LIVER FLUSH for Health

GALL STONE CLEANSE

Liver Flush Protocol
(with orthophosphoric acid)


Materials:

1 gallon apple juice (freshly pressed)

2 ounces orthophosphoric acid (Phosfood from Standard Process or Ortho phos from Nutra-Dyn)

Enema bag and colon tube

Coffee

Epsom Salts

Whipping cream and berries

Olive oil

Protocol:

Add one bottle (2 ounces) of orthophosphoric acid to the gallon of apple juice. Shake and refrigerate. Over the next three to five days, drink the gallon of juice (3 to 4 8-ounce glasses a day) between meals. Be sure to rinse your mouth out with baking soda and/or brush your teeth after drinking the juice to prevent the acid from damaging the teeth. Eat normally during the liver flush.

On the day following whatever day you finish the gallon of juice, eat your normal breakfast and lunch.

Two hours after lunch, drink 1–2 tablespoons of Epsom Salts dissolved in 3/4 cup of warm water.

Four hours after lunch, do a one pint coffee enema.

Five hours after lunch, drink 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts dissolved in 3/4 cup of warm water.

Six or seven hours after lunch, eat a dinner of heavy whipping cream and frozen or fresh berries – as much as desired.

At bedtime, drink 1/2 cup of olive oil. A small amount of orange, grapefruit, or lemon juice may be added if desired. Immediately after drinking the oil, go to bed and lie on your right side with knees drawn up for 30 minutes. You may feel nauseated during the night. This is due to the release of stored toxins from the gallbladder and liver. This is normal and a sign that the protocol is working.

Upon arising in the morning, do a coffee enema.



Berries with Wipped and Ice Cream

How It Works:

The orthophosphoric acids helps remove calcium and lipids (fats) from the arteries and normalizes cholesterol metabolism.

The phosphoric acid working with the malic acid found in apple juice dissolves and softens gallstones.

The magnesium in the Epsom Salts relaxes the sphincter of the gallbladder and bile ducts, allowing for the easy passage of the softened, shrunken stones.

Finally, the cream and oil cause a strong contraction of the gallbladder and liver, forcing out stored wastes, bile, and stones which easily pass into the small intestine.

These wastes and stones are then excreted!
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for other protocols see: CureZone

See also: DM

Club Info - Help Line, Etc.
Tim Prepelka offered to help Ed with his computer problems. I will create a Help Line on this page in the comment area where you can Post your problems and the answers to these problems can also be posted here.

Easter falls on the 3rd Sunday this year. Perhaps our meeting date will change? If it does, I will post it here. Look in the comment area.

Perhaps this can be a PACC Forum for the Help Line.

Anyone who would like to add their name to the Help Line here: see our PACC TALK newsletter for suggestions of areas for help and add your Name, Computer Area of Interest, Phone Number, and best Time to call in the comment area.

A Luscious, Rejuvenating Approach to Food


Read the "Disease Free" Book here

After a two-year, 24,000-mile voyage aboard a 71-foot sailboat, Graham Kerr was stunned by a mutiny in his own kitchen.

Kerr, who gained fame as television’s "Galloping Gourmet" in the 1960s, his wife, Treena, and their three children had willingly forsaken his delectable but high-fat meals after they discovered that rich foods aggravated seasickness. But they revolted against the famed chef’s improvised low-fat cuisine as soon as they docked for the final time in 1974.

So while Kerr clung to his newly found low-fat lifestyle, his family eagerly returned to typical high-fat favorites like cheese, eggs, and sausages. The result? Seven years later, Treena suffered a stroke and a heart attack.

"When the family rebelled, I think if I had said, ‘Look, we’ll recreate the table so that we eat healthy food but get it in a way that you’ll like it,’ what happened to Treena wouldn’t necessarily have occurred," says Kerr, now in his sixties and the author of Graham Kerr’s Best.

Although she fully recovered, Treena was still at high risk for recurrent strokes and heart attacks because she was overweight and her total cholesterol hovered near 350 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). So in 1982, she agreed to change her diet. Since then, the couple has stuck to a low-fat lifestyle that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Treena eats no more than 2 ounces of fish, poultry, or red meat daily. Graham’s diet allows him to have slightly more, but never more than 6 ounces. By 1995, when she was in her early sixties, Treena had lost 15 pounds; dropped her total cholesterol to 220 mg/dl raised her high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), the so-called good cholesterol; and slashed her low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the "bad cholesterol."

"She’s done very well," Kerr says. "I think there is no question that you can do wonderful things if you adopt low-fat eating."

In fact, more and more doctors are convinced that eating excessive amounts of fat is second only to smoking as a health threat. A growing arsenal of powerful evidence is also proving that cutting way back on dietary fat at any age can prevent or reverse heart disease, short-circuit strokes, and stifle the growth of many cancers, says Michael Klaper, M.D., director of the Institute of Nutrition Education and Research in Manhattan Beach, California.

How Bad Can Fat Be?

Americans love fat. So much that we eat the fat equivalent of six sticks of butter each week. But doing that month after month, year after year, takes its toll.

Of the estimated 13.5 million Americans alive today with a history of heart attack, angina, or both, about 50 percent are age 60 and older. Overall, heart disease and strokes annually kill more than 40 percent of all people who die in the United States. Of the eight controllable risk factors for those two diseases, five—elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, diabetes, and excessive weight—have been linked to high-fat eating, says Hans Diehl, Dr.H.Sc., director of the Coronary Health Improvement Project, a lifestyle intervention program based in Loma Linda, California, that has helped more than 15,000 people worldwide reduce their risk of heart disease.

Eighty-three percent of the people who die of heart attack, which can be attributed in part to diet, are age 65 or older.

Heart disease, particularly due to atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries caused by fatty buildups in the circulatory system—can at least double your risk of stroke, says Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., director of the North Manhattan Stroke Study at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, an ongoing project examining stroke incidence among 260,000 people living in racially diverse neighborhoods in New York City.

The risk of ischemic stroke, the most common type caused by blood clots that block arteries supplying blood to the brain, may be even higher if you also have heart disease. French researchers who examined 250 men and women in their sixties and seventies found that those who had deposits of fatty plaque narrowing their aortic arches, the main artery leading out of the heart, were up to nine times more likely to have ischemic strokes than those who didn’t have such buildups.

"If you have plaque there, more than likely you’re going to have it in the arteries leading to or inside the brain, too," Dr. Sacco says.

. . . And Then There’s Cancer

Dietary fat also may have a role in up to 40 percent of cancers in men and 60 percent of those that affect women, says Moshe Shike, M.D., director of clinical nutrition at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and co-author of Cancer Free.

Research shows that men in their sixties and seventies who continue to eat lots of red meat are at 2 to 3 times greater risk for colon cancer. They also are more likely to develop rectal cancer and 2.6 times more likely to have prostate cancer than men who limit dietary animal fats. Women older than age 60 who load up on red meat are 2.5 times more likely to develop colon cancer.

Scientists also are learning more about the role of fat in the development of breast cancer. Researchers at the University of Hawaii, for instance, compared the eating habits of 272 postmenopausal women who were being treated for breast cancer with 296 women who lived in the same area but who were cancer-free. They found that overweight women who ate a lot of foods high in saturated fat like sausage, processed cold cuts, beef, lamb, and whole-milk dairy food were at greater risk for breast cancer.

"We know that saturated fats have an impact on hormone levels in the body, and we think that has a role in promoting breast cancer," says Cheryl Ritenbaugh, Ph.D., head of nutrition research at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson.

Eating fat also might increase your risk of lung cancer even if you don’t smoke, says Michael Alavanja, Ph.D., senior scientist at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland. In his study of 429 female nonsmokers ranging up to age 84, Dr. Alavanja concluded that those who ate the most saturated fat were six times more likely to have lung cancer than those who consumed the least amount of that fat.

"At least seven studies worldwide have shown an effect of saturated fat on lung cancer," Dr. Alavanja says. "It’s not conclusive, but the evidence is pointing toward the fact that fat increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers and nonsmokers."

