Articles

THE ONE TRUE CAUSE OF DISEASE

In the early 1800s Isaac Jennings, M.D. quietly started a revolution in health care when he noticed that changes in lifestyle produced EXCELLENT RESULTS.

Dr. Jennings, after practicing as a traditional medical doctor for 20 years without getting any significant results, one day he faced a shortage of drugs during a fever outbreak in the summer of 1815, so people in town came to see him with all kinds of symptoms. But he didn't treat them because there weren't any drugs available.

All he could tell them was to go home, rest, and drink lots of fluids.

And what happened? Surprise, surprise these people got well, WITHOUT ANY MEDICINE!

Based on this, he decided to carry out an experiment: he was going to treat people using only placebos (dummy pills) and some common sense instructions that is, he would advise his patients to correct their lifestyle and diet to a more natural approach.

The results were excellent: his patients recovered in absolute record time compared to patients who had been medicated.

In 1822 he gave up medical pills, plasters, powders and potions and treated patients with pills made from bread and coloured water.

He then practised for a further 20 years the - "do nothing mode of treating disease." - Yale University conferred an honorary degree upon him in recognition of his great success substituting pills with placebos.

NOW WE KNOW THAT OUR BODY IS INHERENTLY HEALTHY AND SELF-HEALING AND ALWAYS STRIVES TO MAINTAIN OR RE-ESTABLISH OPTIMAL HEALTHFUL CONDITIONS.

There is no healing force outside the body. Dr. Isaac Jennings

Dr. Jennings is also the founder of the Natural Hygiene Philosophy. Natural Hygiene is a set of principles that people throughout human history have practiced to achieve and MAINTAIN optimum health. Natural Hygiene principles are based upon meeting the body's inherent, natural needs.

Remember, you can never poison your body into being healthy.

Twenty-five years in which I used prescribed drugs, and 33 years in which I have not used prescribed drugs, should make my belief that drugs are unnecessary and in most cases injurious, worth something to those who care to know the truth.

John H. Tilden, M.D. (1940)

 

Who is John Pepper?

I was born in 1934, in the English town of Harrow, which is famous for its public School. Harrow is now inside Greater London, but in those days, it was north of London. I started my schooling at the age of four, in Harrow. The Second World War started in 1939, before I turned five. I moved around a bit, due to the bombing, and had a narrow escape in 1940, when a landmine was dropped in the back garden of my home, and landed in a thick hawthorn hedge, and failed to explode. Had it exploded, I would not be here to tell the tale. My parents decided to leave Harrow in 1942, and moved to the country, away from the bombing. I went to nine different schools, before I gained entrance to another public school, in Winchester, at the age of ten, after passing a scholarship. I was then, at least two years younger than most of the boys in the class. That turned out to be a major mistake in my education. I found it impossible to settle amongst those, much older boys, and consequently became a loner, mainly due to the  bullying I continuously endured for the first two years. I finished school at the age of sixteen, when my father thought that I was old enough to help support my family.

My first job was as an office boy in a bank in Winchester. After one year, I applied for a transfer to an overseas branch of the bank, which turned out to be in Johannesburg, South Africa. There I worked for a further four years, during which I passed all but two of the exams for my Institute of Banker’s Diploma. My elder brother persuaded me to join his employers, Burroughs Machines Ltd, selling adding machines. I did not enjoy selling, but finished up in that company, running the third branch I had established, in the city of Kimberley, which is famous for its diamonds. There I married Shirley Hitchcock, and we had two children. In 1963, I started a new printing business, in partnership with Eric Sulter. That business grew very quickly, until I moved to Johannesburg in 1970, where I started another continuous stationery printing business, while Eric continued to run the Kimberley company.

My Parkinson’s symptoms started in 1963, when I found that I was unable to throw a ball properly. I had never had this problem before, but did not talk to anybody about it. This was followed very quickly by other symptoms, such as the inability to write properly, constipation and chest infections. Then in the seventies I suffered from chronic depression and speech problems, together with other movement problems, such as dropping things and spilling my food. I was finally diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992, when I had started to walk badly, while dragging one leg and shuffling my feet.

In 1960, I had an accident, on-stage, lifting a dancer. I prolapsed a disc in my lower back. After ten years of pain and suffering, I was advised to do exercise to strengthen my back muscles. This helped me overcome the back problems, until 1977, when I had the offending disc removed. From then onwards, right up till today, I have done regular exercise, mainly aerobic walking these days. I also have been going to the gym, on and off for over forty years. I am not a lover of exercise, but I am very grateful for what it has done for me, since I started in 1970.

There were three unusual situations regarding my Pd history. I was bodily, very fit, which was not very common amongst Pd patients at the time of diagnosis; In 1994 I was prescribed a monotherapy of an MAO-b inhibitor, which stops the natural breakdown of dopamine, in the brain, which gives us the use of a greater amount of our own dopamine; I did not take any levodopa medication after the first two years of being diagnosed, which was extremely unusual; I gave up my high-powered job within three months of diagnosis, which relieved me of an enormous amount of stress; Many patients are not in the position to lose a large amount of their monthly income, as I was prepared to do. 

All three of these circumstances have been responsible, in my opinion, for my good health today. Energetic exercise causes the brain to produce a substance called GDNF (Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which repairs the damaged brain cells. This was proved by scientists and announced to the Parkinson’s world in 2006, in Washington DC, at the 1st World Parkinson's Cingress. The medication has also been independently proven to help slow down or even reverse Parkinson’s. From this you will see that doctors and scientists have known for many years that there is a lot we can do to help us overcome Pd. It does not appear to be in their interests to tell us this.

Because I no longer need to take any Patrkinson;'s medication and I live a normal life, I feel that I have to tell the world about my good fortune, and hope that others will follow in my footsteps. I am now seventy-nine, in 2014 and hope to live a normal life for many more years to come.

John Pepper 2014

 

 

Why did I Create This Website?

I’d like to think it is to make more people aware that there really is something we can all do to improve our quality of life, if we have Parkinson’s disease. I have spent many thousands of Rands, travelling all over the country, talking to other sufferers and Care-givers. I have always tried to make my visits part of a holiday. Sometimes I only spend a day in a place and move on, it depends how busy I am and how many people I really know.

I also want the website to bring about an awareness of my latest book, REVERSE PARKINSON’S DISEASE! Yes it really is possible to reverse Parkinson’s disease. I don’t know so much about those of us, who have had it for a long time. I don’t say that they cannot do anything to help themselves, but it is going to be a lot harder for them, than it was for me. Although my Parkinson’s started in 1963, it was only in 1992, that the neurologist was able to diagnose it, because of all the exercise I had been doing since 1970..

My symptoms started in 1963, when I found that I could not throw a ball properly. That was followed quite quickly by finding that nobody could read my handwriting, it got so bad. Then many of the other symptoms followed, one by one.

My neurologist said to me, “Parkinson’s disease is a neurological, degenerative disease, for which there is no cure. Get used to it, and get on with your life. You will continue to become more and more rigid, until you finally become bed-ridden and unable to move at all.” I did get on with my life, but I did not get used to the idea of becoming completely bed-ridden. That thought was too difficult for me to imagine. I fought hard to keep whatever movement I still had.

Unbeknown to me, at the time, I was already doing two things that definitely helped me to reverse my symptoms. It will take me many hours to tell you my whole story, so I wrote a book, and I hope you will want to know what I did, and what you can do, to bring about a reversal of your condition.

My website will tell you everything you need to know about what to do to reverse Parkinson’s Disease, but only you can do it for yourself. Nobody else can do it for you.

Knowing the facts, without knowing anything about why this or that works, isn’t good enough. You won’t be motivated to do what has to be done. There are no easy ways out. I have to make you want to do all the work, because, if you do, YOU WILL GET ALL THE BENEFIT, NOT ME!

John Pepper

 

 

The Five Most Important Actions Needed to Take Control of Parkinson’s Disease

 

I am not a doctor, I am a Parkinson’s Patient with 51 years of experience. These are the actions, which have helped me:

 

1.    Regular Energetic Exercise

 

2.    An MAO-b Inhibitor as the only Medication       

 

3.    Learn how to Take Conscious Control of all movements

 

4.    Manage Stress Levels

 

5.    Adopt a Positive Attitude

 

John Pepper

 

 

Power of the mind to move treatment further

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Dr. Monique Giroux

PD Community Blog of NWPF - I have just completed a series of on mind-body medicine and the power of the mind in improving one’s outlook, treatment outcomes and perhaps life trajectory when living with a chronic condition. An experience at a recent lecture coupled with my own observations as a physician has led to the following observations:

1. You don’t need a lot of special props programs or techniques.

2. Be intentional. Identify what your intentions and goals are and how you are going to pay attention to the goal in the moment. This will help you identify and complete the steps needed to get there.

