Health News Blog provides coverage of current health news.

We have already discussed the very close relationship between the body and the mind, and we have seen that relaxation of the body itself produces some relaxation of the mind. But we can go further than that, and we continue our exercises in this fashion:

Our whole body is relaxed.—We feel it all through us.—It is in our face.—Our face is utterly relaxed.—We feel it in our forehead, and in the sides of our forehead.—We feel it there deeply, deeply in the sides of our forehead.—Deeply, we feel it in our mind.

This sequence follows on easily enough. We feel the relaxation in the muscles of our face, and with this relaxation we feel our face smooth, out in calm. There is a very intimate relationship between the state of our mind and the state of our face. If your mind is calm, so is your face. Conversely if we learn to make our face calm, we experience a feeling of increasing calm of our mind.

With our jaw loose the muscles that work the jaw are fully relaxed. The two temporal muscles extend up to the sides of the forehead. You can feel them by placing the fingertips at the side of the forehead and firmly clenching the jaw. You can feel the muscle contract and then let go as the jaw is relaxed. The feeling of relaxation here gives us the feeling of relaxation deeply within us—in the mind itself.

The whole of our body is relaxed.—We feel the relaxation of all the muscles of our body.

—They are relaxed.—They are relaxed and calm.—We can feel the calm.—We feel the relaxation and we feel the calm.—The relaxation is all through us, and so is the calm that goes with it—The calm of it is part of us.—It is all through us in our body and our mind.

Again, the sequence is logical and straightforward. We feel the relaxation of our muscles. Our relaxed muscles are calm. We can feel the sensation of calm in them, we feel the calm of it all through us. We feel the calm of it in our mind.

Remember that the feeling of relaxation of the mind may at first be variable. It may come and go. There may be a momentary experience of calm of the mind and then it is gone. This is to be expected for the first few attempts. Remember that people who can attain relaxation of the body can all learn to attain relaxation of the mind. If you are able to capture just a moment of calm, it will not be long before you can achieve the full state.

Remember, too, that relaxation of the mind is greatly enhanced by physical relaxation which is attained in relatively uncomfortable circumstances. So as we become more adept at our physical relaxation we do it in increasingly uncomfortable positions.

*68\57\2*

The second rule of vital nutrition is that your foods should be whole, complete, unrefined, and unadulterated. Whole wheat, brown rice, orange, sugar cane, and potatoes are whole foods. White bread, polished rice, orange juice, white sugar, and instant potatoes are not whole foods. They are refined, concentrated, or are fragments of the foods from which important vital nutritive factors have been removed.

Whole foods are simply foods which still contain all the nutrients which nature has put in them—all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, etc. But 80 per cent of the foods consumed by the average American today have been tampered with in one way or another, and most of the nutrients have either been taken out of them or destroyed. White bread, white sugar, breakfast cereals, and processed oils are typical examples of such devitalized nutritionless foods.

Whole foods contain not only complete nutrition but also all the enzymes and other factors necessary for proper digestion and good assimilation of these particular foods. When certain parts are removed, the digestion and assimilation can be incomplete and nutritional deficiences may result.

Only whole foods can supply optimum nutrition for optimum health.

*25\176\2*

As mentioned above, the first choice drug should be used alone (monotherapy) and in the lowest dose to control seizures without producing any unacceptable side-effects. If the initial control of seizures is less than complete, then the dose of that drug should be increased gradually until either complete control is achieved, or side-effects develop. If unacceptable side-effects occur before control is reached, then there are two alternatives: either a different drug can be used to replace the first drug, or an additional drug can be added to the first drug. Which alternative is chosen depends on the individual patient and also on the doctor. If there has been some reasonable control with the first drug, it is our practice to add the next most appropriate

anti-epileptic drug without withdrawing the first drug. If complete seizure control is then achieved, we will attempt to withdraw the first drug after a period of two to three months free from seizures. If the initial drug has been ineffective we would simultaneously replace the first drug with the second. In some children and adults, therapy with two anti-epileptic drugs is justified, as this may result in further significant (even complete) control in an additional 5 per cent to 10 per cent of children. It is unlikely that polytherapy with three drugs will result in any further control, and there is certainly an increased risk and frequency of side-effects and toxicity due to interactions between this many drugs.

