december 2005 wellness news - solaris cancer care · wellness news happiness – a new year...

WELLNESS NEWS Newsletter of Cancer Support Association of WA, Dec 2005 / Jan 2006.

Newsletter of the Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc.$3.00

December 2005 Vol. 20 No. 9SPONSORED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND CCI STAFF

Empowering individuals, families

and community.

~ Environment, Wellness & Healing ~

The Wellness for Life Learning Centre, 80 Railway Street, Cottesloe, Western Australia, 6011Ph 9384 3544, Fax 9384 6196, Email [email protected]

CSA On-Line at www.cancersupportwa.org.au

“THE WELLNESS FOR LIFE LEARNING CENTRE”

Join CSA as a member and be part of our wellness learning community! (see back cover for details)

WELLNESS NEWS

Happiness – A New Year Resolve. The most elusive thing in the world is real happiness. True happiness is above money, material possessions, family, social prestige and glory. You cannot buy happiness. The surest way to attain peace is to simplify your life and resolve inner complexes. The fewer the wants, the greater the peace. Happiness comes from peace of mind. You are lonely because you build walls instead of bridges. You make yourself miserable by separating yourself from others. See life as a whole. Serve all. See God in all. Be simple. Be selfless. Share what you have with others. The world is one home and we are all members of one human family. Separation is death. Unity is eternal life. Happiness is your very nature. Real peace is within you. ~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati.

May you and your family be blessed with peace, love and happiness this Christmas

A Season for Givingsponsored by some very generous friends including Ivan and Sharon Buzolic, Cameron and Carol McDonald, Roy and Sue van Leeuwen, Mr and Mrs G Holmes, Trevor Holmes, Martin and Karen Archer, Nabila and Julie Boulos, Lisa Anderson, Jenny Shuttlewroth, Julie Scull and Mary Wallace. In total $1600 was raised. Thankyou!

Dalwalinu may be a small rural community but on their ‘Wax for Cancer’ day $3000+ was raised for the CSA. Organised by Donna Dingle (middle picture) the event involved brave male participants being waxed and shaved by some lovely ladies. The hair removed was from the heads, chests, upper lips, legs and arms of the participants, and involved a few tears (from the men) and a lot of laughter. Thankyou Dalwallinu! (See page 28 for more fundraising news) ✦

The Cancer Support Association of WA is a charitable organisation, funded entirely on kindness and generosity! It is the donations given by our members and also the broader community which make the CSA possible – and we, and those who benefit from the services, are truly grateful. We would like to thank two members of the community in particular who have thought up ingenious ways of raising money for the CSA while having some fun and bringing light and laughter to the world at the same time – Kerry Archer and Donna Dingle.

Kerry Archer (pictured top left) of Rockmans Fashion and Clothing Boutique in Kalamunda cut off her lovely long tresses to aid the CSA. Her sister-in-law and father-in-law have both been diagnosed with cancer, and this was Kerry’s way of helping them and others in similar situations. She was

This newsletter presents a diverse selection of articles and information available on subjects related to cancer. The Cancer Support Association of WA Inc aims to present various views so that individuals can choose what information is most suited to them. The contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc.


editorial...

Much joy and peace to you... ~ Mandii

Dear readers & friends,

Before we commence anything in life it is best to have a clear intention as to what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what our goal is. It is only with clarity that we can succeed. New year is of course the traditional time for clarifying our intention for the coming year. Perhaps your intention for 2006 is perfect health, harmony or healing? If it is, then may I suggest taking a ‘chilled out’, relaxed approach to 2006?

All illnesses and imbalances start in the body’s energy field. When we do any kind of spiritual practice or relaxing activity we are positively enhancing the body’s energy and promoting an environment which in conducive to good health.

Western medicine is now confirming what traditional medicine has always known - that when the body is over-acidic disease sets in. Good health requires an alkaline pH. This can be achieved through nutrition, but more

A HUGE thanks to our volunteers who help send our newsletter out

Editor ..................... Mandii Becker-Knox([email protected])

Editorial Consultant: ....... Dr Peter Daale

Advertising: ...................... Ph 9384 3544

Printing ........................ Artproof Printers

Wellness News Team

“Group of 60”

BankWestPerron Group of CompaniesSellers Holdings Pty LtdSolbec PharmaceuticalsWonteco Pty Ltd

CSA Corporate Members

A season for giving ........................1

CSA weekly program ....................3

From the CEO ................................5

Tao Te Ching ..................................6

Anti-aging medicine .....................7

Lessons from earth’s elders ........10

Sugar: the age drug ...................12

The 80/20 alkaline-acid food theory for healthy living ..............16

Do radiofrequency energyfields cause cancer? ..................18

Opening the door of your heart .............................................22

A visit to the Gawler Foundation ...................................23

The orange tree has a tumour ...24

The most beautiful death ...........25

Q & A with Dr Charmaine ..........26

How to keep your new year resolutions ............................27

Our dedicated team ..................28

Eliminate your cancer risk ..........30

Recipes .........................................31

In the news ...................................32

Members bulletin board .............33

this edition...

importantly through the management of stress, emotional stress and negative thought patterns. Nothing creates acid in the system like stress does... we must consciously minimise stress by recognising the cause of it in the first instance, and then learning to react differently in ‘stressful’ situations.

This special double edition of Wellness News features articles on this theme of healing through balance, particularly on creating an inner balance through nutrition, and good lifestyle choices,

The next edition of Wellness News will appear in February 2006. In the meantime enjoy your families, your friends, Christmas... and good luck with your new year ‘intentions’! ✦

Each year at Christmas time there is a hole made in the veil, and for a little while the truth of Love is alight within the hearts of humankind. Each year, for a little while, the flow of life returns to giving, and somewhere in many human hearts, Love is paramount again.

Christmas

Even the grieving that seems to be a result of the holiday season is actually from remembering a greater Love and missing it. It is not those old relationships or even loneliness that makes people sad. It is the message whispered through the heart of the glorious Love that is meant to be yours. It is the agony of missing it, of lives unwound, of hearts reversed. It is the call of the Christ child in every person, asking each if they will come to worship. Each year the story of Christmas speaks to the soul, stirring within it that which remembers that it is your story, each of you, as well as that of Jesus...

Welcome New Members!Ian Allan, Peter Thobaven, Nicola Trethewey, Antonia Chipper, Tony Mobily, Ron Gabelish, Helen Runciman, Sonia Bunic, Christine Steinier, Deborah Robertson, Joyce Reuben.

What is your intention?


CSA Weekly Program...

MONDAY10.00am ~ 11.30am ... Meditation Made Easy: Ongoing Lessons with Bavali Hill.FREE FOR MEMBERS (non-members $5). No bookings necessary.10.15am ~ 11.15am ................................................Laughter Club with Janni Goss1.00pm ~ 2.00pm ...............On-line support Group with Dr Charmaine Saunders in the chatroom on the CSA website: www.cancersupportwa.org.au

TUESDAY9.00am ~ 10.00am ................................................ Yoga Class with Vidhyan Kosh 10.00am ~ 12.00noon ........................ Wellness & Healing Open Support Group...................................... with Angela Ebert, Christine Robbins and Sandy Dunne 10.00am ~ 12.00noon ...................... (1st & 3rd Tues) Carer’s Wellness & Healing Open Support Group with Christine Robbins12.15pm ~ 1.30pm ....................................................................................Reiki Clinic12.45pm-2.30pm ............................ Raw Food for Health and Survival Workshops(With Marguerite Henshaw. Last Tuesday of month - bookings essential)10.00am ~ 4.00pm .......................................................................................Op Shop

WEDNESDAY12.15pm ~ 1.30pm ....................................................................................Reiki Clinic10.00am ~ 2.00pm ...............................Aromatherapy Massage with Jane Asplin (by appointment)10.00am ~ 4.00pm .......................................................................................Op Shop

THURSDAY10.00am ~ 12.00noon ........ Women’s Wellness & Healing Open Support Group (with Christine Robbins and Sandy Dunne)9.30am-10.30am .............................................................. Tai Chi with Dr Yun-Fei Lu1.00pm ~ 2.00pm .............. On-line Support Group with Dr Charmaine Saunders in the chatroom on the CSA website: www.cancersupportwa.org.au1.00pm ~ 5.00pm ................ Counselling with Dr Peter Daale (by appointment)10.00am ~ 4.00pm .......................................................................................Op Shop

FRIDAY10.00am ~ 4.00pm .......................................................................................Op Shop9.30am ~ 4.30pm ............................................... Cancer - Meeting the Challenge 1st Friday of the month with Dr Peter Daale (and others)Next courses: 2nd December

DAILY............................................Wellness Counselling & Information Sessions with Dr Peter Daale (by appointment).......................... General Counselling with Angela Ebert (by appointment). Phone 0405 643 299 or 9450 6724.

December 2005

All of us here at

CSA wish our

members and

friends a Warm

and Wonderful

Christmas, and

a Joyous New

Year. May all

your Wellness

Wishes come

true!

CSA CHRISTMAS HOURSWe will be closed Monday 26th December until Monday 2nd January. We reopen on Tuesday the 3rd and most seminars, services and courses resume in January.

Changes to our Weekly Program January 2006:

Laughter Yogafinishes 12/12/05 resumes 6/2/06

Tai Chifinishes 15/12/05 resumes 7/2/06

ReikiTuesdays only for month of January

Massageavailable during January by appt.

Counsellingavailable during January by appt.

Yoga finishes 20/12/05 resumes 2/2/06


A Day to Celebrate our CSA Community

“Love and kindness always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and bless you, the giver.”

All members are invited to join the CSA in Celebrating our Community.

on Thursday December 1st

Starting with the AGM at 2 p.m.

Followed at 2:30pm by a “thankyou” volunteers and members afternoon tea, with live music.

And concluding with a celebration of remembering and honouring those who have journeyed on this year.

In this 21st year of CSA’s Service to the community

and this 100th anniversary of Wanslea House, we invite you to celebrate together, on this special day.


LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE. BOOK FOR THIS EVENT WITH RECEPTION.

Dr Lu will give a presentation about cancer treatment using traditional Chinese medicine. He will briefly introduce the basic concept of Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary, and healing exercises. The talk will focus on the practical application of Chinese medicine to cancer treatment and how Chinese medicine view cancers. He will also talk about cancer treatment in China where the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine is used. There will be time for questions related to Chinese medicine. The talk should be informative not only for cancer patients, but also for their carers and families and the general public. It will provide you the opportunity to understand the basics of Chinese medicine and the benefit to your health from this natural healing method.

Chinese Medicine & CancerA presentation at the CSA by Dr Yun-Fei LuWednesday 15th February. 4-6pm. $25 per ticket.

from the ceo...

A Provision for the Morrow...?Often when I speak with individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer (some are CSA members, others are not) the topic of financial hardship comes up in relation to treatment options (local, interstate and overseas), affordability of medications, inability or reduced ability to work and consequent loss of income, and present family responsibilities or future ones when convinced of imminent demise. Most individuals are understandably anxious about their own predicament and almost everyone about their families’ future.

For most these individuals a cancer diagnosis is like a bolt out of the blue, and therefore no clearly defined contingency plans were in place at time of diagnosis. It is apparent that a significant number of people make no provisions for unexpected situations at all, whether they are health related or not. This prompted me to ask a colleague in the financial planning industry if we could introduce a modest disaster recovery policy for CSA members not diagnosed with cancer, who are well and engaged in a healthy lifestyle with a focus to prevent cancer and chronic disease, providing some protection should the unexpected occur. Some new members may fall into this category but also many well individuals presently caring for their partners.

If we could introduce a facility for well individuals which would provide a $50,000 payout on the basis of a significant or terminal cancer diagnosis, the money could then be used at the discretion of the patient for treatment of choice (mainstream, complementary, or alternative) in an effort to get well and beat the odds, to make some modest future provision for family, to go travelling and make some unforgettable memories, or for any other purpose. This ability to choose could by itself be empowering and therapeutic. Even better, when surviving the diagnosis by a full year and already having received the full payout initially, the full insurance cover is reinstated on the first day of the second year for the benefit of surviving family or loved ones if one ultimately does succumb to the disease.

My colleague via CommInsure advised me this could be done through an age related trauma and life care policy, with monthly

premiums starting around $25 for a thirty five year old gradually increasing to $45 for a fifty year old, to $125 for a sixty year old individual. This is a modest range between 80 cents and $4 per day, possibly representing a seamless payment when deducted by direct debit authority from a bank account.

This led to further thought. What if the CSA changed its membership across from the individual diagnosed with cancer (where possible) to the carer/well partner? Privileges for all individuals with cancer would remain unchanged where carers are involved but the CSA could direct a one-off subsidy of say $10 across as a modest initial contribution towards the first monthly premium of a trauma/life care policy. If additionally the CSA were to lower the membership fee by another $10 whilst adding at the same time a yearly member contribution of $30 for the CSA Foundation, then 50% of a new $60 yearly membership fee (ie excluding any trauma/life care premium) would be tax-deductible. The choice to take out a trauma/life care policy would be optional (and recommended) but the CSA new membership package of $60 would not.

Additionally, the CSA would be in a position to negotiate a royalty of up to 30% on each trauma/life care premium for the CSA Foundation, thereby building on the long term viability of the Association. For the sake of history, each participating member could be clearly acknowledged as having been a unique contributor to the CSA Foundation!

I would appreciate your thoughts and be pleased to publish any debate, questions and answers in the Wellness News. If it proves a worthy option, I would then put a formal proposal for vote to the membership in due course.

Meanwhile, I sincerely wish all of you and your families a special and memorable Christmas! May God bless you and bring us all closer together in friendship and peace. ✦

Dr Peter DaaleChief Executive Officer


The one who wishes to build a world with personal power,Will not have a strong and lasting buildingUnless it is a building of subtle virtue.The one who wishes to be remembered by the worldWill not achieve this by the use of power,But by the fulfilment of virtue.The one who wishes to be respected by future generationswill not do it through a great show of power or force.That would be a great burden to one’s descendents,for the negative side cannot be avoided.The one who wishes one’s future generations to be benefitted by one’s life will not leave them a dynasty of wealth but the treasure of one’s subtle virtue.

The one who wishes to set up something strong in the world so that people of future generations will remember him,Will not achieve it by adhering to power and title,But by doing good deeds without personal attachment or greed.Good deeds cannot be separated from the spiritual life; this is the great contribution one leaves behind to all people.

To leave your descendents great wealth is not more helpful than giving them a spiritual eduction and good character. These will last longer than money.

