Guava Fresh Fruit Mask: Guava fruit 1\4, pure honey 1 teaspoon, egg whole 1, guava vinegar 1/4 tsp., buttermilk 2 tbsp. Mix ingredients together and apply to well cleansed skin. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water, then splash on skin toner and apply a few drops moisturising oil.

Guava Spot Mix: Guava oil 5 ml, castor oil 5 ml, guava vinegar 10 ml, tea tree essential oil 10 drops. Shake mixture well before every use. Dab a small amount of spot mix onto troubled areas twice a day and in the evening until the spots have cleared. Use little to achieve maximum results. Pimples and boils – grind the fresh guava leaves to a pulp and apply to spots.

or further information the book Guava – Medicine For Modern Day Diseases is recommended.

*49\81\8*

A real cure for every illness can only occur when far-reaching emotional balance is reconstructed. Emotions such as fear, stress, helplessness or loneliness can trigger certain signals in the brain. Every person will experience emotional imbalances at some stage in their life. In the long-term, these imbalances can build up to an illness. Every plant has an effect on our emotions. Flower remedies memorise the frequency of the plant and it’s environment and can therefore help us to balance our emotions.

“Flower remedies cure not only by attacking the disease, but by Higher Nature in the presence of which, disease melts away as snow in the sunshine. There is no healing unless there is a change in outlook, peace of mind and inner happiness”. Dr. Edward Bach

For further reading, the books Guide to Holistic Healing in the New Millennium, and Living Wild Flower Remedies – The Stepanovs Method are recommended.

*22\81\8*

One feature of candidiasis supports the idea of an immune reaction being involved: many patients are affected by yeast-containing foods, such as bread, beer and yeast extract. This suggests that there is a cross-reaction between the Candida antigens and those of other yeasts: antibodies whose primary targets are the Candida antigens also bind to similar proteins, produced by their cousins in the yeast world. A number of patients show a more general sensitivity to fungi, and are affected by inhaling spores from moulds. The usual sources of these are damp houses, compost heaps (a fungal paradise), rotting leaves, over-ripe fruit and other ‘mouldy’ items. Such people may also be made ill by eating mushrooms.

A third possibility is that the Candida provokes antibodies which happen to cross-react with some of the body’s own proteins. Such antibodies have in fact been found, and they specifically attack the ovaries. Many women with candidiasis have severe premenstrual problems, irregular periods and reduced sex drive – symptoms which clear up when their Candida infestation is treated. It is possible that these symptoms are due to hormonal upsets, caused by antibodies affecting the ovaries.

*245\180\8*

Description and Possible Medical Problems

One of my patients recently told me a story about the time he first became aware of a rare but puzzling disorder of the ring finger and pinky called Dupuytten’s contracture.

“I was about 11, and I was at one of those tacky country fairs with my family. My sister had already won a couple of prizes at the wheel of fortune and the goldfish bowls, but so far I wasn’t having any luck.

“Until we got to the ring toss. Instead of a mete stick pointing towards the sky, there were all these fake hands with everything but the index finger pointing up. In fact, I remember looking up to see what they were all pointing at.

“I bought a few rings for a quarter and managed to hook one out of three. I wanted to try again for the second tier of prizes, but my parents were ready to go. The prize I won was this cut-off rubber hand with red paint smeared all over the wrist. I flopped it around at my sister, who grabbed the hand and tried to make it give me ‘the finger’ behind my parents’ backs.

“All she could manage was to fold in the ring finger and pinky. She was only seven, so she didn’t know which was the correct obscene gesture. But at the instant I saw the ring finger and pinky folded in, I thought that it looked just like my father’s hand.”

Indeed, this condition, called Dupuytren’s contracture, is genetic and is most prevalent in men in their 40s. This was precisely the case with my patient. Dupuytren’s contracture occurs when the tissue located in the palm of your hand becomes thick and actually starts to shrink pulling the fingers into the palm. The cause of Dupuytren’s contracture is not known, but in addition to being a genetic condition, it also frequently appears in epileptics and alcoholics. Dupuytren’s contracture is usually not painful; however, it can make any work that involves your hands difficult and even impossible.

