Chinese calligraphy has been around for centuries as a form of artistic expression, but can it be used further to heal people? Mayur Shah, Certified Master Teacher & Healer of the Tao Academy, discusses his health journey with Tao Calligraphy and how it's improved his life.
One day I started passing blood in my urine.
It was extremely painful too. I made an appointment to see my doctor and I decided to take a photo of the blood in the toilet basin. I noticed that there was some grit at the bottom. The doctor told me it could be an infection, a kidney stone coming out, or worse, cancer.
I was sent for a camera inspection of my urinary bladder and CT Scan of my kidneys. Luckily both of those came negative and the Dr confirmed that my kidney stone had come out.
But this wasn't just by chance. One of the calligraphies that I was tracing as part of my weekly sessions was for Kidneys. And lo and behold, that week the calligraphy released my imbalance of the kidney stones. So, every week, my whole body is getting this unique and profound cleansing, healing and rejuvenation.
So what is Tao Calligraphy?
Tao Calligraphy is a unique form of Chinese calligraphy developed in 2013 by Zhi Gang Sha, MD (China) and professor at the State Ethnic Academy of Painting in Beijing. It is a unique style of calligraphy that combines the flowing artistic beauty of Yi Bi Zi (a calligraphy style wherein entire characters and even phrases are written with one continuous stroke).
It is a unique form of meditation that involves Tai Qi like movements to balance the yin and yang energy.
In addition, the calligraphies act as a bridge to receive frequencies of love, forgiveness, compassion and light from Tao. These then act on any imbalances within the body on physical and emotional challenges and wash away the imbalances to bring alignment of soul, heart, mind, energy and matter.
Mayur has found more ways that Tao Calligraphy has helped him
Since doing Tao Calligraphy I have noticed a dramatic change in my eyesight. My eyesight improved so much that my vision through my current glasses became blurry!
I had to go to the opticians and get a new pair of glasses.
The science behind it
In 2017, a scientific study took place which found that calligraphy significantly reduced heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, as well as self-reported state-trait anxiety levels, depression and stress levels in breast cancer patients who received an eight-90 minute Chinese calligraphy intervention.
Two hypotheses were supported by the results of the research: 1) There was a physiological slowing effect in blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate among breast cancer patients after the intervention; 2) Breast cancer patients had reduced scores on self-reported measures on anxiety and comorbid depression levels after the intervention.
Come listen to Mayur Shah speak at the Get Well Show on Thursday 12th November where he'll discuss the power of Tao Calligraphy and how it's transformed many people's lives.
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The solution to pain, stress and other health problems is a simple self-help tapping technique, says Nick Ortner
Nick Ortner is CEO of The Tapping Solution, a company dedicated to bringing a natural healing method known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or ‘tapping,’ into the mainstream through books, online programs and The Tapping Solution App. The New York Times bestselling author takes us through this powerful technique and what you can expect from his talk at the Get Well Show.
Can you tell us a bit about your talk at the Get Well Show?
I’ll be covering the basics of tapping: what it is, how it works, its many applications and some of the scientific research backing its effectiveness. Tapping is a technique that’s been successfully applied to emotional traumas like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as physical ailments, limiting beliefs and everyday stresses. Anyone going through any issue—physically, emotionally, or mentally—would really benefit from listening in. I'll reveal the secret behind how this one technique is so versatile in the healing of so many seemingly different issues.
What will someone learn from listening to your talk?
There’s a lot going on the world right now, and that's on top of any personal issues many of us are trying to cope with already. But what if there was something more you could do than just cope? Coping is just like putting a Band-Aid over the issue, constantly just dealing with the varying symptoms that continuously show up in our lives. I'm going to teach listeners how to actually heal the root cause of an issue using a technique that takes just minutes to learn.
What is new or coming up in your field that excites you?
Tapping is quickly gaining ground as one of the most effective techniques to use in psychotherapy, sports medicine and life coaching, and has even been recognized and adopted into the Veterans Administration Hospitals as one of the recommended treatments for PTSD. But what I'm most excited about is our Tapping Solution App, which not only teaches anyone how to use tapping on their own, but also guides them through their own healing of various issues by following along with almost 300 different tapping meditations. And we're constantly expanding the library of guided meditations in the app every month.
I love the idea of self-empowerment, knowing that we have the power within us to heal any part of our lives.
What do you find most challenging in your job?
