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The Bible warns,\u00a0“Be not drunk with wine\u2026”<\/strong>\u00a0(<\/strong>Ephesians 5:18)\u00a0\u00a0“Woe unto them that\u2026follow strong drink\u2026”<\/strong>\u00a0(Isaiah 5:11)\u00a0\u00a0God told Moses that when some one takes the\u00a0“vow of a Nazarite to separate himself unto the Lord”, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink”<\/strong>\u00a0(Num. 6:2,3).\u00a0\u00a0“It is good neither to … drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak”<\/strong>\u00a0(Romans\u00a014:21).<\/p>\n The Sacred teachings sent from the Creator to the Native American peoples warn of alcohol, they called it the “mind changer”, and ask the people to pledge never to touch it\u00a0(Articles of Kariwiio).<\/p>\n The Baha\u2019i Scriptures said\u00a0“It is forbidden for an intelligent person to drink that which deprives him of his intelligence… The drinking of wine is the cause of chronic diseases, weakens the nerves, and consumes the mind”.<\/strong>\u00a0(ADJ p27)\u00a0And the Baha\u2019i Scriptures also forbade other intoxicating drugs because of the damage they do to our health and particularly to the brain.\u00a0“Experience hath shown how greatly the renouncing of smoking, of intoxicating drink, and of opium, conduces to health and vigor, to the expansion and keenness of the mind and to bodily strength.”<\/strong>\u00a0(Abdul-Baha,\u00a0SWA, p156)\u00a0Baha’u’llah said in His Book of Laws:\u00a0 “Beware of using any substance that induceth sluggishness and torpor in the human temple and inflicteth harm upon the body”.<\/strong><\/p>\n Understanding & Overcoming Addictions There have been extensive volumes of scientific documents published on the harmful effects of alcohol, even in small quantities, on the brain, the liver, the kidneys, the immune system, the behavior, the length of life, etc. “It has been well established that persons who smoke or drink have\u00a0a higher incidence of cancer.\u00a0\u00a0 A chemical, acetaldehyde, found in cigarette smoke and made in the liver from alcohol, is known to be a carcinogen and a free radical producer.\u00a0 It also destroys cysteine, an antioxidant.”\u00a0(Nutrition Almanac, p132)<\/p>\n The first step in overcoming any problem or illness is a thorough understanding of the problem and its causes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n WHAT IS ADDICTION?<\/em> \u00a0According to James Braly, M.D., Medical Director of Immano Labs, Inc. Florida, “fundamentally all addictions are biochemically the same…addictive substances become a necessary ingredient of body chemistry, so that withdrawal occurs when the substance is withheld. Addiction means that the body has made an unhealthy adaptation that must slowly be reversed…Until then nerve impulses are confused and biochemically scrambled”. .<\/p>\n Use of an addictive substance such as alcohol, drugs, sugar, tobacco, or caffeine, creates “a nutritional problem,.. that robs the body of its store of B vitamins and minerals…and can impair liver function.\u00a0 And the liver is the main organ of metabolism”\u00a0(A, p96.).\u00a0 The degree and affects of addictions vary with individuals.\u00a0 An example of the strength some addictions can hold over the addict is shown by a study done with monkeys.\u00a0\u00a0 Sidney Cohen explained, “monkeys will self administer cocaine by …” pressing down a lever” for it until they die…\u00a0 In one study, primates bar-pressed 12,800 times in order to get a single dose of cocaine.\u00a0 They will work for cocaine in preference to food even though they are starving.\u00a0 They will continue to bar press even though a receptive female is in their cage.\u00a0 They will prefer an electric shock in order to obtain a large dose of cocaine despite the fact that they could have received a lesser dose with out a shock”\u00a0(Ghadirian,. p 24).<\/p>\n WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES?<\/i><\/strong> HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU\u00a0ARE\u00a0ADDICTED?<\/strong><\/em> \u00a0Test yourself\u00a0<\/strong>for possible addictions by giving up, one at a time, the things you feel you would not like to give up, and then watch for symptoms.\u00a0 Symptoms may occur immediately or take up to a week to manifest.\u00a0 A list of common withdrawal symptoms appears on p. 102 of DETOX, by Phyllis Saifer, M.D.,M.Ph.<\/p>\n WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO USE ADDICTIVE\u00a0 SUBSTANCES?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0WHAT\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>ARE THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF ADDICTI0NS? An example of how poor nutrition can lead to alcoholism was shown by a study done in London with a group of rats.\u00a0 The rats were fed a diet of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits and were offered a choice of water or bear to drink.