This week only use coupon code "OMEGA3OFFER" during checkout for FREE shipping on orders over $50 at eVitamins.

And then it happened this weekend again -- I gave him some gum, not thinking too much about it -- he was at church and needed to freshen his breath. Within 20 minutes he started saying he couldn't breath -- he looked very anxious. Well by the time we got home, he was feeling more anxious and paranoid!

CONFIRMED ---IT'S POISON!

From: a concerned MOM that's an R.N.

We have all encountered common, generalized "patterns" when toxins affect our health, but the hair test results for most patients do not "fit" an exact pattern. How can they when everyone is different? For these individuals, I take a more scientific approach to derive the maximum amount of information from the test. And, that takes some expertise.

I consider what is known about each element that deviates from the reference values, and then I consider the relationship with the other elements and clinical, health conditions of concern. Since "one size does not fit all," the hair analysis provides a comprehensive consideration for each element to assist the patient in maximizing the interpretation of the test results that do not match a common pattern.

So, in essence, common patterns are used to set an average reference point, but the individual's health status is always treated uniquely. And, that takes some expertise.

The reference points on the hair analysis are based on the literature and clinical feedback that have been reported to the lab over the past 30 years of doing the hair analysis. For each element on the hair analysis, there is a clear relationship about:

1. The correlation between the level of each element in the hair and in the other body tissues;
2. The normal function or toxic effects of the elements;
3. Possible reasons for abnormal levels;
4. Common symptoms associated with abnormal levels;
5. Sources of the elements;
6. Additional tests recommended confirming apparent abnormalities.

I spend at least an hour on each hair test result, specifically correlating my recommendations for nutritional supplementation and detoxification protocols, scrutinizing each patient's diet, health history, and health symptoms of concern.

The hair analysis is one of the finest health tools available, but the key to a good hair analysis is in the expertise of the interpretation. You have to know what you're looking for - the source of the toxins and how they affect the different body systems. It takes an experienced eye to read everything that the hair test reveals, but the hair analysis provides important information that cannot be derived from a blood specimen.

Everyone should have at least one hair analysis done in his or her lifetime. The hair analysis testing really does rock!

I gave birth to my son in 2008, and then to my daughter in 2009. While I was pregnant with my daughter, I had a lot of random issues (for some reason I was craving diet soda a lot with this pregnancy, and so I was drinking a lot of diet soda). I didn't have the energy compared to what I had before, so I didn't exercise like I did during my first pregnancy, I was having breathing problems, and more than once, I was taken to the hospital because of breathing issues and my arm was aching. I was kept in the hospital because they had noticed a heart murmur (or something similar to that) during testing. It turns out that there was no heart problem, but I still don't know what happened or what caused any of this. After giving birth to my daughter, I had extremely low energy, I was always cold, somewhat depressed, I lost all desire to be social/communicate with anyone, I couldn't sleep although I was constantly tired, and my hair was falling out more than normal.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism by my endocrinologist and prescribed Synthroid 125 mcg. I had been taking this for over 1 year, and still didn't feel any bit of difference, so I was tested for adrenal issues, Celiac disease, etc, etc. Everything looked fine, so there was no answer. I also started experiencing vertigo, although no one could diagnose it and it was hard to explain. I had an MRI and all the testing by an otorhinolaryngologist (a physician specializing in ear, nose, and throat diseases) to check my inner ear and everything looked normal.

I started hearing about how Splenda and aspartame, and all these artificial sweeteners, were actually not good for you, but I had always been told these were what I was supposed to use because of my diabetes. I immediately stopped using them and switched to erythritol, xylitol, stevia, maltitol, etc. Since no one could help with my vertigo and sluggish feeling, I just started to experiment on my own. I have been completely off the artificial sweeteners for a year now and my vertigo seems to have lessened, but is not completely gone. Every once in a while I still get dizzy in random situations. I can't think of anything BUT the fact that my issues (that no one can diagnose) are the result of using these sweeteners my entire life, and now there is no reversing certain parts. As far as my energy goes, I started seeing a Chiropractor/Naturopathic/Functional Medicine Doctor to help me since my Endocrinologist and all Dietitians I have talked to seem to all believe that there is nothing wrong with aspartame and the diet sweeteners.

