The Window of Heaven / Powerful Anti-Cancer Properties of Herbs / Friday: F.W. Show of Antiques and Art

“What is to be lived for
is not the illusion
of Life,
but the Reality
of Love.
– Wm. C. Anderson

A Love
that never dies,
Truth
that never lies,
may be found
in the Secret Garden
of our Heart,
revealed
by its sound,

beating in Time
with the sweet melodious Songs
of our beautiful, little feathered
friends.

And as they sing to us
all day long,
these tiny Angels
blend their color and hue
with the fragrance of the Flowers,
and with me
and with you.

click here for singing birds in the Garden of Eden

                  Truth that never lies.

The precious birds of the air
teach us

so very much about
Life,
and Living
and joyful giving.

“Who teaches us more
than the beasts of the earth,
and makes us wiser
than the Birds of the Heavens?
Job 35:11

To feel good again,
to feel peaceful in troubled times,
just listen
to all the joy
of their tiny
Hearts.

My Dear Friends,
in the clear light of early Morn,

when my exhaustion
has finally gone to bed,

through an open window
I clearly hear
birds softly singing
their beautiful lullabies.

     The greatest Gifts.

And as this Window of Heaven
is opened
by the birdlings gentle tunes,

I come to realize
we are so privileged
to listen to Music
that takes us
somewhere else,
and changes our Lives.

The greatest Gifts
are often
never noticed,
never felt,
never heard.

But
when they are,
Life
regains its meaning.
We are then made truly
grateful
for the Gift of Music
these talented friends,
so very small
and precious,
are so willing share.

             A Gift from God.

Such moments
capture the Wonder
of the Glorious Life
WE
can share.

These gifted Musicians
offer a unique
repertoire of Spiritual Insight.
They nourish and feed
the Soul.
They are among the many, many
Blessings
provided for us all.

They are
truly a Treasure
and a
Gift from God.

Among the many
exquisite things
Mankind accomplishes,
in the brevity of our Being,
is to simply
listen.

This music
is so peaceful,
and so powerful,
that it connects our thoughts
to a Divine awareness.

Past our distracting
and slumberous musings,

they will be
singing,
if,
even by pretense of our Being,

we will be
but listening.

ALL
of Nature
has no stronger desire,
no greater mission in this Life,
than to be
with you,
to commune with
you,
and to have you
returned back
where you belong:
into
the Arms of Her deep
and abiding Love,
to the Petals
of Her Flowers,
to the simplicity
of Her sympathy,
and the folds
of Her
Forgiveness.

Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.

Our Home
was the beauty and extravagance
of God’s Garden –
a perfection for all Mankind.
Created before sin,
it existed in a perfect state of harmony,
as Man and animal
coexisted without death
or the threat of death.

The existence
Adam and Eve knew
was one of perfection.

Let us join
in the perfection
of being kind
to every living thing.
And like the birds
of the air,
let us be rejoicing in the gift
of precious Life,
let us sing.

“For the beauty of the Earth,
for the Glory of the skies,
for the Love which from our birth,
over and around us lies.

For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of Light.

For the joy of Human Love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on Earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild.

For yourself, best gift Divine,
to the World so freely given,
agent of God’s grand design:
Peace on Earth
and Joy in Heaven.”
Folliott Sandford Pierpoint
click here to play song

To be so thankful
is Music
to God’s ears.

I Pray
that we
and the birds
will be singing
when God calls us
Home.

Goodnight.

“The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5

Herbs that help fight against cancer

There can be little doubt that herbs are very potent and powerful. Although, as yet, research is limited on herbs, it is growing and many are shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties without the damaging side-effects of drugs.

Here are herbs that just might help your fight against cancer. You will be pleased to know you can still have them prescribed and made for you by experts working with CANCERactive. This article was prepared with help from two of the UK´s top herbalists, Alan Hopking and David Broom.

1 ASTRAGALUS (Huang Qi): A Chinese herb; an immune system booster, known to stimulate body´s natural production of interferon. It also helps the immune system identify rogue cells. Work with the herb in both cancer and AIDS cases has been encouraging. The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas conducted research showing that taking Astragalus when having Radiotherapy doubled survival times.

