
Your Life-Your Choice 			ISSN 1488-0253 
==================== 		     May, 2000 
						   Issue 52 
Letter from the Editor

We're back for another information packed issue of Your 
Life-Your Choice. Our main objective is to sort through 
all the scams, stories, and news to provide you with credible 
information about alternative medicine. With that in mind, 
I'm going to share with you a situation that I have recently 
encountered.

I'm always searching for good sources of information for 
the benefit of our subscribers and members. Dr. Whitaker's 
Health and Healing Newsletter seemed to be one of those 
sources. I phoned their sales line with the intention of 
subscribing.

The salesman was very pleasant, and told me that the 
subscription was $39.95 for one year. I asked him if 
that was in Canadian funds. He answered "No, that's 
U.S. funds. The Canadian price is $79.95 plus tax, plus." 
I asked him why the Canadian price was so high when 
adding the exchange rate to $39.95 would total approximately 
$57.72. He confirmed that it was the correct price and gave 
me the phone number for customer service. 

As per his suggestion, I did call customer service and spoke 
to the manager on duty. I explained to her that I couldn't 
understand why the Canadian price was double that of the 
same product in the U.S. when we receive exactly the same 
product with no additional issues. I do understand that the 
exchange rate requires a higher price for Canadians, but 
this is literally DOUBLE the exchange rate. Her response was 
that the company was simply covering the fluctuation of 
the exchange rates.

I told her that I also deal with exchange rates in my business. 
About every 6 months I phone the bank and get the current 
rate and use that as a guide for the next few months. However, 
when it comes to billing, my customers are billed the exact rate 
that day by their charge card company. It's been my experience 
that the exchange rate doesn't fluctuate THAT much. However, 
to charge DOUBLE the exchange rate, in my opinion, is not 
"covering the range". It is using the exchange rate as an excuse 
to take unfair advantage of Canadians.

At this point she could only say was that this was a decision 
made by the company long before she was hired and there 
was nothing she could do about it. I explained to her that I 
believed this practice to be highly unethical and simply bad 
business and on principle alone I would not order this 
newsletter, and we politely parted ways.

Immediately I sent an e-mail to Dr. Whitaker explaining 
my concern and the situation as it had transpired. I also 
explained that I felt a responsibility to publish this story 
in Your Life-Your Choice and offered to include any 
comments he may have. That was April 13, and as of this 
publication, I have not received a response from him.

Now, I suppose I could look at it from the perspective of 
perhaps the information is worth paying twice as much as 
a U.S. customer, and it may well be. But I wonder how 
often someone has gone into a store and offered to pay 
twice as much for a product as the customer before him/her.
As a U.S. based company, they made a decision that fair 
value for their product was $39.95. There was nothing 
added to this product to increase its' value once it came to 
Canada. Why should Canadians pay more for a product 
(other than the legal exchange rate) than the value established 
by the company itself? This type of action makes me question 
the credibility of a company who would consciously take 
unfair and unnecessary advantage of the very people they 
claim to help.

I wrote this editorial is to make everyone aware of these kinds 
of injustices . Companies get away with it because consumers 
let them. We don't question them, and we pay their inflated 
prices. Before making an investment of this nature, I encourage 
you to ask the company what the charge is for their product in 
their home country. Compare that rate, after you've converted 
it your currency, and see if the price they've quoted you is 
reasonable. If it's not, you have two choices. You can either 
refuse to purchase their product, and if so be sure to tell them 
why. Or you can purchase it anyway, but at least you'll be aware 
that you've been taken advantage of.

Until next time, best of health to you.

Brigitte Synesael 
Editor of Your Life-Your Choice 
Make it your business to be informed!
No on cares more about you than YOU.

********************************************** 

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE: 
1. Announcement 
2. Aloe Vera
3. Massage Therapy As A Holistic Healing Tool 
    for Breast Cancer and Heart Disease
4. How to Reframe for Success
5. Health Smart Recipe -Barbecued Mushrooms
6. Talk to the GARLIC 

********************************************
Section 1 
		Announcement

We had some trouble in our last issue with some of 
the links not showing up. My apologies for that 
inconvenience, and thank you to those who brought 
it to our attention. The ads that were missing links 
have been repeated. For those interested in comparing 
book prices through Deal Pilot can do so here:
http://www.Life-Choices.com/bookstore.html

********************************************
Section 2 
			ALOE VERA

		by Joan Vankoughnett 

 
It seems that everywhere nature has aid and comfort for human 
beings, as well as for birds and animals. They know instinctively 
where to seek their "medicine" and when. Man had not been so 
intuitive, or at least not in this century when chemistry has been 
king. Aloe vera has probably been the most widely used through-
out history. The Bible mentions aloes in at least three places,
(John 19:39, Numbers 24:6 and Proverbs 7:17)        

Here are some of the ways Aloe Vera has been used in bygone 
days.    

