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Thursday 2 July 2015

New Proof That Our Emotions Cause Physical Pain & How To Change Them

emotionalpainIn the ancient arts of Chinese Medicine, Yoga, and Ayurveda, there was no doubt among practitioners that anger could cause a heart attack, or chronic sadness could cause dementia. It was not unusual for a master to exterminate chronic pain in different joints and muscles, or even to cure liver, kidney, or stomach diseases by addressing deeply held emotions like fear, frustration, jealousy, and anxiety. These feats have been dismissed by modern medicine as placebo, or simply glazed over with the latest pharmaceutical prescription at most doctors’ offices, but new evidence has emerged that proves our emotions directly affect our physical health.

Is Your Sadness Causing Your Symptoms?

The phenomenon of emotional health being inextricably linked to physical health has been negated by modern medicine repeatedly, with only small allowances made in integrative medicine, and extremely few studies which support this idea making their way into mainstream publications.
Nonetheless, the Pharmageddon trend plagues this country. We’re quick to admit that we are depressed, too. The makers of depression drugs are raking it in, enjoying over $14 billion in annual sales, with antipsychotics remaining the top-selling therapeutic class of prescription drugs in the US. But the sick-care industry doesn’t really look into how our emotions cause sickness in the body.
I’m not talking about the idea that stress can cause disease, either. Modern health practitioners have largely accepted this general fact, with stress having a noticeable affect on heart disease and obesity rates. More specifically, what if that argument you keep having with your husband or wife is causing your knee joints to lock up, or your constant worry over finances is causing your stomach upset or your spleen to become depleted of energy, thereby limiting your body’s immune response? What if your constantly aching shoulders are the body’s response to years of taking on more than you should – literally bearing others’ burden, or the constant itching sensation you’ve endured on your skin is because you’ve literally let someone or something ‘get under it.’

The Emotional/Astral/Mental/Physical Connection

These notions are increasingly no longer just mystical theories from ancient healers.
“The nineteen elements of the astral body are mental, emotional, and lifetronic. The nineteen components are intelligence; ego; feeling; mind (sense-consciousness); five instruments of knowledge, the subtle counterparts of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch; five instruments of action, the mental correspondence for the executive abilities to procreate, excrete, talk, walk, and exercise manual skill; and five instruments of life force, those empowered to perform the crystallizing, assimilating, eliminating, metabolizing, and circulating functions of the body. This subtle astral encasement of nineteen elements survives the death of the physical body, which is made of sixteen gross chemical elements.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

New Scientific Proof

In modern science, they are just beginning to understand what ancient mystics and healers had detailed wisdom of. A new study published in Psychology Today examines how emotional trauma can be equally responsible for chronic pain as physical injury.
Dr. Susanne Babbel states:
Chronic pain is defined as prolonged physical pain that lasts for longer than the natural healing process should allow. This pain might stem from injuries, inflammation, or neuralgias and neuropathies (disorders of the nerves), but some people suffer in the absence of any of these conditions. Chronic pain can debilitate one’s ability to move with ease, may hinder their normal functioning, and the search for relief can lead to pain medication addictions, which compound the problem. Chronic pain is also often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, depression, and anxiety.”

Epigenetics and Environment

Furthermore, modern medicine also fails to consider the latest discoveries of epigenetics. Often ignored is the fact that our environment (which largely shapes emotions) affects our DNA. Even with billions spent on the Human Genome Project to outline every single possible gene-controlled disease, materialist-reductionist-determinist philosophy still was no closer to understanding how perfectly good genes could turn into cancerous ones, and someone with a predisposition for cancer from several generations could overcome it simply by changing their emotional outlook.
With this new wisdom we now understand that each and every cell is like its own self-powered microprocessor. They take in signals from our subtle experience – our awe of a flower blooming, or the perfect sunset, as equally as our shame over failing a test or saying something unkind to a loved one in a flashing moment of anger.
As Bruce Lipton would explain, a cell’s receptors take in, not only the elements of the physical environment (light, gravity, temperature, salts, minerals, etc.), food (nutrients, other organisms), and life-threatening agents (toxins, parasites, predators, etc.) but also joy, fear, anger, sadness, hilarity, love, hate, etc.

