Lychee Fruit ~ Health Benefits & Recipes

My all time favorite fruit!!!!!Lychee is a strange and wonderful fruit with a wealth of health benefits, including its ability to boost the immune system, prevent cancer, improve digestion, build strong bones, lower blood pressure, defend the body against viruses, improve circulation, aid in weight loss, protect the skin, and optimize metabolic activities.

Lychee, which has the scientific name Litchi chinensis is in the soapberry family, but is the only member of its genus, meaning that it is quite unique in the world. It is a fruit tree that can grow in tropical and subtropical climates, and is native to China. It smells very much like a flower, and is often used to flavor cocktails and dishes because of its unique scent, which is lost if not consumed fresh. The fruit is almost primarily eaten as a dessert food in Asian nations, but it has begun to make the leap into more western markets, especially in luxury or high-end restaurants.

The fruit has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years in China, and was once considered a great delicacy of the Imperial Court. It is now cultivated in many nations around the world, but the main production still resides in Southeast Asia, China, India, and parts of Southern Africa.

Lychee is soft and pulpy, white or pink in color, and the size is usually about 2 inches high and 2 inches wide. They are highly celebrated in countries around the world because of their health and medicinal benefits, which are due to the wealth of nutrients and organic compounds present in this fascinating fruit. However, far more nutrients are present in dried lychee than in fresh lychee, so if you want to consume this for your overall health, forgo the sweet smell and allow the fruit to dry. Most vitamin and mineral contents more than double when eaten as a dried fruit.

Nutritional Value of Lychee

Lychee is packed with health benefits, but they come from the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the fruit, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, folate, copper, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese. Furthermore, lychee is a great source of dietary fiber, protein, and a good source of proanthocyanidins and polyphenolic compounds.

Health Benefits of Lychee

 Digestion:  The significant amount of dietary fiber in lychee, as in most fruits and vegetables, helps add bulk to your stool and increases your digestive health. This helps bowel movements move through the digestive tract smoothly, and fiber also stimulates peristaltic motion of the smooth small intestine muscles, increasing the speed of food passing. It also stimulates gastric and digestive juices, so nutrient absorption is more efficient. This can reduce constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Immune System: Perhaps the most significant nutrient in lychee is vitamin C, and this fruit has more than 100% of the daily requirement of ascorbid acid in a single serving. This means that your immune system gets a major boost, as vitamin C is a major antioxidant compound and is known to stimulate the activity of white blood cells, the main defensive line of your body’s immune system.

Cancer Prevention: The polyphenolic compounds and proanthocyanidins found in lychee are actually even more powerful than vitamin C in neutralizing free radicals and protecting the body from various diseases and afflictions. Free radicals are the harmful byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause cancer, heart disease, cognitive disorders, and premature aging, among other undesirable conditions. Lychee is a rich source of these organic compounds, so can be consumed as an effective preventative measure of various cancers.

Antiviral Capacity: The proanthocyanidins in lychee have been studied extensively, and they have also demonstrated antiviral capabilities. Litchitannin A2, a compound found in lychee, has been closely connected to preventing the spread or outbreak of viruses, included herpes simplex virus and coxsackie virus.

Blood Pressure: Lychee has a wealth of potassium, meaning that it can help your body maintain a fluid balance; lychee is also low in sodium, which also helps. Fluid balance is an integral part not only in metabolic functions, but also in hypertension. Potassium is considered a vasodilator, meaning that it reduces the constriction of blood vessels and arteries, thereby lowering the stress on the cardiovascular system. Potassium levels are almost three times higher in dried lychee rather than in fresh lychee!

Oligonol: This powerful phenolic compound found in lychee has been connected to a number of important health benefits, including anti-influenze activity, an improvement in circulation, a reduction in weight, and the protection of your skin from harmful UV rays when exposed to the sun. It also demonstrates considerable antioxidant capabilities, just like ascorbic acid and the other proanthocyanidins in lychee.

ByzantineFlowers

Lychee fruit nutrition facts

Delicious and juicy Lychee or “Litchi” reminds you the arrival of summer. Botanically, this exotic fruit belongs to the family of Sapindaceae and named scientifically as Litchi chinensis.

The L. chinensis is a tropical type fruit tree native to low elevations of the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in Southern China. It is a slow-growing medium sized evergreen tree with dense, round-topped foliage, and smooth, gray, brittle trunk and branches. It may reach 40-50 feet height. Litchis, not only eye-catching in spring when the huge sprays of flowers adorn the tree but also is a stunning sight for nature lovers when the tree is full of berries.