3. Find a moment. You may not need 20 or 40 minutes to get started. Simply taking two minutes for yourself, engaging your mind’s power on that very moment is the best way to get started

4. De-stress. Learn what works best for you – yoga tai chi, deep breathing exercises, aromatherapy, medication or guided imagery to name a few of the stress reduction techniques or activities available to you.

5. Learn to label your feelings or ideas. Science tells us that simply labelling our feelings or identifying the cause of our fears, concerns or reactions helps us deal better with distressing life events

6. Practice loving kindness. To others and equally important our selves.

7. Combine these stress reduction techniques and/or positive affirming techniques with medical care for the best response. What would happen if you couple a few minutes of guided imagery or meditation after taking a medication, exercising or any other treatment helpful for you condition. The additive effects may surprise you.

Add your own observation or activity you have found helpful to enhance the powerful effects of mind on body by replying with your own comment

http://nwpfcommunity.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/power-of-the-mind-to-move-treatment-further/

 

 

The Dangers Of Toxic Metals

http://www.lifedynamix.com/articles/Medicine/Toxic_Metals.html

By Lawrence Wilson M.D.

Toxic metals comprise a group of minerals that have no known function in the body and in fact are harmful. Today mankind is exposed to the highest levels of these metals in recorded history, thanks to their industrial use and burning of coal, petroleum and incineration of waste material. They affect everyone and are a major cause of illness, aging and even genetic defects.

The study of toxic metals is part of nutrition and toxicology, areas not emphasized in medical schools. For this reason, these important causes of disease are accorded little attention in conventional mainstream medicine. This article focuses on the extent of toxic metal problems sources of toxic metals, symptoms and how to remove them.

 

INTRODUCTION TO THE MINERALS

Minerals are the building blocks of our bodies. They are required for body structure, fluid balance, protein structures and to produce hormones. They are a key for the health of every body system and function. They act as co-factors, catalysts or inhibitors of all enzymes in the body. Copper and iron, for example, along with other minerals are required for the electron transport system, and thus needed for all cellular energy production.

Minerals are classified into four groups: The macrominerals, or those needed in large quantity, include calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, copper and zinc. Required trace minerals include manganese, chromium, selenium, boron, bromine, silicon, iodine, vanadium, lithium, molybdenum, cobalt, germanium and others. Possibly required trace minerals include fluorine, arsenic, rubidium, tin, niobium, strontium, gold, silver and nickel. Toxic metals include beryllium, mercury, lead, cadmium, aluminum, antimony, bismuth, barium, uranium and others.

These categories overlap slightly because assessing minerals that are required by humans is problematic. Some may be needed in minuscule amounts. Clinical studies to prove this by depriving people of vital minerals would be cruel and possibly disastrous.

Also, note that minerals needed in lesser quantities are usually toxic in greater amounts. Examples are copper, iron, manganese, selenium and vanadium. Even calcium and sodium are quite toxic in excess.

 

TOXIC METAL DANGERS

Today mankind is exposed to the highest levels in recorded history of lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, copper, tin, antimony, bromine, bismuth and vanadium. Levels are up to several thousand times higher than in primitive man. In my clinical experience, everyone has excessive amounts of some or all of the toxic metals.

Toxic metals are also persistent and cumulative. The late Dr. Henry Schroeder, MD, who was a world authority on trace elements, wrote:

Most organic substances are degradable by natural processes. (However), no metal is degradable, they are here to stay for a long time.

Toxic metals replace nutrient minerals in enzyme binding sites. When this occurs, the metals inhibit, overstimulate or otherwise alter thousands of enzymes. An affected enzyme may operate at 5% of normal activity. This may contribute to many health conditions. Toxic metals may also replace other substances in other tissue structures. These tissues, such as the arteries, joints, bones and muscles, are weakened by the replacement process. Toxic metals may also simply deposit in many sites, causing local irritation and other toxic effects. They may also support development of fungal, bacterial and viral infections that are difficult or impossible to eradicate until this cause is removed.

The mineral replacement process often involves the idea of preferred minerals. For example, the body prefers zinc for over 50 critical enzymes . However, if zinc becomes deficient - and our soil and food are very low in zinc today - or exposure to cadmium, lead or mercury is sufficiently high, the body will use these in place of zinc. Cadmium, in particular, is located just below zinc in the periodic table of the elements, so its atomic structure is very similar to that of zinc. It almost fits perfectly in the zinc binding sites of critical enzymes such as RNA transferase, carboxypeptidase, alcohol dehydrogenase and many others or great importance in the body.

The ability to replace a vital mineral means, however, that toxic metals are not completely harmful. Indeed, they can extend life. They keep bodies functioning when vital minerals are deficient.

An analogy is to imagine taking an automobile journey. If one is far away from a repair shop when a key part like the fan belt breaks, if one had a spare piece of rope, one could tie it around the pulleys and continue the trip slowly. The rope would not function nearly as well as the original part, but would allow one to keep going. This is how toxic metals can function positively in the body. Many people limp along on grossly deficient diets, and are even born deficient and toxic. They do not realize their fatigue and other symptoms are due to the presence of incorrect replacement parts in their biological engine compartments. Depending on where toxic metals accumulate, the resulting effects may be given names such as hypothyroidism, diabetes or cancer.

 

MODERN DIETS AND TOXIC METALS

The danger of toxic metals is greatly aggravated today by the low mineral content of most of our food supply. An abundance of vital minerals protects against toxic metals. Vital minerals compete with toxic metals for absorption and utilization in enzymes and other tissue structures. However, when food is low in essential minerals, the body absorbs and makes use of more toxic metals. To continue the previous analogy, we are not stocking up sufficiently on factory parts, so we must use the greatly inferior replacement parts ≠ toxic metals. Causes for the low mineral content of almost all agricultural products are primarily:

Hybrid crops are bred for production or disease resistance, rather than superior nutrition.

Superphosphate fertilizers produce higher yields by stimulating growth, but do not provide all the trace elements.

Monoculture, the growing of just one crop over and over on the same piece of land, eventually depletes the soil.

Toxic sprays damage soil microorganisms needed to help plants absorb minerals from the soil.

Food refining and processing almost always reduce the mineral content of our food. Whole wheat flour, when milled to make white flour, loses 40% of its chromium, 86% of its manganese, 89% of its cobalt, 78% of its zinc and 48% of its molybdenum. Refining cane into sugar causes even greater losses. EDTA may be added to frozen foods to retain their color. However, this chelating agent removes minerals that otherwise would cause the surface minerals to ?tarnishπ, discoloring the vegetables.

According to Dr. Weston Price, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, primitive man ate 5 to 11 times the amount of the essential minerals in his diet as modern man . The term 'empty calories' aptly describes most of our food today.

 

SOURCES AND DETECTION OF TOXIC METALS

For a more complete list of sources for each of the major toxic metals organized by the metal, see the Reference Guide at the end of this article.

Food Sources. Food grown near highways or downwind of industrial plants may contain lead and other toxic amounts of metals. Even organic home gardens may be contaminated if, for example, old house paint containing lead leaches lead into the soil.

Lead is considered the most widely distributed toxic metal due to its many uses in industry. However, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and particularly aluminum are just as widespread if not more, but are less well-studied.

Pesticides used on fruits, vegetables and many other foods may contain arsenic, lead, copper, mercury and other toxic metals.

Fish, especially those caught near the coast or in contaminated streams or lakes, are universally contaminated. Shellfish and bottom feeders in particular contain excessive cadmium, mercury and other toxic metals. Large fish concentrate mercury a million times or more. The federal government recently issued a warning that pregnant and lactating women should avoid tuna, shark, king mackerel and other large fish. I recommend everyone avoid these fish!

Table salt has aluminum added as an anti-caking agent. Sea salt is much better. Beverages in aluminum cans or food cooked in aluminum may contain elevated levels of aluminum. Ceramic plates and cookware from other nations often contain leaded glazes that come off onto the food.

Hydrogenated oils found in commercial peanut butter, margarines including soy margarine and vegetable shortening may contain nickel and cadmium used as catalysts.

Drinking Water. This is the most important source of toxic metals for most people. Aluminum, copper, toxic chlorides and fluorides are added to many municipal water supplies. Aluminum allows dirt to settle out of the water, while copper kills algae that grows in reservoirs. Chlorine is used to disinfect water, although ozone works very well and is a far more healthful treatment. Wells and even municipal water may also contain some lead, arsenic and other undesirable metals. Galvanized and black plastic pipes can be an important source of cadmium. Lead-soldered pipes and copper pipes may increase these metals in the drinking water if the water is soft. It is an uncommon problem in hard water areas.

Fluoride compounds added to drinking water are extremely toxic. They have found their way into ground water supplies, and thus into the food chain. Fluoride levels in foods processed with water may be very high, especially baby foods and reconstituted fruit juices. Health authorities who recommend fluoridating the water rarely if ever take into account fluorides already found in natural foods, foods processed with fluoridated water and fluoridated toothpaste. The combination adds up to overload in all cases.

