Vitamin Supplements
And 'Healthy Diets'
By Mary Sparrowdancer
c. 2004-2005 by Mary Sparrowdancer
www.sparrowdancer.com
 

"Many doctors are skeptical about megadose vitamins, arguing that a healthy diet meets most people's needs."

(From "EU Rules Threatening to Sweep Away Vitamin Pills" - The Observer 12/27/04)

As the EU moves to regulate or limit public access to vitamins and mineral supplements, once again the same tired and worn phrase is heard: "a healthy diet meets most people's needs." Once again, vitamins and mineral supplements are reduced to the status of unnecessary nonsense sought only by the common, the uneducated and the very silly public. And, once again, the stodgy inference is made that a "healthy diet" is always (in these modern times of ours) within our fork's range.

The truth however, is that the majority of the world (including the United States) does not have easy access to a "healthy diet," due in part to the fact that very few people know what a healthy diet actually is. Public officials have been misleading the public as well as the medical community for a number of years regarding what constitutes "a healthy diet."

We are now reaping the consequences of what amounts to a near-global false advertising campaign.

In the United States, where the entire country is currently struggling with an epidemic of epidemics, the epidemics of obesity and diabetes have been blamed on laziness, poor habits, computers, etc. The blame has been assigned to everything except one of the real culprits - the fraudulent Food Pyramid.

Switched before birth, the original Food Pyramid was one designed for optimal health. The real Pyramid was designed to promote the consumption of a diet based primarily upon vegetables and fruits - not starch.

Luise Light, Ed.D, a nutrition expert, was teaching at New York University and broadcasting a popular weekly nutritional radio program in New York when she was recruited (repeatedly) by the USDA to lead the team of experts that would create a new Food Guide to replace the Basic Four. Helping people by teaching them proper nutrition was a lifelong dream, and Dr. Light eventually accepted the USDA's invitation.

After working long and diligently, Light and her team created the Guide that was to become the Food Pyramid. It was submitted to high-ranking authorities within the USDA for approval. When the approved Pyramid finally made its way back to Luise and her team, it had been remade by officials whose main concern was not public health, but industry profit.

Luise described to me her team's reaction upon seeing the "new" Pyramid: "We couldn't believe it!" It bore little resemblance to the Pyramid they had created.

Gone was the team's recommendation that whole grains be limited to 2 to 4 servings, and baked goods consumed only as a rare treat. Gone also were the vegetables and fruits from the most coveted area of the Pyramid - the foundation or base, which was to make up the bulk of the American diet. Taking the place of the vegetables at the foundation were the very grains and starchy foods that the team had recommended for "limited consumption" only.

Turning everything on its head, the new Pyramid called for "6 to 11" servings of starchy grains, cereals, pastas and baked goods daily.

"What possible rationale could there be for such an unprecedented and unjustified switch?" Luise said in a statement to me. "In fact," she continued, "the health consequences of encouraging the public to eat so much refined grain, which the body processes like sugar, was frightening."

The team's exhortations to the political heads of the Agricultural Department, however, fell upon deaf ears. The unassuming public would be given the dangerously revised Pyramid as it stood - catastrophically revised to emphasize dough. The Super Sizing of Americans, which began around 1980 according to the CDC, would now balloon into an epidemic under "official" dietary recommendations.

Obesity, however, would only be one of the more visible clues that something was growing steadily wrong with the American public.

During the years that followed, increasing attention was paid to an apparent folic acid deficiency in pregnant women, which was resulting in birth defects. Studies showed that a deficiency in folate was associated with neural tube defects in infants.

Folic acid, an important component of the B-complex chain of vitamins, is a folate. "Folate," according to the National Institutes of Health, gets its name from "leaf." Folates can be naturally found (as one might suspect) in leafy greens, in vegetables and fruits, as well as beans. It is a profoundly necessary nutrient for human health. Because we are not, by nature, refined grain eaters, those eating a diet based upon refined starch must have supplements that will supply the necessary folic acid and other vitamins and minerals missing from a starch diet.

