"Application of GS Principles in our Quest for Great Health"
Something of interest to us all! It seems almost daily a scientific study comes out with information saying what we eat has a massive influence on our health.
A majority of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes etc can be linked to your diet, and the China Study emphasised similarities in diet of communities around the world who enjoyed a long and healthy life expectancy.
We discussed these issues, watched a video or three and talk about the most important foods to include in your diet every day that can lead you to feeling much better and improving your quality of life and life expectancy. We have other videos on weight control and improving ones brain, available for viewing and analysis from a GS perspective.
Location: Bonnet Bay (Sydney)
Led by the healthy and dynamic duo Pauline and David
Our seminar
was graciously hosted once again, by the congenial Pauline, Gavan and Carlton at Bonnet Bay. Gavan provided a healthy and succulent barbeque-style luncheon, incorporating many of the principles of healthy eating discussed in our theory.
We were priviliged to have Gabriel and Lily Donleavy visiting today. Gabriel is a former President of AGS and just yesterday flew back into Sydney from North America. Gabriel and Lily are now resident in Armidale, where Gab. is Professor of Accounting and
Deputy Head of the Business School at the University of New England.
One of the participants in today's seminar was accused of having a "roving eye" in relation to viewing of the interesting-looking group of people in the video (see below). However, it was pointed out that this could be the result of a neurological condition affecting eye movement.
GS Diary
In the spirit of "applying general semantics principles" to our lives, as opposed to dwelling in theory, we considered members' accounts of observations and applications relating to the principles and formulations of our discipline.
Part-1: Greg Fitzgerald Talks: "We have a body that wants to be well!"
(Presented by Pailine Callaghan)
Need to ask ourselves -
* WHAT CAN I DO TO GET MOTHER NATURE TO HELP ME TO FEEL THE BEST
* THE BOTTOM LINE is that MY HEALTH IS DETERMINED BY ME
* I HAVE 100% CONTROL OVER MY ATTITUDE
It is vital to give yourself the things you need
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE
Ask yourself “DOES THIS ADD TO MY HEALTH OR DETRACT FROM MY HEALTH”
If it detracts – CHANGE IT
Greg believes that DISEASE NEEDS CAUSES and that we can remove the causes)
What are we doing that makes it hard for our body to maintain health is – not sleeping well, stressing, not exercising, drinking alcohol etc, eating food that puts stressors on our systems
Everything we do requires energy – when we expend more energy than we have, it is called ENERVATION – which is depletion in your natural resources – exhaustion
ENERVATION happens when we are run down, lack energy, beginning of disease (without energy our body’s systems run inefficiently – perversion of the body’s environment leads to toxaemia
Your cells end up not being able to get rid of the waste (toxaemia)
The Body Burden - Toxic chemicals, both naturally occurring and man-made, often get into the human body. We may inhale them, swallow them in contaminated food or water, or in some cases, absorb them through skin. A woman who is pregnant may pass them to her developing fetus through the placenta. The term " body burden " refers to the total amount of these chemicals that are present in the human body at a given point in time. Sometimes it is also useful to consider the body burden of a specific, single chemical, like, for example, lead, mercury, or dioxin.
The following principles will help to reduce the burden on your body
Health is normal and natural
Disease is not normal, but natural
FIVE TRANSFORMATIONAL KEYS
One of his main points is to reduce the acidic load from food and drink, and increase foods that make us more alkaline – very hard for cancer to exist in an alkaline environment
The amazing properties of the self healing body is not taught to drs.
The less energy you spend digesting and exercising etc, the more you have to heal – it takes your body lots of energy to heal – important generally to keep your energy levels up – don’t eat much when you will need lots of energy.
When you fast, you lie down and rest most of the day – your body goes into auto electrolysis (which translates to self eat)
When you are fasting, your body breaks down its own tissue. It breaks down the stuff you don’t need first - mucous, then plaque from your arteries, then tumours, gall stones etc.
Almost all major illnesses are reversible with nutritional changes designed to undo the damage caused by years of eating a disease causing diet. This so called balanced diet that most people eat causes the diseases that most people get.