I have been put on an elimination diet for 3 months (not eating red meat, dairy, eggs, wheat, corn, or anything with gluten in it) and have added Ultra Flora®, SpectraZyme®, and OptiFerin® as supplements. I have also done a lot of research on my own on Coconut Oil, and have added that to my diet as well. I must say that after adding the Coconut Oil, my required insulin levels have decreased by 30% over the last few weeks, and I am starting to get some of my energy back. I am even collecting a lot of information regarding being diabetic, hypothyroid, gluten-free, not using artificial sweeteners (only using xylitol, stevia, or coconut sugar), and incorporating Coconut Oil into my entire way of eating.

I do not write books and I have no degree in nutrition or health, but I do have many years of experience, and would be interested in writing some type of book regarding these things, although I'm not really sure where to start. I wanted to share this information with you. Thanks!

From Dr. Hull:
Thanks for sharing your story. Sadly, your use of these chemicals was, as you say, for all of your life. These toxins were present when you were just a child and present before you started puberty. Puberty is a very delicate time in a human's development, and the research does show harmful affects caused by these sweetener chemicals during hormone development.

Tell your story on the Internet; youtube, Facebook, everywhere that you can. People with similar experiences will find you, and you will find them. This issue is a very real issue, but the "mainstream" will not publicize it because it brings in too much money to stop now - the same companies making these diet sweeteners are the companies making the drugs for the side-effects they cause. You can get the word out on the web and through the alternative channels. Just know that people are hungry to hear the truth, and they are sick, too. People are not getting the right answers, and it is slowly killing them, just like you and I have experienced.

One day this all MUST stop - when and how, no one knows because the people supporting the diet sweeteners are the ones who are making money off the illnesses they create. So sad, but so true!

Stay well, and never stop believing in yourself!

The best in health,

- Janet Hull

Only on eVitamins this week, use coupon code "OMEGA3OFFER" at check-out before Friday 8/06/10 and get FREE SHIPPING for any orders over $50!

We hope to make this easy for everyone - the different brands are what I have selected for all the necessary products, including skin care. We're listing as many products that we can to provide for you the best choices that are on the market.

A: You have asked a unique and interesting question. Having studied Chinese Medicine, I have never read or heard of this, so I interpret this as someone's more modern spin on ancient Chinese practices.

1) The ancient Chinese didn't recognize "cancer" as we do today;
2) The ancient Chinese didn't have "modern supplements" like we do today - they used herbs only and natural plant medicines. How this could increase a disease that didn't exist back then is puzzling to me;
3) Ancient toxins cannot be compared to modern toxins.

I am a big believer in whole food supplementation, and if natural food nutrients have been packaged within a powder or capsule, liquid or gel for modern convenience and to enhance our health - well, I think this is a great alternative to the effects of modern pollution, toxic foods, and depleted soils.

In modern times, societies have no choice but to supplement with what we have robbed from nature. Again, societies are not the same as they were in ancient China or the Far East. This is comparing apples to oranges.

The best in health.

How Long Do I Detox?

Q: I have reviewed the information you mailed me on my hair analysis report, and I have some questions. You say that you want to know how I feel after detoxing for the "estimated time period " you have recommended. How do you determine how long it will take to get these metals out?

A: I can estimate the time it takes to remove the metals based on your source of toxicity, your lifestyle and diet, your background, and the relative weights of the individual metals.

The length of time is not to be compared to the length of time one takes a pharmaceutical, though. The Detox supplements are natural elements that nature provides for all animals to ingest when toxins are within the body. They are natural and safe to do on going if one chooses. One can never be too clean or too healthy on the inside.

