Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy, by Dr. Amy Lanski. Amy Lanski, a NASA scientist, watched in disbelief as homeopathy did the impossible – cure her son, Max, of autism. As a result, she changed careers and became a highly regarded homeopath and wrote this best-selling book on the subject.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, www.drzimmermann.org

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, excess of any type depletes the energy of the water element, the deepest energy stores in our bodies. Adrenal fatigue, so common in western cultures, is a good example of this. Our stress-filled lifestyles tend to override the natural rhythms of life and seriously diminish our energy resources. Winter is the peak season of the water element, so it’s the optimal time to observe, nurture, cultivate, and balance this energy within ourselves. Here are a few simple ways to maximize your winter health, and restore balance to your water element: Consume warm, nourishing, whole foods and liquids. Maintain regular sleep patterns. Limit your intake of caffeine, sugar, alcohol. Conserve your energy, and avoid running on empty. Create some quiet, contemplative space. “Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being”. ~ Rumi.

Katrina W. Chappell, RN, Registered Acupuncturist

Have you heard of Meibomian Gland Dysfuntion? We all have glands located along the inner margin of our eyelids, which secrete a component called Meibum, which is an oily component of the tear film that helps keep tears from evaporating too quickly. MGD happens when the glands become blocked, leaving them unable to secrete. Some people are asymptomatic, but others may have dryness, burning, tearing, redness of the eyes and eyelids, blurriness and styes. One of the most important ways we can treat MGD is with heat. Warm compresses can be done daily, for about 15 minutes a day, using a wash cloth and warm water or a Bruder Mask which retains heat longer, followed by digital massage. Newer technology is evolving to help treat MGD. LipiFlow is a device used in office which can have a much longer lasting effect. Other treatment options include the use of lipid based artificial tears, and Omega-3 supplements. For more information see your Optometrist.

Dr. Nicholas Catchuk, IRIS Optometrist, www.iris.ca

“Owen’s eye contact has gone from one second to several minutes at times! I’m actually almost a bit uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze now.” Not only that, but he learned to use the word ‘no’ and was trying to say other words, all major improvements after only eight weeks of treatment with CEASE Therapy, a new integrated treatment method for autism which is based on homeopathy.

Owen, an adorable three-and-a-half-year-old boy, was born healthy and strong but started to show changes in his health after intensive IV and oral antibiotic therapy at only nine weeks old. He was never vaccinated. Signs of regression were noted by 16 months, preceded by more antibiotics. He began toe-walking, started banging his head on the floor when angry and lost the eight to ten words he already had one by one until he couldn’t even say ‘uh-oh’ anymore. A sadly familiar story to many parents of children diagnosed with autism.

According to recent US CDC statistics, 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys are now being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder compared to 1 in 1000 only 20 years ago. Autism rates are increasing by 17% a year and nobody seems to know why.

Conventional treatments for autism include behavioural therapy which is helpful but expensive, time-consuming and not curative. Diet changes and biomedical therapies have become popular and are clearly helping many children, but these protocols can also be costly and difficult to follow and are therefore out of reach for many parents. In addition they do not address the deeper causes of autism. A number of medications are also being tried with temporary success, including antifungals and antivirals.

Owen had already been on a gluten, casein and soy-free diet from 24 months old which helped him to sleep through the night and reduced hyperactive behaviour. He had been given numerous supplements as well as courses of Fluconazole, Nystatin and Valacyclovir which helped temporarily.

He had also had intensive ABA therapy for the past five months. “The eye contact is something we’ve been targeting with ABA since November of 2012 for 12 hours a week”, the mother reported. “He was expected to look for at least “1-Mississippi” each time we called his name.”

His success rate with this was about 30% until about the beginning of April when it suddenly jumped to 80%, for several seconds at a time, where it has remained.

“Recently he has been turning almost every time we call and on several occasions has sustained eye contact for over a minute.”

This dramatic change was noted after only two weeks on Polyantibioticum, a homeopathic remedy made from several antibiotics. He has steadily improved since then, in fact, within another months he made eye contact 100% of the time. And all this for only a few dollars for a homeopathic remedy compared to $40,000+ in ABA.

I first learned about Polyantibioticum through reading ‘Autism – Beyond Despair’, Dr. Tinus Smit’s book on his system of CEASE Therapy. Dr. Smits was a Dutch homeopath and medical doctor who practiced homeopathy for over 30 years and treated more than 300 children with autism.

Dr. Smits observed that children who developed physical problems after vaccinations or antibiotics often also improved mentally and emotionally when they were treated with homeopathic remedies made from the offending substances. He found that treatment was gentler and more effective if a few supplements, such as vitamin C and fish oil were used in addition. He called the integrated system he developed ‘CEASE Therapy’

CEASE stands for ‘Complete Elimination of Autism Spectrum Expression’. Not only does it offer effective treatment for these conditions, it helps to identify the causative factors, a radical discovery.

Over time he applied this discovery to children with many different problems. Responses to the correct remedies are dramatically obvious, often creating an aggravation followed by improvement. Dr. Smits found that numerous substances could contribute to autism, including antibiotics, other medications, vaccines, plastics and environmental toxins as well as emotional traumas. Most children have been affected by multiple factors, that’s why they are all different and no single cause for autism has been discovered.

