Back to Healing through Unity newsletters

HEALING THROUGH UNITY

May, 2000

A monthly newsletter dedicated to serving the principles of
physical and spiritual health envisioned in the Baha'i Teachings.

Volume 3, Issue #9

_______________________________________________________

CONTENTS

----------------------

- Abdu'l-Baha's Use of Natural Remedies
- Editor's Note Regarding the Focus of this Issue
- Optimal Nutrition for Optimal Health
- Nutrition: Guidance from the Baha'i Writings
- Tablet to a Physician
- Suggested Reading
- Living Past 100
- Announcement
- Health Habits
- Letters
- Question of the Month
- Purpose of the Newsletter
- Website

***********************************************************

ABDU'L-BAHA'S USE OF NATURAL REMEDIES

***********************************************************

Taken from "The Revelation of Baha'u'llah", Volume Three, by Adib Taherzadeh, pp. 361-2

Dr. Yunis Khan, a distinguished and trusted secretary of Abdu'l-Baha and one of the Heralds of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah (the title 'Herald of the Covenant' was sometimes given by Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi to outstanding promoters of the Covenant), writes an interesting account in his memoirs. The following is a summary of his reminiscences:

"I heard Abdu'l-Baha many times speaking about the subject of medicine: He used to say that Jinab-i-Kalim (Baha'u'llah's faithful brother) was very knowledgeable in herbal medicine and used to practise it. In the early days Abdu'l-Baha also used to practise it. In the early days Abdu'l-Baha also used to prescribe medicine to those who came to him for healing. But later Baha'u'llah directed Him not to prescribe for patients, so that the believers might turn to the medical profession and not form the habit of seeking medical advice from unqualified people. This advice was given by Baha'u'llah so that His injunction in the 'Kitab-i-Aqdas (Baha'i Most Holy Book) to consult a skilled physician might be realized. 

Although we all knew that because of this particular commandment in the 'Kitab-i-Aqdas, Abdu'l-Baha, the healer of spiritual ills, would not consent to prescribe for the physical sickness, yet whenever the doctor's treatment failed to cure, the patient used to turn to the Master and beg for healing from the One who was the Healer of all ills. And since the compassionate nature of Abdu'l-Baha was such that He could not withhold help from an individual who turned to Him, in such cases He would, as a matter of principle, employ some means to cure the patient. This He did by offering some remedy and thus conferring healing on the individual. More surprising is the fact that whereas the believers acted with some restraint, the non-Baha'i public who were not aware of the real situation used to come to Him for healing more often, and none of them left feeling disappointed.

One of the remedial means which was at Abdu'l-Baha's disposal and which He offered to many a sick person, was a delicious sauce made from pomegranates. The fruit has been grown in the Garden of Ridvan in Akka. To whomsoever Abdu'l-Baha gave this sauce, whether a believer or a non-Baha'i, He would say that the pomegranates had grown on trees in the Garden of Ridvan, trees which had been blessed by Baha'u'llah's eyes. But what were the circumstances which produced healing? Was it an inherent nature of the patient to be cured, was the cure the result of taking the sauce, or was it purely through the will of Abdu'l-Baha? I do not know the answer, but one thing I know that it was proved time and time again that this delicious fruit sauce was the remedy for many an illness! This was one of the topics often discussed among the believers in the Pilgrim House.

Another prescription which Abdu'l-Baha gave to some was that of fasting or cutting down on certain foods...."

**************************************************************************

EDITOR'S NOTE REGARDING THE FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE

**************************************************************************

In the April, 2000 issue, the question of the month is: "I would like some articles on the 'proper diet' for either ill people or for those that are well. There is so much conflict out there on this subject and each doctor or medical person has a different idea. Just a fruit/vegetable diet is not enough for healing on the material plane. And herbs are sometimes needed to fight a disease. Are there any suggestions to this important subject?"

