What? A connection between pollution and breast cancer????

Is it not quite amazing that the so called 'experts' have suddenly realized the connection between disease and toxicity???

What truly astonishes me is how the medical field will not acknowledge the fact that the toxicity of our environment has a lot to do with the increase in illness in man.

Here we are in 2010, so concerned about the environment, knowing the havoc we have caused, and making great attempts to make our homes, our cities and our lives greener; but there is complete ignorance of how the toxicity of environment and the toxicity of additives like high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and pesticides in our foods, cause havoc in our bodies.

Aren't our priorities slightly misplaced?

Yesterday, in my doctor's office I read something that struck a chord.
One of the Laws of the 'Direction of Cure' states that healing occurs from within outwards. If that is the case, then what are we doing taking tons of medication to suppress symptoms when we can try and find reasons for an ailment and treat it? What are we doing poisoning our bodies with toxins, whether environmental or man- made?

Why are are we so focused on just 'superficial healing'?

One of the things my doctor does is regular testing to check my blood, my digestion, my liver and internal organs. The healing begins when the troubled areas are targeted and the problem(s) will then, either be reduced or solved. My diet changes, my treatments change and what needs fixing gets fixed.
This, along with heavy detox and constantly monitoring to ensure that no toxins of any form are part of my diet or life, has helped to prevent all the other issues that make my MS worse and/or progress.

Is it a wonder why I have not had any relapses or attacks for the past three years? Is it a wonder why I have had no new lesions since my first MRI in 2006?

The medical profession and the governments need to realize this rather then spending trillions of dollars on symptomatic cures and raising funds looking for cures while the treatment approaches that actually work and help patients, stare us in the face.

I have good news and bad news. Now that they have acknowledged, in one way or another, that toxicity(whether pollution or any other form), 'may' cause illness, what are they doing about it?
What is the medical profession going to do about it?
What is the government going to do about it?

So many unanswered questions.................................

Healing is a combination of mind, body and spirit.

Healing the body is a process.
It does not involve just vitamins, supplements and good healthy food and choices.

It involves the unison of the mind, body and spirit.

I often wondered why my doctors almost always asked about my frame of mind, my physical health and my spiritual health. It is because health is not just healing the body. It is the combined effort of the mind, body and spirit that enables healing. In fact, the healing of the mind and the spirit can lead to miraculous healing of the body.

My treatments are three-fold and I have (rightfully) labeled them mind, body and spirit.

MIND
A clear calm mind paves the way to better health. When I was first diagnosed, I asked myself "Why?" and 'Why me?" - but then suddenly it dawned upon me that these questions will get me nowhere except in a depressed rut.
So I think positive thoughts(even though it may be hard, read positive books that are inspiring and spiritually enlightening, listen to music that is pleasing to me and my soul (of course, this depends upon individual taste), watch TV shows that are funny, to maintain a 'happiness therapy' to keep me generally positive and in the right 'frame of mind' to promote, assist the physical healing of the body.
I have my 'retail therapy' where I will go into stores and just browse for hours. This not only gets me out of the house, it also gives me good exercise.
I also try to keep occupied by getting invloved in a number of things like cooking, gardening, housework and volunteer work and writing - while keeping my physical limitations in mind. I am considering getting certified as an ESL teacher and as a Yoga instructor.

BODY
The first thing I do when I wake up is some stretching exercises followed by yoga, breathing exercises and a 20 minute meditation. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I follow the yoga and meditation with 35 minutes of weight training exercises which I will repeat at the end of the day.
Then shower, breakfast and the normal cycle of pills, water, washroom, pills, water, washroom while taking my supplementary drinks and a strict emphasis on my diet. My protein intake is high and carbohydrate intake is monitored so as not to exceed a certain number of helpings per day. I also monitor how much fruit I eat so as not to consume too much sugar. There are no preservatives or artificial additives in the food I consume and I purchase organic produce as much as possible.
Religious scriptures have quoted that the body is the temple of God. Why then would we abuse it by poisoning ourselves when all we have to do is take care of it and help it heal?:

SPIRIT
One can eat well, exercise and have happy thoughts but if we do not take care of the spirit, then I feel, we are nowhere.
For some,spirit means organized religion and rituals. For others, it is just being one with a supreme power. Every person's notion of the spirit will be different.

