PURE Study - Time To Change The Guideline to Low Carb Diet!

↑ Lecture by Prof Salim Yusuf, world renowned cardiologist at a recent cardiology meeting.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32252-3/abstract

The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study is a large, epidemiological cohort study of individuals aged 35–70 years (enrolled between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2013) in 18 countries with a median follow-up of 7·4 years (IQR 5·3–9·3). Dietary intake of 135 335 individuals was recorded using validated food frequency questionnaires. The primary outcomes were total mortality and major cardiovascular events (fatal cardiovascular disease, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure). Secondary outcomes were all myocardial infarctions, stroke, cardiovascular disease mortality, and non-cardiovascular disease mortality. Participants were categorised into quintiles of nutrient intake (carbohydrate, fats, and protein) based on percentage of energy provided by nutrients. We assessed the associations between consumption of carbohydrate, total fat, and each type of fat with cardiovascular disease and total mortality. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) using a multivariable Cox frailty model with random intercepts to account for centre clustering

Carbohydrates, Fats, and CVD in the PURE Study

Carbohydrate intake was divided into quintiles. Those in Q5 consumed most, and those in Q1 consumed least. As can be seen from the slide below, presented by Dr. Yusuf, using the lowest carbohydrate intake (Q1) as a reference, there is an increased risk of CVD with increasing carbohydrate consumption.

Dr. Yusuf pointed out that earlier dietary guidelines “said reduce fats and compensate for it by carbohydrates. So essentially we’ve increased carbohydrate intake in most Western countries, and this is likely damaging.”

Furthermore, Yusuf said: “We were in for a big surprise. We actually found that increasing fats was protective. Now, these are all fats. So this very first slide challenges the WHO and the AHA guidelines on diet.”

With regards to carbohydrates as a percentage of daily energy consumption, he also said: “once you get past about 40% or about 55% of carbohydrate intake as percent energy, there is a steep increase in the risk of CVD. The WHO guidelines say that up to about 75% of carbohydrates is ok. But that is wrong.”

Then he adds:

“Again, total fats, if anything, is protective. And the reasons for this are twofold. Too low fat is inadequate, too high fat is probably bad. And the original studies from Finland was at extremely high fat levels, not the usual fat levels that populations consume.

Does the Type of Fat Matter?

Current dietary guidelines recommend that we limit the intake of saturated fats and replace them by mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Low-fat dairy products are recommended for the purpose of avoiding saturated fats. Vegetable oils should be used instead of butter.

As Dr. Yusuf points out, these recommendations are not supported by data from the PURE study:

“Then if you look at the types of fats, saturated fats, you will see there is not really a clear pattern of anything. Within the normal range, saturated fats are not harmful. May even be slightly beneficial. But there is no harm.

With monounsaturated fatty acids which are in olive oil, canola oil, and are part of the key to the Mediterranean diet, you get a clear benefit. Polyunsaturated fatty acids which are largely from vegetable oils, and remember that is processed oil, is largely neutral.

So, fundamentally, our fat story is: some fats are good, some fats may be neutral but it is carbohydrates that are the worst thing.”

“The other thing is; in the US there is this big swing to reduce milk consumption, and even if you consume milk, they want you to consume 2% or 1% of fat. What is the evidence? A big zero. Absolutely no evidence that low-fat milk is better for you. If anything, if you look at dairy sources of saturated fats, it is protective.

If you look at meat sources of fat, saturated fats, it’s neutral. And if you look at white meat such as chicken and fish, there is a trend towards benefit. So, red meat in moderate quantities is not bad and white meat may be moderately beneficial. But dairy fats such as cheese are probably good for you, and milk, there is really no data at all to reduce the fat content of milk.”

Saturated Fats, LDL-Cholesterol, and CVD

Dr. Yusuf says:

“Now, why did we go wrong. We went wrong because of surrogate end-points.

The story on saturated fats vs. LDL is consistent. Our data shows that as you increase the amount of saturated fats, your LDL goes up. But first, look at how much LDL goes up. This is a 150 thousand people in the analysis – from about 2.85 (108 mg/dL) to just under 3 (116 mg/dL). About 0.1 mmol/L (3.9 mg/dL) increase over a huge range of percentage of saturated fat (consumption).

But CVD shows exactly the opposite end-point.

Macronutrients and the ApoA/ApoB Ratio

Dr. Yusuf also addresses the effects of carbohydrate intake on more advanced lipoprotein measurements:

“Now, what about carbohydrate intake? If you look at LDL, there will be an inverse relationship. But if you look at ApoB/ApoA ratio, which today we know is the most sensitive marker for risk prediction there is a steep increase – from about 0.72 to nearly 0.85 with increasing carbohydrate intake. But with saturated fats, if anything, it is neutral or tending to go down.”

Final Remarks

Dr. Yusuf’s final remarks include these words:

“Contrary to common beliefs, the current recommendations to reduce saturated fats have no scientific basis. I’m not the only one saying this. You must have heard of the book called ‘The Big Fat Surprise’ by Nina Teicholz. She shook up the nutrition world, but she got it right.

Did you know that the seven countries studies that actually had a straight line between fat intake and CVD is fudged. I’m using the word fudged because 23 countries participated in that study and they took the seven best that fitted that line, and that’s what’s there. If you go through the literature, you will find that they chose the seven that fitted the line. The nutrition field has been distorted.”

So, is there a time for a reappraisal of public recommendations regarding the relationship between diet and heart disease following the presentation of the PURE date on macronutrients. 

Obviously, this is a rhetorical question. Let’s get to work.

Time to change. period

Breakthrough towards the natural control of cardiovascular disease

Why do we get infarctions of the heart but rarely other organs?
Why do we get arterio-sclerosis but not veno-sclerosis?
Why do animals not get hearts attacks but human do?

Why old theory of high cholesterol causing heart attack is no longer true?
What is lipoprotein(a)?
What is the role of micronutrients especially Vitamin C in preventing/treating arteriosclerosis?

The answers can be found after watching the above video from Dr Matthias Rath

Statin-Induced Diabetes: A Hidden Epidemic?

Statins (eg Atorvastatin, Simvastatin, Lovastatin) are popular drugs to treat high cholesterol.Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that is, they act by blocking the enzyme in your liver that is responsible for making cholesterol (HMG-CoA reductase).

Intake of statins can induce diabetes?

Earlier this year, I published an article by Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., (widely recognized as "America's most trusted pharmacist") in which she discussed the hidden link between statins and diabetes.

A pattern has appeared where many who start taking a statin drug end up being diagnosed with diabetes several months later. Cohen's research into this hidden connection prompted her to write a book on the subject called "Diabetes Without Drugs." However, this diagnosis is incorrect. What many of these patients have is actually hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), caused by the medication. In essence, it is not genuine diabetes, and can be reversed simply by discontinuing the drug.

A recent meta-analysis confirmed that statin drugs are indeed associated with increased risk of developing diabetes.