There have been no responses to the question of the month and a complete discussion of different diets and nutritional guidance is beyond the scope of this newsletter since there is a wealth of information available for us to choose from. However, there is an excellent article printed for your information called 'Optimal Nutrition for Optimal Health' from "Encyclopedia of National Healing". Some quotations and the Tablet to a Physician which provides nutritional guidance from the Baha'i Teachings are included. I also offer some suggested reading which may be useful for our diets, the selection of herbs, vitamins and nutritional supplements.

"...it must be clearly understood that no specific school of nutrition or medicine has been associated with the Baha'i teachings." (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, July 11, 1978, Lights of Guidance, p. 298)

***********************************************************

OPTIMAL NUTRITION FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH

***********************************************************

Taken from "Encyclopedia of Natural Healing", A Practical Self-Help Guide, Alive Research Group, by Siegfried Gursche, MH and Dr. Zoltan Rona, Medical Advisor, pp. 112 - 114.

Optimal health is more than the absence of disease. The term 'optimal health' has emerged in the last twenty years as a description of the most desirable state of health and well-being that one can experience. Serious concerns over the quality of the foods we eat have given birth to a growing number of health-conscious consumers willing to take responsibility for improving their own health.

The human body has a miraculous natural ability to protect and heal itself from sickness, but there is a limit to its endurance. If we are to achieve optimal health, we must acquire the knowledge and tools to heal ourselves with the assistance of qualified health practitoners.

Thomas Edison predicted, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." Apparently the future has not yet arrived. In modern Western medical schools, the study of nutrition comprises a minimal part of a doctor's training. The prevention of disease through proper eating is given only token importance. Instead, significant attention is given to the prescribing of medicines and treatments, many of which have adverse, and sometimes irreversible, side-effects.

This approach to health, which permeates popular medical thinking, is the exact opposite of the direction voiced by Hippocrates fifteen centuries ago when he admonished his followers to "Let thy food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

Understanding the impact of our food choices, what we eat and drink, are two of the most important steps we can take along the road to achieving optimal health.

THE ORIGINAL DIET

The last 80 to 100 years have ushered a drastically different style of eating in comparison to the diets of our grandparents, and their grandparents before them. No longer are our food sources home and community-based. We have become global eaters, consumers of mass-marketed, highly refined and processed 'foods.' An examination of the diets of our ancestors offers a myriad of clues and possibilities to help us find our way back to healthy eating. It is noteworthy that traditional diets that have evolved independently in different parts of the world have a common nutritionally-sound basis.

Biologically, humans are omnivores, 'eaters of everything.' Compared to the modern Western diet, the diets of our ancestors included far more fiber, less saturated beef fat and no hydrogenated fat such as margarine or shortening. Instead, they consumed more natural fat, particularly the omega-3 essential fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)....

In the 1930s Dr. Weston Price, a Canadian-born dentist with a keen interest in anthropology and health, discovered the devastating impact of replacing a traditional food diet with a modern one on the health of primitive people. He conducted a famous research project, traveling the world and studying the dietary habits of some of the planet's most primitive and isolated people.

No matter where his research led him from the African continent to the Swiss Alps, from the Amazon jungle - to the Northern reaches of the Canadian Arctic - Dr. Price's observations were consistent. He found that the ancient cultures that displayed remarkable longevity ate predominately vegetable-source foods. These cultures are often cited in support of a purely vegetarian diet, however, the healthiest groups also ate fish regularly. Dr. Price found that wherever geography permitted, fish and seafood played a major role in the diet and he believed that the beneficial fats found in fish most likely accounted for the superior health of these people who were free of dental and degenerative disease. 

After many years of dedicated study and research, Dr. Price concluded that the overall health and resistance to disease of his subjects was far superior in the study groups who maintained a traditional diet consisting of the animals they could catch and the fruits, berries, nuts, grains and eggs they could collect. Dr. Price also postulated that human disease is caused by sub-optimal nutrient intake.

