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Posted by 'Swansen' in a topic 'to fill in the gaps left in this book(dark forces, etc)'. Join the discussion of this topic here:

...There is obviously a lot that we are not told about this existence, that is kept from people. The dark forces as labeled in the book, and, i have a feeling that it is due to translation issues. First thing we all really have to do is realize there is no "good" or "bad" as how can anything in life be "bad" when it is a part of you? We are all part of the creator, the creative consciousness, therefore, how can one part of your being be bad while other parts are good? Thats like saying because you got a cut on your hand and it became infected that it is now bad, and "evil" its your own hand! same thing here. However, a very long time ago, parts, or, a part became disconnected, it no longer had the guidance, the love, of life, of everything, so, in absolute fear it rebelled, tried to control, and sucked energy from itself essentially without realizing what it is doing. This expanded and eventually it came to humans and caught us. We were not always as we are now, we have been changed, the capacity of our brain...

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This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains.

ATTACHMENT PARENTING

A Style That Works

by William Sears, M.D.

Each day, expectant couples come into my office with eager questions. "This is our first baby. We really want to do right by our child. Can you give us some tips on getting a good start?" I answer these couples by offering a style of parenting that works for most couples most of the time - attachment parenting.

This style of parenting helps a mother and father achieve two main goals:

1. To know their child
2. To help their child feel right

A child who feels right acts right and is a joy to parent. I want you as parents to enjoy your child.

What is Attachment Parenting?

One way to tell you more about attachment parenting is to share with you some attachment tips. This is the advice I give new parents in my practice who are eager to get a good start. These tips can help you know and understand your child so that you can help him feel right.

Make a Commitment

Very early in your parenting career, before the birth of your baby, make a commitment. Promise your faithful attention to two relationships: to yourselves as a married couple and to your child as his parents. One of the greatest gifts you can give your new baby is a home built on the foundation of a stable and fulfilled marriage.

To strengthen these commitments during pregnancy, I advise couples to follow a custom we have enjoyed in our own family. I suggest that each night before going to bed you as a couple lay your hands on the pregnant uterus. Talk about your commitment to each other as a married couple and your commitment to this tiny life inside. This beautiful nighttime ritual gets to be a habit that is likely to continue after your baby arrives. After the birth of our baby, I had become so accustomed to laying my hands on my unborn baby that I couldn't get to sleep at night unless I would go over and lay my hand on the head of our little newborn and reaffirm my commitment to fathering her. I was hooked! I was already attached before our infant was born.

Create a Peaceful Womb Experience

In the past twenty years there have been new and exciting discoveries about the fetus's sensory and emotional awareness. Mother and her unborn baby share emotions. When mother is upset, baby may be upset. If your pregnancy is cluttered with emotional stress (especially the last three months), you have a higher risk of having a child who is anxious, and an anxious child has a high risk of being a difficult sleeper. By creating a peaceful pregnancy experience you begin creating harmony with your baby. This prenatal harmony may well carry over into the baby's sleep patterns.

Prepare Yourselves

Many couples spend a lot of time and money preparing the properly appointed nursery. Your baby could care less what his or her room looks like. He wants you, so prepare yourselves. Parent support groups can assist you in this preparation by helping you arrive at a parenting style that best fits your level of commitment and your own family situation. In my opinion, the most effective parent support organization is La Leche League International, a worldwide mother-to-mother communication network. La Leche League is especially effective in the concept of attachment parenting for breastfeeding mothers. I advise new mothers to join this organization early in their parenting careers, preferably during pregnancy.

An important part of preparing yourself is to take a good prepared childbirth class and select your birthing options wisely. Choose a birthing environment which encourages you to stay in tune with your body during labour. Mothers who are properly prepared to decode their body's signals (for example, when to move around and when to lie still) and who give birth in an environment which allows them the freedom to do so are more likely to become quickly attached to their babies. Mothers who have a birthing experience where fear and lack of control predominate may have more difficulty forming an immediate attachment. There is also higher risk of having a difficult sleeper if you have a difficult labour and delivery.

Breastfeed with Child-Led Weaning

Breastfeeding encourages attachment and helps you take cues from your baby. It encourages you to watch your baby for signs of needing food and comfort rather than watching the clock and counting ounces. You and your baby will learn to know each other better and will be more in harmony with one another.

I have a sign in my office that says, "Early weaning not recommended for infants." New mothers are vulnerable to careless comments of well-meaning friends and relatives who exclaim, "What, you're still nursing?" Part of understanding the general philosophy of attachment parenting is understanding the real meaning of the term weaning. Parents often think of weaning as a -loss of a relationship, a detachment. Weaning is really not a negative term but a very positive one. In ancient writings, the term weaning meant "to ripen". It is a feeling of fulfillment and readiness whereby a child looks up to his mother and says or feels, "I am filled with this relationship and ready to pass on to another one. Thanks, Mom."

Life is a series of weanings - weaning from the womb, weaning from the breast, weaning from parents' bed or crib, weaning from home to school, from school to work. Whenever a child is weaned from any of these places of security before he is ready, he is at risk for developing what I call behaviours of premature weaning. These stem from an underlying feeling of "not right" and include anger, aggression, and moodiness, all of which can stay with the child through life.

Don't limit your breastfeeding to a predetermined number of months, what I call calendar parenting. As long as both parties of the nursing couple enjoy this relationship, then nurse until both of you are filled. Calendar parenting simply does not work, and it often produces a short-term gain for a long-term loss. It is much more realistic for parents to enter their parenting careers without any pre-conceived expectations of when a child should give up a certain need. The rate at which babies develop physically and emotionally varies tremendously. Having rigid and unrealistic expectations will only lead to frustration which can put a damper on your spontaneous interaction with your child and ultimately lessen your enjoyment. More importantly, imposing restraints on your child's source of security can have long-lasting effects on his physical and mental well-being.

Respond Promptly to your Baby's Cries

Every baby comes wired with an ability to signal his needs. Adults call this unique language the cry. Every mother develops the "wiring" necessary to receive her baby's signal. This is a special communication network designed for the survival of the baby and the development of the mother. Promptly responding to your baby's cries increases your sensitivity to your baby. Sensitivity helps develop your parental intuition.

Be Open to Trying Various Sleeping Arrangements

Babies often give their parents cues as to where they want to sleep. Some babies sleep best in their own rooms; others sleep best in a bed in their parent's room; many babies sleep best in their parents' bed. Parents have varying preferences as well. The sleeping arrangement whereby all three of you (mother, father and baby) sleep best is the right one for your individual family. Your baby trusts that you are open and receptive to the cues that he is giving you about where he needs to sleep. You are also trusting yourself to respond to your baby's needs for a certain sleeping arrangement even though this may not be in accordance with the norms of your neighbourhood. One of the most important pieces of baby furniture I advise new parents to purchase is a king-size bed. Welcoming your baby into your bed is just another part of a parenting style of trust and openness. If sleeping with your baby feels right to you and is working, then it is okay. As with any feature of a parenting style, if it is not working and does not feel right, then drop it.

Travel as a Father-Mother-Baby Unit

While traveling on a speaking tour of Australia I began to appreciate the "marsupial mothering" style of kangaroos, whose babies are nearly always in touch with the mother because they live in a pouch on the mother's abdomen. I advise couples not to succumb to the usual outside pressure to "get away from your baby," but instead to become accustomed to "wearing" the baby in an infant sling or baby carrier, as you get used to being a unit you will feel right when you are together and not right when you're apart. Functioning together by day makes it easier to function together by night.

Beware of Detachment Parenting

This is a restrained style of parenting that warns parents against taking cues from their child. The advocates of detachment parenting preach: "Let the baby cry it out. He has to learn to sleep through the night." "Don't be so quick to pick your baby up. You're spoiling her. "Get your baby on a schedule. He's manipulating you." "Don't let your baby in your bed. You're creating a terrible habit. " Besides being full of negatives, this style of parenting also features quick and easy recipes for difficult problems. For example, when a baby repeatedly awakens during the night, detachment parenting advises, "Let him cry one hour the first night, forty-five minutes the second night and by the third night, he'll sleep through the night."

Parents, let me caution you. Difficult problems in child rearing do not have easy answers. Children are too valuable and their needs too important to be made victims of cheap, shallow advice. In my experience, parents who practice detachment parenting are at risk of losing their intuition and confidence and are less likely to achieve those two important goals of parenting, knowing their child and helping their child feel right.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR PARENTS?

