Lifesource Health & Wellness Premier Issue Editorial By Dragan Ivanov, M.D., Internal Medicine Specialist When it comes to the question of health, people find themselves in a very perplexing situation. Due to the advances in medicine, an overall increase in the standard of living, and better hygiene practices, numerous infectious diseases have been eradicated which for centuries posed a major health hazard to humanity, claiming millions of lives in various epidemic waves. It was to be expected then, that a period of abundant health and longevity would follow. Regretfully, the reality is painfully different. Now more than ever, humanity is overcome with sickness and suffering reminiscent of an unrestrainable and foreboding torrent. Everywhere we turn, we come across young and old alike yearning for a remedy that will ease their suffering. The developed world is gripped by an epidemic of non-infectious diseases, with cardiovascular diseases being the number one killer, and claiming about 60% of the contemporary world's population. Disturbingly, the fatality rate due to malignant diseases is growing steadily higher, despite modern diagnostic techniques and the numerous remedies offered by the pharmaceutical industry. Where does the contemporary person err? Which principles are being neglected and disregarded by a person living the modern lifestyle? The latest medical research indicates that it is impossible to conceptualize a comprehensive therapy for the greater majority of contemporary, widespread non-infectious diseases without the implementation of lifestyle changes. This primarily entails a change in diet (adopting a vegetarian diet), increased physical activity, temperance, regulation of body weight, and discarding harmful habits, such as the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Perhaps the most important thing would be dealing with the problem of stress by finding the meaning of life, which has the potential for soothing and calming the troubled and perplexed human soul. It is a wise and highly desirable duty for everyone to become aquainted with God's laws which govern our being and, thereafter, to bring one's life into harmony with them. The Bible draws our attention to the following verse: "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!" (Proverbs 16:16). By God's grace, Lifesource endeavors to enrich our knowledge of relevant medical discoveries, to point out the therapeutic power of simple natural remedies in the battle against modern diseases, and to help us in the quest for an answer to the question: "How can we live in today's world and nevertheless be healthy?" In This Issue The Circulatory System 4 The Circle of Life. International Medical Missionary Congresses 7 Find out what's been done, and what you can do. The Power of Charcoal: Myth or Science? 9 Nature's little vacuum cleaner. Metabolic Syndrome 14 The "X"tra for today's biggest health challenge. Healthy Kitchen 20 Health Questions and Answers 21 Your health questions answered. Medical Missionary Work 22 Timely insights from the pen of inspiration. The Vegetarian Diet-Is There_a Risk? 24 To eat or not to eat meat? This is the question. Want to know the answer? About Physicians & Medicine 28 An in-depth and methodical study of the various forms of healing methods available to Christians. ----------------------- Lifesource Health & Wellness Editor Dragan Ivanov, M.D. Creative Services Nathan Tyler Web: http://www.lifesourcemagazine.com Copyright (c) 2008. Printed and distributed by Reformation Herald Publishing Association. Manuscripts, inquiries, address changes, subscriptions, payments, and donations should be mailed to Lifesource, P.O. Box 7240, Roanoke, VA 24019, U.S.A. Illustrations: iStockPhoto.com on front cover and pp. 3, 6, 9, 20, 25; Dreamtimes on pp. 7, 8, 20; Higher Clips on p. 22; www.sxc.hu on back cover and pp. 13, 21, 30; Getty Images elsewhere, unless specified. With special thanks to the Lord for His providence, and to our sponsors John Ralich and family for their generosity. Lifesource magazine, its Web site, and all other affiliates is to be used for information purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. It in no wise is designed to take the place of consultation with your doctor. Please consult your health professional before embarking on any lifestyle change. -------------------------- The Circle of Life. . . The Circulatory System Compiled by Abigail Siclovan "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14). In the Middle Ages people generally believed that the heart was like an ever-springing fountain-like a fire that was burning and had to be nourished continually. Today we know that the blood is actually flowing in a "circle": from the heart to the peripheral cells-including all the organs of the body-back to the heart, then to the lungs and once again back to the heart. The red blood cells, called the erythrocytes, live 120 days, and their whole life is a long journey through our body. They live in order to give what they receive and until their death they keep following this holy principle-the principle upon which the whole universe is based. The three essential parts The circulatory system consists of three essential parts: the blood, the heart (a four-chambered pump) and the blood vessels. Blood is a fluid which consists of approximately equal parts of a liquid and of cellular elements called corpuscles. What do we need the circulatory system for? The circulatory system is a way of transportation. The blood transfers water, heat, oxygen, and nutritional elements for the cells, and waste products like carbon dioxide for elimination. There are three basic types of blood cells. The erythrocytes contain hemoglobin to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. Leukocytes act to help the body defend against infectious organisms. Thrombocytes play an important role in hemostasis, the process by which blood is prevented from leaving an injured blood vessel. In the blood there are also various proteins, molecules, elements, and electrolytes, each one with its duty to fulfill; for example, to maintain the acid-base balance of the body. In addition to transport, the blood also works as a method of intercellular communication. It carries hormones; for example, insulin or adrenaline to certain target cells which need special signals-the hormone molecules-in order to begin, stop, slow, or speed up one or more activities. When insulin reaches the liver cells, enzymes (which cause glucose to be converted and stored as glycogen) are activated. Body temperature is also regulated by the blood, by way of controlling blood flow to the skin. The "circle" The circulatory system consists of the systemic (1) and the pulmonary (2) circulations. 1. Let's start our journey in the wonderful "railroads" of our body's "main station," the heart. From the left ventricle our little erythrocytes and all the blood contents are pushed into the aorta with a maximum speed of 100 cm per second; every minute our heart is contracting about 60 to 80 times and thus works like a pump to sustain the circulation of the blood, hour by hour, day by day . . . without ceasing: about 80 ml per beating. If we calculate we get nearly 5.5 liters per minute, 330 per hour and 8000 in one single day! Eight tons in one day and we hardly ever notice them! The erythrocytes continue their way through the arteries and then arterioles-very often having to choose between two "railroads," many branches and ramifications of them-until they reach their destination: the capillaries-small vessels which connect the arterioles with the venules forming a network. Along the vessels the speed of blood is decreasing continually. Consequently the erythrocytes are able to change their load: the oxygen they got from the lungs is discharged and carbon dioxide, the waste product of cellular metabolism, is loaded. By the way, their color is also changing from light-red to dark-red-blue. The travel continues in the venules, veins, and the vena cava. In these vessels our Creator installed certain valves which hinder the blood to flow backward. Thus the oxygen-depleted and waste rich blood returns to the heart entering through its right atrium. 2. Now the heart muscle places our erythrocytes from the right ventricle in the pulmonary circulation. Via pulmonary arteries the blood enters into the lungs, where erythrocytes can be "purified" from the waste they carried, the carbon dioxide, and fill up with fresh oxygen in order to bring it to the tissues. So the erythrocytes return trough pulmonary veins into the left atrium of the heart in order to close the "circle." The hepatic portal circulation is a branch of the systemic circulation, draining impure blood rich in nutrients from the abdominal organs. Before entering the heart by the inferior vena cava, the blood has to pass by the liver in order to be modified and filtered. Therefore it is collected from the stomach, intestines, and other organs into the hepatic portal vein, which leads it directly to the liver, wherefrom it once again is lead to the heart. Waste products are removed by the liver and kidneys. What can we do to have healthier blood circulation? We are generally inclined to search for things we do not have in order to be happy, instead of improving what we have. Our loving Creator gave us the best He could give us! Could we imagine our body's circulatory system more perfectly built than it already is? No! Even a functioning imitation devised by scientists is impossible! Let's read some precious counsels of the inspired pen: "The chief if not the only reason why many become invalids is that the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in the vital fluid, which are necessary to life and health, do not take place. They have not given their bodies exercise nor their lungs food, which is pure, fresh air; therefore it is impossible for the blood to be vitalized, and it pursues its course sluggishly through the system. The more we exercise; the better will be the circulation of the blood. "More people die for want of exercise than through overfatigue; very many more rust out than wear out. Those who accustom themselves to proper exercise in the open air will generally have a good and vigorous circulation. We are more dependent upon the air we breathe than upon the food we eat. Men and women, young and old, who desire health, and who would enjoy active life should remember that they cannot have these without a good circulation. . . . "For fear of taking cold [some invalids] persist, from year to year, in having their own way and living in an atmosphere almost destitute of vitality. It is impossible for this class to have a healthy circulation."-Counsels on Health, p. 173. "In order to have good health, we must have good blood; for the blood is the current of life. . . . "At every pulsation of the heart the blood should make its way quickly and easily to all parts of the body. Its circulation should not be hindered by tight clothing or bands, or by insufficient clothing of the extremities. . . . "In order to have good blood, we must breathe well. Full, deep inspirations of pure air, which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood. They impart to it a bright color and send it, a life-giving current, to every part of the body. . . . "The lungs should be allowed the greatest freedom possible. Their capacity is developed by free action; it diminishes if they are cramped and compressed."-The Ministry of Healing, pp. 271, 272. Bibliography 1. Hick, C. Kurzlehrbuch Physiologie. MŸnchen: Aufl. Urban & Fischer, 2000. 2. Jenike, B., and others. English in medicine. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Lekarskich PZWL, 1991. 