Traditional diets of long-lived peoples, whether or not they were predominantly vegetarian, shared certain other common features. Most foods were eaten raw, so they were high in fiber and rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Foods were locally derived and unrefined. Dairy products were obtained from animals that had grazed on fresh, green pastures and these products were almost always eaten in fermented forms, such as yogurt and cheese. All sweet foods, including fruits, were eaten in season and therefore were rare treats rather than regular parts of the diet. Vegetable oils and fruit juices were also rare. Processed foods such as white flour, sugar and hydrogenated fats were nonexistent.

Wild greens, and seaweeds, where available, have always been a very important component of traditional diets. These foods, rich in vitamins and minerals, were alkaline-forming in the body, and provided a counterbalance to acid-forming grains and meats.

OUT OF EDEN

The idyllic lifestyle and eating habits of the healthy natives studied by Dr. Price are in stark contrast to the overfed but undernourished inhabitants of North America. In the mad rush to modernize, our once-healthy dietary patterns have been reshaped and remolded by the clever marketing strategies of the fast food industry and multinational food producers.

Socio-economic changes such as both parents working, single-parent families, nuclear family isolation and the generally hectic schedules of modern life have all played a part  in the popular acceptance of fast foods. The price we pay for 'convenience' foods is far greater than the immediate monetary cost. When we consider the far-reaching health and environmental consequences of the popular use of these foods, we realize it is worth our investment in the time and money to return to a natural foods diet....

LINKS TO HEALTH

Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, set a medical precedent in considering the role of nutrients in relation to health and disease. It only took the next fifteen hundred years for the Arthritis Foundation and the United States Surgeon General to come to some of the same conclusions. After centuries of denial the medical establishment has finally begun to acknowledge the role dietary habits and nutrition play in creating disease. 

Cancer, arthritis, diabetes and heart disease, four of Western civilization's most common diseases, do not happen overnight. They are degenerative diseases that develop over the course of many years. There are certainly other mitigating factors such as lifestyle, smoking, stress, genetic predisposition and environmental toxins that also influence the onset of disease.

Successive years of eating highly refined, overprocessed and pesticide-ridden foods can take their toll on the health of even the strongest human. Chronic, sub-optimal nutrient intake gradually erodes the body's defense system and reconstructive, healing abilities, thus opening the door to many preventable health problems.

The overconsumption of refined oils and hydrogenated (artificially hardened) fats in combination with refined sugar and a lack of exercise lead to obesity. Being more than twenty percent overweight has been linked to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis.

NUTRITIONAL LINKS

When the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) were established over fifty years ago, they began to identify the minimal levels of essential nutrients required to prevent commonly recognized nutritional deficiency diseases. 

The science of nutrition has come a long way since the accidental discovery that the vitamin C in citrus fruits cures and prevents scurvy....The power of nutrients to prevent and cure disease is being researched around the world. Nutritional researchers are identifying and studying thousands of enzymes and phytonutrients they never knew existed in food.... 

Nutrients are the natural chemicals found in foods, and are utilized by the body to maintain health and combat illness. If a deficiency of nutrients contributes to the causes of disease, then it stands to reason that an optional level of nutrients contributes to wellness. (Editor's note: It is interesting to note that in the Tablet to a Physician it says: " Treat disease first of all through diet, and refrain from medicine. If what you can find what you need for healing in a single herb, do not use compound medicine.")

**********************************************************************

NUTRITION: GUIDANCE FROM THE BAHA'I WRITINGS

**********************************************************************

FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHA'U'LLAH

"In all circumstances they should conduct themselves with moderation; if the meal be only one course this is more pleasing in the sight of God; however according to their means, they should seek to have this single dish be of good quality." (Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Badi, p. 2)

FROM THE WRITINGS OF ABDU'L-BAHA

"What will be the food of the future?" "Fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Days in the Light of Akka, 1979  ed, pp. 8-9)

"But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. With this, and with perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse.