The researchers evaluated five different clinical trials that together examined more than 32,000 people. They found that the higher the dosage of statin drugs being taken, the greater the diabetes risk. The "number needed to harm" for intensive-dose statin therapy was 498 for new-onset diabetes - that's the number of people who need to take the drug in order for one person to develop diabetes.

In even simpler terms, one out of every 498 people who are on a high-dose statin regimen will develop diabetes. (The lower the "number needed to harm," the greater the risk factor is.)

(As a side note, the "number needed to treat" per year for intensive-dose statins was 155 for cardiovascular events. This means that 155 people have to take the drug in order to prevent one person from having a cardiovascular event.) The following scientific reviews also reached the conclusion that statin use is associated with increased incidence of new-onset diabetes:

• A 2010 meta-analysis of 13 statin trials, consisting of 91,140 participants, found that statin therapy was associated with a 9 percent increased risk for incident diabetes. Here, the number needed to harm was 255 over four years, meaning for every 255 people on the drug, one developed diabetes as a result of the drug in that period of time.
• In this 2009 study, statin use was associated with a rise of fasting plasma glucose in patients with and without diabetes, independently of other factors such as age, and use of aspirin, β-blockers, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The study included data from more than 345,400 patients over a period of two years.
  
  On average, statins increased fasting plasma glucose in non-diabetic statin users by 7 mg/dL, and in diabetics, statins increased glucose levels by 39 mg/dL.

How Do Statins Cause Diabetes?

Statins appear to provoke diabetes through a few different mechanisms. The primary mechanism is by increasing your insulin levels, which can be extremely harmful to your health. Chronically elevated insulin levels cause inflammation in your body, which is the hallmark of most chronic disease. In fact, elevated insulin levels lead to heart disease, which, ironically, is the primary reason for taking a statin drug in the first place!

It can also promote belly fat, high blood pressure, heart attacks, chronic fatigue, thyroid disruption, and diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and cancer.

Secondly, statins increase your diabetes risk by raising your blood sugar. When you eat a meal that contains starches and sugar, some of the excess sugar goes to your liver, which then stores it away as cholesterol and triglycerides. Statins work by preventing your liver from making cholesterol. As a result, your liver returns the sugar to your bloodstream, which raises your blood sugar levels.

These drugs also rob your body of certain valuable nutrients, which can also impact your blood sugar levels. Two nutrients in particular, vitamin D and CoQ10, are both needed to maintain ideal blood glucose levels.

If You Take Statins, You MUST Take CoQ10

It's extremely important to understand that taking a statin drug without also taking CoQ10 puts your health in serious jeopardy. Unfortunately, this describes the majority of people who take them in the United States.

CoQ10 is a cofactor (co-enzyme) that is essential for the creation of ATP molecules, primarily in your mitochondria, which you need for cellular energy production. Organs such as your heart have higher energy requirements, and therefore require more CoQ10 to function properly. Statins deplete your body of CoQ10, which can have devastating results.

As your body gets more and more depleted of CoQ10, you may suffer from fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness, and eventually heart failure. Interestingly, heart failure, not heart attacks, are now the leading cause of death due to cardiovascular diseases. Coenzyme Q10 is also very important in the process of neutralizing free radicals. So when your CoQ10 is depleted, you enter a vicious cycle of increased free radicals, loss of cellular energy, and damaged mitochondrial DNA.

How to Optimize Your Cholesterol Levels, Naturally

There's no doubt that statin drugs can wreak havoc with your health, and there's compelling evidence that most people who currently take them simply do not need them. The fact is that 75 percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin level, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol!

By modifying your diet and lifestyle in the following ways, you can safely modify your cholesterol:

• Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your diet, replacing them with mostly whole, fresh vegetable carbs. Also try to consume a good portion of your food raw.
• Make sure you are getting enough high quality, animal-based omega 3 fats, such as krill oil.
• Other heart-healthy foods include olive oil, coconut and coconut oil, organic raw dairy products and eggs, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and organic grass-fed meats as appropriate for your nutritional type.
• Exercise daily.
• Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol excessively.
• Be sure to get plenty of good, restorative sleep.

Unlike statin drugs, which lower your cholesterol at the expense of your health, these lifestyle strategies represent a holistic approach that will benefit your overall health - which includes a healthy cardiovascular system.

Excerpted from:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/28/are-statin-drugs-harmful-to-health.aspx?e_cid=20111128_DNL_art_1

Reverse asthma naturally

by: Dr. David Jockers

Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory conditions of the lung. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, bronchospasm and reversible airflow obstructions. Reverse asthma with natural lifestyle interventions, modulate the immune system and de-inflame the body.

Asthma is more of an immune imbalance than it is a lung disease. When the immune system gets triggered, it causes an inflammatory reaction to occur within the lung epithelial tissue. The bronchial tubes swell with fluid and mucous in order to isolate the insulting allergen. This swelling irritates the airways even further which results in an increased level of sensitivity.

Common environmental allergens that trigger the inflammatory immune response include mold, mites, dust, dander, chemicals & pollutants. It is critical to keep the home clean by using natural cleaning products with grape seed extract, which is a potent anti-fungal that keeps mold down. Dust and vacuum the house regularly and use high quality air filters.

The most common food allergens include processed and refined foods of all kinds. Food additives and preservatives like sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, and sulfur dioxide have caused severe attacks in asthmatics. Pasteurized dairy products, gluten containing grains, soy products, & peanuts are also highly inflammatory and mucous forming foods.

Asthmatics typically have a dysbiotic gut that is damaged and leaks out undigested food particles. This is at least partially responsible for the heightened immune sensitivity. Stabilizing the gut with high quality fermented foods such as red cabbage sauerkraut, kimchee, coconut kefir, raw milk kefir and amasai is very important.

Apple Cider vinegar is very useful for providing useful enzymes and reducing mucous formation. Drink a glass of clean water with 1-2 Tsp of ACV throughout the day to reduce mucous and to provide beneficial enzymes that help reduce inflammation.

An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle are critical for full recovery from these conditions. Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and give it a more accurate pair of eyes so as to not over-inflame when stimulated. To effectively de-inflame it is key to completely avoid man-made foods, sugars, and food allergens as listed above. The long chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA powerfully de-inflame the body by restoring natural balance to the lipid wall of the cell membrane.

Other great anti-inflammatory foods include coconut products, berries, and non-denatured, whey protein from grass-fed cows and goats. This protein source is also loaded with L-glutamine and enhances cellular glutathione stores, which are both necessary for rebuilding the gut and de-inflaming the body.

Red onions and garlic contain sulfur compounds and the anti-oxidant flavonoid quercetin. These components have been shown to inhibit an inflammatory enzyme associated with asthma and other inflammatory disorders. Anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric, ginger, boswellia, cinnamon, rosemary, & oregano among others should be used as much as possible.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased rates of asthma. In over 60 years of research, scientists have found vitamin D deficiency linked to lower lung functions, increased airway reactivity and worse asthmatic control. Vitamin D plays a strong role in modulating the inflammatory immune response by blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 10. Asthma typically worsens in the winter and early spring when vitamin D is at its lowest.

