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Learn How To Detox the body Table of Contents:
You Are What You Eat
Aspartame Can Harm
Your Health
Detox Tips 1: Detoxification is a process. In combination to the benefits of using a therapeutic portable infrared sauna, we recommend a series of simultaneous therapies, habits and life style modifications that are proven to establish and maintain optimal health. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Unfortunately, each of us is bombarded by toxins daily; through preservatives, pesticides and other food additives, chemicals in tap water, air pollution, pharmaceuticals, mercury in dental fillings, and even hidden external stressors such as radiation. So the question is: how can we detoxify our bodies in order to give good
nutrition, exercise, and supplements the optimal chance they need to help us
stay healthy? Of course, there are a number of detoxification methods which you
will learn more about in this document. By now, the health benefits of such foods as green tea and soy have been well touted. But what you may not know is that through a carefully structured diet balancing the right “superfoods” with supplements and lifestyle strategies you can help your body perform at optimum levels of health and energy, while greatly reducing the risk of disease. Written by an internationally respected, thirty-five-year veteran in cancer research and nutrition, The Detox Revolution promotes the importance of building a new, more rational food pyramid, with special emphasis on incorporating surprising superfoods, including blueberries, grapefruit, carrots, rosemary, ginger, broccoli sprouts, onions, walnuts, spinach, watermelon, and salmon, as well as such sinful favorites as red wine, dark chocolate, and coffee! Based on the American Medical Center’s heavily researched findings, Thomas J. Slaga, Ph.D., clearly outlines how practicing healthy eating habits strengthens your body’s detoxification and immune systems, thus preventing such degenerative and deadly diseases as diabetes, arthritis, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Throughout his revolutionary program, Dr. Slaga incorporates scores of helpful tips from the research done at AMC Cancer Research Center, which proclaim the many detoxification benefits of: Installing water filters in the kitchen and bathroom taps, as well as
showerheads Cleanse yourself of the toxins that invade your body every day and live a longer, healthier life with The Detox Revolution. Optimize your body’s ability to fight disease with breakthrough program from a world-renowned scientist Which foods really enhance your body’s ability to cleanse itself of toxins? Which supplements work in conjunction with superfoods to supercharge your body’s ability to fight disease? What lifestyle changes can add years to your life? Find out how to rid your body of life-threatening contaminants with the breakthrough program found in The Detox Revolution. Based on his thirty-five years of experience in the field, world-renowned researcher and scientist Thomas J. Slaga, Ph.D., reveals the vital role good nutrition plays in genetic function and your body’s ability to neutralize carcinogens. Here you’ll learn how to harness the detoxifying powers of superfoods and discover the AMC Cancer Research Center’s strategies to increase your DNA’s repair activity—the first step toward preventing cancer and other degenerative diseases. Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, Published: 2003 Detox Tips 2: How Do infrared
Saunas Help You Look and Feel Better?
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 TMJ
Arthritis |
Low
Back Pain - relieved |
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Traumatic
Arthritis |
Brain
Contusion - accelerated healing |
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Acel-decel
Injury Sequelae |
Post-exercise
Muscle Pain - vital to competitive athletes |
|
Tight
Shoulders - relaxed |
Adhesions
- lengthened or more easily broken; they are common in competitive
athletes, trauma and repetitive stress syndromes |
|
Shoulder
Pain - relieved or eliminated |
Arthritis:
Gouty, Rheumatoid, DJD - each substantially relieved or improved |
|
Muscle
Tension - relaxed |
Compression
Fracture - Example; pain stopped for 3 days with only a single treatment |
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Disc-protrusion
Related Neuralgia |
Spinal
Cord Shock - post traumatic shock reversed |
|
Muscle
Spasms - reduced or eliminated Bursitis - eliminated |
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"Medical practitioners make use of Infrared Radiant Heat to Treat Sprains,
Bursitis, peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis, and muscle pain…"
according to the McGraw/Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology.