For the animal, as to its body, is made up of the same constituent elements as man. Since, however, the animal contenteth itself with simple foods and striveth not to indulge its importunate urges to any great degree, and committeth no sins, its ailments relative to man's are few..." Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p 152-3)

"As humanity progresses, meat will be used less and less, for the teeth of man are not carnivorous...The human teeth, the molars, are formed to cut grass, which is their fodder. The front teeth, the incisors, are for fruit, etc. It is, therefore, quite apparent according to the implements for eating that man's food is intended to be grain and not meat. When mankind is more fully developed, the eating of meat will gradually cease." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulagation of Universal Peace, pp. 170-71) 

"But eating meat is not forbidden or unlawful, nay, the point is this, that it is possible for man to live without eating meat and still be strong. Meat is nourishing and containeth the elements of herbs, seeds and fruits; therefore sometimes it is essential for the sick and for the rehabilitation of health. There is no objection in the Law of God to the eating of meat if it is required. So if thy constitution is rather weak and thou findest meat useful, thou mayest eat it." (Abdu'l-Baha, Health and Healing: Compiled by the Universal House of Justice, p. 8-9)

FROM A LETTER WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF SHOGHI EFFENDI

"In regard to the question as to whether people ought to kill animals for food or not, there is no explicit statement in the Baha'i Sacred Scriptures (as far as I know) in favour or against it. It is certain, however, that if man can live on a purely vegetarian diet and thus avoid killing animals, it would be much preferable. This is, however, a very controversial question and the Baha'is are free to express their views on it. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 9, 1931, Lights of Guidance, p. 296) 

FROM LETTERS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

"No specific school of nutrition or medicine has been associated with the Baha'i teachings. What we have are certain guidelines, indications and principles which will be carefully studied by experts and will, in the years ahead, undoubtedly prove to be invaluable sources of guidance and inspiration in the development of these medical sciences. Moreover, in this connection the Guardian's secretary has stated on his behalf that "It is premature to try and elaborate on the few general references to health and medicine made in our Holy Scriptures." The believers must guard against seizing upon any particular text which may appeal to them and which they may only partially or even incorrectly understand....In matters of diet, as in medicine, the Universal House of Justice feels that the believers should be aware that a huge body of scientific knowledge has been accumulated as a guide to our habits and practices. Here too, as in all other things, the believers should be conscious of the two principles of moderation and courtesy in the way they express their opinions and in deciding whether they should refuse food offered to them or request special foods. There are, of course, instances where a believer would be fully justified in abstaining from or eating only certain foods for some medical reason, but this is a different matter and would be understood by any reasonable person." (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, January 24, 1977, Lights of Guidance, p. 298)

In matters of health, particularly regarding diet and nutrition, the House of Justice advises the friends to seek the help and advice of experts and doctors. This is what Baha'u'llah has recommended and He does not indicate which school of thought or practice they should belong to. However, as you particularly ask about references in the Old Testament as they relate to meat and fish, the House of Justice has asked us to quote for you the following excerpt taken from a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian by his secretary to an individual believer: "...there is nothing in the teachings about whether people should eat their food cooked or raw; exercise or not exercise; resort to specific therapies or not; nor is it forbidden to eat meat." (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, July 11, 1978, Lights of Guidance, 298)

************************************

TABLET TO A PHYSICIAN

************************************

(Editor's Note: This unauthorized translation of the entire Tablet by Baha'u'llah is published in "Star of the West", Vol.13, No.9, p.152, Dec.1922. In the Tablet to a Physician, written to a Persian physician more than a century ago, Baha'u'llah gives general and specific advice about health and healing. This Tablet was first printed in the 'Healing Through Unity' Newsletter in May, 1998 and it is being reprinted for those who have not read it. It is an important Tablet to study carefully and it will perhaps take many more generations before we begin to fully understand and appreciate the divine wisdom behind the unique aspects of this Tablet.) 