But the truth is that none of these things need to happen to you. You could help prevent and possibly subdue almost every one of these diseases if you did just one thing: Slash the fat.

"It’s very clear that our diet is totally devastating us," Dr. Diehl says. "We know that if we cut the fat content and ate a more plant food-centered diet, we could drastically cut our risk for most cancers, heart disease, and stroke."

From the "Disease Free" Book

Holistic Health
A person is healthy when they have no illness. We experience psychological and physical wellness when the body, mind and soul are in balance.

The Ayurveda terms are: vata, pitta, or kapha influences. Your basic constitution represents your psychological and physical nature. When balance is maintained, health is at optimum.

When they are somewhat unbalanced, we may feel uneasy. When they are more obviously unbalanced - when one or more of the three dosha influences are excessive or deficient-discernible symptoms of sickness can be observed and experienced.

Every person (and thing) contains all three doshas. However, the proportion varies according to the individual and usually one or two doshas predominate. Within each person the doshas are continually interacting with one another and with the doshas in all of nature. This explains why people can have much in common but also have an endless variety of individual differences in the way they behave and respond to their environment. Ayurveda recognizes that different foods, tastes, colors, and sounds affect the doshas in different ways. For example very hot and pungent spices aggravate pitta; but cold, light foods such as salads calm it down. This ability to affect the doshas is the underlying basis for Ayurvedic practices and therapies.1.

Basis For Ayurvedic Philosophy

Concept of Tri-Dosha

In Ayurvedic philosophy, the five elements combine in pairs to form three dynamic forces or interactions called doshas. Dosha means "that which changes." It is a word derived from the root dus, which is equivalent to the English prefix 'dys', such as in dysfunction, dystrophy, etc. In this sense, dosha can be regarded as a fault, mistake, error, or a transgression against the cosmic rhythm. The doshas are constantly moving in dynamic balance, one with the others. Doshas are required for the life to happen. In Ayurveda, dosha is also known as the governing principles as every living thing in nature is characterized by the dosha.2.

Vata is a force conceptually made up of elements ether and air. The proportions of ether and air determine how active Vata is. The amount of ether (space) affects the ability of the air to gain momentum. If unrestricted, as in ocean, air can gain momentum and become forceful such as a hurricane.

Vata means "wind, to move, flow, direct the processes of, or command." Vata enables the other two doshas to be expressive. The actions of Vata are drying, cooling, light, agitating, and moving.

Vata governs breathing, blinking of the eyelids, movements in the muscles and tissues, pulsations in the heart, all expansion and contraction, the movements of cytoplasm and the cell membranes, and the movement of the single impulses in nerve cells. Vata also governs such feelings and emotions as freshness, nervousness, fear, anxiety, pain, tremors, and spasms. The primary seat or location of the Vata in the body is the colon. It also resides in the hips, thighs, ears, bones, large intestine, pelvic cavity, and skin. It is related to the touch sensation. If the body develops an excess of vata, it will accumulate in these areas.

Pitta is a force created by the dynamic interplay of water and fire. These forces represent transformation. They cannot change into each other, but they modulate or control each other and are vitally required for the life processes to occur. (For example, too much fire and too little water will result in the boiling away of the water. Too much water will result in the fire being put out.)

Pitta governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, body temperature, skin coloration, the luster of the eyes, intelligence, and understanding. Psychologically, pitta arouses anger, hate, and jealousy. The small intestine, stomach, sweat glands, blood, fat, eyes, and skin are the seats of Pitta.

Kapha is the conceptual equilibrium of water and earth. Kapha is structure and lubrication. One can visualize the Kapha force as the stirring force to keep the water and earth from separating. For example, if we take a pot, fill it to the half with water and then add sand to it, the sand will gradually sink to the bottom of the pot. (It separates from the water). The only way to keep the sand in equilibrium with the water is by stirring the mixture continuously. The Kapha force can be visualized as this stirring force in our body.

Kapha cements the elements in the body, providing the material for physical structure. This dosha maintains body resistance. Water is the main constituent of kapha, and this bodily water is responsible physiologically for biological strength and natural tissue resistance in the body. Kapha lubricates the joints; provides moisture to the skin; helps to heal wounds; fills the spaces in the body; gives biological strength, vigor and stability; supports memory retention; gives energy to the heart and lungs, and maintains immunity. Kapha is present in the chest, throat, head, sinuses, nose, mouth, stomach, joints, cytoplasm, plasma, and in the liquid secretions of the body such as mucus. Psychologically, kapha is responsible for the emotions of attachment, greed, and long-standing envy. It is also expressed in tendencies toward calmness, forgiveness, and love. The chest is the seat of kapha

Effect of Constitution Type On Body or Microcosm


Vata Pitta Kapha
Function of the Dosha (or controls) Movement
Breathing
Natural Urges
Transformation of the tissues
Motor functions
Sensory functions
Ungroundedness
Secretions
Excretions
Fear
Emptiness
Anxiety
Thoughts
Life force
Nerve impulses
Body heat
Temperature
Digestion
Perception
Understanding
Hunger
Thirst
Intelligence
Anger
Hate
Jealousy
Stability
Energy
Lubrication
Forgiveness
Greed
Attachment
Accumulation
Holding
Possessiveness

Manifests in living things as The movement of:: nerve impulses
air
blood
food
waste
thought
The quality of transformation. Pitta controls the enzymes that digest our food and the hormones that regulate our metabolism. Pitta transforms the chemical/electrical impulses in our mind to thoughts we can understand. Cells which make up our organs and fluids which nourish and protect them.
Characteristics cold
light
irregular
mobile
rarefied
dry
rough
hot
light
fluid
subtle
sharp
malodorous
soft
clear
oily
cold
heavy
stable
dense
smooth

Too much of the dosha force can result in nerve irritation
high blood pressure
gas
confusion
ulcers
hormonal imbalance
irritated skin (acne)
consuming emotions (anger)
Mucous build-up in the sinus and nasal passages, the lungs and colon.
In the mind it creates rigidity, a fixation of thought, inflexibility.

Too little dosha force can result in nerve loss
congestion
constipation
thoughtlessness
indigestion
inability to understand
sluggish metabolism
Experiences a dry respiratory tract
burning stomach (due to lack of mucous, which protects from excess stomach acids)
inability to concentrate

Where found in a plant flowers and leaves (the parts which reach farthest into air and space) Plant's essential oils, resins and sap Roots (The roots are where water is stored. Roots also stay within the earth.)
Climatic influences Dry climates or cold autumn winds increases Vata Hot summers or hot climates will increase Pitta Wet winters and damp climate add to Kapha.
Predominant during the life stage of Old age
As we get older, we "shrink and dry out". Teen and Adult.
During this stage, our hormone changes transforms us into adults Childhood years.
During this period, we grow or increase in substance of the body.3. See the table to properly understand the relationships of the body types and influences on them.

The holistic health model uses the physical, mental and spiritual influences that affect the body, mind and soul.

To be physically fit you need to eat the right food and follow proper nutritional and health practices like: food balancing, daily exercise, proper rest and relaxation.

To be mentally fit you need to nurish the mind with knowledge, understanding and wisdom through education and proper experience. You can learn how to learn and be influenced by the best authorities on every aspect of the mind.

To be spititually fit you need to have a personal relationship with God and participate with God to improve yourself and make the world a better place for everyone to enjoy.

Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM and Hyaluronic Acid
KNEE JOINT


Everyone old enough to walk appreciates the value of flexibility and ease of movement. Unfortunately many of us take such good things for granted. A famous folksinger sang, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone." That's certainly true for millions Americans who live with stiff and uncomfortable joints.

Fortunately there are a number of nutrients available that provide the vital components of healthy joint structure and function and ease of mobility.

These nutrients are referred to as “chondroprotective agents,” and include glucosamine and chondroitin, which supply the raw material necessary to produce new cartilage, and may even help rebuild worn cartilage. Other chondroprotective nutrients and herbs, like Cetyl Myristoleate, MSM, and Boswellin, work synergistically with glucosamine and chondroitin and further support normal joint function.