In structure, the fruit is a drupe; oval, heart-shaped or nearly round, measures about 3–5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter and weigh about 10 g. In appearance, the fruit has close resemblances with longan and rambutan fruits.

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homeopathy for pediatric ailments

Anyone who has cared for a sick baby or older child knows just how distressing it can be for both the child and the parent. A child waking in the middle of the night with a high fever or sudden episodes of vomiting and diarrhea can make even the calmest of parents experience a feeling of helplessness and panic.

Many parents and caregivers find themselves repeatedly seeking treatment by conventional medicine and over-using prescription antibiotics which, in the long term, can have adverse effects on a child’s health and can also result in creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Unfortunately, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cannot be killed or controlled by antibiotics; these bacteria are able to survive, and even multiply, in the presence of antibiotics. Minimizing the unnecessary use of antibiotics is more important than ever. Parents need to know that there are other options available.

Homeopathy has been very successful in the treatment of pediatric ailments that arise from growing pains including teething and colic, as wel as the common cold and influenza.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that uses plant, animal, and mineral products in very small doses to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal. Rather than suppressing symptoms, homeopathic remedies act deeply and curatively to stimulate the body’s own defences. Homeopathy treats the individual as a whole with a focus on not only the physical state of a child, but their mental and emotional state as well. Homeopathic treatment is gentle, non-invasive and has been shown to improve health on all levels.

Homeopathic remedies come in different forms – pills, tablets, powders or granules. It’s important to note that the age of the child will determine the type of remedy. For example, for babies and children up to age three, six pellets can be placed in previously boiled and cooled water to dissolve. Using a dropper, the remedy can be administered safely to a small child. For children three years and older, pellets can be used and the child should be instructed to allow the pellets to dissolve under the tongue, avoiding food and water for 30 minutes before and after the administration of the remedy.

Teething

Teething usually occurs anytime between four months and seven months of age. Sometimes baby teeth can come in as early as three months, while some children may only get teeth at one year of age. The appearance of baby teeth usually  happens in this order: the bottom two middle teeth and then the two top middle teeth. The last teeth to appear are the second molars, and these are usually in by three years of age.

Many parents have noticed that other symptoms and behavioural changes occur around the same time that a tooth may be cutting through the gums. A baby may experience any number of these symptoms at any given time, and some babies don’t experience any discomfort at all. Below are some of the symptoms a baby may experience:

• Sleep problems
• Drooling (which can lead to facial rash)
• Gum swelling, sensitivity
• Irritability or fussiness
• Biting behaviour
• Refusal of food

Not every baby will respond to pain or teething in the same way. Some babies don’t display any discomfort, diarrhea, or fever associated with teething, while other babies have presented all these symptoms at the same time that they were actively teething. If fever and diarrhea persist, contact your healthcare provider for further investigation.

Some of the more common remedies that have had great results for teething symptoms include:

Chamomilla – is one of the most effective and commonly used remedies for teething symptoms. Chamo-milla would be indicated for infants with inflamed gums, drooling, and a desire to keep the fingers in the mouth. Commonly, one cheek is hot and red while the other is pale. The emotional picture of the infant  would include a tendency toward hyper-irritability, and the child may scream and hit, or demand things but reject them as soon as they are given. During sleep, they toss and turn and may cry aloud. The only relief for the infant comes when they are carried or rocked.

Calcarea Carbonica – The physical and mental picture that calls for this remedy is that of a child with delayed development, and one who may not actually teeth until after 12 months of age. These babies’ phyical characteristics include a chubbiness, large bellies, and ‘chalky’ skin. These children have an intolerance to milk and may chronically regurgitate after nursing. They desire structure, can appear inflexible and obstinate, and have a need to finish what they have started.

Calcarea Phosphorica – This remedy is indicated for children who may be thin and tall. They will experience growing pains in the bones, and may suffer from arthritis. They can appear fretful or peevish and dentition may be delayed, or debilitating to the child. Easily chilled and very sensitive to cold, these babies and young children often have difficulty assimilating their nutrition properly. Ironically, they may have a ravenous appetite but will experience problems with digestion which can lead to stomach pain.