Treatment

Surgery is often recommended in order to regain the full use of your hand. The process involves removing the shrunken tissue; in many cases, this will be enough to free up movement. Some people, however, will need skin grafts to the area in order to regain the full range of motion. In both cases, however, you will need to work with a hand therapist or physical therapist to totally regain the use of your hand.

*534\167\8*

If the knuckles of your hands swell up and you think you have arthritis, stop a moment. Arthritis is a general term that is used in combination with other words such as “rheumatoid” and “osteo-” to describe your medical condition more fully.

If a part of your hand such as the palm or wrist or your knuckles begins to swell up and ache, and the pain and stiffness seem to be at their worst when you first wake up in the morning but are there one day and gone the next, chances are you have rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, generally results from wear and tear of the synovium by the bones on the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a defect in the immune system that affects the synovium, the thin sheath that surrounds the joints, to break down while rheumatoid arthritis may make your fingers turn away from your thumb at about a 45-degree angle. Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect other organs in the body, including the catdiovascular system and the lungs, which can become inflamed from the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis has an unpredictable nature. It may flare up without warning and be a constant problem for several years before disappearing completely. This can be the disease’s most frustrating aspect, since just as the symptoms have subsided for a while and you think you’re over them, they can appear again without warning.

*527\167\8*

Whenever a patient tells me he has a fever or chills, the first thing I need to know is if he is in the 40s or 50s or over the age of 80.

Because fever occurs less frequently as a person ages, a high fever in an elderly person is often an indication of a serious health problem. When an elderly person has a high fever, she may become delirious, which will increase her chance of falling and breaking a hip or even becoming unconscious.

A high fever may be caused by a simple virus, such as a bacterial infection in the sinuses, bowels, or lungs, or by a more serious infection in the bloodstream called sepsis.

My feeling is that if you have any fever that’s above 100 or 101 degrees F. for more than 24 hours, you should seek medical attention— sooner if confusion or delirium starts to set in.

If you have a fever, here are some questions to ask yourself that will help your doctor narrow down the cause:

1. Besides the fever, what other symptoms do I have, such as a cough, nasal stuffiness, muscular aches and pains, diarrhea, and/or pain when urinating?

2. How long have I had these symptoms: a day, a week, or longer?

3. Do I have night sweats or chills?

4. Is my fever getting better or worse? Is it accompanied by weakness and a general feeling of malaise?

If an elderly relative is feverish, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Has the weather been hot lately ? If so, does she have an air conditioner and does she use it?

2. Have you noticed any recent changes in his mental state? Has he become increasingly confused?

3. Have there been any changes in her appetite?

4. Has he been acting listless lately?

*558\167\8*

An elevated blood pressure level is a hidden signal that can be detected only by actually measuring the blood pressure, preferably by a medical professional who has expertise and experience. In spite of all the high-tech equipment used today, I recommend that it be taken the old-fashioned way with a stethoscope and mercury sphygmomanometer, which employs a cuff and pressure gauge that uses mercury to measure the pressure. Though it’s important to get a blood pressure reading that is as accurate as possible, there are many factors that can give an inaccurate reading, among them a cuff that is applied incorrectly—for instance, over clothes—or one that is too small, which is common in a person who has large arms. The cuff should be the correct size and fit snugly. I’ve also seen cases when the person who is taking the reading doesn’t really know how to interpret the sounds she is hearing through the stethoscope. When in doubt, ask a trained medical professional to take the reading.

The blood pressure reading should be taken while you are sitting or standing and on several different occasions, to correct for inaccuracies as well as for any nervousness on your part. For instance, if you have the well-known “white coat syndrome,” you may suddenly become very nervous in the presence of a doctor or nurse, even if you’ve known the person for years. This anxiety will naturally send your blood pressure level skyrocketing. If you have one elevated reading, don’t be alarmed. This could be due not only to the stress of the office visit but also to other stresses in your life. Likewise, that high-fat fast-food lunch you ate an hour before your appointment can also cause a higher-than-normal blood pressure reading. If you have a high reading during the first few visits, your doctor may decide to take separate readings on both arms.

