Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 - February 2016 (53) i The Art of Healing

Chyawanprash (also known as chyavanaprasha, chyavanaprash, chyavanaprasam and chyawanaprash) is a jam-like cooked mixture of sugar, honey, Triphala, ghee, sesame oil, berries and other herbs and spices. Chyawanprash is widely sold and consumed in India as a dietary supplement. Various Indian holy books including Mahabharat and Puranas relate that the Ashwini Kumar brothers, the twins, who were RajVaidhya (Royal Physicians) to Devas during Vedic times, first prepared this formulation for Chyawan Rishi at his Ashramon Dhosi Hill near Narnaul, Haryana, India. The first historically documented formula for chywanprash appears in Charaka Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise. Chyawanaprash tastes sweet and sour at the same time. The taste is largely dominated by the flavours of honey, ghee (clarified butter) and triphala, a primary ingredient of Chyawanaprash which makes it rich in…

Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants responsible for absorbing the light necessary for photosynthesis. It is often considered to be the ‘blood’ of plants, since it comprises the basic physiology of the plant and is required for their basic metabolic functions, such as growth and respiration. While most land plants contain chlorophyll to some degree, those with the deepest green colours contain the greatest concentrations of it. Though humans cannot photosynthesise and therefore cannot use chlorophyll in the same manner that plants do, studies show that chlorophyll is still a powerful phytonutrient that can benefit health when consumed in whole food or supplement form. The benefits of chlorophyll Boosts blood health Since 1911, scientists have known that the molecular structure of chlorophyll is almost identical to that of the…

A new Australian innovation, ‘food for health’ drink is generating excitement in the scientific community as a natural formulation to help intestinal health and digestion. Researchers at the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences at Macquarie University are investigating just how a plant-based natural product affects inflammation of the gut and the gut microbiome. This promising research is part of the ARC Training Centre for Molecular Technology in the Food Industry, located at Macquarie University and with research funding part of a $2.1 million Australian Research Council grant to explore improvements to food. The research program involves three PhD students and one Post-Doctoral Fellow under the supervision of three staff professors and makes use of the multimillion dollar state-of-the-art analytical facilities at the Biomolecular Frontiers Research Centre at Macquarie University.…

When a loved one has dementia, it can be difficult to get your head around the best methods to communicate and maintain that close connection with them. As dementia may cause your loved one’s memory to deteriorate, they may experience episodes of confusion and memory loss. During those moments, they can travel back 40 or 50 years into the past and mistake their memories for the present. It’s absolutely normal to feel helpless and frustrated while dealing with these kinds of changes – but also remember there are methods to make life easier for the both of you. One of these methods is reminiscence therapy, which is something simple that can be easily incorporated into the life of those living with dementia. So what is reminiscence therapy? Reminiscence therapy is…

Here is a summary of food intolerance: 1. Food intolerance is common Medical evidence shows food intolerance or food sensitivity is much more prevalent than the small minorities usually quoted. (eg. gluten sensitivity is now thought to be ~15% of Americans, and lactose intolerance is now known to be so prevalent (~75% are affected to some extent) that those who are not lactose intolerant (the minority) have been described using a new term: lactase persistent. 2. Food intolerance is genetic Food sensitivity is built into your genes, therefore it 'runs in the family'. This means if you have children you have already passed it on to them. Coeliac Disease (or gluten sensitivity) for instance occurs in 10% of all first degree relatives of Coeliacs - sisters, brothers, parents and children.…

When I entered the meditation centre in Burma, one of the first things I was taught is that there are two ways to find liberation. The first, and the most difficult, was liberation through world relationships. The classical Buddhist texts refer to this approach as ‘the way of the Bodhisattva.’ In contemporary, trans-religious terms this essentially means by engaging in relationships we discover ourselves. Its more elevated meaning is by serving the freedom of others one frees oneself. This style, which is the cornerstone of the ‘liberation through living’ model of spiritual awakening, rests upon the idea that wisdom - the liberating blend of intuitive discernment, creative compassion, and basic goodness - counters the habit of self-centered fixation. And self-centered fixation is the root cause of greed, fear, anger, and…

Quick Meditation: A Five-Minute Exercise to Calm the Mind I don’t know about you but these days I put meditation in the ‘should’ basket of my life. You know what I mean; I should clean out the fridge, I should go to the dentist, I should meditate. Don’t get me wrong, I admire those people who can wake up at 5am to meditate before they start their day, it’s just that I can’t do it and it’s not for lack of trying! For years I was a yoga and meditation devotee. Those fleeting moments when my mind was still were absolutely wonderful … but fleeting. Like trying to catch a cloud, they slipped away before I had had time to marvel at the experience. There’s no doubt that Buddha was…

Drama is the specific mode of narrative, typically fictional, represented in performance. The term comes from the Greek word ›››››, drama, meaning action, which is derived from the verb ››››, dra›, meaning to do or to act. The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception. The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy. They are symbols of the ancient Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene, the Muse of comedy represented by the laughing face, and the Muse of tragedy represented by the weeping face, respectively. Considered…