The Colors of Love and Healing

In ancient yogic systems, the chakras are associated with not just emotions, but color, as certain vibratory rates reflect the emotions, which correlate to a specific place in the physical/astral body.
Root Chakra or Mooladhara – Red, the color of survival.
Second or Sacral ChakraSwadhistana – Orange, or the cooling of red, i.e. the base ego.
Third or Solar Plexus Chakra Manipura – This is the yellow color of establishing our personal will. This is where intellect develops.
Fourth or Anahata, The Heart Chakra – The Great Equalizing force of Mother Nature. Love. This is the first chakra which represents higher development in a human (or sentient) being aside from eating, sleeping, working, and procreating.
Fifth or the Throat Chakra, Vishuddha – The color blue is expressed, or the ability to communicate our heart’s desires.
Sixth or third Eye Chakra, Anja – The indigo color of this chakra represents the Vibrational awareness that would connect us to higher levels of consciousness, otherwise known as the spiritual world.
Seventh or Crown Chakra, Sahasrara Chakra – The color Violet is indicated, as it vibrates on an entire different frequency than red. If someone’s emotions have risen to this level, they most frequently experience cosmic consciousness, and complete healing.
We can also understood the emotions as vibrations through the visible spectrum of light:
The Visible Light Spectrum
ColorWavelenght nmFrequency THz
Red625 – 740400 – 484
Orange590 – 625484 – 508
Yellow565 – 590508 – 526
Green520 – 565526 – 606
Blue500 – 520606 – 670
Indigo435 – 500670 – 700
Violet380 – 435700 – 789

These scientific findings also would logically explain why green spaces heal us, or we ‘see red’ and revert to our most protected, contracted, egoic self.
In the case of being surrounded in green – aside from providing a more oxygen rich environment, sitting in a park or taking a stroll among trees and flowers after a stressful day has been proven to lower blood pressure and heart rates, as well as reduce levels of cortisol. A Dutch study surveyed over 4,500 people enduring stressful life events, including the death of a loved one, serious illness, or financial hardship, and the ones who lived within 3 kilometers of green space reported higher levels of well-being and fewer health complaints in the face of their struggles than those who lived elsewhere.
Referring back to Dr. Babbel’s findings, “Often, physical pain functions to warn a person that there is still emotional work to be done, and it can also be a sign of unresolved trauma in the nervous system.”
Bingo – this is what (Ancient Chinese Medicine) ACM, and Yoga have been trying to tell us for centuries.
Here are how different pains in the body correlate to different emotions according to the study, but also corresponding to more ancient wisdom:
Pain in the Head is a sign that you are overly stressed with day-to-day occurrences. You are likely an intellectual and ‘think’ too much. Have more fun and let go of the day’s responsibilities. Your head will hurt less.
Pain in the Neck indicates that you may need to work on forgiving someone – and that person might even be you. You are likely holding unconscious stress concerning a job, your home-life responsibilities, or other ‘burdens’ that you have subconsciously agreed to bare.
Pain in the Upper Back – You are likely feeling a lack of emotional support.
Pain in Your Elbows – This kind of joint pain may mean that you are often uncompromising, and need to learn to ‘give a little’ and learn to go with the flow instead of being so rock-solid in your approach.
Pain in Your Hands – You likely need to reach out to others more, in order to fulfill your emotional needs in a healthy manner. If your ‘hands are tied’ that may also mean that you have dabbled in other people’s emotional disturbances too often and you need to allow their pain without saving them. Try being empathetic without ‘handling’ everything.
Pain in Your Hips could be a cautionary message from your body that you need to move on an important decision, and stop stalling.
Pain in Your Knees can indicate an over-inflated ego. While the ego serves the good purpose of helping us discriminate between ourselves and others when we are children, it is often in need of dissolution as we grow older.
Pain in the Ankles may indicate that you are too frugal and need to live it up a bit more. Allow yourself some pleasure, and stop running so fast from love.
Pain in the Feet may indicate that you need grounding. It also means you need more joy in your life. Try something new. Consider meeting new people, or letting your ‘feet do the walking’ instead of your fingers. Go to a concert, or an outdoor park, and take a break from your computer. The world is waiting for you.
Photo courtesy of upnaway.com
Source:CE

