"Sometimes all it takes to narrow the distance between two people is understanding and compassion."
It seems logical that both compassion and understanding will lessen the distance between two individuals. I has for me in a variety of situations. However, it will not work with everyone. Some people are incapable of compassion and understanding. Some do not want to let go-- instead they hold onto resentments. Do you know one of these people? I know plenty. Those I know have a problem with alcohol. They are incapable of admitting the problem. The first step is to realize that he/she is powerless over alcohol and their lives are unmanageable. Many people cannot admit this to anyone. They may think their life is manageable. However, they alienate those around them, and may be unproductive at work, or angry all the time. After a time of trying, I then substitute his/her name instead of alcohol in this first step. "I AM POWERLESS OVER _____________(PLACE PERSON'S NAME IN PLACE OF THE WORD ALCOHOL) being sober affords one insight--I can always tell whether he/she has a problem with alcohol.
When using compassion, love and understanding, the distance is narrowed. It is a rewarding experience for both individuals.
I want to discuss a specific cause of GERD. The cause is an organism or bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that can inhabit various areas of the stomach, particularly the antrum. It causes a chronic low-level inflammation of the stomach lining and is strongly linked to the development of duodenal and gastric ulcers and stomach cancer. Over 80% of individuals infected with the bacterium are asymptomatic.
The bacterium was initially named Campylobacter pyloridis, then renamed C. pylori. More than 50% of the world's population harbor H. pylori in their upper. gastrointestinal tract. Infection is more prevalent in developing countries, and incidence is decreasing in Western countries.
Ulcers may cause no symptoms, or may cause pain or discomfort (usually in the upper abdomen), bloating, feeling full after eating a small amount of food, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and dark or tar-colored stools. Ulcers that bleed can cause a low blood count. H. pylori can be diagnosed with a test of the blood, breath, or stool. I prefer breath testing which is quick, painless and accurate. A gastroenterologist (stomach doctor) can also perform an upper endoscopy and a biopsy/washing during procedure. H. pylori testing is recommended for anyone with a stomach ulcer. Anyone diagnosed with H. pylori should be treated. H. pylori treatment helps to heal the ulcer, lowers the risk that the ulcer will return, and lowers the risk of bleeding from the ulcer.
H. pylori treatment usually includes several medicines. Two medicines are antibiotics that help to kill the bacteria. The other medication causes the stomach to make less acid. Lower acid levels help the ulcer to heal. Unfortunately 40% of the patients cannot tolerate the side effects. There are also herbs that are sensitive and specific for H pylori.
Most people are cured after finishing one to two weeks of medicine. Some people need to take another two weeks of medicine. It is important to finish all of the medicine to ensure that the bacteria is killed. A breath or stool test is usually done after finishing the medication. This is done to be sure that the bacteria was killed. I recommend a repeat breath test 4-6 weeks after completion of treatment.
Garlic, cinnamon and mastica have been used to treat H pylori.
Garlic (Allium ssp) is one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants. Its antibacterial action depends on allicin and is thought to be due to multiple inhibitory effects on various thiol-dependent enzymatic systems. Allicin is formed catalytically by crushing raw garlic or adding water to dried garlic, when the enzyme allicinase comes into contact with allicin. Steam distillation of mashed garlic produces garlic oil containing methyl and allyl sulphides of allicin, having the practical advantage of being more stable than allicin itself.
Two controlled trials of garlic preparations used to eradicate H. pylori infection recorded failure. Two other small trials without control groups (thus not meeting inclusion criteria of this review) similarly reported no significant results although the garlic preparations used were different in all four trials.
Cinnamon Cinnamomum extracts in vitro exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth and urease activity of a number of strains of H. pylori At the concentration chosen the extract was ineffective in vivo and the authors suggested the possibility that eradication of the organism might be achieved using higher cinnamon concentrations or a regimen combining antibiotic and herbal therapy.
A black tea leaf extract, presumed to derive its antibacterial effect from tannins and catechins, demonstrated results equivalent to antibiotic treatments for curing impetigo contagiosa. This simple and inexpensive alternative to conventional treatment may be worthy of further rigorous investigation.
In conclusion, the evidence summarized above tentatively suggests possible benefits from some herbal preparations with antibacterial activity. Further large-scale, well-designed clinical trials are required to provide more conclusive proof of their efficacy.
Some natural remedies are effective against H.Pylori, the best of them being Mastic Gum (sometimes called Mastiche)--Pistacia lentiscus from the Greek Island of Chios. It has been used in Mediterranean countries and the middle east for thousands of years for all sorts of stomach problems, particularly gastritis, ulcers etc. Recent tests at Nottingham University Hospital UK show eradication of H.Pylori after two weeks.
Pistacia lentiscus is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the Pistacio family growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall which is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek island of Chios. It is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Iberia in the west through southern France and Turkey to Iraq and Iran in the east. It is also native to the Canary Islands.
Within the European Union, Mastic production in Chios is granted protected designation of origin (PDO) and a protected geographical indication (PGI) name. These are granted because, although the tree is native to the Mediterranean region, only the mastic trees of southern Chios "weep" the masticha resin when their bark is scored. The island's mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval villages, collectively known as the 'Mastichochoria' (The aromatic, ivory colored resin, also known as mastic, is harvested as a spice from the cultivated mastic trees grown in the south of the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea, where it is also known by the name "Chios Tears". Originally liquid, it is sun dried into drops of hard, brittle, translucent resin. When chewed, the resin softens and becomes a bright white and opaque gum.
The resin is collected by bleeding the trees from small cuts made in the bark of the main branches, and allowing the sap to drip onto the specially prepared ground below. The harvesting is done during the summer months between June and September. After the mastic is collected it is washed manually and spread in the sun to dry.
As a spice, it continues to be used in Greece to flavour spirits and liquors (such as Chios's native drinks of Mastichato and mastica), chewing gum, and a number of cakes, pastries, spoon sweets, and desserts. Sometimes it is even used in making cheese.
As well as its culinary uses, mastic continues to be used for its gum and medicinal properties. The resin is used as a primary ingredient in the production of cosmetics such as toothpaste, lotions for the hair and skin, and perfumes. The resin is best known for its use in stomach ailments. People in the Mediterranean region have used mastic as a medicine for gastrointestinal ailments for several thousand years. The first century Greek physician and botanist, Dioscorides, wrote about the medicinal properties of mastic in his classic treatise De Materia Medica (About Medical Substances). Some centuries later Markellos Empeirikos and Pavlos Eginitis also noticed the effect of mastic on the digestive system.
Regular consumption of mastic has been proven to absorb cholesterol, thus easing high blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks. Mastic oil also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and as such is widely used in the preparation of ointments for skin disorders and afflictions.
The photographs are from top to bottom:
3 photographs of Mastic Gum - sap from tree, the resin and the tree
2 photographs of Cinnamon - plant, plant and berries and cinnamon sticks
2 photographs of Garlic - plant and cloves
How you could not love plants, trees/shrubs, flowers and even weeds...
Until tomorrow...
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