Insecurity or addiction?

They say the first year of marriage is the toughest…

A gorgeous newly wed friend of mine reached out to me and without knowing much about her relationship dynamics or the two very personally much anymore now, these were my two cents. Please share yours.

With high volume porn streaming so readily available to the voyeurs of the world, it’s slightly archaic to stick to the mindset of “porn is negative”. We ain’t no bible thumpers round here, but we do keep it classy when it comes to exploring fantasy to the fullest extent or polyamorous arrangements. When choosing your mate it’s imperative to be as real as you come. Otherwise, the long-term won’t be pleasant or enriching. It will be straining and deflating.

One thing that should never be introduced into any sexual relationship is Shame.

Every emotion after inevitably and unfortunately will be adversarial until all is forgiven and forgotten. It’s tough, the strong survive and remember all these emotions come from the place of wanting love and wanting to share your love….so be real with what you’re truly needing and get it before all is lost.

The communication (sorry for the strange font size change; I screenshot and edited to post):

~HeatherB

source

Pornography Is A Drug

During porn viewing, the brain releases a tidal wave of endorphins and other powerful neurochemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. These natural “drugs” produce a tremendous rush or high. All over the world people are using pornography as a drug-of-choice for escape and self-medication.

Candeo will show you the truth about your “brain-chemical” addiction and exactly how to break free.

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Willpower & Avoidance Only Make It Worse!

Most people believe that “just trying harder” and exercising “more willpower” is the answer to overcoming porn addiction. This is the worst advice possible! You’ve got to learn how to “work with your brain” instead of “fighting against it.”

Everything you need to break free is already built into the very structure of your brain–the same type of brain process that got you into this mess, can help get you out.

You Can Literally Change Your Brain

Over time, porn use alters your brain circuitry and traps you in addiction. The good news is, your brain is “neuro-plastic” meaning that it’s literally moldable and changeable. In other words, you’re not stuck with your old addiction circuitry. Once an addict, always an addict is FALSE!

Addicted: Why Do People Get Hooked?

In essence, the article traces aspects of all addictions to the dopamine system in the brain. Here is an excerpt from the article with some of my comments in parenthesis:

“Imagine you are taking a slug of whiskey. a puff of a cigarette. A toke of marijuana. A snort of cocaine. A shot of heroin. Put aside whether these drugs are legal or illegal. Concentrate, for now, on the chemistry. The moment you take that slug, that puff, that toke, that snort, that shot, trillions of potent molecules surge through your bloodstream and into your brain. Once there, they set off a cascade of chemical and electrical events, a kind of neurological chain reaction that ricochets around the skull and rearranges the interior reality of the mind.”

“Given the complexity of these events–and the inner workings of the mind in general–it’s not surprising that scientists have struggled mightily to make sense of the mechanisms of addiction. Why do certain substances have the power to make us feel so good (at least at first)? Why do some people fall so easily into the thrall of alcohol, cocaine, nicotine and other addictive substances, while others can, literally, take them or leave them?”

“The answer, many scientists are convinced, may be simpler than anyone has dared imagine. What ties all these mood-altering drugs together, they say, is a remarkable ability to elevate levels of a common substance in the brain called dopamine. In fact, so overwhelming has evidence of the link between dopamine and drugs of abuse become that the distinction (pushed primarily by the tobacco industry and its supporters) between substances that are addictive and those that are merely habit-forming has very nearly been swept away.” (The claim that “I’m not addicted, it’s just a harmless habit,” doesn’t hold water!)

“The Liggett Group, smallest of the U.S.’s Big Five cigarette makers, broke ranks in March and conceded not only that tobacco is addictive but also that the company has known it all along. While RJR Nabisco and the others continue to battle in the courts–insisting that smokers are not hooked, just exercising free choice–their denials ring increasingly hollow in the face of the growing weight of evidence. Over the past year, several scientific groups have made the case that in dopamine-rich areas of the brain, nicotine behaves remarkably like cocaine. (We also know that porn affects the brain in ways similar to cocaine.) And late last week a federal judge ruled for the first time that the Food and Drug Administration has the right to regulate tobacco as a drug and cigarettes as drug-delivery devices.”

“Now, a team of researchers led by psychiatrist Dr. Nora Volkow of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York has published the strongest evidence to date that the surge of dopamine in addicts’ brains is what triggers a cocaine high. In last week’s edition of the journal Nature they described how powerful brain-imaging technology can be used to track the rise of dopamine and link it to feelings of euphoria.”

“Like serotonin (the brain chemical affected by such antidepressants as Prozac), dopamine is a neurotransmitter–a molecule that ferries messages from one neuron within the brain to another. Serotonin is associated with feelings of sadness and well-being, dopamine with pleasure and elation. Dopamine can be elevated by a hug, a kiss, a word of praise or a winning poker hand–as well as by the potent pleasures that come from drugs.” (Porn highly elevates dopamine levels.)