Pharmaceutical companies spend millions, if not billions, of dollars promoting the ‘cure’ to our ailments in the form of chemical compounds we know as medications. And while I do believe there is a time and place for prescription medication, most simply treat symptoms without addressing the root causes. I want to show people how they can truly heal so that they can break free from their reliance on symptom management for the rest of their lives.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
I've been into self-help for years, starting with reading books from my dad's library and listening to countless motivational tapes back in the day. But when I discovered tapping and applied it to my own life, completely transforming some of the most difficult issues I've ever experienced, I just knew that I had to share this amazing technique with as many people around the world as I could. I love the idea of self-empowerment, knowing that we have the power within us to heal any part of our lives. And watching someone who has gone through so much, who has tried so many different things without results, and then finally getting relief from that life-long issue with tapping, is incredibly rewarding.
Come listen to Nick Ortner speak at the Get Well Show on Friday 13th November where he will discuss the tapping solution to activate your body’s healing powers. Get your tickets now!
Discover the life-changing powers of forgiveness and Tao Calligraphy with David Lusch
David Lusch is a Certified Master Teacher trained by Master Zhi Gang Sha, a Tao Grandmaster, healer, teacher, doctor of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, grandmaster of several Asian arts and the author of 26 books (including 11 New York Times bestsellers). It was through Master Sha’s teachings that David was able to conquer his debilitating OCD and become medication-free.
Now one of the top teachers in the Tao Academy,™ David has assisted in training over one thousand Soul Practitioners and Teachers and Tao Hands™ Practitioners worldwide and is dedicating to helping people transform their lives for the better.
Can you tell us a bit about your talk at the Get Well Show?
The ancient art of Chinese calligraphy has long been revered for cultivating life force (qi), wellbeing, happiness, and wisdom. My talk will cover Tao Calligraphy, a unique form of this art created by Master Sha for the twenty-first century that involves producing individual characters with a single brush stroke. It’s a practice not unlike meditation or yoga that fosters a sense of balance, calm and an uncluttered mind.
I'll also be discussing my own personal health journey as well as forgivingness as one of the keys to health and happiness. Learning forgiveness and Tao Calligraphy can transform health conditions and any aspect of life, but may especially help people suffering from stress, anxiety and other mental health problems as well as heart conditions, thyroid issues and chronic pain.
What will someone learn from listening to your talk?
The goal is to help people understand that healing starts at the root—in the information/message or soul level. By changing the information/message within yourself and any aspect of your life—health, relationships or finances, for example—you can change what you create, manifest, and experience in the material world.
It’s my passion and joy to serve others and help them accomplish their goals. I live to help create a world of love, peace and harmony.
Listeners will also discover a unique way to use calligraphy to heal and transform themselves and others, and how combining it with techniques like tai chi, meditation and spiritual practice can increase the benefits.
What is new or coming up in your field that excites you?
The Sha Research Foundation has presented several exciting research papers on Tao Calligraphy this year showing its beneficial effects on pain and quality of life. More studies are in the early stages, and we continue to develop programs, classes and new ways for people to benefit from Master Sha’s teachings.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
My life’s work of helping others to self-heal and transform their health, relationships, finances or business, or grow on their spiritual journey, does not feel like work. It’s my passion and joy to serve others and help them accomplish their goals. I live to help create a world of love, peace and harmony.
What would you say to someone considering turning to alternative health and in particular, Tao Calligraphy as a form of healing?
It’s important to be open to learning and experiencing something new. Sometimes, it takes time to learn and achieve results. Like anything else in life, you need to invest time to reap the rewards.
You also need realistic expectations. You wouldn’t go to a chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist or doctor and expect instant results. It’s crucial to give Tao Calligraphy, or any other therapy, a chance over time to achieve results. And many people around the world have achieved great results with Tao Calligraphy.
Listen to David Lusch speak at the Get Well Show on Sunday November 14th, where he will be in conversation with Lynne McTaggart, discussing the power of forgiveness and Tao Calligraphy to heal serious mental and physical challenges.
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Be fit and fabulous after 50 with Debra Atkinson’s personalized programs and top tips
Fitness guru and founder and CEO of Flipping 50, Debra Atkinson helps women in menopause and beyond get and keep the energy and vitality they want, need and deserve for the second half of their lives. She works with women around the world one-on-one and in group programs online and has created the Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist program for fitness professionals who work with women in menopause.
Can you tell us a bit about your talk at the Get Well Show?
Exercise during menopause demands a unique exercise prescription. I’ll be identifying specific menopause symptoms that can be helped with the right exercise and strategies to avoid making them worse.
I'll be covering the five menopause symptoms you can avoid, reduce, or eliminate with the right exercise; how exercise in the past may have failed you and what you can do about it; why your health and fitness at this point in your life is critical to the decades ahead; why what you’re doing that has always worked doesn’t work anymore; and why walking is not enough.
What will someone learn from listening to your talk?
