Is Coaching Worth the Money?

We hear a lot these days about the benefits of coaching, but is it genuinely worthwhile? The stars of the industry include Joe Vitale who appeared in Rhonda Byrne’s breakthrough film, “The Secret”. Joe charges $10,000 for a dinner meeting. Coaching “hunk” Christian Micklesen expects you to pay $250,000 for a year’s work together and there is a guy in Arizona who charges a whopping $1,000,000. These sound like incredible sums of money; the whole issue poses the question is it worth it?

The answer must be “yes”, otherwise people would not pay! Those who sign up for these programs know at gut level it is really up to them, but they need help in achieving the goals they desire. You, really can’t do it on your own, an objective mentor is somebody you are accountable to, who challenges your ideas and motivates you to get the best out of yourself. So when you sign-up with a life, business, relationship, money, sex or whatever you like coach you expect a bang for your buck! Most, if not all, coaches have coaches themselves and if results were not forthcoming the word would surely get out! On a personal note, I signed up with a coach last September for a year’s business and mojo enhancement at $500.00 per month. I never believed I could keep up the payments but have found that has not been an issue, in fact I have increased my earnings fivefold and have learned a huge amount along the way. When our contract ends in August, I will then seek out somebody else to continue the journey.

Why is this so successful? Coaching is not therapy, although you might expect to undergo some therapy whilst coaching. In a therapeutic situation, you go and see the therapist on a session by session basis. Thus, when you feel you are mended you quit the therapy. For instance I would only go to see my massage therapist when I had a problem. As an example; you have a frozen shoulder, you go to see your “body worker” who works on the shoulder; the pain vanishes and ease begins to return, so you think you’re done and you quit the sessions! But have you truly got to the root cause of what put the shoulder out of kilter in the first place? Probably not, the cause could be a misaligned vertebra which has not even been considered at that short term juncture. Result the shoulder is likely to seize up again at some time in the future.

A “Health Coach” working on the frozen shoulder example, does not contract to work with the client from session to session but instead on a time basis. The client has a goal of repairing the shoulder and the coach designs a road map that takes the client to the desired destination. This is likely to be a long-term relationship in which the shoulder is fixed and remains symptom free for an appreciable period. This treatment might involve a lot more than simply manipulating the locked limb.

The agreement could span one, three, six or even twelve months. The parties contract to meet-up two or three times per month. Payment is made on a monthly basis or is often a discounted lump sum for the whole training at the outset. The coach and the client commit to the process whereby the latter not only shows up for the sessions but usually has exercises and tasks to complete in between. A committed relationship to change like this, usually gives a more spectacular result than the “fix-it and see" approach generated by the single session model.

Many coaches offer cost free strategy sessions as a first off in the process. The intention is to discern whether the coach can actually help the client with his/her problem and to see if they can comfortably work together over the long term. Some of these sessions are face-to-face, but more frequently they are via telephone or Skype. If you would like to try one, see what's on offer here. 

Alister Bredee

Koh Samui Thailand

June 21^st 2015

How to Save the Life of a Heart Attack Victim.

" Heart disease takes more life than any other illness across the planet. In 2009 in the USA, 599,413 died of heart related problems. Far too frequently the cause of death was a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Looking at the WHO figures for Thailand for 2011, the death statistics are probably worse. There were 53328 deaths from this cause. Statistically this figure comprised 10.30% of total fatalities. However, strokes proved to be the number one killer with 73429 or 14.18% of total deaths. We glimpse then that heart disease and related strokes were responsible for almost a quarter of all passings in Thailand in 2011.

Conventional medicine attributes heart disease to lifestyle and bad nutrition. Factors responsible are reputed to be lack of exercise, high cholesterol and a diet rich in Trans fats and sugars. Yes, these are contributory factors but are the real cause? The answer is a resounding “No” from Dr. Gert Hamer.

Dr Hamer’s life diametrically changed direction in 1978. Up to then he had worked for over 15 years as an internist in University Hospital Clinics. For 5 of these years he had held the position of professor. Here was an experienced medical doctor. He was no flake hovering on the outside of the profession.   In 1978 his son, Dirk, was shot dead on a boat anchored off Corsica. This heart wrenching shock was ,understandably, to alter the course of Gert Hamer’s life forever. Shortly afterwards, he developed testicular cancer; he wondered if there was a link.

He overcame his illness and went on to work at “The Oncology-Gynecology Clinic” at Munich University Hospital; three years later thanks to his female patients, he was able to answer his own question. He discovered the ladies with cancer, like himself had all experienced a terrible shock shortly before developing their disease. It was from this conclusion in 1981, that “Germanic New Medicine” was born.

Conventional medicine will tell you that an actual heart attack is caused by the buildup of arterial plaque. This is connected to high blood cholesterol levels; the heart attack itself is caused by a piece of this plaque coming loose and blocking the coronary artery. Again, Dr. Hamer’s findings disagree. His theory is that heart attacks occur due to a conflict shock that involve what he calls “territorial loss”. This could be the loss of a partner, a business loss, a job loss, the loss of a car, a money loss or even the loss of a testicle! Heart disease often strikes when a successful businessman retires, replaced by younger and fitter rivals.  Ken Lay fought hard for Enron as its CEO; he died of a massive heart attack in 2006 whilst awaiting sentencing at the end of the Enron trial. This classic example gives a good example of territorial loss conflict. In an interview shortly before his death, Lay called Enron his child and compared the loss of the company to the death of a child.

Dr. Hamer’s view lies not in the realms of psychology, instead he urged everyone to think “animal”. He feels we are still very close to the packs and herds of our early ancestors. A stag forced out of the herd by a young buck, has to fight to retake his position or possibly die. To prepare for the fight, the stag needs more energy. To acquire this, the coronary artery enlarges, so more blood can enter the myocardium. Once the conflict is resolved, he no longer needs this turbo-charge. He has won the contest, everything returns to normal and the body can repair itself. The artery begins to reduce in size; the gaps are filled by cholesterol. He is in the healing phase.  Dependant on the time the conflict has lasted (it could be a mere matter of weeks) the system enters a healing crisis. It does this by expelling water in the form of a local edema. This is the heart attack. At the same time, the coronary artery brain relay, located directly above the right ear acts as controller of the event. If you witness such a crisis, quickly take a bag of ice and place it on the spot. This stops the arrhythmia and fast thinking like that can potentially save a life by halting the attack itself. 

Remember, if you are present when somebody has a heart attack; place an ice bag directly above the right ear.If you should experience a “territorial loss” it can help alleviate the symptoms if you go and see a therapist who is able to help you potentially digest and reduce the shock. Health Ambit Consultancy can help you in this matter. This intervention can potentially turn a fatal heart attack into a survivable event."

This article appeared in the Samui Gazette of April 27th 2012

Magnesium, Nature’s Natural Stress Buster.

Stress is the number one cause of illness the world over. But what is stress? We all need some to get out of bed in the morning and embrace the process of living! That sort of stress is probably of the positive variety. It’s negative pressure that causes problems. It comes in various forms. Not eating, not drinking sufficient water and exposure to extremes of heat and cold all constitute physical stress. Without doubt, many people are affected by these stressors. However, it’s emotional stress that probably does the most harm.

What then is emotional stress? I would like to describe it as resistance; pushing against the current or fighting what is. Austro-Hungarian born researcher Hans Selye working from McGill University in Canada and then the “Universite de Montréal “was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1949 for the work he did on “General Adaptation Syndrome”. He called negative stress “distress” and positive stress, "eustress". It was Langley who first coined the term “Autonomic Nervous System” in 1903, and was the earliest proponent of flight and fight. When exposed to “distress” the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to either get angry and resist or nervously run away. To do this successfully, some changes take place, triggered by the hormone adrenaline. These, increase blood pressure; divert blood flow to deeper muscle, improve eyesight amongst myriad other changes which better prepare individuals to cope. When the danger has passed, there is a switch to the parasympathetic state; this allows the body to rest and recuperate. The ANS was designed to help humans, when wild animals roamed the forests and early man was continually faced with life threatening crises.