New study supports safety and efficacy of Evekeo for treating children with ADHD

The amphetamine-based drug Evekeo, given once or twice daily to children 6-12 years of age, is effective in treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and improving performance in a laboratory classroom setting, according to the results of a new study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available Open Access on the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology website.
IMAGEAnn C. Childress, MD, Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, and coauthors compared the safety and efficacy of Evekeo (a racemic formulation with a ratio of 1:1 D- and L-amphetamine [R-AMPH]) versus placebo using rating scales and performance measures designed to assess ADHD symptoms as well as behavior and productivity in the classroom.
In "The Efficacy and Safety of Evekeo, Racemic Amphetamine Sulfate, for Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms: A Multicenter, Dose-Optimized, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Laboratory Classroom Study," the authors describe the safety profile of Evekeo and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). They report significant improvement in ADHD rating scores with a single daily dose of R-AMPH, on the laboratory classroom days, beginning at 45 minutes postdose and extending through 10 hours. Scores for ADHD signs and symptoms improved among the children receiving twice daily R-AMPH during the initial dose-optimization phase of the study. TEAEs and changes in vital signs associated with R-AMPH were generally mild and not unexpected.
Evekeo (Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Atlanta, GA) received FDA approval for treatment of ADHD in patients 3 years of age or older in September 2014.
Source:Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology 

Unexpected Link Between Skin Cancer and Orange Juice, Grapefruit Intake

Researchers discovered that those who regularly consumed orange juice or whole grapefruit had a higher risk of developing melanoma, the deadly form of skin cancer compared to people who avoided those foods.
 Dietary patterns of more than 100,000 Americans showed an unexpected link between high consumption of citrus - specifically whole grapefruit and orange juice and risk of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. 

Researchers found that 1,840 of the study participants developed melanoma. Those who had a serving of citrus fruit or juice daily had a 36% higher risk of the cancer as compared with those who consume it less than two times a week. 

The link may be due to high levels of furocoumarins found in citrus fruit. Plants as a defence mechanism and are photoactive produce these substances, meaning that ultraviolet radiation increases their toxicity. They have been known to cause skin to be more sensitive to sunlight. 

Shaowei Wu, the lead study author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, said, "those who consume a lot of grapefruit and/or orange juice should be particularly careful to avoid prolonged sun exposure." 

The American Society of Clinical Oncology called the findings "intriguing" but said that it's far too soon for any changes to dietary recommendations about grapefruit and oranges. 

Source:
The American Society of Clinical Oncology

Yoga Practices can be Invaluable in Prolonging Sexual Stamina, Pleasure

The first International Yoga Day has rightfully positioned the nearly 5,000-year old Indian system of physical and mental rejuvenation on to the global mat. But little do people know that there are some postures that, if done under proper guidance, can ramp up their sex life too.
 Yoga Practices can be Invaluable in Prolonging Sexual Stamina, Pleasure
 
For sound love-making, the whole idea is to make the mind tranquil so that the process of cerebral tissue oxygenation can take place in deepest of human tissues, micro-nutrients reach the tiniest parts of our brain and the genitalia get good blood supply, explain yoga and health experts. 


Yoga exercises, under the supervision of a trained professional, gets you right on the top in an efficient manner. 

"Daily stress, smoking, alcohol and excess sugar intake - all hamper sexual performance in both men and women to a great extent. Yoga calms the mind and helps increase blood flow to the private parts," one of the nation's top sexologists, Prakash Kothari said. 

To his patients, he generally advises two yoga postures - Shavasana (corpse) and Vajrasana (kneeling). 

While Shavasana leaves you in a state of rejuvenation, reducing blood pressure, anxiety and insomnia, Vajrasana makes the body exceptionally strong and healthy. 

"Vajrasana also helps in digestion which is key to good health and increases the flow of blood to the whole body," said Kothari, founder-adviser of the World Association of Sexual Health (WAS). 

New Delhi-based yoga expert Deepak Jha advised more yoga postures to enhance sexual pleasure. 

"Postures like Paschimottanasana (seated forward bending), Halasana (plow) and Bhujangasana (cobra) help release sex hormone testosterone faster in men and also strengthen the genitalia," Jha said. 

As a holistic practice, yoga can increase physical stamina and, in turn, prolong the pleasure associated with sex. 

In fact, according to an abstract published recently in the journal Wiley, yoga practices can be invaluable in prolonging sexual stamina and pleasure. 

"Yoga can help one relieve stress and get physically fit. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, which eventually brings everything on place in life," says Manish Jain, senior consultant (Psychiatry) at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital. 

Yoga also teaches you to control your physical energy, meaning you can make sex more intense and make the "big moments" last longer. 

The postures mentioned reduce the stress hormone cortisol which means less stress and better sleep. 

These also help release the essential hormone Oxytocin ("love hormone") that relieves anxiety, enhances desire for social interaction and increases sexual intimacy. 

"As a lifestyle guru, yoga can help one relieve stress and this leads to a better performance between the sheets," says Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospital. 

