
Your Life-Your Choice                   ISSN 
1488-0253                                          August, 2000
                                         Issue 61

Letter From the Editor

Many women increase their calcium intake, unaware that the
body also requires magnesium.  The body keeps the two
minerals in balance, therefore increasing one without
increasing the other really does not have any real benefit
as the body simply disposes of the excess.  Optimally one
should consume 1,000 milligrams of each per day.  However,
your intake should increase with age.  After menopause the
recommended daily allowance is 1,500 milligrams.
Remembering always to have that balancing component.
McMaster University researchers have recently reported the
importance of pregnant women increasing their calcium
intake to 1,500 to 2,000 mg per day. The results of their
study indicated that this could reduce the risk of
pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre- eclampsia; two of
the highest levels of concern in pregnancies,  by 70% and
60% respectively.

"60-70 percent of American women are magnesium deficient."
Says Barbara from the Cornell Medical Center. "For women
who take calcium supplements and eat a calcium-rich  diet,
it's probably a good idea to take magnesium and eat
magnesium-rich foods, too."  Some caution should be taken
to ensure that the calcium magnesium levels don't get too
high.  Elevated levels may lead to diarrhea.  Whole grain
breads, fortified cereals, leafy vegetables, kale,
broccoli, tofu, soybeans, low fat chees, milk and yogurt
are good choices when trying to achieve a proper balance.

In addition to maintaining healthy teeth and bones, calcium
has a number of other functions. Blood coagulation,
transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction and
relaxation, normal heart beat, stimulation of hormone
secretion, and activation of enzyme reactions all require
certain amounts of calcium.  The bones in the human body
incorporate calcium into their structure and, like all
tissues in the body, are continually being reabsorbed and
reformed.

Until next time... the best of health to you,

Brigitte Synesael
Editor of Your Life-Your Choice
Make it your business to be informed!
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ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Breathing and Therapeutic Massage

2. Tea Tips - Green Tea May Reduce Arthritis

3. Top Dog  - Proper Dosages To Give Your Pet

4. Mood and Memory Wellness:
         How to be Spirited and Sharp for 100 Years! (Part 1)

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Section 1       Breathing and Therapeutic Massage
                          by Laurel Duran, CMT
                 http://www2.amigo.net/bluecord

  The very first completely independent act each human being
performs upon  entering this world is taking a breath. When
baby emerges from the  mother's all-providing womb, his
complete physical dependence upon mother  disappears and he
is suddenly responsible for sustaining his own life by
breathing on his own. "The Breath of Life" idea expresses
profound truth  in that everyone who lives on earth must
somehow be able to inhale and  exhale.

Chinese acupuncturists have understood for centuries that
the lungs  filter the emotion of grief. Because full
breathing is so essential to  bodywork, many massage
therapists will begin the first session with a  client by
opening the client's lungs: as the client lies on his back
he  takes his deepest breath in, then on the client's
exhale, the therapist  applies gradually increasing
pressure with the four fingertips of each hand  pressing
immediately below the ribcage on both sides. Sometimes such
a  technique can bring up the client's buried fear or grief
and elicit crying.  This is very good! Crying does not last
forever and it is a very healthy  way to release energy
from the body.

I have found that by working in and around the lungs/upper
back/shoulders  area, repressed feelings of self-blame,
self-criticism and self-disapproval  can surface because
these specific emotions can also be carried in this  chakra
(energy center). More times than I can count, when I have
gently  asked a client "Have you been a bit hard on
yourself lately, blaming  yourself for your choices?", he
will answer "yes", tears will arise and  within moments,
the tension in this chakra melts away right under my
fingertips. It is truly a wonderful, visible example of how
FEELING  EMOTION puts ENERGY INTO MOTION, and is
released right out of the body.

Many folks' medical histories include breathing
difficulties that relate  back to emotional problems in
childhood. Many of us were discouraged from  expressing
normal grief through crying. Mucous is released as a result
of  crying, but if the individual suppresses his grief, it
can be released  through mucous-accumulating lung illnesses
like pneumonia. Asthma,  emphysema, airborne allergies and
other breathing restrictions express  deep-seated fears of
taking life in fully (inhaling) and trusting that more
safe life (oxygen) will be available after the full exhale.
Some medical  history research has drawn a connection
between the birth mother's  cigarette smoking and her
child's asthma. Research utilizing hypnosis has  also shown
that the psycho/emotional states of a pregnant woman are
transferred as "reality" to her fetus. Nicotine is an
emotional  suppressant, and when a smoking expectant mom is
on the verge of feeling a  deep emotion, such as fear, she
may reach for a cigarette as a method of  suppressing the
emotion. The smoking harms her own deep and healthy
breathing, and this can later translate into her child's
restricted  fearful breathing called asthma.