Today, the crises are of a different sort. In the past, when confronted by a fierce saber tooth tiger, you could run away or fight it and get the meat back to the cave to feed the family. Now, saber toothed tigers are extinct and threats are generally less hostile. However, when confronted by an irate bank manager, which is not a life threatening situation, we regress and treat it as if it were! Adrenaline is switched on and the body goes through the same changes as if it were fighting for survival. Besides in the past, the threats were less frequent, having returned to homeostasis, several weeks could pass before the next dangerous situation emerged. This gave the system ample time to rid itself of the toxins that prompted the original stimulus response. Today, the situation is vastly different. Many people can be confronted by perceived threats several times per day. There is no time to relax and recover. It is little wonder that chronic ill health is on the rampage.

Nature has an extraordinary “destressor”. It is the mineral Magnesium. This alkaline metal plays a vital role in the production of ATP (Adenosine-5-triphosphate). This has been described as the dynamo, producing body energy. It works with Calcium to maintain the free flow of energy to the cells. To achieve this Magnesium keeps its opponent, Calcium in balance. When Calcium is overabundant there is a scary prospect of tics and muscular cramps occurring. These can cause heart conditions like angina and high blood pressure .Both increase the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Today, Calcium gets all the publicity; there is negligible talk about Magnesium lack, but it exists in, perhaps, the majority of people. Gall bladder removal is a common intervention, but in my opinion gall stones don’t form if Magnesium levels are sufficient.

This alkaline mineral soothes the body, calming the nerves whilst promoting sound sleep. This is the natural way of being. Stress is an emergency situation that should occur infrequently. Magnesium combats over acidity, which is the pH level where illness occurs. The substance now occurs less often in soils depleted by the over use of NPK artificial fertilizers, which like Calcium are antagonistic to Magnesium. The deficiency was noted by the US Senate as long ago as 1936, yet, nothing has been done to alleviate the problem!

It would be a good idea for everybody to increase Magnesium in the diet. The understated RDA for Men is 400 and Women 310 mg per day. If encountering stress this could easily be increased significantly. 1000 mg would not be too much. Spinach, black beans, halibut and pumpkin seeds provide good sources, but you have to eat a lot to get anywhere near the recommended daily dose. If in doubt it is a good idea to buy a good quality nutritional supplement and take a high daily dose for three months to overcome any deficiency. As in all cases going to see a health care practitioner like Health Ambit Consultancy will help you find the solution best suited for your individual needs.
This article first appeared in the Samui Gazette of April 4th 2012

The Sad Story of Masha and Dasha!

"On a frozen Moscow morning in January 1950, Siamese twins, Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyopova were born. The delivery was by caesarian section. On awakening from the anesthetic, the mother was told her babies had died shortly after birth. This was a blatant lie by the Soviet medical authorities. Instead, they took the girls away to a medical institute in the Moscow region and used them as guinea pigs in a curious human experiment.

Doctors coldly calculated that they had a lot to learn by studying “ischiogagus tripus” twins. The girls were joined at the spine at an angle of 180 degrees. Between them, they possessed four arms, three legs a separate small intestine but they shared the same colon and rectum. They had four kidneys but only one bladder along with a shared reproductive system. Their circulatory system was interconnected; they shared the same blood supply. They had separate spines. This meant the twins had their own Central Nervous System. This allowed them to experience individual emotions, which in turn produced two different personalities. They may have had to share a bladder, but they were two people in their own right!

The medical profession treated the girls appallingly, subjecting them to painful experiments. For example, they would stick needles in one twin and assess the other for reactions; or toss one into a tub of icy water and check the other’s body temperature. As the girls only had three legs it took them five years to figure out how to walk, and this they did with the aid of crutches. This hideous experiment did, however, produce some astonishing results that need to be common knowledge because they turn conventional medical thinking upside down. This information is kept back because vested interest decides what is secret and what is not!

Masha and Dasha shared the same circulation system. To understand the importance of this we need to turn the clock back more than 100 years. Louis Pasteur is trumpeted as the father of the germ theory. The notion bacteria cause disease has become the foundation stone of modern, medicine. Pasteur’s contemporary Bernard had a different view; he said germs flocked to the site as a signal disease existed. They were not the cause. To look for the reason, we need to examine the environment. Some say Pasteur changed his mind on his deathbed, claiming it was the territory and not the bug which was the cause of disease. However, it was by then too late. The germ theory had taken off; it was about to give rise to a billion plus dollar pharmaceutical industry.

The Russian experimenters on the Siamese twins found irrefutable evidence that Bernard was right and the germ theory wrong. The girls shared the same blood, but they did not get the same illnesses. During childhood one twin got measles and the other did not. How is that possible? Surely the same germs were shared by both of them and yet only one was affected. This phenomenon occurred repeatedly. One girl got a cold, and the other remained healthy. One got flu the other didn’t. Dasha was given to immune weakness, was right handed and short sighted. Her sister became a smoker, later developed a taste for alcohol, had higher blood pressure, enjoyed clear vision and was left handed. In reality, two different people shared the same blood supply.
How could this be? They had shared blood, had a common digestive, excretory, endocrine and skeletal system but did not go halves on the same illnesses. The key to understanding this lies in the fact they had separate nervous systems. They both experienced an individual emotional environment. This fitted into Bernard’s theory, which stated diseases are not caught by breathing in germs but come about by emotions that cause stress at the brain level thus weakening the system and provide a place where germs can live. A bacterium looks for its natural habitat which is abnormal tissue. The microbes are the result and not the cause and fulfill their real purpose which is to heal by breaking down illnesses.

As surgical procedures improved many doctors offered to split the girls, but they declined. On April 17th 2003, Dasha died of a heart attack. Even then Masha refused separation and died herself seventeen hours later. The time has come to recognize the wrongs done to these girls, and to acknowledge them in the role they played in relaying the truth. Truth that is still suppressed because of its threat to commercial interests. I wonder if the same problem occurs on the Spa soaked isle of Samui?"
This article first appeared in the Samui Gazette of March 21 st 2012

“Iodine if you don’t know where, what and why, prescribe ye then K& I.” (old medical saying)

"In clinical practice, the number of women easily identifiable as thyroid deficient has grown to epidemic proportions. Many have gone to their Doctors, have had the standard test; are re-assured they are fine, but are not. It seems the test is unreliable. Dr. David Brownstein in his book; “Iodine why you need it, why you can’t live without it”, quotes from a NHAES study showing iodine levels in the USA have dropped by 50% over the thirty years spanning from 1970 until 2000. Iodine plays a key role in thyroid health. More frighteningly he also points out low iodine levels in pregnant women have increased by 690%. Something is wrong, and we need to ask what!

In spite of massive spending on health care; money that mostly goes on pharmaceutical products, overall health is declining. True, acute disease has lessened significantly, but chronic illness has risen. Maybe, many of the things we are told that are beneficial for us, are not! As a population, we have been misinformed, but why? Most people have never heard of the Georgia Guidestones. The structure, also known as “The American Stonehenge”, is located in Elberton, Georgia. The center cluster of the stones was erected in 1980; the site is dedicated to, “The Age of Reason”. On the tablets are written ten guidelines in eight different languages. The first principle states: “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.” Today, the world’s population is a little over seven billion; to reach half a billion requires culling six and a half billion! Conspiracy theorists tell you this is the intention of the Illuminati or New World Order. As I consider the drastic consequences of poor health, it seems that the conspiracy theorists might be right after all!