Birth trauma and early childhood trauma to the upper cervical spine is highly associated with asthmatic symptoms. Chiropractic care focusing on the upper cervical region is particularly helpful for improving immunity and enhancing respiration. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore normal motion to the spine and optimal function to the neurological system. This modulates the immune system and reduces inflammation throughout the body.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033531_asthma_cures.html#ixzz1XWCyRcoc

The Spiritual and Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

By Shahid Athar M.D.

At the onset of Ramadan Muslims all over the world start fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in Quran.

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)

The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing, piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.

But why do we need to fast? It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.

Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting that I cannot respond to your provocation". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.

Medical benefits of Ramadan

Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting."

This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in a hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".

Happy Ramadan to all Muslims.

---

Shahid Athar M.D. is Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana, and a writer on Islam.

http://www.islamfortoday.com/athar07.htm

As radioactive fallout skyrockets, NaturalNews advises readers to consider precautionary doses of iodine, bentonite clay and zeolites

(NaturalNews) Based on the accumulation of information from multiple sources, it is now clear that the true scope of the Fukushima disaster has been greatly downplayed by both the Japanese and U.S. governments.

NaturalNews is now urging its readers to begin taking regular, safe doses of three things: Natural iodine sources (seaweed or otherwise), bentonite clay (for internal use) and zeolites (any brand).

Naturally, be sure to check with a qualified nutritionist or natural medicine practitioner when taking supplements. Those on thyroid medications, in particular, should seek professional advice before consuming supplementary iodine from any source.

Bentonite clay is, of course, completely safe for internal use (yes, you can eat it) when used as directed. It is a cleansing substance that can bind with various radioactive isotopes and carry them out of your body. Zeolites are also extremely good at attracting both heavy metals and some radioactive isotopes which are also carried out of your body.

Radiation emissions are far higher than official reports!

Full article:-

As radioactive fallout skyrockets, NaturalNews advises readers to consider precautionary doses of iodine, bentonite clay and zeolites

Japan ups nuke crisis severity to match Chernobyl

Latest news on Japan nuclear crisis-

By YURI KAGEYAMA and RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press – 53 mins ago

TOKYO – Japan's nuclear regulators raised the severity level of the crisis at a stricken nuclear plant Tuesday to rank it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing the amount of radiation released in the accident.

The regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7 — the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, there was no sign of any significant change at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

The new ranking signifies a "major accident" with "wider consequences" than the previous level, according to the Vienna-based IAEA.

"We have upgraded the severity level to 7 as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water and the ocean," said Minoru Oogoda of Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake

Dr. H:

Looking into current development, it is obvious that we should educate ourselves-"what to do in worst scenario?". Rawatan Holistik will keep on researching especially on the holistic therapy for radiation-related illness.

Memahami Kesan Radioaktif

Kesan kebocoran radioaktif daripada loji nuklear di Fukushima, Jepun baru-baru ini mengejutkan ramai pihak. Bagaimanapun mungkin ramai antara kita yang tak nak ambil kisah. Orang cakap dah ada 10 Sv exposure, kita masih tersenyum, padahal dose tu boleh menyebabkan immediate death!

So jom kita lengkapkan sedikit pengetahuan tentang kesan radiaktif ni..

Pendedahan terhadap kesan radiaktif ni secara acute (jangka masa pendek) dalam dose yang tinggi dinamakan Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS).

Apakah simptom-simptom ARS?

Secara klasik, ianya dibahagikan kepada 3 kumpulan utama

• Darah-menyebabkan kekurangan 3 komponen darah utama iaitu sel darah putih (meninggikan risiko jangkitan), platelet (mengakibatkan pendarahan) dan sel darah merah (mengakibatkan anemia)
• Usus-loya, muntah, kurang selera makan dan sakit perut berlaku selepas 1-2 jam pendedahan
• Saraf-pening, sakit kepala dan kurang sedar/koma-pada pendedahan yang lebih tinggi

Tanda pada kulit

-dikenali dengan Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome (CRS)-ditandai dengan kemerahan dan kegatalan kulit selepas beberapa jam exposure, diikuti dengan gelembung dan ulser.



(Rujukan:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_radiation_syndrome)

Bagaimana paras radiasi diukur?

Paras radiasi diukur dalam unit Gray (Gy). Bagaimanapun untuk kesan biologi pada manusia, ia diukur dalam unit Sievert (Sv). Hasil pengumpulan bahan radiasi ini ke dalam badan manusia dinamakan annual limit of intake (ALI). Bacaan oleh mesin pengesan radiasi biasanya direkodkan sebagai microsievert (uSv)/jam


Apakah had dose radiasi untuk orang awam?

Dibawah Peraturan-peraturan Perlesenan Tenaga Atom (Perlindungan Senarai Keselamatan Asas) 2010, had dose untuk orang awam adalah 1 mSv setahun atau 0.5 uSv/jam.



Adakah kesan kejadian di Jepun itu akan sampai ke Malaysia?

Kejadian di Jepun itu telah diisytiharkan sebagai kemalangan tahap 4 daripada 7 tahap menurut IAEA iaitu kemalangan dengan kesan setempat. Berdasarkan skala itu, ianya tidak dijangka memberi kesan secara langsung kepada negara kita.

Macamana nak tahu jika ada perlepasan radioaktif ke Malaysia?

Lembaga Perlesenan Tenaga Atom, AELB sentiasa mengawasi paras sinaran melalui 6 lokasi ERMS yang terdapat di serata negara iaitu di Chuping, Ipoh, Kuantan, Senai, Kudat dan Seri Aman.

Data diupdate setiap hari di website dia:

http://www.aelb.gov.my/aelb/malay/teks/index.asp

DATA TERKINI ERMS: Tarikh : 27.03.2011 , 10.00 pagi

- Data paling tinggi : 0.181 uSv/jam (Senai)
- Data paling rendah : 0.029 uSv/jam (Kudat)
- Range Data di Malaysia : 0.029 ~ 0.181 uSv/jam
- Bacaan adalah di paras normal (Latar Belakang).

Apakah garam iodin (Potassium Iodide?)


Potassium iodide ialah garam yang mengandungi Iodine yang stabil (tidak beradioaktif). Iodine diperlukan untuk membina hormon tiroid (kelenjar tiroid terletak di leher-di kawasan bow-tie).

Semasa kejadian kebocoran logi nuklear, Iodine beradioaktif akan terlepas ke ke udara dan ini akan diserap dengan cepat melalui kelenjar tiroid, dan ini 'mencederakan' sel-sel kelenjar tiroid. ini boleh menyebabkan risiko kanser dan sebagainya.

Dengan mengambil garam iodin, ianya akan diserap ke dalam kelenjar tiroid dan ini menghalang penyerapan Iodine beradioaktif.


Adakah kita perlu mengambil garam iodin sekarang sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga?

