All FACT members; please send in your membership and donations. We now need your help. We hope to bring you greater value in the coming months.

Natural Healthcare Canada has honoured FACT by nominating FACT for Health Activist of the Year!
Exciting stuff. We’re working hard for not only our membership, but everyone in Canada. Please help us by voting for us at their website,
http://awards.naturalhealthcare.ca/leaders.phtml?vl=5

People should not be concerned about HST as we will all have to bear with it. What is important is that we maintain good health.

Does anyone care about this other than the main stream drug retailers? Will this ultimately reduce access to generic drugs? What’s the impact on alternative therapies?

Stress is not necessarily a negative thing: it can push you to perform better and faster than you might normally have done, leaving you with a great feeling of accomplishment. In dangerous situations, it may even extend your life. At least one study even suggests that a small amount of short-term (”acute”) stress may help boost your immune system!

What is bad is long-term (”chronic”) stress, a state of constant stress-arousal that depletes your energy and, in the long term, weakens your health.

There are different causes of stress: internal or external, long-term (chronic) or short-term (acute), big stressors and small stressors. External stressors include major life changes (births, deaths, marriages, moving, quitting smoking), environmental stressors (noise, poor air-quality, overcrowding), unpredictable events, family relationships, workplace stress, exam stress and social stress (such as public speaking or large gatherings). Internal stressors are pressure you put on yourself: fears, uncertainty or doubts, negative attitudes such as blame and unrealistic expectations are all stresses people place on themselves. Other factors, such as a poor diet or a lack of exercise or sleep, also contribute to the level of stress in your life.

Work is a major source of external stress for Canadian: a 2007 StatsCan survey found that more working women (28%) reported having a high-strain job than did men (20%). It also found that one-third of women felt quite a bit, or extremely, stressed most days at work, compared with 29% of men. The same survey also suggests that people who make less money tend to have higher levels of stress: almost 28% of workers with incomes of less than $20,000 had high-strain jobs, compared with only 18% of workers earning $60,000 or more.

So, are you too stressed? Here are a couple of warning signs to watch out for:

• Thoughts: Do you have trouble concentrating or remembering things? Are your thoughts constantly racing, or do you feel anxious a lot of the time?
• Feelings: Do you feel tired, anxious, stressed? Do you have mood swings, or feelings of despair?
• Physical symptoms: Do you get headaches, have trouble sleeping, feel tightness in your chest or feel constantly exhausted?
• Behaviour: Are you drinking more coffee or alcohol? Are you eating too much or too little? Do you tend to overreact? Are you having problems with your family or friends, or having trouble keeping up at work or at school?

To cope with stress, make sure you have strong social supports (friends, family or people you can trust). Next, practice saying “No”: turning down unwanted extra work or social engagements can give you more time to relax and recharge, helping you cope.

More and more people are turning to CAM modalities to help deal with the stresses of everyday life and, increasingly, research is showing that they may be on the right track. While there is no substitute for taking steps to reduce the stresses you put on yourself and others put on you, certain CAM modalities help you turn off the stress response, reducing the health effects of both long and short-term stress. Research suggests that mind-body therapies may be particularly effective.

Some FACT practitioners specialise specifically in stress management. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in stress management, click here.

Which CAM modalities does research show most alleviate the negative effects of stress?

• Meditation

  People practice meditation for many reasons. Some meditate to relax, to attain physical and mental balance, to cope with diseases or medical conditions, or to promote overall wellness. While beneficial on its own, meditation is also an important component in a number of CAM therapies, such as yoga, tai chi and qi gong.

  To read more about meditation and the research that is being done on it, click here. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specifically teach meditation, click here.

• Relaxation

  Deep relaxation (also called “autogenic relaxation”) uses a number of techniques to teach your body to relax and let go of stress. The more you practice this form of relaxation the quicker your body can trigger a relaxation response to alleviate stress and physical tension.

• Hypnosis

  Research into the use of Hypnosis shows that self-hypnosis can help reduce pain and help people cope with the stress of long-term illness. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in hypnotherapy, click here.

• Guided imagery

  The practice of imagining sensations or visualising an image of the mind to bring about a physical response (such as stress reduction) is central to many mind-body practices.

• Yoga

  This ayurvedic practice combines breathing techniques, body positions and meditation to balance the mind, body and spirit. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in yoga, click here.

• Biofeedback

  Electronic devices help people learn to control certain body functions, such as breathing and heart-rate, to promote relaxation and improve health. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in biofeedback, click here.

• Tai chi

  This practice, which originated in China as a martial art, is a type of moving meditation that helps move chi (vital energy) throughout the body. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in tai chi, click here.

• Qigong

  Traditionally a component of Chinese medicine, qigong combines movement, meditatation and controlled breathing to improve the flow of chi (vital energy) and the circulation of blood. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in qigong, click here.

• Reiki

  An energy healing practice that originated in Japan, reiki encourages the body’s own healing response. After a reiki treatment, people often feel very relaxed. To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in reiki, click here.

• Massage therapy

  To see a list of FACT practitioners who specialise in massage therapy, click here.