In governing one’s life: Cultivating oneself with one’s life will bring truthful spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s family will bring sufficient spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s village will bring growing spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s country will bring abundant spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with the worldWill bring universal spiritual achievement.

Therefore, by observing yourself, you know other people.By observing your family, you know other families.By observing your village, you know other villages.By observing your country, you know other countries.By observing the global situation,You know all people.

A good world is started from yourself.

~ an excerpt from the Tao Te Ching.

Tao Te Ching


By Dave Chauvin, DO

Anti-ageing medicine became an established medical speciality in the USA during the 1990s. Practitioners in the field recognize that the degenerative effect of biological aging leaves the body steadily less able to resist pathogens and combat disease. They believe that if ageing can be slowed, the prevalence and acuteness of many of the diseases and disabilities associated with it can be reduced. Broadly speaking, the approach is to treat ageing as a disease in itself. Anti-ageing research, while embracing sophisticated high-tech innovations, aligns itself mostly with low-cost preventative medicine.

Practitioners believe that Biologically Identical Hormone Replacement, correct use of nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes, including stress management and exercise, can slow the ageing process. Anti-ageing therapies have the potential to reinforce bodily self-maintenance and thus reduce the impact of the degenerative disease. Older individuals can therefore remain healthy and unencumbered by debility for a considerably longer period of time.

Moreover, if current attitudes to employment and retirement are re-examined, anti-ageing practitioners see no reason why the elderly should not remain as productive contributors in the work place as well as at home. Indeed, some studies suggest that if anti-ageing therapies are successfully employed, the average productive life of humans could be extended beyond 100 years.

A New Definition At the outset, anti-aging medicine struggled to define itself. Often labeled as pseudo-science, the term “anti-aging” was open to a range of definitions. Articles were published in The New York Times and Scientific American portraying anti-aging medicine as a foolish quest for the ethereal Fountain of Youth [1]. Marketers were quick to exploit the term anti-aging while legitimate physicians and scientists began to turn a skeptical eye on this new specialty. Although life extension is certainly the desired result, longevity researchers are quick to point out that there is no definitive proven medication or specific intervention currently available that will guarantee prolongation of life in Homo Sapiens.

Rather than the term Anti-aging Medicine, “Age Management Medicine” is a designation that has been advanced by Dr. Alan Mintz, CEO of Cenegencics in Las Vegas [2]. Age Management Medicine, in my opinion, more accurately reflects what the movement is attempting to accomplish. Although on one hand, it will likely take many years of research to definitively demonstrate that specific interventions prolong life in human beings, on the other hand it is clear that age management medicine improves the quality and vigor of life that may very well extend life. Age management medicine does not wait for a disease or degenerative biological process to “declare itself,” but is proactive to modulate the process of aging prior to the onset of degenerative aging.

A Basic Foundation The tenants of age management medicine are really very simple. Proper diet, both aerobic and resistance exercise, as well as stress management are the core elements with the end objective of maintaining optimal health and vigor. The age management practitioner relies on the synergy of all of these elements in order to enhance vitality and quality of life.

Layered on top of this foundation is a proactive preventive medicine program. Specific biological functions are monitored which are known to change with age. In contrast to traditional medicine and before these physiologic functions begin to decay, the age management practitioner will initiate interventions. These interventions are tailored individually to the patient employing a range of modalities from dietary recommendations, exercise prescriptions, targeted vitamins and supplements, stress management advice, bioidenitical hormone replacement, and cognitive enhancing exercises. Only as a last resort will traditional prescription medications be employed.

Anti-Aging MedicineAnti-aging medicine is alive and well and longevity science continues to advance.

To leave your descendents great wealth is not more helpful than giving them a spiritual eduction and good character. These will last longer than money.

In governing one’s life: Cultivating oneself with one’s life will bring truthful spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s family will bring sufficient spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s village will bring growing spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with one’s country will bring abundant spiritual achievement.Cultivating oneself with the worldWill bring universal spiritual achievement.

Therefore, by observing yourself, you know other people.By observing your family, you know other families.By observing your village, you know other villages.By observing your country, you know other countries.By observing the global situation,You know all people.

A good world is started from yourself.

~ an excerpt from the Tao Te Ching.


Inflammation is the Problem One of the major advancements in the theory of age management medicine is a more complete understanding of how the human body degenerates. One common pathway of aging is inflammation. Simply described, inflammation is the body “rusting.” This rusting process turns out to involve a complex biochemical matrix with an impressive array of chemical interactions. Fortunately, most community laboratories can now measure many of these reactions. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein, homocysteine, serum insulin, HgAIC, triglycerides to High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, lipid acid profiles, and ferritin are just some of the markers that are now actively monitored [3] [4]. Other inflammatory markers such as NF Kappa Beta, inflammatory cytokines, acute phase proteins, eicosanoids, as well as PPAR Gamma are active subjects of current research.

These inflammatory markers are elevated with obesity, infection, high glucose, high insulin, hormone decline, lack of exercise, stress and age [5] [6]. Of special note is elevated blood sugar which frequently results in advanced glycation end products (AGE) [7]. Think of AGE as an extra layer of rust that makes cell membranes stiff. When cell membranes are stiff they do not work well. Advanced glycation end products result in a number of chronic diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and hypertension [8].

Since we are now able to measure these inflammatory markers, we are beginning to understand which interventions are most effective. Not surprising, diet and exercise are most successful, along with targeted supplements such as folate, B12 and CoQ10, in decreasing these inflammatory markers [9] [10]. Statins, aspirin and NSAIDs [11] are also showing promise in decreasing inflammation.

What is the Optimal Age Management Diet? Scientists continue to debate which foods and diet are best for optimal health. The good news is that, in my opinion, we are getting closer to the answer. Diets that eliminate or focus on single macronutrients such as fats, carbohydrates or protein are clearly not healthy. In addition, processed foods with a high sugar content, especially those with high-fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids or refined carbohydrates, are unhealthy and may lead to disease and obesity.

While it now appears that no one diet fits all, some generalizations can be made. Diets rich in colorful vegetables, a wide variety of fruit, lean meat low in saturated fat and trans fatty acids, and healthy fats such as the omega three fatty acids and monounsaturated fats appear to be best.

Avoiding excessive calories is crucial. One of the most promising life extension interventions appears to be calorie restriction. Also know as Calorie Restriction with Adequate Nutrition (CRAN), restricting calories is the one intervention that most experts agree is the most effective and intriguing [12]. Insulin sensitivity appears to be the key [13] [14]. Since the average person is unable to maintain a very low calorie intake on a long-term basis, active research in “CRAN mimics” is ongoing.

I have been fascinated by the work by Dr Loren Cordain and his Paleolithic Diet concept. Dr. Cordain is an anthropologist specializing in the dietary habits of our ancestors. Dr. Cordain observes that most of our modern diseases were rare or nonexistent in hunter-gatherers and other less Westernized people. He

concludes that the diseases of modern society are a result of a complex interaction of multiple nutritional factors directly linked to the excessive consumption of Industrial era foods such as dairy products, refined cereals, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, fatty meats, salt, and combinations of these foods. He concludes that the “ultimate factor underlying diseases of civilization is the collision of our ancient genome with the new conditions of life in affluent nations, including the nutritional qualities of recently introduced foods” [15].

A number of Age Management specialist have embraced the Zone diet developed by Barry Sears. Dr. Sears believes that food induces a hormonal response and by modifying the quality and quantity of the macronutrients, hormones will respond beneficially. The Zone diet is balanced between the macronutrients, and emphasizes good fats and low-glycemic unrefined carbohydrates.

Nutritional Science Grows Up Our knowledge base for nutritional medicine continues to rapidly evolve. Historically nutritional scientists focused on advanced deficiency states caused by specific nutrition deficit states such as osteomalcia, rickets, scurvy, protein malnutrition etc. Researchers are now finding that specific nutrients can modulate gene expression even when advanced nutritional disease states are not present. Our genes are pleiomorphic, which means our DNA responds differently depending on its surrounding environment. The resulting end product of our gene expression is called our phenotype.

The classic example of gene expression modulation is the Pima Indians of Arizona. The Pima Indians are a Native American tribe with ancestral ties to the first people who crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia to populate North America. Their original phenotype was a lean body mass with a low rate of obesity and hypertension. Now living on reservations and eating western food, the Pima Indians have the highest reported prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the world as well as a high rate hypertension and heart disease [16]. Interestingly, this is not observed with Pima Indians living in Mexico, who have a lifestyle similar to their ancestors.

Although the Pima Indians are an extreme case, researchers are identifying a number of nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that

How to live longer• Check for vitamin, mineral and hormone

deficiences, particularly vitamin C, iron and the hormones DHEA, oestrogen and testoreone.

• Eat less and more slowly.

• Avoid low-fat foods which are high in sugar and kilojoules. Ensure you are eating enough protein and complex carbohydrates, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables.

• Get more exercise, particularly if you have a sedentary job.

• Drink eight glasses of water a day, preferably filtered.


...from previous page

are amenable to correction with supplementation, proper nutrition and lifestyle change. A good example is the role of folic acid and the prevention of birth defects. In addition, B vitamin supplementation has recently been shown to improve hypertension, and help with some forms of heart disease and dementia. Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E have been demonstrated to improve macular degeneration, and the omega-three fatty acids in fish oil lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease [17]. Correction of vitamin D deficiencies minimizes breast and prostate cancer risk as well as improves hypertension [18]. Unlike the traditional physician who receives little or no formal education in nutrition, the Age Management practitioner uses this growing body of nutritional research, tailoring their recommendations to the patient’s unique biochemical profile.

Hormone Modulation Bioidentical hormone replacement is one of the original tools of age management physicians. As we age, specific hormones are known to decrease or increase. For example, testosterone, human growth hormone and DHEA decrease with age, while insulin and cortisol increase. These hormonal deficiencies can be corrected with careful measurement and adjustment of bioidentical hormones. The picture of how safe or effective hormone replacement therapy is has been clouded by studies such as HERs [19]. HERs looked at synthetic hormones such as Premarin and progestins and demonstrated an increase in breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, there is a big difference between synthetic hormones and bioidentical hormones. Synthetic hormones are chemicals such as Premarin and progestins with hormone-like properties, while bioidentical hormones precisely match the chemical structure of the hormone. It will likely take another generation before we fully understand the risks and benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement. Nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that bioidentical hormone replacement is safe and that it can mitigate many of the degenerative changes of aging while improving the quality and vigor of life.

Conclusion The future for longevity science is promising. Our knowledge regarding nutrition and prevention of chronic disease is rapidly expanding. Significantly, no current treatment, surgery or intervention is superior to diet and exercise. Our modern lifestyle is contributing to the decay of our health with obesity, hypertension and cancer at epidemic proportions. Unfortunately, given a choice between behavior modification or a pill, most Americans would chose a pill.

We cannot yet reverse the aging process. Aging is not a disease, but rather a process that we all experience. Age Management Medicine recognizes that successful aging requires a healthy lifestyle, appropriate nutrition, rational nutrient supplementation, and the absolute need for physical exercise. Regaining and maintaining metabolic and endocrine functions at the upper end of the normal range for age, through lifestyle change and perhaps bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, gives the best opportunity for a healthy and vigorous life. While we may or may not be able to increase longevity, we believe we are able to prevent premature disability and death and enhance quality of life. Our desired end point is to be disease resistant, mentally sharp, physically fit, and maintain a high self-esteem. Longevity without quality of life is not desirable. We now have the knowledge, the technology, and the expertise to at least delay the onset of degenerative disease and the signs and symptoms associated with aging. ✦

From the website: www.cbass.com. To read this article in its orginal format and also the reply by Dr. Arno Jensen please go to the Health & Fitness category of this website.

David Chauvin, DO, is board certified in emergency medicine and a fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). He is also board certified in Antiaging Medicine (American Board of Antiaging Physicians) and in Bariatric [obesity] Medicine (American Board of Bariatric Physicians). Dave Chauvin can be contacted by email at [email protected].

MEETING THE CHALLENGE!

with Dr Peter Daale, Helen Maynier, Paul Alexander & Bavali Hill

One day seminars for people living with cancer and their carers with a special focus on accessing key cancer information on-line, nutrition, and meditation. Held on the first Friday of every month. The next courses are on the 2nd December 2005 and 3rd February 2006 from 9.30am-4.30pm. Bookings required.

Phone reception on 9384 3544

one day cancer wellness workshops


Lessons from Earth’s Elders

Today, about 450 people in the world are past 110, according to The Gerontology Project, an Atlanta-based independent research group that has tracked and documented the ages of these supercentenarians. Many more have hit the full-century mark: about 50,000 people in the US alone and 100,000 worldwide, according to the Boston-based New England Centenarian Study.

Photojournalist Jerry Friedman has searched out 50 of the oldest of the old, and shares his photographs, as well as their stories, in his book, “Earth’s Elders: The Wisdom of the World’s Oldest People.” He found many in the US, in the Upper Midwest, the Northeast, the Deep South, and also in India, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Mongolia.

From these encounters, Friedman uncovered common threads, personal traits, habits, and attitudes that may offer secrets to longevity. What he found, scientists tell WebMD, matches what the research studies are showing. There is a pattern to longevity that we can control, to some extent. Quite simply, it means taking better care of ourselves, plus staying active, curious, and confident that things will work out.

Genetics clearly were critical to their long lives, Friedman reports. “It might skip a generation, but clearly the genetic component was in each of them.” Each had siblings, parents, or grandparents who had lived a century, or nearly so.

He found optimism, humor, faith, and resiliency in each, despite the harshness of their lives, disease, prejudice, wars, famine, and blizzards. Each was born to rural life where hard physical work was the constant. It provided a healthy diet, fresh vegetables, fish, soy, and grains, although none was ever a big eater, Friedman notes.

Rural life also gave them a strong family spirit, he tells WebMD. “For the most part, they talked in glowing terms about their childhoods. Their lives back then were really very hard. But they saw it as very positive. That family spirit was part of them. While things may have been hard, it gave them strength, a will to survive.”

Family and friends remained an essential part of their lives, he found. Even in old age, they had a social network that kept isolation, loneliness, and depression at bay.

“The best data shows that only about one-third of longevity is due to genes,” says Carl Eisdorfer, MD, director of the University of Miami Center on Aging. “The most important factors are behavioral, eating too much, eating the wrong foods, alcohol and drugs, how you view stress, how you deal with it, whether you’re connected to family, if you have an extended family.”

What are their secrets? How do some manage to avoid the diseases that cut short most lives?