“The idea that a single chemical could be associated with everything from snorting cocaine and smoking tobacco to getting good grades and enjoying sex (porn viewing mimics the sex act–the brain believes it is literally having sex) has electrified scientists and changed the way they look at a wide range of dependencies, chemical and otherwise. Dopamine, they now believe, is not just a chemical that transmits pleasure signals but may, in fact, be the master molecule of addiction.” (All addictions have a commonality–feelings of pleasure and euphoria triggered by dopamine in the brain.)

“This is not to say dopamine is the only chemical involved or that the deranged thought processes that mark chronic drug abuse are due to dopamine alone. The brain is subtler than that. Drugs modulate the activity of a variety of brain chemicals, each of which intersects with many others. “Drugs are like sledgehammers,” observes Dr. Eric Nestler of the Yale University School of Medicine. “They profoundly alter many pathways.” (In addition to dopamine processes, Porn alters many areas of the brain.)

“For nearly a quarter-century the U.S. has been waging a war on drugs, with little apparent success. As scientists learn more about how dopamine works (and how drugs work on it), the evidence suggests that we may be fighting the wrong battle. Americans tend to think of drug addiction as a failure of character. (You just need more will-power; you’re not trying hard enough.) But this stereotype is beginning to give way to the recognition that drug dependence has a clear biological basis. “Addiction,” declares Brookhaven’s Volkow, “is a disorder of the brain no different from other forms of mental illness.” (We now know that pornography, like other chemical addictions, radically alters the brain and is a mental health issue.)

“That new insight may be the dopamine hypothesis’ most important contribution in the fight against drugs. It completes the loop between the mechanism of addiction and programs for treatment. And it raises hope for more effective therapies. Abstinence, if maintained, not only halts the physical and psychological damage wrought by drugs but in large measure also reverses it.”

This last sentence is the one I really want to call you attention to, because it is exactly what we are seeing with porn addiction recovery–addiction circuitry in the brain can be reversed, and healthy circuitry restored!

To illustrate this fact, here is another Time Magazine article I found. This one is from 2007 and actually proves what the 1997 article claimed in regard to the addict brain returning to normal over time.

Go to the following web page:

http://www.time.com/time/2007/addiction/

Click on the tab “Addiction and Brain Activity.” You will notice a brain scan image showing the activity in a non-addict brain. As you move the slider to the right, a scan image shows the brain of a cocaine addict 10 days after cocaine use stops. Notice how little activity there is in the frontal lobe of the brain–the place where logic, willpower and self-control reside. Now, as you move the slider to the far right, the scan shows the addict brain 100 days after cocaine use has ceased. Look at how much the activity in the front lobes has increased! And that is after just 100 days!

The wonderful news is this brain change is not just a reality with recovering cocaine addicts, but with all addictions–including pornography addiction! The porn addicted brain can be changed and healed!

Read more http://prafulla.net/quick-tips/assorted-tips/pornography-addiction-in-america-infographic/

Health Benefits of Sex

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

1. Less Stress, Better Blood Pressure

Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure.

That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations — such as speaking in public and doing math out loud — and checked their blood pressure.

People who had had intercourse responded better to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often.

2. Sex Boosts Immunity

For those addicted to sex,
JUST DO IT!!!
You know how to stay healthy!
I know I always feel better when
I am getting my regular dose of great sex!!
Don’t you?

Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections.

A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.

3. Sex Burns Calories

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

“Sex is a great mode of exercise,” Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. It takes both physical and psychological work, though, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Heart Health

A 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.

And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke.

5. Better Self-Esteem

University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex.

That finding makes sense to sex, marriage, and family therapist Gina Ogden. She also says that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better.

“One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves,” she says. “Great sex begins with self-esteem. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it.”

Of course, you don’t have to have lots of sex to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is all about you — not someone else. But if you’re already feeling good about yourself, a great sex life may help you feel even better.

6. Deeper Intimacy

Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people bond and build trust.

In a study of 59 women, researchers checked their oxytocin levels before and after the women hugged their partners. The women had higher oxytocin levels if they had more of that physical contact with their partner.

Higher oxytocin levels have also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So snuggle up — it might help you feel more generous toward your partner.

7. Sex May Turn Down Pain

Oxytocin also boosts your body’s painkillers, called endorphins. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex.

In one study, 48 people inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The oxytocin cut their pain threshold by more than half.

8. More Ejaculations May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely

Research shows that frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who had 21 or more ejaculations a month were less likely to get prostate cancer than those who had four to seven ejaculations per month.

The study doesn’t prove that ejaculations were the only factor that mattered. Many things affect a person’s odds of developing cancer. But when the researchers took that into consideration, the findings still held.

9. Stronger Pelvic Floor Muscles

For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels may mean more pleasure — and, as a perk, less chance of incontinence later in life.

To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Better Sleep

The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows.

Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight and better blood pressure. That’s something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

 

Dietary and Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Net Resources

Websites with Useful Information
Related To The Dietary And Medicinal
Study And Use Of Cannabis

Cannabis Connections / Links to Links

International Association of Cannabinoid Medicine Links

National Cancer Institute Reveiw of Cannabis

A definitive and current reveiw of cannabis, signalling a change at the top. Excellent lists of references.

