"After only 60 days on my new nutrition protocol, my PSA score dropped from a high of 3.8 to 1.8, over half!!!  And the only thing that could have affected my score was my change in diet." 

After the age of 40, having a father and brother both diagnosed with prostate cancer, I thought it wise to be periodically checked for prostate problems.  Up until this time, I had a few PSA tests and my score was always under 1.0.  Then, in 2002, being 44 years of age, my PSA jumped to 3.6, very close to the borderline 4.0 where anything over is a definite sign of concern.

I visited a local New Jersey urologist who suggested a prostate biopsy, taking out 12 samples from various locations of my prostate.  If you are not familiar with the procedure, it is not very enjoyable.  With little or no sedative, they insert this 3 inch diameter object up your rectum that shoots needles through your rectum wall and into your prostate…12 times!  The after effects are some discomfort, blood in your stools, and brown semen for the following month.

The results from my biopsy were High Pin cells, which I was told are pre-cancer cells, the closest to cancer without actually being cancer.

With my wife having been to Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital for breast cancer treatment a few years prior, I chose to get a second opinion at Sloan Kettering, one of the nation’s most recognized cancer hospitals.

I presented the urologist at Sloan with my biopsy results and he chose to complete another set of 12 biopsies, 2 more times!  The results were still conclusive, High Pin.  I asked the doctor what I could do to prevent this from getting worse, and his reply was “you could try Vitamin E and Selenium, I hear that they are beneficial for the prostate”.  When I walked out of the office, I felt that the doctor was just waiting for my cells to turn cancerous and then he could operate and pay his mortgage!

As an aside, after my last biopsy procedure, I was walking to the train station in New York when I felt myself bleeding.  When I put my hands on the back of my slacks, they were full of blood.  Apparently there were some areas that did not cauterize properly and continued to bleed after the procedure.  So here I am walking down Park Avenue with blood continuing to flow out of my bottom.  Stopped rush hour traffic and no policemen in sight!  So I have no choice but to walk 8-10 blocks back to the hospital, hoping that I do not faint from blood loss.  I did make it back and the personnel in the urology department made light of my predicament, shoved some paper towels up my behind for a half hour and then sent me home…without much compassion at all!  Good thing my slacks were black and not white!

Shortly thereafter, my wife brought home a book titled, “Prostate Health in 90 Days” by Larry Clapp.  The book stated that you are what you eat and that all the antibiotics, pesticides and hormones that we eat these days are causing havoc on our homeostasis and health.  When I thought about it, my diet consisted at that time of mostly cheap Chinese food full of pork (nitrites and nitrates, etc) and all those artificial flavor enhancers like MSG.  I said that “pork is killing me!”

The book suggested that an organic, vegetarian diet would be beneficial and that the author had great success in reversing his prostate problems.  The protocol also included juicing fresh vegetables.

So I changed my way of eating!  I juiced dark colored vegetables every morning (kale, collards, celery, beets, turnips, celery, ginger, spinach), and even added some tofu in the blender and ground flax seeds.  These were meant to cleanse the blood, make the body more alkaline (I have read that cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment, only acidic.), eliminate impurities, and provide nutrition and healthy oils.  At first, my urine turned red from the beets, a bit scary but I am sharing so that you will not be freaked!  It didn’t necessarily taste the best at first, being used to a less natural diet, but I felt very cleansed and much more energetic.  And I was determined to fight these high pin cells!

After only 60 days on my new nutrition protocol, my PSA score dropped from a high of 3.8 to 1.8, over half!!!  And the only thing that could have affected my score was my change in diet.  

The rest of my lifestyle stayed the same.  I was always very active and continued to run and play tennis regularly.

So I called my doctor at Sloan and told him the news of my lowered PSA.  His reply was “well, you don’t need to see me for 6 months”.  I replied, “before we hang up, are you interested in what I believe may have been the cause of this effect?” and he said sure.  So I told him and again he said, “OK…I’ll see you in 6 months”.  I replied, “before you hang up, have any of your other patients ever told you that they followed a similar protocol and had similar results?”  His reply was a resounding “Yes”.  I said, “Thank you very much”, hung up and never called them again (except to fight over some bills!).

To this day, I continue to juice and eat mostly raw foods.  My PSA is .90 and I am checked with a digital exam once or twice a year.

I have read that cancer did not enter countries like China until the Western diet invaded their borders and their diet changed from fish, rice and vegetables to French fries, burgers and soda.