3. Klinke, R., and others. Lehrbuch der Physiologie. Stuttgart: Aufl. Thieme, 2005. International Medical Missionary Congresses Rejoicing in the power and might of our true Lifesource How much do you value your body, particularly your right arm? I value mine very much, as I am right handed and do my most precise work with it. If I were to lose it, I would be devastated and my whole body would suffer. Sure, I could survive, but my quality of life would be drastically reduced. However, when we speak of the "right arm," the health reform message in connection with the three angels' messages, we cannot be complacent and think that we can survive without it, nor should we want to. Simply stated, we cannot. Ignoring the health reform message is like ignoring a vital part of your body. From July 2005 until August 2007, five international medical missionary congresses were held in Croatia (2005), Germany (2006), Brazil (2006), Australia (2007) and USA (2007). It was a blessing to all who attended. The most up to date medical and health information was presented and exchanged. The medical congresses allow for medical and health professionals, students, and those who are considering a calling for this work to come together in one place and to learn from each other about the life giving, life enhancing news there is around the world. It also allows for plans to be made and implemented in each area which is unique to that particular region. We recognize the vital need to have a living, growing connection with the word of God and with our members and friends worldwide. The work of health reform is never intended to be a one man (or woman) show. It is a collective work founded on a desire to share Biblical based truths about health via up to date education and information about our bodies and the environment in which we live to the whole world. It is never good to "sit" on great news, and it is the same with the health message. The great commission has ever been, "Go and tell." From a health perspective it is, "Go and tell . . . and demonstrate." Many don't realize the relationship between diet, hygiene, good attitude and the quality of life one possesses. This connection also spills over into one's spiritual life. There is not one person on this planet who would not like great quality of life. Sadly, many do not know how to make positive changes in their life through lack of knowledge or practical education. They may have the theory down pat, and a will to change for the better, but don't know where to start. The Bible tells us that "man does not live by bread alone". . . however his quality of life is dictated by the type of food he eats. You have heard the adages, "show me your company and I will show you the man." The same can be said about our diet, "show me the food you eat and I will show you the person." We are what we eat. This is where you come in. Educate yourself about health. Challenge yourself to study health principles. If the Lord has given you a desire to study medicine, nursing, the many branches of health and medical fields, do it. Study: equip yourself; attend high quality educational centers of learning to obtain the highest possible level of knowledge and understanding you can. Education begins with you. Before you can become helpful to your fellow beings, you need to do them the service of educating yourself and becoming qualified in the field of occupation you want to work in. Speak with people who have completed medical or health studies and ask them what it took to undertake such an awesome task. Young people, if you have not as yet considered what you want to do with your life, consider the health work. Is there anything more satisfying than aiding your fellow man in a time they most need help? To be in the medical-health field shows a desire to help people to get better, to improve their lifestyles and to be happy!!! There is no greater objective, no nobler calling. When this work is then combined with pastoral work, it makes a powerful transformation in one's life, both in the physical and spiritual sense. The benefits of a healthy body aided by a healthy diet leads to a closer relationship and appreciation for the life giving sustenance the Lord has given us for food. It leads to a clearer mind. The benefit of a clearer mind leads to a closer relationship with our Lifesource-our Lord. There is much to do, and all may contribute to this wonderful work. Please continue to pray for the Medical Department that the Lord may lead and guide with His mighty hands and to open many doors for the health message to get through to those who need it most. Keep an ear out for upcoming news of medical congresses in your area. We are looking forward to seeing you there. May the Lord richly bless all of you. The Power of Charcoal: Myth or Science? By Bruna Tuleu Silveira "Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for'" Isaiah 6:6, 7, (NIV). Charcoal is nearly pure carbon which is obtained by partially burning vegetable or animal substances, thus removing water and other volatile parts. The organic substance does not turn to ash as the burning takes place in an airless environment. In this article we will discuss the charcoal made from wood. When the wood turns to ember, the burning process is stopped, and the charcoal is broken down into fine granules. Since the 20th century, charcoal has been produced not only by simple carbonization but it is activated in a second step. In order to activate the charcoal, it is reheated and treated with steam, oxygen, carbon dioxide or other chemicals. In this manner the charcoal is broken down into even finer granules, thus creating a greater surface area and achieving an increased adsorptive capacity. Ground activated charcoal is a fine, odorless, tasteless black powder. It is important to note that the finer the powder, the more efficient it is as the adsorptive area increases. History and special properties of charcoal Charcoal was used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and also by North American Indians to treat abdominal pain, although they didn't fully understand the way it worked. The most important property of charcoal consists in having an extremely great surface area. Imagine that only 1 gram of charcoal has a surface between 400 and 1500 square meters (at least twice the size of a tennis field). Charcoal's micro-structure (see the picture taken by an electronic microscope) contains many micropores gathered in a network providing good conditions for adsorption. Adsorption is the accumulation of liquid, gas or dissolved substances on the surface of solids. The molecules do not penetrate the surface; instead they take the form of an atomic film on that solid's surface (in this case, on charcoal). In 1773, Carl Wilhelm Scheele trapped a portion of gas in a flask with charcoal and submerged the open end in a container of mercury. A vacuum appeared in the flask, for the charcoal had adsorbed the gas and sucked the mercury into the tube. This experiment proved that charcoal adsorbs gases. Years later, in 1813, the chemist M. Bertrand confirmed his research on charcoal by drinking 5 grams of arsenic, which is enough poison to kill 150 persons. He survived without any harm as he had ingested the poison mixed with charcoal. Likewise, in 1831, Pharmacist Professor Touery made a demonstration of the effectiveness of charcoal before the French Academy of Medicine. He swallowed several times the lethal dose of strychnine together with 15 g of charcoal without suffering injury as charcoal neutralized the toxic effect. Nevertheless, charcoal was widely accepted as an antidote for poisons only in 1963. So we see that charcoal ties up substances on its huge surface area. Imagine that charcoal acts like a sponge, and all those micropores can be filled with adsorbed toxins, gases, bacteria, viruses, and wastes. Due to these properties, charcoal has a wide range of applications in the food industry, air and water purifying systems, and medicine. Medical applications As the gastrointestinal (GI) tract does not absorb activated charcoal, all the ingested charcoal is excreted in the stool. Consequently, the toxins which are trapped in the pores are eliminated in the feces as well, thus preventing them from entering the circulation. Charcoal may be applied in digestive problems such as diarrhea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), halitosis (bad breath), gastric ulcers, acute or chronic enteritis, colitis, ulcerative colitis, cancer, flatulence (gases). As irritable bowel disease is characterized by recurrent cramps like abdominal pain, diarrhea and gases, charcoal is a great help in the treatment of this functional bowel disorder. It also can be used to treat hyperlipidemia (increased level of lipids in the plasma). Charcoal's hypocholesterolemic effect is probably due to its interference with enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. Moreover, activated charcoal has been used in renal failure to obviate infectious complications. Its enormous adsorptive power makes it the ideal agent for binding toxins from the GI tract as well as from the blood, and eliminating them from the body. How to administer charcoal One or two spoonfuls of powdered charcoal are mixed with water and taken twice or three times a day, at least one hour before a meal to prevent adsorption of nutrients. For children or persons with a very sensitive digestive tract, mix charcoal powder with water and leave it overnight. The charcoal settles down on the bottom as a sediment. Only the supernatant (liquid that remains) will be used. This mixed solution of water-charcoal is recommended to be administered every 3 hours to new born babies with higher bilirubin levels. In this situation sunbath therapy with ultraviolet (UV) rays should be added. Intoxication In case of emergency, a greater amount of charcoal should be used as soon as possible after the poison has been ingested. Every year around one million children are poisoned by mistaking drugs with candies or drinking household products. Activated charcoal is widely used in the treatment of acute intoxication due to accidental overdose of medicaments or suicide attempts. Examples of such drugs are: acetaminophen or paracetamol (treatment of pain, fever), salicylates (anti-inflammatory agents), barbiturates (sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, anticonvulsants), tricyclic antidepressants, beta blockers (slows down heart rate, lowers blood-pressure) and other chemical compounds. Contraindications: Charcoal should not be administered if the airways are not protected; that is, if the patient is unconscious it could pass to the lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia. Food poisoning It is a gastroenteritis provoked by bacteria or by toxins they secrete. The onset of symptoms may appear 30 minutes to 12 hours after intake of contaminated food. Charcoal adsorbs the toxins as well as the bacteria (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella), and thus hinder them to enter the circulation and spreading in the body. Aflatoxins, which are fungal toxins produced by Aspergillus flavus, are also readily absorbed. These toxins found in mildew are highly carcinogenic. The guidelines on gut decontamination made by the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists recommend a single dose of charcoal within one hour of toxin ingestion as beyond this the adsorption is decreased. For an adult 50 g should be given and for children up to 12 years 1g for each kg of body weight. In intoxications with some drugs (Theophylline, Dapsone, Digoxin, Quinine, Phenobarbital), fungus (Amanita phalloides), and Paraquat (herbicide), a multiple dose of activated charcoal is indicated to enhance the adsorption and elimination. An adult should be given 50 g of charcoal immediately, followed by 25 g every 2 hours or 50 g every 4 hours; the repeated doses for children is 1 g/kg of body weight followed by 1 g/kg of body weight every 4 hours. Even if the multiple doses of charcoal are started hours after ingestion or intravenous administration of poisonous substances, the charcoal is still able to reduce the drug's half-life T1/2 (time it takes for a drug to decrease to half of its original concentration). As the body gets more sensitive to toxins with age, a regular use of charcoal can decelerate the aging process (experiments show anti-aging activity in rats). IMPORTANT: Although activated charcoal is very efficient, not all kinds of poisoning are to be treated with charcoal. The following substances are only