Tak perlu, kerana paras radiasi di negara kita masih rendah dan pengambilan iodine berlebihan akan menyebabkan pelbagai kesan sampingan pula.

Stroke:An Overview

This posting is dedicated to patients/relatives who intend to know something about stroke and how to live with it. The article was excerpted from National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NSAM) webssite.http://www.nasam.org/english/prevention-what_is_a_stroke.php~Dr. H

Stroke in Malaysia

Stroke is the third largest cause of death in Malaysia. Only heart diseases and cancer kill more. It is considered to be the single most common cause of severe disability, and every year, an estimated 40,000 people in Malaysia suffer from stroke. Anyone can have a stroke, including children, but the vast majority of the cases affect adults.

A stroke is a brain attack and occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. The brain is the nerve center of the body, controlling every thing we do or think, as well as controlling automatic functions like breathing. In order to work, the brain needs a constant blood supply which carries vital oxygen and nutrients. When a blood vessel in your brain bursts or gets clogged, the blood supply stops and the brain cells are deprived of oxygen and nutrients. That part of the brain starts to die. You have a stroke. Very quickly. Very silently. Brain damage affects your senses, your speech and understanding of language. One side of your body may be paralyzed, your behavior, thought and memory patterns are altered.

What causes a stroke?

There are two main types of stroke, and each has different causes. The first type, an ischaemic stroke, occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery serving the brain, disrupting blood supply. Very often an ischaemic stroke is the end result of a build up of cholesterol and other debris in the arteries (atherosclerosis) over many years.

The second main type of stroke is a haemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts, causing a bleed or hemorrhage. Long-standing, untreated high blood pressure places a strain on the artery walls, increasing their risk of bursting and bleeding.

What are the symptoms?

~Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body. Signs of this may be a drooping face, a dribbling mouth, weakness in the arm or leg.

~Sudden blurred vision of one eye or both eyes.

~Difficulty in speaking or understanding speech, or slurred speech.

~Dizziness, loss of balance, confusion

~Sudden severe headache

~Nausea or vomiting

What are the effects of stroke?

The effects of a stroke vary from person to person, depending on which part of the brain is damaged and the extent of that damage. For some, the effects are relatively minor and short-lived; others are left with more severe, long term disabilities. Common problems include:


What you can do to reduce the risk of stroke?



Become more physically active. Exercising helps to lower blood pressure (high blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke), controls weight, helps create a healthy balance of blood fats and improves your body's ability to handle insulin. Aim to do some kind of moderate physical activity for 30 minutes for at least five days of the week.

Eat a healthy diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, which research has found, reduces the risk of stroke. A high consumption of salt has been linked to high blood pressure, while too much saturated fat can lead to atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries).

Stay a healthy weight. Being overweight is a risk of a stroke.

Don't smoke. Smoking increases your risk of stroke because it causes atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries) and makes the blood more likely to clot.

It is important to follow your doctor's advice regarding the medication that you should take. High blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol level should be treated optimally with medications. Usually Aspirin or other 'blood-thinning' agent is given to prevent further recurrence of stroke.


Just remember, stroke is 'BRAIN ATTACK'- so seek treatment early!

For full article, visit:-

http://www.nasam.org/english/prevention-what_is_a_stroke.php

Low-Dose Aspirin Not Answer for Heart Health

(NaturalNews)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by: Dr. Phil Domenico, citizen journalist

If you listen to the reigning experts from the pharmaceutical world, aspirin appears to be the cure-all for everything. Now, a new Yale University study suggests that low-dose aspirin may prevent liver damage caused by side effects of drugs, alcohol, and obesity. Specifically, aspirin reduced mortality caused by Tylenol overdose in mice. Given together with Tylenol, it offered significant protection, increasing survival from 22 to 43%. Other drugs that block inflammation were also shown to protect the liver (Imaeda et al., 2009). As usual, no mention was made of anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals in this study.

A number of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored studies support the use of aspirin for prevention. Low-dose aspirin is positioned as a widely available, inexpensive, and relatively safe drug regimen. Its anti-clotting effect is used widely to prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clot formation. Given immediately after a heart attack, aspirin is said to reduce heart damage and the risk of another heart attack. Now, low dose aspirin may be promoted to inhibit liver inflammation from drug use. Consider, however, that higher doses may increase liver toxicity.Thus, from one single mouse study, the authors conclude that aspirin should be taken daily to help prevent or treat liver damage from a host of non-infectious causes. They even suggest that drugs previously discarded due to liver toxicity might be resurrected if combined with aspirin. Soon enough, a new OTC drug combining Tylenol and low-dose aspirin is likely to show up in drugstores.

However, aspirin is not the cure-all that the industry makes it out to be. Aspirin is not recommended for those with intolerance or resistance to nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, or by those with bleeding problems, asthma, kidney disease, peptic ulcers, diabetes, gout or gastritis. There is an increased risk of stomach bleeding when aspirin is taken with alcohol or warfarin. Up to 28% of patients who take low-dose aspirin to ward off heart attacks develop peptic ulcers, though often without symptoms (Yeomans et al., 2005). Factors that increase ulcer risk include old age or infection with H. pylori. Aspirin should also not be given to young people for colds or flu, as this has been linked with Reye`s syndrome.

As with any drug, the benefits of aspirin should be carefully assessed before taking it for long periods.Generally speaking, no drug is a solution for chronic degenerative disease. Aspirin is no exception, as it is in fact a metabolic poison. Indeed, aspirin`s side effects may far outweigh any benefits. Aspirin can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer (Schernhammer 2004), damage kidneys, and promote gastric bleeding. The WASH (Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart failure) study provided no evidence that aspirin is effective or safe in patients with heart failure. Indeed, there were trends toward a worse outcome among those taking aspirin, including heart failure (Cleland et al., 2004).

It is likely that aspirin is not as safe as suggested. It may also not be as cheap as advertised, when calculating the costs of treatment for adverse effects. Perhaps the greatest detriment of aspirin is that it diverts attention away from treatments that are truly beneficial.Nevertheless, it is not wise to go cold turkey with any medication. People who stop taking aspirin once they`ve been doing it for a while risk serious heart problems. More than 10% of people taking daily aspirin for heart reasons were hospitalized within one week of stopping the therapy. It`s a Catch-22 situation, since aspirin can increase the risk of heart damage, but stopping long-term therapy can do the same.

Solutions? Start by asking your doctor to safely wean you off blood-thinners without shocking your system into a heart attack. In the future, take these drugs only when needed. There are many natural alternatives to aspirin that are heart healthy without the damaging side effects.So, what are the best alternatives to aspirin? Simple lifestyle changes such as reducing refined carbohydrate and trans fat intake, eating more alkaline foods (low-carb veggies and fruits) and exercising can have a tremendously positive effect on your cardiovascular system. There are also natural supplements with blood-thinning properties, such as Fish Oil, Vitamin E, Nattokinase, and Bromelain. Among the spices, Basil is known for preventing blood clotting. Scientists caution not to take these potential blood thinners with aspirin, as the combination may thin the blood excessively. However, fish oil may safely enhance the anti-platelet effect of baby aspirin (Larson 2008).

