Heal South Africa - Citizen Health Articles Volume 2

Print Version

Keith McFarlane of HealSA & Light in SA, is writing a series of articles for the
Citizen newspaper's monthly CITI HEALTH section
printed on the last Tuesday of every month.

The articles are in order from first through to most current.
Should you have missed an article in the newspaper
please click on the quick link's indicated below.

THE PH MIRACLE
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

Even though Christmas and New Year are now just a memory, the festivities of the holiday season linger on, noticeably around our waistlines. One of the most common resolutions most people make and break is getting back into shape.

With good advice abounding, getting healthy should be a synch; yet many would be healthfuls abandon their good intentions simply through confusion and the seeming enormity of the task at hand.

All of this will change if research scientist Dr Robert O. Young has his say.

Forget the traditional markers of health like cholesterol counts, calories, blood pressure and blood sugar levels; it turns out that the single most important health measurement you need to monitor, is the pH of your blood and tissues.

In other words, how acidic or alkaline are you?

According to Dr Young, different areas of the body have different ideal pH levels, but the most important is blood pH. Just as your body temperature is rigidly regulated, the blood must be kept in a very narrow pH range, one that is mildly basic or alkaline. It is so critical that the body will go to great lengths to preserve this balance, including wreaking havoc on other tissues or systems.

Acidosis
Too much acidity, or acidosis, provokes the body into producing symptoms of disease. These may either be a stress response or the body’s efforts to create balance and depending on the level of stress, they may or may not be obviously noticeable.

Initially, symptoms can include energy loss, skin eruptions, headaches, allergies, colds and flu and sinus conditions; if our internal pH is left unchecked however, chronic over acidity can corrode body tissue and interfere with the very process of life itself, putting it at the root of all sickness and disease.

If that's not enough to get you interested in balancing your body pH naturally, keep this mind: Over acidity is also what is keeping you fat!

Natural Defence Cycle
To prevent a declining pH, the blood begins to pull alkaline minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium out of our tissue to compensate the threat. These minerals react with acids, creating less detrimental substances that are eliminated from the body

Normally, we have a reserve supply of these alkaline minerals, to meet emergency demands. If these reserves are depleted however, they are drawn from tissue like bone and muscle, where they are of course needed. This in turn results in deficiencies and the many symptoms that come with them.

If the acidity gets too great for the blood to balance, the excess is simply dumped into the tissue for storage. It is then the role of the lymphatic system to neutralise and eliminate the waste. Unfortunately, this involves dumping it back into the blood, creating a vicious cycle. If the lymphatic system is unable to handle the waste, it is deposited in the tissue of the organ systems, including the heart, pancreas, liver and colon or stored in fatty tissue.

As more acidic waste is passed from the blood into the tissue, fat builds up, to protect our delicate organs and tissue.

Interestingly, if we didn't have fats in our diet, we would literally be destroyed by the very acids that we are poisoning ourselves with!

Creating Balance
While acidosis is primarily something we do to ourselves, due to poor dietary and lifestyle choices; we are able to make different choices, once we recognise that fact.

The first step is to re-establish the internal pH, which should be slightly alkaline.

While there are many wonderful and varied approaches to nutrition, the general rule suggests that an alkaline diet plan automatically creates health within us. The diet should be 80% alkaline and 20% acid.

Alkaline foods include fresh, ripe fruit and vegetables, especially yellow and leafy greens; while acid foods include breads, cereals, dairy products and meats.

The no-nos include processed, refined and artificially flavoured, coloured and preserved foods as well as anything with added sugar and salt.

The simple rule of thumb is drink 6 to 8 glasses of pure water every day and eat fresh, whole foods.

For a more detailed description of the Alkaline Optimum Nutrition Diet, visit the Heal South Africa website at www.healsa.co.za

A HUG A DAY DOES WONDERS
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

With teen pregnancy and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases high on world health agendas, many are questioning the role that media has to play in educating the youth of today.

Are we simply encouraging more promiscuity by promoting the use of condoms; or is this an essential step to take, given current pregnancy and AIDS statistics?

As fast as health education programs inform of the dangers of unprotected sex; so magazines, movies, fashion and music entice us to taste the forbidden fruit. Are the warnings simply falling on deaf ears?

Perhaps the question we should ask is, why does sex sell?