Joel Fuhrman –(Fasting and eating for Health)
We have a body that knows how to get well
John Lee from Cronulla spoke – he was very sick and getting worse with rheumatoid arthritis when he was 42 in 1987. He saw Greg and went on a 4 week fast, then another fast a couple of months after, went on the eating for health plan, and now runs ultra iron man marathons and is very fit and feels great. He says when he feels like going off the rails, he remembers how he used to feel and how sick he was.
FASTING – natural hygiene – empowering
1 AVOID ALL STIMULANTS AND SOCIAL POISONS
Alcohol is a protoplasmic poison (poisons all living tissue)
Cigarettes (nicotine)
Caffeine – shoulder stress is from caffeine and poor posture – epidemic
Gives you the saw-tooth curve of false energy -
Every pain you get when you stop taking a drug is a sign of detoxification and is great for you –
- When you are feeling worse you are getting better.
Your body will only get better if you eliminate it and create the environment for radiant health
Alcohol has a half life, so lasts in your body for a long time – it is absorbed by the stomach instead of the intestine like other foods and drinks.
With all drugs – the longer you take them, the longer they last in your body - As few as 8 sleeping pills a year will triple your risk of death
Drink water when you are thirsty
One soft drink per day increases the risk of heart disease by 20%
Robbie Williams was having 30-40 coffees and 20 energy drinks per day
WE ALL LOVE TO HEAR GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR BAD HABITS
2. HIGH NUTRIENT PER CALORIE DIET
Starving for micronutrients when you don’t eat veges, so you eat more and more, but the body’s REAL cravings are not met, and you feel empty and want more
WE MUST HAVE
* Most calories from plants
* Nutrients – get your micronutrients
* Volume – have a large number of veges
* Addiction – you won’t get feelings of addiction or need with a nutrient rich diet
No DAIRY – No other mammal has it after babyhood
Dairy has caso-morphines which are quite addictive and hard to give up
Reduce animal protein to one meal per day at most – very acidic
CSIRO Diet is not healthy – too much animal protein, meat and dairy.
It was funded by the meat and dairy industries
Countries with high meat/milk in their diet have the highest osteoporosis levels
Has caso morphines which are addictive
Eliminate all refined carbs – have fruit, oats, brown rice, potatoes, nuts, whole foods
3. PLANT STRONG – we have to increase our micro nutrients
Micro Nutrients come from plants – they are compounds that have amazing properties that reduce and prevent disease – only get folic acid from foliage
Macro Nutrients – carbs, protein, fat, water
A SALAD A DAY KEEPS THE ACIDOSIS AWAY – the salad greens etc are kissed by the sun and blessed by the earth. It is a living food.
The body’s capacity to handle protein is very limited
Protein is our source of nitrogenous foods
Protein stresses the kidneys
Human body has evolved to manage a low protein diet – 35mg per day is enough
Eating meat 2 times per day is eating far in excess of what the body can manage
GET PROTEIN from nuts and seeds – full of healthy proteins and fats
They decrease weight, cholesterol and blood sugar
Increase antioxidants and absorption of phyto chemicals from plants eg salads
Increase prevention of heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias and have compounds that regulate the heart
Increase DHA and avoid Alzheimer’s – 20% of your brain is DHA
Zero cholesterol in plant products, cholesterol is only in animal foods.
4. DON’T SOLDIER ON – Women in particular, die of heart disease and cancer, but soldier on even when sick – if you don’t care for your health, you will get a wake up call that will force you to.
Make sure you get enough sleep and rest – increases longevity
We are a noisy, busy, fast paced, technologically busy society and our minds race too fast - meditation is a great way to slow it down and focus – Great to establish a sanctuary
5. MOVE!! Exercise is very important and great for you unless you are sick – then rest.
You can unblock your arteries with this diet.
Your skin improves, you feel better and your digestion is better
Are you caring you body intelligently – recognise your limitations
SHELTON said it is more important to know your limitations than your potentialities
Neet removeal and avoidance of causes of disease and supply the conditions of health
WE EAT TOO MUCH!!!
Exercise – only 5% of people over the age of 40 do significant exercise
We do not exercise enough
How much to eat = people eat too much – people eat until they feel full
EAT FRESH FOOD!!
