The Power of Touch

A Sister's Helping Hand
Who can measure the special bond of twins?
by Nancy Sheehan
Reader's Digest - May 1996
Pages 155-156

Condensed from Worcester Telegram & Gazette
November 18, 1995
Heidi and Paul Jackson's twin girls, Brielle and Kyrie, were born October 17, 1995, 12 weeks ahead of their due date. Standard hospital practice is to place preemie twins in separate incubators to reduce the risk of infection, which was done for the Jackson girls in the neonatal intensive care unit at The Medical Center of Central Massachusetts in Worcester.
Kyrie, the larger sister at two pounds, three ounces, quickly began gaining weight and calmly sleeping her newborn days away. But Brielle, who weighed only two pounds at birth, couldn't keep up with her. She had breathing and heart-rate problems. The oxygen level in her blood was low, and her weight gain was slow.
Suddenly, on November 12, Brielle went into critical condition. She began gasping for breath, and her face and stick-thin arms and legs turned bluish-gray. Her heart rate was way up, and she got hiccups, a dangerous sign that her body was under stress. Her parents watched, terrified that she might die.
Nurse Gayle Kasparian tried everything she could think of to stabilize Brielle. She suctioned her breathing passages and turned up the oxygen flow to the incubator. Still Brielle squirmed and fussed as her oxygen intake plummeted and her heart rate soared.
Then Kasparian remembered something she had heard from a colleague. It was a procedure, common in parts of Europe but almost unheard of in this country, that called for double-bedding multiple-birth babies, especially preemies.
Kasparian's nurse manager, Susan Fitzback, was away at a conference, and the arrangement was unorthodox. But Kasparian decided to take the risk.
"Let me just try putting Brielle in with her sister to see if that helps," she said to the alarmed parents. "I don't know what else to do."
The Jacksons quickly gave the go-ahead, and Kasparian slipped the squirming baby into the incubator holding the sister she hadn't seen since birth. Then Kasparian and the Jacksons watched.
No sooner had the door of the incubator closed then Brielle snuggled up to Kyrie - and calmed right down. Within minutes Brielle's blood-oxygen readings were the best they had been since she was born. As she dozed, Kyrie wrapped her tiny arm around her smaller sibling.
By coincidence, the conference Fitzback was attending included a presentation on double-bedding. This is something I want to see happen at The Medical Center, she thought. But it might be hard making the change. On her return she was doing rounds when the nurse caring for the twins that morning said, "Sue, take a look in that isolette over there."

"I can't believe this," Fitzback said. "This is so beautiful."

"You mean, we can do it?" asked the nurse.

"Of course we can," Fitzback replied.

Today a handful of institutions around the country are adopting double-bedding, which seems to reduce 

the number of hospital days. The practice is growing quickly, even though the first scientific studies on it didn't begin until this past January. But Heidi and Paul Jackson don't need any studies to know that double-bedding helped Brielle. She is thriving. In fact, now that the two girls are home, they still steep together - and still snuggle.

A Mother's Touch

A couple were told by doctors they should say goodbye to their severely ill newly born baby but were astounded when a hug from his mother brought him out of a coma.

  Adam Cheshire was just a day old when he stopped breathing and started suffering violent seizures due to a brain infection.

He slipped into a coma and was placed on a life support machine while doctors battled to save him.

Parents Charlotte and Chris Cheshire from Telford, Shropshire, were told to say their goodbyes and to take a final photograph of their son.

Yet, Adam astounded medics when he started showing signs of life after a cuddle from his mother.

The 16-month-old boy's recovery has been described as a 'miracle' and now Adam has taken his first steps.

