Season's Greetings!

For as long as I can remember this has been used as a salutation in the run up to Christmas. It is a respectful way of spreading warmth to one’s fellow man regardless of their religious beliefs. Although it would seem strange to use the expression at other times of the year, the sentiment of spreading goodwill is valid all year round. In fact it is a fundamental component of healthy living to develop favourable, stress-free relationships in every sector of our lives. Since Stress is a major cause of illness we need to develop strategies for continuously detoxifying ourselves both physically and psychologically. Modern day stress seldom has the protective intention that ensured our survival throughout history. The story is told of how the guns fell silent in the trenches during WW1 on Christmas Eve. For a couple of hours the madness and mayhem of war stopped as the combatants recognised their common humanity. What a shame they needed an excuse to give pause to the killing. Such events are notable for their rarity. There has been no comparable account from the wars in Vietnam, DRC, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Aleppo or any of the scores of conflicts raging continuously across the world. In his challenging book ‘The Great Cholesterol Con’, Dr Malcolm Kendrick shows that the stress of displacement is a much stronger indicator of heart disease than cholesterol. So quite apart from the immediate danger from a stray bullet, the stresses of forced evacuation pose a long term threat to public health. So what’s to be done? It may feel futile to protest against wars in far-off places over which we have no control. Nonetheless, it is important to register our opposition and to avoid conflagration. Each of us however has the ability to bring calm to our own mind. When Ghandi said “Be the change you want to see in the world” it was an invitation to take peace into our own hearts where Steven Covey used to say ‘Is within our locus of control’. Each of us has a place of calm within which is constantly available to us. When we collectively learn to meditate peacefully we will give birth to a new reality for humanity. Our salvation will be born and it will be a Very Happy Christmas indeed.

Don't Throw the Jesus out With the Bathwater

Over the last two decades, and probably longer, the Christian churches have been rocked by tales of sexual misconduct and paedophilia. Also, the corporal punishment that passed for discipline in church run schools in the last century would today result in job loss if not imprisonment. Society at large has largely cast off the deference and respect in which clerics were formerly held. In the main these changes were inevitable. The pillars of the community sometimes turned out to be both fallible and friable and the court of public opinion quickly passed judgement. Fast forward to December 2017 as we look forward to holidays and, for Christians, the birth of Christ. It is a time when families gather to exchange gifts and share meals. Children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus and shopkeepers cash in on the annual bonanza. Indeed, commercialism has replaced the reverence with which we once prepared for quiet, joyful renewal in our lives and the awakening to the possibilities that peace could bring to humanity. It’s as though the support group has stolen the show from the main act. For as long as man has walked the earth he has pondered on his place in the universe. And for just as long others have sought to provide the answers, and profit from the effort, through ‘Tinsel Religion’. But all the great religious movements of the world share an understanding that we are One and live at our best when sharing the bounty of this beautiful planet and protecting it as careful custodians for future generations. ‘Bigger Picture Thinking’ demands that we set aside petty differences and allow ourselves to be ‘born again’ into the world we want to live in; a world of peace, love and harmony full of the awe and wonder with which we view a new born infant. So for all their failings, church institutions have at their core a priceless truth and one which every generation appreciates. Our need to live in a spirit of goodwill has never been more urgent because we’re trading cross-border insults as if Armageddon is ok. It’s not! Let’s get back to the purity of the message that is Christmas. Let’s look beyond the ‘Bells and Smells’, tinsel, fragrances and over-indulgences that have been encouraged by those who would distract us from awakening to the power and opportunity God has given us. Certainly we need to wash away institutionalised corruption and demand accountability from our leaders – both religious and secular. But infinitely more important is to protect the knowing that perfect innocence can be born in each of us in every moment and to nurture our highest potential.Not only our health, but our survival as a species depends upon it.

Globalisation and Metastasis

Growing up in a rural town in the 60s I remember the excitement that came with the arrival of the first supermarket. Back then 600 square feet was large. I was oblivious to the effects that it had on local trade and the new times it heralded. But by today’s standards it was totally benign. The mantra ‘Big is Beautiful’ felt like common sense to me throughout my time in industry. How else could an organisation achieve competitive economies of scale? Without skipping a beat I went on to teach such attitudes as a cornerstone of strategic marketing. There was an acceptable Darwinian inevitability about it. Big fish eat little fish; that’s how the world works – Right? Today I’m a lot more circumspect. What happens when the little fish run out? Following on the work of Otto Warburg, researcher Tomas Seyfried explores cancer as a metabolic disease. One of its principal characteristics is that cancer cells show defective mitochondrial respiration. In other words, they are unable to generate all the energy they need through normal means and instead start to burn glucose through a very inefficient fermentation process. The result is that they develop an insatiable appetite for blood sugar, which starves supply from other cells. As the disease progresses, and spreads through the body, victims typically become emaciated as their tumours grow until this unsustainable situation causes death. Along the way ‘heroic efforts’ are made to fight off the illness and oncologists use every weapon at their disposal to kill the tumours before they kill the patient. It seldom works, certainly not in the long term. Researchers have found the DNA of cancer cells to be damaged and have invested billions trying to uncover the nature of mutation so that drugs can be developed to attack them. It’s very similar to the now discredited practice of outlawing cholesterol as the cause of heart disease just because it shows up on autopsy in coronary arteries ‘at the scene of the crime’. In both cases we are distracted from the truth; we pointlessly medicate symptoms rather than curing the cause. Seyfried has shown that cancer cells can be starved by switching to a Ketogenic diet. Ordinary cells can burn glucose or ketones whereas cancer cells just need copious amounts of glucose. When there are only ketones about (from healthy dietary fats) the cancer cells are severely stressed. Similarly, when people choose to do their shopping in the local high street, small businesses get a turn, custom is appreciated and communities thrive. The out of town malls, with their high maintenance costs and international brands suffer from reduced footfall and may eventually prove unviable. While redundancies are painful, cancer surgery generally is, workers can be more easily reabsorbed into buoyant local economies. To me the economic equivalent of ketone bodies is goodwill and co-operation. Megastore operations need much more cash flowing to keep their shareholders happy. Goodwill is too vague an entry for the quarterly balance sheet. Every dollar spent at Walmart is a dollar lost to Mom & Pop operations and the communities they serve. In the same way that we can maintain good physical health by eating intelligently - avoiding sugar and white flour products, we can maintain vibrant local economies and communities by ‘spending your money where you make it’ and avoiding the temptation of ‘low hanging fruit’ - exploitatively low priced clothing and white goods. Take the time to cultivate relationships with the artisans and vendors that have fed us well for eons. An added bonus is cleaner air when we walk to the shops instead of clogging the roads with Chelsea tractors and our lungs with diesel particulates. Time for a new mantra. What about ‘Less is More’?