	   1.     The Chinese, who consider the Aloe Vera sacred, 
	          used it for stomach and colon ailments
           2.     People of the Congo, used it to reduce body odour  
                  in stalking wild game and for boils on the skin.
           3.     In the Philippines, it is used with milk for 
                  dysentery and kidney infections.
           4.     Mexicans use it to relieve epysipelas, (a skin 
                  disease)and for the scalp & hair in the form of a 
                  shampoo & conditioner which leaves them with 
                  healthy, uxurious & shining hair.
           5.     Ancient Egyptians used Aloe to stop bleeding 
	          wounds smooth scaling & itching skin. They used it 
	          for sunburns and a non-oily skin moisturizer, to 
	          retard the aging process.       

In the aloe species, there is only one Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera looks 
like cactus, but is a member of the lily family, as is the onion,
another cousin. It can be identified by its dark green stiff 
triangular leaves which form a rosette from the basal centre. 
The leaves have sharp pointed teeth on the edges and it gives 
the impression of growing directly out of the ground, as there 
is no apparent stalk. 


For best results, Aloe Vera Juice is processed under the strictest
clean room conditions. The leaf is filled so that only 100%  of 
the clean fresh juice is used. None of the outer green peeling or 
deep yellow substance, next to the peeling (Aloin) is allowed to 
remain. This substance is very bitter and is a high irritant.

After filleting, the gel is chapped and the juice starts its own 
digesting process and becomes very thin and slimy. No heat or
pasteurization is used so that none of the vitamins, essential 
minerals, amino acids and enzymes are destroyed. No thickeners
are added.

Aloe Vera Juice has become a refreshing, invigorating and thirst 
quenching drink or juice. It may be safely consumed in quantities.  

The list of experiences with healing by application of Aloe 
juice, gel or its preparations is very long. Here is a summary:

Poison Ivy
Bites from insects
Acne, psoriasis, itches, exzema, erysipelas, rheumatism & 
inflamed joints
problems caused by protozoa, virus & fungi
dysentery -- add gel to milk
boils and abcesses
stomach ulcers
liver toxicity
corns & calluses
aching feet
cosmetic
scalp cleansing
baldness
purify drinking water
antibiotic
astringent lotion
healing torn teat of animals
pain & inflammation after dental surgery
healing of gingivitis
headaches
coating on legs to ward off insects
warding off flies
wrinkles                     
burns
diaper or heat rash
kidney infection
allergies
blood infections 
female troubles

Many of these remedies have been confirmed by medical people, 
particularly in Europe, Russia and Germany. Much of the 
interest lies in the fact that Aloe Vera has No Side Effects.

It is important to note that the gel and juice, have powerful 
properties for internal use are used diluted.       
        
----- 
Read about Joan Vankoughnett on our Meet the Team 
page; http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html
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Section 3 
	Massage Therapy As A Holistic Healing Tool 
		for Breast Cancer and Heart Disease

			by Laurel Duran, CMT

If it seems odd that breast cancer and heart disease would be 
paired together as a single health issue, I can assure you that 
the issues which underlie these top two American killers are 
as close to eachother emotionally as they are physically. 

In order to explain this, I'll be referring to the breasts and 
heart as a single energy center in the body (chakra). In my 
work as a massage therapist, I utilize the 12-chakra system 
to translate my patients' illnesses into understandable patterns 
of thought and feeling. In other words, if a patient has an 
ongoing problem with contracted energy (tension) in a certain 
area of her body, I can compassionately understand what life 
issues she is facing by applying my knowledge of what that 
area of her body expresses. When I share the life-issue 
translation of her illness with her, the patient usually sees 
herself through more compassionate eyes, and is more 
empowered to make improved life choices that grow from 
increased self-understanding. 

The primary life issue that underlies the breasts/heart chakra 
is simply "healing emotional conflict through private 
introspection and feeling". 