Various studies conducted throughout the world would eventually show that neural tube defects were not the only problems associated with low folic acid levels, which in turn lead to elevated homocysteine levels.

Elevated homocysteine levels, the studies found, appeared to be associated with heart attacks, stroke, Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, memory impairment, venous thrombosis, miscarriage, osteoporosis, colitis, thyroid malfunction, irritability, sleep disturbances, periodontal disease, diabetic retinopathy, etc. The list of problems is similar to those associated with fluoride ingestion. Fluoride not only disrupts thyroid functioning and calcium uptake, but also appears to increase the need for vitamin C. Studies have also shown a correlation between elevated homocysteine levels and severity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, due to a disturbance of folate levels. In fact, malaria appears to require the presence of xanthurenic acid in the human body before the disease can develop. Xanthurenic acid is a substance that is created when there is a deficiency of vitamin B-6.

All indications suggest we should be paying more attention to vitamins, not less. We should be correcting our inappropriate diets so that they emphasize more vegetables and fruits, and we should certainly be fortifying current faulty diets with supplements. We should be doing this as though our lives depend upon it.

In the US, an attempt was made to correct the folate-deficiency problem without upsetting the grain cart. In 1998, a law came into effect that required refined grain and cereal products to be fortified with folic acid. That way, the Food Pyramid could continue to stand on its head in a foundation of dough, as long as that dough was fortified with an essential nutrient naturally found in leafy greens, vegetables and fruits.

The cheap dough "healthy diet" concept is by no means merely an American anomaly. It appears to be expanding. Similar inexplicable "healthy diet" suggestions can be seen elsewhere, including the EU.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to: "protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food." According to the Food Standards Agency, "Although the FSA is a Government agency, it works at arm's length, from Government because it doesn't report to a specific minister and is free to publish any advice it issues."

The following free advice is currently being issued on their website: "Most people don't need to take vitamin supplements, because they can get all the nutrients they need from a healthy balanced diet - We should be eating lots of starchy foods every day, this means foods such as rice, pasta, bread, cereals and potatoes - Most people aren't eating enough starchy foods or fiber - Here are some tips to help you increase the amount of starchy foods and fiber you are eating: Have more rice and pasta and less sauce - "

Because human beings have similar - but by no means identical - nutritional needs regardless of which country we call home, it should come as no surprise that, according to the Euro-Diet Project report (copyright 2000), "Currently, folic acid needs are not being met in perhaps the majority of Europeans."

In addition to a starch-based diet contributing to what is now being seen as a global epidemic of malnutrition, it should be noted that folic acid is utilized by our skin to block, filter and control the effects of UV light to which we are exposed. Our folic acid levels are depleted as it does its work. Due to chemical pollutants and their destruction of the ozone layer, we are now being exposed to greater amounts of UV light. This, in turn, may be adding to the alarming incidence of folic acid deficiency. Since one of the worst pollutants is fluoride, it is possible that people living in certain areas also now have an increased need for vitamin C. Since some individuals are taking steps to block UV rays with sunscreens, some may need to supplement their diets with vitamin D, which is created in the body by UV light. People with darker skin need longer time in the sun to create adequate vitamin D, and therefore might have a greater need for supplementation than their more fair-skinned neighbors. People in northern latitudes might not be able to create adequate vitamin D during winter months, and may need more supplementation than those living in the Deep South. Intelligent assessment of this indicates people should be free to supplement their diets according to their individual needs.

Personnel representing the grain and cereal industries have demonstrated to us they are not the most ideal gurus when it comes to teaching the basics of nutrition, or deciding for us what constitutes a "healthy diet." Their concepts of nutrition have been badly flawed and have ultimately been made to insure the health and prosperity of industry rather than the public.