A growing body of evidence is backing up those statements.

Genetics: At least 50 percent of centenarians have parents, siblings, and/or grandparents who lived to a ripe old age. In fact, scientists are getting closer to discovering specific genes that govern this longevity, says Robert Butler, MD, director of the International Longevity Center.

“The intent is not to genetically produce people who live 100 years or longer,” he tells WebMD. “The research is really about better understanding the genetic component of longevity, then we can learn how that translates into healthier behavior ... like changing your dietary habits and getting colonoscopies if you know you’re genetically predisposed to colon cancer.”

NUTRITION: Few centenarians have ever been obese. Studies have shown that restricting one’s food intake indeed can slow the aging process. It seems to reduce oxidation of cells and increases a cell’s resistance to stress, which may protect against various diseases like heart disease and cancer. “This has been found in recent studies of rodents and in a whole range of animal species including nonhuman primates and monkeys,” Butler explains. “It may be applicable to humans as well.”

Also, a healthy diet helps combat this cell damage, which is why eating antioxidant-rich foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts is advised. There’s yet another benefit of restricting our food intake, it controls our weight, which also adds years to our lives.

NO SMOKING: Very few centenarians have ever smoked. Need we say more? Both smoking and obesity have been linked to life-threatening health problems, including heart disease and cancer. In fact, one recent study suggests that smoking and obesity accelerate human aging by causing damage to telomeres in cells. Telomeres are the tips of chromosomes that contain DNA. While telomeres naturally shorten over a lifetime, as a normal part of the aging process, smoking and obesity speed up that process.

STRESS REDUCTION: Centenarians are better able to handle stress than most other people. Studies have shown that the stress hormone cortisol dampens the body’s immune system, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and other life-threatening health problems. Having a strong social support system offsets that risk; so do meditation and prayer, listening to music, and getting a massage.


SARDINIANS: Drink red wine (in moderation); Share the work burden with spouse;Eat pecorion cheese (and other omega-3 foods).

A strong spirituality is part of this coping mechanism, explains Eisdorfer. “We humans don’t deal very well with ambiguity and unpredictability, and faith gives us a sense of order and organization in the universe. Studies show that having faith helps relieve stress - a belief that things will work out, that you will get help when you need it.”

OPTIMISM: Centenarians have a good sense of humor and an ability to put things in perspective. They also have more reasons for living, says Butler. “People who continue to have goals in life live longer. Having a goal reflects a positive, optimistic attitude, which gives them reason to get up in the morning, a real purpose in life. Those who had purpose are the ones that lived the longest.”

This optimism is the spark to stretch one’s mind, notes Eisdorfer. “Every spring, we pick up the newspaper and see that some 80- or 90-year-old has graduated from college. That shouldn’t be unique. We need to get rid of this ‘one gas tank’ theory of aging. It’s never too late to start something new.”

“We all have multiple abilities and interests,” adds Robert Roush, EdD, MPH, a professor of geriatrics at the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor University School of Medicine in Houston. “The key is to pursue them over the life course. It’s never too late to learn. People take up painting, write poetry, all sorts of things because they are interested in them. It promotes good physical and mental health, and helps you stay cognitively intact.”

EXERCISE: Exercise also keeps body and mind in good shape, Roush says. The body loses bone strength and lean muscle mass rapidly as we age. That leads to brittle bones, balance problems, and bad falls that send too many older people to a nursing facility.

Studies have shown that, even among the oldest old, strength training can offset these problems, Roush explains. By lifting weights and doing resistance exercise, older people can build muscle mass and stronger bones. Regular exercise also keeps the joints limber, the heart strong, and keeps weight under control. Plus exercise can boost your mood because it triggers endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Perhaps that was 115-year-old Fred Hale’s secret to longevity. For 30 years, he road his bike to work (he was a rural postman). He also kept a big farm going, cleaning the barns, tending the hayfields, maintaining the roads during Maine winters. “It kept him healthy,” writes Friedman. “He can’t remember ever taking a pill in his life.” Even after Hale retired, he kept up the chores, spending his free time hunting and fishing.

“He was such an amazing person, he really stuck out in my mind,” Friedman tells WebMD. “He was as lucid as you and I, and his recall was much better than mine, considering the span of time he covered, he was even more impressive. There was virtually nothing he couldn’t answer.”

Yet all those years of physical work didn’t prevent the inevitable. Hale took a bad fall awhile back, and has spent the last year confined to a wheelchair in a nursing facility. Yet he still plays cards, still cracks jokes, still watches the Red Sox. “I’ve enjoyed all my years, each one, even the recent one,” he told Friedman.

Fred Hale’s words of wisdom: “You have one life to live, live it well, and don’t disgrace your family.” ✦

From the website of the WFMY News 2: www.wfmynews2.com

What if you could add ten years to your life?A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good habits. If you adopt the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are you may live up to a decade longer. In recent years researches have fanned out across the globe to find the secrets to long life. Funded in part by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, scientists have focused on several regions where people live significantly longer. In Sardinia, Italy one team of demographers found a hotspot of longevity in mountain villages where men reach age 100 at an amazing rate. On the islands of Okinawa, Japan, another team examined a group that is among the longest lived on earth. And in Loma Linda, California, researchers studies a group of Seventh-day Adventists who rank among America’s longevity all-stars. Residents of these three places produce a high rate of centenarians, suffer a fraction of the diseases that commonly kill people in other parts of the developed world, and enjoy more healthy years of life. In sum, they offer three sets of “best practices” to emulate. The rest is up to

1. 2. 3.ADVENTISTS:Eat nuts and beans;Observe the Sabbath;Have faith.

OKINAWANS:Keep lifelong friends;Eat small portions;Find purpose.

All 3 groups: Don’t smoke; Put family first; Be active everyday;Keep socially engaged; Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

From: National Geographic Magazine, November 2005. website: nationalgeographic.com/magazine


SUGAR: the age drugby Ian Blair Hamilton

What is the ‘fact’ of ‘aging’? Collins Dictionary says it’s ‘the process of growing old’ or ‘developing the appearance of old age’. So a person who, for whatever reason at all, starts to ‘look’ old, must be aging. Hmm. Surely aging is a bit more specific than just ‘growing old’ or ‘developing the appearance of old age’. Aging, I suggest, is the process of decay that occurs as we grow chronologically older. It is the constant process that may accelerate, may pause, but never stops. It is therefore a state of motion, like a car rolling downhill. We are the car; the downward motion is aging, and a reverse action is required to it to slow it down. We push the car uphill. We attempt to ‘reverse’ its downward motion. So ‘reverse aging’ is the slowing down of aging. It is the reduction or delay of the actual process or ‘motion’ of aging.

With apology to Collins Dictionary, to describe aging as ‘the process of growing old’ is about as useful as a parking ticket. It describes the obvious, but it doesn’t describe what aging is.

We all know aging is decay. It’s what we fear; decay of tissues, reduction in bone strength, dehydration and degradation of the cartilage, degradation of the waste management systems, the blood, the lymph, the kidney, the liver, the skin...

But what is it that causes decay? M. Carroll, a French scientist, once isolated tissue from a chicken’s heart. By constantly replenishing it with clean interstitial fluid and nutrition, he was able to keep the tissue alive for 26 years. It only died when his lab assistant took a smoko and forgot to change the nutrient solution.

The conclusion is obvious; keep our innards clean and away from waste material and we may live indefinitely or at least until the cosmic lab assistant takes a smoko.

So we can more correctly define aging as what happens when we are allowed to rot, rust, oxidise and degenerate through exposure to our own wastes. This is exactly what happens to us as we get older. We are exposed through excessive life and diethabits, to an excess of acidic waste products. Acid burns, rusts and rots anything it touches.

Our foods, predominantly composed of carbon and oxygen, are ‘cooked’ by our cells to produce our

Let us first understand the facts, and then we may seek the cause ~ Aristotle energy. The ‘ash’ of this cooking is almost completely acid waste, rain to a

balanced alkaline one, the same as it was for our ancestors, ‘reverses’ the ‘rot rate’. Amazingly, it is illegal to advertise this obvious science because we have no double blind peer reviewed studies to support the theory.

So let’s quickly recap. To reverse aging isn’t to suddenly get pimples and smooth skin, and become wrinkle free and sexy. It is to work against the seemingly inevitable momentum of degradation of our body and if successful, to slow down or temporarily halt that momentum.

We have witnessed many, many hundreds of people who acted to stem the acid aging tide. They have reported all sorts of beneficial health changes, and of course, any beneficial health change is, obviously, a reversal of deterioration or ‘aging’. But is it common knowledge or limited to the privileged or more curious few?

We are in an epidemic that has overtaken 120 million Americans and is now sweeping Australia. In 1991 aging in the form of obesity killed 325,000 Americans eight times the number who died of AIDS, and more than the combined deaths from alcohol, drugs, firearms, and motor vehicles.

Obesity is aging. Let’s look at the reasons. “Fat” says Dr Robert O. Young, author of The pH Miracle “is not the problem. The problem, according to him, is acid, in the many forms it takes, but particularly in the form of that sinister, insidious yet highly respectable hard drug called sugar. Gaining fat ages you. It’s simple science.

But haven’t you ever wondered about all those obese people who complain bitterly that they really don’t eat a lot of fat? There’s a big secret that every giant food manufacturer wants to keep from you. It isn’t fat that ages you. It is acid. Fat may even be a friend in need. But wait a minute! Didn’t I just say gaining fat ages you? Yes, but why do you gain fat?

When our body becomes over acidic and is threatened with accelerated aging due to our modern lifestyle, consumption and stress, the body uses fat to bind to the acid, neutralises its effects on all other cells, tissues and organs that sustain life.

When you eat sugar, it ferments to lactic acid. If lactic acid is not neutralised it does what all acid will do. It burns, rusts and rots healthy cells, leading to disease, decay and aging. In its infinite wisdom. Our body retrieves fat from our food or from our own body to protect us from acid. The real aging agent. Surrounding the acid with fat neutralises its attack power.

The body’s self management system is a powerful anti aging weapon. It is always in full ‘preservation’ or ‘reverse aging’ mode. Acid bound in fat can be eliminated or if elimination is compromised because of our poor kidney and liver health, (an extremely common modern health condition) it is stored in the extremities or away from the organs that sustain life. Acid binding fat accumulates in all those places the slimming ads tell us we need to reduce. We save our vital organs by stashing acid in fat!

Seen as evil by a corporate marketing machine, fat can be re visioned as an anti-aging tool. The more acidic your lifestyle, the fatter you will become. So to


SUGAR: the age drugby Ian Blair Hamilton

continued on next page...

reverse or slow aging, fat must perform its chosen task. You become fatter because your body is trying to survive an extended acid trip. The less acidic your lifestyle and diet the thinner and biologically younger (less aging) - you will be.

Are over-thin people healthier than fat people? Not necessarily. Fat people are generally healthier than over-thin people because their fat is providing a place to park all their acids. If acids are not eliminated in a thinner person they do what acid does; breaking down (aging) tissues, muscles, bones and organs causing an array of symptomologies. Do you know someone who is underweight who can eat anything and everything and not gain weight? This may reflect a serious problem because the fat buffering system of the body is not working properly. ‘Underweight’ and ‘overweight’ are two sides of the same coin and can simply be a result of over-acidity.

Is everyone at risk? I am sure there are some Westerners somewhere who are not, but I haven’t met one yet. The modern dilemma of acid management is all about stress. Dr Theodore Baroody published an excellent chart of foods that acidify or alkalanise. He called it the 80/20 chart and a cursory glance will show that it is just not easy to eat enough alkali-producing foods in the right proportion. However, assuming you achieve this, then the second over-riding problem is stress. Stress will cancel out all your best dietary efforts in a moment, turning alkaline-producing foods into acid.

Stress is a modern problem, particularly because it is overlaid on an increasingly acid-rich, alkali-starved diet.

Socially, it is also increasingly ‘important’ that we don’t show stress. “Peace brother”, the catch cry of the seventies has come back to haunt us as repressed stress manifests as acid waste in the body. We are truly what we think, as our emotions are chemically translated into actual body mass. The Shaolin monks of China, the Dalai Lama and other spiritual leaders are more alkaline and healthy because they observe daily practices of stress control through meditation - their practices have a direct chemical benefit in their bodies.

What did you have for breakfast? Was it cereal? Milk? Yoghurt, oatmeal, an orange or apple juice? All of these foods metabolise to sugar, increase metabolic acids and cause your body to go into the reverse aging mode, binding acid to fat. Acid levels are expressed as obesity. Don’t blame your body for using fat to save your life. Blame your life choices.

I mentioned earlier that sugar is a drug. One result of addiction will be hyper- and hypo-glycemia. A drug compels people to increase consumption. Sugar isn’t the sort of drug that, like cigarettes, carries a government warning. You can buy sacks of it off the shelf if you so desire. Yet the drug like results are obvious; diabetes, hypertension in children, and antisocial behaviour.

A UK study found direct correlation between over consumption of sugar and arteriosclerosis and heart attacks. The UK Heart Foundations website has wonderful statistics that show heart disease by socio economic, age and racial groupings. One thing stands out; that beer and soft drinkers are loading up on sugar and dying in droves. I am at the moment compiling statistics for all countries I can find data for, to study and confirm this correlation, but it is too obvious. American kids now derive more energy from their ‘sodas’ than from their food. Alcoholics regularly substitute beer for food because the sugar is readily available.

Low fat foods, the trend of the decade, also mask a sinister surprise. When you reduce fat, you also reduce flavour. When you reduce flavour, you reduce sales. The answer? Increase sugar, reduce fat.

A University of Pennsylvania study confirmed that by giving sugar to patients, blood fats increase. It concluded that a person ingesting more than 120 g of sugar a day is more than five times likely to develop myocardial infarction as someone taking less than 60 g a day.

If we were to graph the increase in diabetes and the increase in sugar consumption we would see an almost perfect correlation. A century ago one person in 100 had diabetes. Today it is one in 12. If we look at drugs as something we want and crave and consume as much as we are able, it’s a sobering thought to realise that we consume around 170 grams every day; a massive seven kilos a year. The drug pushers are not found in the street or down an alley; they are found in our super markets with their new weapon: low fat foods.

We are starting our kids early these days. A visit to the local fast food joint, a candy bar, a cola that is 100,000 times more acidic than their blood to give them a hit of the ‘real thing’, pasta, potatoes, buttery corn - it’s so easy when the drug pushers have a drive through.

