These animals can be of any type, but they all share one thing in common: they are always ready to give love unconditionally. This non-judgmental affection can bring people a sense of comfort and security. Not only are they known for their guardian qualities, but it has also been noted as far back as in ancient Greek history that animals bring beneficial effects in the context of therapy. Here we will explore the animal-assisted therapy in alleviating the symptoms of chronic illnesses and providing a general sense of well-being.

For those with a gluten intolerance or the more serious celiac disease, gluten consumption gradually damages the intestines, preventing the absorption of vitamins and minerals and setting off a host of related health issues, which may include fatigue and skin problems. Actual symptoms vary, however, and some people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease experience no symptoms at all. Approximately 250 signs of gluten intolerance have been identified.

New research demonstrates that music therapy can be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain and other mental stressors. It can also help people recovering from emotional trauma.

Scientific evidence has shown that having a moment of good giggles can put us in a state of exuberance and help us in many aspect of life. Some people describe laughing as a gentle workout.

Today we will learn how to protect our physical health while using digital devices such as laptops and smartphones.

As we move into the Golden Age, more and more people are interested in taking up the practice of meditation. If you have wondered why someone would spend a small part of their day sitting still with their eyes closed, then this is the show for you! Please be aware that although various meditation techniques will be discussed on this program, this does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any of them. Mindful meditation is one technique that some advocate to soothe the mind and regain a sense of peace and centeredness. A very basic form of mindful meditation is deep breathing. Greater Good in Action, a project in the US sponsored by the University of California- Berkeley and HopeLab, has published online a description of how to practice this particular method. A slightly more advanced, but still very simple, form of meditation that some practice every day is “Mindful Breathing.” The Buddhist Centre, a website created by the Triratna Buddhist Order, describes a four-step process for the Mindful Breathing practice.In a December 11, 2010 lecture in Cancún, Mexico, Supreme Master Ching Hai discussed the blessings that the air provides to us and the spiritual benefits of breathing. “And the air you breathe, just breathing it in, the air blesses you 15%. The trees bless you, even the plants bless you, the flowers in the garden bless you, the sand on the beach blesses you. Even the flies bless you. The bees — the bees... bzzzzz! — bless you. They don’t only work to help you to pollinate the fruit and the vegetables, they also give you their spiritual power.”“This breathing is very good for you. Even if you choose another method of meditation, you breathe. All the good information is in the air — you breathe in, you assimilate information.”“All, the whole universe, are blessing us. We are very lucky. Please, just be conscious. Try to be conscious and remember and feel it. Feel it. If you keep breathing the way they have taught you, and conscious of taking in the blessing and breathing out the blessing — I also tell people the same — and also less meat, after a few weeks you will feel like a different person.”

Ms. Michiyo Mori is a liquidarian and author of the book “I Quit Eating.” She has thrived by consuming a single glass of fresh green juice everyday for the past 15 years,and she will share with us her deep insights regarding the raw vegetable diet and its manifold benefits for humanity.

The raw vegan diet is gaining in popularity and raw vegans say that the diet has many advantages, such as preventing and reversing disease, improving digestion as well as enhancing physical and spiritual energy.

On today’s program, we highlight how the best medicine for our skin can come from the botanical world. And it is notable that we can grow many impressive healing plants for our convenience. So, if we are looking for ready-to-use skin products, keep in mind that those with animal-free ingredients, natural compounds, and no harsh chemicals are best.Neem is a remedy for many skin and other health concerns, and can aid the eyes, hair, immune system, and digestive system as well as improve oral health. Aloe vera, which is cultivated throughout the world, is another plant that has a myriad of medicinal uses and is excellent for a variety of skin types. With the regular external use of natural products like these, not only do we enhance and better our skin, but also when we consume the same plant compounds, we can help to improve our immune system.Licorice contains diverse compounds, including glycyrrhizin, glabridin, and liquiritin that have beneficial effects on skin when applied topically. By making either lavender-infused oil or purchasing lavender essential oil, we can use this plant to avoid infections when applied at the site of a small cut or burn. It can help reduce inflammation and blemishes as well. Rose petals help hydrate skin, reduce irritation and are filled with Vitamin C that helps limit bacteria-causing acne. Basil has antiseptic properties and when used on the skin can be a preventive measure against acne. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Yarrow, also known as Blue Yarrow, helps to heal wounds, insect bites, rehydrate skin, and resolve acne, particularly blackheads.In summary, we've looked at some of the plants available in "nature's pharmacy" that can bring wondrous results to our skin. These are just a few of the many, many plants that have healing and protective properties. Wherever you are in our world, surely there is a wide realm of skin-benefitting plants just right outside your door!

