ReadyForce News -- Apr. 2007

Today we come across an individual who behaves like an automaton, who does not know or understand himself, and the only person that he knows is the person that he is supposed to be, whose meaningless chatter has replaced communicative speech, whose synthetic smile has replaced genuine laughter, and whose sense of dull despair has taken the place of genuine pain. Two statements may be said concerning this individual. One is that he suffers from defects of spontaneity and individuality which may seem to be incurable. At the same time it may be said of him he does not differ essentially from the millions of the rest of us who walk upon this earth.

-- Erich Fromm

It is with a real sense of sadness that I'm writing these words to you today in the aftermath of the murderous rampage in Virginia. It is amazing beyond words what one piece of human fecal material is able to accomplish in terms of carnage and destruction. This low life, pile of garbage, (I can't bring myself to even mention his name in print), defines the essence of a coward. And, in the predictable aftermath, we will spend countless hours analyzing what happened and how this could be avoided in the future.

I have disturbing news for you...it can't be avoided. Not with more sensitivity classes, not with more diversity classes and not with more mental health outreach and intervention. There will always be a segment of our culture that will twist into the realms of psychosis and cause immeasurable suffering. And in most circumstances we won't be able to do a damn thing about it with the tools of talking and reason; it will require our warriors to meet extreme force with extreme force. As sure as this is not the first incident of this nature I will stake my life on the fact that it will not be the last.

Let me make one thing clear. I'm not against working for a peaceful society, I'm not against teaching peaceful resolution to conflict and I'm not against working toward a kinder, gentler world. But I am against those that would restrict the warrior's ability to use force in a society that has not yet evolved to a point of Shangri-La. The true peaceful warrior works for the day when their unique warrior skills are no longer needed, but a warrior is never naïve enough to believe that this day will happen any time soon. A warrior stands at the ready to take on situations exactly like this, selflessly, with like force and extreme determination. This is the real answer and every society must have their warriors standing by, ready to react when people explode into rage.

One of the most significant problems we are facing is our fear of taking action with force. Many people unwilling to face reality want to restrict our warriors. Predictably the hue and cry has gone up to try to eliminate firearms in our society and the same naïve and ill conceived rhetoric we have heard in the past has surfaced again. The people who are working toward this goal have their hearts in the right place but they are unwilling to face reality. We often see this attitude displayed on many of our school campuses.

More often than not, our School Resource Officers are not allowed to carry their firearms and must lock them in their cars. It seems that the delicate sensibilities of some school administrators are offended by the presence of an offensive weapon, leaving our officers to patrol the campus unarmed and therefore unprepared to deal with a critical incident. God forbid we should actually have to see a gun because that would mean facing the harsh reality that our world is not the perfect place of peace we envision.

I will tell you this; the only way to stop people who would so indiscriminately take life at this level is with extreme force, swiftly administered and certain in its fatal outcome.

If you count yourself among the warriors of our country, then know that you stand separate from the rest of our citizens. As Lt. Col Dave Grossman would say; you are the sheepdogs selflessly protecting the flock from the wolves that would prey upon them. You are special because you do not fear the raging psychopaths of this world. You will willingly stand against their madness with calm resolve and clear intention that their force must be met head on. You understand your place in a society longing to achieve peace and tranquility, a society that is by and large unwilling to accept your role but who cries the loudest for you services when their plans of peace crumble to dust. Never doubt your value in this world! Stand strong and know who you are, because the vast majority of people are simple sheep, unwilling and unable to stand for themselves.

Natural Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) By Lynn Ravazzini, Owner: Nutrition Within, Lynn4nutrition@sbcglobal.net

Are you tired of being hit in the gut by IBD? IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease, refers to an ongoing, or chronic, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Painful and often debilitating, IBD affects people of all ages, from children to seniors.

IBD is different from inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), which is characterized by abdominal pains, cramps, excess gas, or occasional diarrhea. No one knows exactly what causes IBD, but your genes, immune system, and the environment may all play a role. Researchers believe that IBDs are autoimmune disorders in which your body considers its own intestinal tissue as harmful, dispatching your immune system to "seek and destroy" the "offending" tissues. People with IBD often feel tired or lose their appetite, which only aggravates their existing problems.