I mentioned earlier that fat/acid are stored in the body when the liver or kidneys are not capable of eliminating it. The liver is a filter. The toxins that we manufacture within the body include gastrointestinal, metabolic, respiratory and cellular metabolic acids.

Yet on top of all that, we guzzle acid with coffee, tea, beer, wine, and colas, and still expect the liver to fulfill its part in reversing aging under a veritable tsunami of acids.

Of course the liver degenerates! It was designed in prehistory and it is being used like a horse on a freeway. It has a maximum capacity and we’ve reached it. When homeostasis detects the liver in pain, it switches the job of acid elimination to the kidneys, which in turn can lead to dysfunction through overload. Finally, the acid will seep out of our last post of detoxification, that massive organ we call the skin. We see it in the form of acne, blemishes, rashes, eczema, or psoriasis. Yet

at CSA with Vidhyan Kosh (in the Sun Room)

Traditional Hatha YogaTuesdays 9.00 – 10.00amVidhyan teaches a very traditional style, the way yoga was originally taught before there were styles. Traditional Yoga keeps in mind the purpose of Yoga and that being to balance the body energies and harmonize the body /mind organism in order to perfect meditation, or stillness of the mind. This is done with the attitude of relaxation using gravity (not force) to go into the postures. Elegance is the word that would best describe the style that emphasizes minimum effort with maximum results.

$5 (members) $8 (non-members)


people with the most terrible forms of disfiguring eczema experience a complete turnaround just by becoming more alkaline.

Guess what our kids ingest when they try a smoke behind the schoolhouse? Nicotine? Of course. Sugar? Yes, sugar, the latest weapon in the tobacco corporation’s armoury of sales producing drugs. Tobacco is now fermented with sugar and yeast during the drying process of the tobacco leaves. When our kids try to give up, they face a combined whammy of nicotine and sugar craving. Smoking increases blood sugar. Blood sugar converts to acid. Acid causes fat retention, which causes aging. Aging causes death. Acid also breaks down insulin-producing alpha and beta cells, precipitating the risk of pancreatic cancer as localised acids breaks down the pancreas’ alkaline production ability.

Acid is a wonderful meat tenderiser. It is the acid in barbecue sauce that tenderises steak. So imagine the effect it has on vital organs like the heart. Much heart disease is the result of the heart muscle turning to mush as sugars breakdown to acids tenderising the heart. Under live blood microscopy acid crystals look and act like shards of glass in the blood, scraping and cutting as they endlessly circulate. The body answers this by combining cholesterol with free calcium to produce the plaque that slowly chokes our blood flow from our heart.

If we were able to closely examine an arthritic joint, we would see micro calcifications of calcium. This is the calcium that should be used for bone building, diverted by the body to attempt to reverse aging of an acid ravaged joint. Calcium also builds up in the brain in dementia or Parkinson’s, in the breasts in breast cancer, and in the liver or gallbladder, as in liver and gall stones.

Reverse aging exposes many scientific half truths, because as we change from acid to alkaline, all manner of beneficial changes begin. Reverse aging lowers our cholesterol, yet increasing acid levels through lifestyle and diet increases cholesterol. Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) is yet another form of fat that binds to systemic acids. When the body fluids especially the blood is acidic, the body goes into preservation mode and creates LDLs out of fat to bind to acids in the blood. Intravascular coagulation (premature clotting of the blood) follows, causing circulation problems, oxygen deprivation, cellular breakdown, and further acidity, even perhaps culminating in arteriosclerosis, stroke and/or heart attack.

Perhaps the most telling proof that fat is not the aging villain it has been portrayed as can be found in study of other cultures. In the Vasalian Alps in Switzerland, people share a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, yet they have low serum cholesterol and excellent cardio health. The Samburu, the Somalis and the Masai in East Africa eat as high as 65% fat yet are almost free from heart disease.

The Lancet (1981) published a study of Greentandic Eskimos, showing extremely low incidence of arteriosclerotic heart disease, including coronary arterial disease. Not one case of diabetes mellitus has been reported in the population of Greenlandic Uhanak district. Yet these people are Eskimo, meaning, in their own language, “raw meat eaters”. Their diet is very high in the fats from whale, seal, seabirds, halibut and salmon.

A comparative study of two groups of people living in close proximity lends a further clue. In Polynesia, the diet, body build, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol levels of the traditional following Atiu and Mitiaros were compared with their Westernised Rarotongan neighbours. The Atiu Mitiaro people live on a diet low in calories and protein but rich in the highly saturated coconut fat. The Rarotongans consume more, but comparatively little, coconut fat. It was found that 25% of the male Rarotongans suffered hypertension, as compared to only 10% of the Atiu Mitiaro mates. Serum cholesterol levels of the saturated coconut fat eating Atiu Mitiaro males were as high as European males, yet no tendency to coronary heart disease was discovered. Obviously, adults of different ethnicity on a high fat, high cholesterol, high caloric diet, can remain free of cardiovascular disorders.

My own research supports the conclusion that a diet low in sugar will be low in acid. It will preserve the pH balance of body fluids, maintaining cellular health and integrity. The amount of fat or cholesterol consumed appears relatively inconsequential. Your fat is like a ‘renta store’ and the acid you create is what you choose to store. The more you have to store, the more ‘renta store’ you need to pay for. Taking care of your liver with clean alkaline foods and drinks and eating lots of good healthy fat from sources such as avocado, coconut and olive oil, flax, borage, primrose and marine oils can definitely fall within our definition of reverse aging.

Fat burns cleaner than sugar. Our inner fluids are purer, our liver is stronger and less stressed. Our pancreas will be able to take a break from constant sugar metabolism and begin healing itself.

However we do it, the realisation that aging as we have explored it here can be reversed is liberating in the extreme.

The only problem we all face is coming to terms with the fact that we may actually already be sugar and acid addicts. Once we face this, however, for the sake of our own future, our loved ones and this wonderful country that is going to have to support our indulgence and its inevitable result - we can make the decision to alkalise, detox, drop the habit, and reverse aging. ✦

Ian Blair Hamilton is the creator of Conscious Aging workshops. He is also the Managing Director of Ion Life, suppliers of ionised water and air systems. This article was first published in Living Now magazine, November 2005 edition: livingnow.com.au.

Introduction to Tai Chiwith Dr. Yun-Fei Lu here at CSA

9.30am-10.30am. Every Thursday until 15th December. Then resumes in 2006 on the 7th February. $8 (non-members), $5 (CSA members).



with Janni Goss

...lasts!At the CSA Wellness for Life Learning Centre every Monday morning 10.15am to 11.15am.

Cost: CSA Members $3; Others $5

For enquiries phone Janni on 9361 4860 or CSA on 9384 3544.

CSA Laughter Club

Laughter Yoga consists of breathing exercises, gentle movements to reduce muscular tension based on yoga, as well as numerous Laughter exercises. Apparently the brain can’t tell the difference between false and real laughter – so the motto is “Fake it till you make it”!

He who laughs...

Have you been into the CSA Library lately? We have acquired some great new books and CDs which are now available for loan. Come in, have a browse, a cup of tea, and enjoy the peaceful ambience at CSA.

“Opening the Door of Your Heart” by Ajahn Brahm (book).

“Conversations at Midnight: Coming to terms with death and dying” by Kay & Herbert Kramer (book) RRP $23.75. CSA members price $20.20.

“Meditation: calming the mind” by Bob Sharples.

“Chocolate for a Woman’s Courage: 77 stories that honour your strength and wisdom” by Kay Allenbush.

“Your Life Matters” by Petrea King

“Anatomy of Miracles” by Subagh Singh Khalsa.

“Winning relationships” by Dr Charmaine Saunders.

“Creating Health” by Ross Taylor.

CSA Library Update1. Sugar causes blood glucose to spike and plummet.

Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger. On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.

2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

3. Sugar interferes with immune function in animal studies

4. Sugar accelerates aging.

It even contributes to that telltale sign of aging: sagging skin. Some of the sugar you consume, after hitting your bloodstream, ends up attaching itself to proteins, in a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the loss of elasticity found in aging body tissues, from your skin to your organs and arteries. The more sugar circulating in your blood, the faster this damage takes hold.

5. Sugar causes tooth decay.

6. Sugar affects behavior and cognition in children.

7. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.

According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Ironically, those who consume the most sugar are children and teenagers, the individuals who need these nutrients most.

7 Reasons Not to Consume Sugar


By Dhyana Tribe, N.D.

The 80/20 Alkaline-Acid Food Theory for Healthy Living

His dietary recommendations were calculated according to present biochemical means, which reveals that our diet should consist of a ratio of 80% alkaline-forming to 20% acid-forming foods. Modern naturopathic healing methods are also based on this principle of 80/20, so how does it work?

All foods leave an ash residue after metabolism, which is either alkaline or acidic, depending on the mineral composition of the food and the way in which an individual digests them. Individual stress patterns, the ability to process life’s ups and downs and emotional stability all influence the action of the digestive juices. A happy person in a satisfying job, who takes the time to chew their food well in a peaceful environment, will digest their food and experiences more easily than a stressed, overworked person who has to eat on the run. However a busy, well-organized person with strong digestive juices and a calm disposition may be able to digest better than the person who does everything right according to the health book but worries and frets over little things.

Stress and negative emotions produce acidic residues, while relaxation, soothing light massage, moderate non-confronting exercise, meditation, unconditional love, prayer - (alignment with the God/Goddess/or higher energies), and even moonlight are all alkalising.

How Did Hippocrates Heal His Patients in Ancient Times?

EXCESS ACID WASTE IS THE CAUSE OF MANY AILMENTSIf one has a busy life there are ways to ensure that digestion happens properly: 1. Create peaceful meal times: don’t read or watch television and eat alone if

necessary.2. Give thanks for the gift of food: blessing our food makes it more alkaline.3. Chew and insalivate your food well. This makes it more alkaline.4. Focus on good food combinations and add digestive herbs if needed.5. Digestive enzymes can be taken short term if your body is low on enzymes.6. Increase the raw content of meals, providing your body with unprocessed material

to build its own enzymes7. Maintain the 80/20 Rule. Consume 80% alkaline-forming and 20% acid-forming

foods and drinks each day to build a healthy body.

If your diet is largely composed of meats, fish, cheeses, breads, cakes, white sugar, confectioneries, pasta, white flour foods, greasy takeaways, chocolate, coffee, tea, wine, beer and cigarettes, (all acid forming), you may suffer from acidic complaints.

Initial symptoms of over-acidity include:· Acne · Agitation · Bloating · Chemical sensitivities to odors and gas heat · Cold hands and feet · Constipation · Diarrhea · Dizziness · Excess head mucous (stuffiness) · Food allergies · Difficulty rising in the morning · Heartburn · Hot urine · Hyperactivity · Indigestion · Irregular heartbeat · Joint pains that travel · Lack of sex drive · Low energy · Metallic taste · Mild headaches · Muscular pain · Panic attacks · P.M.T. · Rapid heartbeat · Rapid panting breath · White-coated tongue

Intermediate symptoms of over-acidity include:· Asthma · Bacterial and fungal infections · Bronchitis · Cold sores · Colitis · Cystitis · Depression · Ear aches · Gastritis · Loss of memory and concentration · Hay fever · Impotence · Insomnia · Migraine headaches · Psoriasis · Sinusitis · Urethritis · Viral infections (colds, flu, etc)

Advanced symptoms of over-acidity include:· Cancer (all forms) · Crohn’s Disease · Erythematosus · Hodgkin’s Disease · Leukaemia · Multiple Sclerosis · Schizophrenia · Systemic Lupus · Rheumatoid Arthritis

If your body is in an acidic state you should include more ALKALINE FORMING FOODS (most fruits and vegetables) and alkaline-forming mental / emotional states as mentioned before. The best way to judge how acidic you are is to observe your own body symptoms. Saliva and urine tests can be done but these may only show the amount of acidity being released. The real test is to honestly ask yourself ‘how do I feel?’ If your body is storing acid wastes and giving any of the mentioned symptoms, you need to heal yourself with nature’s alkaline packages.


THE ANTIDOTE TO EXCESS ACIDITY IS ALKALINE FORMING FOODSAll ripe fruits, except cranberries, blueberries, plums and prunes are alkalising to different degrees. Alkalinity depends on mineral content and natural sugar content - ripe fruit are more alkaline. All vegetables, except potatoes without skins, are alkalising to different degrees.

You will heal yourself in the most basic sense when you reach out for alkalising foods, and as they work their way into your body tissues, neutralizing and releasing stored acid wastes, you will begin to feel lighter, cleaner and more energetic.

A common question is ‘Can I eat too much alkaline-forming food?’ According to Dr Baroody (the author of Alkalise or Die), to eat too much alkaline-forming food is a rare occurrence and could only be caused by the ingestion of a hyper-alkalising substance such as lye or excess bicarbonate of soda. If one maintains the 80/20 rule, there is no danger of becoming too alkaline.

However, a cleansing or healing crisis may occur with the intake of more alkaline-forming foods than you are normally accustomed to. As the acid wastes are released out of all channels of elimination, you may experience the symptoms of a cold, sinusitis or other initial symptoms of acidity. Unfortunately, as viruses thrive in acid wastes, this is also the time when you may fall prey to opportunistic viruses. The best way to deal with an actual viral or bacterial infection is to continue to alkalise and employ all natural means at your disposal. When the symptoms of a cold or flu are dealt with in an alkalising way you are actually creating better health. Use natural methods: herbal teas, homoeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, massage, deep breathing and rest are all alkalising. This, combined with the intake of alkalising drinks and foods, will alleviate symptoms and release the acidic burden from the body.

From the website: www.healthnews-nz.com. Originally published in “Healthy Options” No 42. Information in this article is obtained from Alkalise or Die, by Dr T. Baroody, which can be ordered from your local book store or direct from the author’s company - Eclectic Press, 205 Pigeon Street, Waynesville, N.C. 28786, U.S.A.

Alkaline-Acid Effects of Some Common Foods

This table was printed in Prevention Magazine as part of an article reporting on research which suggests that it is easier for smokers to give up smoking if they keep their bodies in proper alkaline balance. It has been established biochemically that the proper ratio of food intake for health is 80% Alkaline to 20% Acid producing food.

Studies have shown that foods which have an alkaline effect on the body can aid smokers in breaking the habit. Foods with an acid effect can make it harder. Items in the table are actually arranged from the most helpful to smokers down to the least helpful from a quitting standpoint.