To understand how chondroprotective agents work, one must first understand how joints work. The key element in human joints is articular cartilage, the shock-absorbing tissue that connects two bones together and allows pain-free movement.

Articular cartilage is comprised of two different molecules, collagen and proteoglycans, with the remainder composed primarily of water (65-85%). Collagen, a protein that binds tissue together, provides elasticity.

Proteoglycans, composed of sugars and protein, absorb water, which provides lubrication and resiliency, nature's shock absorber for your joints. Both compounds are produced by chondrocytes, caretaker cells responsible for the formation and maintenance of cartilage.

A deficiency in any one of the above constituents will increase the likelihood of wear and tear on articular cartilage, which can eventually lead to compromised joint function. Glucosamine and chondroitin are safe, natural and effective nutrients that support healthy joint function by supplying the materials needed to produce collagen and proteoglycans.

GLUCOSAMINE

Glucosamine is composed of glucose (a sugar) and glutamine (an amino acid). It is utilized by chondrocytes to form glycosaminoglycans (GSG) and proteoglycans (PG). Both of these constituents attract and bind water into cartilage, increasing resiliency.

Research indicates that glucosamine may actually help your body repair damaged or eroded cartilage. A number of studies have been conducted on glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride, with a preponderance of positive results.

Glucosamine sulfate is considered the more effective of the two. One study from the University of Liege in Liege, Belgium studied the effects of glucosamine sulfate on 212 patients with knee osteoarthritis. Participants took either 1,500 mg glucosamine or a placebo once daily for three years.

The study compared joint-space width at enrollment, one year, and at the study’s conclusion. The 106 patients on placebo had a progressive joint-space narrowing, while participants taking glucosamine experienced no significant joint-space loss, indicating glucosamine may beneficially modify cartilage structure.3

A study published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage in 1998 investigated the in vitro effects of glucosamine sulfate on proteoglycan and collagen production by chondrocytes taken from osteoarthritic articular cartilage. The results showed “a statistically significant stimulation of PG production by chondrocytes from human osteoarthritic cartilage cultured for up to 12 days in 3-dimensional cultures.” 4

Another study from Italy enrolled eighty inpatients with established OA. They received either 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate or placebo daily for 30 days. The patients treated with glucosamine sulfate experienced a reduction in symptoms almost twice as large and twice as fast as those receiving placebo.

Researchers also used electron microscopy of patient’s articular cartilage to support this hypothesis. Patients who received glucosamine sulfate showed a picture more similar to healthy cartilage. The researchers concluded that glucosamine sulfate tends to rebuild damaged articular cartilage and restore articular function.5

CHONDROITIN

Chondroitin is classified as a glycosaminoglycan. It bonds with collagen to form the basis of connective tissue. Chondroitin helps attract fluid into proteoglycans, thereby bringing nutrients into cartilage and providing shock absorption.

While glucosamine helps manufacture and maintain cartilage, chondroitin keeps cartilage from becoming malnourished. Chondroitin works synergistically with glucosamine, and these two nutrients form the basis of most joint health supplements on the market today.

A 6-month randomized, multi-center, double-blind, double-dummy study published in 1996 compared the effectiveness of chondroitin versus a popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). One hundred and forty-six patients with knee OA were recruited and separated into two groups; an NSAID group and a chondroitin sulfate (CS) group.

The NSAID group was given the NSAID and a placebo for the first month, then placebo alone for months 2-3. The CS group was given the NSAID and CS for the first month, and then CS alone for months 2-3. Both groups were then given 1200mg of CS for months 4-6.

Patients treated with the NSAID showed prompt and plain reduction of clinical symptoms, which, however, reappeared after the end of treatment; in the CS group, the therapeutic response appeared later in time but lasted for up to 3 months after the end of treatment. CS seems to have slow but gradually increasing clinical activity in OA; these benefits last for a long period after the end of treatment.

MSM

MSM is being touted as a magic bullet for treating arthritis pain - just as its mother compound, DMSO, was in the 1960s. What?s the true story behind these compounds? Can they help - or hurt?

After James Coburn won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor this year, he credited the supplement MSM for helping him overcome the pain and disability of rheumatoid arthritis. MSM, he said in many interviews, made it possible for him to work.

MSM (which stands for methylsulfonylmethane), was already selling briskly, and with added publicity from Coburn, sales have boomed. Hundreds of vendors market it for a range of ailments including pain and/or inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia and gout; and to correct constipation, relieve allergies, control stomach acidity and - believe it or not - stop snoring.

However, there?s not much on which to base these claims: There are numerous testimonials, but little hard scientific data on MSM?s safety or benefits. ?How can we say if it?s safe or not - much less, if it works?? asks David Pisetsky, MD, chief of rheumatology at Duke University Medical Center and an arthritis researcher. ?We just don?t know enough about it.?

STANLEY JACOB, MD


Stanley Jacob, MD, the doctor who developed MSM, acknowledges that the ?arthritis cure? claims are over-hyped. While Dr. Jacob stands by the many benefits of MSM, he is quick to point out that it?s not a ?cure.?

?I don?t know of a single disease that MSM cures. We are not curing arthritis - I want that understood,? says Dr. Jacob. He says MSM?s major benefit for those with OA and RA is pain relief: It hasn?t been shown to repair or preserve cartilage or to modify or stop progression or joint destruction caused by autoimmune types of arthritis, and its effects last only as long as the supplement is taken.

Some rheumatologists are suspicious of MSM because of its relationship to DMSO - a substance that has stirred controversy since the 1960s. MSM is a sulfur compound plentiful in fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, fish and grains, but quickly destroyed when foods are processed. Vendors say MSM boosts sulfur levels; they also say it is a ?natural? product, but the supplement being sold is actually a chemical compound made from DMSO.

What?s the real story on MSM? We had to look at the history of DMSO to find some answers.

The Mother Compound

DMSO (which stands for dimethyl sulfoxide) is a versatile compound with many uses and a checkered past.

It is both a prescription drug and an industrial solvent. It?s formed as a byproduct of wood pulp processing; its use is determined by the quality: You will find industrial-grade DMSO in paint thinner and antifreeze, and medical-grade DMSO in many medical laboratories. Its industrial usefulness comes from its remarkable solvent qualities, and much of its medical value from its ability to transport other substances through cell membranes. It is also reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Medical-grade DMSO is safe, and is widely used in medical processes. DMSO is the chemical used to protect human tissue (such as bone marrow, stem cells and embryos) when frozen for storage. It?s also an FDA-approved prescription drug (called Rimso) given by catheter for interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition.

Dr. Jacob says thousands of scientific papers have been published about DMSO?s chemistry, including test tube, animal and human studies. Some have shown DMSO can relieve muscle and joint pain; reduce inflammation; soften collagen to relieve scleroderma symptoms; help heal skin ulcers caused by diabetes and scleroderma; and relieve blood vessel constrictions common to Raynaud?s phenomenon. Other research has suggested it may help prevent brain damage after stroke or head injuries. And it appears to have few side effects, even at very high dosages.

DMSO is approved for use in many other countries for arthritis and related conditions. In fact, a new drug, combining DMSO with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac is being considered by the FDA for approval as a prescription topical NSAID (see ?A Stronger Topical NSAID?).

SHOULDER JOINT


So why the controversy?

DMSO: Why the Controversy?

The controversial history of DMSO begins with Dr. Jacob, a Harvard-trained surgeon with an endowed chair at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), where he has a special clinic for the use of DMSO.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Jacob headed the organ transplant program at OHSU and was looking for a substance to preserve organs being stored for transplant when he stumbled across DMSO. Further research uncovered DMSO?s medical uses, and it was soon being hailed as a wonder drug.

But in the mid-?60s, DMSO fell out of favor with the FDA during its testing phase when an animal study, using high doses, showed changes in the lens of the eye. (There have, however, been no reports of problems with eyes of participants in human studies.)