2 BERBERIS FAMILY (e.g. Podophyllum peltanum): Slow active purgative. Research has shown these herbs to have a strong action against cancer and they have been used with many cancers, especially Ovarian cancer. In Cancer Watch March 2015, an ingredient Berberine, was shown in research to outperform brain cancer drug, Temozolomide in vitro. It was also shown to act synergistically with it and improve its efficacy.

3 BLOODROOT (Sanguinaria canadensis): Research shows consistent anti-neoplastic activity. It has been shown to be effective against cancer tumors, and can shrink them; it is one of the herbs in an anti-cancer poultice called Black Salve against breast and skin cancers; and has proven useful with sarcomas.

4 BUTCHERS BROOM (Ruscus aculeatus): The active ingredients of this herb has been found to be the ruscogenins which have tumour-shrinking and anti-oestrogenic abilities. Thus its use in the treatment of breast cancer.

5 CAT´S CLAW (Uncaria tormentosa): An adaptogen and powerful immuno-stimulant, it enhances the white cells clean up process (phagocytosis). It is an excellent companion to astragalus, curcumin and echinacea. Research indicates it can reduce tumour size, particularly with skin cancers. It also helps reduce the side-effects of chemo and radiotherapy.

6 CHAPARRAL (Larrea mexicana): Cancer Watch covered a major research study from the US which heaped praise on this herb. It appears to boost the immune system, stop metastases and reduce tumour size. Seems especially interesting with breast cancer and is another ingredient in Black Salve. It is also an anti-oxidant and anti-microbial, with low toxicity.

7 CURCUMIN (Turmeric): This spice (Curcuma longa or Turmeric root) has been shown to have significant anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity. That alone seems enough for certain hospitals in America to consider using it in the treatment of polyps and colon cancer. However new research shows that it can both shrink cancer tumours and inhibit blood supply growth to tumours. It is a powerful antioxidant with liver protective benefits, and outperformed several anti-inflammatory drugs without side-effects in research.

8 DANG SHEN ROOT (Codonopsis pilosula): increases both the white blood cell and red blood cell levels, so can be extremely helpful to patients having chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or to patients whose cancer diminishes levels of either.

9 ECHINACEA: Another known immune system booster, it gained a populist reputation in treating colds. There is research on its helpfulness with brain tumors apart from its abilities to increase the levels of certain immune white cells in the body.

10 FEVERFEW: This herb caused a storm when research from Rochester University in New York showed it to be more effective than the drug cytarabine in killing leukaemia cells. The US Food and Drug Agency put the active ingredient, parthenolide, on to its fast track programme. Nothing has yet been heard. But then, the FDA has never approved a herb for use as a cancer treatment.

11 GOLDENSEAL: One cause of stomach cancer can be the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This burrows into the mucous lining of the stomach to hide from gastric acids, and then causes irritation, acid reflux, ulcers and even cancer. Goldenseal is generally anti-microbial and is used in the Caribbean and South East Asia against parasites. Goldenseal, helped by the mineral Bismuth, will kill Helicobacter pylori. Vets seem to know this, even if doctors don´t. Berberine can be found in Goldenseal.

12 MILK THISTLE: Known for years to be helpful in strengthening the liver, this herb has now been shown to be capable of protecting the liver during chemotherapy. Research in America showed that leukaemia patients who took milk thistle had reduced liver toxicity and chemo side-effects. There is a little evidence that it has its own anti-cancer activity too.

13 PAU D´ARCO: This tree bark was original thought to be a strong anti-cancer agent, but then its actions were clarified as strongly anti-bacterial, anti-yeast and anti-microbial. That alone might be enough in some cases of cancer cause. But new research on the differing ingredients has shown the quinoids possess immune strengthening abilities and seem to help in cases of blood and lymph cancers.

14 PAU D´ARCO: Research from a number of cancer centers including the Royal Marsden has shown its potential as a part of a treatment programme against oestrogen-driven cancers, from breast to prostate. One active ingredient in the so-called Herb of Hippocrates is the anti-oestrogen Genistein, which Professor Powles formerly of the Royal Marsden dubbed ´the anti-oestrogen´.

