Thanks to my friend Debbie Leaper who reminded me of this great article.
Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Blind Man Finds Trip To Chiropractor Insightful
Note: Dr. Tim and I go back many years from a chiropractic coaching group we were part of many years ago in the early 90's. Yeah Dr. Tim...Bless you!!!!! Here is a great story about Dr. Tim Stackis and an even greater story about the man he helped - Doug Harkey.
Doug Harkey – a Dubuque, Iowa man whose left eye suddenly stopped working 12 years ago – thought he was making a routine visit to his chiropractor. But, the results of his “normal” adjustment left Doug with new-found vision while leaving friends, family and some in the medical community speechless. However, a local chiropractor, Dr. Lynn Kerew of Santa Monica, is quick to credit her colleague from the Hawkeye State and the power of the human body.
Harkey’s miracle – as first reported by Katie Wiedemann of KCRG-TV Channel 9 News in Dubuque – began to unfold following his visit to the chiropractic offices of Dr. Tim Stackis. “My blind eye started watering after I left there and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye – and I could see out of my left eye again,” said Harkey. Dr. Stackis told his patient that the “adjustments” (chiropractic care) that he (Harkey) had been receiving alleviated the nerve interference that had prevented his spinal column from properly communicating messages from his brain. Once full communication was restored, so was Harkey’s sight.
“It is important to note that Dr. Stackis never once claimed that chiropractic care cured this man’s blindness,” added Dr. Kerew. “He just provided quality care. The adjustments eliminated nerve interference that had prohibited the human body from operating at peak efficiency. And, when operating at peak efficiency, the human body can do great things — just ask Doug Harkey,” smiled Dr. Kerew.
As for Harkey, the timing could not be better. He credits Dr. Stackis’ “miracle hands” for the depth perception he had been missing – which helped him navigate his walk down the aisle with new wife Gina last month. The return of his vision, now nearly perfect with the help of corrective lenses, has left the couple with some welcome adjustments. “I’m not quite used to him not running into things or stepping on my feet,” Gina quipped.
Dr. Kerew sees Harkey’s tale – which thanks in part to the Internet is now becoming well-traveled – as one that will help educate the public about chiropractic care
and the importance of taking good care of your body. “No man-made technology or medicine will ever surpass the capabilities and genius of the human body. Think about this…when you cut yourself – you heal. When the climate changes – your body adjusts. Who wouldn’t want their body operating at maximum capacity? In short, chiropractic care is a great vehicle to improve your general health and function,” concluded Dr. Kerew.
For Doug Harkey of Dubuque, Iowa, the benefit of such care was more than he could possibly have envisioned.
Doug Harkey – a Dubuque, Iowa man whose left eye suddenly stopped working 12 years ago – thought he was making a routine visit to his chiropractor. But, the results of his “normal” adjustment left Doug with new-found vision while leaving friends, family and some in the medical community speechless. However, a local chiropractor, Dr. Lynn Kerew of Santa Monica, is quick to credit her colleague from the Hawkeye State and the power of the human body.
Harkey’s miracle – as first reported by Katie Wiedemann of KCRG-TV Channel 9 News in Dubuque – began to unfold following his visit to the chiropractic offices of Dr. Tim Stackis. “My blind eye started watering after I left there and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye – and I could see out of my left eye again,” said Harkey. Dr. Stackis told his patient that the “adjustments” (chiropractic care) that he (Harkey) had been receiving alleviated the nerve interference that had prevented his spinal column from properly communicating messages from his brain. Once full communication was restored, so was Harkey’s sight.
“It is important to note that Dr. Stackis never once claimed that chiropractic care cured this man’s blindness,” added Dr. Kerew. “He just provided quality care. The adjustments eliminated nerve interference that had prohibited the human body from operating at peak efficiency. And, when operating at peak efficiency, the human body can do great things — just ask Doug Harkey,” smiled Dr. Kerew.
As for Harkey, the timing could not be better. He credits Dr. Stackis’ “miracle hands” for the depth perception he had been missing – which helped him navigate his walk down the aisle with new wife Gina last month. The return of his vision, now nearly perfect with the help of corrective lenses, has left the couple with some welcome adjustments. “I’m not quite used to him not running into things or stepping on my feet,” Gina quipped.
Dr. Kerew sees Harkey’s tale – which thanks in part to the Internet is now becoming well-traveled – as one that will help educate the public about chiropractic care
and the importance of taking good care of your body. “No man-made technology or medicine will ever surpass the capabilities and genius of the human body. Think about this…when you cut yourself – you heal. When the climate changes – your body adjusts. Who wouldn’t want their body operating at maximum capacity? In short, chiropractic care is a great vehicle to improve your general health and function,” concluded Dr. Kerew.
For Doug Harkey of Dubuque, Iowa, the benefit of such care was more than he could possibly have envisioned.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Business of Being Born
Thanks to one of my most favorite persons...I wanted to introduce you to a movie called
The Business of Being Born. It is produced by Rikki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein. Fantastic and a must see for any couple considering getting pregnant. Here is the link and please spread the word. Bless these folks for producing this! http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/
The Business of Being Born. It is produced by Rikki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein. Fantastic and a must see for any couple considering getting pregnant. Here is the link and please spread the word. Bless these folks for producing this! http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Swine Flu Pandemic - Fact or Fiction
By Dr. Joseph Mercola - www.mercola.com
Urgent and vital information you need to know about the new swine flu threat.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/28/Swine-Flu.aspx
Urgent and vital information you need to know about the new swine flu threat.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/28/Swine-Flu.aspx
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Chiropractic Response to Stress - A Perfect Union!
Why Chiropractic Care is Perfect for Dealing with Stress!
It is Time to Set The Record Straight!
Everyone who comes into my office is complaining about stress. Stress accentuates tension in the body by simply increasing cortisol from the adrenal glands and that, in effect, will increase blood sugar, respiration and muscle tone resulting in increased pain in various parts of the body, headaches, muscle spasms and altered chemistry in the body. This culminates in you feeling on chemical overwhelm and “lousy”. There certainly has been enough literature that supports the brain’s impact on healing and physiology. When we feel alright, in balance, we tend to feel all is well with the world and sometimes even forget about any pains we previously had. Enter the home of Chiropractic Care!
The nervous system controls and coordinates physiology. This is not a point of view or belief system – this is scientific fact. All healthcare providers in their respective universities are taught that. The nervous system completely dominates and affects organ systems which affect our physiology – thyroid hormone, adrenal hormones, male and female hormones to name a few.
When we are under stress, the adaptation to that stress is the nervous system. Stress can be defined as physical (how we sit, sleep, work, previous car accidents, sports injuries), mental (how we think, our mood,) and chemical (food we eat, drink, air we breathe, meds, supplements we take). The goal of the nervous system is to mediate stress so that our physiology is adaptive and not reactive. When it is adaptive, we stay in balance with our health. When it is reactive, we usually, over time, will feel sick or “off” with our energy, healing, health status.