Mrs Cheshire, 34, said: "They were convinced he was going to die.
"His entire body started to shut down. He was blue and shaking with convulsions.
"For a number of days, I was only allowed to gently stroke Adam's leg or arm before they encouraged me to hold and cuddle him.
"They told me skin-to-skin contact is very important. Your baby needs to know you are there.
"Adam is our miracle. He just refused to give up."
Adam was born at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shropshire, weighing a healthy 7lb 3oz.
But the next day, Mrs Cheshire, noticed he was making a strange grunting noise and wouldn't feed.
Midwives immediately realized something was wrong and took Adam away for tests.
Mrs Cheshire, who is training to be a vicar, said: "Shortly after, I tried to get out of bed and was suddenly in agonizing pain.
"After helping me back into bed, doctors diagnosed me with a full pelvic split, which meant all the bones in my pelvis had separated from each other.
"I couldn't even walk.
"Chris had left the hospital about an hour earlier to get some rest after the long night of helping me through labour.
"He had only just got home when I rang him in tears to say that Adam had been taken away because he was sick."
Mr Cheshire, 47, a systems engineer, raced back to the hospital to find Adam was in neonatal intensive care, where he had collapsed and had stopped breathing.
His organs began to shut down and he was having constant seizures.
Doctors put Adam on a ventilator to breathe for him and kept him an induced coma.
The couple's health visitor was also put on stand-by to deal with bereaved parents.
Mrs Cheshire said: "When Chris came back to my room, he explained what little he knew. We sat holding hands and cried together."
Three days later, Adam was diagnosed with Group B Strep Meningitis.
Pregnant women can transmit the disease to their newborns at birth.
Babies who survive can be left with speech, hearing, and vision problems as well as being permanently disabled.
Mrs Cheshire said: "A doctor came to see me to explain that while Adam was still alive and that they would do their best to treat him, that his life was very much in danger.
"By then, I was determined to go and see him.
"It took two hours to get me into a wheelchair lined with pillows, but despite my tears, I refused to give up.
"I'll never forget how I felt looking into that incubator for the first time. He had more wires attached to his tiny body than I have ever seen.
"The midwife told us to take a photo and we feared it would be the only one we ever had of our son."
Over the next week, his parents could only watch while their son fought for life.
They were warned that even if Adam lived, he could be brain damaged, epileptic, suffer cerebral palsy and a range of other disabilities.
But he refused to give up.
His breathing slowly improved and a few days later, doctors were able to take him off the ventilator.
On Mothering Sunday, Mrs Cheshire was finally able to hold her son for the first time since he had been ill and Adam opened his eyes for the first time.
Over the next few days, she spent up to twelve hours a day sitting in a rocking chair while Adam slept in her arms.
After being fed tiny amounts of milk through a tube for the first few weeks of his life, Adam began to breastfeed.
Skin-to-skin contact, also known as the 'kangaroo care' technique after the way kangaroos hold their young in a pouch next to their bodies, means the mother acts as a human incubator to keep babies warm, stimulated and fed.
Mrs Cheshire said: "It was incredibly traumatic to be separated from Adam. It felt fabulous to hold him in my arms.
"The moment he opened his eyes was incredible. I knew that if he was waking up, he would survive.
"In tiny, baby steps, Adam began to grow stronger.
"His seizures reduced and then stopped. His first MRI came back with some small spots of brightness which appeared to indicate brain damage, but it was too early to tell."
However, after three weeks in hospital, Adam, who has a hearing impairment, was well enough to go home to be with his parents and step-brother, George, ten.
A more recent MRI scan showed most of the brightness that indicated brain injury had disappeared.
Mrs Cheshire said: "It's been a continuing journey. We are so proud of him.
"Adam recently took his first steps unaided. It's another tick of the check list. Everything he does is incredibly amazing.
Read full coverage here.

What's your primary food?

IIN Primary Food

Food is more than what you find on your plate.  Healthy relationships, regular physical activity, a fulfilling career and a spiritual practice can fill your soul and satisfy your hunger for life. When primary food is balanced and satiated, your life feeds you, making what you eat secondary.
Remember when, as a child, you were playing outside, having fun? Suddenly your mother announced dinner was ready, but you were not hungry at all. The passion of play took all your attention. Or think back to a time when you were passionately in love. Everything was exciting. Colors were vibrant. Intimacy was magical. Your feelings of exhilaration sustained you. You forgot about food and were high on life.