Natural Urge
All of us have an innate need to be loved. As tactile beings, the simplest and most profound way we can experience this is through touch. From the moment of birth, touch is the medium through which we first become acquainted with the world.

As one of our most basic forms of communication, touch reveals more than words, conveying caring, support and a sense of involvement. Much of how we function as adults depend on how we were nurtured as infants.

Touch influences our ability to deal with stress and pain, to form close relationships with other people, and even to fight off disease.

Studies on the power of touch reveal how important touch is for healthy growth and development. Without it children tend to grow up socially maladjusted to the extreme where untouched orphaned babies, will actually die.

With more and more families succumbing to the pressures of everyday living, few have time for the luxury of touch. Ironically, as we become more and more isolated in our computerized virtual world, we are also becoming more and more touch phobic. The sad truth is, the closest many get to keeping in touch is on a cell phone.

Touch Depravation
In South Africa, many children are brought up by a surrogate mother, whether a nanny or another family member. In the African community, it is not uncommon for a child to be brought up by an older sibling. The unfortunate consequence of it all, is today’s youth have a deep need to be lovingly touched.

As they reach adulthood, their needs do not diminish; they simply get repressed or channelled into other means of expression, often giving rise to addictive and deviant behaviour.

Our early touch experience is so important that it becomes the basis for the most intimate of all touch stimulations - our sexual relationship.

As children our natural curiosity to reach out and explore through touch is often reprimanded, teaching us that touch is something to be suspicious of and even avoided. This kind of ingrained thinking is often responsible for later sexual dysfunction.

People who have had appropriate touch experiences as children, are much more comfortable with intimacy and are not as hung up about sex as those who have not.

Touch for Health
Serious scientific research into the importance of touch only began about 40 years ago. However, since then studies have shown that the simple act of holding another’s wrist can slow their heartbeat and lower blood pressure.

Children and adolescents, who have been hospitalised for psychiatric problems, show remarkable reductions in their anxiety levels and demonstrate positive changes in their attitude when they receive a brief daily back rub.

In other studies, the arteries of rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet and petted regularly had 60% fewer blockages than those of un-petted, but similarly fed rabbits. Rats, handled for 15 minutes a day during the first three weeks of their lives, showed dramatically less brain cell deterioration and memory loss as they grew old, compared with non-handled rats.

Despite all of these reasons to reach out and touch someone, we still find it difficult and often withdraw, reserving our touch for a brisk handshake or an occasional farewell embrace.

Is it possible that many of the woes of the world are simply a desperate cry for a reassuring, nurturing touch?

Could a simple hug a day keep the threat of teen pregnancy and STD’s away?

TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS - TEEN PREGNANCY
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

A positive pregnancy test is usually a time of celebration - and in most cases, the arrival of a baby is a treasured blessing. However, when an unplanned bump appears on the horizon of a teenager with dreams and unlimited possibilities ahead of her – it can be devastating.

Teenage pregnancy is just one of many unexpected and often devastating outcomes of adolescent sexual activity.

Most parents feel a sense of helplessness about how to ensure their daughters don’t become sexually active. It’s a big world out there and teenagers are bombarded with negative influences and peer pressure. According to findings from the largest survey ever conducted with adolescents in the United States, there are certain criteria that can lessen the risk. The survey of 3000 pairs of mothers and daughters revealed that teenager girls who have a close relationship with their mothers are more likely to delay sexual activity. Parents who encouraged their children on the importance of education also have a positive impact on delaying teenage promiscuity. However, it was found that when parents simply warned teenagers about the dangers of early sex, or told them that they shouldn't do it, they had no effect on stopping their teens from becoming sexually active.

Study author of the survey, Robert Blum, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the University of Minnesota's Centre for Adolescent Health and Development Program, says parents feel that they talk until they're blue in the face and their kids still don't listen. He says that kids will pay attention to their parents’ values and beliefs on sex, but warns that talk alone does not get the message through. Parents need to know their teen’s friends and speak with their friends' parents as well.

Teenage girls need to understand how their bodies work and function before they become sexually active. Falling pregnant doesn’t even need penetration because sperm in the area of the external vulva can cause pregnancy.

Unplanned teenage pregnancy greatly increases a girl’s risk of loss of education, poverty, depression, continuing to have out-of-wedlock babies, mental and physical health problems and suicide.

Open dialogue about social responsibilities, self-respect, consequences and parents expectations are essential because hearsay at school and from friends only creates confusion and the desire to experiment.