Colic

Another pediatric ailment that afflicts some babies is colic. Colic is a bit of a mystery in terms of its cause, but it is most typically characterized by a constant screaming baby who may be difficult to soothe. The term ‘colicky’ refers to a healthy baby that cries for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week for more than three consecutive weeks. Colic begins at around the age of two weeks and generally goes away when the child is somewhere between three and four months old. Symptoms include:

• Tummy trouble – perhaps a problem with cow milk protein or the lactose in some baby formulas
• Reflux – heartburn due to stomach acid and milk flowing back into the windpipe; Gas
• A growing digestive system with muscles that spasm
• Hormones that cause stomach aches or a fussy mood
• Oversensitivity to over-stimulation by light, noise, etc.
• A moody baby
• A still-developing nervous system

If you are concerned, be sure to have your child examined to rule out any life-threatening conditions.

A few of the more common remedies for Colic in infants include:

Pulsatilla – is a common remedy for colic. Infants and children for whom Pulsatilla is prescribed are generally very affectionate and desire attention and sympathy, even to the point of demanding excessive attention all the time. Older children have a yielding and gentle personality; they experience colic as pain in abdomen (colicky gripes) especially after eating fatty foods, fruit, or ice cream. Obstructed flatulence with distention of the abdomen, which gets worse after eating, can also occur.

Lycopodium – An infant requiring Lycopodium will be doubled over from ingesting cold food or drinks, the infant feels better after passing gas and/or may experience obstructed flatulence. There will be a rumbling and gurgling in the addomen before eating.

Colocynthesis – This is another great remedy for infants who are experiencing colic, with or without diarrhea. Indications for this remedy are expressed when the infant feels better when doubled up or in a fetal position. The infant may also experience an amelioration of symptoms with increased pressure to the abdomen and with heat application. The infant is restless and irritable from the colic pain. Violent colic pains often occur after an angry bout.

Colds and Influenza

With the change of seasons, we begin to see an increase in colds and influenza. Symptoms of a cold or ‘flu are a result of the body’s defence mechanism (immune response). The majority of colds and ‘flu will resolve within four to ten days, with or without treatment. Children are prone to more colds merely because their immune system is not fully developed. There is no “cure” for the ‘flu, but there are some very important measures one can take to help minimize exposure to the virus.

• Keep your distance from people who may have the ‘flu; this virus is spread through droplets in the air when a person coughs or sneezes.
• Encourage children to wash their hands frequently for 30 seconds to reduce their risk of spreading a cold or ‘flu.
• Avoid touching your eyes, ears, nose and mouth; these openings allow bacteria and viruses to enter the body.
• It’s integral to maintain a healthy lifestyle: follow a good diet, drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and minimize stress levels.

What are the major differences between a cold and flu? Firstly, the ‘flu usually accompanies a high fever, often over 38C, and can last anywhere from three to four days. On the other hand, fever is rare with colds. Aches and pains can be quite severe, with accompanying weakness and fatigue lasting up to two or three weeks with influenza;  but these symptoms would be very mild with a cold. With a ‘flu, a cough can become quite severe, accompainied by chest discomfort, but a cold will present with a hacking cough and mild chest discomfort. Nausea, with or without vomitting, is usually seen with a ‘flu and is rare with a cold.

Common Homeopathic Remedies for Colds

Aconite – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms (this remedy should be given in the early stages of a cold, as soon as it is realized the patient is coming down with a cold): chilliness, thirst, headache, congestion; stuffed nose which alternates sides, tingling and burning; no discharge; complaints ameliorate with open air.

Gelsemium – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms: The person experiences a ‘fullness’ in the head; sneezing; lack of thirst; colds that are brought on by warm weather; watery eyes; the person experiences epidemic colds.

Nux-Vomica – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms (this remedy should be given as soon as dryness and tickling of the nose begins): The first stage of a cold is brought on by exposure to damp cold weather; scraping sensation in the throat, which worsens with cold air inhalation; nose is dry and stuffed up, with slight discharge; the person feels worse in a warm room.

Common Remedies for Flu

Eupatorium Perfoliatum  – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms: soreness and aching of the whole body down to the bones; restless but feels worse when resting; cough with sore throat and chest; coughing causes pain in head and chest (person may hold their chest while coughing); drinking causes vomiting.

Belladonna  – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms: sudden onset of high fever; severe throbbing headache; hot skin, sweat on clothing covered parts of the body; face appears flushed, along with dryness of mouth and throat; patient may feel sleepy but cannot sleep; spasmodic cough.

Rhus Tox – is indicated when the child presents with the following symptoms: complains of feeling unwell upon exposure to dampness; severe aching in bones; cough with a tickle behind upper part of sternum; redness and swelling of the throat; restlessness which is worse at night; he person may experience stupor and delirium.