• Cognitive-behavioural therapies, group support, autogenic training, and spirituality have also been shown to be beneficial in controlling stress.

Have you ever used a CAM therapy to counteract the stress in your life? Tell us about your experience! If you are a practitioner, would you share some recommendations or advice with your fellow members? Remember, you can get more information on these and other CAM modalities (or add to the information that already exists) in our Community section.

To post a reply or comment on this article, please click on the word Comments below. The page will reload and a comment box will appear: type your comments in the box and click the Submit button. The moderator will post the comment (to protect against spam).

According to a US government survey released this month, approximately 38% of US adults and 12% of US children used CAM therapies in 2007.

This 2007 survey marks the first time the National Institutes of Health have collected statistics about CAM usage among children, 1 in 9 of whom use CAM therapies. It is a rich source of information about how Americans use CAM therapies and why they use them.

The 24-page report is available for download at:
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. CDC National Health Statistics Report #12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007. December 10, 2008.

While the 2007 report reveals that overall use of CAM therapies among adults is similar to the 2002 data, use of some specific CAM therapies (such as deep breathing, meditation, massage therapy, and yoga) has increased significantly.

Most adults used CAM therapies to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, primarily in joints, the neck and shoulder area, and the back. Use of CAM for head and chest colds is down: 2.0% of 2007 respondents used CAM approaches, compared to 9.5% in 2002.

CAM usage was more prevalent:

• among women (42.8% vs 33.5% for men)
• among people between the ages of 30 and 70
  (30-39 years: 39.6%, 40-49 years: 40.1%, 50-59 years: 44.1& and 60-69 years: 41.0%)
• among people with higher levels of education (Masters, doctorate or professional: 55.4%)
• among the more affluent members of society (poor: 28.9%, near poor: 30.9%, not poor: 43.3%)
• among ex-smokers (48.1%)

The survey also examined which types of CAM therapies are most used by American adults and children.

• Nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products (adults 17.7%, children 3.9%)

  Among adults, the most common were: fish oil/omega 3/DHA, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed oil or pills, and ginseng3. The most common for children were: echinacea, fish oil/omega 3/DHA, combination herb pill, flaxseed oil or pills, and prebiotics or probiotics.

• Deep breathing exercises (adults 12.7%, children 2.2%)
• Meditation (adults 9.4%)
• Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (adults 8.6%, children 2.8%)
• Massage (adults 8.3%)
• Yoga (adults 6.1%, children 2.1%)

Do these findings fit with what you have observed in your practice? Do they reflect what you, your friends and your family do? What CAM experiences have the children in your life had?

To post a reply or comment on this article, please click on the word Comments below. The page will reload and a comment box will appear: type your comments in the box and click the Submit button. The moderator will post the comment.

At Thanksgiving, many people’s thoughts turn to food. Autumn is one of the best times to eat healthfully, since so many fresh foods are available this time of year.

What are some of the ways you try to eat healthfully?

For example, because we don’t have a car, my family gets a weekly delivery of fresh, organic vegetables. Being vegetarian, we have a regular regimen of soaking our dried beans overnight and popping them in the slow cooker in time for supper. We often sprout a few of them, too, for extra, crispy tasty fresh goodness.

When choosing healthy foods, some people advise you to choose only foods from the outside aisles of the supermarket in order to avoid the more heavily-processed food that typically gets displayed in the centre aisles. Others advocate shopping locally, eating only organically, or sticking to things grown within a hundred miles of your home.

For some people, convenience is the only criterion for choosing their food.

What tips and tricks can you suggest to the other members of our community? Have you ever thought of the connection between food and health and, if so, what conclusions have you come to? Can you suggest some good places to look for healthy eating information?

Please let us know what you think!

Regards,
Donna (FACT website editor)

Related links

• Eating well with Canada’s Food Guide
• Mayo Clinic’s Food and nutrition centre
• Health Canada’s It’s your health: Food and nutrition

The Slow Food movement is part of the global Slow Revolution, a philosophy of life lived at not-breakneck speed, searching for a way to re-incorporate relationships and quality back into our hectic modern world. Its main tenet is to do everything at the right speed.

We need a Slow Movement now more than ever. Our fast-forward culture has turned every moment into a race against the clock and the constant rush is taking a toll on everything from our diet, health and work to our relationships, communities and the environment. (source)

According to the Slow Food website, the Slow Food movement recognises the principles of eco-gastronomy: the connection between plate and planet. It champions tasty, healthy and environmentally-friendly food; it encourages consumers to become informed about how their food is produced, to actively support those who produce it, and to become partners in the production process.

The Slow Food movement encourages taking the time to enjoy food: its preparation and its consumption. It emphasises taking the time to really enjoy eating foods that are locally grown and prepared using traditional methods.

One of the results of this movement has been to educate consumers about the foods they eat and how they are produced. It encourages us to directly address issues of food quality and adulteration, biodiversity and sustainability. It also helps to safeguard local cuisines and traditional products and promote sustainable eating.