The Payoff

What difference does the attachment style of parenting make? Will it make you a better parent? I have been sharing the above attachment tips with my patients over the last ten years, and we practice them in our family. It does make a difference. Parents who practice the attachment style of parenting know their child well. They are observant of their infant's cues, respond to them intuitively, and are confident their responses are appropriate. They have realistic expectations of their child's behaviour at various stages of development, and they know how to convey expected behaviour to their child. Their children are a source of joy. The feeling that the attachment style of parenting gives you and your child can be summed up in one word, harmony.

Besides a harmonious relationship, the attachment style of parenting also promotes a "harmonious" relationship. Mothers who practice these attachment styles of parenting actually undergo chemical changes. The hormone prolactin, often called the "mothering hormone", may enhance a woman's ability to mother as well as create a feeling of calmness and well-being during trying times. In experiments where this hormone is injected into male birds, they act like mothers. Mothers who practice the attachment style of parenting actually have more prolactin than mothers who exercise restraint. What makes the prolactin go up? You guessed it: unrestricted breastfeeding, lots of skin-to-skin contact with the baby, and sleeping with the baby. Science is finally catching up with what intuitive mothers have known all long: Good things happen when mothers and babies spend more time with each other.

By now you may be thinking that attachment parenting is all giving, giving, giving. Well, to a certain extent, that is true. Mothers are givers and babies are takers - that is a realistic expectation of a mother-baby relationship. The baby's ability to give back will come later. Better takers usually become better givers. However, because of the hormone prolactin, as mothers give to babies, babies give something back to mothers. The attachment style of parenting allows mothering to stimulate more mothering.

Why Attachment Parenting Works

Attachment parenting works because it respects the individual temperament of the child. The child comes equipped with a certain level of needs and the ability to give cues about what these needs are. The parents, by first being open to the child's cues, learn how to read the child and respond. Because the response helps the child feel right, he learns to cue better and parents learn to respond better. In a nutshell, both members of the parent-child communication network participate in the development of each other's skills. A cue-giving child and a responsive parent bring out the best in each other. On the other hand, detachment parenting with its restrained responses brings out the worst in both. The child's cries become more disturbing and parents become more angry. Baby and parent learn not to trust each other and eventually become insensitive to each other. Insensitivity gets parents into trouble.

The attachment style of parenting is especially effective when parenting the high need child. This little child goes by many well known names: the fussy baby, the difficult baby, the demanding baby, the challenging baby, the strong-willed child. I prefer to call these children high need children. It is not only a more positive term, but it also describes the level of parenting these children need. These are the children who most need attachment parenting.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOUR CHILD?

Self-Esteem

The infant who is the product of attachment parenting learns that his needs will be met consistently and predictably. The child learns to trust. Trust creates a feeling that "I am a special person". This is the emergence of your child's self-esteem, the feeling of rightness which is so vitally important to the development of personality.

Intimacy

The child learns to bond to persons, not things. The infant who is accustomed to being in arms, at breast, and in mommy and daddy's bed receives security and fulfillment from personal relationships. This infant is more likely to become a child who forms meaningful attachments with peers and in adulthood is more likely to develop a deep intimacy with a mate. The child who is often left by himself in swings, cribs, and playpens is at risk for developing shallow interpersonal relationships and becoming increasingly unfulfilled by a materialistic world.

Nurturing Qualities

The child learns to be sensitive and giving. The child who receives the attachment style of parenting learns to care for others with the sensitive and giving quality that he received from his parents.

Discipline

Practicing the attachment style of parenting actually makes discipline (that magic word you've all been waiting for) easier. Because you know your child better, you are able to read your child's behaviour more accurately and respond more appropriately. Because your child feels right, he is more likely to act right. The child who has this inner feeling of rightness is more likely to develop a healthy conscience. He feels right when he does right and feels wrong when he does wrong. This style of parenting makes it easier to create an attitude within your child and an atmosphere within your home that makes punishment less necessary. When necessary, it is administered more appropriately. Because of their attachment to one another, parent and child trust each other. Trust is the basis of authority, and a trusted authority figure disciplines more effectively.

Long-Term Benefits

Attachment parenting has long-term benefits too. Let me share with you a very important concept of child rearing called modeling: the parenting style children grow up with is the one they most likely will carry into their own parenting careers. Remember, you are parenting someone else's future husband or future wife, and your grandchildren's future mother or father.

I will illustrate the importance of modeling by sharing with you two incidents which occurred recently in my practice and my family. One day a new mother brought her newborn baby into my office for a check-up. She also brought along her twenty-two month old daughter, Tiffany. When the newborn began to cry, Tiffany rushed to her mother and exclaimed, "Mommy, baby cry. Pickup, rock-rock, nurse!"

Why had Tiffany responded so quickly to the cries of her sister? Because she had been modeled so. What will Tiffany do when she becomes a mother and her own baby cries? You guessed it! "Pick up, rock-rock, nurse!"

The importance of modeling parenting styles to teenagers was driven home to my wife and me one day when we heard our nine month old daughter, Erin, crying from our bedroom. Since we believe in ministering promptly to our baby's cries, Martha and I started toward the bedroom. But then we heard the cries stop. As we approached the bedroom door, we saw our fifteen-year old, Jim, lying down on our bed next to Erin and gentling her and consoling her. Why did Jim do this? Jim had modeled his behaviour after ours. He had learned that when babies cry someone listens and responds. As Martha and I witnessed this beautiful attachment scene we knew that both Erin and Jim felt right. Our hearts also felt right because we knew the attachment style of parenting was paying long-term dividends.

Excerpted from Creative Parenting by William Sears (now out of print). Dr. Sears work is available through La Leche League International, P. 0. Box 1209, Franklin Park, IL 60131-8209, USA

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Attachment Parenting

Teaching Kids to Cook

by Marlene Ritchie, B.S., M.N., International Educator

At some time nearly everyone needs to cook. When I asked people how they learned to prepare food, I heard some interesting stories.

Harold is known as a gourmet cook--pot roast is his specialty. I ask who taught him. "I learned in high school," he said. "We made spaghetti. Mom said I could relieve her of that chore if I made spaghetti for the family. I was so proud to show off my talent and went to work. My two brothers and sister and my parents all sat around our kitchen table, as I served the noodles and sauce. We each took bites. Mom made a face and spit the sauce into her spoon. Instead of praising me she scolded, `What did you put in this sauce?' I told her that I'd just followed the recipe. She wanted to see for herself, so I got my notebook. I am dyslexic: I misread sometimes. Instead of using 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of hot pepper I used 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of hot pepper. We couldn't eat a bite. Still, I went on to learn."

Other people answering my question said they watched their mom or dad and imitated how they did things. That's how I learned. I worked along side my mom from an early age and then she left me on my own. My dad had a sense of humour. I overheard him say that he was glad he had only two daughters who were learning to cook, he'd had enough half-cooked potatoes for one life-time. I taught my son and daughter in the same way. My son turned out to be more inventive. He boiled rice in tomato juice, which tasted very good. Then he boiled rice in orange juice, which wasn't so good. One day I left a roast in the pan ready to be put in the oven when he got home from school and told him to peel potatoes to add. When I returned from work the roast was nearly cooked, and there was a pot boiling on the stove. I lifted the lid and saw the potatoes bouncing around in a brown liquid. "Oh, you made gravy," I said. "No," he answered, "that's the dirt. You don't have to wash potatoes before you cook them. Dirt comes off in the water." We washed the potatoes and ate them. My daughter says that she liked being given the responsibility. She'd come home from school, feeling responsible for helping the family. Eagerly she'd read my note and figure out what to do. When the meal was ready she was proud of her accomplishments.

It's my theory that diet is the last vestige of someone's heritage that falls by the wayside when people move to a new culture. I base this on my experience as a nurse. When I helped mothers write healthy menus, I discovered that for generations the mothers kept family eating traditions. My family is another example. Eleven generations ago, my mother's side of the family immigrated to North America from Germany. Sauerkraut was a necessary winter salad. My mother put up many jars of it every summer for us to eat during the winter. My husband, of Scottish heritage, had never heard of it, but I incorporated sauerkraut as a staple in our diet.

