Are We Poisoning Our Planet?

Is Stress Increasing the Incidence of Violence?

Can Pineapple Substitute for Aspirin?

God's New Covenant Promise

Eucalyptus - Not Just for Koala Bears!

Pecan-Berry Smoothie

Beating the Dreaded Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Letter from the Editor

Less than half a century ago, you could see the skyline of most of our major cities.  There were no smog alerts or no-burn days.  You did not have to wear a mask to protect yourself from toxic airborne chemicals.  The incidence of serious respiratory illnesses was exponentially lower and those with asthma and lung conditions did not have to watch the news to determine when they could safely leave their homes.  The rivers and oceans were clean. 

You could swim at your favorite beach without worrying about effluent from sewage lines or hazardous wastes.  You did not have to filter your tap water to eliminate excess chlorine and toxic chemicals.  There were abundant stars visible in the skies, unimpeded by the incessantly bright lights of sprawling metropolitan areas.  Our forests were lush paradises, with trails free from trash and the drone of portable audio systems and ATCs.  Our rural areas were so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.  Nuclear power was in its infancy and radioactive waste disposal sites containing hazardous materials and radioisotopes with half lives of millions of years did not exist.  Our world was indeed an entirely different place, less than half a century ago.  Those of us who were born at that time can hardly remember what it was like.  Others can hardly imagine it in their wildest dreams.  So, what went wrong?

It would be all too easy to blame the environmental pollution problem on rapid population growth, advancing technology, and natural phenomena.  But, this would be sheer rationalization.  The fact is, our deteriorating environment is due to human carelessness, poor planning, and outright greed. 

I live in a remote rural area in Hawaii that, by all reason, should be a haven for clean air, water, and peace and quiet.  Yet, this sleepy community in the rainforest seems hell-bent on generating as much pollution of varying forms as can ever be imagined.  Diesel trucks in large numbers routinely traverse the only road through town to perform construction work, spewing massive amounts of diesel exhaust fumes into the air.  Local residents buy large diesel pickup trucks that not only cause the same exhaust problem, but generate excess engine noise as well. The most prominent local business continually renovates its property using jackhammers and bulldozers that emit a loud warning signal each time they back up.  Insecticides are often used to reduce the mosquito populations, and deadly herbicides are employed to kill weeds along the roadside. 

The runoff from locally heavy rains carries these toxic chemicals into local ponds and streams, and subsequently into the ocean, causing contamination and affecting wildlife.  Local residents frequently engage in the open burning of trash and leaves, when not impeded by local law enforcement agencies.  The youth of the town, in large numbers, drive vehicles with high-decibel boom boxes often cranked up to full volume, creating a steady din of

bass thumping and nerve-shattering resonance waves.  In short, this tiny rain forest community of only about 1,000 people could easily pass for paradise, were it not for the continual and unrelenting bombardment by thoughtless residents who have turned their backs on the beauty over which God made them stewards.  Unfortunately, this is only a microcosm.   While it clearly portrays man’s ongoing efforts to derail the plans that God had for all of us in creating such splendor, it is also a harbinger of the cataclysmic events that lie ahead for the rest of the world.  In consideration of the massive changes we are witnessing in our environment on a planetary level, how much time do we actually have left before our world becomes uninhabitable?  Are there details the scientific community is not telling us?  Read more.

Is Stress Increasing the Incidence of Violence?
.by Staff Writers

Stop to think about it.  There was a time in our country when a person could come home from work and enjoy the peace and quiet of his abode, affording some real respite after a challenging day of successfully completing obligations.  If you are my age, perhaps you can recall times like these in your distant past.  Nowadays, if you are fortunate to leave work without missing dinner and with your nerves still intact, you have achieved something unattainable to most Americans.  The more likely scenario is that your day at the office consisted of an endless harangue from coworkers and the general public.  You probably skipped breakfast and perhaps missed lunch to accommodate the ever-increasing and unreasonable deadlines imposed by your employer.  In addition to skipping meals, you took virtually no time at all for other necessary self-care considerations, including drinking enough water or visiting the restroom when your body urged you that the time had arrived.  The meeting you were attending was simply too important.  So there you are – set up for disaster before you even leave the office.  Now the real fun begins. 