*62\188\2*

Many gastrointestinal diseases respond promptly and extremely well to CMO. Crohn’s disease, colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel, etc, all involve chronic inflammatory processes that are readily influenced by CMO. However, some problems, like ulcers, need special attention. And for these gastrointestinal diseases we do, when necessary, make exceptions to the “empty stomach” rule. If CMO is not well tolerated because of digestive difficulties, it’s better to take it along with a little light food.

Crohn’s disease (also known as transmural colitis or granulomatous colitis) has in practically all cases responded fully to CMO. Just what causes the inflammation of the large and/or small intestine remains a medical mystery. Apart from certain foods, stress is considered to be a major trigger factor. There are probably also genetic factors involved.

Though its symptoms are frequently treatable, many do not respond well. There seems to be no permanent solution to this recurring chronic problem available through conventional medicines. CMO, on the other hand, has almost always been able to provide permanent relief with just one set of capsules for a multitude of patients. Nevertheless, a few patients have needed to continue taking a couple of capsules now and then when they feel a flare-up may be coming on.

The most frequent symptoms are abdominal cramping and pain, excessive intestinal gas, diarrhea, and occasional fever. These are often brought on by food irritations. Severe cases can result in perforation of the colon and rectal problems or bleeding. CMO usually brings relief within a week. It has been as successful with severe cases as with mild ones, although it may take more than one bottle. If complete relief is not obtained, just keep a bottle of CMO handy and take two or three capsules the moment you detect any signs of a flare-up.

Ulcerative colitis can be very serious and require hospitalization for severe episodes. The most telltale sign of this disease is frequent bloody diarrhea or bloody mucosal discharge. Pain, cramping, and tenderness usually occurs in the left colon. Weight loss and anaemia are frequent complications. Fever may indicate infection.

Because of its effects against the autoimmune inflammatory process, CMO (taken with a bit of food) has often been quite effective against this ailment. When cortisone has been prescribed it should not be discontinued until the ailment has been resolved. You should definitely seek medical supervision for this problem.

Diverticulitis patients usually suffer from the same lower left abdomen tenderness, intestinal pain and cramping, constipation or diarrhea, and autoimmune inflammation that appears with ulcerative colitis. Diverticulitis appears more often with advancing age. Perforation of the colon may also occur in severe cases.

Treatment with CMO usually brings good results, often all by itself without other therapy. Nevertheless, it would probably be best to continue any conventional therapy with medical supervision until the problem is completely resolved.

Irritable bowel syndrome is the catch-all label put on any number of common bowel disorders of unknown cause. CMO has been very effective in eliminating most of these complaints.

Sjogren’s syndrome, when it appears, usually does so in patients suffering with arthritis and related conditions like fibromyalgia, scleroderma, lupus, etc. The most common symptoms are dryness of the eyes and mouth. The nose, throat, larynx, bronchi, skin, and vagina may also be affected. Errant autoimmune attacks occur against the tear, salivary, and thyroid glands — and sometimes even RNA. Serious problems with scratchy eyes, speaking, and swallowing food often develop.

The best conventional medicine has to offer for Sjogren’s sufferers is an artificial tear formula, mouth moisteners, skin creams, and vaginal lubricants. Our reports indicate that CMO has been very successful in conquering this ailment.

Behcet’s Syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disease that may be dormant for years and years, or may produce many serious complications. Painful ulcers of the mouth, penis, scrotum, vulva, and vagina are common. The eyes may also be affected. Hazy vision or blindness may result. Steroids are about the only treatments that are employed conventionally.

This disease is quite rare in the US and we have feedback regarding only two cases. CMO was quite successful with one and the other was helped somewhat. In both cases steroids were not discontinued while taking CMO, but so far the one who responded well no longer needs them.

Reiter’s syndrome is a complicated disease with autoimmune components more commonly found in young males rather than mature men. It is often triggered by sexual intercourse, chlamydial infection, and/or bacterial diarrhea. Frequently a combination of clinical manifestations appear: arthritis, urethritis, conjunctivitis, uveitis, and mucosal tissue infections or disturbances. Successful treatment usually requires the use of conventional therapy along with CMO, although use of steroids should be minimal.