Varying the way we look is often an easy way to bring about a quick, fun shift in our lives. On today’s show, we explore the options to create homemade hair dyes using plant-based ingredients.Manufactured hair dyes vary considerably in their chemical make-up. Permanent hair dyes are prone to cause allergic reactions. Semi-permanent hair dyes contain no ammonia or hydrogen peroxide; therefore they do not penetrate the cortex of the hair shaft. Natural Semi-Permanent hair dyes are often a combination of henna and herbal dyes. Temporary hair dyes come in fun, bright shades like purple, blue, yellow, red, green, etc. However, temporary hair coloring products may contain skin-irritating chemical compounds and their molecules are large enough to sit on the outside of the hair shaft and will wash out with one shampoo.Making hair dyes out of herbs, fruits, vegetables or herbal teas are popular ways to color one’s hair naturally. Of all herbal hair dye ingredients, henna has been a long-standing favorite. Most natural dyes are considered semi-permanent. Tea-based ones will last a few weeks, while henna-based dyes last for months.Debra Maslowski, a staff writer for DIYNatural.com, has a method to create natural hair dyes at home that appears easy enough for anyone interested in DIY coloring to perform. What homemade plant-based hair dyes are best at is bringing out our natural color, not necessarily changing the color greatly. A word of caution is probably helpful here: please purchase henna products that are not animal-tested and contain 100% animal-free, natural ingredients.On today’s program, we have shared the compelling benefits of making effective natural hair dyes at home. By creating our own hair coloring, we reduce the high costs of regularly purchasing commercial hair dyes and the money saved can be used for other needs! Furthermore, with the DIY method, we can improve the quality of our hair in terms of volume, shine, and suppleness. And we gain all these advantages while avoiding contact with harsh chemicals!

How do people become addicted to substances such as drugs or alcohol in the first place? Drugs modify the way in which the brain operates, and these changes make it difficult to quit a drug habit.So what changes occur in the brain that leads to an addiction? The other form of neuroplasticity occurs when the pleasure centers of the brain are taken over. These areas demand more and more of a substance to feel happy and good. The brain also remaps itself so that feeding the addiction becomes the most natural course of action to produce happiness and satisfaction. Neuroplasticity allows the brain to forge new neuron pathways, even after the brain becomes damaged.There are different ways to utilize neuroplasticity when overcoming addiction. One exercise is to recognize when thoughts and cravings for the substance occurs. A person experiencing these thoughts can take a step back and say to themselves, “This is just my brain sending me a false message to drink alcohol.” Eventually, this will lead to a clear awareness that it isn’t “me” having these thoughts, but a brain stuck in a depleting cycle that can be changed. The next step is to build new neural pathways by adopting habits and behaviors that will forge new, constructive neural connections.Meditation has been shown to help train and physically modify the sensitive functioning of the brain.Supreme Master Ching Hai has often expressed her love and understanding for people who struggle with addictions. “Because material today, we don't lack. Therefore, they're charmed, they're seduced into taking drugs, because in taking drugs, sometimes they can have hallucinations and feel comforted for a very short time. But little did they realize the very grave consequences after that. Therefore, meditation is the best way to relieve all this suffering of the people when they want to know God, when they want to know happiness inside. Because our happiness through meditation, through the Light and the music of Heaven, is everlasting. And it's always improving and always more and more happiness, and never has any consequences like the drugs.”

