Katherine Turner

New Year Detox

Integral Shamanics, with Shamanic Healer Katherine Turner, MPH
Integral Shamanics ; integralshamanics@gmail.com

I’m a health educator, not a physician and therefore cannot prescribe. This class can provide you with educational information and suggestions, but cannot be prescriptive as there is no way I have enough of your personal data to understand what will and won’t interact with your particular body’s needs and reactions. If you have questions or concerns, please see your physician before taking any of the herbs or supplements, or following any of the suggestions mentioned in this class. Your health is in your hands. With the help of health professionals and your own research, you choose what’s best for you. Choose responsibly!

What is Health?

Vibrant, good health is more than the absence of illness. It is the biological being in it’s strongest, most efficient form. Good health is based in part on where in the lifecycle we are, how worn out our parts are after the life and lifestyle we’ve lived. Good health is also living in alignment with nature, the natural rhythms of Life, how evolution has played out in your cells to bring you to the collection of processes and organization that you consider “you”. Our human bodies consider certain foods as healthy or unhealthy not because they *are* healthy or unhealthy, but because we’ve evolved to either use and process the food, or we haven’t evolved to process the food, and it’s therefore considered “toxic”.

What is a Detox?

Detox is short for detoxification, which is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. The term can refer to alcohol or drug dependence treatment, but for the purposes of this class, it means the use of herbs/supplements, diet, and other methods of removing environmental and food induced toxins from the body for the purpose of improving health and well-being.

Some general symptoms that a detox is needed:

• Feeling sluggish, low-energy
• Fuzzy, muddied thinking, absent-mindedness
• Bloat, digestive discomfort
• Rashes, allergies
• Chronic bronchial/sinus issues
• Constipation
• Depression, anxiety, anger

There are different degrees of detoxing. It can be as straightforward and simple as taking an herbal blend that will aid colon cleansing or boost liver function, or it can be a multi-level detox that combines diet, herbs/supplements, and health practices for a deep cleanse. A strong detox works best when done in conjunction with a cleansing diet, where some or all of the more acidic/toxicity causing foods are eliminated for at least the duration of the detox.

Detoxing can also be an extreme water or juice only fast. Although this may be helpful on some levels for some people, it has to be done under the supervision of a skilled, trained naturopath/physician/nurse. I don’t usually recommend such an extreme measure as it can be difficult to function normally in your life, as energy tend to run low during a cleanse this intense.

Detoxing elements that will help speed the process, as well as make it more comfortable for you are

• baths (with essential oils & salts)
• plenty of sleep
• exercise
• fresh air
• breathing exercises
• steams

What to Expect From the Detox Process
In the beginning, you may feel to one degree or another:

• Achey
• Tired
• Cranky
• Some colon cramping
• Cravings for the foods you’re fasting from
• Emotional detoxing in the form of sadness, fear, etc.
• Euphoria

During the detox, you will begin to feel lighter, cleaner, clearer, even as more of the funkier effects may come and go in waves. Afterwards, expect things like more energy and feelings of well-being, weight loss, and a stronger immune system.

Diet
Eating lightly is important for a strong detox. How lightly you eat depends on what sort of activities you need to do while you’re detoxing. If you’ll be doing a normal work and lifestyle schedule, you’ll want to eat more protein than if you are able to take it easier for a bit.

Many of the foods we eat these days are processed, and therefore are difficult for the body to break down for use. They also often don’t contain adequate nutrition, which adds to the toxicity load when the body’s systems don’t have the building blocks and fuel they need to function optimally. While doing a detox, it’s best to cut out all processed foods, which means that simpler foods, prepared simply, become the basis of your diet. A sample of a day of meals is:

Breakfast – oatmeal (not packaged), with sliced banana, raisins, and blueberries, sweetened with stevia
Lunch – green salad with avocado, grated raw cheddar (from the coop), homemade vinaigrette (see recipe)
Snack – live, whole milk yogurt with strawberries and walnuts
Dinner – homemade soup with soup stock, onions, garlic, caraway seeds, carrots, potatoes, green peas. (can add miso if you’d like, some organic chicken if you need the extra protein)
Snack – fruit salad

The most important foods to avoid are sugar, flour products/baked goods, and anything processed/packaged (ie anything you don’t cook yourself - unless it’s a super high quality restaurant that you know has super clean food). Try to cut down as much as possible on meat, dairy, and eggs. If you can’t cut out caffeine, cut the amount down as much as possible, and quit soda altogether. If you drink coffee, switch to tea.

Foods to avoid while detoxing:

• Salt
• Alcohol
• Tea/Coffee
• Soft drinks
• Baked goods (anything made with flour: cookies, cake, crackers, bread, etc.)
• Sugar (& all sweets, ie maltose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, etc.
• Artificial sweeteners (stevia is fine to use as it’s an herb, not a chemical)
• Chocolate
• Chips (or any such snack food)
• Eggs (unless you need them for protein, then use local, organic eggs)
• Dairy: Milk, cream, cheeses, Butter/margarine
• Meats
• Oils (except for olive oil)

What food to eat while detoxing:

• Fruit
• Veggies
• Beans
• Fresh fish (organic chicken/turkey if needed)
• Oats
• Live whole milk yogurt
• Olive oil
• High quality protein shakes w/ almond milk (Must not contain sugar!)

Also:
Evening fasts
A great way to get some extra cleansing in is to eat your last solid food by four or five pm. Then afterwards, only have herbal tea, or very light foods such as fruit or vegetable soup or Green Juice.

Green Juice
Green Juice is made from green veggies, fruit, and raw local honey. It is incredibly vibrant for your body, full of vitamins and antioxidants. It sounds odd, it looks downright funky, but it actually tastes delicious, like a banana shake. Using a Vitamix (not a regular blender, which doesn’t chop the veggies fine enough), blend:
• a half bunch of kale or collards
• a banana (no peel) and/or hunks of apple with core removed (leave skin)
• you can also add celery, parsley, or cucumber
• add raw local honey to taste
• you can add a couple of cups of steeped herbal fruit tea such as peach, berry, or kiwi strawberry if you’d like a sweeter taste

Lots of water (with lemon)
Everyone knows this. And it’s so very true: we need plenty of water to keep our body hydrated. This is especially true during a detox. Adding some lemon, or even lime, will help flush toxins from your system.

Herbs & Supplements & Superfoods
Swiss Kriss
What is it?
• Cleanses the digestive system, especially the colon
• An herbal laxative that contains a blend of herbs and flowers that work in harmony with the body to relieve chronic or sporadic constipation and promote regularity without the side effects of synthetic laxatives.
• 100% natural herbs:

• The gentle laxative effect of senna
• the digestive benefits of papaya leaves and centaury herbs
• the anti-spasmodic benefits of calendula and caraway
• the anti-gas benefits of peppermint leaves, parsley and anise
• the tonic benefit of lemon verbena
• the mild diuretic benefit of dandelion leaves
• the relaxing benefit of peach tree leaves
• the natural flavoring of hibiscus flowers.

Usage
• 1-3 tablets nightly an hour or two before bed. Take with a 4-6 oz. water.
• Not meant for long term use

Triphala
What is it?
• For cleansing and tonifying all systems of the body, especially the digestive system
• An Ayurvedic herbal blend of equal parts of three myrobalans: harada, amla, and behanda
• potential anti-cancer properties, digestion, blood sugar regulation, fat reduction, and detoxification/tonification of the colon. Supports the body’s natural cleansing process
• Been used for thousands of years and is one of the mainstays of Indian herbalism
• most clinical trials haven’t been translated to English yet.
• A popular folk saying in India is, "No mother? do not worry so long as you have Triphala." The reason is that Indian people believe that triphala is able to care for the internal organs of the body as a mother cares for her children.
• Each of the three herbal fruits of Triphala takes care of the body by gently promoting internal cleansing of all conditions of stagnation and excess while at the same time it improves digestion and assimilation.
Usage
• Once or twice a day as directed by dosage listed on bottle.
• Okay for regular use

Ultimate Cleanse
What is it?
• A proprietary blend of herbs to aid internal detoxification
• Contains over 50 essential herbs and fibers, as well as enzymes and acidophilus to help promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
• 100% natural, simple, two-step program
• Helps detoxify all five channels of elimination (bowel, kidney, lungs, skin and lymphatic system) as well as other organs, blood cells and tissue
Usage
• Take morning and evening as directed by dosage listed on bottle
• Not meant for long term use

Thistle cleanse
What is it?
• A proprietary herbal blend that helps support normal liver function.
• A blend of an extract of Milk Thistle seed, Dandelion root, Yellow Dock root, Salvia root, Hyssop leaf, Red Clover herb, Burdock root, Bayberry root, Barberry root, Bupleurum root, Sage leaf, Ginger root, Licorice root, Japanese Honeysuckle flower and Chrysanthemum flower.
• Just like your home or your car, your body needs regular upkeep and an occasional deep cleansing in order to feel its best. Periodic intestinal cleansing and liver detoxifying is beneficial for maintaining good health and rejuvenating the body.
Usage
• Use 1-4 times a day as directed on bottle.

Niacin (Vitamin B3)
What is it?
• Niacin causes the small blood vessels (capillaries) to increase in size. This enables the body to begin to allow toxins to release from surrounding fat cells, and to be carried out of the body. As the toxins release, this can cause histamines to release, which can cause the surrounding area to turn red (also from increased blood flow), and possibly to itch. This redness and itching is known as “the niacin flush” and although it can feel odd, it isn’t harmful or dangerous.
• It’s important to use niacin and not niacinamide, the latter of which was created to eliminate the factors in B3 that cause the flush. In terms of detoxing, the flush is good, it’s positive.
• Tips for taking niacin:

• Do NOT take niacin with hot beverages, alcohol or spicy food.
• If any problems arise, other than skin flushing or itching, which goes away in 30-60 minutes, consult your health practitioner.
• If you take niacin in combination with steams, be mindful to spend short amounts of time (~10 minutes) at the beginning until you get more comfortable with the flush and the effects of the steam.

Usage
• Take daily
• Begin with 100 mg./day, increase dosage in 100mg increments up to 500mg at a time.

Raw local honey
What is it?
• Unprocessed honey, straight from the hive, has been used worldwide for millennia to promote healing. Raw means the live, active ingredients are still whole and fresh. Pasturizing and processing kills off most (some say all) the benefits.
• Aids stomach and digestion, ulcers.
• The laxative value of honey, on account of its lubricating effect, is well known. Its fatty acid content stimulates peristalsis.
• Much of the effectiveness of raw honey to help treat respiratory problems has been traced to the bee pollen and propolis suspended within it. Honey has anti-allergic, anti-imflammatory, and expectorant properties that insure an immunobiological defense and give it the capacity to regenerate its attacked cells.
• Raw honey contains all the pollen, dust and molds that cause 90 per cent of all allergies. By ingesting the honey, you build up an immunity to pollen, dust or mold.
Usage
• Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water

Raw apple cider vinegar
What is it?
• Clear vinegar has very few health benefits. Organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar on the other hand is packed with good stuff. It’ll have a brownish tinge to it, with a tiny cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as "mother", and means that the apple cider vinegar is of good quality with all the nutrients and health giving properties intact. The “mother” appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to overprocessing, filtration and overheating.
• Only raw vinegar has the full health properties. Pasteurization is the heating process intended to remove potential problem bacteria from consumable liquids such as milk, juices etc. However, this process also removes delicate nutrients and enzymes that may constitute a major portion of the food’s value.
• Hippocrates used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities, and said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.
• Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented and undergo a stringent process to create the final product. It contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine.
• Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps in regulating blood pressure.
• Once you start growing older, calcium supplements become important. This vinegar helps extract calcium from the fruits, vegetables and meat it is mixed with, helping in the process of maintaining strong bones.
• Potassium deficiency causes a variety of ailments including hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose. Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium. The potassium in vinegar also helps in eliminating toxic waste from the body.
• The beta-carotene helps in countering damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.
• Apple cider vinegar helps aid weight loss by breaking down fat which helps in natural weight reduction.
• Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which is very helpful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, helping relieve joint pains. This dissolved uric acid is gradually eliminated from the body.
• It is claimed that apple cider vinegar is helpful in ailments such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with a host of many other ailments.
Usage
• Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water with 2 tbs of raw local honey
• Use in salad dressings

Cayenne, Ginger, Garlic Tea (aka Stanky Tea)
What is it?
• Grate ginger, slice a couple of garlic cloves, and heat, turning it off just before it boils
• Cover and let steep for 20 minutes or so
• Sprinkle in a small amount of cayenne (you can build up to more, but you might want to start with less than an 1/8th of teaspoon)
• Add raw local honey to sweeten the taste
Usage
• Facilitates mucus elimination, to speed the detox process (it’s also great for colds/sinus problems)

Extras
Sleep
• Get at least 7 hours each night
• Nap if you feel like it, if you can find time for it in your schedule

Neti Pot

• These are wonderful little devices that help clear toxins out of the nasal passages. A little weird feeling at first, once you get the hang of it, they are miraculous in how clear they’ll keep your sinuses.
• Buy one at the coop, online, or these days, any big department store or drug store. Follow the directions in the box.
• I use mine in the shower every morning. Though if you’ve spent the day in a funky-air environment, it’s a great idea to use your neti pot before you go to bed.

Baths
• Aromatherapy

• Detox essential oils include: rose, black pepper, cypress, juniper berry, fennel, coriander, parsley, sage, frankincense, carrot seed, grapefruit, bitter orange, lemon and nutmeg
• Make sure you use clean oils, pure essential oils and not “fragrances” which are chemicals

• Epsom salts

• Wonderful for pulling toxins out of the body, especially if you are feeling muscle fatigue

• Mineral salts

• Also good for pulling toxins out of the body (especially Dead Sea Salts)

• Raw cider vinegar

• Add a half cup to your bath water to help detox

Exercise, fresh air
• Do we really need to say anything about this that you don’t already know???

Steams
• In combo with niacin flushes they are especially detoxifying
• Eucalyptus essential oil misted into the air will help clear the lungs

Extra Info for Cold and Flu

Immune boosting is hands down the most important thing you can do as it’s preventative:

• Sleep, water, fresh air, exercise, clean food
• Keep your systems flushed out of toxins as much as possible

If you do find yourself in the ‘cleanse known as cold or flu’, at the first sign of symptoms (headachy, stuffed up, tight feeling in chest, rumbling of mucus in the chest) begin to take and add in:

• Thistle cleanse, to aid the liver in toxin removal
• A hot, hot bath with eucalyptus and other detoxers in the water
• Stanky tea, a lot of it
• Dose yourself several (3-6) times a day with vitamin c (Emergen-c is awesome for this), olive leaf, and thistle cleanse

Amazing and Simple Vinaigrette Recipe
The basic rule is 2 parts oil to 1 part acidic (vinegar and citrus juice). The garlic and citrus act as natural preservatives and this will keep unrefridgerated for a few weeks.
• 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil

• some folks like the light stuff, but the heartier stuff is good, too. choose for the tempo of your own tastebuds

• 1 cup of a combo of vinegars

• whatever you have: raw apple cider, rice, red wine, a dash of balsamic or umeboshi, a little japanese mirin. go out and buy a few if you don't have these as they really change the taste of the dressing into something outrageously delicious

• Citrus juice, either1/2 of a lemon or lime.

• the coop/health food store has small bottles or plastic squeezers of organic lemon and lime juice, but fresh is the best and really makes a difference in the taste. but whatever you do, don't use the juice from the regular grocery store. it's terrible and will ruin the taste of the dressing.

• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic run thru a garlic press

• if you don’t have one, get one. they make garlic amazing

• oregano or herbs de provence (to taste, approx. 1 tablespoon)
• salt and pepper to taste

Resources
Local
• Feel good Fridays at the coop: 5% discount. The coop also has an excellent organic wine selection.
• Lovey’s members get 10% off everything every day (but they can be more expensive to start with).
• The farmer’s market at Poplar Grove Plantation and downtown.

Internet
• iherb.com  - definitely the least expensive way to go that I’ve found

• Discount coupon code is TUR324 - it gives you $5 off your order  

Books
• Elson Haas – Staying Healthy with Nutrition, The False Fat Diet

Basic Detox Cecklist:

Eliminate:

❍ Sugar
❍ Baked/flour goods
❍ Alcohol
❍ Coffee/tea/soft drinks
❍ Meat (esp. beef, pork, lamb)
❍ Eggs
❍ Chocolate (& other candy)
❍ Dairy

Add:
❍ Fruit
❍ Vegetables
❍ Beans and legumes (split peas, lentils, etc.)
❍ Oatmeal (not packaged) w/ stevia or honey, raisins, banana, other fruit, sliced raw almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds
❍ Raw salad w/ homemade dressing (add some nuts, roasted seeds, or if you need extra protein fresh goat cheese)
❍ Soups – homemade (with miso if you’d like) (sautee garlic, onion; add veg stock, veggies, spices)
❍ Protein shake w/ almond or rice milk (Joe Robb’s or other high quality from the coop/health food store)
❍ Whole milk yogurt (Brown Cow or Seven Sisters or Greek yogurt) with fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, banana, raisins, sliced raw almonds or walnuts or sunflower seeds)
❍ Lots of water (with lemon)
❍ Green juice

Herbs/Supplements:
❍ Swiss Kriss & Triphala
❍ Psyllium seeds/powder
❍ Thistle cleanse
❍ Niacin flush (be gentle with this one!!!)
❍ Cayenne, ginger, garlic tea (with raw local honey)
❍ Raw local honey with raw apple cider vinegar

Activities:
❍ Baths
❍ Steams
❍ Exercise
❍ Fresh air
❍ Breathing exercises/yoga
❍ Plenty of sleep
❍ Journaling (to help facilitate emotional detoxing)
❍
❍
❍
❍

Fall Detox Class

Integral Shamanics, with Shamanic Healer Katherine Turner, MPH
http://www.integralshamanics.com; integralshamanics@gmail.com

I’m a health educator, not a physician and therefore cannot prescribe. This class can provide you with educational information and suggestions, but cannot be prescriptive as there is no way I have enough of your personal data to understand what will and won’t interact with your particular body’s needs and reactions. If you have questions or concerns, please see your physician before taking any of the herbs or supplements, or following any of the suggestions mentioned in this class. Your health is in your hands. With the help of health professionals and your own research, you choose what’s best for you. Choose responsibly!