Global research also supports the sex-enhancing benefits of yoga. In two studies published recently in the Journal Of Sexual Medicine, more than 100 men and women aged 20 to 60 were enrolled in a 12-week yoga camp. 

They were asked to complete questionnaires about their sexual satisfaction before and after the camp. 

The scores in all areas of sexual function - arousal, satisfaction, performance, confidence, ejaculatory control and orgasm - were significantly improved after yoga practice, the authors found. 

Pranayama (breathing exercises) is also beneficial to spruce up the bedroom life. 

"If possible, learn Kumbhaka (voluntary holding of the breath) form of pranayama. It better regulates the activities of mind and increases the concentration - a must for a good love-making experience," Kothari advised. 

Kumbhaka pranayama exercises are the deepest breathing exercises and have to be practiced under proper guidance. 

"As it calms the mind, yoga improves the dialogue between the two individuals that leads to intimacy in the bedroom, and beyond," said Jyoti Kapoor Madan, senior consultant (Psychiatry) at Gurgaon's Paras Hospitals. So, while you count various health benefits of yoga, do not forget that the ancient Indian body of knowledge is your ticket to a super performance in bed.

Source: IANS

 

Sunday 28 June 2015

10 Signs You May Have A Parasite

sick_parasiteThe common belief in more developed countries is that parasites are only found in underdeveloped countries. This simply isn’t true, and unfortunately this myth continues to spread. Parasites are very common in developed countries and some estimates state that around 50% of people in these countries have parasite problems.
The good news is that parasites can be cleansed safely and easily.

How Do You Get Parasites?

Intestinal parasites can infect the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. While they can live in different areas of the body, they mainly stick to intestinal walls. You can get parasites in a number of ways; they can come from the ingestion of undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, sushi, or infected water. You can also get them while travelling, from contact with animals, or through skin absorption. 

10 Signs You May Have a Parasite

  • You feel tired, fatigued, or exhausted often.
  • You often don’t feel satisfied or full after your meals.
  • You travelled internationally and remember getting traveller’s diarrhea while abroad.
  • You experience frequent food poisoning and your digestion is not up to par.
  • You have trouble falling asleep and wake up often during the night.
  • You’ve been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia.
  • You get skin irritations or unexplained rashes, hives, rosacea, or eczema.
  • You grind your teeth while you sleep.
  • You have pain or aching in your muscles or joints.
  • You have unexplained constipation, diarrhea, gas, or other symptoms of IBS.

Mixed findings regarding quality of evidence supporting benefit of medical marijuana

In an analysis of the findings of nearly 80 randomized trials that included about 6,500 participants, there was moderate-quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids (chemical compounds that are the active principles in cannabis or marijuana) for the treatment of chronic pain and lower-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.
Medical cannabis refers to the use of cannabis or cannabinoids as medical therapy to treat disease or alleviate symptoms. In the United States, 23 states and Washington, D.C., have introduced laws to permit the medical use of cannabis; many other countries have similar laws. Despite the wide us of cannabis and cannabinoid drugs for medical purposes, their efficacy for specific indications is not clear, according to background information in the article.
Penny F. Whiting, Ph.D., of the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom, and colleagues evaluated the evidence for the benefits and adverse events (AEs) of medical cannabinoids by searching various databases for randomized clinical trials of cannabinoids for a variety of indications. The researchers identified 79 trials (6,462 participants) that met criteria for inclusion in the review and meta-analysis.
The researchers found that most studies suggested that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in symptoms, but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all studies. There was moderate-quality evidence to suggest that cannabinoids may be beneficial for the treatment of chronic neuropathic or cancer pain and spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (sustained muscle contractions or sudden involuntary movements). There was low-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome; and very low-quality evidence for an improvement in anxiety. There was low-quality evidence for no effect on psychosis and very low-level evidence for no effect on depression.
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids, including serious AEs. Common AEs included dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, somnolence, euphoria, vomiting, disorientation, drowsiness, confusion, loss of balance, and hallucination. There was no clear evidence for a difference in association (either beneficial or harmful) based on type of cannabinoids or mode of administration. Only 2 studies evaluated cannabis. There was no evidence that the effects of cannabis differed from other cannabinoids.
"Further large, robust, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the effects of cannabinoids, particularly on weight gain in patients with HIV/AIDS, depression, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, glaucoma, and Tourette syndrome are required. Further studies evaluating cannabis itself are also required because there is very little evidence on the effects and AEs of cannabis," the authors write.
Source:THE JAMA NETWORK JOURNALS
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Compound in magnolia may combat head and neck cancers