poorly adsorbed. Mineral acids, alkalis, ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, ferrous sulfate, fluorides, lead and its salts, lithium preparations, mercury and its salts, potassium salts, organic solvents. Activated charcoal is not to be taken within 2 hours of other medicaments in order to avoid a suspension of their effects. External uses Activated charcoal may be used externally to aid with insect stings, snake-bites, burns of jelly fish, atonic ulcers (ulcers which show no tendency to heal), pain in general, especially abdominal pain, inflammations of the eyes, ears, breast (mastitis) or cellulitis (inflammation of the subcutaneous epithelium), purulent wounds, traumata of the articulations, cancers (e.g. liver metastases), eczema, etc. Charcoal is used in British hospitals to treat infected varicose ulcers (chronic venous insufficiency) and postoperative infected wounds. Activated charcoal adsorbs Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, and Staphylococcus aureus. A poultice is used for external applications, also known as a cataplasm. Poultice with charcoal powder Depending on the size of the injured zone, 5 to 10 spoons of charcoal are mixed with water (cold or warm), until it becomes a fluid paste. This content is placed between two layers of gauze so that the layer of paste measures 0.5 to 0.6 cm. The paste may also be prepared putting the charcoal powder into a small gauze bag which will be soaked with water. Above the gauze, you place a plastic foil, and above this, a thick piece of wool. Then, all this is placed on the injured zone fixing it with a bandage, or wrapping a towel around and fixed with safety pins. If a warm poultice is applied, you will need to place a hot water bottle or another device on it in order to keep the temperature. The poultice is kept on the respective zone for 1 to 8 hours. After removing it, the tegument of the respective zone must be rubbed with a piece of linen which has been soaked with cold water in an alcoholic solution. The poultice may be used alternating warm and cold applications (8 minutes warm-4 minutes cold, alternating up to 4 to 6 times). Poultice of charcoal powder and linseed flour Grind the linseed (flax seed) until it becomes flour. Mix charcoal powder and linseed flour in a 1 to 1 ratio (to 1 spoonful of charcoal powder is added 1 spoonful linseed flour). Add water in a 3 to 1 ratio (3 spoons of water are added to 1 spoon of solid substance). Bring it to boil and stir it permanently with a spoon until it becomes a viscous paste. Then, proceed as with the poultice described above. As a more viscous paste (more charcoal powder and flour, but less water)it is applied intravaginally in case of fetid leukorrhea, trichomoniasis, and vaginal candidiasis, leaving it in the vagina during the day (1 to 3 hours) or overnight. The charcoal can be reused several times. After each treatment the charcoal has to be dried close to the heater or in the oven (not over 180¼C). For dental care, the teeth can be brushed with a bit of charcoal to whiten them. Ellen White writes on charcoal "One of the most beneficial remedies is pulverized charcoal, placed in a bag and used in fomentations. This is a most successful remedy. If wet in smartweed boiled, it is still better. I have ordered this in cases where the sick were suffering great pain, and when it has been confided to me by the physician that he thought it was the last before the close of life. Then I suggested the charcoal, and the patient slept, the turning point came, and recovery was the result. To students when injured with bruised hands and suffering with inflammation, I have prescribed this simple remedy, with perfect success. The poison of inflammation was overcome, the pain removed, and healing went on rapidly. The most severe inflammation of the eyes will be relieved by a poultice of charcoal, put in a bag, and dipped in hot or cold water, as will best suit the case. This works like a charm. "I expect you will laugh at this; but if I could give this remedy some outlandish name that no one knew but myself, it would have greater influence. . . . But the simplest remedies may assist nature, and leave no baleful effects after their use. . . . "On one occasion a physician came to me in great distress. He had been called to attend a young woman who was dangerously ill. She had contracted fever while on the campground, and was taken to our school building near Melbourne, Australia. But she became so much worse that it was feared she could not live. The physician, Dr. Merritt Kellogg, came to me and said, 'Sister White, have you any light for me on this case? If relief cannot be given our sister, she can live but a few hours.' I replied, 'Send to a blacksmith's shop, and get some pulverized charcoal; make a poultice of it, and lay it over her stomach and sides.' The doctor hastened away to follow out my instructions. Soon he returned, saying, 'Relief came in less than half an hour after the application of the poultices. She is now having the first natural sleep she has had for days.' "I have ordered the same treatment for others who were suffering great pain, and it has brought relief and been the means of saving life. My mother had told me that snake bites and the sting of reptiles and poisonous insects could often be rendered harmless by the use of charcoal poultices."-E. G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 2, pp. 294, 295. Conclusion Beyond the chemical and physical properties of the charcoal, there is the Word, Jesus Christ. That Word who called our world into existence, the Word that makes day to follow the night, the same Word is able to take away pain and disease from the human body and bring eternal life. He wants us to be happy, to give Him glory from a healthy body, and desires us to spread the light of His Word to our neighbors, using these simple remedies. May we allow Him to work His righteousness in us and to cleanse every spot in our character by His coal! (Isaiah 9:6, 7). (NOTE: Lifesource magazine and its affiliates in no wise recommend anyone to experiment with poisons and activated charcoal. Please consult your physician prior to trying anything new, or prior to embarking on a new and changed diet.) Bibliography: ¥ "Indreptar profi lactic si terapeutic de medicina naturista"-Doru Laza, 2nd edition, Pazitorul Adevarului Publishing. ¥ Alison L. Jones and Glyn Volans, 'Recent advances: Management of self poisoning' British Medical Journal 1999;319:1414-1417 (27 November). ¥ Sterenkyj Daniele, 'Mon petit docteur', Orion, Canad, 1991. ¥ Versini Francois, 'Le charbon de bois active', Rouge & Vert, France,1991 ¥ Robert W. Derlet, MD 'Activated Charcoal-Past, Present and Future', Western Journal of medicine, 1986 October; 145(4): 493-496 ¥ http://www.medic8.com/MedicalDictionary.htm ¥ http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-charcoal.html ¥ http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/charcoal.html ¥ http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/charcoal-activated ¥ www.fairview.org/healthlibrary/content/ma_charcoal_ma.htm ¥ http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/act_0014.shtml Practical experience with charcoal (Interview with Alexandru Motü, head nurse at Eden Clinic, Breaza, Romania by Beniamin Muj.) BM: How is the New Year at Eden Clinic? AM: Thanks to the Lord, who takes care of us and makes it possible to start a new year! We are happy to meet our team again and the patients who will arrive on the 8th of January, being the first for the New Year. BM: Thank you! I would like to talk about the use of activated charcoal in natural therapy. I want to know why you use it here and the way you use it. AM: We have been using activated charcoal since the beginning of our work in March, 1999, for both internal and external applications (as a poultice). For internal cure, we use it twice a day: 1 teaspoonful of charcoal mixed with 50 ml of warm water, 1 hour before meal, in the morning, at noon, and in some cases in the evening. It has an adsorbent effect in the gastrointestinal tract, thus removing the toxins contained there and normalizing the intestinal transit. For external applications as a cataplasm (poultice), the charcoal powder is placed in a small bag of a proper size, depending on the zone it is meant to be applied to (hand, knee, liver). The bag is then soaked using a warm infusion such as horsetail (Equisetum arvense). All this is placed on the injured zone fixing it with a bandage or wrapping with a towel. If applied warm, you will need to maintain it warm using a proper method. The cataplasm will be removed after 1 hour or more. BM: What kind of infections are best treated using charcoal? AM: For internal treatment, it is recommended for any infection, because of its detoxifying effect. In case of severe constipation, the dose should be drastically reduced. Even conventional medicine recommends the use of charcoal in case of accidental or voluntary intoxication. BM: Could you give me specific examples of patients treated with charcoal, here at Eden? AM: Externally applied charcoal has good results in pancreatitis, joints rheumatism or spinal column affections. For internal use in case of severe diarrhea, after administering charcoal three times, the symptoms disappeared. BM: Is it recommended to have charcoal powder at hand at home? AM: Yes, it is very important and recommended to have it at hand and to use it, even in the absence of any disease. A 7-10 day/month cure will improve the overall digestive activity. In case of food or chemical poisoning, it is recommended to have it at hand for emergency use. In these cases, the dose should be increased up to 3-4 teaspoons, mixed with liquid (water or tea). BM: What is the formula you recommend in case of illness? What is the place of faith (or trust) in the health restoration process? AM: Here at Eden Clinic, we use a large variety of simple remedies that God has placed at hand, such as hydrotherapy, argilotherapy, carbotherapy, phytotherapy, diet therapy (pure vegetarian diet-without milk, dairy products, and eggs), medical gymnastics, aerotherapy, heliotheraphy, and spiritual counseling . We try to transmit to our patients what David says in Psalm 103:1-3, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." We are making every effort to strengthen their faith that by using these simple remedies which are not harmful and by changing their lifestyle, He remains the same Great Physician. We here at Breaza present Christ as being the "expert in human impossibilities." There were many cases when the patients were given few weeks or even days to live by doctors, and they have been recovered here and they are still living. Some of them testified: "I came here having cancer and I return home having God in my heart!" And some of them are now our fellow believers, having being baptized in our church at Breaza. We are glad to be coworkers with God! Metabolic Syndrome By Andras Palocsay, M.D., Surgeon and Pathologist Syndrome X-it sounds like a scary disease associated with aliens and science fiction movies. However, this disorder is affecting more and more people worldwide. Lifestyle strikes again. Metabolic syndrome is also known as syndrome X, the deadly quartet or insulin resistance syndrome. It has been linked to rising levels of obesity and declines in the levels of physical activity. Syndrome X is diagnosed when a person has three or more of the following conditions: * Abdominal obesity, * High triglyceride levels, * Low HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, * High blood pressure, and * High fasting blood sugar levels. People who have syndrome X are at greater risk of developing type II diabetes and heart disease. Sufferers are also more likely to die prematurely from heart disease and other causes. Many people are tired of being told about their expanding waistline, but they may not understand the health challenge that exists from obesity-related diseases. Nowhere is this more obvious than (1) the association of being overweight, (2) with problems such as high blood pressure, (3) high blood cholesterol, and (4) a massive epidemic of resistance to the hormone insulin. This variable combination of problems has been termed the metabolic syndrome X. Shocking as it may seem, perhaps as many as one in four [25%] of the adult population may have syndrome X of varying severity. Every day, after-dinner conversation in America includes a description of syndrome X. Mom may comment on Dad's waistline and Dad retorts by talking about Uncle Joe's high blood pressure and Aunt Bertha's diabetes. Comments about no-more-sugar prevail and the conversation becomes emotional where childhood obesity is present. These common conversations refer to the variable combination of obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol which are linked by resistance to insulin. While these problems are seen as obvious risks for heart disease, few people understand that syndrome X is a common forerunner to the development of diabetes mellitus type II. Overview It is estimated that between 20 and 40 percent of us suffer potentially from a deadly metabolic syndrome. This detrimental disorder, which has gone by the name of syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome, or even the deadly quartet, is slated to become the leading cause of premature death in western nations. "Syndrome X" was coined by Dr. Gerald M. Reaven in the late eighties using medical evidence that showed a clustering of major health-risk factors connected with cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. These factors became officially known as "metabolic syndrome" by the World Health Organization in 1998. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions-increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels-contributes to your risk of serious disease. In combination, your risk is even greater. Research into the complex underlying process linking this group of conditions is ongoing. As the name suggests, metabolic syndrome is tied to the body's metabolism, possibly to a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance: the key to syndrome X Under normal conditions, a hormone known as insulin allows blood sugar to move into the cells of the body, where it is used to produce energy. However, when normal amounts of insulin are not able to transport glucose into the cells, insulin resistance occurs. In other words, the cells resist the action of insulin and the glucose cannot pass into the cells. When this happens, the pancreas must produce more insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Although people with syndrome X have higher levels of glucose in their blood, it is still within the normal range, and they are not diabetic. What causes insulin resistance? Key factors in the development of metabolic syndrome are weight gain and obesity, which, in turn, can be caused by insulin resistance. This latter disorder prevents the efficient conversion of food into energy because of a vastly reduced number of insulin receptors on the cell wall. It's been estimated that a typical healthy person has 20,000 insulin receptor sites per cell, while the average overweight individual can have as few as 5,000. This causes an increase in blood levels of insulin. If you have a greatly reduced number of insulin receptor sites on the cells' surface, your ability to lose weight is severely compromised. Insulin acts as "a key in a lock," allowing glucose to pass through the cell wall and be converted into energy. If you have too few receptor sites, glucose bounces off the cell wall instead of passing thought the "insulin" door or receptor. As a result, glucose free-floats in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is stored as fat throughout the body, causing weight gain and obesity. Excess free-floating insulin also has a harmful effect. It can damage the lining of the arteries and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, which is characterized by a dangerous build-up of plaque on the artery walls. In addition, the imbalance of insulin can lead to a greater risk of developing heart disease because it causes your liver to produce increased levels of triglycerides. As your weight increases, stressors build up on the entire cardiovascular system. The heart and lungs, for example, have to work harder to distribute an adequate amount of freshly-oxygenated blood throughout the body. Besides the increase in triglycerides, there is also a lowering of "good" HDL cholesterol which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Increased insulin and glucose levels in those suffering from metabolic syndrome have also been proven to cause changes in the kidneys' ability to remove salt from the blood stream, which contributes to elevated blood pressure. There is an additional increase in the risk of blood clot formation. All of these are key factors in the development of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and stroke. Combined effects of insulin resistance Your body reacts by producing more and more insulin to help glucose get into your cells. This results in higher-than-normal levels of insulin and glucose in the blood. Although not high enough to qualify as diabetes, an elevated glucose level still interferes with your body processes. Increased insulin raises your triglyceride levels and those of other blood fats. It also interferes with how your kidneys work, leading to increased blood pressure. These combined effects of insulin resistance put you at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other conditions. Researchers are still learning what causes insulin resistance. It probably involves a variety of genetic and environmental factors. They think some people are genetically prone to insulin resistance by inheriting this tendency from their parents. However, being overweight and inactive are major contributors. If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, it is highly recommended that you make aggressive lifestyle changes that can delay or derail the development of serious diseases. Signs and symptoms Having metabolic syndrome means you have several disorders related to your metabolism at the same time, including: * Obesity, particularly around your waist (having an "apple shape") * Elevated blood pressure * An elevated level of the blood fat called triglycerides and a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol - the "good" cholesterol * Resistance to insulin, a hormone that helps to regulate the amount of sugar in your body. Having one component of metabolic syndrome means you're more likely to have others. And the more components you have, the greater are the risks to your health. One study showed that men with three factors of metabolic syndrome are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke and more than three times as likely to develop heart disease as are those with no factors. When all these factors are present the risk is 4-8 times higher. Perhaps even fewer people understand the hidden dangers that exist within the description of syndrome X, which is associated with a litany of serious disorders that cause disability and premature death. In brief, syndrome X is not only the major underlying series of factors in the cause of heart disease; it can cause infertility, menstrual problems, polycystic ovary syndrome, impaired immunity, liver disease, declines in brain function, inflammatory disease and cancer. EICOSANOID. The prefix eicosa (from the Greek for twenty) denotes the number of carbon atoms in arachidonic acid. The term "eicosanoids" is used as a collective name for molecules derived from 20-carbon fatty acids. Current usage limits this to the leukotrienes and prostanoids, but several other classes are technically eicosanoid, including the resolvins, isofurans, isoprostanes, lipoxins, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), neuroprotectin D, and some endocannabinoids. The numbering of eicosanoids is used to denote the number of double bonds. The AA-derived prostanoids have two, while the leukotrienes have four. Function and pharmacology Leukotrienes. Leukotrienes play an important role in inflammation, especially as part of the slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis, and blocking leukotriene receptors can play a role in the management of inflammatory diseases such as asthma, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Prostanoids. Prostanoids mediate local symptoms of inflammation: vasoconstriction or vasodilation, coagulation, pain, and fever. What are the SYMPTOMS of metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) and how do they relate to insulin resistance? Metabolic syndrome is characterized by having at least three of the following symptoms: * Insulin resistance (when the body can't absorb blood sugar or insulin properly) * Abdominal fat-in men this means a 40 inch (102 cm) waist or larger; in women, 35 inches (88cm) or larger * High blood sugar levels-at least 110 milligram per deciliter (mg/dL) (7mmol/L) after fasting * High triglycerides-greater than 150 mg/dL (2.3mmol/L) in the blood stream * HDL (the "good" cholesterol)-less than 40 mg/dL (1mmol/L) if male or less than 50 mg/DL if female * Excess plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in the blood * Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher * Elevated fibrinogen greater than 400 mg/dl * A family history of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure * More than 20 pounds (10 kg) overweight * A "spare tire" or apple-shaped body * Exercise less than twice a week * Crave sweets and carbohydrates Root causes Ironically, the root causes of this disease of the prosperous are improper nutrition and inadequate physical activity. It has been shown that treating people with syndrome X can prevent, or even improve, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, which are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. There is both a behavioral (or acquired) and a genetic component to the development of syndrome X. The "acquired" causes include overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, and high carbohydrate diet in susceptible individuals (where carbs are more than 60 per cent of energy intake). By addressing these factors, we can effectively avert the development of insulin resistance. It is empowering to know that conquering this grave disorder is feasible by the majority of us. In particular, abdominal obesity has a higher correlation with metabolic risk factors. Simple dietary modifications that continuously result in positive outcomes include increasing servings of vegetables, fruits, and high-fiber whole grains, while displacing intake of foods high in calories and low in nutrients. Risk factors The following factors increase your chances of having metabolic syndrome: Age. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases with age, affecting less than 10 percent of people in their 20s and 40 percent of people in their 60s. However, one study shows that about one in eight schoolchildren have three or more components of metabolic syndrome. Race. Hispanics and people from Asia seem to be at greater risk for metabolic syndrome than are other ethnic groups. Obesity. A body mass index (BMI)-a measure of your percentage of body fat based on height and weight-greater than 25 increases your risk of metabolic syndrome. So does abdominal obesity-having an apple shape rather than a pear shape. History of diabetes. You're more likely to have metabolic syndrome if you have a family history of type II diabetes or a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes). Other diseases. A diagnosis of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or polycystic ovary syndrome-a similar type of metabolic problem that affects a woman's hormones and reproductive system-also increases the risk of metabolic syndrome. When to seek medical advice If you know you have at least one aspect of metabolic syndrome-such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or an apple-shaped body - you may have the others and not know it. It's worth checking out with your doctor. Ask about whether you need testing for other components of the syndrome and what you can do to avoid serious diseases. Screening and diagnosis Although your doctor is not typically looking for metabolic syndrome, the label may apply if you have three or more of the traits associated with this condition. Several organizations have criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. These guidelines were created by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) with modifications by the American Heart Association. According to these guidelines, you have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of these traits: Elevated waist circumference, greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. For people genetically at greater risk of diabetes, the circumference limit is slightly lower; 31 to 35 inches for women and 37 to 39 inches for men. Elevated level of triglycerides of 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher, or you're receiving treatment for high triglycerides. Reduced HDL (less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women) or you're receiving treatment for low HDL. Elevated blood pressure of 130 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) systolic (the top number) or higher or 85 (mm Hg) diastolic (the bottom number) or higher, or you're receiving treatment for high blood pressure. Elevated fasting blood sugar (blood glucose) of 100 mg/dL or higher, or you're receiving treatment for high blood sugar. Treatment Tackling one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome is tough-taking on all of them might seem overwhelming. However, aggressive lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication can improve all of the metabolic syndrome components. Becoming more physically active, losing weight and quitting smoking help reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels. These changes are key to reducing your risk. EXERCISE. Doctors recommend getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercises, such as briskly walking every day. LOSE WEIGHT. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can reduce insulin levels and blood pressure and decrease your risk of diabetes. STOP SMOKING. Smoking cigarettes increases insulin resistance and worsens the health consequences of metabolic syndrome. Talk to your doctor if you need help to kick the cigarette habit. Work with your doctor to monitor your weight and your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels to ensure that lifestyle modifications are working. If you are not able to achieve your goals with lifestyle changes, your doctor may also prescribe medications to lower blood pressure, control cholesterol or help you lose weight. Insulin sensitizers may be prescribed to help your body use insulin more effectively. Aspirin therapy may, in some cases on the advice of a physician, help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Prevention Whether you have one, two, or none of the components of metabolic syndrome, the following lifestyle changes will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke: Commit yourself to a healthy diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed or deep-fried foods. Eliminate table salt and experiment with other herbs and spices. Get moving. Get 30 to 60 minutes of moderately strenuous activity most days of the week. Schedule regular checkups. Check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels on a regular basis. Make additional lifestyle modifications if the numbers are going the wrong way. Self-care You can do something about your risk of metabolic syndrome and its complications-diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. You can begin to curb your insulin resistance by making the previously-mentioned lifestyle changes. Eat fiber-rich foods. Make sure you include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables in your grocery cart. These items are packed with dietary fiber, which can lower your insulin levels. The role of exercise In addition to nutrition, the role of physical activity in treatment and prevention of syndrome X cannot be overemphasized. Levels of physical activity are related to most components of this condition. Even more promising is the fact that the benefits of regular exercise for improving insulin resistance are age-independent, meaning that all ages can experience a positive effect. For best results in overcoming insulin resistance, a program should integrate both aerobic exercise and resistance training. It is worth noting that not all forms of exercise have been shown to have a positive impact on insulin sensitivity. There are two types of eccentric exercises (performed beyond the body's reasonable "normal" capacity for example: Running downhill (regularly) and extreme exercise (long-term marathon training) may actually decrease insulin sensitivity. The greater muscle damage that occurs with eccentric exercise, and the ongoing enhanced use of fatty acids as fuel in extreme exercise, account for this negative reaction. Avoiding the fate of this metabolic syndrome is a viable choice for the majority of us. Unfortunately, almost a third of us decline taking this opportunity while it is still available. Not surprisingly, as we find ourselves in the throes of an obesity epidemic, we also face an epidemic of insulin resistance, also called syndrome X. Recommended action for syndrome X To combat syndrome X, your diet should contain between: 15-20% protein, 5-10% saturated fats, 30-35% mono- and polyunsaturated fats (olive and flax oils), and 35-50% carbohydrates. More than half of these carbohydrates (20-30% of the entire diet) should be fruits, vegetables and beans, (while breads, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, bulgur wheat), other grains and potatoes should make up less than half of the allowable carbohydrates (15-20% of the entire diet). The glycemic index ranks mostly carbohydrate foods on how they affect blood sugar levels in the two or three hours after eating. Any food with a glycemic index above 55 should be eaten very sparingly in diet (see glycemicindex.com). Adopt these dietary habits: * Avoid refined carbohydrates: white flour, rice, sugar or other sweeteners. * Eat non-starchy (usually green) vegetables as primary carbohydrates, including alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, garlic, green beans, lettuce, parsley, radishes, spinach, wax beans, and turnips. * Keep even nutritious carbohydrate foods, such as whole- grain breads and pasta, low on the menu. * Eat food as natural and as fresh as possible. * Avoid soft drinks, canned or reconstituted fruit juice, and alcohol. * Reduce vegetable oils, such as corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, cotton seed, and use extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil instead. * Increase use of omega-3 oils, found in flax seeds or flax seed oil. * Eliminate trans fatty acids: deep-fried foods, margarine, hydrogenated oils. * Eat protein at every meal and/or snack, including raw nuts and seeds. * Eat foods in season whenever possible. The Christian perspective "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). Christian temperance has to do with all facets of our life here on earth and recognizes the intimate relation that exists between the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of our being. The condition of the body affects the mind, and the condition of the mind affects not only the body but also one's spiritual relationship to God. True temperance may be defined as dispensing entirely all things which are harmful, and making a judicious use of those things which are healthful. 1 The general principles related to eating and drinking, and to anything that may affect our physical, mental, or spiritual health, are outlined in the Word of God. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Biography 1. E. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 562. Veggie Healthy Kitchen Cashew Rice Burgers Ingredients: 2 carrots, grated finely 2 medium celery sticks, diced finely 1 onion, diced finely 1 cup broken cashews 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 cups cooked brown rice breadcrumbs soybean milk 2 tablespoons egg replacer Steps: 1. Mix all ingredients together, except milk and breadcrumbs. 2. Pour enough milk to make a liquid mixture. Add enough breadcrumbs to bind into patty consistency. 3. Shape into burgers. 4. bake till golden brown in moderately hot oven (190¼C). 5. Serve in salad rolls, or serve with steamed vegies and salad. Once a decision has been made to change one's lifestyle for the better, and to incorporate a more healthy way of eating, then practical knowledge of how to prepare food is important also. We hope you enjoy making this recipe. Bon appŽtit! Q & A Health Questions & Answers With Dragan Ivanov, MD What is a "fatty liver"? Fatty liver, or steatosis hepatis, is an accumulation of fat in the liver which manifests itself in various metabolic disorders and illness in the human organism. The cells of the liver are overloaded, predominantly with triglycerides. When the liver is overloaded with triglycerides, it becomes dysfunctional and manifests various abnormalities which can be identified by blood and urine tests. Causes. The most common cause of a fatty liver is long-term alcohol abuse, diabetes or the onset of diabetes, obesity and other lesser chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease, and colitis ulcerosa (which involves the mucosa of the colon). Long-term use of certain medications may also contribute to the development of a fatty liver, especially when corticosteroids are frequently used. Treatment. First of all it is important to understand and avoid the cause of the fatty liver. Furthermore, the following can be recommended: * Artichoke essence drops * Green nettle essence drops (Urtica dioica) * Foods containing high fiber such as raw fruit (especially apples, grapefruit), raw carrot, whole grains * Leaf and root of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) * Mint leaves (Mentha x piperita) * Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) * Birch leaves (Betula alba) How much exercise should I do and how often? The general health benefits of physical activity can be summarized in the following list: * Regulates body weight and prevents obesity * Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease * Lowers the risk of type II diabetes * Lowers the risk of malignant diseases * Benefits the skeletal system (mainly the joints) * Natural anti-depressant * Increases concentration, speeds up the learning process and memory In order to maintain health, it is recommended to be moderately, physically active on a daily basis (or most days) for a minimum of 30 minutes per session or alternately over a few shorter intervals. To further improve health, incorporate intense physical activity three times a week for a minimum of 20-30 minutes which raises the heart rate to 70% of your maximum heart rate (depending on your fitness levels-the maximum for most people is about 220 beats a minute). Cautions. The following situations require caution with regard to physical exercise: * Acute cardiac ischemic diseases (acute infarct of the heart, unstable angina pectoris) or any other cardiovascular related problems * Complications arising from diabetes * Complications arising from osteoporosis with the added possibility of fractures, and acute joint problems. * Illnesses which require rest It is advisable to consult your physician before undertaking any lifestyle change or beginning any new physical-fitness regime which may affect your health. Medical Missionary Work Submitted by Daniel Campodonico By Ellen G. White I am deeply interested in the subject of medical missionary work and the education of men and women for that work. I could wish that there were one hundred nurses in training where there is one. It ought to be thus. Both men and women can be so much more useful as medical missionaries than as missionaries without the medical education. I am more and more impressed with the fact that a more decided testimony must be borne upon this subject, that more direct efforts must be made to interest the proper persons, setting