Remedies described in this article are for information only. It is always important to seek the advice of a professional Homeopath prior to taking any remedies. If the child’s condition worsens, seek immediate help by taking him/her to the nearest hospital.                          written by Elisabeth Christopoulos

Uric acid levels cause imbalances

uric acid causes pain and inflamation in your joints

Cod Liver Oil 101

Cod Liver Oil – Number One Superfood

By Krispin Sullivan, CN

Doctor Price was right, as usual. Cod liver oil is very good for you, more than you ever knew. Research studies ranging from 1918-2001 give cod liver oil an A+ rating. This marvelous golden oil contains large amounts of elongated omega-3 fatty acids, preformed vitamin A and the sunlight vitamin D, essential nutrients that are hard to obtain in sufficient amounts in the modern diet. Samples may also naturally contain small amounts of the important bone- and blood-maintainer vitamin K.

There is hardly a disease in the books that does not respond well to treatment that includes cod liver oil, and not just infectious diseases but also chronic modern diseases like heart disease and cancer. Cod liver oil provides vitamin D that helps build strong bones in children and helps prevent osteoporosis in adults. The fatty acids in cod liver oil are also very important for the development of the brain and nervous system. “If you want to prevent learning disabilities in your children,” said David Horrobin, distinguished medical and biochemical researcher, “feed them cod liver oil.”

Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit weight than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver oil provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef liver, the next richest source; and 10,000 IU vitamin D, almost four times more than lard, the next richest source. Of course, cod liver oil is only consumed in small amounts, but even a tablespoon (about 15 grams) provides well over the recommended daily allowance for both nutrients.

In addition, cod liveroil contains 7 percent each of the elongated omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA is the precursor of important prostaglandins, localized tissue hormones that help the body deal with inflammation; and DHA is extremely important for the development and function of the brain and nervous system. So it’s no surprise that in numerous studies cod liver oil has proven to be a powerhouse in fighting disease.

GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU

Cod liver oil greatly improves heart function to prevent heart disease and to treat it even in advanced stages, after a heart attack and after heart surgery. Cod liver oil alters the linings of the arteries in such a way as to improve healing after damage. This is attributed to the omega-3 fatty acids but vitamin A, D and K all have important roles to play in facilitating mineral absorption, improving muscle function and supporting elasticity of the blood vessels. The inflammation-reducing prostaglandins made from EPA help mediate the inflammatory response in the arteries. In other studies the heart-protective effect was associated with changes in the muscle response to serotonin, increasing the heart’s ability to “relax.”^1-15 In a study with rats, treatment with cod liver oil actually caused artery-blocking atheromas to become smaller and blood vessel diameter to enlarge.⁵⁵ Weston Price noted that heart attack deaths increased during periods when the vitamin A content of the diet was low. Cod liver oil can provide vitamin A on a continuous basis throughout the year.

Many of the conditions addressed by cod liver oil are considered related under the title Syndrome X. These include obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, adult onset diabetes and stroke. Evidence is accumulating that these diseases of civilization are the result of high levels of omega-6 fatty acids and low levels of omega-3 fatty acids along with deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins. We may be paying a very high price for our rejection of parental wisdom to take our cod liver oil.

In numerous studies, the elongated omega-3 fats found in cod liver oil have been shown to improve brain function, memory, stress response, immune response, allergies, asthma, learning and behavioral disorders, including bipolar syndrome and manic-depression.    Vaccine damaged brains-http://whale.to/a/megson5.html

Cod liver oil is most famous for contributing to bone health, preventing and reversing rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.^{16, 17} Before the discovery of cod liver oil as a source of vitamin D, many children suffered greatly with deformed bones. Osteoporosis responds to vitamin D and to cod liver oil. Sufficient elongated omega-3 oils found in cod liver oil are one of the keys to keeping and rebuilding bone.^{18, 19} In women, higher levels of vitamin D from cod liver oil improve bone mineral density.²⁰

Two of the symptoms of low levels of vitamin D are bone pain and muscle pain. This may manifest as pain in the legs, muscle weakness and difficulty climbing stairs. Numerous studies have shown improvement in muscle pain, muscle strength and bone pain scores with cod liver oil.^{40, 41}

Cod liver oil is effective in treating arthritis as well. Researchers funded by Great Britain’s Arthritis Research Campaign found that the elongated omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil reduce both pain and damage in inflamed joints.⁵⁶