FOOD EFFECT CALORIES MEASUREMolasses ............................................. +60.0 40 2 tspBeans, Dried Lima ............................. +42.0 91 1/8 cupRaisins ................................................. +34.0 131 1/3 cupFigs, Dried ........................................... +33.0 83 1.5 cupBeet Greens ....................................... +27.0 28 1 cupSpinach .............................................. +27.0 22 1 cupYeast, Dried Brewer’s ........................ +17.1 35 1 TAlmonds ............................................. +12.0 88 12 nutsCarrots ................................................ +11.0 40 1 largeSoya Flour ........................................... +9.5 82 2 TCelery ................................................. +7.8 8 2 stalksGrapefruit +7.0 43 1/2 c juicePotatoes, Sweet ................................ +6.7 175 1 paredTomatoes ........................................... +5.6 20 1 smallStrawberries ....................................... +5.5 36 12 hulledPeas, Dried ......................................... +5.0 92 2 TMushrooms ......................................... +4.0 30 7Apples ................................................ +3.7 90 1 largeMilk, Whole ......................................... +2.3 145 1 glassButtermilk ............................................ +2.2 74 1 glassOnions ................................................ +1.5 23 1Melon .................................................. +1.0 17 1 cupButter .................................................. 0.0 103 2 patsHoney ................................................. -1.1 80 1 TBread, Wholewheat .......................... -3.6 129 2 slicesCheese, Cottage .............................. -4.5 28 1/8 cupCheese, Cheddar ............................. -5.0 110 1 cubeRice, Brown ........................................ -5.7 106 3 TBuckwheat Flour ................................ -7.1 77 2 TWalnuts, English ................................. -7.8 97 12 shelledCodfish ............................................... -8.4 79 120 gLamb Chops ...................................... -9.7 260 2 chopsBeef Liver ............................................ -11.0 149 120 gBeef loin .............................................. -11.0 385 120 gEggs .................................................... -11.0 82 1Chicken .............................................. -14.0 141 120 gWheat Germ ...................................... -20.0 76 2 T

A good way to learn the acid / alkaline content of foods is to have a food chart in an accessible location in your kitchen The author has produced a chart which provides information on the alkaline and acid value of our most common foods. The A3 chart can be obtained from Dhyana Tribe at PO Box 56, Whangamata, New Zealand. Phone 0064 7 865 7669, fax 0064 7 865 7408.

Notes: Millet and Rye are the least acid-forming grains Almonds are the only alkaline nuts. Raw milk and buttermilk, yoghurt and whey are the only alkaline dairy products. All preserved or jellied fruits, canned fruits, glazed fruits, dried fruits, green bananas, cranberries, plums and prunes are acid-forming.

ALKALINE EFFECT IS DENOTED (+) AND ACID EFFECT IS DENOTED (-)


Do Radiofrequency Energyfields cause cancer?

by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

Do devices such as cell or mobile phones, that emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RFEMF), cause cancer? According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), this is just another widespread “cancer myth” that is befuddling the minds of the American public. A recent ACS “cancer literacy” poll found that 30 percent of the general public agrees with the proposition that electronic devices, like cell phones, can cause cancer in people who use them.

Ted Gansler, MD, MBA, Director of Medical Content, American Cancer Society, blames the persistence of this belief on litigious lawyers and the sensationalist media. “Alarming front-page coverage,” he says, is primarily to blame. The reality, says Dr. Gansler, is that although “a few studies have suggested a link with certain rare types of brain tumors the consensus among well-designed population studies is that there is no consistent association between cell phone use and brain cancer” (Gansler 2005).

“What has been proven,” Dr. Gansler adds, “is that using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of having a car accident. So, keeping your hands free and your eyes on the road is a more significant issue for people who use cell phones” (Gansler 2005) - as if one potential danger canceled out the other!

Furthermore, according to Dr. Gansler, “considerable research has also found no clear association between any other electronic consumer products and cancer.”

Dr. Gansler points out that while ionizing radiation such as gamma rays and X-rays can increase cancer risk by causing changes to DNA in cells of the body, low frequency, non-ionizing radiation, [such as that emitted by cell phones, author] does not cause these DNA changes.

This statement, as far as it goes, is true. However, direct damage to the DNA is not the only way in which harm could be done. Dr. Gansler ignores the possibility that exposure to radiofrequency energy might bring about damage indirectly, through subtle physiological effects on cellular functions. It has been established, for example, that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can induce a wide variety of physiological changes in cell membranes, signaling pathways, cell growth cycle regulation, and other metabolic processes within the cell.

It has also been suggested that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields may cause what are called ‘epigenetic’ changes. Epigenetic changes are minute alterations in gene expression, which are brought about by environmental influences. Such alterations in the settings of individual genes can have far-reaching results – as, for example, when a protective gene is deactivated, or a dormant gene switched

“At the present time the greatest polluting element in the earth’s environment – more serious even than global climate change and chemical pollution – is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields” ~ Robert O. Becker, M.D.

on. Epigenetic changes, in other words, even though they do not involve direct damage to the DNA, can cause radical alterations in gene expression and cellular functions that can last a lifetime, and that may result in a significantly increased risk of an individual developing cancer and other diseases.

Effects on Melatonin Furthermore, radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure may possibly exert a disruptive effect on the body’s hormonal systems, with wide-ranging consequences. As researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have shown, RFEMF is capable of suppressing pineal gland production of the hormone, melatonin. Melatonin may exert a protective effect against cancer, and depressed melatonin levels may in turn predispose towards the development of cancer (Davis 2001).

Other subtle changes in metabolic norms may also be induced by radiofrequency emissions. This summer, Turkish scientists at Suleyman Demirel University published a paper showing that exposure to 900 MHz electrical fields (the kind typically emitted by cellular telephones) suppresses production of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and thyroid hormones in rats (Koyu 2005).

They have also shown that long term RFEMF exposure can lead to chronically increased levels of free radicals, which, coupled with a concomitant decrease in key antioxidant systems in the brain, can lead to a heightened risk of brain cancer. Interestingly, these researchers found that the increased risk of brain cancer could be substantially offset by administration of the dietary supplement, gingko biloba (Ilhan 2004).

A weak but consistent association between exposure to RFEMF and the development of childhood leukemia has been demonstrated. In 1999, the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) concluded that although the evidence was not strong, there were still reasons for caution. The NIEHS rationale, according to its own website, was that “no individual epidemiological study provided convincing evidence linking magnetic field exposure with childhood leukemia, but the overall pattern of results for some methods of measuring exposure suggested a weak association between increasing exposure to EMF and increasing risk of childhood leukemia. The small number of cases in these studies made it impossible to firmly demonstrate this association. However, the fact that similar results had been observed in studies of different populations using a variety of study designs supported this observation.”


Meditation Made Easy

Every Monday at CSA from 10am to 11.30am. Cost: Free for CSA Members, $5 for non-members.No booking necessary.

With Bavali Hill

A weekly, ongoing, open meditation class

Clearly therefore, even though the association between RFEMF and disease is still very much under investigation, there are definite grounds for concern.

What the Science Shows There are hundreds of published articles on the subject of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and the possible association with diseases including cancer. Scientists in this field primarily must rely on laboratory and epidemiological data (i.e., population-based studies), but these often reach ambiguous or contradictory conclusions. For instance, a recent review by scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Madison, was generally dismissive of a causal link between RFEMF and cancer, calling evidence for such a link “weak.”

However, while the authors felt that a straightforward cause and effect link remained unproven, the article concluded: “...the existing epidemiology is limited and the possibility of epigenetic effects has not been thoroughly evaluated, so that additional research in those areas will be required for a more thorough assessment of the possibility of a causal connection between cancer and the RF energy from mobile telecommunications” (Moulder 2005).

The key word in my opinion is “limited.” The bottom line is this: almost all reputable researchers in this area concede that it is really not yet definitively known whether or not radiofrequency electromagnetic fields do increase the risk of cancer. Some people take this as confirmation of their view that such devices are safe. But one would think that while the issue is still very much under investigation it would be wisest for the ACS not to brand concern about RFEMF prematurely as just another “cancer myth.” It seems to me to be arrogant to declare the debate closed while the near unanimous opinion in the scientific world is that the issue is still far from settled.

This week I conclude my discussion of concerns about the safety of devices that emit radiofrequency energy fields. Do such energy fields cause or predispose to the development of cancer? Controversy still swirls around the issue. While some researchers have concluded that the risk is minimal, others are less sanguine. A weak but statistically significant link has been established between residential exposure to energy emissions from nearby power lines and the development of a small percentage of childhood leukemias, for example (Greenland 2000; Ahlbom 2000). Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated

that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are capable of disrupting physiological processes at the cellular level, leading, among other things, to the accumulation of free radicals within the cell, and have proposed that such disturbances may in turn create conditions in which malignant change can more easily take place.

Yet agencies such as the American Cancer Society continue to issue blanket reassurances that cell phones, microwave ovens, power lines and other radiofrequency energy-emitting devices are safe, and do not contribute to the incidence of cancer.

What are we to make of these contradictory pronouncements? This is not the only sphere in which the research suggests cause for concern while the agencies charged with protecting the public’s safety insist that there is nothing to worry about. While research is still in progress the debate should remain open, yet all too often the attitude of these agencies can suggest at best a willful complacency, and at worst a stubborn and paternalistic refusal to acknowledge even the need for a continued dialog on the subject.

Some Studies Find a Link Many scientists dismiss the possibility that RFEMFs can cause cancer. But a minority disagrees. Briefly, here are just three of the current and recent studies that have indicated a link between radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and malignancy.

In the eyes of some researchers, in fact, “there is a growing amount of evidence about the harmful effects of EMFs [electromagnetic fields] on the human body, the most dangerous of which is the possible carcinogenic effect.” So wrote Israeli scientists in reviewing the overall field in the spring of 2005 (Beniashvili 2005).

Drs. Leeka I. Kheifets and C. Chantal Matkin, of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California agree with many others that “most of the epidemiologic data do not provide strong support for an association between EMF and breast cancer.” However they also state that because of the limited statistical power and the possibility of bias in much of the existing data, “it is not possible to rule out a relationship between EMF and breast cancer” (Kheifets 1999).

Significantly, EPRI is generally a pro-industry group, which includes almost 1,000 energy producers as members. As of 2001,

continued on next page...


27 of its 30-member Board of Directors represented utility companies. Some people turn up their noses at such overtly partisan institutions. But my feeling is that pro-industry researchers would on the whole be less likely than more independent scientists to warn of the potential risks of EMF exposure, so the fact that these researchers acknowledge the possibility of a breast cancer/EMF link is very significant.

Again, I want to emphasize that most research in this field concludes that electromagnetic field exposure, at least that emanating from power lines, is harmless. Yet even among this body of literature there are a few disturbing trends in some of the data. For example, in a meta-analysis performed at the University of Cologne, Germany, Prof. Thomas C. Erren found a 12 percent increased risk of cancer in women and a 37 percent increase in men that seemed attributable to EMF exposure. Yet, like most scientists in the field, he adds a note of caution, noting “probable misclassification of exposure and the possible misclassification of the disease itself.”(Erren 2001)

Scandinavian researchers have identified an increased risk for acoustic neuroma (i.e., a benign tumor of the eighth cranial nerve) in cell phone users, and a slightly increased risk of malignant brain tumors such as astrocytoma and meningioma on the same side of the brain as the cell phone was habitually held. However, the authors of this latter study have acknowledged some methodological concerns, and further investigations are planned in order to determine whether such an association can be definitively established with statistical significance (Hardell 2004 and 2005).

Most recently, the aforementioned Dr. Djemal Beniashvili and other scientists at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel postulated a link between exposure to power frequency fields and breast cancer in elderly women. They made an extensive study of medical records extending over a period of 26 years, involving the analysis of over 200,000 biopsy and surgery samples. They then compared the breast cancer rates in elderly women from an earlier period (1978-1990) to a more recent period (1991-2003), which has been characterized by a much more extensive use of personal computers (more than 3 hours a day), mobile/cell telephones, television sets, air conditioners and other household electrical appliances.

Among the elderly women who developed breast cancer in the first time frame, 19.5 percent were regularly exposed to power frequency fields. But in the more modern period 51.1 percent were so exposed, mainly through the use of personal computers. The authors conclude: “There was a statistically significant influence of EMF [electromagnetic fields, ed.] on the formation of all observed epithelial mammary tumors in Group II.” This represented a more than two-fold increase, which was considered highly significant (Beniashvili 2005).

Of course, many other environmental factors have changed since the period 1978-1990, but increased environmental exposure to power frequency fields is among the more conspicuous changes to have taken place. And while there is a body of evidence that contradicts the findings of Dr. Beniashvili and his colleagues, again, there are many aspects of this question that remain to be clarified. The issue is far from conclusively settled.

It is therefore highly inappropriate for the ACS to deride the misgivings of the public on the question of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and their possible association with cancer. I have seen the credentials and motivation of those who raise doubts about the safety of RFEMF questioned. However, the researchers who have raised doubts about the safety of RFEMFs are neither avaricious lawyers nor sensation-seeking journalists, but serious scientists, trying to do an important job in a rational, dispassionate way. For example, the senior author of this Israeli paper, Dr. Itzhak Zusman, is himself the author of 139 PubMed-listed articles, 80 of which relate to cancer. S. Ozen, who coauthored the paper on EMFs and thyroid function, is similarly well established, with 212 PubMed-listed papers to his credit.

What To Do While it is far from clear that there is a cause and effect relationship between cell phones (or RFEMF in general) and cancer, too little is known about the actual effects to dismiss the possibility out of hand, the way the ACS does. Caution would therefore be advised. History is filled with examples of “perfectly safe” environmental factors that later turned out to be harmful, if not disastrous. As a child, I badgered my mother to let me have my feet fluoroscoped in the local shoe store. A cautious lady, she limited my exposure to a single occasion during which I got a brief and eerie glimpse of the bones in my feet.

These machines were later banned after some were found to be pumping out as much as 116 roentgens of radiation - a huge dose for a trivial purpose.

As a young man I also listened to advertisements touting the health benefits of tobacco by TV personality Arthur “Buy ‘Em By the Carton” Godfrey, among many others. Even the American Medical Association (AMA) accepted tobacco advertising in its journals, with such statements as, “They won’t harm anybody. They will prove enjoyable.” Arthur Godfrey himself later died of emphysema, a disease most commonly caused by smoking.