We were told the thyroid problem was solved by the introduction of iodized salt in the 1920s. Women, who lived remote from iodine rich soil, usually found near the life-giving influence of the sea, suffered thyroid enlargement. As the deficient gland had to overwork it increased in size producing a strangulating goiter. They found adding a 5% potassium iodine solution to table salt, gave just enough iodine to prevent goiters growing, but not enough to remedy more subtle thyroid dysfunctions. Sadly, the refining also removed most of the minerals in sea salt. Table salt is now found widely around the world. Seventy-nine percent of households in Thailand, for example, use it.
Until 1950 underactive thyroid was treated with iodine supplementation. No, this is not the product you buy in the pharmacy to dab on wounds! This form is poisonous because it contains alcohol which must never be ingested. Instead, Iodine and its relative iodide are available in liquid and tablet variety. The popularity of iodine, hit a brick wall when the “Wolff-Chaikoff” study emerged from the University of California, Berkeley in 1947. It flew in the face of contemporary thinking; stating any iodine intake in excess of 2 mgs was excessive and potentially harmful. They claimed greater amounts caused hypothyroidism. This was not a scientific fact because hormone levels were never measured to support the argument. This warning then entered the annals of medical knowledge. So Doctors stopped prescribing iodine for thyroid conditions.
The other successful treatment option is by means of protomorphogens this translates as a substance taken from an animal source, normally porcine. Armor Labs have been producing their animal derived extract from as early as the 1930s. When the pharmaceutical companies started producing synthetic thyroid extract in the late 1950s, they swamped the market. Physicians stopped prescribing the natural thyroid extract: now it is pretty difficult to find.
At the same time, bromide ingestion has grown tremendously. Bromide is an iodine antagonist. It is to be found in soft drinks, white bread, toothpaste, fluoridated drinking water, beauty products and hair dyes. Up until the 1970s potassium iodide was added to bread, thanks to Wolff-Chaikoff the practice ceased; it was replaced by potassium bromide. No wonder the thyroid problem has blown up like a balloon. Oh, I haven’t mentioned increased radiation levels either! There is also the question of fluoride and chlorine added to drinking water. These halogens are iodine antagonists, too!
In view of all of this information, everybody needs to increase iodine intake. Eating Wakame seaweed is an excellent remedy, as is eating mussels and seafood. But you require quite a lot as a recommended daily dose to prevent low thyroid and excessive radiation, would be in the region of 30mg. If you have any doubts, it is never recommended to self-prescribe but instead go and see your health care practitioner who will check the problem out for you."

This article by Alister Bredee first appeared in the Samui Gazette of March 7th 2012

The Calcium Myth Exploded!

"We are told the best source of calcium comes via cow’s milk. Like many stories, this one was put out by the publicists employed by the dairy industry to sell their products. The power of advertising is such that people begin to believe the propaganda in time. Cows produce milk from eating grass. This is excellent as we need to get out vitamins and minerals from a vegetable source, too. For the body to absorb nutrients like calcium, they have to come via a photosynthesis process. The nutrient is in the soil; it passes to the vegetables, we eat the vegetables and gain the benefit. A mineral that has been photosynthesized is said to be organic. One that hasn’t is in-organic. Limestone deposits are a rich source of calcium, but they are useless for humans, as we cannot break down the rock into a substance that can be digested and then metabolized.

Cows get their calcium from their food, which is fresh and grassy because it has gone through photosynthesis. That means the nutrients can be digested. Vitamins also need to be present in the ground to enable this process to take place. The animal needs lots of calcium, because it has large bones. Cow’s milk is produced to support young cows and not humans! Calves grow up to become cows which weigh on average between 700 and 1000 lbs. Seven hundred pounds converts to 318 kilos, and that’s a small cow! How many humans do you know of this weight? Cow’s milk is a superfood designed to feed a large animal, so it grows up quickly. It is not the same as mother’s milk. When humans start drinking the recommended three glasses of milk per day, they begin to put on weight, just like the calf. Many people find milk is hard to digest. This is true of Asians who often lack the digestive enzyme, lactase. Milk produces much mucus in the system that clogs up the digestion. Let's return to the calcium issue. Calcium and magnesium are antagonists, but in order to digest calcium, you need magnesium in the correct ratio which is 2:1. Here’s the problem, the cow absorbs these things for itself or the calf, but not for the human; there is a deficiency in magnesium, which makes cow’s milk an inadequate calcium source.

Another factor is the earth factor. To absorb the essential vitamins and minerals means they have to be in the soil in the first place. Old farming methods demanded the field be left fallow to rest between crops, whilst the preferred fertilizer was cow manure. This has stopped because it does not suit the industrialized nature of large scale farming. Cow dung has been replaced by chemical fertilizers, usually of a petrochemical nature. The industry says artificial fertilizers are necessary because of the need to increase crop yields. This is not true. In the current situation, where factory farms separate livestock from plant crops; it is just too expensive to move the methane rich animal manure to the plants themselves. This has reached such a serious problem that most land is now so depleted, that it won’t produce anything without the aid of these artificial stimulants. Six micronutrients and 7 macro are required in the production of the popular nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. This artificial nitrogen is causing immense problems; it is a leading source of nitrous oxide. This far outstrips Carbon Dioxide as a purported cause of the greenhouse effect.

To resolve the issue they have to put the vitamin/ mineral mix back into the soil, but there is a serious problem. The new petrochemical products are inert, whilst the old waste form, coming from an animal origin is organic. It’s the old story of natural versus un-natural. The soil is becoming nutrient short because we are feeding it un-natural substances. This disturbing trend did not start yesterday. As evidence sperm counts in males, in the US, have been declining since the 1930s. A study that appeared in the Journal “Environmental Health Perspectives” showed a sperm density count of 113 million per deciliter in 1940 which had dropped to 66 million in 1990. This is a reduction of almost 50%. The Journal attributed this to environmental factors already mentioned. In short don’t depend on milk as a source of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Eat fresh, green leafy vegetables from an organic producer. These still hold adequate amounts of essential nutrients. For calcium, eat tuna and sardines because the bones of such fish provide an excellent, digestible, source. Also, take a superior quality, non-synthetic food supplement just to make sure you have got the equation right."
This article by Alister Bredee first appeared in the Samui Gazette of 22nd February 2012

Eat Right For Your Type By Alister Bredee

Graham Rowe was the General Manager and resident naturopath at The Health Oasis Resort on the ‘paradise’ island of Koh Samui. He trained in his native Australia and explained what ‘eat right for your type means’.

“Basically what we are saying is that one size doesn’t fit all. We need to base our diet on blood type. This is because the different blood groups profoundly effect body chemistry. There is an interaction between body chemistry and food.”

This idea is not Graham’s, it comes from work done by Dr.Peter D’Adamo who wrote a bestseller called “Eat Right for Your Type” which first hit the bookshops some fourteen years ago. Dr D’Adamo explains that because of the differences in blood chemistry, which is determined by blood group, some foods will be beneficial to some and harmful to others.

Graham maintains that this theory rings true in spite of a myriad differing diet progammes out there, because so many of the approaches simply do not work. He has found that eating according to blood type does perform successfully and what’s more unlike some other systems it has been thoroughly researched. “I am very impressed with the in depth peer review of this eating system and that the evidence supports the theory’, says Graham. “It appears to be the most rigorously scientifically evaluated diet of them all.”

“What’s more” he goes on to say, ”it works!”

Dr.D’Adamo tells us that it is perfectly OK for somebody of blood group O to eat like a carnivore and enjoy steaks and cuts of red meat. This, however, is simply not the case for those of Group A for instance, because they thrive better on a more vegetarian type eating style. I fall into this latter category and know full well that although enjoying a nice thick steak, I feel bloated and sluggish afterwards.

The trick is to know your blood group as many people don’t know this important piece of information. It seems this has proved a popular addition to the agenda and people received the information enthusiastically.