You may have noticed that in our Western industrialized 
culture, this theme of privately honoring emotional conflicts 
is NOT particularly valued. On the contrary, if a person 
mentions that they have engaged in viscerally feeling 
emotional conflict in order to release it from their 
body/mind/emotions, they are often judged as being 
"depressed" or in some way emotionally ill. The truth is 
that they are being emotionally healthy by temporarily 
undergoing this state of emotional disequilibrium for the 
ultimate purpose of regaining emotional balance naturally, 
according to the Creator's design. The word EMOTION 
is composed of two parts: "e" is for energy, and "motion"
is what happens when we feel. By feeling emotions - in healthy, 
non-destructive ways - we are literally putting blocked energy 
in motion as it clears out of the body. When individuals with 
breast/heart health conditions are willing to literally feel their 
emotional conflicts, the energy that was formerly blocked in 
their breasts/heart clears out. This is a miraculous healing 
phenomenon to behold! Emotions are the primary component 
of the chakras in the body that are made of the water element. 
There are 3 chakras in the body composed of the water element. 
They are: the feet, the reproductive organs, and the breasts/heart. 

During a typical massage therapy session, I usually begin the 
session by opening the patient's (emotional) water energy flow. 
In this way, emotions may more easily come up and out during 
the session. This is a very good thing, and here's how to do it: 

As the patient lies draped supine (face up) on the therapy table, 
first make light manual contact with the two uppermost water 
chakras. Using one or two fingers, locate the often-tender spot 
just below the clavicle, and make light to moderate contact with 
the spot. Using the other hand, simultaneously make light contact 
by resting your hand gently on the pubis. While maintaining the 
light pressure to the pubis, you can increase or decrease the 
pressure of the breast/heart chakra contact. You may suggest 
that your patient relax and surrender into whatever she feels 
during these contacts. 

After several moments, repeat the upper hand's contact on the 
opposite side, applying light to moderate pressure to the tender 
spot just below the clavicle , while still maintaining the lower 
hand's pubis contact. Again, encourage the patient to relax 
and surrender. If you wish to be quite thorough, make contact 
with the lowest water chakra in the feet. You can do this by 
giving your patient a bit of foot massage.

By doing this basic "opening water chakras" procedure you 
will be naturally helping the patient move blocked emotional 
energy stored in her body. It is very possible that the patient 
may begin to actually feel emotions as a result of this. I 
encourage you to non-judgmentally accept and allow her to 
simply feel her feelings. There is no need to give advice or life 
instructions during this opening. Simply by being receptive to 
her feelings, you are doing your best supportive healing work! 
In general I have found that the left breast/heart chakra emotion 
point can store sorrow, while the right breast/heart chakra 
emotion point can store anger and frustration. Be assured that 
by stimulating the natural, safe flow of emotion in your own 
or your patient's body, you are helping them to heal themselves 
from the inside out. It is very healthy for the breasts and heart, 
in both men and women, to allow emotional conflict to rise up 
and be felt. To feel is to heal, and the normal human emotions 
that reside in our breasts/hearts are a healing gift, not a medical 
curse! 

Tune in next month for Part 2 of this series.

----- 
Read about Laurel Duran on our Meet the Team page; 
http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html

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This is YOUR newsletter! Share your thoughts, what you'd like 
to see by emailing, yourlife@life-choices.com with 
"Feedback Your Life-Your Choice" in the subject heading.

******************************************** 

Section 4 
		How to Reframe for Success
		By: Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D. 


The only thing that stands between you and success is a little 
reframing. That does not mean reframing your house or a 
picture. It means reframing your thoughts about the problems 
that you face. You take off the old mental frame and put on a 
new one. You've heard the phrase, "The power of positive 
thinking." Well positive thoughts are a lot more powerful if 
you use them to remove the old frame. Let's take a look at 
how to do that.

First you need to find the old frame you have been using. 
That simply means finding the thoughts you have been 
using to frame the problem. Finding them won't be as 
hard as you might think. The following exercise should 
root out most of them.

Get out a piece of paper and write down your problem. 
Money, relationships, something at work. Anything that's 
a problem. Try to be as specific as you can. For example, 
what do you need money for? Who are you having a 
problem with and what is the person doing? Which part 
of work bothers you? The more specific the better. Now 
set the sheet of paper aside and do something else for a 
few minutes or hours.

After you have cleared your mind go back and read the 
problem again. As soon as you have read it, take note of 
how the problem makes you feel. Does it make you sad, 
mad, or afraid? Write down how it makes you feel.

The feeling you wrote down comes from the thoughts you 
have about the problem. So next write down the thoughts 
you are having about the problem. Are you thinking, "I 
will NEVER make more money!" Or, "That person is mean 
to me ALL the time." ALL or NOTHING thoughts like 
these almost always lead to negative emotions. Write down 
every negative thought you can think of about the problem.

These negative thoughts form the emotional frame you are 
using to solve the problem. It's okay to feel a bit sad, mad, 
or afraid about a problem, but eventually you need o get 
motivated to solve the problem. That's where the positive 
frame comes into play.