Women going through menopause will learn how to exercise for better results, avoid or manage symptoms during menopause and provide a healthy foundation for the next decades in their lives. Fitness professionals who work with women in menopause will learn how to best serve their clients..
It’s time for women, and every individual, to demand that programs are designed for them based on research specifically about them.
What is new or coming up in your field that excites you?
The pandemic has increased physical activity by 88 percent for those who were only mildly active before. The world knows how important health and fitness are now. More people are looking for solutions and taking control of their health and they have more access to high quality services than ever.
What do you find the most challenging in your job?
So many fitness choices are not targeted at an individual’s needs. There are a lot of options, but too few good options for any one demographic. The one-size-fits-all approach following fads and trends serves no one and injury rates are too high.
It’s time for women, and every individual, to demand that programs are designed for them based on research specifically about them.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The resilience of the human body is awe-inspiring. It’s messaging us constantly in all its wisdom. I enjoy teaching women to listen to their bodies and giving them ability to use their unique gifts and talents to be the best moms, partners, bosses, owners and employees they can be.
What would you say to someone considering turning to alternative health methods?
Whether you’re more comfortable sticking a toe in the water or you’re a cannonball kind of person, start where you’re comfortable and with an open mind. You are already more powerful in health and healing naturally than you know.
Come listen to Debra Atkinson speak at the Get Well Show on Thursday 12th November where she'll discuss exercise interventions for menopause symptoms.
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Could this energy therapy be the answer to chronic pain?
A new study by German medical device company Rayonex Biomedical GmbH shows that bioresonance according to Paul Schmidt, a type of energy medicine, is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain.
The Rayocomp PS 1000 polar 4.0 device was put to the test in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study (considered the gold standard for scientific evaluation) on 52 patients with cervical spine syndrome—a common chronic pain condition that causes pain, tingling and dysfunction in the neck, shoulders and arms.
Patients received 10 treatment sessions using either the bioresonance device or a placebo device over 70 days and their symptoms were assessed.
The study showed that the patients receiving the legitimate bioresonance treatment had significant improvements in neck, back and shoulder pain; headaches; muscle tension and physical functioning compared to the placebo group, with no adverse effects.
The bioresonance patients also reported better vitality, social functioning and mental health, and all said they would recommend the treatment to others. Only around a quarter of patients in the placebo group said the same.
The legitimate bioresonance treatment had significant improvements in neck, back and shoulder pain; headaches; muscle tension and physical functioning.
What is bioresonance?
Every cell in the body is made of energy and resonates at a particular frequency. Bioresonance is technology that measures these frequencies to identify any disturbances that may be caused by toxins, viruses, allergens and other factors. It also uses external frequencies to help restore balance and promote self-healing.
Rayonex is a long-established manufacturer of bioresonance devices developed according to the discoveries of founder and German engineer Paul Schmidt. In the mid 1970s, he discovered that not only does the sunlight’s frequency spectrum impact the body, but so too do other frequencies, and went on to study their effects using a passive dipole-antenna system.
Based on his research, the Rayocomp PS 1000 polar 4.0 bioresonance device was developed by Rayonex—a CE-certified medical device designed to be used by a practitioner. Unlike other bioresonance devices that use conventional frequency generators, all Rayonex devices are equipped with a dipole-antenna system that employs only natural frequency spectra. To date, more than 1,900 frequency combinations have been created to stimulate the body to support self-regulation. There is also a portable device, the Rayocomp PS 10, for patients to receive therapy at home.
The problem of pain
One of the most common conditions worldwide and a leading cause of disability, chronic pain affects some 50 million adults in the US and 28 million in the UK.[1]
It can severely impact quality of life and has been linked to not just problems with mobility and daily activities but also to depression, anxiety and even suicide. [2]
The standard treatments—painkillers like paracetamol (acetaminophen), NSAIDs (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) and opioids—fail to work for most, yet can do considerable harm, especially the powerful opioid drugs, which can lead to addiction and physical dependence as well as cause nausea, constipation and cognitive impairment. [3]
The new study by Rayonex shows that bioresonance according to Paul Schmidt can be a useful therapy for both the mental and physical effects of chronic pain, with no side-effects.
For more details on bioresonance according to Paul Schmidt and their new study, see Rayonex at the Get Well Show. Don’t miss Prof. Dietmar Heimes in conversation with Lynne McTaggart on Friday November 13, PST 10 am, EST 1 pm, GMT 6 pm.
Get your tickets now!
References
1. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2018; 67: 1001-1006; BMJ Open, 2016; 6: e010364.