We have higher cancer rates in the US than anywhere, and also the “best treatment” (sarcasm intended).  What is even more infuriating is that they are not treating the cause of the problem, just the symptoms.  Cutting out cancer, or bombarding it with poisonous chemotherapies, radiation or any other sort of highly invasive treatment does not prevent recurrence or help the body to heal and prevent future occurrence.  They just cause havoc on the body and temporarily remove the “problem” without providing an overall healthier body environment…just the opposite!  In my opinion, traditional treatments like chemotherapy just “poison” and weaken the body, making one’s life less satisfying overall.

A few more things I have learned about prostate issues:

When prostate cancer grows, it is almost always on the side of the prostate facing the rectum.  When cancerous prostates are biopsied or removed, the cancer is almost always on that facing.  The theory is that there is leaching of fecal matter through the rectum walls into the prostate, hence affecting the side facing the rectum, resulting in unhealthy tissue on this side.  When you have a digital prostate exam they can only feel the side facing the rectum.  

The prostate is also a gland that needs stimulation and blood flow to be healthy.  Don’t all of our glands and muscles?  So the theory is that increased blood flow can help to keep the prostate healthy and cleansed.

In Japan, I have read that prostate massage is legal and common.  Japanese men actually go to offices to have a therapist massage their prostate.  It is not for sexual pleasure, but rather for health, just like any other form of massage! This, of course, would be categorized as prostitution in the United States.

Regarding diet, I also eat a lot of soy-based products and think that soy helps keep the prostate healthy.  My 89-year-old father’s prostate cancer has returned 15 years after being treated with radiation (he chose radiation because he didn’t want to be unable to have sex.  My brother, on the other hand, had radical prostate removal and is using Viagra).  Dad is being treated with progesterone type hormones to slow cancer growth and it is working well.  Soy has been shown to have some progesterone effects on the body and I think eating some soy has a homeopathic effect on the prostate to help keep it healthy.

So there you have my story and perspectives.  Do some more reading and research on your own to determine the protocol that you are comfortable with.  Just don’t necessarily trust everything the medical profession tells you -- be accountable for yourself.  Use some common sense and objectivity and you might live a healthier, happier life. 

Remember, if I had gone the Sloan Kettering route, I probably would be without a prostate today!

Do you have a story or comment to share?

If so, please share your story for the benefit of others.  You may post a comment below, or if you have an experience to share, please reach out to us and so that we may share it with others. 

This is a world of cause and effect, and every little bit counts.

I've come to learn that we must do our own due diligence when it comes to health.  While we can seek council from a number of valuable resources, ultimately we are accountable for ourselves.  The woman in this story understood such accountability.

In short, she had a fibroid "...the size of a grapefruit" in her uterus.  The doctor told her that she would need surgery.  As the old adage goes, never go to a surgeon unless you want to have surgery.  Good doctors, of course, will be candid and tell you that you should try other options before surgery, when appropriate.  But in many cases, there is an irrational rush to the surgery option.

In this case, this woman was told that she needed surgery.  Not liking the idea of surgery in her uterus (who can blame her?!) she empowered herself to do a bit of searching on her own.  Instead of surgery, she opted to attend a healing clinic out in the Midwest that focussed on a combination of holistic vegetarian diet, detoxification agents and spiritual/emotional balance.

The recommended stay time for the center was three weeks.  At $700/week, she opted to go for two weeks instead. 

As she explained her experience to me, the first few days they ate only raw, organic fruits and vegetables.  This diet ultimately culminated in a three-day juice fast.  Throughout this entire process, the center used wheatgrass as a detoxifying and healing agent.  For those unfamiliar with wheatgrass, it has potent phytonutrients from which people have claimed many healing benefits.  As she explained it, within a few days of this pure regimen, "...people reported hearing better, thinking more clearly and even seeing better."  They learned to juice the vegetables themselves, and people became such strong believers in the health merits of the wheatgrass that they were seen snorting it, putting it in their eyes and even sticking it in some more unseemly locations.  Long-held toxins in the body were expelled, seemingly restoring bodies to a more natural state where healing could occur.  I won't go into the more graphic details of what this expulsion looked like, but she certainly did! 

I know it sounds shocking, but this is the story.  Throughout this regimen there was also a spiritual/emotional component that focussed on improving thought patterns and removing stresses.  This of course, speaks to the psychosomatic (or placebo) effect -- that appears in every clinical trial ever conducted.  Our thoughts, coupled with our emotions, appear to have a profound effect on our health.  A disciplined approach is often necessary to implement positive change, or healing. 