And even though I am generally cautious when it comes to prescription medications, I succumbed to the blandishments of the pharmaceutical companies and took Vioxx for a backache – and even prevailed upon a naturopathic physician friend to do the same. Everyone now knows that Vioxx turned out to greatly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

However, one is never too old to learn caution. Thus, while I am writing this newsletter on a laptop computer that is literally on my knee, I have placed between it and my body a thick sheet of lead from the hardware store, encased in a comfortable flannel sleeve. I have even bent the front of the shield into a wide lip, because tests with a hand-held Gaussmeter tell me that much of the electromagnetic radiation leaks from the front of the machine, although the intensity of the reading drops off dramatically within a few inches from the screen. In general, I try to reduce all unnecessary exposures to electromagnetic fields, especially while I am sleeping, by switching off the electric blanket and keeping electric appliances such as radios, clocks, etc., away from my bed.

I do own and sometimes use a cell phone, but limit my exposure to its electromagnetic fields. I generally try to use it in speakerphone mode and limit the length of conversations as much as possible. And I take supplemental antioxidants with the intention of reducing free radical damage.

In this, as in other matters, I think the Precautionary Principle applies. If the consequences of an action concerning the use of technology are unknown, but are possibly highly negative, then it is better to limit exposure rather than risk the uncertain, but possibly very negative, consequences.

In my opinion, the ACS has insulted the thinking public and done a disservice to honest scientists who are trying to study the



“The golden honeybees were making sweet honey out of all my old failures.”

~ Antonio Machoda from his poem Marvellous Error

Jeeleunup Gully Wines is a small family run vineyard set in the south-west. Since 1985 it has been producing wine grapes using Biodynamic practices free from artifical fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. Their wines are in accordance with Organic Standards, and are clean and crisp with loads of intense fruit flavours (and anti-oxidants!). Jeeleunup grapes are certified biodynamic by the B.F.A.Jeeleunup Gully Wines donate part proceeds from every bottle sold to the Cancer Support Assoc. of WA. A range of wines can be ordered directly from Jeeleunup Gully Wines on (08) 9851 1838 or indirectly through the CSA Wellness Shop on 9384 3544. Enjoy these delicious wines, and support the CSA at the same time!!!

Now available from Swanbourne Cellars, Claremont Crescent, Swanbourne

possible link of EMF exposure and cancer. The issue is hugely important. Cell/mobile phone use has doubled since 2000, and at present there are 1.5 billion subscribers worldwide (Garfield 2004).

By attaching derogatory labels to those who are on the opposite side of the debate from themselves, the researchers at ACS will no doubt please the $112 billion cell phone industry. But this does not advance public understanding. It merely stigmatizes as irrational all those who oppose unrestricted technological change and thereby hampers a necessary scientific and public dialogue. ✦

ReferencesAhlbom A, Day N, Feychting M et al. A pooled analysis of magnetic fields and childhood leukemia. Br J Cancer. 2000;83:692-8

Beniashvili D, Avinoach’m I, Baasov D, et al. The role of household electromagnetic fields in the development of mammary tumors in women: clinical case-record observations. Med Sci Monit. 2005;11:CR10-3.

Davis S, Kaune WT, Mirick DK, et al. Residential magnetic fields, light-at-night, and nocturnal urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin concentration in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;154:591-600.

Erren TC. A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies of electric and magnetic fields and breast cancer in women and men. Bioelectromagnetics, 2001;5:105–19.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What biological effects can be caused by RF energy? Last updated April 3, 2002. Retrieved July 30, 2005 from: http://www.fda.gov/cellphones/rf-energy.html#2

Gansler T, Henley SJ, Stein K, et al. Sociodemographic determinants of cancer treatment health literacy. Cancer. 2005;104:653-60.

From the Moss Report, Newsletters No’s. 201, 202, and 203, November 2005. The Moss Reports is a comprehensive library of individual reports on more than 200 different kinds of cancer. Each of these reports analyzes the current available treatments, both conventional and alternative, for a particular cancer diagnosis, and offers the cancer patient a clear-eyed, truthful assessment of the available options. If you would like to order a Moss Report for yourself or someone you love, you can do so from the website, www.cancerdecisions.com,

Gansler, T. Do cell phones cause cancer? American Cancer Society website, 2005b. Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_11_1_Do_Cell_Phones_Cause_Cancer.asp

Garfield, Larry. Mobile phone usage doubles since 2000, but growth to slow. Infosync World News Centre, Dec. 15, 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/5636.html

Greenland S, Sheppard AR, Kaune WT, et al. A pooled analysis of magnetic fields, wire codes, and childhood leukemia. Childhood Leukemia-EMF Study Group. Epidemiology. 2000;11:624-34

Hardell L, Mild KH, Carlberg M, et al. Cellular and cordless telephone use and the association with brain tumors in different age groups. Arch Environ Health. 2004;59(3):132-7

Hardell L, Carlberg M, Mild KH. Case-control study of the association between the use of cellular and cordless telephones and malignant brain tumors diagnosed during 2000-2003. Environ Res. 2005 Jul 12

Ilhan A, Gurel A, Arcutcu F, et al. Ginkgo biloba prevents mobile phone-induced oxidative stress in rat brain. Clin Chim Acta. 2004;340:153-62.

Kheifets LI, Matkin CC. Industrialization, electromagnetic f ields and breast cancer risk. Environ Health Perspect. 1999;107:145:154.

Koyu A, Cesur G, Ozguner F, et al. Effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic field on TSH and thyroid hormones in rats. Toxicol Lett. 2005;157:257-62.

McCurdy AL, Wijnberg L, Loomis D, et al. Exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields among working women and homemakers. Ann Occup Hyg. 2001;45:643-50.

Moulder JE, Foster KR, Erdreich LS, et al. Mobile phones, mobile phone base stations and cancer: a review. Int J Radiat Biol. 2005;8:189-203.

Scott A, Dana KM, Stevens RY: Residential magnetic fields and risk of breast cancer. Am J Epidemiol, 2002;155:446–54.

Information on EPRI retrieved July 30, 2005 from: http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/nonprofits/electric_power_research_institute.html

Information on fluoroscopes retrieved July 31, 2005 from: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_414a.html

Informat ion on Amer ican Medical Association and tobacco retrieved July 31, 2005 from: http://www.thoracic.org/chapters/california_adobe/TobaccoHx.pd

(NIEHS website: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/emfrapid/booklet/results.html


Opening the door of your heart... by Christine Robbins, CSA Membership Liaison

and who ordered this truckload of dung?

The CSA was again privileged to welcome Ajahn Brahm to speak to our members in October. Our library now contains a couple of copies of his book “Opening the Door of your Heart, and other Buddhist Tales of Happiness” which he is currently promoting in the U.S. For the American market the name of the book has been changed to “Who ordered this truckload of dung?”, and it was precisely this story, from the book with which he opened his talk, and which I would like to share with you today.

Unpleasant things happen in life. They happen to everyone. The only difference between a happy person and one who gets depressed is how they respond to disasters.

Imagine you have just returned home and you find a huge truck-load of dung has been dumped right in front of your door. There are 3 things to know about this truck-load of dung:

1. You did not order it. It’s not your fault.

2. You’re stuck with it. No one saw who dumped it, so you cannot call anyone to take it away.

3. It is filthy and offensive, and its stench fills your whole house. It is almost impossible to endure.

In this metaphor, the truck-load of dung in front of the house stands for the traumatic experiences that are dumped on us in life. As with the truck-load of dung, there are three things to know about tragedy in our life:

1. We did not order it. We say “Why me?”

2. We’re stuck with it. No one, not even our best friends can take it away (though they may try).

3. It is so awful, such a destroyer of our happiness, and its pain fills our whole life. It is almost impossible to endure.

There are two ways of responding to being stuck with a truck-load of dung. The first way is to carry the dung around with us. We put some in our pockets, some in our bags, some up our shirts. We even put some down our pants. We find when we carry dung around, we lose a lot of friends! Even best friends don’t seem to be around so often.

“Carrying around the dung” is a metaphor for sinking into depression, negativity, or anger. It is a natural and understandable response to adversity. But we lose a lot of our friends, because they don’t like being around us when we’re so depressed. Moreover, the pile of dung gets no less, but its smell gets worse as it ripens.

Fortunately there is a second way. When we are dumped with a truck-load of dung, we heave a sigh, and then get down to work. Out come the wheelbarrow, the fork and the spade. We fork the dung into the barrow, wheel it around the back of the house, and dig it into the garden. This is tiring and difficult work, but we know there’s no other option. Sometimes, all we can manage is half a barrow a day. We’re doing something about the problem, rather than complain our way into depression. Day after day we dig in the dung. Day after day, the pile gets smaller. Sometimes it takes several years, but the morning does come when we see that the dung in front of our house is all gone. Furthermore a miracle has happened in another part of our house. The flowers in our garden are bursting out in a richness of colour all over the place, and the fruit tree is heavy with fruit.

“Digging in the dung,” is a metaphor for welcoming the tragedies as fertiliser for life. It is work that we have to do alone. No one can help us here. But by digging it into the garden of our heart, day by day, the pile of pain gets less. It may take us several years, but the morning does come when we see no more pain in our life, and in our heart, a miracle has happened. Flowers of kindness are bursting out all over the place, and the fragrance of love wafts way down our street, to our neighbours, to our relations, and even to passers-by.

When we have known tragic pain, learnt its lesson and grown our garden, then we can put our arms around another in deep tragedy and say softly, “I Know” They realise we do understand. Compassion begins. We show them the wheelbarrow, the fork and the spade, and boundless encouragement. If we haven’t grown our own garden yet, this can’t be done.


A Visit to the Gawler FoundationLife was trotting along at a pleasant enough pace for me at the end of 2004 when a little bump developed on my arm. It turned out to be a melanoma and was duly chopped out. A PET scan followed to see if the melanoma had spread. It had not, but an oesophageal cancer was detected in my chest. After five sessions of Chemo and a surgery, my wife Leanne and I were saying “Where to now”, and “how do we prevent the cancers from reoccurring?”.

Being an engineer meant my life revolved around ‘left brain’ stuff, being task driven, analytical, evaluating things, etc. Little did I know how all of this would have to change. After reading Ian Gawler’s “You Can Conquer Cancer” book and we decided to enrol in one of the ten day residential courses offered by the Gawler foundation.

We arrived at the Gawler Foundation Centre early on a sunny Monday afternoon. The foundation is located on a forty acre property nestled in the beautiful Yarra valley, two hours out of Melbourne. Approximately half the acreage is open grassland and the other half is forested with a creek running through the woods. There are loads of birds, parrots, roos roaming around and we spotted some koalas and wombats. The serene setting is a perfect retreat and a fantastic place to relax and bone up on your meditation skills.

The course focused on using the power of the mind (meditation, positive thinking, imagery, and mind/body medicine) to arrest/cure cancer and to improve one’s wellbeing. There were several detailed sessions on diet as well. The pace of the programme is fairly intense with three meditations and various lectures and group sessions taking up the whole day. Six glasses of vegetable juice were served daily and we were treated to a delicious vegetarian diet. I found the sessions on Positive Thinking, Dealing with Emotions and Forgiveness, Affirmations & Imagery, Spirituality and Dying very interesting. The course quantified a lot of intangible subject matter

Ajahn Brahm told us many stories about celebrating our lives and the lives of our loved ones, and his beautiful book is full of wisdom, inspiration and humour.

This month I’d like to thank Walter and Leanne Dandridge for sharing their experiences at a recent Ian Gawler Foundation Retreat in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.

Walter has shared much in the Tuesday group already, and it seems as if the effects of this experience continue the healing on different levels.

As 2005 takes us into the Christmas season, and then into the New Year, I’d like to wish the CSA community many opportunities to celebrate life and to grow our gardens in the best way we know how. May the season be full of peace, love and healing for all.

And I’ll leave the last words to Ajahn Brahm:

“If you want to be of service to the world, and if you wish to follow the path of compassion, then the next time a tragedy occurs in your life you may say ‘Whoopee!

More fertiliser for my garden!“ ✦

for me and has given some direction and a methodology for tackling the cancer challenge. We had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the company of the other participants and the staff.

We have now decided to embrace the Gawler diet and are feeling much better for it. The course has given me a different perspective of life including relationships, goals, and in defining what really matters. The result is that I am more relaxed and am enjoying life more than at any time during the last twenty years, in spite of having cancer. I am changing from a go-getting, task oriented engineer to a laid-back Rastafarian. Well, almost.

~ Walter

As a partner of someone who has cancer, I found the Gawler Foundation quite helpful. I attended all of the seminars with Walter, and took part in the meditations and all other aspects of the program alongside him. (It did take me a few days to get the hand of meditation, even though I had practiced beforehand. At first I was mainly trying to fight off drowsiness.) There was a special carer’s session that looked at the challenges the partner faces. Massages, reflexology and private counseling sessions were available at a fee. While I have not been a believer in the healing power of foot massage, I was surprised at the toxins that were released the day after I had it.

Doctors give us medical solutions to our illnesses because they have been trained in medicine. The people at the Gawler foundation make you aware of a range of complementary strategies that are available. The people who have cancer benefited in that they found strategies that helped them gain control over their illness and take charge of their healing.

~ Leanne

By Walter & Leanne Daindridge, CSA members

Ian Gawler, left, with Leanne and Walter Daindridge


sSometimes I have trouble explaining my frustration about the lack of an holistic approach to treating cancer. When people say they don’t get what I mean, this is the example I give them:

Once upon a time a man owned an orange tree in his back yard, which over the years produced beautiful and delicious oranges. One year however, the tree bore no fruit and instead, developed a weird and large growth which threatened to compromise the integrity of the entire tree.

The owner of the orange tree called a tree arbourist (tree doctor) to come and look at his orange tree and advise him as regards to what should be done.

Having assessed the situation, the tree doctor suggested that first of all the ‘growth’ be removed. Then he said, we must find out why this occurred, we must address all other aspects of the tree’s environment. This means completing a soil analysis and looking for essential minerals such as zinc and selenium. We must also examine the water supply, said the tree doctor, and the very air it breathes. In other words, the tree doctor took a holistic approach to the ‘treatment’ or consideration of the health of the orange tree.

“It is estimated that one third of cancer deaths in developed countries can be attributed to poor nutrition”.

And “At least half of all cancers could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle” (Cancer Council WA website).

When our bodies are in trouble with cancer, wouldn’t one expect that part of the healing process would be equivalent to that which the tree doctor took above?

I am left to conclude that prevention is the best approach, and empowering ourselves with knowledge is the next best approach when dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Take care of your ‘orange trees’, and I wish you a bumper yield.