For those who do not have access to a truly "healthy diet" - meaning most of the population of the world - having access to missing nutrients via vitamins and supplements stands as a profoundly important way for individuals to protect their individual health. Taking such access to health supplements away from the public begs a question similar to that asked by Luise Light and her team upon seeing their Pyramid turned upside-down: "What possible rationale could there be for such an unprecedented and unjustified move?"

We do not need laws blocking our access to the vitamins and supplements needed for survival. We need legislation that will guarantee our ongoing access to vitamins and supplements.

Human beings should have as much right to fortify themselves with missing nutrients as the grain and cereal industries have to fortify their products in order to make us believe they are nutritionally valuable.

(With special thanks to Luise Light, Ed.D, nutrition expert, for her comments and time.)
 

Mary Sparrowdancer is an investigative journalist, a spiritual writer, and is the author of "The Love Song of the Universe," published in 2001 by Hampton Roads. Her ongoing studies have included bacteriology, microscopic analysis, hematology, nutrition, electroencephalography, ornithology, and veterinary studies pertaining to wild animals and biblical translations from Latin, Hebrew and Greek. She was a wildlife rehabilitator for a number of years, during which she cared for over 20,000 wild animals, including endangered species. She and her two children reside in Tallahassee, Florida. www.sparrowdancer.com

References:
The Observer, "EU Rules Threatening to Sweep Away Vitamin Pills." 12/27/2004. (12/2004). http://www.rense.com/general61/EWUi.htm
Core Report - folate deficiency in Europe. Copyright 2000. (12/2004)
http://eurodiet.med.uoc.gr/EurodietCoreReport.pdf
Folate - "leaf." 8/3/2004. (12/2004) http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate.asp
"Hyperhmocysteinemia in acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria: an effect of host-parasite interaction." October, 2004. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Italy. (12/2004)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=
Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15369744
"Environmental Fluoride - 1977" National Research Council of Canada. (12/2004)
http://fluoridealert.org/nrc-fluoride.htm
"Xanthurenic acid - a key factor in Plasmodium development" World Health Organization. 1997-98. (12/2004)
http://www.who.int/tdr/research/progress/mal_str/xanthurenic.htm
Eat lots of starchy foods - we aren't eating enough yet - Food Standards Agency. (12/2004) http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/nutritionessentials/starchfoods/
"High Homocysteine Levels May Double Risk of Dementia, Alzheimer's," NIH, February., 2002. (12/2004). http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb2002/nia-13.htm
"Folate deficiency - global epidemic of folic acid-preventable spina bifida - " Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., September 23, 2003. (12/2004) http://www.sph.emory.edu/wheatflour/Comm/
Resource/CDs/London04/ScienceEVIDENCE/GodfreyFolic.pdf
 

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Introduction to Appreciative Medicine
by Tel Franklin, M.D.

Using Appreciative Medicine, patients become proactive, take responsibility, and develop personalized optimal health plans. On a regular schedule, they review their progress with their primary care physicians and critique their goals as they plan the next step.

This empowering approach helps patients and physicians utilize medical technological advances appropriately and to the fullest. Appreciative Medicine builds on the trusting relationships practitioners have with our patients. It opens the door to a full range of creative and diverse healing strategies, including many complementary medicine options, some of which have become almost routine, such as acupuncture for back pain or a class in yoga to help lower blood pressure.

At the heart of Appreciative Medicine is the individualized healing approach, guided by the patient's own unique positive characteristics, focused on a solution-orientated perspective which leads to optimized healing. Patients access these qualities by journaling and using Appreciative Medicine's question-and-answer format. This empowering reflection/journaling lends itself to healing insight for patients and practitioners. The patient's highlighted answers are reviewed with their health care practitioners, helping to propel the patients beyond previously accepted limitations.