Long story short -- after only two weeks her fibroid disappeared completely.  She went back to her doctor who simply said, "..oh, it must have disappeared."  This was the same physician who had recommended surgery just a few weeks before.  

Bottom line:  Assume personal accountability for your health.  Nobody else will do it for you.

Do you have a story or comment to share?

If so, please share your story for the benefit of others.  You may post a comment below, or if you have an experience to share, please reach out to us and so that we may share it with others. 

This is a world of cause and effect, and every little bit counts.

Available here: 

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Disclaimer:  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net.

For sales folks, or people who just want to learn some of the more fundamental skills of human interaction, How To Win Friends and Influence People is among his more well known works. 

But Mr. Carnegie has some other stellar books to his credit.  In the spirit of personal development, you can read one of his other works right here.   It is titled, The Art of Public Speaking and you can immediately start reading it by clicking on the link below:

    The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie 

Disclaimer:  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net.

A rattleback, also known as a "celt," "Celtic stone," "rattlerock," "spin bar," "anagyre," "Tate's," "wobble stone" or "wobblestone," and by the product names "ARK," "Bizzaro Swirls," "RATTLEBACKS," "Space Pet" and "Space Toy," is a semi-ellipsoidal top which will spin on its axis in a preferred direction. But, if spun in the opposite direction, it becomes unstable, "rattles," stops and reverses its spin to the preferred direction. Behold the mysterious celt,with a property that amuses. One way it will spin, the other way it refuses. This spin-reversal motion seems, at first sight, to violate the angular-momentum conservation law of physics. Moreover, for most rattlebacks, the motion will happen when the rattleback is spun in one direction, but not when spun in the other. These two peculiarities make the rattleback a physical curiosity that has excited human imagination since prehistorical times.

Then again, what is wisdom?  According to 'The School of Practical Philsophy,' based out of NYC, wisdom is "the knowledge to enable life to be true and happy."

Throughout history, many people have purported that the key to happiness is to live a natural and simple life.  The ancients, the mystics & even many modern-day people believe this.  Here in NYC, where life moves at the speed of light, this is a daunting task.  But, believe it or not,  there are ways to find stillness -- amid all the chaos.  There are exercises that individuals can conduct (and it does take some level of discipline) to bring their mind back to a state of calmness.  I know for me personally, I have a busy mind -- one that is constantly making connections between things, and seeing at a high-level, possibilities everywhere.  This is a blessing and curse.

Having recently taken a qigong workshop with Robert Peng, a NYC-based qigong master, I have seen the value of such exercises first hand.  For those who don't know, qigong is, "a Chinese healing art using a series of gently focused exercises for mind and body.  The chi, our vital energy, is facilitated to flow smoothly throughout the meridian pathways of the body.  By increasing stamina, flexibility, relaxation and overall quality of life, the healing process in turn, is encouraged and accelerated."

I think that it is important to reign in our busy minds and balance our mind/body relationship, because often times that is when we find peace and health; that is when we can be most connected to our surroundings, raise our energy levels and return to a more natural state.  

So, the questions posed for you is,  "how can you simplify your life?" and "how can you calm your mind when it is way too busy, running away with itself?"  

A good start is taking a pause, closing your eyes, and focusing only on the sounds around you.  Give it a try, it helps.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  -- Albert Einstein

Let's be straight; this question has some pretty serious implications.  But have you ever really thought about it in a logical manner?  George Shaffner presents some pretty compelling arguments in his book, The Arithmetic of Life.  I'll summarize them here:

1.  First off,  there is a concept called the "Rule of Always More."  What this means is that science has consistently proven, without exception, that there is always more beyond what we can detect or measure -- there are always more dimensions of complexity and scale.  Every time we make an advancement in science like a new powerful telescope or particle accelerator, more is discovered.  We are continuously discovering new species.  We have learned that matter is not what we thought and that there is something called dark matter.  Progressive math points to as many as 10 dimensions of existence.  And so, we are aware that there is always more to be discovered.

Can mankind be the one exception to this rule?  The 'rule of always more' maintains that there are always more levels of complexity and scale than we understand at present.  Considering that there are an infinite amount of scenarios in nature where the 'rule of always more' can be applied, we can safely say that the likelihood of mankind not having more levels of complexity and scale than we understand is equal to one divided by infinity.  This is as close to zero as you can get, without ever getting there.  While this does not prove life after death, it does prove that there is more to mankind than meets the eye -- and much more than we understand.