Hydrofluosilicic acid, the chemical often used to fluoridate drinking water, is a smokestack waste that contains lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, benzene and radioactive waste material .

Note that carbon and carbon block filters do not remove most toxic metals from water. Only distillation and reverse osmosis remove most toxic metals. Good quality spring water is probably best way to avoid the most common source of toxic metals and at the same time obtain vital minerals.

Airborne Sources of Toxic Metals. Most toxic metals are effectively absorbed by inhalation. Auto and particularly aircraft exhaust, industrial smoke and products from incinerators are among the airborne sources of toxic metals and other chemicals. Burned high in the atmosphere, aircraft fuel deposits everywhere and affects everyone on earth.

Burning coal can release mercury, lead and cadmium among other metals . Iranian and Venezuelan oil are high in vanadium. Other oil is excessive in toxic sulphur compounds. Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline for many years. Residues are present on pavement and may settle on buildings, cropland and elsewhere. Today, manganese is added to gasoline. Uranium exposure is largely from airborne sources such as nuclear tests and accidental nuclear releases.

Older methods of incineration of electronic parts, plastics, treated fabrics, batteries and even diapers release all the toxic metals into the air. The use of scrubbers and newer methods of very high temperature incineration are much better.

Cigarette and marijuana smoke are high in cadmium, found in cigarette paper. Pesticides used on these crops may contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals.

Medications. Many patented prescription and over-the-counter drugs contain toxic metals. Cipro (fluoquinolones) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are fluoride-containing chemicals, for example. Thimerisol, a mercury-containing preservative, is used in some vaccines, including all flu shots. Independent evaluation of a large study that is part of the Centers For Disease Control Vaccine Safety Datalink concluded that children are 27 times as likely to develop autism after exposure to three thimerisol-containing vaccines than those who receive thimerisol-free versions.

Thiazide diuretics contain mercury. These include Maxzide, Diazide and many others. Antacids such as Ryopan, Gaviscon, Maalox, Mylanta and many others are very high in aluminum. Antibiotics may also contain toxic substances including metals.

Direct Skin Contact. Almost all anti-perspirants and many cosmetics contain aluminum. Dental amalgams contain mercury, copper and other metals. Dental bridges and other appliances often contain nickel. Prostheses and pins used to hold bones together may contain nickel and other toxic metals. Copper intra-uterine devices, if left in place for years, release a tremendous amount of copper into the body. Soaps, body lotions and creams often contain toxic compounds. A few hair dyes contain lead. Selsun Blue shampoo contains selenium that is quite toxic in high doses.

Household lawn and garden chemicals may contain lead, arsenic and other compounds. Mercury treated seeds and arsenic-treated wood are other common sources of toxic metals.

Occupational exposure is important for plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, printers, ironworkers, office workers and many other occupations. Workers need to wear gloves, masks and take other precautions when handling inks, metals and other toxic materials.

Congenital Toxic Metals. Today, all children are born with some toxic metals acquired in utero. All the toxic metals pass through the placenta from mother to child. This is seen clearly when reviewing mineral analyses of infants, such as that of Chloe, age 4 months, shown in the figure.

 

DETECTING TOXIC METALS

Toxic metals are not easy to detect as they lodge deep within tissues and organs. Serum tests are helpful at times, and not helpful for most chronic exposure. Toxic metals are removed from the blood rapidly and deposited in storage organs and tissues where they will do less damage.

Tissue tests such as hair mineral analysis are therefore more often helpful. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reviewed over 400 reviews of the use of hair for toxic metal detection and concluded that:

Hair is a meaningful and representative tissue for (biological monitoring for) antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium and perhaps selenium and tin.

The author of a study of lead toxicity in Massachusetts school children, Dr. R. Tuthill, concluded:

Scalp hair should be considered a useful clinical and epidemiological approach for the measurement of chronic low-level lead exposure in children.

Skilled interpretation of the hair analysis is required. For example, when aluminum is elevated in the hair, iron and manganese are almost always elevated, but hidden as they do not accumulate in the hair.

Another method of detection is a challenge test in which one takes an injection of a chelating agent such as EDTA or DMPS. Then a 24-hour urine sample is analyzed for toxic metals. This will reveal some metals that are in the arteries, veins and kidneys, but misses most of the others.

No test can detect anywhere near all the toxic metals in the body. Often they are sequestered in hard-to-reach places such as the bones or poorly-perfused fatty tissues. They will be revealed, however, as they are excreted through the hair if one performs repeat hair mineral tests. As a clinician, I must assume everyone has toxic metals and any sound health program needs to be designed to remove them.

 

SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH TOXIC METALS

For a complete list of symptoms for each toxic metal, see the Reference Guide at the end of this article.

Toxic metals can contribute to any imaginable illness. For example, lead that replaces calcium in the bones can contribute to weakened bones and osteoporosis. Cadmium that replaces zinc in the arteries causes inflammation and hardening of the arteries. Iron that replaces zinc and other minerals in the pancreas, adrenals and elsewhere can contribute to impaired blood sugar tolerance and diabetes. Copper that replaces zinc in the brain is associated with migraine headaches, premenstrual syndrome, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and much more. Mercury and copper that replace selenium in various tissues impairs the conversion of T4 to T3, contributing to thyroid imbalances.

Toxic Metals and Aging. The slow, or not so slow, replacement of vital minerals with toxic metals is an important and neglected cause of aging due to deactivation of enzyme systems and the loss of organ and tissue integrity.

Toxic metal accumulation also feeds on itself. As one's energy production decreases with age, the body is less able to eliminate toxic metals, causing more metal accumulation.

Toxic Metals and Gene Expression. Genetic birth defects may be caused by faulty DNA or by faulty gene expression. Even if one's DNA is perfect, the synthesis of proteins from that DNA can be faulty. For example, zinc is required for a key enzyme in gene expression, RNA transferase. Not surprisingly, zinc deficiency is associated with conditions such as neural tube defects. A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discussed this hidden cause of genetic defects.

"An alternate form of a gene present in greater than 1% of the population is called a polymorphism".

While the article mainly discusses vitamin deficiencies as a cause for genetic defects, it gives the example that "mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase cause 25% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."

 

SOLUTIONS TO TOXIC METAL OVERLOAD

One should not fear toxic metals. They cannot be completely avoided, but one can minimize exposure with careful eating and a healthful lifestyle. Also, our bodies have a lot of evolutionary experience with them and effective mechanisms to eliminate them. These can be supported and enhanced by nutritional and other therapies. The following program, when followed faithfully, will lead to the safe removal of toxic metals.

1. Eat a varied, excellent-quality diet of mineralized foods. The body will absorb and utilize less toxic metals if it receives more preferred minerals. In a 1994 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, food labelled "organic" selected randomly from Chicago food markets had an average of twice the mineral content of standard supermarket food. The famed people of Hunza who lived to 120 years or longer in excellent health drank glacial runoff that was so mineral-rich the water was cloudy.

Especially mineral-rich foods include kelp, sea salt, other sea vegetables, small fish and all root vegetables except potatoes and yams. Root vegetables must be cooked at least 45 minutes for their minerals to be most bio-available.

Adequate protein, especially animal protein, supplies sulphur-containing amino acids which help chelate toxic metals and support liver detoxification pathways.

Other high-sulphur foods include egg yolks and vegetables in the cabbage, radish, garlic and onion families. Sulphur is very helpful for detoxification in general, and for mercury and copper in particular.

Fibre is also helpful to reduce some toxic metals. It reduces bowel transit time, which can limit absorption of toxic metals. Certain fibres such as modified citrus pectin bind some toxic metals that reduces their absorption.

2. Improve Your Lifestyle and Habits of Living. Eat regular, sit-down meals. Also, eat quietly and slowly, and chew thoroughly. This can greatly enhance digestion and absorption of vital minerals. Most everyone needs to take digestive enzymes at least for a while to improve digestion. A relaxed and positive outlook also greatly facilitates digestion.

Sleeping 9 or 10 hours per night is most helpful to eliminate toxic metals. Most people do not sleep nearly enough. Six or seven hours per night is not sufficient for healing and detoxification. These are parasympathetic activities that occur mainly during the hours of sleep and rest.

3. Avoid all extreme or deficient diets. Strict vegetarian diets, for example, are always deficient in zinc and usually in many other essential nutrients. Raw food diets, while higher in some vitamins and other nutrients, are usually much lower in vital minerals. Cooking does not reduce the mineral content of food and usually makes minerals much more bio-available by breaking down fibre. Cooking also concentrates the food so that one ends up ingesting many more vital minerals.

Skipping meals or snacking on the run, eating the same foods every day or living on protein drinks also induce mineral deficiencies. For example, egg or whey protein powder is not a substitute for eating eggs or fresh goat milk. The latter are whole foods that are much richer in many minerals. Food supplements are never a substitute for an excellent diet.

Avoid refined foods such as white sugar, white flour, table salt and white rice. These are almost devoid of vital minerals and will cause the body to absorb and utilize more toxic metals.