*550\167\8*

Description and Possible Medical Problems

If you feel mote tired and look paler than you usually do, there are a number of causes your doctor will look for, but it’s likely that the first one he will check will prove to be the cause. Fortunately, it is also the easiest to treat.

Anemia is a medical condition in which the red blood cells contain less hemoglobin than is normal for a healthy, well-functioning circulatory system. Hemoglobin is composed mostly of iron, which is why all the commercials for dietary iron supplements stress that without their products you’ll be more prone to developing anemia.

On the surface this is true, but in actuality it’s not that simple. While anemia is frequently caused by a lack of iron in the diet, it can also be due to a defect within the digestive system. Anemia can also be the result of a deficiency of another nutrient, including vitamin or folic acid.

Because the symptoms of the different causes of anemia are similar, your doctor may want to conduct further blood tests to determine the kind of anemia you have in addition to testing for other possible reasons for your fatigue and pallor.

The first test your doctor will conduct is called a complete blood cell count. This will provide the doctor with a clear picture of the composition of your blood by counting the number of each type of blood cell— red, white, and platelets—and comparing it to that of nonanemic blood. Red blood cells should make up 40% to 45% of the blood’s composition in women and 45% to 50% in men. If the numbers from your blood test fall below these figures, you probably have anemia.

In addition to a reduced blood cell count, the test will also reveal an elevated blood cell count, typically when the body is producing a surplus of white blood cells, the condition known as leukemia. Interestingly, the symptoms for anemia and leukemia are similar.

Treatment

Whether the results of an abnormal complete blood cell count show reduced or elevated blood counts, your doctor is the best person to recommend the proper course of treatment. If you have anemia, your doctor will suggest you take iron supplements as well as increase the amount of iron-rich foods in your diet. Though leukemia is the mote serious disease, it can be treated successfully with customized chemotherapy regimens, especially if it’s caught early.

*542\167\8*

Al and Betty have now (as of this writing) been sober for sixteen years, and both have been pursuing careers in publishing. Because of their abusive family backgrounds, they chose not to have children. “I was afraid that if I had a kid, I’d abuse it,” Betty says. Al adds, “You never know what kinds of feelings will be drawn out of you by children. Unless you’re really ready for it, you shouldn’t do it.” For the most part, their intimacy with one another has sustained them—particularly the sexual bond. There were times when she would get into what she called her “paranoid mood,” begin to see him as a “man on the take,” and withdraw from him, snap at him, and question everything he did and said. But he was secure enough not to fight back, and the moods passed. During other times, he would get into his attitude that “Women are all teases,” and withdraw from her or get angry at her and accuse her of deliberately frustrating him. Fortunately, because both had worked through their transference feelings in therapy, they had strong enough observing egos to understand what was going on and not act out on that too severely. Always, in the end, their sexual bond brought them back in touch with their core feelings, away from their defensive postures.

*290/196/1*

“Dear Lady, I have been watching you from afar for a long time now. I feel strangely attracted to you, but I’m sad because I feel that your own deepest passion is dormant. I wish I could draw out this passion so that you could be your true, best self. I know that sounds corny, but I really mean it. I don’t know the way yet, but maybe I’ll find the way. I know that you’re married, and I will respect that. Anyway, I’m too shy to reveal myself to you. But know you are loved and admired.—Your Mystery Lover.”

This letter should be followed, a week or so later, by a gift—perhaps a dozen roses delivered by hand, with a note:

“Always thinking about you.—Your Mystery Lover.”

When the husband sees the flowers, he might ask, “Who are these flowers from?”—to throw her off. Then, a week later, there might be a short poem. It should be simple and not overly sentimental:

“I think of you and wish/That you and I—/I think of you and wonder/What would be if we—/I think of your beautiful, intelligent eyes/And how it would be/if they looked at me/with love/Or surprise./I think of you. . . .”

*256/196/1*