~ Joseph's Story ~

Joseph is a 63-year-old mechanic who developed back pain after manually lifting a automobile transmission -- the electric hoist broke earlier in the week. Following a brief exam by a chiropractor, Joseph was rushed by paramedics to a local hospital emergency room. He was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and scheduled for immediate surgery.

Shortly after his rehabilitation, Joseph arranged a consultation with my office. He confessed that he always suppressed his emotions, especially if feeling sad or depressed. "I guess I wasn't ever taught to really express myself," Joseph shared. "You were supposed to just deal with it."
 

Joseph has since participated in appreciative dialogue, helping him to rethink his priorities. He now appreciates the life he once took for granted. He continually comments on how appreciative dialogue has transformed his life. "I'm no longer afraid to say how I feel, and I'm able to listen to others when they share with me." Joseph spends almost 30 minutes every night reflecting on the day and joyfully contemplating tomorrow.
 

Joseph has lost almost 110 pounds -- his weight is down to 185. His cholesterol ratios have improved by greater than 250 percent. He enjoys daily sunrise walks with his wife. Although two years ago he had never heard the word, "vegan," now he's "as strict as they come."

New cholesterol-lowering medications, along with his amazing lifestyle changes, have significantly added quality as well as years to his life. He makes regular "dates" with his grandchildren and has planned his first trip to the Grand Canyon. He plans to walk the entire rim with his eldest daughter.

That fateful day which almost took Joseph away has changed him into a man who supremely enjoys the breath of life. His priority is now to celebrate every day for what it is: a precious gift.
 

Is McDonald’s Healthy After All?
 

I wanted to forward to you an e-mail that I sent to a local newspaper that recently published a full-length article declaring how it can be healthy to eat at McDonalds.  The reason I share this with you is because everything that I put into my letter to the editor I learned from GIFAM!  This is just another example of how you and GIFAM/GCNM are affecting the world around us in positive ways.
 

The article appeared in The Neighborhood Paper, Vol. 3, No. 5; pg. 10, January 21, 2005 - January 23, 2005. Entitled: "Undersize Me: McDonalds Undersizes Four LV Locals in 7 Days"
 

TNP challenged four people to lose weight on a specially modeled "McDiet".  Their bet was that each of their participants would lose weight if they ate specific McDonalds foods (while avoiding others) for a period of one week.  TNP was "throwing down the gauntlet" to popular diets like the Zone, Atkins, and South Beach, claiming: "You either choose to be fat or you choose to be thin."  Together, the four participants adhered strictly to the four-meal-a-day "McDiet" diet (published in the newspaper) and lost a combined total of 13 pounds in one week, showing "there is ample room to undersize yourself if you just have a plan and stick to it." 
 

Dear Editor,
I was very interested in your article "Undersize Me" in the latest edition of The Neighborhood Paper.  As a certified Nutritional Consultant, I am keenly aware of both the growing epidemic of obesity (and all its attendant health risks and complications) and the need for proper nutrition.  I have seen filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super Size Me," and find it to be both highly enlightening and quite disturbing.  And I believe that your attempt to prove that one can eat daily at McDonalds without sacrificing nutrition is a noble one.  While your facts shed some light on the matter (e.g., all of your participants lost weight and one may have even felt the effects of too little calories for an active lifestyle), they don't have much to do with proper nutrition: losing weight is not necessarily a hallmark of optimum health.  And, while I absolutely agree with you that personal choice is a power unto itself when it comes to making food and nutrition decisions, I also strongly believe that the buck shouldn't stop there...
 

I looked over your week-long "McMenu" and noticed that you had made some good choices -- adding salads and fruit is nearly always a good idea.  I also noticed, however, that a lot of the food items listed were potentially harmful (including the salads and fruit...see below).  Foods such as hamburgers, french fries, diet soda, McNuggets, etc. are all either prepared in ways which destroy nutrients or foods that contribute to health risks that can be avoided by simply choosing to eat differently.
 