*78\142\2*

Signs and symptoms

You will have no difficulty recognizing a nosebleed. Since the two sides of the nose join in the back, and also join with the throat and the oesophagus (which lead to the stomach), blood may flow from both nostrils or from the mouth; the child may also vomit blood.

Home care

Teach your child at an early age how to stop a nosebleed by him- or herself. Tell the child to remain calm and to sit upright with the head held high; this will decrease blood pressure in the blood vessels. Show the child how to grasp the whole lower half of the nose between his or her thumb and fingers and in this way compress both sides of the nose firmly against the septum. The child should hold the nose this way for ten minutes to allow time for the blood to clot. If bleeding recurs when the pressure is released, it probably means that a large clot in the nose is preventing the broken blood vessel from sealing. The child should blow the nose vigorously to dislodge the clot; then, after the clot has been removed, compress the nose again for ten to 12 minutes.

To prevent recurring nosebleeds, put petroleum jelly in the child’s nose morning and evening for seven to 14 days. Use a vaporizer or humidifier to add moisture to the air at night.

Precautions

• To stop a nosebleed, do not merely pinch nostrils together, but compress the entire soft portion of the nose. Otherwise, the blood will dam up and run down the throat.

• Do not lay your child down.

• Remain calm and reassure your child.

• It is not necessary to use cold compresses, pressure on the upper lip, nose drops, and other household remedies.

• Do not pack the nose with cotton or gauze.

Medical treatment

Generally, your doctor’s treatment will be the same as your home treatment, and you only need to consult the doctor when home treatment is not effective. If the nosebleed is due to an allergy or a cold your doctor will treat that condition. Your doctor will rarely need to pack the nasal passages or cauterize (seal off) the blood vessels in order to control recurring nosebleeds.

*164/84/5*

Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the pancreas and helps to control the use of glucose in the body. A child with diabetes is producing inadequate amounts of insulin, so we must replace the deficit with insulin given by injection.

Insulin is given once or several times a day Although your child may have to receive several injections a day when he is being ‘stabilized’ after he has first been diagnosed, it will be possible eventually to control the diabetes with one or two injections a day. This has been made possible by the development of modified types of insulin which have been produced by laboratory research, particularly in Scandinavia. The type of insulin that is likely to be most suitable for your child will be selected by his doctor. After a period of stabilization the dose required to keep him in good health will also be determined.

There are many insulin types and names and this can be confusing. Sometimes it turns out that it is hard to achieve good control on one type of insulin. Then it is possible to mix two insulins, or split the dose to two (or more) parts during the day. Occasionally your doctor may decide that a different type of insulin is worth trying. In all events, different people respond to insulin in somewhat different ways and it is sometimes a matter of trying one insulin and altering it if it doesn’t prove entirely satisfactory.

There are different types of insulin

You may wish to know about the different types of insulin and why there are several brands. This is partly due to the different processes used to make the insulin, and partly due to the fact that there are several insulin manufacturers each with their own brand.

In the past, there were two major ways that insulins differed from each other:

1. The animal species from which the insulin was derived;

2. The way in which insulin had been modified to change its time of action.

Insulin may be beef, pork, ‘human’

In the past almost all insulins were made either from beef or pork pancreas. Both worked perfectly well, but each insulin was a little different in its chemical composition to each other and to insulin made in the human body. Some few people have developed allergies or resistance to insulins derived from beef or pork, and all people developed some antibodies to animal insulin.

It is now possible to make insulin identical with human insulin. This should have the advantage that antibodies would not be formed. ‘Human’ insulin is not made from human pancreas of course.

It is made in the laboratory by a process of genetic engineering. In this process, simple yeast cells or bacterial cells have had their gene structure changed so they make human insulin in a similar way to the way pancreas cells make insulin in the human body. The altered bacterial or yeast cells can make large quantities of insulin commercially in a way that human pancreas cells cannot.

Insulin may be modified chemically to make it work more slowly

Insulin, as it is produced in the body, has a very rapid effect once it enters the blood stream. This effect wears off very quickly. This is what is required if the body is making it normally. It is also suitable for the person with diabetes who is given insulin continuously by slow injection or at short and frequent intervals during the day before meals. Most people find it more convenient, however, to have one or two injections a day rather than injections each time they have a meal. To do this, it is necessary to alter the insulin so that it has a prolonged effect.