DMSO?s ability as a solvent to transport molecules across cell membranes was also a potential problem. It meant that when used topically DMSO could carry anything - including toxins - straight through the skin and directly into the body.

DMSO also has a harmless but unpleasant side effect: Taken internally or even used externally, it causes a bad taste in the mouth and makes those who use it smell like garlic or oysters.

And so medical-grade DMSO faded from the consumer marketplace. Its reputation was further sullied as reports of bad reactions from arthritis patients who had used industrial-grade products bought at roadside stands or gas stations came to light.

Nonetheless, DMSO was approved in 1978 as the prescription drug Rimso for interstitial cystitis. Because medical-grade DMSO is an approved prescription drug (although only for one use), it can?t legally be sold over the counter or as a dietary supplement. Therefore, most of the DMSO people have been trying for the past 30 years has been the same quality used in industrial solvents - in other words, unfit for human use - and doctors have been rightly suspicious of these products.

Enter MSM

Meanwhile, as Dr. Jacob and other researchers at OHSU continued to study DMSO, they found that 15 percent of DMSO was broken down into another sulfur compound in the human body. The compound, which they called MSM, had many of the helpful qualities of DMSO, with some distinct advantages: It lacked the distinctive oyster-garlic smell; it didn?t have the sullied history of DMSO; and it could be sold directly to consumers as a dietary supplement.

But it also lacked research: Unlike DMSO, which has many published studies and evidence of safety, there was little scientific evidence for or against MSM. Animal studies found MSM eased RA-like symptoms in mice, and it prolonged life for mice with a condition similar to lupus nephritis.

But even now, there are no scientifically accepted human studies, and what works in animals doesn?t always work in humans. Dr. Jacob and others have conducted human studies that they say show MSM relieves the pain of OA and other conditions.

However, these studies are not published in peer-reviewed medical journals, and there is a potential conflict of interest: Dr. Jacob also serves as medical director for a company that produces and sells MSM.

Dr. Jacob contends MSM does not need research because the DMSO studies can be applied to this breakdown product. He also says MSM is safe, citing animal toxicology studies from manufacturers.

What Rheumatologists Say

The rheumatologists we interviewed consider MSM an unproven remedy. So far, MSM shows most promise as a pain reliever. As for DMSO, rheumatologists don?t know much about the scientific evidence and were skeptical, and patients said they don?t like the oyster-garlic smell.

A handful of rheumatologists are cautiously recommending MSM. Kenneth Nyman, MD, a rheumatologist and internal medicine specialist in Tarzana, Calif., recommends MSM for OA and for pain, but not as a substitute for prescription arthritis drugs. ?My patients with aggressive RA need aggressive treatment with proven disease-modifying drugs,? he says. ?I use MSM in conjunction with those drugs.? (Dr. Nyman has no financial involvement in MSM.)

But some physicians are concerned that MSM may interfere with other drugs and cause complications. ?MSM is a real mystery,? says Ronenn Roubenoff, MD, a rheumatologist and nutritional expert at Tufts University/ New England Medical School. Sulfur compounds, like those in MSM, are ?very active in the body and can have powerful effects,? he says. ?We really don?t know what the effects will be over time,? he says.

?MSM is worth clinical trials,? says Dr. Roubenoff. ?We need to keep an open mind, and not just reject things out of hand. But we also shouldn?t give up the scientific method just because there is a lot of hype about a product. It needs to be tested.?

Bottom line: MSM may be safe, but there is no convincing scientific evidence it helps arthritis. And DMSO may help with a number of arthritis-related conditions, but it is not safe for consumers to use products available on the open market.

Good Advice: MSM and DMSO

DMSO and MSM are both taken several ways: orally; applied externally as lotions or gels; given intravenously and injected.

If you decide to experiment with these substances, be sure to tell your doctor and ask your doctor to monitor you for any adverse effects with regular blood, kidney and liver function tests.
Don?t stop taking disease-modifying medication if you have RA or another autoimmune disease.

Consult your doctor if you are taking heparin or other blood-thinners, including herbs and aspirin, because both substances may have some blood thinning effects.

Good Advice: MSM

Buy MSM only from an established company that you can be sure will stand by its products - and be wary of companies making ?miracle? and other hyped claims.

Start with a low dosage of 500 milligrams (mg) or less twice a day and gradually increase the amount until you notice some effect. Most sources suggest 1,000 mg (1 gram) twice a day. MSM is most often taken in capsules or dissolved in a liquid.

Be patient. But if you don?t see any difference after two months, you may never - and it may not be worth continuing to expose yourself to unknown risks.

Tell your doctor if you get diarrhea, stomach upsets or mild cramps; these side effects are common, especially at higher doses. Lowering the dose may stop these symptoms.

Good Advice: DMSO

Don?t buy DMSO on your own: Ask your doctor to find a medical-grade source. Almost all DMSO available to the public is industrial grade - including most veterinary DMSO and products sold in health food stores and on the Internet - and may not be safe for medical use.

Do not try DMSO without a doctor?s help. It?s a powerful transdermal agent, which means it can carry anything that touches it through your skin and into your body.

If you have a reaction, stop using the product and see your doctor. Some people may have an allergic reaction, skin irritation or itching from DMSO applied externally.

Be aware DMSO has been known to cause bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth (like garlic or oysters) among those who use it, whether it?s taken orally or applied to the skin.
Judith Horstman, author of The Arthritis Foundation?s Guide to Alternative Therapies (Arthritis Foundation, 1999), is a contributing editor to Arthritis Today. She writes regularly about alternative and complementary therapies.

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A Stronger Topical NSAID?

Why not get the pain medicine right to the joint that hurts - and avoid unwanted systemic side effects from pills? Soon, there may be a drug available in the United States to do just that.

A Canadian company has applied for FDA approval for what would be the first prescription topical NSAID to be marketed in the United States.

Called Pennsaid (for penetrating NSAID), the drug uses the penetrating properties of DMSO as a vehicle to carry the prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac through the skin to joint, says Peter Block, corporate communications director for Dimethaid, the Ontario-based company seeking to market the drug.

(Over-the-counter salicylate, or aspirin-like, creams are already available. Dimethaid says this prescription drug uses a stronger NSAID, and that the DMSO will make it penetrate deeper.)

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid, or HA, is a naturally occurring polymer found in every tissue of the body. It is particularly concentrated in the skin (almost fifty percent of all HA in the body is found in the skin) and in synovial fluid.

The body's hyaluronic acid content decreases with aging, due either to reduced synthesis or as a result of being redistributed in tissues. Both mechanisms decrease the availability and capability of HA to maintain healthy skin and joints. HA is composed of alternating units of n-acetyl-d-glucosamine and d-glucuronate.

Pure Encapsulations HA is derived from rooster comb. HA may also be derived from bacterial fermentation but this form is not considered to be as pure or have the safety profile of rooster comb HA.

Some forms of rooster comb HA consist of large molecular weight compounds ranging in size from 500,000 to 6,000,000 daltons. Because this is too large to be absorbed in the intestines, HA found in Pure Encapsulations formula undergoes a sophisticated, patent-pending enzymatic process that alters the molecular weight of the material but not the chemical composition.

The final result is an easily absorbed HA polymer with a molecular weight of 5,000 daltons. This polymer's functions include attracting and retaining water in the extracellular matrix of tissues, in the layers of skin, and in synovial fluid. For skin cells, this is essential for proper cell-to-cell communication, hydration, nutrient delivery, and waste and toxin elimination.

HA also appears to support the skin by promoting healthy turnover and renewal of keratinocytes, moderating the appearance of fine lines and age spots. For joints, HA is especially supportive of healthy lubrication and shock absorption. Furthermore, in vitro studies indicate that HA modulates prostaglandin production, providing additional support for joint function.

In an animal study, low molecular weight HA demonstrated the ability to be absorbed orally. Subjective evaluations conducted by scientists at a Japanese university involved 96 individuals. The reports suggest an enhancement of skin and joint health using low molecular weight HA. A number of anecdotal and preliminary results also indicate a positive effect on skin and joint health.