2. Can J Psychiatry, 2015 Apr; 60: 160–167; MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2018; 67: 1001-1006
3. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/GID-NG10069/documents/draft-guideline; Drugs, 2003; 63: 17-32
Discover the secrets to strong, healthy bones with integrative health coach Margie Bissinger
For over 25 years, physical therapist, integrative health coach, and happiness trainer Margie Bissinger has been helping people with osteoporosis strengthen their bones through natural approaches including exercise, whole foods, supplements and relaxation techniques. She is the author of Osteoporosis: An Exercise Guide, host of the Happy Bones, Happy Life Podcast and a member of the New Jersey Interagency Council on Osteoporosis.
Can you tell us a bit about your talk at the Get Well Show?
I’ll be presenting the latest research as well as my clinical experience on how you can improve your bone health through exercise, nutrition, stress reduction and happiness training. You'll come away with tools and information you can immediately implement in your life to start your journey to optimal bone health.
It’s for anyone diagnosed with osteoporosis, osteopenia or wanting to maintain strong, healthy bones as they age.
What will someone learn from listening to your talk?
Listeners will discover which exercises increase bone density and which ones to avoid if you have osteoporosis; the key nutrients necessary for strong, healthy bones and how to get them from your diet or supplements; and the negative impact stress has on your bones and how to reduce it. I’ll also be discussing the vital connection between happiness and bone health and three ways to boost your happiness.
The best thing about the work I do is that I get to help people completely change the quality of their lives.
What is new or coming up in your field that excites you?
I’m excited by a recent study showing significant increases in bone density with high-impact resistance exercise. There’s also intriguing new research on the combined effect of exercise and low-intensity vibration as well as the gut and microbiome that I feel will have positive implications for bone health.
What do you find the most challenging in your job?
Unfortunately, the conventional medical model immediately puts anyone who has osteoporosis on medication, often without looking at possible root causes, which can be poor gut health, inflammation, a sedentary lifestyle, micronutrient deficiency and many more. These issues need to be addressed but they are usually completely overlooked and patients are treated only with medications that have significant side-effects.
I work hard at educating physicians, but there is a lot of work to be done.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The best thing about the work I do is that I get to help people completely change the quality of their lives. When people get involved in my osteoporosis program they start exercising, improving their diet, reducing their stress and increasing their happiness. This not only helps their bones, but also their overall health, and they find they have more energy, strength, and vitality.
I look at a diagnosis of osteoporosis as an opportunity for people to stop, reassess their habits and make lifelong changes that will have a positive impact on their bones and every aspect of their life.
What would you say to someone considering turning to alternative health methods?
It’s very important to get a complete work-up when you have a diagnosis of osteoporosis and make sure nothing else is going on that needs to be addressed. I have seen patients who had tumors on their parathyroid glands causing osteoporosis. They required surgery and did well afterwards.
That being said, working with an alternative health provider to improve your bone health is a good option. I have seen great results with a combination of exercise, nutrition, supplements and stress reduction and by addressing possible root causes of osteoporosis.
Come listen to Margie Bissinger speak at the Get Well Show on Thursday 12th November where she'll discuss the integrative approach to healing osteoporosis.
Get your tickets now!
The alarming highs and lows associated with the problem are controlled by powerful drugs, but neuroscientists are at a loss as to what is actually going on.
Most assume it’s a genetic problem, and some believe it could be caused by a chemical imbalance.
Earlier research they carried out suggested that schizophrenia could have the same cause.
If they carried on looking, they’d discover that almost every mental problem—such as depression and anxiety—has the exact same genesis. ‘Bad’ experiences and trauma leave an energetic imprint that find expression as emotional outbursts, negative thought patterns—and so-called mental problems.
And if therapists and researchers were to look closer still, they would see that this energy creates the ‘problem’ first, and then the ‘person’ who identifies with it, owns it and feels responsibility for it.
Maintaining our balance and posture as we age depends on keeping the brain “awake” to movement patterns. Anat Baniel discusses.
It was as if Matt's brain didn't know he had a back and pelvis.
I had Matt lie down and guided him through a series of gentle movements with his pelvis and lower back. As his brain sensed these areas, the movements became lighter and larger. I then moved one leg at a time and observed how his brain connected these movements with the recent new mobility in his back and pelvis.
At the end of the session, Matt felt lighter on his feet, with a clear difference in his balance. By the end of five sessions, he looked years younger, had bounce in his step, and was able to resume many of the activities he loved.
You can download The Nine Essentials of ABM NeuroMovement® e-book at www.anatbanielmethod.com/neuromovement-ebook or do the full lesson online.
There aren’t too many successes being reported in the COVID-19 saga, but every so often you come across a hero who is actually getting somewhere.
If that didn’t resolve symptoms, the patients were asked to come into the office and receive intravenous injections of vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), plus intramuscular injections of ozone.