before them the advantages that every missionary will have in understanding how to treat those who are diseased in body, as well as to minister to sin-sick souls. This double ministration will give the laborer together with God access to homes, and will enable him to reach all classes of society. An intelligent knowledge of how to treat disease upon hygienic principles will gain the confidence of many who otherwise would not be reached with the truth. In affliction, many are humbled in spirit, and words in favor of the truth spoken to them in tenderness by one who is seeking to alleviate physical suffering may touch the heart. Prayer- short, weighted with tenderest sympathy, presenting the suffering ones in faith to the Great Physician-will inspire in them a confidence, a rest and trust, that will tend to the health of both soul and body. I have been surprised at being asked by physicians if I did not think it would be more pleasing to God for them to give up their medical practice and enter the ministry. I am prepared to answer such an inquirer: If you are a Christian and a competent physician, you are qualified to do tenfold more good as a missionary for God than if you were to go forth merely as a preacher of the word. I would advise young men and women to give heed to this matter. Perilous times are before us. The whole world will be involved in perplexity and distress, disease of every kind will be upon the human family, and such ignorance as now prevails concerning the laws of health would result in great suffering and the loss of many lives that might be saved. While Satan is constantly doing his utmost to take advantage of men's ignorance and to lay the foundation of disease by improper treatment of the body, it is best for those who claim to be the sons and daughters of God to avail themselves while they can of the opportunities now presented to gain a knowledge of the human system and how it may be preserved in health. We are to use every faculty of mind which God has given us. The Lord will not work a miracle to preserve anyone in health who will not make an effort to obtain knowledge within his reach concerning this wonderful habitation that God has given. By study of the human organism, we are to learn to correct what may be wrong in our habits and which, if left uncorrected, would bring the sure result, disease and suffering, that make life a burden. The sincerity of our prayers can be proved only by the vigor of our endeavor to obey God's commandments. Evil habits and practices are bringing upon men disease of every kind. Let the understanding be convinced by education as to the sinfulness of abusing and degrading the powers that God has given. Let the mind become intelligent, and the will be placed on the Lord's side, and there will be a wonderful improvement in the physical health. But this can never be accomplished in mere human strength. With strenuous efforts through the grace of Christ to renounce all evil practices and associations and to observe temperance in all things, there must be an abiding persuasion that repentance for the past, as well as forgiveness, is to be sought of God through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. These things must be brought into the daily experience; there must be strict watchfulness and unwearied entreaty that Christ will bring every thought into captivity to Himself; His renovating power must be given to the soul, that as accountable beings we may present to God our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him, which is our reasonable service. Will those who claim to believe the solemn, sacred truth for this time arouse their sluggish energies and place themselves in the channel where they can gather to their souls every ray of light that shines upon their pathway? God calls upon all who claim to believe advanced truth to exert every power to the uttermost in gaining knowledge. If we would elevate the moral standard in any country where we may be called to go, we must begin by correcting their physical habits. Virtue of character depends upon the right action of the powers of the mind and body. Guilt rests upon us as a people who have had much light, because we have not appreciated or improved the light given upon health reform. Through misunderstanding and perverted ideas many souls are deceived. Those who teach the truth to others and who should be shepherds to the flock will be held accountable for their willing ignorance and disregard of nature's laws. This is not a matter to be trifled with, to be passed off with a jest. As we approach the close of this earth's history, selfishness and violence and crime prevail as in the days of Noah, when the old world perished in the waters of the Flood. As Bible believers, we need to take our position for righteousness and truth. As religious aggression subverts the liberties of our nation, those who would stand for freedom of conscience will be placed in unfavorable positions. For their own sake, they should, while they have opportunity, become intelligent in regard to disease, its causes, prevention, and cure. And those who do this will find a field of labor anywhere. There will be suffering ones, plenty of them, who will need help, not only among those of our own faith, but largely among those who know not the truth. The shortness of time demands an energy that has not been aroused among those who claim to believe the present truth. There is need of personal religion, of repentance, of faith and love. I plead that there be a general awakening among us as a people. In the strength that Christ imparts, we should be able to teach others also how to wrestle with those passions which the light of heaven shows them must be mortified. Let there be constant watchfulness and unwearied prayer for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and let us avail ourselves of all the help and light that God has given. In almost every church there are young men and women who might receive education either as nurses or physicians. They will never have a more favorable opportunity than now. I would urge that this subject be considered prayerfully, that special effort be made to select those youth who give promise of usefulness and moral strength. Let these receive an education . . . to go out as missionaries wherever the Lord may call them to labor. It should ever be kept before them that their work is not only to relieve physical suffering, but to minister to souls that are ready to perish. It is important that everyone who is to act as a medical missionary be skilled in ministering to the soul as well as to the body. He is to be an imitator of Christ, presenting to the sick and suffering the preciousness of pure and undefiled religion. While doing all in his power to relieve physical distress and to preserve this mortal life, he should point to the mercy and love of Jesus, the Great Physician, who came that "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Workers are needed now. As a people, we are not doing one fiftieth of what we might do as active missionaries. If we were only vitalized by the Holy Spirit, there would be a hundred missionaries where there is now one. But where are the missionaries? Has not the truth for this time power to stir the souls of those who claim to believe it? When there is a call to labor, why should there be so many voices to say, "I pray thee, have me excused"? In this country [Australia] the standard of truth is to be established and exalted. There is great need of workers, and there are many ways in which they can labor. There is work for those in the higher as well as in the more humble positions. But we want none to come out to this field who have not a high sense of what it means to be a missionary. Individually all need a heart work. A good work cannot be done by the human agent alone. For the full development and efficiency of the intellectual as well as the spiritual powers, there is, there must be, a vital connection with God, a communion with the highest source of activity. Then with the soul all aglow with zeal for the Master, we can be a blessing to others. Jesus said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). Those who become partakers of the grace of Christ will guide others also to the living stream. Is it not a privilege to be thus co-partners with Jesus? Is it not an honor to be connected with the grand work of saving souls, acting the part assigned us by our Saviour? And none can impart a blessing to others without receiving benefit himself. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:25). The Vegetarian Diet: Is There a Risk? By Dragan Ivanov, M.D., Internal Medicine Specialist Vegetarianism represents a specific mode of nutrition that is based on food of plant-based origin, and free from meat, meat products, and fish. The term "vegetarianism" derives from the Latin word "vegetus" which means natural, plant-based. Strict vegetarianism is an exclusively plant-based diet. History of vegetarianism Vegetarianism is as old as humanity itself. All major religious-philosophical views which reflect on the origin of the world and humankind agree on this point. "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat" (Genesis 1:29). This dietary-health instruction is straightforward in its clarity yet powerful in its truthfulness. Over the centuries it has motivated and encouraged people, in spite of the prevailing attitude of "contemporary science," to favour vegetarianism. Many well-known individuals have, through various motives, resolved to embrace a vegetarian diet as part of their lifestyle. Some of the best known have been: Socrates, Baruch de Spinoza, Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), Immanuel Kant, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, and many others. Until a few decades ago, science did not indicate or show a serious interest in and for vegetarianism as much as that manifested in the religio-philosophical arena. At the beginning of the 1960's there were only about ten articles on vegetarianism published annually in medical journal publications; whereas that number had risen to about eighty articles published annually at the beginning of the 1990's. The number of individuals who have become vegetarians has increased around the world, particularly among the younger generation. There are currently 2.5% adults and 2% children vegetarians in the U.S. (5 million people), while in Canada that number is 4% (1 million people). Advantages of a vegetarian diet Numerous studies carried out on vegetarians over the last several decades have shown that not only do they achieve normal psycho-physical development but also in general live longer when compared to their non-vegetarian counterparts. Vegetarians are less likely to become ill from a number of modern illnesses such as: * Cardiovascular diseases, foremost from angina pectoris and heart attack * Hypertension * Stroke * Diabetes mellitus (Type II) * Obesity * Osteoporosis * Allergies and diseases of the immune system * Gall stones and kidney stones * Dementia The vegetarian diet has a preventive effect in respect to malignant diseases, primarily cancers of the following: * Colon * Lung * Breast * Stomach * Pancreas * Prostate * Bladder Common criticisms Let us examine some common criticisms and objections to the vegetarian diet which in part come from the medical and scientific community over deficient or inadequate intake of essential elements and nutrients such as: * Proteins * Amino acids * Iron and calcium * Omega-3 fatty acids * Vitamin B-12; and therefore and increase in homocysteine Other issues over vegetarianism that tend to be raised by lay persons include: * Diet that cannot provide physical energy and strength * The vegetarian diet is too expensive * Unpalatable/tasteless food. It is often alleged that vegetarians don't know what delicious food tastes like Objection 1-Protein Question: If meat and meat products are excluded from the diet, what will happen to the total intake of protein? If the intake of protein is solely of a plant-based origin, do we create any risk to our health, particularly considering