Pure Encapsulations low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid derived from rooster comb provides support for a healthy and youthful appearance by hydrating and smoothing the skin in addition to moderating the appearance of fine lines and age spots. Hyaluronic acid also supports joint function and comfort by promoting healthy synovial fluid composition and joint lubrication.

Hyaluronic acid occurs in abundant amounts in many of the places people with connective tissue disorders have problems such as the joints, the eyes, the skin and heart valves. Hyaluronic acid is needed to cushion and lubricate joints, eyes, skin and heart valves.

People with connective tissue disorders and related features all seem to have abnormalities of hyaluronic acid. In every study I found that analyzed hyaluronic acid levels in people with connective tissue disorders or related disorders, when compared to controls they always had hyaluronic acid abnormalities.

HA is influenced by nutrition and other environmental factors. Many of the features of premature aging syndromes and connective tissue disorders are also known to be caused by nutritional deficiencies, and not surprisingly these are often the same nutritional factors that influence the manufacture of hyaluronic acid. My theory is that this is not all one big coincidence. Logically, it is more likely to be a predictable sequence of causes and effects.

Hyaluronic acid is being used commercially or experimentally to correct a large portion of the problems found in connective tissue disorders such as fractures, eye disorders, poor wound healing and prematurely wrinkled skin. It would be highly logical to consider the possibility that hyaluronic acid works to correct these problems because defects or deficiencies of hyaluronic acid are what cause these problems in the first place.

Perhaps controlling or optimizing the environmental factors, such as modifying ones diet, to optimize hyaluronic acid levels would be helpful in treating many inherited connective tissue disorders and premature aging syndrome.

Hyaluronic acid, or commercial preparations containing hyaluronic acid, are in use or being studied to be used, to prevent, treat or aid in the surgical repair for many the types of problems people with connective tissue disorders tend to have such as:

Fractures
Hernias
Glaucoma
Keratoconus
Detached retinas
Osteoarthritis (HA injections are the new breakthrough treatment for this condition)
Muscle contractures
TMJ
Prevents scarring
Vocal cord insufficiency
Wrinkled skin
Cartilage damage
Wound healing
Ligament Healing

Hyaluronic acid becomes abnormally elevated in the skin of swine who have zinc deficiencies. Magnesium is needed for hyaluronic acid synthesis.

Perhaps a lack of magnesium is one of the factors in some connective tissue disorders. Magnesium supplementation is an established treatment for many of the symptoms of connective tissue disorders, such as fibromyalgia, mitral valve prolapse and contractures. (See my related topics on Magnesium and Mitral Valve Prolapse.)

Ascorbic acid can degrade hyaluronic acid. Estrogen treatment increases activity of hyaluronic acid. Estrogen is known to increase utilization of nutrients like magnesium and zinc - nutrients that are known to affect hyaluronic acid levels. Cigarette smoke is known to degrade hyaluronic acid.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

Praying for Power and Fullness (Part 2)
By Ralph I. Tilley

As we continue our study of Ephesians 3:14-21, we see that one of the great needs for those who have trusted in Christ is to become established in Christ. This is the apostle's intense and constant prayer burden for his converts. He frames his intercession in these words: "that He would grant you . . . to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, . . ."(1)

Believers cannot be established in Christ apart from the inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit. One will never resist temptation from without, or the cravings of natural and normal passions from within, apart from the Spirit's empowering grace providing the believer the ability to say "No" to the Adversary and fallen flesh.

It is the Holy Spirit who is the Christian's internal Helper. The Lord Jesus, confiding in His disciples a short while before going to the cross, assured them: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, . . ."(2) These same disciples received this Helper during one of Christ's post-resurrection appearances: "He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' "(3) This was a definitive reception of the Spirit. However, it was not until the day of Pentecost that the Spirit invaded the hearts of these disciples in unhindered, cleansing fullness: "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit."(4)

Accompanying the Spirit's inner strengthening is Christ's making our hearts His home through the instrument of faith: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." As noted in the previous article, the thrust of Paul's prayer burden here is that these believers would welcome Christ to make their hearts His home. Such a need was expressed by Henry Lyte when he penned these words:

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But, as thou dwell'st with thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free,
Come, not to sojourn, but abide with me!(5)

How many converts there are who have experienced God's forgiveness and regenerating and justifying graces, but possess a divided heart, divided loyalties. Christ has not been welcomed to take possession of every room and corner. When one does, however, invite Christ to enter fully, without qualification and reservation, what release, rest, joy, and power! Instinctively, the language of Jean Sophia Pigott becomes the language of the soul:

Make my life a bright outshining
Of Thy life, that all may see
Thine own resurrection power
Mightily put forth in me.
Ever let my heart become
Yet more consciously Thy home.(6)

Established in Love

Paul continues to pray. He prays for those who experience the Spirit's inner strengthening and Christ's welcomed indwelling, that these may be "rooted and grounded in love." As noted above, a Christian will never become established in Christ, mature in Christ, apart from cooperating with the Holy Spirit's internal control of his heart. Neither can a believer be established in Christ apart from welcoming Christ to make his heart His home. Only by these operations of God within the hearts of His people can one expect to become "rooted and grounded in love."

Theses two words—"rooted" and "grounded" (literally: "founded")—are interesting terms. Both verbs are perfect, passive participles, hence the subjects are being acted upon. With our will in submission, and cooperating with the will of God in establishing us in love, Paul says it is God Himself, working within the believer, who causes the believer to become established: "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."(7)

"Rooted." Moule suggests this term connotes a "derived life."(8) Spiritual life and holiness are never the native possession of any soul. They come from God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our life. Where there is life, spiritual, regenerating life, God's desire is for this life to sink deeply into the soil of His divine love: "rooted . . . in love."

"Founded." The imagery Paul uses here is taken from the architectural world, and very possibly, he had the Church as God's temple in view. Regardless, clearly Paul has in mind such a prayer vision for these believers that they will become established in love—agape love—God's very own love.

It is into this divine love that the tentacles of our spiritual lives must sink into deeply. It is this divine love upon which our spiritual life is to be founded.

Love's Comprehension

Paul prays that these Ephesian Christians may become so rooted and founded in love that they "may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth . . . ."(9)

One of the first things one notes about this incomplete phrase is the absence of an object. Moule suggests, and I believe correctly so, that the unnamed object is the divine love which the apostle has just referred to, and the love of Christ which he will refer to shortly.(10) Paul's prayer could then read like this: "I pray that God would grant you . . . to be so strengthened and founded in love, that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of God's love."

This comprehension must, of course, be a comprehension which occurs in our spirit. This is not an exercise of the intellect alone. It comes as a result of "the love of God [being] poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us."(11)

In perceiving this immeasurable, fathomless vastness of God's love, we are humbled when we realize how far short we fall in reflecting and demonstrating this love in our homes, churches, life's marketplaces, and in our prayers for others.

For example, how outraged many of us are when we read and see how the homosexual movement in America is demanding marriage rights. Yet how many of us have actually reached out with the love of God to one homosexual? Where is the love of God in all of this outrage? Do we have any right to become indignant at the sinful lifestyles of sinners if we fail to weep over them, embracing them with arms of compassion and love? Do we have any right to protest and boycott and march against these issues, if we have yet to kneel beside the fallen and intercede for the wayward? Should not the words of Fanny Crosby grab us every time we see lost people acting like lost people do?

Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.(12)

Isn't it amazing how many sinners Jesus actually touched—physically touched—and how many sinners Jesus invited to touch Him? I wonder how we will ever reach sinners as long as they make us angry and bother us by their sinful practices? Can it be said of us as it was of our Lord, "He is a friend of sinners"?

I never tire of reading the story of Frank Laubach's turn-around in ministry, a story I'm sure I've related before in these pages. But it's worth repeating—more than worth repeating—it's worth emulating. Frank was a Methodist missionary, a miserable Methodist missionary at that. It occurred to him one day that he was ineffective in his ministry to the people because he didn't love them. One night, during a spiritual retreat, Frank walked up a mountain to be alone. He confessed to God that his ministry was a failure, that he simply didn't love the people. The Spirit prompted him to pray, "Lord, I will not leave this mountain until you give me love for these people." Hours passed. He prayed on. At perhaps three or four o'clock in the morning, he says God's love for men was poured into his heart.