These patients, of an average age of 57, weren’t particularly robust. Most had other conditions: thyroid or heart problems, asthma, chronic sinusitis, Lyme disease, diabetes, even cancer, placing them in the ‘high risk’ COVID category.
In some cases, the patients were so ill that to protect his staff and healthy patients, Brownstein and his team gowned up and met his patients in their cars at the back of their building, where they administered IVs and intramuscular treatments.Of 107 patients treated, every single patient, including those that had to be hospitalized, got completely better, with first improvements showing up in two and a half days, and virtually all of them got well within a week.
Even the worst of the hospitalized patients who was still having breathing problems on discharge had his breathing return to normal in two days after using one of Brownstein’s nebulizers.
Brownstein chose to top up his treatments with iodine not only because it is a potent antimicrobial but because it has been shown to increase the ability of the immune system to kill infectious organisms. Published lab studies have shown that COVID-19 exposed to iodine as a nasal antiseptic formulation and an oral rinse quickly gets inactivated.
You must immediately cease making all such claims.
Rebecca Cotterall developed the first symptoms of CFS at 13. Unable to continue her normal life, she had to stop attending school and gravely reduce her social interactions. After a lucky chance, Rebecca met Dr. Sarah Myhill who helped turn her life around.
“It just hit me. I was exhausted. I couldn’t get out of bed, and my mum had to do everything for me. I even struggled to chew my food.”
After being monitored in hospital for three weeks, Rebecca was diagnosed with CFS and given a wheelchair to get around. “There was nothing much they could do for me,” said Rebecca. “I just had to live with it.”
Rebecca’s life radically changed. She attended a “special school” for an hour three times a week, and only saw her friends at home for just 20 minutes at a time. Remarkably, Rebecca managed to complete her schooling with five GCSEs and went on to attend college. But just three weeks into her course, she suffered a relapse, and ended up having to quit and move back in with her parents."I was in a worse state than I was when it all started. Really bad depression set in. I thought: Am I ever going to get better? Am I ever going to be able to do anything with my life? I was suicidal.”
“I went to see her in Wales, and she talked to me like a real person. She came up with clear strategies to tackle the CFS.”
“I cut out gluten, refined sugar, dairy and all processed foods. I focused on eating whole foods including fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish and good-quality meat, and drinking lots of filtered water.”
“It’s a lot harder than just taking a pill; it takes a lot of time and effort,” she says. “But the pay-off is so, so good.”
One of these causes is diet, specifically high in allergens, artificial additives and foods with a high glycaemic index (GI). This is why she recommends a Stone Age diet, which is low-GI, avoids common allergens like grains and dairy, and is as natural as possible.
Besides a change of diet, Myhill also has a number of other must-dos for treating CFS:
A team of doctors in Colorado have pioneered a procedure that avoids joint replacements.
Owner and medical director of the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, Dr Chris Centeno, is transforming orthopaedic medicine after pioneering a technique that uses the patient's own stem cells to restore damaged tissue-cartilage, bone, ligaments and tendons - largely ending the need for surgery.
A typical patient of his is Joe Maroon, who at 63, found years of running, biking and swimming took a toll on his knee cartilage resulting in osteoarthritis. Maroon was faced with two options: knee replacement surgery, which as a doctor he knew would not last that long, or a lifetime of steroid interjections and a probable likelihood of having to end his competitive sporting activities.
During his years of waiting, Maroon chanced upon the Centeno-Schultz Clinic's orthopaedic alternative RegenexxTM, which relies on using a patient's own stem cells to heal damaged joints. Maroon travelled to the tiny clinic, to consult with the specialist who'd pioneered what he was touting as an alternative to surgery. After some of Joe's stem cells were extracted from his bone marrow, they were cultured in the laboratory over several weeks before being reinjected into his damaged knee. The result was such a reduction of pain that Maroon, by that time aged 68, was able to compete in the Ironman Hawai'i triathlon six months later.
Centeno was profoundly dissatisfied with the state of orthopaedic medicine, and its reliance on steroids and surgery, and after the turn of the millennium, became interested in animal research on stem cells1.
Now to see if it might apply to people too.
Centeno’s concoction was a mix of patients own malleable mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), along with their blood platelets, which would 'supercharge' the MSCs to both replicate and to differentiate into more cartilage and bone to repair the joint.
In 2008, he published the results of the first patient to undergo his procedure. His guinea pig was a man who'd suffered for years from knee pain that had not improved with surgery. Using his mix of MSC and blood platelets, he found the results were unequivocal. Just a month after the procedure, the patient's knee-cartilage surface area had expanded by more than 20 per cent, and the joint meniscus was also 29 per cent larger after six months.2 In addition, the patient’s range of motion was near normal and his pain had reduced to non-existent.