The Little Guys

It’s astonishing to consider that bacterial cells in and on our bodies outnumber our human cells 10:1 We have a symbiotic existence with these little friends. Without them our immune system is weakened and we are unable to properly digest our food. Our microbiome is so important that it can be considered an organ in itself. Why then have we waged war on it for decades with antibiotics, most of which are unnecessary and which encourage the development of superbugs? I’m actually a strong believer in antibiotics. Some years ago, suffering from a very serious infection, they saved my life. However, antibiotics are ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ to the gut microbiome. Not only will they dispose of pathological bacteria but they indiscriminately destroy all bacteria including those we depend on for our survival. Having strong and effective antibiotics is crucial in modern medicine but our careless overuse has undermined their effectiveness. Antibiotic resistant bugs pose a real and present danger to humanity. By extension, there is a similar threat to civil society. Although we’re not yet in the habit of lobbing nuclear bombs around the world, we have lived with the insanity of this threat for over 70 years. Instead we choose ‘proportional responses’ for military interventions which only kill hundreds of thousands of people. We console ourselves that this is preferable to annihilation but to the indiscriminate Bagdad bomb victim, or the target of a drone strike, dead is dead. Human life is lost, mankind is diminished and hatreds fester. There has to be a better way! I live in a beautiful town at the foot of the Mourne mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland. This is a rural community; our roads seem to have as many slow moving tractors as cars. We have no large industrial employers; ‘our eggs are spread across many baskets’. The town, and surrounding lands, are populated with hardy folk with a rich appreciation of community. Our pace of life is slow. We make time for others, especially at times of bereavement. The supportive web of the community is healing after many years of hurt from our troubled past. At one level it is idyllic yet, as with any society, there are problems. Still, it is natural for small communities to address their own issues. Strong societies rely on having a moral compass to guide ethical business practice and a legal framework based on equality. When we create such an environment, peace breaks out. If given a chance it could also occur in Aleppo and Bagdad without the carnage inflicted by proxy wars. It’s in our rush for the quick-fix that our problems often lie. Instead of curing medical problems we have chosen to manage sickness. We have even spawned entire industries to ‘fight fires rather than preventing them’. In doing so we have created work opportunities for thousands while sacrificing the lives of millions. Our medical system considers the human body as a collection of parts, each with their own complexities and corresponding specialist consultants. We apply quick-fix treatments to individual symptoms in isolation from the environment that caused the illness. But we will only cure disease when we treat the whole person and create an environment for the body to heal itself. Instead of respect for diversity within a framework of equality and justice, many parts of the world suffer an imposed uniformity under a ruling elite, more equal than the others, and from whom justice is meted out by bomb or bullet. Our geopolitical system considers humanity as a collection of sects, each with their own observances, priests and despots. We apply quick-fix solutions like ‘Boots on the ground’, no fly zones, ‘shock and awe’ etc. But even among the most sorely oppressed peoples there are likely to be ten times as many innocents as combatants and they alone hold the power to rebuild their communities. Let’s honour the place of these little friends. In the last analysis, in their work for peace and justice these little guys are really the big guys.

Small, Grey and Beautiful

All of us can remember occasions when we’ve been in a restaurant with a group of friends and when the meals are served we look enviously at the other plates. It’s human nature – the other man’s grass is always greener. Comparison is something we do continuously both consciously as individuals and unconsciously throughout the body. Our immune system spots and removes intruders or rogue cells and when working well knows the difference between ‘Us and Not us’. It does not overreact to benign abnormalities and can tolerate non-threatening difference. We depend on our ability to compare for our very existence and yet, we now know the importance of maintaining the health of our intestinal microbiome whose bacterial cells outnumber our human cell count by a factor of 10:1. We have a tendency for recognising only black and white choices and by so doing we can miss out on the beauty of grey. In Thomas Seyfried’s book ‘Cancer as a Metabolic Disease’ he presents the science of his investigations of over 30 years into the causes and properties of cancer. The central tenet is that cancer is – ‘a disease of respiratory insufficiency coupled with compensatory fermentation’. Seyfried is among a handful of independent researchers who have chosen to expand on the work of Nobel Prize-winner Otto Warburg. His approach to cancer is different from that of the pharmaceutical pack who continue to search for a patentable superdrug based on the genetic properties of tumour cells. Seyfried, as with Warburg before him, believes that cancer develops in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. The mitochondria are the energy generating organelles within every cell of the body. They supply the energy needed to deliver the function of the organ, in which they reside, according to its needs. The cancer cell produces energy both through normal ‘carburettor action’ of burning fuel with oxygen as well as through an inefficient fermentation process which requires vastly more fuel (glucose) resources than properly functioning mitochondria. Yet, such is the complexity of our immune system that the body can often heal itself when the optimum environment is restored. Life changing surgery and poisonous, indeed carcinogenic, chemotherapy agents can often be avoided. At a cellular level we live in a very grey world. Just as the mitochondria produce energy for cellular function so our businesses create employment opportunities and revenues within our communities. Capitalism is essential for the development of best practice and innovation. But mitochondria don’t exist in isolation. They exist to serve the needs of the cell. Similarly, businesses serve the needs of their community. It is dangerous when they act exclusively in their own self-interest. Socialism is essential to ensure that the health of the whole is protected. It’s not a black and white choice between Capitalism and Socialism, both are necessary for healthy societies. Grey is beautiful. Perhaps it’s our tendency to polarise that has led to our political distortions. Socialism is the natural way for humankind but it got corrupted by Communism into inefficient fiefdoms dominated by self-serving elites and dictators. Capitalism encourages society with the promise that effort is rewarded. Sadly, the Corporatism that dominates international business today is a grotesque distortion of Capitalism and has led to extremes of wealth and poverty. So my plea is that we work with nature rather than against it. Keep it small – healthy smallholding farms with multiple crops and livestock. Keep it grey – resist the oversimplification of black and white choices and grow tolerance for benign differences. Keep it beautiful – maintain this planet clean as our only home and keep it fit for future generations

Betrayal

This week Dr Tom O’Bryan airs his documentary ‘Betrayal’ on the internet showing the direct link between gut health and autoimmune diseases. It truly is a scandal that the genesis of these diseases is so misunderstood or, perhaps more sinisterly, ignored. It’s yet another example of how difficult it is for someone to understand something when their livelihood depends on their not understanding it. The whole concept of Functional Medicine and root-cause resolution represents a challenge to the established paradigm of symptom treatment. It’s not so long since I myself was completely bought into the status quo. When our children were small they suffered an almost continuous stream of ear infections and corresponding assaults with antibiotics. We had no idea of the damage this was potentially causing for the long term. It was enough to find relief from the broken sleep and endless crying. We were not alone. Nor has the situation changed much in mainstream medicine but today there is a growing understanding of the need for restraint in prescribing antibiotics as human resistance grows and they become less effective. They are the medical ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ and a very serious option. As our understanding of the gut microbiome develops we are learning to orchestrate their cooperation as it is now clear that their genetic profile is vastly more extensive than the human genome. We are part of an elaborate symbiote and cannot survive without our bacterial partners. Since the discovery of penicillin we have proliferated our use of antibiotics and relaxed our basic strategies for infection control. Instead of recognising our interdependence with bacteria we have treated them as the enemy and used every means to eliminate and minimise our exposure to them. It’s rather like living within a gated community, sterilised from the world around us. Although no one can justify apartheid practices we continue to flirt with the ideas by emphasising difference in all areas of life and engaging in acts of aggression or, more kindly, ‘Proactive Defence’. Now that Donald Trump has been chosen as President Elect it is important to reflect on the potential outcomes of protectionist policies with the potential to segregate our populations and poison our planet. The biosphere around us is mankind’s most precious asset, the ultimate symbiote. It is a callous betrayal indeed to enact policies that destroy it in the name of growth or to drive policies that inflame peoples and lead to social unrest. This is a humanity level autoimmune disease. It’s interesting also to reflect on the work of Nobel Prizewinner Otto Warburg who discovered that when cellular mitochondria are unable to produce adequate energy through normal respiration they turn instead to fermentation to meet their needs. This is a hallmark of cancer. When individuals or societies are starved of necessary resources they too may turn to unorthodox means to make ends meet. Don’t act surprised when deprivation leads to unrest. And when it does, please can we invoke policies other than the equivalents of the Slash, Poison and Burn offerings of conventional oncology.