Dr. Rubin P. Lysiak M.D. of the O&P Medical Clinic has reported great success with the use of infrared treatment for:
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Whiplash |
Arthritis |
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Shoulder
Stiffness |
Menopause |
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Gastroenteric
Problems |
Insomnia |
|
Rheumatism |
Acne |
|
Sciatica |
Ear
Diseases |
The following is summarized from Therapeutic Heat and Cold, 4th Edition, ED.
Justus F. Lehmann M.D., Williams and Wilkins, Chapter 9 or concluded from data
therein. Generally it is accepted that heat produces the following desirable
therapeutic effects:
1) It increases the extendibility of collagen tissues
Tissues
heated to 110°F and then stretched exhibit a non-elastic residual elongation of
about 0.5 - 0.9% that persists after the stretch is removed which does not occur
in these same tissues when stretched at normal tissue temperatures. Thus 20
stretching sessions can produce a 10 - 18% increase in length in tissues so
heated and stretched.
This
effect would be especially valuable in working with ligaments, joint capsules,
tendons, fasciae, and synovium that have become scarred, thickened or
contracted.
Such
stretching at 110°F caused much less weakening in stretched tissues for a given
elongation that a similar elongation produced at normal tissue temperatures.
The
experiments cited clearly showed that low-force stretching can produce
significant residual elongation when heat is applied together with stretching or
range-of-motion exercises, which is also safer than stretching tissues at normal
tissue temperatures.
This
safer stretching effect is crucial in properly training competitive athletes so
as minimize their "down" time from injuries.
2) It decreases joint stiffness directly
There
was a 20% decrease in stiffness at 110°F as compared with 90°F in rheumatoid
finger joints, which correlated perfectly to both subjective and objective
observation of stiffness.
Any
stiffened join and thickened connective tissues should respond in a similar
fashion.
3) It relieves muscle spasms
Muscle
spasms have long been observed to be reduced through the use of heat, be they
secondary to underlying skeletal, joint, or neuropathological conditions.
This
result is possibly produced by the combined effect of heat on both primary and
secondary affects from spindle cells and from its effects on Golgi tendon
organs. The effects produced by each mechanisms demonstrated their peak effect
within the therapeutic temperature range obtainable with radiant heat.
4) It produced pain relief
Pain
may be relieved via the reduction of attendant or secondary muscle spasms.
Pain
is also at times related to ischemia due to tension or spasm which can be
improved by the hyperemia that heat-induced vasodilatation produces, thus
breaking the feedback loop, in which the ischemia leads to further spasm and
then more pain.
Heat
has been shown to reduce pain sensation by direct action on both free-nerve
endings in tissues and on peripheral nerves. In one dental study, repeated heat
applications led finally to abolishment of the whole nerve responsible for pain
arising from dental pulp.
Heat
may both lead to increased endorphin production and a shutting down the
so-called "spinal gate" of Melzach and Wall, each of which can reduce pain.
5) It increase blood flow
Heating
of one area of the body produces reflex-modulated vasodilations in distant-body
areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperature; i.e. heat one
extremity also dilates; heat a forearm and both lower extremities; heat the
front of the trunk and the hand dilates.
Heating
of muscles produces an increased blood flow level similar to that seen during
exercise.
Temperature
elevation produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly in
capillaries, arterioles and venuies, probably through direct action on their
smooth muscles. The release of bradykinin, released as a consequence of
sweat-gland activity, also produces increased blood flow and vasodilatation.
Whole-body
hypothemia, with a consequent core temperature elevation, further induces
vasodilatation via a hypothalamic-induced decrease in sympathetic tone on the
arteriovenous anastomoses. Vasodilatation is also produced by axonal reflexes
and by reflexes that change vasomotor balance.
6) It assists in resolution of inflammatory infiltrates, edema and exudates
The
increased peripheral circulation provides the transport needed to help evacuate
the edema which can help end inflammation, decrease pain and help speed healing.