Since 2008, Centeno and his colleagues have performed over 10,000 procedures on all manner of orthopaedic and soft-tissue injuries, hundreds of them involving patients with diseased knee and hip joints. The results are impressive - even more so because his patients continue to improve over time.
Centeno’s stem-cell method has seen the greatest improvement with people with knee issues. In 2011 Centeno and his team published a safety and complications report of 339 patients, most of whom had arthritis of the knee and all of whom had been told they needed knee replacements. After receiving the stem-cell RegenexxTM treatment, only 4.1 per cent of these patients went on to get an artificial knee, while the rest did well enough with the RegenexxTM treatment to avoid surgery.3
With this type of medicine, we can move from managing pain to actually curing the injured tissue. Imagine - knees, hips, backs all fixed. No more pain. No more surgery. No more meds. All you need are your own stem cells. Doctors would start actually curing disease instead of prescribing drugs to manage disease, and that's a ground-breaking paradigm shift."
1 JBone Joint SurgBr, 2001;83;289-94
2 Pain Physician, 2008; 11; 343-53
3 Curr Stem Cell Res Ther, 2011; 6; 368 - 78
Karen Thomas didn't expect to become an autism recovery expert. She was a holistic health professional, a massage and craniosacral therapist, happily married and mother to a happy-go-lucky, vibrant two-year-old son. Then came the change.
In 1998, following a routine hospital visit where her son received the hepatitis B shot, Karen noticed her son Jacob had changed.
He became very introverted, and hyperfocused to the point where he wouldn’t hear or respond to people talking to him. Simultaneously, he became extremely oppositional and experienced profound anxiety with headaches and stomach aches that would wake him up screaming at 3 a.m.
It wasn’t till Jacob was almost 10 years old that Karen finally received diagnosis – Asperger syndrome.
Karen finally took things into her own hands, after a behavioural therapist suggested she drugged her son as a form of therapy. Karen was appalled. With her holistic background working with the brain and my craniosacral background, she knew the brain is malleable, and can change. So, she went to work.
Today—after 14 years of Karen's intense research into the many causes and triggers of autism, developing treatment protocols and working with her son on her own— Jacob is fully recovered and away at college."I spent $150,000 and thousands and thousands of hours researching. But it was worth it, because not only have I recovered my son, it has put me in a position to help others."
Know what you're dealing with
The prevalence of autism is rapidly escalating, and it's more common in boys than girls by a ratio of approximately five to one. For years it was thought to be primarily a genetic disorder passed on by the parents, but today chromosomal testing reveals that approximately 80 percent of children with ASD have a normal genome.
A growing number of brain studies show high levels of neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in people with ASD, indicating that something else is going on besides inheritance and developmental mishaps.
The science of recovery
Karen, developed her four-step program through years of research and trial and error in her quest to find solutions to her own son's symptoms. Every step is supported by scientific evidence and intended to provide a simple framework for individualized treatment strategies.
1. Heal the gut:
An elimination diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins and minerals has been shown to relieve autism symptoms (as well as gastrointestinal disorders).1 A gluten-free and casein (dairy)-free diet has also been linked to reduced symptoms of autism.2 Studies also show an association of gut dysfunction and gut dysbiosis with ASD symptoms.32. Detox from Heavy Metals:
Exposure to heavy metals such as lead and mercury have been linked to the development of autism by triggering neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity.4 Immune-related excitotoxicity—where inflammation in the brain leads to dangerously high levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, triggering a cascade of events that disrupts brain function—is both directly and indirectly linked to autism.5This inflammation can result from persistent infections and particularly environmental excitotoxins such as aluminum and fluoride. Dr Chris Exsley, PhD, professor of bioinorganic chemistry at Keele University in Staffordshire, UK, has conducted research suggesting that aluminum contributes to autism and that individuals with autism may be more susceptible to aluminum toxicity.
Exposure to mercury is also an established risk factor for autism. In a review of 91 studies on the topic, 74 percent found a connection between mercury and ASD.6 And the baby teeth from children with autism were found to contain more toxic lead and less of the essential nutrients zinc and manganese than teeth from children without autism.7
3. Clear coinfections:
Infection with the Lyme bacteria, borreliosis, has been linked to mental disorders including ASD and autism-like symptoms.8 New brain scanning techniques show that, indeed, brain inflammation is related to Lyme disease,9 as well as being a tell-tale sign of autism.10
4. Clear any mold exposure:
Exposure to molds and their mycotoxins has also been found to negatively impact the nervous system through immune cell activation and thus contribute to ASD.11
Global interest
Four years ago, Karen wrote and published a book on her autism recovery protocol titled Naturally Recovering Autism: The Complete Step-By-Step Resource Handbook for Parents. She also started a web-based program called Autism Moms Mentoring Program that takes parents of children with autism through a step-by-step process of recovery.Karen's four-step program follows the comprehensive yet holistic approach she took with Jacob. Today, both the book and her program are being used by parents in over 40 countries.