What is a Detox?
Detox is short for detoxification, which is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. The term can refer to alcohol or drug dependence treatment, but for the purposes of this class, it means the use of herbs/supplements, diet, and other methods of removing environmental and food induced toxins from the body for the purpose of improving health and well-being.

Some general symptoms that a detox is needed:

•    Feeling sluggish, low-energy
•    Fuzzy, muddied thinking, absent-mindedness
•    Bloat, digestive discomfort
•    Rashes, allergies
•    Chronic bronchial/sinus issues
•    Constipation
•    Depression, anxiety, anger

There are different degrees of detoxing. It can be as straightforward and simple as taking an herbal blend that will aid colon cleansing or boost liver function, or it can be a multi-level detox that combines diet, herbs/supplements, and health practices for a deep cleanse. A strong detox works best when done in conjunction with a cleansing diet, where some or all of the more acidic/toxicity causing foods are eliminated for at least the duration of the detox. 

Detoxing can also be an extreme water or juice only fast. Although this may be helpful on some levels for some people, it has to be done under the supervision of a skilled, trained naturopath/physician/nurse. I don’t usually recommend such an extreme measure as it can be difficult to function normally in your life, as energy tend to run low during a cleanse this intense.

Detoxing elements that will help speed the process, as well as make it more comfortable for you are

•    baths (with essential oils & salts)
•    plenty of sleep
•    exercise
•    fresh air
•    breathing exercises
•    steams

What to Expect From the Detox Process
In the beginning, you may feel to one degree or another:

•    Achey
•    Tired
•    Cranky
•    Some colon cramping
•    Cravings for the foods you’re fasting from
•    Emotional detoxing in the form of sadness, fear, etc.
•    Euphoria

During the detox, you will begin to feel lighter, cleaner, clearer, even as more of the funkier effects may come and go in waves. Afterwards, expect things like more energy and feelings of well-being, weight loss, and a stronger immune system.

Diet
Eating lightly is important for a strong detox. How lightly you eat depends on what sort of activities you need to do while you’re detoxing. If you’ll be doing a normal work and lifestyle schedule, you’ll want to eat more protein than if you are able to take it easier for a bit.

Many of the foods we eat these days are processed, and therefore are difficult for the body to break down for use. They also often don’t contain adequate nutrition, which adds to the toxicity load when the body’s systems don’t have the building blocks and fuel they need to function optimally. While doing a detox, it’s best to cut out all processed foods, which means that simpler foods, prepared simply, become the basis of your diet. A sample of a day of meals is:

Breakfast – oatmeal (not packaged), with sliced banana, raisins, and blueberries, sweetened with stevia
Lunch – green salad with avocado, grated raw cheddar (from the coop), homemade vinaigrette (see recipe)
Snack – live, whole milk yogurt with strawberries and walnuts
Dinner – homemade soup with soup stock, onions, garlic, caraway seeds, carrots, potatoes, green peas. (can add miso if you’d like, some organic chicken if you need the extra protein)
Snack – fruit salad

The most important foods to avoid are sugar, flour products/baked goods, and anything processed/packaged (ie anything you don’t cook yourself - unless it’s a super high quality restaurant that you know has super clean food). Try to cut down as much as possible on meat, dairy, and eggs. If you can’t cut out caffeine, cut the amount down as much as possible, and quit soda altogether. If you drink coffee, switch to tea.

Foods to avoid while detoxing:

•    Salt
•    Alcohol
•    Tea/Coffee
•    Soft drinks
•    Baked goods (anything made with flour: cookies, cake, crackers, bread, etc.)
•    Sugar (& all sweets, ie maltose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, etc.
•    Artificial sweeteners (stevia is fine to use as it’s an herb, not a chemical)
•    Chocolate
•    Chips (or any such snack food)
•    Eggs (unless you need them for protein, then use local, organic eggs)
•    Dairy: Milk, cream, cheeses, Butter/margarine
•    Meats
•    Oils (except for olive oil)

What food to eat while detoxing:

•    Fruit
•    Veggies
•    Beans
•    Fresh fish (organic chicken/turkey if needed)
•    Oats
•    Live whole milk yogurt
•    Olive oil
•    High quality protein shakes w/ almond milk (Must not contain sugar!)

Also:
Evening fasts
A great way to get some extra cleansing in is to eat your last solid food by four or five pm. Then afterwards, only have herbal tea, or very light foods such as fruit or vegetable soup or Green Juice.

Green Juice
Green Juice is made from green veggies, fruit, and raw local honey. It is incredibly vibrant for your body, full of vitamins and antioxidants. It sounds odd, it looks downright funky, but it actually tastes delicious, like a banana shake. Using a Vitamix (not a regular blender, which doesn’t chop the veggies fine enough), blend:
•    a half bunch of kale or collards
•    a banana (no peel) and/or hunks of apple with core removed (leave skin)
•    you can also add celery, parsley, or cucumber
•    add raw local honey to taste
•    you can add a couple of cups of steeped herbal fruit tea such as peach, berry, or kiwi strawberry if you’d like a sweeter taste

Lots of water (with lemon)
Everyone knows this. And it’s so very true: we need plenty of water to keep our body hydrated. This is especially true during a detox. Adding some lemon, or even lime, will help flush toxins from your system.

Herbs & Supplements & Superfoods
Swiss Kriss
What is it?
•    Cleanses the digestive system, especially the colon
•    An herbal laxative that contains a blend of herbs and flowers that work in harmony with the body to relieve chronic or sporadic constipation and promote regularity without the side effects of synthetic laxatives.
•    100% natural herbs:

• The gentle laxative effect of senna
• the digestive benefits of papaya leaves and centaury herbs
• the anti-spasmodic benefits of calendula and caraway
• the anti-gas benefits of peppermint leaves, parsley and anise
• the tonic benefit of lemon verbena
• the mild diuretic benefit of dandelion leaves
• the relaxing benefit of peach tree leaves
• the natural flavoring of hibiscus flowers.

Usage
•    1-3 tablets nightly an hour or two before bed. Take with a 4-6 oz. water.
•    Not meant for long term use

Triphala
What is it?
•    For cleansing and tonifying all systems of the body, especially the digestive system
•    An Ayurvedic herbal blend of equal parts of three myrobalans: harada, amla, and behanda 
•    potential anti-cancer properties, digestion, blood sugar regulation, fat reduction, and detoxification/tonification of the colon. Supports the body’s natural cleansing process
•    Been used for thousands of years and is one of the mainstays of Indian herbalism
•    most clinical trials haven’t been translated to English yet.
•    A popular folk saying in India is, "No mother? do not worry so long as you have Triphala." The reason is that Indian people believe that triphala is able to care for the internal organs of the body as a mother cares for her children.
•    Each of the three herbal fruits of Triphala takes care of the body by gently promoting internal cleansing of all conditions of stagnation and excess while at the same time it improves digestion and assimilation.
Usage
•    Once or twice a day as directed by dosage listed on bottle.
•    Okay for regular use

Ultimate Cleanse
What is it?
•    A proprietary blend of herbs to aid internal detoxification
•    Contains over 50 essential herbs and fibers, as well as enzymes and acidophilus to help promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
•    100% natural, simple, two-step program
•    Helps detoxify all five channels of elimination (bowel, kidney, lungs, skin and lymphatic system) as well as other organs, blood cells and tissue
Usage
•    Take morning and evening as directed by dosage listed on bottle
•    Not meant for long term use

Thistle cleanse
What is it?
•    A proprietary herbal blend that helps support normal liver function. 
•    A blend of an extract of Milk Thistle seed, Dandelion root, Yellow Dock root, Salvia root, Hyssop leaf, Red Clover herb, Burdock root, Bayberry root, Barberry root, Bupleurum root, Sage leaf, Ginger root, Licorice root, Japanese Honeysuckle flower and Chrysanthemum flower. 
•    Just like your home or your car, your body needs regular upkeep and an occasional deep cleansing in order to feel its best. Periodic intestinal cleansing and liver detoxifying is beneficial for maintaining good health and rejuvenating the body.
Usage
•    Use 1-4 times a day as directed on bottle.

Niacin  (Vitamin B3)
What is it?
•    Niacin causes the small blood vessels (capillaries) to increase in size. This enables the body to begin to allow toxins to release from surrounding fat cells, and to be carried out of the body. As the toxins release, this can cause histamines to release, which can cause the surrounding area to turn red (also from increased blood flow), and possibly to itch. This redness and itching is known as “the niacin flush” and although it can feel odd, it isn’t harmful or dangerous.
•    It’s important to use niacin and not niacinamide, the latter of which was created to eliminate the factors in B3 that cause the flush. In terms of detoxing, the flush is good, it’s positive.
•    Tips for taking niacin:

• Do NOT take niacin with hot beverages, alcohol or spicy food.
• If any problems arise, other than skin flushing or itching, which goes away in 30-60 minutes, consult your health practitioner.
• If you take niacin in combination with steams, be mindful to spend short amounts of time (~10 minutes) at the beginning until you get more comfortable with the flush and the effects of the steam.

Usage
•    Take daily
•    Begin with 100 mg./day, increase dosage in 100mg increments up to 500mg at a time.

Raw local honey
What is it?
•    Unprocessed honey, straight from the hive, has been used worldwide for millennia to promote healing. Raw means the live, active ingredients are still whole and fresh. Pasturizing and processing kills off most (some say all) the benefits.
•    Aids stomach and digestion, ulcers.
•    The laxative value of honey, on account of its lubricating effect, is well known. Its fatty acid content stimulates peristalsis.
•    Much of the effectiveness of raw honey to help treat respiratory problems has been traced to the bee pollen and propolis suspended within it. Honey has anti-allergic, anti-imflammatory, and expectorant properties that insure an immunobiological defense and give it the capacity to regenerate its attacked cells.
•    Raw honey contains all the pollen, dust and molds that cause 90 per cent of all allergies. By ingesting the honey, you build up an immunity to pollen, dust or mold.
Usage
•    Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water

Raw apple cider vinegar
What is it?
•    Clear vinegar has very few health benefits. Organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar on the other hand is packed with good stuff. It’ll have a brownish tinge to it, with a tiny cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as "mother", and means that the apple cider vinegar is of good quality with all the nutrients and health giving properties intact. The “mother” appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to overprocessing, filtration and overheating.
•    Only raw vinegar has the full health properties. Pasteurization is the heating process intended to remove potential problem bacteria from consumable liquids such as milk, juices etc. However, this process also removes delicate nutrients and enzymes that may constitute a major portion of the food’s value.
•    Hippocrates used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities, and said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.
•    Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented and undergo a stringent process to create the final product. It contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine.
•    Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps in regulating blood pressure.
•    Once you start growing older, calcium supplements become important. This vinegar helps extract calcium from the fruits, vegetables and meat it is mixed with, helping in the process of maintaining strong bones.
•    Potassium deficiency causes a variety of ailments including hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose. Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium. The potassium in vinegar also helps in eliminating toxic waste from the body.
•    The beta-carotene helps in countering damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.
•    Apple cider vinegar helps aid weight loss by breaking down fat which helps in natural weight reduction.
•    Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which is very helpful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, helping relieve joint pains. This dissolved uric acid is gradually eliminated from the body.
•    It is claimed that apple cider vinegar is helpful in ailments such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with a host of many other ailments.
Usage
•    Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water with 2 tbs of raw local honey
•    Use in salad dressings

Cayenne, Ginger, Garlic Tea
What is it?
•    Grate ginger, slice a couple of garlic cloves, and heat, turning it off just before it boils
•    Cover and let steep for 20 minutes or so
•    Sprinkle in a small amount of cayenne (you can build up to more, but you might want to start with less than an 1/8th of teaspoon)
•    Add raw local honey to sweeten the taste
Usage
•    Facilitates mucus elimination, to speed the detox process (it’s also great for colds/sinus problems)

Extras
Sleep
•    Get at least 7 hours each night
•    Nap if you feel like it, if you can find time for it in your schedule

Baths
•    Aromatherapy

• Detox essential oils include: rose, black pepper, cypress, juniper berry, fennel, coriander, parsley, sage, frankincense, carrot seed, grapefruit, bitter orange, lemon and nutmeg
• Make sure you use clean oils, pure essential oils and not “fragrances” which are chemicals

•    Epsom salts

• Wonderful for pulling toxins out of the body, especially if you are feeling muscle fatigue

•    Mineral salts

• Also good for pulling toxins out of the body (especially Dead Sea Salts)

•    Raw cider vinegar

• Add a half cup to your bath water to help detox

Exercise, fresh air
•    Do we really need to say anything about this that you don’t already know???

Steams
•    In combo with niacin flushes they are especially detoxifying
•    Eucalyptus essential oil misted into the air will help clear the lungs

Amazing and Simple Vinaigrette Recipe
The basic rule is 2 parts oil to 1 part acidic (vinegar and citrus juice). The garlic and citrus act as natural preservatives and this will keep unrefridgerated for a few weeks.
•    2 cups of extra virgin olive oil

• some folks like the light stuff, but the heartier stuff is good, too. choose for the tempo of your own tastebuds

•    1 cup of a combo of vinegars

• whatever you have: raw apple cider, rice, red wine, a dash of balsamic or umeboshi, a little japanese mirin. go out and buy a few if you don't have these as they really change the taste of the dressing into something outrageously delicious

•    Citrus juice, either1/2 of a lemon or lime.

• the coop/health food store has small bottles or plastic squeezers of organic lemon and lime juice, but fresh is the best and really makes a difference in the taste. but whatever you do, don't use the juice from the regular grocery store. it's terrible and will ruin the taste of the dressing.

•    1 or 2 cloves of garlic run thru a garlic press

• if you don’t have one, get one. they make garlic amazing

•    oregano or herbs de provence (to taste, approx. 1 tablespoon)
•    salt and pepper to taste

Resources
Local
•    Feel good Fridays at the coop: 5% discount. The coop also has an excellent organic wine selection.
•    Lovey’s members get 10% off everything every day (but they can be more expensive to start with).
•    The farmer’s market at Poplar Grove Plantation and downtown.

Internet
•    www.iherb.com   - definitely the least expensive way to go that I’ve found

Books
•    Elson Haas – Staying Healthy with Nutrition, The False Fat Diet

Basic Detox Cecklist:

Eliminate:

❍    Sugar
❍    Baked/flour goods
❍    Alcohol
❍    Coffee/tea/soft drinks
❍    Meat (esp. beef, pork, lamb)
❍    Eggs
❍    Chocolate (& other candy)
❍    Dairy

Add:
❍    Fruit
❍    Vegetables
❍    Beans and legumes (split peas, lentils, etc.)
❍    Oatmeal (not packaged) w/ stevia or honey, raisins, banana, other fruit, sliced raw almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds
❍    Raw salad w/ homemade dressing (add some nuts, roasted seeds, or if you need extra protein fresh goat cheese)
❍    Soups – homemade (with miso if you’d like) (sautee garlic, onion; add veg stock, veggies, spices)
❍    Protein shake w/ almond or rice milk (Joe Robb’s or other high quality from the coop/health food store)
❍    Whole milk yogurt (Brown Cow or Seven Sisters or Greek yogurt) with fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, banana, raisins, sliced raw almonds or walnuts or sunflower seeds)
❍    Lots of water (with lemon)
❍    Green juice

Herbs/Supplements:
❍    Swiss Kriss & Triphala
❍    Psyllium seeds/powder
❍    Thistle cleanse
❍    Niacin flush (be gentle with this one!!!)
❍    Cayenne, ginger, garlic tea (with raw local honey)
❍    Raw local honey with raw apple cider vinegar

Activities:
❍    Baths
❍    Steams
❍    Exercise
❍    Fresh air
❍    Breathing exercises/yoga
❍    Plenty of sleep
❍    Journaling (to help facilitate emotional detoxing)
❍   
❍   
❍   
❍   

Shamanic Journeying Workshop

with Shamanic Healer, Katherine Turner
Integral Shamanics

Shamanic Journeying Workshop Syllabus
Module 1
Shamanic Journeying
Soul Retrieval
Shamanism
Shamanic journeying
Your Garden

Module 2
Lower World
Power Animals 
Breathwork/Pranayam/Toning
Medicine bags

8:15 pm: * 10 minute Break

Module 3
Setting Clear Intentions
Upper World
Guides 
Integrating your Guide into your Life

Module 4
Middle World

After This Workshop:
Creating a Place to Journey
Practicals
Incorporating Journeying into your ordinary reality
Ongoing

Module 1
Shamanic Journeying: The inner art of traveling to the "worlds behind worlds" that exist beyond ordinary reality. Adept journeying to these worlds allows access to information that helps facilitate change and growth in every aspect of an individual's living including health, work, relationships, spirituality. In shamanic reality, communication with spirit teachers in the form of guides and animals assists the traveler in honing their visionary skills, enabling clarity, focus, and genuine power to guide their living.