Insulin manufacturers have developed methods of prolonging the effects of insulin by chemical processes that modify insulin. This may involve adding the metal zinc and a protein to the insulin which slow down its absorption into the bloodstream. You can usually recognize these modified insulins because they are a cloudy suspension while the unmodified quick insulins are clear solutions. Insulins therefore can be in one of several groups.

1.     Fast acting, unmodified clear soluble solutions.

2.     Slow acting modified insulins which may last up to 24 hours,

or

3.     Intermediate acting modified insulins which last between 8 and 24 hours.

4.     A mixture of slow or intermediate insulins and fast insulins.

*8/54/5*

We now know that certain pollutants and chemicals in the environment can affect both male and female fertility, and there may be many more substances that we come into contact with in everyday life that combine to form a ‘toxic cocktail’ with unknown long-term consequences.

The problem is that these suspect substances seem to be absolutely everywhere – in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the things we use at work and at home. We can avoid many of them, and minimize our exposure to others. But we obviously cannot completely eliminate them, short of finding a non-polluted desert island to go and live on.

However, reducing your exposure is only part of the plan. There are plenty of ways to fortify yourself and your partner against the effects of unavoidable exposure and to ensure that toxins are successfully eliminated from your system. In my experience, dramatic results have been achieved by couples whose ‘unexplained fertility’ turns out to have been due to exposure to some of these substances.

Xenoestrogens

These are synthetic oestrogens which affect the fertility of wildlife and are causing some animals to grow both male and female sex organs. They come from pesticides and plastics and are stored in body fat and can affect men and women differently.

The massive proliferation of xenoestrogens has coincided with:

• A decrease in sperm counts of 50 per cent over the last ten years.

• An increase in testicular cancer.

• Earlier onset of puberty. (At the turn of the century the average age was 15. Now some girls as young as eight are growing breasts and pubic hair. It has been found that girls can enter puberty almost a year earlier if their pregnant mothers had higher levels of two synthetic chemicals, PCBs and DDE, while they were pregnant.)

• A doubling in the number of boys born with undescended testes (which means they may not produce sperm) between 1962 and 1981.

• Increasing numbers of male babies born with problems with their penis. Some boys are born with the opening of the urethra (where urine passes out of the body) on the side of the penis instead of the top. In extreme cases male babies have been born with both male and female organs.

Synthetic oestrogens, similar to those in use in the pesticides and plastics industry, have been linked to cancers and abnormalities.

Years ago women who suffered recurrent miscarriages were treated with a synthetic oestrogen called dithethylstilbestrol (DES). Now their grown-up daughters, who were exposed to DES in the womb, are showing high rates of cervical abnormalities that can lead to recurrent miscarriages or infertility. Some have developed a rare and sometimes fatal vaginal cancer (clear-cell adenocarcinoma).Their sons are not so severely affected but some have suffered mild genital abnormalities.

Further evidence comes from Professor Ana Soto in Boston, USA, who was studying breast cancer cells stored in large incubators. These cancer cells started to divide and multiply as if oestrogen was present. But when the laboratory changed the tubes on the incubators the cells stopped dividing. It turned out that nonylphenol, a synthetic oestrogen similar to those widely used in paints, toiletries, agricultural chemicals and detergents, had been used in the manufacture of the tubes.

In another example of the power of these chemicals, some male workers developed breasts after inhaling dust containing bisphenol A, a synthetic oestrogen used in a wide range of packaging (e.g. for soft drinks, bottled Water and even babies’ bottles).

Phthalates, found in PVC, food packaging and glues, are another class of chemical which has an oestrogen-like effect on humans.

Types of chemicals that affect hormone balance and fertility include:

• Pesticides (DDT, DDE, endosulfan, methoxychlor, heptachlor, toxaphene, dieldrin, lindane)

• Plastic compounds (Alkyphenols such as nonylphenol and octylphenol, biphenolic compounds such as bisphenol A, phthalates)

• Pharmaceutical drugs (Synthetic drugs like DES)

• Industrial substances (PCBs, dioxin)

*61/73/5*

What is it?

