Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so fast. Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast. Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time to call and say, "hi"

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast. Time is short.

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift....

Thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over.


*This poem was written by a terminally ill girl in a New York Hospital.

Combat That Hangover

Leading Causes of Hangovers

• Drinking more alcohol than your body can metabolize efficiently causes the toxins in the alcohol to build up in your body. A chemical known as acetaldehyde is an alcohol by-product and is responsible for the severe symptoms of a hangover.
• The ethanol found in alcohol has a dehydrating effect which is responsible for your raging headache, dry mouth and tiredness.
• Dark spirits such as red wine, brandy and whiskey contain more congeners (by-products of the process of alcohol fermentation) which increase the symptoms of a hangover. Cheaper spirits are also known to cause a worse hangover because fewer impurities have been removed.
• Body weight can be a key factor: A smaller body weight usually means a greater hangover.
• Mixing your drinks is a sure way to become inebriated and lead to a hangover. When you mix your drinks, for instance tequila and whiskey, you are actually mixing the different poisons of the alcohol together. More pressure is then placed on the liver to get rid of the toxins and cleanse the system by flushing them out...causing more dehydration.

To treat a hangover the natural way and cleanse and detox the body of toxins will serve to flush out the system, rejuvenate liver functioning and eliminate bloating.

Water is vital during this time as alcohol dehydrates the body. Migraine headaches from a hangover is also a key indication that you are dehydrated. Drinking water at room temperature will ensure the body to absorb quicker and rehydrate. Water is also an important vehicle to flush the poisonous alcohol toxins out the body, cleansing kidneys and liver. Vitamin C stimulates the liver to breakdown the alcohol. Start at 1,000mg per hr and watch for bowel tolerance as excess amount can lead to diarrhea which you want to avoid as your body needs to hydrate itself. B-vitamins aid in metabolizing carbohydrates (alcohol) and dilating blood vessels. Taking 50-75mg of B-Complex twice daily will also ensure the energy level is restored. Peppermint herb will cool and relax the intestines. As well as remove accumulated gas away from the stomach and intestines. Boil the herb and drink 1-2 cups. Ginger root is also a good agent in soothing and settling down the stomach from feelings of nausea. Take 500mg every few hours or boil root as a tea and drink. Eat a balanced diet comprised of whole grain carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and protein even if you don't have an appetite. Your body needs the essential nutrients like fibre and antioxidants to protect and remove unwanted toxins.

Preventative Care

Before going out for drinks make sure your stomach is not empty. Some starchy foods like bread are best as they slow down the alcohol absorption.

Its always better to drink slowly because less amount of alcohol reaches the brain when consumed slowly.

Do not mix your alcohol. The lighter the shade of alcoholic beverage (ie. white wine over red wine) the lighter the hangover.

Drink water during and before going to bed to avoid dehydration.

Cheers to the New Year and always remember to drink responsibly*

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." - Albert Einstein

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most frequently diagnosed childhood behavioural disorder. A child that suffers from ADHD is really hyperactive, struggles to focus and acts impulsively. Many children demonstrate this behaviours on occasion, while sufferers of ADHD behave this way continuously. Among children, boys are 3x's more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Parents are left feeling that they have failed at raising their children and desperate. They take their child(ren) to see their family doctor to explain these symptoms. Without treating the cause, they're focused on medicating those symptoms with prescribed drugs like Ritalin.

Ritalin has a structure similar to amphetamines and as such, has an amphetamine-like effect on the nervous system. Stimulants such as Ecstasy, Amphetamines, and Ritalin work by increasing amounts of dopamine in the Frontal Cortex, the area of the brain responsible for both focus (working memory) and reward (pleasure center). These compounds cause indirect stimulation by displacing dopamine from pre-synaptic vesicles. The result is either a massive rush of dopamine flow that can provide intense euphoria (MDMA, Ecstasy) or a more controlled release that assists working memory and attention span (Ritalin). However, due to the fact that the pleasure center of the brain is also located in the frontal cortex, the risk for addiction and potential for abuse is quite substantial. As such, Ritalin and Amphetamines are categorized as Schedule II Controlled Substances in the U.S. These medicines have the highest abuse and dependence potential for drugs with medicinal purposes. Other examples of Schedule II Controlled Substances include Morphine, Demerol, Speed, Opium, and Cocaine. Schedule I Controlled Substances are considered to be LSD and Heroin.

Here's what these children face after being put on Ritalin;

• if you take Ritalin as a teenager, you may not be hired to work in the US Government in a job that involves state secretes or national security. You can be elected but not hired


• According to the 2000 US Military Recruitment Manual, you may not join the Army, Airforce, Navy, or Marines if you are on Ritalin because you are a class II drug user. You must get a doctors note saying you've been off for 3yrs


• Insurance companies can turn you down for pre-existing condition of Attention Deficit or raise your rates as a schedule II drug user.

Natural Preventative Care

Aside from treating symptoms with Schedule II Controlled Substances, we can look at treating the causes. Watch this video for an idea. (right click on link, open new window)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvIq8WISUo

"The fish only knows that it lives in the water, after it is already on the river bank. Without our awareness of another world out there, it would never occur to us to change."