Soul Retrieval: What shamans call "soul loss", modern psychology refers to as the “disassociation” that can occur from trauma. Soul retrieval is the shamanic method of reclaiming the soul parts that have been separated from an individual through these unprocessed past traumas.  Through shamanic healing work, these soul parts can be retrieved, connecting you to the fully-engaged life you gave birth to live.

Shamanism
•    Siberian word for spiritual healer: one who sees in the dark
•    Global practice – shaman as first psychotherapist
•    Medicine man or woman
•    Medicine as damage control. Doctor, psychologist, (quitting smoking)
•    Shamanism as Wholism, web of life, connectedness, everything, i.e. stones, trees, animals, dreams and the waking

Shamanic journeying
•    all shamanic traditions all over the globe journey beyond this world (Celtic Other World, Aboriginal “Dreamtime”, Central/South/Native American non-ordinary reality, shamanic reality)
•    what shamanic reality is (a real place, an imaginary place, a place in the collective subconscious?)
•    altering the brain’s chemistry and rhythm by sound (the spirit canoe) and for some: drugs.
•    Shamanic healing - Soul retrieval
•    The shift from outward to in: every person is their own greatest healer

Your Garden
•    First visit your nature place: A place you’ve physically been to or have seen in pictures, a movie
•    Then going to your garden: Look for an opening – a tunnel, a pathway, a door, etc.
•    Return when you hear “callback”

Module 2
Lower World
The different worlds in shamanic reality – Lower, Upper, and Middle – refer to the direction you go when once you enter into non-ordinary reality. Lower World can be entered via your Nature Place or through your Garden. Generally, Lower World is where you’ll meet with your Power Animal, though they can and do show up in all levels of shamanic reality.

Power Animals 
Humans are animals with particular qualities and energies such as thought processes and emotional range that other animals don’t have or have in differing degrees. By linking with Power Animals in shamanic reality, we open into their energies which will translate into ordinary reality. When you meet a power animal in shamanic reality, your impression of them is important: how you feel, what you notice about them, what action/movement they are engaged in, what they are saying to you, either verbally, telepathically, or thru physical indicators. 
•    We humans are animals
•    Animals in ordinary reality - connectedness
•    Animals in shamanic reality – power animals
•    Spirit beings as “animals”: a consciousness, energy similar to humans

When in shamanic reality, talk to the power animals who show up to interact with you. Ask them questions (they will respond by speaking or indicating physically or telepathically):
•    are you my power animal?
•    what gifts/qualities/support are you bringing?
•    what can you teach me with regard to ________?

Integrating your Power Animal into your Life:
•    add animal items into your medicine bundle
•    dance your power animal
•    as you go about your day, with the in-breath, draw your Power Animal into your body, with the out-breath, allow Him/Her to radiate out into you, seeing the world through your eyes, body, heart.

Breathwork/Pranayam/Toning
Breath and sound are powerful ways to connect you to your body, and to help release tension that can stand in the way of strong journeying.
•    Kapalibhati

• Focus on intense exhale
• Allow inhalation that follows to drop in automatically
• 10 breaths, then push all air out of belly, apply “lock” for 8 count, then inhale fully, apply “lock” for 8 count, then release
• repeat 3 times

•    The 4 Sounds (to lighten and expand):

• song (relax)
• tong (open)
• jong (love)
• kong (empty)

Medicine bags
•    Keep three elements represented – animal, plant, mineral/earth
•    Have elements to represent your guide and power animal
•    Use it to generate power for yourself, to support strong journeying
•    The importance of ritual isn’t what you do but what it means to you. Use your rituals to provide power to fuel your journeys.

Module 3
Setting Clear Intentions
Setting clear intentions is one of the most challenging, as well as important, aspects of journeying. Your intention is the mental mechanism to shift from ordinary to non-ordinary reality. It is both the fuel that drives your journey, and the map that allows you to go where you need to. Without strong, focused intention, your journeys will be less clear, you won’t get the info you’ve gone in to get, and you’ll drift.

For clear intentions:
•    Use simple sentences with clear directives (no compound sentences)
•    Your intention needs to contain:

• Where
• Who
• Why/what to accomplish

•    Speak from your place of power, not confusion

• No: “tell me what to do”, “tell me what the truth is”.
• Yes: “tell me what my options/tools/choices are”, “what do you have to offer around ___”, “can you give me insight into ___”, “what do I need to know about ___”

•    Fuzzy/unclear intention example: I’ll go to shamanic reality and ask about the best ways to improve my health and feel more confident about work.
•    Strong, focused intention example: I’ll journey to Lower World to meet with my power animal and ask what tools he/she can offer to assist me in stronger journeying.

Give yourself extra time before you go in to write down your intention and then hone it until it is clear, direct, simple, strong. While in NOR, if you get fuzzy, spacey, unfocused, repeat your intention several times, each time saying it strongly, clearly, letting it fill your mind. And take big deep breaths . . .

Upper World
Upper World can be entered via your Nature Place or through your Garden. Upper World is where you’ll often go to meet with Guides and other Spirit Beings, though they can travel and be in all levels of shamanic reality.

To get to Upper world, you can fly, climb a tree, go up with the smoke of a campfire, ride an elevator, ride on the back of a bird, climb up a stairway, etc. Upper world can feel more ethereal or less solid than Lower world. This is perhaps how Christianity got it’s image of heaven, and how Lower world, with it’s caves and forests and tunnels and deep connections to the unconscious and subconscious levels of the mind, might be a Christian reflection of what they deemed hell was.

You will most likely feel a sort of sensation of pushing thru a slight barrier or membrane on your way to Upper world. There are many different levels up there and each one tends to have a sort of membrane separating them.

Guides
Guides may be in human or spirit form. They may be ancestral beings from your lineage, or famous figures from human lineage. They may be gods, goddesses, or mythological figures, fairies, elemental beings, or deities. It is also common to see Hybrids, which are mergings of humans and animals.

When in non-ordinary reality, speak with the Guides/ Spirit Beings/ Hybrids that show up to interact with you. Ask them questions (they may speak or indicate physically or telepathically, etc.):
•    are you my Guide?
•    what gifts/qualities/support are you bringing?
•    what can you teach me with regard to ________?

Integrating your Guide into your Life:
•    add items into your medicine bag to honor and reflect your Guide
•    dance your Guide
•    as you go about your day, bring your Guide into this reality, let them see through your eyes, allow Him/Her to radiate out into you, both for their benefit, and for yours. Note what happens for you.

Module 4
Middle World
The three worlds of shamanic reality are symbolized by a great tree, with the roots in Lower World, the branches in Upper World, and the trunk running thru all three worlds, Lower, Upper, and Middle. Your Garden is in Middle World. Middle World can be entered via your Nature Place or through your Garden. Just walk around until you see a path that glows for you, seems to draw you to it.

Middle World is the spiritual dimension, the shamanic aspects of our physical world. It’s also where the human dreamtime resides. It’s the world that is used to communicate with beings and entities that are present in our physical world – cosmos (stars, comets, the moon, etc.), nature (plants, stones, forests, an aspect of the environment). It’s also used to access the ordinary, physical world but in a deeper, more spiritual manner, such as to communicate with a person we’re having issues with in ordinary reality, or to find lost or stolen objects.

In Middle World you might encounter your ancestors, people of the current world, people in your current frame of reference (celebrities, authors, politicians, etc.) people you interact with in ordinary reality (coworkers, family, lovers, friends, etc.). The beings you encounter may be people who have died traumatically and not crossed on to the other side. They may be confused, angry, and are not the beings that you want to ask questions of as their answers will most often be given thru the confused, lost perspective they are existing in. It can be a good idea to travel to Middle World with your guide or power animal as protection and guidance until you begin to know your way around. It isn’t so much that this aspect of shamanic reality is dangerous as it is a place where the beings you may encounter don’t have the same straightforward energy of the other worlds.

After This Workshop:
Creating a Place to Journey
•    Elements needed for strong journeying

• Dark, quiet, small altar or items you bring with you (candle, medicine bag, journal, power animal definitions book, etc.)
• Consistency if possible, i.e. “ritual”
• A separate space if possible, if not then use the space differently, ie lay on your bed diagonally, remove back cushions of couch, etc.
• Use of headphones versus speakers
• Always bring your journal with you, get in the habit of journaling afterwards, even if just to write highlights so to see patterns, etc.

Practicals:
1.    importance of coming back when drumming stops, sharply defining boundaries
2.    preparing a journey space (rather than bed or chair)
3.    Build a strong medicine bundle

Incorporating Journeying into your Living in ordinary reality:
1.    adding things to your medicine bag to honor your power animal, guides, journeying
2.    allowing your power animal/guide to move through you/ experience the world through your life
3.    dancing your power animal

Ongoing:
1.    Journey at least once a week. If you aren’t sure what to journey on, just set the intention to go to your garden to meet with the appropriate guides/animals for healing, for stronger journeying gifts, or for tours of one of the worlds (Lower, Upper, Middle).
2.    Bring your guide and power animal into your ordinary reality as often as you think to do so. Begin to see the world, your life with through the benefit of the fresh eyes/perspective your guides and animals lend.

Integral Health Map

Creating Your Personal Health Map
Integral Shamanics, with Shamanic Healer Katherine Turner, MPH
Integral Shamanics
Based in part on the methods and philosophy of Ken Wilber

Integral Theory
Integral Theory unites the findings of previous researchers and theorists including Carol Gilligan’s stages of moral development, Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, and Jane Loevinger’s stages of ego development. Through its inclusion of the perspectives of science, the arts, and ethics, Integral theory offers a more comprehensive picture of human development, evolution, and consequentially, analysis and treatment of current problems and issues. One of its main tenets is a concept of five essential developmental elements, referred to as AQAL (All Quadrants, All Levels), comprised of quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types. For the purposes of this class, we’ll focus on quadrants and lines.

Quadrants are dimensions that interact to create an individual’s experience of their life. The quadrants can be summarized as self (I), culture (WE), and nature (IT and ITS). The “I” quadrant is the interior of an individual, including their feelings and current developmental capacities. This quadrant is subjective and can only be determined by asking questions of the individual. The “WE” quadrant is comprised of the inter-subjective realm of cultural impact including social mores and values. The “IT” quadrant is the exterior of an individual and is comprised of the brain, physical organism, and behaviors of an individual, and can be observed objectively apart from input from the individual. The “ITS” quadrant offers the inter-objective perspective of the social systems and environments and includes rules, policies, and laws. Quadrants aren’t isolated pieces of the individual, but rather all four aspects arise simultaneously, an interconnected occurrence of biological, psychological, cultural, and social aspects.

Lines are the developmental stages that all individuals must pass through as they evolve and mature in various aptitudes including mental intelligence, emotional intelligence, and kinesthetic awareness. Just as children must learn how to lift their heads before they can roll over, and crawl before they walk, they also go through other types of developmental stages required to prepare them for human adulthood. These are graduated stages of increasing complexity in which no stage can be omitted or bypassed, with each later stage transcending and including the previous ones. These developmental stages don’t occur in a vacuum of isolated self, but rather are impacted by the physical and social environments and the culture in which they unfold.

An Integral approach looks at how an individual’s body, mind, and spirit are rooted in self, culture, and nature. By mapping the quadrants we can see various components that are influencing an individual, and perhaps better understand how to modify the impact each quadrant is asserting on an individual’s health and well-being. Through the assessment of the various levels of development (e.g. emotional, mental, interpersonal, etc.), we can determine an individual’s “altitude”, and determine which areas of development may need further growth.

Applying the Quadrants

1. Upper Right (Individual, Objective, Behavioral) - Biological
Physical
Diet: food, vitamins, herbs
Structural: weightlifting, aerobics, hiking, other physical exercise, massage

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Diet:

Structural:

Would like to add into my daily living
Diet:

Structural:

Neurological
Pharmacological: medications, herbs, appropriate drugs
Brain/Mind Machines/Drumming: to help induce theta and delta states of consciousness

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Pharmacological:

Brain/Mind Machines/Drumming:

Would like to add into my daily living
Pharmacological:

Brain/Mind Machines/Drumming:

2. Upper Left (Individual, Subjective, Intentional) - Psychological
Emotional
Breath: tai chi, chi gong, yoga, bioenergetics, circulation of prana or feeling energy
Sex: tantric sexual communion, self-transcending whole-body sexuality
Other: inner dialogue, play

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Breath:

Sex:

Other:

Would like to add into my daily living
Breath:

Sex:

Other:

Mental
Therapy: psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, shadow work
Vision: adopting a conscious philosophy of life, visualization, affirmations
Other: dream work

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Therapy:

Vision:

Other:

Would like to add into my daily living
Therapy:

Vision:

Other:

Spiritual
Psychic (shaman/yogi): shamanic, nature mysticism, beginning tantric
Subtle (saint): deity yoga, yidam, contemplative prayer, advanced tantric
Causal (sage): vipassana, self-inquiry, bare attention, witnessing
Nondual (siddha): Dzogchen, Mahamudra, Shaivism, Zen, etc.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Psychic (shaman/yogi):

Subtle (saint):

Causal (sage):

Nondual (siddha):

Would like to add into my daily living
Psychic (shaman/yogi):

Subtle (saint):

Causal (sage):

Nondual (siddha):

3. Lower Right (Social, Interobjective) - Social
Systems: exercising responsibilities to the earth, nature, biosphere, and geopolitical infrastructures at all levels.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Respect in action for earth/nature/biosphere:

Would like to add into my daily living
Respect in action for earth/nature/biosphere:

Institutional: exercising educational, political, and civic duties to family, state, nation, world.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Respect in action for family:

Respect in action for state/nation:

Respect in action for world:

Would like to add into my daily living
Respect in action for family:

Respect in action for state/nation:

Respect in action for world:

4. Lower Left (Cultural, Intersubjective) - Cultural
Relationships: with family, friends, sentient beings in general; making relationships part of one’s growth, decentering the self.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Relationship with family:

Relationship with friends/coworkers:

Relationship with all sentient beings:

Would like to add into my daily living
Relationship with family:

Relationship with friends/coworkers:

Relationship with all sentient beings:

Community Service: volunteer work, homeless shelters, hospice, etc.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Volunteer work:

Would like to add into my daily living
Volunteer work:

Morals: engaging the intersubjective world of the Good, practicing compassion in relation to all sentient beings.

*** Personal Exercise***
A regular part of my living
Practice compassion:

Would like to add into my daily living
Practice compassion:

After This Workshop:
Continue to work with strengthening the different quadrants

Incorporating the answers you found through tonight’s checklist into your living

******
For all you online folks who want to learn more about Spiral Dynamics, I found a a great cheat sheet Here. Enjoy :)

Medical Intuition

Medical Intuition: Introductory Skills and Techniques
Integral Shamanics, with Shamanic Healer and Psychic, Katherine Turner, MPH
The Integral Shamanics website

Syllabus
Introduction

Module 1 – Basic Medical Intuition: Skills and Techniques

Module 2  - Grounding and Opening the Channels; Protection

Module 3  - Chakras and Energy Systems

Module 4  - Glands, Organs, and Physical Systems

After This Workshop

Introduction
This class is meant to be an introduction to the field of Medical Intuition, not a comprehensive training program. Thorough medical intuitive training programs take 2-3 years and include many months of field work/practicum. This class isn’t meant to diagnose or offer healing recommendations for medical conditions, but rather to offer techniques for insight and more clear understanding of the different levels that dis-ease and imbalance that effect the body. Neither this class, nor medical intuition should ever replace standard medical treatment, but is best used as an adjunct or integrative healing modality.

What is Medical Intuition?
Medical Intuition is a focused, practiced reading of the mind-body-spirit’s different systems, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is often used as an adjunct to other healing techniques, such as massage, nursing, naturopathy, shamanic, and other healing modalities. Different methods are employed including energetic scanning, the use of spirit guides, and the engaging of standard psychic channels like psychometry (reading vibration from an object) or empathing.

What does Medical Intuition do?
It can often be extremely useful in cases where more mainstream medicine has been unable to find a clear diagnoses, or where the dis-ease (pathology/imbalance) has yet to show up in the physical plane (is just beginning to weaken, is still mostly energetic, etc.) It is helpful in looking at possible outcomes for upcoming surgeries or treatments, i.e. heart surgery, biopsy, fertility treatments. It can be useful for health professionals so that they have a sense of possible red flags or areas that need to be watched more closely. It can show the links between physical illnesses and mental or emotional patterns, or links between several different dis-eases/imbalances occurring.

The Three Integral Shamanics Commandments
   1. Thou shalt not judge yourself
   2. Thou shalt not judge the information
   3. Thou shalt not judge, just read the energy

Confidentiality
We’ll be scanning one another today and it is of utmost importance that everything you see and read is kept in the strictest confidence. This must always remain true, so that the information you receive from scans are never shared, with the exception of another health professional and with the person’s permission.