A basic supplement regimen for cardiovascular health includes a high quality multivitamin, natural mixed vitamin E and pharmaceutical grade fish oil. There are also many minerals and antioxidants from food and supplements that boost circulatory health. Remember to buy top shelf supplements, not the cheap drugstore junk produced by the pharmaceutical industry. The extra cost is well worth the investment. Remember also to stop taking all blood thinners at least a week before surgery to avoid internal bleeding.Furthermore, be careful with excessive calcium supplementation. Too much calcium, without other nutrients to prevent its crystallization in the body, leads to hardening of the arteries and abnormal blood clotting. Reducing calcium intake to 800 mg daily combined with magnesium, vitamin K2, vitamin D3, boron and fish oil is by far a better bone building strategy that can also improve heart health.

Unfortunately, most magnesium supplements come in the oxide form, which is not absorbed by the body. Take 100-200 mg magnesium daily as citrate or taurate (or another absorbable form) to soften calcium. Vitamin K2 (but not vitamin K1) has been shown to decalcify blood vessels (Beulens et al., 2008). Vitamin D3 should be on everyone`s list to improve calcium metabolism and reduce inflammation.

There are also special foods and supplements that prevent excessive blood clotting. Nattokinase is an enzyme made from fermented soybeans that can prevent or dissolve clots. It is comparable to aspirin in enhancing blood flow, without the side effects. Nattokinase provides longer lasting benefits than aspirin without the potential for abnormal bleeding. By increasing circulation, Nattokinase enhances tissue oxygenation and increases nutrient and supplement utilization. This, in turn, increases energy, supports vision, promotes bone and joint health, alleviates minor joint and muscle pains, and supports memory (Peng et al., 2005). Nattokinase in combination with appropriate lifestyle and dietary modifications can provide excellent protection from heart attacks.Flavonol-rich cocoa drinks and dark chocolate also compare favorably with low-dose aspirin for healthy blood clotting (Mehrinfar 2008). Cocoa may be the preferred way to thin blood, since it tastes so good, and bolsters antioxidant defenses.

In contrast, aspirin may reduce antioxidant activity by blocking Vitamin C entry into cells. Tomato extracts have also been shown to help thin blood, and may contribute to cardiovascular health. By reducing platelet activation, tomato contributes to a reduction in clotting events that lead to heart attack and stroke, as shown in clinical trials (O`Kennedy 2006). Garlic`s blood-thinning effect is part of an ancient tradition. It stems from garlic`s ability to lower blood triglyceride levels. Indeed, a wide variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds derived from fruits and vegetables work in synergy to promote cardiovascular health. Many of these phytochemicals are available as supplements, either separately or in synergistic blends.If you insist on taking aspirin, consider that zinc and selenium may prevent aspirin`s impairment of antioxidant, liver and kidney function (Kesik et al., 2008). These antioxidant minerals can be found in ideal form and sufficient quantity in high quality multivitamins.

In conclusion, virtually all pharmaceutical approaches to health should be considered with caution. Drugs are not the best answer to improve health, and should not be anyone`s first choice. Furthermore, drug combinations are likely to cause more problems than they fix. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry seems more concerned with profit than with health and welfare. Even well meaning doctors typically have no training in nutrition, and are not the best source of information in many areas of health. With so many beneficial nutrients available to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation, wholesome food and supplements are the cornerstone to health. Those who would recommend drugs for these purposes, especially to counteract the toxic effects of other drugs, have another agenda altogether.

References

Beulens JWJ, Bots ML, Atsma F, et al. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Jul 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Cleland JG, Findlay I, Jafri S, et al. The warfarin/aspirin study in heart failure (WASH): a randomized trial comparing antithrombotic strategies for patients with heart failure. Am Heart J 2004;148:157-64.

Imaeda AB, Watanabe1 A, Sohail1 MA, et al. Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice is dependent on Tlr9 and the Nalp3 inflammasome. J Clin Invest Jan 26, 2009.

Kesik V, Lenk MK, Kurekci AE, et al. Do zinc and selenium prevent the antioxidant, hepatic and renal system impairment caused by aspirin in rats? Biol Trace Elem Res 2008;123:168-78.

Larson MK, Ashmore JH, Harris KA, et al. Effects of omega-3 acid ethyl esters and aspirin, alone and in combination, on platelet function in healthy subjects. Thromb Haemost 2008;100:634-41.

Mehrinfar R, Frishman WH. Flavanol-rich cocoa: a cardioprotective nutraceutical.Cardiol Rev 2008;16:109-15.

O`Kennedy N, Crosbie L, Whelan S, et al. Effects of tomato extract on platelet function: a double-blinded crossover study in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:561-9.

Peng Y, Yang X, Zhang Y, et al. Microbial fibrinolytic enzymes: an overview of source, production, properties, and thrombolytic activity in vivo. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2005;69:126-32.

Schernhammer ES, Kang JH, Chan AT, et al. A prospective study of aspirin use and the risk of pancreatic cancer in women. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:22-8.

Yeomans ND, Lanas AI, Talley NJ, et al. Prevalence and incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers during treatment with vascular protective doses of aspirin. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005;22:795-801.

Spiritual Healing in the Sufi Tradition

Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani, MD

Renewed interest in spiritual healing methods will only help to further the state of modern medicine as we benefit from the experiences and knowledge of our predecessors in this noble field of healing. Unfortunately, this topic has too often been ignored and dismissed by many contemporary physicians although these remedies have been practiced successfully for thousands of years.

The Science Of Spiritual Healing

The Sufi Spiritual Healing process rejuvenates the body’s life force and strengthens it through several focal points throughout the body.
The spiritual technique produces a neuro-psychological effect which leads
the central nervous system (CNS) to produce a carefully orchestrated endocrine response which relieves pain, heals the disease of the affected areas, and balances the entire body.

Step 1-understand

Health as Related to Physical Fitness and Activity

The human body requires food and drink, however not all such matters are digestible and they do not all become part of the human body.
Instead, precipitates of unconverted nutrients may settle as sediment and since the body cannot dispose of them naturally, with time, their accumulations can cause various illnesses.

Initially, such accumulations may manifest as localized accumulations before they affect the blood and are transported through the blood stream to accessible parts of the body.
Though initially one’s condition may manifest in the form of bowel problems,
with time, any greater buildup of such sediment becomes more dangerous and manifests as localized illnesses that may spread in the body at later stage.

Hence comes the importance of studying the pathology of disease and the history of its development.

Acknowledging physical malaise causing bowel problems, one may accustoms ones self to strong purgative resulting in further complications.

In fact, most of such drugs are toxic and can interfere with and eliminate both the good and bad. Addictions to such drugs can further complicate one's condition because they are hot and interactive and they can weaken the immune system,
predispose patients to arrhythmias, affect the kidney and develop various disorders and deficiencies.

