Disclaimer: The following is given as general information and should not be considered as medical advice or used as an alternative to professional healthcare diagnosis and treatment.

Contents:

1. Laughter therapy, increase your endorphins and improve your health
2. Microwaves and your health
3. EU legislation and natural health
4. Consultation payment scheme
5. Study days and walks: discover wild foods, herbs and local history
6. A medical joke

1. Laughter Therapy: 

Many of you told me how much you enjoyed the laughter therapy part of last summers health news, so I have offered some more this summer. This years funny theme is Glastonbury and I have given a link to a video from YouTube of Joe Cocker and another that features the Summer Solstice on Glastonbury Tor, these video clips are followed by a joke about charkas because lots of people associate them with Glastonbury.  Summer is a time of celebration, fun and laughter, and it is very good for us! And, it is usually free (or at least very cheap).

Just to remind you why it is good to do as much ‘smileage’ as possible: Researchers have shown that laughter has a beneficial physiological effect on the body; reducing stress hormones, increasing the immune system's activity, improving circulation and exercising the muscles. Sometimes known as internal aerobics; medical researchers have found that laughter has the following beneficial effects:

1. Lowers the level of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.
2. Increases levels of endorphins, the natural 'feel-good' chemicals of the body.
3. Gives exercise to some muscles, nerves and organs. A sustained belly-laugh for an hour can laugh away up to 500 calories.
4. Clean old air from the lungs, allowing more fresh air to replace it.  Helps to create a more full and flowing breathing pattern and improved circulation.
5. Leaves us feeling more relaxed and with less muscular tension.

If you would like to watch the two YouTube offerings click on the links below (occasionally they may not work in which case just select the link, copy and paste into Google and search), they are both just a few minutes long. The clip of Joe Cocker singing is at the Woodstock Festival 1969 but with some funny additions, it was probably intended to be a birthday present for someone. Woodstock was the model for the Glastonbury festival which started in 1970, I remember cycling out to the Worthy farm site for this first festival from Street where I lived. I was 14 years old at the time and Michael Eavis the farm owner and organizer was at the farm gate with a bucket to put your money. He seemed to be the only ‘security guard’ in those days, it is amazing how things can grow from humble beginnings.

The Joe Cocker link:
           
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T4_MsrsKzMM

And below is another funny video link, this one shows an example of what can happen in Glastonbury on the Tor Hill at midsummer , it is accompanied by a song about mushrooms performed by someone with pixie ears (?), click on the link below:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=AOKRKgQEn3A

Staying with the Glastonbury funny theme here is something that was apparently in a recent copy of the Times Educational supplement:

THE CLOWN CHAKRA

Scientists have found that all our problems can be placed under one heading: Seriousness. Seriousness is the leading cause of everything from Cancer to Reincarnation. Scientists have already discovered a new source of healing. It is a psychic energy point located between the heart chakra and the throat chakra. It is called the Clown Chakra.

If people are feeling miserable, if they have financial problems, if their relationship situation is the pits, if they are in ill health, if they have a need to sue people, if they find fault with their brother, then obviously, their Clown Chakra is closed.

When this happens, the scientists have observed under a high-powered microscope that the cells of every organ display a sad face, and when the Clown Chakra is open and functioning normally, the cells display happy face. The scientists realized that if a person is ill, it is because his mind has projected guilt onto the cells of his body and has  forced out the love that is normally found within each cell of the body. The cells are therefore saying, 'I Lack Love,' or ' ILL ' for short. The scientists also discovered that all disease is due to the fact that  the cells are out of ease or dis-eased.

When the Clown Chakra is opened and working (or rather, playing) properly, the psychic mechanism sucks up misery, pain, anger, resentment, grievances, unhappiness, etc., and converts the energy into tiny red heart-shaped balloons. The red heart-shaped balloons contain Love and Joy. These balloons are directed to the dis-eased cell or situation, and a happy face appears instantly.