Now go back and change every one of those negative thoughts 
into a positive thought. So, "I never can" becomes "Yes I can." 
"That person is always mean to me" becomes, "That person is 
nice to me sometimes, and sometimes not. I can learn how to 
deal with it." Literally change each negative thought you came 
up with into a positive one. Don't overanalyze this, just do it. 
When you are done, fold up the paper and stick it in your 
pocket.

As you go through you day and you start to feel lousy about 
your problem, take out the paper and read the positive thoughts. 
The trick is to do this until the positive thoughts replace the 
negative ones. If you do this several times a day it will only 
be a short time and you will start having much more positive 
feelings about the problem. In other words, you will have a 
positive frame on your problem. Now solving it will me much 
easier.

Here's a checklist to follow in putting a positive frame on 
your problems:

1. Identify and define your problem. Be specific. Write it down.

2. Identify the negative feelings you have about the problem, 
    e.g. mad, sad, or afraid. Write them down.

3. What negative thoughts are leading to those feelings? 
    Write them down.

4. Change those thoughts into positive thoughts about the 
    problem. Write them down.

5. Put the sheet of paper in your pocket.

6. When you think about the problem, read the positive 
    thoughts. Repeat until you have a positive frame of mind.

This is a simple but very powerful technique. Do it and you 
will be conquering problems you thought were unsolvable.

----- 
Dr. Polk is a clinical psychologist. He and his wife offer
online training in life skills. The Creative Problem Solving 
course is Free. Sign up at http://www.timedoctor.com/004192.htm

********** 
Your Life-Your Choice makes every effort to provide you with 
healthy recipes where the nutrition is geared towards specific 
health issues. If you have a recipe you'd like to share, submit 
it to with "recipe from YLYC subscriber" in the subject. 
Remember to include whatever nutritional information you can. 
**********
Section 5. 
			Health Smart Recipe 
			By Edna Laraway

Low Calorie and Wonderfully Delicious

Any desired quantity of mushrooms; use regular large mushrooms
or for a real taste treat try Portobello Mushrooms. The flavor is unique.
Rinse and wipe the tops of  the mushrooms.  
Use vegetable spray or olive oil to lightly coat the mushrooms.
Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
Place on the barbeque grill  on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn.
(when you turn them, try to make the grill marks crisscross -looks impressive)
Grill until still firm but tender, and serve on toast or on romaine leaves for
an impressive side dish.
                                                    Calories     Fat      Fibre
MUSHROOMS (1 cup, 250mL)      22.74     0.31     0.96

******* 
Section 6.

Dear Garlic,
 
My boyfriend loves me to death and he's going to be the 
death of me!! he buys me flowers almost every day, for 
no good reason, the problem is we live in a small apartment, 
so it's beginning to look like a funeral parlor, i even told him 
i didn't like flowers.....what did he do...bought plants! help!!!
from Flower Peeves


Dear Flower Peeves

One of 3 things are happening here. Either:
1) this is a new relationship, and he's trying to impress. 
Don't worry, this phase doesn't last long. Soon he'll be 
following you from room to room turning off the lights to 
conserve energy. As soon as he starts this well known 
masculine type of behavior, the flowers will stop as well.

2) its a guilt offering. Take a real close look at his behaviour 
lately. Is he a cross dresser or wears diapers or something? 
Hey, don't laugh!! Just look at Jerry (Springer) to see how 
popular this type of behavior is becoming. They have to start 
somewhere!

3) He's that genuine rare find, a generous, thoughtful, and 
caring male whose only desire is to make you happy. If you 
really give it some thought, there will be an opportunity to 
get him to transfer this fetish into something else. Like 
expensive jewelry maybe. Take him by Birks and point 
out that darling little diamond rose or those gorgeous seed 
pearl earings in the shape of Daisys. Think how much longer 
these will last, AND they don't smell. Just re-direct this 
darling to a newer, better habit. It's really for his own good.

Like to talk to Garlic? Yes, men are welcome too: 
mailto:marketing@life-choices.com put "Dear Garlic" in 
Subject line.

Note that the Dear Garlic segment of Your Life-Your Choice is for 
entertainment purposes only. The advice is intended to tickle your 
funny bone so put your Sense of Humor hat on and let's take a look 
at the "lighter side" of life. 
After all, laughter is supposed to be the BEST medicine.

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Disclaimer 
All material appearing in this newsletter is provided 
for educational purposes only. It is provided with the 
understanding that authors and contributors are not 
offering medical advice or services. We strongly 
encourage you to consult with your own physician 
regarding any recommendations with respect to your 
own medical condition.
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does not indicate endorsement on our part. The opinions 
expressed by our sponsors do not necessarily reflect 
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