Wikipedia Highlights: Online Education

The sites of action of Phytocannabinoids

ECS modulates cellular function, the more one knows about the range of cell structure and function the better one can conceive of phytocannabinoid influenced cellular modulation. Up and down regulation of the cell specific physiologic and pathophysiologic function.

The Endogenous Cannabinoid System

A group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors that are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory; it mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

Cannabinoid Receptors

The Cannabinoid Receptors are one of several sites of actions of the Phytocannabinoids.

Enzymes

Phytocannabinoids also have direct action of enzymes & channels. This article covers the generic principals.

Overview of cannabis limited to psychoactive uses

I hope if you are at this level at Cannabis International you are interested in anti-oxidant anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, or other uses ideally in a preventive or therapeutic mode, more accurately in a phrase, developing recognition of cannabis as a ‘dietary essential’. Other than the initial comments, an incredible series of links.

Medical Cannabis

More on point, this medical cannabis page does not emphasize the cannabinoid acids that act at GPR55, affectionately known as the Orphan Receptor. There is no doubt it deserves to be CB3, the Phytocannabinoid Receptor, where the delicate cannabinoid acids act as an antagonist producing their potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Organizations

Versativa

A pleasant reveiw of the diverse uses of cannabis.

Beckley Foundation

A well thought out global policy on ‘victimless crimes’.

Search the Beckley Foundation library

The Beckley Foundation online library comprises an extensive scientific bibliography, with research papers on consciousness and drug policy research.

Patients out of Time

Every two years, Patients out of Time presents a national CME qualified conference.

ICRS / International Cannabinoid Research Society

20 years of rigorous research, presented in North America and Europe on alternating years. This year in Chicago. The annual ICRS Programme is an excellent overview of the breadth of research on the Endogenous Cannabinoid System, Exogenous ligands including synthetic and phytocannabioids. Go to the particular year and in the side bar is the Programme PDF. Drop on a CD, print & bind and pull up a very comfortable chair.

International Association of Cannabinoid Medicine

A bi-annual conference held in Germany, with affiliate conferences in other European countries.

O’Shaughnessy’s Journal for Cannabis Clinicians

US National Library of Medical Publications

Google Patent Search

Clinical Trials site

Review of anti-oxidant trials

Institute of Medicine

Schaffer Library of Drug Policy

Schaffer Library Table of Contents

Companies

List of medical conditions, developing patented products

Online Education

GGECO University

Medical Cannabis Conference – Speakers

Kristen Peskuski and myself presented, at some point they may be available online

707Cannabis College

Oaksterdam University

Source: http://www.cannabisinternational.org/index.php

Cannabis International

A Resource For The Dietary And Medicinal
Study And Use Of Cannabis

 

We won’t regret a thing

The Top 5 Regrets People Have on Their Deathbed

I am sure that many of my fellow geeks who are reading this may have at some time in their life wondered what you will regret about you life when you are lay on their death. A friend of mine who has worked as a nurse and actually been with countless people as they lay dying said that for the majority of people the regrets were the same.

Here in this article she has wrote about the top 5 regrets that people have on their death bed. All of these are real, genuine and in her own words.

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.
I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never
became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a
result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
 Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical
details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what  others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness

By Geeky Melanie

– February 16, 2012Posted in: Bizarre– See more at: http://www.twosexygeeks.com/the-top-5-regrets-people-have-on-their-deathbed/#sthash.OR9MMmdx.dpuf

Chart and Techniques for Hand Reflexology and Massage of Meridian points

This Chart and Techniques for Hand Reflexology and Massage of Meridian points shows us where and how to use our own personal power and take charge of our health.

Meridians are a set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow.. and massage and pressure to these points can open the flow of energy throughout our bodies.. and allow for healing and maintaining a healthy physical.. mental and energetic body.

You may use all these techniques in one session, or just one technique, e.g. Pressing, or two techniques, e.g. Rubbing and Pressing.

1. Rubbing: Begin by briskly rubbing your hands (palms) together to warm them up and generate energy (qi) in them. Also rub the back of each hand (including fingers) with the palm of the other hand.

2. Squeezing: Use your thumbpad and outside edge of your index finger to squeeze each finger and thumb on the other hand, one by one, from base to tip. Use firm but not painful pressure. Do this 2-3 times per finger/thumb.

3. Pulling: Use your thumbpad and the outside edge of your index finger to grasp the base of each finger and thumb on the other hand, one by one, then quickly pull down towards the tip while maintaining firm but not painful pressure. Do this 2-3 times per finger/thumb.

4. Pressing: Use the tip of your thumbnail to press and stimulate points on the opposite hand. Use this printable hand reflexology chart to locate common hand pressure points. Apply vertical pressure to each point with your thumbnail (or sometimes your fingernail). Press until you feel no more than a comfortable pain. Hold the pressure and knead the point with very small circular movements. Do this for 1-2 minutes per point. Repeat 1-2 times a day.