When the light enters the darkness, the darkness is gone. Sometimes these red heart-shaped balloons are called endorphins, due to the fact that when anyone experiences them, the feeling of separation ends. They experience being back home with All That Is and hence are no longer an orphan. This is the well-known end-orphan effect.

So, if you think someone is attacking you, Clown Scientists recommend that you visualize sending that person red heart-shaped balloons filled with Love and Joy.

Remember to keep your Clown Chakra open... and remember to laugh.

‘It is our responsibilities, not ourselves, that we should take seriously.’
- Peter Ustinov, actor, writer and raconteur (1921-2004).

Heres a link to a group in Bristol who regularily meet up to practice the art of laughing,

and a link to the web-site of laughter therapist- Joe Hoare.

Bristol Laughter Club

Joe Hoare- Laughter therapist

2. Microwaves and your health

Unfortunately I have to be more serious for a while because Glastonbury has recently installed a town centre wi-fi system (microwave wireless internet connection) and people in the town have started to report feeling adverse effects from it. I first noticed this problem when about a year ago we installed wi-fi at home and Jane started to feel unwell. At first we did not connect the two but we noticed that she felt better when not at home, we eventually tried turning it off and she felt better. We turned it on again and she felt worse and since then Jane has noticed the effect when in other wi-fin zones.

According to one study only about 3% of people have obvious symptoms from wi-fi or similar microwave exposure and this is known in general as ES (electro sensitivity). We have since looked into this problem in some depth and feel that microwave technologies may be a hidden time bomb as regards health. The 3% who have obvious symptoms could be like the canary in the coal mine. Official guidelines and research say it is safe, but there are many studies, scientists and doctors who are concerned about this and are warning that we need to be much more cautious in how we use these new technologies. So in my opinion the jury is out and I suspect the situation maybe a bit like the tobacco one was for many years when there were conflicting studies and experts giving different opinions on it, but in the end it was proven to be unhealthy.

Symptoms of ES can be related to exposure from not only wi-fi but also cordless phones and mobile phones or mobile phone masts. Symptoms vary from one person to the next and ES sufferers may not develop all of them. There also seems to be variation of onset time, because the effects are cumulative i.e. people seem to reach a tipping point at different times after exposure.

I have seen one piece of research that indicates microwave exposure can lower both serotonin and melatonin levels, causing symptoms like depression, low energy, insomnia, lowered immunity. It is complex so we are recommending a precautionary approach until more is known. I have been researching treatments and protection methods over the last few months and have found some remedies that may help ES sufferers.

Unfortunately the problems associated with microwaves have not been limited to only the 3% of ES sufferers and several experts in this field are warning about possible links with cancer and other diseases that long term exposure may contribute to for anyone. It is interesting to note for example the large increase in brain tumours in recent years which may be associated with the increase mobile phone use. This is not proven but I feel we need more caution until we know for sure!
The following is a list of ES symptoms linked to wi-fi exposure, they can of course also have other causes:  

Warning signs:
warmth or burning sensation in the face
general skin problems (rash, flushing, tingling, prickling)
dry throat
eye irritation
problems with concentration, brain fog
dizziness
memory loss
swollen mucous membranes
flu-like symptoms of headache, muscle/joint pain
unusual fatigue.

Longer-term symptoms:
Neurological: depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, weakness, tremors,
muscle spasms, numbness, fever, seizures, paralysis, psychosis and stroke
Cardiac: palpitations, arrhythmias, pain/pressure in the chest, low/high
blood pressure, slow/fast heart rate, shortness of breath
Respiratory: sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma
Dermatological: skin rash, itching, burning, facial flushing
Ophthalmological: pain/burning in the eyes, pressure in/behind the eyes,
deteriorating vision, cataracts
O t h e r s: digestive problems, abdominal pain, thyroid pro b l e m s ,
testicular/ovarian pain, dry lips, tongue, mouth and eyes, dehydration,
nosebleed, internal bleeding, altered sugar metabolism, immune
abnormalities, hair loss, tooth pain, loss of dental fillings, impaired sense of
smell, tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

We have been so concerned about this town wi-fi system that we have added a new section to our website about it, follow the link below if you would like to know more: WhyWi-Fi.html

‘It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.’
 - Albert Einstein.

