A parody on American Pie by Don McLean about drug companies and herbs.  It's not a finished work.  I was searching for a file on my computer and found this piece which was actually started in August of 2002.  I liked it, so I added a little more to it and I'm posting it here, just for fun.  Maybe someday I'll finish the whole piece.  (It needs two more verses to match the original.)

Before I started working for Nature’s Sunshine Products in March of 1984, I spent a full year working with Dr. C. Samuel West and his International Academy of Lymphology.  For those of you who never met Dr. West, he was a dynamic crusader who was out to spread the word about the “gospel” of lymphology.

The most important thing I gained from working with Dr. West was the knowledge of how to relieve pain.  Using the principles I learned from that pioneer in applied lymphology, I have been able to relieve the pain of smashed fingers, bumps, bruises, burns, swellings, sore throats, earaches and more in relatively short periods of time—anywhere from a few minutes to a maximum of about one hour.  Understanding what causes pain and how it can be relieved has also given me unique insights into the disease process in general, and  how herbs work to correct it. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and it is certainly linked to our poor diet, exposure to environmental toxins and sedentary lifestyle.  However, the heart is also a seat of emotion and our inability to deal with our emotional heart in a healthy way is also a major contributing factor to heart disease.  Fortunately, our green friends the herbs can help both the physical and the emotional aspects of heart problems. 

Just prior to the turn of this past century, herbs were enjoying some very positive press. When I wrote this article, a period of favorable coverage of herbs and natural healing in the press had just ended.  The media praise botanical medicines enjoyed in the late 1990s turned negative again.  This is a revision of an article I wrote several years ago on the safety of herbs and supplements.  I think the information is still useful, especially since we continue to encounter some very negative publicity from time to time.  The article is several pages long, so be sure to look through all of it.

In my Dr. Mom-Dr. Dad course, I talk a lot about reversing the pain of injuries by using techniques like pressure, massage and rapid-light stroking. However, as I’ve been working on a generic book on the same topic, I remembered that I’d left out something very important. I realized that I hadn’t addressed the value of these techniques for relieving chronic pain, such as arthritis pain. When I remembered the experience I had with my knee, I realized that it was quite a remarkable story, one that dramatically demonstrates the value of these techniques. So, I’d like to share it with you.

A few years ago there were dire warnings and predictions about a new strain of Avian or “bird” flu that was threatening a flu epidemic like the one that occurred in 1918 and killed millions of people worldwide.  After 9/11 there were scares about anthrax and biological warfare.  It seems like there's always something we're being "warned" out in the news.

Forgive me for being cynical, but do you ever get the feeling that the news media is out to keep everybody in a constant state of fear?  Yes, it's true that we could have an epedemic of the flu or some other contagious disease.  It's also true that disasters can strike at any time.  But if we're prepared with the right supplies, and the right attitude, there's no reason to be afraid.

Cleansing is a major therapy employed by many herbalist, nutritionists and natural healers to promote good health.  The goal of cleansing is to help rid of the body of toxins. In this article, I explore the role of good nutrition in supporting the enzyme systems in helping the body eliminate toxins.

Periodically, I see pictures showing this black, rubbery, gooey material people have passed on cleanses. I’m very familiar with some of this stuff as I’ve passed it on cleanses myself.  People claim that this “gunk” was stuck to the lining of the colon for years and that the cleanse released it.  I used to believe this myself but I've discovered this isn't what's happening at all.  Here's an explanation of what is going on.

One of the major therapies in natural healing is the “cleanse.”  Detoxification is a major part of what many natural healers and therapists do. Most of this focus is on cleansing the body, but it has been my observation that what is happening on the physical level is often deeply connected to what is happening on the mental, emotional and spiritual levels of our being.  In this article I explore how "letting go" of things and allowing our lives to empty out creates the space that welcomes in the new. 

Muscles expend energy (or work) by contracting.  In other words, muscles discharge energy when they contract. Muscles rebuild an energy charge by relaxing.  So, relaxed muscles store energy.  The more tense we become, the less energy our body can store.  This makes chronic muscle tension a common cause of fatigue.  Chronic muscle tension can also contribute to anxiety, trembling, nearsightedness and even ringing in the ears.  This article helps you understand the problem of chronic muscle tension and suggests strategies for improving your health by relaxing more.