Blood Circulation Buy A Infrared Sauna
All of the following ailments may be associated to some degree with poor
circulation and, thus, may respond well to the increased peripheral dilation
associated with Infrared application:
| Arthritis |
Strained
Muscles |
| Sciatica |
Fatigue |
| Backaches |
Stretch
Marks |
| Hemorrhoids |
Menstrual
Cramps |
| Nerve
Tension |
Upset
Stomachs |
| Diabetes |
Varicose
Veins |
| Neuritis |
Bursitis |
| Rheumatism |
Children's
Over- tired Muscles |
| Leg
and Decubitus Ulcers - failing to heal using conventional
approaches |
| Post-operative
Edema - treatment with infrared has been so successful that
hospital stays were reported to have been reduced by 25% |
| Peripheral
Occlusive Disease - "The goal is to maintain an optimal blood
flowrate to the affected part In general the temperature should be
maintained at highest level which does not increase the circulatory
discrepancy as shown by cyanosis and pain." From "Therapeutic Heat and Cold" pp. 456-7 |
Popular in parts of Asia and Europe for more than a decade, therapies and healthcare products based on far-infrared technologies are making their way into North America.
Detox Tips 5: Far
Infrared vs. Steam Saunas
Steam
saunas have their place in natural healing. In fact, they have stood their
ground for thousands of years. In a purely electric, dry sauna
environment, those with sensitive nasal passages may become irritated.
Hence, those with respiratory concerns or sinusitus may find it prudent to use warm, aromatherapy steam for sweat bathing and detoxification and healing.
WHAT DO KNEE
WRAPS, CAPS, QUILTS, MATS, HAIR DRYERS, SOCKS AND SAUNAS HAVE IN COMMON...?
If you say they warm you up, you're on the right track. But if you know that all
these objects and more are now being designed to radiate far-infrared light--an
important energy force that promotes healing--you're among a growing number of
people who are onto new techniques in energy medicine.
Perhaps one should say old techniques but new technologies. After all, the body's use of infrared rays is literally as old as our species. Traditionally we've gotten our daily dose of infrared from sunlight, which is composed of all the energy wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum (see Quick Definition). Today we're seeing new technologies employing far-infrared energy in healthcare products and in clinical protocols such as hyperthermic therapies for detoxification and cancer treatment
Energy medicine is very old, too--at least as old as the first Qigong masters and other ancient practitioners of healing touch therapies. These healers all had in common the ability to emit energy through their hands, and so do many modern day healers, such as Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N., who began teaching healing touch techniques in the U.S. in the 1970s. Contemporary researchers have now proved that these forms of energy medicine use wavelengths in the infrared range.
In the above representation of the electromagnetic spectrum we see that infrared wavelengths are just below ("infra") visible red light. The infrared (IR) portion is further divided into three segments of wavelengths, which are often measured in microns, or micrometers. (A micron is equal to one millionth of a meter.) The near-IR segment is 0.076 to 1.5 microns; middle-IR is 1.5 to 5.6 microns; and far-IR is 5.6 to 1,000 microns.
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QUICK DEFINITION The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of radiant energies, measured as waves or frequencies. Electromagnetic refers to the ability to exist as both particle (matter) and wave (energy). The spectrum is usually divided into seven sections, from the longest to the shortest wavelengths:
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In a study at the National Yang-Ming Medical College in Taipei, Taiwan, published in the "American Journal of Chinese Medicine" in 1991, researchers measured the energy Qigong masters emit from their palms. The researchers employed electronic detection equipment but were also able to detect infrared energy by a rise in air temperature near the masters' palms. The study showed that emitted infrared "Qi", or "Chi" (pronounced "chee" and essentially meaning energy in Traditional Chinese Medicine), has positive effects on human fibroblasts, the cells that rebuild connective tissue. The study also showed that infrared "Chi" stimulated a significant increase in cell growth, DNA synthesis and protein synthesis in cells.