Inflammatory bowel disease is a blanket term that covers two major conditions, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. They are very much more common than they used to be, hospitalizing more than 100,000 people in the US every year.

At first symptoms are so mild that you ignore them: a bout of diarrhea every few months and occasional abdominal pain. As the years pass the symptoms get worse. There is either diarrhea or constipation and the stools are bloody. Fleeting abdominal pain turns into chronic pains and the person feels ill and lacking in energy.

The vast majority of medical efforts are useless in these conditions though drugs can help a few and surgery a few more.

What causes it?

No one knows for sure but there are several plausible theories.

•     Food intolerance. A group of researchers in Cambridge have found intolerance in Crohn’s disease.

•     Crohn’s disease was unknown until the 1930s, but now it affects one in every 3,000 westerners. Because there have been such profound dietary changes over this period research has been aimed at dietary factors. A German study found that patients with Crohn’s disease ‘consumed large quantities of refined carbohydrate’. Another survey of the breakfast habits of Crohn’s disease patients found that they usually ate refined breakfast cereals such as cornflakes. In a survey of sugar intake Crohn’s patients were found to eat the equivalent of ten teaspoons a day while those without the disease ate seven. Other studies have found that Crohn’s patients add 26 per cent more sugar to tea and coffee, and 13 per cent more to cereals than do people without the disease.

•    Zinc deficiency is now well recognized as part of the problem. Crohn’s patients have many dietary deficiencies, partly because they lose their appetite and eat so poorly and partly because the disease itself reduces the intestinal absorption of nutrients. Crohn’s patients have insufficient levels of protein, iron, folate, calcium and vitamin B12. Recently, though, zinc deficiency has been found to be the most important of all. Zinc controls many body systems but in Crohn’s patients its lack further heightens the poor appetite and loss of taste for food. Many Crohn’s patients have no desire to eat. Zinc is also vital for healthy skin and some people with this condition have severe skin rashes. Normal eyesight needs zinc and some Crohn’s patients have night blindness. Zinc is vital for wound healing and Crohn’s disease never fully heals.

Adults with Crohn’s disease have been found to have zinc levels 15 per cent lower than normal, and their sense of taste has been found to be 65 per cent duller than normal. Studies giving patients with Crohn’s disease zinc supplements have found that several of the abnormalities associated with the condition are eliminated.

•     Vitamin Ñ deficiency can also cause some of the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. One study found that Crohn’s patients had vitamin Ñ levels 32 per cent lower than normal. This led the researchers to suggest that all patients with Crohn’s disease should supplement their diet with vitamin C.

•      There is some evidence of a link between Crohn’s disease and psoriasis and monilia. Though there is little true scientific evidence to support it, anecdotal evidence shows that some people with inflammatory bowel disease improve on nystatin-the antifungal drug-combined with a low-yeast, low-refined-carbohydrate diet.

Prevention

There is probably no way of preventing inflammatory bowel disease from occurring in the first place but understanding the causes suggests some valuable ways of preventing the disease getting worse once it is present.

•     If you are allergic to or intolerant of any foods, don’t eat them. This could prevent unseen and unrecognized damage being done to the large bowel.

•     Eat a diet low in refined carbohydrates and rich in unrefined ones.

•     Eat less sugar.

•     Eat more dietary fibre.

•     Take zinc supplements once you start to suffer from any of the symptoms of the disease.

•     Take vitamin Ñ in large doses-1 g twice a day-if you have the condition.

•     Talk to your doctor about trying nystatin and go on to a low-yeast diet.

*184/72/5*

Dr. John Sargent and Dr. Ronald Leibman, who worked with Salvador Minuchin at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, have divided family therapy into three phases. In the initial phase, we evaluate the patient and the family and establish the therapeutic relationship. For low-weight anorexic patients, we devise a contract that identifies the problem, then spells out in specific terms the treatment’s goals and the methods for achieving them. The contract usually focuses on the patient’s weight; we hold off dealing with other problems, such as marital difficulties, until a later time. The first thing is help the anorexic gain weight, or the bulimic to break her binge-purge cycle, and improve her psychosocial skills.