Chiropractic is not just about back and neck pain. It is about your life. Seriously. When spinal bones get out of alignment from daily tasks of sitting, sleeping, working , playing, previous injuries , and they are not addressed…over time this will take a toll and have a negative impact on your health. This is fact.
It is like going to the dentist and finding out you have a cavity. The cavity did not develop the night before the dental exam. It was growing, like cholesterol in your arteries…unnoticed. Most people would not just say “Thanks Doc for the info, I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good day!”. They would schedule a time to immediately take care of it, right? Dentists would drill your tooth to get rid of the cavity and a medical doctor would likely put you on a cholesterol lowering drug to deal with your high cholesterol.
The point is: even though you had absolutely no symptoms…that cavity, that cholesterol is.still having a deleterious impact on your teeth, on your body. If you ignore the cavity…you are a likely candidate for root canal – it is not a question of “if” but “when”. If you ignore the cholesterol warning, you are a likely candidate for a heart attack – we see it over and over again. So – what does this have to do with chiropractic care?
Even though misalignments in the spine usually have no symptoms – it is like the cavity example – ignore it and it will come to affect your health much more than you realize in time to come. The reason misalignments have no symptoms? It is because nerves allow you to feel. If you decrease ability to feel – you will likely feel less or nothing at all. Usually people come into my office when they feel too much – at this point the other end of the spectrum is operating – the nerve is not on a low dim, it is instead on high alert – irritation, pain, inflammation, obvious muscle spasm.
Going back, since the nervous system controls and coordinates physiology and chiropractic is the only health profession that deals with correcting misalignments to the spine and resultant insult to the nervous system and your physiology, chiropractors and the chiropractic field is uniquely positioned to deal with your stress from a “causative” angle. In my office, I use specific technology to locate and correct irritation to the nervous system caused by spinal misalignments. And guess what…I correct the spinal misalignments very safely – not by drilling them out and not by medicating them out. I don’t do any invasive treatments in my office and I usually get fantastic results. My patients love to get “adjusted” as there is an immediate feeling of well being that
re-establishes neurological tone to the body, equipping it with just the arsenal it needs to innately adapt to the stresses of life.
So, next time you feel stressed out…just know that stress is just the effect of what has already been occurring in your mind and body for days, weeks and years of being on neurological overload. If any of this makes sense, please do yourself a favor and check into chiropractic care to address your stress. When you get adjusted, your body releases hormones to balance your mind and your body. Most people notice wonderfully positive differences almost immediately with their stress and energy levels and also very impressively with better sleep, memory, concentration, quality of life. Your life will change and you will feel like a million! Oh and something else important to note: chiropractic has been around since 1895 – I think that shows staying power! It is interesting to me that other professions are finally picking up on the wisdom of our founders DD and BJ Palmer by noting that neurological tone can impact the status of health. This has been the tenet and philosophy of chiropractic from the beginning. You know what I love – how brilliantly chiropractic was so ahead of its time!
As Albert Einstein once stated: Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
It is Time to Set The Record Straight!
Everyone who comes into my office is complaining about stress. Stress accentuates tension in the body by simply increasing cortisol from the adrenal glands and that, in effect, will increase blood sugar, respiration and muscle tone resulting in increased pain in various parts of the body, headaches, muscle spasms and altered chemistry in the body. This culminates in you feeling on chemical overwhelm and “lousy”. There certainly has been enough literature that supports the brain’s impact on healing and physiology. When we feel alright, in balance, we tend to feel all is well with the world and sometimes even forget about any pains we previously had. Enter the home of Chiropractic Care!
The nervous system controls and coordinates physiology. This is not a point of view or belief system – this is scientific fact. All healthcare providers in their respective universities are taught that. The nervous system completely dominates and affects organ systems which affect our physiology – thyroid hormone, adrenal hormones, male and female hormones to name a few.
When we are under stress, the adaptation to that stress is the nervous system. Stress can be defined as physical (how we sit, sleep, work, previous car accidents, sports injuries), mental (how we think, our mood,) and chemical (food we eat, drink, air we breathe, meds, supplements we take). The goal of the nervous system is to mediate stress so that our physiology is adaptive and not reactive. When it is adaptive, we stay in balance with our health. When it is reactive, we usually, over time, will feel sick or “off” with our energy, healing, health status.
Chiropractic is not just about back and neck pain. It is about your life. Seriously. When spinal bones get out of alignment from daily tasks of sitting, sleeping, working , playing, previous injuries , and they are not addressed…over time this will take a toll and have a negative impact on your health. This is fact.
It is like going to the dentist and finding out you have a cavity. The cavity did not develop the night before the dental exam. It was growing, like cholesterol in your arteries…unnoticed. Most people would not just say “Thanks Doc for the info, I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good day!”. They would schedule a time to immediately take care of it, right? Dentists would drill your tooth to get rid of the cavity and a medical doctor would likely put you on a cholesterol lowering drug to deal with your high cholesterol.
The point is: even though you had absolutely no symptoms…that cavity, that cholesterol is.still having a deleterious impact on your teeth, on your body. If you ignore the cavity…you are a likely candidate for root canal – it is not a question of “if” but “when”. If you ignore the cholesterol warning, you are a likely candidate for a heart attack – we see it over and over again. So – what does this have to do with chiropractic care?
Even though misalignments in the spine usually have no symptoms – it is like the cavity example – ignore it and it will come to affect your health much more than you realize in time to come. The reason misalignments have no symptoms? It is because nerves allow you to feel. If you decrease ability to feel – you will likely feel less or nothing at all. Usually people come into my office when they feel too much – at this point the other end of the spectrum is operating – the nerve is not on a low dim, it is instead on high alert – irritation, pain, inflammation, obvious muscle spasm.
Going back, since the nervous system controls and coordinates physiology and chiropractic is the only health profession that deals with correcting misalignments to the spine and resultant insult to the nervous system and your physiology, chiropractors and the chiropractic field is uniquely positioned to deal with your stress from a “causative” angle. In my office, I use specific technology to locate and correct irritation to the nervous system caused by spinal misalignments. And guess what…I correct the spinal misalignments very safely – not by drilling them out and not by medicating them out. I don’t do any invasive treatments in my office and I usually get fantastic results. My patients love to get “adjusted” as there is an immediate feeling of well being that
re-establishes neurological tone to the body, equipping it with just the arsenal it needs to innately adapt to the stresses of life.