Sometimes we are fed not by food but by the energy in our lives. Modern nutrition – carbs, proteins, fruits, and vegetables – is really just one source of nourishment, which Integrative Nutrition considers secondary food. Secondary foods nourish our bodies, but are not able to give us the joy, meaning, or fulfillment that primary food provides. We hunger for play, fun, touch, romance, intimacy, love, achievement, success, art, music, self-expression, leadership, excitement, adventure, and spirituality. All these elements are essential forms of nourishment, and the extent to which we are able to incorporate them determines how enjoyable and worthwhile our lives feel.

When we use secondary food as a way to alleviate or suppress our hunger for primary food, the body and mind suffer. Weight gain is just one of the consequences. Diet-related disorders such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes are national epidemics, and one of the main reasons is because we are stuffing ourselves with secondary foods when we are really starving for primary food. If you’re not getting the primary food you need, eating all the food in the world won’t satisfy your hunger.
Interested to learn more? Find out first hand from IIN founder Joshua Rosenthal about nutrition theories like primary food that are unique to IIN.

By  Joshua Rosenthal
Find out more here.

Kill candida overgrowth with these nine powerful herbs

(NaturalNews) Whether you are battling full-blown candida overgrowth or simply want to prevent future infections from occurring, herbs are a powerful tool for naturally keeping candida at bay. Here`s a list of nine highly effective herbal remedies for candida:

#1 Oregano Oil

The phenols in oregano oil are highly concentrated and extremely effective in fighting bacterial infections, fungal infections and candida overgrowth. Wild organic oregano oil is known to be especially effective in fighting conditions like candida.

#2 Olive Leaf Extract

The oleuropein in olive leaf extract is used by the body to fight fungal infections caused by candida overgrowth. A high-potency standardized olive leaf extract can obliterate candida quite effectively.

#3 Pau D`Arco

Another popular anti-candida herb, Pau D`Arco is often brewed into a tea. Drinking one cup per day is an easy way to harness its antifungal properties.

#4 Garlic

Garlic is a powerful antibacterial and antifungal agent. Candida cannot survive when garlic is present, so consistency is the key. Garlic can simply be added to your normal meals, but most find it more convenient (and less odorous) to take standardized garlic capsules three times per day.

#5 Neem

Used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine, neem is known for stimulating the immune system and fighting infections and fungal overgrowth. It is also a potent detoxifier. Neem oil can also be applied topically as needed.

#6 Apple Cider Vinegar

Not quite an herb (but too effective to leave off this list), apple cider vinegar balances the pH level of your body and can prevent harmful pathogens like candida from growing out of control. A teaspoon to a tablespoon taken before each meal can aid digestion and prevent undigested food particles from feeding candida in the gut.

#7 Echinacea

Although echinacea is best known for stopping a cold in its tracks, this herb also provides anti-candida benefits. It supports your immune system in the fight against candida as well as other infections.

#8 Black Walnut

Black walnut is a natural herb which contains tannins that not only kill fungal overgrowth like candida, but also kill parasites. It may be especially useful for those who suffer from both candida overgrowth and a parasitical infection.

#9 Coconut Oil

Also not an herb, but coconut oil`s anti-candida properties are too powerful to ignore. The medium chain fatty acids that make coconut oil such a great energy source are also what fuel its ability to fight candida. Fatty acids like caprylic acid and lauric acid are potent antifungal agents. Work up to taking three tablespoons of coconut oil per day to harness its anti-candida power.

Note: Avoid jumping into any anti-candida regimen too quickly. Killing off candida too fast can produce a die-off reaction that includes symptoms like foggy thinking, headaches and chills. For some this can be quite uncomfortable. If you notice these symptoms, cut back on your dose and start again more slowly when symptoms subside.