4. Take Nutritional Supplements. Supplements can help reduce the absorption of toxic metals and facilitate their removal. Kelp supplements are one of the best. Kelp contains a wide range of vital minerals. It also contains some toxic metals, as do all products from the sea. However, they are tightly bound. Alginates found in kelp also help bind and remove radioactive minerals, another hidden and important health concern related to toxic metals.

One can use antagonists to help eliminate toxic metals. These compete specifically with toxic metals for absorption, transport and utilization in enzyme binding sites and in other tissue structures. For example, zinc and calcium are cadmium antagonists. Selenium and zinc are mercury antagonists.

I worked for a time at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Heath. We investigated a factory in which workers were fed milk to help avoid lead poisoning. While a bit crude, the principle was sound, as calcium is a lead antagonist.

Specific minerals that most people need to add to their daily diet are more zinc, chromium, selenium and manganese. Most multivitamins do not contain enough. Other supplements that are helpful for toxic metals are N-acetyl cysteine, garlic, chlorella, cilantro extract and other sulphur-containing amino acid supplements. Chlorella, raw garlic, cilantro and NAC have a disadvantage in that they are extremely yin in Chinese medical terminology. This is not helpful for most people. The Life Extension Foundation offers a number of excellent mineral supplements, as well as Only Minerals and Phyto-food.

5. Reduce Airborne Exposure and Skin Contact. Avoid contaminated air as much as possible. City dwellers should use air filters in their homes and offices that can trap toxic metals. Unfortunately, even rural areas can experience pesticide drift, and auto and industrial fumes. If you must handle toxic materials at home or at work, wear gloves, masks and other protective gear.

Read labels carefully on skin care products. Most cosmetics and skin care products are somewhat toxic.

6. Improve your energy. This greatly enhances the body's ability to eliminate toxic metals. Nutritional balancing science using hair analysis is the key to this. It can assess metabolic rate, metabolic type, and exactly which supplements and how much of each are needed. Random supplementation does not work well.

Also, a combination of adequate rest and sleep, excellent diet and a healthful lifestyle are important. When needed, other natural therapies such as chiropractic, body work, energy work and others are also most helpful to restore and maintain an optimum energy level.

7. Improve your eliminative organs. In almost everyone, these do not function optimally. They are congested or sluggish due to glandular imbalances and the burden of toxic substances everyone must cope with. Nutritional support includes milk thistle and dandelion root for the liver, uva ursi and parsley for the kidneys, and fibre, digestive enzymes and other products for the bowel. Other excellent therapies include saunas, coffee enemas, colonic irrigation, massage, skin brushing and others.

Excessive sympathetic nervous system activity inhibits detoxification. Supplementary nutrients that inhibit excessive sympathetic activity include calcium, magnesium, zinc, choline, inositol, GABA, taurine and calming herbs. Other helpful therapies for this purpose include saunas, meditation, tai chi and biofeedback.

Saunas (hot air baths) have been used for thousands of years by many cultures. They are quite safe and very effective for detoxification. The New York Times recently reported on the success of saunas when nothing else was effective for the firemen who became ill at the World Trade Center disaster. Saunas draw blood to the surface, powerfully stimulate circulation and decongest the internal organs. Infrared saunas penetrate more deeply and are often more comfortable as they work at lower temperatures. Note that sweating during exercise is not as effective for detoxification as sweating when one is relaxed in a sauna. The best saunas I have experienced are those powered by infrared heat lamps.

8. Add Chelating Agents. To chelate means to bind to a metal. Certain substances bind tightly to toxic metals and assist their removal. Natural chelators include vitamin C, sulphur-containing amino acids, and some herbs including yellow dock and bugleweed. Molybdenum complexes with copper and is excellent when used sparingly.

Synthetic chelating agents include penicillamine and BAL (British anti-lewisite) for copper and deferoxamine for iron and aluminum. EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) is a synthetic amino acid that binds to many minerals, toxic and essential. DMPS (sodium salt of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sulphonic acid) and DMSA (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) are synthetic agents used for mercury toxicity. Synthetic chelators are drugs that have more side effects, among which is their tendency to remove more good minerals along with the toxic ones. They may also accumulate in the body, along with the toxic metals they bind.

Toxic metals are in a delicate balance with other nutrients. Aggressive use of any chelator can have adverse and sometimes devastating health effects for this reason. This applies to high dose vitamin C, which powerfully lowers copper, and even moreso to the synthetic agents. For example, DMPS can dislodge mercury from fairly safe storage sites. It may then redeposit in more vital organs. It must be used with utmost caution.

Though chelation is the best known method to eliminate toxic metals, in my experience, synthetic chelators are hardly ever needed if one will undertake a complete healing program.

 

CONCLUSION

Toxic metal exposure is higher than ever before and an important cause of ill health. I predict that removing them will become recognized as a great secret for healing many health conditions. Unfortunately, few doctors test for or even consider searching for toxic metals.

Reducing our exposure is the simplest and most cost-effective way to prevent toxic metal problems. Efforts to clean up the water, food and air have advanced greatly, but more needs to be done. Governments can do their part, but the public must also learn about the dangers of toxic metals and how to avoid them. It should be a top priority in the education of the children.

Young men and especially young women can do much to help the next generation and themselves to avoid toxic metals by improving their health before having children. Dr. Weston Price discovered that in many primitive cultures, prenatal care for young women began at puberty by feeding the women special foods designed to maximize their vital mineral intake.

One can greatly enhance the elimination toxic metals by reducing exposure, increasing vital minerals in the diet and avoiding mineral-deficient food. Assisting the eliminative organs, improving digestion, taking appropriate supplements, obtaining plenty of rest and using antagonists and perhaps chelators are also most helpful. The general use of inexpensive, infrared electric light saunas would be another excellent additional way to enhance toxic metal removal. These are excellent health insurance and well worth the effort.

 

SOURCES AND SYMPTOMS OF THE COMMON TOXIC METALS

SOURCES

Aluminum - cookware, beverages in aluminum cans, tap water, table salt, baking powders, antacids, processed cheese, anti-perspirants, bleached flour, antacids, vaccines and other medications and occupational exposure.

Arsenic - pesticides, beer, table salt, tap water, paints, pigments, cosmetics, glass and mirror manufacture, fungicides, insecticides, treated wood and contaminated food.

Beryllium - air pollution (burning fossil fuels), manufacture of plastics, electronics, steel alloys and volcanic ash.

Cadmium - cigarettes, (tobacco and marijuana), processed and refined foods, large fish, shellfish, tap water, auto exhaust, plated containers, galvanized pipes, air pollution from incineration and occupational exposure.

Copper - copper water pipes, copper added to tap water, pesticides, swimming in pools, intra-uterine devices, vegetarian diets, dental amalgams, nutritional supplements - especially prenatal vitamins, birth control pills, weak adrenal glands and occupational exposure.

Lead - tap water, cigarette smoke, hair dyes, paints, inks, glazes, pesticide residues and occupational exposure in battery manufacture and other industries.

Mercury - dental amalgams, large fish, shellfish, medications, air pollution, manufacture of paper, chlorine, adhesives, fabric softeners and waxes.

Nickel - hydrogenated oils (margarine, commercial peanut butter and shortening), shellfish, air pollution, cigarette smoke, plating and occupational exposure.

 

SYMPTOMS

Aluminum - Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anaemia and other blood disorders, colic, fatigue, dental caries, dementia dialactica, hypoparathyroidism, kidney and liver dysfunctions, neuromuscular disorders, osteomalacia and Parkinson’s disease.

Arsenic - abdominal pain, abnormal ECG, anorexia, dermatitis, diarrhea, edema, enzyme inhibitor, fever, fluid loss, goiter, hair loss, headache, herpes, impaired healing, interferes with the uptake of folic acid, inhibition of sulphydryl enzyme systems, jaundice, keratosis, kidney and liver damage, muscle spasms, pallor, peripheral neuritis, sore throat, stomatitis, stupor, vasodilation, vertigo, vitiligo and weakness.

Beryllium - adrenal insufficiency, arthritis, bone spurs, bursitis, depression, fatigue, osteoporosis and symptoms of slow metabolism.

Cadmium - hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, anaemia, arteriosclerosis, impaired bone healing, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, reduced fertility, hyperlipidemia, hypoglycemia, headaches, osteoporosis, kidney disease, schizophrenia and strokes.

Copper - acne, adrenal hyperactivity and insufficiency, agorophobia, allergies, hair loss, anaemia, anxiety, arthritis, autism, cancer, chronic candida albicans infection, depression, elevated cholesterol, cystic fibrosis, depression, diabetes, dyslexia, elevated estrogen, failure to thrive, fatigue, fears, fractures of the bones, headaches, heart attacks, hyperactivity, hypertension, hypothyroidism, infections, inflammation, insomnia, iron storage diseases, kidney and liver dysfunctions, decreased libido, multiple sclerosis, nervousness, osteoporosis, panic attacks, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia, strokes, tooth decay and vitamin C and other vitamin deficiencies.

