In a recent medical publication, there has been some startling news with regards to drug interactions (no surprise!)

 Reported this month, the popular class of antacids that includes Aciphex, Dexilant, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix (called Proton Pump Inhibitors) increases the risk of C. diff infection and bone fracture!

 Perhaps the scariest PPI risk is serious infection with C.difficile bacteria, a hard-to-cure infection that minimally causes severe diarrhea. Stomach acid with proper pH levels does a wonderful job of keeping C.diff down.

PPI's, however, keep stomach acid below the levels that protect against this bad bug. Yet another reason to look for other options for heartburn, which most of these drugs are prescribed for.  Additionally, allopathic medicine knows that most stomach ulcers and associated digestive disorders are caused by an equally insidious bacterial infection. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), not only triggers ulcers and acid reflux, but is behind the growing rates of stomach cancer, too!

 A lot of data comes from the more than 130,000 women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative.  Women who reported current PPI use were 47% more likely to have had a spine fracture, 26% more likely to have a forearm or wrist fracture, and 25% more likely to have any kind of fracture. Clearly, a lot of this risk can be avoided!

 I have developed an easy to follow program that keeps the stomach acid in the proper ph range and 90% of time eliminates the need for these drugs and their life-threatening side effects.

 Often times this can be explained and a full gamelan given in just one appointment. To me, working with difficult cases it is like solving a mystery where the clues are sparse and unconnected. If you would like me to help you solve your mystery, please see my website at www.inner-strength.com for more details. Additionally, stress is such an impetus or catalyst for many issues of stomach upset and reflux. Please check out www.inner-strength.org to see many stress relieving options.

Careful which ‘Organic “ milk product you buy!!!

Many of the “cheaper” organic milks have bGH or rBGH in them which is an additive that I believe is extremely dangerous to all humans and pets (dogs/cats) and can still be listed as "Organic!"

Bovine growth hormone, or bovine somatotropin (also called bGH, rbGH, or bST), is given to cows to make them mature faster and produce more milk. The hormone is produced by cows' pituitary gland and an extra amino acid is attached before it's injected into dairy cows. Any of the above listed products should be avoided in your milk, yogurt cottage, cheese consumption and needs to be labeled as such.

rBGH, is a highly potent genetically engineered version of BGH, the natural bovine growth hormone manufactured by Monsanto.

rBGH is sold to dairy farmers under the trade name Posilac. Injection of this hormone forces cows to increase their milk production by about 10%. Why we need this is a mystery, as currently, there is national surplus of milk production. Monsanto has stated that about one third of dairy cows in the nation are in large herds where the hormone is now used. rBGH factory farms now pose a major threat to the viability of small organic dairy farms, and fattens Monsanto’s pockets without any benefits to consumers.

Monsanto, strongly supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), still insists that hormonal milk is indistinguishable from natural milk, and that it is safe. This is blatantly false according to Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. Professor emeritus Environmental & Occupational Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition.

Dr. Epstein further states that: 

Ø rBGH makes cows sick. Monsanto has been forced to admit to about 20 toxic effects, including mastitis, on its Posilac drug label.

Ø rBGH milk is often contaminated with pus, due to mastitis commonly induced by rBGH, and also with antibiotics used to treat the mastitis. This poses risks of nationwide antibiotic resistance to life threatening infections.

Ø rBGH milk is chemically, and nutritionally different than natural milk. These differences include increased levels of milk fat, posing cardiovascular risks.

Ø Milk from cows injected with rBGH is contaminated with the hormone, traces of which are absorbed through the gut into the blood, and provoke foreign antibodies.

Ø rBGH milk is supercharged with high levels of a natural growth factor (IGF-1), which is readily absorbed through the gut. These levels are further increased following pasteurization.

Ø In numerous published scientific studies over the last two decades, excess levels of IGF-1 have been incriminated as causes of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. IGF-1 blocks natural defense mechanisms, technically known as apoptosis, against the growth of early submicroscopic cancers.

Clearly then, these additives need to be avoided.

The FDA and bGH manufacturers have resisted public demand that milk containing bGH be labeled as such. In fact, they have also opposed labeling milk as “bGH-free.” Your best defense is to look for manufacturers that label “rbGH-free." 

As an advocate for healthy eating/living, we should all demand these products be eliminated from our grocery shelves and stop supporting companies who use them.

The bigger question then is:  who knows what long term effects these chemicals will have on our aging, disease progression and development?  

In fact, most people including MD’s do not recognize chemical sensitivity or multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) because the symptoms are so vague. Anything from rash, hives, bloating and gas, breathing problems, sore throat, sneezing, stuffy head or congestion, fatigue, and migraines can be caused from chemical sensitivity.<< MORE >>

I have always believed that that power of mind is the most important part of healing available in any medical technique – whether allopathic or naturopathic/complimentary.

