Important News has just come out regarding increasing levels of mercury in our food. (Bookmark this page for future reference – Share button on right)

In the year 2000, two percent of women studied had inorganic mercury in their bloodstream. In the year 2006, the rate increased to 30 percent.  That’s a one thousand five hundred percent increase in just over 6 years.

One can imagine that mercury levels are increasing as I write.

What does this mean?

It means that women, children, all people who are concerned about mercury contamination should take precautions.

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Here’s a link to a very handy Mercury Calculator that will tell you how much mercury you may be ingesting according to the types of fish you eat and your body weight.
http://www.gotmercury.org…

Here’s a link to a LIST of Fish to Avoid Due to Mercury Content
http://www.edf.org…

Here’s an Official List from the FDA – Comprehensive
http://www.fda.gov…methylmercury

What you can do

1.   Eat fish that is LOW in mercury. See the list below.
2.   Encourage your legislators to turn away from burning coal.

The use of coal is a tremendous contributor to mercury contamination in ALL oceans, lakes, streams and reservoirs. Mercury residue from the atmosphere rains over farmlands and crops.

3.   Get a low cost mercury hair test here. (democracyinaction.org…4084)
4.   Stop using mercury amalgams in your teeth.
5.   Cut back on your seafood and sushi consumption. High quality tuna is one of the greatest offenders.

With care, you can keep your mercury levels to a minimum.

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More Articles
 
Mercury found in 30% of women
http://gotmercury.org/article.php?id=1425

Dr. Mercola writes about mercury
http://articles.mercola.com…ALL-Fish.aspx

Facts for Fish Eaters
http://www.gotmercury.org/article.php?id=1168

Tragic Decision to Not Warn Pregnant Women and Children
http://www.gotmercury.org/article.php?id=1307

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Interesting Facts About Mercury Contamination
from Dr. Mercola

1.   Primary Source of Mercury Contamination – burning coals which releases the mercury into the air and then into the waterways once it rains.

2.   Mercury rains down into bodies of water and is “converted by bacteria into a particularly dangerous form called methylmercury, where it finds its way into fish, accumulating especially in fish that are higher up the food chain.”

3.   The larger the fish, the likelier they are to have high levels of this toxin. “Predatory fish such as large tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that are 10,000 times higher than those of their surrounding environment.”

4.   75 percent of all human exposure to mercury in general comes from eating fish.

The Catholic Church has taken the extraordinary step of banning the practice of Reiki from all of its hospitals, clinics and medical facilities.

Bishop McManus, a Catholic Guideline Committee member stated, “…there was a concern on some level that this type of new age philosophy of life, as a spirituality… is lacking,” and, that “there is not medical proof that Reiki promotes healing.”

He added that the Christian tradition holds “all healing comes from God who chooses intermediaries – doctors and nurses – to carry it out.”

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What does this mean for Reiki Practitioners?

Reiki’s popularity is continuing to grow at an increasing rate (thus gaining the attention of the Catholic Church) and has found a dedicated and loyal group of adherents.

Although the Catholic Church is both a powerful RELIGIOUS and MEDICAL entity, their beliefs do not necessarily need to impinge upon the health considerations of other Christians and the general public.

If a practitioner wishes to continue to using Reiki, it should be totally their own perogative.

Undoubted the new ruling was based upon the Catholic Church’s deep caring and concern for their congregation. We respect and acknowledge their decision.

But the Catholic Church has had its own ups and downs, and as influential as they may be as a religious entity, each person should be able to have their own personal opinion on the matter of alternative health matters and follow their own beliefs, consulting with their own personal physician.

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Does this hurt the practice of Reiki?

As long as it remains an effective source of “alternative” healing and relief, Reiki should remain a viable adjunct to traditional healing. Is it for everyone? That is only for each individual to choose for themselves.

Many healing modalities have appeared and disappeared, many religious groups have either supported or condemned a number of health treatments.

Opinions have changed, rulings have come and gone. Perhaps the Catholic Church will change its belief structure, perhaps not.

In the end, the longevity and acceptance of any treatment will ultimately lie within its own merits.

Sprituality is intensely personal. Perhaps the best action for the practitioner is to simply accept and respect the rights of others to choose their own path, and then, to go and follow their own.

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“According to a 2007 report from the National Institutes of Health, 1.2 million Americans have had Reiki treatments. That’s a 12% increase from 2002… should Reiki decrease stress pathways or reduce physiological responses to stressful situations, it could be a useful adjunct to traditional medicine and have significant and economic benefits.”

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Articles:

The debate over reiki’s benefits spills over at Roman Catholic hospitals
(The Boston Globe)

Catholic Church Bans Japanese Healing Technique – Reiki
(OpposingViews.com)

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News from Reuters Health – Do you suffer from more lung infections or irritations than usual? Are you suffering from an undetermined cough?

Your showerhead may harbor dangerous germs and be affecting you. Researchers have discovered that showerheads may harbor 100 times the normal amount of an infection causing bacterium, Microbacterium Avium.

One researcher stated, “water spurting from showerheads can distribute pathogen-filled droplets that suspend themselves in the air and can easily be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lungs.”

If you have a healthy immune system, you will be most likely unaffected. However, if you are immunocompromised, you may risk getting a lung infection.

Quoted from Reuters article, statement by researcher Norman Pace: “If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy.”

That means that while showering, you may be covering yourself with and breathing in tiny droplets of bacteria laden water.

The Study by the University of Colorado involved 50 showerheads taken from nine U.S. cities, including New York, Denver and Chicago. 30% carried very high amounts of bacterium. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

If you are immuno-compromised, they recommend changing shower heads occasionally.

If we were concerned, we might remove showerheads and soak them in a bleach solution, spray them with isopropyl or grain alcohol, or wash them in very hot soapy water.

Whether this actually would kill most or all of the bacteria has not been proven. However, changing showerheads frequently may not be an option for a number of people.

Additionally, we do believe it’s always best to turn on the shower water first and letting it run a few seconds before getting in.

Again, healthy individuals should have little concern. This bacterium exists in regular tap water, but high concentrations might pose a danger to those who have compromised immune systems or are more susceptible to lung infections.

If you have any questions or are having any breathing or other health issues, of course it is recommended that you consult with your physician.