2.  The Law of Conservation states that energy can not be created (made from nothing), or destroyed (made to disappear to no-where) and that energy can be changed from one form to another (such as electrical energy into heat energy). 

As death represents a change of state, then all of our energy must be maintained or changed to a new form.  This includes all aspects of us -- what we can see, and what we can't see.  So, it can be assumed that our personality, which is something that we cannot see, is also maintained (from an energy standpoint) or transformed.  While this does not prove that our personality survives death, it does say that it must go somewhere, and that it continues to exist....in some form, or another.  At the very least, the law of conservation proves that our components (physical & non-physical) continue to exist in some form or another.  Why?  Because EVERYTHING is energy, and energy cannot be created or destroyed.

3.  But let's say that our identity, or personality is not maintained after death.  Then this would mean that every sighting of every apparition ever recorded in history (countless, no doubt) was either a lie, or a delusion.  Again, the odds of every single person being wrong or lying, without exception, are astronomical.  Say that there have been a billion sightings, and only 10 (.000001 %) were accurate.  Well then, that is still 10 times as many sightings as you would need to prove the existence of life after death.  It only takes one.

4.  In the same manner, let's count up every case of a past life that has ever been recorded through hypnosis, many of which reveal unexplainable historical facts that seem to prove their validity, by themselves.  Again, these cases are endlessly documented.  Can none of this information actually be stored in the brain from an earlier time?  And if it is, where does it come from?  Is it all spontaneously made up on the spot -- in every single instance?  

Likewise, let's add up all of the cases of the near-death-experience -- of people who have nearly died and then returned with consistent stories of seeing light, loved ones, or other entities, on the other side.  Again, countless instances of similar stories.  In all of these cases, every single person would have to be lying or duped by some biological effect of the brain.  It is possible that there is some biological explanation, however, that seems rather wasteful (if there is nothing beyond death) -- and we have seen that nature wastes nothing. 

On the whole, when you add all of these cases together, the odds of every single person being mistaken or lying (without exception) are pretty damn low.   Because it only takes one person to be correct to prove the existence of life after death. 

5.  And finally -- the big bang theory.  For a number of years, scientists were disturbed at the fact that mathematically (per Newton's theories) there did not appear to be enough matter in the universe to have allowed galaxies to form.  How is this possible?

This meant one of three things:

1.  That Newton was incorrect (despite 300 years of supportive evidence). 

2.  The Milky Way never really existed.

3.  That there was more matter out in the universe than scientists were able to detect.

The scientists chose option three, and created the concept of 'Dark Matter,' which cannot be seen, but is believed to compose 90% of the mass of the universe.   Yup, 90%.  In recent years, dark matter has been proven to be real, although we cannot see it.  Look it up.  Again, the 'rule of always more' comes into effect. 

When you combine all of these things, the evidence is pretty compelling.  We can reasonably assume that there is life after death.  Keep in mind that there are many more mathematical arguments that can be made as well.  This is just a nice overview of some ways of looking at the evidence. 

Does this make you view things a bit differently? 

To quote Shaffner in The Arithmetic of Life, 

"Either our personalities are the only known exception to Nature's Law of Conservation, or there is life after death.  Either every past-life experience in the history of man has been an invention, or there is life after death.   Either every life-after-life experience has been an illusion, or there is life after death.  Either every paranormal experience has been a delusion, or there is life after death.  Either every religion has been a concoction, Jesus did not return from the dead, and the Dali Lama has never come back at all, much less thirteen times, or there is life after death.  Either mankind is the only known exception to the "Rule of Always More," or there is life after death."

This, of course, is in regards to your 'personal legend.' 

Thumbing through the 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho, I am reminded of what we are intended to do.  The book is about a Spanish boy who chose to be a shepherd because it empowered him to travel; something he always knew he was destined to do.  He had recurring dreams of visiting the pyramids of Egypt and gradually learns that his treasure lies in wait for him there.  It is a journey he must make.  There are overwhelming odds against him ever getting there, but it is his life's mission, so he must make the effort.  When he recognizes this, and embraces it -- the universe conspires to help him get there.....even though it takes years.  There are signs, or 'omens' along the way that he is attuned to -- and these help to keep him on his path, despite the risk of poverty, and even death.