Choosing Points for Pressing

All hand pressure points are bilateral, i.e. they’re located on both hands. Generally, you would massage 3 or 4 points (on both hands), 1-2 times a day. Hand pressure points do adapt to stimulation though, so after 7 days stop for 3 or 4 days. If your condition and symptoms persist, continue for another week (or more), OR choose new points to press and rub.

We haven’t personally tested the theory… but if it’s something we can do for ourselves… even during our lunch hour… We say why not give it a try?

Source: Chinese Holistic Health Exercises

Originally posted on: www.nurseland.net

Marijuana: REM Sleep Cycles And PSTD

How is it that marijuana affects dreams – and can this somehow benefit post-traumatic stress disorder patients? Chances are if you to ask the nearest Stoner… if they are aware of dreaming, the answer will come back a resounding no. Yet if that same marijuana smoker were asked to stop smoking pot for 7 to 14 days, they would again find their slumber state rich with vivid dreams… sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Its one thing for the average pot head to make that observation after years of smoking, it’s another to try and find any psychological research based on scientific studies.

As sure as there is day and night… the human condition has grown dependent on a good restful night’s sleep. Unfortunatelywhen that sleep, and its four stages are interrupted for any reason, the outcomes can be less than desirable. The normal daily ebb and flow of sleep and slumber is called a circadian sleep rhythm. Many species aside from humans bow before the circadian sleep rhythm master: dogs, cats, rats and bats all must succumb to the powers of a restful night’s sleep, should they hope for a productive tomorrow.

While sleep appears to be a rather reflexive activity, at least to us, the mind utilizes this time to processes the day’s activities. In studies, sleep volunteers have been shown through the use of an electroencephalogram [EEG] — the different cycles of sleep which occurs on a nightly basis and how the depth of your sleep affects your next day’s productivity. As scientists have noted, each stage of sleep becomes increasingly deeper and sounder, and is repeated several times within an evening’s rest. When the sleeping volunteers were awoken during the REM section of their sleep cycle, all test subjects reported having vivid dreams.

So the obvious question becomes… If dreams only occur during REM sleep — and REM sleep is adversely affected by marijuana smoke, can smoking marijuana cure post-traumatic stress disorder?

There are many scientific research papers which point to use of marijuana’s cannabinoids as a potential memory suppressant in the treatment of PTSD, specifically with the THC cannabinoid. As scientist gaze into the future of PTSD and the THC compound found in cannabis. It is believed that THC may have the curing properties so desperately sought by those that suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder.

This is the report of an open label clinical trial to evaluate the effects of  Nabilone (a synthetic cannabinoid) , used on treatment-resistant nightmares in patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: Charts of 47 patients diagnosed with PTSD and having continuing nightmares in spite of conventional antidepressants and hypnotics were reviewed after adjunctive treatment with nabilone was initiated. These patients had been referred to a psychiatric specialist outpatient clinic between 2004 and 2006. The majority of patients (72%) receiving nabilone experienced either cessation of nightmares or a significant reduction in nightmare intensity. Subjective improvement in sleep time, the quality of sleep, and the reduction of daytime flashbacks and nightsweats were also noted by some patients. The results of this study indicate the potential benefits of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, in patients with PTSD experiencing poor control of nightmares with standard pharmacotherapy.

With the mounting proof showing support for medical marijuana as a treatment for PTSD continues to grow, the Department of Veterans Affairs finally decided that the scientific evidence was too strong to ignore. And back in July, 2010, finally gave in to common sense and scientific evidence. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs then made clear that it would permit certain war veterans the use of medicinal pot so long as they lived in a medical marijuana state, had received a doctors recommendation to smoke medical marijuana and were currently enrolled in a state approved program.

While marijuana continues to be classified as a schedule 1 narcotic under federal law, the newly adopted guidelines will potentially allow for doctors at hospitals and clinics to utilize medicinal cannabis; bringing marijuana back into the pharmacopeia of – ‘pain treatment plans’ offered to the vets which suffer from PTSD and the nightmarish dreams which accompany them.

Source: Marijuana.com

Marijuana: REM Sleep Cycles And PSTD | Marijuana.com.

Body, Mind, and Spirit Sex

 

Regular sex, according to medical research, has the same benefits as regular exercise. It increases the flow of certain chemicals that naturally boost and strengthen the immune system, improves cholesterol levels, stimulates circulation, invigorates the heart, diminishes the intensity of pain, especially in migraines and chronic arthritis, reduces PMS symptoms, and releases endorphins which simply make you feel good.

Good sex is not a localized experience, but embraces all of the parts of our Self: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The more of our whole being that is involved, the better the sex. And the more complete the sexual healing.

Physical Sex

* Make friends with your body. The more accepting you are of your physical being—your best features as well as your flaws—the more comfortable you will be sharing it.

* Explore how your body feels. Develop your sense of touch. Cover the surface of your body with paint, with clay, with cream, with silk. Treat yourself to a massage, a manicure, or a facial. Pat, stroke, rub, knead your skin and hair. Offer to massage someone. Ask someone to massage you.

