Fear

Pets display a variety of behaviors when they’re afraid. Learn to recognize the signs.

· Barking, howling, whimpering
· Showing aggression, biting, hissing or barring teeth
· Hiding in closets or in small spaces
· Shaking or loosing control of their bladder
· Running out of the house, yard or other familiar place

Coping Techniques

Create routines and safe places to help pets cope with loud noises.

· Give pets a safe, familiar place to go during a thunderstorm or fireworks. Create a safe room with windows covered and lights on. A closet or large crate will help animals feel more secure. Place a blanket in with the pet or cover the crate to buffer noise level.

· Provide pets with human or other animal companionship to reduce the feeling of aloneness.

· Leave pets home during fireworks celebrations. The bright, flashing lights and loud booming noises may startle and terrify a dog, who may get free from his collar and run away.

· Turn on a TV or radio with static white noise to drown out thunderclaps and fireworks. Alternatively, turn on music or TV with talking to help distract your pet.

Homeopathy

Several homeopathic remedies are especially known for their ability to relieve the fear of loud, unexpected noises. Place one pellet of the remedy in a 1-oz. glass dropper bottle. Fill half way with distilled water. Add 1/4 -1/2 oz. vodka and label. Administer to pets by allowing them to briefly sniff the top of the open bottle. This dosing method helps avoid aggravations, or side effects.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus is probably the best known remedy to help with fear of loud noises, especially during a thunderstorm. The animal may be very skittish, run for cover into a small, dark place, become afraid of being alone and want constant companionship from his person. The animal may become anxious even before a thunderstorm, sensing its imminent arrival. Pets needing Phosphorus are also afraid of the flashes from lightening.

Borax
The pet needing Borax is very easily startled by noises, even slight noises, like the sound of rain splattering on the roof or the whoosh of the wind. The animal may become extremely anxious, howl, run around, cower, and dig on the floor, all in an effort to get away from the noise. He may have a terrified expression and want to be held, crying or clinging from the downward motion of being put down on the floor.

Rhododendron
Another remedy’s action works well for pets who are terrified of loud noises, especially thunder-boomers. Like Phosphorus, the pet needing Rhododendron may sense the coming of the storm. The animals needing Rhododendron may be predisposed to joint pains in the legs and may become lame or arthritic as a storm approaches. In these cases, the remedy may be curative for those problems.

Kali-carbonicum
Older pets, who are fearful of loud noises, may need a dose of Kali-carb. This remedy works especially well for pets who become suddenly startled very easily by unexpected noises. Some pets may have edema and swellings around the eyes and upper eye lids, which is a guiding symptom for this remedy

The Five Elements and The Five Seasons

Choosing Foods by the Macrobiotic Calendar

By Jen Hoy, About.com Guide

 

One of the most important areas of macrobiotic science is the division of life into five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each of those elements has a corresponding season, with its attributes and foods. What follows is a basic summary of how the elements translate into our Western calendar, and how to make food choices that are particularly nourishing for our bodies during any time of year.

Fire: High summer, from the summer solstice of June 21 to mid-August

During the summer months, life is at its most expansive, full manifestation. The sun is at its highest, food is abundant, and all plant life is full of vital life force. The element of summer is fire, the associated color is red, the flavor is bitter, and the energy of fire is connected to the heart and small intestine. The hours of the day when the Heart is most active are between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; small intestine is 1 to 3 p.m.

Foods that most enhance the fire element:

Grains: Corn, maize, popcorn, amaranth, quinoa

Vegetables: Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, chives, endive, okra, scallions

Beans and Pulses: red lentils, chickpeas

Fruits: apricot, guava, strawberry, persimmon, peaches, cherries

Fish: shrimp, lobster, crab

Spices: chilis, curry, and spices in general are considered fire foods

Earth: Mid-August to the fall equinox of Sept 21

During late summer we experience a distinct shift, a brief pause between the explosive energy of summer and the quiet descent of autumn. While the days are still hot, evenings turn cooler, the sunsets come a bit earlier and the harvest begins to slowly shift from the delicate juicy foods of summer to the hardier foods of fall. The earth offers up all of her great abundance, and it is a time when all of life seems to balance. The earth element is the most stable of the five, its color is yellow, the flavor is sweet, and the associated organs are stomach and spleen. The hours for stomach are 7 to 9 a.m.; spleen is 9 to 11 a.m.

