Back to Healing through Unity newsletters

HEALING THROUGH UNITY

April, 2002

A monthly newsletter dedicated to serving the principles of

physical and spiritual health envisioned in the Baha'i Teachings.

Volume 5, Issue #8

______________________________________________________

Contents

---------------

- A Response about Restorative Justice
- Obesity
- Get Ready, Get Set, Get Motivated
- Nutrition: Guidance from the Baha'i Writings
- The Exchange
- Readers Responses About Diabetes
- Requesting Assistance From the Readers
- Question of the Month
- Website
- Purpose of Newsletter

*************************************************************

A RESPONSE ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

*************************************************************

By Thelma Batchelor, Surrey, United Kingdom

The subject of Restorative Justice helped me to recall an interesting incident that took place many years ago when we were pioneering in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Some European pioneers were visiting an outlying group of islands and during the few days we were staying there, one of the Europeans found that his wallet containing some money was missing. This was reported to the Head Man of the village. The Head Man was deeply concerned and called all the villagers together and told them that the wallet belonging to one of the visitors was missing (assumed to be stolen) and that he would like it returned to him. The villagers then dispersed to their leaf huts and shortly afterwards returned to where we, the visitors, were sitting with the Head man. They began to put large handfuls of leaves at the feet of the Head Man of the village, looking into his eyes as they did so. This carried on until there was a large pile of leaves at his feet. The Head Man turned to our friend and said: "Your wallet will be in those leaves." Our friend searched through the leaves with his hands and found his wallet complete with money. The villagers' respect for the Head Man went far beyond anything that we in the western world could ever understand.

Thus, no blame was attached by anyone to whoever had taken the money in the first place. The money was restored to its owner, and the person who had taken it must, no doubt, have felt just remorse at the procedure but the outcome was fair to everyone and the integrity of the village was restored.

***********

"One thing remains to be said: it is that the communities are day and night occupied in making penal laws, and in preparing and organizing instruments and means of punishment. They build prisons, make chains and fetters, arrange places of exile and banishment, and different kinds of hardships and tortures, and think by these means to discipline criminals, whereas, in reality, they are causing destruction of morals and perversion of characters. The community, on the contrary, ought day and night to strive and endeavor with the utmost zeal and effort to accomplish the education of men, to cause them day by day to progress and to increase in science and knowledge, to acquire virtues, to gain good morals and to avoid vices, so that crimes may not occur. At the present time the contrary prevails; the community is always thinking of enforcing the penal laws, and of preparing means of punishment, instruments of death and chastisement, places for imprisonment and banishment; and they expect crimes to be committed. This has a demoralizing effect.

But if the community would endeavor to educate the masses, day by day knowledge and sciences would increase, the understanding would be broadened, the sensibilities developed, customs would become good, and morals normal; in one word, in all these classes of perfections there would be progress, and there would be fewer crimes. ( 'Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, 'The Right Method of Treating Criminals', p. 271-2)

****************

OBESITY

****************

These are excerpts from the article 'Obesity' written by Nancy Duboise with the assistance of Erica Di Ruggiero, and printed in Ontario Health Promotion E-mail Bulletin #243.1 January 25, 2002. Reprinted by permission from the author. Their archive is http://www.ohpe.ca/ebulletin and the direct link for this article is http://www.ohpe.ca/ebulletin/FullFeature.cfm?ID=243.

Introduction / Overview

Obesity is the most common metabolic condition in industrialized nations. Based on the large, population-based Canadian Heart Health Surveys conducted in the early 1990s, close to half of adult Canadians are overweight and 1 in 6 is obese. And they are at increased risk of disability, disease and premature death because of it. A recent study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that from 1981 to 1996 the prevalence of overweight increased by 92% in boys and by 57% in girls. Moreover, during that same time frame, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in both boys and girls. Another study found that 48% of girls and 50% of boys in an Aboriginal community in Northern Canada were obese.