This program, “Documentaries on Plant Power” explores four American films that focus on the adoption of the vegan diet and resulting health benefits. The first documentary we profile is “What the Health.” The work follows American filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn as they uncover the open secret to preventing and even reversing chronic diseases – the plant-based diet. The work shares knowledge from a wide array of respected vegan American medical experts including Drs. Neal Barnard, Michael Greger, Michael Klaper, Alan Goldhamer, Milton Mills and many others. Our next film is “Forks Over Knives.” The film examines the lives and careers of famed American nutritional biochemist and co-author of the best-selling book “The China Study,” Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. a surgeon at the renowned Cleveland Clinic in the USA, and how each discovered that plant-based foods are the path to robust health. The film “Forks Over Knives” also follows the lives of several chronically ill patients who took the advice of their doctors and adopted the healing, nutritious vegan diet.The next movie that we will review is “PlantPure Nation.” This documentary film tells the story of key individuals who are on a mission to spread the message regarding the value of the whole foods vegan diet. The production follows the enlightening speech that Dr. T. Colin Campbell gives to the State of Kentucky’s House of Representatives. Following his stirring oration, Dr. Campbell’s son, Nelson Campbell, and then-Kentucky State Representative, Reverend Tom Riner, join forces and propose a pilot program to document the benefits of the plant-based diet. A film that shows just how easy adopting the whole foods vegan diet can be is “Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue.” The work features Rip Esselstyn, author of “The Engine 2 Diet” and a former firefighter and triathlete, who visits two families and helps them to transition to what he calls a “plant-strong diet!”

The happiness and warmth that sunshine brings to our lives, the sun makes us feel joyful and it's good for our health. Such as, sunlight can actually decrease blood pressure; the sun causes the body to create vitamin D, which is linked to healthier bones and teeth.

What causes knee pain? There are several reasons. One of the common causes is an injury.　With a knee injury, ligaments and tendons that connect bones, or the fluid-filled sacs that surround the knee joint can be affected.　In addition to injury and functional problems, an existing joint disease, such as arthritis, can also be a reason for knee pain.Apart from participating in sports that involve intense physical contact and aging, there are other risk factors for developing knee pain. These other risk factors include being overweight and lacking sufficient muscle strength.　Dr. Barnard says after switching to a plant-based diet, on average, slightly less than half a kilogram may be lost each week. The weight reduction can be significant over time if a person continues to follow the diet.In addition to losing weight, training muscles around the knee area, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, is also crucial to help support the knees because these muscles aid in absorbing impact on the knee joints when doing exercises, such as running or jumping.Here are some strengthening exercises that we can do to make our knees more resilient.“First Exercise. Lie on your back. Bend and straighten your leg and repeat 10 times.Second Exercise. Lie on your back. Bend one leg, and put your foot on the bed, and put a cushion under the other knee. Exercise your straight leg by pulling your foot and toes up. Tightening your thigh muscle and straightening the knee. Keep your knee on the cushion. Hold for five seconds and slowly relax. Repeat ten times.Third Exercise. Sit on a chair, and pull your toes up. Tighten your thigh muscle and straighten your knee. Hold for five seconds, then slowly relax your leg and repeat 10 times.Fourth Exercise. Sit with your hands on your shoulders. Stand up and then slowly sit down on the chair. The exercise can be made easier or more difficult by changing the height of the chair. Do not let your knees turn in or out, and repeat 10 times.”