Appropriate physical exercise is necessary to refresh the organs, ease the flow of food and nutrients, enhance digestion, and prevent such accumulations.
Furthermore, natural and methodical control of movements and muscular actions
lightens the spirit, refreshes the mind, rejuvenates the body organs, improves one’s self, strengthens muscular tone,
prevents callousness of the joints,
strengthens the tendons and ligaments,
lessens the possibility of somatic disorders, and abates most illnesses.

This also depends on the level of physical exercise, their balance, moderation, or intensity.
In general, routines dedicated to any particular limb strengthen it just like dedicating one’s thoughts to a specific subject strengthens one’s memory. Hence, each part of the body requires specific routines.

The lungs require reading exercise and their levels began from reading silently, and advancing gradually in intensity and loudness.

Hearing exercise require careful responsive attention by stimulating the auditory nerves and ears, and it develops to the point where sound either increases in volume or decreases by distance or by intensity of one’s wavelength.

Speaking exercise increases oral command; and besides helping recognition by physical and mental vision, eye exercises enhance one’s vision, strengthens the ocular muscles and in some cases can help correct nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Thus, hiking, swimming, normal walking exercise at moderate pace, riding on horseback, archery, and similar sports, are most healthy for the entire body. Adopting such programs of physical exercise even can
cure chronic illnesses such as anemia,
infectious diseases,
ulcers, and colic, among others.

Origins of Sufi Spiritual Healing

Spiritual healers inherited the methods that God’s messengers were using, and from one generation to another have practiced these methods up to the present time. In the Islamic tradition, healers utilize both medicinal remedies and spiritual means. The spiritual techniques follow scientific principles which utilize the patient’s latent energy and the power contained in the devotions and supplications and meditations of the prophets, messengers, and "wise men" of God.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was once in a session where he was curing people through spiritual methods when he was asked whether or not remedies should be sought from medicines. He said, "Yes, you must seek remedy from medicine, because whatever disease God has created in this world, He has also created its remedy as well. But there is one disease for which He has not created any remedy, which is old age."
Each and every prescribed Quranic verse has its unique healing property which differs from those of other verses. The following are some examples of verses used in Sufi Spiritual Healing.

Six Verses Of Healing: "Ayat Al-Shifa"

"And [God] shall heal the breast of the believers."
{wayansurkum AAalayhim wayashfi sudoora qawmin mumineena} Tauba 9:14

"Mankind there has come to you a guidance from your Lord and a healing for (the diseases) in your hearts, and for those who believe a guidance and a mercy."{Ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaatkum mawAAithatun min rabbikum washifaon lima fee alssudoori wahudan warahmatun lilmumineena }
Yunus 10:57

"There issues from within the bodies of the bee a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for mankind."{yakhruju min butooniha sharabun mukhtalifun alwanuhu feehi shifaon lilnnasi}
Nahl 16:69

"And We sent down in the Quran such things that have healing and mercy for the believers."{Wanunazzilu mina alqurani ma huwa shifaon warahmatun lilmumineena }
Bani Israel 17:82

"And when I am ill, it is [God] who cures me."{Waitha maridtu fahuwa yashfeeni }
A supplication of Prophet Abraham Shuara 26:80

"And declare (O Muhammad) that [the Quran] is a guidance and healing for the believers."41:44{qul huwa lillatheena amanoo hudan washifaon waallatheena la yuminoona}

About Energy And How Sufi Spiritual Healing Works

Sufi Spiritual Healing is not at all a mysterious process but is in fact very straight forward, albeit oftentimes quite complex. The Sufi Spiritual Healing technique involves the energy field that exists around each of us. Everyone has an energy field or an aura that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body. This field is intimately associated with the health of the human being.

In different cultures, energy is known by different names. The word "energy" is referred to as:

~Ki in Japanese

~Chi in Chinese

~Prana in Hindi

~Qudra in Arabic

Energy is the life breath transmitted to us from the Existing, Everlasting Superpower that overlooks human beings and all creation.
Energy regulates our thought patterns and emotions, is the source of our life force and is the animating factor in all living beings. It circulates through our bodies and can be harnessed for healing.
It is the source of all movement in the universe. When the human body loses its life breath the original energy (or life force) leaves it, allowing the body to decompose.
The body goes back to its earthen origins and the spirit returns to its angelic origin of spiritual energy.
This energy is never lost and exists without the secret of its nature being understood by science and modern medicine.
This unknown spiritual energy is behind the life of every drop of blood in animate beings, the motion behind every living cell, and the driving force of constellations and galaxies.

It carries unlimited perfect and complete powers which are real, active and continuous. The action of this force is genuine because nothing can grow or live in the entire universe without its influence.
This is especially applicable on earth where no trees, grass, vegetation and indeed no life can exist without the intervention of this unknown, unseen energy. {photons transmitted by sun but not visible to naked eyes.}
It is with this energy that a tiny plant pushes through the middle of a huge desert boulder. This energetic spiritual life force holds the organs, blood vessels, and all body parts in place. When the body’s life force diminishes, the anatomic relations of the body’s organs are altered and disrupted, which leads to pain, organ dysfunction and an overall deterioration of health.
The spiritual energetic life force creates an energy field around itself like a highly charged magnet or electrode.
This force reflects its energy throughout the human body and becomes the driving life force behind all of its activities and processes. The life force not only energizes the body but also gives it its identity. As an atom is defined by its constituent electrons, protons, and neutrons--which are also its energy components--so too does the spiritual life force give energy and identity to the physical body.

Step 2 Understanding Water
-Our Life Force.
The healing spiritual energy is analogous to a waterfall. If a waterfall is channeled in the right way, it can be harnessed to produce energy and give light.

Diet and cleansing of body liquids

Similarly, if our blood flow is properly channeled through a balanced, equilibrated system, the driving force of that energy will augment the energy of the weak organs.
In those organs where the life force has been weakened and dissipated, Sufi Spiritual Healing will increase and activate these vital forces.
The spiritual healing technique allows the life energies to be exponentially expanded to activate the ill member and heal it.
A similar phenomenon is seen in an atomic reaction, where tremendous power is released from the internal energy of the atom. The energy produced increases geometrically as the activated, energized atom spreads its energy to its neighbors, propagating a chain reaction of energy release.
The same principle of the atomic reaction is used by spiritual healers to harness and activate the life force within the patient. Much in the same way that contemporary physicians direct lasers to heal affected areas of the body,
spiritual healers access a similar chain reaction of the body’s existing energy, channeling it to the affected areas to heal pain and suffering.
When one organ begins to heal, the other organs use the released energy to activate and release their own inherent energy, which in turn promotes physiological equilibrium and relief from pain.

Step 3
Energy Distribution
-Focus on The Heart
-The Three Phases Of Spiritual Healing

1- Universal force--or cosmic energy--includes the energies of the planets, stars and galaxies, and whatever is around us of propagating energy fields.
This vast, all-pervading force nourishes the soul, the spirit and the energy within each individual and in every living creature.
Through the meditative process of spiritual healing, one can access this driving energy which exists in every living cell in the body.