Spread the Love

There is a story told about how Mother Theresa was approached by an activist gathering signatures against a war and she refused to sign his petition. “But you’re Mother Theresa and this is about stopping a war; why won’t you sign it?” She responds “Bring me a petition for Peace and I’ll sign it without hesitation”. The story illustrates the concept that you cannot fight for peace; you have to live it. As Ghandi said “Be the change you want to see in the world” - don’t just talk about it. In this period of turmoil in world affairs people of peace need to advocate the peaceful life. That is not to imply that we should ignore the bad things happening around us but rather that we focus our efforts in defusing acrimonious exchanges and to building viable alternatives that illustrate positive and respectful ways to improve life for everyone. This is the simplest demonstration of the adage ‘You get what you think about’. When you remove causes of conflict there is no conflict. The same is true of chronic disease; the vast majority of which self-inflicted. Too readily we accept diagnostic labels and allow them to define us. ‘I’ve got ….itis’ or ‘I’ve got ……Disorder’. Don’t sign that petition! A more positive perspective is to say “I’m currently suffering from ……… and am working to resolve it”. In the former situation you relate as a victim. In the second you are empowered to investigate, take action and cure yourself. Taking responsibility is a fundamental requisite to healing. Very soon you come to realise that the body will heal itself when provided with the right environment. Your responsibility is to create that environment in Body, Mind and Spirit and to extend the same care within your home, your workplace and your community. When you do you’ll find Peace breaking out everywhere. In the metaphysical philosophy described in ‘A Course in Miracles’ we live in a world dominated by Fear. The only requirement necessary to resolve our difficulties is Love. There is no shortage of Love, only our willingness to give it but the fearful, ego-driven attitude is to seek and exploit division with the underlying idea that there is not enough for everyone so it’s every man for himself. In truth, when we realise that Love is inexhaustible, we will spread it more freely. If we sense that there’s not enough love flowing in this world then simply spend the rest of your day, and the rest of your days, making sure that your tap is fully open.

Busy Work

It’s commonly said ‘Nature has no waste’. Dead animals are quickly reabsorbed as is foliage in the forest or plants at the end of their season. Some of nature’s processes are fast, some are slow, but all are efficient. Everything has its purpose, everything has its time. Only since the expansion of humanity has waste started to poison our planet. In the name of efficiency we ‘save time’ with prepacked meals that we eat in front of our TV screens before discarding the wrappers into landfill or into the oceans to drift for eons. Whole industries have been spawned to support this inefficient use of resources and to expand the variety of toxins that we expose ourselves to telling ourselves there’s no link to disease, it’s tomorrow’s problem. Eventually, perhaps tens of thousands of years later, nature will detoxify the planet from our spoilage but humankind probably won’t be here to see it. Instead we have just created unnecessary ‘busy work’ for the forces that govern our environment. Nature will not be mocked. Our rising temperatures are causing rising oceans and rising tempers as Pacific nations are descending beneath the waves and displaced peoples accuse an uncaring world. “Steady as she sinks”. The situation is reflected in our corporate institutions where inefficient use of resources requires ever increasing armies of administrators to satisfy the demands of a pointless bureaucracy. We introduce schemes of busy work that lead to corporate obesity with attendant problems paralleling diabetes in the individual. Just as peripheral neuropathy in the individual can lead to gangrene and amputation, poor communication within an organisation can lead to festering resentment, lack of contribution and ultimately to departmental restructuring if not closure. Busy work in organisations is dangerous. It’s easy to understand how mindless adherence to outdated processes embeds stagnation and stifles creativity. Vigilance is necessary to prevent busy work becoming ingrained in our organisations. Periodic attention to the underlying motive of the work, and regular reorientation toward our organisation’s mission can prevent enslavement to unproductive busy work. It also keeps alive worker’s interest and willing participation. It’s a short step to consider how the political life of our societies can become similarly afflicted. To me the extreme positions of the US Presidential candidates can be likened to the way in which cancer cells develop an ability to mask themselves from the body’s immune system. Everyone knows the system’s rotten but normal processes cannot stop it. Corporations are controlling puppet politicians and the voters’ efforts are relegated to national busy work. Political chemotherapy periodically knocks out union representation under the pretext of restoring democracy leaving decent society weakened. Meanwhile the cancerous growth of corporations continues to suck the life out of economies as society gets polarised into extremes of wealth and poverty. I guess the political equivalent of Gerson Therapy is to get back to first principles and allow a broad field of politicians to truly represent their electorate rather than the profiteering motives of the few. This will require regular inputs of pure green juice – fresh and eager, non-affiliated politicians to provide nourishment to parts of the country that have become neglected. We’ll also need a regular purge of corrupted politicians – a coffee enema, to keep turnover ‘regular’. In a properly functioning society citizens contribute their talents and skills willingly for the common good. There is no need for the distraction of ideological polarisation. There is no need for busy work to mask corruption and greed.

Pink Mist

Last week I joined thousands of others across the UK to support the fundraising efforts of one of our leading cancer charities. We all know someone affected by cancer and we all want to make a difference. What a shame most of our efforts are scandalously misdirected. Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is a brand owned by Astra Zenica, the producers of Tamoxifen, which is the most commonly prescribed chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. When the World Health Organisation describes Tamoxifen as a probable Human Carcinogen what good comes from giving it to people already suffering from cancer? How does one put out a fire by spraying it with gasoline? BCAM supposedly intends to detect cancer early so that it can be more easily treated. Unfortunately, the outcome of mammography testing often results in false positive outcomes which leads to thousands of women undergoing unnecessary treatment. Again, since the use of ionising radiation itself causes cancer, regular mammography screening causes damage to sensitive tissue and over time increases the likelihood of breast cancer developing. Astra Zenica are using BCAM to cynically manipulate public perceptions of cancer and have us dreaming of a cure without addressing the cause. In this way they can continue to feed their profits at the expense of public health. ‘So if you’re so clever, what’s the cause of cancer?’ I don’t need to be particularly clever to read of the work of scientists such as Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the metabolic processes of cancer over 80 years ago, or of today’s researchers like Thomas Seyfried who continue the exploration of cancer as a metabolic disease. Very simply, Warburg discovered that cancer cells use vast amounts of glucose to generate energy. They cannot use oxygen as other more efficient cells do, nor can they switch over to burning fats for fuel. This points to the most obvious treatment for cancer being to remove its fuel supply – restrict dietary glucose, and most especially, avoid all refined sugar. Can you imagine a Cancer Fundraiser Coffee Morning without biscuits and buns? In Irish mythology the warrior Cuchullain used to lose all reason when the angry ‘Red Mist’ descended upon him in battle. Today the term ‘Red Mist’ is more commonly attributed to the view from the sniper’s telescope. In my opinion the term rightly belongs in the arena of cancer research. The public should be incandescently angry at being misled and should target organisations that profit from their exploitation. This week the media has carried stories about the superior effectiveness of exercise over chemotherapy in the treatment of colon cancer. So, if you’re tempted to wear a pink T shirt and set off on a fundraising run, just know that the exercise itself, and the camaraderie in the crowd, provides the biggest benefit to you and your community. Astra Zenica doesn’t need your money; rather they need the Pink Mist of your contempt.