References
1 Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig, 2013; 64: 1-12
2 Nutr Neurosci, 2010; 13: 87-100
3 Front Nutr. 2018; 5: 40
4 Environ Res, 2018; 116: 234-50
5 Surg Neurol Int, 2018; 9: 74
6 J Trace Elem Med Biol, 2016; 37: 8-24
7 Nat Commun, 2017; 8: 15493
8 Healthcare (Basel), 2018; 6. pii: E104
9 J Neuroinflammation, 2018; 15: 346
10 Nat Commun, 2014; 5: 5748
11 Clin Ther, 2018; 40: 903-17
After developing Parkinson's disease and searching out a natural cure, international best-selling author John Gray of Mars/Venus fame made an astonishing connection between the condition, his childhood, and his stratospheric success.
One night while watching TV, John's wife Bonnie looked over at him with alarm. "John, your head is shaking," she said. Gray was shocked. He'd had no idea his head was moving, but once he did, he couldn't do anything to stop it. "I would focus my mind, my head would involuntarily shake back and forth, and I was powerless to control it," he said.
Over the next few days, he realized the tremors were getting worse. A few days later, his doctor finally put a label on his symptoms. Early stages of Parkinson.
Gray learnt that the treatments available through his doctor would only grant temporary relief, and over time his body would come to depend on it and need more. This sort of 'treatment' was not acceptable, so Gray embarked on his own search for a cure. He came across the work of Dr William Hitt, who treats patients with a variety of 'brain' conditions. Gray was impressed to learn that patients of every variety, including those addicted to cocaine, were coming off their drugs without side-effects.
At Hitt’s clinic, John received an intravenous (IV) infusion of a number of amino acids and nutritional supplements, which enabled his body to make enough dopamine. Within nine days, all his symptoms had disappeared.
When he returned home, Bonnie noticed that it wasn't just the shaking that had stopped. John was less distracted and restless when she talked to him, and more relaxed and present, more interested in their relationship and the family.
John himself noticed an even bigger change - life felt a good deal easier than it had been before. He had more energy, less distraction, more discipline. His life felt orderly and organized.
"Then it dawned on me. Most of my life, I had ADHD [attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder] and didn't know it. I just thought life was hard. I had no idea that life could be so much easier; I simply concluded my problems were my problems and I had to just push through them every day. I had no idea that I was experiencing many of the common symptoms of ADHD."
As John began researching the causes of ADHD, he discovered a common link between Parkinson's disease, ADHD and other mental conditions: a down-regulation of dopamine.
An even bigger light-bulb moment came when he realized that the brain-killer common to all these conditions was hyperstimulation in its various forms: too much sugar; too many loud, brightly coloured video games; too many street and prescription drugs; and, in his own case, too much stratospheric success.
In 1992, Gray had published his international mega-hit Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, which went on to hold the record as the best-selling hard-cover non-fiction book of all time. For some six years, it topped best-seller charts around the world.
"Our family would be having Sunday brunch and listing something good that happened to each of us that week. And when it came to my turn, every week for six years I'd reply, 'Well, I'm still number 1 on The New York Times best-seller list.'
"I had international celebrity status, I had my own private jet, I was fêted wherever I went; I had the high lifestyle and stimulation of mega-success and, in a sense, nothing else was giving me pleasure."
All this attention proved to be overwhelming. At the end of those six years, he developed his first signs of Parkinson's..
Dr Hitt's treatment for Gray would last for three months before he'd have to return for another series of treatments. But after several visits to the Mexican clinic, John decided to formulate his own oral supplement programme, which eventually included brain rebuilders like undenatured whey protein and other amino acids that help the body produce its own dopamine. He takes these supplements in a morning shake and hasn't suffered from tremors for 12 years.
In the process of healing himself and observing how it improved his own relationships, Gray, the relationship expert, began to recognize the enormous effect of our modern overstimulated world on men and women and also on their relationships .Increasingly, the line between his clients' relationships and their health became blurred.