Phil says my theory is true. "I'm an Arab," he said. "I can't speak a word of Arabic, but I eat mostly Arabic food." Claude agreed. "I'm French Canadian. My wife is English Canadian. We speak English, but we have graisse de rôti (jellied pork roast juice) on toast for breakfast and tourtière (meat pie) and poutine (French fries with cheese and gravy)." Rose, whose family comes from Italy, says she eats a lot of pasta. In olden days, family recipes were passed down by teaching kids to cook. Search Google for cookbooks, which list heritage recipes that children can follow.

When I worked as a teacher on the hospital children's ward Emma Plank, my supervisor, who had been trained by Maria Montessori, suggested that I enlist the children to bake cookies in an electric skillet. I have a photo of the kids laughing merrily with flour all over the rubber aprons they wore and gooey hands from patting the dough so it could be cut into animal shapes. It was a uniting venture and they learned to measure and learned about the action of baking powder and so on.

Susan Sampson, Food Reporter for the Toronto Star, wrote on January 16, 2008: "Grownups focus frequently (and obsessively) on the pickiness of kids, but the truth is they enjoy food. And kids are less likely to be picky if they cook something themselves." She quotes Stephanie Philips, owner of a cooking school for kids in Toronto: "Kids like to watch the Food Network." And she quotes dietician Sue Mah, who says that teaching kids to cook promotes healthy eating habits when you get them away from fast foods.

While shopping at our local supermarket, I noticed a little girl reaching up to choose oranges. "Pick the orange ones," her mom said. "Not too soft." "How old is she," I asked. "Three," the mom answered. "She's very good at picking apples, too." The little girl smiled and nodded agreement. Food preparation has activities for all ages.

Whether you advocate the use of recipes or the watch-me method, teaching kids to cook is a bonding opportunity; it can teach them their heritage; it helps them form good eating habits and when they are involved in the preparation they become interested in trying new things; they learn to measure and they show pride in their new skills. Children of all ages can participate.

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Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.

Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W. Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D. Searle's research practices caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of "chemical poison." As you shall see, that is exactly what it is.

What Is Aspartame Made Of?

ASPARTIC ACID (40 percent of Aspartame)
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid (about 99 percent of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is glutamic acid) in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.

How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.

Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.

The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.

The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) ALS Memory loss Hormonal problems Hearing loss Epilepsy Alzheimer's disease Parkinson's disease Hypoglycemia AIDS Dementia Brain lesions Neuroendocrine disorders

The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimics the FDA party-line, recently stated in a review that:

"It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants, and children. The existence of evidence of potential endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders."

Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious effects on the body as glutamic acid.

The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA, those reactions include:

Headaches/migraines Nausea Abdominal pains Fatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain) Sleep problems Vision problems Anxiety attacks Depression Asthma/chest tigShtness.

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who are concerned about excitatory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG.

A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage being caused by aspartate and glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., an experimental psychologist specializing in research design. Another is Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice.)

Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)
Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU.

This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of seratonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.

Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by humans.

One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by aspartame was recently published the "Wednesday Journal" in an article titled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking six to eight diet drinks every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss and frequent headaches. He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened drinks. His condition deteriorated so much that he experienced wide mood swings and violent rages. Even though he did not suffer from PKU, a blood test revealed a phenylalanine level of 80 mg/dl. He also showed abnormal brain function and brain damage. After he kicked his aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.

As Blaylock points out in his book, early studies measuring phenylalanine buildup in the brain were flawed. Investigators who measured specific brain regions and not the average throughout the brain notice significant rises in phenylalanine levels. Specifically the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, and corpus striatum areas of the brain had the largest increases in phenylalanine. Blaylock goes on to point out that excessive buildup of phenylalanine in the brain can cause schizophrenia or make one more susceptible to seizures.

Therefore, long-term, excessive use of aspartame may provid a boost to sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control schizophrenia and seizures.

Methanol (aka wood alcohol/poison) (10 percent of aspartame)
Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Some people may remember methanol as the poison that has caused some "skid row" alcoholics to end up blind or dead. Methanol is gradually released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounter the enzyme chymotrypsin.

The absorption of methanol into the body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested. Free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or when it is heated (e.g., as part of a "food" product such as Jello).

Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.

Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects.

Due to the lack of a couple of key enzymes, humans are many times more sensitive to the toxic effects of methanol than animals. Therefore, tests of aspartame or methanol on animals do not accurately reflect the danger for humans. As pointed out by Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, director of the food science and nutrition laboratory at Arizona State University, "There are no human or mammalian studies to evaluate the possible mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic effects of chronic administration of methyl alcohol."

He was so concerned about the unresolved safety issues that he filed suit with the FDA requesting a hearing to address these issues. He asked the FDA to "slow down on this soft drink issue long enough to answer some of the important questions. It's not fair that you are leaving the full burden of proof on the few of us who are concerned and have such limited resources. You must remember that you are the American public's last defense. Once you allow usage (of aspartame) there is literally nothing I or my colleagues can do to reverse the course. Aspartame will then join saccharin, the sulfiting agents, and God knows how many other questionable compounds enjoined to insult the human constitution with governmental approval." Shortly thereafter, the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages, he then left for a position with G.D. Searle's public relations firm.

It has been pointed out that some fruit juices and alcoholic beverages contain small amounts of methanol. It is important to remember, however, that methanol never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in much higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in humans. The troops of Desert Storm were "treated" to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages, which had been heated to over 86 degrees F in the Saudi Arabian sun. Many of them returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has been seen in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these illnesses. Other breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP (discussed below) may also have been a factor.

In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable," the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86 degree F (30 degree C).

Diketopiperazine (DKP)
DKP is a byproduct of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in the occurrence of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound that was similar to N-nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors have said that DKP is produced after aspartame ingestion. I am not sure if that is correct. It is definitely true that DKP is formed in liquid aspartame-containing products during prolonged storage.

G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA found numerous experimental errors occurred, including "clerical errors, mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed to get, pathological specimens lost because of improper handling," and many other errors. These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both the test and control animals had sixteen times more brain tumors than would be expected in experiments of this length.

In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommended by G.D. Searle to develop the industry-wide FDA standards for good laboratory practices.

DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes in blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr. Jacqueline Verrett in her testimony before the U.S. Senate.

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Aspartame dangerous to pregnant women?

Naturally Sweet

Barley Malt

Made from fermented grains whose starches have turned to sugars, barley malt tastes slightly like malted milk balls.

Raw Honey

Loaded with natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, honey comes in a variety of colors, ranging from intensely flavorful dark brown to lighter (and milder) shades of gold. Always go organic, and because raw honey contains live spores, never use it to sweeten the food of an infant or toddler without consulting a doctor first.

Brown Rice Syrup

The rich butterscotch taste of this syrup, derived from cooked brown rice, mixes well with oatmeal and other hot whole grain cereals.

Stevia

From a South American herb, Stevia rebaudiana, stevia is much sweeter than sugar and has a slightly bitter licorice taste. Available in powder and liquid forms, it's good for diabetics because of its mild effect on blood sugar levels.

Molasses

A potent and highly nutritious sweetener, molasses contains all the beneficial stuff that's stripped out of sugar cane during the refining process, including iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and chromium.

Date Sugar

This ancient sweetener made from finely ground dates offers all the fruit's vitamins and minerals, plus the calming amino acid tryptophan.

Birch Sugar

With 40 percent fewer calories than white sugar and a low score on the glycemic index (which ranks a carbohydrate's effect on blood sugar and insulin), this sweetener, also known as xylitol, occurs naturally in tree fiber, corn, and some fruits.

Maple Syrup

Look for organic, 100 percent pure maple syrup, which contains only the sap of maple trees-and no added corn syrup.

Agave Nectar

Sweeter than refined sugar and with a lower rating on the glycemic index, the juice of the agave cactus is a good choice for diabetics or anyone seeking to avoid a sugar rush.

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Causes of Thyroid Problems

by Deanna Couras Goodson

What Causes Thyroid Dysfunction?

The thyroid is a little gland with a big job. It keeps our metabolism working properly. When the thyroid goes awry, it can wreak havoc on the body. Here's some information on what can cause a thyroid to act up.

I am sure you are aware that the thyroid is a little gland with a big job. It performs a specialized and important function in the body’s metabolism.