For more information:

http://www.sheilashea.com/candida.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025452.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025478_garlic_candida_supplement.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025199.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/027567_candida_olive_leaf.html


Tuesday, August 30, 2011 by: Elizabeth Walling

About the author

Elizabeth Walling is a freelance writer specializing in health and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to improve health and prevent modern disease. She enjoys thinking outside of the box and challenging common myths about health and wellness. You can visit her blog to learn more:
www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2009/10/welcome.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033459_candida_natural_remedies.html#ixzz23J3W657u

The Mutant Fungi Wreaking Havoc in Your Body

By Jonny Bowden

Right now, deep inside your digestive track, you have bugs crawling about…LOTS of bugs. In fact, each of us is lugging around about 70 trillion of these, weighing in at about 3-4 pounds.

Some of these are good bugs...some of these are NOT so good bugs.

The "bad bugs" I am talking about include all sorts of things from bacteria to yeast to parasites and other germs...sounds rather disgusting, but most of us walk around without knowing they are even there.

But, for the most part, your body's immune system is able to keep the bad bugs in check.

HOWEVER, under certain, and surprisingly common conditions, one of those bugs, a particular type of yeast called Candida albicans, can go through a dangerous mutation that makes it wildly aggressive, destructive and hell bent on wreaking havoc throughout your entire body.

This Fungus is Far More Common -
and Dangerous - Than You've Been
Led to Believe...

Sound like a freakish incident that only happens in rare medical circumstances?

Well, think again as nearly 3 in 4 women suffer (and many men) from some type of yeast overgrowth in one way or another.

Some suffer with minor symptoms such as:

• rashes
• increased PMS symptoms
• bad breath

Some suffer with much more serious conditions such as:

• irritable bowel syndrome
• depression
• joint pain
• even chronic fatigue syndrome

In fact the calling card for a yeast overgrowth problem is a whole bucket full of seemingly unexplained chronic symptoms that just won't seem to go away no matter what you try.

The worst part is that most mainstream health practitioners haven't a clue how to treat this potentially serious problem...

And those who do treat it, use dangerous drugs that frequently make the situation even worse.

Those naughty little yeast critters are a crafty bunch:

• Part animal / part plant / part bacteria
• Able to reproduce sexually (with a mate) or asexually (by itself)
• Can shift its shape and take 7 different forms
• While rearranging it's chromosomes as an adaptive strategy to insure survival.

Wow - that's an amazing set of attributes...no wonder it's so hard to get rid of a yeast infection!

How this Little Devil Does it's
Handy-Work...

Candida, found in its normal, simple and relatively harmless yeast-form looks like a small white egg, with a relatively consistent, smooth shape, living happily in your gut, essentially keeping to itself, feeding off of the food you eat.

However, under the proper conditions, this innocent yeast can mutate and transform into a monstrous super-fungus that rapidly multiplies in its unrelenting quest to colonize as many parts of your body as possible. In fact, in certain areas of your body, if it finds a good food source - it absolutely LOVES sugar - it can double the size of its colony in less than an hour.

This mutated fungus-form of Candida (technically called the mycelial-form) grows elongated, finger-like tentacle structures called rhizoids that then tunnel, burrow and bore their way through the walls of your gut, enters your blood stream, and blooms into a systemic infection that can appear in virtually every part of your body including your heart, eyes, kidneys, liver, lungs and even your brain.

So next time you hear that you someone you know has a yeast infection, I hope you understand that this is really just a canary in the coal mine and that something much more dangerous and insidious is going on deep inside their tissues.

A Broken Sidewalk in Your Belly?

Have you ever seen a tree that's growing in or around the sidewalk where the roots of the tree have grown so thick, deep and wide that they have cracked the sidewalk, exposing everything underneath?

Well, that's exactly what Candida does once it mutates into its more dangerous super-fungus form.

Not only does it slip into your blood stream through these cracks in your gut, but the holes it opens up also allows all sorts of other things into your blood stream that are supposed to be restricted to your gut...things like undigested food, bacteria and other toxins...this is why a Candida overgrowth can make you feel so incredibly lousy and sick.

It Can Literally Make You Drunk from the Inside Out...

One of the most dangerous aspects of Candida is the by products it releases as part of its own life cycle.