Your untimely departure for the homeward journey is tainted by a long list of upcoming tasks inconspicuously delivered to you by e-mail, all without a word of gratitude from the boss for a job well done.  Your attempt to negotiate the gridlock on the streets and highways, as you travel home, requires another painful two hours of your time.  As you feel the annoying resonance waves from the high-decibel boom box in the car next to you and recall the unwarranted slights at the office, your blood pressure begins to

rise as your body trembles from low blood sugar.  When you finally arrive home, you are welcomed by a barrage of junk mail and bills.  As late as you are, you are also the first one home. The phone rings.  It is an automated calling system asking you to wait for a customer representative.  Your blood pressure increases another notch.  As your nerves begin to fray and your stomach grumbles, you are told that your credit card payment is late.  You struggle to check your records and find that your electronic payment was sent but not received.  You try to explain this to the representative but the response is uncaring and rude.  You demand to speak with a supervisor.  They hang up on you.  As your temper begins to flare, a car passes your home with its boom box at full volume.  Almost simultaneously, the neighbor starts his leaf blower.  The noise is unbearable.  The moment of truth has finally arrived.  The stress level has peaked and you feel almost like strangling someone.  How will you act out your frustrations?  Will you be capable of seeking comfort through prayer, or will you simply let it all hang out? Fact or fiction?  While most of pray not to be so overwhelmed by the circumstances in our lives, the never ending battle of 21^st century America rages on.  The stress at work is unmanageable, the traffic incomprehensible, and the ambient noise overwhelming.  It is enough to make you sick.  Indeed this is happening to all of us.  Welcome to turn-of-the-century America. 

Anyone can pick up a newspaper or turn on a news report and realize that violence in America is rising exponentially.  Surprisingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported back in 1998 that there were 709 workplace homicides accounting for 12% of the total 6,026 fatal work injuries in the United States. There were almost 2,000,000 assaults and threats of violence.  According to more recent figures from a National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), there is an average of 1.5 million

Very few of us stop to realize just how profound the effects of constant exposure to noise can be.  Furthermore, the subtlety by which the levels of ambient noise have increased in our communities has gone unnoticed by many.  Between the increased use of mechanical tools like leaf blowers and weed eaters, along with the unnecessary prevalence of boom boxes and the like, the

Can Pineapple Substitute for Aspirin?
.by Staff Writers

Just imagine – a fruit as effective as…aspirin?  It may seem a bit odd at first, but one of the less well-known properties of raw pineapple is its potent anti-inflammatory effect.  There are many other health benefits to eating raw pineapple that you may be surprised to learn. We often underestimate the healing properties inherent in natural foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. But, if we could learn the many benefits of consuming more of these wonderful live foods, this can provide us with yet another powerful arsenal with which to combat disease.

Pineapple contains bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme.  Proteolytic enzymes, also called proteases, aid in the breakdown of protein.  As a result, bromelain is a commonly used digestive aid.  As we get older we produce fewer digestive enzymes making it more difficult to digest our food and also causing us discomfort after eating, especially when we have eaten a meal high in protein.  Raw pineapple may be an excellent desert choice because it will actually help you to digest your meal!  

Protease enzymes also stimulate the immune system.  They can aid in the destruction of collagen cross linkages (caused by free radicals) that form wrinkles and hardening of the arteries.  According to the free radical theory of aging, it is cross linkages that essentially break down the cellular structure throughout the body resulting in degeneration. Then, perhaps we could say that pineapple is a Hawaiian anti-aging secret?  It is interesting to note that in areas where pineapple is consumed abundantly, such as Hawaii, the people do not show the signs of aging that one might expect to accompany their high exposure to the sun.  Can this be due to bromelain’s potential to ward off wrinkles?  

Bromelain and other protease enzymes also interfere with arachidonic acid metabolism, which is involved in inflammation.  Bromelain, in combination with Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, can be more effective than aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for reducing pain and swelling of arthritis and sports injuries.  Indeed, pineapple can challenge aspirin for relieving pain and inflammation!  The bromelain in pineapple is helpful for allergies and other inflammatory conditions as well.  It also exhibits antiplatelet clotting activities.  It is nontoxic and has no known side effects.  It is also well tolerated.   

Heat destroys bromelain and other enzymes, so pineapple must be eaten raw to gain its benefits.  Pineapple also contains potassium, vitamin C, fiber and manganese (an essential mineral for protein metabolism).  Another excellent source of protease enzymes is papaya, which will be discussed in next month’s issue of Answers.