It is indeed a delicate balance that keeps the thyroid functioning properly. Since hypothyroidism is a disease, or dysfunction, of the thyroid, I think it’s appropriate that we begin to understand some reasons why good thyroids can go bad, or, better phrased, a functioning thyroid becomes dysfunctional.

There is really no clear-cut, textbook answer to this question because conditions, like people, are complex and are the result of many factors. Also, what can or does go awry for one person may not be what causes the same condition, in this case hypothyroidism, in another person. There’s more than one way to throw a thyroid 'out of whack'.

Clinically speaking, there are three situations that occur in the thyroid gland itself which cause a thyroid malfunction. These include:

Too little production of thyroid hormones. Therefore, hypothyroidism is a condition and a thyroid dysfunction. Too much thyroid hormone is produced. That, of course, is hyperthyroidism. Extra flesh collects around the thyroid gland forming a nodule. This nodule may or may not be cancerous.

Those are pretty basic and they just don’t feel complete. They just beg the question, so what causes these dysfunctions to occur?

Of course, the answer to that question isn’t easy either. (Nothing ever is, is it?)

First, is poor nutrition. Some studies have shown that people who develop thyroid problems, most notably hypothyroidism, suffer from iodine deficiencies. Since iodine is a trace mineral found in food that combines with tyrosine to make both T3 and T4, both of the hormones produced in the thyroid, a lack of it can lead to under-production of thyroid hormones.

There is information out there that says that certain foods can interfere with the production of thyroid hormones. These include: soy, millet, or cassava. If a person eats too much of these, he or she can throw their thyroid off.

Other studies find that deficiencies in vitamin A, magnesium and iron can also cause the thyroid to malfunction.

The second factor is stress. When a person is under stress, certain hormones are released in the body, such as cortisol. Chronic stress can cause hormone disturbances and hormonal deficiencies which affect the endocrine system, and the thyroid. Of course, low thyroid function can mimic stress and other mental illnesses, most notably depression, so it’s hard to know which comes first. Therefore, the situation is a virtual catch-22 once you get into it.

Third is genetics. Like most conditions, if a member of your family has struggled with the condition, then you will too. So if you have a parent, aunt, sibling, etc. with a thyroid dysfunction, then your thyroid may just malfunction too!

The next factor is pregnancy, which also includes the postpartum period. Pregnancy is a time in a woman's life when her whole body undergoes massive changes and suffers great stress. It's hard to distinguish between the symptoms of thyroid malfunction and some of the more common discomforts of pregnancy such as weight gain and fatigue.

Regardless, it is estimated that between 5-10% of all pregnancies will result in PPT (Postpartum Thyroiditis). Some say that Postpartum Depression may be related to decreased thyroid functioning after pregnancy. (It's possible, but not our focus).

The next change is also hormonal. It refers to menopause. When a woman goes through these hormonal changes, it can wreak havoc on her thyroid, especially if she is among the millions of people who have undetected problems with too much or too little thyroid hormone or if her numbers are normal-low or normal-high.

Obviously, there are many contributing factors that predispose one to having a thyroid malfunction. Learning what those factors are will help you manage your thyroid whether it's currently 'out of whack' or not.

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Keep Your Thyroid Healthy for Peak Energy

by Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D.

Iodide isn't enough to keep your thyroid healthy. Proper intake of selenium, iron and essential fatty acids hold the key to a healthy thyroid and metabolism.

When manufacturers began to fortify salt with iodide to prevent goiters, many people breathed a sigh of relief and assumed all thyroid disorders were resolved. Evidence over the past 10 years, however, demonstrates this assumption is far from justified. Health problems as diverse as learning disabilities in children and heart disease in older people that may be related to disorders of the thyroid gland still crop up. Dietary deficiencies and a buildup of toxins in the body can contribute to the problem.

Residing at the base of your throat in the center of your chest, your thyroid gland controls the speed of your metabolism. It receives signals from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain. These glands send out chemical messengers or releasing factors that signal the thyroid gland to speed or slow its activity. The thyroid gland in turn secretes the hormone thyroxin, which then tells the body's tissues how fast to break down food to produce energy. The fact that thyroxin contains four atoms of iodine explains the need for adequate dietary iodide to support proper thyroid function.

The most interesting recent discovery is that the hormone thyroxin isn't the most active regulator of metabolic function derived from the thyroid gland. Instead, that distinction belongs to thyroxin's close relative, the hormone triiodothyronine, or T3. T3 is produced from thyroxin by tissues such as the liver, muscles and heart. In essence, it's as though the thyroid gland "talks" to the tissues of the body through their conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxin to T3, and T3 helps regulate the speed of metabolism in the tissues (New England Journal of Medicine, 1979, vol. 300).

A deficiency of iodide in the diet can therefore prevent the thyroid gland from producing enough thyroxin, which in turn inhibits the tissues and organs of the body from making enough T3. In an extreme case of deficiency, the thyroid gland swells, all organs of the body are adversely affected, and the result can be enlargement of the heart and subsequent death.

In more chronic cases, long-term insufficiency of iodide in the diets of children can lead to learning disabilities and poor motivation (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1996, vol. 63). Similarly, iodide deficiency in the diet of a pregnant woman can compromise her child's brain development, which indicates iodide's important role in influencing human thyroid function and brain development.

The effects of diet and environment on thyroid function are more complicated than iodide alone, however. In recent research, scientists determined that the conversion of thyroxin to T3 is also controlled by the essential trace mineral selenium (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1993, vol. 57). For some time, scientists have known selenium is critical for human health because it plays a role in the body's antioxidant system, regulating the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. The discovery that selenium also activates an enzyme responsible for controlling thyroid function by the conversion of thyroxin to T3 was considered a breakthrough, since selenium deficiency might be a symptom of thyroid problems (Biology and Trace Element Research, 1992, vol. 33).

Even more recently, low selenium status in elderly people has been associated with reduced thyroid function and fatigue, skin problems, depression and reduced immunity (Clinical Science, 1995, vol. 89).

Exercise caution in evaluating your need for iodide and selenium because humans require only a few micrograms of these nutrients each day to meet normal needs. (A microgram is one-millionth of a gram, which is less than the weight of the ink used in the word "microgram.") Too much of either of these nutrients can produce toxicity, symptoms of which may be similar to those caused by insufficiency of these minerals. Nutritional tests such as analysis of blood, serum or hair are useful in determining an individual's iodide and selenium status if he or she has signs of insufficiency.

Other nutritional factors also contribute to thyroid function including overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or thyroid underactivity (hypothyroidism). One of these nutritional factors is the production of toxic substances in the intestinal tract from certain forms of bacteria. These toxic substances travel to the liver from the intestines and impair the liver's ability to manufacture and utilize T3, resulting in some of the signs of low thyroid function (American Journal of Physiology, 1995, vol. 268).

Pollution and Thyroid Disorders

Toxins from the environment also alter our thyroid function. Eduardo Gaitan, M.D., from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, found that drinking water contaminated with organic hydrocarbons results in blocked activity of thyroid hormones and can produce symptoms of hypothyroidism (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1983, vol. 56).

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can alter thyroxin levels and result in symptoms of thyroid disorders (Science, 1995, vol. 267). These pollutants block the metabolism of thyroid hormones and may contribute to toxicity through the development of chemically induced porphyria, a condition that produces symptoms such as the mental illness that afflicted King George III (Human Experimental Toxicology, 1994, vol.13).

We now understand that the environment, diet and nutrition influence thyroid function in a number of ways and may relate to thyroid disorders of nonspecific origin (Annual Review of Nutrition, 1995, vol. 15). Poor iron status, which results in anemia and poor tolerance to cold, for example, results in lowered thyroid function (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990, vol. 52). Fasting and anorexia nervosa, both of which are associated with nutrient depletion and deficiencies, also decrease thyroid function (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1985, vol. 42).

In situations in which thyroid function is reduced, the body tends to accumulate carotenes in the skin. (Carotenes are the pigments from orange-red fruits and vegetables). If a person's skin suddenly takes on an orange coloring without provocation and not as a result of liver disease, thyroid function should be investigated.

Watch the Foods You Eat

Eczema or other skin problems are also symptoms of poor thyroid function. The skin's integrity depends on metabolism of essential fats in the diet. Low thyroid function results in poor utilization of these fats in the maintenance of skin integrity (Journal of Nutrition, 1995, vol. 125).