So, next time you feel stressed out…just know that stress is just the effect of what has already been occurring in your mind and body for days, weeks and years of being on neurological overload. If any of this makes sense, please do yourself a favor and check into chiropractic care to address your stress. When you get adjusted, your body releases hormones to balance your mind and your body. Most people notice wonderfully positive differences almost immediately with their stress and energy levels and also very impressively with better sleep, memory, concentration, quality of life. Your life will change and you will feel like a million! Oh and something else important to note: chiropractic has been around since 1895 – I think that shows staying power! It is interesting to me that other professions are finally picking up on the wisdom of our founders DD and BJ Palmer by noting that neurological tone can impact the status of health. This has been the tenet and philosophy of chiropractic from the beginning. You know what I love – how brilliantly chiropractic was so ahead of its time!
As Albert Einstein once stated: Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Irony of Life: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
The recent death of actress Natasha Richardson sheds light on how what we feel symptomatically has absolutely nothing to do with our true state of health. What appeared to be a minor fall unfortunately cost Ms. Richardson her life.
So many questions emerge as to how events may have unfolded differently. One thing is clear: Don’t waste time with asking a person if they want medical treatment and actually listening to what they tell you. How should they know? They may not be in their right state of mind and this could cost them a permanent disability and even their life.
It is obvious that immediate medical attention like a brain CT Scan would have been indicated and likely averted death or severe brain injury to Ms. Richardson. Even so, according to news reports, there was no medical helicopter available to escort Ms. Richardson to a facility who would even be able to handle a traumatic brain injury case. She needed to actually fly back to New York to be taken care of. Four hours passed and we know what the consequences were now.
The first ambulance that was sent to the ski resort in Mont Tremblant, 80 miles northwest of Montreal where there was a hospital who could handle brain injury, was sent away. I wonder how that could be – what folly that mistake was. Then an ambulance was sent to her hotel after she had symptoms and complained of a headache. Then she was rushed to the hospital. I am actually surprised the ski resort did not have more clues as to how to handle injuries of this sort given that their business is skiing and people can get seriously hurt. It is not as if Canada is a 3rd world country…
Then she was moved to a Montreal hospital. All these hospitals were apparently unable to respond appropriately to Ms. Richardson’s grave condition. Hours are passing at this time. Critical time for the brain to go into massive deterioration without oxygen and surgery to correct the bleed.
This is from the Huffington Post March 21 by Bonnie Fuller:
How can it be possible for a healthy 45 year-old woman to take a spill on a "bunny hill" and end up brain dead within the day?
That's the question that I posed to neurologist Dr. Dexter Sun, who practices at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell in New York City. First of all, rest assured he said: this is a highly unusual case. Normally, a tragedy like this occurs only after a very heavy impact accident, says Dr. Sun.
With that said, Dr. Sun explained that there are three particular possibilities that could account for Natasha Richardson's state:
1. "She may have a fairly rare underlying hematology condition called hypocoagulation, in which she lacks a blood clotting factor," says Dr.Sun. This could be a genetic factor which had gone unnoticed throughout her life until now. When the clotting factor is missing, a minor bleed can become a hemorrhage.
2. It's possible that Natasha could have been taking a blood thinner like coumadine, for another medical condition, that would have made it much more likely for her to bleed after any head injury, according to Dr. Sun.
3. Finally, and most likely, she did have a harder spill than what has been reported. Sometimes when this happens "you can have a high level cervical spine fracture or a fracture at the base of the skull," says Dr.Sun. When this occurs, and the injured person continues to move around as Natasha did -- not realizing that she was seriously hurt -- the spine can touch the brain stem and cause a severe brain injury.
A high impact fall on the head can also cause three different types of bleeding within the brain: 1) an intracranial hemorrhage, which begins as a microscopic rupture of a blood vessel deep within the brain, 2) a subdural hematoma, which is a bleed that occurs in the dura, which is the outer layer of the brain, or 3) an epidural hematoma, which is a hemorrhage, that takes place between the outer skull and the dura.*
As for why Natasha initially seemed perfectly fine after her spill, apparently the hemorrhage can begin in one small spot in the brain and then grow in intensity.
All of these types of bleeding and the cervical spine fracture, result in dramatic swelling of the brain and pressure in the skull, which also pushes down dangerously on the brain stem, which is the center of life, according to Dr. Sun.
Big question: Was there ever a chance to save Natasha Richardson's life? If she hadn't insisted that she was fine and walked back to her room, could prompt medical treatment have made a difference?
Since initially there was no indication that Natasha's life was in danger, it's unlikely that she could have been saved. She would have needed to be rushed into the hospital and into a CT scan in a matter of minutes, according to Dr. Sun.
"If she had gone to the hospital and a CT scan indicated that there was bleeding, her skull would have been opened to relieve pressure, and she would have been given medication to relieve the pressure in her brain," he says.
Only then, would there have been a chance that she could pull through.
Tragic.
*The autopsy confirms that Richardson died from an epidural hematoma.
Would the helmet of saved her life? These are questions we really don’t have answers to. Most people do not wear helmets at all especially on the bunny slopes. Possibly now people will when they engage in activities that could possibly cause brain injury. It is just not something we naturally think about when going on an outdoor outing that is supposed to be fun, refreshing and seemingly safe for the brain.
More information can be found at: www.brainline.org and www.brainrecovery.com
So many questions emerge as to how events may have unfolded differently. One thing is clear: Don’t waste time with asking a person if they want medical treatment and actually listening to what they tell you. How should they know? They may not be in their right state of mind and this could cost them a permanent disability and even their life.
It is obvious that immediate medical attention like a brain CT Scan would have been indicated and likely averted death or severe brain injury to Ms. Richardson. Even so, according to news reports, there was no medical helicopter available to escort Ms. Richardson to a facility who would even be able to handle a traumatic brain injury case. She needed to actually fly back to New York to be taken care of. Four hours passed and we know what the consequences were now.
The first ambulance that was sent to the ski resort in Mont Tremblant, 80 miles northwest of Montreal where there was a hospital who could handle brain injury, was sent away. I wonder how that could be – what folly that mistake was. Then an ambulance was sent to her hotel after she had symptoms and complained of a headache. Then she was rushed to the hospital. I am actually surprised the ski resort did not have more clues as to how to handle injuries of this sort given that their business is skiing and people can get seriously hurt. It is not as if Canada is a 3rd world country…
Then she was moved to a Montreal hospital. All these hospitals were apparently unable to respond appropriately to Ms. Richardson’s grave condition. Hours are passing at this time. Critical time for the brain to go into massive deterioration without oxygen and surgery to correct the bleed.
This is from the Huffington Post March 21 by Bonnie Fuller:
How can it be possible for a healthy 45 year-old woman to take a spill on a "bunny hill" and end up brain dead within the day?
That's the question that I posed to neurologist Dr. Dexter Sun, who practices at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell in New York City. First of all, rest assured he said: this is a highly unusual case. Normally, a tragedy like this occurs only after a very heavy impact accident, says Dr. Sun.
With that said, Dr. Sun explained that there are three particular possibilities that could account for Natasha Richardson's state:
1. "She may have a fairly rare underlying hematology condition called hypocoagulation, in which she lacks a blood clotting factor," says Dr.Sun. This could be a genetic factor which had gone unnoticed throughout her life until now. When the clotting factor is missing, a minor bleed can become a hemorrhage.