Module 1
Basic Types of Intuiting Skill: ways to read/access energy and information
• Feeling/empathing

•    Centered in funnel shaped cone from solar plexus
•    Connect to it by focusing on solar plexus region, top of diaphragm to right below navel

• Intuiting/knowing

•    Centered in funnel shaped cone from seventh chakra
•    Connect to it by closing eyes and thinking upward

• Seeing/visual

•    Centered in third eye
•    Connect to it by closing eyes, allowing visual awareness to shift upward (it will naturally do this) and focusing on third eye

• Hearing/auditory

•    Centered on either side of the head, right above physical ears
•    Connect to it by focusing on this area of temporal auditory processing

What sort of channels do you use?
Most people use blends of various channels, and also incorporate different tools such as psychometry (holding a personal object to pick up charge) and using the hands to scan for changes in temperature, speed, texture, and color of energy.

How does intuition and psychic ability work?
• Everything is connected
• Following lines of connection
• Seeing probabilities (strength of probability rather than absolutes, much as western medicine does)

Intuition and Imagination: Especially in the beginning, it is common to feel as if you are simply making things up, pulling things out of nowhere, seeing what you want to see, etc. Only practice and building confidence will show you that what you get is an aspect of the truth that will reveal it’s nature, where it fits, if not immediately, in time. It is common to receive information that the person you’re scanning claims is false, only to have them admit to it minutes later. The human mind has many levels of protection, denial being a particularly strong one. When in doubt remember the Integral Shamanic Commandments, file the information away, and keep reading.

Quick impressions:
• Expansive or contractive?
• Hot or cold?
• Fast or slow?
• Still or moving?
• What color?
• Describe what you see, hear, feel in whatever adjectives or images or feelings pop into your mind.

Module 2
Protection, Grounding Down, and Opening the Channels
Managing Intuition Energy
• Protection

• Go to grounding - focusing on feet – go to the feet - keeping a foot rigid
• Establish ritual
• Create a safe space/environment
• Know when negative energies/feelings aren’t “yours”
• Be aware when someone is “vampiring”

• What weakens protection

• Leaving yourself
• Channeling
• Not enough sleep, nutrition, exercise, etc.
• Too much stress, pain, alcohol (or other drugs), processed food, etc.

• Dealing with being “wrong” – working the 3 commandments
• Judicious use of “the volume knob”

• Acting on the information you receive
• When/where to turn the volume down

• Waking up/becoming more aware of the truth/facts, not More Negativity but rather clearer reinterpretations
• Going with what “feels” true – even if it doesn’t make total practical sense – experiment with this to see where the truth of this lies for you.

Skill Strengtheners
• Begin practicing the protection steps every day, not just when you do readings/scans
• Experiment with different perspectives with extending energy field, bringing it closer when around different people.

Breathwork/Pranayama
Breath and sound are powerful ways to connect you to your body, and to help release tension that can stand in the way of strong reading/accessing. It’s always a good idea to clear the channels, to prepare your body and mind before you read energy.

• 3-Part Breath

• Inhale into belly/diaphragm, keep chest still
• Inhale by expanding ribcage, keep diaphragm expanded, keep chest still
• Inhale and fill chest, keep diaphragm and ribcage expanded
• Hold for count of 4, then release and repeat

• Kapalibhati

• Focus on intense exhale
• Allow inhalation that follows to drop in automatically
• 10 breaths, then push all air out of belly, apply “lock” for 8 count, then inhale fully, apply “lock” for 8 count, then release
• Repeat 3 times

• 4x4x4

• Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4

• 2x8x4

• Inhale for 2, hold for 8, exhale for 4

Toning
• The 4 Sounds (to lighten and expand):

• song (relax)
• tong (open)
• jong (love)
• kong (empty)

Skill Strengtheners
Do breathing exercises for a few minutes every day, either to sit and do for 10-20 minutes at a time, or as a few minutes here and there as you go about your day. A few conscious breaths while driving, while watching tv, sitting at your desk on deadline for a project, cooking dinner, in the shower, after you lay down in bed at night, before you walk into an important meeting, etc. . .

Module 3
Chakras
Chakras are wheels of energy/light that run throughout the body that act as the radio receivers for your energy system, drawing energy nutrition from the universal energy supply. They act like antenna, sending and receiving electromagnetic signals to and from the worlds around us, seen and unseen.

Depending on which philosophy of medicine you are working with, there are seven chakras, or thousands. For the purposes of this class, we’ll focus on the primary seven. They are all cone/funnel shaped and are located down the centerline of the body. The first is oriented downward at the base of the spine, the seventh is oriented upward at the crown of the head, and the five in between have two orientations, one in the front of the body pointing outward, and the other at the back of the body pointing outward.

1 – Root (red, located at the base of the spine)
The Root chakra is about both feeling and being grounded and connected to the body and living on the planet. An open, flowing root chakra means a feeling of stability and flexibility. An under-active root chakra can show up as fear or nervousness, a desire not to be in the body or in the life. If this chakra is over-active, it may show up as materialism and greed. (Physical connection to legs and feet)   

2 - Sacral (orange, located right below the navel)
The Sacral chakra is about feeling, sexuality, and creativity. When it’s open, emotion flows freely and with balance, expressed without dramatics or overemphasis. Sexuality and intimacy feel comfortable and creative flow is strong and expressive. An under-active second chakra can show up as repressed sexuality, blocked creativity, and a lack of intimacy with people. If this chakra is over-active, a person tends to be overly emotional, hyper sexually focused or expressive. (Physical connection to sexual organs and intestines)

3 – Solar Plexus (yellow, located at the base of the ribcage)
The Solar Plexus chakra is about thought, personal will, and control. If this chakra is under-active, there tends to be passivity and indecision, a lack of confidence and inability to assert the will. If this chakra is over-active, the person may be domineering, aggressive, or overly analytical with lots of worry and thought. (Physical connection to upper abdominal organs, digestive system)

4 - Heart (green, located at the center of the chest)
The Heart chakra is about love, kindness, affection, and emotional interconnectedness. When it is open, a person feels joyful, warm, and happy, their relationships harmonious. If the Heart chakra is under-active, there is a sense of coldness, distance, separation, or numbness. If this chakra is over-active, there tends to be selfishness to love, intense grief, or a proclivity to smother and feel neediness. (Physical connection to heart and lungs)

5 - Throat (blue, located at the base of the throat)
The Throat chakra is about expression, communication, and finding Your Voice. When it is open, communication flows freely and clearly, and comes from a true and honest place. When this chakra is under-active, there may be a tendency to not speak your truth, to be shy, or to feel afraid of speaking up. If this chakra is over-active, a person may talk too much, talk over others, be domineering in conversations, and be a poor listener. (Physical connection to neck, arms, and larynx)

6 - Third Eye (indigo, located between the eyebrows)
The Third Eye chakra is about insight and psychic seeing. When it is open, intuition flows strongly and clearly.
If the third eye is under-active, instead of thinking for one’s self, there may be a reliance on other people. There may be confusion, rigidity in the thinking process, or relying on beliefs rather than thinking individual situations through. If this chakra is over-active, there may be a tendency to fantasize, even to the point of delusions and hallucinations. (Physical connection to brain)

7 - Crown (violet, located at the top of the head)
The Crown chakra is about connection to universal energy, wisdom, and divine inspiration. When this chakra is open, a person tends to feel connected to spirit, and surrendered to Life and Spirit. An under-active crown chakra can show up as a lack of spirituality or rigidity in spirituality. If this chakra is over-active, there may be a loss into spirituality to the point of ignoring your bodily needs or worldly concerns. (Physical connection to divine source)

Things to look for when scanning chakras:
• Speed (is it moving slowly? Quickly? Jerkily? Sluggishly?)
• Saturation of color
• Presence of other colors
• Direction (clockwise or counterclockwise)
• Splotches of darkness or blankness
• Do you get a “feeling/emotion” radiating from it?
• Any images, pictures, animals, scenes, etc.?

Skill Strengtheners
Begin working with your own chakras every day, noticing what sort of information you receive and that acting on it in some way to test it out, support it, etc.

Module 4
Glands, Organs, and Systems

The glands of the endocrine system work closely with the organs of the body, regulating everything from hormone levels to neurotransmitter levels. This section is not meant to be a thorough understanding of the physical body but a very brief overview of what these organs and glands are/do so that you have a beginning understanding of how to scan them.

• Reproductive System – ovaries, testes, uterus, levels of hormones- estrogen, progesterone, testosterone.
• Kidneys – mineral processing, waste elimination
• Adrenals – stress reserves, cortisol levels
• Digestive System – stomach, intestines, colon, nutrition absorption, waste elimination
• Pancreas/Spleen – blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, blood volume levels
• Liver – toxin processing
• Thymus – immune function
• Thyroid – overall metabolism
• Heart and circulatory system – circulates nutrition and oxygen via the blood
• Lungs and respiratory system – intake of nutrition via oxygen, waste elimination via carbon dioxide
• Brain – central computer, seat of the nervous system, processes neurotransmitters that are switches and relays for all the functions of the body

• Pituitary – hormone production
• Pineal – secretion of melatonin which regulates metabolism, sexual development, and is connected to and responds to circadian rhythms

Things to look for when scanning organs/glands:
• Speed (is it moving slowly? Quickly? Jerkily? Sluggishly?)
• Is there color(s)? What saturation?
• Splotches of darkness or blankness
• Do you get a “feeling/emotion” radiating from it?
• Any images, pictures, animals, scenes, etc.?

Skill Strengtheners
Begin working with scanning your own organs, glands, and systems every day, noticing what sort of information you receive and that acting on it in some way to test it out, support it, etc.

After This Workshop:
Create a place to open the channels, access/read the energy

Incorporating medical intuition: in your work, in your own relationship with your body, in your everyday reality. Don’t forget disclaimers if you work with other people!

Get Medical Intuitive Sessions: to see how individual intuitives read, what they use, how accurate it is

Ongoing: Keep working the “Skill Strengtheners”

Upcoming Events That Will Strengthen Your Intuitive Skills:

* Medical Intuitive Sessions
Thursdays 12-6pm, and Saturdays 12-4pm.
Walk-ins are fine, but calling ahead will ensure a confirmed session time for you. Half-hour Medical Intuitive sessions are $45, and include readings of not just the physical body, but of emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies, as well as possible directions to take for balancing and healing.

* Shamanic Journeying Classes
Friday, August 8, 6:30-9:30pm.
Hone your visionary skills, enabling clarity and genuine power to guide your living, giving you access to information, advice, and guidance that is always specifically for you. Shamanic Journeying is the inner art of traveling to the worlds that exist beyond ordinary reality. Class fee $45. Pre-registration required.

* Psychic Knowledge and Techniques
Friday, August 15, 6:30-9:30pm.
Psychic ability is simply a practiced skill, honed techniques. This 3-hr workshop will include opening of psychic channels, reading the energy, protection, and integration. Learn how to read people, situations, understand your own reactions and emotional sweeps to them, what they translate as. Class fee $45. Pre-registration required.

5 Herbs/Supplements & 5 Superfoods

Integral Shamanics, with Shamanic Healer Katherine Turner, MPH
http://www.integralshamanics.com; integralshamanics@gmail.com

I’m a health educator, not a physician and therefore cannot prescribe. This class can provide you with educational information and suggestions, but cannot be prescriptive as there is no way I as a practitioner have enough data to understand what will and won’t interact with your particular body’s needs and reactions. If you have questions or concerns, please see your physician before taking any of the herbs or supplements mentioned in this class. Your health is in your hands. With the help of health professionals and your own research, you choose what’s best for you. Choose responsibly!

5 Herb/Supplements & 5 Superfoods:
1. Sam-e
2. Swiss Kriss & Triphala
3. Thistle cleanse
4. Maca root
5. Valerian
6. Raw local honey
7. Raw apple cider vinegar
8. Sunflower seeds
9. Almond milk (unsweetened)
10. Organic Red Wine

*** Herbs and Supplements

1. Sam-e
What is it?
• S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) is a coenzyme first discovered in Italy by G. L. Cantoni in 1952. Most SAM is produced and consumed in the liver, and is used for many different metabolic functions.
• SAM is required for cellular growth and repair. It is also involved in the biosynthesis of several hormones and neurotransmitters that affect mood, such as dopamine and serotonin.
• Some research has indicated that taking SAM on a regular basis may help fight depression, liver disease, and the pain of osteoarthritis, and help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Usage
• Because of structural instability, stable salt forms of SAM are required for its use as an oral drug.
• Oral SAMe achieves peak plasma concentrations 3-5 hours after ingestion of an enteric-coated tablet (400 – 1000 mg) (Possible dosage: 200mg in the a.m., 200mg in the late afternoon; raise dosage by 100mg until taking 1000mg a day)
• SAMe is best absorbed on an empty stomach. Enteric-coated tablets packaged in foil or foil blister packs increase stability, improve absorption. SAMe should be stored in a cool, dry place to prevent deterioration
• To prevent levels of homocysteine from increasing, B-complex vitamins help metabolize the homocysteine into other useful compounds.
• Adverse effects : Gastrointestinal disorder, diarrhea, dyspepsia, anxiety, headache, psychiatric, insomnia, allergy, and rashes, and induction of mania. Long-term effects are unknown.
• If you are on any sort of mood medication for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc. DO NOT USE SAM-E unless you first speak to your physician.

2. Swiss Kriss & Triphala
Swiss Kriss
What is it?
• Proprietary blend that cleanses the digestive system, especially the colon
• An herbal laxative that contains a blend of herbs and flowers that work in harmony with the body to relieve chronic or sporadic constipation and promote regularity without the side effects of synthetic laxatives.
• 100% natural herbs:
-the gentle laxative effect of senna
-the digestive benefits of papaya leaves and centaury herbs
-the anti-spasmodic benefits of calendula and caraway
-the anti-gas benefits of peppermint leaves, parsley and anise
-the tonic benefit of lemon verbena
-the mild diuretic benefit of dandelion leaves
-the relaxing benefit of peach tree leaves
-the natural flavoring of hibiscus flowers.
Usage
• 1-3 tablets nightly an hour or two before bed. Take with a 4-6 oz. water.
• Not meant for long term use

Triphala
What is it?
• For cleansing and tonifying all systems of the body, especially the digestive system
• An Ayurvedic herbal blend of equal parts of three myrobalans: harada, amla, and behanda
• potential anti-cancer properties, digestion, blood sugar regulation, fat reduction, and detoxification/tonification of the colon. Supports the body’s natural cleansing process
• Been used for thousands of years and is one of the mainstays of Indian herbalism
• most clinical trials haven’t been translated to English yet.
• A popular folk saying in India is, "No mother? do not worry so long as you have Triphala." The reason is that Indian people believe that triphala is able to care for the internal organs of the body as a mother cares for her children.
• Each of the three herbal fruits of Triphala takes care of the body by gently promoting internal cleansing of all conditions of stagnation and excess while at the same time it improves digestion and assimilation.
Usage
• Once or twice a day as directed by dosage listed on bottle.

3. Thistle cleanse
What is it?
• A proprietary herbal blend that helps support normal liver function.
• A blend of an extract of Milk Thistle seed, Dandelion root, Yellow Dock root, Salvia root, Hyssop leaf, Red Clover herb, Burdock root, Bayberry root, Barberry root, Bupleurum root, Sage leaf, Ginger root, Licorice root, Japanese Honeysuckle flower and Chrysanthemum flower.
• Just like your home or your car, your body needs regular upkeep and an occasional deep cleansing in order to feel its best. Periodic intestinal cleansing and liver detoxifying is beneficial for maintaining good health and rejuvenating the body.
Usage
• Use 1-4 times a day as directed on bottle.

4. Maca root
What is it?
• A plant root that has been used by indigenous peoples in Peru for over 2000 years. It was first used by the Inca for energy and endurance.
• Working in tandem with the bodies natural rhythms as an ADAPTAGEN, Maca root works with the bodies natural rhythms to help strengthen the immune systems, nourish organs and body systems, and increase energy and endurance.
• Is used primarily to increase energy levels and help balance the endocrine system (especially in relation to menopause, PMS, etc.)
• contains over 55 naturally occurring, beneficial phyto-chemicals. These naturally occurring chemicals include important hormonal precursors and sterols proven time and time again to assist the human body in a number of recognizable ways.
• Analysis reveals a brain powering profile of amino acids, minerals, sterols, and fatty acids.
Usage
• 1-3 times a day as directed on bottle.