The energy is channeled to the cerebral cortex, which is the processing center of our thoughts.
From there it will be intensely focused and
channeled in the nuclei of the brain stem, which are activated and stimulated by this focused life force.
In turn impulses are sent to the autonomic nervous system, regulating the body’s functions, keeping it in equilibrium and free of pain.
The concentration of energy in the brain comprises the first phase of spiritual healing.

This process in turn stimulates the vagus nerve
to send electrical impulses down the heart’s conduction system to the sinoatrial node,
through the internodal tracts, through the atrioventricular node, down the Bundles of His,
out the Purkinje fibers and into the myocardial wall to begin systole.



2- This migration of energy which fills the heart is the second phase of spiritual healing.

Conditions such as angina, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy and hypertension, in addition to many other related cardiac diseases,
are healed and the patient can then find health and relief from pain.

The energy is then pumped with the blood out of the heart into the vascular system and delivered to the entire body in the third phase of spiritual healing.

3- Energizing The Blood

A major focus of phase three is the aorta, which is the conduit for the healing waves of energy that are carried by the blood.
As the blood flows from the heart,
it is first channeled back to the heart via the coronary arteries in a chain reaction that sustains and increases the energy in the heart itself, much in the same way that the sun increases its light through its own nuclear reactions. { Healing Heart Process}
This cycle produces more and more energy, which pours out into the vascular system with foci in the major arteries, supplying the brain via the carotid arteries.
It also travels through the subclavian arteries to the upper extremities,
the splanchnic circulation to the abdomen, through the renal arteries to the kidneys, and through the iliac vessels to the lower extremities.

Lungs Are The Tree of Life Within Us.

-Takes The Waste from the Blood And Gives Us Oxygen to Feed The Heart.

Oxygen-poor blood (shown in blue) flows from the body into the right atrium. Blood flows through the right atrium into the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps the blood to the lungs, { This Where Remembrance on the Blood} where the blood releases waste gases and picks up oxygen. The newly oxygen-rich blood (shown in red) returns to the heart and enters the left atrium. Blood flows through the left atrium into the left ventricle.The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.


The huge volume of drops of blood are like a waterfall made by a huge river descending over the side of a tall mountain cliff. All vegetation and animals in the water’s path are nourished and given life, and every cell in the body is healed when the vital spiritual energy wave reaches it.
A healthy heart will sustain a weak body, but when the heart is weak and diseased--even in a young person--the body will not be healthy or live long. Therefore, maintaining the heart is the first priority for spiritual healers. Furthermore, maintaining the brain is also another important priority to keep the flow of messages functioning properly.

Contemporary Physicians and Spiritual Healers

Out Side In- Physicians and scientists are all acquainted with this unquantifiable life force, but are unable to interact with it directly except through its vehicle, the physical body. For that reason, scientists look intently to the outward existing body and invent procedures and techniques to keep the body in homeostasis, striving to keep the vital life force in the body as much as possible and to keep the body free of pain.
The contemporary physician is concerned primarily with the physical body as well as the psychological aspects of human existence. Therapeutics for illness are largely physical, whether in the forms of medication, surgical intervention, or otherwise.

Inside Out- Spiritual healers, on the other hand, use an inward approach to healing by applying spiritual techniques and methods to utilize the body’s own energy. The difference between the spiritual healers and the physician healers is that the former is healing from inside-to-outside while the latter is healing from outside-to-in. Each are doing good for their patients and both meet on the common ground of curing disease and relieving pain and suffering.

High Sense Perception As A Diagnostic Tool

Physicians utilize Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques which use the energy and alignment of the body’s atoms to provide images and information about the condition of the body and any potential disease process.

The spiritual healer also has advanced diagnostic modalities one of the most important of which is HSP, High Sense Perception.
HSP is a way of perceiving things beyond the normal range of the five senses.
With it one can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch things that cannot normally be perceived.
HSP, sometimes referred to as clairvoyance, is not imagination but is a type of seeing in which you perceive a picture in your mind without the use of your normal vision. HSP reveals the dynamic world of the fluid, interacting spiritual energy fields which surround and permeate all living things. This energy supports us, nourishes us, and gives us life. We sense each other with this energy as we are a part of it and it is a part of us.
With HSP, the pathophysiology of pain and disease processes lies right before one’s eyes.

HSP reveals how most diseases are initiated in the energy field.
Distortions in the energy field caused by time and unhealthy living habits are transmitted to the body, becoming a serious illness.
Many times the source or initiating cause of this process is associated with psychological and/or physical trauma.
Since HSP reveals how a disease is initiated, it also reveals how to reverse the disease process. Spiritual energies and auras aid healers in formulating their diagnosis.

To develop HSP it is necessary to enter into an expanded state of consciousness. There are many means to achieve this but spiritual meditation is fast becoming the most well known.

The Nasma {Aura} and Meditation

In the spiritual terminology, the non-physical body is called nasma. Nasma exists within each physical body as a subtle vapor or energy breeze created by the chemical output of the physical body. The nasma is present in human beings just as rose water is present in the rose or as the fire in glowing coals.
Being superior with its connection to the divine energy source, it can taste without using the tongue, can see without using the eyes, and can hear without using the ears.
By using the nasma, HSP is made available to the spiritual healer. The nasma derives its nourishment from the esoteric energy which is released whenever we act, think, or form a belief or intention.

The nasma in human beings is capable of leaving the physical body at any time through the universal driving force.
When the flow of spiritual energy is disturbed or insufficient, the health of the patient is adversely affected,
leading to pain, disease, distress, and so forth.
These are signals that we need to rebalance our energy.

A positive energy flow nourishes the nasma and maintains its structure and foundation, balancing the human system. This balance leads to increased awareness of the body’s sensations which in turn leads to good living, following of proper diet, and enjoyment of exercise. The nasma then supports and maintains a healthy physical body, in which the chemical and physical systems remain balanced and functioning normally, thus perpetuating physical health.
In the healthy system, the energies in each body not only remain balanced but also support and influence the energy balance in other peoples’ bodies.

The nasma can influence others like a magnet bringing the charges of adjacent metal into its alignment.
The energy of a healthy system is thus both self-healing and self-propagating in that it maintains the individual health while strengthening the health of those in one’s aura. That is, good health attracts and develops more good health.
The nasma can not only influence the physical body, but it can also be affected by a sick body and become weak because of the weakness of the organs.
For example, in a weak body a weak nasma shows its symptoms in the mental and physical aspects of a person.
In the mental sphere, any one of the following will occur:
neurosis, depression, hysteria, psychosis, seizures, sleep terror, and insomnia.
If this state of affairs is allowed to continue without treatment, the nasma becomes so weak that it is rendered incapable of defending itself in the weak body.
The patient at this stage suffers either from
seizures, psychotic fits, or aggressive behavior.