15 SHEEP´S SORRELL: Used in Essiac and other herbal remedies, it is a cleanser and aids healthy tissue regeneration. There is some suggestion from research that it helps normalise damaged cells and tissue. It is also a highly praised ´vermifuge´ – intestinal worms have little or no resistance to this herb.

16 SKULLCAP (Scutellaria barbata): Research has shown action against many cancer types, for example against cancers of the lung, stomach and intestines.

17 SUTHERLANDIA (Cancer Bush): Peer reviewed research studies indicate that this herb is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It boosts the immune system and inhibits Tumour Necrosis Factor, known to drive wasting in cancer patients.

18 THOROWAX, or HARES EAR (Bulpleurum scorzoneraefolium): Research has shown its ability to enhance the production of natural interferon and it seems especially useful in bone cancer.

19 WHEATGRASS: One of the top private hospitals in South East Asia extols the benefits of freshly juiced wheatgrass. One shot gives you the chlorophyll of some 12 or more kilograms of broccoli. It acts as a blood purifier, and liver and kidney cleansing agent. In research, after two weeks of daily use, blood and tissue oxygen levels improve, as does circulation.

20 SWEET WORMWOOD: Another Chinese Herb, this has outperformed certain anti-malaria drugs and is now used by the aid agencies. It is strongly anti-microbial and anti-yeast and can be used as an effective part of an anti-candida diet. Also certain cancer treatments cause excesses of yeasts to form (for example, in Leukemia treatment) threatening the patients health further. Excess yeasts are even felt by some cancer experts to be one of the causes of cancer. However, in recent research Wormwood has been shown to have direct anti-cancer properties.

Because of EU laws, which allow you to buy cigarettes, medicines and GM foods, but not herbs in the High Street, you will have to visit a herbalist to be prescribed the above herbs. To go to the ´Our Natural Selection Shop´.

HEALTH WARNING!
Please be clear, no one is saying these herbs are not without any side-effects. Equally they may conflict with some drugs. The important point is that we are still discovering many of their benefits, albeit very slowly, because individual local herbalists just do not have the funds to conduct large scale clinical trials like the drugs companies do. You should seriously consider the usefulness of herbs as a part of your integrative cancer-fighting program. They just might make a serious difference to your health. But please make sure you go to an expert medical herbalist for clear and informed advice.

Important dates are posted each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.:
William’s Weblog at andersonschool.net

Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.

This Beauty was on our back deck.

Love Surrounds Us / Heart Healthy Diet / Friday: At School

The Miracle of Life blossoms into Beauty.

Thoughts of love
surround us.
And all around us,
in every moment
of every day,
with every beat
of every Heart,
the Miracle of Life
blossoms
into Beauty that
WE
can behold.

The Eternal Light
of Love

chases away the last vestige
of the dark
of night.

And we come to see
evermore,
the wonder of our Birth
into Hope,
into Love
and Life,
and into the
Light.

All
things become visible

when they are exposed by the Light,
for everything that becomes visible
is Light.”
Ephesians 5:13

We are remote
from the possibility
of comprehension.
But the Human Heart
can
take pleasure and delight

in the magic and the wonder
and the mystery
that is this
Life.

               A Many Splendored Thing.

Life
is at best,
but a brief journey
through Seasons
that come and go,
the passage
through which
few
are ever fully aware,
ever really know.

Yes.
Seasons come
and then they go,
and we are here

and gone.
Your smile,

faint in the glow
of beautiful memory,
much like
your Life,
seemingly long,
glimmering like a Rainbow,
but lasting
like the Dawn.

             Glimmering like a Rainbow.

But the Miracle
of this Life
lies in the Mystery
of the Clear Eternal Light,
that when you Pray,
will find you
and guide you,
and never
let you lose
your way.

“This is the message
we have heard from him
and proclaim to you,

that God is light
and in him is no darkness
at all.”

John 1:5

Let us
Dream the Dream,
and keep on
Living
to Walk
in the Beautiful
Light of God’s
abundant Love.