5. Valerian
What is it?
• Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates described its properties, and Galen later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia.
• Valerian has uses in herbal medicine as a sedative. The main current use of valerian is as a remedy for insomnia, with a recent meta-analysis providing some evidence of effectiveness.
• It’s active ingredient is what Valium is based on
• Valerian is used against sleeping disorders, restlessness and anxiety, and as a muscle relaxant. Valerian often seems only to work when taken over longer periods (several weeks), though many users find that it takes effect immediately.
Usage
• Take internally as capsule or extract or externally in a bath or lotion.
• Adverse effects - Large doses or chronic use may result in stomach ache, apathy, and a feeling of mental dullness or mild depression
• In a small number of people, it can cause nightmares and headaches due to lack of a digestive property necessary for conversion

*** Superfoods

6. Raw local honey
• Unprocessed honey, straight from the hive, has been used worldwide for millennia to promote healing. Raw means the live, active ingredients are still whole and fresh. Pasturizing and processing kills off most (some say all) the benefits.
• Aids stomach and digestion, ulcers.
• The laxative value of honey, on account of its lubricating effect, is well known. Its fatty acid content stimulates peristalsis.
• Much of the effectiveness of raw honey to help treat respiratory problems has been traced to the bee pollen and propolis suspended within it. Honey has anti-allergic, anti-imflammatory, and expectorant properties that insure an immunobiological defense and give it the capacity to regenerate its attacked cells.
• Raw honey contains all the pollen, dust and molds that cause 90 per cent of all allergies. By ingesting the honey, you build up an immunity to pollen, dust or mold.
• For healing ulcers and burns - Applied every 2 to 3 days under a dry dressing, honey promotes healing of ulcers and burns. It can also be applied to other surface wounds, including cuts and abrasions. (cover with a dressing or a dusting of cornstarch to reduce any stickiness.)
• The ultimate moisturizer. Smooth a small amount of honey lightly over the skin; easily remove later with splashes of cold water or comfortable warm water. Leaves skin soft.
• As a bath and antibacterial soap. Use a small amount of honey to help clear up facial blemishes and acne caused by cosmetics or allergies.
• For dental care and mouth sores. Helps heal canker sores, blisters and mouth ulcers.
• Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water

7. Raw apple cider vinegar
• Clear vinegar has very few health benefits. Organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar on the other hand is packed with good stuff. It’ll have a brownish tinge to it, with a tiny cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as "mother", and means that the apple cider vinegar is of good quality with all the nutrients and health giving properties intact. The “mother” appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to overprocessing, filtration and overheating.
• Only raw vinegar has the full health properties. Pasteurization is the heating process intended to remove potential problem bacteria from consumable liquids such as milk, juices etc. However, this process also removes delicate nutrients and enzymes that may constitute a major portion of the food’s value.
• Hippocrates, used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities, and said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.
• Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented and undergo a stringent process to create the final product. It contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine.
• Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps in regulating blood pressure.
• The need for calcium supplements once you start growing older is very well known. This vinegar helps extract calcium from the fruits, vegetables and meat it is mixed with, helping in the process of maintaining strong bones.
• Potassium deficiency causes a variety of ailments including hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose. Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium. The potassium in vinegar also helps in eliminating toxic waste from the body.
• The beta-carotene helps in countering damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.
• Apple cider vinegar helps aid weight loss by breaking down fat which helps in natural weight reduction.
• Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which is very helpful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, helping relieve joint pains. This dissolved uric acid is gradually eliminated from the body.
• It is claimed that apple cider vinegar is helpful in ailments such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with a host of many other ailments.
• Use as a daily tonic: 2 tbs in the morning in a glass of water with 2 tbs of raw local honey

8. Sunflower seeds
• Sunflower seeds come from the sunflower, a plant with rays of petals emanating from its bright yellow, seed-studded center. These seeds have a very high oil content, and are one of the main sources used to produce polyunsaturated oil. Shelled sunflower seeds have a mild nutty taste and firm, but tender texture.
• Thought to have originated in Mexico and Peru, they are one of the first plants to ever be cultivated in the US. They’ve been used for more than 5,000 years by the Native Americans, who used the seeds as a food and an oil source, among other things. The Spanish explorers brought sunflowers back to Europe. Sunflower oil is now one of the most popular oils in the world.
• Sunflower seeds supply significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. They are also a very good source of vitamin B1, manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B5 and folate.
• Contain phytosterols, which are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.
• Of nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds are richest in phytosterols (270-289 mg/100 g).
• Sunflower seeds are a good source of magnesium, which in recommended amounts helps reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. It’s also necessary for healthy bones and energy production, and keeps our nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles they ennervate) relaxed.
• Sunflower seeds are also a good source of selenium, a trace mineral that has shown a strong inverse correlation with cancer incidence. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.
• Sunflower seeds are sold either shelled or unshelled in prepackaged bags as well as in bulk bins. If buying bulk, make sure that the bins containing the sunflower seeds are covered and that the store has a good product turnover to ensure maximum freshness.
• Sunflower seeds have a high fat content and are prone to rancidity so it’s best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Buy raw sunflower seeds, then toast them dry in a small sauce pan and toss right into your favorite tuna, chicken or turkey salad recipe or use to garnish mixed green salads.
• Adding sunflower seeds to scrambled eggs will give them a unique taste and texture.
• Sprinkle sunflower seeds onto cold and hot cereals (delicious in oatmeal!)

9. Almond milk (unsweetened)
• Almond milk is a milky drink made from ground almonds. Unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol or lactose and can be used as a substitute for animal milk in many recipes. Commercial almond milk products come in plain, vanilla, or chocolate flavors. They are often enriched with vitamins
• Unsweetened almond milk is much lower in calories and fat than cow's milk or soy milk.
• Almond milk was a common food used in many parts of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It was also a staple of medieval kitchens as cow's milk could not keep for long without spoiling, and almond milk would stay fresher longer.
• The Viandier, a 14th-century recipe collection, contains a recipe for almond milk and recommends its use as a substitute for animal milk during fast days.
• It’s a great alternative with all of the issues arising from the dairy industry (hormones, animal mistreatment, etc.)
• Many different kinds – plain, vanilla, chocolate in unsweetened or sweetened versions.
• Great for people who are lactose intolerant
• Almond milk is low fat, rich in calcium, vitamins A, D & B2
• Great for use with cereals, with snacks, and however else you might use milk. It doesn’t taste like cow’s milk, however, so it’s best not to go in expecting it to :)
• Rice milk is also a wonderful substitute for cow’s milk, and it’s flavored and sweetened (or left unsweetened) much the same as almond milk is.

10. Organic Red Wine
• Recent evidence has suggested that moderate consumption of red wine results in a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is attributed to the antioxident effects of its polyphenolic compounds.
• Organic wines (as opposed to non-organic) have been found to have significantly higher levels of total polyphenols. The major antioxidant in red wines is called resveratrol. Resveratrol and antioxidant activity were both were found to be highest in the organic wines. Table wines had on average 50 percent less antioxidant activity than organic wines.
• The study found that the combination of farming practices used by organic grape growers reduced the risk of mycotoxin formation (a toxin commonly found in not just wine but in cereals, milk, pork, and walnuts), through an as yet unidentified mechanism. In the Organic Center's State of Science Review on mycotoxins, two possible explanations are discussed: Lower levels of nitrogen in organic systems tends to reduce fungal growth, and higher levels of antioxidants in organic grapes protects fruit from mycotoxin-forming fungi.
• Current research shows that some people have shown sensitivities and allergic responses to sulfides present in most wines. Sulfides have long been used as a preservative in wine. Many winemakers say that it's difficult to near impossible to bring out the flavors derived through aging that people are used to getting in their wines, and sulfide-free wine goes bad quicker once the bottle is open.

Resources
Local
• Feel good Fridays at the coop: 5% discount. The coop also has an excellent organic wine selection.
• Lovey’s members get 10% off everything every day (but they can be more expensive to start with).
• The farmer’s market at Poplar Grove Plantation on Wednesdays, and downtown on Saturdays.

Internet
• www.iherb.com
• www.macamagic.com

The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on chronic disease prevalence and treatment: a post-disciplinary response

Chronic Disease
One hundred years ago, the greatest enemy of human health was viral or bacterial in nature. Currently, in the U.S. and other westernized countries, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality are related to lifestyle choices such as smoking, sedentary behavior, and food consumption. The effects of the social, community, and built environments also impact quality of life and life expectancy. Leading causes of illness, death, and disability for citizens of westernized nations has changed radically as infectious disease has been largely eradicated through breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, and through widespread use of sanitary public health practices such as water purification, sewage management, and food handling and storage practices. The new epidemic is chronic disease which causes seven out of every ten deaths annually, as well as contributing substantially to the burden of illness and disability (CDC #2, 2007) (Table 1).

Table 1: Top ten causes of mortality (CDC #2, 2007).
Link: Chronic Disease Overview

Chronic diseases are recurring or ongoing illnesses that commonly have several risk factors and behaviors that contribute in differing degrees. They are non-contagious and not caused by infection, and dissimilar from acute disease in that they can be managed, but not cured. Chronic diseases include diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, stroke, osteoporosis, cancers, as well as alcoholism and other addictions. Chronic diseases are often comorbid with multiple chronic diseases occurring in the same individual, such as CVD with obesity, or obesity with both CVD and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a chronic disease cluster that can include obesity, hypertension, elevated blood lipids, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia (Wirfalt, 2001).

Burden of Chronic Disease
CDC statistics state that 70% of deaths, critical illness, disability, and health care costs can be attributed to chronic diseases that are predominantly preventable (Steps to a Healthier US, 2004). Chronic disease is the largest risk factor for decreased functional independence, and is associated with eight of the leading top ten causes of disability (CDC #2, 2007). Chronic diseases account for >30% of the years of potential life lost before age 65 (CDC #2, 2007).

Approximately 75% of all total annual health care costs result from the more than 90 million Americans living with and treating chronic diseases (CDC #2, 2007). Both direct medical costs and indirect costs such as disability and lost productivity for cancer, diabetes, obesity, CVD, as well as chronic diseases related to tobacco, costs the nation over $950 billion annually (CDC #2, 2007). (Table 2). Depression, which is often comorbid with other chronic diseases, is the leading cause of disability. The health burden for depression in the U.S. is enormous affecting 26.6% of the population, accounting for approximately 15% of the total disease burden (NIMH, 2007).

Table 2: Costs of Chronic Disease (CDC #3, 2006).
Link: Quick Facts: Economic and Health Burden of Chronic Disease

Adverse Childhood Experiences
During the 1980s and early 1990s, researchers discovered that risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and certain sexual behaviors weren’t randomly distributed in the population, but rather tended to cluster in individuals (CDC #1, 2007). In 1998, Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss and colleagues conducted a study into a possible correlation between current adult health status and childhood trauma, which they termed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Between 1995 and 1997, the study sampled 17,337 adult individuals, acquiring data on the incidence of ten categories of childhood trauma (see Table 3) to calculate an ACE score for each individual (see Table 4).

Tables 3 & 4 (CDC #1, 2007)
Link: ACE Prevalence

Two important findings were made during this initial study: ACEs were vastly more common than previously recognized or acknowledged, and adult health was powerfully impacted by these adverse events even a half century later. They also discovered that the correlation was graded at every step, with a perfect dose-response curve between ACE score and disease prevalence and severity. Adult addiction behavior (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use) was found to be attributable to characteristics that developed during childhood, and posited to be a form of self-medication for the resulting stress and emotional pain. The combination of these findings led the researchers to question how often public health problems such as chronic disease are the result of personal solutions to cope with the pain of ACEs. Based on the findings of this groundbreaking study, the CDC partnered with Kaiser Permanente in 1990 to assess the role ACEs played in existing scientific gaps in risk factor origins for disease, disability, and early mortality (Felitti, 2002).

Validity and reliability
To address issues of reliability and validity within the original ACE research, studies were conducted by two teams of researchers. Dube, Williamson, Thompson, Felitti, & Anda (2004) researched test-retest reliability with results found to be good and moderate to substantial. They also analyzed the reliability of retrospective responses to childhood abuse and related forms of serious household dysfunction with findings suggesting that such responses were generally stable over time. Edwards, Anda, Nordenberg, Felitti, Williamson, Howard, & Wright (2001) researched the possible bias of response rates that might overestimate rates of ACE prevalence in the adult population. Their findings suggested that no bias of this type was present, but that results were probably underestimated as to long-term effects of ACEs.

Context and Inter-relatedness
Dong, Anda, Felitti, Dube, Williamson, Thompson, Loo, and Giles (2004) found strong evidence that rather than occurring independently, ACEs are interrelated. Childhood Sexual Abuse was found to be strongly associated with experiencing multiple forms of ACEs as revealed in higher ACE scores (Dong M, Anda RF, Dube SR, Giles WH, & Felitti VJ, 2003).

In a study to access the impact of ACE on illicit drug use, the effects of ACEs were found to transcend secular changes such as increased availability of drugs and social attitudes toward drugs. They also found that the rate of illicit drug use responded little to intensive public educational campaigns to prevent drug use, despite generous funding, suggesting an underlying barrier not currently being acknowledged (Dube SR, Anda RF, Felitti VJ, Chapman DP, Giles WH, 2003).

Trauma
Whitfield (1998) researched the hypothesis that trauma and resulting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may be the core disorder for people suffering from ACEs. He asserted that common organic disease has roots in unprocessed emotional experiences of childhood, with negative health behaviors such as smoking, overeating, promiscuity, and drug use to be coping mechanisms instituted as behavioral forms of self-medicating to assuage acute symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Neurological development
Weiss and Wagner (1998) stated that the conclusions of Felitti and colleagues (1998) were consistent with the data from the cognitive and neuroscience body of evidence that finds that disruption during early neuronal development may result in major abnormalities or deficits in adult brain function. Their conclusion is based on research showing that early sensory experience has a direct and significant impact on the structure, organization, and activity of the brain. The developing brain is particularly malleable and imprintable during childhood as the number and connectivity of neurons increases, which forms the underlying structure of an adult’s complex neural network.

Dube, Felitti, Dong, Giles, and Anda (2003) assessed the relationship between ACEs and six health problems including smoking, alcoholism, and depressed affect. They found that ACEs increased the risk of these health behaviors and outcomes. Controlling for secular influences, their findings suggested that ACEs had detrimental and lasting neurobiological effects on the developing brain, explaining the consistency and dose-response relationships found with previous ACE studies.

The ACE data was also used to perform a case study on the epidemiologic and neurobiological evidence of the effects of childhood trauma (Anda RF, Felitti VJ, Walker J, Whitfield, CL, Bremner JD, Perry BD, Dube SR, Giles WH, 2006). A graded relationship between the ACE score and eighteen different outcomes in multiple domains suggested that “cumulative exposure of the developing brain to the stress response” resulted in “impairment in multiple brain structures and functions”. They concluded that they found ACEs to be a significant and meaningful pathway to long-term behavioral, health, and social problems.

ACEs and Chronic Disease
Foege (1998) assessed the impact of ACEs through a public health perspective by examining their relevance to health behavior factors such as diet, tobacco, and alcohol, and their resulting early mortality. He called for more rigorous epidemiological surveillance systems to more accurately measure the links between the two. He posed several questions of immediate importance that need to be asked: What factors neutralize the negative effects ACEs have on adults? How do adults self-medicate the pain of emotional and physical trauma received during childhood? How do we identify high risk individuals so that they receive help before they become parents or hurt other children?

Liver disease
A graded relationship was found between ACE score and liver disease (Dong M, Dube SR, Felitti VJ, Giles WH, Anda RF, 2003). The relationship appears to be substantially mediated by behaviors that increase the risk of liver disease influenced by alcohol use and exposure to viral factors.

Heart disease
Traditional risk factors for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) such as smoking, diabetes, and physical inactivity account for about half of the variance in IHD prevalence. Several prospective studies have suggested that psychological states and attributes such as depression, anger, and hostility appear to affect later development of IHD. Dong, Giles, Felitti, Dube, Williams, Chapman, and Anda (2004), found a dose-response between ACE scores and IHD, suggesting that psychological influences underlie behavioral risk factors. They even suggest that these psychological factors appear to be more influential than risk factors such as smoking, inactivity, and diabetes in mediating the relationship between ACEs and IHD risk.

Obesity
Obesity is considered to be a multifactorial disease in terms of causation and correlation. Williamson, Thompson, Anda, Dietz, and Felitti (2002) found that not only is childhood abuse associated with adult obesity, but that obesity risk increased with both ACE score and severity of each type of ACE. Psychosocial difficulties and psychobiological conditions that have been shown to be related to both childhood abuse and obesity may also help to explain why by young adulthood, abused female subjects were significantly more likely to be obese (Noll JG, Zeller MH, Trickett PK, Putnam FW, 2006). In terms of binge eating, ACEs were considered to be main risk factors, along with parental depression, vulnerability to obesity, and repeated exposure to negative comments about shape, weight, and eating (Fairburn CG, Doll HA, Welch SL, Hay PJ, Davies BA, O’Connor ME, 1998).

Chronic disease, drugs, and drug addiction
Felitti (2003) questioned the current concept of addiction as a substance whose chemical structure leads to compulsive use. Instead he posited that addictive substances aren’t the cause but the mechanism that adult survivors of childhood abuse use to self-medicate the residual pain and suffering resulting from the abuse. In this way, he suggested that drug addiction is related to chronic disease prevalence.

Anda, Croft, Felitti, Nordenberg, Giles, Williamson, and Giovino (1999) examined possible causation for declining smoking cessation rates. Their research determined that smoking is strongly associated with ACEs, with long term nicotine use a coping mechanism to self-medicate the negative effects of ACEs. The relationship between smoking and ACEs was also found to be strongly associated and graded (Edwards VJ, Anda RF, Gu D, Dube SR, Felitti VJ, 2007). Van Loon AJM, Tijhuis M, Surtees PG, and Ormel J (2005) found that the personality characteristics of extroversion, neuroticism, and hostility and ACEs were found to be correlated with smoking initiation.