Cheers,Sandi

The Orange Tree has a Tumour

Great is Thy Faithfulness

There is one common consciousness that pervades all creatures. That is the truth. That is the supreme reality which underlies the variety of names and forms. Unity is the truth, and variety is appearance. Each unit of this variety is not merely a part of the vast unity, but identical with the unity. The ego’s shell, mysteriously created to enclose each individual, has eventually to be broken in order that this cosmic unity may be realised.

Wars cannot end wars. Untruths cannot promote truth. It is the quest for supreme peace that takes the seeker from peace to greater and deeper peace. The hammering of the ego’s shell with shafts of wisdom gives, from moment to moment, a widening vision of the cosmic unity, and an expansion of the heart which includes more and more of creation’s beings in the warm embrace of its love. When the shell is broken, all separatist tendencies vanish and the individual is no longer set against others, but one with all, eternal, immortal and ever blissful.

The wise person needs to make a conscious effort to achieve this realisation. That is the purpose of life. This is the supreme principle that governs all the activities of human beings upon earth. This glorious truth ought to be broadcast throughout the world. Everyone should be constantly reminded of this truth. Only then will people understand each other. Only then will nations realise that artificial boundaries are for the sake of administrative convenience and not for generating hatred of others. Only then will all sections of society all over the world regard serving ‘the other person’, who is none other than one’s own self, as the sole end and aim of life on earth. And only then will world peace be assured through individual peace. ~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati ✦

Thinking Spiritually

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;There is no shadow of turning with Thee;Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see.All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,Sun, moon and stars in their courses aboveJoin with all nature in manifold witnessTo Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endurethThine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

~ Thomas O. Chisholm


Last night Thunderheart died.

He died in his sleep, in the middle of the night, surrounded by his family. He was totally ready to die.

“I have been at the station with my bags packed ready to go, for the last few weeks” he had said.

He had been ‘travelling with cancer’ as he put it, for a few years. Thunder, also called Peter, had been living in and around our community on and off for about five years.

When he became very ill again last year we decided to give him a house, so he could feel settled and we could care for him.

When we started Pinakarri Community we wanted to live together so we could support each other through life.

Of course at the time we were mostly thinking of childcare, carpooling, less cooking and shoulders to occasionally cry on.

But later we did talk about getting older and dying. How we would like to die, how people used to die - in your own home, cared for by your own community and when dead being washed and dressed by your own family and friends. And then put in a coffin made and decorated by people who know and love you and carried to your last resting place proudly on the shoulders of your own people. Hardly a new concept, but unfortunately in the western world, these days it is quite rare.

So was the picture of Thunder, in his special hospital bed in his house talking to one of our teenagers about his life. The children in the community would go in and see him when they wanted to, one boy showing off his new Judo suit one day, at other times the girls singing songs for him.

Above his bed, a beautiful painting one of our teenagers made for him. This girl also

In Fond Memory of those who have

shared part of their journey with us ...

Do not stand at my grave & weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain.

Victor CiliaLeo NesterDigby CullenJohn GeorgeMaria WeekesMichelle RobinsonWyn EvansHeather EllisJulie MaynardPeter Brandt

“The most beautiful death”

In Memory of Peter ThunderheartBy Jozina de Ruiter

painted the lid of the coffin, which was made by some of our community, and lined by yet another member (apparently while stored it became part of a hide-and-seek game by the smaller kids.

At night people would go and sing to him and some nights we would sit around our community fire and sing a special Thunder song one of us made up.

In the days we had a roster to help care for Thunder and his family (meals, shopping, cleaning - yes, life goes on) as well as looking after him so they could get a break.

Because all of us were supporting one another through this slow, sometimes painful and challenging process we were all able to give and share what we could.

Thus we shared, with his family and friends, these most wonderful last weeks of his life. The family was able to care for him how they wanted to, we were able to support and share the experience, and Thunder had the most death anyone could wish for.

This morning I was asked by his family to do some more drumming, which Thunder always loved, so I played around the fire.

Some community members came and sang, while others did practical things like cleaning up his house and installing the air conditioning to keep Thunder cool. And so we keep loving, living and dying together at Pinakarri. ✦

From the Fremantle Herald newspaper. Jozina de Ruiter is a teacher of African drumming and drum-making who lives with her family in the Pinakarri Community in Hamilton Hill. Pinakarri is a housing community that consists of 13 families, about 20 adults and 15 kids. Planning and design started in 1991 and families moved in in 1999. For more information log onto www.pinnakarri.org.

How Passed?And if I pass away a martyr Forget the reasons why. They only clog clarity. Think thee that you know how I died Or is it just the circumstance; The how, the means and why? Is it just the obvious as assumption follows drama?

But how was I then? Tell me..

Be hopeful for me that in that moment I was in love. Not fear or attachment, Nor denial to entanglement.

Let it be love with which my spirit took flight to soar Divine breaking the wheel of life. Pray for me that this is so for it is my wish to every soul.

~ Thunderheart August 2002

Peter Brandt (Thunderheart) touched us with his presence, his peace and his poetry. Thankyou for sharing these last months of your journey

with us ~ Christine Robbins


CSA Online counselling

is now available with Dr Charmaine Saunders

Charmaine prov ides on l ine counselling and advice to CSA members & the general public.

Email Charmaine direct on [email protected]

for more information about online counselling & support.

Some advantages of online counselling are:- private & confidential- convenience & accessibility- immediacy (book anytime)- annonymity

The CSA’s website ‘CSA Online’ at www.cancersupportwa.org.au also offers a bulletin board for exchange of messages, enquiries, and comments; a chat room for general discussion; and a private counselling room where you can make a booking with Charmaine.

Hi, I recently had a cancer scare. My right ovary was enlarged and I went

to a gynecologic oncologist who performed removal of one ovary and a hysterectomy. The lump turned out to be a benign cyst which is fortunate, however I have had an unnecessary hysterectomy which has absolutely devastated me. I know I would have agreed to the surgery although I don’t remember much of the conversation but in my mind, I thought I had cancer so the hysterectomy seemed irrelevant at the time and I didn’t even consider other options. I do feel they should have been offered to me though. I am now deeply depressed, I feel like my body is ruined, I don’t feel like a woman anymore, my body repulses me, sexually I feel completely undesirable and even though my husband thinks nothing of it, I can’t understand how he could want to touch me. I have almost a desperate feeling about this that I find hard to explain. I want so desperately to change what has happened and go back and say I don’t want this surgery if the ovary turns out to be not cancerous. I know rationally that it’s just not possible but my mind goes over and over what I should have said, what I should have done. I’m on anti-depressants and I am seeing a psychologist (who is absolutely lovely) but we just keep saying the same things week after week and it’s not helping at all. I just feel so inferior in every way, I hate being with other women at work or with friends as I don’t feel like one of them anymore. It’s so hard to live like this, I’m just not functioning, my once perfect house is now a mess and that upsets me but I just can’t seem to overcome this feeling. I’m just a nothing in my mind. Can this sort of thing be helped?

Of course it can but counselling only works if you are open to it

totally. You have suffered a devastating life-change that affects a woman on many levels. Drugs and therapy can only help to a certain extent. The reason that this major operation was done notwithstanding, regret is a wasteful emotion. What’s done is done

I was wondering if you have any advice for a Mum who has recently

(5 weeks ago) lost her very precious 40 year old daughter to leukaemia.

Mrs W.

The only advice I can give you is going to sound pretty cliched. Your

loss is extremely recent and I’m afraid there’s no way to stop the pain other than by allowing the grief and in time, healing. Think of it this way - the pain you’re feeling is also the cure. Immerse yourself in the agony of this loss and the memory of your beautiful daughter. Don’t avoid or deny or forget. You’ll be sorry later if you do. Read `Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s wonderful book, `On death and dying’ which can offer some insights into these scary yet beautiful life-experiences. Bereavement has several stages and you are probably still at the shock/confusion level. Don’t try to figure it out - this is the time for total trust in the workings of the Universe which we can’t penetrate but can accept. Therein lies peace.

This is my favorite quote about death - I hope it gives you some comfort - `Death is not extinguishing the light but putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.’ ✦

Q & Awith Dr Charmaine Saunders

Q

Q

A

A

and many women have hysterectomies with very positive results. I don’t want to minimise your pain but I do want to strongly emphasize that you are most certainly still a woman. Give yourself time to grieve - after all, you have experienced a death of a kind. Don’t judge yourself for feeling depressed or not wanting sex or having a less than perfect house. All will fall back into place in time. Essentially, what you need now is to love yourself more, relax and trust.

We are more than our body parts. You’re still beautiful as I was after having t h e s a m e p r o c e d u r e b e c a u s e o f gynecological problems when I was only in my early 30s.

You can email your questions to Charmaine at [email protected]

Roger Weston is extending an invitation to CSA members, carers and volunteers to learn Reiki 1 for $100 (which is half the normal cost).

Please ring him on 9384 2344. Or, for further information on Roger’s background and other course times/venues go to www.reikiwa.com.

This offer will be available during December 2005.

Learn Reiki


Aromatherapy MassageWith Jane Asplin here at CSA 10-2pm Wednesdays. Please make an appointment with reception. Cost: $25.

“I quit the corporate bump and grind of Sydney to move to the peaceful shores of WA in January 04 to study my passion – Aromatherapy. For as long as I can remember smells, fragrances and ‘whiffs’ in general have mystified me. I love how they can make you feel - either laughing or crying or reminiscing over some wonderful memories. Aroma is a powerful sense. The more I learn about Essential Oils the more I realize that I have found my path in life, at last! It’s never too late. For your treatment I will blend oils to your taste using only the finest therapeutic grade essential oils” I look forward to meeting you and sharing with you my passion for Mother Earth’s bountiful gifts.” ~ Jane

In the next month or so,many of us will venture down a well-traveled path paved with bold and sometimes hastily conceived New Year’s resolutions. It is a route covered with promises to exercise more, lose weight, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, eat a healthier diet and make new friends. All of these are not necessarily broken promises. According to a new University of Washington survey, 63 percent of the people questioned were still keeping their number one 1997 New Year’s resolution after two months.

The study, conducted by Elizabeth Miller, a UW doctoral candidate in psychology, and Alan Marlatt, director of the university’s Addictive Behaviors Research Center, sought to understand the factors that best predict success in keeping New Year’s resolutions. The researchers focused on health-related resolutions because these types of pledges are the most common and 60 percent of Americans die from illnesses connected to behavior such as overeating, lack of exercise and smoking. In addition, little is known about the process by which people make successful behavior changes.

“The keys to making a successful resolution are a person’s confidence that he or she can make the behavior change and the commitment to making that change,” says Miller. In addition, the study indicates that “resolutions are a process, not a one-time effort that offer people a chance to create new habits.” Even if people are successful, they need to follow-up on their behavior over the years, she adds.

To be successful with your own resolutions, Marlatt, who has studied the subject for more than 20 years, suggests:

• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.• Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and

feedback you get, the better you will do.Sure-fire ingredients for setting yourself up for resolution failure, he adds, include:

• Not thinking about making resolutions until the last minute.

For more information about New Year’s resolutions, contact Alan Marlatt at [email protected]. For more information about the study, contact Elizabeth Miller at [email protected].

How to keep your New Year resolutions!

• Reacting on New Year’s Eve and making your resolutions based on what’s bothering you or is on your mind at that time.

• Framing your resolutions as absolutes by saying, “I will never do X again.”

Data from the new study was largely collected over the Internet, with 264 subjects filling out questionnaires in early January and again in March. The majority of subjects, 90 percent, came from the metropolitan Seattle area, with the remainder coming from across the United States. Fifty-four percent of the respondents were female, and the age range of all subjects was 18 to 66.

While the study focused on primary resolutions, most people made several resolutions, with 67 percent making three or more. Increasing the amount of exercise was the most common primary resolution, being made by 37 percent of subjects. It was followed by: increasing the time devoted to study or work, 23 percent; increasing the consumption of healthy food or decreasing the amount of unhealthy food, 13 percent; reducing the use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine or other drugs used, 7 percent.

Miller also said that persistence can pay off. Of the people who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40 percent of them did so on the first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17 percent finally succeeding after more than six attempts.

As final words of encouragement to resolution makers, Marlatt has these suggestions:

“Take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed. You do get to try again and can make behavior changes throughout the year, not only at New Year’s.” ✦

Researchers find commitment is the secret of success.


On behalf of the fundraising team, I would like to say a “BIG” Thank You for your support and commitment to the effort that each of you guys have contributed. Your contribution has lead our team to achieve and surpass goals that we were only hoping to achieve at the beginning of the year...and now we have proved to ourselves that it can be done and we all did it together!!! Each of you has kept the “ball rolling”... from January up until today our success in fundraising has broken records that have never been achieved before. To the fundraising volunteers, thank you for coming and helping openheartedly whether it may be folding mail outs, raffle tickets, shopping centre, data entry or op shop sales. To the fundraising staff and accounts department, thank you for bearing the pressure and rising to the occasion! We are now a much better TEAM and are working from strength to strength...I am and hopefully you are looking forward to a much stronger

and brighter 2006! Finally, thank you to our supporters and members for your contribution to our success. Once again, thank you for being part of the TEAM! Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! See you all again in January 2006!

Robinson Sy Suan, Fundraising Manager

Our dedicated team


For a special gift for someone special this Christmas, please visit Looking East at Unit 3/160 Hampden Road Nedlands or contact Rene at 9389 5569.

Thanks to Donna Dingle for organising the Dalwallinu Waxing Day. $3,000 plus was raised for the CSA. Thanks guys!

Special thanks to Rod and Ken of Lyndord Motors for their generousity in provision of display vehicles and CSA supporter discounts. If you’re looking for a New or Used Ford Vehicle, contact Rod or Ken for a special offer. Please support our sponsors.

In addition, Lyndford Motors will continue to supply the vehicles for 2006 Summer Car Raffle.

Note: My apologies if your name or pic has not been included. Please notify Rob.

LEFT: Linda, Barbara N., Natalie, Cathy, Kerry, Chris R., Chris S., Jane.

LEFT TO RIGHT (PREVIOUS PAGE): Diane, Leanne, Leanne C., Barbara, Russel, Sharon, Barbara N., Daniel, Dawn, Zoe, Michelle, Raymond, Sushyant, Audrey, Jenny, Densie, John M., Dorothy, Ruwana, Diana, Stuart, Ken, Rosita, Tammy, Chris, Faye, Devi, Kerry, Natalie, Robin.