O God! The Supreme Knower!

The Ancient Tongue speaks that which will satisfy the wise in the absence of physicians.
Say! O people! Do not eat except when you are hungry. Do not drink after you have retired to sleep. Exercise is good when the stomach is empty; it strengthens the muscles. When the stomach is full it is very harmful. Do not neglect medical treatment when it is necessary, but leave it off when the body is in good condition. Do not take nourishment except when (the process of) digestion is completed. Do not swallow until you have thoroughly masticated your food. Treat disease first of all through diet, and refrain from medicine. If you can find what you need for healing in a single herb, do not use a compound medicine. Leave off medicine when the health is good, and use them in case of necessity.
If two diametrically opposite foods are put on the table do not mix them. Be content with one of them. Take first the liquid food before partaking of solid food. The taking of food before that which you have already eaten is digested is dangerous. The compounding of one food with another is a danger of which you must beware.
Begin meals with "In My Name, the All Glorious." End with "In the Name of the Possessor of heaven and earth." When you have eaten, walk a little, that the food may settle. That which is difficult to masticate is forbidden by the wise. Thus the Supreme Pen commands you. A light meal in the morning is as a light to the body. Avoid all harmful habits; they cause unhappiness in the world.
Relate the diseases to their causes. This statement in this connection is a conclusive decree.

Verily the most necessary thing is contentment under all circumstances; by this one is preserved from morbid conditions and from lassitude. Yield not to grief and sorrow; they cause the greatest misery. Jealously consumeth the body and anger doth burn the liver; avoid these two as you would a lion. 

The main thing is to cleanse the body of its wastes, but in the temperate season. He who overeats, his illness becomes more severe. We have arranged for each thing a cause and we have bestowed upon it an effect. All this is from the effulgence of My Name which permeates all things. Your God is the Ruler in all things.
Say! By adhering to that which we have set forth the humours of the body will not depart from their equilibrium nor will their set measure be upset by various conditions, for the primary substance will remain in its pristine purity and no change will occur in the normal proportion of one-sixth, and one-sixth of one sixth, and the twin active agents (qualities, properties) and the twin passive agents will remain intact; and in God must our trust be. There is no God but Him, the Healer, the Knower, the Helper.
The Supreme Pen has not written such words but for love of thee, that thou mayest know that grief has not seized upon the Blessed Beauty. He is not sorrowful because of what has befallen Him from the nations. Sadness is for him who loses his chance when it appears. 
Nothing on earth or in heaven is outside the grasp of God. O physician! In treating the sick, first mention the Name of God, the Possessor of the Day of Judgement and then use what God hath destined for the healing of His creatures. By My Life! The physician who has drunk from the Wine of My Love, his visit is healing, and his breath is mercy and hope. Cling to him for the welfare of the constitution. He is confirmed by God in his treatment.

This science (of the healing arts) is the noblest of all the sciences, for it is the greatest means from God, the Life-Giver to the dust, for preserving the bodies of all people, and he has put it in the forefront of all sciences and wisdoms. It is indeed the most potent instrument provided by God, He Who breathes life into bones, for the protection of the bodies of men. He hath given it the foremost rank among all sciences and the knowledge of the wise. However, this is the day for thee to arise to help My Cause, while fully detached from all the worlds. 

Say! Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All Wise.

*********************************

SUGGESTED READING

*********************************

The following books are suggestions which may assist us in finding a healthy diet, nutrients, vitamins and herbs.

1) "4 Blood Types, 4 Diets: Eat Right, For Your Type. The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer and Achieving Your Ideal Weight", by Dr. Peter D' Adams, published by C.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1996.

2) "Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet", by Vesan Melina, RD, Brenda Davis, RD and Victoria Harrison, RD, published by MacMillan Canada, Toronto. 

3) "The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program", by Richard and Rachael Heller, Penguin, New York, 1997.