* Appreciate your body. Know that this body allows you to participate fully in life. Don’t take this tremendous gift for granted. Express your gratitude for its durability, dependability, and recuperative powers.

* Bless your body for the great service that it provides. Bless your feet that take you where you want to go, the back that holds you upright, the hands that serve you so well, the eyes that you see out of, the heart that keeps on ticking. Bless your life in its physical form and enjoy it.

* Treat your body well. Feed it wisely, air it often, water and exercise it with Intention and care. Pay Attention to its proper maintenance and upkeep. Keep it oiled and greased and limber, and don’t let it get rusty. Nurture its need to be nurtured. Tend to its requirements and pamper all of its parts.

* Prepare your body for sex. Soak in a warm tub full of fragrant water to melt into the mood. Rub luscious lotion all over yourself, caressing each mound and crevice and curve with love and anticipation.

Mental Sex

* Mind your memories, good and bad. Do not dwell in the past. Do not look back in time in order to yearn for more youthful days or compare yourself today with who you used to be. And do not let past pain, rejection, repression, or abuse deprive you of your present pleasures Deal with what you want to change so that you can Be Here Now.

* Mind your manners. Be nice. Be kind. Be patient. Be encouraging, but be sure to ask for what you want. Be willing to communicate with an open ear, as well as with an open mouth. Be clear and specific. Be gentle, but firm. Speak your truth and expect to be heard. Share your desires and fantasies and play them out. Show and tell.

* Mind your P’s and Q’s. P stands for permission. Allow yourself to follow your instincts and your desires and give yourself the unconditional permission to do what comes naturally, whatever that might mean to you. Q is for the quest for what you want and how you want it.

Emotional Sex

* Explore the full range of your sexual emotions. What feelings does sex engender in you? What needs do you want it to fill? Does it? Is sex an outlet for the release of stress, of anger, frustration, or boredom? Is it an avenue to tenderness, affection, closeness,intimacy, honesty, safety, openness, trust, and love?

* Express your true emotional Self in all its myriad moods. Allow your funny, silly, lazy, sad, colorful, soulful, sinful parts out to play. Be adventurous. Be bold. Be brazen. Be wild. Be inventive. Don’t worry, the kids won’t be able to hear you. Be silent. Be solo. Be celibate. Be whatever you darn well please.

* Exorcise your demons. Relax your resistance. Release your inhibitions. Let go of your mind altogether. Forget your emotions and all of your mental ramblings for a while, and just let yourself be. There are times when it is important to reflect upon and connect with your thoughts and feelings, and there are times when it’s just as beneficial to disengage. Sex would be one of those times to let go.

Spiritual Sex

* Create a sexual sanctuary, a safe and sacred space, a Temple of Love in which to indulge in your pleasures. Remove all distracting items that relate to the other parts of your life: notebooks, briefcases, pagers, bills, calendars. Turn the phones off, including the cell at the bottom of your purse. Cover the clocks. Close the bathroom door.

* Smudge your space with the smoke of myrrh or copal to cleanse the atmosphere and with the smoke of sweet grass to invite in the sweet spirits. Create a mood conducive to enchantment, enticement, and enjoyment. This is the royal boudoir, after all. A Garden of 1001 Delights.

* Decorate your love chamber it in such a way as to appeal to all of the senses. Use sheets and covers in soft fabrics: chenille, flannel, silk, and satin to lie upon. Play sensual, arousing, or relaxing music. Have candles, soft lights, colored walls, flowers, and objets d’ arte to please the gaze. Apply evocative perfumes, oils, and incense to smell. Offer lovely treats to taste.

* Create a ritual before you make love. Think of sex as a way to connect — alone or in company — with the vibrating Kundalini energy that courses through you and the entire universe. Sanctify and ignite your Intention by lighting a candle, saying a prayer, or by singing, chanting, drumming, dancing, anointing. Reach out to engage your Self, another, and All That Is, in an ecstatic embrace of spirit, passion, and love.

Author’s Bio:

*****************************************************
Mama Donna Henes is an internationally renown urban shaman,
award-winning author, popular speaker and workshop leader
whose joyful celebrations of celestial events have introduced
ancient traditional rituals and contemporary ceremonies to
millions of people in more than 100 cities since 1972. She
has published four books, a CD, an acclaimed quarterly journal
and writes a column for UPI Religion and Spirituality Forum.
Mama Donna, as she is affectionately called, maintains a
ceremonial center, spirit shop, ritual practice and consultancy
in Exotic Brooklyn, NY where she works with individuals,
groups, institutions, municipalities and corporations to create
meaningful ceremonies for every imaginable occasion.

For information about upcoming events and services contact:

Mama Donna’s Tea Garden & Healing Haven
PO Box 380403
Exotic Brooklyn, New York, NY 11238-0403
Phone: 718/857-1343
Email: CityShaman@aol.com
http://www.DonnaHenes.net
http://www.MamaDonnasSpiritShop.com/
http://www.TheQueenofMySelf.com

Body, Mind, and Spirit Sex.