Once the sources of the toxins are removed, then the detox supplements help the body excrete them from deep body tissues, from the brain, and from the blood. The time duration is also up to the individual and can be determined per recovery time and feelings of health and wellness. And, detoxing can be done on going if it makes you feel good.

Just as we clean the engines of our cars, we, too, should clean our bodies often. When we use all natural cleansers, little to no side effects occur.

Elements such as copper, iron, and selenium can become toxic when present in the body at excessively high levels.

Toxic elements accumulate in the pubic hair as well as scalp hair, albeit at different levels.

Due to the sensitivity of the lab's instruments, an invisible speck of rust or a flake of chrome on the hair sample can totally compromise the analysis results.

Johnson's Baby Shampoo® is the best shampoo to use before having a hair analysis because it does not contain chemicals that affect the hair element levels.

Aluminum, nickel, silver and tin are common elements found in hair treatment products.

Selenium is a major component in some anti-dandruff shampoos, and a single use can affect the hair specimen results.

Manganese and boron are important in the regulation of bone density and cartilage formation.

Low magnesium and manganese levels are associated with agitation and stress.

Sources of exposure to lead are old lead paint dust/chips, drinking water, some fertilizers, and newsprint.

Zinc is an essential element required for a healthy immune system and protein metabolism.

Phosphorus is a major component of mineralized tissue such as bone and teeth.

Makes 4 servings;
Preparation Time: 20 minutes;

4 fillets wild-caught salmon (pre-blackened and seasoned, or prepare to taste);
^1/4 head green cabbage, finely shredded;
1 cup mayonnaise;
1 tbsp chipotle pepper puree;
1 tbsp fresh lime juice;
^1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped;
12 soft tortillas of choice (taco size);
Salsa, optional;
2 limes cut into wedges;

Preheat grill, or grill pan, over high heat.

Brush grill with oil, and grill salmon on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness. Let slightly cool.

Combine mayonnaise, chipotle puree, and lime juice in a small bowl and season with salt to taste (optional).

Flake the salmon with a fork. Heat the tortillas on the grill, or in grill pan, for 30 seconds on each side.

Top each tortilla with 1 tbsp of the chipotle sauce, flaked salmon, cabbage, cilantro, and salsa, if desired.

Serve with lime wedges.

- From The Hullistic Network

In this month's Feature Article "You and the Big Picture," Sid Levinsohn writes about how to avoid panic in stressful situations.

Sid Levinsohn is a pharmacist and medical researcher, and is a nationally known expert on the topic of surviving chronic and terminal illnesses (See StarTribune newspaper article, 4/23/02). He is the author of "Witness a Miracle (Your Own!)."

Download the article and learn how to avoid panic in stressful situations.

After many hours of research and collaboration, I have finally narrowed down my list of top online vitamin resources I feel have the utmost quality products and customer service. For those of you wanting to get started immediately, check out the iHerb discount below:

I am very picky about the vitamin supplements I recommend. Whether aggressively detoxing from a disease diagnosis, aspartame poisoning, or microbes, or simply restoring your nutrient imbalances, using top quality products is a key to success.

There is an array of products on the market, and some are better than others. I will provide the product brands that I consider to be the best out there, the most reasonably priced, and the vegetarian alternatives. I recommend products specifically for my Detox Program and the best supplements to restore the nutrients your body needs based on your personal hair analysis. I have referenced more than one vender because I have been unable to identify a single vender who provides the entire choice of supplement brands that meet my criteria.

In the weeks to follow, I will be writing articles to describe the benefits of each of these recommended supplements and what to watch out for when taking certain supplements. I do not recommend products that contain isolated amino acids, food additives or unnatural preservatives, such as titanium dioxide, food dyes, or any artificial sweeteners. I do prefer liquid, powdered and capsule forms over gels and tablets, and I have provided many choices so that you can decide which form is best for your needs.

In most situations, because a quality vitamin or mineral should typically be concentrated food, a child can take a smaller dose of a quality adult supplement - simply cut back on the dose to match age and body weight.