What causes obesity?

According to Obesity Canada, (http://www.obesitycanada.com ) there are many contributing factors: activity levels, diet, genetic, metabolic, environmental, social, economic, psychological, behavioural and biological. Inactivity and poor diet are the two most important factors. There is growing evidence that genetic factors influence the body's tendency to store energy either as fat or lean body mass (muscle). Other contributing factors include endocrine dysfunction, such as adrenal disease or diabetes, however endocrine causes of obesity are uncommon.

Why is obesity such a health risk?

Obesity contributes to a myriad of health conditions. These are outlined below along with descriptors that have been provided by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the US.

a) Premature Death
* An estimated 300,000 deaths in the US per year may be attributable to obesity.
* The risk of death rises with increasing weight.
* Individuals who are obese have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.

b) Heart Disease
* The incidence of heart disease is increased in persons who are overweight or obese.
* High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight.

c) Diabetes
* A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight.
* Over 80% of people with diabetes are overweight or obese.

d) Cancer
* Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial, colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
* Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.

e) Additional Health Consequences
* Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.
* Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination. Emotional suffering may be one of the most painful parts of obesity. American society emphasizes physical appearance and often equates attractiveness with slimness, especially for women. Such messages make overweight people feel unattractive. Many people think that obese individuals are gluttonous, lazy, or both, even though this is not true. As a result, obese people often face prejudice or discrimination in the job market, at school, and in social situations. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression are common.

What can be done to treat obesity?

The method of treatment depends on the level of obesity, overall health condition, and motivation to lose weight. Treatment may include a combination of diet, exercise, behaviour modification, and sometimes weight-loss drugs. However, according to researchers from the International Obesity Task Force (http://iotf.org,) there are limited effective obesity management systems in place. Obesity tends not to be treated until a co-morbidity is present.

Fortunately, a weight loss of 5 to 10 percent can do much to improve health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition, recent research has shown that a 5- to 7-percent weight loss can prevent type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for the disease. In their Position Stand, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a combined approach of reduced caloric intake and increased energy expenditure. For the latter, lifestyle activity as well as resistance training and more structured endurance activity have proven successful in adults.

When dealing with obesity in children, it is recommended that parents and other care-givers consider these behavioural adjustments, in combination with the activity guidelines recommended above:

* Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated whatever his or her weight. An overweight child probably knows better than anyone else that he or she has a weight problem. Overweight children need support, acceptance, and encouragement from their parents.
* Eat meals together as a family as often as possible.
* Involve children in food shopping and preparing meals.
* Avoid using food to punish or reward children.
* Focus on your child's health and positive qualities, not your child's weight.
* Try not to make your child feel different if he or she is overweight but focus on gradually changing your family's physical activity and eating habits.
* Be a good role model for your child. If your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he or she is more likely to do the same now and for the rest of his or her life.
* Realize that an appropriate goal for many overweight children is to maintain their current weight while growing normally in height.
* Many overweight children who are still growing will not need to lose weight, but can reduce their rate of weight gain so that they can "grow into" their weight.
* Your child's diet should be safe and nutritious. It should include all of the recommended allowances for vitamins, minerals, and protein and contain the foods from the major food groups. Any weight-loss diet should be low in calories (energy) only, not in essential nutrients. * Even with extremely overweight children, weight loss should be gradual, about .5 kg per week * Crash diets and diet pills can compromise growth and are not recommended by many health care professionals.
* Weight lost during a diet is frequently regained unless children are motivated to change their eating habits and activity levels for a lifetime.
* Weight control must be considered a lifelong effort.
* Any weight management program for children should be supervised by a physician.

****************************************************

GET READY, GET SET, GET MOTIVATED

****************************************************

Taken from "The Complete Guide to Your Emotions and Your Health: New Dimensions in Mind/Body Healing", by Emrika Radus and the editors of Prevention magazine, pp. 364-68.

