Just Breathe! is the ezine of The International Breath Institute (IBI) sent to you from Dr. Tom Goode. IBI shows you how to enjoy optimal health through lifestyle management -- learning to live in alignment with your holistic nature. We provide shortcuts from science, tips for your health, and reminders about your breathing.

Content
IBI's web site focuses on Full Wave Breathing because it is the single most important exercise for your health. Use it to get well, be well and do well.

Healthcare
Either you take care of your health or you don’t. If you don’t you become a participant in what is known as “Healthcare.” Healthcare is a system predicated upon the study of sick people and focusing on how to “fix” them. It addresses symptoms rather than causes and treats disease as an enemy to be eradicated.

Self-Responsible Self Care
If illness were a message concerning stressors in your mind and body, as opposed to thinking of illness as an opponent, how would you treat it? Likely you would cooperate with the body using principles based upon natural health. The first place you might start is at the beginning-with the most basic foundation of life, your breath.

Your mind and body work pretty well until you start storing stressors in your breathing muscles. Then you become a shallow breather, creating chronic tension that wears down your immune system. Your blood becomes toxic. Lacking oxygen and energy, your body is unable to defend itself against environmental stressors. The result is disease.

Holistic Practices
The most basic holistic health practice is breathing. Breathing affects everything. Your entire system moves toward greater harmony if it is harmonious. Master your breathing and you master the ability to stimulate your healing resources.

Use your breathing to promote the unimpeded flow of consciousness through every cell in your body. Healing takes place on all levels. Your breathing determines your physical vitality, your emotional calmness, your mental focus and your spiritual awareness.

Today's Challenges
Isn’t it interesting that the same companies that make the food additives that cause you to develop symptoms are the same ones who manufacture the drugs that alleviate the symptoms? How would you feel if you knew that these same corporations were now buying the vitamin producers?

The Duh Factor
New health studies have been announced stating that obese people are less healthy than those who weigh less. Reuters also reports that prostate cancer is more difficult to diagnose in obese men.

On The Medical Front
“After heart disease, which kills seven or eight hundred thousand, cancer which kills about 500,000, drugs (prescription medications) kill 250,000 people.”—F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. http://www.watercure.com/medical_discovery/medical2.html

Do You Need More of the Sunshine Vitamin?
There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 and D3. D2 is present in plant sources, the primary dietary source of vitamin D and is used in vitamin D-fortified milk and cereal products. D3 is synthesized when skin is exposed to sunlight.

Both converted to active vitamin D in the body and Vitamin D3 is about three times more potent than vitamin D2 in the conversion process. Standard multivitamin supplements usually supply 400 IU of vitamin D, a low-end amount. Look for amounts of up to 3000 units—preferably D3.

Reuters Health online article recently reported that the American Medical Women's Association, comprised of 10,000 female doctors and medical students, increased its recommendations for daily vitamin D intake for men and women over 50 years of age to roughly TWICE what the Institute of Medicine currently recommends.

Vitamin D is now being recognized as a major cancer fighter and TB defense.

Heart Health
This is the Trans Fat Year. Beginning in 2006, food manufacturers must state the amounts of health destroying trans fat on their labels—except when they don’t. Trans fat is formed when fat is cooked at high temperatures resulting in an artificial substance that inflames your system. It is found in most packaged food, chips, cookies, snacks and bakery goods. You see it called partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans fat. Avoid it—except how can you when, if the amount is below .5gm per serving--the inclusion need not be reported?

Since the Institute of Medicine stated that no amount is safe to consume and Harvard’s School of Public Health says that trans fat is likely the cause of 100,000 premature deaths every year in the US, what is going on? Clearly the public is being lied to and the FDA ignores it. Increasingly you are being forced to be responsible for your health including knowing the hidden ingredients in food.

Next, look for this jewel in your supermarket. A new product with trans fat ("partially hydrogenated soybean oil") is now on the market as an alternative to butter and margarine. Named Benecol, it is being sold as a heart-healthy option. NOT!

More on Heart Health
Robert Beaglehole, World Health Organization director on health promotion said three main strategies, including healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoidance of tobacco use, could prevent up to 80 percent of premature heart disease, stroke and diabetes and 40 percent of cancer.

What if you didn’t need to lower your cholesterol? What if it performed a vital function in your body? (it does!)Clean your arteries and keep them clean. Then cholesterol and other fats in the blood steam can flow smoothly and not clog up your cardiovascular system. Proper diet, exercise and meditation are the time-honored methods of achieving this goal. The easy way is to supplement with L-Arginine. Visit www.arginine.com for more information. Then, to locate Arginex™ visit http://www.greathealth-tour.com/health. Email me with your questions or comments.

What’s In A Name?
New Book Now Available
Help Kids Cope with Stress and Trauma is the title of a new book from Inspired Living now available as a hardback reference manual for parents and other caregivers. Authored by Drs. Caron and Tom Goode in conjunction with Dr. David Russell, this volume shows you how to effectively identify and deal with the signs of stress in children. Practical and perceptive, you can order now.

Here is a peek at the table of contents:

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Coping is the Means, Resilience is the Outcome
2. Holding Tension and Gaining Strength
3. What is Health? Tapping Our Ancient Wisdom
4. Body and Mind—A Single System
5. Caring for the Whole Child
6. The Power of Your Bonding and Touch
7. Back in Touch
8. The Power of Breath
9. Getting Started with Breath
10. Three Steps to Full Wave Breathing
11. Full Wave Breathing for Teens
12. Awareness Through Storytelling
13. Getting Started with Storytelling
14. New Vision through Guided Imagery
15. Getting Started with Imagery
Notes and Resources

New Goal: To enjoy a healthspan equal to my lifespan.

EXERCISE CORNER:
While browsing though my reference material and exploring The 20th Century “Simplified” Rhythmic Breathing Crusade for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in Children (1906) I came across this quote: I am simply amazed at the benefit I have received from the lessons in deep breathing. This is the greatest thing that has come into my life as a regenerating force. I wish it might be taught to all children. I am firmly of the belief that it would eliminate the catarrhal and pulmonary troubles, characteristic of this climate. (E. C. Westcott, Principal, Western High School, Washington, D.C.)

Keep breathing!

Tom

All material in this ezine is presented as information only and should not be constructed as medical advice or instruction. Readers should consult with appropriate licensed health care providers on any matter relating to their health. The information provided is believed to be accurate and based on the best judgment of the author. None of the statements in this ezine have been approved by the FDA.

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