Mr. Weetabix Head

I first saw an American President in 1977 when Jimmy Carter visited Newcastle- Upon – Tyne and I happened to be in my first year at University.

I remember it as a fairly solemn, but celebratory affair a few discrete sharply dressed men with earpieces looking on. The excitement was much to do with the fact that the President of the U.S. could be bothered to visit the North East of England as well as some of Europe’s Capital cities.

The rationale for his visit, I recall, was the connection of George Washington to Washington Town in Northumberland, just a few miles south of Newcastle.

My second encounter with a U.S. President was in the mid 1980’s when I was working in Keene, New Hampshire and Bill Clinton visited the offices where I was working.

The occasion was like a rock concert.

His oratory unbelievably upbeat, and genuinely uplifting.

AWESOME !!

Even though I am British and could not vote it made me think that he was a decent bloke. (Apart from the fact that he was having it away with nubile interns – but that’s another story)

The third, tenuous, link to the US Presidency comes via ubiquitous social media.

Firstly, via John Oliver’s excellent satire on HBO’s “Last Night Tonight” and a great commentary on social media from a friend of a friend who attended a Donald Trump Rally in Michigan earlier this week.

Her unabridged report is logged below.

However, …. Uplifting, upbeat and celebratory are comments currently far from my lips. Is this 2016 or the 1930’s ?

Have a read…it will only take a minute.

Make your own mind up.

God Bless Help America .!!

 

“Okay, so I’m going to go ahead and share my experience at Donald Trump’s rally in Warren, MI (Michigan) today 4th March 2016.

We’ll start with why I went. I am a firm believer in being educated on ALL candidates, not just the one you’re rooting for, so Stephanie and I decided to attend.

If you know me, it’s no surprise that I am not a fan of Trump due to his racist, misogynist, and popularity-searching “campaign”. But I try to keep an open mind, understanding that people have different views and everyone is entitled to their own.

I wore a shirt bashing Trump, and Stephanie wore a pro-Bernie Sanders (another candidate) baseball hat. We had no intentions of causing a scene, starting any fights, or even speaking negatively towards any Trump-supporters.

We stood in the crowd with everyone else, even made small talk with a few different people, asking back and forth about each other’s views. A women supporting Trump even complimented our hat and shirt. This is not a post to bash all Trump-supporters.

Most of the people we spoke to were very kind to us, as we were to them. Trump came out and started his speech. As hard as it was, we ignored the screams and chants of building walls (on the Mexican Border) and exporting citizens (of Muslim origin).

We stood quietly and listened to the man speak.

Every 15 or so minutes, a scene would happen where the crowd would yell about protestors and Trump would scream, “Get them out, send them out of here!” and the crowd would scream “USA, USA, USA” until the attendees who were asked to leave were escorted out.

So, about 45 minutes to an hour into his speech, a group of teenage boys (who had been harassing us the entire time while we ignored their comments) screamed and pointed at us, yelling for us to be kicked out.

At first we laughed it off; of course we couldn’t be kicked out, as we were just standing here silently.

Wrong.

A secret service member and a police officer were there within the minute, grabbed Stephanie and I by our arms, and started to lead us out. One of the Trump supporters we were chatting with even stood up for us, explaining that we weren’t doing anything and weren’t being disruptive.

By now the crowd was chanting their USA run and a large portion was also booing us out. The walk through the crowd was very upsetting, being screamed at and filmed, even one man said “Go to China if you like communism so much!” (Communism?? Don’t you mean Democratic Socialism??).

But also, along the walk out, some attendees would high five us or shake our hands, and thank us for coming and supporting Bernie. It felt weird to be thanked, due to us not doing anything besides standing quietly.

As the two men walked us out, one explained that if we returned we would be arrested.

Stephanie quickly asked why that was. The man replied with “They don’t want you here,” to which she said “Isn’t it a constitutional right to silently protest?” The officer replied “Not here.”

The rude remarks and yells didn’t stop at the door, for Trump-supporters who didn’t get in greeted us with just as much hatred. The walk back to my truck even included a man yelling from his car about how this was for Trump people and that we didn’t belong here and shouldn’t have come.

This kind of hatred is what is ruining this country (The USA)

To think that my right to protest was taken from me AT A RALLY scares the hell out of me if Trump actually became President and got that power. What else would he take away from us if he can’t even stand two teenage girls standing silently at a FREE, PUBLIC, OPEN-TO-EVERYONE event?

If you’re thinking of voting Trump this year, please rethink your stance.

This much hate belongs nowhere near the Presidency.”