Pregnant women using cod liver oil have infants with a lower risk for juvenile type 1 diabetes.²¹ This effect was found only in mothers taking cod liver oil, not in mothers taking multivitamin supplements. Cod liver oil taken by nursing mothers improves the fatty acid profile in breast milk to promote optimal brain development and also increases levels of vitamin A to prevent infections. Interestingly, cod liver oil does not provide increased vitamin D in breast milk.^23,24

Cod liver oil given to infants after birth and during the first year had no protective effect against type 1 diabetes but it nevertheless is an important source of nutrients for optimal infant health.²² In more than forty trials, vitamin A has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality of children.²⁵ Cod liver oil was the supplement of choice in many of these trials. Books on feeding infants published in the 1930s and 1940s routinely recommended cod liver oil, starting with 1 teaspoon at the age of three weeks. It was Dr. Spock who threw this wisdom out the window by recommending vaccinations instead of the powerful nutritional support of cod liver oil. Few modern books on infant care mention the importance of the fat-soluble nutrients in this wonderful superfood.

As for treating diabetes in adults, cod liver oil has been used in a number of trials with both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In both conditions cod liver oil improved glucose response and other markers of the disease.^26-31 Vitamin A in cod liver oil helps promote healing and protects the retina, both problem areas in the diabetic patient.

Cod liver oil has lowered blood pressure induced by stress-elevated levels of cortisol.^32-35 Cod liver oil given to rats reduced intraocular pressure suggesting a use in prevention and treatment of glaucoma.³⁶ Vitamin D in cod liver oil promotes absorption of calcium and magnesium, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Colitis responds more effectively to the type of omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil than to medication.^37-38 Cod liver oil should be the first protocol for this condition as well as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

Topically applied, cod liver oil contributes to faster wound healing and improvement in skin quality.³⁹ An excellent treatment for diaper rash and other skin conditions is cod liver oil mixed with zinc oxide. And cod liver oil taken orally helps maintain soft skin and minimize wrinkles.

And what about cancer? All the nutrients in cod liver oil help prevent cancer. Vitamin A has been part of every successful alternative cancer therapy so far. In a study in China, use of cod liver oil was found to be protective against childhood leukemia.⁵⁷ In a study of Norwegian men and women, consumption of cod liver oil was found to protect against lung cancer.⁵⁸

PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Eating fish will not provide the levels of nutrients that are found in cod liver oil. Even in heavy fish-eating populations, the addition of cod liver oil improves health.^42-43 And taking fish oils is not the same as taking cod liver liver oil. One tablespoon of regular cod liver oil and one-half tablespoon of high-vitamin cod liver oil provide the amount of elongated omega-3 fatty acids found in twelve 1,000 mg fish oil capsules.

As for vitamin D, body oils of fish can be good sources as long as you are willing to eat a lot of them. One-half pound of fatty herring or sardines gives a dose of vitamin D equal to that of about one tablespoon of cod liver oil. But salmon oil has one-fifth the potency of cod liver oil.

One concern about taking cod liver oil is the presence of contaminants—heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium and lead), PCBs and so forth. Fortunately, consumers need not worry when it comes to cod liver oil. All cod liver oils in the US must be tested according to protocols of the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) and approved free of detectable levels of 32 contaminants before they can be imported into this country. Furthermore, mercury is water soluble. It may be present in the flesh of fish, but it is not present in the oil.

Another concern is rancidity. Cod liver oil can become rancid if improperly handled. In a 1988 study, peroxide values (indicating rancidity) ranged from a low of 2 to a high of 44.7.⁴⁴ Nevertheless, properly handled cod liver oil is relatively stable. It contains 21 percent saturated fatty acids and 57 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, which provide stability. The fishy smell of cod liver oil is due to the presence of small amounts of fish protein and is not a sign of rancidity. To ensure that your cod liver oil is fresh, avoid buying the large economy size or the end-of-season sale item. Buy cod liver oil in small dark bottles and keep them in a cool dark place. Cod liver oil need not be refrigerated after opening if it is used up quickly—within two months.