Mine begins with a meditation in the morning. As the day progresses, I have many forms of conversation with God. In the evening, I will either go to mosque or pray at home and will pray for strength, faith, love and forgiveness while giving thanks for all the good things in my life.
The other day a thought occurred to me. Everyday, I pray for strength, help and faith to bear this burden, this cross, of my illness and my life, to help ease the difficulties that come with it. Everyday I pray for a better tomorrow and everyday I pray for support to help me finance my illness,despite my not working. I pray for strength with my daily living.
This would mean that I lack the strength, support and faith. If I did not already have them, then how am I surviving?
Now I pray for these but mostly, give thanks for the strength, support, faith and love that I am already enveloped in.

A professor I respect and adore, Doctor Boustan Hirji once said to me "the faith we have is in ourselves, for there is no divinity except what is within our hearts and you know this, for you have touched the core of your being and returned, illumined."

There are many times that I do not recognize this in me. There are others that do not recognize the divinity within themselves.

I will also listen to music that heals my soul, read inspritational devotional writing, attend prayer at the local mosque regularly and even do my share of volunteering because there is that special healing in service to others.

In this way, healing is not something I hope to achieve somewhere, someday.
It is a path I am already on.
It is in every waking minute of everyday......................................

What a genetically modified salmon?????????.... What next?

I have just heard of a genetically modified salmon that is bigger, better, fatter and with the same nutrition as regular salmon.
The U.S. FDA has approved it for human consumption.

Do they know of the all risks involved? Have they fed this salmon to anybody to know what it does to humans?

Too many unanswered questions remain.

I wonder what else is going to be genetically modified to grow fatter faster so that greedy businessmen can put more money in their already overflowing pockets?
How many of the FDA are the pockets of these businessmen?

Alnoor's Diary: A Letter to the 'alleged' terrorists.......................

Alnoor's Diary: A Letter to the 'alleged' terrorists.......................

I am back!!!

I have just returned from a two and a half week vacation to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
We flew into Calgary, rented a car and drove to Vancouver and then drove on to Edmonton.
I observed my walking getting worse almost on the onset. It is a good thing I had my wheelchair with me. I could not have enjoyed half the sites without it.

On returning,I was unwell and it is a good thing I had an appointment the following day.
Her deduction was quite accurate.
I sat for too long with not much activity and muscles tightened. Normally, when I am at home, I move around, do some exercise, clean, and go about my daily life, still within my limitations. But during the trip, I either sat in the plane, car or in the wheelchair. Being on the highway from Calgary to Vancouver and then from Vancouver to Edmonton might have been an excellent drive but to have breathed in those toxic fumes did numbers on my sytem. (I still say it was worth it!)

Secondly, we are quite unaware of the toxins in our environment. Having flown from Toronto to Calgary and then from Edmonton back to Toronto, I was exposed to the unclean recycled air in the airports and in the planes. The toxic residue of cleaning solvents and disinfectants did not help my condition either.

So here I am, back at home, where my air is constantly cleaned and my water is purified. There is no residue of toxins in the air (even those I cannot smell).

Traveling, for me, seems to get harder and harder. But that will not stop me. I will continue doing what I do and traveling to places we choose.
It is funny because I had a half a suitcase of clothes and one full bag of pills and another full suitcase of food. Thank God for grocery stores that carry gluten free and organic food or there would be another suitcase of that.

I did find an increased awareness of toxins in our environment and the negatative effects of gluten. The restaurants were great with foods to be prepared for people qith allergies and the fact that there was even a recognition of the effects of toxins is a step in the right direction.