Scaring them with tales that sex is dirty can cause more long-term harm that good, and they need to hear from their parents that sexual intercourse in a monogamous, loving relationship - is the basis of creation and life. They also need a solid understanding that sexually transmitted diseases are a major threat, not only to their health and life, but to their reputation, social standing, future, and confidence. The first responsibility of a child reaching puberty is to realize that participating in early sexual behaviour is a very dangerous activity.

To add to the pressure of bringing up teenagers, research has also revealed that children from single parent families have a higher chance of early experimentation, and this chance increases as contact with a father figure decreases. In these cases, a mother needs to build a strong trusting and open dialogue with her children.

Condoms have become an essential part of our culture, but teenagers need to know that they don’t offer 100% protection because they can tear, leak and be used incorrectly. Condoms also don’t protect users from all STD’s – including the Human Papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer – even when used correctly because skin contact around the genital area is all that’s needed to spread many diseases.

A debate is taking place globally between two methods of educating children on sexual behaviour:

Abstinence vs Protection
With “Abstinence”, teenagers are encouraged to abstain from any kind of sexual activity whatsoever, with millions of verbal and written vows to remain celibate until marriage being made by teenagers in countries around the world. This of course, is the ideal situation as it costs nothing, prevents pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases – and builds self-esteem, respect and trust. The “Protection” campaign feels that teenagers need to be educated about safe sex just in case their hormones, peer pressure or lack of self-esteem gets the better of them.

Both are essential for teenagers to know but teaching abstinence and protection at the same time can create a bit of confusion, because on the one hand you’re saying “We totally trust that you will abstain” – and on the other; “But just in case you give in to temptation – have a condom”.

It’s a tricky one, but the most effective, proven solution to this dilemma is simple – a good solid foundation of open dialogue with your children.

TB OR NOT TB
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

Are we unwittingly eating ourselves into poor health?

According to the findings of a select committee on nutrition and human needs, ‘the eating patterns of this century represent as critical a public concern as any now before us’. The report, known as the ‘Dietary Guidelines for the United States’, further states that 6 of the top 10 killer diseases in the world can be linked to poor nutritional habits. These include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, obesity and hypertension, which have all now reached epidemic proportions.

The current fare of the world table is becoming increasingly rich, artificial, processed and refined; with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains relegated to the occasional side order.

The report continues, ‘There is widespread and unfounded confidence in the ability of medical science to cure or mitigate the effects of such diseases once they occur. The public must be informed of the current state of knowledge and be assisted in making the correct food choices. Once these chronic diseases have manifest, there is, in reality, very little that medical science can do to return a patient to normal physiological function. Without government and industry commitment to good nutrition, people will continue to eat themselves to poor health’.

Powerful words indeed, but what makes this report even more critical is the fact that it was released 30 years ago, in 1977!

Unfortunately, whether due to vested interest or conflicting opinion, the impact of this crucial document was greatly reduced, when certain contributors retracted their original findings, suggesting that disclosure needed more verification.

Today however, there is an ever-increasing body of evidence that not only endorses the preventative nature of nutrition, but also reveals its phenomenal curative properties.

Of the many nutritional protocols now being employed, two deserve special mention.

TB or notTB
In the early 1900’s, German born Dr. Max Gerson found that he could control debilitating migraines by simply avoiding certain foods and eating a low-salt, primarily vegetarian diet, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

As director of a special department of tuberculosis at the Munich University Hospital, he began treating tuberculosis patients with the same dietary regime he used for his migraines. After initial success with skin tuberculosis, his dietary protocol was applied to other forms of TB, including lung, kidney and bone, each time with great success.
After extensive clinical testing, Dr. Ferdinand Sauerbruch, an authority on tuberculosis, announced in a number of the world's leading scientific journals that Gerson's dietary therapy was a cure for skin tuberculosis.

Dr. Gerson based his regimen on the theory that toxins and mineral imbalances in the cells cause cancer and help to maintain the continued existence of tumours. To detoxify the body and restore electrolyte balance, he placed patients on a strict vegetarian diet, with regular servings of freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices.

He also discovered that by restricting the protein intake of his patients, he could enhance immune functioning and cause the body to eliminate even more sodium from damaged cells.

The dietary program has also proven successful in treating diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, arthritis and heart disease.