Commander in Chief

This week Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton traded blows in the televised debate aimed at winning over undecided voters as they seek to become America’s next Commander in Chief. How has it come to this – that America, the champion of world democracy, should be reduced to a belligerent slagging match between caricature candidates fronting like puppets for their corporate masters. If the world’s situation was not so perilous it might even be funny. But within a few short months the American people will choose one of these two to serve them and invest them with the power to start a nuclear holocaust. How democratic is America and why would any nation want to emulate their interpretation of democracy? According to Noam Chomsky, a Harvard academic and political commentator, America systematically undermines any country where there is a danger of true democracy breaking out. He believes that the CIA has been fuelling dissent around the globe for decades and backing those who can be bought to do their bidding. If subversion fails they can send in the marines as a last resort. In Western culture we are encouraged to pursue a lifestyle that undermines our health. The explosion of chronic diseases that are overwhelming our health services results in cries for additional funding to support our ‘front line heroes’ in the fight against cancer, diabetes, heart disease etc. Even when the funds can be found they only serve to maintain the status quo rather than solving the problems at their source. Anyone suggesting that we could protect our health by changing our ways should not run for public office; it’s not a vote winning strategy. If however the idea caught on to the extent that it looked like a genuine democratic initiative then doubtless the CIA would foment some discord to ensure that American business interests would benefit. Each of us is our own Commander in Chief in control of our health. We have the power to start a holocaust in our wellbeing with every mouthful we eat and every misguided thought we think. We can abdicate our responsibilities to others to decide what we eat, what quick-fix medicine we take, what TV station to tell us what to think or what political puppet to vote for. Alternatively, we could embark on a democratic experiment in health where we enquire, through a meditative practice, how each part of our body is feeling, what’s going on for us right now, what we can do to optimally support each cell of our being. We could investigate claims made by pharmaceutical product suppliers, we could buy organic produce and grass-fed beef, we could ‘go green’ and live sustainably. We could even grow our own food free of pesticides and fertilisers and even start our own ‘Farmacies’. We could talk to our neighbours and build community. We could live in harmony with our fellow man and care for our natural environment. We might even canvass the views of our neighbours as to how to optimise the health of our society. But enough already; it smells like meaningful democracy. We don’t want to invite the marines to kick in our front door.

New Deal

Like many others I have a growing unease about where our world is heading. Our news is constantly filled with tales of war and corruption and our corporations have seemingly a free hand when it comes to poisoning us for profit. We need a new deal but what can we do? To me, Ghandi had it right when he told us to – ‘be the change you want to see in the world’. This is not a call to ignorance or to bury our heads in the sand pretending atrocities are not happening. Rather he’s telling us to do what we can to show there is a better way. If everyone saw and believed it, there would be no more famine or war for a start. It’s arguable that abandoning monoculture would reduce pestilence and even plague would become rare if people had ready access to wholesome food and clean water. What does your new deal look like? What needs changing in your life? How are you going to be the change – living it out in real time as an example to others? Don’t wait for the inertia of the status quo to slow. It’s not going to happen any time soon; there’s too much money invested in doing the wrong thing. Instead be part of the solution.

Gain

In my Rocker days, in my dreams, gain was about cranking up an amplifier until my guitar would squeal like Dave Gilmore’s or Carlos Santana’s. As an RF engineer gain was to be optimised within a particular band and otherwise suppressed. In my marketing days gain took on the demands of increasing market share. In mid-life gain is usually about weight. Thinking most commonly about money however, I was struck last year by the simplicity of the statement, made by film director Tom Shadyac, that the pursuit of wealth beyond one’s needs is a mental illness. The Biblical account has always been with us …….’What does it profit a man that he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul?’ Today I like to think that I’ve attained a level of maturity that allows me to relate gain to wisdom. Five years after a major challenge, through the gift of 20/20 hindsight, we may gain a change of perception that reveals how we grew and so gained from the experience. Sadly it doesn’t always happen. Bob Dylan recognised this in his Hard Rain lyric ‘I met one man wounded in love, another man wounded with hatred’. What would Dylan have to say about the atrocities perpetrated in the Gaza strip where the Israelis ‘gain’ the upper hand through the systematic destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and proliferation of illegal settlements? What human being could fail to be wounded with hatred? What people could accept such a wound to the collective psyche such that future generations didn’t continue to bear the scars? Here in Northern Ireland I have gained enormously this past year through involvement with a Community Garden project. My first task was to clear away ten years of overgrowth from a former poly-tunnel which nature had reclaimed. Shrub roots had grown beyond the artificial boundaries of their plastic tubs and impervious layers of stone and plastic membranes below, to drive deep into the earth. In a few short years the artificial divisions imposed on nature had healed over. This observation brings hope that even the most deeply entrenched political and sectarian differences can similarly be healed by the relentless march of healing growth. My father used to ask me “How important do you think it will be in 50 years?” He was referring to the healing of the human psyche and the wisdom gains of advancing years. He was also aware that, when the wounding is sufficiently grievous, the normal three score years and ten of a human life may be insufficient for true healing but that change is continuous and inevitable. Let us seek to gain the lasting and priceless treasures of love as demonstrated on the smiling faces of children at play – and perhaps through the passionate wailing of Carlos Santana’s guitar!

The Maze

I recently moved to the beautiful town of Castlewellan in Co Down. It enjoys a spectacular view of the Mournes and has an extensive forest park and lake of its own. At the edge of the park is the Millenium Maze which I imagine to be one of the finest in the country. The young saplings that were planted have now reached maturity. There are no short cuts. Navigating around it is a challenge; there are many dead ends. As a metaphor for life it encourages an attitude of detachment and wonder. Each of us faces trials and dead ends in life which force a change in direction. Years later we can look back at the learning that resulted from these experiences and recognise their formative nature. On a summer afternoon the maze is full of happy children running from one lane to another, lost and laughing. Sitting down and sulking is not an option for them. Life is fun; let’s get up and at it! Complexities will arise later. There will be unexpected, and often unwelcome, twists and turns in life, In such times those who retain a spirit of adventure will be first back on their feet. Later they may even feel gratitude for their trials. Perhaps that’s what’s meant by the saying ‘Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Emotional resilience allows us to explore more of life’s paths while retaining our smile. Eventually we’ll all find the exit from our personal maze. I want to be able to look back and genuinely feel that mine was fun.

Organisational Autobiography in 5 Chapters

Portia Nelson’s classic verse tracks our development, often painful, from a pattern of self-sabotaging behaviour to learning and independence. It seems appropriate in every season of life. Our learning is never complete; there are always new challenges presenting as we grow in maturity and experience. As I look at the current state of health and the status quo of healthcare in the UK. I’m struck by the idea that the system has been carefully crafted to ensure that we fall into a hole from which we cannot escape. Some years ago I suffered a life threatening illness and only survived due to the expert intervention of the NHS. A year later I was out of hospital, and notionally better, but my lifestyle was unchanged. In effect my behaviour was leading me to a further crisis from which I might not recover. Fortunately the lights came on in time for me to see where I was heading and allowed me to change direction. It has been my mission ever since to continue rolling back the covers on medical convention so that I can critically analyse proposed treatment plans and choose from a position of informed consent. This has massively informed my practice so that I’ve come to place Health Coaching as the pinnacle of the coaching terrain. It is now time to reflect this learning back into the organisational sector where my coaching journey began. In recent years I’ve come to observe organisational behaviour through the lens of a healthy human body. Many issues confronting organisations can be considered as extensions of illnesses that affect individuals. Facing existential crises the organisation can choose a new and healthy lifestyle or can abdicate responsibility and call in the consultants to ‘slash and burn’ their way to profitability. Just as the unrepentant cardiology patient can continue to dig his grave with his fork, so organisations can pull their cultural overcoat ever tighter in an attempt to deny responsibility. They can effectively ‘flat line’ their daily work in an atmosphere of fear and recrimination so that staff chase voluntary redundancy packages and early retirement from unrelenting workplace stress. Such behaviour relegates public sector organisations to exist on life support, but as Portia shows us, once we recognise the pitfalls we can choose to walk down a different street.