Magnolias are prized for their large, colorful, fragrant flowers. Does the attractive, showy tree also harbor a potent cancer fighter?
Yes, according to a growing number of studies, including one from VA and the University of Alabama at Birmingham that is now online in the journal Oncotarget.
IMAGEThe study focused on squamous cell head and neck cancers, a scourge among those who use tobacco and alcohol. According to the National Cancer Institute, at least 3 in 4 head and neck cancers are caused by the use of tobacco and alcohol. The cancers have only a 50 percent survival rate, killing some 20,000 Americans each year.
Enter honokiol--chemical formula C18H18O2. As one of the major active compounds in magnolia extract, the phytochemical has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to treat anxiety and other conditions. More recently, scientists have been discovering that the compound, found in magnolia bark, is a wily and versatile adversary of cancer. It seems to exploit many biochemical pathways to shrink tumors of various types, or to keep them from growing in the first place.
The Alabama scientists have now shown how it works against head and neck cancers: It blocks a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR. Prior research has found that almost all head and neck cancer cells display an over-abundance of the protein, and it had been suggested in the literature as a potential target.
The VA-UAB team says, based on its lab studies, that honokiol binds more strongly with EGFR than does the drug gefitinib (sold as Iressa), which is commonly used to treat head and neck cancers.
The researchers tested honokiol on cell lines derived from human cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, tongue, and pharynx. In all cases, the botanical shut down the aberrant cells. The team also tested it against tumors implanted into mice, with similar results.
Senior author Dr. Santosh K. Katiyar and his colleagues wrote, "Conclusively, honokiol appears to be an attractive bioactive small molecule phytochemical for the management of head and neck cancer which can be used either alone or in combination with other available therapeutic drugs."
Katiyar has published extensively in the past on other natural substances that work against tumors, especially skin cancer. Some of his recent work has focused on compounds in green tea, for example, and grape seed proanthocyanidins.
SOURCE:VETERANS AFFAIRS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Drugs Used For Anxiety Disorders Linked To Bone Fracture Risk In Women

Drugs prescribed to control curb menopausal symptoms may boost bone fracture risk. The heightened risk associated with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) a class of anti-depressants seems to last for several years.

 
"SSRIs appear to increase fracture risk among middle-aged women without psychiatric disorders -- an effect sustained over time -- suggesting that shorter duration of treatment may decrease (this)," said researcher Matthew Miller from Northeastern University in the US. 


For the study, the researchers focused on 137,031 women with no mental health issues and aged between 40 and 64 who started treatment with SSRIs between 1998 and 2010. 

They were compared with more than 236,294 women of the same age prescribed H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), typically used to treat indigestion, over the same time-frame. 

Analysis of the data showed that fracture rates were significantly higher among the women treated with SSRIs. 

The fracture rate was 76 percent higher among those prescribed SSRIs one year after starting treatment, 73 percent higher after two years and 67 percent higher after five years than it was among those treated with indigestion drugs. 

Anti-depressants may alter bone turnover, shifting the balance in favor of bone thinning rather than bone strengthening activities, the researchers suggested. 



Source: IANS
 

India, USA Sign Agreements on Health Infrastructure, Cancer Research and Technology

India, USA Sign Agreements on Health Infrastructure, Cancer Research and Technology
India and United States of America (USA) on June 25 signed a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in areas such as cancer research, infrastructure development, training, capacity building and better assessment and application of new diagnostic technologies.

MoU on Cancer Research and Letter of Intent (LoI) on Anti-microbial was signed by B P Sharma, Secretary (Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Health Research), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Secretary (Department of Biotechnology), Ministry of Science & Technology and Richard Verma, Ambassador of the USA to India. 


The agreement on cancer research prevention, control and management was signed between the National Cancer Research Institute of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and National Cancer Institute of the National Institute of Health and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), USA. 

MoU on collaboration in environmental health and occupational injury prevention and control was signed by Sharma and Verma. 

The collaboration will be in the areas for conducting research and training on development of low-cost technologies, diagnostics of existing medications against common cancers and development of existing therapies related to oncology. 

Another agreement was signed between the CDC, DHHS (USA) and the ICMR (DHR) on collaboration in environmental and occupational health and injury prevention and control. 

"The MOUs reflect the breadth and depth of our partnership, and the vast opportunities open to us when we formally join our institutions, our experts, our experience," said Ambassador Verma. 

 

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