Flash back to July 26, 2011. The phone rang at 8 am. I picked up the receiver and was greeted by bloodcurdling screams. Suddenly I was wide awake.

“Hi, it’s Sue, Adam’s mother. We gave him his first dose of Pediacel 30 CH yesterday and he woke up at 6 am screaming like this. He is inconsolable. What should we do?”

“I’m sorry, Sue, I’m afraid he’ll have to scream it out.”

He had an aggravation, a clear sign that the remedy was working. Fortunately, Adam’s mother was already familiar with homeopathy. He screamed for a total of five hours straight but a week later I received an update: “In the last week we have noticed that he has been more active mentally. He is using hand signals now. He is starting to make more sounds, like “beh” and he hasn’t done that for the last several months. He is screeching less.”

Adam’s family had delayed vaccinating him until he was over a year old, but then the doctor decided to catch up and ‘gave him everything all at once’. After that he stopped babbling and became withdrawn. He was never diagnosed as autistic, but rather as suffering from a language disorder. Adam recovered beautifully within about six months between CEASE Therapy to clear any vaccine damage and speech therapy. Fortunately we were able to treat him immediately, otherwise he might have deteriorated more.

CEASE Therapy not only helps children with autism, but virtually all children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or behavioural disorders. I have used it successfully on children with PDD-NOS, ADD/ADHD, sensory processing disorders, language disorders, learning disabilities, anxiety and aggression. All of these conditions are on the rise with as many as one in five children diagnosed now.

CEASE Therapy offer real hope for these disabling conditions. It is effective, affordable and addresses the root causes of these disorders, offering hope for the prevention of these conditions for generations to come.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, www.drzimmermann.org

I would love for the word “Effleurage” to become a household name. Effleurage is a French word for a Swedish massage technique. This technique includes beautiful long and short strokes that can be applied to almost anywhere on the body. This stroke is easy to learn and is the first to be taught in many massage therapy programs. This sensual stroke is used to spread warm oil on the skin, increase nourishing blood flow to muscles and connective tissue. Applied lightly it will flush out toxins and accelerate lymph and venous circulation. Applied slowly it will induce relaxation and sleep. People can enjoy effleurage at any age. Check out massage basics and other learn to massage videos for free on youtube/uservivitherapy and try some effleurage this Family Day or Valentines.

Roxanne Derkson, www.vivitherapy.com

Contamination of our environment is rising at an alarming rate due to increasing emissions and chemical run offs. The rapid destruction of ecosystems and natural habitats for plants and animals has literally pushed our environment to the brink of destruction. Each year several plant and animal species become extinct due to habitat destruction as a result of the reckless use of chemicals in traditional landscaping practices. The use of organic products in lawn care significantly helps in combating ground and water pollution and favors micro environments that invite birds, animals and insects to a safer habitat. We urge you to join our efforts in restoring the environment by playing your part. Clean Air Yard Care is proud to only use those products that are safe for our homes and our environment. All of our fertilizer products are 100% organic and comprised of a unique, proprietary blend formulated exclusively for Clean Air Yard Care.

Richard Larkin, www.cleanairyardcare.ca

They say it takes about two weeks to start forming a habit and two more for it to really stick. Why not try a resolution booster? Matcha is a powdered green tea loaded with compounds that can help you on your quest to keep your goals. Just one cup contains ten times the nutritional value of a cup of regular green tea. The drink contains vitamin A and C, selenium, chromium, zinc, potassium and magnesium, and has been shown to help fight cancer, reduce the risk of disease and battle infection. It’s packed with L-Theanine, an amino acid that acts as a mood enhancer, reducing stress and relaxing the mind. Unlike coffee, Matcha releases caffeine to the bloodstream over an extended period of time – giving you alertness without the jitters. A recent study found that Matcha increases energy expenditure and helps your body burn fat without producing negative side effects or significantly altering your heart rate.

Just Matcha Tea Shop, www.justmatcha.com

Danish researchers are investigating more than 1300 girls and young women with chronic symptoms after HPV vaccination. The researchers describe a “collection of symptoms consistent with pronounced autonomic dysfunction coupled with severe headaches, excessive fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, gastrointestinal discomfort, and widespread pain of a neuropathic character” developing within two months after HPV vaccination. Similar reports have been made in the US, New Zealand, France and Japan. Denmark is conducting its own independent investigation after requesting a review of the issue by the European Medicines Agency. However Denmark was dissatisfied with the findings and concerned about conflicts of interests. It is funding its own research to be conducted by specialists who are seeing girls with symptoms after HPV vaccination and who are independent of the pharmaceutical industry. If you suspect that your child may have been negatively affected by a vaccination please contact my office for help.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, www.drzimmermann.org

When is the last time you considered your own financial health? There are many dimensions to financial health, including the amount of savings you have, how much you’re setting away for retirement, and how much of your income you are spending on fixed or non-discretionary expenses. Each person’s situation is different, for this reason, it is worthwhile spending some time in developing your own financial plan to ensure that you’re on track to reach both your short-term and long-term goals. People often fail to recognize the power of interest; For example, putting away $10.22 per month from the time you are 16 years old, with compounding interest, would result in $100,000 upon retirement. However, purchasing everyday items on credit and just paying the minimum balance each month may mean that you reach retirement carrying $100,000 in debt. Shedding unnecessary debt now with our help can steer you toward future financial health.

Colleen Craig, www.cecraig.com