Foods that enhance the earth element:

Grains: Millet

Vegetables: Sweet corn, all squash: (acorn, butternut, Hokkaido, Hubbard, spaghetti, pumpkin) shiitake mushrooms, beets, onions, parsnips, rutabaga, collards, chard, artichoke, sweet peas, and string beans

Fruits: sweet apples, figs, cantaloupe, sweet orange, honeydew, tangelo, raisins, sweet grapes, papaya, dates, tangerine

Fish: salmon, tuna, swordfish, sturgeon

Nuts: Almonds, pecans, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

Sweeteners: agave, maple syrup, rice syrup, barley malt, molasses

Metal: Autumn, from Sept 21 to the winter solstice of December 21

During the fall a downward shift occurs; the light lessens, days grow shorter, and energy descends back into the earth for the dormant cycle. Leaves fall from the trees, the last fruits ripen, and life energy contracts. The color of the metal element is white, its flavor is spicy or volatile, and the associated organs are lung and large intestine. The hours for lungs are 3 to 5 a.m.; large intestine is 5 to 7 a.m.

Foods that enhance the metal element:

Grain: White, brown, and sweet rice, mochi

Vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, daikon radish, onions, watercress, mustard and turnip greens, turnips, garlic, cucumber, leeks

Beans and Pulses: white beans

Fruits: Banana, pear, apples

Fish: Bass, snapper, cod, haddock, herring, flounder, sole, halibut

Herbs and Seasonings: dill, fennel, thyme, ginger root, horseradish, cinnamon, cayenne, basil, and rosemary

Water: Winter, from December 21 to spring equinox of March 21

Winter is the dormant season, when all life force burrows deep in the bosom of the earth. It is a time of replenishing so that when spring comes, the gathering energy will burst forth with new growth. The color of the water element is black, its flavor is salty, and the associated organs are bladder and kidneys. The hours for bladder are 3 to 5 p.m.; kidney is 5 to 7 p.m.

Foods that enhance the water element:

Grain: Barley, buckwheat, black rice

Vegetables: Beets, burdock, asparagus

Beans and Pulses: Adzuki, black beans, black lentils

Sea Vegetables: arame, dulse, Irish moss, kelp, hijiki, nori, wakame, kombu

Fruits:blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, purple and black grapes, watermelon, black raspberries

Fish: blue fish, caviar, scallops, oysters, clams and mussels

Nuts: chestnuts, black sesame seeds

Condiments and Seasonings: tamari, shoyu, miso, tekka, gomasio, umeboshi, salt cured pickles (these last two are also sour)

Wood: Spring, from March 21 to summer solstice of June 21

Spring marks a miraculous bursting of energy. Sap, which is nature’s lifeblood, courses through the trees; new life pushes its way up from the depths of the earth, and we are surrounded by a bright sense of renewal and creativity. The color of the wood element is green, its flavor is sour, and the associated organs are gall bladder and liver. The hours for gall bladder are 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.; liver is 1 to 3 a.m.

Foods that enhance the wood element:

Grain: wheat, oats, rye

Vegetables: broccoli, parsley, lettuce, kale, collard greens, carrots, alfalfa, beets, leeks, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, artichokes

Beans and Pulses: mung, lima. green lentils

Fruits: limes, lemons, grapefruit, green apple, sour cherry, avocado, plums, quince

References: Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford; The Five Transformations by Tom Monte and Sam McClellan

The fact is our nation’s economic stability, already crumbling due to the repeated bursting of bubbles such as technology and housing, has been hard hit by spiraling health costs that seem to have no end in sight. Despite this, as a nation, we are sicker and fatter than we have ever been. The epidemic of obesity and diabetes, especially in the young, forecasts an economically unsustainable public health challenge with the gloomy prophecy that today’s children may not outlive their parents.

Who will protect the public? Not our government: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition pyramid is laden with food that will guarantee millions will suffer ill health. Not the American Dietetic Association, which is controlled by food corporations. Not the insurance industry, which profits by selling plans to the sick. Not the pharmaceutical industry, which pockets billions from chronic illnesses. And not the medical profession, in which doctors and nurses receive virtually no training in nutrition or behavioral modification, and are handsomely rewarded for administrating drugs and employing technical expertise.

What can save America is a plant-based diet, which will help individuals recover their good health, and which in turn will set our health care system right (as well as our economy). However, for this plant-based diet to take hold, the public must be endowed with nutritional literacy, the kind of knowledge that is portrayed in the new documentary, “Forks Over Knives.”