If you fail to supply the body with its needs, it will complain
If you treat your body badly, it will respond badly
Should be fresh and ready for activity right after you wake up
Should not feel any discomfort after eating – the bad symptoms when you don’t eat toxins, or are fasting – you are getting rid of toxins that are stored in your body – withdrawal
When we get sick there are causes – sit down and think – “Why am I feeling this way”
2006 study in the USA – how much sleep do we actually need – People who have 7 ½ hours or more live the longest and have the least health problems and the most stable well being
Have to create the need to sleep – move about during the day – exercise
Have to have your windows open during the night
Calories in the Average Diet (SAD)
51% Refined Carbohydrates
42% Animal
7% Fruit and veges
The trick is to keep up your healthy lifestyle. You don’t arrive at a place called health and unpack.
Don’t be obsessed – enjoy your healthy eating plans
The point of being healthy is to function in life.
Sickness is life – expressing itself in disadvantageous conditions
Health is life - expressing itself in advantageous conditions
You can provide the conditions for good health.
Since drug companies influence Doctors so much, we have been brainwashed into trying to stop your body’s mechanisms to defeat illness instead of letting mother nature do her work.
If you supress the body’s attempts to clear out germs, and what is making us sick and you can end up with chronic disease
OSTEOPOROSIS
BONES are living tissue with tens of millions of cells renewing and remodelling themselves always.
Osteoblasts build up new cells
Osteoclasts – are the renovators that clear away the older cells
Like our skin loses collagen, our bones loses some density (Osteopenia)
Osteoporosis is a disease of bone thinning
Sarcopenia is a decline in muscle tone
Weak muscles lead to weak bones – your muscles are attached to your bones and they are responsible for moving them. Muscles and bones get weaker together and they get stronger together
OSTEOPOROSIS (bone thinning)
we have 222 bones- they are living tissue and as strong as cast iron - half the strength of steel
Osteoblasts build bone and Osteoclasts clear old bone - a remodelling process
DEXA Scan will give a 't' score - it only sees the outside part of the bone
Between 1 - 2.5 Osteopenia - not a disease
more than 2.5 Osteoporosis
Your bone density doesn't have much to do with bone fractures
Weak muscles (sarcopenia) leads to weak bones (osteopenia) - need strong muscles for strong bones, and to move your bones with strength
Lifting stuff in normal life strengthens your biceps, but we don't exercise the triceps (rear arm muscles) enough and the imbalance is not good - need to do tricep exercises to create muscles
Need Calcium - best absorbed from veges
Vit D stored in your body for up to 3 years - stored in your fat - 15 min in the sun every day or so
Every cell in your body has a vit D receptor
foods that inhibit cancer – eat a generous portion of the brassicas daily (include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts), half medium chinese or normal cabbage every few days, eat one or more of raspberries, pomegranates, tomatoes and beans daily, use turmeric and/or garlic, ginger daily – rotate their use.
NEED TO MOVE!!!
ACID Diet - bad for your bones
Alcohol directly inhibits osteoblast activity
Meat, caffeine and soft drinks, too much sodium leeches calcium
Prolonged stress increases cortisol which is very very acidic
Decreases vit D - CALCIUM – Factors such as how much is absorbed (not as much with dairy), how much vitamin D you get, how much you excrete (more if smoking, drinking, inactivity, sugar etc) all make a big difference to how much you absolutely absorb.
You need vitamin D to ingest it – 30% absorption with enough Vit D, 15% if you don’t get enough.
Anti-reabsorbtive drugs acidic - fosomax is made from the same compound as detergents and kills osteoblasts
THERE IS NO DESIGN FAULT IN YOUR BONES
Stand up for yourself!! Your thigh muscle strength is a very important indicator of your longevity
Elizabeth Blackburn was a researcher on aging who realised aging was not out of our control - she discovered that the telomeres (the little covers at the end of our chromosomes like shoelace covers) becomes shorter each time your cell replicates, but when you eat well and rest, exercise etc you can increase their length again, and keep yourself effectively younger.