Tiffany Writes:

Tiffany writes:

Stuart, I have just finished my Dance Class and read your Blog “I’m afraid I have some bad news !” I came over all funny and nearly FAINTED !! I think that you need to come to Eastbourne and give me a full and thorough examination. I feel weak . Please come, soon.

Stuart writes:

There is nothing wrong with you. Stop being PATHETIC. !! You are a Nutter. Goodbye !

“I’m afraid I have some Bad News”

“I’m afraid I have some Bad News”

Four years ago a Doctor said that to us when Julie was initially diagnosed with Cancer.

Without going into the melodramatics of the time, there were lots of emotions (obviously), thinking (obviously), panic (obviously) and questions – lots of questions.

One of the key and most telling questions turned out to be:

“Doctor, if you were in our place what would YOU do?”

The first Oncologist / Breast Surgeon suggested a Mastectomy, Chemotherapy, Radiation and Drugs.

The classic Cut, Poison and Burn approach with no option to deviate, hesitate or ruminate. And, I love a good old ruminate, especially on a Sunday afternoon.

So, we fired her and changed Hospitals.

In fact, we got transferred to Christies Cancer Research Hospital in Manchester. One of the top drawer places to go in England, if you have Cancer.

Excellent move..

With much excitement and a little bit of Research behind us we trooped off to the Hospital and asked the telling question

“Doctor, if you were in our place what would YOU do?”

He gave us the same answer as before. HOWEVER, being a patient patient we asked a supplementary question:

“Doctor, if you get your body’s immune system into tip top conditions will it help to combat chronic disease?”

At this point, his many years of training kicked in and he said, without a moment’s hesitation.

“You are wasting your time and it won’t make a scrap of difference”

So, we fired him and changed Hospitals.

Our third Medic at our third Hospital turned out to be a part time farmer and would be Latin American dancer. (Don’t ask !!)  She juices, has organic food and won’t touch dairy foodstuffs.

Jackpot ..!!

She still has to toe the NHS party line but is open to listening to alternative approaches, even though she cannot advocate them.

At last, someone to have a proper constructive conversation along the lines of:

Conventional medicine has a lot to learn when it comes to chronic illness. We are good at cutting it, burning it, and poisoning it with surgery, radiation, and drugs, but many doctors fail to treat the cause of the problem.

Conventional medicine focuses on naming diseases based on geography, body location, and specialty, instead of by the cause, or mechanism involved.

Doctors say you have liver, kidney, brain, or heart disease, but this approach to naming disease tells you nothing about the cause.

What are the underlying causes that lead to illness?

Modern medicine approaches illness like a mechanic trying to diagnose what’s wrong with your car by listening to the noises it makes and never looking inside to see what’s going on. Holistic Medicine allows you to look under the bonnet and find the root causes of what is going on.

Basically, she said that illness results from an imbalance in your system where the immune system can’t fight off whatever is going wrong.

But ….. you can make your body inhospitable to cancer or whatever else it is that is trying to bring you down. Bacteria, viruses, stress, bad lifestyle etc.

So, back the beginning.

“Doctor, if you were in our place what would YOU do?”

In summary, she would then say:

  1. Give up Sugar

Sugar feeds cancer and creates diabetes.

Have a high-fibre diet rich in real, fresh, organic whole foods and minimise or eliminate sugary, processed, foods.

  1. Eliminate Gluten and Dairy.

Cutting them out of the diet allows an inflamed gut and an inflamed body to heal.

  1. Reduce inflammation.

Inflammation is the common thread connecting most chronic disease including cancer. Besides removing sugar and food sensitivities like gluten and dairy, you need to eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, including omega-3 rich foods like wild fish (not farmed) and flaxseeds etc.

  1. Improve gut health. 

As well as avoiding inflammatory foods, adding in probiotics, pre biotics, and lots of phyto nutrients like curcumin (found in tumeric) and resveratrol (found in grapes), can reduce gut-based inflammation.

  1. Reduce toxic exposure.

Going clean and green means becoming more aware about how environmental toxins affect your health. Specifically, clearing your house and personal space of chemical based products.

  1. Change your thoughts to change your immune system.

This bonus point is often overlooked, but it’s just as important as the other items above.  How you live, the quality of your relationships, the food you eat, and how you use your bodies determines your health as much as your genes do. These strategies to combat or prevent illness include getting enough sleep, controlling your stress levels, and exercising regularly.

Evidently, she is a smart woman.

One of the other things that I would personally factor in would be to have all your “silver fillings” and Root Canal work removed and replace by non toxic Dentistry.