Pet Products and Body Products:
As the curator of GREEN, a 501C3 Wildlife Preservation, I have a deep love for all animals. Over the following weeks and months, my product recommendations will expand to include the best supplements for your pets, the most natural body products on the market, and my choices for water and air purifiers.

You never need to worry about forgetting what my recommendations are because you can always return to Ask Dr. Hull.com for my top selections in nutritional products, and you can speak with me anytime at Phone Consultations with Dr. Hull.

The best in health,

Janet Hull

Life on our planet would not be possible without water. The contamination of water is a serious problem for mankind, and an issue that societies have been battling since the formation of cities. Sadly, humans have not learned from our past, and we continue to pollute both freshwater and salt-water resources.

In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, Dr. Masaru Emoto uses high-speed photography to show his discovery that water crystals formed in frozen water change when specific thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water exposed to positive, loving words showed brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water and water exposed to negative thoughts formed incomplete, asymmetrical and chaotic patterns with dull colors.

In contrast to tap water, natural water displays a beautiful array of crystals, and even more so when the natural water is exposed to beautiful music and positive thoughts. Dr. Emoto discovered fascinating differences formed in the water crystals, and when the water was shown different words, such as "gratitude" or "stupid", the crystals formed different patterns. Because the planet and human beings are mostly water, the implications of his research create a modern awareness of how mankind can positively impact the Earth and human health.

The publications of these crystal photographs could not have come at a more appropriate time in human history, and may well be a sign of the times to come. Mankind should now be more receptive to these messages hidden in our water.

Chief Oren Lyons of the Onondaga American Indian tribe stated in the book Wisdomkeepers, "One of the Natural Laws is that you've got to keep things pure. Especially the water. Keeping the water pure is one of the first Laws of Life. If you destroy the water, you destroy life."

You think??

Do you drink eight glasses of chlorine per day? Would you drink a cup of pesticides? What about a cup of petroleum water? Manmade chemicals can make a human sick very quickly, and can destroy the good bacteria that keep the intestinal tract healthy.

Let's look at chlorine. We never dreamed that everyday chlorine could be so dangerous for human health because most of us have grown up with chlorine products. Decades ago our public water supplies were less polluted, and a few drops of chlorine could purify a lot of water. With all the pollution today, it's as if we are mixing dirty water with poisonous amounts of chlorine hoping it will stay "clean. " And, we are mixing even more chlorine into the waters around the Gulf.

Today, water treatment plants have to add higher levels of chlorine so they can be sure some chlorine will remain in the water when it reaches your home. Because of chlorine's volatility, more water treatment plants are switching to chloramine. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia that is more stable than chlorine, but is also very potent. Chloramine won't release from the water as easily as chlorine, so it leaves both chlorine and ammonia as by-products; you are solving one problem (the chlorine), but creating a new problem (the ammonia).

And, chloramine isn't as good at killing microorganisms as chlorine, so higher levels of chloramine are often used in our public water supply.

So here's another problem, and one that involves the petroleum from the Gulf oil spill - organochlorines. Organochlorines are the combination of chlorine and organic substances. Pesticides, plastics, paints, dyes, deodorants, bleaching agents, refrigerants, wood preservers and cleaning solvents are common examples of products created by combining chlorine and petroleum. Now, mankind is looking at chlorine and petroleum in the Gulf - directly combined.

Organochlorines typically do not like water (hydrophobic) and are attracted to animal fats, including lipids (lipophilic), which is bad news for living creatures. Most organochlorines do not readily dissolve in water but instead gravitate toward fat-containing organisms where they "bioaccumulate" as they move up the food chain, from fish to man. Organochlorines in the tissues of some fish species, for example, have been measured 150 times greater than their level in the surrounding water. We, humans, are not exempt.