I don't suggest that the very act of eating at McDonalds will make one obese -- although it certainly can -- for you have shown otherwise...at least over the course of one week.  But I do think -- and this is the major point I wish to make -- that eating at McDonalds (or any fast food place, for that matter) can be an unhealthy habit to get into.  Here are only a few reasons why:
 

1. Unless you eat only organic, most foods contain traces of pesticides.  In fact, the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed by the average person in a year has the equivalent of up to one gallon of pesticides sprayed on it.  Forty percent of pesticides now in use have been proven to be cancer-promoting and linked to birth defects or decreased fertility.
 

2. Frying food in oil (e.g. hamburgers, french fries, McNuggets, Filet o' Fish, etc.) produces what are known as "free radicals," which destroy essential fats in food and can damage cells, increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and premature aging, as well as destroying the very nutrients such as vitamins A and E which protect us from these dangerous substances.
 

3.  Most meats, if not from animals fed organic feed, contain growth hormones, sex hormones, antibiotics and high pesticide residues.  Such chemicals can wreak havoc in our bodies, leading to any number of health complications and diseases.

4.  Processed wheat (such as is found in white hamburger buns, English muffins, etc.) has twenty-five nutrients removed in the refining process.  Only four of those nutrients (iron, vitamins B1, B2, and B3) are replaced...and this they call "enriched" flour!
 

5.  Carbonated drinks actually deplete our bodies of valuable minerals and compete with our very real need for pure water.  The carbon in such drinks is unattached and chemically binds to minerals in us, taking them from the body.  Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners which actually convert into toxic chemicals in the body.  To date, no one knows how long these chemicals remain in our bodies, locked away in swollen fat cells.
 

The list can -- and does! -- go on.  There are any number of reasons why one should steer clear of any fast food place, not just McDonalds.  The simple and obvious rule of thumb is this: eating better food produces better health.  And this is where, I think, your "Undersize Me" challenge has missed the mark.  Your four participants may have succeeded in losing weight, but it is arguable that much of the food they consumed during that week was unhealthy and nutrient-poor in quality.
 

"Super Size Me" was not simply about weight gain.  It was a documentary that clearly showed that our government and society blindly condone feeding millions of people unhealthy foods that are literally hazardous to our health.  Yes, you are right, we have a choice in what to eat.  More importantly, I think, we have a choice of what not to eat.  And that can make all the difference 
 

Sincerely,

Ryan N. Harrison, MA, HHP, NC, EFT-ADV
Holistic Health Practitioner
www.BeWholeBeWell.com
 

MOTIVATIONAL TIPS

Motivation Checklist - Getting Started

If you don't know what you want, nothing else matters. All the motivation in the world will do little good if you don't know what you're motivated to do. That's why the perfect place to start is by creating a detailed list of your goals and dreams.

Personal Goals
When it comes to personal goals we are dealing with three areas. First, your character and personality; the kind of person you want to become. Second, the things you want to take part in an experience. Examples of this type include learning how to fly a plane or visiting a foreign country. Finally, the things you want to possess. Here is where you'll find goals such as purchasing a new car or home.

With as much detail as possible create a list of at least 15 items for this category.

Career Goals
You will spend roughly 100,000 hours of your life working in some capacity, and this based only on a 40-hour a week schedule. For many others in the workforce this number will be much higher. Because of this fact it's vital that you love what you do and do what you love. When you consider your career think about your desired salary, position, responsibilities, or perhaps running your own show.

With as much detail as possible create a list of at least 15 items for this category.

Health Goals
Health goals, much like your personal goals, are made up of three sub-categories. First, we have you mental health. This includes how you think and feel each day. Second are your physical health goals; your weight, diet, exercise, etc. Third are your spiritual health goals. These include becoming more connected with a higher power or gaining peace of mind.

With as much detail as possible create a list of at least 15 items for this category.