2. It's possible that Natasha could have been taking a blood thinner like coumadine, for another medical condition, that would have made it much more likely for her to bleed after any head injury, according to Dr. Sun.
3. Finally, and most likely, she did have a harder spill than what has been reported. Sometimes when this happens "you can have a high level cervical spine fracture or a fracture at the base of the skull," says Dr.Sun. When this occurs, and the injured person continues to move around as Natasha did -- not realizing that she was seriously hurt -- the spine can touch the brain stem and cause a severe brain injury.
A high impact fall on the head can also cause three different types of bleeding within the brain: 1) an intracranial hemorrhage, which begins as a microscopic rupture of a blood vessel deep within the brain, 2) a subdural hematoma, which is a bleed that occurs in the dura, which is the outer layer of the brain, or 3) an epidural hematoma, which is a hemorrhage, that takes place between the outer skull and the dura.*
As for why Natasha initially seemed perfectly fine after her spill, apparently the hemorrhage can begin in one small spot in the brain and then grow in intensity.
All of these types of bleeding and the cervical spine fracture, result in dramatic swelling of the brain and pressure in the skull, which also pushes down dangerously on the brain stem, which is the center of life, according to Dr. Sun.
Big question: Was there ever a chance to save Natasha Richardson's life? If she hadn't insisted that she was fine and walked back to her room, could prompt medical treatment have made a difference?
Since initially there was no indication that Natasha's life was in danger, it's unlikely that she could have been saved. She would have needed to be rushed into the hospital and into a CT scan in a matter of minutes, according to Dr. Sun.
"If she had gone to the hospital and a CT scan indicated that there was bleeding, her skull would have been opened to relieve pressure, and she would have been given medication to relieve the pressure in her brain," he says.
Only then, would there have been a chance that she could pull through.
Tragic.
*The autopsy confirms that Richardson died from an epidural hematoma.
Would the helmet of saved her life? These are questions we really don’t have answers to. Most people do not wear helmets at all especially on the bunny slopes. Possibly now people will when they engage in activities that could possibly cause brain injury. It is just not something we naturally think about when going on an outdoor outing that is supposed to be fun, refreshing and seemingly safe for the brain.
More information can be found at: www.brainline.org and www.brainrecovery.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Local Doctor Points to New Findings in Alternative Medicine
Our Cells Respond to Human Touch
(March 1, 2009). A 2-year research study headed by Gloria A. Gronowicz of the Department of Surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, New Jersey, credits certain forms of alternative energy medicine with the successful stimulation and growth of normal human cell cultures.
Energy medicine includes such biofield therapies as Reiki, quikong and Therapeutic Touch (TT), according to Santa Monica, CA-based Dr. Lynn Kerew, D.C., M,P.H. The study focused on TT, which was credited with directly impacting how human cells respond to external stimulation.
Dr. Kerew points to the case report published this year in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The findings suggest that external stimulation with TT may also be effective in decreasing abnormal cell growth in cancer patients.
In this particular study, three different cell cultures — fibroblasts (derived from neonatal foreskin obtained during circumcision), tendon cells (derived from human hamstring discarded during orthopedic procedures) and bone cells (obtained from healthy bone chips) — were grown and isolated.
All cultures were obtained from different patients. In addition, each of the three cell types that were simultaneously subjected to the various tests all came from different patients.
The cultures were subjected twice a week, over a period of two weeks, to the healing hands of three experienced TT practitioners. During that time, the cultures also underwent sham treatments, or they received no stimulation at all. Each experiment was repeated three times at a minimum.
TT was performed by sweeping hand motions at least 4-10 inches above the plate without ever touching the specimen itself, for a period of 10 minutes, twice a week. “These hand motions direct positive intentions through the hands,” explained Dr. Kerew. Control groups of the cultures underwent sham treatments — random hand motions without any thoughts or intentions — or they received no treatment at all.
All cultures were assessed at the same time. The results were obtained by statistical analysis and were rather surprising: TT resulted in a measurable change in all three cell cultures. Osteoblasts (bone cells) showed a significant increase in cell growth, compared to the untreated cells; a slightly smaller increase was seen in fibroblasts (cultures from neonatal foreskin).
But the largest increase in growth compared to the control group occurred in tenoctytes (cells derived from hamstring tendon).
“We see that human touch has the capacity to affect even cell growth and thereby has a real healing potential,” exclaimed Dr. Kerew. “More studies are needed, but the findings also give hope to many patients who suffer from abnormal cell growth — in particular cancer patients. By and large, energy medicine treatments, in particular TT, promise significant benefits for our bodies.”
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr. Lynn Kerew, whose office is located at 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 101, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Office Phone Number: 310-399-0337
Reference:
“Therapeutic Touch Stimulates the Proliferation of Human Cells in Culture” by Gloria A. Gronowicz, Ankur Jhaveri, Libbe W. Clarke, Michael S. Aronow, Theresa H. Smith, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Volume 14, Number 3, 2008.
(March 1, 2009). A 2-year research study headed by Gloria A. Gronowicz of the Department of Surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, New Jersey, credits certain forms of alternative energy medicine with the successful stimulation and growth of normal human cell cultures.
Energy medicine includes such biofield therapies as Reiki, quikong and Therapeutic Touch (TT), according to Santa Monica, CA-based Dr. Lynn Kerew, D.C., M,P.H. The study focused on TT, which was credited with directly impacting how human cells respond to external stimulation.
Dr. Kerew points to the case report published this year in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The findings suggest that external stimulation with TT may also be effective in decreasing abnormal cell growth in cancer patients.
In this particular study, three different cell cultures — fibroblasts (derived from neonatal foreskin obtained during circumcision), tendon cells (derived from human hamstring discarded during orthopedic procedures) and bone cells (obtained from healthy bone chips) — were grown and isolated.
All cultures were obtained from different patients. In addition, each of the three cell types that were simultaneously subjected to the various tests all came from different patients.
The cultures were subjected twice a week, over a period of two weeks, to the healing hands of three experienced TT practitioners. During that time, the cultures also underwent sham treatments, or they received no stimulation at all. Each experiment was repeated three times at a minimum.
TT was performed by sweeping hand motions at least 4-10 inches above the plate without ever touching the specimen itself, for a period of 10 minutes, twice a week. “These hand motions direct positive intentions through the hands,” explained Dr. Kerew. Control groups of the cultures underwent sham treatments — random hand motions without any thoughts or intentions — or they received no treatment at all.
All cultures were assessed at the same time. The results were obtained by statistical analysis and were rather surprising: TT resulted in a measurable change in all three cell cultures. Osteoblasts (bone cells) showed a significant increase in cell growth, compared to the untreated cells; a slightly smaller increase was seen in fibroblasts (cultures from neonatal foreskin).