Heart Attack Strikes

Heart attacks seldom occur without notice. In most cases they will not be attributable to a ten-year diet of deep-fried Mars bars, but poor diet is certainly a major contributor to the stresses afflicting the body. Sadly, the cultural inertia behind dietary advice offered for the last 30 years is likely to perpetuate the idea that dietary fat and lack of exercise are to blame. What’s undeniable is that a heart attack is a major inconvenience to the individual. Similarly, strikes are a major inconvenience to society. In both cases we have reached a crisis point which precipitates in a cry for help. If we’re lucky the blue lights appear in time to whisk us off for a stent and statins regime to keep us stabilised while we ‘take it easy’ and regain our strength. ACAS may similarly bring management and unions together to establish a truce that allows normal service to be restored. Crises may be averted but the underlying problems often remain. Cardiologists are familiar with stent patients returning for further surgery because they failed to change lifestyle once their crisis had passed. Industrial disputes may flare up again amidst bitter recriminations that one side or the other reneged on its agreement. In both cases I believe that instead of trying to establish Who’s wrong, a long term resolution requires that we find out What’s wrong. In both cases attention has drifted away from the service we’re supposed to supply. The body needs its heart to keep beating but it also needs proper nutrition and maintenance in order to do so. Those withdrawing their labour may be exasperated at ever tightening operating conditions that ultimately prevent them from performing to their ability. Solutions that deliver in the long term will be those that systematically dismantle the factors that contributed to the crisis. They will be solutions arrived at through mutual appreciation and dialogue. Parties will be guided in their deliberations by consideration of the long term needs of the service they supply rather than parochial and short term desires.

Charity Begins at Home

This was one of my Mum’s expressions which didn’t concern me as a child but as I reflect on it now it throws up many ideas, some quite profound. Some 7 years ago, when I started piecing together the cause of my illness I adopted the rationale that my role as manager of my health was to ensure that every cell in my body was healthy. When every cell was healthy then the whole body must surely be healthy. Charity started at cellular level. With basic health restored I found myself thinking more clearly. Events in my life gave me pause for reflection and the opportunity to examine habitual ways of thinking and working. I’d started to think for myself and not simply to follow cultural tramlines. It was a period of critical reflection during which I recalibrated and then honoured my inner compass. In this case charity required that I gave myself the freedom to think and patience while I adjusted. Now having regained physical and mental independence I had the opportunity to examine what I wanted to do and why. What is my vocation and how best can I live it? Various experiences had shown me that when I seek only personal gain I manage only temporary results. In the spiritual domain charity that stays at home, self-serving charity, is of little value. Only independent people can form interdependent relationships so we can now expand our idea of home to include the community in which we live. Building community is a true act of charity but in a sense is still self-serving as when life’s trials strike we fall back on the community to support us. Too narrow a definition for community can lead to nepotism or worse and so our guiding principle expands to consider what is best for mankind overall. And finally, to play the environmental card, it’s clear that if we trash the planet on which we live then none of us will even have a home. So whether it’s muscle cells, brain cells, whole communities, countries or continents, charity really does begin at home!

Health Leadership Vacuum

The UK has been reeling in recent weeks since the Brexit referendum showed the will of the people to leave the EU. Much of the mudslinging and infighting from all points on the political spectrum has centred on leadership ability or lack of it. What appears to me to be lacking is a clearly presented sense of direction to which everyone can commit. When the objective is clear and the prize worthy of the effort then most people will gladly shoulder the yoke and work harmoniously to achieve it. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the human body. It’s a reasonable suggestion that every cell in the body wants to be healthy and when every cell is healthy then so too must the whole body be healthy. Each cell performs a unique role in the body. A heart cell doesn’t tell a liver cell what to do nor does the brain decide what organs will be nourished today and which ones won’t. Self-leadership allows each organ to perform at its best in service of the whole. Arguably the most effective leadership is supplied by the subconscious which contains the blueprints of optimal functioning – the heart beats, lungs breathe, hair grows etc. In a healthy body everything is balanced and mutually supporting. When the subconscious disconnects from its housekeeping then we do indeed have a leadership vacuum, one with a deadly outcome. What if we could suspend our belief that modern medicine has all the answers, that there is a procedure for every pain or a pill for every ill and that all we need do is trust our doctor to prescribe it? We could instead turn inward toward our cellular workforce and listen to their needs. We could use our executive brain function to ensure that these needs are met through avoiding any worsening of our condition, by removing accumulated toxins and then by providing the necessary nutrition to promote healing. Leadership must surely begin with personal leadership; by accepting personal responsibility to explore new ideas and then summoning all our resources in their pursuit. My most rewarding results during my corporate life came when I realised that leadership is not imposed or fought over. Rather I found that my most successful leadership experiences resulted from projecting a clear image of the goal and then becoming the facilitator by which every team member could develop and contribute their unique talents towards its achievement. It was never necessary to tell someone how to do their job nor waste a second in destructive criticism or recrimination. Today the rising awareness of ‘Functional Medicine’ is changing our ideas of healthcare. The only sustainable healthcare system is one in which we seek root cause resolution of medical issues rather than short term management of symptoms. Perhaps the greatest challenge is to take on the yoke of personal leadership so that we can orchestrate our cellular resources and immune systems to restore order in the body. Now is the time; tomorrow is guaranteed to no one.

Leaderful Behaviour

Have you ever been in ‘two minds’ about something? How do you resolve such issues – with a megaphone or with quiet and serious reflection? Many will also choose to invite Divine intervention into the mix taking the view that some matters are beyond the capacity of mere mortals to resolve. Our 24 hour news reporting culture has reduced our respect for contemplation and reflection. We pile extreme pressure upon our ‘leaders’ to vocally champion causes and punish them if they don’t. But who among us has not acted decisively to change our own behaviour? Has there ever been a time when we just had another pint, ate another ice-cream, remained longer on the sofa, played another game etc? Who was leading us in those times? How do you feel when your choices are questioned? In my body I want that my toe is a good toe, that my lungs breathe and my heart beats. All my organs respond automatically as circumstances require and without my shouting at them or abdicating my duty of integrated leadership and representation. Ask anyone on dialysis or suffering heart failure what it’s like to live with organ failure. Whatever part I play in humanity, may I play it to the full. May I seek, through strong self-leadership, to contribute healthily and may I encourage others to do the same. Together we are stronger. Indeed, it’s only by working together that we can work at all.

Jaques mon amis, c'est fin

I’m sorry Jacques, I don’t love you anymore, it’s over. It’s time for us to end this farce and get on with our lives. We had good times but we’ve been heading in different directions for years and we’re no longer compatible. Let’s be grown up about it. I can’t move out immediately; it will take me about two years to sever the links but there’s no turning back. Don’t feign surprise. You’ve allowed our finances to be squandered in corrupt dealings across the community and your civil servants are out of control. You think it’s ok to have them negotiate in secret and relegate elected representatives to rubber stampers without rights to debate the issues affecting us all. Your approach to TTIP with US corporations is nothing short of treason. I hope for your sake you come to your senses and reassert sovereign rights for all your member states so that the Federation you desire respects its citizens rather than treating them as consumer fodder for multinationals. It’s all there to play for. May today’s UK decision be the wake-up call you need to pay more attention to those you say you love. Listen to the protests from the Green movement trying to protect you from ‘science in agriculture’ or the introduction of GMOs for human consumption. Arguments over finances become irrelevant when people are dying. It would be grossly irresponsible to ignore the dangers of introducing proteins the human body has no knowledge of and no protections against. Once out, normal pollination will ensure that the GMO genie can never be put back in the bottle. Anyway, I’m out of here. I haven’t time to chat. I have to organise border checkpoints to protect the six counties from the unwanted hordes of economic migrants heading our way.