Clients come to the Health Oasis Resort for many reasons but the main one is to avail themselves of the fasting and de-tox prorgramme offered there. When the time comes to return to eating and ultimately leave Koh Samui for home these guests are taking with them a new way of feeding which helps them feel better and more energized. This assists them in holding on to the healthy benefits of their stay in a tropical paradise health resort. Many people return year after year in order to give their health a big boost of improvement and embrace eating patterns such as “Eat right for your type” with alacrity.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/584203

“The Cooking Oils War”.

"You would have to be blind not to notice the number of coconut palms on Koh Samui. In fact the same has to be said for the remainder of Thailand. Samui has been dubbed “the coconut capital’ of the country because it sends more than 2,000,000 nuts to Bangkok each month.

The ubiquitous coconut has played a healthy role in the staple diet of tropical dwellers for as long as time itself. In 1939 an American dentist called Dr. Weston A. Price published a book called “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,” His thesis was that the standard American diet high in sugars and flour caused nutritional deficiencies that were the root cause of poor dental health. In order to write his book he travelled the world examining the teeth of people in what were considered to be more primitive cultures who had not been exposed to poor American eating habits. He went to the South Pacific and found island inhabitants eating a staple diet built around coconuts. These people enjoyed overall good health and had reasonable body fat in spite of a diet high in saturated fat. A further study releasing similar findings from the same area was published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” in 1981.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 so beginning the US participation in World War 11. They invaded the Pacific islands and occupied coconut growing areas like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Prior to hostilities these countries had exported their products to the West where coconuts had played an important role in food production. Suddenly this supply ceased and the producers had to look for substitutes. This was how the polyunsaturated oil story began!

Soya beans had been introduced to the USA from China as long ago as 1770. The product was used at first as animal feed, but in 1904 the noted scientist George Washington Carver noticed the beans had high protein content making them suitable fodder for humans. In spite of Henry Ford’s effort to make a car from soya beans, production did not really take off until the war years. Soya oil became a major substitute for the tropical saturated varieties. The Soya Bean Growers of America invested a lot of money in this crop and when the war ended they were not happy to see their industry dwindle because of the re-importation of coconuts and palm oil. The Association hired a powerful public relations company whose job it was to extol the virtues of soya and denigrate the benefits of coconuts. Soya became a health product and coconut was portrayed as a danger to heart health. The largest producer of Soya beans was the United States!

In the 1950s the medical profession was spurred on by this propaganda to claim that saturated fats like coconut oil were the main cause of heart disease because they stimulated the production of cholesterol, whilst polyunsaturated oils like sunflower, soya, corn, sunflower and Canola worked to protect the body from the ravages of LDL, otherwise known as “bad” cholesterol. This was blatantly untrue, but the world came to believe the spin put forward by the Soya Producers and their allies. Saturated fats were demonized and cast aside!

Coconut Oil contains medium –chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Most other vegetable and seed oils are composed of long-chain fatty acids. These LCFAs are difficult to digest; they stress the digestive system and put additional pressure on the liver and pancreas. As they don’t break down easily excess is stored as body fat, thus perpetrating another myth that all fats make you fat! Conversely the MCFAs contained in coconut oil are considerably healthier because they are smaller and can be digested easily. They go directly to the liver where they are released as energy; there is no need for them to be stored as body fat. Experts have found that coconut oil stimulates the body’s metabolism and supports blood sugar levels. This results in weight loss and not gain!

Frying is not the healthiest way of preparing food. It is dangerous because it destroys the anti-oxidants present in the oils. This oxidizes it making it rancid. Olive oil is monounsaturated. It is a healthful oil which is great for preparing salads but has a low burning point that causes it to smoke at relatively low temperatures. This means it is unsuitable for frying. The one oil that resists heat induced damage is coconut. Use this instead; throw out all the other oils and start cooking with extra virgin coconut oil which is plentifully available on Koh Samui. The brownish heat treated versions are usually rancid, avoid them for cooking but go instead for the clear, clean smelling variety sold by many shops. Please note that frying oil should not be re-used. Once it has been heated toss it out and use a fresh batch for the next cooking foray."

This article by Alister Bredee first appeared in the "Samui Gazette" of December 14th 2011

Ho'opono pono

The Great Garbage Dump in the Sea

"The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” was discovered accidentally by yachtsman Charles Moore and his crew, who decided to take a shortcut back home to California, after competing in a sailing race to Hawaii. Their 1997 shortcut took them into an area of the North Pacific known as the “doldrums”. This region of high atmospheric pressure has been historically avoided by mariners because it is renowned for a lack of wind that becalmed sailing ships. It is a zone where many maritime currents converge, creating a slow vortex. This whirlpool effect sucks floating filth from the landmasses forming the Pacific Rim.

Moore discovered an enormous floating accumulation, that some have calculated to be the size of France, of non-biodegradable material, most of which is plastic. It comprises shopping bags, water bottles, polystyrene containers and much more. Just walk down any beach in Koh Samui after a patch of rough weather to view a similar assortment.

Plastic is a by product of the oil industry,where heavier cuts of crude are used to make “nodules’ that are melted down to make plastic products. It does not break down easily, but will decompose to make smaller flakes due to heat and light. These tiny chips are quickly unidentifiable. Scientists tell us that it will take up to 450 years for these particles to bio-degrade. The plastic in the Pacific has accumulated to a depth of 10 meters and has a cumulative weight in excess of 300 million tons. It sits in the ocean polluting the water and killing marine life at a truly alarming rate. Experts claim that a similar pile sits in the South Pacific off Easter Island and an alike mound wallows in the Atlantic.

Ireland was one of the first countries to register awareness of this growing catastrophe. Plastic bags were first introduced by the Supermarkets in the 1960s. Today 260 million tons of plastic products appear annually and bags make up a significant proportion of this total. As a result Ireland introduced legislation requiring the supermarkets to charge 13 Euro cents per bag. This swiftly deterred customers from acquiring the bags: the canny Irish swiftly brought their own reusable cloth carriers to the stores. This made a significant difference to the number of bags blowing in the wind! Other European countries have followed this example and this has seen a drop in the amount of plastic produced worldwide.

The production of bottled drinking water was a trend that began in the late 1980s and now sees more than 200 billion litres of bottled water sold annually. Most of this appears in plastic. This leaches into the water creating pcbs which reduce the pH of the water from a healthy 7 to much more acidic levels, sometimes lower than pH 6. This must have an affect on the health of the population! All of this, however, begs the question what can we do as concerned individuals to help reduce this horrendous problem?

Recent pictures of receding floods in Thailand show mounds of rubbish, most of it plastic, beginning to appear where water once stood. Klongs have been clogged by this material, which has blocked important drainage channels, thus worsening the extent of the floods.

The first thing to do is to stop taking the plastic bags offered by supermarkets and convenience stores. Andy Batts is an expert in recycling. He collects everything he can. He says there is “a recycling depot on the Ring Road, opposite the Bophut Fresh Market. You will find it on the left hand side of the road behind white gates.”
“There is a similar establishment in Nathon. These facilities accept what is considered to be re-cyclable waste and pay for it. Two kilos of plastic bottles sell for 9 THB. There are many Thais who earn their living by collecting these materials which they sell to the dumps.”

The biggest manufacturer of plastic product in the world is China. The Chinese are very happy to buy this waste back from other countries. This helps them reduce the consumption of raw materials and thus keeps their costs down.

