CLIVE SIMPKINS : Mind-Body, Purpose and You

What was once speculation and anecdotal is now fact. The way you think has a significant and life-length-impacting influence on your physical health via your immune system. Psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI) refers to the relationship between thinking (the mind or psyche), the nervous system (neurons in both brain and body) and immunology – the functioning of your immune system.

If we don’t have a compelling reason to get up and out of bed in the morning – a clear sense of purpose and relevance on the planet – there’s a virtual guarantee that at some point we’ll slide into a clinical depression. Animals have retained the ability to ‘switch off’ and die under certain circumstances. We humans don’t have that ability in quite the same way, but when we become purposeless, our lives become featureless and futureless.

Most people have little idea what they want out of life, except perhaps, vaguely defined as ‘I want to be happy.’ In some shape or form, everything that we do, is in this quest for ‘happiness.’ Happiness though, is one end of a continuum, at the other end of which, is unhappiness! So if you want the one state, you’d better be prepared to ‘do time’ with its counterpart emotion as well!

A Sufi king (Sufis are Islamic mystics) one day called his courtiers and advisers into his throne room. He said, “I want you to give me something, which, when I am happy, will remind me that I will again become sad. And which, when I am sad, will remind me that I will again become happy.”

The counsellors went away and spent much time in deep discussion, searching for an answer. Many weeks later, they came back to the king and slipped onto one of his fingers, a simple gold ring. On the ring, were inscribed the words, ‘This too, shall pass.’

I’ll be writing a regular series of (hopefully interactive) articles in this newsletter. Touching on the issues mentioned here – and more. They’ll deal with you, your psychological wellbeing and finding purpose in your life. If you’d like to respond, comment or ask questions, please e-mail to clivesimpkins@mweb.co.za or write to P O Box 783861 Sandton 2146 South Africa.

Clive Simpkins is a marketing and communications strategist, public speaker, journalist and author of the Concise Communicator and Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.

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The Role of Friendly Bacteria

These bacteria are not parasites. They do not just take up residence and do nothing in return, but perform many important functions in the body. We live in true symbiosis with them. As long as we provide them with a reasonable diet and as long as they remain in good health, these bacteria provide excellent service in return.

However, not all of the friendly bacteria perform the same functions. Certain bacteria help to maintain good health while others have a definite value in helping us regain health once it has been upset.
These dual protective and therapeutic roles help explain why the word “probiotics” was coined since it means “for life”:

• They manufacture some of the B vitamins including niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid, and biotin.
• They manufacture the milk-digesting enzyme lactase which helps digest calcium-rich products.
• They actively produce antibacterial substances that kill or deactivate hostile disease-causing bacteria. They do this by changing the local levels of acidity, by depriving pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria of their nutrients, or by actually producing their own antibiotic substances that can kill invading bacteria, viruses, and yeasts. Naturally enough they are doing this to preserve “their” territory.
• Some bacteria (such as bifidobacteria and acidophilus) have been shown to have powerful anti-carcinogenic features which are active against certain tumors.
• They improve the efficiency of the digestive tract. When they are weakened bowel function is poor.
• They effectively help to reduce high cholesterol levels.
• They play an important part of a baby’s digestive function and immune system. Bifidobateria infantis is acquired from breast milk. When it is in poor supply allergies and mal-absorption problems are more common.
• They help prevent against radiation damage and deactivate many toxic pollutants.
• They help to recycle estrogen (a female hormone) which reduces the likelihood of menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis.
• Therapeutically they have been shown to be useful in the treatment of acne, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, migraine, gout (by reducing uric acid levels), rheumatic and arthritic conditions, cystisis, candidiasis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and some forms of cancer.

WHAT MAKE FRIENDLY BACTERIA FUNCTION LESS EFFICIENTLY?

• The level of local acidity is one major influence upon the function of the friendly bacteria and this is contributed to by diet, digestive function, and stress.
  Another important influence is the speed of peristalsis (the wave like contraction of the intestines) that moves food along the digestive tract. If it is too rapid (as in diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, or colitis) this severely reduces the efficiency of the flora. If it is too slow (as in atonic or spastic constipation) this too causes changes in their function.
• The type of diet you eat is a major influence on bacterial health. The bacteria are healthier on a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, legumes) and low in animal fats, fatty meat, sugars, and cultured dairy products especially “live” yoghurt and cottage cheese). Not surprisingly, the diet that is best for people is also ideal for healthy bacteria.
• They are also influenced to a major extent by the degree of infection by yeasts and bacteria to which the bowel is subjected. Certain drugs, especially antibiotics, can severely upset this delicate balance (penicillin will kill friendly bacteria just as efficiently as it will kill disease-causing bacteria). Steroids (hormonal drugs such as cortisone, H.R.T. and birth control pills) also cause great damage to the bowel flora.
• Damaged friendly bacteria can regain health and efficiency by dealing with any of the factors listed above, especially diet and stress reduction. And by supplementing good quality freeze-dried bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus or viable cultures of the particular bacteria you want, which are capable of recolonising the intestines, as a rule need to be refrigerated after opening of their container. They should not be taken at meal times to avoid the extreme acidity of the stomach when it has food in it.

WHEN TO USE PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS

Probiotics should be used in the following cases:

• Under professional guidance or ongoing infections such as candidiasis.
• As a preventative against food poisoning when travelling (bifidobacteria and acidophilus kill most food poisoning bacteria).
• During and after any period when antibiotics are taken
• By all pre-menopausal and menopausal women to reduce chances of osteoporosis
• By anyone with high cholesterol problems
• By anyone with chronic health problems (acne, skin problems, allergies, arthritis, cancer, etc)
• By anyone receiving radiation treatment
• By anyone having recurrent vaginal or bladder infections (thrush or cystitis).
• Bifidobacteria infantis should be given to all babies.