During the assessment, we get the facts: ages, educational level, and the nature of the family’s social interactions. We also want to know how each member perceives and defines the problem. What factors affect the situation: physical illness, social issues, religion? What was the family like before the illness? What stressors triggered the problem? Who is closest to whom? Is there an extended family – grandparents, for example? Who outside the family plays important roles in their lives? Teachers? Friends? Employers?

We then probe a little deeper. What are the patterns of interaction: Who communicates with whom? Are some family members “friends” and others “enemies”? How strong is the marriage? Is the couple satisfied? Do they agree on parenting strategies? How flexible is the family – are roles rigidly laid out? Are members oversensitive to each other, or detached and distant? How strong are their social networks? Are there financial or other medical problems? Do the children have family responsibilities that fit their stage of development? To what extent is the family aware of the illness? What are its fears, beliefs, and attitudes about it? The middle phase of treatment begins once the symptoms are more under control. We now shift our focus to the patient’s problems with her emotional and physical development, especially as they relate to unresolved family conflict. We identify the stresses that might have led to the weight loss or bulimia, and find other ways of dealing with them. It helps if we can relate symptoms to family processes -for example, seeing that a binge might occur if the patient feels unloved or pressured in some way.

It often happens that as the patient gains control she experiences a flood of new feelings. A little success might bring up fears about handling new tasks. We caution family members to expect that their daughter or sibling might have feelings of depression, or of ineffectiveness and rejection. If we’re not careful, the family might focus on these new problems and become even more enmeshed than before.

During this second phase, we help the family learn how to tolerate open conflict, and show them new ways of resolving problems. We stress that the patient’s separation from the family is an inevitable and healthy process – but perhaps a painful one for everyone involved. It helps if the parents learn to deal with each other directly. Once they do, the patient will feel less protective and can work on her relationships with her friends. As Richard Schwartz puts it, she can “grow up” without having to “grow away.”

This second stage is critical, since it marks the transition from focusing on the disorder itself to focusing on the broader issues. When therapy is working, everyone wins. The parents learn new ways of helping their daughter grow; the patient shows she can take responsibility for herself and that she has earned the right to “declare independence” from her family.

In the final phase, we work to “wean” the family from therapy. If we have identified problems that still need work – the parents’ marriage, for example – we steer people toward therapy designed to address those issues. At this point, the patient’s individual therapy might focus on how she can change the way others in her family treat her, to keep harmful interactions to a minimum. Just as important, we identify those things that might not change. Forewarned, as they say, is forearmed.

*105/35/5*

Crab, Sweet Corn and Celery Soup

75 grams corn kernels

250 ml vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese wine

50 grams crab meat

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon corn flour

1 egg white

Fresh coriander leaves

Place the corn kernels in a blender and blend until coarsely chopped. In a saucepan, bring the stock to the boil with the corn. Add the seasonings, wine and crab meat, and chopped celery. Thicken die mixture slightly with the corn flour and finally, pour in the egg white in a steady stream, and beat. Remove the soup from the heat immediately and garnish with the torn coriander leaves.

Creamy Pumpkin and Soy Milk Soup

1 whole pumpkin

2 litres water

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 piece ginger

1 cup soy milk

2 tablespoons tamari

Sea salt to flavour ;

Chop pumpkin and boil in water. When tender, remove pumpkin from water. In a food processor place a small amount of chopped garlic, chopped onion, the ginger and a few chunks of the pumpkin. Add soy milk and blend in the food processor until you have a slightly runny consistency.

Place back in the pan and then blend the rest of the pumpkin. Once all the ingredients have been blended and placed in the pan, add tamari and sea salt, and simmer. Add water if you require less thickness in your soup. Serve with a thick dollop of natural acidophilus yogurt (if desired).

Energy Tonic Soup

8 dried shitake mushrooms

1 slice dried Chinese licorice root

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot or sweet potato, chopped

1 slice fresh ginger

1 dried hot chilli pepper

1 handful basil leaves

3/4 cup pearled barley

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons barley miso

Chives, chopped

Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soft. Discard the stems and slice thinly, save the liquid. In a large saucepan, combine ingredients (except olive oil, miso and chives), plus reserved liquid. Bring the soup to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered, until the vegetables and barley are tender (about 1 hour). Remove from heat and add olive oil. Mix miso with a small amount of water, and then add to the soup. Serve hot, sprinkled with chives.

*224/34/5*