“Forks Over Knives” focuses not just on the research that both of us have been engaged in over the last four decades, whether in China and Cornell or at the Cleveland Clinic; it also traces the journey of several Americans as they move from a lifetime of eating mostly animal-based and processed foods to a whole food plant-based diet, and the extraordinary medical results that follow. It is educational, entertaining, and literally life-saving.

Please see “Forks Over Knives.” It could transform your life in ways you never thought possible. And it may just help start the seismic revolution in health care this country so badly needs.

T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.

What is it?
Also known as the “Herxheimer Reaction”, this reaction occurs when the body tries to eliminate toxins at a faster rate than they can be properly disposed of. The more toxic one’s bodily systems are, the more severe the detoxification, or healing crisis. It is characterized by a temporary increase in symptoms during the cleansing or detox process which may be mild or severe. You may feel worse and therefore conclude that the treatment is not working. But these reactions are instead signs that the treatment is working and that your body is going through the process of cleaning itself of impurities, toxins and imbalances.

Such reactions are temporary and can occur immediately — or within several days, or even several weeks, of a detox. Symptoms usually pass within 1-3 days, but on rare occasions can last several weeks. If you are suffering from a major illness, the symptoms you experience during the healing crisis may be identical to the disease itself. Sometimes discomfort during the healing crisis is of greater intensity than when you were developing the chronic disease. This may explain why there may be a brief flare-up in one’s condition. Often the crisis will come after you feel your very best. Most people feel somewhat ill during the first few days of a cleanse because it is at that point that your body dumps toxins into the blood stream for elimination. With a more serious condition there may be many small crises to go through before the final one is possible. In any case, a cleansing & purifying process is underway, and stored wastes are in a free-flowing state. Cause:
The healing crisis is the result of every body-system, in concert, working to eliminate waste products through all elimination channels and set the stage for regeneration. The end result: old tissues are replaced with new. When any treatment or cleansing program causes a large scale die-off of bacteria, a significant amount of endotoxins (toxins within the bacteria itself) are released into the body. The more bacteria present, and the stronger their endotoxins, the stronger the cleansing reaction. When any treatment or detox causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to release their stored poisons and toxins, a cleansing reaction may occur. Any program, such as fasting, which causes a rapid breakdown of fat cells (which are a storehouse for toxins), can cause a healing crisis as toxins previously lodged in the fat cells are released into the blood stream.

Symptoms:
The healing crisis will usually bring about past conditions in whatever order the body is capable of handling at that time. People often forget the diseases or injuries they have had in the past, but are usually reminded during the crisis. There are a wide variety of reactions that may manifest during a healing crisis, the most common are:

Increased joint or muscle pain

Diarrhea
Extreme fatigue and/or its opposite, restlessness
Cramps
Headache (believed to be caused by buildup of toxins in the blood)
Aches, Pains
Arthritic flair up
Insomnia
Nausea
Sinus congestion
Fever (usually low grade) and/or chills
Frequent urination and/or urinary tract discharges
Drop in blood pressure
Skin eruptions, including: boils, hives, and rashes.
Cold or flu-like symptoms
Strong emotions: anger, despair, sadness, fear, etc.
Suppressed memories arise
Anxiety
Mood swings
New phobias develop

Easing Your Way Through the Healing Crisis:
Drink plenty of fresh water (especially water), juices, and herbal teas to flush the body of toxins. Some professionals recommend distilled water as the best. Drink from 2 to 4 quarts(liters) per day. This will help flush the toxins out of your system and speed along the detoxification.

• If you are feeling fatigued, or sleepy, your body is talking to you, and telling you to rest. Be kind to yourself, and get the rest that you need.
• Symptoms frequently disappear immediately after a good bowel movement, use an enema to provide relief.
• For other symptoms, meditation, EFT, acupuncture or a good massage might be helpful to speed up the healing process, and reduce the discomfort.
• And, on rare occasions, a reduction of the dosage or temporary cessation may be required.

Important: Always ensure your health by having a thorough medical check up: don’t assume that if you have any of the above symptoms that you are in a healing crisis: you may not be in a healing process, you may have a medical health problem.

Top 10 HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES every Parent should have in the Home

To search for homeopathic remedies: www.abchomeopathy.com

1. Aconium:  ( Aco.)

2. Apis: ( Ap. )

3. Arnica: ( Arn. )

4. Belladonna: ( Bell. )

5. Calcarea Carbonica: ( Cal-C. )

6. Carbo Vegetabilis: ( Carb-V. )

7. Chamomilla: ( Cham. )

8. Dioscorea: ( Dios. )

9. Nux Vomica: ( Nux-V. )

10. Tabacum: ( Tab. )

SYMPTOMS

Sore Throat: ( Aco., All-C., Ap., Arg-N., Ars., Bapt., Bar., Puls., Ign., Lach.)