Virtually all cod liver oil imported into the US comes from Norway, and while all of it is safe, there are different grades, depending on vitamin levels. The lighter oil from the “top of the barrel” has a lower molecular weight, goes rancid more quickly and has lower levels of vitamins, while the heavier oil, which sinks, is richer in vitamins. The heavier oil is what Dr. Price referred to as high-vitamin cod liver oil. It contains double the amounts of vitamin A and D as regular cod liver oil. Virtually all cod liver oil imported into the US is the lighter, “top of the barrel” variety. The Norwegians keep the best for themselves!
Whenever taking cod liver oil, remember the findings of Dr. Price. He noted that he did not get good results from cod liver oil unless he gave it concurrently with high-vitamin butter. Just why this is so is a matter of speculation, but we do know that the very unsaturated fatty acids found in cod liver oil cannot be effectively assimilated and stored in the tissues without the presence of adequate saturated fatty acids, the kind that would be provided by butter. This means that even regular butter would help support cod liver oil therapy; but Price found that the combination of cod liver oil with high-vitamin butter, from cows eating rapidly growing green grass, was nothing short of miraculous, reversing tooth decay and bringing patients back from the brink of death.

I do not find it hard to take Carlson’s cod liver oil on a spoon, but for many, the big challenge is how to get this oily substance down. One technique is to add cod liver oil to a small amount of water or fresh juice, stir and then quickly send it down the hatch. If you can’t bring yourself to take cod liver oil on a spoon or in water, then use the capsules. For babies and small children, use an eye dropper.

More interesting data on using Cod liver oil for Autistic kids with vaccine brain damage- see Dr. Megson and her  patient findings……http://whale.to/a/megson5.html

Getting to the route of sickness by removing maintaining causes

Getting to the route of sickness by removing maintaining causes and obstacles to cure

Homeopaths are trained in how to recognise and advise the removal of what we refer to as ‘maintaining causes’ and ‘obstacles to cure.’ In simple terms, this means eliminating habits or changing elements of lifestyle that are clearly injurious to one’s health and will deter healing.

I am consistently shocked by people who complain about feeling unwell whilst not being able to recognise that often, their complaints are self inflicted.  Take for example the heavy smoker, who has a chronic cough or the person with a myriad of digestive issues, who insists on eating fast food most of the time.  These are obvious examples; others include people that are not even aware that their habits are causing distress to their body.  The patient who is underweight, with no energy and chronic health problems; on investigation, her diet consisted of nothing fresh, but all pre-packaged food with low nutritional value; her energy spent on looking after her young family, who unfortunately, also eat this diet. A result of this self neglect leads to the prescription of pharmaceutical medications, which can often exacerbate the condition in the long term, whilst possibly giving short term relief.  The sickness is therefore compounded and invariably some of these medications cause new illnesses, knows as ‘iatrogenic’ disease.  Hahnemann, in Aphorism 74 of The Organon of Medicine states: ‘Among chronic diseases, we must unfortunately include all those wide spread illnesses artificially created by allopathic treatments.’

So, the removal of what Hahnemann referred to as ‘causa occasionalis’ (maintaining causes) must surely make sense and pave the way for true healing to begin. Whatever medication, in whatever medical discipline, will not be fully effective until this is done. In Aphorism 77, Hahnemann states: ‘Diseases engendered by prolonged exposure to avoidable noxious influence should not be called chronic, they include diseases brought about by:

• The habitual indulgence of harmful food and drink
• All kinds of excesses that undermine health
• Prolonged deprivation of things necessary to life
• Unhealthy places, especially swampy regions
• Dwelling only in cellars, damp places or other close quarters
• Lack of exercise or fresh air
• Physical or mental over exertion
• Continuing emotional stress etc..

These self-inflicted disturbances go away on their own with improved living conditions if no chronic miasm is present, they cannot be called chronic diseases.’ There are several classifications of chronic disease (according to Hahnemann) which will be covered at a later date. Although the language here could possibly benefit from being updated, it is clear that the underlying message is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle suited to your unique constitution, which is balanced on every level.

What is important here is to recognise that through individualisation and the identification of circumstances peculiar to a patient, obstacles to cure can be removed; only then can true individualised homeopathic treatment begin.

The homeopathic approach, in its entirety is set out in Aphorism 3 of The Organon.

‘If the physician clearly perceives what has to be cured in disease, ie, in each individual case of disease (knowledge of the disease,) if he clearly perceives what it is in medicines, which heals, ie: in each individual medicine (knowledge of medicinal powers,) if he applies in accordance with well defined principles what is curative in medicines to what he has clearly recognised to be pathological in the patient so that cure follows, ie, if he knows in each particular case how to apply the remedy most appropriate to its character (selection of the remedy),  prepare it exactly as required and give it in the right amount (the correct dose,) and repeat the dose exactly when required ‘and lastly, if in each case he knows the obstacles to cure and how to remove them so recovery is permanent, then he knows how to treat thoroughly and efficaciously and is a true physician.’

written by Gill Graham, BSc (Hons), BA (Hons) RS Hom, DHMHS

her website is; http://www.consultanthomeopath.com

 

http://www.nissancommunications.com/playarchive.php?id=qbwTTzMfj2w my interview

an  hour long interview I did about autistic kids in Bangkok 

In Utero shock what homeopathic remedy to use?