Lead - abdominal pain, adrenal insufficiency, anaemia, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, attention deficit, back problems, blindness, cancer, constipation, convulsions, deafness, depression, diabetes, dyslexia, epilepsy, fatigue, gout, impaired glycogen storage, hallucinations, hyperactivity, impotency, infertility, inflammation, kidney dysfunction, learning disabilities, diminished libido, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, psychosis, thyroid imbalances and tooth decay.

Mercury - adrenal gland dysfunction, alopecia, anorexia, ataxia, bipolar disorder, birth defects, blushing, depression, dermatitis, discouragement, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, hearing loss, hyperactivity, immune system dysfunction, insomnia, kidney damage, loss of self-control, memory loss, mood swings, nervousness, numbness and tingling, pain in limbs, rashes, excessive salivation, schizophrenia, thyroid dysfunction, timidity, tremors, peripheral vision loss and muscle weakness.

Nickel - cancer (oral and intestinal), depression, heart attacks, hemorrhages, kidney dysfunction, low blood pressure, malaise, muscle tremors and paralysis, nausea, skin problems, tetany and vomiting.

 

REFRENCES

[1] Schroeder, H., Trace elements and Man, The Devin-Adair Company, CT, 1975.

[1] Ibid, p. 154

[1] Braunwald, E. et al, editors, Harrisonπs Principles of Internal Medicine, McGraw-Hill, Professional, 15th edition, 2001.

[1] Pfeiffer, C., Zinc and Other Micronutrients, Keats Publishing, CT, 1978.

[1] Kutsky, R., Handbook of Vitamins, Minerals and Hormones, 2nd edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY, 1981.

[1] Ibid., Schroeder, H., Trace Elements and Man.

[1] Hall, R.H., Food For Naught, The Decline in Nutrition, Vintage Books, NY, 1974.

[1] Anderson, M. and Jensen, B. Empty Harvest; Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity and Our Planet, Avery Penguin Putnam, 1993.

[1] Price, W., Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, CA, 1949.

[1] Stannard, J., Shim, Y.S., Kritsineli, M., Labropoulo, P.,Tsamtsouris, A., Fluoride levels and fluoride contamination of fruit juices, J Clin Ped Dentistry, 1991;16(1).

[1] From the warning label on hydrofluosilicic acid, Cargill Corporation, FL.

[1] Casdorph, H.R. and Walker, M., Toxic Metal Syndrome, Avery Publishing, NY, 1995.

[1] National Autism Association, Press Release, Feb. 9, 2004.

[1] Eck, P. and Wilson, L., Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease, Eck Institute of Applied Nutrition and Bioenergetics, Ltd., AZ, 1989, p. xiv.

[1] Shamberger, R.J., Validity of hair mineral testing, Bio Trace Element Res, 2002, 87:1-28.

[1] Muir, M., Current controversies in the diagnosis and treatment of heavy metal toxicity, Alternative and Comp Ther., June 1997:170-178.

[1] Environmental Protection Agency, Research and Development, Toxic Trace Metals in Human and Mammalian Hair, EPA-600, 4.79-049, August 1979, p. 3.

[1] Tuthill, R., Hair lead levels related to childrenπs classroom attention-deficit behavior, Arch Env Health, 1996, 51(3)214-220.

[1] Ames, BN, Elson-Schwab, I., Silver, EA, High-dose vitamin therapy stimulates variant enzymes with decreased coenzyme binding affinity: relevance to genetic disease and polymorphisms, Am J Clin Nut. April 2002;75(4):616-658.

[1] 1993, J Applied Nut, 45(1).

[1] Mortensen, M.E. and Watson, P., Chelation therapy for childhood lead poisoning: The changing scene in the 1990s, Clin Ped., 1993;32:284-291.

[1] Committee on Drugs, American Academy of Pediatrics Treatment guidelines for lead exposure in children, Pediatrics, 1995, 96:155-159.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson specializes in mineral analysis and the removal of toxic metals, and has done so for 23 years. He consults for Analytical Research Laboratories, a mineral testing facility, where he apprenticed for 14 years with a brilliant biochemist, Dr. Paul C. Eck. He wrote a text about his work, Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis.

He has reviewed some 15,000 hair mineral analyses and followed some 5000 patients as they removed their toxic metals and balanced their minerals. He has also experimented extensively with sauna therapy, an emerging treatment modality for toxic metal removal.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson

P.O. Box 54

Prescott, AZ 86302-0054

              (928) 445-7690      

 

Visit http://www.drlwilson.com/ for books, and audio tapes from Dr. Wilson.

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‘Reverse Parkinson's Disease!’

Do you want to find the best ways to improve your quality of life, if you have Parkinson's disease...?

Contrary to the thoughts and advice of most of the medical profession, and the established way of treating Parkinson’s disease, the progression of this terrible condition, can be reversed! It is being done right now.

Find out how I, John Pepper, managed to reverse my Parkinson's and how you can possibly do it too?

I have successfully reversed my Parkinson’s disease, to the point where I no longer need to take any medication. It has now been over twelve years (as at 2014) since I last took any Parkinson’s disease medication.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992, and stopped taking Parkinson’s disease medication in 2002. My Parkinson’s disease symptoms began in 1963, when I found that I could not throw a ball properly.

My physical and mental condition has improved so much that other people, even my close friends, have no clue that I still have Parkinson's disease. I even had to convince an international research scientist, that I have Parkinson’s disease. After convincing himself, through exhaustive investigations, he could only stand in absolute amazement.

Fellow Parkinson's sufferers come up to meet me, when I’m travelling on my Parkinson's awareness seminars and are in awe of the miracle they see.

YES! There is HOPE...

Dear friend I’m telling you this because I have lived in the clutches of Parkinson's disease for over fifty years.

ñ I can now WALK, without shuffling!

ñ I can now bring a GLASS of WINE to my mouth, without spilling it!

ñ I can now SPEAK, without slurring my words.

ñ I can now SING, without stopping, because I cannot think of the next words!

ñ I can now DRAW a STRAIGHT LINE, without any squiggles!

ñ I can now SMILE, with the same old facial expression I had before the Parkinson’s disease took over my life!

I am well aware of the terrible side effects of Parkinson’s disease medication:-

ñ Dyskinesia. (Unwanted, embarrassing movements of the arms and legs, sometimes quite violent)

ñ On/Off periods of effectiveness of the medication. When you are in the ‘On’ condition, you feel as if you never had Parkinson’s disease. But quite suddenly, you go into the ‘Off’ condition, which is often worse than you would feel if you did not take any Parkinson’s disease medication at all.

ñ The need to take more and more medication, just to get the same effect you got in the beginning.

ñ The inevitability of getting to the stage, where the medication has no effect, leaving you with nowhere to go, other than having invasive brain surgery.

ñ The need to regiment your life into taking this and that medication at fixed times of the day and night; otherwise face the consequences of not having done so.

ñ Other common side effects, including nausea, giddiness, Hallucinations and discomfort.

 

Could you possibly do the same, and reverse your Parkinson's disease?

YES! I urge you to follow this path!

I've seen the results of many others, who have followed this path – Look at 'Endorsements' on this website. There have been dozens more!

They have improved the quality of their lives tremendously. We have only one life to lead and we can enjoy it, if we choose to embark on this new lifestyle, in order to reverse our Parkinson’s disease.

ñ Your family and loved one's could see you at your best for much longer.

ñ You could well be able to do all the travelling you thought you'd have to give up. At the age of 79, I have just come home from a cruise up into the Baltic Sea for two weeks. I need no walking aids and I am still able to walk all day long on guided tours. In 1992, I could not have donw any of this.

ñ You could well be able to do so much more, when you have learned how to control your movements, without the need for medication.

ñ You could well regain your self-confidence again.

ñ You could well feel comfortable in the company of others.

ñ You could well speak properly again, without becoming flustered and self-conscious

ñ You could well be able to smile again, when you look in the mirror at that new YOU!

I offer you my effective solution to reverse your Parkinson's disease, right here today, because I want you to reverse your Parkinson's disease, exactly as I have, and many others are doing.

1.  Follow my unique lifestyle modification protocol.

2.  Discover the unique Brain exercises you need to do.

3.  Practice the exact exercises I used, to reverse my Parkinson's disease.

4.  Change your attitude towards life and your Parkinson’s disease.

5.  Avoid food items you shouldn't eat, and learn how you should change your eating habits.

6.  Manage your harmful stress levels, which seriously affect your Parkinson's disease.

7.  Improve your sleeping habits.

8.  Learn how to focus your mind on all those movements, which Parkinson's disease has made so difficult for you.

 

I found the 8 steps above, the only way to reverse Parkinson's disease. In my search for ways to improve my quality of life, this was the only way I have found to effectively reverse my Parkinson's disease. My original prognosis for my quality of life with Parkinson's disease was very bleak, but it has turned out to be no worse than anybody else without Parkinson’s disease, because of the solutions I discovered.  I am not offering to sell you any 'Snake Oil' or fancy 'Water'. I am not asking you to pay me so much every month to help you get better. I offer you all the information on this website, free of charge! It will stay up to date for as long as I live, and hopefully after I have gone.