Then a changed man walked down the mountain to tell men about the love of God and to show them that Frank Laubach loved them. He met some Catholic friars, and he told them he loved them. Then he met some Buddhist monks; he told them he loved them. He told the farmers, the women, the childrenChe told everyone he loved them and that God loved them, too. Needless to say, from that day, the hearts of the people were open to the Methodist missionary. They believed God loved them because a loving missionary loved them.

Christ's Love

Furthermore, Paul prays that these believers may "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge."(13) What an oxymoronCapparently. Is Paul actually praying that we might "know" the unknowable? Not really. This word rendered "surpasses" could more correctly be rendered "excels." Paul prays that these believers may experience such a heart-knowledge of Christ's very own love, a love which excels all other loves. It is this quality of love that Methodism's prolific hymn writer wrote about:

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav'n to earth come down;
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
all Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
enter ev'ry trembling heart.(14)

You can't know the love of Christ by reading about it alone, by taking a course in it, by attending a seminar about it. This love is not an exercise of the head as much as it is an experience of the heart. It is the love of Christ, the love which originates with Christ and that flows into our hearts from Christ. It is Christ's very own love.

We "know" this love and experience this love by knowing Christ, by becoming intimately acquainted with Christ, by walking with Christ, by conversing with Christ, by delighting in Christ's presence, by communing with Christ. Frederick Faber was so filled with this love of Christ that one day he wrote:

I love Thee so, I know not how
My transports to control;
Thy love is like a burning fire
Within my very soul.(15)

This is the one thing needed—the love of Christ—which must be experienced in a fuller measure by Christ's people and lived out daily in the midst of life's toughest trials. This world is longing to see the real—real Christians. No, not just the world—the church, too, must long to see the evidences of divine love among us. Evidently Beatrice Clelland was acquainted with this kind of Christian when she penned these words:

Not merely in the words you say,
Not only in the deeds confessed,
But in the most unconscious way,
Is Christ expressed.

Is it a beatific smile,
A holy light upon the brow?
Oh no, I felt His presence while
You laughed just now.

For me, 'twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear to me so dim,
But when you came to me you brought
A sense of Him.

And from your life He beckons me,
And from your heart His love is shed,
Till I lose sight of you and see
The Christ instead.(16)

Paul prayed that his converts would receive a powerful inner strengthening of the Spirit. He prayed this strengthening would result in Christ Himself making their hearts His home. He prayed that such a definitive strengthening would establish these believers in divine love—so much so that they would receive a comprehension of divine love unlike what they had ever experienced before—a quality of love which is found alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The church's greatest evangelist and missionary carried such a prayer burden for the converts of his day. As church leaders, can we do less? As Christians, will we settle for less?!

- Soli Deo Gloria -

(To be continued.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All Bible references are taken from the New American Standard Bible.

1. Ephesians 3:16-17.
2. John 14:16-17a.
3. John 20:22.
4. Acts 2:4.
5. Abide With Me by Henry Lyte.
6. Thou Whose Name is Called Jesus by Jean Sophia Pigott.
7. Philippians 2:13.
8. H.C.G. Moule. Studies in Ephesians. p. 99.
9. Ephesians 3:18.
10. Moule. p. 99.
11. Romans 5:5.
12. Rescue the Perishing by Fanny Crosby.
13. Ephesians 3:19.
14. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley.
15. Frederick Faber in O Jesus, Jesus, Dearest Lord.
16. Indwelt by Beatrice Clelland



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Preparing for Approaching Heaven
heaven

When a person enters the final stage of life on earth, two different dynamics are at work which are closely interrelated and interdependent. On the physical plane, the body begins the final process of shutting down, which will end when all the physical systems cease to function. Usually this is an orderly and undramatic progressive series of physical changes which are not medical emergencies requiring invasive interventions. These physical changes are a normal, natural way in which the body prepares itself to stop, and the most appropriate kinds of responses are comfort enhancing measures.

The other dynamic of the dying process at work is on the emotional-spiritual-mental plane, and is a different kind of process. The spirit of the dying person begins the final process of release from the body, its immediate environment, and all attachments. This release also tends to follow its own priorities, which may include the resolution of whatever is unfinished of a practical nature and reception of permission to “let go” from family members. These events are the normal, natural way in which the spirit prepares to move from this existence into the next dimension of life. The most appropriate kinds of responses to the emotional-spiritual-mental changes are those which support and encourage this release and transition.

When a person’s body is ready and wanting to stop, but the person is still unresolved or unreconciled over some important issue or with some significant relationship, he or she may tend to linger in order to finish whatever needs finishing even though he or she may be uncomfortable or debilitated. On the other hand, when a person is emotionally-spiritually-mentally resolved and ready for this release, but his or her body has not completed its final physical shut down, the person will continue to live until that shut down process ceases.

The experience we call death occurs when the body completes its natural process of shutting down, and when the spirit completes its natural process of reconciling and finishing. These two processes need to happen in a way appropriate and unique to the values, beliefs, and lifestyle of the dying person.

Therefore, as you seek to prepare yourself as this event approaches, the members of your Hospice care team want you to know what to expect and how to respond in ways that will help your loved one accomplish this transition with support, understanding, and ease. This is the great gift of love you have to offer your loved one as this moment approaches.

The emotional-spiritual-mental and physical signs and symptoms of impending death which follow are offered to help you understand the natural kinds of things which may happen and how you can respond appropriately. Not all these signs and symptoms will occur with every person, nor will they occur in this particular sequence. Each person is unique and needs to do things in his or her own way. This is not the time to try to change your loved one, but the time to give full acceptance, support, and comfort.

The following signs and symptoms described are indicative of how the body prepares itself for the final stage of life.

Coolness
The person's hands and arms, feet and then legs may be increasingly cool to the touch, and at the same time the color of the skin may change. This a normal indication that the circulation of blood is decreasing to the body’s extremities and being reserved for the most vital organs. Keep the person warm with a blanket, but do not use one that is electric.

Sleeping
The person may spend an increasing amount of time sleeping, and appear to be uncommunicative or unresponsive and at times be difficult to arouse. This normal change is due in part to changes in the metabolism of the body. Sit with your loved one, hold his or her hand, but do not shake it or speak loudly. Speak softly and naturally. Plan to spend time with your loved one during those times when he or she seems most alert or awake. Do not talk about the person in the person’s presence. Speak to him or her directly as you normally would, even though there may be no response. Never assume the person cannot hear; hearing is the last of the senses to be lost.

Disorientation
The person may seem to be confused about the time, place, and identity of people surrounding him or her including close and familiar people. This is also due in part to the metabolism changes. Identify yourself by name before you speak rather than to ask the person to guess who you are. Speak softly, clearly, and truthfully when you need to communicate something important for the patient’s comfort, such as, It is time to take your medication, and explain the reason for the communication, such as, so you won’t begin to hurt. Do not use this method to try to manipulate the patient to meet your needs.

Incontinence
The person may lose control of urine and/or bowel matter as the muscles in that area begin to relax. Discuss with your Hospice nurse what can be done to protect the bed and keep your loved one clean and comfortable.

Congestion
The person may have gurgling sounds coming from his or her chest as though marbles were rolling around inside these sounds may become very loud. This normal change is due to the decrease of fluid intake and an inability to cough up normal secretions. Suctioning usually only increases the secretions and causes sharp discomfort. Gently turn the person s head to the side and allow gravity to drain the secretions. You may also gently wipe the mouth with a moist cloth. The sound of the congestion does not indicate the onset of severe or new pain.

Restlessness
The person may make restless and repetitive motions such as pulling at bed linen or clothing. This often happens and is due in part to the decrease in oxygen circulation to the brain and to metabolism changes. Do not interfere with or try to restrain such motions. To have a calming effect, speak in a quiet, natural way, lightly massage the forehead, read to the person, or play some soothing music.