God's New Covenant Promise
.by John Wilson

Receiving the new covenant promise is a process, not an event. It takes time to complete the process of conversion. Note that truth is implanted in the mind and heart. Understanding the difference between the two is important. The heart is the seat of the affections in the mind. Here the emotions dwell and operate. Our spirit, or attitudes and moods, stems from this part of the mind. The heart is mostly the subconscious part of the mind where desires, feelings and impulses reside. It cannot easily be changed by

will or choice. Here our nature, or natural tendencies dwell and our habits finally settle as character traits. Here also is our inner conscience, or intuition.

The new covenant promise provides the very basis for the plan of salvation. It is the foundation, the protecting fence, the covering and the very core of the Gospel. All that the Father and the Son have provided for the salvation of mankind is wrapped up in this one promise. This preserves the law of God as the unerring standard of the universe. It provides the only way out for fallen man. It is perfect.

When the perfect law of God is truly written in every mind and heart, there will be perfect joy and satisfaction and everlasting peace throughout all of the universe. All will keep the law in their hearts (see Romans 2:13-16,26-29).

Study Hebrews chapter 8 carefully. This is the better covenant based upon better promises - God’s promises and not man’s promises. All this comes to us in the more excellent ministry of Jesus. It is vitally related to the more excellent way of charity. Charity never fails and when God’s love, charity, is in our minds and hearts, we will never fail.

The Law of God is Always the Standard

of His Kingdom in Both Covenants

Obey and Live / Disobey and Die

Keeping the Ten Commandments

The Hard Way-----The Enjoyable Way

Old Way---------- New Way

By the Letter------- A New Heart

Try Hard ----------New Heart

Letter-------------- Spirit

Mind--------------- Heart

Will--------------Desires

Logic------------ Feelings

Reason----------- Impulses

Works Faith ---------Habit Character

Receive the Approval of Man ------Receive the Approval of God & Man

Eucalyptus - Not Just for Koala Bears!
.by Susan Suntag

When one thinks of eucalyptus, the first thing that comes to mind is the cute little koala bear. Oddly enough, however, the koala is not a bear at all. It is a marsupial and a distant cousin of the wombat. Before we discuss the healing benefits of eucalyptus, it is necessary to clear up one commonly held myth. It is believed by many that the koala becomes drunk on the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus leaves consist of 50 percent water and 5 percent sugars and starches. This very low energy diet causes the koala to conserve energy by sleeping up to 19 hours a day, thus making them appear

intoxicated. So much for the rumor that koalas are drunks!

The eucalyptus tree originated in Australia and Tasmania and has been grown and naturalized in warm regions of Europe and America. The parts of the tree that are used include the leaves and the wood, from which charcoal is made. The eucalyptus leaves contain tannin, resin, fatty acids, and mainly essential oils, in which the active components concentrate. These oils contains cyneol or eucalyptol, terpene hydrocarbons, pynene, and alymphatic and sesquiterpene alcohols. The expectorant, balsamic, antiseptic, bronchodilator, and mile febrifuge and sudorific properties of the eucalyptus leaves are caused by these oils. (Plants that Heal, George D. Pamplona-Roger,M.D.)

Eucalyptus is recommended for all respiratory system disorders and is especially effective in cases of bronchial catarrh, asthma, and bronchitis. Because of its antiseptic and balsamic actions on the bronchial mucous membranes, eucalyptus assists in the regeneration of damaged cells, expelling of mucus, and in alleviating coughs. Eucalyptus is one of the most effective plants known for bronchial and pulmonary problems.

Vapor baths are the best method for utilizing all the properties of eucalyptus. In a bowl of boiling water, place a handful of eucalyptus leaves or from four to six drops of eucalyptus oil per liter of water. The person receiving the vapor bath must sit down, with a bare torso, and place the head over the bowl so that the vapor reaches the chest and head. This should be done for five to ten minutes. Administer the vapor bath three or four times per day

The vapor bath, as well as the evaporated eucalyptus oil works in two ways:

• Directly on the chest eliminating toxins through the skin, thus alleviating lung congestion.
• The steam inhaled into the bronchi breaks down the bronchial mucus aiding in its elimination.