The spiritual healer can strengthen the patient’s organs and thereby the nasma through the universal driving force, creating a high-energy state in which symptoms of sickness disappear.

Meditation And The Focal Point Of Treatment

In spirituality, good health requires intensive striving by the patient and personal change.
Personal change to develop patience, contentment, gratitude, cheerfulness, joy, love, sharing, courage, benefaction, recognition of good deeds, forbearance, and courtesy will improve spirituality and energy flow.
Over activity even in this field and lack of proper supervision and devotion of a concerned and learned parent, or the dedication of qualified teacher also may lay a heavy burden on the person’s intellect. Alternatively, an impasse in spiritual progress may hinder one’s spiritual growth, and only a qualified guidance can break through such obstacles. Such training must keep advancing until it develops genuine character, positive traits, and healthy energy flow.

Without personal change in the body’s energy flow, one will eventually create other problems which leads back to the source that caused the disease in the first place. Thus, dealing with the source of disease is the focal point of treatment.
This search stimulates the deeper part of ourselves that is sometimes called the "higher self" or the "spark of divinity" within us.
This divinity within us, the deeper part of ourselves, sends us information about what type of sickness needs to be treated and what type of contact points need to be touched through our meditation.

Meditation is a tool which gives deep relaxation and to quiet the mind.
This helps to alleviate stress, and therefore enable the internal chemical and hormonal system to regain their equilibrium.
Medical tests have shown that there are definite measurable physiological changes in meditating subjects. The brain itself undergoes changes in the type of electrical waves generated.

By using an electroencephalogram (EEG) there is an increase in the generation of alpha waves and sometimes also in the number of theta waves. These indicate a shift of consciousness into a tranquil state of awareness quite different from that of sleep. This state is therapeutic and very restful although the patient is both fully conscious and functional.
The body demonstrates the effects of meditation in various ways.

The breathing pattern slows, as does the heart rate, and there is a marked decrease in the level of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide elimination.
However, the physical effects of meditation last longer than the meditation period itself.
This is demonstrated by the fact that sufferers of hypertension and many other diseases have, through meditation alone, made such clinically-measurable improvements that they have been able to discontinue their medications.
This is very well noted and recorded in spiritual healing books and manuscripts.

How Energy Relates To Disease

Spiritual healers symbolize the flowing of the driving life force in the body and in the universe as vortices of energy made up of a number of smaller spiral cones of energy.


These are known in Islamic terminology as "lata‘if", meaning subtle manifestations or layers.
The lata‘if (sing. lateefa) are the points of maximum energy intake and are very important focal points of balance within the energy system.
Disease and illness occur if a lateefa is unbalanced.
Lata‘if in adults have a protective screen over them.
In a healthy system, these lata‘if spin in synchronized rhythm with the others, drawing energy from the universal energy field into their center for use by the body.
Each one of them is tuned to a specific frequency that helps the body to remain healthy.
However, in a diseased system these vortices are not synchronized.
The energy of the lata‘if that make up these vortices may be fast or slow, jerky or lopsided.
Sometimes breaks in the entire energy pattern can be observed in which a lateefa may be fully or partially collapsed or inverted.
These disturbances are related to dysfunction or pathology of the physical body in that area.

Towards the Understanding of the 9 POINTS
Healing Through Meditation And Focal Points Of The Lata’if

The feeling of pain can be completely cured by meditation wherein the dormant energy of a sick body is activated by a spiritual ignition produced by the meditative process. This spiritual process uses seven different focal points in the seven layers, the lata’if.
There are seven focal points {plus 2 more} of the lata’if.
This is different from 5 Levels of the Heart
-These are located above and below the heart,
-above and below the left breast,
-above and below the right breast, and
-one on the forehead.
Every Lataif has a different energy color,
and every energy has a different effect on a specific disease.
The two focal points above and below the heart are green.
The points above and below the left breast are yellow,
the ones above and below the right breast are black,
and the one on the forehead is white.
{ By Permission the Shaykh will give out The Ismu Allah or Dhikr for each Point and the number of repetitions} This will activate the Points.

Through meditation these seven focal points of the lata’if generate energy.
Then, like a magnet, these activated focal points attract more energy from the universal cosmic energy source in the shape of tiny floating spheres of light.
The size of these spheres depends on which lateefa is activated, as there is a different sized sphere for every different color lateefa.
Depending on the illness, the healer activates the appropriate lateefa needed to cure that sickness.
In turn, the lateefa produces more of its energy color which itself attracts from the universal energy source more of the same light.
The result of this positive feedback loop is a tremendous outpouring of shimmering globes of light which descend from the cosmic energy source onto the person of the healer.
Through this flood of colored energy spheres, the healer is energized to the point where he/She radiates heat from his body through his hands and projects light from his forehead.
As a scientist shoots a laser, the spiritual healer emits the light and energy that he receives from the universal force.
The healer massages the affected areas and this combination of heat from the hand and light from the forehead immediately begins the healing process.
The healer also prescribes that the patient sit alone for a few hours each day fully relaxed, repeating several thousand times different holy names of God in a special format for the duration of treatment.
These holy names are like energy sparks which ignite more flow from the universal energy source.
This ignition also activates the focal points of the lata’if causing heat to be generated in the body of the patient. This heat is considerably less than the immense power transmitted by the healer, but it is sufficient to cause the patient to break out into a sweat.
At this time, the patient goes to the healer who transmits more energy as before, advancing the patient’s treatment.
As the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the earth, so too does the healer reflect the universal energy through his body to the patient.
This produces a state of immense heat and spiritual interaction between the healer and the patient.
This process is repeated for several days or even weeks until the patient recovers.
As he recovers, the patient begins to experience a psychological effect from the dynamic, synergistic interaction between himself and the healer.
This psychological effect of recovery and relief from pain induces the endocrine glands to secrete hormones which balance the whole system and begin to cure the ill organs, raising the patient to higher levels of health and spirituality than would be possible in the former painful, diseased condition.
As the surgical patient is anesthetized, so too is the spiritual patient put in a pain-free state in which the spiritual healer can work on him in the way he finds suitable.

Conclusion

Disease at any station of the energy field will express itself in that particular level of consciousness. Each expression of disease is manifested as some form of pain, be it physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. It is essential that we probe the deeper meaning of our illnesses.
We need to ask, "What does this illness and pain mean to us? What can we learn from this?"
Pain is the driving belt in the body’s own self-defense mechanism that alerts us to correct a situation.
Pain is like a warning bell in our system which brings our attention to the fact that something is wrong and forces us do something about it.
Pain says, "You are not listening to your whole self."
Pain teaches us to ask for help and healing and is, therefore, a key to the education of the soul and to the function of the spirit and the body’s energy.
A comprehensive approach to pain relief and health in general which includes spiritual healing will greatly help the progress of modern medicine. While volumes can and have been written on Islamic spiritual healing, it is hoped that this brief introduction will help bring this subject to the attention of the medical community and foster greater appreciation and understanding of this rich tradition and science.