4) "Eating Well for Optimum Health", by Dr Andrew Weil, Random House of Canada Ltd., 2000.

5) "Breaking The Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet", by Elaine Gottschall, Kirkton Press Ltd, Canada, 1994. (This book contains useful information for the dietary treatment of many gastrointestinal disorders.)

6) "Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook", by Jeanne Marie Martin with Zoltan Rona, M.D., Prima Publishing, U.S.A., 1996 (This book contains information about the prevention, treatment and diet for yeast infections. There are over 200 specialized recipes.)

7) "Prescription for Nutritional Healing", by James F. Balch, MD and Phyllis A. Balch, Avery Publishing Group, New York, 1996. ( A practical A - Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs and food supplements. This book has 600 pages and costs $28.00 Cdn Funds.)

8) "Encyclopedia of Natural Healing", by Siegfried Gursche, MH and Dr. Zoltan Rona, Medical Editor, Vancouver: Alive Books, 1998. (The Encyclopedia is divided into two sections. The first is a complete guide to natural living and alternative therapies. The second is an alphabetical listing of over 300 conditions. Included in the section are symptoms, causes, herbal treatments, nutritional supplements, nutrition, homeopathy, tissue salts and external therapies for each condition. This book has 1,500 pages and costs $59.95 U.S. Funds; $69.95 Cdn Funds)

************************

LIVING PAST 100

************************

This article is taken from "Life" magazine, February, 2000. (Used by permission of the publisher)

"As we sail into the new millennium, the potential for human longevity is written in the cards - Hallmark cards, among others. The company expects to be selling more than 70,000 centenarian birthday cards annually by the year 2010. Which doesn't surprise geriatrician Thomas Perls at all. Perls, a Harvard professor and director of the New England Centenarian Study, is the coauthor of 'Living to 100 - Lessons in Living to Your Maximum Potential at Any Age' (Basic Books, $25).

The book pictures an old age far removed from the bleak image of a grim trek into illness, frailty and confusion. Old age isn't failure, Perls says; its success. As he puts it, "The older you get, the healthier you've been."

Obviously, getting old is mainly a matter of avoiding illness. Genes have a lot to do with that, but so does behavior. Perls recommends a sensible diet, no smoking, yoga and other stress-reducers. Again and again, Perls found, the healthy aged are folks who, to borrow a phrase that they never heard in their youth, don't sweat the small stuff. As one 101-year-old told him, "Don't make a federal case of everything."

Too many of us do make a big deal out of small troubles, he says, and that, along with slothful physical habits, can reduce our genetic life expectancy by 10 years.

Meanwhile, researchers are closing in on the genes that keep us healthy far into old age, in hopes of developing medications to mimic good genetics and slow down the aging process, Perls says.

Michael Rose, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California at Irvine, shares Perls's optimism. Life span is not set in stone, he says. It's neither fixed nor preset. 

A few things Perls has learned: 
- Centenarians are the world's fastest-growing age-group. 
- More than half of the baby boomers will live past 85, but unless they diet wisely and exercise regularly, they'll face chronic illness along the way. 
- The healthy aged share low blood pressure; youthful looks; parents and grandparents who lived long and well; and enthusiasm for exercising the mind."

Editor's note: This article brought to mind this quotation from the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith: "The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race." (Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 204)

*************************

ANNOUNCEMENT

*************************

BAHA'I MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA 4th ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Baha'i Medical Association of Canada (BMAC) Conference task force is very pleased to announce that the 4th Annual BMAC Conference is going to be held during the weekend of October 27-29, 2000 at the Toronto Baha'i Centre, Ontario, Canada. The theme of this year's conference is "Bridging the Old and the New: An Evidence and Scripture Based Conference on Health." In a period dominated by evidence-based challenges to traditional medical practices, it is only appropriate that we, as physicians, explore ways to incorporate scientific evidence from the material world with spiritual truths found in the Sacred Writings in a spirit of harmony and unity. 