I offer every one of you the exact Blue Print to reversing your Parkinson's right now.

 

Download it here - on the Home Page

 

 

 

4 Morning Tips for a Calm and Joyful Day!

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Elisha Goldstein

Psychcentral.com - How we start the morning often sets the stage for how the rest of the day unfolds. Of course life throws us curve balls in the middle of the day, maybe you get a stressful email or someone rear ends you with their car or you lost that deal that you were looking forward to. Anything can happen in the present moment, but how we start our day can often affect how we greet those challenges.

Here are four tips to start your day that will help you with the inevitable ups and downs that you get handed.

1. Mindful Check-In – It’s good to begin the day simply noting where you are starting the day from. How is your body, what emotions are present, is your mind calm or already racing off to work? If you’re lying in your bed, you just note that, getting a sense of the body feels comfortable or tense. Are you feeling calm, anxious, annoyed, or maybe neutral? What is on your mind?

2. Prime Your Mind for Good – After a brief mindful check-in, one way of inclining your mind toward resiliency and even opening up to the good of the day is to consider an intentional gratitude practice. What in your life right now do you have to be grateful for? It could be something simple, like waking up on the right side of the bed, to having a roof over your head, to having a good cup of coffee in the morning. Just practice inkling your mind to the good in life.

3. Bring Presence to the Morning Activities – When you’re in the shower, be in the shower, not solving problems at work already. When you’re making breakfast for you or your family, consider the intention of that being to take care of yourself and others through the day. Put some love into your food. If there are pets or other family members in the house, before you leave make sure to say an intentional goodbye, looking into their eyes

4. Red Light Practice – As you drive to work use red lights as an opportunity to just check in, pressing the reset button if traffic has got you flustered or just using it as an opportunity to get centered and focus on what matters. You can make the choice to listen to your favorite music, intentionally plan the day out in your mind, or just have a quiet drive for a change. If you take public transportation you can do the same thing every time the bus, train, or subway stops. If you work from home, try this before turning on your computer. Exposing yourself to choices and acting on them just feels good and primes your mind for the rest of the day that you have choices in how you want to respond to situations.

Try these four things each morning as an experiment to see how your life changes.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction creates a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2012/12/4-morning-tips-for-a-calm-and-joyful-day/

 

.

Make your Home a Stress Free Zone

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation Weekly News Update

04/28/2013

Create a safe, healthy and harmonious home.

Keep your home a stress free zone!

Although it is impossible to remove all stress, there are some steps you can take to reduce your feelings of stress at home.

Your home is an extension of you and your family, supporting your daily routine, activities and personality.  Make your home a healthy, harmonious and comforting place to live. The look and feel of your home affects your own wellbeing and how your family relates. The following recommendations are inexpensive and easy, yet can turn your home into a comfortable one that reflects your personality

Create a mood with colour. Colour influences our mood and can certainly set the tone for the ‘feel of a room’. Think about the different feelings that come to mind when describing a bold red versus soft blue.  Consider the desired mood and use of a room when choosing a colour scheme.

• Red and orange hues are cheerful, exciting, energetic, stimulating (including appetite) and empowering. It demands attention and has a great emotional impact. It makes us feel empowered. It's a great colour for a play area or workout room but may not be restful in a bedroom.
• Yellow hues add brightness, warmth especially in dark places.
• Green hues add calmness and restfulness.
• Brown and neutral nature colours. Symbolizing physical comfort, ease and contentment, browns and taupe are great for neutral areas like living rooms and kitchens.
• Blue hues add tranquillity and comfort and serenity. Blues can convey a sense of coolness in a warm climate.

Breathe in the fresh air of nature by adding plants. Plants bring life, add beauty, softness, fragrance and let in the outdoors. As living things, plants affect the space that they are occupying.   Plants can remove pollution from the air in our homes. This may be especially important in new houses that are well insulated and during winter months when windows are closed sealing the inside from outside area. Plants reduce levels of carbon dioxide, increase air humidity, reduce dust and off-gassing from plastics, chemicals in paint, household cleaners, furniture and carpet. The following plants were found by NASA researchers to be especially affective in removing off gases and other pollutants from the air.

• Hedera helix   English ivy
• Chlorophytum comosum   spider plant
• Epipiremnum aureum   golden pothos
• Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa'    peace lily
• Aglaonema modestum   Chinese evergreen
• Chamaedorea sefritzii   bamboo or reed palm
• Sansevieria trifasciata    snake plant
• Philodendron scandens `oxycardium'   heartleaf philodendron
• Philodendron selloum   selloum philodendron
• Philodendron domesticum    elephant ear philodendron
• Dracaena marginata   red-edged dracaena
• Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana'   cornstalk dracaena
• Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig'   Janet Craig dracaena
• Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii'   Warneck dracaena
• Ficus benjamina  weeping fig

Decorate with nature. Decorating with elements from the world around you is cheap (free) and surrounds you with the beauty and awe of our natural world. Twigs in a vase, seashells, polished stone in a water vase, driftwood, pressed flowers and leaves. A water feature using a simple pump adds tranquillity.

Remove clutter. This is important to open up the space and give an illusion of space with free flow of energy throughout the house. An open room with minimal clutter also reduces the risk of freezing, known to worsen in tight cramped rooms.

Let the light in. Let in natural light when possible. Illuminate dark corners and stairs for safety. This is especially important if you have balance issues. You rely more on vision to help balance when your balance is affected from other causes such as Parkinson’s. High levels of light add energy and lift mood. Hard focused lighting can highlight a unique feature or object in a room. Soft diffused lighting creates a more relaxed atmosphere.

Personalize. Display art and crafts that are made by you, family or friends. Frame your children’s art or old photographs. Enlarge photos of your favourite memories, or nature scenes.

Claim your space. You will learn the importance of relaxation and the value of stress reduction to improve your Parkinson’s symptoms and your general wellbeing. Claim a part of the home as your own - whether it is an office, separate room, or even a corner or section of one room separated by a simple floor screen. Use this area to get away, have a cup of tea, read a good book, meditate, and reflect on your day or for stretching exercises.

Bigger is not always better. Large rooms with high ceilings may be beautiful but do not give us a safe ‘cosy feeling’. If your room is big, consider dividing the space into more intimate areas or grouping of furniture to create a nook for conversation or entertaining.

Surround your senses. Soft music or the sound of running water can influence your mood. Soft music can help anxiety, lift your mood and reduce agitation in persons with dementia or psychosis.

Author: Monique Giroux, MD 

 

 

Power Through Parkinson's

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Tory Zellick

Huffington Post - When former NBA star basketball player Brian Grant was diagnosed with Parkinson's, he worked hard to hide the disease from public view. "I was too scared to go on interviews for anchor jobs or jobs where I could maybe be a commentator or radio host," he recalls.

Terri Peacher-Ransom, a research advocate with the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, similarly recalls how her husband attempted to keep the disease a secret, even within his own family. "He wanted to hide it from our children," she remembers. "I had to convince him that they needed to know, despite their ages, since they too would be involved in his care -- if nothing but to help with a glass, open a bottle, or assist him in some other manner." While her husband eventually opened up to his children, he continued to hide the disease from his siblings -- which, Peacher-Ransom notes, "alienated him from them and family functions."

Parkinson's disease is a chronic and degenerative neurological disorder that results in the death of brain cells -- specifically, those releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter. The progression and symptoms manifest differently in each patient. Motor impairments result in symptoms including tremors, slowed movement, postural instability, and loss of balance -- which, among other things, can lead to frequent falls. Additional symptoms include mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, sleep disturbances and fatigue, speech and swallowing problems, and cognitive impairment ranging from mild memory difficulties to dementia.

As of today, there is no known cure for Parkinson's, which for Grant is one of the most troubling parts of the disease. "It's something that I'm going to have to live with, and it will never go away," he says. "Emotionally, that's devastating." There are pharmaceuticals that reproduce or prevent the breakdown of dopamine, but according to leaders at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, "current medications available today only address the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, while the underlying disease continues to progress."

During the early course of the disease, pharmaceutical treatment "can allow a person with Parkinson's disease to return to a near-normal life," says James Beck, Ph.D., Director of Research Programs at Parkinson's Disease Foundation. He adds, however, that as the disease progresses, the doses and frequency of the drug administration need to be increased -- leading to complications that include uncontrolled movements.

According to Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D., Director of Neurology at Wellspring Health in Scripps Memorial Hospital, the optimal response to Parkinson's disease is adopting an attitude of "life improvement" instead of disease management. "A lot of the changes I make for my patients makes them more active, more social, more involved in their communities," she says. "Health can be fun, and certainly the rewards of taking steps towards improving your health bring you more joy."