Build More Prisons

Really?; is that the answer? We regularly hear politicians claim that their tough line on crime is making our streets and properties safer. It doesn’t matter so much that prison conditions are atrocious and inmates high as kites – legally or otherwise, that suicide rates are climbing, that prison populations are growing and that the main learning opportunities are about broadening offender’s repertoire of offending behaviour. It is a sad indictment on society that we choose to lock up and forget those ‘harder to help’ folk rather than to make the societal changes that would give them real hope and build in them a desire to contribute. I see this as a reflection of our overweight society. Very often weight loss efforts hit a plateau where the pounds cling on stubbornly despite many weeks of steady reduction. This is a protection mechanism used by the body to ensure that our detox pathways are functioning well before dangerous toxins are released from their fat cell storage. When the body is working normally the brain knows it’s safe to allow further weight reduction because the toxins we release from our fat ‘prisons’ can be swiftly removed. When there are no toxins coming into the body there is no need for the fat that held them and so the body will return to its healthy natural weight. When the source of the problem is removed we don’t need incarceration capacity.

Internet Snipers

Long, long ago I pushed the Galaxy bar away and all other chocolate with high sugar content. I recognised that it was carefully crafted to deepen my addiction. After many months of wrestling to overcome my habits I gave in to The Dark Side. Now a formidable promoter of the cocoa bean I have come to appreciate the deep secrets of pure Organic Cocoa powder from Green & Black and I use it liberally throughout the day – in porridge, in smoothies and desserts. This rich source of magnesium has helped stop night-time cramps and I believe is reducing the severity of my headaches. It’s not yet overcoming insomnia. – Might that be because I’m not taking enough of it ? Joking apart, there are important issues here: Sugar is highly addictive and for generations our food product manufacturers have been formulating their offerings to ensnare us and increase their revenues. In particular our high street fast food outlets have developed their own brand flavours to carve out their market share at the expense of our health. Many of us have indeed become ‘Supersized’ as a result. While the ‘Upsize’ is obvious, the downside is typically many years in the future as our health fails prematurely. People finding themselves in this predicament often also believe it’s too late to change “I’m diabetic,…I have cancer,…. I have heart disease……It’s in my genes, there’s nothing I can do about it”. They prefer to wear a medical label than to take corrective action. Others instead choose to brazen it out – “I know a guy who’s 90 and has smoked 40 a day all his life” etc. – let me know how that works for you! The less obvious issue in the opening paragraph is the appalling lack of understanding of the importance of our food in determining our health and the medicinal properties of common foodstuffs. Additionally there’s often a deep suspicion around anyone who believes that food matters for more than just filling the belly. The notion of defending health through proper nutrition is almost sacrilegious – especially to the pharmaceutical lobbies who potentially stand to lose so much from increased public awareness and changing attitudes. Indeed there seems to be a concerted effort to discredit those who promote a more holistic approach to healthcare generally. We have established a system of medical imperialism in which allopathic medicine enjoys legal protection as the only science-based option for patients. How did the human race survive so long without it? More sinister is the use of ‘media hit men’ or ‘internet snipers’ like Stephen Barrett and David Gorski who seem to revel in defamation of anyone attempting to awaken the masses to the reality of natural healing. Who pays these guys to spit such venom? When their sponsors’ businesses fail, as they inevitably must, will they simply seek other sponsors and begin again? Gorski’s recent hatchet-job ‘Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine be Thy Food’ attacks the very foundation of medicine in a distorted tirade against the truth. It is said that ‘The mind is like a parachute; it works best when it is open’. If that is so then for their sake I hope they find the rip cord before Max Plank’s saying ‘Progress advances one funeral at a time’ becomes their reality.

Medical Disclaimer

Today I read another disclaimer typically assigned to every pharmaceutical information sheet or internet webpage. Instead of just feeling annoyed by it and then ignoring it I decided to share my concerns. Here it is in full - Disclaimer: This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for you. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. You must talk with your healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine. The whole thing is disempowering. Effectively they say – ‘We know enough about our product to bring it to market (not whether or not it can benefit you) but don’t think that what we tell you about it is enough to let you use your own judgement about it. Only your healthcare provider can do that. So if it causes you harm it’s her fault, not ours.’ While pretending deference to healthcare providers, who by their knowledge and training are able to decide on which medicines are safe and effective for you, the manufacturers disarm them by declaring that this information sheet does NOT include all information about the possible uses etc of this medicine. Are we to believe that with the introduction of each new medication our healthcare providers receive additional product training on its efficacy and risks? – Unlikely! The truth is they probably don’t know any more about it than you do if you’ve read the leaflet carefully. Generously I’ll acknowledge that one partial sentence is true – ‘You must talk with your healthcare provider..’ The BBC2 Horizon team recently produced a fabulous documentary on the effectiveness of Placebo medications which work even when there is no deception of patients. The very fact that they were being listened to, supported and knew that others wanted their best health is often enough to stimulate the brain’s own pain suppression circuits. In the future we’ll come to appreciate the importance of placebo in healthcare. In the interim we’ll go a long way if we can actively restore a genuine doctor patient relationship instead of the time driven, computer dominated appointment it has degenerated to. That feels better. Now that I’ve vented my irritation has evaporated. Our species needs to communicate – commune, community, communication all have the same root. I’ve just benefited from placebo without even moving my lips!

Tomb Time

In the Christian tradition Good Friday commemorates the day of crucifixion of Jesus Christ and Easter Sunday commemorates his resurrection. The story tells of suffering and death followed by transformation and glory but the time in between is seldom considered. It does however have many parallels in life. Spring is a time of natural beauty, rich in promise. Brighter days have returned and there is warmth in the air. Across the world farmers sow their fields in the hope of an autumn harvest. The seed is buried in the ground and dies so that new life can spring forth. While we know it’s happening, there’s nothing to be seen until the green shoots appear above ground. When relationships fail the act of separation is often very painful. The emotions experienced can cover the full spectrum from anger, sorrow and remorse to profound relief. The resulting ‘Tomb Time’ is a necessary passage to a new life beyond, though unlike the farm seed there’s unlikely to be a regular time frame for recovery. Seeds are hardy however and wild seeds often lie dormant for many years before germination. Wounded soldiers returning from war suffer from a range of issues. Missing limbs are immediately obvious but not so the psychological trauma resulting from life changing surgery and the loss of fallen comrades. Reintegrating with society and their families can be most difficult. Many don’t make it. It’s a sad fact that more soldiers die by their own hand after returning home than die in battle. In current times Europe is coping with a refugee crisis where millions of displaced persons are seeking safety and the hope of a normal life far from the homes they have known. History has shown that the intense psychological stresses associated with forced migration result in high levels of heart disease. Stress also suppresses the immune system and leaves us more vulnerable to cancer. How might we minimise ‘Tomb Time’? Clearly it would be unnatural not to have it. Indeed, we would be very concerned for any individual who endured a life changing event without showing emotion. In her book ‘On Death and Dying’, Kubler-Ross describes the stages on the journey to recovery. Change takes different times depending on the nature of the transition and the individuals involved but recovery tends to follow a standard path of denial, anger and depression. Perhaps the key consideration for transition in recovery is environment. The farmer prepares his fields before sowing. Heartbroken individuals need a psychological refuge, a place of calm neutrality. Soldiers need the support of family and society. In every case, Love is the common denominator. Since change is a constant of the universe it follows that we will all experience it. Tomb time is a fact of life. This is a central reason why we must act together to provide an environment of empathy and support. We can be sure it’s not a question of ‘if’ misfortune should strike but ‘when’. So let us not show indifference toward others who find themselves in distress; our day is coming. As we sow, so shall we reap.