But, that is another story.

The important thing is to figure out what works for you and develop a plan to stick with it.

Hope that this helps to guide someone.

 

 

Tiffany Writes:

Tiffany Writes:

Stuart, I have just read your post about Bone Broth. I have been feeling a little peaky after tonight’s Dance Class. I would love you to come to Eastbourne and make me feel better. there are no Organic Butchers in Eastbourne. Could you come down and bring your big Bone with you?  I would be ever so grateful.!

Stuart writes:

Tiffany, NO !!  I am vegetarian. Go to the Chemist and get some pills if you feel ill. You need Help.

Tiffany Writes:

Tiffany Writes:

I have just read your blog ” Sort yourself out”.

Do you remember the last time that you were in Eastbourne and you said that you would sort me out? It was just after our Argentinian Tango practice in my Private Rooms.

Would you agree to come to Eastbourne and sort me out again?

Stuart writes:

Tiffany, have you lost your mind ?

No !!!

Sort Yourself Out

I have just read a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called “The Four Agreements”.

It is 140 pages long and costs about a tenner.  It is one of those “Improve your Life books” – Most of which get bought but never read.

Well, here you go……. You do not have to buy this one or even read it because these are the four agreements (167 words, by the way) that he manages to spread over 140 pages.

So, read them, use them and you will become a better person.

It is the Law.

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dreams. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to being sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Tiffany Writes

Tiffany Writes:

Stuart. Your article about Niacin has just made me have a big Flush. All through my body !! I think that I need some of your Vitamins. My Dance Classes are finished for half term. Do you think that you could come to Eastbourne and make me relax? I would be ever so grateful.

Stuart writes: Tiffany. You don’t need Vitamins. You need locking up. I will be contacting Facebook to have you BANNED. !!

 

Panick Attacks ? Pffff….

Niacin & Anxiety

Niacin is the fancy word for Vitamin B-3.

Niacin has a long history of treating the symptoms of anxiety and depression, although it is not a cure for either condition

For some people, anxiety becomes excessive, difficult to control and massively affects day-to-day living and taking Niacin can help.

It helps me massively after suffering from mild to chronic anxiety and panic attacks over many years.

I take 500 mg per day and “LOVE THE FLUSH” – Read on……!!

Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety has many emotional and physical triggers, although it is usually seen as a collection of symptoms, including nervousness, gastric issues, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, panic attacks and insomnia.

A significant cause of anxiety is chronic over-stimulation of your nervous system, which triggers the “fight-or-flight” response and floods the body with hormones and chemicals, such as adrenaline.

Perhaps most important with respect to anxiety, Niacin is an antidote to adrenaline, which is often over-produced in those experiencing anxiety.

Niacin and Anxiety

Anecdotally, it is claimed that Niacin reduces anxiety and depression, while promoting calmness and better sleep. It is possible that niacin’s ability to increase blood flow, reduce blood pressure, eliminate excess adrenaline and regulate hormones could contribute to feelings of relaxation in those who are stressed.

Niacin is Vitamin B-3, one of the water soluble B-complex vitamins.

Properties include:

  • The ability to help you naturally relax and get to sleep more rapidly at night.
  • Help reduce harmful cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.
  • It is one of the best substances for elevating high density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
  • The ability to greatly reduce anxiety and depression.
  • Dilates blood vessels and creates a sensation of warmth, called a“niacin flush.” This is often accompanied with a blushing of the skin. It is this “flush” or sensation of heat that indicates a temporary saturation of niacin.

Flushing

When you flush, you can literally see and feel that you’ve taken enough Niacin. The idea is to take just enough Niacin to have a slight flush. This means pinkness about the cheeks, ears, neck, forearms.

  • A slight niacin flush should end in about ten minutes or so.
  • If you take too much niacin, the flush may be more pronounced and longer lasting.
  • Large doses of Niacin on an empty stomach may cause profound flushing.
  • With each additional dose, the intensity of the flush decreases and should become a minor nuisance rather than an irritation. Niacin should always be taken immediately after eating.I have found that the best way to control the flushing sensation is to start with very small amounts of niacin and gradually increase the dose until you notice the first flush. Start with 25 mg three times a day after each meal. Continue to increase each dosage by 25 mg per day until your flush occurs.

    It is difficult to predict a saturation level for Niacin because each person is different.

If you flush on a low dose, you don’t need much niacin. If flushing doesn’t happen until a high level, then your body is obviously using the higher amount of the vitamin B3 (Niacin)

As a flush indicates saturation of Niacin, it’s better to repeat the flushing, just very slightly, to make sure that you are getting enough.