Urine Decrease
The person's urine output normally decreases and may become tea colored referred to as concentrated urine. This is due to the decreased fluid intake as well as decrease in circulation through the kidneys. Consult with your Hospice nurse to determine whether there may be a need to insert or irrigate a catheter.

Fluid and Food Decrease
The person may have a decrease in appetite and thirst, wanting little or no food or fluid. The body will naturally begin to conserve energy which is expended on these tasks. Do not try to force food or drink into the person, or try to use guilt to manipulate them into eating or drinking something. To do this only makes the person much more uncomfortable. Small chips of ice, frozen Gatorade or juice may be refreshing in the mouth. If the person is able to swallow, fluids may be given in small amounts by syringe (ask the Hospice nurse for guidance). Glycerin swabs may help keep the mouth and lips moist and comfortable. A cool, moist washcloth on the forehead may also increase physical comfort.

Breathing Pattern Change
The person s regular breathing pattern may change with the onset of a different breathing pace. A particular pattern consists of breathing irregularly, i.e., shallow breaths with periods of no breathing of five to thirty seconds and up to a full minute. This is called Cheyne-Stokes breathing. The person may also experience periods of rapid shallow pant-like breathing. These patterns are very common and indicate decrease in circulation in the internal organs. Elevating the head, and/or turning the person onto his or her side may bring comfort. Hold your loved one’s hand. Speak gently.

Normal Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental Signs and Symptoms with Appropriate Responses

Withdrawal
The person may seem unresponsive, withdrawn, or in a comatose-like state. This indicates preparation for release, a detaching from surroundings and relationships, and a beginning of letting go. Since hearing remains all the way to the end, speak to your loved one in your normal tone of voice, identifying yourself by name when you speak, hold his or her hand, and say whatever you need to say that will help the person let go.

Vision-like experiences
The person may speak or claim to have spoken to persons who have already died, or to see or have seen places not presently accessible or visible to you. This does not indicate an hallucination or a drug reaction. The person is beginning to detach from this life and is being prepared for the transition so it will not be frightening. Do not contradict, explain away, belittle or argue about what the person claims to have seen or heard. Just because you cannot see or hear it does not mean it is not real to your loved one. Affirm his or her experience. They are normal and common. If they frighten your loved one, explain that they are normal occurrences.

Restlessness
The person may perform repetitive and restless tasks. This may in part indicate that something still unresolved or unfinished is disturbing him or her, and prevents him or her from letting go. Your Hospice team members will assist you in identifying what may be happening, and help you find ways to help the person find release from the tension or fear. Other things which may be helpful in calming the person are to recall a favorite place the person enjoyed, a favorite experience, read something comforting, play music, and give assurance that it is OK to let go.

Fluid and Food Decrease
When the person may want little or no fluid or food, this may indicate readiness for the final shut down. Do not try to force food or fluid. You may help your loved one by giving permission to let go whenever he or she is ready. At the same time affirm the person s ongoing value to you and the good you will carry forward into your life that you received from him or her.

Decreased Socialization
The person may only want to be with a very few or even just one person. This is a sign of preparation for release and affirms from whom the support is most needed in order to make the appropriate transition. If you are not part of this inner circle at the end, it does not mean you are not loved or are unimportant. It means you have already fulfilled your task with your loved one, and it is the time for you to say Good-bye. If you are part of the final inner circle of support, the person needs your affirmation, support, and permission.

Unusual communication
The person may make a seemingly out of character or non sequitur statement, gesture, or request. This indicates that he or she is ready to say Good-bye and is testing you to see if you are ready to let him or her go. Accept the moment as a beautiful gift when it is offered. Kiss, hug, hold, cry, and say whatever you most need to say.

Giving Permission
Giving permission to your loved one to let go, without making him or her guilty for leaving or trying to keep him or her with you to meet your own needs, can be difficult. A dying person will normally try to hold on, even though it brings prolonged discomfort, in order to be sure those who are going to be left behind will be all right. Therefore, your ability to release the dying person from this concern and give him or her assurance that it is all right to let go whenever he or she is ready is one of the greatest gifts you have to give your loved one at this time.

Saying Good-bye
When the person is ready to die and you are able to let go, then is the time to say, Good-bye. Saying Good-bye is your final gift of love to your loved one, for it achieves closure and makes the final release possible. It may be helpful to lay in bed and hold the person, or to take his or her hand and then say everything you need to say.

It may be as simple as saying, I love you. It may include recounting favorite memories, places, and activities you shared. It may include saying, I ’m sorry for whatever I contributed to any tension or difficulties in our relationship. It may also include saying, Thank you for...

Tears are a normal and natural part of saying, Good-bye. Tears do not need to be hidden from your loved one or apologized for. Tears express your love and help you to let go.

How Will You Know When Death Has Occurred?
Although you may be prepared for the death process, you may not be prepared for the actual death moment. It may be helpful for you and your family to think about and discuss what you would do if you were the one present at the death moment. The death of a hospice patient is not an emergency. Nothing must be done immediately.

The signs of death include such things as no breathing, no heartbeat, release of bowel and bladder, no response, eyelids slightly open, pupils enlarged, eyes fixed on a certain spot, no blinking, jaw relaxed and mouth slightly open. A hospice nurse will come to assist you if needed or desired. If not, phone support is available.

The body does not have to be moved until you are ready. If the family wants to assist in preparing the body by bathing or dressing, that may be done. Call the funeral home when you are ready to have the body moved, and identify the person as a Hospice patient. The police do not need to be called. The Hospice nurse will notify the physician.

Thank you
We of Hospice thank you for the privilege of assisting you with the care of your loved one. We salute you for all you have done to surround your loved one with understanding care, to provide your loved one with comfort and calm, and to enable your loved one to leave this world with a special sense of peace and love.

You have given your loved one one of the most wonderful, beautiful, and sensitive gifts we humans have to offer, and in giving that gift have given yourself a wonderful gift as well.