Money Goals
While money can't buy you peace, love, or happiness, it does go a long way in making life more comfortable and enjoyable. As you work through these goals I want you to consider your personal savings, investment plan, retirement plan, and even your weekly/monthly budget.

With as much detail as possible create a list of at least 15 items for this category.

Relationship Goals
Life wasn't meant to be spent alone. We are social creatures by nature and need to connect with other people. Many people have amassed great wealth and fame only to find depression and sadness because they pushed away their loved ones. Think about the relationships you have with your family, friends, and co-workers, and how you would like to deepen and enrich them.

With as much detail as possible create a list of at least 15 items for this category.

You now have 75 goals to get you started on the path toward a more exciting and fulfilling life. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more goals and dreams to come in the future.

by Jason Michael Gracia - Motivation123

Get your FREE Motivation123 Idea-Kit, filled with tips and ideas to help you get and stay motivated, reach your goals, and improve your attitude at the Motivation123 Web site: www.motivation123.com

Are You Clean Inside?

We shower, brush our teeth and wash our hair on a daily basis, but we tend to ignore cleansing our insides until some form of disease sends us a wake-up call. Believe it or not, our insides, especially the colon which functions as the “sewer system” of our body, also requires regular cleaning. Constipation, parasites, IBS, gas, bloating, stomach pain, chronic fatigue, digestive problems can all be signs of a toxic colon. Don’t be a victim, suffering silently from these painful and often embarrassing health conditions. Find out the truth about colon cleansing and how it can help you by visiting www.DrNatura.com.

Read the story of Laura and her husband below who have used DrNatura’s Colonix Program with amazing results.

“What I was seeing coming out of my own body today was the strangest, longest, nastiest stuff I'd ever seen
in my life!!!”
 

“I want to testify to the wonderful Colonix program. I happened upon your websites a few weeks ago and was astounded by everything I was reading and seeing. The stories, the pictures, everything amazed me. I wanted a clean colon really badly after spending an hour reading everything I could read on DrNatura's website. I bought three months of the Colonix program for my husband and I to use.
 

He and I started the program two weeks ago this coming Saturday. Today is our 11th day on Colonix and I have to say that all day today at work I was using the restroom facilities and amazing things were exiting my body. I've been waiting since I first drank my first glass of the Colonix and took the first Paranil pill for this to happen! For the first 10 days I only had to do the ‘number two’ maybe 1-2 times a day maximum and nothing unusual happened during those times. But I faithfully kept on because I wanted to see results and figured it would be two weeks or more before much would happen. My husband has been evacuating his bowel 5 times a day!!! And for the first time in 11 days I went 5 times!!!
 

It's amazing what I've seen and I cannot wait (yes, sounds gross and very weird) to go all day tomorrow and all the rest of the time and get this stuff O-U-T!!! I had the BIGGEST smile on my face at work and I even told and talked about what was happening to me with 6 of my coworkers who think I'm totally and completely insane. I got them on DrNatura's website for a few minutes today at work and they read some of the stories and were FREAKED OUT from the very graphic pictures that totally grossed them out. I told them, "THAT'S INSIDE YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!" And I told them that everything the website says is 100% true because what I was seeing coming out of my own body TODAY was the strangest, longest, nastiest stuff I'd ever seen in my life!!!
 

So, THANK YOU DR NATURA for your program and I wish I had a LIFETIME SUPPLY of this stuff!!! Please everyone try it out and you will be SHOCKED out of your mind after seeing what it does for you!!!”

- Laura L., Indianapolis, IN, Nov 10, 2004

Colonix^® Pack
Advanced Internal Cleansing
Program

Order yours today!

For more information and to place an order please visit: www.DrNatura.com

You’ll find hundreds of other testimonials on DrNatura.com!