The conference will include presentations on the following subjects: nutrition, the application of Baha'i principles to international health work, a historical perspective on medicine and the arts, our stories and our health, an approach to ethical dilemmas and balancing personal, professional and spiritual responsibilities. Musical presentations, historical vignettes and health walks will be interspersed throughout the program. 

If you are interested to attend this conference, please contact: Payam Dehghani - payamdehghani@hotmail.com or Ashley Roberts - robera@mcmaster.ca (Phone number - 905-308-8484) (They will both be away during the months of July and August, 2000)

******************************

HEALTH HABITS

******************************

Here are some essential elements for our spiritual and physical health provided by a physician who has practiced for more than 35 years under the guidance of the Baha'i teachings.

Trust in God
Consult a skilled physician and follow his instructions
Practice detachment from all save God
Practice moderation
Pray and meditate daily; read the Creative Word morning and evening
Be always happy
Simplify
Focus
Practice patience
Cleanliness
Eat simple, wholesome foods
Drink adequate pure water
Evaluate progress daily, summarize weekly

**********************

LETTERS

**********************

Just a note of thanks that we appreciate your interesting and informative newsletter. Please keep up the excellent work. 
- John Anglin, Secretary, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Uganda

********

Let me express my gratitude and admiration for the most valuable service you are doing to the World with this project. Specifically, I am convinced that the Healing Through Unity Course will help a large number of people to lead a more spiritual and thus more healthy life.
- Michael Walk, Switzerland

*******

I have subscribed to the Healing Through Unity newsletter for a while now and I wish to warmly congratulate you on a wonderful job. I am a G.P. in England with an open mind about complimentary therapies. Experiences teaches you how little you know about science, spirituality and the power of the spirit when dealing with people who are sick in body and mind....Thank you once again for an inspiring journal that I can envision in the future, as it develops, as a model for future 'medical' publications. 
- Dr Kathy Hadfield, England

**************************************

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

**************************************

A reader writes:

I have been under treatment for hepatitis C for the last 4 weeks - the interferon and ribavirin. I have good days and bad days, but they have been much better than I ever guessed. I had my first blood test on April 3 and my hemoglobin is down slightly and will get a blood test again on April 20 and see the doctor on April 24. This is supposed to last for 48 weeks. I have also been going to a Baha'i for Chinese medicine and acupuncture. She is a great help. Is there any way you can solicit "the experts" you have available and that the issue of hepatitis C could be addressed in the newsletter. This will be reaching major epidemic proportions soon since most people that were infected had no way of knowing until recently and most doctors do not realize that all people should be tested for it when they come in for a physical. New knowledge will be coming out all the time now. Thank you for any news you can get.

Dear Readers:

Do you have any information, solutions or comments in response to this question? Please send them to the newsletter and we will share them in the next issue which will be the last issue before we will resume again in September, 2000.

********************************************

PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER

********************************************

"Healing Through Unity" is published for the purpose of sharing thoughts, comments and experiences on how the teachings of the Baha'i Faith are being applied to our physical and spiritual health. Other than the quoted Holy Writings, the material in this newsletter represents the thoughts and opinions of the writers and has no authority. You are free to copy articles, provided you indicate the source of the article. If you have a change of e-mail address or wish to unsubscribe the newsletter, please inform me. There are 10 issues per year; it is not published during July and August. The newsletter is produced in Ontario, Canada. 

Please send your stories, comments, suggestions or "Question for the Month" ideas to Frances Mezei by e-mail: -- . PLEASE NOTE:

Many thanks to all of you who sent such wonderful contributions for "Healing Through Unity" Newsletter. The decision to select and edit material submitted for publication is determined by the editor.

****************

WEB SITE

****************

You can visit the website, obtain back issues and the Healing Through Unity Course at: http://www.healingthroughunity.org/