Ignatia for Deliverance from an In Utero State of Shock (or a Re-birthing into the World)

by Laura Coramai

There was certainly something seriously wrong with this little three year old girl. B. was sullen, easily offended, obstinate, envious, clingy, and she seemed to have no desire to live. She had a poor appetite and was consequently emaciated and had low energy. She was chilly and suffered from constipation and retention of urine.

At first, it was not clear what had brought on this emotional state until the mother told me, hand on doorknob style, what had happened during the last two weeks of her pregnancy with B. a close acquaintance, who she saw every day, had committed suicide after killing her husband and then her children with a kitchen knife;  a terrible case of post-partum depression of a stay-at -home mother gone terribly wrong. B’s mother cried uncontrollably and inconsolably for the last two weeks of the pregnancy. The suicide/homicide was an enormous shock for the whole country at that time, let alone for the people close to it. B’s problems became evident almost as soon as she was born: she screamed ceaselessly if she was not being held safe and sound in her mother’s arms. Three years later, little B. still seemed to be stuck in that state of shock and grief. Her mother described her as “disconnected, in her own world.” She did not want to go to kindergarten, becoming angry and sullen if told to do so. At the kindergarten, she stayed at the edge of the playground rather than interacting with her peers. If asked to do anything that she did not want to, she would stand and glare at her parents, and if that did not elicit the right response, she would have tantrums. She was jealous of her sister and would even bite her in the back. She would threaten to break things that she knew were dear to someone, or say “I want to kill you”, or “I want you to die.” B’s mother said that she would then have a hard, stony look on her face. At one point, it even seemed that she had tried to drown herself; she was found floating face down in the swimming pool, with her mother and sister close at hand, while her mother briefly busied herself with her other daughter. (Ignatia: “Suicidal thoughts (drowning) and desire to escape; in melancholia after great grief and much domestic trouble.”)

Many things pointed to Ignatia as the remedy of choice for B. “Biting in the back” seemed to be a rare, strange, and peculiar behaviour. Ignatia is the only known remedy in the literature, which covers that symptom. She had a pronounced fear of birds, especially of chickens, for which Ignatia is also known. Ignatia is noted for some eating disorders in Farok J. Master’s “Children’s Remedies”: “Bulemia when sad, or anorexia nervosa due to grief.” The mother’s state during the pregnancy was obviously a most shocking experience for the unborn child. Master points out in “State of the Mind Influencing the Foetus” (1999, B. Jain Publishers) “Transmission of the artificial state takes place under (the) following circumstances:  1: Prolongation of the exciting cause which ultimately continues. 2: Transmission of the mother’s state during pregnancy to the unborn child.” With the latter, “one has to determine in what month of pregnancy the state develops.” Lou Klein has stated in his Master Clinician Course, Year Two, Session one (2009, Toronto, Canada), that some of the most influential times which can affect the foetus are at the time of conception, during the first trimester,  the last two weeks before birth,  and the birth itself. The Ignatia state that was transmitted to B. during the last two weeks of pregnancy is worded well in Farok Master’s “Clinical Observations of Children’s Remedies (3rd edition, 2006, Rene Otter, Lutra Services BV): Ailments from being offended, punished or reproached… confronting the death of near and dear ones (grandparents, parents, or friends); contradiction…emotions like fright, indignation, jealousy, or mortification; failure.”

This was a case of both fright and shock, being confronted with the results of the most horribly gruesome deaths, via the mother’s experience. Six months after B.’s birth the mother had not only had to contend with the terrible loss of her friend, but had also had to prevent her own mother from taking her life with a kitchen knife. She stood, baby in her arms, pleading with her depressed mother to not take her life in front of the baby. It later seemed that the grandmother’s state, with her epileptic spasms and her obsession with knives, also fitted the Ignatia picture.