Depression
Depressive disorders impact comorbid disease outcome in chronic illnesses such as cardiac disease, diabetes, and cancer (Cassano P, Fava M, 2002). ACEs were found to promote the development of both depression and obesity, as well as their their co-occurrence (Stunkard AJ, Faith MS, Allison KC, 2003). ACEs, especially emotional trauma, increased the risk for chronic depressive disorders with a strong dose-response found between ACE score and probability of acute and chronic depressive disorders (Chapman DP, Whitfield CL, Felitti VJ, Dube SR, Edwards J, Anda RF, 2004). There was also a strong relationship found between ACE score and use of psychotropic medication, highlighting the severity of impact that ACEs can have on adult mental health (Anda RF, Brown DW, Felitti VJ, Bremner JD, Dube SR, Giles WH, 2007). Depression was found to be more likely with children of alcoholics who had experienced adverse events while living with parents who abused alcohol (Anda RF, Whitfield CL, Felitti VJ, Chapman D, Edwards VJ, Dube SR, Williamson DF, 2002).

Integral Theory
Integral Theory (Wilber, 2000) unites the findings of previous researchers and theorists including Carol Gilligan’s stages of moral development, Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, and Jane Loevinger’s stages of ego development. Through its inclusion of the perspectives of science, the arts, and ethics, Integral theory offers a more comprehensive picture of human development, evolution, and consequentially, analysis and treatment of current problems and issues. One of its main tenets is a concept of five essential developmental elements, referred to as AQAL (All Quadrants, All Levels), comprised of quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types. For the purposes of this paper, quadrants and lines will be the emphasis.

Quadrants are dimensions that interact to create an individual’s experience of their life. The quadrants can be summarized as self (I), culture (WE), and nature (IT and ITS) (See Figure 1). The “I” quadrant is the interior of an individual, including their feelings and current developmental capacities. This quadrant is subjective and can only be determined by asking questions of the individual. The “WE” quadrant is comprised of the inter-subjective realm of cultural impact including social mores and values. The “IT” quadrant is the exterior of an individual and is comprised of the brain, physical organism, and behaviors of an individual, and can be observed objectively apart from input from the individual. The “ITS” quadrant offers the inter-objective perspective of the social systems and environments and includes rules, policies, and laws. Quadrants aren’t isolated pieces of the individual, but rather all four aspects arise simultaneously, an interconnected occurrence of biological, psychological, cultural, and social aspects.

Figure 1: The Four Quadrants

Upper Left
I
(Individual Subjective)

Lower Left
WE
(Collective-Inter-subjective)

Upper Right
IT
(Individual Objective)

Lower Right
ITS
(Collective Inter-objective)

Lines are the developmental stages that all individuals must pass through as they evolve and mature in various aptitudes including mental intelligence, emotional intelligence, and kinesthetic awareness. Just as children must learn how to lift their heads before they can roll over, and crawl before they walk, they also go through other types of developmental stages required to prepare them for human adulthood. These are graduated stages of increasing complexity in which no stage can be omitted or bypassed, with each later stage transcending and including the previous ones. These developmental stages don’t occur in a vacuum of isolated self, but rather are impacted by the physical and social environments and the culture in which they unfold.

An Integral approach looks at how an individual’s body, mind, and spirit are rooted in self, culture, and nature. By mapping the quadrants we can see various components that are influencing an individual, and perhaps better understand how to modify the impact each quadrant is asserting on an individual’s health and well-being. Through the assessment of the various levels of development (e.g. emotional, mental, interpersonal, etc.), we can determine an individual’s “altitude”, and determine which areas of development may need further growth. Better understanding of these two elements may be an essential key to both clearer assessment of the multi-factorial impacts of chronic disease and how to design and implement more effective treatment.

Public Health, Chronic Disease, and the Four Quadrants
Figure 2 represents how chronic disease via public health appears when viewed within the four quadrant map.

Figure 2: A Public Health Four Quadrant Map of Chronic Disease
Upper Left
I (Individual Subjective)
• Lines of development
o mental, emotional, kinesthetic, interpersonal, moral , etc.
• Internal emotions, experiences, and thoughts
• Personality type
o introversion, aggression, hostility, etc.
• Developmental resources/capacities

Lower Left
WE (Collective-Inter-subjective)
• Family
• Community
• Sub-culture
• Larger culture
• Social networks
• Social mores
• Group values

Upper Right
IT (Individual Objective)
• State of neurotransmitter function
• State of physical health
o immune system status
• Genetic susceptibility

Lower Right
ITS (Collective Inter-objective)
• Surveillance systems
• Health care system
• Physical environment
o built environment/urban planning
• Legal system
• Food supply
• Physical trauma, neglect, abuse
• Family relational system
• Rules, guidelines, regulations, policies, laws
o smoking laws, food/drug labeling, white box warning labels), insurance regulations
• School systems
o vending machine content
o cafeteria meal planning

Past and current public health interventions have addressed various quadrant components either individually (e.g. “IT” quadrant: instructing an individual to “eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily”) or in combination with one or two other quadrants (e.g. “I” quadrant: “Eat 5 F/V Daily” in conjunction with “ITS quadrant”: making produce more accessible in urban areas.) A post-disciplinary integral intervention, however, would address all four quadrants. An example of such an intervention is found in Figure 3.

Figure 3: A Four Quadrant Intervention to address obesity
Upper Left
I (Individual Subjective)
• Promote healthy development across lines by preventing and treating ACEs (Stress management training, herbs/supplements to address anxiety/depression such as Sam-E or St. John’s Wort)

Lower Left
WE (Collective-Inter-subjective)
• Targeting local community/ spiritual/social leaders to promote integration of fresh produce into daily meals/snacks via pamphlets, posters, culturally relevant recipe booklets, cooking demos, etc. (Changing cultural values so that healthy eating is perceived as culturally acceptable i.e. “normal”.)

Upper Right
IT (Individual Objective)
• Educational poster/pamphlets: “Eat Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Daily”)

Lower Right
ITS (Collective Inter-objective)
• Subsidizing local fresh produce distributors/farmers/grocers/ restaurants to make fresh produce more accessible in urban areas


ACEs, Chronic Disease, and Integral Theory
In conclusion, the impact that ACEs have on chronic disease is formidable. Applying an Integral framework to assess and implement treatments using the AQAL model, particularly the four quadrants, offers a more comprehensive system of addressing the multifactorial issues that impact chronic disease prevalence and treatment non-adherence. Post-disciplinary responses to chronic disease, such as urban planning partnering with public health to address obesity through the built environment (Ewing, 2005) or unique approaches to analyzing correlations such as examining the impact an individual’s social network has on obesity (Christakis, 2007) are the future of health initiative design and implementation.

Anda et al (2006) states that “The convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology calls for an integrated perspective on the origins of health and social problems throughout the lifespan.” They go on to say that the findings point to a need for a multidisciplinary approach if we are to successfully eradicate the barriers to human health and well-being. Our current fragmented health care model with it’s categorical funding, isolated disciplines, and organizational boundaries doesn’t fully address the multifactorial nature of chronic disease. Treatment of the whole person, both inner physical and emotional well-being and their outer social and environmental influences, not merely the symptoms, is necessary in order to slow rates of chronic disease incidence and decrease it’s prevalence.

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Refined Carbohydrates as Environmental Toxin

Hippocrates stated that food is medicine. If this is true, can it also be said that bad food is bad medicine? Can it be that it is our food that is making us ill?

The past several decades have been a time of great shift in terms of how we look at disease, what we attribute disease to, and who and what we believe can cure it. Once popular notions such as cancer resulting from low self-esteem, incurable mental illness a product of a person’s refusal to make better choices, and alcoholism and drug addiction as a stubborn refusal to Just Say No are now seen as outmoded. In light of what research has uncovered in genetics and psychoneurobiology, these blame-the-victim perspectives seem as ludicrous as demon-possession as root cause of illness.

We now understand that diseases can be the result of many risk factors including genetics, pathogens, immune system status, and physical and social environments. The current challenge for researchers is to tease out the extent each possible cause contributes to each disease. This is especially true of chronic diseases, and a large part of what makes them so difficult to both prevent and to treat.

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which explains how psychosocial dynamics influence health, considers individual behavior to be dynamic. It states that behavior is influenced by both environmental and personal factors and vice versa (Baranowski, 2002). Known as reciprocal determinism, SCT demonstrates that behavior can affect the environment, and that the environment impacts individual behavior as well. Public health initiatives have long targeted the individual by implementing interventions to promote knowledge building. Knowledge building, however, has proven to be largely unsuccessful for long-term behavior changes. Still, the current message for many campaigns seems to be educational: ‘lose your couch potato ways and exercise!’, ‘Choose to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day!’. Yet, these messages don’t seem to be working. Why? Could it be that some other risk factor trumps all others (Simon, 2006)?

Chronic Disease
The current chronic disease epidemic is so dire that many researchers are predicting that unless drastic measures are taken, current parents will outlive their children. In less than a hundred years, the leading causes of mortality have shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases with seven out ten deaths attributed to the latter (CDC #2, 2006) (Table 1). While the decline in infectious disease mortality is largely a product of more rigorous sanitation practices as well as pharmaceutical breakthroughs, the rapid rise of chronic disease in the past thirty years appears to be a result of diets higher in fat and sugar combined with a sedentary lifestyle.

Table 1: Top ten causes of mortality (CDC, 2006).

Chronic diseases differ from acute diseases in that they are non-contagious and not caused by infection. They can be managed, but as of yet, they cannot be cured. Common chronic diseases include diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and many cancers. Multiple chronic diseases often cluster in the same individual, such as CVD with obesity, or obesity with both CVD and diabetes. A chronic disease cluster that includes diseases such as obesity, hypertension, elevated blood lipids, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia is called metabolic syndrome and it is occurring even in children with increasing frequency (Wirfalt, 2001). Metabolic disorder is often a precursor to diabetes, and currently affects approximately 1 million U.S. children (Schmidt, 2003).

In adults 20 years and older, obesity is currently second only to smoking as the leading cause of preventable death and disability (Schmidt, 2003). Over 66% of American adults are considered either overweight (34%) or obese (32%) and 17.1% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are regarded as overweight (Ogden, 2006). Between 1980 and 2002, obesity prevalence in adults aged 20 years and older doubled, and the prevalence of overweight in children aged 6 to 19 tripled (Ogden, 2006). Type 2 diabetes, once a disease of adults over the age of forty can no longer known as ‘adult-onset diabetes’. In the past twenty-five years, Type 2 diabetes in children has increased 10-fold, predominantly in those considered overweight (Schmidt, 2003), (CDC, 2006).
More than 90 million Americans live with chronic diseases accounting for approximately 75% of all total annual health care costs (CDC, 2006). The direct medical costs and indirect costs such as disability and lost productivity for only four chronic diseases - diabetes, CVD, obesity, and cancer - costs the nation over $800 billion annually (CDC, 2006). (See Table 2).

Table 2: Economic and Health Burden of Chronic Disease (CDC #1, 2006).

Chronic disease affects both the individual and the nation. Chronic diseases account for >30% of the years of potential life lost before age 65 (CDC #2, 2006), with greater mortality rates shown in people with poor dietary practices (Jacobs, 2000). Chronic diseases are the largest contributors to decreased functional independence. They are associated with six of the leading top ten causes of disability, and may contribute to two others (CDC #2, 2006). Yet, 70% of serious illnesses, deaths, disability, and health care costs can be attributed to chronic diseases that are largely preventable (Steps to a HealthierUS, 2004.)

Refined Carbohydrates
As written in Turner (2006), refined carbohydrates come from whole grains (complex carbohydrates) that have had most or all of their fiber, bran, hull, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals removed from the grain during milling or processing (Liu, 2002), or simple carbohydrates processed from beets, cane, corn, or fruit. Refined carbohydrates have a higher sugar content and contain “empty calories”, which are foods so devoid of nutritional density that only the caloric energy is present (Jenkins, 2004). The body assimilates refined sugar, which is known as fructose, very differently than that of naturally occurring sugar, known as sucrose. Sucrose stimulates the production of both insulin and leptin, which help regulate food intake and body weight, while fructose over-stimulates insulin, causing problems with rapidly falling blood sugar levels (Bray, 2004). Leptin has also been correlated with weight gain and food cravings (Abelson, 2004).

Until the advent of agriculture some 10,000 years ago, concentrated sugars and refined grains were absent from the human diet (Taubes, 2002). Food refining began as a way to extend the shelf life of grains, add appealing smooth textures and colors, and incorporate new ways to add fats and sweet tastes into food (Sigman-Grant, 2003). Then it was discovered that these sweet and salty formulations used in processed foods were addicting (Haas, 1992). Big research dollars were spent isolating chemicals to create powerful blends of tastes and flavors that cause the strongest pleasure reactions in order to hook people and keep them hooked on these newly discovered artificial foods (Simon, 2006). Unfortunately, refined fructose, preservatives, chemicals, and dyes added to processed food have proven to be toxic to the human body, in ways that weren’t originally anticipated.

Several studies have shown that refined carbohydrates act like a drug on the human system (Peet, 2004), much like tobacco, alcohol, or cocaine. Fructose ingestion and the brain’s opioid production appear to exist in a reinforcing cycle, causing cravings for fructose, and in its absence, withdrawal symptoms (Westover, 2002). Carbohydrate cravings are a good predictor of increased sugar intake, and limiting sucrose intake can ameliorate depressive symptoms (Christensen, 1995).

This heightened intake of sugar greatly affects insulin levels in the body. Referred to in Taubes (2002) as Endocrinology 101, the primary role of insulin is to regulate sugar levels, shunting sugar as fuel for muscles and the liver, storing any extra as fat. The higher the fat content a person has, the more insulin they will release after each meal. This eventually can lead to insulin resistance where cells in the body and brain become insensitive to insulin. As weight is gained, it therefore becomes easier to store fat and harder to lose it. With regard to refined carbohydrates, without fiber or protein, pure glucose or fructose enters the bloodstream, stimulating a strong insulin release, causing sugar levels in the blood to plummet, setting into motion withdrawal symptoms (Westover, 2002). This sets sugar cravings into motion, and a vicious cycle is created that wreaks havoc on every system in the body, causing repetitive energy crashes, energetically setting the stage for a sedentary lifestyle. This is also linked to food’s glycemic index, which is the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream. The longer it takes a carbohydrate to be digested, the lower the glycemic index, and the slower the rate in which sugar enters the bloodstream (Taubes, 2002).

The Rise of Refined Carbohydrate Use
The U.S. Government and “Low-fat”
As stated in Taubes (2002), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spent several hundred million dollars in the 1970’s trying to correlate high fat consumption with CVD. Five major studies showed no correlation, but a sixth found a link between a cholesterol lowering drug therapy and CVD prevention. On the basis of this sixth study, NIH proclaimed that lowering consumption of high cholesterol and high fat foods such as red meat was beneficial, and the low-fat revolution began. Once NIH supported the concept of low-fat as heart protective, the food industry got on board by producing reduced-fat foods. Unfortunately, reducing the fat meant that flavor was reduced as well, and to compensate, sugar and salt were added to heighten the taste (Taubes, 2002).

Corporations and Subsidies
Annual grain consumption has risen by sixty pounds per person since the 1970’s, and high calorie sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup have risen thirty pounds per person (Taubes, 2002). Americans consume an average of 10 servings of grain foods a day, yet only one of those servings consists of whole grains (Edge, 2005). Use of high-fructose corn syrup, the main added sweetener in foods, increased >1000% between 1970 and 1990 (Fields, 2004) and can be found in such diverse products as baby food, bread, fruit juices, and salad dressings. These figures are due in large part to government subsidies of various crops such as corn and wheat, as well as tax breaks to the farmers, making these crops very cheap to use (Simon, 2006).

The main tenet of corporate practice is maximization of profit, and weight gain is very good for food manufacturers’ bottom line (Nestle, 2003). If contributing to the health of the public increases profit, then healthier foods would be produced. However, refined carbohydrates are calorie for calorie, the cheapest nutrients to produce, and can be sold for the highest profit, so it is predominantly the food that manufacturers produce, and therefore what is most readily available (Taubes, 2002).

Refined Carbs and Chronic Disease
The rising demand for convenience and fast foods coupled with rampant use of refined carbohydrates as well as preservatives, dyes, and chemicals has been short term gain for corporations with long-term health consequences for consumers. Poor diet, specifically those high in refined carbohydrates, has been associated with most chronic diseases (Jenkins, 2004). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, a protective factor for CVD, is diminished in diets high in refined carbohydrates (Liu, 2002). Consumption of refined cereals and sugars has been linked to bowel, stomach, and other digestive cancers (Chatenoud, 1999). A positive association has been found between breast cancer and diets with higher glycemic loads, which are found primarily in refined carbohydrates (Augustin, 2001). The correlation of glycemic index and chronic disease has been examined in 15 epidemiological studies up until 2003 and positive findings were shown in CVD, myocardial infarction, diabetes, and cancer (Ludwig, 2003).

Western diets, higher in fat, refined grains, and sugar have been related to risk for schizophrenia (Peet, 2004), type 2 diabetes (van Dam, 2002), and major depression (Christensen, 1995) (Westover, 2002). High-fructose corn syrup has been especially implicated with the alarming rise in type 2 diabetes (Gross, 2004). When refined foods were incorporated into the eating habits of different tribal cultures throughout the world, a decline in health, including greater incidence of dental caries, CVD, and cancer, followed (Haas, 1992). Both obesity (Lui, 2003) and metabolic syndrome have been found to be positively associated with refined carbohydrate consumption (Wirfalt, 2001). The obesity epidemic rose 8% during the 1980’s after remaining steady at 13-14% through the 1960’s and 70’s. This also correlates with the increase in type 2 diabetes incidence and the rise of low-fat food availability (Taubes, 2006).