From the top of your head to the soles of your feet, you have an amazing ability to regenerate: HAIR • The hair on your head could be anything up to 6 to 7 years old • Each day your head hairs grow 0.5mm • Body hair grows more slowly 0.27mm per day • Your eyebrows renew themselves every 64 days BRAIN • Cells in the brain’s cortex are not renewed and are as old as you are, although there is evidence for continuous regeneration in the hippocampus EYES • The surface of the cornea is covered in a thin layer of cells that is continually renewed. Complete turnover is every 7 to 10 days • Cells in the retina do not regenerate, which is why vision problems arise with…

Specialist UK Northern Lights travel company, Off the Map Travel, has come up with a novel ways for Aussies to experience the Northern Lights which not only take you to the heart of the light spectacular, but provide wellness in the Arctic wilderness. Off the Map Travel Director and Northern Lights expert Jonny Cooper says he has had phenomenal interest in recent years from Australians wanting to tick the Northern Aurora off their bucket list, but most aren’t sure where to start. So the former climbing, canoeing and mountain-biking instructor, who has taken thousands of people into the Arctic to experience the phenomenon, has come up with some new ways for Aussies to not only view the Northern Lights, but feed the soul as well. In Iceland there’s what is…

Sunflowers, with their tall stalks and bright yellow flowers, are often associated with optimism and cheer. However, they do more than evoke positive feelings; they can improve health - your own as well that of the environment in many ways. For example, it's no secret that consuming their seeds does wonders for health. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, sunflower seeds "are an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant." Vitamin E plays a role in maintaining healthy cells and keeping free radicals from destroying the body; as such, sunflower seeds are listed on the site as one of the top 100 healthiest foods. Furthermore, the site explains that the seeds are good sources of selenium and magnesium, which aids in cancer prevention, improved detoxification and…

Sleep disturbance has become a major personal and medical concern. Good decisions, productivity and teamwork are all hindered by exhaustion, and the cost to our development, lives, health and productivity is enormous. A recent study based on Australian workers shows the association between poor sleep quality and quantity with higher presenteeism (reduced productivity due to attending work while physically or mentally unwell),” says Stuart Taylor, Founder of The Resilience Institute Australia. Co-ordination, attention, decision-making and impulse control all suffer, while cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, metabolic disorders (obesity and diabetes) and immune system dysfunction increase. The three year study by the institute measured the resilience of 16,000 people across 250 organisations with 43.3% of all respondents ranking highly on questions relating to tiredness and fatigue. “Sleep and rest are vital to…

Avocadoes are a superfood. They’re loaded with nutrients like vitamin K and folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6 and C. They’re so purely good, they’re on the Top 10 list of the first baby foods because avocado nutrition fits almost perfectly with a baby’s growing development. What’s more, there are many avocado oil uses anyone can use to both improve health and beautify. The healthy fat in avocadoes is not just medicinal, it’s also an excellent addition to a beauty or skincare regimen. Here are 5 reasons to keep a bottle of avocado oil around. 1. Heals and Prevents Disease and Injury Oleic acid is an omega-9 essential fatty acid found in avocadoes and is known to lower the risk of some cancers, prevent auto-immune disease flare-ups, and speed cell…

The health benefits of aromatherapy can no longer be considered placebo in nature. Accumulating evidence now shows that the fragrance of flowers and other volatile plant compounds pack a punch as powerful as certain drugs. In a day and age like ours, bouts of stress and anxiety are expected to occur at least occasionally during the course of daily life. In fact, if the experience is completely alien to you, you may not be paying attention to what's going on in the world around us or, you may be enlightened, and should be congratulated. Certainly, anti-anxiety drugs can be effective, but they are also addictive and dangerous, with withdrawal symptoms that include seizures and, paradoxically, extreme anxiety. Because of this fact, natural alternatives are needed now more than ever. Fortunately,…

Imprisonment In Australia we have remand centres and prisons. Remand centres are for people charged with a criminal offence that have been ordered by the Court to be detained in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing. After trial and sentencing, remand prisoners are moved to prison to serve out their sentence. Australian prisons are categorised according to the level of security. Minimum security prisons are for those serving relatively short sentences for non-violent crimes; medium security prisons are for prisoners with a history of violence; and maximum security prisons are the most restrictive prisons for violent inmates and those posing the highest security risks. According to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; Prisoners in Australia in 2014, the number of prisoners in adult corrective services has increased by…

While the aquaculture industry in Australia has been growing rapidly in recent years, other countries around the world have long been leading the way. Whether you are aware of it or not, much of the fish you have eaten has been farmed and imported from elsewhere in the world, such as Asia, Norway, and Chile. So with aquaculture increasing both around the world and at home in Australia, the percentage of farmed fish that we eat rises with it. The question is what are we eating when we eat farmed fish? The biggest concern related to aquaculture is overfishing. Farms were created as a solution to this problem, but have in fact created a bigger problem. Many of the fish species that are popular in the market are carnivorous, feeding…