Set Points

It has long been known that the growing child, in the womb, takes as normal the level of hormones in circulation in the mother’s blood. This means that before the child is even born it has unconsciously learned what ‘normal’ levels of stress and normal weights are. When in later life the individual wants to de-stress or reduce weight, she can find herself struggling against her very physiology. Returning to ‘Factory Settings’ may mean accepting their predicament exactly as is. Although this may be looked upon as a convenient Get-Out for some who don’t want to believe their situation can change, and so effort is futile, it masks the fact that change actually requires acceptance of where and how we are in any moment. This was put to me in a slightly different way at the weekend when a friend spoke of how his daily mediation routine now included a ‘brain scan’ in which he would ask if there was anything he could do to serve his mind and body so that it would be optimally positioned to take him through the day. This level of introspection was born from a deep sense of self care rather than accusation. He was entering into a respectful and purposeful dialogue with his subconscious before setting out on his day of discovery and service as he moves toward the image of his life that he wants to manifest. It reminded me of a pivotal moment in my life as a project manager when my effectiveness was multiplied many fold when I adopted the stance of team facilitator rather than driver. Instead of telling everyone what they had to do I was inviting them to express themselves with maximum creativity toward achieving our collective goal. The energy level in the group soared. While physical set points may be immediately obvious, the mental and spiritual set points are generally harder to recognise. Rather than a genetic inheritance, mental and spiritual components are more down to nurture than nature. ‘The apple never falls far from the tree’ is another way of saying that an individual’s behaviour is largely determined by one’s parenting. A child growing up in an abusive household or one with poor or no role models, will develop survival strategies just to get by. Their set points have generally not equipped them for collaboration in society. They are more likely to get into trouble and have their schooling disrupted. In many cases a tendency to be unruly may result in their being medicated to impose docility and compliance. It’s easier to ply children with medication than to help them work through their challenges in more helpful ways. Irrespective of whether we’re born into privilege or deprivation, we’re all damaged to some degree and our perspective of the world distorted. Depending on our ability to function we may seek healing in our lives and embark on the journey of self-actualisation through life-coaching or psychotherapy. ‘Life Happens’ so that we are dealt a variety of ‘learning experiences’ from which we can choose to grow better or bitter but the further our set point is from ‘reality’ the more the adjustment is going to hurt. Introspection and healing is often painful and most of us avoid it. It’s also very hard to appreciate our environment when it’s an integral part of our life. – How would a goldfish describe water? Understanding and accepting exactly where our set points lie can provide the impetus to change but understandably we seldom want to go there. If you do choose to make the journey it’s important to have the right support and to choose a travel companion you trust to hold the mirror to you. Someone who’ll challenge you but also soothe, encourage and support you as you go on your way.

Rumble in The Jungle February 2016

This morning the radio news programme told of the French Government’s decision to clear the migrant camp near Calais, known as The Jungle. Many families will once again be travelling in response to conditions beyond their control with all the attendant stresses that such movements bring. In his book ‘The Great Cholesterol Con’, Dr Malcolm Kendrick identifies forced relocation as the primary cause of the abnormally high rates of heart disease in Finland. Today’s wars, and the resulting displacement of millions of people, will help to deepen the health crisis facing mankind. We are creating a ‘Perfect Storm’ of adverse factors to keep us divided and sick. Donald Trump, US Presidential hopeful, is stirring the masses with messages of fear, mistrust and tribalism. He even rounded on the Pope this week for stating that building a wall along the Mexican border was non-Christian. I too will risk his wrath by further stating that building such a wall is non-humanitarian. A property tycoon who wants to build walls rather than homes, who wants America to ‘Kick Ass’ rather than seek peaceful resolution of conflict, is a dangerous man to ‘lead the free world’. He is not upholding the founding values of equality and opportunity that drew people from across the world in search of a new start and a better life. Sadly he’s not alone. Trump’s brand of poisonous invective is the MSG of the political world. It’s tasty and appeals to the masses but it’s cancerous. The UK will soon have a referendum to determine whether or not to stay in the European Community. Debates have and will continue to rage for months to come but the issues addressed are protectionist in nature. There has been no thought of what the best outcome would look like for humanity. Imagine a world where each country used its resources for the benefit of its whole people rather than to enrich the few; where people worked on the land in economies not dominated by the interests of multinationals; where globalisation meant having an awareness of the unity of all mankind rather than the rampant exploitation of the world’s resources under the protection of trade agreements. When I cast my vote it will be for the situation which I believe takes the long term health of the world into account. I look forward to a time when every nation will thrive and celebrate its diversity. Where the children of each country are educated to take their place in society and build both loyalty to their culture and live in harmony with their neighbours. We’ve reached a point where the threat of global warming is now accepted. Global temperature rise could cause our very extinction. Let us realise that the clearing of a jungle in Calais is as dangerous to humanity as the clearing of the Amazon rainforest and that the election of extremists who want to build walls can only perpetuate division. Instead of adopting protectionist practices, to build a better world for our grandchildren we must consciously reduce inflammation whether it be personal, societal, national or international. Blaming our troubles on others, on immigrants or on ‘them’ is akin to blaming cholesterol for heart disease, it blames the symptom rather than the cause. Failure to accept responsibility is ultimately a sign of immaturity. It’s your turn. Please tell me your thoughts. Tell me what action you will take to make our world a happier place.

Every Silver Lining Has a Dark Cloud

This week I’ve woken to three sunny mornings in a row – Spring is on the way! The UK’s winter has been a dull, wet and stormy affair. Almost inevitably, by late afternoon the rain has returned but the mornings have been glorious and have us smiling in anticipation of the day to come. So whether we want to present an optimistic face to the world, in spite of our circumstances, or we choose to dwell in a depressive state in spite of momentary relief, we alone are responsible for our happiness and the choices we make. There is nothing New Age about this way of thinking. As they say, ‘There’s nothing new under the sun’. Shakespeare said it simply – ‘Nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so.’ In the Christian tradition we have just entered the season of Lent in remembrance of the period of fasting and spiritual preparation that Jesus undertook before his death and resurrection. Everyone reading these words will respond to them in a different way; some with deep reverence, some with incredulity, still others with an open minded willingness to learn from a master who chose to be in the world but not of it. But anyone who has changed direction in life has experienced a period of adjustment, often painful, before settling on a new trajectory. 40 days is a typical time for the body to respond to challenge in a noticeable way, even though change has been happening slowly and consistently throughout. Coaching is about change. Insufficient challenge results in insufficient change and if there’s insufficient change, what’s the point of coaching? Sometimes my challenge will cause alienation, but it is my job to hold the mirror as steadily as I can so that clients can recognise that their predicament is their responsibility. Oftentimes they complain that the mirror is distorted and smashing it is always an option, (Can anyone really afford seven years of bad luck?) but the mirror is a tool which will show them what they cannot otherwise see. If they take stock of their situation and plot a course for the health they want, it’s usually achievable. Rethinking and adjusting their diet can seem a dull and stormy affair and surrendering addictions can be painful but when clients emerge from the storm of perceived deprivation, and can look back with 20:20 vision on the journey they’ve made, they know deep down that they would never go back. The Lent of my childhood has changed completely. It’s no longer about giving up sweets or not thumping my sister, but more about exploring how I can improve my overall health, Physically, Mentally and Spiritually. Calorie restriction or ‘Intermittent Fasting’ is a time honoured method of improving insulin sensitivity and so preventing the development of many chronic illnesses. Similarly, turning off the TV or Playstation in favour of a period of meditation and focussed attention on ‘what is’ will improve our mental resilience. Service to others is the surest way to grow spiritually and is available to everyone regardless of their circumstances. The job is never done. While we are breathing we are under development, but we come to realise, as Neale Donald Walsh tells us - ‘Taking better care of yourself is not merely a matter of good health, it is a measure of spiritual evolution.’ For now the dark clouds of yesterday have passed and there’s a silver lining to be enjoyed. I’ll enjoy it for a while before inviting someone else to hold up the mirror to me.