You may have been telling yourself for years that you want to lose weight and get in shape or quit smoking. But getting out and doing something depends on just how bad the excess pounds, the flabby muscles or the smoke in your lungs make you feel. "How people are feeling is what usually gets them to overcome their inertia," contends Jerry Vandel, M.D., who operates his "Health by Design" practice in San Antonio, Texas. "They might be feeling older or lousy. They realize they can't do things the way they used to and they want to try to get back to those activities. So, they'll seek a diet and exercise program."

"People have to acknowledge that they really want to do something and why," notes Cindy Casterella, a yoga instructor and stress-management consultant in Watertown, New York. “You have to decide that changing something in your life (like your diet or exercise program) would be good for you right now. Then find someone you can trust who can help you achieve that change.”

GETTING RESULTS

The object of an improvement program, obviously, is to get the desired results, either for self-satisfaction or to meet social expectations. What’s needed to reach the goal is motivation. You must get motivated and stay motivated. We polled the experts and their five-point plan should really get you rolling.

1. Set easy, short-term goals and list the steps it will take to achieve them.

What is it you need? Is it a diet or exercise program? Whatever, know exactly what it is and how to go about doing it - the right way. If you don’ t know anything about achieving your goal, the library or a bookstore can help you out. Read and follow the suggested plan. Be realistic. An aspect of maintaining motivation is to rework your lifestyle gradually, with patience and a positive frame of mind. After all, caterpillars don’t become beautiful butterflies overnight.

"When a woman comes in with headaches, aching muscles, and a weight problem, I don't get very far suggesting that she stop all red met, eat more grains, exercise, take vitamins, and meditate all at once," said Christiane Northrup, M.D., a gynecologist/obstetrician from South Portland, Maine. "You've got to start small, with specific plan for tackling one problem at a time. Then the rest falls into place."

2. Find a person or group of people who can help you keep going.

"Support is essential in keeping a lot of people going." says Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D, an instructor in health sciences at UCLA. "Even if it's just one partner or a whole group, people are a great way to encourage motivation," says Dr. Jerry Vandel. "People like company and they can set goals together. Say you're going out running. If someone else is counting on you, you're more likely to be there."

Minister and health educator Leo R. Van Dolson, of Washington, D.C., adds, "When everyone in the group is striving for the same thing, they can offer each other support. Maybe everyone in the class was supposed to lose 2 pounds one week and someone comes to the next class and says she couldn't do it. Someone else might speak up and say, "Me, too," and then other people will make supportive suggestions.

Some people don't necessarily need a whole group of people but just one other person in whom they can confide and from whom they can get information and support. "People need to find someone who won't lay a heavy trip on them," Dr. Northrup notes. "They're usually grateful for that. Finding a doctor or someone they can bounce ideas off is important. If I tell a woman to get a massage to help her reduce some of her stress, it's like I've given her a doctor's prescription to go and feel good, as if she needed permission to do something good."

3. Experiment for a month or two until you find the program that most appropriately suits you. Give yourself time to adjust.

"Behavioral scientists say that it takes the body 21 days to accept new behaviour," says Dr. Jones. "If you give up sugar, for instance, you must keep at it for at least 21 days before your body accepts the change as natural. Set goals that are realistic and easy to achieve that you won't fail. Take it one day at a time. Also, remember that the first group, doctor, or program that you find may not be what you want or what you need.  Don't be discouraged and stop. Keep on looking.

Laura Bustamante, a young lawyer from San Antonio, Texas, is an example that trial and error need not be a setback. Bustamante went to see Dr. Vandel after he repeatedly encountered injuries and fatigue from the running and weight-lifting program he created for himself. "I needed someone to tell me how to do it right, how much to do," Bustamante remembers. "He gave me a stress and physical analysis and dietary plan. I did more research on my own before I came up with a nutritional program I liked, but I followed his exercise program and found it a scientific approach to conditioning. I was just getting in such good shape that I didn't want to go back to my old habits."