\u00a0 The rats invariably chose the water.\u00a0 But when their diet was changed to our typical diet of sugar, white flour, caffeine, and prepared foods, the rats chose to drink the beer.\u00a0\u00a0Several preliminary studies suggest that alcohol craving is associated with poor nutrition. Relatively healthy people placed on a diet particularly high in raw foods began to spontaneously avoid alcohol (and tobacco), while chronic alcoholics placed on a nutritious diet along with a multivitamin supplement did far better at follow-up in abstaining from alcohol than did controls. Studies with rats have had similar results: In one study, a ‘junk food’ diet, especially when coffee was included, led to increased alcohol consumption. Other studies have found that the animals increased their alcohol consumption when they were made deficient in the vitamin B complex or zinc.<\/p>\n Hypoglycemia may stimulate alcohol consumption, while alcohol consumption can induce hypoglycemia.<\/p>\n Animal Experimental Study (C):\u00a0<\/strong>One group of rats which was fed a typical teenage “junk food” diet continuously increased its alcohol consumption during the study, while another group which received a well-balanced control diet maintained a low level of alcohol intake. When supplemented with either caffeine or coffee, both groups significantly increased their alcohol intake. Results suggest that “metabolic controls to drinking exist which are sensitive to dietary factors”\u00a0(Register ).<\/p>\n Experimental Study (C):\u00a0<\/strong>32 hypertensives ingested an average of 62% of their calories as uncooked food for a mean of 6.7 months. 80% of those who smoked or drank alcohol abstained spontaneously\u00a0(Douglass)<\/p>\n \u00a0HOW CAN ADDICTIONS BE PREVENTED\u00a0<\/strong>AND OVERCOME?<\/strong><\/p>\n Research has shown that conventional treatment methods had “less than a 15 to 20% rate of continued abstinence”\u00a0(AM487).\u00a0 As in any disease the first step is to eliminate the root causes of the disease, and then repair the damage.\u00a0 So we need to eliminate from the diet all addictive substances.\u00a0 Therefore the following more successful alternative approaches deserve serious consideration:<\/p>\n THERMOS COOKED OR RAW SOAKED WHOLE GRAINS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n To whole grain (spelt, or kamut, or amaranth, or raw buckwheat, or quinoa, or whole oat groats), add twice as much boiling water in thermos and let stand over night, or add cold water and soak for 24 hours, to retain more of the nutrients. Add raw nuts or seeds (that have been soaked in water 24 hours); sweeten to taste with raw honey and cinnamon.\u00a0Raw honey\u00a0<\/strong>(in moderation) does not damage the pancreas or negatively influence blood sugar levels as sugar does; it is almost a perfect food.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. Laurie’s Overcoming Additions Program\u00a0<\/strong>includes:\u00a0(1).\u00a0 A list of the underlying physical causes\u00a0<\/strong>that pertain to the individual, along with the specific foods, herbs, and nutritional supplements that eliminate these causes, help the individual break the addiction, and nourish the body back to health. All suggested remedies have been used safely and effectively throughout the ages, with no harmful effects.\u00a0 (2). 30 pages of healing food recipes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>And, if desired,\u00a0(3).<\/strong>\u00a0Hypnotherapy, instruction in self-hypnosis, relaxation, and stress reduction techniques\u00a0<\/strong>to help remedy the psychological and circumstantial causes of addiction.<\/p>\n Laurie Lynch is a\u00a0 Naturopathic Doctor, Master Herbalist, Wellness Consultant, Nutrition expert, and a Certified Hypnotherapist. For more information and help in implementing the best program for you, call her at the Living Well Health & Education Center,\u00a0<\/strong>3342 Legion Rd., Hope Mills, NC-\u00a0\u00a0(910)\u00a0426-5159<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n There are a few greedy, selfish people that have taken a substance that once was used on special occasions with out harm\u00a0 to the body\u00a0 or mind, such as tobacco for example, and chemically altered and developed that substance into something very addictive and damaging to both body and mind.\u00a0 Why? So they can get rich from the pain and suffering of others!<\/p>\n When we use alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and other addictive substances, our brain chemistry is altered, the glucose is depleted from the brain, upsetting the function of endorphins,\u00a0 enzymes, neurotransmitters, etc., and we are no longer in control of\u00a0 our thoughts, our behavior, or our physical bodies.