3. EU legislation and your health

This is another serious concern unfortunately. The EU are currently trying to pass into law 4 new pieces of legislation that will severely restrict our freedom to use natural medicines in just about every form. This is happening now and the process will be complete by 2010 or 2011 it seems. The only way that we can stop this restriction that I know of is to donate money towards the legal campaign of the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), they have proven to be able to use good law and good science to change legislation in Brussels.

If we do not support them it is extremely likely that over the next couple of years I will not be able to help people as I am presently. Your only recourse will be to rely much more heavily upon modern conventional medicine. The scope and power of this proposed legislation is shocking when you start to look at it. If you have benefited from natural therapies and would like to continue to do so; or would like to see that future generations have this choice please support the ANH!  See the ANH website below to find out more:

www.anhcampaign.org

 4. Consultations payment scheme

Some of you may not be aware of the consultation payment scheme that I run. This is designed to spread the cost of treatment over the year and also works out a bit cheaper than paying just at consultations. The other advantage is that it means you will have at least 4 consultations spread throughout the year which can help prevent problems and also help maintain optimum health and wellbeing, rather than waiting for a problem to arise then dealing with it in retrospect.

The advantage of having at least one consultation at the change of seasons is that it can help promote health. This is a bit like how doing specific jobs in your garden during a specific season contributes to how well the garden is in the following seasons, so it has a cumulative effect throughout the year.  

This scheme is only open to those who have seen me at least twice. The basic cost is £15 per month. If you are interested and would like to know more please contact the clinic.

5. Study days and walks

You may not know that I have been training to be a wild food instructor on the only course that offers a qualification in this subject in the UK. This combines well with my background in nutrition and herbal medicine and I am planning to offer some study days starting this autumn if there is enough interest.

The general idea is to offer some walks around this area that combines discovering wild foods and medicinal plants and also how to use them. As I have also spent most of my life in the Glastonbury area I have also built up quite a lot of knowledge about the history, myths and legends associated with the landscape so we will also explore some of this as well.

Spending time in nature and reconnecting with plants and the landscape is in itself healing, especially when it is combined with an awareness of the natural cycle of the year, and how the different seasons can influence health.

These study day walks will be limited to just a few people at a time so if you are interested please let me know.

‘The natural environment is the great outpatient department where we can go for healing.’ - William Bird, GP, Berkshire West Primary Care Trust (quoted in Sustainable Development Commission 'Healthy Futures' publication, March 2007)

Medical joke:

As many of you enjoyed the medical jokes so much last year, here is another one to finish with (be warned it is a little rude, so please do not read it if you feel you might be offended):

Ear infection:

They tend to ask at the doctor's  waiting room why you are there and you have to answer in front of others what's wrong. Sometimes it is embarrassing. There's nothing worse than a receptionist who insists you tell her what is wrong with you in a room full of other patients. Here is how this old guy handled it (I’m not sure if it is based on a true story or not).

An 86-year-old man walked into a crowded waiting room and approached the desk.... The receptionist said, 'Yes sir, what are you seeing the doctor for today?'

'There's something wrong with my dick,' he replied. The receptionist became irritated and said, 'You shouldn't come into a crowded waiting room and say things like that.' 'Why not? You asked me what was wrong and I told you,' he said.

The receptionist replied, 'You've caused some embarrassment in this room full of people. You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something and discussed the problem further with the doctor in private.'

The man replied, 'You shouldn't ask people questions in a room full of strangers if the answer could embarrass anyone.

The man walked out, waited several minutes, and then re-entered.

The receptionist smiled smugly and asked, 'Yes?'
'There's something wrong with my ear,' he stated.

The receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had taken her advice.

'And what is wrong with your ear, sir?'

'I can't piss out of it,' he replied.

The waiting room erupted in laughter.

Andrew Johnson.