Don’t let the flush surprise you. You should remember that Niacin does that, and you can monitor and control it easily.

To get to sleep sooner at night, Niacin can be taken to saturation at bedtime, too. You might be asleep before you even notice the flush.

An important point is that Niacin is a vitamin, not a drug. It is not habit forming. Niacin does not require a prescription because it is that safe. It is a nutrient that everyone needs each day. Different people in different circumstances need different amounts.

Niacin tablets may be bought at many chemists or health food shops. Tablets typically are available in 50 mg, 100 mg, or 250 mg dosages.
If a Niacin tablet is taken on an empty stomach, a flush will occur (if it is going to occur at all) within about 20 minutes. If Niacin is taken right after a meal, a flush may be delayed.

In fact, the flush may occur long enough afterwards that you forgot that you took the Niacin!

Non Flushing Niacin
There is a non flushing version of Vitamin B-3 called Niacinamide.

There is nothing wrong with Niacinamide,. This form of vitamin B-3 is found in multiple vitamins and B-complex preparations.

Niacinamide does not cause a flush at all.

In my opinion, it is less effective in inducing relaxation and calming you down.

Niacinamide also does not significantly lower cholesterol. This is an important thing to remember when deciding what to use.

 

Tiffany Writes:

Tiffany writes:

Stuart.I have just read your article about boosting my immune system. Would you be able to come to Eastbourne and make me “soar like an eagle”. I’m sure that you would be a good teacher. I would even miss my Dance Class. Call me.

Stuart writes:

  1. I am not coming to Eastbourne.
  2. I am sure that you are capable of “soaring like an eagle”, all by yourself.
  3. I am allergic to feathers.
  4. My phone is broken
  5. Do not contact me AGAIN !

BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND LIVE FOREVER. (Terms and conditions apply)

This is how Julie and I deal with keeping our immune system as good as possible. It might not be perfect, but it is what we have learnt and currently practice.

Without further ado ..

Here are a few broad pointers…

  1. Sort your Liver out.

The Liver is your organ of detoxification and is like your septic tank. If it is not kept clear then it can becomes toxic. Imagine an overflowing or blocked septic tank. This image is far from good.

  • Your liver is clogged up with fats and cholesterol, anyway.
  • It may house dead bacteria, microbes and parasites
  • Any cholesterol can collect around dead cells and form gallstones. You could have thousands of these stones most of which are no more than grains of sand. However, they block the bile ducts. This means that your liver cannot excrete your toxins into your waste system properly.
  • When people have cancer there is lots of lactic acid from the cancer cells. What’s more all the drugs from steroids, chemo and action of radiation must be detoxified. So a healthy liver is a must to cope with this bombardment.

You need to:

Strengthen your Liver – We take milk thistle, magnesium, curcumin and Vitamin K2. I believe Dandelion extract is also great liver strengtheners, but have yet to try this out.

Clean your Liver – Detox with olive oil and Epsom salts and prepare to stay near your bathroom, with a good book to hand.

Dilate the Liver’s Bile ducts – this helps to get rid of toxins more easily. The best way for this is a series of coffee enemas. Julie does this on a daily basis, but I have yet to try these delights as I have an in-built defence mechanism to having things shoved up my anus.

 

  1. Exercise your Lymph

The other major way that your body gets rid of toxins is through your lymph system. It is essential that you keep this system moving as it really does not have a “pump” as such.

It is really up to you to move your lymph’s every day. The absolutely best way to do this is by “rebounding” on one of those small trampolines. Five to ten minutes per day will do it.

Other than that, half an hour of light exercise such as Yoga, Tai Chi or swimming will move the lymph in your thoracic duct. The ones near the armpits.

If push comes to shove, then failing your arms around like a windmill for a few minutes per day will not do any harm. You will look a bit like you’re in the “Care in the Community” programme, so do it in the bedroom or bathroom and not on the bus or in the middle of a Board Meeting.

Exercise improves your immune system. As well as getting the lymph to take away toxins from your cells, it oxygenates the blood, strengthens your body and releases endorphins which give you the “feel good” factor.

More importantly, it starts to dissolve your visceral fat. That is to say, the fat that you cannot see, but is the fat that surrounds your internal organs that hold onto the toxins that you need to get rid of.

Half an hour of moderate exercise EVERY day will suffice to get this part of your life together. Needless to say, the more exercise you do, the better you will feel.