A recent article published in Scientific American states exactly that same thing: “A controversial article just published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that antidepressants are no more effective than placebos for most depressed patients.

(Think about that statement for a moment!)

Jay Fournier and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania aggregated individual patient data from six high-quality clinical trials and found that the superiority of antidepressants over Placebo is clinically significant only for patients who are very severely depressed.  For patients with mild, moderate, and even severe depression, placebos work nearly as well as antidepressants (Again, please think about that statement for a moment!)

There have been at least four other review articles published in the last eight years that have come to similar conclusions about the limited clinical efficacy of antidepressants

 

……..In clinical practice, of course, there is no placebo group, and therefore patients and their doctors are likely to attribute all symptom improvement to the medication.”

Wow!  I am sure that this will be challenged almost immediately, as there is an enormous amount of money to be lost from pharmaceutical companies if this is again proved to be true – and more importantly – this becomes common public knowledge!

Regardless, of the study, I personally have proved to myself from surviving “incurable asthma and cancer” that the power of the mind is real….no proof is needed in my mind.

I have been working in this field of mind (sometimes a minefield or mindfield) all my life – mostly from a survival perspective, but now to help my clients in all aspects of healing – physically mentally and spiritually. The mental aspects of this perspective I call Formless Taoism – (a philosophical approach to life). Many of these perspectives and concepts are very old techniques borrowed from ancient Taoist masters.

I have found the root of all disease to be from two factors: stress and inflammation. So this is the chicken and the egg question, which comes first?

Here at Inner Strength, I have developed some very unique concepts of self-healing, based on my own survival, that I now share with my clients on how to alleviate these two culprits. I use a variety of methods - like having different tools in the toolbox  -one tool may work better than another.  Please contact us today and begin the journey to living life to its fullest again, rather than thinking of just getting through the day, imagine about how to enjoy the day !

ãCopyright Inner Strength, Inc. All rights reserved under state and federal laws.Copyright control of this article, the title and ALL content remains with Inner Strenth, Inc. at ALL times. Content may not be copied, altered, edited, disseminated, or reproduced in any way.

So, with New Years just a few days away, perhaps some of you are outlining your resolutions for the New Year. Most of us forecast what we need in our lives, put an action plan into place and try our best to stick with it throughout the year. Ah yeah. That resolution usually lasts until February!

 

So this year, why not try something new? How about instead of making resolutions, you contemplate the following 2 questions: 

Are you on a spiritual path (not a dogmatic path)?

And, if you are on a spiritual path….Why are you?

 

Dogma does not engender spirituality, although they can be merged. Ritual does not define spirituality either. Any “religion” that is self-serving, or only serving a select group, is not spiritually based.  Jesus, a Jew, loved all…not just those who followed Judaism or Christianity. He was patient, kind and compassionate to all men, women and children regardless of their affinity.  

 

The second question is my main focus of this Blog article. Why did you begin a spiritual quest? My teacher Jeffrey Yuen, once spoke of how in ancient China; many people who entered monasteries and covenants did so because they had a really crappy life (my words not his). Their lives where outlined by sadness, rejection and abandonment. They entered the retreat so hoping that they would come out with some newfound healing and abatement of their suffering through divinity. Obviously with that perspective, in time, one can become “mad at God” if the cessation of suffering is not fulfilled.

 

Many people do the same in modern times. Are you seeking becoming spiritual because of your weakness and in turn bringing your weakness to a spiritual life? Or, are you a seeker because you want to bring your strengths to the spiritual world?

 

Most seekers doing so out of their weakness and think of a return vs. what they can contribute. In order to be a contributor to the spiritual path, one must come to terms with the humanness of their perceived fallacies and shortcomings or at least come to know them through cultivation.

 

Instead of choosing to come to know the holiness and divine within themselves, the novice perpetually looks external for their salvation and answers. They are not comfortable with themselves and/or their affliction (we all have some affliction - no-one is exempt).

 

One should seek a spiritual life because it has something to teach you. The Intern works to understand themselves through cultivation through non-biased eyes. As you come to understand and know yourself and your true nature, you thereby come to know God.

 

If you are interested in becoming an Intern, please see the website www.formlesstaoism.com

Inflammation is linked to every known disease and disorder
of the body, although we know very little about how the whole inflammation
process starts, which  cells are
involved, and what activates the inflammatory process and what keeps it in that
state. 