 

Medical Marijuana Community Cultivating Pot Farmers Markets | Marijuana.com

Posted July 24th, 2012 by Johnny Dank & filed under 420 Jam, Events, Marijuana and Food.

‘Cheers’ had it right — people love going to places where they know your name — a community of friends in all walks of life embracing one another. Washington being a pro marijuana state with legalized cannabis, the “Ever-Green” state has fully embraced the “community” in medical marijuana community, with some cultivating to physically build one. On one hand we have medical marijuana card holding patients that like to get their pot and run, debating on where to smoke weed; and others that mash-up their love of marijuana with mingling and shopping — Mary Jane meets the farmers market.

This idea isn’t just an idea in a haze…Washington Farmer’s Market in Olympia provides a stoner’s haven for market fare. Open to the public and not being exclusive, the 420 friendly patients and vendors welcome all passerby’s with a smile and open arms; even if you’re the novice stoner still learning how to smoke from a bong.

The marijuana farmer’s market embodies why marijuana laws need to be re-addressed. The market is all about weed; having fun, enjoying the marijuana treats, while learning about all the medical benefits of pot and the exponential medical possibilities of THC and cannibinoids. With about 20 tables, vendors offer anything for the medical marijuana patient to salivate over from marijuana flowers, pot brownies to pot seeds and dank concentrates. Competition helps to have high quality pot products for a low cost, with free weed to sample for patients that donate. With energetic sativas for the day stoner and sedative indicas for the night pot smoker.

With many people with a ‘wake and bake,’ on the go mentality, Sonshine Organics provides relief. This medical marijuana collective runs on the same high grounds as the Washington Farmer’s Market and has a unique feature – a drive-thru. Sonshines own Sarena Haskins says, “It’s perfect for the busy mom on the go, who don’t want to leave her children in the car.”

A staple for the growing marijuana niche market is their food, like any other well-groomed farmer’s market. The BBQ pork slider, infused with cannabutter, from Chef Bilbus Yeoldshire is a must have for all patients. A bang for your buck being less than $5. For stoners with a sweet-tooth, there is a bevy of potent medicated weed treats which include: hash brownies, dark chocolate chip pot cookies and cannabis peanut butter cups.

With a serene and energetic atmosphere for all ages to enjoy; the Washington Farmer’s Market, hopefully, is the start of an ongoing influx of Pot Farmers Markets around the country so more medical marijuana patients can take pleasure in — A safe and nurturing environment for the medical marijuana community. Vendors and patients alike entertaining, educating one another for the greater of medical cannabis.

Identical to the typically, socially-accepted local farmers market minus the cannabis – there’s never a bland moment. With live music, smoking lounges, entertainers at every corner. Hopefully one day there will be a “C” answer to: “Want to go to the farmer’s market?”

A.) Yes

B.) No

C.) Which one? Pot or not?

Source: Marijuana.com

via Medical Marijuana Community Cultivating Pot Farmers Markets | Marijuana.com.

Cannabis whole plant extract is now an approved drug in Germany | Naturopathic Pain Clinic

 

Cannabis whole plant extract is now an approved drug in Germany | Naturopathic Pain Clinic.

 

FOXSexpert: The Health Benefits of Masturbation | Fox News

Written By Yvonne K. Fulbright / Published August 11, 2008 / FoxNews.com

• Yvonne K. Fulbright

Perhaps the joke’s on us. While people love to make wisecracks about it, few will actually admit to doing “it.”

Yet, according to Martha Cornog, of “The Big Book of Masturbation”, self-pleasuring is surely the second most common human sex act. And, despite its torrid history, that’s proving to be a good thing. Turns out this once taboo behavior has plenty of health benefits and can do wonders for your sex life.

While the shackles of masturbation have been loosening around our loins, it is only recently that society has started to let go of its guilt around solo sex. This is in part thanks to sex researchers affirming that most of us do it, as well as the embracing of it by television sitcoms. Who can forget the bet made by Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer as to who could remain the “master of their domain” the longest?

Even if you’re not a conformist, there’s something about safety in numbers when it comes to this topic. (And if it makes you feel even better, know that masturbation is common among other animals, like dogs, cats, horses, bulls, rats, hamsters, deer, and whales, too).

This more relaxed attitude is also due to the medical community challenging its own original claims that masturbation was a serious medical-ethical problem with dire results. According to works like Onania, circa 1712, male masturbation was said to lead to disease or disorder with the loss of semen.

Likewise, in losing vaginal fluid, a female who took matters into her own hands was supposedly at risk for hysteria, jaundice, epileptic fits, and other negative health conditions. Of equal concern, self-pleasuring was thought to send her down the road to sodomy as well.

Anybody with “solo sexploration” experience can tell you that, contrary to popular myths, masturbation does not result in any of the aforementioned, nor does it lead to acne, warts, hair on the palm, insanity, blindness…

What many may not know, however, is that stimulating yourself can ultimately boost your health in many ways.

Health Benefits for Men

Research summarized in a 2007 article in Sexual and Relationship Therapy found that masturbation may help men by:

— Improving his immune system’s functioning.

— Building his resistance to prostate gland infection.

