Every Christian knows that our Lord Jesus Christ was "pierced" for our sins and died for our iniquity (unrighteousness and unholiness).? It is an undeniable truth that God chose to present His son as a sacrifice so that we could live forever in His presence.? As I sit here working through the mechanics of the ancient art of acupuncture I'm stricken with an awareness that until we meet Him in person we'll have a very limited understanding of what He went through to buy us back from the devil.?

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The art of acupuncture is very difficult to master and has many elements that fly in the face of Christian doctrine.? For instance, there are treatments that are called "Seven dragons to chase the seven internal devils (or demons)."? The fact is that these treatments have been designed to address internal medicine issues like infectious disease, emotional imbalances and toxicity.? The acupuncture?terminology is descriptive of the thinking?of the ancient?healers who hadn't had the opportunity to hear the "Good News" of the gospel, let alone incorporate these new ideas into their medical system.??Still, no one should blindly embrace acupuncture or any Eastern medical system because?of symptomatic benefit from their use.? Every healing event, including taking antibiotics and heart bypass surgery has a spiritual context.? You should be aware of the spiritual basis of your choices.? Outside of divinely inspired prayer, all medical systems have their basis outside of Christianity.

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Hard to believe?? It shouldn't be.? There are no medical systems that are purely Christian in their founding or application.? The Biblical Guide to Alternative Medicine by Michael Jacobson D.O. and Dr. Neil Anderson makes this point well.? I recommend it for anyone who is seriously interested in alternative medicine and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.? Jesus said "Do not believe every spirit!"? It would be wise to find out what this admonition really meant.? Trying the "spirit" requires specifically asking or investigating whether a spirit emanates from the One True God and Father of Jesus Christ.? A demonic spirit will deny the existence of God-made-flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and His resurrection and ascension to His place at the right hand of God.? Christian acupuncture may be possible in the future.? I'm certainly giving it a careful examination!? Until I know more about oriental medicine and its full spectrum of effects I know of only one episode of Christian acupuncture.? It happened around two thousand years ago when a Roman soldier pierced the side of my Lord and the Christian church was born.?

San Diego, February 25, 2006 will be the site and date for a phenomenal course on "Five element Acupuncture."? This ancient form of acupuncture focuses on the relationship between the character and genetics of each individual as it relates to their health and wellness.? The idea of "patient-centered" care is nothing new in Eastern Medicine disciplines and has been worked out for thousands of years in India and China.? The five elements include:

1. Fire
2. Earth
3. Metal
4. Water
5. Wood

Each has their own personality traits, tastes, disease tendencies and?nutritional needs.? By recognizing the combination of elements in each person it's possible to discover hidden cues for improving health and avoiding serious disease.??The Better Body Brighter Mind (B3M) System is built on these principles as well as modern medical literature and research.? During this upcoming conference I will have the opportunity to increase the accuracy of the B3M System by applying advanced interview and study technique.? I'm looking forward to building the new concepts into the system.? time and truth are marching on..........

Brain function and thought development (cognitive function) are directly related to adequate iron levels.? Depression, anxiety and other mental afflictions may be traced to iron levels.? Foods that inhibit iron absorption are common in our diets and should be limited in cases where mental challenges, low energy and anemia can be traced to iron deficiency.

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Iron can be found in meat, grains and vegetables.? Meat sources of iron (heme)?are the most easily absorbed.? The others (non-heme) tend to be dependent on the body's status at the time they are eaten.? A variety of whole foods in the diet tends toward a more normal iron balance.? Supplements may be necessary and should contain?the more absorbable "ferrous" form as fumarate or succinate.?

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Some foods contain iron inhibitors of "ligands" that bind with iron and prevent it from passing through the gut (intestinal walls) into the bloodstream. Besides tannin in tea, other iron-inhibitors include phytates (found in unprocessed cereals and bran and soy) and certain spices (such as oregano). Calcium blocks iron absorption as well. One glass of milk (about 165 mg on calcium) halves iron absorption, so experts recommend that people take calcium supplements between meals, and not at the same time as an iron supplement. In addition, certain foods can bind the non-heme iron in another food eaten at the same time. For instance, wheat and rice contain ligands that bind most of the non-heme iron in kidney beans.

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So, wheat, rice?and dairy are "no-nos" when iron absorption is at "Steak!" Get it?? It is probably best to consume iron in beef broths by itself without mixing any of the blocking foods. This "heme" iron source is awesome and will be absorbed regardless of?the body's mechanimsms?to inhibit its impact.? If in doubt you should consider seeing a health-oriented physician who can steer you in the right direction and get lab work including:

• ferritin
• CBC with differential
• Total Iron Binding Capacity
• Serum Transferrin Receptor (last resort)

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Iron does what it sounds like it shoud do. It makes us strong!