We can all help this valuable cycle either by taking stuff to the dumps, or more importantly by aiding those who use this system to make a living. Place your re-cyclable materials like aluminum cans, plastic bottles and even newspapers in bags separate from organic waste. Leave these beside the rubbish bins so the collectors can find them easily. If you meet the collectors who often come round using motorcycle and sidecars, invite them to come and pick up from your home. If done properly this can help everybody and make a few small steps to protect the environment. Oh, be sure to buy bio-degradable black bags from the Supermarket!
This article first appeared in the Samui Gazette

Keep Your Blood Sugar in Range:

"Blood sugar testing is performed to check the amount of glucose that is in the blood at a given time. This is an easy test to administer and it can be performed by doctors, other health care professionals and many pharmacies also have the facility. The reading is shown in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). This is a useful test to have done if you find you have been gaining weight and it doesn’t seem to shift easily! The place to start is to ascertain a fasting blood sugar level. A healthy reading will lie somewhere between 80 and 99 mg/dl. If you want to convert this to mmol/ simply multiply by 18 or divide by 18 if you want to do it the other way around. Conventional medicine is likely to tell you that this range is too low. It isn’t! If the reading is above 100 mg/dl, a red flag is flying.
A reading between 100 and 125 indicates that you have a pre-diabetic condition and need to take some steps to prevent a further rise. The islets of Langarhans in the pancreas produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin is a storage chemical. Its purpose is to take glucose out of the blood and move it to the liver for storage. This supply of sugar feeds the brain and is responsible for overall energy needs. More glucose is taken to the muscles where it is stored for physical needs. Overall the body does not require much; approx 100 Gms is about enough as far as the liver is concerned. The glucose that is not stored converts to fat and weight increases. Metabolic Syndrome is sometimes referred to a syndrome X, it indicates that insulin is beginning to loosen its grip and is inhibited in reaching the cells. This is when blood sugar levels begin to rise and with them blood pressure readings. Now is the time to take some drastic steps to reverse the situation. Nobody wants to take supplemental insulin if at all possible!
If a test gives an elevated reading, repeat it TEST TWICE MORE TO BE QUITE SURE. Fasting means going without food and drink, except water and repeating the procedure first thing in the morning. If you are a smoker, refrain before because that might increase the result. If the reading is still above 100, go for another test an hour after eating. If this reading is even higher it seems safe to assume a problem exists. What do you do about it?
The first step is to regulate the diet. Glucose is something you eat so cut out the obvious culprits like sugar and sweets. Lettuce is a carbohydrate and will not be a problem. It is the starchy carbohydrates that pose the major difficulty. Starchy carbs include bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, biscuits, cakes and so on. You need to substantially reduce these in the diet. Thinking behind nutrition has changed radically and the old carb food pyramid is now obsolete. Instead include a restricted amount of complex carbohydrates in your eating regimen. This variety has not been refined so the husk and associated particulates make the digestion process slower. These foods include brown rice, jacket potatoes, wholemeal bread as well as pasta. Ideally though lots of vegetables and salads along with lean protein should be the preferred option.
Reduce the intake of coffee, instead plump for herbal or green tea, all preferably without sugar. Alcohol is sugar. Anything ending in “ol” is a sugar and should be severely curtailed if not avoided all together. Many high blood sugar issues are the result of excessive alcohol consumption.
Coupled with this dietary change it is important that your start to exercise. Long brisk walks that get you out of breath, but swimming, cycling, yoga, muay Thai, work outs in the gym or even hula hooping can have the desired effect, too. Such exercise will help burn off glucagon stored in the muscles and help displace blood sugar.
Higher blood sugar levels indicate the body is in a heightened state of physical readiness (flight or fight) because at an emotional level there is a stress related situation. You are squaring up to some situation that you want to resist. It would be a really good idea to examine what the situation is and do something to bring down the resistance levels. Health Ambit Consultancy can advise you how to do that. You can make contact via the website.
Low blood sugar is another problem but that is as they say another day’s work."
This article by Alister Bredee first appeared in "The Samui Gazette" of 11/11/11

Contrail or Chemtrail is it all a Conspiracy Theory?

The contrail/chemtrail argument has raged for over a decade and now it has hit Samui. Some people are claiming that they see unusual cloud formations directly after an aircraft flies overhead. The official response reiterated by Governments worldwide is the same. They tell you that you are observing a contrail. A contrail is a cloud of condensed water vapor created when the hot, humid gases from aircraft engines mix with the cold surrounding air. Look up into the sky on a clear day and you will see these trails usually flowing from a north south direction over Koh Samui. This is not a surprise as the island lies abreast the air corridor linking Bangkok with Hat Yai, Malaysia, Singapore and points south-east. The rate at which these contrails dissipate depends on the prevailing weather conditions. Samui lies within the tropics, in regions of high humidity contrails persist unlike in dry regions where they disappear very quickly.
Because of humidity these vapor trails fan out to make small clouds reaching a few hundred meters in height. The actual rate of dispersion will also depend on wind speeds and air turbulence. You can expect the trails to persist for more than a few minutes. According to “The Discovery TV Channel “the pollutants that are included in these trails include nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane.”
Chemtrails on the other hand, which are dismissed as being the invention of the conspiracy theorists, are composed of barium, aluminum salts, polymer fibers and sometimes silver carbide. That’s a noxious mixture! Their proponents claim that unlike contrails these persist for hours and eventually blend to form clouds. If you look at the sky, you will frequently see this phenomenon. Answers from officialdom continue to deny that such things exist. Now we are beginning to see this picture emerge in Thailand, what is going on?
A documentary produced by Michael Murphy in 2009 entitled “What in the World are they Spraying?” claims: “What most people call chemtrails are what scientists and geoengineers call trails from stratospheric aerosol engineering programs where aerosols/chemicals are sprayed out of airplanes in the atmosphere and spread out.” After heavy spraying the clouds appear whitish and become grey and murky.
Yes, geoengeineering exists. In 1991 patent 5003186 was granted in the USA. Its title is, “Stratospheric Welscbach seeding for Reduction of Global Warming.” The program involves metal oxides like aluminum dispersed into the atmosphere. As Global warming is not really an issue and the opposite appears to be the case one could say they have been successful in their endeavors! What’s more such successes render unnecessary the proposed “Carbon Emissions Tax” which is slated to come on line in the next few years. Bill Gates is deeply involved in this project, too. This is the man who announced during a TED lecture that the population of the planet needs to be reduced to something like half a billion.
If chemtrails are part of a geoengineering project to improve the world’s weather, then why not tell us so? There is something very wrong with the weather and efforts to rectify the problem deserve praise and not silence.
A commercial airline pilot admits he is skeptical when he hears that these trails are simply the result of atmospheric conditions. “Airplanes don’t fly all over the sky. They fly in relatively straight lines along air corridors. The spray planes do not conform to these patterns.” A lady resident in northern California asks the authorities to explain why there were no chemtrails for five weeks between July and August of last year. She claims the spray planes were diverted to spray the toxic “Coreexit “over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If as the authorities claim these planes are commercial flights somebody surely would have commented that air transportation was grounded for five weeks!!!!
Look up into the sky and use your eyes, what do you see and what do you think is happening? Share your insights with the letters page of the Samui Gazette, or leave comments here."
This article by Alister Bredee appeared in "The Samui Gazette" of 19th August 2011

“Beware the Sodium Fluoride Myth!”