                      Lasting like the Dawn.

 Yes,
the tides of fortune
are awash and aplenty
upon our shores.
And the initial Life
of material existence
is filled with illusion.

“Our concept of Beauty
suggests a greater Meaning
in a Universe capable of producing beings
that not only appreciate Beauty
but strive to achieve greater and greater Beauty.
You are made to think, know, and create like God,
because God wanted to share
that experience of Being
with some other than Himself.”
Sarah Capello

But deeper
than the Ocean
is God’s Love
for you.

I Pray
you will come to see
the Peace and Hope
and the everlasting Joy
such knowing
will bring.

God’s Love
is truly
a Many Splendored
Thing.

Goodnight.

             Let us dream the dream.

Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
read more

Ready to start your heart-healthy diet? Here are eight tips to get you started.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Although you might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, it’s often tough to change your eating habits. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are eight heart-healthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you’ll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.

 1. Control your portion size

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs.

Use a small plate or bowl to help control your portions. Eat larger portions of low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions of high-calorie, high-sodium foods, such as refined, processed or fast foods. This strategy can shape up your diet as well as your heart and waistline.

Keep track of the number of servings you eat. A serving size is a specific amount of food, defined by common measurements such as cups, ounces or pieces. For example, one serving of pasta is 1/2 cup, or about the size of a hockey puck. A serving of meat, fish or chicken is about 2 to 3 ounces, or about the size and thickness of a deck of cards. Judging serving size is a learned skill. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you’re comfortable with your judgment.

2. Eat more vegetables and fruits

 Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits contain substances found in plants that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you eat less high-fat foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods.

Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet can be easy. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so that you’ll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredients, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads.

Fruits and vegetables to choose Fruits and vegetables to limit
  • Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits
  • Low-sodium canned vegetables
  • Canned fruit packed in juice or water
  • Coconut
  • Vegetables with creamy sauces
  • Fried or breaded vegetables
  • Canned fruit packed in heavy syrup
  • Frozen fruit with sugar added

3. Select whole grains

 Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products. Or be adventuresome and try a new whole grain, such as whole-grain farro, quinoa or barley.
Grain products to choose Grain products to limit or avoid
  • Whole-wheat flour
  • Whole-grain bread, preferably 100% whole-wheat bread or 100% whole-grain bread
  • High-fiber cereal with 5 g or more of fiber in a serving
  • Whole grains such as brown rice, barley and buckwheat (kasha)
  • Whole-grain pasta
  • Oatmeal (steel-cut or regular)
  • White, refined flour
  • White bread
  • Muffins
  • Frozen waffles
  • Corn bread
  • Doughnuts
  • Biscuits
  • Quick breads
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Egg noodles
  • Buttered popcorn
  • High-fat snack crackers

4. Limit unhealthy fats

 Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

The American Heart Association offers these guidelines for how much fat to include in a heart-healthy diet:

Type of fat Recommendation
Saturated fat Less than 7% of your total daily calories, or less than 14 g of saturated fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet
Trans fat Less than 1% of your total daily calories, or less than 2 g of trans fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet

The best way to reduce saturated and trans fats in your diet is to limit the amount of solid fats — butter, margarine and shortening — you add to food when cooking and serving. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet by trimming fat off your meat or choosing lean meats with less than 10 percent fat.

You can also use low – fat substitutions when possible for a heart – healthy diet. For example, top your baked potato with low-sodium salsa or low-fat yogurt rather than butter, or use sliced whole fruit or low-sugar fruit spread on your toast instead of margarine.

You may also want to check the food labels of some cookies, crackers and chips. Many of these snacks — even those labeled “reduced fat” —  may be made with oils containing trans fats. One clue that a food has some trans fat in it is the phrase “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list.

When you do use fats, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But moderation is essential. All types of fat are high in calories.

An easy way to add healthy fat (and fiber) to your diet is ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds are small brown seeds that are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have found that flaxseeds may help lower cholesterol in some people. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and stir a teaspoon of them into yogurt, applesauce or hot cereal.