4. Be flexible - leave a little room for error. No exercise or diet program should be so rigid that it doesn't leave room for little diversion.

Rigid programs are just simply too difficult to follow. A day off from exercise or an occasional dip of ice cream are all part of handling a practical, long-term program. "Once you have less of something you don't need, the less you want of it", says Nora Irvine of her fondness of ice cream.. "After a while it just doesn't appear to you as much." Cindy Casterella agrees, adding, "I give myself permission to fail. If I do, it's no big deal. "You've got to have a trusting, positive attitude about yourself," says Casteralla.

5. Visualize how good the "new you" will look and feel.

"Cut out pictures from magazines that remind you of how you want to look and feel and pin them in noticeable spots around your home," advises Dr. Jones. It may sound old hat, but it really does help you achieve your goal. Actually seeing the physical results is the best way to keep your motivation in high gear.

"As long as I'm in shape, I don't get depressed like I used to. And I don't feel run down or get the same colds or injuries," notes Lauro Bustamante. Another effect of his perseverance has been a 10-pound weight loss. "I was originally on a six-month program with Dr. Vandel. It's hard to do it on your own. With someone looking over your shoulder, you push yourself to stick with it. I asked him a lot of questions and he answered them all. I really got my money's worth - I saw the results."

**********************************************************************

NUTRITION: GUIDANCE FROM THE BAHA'I WRITINGS

**********************************************************************

FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHA'U'LLAH

"In all circumstances they should conduct themselves with moderation; if the meal be only one course this is more pleasing in the sight of God; however according to their means, they should seek to have this single dish be of good quality." (Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Badi, p. 2)

FROM THE WRITINGS OF ABDU'L-BAHA

"What will be the food of the future?" "Fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Days in the Light of Akka, 1979 ed, pp. 8-9)

"But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. With this, and with perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse."

FROM LETTERS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

"No specific school of nutrition or medicine has been associated with the Baha'i teachings. What we have are certain guidelines, indications and principles which will be carefully studied by experts and will, in the years ahead, undoubtedly prove to be invaluable sources of guidance and inspiration in the development of these medical sciences. Moreover, in this connection the Guardian's secretary has stated on his behalf that "It is premature to try and elaborate on the few general references to health and medicine made in our Holy Scriptures." The believers must guard against seizing upon any particular text which may appeal to them and which they may only partially or even incorrectly understand....In matters of diet, as in medicine, the Universal House of Justice feels that the believers should be aware that a huge body of scientific knowledge has been accumulated as a guide to our habits and practices. Here too, as in all other things, the believers should be conscious of the two principles of moderation and courtesy in the way they express their opinions and in deciding whether they should refuse food offered to them or request special foods."

In matters of health, particularly regarding diet and nutrition, the House of Justice advises the friends to seek the help and advice of experts and doctors. This is what Baha'u'llah has recommended and He does not indicate which school of thought or practice they should belong to. However, as you particularly ask about references in the Old Testament as they relate to meat and fish, the House of Justice has asked us to quote for you the following excerpt taken from a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian by his secretary to an individual believer:"

"...there is nothing in the teachings about whether people should eat their food cooked or raw; exercise or not exercise; resort to specific therapies or not; nor is it forbidden to eat meat." (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, July 11, 1978, Lights of Guidance, 298)

***********************

THE EXCHANGE

***********************

Question:

Do you wish to lose weight but find it difficult to do? It is a sensitive issue which many people struggle with. We would be interested to learn from those who have successfully lost weight, the steps they have taken and how it affected their lives.