In fact, Candida has been found to produce 79 distinct toxins.

When the yeast dies in its natural cycle, it releases the toxin acetaldehyde, which is converted into ethanol by the liver.

This is the same chemical that leads to hangovers after drinking alcohol!

As the Candida infestation continues to grow and more acetaldehyde is produced, your blood alcohol level actually rises, just as if you were drinking alcohol, resulting in symptoms like:

• brain fog
• impaired thinking
• lack of concentration
• irritability
• depression
• slowed reflexes
• fatigue
• and more

Additionally, red blood cells find it difficult to flow into small capillaries, which can result in fatigue, migraines and muscle aches.

In turn, white blood cells have difficulty in fighting infection, which can result in allergies, rashes, acne and slowing of the healing process.

Moreover, just as bread rises from yeast due to carbon dioxide production from fermentation of carbohydrates, Candida also produces carbon dioxide in the intestine. The result is persistent gas and bloating.

Mainstream Medicine Has it All Wrong...

Unfortunately, the treatments that mainstream conventional medicine offer do absolutely nothing to get rid of this insidious yeast overgrowth and in fact can make things work.

Topical treatments, creams, oils, lotions and rinses are only marginally effective wherever they are used and don't come close to addressing the systemic, body-wide nature of the infestation.

Likewise, the "nuke it" approach of using powerful antifungals, while addressing the system-wide nature of the infestation, again only works temporarily as the remarkably flexible and intelligent yeast eventually develops a resistance to whatever anti-fungal treatment is used.

How to Get At the Root Cause...

But all is not lost as there is a proven, effective way of getting rid of out-of-control yeast overgrowth problems...one that that fixes the problem for good, once and for all.

The REASON the yeast infection develops in the first place is because your body is out of balance in some way, shape or form. Somehow your immune system has been compromised allowing the yeast to flourish unchecked.

Well, if that's the reason that the Candida overgrowth developed in the first place, then common sense says that the only way to rid yourself of those nasty little burrowing toxic critters is to re-balance whatever is out of balance and to restore your body's innate immune capacity.
If you are plagued by...

• brain fog
• bad breath
• rashes, fatigue
• trouble concentrating
• weird allergies
• strange aches and pains
• or anything else you can't explain...

it's a strong sign that something with your body's terrain has made it far too hospitable for Candida to flourish.

To permanently cure yourself of a system-wide or even localized yeast infection, you must create an environment that's both hostile to the yeast and nourishing to your body's own natural healing powers.

A Tried-and-True, Tested and
Effective Program...

Frustrated and at wits end, suffering from constant fatigue, heartburn, stomach cramps and brain fog, a certified nutrition specialist embarked on a 12 year mission to find way to beat Candida for good.

After 35,000 hours of research, testing and trying, experimenting to find what works and discarding what didn't, this remarkable woman finally stumbled upon a holistic, multi-dimensional, all-natural approach that ended her yeast overgrowth in less than 2 months.

She's decided to share her Candida killing blueprint with others and has compiled an A-to-Z blueprint for exactly what to do and when without resorting to drugs, without creams or lotions and regardless of the severity of the infection.

You can read much more about her remarkable solution here as well as her 5 key facts about Candida/yeast infections that EVERYONE must know about before it's too late!

I hope you enjoy - remember, do your own homework, use common sense and decide on what's best for you.

Warmly,

Dr. Jonny Bowden

P.S. Since 2004, over 138,000 people have successfully gone through this program with many of the remarkable and inspiring case studies available for you to read here. Many of these women (and some men), experienced the following benefits:

• Their external yeast infections were gone within days and often within hours...
• They became completely free from vaginal, male or oral yeast infections...
• Thrush, athlete's foot, and other types of skin yeast infections had vanished...
• Food allergies and digestive disorders like bloating, acid reflux, IBS and LGS had disappeared...
• They had no more joint pain, muscle aches, migraines, brain fog or blurred vision...
• They felt lighter, healthier and energetic...
• Their general health and quality of life had improved...

Read much more about these remarkable results here »