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Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding the Disease through Western Medicine and Ayurveda

Written by Adena Harford, December 2011

Some rights reserved by Anthony Mattox
Some rights reserved by Anthony Mattox

What is the conventional understanding of Multiple Sclerosis?  What is the cause?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS).  MS manifests when the myelin sheath created by the oligodendrocyte cells (cells which support neurons)  along the axon of a neuron is damaged.  MS can only effect oligodendrocytes, not Schwann cells.  This means MS only effects the central nervous system not the peripheral nervous system.  A damaged area along the axon is called an ‘MS plaque.’  When the myelin sheath is damaged, depolarization is slowed down or even stopped along the axon, and nervous system impulses can not be transmitted correctly.  The demyelination occurs in different places throughout the body in different patients, and symptoms often come in episodes called ‘attacks.’  Often symptoms can improve partially or completely, but then they may reoccur later in another attack.

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When is Awareness Too Much Knowing?

NPR, I love you, but…

When you report on what the CIA is doing, I don’t believe they’d really be telling us that.

When you interview an men and women in Japan about their fears for their family’s exposure to radiation, and they say they don’t mind dying, but just fear for there families and think they’re government is lying to them, how is that helping…anything?

When you broadcast BBC, I used to love feeling connected, but now I think they’re all insensitive and poor reporters.

When you interview military strategists about their specific strategies and plans, I don’t think we should know.

When you tell me how much the no-fly zone over Lybia is costing our government daily, I just question human intelligence (again.)

Why surround us with sounds and sights of war, when we may be feeling at peace?

Much of your news has been so depressing, I have been turning the dial to the country station.  I do not feel aware and engaged, I feel sad, and more distant than ever.  Though we think we have the right to know everything our government, or others’ governments are doing around the world, we don’t seem to be making better decisions based on this information.  It just seems we’re looking through a more narrow lens than ever.  Thoughts?

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Fall Cleanse – Kitchari

You know it’s bad when there is not even pasta and sauce left in the cupboard.  And since I have about .13 cents left in my bank account, a trip to City Market is not in the stars.

One of my assignments from Kripalu is to do a three day cleanse. It’s just suggested, though I think most of us will jump on the opportunity. With the help of my spice basket (a blessing from Jamie’s mom) and the most inexpensive ingredients on the planet (rice and mung beans), I can successfully pull Kitchari out of my ass.

This is not a local recipe, sadly, though I did throw in a few carrots from my garden.

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