The official reason that fluoride was introduced into the water supply in the majority of the English speaking world post World War 11 was something called “Colorado Brown Stain.” This was a mottling effect of the teeth which is now referred to as fluorisis. It was claimed that people with this condition resisted tooth decay. It was also curious that one of the communities tested for this phenomenon was an aluminum producing town called Bauxite, which was literally owned by the ALCOA Company.
The idea of potassium fluoride supplements to counteract tooth decay was not new. It was first put forward by a German public health officer called Carl Erhardt in 1874. His findings were backed up by British physician, James Crichton Brown a little bit later.
The Great Experiment of adding sodium fluoride (not potassium fluoride) to water began in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1945. The nearby community of Muskegon did not fluoridate the water in order to act as a control study to scientifically evaluate the effects. In truth sodium fluoride does not exist on its own in nature it is a toxic by-product of the gas fluorine. The study with duration of 15 years was supposed to give a true picture of the effects of adding 1 pp of industrial sodium fluoride to the water supply. Curiously it was never completed because all of a sudden a rash of other communities wanted to join the bandwagon without a proper clinical trial. The FDA approved the process in 1950 again with scant scientific basis. How as this possible? Already people knew this was a toxic chemical and European doctors had been treating parents with the pharmaceutical grade to counteract the effects of hyperthyroidism. There was also some evidence from a chemist called Perkins who had been in contact with German pharmaceutical giant IGFarben that the substance had been introduced into the water in areas where the population was considered to be volatile. Was it true that the Nazis were using fluoridation to mind control the population? We don’t really know, but it is interesting to note that thyroid hypo function has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and the drug “synthyroid” was the second most prescribed medication in 1999.
It is now 66 years since this experiment was initiated and in view of the risks involved one would expect to see amazing results in the dental health of the countries that have embraced the program. Sadly bad teeth are not a thing of the past in participating countries like Ireland, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Sadly research has determined that dental health has declined significantly. Now the practice is also to add sodium fluoride to most brands of toothpaste. Many western products now carry a health warning stating that medical attention needs to be sought if it is swallowed.
In Thailand water is not fluoridated but thanks to the "Borrow Foundation" milk and yoghurt are. Beware dairy products and we can all stop buying fluoridated toothpaste, too. Fluoride does not prevent acids from eating away enamel and forming cavities. The best and simplest course of action is to rinse away the decay forming acids with good, plain water. Technically, water has a pH of 7 and this is a neutralizer. Sadly, most toothpaste contains glycerin which creates an oily barrier around the teeth themselves. This interferes with the calcium phosphate uptake in the diet from strengthening the enamel. How then, you may ask do you clean your teeth? The answer is amazingly simple. The best agent for tooth cleaning is good, old fashioned soap. Scrape your brush along the bar a couple of times and then brush thoroughly. The soap will wash away acids, and dissolve the oils that prevent enamel re-growth. It will clean the gums and sweeten the breath, it does not usually taste very nice, and so you need to rinse your mouth very thoroughly with water after the cleaning process. Don’t however; use liquid soap as that will unleash another set of problems.
This article written by Alister Bredee, first appeared in the Samui Gazette of July 22nd 2011

"What a Friend we have in H2O2".

You might know it under other names, namely hydrogen peroxide or simply bleach. At 75% potency it serves as rocket fuel but the overall more common 6% dilution is available in brown bottles from the pharmacy.
H202 should be known as hydrogen dioxide because it contains one more atom of oxygen than water whose chemical formula is H202. Many environmentalists talk about the destruction of the delicate ozone layer which protects the earth’s atmosphere from the dangers of radiation that comes in from outer space. Ozone contains three atoms of oxygen (O3). The ozone layer is formed when the sun’s ultraviolet light splits oxygen atoms in two. The result is a couple of very unstable oxygen atoms. They then combine with another oxygen atom to produce ozone. The weak bonding means the compound is more than happy to get rid of the extra oxygen atom to falling rainwater. The rain produces hydrogen peroxide. You can smell this phenomenon during a rain shower. It gives the rainwater a special quality that makes it very helpful to plants. You might have noticed that rain makes your garden bloom much more luxuriantly than the water from the garden hose pipe. Farmers have been quick to grasp this and now spray their crops using a dilute H202 solution in order to increase their yields. You can do the same thing by purchasing a 6% bottle from the chemist for approximately THB 35. Use the metal cap as your measure. Add a capful to 5 liters and give the plants a treat on watering. You can also use the product as a safe toxic free insecticide. Add five capfuls of H202 to 5 liters of water plus two tablespoons of white sugar stir and decant into a spray bottle. Spray where you see aphids and other parasites. You might have to continue the process a little longer than when using chemicals but the results are much friendlier especially on vegetables.
As far as humans are concerned there is quite a lot of controversy about its usage. The compound is relatively stable and quickly dismutates when exposed to other compounds because it changes to harmless water. In nature oxygen atoms are found in pairs. A single oxygen atom is like a mad dog. It must find another oxygen atom in order to mate. It smashes through cell walls and causes untold damage in this search. These lone atoms are known as free radicals. Some schools of thought think of them as a good thing because they destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi which some think are the main cause of infection. Others like myself believe these play an important role in the healing process. There has been a tendency since the 60s to kick these microbes into oblivion by bleaching and disinfecting everything in sight. We are surrounded by antiseptic sprays and hand sanitizers and yet the rise in chronic illness rises unabated. Conventional medicine evolved from the battle field and has a tendency of talking about illness in warfare terms. White blood cells are responsible for “fighting” bacteria, when they perceive “invaders” they make hydrogen peroxide to oxidize bacteria, watch it froth and bubble as it “puts paid” to the” attacker”. Many feel this reaction is too severe and favor washing the wound with plain soap and water.
It is however, a good idea to keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to hand. It is a cheap way of getting rid of household molds and fungus and is an invaluable aid to counteracting insect stings. Pour a capful onto as wad of cotton wool and then dab the sting. You will notice the inflammation swiftly decreases as the swelling subsides in a space of a few minutes. It is a useful remedy for mosquito bites which sometimes form scar tissue if left to their own devices. Try some of these tips for yourself, you may be pleasantly surprised.

I love you enough

I love you enough to allow you to find the God of your understanding,
however, whenever, and if ever you choose…

Allow you to make what I perceive to be foolish mistakes…

Never possess you and never let you possess me…

Allow you to maintain your dignity and never let you take away
mine…

Allow you to seek help in your own way – wherever and whenever you
choose…

Leave your responsibilities in your hands and to assume my own…

Allow you to hurt when you choose…

Never apologize nor cover up for you…

Be your best friend or never see you again…

Miss you but not be destroyed when we are out of touch…

Drop all my expectations of you…

Become so serene and at peace that I don't `need' you…

Let go of jealousy and anger…

Allow you to have your secret space and to have my own…

Listen to you with an open heart when I can…

Never tolerate you unacceptable behavior – forgive you unacceptable
behavior when and if I am ready…

Allow you to grow faster or slower that I do without resentment…

Allow you to take magnificent care of yourself, your spirit and those
things that are yours…

Allow you to become the beautiful person that you are.

I LOVE YOU ENOUGH TO LET YOU GO!

James A. McGregor - 1983

__._,_.___

The Amazing Story of German New Medicine:

"Dr.Ryke Geerd Hamer, one time chief internist of the Cancer Clinic of Munich University Hospital met horrific tragedy when in 1978, his 19 year old son Dirk, was shot dead in front of his eyes! Shortly afterwards he developed testicular cancer and wondered why! His exploration brought him to a dramatic conclusion that he called "The Iron Rule of Cancer"! However, in the light of Meta-Medicine which is a newer and perhaps less stringent take on Dr. Hamer’s work, this rule applies equally well to all disease.
The "Iron Rule" states that a sudden and unforeseen incident of a highly charged emotional nature leads to illness. He says this can be cured once the emotional conflict is resolved. He suggests this is why so many conventional treatments are unsuccessful. The same phenomenon occurs in the animal world. A sheep loses its lamb to a predator and goes on to develop teat cancer. The cancer disappears when the ewe falls pregnant once again.
The "Significant Emotional Event" (SEE) leads to what Hamer calls a "Dirk-Hamer-Syndrome", which produces a lesion on the brain. In the first phase of disease the body is dominated by the stressful sympathetic nervous system .The person obsesses about the event. He/she encounters high energy levels but hands and feet become cold, appetite drops off, blood pressure increases, constipation can occur and sleeping becomes difficult. In this phase the body creates a symptom. Hamer was able to trace this development by using “Computerized Tomography". He then produced a chart that relates specific emotional traumas with the formation of lesions in the brain that result in cancerous tumors growing in predictable parts of the body.
For instance a child is knocked down by a car and enters a coma. The mother witnesses this; she is distraught. A lesion forms on her brain and that prompts the breast milk producing glands. Instinctively her old self believes that she needs to nurture the child through the crisis. The child is in the hospital and cannot take the milk, as a result a tumor forms. She drops everything and focuses all her time and attention on her injured child. One day he wakes up in his hospital bed. The trauma instantly resolves itself and she feels overwhelming relief. The brain lesion turns to an edema and the tumor stops growing as no more milk is required. She can relax and she enters the healing stage of the disease. Naturally occurring bacteria in the body can now consume the growth; however she also feels uncomfortable and has low energy. She goes to see her Doctor who diagnoses breast cancer.
The manufacturers of the CT equipment, Siemens, testify that Geerd Hamer used over 6,000 scans in his work in developing this extraordinary theory. What he appears to be saying is that the cancer is a symptom of the real illness, which lies painfully embedded in the psyche and in the brain. He appears to have thoroughly researched his explanation to boot!
Hamer criticizes the orthodox medical treatment of cancer by saying that 98% of patients die from the treatment and not the disease. He claims: "Nowadays most people with cancer die from the affects of the medical diagnosis and prognosis. It is this which produces the supposed metastases!" He maintains there is no such thing as cancer spreading as conventionally supposed. Instead the metastasis is the growth of another cancer caused by yet another Significant Emotional Event, which is the shock of the medical diagnosis and negative prognosis.
Dr Hamer does not offer solutions how these conflicts are to be resolved, but stresses resolution has to be gentle. Rough analytical abreactive therapies are to be discouraged because they might trigger another cancer causing Event. However, many gentle therapies such as EFT, Ambit, and the Emotion Code abound; they might just play a big part in resolving these disease producing conflicts in what must be a milestone in Mind-Body Medicine."
This article appeared in "The Samui Gazette" of 25th June 2011.
Alister Bredee is a freelance author living on Koh Samui. He is a health care practitioner (working with the amazing CoRe system to find out more ask about a free introductory session), trainer and a partner in The Health Ambit Consultancy, which is named after the Meridian Energy therapy he developed. It involves diagnosis by muscle testing and treatment using the meridian system. He also works as a Detox Consultant and Locum with extensive experience. He can be contacted via his website: www.healthambit.com. He publishes a regular blog at: http://healthambit.blogspot.com/ . You can find him and the Health Ambit Consultancy on Facebook.

Full Moon Parties on Koh Phangan: and Elsewhere, too!

We all know that Koh Phangan is Samui’s smaller sister island which lies approximately ten kilometers to the north of the bigger island. Koh Phangan is definitely less developed than Samui. The south coast is blessed with good roads but as you go north many of these disintegrate into dirt tracks. This makes transportation a slow and bumpy affair. A boat service from Maenam sails the east coast and is often the best way to get to some of the more interesting resorts situated on Bottle Bay. This service serves the Sanctuary Detox resort and Mai Pen Rai bungalows,too. A trip to this region of Koh Phangan takes you back in time and gives you some idea how Samui was 10 years ago.
The Full Moon Parties on Koh Phangan are world renowned. Haad Rin is the nightlife hub of the island and every full moon, 10 or so of the clubs band together to host a beach party which has rocketed to world wide acclaim. The next full moon arrives on May 17th, so if you are thinking of going don’t mark this date in your diary because it is a Vishaka Bucha Day which means parties of the type enjoyed on Koh Phangan will have to be delayed until the following day in deference to the religious holiday. Then surprisingly this peaceful and relatively unblemished island turns into a party goers paradise. In the quieter off season months like the month of May, ten thousand people make their way to enjoy the full moon revellery. They dance the night away to music so loud that it reverberates across the water and can be heard as far away as Samui, itself.
You can be pretty certain it will be a difficult task to find a bed close or not so close to the party unless you book early. For the hardy there is no real need to spend the night on Koh Phangan because an armada of speed boats whisks passengers across the sea from Bangrak all night long. Most people make their way to the party from Samui. You need to book a return trip to avoid being stranded overnight. Another caution is to be sure to find your boat by the appointed time for the return voyage unfortunately some party goers find this a difficult feat to accomplish! Koh Phanagan is definitely worth a visit, so this speedy in an out approach to the Full Moon party is not to be recommended. You would be well advised to spend a night or two across there. Venture away from Haad Rin and there are many breathtaking surprises to be had, because then you have the opprtunity to spend a few days in any one of the many delightful resorts scattered all over the island. As I say if you want to stay during the time of the Full Moon festivities you need to book, this means some prior research is indicated.
However, if you are going expect am amazing evening, where the huge speakers act like jackhammers to drive the beat into your very bones. This makes everyone get up and boogey. It might not be your cup of tea, it certainly isn’t mine but I am told everyone should try it at least once. Instead I shall be going to Jun’s wonderful vegetarian Art Cafe in Samui Town Centre. This is just off the ring road a few hundred meters after the Bophut traffic lights travelling in the direction of Chaweng. She opens her door at 2 and closes them at eight on every full moon day. She donates the food which comprises a healthy fusion menu for free and the happy eaters then pay a donation for their feast. This goes to support a worthy charity. In April the money was directed to recompense for some of the damage incurred by the local floods and the previous month it went to the survivors of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. To find out more link to their webpage by going to:Check here
By Alister Bredee in "Ther Samui Gazette" of 13th May 2011

“Infinite Horizons”, top notch Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre to Open on Samui on May 1st.

“Infinite Horizons” is a luxury “rehab” center slated to open on Samui on May 1st. The property itself sits perched on the side of a hill in the south west corner of the island. The sunset coast is a far cry from the rowdy bustle of Chaweng or even Lamai. In this corner, off the ring road, life becomes much more tranquil and takes on the tone of rural mainland Thailand. Quiet villages nestle beside the sea and acres of coconut trees sprawl upwards to hills that give way to small mountains.
Infinite Horizons perches at the top of a steep road on one of those hill sides. The property itself is decidedly five star. It comprises 9,600 square meters of tasteful luxury nestling beside an infinity swimming pool that affords unbroken views out to sea and the five islands beyond. On a clear day it is easy to see the mainland shimmering in the distance. There are six accommodation types and clients stay in suites that vary from 51 to 161 square meters in size. All rooms face west, affording breathtaking sunset views which can be enjoyed from the privacy of their very own private terraces. Coming to Samui to kick the habit of drugs or alcohol will certainly be a comfortable experience. The program’s creators have decided to limit the number of “guests’ to a maximum of eight at any one time. This makes for an intimate, family sizes community where the client to staff ratio is 2:1. This ideally small number gives rise to caring and personalized treatment programs.
These programs have been carefully designed according to clinical research. They are at the cutting edge of modern clinical practice. As a result the “Center” is able to offer more intensive individual and group psychotherapy than is the usual case. Infinite Horizons is also offering complementary therapies which include luxury spa treatments, yoga, nutritional counseling and natural medicine as well as innovative holistic treatments that have never been seen in a ‘rehab facility’ anywhere in the world. However luxurious the surroundings which are probably unsurpassed anywhere else, it is necessary in order for the project to succeed, to have a professional staff who which is both skilled and dedicated . The creator of this project is the marketing brains behind the venture. He was fortunate to recruit clinical social worker Ian Lyons who has a lot of experience in running “rehab” programs in the United States and elsewhere, including Thailand. The “falang” group are ably assisted by Thai Doctors and nurses, a management team, a yoga teacher and Spa therapists who have all come together to provide one of the most outstanding rehabilitation programs available not only in Thailand but elsewhere, too! When you consider the price of a rehab program in the UK’s “Priory Clinic” franchise, you will find that coming to Samui works out a fraction of the cost. The treatment s are arranged in three programs starting with a 28 day “Detox”. For those in need of a little more assistance there are also 45 and 90 day programs. All programs, besides offering individual and group sessions also have the invaluable component of A.A meetings several times per week.
Admissions to the facility are handled through the Bangkok Office, where all e-mails are seen and then answered by an experienced addiction’s counselor. The reply is confidential and leads to a telephone interview. Once clarity is established secure booking with confirmed dates can be made and treatment can thus begin easily.
On the website there is a short self-assessment questionnaire. This will help the individual determine what his or her needs are and give some indication of the most desirable program length. However, you will still need to undertake the telephone interview before a secure booking can be made. To find out more about Infinite Horizons see their website click here
This article by Alister Bredee appeared in the Samui Gazette of April 29th 2011