The Black-listed Treatment
In the 1950’s, German biochemist Dr Johanna Budwig discovered that two simple foods added to a healthful diet could improve the quality of life of people suffering from numerous health conditions, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

According to Budwig, it is the absence of essential fatty acids in the average Western diet that increases the production of oxidase, which induces cancer growth and is the primary cause of many other chronic disorders.

Proper cellular oxidation can be greatly stimulated by the use of sulphur proteins and unsaturated fatty acids. The best combination is cottage cheese and flaxseed oil.

Known as the ‘blacklisted’ cancer cure, the Budwig Diet is seen as both preventative and curative. According to oncologist and former cardiologist, Dr. Dan C. Roehm, ‘this diet is far and away the most successful anti-cancer diet in the world’.

Back to Basics
It is now evident that an informed, early adjustment of diet could prevent the development of undesirable long-range effects and provide the best health-care insurance policy.

The simplest steps to take are:
• Drink 6- 8 glasses of water daily
• Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Decrease consumption of meats, saturated fats, sugar, salt and alcohol
• Eliminate processed, refined and artificial foods

For more information on these protocols, visit www.healsa.co.za

POLIO AWARENESS
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

It has all the hallmarks of a great conspiracy story. There are good guys and bad guys, information and disinformation, victims and perpetrators and most importantly billions or dollars. But perhaps the one factor that is always ignored is the innocent lives that are affected, while the plot unravels.

With polio once again hitting the headlines, it seems like a flashback to the 1950’s. As a major health concern that continued well into the twentieth century, it was believed that the war on polio was finally coming to an end with the introduction of the polio vaccine.

However, with new outbreaks in Indonesia, Pakistan and more closer to home in neighbouring Namibia, concerns are once again running high.

While the Namibian government race to implement a 3-day, multi-million dollar, national vaccination program, Islamic clerics in Pakistan and Nigeria are adamantly refusing help, claiming that the polio vaccine is part of a US plot and contains fertility-inhibiting substances.

Further scandal is emerging suggesting that polio was already on the decline by 1950, following improved nutrition, sanitation and better living conditions. Indeed, while much of America was vaccinated, the response to vaccination was not as great in Europe; yet polio statistics declined in countries that both accepted and rejected the vaccine.

Reports go further to suggest that there were greater outbreaks of the disease in vaccinated areas.

Even more seriously, claims are now being made that some batches of the vaccine, may have been contaminated with the monkey virus SV40 and may be linked to certain rare forms of cancer.

With polio remaining a serious threat in developing countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, the WHO estimates that it will take another $1 billion and at least 2 more years to eradicate the disease. So far, $5 billion has already been spent on the program.

What causes Polio?
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a viral infection with a wide range of signs and symptoms that can range from a minor, flu-like illness, to weakness and paralysis of various muscle groups. It usually infects children under the age of 5 and is believed to be spread through contaminated drinking water.

According to the research of Dr Scobey, revealed in Prevention Magazine, polio can be also caused by cyanide poisoning. Cyanide is one of the deadly poisons used in insecticide sprays on farm produce. It not only poisons the food it is sprayed on, but also washes into the soil, rendering the farmland unproductive and into the streams contaminating the water supply.

Dr. Frances Pottenger discovered that the acids formed in the decomposed proteins of cooked meat affected the nerves of his research cats, causing polio.

In an elaborate study made during one of the most widespread polio epidemics in 1949, the New York State Health Department and the United States Public Health Service concluded that the disease was not contagious.

The assumption that viruses entered through the mouth and nose led the experimenters to make exhaustive tests on both animals and human beings, mostly prisoners and orphans in institutions. They were exposed to polio patients and their throats and nasal passages were frequently swabbed with matter that was supposed to contain viruses. No polio was produced in this way and about the only noticeable after effect was that the subjects of the experiments lost their sense of taste and smell due to the damaging effects of the poisons in the serum that was used on the swabs.

According to Ralph R. Scobey, M.D and Dr Joseph Melnick, the polio virus is an endogenous substance that results from poisoning and may actually be manufactured in the nucleus of the spinal cord cells when the disease strikes.

Treatment
There is no specific treatment for polio; however symptoms of the milder form of the illness can be relieved with painkillers and anti-fever medication.
In the more serious form, weakness or paralysis require bed rest with painkillers and warm packs on affected muscles to relieve pain.
In most cases of polio without paralysis, recovery is complete. In cases of paralytic polio, however, many people are left with some degree of disability. Death occurs in a small percentage of cases.
Hot baths have proven beneficial in many cases.