Some types of foods are reputed to be goiterogenic, which means they create problems with thyroid hormones. Common foods with this reputation are members of the brassica family (which includes cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli) and soyfoods. The brassica family causes problems with the metabolism of thyroid hormones only when they're consumed in high amounts such as when a person regularly drinks cabbage juice (Natural Toxins, 1995, vol. 3).

With soy products, the story isn't as clear. Some infants who consume soy formula do develop thyroid problems (Pediatrics, 1995, vol. 96). In addition, thyroid problems are more prevalent among infants who consumed soy formula than in those who consumed breast milk (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1990, vol. 9). What's not clear is the mechanism underlying these changes in thyroid function following consumption of soy-based formula. In part, this may be due to a soy allergy that cross-reacts with the thyroid gland or to unique phytochemicals in soy that influence thyroid hormone metabolism (Journal of Nutrition, 1995, vol. 125). When adults eat soy products, their thyroxin levels rise, so there may be substances in soy which directly influence thyroid activity.

The recognition that diet and environment play important roles in determining thyroid function opens up the possibility of new approaches to improving thyroid function in people for whom the thyroid is either too active or not active enough. If you're concerned about your thyroid function, see your doctor for thyroid screening, which consists of a simple blood test.

Thyroid-Friendly Nutrients

If you have a deficiency in some key nutrients, your thyroid may not function properly. Here are some guidelines for daily supplement intake:

Iodine 50 to 150 mcg Iron 10 to 15 mg Pyridoxine 25 to 50 mg Riboflavin 15 mg Selenium 100 to 200 mcg Tyrosine 250 mg Vitamin A 25,000 IU Vitamin E 400 IU Zinc 20 to 30 mg

Sources: Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D.; Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray, N.D., and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., (Prima).

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Energising our thyroid gland

What Can I Grow in My Hydroponic Garden?

Using hydroponics, you can grow just about anything, including most house plants, flowering plants, vegetables, several different kinds of fruits and many different kind of herbs for seasoning or health purposes.

Hydroponic gardening indoors can provide you with a year-round supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You can also grow your own flowers or foliage and have them decorate your home, no matter what the season or weather. The choices are almost endless, and depend on your personal preferences. Here is a quick list of some of the more popular items people grow in their hydroponic gardens. Once you gain experience with this powerful growing process, you can even experiment with other plants.

Hydroponic Vegetables

If your living situation makes it impossible to plant a vegetable patch in your back yard, or if you have no yard at all, you still enjoy a table-full of fresh vegetables. By growing vegetables hydroponically, you can raise more vegetables faster then in a conventional outdoor garden. In addition, you can grow most vegetables year-round, giving you a constant supply of healthful produce any time.

Vegetable plants grown in soil must be spaced as much as a foot apart to keep their root systems from fighting with neighboring plants for necessary water and nutrients. Using hydroponics, all of the nutrients and moisture is pumped directly to the plants. Hydroponic gardening lets you place individual plants closer together – taking up less space.

Among the vegetables that can be grown using hydroponics are:

- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussel
- Sprouts
- Cabbages
- Carrots
- Cauliflowers
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplants
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Squash
- Tomatoes
- Yams

The basic requirements for growing vegetables do not change much in a hydroponic garden. They still need the appropriate levels of light and warmth, and you must follow all the normal procedures for caring for each plant. There are a few special requirements for vegetable such as carrots and potatoes that are grown underground – a full sized variety would require a very thick bed of aggregate. But, since you can control most factors in your hydroponic garden, you don’t have to rely on the weather and other outside conditions. You can grow no matter what the season or weather.

Tomatoes (technically a fruit) are one of the most popular plants grown hydroponically and can ripen as much as eight weeks earlier and produce more fruit than when grown in soil.

Hydroponic Fruits and Melons

Hydroponic gardening allows you to grow fruits and melons year round, no matter what the temperature is outside. But to be successful, you need to understand and pay attention to the growing conditions a particular fruit needs to thrive.

Water-loving fruits make a good choice for your hydroponic garden. These include watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes (technically a fruit), strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapes. Many hydroponic gardeners also successfully grow other, more exotic fruit species – even pineapples.

Surprisingly, there are some trees that can be grown in a hydroponic manner. Banana trees are one, and dwarf citrus trees, such as lemons are another. Through the use of appropriate lighting and nutrition you can grow fruits in the dead of winter even in Minnesota!

Hydroponic Flowering and Foliage Plants

Hydroponic gardening lends itself to a variety of choices if you are interested in growing flowers or foliage. A hydroponic unit can be used to develop seedlings and then as the plants mature they can be transplanted into other hydroponic units in your home, or can even be planted outdoors. If you don’t have enough hydroponic units to handle all of your flowers, you can transplant them into soil-filled pots or containers and use them as you wish. Sharing plants with friends and family is always popular.

A great benefit of hydroponics is that you can grow flowers outside of their normal season. In fact, there’s a good chance that the beautiful flowers you’ve been admiring at you local florist was grown in a hydroponic greenhouse.

The only difficulty in growing flowers and foliage hydroponically is that you may end up with many more flowers and plants of one particular species. The reason for this because each kind of plant has its own particular needs and can’t be mixed with different species in the same hydroponic unit. A good example is roses, which need a larger amount of potassium than plants or flowers can handle. The bottom line is that you need to be very careful in matching species that share the same space. Many hydroponic gardeners use multiple hydroponics units to increase the variety of plants they can grow simultaneously.

Although you can grow many types of plants hydroponically, succulent plants are poor choices for hydroponic gardening, because they will only thrive in dry conditions and you are attempting to grow your fruits in a medium of water.

Fresh Hydroponic Herbs

Fresh herbs are very popular, and can are fun and rewarding to grow … especially if you have young children. Herbs mature rapidly, require little care, have a wide variety of culinary and health uses, and do very well in a hydroponic unit or culture. Even a small hydroponic unit, such as Hydrofarm’s inexpensive Emily’s Garden System, can produce an impressive crop of herbs. You can even grow enough to share with friends, family and neighbors. Some of the most popular herbs to grow are:

- Arugula
- Basil
- Chervil
- Chives
- Coriander
- Dill
- Lemon Balm
- Mache
- Majoram
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Sorrel
- Spear and Peppermint
- Sage
- Tarragon
- Thyme

Other Hydroponic Crops

There is almost an unending number of crops that can be grown hydroponically, but most home gardeners have neither the time nor the money to pursue them. Some of these include corn, cacao, sugar cane, rice, tea, tobacco and cereal grains. In most cases these crops are started hydroponically and when the seedlings reach their desired size they are transplanted to the fields...

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Basic Hydroponic Systems and How They Work

There are 6 basic types of hydroponic systems; Wick, Water Culture, Ebb and Flow (Flood & Drain), Drip (recovery or non-recovery), N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique) and Aeroponic. There are hundreds of variations on these basic types of systems, but all hydroponic methods are a variation (or combination) of these six. Scroll down this page (or click on the system names) to see drawings and a description of each type of hydroponic system.

WICK SYSTEM

The Wick system is by far the simplest type of hydroponic system. This is a passive system, which means there are no moving parts. The nutrient solution is drawn into the growing medium from the reservoir with a wick. Free plans for a simple wick system are available (click here for plans).

This system can use a variety of growing medium. Perlite, Vermiculite, Pro-Mix and Coconut Fiber are among the most popular.

The biggest draw back of this system is that plants that are large or use large amounts of water may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wick(s) can supply it.

WATER CULTURE

The water culture system is the simplest of all active hydroponic systems. The platform that holds the plants is usually made of Styrofoam and floats directly on the nutrient solution. An air pump supplies air to the air stone that bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots of the plants.

Water culture is the system of choice for growing leaf lettuce, which are fast growing water loving plants, making them an ideal choice for this type of hydroponic system. Very few plants other than lettuce will do well in this type of system.

This type of hydroponic system is great for the classroom and is popular with teachers. A very inexpensive system can be made out of an old aquarium or other water tight container. We have free plans and instructions for a simply water culture system (click here for free plans).

The biggest draw back of this kind of system is that it doesn't work well with large plants or with long-term plants.

EBB and FLOW - (FLOOD AND DRAIN)

The Ebb and Flow system works by temporarily flooding the grow tray with nutrient solution and then draining the solution back into the reservoir. This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer.