ALEC BURTON
A basis for a science of health should be based on physiology of normal systems of the body – NOT Pharmacology which is what it is based on today
200 million prescriptions written in Australia every year
Should be based on things that are normal to the body – food, air, sunlight, rest, exercise etc
Dr Isaac Jennings – Connecticut, USA – 1820’S - One day when a villiage was suffering a typhoid epidemic, he forgot to take his medicines, so he told the typhoid patients just to rest, keep warm and have liquids and was surprised when he came back that they were getting better – he rethought the use of medicines and stopped using them.
Found his patients did much better and he became well known
Says it is a mistake to treat disease – we resort to ‘violent’ methods – attack disease with drugs etc without consideration – its cause/s. Many of the causes are within our control
We can always find factors in our behaviour and what we do that we can improve our health = esp when sick.
For further reference, see Joel Furhman's Eat to Live book:
http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/ETLBook.aspx
Part-2: Video documentary: "What's the Right Diet for You?" (A Horizon special)
(Presented by David Hewson)
See the transcript at http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z2csfg8).
They used the GS formulation of indexing to divide dieters into three groups:
* Constant Cravers,
* Feasters and
* Emotional Eaters,
Each group gets a different diet to follow.
* Constant Cravers (who want food all the time) go on a 5-2 day diet.
*
Feasters (who can't stop eating once started) get a high protein, low GI diet to feel full for longer.
* Emotional Eaters (who eat after emotional triggers) use group support,
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (like R.E.B.T. based on GS) to help break the habits of eating after stress.
They also used Korzybski's idea of expectation control to help people stick to the diet and not become so unhappy that they gave it up.
They showed how avoiding the Either/Or trap lets dieters who go off the diet a little, not suddenly go off it a lot.
For those who exercise more, one has to avoid the trap of compensating for an exercise day by putting one's feet up on the other days.
Part-3: A study of some of the consequences of being overweight
(Presented by David Hewson)
Excess weight at your waist can lead to increase cancer risk:
* > 85 cm for women and
* > 100 cm for men can increase your risk of cancer by 250 times.
How Does Being Fat Increase Cancer Risk?
* Body fat increases the amount of oestrogen in the blood, which stimulates growth of cancers of the female reproductive system and many breast cancers.
* Body fat increases the amount of insulin in the blood which also stimulates cell growth.
* Body fat increases the risk of acid reflux which is related to oesophageal cancer. The excess weight increases reflux, which damages cells lining the oesophagus and leaves them vulnerable to carcinogens.
* Excess weight is also associated with gallstone formation, which increases the risk of gallbladder cancer.
* Body fat also produces substances called cytokines, which can stimulate a generaliSed inflammation throughout the body. The inflammatory condition can prompt normal cells to develop into cancer cells.
* The more cells you have the higher the probability that at least one will turn cancerous.
* When overweight one’s blood sugar levels are normally up. And cancer cells love a high glucose level because, compared to normal cells which can, from a single molecule of glucose, produce 36 to 38 servings of ATP (the chemical that powers a cell), cancer cells will need 19 molecules of glucose to produce an equivalent quantity (38 ATP = 2 ATP X 19 glucose). From these numbers we can see that cancer cells will be HUGE consumers of glucose to satisfy their sugar crave. So in a glucose rich environment they grow a lot faster.
To find out more search on: aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect.
Being overweight increases risk of the following cancers:
* Breast cancer in postmenopausal women
* Bowel (colon and rectum) cancer
* Kidney cancer
* Womb/uterus cancer (endometrial cancer) and cervix, ovary cancers
* Food pipe cancer (oesophageal cancer)
* Prostate cancer
* Cancers of the gallbladder,
* Cancers of the liver, pancreas and stomach (in men),
as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Business Meeting
The usual: Plans for the year: Dates and places of meetings, international liaisons, finances etc.
Next Meeting:
Sun Oct 25
"Skills for Effective Thinking"
(at Bonnet Bay)
We will learn how to get along better with others and reduce conflict, increase our happiness and become more successful in our life and business.
This seminar will give an introduction to basic general-semantics formulations that help you think and evaluate more effectively.
To be led by Mr David Hewson
This is a "living document", subject to ongoing evolution as recollections re-emerge from our memories of the event, and are re-evaluated in light of ongoing experience and reflection. It will never be "the full truth and nothing but the truth", or "a map that expresses everyone's notion of the territory"!