But the largest increase in growth compared to the control group occurred in tenoctytes (cells derived from hamstring tendon).
“We see that human touch has the capacity to affect even cell growth and thereby has a real healing potential,” exclaimed Dr. Kerew. “More studies are needed, but the findings also give hope to many patients who suffer from abnormal cell growth — in particular cancer patients. By and large, energy medicine treatments, in particular TT, promise significant benefits for our bodies.”
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr. Lynn Kerew, whose office is located at 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 101, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Office Phone Number: 310-399-0337
Reference:
“Therapeutic Touch Stimulates the Proliferation of Human Cells in Culture” by Gloria A. Gronowicz, Ankur Jhaveri, Libbe W. Clarke, Michael S. Aronow, Theresa H. Smith, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Volume 14, Number 3, 2008.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It's 12:00 - Do You Know Where Your Mind Is?
There’s a funny print cartoon that has a man and woman sitting on the couch staring at a TV screen and the caption below reads, “It’s 12 O’clock, do you know where your mind is?”
As time goes on and we grow up from children to adolescents to adults, for many of us, somewhere along the way life begins to become routine. Day in and day out whether we’re walking, driving, talking, eating, going to the grocery store, or being with our families our minds get kicked onto auto-pilot and continue to develop their habitual ways of thinking, interpreting, expecting, and relating to other people. These habits of the mind can keep us stuck in stress, anxiety, depression, or even addictive behaviors.
Here are a few habits of the mind and a mindfulness practice to help you break out of auto-pilot and gain more control over your life.
Common habits of the mind that are not effective for well-being:
Catastrophizing - If you’re prone to stress and anxiety, you may recognize this habitual mind trap. This is where the mind interprets an event as the worst case scenario. If your heart is beating fast, you may think you’re having a heart attack. If your boss didn’t look at you while walking down the hall, you thinking you’re going to get fired. You get the picture. This style of thinking will support increased stress, anxiety, and even panic.
Discounting the positive and exaggerating the negative - The news is wonderful at supporting us with this one. This is where we habitually reject or minimize any positive feedback and magnify the negative feedback. The glass is always half empty. If you catch yourself saying something positive and then saying “but” followed by a negative, you are practicing this. “I got a 95% on this test, but I didnt’ get a 100%”. Without awareness, this style of thinking will likely land you in a depressed mood.
Blaming - Be careful of this one. We all do it, pointing the finger at someone else for our woes or point the finger at ourselves for others woes. “If my boss wasn’t so hard on me at work, I wouldn’t be so anxious” or “It’s my fault my parents got divorced”. Just check in with yourself after noticing this style of thinking. It doesn’t cultivate any solutions and just makes you feel stuck, anxious, or depressed.
Cultivating the ability to be more present to these mind traps will help you break free from them and shift your attention on more effective ways of interacting with life. If you notice catastrophizing, actually say to yourself “catastrophizing is happening right now”, then bring your attention to your breath for a moment to steady your mind and then ask yourself, “what are some other possible reasons why my heart is racing fast (e.g. , I just ran upstairs, I’m nervous)?
If discounting the positive, come back to the breath, and then switch the “but” to an “and” so at least the positive statement get its equal weight, being more realistic and balanced. If blaming, call it out, say to yourself “blaming is happening”. Remind yourself that blaming simply isn’t effective for anyone and then come back to your breath to steady your mind and bring yourself back to the task you were just doing.
This is not an easy process, yet an important one for regaining control from the ineffective habits we develop in our minds. If we’re not mindful in our daily lives, our minds could just fall into their habitual states to the point we’re on our deathbeds asking “where did it all go?”
Just check in with yourself during the day, look at the clock and say, “It’s X O’clock, do I know where my mind is?” You may catch yourself in some mind traps and if not, just notice whatever you are doing in the moment and then continue if you still want to be doing that or change if you’d rather be doing something else.
Try to be patient through this process and not judge yourself if you find the mind traps arising. Judging yourself as bad or wrong is another mind trap that holds keep you stuck. Breathe in, breathe out, and just redirect your focus.
As always, please comment below on thoughts or questions about this blog. Do you notice when you’re on auto-pilot? What kind of mind traps do you catch in your daily life, what works for you? Writing below helps create a living wisdom that we can all share and benefit from.
Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and conducts a private practice in West Los Angeles. Check out Dr. Goldstein's acclaimed CD's on stress prevention, depression, and addiction -- "They are so relevant, I have marked them as one of my favorites on a handout I give to all new clients" ~ Psychiatrist.
If you're wanting an interactive program to find relief from anxiety and stress, check out Dr. Goldstein's progressive online behavioral change program in Aliveworld. Dr. Goldstein is also available for private psychotherapy.
As time goes on and we grow up from children to adolescents to adults, for many of us, somewhere along the way life begins to become routine. Day in and day out whether we’re walking, driving, talking, eating, going to the grocery store, or being with our families our minds get kicked onto auto-pilot and continue to develop their habitual ways of thinking, interpreting, expecting, and relating to other people. These habits of the mind can keep us stuck in stress, anxiety, depression, or even addictive behaviors.
Here are a few habits of the mind and a mindfulness practice to help you break out of auto-pilot and gain more control over your life.
Common habits of the mind that are not effective for well-being:
Catastrophizing - If you’re prone to stress and anxiety, you may recognize this habitual mind trap. This is where the mind interprets an event as the worst case scenario. If your heart is beating fast, you may think you’re having a heart attack. If your boss didn’t look at you while walking down the hall, you thinking you’re going to get fired. You get the picture. This style of thinking will support increased stress, anxiety, and even panic.
Discounting the positive and exaggerating the negative - The news is wonderful at supporting us with this one. This is where we habitually reject or minimize any positive feedback and magnify the negative feedback. The glass is always half empty. If you catch yourself saying something positive and then saying “but” followed by a negative, you are practicing this. “I got a 95% on this test, but I didnt’ get a 100%”. Without awareness, this style of thinking will likely land you in a depressed mood.
Blaming - Be careful of this one. We all do it, pointing the finger at someone else for our woes or point the finger at ourselves for others woes. “If my boss wasn’t so hard on me at work, I wouldn’t be so anxious” or “It’s my fault my parents got divorced”. Just check in with yourself after noticing this style of thinking. It doesn’t cultivate any solutions and just makes you feel stuck, anxious, or depressed.
Cultivating the ability to be more present to these mind traps will help you break free from them and shift your attention on more effective ways of interacting with life. If you notice catastrophizing, actually say to yourself “catastrophizing is happening right now”, then bring your attention to your breath for a moment to steady your mind and then ask yourself, “what are some other possible reasons why my heart is racing fast (e.g. , I just ran upstairs, I’m nervous)?