When the timer turns the pump on nutrient solution is pumped into the grow tray. When the timer shuts the pump off the nutrient solution flows back into the reservoir. The Timer is set to come on several times a day, depending on the size and type of plants, temperature and humidity and the type of growing medium used.

The Ebb and Flow is a versatile system that can be used with a variety of growing mediums. The entire grow tray can be filled with Grow Rocks, gravel or granular Rockwool. Many people like to use individual pots filled with growing medium, this makes it easier to move plants around or even move them in or out of the system. The main disadvantage of this type of system is that with some types of growing medium (Gravel, Growrocks, Perlite), there is a vulnerability to power outages as well as pump and timer failures. The roots can dry out quickly when the watering cycles are interrupted. This problem can be relieved somewhat by using growing media that retains more water (Rockwool, Vermiculite, coconut fiber or a good soiless mix like Pro-mix or Faffard's).

DRIP SYSTEMS RECOVERY / NON-RECOVERY

Drip systems are probably the most widely used type of hydroponic system in the world. Operation is simple, a timer controls a submersed pump. The timer turns the pump on and nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by a small drip line. In a Recovery Drip System the excess nutrient solution that runs off is collected back in the reservoir for re-use. The Non-Recovery System does not collect the run off.

A recovery system uses nutrient solution a bit more efficiently, as excess solution is reused, this also allows for the use of a more inexpensive timer because a recovery system doesn't require precise control of the watering cycles. The non-recovery system needs to have a more precise timer so that watering cycles can be adjusted to insure that the plants get enough nutrient solution and the runoff is kept to a minimum.

The non-recovery system requires less maintenance due to the fact that the excess nutrient solution isn't recycled back into the reservoir, so the nutrient strength and pH of the reservoir will not vary. This means that you can fill the reservoir with pH adjusted nutrient solution and then forget it until you need to mix more. A recovery system can have large shifts in the pH and nutrient strength levels that require periodic checking and adjusting.

N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique)

This is the kind of hydroponic system most people think of when they think about hydroponics. N.F.T. systems have a constant flow of nutrient solution so no timer required for the submersible pump. The nutrient solution is pumped into the growing tray (usually a tube) and flows over the roots of the plants, and then drains back into the reservoir.

There is usually no growing medium used other than air, which saves the expense of replacing the growing medium after every crop. Normally the plant is supported in a small plastic basket with the roots dangling into the nutrient solution.

N.F.T. systems are very susceptible to power outages and pump failures. The roots dry out very rapidly when the flow of nutrient solution is interrupted.

AEROPONIC

The aeroponic system is probably the most high-tech type of hydroponic gardening. Like the N.F.T. system above the growing medium is primarily air. The roots hang in the air and are misted with nutrient solution. The mistings are usually done every few minutes. Because the roots are exposed to the air like the N.F.T. system, the roots will dry out rapidly if the misting cycles are interrupted.

A timer controls the nutrient pump much like other types of hydroponic systems, except the aeroponic system needs a short cycle timer that runs the pump for a few seconds every couple of minutes.

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Easiest DWC Hydroponic System

Therapeutic properties of cedar resin

Cedar Resin Chewing Gum

The inhabitants of Siberia believe that the resin of the Siberian cedar has great healing power, and has rightfully been called zhivitsa - related to zhizn, the Russian word for life - for its ability to heal wounds. The inhabitants of Siberia and the Urals long ago discovered the therapeutic anesthetizing properties of this resin. There is information that, as far back as 1638, the governor of the Tobolsk region, "pursuant to an official deed," assigned the tasks of gathering, simultaneously with St. John's wort, cedar resin for use "in wounds and in bruises." The successful use by folk medicine in the past of cedar resin for therapeutic purposes for snake bites and for the healing of wounds was reported by V. M. Florinskiy (1880). At the present, scientists have established that cedar resin in fact possesses bactericidal and balsamic properties. It is less inclined to drying out in comparison with pine resin, and is less subject to crystallization.

It has been established that cedar resin has a great therapeutic effect. According to the data from the physician I. I. Yukolis, it possesses a powerful bactericidal, epithelializing, anti-inflammatory, adsorbing, and deodorizing action. "Natural cedar resin (turpentine-balsam) has a great therapeutic effect in the treatment of chronic ulcers of the shin of different origins (varicose, trophic, pustular), in purulent diseases of the skin and as an epithelializing agent in various ulcerous and erosive processes of differing etiology."

During the Great Fatherland War (World War II), cedar resin was used to produce turpentine-balsam (purified and strained resin, the balsam is first dissolved, mixed with inert oils or vaseline, and a bandage is made), which was successfully used in military hospitals. It contributed to shortening the periods of hospital treatment for injured soldiers, returned healthy warriors to the army, and saved the lives of many. Tampons soaked in cedar balsam helped doctors stop gangrene that had already begun, protected wounds from festering and infections.

Folk medicine in its centuries-old practical work always used cedar resin. Cuts and wounds were covered with resin. The most serious and most chronic tissue injuries, up to gangrene, were treated using cedar resin. It was applied to abscesses as a softening, extracting, and healing remedy. In fractures, the area of the injury was rubbed with resin - and the bone knit more quickly. Resin was used in the treatment of purulent wounds, boils, and burns. In contrast to resins of other coniferous species, cedar resin does not crystallize for a long time, and does not lose its bactericidal qualities.

In Siberia, cedar resin was once used to treat toothaches by applying it to the teeth and gums.

Sometimes fairly strange methods of treating the teeth were used. To illustrate, an enormous cedar grows on the territory of Sozursky, one of the monasteries of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Its bark is badly damaged. It is said that believers who suffered from diseases of the teeth gnawed the trunk of this cedar. There was a legend that, by touching the resin escaping from the cedar with one's teeth, a person could be cured from diseases of the teeth and gums, would get rid of a toothache.

Larch Resin Chewing Gum

Local people also used Cedar Resin internaly - in ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, pulmonary tuberculosis, and pneumonia. The literature contains information how Russian healers used resin for treating cancer. Cedar resin is of very high-quality, it contains approximately 30% turpentine and 70% rosin. The turpentine (essential oil, turpentine oil) obtained from the resin contains 80% pinenes, which are the source material for the synthesis of camphor - a remarkable substance that stimulates the activity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Camphor is used in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system and schizophrenia, it is a constituent of many modern medical preparations, including those that stimulate nervous activity. Turpentine finds an even wider application, especially in folk medicine. It is used in massages in cases of rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, catarrhal diseases of the respiratory organs, in the treatment of wounds, and in a number of other cases.

Turpentine baths are prescribed by Russian doctor Zalmanov for the purpose of removing salts from the joints in cases of arthritis and polyarthritis; inhalations with the addition of turpentine to water are indicated in cases of putrid bronchitis. Heel spurs may be treated using local turpentine baths, in this case contrasting baths are alternated: cold-hot. After the end of the procedure, a compress from the boiled broth of the needles is placed on the heel spur for the night. In diseases of the respiratory organs, it is good to inhale the vapor of cedar resin that is burning slowly on coals.

In the old days, cedar resin was gathered when it flowed out of a trunk or branches that had been damaged naturally. It was precisely this turpentine that was considered to be the most medicinal, the healer himself did not cause any harm to the tree. Cedar possesses a very high capability of healing its wounds by itself. According to the reports of cedar researchers, in circumstances of tapping, the wound becomes overgrown with wood beginning with the first year of tapping. With time, the wounds are completely overgrown as well along the entire periphery, and the trees do not differ outwardly from those that have not been tapped.

The first stocks of cedar resin were kept in Gorny Altai beginning in 1932. In Tomsk Oblast the first production area was laid out in 1947, and already a year later forest holdings for the extraction of resin began to be created. From 40 to 60 kg of resin may be obtained from a hectare of cedar forest yearly. In the opinion of scientists and according to their observations of many years, tapping does not harm the cedars. On the contrary, it quickens the growth of the needles and increases the leafiness of the shoots. As a result of tapping, the cedar begins to accumulate in its crown the nutrients that ensure normal fruit bearing. However, researchers also associate a negative fact with tapping: the quantity of full-sized seeds decreases.