Raffle Sponsors

Special Event


Eliminate your cancer risk

Based on studies of human remains ranging from 5300 BC to the mid-19th century, we know that cancer used to be quite rare. Cancer is becoming a far more common problem in our culture. Earlier this year cancer passed heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. We are now up to 180 people EVERY HOUR being diagnosed with cancer and another 65 that are actually dying from cancer.

What innovative medicines, technologies and strategies are suggested by the Cancer Society to slow the spread of cancer by an amazing 62 percent? Doing nothing more than making some simple lifestyle changes.

• eat healthier foods (ideally based on your body’s unique constitution).

• incorporate more exercise in your daily routine.• Stop smoking today.• Schedule periodic cancer screenings.

The American Cancer Society is as traditional as medical organisations come. It is reassuring that even their conservative researchers now suggest a 62 percent reduction with simple lifestyle changes.

Like many, I have had some challenges with my father, but one of the skills he drilled into me from early childhood was to never settle for second best. For the most part I haven’t, and I would encourage you to follow that advice when it comes to cancer prevention. Why would you settle for a meager 62 percent reduction? I believe you can VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE your cancer risk if you follow risk reduction strategies - even if they haven’t been formally “proven” by conservative researchers.

Why wait another 20 or 30 years for these to be proven and risk falling into the group of 180 Americans that are being diagnosed with cancer every hour? In 25 years another 15 million will die from cancer. I suggest you get with this program now and save you and your family a cancer diagnosis.

So what can you do to virtually eliminate your cancer risk?

The following are my major recommendations:1. CONTROL YOUR INSULIN LEVELS: Make certain that

you limit your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.

2. Get appropriate amounts of animal-based OMEGA-3 FATS and make sure you use cod liver oil if you don’t have regular access to sun exposure.

3. Get appropriate EXERCISE. One of the primary reasons

by Dr Mercola

exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.

4. NORMALISE YOUR VITAMIN D LEVELS with safe amounts of sun exposure. This works primarily by optimising your vitamin D level. If you have regular access to sun exposure then you should use fish oil, not cod liver oil, as your primary sources of omega-3 fats. Ideally it would be best to monitor your vitamin D levels.

5. EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR METABOLIC TYPE. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.

6. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 PERCENT OF DISEASE IS CAUSED BY EMOTIONS. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favourite tool is EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE.

7. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means EAT AS MANY VEGETABLES AS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. Ideally, they should be fresh and ORGANIC. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don’t use that as an excuse. If you are a carb metabolic type you may need to up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein metabolic type.

8. Make sure you are not in the two-thirds of the population who are overweight and MAINTAIN AN IDEAL BODY WEIGHT.

9. Get enough HIGH QUALITY SLEEP.

10. REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.

11. BOIL, POACH OR STEAM YOUR FOOD, rather than frying or charboiling.

From the newsletter of the International Association of Cancer Victors and Friends (Melbourne) Inc Newsletter, September 2005 edition.

Lifestyle recommendations to enhance your health


NATURE’S FOOD: Healthy, delicious and exciting food prepared from nuts, seeds, grains, and natural fruits and vegetables, without destroying enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Free of cane sugar, dairy and meat. Each class includes notes, recipes and samples!

WITH MARGUERITE HENSHAW

last Tuesday of month

Cost: $20 iuncludes great snacks$22 non-members. Ph reception to

book as space is limited.

The Raw Food Workshops will recommence in FEBRUARY 2006...

Raw FoodWorkshopsfor Health & Survival

From the kitchen...

From The Cancer Fighting Recipe Book, compiled by, E. Rusty Morgan

Food Watch:Here are some foods which provide natural protection from cancer

CABBAGE: raw or lightly cooked cabbage has glucosinolate, which is claimed to lower the risk of breast cancer by reducing DNA damage and cell mutation.GINGKO BILOBA: claimed to reduce the risk of getting ovarian cancer because of its anti-inflammatory effects.BROCCOLI SPROUTS (very young broccoli): contains a chemical sulforaphane thought to protect against Helicobacter pylori, gastric cancer and skin cancer caused by UV light.GARLIC: thought to counteract the effects of PhIP, a cancer-causing chemical which occurs in meat cooked at high temperatures.

From: The West Australian newspaper, 2 November 2005

Christmas Yams1 large sweet potato2/3 cup cranberries, cut into halves.1 small yellow onion, minced.3 cloves garlic, minced.2 T fresh ginger, grated.1/2 cup unsweetend apple sauce.

Steam sweet potato until soft. Peel and cut into 1 in. cubes. Simmer onion over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add 2 T of the stock and stir until liquid reduces. Add garlic, ginger, and another T. of stock, reduce to low heat and cook for 2 more minutes. Mix spices into apple sauce and stir into onions in the skillet. Add sweet potatoes, cranberries, and 1/4 cup of the stock, and cover and simmer 5 minutes Add cabbage and remaining stock, cover and cook 5 min.

Fruited Rice Salad on avocado halves1 cup brown rice.1/4 cup raisins.1\4 cup chopped dried apricots.1\4 cup chopped almonds.2 avocados.1 T finely chopped fresh ginger.1 cup water.1\4 cup white wine.

Mix it up and set aside. Put rice, ginger and water in small saucepan and boil until the rice starts to pit. Add the wine and cover tightly and turn the burner down to simmer for 10 minutes then add raisins cots and almonds, cover and let sit with burner off for l5 minutes. Mix in vinaigrette and refrigerate 1 hour. Just before serving, halve, seed and peel avocados. Fill each half with rice salad. Spoon extra rice salad onto plate and set avocado half in it.

Okay, so this is not quite traditional christmas fare, but these recipes do have an alkalanising effect, won’t disturb the body’s PH, and have anti-cancer properties. Enjoy!

pinch of cinnamon.1/4 t allspice.1/4 t mustard powder.3/4 cup vegetable stock[or 1 veggie cube dissolved in water].1\2 cup shredded cabbage.

VINAIGRETTE2 T olive oil.1 T flax oil.juice of 1 lime.1 t balsamic vinegar.1 t pure maple syrup.1/4 t curry powder.1/4 t dry mustard.


in the news...

Tumeric adds spice to cancer research

An old spice is performing new tricks, with research showing that curcummin – the main ingredient in turmeric and the source of an Indian curry’s yellow colour – can stop breast cancer spreading to the lungs.

According to the study published in the latest issue of Clinical Cancer Research, not only does curcummin stop cancer spreading, it also improves the effectiveness of the common chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (Taxol).

Taxol is used a frontline drug against breast cancer but it can also contribute to the spread of cancer cells around the body – a process known as metastasis.

By studying breast cancer in 60 mice researchers showed that curcummin prevents the inflammatory effects of Taxol that can cause metastasis. After removing the tumours from the mice they divided them into four groups -– control, Taxol only, powdered curcummin only, or a combination of curcummin and Taxol. In the control group 96 percent of the mice showed visible lung metastasis. Treatment with Taxol alone reduced the incidence of metastasis only slightly, while mice given curcummin in combination with Taxol had no visible metastasis in the lung.

Under the microscope only a few cancer cells were seen in the lungs of the mice given curcummin and Taxol. The authors hope that trials of curcummin for the treatment of women with advanced breast cancer could begin in the next several years. ✦

Depression in women with early breast cancer

222 women with early breast cancer were the focus of a UK study to examine the risk for depression and anxiety in women with early breast cancer during the five years after diagnosis. The research, undertaken by the UK London Psycho-social Group, based at King’s College found that nearly 50% of women in the group had depression, anxiety or both in the year after diagnosis, 25% in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years and 15% in the 5th year.

Longer term depression was associated with previous psychological treatment, lack of an intimate and confiding relationship, younger age and severely stressful non-cancer life experiences. The researchers confirmed the need for a dedicated psychological service during this time. ✦

From The Cancer Voices WA News, Issue 1, November 2005. Contact: Cancer Voices WA, 46 Ventnor Ave, West Perth WA 6005.

There are two ways of receiving the divine message: either through the heart or through the mind. The message received through the mind will whirl around in the head until the wind of reason rises and blows it away. The

message received through the heart will settle in the depths, awakening virtues, merits and

inspiration, but the heart requires preparation in a process through which one overcomes

the false identities of the self. And then, when discovering the real self, one offers the limited

ego as a sacrifice to the truth within.

From The Journey, the newsletter of the Sufi Movement in Australia, Vol 8, No 1, 2005.

Soul in ecstasy, listen, and I will tell you its secret in dance.

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees. Danish: Glædelig Jul. Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon Finnish: Hyvää Joulua French: Joyeux NoëlGerman: Froehliche WeihnachtenGreek: Kala ChristouyennaHawaiian: Mele KalikimakaIrish: Nollaig Shona DhuitItalian: Buon Natale or Buone Feste NatalizieJapanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu OmedetoKorean: Sung Tan Chuk HaLatin: Natale hilareLithuanian: Linksmu KaleduNorwegian: God JulPolish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego NarodzeniaPortuguese: Feliz Natal Russian: Srozhdestovm KristovimSpanish: Feliz NavidadSwahili: Kuwa na Krismasi njemaThai: Suksun Wan ChristmasVietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang SinhWelsh: Nadolig Llawen

“Merry Christmas”


If you would like to post something on the Bulletin Board send your contribution to: The Editor, Wellness News, PO Box 325 Cottesloe WA 6911; Phone (08) 9384 3544; Fax 9384 6196; e-mail [email protected]

MEMBERS BULLETIN BOARDh

h

Free Lymphoedema ConsultDaniela Arndt is a qualified massage therapist and ‘Complex Physical Therapy’ practitioner at the Cottesloe Sports Massage Clinic. Daniela is offering a free initial consultation including assessment and 1/2 hour manual lymph drainage. Phone 9244 8215 to make an appointment.

Discounted Massage for CSA membersJan Rodda is offering a 15% discount on various massage services, and also “chosen touch”, and “hands of an angel” palliative care. Phone 9339 2297. Home and hospital visits available.

Paul Alexander, one of Australia’s leading natural health practitioners, is offering a very comprehensive Health Assessment Screening at a reduced price for CSA members. Contact Paul at the Tara Centre, or discuss this option with Dr Peter Daale at CSA.

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT SCREENINGS REDUCED PRICE FOR CSA

MEMBERS

Thankyou for your donations

CSA VALET PARKING FOR MEMBERS AND GUESTS If the CSA carpark is full please drive up to the round-about at the bottom of the CSA stairs and ask reception for a staff member to park your car.

Help us help others...We regularly have members and the wider community contact us wanting to know of medical and alternative practitioners who are supportive. Please call reception and let us know of practitioners that have helped and supported you!

Patricia RedfernMargaret WalkerMurray MorrisonPhyllis SmithKelly StoneKevin BullockGracie WilsonClarice CronshawPatrick O’ConnorTrish YenschChristine CorrieSam AndersonPatricia MillerJohn YazdaniGeorge PopeRon PowellVincent ChanFrieda ScottEvelyn McLartyKen CluneHannelore RadanovicYvonne WilkinsonKarla PagetJan EganDavid HillSally PullinKerry TreadgoldMartin TomazinDaphne PurdyJennifer HealeyStephen KahlJudy WattsLynda BarkerLeanne Ecclestone

Jennifer PaulMavis CathlesDelphine RowlandJennifer SceVerna WoodallShirley KingDiana WhentMargaret BullockDesmond BrownMyrtle ReynoldsSally HincksBetty FowlerJean HuntTess TemmeHazel RobertsDot MurrayDawn HodgesMargaret DannGeorge PelhamFrancis WillisTina RussoPeter ThobavenClaude VinciShirley JansenJo KostovskiBeryl ParmleyElsie DonovanLes FalconerPatricia BallantyneStan HodgesBill RossLeesa JohnPhyllis McLernonChris BegovichMarina Farina

Angela EbertWanslea Family SerYun Fei LuJ HendersonSandra Farrer-SmithMaria Della-BonaJoy MetcalfBeverley HamiltonDiana RushDebbie EarlMaxine GrahamMaz DobbynPeter CastrilliTina MonziTrevor NorrishLaurel KiftDick RobertsDave MarmionKurnia SugihartoS AnandStan SkaymanDavid PengellyRobert SmartThelma StinsonYvonne AshtonMegan EwingFiona WillcoxJean TownsendRobinson Sy SuanFred ChalkleyLinda BrownRoy StaggMavis StevensonGerri GeorgeKen Taylor

Fred BertramMary BeckinghamKarl SoperBarbara ThorntonGill MaiseyPeg MalcolmG & M AloneMaxim VasilenkoCarol SinfieldSue JordonMyrtle PurserJoan TaylorRuth StrattonBeryl SmithDouglas McMasterLeanne McCuishRona StalleyLiz BorthwickKaye StockerRose WarnKristen AllenLes FalconerLynfae HarrisCatherine PhillipsJenny TysoeDiana MillsAshley BellGlenys ThomasFruity FanaticsNicole MurphyDarrell SweenyEileen DugganCheryl McKeatingHelene O’BrienRuth Seaman

Crystal PensChris NestonAnna ColonicoSeb BassettMuriel AnnesleyDeirdre WiltshireJohn LussickMargaret MurcuttNada ZikichAnne MartinMurray WillmottDorothy KingNeil CuthbertsonIrene MajidJan NilssanMei RangiJeanie HollbachJulie HarperMargaret McCorkillL BrownDr Yun-Fei LuPeter SmithCraig & Leanne StevensGlenice RadleyLois CourtisMichael SelwynPhillip FerreraSimon IbbertsonVivian HoustonMae KannikoskiPeter NewcombPhylis De JongGamachu DembaliCorrina MaynardSandra Capelinha

Jeannette GeorgeRaffelina CubelicMarilyn SalleyRuth TubbAnita Sword-GrayHeather ParsonsBarbara OutramKim NguyenMarguerite HenshawMeridith SoutheeKim BarnardDawn LinesKerry ClarkAnthea FletcherMarine BravinerNelia CiabarriLaurel WhitePeter & Pat WilsonDebbie & Keith MitchellTerry FurlerAdele BellPeter LeeAndree DwvergeBernie MickleJan CuredaleGayle DonovanL BrownWendy ClarkDawn SulcsRita BellantoniOlive DoustOlwen BrownJim RichardsMichael O’Kane

We would like to extend an invitation to all members and readers of Wellness News to contribute to this publication.

We welcome your personal stories, poems, inspiring articles, referenced research papers/articles and anything you feel may be of interest to fellow readers.

Please send your contribution to the editor at knox.m@cancer supportwa.org.au. Thankyou!

december 2005 wellness news - solaris cancer care · wellness news happiness – a new year...

Documents