The conventional approach to treating Parkinson's disease, she explains, is starting patients on medications, then adjusting those medications during semi-regular follow-up visits. An integrative approach goes a step further -- building on the conventional foundation, then exploring what else can be done to help manage symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life. Protocol includes yoga and tai chi to improve balance, healthy dietary choices to reduce fatigue and constipation, and meditation and exercise to help lift depression.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which emphasizes the value of exercise, notes that those who stay active and relatively limber "can help improve their balance and motor coordination." Beck concurs that diet is important in preventing and managing Parkinson's disease. "Evidence suggests that a Mediterranean-like diet is not only associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, but it is also the recommended diet for those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease," he says.

Shortly after being diagnosed with Parkinson's, Grant began a naturopathic regimen. "I attribute my slow progression [of the disease] to a lot of that regimen," he says. "I also participate in the 'Powering Forward Boot Camp,' which is a really tough workout." Grant additionally has stopped drinking and even went vegan for a period of time. "I definitely am more consciously aware of what I put in my body, as far as the types of foods and drinks I consume," he says. "It's hard, you know," he admits. "I've got a sugar addiction with cookies and sweets."

To help loved ones with Parkinson's adopt healthy lifestyle habits, Chaudhary advises, make the changes together. "If you want to encourage him/her to start yoga or tai chi to help with balance, then do it too," she says. "If there is room for improvement in his/her diet, make changes in yours too. It is hard to make changes when you are sick, and even harder to do it alone. But when you have a loving, compassionate partner making those changes with you, the changes don't feel so daunting."

Make changes gradually, she advises. Regarding dietary changes, for example, she suggests initially moving away from processed foods and replacing them with fresh foods that are nutrient-dense. Next, she says, eat less meat and move towards a more plant-based diet. "This doesn't mean being a vegetarian," she emphasizes, "but just consuming 25-50 percent less meat, especially processed red meat." Lastly, she advises, look for ways to increase fiber in the diet -- which, she acknowledges, may happen naturally through increasing vegetable and fruit consumption.

For patients and caregivers alike, experts note, it is critical to build a supportive network of friends, family, and health care professionals, so as to cope most effectively with the disease and its impact. "A doctor doesn't always know what community resources you may benefit from, so go out and look for yourself," Chaudhary recommends. YMCAs may offer pool therapy; public transportation systems may offer free rides for patients with limited alternatives; and local colleges may offer free or affordable nutrition courses, she notes. "If your time is limited, take advantage of online communities that will allow you to connect with others who share similar caregiving issues and challenges," leaders at the Michael J. Fox Foundation further recommend.

Most importantly, advises Grant, continue doing whatever gives you joy in life. "Don't be scared that you can't do things the way you used to do them," he says. "Just do them to the best of your ability, and be grateful."

 

Your Environment, Exposure and Parkinson's

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

06/21/2013

Is Parkinson’s caused by a toxin in the environment?

Epidemiological studies analyze large populations to understand trends, and identify certain risk factors for disease. Studies do not determine whether an increase risk is true for an individual person but simply the population at large. Although epidemiologic studies identify several potential risk factors, they are clearly not the sole cause. A combination of events or risks must take place to cause the disease such as exposure to a toxin and inheriting the genetic risk (either risk alone would not cause the disease).

Is it in the water? Rural living, pesticide use and well water drinking may be linked to higher rates of Parkinson's. A recent metanalysis once again reinforced these connections (Neurology May 23 2013.) Researchers analyzed 104 studies and found that weed killers paraquat, fungicides maneb and mancozebome increased Parkinson's risk. Add these to other pesticides under study such as rotenone and permethrin (used to kill mosquitos). It is important to realize that most people with everyday exposure and even higher level industrial exposure through their occupation do not develop Parkinson’s. This reinforces the idea that these toxins increase ones risk and other factors such as genetics work together to play a causative role in Parkinson’s

Do certain occupations increase the risk?

Initial reports suggested welders had an increased risk of getting PD yet more recent reports dispute that claim. Trichloroethylene (TCE) a chemical used in dry cleaning also was associated with a greater risk of getting PD. Soldiers exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War are now eligible for disability compensation from the Veterans Administration.

Do Industrial chemicals and metals increase the risk?

Solvents such as TCE and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s. Manganese, lead and copper are examples of metals under study.

What about the food we eat? Men who drink milk (but not cheese or other dairy) have a higher risk of Parkinson’s. The problem does not appear to be due to calcium, vitamin or fat present in milk. Whether this is related to chemicals and hormones present in milk or the effect of milk on our body’s physiology is not known. Drinking milk does not change your disease or rate of progression once you have Parkinson’s.

Other foods such as berries, wine, green tea or peppers may reduce your risk!

Author: Monique Giroux, MD

 

Copyright Northwest Parkinson's Foundation Virtual Wellness Center,

 

 

10 New Years and Holiday Recommendations for People with Parkinson's

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Marshall Davidson

APDA National Young Onset Center - The holidays can be a bittersweet time for many of us, who have a tough enough time negotiating life with Parkinson's during normal months. With the holidays there's more potential for difficulties. There's temptation to indulge in excess food and drink, and crowds of people in malls and on the road, it's cold in many places, and it get's dark early. You see family and friends who have not seen you in a while since maybe things have progressed. It can all be rather overwhelming.

Here are 10 suggestions to help make your holiday season more enjoyable and less encumbered by some of these difficulties.

1. See your doctor if you feel depressed: Depression is very common during the early winter months of December and January. This may be related to a component of the hustle and bustle of the holidays themselves with all the expectations and disappointments that go with it. But there may also be a component of seasonal affective disorder with shorter days and less light to induce healthy sleep/wake cycles, already interrupted in PD. If you casually tell someone you feel depressed very often they may even say, " don't worry it's just the holidays." Depression is depression. You deserve to be happy and there are some very good treatments available to help you.

2. Moderate food and drink: This one is obvious so I'm just reminding you that there is always a lot of peer pressure to indulge. Be especially watchful if you have been sticking to a certain diet that helps your Parkinson's or if your protein intake has been carefully regulated because you take L-dopa. Let go and indulge occasionally so as not to feel deprived. However, try and stick to the same general diet that you been following all year. Further, I don't have to remind you that alcohol can exaggerate some of the motor symptoms of imbalance and an already-slowed reaction time, very key during a time when there are a lot of people on the road, not all of them sober.

3. When seeing friends and relatives keep it light and upbeat: when a relative or acquaintance asks you how things are going, they don't always want a blow-by-blow account of where you are with the Parkinson's. Holidays feel better when you reach out and focus on how they have been, and what they have been doing. As the legendary self-help guru Dale Carnegie said," get people talking about their favorite subject, themselves." Try and actually get genuinely curious about others, especially to the degree that keeps you out of your own head. The less attention you give to your own disabilities, the less attention others will focus on them as well.

4. Keep exercising: Exercise is the single one best thing you can do for your Parkinson's. Holiday engagements, shopping, appointments, parties and especially travel, can all get in the way of exercise routine. Do your best even if limited to a guest room or sofa at the house of a relative to try and exercise, get outside and walk, and do anything to try and keep active.

5. Avoid the strong temptation toward social isolation: There are several good reasons why a person with PD would want to retreat during the holiday season. You are likely to run into people who you haven't seen for a while and thus, you may be afraid that they might be able to notice some deterioration or progression of your symptoms. It could be rather cold outside which may affect your symptoms. With less total daytime at this time of year you may feel worsening of your fatigue and daytime sleepiness. No matter what the case, it's better for you to stay socially engaged, especially during this time of year. Many key relationships get renewed now. Social interaction has been proven to lower the risk of dementia and depression. And of course, as much as you may anticipate it negatively, getting face-to-face with the people you love and cherish almost always turns out much better than you had negatively anticipated. The exception is that you best avoid those who are frankly toxic to you. They get worse during the holidays.

6. Prepare all your clothing the night before a social event: especially if you have particular difficulty with dressing. The normal time it takes to wait for medications to work in the morning, plus any feelings of fatigue or daytime sleepiness may push you towards the tendency to isolate. If you're closer to being ready to go by having things our, you'll likely find more strength and conviction to resist that temptation to stay home. This can be especially true in the cold weather which can be particularly discouraging.

7. Time your shopping and driving to less-than-peak times: it is not social isolation to want to avoid crowds and traffic. People become impatient from waiting in line or in traffic. Many of the limitations of Parkinson's disease tend to slow us down relative to normal folk. As you know there many times when you just can't help it, but try to avoid situations where you might find yourself as the one holding up a line of impatient people.

8. Get your medical ducks in line for next year: make sure insurance premiums are paid, you have your next neurology appointment scheduled, and if you are receiving or applying for any special assistance programs or disability payouts, check that all your paperwork is in order and where it needs to be on time. Also check your medications for the number of refills left, etc. so that you can enter the new year well taken care of.