Answers:

I had an angina pain that would not go away, so my doctor suggested the Dr McDoodle diet. Basically it is a 100% no fat diet, no cheating and staying on it for 12 days. It means no meat, chicken, fish, milk, dairy products or eggs, reading all labels for fat content, etc. I am a 70 year old male 5 ft 8 inches tall, weighing 155 before the diet and lost 1 pound a day. When I dropped below 140 pound I got worried and my doctor suggested fat free yogurt, fat free cottage and organic eggs up to 6/week. I leveled off at 140, my angina is gone and my cholesterol dropped from 225 to 151 in 4 days. Needless to say I am still on it and added some healthy fats like Flaxseed Oil to raise my HDL which was still on the low side and I am allowed nuts. Exercise, walking at least a half hour a day or get yourself to that level. I am a more agile tennis player and have a better outlook on life. Developed amazing recipes for fat free food, that are tasty and nutritious. - Walter Klein, Florida, U.S.

************

I am a 29 year old Baha'i living in Africa. My mother struggled with a severe weight problem all my life and was in fear that I would suffer the same fate, therefore she had me on diets since the age of 12. Her focus and struggle with weight issues affected me more severely than any other influence. I also struggled with weight issues, although never as severe as my mother's for a very long time. My interest and participation in holistic healing lead me to search for new answers to this age-old problem and I found a few ways that helped me during the process.

Firstly, to the root of the problem. Although a lot of issues may be genetic, I believe that a lot of behaviours are learned, from a surface to a much deeper level. I read Louise Hay's books avidly, finding proof of her theories in my clients and myself. About weight she says that weight is the body "cushioning" you against what you fear, or protecting you from issues you have strong unresolved emotions about. Where people put on weight is also an indicator to where the issue lies; e.g. back-side is past, arms would be fear of loss, or holding on to someone or something, etc. What felt true for me was the idea that the body does sometimes misdirect instructions - if we are in fear of something for an extended period of time without facing that fear and resolving the issue, then it made sense to me that our body would respond by protecting us in whatever way it could. When I looked at my weight "depositories", I was able to recognize what Louise Hay had to say about why we put on weight. So I began working on my fears with faith, actively acknowledging my fears and praying about them, and gradually without any further attention to food or diet, weight began to come off.

Shoghi Effendi writes about overcoming our fear-complex:

"He will certainly pray that you may entirely overcome your fear-complex. When you concentrate your thoughts on realizing that you now belong to Baha'u'llah, are His servant whom He loves and will always help, if you ask Him to, and that the great spiritual strength of the Cause of God is behind you for you to draw upon, you will soon see your fears melting away." (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavors, p. 237)

I still find that in time of imbalance in my life, I still tend to "cushion" but have noticed that when what I fear is resolved (either by manifestation of my fear or through prayer and resolution) then my weight rectifies. However, at times there isn't the time or space to delve into deep-seated fears and dig out the root of something, lead me to look for physical solutions. Exercise is a brilliant way to control weight issues because it helps negate fear, lethargy and depression naturally as well as to feeling stronger and fitter. I also found that my blood-sugar levels are unstable and as a result I have found that a combination of L-Carnatine and Chromium helps to keep my blood-sugar levels stable.

Abdu'l-Baha tells us that to concentrate too hard on any area of the body "will cause it to become affected". Therefore after finding the solutions for my weight imbalance, I was aware not to pay too much attention to it (I must admit that when I did, nothing seemed to work). Generally, when I do go through a rough patch and "pad", my routine would be to take time out, analyze what I'm padding against, decide on a course of action which may include prayer, supplements and exercise, and then put it out of my mind, being certain and faithful that the weight will drop off, and it always does. - Natalie-Ann Powell, Africa

**********

These are the insights I gained and which I share with anyone who wants to break an addiction such as with food.

1 Addictions of any kind are very powerful, so your desire to overcome them must also be strong. I think this is where a spiritual focus, including prayer and meditation, come in, both to prepare a person to recognize and deal with the causes of their addiction and to help see them through to a successful (and lasting) conclusion.

2. Identifying the physiological, emotional and lifestyle triggers that can sabotage your best efforts is absolutely essential, because if you do not deal with those, you set yourself up for failure, which increases the stresses (including loss of self-esteem) that drive the addiction.