Little by little, with various potencies of Ignatia, her behaviour started to change dramatically. She no longer talked of death or threatened to kill herself over tiny incidents. She began to take an interest in her school related activities and showed a desire to learn to read. Her concentration improved markedly and she was less likely to draw attention with her clingy behaviour. Her eating and sleeping improved and her stools and urination normalised – in the past she had had to be urged to urinate before and after school. Within a week she began to gain weight and she was less chilly. She was more calm and comfortable at school and generally more communicative. She began to play with dolls for the first time, having never shown an interest in dolls or babies before. She even talked about “When we have our baby.” The potency was increased after a period of regression, back to the former tantrums. After this, the tantrums ceased and it was as though a new child has been born: bright, sparkly, and sociable, where there was once a serious frowning little girl.

 

susceptibility and homeopathics

SUSCEPTIBILITY
We can hardly discount the myriad causal factors, such as environmental toxins or emotional shock, to have an impact on our vitality. These often serve as a trigger for our innate susceptibility to the manifestation of diseases.
Susceptibility, from the traditional homeopathic perspective, can be defined as the reaction of the organism to external (e.g. environmental) and internal (e.g. emotional and mental) influences or stresses. Some of us are naturally more susceptible to addictions or diseases than others. Yet, monitoring susceptibility is another way of perceiving a weakened vital force.
Susceptibility may be related to our individual inherited emotional and psychological patterns. These reflect our wounded self and the effect of such is the alienation from our spiritual-core-self that leads to delusions. Ultimately, these patterns impact on our genetic make-up or may trigger our inherited genetic predisposition into manifesting addictions and certain bodily diseases. It follows, prior to the healing of one’s addictive behaviour or physical diseases corresponding to the specific chakra/s can take place, the wounded psychological developmental issues will need to be addressed and healed first.
Typically, one’s repeated reactivity (“one’s buttons being pushed”) to a particular situation, person, or issue, reveals a wound that is yet to be healed. Our emotionally charged reaction is a sure sign that the original unconscious wounding (template) is being reactivated. The continued negative reaction (e.g. uncontrollable anger, fear of rejection) to the same stimuli can eventually weaken our vitality that leads to disease. One’s wound is where lies one’s “susceptibility” or predisposition to the development of certain diseases.
An individual can either become more susceptible by ways of continuous suppression or may lessen the innate susceptibility by having homoeopathic constitutional treatment or other forms of vibrational medicine. Susceptibility, like vital force, is a fluid, changeable condition. Homeopathic remedy reduces susceptibility and removes the predisposition to certain disease manifestations simply because the vibrational frequency of a remedy satisfies or neutralizes the frequency of the susceptibility that produced the sickness in the first place.
On an emotional and mental level, our innate susceptibility has a tendency to continue to recreate and attract to ourselves situations that meet our biochemical needs. This provides the same “rush” of emotions as the original wounding and reinforces what one comes to know as “safe and familiar”. These situations have a particular affinity for triggering certain disease conditions because they act like a key that unlocks the weakened physical area corresponding to the wounded chakra. This reveals the underlying causal factor as to why members of the same family have the tendency to exhibit the same emotional expressions (e.g. quick to anger in one parent and perhaps extreme passivity in another) or develop similar diseases (inherited genetic susceptibility). Extreme anger and undue passivity are two sides of the same coin (e.g. Magnesium). When the childhood developmental wounds begin to heal via a given remedy, one is likely to become more balanced – the “Magnesium state” is satisfied. (Refer to Scholten’s “Diagnosis Yellow-flower” Interhomeopathy, July 2006)
Today’s propensity toward taking a myriad drugs (for recreational or medical purposes), excessive alcohol consumption, ingesting food far beyond satiety, unbridled indulgence in sexual gratification, or gross display of emotions such as rage, murderess intent, etc. can be considered as a form of “self-medication” to give “a quick fix” to our inherent susceptibility. Addiction is not just about cravings for drugs but relates to one’s inability to manage one’s emotional or physical cravings. These are repeated acts of self-affirmation and self-medication.
A similar remedy satisfies a person’s innate susceptibility (reducing the need to “self-medicate” with addictions), and the potency of a remedy affects the frequency levels of an individual. Brennan, a healer with the ability to perceive auras, observed in her work that: “the higher the potency of the homeopathic remedy, the higher the auric body it affects. The higher potencies above 1M work on the higher four layers of the auric field and the lower potencies work on the lower auric levels” (1988:150). As our auric fields become more balanced by having homeopathic remedies, our vital force strengthens. Hence, the natural progression is a healthier body.
Addictions and diseases when understood the cause of their manifestations could be pathways to change and growth in consciousness.

article by ai ling Makewell