If discounting the positive, come back to the breath, and then switch the “but” to an “and” so at least the positive statement get its equal weight, being more realistic and balanced. If blaming, call it out, say to yourself “blaming is happening”. Remind yourself that blaming simply isn’t effective for anyone and then come back to your breath to steady your mind and bring yourself back to the task you were just doing.
This is not an easy process, yet an important one for regaining control from the ineffective habits we develop in our minds. If we’re not mindful in our daily lives, our minds could just fall into their habitual states to the point we’re on our deathbeds asking “where did it all go?”
Just check in with yourself during the day, look at the clock and say, “It’s X O’clock, do I know where my mind is?” You may catch yourself in some mind traps and if not, just notice whatever you are doing in the moment and then continue if you still want to be doing that or change if you’d rather be doing something else.
Try to be patient through this process and not judge yourself if you find the mind traps arising. Judging yourself as bad or wrong is another mind trap that holds keep you stuck. Breathe in, breathe out, and just redirect your focus.
As always, please comment below on thoughts or questions about this blog. Do you notice when you’re on auto-pilot? What kind of mind traps do you catch in your daily life, what works for you? Writing below helps create a living wisdom that we can all share and benefit from.
Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and conducts a private practice in West Los Angeles. Check out Dr. Goldstein's acclaimed CD's on stress prevention, depression, and addiction -- "They are so relevant, I have marked them as one of my favorites on a handout I give to all new clients" ~ Psychiatrist.
If you're wanting an interactive program to find relief from anxiety and stress, check out Dr. Goldstein's progressive online behavioral change program in Aliveworld. Dr. Goldstein is also available for private psychotherapy.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Power of the Human Body
Is our body something that just carts us around? Do we value its powers behind the scenes as we sleep, breathe, eat, digest, think, exercise? I think not. We are all guilty, to some degree, of not doing more to honor our bodies. An example that comes to mind is something you have heard all too many times....eating good food and exercise.
But what is often overlooked is honoring our nervous system which is housed in our skeletal system. The power of the human body lies not in the brain or heart - it lies in the nervous system that controls the brain and the heart. The nervous system is thee most important system in the body for development, growth, performance and not least of all - immunity.
Case in point: Lately folks have been coming in with severe viral infections. I usually recommend Colloidal Silver and Lysine to start and to immediately get baseline blood work done. One patient had a simplex herpes infection on her lip and that solved the problem once blood work proved a viral infection that medication could not address. Rest and improving immune functions were at the top.
This particular patient is very chiropractic savvy. She knows chiropractic is not just about your back and neck - actually it is about your life. Your life - the biochemistry of your life. By getting her spine adjusted, her immune system is in the best position possible to fight infection.
Guyton's Medical Physiology states : The nervous system controls and coordinates all body physiology. As a chiropractor, I work with the nervous system, thus I am working with her body's innate ability to heal and tap into the immune system. Within 2 days infection gone. She said most of the time, it takes weeks to heal. The power of the human body. It is incredible.
Next case in point: Another patient in her 50's comes in with a condition labeled "Post-Shingles Neuralgia". She has had this for months. Nothing has helped and she has been to more specialist doctors than you can count on two hands. No medications have worked for her yet.
I did my usual objective tests of rolling thermal scan and surface EMG. Discovered that she had major inflammation in the lumbar and sacral areas along with 3 standard deviations muscle spasm in upper neck area (No, she wasn't complaining of neck pain). Within a week of care, about 50% of the symptoms were gone. This was a few weeks ago and she is feeling better day by day.
I think it is essential that she got evaluated by a neurologist, a rheumatologist, her primary care doctor, an infectious disease specialist and a Virologist. It is essential to get to the bottom line. As long as I know that I can proceed without delaying necessary medical care - I feel confident that chiropractic will help her. To what degree I can never know for sure. But it certainly makes sense that a body will work better when the nervous system is not interfered with. And it certainly makes sense that the least invasive way to do that is with chiropractic care. And my 14 years in practice just proves that each day.
The power of the human body is so fantastic. I am honored to help all patients who enter my doors or refer them to the right doctor if need be. I am honored to be in a profession that respects the vitalistic component of healing that being that the body has the potential to be self-healing. I am honored to work with medical doctors who know when to refer to me when what they have to offer is not going to move the patient further towards healing. I am fortunate enough to refer patients to these wonderful medical doctors as I know they will take excellent care of my patient when I cannot handle their clinical issues within the scope of my chiropractic practice.
Power of the human body = power of the immune system = power of the nervous system. As my favorite person in chiropractic is wont to say : Enuf said!
But what is often overlooked is honoring our nervous system which is housed in our skeletal system. The power of the human body lies not in the brain or heart - it lies in the nervous system that controls the brain and the heart. The nervous system is thee most important system in the body for development, growth, performance and not least of all - immunity.
Case in point: Lately folks have been coming in with severe viral infections. I usually recommend Colloidal Silver and Lysine to start and to immediately get baseline blood work done. One patient had a simplex herpes infection on her lip and that solved the problem once blood work proved a viral infection that medication could not address. Rest and improving immune functions were at the top.
This particular patient is very chiropractic savvy. She knows chiropractic is not just about your back and neck - actually it is about your life. Your life - the biochemistry of your life. By getting her spine adjusted, her immune system is in the best position possible to fight infection.
Guyton's Medical Physiology states : The nervous system controls and coordinates all body physiology. As a chiropractor, I work with the nervous system, thus I am working with her body's innate ability to heal and tap into the immune system. Within 2 days infection gone. She said most of the time, it takes weeks to heal. The power of the human body. It is incredible.
Next case in point: Another patient in her 50's comes in with a condition labeled "Post-Shingles Neuralgia". She has had this for months. Nothing has helped and she has been to more specialist doctors than you can count on two hands. No medications have worked for her yet.
I did my usual objective tests of rolling thermal scan and surface EMG. Discovered that she had major inflammation in the lumbar and sacral areas along with 3 standard deviations muscle spasm in upper neck area (No, she wasn't complaining of neck pain). Within a week of care, about 50% of the symptoms were gone. This was a few weeks ago and she is feeling better day by day.
I think it is essential that she got evaluated by a neurologist, a rheumatologist, her primary care doctor, an infectious disease specialist and a Virologist. It is essential to get to the bottom line. As long as I know that I can proceed without delaying necessary medical care - I feel confident that chiropractic will help her. To what degree I can never know for sure. But it certainly makes sense that a body will work better when the nervous system is not interfered with. And it certainly makes sense that the least invasive way to do that is with chiropractic care. And my 14 years in practice just proves that each day.
The power of the human body is so fantastic. I am honored to help all patients who enter my doors or refer them to the right doctor if need be. I am honored to be in a profession that respects the vitalistic component of healing that being that the body has the potential to be self-healing. I am honored to work with medical doctors who know when to refer to me when what they have to offer is not going to move the patient further towards healing. I am fortunate enough to refer patients to these wonderful medical doctors as I know they will take excellent care of my patient when I cannot handle their clinical issues within the scope of my chiropractic practice.