The boy evolves at an extraordinary rate during the pursuit of his personal legend.  He opens his mind to new possibilities and learns to speak the language of the universe, connect to its source, learns that real love is selfless, that we are all one with every element of the universe, that one door closing leads to the opening of windows -- and all of this happens in a strange & beautiful sequence of interconnected synchronicities.  In the end, persistence and self-faith will always prevail -- because the universe knows whether or not you are being true to yourself.

We can learn a great deal from this book.  For me, every line resonates with truth.  Take a moment to reflect on where you are in your life & what may be holding you back from the pursuit of your personal legend.  The pursuit of a personal legend is something that a spouse, or loved one, should support.  Keep that in mind.  You can go about your life, as it is.....without making any ripples.......or you can go forward, align yourself with the immutable laws of the universe, pursue your personal legend & make your life extraordinary.  

I am reminded of a quotation from the movie Dead Poet's Society when Professor Keating is having his students look at old photographs of students from years ago.......

"Now I'd like you to step forward over here. They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? --- Carpe --- hear it? --- Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

We each see what we want to see, or what we are intended to see.  In other words, as individuals with certain experiences, conditioning and personalities, we have very real FILTERS that may radically change our perception of something, as compared to someone else.

We conducted an exercise where we closed our eyes and placed our hands up against a stranger's hands -- palm to palm, fingertip to fingertip.  Then we just went with the flow.  With our eyes closed we allowed our hands to move around, guiding each other or just holding still.  After several minutes we opened our eyes.  What I saw next was really fascinating.

In most cases, the two individuals had very different perceptions of what was happening.  One person thought she was simply holding her hands still; her partner, on the other hand, perceived her as aggressive and driving much of the hand movement.  These perspectives shocked the two participants.  How could they have such radically different perceptions?  

Because they have different filters, and consequently, view their experiences differently.

This was just one brief exercise.  Why is this so important?  Because it teaches us that no matter how hard we try to get certain information across to others, in many cases they simply are not designed to receive that information.  Rather than being frustrated with this seeming thick-headedness, we should respect our individual differences.  Every individual is at a different point in their lives, and as we know, every individual has different personality traits or ways of processing information.  For example, with the Myers-Briggs typology test we know that some people are 'Sensors;' these people process information based mainly on what they absorb through their five senses.  They may be uncomfortable absorbing information in any other way.  While other people process information and make decisions primarily through their intuition.  These people naturally read between the lines and look for meaning in everything.  These are radically different ways of looking at the world; but as soon as we embrace these differences, the sooner we will have mutual respect & peace of mind.   

Interestingly enough, Lynda noted that "we only hear 7% of what people are saying" and the rest is based on our own assumptions." 

Granted this is only a small taste of what NLP has to offer.  Another really intriguing thing that I learned was in regards to eye movement and how we can read into another person's thinking process based upon eye movements.  A high-level example of this is as such, when a right-handed individual is trying to visually remember something, he/she will usually look upward to their left; if he/she is contructing a new thought, however, the person will look to their right.  This is a tool that lawyers can use to ascertain some insight into whether or not their clients are being truthful.  Pretty neat stuff.  The diagram below goes into more detail about this. 

The bottom line is this -- NLP crosses a host of different areas, from psychology to medical science to quantum physics and beyond; and in so doing, provides structure to a concept that is often difficult to quantify. 

There are lessons to be learned; a healthy respect for other people's differences (or seeming indifference, in some cases ) can lead to a more harmonious and balanced experience.  Take the time to recognize that every individual is working within a framework that is different from your own; while their operating systems may be similar, they have different design parameters and lot of very different files stored within them.  But never lose sight of the fact that they too, are striving to learn lessons and do the best that they can.  

Before too long, it is my intent to present my own video monologues about life. This is something that I have wanted to do for seven years, and have always known that I would do. Turning it into reality is the inevitable next step.

For now, however, please feast your eyes on this inspirational speech by Steve Jobs. I never get tired of this video because it speaks to life & the need to take risks, follow your heart and ultimately, understand how the pieces of your life fit together. It demonstrates a need for gratitude in our life & and expresses just how fragile and precious our lives are.

We posted this speech over on the Convos blog awhile back, but it is so pertinent to Organic Communication that I could not resist. This will make you contemplative, hopeful & joyous. No matter where you are in life, it is never too late to live with fervor, passion, love and purpose.