the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children? Answer: Plant-based sources of proteins include: * Legumes (soybeans, beans, peas, green (string) beans, lentils, peanuts) * Nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) * Whole grains, particularly wheat and other cereal germs * Vegetables (potatoes) * Mushrooms Soybean is the richest source of protein. The same quantity of soybean contains 5 to 7 times more protein relative to meat, and is much more economical. What are proteins? Proteins are complex chemical compounds composed of amino acids, which in turn represent more simple compounds (it is possible to compare proteins to the walls of a structure and amino acids to the bricks built into the walls). Proteins are essential for growth, development, and life of humans; however, this does not mean that we should introduce them in excessive, uncontrolled quantities. In the breakdown process (decomposition), proteins develop harmful metabolic products (purines, uric acid, urea, creatinine), which increase the acidity of the blood and overload the kidneys. Earlier it was held that one third of the total energy should come from proteins, one third from fats, and one third from carbohydrates. This proportion is characteristic of the diet that consists of meat and meat products. New research, however, demonstrates that such a proportion is not desirable; moreover, it is even harmful. The time has arrived to abandon the myth that meat is the main and best source of protein! More recent recommendations for the intake of nutrients relative to total energy production are as follows: * From proteins: 10-15 % (percentage of protein source contribution to total energy) * From fats: 10 % * From carbohydrates: 75 % A vegetarian diet ensures the intake of nutrients that corresponds with the most recent scientific recommendations. Objection 2-Amino acids Question: Does the vegetarian diet provide the necessary intake of all essential amino acids? Note: Essential amino acids are crucial for the sustenance of life, they cannot be synthesized by our body from other amino acids; therefore, they have to be brought in through the food we eat. There are eight amino acids in total. Answer: There are good plant-based sources for all essential amino acids. * Soybean contains all the essential amino acids * Bee pollen contains all the essential amino acids * Nuts contain seven out of eight amino acids. The only missing amino acid is lysine which can be found in grains and legumes * Legumes too contain seven out of eight amino acids. * The whole grain of wheat, particularly its germ, is a rich source of amino acids, notably of those missing in legumes and nuts. Plant-based proteins can ensure that all the needs of our body for protein and energy are adequately met. Several researches demonstrate that the variety of plant-based food normally consumed throughout the course of a day can supply all the essential amino acids (ADA Reports. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Ass 2003;103(6):748765. Am Dietetic Association; 2003). Athletes can also ensure sufficient protein intake which is required for their bodies by eating plant-based foods (Nieman DC, Physical fitness and vegetarian diets: Is there a relation? Am. J Cl Nutrition; 1999; 70:570S-575S). Objection 3-Iron Question: Are vegetarians susceptible to anemia due to iron deficiency? Answer: The classification of dietary sources of iron lists the richest ones at the top and the poor ones at the bottom (nuts and legumes contain 4-6 times more iron than meat or fish): * Legumes and nuts * Potatoes * Whole grains, especially their germs * Green and yellow vegetables, particularly cucumbers * Eggs * Meat and fish Intake of iron through food is important; however, equally important is also its absorption in the digestive system. Vitamin C, found exclusively in food items of plant-based origin, and organic acids from plants, plays a key role in transferring iron from the intestine into the blood. Vegetarians possess higher sensitivity of intestinal receptors for iron and decreased tendency to a loss of iron. Research conducted on vegetarians by the Medical School at Novi Sad (Serbia) demonstrated that people who do not eat meat exhibit no higher tendency to develop sideropenic anemia compared to non-vegetarians. Objection 4-Taste Question: Does the vegetarian diet present deprivation of a tasty and attractive food? Answer: Take a good look the various plants which provide food for humans. Each plant represents a unique work of art. The colors and forms of various fruits attract and amaze our eyes, while their smell and taste develop most pleasant emotions. Food affects our feelings and moods even before its chemical breakdown takes place. Vegetarianism is still regarded as a form of deprivation and sacrifice, as if the dead and suffering animals were a gourmet's pleasure. How ironic. Objection 5-Energy Question: Does the vegetarian diet provide sufficient energy? Answer: Let us learn about the use of vegetables versus the meat diet from the lesson book of nature. The animal kingdom offers convincing evidence in favor of vegetarianism. Animals that eat exclusively plant-based food have a larger body mass, are taller and stronger, they live longer, and are more peaceful than those subsisting on the flesh of other animals. Deprived? If in fact the vegetarian diet addresses all our nutritional needs, what are vegetarians deprived of? 1. Cholesterol and saturated fatty acids: They are responsible for premature development of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, angina pectoris, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure. 2. Microorganisms: These cause various diseases (salmonella, oncogenic viruses). 3. Prions trichinoses: They stem from beef (Mad Cow Disease) and lead to deadly degradation of the central nervous system (Kreutzfeld-Jacob Disease). 4. Purines: They lead to the development of gout and kidney stones. 5. Numerous toxins: These have accumulated during the life of an animal, hence their concentration in meat is twenty times higher than in plants. 6. Antibiotics and hormones: These are given to animals to increase their body mass. 7. "Pain and stress hormones": These are released in the animals' organism at the time of their slaughter and have an irritating effect on the human organism. Conclusion: If we eliminate meat and meat products from our diet, and only consume food items of a plant-based origin, what will happen to our health, especially to the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children? The life and work of well-known vegetarians (Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, and others) are a source of encouragement for those who might hesitate. The most recent opinion of the world's leading nutritionists reads: "Well-planned vegetarianism is suitable for all stages of man's life cycle, including pregnancy, nursing period, as well as all stages of infancy." (ADA Reports: Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets; J Am Diet Ass 2003;103(6):748765.) The animal kingdom speaks convincingly and loudly in favor of vegetarianism. For the religious-minded and those who revere ancient wisdom, once again the Bible directs us to the ideal food: "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat" (Genesis 1:29). Vegetarianism-is there a risk? That is the wrong question. The right question is: What are the consequences of meat eating? ABOUT PHYSICIANS AND MEDICINE By Valerian Raileanu, M.D., Cardiologist "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" (Matthew 4:23). "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). "In the ministry of healing the physician is to be a coworker with Christ."-E. G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 111. What is the correct attitude towards physicians and medicine? It is necessary to discuss at least two aspects of this question. * The means of healing; that is, the ways to preserve or regain health); * The people who apply these means of healing. The means of healing contain many categories and may be classified by several criteria. Thus, according to their origin and the way they are obtained, the means of healing include: The balneo-physiological treatments (air, water, sun, mud, physical exercise). Other methods of treatment included in "natural" medicine are teas, diets (juices), and the like. Some methods of treatment, based especially on experimental observations, proved to be very efficient particularly with regard to chronic digestive, cardiovascular, metabolic, nutritional, and rheumatologic diseases. The effect of such treatments is extremely valuable in the prevention of various diseases, especially those which nowadays ravage the civilized world (cardiovascular disease and cancer). This is achieved mainly through the effects of healthy nourishment and a lifestyle in which physical activity plays an important part. Such treatments and diets as part of any therapeutic scheme are recommended by most skilled physicians. Means of healing used in conventional medicine mostly consist of a medication obtained synthetically or extracted by various procedures from natural sources and administered in appropriate doses and offered afterwards as a product to be taken orally or via injection. These generally act by producing some reactions with the cell receptors in the body and by inducing an effect upon some cellular functions. They may also act upon some micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, parasites), preventing their multiplication and aiding the body in expelling them (in the case of antibiotics). In other cases, there are some substitutes of certain elements which the normal organism produces, but which a sick body no longer has the capacity to produce, as in the case of a lack of certain hormones, for instance, insulin for diabetes. The effects of these medicines are verified mostly through comparative studies on groups of sick people. However, these studies have also noted undesired side effects as well as contraindications of these means of treatment. Surgical treatment also falls under the category of conventional medicine as well as artificial substitutions, organs or parts of organs, such as artificial kidneys, heart valves, and also the transplants of various organs. Homeopathy: A treatment method which uses very small doses of medicine (natural extracts or chemical substances) by which the body is stimulated to react in a contrary direction to the effect of that medicine. Thus, for instance, very small portions of a substance which raises the blood pressure would make the body react by reducing it. Regarding homeopathy and its founder (Hahnemann), we know, in short, that this method is not based on treating the cause of the disease. And the medicine has a very small quantity of the active substance (or sometimes none at all due to the very great dilution), whose therapeutic effect is purportedly derived from the way it is prepared from the "energy" received from plants and from the doctor in the mixing process. Due to Hahnemann's inclination to spiritism (the same tendency is seen in his followers) and his method of preparing the medicines (which has a strong flavor of spiritism), we, Christians and doctors, should reject this type of treatment. For example, the "vital force theory" and the "doctrine of drug dynamisation" (two fundamental principles of homeopathy) prove the relation between homeopathy and spiritism. Ancient/ Alternative ways: From ancient times to even in these modern times, in some areas and cultures, paganism and mystical beliefs were and are interwoven with healing and medicine, for example in some cases acupuncture, and the so called "biotherapy." Often the line between mysticism and medicine were blurred, where the rites and ceremonies of such practices formed an important part of treatment, besides hypnosis. OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS: Etiological: It acts upon the cause of disease; for instance, the antibiotic in infectious diseases. Etiopathological: It acts upon certain mechanisms and ways of causing the disease, without acting