“My new life is beginning, free
of medications, clean, clear,
healthy and vibrant”

“If anyone has ever tried or knows anyone who has tried to stop taking the various antidepressant medications called SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), then I'm sure they are aware of the severe pain the withdrawals cause! After reading an article which stated ‘Serotonin is synthesized in the brain and the digestive tract, which is also the source of its precursors. This is why what you eat and how well you digest are crucial to how you feel...’ (from womantowoman.com in their ‘library’). I decided to use the Colonix Cleansing Program to counter-act many of the painful withdrawal symptoms. IT IS WORKING!

I know I will be tapering off the medication over a number of months, but since using the Colonix Cleansing Program, the withdrawal symptoms I experienced --  headaches, diarrhea-constipation-irregularity, acid reflux, tiredness, gas/burping, and a general feeling of yuk -- are gone. I feel good! I feel GREAT! To feel so good is amazing, especially if you know about the horrible (horrible, horrible!!!!!)  side-effects that come from the drug withdrawal. My new life is beginning, free of medications, clean, clear, healthy and vibrant. Thank you.”
- Michelle S. from California, Feb 12, 2005

You’ll find hundreds of other testimonials on DrNatura.com!

Call 1-800-877-0414
between 8am and 10pm EST Mon-Fri
10am and 5pm Sat-Sun
or order online: www.DrNatura.com

Medical Freedom Alert

Our health freedom remains under siege. Please support the following organizations, which are at the forefront of those working to protect our rights:

Citizens for Health http://www.citizens.org
(Sign their online petition to safeguard
health supplements.)

Institute for Health Freedom http://www.ForHealthFreedom.org

International Advocates
for Health Freedom (IAHF)
http://www.iahf.com

Health Lobby (Monica Miller)
http://www.healthlobby.com.

Nutritional Consultant  (N.C.)
Home-Study Program  

Find out how Holistic Nutrition can change your life, health, and career options forever. Food can be medicine or a death sentence. The choices we make now will affect our wellbeing for many years to come. As a Nutritional Consultant you'll have the important task of educating others about nourishing their bodies for optimal health. 

Click here to find out more...
 

Holistic Health Practitioner  (H.H.P.)
Home-Study Program

Holistic healing will be the medicine of the future! As a Holistic Health Practitioner, you'll be trained in many aspects of natural medicine, including Nutrition, Herbs, and various Mind/Body therapies. Learn how to nourish the body, pamper the soul and utilize the gifts of nature.

Click here to find out more...

 

Master Herbalist (M.H.)
Home-Study Program  

With the increasing popularity of herbs and herbal medicine, the demand is also growing for qualified Herbalists. It's the perfect time to learn more about this exciting and rewarding field, not only to help others but also to enhance your own life and the lives of those around you.
Click here to find out more...

"I've been interested in herbs and nutrition for many years but never had the time to receive the proper training. I've done a lot of reading and experimenting on my own with natural remedies and tried my best to live a wholesome and healthy life. (You probably wouldn't guess that I have a grandson who's almost eight. Living healthy is the best remedy against old age!)

When I signed up with GCNM I didn't expect to learn a lot of new things but boy was I wrong! The course was full of so much incredible and useful information. As soon as my box arrived
I started studying and I haven't been able to stop since. It's almost addictive. I don't care about TV or going shopping, I just want to soak up all this knowledge.
 
I wish so much I had known about all these things when my parents were still alive. Maybe
I could have helped them or perhaps spared them from some of the agony they endured through the "marvels" of modern medicine.
I know it's never too late and I plan to put my new found wisdom to good use. I'm really looking forward to doing my case studies."

Judith Toth
Kincardine, Canada

EXPECT A MIRACLE...
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED:



A Workbook for Your Healing Journey Using Appreciative Dialogue
By Tel Franklin, M.D.
Published by The Center for Appreciative Medicine
 

Healthcare in the U.S. is changing. Tens of millions of North Americans use alternative healthcare each year. But the "alternative" infrastructure and the way healthcare is delivered in the U.S. isn't alternative at all. It uses new modalities with the same old infrastructure and methods: top-down, and doctor/expert to passive patient.