Researchers in Japan have also performed studies of this infrared energy from the human palm, which they call "Kikoh". At the Niwa Institute for Immunology in Tosashimizu, Japan, researchers examined "Kikoh" as well as materials that emit far-infrared radiation, including common granite stone, tourmaline (a type of granite), ceramic disks and hot spring water. In findings published in 1993 in the "International Journal of Biometeorology," they reported that materials emitting far-infrared (FIR) energy appear capable of potentiating functions of white blood cells. These functions include increased immune defense response in which white blood cells surround and ingest small living things (such as bacteria) and cell wastes.
There's at least one startling connection between the infrared "Chi" of healing hands and far-infrared products like the knee wrap. In a situation in which you've pulled a ligament or muscle, for instance, the knee wrap can become the healing hands. Both employ the same healing mechanism: They stimulate a degree of inflammation--a positive sign that fibroblasts are doing their job. Most people don't realize that inflammation is necessary for a period of time to heal such injuries, and they suppress this natural healing process by overusing ice and ibuprofen. Instead, the FIR wrap helps to trigger healing by radiating far-infrared energy through its special ceramic-coated fibers and gently but deeply warming the injury site.
But is this warming effect different from that of a hot water bottle or heating pad? Yes, the vibrational energy of far-infrared light is unlike that of the heat energy we use, for example, in cooking. Think of it as the difference between leaning over a pot of boiling water and standing outside in the sunlight. Steam from boiling water can burn the skin but it doesn't heat internal organs. Sunlight heats us in a profound way, however, because it contains penetrating far-infrared rays as well as the full range of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Everything in the universe emits and absorbs certain wave energies. If we look at a graphic representation of the electromagnetic spectrum (see illustration), we see that infrared waves are longer than those in the visible range, falling just below ("infra") visible red light in the spectrum. Although the wavelengths of far-infrared are too long for our eyes to perceive, we experience the energy as gentle radiant heat. Buy A Infrared Sauna
At the molecular level, FIR exerts strong rotational and vibrational effects that are either biologically benign or, in certain processes, biologically beneficial. This healing ability stands in contrast to the damaging effects of short wavelengths, such as X-rays and gamma rays. The molecular effects of FIR are actually measurable through IR spectroscopy, a method of analyzing the emission and absorption of infrared light that reveals changes in atoms and molecules caused by IR energy. In healthcare, these effects are being harnessed to promote healing.
Humans, like other living organisms, have evolved to have a unique absorption spectrum and to respond specifically to particular electromagnetic wavelengths (EMWs). German professor Fritz Hollwich, Ph.D., conducted a study in the 1970s showing that individuals who sat under cool-white fluorescent lighting had elevated levels of the stress hormones ACTH and cortisol. There was no such stress response in individuals who sat under full-spectrum lights that simulated sunlight. (As a result of studies like this, the fluorescent lights are legally banned in German hospitals and medical facilities.) Dr. Hollwich's study is one of many that have shown that light has stimulatory and regulatory effects on biological systems.
Leon M. Silverstone, D.D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Ch.D., L.D.S., R.C.S., is a contemporary expert on many of the effects of EMWs. Much of his research, first in England and now in the U.S., has focused on developing non-invasive devices for neuromodulation of disorders such as clinical tremor and chronic pain. Dr. Silverstone explains that solar light energy is transmitted to the brain by nerve endings in the skin. "These energy impulses stimulate the hypothalamus," he says, "And this has an important controlling effect on the production of neurochemicals. Given that neurochemicals regulate processes such as blood pressure, immune response, sleep, mood, and so on, there is little doubt that we exacerbate a wide range of health problems by spending the greater part of our lives indoors under inadequate lighting conditions."
Far-infrared light penetrates beyond the skin level and is absorbed efficiently by cells below, whereas visible light is mostly bounced off the skin surface. Near-infrared is mostly absorbed at the skin level and raises the skin temperature. Far-infrared can penetrate up to 4 centimeters (about 1-1/2 inches), exciting the vibrational energy of molecules and resonating with cellular frequencies. We can't exactly perceive the deep heating effects of FIR, though, because our body's ability to sense heat is mainly at the skin level. Nonetheless, the effects of FIR rays promote bioprocesses such as increased metabolism and blood circulation, and can raise core body temperature. NASA certainly understood some of these effects when it developed FIR materials for radiant heat during space travel. Hospitals have also taken advantage of some of these properties to keep newborn babies warm using FIR materials around incubators.