3. It is also important to remember that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all program. To borrow some advice from Richard and Rachael Heller (The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program. New York: Penguin, 1997), any program, to be successful in the long term, must be:
- Simple and easy to put into practice over the long haul;
- Targeted to take into account your own unique needs, preferences, and the cause of your problems;
- Adaptable to take into account all the circumstances of your life, e.g. (especially in the case of a food addiction) work, travel, social occasions, celebrations, stressful situations; and
- Rewarding in that meaningful results come before you lose heart and can be maintained long-term.

You must evolve a program that works for YOU, and with God's help, some well chosen background reading, and your personal physician's advice, you can--maybe not on the first attempt, but eventually. - Mary Ann Chance, Doctor of Chiropractic, Australia

*********************************************************

READERS RESPONSES ABOUT DIABETES

*********************************************************

"I wonder if anyone has some healing tips to alleviate diabetes and its complications. I have had diabetes for the last 12 years and up until three months ago I was treating myself through prayer, diet, and exercise. In November last year I had to go on insulin which I now take four times daily.

For the past five years I have had increasing neuropathy in my feet and legs. Now the pain and numbness is so severe that it keeps me awake at nights and incapacitated for much of the day. I want to avoid taking pain killers so I am asking if anyone has experience in dealing with this painful condition using other than drug therapy. -- Anonymous"

Responses:

I am replying to a member's plea for nutritional science (recent research) into complications of Diabetes and Neuropathy. Please send this person to www.glycoscience.com and go to the nutrition science site and type in their disease condition. - Sharon Stray

**********

I am a nurse, and one of the best ways to lower your blood sugar is to go on a low carbohydrate diet such as sugar busters or Atkins. These diets are not healthy for everyone, but certainly in a diabetic, they do the job. There are two other diabetics in my community that are successfully lowering their blood sugar(s) by following a diet such as this. - Cathy Hamrick, North Carolina, U.S.

*********

For the person who has diabetes and is seeking some healing techniques, I have found that Reiki has credibility for aiding in balancing our natural life force energy to heal. Also, acupuncture may be helpful for the leg pain. The Native Americans shamans have healing rituals as well that are spiritually guided. In our modern culture, we sometimes do not understand fully why such techniques may work. Our culture emphasizes the scientific and chemical processes when some past traditions seek to balance the spiritual with the physical. Baha'u'llah invites us to seek the wisdom of other religions and other cultures because there are lessons there. And the investigation is an adventure that moves us, as well. - JJ Smile

***********

A reader wrote asking for tips to deal with diabetic neuropathy. The person's physician may not have told them about capsaicin cream. It can be purchased in stores but doesn't have the same strength as a prescription cream. Capsaicin is from the chili pepper plant and is what is responsible for the hot sensation in the mouth. Research has shown definite benefit in using it to treat the pain of diabetic neuropathy. Use it lightly to begin and build up tolerance for higher amounts. Rub it on gently so that you don't cause any trauma to the skin and do not use it on any broken skin or open sores. - Deborah Crumbaker-Oldham, Texas, U.S.

***********

At age 48 with lots of stress in his life, my husband, developed diabetes quite suddenly. His job as an International consultant requires that he travels much of the time. Following one of his trips, he came home feeling quite ill and was diagnosed with acute diabetes. We were shocked and scared because we both have medical backgrounds and knew the complications that could result from diabetes. We spent most of the first week going from doctors, to labs, to clinics and to pharmacies. It was exhausting to say the least! The specialist prescribed an oral hypoglycemic medication at the same time telling us that he was not hopeful that this would be successful in controlling the sugars because my husband was not overweight and was exercising and was already eating low glycemic foods and according to the specialist, in his experience people like my husband tended to need insulin. I was really concerned because with all his traveling it would be difficult to regulate insulin!

