Yogi Tea is known to help support the function of the liver, spleen, kidney's, large intestines, nervous system and brain. It is a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and ginger. All of the ingredients are mixed together and boiled for 1 hour and then black tea is added at the end for 1 minute to activate the formulae. Yogi tea can then be mixed with milk and brought to a boil with a slight amount of honey or maple syrup to sweeten. Another good way to drink Yogi Tea is to have it first thing in the morning cool with no milk added. It is a great replacement for coffee, which depletes the body of vital energy while giving a false sense of energy. Another interesting recipe that is a great start to the day is mixing freshly squeezed grapefruit juice with freshly ground black pepper and Indian black salt. This is a great liver cleanser and is anti-parasitic. For joint pain and stiffness golden milk is the answer. It is special formulae that include boiled turmeric powder, milk and cold pressed almond oil. All of the ingredients are brought to a boil and honey is added to taste. Golden milk is also good to help rebuild the liver from the affects of drug abuse. Other healing concepts in Ayruveda include using what is known as the trinity roots to help build a strong nervous system, immune system and glandular system. Trinity root includes; garlic onions and ginger. It can be prepared in various ways and added to most dishes as an added health boost. The most common way to prepare Trinity root is to sauté the freshly peeled and chopped ingredients in extra-virgin olive oil and add turmeric and black pepper to round out the mixture. If one does not have time to cook there is a supplement alternative with the powder of Trinity roots it is called 3-R and is available by contacting our office. Turmeric is another universal healing agent that can be combined with many other herbs or prepared by itself. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent. One way to use turmeric is to boil one cup with about 4 cups of water until a paste forms. This paste can then be put in a container in the refrigerator and a teaspoon can be added to water once or more times per day as a digestive tonic and to treat any inflammatory process. Another very powerful use of turmeric is in female hygiene. In cases of vaginal infection or discharge turmeric powder can be mixed with yogurt to make a douche. In one case a patient with a long standing infection (10 years) who got no results with traditional medicine was totally system free in one month using this formulae. For full recipes given in this article go to: http://www.megahealth2000.com About the author: Dr. Har Hari S. Khalsa is holistic chiropractor practicing in West Los Angeles, CA He can be reached 310-358-0120 or mailto:hkhalsa435@aol.com Visit his website at http://www.megahealth200.com *********************************************** Section 4. Dear Garlic, I have a dear friend of many years, she has an annoying habit. All the time we spend together she Talks and Talks without taking a moment to breathe, even from another room. Yak Yak Yak, I can never get a word in! THEN she tells me I'm not listening, I don't help with her problems etc! should I tell her to be QUIET? or just let her ramble on? signed Earache in Memphis. *** Dear Earache, You know, this has give me an idea for a whole new product line. Flavored or colored duct tape. Think of the possiblities! You could color co-ordinate with her outfit, just put the right shade of fuchia duct tape over her mouth, (GENTLY), and chances are no one else will even notice. Seriously though (a rare condition for me), I would be willing to bet your chatterbox friend is just lonely, and is enjoying your company so much she doesn't even realize she is nattering continuously. Remember a true friend is a very rare find, and if she changed in some way due to criticism from you, you would not like it. Try to just enjoy her company, tune out when you must, (maybe some green (or color accessorized) duct tape over your ears?), and bear with it. A true friend is worth a little discomfort. ****************************************** Like to talk to Garlic? Yes, men are welcome too: put "Dear Garlic" in Subject line. We can talk about anything. mailto:marketing@life-choices.com *Note that the Dear Garlic segment of Your Life-Your Choice is for entertainment purposes only. The advice is intended to tickle your funny bone so put your Sense of Humor hat on and let's take a look at the "lighter side" of life. After all, LAUGHTER is supposed to be the BEST medicine. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 5. Tea Tips FYI Cranes are among the oldest species on earth, existing for tens of millions of years. Longevity has always been associated with cranes, both in life and in marriage. In recent years, the making of a thousand paper cranes has also become a ritual for those seeking good health for themselves or a loved one. We observe these themes in our name, Thousand Cranes, and celebrate health and longevity through the daily ritual of having a satisfying cup of fine tea. To check out the Thousand Cranes Tea Site go to http://www.life-choices.com/cjassoc.html ****************************************************** Our sponsors make this newsletter FREE to subscribers. Please take a moment to visit them. ********************************************* WOMEN! Household hints, parenting tips, ideas for pampering yourself, articles on self improvement, time management, oganization and more. Subscribe to The Balanced Woman. It's easy and it's FREE! Just send a blank email to: TheBalancedWoman-subscribe@egroups.com ***************************************** GET FIT FAST Leading personal trainer on the Good Medicine Website, Dean Piazza can design a personalised program to achieve results in 6 weeks. Programs are designed according to goals, needs, history, time and equipment available. FIRST 50 CUSTOMERS FREE PROGRAM http://www.getfitfast.com/ ******************************************** Disclaimer All material appearing in this newsletter is provided for educational purposes only. It is provided with the understanding that authors and contributors are not offering medical advice or services. We strongly encourage you to consult with your own physician regarding any recommendations with respect to your own medical condition. Advertisement in the Your Life- Your Choice newsletter does not indicate endorsement on our part. 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Entrance is FREE and you will not receive any additional e-mail as a result of registering. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Subscribe: You can subscribe by using the form at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.life-choices.com/subscribe.html or mailto:life-choices@oaknetpub.com Unsubscribe: You can unsubscribe by using the form at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.life-choices.com/subscribe.html or mailto:life-choices@oaknetpub.com Copyright 1997-2000 by Brigitte Synesael All rights reserved ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// This Ezine Is Listed At FreeZinesOnline.