Teething: ( Charm., Aco., Bell., Cal-P., Puls., Mag-M., Cal-C.)

Diarrhoea: ( Ip., Mag-M., Mer-S., Podo., Puls., Sul.)

Flu: (Ars., Bapt., Bry., Dulc., Eup-P., Gels., Ip., Nux-V., Pyr., Rhus-T.)

Cough: ( Aco., All-C., Ant-T., Arn., Bar-C., Bell., Bry., Cal-C., Cham., Cal=P.)

Ear Aches: ( Aco., Ap., Bell., Cal-C., Cham., Cal-S., Hep-S., Kal-B., Nux-V., Puls.)

Bee Sting: ( Ap., Hyp., Lach., Led., Stap., Urt-U.)

Sprain/Injury: ( Arn., Cal-C., Rhus-T., Ruta.)

Toothache: ( Cham., Coff., Stap.)

Travel Sickness: ( Bor., Cocc., Nux-V., Petr., Sep., Stap., Tab.)

Indigestion: ( Ant-C., Arg-N., Ars., Cal-C., Carb-V., Caust., Chin., Ign., Kali-B.)

Conjunctivitis: ( Aco., All-C., Ap., Arg-N., Ars., Bell., Bry., Cal.-C.)

Colic: ( Coloc., Dios., Cupr., Ip., Mag-M., Nat-P., Nux-V., Mag-P.)

Bruises: ( Arn., Bell-P., Led., Sul-Ac.)

Broken Bones: ( Arn., Bry., Cal.-C., Sil., Cal-P., Symph.)

http://stress.about.com/od/selfknowledgeselftests/SelfKnowledge_SelfTests_Personality_Tests.htm

(or)

www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/stress-test-3454-143.html

(or)

http://stress.about.com/library/health-test/bl_stress_and_health_test.htm

Driving Directions:

On Carr. 2 exit on 200 ( Yauco/Camcalache) from the west turn left ( from the east turn right) until you reach a sign which states ” Bienvenida Yauco”. Turn left on carr. 127 (west), drive about 400 feet, you’ll drive across a small bridge and soon you’ll stop at a street crossing ( on the left there’s a pink building and Texaco gas station). Turn left, and you’ll on carr.335 or calle Santo Domingo, drive about 400 feet and the office is on the left side of the street.

Address: Calle Santo Domingo#46. Yauco, Puerto Rico

The Chinese believe that the 5 Elements ( Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) govern the physical, emotional, and spiritual existence of human beings just as they cycles of growth and change in the external world. An excess or deficiency in any one of these basic forces immediately and powerfully affects your physical health and emotional well-being. Once you learn how to balance these energies, regulate their flow, and adjust any excess or deficiencies, you can create health and harmony in your life. Each of the 5 Elements has a unique nature and spirit, and every human being has a constitutional affinity to one or more of them.

The aggressive, forceful energy of WOOD ( The Commander) is most obvious in the season of spring, when the buds swell to bursting and the seed sprout into tender shoots that, against all odds, push their way through the earth to burst into vigorous life. If Wood is your predominant energy, you are like the greening stem of spring, driven by the need to stay in motion and reach to new heights, yet firmly grounded by a sense of self and “home”- the place where you fit and belong. Your roots are driven deep; your potential is unlimited. Wood people excel or have trouble in planning, decisions, and actions. The future and their ability to see it can be their strength. When out of balance they may procrastinate or have a sense of no hope.

Famous Wood Types:

John Wayne, Jane Fonda, Hillary Clinton, Bob Dole, Joan Rivers, Geraldo Rivera, Michael Jordan, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and Rabbit from The House at Pooh Corner.

The radiant energy of the sun, which is the power of FIRE ( The Lover), is felt most intensely during the season of summer. Fire is the force that generates passion, compassion, and creativity. If you are energized by Fire, you are filled with enthusiasm and a blazing love of life. You draw others to you as the flame draws the moth, and you thrive on drama and excitement. Your intense craving for affection and close physical relationships will prove to be either your greatest strength or your most notable weakness. Fire people love to reach out and be in relationship with all people. They enjoy to laugh and sometimes they carry a sadness or lack of joy deeper in themselves.