Power of the human body = power of the immune system = power of the nervous system. As my favorite person in chiropractic is wont to say : Enuf said!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Chiropractic And The Mind-Body Connection
Chiropractic Care Eases Severe Depression
(January 23, 2009- Santa Monica, CA) A case study authored by Alain M.J. Desaulniers credits regular chiropractic care with helping a 46-year old man overcome his major depression and increase his quality of life.
More than 15 million American adults are diagnosed with mood disorders every year, which include major depression, Dysthymia and Bipolar Disorder. The disease is usually treated with antidepressants, according to the study, but the quality of life of people who are clinically depressed is subdued by the medications’ many unwanted side effects.
The prevalence of the disease has Dr. Lynn Kerew pointing to the case report published this year in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The report states the important role chiropractic care can play in the management of depressions.
In this particular study, a 46-year old man suffered from major depression and was taking an antidepressant with unwanted side effects, such as decrease in his sex drive, dizziness, muscle weakness and insomnia. A chiropractic evaluation revealed that he had suffered physical trauma in the past, which led to vertebral subluxations. A subluxation is a condition in which the body is unable to function properly because of interferences with the nervous system, and the condition may be corrected with chiropractic adjustments.
The patient had a total of 34 adjustments done on various parts of his spine over a period of 11 months. After the first visit, his dizziness subsided, and he experienced a decrease in lower back and neck pain. After three visits, he felt less anxious and fatigued and reported an increase in muscle strength. Over time, his depression significantly improved, and he was eating healthier.
Previous studies have shown a correlation between injury or trauma to the spine and the onset of social disorders, in addition to biochemical changes in the brain.
One of the areas that chiropractic care focuses on in the spinal cord is enriched with neuropeptides receptors, which are responsible for the so-called brain reward cascade that triggers a feeling of well-being.
“An impairment of these receptors due to subluxation in the corresponding area of the spine can be one of the underlying causes for depression and for mood or social alterations,” said Dr. Kerew. “However, more studies of this kind are needed. But one thing is clear: An adjusted spine is vital to our health, to our overall state of well being and thus to our quality of life.”
Editor’s note:
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr.Lynn Kerew, whose office is located at 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 101; Santa Monica, CA 90405;
310-399-0337.
Reference:
“Effect of Subluxation-Based Chiropractic Care on Quality of Life in a Patient With Major Depression” by Alain M.J. Desaulniers, Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, April 23, 2008.
(January 23, 2009- Santa Monica, CA) A case study authored by Alain M.J. Desaulniers credits regular chiropractic care with helping a 46-year old man overcome his major depression and increase his quality of life.
More than 15 million American adults are diagnosed with mood disorders every year, which include major depression, Dysthymia and Bipolar Disorder. The disease is usually treated with antidepressants, according to the study, but the quality of life of people who are clinically depressed is subdued by the medications’ many unwanted side effects.
The prevalence of the disease has Dr. Lynn Kerew pointing to the case report published this year in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The report states the important role chiropractic care can play in the management of depressions.
In this particular study, a 46-year old man suffered from major depression and was taking an antidepressant with unwanted side effects, such as decrease in his sex drive, dizziness, muscle weakness and insomnia. A chiropractic evaluation revealed that he had suffered physical trauma in the past, which led to vertebral subluxations. A subluxation is a condition in which the body is unable to function properly because of interferences with the nervous system, and the condition may be corrected with chiropractic adjustments.
The patient had a total of 34 adjustments done on various parts of his spine over a period of 11 months. After the first visit, his dizziness subsided, and he experienced a decrease in lower back and neck pain. After three visits, he felt less anxious and fatigued and reported an increase in muscle strength. Over time, his depression significantly improved, and he was eating healthier.
Previous studies have shown a correlation between injury or trauma to the spine and the onset of social disorders, in addition to biochemical changes in the brain.
One of the areas that chiropractic care focuses on in the spinal cord is enriched with neuropeptides receptors, which are responsible for the so-called brain reward cascade that triggers a feeling of well-being.
“An impairment of these receptors due to subluxation in the corresponding area of the spine can be one of the underlying causes for depression and for mood or social alterations,” said Dr. Kerew. “However, more studies of this kind are needed. But one thing is clear: An adjusted spine is vital to our health, to our overall state of well being and thus to our quality of life.”
Editor’s note:
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr.Lynn Kerew, whose office is located at 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 101; Santa Monica, CA 90405;
310-399-0337.
Reference:
“Effect of Subluxation-Based Chiropractic Care on Quality of Life in a Patient With Major Depression” by Alain M.J. Desaulniers, Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, April 23, 2008.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Observations From SouthEast Asia
January 8, 2009. What a year and it is just beginning! All the media is abuzz with gloom and doom. Several people I know have been laid off or fired. I am sensitive to this issue. For the sake of sanity, I would like to disengage and write about something of a more positive nature.
I will begin here with a sumptuous trip I just took for 3 weeks to SouthEast Asia. I visited Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. If you think we are doing bad/lively poorly in this country, try living a day in a life over there...especially Malaysia or Thailand. For those of you who have travelled there..you know well what I am about to say. For those of you who have never been..read on.
For starters..I have done a fair amount of travel but have never travelled to Asia..a place I had on my list to visit years ago. I studied Public Health at UCLA in the late 80's and had an opportunity to travel to many poor areas of the world and research/see how other people live.
I have not travelled too far as of late. Many reasons prevented me from going..the usual issues of money or time or then 9/11 and fear of travel. Let's see - terrorists operate in cells in the countries I wanted to visit. What else could I think of as good reasons to eschew travel abroad?
I visited Asia for about 18 days. I saw many places and visited personal homes of people along with seeing how people live day to day. Many people lived in garage sized units which were completely packed with personal belongings. Trash everywhere. If you are a neatnik like me...you would go wild with how to organize or throw away stuff. I was getting frustrated just being there with all the pack rat items here and there.
There is no sense of personal space, privacy, or even security in Malaysia or Thailand with the common working folks. There is a thickness to the air there..what with the humidity at this time of year, the pollution, the fuel and just the density of people occupying a square mile. I saw many vendors operating similar stands right next to each other..like 10 chicken stands or 8 noodle stands. It is interesting to me how they all make it...somehow.
Most people do not have cars and ride with motorbikes. I saw entire families riding scarily on a motorbike, sometimes mom, dad and babies. Girls riding sideways with their boyfriends...very dangerous.
People were constantly eating. It did not seem that there was a lack of food, clothing or shelter. I would not say this is a third world country by any means like areas of India or Africa. In the areas I went to no concerns with major outbreak of diseases. People eating food from the street that has been out for hours in the sun, flies all over it and possibly being handled by dirty fingers. It would be a public health nightmare out here!