New Innovative Treatment for Addictions and Co-Occurring Disorders Launched by Leading Alcohol and Drug Rehab Center, Infinite Horizons

Infinite Horizons, Asia’s premiere alcohol and drug rehab center, is pleased to unveil a groundbreaking, innovative and experimental therapeutic technique that shows considerable promise when used in the treatment of patients with alcohol and drug addictions or co-occurring disorders.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 8, 2011

AMBIT Emotional Therapy is an intervention that can be used to treat individuals with alcohol addiction, drug addiction and dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders. Infinite Horizons is the first alcohol and drug rehab center in the world to incorporate this approach into its treatment program. Preliminary anecdotal evidence demonstrates tremendous clinical value for this unique and powerful intervention.

Originally devised by Alister Bredee D.H.H.’s contribution to Meridian Energy Healing, thus AMBIT - Alister’s Meridian Based Integrative Technique. The technique depends on muscle testing which has a rapid means of communicating with the unconscious mind. The practice evolved from Kinesiology, which was first devised by researchers in Chiropractic Medicine in the 1960s, but has never before been used in any alcohol and drug rehab center, until now!

In 2001, Dr. Bredee became the facilitator of The Irish Association for the Advancement of Meridian Energy Techniques and was using and teaching therapies like EFT, which he had studied with founder Gary Craig in the USA. “I realized the enormous power of the unconscious mind which can process up to 14,000,000 bits of information per second. It serves as the home of emotions and of memories,” states Dr. Bredee. This concept has tremendous implications for clients struggling with alcohol addiction, drug addiction and co-occurring disorders.

As a result of muscle testing the practitioner can quickly access information from the subconscious. AMBIT techniques are used with clients at Infinite Horizons alcohol and drug rehab center, to find trapped memories. These memories cause energy blockages in the neurologic system of clients, which can also be the principal constituent in disease, or the maladaptive behaviors associated with alcohol addiction, drug addiction and co-occurring disorders.

AMBIT can pinpoint a causative event within a year or two of its occurrence, much to the surprise of the client. The utilization of such an innovative intervention in an alcohol and drug rehab center, with clients suffering from alcohol addiction, drug addiction or co-occurring disorders is quite powerful. Due to his extensive training in Holistic Medicine, Dr. Bredee also realized that negative emotions could be removed from the body by working with the Meridian system. Dr. Bredee presented this discovery at the Second European Energy Conference that took place at Lady Margaret Hall, at Oxford in 2002.

More recently, Dr. Bredee has been influenced by Dr. Bradley Nelson’s “Emotion Code” and he now backflushes a meridian using a strong magnet or Zero Point Energy device to remove the embedded emotion from the neurology. In this way it is possible to permanently remove a gamut of negative emotions that are often the root causes for symptoms of alcohol addictions and drug addictions quite rapidly. Today, Alister Bredee is a key member of the clinical team at Infinite Horizons rehab center.

The Clinical Team at Infinite Horizons asserts that AMBIT, when used in conjunction with traditional medical and holistic therapies, will significantly improve success rates for clients suffering from alcohol addiction, drug addiction and co-occurring disorders, post discharge from treatment.

Infinite Horizons, is an alcohol and drug rehab center, located on the beautiful tropical island of Koh Samui in Thailand. The facility is second to none in providing luxurious facilities, amenities and opulent accommodations. In addition to this exciting new technique, Infinite Horizons offers a fully comprehensive treatment program, administered by highly educated and trained clinicians. .For more information visit Infinite Horizons.


:

“The Islands May Call; You Come Away, Come Away!”

"Australian film director Rhonda Byrne took the world by storm in 2006 when she premiered ‘The Secret”. This was not a conventional movie that depended on audiences filling cinemas; instead she set out to sell it in DVD format. Thanks to a stunning trailer the world was agog with anticipation when the sales campaign took off. In essence she adapted a long forgotten book called “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace Wattles which talks about the metaphysical law of attraction. This law states that thoughts are things; if we set out minds on something we will in time bring in into reality. As a result lots of people spent an inordinate amount of time visualizing Porsches for example and in most cases to no avail! Yes, indeed it is possible to bring experiences and material “goodies’ into our world but all limiting beliefs blocking the materialization process will halt the manifestation. The unconscious mind is a bit like an iceberg. Ten per-cent remains above the surface and is apparent for all to see but another 90% lurks underneath quite hidden from view. If for example, your unconscious believes a Porsche is too expensive then there is scant likelihood of bringing one of these vehicles into your possession.
In the film there were approximately 20 individuals, referred to as “teachers” who explained the ideas. Most of these people were drawn from the field of self-development including motivational speakers like Joe Vitale and Bob Proctor. Among them was Michael Beckwith, a minister of religion who founded the Agape International Spiritual Centre located in the greater Los Angeles area. He began his Church in 1986 which today boasts a congregation in excess of 9,000. Michael Beckwith is a powerful orator full of wisdom and common sense. His charisma has drawn celebrity figures like Oprah Winfrey to him and the valuable work done by the church’s outreach program has attracted many thousands more. They feed homeless people, visit prison inmates and help support their families as well as work to ecologically preserve the planet whilst giving assistance to orphanages that are home to children suffering from AIDS.
Where do the islands come into this story? There are two islands very far apart. One of them is Koh Samui and the other Maui. Paul Rambo has been living on Samui for several months now and succinctly draws all these disparate strands together. He and Michael Beckwith grew up together in the same Los Angeles suburb and like Michael he too is a Minister of religion. Paul moved to the Big Island of Hawaii some thirty years ago where he was fortunate enough to study Huna. Huna means “secret” and the islands abound with a rich history of ancient knowledge which because of Hawaii’s remote location has not been diluted by other cultures and other thinking patterns. He studied Ho’opono pono with “National Treasure” of Hawaii, Morrnah Simeona, who adapted an ancient Hawaiian practice for solving local disputes and turned it into a means of communication with what the Hawaiians refer to as the three selves and we in the West know as the Superconscious, Conscious and Unconscious minds. This technique enables us to communicate more effectively with ourselves and ultimately with a higher power. Simeona presented “Ho’opono pono” to the United Nations. It is a great pity they have not been able to use the method to bring genuine and lasting peace to the world!
Paul later moved to Maui where he has officiated at over 100 weddings. When Michael Beckwith and his wife Rikki wanted to renew their vows after 7 years of marriage, it was to Maui they went where Paul assisted with the Hawaiian chanting at the ceremony. Many people come to Samui to get married and Paul is happy to officiate at the ceremonies. As he is on the island he also offers therapy sessions where he incorporates Ho’opono pono and Karuna Reiki. All of this brings the soul into alignment with the spirit self and makes it easier to make the law of attraction work in your life. He can be contacted a via his website http://spiritsoulconnection.com"

This article by Alister Bredee appeared in the Samui Gazette of April 4th 2011