Theories of where does
inflammation start have been postulated from dendritic cells, to Eosinophils,
to B-Cell development to CD4 and CD8 Effector cells and then which systems
mediate and keep the inflammation process going including immunoglobins,  prostaglandins, Chemokines ...<< MORE >>

In September, I will be speaking publicly for the first time in my life about what happened when I was pronounced dead in a hospital and stayed that way for over 14 minutes. Being “dead “ that long is not to common, from what I understand, and it allowed me “time” to see and understand things that very few humans ever could understand. This happened at a very young, impressionable age. I recounted these experiences to physicians and psychiatrists many times over the years ...<< MORE >>

Dr.
Cibik will be speaking on Effective Communication skills for patients and
health care professionals on September 12^th, 2009, from 9am to 1pm. The
cost is $99.00. Dr. Cibik will be demonstrating various voice projection techniques
(Qi projection) for effective communication as well as word choice and timing
skills. ...<< MORE >>

I have not Blogged in a while…..to be honest I have not felt like writing. My mother passed away on February 25^th, or transitioned into her true divine self, as I like to think of it. A place where there is no more pain and suffering of the flesh, but equally the loss of the ability to feel and hold the warmth of her form. This defines a crossroads of understanding of what it means to live – and what it means to survive another’s passing.

I looked on the internet for camaraderie for dealing with the death of your mother in mid-life….but most of the limited advice I found was for women only. That is not fitting the bill here. I discovered that there is nothing on the Internet for middle-aged guys who lose their mother - who just happen to be the only child, which is odd, I thought. I am here to tell you that it is hard….with no brothers or sisters for support to commiserate with – you really do feel  alone in the world. I am not a weak person by any stretch of the imagination, but I suppose this is something that people just do not feel comfortable talking about. (So here I am talking about it) Like so many things, we just ignore it; stuff it down inside and move on with life. Although, I can move on with life, that does not mean that I do not feel the abyss that has been placed in my life. Perhaps for men, admitting so would appear to be less than macho - this means of course that you are concerned about how others perceive you and allow that to drive your persona.

So, I began to watch and listen to other people tell the story of what happens in their life when a parent dies. In thinking about their commentaries, society briefly sympathizes with the survivor(s) of a lost parent, but it is as if the mid-age survivor should snap back after a week or two and be completely normal. This expected mask of delusion placed by societies expectations, I surmise, is because you are older, busier and supposedly have more emotional tools available at your command.

I have found that the grieving process really does not hit until several months later and that may only be the beginning. So, it is a process to say the least. This process requires a completely different set of tools that you can never prepare for through either experience or reading. You learn as you go along. Every loss of someone you love is different, so how can you prepare?

Well, I have my mother to thank for many gifts. Personally, I am now aware of her Shen, or spirit, that flows through my veins even more than ever before. A blessing that allows me to truly feel her moment-by-moment in all that I am, and all that I do.

The Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, says this, “If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.” 

On reflecting of her transition, I remembered the many gifts she gave me. My mother always had the gift to sense and feel another’s pain or discomfort and always had a way – through word or action –that allowed her to comfort another – even if that was the animal that she had just rescued. 

Another was her tolerance of allowing me to find my own path. In reading Thomas Merton, I discovered a quote that describes her perfectly, albeit she never read Merton that I know of: “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

I love you mom, and as your Shen flows through my veins, I will celebrate your gifts everyday though my words and my actions. Be at peace.  

One of the most painful things I have ever encountered was a kidney stone. I sympathize with anyone who has chronic problems with them and have some possible insights to prevention and treatment for those of you who are suffering.

Almost 80% of kidney stones are comprised of calcium oxalate crystals. Uric Acid stones can form also when the pH is too low and high oxalate rich foods are consumed such as nuts, chocolate, soybeans and their products, rhubarb and spinach. One of the main causes I have found is the high consumption of cola drinks without equal amounts of water. If the uric acid concentration is high, sometimes the stones will form in combination with Gout.

In rats fed a low vitamin-E diet, who later developed kidney stones, the effect could be reversed by vitamin –E supplementation. Foods naturally rich in vitamin E are: Almonds (also good for your lungs) avocados, olives, asparagus and wheat germ.

Vitamin E is one of 13 vitamins essential to body metabolism, cell growth and function. There are 2 divisions of vitamins E: Tocopherols and Tocotreinols that each has four divisions. All we need to worry about is that in nature tocotreinols and tocopherols occur together. That is precociously how they should be taken, with almost all vitamin E sales going to only one half of the equation - tocopherols. Additionally, the Japanese has recently studied tocotreinols as a cancer preventative.

New research points to common sense as well – more is not necessarily better. Keep your intake of vitamin E to foods first and then to low dose supplements.

My philosohy has always been to teach people how to eat first, rather than place them ever so quickly on supplements. Like all supplements, learning to balance them with diet and movement is the key to better health.