— Making for a healthier prostate.

Australian researchers have reported that frequent masturbation may lower a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. A survey of men found the more frequently a man masturbates between the ages of 20 and 50, the less likely they are to get prostate cancer. In fact, those who masturbated more than five times a week were one-third less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Health Benefits for Females

When it comes to a woman’s health, self-pleasuring serves her well by:

— Building her resistance to yeast infections.

— Combating pre-menstrual tension and other physical conditions associated with their menstrual cycles, like cramps.

— Relieving painful menstruation by increasing blood flow to the pelvic region. This will also reduce pelvic cramping and related backaches.

— Relieving chronic back pain and increasing her threshold for pain.

Health Benefits for Both Sexes

Masturbation rewards both men and women because it’s:

— The safest kind of sex, keeping you free of sexually transmitted infections.

— A great form of stress relief.

— A mood booster in releasing endorphins.

— A natural sleep sedative.

— A mechanism for building stronger pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to better sex.

— A natural energetic pick-me-up.

As Sigmund Freud once remarked at the Vienna Psycho-Analytical Society, “the subject of masturbation is quite inexhaustible.” While he wasn’t getting at the benefits (Freud saw self-pleasuring as harmful to the genitals and one’s psychosexual and moral development), the same can be said in how it can improve one’s sexual relationship.

For couples who masturbate on occasion or regularly, sex with yourself can:

— Be empowering, especially by helping you to feel better about your body, genitals and sexual response.

— Deliver some of your most intense orgasms ever, which you’ll now know how to recreate with that special someone!

— Increase your sexual awareness, giving you the opportunity to discover what turns you on – the sensations and movements that work best to give you the greatest of sexual gratification.

— Have the potential to enhance your sex life in general, boosting your sexual confidence and turning you into a better lover.

— Get you or your partner off the hook if neither is available or not in the mood.

via FOXSexpert: The Health Benefits of Masturbation | Fox News.

I used to call my boyfriend’s Penis Godzilla….

Some enterprising Scottish researchers decided to study the sexual appetites of 323 women and discovered, interestingly enough, that size does matter. Women who achieved orgasm did so with more ease if their partner had a penis length of over 5.8 inches. The longer the ding-a-ling, the more stimulation the vagina and the cervix get, the more fun everyone’s having.

So all that so-called internal anxiety about dick size? Ha ha, it’s real. Size matters. Big time. Guess we better cool it with our “size matters” jokes, huh?

I mean, since it’s a real thing, maybe we shouldn’t poke fun at it.

Psych! It’s a mostly, if not universally, accepted standard that bigger boobs are better than small boobs, so welcome to the club, dudes! Now you, too, can feel like less of a person because of the size of your sex organ.

Here, in our club, behind door number one, we have some literature on how to get over your inferiority complex. Then there, behind door number two, we’ve got videos about how to deal with your genetic shortcomings. And way over yonder, behind door number three, we’ve got a plastic surgeon waiting to capitalize on your need to have something enlarged.

The good news for men, though, is that if you’re Italian, Swedish, Greek, or German, you don’t really have anything to worry about. Each of those countries has an average penis size of over 5.8 inches.

But if you’re from the US, UK, Spain, France, or Russia … your average penis size is under 5.8 (the US is 5.1 inches!), so … yeah. There’s that. Better go ahead and pick your door.

Penis Size Really, Really, Truly Matters — Really | The Stir.

Laughter is the Best Medicine: The Health Benefits of Humor

Laughter is the Best Medicine

The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body “Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.” ~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D. Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Laughter is good for your health Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain. Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. The Benefits of Laughter Physical Health Benefits: Boosts immunity Lowers stress hormones Decreases pain Relaxes your muscles Prevents heart disease Mental Health Benefits: Adds joy and zest to life Eases anxiety and fear Relieves stress Improves mood Enhances resilience Social Benefits: Strengthens relationships Attracts others to us Enhances teamwork Helps defuse conflict Promotes group bonding Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss. More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun. The link between laughter and mental health Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing. Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more. Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. The social benefits of humor and laughter Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone Creating opportunities to laugh Watch a funny movie or TV show. Go to a comedy club. Read the funny pages. Smoke Ganja Seek out funny people. Share a good joke or a funny story. Check out your bookstore’s humor section. Host game night with friends. Play with a pet. Go to a “laughter yoga” class. Goof around with children. Do something silly. Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke). Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play also adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times. Incorporating more humor and play into your daily interactions can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends. Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to: Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles. Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts. Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside. Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface. Bringing more humor and laughter into your life Want to bring the fun? Get a pet… Most of us have experienced the joy of playing with a furry friend, and pets are a rewarding way to bring more laughter and joy into your life. But did you know that having a pet is also good for your mental and physical health? Studies show that pets can protect you depression, stress, and even heart disease. Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life. Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do. Here are some ways to start: Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling. Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter. When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?” Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious. Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?” Developing your sense of humor: Take yourself less seriously One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there! Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary life–giving you the choice to laugh or not. Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life: Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously. Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you. Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun. Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical. Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter. Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing. Checklist for lightening up When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these questions: Is it really worth getting upset over? Is it worth upsetting others? Is it that important? Is it that bad? Is the situation irreparable? Is it really your problem? Using humor and play to overcome challenges and enhance your life The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships. Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning. Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this creative ability. Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play: Roy, a semi-retired businessman, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf, his favorite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Roy wisely realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously. When he played with friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Roy hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work. Jane worked at home designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt had become routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Jane invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, coloring, and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Jane’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the playfulness and spark in Jane’s relationship with her husband. As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.