Eucalyptus oil is also helpful in relieving coughs. Dissolve two teaspoons of honey in half a glass of water and add two or three drops of eucalyptus oil. This should be used in cases of coughs caused by pharyngitis or laryngitis (throat infections), tracheitis, bronchitis, or bronchial catarrh. Up to five cups can be taken daily, however the recommended dose for children should not exceed two or three cups per day.

Pecan-Berry Smoothie
Fresh from the Suntag Kitchen

I was never able to imagine how nuts could be used in a smoothie without somehow detracting from the taste created by the combination of fruits typically included in such a delightful beverage. That is, not until I tried it one day. Of all the nuts I have used, pecans seem to provide the most flavorful addition to a smoothie, because they are sweeter in taste than other nuts. By making a smoothie with these wonderful gems, you not only enhance its

Blend at high speed until all ingredients are completely mixed together

Add as much water as necessary to make the smoothie smooth. Or, you can pour the thick concoction into a bowl and sprinkle ground coconut on it. Perhaps you may also want to add some pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Whatever you do, this is a berry delicious combination that everyone will love. Enjoy it and may your health be greatly enhanced!

Beating the Dreaded Flesh-Eating Bacteria
A Medical Marvel from God

Mention the term flesh-eating bacteria to most people, and the reaction will generally be one of abject horror. Yet, this particular form of infection has been around for centuries. Necrotizing fasciitis, as it is more correctly known, is caused by a form of strep bacteria (group A streptococcus) – the same one that causes strep throat. The bacteria tends to be more prevalent in warm, moist climates. Infection generally occurs when the skin is injured in some way, usually through a cut or abrasion. The injury can be rather small, perhaps just a scratch. What makes the infection so deadly is that

the bacteria attacks the fascia, or the tough layers of tissue between the muscles and organs. The infection spreads along the fascia, producing dead or necrotic tissue. Thus, the term necrotizing fasciitis. Once this form of strep infects the fascia, it can spread rapidly, causing infection throughout the body and ultimately resulting in death. Generally, infected tissue must be surgically excised, which usually means amputation of an appendage. No wonder the disease strikes fear in the hearts of those who hear about it!

When you read the media stories about people who died from flesh-eating bacteria, you begin to wonder if there is any hope once one is infected. Well, I am a living testimony that this form of bacteria can indeed be stopped – without surgery or dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. I believe that the cure lies entirely in one’s general state of health, which includes proper nutrition, exercise, and adequate rest. It also requires an unyielding vigilance and perseverance in treating the infected area.

I am pleased that we have added another month to our collection of newsletters designed to assist those seeking a healthier and more fulfilled life based upon Biblical principles. Answers is now reaching a very diverse audience from all over the country. We strive to offer a viable alternative to the many mainstream publications dealing with health and wellness. We also try to keep our features timely and interesting to our growing readership.

I want to thank you for subscribing to Answers and truly hope this month’s issue has been informative and helpful, offering some insights for daily living to you and your loved ones. Rational Christian Ministries is dedicated to providing Biblically-based information on health and wellness designed to help weather the challenges of an increasingly confusing world. Please take the time to share this newsletter with your friends and encourage them to sign up as well. It is our fervent hope to reach all of those who are earnestly searching for a better way of life.

Answers is published on the first day of each month. If you missed a previous issue and would like to read it, you may view it online in our archives. We encourage comments and questions from our readers. We would also like to hear from you if you have a testimony that attests to what Jesus Christ has done in your life. Please e-mail us if you have comments or would like to share a testimony.

As with previous issues of Answers, it is incumbent upon me to mention certain terms of use. With regard to content in our newsletter, we offer information based upon biblical principles and commonly accepted standards. Although we stand firmly by our views on health and wellness, it is our legal obligation to tell you that you should consult recognized medical authorities prior to making any major lifestyle changes. Furthermore, whatever you embark upon in your effort to live a fuller, healthier life, you should do so through prayer and deliberation. The Lord will always show you what path to take if you earnestly trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

While the articles, book excerpts, graphics, or other copyrighted materials used in this newsletter should not be reproduced, reused, or sold to third parties without permission, we do encourage you to share the newsletter with friends and family. It is our goal to help as many as possible to find a better balance in their daily lives, as they develop a more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. Anyone can sign up for free by visiting the newsletter page on our website.

Once again, I thank you for signing up for Answers and look forward to serving your needs as our ministry continues to grow.

With love in Christ,

Arnie Suntag