As a community deeply concerned with CAM therapies and integrative medicine, many of the issues the Slow Food movement addresses are central to our individual lives and practices.

What do you think about the Slow Revolution, about Slow Food and about the pace of today’s life? What are the main quality-of-life issues and health-issues affected? Have you tried to incorporate either of these philosophies into your current life and, if so, what challenges did you meet? If you have not, why not?

Please let us know what you think!

Regards,
Donna (FACT website editor)

Related links

* Slow Planet: Global hub of the Slow Revolution
* Slow Food: International website, includes link to national and subsidiary websites
* Slow Food Canada: Canadian website

A successful event

On June 13, 2008, about 80 to 100 people joined us for our FACT film night.

The award-winning film How to save the world: one man, one cow, one planet addresses modern industrial agriculture and biodynamic, sustainable farming methods. Directed and produced by New Zealanders Thomas and Barbara Burstyn, it features Peter Proctor, who is widely ackowledged as the father of modern biodynamics. For more information, go to the film-makers’ website.

The film was followed by a great panel discussion among:

• Lauren Baker, food researcher and activist experienced in local food economies, urban agriculture and food policy
• Eva Cabaca (CNP, RNCP, M.Ed.), teacher of biodynamic farming at the Toronto Waldorf School and past instructor at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto
• Shantree Kacera (D.N, Ph.D) and Lorena Bousquet-Kacera, founders and directors of Spirit of the Earth, The Living Centre and Living Arts Institute
• Wayne Roberts, Project Coordinator, Toronto Food Policy Council and founder of the Coalition for a Green Economy
• Manfred Palmer, co-founder and coordinator of the organic, biodynamic Carrville Community Garden, on Toronto Waldorf School land)

Manfred has generously agreed to contribute to the FACT blog, to start the discussion about this film and the issues it raises.

Blog entry contributed by Manfred Palmer

As a summation of our film evening, and to clarify that the veneration of the intrinsic properties of “the sacred cow” should not be translated as sublimating the ultimate role and responsibility of conscious wo/man-kind in its mindful, respectful co-llabor-ation on the land….

Hi Folks, intending transitioners

“Bloom where you’re planted”, “do well with what you have,” “Let your consciousness change” etc., are wonderful attitudes to foster,….and, they should be concurrent with, and not preclude forward physical movement and change, based on our highest collective vision of possibilities.

Pro-action at all levels is needed as our social networks feel the strain of previous compounded dysfunction, and the caution is not to polarize one vanguard of resolution against another.

We all (like-minded people) move forward properly in association, and with an ever-clearer vision of serving each others’ best interests….also a basis for a new ecology/onomy befitting a living social order.

“Food security” is one incidental, but basic concern, and because of the yet-viable “purchase-power” of the urban population, it has the opportunity to massively redirect its influence towards a valid supportive relationship with growers of quality local food.

To the degree that urban people show such substantial support, growers will appear. It is the growers’ (largely un-expressed) “mission to provide”, because most know that this may re-form the basis for true community, and for subsequent best-Whole-health social containers.

Currently, some paths are opening up for the educative and experiential component required by those who feel called to pioneer this transition process. There will be an increasing need for mentors, for experienced facilitators of viable social sufficiencies. This will not be achieved by a corporate model, but by a living web of self-regulating agents of change working together in supportive association.

This Vox Pop interview with Ben Falk of Whole Systems Design sums up much of what I would currently promote in terms of immediate direction for the conscious social body, including a measured exodus from the cities occurring in proportion to the developed ability to sustain oneself agri-culturally in complementary living entities….quasi-villages. Let us “do no more harm” in such pursuit.

(There are many details which I would add regarding farming, gardening, associative economics, etc.) Unless a critical mass of folks prepare now to move in this general direction, a more compelled transition would be very unnecessarily messy and wasteful.

This goes way beyond issues of personal, familiar and dubious comfort or quaint treats of huddling within largely anonymous urban masses. It’s an issue of local, national and global responsibility. If we, who have inherited (apparently) so much from the proceeds of the earth, do not act quickly, then we will have “sold our birthright” to predators, at a bargain price, while failing those for whom we should be exemplary in our stewardship.

That is not our collective destiny! In spite of karmic reaping.
Let us sow anew.

Salutations,
Manfred Palmer,
co-founder Carrville Community Garden

YOUR COMMENTS ARE VERY WELCOME. Please make a comment about anything the film made you think about, issues you would like to raise, comments on the panel discussion, etc. Respectful conversations among members are also encouraged.

Hello world! This is the first FACT blog post.

Initially, the FACT blog will appear irregularly, until we establish processes, timelines and guidelines for guest bloggers.

We hope that members of the FACT community will contribute posts to this blog on a regular basis — this is your forum. To contribute, send your post to editor@thefacts.org with the word BLOG POST in the subject line. The editor will format your post using HTML and post it to the site. If this seems daunting, you can suggest a topic and some good links and we will try to address it some time in the near future.

PLEASE COMMENT on anything you see posted on the blog. We hope this blog will become a tool for building community but this can only happen if you, the FACT members, participate.