Famous Fire Types:

Robin Williams, Diane Keaton, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Billy Graham, Elizabeth Taylor, Rosie O’Donnell, Santa Claus, Tigger from The House at Pooh Corner, and Goofy, from the Disney cartoon.

The power of EARTH ( The Peacemaker) is captured in the image of a garden: fertile, nourishing, solid, yet forgiving, the power of Earth is strongest in the late summer and early fall-harvest time. If you are energized by the power of Earth, you are a natural mediator who thrives on harmonious relationships; discord and dissension throw you off balance. A sense of kinship and connectedness to others is essential to your health and happiness. Earth energy helps you find a center between opposing forces, teaching you how to resolve your differences and find sensible solutions to even the most difficult problems. Earth people have the ability to nourish like a mother can nourish a child. Thus food and understanding are important. Sometimes an Earth person can feel a sense of emptiness or neediness in their own life.

Famous Earth Types:

Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer, Julia Child, Dr. Joyce Brothers, John Candy, Oprah Winfrey, Gautama the Buddha, George from the TV show Seinfeld, Winnie the Pooh and Woody Woodpecker.

The power of METAL ( The Artist) is symbolized by a majestic, snow-capped mountain. Reaching toward the heavens, yet firmly grounded in the earth, the mountain stands as a symbol of inner strength, endurance, and tranquility. If you are energized by Metal, you are disciplined and precise, strong-willed yet willing and able to adapt to changing circumstances. Drawn to the core issues of life and the higher truths of art and philosophy, you seek to develop your character by devoting your attention to ethics, morality, and the acquisition of knowledge. Your season is autumn, the time of year when you begin to compress and contract your energy, pruning back and pulling inward in preparation for winter. Metal people search for what is pure and spiritual. They set the highest standards for themselves and others, respect is important. Sometimes they live in a sense of what could have been.

Famous Metal Types:

Abraham Lincoln, Prince Charles, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Owl from The House at Pooh Corner, The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, Bing Crosby and Barbra Streisand.

The power of WATER ( The Philosopher), which is most evident in winter, can be seen in the raindrops that freeze overnight into icicles and melt in the morning, falling softly to the ground to dissolve into mist when warmed by the sun. Water changes shape effortlessly and yet never loses its essential character. If Water energizes you, you are dependable, infinitely resourceful, and single-minded in pursuit of your goals. Difficult or demanding situations do not cause you to hesitate or retreat, for you have a firm, unshakable sense of self, and you follow the path before you with strength, purpose, and determination. Water people have a persistence and determination and will often excel in situations that others find too scary. Sometimes they may hide a deep sense of being frozen or washed away by their own fear.

Famous Water Types:

Ricard M. Nixon, Anne Frank, Woody Allen, Susan Sarandon, Bette Davis, Joan of Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Jimmy Carter.

Identifying the causes of disease is not easy and therefore not always possible, but to try to do so is important as it is only by finding the causes of disease that we can help the patient to eliminate or minimize them if at all possible. Even if the patient can do nothing about a particular cause that is rooted in the past ( such as an earlier accident), its identification is still important in order that we may channel our advice to the patient along the right lines. For example, there is no point in delving deeply into a past accident; vice versa, there is no point in tinkering with a patient’s diet or suggesting strict dietary prohibitions if the cause of the problem is clearly emotional.

Pulse diagnosis is the most difficult of the Chinese diagnostic arts: it is a very complex subject which must involve a deep level of understanding and a great deal of skill. An essential diagnosis is truly an “art”: it has more right to that title than any other of the Chinese diagnostic skills. To acquire the skills of good pulse diagnosis requires great patience and to become proficient takes years of practice. It is a study that has no end: one will continue to develop one’s skills and understanding of pulse diagnosis throughout a lifetime of practice.

What is one feeling when taking the pulse? Basically, we are feeling the pulsation of Qi through the pulsation of Blood. Qi is a subtle energy and cannot be” felt” or ” measured”: we therefore use the radial artery to feel the pulsation of the blood to give us an idea of the state of the Qi. Pulse diagnosis is important for two reason: it helps to identify the internal organ affected or the prevailing pattern and it reflects the whole complex of Qi and Blood.

Another method of diagnosing illness, is the Hara. The Hara is the area of the torso between the solar plexus and the pubic bone. It is more or less a horizontal oval shape, with the rib cage above and the hip bones below. From a Japanese point of view, the Hara expresses a person’s life energy, dignity, spiritual being, and personality. Since the Hara is also a person’s center of gravity, it is considered the fulcrum about which any expressive movement must revolve.