9. If you live anywhere cold stock up on frozen microwave-able meals: When there's a snowstorm, just walking outside can be treacherous for a sufferer of PD. When the roads are icy and sidewalks and walkways hazardous, then despite what I've said about social isolation, it is time to retreat to solitude and keep safe if you suffer significant gait disturbances, at least until roads become safer and walkways get cleared. Frozen meals are easy to unwrap and prepare. If you cannot afford frozen meals then make contact with a local "Meals-on-wheels" charitable organization. Frozen meals are better than storing canned food because of ease of preparation and balance and variety. The disadvantage is that many contain lots of preservatives and other compounds typical of processed food. Read the ingredients.

10. Make sure your other health issues, if any, are also well taken care of for the coming year: this includes going to see an internist even if you are otherwise fairly healthy. Many people with Parkinson's often feel that because they've struck bad luck once in the disease department, a second strike would be unlikely. Forget it. You've got to keep up with the general health maintenance. Parkinson's does not lower the risk of other diseases. In fact there is an association of increased risk for Parkinson's among patients with type II diabetes.

Now please safely enjoy the holiday season!

 

 

To reduce drug errors, Parkinson's patients are educating hospitals

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

 

Christopher Snowbeck

www.twincities.com - Hy Carpenter must take his medication for Parkinson's disease six times a day in three-hour intervals.

If he's late in taking a dose -- even by a few minutes -- the 73-year-old St. Paul man can experience "freezing," as his legs slow to the point where he can't keep walking.

Avoiding such problems can be especially difficult for Parkinson's patients during a stay at a hospital or nursing home, where they can encounter yet another medication risk.

Earlier this year, Carpenter wound up in an emergency room with hallucinations and schizophrenic attacks after he received the wrong type of drug during a short stay at a local convalescent home following knee surgery. His family isn't sure how it happened, but experts say physicians who lack expertise in treating patients with Parkinson's can unwittingly prescribe drugs that should be avoided.

As doctors, hospitals and patient groups keep looking for ways to combat medication errors and adverse drug events, the National Parkinson's Foundation is arming patients like Carpenter with a kit called "Aware in Care" that's designed to help prevent problems. More than 1,000 kits have been distributed in Minnesota thus far, and experts say they can be key to keeping patients safe during hospitalization.

Medication errors are quite frequent in people with Parkinson's disease, which probably occur more often than they do in other conditions," said Dr. Paul Tuite, a neurologist at the University of Minnesota. The kits are important, Tuite said, because their goal is to "improve the quality of health care, which is as important as coming up with cures."

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that leads to tremors as well as trouble with walking, movement and coordination. It is one of the most common nervous system disorders of the elderly and affects an estimated 20,000 people in Minnesota. There is no known cure.

The disease occurs with the slow destruction of nerve cells in the brain that make a chemical called dopamine. Without the chemical, the brain cannot properly send messages related to movement, which leads to the loss of muscle function.

Patients with Parkinson's disease aren't alone among those in the hospital who face risks from medication errors and adverse drug events. But a small study published earlier this year found that Parkinson's patients experienced medication problems in 44 of 55 hospitalizations studied.

Researchers from the University of Calgary found that hospitals failed to seamlessly continue the usual administration of Parkinson's medications. Plus, many patients received medications that could make their condition worse.

"With Parkinson's disease, you have to have your medications on time," said Julie Steen, executive director of the National Parkinson's Foundation of Minnesota. "When you're in the hospital, 'on time' can mean getting a drug within the hour. But with Parkinson's medications, 'on time' means within a few minutes."

The Aware in Care kit is a pouch full of information that's provided to patients at no charge. It includes a prescription pad with reminders about everything from the need for timely drug administration to the specific names of medications that should be avoided; patients or their loved ones can tear off a sheet and hand it to a caregiver.

The kit also includes a medication list on which patients are told to provide information about their drugs and share it with hospital workers. There's also a medical alert card, a Parkinson's ID bracelet and a thank-you card that patients can leave behind for caregivers.

The kit is intended not just for patients, but also for friends or family members who provide support during hospitalization.

"It's almost up to families to know the medications and help manage them," said Dr. Brooke Van Dyke, a physician at HealthEast's clinic on Grand Avenue who treats Hy Carpenter. "The kit can make even a good care facility do a better job because you've got everything right there."

"I used to do deliveries and you'd tell pregnant women to have a packed bag by the door," he added. "This is like that, plus some."

Carpenter received his Aware in Care kit earlier this year from a Parkinson's disease support group at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul. It helped Carpenter and his wife, Nan, talk with doctors and nurses about how to make sure he received timely doses of his medication while undergoing his knee surgery this summer.

Carpenter usually swallows one of his key Parkinson's medications. But with planning, he was able to receive a dissolvable form of the medication immediately following surgery, when he wouldn't have been able to swallow a pill.

"The hospital really was spectacular," said Carpenter, who was treated at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul.

Nan Carpenter said she further realized the need for the kit during her husband's subsequent recovery at a convalescent home. Nan Carpenter did not want to name the facility, but she said she was dismayed when her husband received a drug that doesn't safely mix with his Parkinson's medication and wound up at the ER.

The situation shows the delicate situation families and patients find themselves in when trying to prevent medication errors.

First, there's the unsettling realization that you might need to educate caregivers about the potential for adverse drug interactions, Nan Carpenter said. Then, there's the understanding that you need to communicate with caregivers in a way that's insistent but also respectful.

"You have to be an advocate," Nan Carpenter said. "You have to stand up and make a little noise. But it has to be done with respect. ... The kit helps because when you're in a hospital, you're in a foreign place."

 

 

Parkinson's Drug Errors Common in Small Study of Hospitalizations

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation Weekly News Update

M. ALEXANDER OTTO

Family Practice News - When Parkinson’s disease patients are admitted to hospitals, they often end up on incorrect doses of levodopa during their stay – if it’s prescribed at all – and sometimes inappropriately get metoclopramide or neuroleptics, dopamine-blocking agents that could make their disease worse, according to a study from the University of Calgary (Alta.).

That’s what researchers from the university’s Movement Disorders Clinic found when they compared what 44 of their Parkinson’s patients took at home with what they were given after being admitted to Calgary hospitals.

There were medication problems in 44 (80%) of the 55 hospitalizations those patients had in 2010, said lead author Dr. Katie Wiltshire, a neurology resident at the university.

"Our study identifies deficiencies in the in-hospital prescribing of medications for patients with PD [Parkinson’s disease]. This includes a failure to seamlessly continue usual PD medications when patients are admitted, and perhaps of even greater concern, the inappropriate addition of dopamine-blocking agents during their hospital stay," she said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Similar problems have been found at hospitals in the United States and Britain, perhaps because some hospital services are unfamiliar with PD treatment. "Widespread education of providers and safe-prescribing protocols are urgently needed to address these unsafe care issues," Dr. Wiltshire said.

Patients in her study came in on stable levodopa doses in 53 of the 55 admissions (96.4%); there were subsequent problems with levodopa administration in 26 (49%) of those hospital stays.

During three hospitalizations (5.7%), levodopa was not ordered for people who been on it at home. In 15 of the 53 admissions (28.3%), doses ordered were too high or too low. Dose schedules were off during 8 hospital stays (15.1%). In another12 stays (22.6%), patients were put on either immediate or extended-release levodopa when they had been on the alternate formulation before coming to the hospital. Metoclopramide or neuroleptics were ordered in 24 (43.6%) of the overall 55 admissions.

Dr. Wilshire and her colleagues don’t know yet if the discrepancies hurt patients, but other studies have found that they do, and that many PD patients report bad hospital experiences related to medication mismanagement (Parkinsonism Relat. Disord. 2007;13:539-40; Postgrad. Med. J. 2010;86:334-7). "This is a sobering report," said Dr. Christopher Goetz, director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders program at Rush University in Chicago, who moderated her presentation.

The National Parkinson Foundation is trying to address the problem with an Aware in Care campaign that helps patients and physicians overcome medication challenges during PD hospitalizations.

In Calgary, Dr. Wiltshire and her colleagues are working with the electronic health records system to give admitting physicians access to notes from the Movement Disorders Clinic. "Ideally, we would like to be able to [write the medication orders] and have them sent directly into the admitting orders," Dr. Wiltshire said.

They’ve already put a warning flag in the system that pops up when people order metoclopramide for patients on antiparkinson drugs. They’ve also made sure that immediate-release levodopa comes up first on drug ordering screens. Extended-release levodopa "was coming up first, so that’s what people were clicking," Dr. Wiltshire said.

The team also hopes to give PD patients more control over when they get their medications, perhaps by keeping them on bedside tables, and involve pharmacy staff "right at admission, so that they can work to get the [medication] reconciliation done," she said.

Dr. Wiltshire said she has no disclosures. Dr. Goetz reported personal compensation from several pharmaceutical and medical companies, none of them involved in the study.

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