Positive Health Online

That the Mind has a profound effect upon our health, via brain-immune modulation is not a new revelation. In fact, as per the recent review of the literature of psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI) by senior researchers Kiecolt-Glaser (see Research Updates), the history of the field of PNI goes back even further than 1939.

Hence the features published in this issue (The The Mind, Metaphor & Health and Psychoneuroimmunology and NLP) deserve to be the subject of the front cover.

For me, the most important raison d'être of Positive Health is to relate and apply advances in complementary medicine to the individual person. It is especially inspiring to read of the man with cancer of the sinus, who after visualizing his cancer cells as cancer carrots being chased by his immune cells visualized as bunny rabbits, eventually ran out of carrots for his rabbits, spat out his tumour and survived.

Also incredibly moving is the story of the remarkable woman Bee Klug, who, while she lay terminally ill following a botched operation, prayed to God and made a vow that if she survived she would devote herself to creating a centre which offered all complementary therapies under one roof to people who couldn't afford to pay for treatment. Bee Klug was cured with the help of homeopathy and naturopathy and is now an exceedingly young and energetic 82-year old. The Wessex Healthy Living Foundation which has treated thousands of patients over 25 years is a living testimony to the power of the Mind and the Will, and an inspiration to those seeking a role model for what is possible.

For as much as we may try to look after ourselves, eat healthfully, exercise and be happy, we never really know if and when we might become ill; I certainly owe my life to my parents' bullying of doctors (neurosurgeon and ear nose and throat surgeon) who finally operated and discovered that one of my mastoid bones was diseased following an attack of meningitis way back in 1958. My father who was suffering from a terrible cold, refused to allow himself to be sick, and literally willed himself out of his cold in order to be able to visit me in the hospital. I feel utterly useless and frustrated that I am presently unable to exert any influence over his institutional residential healthcare (in Canada). Such is life.

A major controversial issue featured in this issue (Nourishing Women through Menopause and Beyond, and Extract from The Shadow of Soy) concerns the potentially deleterious effects of certain unfermented, processed soy products which have been flooding onto the market, particularly in the US. Some of these unprocessed soy products, which are targeted especially at menopausal women, may have toxic effects upon the thyroid gland. This could affect literally tens of millions of people with thyroid problems, and may become a major health time bomb, with health conscious people consuming ever-increasing amounts of soy burgers, soy shakes, soy mince, soy ice cream, etc. Common sense dictates that nothing in excess is good for health; there is no reason to make unprocessed soy an exception. However, fermented, unprocessed soy products such as miso, tamari, natto and tempeh are excellent and are positively health-enhancing foods we should all endeavour to consume regularly.

As we go to print, a late-breaking communication from David Martin MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament, in his reply to reader Catherine Crawford, provides some encouragement that the UK and member states will be able to retain control over nutritional supplements. He also states that the Commission is endeavouring to ensure that dosages are set to upper safe limits, not recommended daily allowances, which also is encouraging.

As this communication arrived literally just as we were finalizing the issue, we will have to check up on progress and report back to you on further results. In the meantime, please keep your letters and emails coming (sandra@positivehealth.com); they are being read by tens of thousands of people, in the magazine and over the internet.