Enzymes are essentially proteins that exist throughout our body and help to quicken biochemical reactions inside and outside of cells. Each organ has its own unique enzymes. Without enzymes, our bodies cannot function properly. Dr. Cousens recommends “enzyme preservation” by eating less, fasting, and consuming raw foods.Fruit enzyme drinks are a mixture of fruits and sugar that have been fermented for about 3 months until it turns into a drinkable vinegar when diluted with water. Some consumers have reported that the drinks have the following effects: - Increases vitality - Enhances digestion - Relieves constipation - Removes toxins from the body - Reduces cases of flu and colds - Treats liver disease - Manages or prevents eczema - Betters nutrient absorption - Lowers cholesterol - Reduces blood sugar levels - Increases metabolism and speeds up weight loss - Lowers blood pressure - Improves pH balance by making the blood more alkaline - Acts as an antioxidant.How can we make fruit enzyme drinks in our kitchen? First, clean a large glass jar (1.5 liters or larger) with soap and hot water and let it dry. Next, wash the fruits to be used and also let them air dry. The fruit must be cut into small pieces, about 3-5 mm thick.For this recipe, use a ratio of three parts fruit to one part sugar. Popular sugar choices are brown sugar, brown rock sugar, or molasses. Place a layer of fruit at the bottom of the jar, and then alternate between layers of sugar and fruit, with the last layer being sugar. Please leave some room at the jar’s top to help release the natural gas that will be created during the fermentation process.Then take the jar and keep it in a cool and dry place. On the third and sixth day from the date you made the batch, open the jar and stir the fruits and sugar. Afterwards, re-seal the container, but not too much so that gas can still escape. Allow the mixture to ferment for up to three to four months.

That since 1980, the majority of the population worldwide changed to a more animal-based diet. What they found is that there’s a 15 to 25 year lag in the occurrence of cancer. That’s why people didn’t know that the animal-based diet was so detrimental to health because its consequence took 15 to 25 years to occur. Interestingly, they also found that in countries or populations where more grains are consumed, the incidence of 20 common cancers are lowered. This shows that the animal-based diet increases the risk for common cancers, whereas the plant-based diet decreases risk for cancer.

I’ve never seen a type 2 diabetic not be able to recover. Again, it’s a lifestyle choice. Do I want to be diabetic and be out of control and eat and live like everyone else? Or do I not want to be, and become a vegan, exercise, get rid of the sugar in my life, even the natural sugars in my life? These diseases are all correctable. All you have to do is to live properly; starting with your mind, starting with the food, starting with the movement and strengthening of the anatomy of the body.

"The cause and onset of Alzheimer’s is not entirely known. However, scientists were able to find scientific evidence to support the pathophysiological hypothesis of structural changes that lead to progression of the condition.""Even though family history and age are two major factors in developing the condition, cardiovascular health appears to be equally important to brain health. Scientists have found a connection between one’s cardiovascular condition and the risk for Alzheimer's disease. Up to 80% of patients with Alzheimer's also have cardiovascular disease, caused by a process called atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries.""If we can keep our heart healthy by doing regular aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking or cycling, we may be able to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the ‘good’ cholesterol, that removes excess cholesterol in the blood. Clear arteries mean sufficient blood flow to carry oxygen-rich red blood cells to the brain. This ultimately lowers the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.""A plant-based diet also keeps heart disease in check, thus lowering one’s risk for Alzheimer’s." "This is consistent with data showing that those who eat vegetarian appear 2 to 3 times less likely to become demented. And the longer one eats meat-free, the lower the associated risk of dementia. Globally, the lowest validated rates of Alzheimer’s in the world are rural India, where they eat low meat, high grain, high bean, high carb diets.""An Indian spice has also been identified as having the potential to deter Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease, a nervous system disorder that affects movement." "It's called turmeric. And inside turmeric is this amazing bioactive compound called curcumin."

You take vegetarians, you give them meat and their blood pressures go up; or you remove meat from people’s diets, and blood pressures go down--in just 7 days! And this is after the vast majority reduced or stopped their blood pressure medications completely. They had to stop their medications. Once you treat the cause, once you eliminate the disease, you can’t be on blood pressure pills with normal blood pressure. You can drop your pressures too low, get dizzy, fall over, hurt yourself-- so your doctor has to pull you off the pills. Lower pressures on fewer drugs, that’s the power of plants.

With all the publicity about the detrimental health effects of cholesterol, people are often surprised to learn that cholesterol is actually important for keeping the body functioning normally. Some may be under the impression that all of the cholesterol in our system comes from the food we eat. In fact, our body is also capable of knowing when to produce the right type of cholesterol to keep the body in a balanced state. So cholesterol isn’t all bad, nor is it all good when there’s too much of the wrong type. Fiber is a key tool to lower cholesterol and is only found in plant-based foods. A vegan diet rich in fiber is beneficial and effective in helping us to keep cholesterol in the normal range.