Studies have already proven the dangers of chlorine mixed with petroleum. Dr. Jack Vallentyne, Senior Scientist, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario stated: "Toxic chemicals, in large part organochlorines, have impaired and are impairing the natural populations of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals in the Great Lakes Basin. The concentrations of organochlorines in these wild populations are in the same general range as those found in human populations. Because of their short generation times, populations of fish and wildlife may be showing effects that will appear later in human populations. On this basis, and direct evidence from a limited number of human studies, the reports also concluded that there is a clear threat to human health. The dimensions of the human health threat are not well known."

And now, we have organochlorines impacting life surrounding the Gulf of Mexico.

Chlorine, petroleum, organochlorines, and chloramine apparently don't agree with living creatures. Doesn't this say something about the changes mankind must make for our future? In order to manage the chaos that we have brought upon ourselves, we simply continue to create more chaos. It's time we give nature back to nature.

On a positive note, mankind now realizes that societies have created a serious, unnatural situation beyond our control. The toxic accumulation of many man-made chemicals in our Gulf waters will stimulate positive, future action. A new awareness - a new view of the Earth - is long overdue, but it is always better late than never.

Since humans and the Earth are composed mostly of water, the future of one's personal health, the global environment, and plans for the renewal of a better relationship with the Earth's resources starts with each one of us.

It's time to admit that the prolonged overuse of chemicals such as chlorine and petroleum are simply two of the chemicals whose times have passed. This leaves the door wide open for exciting changes ahead; more natural changes, if societies stay smart.

Cartoon created by Mimi's Memos. Copyright 2010 Mimi's Memos All Rights Reserved http://www.MimisMemos.com/

Q: Dear Dr. Hull, I am a 42 yr. old male. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2003. Then I started using diet products not knowing the side affects of the aspartame. Not until March 2009 did I start having blurred vision, dizziness, tinnitus, my right hand shakes and it comes up my right arm. I have had MRI's of my head three to four times, every time it's normal. I have been taking Humalin 70/30 for the last 4 years along with Symvasstatin and Lisinopril. Please help me with this situation because I have seen ENT's, neurologists, Internal Medicine doctors, and my family practice doctor - none of them have come up with an answer until this day when I found your website.

A: Thanks for emailing. I am glad that you found this info about the diet sweeteners because now you can turn things around for a healthier future. Life was much simpler for diabetics before the artificial sweeteners, actually.

They have you on two meds for your heart; is this a recent health issue since the diabetes or is it family history? My suggestion is to stop the chemical sweeteners - all of them - and try Stevia from NuNaturals off the web or at Whole Foods. This is excellent for diabetics, and this product really rocks! Stop all aspartame and the other diet products and see if these health symptoms disappear. If you are disciplined with this, these symptoms typically DO go away. Then you can learn how to become a healthy diabetic, as there are many of you out there! But, they are the ones who eat whole foods, avoid ALL toxic chemicals, and avoid these chemical sweeteners at all costs.

Keep doing your research, consider reading my books Sweet Poison and Splenda: Is It Safe Or Not - they will teach you why these chemicals are harming you and what to do about it. You will have to take the "control" out of the hands of the AMA and put it back into your own life. Don't be afraid of doing this if your doctor tells you that you cannot survive without him - I know it seems like I am always bashing doctors, but so many doctors and nurses put fear in people when this issue of diabetes and aspartame comes up, but the solutions can be so simple....remove all diet products and treat your diabetes logically - and naturally. Your doctor should want you to be well, no matter what you do or believe.

Isagenix^®

Q: Hello. I have a question about some products that I've been consuming. They are meal replacement shakes from a brand called: Isagenix. They have aspartic acid and phenylalanine, along with many other amino acids. I don't know if this is bad? Are they just listing the ingredients separately with hopes to disguise that there is aspartame in them? I don't have any side effects when I consume them, but I certainly do NOT want to be ingesting something artificial, and being tricked! Please help! Thanks!