Keenly aware of this dilemma, Tel Franklin, M.D., developed a revolutionary "patient-centered" approach to personal health that utilizes a process called Appreciative Dialogue to transform a person's relationship with his own health. Appreciative Dialogue empowers patients to envision optimal health and then to coordinate treatment and healthcare options with physicians and other health practitioners in a clearly understood, integrated way.

EXPECT A MIRACLE helps to shift thinking from the traditional disease/diagnosis/ treatment model to a more positive, generative, and proactive optimal health paradigm. The workbook leads the reader through inventorying and recording the varied elements that contribute to a personal experience of health. Sections deal with self- awareness and spiritual aspects, and encourage reflection on one's experience of a range of nurturing modalities including:

 - Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture

 - Ayurveda

 - Chiropractic

 - Exercise

 - Herbs/Botanicals

 - Hypnosis

 - Massage

 - Naturopathy

 - Yoga

The reader is led easily and logically to devising an optimal health plan that comprises appropriate treatments and remedies. Illuminating anecdotes and an attractive layout make this a unique workbook that anyone desiring more control over their own health will much appreciate.

The book is designed much like the alternative medical paradigm it describes: the cover is soft and soothing, inviting to the touch, rewarding frequent use and reflection. The typography is graceful and elegant, with supportive aphorisms providing reinforcement on each page. Most of all, the book is designed to be written in - a collaboration between author and reader -- just as Appreciative Medicine is a collaboration between practitioner and patient.

 

YUMMY RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Try this at home!
Black Bean
and MushroomStir Fry

- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced  
  approx. 1/4 cup white cooking sherry
  approx 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 15 oz can black beans
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 3 tablespoons tamari

Pre-cook the rice and have it ready. Sauté onions and garlic in the sherry, vegetable broth, and tamari until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, black pepper, and cumin and sauté for about five minutes, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until done.
 

LIBRARY AND RESOURCE CENTER

•  Search online for values in the USDA National Nutrient Database
for Standard Reference.

•  Find all the necessary tools to conduct research and to present
your findings.

•  Find nutrition facts on hundreds
of different fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs.

•  Learn the medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and other uses of the 130 most commonly used herbs.

•  Download wonderful homeopathic books and help broaden your repertoire of natural treatments.

You can access our new Library and Resource Center under "Student Services" with your student ID number. This new tool will help
with your studies, research and assignments. We will continue adding new resources as they become available.

Visit The Online Library
and Resource Center today!

GCNM has an opening for a part-time student support position in Santa Cruz starting immediately. The position entails e-mail and telephone student support as well general administrative duties. Applicant must have a strong background in alternative medicine and be meticulous and self-motivated. Full-time opportunity available in a couple of weeks. GIFAM or GCNM graduates will have priority or someone with a background in Iridology, as we are looking to introduce and Iridology program in the near future. Please send your resume to the director at: drlynn@hardy.com.

GCNM programs are valid for the American Massage Therapists Association (AMTA) continuing education.

Do you have an interesting article
to share?
 

Submit your natural health or nutrition related article to ArticleSubmit@GIFAM.org.

.
All GIFAM and GCNM graduates qualify for Board Certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

If you have graduated from one of our programs and have not received the application form for Board Certification, please call our office at: 1-800-804-5512 and we’ll drop one in the mail for you.

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. - Mark Twain

GLOBAL INSTITUTE
FOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
501 Mission St. Suite 7
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
www.GIFAM.org

GLOBAL COLLEGE
OF NATURAL MEDICINE
501 Mission St. Suite 6
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
www.GCNM.com

DRNATURA.COM Inc.
6981 Curtiss Ave. Unit 4
Sarasota, FL 34231
www.DrNatura.com

Please do not respond to this email directly.
If you have an inquiry please call 1-800-605-6520
or send email to: administration@gcnm.com.

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