Studies have been done--predominantly in Asia and Europe over the past few decades--to advance the understanding of FIR in bioprocesses. A fundamental finding from classical studies is that FIR appears to have "normalization effects" on living organisms. In a recent study at the Experimental Animal Research Laboratory at Meiji University in Japan, researchers found that mice in a group exposed to FIR had a significantly higher survival rate than that of the control group.
Findings like these don't surprise Fred Slingo, founder of 21st Century Innovative Products and a pioneer U.S. importer of FIR products and information. Slingo has spent a lot of time talking to researchers, reading FIR studies and keeping up with the many U.S. patents for FIR products being applied for, especially by the Japanese. He says he and his colleagues are constantly investigating new FIR products. Buy A Infrared Sauna
For many, the biggest news in FIR technology is its application in the evolving science of detoxification, and the device being used is the far-infrared sauna. At home and in clinics, these saunas are said to yield many benefits--including relief from different kinds of pain; stimulation of immune response; improvement in skin tone and conditions such as burns, eczema and acne; and the accelerated burning of calories. But the detox application is health news that can benefit everyone.
Traditional wisdom has suggested that saunas work largely by promoting detoxification through the sweat," says John C. Cline, M.D., B.Sc., C.C.F.P., A.B.C.T., Medical Director of the Cline Medical Centre and Oceanside Functional Medicine Research Institute, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. "Saunas also stimulate cells to release toxins which can then be eliminated by the liver and bowel. Several published studies have now shown that this hyperthermic therapy can bring about the rapid removal of a wide range of toxic substances from the human body.
The FIR energy emitted in these saunas may induce two or three times the sweat volume of conventional saunas, yet they operate at a much cooler air temperature range: about 110° to 130°F, compared with 180° to 235°F in a conventional sauna. Many individuals who cannot tolerate a conventional sauna, steam room or sweat lodge will find FIR saunas pleasant. The lower heat range is also safer for those with cardiovascular risk factors or fragile health because lower temperatures don't dramatically elevate heart rate and blood pressure. Dr. Cline points out that methods to induce sweating have been used for centuries to bring about improved health and relief from disease. "Over 2,000 years ago," he says, "the famous Greek physician, Parmenides, stated 'give me a chance to create fever, and I will cure any disease.' This traditional wisdom has certainly stood the test of time. Using methods ranging from hot mineral baths and sweat lodges to saunas and steam baths, individuals have enjoyed the revitalizing effects of induced hyperthermia--the artificial elevation of body temperature.
Sweat therapy has also been used for many years by miners in Europe to prevent and treat occupational heavy metal poisoning, and studies have now demonstrated that hyperthermic therapy can bring about significant detoxification from heavy metals including mercury. But only in recent years has science begun to seriously examine this age-old healing technique. Now, organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have taken a serious look at hyperthermic therapy as a means to detoxify individuals who are ill from exposure to environmental poisons. Environmental medical specialist Doris J. Rapp, M.D., of Scottsdale, Arizona, a well-known pediatrician, allergist, homeopath and past president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, states unequivocally, "Everybody in this country needs to be detoxified because we've all become 'toxic dumpsites.'" Dr. Rapp began using a far-infrared sauna personally after seeing a similar procedure being employed in a German clinic. She was impressed with the clinic's work in detoxifying young children and infants. Dr. Rapp affirms that her FIR sauna causes her to perspire profusely, and she adds, "I'm hoping to see more patient outcome studies on FIR sauna use--studies that will further evaluate the efficacy of this treatment and impartially evaluate the various saunas.