Mitochondria

Back in 1931 the preeminent German researcher Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for his discovery that cancer is a metabolic disease. Very simply, Warburg realised that cancer develops when the body’s metabolism is starved of the energy it needs and cells instead produce energy through fermentation of sugar. This process is very inefficient compared to the normal process using oxygen and points to the need to keep the body well fuelled, oxygenated and watered so that the energy generating mitochondria in every cell can perform optimally. Cancer cells can be seen to have severely reduced numbers of mitochondria organelles. Tragically the thrust of most cancer research initiatives is to uncover some genetic cause for the disease for which a targeted, and patentable, drug can be developed. After decades cracking the human genome we’re as far away as ever from finding a drug based cure. Today’s standards of care require that we submit ourselves to ‘High Tech’ and expensive ‘slash, poison or burn’ protocols rather than invest in fundamental self-care. My mother frequently told us that her father’s favourite saying was ‘The best way to keep a place clean is to stop it getting dirty in the first place’. It was usually the state of my bedroom that started her off but the message stuck and today I find myself using the same principle when relating to health – “The best way to stay healthy is not to get sick”. This fits perfectly with another saying that emerged during Ty Bollinger’s excellent 2015 series of documentaries – ‘The Truth About Cancer – A Global Quest’. One of his contributors reminded us – “You don’t get sick because you have cancer; you get cancer because you are sick”. In other words, cancer results when the body’s defences have been depleted by a systematic neglect brought on by an inappropriate lifestyle. This realisation shows that Epigenetics (above genetics), or lifestyle factors, rather than genes, are the primary determinants of who gets cancer. It’s much easier to tell an unsuspecting public that a magic bullet cure can be found than to try and suggest they can avoid it altogether by changing lifestyle. At a social level the same illness is at work. Local cottage industries and ‘peasant’ farming methods once gainfully employed labourers in communities all across the world. Times were hard but people were frugal and lived modestly. The principle threats to existence were poor sanitation, inadequate shelter and war. These subsistence methods distributed opportunity evenly across populations. There was minimal waste. (Nature has no waste.) Today however, with our greed based focus always looking for the best way to exploit resources – human or natural, we find ourselves caught up in an endless spiral of growth and concentration of wealth so that the ‘have nots’ are even less able to cope. In developing countries they may find themselves working themselves to death as sweat-shop labourers whereas in developed countries they are kept alive as consumers and ultimately converted into patients to feed the grossly inefficient medical industry. All the time sneered at as no-good spongers or malingerers. In the name of progress we have created an industrial environment which concentrates rather than distributes wealth. Our social mitochondria have been starved of necessary nutrition, our society is sick, social cancer is inevitable. A change of perception is possible. As many chronic diseases and even cancer can be cured by restoring the body’s nutrition needs, so whole communities and populations can live healthily when their basic needs are met. Tom Shadyack says it eloquently in his ‘I Am’ movie – “The pursuit of wealth beyond one’s needs is a mental illness”. Labourers are the mitochondria of humanity. If only we would try living as a true single humanity looking to serve the interests of the whole rather than the few we would all have enough. And, at the end of the day, enough is plenty.

Princess to Hag

No, this is not going to be a nasty tirade against former girlfriends, rather I’m pondering how the most promising new products lose their appeal when one’s perspective changes. My interest here is in public safety and ensuring that sufficient consideration is given to the physiological threats of products pushed by corporations whose only interest is in profit. First out of the gate is Statin drugs, now pushed at every opportunity to reduce cholesterol. They certainly do so but no one’s stopping to ask why cholesterol’s the culprit in heart disease. Many MDs now believe that it isn’t and never was. If we get behind the hype and ask what caused the cholesterol buildup in coronary arteries we’re left with inflammation as the primary cause. Cholesterol arrived as the body’s sticking plaster in an attempt to heal us – Ooops! But let’s ignore that. Don’t let facts get in the way of pharmaceutical profits. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been proliferating across America for years and the pressure is constantly applied to export this technology around the world. Natural seeds cannot be patented, but if ‘by magic’ we can artificially modify the plant genome then the company responsible can claim rights over all such seeds and any progeny similarly affected. This is an abomination of nature with potentially disastrous consequences for mankind. There can never be enough research to justify such action, since it would be impossible to complete longitudinal studies across several generations of humans. The technology companies involved are driven purely by profit but they’ll continue to make outrageous claims for their products like ‘pest resistant’, ‘Roundup ready’, ‘Drought resistant’ or ‘enhanced yield’ in an attempt to gain credibility and national approvals for their plans. Independent studies are showing that none of their claims can be substantiated but again, don’t let the facts get in the way of profits. There is now a revolution occurring in the monitoring of our use of utilities and the drive to install ‘Smart Meters’ is now gaining full momentum. Sanctioned by governments around the world the claim is that this will allow greater understanding of our energy usage so that consumers can choose the most competitive energy sources and so reduce their bills. This is a scam. With the average cost of a ‘smart meter’ in the UK estimated as £125 (Jan 2016), it would take a very long time for the capital cost to be recovered through tariff change savings. But it’s criminally negligent not to consider the likely physiological effects of installing these meters in urban areas. The pulsed RF emissions have been shown to be deadly to insect populations and no consideration is being given to human susceptibility. In America, where many people have reported increases in cancer rates, these ‘Smart Meters’ have proven not to be so smart at all. But let’s not stand in the way of progress, there’s money to be made, and terabytes of consumer usage data to be gathered, so don’t let facts get in the way of profits. – Is the pattern becoming clear? By the time the dangers are accepted millions die unnecessarily and even when fines are subsequently levied on the offenders, billions of dollars of profits have been made. Fines are now just the cost of doing business. In time we’ll come to realise that the hag never was a princess. Let’s hope that it’s not too late for humanity when the truth emerges.

Ring The Changes

Happy New Year World! This year I’m really going to look after you. I will respect your beauty, your forests, rivers and mountains. I will treasure the fauna, the creatures the oceans, the birds. I will delight in discovery of your deepest secrets. And, having fulfilled my mission, I will gladly yield my body to the earth so that it may nourish continuation. May I leave the world a richer place or at least ‘Curran Neutral’ so that future generations can also delight in its abundance. In showing respect for the planet and all it contains, it naturally follows that I must respect myself. I look after my body as the vehicle that takes me on my travels. My body is the tool I use to interface with the world and to accomplish my assigned task it is always the best tool for the job – at times blunt or sharp, hot or cold, heavy or light, nimble or methodical, quick or slow. It is important then that I hone its capabilities and am attentive to its needs. As far as possible I will avoid physical pitfalls of polluted air, water and food or mental and spiritual pitfalls of disengagement, apathy and selfishness. Instead I seek out the richest nourishment from food, culture and community. So how best to do this? Jon Kabat-Zinn offers a very good guide. Each one of us must tackle these issues according to our unique circumstances and as directed by that Divine inner compass. As he tells us ‘Once the universe is your employer, very interesting things start to happen even if someone else is cutting your paycheck’ This is about finding that thing which we are moved to do and devoting all our resources to doing it while constantly refining our ability to do so. It may not mean that you have to change what you do but rather how you see it or perhaps how you do it. So when it comes to New Year resolutions there need be only one – Let me be steered by Divine guidance so that I may fulfil my unique role in the world. May I marshal all my resources in this pursuit confident in the knowledge that I am always the best tool for the job.