I had been ill for quite some time with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia and unable to work. I found that glyconutritional supplements made all the difference so as soon as we had a diagnosis for my husband and based on the research that I had read, I started to give my husband large amounts of glyconutrients and a week later when we went back to the diabetic teaching center they were amazed at how well controlled his blood sugars were. They said it was unusual and they would not have expected him to be so well controlled so quickly. We had just assumed that it was that the pills were having a positive effect but they said that no, the pills usually took longer to have any result in most people. We didn't tell them about the glyconutrients at the time, but thought that maybe that was what was making the difference.

The studies I have read about the use of glyconutrients with diabetes, indicate that even people who have been on insulin have been able to decrease and in some cases eliminate the need for medication. Quite unusual for this to happen in my experience of working as a nurse with people who have diabetes especially someone like my husband, who couldn't make any more life style changes.

The next thing that happened was that after about two weeks my husband forgot his pills at work and so missed the evening dose. His blood sugars stayed normal even without the evening pill and continued to do so and so we cut his medication dose by half of what the doctor had prescribed. About a month later we cut the dose in half again and then three months later stopped all meds. At his three month check the specialist was surprised at how well his diabetes was controlled. All within normal range and in addition to his sugar levels, his cholesterol was lower than it had been in years and this is after he had actually stopped taking his cholesterol medication which he didn't like. So even though he stopped his meds the cholesterol went down. The only other change in his life that we could figure out that he was taking the glyconutrients!! The amounts of glyconutrients that my husband is taking is far lower than what the pharmacists trained in using these products recommend and his specialist is so impressed that he is considering doing a study with some of his other clients with diabetes. - Nan Hsieh, British Columbia, Canada

***************************************************************

REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM THE READERS

***************************************************************

"I am an active woman who uses a wheelchair due to paraplegia. Just recently I began experiencing symptoms of tingling, numbness in my hands and occasionally my right arm when sleeping which has now been attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome. I have had splints prescribed and I am presently using one at night on the right hand. But the neurologist is recommending surgery as soon as possible. I would like to explore alternatives to this as surgery is not a guarantee of a cure nor is likely to be a permanent solution. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has discovered other non invasive relief. I depend on my hands and wrist for many functions such as pushing my chair, transferring, keyboarding, standing with a walker and all the other tasks of daily living that require the use of my hands. - Anonymous (Editor's note: Please send your responses to the newsletter. Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you!)

************************************

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

************************************

This month's question(s) is the result of the readers requesting information/suggestions on how we can deal with the stresses and responsibilities in our lives. How can we have a more simple and joyful lifestyle?
- How can we have fun and joy at the same time as carrying out all our responsibilities?
- How can we deal with high levels of stress and simplify our lives? Keeping ourselves centered in very overwhelming times.
- How to deal with simple problems in daily living?
- How can we cope with stress in the workplace?

We look forward to hearing your thoughts/ suggestions on this topic.

****************

WEB SITE

****************

You can visit the website, obtain back issues and the Healing Through Unity Course at: http://www.healingthroughunity.org.

********************************************

PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER

********************************************

"Healing Through Unity" is published for the purpose of sharing thoughts, comments and experiences on how the teachings of the Baha'i Faith are being applied to physical and spiritual health. Other than the quoted Holy Writings, the material in this newsletter represents the thoughts and opinions of the writers and has no authority. You are free to copy articles, provided you indicate the source of the article. There are 10 issues per year; it is not published during July and August. The newsletter is produced in Ontario, Canada.

Please send your stories, comments, suggestions or "Question for the Month" ideas to Frances Mezei by e-mail: fmezei@sentex.net.

PLEASE NOTE:

Many thanks to all of you who send such wonderful contributions for "Healing Through Unity" Newsletter. The decision to select and edit material submitted for publication is determined by the editor.

If you have a change of e-mail address, please inform me with your old and new email addresses. To cancel the subscription, please send message to: --