Fats to choose Fats to limit
  • Olive oil
  • Canola oil
  • Vegetable and nut oils
  • Margarine, trans fat free
  • Cholesterol-lowering margarine, such as Benecol, Promise Activ or Smart Balance
  • Nuts, seeds
  • Avocados
  • Butter
  • Lard
  • Bacon fat
  • Gravy
  • Cream sauce
  • Nondairy creamers
  • Hydrogenated margarine and shortening
  • Cocoa butter, found in chocolate
  • Coconut, palm, cottonseed and palm-kernel oils

5. Choose low-fat protein sources

 Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and eggs are some of your best sources of protein. But be careful to choose lower fat options, such as skim milk rather than whole milk and skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken patties.

Fish is another good alternative to high-fat meats. And certain types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. You’ll find the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.

 Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat. Substituting plant protein for animal protein — for example, a soy or bean burger for a hamburger — will reduce your fat and cholesterol intake.
Proteins to choose Proteins to limit or avoid
  • Low-fat dairy products such as skim or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt and cheese
  • Eggs
  • Fish, especially fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon
  • Skinless poultry
  • Legumes
  • Soybeans and soy products, such as soy burgers and tofu
  • Lean ground meats
  • Full-fat milk and other dairy products
  • Organ meats, such as liver
  • Fatty and marbled meats
  • Spareribs
  • Hot dogs and sausages
  • Bacon
  • Fried or breaded meats

6. Reduce the sodium in your food

 Eating a lot of sodium can contribute to high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing sodium is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
  • Healthy adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of salt)
  • People age 51 or older, African-Americans, and people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease have no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day
 Although reducing the amount of salt you add to food at the table or while cooking is a good first step, much of the salt you eat comes from canned or processed foods, such as soups and frozen dinners. Eating fresh foods and making your own soups and stews can reduce the amount of salt you eat.

If you like the convenience of canned soups and prepared meals, look for ones with reduced sodium. Be wary of foods that claim to be lower in sodium because they are seasoned with sea salt instead of regular table salt — sea salt has the same nutritional value as regular salt.

Another way to reduce the amount of salt you eat is to choose your condiments carefully. Many condiments are available in reduced-sodium versions, and salt substitutes can add flavor to your food with less sodium.

Low-salt items to choose High-salt items to avoid
  • Herbs and spices
  • Salt substitutes
  • Reduced-salt canned soups or prepared meals
  • Reduced-salt versions of condiments, such as reduced-salt soy sauce and reduced-salt ketchup
  • Table salt
  • Canned soups and prepared foods, such as frozen dinners
  • Tomato juice
  • Soy sauce

7. Plan ahead: Create daily menus

 You know what foods to feature in your heart-healthy diet and which ones to limit. Now it’s time to put your plans into action.

Create daily menus using the six strategies listed above. When selecting foods for each meal and snack, emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose lean protein sources and healthy fats, and limit salty foods. Watch your portion sizes and add variety to your menu choices.

 For example, if you have grilled salmon one evening, try a black-bean burger the next night. This helps ensure that you’ll get all of the nutrients your body needs. Variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.

8. Allow yourself an occasional treat

 Allow yourself an indulgence every now and then. A candy bar or handful of potato chips won’t derail your heart-healthy diet. But don’t let it turn into an excuse for giving up on your healthy eating plan. If overindulgence is the exception, rather than the rule, you’ll balance things out over the long term. What’s important is that you eat healthy foods most of the time.

 Incorporate these eight tips into your life, and you’ll find that heart-healthy eating is both doable and enjoyable. With planning and a few simple substitutions, you can eat with your heart in mind.

Friday:

We will meet at school
on Friday
from 8:30 a.m.
to 3:15 p.m.
and work with our Director,
George Rodriguez,
on our upcoming
Shakespeare production.

IMPORTANT  DATES:

May 5                 At School (Play rehearsal)
May 15 & 16      Shakespeare Production at Stage West Theater
May 22 – 26       Adventure Trip
May 26               Last Day of Semester.

Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.

Lyrics/song texts are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.

The magic and the wonder and the mystery that is this Life.