I am back now in the safety of my home, my own bed and of course bathroom with all the familiar sights, sounds and smells. Yay!

Making the body work well..................l

After the various tests and prognosis, it was time for action.

My liver was found to be weak, my digestion poor and my organs needed support to function optimally. My doctor acted on each one of these.

I got a Reiki like massage and accupuncture for my liver to jump start it and make it work properly. I got accupuncture for digestion as well as for increased circulation in my feet to reduce the tingling. I was put on homeopathic drops to help the system rejuvinate and sustain the daily functions and help with further detox.

In this way, I(my body) was provided with the support it needed, rather than just be prescribed with drugs that were generic, that may work for some, may not work for others and most likely, had side effects.

Slowly and steadily, the body's functions got better and beter. One thing at a time, a step at a time made it possible for me to reach where I am today without the use of harmful drugs.

My doctor, every week asks me what my level of strength (from 1-10) is. I am also asked about my mental state - whether I am happy, sad, melancholic, in a state of panic or just calm. All these factors affect my body and anything negative in my body affects my symptoms.

It is no wonder I have not had a relapse or an MS attack in almost three years
(actually ever since I started seeing Doctor Nana Chang).

I am planning a trip to the West Coast, to fly to Calgary, rent a car and drive to Vancouver and then on the Edmonton. If i did not feel the way I do, I would never attempt such a trip.

Here is an excerpt from my book "I Have Good News and Bad News"................

When I was younger I had issues with the world. I wanted to do something to make the world a better place. I wanted to be a better person myself. I had aspirations and dreams. I wanted to be a writer, an actor, a teacher, a chef, and even considered being a flight attendant. I just wanted to make the world a better place

I used to be as emotional as I am now. Come to think of it, it was probably the beginnings of my Multiple Sclerosis and nobody could diagnose it correctly. I would lose my temper easily, and was considered ‘an angry young man’. I do not know why I was so angry but I was. I had a wonderful upbringing with extended families and cousins that were (and still are) like siblings. I was still a very angry teenager. I was also sick, which ranged from anemia to hypoglycemia to getting malaria very often.

Whenever I was upset, I would run into the mosque and pray for strength. I would cry and pray for a miracle. Miracles are subjects for myths.

My parents were not wealthy and could not afford expensive schools or universities. They also spoiled me lots and loved me lots and we had great times together. I wouldn’t change anything. Ultimately, it was up to me how I turned out. Was I going to play the eternal victim and blame it on missed opportunities and what could have been? Or was I going to be a master of my own circumstance and destiny? I chose the latter. Not conscientiously but instinctively – To be the best you can, using the resources you have. That was what I believed then and that is what I believe today.

Now I have Multiple Sclerosis. How am I going to lead my life? Am I going to be a victim? Or am I going to be a master of my circumstance?

Religion has taught me “Be true to your self” and “Honor yourself”.
If ever I needed an answer to the question, “Why me?” it would be now.

Why not me?

Am I going to be a victim by even asking “Why me”? Or am I going to take the bull by the horns and be a master of my circumstance?

Well I am not a master of circumstance, as such. But, I can certainly accept things and continue doing my best, being my best and let nature and this illness take its course.

As much as I am an idealist, I like to think that I am more a realist who lives in the present world under my present conditions, whatever those conditions may be.

So why not take the bull by the horns? And if he has no horns, then grab him by the ears.

I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I am having a hard time with my illness and the future looks dark and bleak. I cannot help but think the worst.

The good news is that I am not a quitter. I still do my best at everything I do and I now have to set a new pace. I need to contemplate less and do more - read more and write more - live more. I have made some adjustments that are required and I will re-invent my life, if I have to. I have people that love me so much, it is quite amazing. If I were to die tomorrow, I can say I have had an amazingly fulfilling and love-filled life but I am not about to give up and die.
So it is not just taking the one bull by the horns, I have the whole bloody herd by the bloody horns………..for now.

That is the great news…………for now.