He went on to spend some of the proceeds from his books on a major health centre at his ranch in California, enlisting complimentary doctors and naturopaths to research natural and inexpensive solutions for the health of his clients. After 12 years he closed his health centres to focus on educating the public about what they learned. He now counsels those who come to him for marital issues about their health as well. In his latest book on relationships-Staying Focused in a Hyper World-he suggests various natural supplements and treatments to heal the brain of ADHD, restore memory and improve brain performance
Having flown in a cosmic orbit for many years, Mars has never been happier, now that both feet are firmly planted back on Earth. "This," John says of his latest work about health and its connection to relationships, "is what I live for."
Come listen to John Gray speak at the Get Well Show on Saturday 14th November where he'll be talking about his book Staying Focused in a Hyper World and natural solutions for ADHD.
Get your tickets now!
In early 2004, in a football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens fractured his fibula, ripped the deltoid ligament from his tibia, sprained his ankle, and "shredded" his interosseous ligament. Post-surgery he was told by his surgeon that there was no chance he would be able to play in the upcoming Super Bowl and he might never play again.
Not only did Owens play in that Super Bowl, he made nine catches totalling 122 yards and went on to play pro football for another eight years.
How was this possible? He called Carolyn McMakin.
A clinical researcher, lecturer and author as well as a chiropractor, McMakin got involved with frequency-specific microcurrent (FSM) technology after friend and fellow chiropractor, George Douglas, DC, inherited a two-channel current-producing machine built in 1922 and a 1920s-era frequency list when he bought an osteopathic practice from Harry Van Gelder in 1983. The machine and the list of frequencies languished in a drawer until Douglas stumbled upon them years later.
"At that point we had a two-channel analog microcurrent machine," says McMakin. "He looked at the list and said, 'You know, Harry's old machine had two channels. I wonder if these frequencies would work on this microcurrent machine?' I said, 'I don't know. Let's try it.' So, we started treating each other, and nothing bad happened."
"That's the wonderful thing about FSM. Once you have a tool that lets you do this stuff, a whole world of possibilities opens up."
By 1996, she started treating patients. And by the end of that year, McMakin was doing "impossible" things with chronic pain patients, alleviating nerve and muscle pain, and treating patients with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain and chronic fatigue that nobody and nothing else could fix.
She was finding repeatedly the same thing. Patients, who had been suffering from chronic pain levels for over 12 years, walking in at an average of seven, and an hour later leaving pain-free.
But McMakin knew she couldn’t rely on objective results alone – she needed scientific results to back this up.
In the blood
McMakin sent blood samples she had collected to a laboratory to see if there were differences pre and post her treatments. The samples showed major changes in levels of cytokines, small proteins produced by white blood cells that drive inflammation, including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (which is produced during acute inflammation); CGRP, a molecule involved in pain transmission and the dilation of blood vessels; the neurotransmitters serotonin and substance P, which is involved in inflammation and pain sensation; and the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol.
"Every pain specialist knows that substance P is produced in the spinal cord and that huge changes in substance P could only mean that the treatment did indeed affect spinal cord function," says McMakin. "The dramatic reductions in inflammatory cytokines mean that the treatment reduced inflammation, and the huge increases in serotonin and cortisol had to be the explanation for the induced euphoria."
Healing within minutes
So far, studies have shown that FSM therapy can:
A world of possibilities
McMakin says that treating a patient with microcurrents is actually the easy part of her work. Knowing what she needs to treat is the trick. She can't always go by the medical diagnosis that a patient walks in with, because diagnoses are often incorrect.
By way of example she describes a 70-year-old woman who claimed she had chronic fatigue syndrome—specifically a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), given at age 40 after the birth of her seventh child.
"She experienced right arm pain such that she couldn't lift the child, along with horrible body pain and weakness in her arms—a painful condition that continued, unrelenting, for 30 years," says McMakin.
"I asked her, 'Do you get sore throats, fevers or swollen glands?' She said no to all three. So I said, 'Then why did they diagnose you with ME?' And she said, 'I don't know.'" McMakin suspected she had fibromyalgia, not ME, and treated her accordingly. An hour later the woman was pain-free.
"We did one more treatment on her and that was it," says McMakin. "It wasn't hard. But the diagnosis was wrong. Nobody treated her correctly because ME is considered incurable. Which means nobody stopped to consider other possibilities. And that's the wonderful thing about FSM. Once you have a tool that lets you do this stuff, a whole world of possibilities opens up."
References
1 J Altern Complement Med, 2013; 19: 170-7
2 Top Clin Chiro, 1998; 5: 29 21, 2003
3 Proceedings of John Bowswick Burn and Wound Symposium, Maui, HI, 2003
4 J Bodyw Mov Ther, 2005; 9: 169-76
5 J Bodyw Mov Ther, 2010; 14: 272-9
6 Clin Ophthalmol, 2015; 9: 2345-53