Finally, laughter boosts the immune system and moves your lymph so keep a bank of your best loved sitcoms and have a blast, or get someone to tickle you at regular intervals.

  1. Food

For us, this is the key to getting your immune system in tip top form. There are probably now millions of web pages dedicated to food, nutrition and recipes.

With that in mind, here are our general, but ESSENTIAL general principles to which we rigidly adhere.

  • No sugar – read the labels
  • No dairy – use rice milk or Kefir
  • Water – distilled only
  • Kombucha – Glass every morning
  • Gluten Free
  • Carbohydrates – none
  • Raw Vegetables and Fruit
  • Juicing – See Jason Vale books to start with. Even though he is a bit of a knobhead.
  • Grains – none
  • Organic fruit, nuts, seeds vegetables and meat

Fruit and vegetables provide more antioxidants than any supplement, especially if they are ORGANIC and RAW.

We have, as a minimum, some of the following good natural ORGANIC foods for everyday basic antioxidants from each category.

For example, 4 tablespoons of sunflower seeds covers our Vitamin E, Zinc and Selenium for the day. Easy, no excuse!!

WHAT YOU GET IF YOU EAT THESE:
 
Vitamin E 2 x tblspoons sunflower seeds
  20 x  Almonds
 
Vitamin C 1 x large red pepper
  100gms broccoli
  1 x large orange
 
Beta – Carotene 1 cup carrot juice
  I x sweet potato
  5 x dried apricots
 
Zinc 4 x tblspoons sunflower seeds
 
Selenium 4 x cracked brazil nuts
  2 x tblspoons sunflower seeds
  1 x free range egg
  1 x chicken breast
 
Lycopene Tomatoes – as many as you like

 

 

  1. SUNSHINE AND VITAMIN D (and VITAMIN K2)

We live on the outskirts of Manchester in the North of England, which is excellent if you like being cold, damp and miserable.

However, sunshine can boost your immune system because it causes the production of Vitamin D from cholesterol under your skin.

Unless you are one of the lucky bar stewards who live in the South of France, on the Algarve or in the Canaries, you are unlikely to get your hour of direct sunshine every day.

So, for the unloved and unwashed like me and you, there is no point loitering under orange glow street lamps or looking longingly at pictures of the Caribbean for that sunshine input.

There is no better alternative than getting a Vitamin D3 supplement. Not Vitamin D1 nor Vitamin D2, but Vitamin D3, at a dosage of 1,000 to 5,000 IU’s per day (IU is International Unit, the dosage per capsule will be on the label)

As an added bonus, if you also take a supplement of Vitamin K2, then this will help the Vitamin D3 to “activate” your T-cells so that they can attack any rogue cells in your body.

 

  1. PROBIOTIC EVERY DAY

It is essential to have good gut bacteria as the foundation of a strong immune system.

The are many probiotics on the market and you can be blinded by science and terminology such as  Lapidio berfidiculi, Ver-i ridiculorus blah, blah

We have nailed our colours to one called “Prescript-Assist”. The tipping point that made us decide was the extent of the testing before the launch of the probiotic product.

 

  1. SUPPLEMENTS

In addition to the above, I take a few supplements every day.

The upshot is that I have not been sick for one day in the last four years. Prior to that I had the usual cycle of colds, flu, migraines headaches and a persistent chronic sinus problem.

All gone !!

In brief they are :

  • Magnesium and Zinc
  • Magnesium Oil Spray
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Vitamin B3 – Niacin (Flushing type)
  • Lithium Orotate
  • Milk Thistle

I am just a normal bloke trying to keep healthy. In Julie’s case, she has Cancer and so takes a lot more supplements directly focussed on getting a SUPER IMMUNE system, Supplements such as Pancreatic Enzymes, Omega 3 and 6, resveratrol, curcumin together with other esoteric concoctions which I won’t go into here.

Obviously, you would have to tailor specific additions to suit your personal health / immune system circumstances.

  1. Eagles and Turkeys

A colleague of mine once said to me a few years ago, during a particularly difficult business problem, and, I quote:

“How can you soar like an Eagle, when you are surrounded by Turkeys?”

I am sure that the ornithologically pedantic out there will realise that in all probability, in the wild, Eagles won’t give two hoots about Turkeys. (Leave that to the Owls)

The point that he was making is that you should cut out of your life all the things and people that are holding you back, making you feel guilty, stressed or just plain uncomfortable.

Let them go … They will soon find someone else to annoy.

This in itself will make you feel a whole lot better about life.

I’ve said enough.

End of Message