\u00a0 We are being\u00a0 controlled by our addictions,\u00a0 we are being controlled\u00a0 by\u00a0 the greedy\u00a0 people\u00a0 who are getting rich\u00a0off\u00a0our\u00a0poverty\u00a0and\u00a0suffering. \u00a0Are we going to continue to allow this injustice to be perpetrated on us, on our children, and on our children’s children?\u00a0 Wouldn’t it be better to abstain completely from these addictive substances and help put those greedy people out of business?<\/p>\n \u00a0References: The Bible warns,\u00a0“Be not drunk with wine\u2026”\u00a0(Ephesians 5:18)\u00a0\u00a0“Woe unto them that\u2026follow strong drink\u2026”\u00a0(Isaiah 5:11)\u00a0\u00a0God told Moses that when some one takes the\u00a0“vow of a Nazarite to separate himself unto the Lord”, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink”\u00a0(Num. 6:2,3).\u00a0\u00a0“It is good neither to … drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or … <\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>by Laurie Lynch, ND.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Addiction can be defined as any physical or psychological dependence which negatively impacts a person’s life.”\u00a0(Alternative Medicine p. 485)\u00a0 An addiction to a substance is a chronic, strong, irresistible craving for that particular substance, where one taste can trigger the uncontrollable desire for that substance, and withdrawal from the substance can cause harmful effects.. “Addictions may be mental or emotional.\u00a0 We may suspect addictions when there are repeated foods or substances we feel our body has to have at all times.”\u00a0(Tenney, p 76)<\/p>\n
\nThe most common addictive substances include sugar, caffeine, salt, animal fats, nicotine, alcohol, medicinal and narcotic drugs, as well as anything you feel you need to consume every day..<\/p>\n
\n“You may not think you are addicted- few people do.\u00a0 If, however, under normal circumstances, you cannot control when you start or stop an activity, consider your self addicted”\u00a0(Saifer, p. 97).\u00a0\u00a0“If you’ve tried doing without the substance before and found it impossible, then you are addicted”\u00a0(Saifer, p100).<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Although alcohol and certain drugs can stimulate the pleasure mechanism in the brain to cause pleasure, repeated use of artificial stimulants actually begin to dull this mechanism, then more and\u00a0 more of the substance is required to produce the same amount of pleasure, until the mechanism is worn out and the person becomes sensually deprived.\u00a0 Then the normal activities that usually bring pleasure, such as creativity, social interactions, sports, and accomplishments produced by effort also cease to produce pleasure.\u00a0 And the pleasure so much sought after is replaced by depression, \u00a0pain, and apathy.\u00a0 So knowing this, pleasure is not a logical reason to drink or use addictive substances.<\/li>\n
\n“One reason that alcoholics drink- and keep on drinking- is to stave of f those awful shakes,\u00a0\u00a0 sweats, nightmares and hallucinations that result from withdrawal.”\u00a0(FMM, p29).\u00a0 So addictions actually cause more pain!<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Alcohol, tobacco, sugar and caffeine damage the pancreas and the adrenal gland (the stress gland), thus cause greater stress in the long run.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Hypnosis works better at eliminating fear and inhibitions with out the harmful side effects.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>\u00a0 You loose your freedom of choice and lifestyle when the addiction takes control.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>\u00a0 When addiction sets in, apathy and boredom increase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/strong><\/em>The root cause underlying all the rationalizations is physical.\u00a0 “Long perceived as a problem of weak will power, substance abuse is now considered by most researchers in the field to be a ‘disease, similar in development to diabetes'(Alternative Medicine p. 485).<\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/b>1.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Louise Tenney, M.H.,\u00a01991,\u00a0NUTRITIONAL GUIDE, Woodland Books .
\n2.\u00a0 The Burton Goldburg group, !994, Alternative Medicine, The definitive Guide, Future Medicine publishing, Inc, Washington
\n3. A.M. Ghadirian,1985, In Search of Nirvana, George Ronald, Oxford
\n4.\u00a0Robert C. Atkins, M.D.\u00a0 Dr. Atkins’ Nutrition Breakthrough
\n5.\u00a0Register UD et al, 1972, Influence of nutrients on intake of alcohol, J Am Diet Assoc 61(2):159-62.
\n6. Douglass J et al. Effects of a raw food diet on hypertension and obesity. South Med J 78(7):841, 1985).\u00a0http:\/\/www.healthy.net\/library\/books\/werbach\/part1\/alcohol.htm<\/a>
\n7.\u00a0DETOX, by Phyllis Saifer, M.D.,M.Ph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"