Hyperthermic detoxification using these saunas is not only uniquely helpful in removing fat-stored toxins from the body but also as an adjunct to mercury removal. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., of Seattle, who has been called "the holistic doctors' doctor and teacher," is one of the pioneers in combining the use of FIR saunas with the chelating agent DMPS in a heavy metal detox protocol. Dr. Cline explains, "Given that hyperthermic sauna therapy removes metal contaminants from the body by a different mechanism than chelation therapy mechanism than chelation therapy we have found that it may be used to further the benefits derived from chelation therapy. And we have also found that it may be an alternative for those who are unable to undergo chelation.
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How Do You Know If You Need Detoxification? Toxic overload has been implicated in many health conditions, from fibrocystic breast disease (FBD) in women to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Symptoms of overload include fatigue, headaches, joint or muscle pain, frequent colds and flus, signs of allergy and hormonal imbalance. chemical sensitivity, sinus congestion, psoriasis and other skin conditions, loss of dexterity, insomnia and more. Psychological symptoms include poor concentration, memory loss, mood changes, mental confusion and changes in behavior. To set up an appropriate detox regimen, consult a physician. |
Research conducted by U.S. scientists has demonstrated that close to 80,% of individuals with chronic fatigue syn- drome will improve markedly by a guided detoxification program. The program involves nutritional organization of detoxification using a low-energy diet and UltraClear Plus, a medical food product designed at the Functional Medicine Research Center in Washington. This approach, called 'enterohepatic resuscitation,' is being used by healthcare practitioners around the world. We combine this approach with hyperthermic therapy using the far-infrared sauna, as well as exercise and chelation. The results we are seeing are very promising.
Dr. Rapp adds, "If far-infrared saunas work, why wait to use them? In our homes and healthcare facilities, we need to use these saunas to detox the same way we exercise-safely and effectively.
People need
information about what nutrients and minerals to take, how to stay hydrated, and
a reminder to shower after the sauna.
Heating of the tissues enhances metabolic processes. Greater cellular energy production facilitates healing. Viruses, tumors and toxin-laden cells are weaker than normal cells. They tolerate heat poorly. Raising the body temperature causes infections to heal more quickly. Hyperthermia or fever therapy help combat infections and even cancer. Our bodies develop fever when ill to enhance metabolism and help kill germs.
Saunas enhance circulation and oxygenate the tissues. They open the nasal passages and assist the sinuses to drain. A major eliminative organ, most people's skin is very inactive. Many do not sweat. This may be due to synthetic or tight clothing that does not breathe. Sedentary living and sun damage also inactivate the skin. Hundreds of chemicals affect the skin from lotions, soaps, creams and deodorants. Other are cleaning solvents, detergent residues and chemicals from bathing water.
Repeated use of the sauna slowly restores skin elimination. Toxic chemicals and metals can be removed faster than with any other method. It is a daily habit that pays many dividends. Steam baths, sweat lodges, vigorous exercise and hot tubs are more extreme and less effective.
Detox Tips 6: Tips for using your Infrared Sauna Buy A Infrared Sauna
For optimal benefits, set your controls to maintain a sauna temperature of 110F-130F. Please remember that infrared heat is simply radiant energy in the form of a band of light that radiates heat penetrating the skin to a depth of 1-½ inches or more. This radiant heat is efficient because it warms the body internally, not the air. Setting higher temperatures may add to personal discomfort with very little therapeutic value. The Sauna should never be set over 150F. To regulate the temperature in your system during use open the door for cooling.
For optimal results refrain from using the sauna on a full stomach.
It is important to remain hydrated. For best results drink water prior, during
and after your sauna session.
Do not apply excess body lotion to your body prior to a sauna session.
Use at least 2-3 towels:
Sit on one folded towel for perspiration absorption and cushioning.
Use another towel on the floor to absorb extra sweat.
Use a third towel to wipe off your body surface sweat.
At the first sign of a cold or flu, increasing sauna sessions may be beneficial
in boosting the immune system and decreasing the reproductive rate of viruses
and bacteria.
As your body becomes more heat conditioned, you may want to increase your sauna
session to 45 minutes or longer. Please remember to hydrate your system with
plenty of water during the full session.