Receiving therapeutic massage is a wonderful way to help
heal lung and  upper back problems. The client's health can
improve because the energy  blockages that underly illness
and that restrict body, mind, emotions and  spirit can be
uncovered and released through therapeutic massage. The
massage therapist will inevitably find places in the
client's body where  tension (excess energy) is held. One
of the reasons we experience physical  pain in our bodies
is that we hold excess tension, and receiving  therapeutic
massage is an excellent way to download tension. However,
there may be places in the client's body that are densely
loaded with  tension and may require the therapist's
prolonged focus. A skilled massage  therapist will often
suggest the client fully inhale, expanding his lungs  to
maximum capacity, then fully exhale through the mouth to
help the  tension ride out of his body, much like riding an
ocean wave into shore.  The therapist will watch as the
client inhales, then upon the client's  exhale, begin to
apply increasing pressure to the tight spot. (I have  found
that it's best to help diffuse the intensity of such
pressure-pointing by using one hand to surround the tight
spot while the  other hand applies deep pressure directly
to the spot. This technique  makes deep pressure-pointing
much more manageable to the client.) It is  quite possible
that if the client has suffered from breathing difficulties
  in the past or present, he may need to cough and expel
mucous into  Kleenex.

During my career I have observed clients with formerly
restricted  breathing achieve healing success over time.
Many have increased their  chest/shoulder measurements,
improved the uprightness of their posture,  left seasonal
airborne allergies behind, quit smoking, enjoyed fuller
breathing during physical exercise and even forgiven the
emotional wounds  of childhood. I am pleased to have played
a supporting role in these  clients' healing progress, but
I believe they have succeeded because they  have chosen to
take full responsibility for healing themselves.

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

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Section 2               Tea Tips

         Study Shows Green Tea May Reduce Effects of Arthritis

Ongoing studies by a research team at Case Western,
reported in the proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, are suggesting a link between consumption of
green tea and reduced incidence and severity of rheumatoid
arthritis. The researchers, who have been conducting the
study on laboratory mice, have focused their inquiry on the
polyphenols (antioxidants) present in green tea. The study
also provides evidence "that mice fed green tea polyphenols
were significantly less susceptible to the development of
collagen-induced arthritis, and if they developed
arthritis, the disease was late in onset and mild in
comparison to mice not given green tea polyphenols,"
reports the Journal of Chinese Medicine.  Source: Journal
of Chinese Medicine, October 1999

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Section 3               Top Dog

                 Proper Dosages To Give Your Pet

There is always confusion as to how much medication or
herbs to give your pet. There are two very important things
to remember here: 1. Just because the medication may be
herbal or "natural" doesn't mean that too much can't harm
your pet. 2. Different brands may have varying degrees of
efficacy. So our primary advice is to follow the directions
on the bottle, or contact your vet for exact dosages.

For a general rule of thumb use 1 drop per pound of body
weight up to 50 pounds. Add ½ drop (average) per pound
thereafter.

DOSAGE CONDITIONS:

MAINTENANCE DOSAGE, Usually once a day , with evening
feeding is best.
Examples: MULTI-MIN, GINKGO BILOBA, SENIOR TONIC

ACUTE DOSAGE. Initially taken 6 to 8 times a day, with the
frequency of the dose gradually reduced to three times a
day as the symptoms improve. This level should be
maintained three to four days past when your pet begins to
feel well.
Examples: Kidney bladder problems: KIDNEY PLUS;
Nerves and stress: STRESS-EX, CARDO.

CHRONIC CONDITIONS DOSAGE Take 3 to 4 times a day for a
four to six week period, followed by a one to two week
break. They generally need to be taken for a number of
months. Examples: ATR for Arthritis, BCL for cancer, Senior
Tonic for older animals.

WORMS and PARASITES Take WORM-EX three times a day for ten
days. Repeat at least twice a year and in some envirorments
an animal make have to be de wormed every month.

-----
Do you have a specific question about your pet's
health that you would like to have an answer to?
Talk to our TOP DOG.
http://www.life-choices.com/lar/pet.html

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Section 4
                 Mood and Memory Wellness:
            How to be Spirited and Sharp for 100 Years!
                         (part 1)
                      By Dr. John H. Maher
                             http://www.rxforwellness.com

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the American writer and physician,
wrote to a colleague poet on her seventieth birthday: 'To
be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and
hopeful than to be forty years old.'