A: If aspartame is in this product, you will see a warning label for phenylketonurics or one that states Warning: Contains Phenylalanine. This alerts the consumer that the toxic form of aspartame is in the product. If the phenylalanine is part of a complex amino acid form of at least eight amino acids, then this should be a safe source of powered protein. Both aspartic acid and phenylalanine are natural amino acids found in foods with complexes of at least eight natural amino acids, but they are not safe when isolated in man-made, altered forms. The body was created to use complex forms of at least eight amino acids - not just one or two somebody tinkered with in a lab.

You are so smart to check your labels! Go, girl!

How Long Do I Detox?

Q: Hi Dr. Hull. I received my hair analysis report and eliminated even more products containing aluminum...thank you for your help. I have purchased most of the supplements needed to Detox and ordered the others on-line. I'm making a list of what I need to take so not to over-do this, but thank you again for your help and I'll have my hair analyzed again probably around Xmas. I hope to see great improvement in the results.

One question, though. Am I to consistently stay on the Detox for 6-8 months??? PLEASE ADVISE.

A: I am so glad the hair analysis has helped you. I think it's an awesome tool, too!

Yes, Detox consistently for the time period I recommended because I estimated how long it should take to pull the different metals out of your body depending on where they have deposited and how heavy each metal is. Consistency is a key to keeping the flow going - once you start pulling toxins out, don't stop until they flush down your toilet.

Water is more than simple H2O.

Water, like air, is a nonrenewable resource - what we have now is all we will get.

Water is a conduit for resonance and vibration.

Pure water can contain up to 108 natural elements.

Without water, no life or growth is possible.

Toxins in the environment are easily transported through water.

"Free water" is naturally flowing water purified by the elements of nature.

The human body is made of primarily water and salt.

The healing properties of water are the keystone for naturopathic medicine.

Water is the beginning and end of all life cycles.

Shrimp and Avocado in a Tamarind Sauce

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 40 minutes

1/4 C olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 C tamarind pulp (from a pliable block)
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Asian fish sauce (available from grocer)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 ripe avocados
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 fresh Thai chilies
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 lbs medium cooked shrimp
1/4 C roasted nuts of choice
5 cups cooked rice of choice

Heat oil in a 1-quart saucepan at 350 degrees F until hot. Fry shallot rings and stir until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Transfer shallot rings to paper towel to drain. (Save oil for later.)

Soak tamarind pulp in a small bowl of boiling water until softened (about 5 minutes). Force pulp through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

Add sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice, and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Cut, pit, and peel avocados. Cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks, and toss in a bowl with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice.

Transfer saved oil into a 12-inch skillet and heat on medium-high until hot but not smoking. Saute ginger, garlic, chilies, and salt. Stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add shrimp and saute turning over once (about 2 minutes).

Stir in tamarind mixture and simmer until shrimp are cooked through.

Spoon shrimp and avocado over rice, then sprinkle with nuts and fried shallot.

Serve.

Source: Epicurious.com

Asian Cobb Salad

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

I-head deep leafy lettuce, rinsed, dried and finely chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and dried
1/2 bunch watercress, rinsed, dried, and finely chopped
6 slices bacon, finely chopped
3 ripe avocados
2 lbs cooked shrimp (scallops would work well, also)
1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 large hard-boiled egg (separate yolk and white, chopped)
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1 C blue cheese crumbles

In a large salad bowl, toss together lettuce, cilantro, and watercress.

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel to drain.

Halve, pit, and peel avocados and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Arrange shrimp, bacon, tomato, and avocado pieces decoratively over the greens, and garnish with chopped egg and chives.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegars and mustard; add salt and pepper to taste. Add oil slowly, and whisk until thoroughly blended. Stir in blue cheese.

Pour dressing over salad and toss well.

Enjoy!

- From The Hullistic Network Readers

TRY THIS NOW: (without glasses or contacts) Hold a finger up near your face and focus on it, and then quickly look at something beyond it in the distance. Then look back at your hand.