Laughter is the Best Medicine: The Health Benefits of Humor.

Women’s Health: Breast cancer surgery women ‘risk more operations’

JULY 14, 2012 BY LADYROMP

BBC News Health

One in five women with breast cancer who has part of the breast removed, rather than the whole breast, ends up having another operation, a BMJ study suggests.

The reoperation rate increases to one in three for women whose early-stage cancer is difficult to detect.

In England, 58% of women with breast cancer have breast-conserving surgery.

Women should be told of the risk of further operations when choosing surgery, researchers say.

The study, led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and published in the British Medical Journal, looked at data collected on 55,297 women with breast cancer in England.

They all underwent breast-conserving surgery, rather than a mastectomy, on the NHS between 2005 and 2008. All the women were aged 16 or over.

They then looked at procedures carried out in the three months following the first breast operation.

The researchers took tumour type, age, socio-economic deprivation and other health problems into account.

When combined with radiotherapy, the study says that breast-conserving surgery is as effective as mastectomy, particularly for patients with an obvious, invasive tumour.

‘Emotional distress’

However, because some pre-invasive cancers called ‘carcinoma in situ’ are difficult to detect, because they don’t form a lump, breast conserving-surgery may not remove the cancer completely.

This could result in another operation.

The study says that additional operations put women’s lives on hold while they wait for more surgery. It can delay their return to work, cause emotional distress and result in the need for reconstructive surgery to the breast.

Out of the 55,297 women who underwent breast-conserving surgery, 45,793 (82%) were suffering from isolated invasive cancer, 6,622 (12%) had isolated carcinoma in situ (pre-cancerous disease), and 2,882 (6%) had both types of cancer.

Another operation was more likely among women with pre-cancerous disease (29.5%) compared with those with isolated invasive disease (18%).

Around 40% of women who had a reoperation underwent a mastectomy.

Further results suggest that a repeat operation is less likely in older women and women from more deprived areas.

‘Empowering patients’

Prof Jerome Pereira, study author and consultant breast surgeon at James Paget University Hospitals in Great Yarmouth, said the findings would help women to make decisions about their treatment.

“Patients should feel reassured that clinicians can now advise them more clearly.

“We all have a different attitude to risk but this is empowering patients to make the right decision for themselves.”

Prof Pereira said the study results would help surgeons too.

“This research focuses surgeons and challenges us to try and reduce reoperation rates.

“We need to refine imaging techniques to make this happen – and this opens up more areas for more research.”

‘Increase survival’

Ramsey Cutress, Cancer Research UK breast cancer surgeon at the University of Southampton, said it was standard practice to discuss the possibility of further surgery with patients.

“It’s important for patients to fully understand the pros and cons of surgery. The ultimate aim of these repeat operations after breast-conserving surgery is to reduce the chance that breast cancer will return in the breast, and increase survival from the disease.

“Rates of breast cancer recurrence are also reduced by other treatments such as radiotherapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy where appropriate.

“There’s an ongoing need to better identify those at high risk of breast cancer recurrence, and to carefully select those who would benefit the most from further surgery.”

Women’s Health – LadyRomp.

 

California NORML’s conference marking the 100th anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California

 

All are invited to California NORML’s conference marking the
100th anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California.

 

Cannabis in California: Ending the 100 Year War
January 26 & 27, 2013
Ft. Mason Conference Center, San Francisco

All are invited to California NORML’s conference marking the 100th
anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California. This two-day
event, held January 26 & 27, 2013 at Ft. Mason Conference Center in
San Francisco, will explore the history, causes and costs of the war
on cannabis, and strategies for ending it.

Speakers at this historic conference will include leading experts on
cannabis, reform movement leaders, public officials, attorneys,
scientific and medical experts.

Following up on Cal NORML’s “Next Steps” conferences of 2011, we will
discuss concrete measures to reform California’s cannabis laws, both
medical and otherwise, through legislation, litigation and ballot
initiatives.

Special early bird CalNORML Member Registration is $65 for both days.
Non-Member Earlybird Registration is $75.

The Radisson at Fisherman’s Wharf is offering a special room rate for
attendees.
Call 415-392-6700 and ask for the California NORML group rate.

Proposals for participation and sponsorship are invited at:
conference@canorml.org or (415) 563-5858.

 

 

 

KUSH

OG Kush:

This one is called Holy Water OG Kush.  Many patients report good things about this cut of og kush.  One female medical patient even told me that this strain “opened her third eye”.  Sounds like some good kush!

source: http://fadedfools.com/category/high-grade-medical-marijuana/