'Few people know how to be old', wrote La Rochefoucauld in
his Maximes. Successful aging becomes increasingly an
important issue, as in our 'grey world' the segment of the
elderly population is on the rise. In Germany, the number
of centenarians was over 4000 in 1993 and is estimated to
reach up to 23,000 this year (2000). In the US, the over 85
group is the fastest growing segment of the population.
Mental activity is of paramount importance for maintaining
the ability to cope adequately with stress, with health
problems, limitations and handicaps, and particularly for
the persisting capability to enjoy life.

It is becoming more and more clear that aging is not
necessarily equivalent with decay and decrepitude. Factors
such as diet, nutrition, physical and mental exercise have
been underestimated or ignored as potential moderators of
the aging process. There are risk factors that are known to
increase morbidity in the elderly and which can be
prevented. They include cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol
consumption and inadequate water, mineral and B vitamin
intake. There are studies indicating that much of the
cognitive loss in late middle life that has been considered
to be intrinsic to aging, is caused in part by extrinsic
factors and may therefore be preventable or reversible.

  Practical Hints to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Maintaining the health of your brain and body is not only
important for you but also for your family and friends.
Although the brain ages in parallel with other organs of
our body, an increasing number of productive and creative
elderly persons bear testimony to the brain's remarkable
capacity to function at an exceptional level even at an
advanced age. Are there ways to keep the brain functional?
Absolutely!

First, be on guard. A significant change in your
personality, mood, or behavior (sometimes noted by others)
could be a sign for a disorder that should be treated.
Consult your physician, especially if the simple
recommendations herein do not improve your mood and memory.

1)Keep your brain busy. Engage in mental exercise such as
reading, puzzle solving, playing an instrument, playing
games, learning new skills (e.g. take a language course,
enroll in courses offered by the university for senior
citizens), taking part in discussion groups.

2)A healthy brain lives in a healthy body. Regularly
perform physical exercise to maintain muscle strength,
endurance, and mobility. By exercising your body, you also
exercise your brain because the control and coordination of
your limbs is controlled by the brain. Keep your body in
good shape by an adequate diet. Stay well hydrated with
plenty of water. Endeavor to get the deepest sleep you can,
as deep sleep is the great rejuvenator.

3)Avoid risks to the health of your body. Do not smoke, do
not consume excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine. Be
careful and sensitive to the possible side effects of
medications.

4)Prepare for the future. When you retire from your job,
have an alternative social structure ready to keep you
stimulated and challenged. Margaret Mead, the well-known
anthropologist, said: 'If you associate enough with older
people who do enjoy their lives, who are not stored away in
any golden ghettos, you will gain a sense of continuity and
of the possibility for a full life'. Avoid becoming
isolated and lonely!

5) Feed your head. As we get older it becomes even more
important that we endeavor to keep our antioxidants and the
hormones of youth optimal, while keeping the hormones of
age, insulin and cortisol, under control. We also want to
consider herbs, amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients
that can help keep our mood and memory young.

  Brain Power at an Advanced Age

There are undeniable effects of age on brain function. The
vast majority of people become somewhat forgetful,
particularly in forming memories of recent events and
remembering everyday items such as names and phone numbers.
Yet, it is not unusual that persons of advanced age produce
exceptional work in art and science. Claude Monet was
eighty years old when he painted his famous series of water
lilies, and Giuseppe Verdi was the same age when he
composed the opera Falstaff. Sigmund Freud made seminal
contributions to psychoanalysis in his eighties. George
Bernard Shaw was 91 when he wrote the play 'Buoyant
Billions'. He lamented, '... if only I could live longer to
properly benefit from life's experience. Youth is wasted on
the young!'

  Mood Wellness and 'Grumpy Old Men'

It is true that for many the aging brain does have a
tendency to become less full of the 'joy of life'. As the
brain and body ages, less blood flow, less oxygen, less
nutrients, less hormones and less neurotransmitters (brain
messenger chemicals), or at least less sensitivity to the
last two, all can be the basis for a physiological cause of
moodiness, lack of joy and even depression. Yet the above
examples show it is not necessarily so!

Nonetheless, depression can sneak up on us. If we wait too
long to act, we can find ourselves stuck in the
hopelessness of despair. If you find that you might be
suffering from mild depression, we suggest you try
following the advice provided herein. More severe cases
need prescription medication, but there is no drug that can
replace a healthy lifestyle!

[End of part one. See our next issue for a continuation of
this article.]

-----
Read about Dr. John H. Maher on our Meet the Team page;
http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html

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