If you have clear vision, here's what you should see:

Your hand will be clearer than the distant item when you are focusing on your hand. When you're focused on the distant item, it will be clearer than your hand. However, if you're nearsighted, your hand will be clearer, even when you're looking at the distant item. And if you're farsighted, the distant item will be clearer, even when you're looking at your hand.

In other words, if you've got a vision problem, your eyes can't change focus, swiftly, easily and sharply, from far to near.

Many people think there's nothing that can be done about that, perhaps even believing that it's because the eye is the wrong shape (that's one of the 5 Vision Myths that I tear apart in The Program for Better Vision.

But you can train the muscles in your eyes to focus better at different distances, and here's why:

FATTER OR FLATTER: CAN YOUR LENS MAKE THE CHANGE?
The lens in the eye changes its shape to bring objects into focus. The lens needs to be flatter to see objects that are further away more clearly. And it needs to become fatter to focus on something closer.

We are always changing what we are looking at, so the lens is continually making fine adjustments in its shape. Normally, the lens changes its focus - and thus its shape - more than 100,000 times each and every day. The shape of the lens is controlled by a group of muscles that surround the lens. These muscles have to work together to change the lens into the exact shape required to bring whatever you are looking at into sharp focus.

This changing of the eye's focusing power is called "Accommodation." (It's one of the 6 Critical Visual Skills you'll develop when you use The Program for Better Vision.

But if you have a vision problem, these muscles around the lens become stuck and stiff. Some of them can't relax when they need to, while others can't stretch when they need to.

If you're nearsighted, they're "stuck" for near vision and the lens has too much power. On the other hand, if you're farsighted, these muscles are "stuck" for distance vision; the lens has too little focusing power.

Like any other group of muscle in the body, the muscles around the lens can be exercised. When you exercise them correctly, they can regain flexibility and tone, and they'll work the way that they're supposed to.

Here's one exercise from The Program for Better Vision that re-trains accommodation: Near-To-Far Shifting.

TRY THIS NOW: (without glasses or contacts)
1. Look at your finger, about 4-6 inches in front of your eyes.
2. Shift your focus to a distant target, at least 10 feet away.
3. Shift your focus back and forth from your finger to the distant target 10 - 20 times.
4. Repeat as many times during the day as you remember. The more the better!

Make sure that your focus rests for a brief moment before you shift your vision again. With practice, you'll be able to train the muscles around the lens to become more flexible and to change focus more easily and quickly. The result: You'll see better and better through an increasing range of distances.

Near-To-Far Shifting is one of 24 different exercises, techniques and processes that you'll find in The Program for Better Vision , a powerfully effective combination of eye exercises, muscle control techniques, brain/eye coordination and complete body, mind and eye relaxation.

Martin Sussman is President and Founder of the Cambridge Institute for Better Vision, co-author of Total Health at the Computer, and developer of the #1 Best-selling Program for Better Vision. Mr. Sussman is a firm believer that different vision problems require different solutions.

Copyright ^© MMX Cambridge Institute for Better Vision. All Rights Reserved. Cambridge Institute, 65 Eastern Ave #B1-E, Essex, MA 01929, United States

My Free Teleconference is on Tuesday June 15, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST. We received a lot of great feedback and questions from you, and I look forward to addressing them. For more info and to sign up visit: http://www.askdrhull.com/teleconference/

In this month's newsletter we have our regular entries:

Client/Reader Feedback;
Q & A with Dr. Hull;
Did You Know - About Food?

Our feature this month is:
Diet Soda as Medicine - UNbelievable! .

Our articles this month are:
Food For Thought;
Detoxing and Pregnancy; and
Hunger May Simply Be Thirst--For Water, That is.

Cartoon created by Mimi's Memos. Copyright 2010 Mimi's Memos All Rights Reserved http://www.MimisMemos.com/

From Dr. Hull:

Apathy is a social disease that is epidemic in our country today; I suggest looking inward to become more open-minded and adopting a more positive social influence.

The best in health,

- Janet Hull