upon the very cause; for instance, antacids used in ulcerous diseases. Symptomatic: It acts only upon the symptoms; for instance, pain killers. Scientific perspective We will briefly show the opinion of scientists regarding these curative means and then study them further in the light which the Inspired Word reveals about them. True science cannot express an opinion towards something it does not know. In connection with conventional treatment, however, the possibilities, limits, as well as the undesired effects are better known. Regarding other categories, the knowledge is less and their effects are less known, especially in the long term. This is because the very few scientific studies made on them are only in the beginning stages of further study. It must be understood that every treatment has its limits. The assertion that a certain therapeutic means "is good for all diseases" is obviously an exaggeration which proves nothing but the ignorance of the one making this claim; just as the assertion that a therapeutic means does not have any contraindications. For example, even clean water, the most inoffensive and widely used substance in the earth, is harmful in usual quantities for some categories of sick people, such as those who have kidney failure in the stage of uremia. On the other hand, the limits of a means of healing depend both on the limited effects of the therapeutic agent itself, as well as on the limited knowledge of the people who misapply these therapeutic agents. Therefore, if you are not acquainted with, or do not know a therapeutic means, then it is of no use, even if it is available to you. Treatments using various methods in diverse situations NATURAL: What is presently known about the natural means of healing is their excellent effect regarding the prevention of chronic diseases, raising the body's resistance levels, faster healing of convalescent sick people. They also have a good effect in the treatment of the majority of serious cardiovascular diseases. CONVENTIONAL: Regarding conventional medicine, its effects are superior to natural medicine in serious acute diseases, in contagious diseases, and in serious cardiovascular diseases. In other diseases its efficiency is quite similar or even weaker than the effects of natural medicine. However, in most cases, both types of medicine must be associated in order to have the greatest success. Regarding the other types of treatment (homeopathy and many alternative types of medicine), science can tell that their effects are less upon the organic (anatomic) diseases and more (or almost exclusively) upon the functional diseases, and that the effect is almost often short term, dealing only with the symptoms without healing the actual disease. Medicine and the Spirit of Prophecy Let us now see what the Inspiration reveals about the means of healing. "Drug medication, as it is generally practiced, is a curse. Educate away from drugs. Use them less and less, and depend more upon hygienic agencies; then nature will respond to God's physicians-pure air, pure water, proper exercise, a clear conscience. Those who persist in the use of tea, coffee, and flesh meats will feel the need of drugs, but many might recover without one grain of medicine if they would obey the laws of health. Drugs need seldom be used."1 What conclusion may we draw from this? In the first place, the treatments we apply or the ones we prescribe to others need to have natural therapeutical value. The first principle should be healthful living. Sometimes (rarely) chemical-based medicine is necessary. Their use is not a sin when the natural therapeutical means available to us do not prove to be efficient, or when our knowledge obliges us to use orthodox medicine. "In harmony with these words was Mrs. White's counsel when asked concerning the use of quinine in the treatment of malaria. Her son, who traveled with her and assisted her, reports the following: "'One time while we were in Australia, a brother who had been acting as a missionary in the islands, told [my]mother of the sickness and death of his first-born son. He was seriously afflicted with malaria, and his father was advised to give him quinine, but in view of the counsel in the Testimonies to avoid the use of quinine he refused to administer it, and his son died.When he met Sister White, he asked her this question: "Would I have sinned to give the boy quinine when I knew of no other way to check malaria and when the prospect was that he would die without it?" In reply she said, "No, we are expected to do the best we can."'"2 The only true source of healing There is one point which must be understood in all these treatments. Healing does not come from the power of medicine-be it natural or chemical-but from the power of God, which sustains our daily life. "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring" (Acts 17:28). "God's healing power runs all through nature. If a tree is cut, if a human being is wounded or breaks a bone, nature begins at once to repair the injury. Even before the need exists, the healing agencies are in readiness; and as soon as a part is wounded, every energy is bent to the work of restoration."3 "The same power that upholds nature, is working also in man. The same great laws that guide alike the star and the atom control human life. The laws that govern the heart's action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds."4 What we can do is to harmonize ourselves as fully as possible with the laws which the Lord gave for our well being. The true means of healing follows the compliance with these laws which must be known and obeyed just like the moral and civil laws. Regarding homeopathy, the Spirit of Prophecy tells us: "When Dr. A came to the Health Retreat, she laid aside her knowledge and practice of hygiene, and administered the little homeopathic doses for almost every ailment. This was against the light God had given."5 Regarding hypnotism, witchcraft, and other methods not approved by God, we must heed the following advice from the Spirit of prophecy, "Cut away from yourselves everything that savors of hypnotism, the science by which satanic agencies work."6 Miraculous healings Besides the means of healing already mentioned, there are also miraculous healings as the result of supernatural powers; such generally do not use any of the means of healing presented thus far. These are the healings performed by the Lord Jesus, by the apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit (and even resurrections from the dead), and by some faithful people from the Old Testament times-prophets like Elijah and Elisha. This healing power will be given to the faithful people of God at the outpouring of the latter rain. For these particular types of healing, no special medical knowledge is needed, as no special effort on the part of the apostles was needed. They spoke and were understood in foreign languages when they addressed people of diverse nationalities who had come to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. As a counterfeit to these miraculous healings, at the time of the end Satan himself will work through his agents. "And [the second, two-horned, lamblike beast] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Revelation 13:13, 14). Satan will not be able to resurrect the dead. Under the influence of hypnosis and spiritualism, there will be people who will "see" some dead "brought back to life" just as King Saul "saw" Samuel at the witch of Endor's cave. The difference between these two kinds of healing and healers is this: The servants of God will urge the observance of laws which God gave to the human race (both the physical and moral laws), whilst the agents of the powers of darkness will not endorse these life-giving laws. Prayer and healing Regarding the means of healing, we must mention also the powerful effect of prayer for the sick. In the Holy Scriptures we read, "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:15). And, "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14). Illnesses can happen to the good and faithful Although in the majority of cases disease is the result of trespassing the laws of health, sometimes there are other reasons unknown to humans. For instance, Paul, who had healed many sick people, had an ailment which he bore until his death (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Righteous Job passed through one of the most trying forms of human suffering. The prophet Elisha fell ill and died (2 Kings 13:14). "To those who desire prayer for their restoration to health, it should be made plain that the violation of God's law, either natural or spiritual, is sin, and that in order for them to receive His blessing, sin must be confessed and forsaken. . . . "In prayer for the sick it should be remembered that "we know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26). We do not know whether the blessing we desire will be best or not. Therefore our prayers should include this thought: "Lord, thou knowest every secret of the soul. Thou art acquainted with these persons. Jesus, their Advocate, gave His life for them. His love for them is greater than ours can possibly be. If, therefore, it is for Thy glory and the good of the afflicted ones, we ask, in the name of Jesus, that they may be restored to health. If it be not Thy will that they may be restored, we ask that Thy grace may comfort and Thy presence sustain them in their sufferings.'"7 In the context of these statements, the question arises: Do we still need medical doctors? "Let no one listen to the suggestion that we can exercise faith and have all our infirmities removed, and that there is therefore no need of institutions for the recovery of health. Faith and works are not dissevered."8 "The chief Physician, He is at the side of every God-fearing practitioner who works to relieve human suffering."9 "The physician who desires to be an acceptable coworker with Christ will strive to become efficient in every feature of his work. He will study diligently, that he may be well qualified for the responsibilities of his profession, and will constantly endeavor to reach a higher standard, seeking for increased knowledge, greater skill, and deeper discernment. Every physician should realize that he who does weak, inefficient work is not only doing injury to the sick, but is also doing injustice to his fellow physicians. The physician who is satisfied with a low standard of skill and knowledge not only belittles the medical profession, but does dishonor to Christ, the Chief Physician."10 This means that the role and occupation of a physician is not forbidden but encouraged. Conclusion It is much easier and better to prevent diseases rather than trying to treat them. The priority in our treatments must be obedience to the laws of nature and the usage of natural healing methods. Chemical medicine (which must not be spoken against indiscriminately) and surgery are rarely necessary. If we have among us God-fearing physicians, let us ask their counsel regarding our health problems and let's follow their advice. Let us encourage as many students as possible to become qualified in the medical health fields. In emergency cases, we may ask worldly physicians for advice, but we should avoid physicians who practice spiritualism or use spiritualistic methods of treatment. Bibliography 1. Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 281. 2. C. White-Compiler. Letter, September 10, 1935. 3. Education, p. 113. 4. Ibid., p. 99. 5. Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 282. 6. Ibid., p. 350. 7. The Ministry of Healing, pp. 228-230. 8. Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 441. 9. Ministry of Healing, p. 111. 10. Ibid., p. 116. visit our website-www.lifesourcemagazine.com The ability to be healthy is a gift from God. Correct maintenance and upkeep of your health is your way of saying thank you for your gift. Not only will you be grateful for your health, but your family and friends will be also. Now is the time to reform your mind, body, and spirit. What are you waiting for? Lifesource Health & Wellness P.O. Box 7240 Roanoke, VA 24019-0240