Resin also finds use in industry. Thus, immersion oil is obtained from it, essential for special microscope technology, which helps to determine the refractive indices of the smallest particles of a substance. Cedar balsam is used in the optical industry. It is used to produce abietic acid, glycerin esters, and plasticizers.

Valeriy Seleznev
Naturapath, City Orel, Russia

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Cedar Resin Essential Oil

Siberian Cedar Resin Essential Oil

The essential oil of cedar is obtained from the resin of the Siberian cedar (in Russian this resin is known as zhivitsa). Essential oil of cedar is a natural product of plant origin.

Because of its medicinal properties, resin has been known to humanity for many millennia. The dried needles of the cedar and fir, which contain resin-balsamic substances, and the essential oil of the cedar were used in ancient Egypt for compresses and poultices, in cases of hemorrhages and for treating wounds. In the 16th century of our era, resin was widely used for treating the plague, since the vapors of the essential oil of cedar have a bactericidal effect.

In 1868, in the Manual of Folk Medicine, it was indicated that "fir resin has a slightly irritating, stimulating effect, while siberian cedar resin is used to treat wounds, and in cases of rheumatic pains in the joints, and gout." During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, the great Russian surgeon N. I. Pirogov actively used resin to treat wounds that remained unhealed long after an amputation - this was the basic topic of his scientific work.

For a long time, essential oil of siberian cedar was used for medical purposes only externally in the form of ointments and massages.

D. Ternenko, Biologist
Kiev Polytechnical Institute, Ukraine

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CEDAR THE HEALER

The Siberian 'Cedar' (also known in the West as the Siberian pine) is one off the most beautiful and majestic trees on the Earth. Ever since the very earliest times it has been considered a life-giving, healing tree. Cedar wood excretes phytoncids, which destroy disease-inducing micro-organisms and serve to purify the air with healing and healthful properties. In the Old Testament (Leviticus 14: 4) God teaches how to heal people and even disinfect dwellings with the help of... the Cedar.

Scientists note that Cedar-panelled rooms are practically bacteria-free, down to 200-300 bacterial cells per cubic metre. It should be pointed out that according to medical standards, even in operating rooms a level of 500-1000 non-pathogenic microbes per cubic metre is permitted.

Cedar walls emit positive energy. In Cedar houses the air is always clean.

Siberian Cedar timber has a beautiful composition, with a lovely rosy colour. The noble colour of this sacred tree delights one's eyes and cheers one's mood year after year. Cedar timber is resilient against decay, and is hardly ever subject to canker-worm.

The cedar tree and the cedar nut oil have a special spirit and influence. They eliminate tension, increases bodily immunity, and facilitates rapid health recovery after a difficult disease or operation.

The Siberian Cedar is the beauty and national pride of Russia.

Residents of Siberia use Cedar wood in their everyday lives. Carpenters lay down Cedar floorboards in peasant huts, which are both beautiful to look at and warm to the touch. The Cedar's resinous wood wards off all sorts of bugs, and thus has been used from the very earliest times to make furniture, including trunks, wardrobes, cupboards and dressing tables. Cedar furniture is never troubled by moths, but even when dresser drawers or trunks were made of other kinds of wood, they would invariably place cedar cones in them. Just like the wood, Cedar cones ward off bugs with their scent.

Peasants in certain regions believed the Cedar wood killed harmful microbes. And so they preferred to make the bottom and lid of birch-bark cylinders out of Cedar. In Western Europe cedar wood was used in the manufacture of milk jugs. The craftsmen claimed that milk kept in such a jug would last a long time before spoiling and would take on a pleasant flavour.

All products made from Cedar possess a powerful beneficial energy.

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Our Unique Production Technique:

Cedar Nut Sheller This equipment and method of shelling Siberian Cedar Nuts brings the difference in the quality of "RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA" Siberian Cedar Kernels and Siberian Cedar Nut Oil

Cedar Nut Oil Press This equipment and method of pressing Siberian Cedar Nuts brings the difference in the quality of "RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA" Siberian Cedare Nut Oil

The brand name "THE RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA" stands for business integrity, decency and the highest possible quality of product. All products marketed under this brand name convey the primordial power of Nature and the warmth of our hearts. We offer:

A variety of high-quality cedar products, including cedar nuts and cedar nut oil.

Huge plantations of cedar trees grow in the Siberian taiga, said to be the ecologically purest area of the world. The virgin forest of the taiga has never been treated with any chemicals or artificial fertilisation, nor abused by agricultural machines.

Cedar nuts (the seeds of the cedar tree) take two years to mature, during which time the tree accumulates a huge volume of positive cosmic energy. Crops of nuts are harvested manually by people lovingly devoted to this task, working in a pleasant environment without undue haste to create unique products full of positive energy reflecting the infinite powers of Nature. Specific preparations include:

We pick only cedar cones which fall naturally from the trees, thus ensuring that only ripe cones are selected. We always avoid hitting the trees to shake unripe cedar cones down (as happens with some other commercial operations) -- a practice which causes the nuts to lose their healing power.

Cones are then manually shelled with the help of wooden shell-removers. Nut centres are separated from their shells using wooden rollers.

Cedar nut oil and cedar nut flour marketed under our brand name are obtained by the cold-pressure method, using manual wooden oil-presses.

Cedar nut oil is then stored in special containers and packed in a small village near Novosibirsk by name "Kandayrovo" using unique technology to avoid any contact with metal. The whole process is strictly supervised to ensure it complies with all sanitary requirements.

Final products are placed in special packaging to prevent daylight penetration, and stored at a temperature of 0C to +5C to better preserve the product's natural components. The resulting product is a bright gold-coloured liquid with the pleasant smell of cedar nuts. It is a 100% natural product with strong healing powers.

SIBERIAN CEDAR NUT OIL

Siberian Cedar nuts (cedar nuts) contain about 60% oil. They are therefore pressed to obtain Cedar nut oil, which is available on the market as a very expensive gourmet cooking oil. Cold pressing in all-wooden presses is preferred to retain the nutritional properties of nuts and derive the oil of highest quality.

The Cedar nut oil bearing "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" brand comes exclusively from wild-harvested Siberian Cedar nuts - one of the most nutritious Cedar nuts in the world. In comparison, other Cedar nut oils are usually pressed from the Italian pignolia Cedar nuts, which are not nearly as potent and are often harvested from trees growing in plantations. Our Siberian Cedar nut oil is extra virgin (100% cold pressed from freshly shelled raw Siberian Cedar nuts), whereas most Cedar nut oils on the market are either not cold pressed or even pressed from roasted (!) Cedar nuts, which significantly decreases the oil value. Finally, "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" Siberian Cedar nut oil is the only one which is available on the market anywhere in the world pressed with wooden presses in accordance with traditional techniques described in Vladimir Megre's life-changing book "The Ringing Cedars of Russia". In contrast, all other Cedar nut oils are pressed using steel presses, which immediately degrades them (contact with steel oxidizes some of the Cedar nut oil's most important ingredients such as vitamins, and is known to remove the 'life force' from the oil).

Cedar nut oil has also traditionally been used in ancient Russian and European natural medicine to cure a wide array of ailments - ingested (decreasing blood pressure, boosting immune system resistance, etc.) or applied externally (a range of dermatological disorders). It is also used in expensive cosmetics.

Cedar nut oil contains pinolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and is marketed in the U.S. as a means stimulate cell proliferation, prevent hypertension, decrease blood lipid and blood sugar, and inhibit allergic reactions.

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SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, APPLES AND CEDAR NUTS

Ingredients:
1 large, crisp apple, cut into bite-sized wedges
1 lemon juice
4 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into tiny-inch cubes
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of cedar nut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
a scant tablespoon of maple syrup
1/3 cup cedar nuts, toasted and chopped
12 ounces (3/4 pound). brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Preparation:

Soak the apples in a bowl filled with water and the juice of one lemon.

Cook the tofu in large hot skillet with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, wait a few seconds, now stir in the maple syrup, and cook another 30 seconds or so. Drain the apples, and add them to the skillet, cooking for another minute. Scrape the apple and tofu mixture out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious. Stir the apple mixture back into the skillet alongside the brussels sprouts 1/2 of the cedar nuts - gently stir to combine. Remove from heat and enjoy immediately sprinkled with the remaining cedar nuts. Serve immediatelly.

Serves 2 - 3 as a main, 4 as a side.