These countries are under the British system so folks drive on the left side of the road. That took getting used to. I was always worried I'd get run over. Traffic with no traffic rules, signs, reprimands. Pollution and sewage smells everywhere..the intelligent folks wearing a cotton mask. The fumes are really bad and overwheming. It was very nauseating at times.
Hardworking people working in restaurants, pharmacies, car repair shops, other craft shops, clothing stores. Most of the items were unbelievably inexpensive. I don't like to use the word "cheap"....it denigrates the time they spent making a work of art...that needs to be honored. I am told to bargain with the vendors...like I said, I have done a fair bit of travel and yet I feel I am getting already a really good deal so let that be that.
I am shopping at their weekend markets and stands and thinking about life in LA. All the times I complain about this or that. Then I see the squalor in how these folks live and I say to myself "Move On". Again, folks living in absolute shacks with dirty concrete floors and a piece of plankwood to separate a room for a family of 8, 10,12. There was a sincere interest in the elderly and keeping the family unit together. A far cry from how we treat seniors over here.
Singapore was not representative of this but Malaysia and Thailand are good reminders to know just how good we have it here in the US of A no matter how poor we feel individually or as a nation. Most poor folks in the US at least have a cell phone, a car, and live (relative to the folks I saw) decently. Really cannot say the same thing with the Malaysian and Thai population I was exposed to.
I am happy to return home to my comforts and conveniences...my computer being one of them. I sit back and look at the pictures of the local folks I met. How happy and content they were , probably wondering about my life too. They seemed sincerely settled and in their life with what they do day to day. Of course..I could not be priivy to their innermost thoughts but a distinct difference in stress from LA - the environs I am used to.
We exchanged smiles, curious looks, hugs, recipes. We exchanged valuables...my money to them for their goods. They were happy, I was happy, all was well with the world. They complained there was less tourism. I was happy to be putting money in their society.
This trip was a year in the planning. Who would have known the economy would have tanked like it did. I have had some major losses this year like others. I was almost thinking of cancelling this trip. Then I remembered why I wanted to take this trip in the first place. To learn, explore, grow, meet new folks. See this part of the world. Heck - did I ever. What a reality check.
PS - no chiropractors anywhere from what I could see. Glad we have them accessibly in the US of A. Another reason to be happy to live in a country of choices especially the most important - our healthcare.
Happy New Year and I am going to think about what I have to be grateful for. Unfortunately there is always someone else worse off than we are. That is not a reason to feel better. It is a reason to be empathetic to them and to ourselves.
I will begin here with a sumptuous trip I just took for 3 weeks to SouthEast Asia. I visited Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. If you think we are doing bad/lively poorly in this country, try living a day in a life over there...especially Malaysia or Thailand. For those of you who have travelled there..you know well what I am about to say. For those of you who have never been..read on.
For starters..I have done a fair amount of travel but have never travelled to Asia..a place I had on my list to visit years ago. I studied Public Health at UCLA in the late 80's and had an opportunity to travel to many poor areas of the world and research/see how other people live.
I have not travelled too far as of late. Many reasons prevented me from going..the usual issues of money or time or then 9/11 and fear of travel. Let's see - terrorists operate in cells in the countries I wanted to visit. What else could I think of as good reasons to eschew travel abroad?
I visited Asia for about 18 days. I saw many places and visited personal homes of people along with seeing how people live day to day. Many people lived in garage sized units which were completely packed with personal belongings. Trash everywhere. If you are a neatnik like me...you would go wild with how to organize or throw away stuff. I was getting frustrated just being there with all the pack rat items here and there.
There is no sense of personal space, privacy, or even security in Malaysia or Thailand with the common working folks. There is a thickness to the air there..what with the humidity at this time of year, the pollution, the fuel and just the density of people occupying a square mile. I saw many vendors operating similar stands right next to each other..like 10 chicken stands or 8 noodle stands. It is interesting to me how they all make it...somehow.
Most people do not have cars and ride with motorbikes. I saw entire families riding scarily on a motorbike, sometimes mom, dad and babies. Girls riding sideways with their boyfriends...very dangerous.
People were constantly eating. It did not seem that there was a lack of food, clothing or shelter. I would not say this is a third world country by any means like areas of India or Africa. In the areas I went to no concerns with major outbreak of diseases. People eating food from the street that has been out for hours in the sun, flies all over it and possibly being handled by dirty fingers. It would be a public health nightmare out here!
These countries are under the British system so folks drive on the left side of the road. That took getting used to. I was always worried I'd get run over. Traffic with no traffic rules, signs, reprimands. Pollution and sewage smells everywhere..the intelligent folks wearing a cotton mask. The fumes are really bad and overwheming. It was very nauseating at times.
Hardworking people working in restaurants, pharmacies, car repair shops, other craft shops, clothing stores. Most of the items were unbelievably inexpensive. I don't like to use the word "cheap"....it denigrates the time they spent making a work of art...that needs to be honored. I am told to bargain with the vendors...like I said, I have done a fair bit of travel and yet I feel I am getting already a really good deal so let that be that.
I am shopping at their weekend markets and stands and thinking about life in LA. All the times I complain about this or that. Then I see the squalor in how these folks live and I say to myself "Move On". Again, folks living in absolute shacks with dirty concrete floors and a piece of plankwood to separate a room for a family of 8, 10,12. There was a sincere interest in the elderly and keeping the family unit together. A far cry from how we treat seniors over here.
Singapore was not representative of this but Malaysia and Thailand are good reminders to know just how good we have it here in the US of A no matter how poor we feel individually or as a nation. Most poor folks in the US at least have a cell phone, a car, and live (relative to the folks I saw) decently. Really cannot say the same thing with the Malaysian and Thai population I was exposed to.
I am happy to return home to my comforts and conveniences...my computer being one of them. I sit back and look at the pictures of the local folks I met. How happy and content they were , probably wondering about my life too. They seemed sincerely settled and in their life with what they do day to day. Of course..I could not be priivy to their innermost thoughts but a distinct difference in stress from LA - the environs I am used to.
We exchanged smiles, curious looks, hugs, recipes. We exchanged valuables...my money to them for their goods. They were happy, I was happy, all was well with the world. They complained there was less tourism. I was happy to be putting money in their society.
This trip was a year in the planning. Who would have known the economy would have tanked like it did. I have had some major losses this year like others. I was almost thinking of cancelling this trip. Then I remembered why I wanted to take this trip in the first place. To learn, explore, grow, meet new folks. See this part of the world. Heck - did I ever. What a reality check.
PS - no chiropractors anywhere from what I could see. Glad we have them accessibly in the US of A. Another reason to be happy to live in a country of choices especially the most important - our healthcare.
Happy New Year and I am going to think about what I have to be grateful for. Unfortunately there is always someone else worse off than we are. That is not a reason to feel better. It is a reason to be empathetic to them and to ourselves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