Prevention
While huge controversy surrounds the vaccination debate, it is best to address all health issues at their core.
• Avoid all artificial, sugary, refined and processed products.
• Drink purified water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Cleanse your body internally
• Neutralise acidity with foods high in calcium. These include turnip greens, mustard greens, watercress, powdered whey, celery, turnips, spinach, cauliflower, dandelion greens, dried figs, hazelnuts, molasses, lentils, endive, chard, escarole, milk, cheese, parsley, alfalfa tea, and others. These, of course, must be free from insecticide spray.

FATHER TO SON
- Article by Keith McFarlane for CITI HEALTH

Men’s health is synonymous with strength and endurance. From the first set of dumbbell reps to the locker room bravado, young men usually enter manhood riding on a wing and a prayer.

While most mothers quietly prepare for the day they introduce their daughter’s to the intricacies of menstruation and the wonders of childbirth, it is rare for a father-son talk to go beyond ‘nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more’.

Whether due to embarrassment, ignorance or indifference, men generally prefer not to think below their belt, choosing instead to rely upon basic instinct. As a result, it is only when symptoms or feelings become severe that they break silence, either surfing the net or vaguely asking a friend for advice.

By the time they get to a doctor, it is often too late.

Need for Awareness
Polls suggest that men are more informed about breast cancer (which affects women and men), than they are about male only cancers. While relatively rare, testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting young men between the age of 15 and 45. Prostate cancer on the other hand has now become one of the most common cancers in men, usually occurring over the age of 50.

According to a recent survey, only 28% of men regularly check their testicles for abnormalities. Even more alarmingly, most men hardly know they have a prostate until they reach middle age, when prostate health becomes a serious issue.

Statistics suggest that 80% of men over the age of 80 will develop an enlarged prostate. Due to the large number affected by the condition, it is often thought to be inevitable, rather than treatable. This often means that the early indicators of prostate trouble are often ignored or dismissed.

Even though the prostate seems to be an older man's health problem, these imbalances always begin much earlier in life.

Forewarned - Forearmed
Many of the major health risks that men face can be prevented and treated if diagnosed early enough. It is evident that men need to have a better understanding of their own bodies and be willing to ask for help when necessary.

You should make an appointment with your doctor if you:

• find any lumps in your testicles or groin
• notice any skin sores, bumps, or other changes in your genitals
• experience burning or pain when you urinate
• have difficulty or delay in urinating
• find blood in your urine or semen
• notice a discharge from the penis
• experience pain during or after sex
• are having sex with more than one partner, you should be getting checked for STDs every six months

Key Factors
Other than hormonal changes, diet and lifestyle play a significant role in sexual health.

Stress, dehydration and poor eating habits result in accumulated toxins, which adversely affect the healthy functioning of the liver, colon, pancreas and kidneys. These can all affect sexual health.

Other irritants include coffee, caffeinated food or beverages, alcohol, tobacco and fatty foods. With respect to sexual relations and ejaculation, both too much or too little can be a problem. According to ancient Chinese tradition, men lose vital life energy every time they ejaculate. This not only affects the health of their sexual organs, but also their vital glands and their immune system. For this reason, Chinese men are taught to conserve their semen and practice the Deer Exercise to maintain sexual health.

Nutrient Support
Following an alkaline based diet is essential for good health, however, the following nutrients should be included to ensure good sexual health:
• Saw Palmetto: This herbal remedy helps to reduce the production of 5-DHT (5-dihydrotestosterone), which causes prostate enlargement.
• Pygeum africanum: Like Saw Palmetto, this herb contains Beta Sitosterols, a group of plant based phyto-chemicals which have been found to improve BPH (age related enlargement of the prostate).
• Essential Fatty Acids: Omega-3 protects the prostate cells and has anti-inflammatory properties. Good sources are flax seed and fish oil.
• Lycopene: This red-coloured carotene, found in tomato products, has been shown to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells.
• Zinc: Low zinc levels in the blood and prostate are linked to prostate cancer. A good source is pumpkin seeds.
• Selenium: Multiple powerful studies have shown selenium may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The best source is Brazil nuts.

For more information visit www.healsa.co.za