TYPES OF FRIENDLY BACTERIA

Of the friendly bacteria that help the human body most are residents, while others are transient visitors, staying in your digestive tract for a few weeks before passing on. The principal forms of friendly bacteria, are as follows:

• Lactobacillus Acidophilus
  This is the main inhabitant of the small intestine in humans and animals.
  It is also found in the mouth and vagina. Acidophilus manufactures lactase to digest milk sugar and produces lactic acid which suppresses undesirable bacteria and yeasts. Some strains produce natural antibiotics such as penicillin.
   
• Bifidobacterium Bifidum and bifidobacteriumlongum
  These are the main inhabitants of the large intestine. Bifidobacterium bifidum is also found in the vagina and the lower part of the small intestine. In breast fed infants and adolescents these make up 99 percent of the entire flora of the bowel. There is strong evidence that the numbers and efficient working of these bacteria decline as a person ages and with any decline in our health status.
  The bacteria produce a number of specialized acids and use these to prevent colonization of the large intestine by invading bacteria, yeasts, and some viruses. They also prevent potential toxicity bile from which they recylce estrogen in women.
   
• Bifidobaceria infantis
  This is the main inhabitant of every infant’s intestines and is found in small amounts in the vagina. Its functions are very much the same as the other bifidobacteria. In a freeze-dried form it is the only probiotic product which should be supplemented to infants without professional guidance.

WHAT DAMAGES THE FRIENDLY BACTERIA?

Many factors influence just how healthy the flora are. While the type of friendly bacteria living in a region may seem much the same in health and disease, the tasks they perform chance according to circumstances. For example, when Bifidobacteria are in a good state of health they will detoxify pollutants and carcinogens as well as manufacture various B vitamins. When in a poor state of health, however, they just cannot do these jobs as well or at all.

AN OLD TIME NATUROPATHIC BELIEF WAS “GOOD HEALTH BEGINS IN THE COLON”

There appears to be great wisdom in that statement.

It can definitely be said that, without proper elimination of waste products there are serious repercussions to our health. A bowel movement every 12 – 14 hours is critical for good health. Maintaining and / or attaining good colon health is straight forward.

1. Eat a high fibre diet
   A diet rich in fibre includes plenty of fruits, vegetables whole grains legumes nuts and seeds. A high fibre diet increases both the frequency and quantity of bowel movements and decreases the transit time (the elapsed time from when food is ingested till it is excreted in the faeces).
    
2. Drink water
   Drink 6 – 8 glasses of fluid daily.
    
3. Probiotics: Friendly bacteria.
   Inside each of us live vast numbers of bacteria without which we could not remain in good health. Before looking at the amazing things they do, reflect on just how many of them we house.
   There are several thousand billion in each person (more than all the cells in the body) divided into over four hundred species, most of them living in the digestive tract. If they were all placed together the total weight of this “friendly” bacteria would come to nearly 2 kg and, in fact, about a third of the fecal matter (water removed) which you pass consists of dead or viable bacteria.

REFERENCES

Probiotics by Leon Chaitow & Natassha Treney
Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine by Murray & Pizzorho
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg Group
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch & Balch

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Vitamin C

In his book ‘The Optimum Nutrition Bible’; Patrick Holford states, “I take 2000mg (of Vitamin C) every day. My rule of thumb is that everyone can benefit most from one gram a day.

“If you look at research, 37 out of 38 studies have shown that 1 gram of vitamin C every day means fewer, shorter and less severe colds.

“However, to kill a cold dead in its tracks you need 3 grams every 4 hours. This saturates the blood stream in vitamin C, which simply stops viruses surviving. It must be borne in mind that this is for short-term use only. It is not dangerous, although you may get loose bowels.

“Once your cold has gone, go back to taking one to two grams of Vitamin C per day as a preventative measure. Two grams per day is more beneficial if you are over 40 and add an extra gram if you live in a polluted city.

“One to three grams of Vitamin C per day also greatly reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. It is a myth that Vitamin C gives you kidney stones and that we cannot absorb this much.”

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Health Works recommends Viridian Ester-C 550 mg

Hypoallergenic formula. Vegan. 100% active ingredients

Highly effective, highly absorbable-patented form of vitamin C. Ester-C is a neutral pH presentation of vitamin C, where the vitamin C is buffered to make it gentler on the stomach particularly where larger amounts are consumed. Ester-C is absorbed faster and retained for longer than regular vitamin C; in fact it reaches the cells in more than four times the quantity when compared to regular vitamin C.

INGREDIENTS:
 

One vegetarian capsule provides:	Mg	%EC RDA*
Ester-C (from Inter Cal)	550mg
Providing:
ascorbic acid	434mg	723.3
calcium	53mg	6.6
threonic acid	5mg
Vegetable cellulose capsule	100mg
Viridian bilberry extract, organic alfalfa and organic spirulina blend	54mg

* European Community recommended daily allowance

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Kyolic Garlic

Quest Kyolic Garlic odourless capsules from Health Works provide antiviral and antibiotic properties, strengthening the immune system and fighting infection without the after-effects of raw garlic.

The ingredient used to produce these capsules is an organically grown, high strength ‘therapeutic’ aged garlic extract.

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Health Works owner Linda Weech can be heard on Radio Today 1485mhz from 11:30am to 12:00pm every Wednesday giving her advice on various aspects of health and ailments.
Tune in to hear her dynamic interview.