SALAD WITH PEARS AND RAISINS

The simple combination of raisins, spinach, pears, and cedar nuts is light and flavorful with the addition of balsamic vinegar. This salad is classy enough to accompany a gourmet meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup golden raisins
Water
1/2 pound mixed greens (baby spinach leaves also are good)
2 pears, cored and diced
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 Tablespoons cedar nuts
Salt, to taste
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin cedar nut oil, to taste

Preparation:

Place the raisins in a medium bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to soak at least 20 minutes, or until quite soft.

Toss the greens, pears, and carrots together in a nonreactive large bowl. Sprinkle cedar nuts and salt over the salad.

Once the raisins have plumped, drain and gently squeeze to remove excess water. Add the raisins to the top of salad. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the salad, then repeat with cedar nut oil.

Serves 4-6

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS (PEPERONI RIPIENI)

Use different colored peppers with this stuffing flavored with onion, garlic, anchovies, raisins, cedar nuts, and olives. It is a tantalizing mixture of salty, sweet, savory, and crunchy ingredients. It is served lukewarm, at room temperature.

Ingredients:
4 bell peppers of different colors
4 Tablespoons, plus 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin cedar nut oil (divided use)
1 medium white onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
4 anchovies, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon raisins
1 Tablespoon cedar nuts
2 ounces olives, pitted, drained, and finely ground
6 Tablespoons bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, and remove the seeds.

In a skillet, pour 4 tablespoons of the extra-virgin cedar nut oil and turn heat to medium.

Saute the onion and garlic, until onion is soft and translucent. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the parsley, anchovies, raisins, cedar nuts, ground olives, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin cedar nut oil. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

Fill the bell peppers with the mixture. Place the filled bell peppers side by side in an oiled oven pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the surface is golden.

Remove pan from the oven and let the stuffed peppers cool at room temperature. Serve lukewarm.

Serves 4

www.101cookbooks.com/; http://homecooking.about.com/

For Educational purposes only
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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ESSENTIAL-OILS.PRO

History of Aromatherapy

For millenniums humanity has been discovering mysterious properties of plants. Knowledge obtained through experiments and researches and its systematization resulted in a new science - Aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is an art of healing by means of plant aromas. Aromatherapy emerged long before it was thought as a science. Have you noticed how easily you breathe when you are walking in a forest? How nice it is to feel piny wood scent and redolence of green pine needles and resin! This is a natural aromatherapy.

According to the first manuscripts with fragrance recipes aromatherapy has been used for 6000 years! In Egypt the use of aromatherapy is confirmed by earthenware tablets that described embalming process by means of aromatics.

Ancient people perfectly understood aromatic and therapeutic properties of plants. Contemporary civilization just begins to uncover the value of aromatherapy hidden treasures.

In the ancient times aromatic, antiseptic, antimicrobial and wound-healing properties of essential-oil plants were known and widely used from Babylon and Persia to India and China. In the old medical texts of these countries, written around 3000 years ago, many herbs and their utilization were described. Plants whose aromas were able to impact on consciousness were burned during religious ceremonies.

The resins that were used for incense were highly therapeutic; they influenced on respiratory system and immersed priests into meditative state. Egyptians applied fragrances from perfumery and cosmetics to medicine and mummification. Some perfume jars still smell with fragrance that was kept there 3200 years ago. Also Egyptians used aromas for skin care, washing clothes, added them into vine and food. Frankincense oil used to be burned in honor of Egyptian God Ra, it also was a great component in skin care recipes. Cedar and Myrrh oils were used for embalming. As it turned out essential oils of cedar and myrrh contained elements with strong prophylactic and antiseptic properties, which allowed mummies be preserved for a very long time. Egyptians acquired a reputation of perfume experts; however, they were not familiar with essential oil extraction methods and used only infusions and ointments.

Greeks continued researches in aromatherapy. They found new uses for essential oils in medicine. Ancient thinker and pharmacologist Pedanius Dioscorides wrote a book about healing with herbs "De Materia Medica". This book had been very popular in Europe for 12 centuries. Many recipes offered in this book are still useful today. Another Greek physician Hippocrates - the founder of contemporary scientific medicine composed a work where 236 plants and their medical use were described. Reflecting Greek philosophy of his time, Hippocrates approached patient as a unified whole and as a part of nature. He believed that plants contain medical elements in optimal combination and thus they heal better when unprocessed or as natural juices.

Romans based their knowledge on Greeks' aromatherapy achievements. Their innovation was in bringing aromatic plants and ingredients from Aravia and Eastern India. With new plants more deceases could be cured. Romans paid a lot of attention to the aromatic properties of plants. In antique Rome and Greece perfumery with floral scents was booming, the essential oils were widely used in steam baths as a daily ritual. Many Greek doctors served in Roman army and carried their aromatherapy knowledge through different countries. Ancient Greek philosophers believed that essential oils were given to people by Olympus Gods as a means of supreme light, awakening love.

After the collapse of Roman Empire, Arabic perfumers improved aromatherapy knowledge. They were the first who applied steam distillation for extracting essential oil from rose petals. This invention is believed to belong to Avicenna, philosopher and a physician of Middle East. He described more than 800 medical means that were mostly of botanical origin. In his book "The Canon of Medicine" he described steam distillation method which is used nowadays as well.

European aromatherapy was developing in medieval times. During crusades Arabic fragrances were spread over entire Europe. Plant's medical properties were intensively studied at the times of pestilence spread. Branches of lavender and cypress were burned on the streets. It was the only protection against Black Death that people knew.

In the ninetieth century with the development of synthetic pharmacology the importance of aromatherapy began to decrease. However, when it was noticed that synthetic products caused multiple complications the interest in aromatherapy arose again.

In 1930, French scientist-chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse put into practice a term of Aromatherapy. His family owned a perfumery fabric, and, according to the legend, Maurice, working in a laboratory, burned his hand badly. By reflex, he dipped his hand into lavender oil that was standing by. Later he was so amazed watching mystical recovery and disappearance of scars on his hand. As a result he dedicated his live to researches about essential oil cosmetic and dermatological properties.

French physician Jean Valnet significantly expanded uses of aromatherapy. He was using essential oils for disinfection of wounds and for internal organs spasms relieving. In 1964 he published a book "Practice of Aromatherapy" triggering the aromatherapy practice in Europe. Homeopathic clinics, practicing aromatherapy were build in Paris, Sveden and England where obvious rejuvenation properties of essential oils were studied.

Contemporary aromatherapy is first of all a prophylactic and healthful method of maintaining good psycho-emotional and physical fitness. It is a therapy that relieves everyday stress and prevents development of infirmity. In Canada, US, Europe and Japan thousands of aromatherapy clinics operate, aromatherapy books are published and scientific laboratories are working, continuing the tradition of aromatherapy use.

With the growing popularity of aromatherapy many people get familiarized with therapeutic properties of essential oils and start using them at home on a daily basis.

On the current market the world leading Essential Oil company is Young Living Essential Oils. Young Living's line of pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils and essential oil blends are sourced from the world's finest plants. They are not diluted with chemical and synthetic additives and are carefully prepared to maintain plant integrity. This commitment to purity makes Young Living products the world's highest-quality essential oil line.

Part of the proceeds go to the creation of an Eco-Village.

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This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Message submitted from: Radha Theresa,

Address: 83 Cassilis St Coonabarabran NSW Australia Phone number: 0268424778
Email: capricorndancer@live.com.au
Title: Vedruss Kins Oasis
User classifieds ad:
Calling Vedruss! A Kin's Village is called into being in Coonabarabran, Australia. If you feel called to participate, please email Radha or Chris for more details - capricorndancerlive.com.au

Shambhala-Shasta

SUCCESS!!!
The Anastasia Eco-settlement project has found its home in North America on Sacred Motherland!

Many great thanks to all of you who contributed to this success and to many who have supported this dream and vision with your love from near and far.

Shambhala-Shasta community has taken back 466 acres of prestine motherland. Free and clear. No debt. No Encumbrances. No liens. Free and clear!!!

To freedom, independance and sovereignty!!!

The community will steadily grow out from here as we are bordered on the east and north by national forests.

More to come soon after our visit to our motherland in the next few days.

We have several settlers who have begun the intake process and purchased their domains. If you are ready and feel the beat in your heart, come and join!!!

http://shambhala-shasta.org/become/

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