The Toxic Nutritional Environment
Currently, most of the blame for chronic disease is levied at the individual for lacking personal responsibility, for making poor nutritional choices, and for not engaging in adequate exercise (Simon, 2006). More educational programs are instituted around improving exercise and diet habits, but education doesn’t solve the problem of access. People can receive a wellspring of knowledge, but if their environment is filled with unhealthy foods, with no access to healthy alternatives, then the knowledge is essentially worthless (Simon, 2006). Another popular sentiment is that Americans need a healthy dose of exercise, not another lecture about their weight (Mindus, 2004). But if people are exhausted and strung out from high-glycemic food sugar crashes, how can they find the motivation and energy to exercise?

Our toxic food environment is largely the result of intense, focused marketing strategies (Simon, 2006), of inexpensive, high-fat and sugar foods, large portions, all exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles (Taubes, 2002). Food companies lobby hard to keep legislation from forming that would change the food environment by limiting advertising and availability of foods containing refined carbohydrates (Simon, 2006). But if the chronic disease epidemic is to be addressed, the toxic nutritional environment must be dealt with.

The Community Environment
People often choose highly processed, inexpensive food because they are the only choice (Simon, 2006). Approximately $5.4 billion is spent a year in the U.S. on fast food (Jenkins, 2005). There are currently close to 250,000 fast-food restaurants, almost double the amount there was in 1972 (Fitzgibbon, 2006). Fast food consumption has increased from 4% to 34% in terms of away-from-home food purchases between 1953 and 1997 (French, 2000). Communities have a say in how many fast food restaurants can be in their towns, what the zoning can be, how big the signage can be. However, a common barrier is the dearth of grocery stores that choose to do business in a community. Instead, there are convenience stores full of the legalized drugs of our culture: alcohol, nicotine, and foods loaded with refined carbohydrates. And of course, no fresh produce on any shelf. With these barriers in place, if it weren’t for fast food restaurants, how else would these community’s citizens purchase food?

There is also an SES link between chronic disease and the availability of high quality food. Lower income grocery stores tend to have fewer fresh fruits and vegetables available, choosing to stock only foods higher in refined carbohydrates, sugar, and fat. This is less of a conspiracy and more of a financial issue for storeowners as more refined food has a longer shelf life, and is more efficient to store and manage than fresh produce. Yet, even in large grocery stores, the available produce is often hard, tasteless, coated in pesticides, and nutritionally challenged, the result of the prioritization of shelf-life length, cosmetic uniformity, and high portability over nutritional value (Simon, 2006).

There is also the issue of culture, both the one an individual is born into and the ones adopted along the course of a life. Culture plays a strong role in the amount of fat, sugar, salt, and calories that we consume. Each culture has its own ethnic beliefs and rituals, many of them associated with food, often foods high in sugar or fats. The main health issue associated with culture and its food’s nutritional value is the quality of ingredients available, and possible alternatives for preparation such as broiling for frying.

The Organizational Environment: Work and School
What is served in cafeterias, the proximity of food sources, and how they are presented and priced exerts a strong measure of control over what individuals eat when they are away from home attending school or work. Vending machines are notorious for its poor food options that are loaded with refined carbohydrates, trans fats, and sodium (Simon, 2006). With nutritious food in schools currently a hot button issue, much will be changing in the next several years with regard to legislation by each state.

The Recreational Environment
The American public spends on average 4 hours a day watching television (Tucker, 1989). Add to that figure magazines, newspapers, billboards, and product placement in movies, and it’s easy to see that Americans are inundated with advertising. Corporations now even pay to have their products featured in popular music, such as Big Macs in hip-hop and rap songs (Simon, 2006). Over 40,000 commercials a year are directed solely at children (Simon, 2006). There has been much research conducted around school food environments, with many initiatives aimed at changing the content of vending machines, beverage dispensers, and cafeteria choices. Yet, if children continue to be inundated with junk food commercials and advertising, they will continue to demand and choose these foods over healthier fare.

Advertising is highly influential in terms of the food choices that viewers make (Davey, 2003). Studies have shown that advertising is a powerful psychological tool, with food a fiercely marketed commodity. An estimated $36 billion a year is spent on marketing, with budgets expanding as new markets are sought (Simon, 2006). Yet, in spite of ongoing research that correlates refined carbohydrate foods to chronic illnesses, advertisements show thin, healthy people consuming these unhealthy foods. Individuals receive mixed messages about the health effects of refined carbohydrates, intensifying the confusion they face in making wise food choices.

Many environments that individuals spend their leisure time in are filled with refined carbohydrate containing foods. Movie theater fare is comprised of popcorn saturated in trans fat laden “butter”, super-sized candy, and sodas. Most, if not all, special occasions and holidays have refined carbohydrate foods in the form of cake, cookies, or candy, associated with them. The foods supplied at parties are routinely those containing refined carbohydrates.

The Financial Environment
Pricing greatly effects what food consumers choose in both restaurants and grocery stores (Verduin, 2005). Coupons are predominantly issued by large food manufacturers. Wide use of cheap ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup in processed foods make this form of incentive a contributing risk factor in the toxic food environment. Even seemingly innocuous offerings such as all-you-can-eat buffets encourage people to “get their money’s worth” and overindulge in the overly refined carbohydrate containing fare. Lower SES neighborhoods often have more fast food restaurants per capita, making them especially vulnerable to the pricing aspect of non-nutritious food (Simon, 2006)

Consumers are also motivated to make food purchases based on convenience as well as cost (Verduin, 2005). Fast food fried chicken, take-out pizza, and pasta with sauce from a jar are inexpensive, quick, easy foods to pick up or prepare after work. Convenience foods not only save money, but also decrease nighttime stress levels for many adults making them appealing on several levels (Verduin, 2005).

The Informational Environment
There is much misinformation in the modern food world. Mislabeling and labels that make false claims are serious issues, i.e. McDonald’s claiming its food is nutritious (Simon, 2006). More widespread than patently false information, however, is the information produced to mislead consumers in terms of their food choices (Mikkelson, 2007). Food corporations also hire experts, such as physicians and dieticians, to tout their products as safe and nutritious (Simon, 2006). Advertisements are obviously paid and therefore biased, but less obvious as paid advertising are articles and statements by these experts that often appear as news rather than marketing strategies.

Also misleading are health claims such as using the word “natural” when referring to a soda containing high fructose corn syrup. The food manufacturer may claim that the rationale is that the heavily processed sweetener is derived from corn, but the leap of logic for this claim is enormous. Another misleading claim is stating that a product contains whole grain or fruit when the percentage present in the food is extremely small. This is especially true with food marketed and packaged for children, which often use words like “fruit-flavored” when no actual fruit is added (Mikkelson, 2007).

A common current confusion consumers face is how to detect the presence of sugar in foods. Labels can now say sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose, all of which are various ways manufacturers have derived to refer to sugar without actually using the word (Mikkelson, 2007). The term “whole wheat” leads consumers to believe that the product contains healthy grains, when in fact “whole grain” only signifies a less processed grain, not how much whole grain is actually in the product, or how nutritious the grain is after the new form of processing (Simon, 2006).

Refined carbohydrates are in many foods but not clearly labeled or named so that the meaning isn’t clear, so that even if an individual is trying to limit their intake of less nutritious food, they may mistakenly make an unhealthy choice. Calling a food “crispy chicken” rather than fried chicken is such an example, as is calling a beverage a “high-energy” drink when it contains caffeine and sugar, or a sports drink that is merely sugar water (Simon, 2006). There is also something called the “Snackwell Effect” where consumers eat more of a product thinking that low-fat or low-sugar means low-calorie and therefore healthy (Simon, 2006).

The terms “organic” and “natural” used to be powerful indicators of healthful content. Organic used to specify that a product contained foods grown in mineral-replenished soil, free from pesticides. Due to ever-lessening FDA regulations, however, the credibility of this term is being eroded more each year. Natural is a term that is governed by few regulations (Simon, 2006). Hemlock is natural. Radon is natural. Real banana flavoring is considered artificial while artificial banana flavoring is considered natural (Haas, 1996). These two words no longer truly signify a food’s nutritional benefits, adding to the confusion surrounding the food supply.

A little-known issue surrounds manufacturers of mass-produced food and their demands to remain free to advertise as they choose, and to make their products with any ingredients that are considered lawful by the FDA. Public health advocates lobby strongly for regulations limiting their advertising access to children, their labeling claims, their health claims, and the government subsidizing of corn and wheat. In response to public health proclamations of corporate misdeeds and growing research revealing the health dangers proposed by refined carbohydrate use, the food manufacturers have banded together. Corporations such as Coca-Cola, Wendy’s, General Mills, and Tyson fund organizations to do a variety of tasks including lobby, disseminate information, and “dirty work” that they want done but don’t want to do directly themselves (Simon, 2006). Organizations such as the Center For Consumer Freedom, The National Restaurant Association issue press releases as news when they are in fact propaganda for the corporations that fund them. Yet, because they are presented as news or educational services, the public is only further confused in terms of what is genuinely healthy, and what is merely trickery.

Issued by the Center For Consumer Freedom, http://www.consumerfreedom.com/

The Toxic Cleanup?
There are many barriers to changing the food environment to a less toxic one. While many sources of toxic food claim to have cleaned up their act, a deeper analysis reveals that for a variety of reasons this generally isn’t true. The current economic structure of the West is highly dependent on the medical system and how it interacts with mass-produced and processed food and beverage corporations (Haas, 1992). With the profit return on healthier foods, such as salads and vegetables, far less than frozen and processed foods, economic returns for corporations and their stockholders remain a substantial barrier to providing healthier foods (Simon, 2006).

Many food corporations are now producing health foods or healthier versions of their products, but are they really more nutritionally sound? There are several ways that manufacturers make it appear that a particular food once deemed unhealthy is now nutritious. Nutri-washing, a term used to describe how food manufacturers take a classic junk food such as children’s breakfast cereals or chips and “improve” it’s nutritional content. They restructure the processing of the grain, and proclaim it as a “whole grain”. They claim “reduced sugar”, a statement that hides how extraordinarily high the sugar content was to begin with (Simon, 2006). Another method to fulfill a claim of “reduced sugar” is to substitute fructose for possibly even more toxic chemical sweeteners such as Splenda, Equal, or maltitol.

Many fast food and chain restaurants now carry salads and substitutions such as veggie burgers for beef. What they don’t reveal is that in terms of actual nutrition, these foods, because of sugar laden sauces and dressings, often contain more sugar and refined carbohydrates than their “junkfood” counterparts.

Many whole foods companies have gone mainstream, meaning wider distribution through outlets such as grocery stores. Unfortunately, many whole foods companies have been purchased or had large amounts of shares purchased by large corporations (Howard, 2006) (See Pictograph). This often translates as lower quality ingredients in order to maximize profits.

Pictograph: The Organic Industry Structure (Howard, 2006).

Conclusions
A deadly, widespread chronic disease epidemic is occurring. Although it is primarily confined to the western world, as underdeveloped countries become more westernized, their incidence of chronic diseases rises at an alarming rate. Refined carbohydrates have been found to correlate with many chronic diseases. Refined carbohydrates aren’t just ‘bad medicine’ they are debilitating drugs, destroying the health of millions. They cause the obese to die slowly from malnutrition, and have even impacted not just the short-term health but also the lifespan children. They are a root cause of our hemorrhaging health care system, and plausibly a major contributor to the toxic environment that has been created by the food industry (Bakan, 2004).

With the environment containing so many refined carbohydrate foods and cues at such varying levels of impact, it is almost impossible to avoid their toxicity. Certain segments of the population are especially vulnerable, such as children and individuals with lower SES. For many years, the burden for behavior change lay with the individual. This must be modified. Stricter regulations regarding advertising, labeling, and manufacturing need to be put into effect. Government crop subsidies must be re-evaluated. The economic well-being and health of the nation, and the world, is at stake. Radical change within the food environment must happen, and must happen soon.

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Open Letter To Humans

The Candida Albicans Yeast Nation
The Fleshy Body of Katherine Turner
C/O of ~~~ School of Public Health

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Dear Humans,
We’ve spent a lot of time together off and on since organic life began and we separated out and went our own evolutionary way. And we’ve evolved to the point where you guys are all big and complicated and we guys are still either unicellular or sometimes multi-cellular and filamentous. But we felt the need for more of an open dialogue with you, and so in a bit of a fungally brilliant feat of mutation, we invaded a human’s consciousness, and convinced her to write this heartfelt missive for us.

Here’s the deal. We are a fungi that likes to get around. We may not be as trashy as some, like that floozy Smut Fungi, but then again, Smut stays with plants, whereas we party in animals all over the globe. You humans are a particular favorite. You apparently like us, too, as about 80% of all you allow select members of the Candida Albicans Yeast Nation to spend time in your skin or mucous membranes. And we aren’t rude. We don’t usually just show up to the party uninvited. We abide by pretty darn strict rules of hospitality, which we’ll be happy to define.

In general, we exist in a lovely symbiotic relationship with you folks. We hang out in your mouth or gastrointestinal tract with all sorts of other bacteria and fungi and the occasional drop in virus and we all just get along. But the CA Nation is a dimorphic tribe, and we celebrate our bisexuality. Okay, fine, our process only superficially resembles dimorphism, and is really a process called phenotypic switching in which different cellular morphologies are generated spontaneously. But we prefer to think of it as “Fungi-Bi” and we hope you’ll use our Label of Preference as well. We are usually in a unicellular yeast-like form but when asked to, we switch to this other multi-cellular filamentous form. And as to whether there is a potential molecular link between dimorphism and phenotypic switching? This is a tantalizing question that we will leave you to ponder and continue to spend your research dollars on. Plus, we never, ever foist Bi-ness upon another. We are insulted at the very term “invasive”, only switching into our other mode when invited. And when we are given an invitation, how can we say no? We are only fungi, and like any organism, we do appreciate a good time.

How does this invitation show up? It is always in the way that you rearrange yourselves to make it more hospitable for us, usually by decreasing your natural balance of flora and fauna. If you think of yourselves as a sort of New York City, and we are global tourists, and in general we buy our tickets and get in our planes and rent your hotel rooms and take nice pictures of Times Square and try not to ogle the homeless too much. But then, for whatever reason, you bring in millions of us, in the form of things like malty vinegar and yeasty bread and hoppy beer, or you kick out a bunch of your friendly bacterial residents by inflicting antibiotics, corticosteroid medications, chemotherapy, or immunosuppressant drugs on them, which is actually kind of rude, don’t you think? Or there may be another party going on in town, such as an AIDS convention in your immune system, or you just happen to be in a position where you don’t have your immune system really up and running such as in infants or the elderly. All of this means free lodging for us, which is really very generous of you, and we have such a good time. It’s like Mardi Gras all year long! And oh, how we party!

I know our partying has gotten out of hand the past decade or so, and we offer our most sincere apologies, but if you keep throwing parties, how can you expect us not to come? We’ve held tribal meetings around this and we have great understanding for your desire to do organ transplants, as we sort of do the same thing as we do the mutation dance and trade bits of genetic material with all sorts of organisms in our quest to live longer, healthier lives and raise sturdier, more adaptable offspring. And we have great sympathy as you fight HIV and other viral brethren like cancer, which incidentally we call The Big C, too. We like viruses, because they do tend to send us a lot of party invitations, but we know: viruses are kind of devious and can be such a pain. And for the record, we don’t really understand them either. But how can you argue with free invitation swag? We can’t. Our mantra is and always will be ‘party hardy’ and we’re okay with that.

We know that you’ve begun to classify us in terms of where and how we party. As best we can figure, you’ve come up with three basic types of us, which you call opportunistic, which seems a little harsh to us as you’ve invited us, but whatever. The first is Oropharyngeal Cadidiasis, which you call ‘thrush’, and is when we party in your mouth. There is also Invasive Candidiasis, which is when we find a way to get down with our bad selves in your bloodstream and organs. And last but certainly not least there is Genital/Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, when we throw a Vaginal Yeast Infection Rave, which we enjoy very, very much. But really, usually if you guys send in the cops to break up the parties, we generally vamoose.

At the last tribal meeting we held back in November, we made up a Law Enforcement shortlist. Here’s what we came up with. The security guard types you send in, the ones that have on uniforms but no chemical guns or tazers and not a lot of power are the Yogurt Squad. They’ve been known to kick a little ass, especially when they show up trained in the art of Lactobacillus acidophilus. The heavy hitter Drug Special Ops Units like fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and nystatin often roust us from our revery, and over-the-counter antifungal remedies like clotrimazole or miconazole can be party poopers as well. But as you know, some of us are hard core partiers, and say ‘screw the fuzz’ and just move on down to the next ‘after hours’ organ down the street. For them, we collectively apologize. We have tried sensitivity training with them, and we know our recidivism rate is high, but we are working on it. You know how that goes.