Alexander, a Melbourne-based activist, academic and author, has recently joined forces with a rural landowner to develop some models for how people might live in smaller spaces. They’ve recruited a group of others interested in the same ideas and are spending 12 months hand-building and living in a series of alternative small homes. A documentary crew will be living with them and filming their efforts. Tiny houses – particularly tiny houses on wheels, about half the size of a shipping container – have become very fashionable in the last year or two. For many they are simply an interesting object of desire, an exercise in design and imagination. But in the United States, hundreds of people are now living in little handmade houses built onto trailers, either taking them on…

Physicists from the University of Sydney have devised a way to use diamonds to identify cancerous tumours before they become life threatening. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, reveal how a nanoscale, synthetic version of the precious gem can light up early-stage cancers in non-toxic, non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. Targeting cancers with tailored chemicals is not new but scientists struggle to detect where these chemicals go since, short of a biopsy, there are few ways to see if a treatment has been taken-up by a cancer. Led by Professor David Reilly from the School of Physics, researchers from the University investigated how nanoscale diamonds could help identify cancers in their earliest stages. “We knew nano diamonds were of interest for delivering drugs during chemotherapy because they are largely…

While caffeine has become more acceptable in the healthcare community as further evidence is uncovered about the antioxidant properties of caffeine-rich beverages like tea or coffee, it can still be a problem for many patients. Certain heart conditions or anxiety problems can be exacerbated by too much caffeine, and increasingly, OB-GYNs (gynaecologists specialising in obstetrician) are discouraging pregnant women from drinking caffeinated beverages due to the effects they can have on the unborn baby. In short, while caffeine is recognised as healthier than it used to be, it is still not for everyone. That is why rooibos tea has become so popular in recent years. Even though it is caffeine-free, it has a strong and robust taste more reminiscent of a black tea than a herbal one. However, studies have…

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal condition that disrupts ovulation and the menstrual cycle. Consistent elements, which constitute the disorder of PCOS include elevated androgenic hormones and a chronic lack of ovulation. Its most distinctive sign is the pathologic appearance of multiple cysts on the surface of the ovaries, but sufferers may also display other symptoms including irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth, acne, mood changes and weight gain. Affecting roughly 15% of Australian women, it is the most common reproductive endocrine disorder among those of childbearing age. As the endocrine system’s functionality is tied closely to a female’s emotional wellbeing, specifically her femininity, it is important to consider PCOS from a psychosomatic pathology. When specific body parts or organs fall into dis-ease, it is a strong message…

Could something as simple as the food you start and end your day with be setting you up for a major health crisis? Tell me if this sounds familiar to you ...10am rolls around and you feel this overwhelming need for something to get you through until lunch - maybe a latte, muffin, or fruit. Or how about the 3-4 pm slump when only a bit of chocolate, iced coffee or maybe a sugar-free soft drink will do to help you push through until dinner? And how would you describe your energy levels? Really? That good huh? Now take your willpower and your daily stimulant (coffee, tea, sugar, energy drink) out of the equation. How about now? Well my friends ... welcome to the blood-sugar roller coaster and guess what?…

The core motif of Australian history is its patriot sons’ conquests of country and adversity. Celebrated in words and art, myths were created by men, about men - and white men at that. But what of the marginalised peoples in our early history - and the women? The mythologies of early-Australian song and text occlude multiple realities, almost exclusively being paeans to the exploits of menfolk. Gria Shead however, is one female artist who looks beyond the veil of conventional story-telling and hero worship. Using the visual vernacular to flesh out a different Australian story, Shead re-contextualises icons and artefacts of Australian history - as with Kate Kelly, sister of Ned, who gazes unflinchingly from a headpiece forged for her brother, armour she might have symbolically donned. As despondency turns…

Seventeen months of a heart-wrenching, painful, and also wonderful odyssey indelibly mark my life. My siblings and our partners banded together around my father. We had fumbled our way through a maze of decision making, emotional ups and downs, and continued uncertainties created by his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. My father subjected his body to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and experimental drugs while steadfastly ingesting a daily regimen of supplements that could constitute a meal in themselves. My father far outlived his statistical prognosis and enjoyed 17 months of good health. Despite ‘failing’ conventional treatment, with the disease having slowly spread into his lungs, liver, and more lymph nodes, he felt, as he put it, “better now than I did before I was diagnosed!” While he attributed his wellness to his…

Apart from the big three (fat, sugar and salt), processed foods contain a plethora of chemical additives in the form of colours, preservatives, thickeners, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, sweeteners. Few of these have ever been properly tested for short-term effects on human health, let alone any chronic effects over a lifetime of consumption. Add to this the fact that (if they have been tested at all), it has only been on animals and then only in isolation, not in combination with other additives. In the USA the term GRAS or ‘generally recognised as safe’ is used by the food regulator (the FDA) to regulate food additives. The problem is the designation is a voluntary process and manufacturers get to choose whether or not to register their products. A long-standing argument of…