Hospice of North Central Florida

Personal Home Page (PHP)
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Personal Home Page. Advanced scripting language for site design.
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(Short for Hypertext Pre-processor) is a server-side, HTML embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web content. PHP scripts can be embedded in HTML code and use similar syntax to the Perl and C programming languages.
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PHP hypertext preprocessor is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development (http://www.php.net/).
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PHP is a script language and interpreter that is freely available from php.net and is used primarily on UNIX Web servers. PHP is an alternative to Microsoft's Active Server Page (ASP) technology.
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A server-side scripting language.
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(Hypertext Preprocessor) open source, server-side HTML scripting languaage used to create dynamic Web pages. PHP is embedded within tags, so the author authorr can move between HTML and PHP instead of using large amounts of code. Because PHP is executed on the server, the viewer cannot see the code. PHP can perform the same tasks as a CGI program can do and is compatible with many different kinds of databases.
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PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor is an open source server side programming language extensively used for web scripts and to process data passed via the Common Gateway Interface from HTML forms etc. PHP can be written as scripts that reside on the server and may produce HTML output that downloads to the web browser. Alternatively, PHP can be embedded within HTML pages that are then saved with a .php file extension. The PHP sections of the page are then parsed by the PHP engine on the server and the PHP code stripped out before the page is downloaded to the web browser
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PHP is a recursive acronym for "PHP Hypertext Preprocessor". It is an open source, interpretive, HTML centric, server side scripting language. PHP is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML pages. Also see PSP, JSP and ASP.
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The PHP Hypertext Preprocessor allows web developers to create dynamic content that interacts with databases. PHP applications are normally found on Linux servers and in conjunction with MySQL databases. It provides those servers with functionality similar to that provided to the Windows platform by Active Server Pages technology.
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A scripting language used to create database interactivity and dynamic content on the Web. Often used with MySQL. PHP is an open source language that can be used on multiple platforms.
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A server-side, cross-platform, HTML-embedded scripting language used to create dynamic web pages. PHP is Open Source software
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What is PHP? see also:
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In Web programming, PHP is a script language and interpreter that is freely available and used primarily on Linux Web servers. PHP, originally derived from Personal Home Page Tools, now stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, which the PHP FAQ describes as a "recursive acronym." PHP is an alternative to Microsoft's Active Server Page (ASP) technology. As with ASP, the PHP script is embedded within a Web page along with its HTML. Before the page is sent to a user that has requested it, the Web server calls PHP to interpret and perform the operations called for in the PHP script
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Self-referentially short for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, an open source, server-side, HTML embedded scripting language used to create Dynamic Web pages. Files created with PHP have the file extension .php.
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A script programming language that can be embedded into HTML. In effect, it turns your HTML pages into a program that is run by the Web server before being displayed, allowing you to customize your site's Web pages on the fly.
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Hypertext Preprocessor - a server-side scripting language used to write web pages that are dynamic and interactive. Note that the acronym itself appears in the expanded version. This is known as a Recursive Acronym - a programmers' joke.
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[ Website ] The scripting language that Etomite is written in. PHP is multi-platform and open source.
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Hypertext Preprocessor. Widely-used open-source programming language mainly used for developing dynamic web sites (web content).
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PHP (originally "Personal Home Page Tools", but now a recursive acro... read more.
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PHP stands for PHP Hypertext Preprocessor - a server-side scripting language for the web.
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PHP is a robust programming language, similar to Microsoft's Active Server Page technology, except that it runs on UNIX servers, rather than Windows based servers. It is used for connecting to a database to create all kinds of web applications, such as product catalogs, changing content, calendars, and e commerce.
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One of the most popular server-side scripting languages on the web. PHP is open-source, and noted for its efficiency and suitability for developing web applications.
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----PHP is a widely-used open-source programming language primarily for server-side applications and developing dynamic web content. The name is a recursive acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor". (This is actually a retronym; see history.)
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Principles of Combining Foods Properly
By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton
Reprinted from Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review



There are sound physiological reasons for eating foods in compatible combinations. In other words, some foods, if mixed in the digestive system, will cause distress!

The principles of food combining are dictated by digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested differently. Starchy foods require an alkaline digestive medium which is supplied initially in the mouth by the enzyme ptyalin. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion- hydrochloric acid.

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and bases (alkalis) neutralize each other. If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested!

The undigested food mass can cause various kinds of digestive disorders. Undigested food becomes soil for bacteria which ferment and decompose it. Its by products are poisonous, one of which, alcohol, is a narcotic that destroys or inhibits nerve function.

It plays havoc with nerves of the digestive tract, suspending their vital action such that constipation may well be a result! As set forth in Dr. Herbert Shelton's FOOD COMBINING MADE EASY these are the salient rules for proper food combining.



The Basic Rules of Proper Food Combining:

1. Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

2. Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

3. Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

4. Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

5. Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

6. Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

7. Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

8. Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

9. Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

120 Years Old and Healthy!
It's Common in the Republic of Georgia
by Nina Anderson

In the Republic of Georgia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, it is not unusual for people to live beyond 100 years of age as active members of society. When Russians marry they propose a toast to the bride and groom gifting them Georgian longevity. What is their secret?

For over 2,000 years, Georgians have consumed Alpine Tea as a daily ritual along with grain kefir containing eleven different probiotics. In addition, the water they drink is full of glacial minerals. It has been theorized that their long lives may be attributed to regular consumption of this traditional yogurt (kefir) and flavonoid-rich foods such as wine and honey, along with their Alpine Tea.

The last verifiable statistics from the Republic of Georgia show that there are almost 23,000 Georgians over the age of 100 based on a population of only 3.2 million people. One of the key reasons for their longevity is Rhododendron caucasicum, the ingredient in Alpine Tea.

It is grown at 10,000- to 30,000-foot elevations in the Caucasian Mountains, Rhododendron caucasicum (also known as "snow rose") contains polyphenolics, including flavonoids and proanthocyanidins. Thirty years of research indicate that the phenylpropanoids in Rhododendron improve physical abilities, increase activity of the cardiovascular system, and increase blood supply to the muscles and especially to the brain.

Rhododendron caucasicum increases resistance of the brain to imbalances due to chemical, physical, and biological reasons. It also is an antibacterial while allowing the good probiotics to thrive. It acts as a detoxicant, is highly P-vitamin active, protecting against capillary fragility, and is an excellent free-radical scavenger. Studies have demonstrated that Rhododendron caucasicum inhibits or abolishes the activity of the enzyme hyaluronidase, known to be an initiator of colon cancer.

Clinical research has been ongoing as to the medicinal uses of this alpine plant. Prof. Dimitry M. Rossiyski, M.D., Meritorious Science Worker at the Soviet Medical Academy of Science, conducted a double-blind placebo study on seventy test subjects diagnosed with circulatory insufficiency and atherosclerosis, some with high blood pressure and evidence of past heart attacks.

A 30 mg/day dose of Rhododendron extract over a 15-day period resulted in the subjects' experiencing a lowered blood pressure, improvement in coronary circulation, decrease of serum cholesterol, and elimination of pain in the chest area. Subsequent studies at the First Central Moscow Hospital showed similar results on heart patients suffering from hardening of the arteries. Doctors Avraamova and Galperin performed clinical studies at the Moscow State Hospital on 24 males and 36 females ages 18-65 diagnosed with mitral valve insufficiency (prolapse).

Improvements were obvious in the patients taking Rhododendron extract over those who did not receive it. The average hearts in those receiving the extract were lowered from 90 to 70 beats per minute and systolic blood pressure was lowered from 177 to 160 mm Hg (Rossiysky 1954).

Again, studies at the First Central Moscow Hospital revealed that when 50 mg of Rhododendron caucasicum diluted in water was given to 170 volunteers suffering from severe gout, the average discharge of uric acid increased 55-60 percent and pain was relieved in a few hours.

The Georgian Academy of Sciences gave 50 to 100 mg per day of the snow rose to 114 patients hospitalized for depression. The results showed a marked decrease in depressive symptoms in 93 of the patients. Similar results were achieved by the Moscow State Hospital study, indicating improvement of 162 patients with severe depression.

One of the key benefits for anti-aging is Rhododendron caucasicum's inhibition of hyaluronidase activity and its subsequent benefit to osteoarthritis patients. One theory regarding the cause of arthritis is that it may appear because of the abnormal release of the enzyme hyaluronidase from the cartilage cells. This leads to cartilage breakdown and destruction of the joint. Perhaps its inhibition of hyaluronidase activity is the key to arthritis prevention.

Rhododendron is also highly antibacterial, perhaps due to the presence of the well-known antibacterial compounds chlorogenic and caffeic acids that are known to exist in this plant. Tests conclude that it is more effective than either grape seed or pine bark as an antibacterial proanthocyanidin. In a 24-hour test of 12,000 Staphylococcus aureus bacteria thriving in solution, all were totally eliminated by Rhododendron, but 300 colonies were still surviving in the grape seed petri dish, and 370 in the pine bark solution.

Rhododendron caucasicum is a unique plant among all other species of Rhododendron and is considered safe for human consumption. It is reported that some Rhododendrons, mainly the flowers, contain grayanotoxins, which are not soluble in water and can be harmful. Therefore, do not just go out to your garden and harvest your backyard Rhododendron!

The snow rose has been used in foreign hospitals to treat heart disease, arthritis, gout, high cholesterol, blood pressure problems, depression, neuroses and psychoses, and concentration problems. Along with a strong regime of probiotic supplementation and maintaining a healthy mineral balance in your body, taking Rhododendron caucasicum may give your body the tools it needs to achieve the level of longevity enjoyed by the elder Georgians.



Oldest Living Person

Ulialia Peres Gien, a Mexican by birth, was known as the oldest person alive. She was 140 when this portrait was taken. Link

This information provided by Professor Dr. Zakir Ramazanov, Ph.D., and excerpted from the book The Secrets of Staying Young (Safe Goods: 1-800-903-3837).