We also know that when there are a lot of us, we can cause fatigue, depression, joint pain, headaches, and recurrent infections in you guys. And that if one of you guys is feeling under the weather and your immune system is partially offline, that we can spread all over the body and some of you die. We want you to know that this is not our intention. Really, think about it. If your body dies, the party ends, and we really like to party. We’d much prefer if you lived.

And so we need for you folks to get a better handle on your party planning, and not send out more invitations than you can handle, or at least train your police force a little better. And clean up your diets already, okay, and lay off all the refined flour and sugar products and please, get a little exercise and fresh air. Seriously, stop being so selfish and thinking only about yourselves. There are a lot of us life forms living in here that depend on you folks keeping your shit together. Pardon our French.

We like you guys. You’re fun to party with, and we look forward to spending New Year’s Eve with you. Last year you drank a lot of Guinness, and ate a lot of Bundt cake both of which we liked very much and hope you will imbibe/consume again this year.

Party on, party peoples. We think you humans are just great.

With Deep Affection and Organic Reverence,

The Candida Albicans Yeast Nation

Biological Basis of Public Health Part 1

1) Describe the basics of Mendelian genetics including Mendel’s major laws and what they mean. Also include a simple diagram of a genetic cross of your choosing (real or imaginary) such as color or size. Include the detailed necessary to understand the cross.

• The laws of Mendelian Genetics are the backbone of genetics, and can be used to predict how phenotype is inherited from parent organisms to their children.
• The 3 laws are:
o 1) there are 2 copies of an allele in each gene
o 2) only one of the 2 copies will go to the progeny and this will be random
o 3) Dominance is the appearance that is expressed in the phenotype.

Homozygous – pure breeds RR, rr are bred together and produce carriers of the recessive trait
Heterozygous –Rr are bred together and 2 carriers for the trait are produced 50% of the time, 1 will express the trait, and 1 will neither express nor act as a carrier for the trait.
R=red eyes
r=white eyes

F1 Cross
. . R . . R
r- Rr Rr
r- Rr Rr

F2 Cross
. . R . . r
R- RR Rr
r- Rr rr

2) Discuss the birth of Eugenics and how it affected the US and the field of genetics. Provide your thoughts on Eugenics (there is no correct answer to the latter part of this question and points will be given based on quality and effort).

• Eugenics is where Mendelian genetics meets Darwinian evolution.
• First formulated by Sir Francis Galton,
• was taken up by Geneticist Charles B. Davenport in the early 1900’s who opened the Cold Spring Harbor Eugenics Record Office - 1910
• It’s a social philosophy that advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through different means, one of which was the sterilization of people deemed to have detrimental traits, such as feeblemindedness or violent behavior, that shouldn’t be allowed to remain in the human gene pool.
• It gained in popularity during the time when society’s undesirables were beginning to be placed in institutions and it was decided that the institutionalized shouldn’t be allowed to breed.
• The goal was to conserve society’s resources and lessen human suffering, and selective breeding was the means.
• Positive eugenics sought to bring people of superior genes together to breed, while negative eugenics sought to sterilize people who were believed to have inferior genes.
• Became openly discredited when it was incorporated into Nazi regime.
• While open eugenics is supposedly no longer practiced, it’s influence can be seen in newborn screenings and other forms of genetic testing.

3) Describe in detail Darwinian Evolution, how it is proposed to work, evidence that supports it and how it was discovered.
• Charles Darwin did research aboard the HMS Beagle and discovered an evolutionary process that is called Darwinian Evolution.
o Survival of the fittest - Selective advantage – more likely to reproduce
• Natural Selection: any genetic trait that gives an organism a selected advantage has a greater likelihood of being retained in the population. (Positive Selective Pressure)
• Negative Selective Pressure is a trait that makes it more likely that a population will be eliminated from the population
o Mutations happen randomly
o Theory of common descent – we evolved from a single source
• Not Lamarck’s passed on learned/adaptive traits
• Discovered that each finch on two different islands in the Galapagos – finches were adapted to a different seed and why and this shows that . . .
• Used finches and not humans to stay away from comparing humans to animals, but still controversial

4) Who was Thomas Hunt Morgan? What did he set out to disprove and what were some of his major contributions to the field of genetics. Describe what gene linkage is and how it has been used in genetics (a diagram is highly recommended).

• Thomas Hunt Morgan established the chromosomal theory of inheritance, for which he eventually won the Nobel Prize. He’s considered the father of fly genetics, provided the proof for the chromosomal theory of heredity, genetic sex linkage, and chromosomal crossover.
• At first he set out to prove that chromosomes couldn’t be the source material, that they couldn’t contain the gene, that genes weren’t on the chromosomes
• but through his experiments with mutations in flies (white/red eyes, large/small wings) he discovered that he was wrong, and that chromosomes did in fact contain the genes that were source material.
• He finds out they DO move in groups to a certain extent and tend to stay together, called genetic linkage, but there are instances where they crossover where one strand breaks off and attaches to another one
• Sex linkages – crossed a white eyed fly with a red eyed one and got all red eyes, then crossed again and white eyes but only males got them – finds that some genes are sex-linked
• Genetic linkage is the probability with which two neighboring genes on the same chromosome can be transmitted together in case of rearrangement of the genetic material.
o It occurs when particular alleles are inherited together.
o Chromosomes are randomly sorted during meiosis, but alleles that are on the same chromosome are more likely to be passed on together, and are said to be linked.
o When the chromosomes segregate, alleles on the same chromosome can be separated and go to different cells.
o The further apart on the chromosome they are, the more likely they will be to separate. The rarer the event that they split up, the closer they are together on the gene
o Double-cross-overs can occur but they’re rare.

5) How was DNA proven to be the source of genetic material? (Hint: describe the research of Oswald Avery and his colleagues, Colin MacLeod and Maclyn McCarty and their landmark paper on the transforming ability of DNA as well as the work of Alfred Hershey the phage geneticist who, with his research assistant, Martha Chase, did one of the most famous experiments in molecular biology.
• 2 major experiments that lent support to the fact that DNA is the source of genetic material.
• Experiments of Avery, Macleod and McCarty: in 1944 they revisited an experiment (Griffith)
• done on mice involving smooth (virulent) and rough (non-virulent) strains of bacteria. Smooth strain and heated it and killed it, then mixed with rough and injected it into mice and they died
• something from dead smooth is going into rough and turning it smooth
• the results of this experiment strongly implied that DNA was the “transforming principle”.
• Heat killing denatures the protein, but doesn’t kill DNA
• In 1952 Hershey and Chase conducted a series of “blender experiments” that identified that DNA was the genetic material in phages.
• They confirmed that protein does not transmit genetic information.
• The field of genetics had been progressing for many years before anyone knew that DNA was the source of genetic material.
• The phage injects its DNA into the bacteria and this was discovered by radioactive dying the phage’s DNA, and once to the protein and then let the phage inject into the bacteria and then put in a blender, spun it to see where the dye went – stayed inside the phage or now in bacteria?

6) What are the incredibly important features of the Watson and Crick structure of DNA that have shed tremendous insight into the biology of genetics?
1. Double healix
o alternating strands of molecules form the twisting uprights of the DNA ladder.
o When the helix unzips, the complementary strand becomes a template and it’s G, T and A bases naturally attract bases that amount to a carbon copy of the original strand, CAT and a new double helix has been built.
2. Complimentary strands
o show that they suggest a model of replication so that DNA can pass on, can replicate itself
3. ATCG – simple code
o The key to replication is that in the double helix, a single strand of genetic alphabet, for example CAT, is paired, rung by rung, with its complementary strand, GTA.
o The healix-shaped ladder’s rungs are formed by complimentary nucleotide base pairs, with adenine and thymine forming one pair and guanine and cytosine forming another pair in equal measures (known as Chargaff’s ratios).
• Provides basis where we can understand how we can go from DNA to protein - DNA to protein and protein does everything in the body

7) Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl invented the technique of density gradient centrifugation and used this to prove that DNA is replicated semi-conservatively. Describe this experiment.
• 3 kinds of replication –
o conservative (one is both originals and one is both of the daughter – two new copies – daughter -go together and two old copies - parent strands - go together)
o semi- conservative is one parent one daughter
o distributive – each one gets random pieces – but this didn’t really make sense to them
• They did an experiment with E.Coli cells using radioactive isotopes. – they grow DNA on radioactive isotopes (heavy), after a couple of generations all DNA is radioactive, old stuff will have radioactive DNA and new generation doesn’t because put on non-radioactive nitrogen (light).
• After one generation on new isotope they put through centrifuge and saw that it was 50% heavy 50% light which showed that replication was semi-conservative.
• What they found was that when the double helix stranded DNA helix was replicated, each of the helices consisted of one strand from the original helix and one newly synthesized strand.
• Meselson and Stahl were able to predict all possible outcomes of this experiment and ultimately concluded that DNA replication was semi-conservative. (Conservative replication would have resulted in 2 strands parent and 2 strands daughter.)

8) In basic terms describe the genetic code, how it is translated into protein and how mutations can lead to disease.
• The Genetic Code is the set of rules by which information encoded in genetic materials is translated into proteins.
o Transcription is DNA transcribed into RNA, then RNA gets translated into protein using a triplet code. (CAT, GGG)
o There are 4 DNA bases and the combinations of these are enough to form 20 amino acids.
o Various amino acid combinations make up protein
• Mutations occur when there are changes in the genetic code
o these can be copying errors in the genetic material during cell division
o and by exposure to things like free radicals
o DNA replication is meant to be faulty- evolution involves mutation.
o Most mutations aren’t beneficial, but some are positive for evolution. They move the species along and make it stronger.
o Sickle cell is a one nucleotide base mutation.

9) Describe and diagram recombinant DNA technology and how it works. Describe the first application of this technology to create a product that has helped many people?
• Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is DNA created from two different sources that has been combined in vitro.
• Berg was the first to use enzymes to cut and paste segments of DNA from two separate materials to create one molecule that was a combination of the two.
• But it was Boyer and Cohen who first performed the experiment that used plasmids (tiny loops of DNA found in bacteria that are separate from the bacterial chromosome) to combine genes from two different strains of bacteria to create the first custom-made organism containing recombined or "recombinant" DNA (rDNA), paving the way for the biotech revolution.
• Step 1 - slice desired gene out of chromo using restriction enzymes (molecular scissors) that leave sticky ends
• Step 2 – gene inserted into a plasmid – plasmid cut with same enzyme and has sticky ends cut to match, and second enzyme is added (ligase) to create a permanent seal.
• Step 3 – recombinant plasmid is now inserted into the bacterial cell (using process called transformation where bacteria and plasmid are subjected to hot and cold temps creating heat shock inducing the bacteria to take plasmid in.) Bacteria then replicate creating vast amounts of the desired protein in a short time.
• First rDNA technology: Insulin was the first rDNA drug to hit the market. The idea was to insert the DNA sequence for human insulin into bacteria, and let the bacteria be the factory to produce unlimited quantities of insulin.

Sticky ends:
A A A T A T G T G G G G G G A A T
T T T A T A C C C C A C C C T T A

10) Describe and diagram how PCR works.
• Invented by Kary Mullis in 1985, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a precise method of selecting and amplifying a section of DNA. PCR enables researchers to produce millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence in approximately two hours, using an automated process of repeated cycles of heating and cooling to make many copies of a specific region of DNA that bypasses the need to use bacteria for amplifying DNA.
• Need piece of DNA, primers, enzymes, and nulcleotides (DNA segment, primers, DNA polymerase, and temperature fluctuations)
o 1) First, the temperature is raised to near boiling, causing the double-stranded DNA to separate, or denature, into single strands.
o 2) When the temp is decreased, short DNA sequences known as primers (The primer gives it something to start on – you buy primers that are certain sequences) bind, or anneal, to complementary matches on the target DNA sequence. The primers bracket the target sequence to be copied.
o 3) At a slightly higher temperature, enough for polymerase to begin, binds to the primed sequences and adds nucleotides to extend the second strand. This completes the first cycle. Repeat the 3 steps again
• In subsequent cycles, the process of denaturing, annealing and extending are repeated to make additional DNA copies. After three cycles, the target sequence defined by the primers begins to accumulate. After 30 cycles, as many as a billion copies of the target sequence are produced from a single starting molecule.
• Ajish: “PCR primers are assembled base by base. When Joe Geneticist knows he wants to clone and amplify a particular gene, he goes to the NIH GenBank and looks for it's mRNA sequence. He takes this mRNA sequence and feeds it to one of any number of programs (that pick out the most unique (as compared to the rest of the genome) sequences of 15-150 bases straddling the 3' and 5' ends. These two primer sequences are sent to any one of a number of biotech firms that will construct them for him, base by base, and send back roughly a bajillion copies. Joe Geneticists then goes and PCRs away happily...”

11) Describe and diagram introns, exons and splicing. How has splicing changed the way that we think about our genome?
• Introns are non-coding sections of the DNA that will be spliced out after transcription. Also referred to as “junk” DNA, though we are currently discovering that these sections aren’t junk at all, though we don’t yet know exactly what they do.
• Exons are the region of the DNA that remains after transcription and carry the DNA code for protein.
• Splicing is the modifying of genetic information after transcription. Introns are removed during transcription and exons are joined. The smaller piece left over is what gets translated into protein
• Changed how we think about our genome: its allowed us more combinations than we thought we had because sometimes the order is done differently in how exons are spliced out so that the possibility arises that mix and matching can happen, that multiple proteins can come from one gene.

12) Describe in detail the Human Genome Sequencing Project. Who were the key players involved in the project and how was it accomplished? What did we learn? What did we not learn? What is left to do? What are your thoughts on whether this was a good use of tax payers dollars and the concept of “patenting genes.” (There is no correct answer to the latter part of this question and points will be given based on quality and effort).
• We learned:
o there was a lot of repeat sequencing, and importance of introns
o We have this sequence but we don’t know what it means
• We didn’t learn
o what every gene is for
o told us what it says but not what it means
• What’s left to do
o Translate the Book of Life: translate the language of the ordering, find out what it’s coding for
o People have patented genes not knowing what they do yet, and then invest resources to discover what they do
o Pharmacogenomics: Now we have the reference genome, the question arises what are our individual variations and spotting those variations which make some of us, you know, get arthritis or not get arthritis, or let a drug work on one of us and not work on us.
Beginning:
• the international 13-year effort, formally begun in October 1990 and completed in 2003, to discover all the estimated 20,000-25,000 human genes and make them accessible for further biological study.
• The NIH funded the HGP on the assumption that it would accelerate the identification of genes behind human disease.
• Techniques to read the sequence of DNA, letter by letter, have been available since the 1970s. However, the massive task of sequencing the three billion base pairs of the human genome required machines that could read and interpret the data.
• Sequence the DNA through PCR then place in a DNA sequencer to allow analyses via computer program.
• James Watson, the first director of the Human Genome Project

Middle
• The first method of sequencing the genetic code was devised by Fred Sanger.
o DNA separated into two strands then copied using chemically altered bases.
o These altered bases cause the copying process to stop each time one particular letter is incorporated into the growing DNA chain.
o This process is carried out for all four bases
o then the fragments are put together like a jigsaw to reveal the sequence of the original piece of DNA.
• Although the Human Genome Project began as a purely academic effort, it soon drew the attention of the business sector. Eventually, two genome sequencing projects existed.
o The public consortium (headed by Francis Collins) used a methodical head-to-toe approach to map and sequence the genome.
• Each chromosome was cut into pieces and analyzed through cloning and overlapping fragments to look for markers.
• Then the fragments were blown apart using “hierarchical shotgun” approach which is small scale shotgun.
• Jim Kent - wrote the assembly program for the public sequence

o The private project at Celera Genomics (headed by Craig Venter) used a radical "whole genome shotgun" approach to literally blast the genome apart.
• Make multiple copies of the genome then blast long pieces of DNA into smaller, more manageable pieces to map
• then assembled through a computer program by matching overlapping sequences.
• The drawback of this method comes when dealing with repeat sequences. Often there is no way of knowing how long the repeat sequence is; or in which of many different possible positions the fragments overlap. Even the incredibly powerful software used to shotgun sequence the human genome couldn't cope with this.
• Celera had to use the public data to fill in the gaps left by the repeats.
o Animosity between the projects grew from fears that the real focus of the commercial venture was to tag, identify, and patent all of the protein-coding regions of the genome.

The End (so far)
• In June, 2000, the leaders of the public and private genome projects joined with the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to announce the completion of the draft sequence of the human genome.

13) In 5-10 years it may be possible to use something like a Palm Pilot that contains information on your genetics so you can be updated on a regular basis about the potential risk you have for developing disease. (Ex: The forecast for today is light rain & a 50% chance of heart disease by age 42). I would like to know what you PERSONALY think about this & also what you think abut this PROFESSIONALY, from your Public Health Perspective.
• Those who want to Wake Up and those that don’t
• Worried well – take an action to prevent it even though it may not happen – or what if genetic test answers are wrong and you took an action that you didn’t need to take. Example: abortion ended up to be not needed and based on false info
• John Sulston: “I mean one thing I do like is to reflect on the fact that it took four billion years for life to emerge and evolve to the point where one particular living organism was able to read its own code of instructions. And that I think is a most wonderful philosophical point. There'll be a much more wonderful philosophical point when we understand how the code of instructions works, but at least we've read them out on the tablets, you see, at this point.”
• Will make health disparities astronomical
• Insurance company example and how they used it to say that carpal tunnel wasn’t covered because it was pre-existing condition