The two most prevalent IBDs are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn's disease is a chronic condition in which the intestines become inflamed, causing sores, or ulcers. The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal cramps or pain, chronic diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and weight loss. Ulcerative colitis is limited to the inner lining of the large intestine. The main symptom of ulcerative colitis is chronic diarrhea, but symptoms can also include abdominal pain and fever.

By disrupting the normal functioning of your digestive and immune systems, IBD indirectly affects every system in your body. Not only is your body unable to absorb important nutrients from the food you eat, but it is also less able to filter out substances that may be harmful.

If you have IBD, it's important to make sure you're eating nutrient-rich foods that won't irritate your gastrointestinal tract. Conversely, nutrient-poor foods, such as processed foods, or foods that are high in simple carbohydrates and fats, should be avoided. Also, high residue, high fiber foods can irritate the lining of your intestinal tract and should be avoided.

Additionally, targeted medical foods and probiotics are natural therapies that have been shown to be effective in the management of IBD.

Medical foods. The Food and Drug Administration defines medical foods as "prescribed by a physician when a patient has special nutrient needs in order to manage a disease or health condition, and the patient is under the physician's ongoing care." A medical food for the effective treatment of IBD may include reduced-iso-alpha acids (RIAA), an extract made from the hops plant shown to have anti-inflammatory properties; low-allergy, readily-digestible protein and amino acids; antioxidants to combat cell damage; and L-glutamine, a valuable energy source used by the cells in the intestinal lining.

Probiotics. These "friendly" bacteria support a healthful and balanced population of intestinal bacteria. In particular, the strain-identified probiotic L. plantarum 299V has been shown to support the health and function of the intestinal lining.

If you're interested in natural approaches to the management of IBD, please schedule an appointment at my office. We can offer a comprehensive plan includes dietary counseling as well as targeted medical foods and supplements from the highest quality sources and manufactured in GMP (good manufacturing practices) certified facilities.

Pain, No Gain is a concept important to apply when performing any exercise. Pain during exercising is not to be confused with the words "effort or exertion". The latter are necessary to return fitness results. Pain, on the other hand, is our body's voice informing of areas in our body which are not in a healthy state able to receive the benefits of the workout. Exercising while in pain encourages compensation by supporting muscles, tendons and ligaments resulting in misalignments, misuse and abuse in our body. According to Dr Jack Cranston, Orthopedic Surgeon and client of FEEL Fitness, "when we get pain we shorten our range of motion, which leads to inefficiency, leading to increase soft tissue and bone strains." Maintaining length and flexibility in your muscles is vitally important to reduce the negative muscular/skeletal affects exercising in pain will ultimately generate. As you consider your workout regiment, remember to include exercises that focus on maintaining pain free range of motion. Once you have a solid foundation of pain free movement, you can sweat, growl, pump your fists and smile as you enjoy the endorphin rush!

This must become a part of your warrior's creed. It does not matter if you are a police officer, military or civilian for there are many who fall into the definition of warrior. What does matter is that those who are willing to travel the warrior's path will stand staunch against all odds!

Now, sit or lie back comfortably. Take three deep breaths, pausing after you inhale and then exhale fully and completely. After you have taken your first three breaths, just breathe normally. Close your eyes and let any tension you may be holding in your muscles just begin to melt away. After you center yourself and you feel your breath quite down, repeat the mantra; "I will stand against all who would destroy peace!" to yourself for the next five minutes. See yourself succeeding in all your encounters.

As many times as you can throughout your day, stop what you are doing, take one deep breath and repeat this mantra. You can do this when the phone rings, or when you look at your watch, or anytime you feel the need to just slow down for a brief moment and focus. The power of setting a positive intention throughout your day should not be underestimated. It can literally change your life. Make this short time commitment everyday and begin on the path of empowering yourself to survive.