Note: many people with heavy metal, chemical or pesticide toxicity levels may
find it difficult to sweat initially; for some individuals it may require 5-10
sessions before measurable sweat volume is evident, but continuous water intake
will enhance detoxification. Even without measurable sweat, the IR
sauna is helping to eliminate toxins through urine, bowels and hair.
To treat your ankles and feet more effectively, elevate them while in the sauna. Any area you wish to achieve a specific deep heating effect should be placed as close to the IR emitters as feels comfortable.
MERCURY DETOXIFICATION PROTOCOL
DETOX IN THE SAUNA
Buy A Infrared Sauna
By Lawrence Wilson, MD
Everyone today is exposed to heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Particularly for
slow metabolizers, a very good method to detoxify the body is the far-infrared
sauna. Its dry, warming energy is highly compatible with the human body. It
heats the tissues several inches deep, enhancing metabolic processes. One can
construct an excellent home sauna for under $75.00.
Sauna Benefits
Heating of the tissues enhances metabolic processes. Greater cellular energy
production facilitates healing. Viruses, tumors and toxin-laden cells are weaker
than normal cells. They tolerate heat poorly. Raising the body temperature
causes infections to heal more quickly. Hyperthermia or fever therapy help
combat infections and even cancer. Our bodies develop fever when ill to enhance
metabolism and help kill germs.
Saunas enhance circulation and oxygenate the tissues. They open the nasal
passages and assist the sinuses to drain. A major eliminative organ, most
people's skin is very inactive. Many do not sweat. This may be due to synthetic
or tight clothing that does not breathe. Sedentary living and sun damage also
inactivate the skin. Hundreds of chemicals affect the skin from lotions, soaps,
creams and deodorants. Other are cleaning solvents, detergent residues and
chemicals from bathing water.
Repeated use of the sauna slowly restores skin elimination. Toxic chemicals and
metals can be removed faster than with any other method. It is a daily habit
that pays many dividends. Steam baths, sweat lodges, vigorous exercise and hot
tubs are more extreme and less effective.
Types of Saunas
Buy A Infrared Sauna
The traditional sauna is electric, wood or gas fired. Preheating to 150-200
degrees is required for copious sweating. The intense heat is difficult for many
to tolerate, especially when ill.
Far-infrared heats the body, the air remaining cool. Sweating begins quickly and
the experience is rather pleasant. Preheating is unnecessary which saves
electricity. Most use ceramic elements to generate gentle heat. Excellent, but
costly, another option is to use infrared bulbs. The latter also provide warming
and stimulating color therapy.
According to research, far-infrared is more cleansing than traditional saunas.
The deep penetration of the infrared energy allows the cells to eliminate
better.
The Sauna Experience
Buy A Infrared Sauna
Supervision and Safety. Saunas are safe for most people providing one follows a
few simple rules. Remain inside no longer than 30 minutes at a time. Rest lying
or sitting for 10 minutes afterwards. This allows time to eliminate dead cells
and other debris. Drink mineralized water before and after the sauna. Make sure
the bowels move regularly, as sauna therapy will increase elimination.
Use the sauna with supervision if you have a chronic condition. If debilitated
or very heat-sensitive, begin with a shorter time. The presence of an attendant
or friend is also most helpful. Those with multiple sclerosis, hyperthyroidism,
hypertension or serious heart conditions should consult a health professional.
Slow metabolizers may use the sauna up to twice a day. Upon arising and at
bedtime are excellent if time permits. Evening is probably best if you use it
once a day. If ill, however, the morning is better when energy levels are
higher. Less often is also acceptable if beginning or to maintain your health.
If you are very debilitated, begin with once a week. Work up to daily use as you
feel able. Fast metabolizers should use the sauna once or twice a week.
Taking the Sauna. Drink two glasses of mineralized water before entering the
sauna. Add juice or minerals to your water if it is mineral-free. The infrared
sauna will not work through clothing. Men, position yourselves so the testicles
are not directly exposed to infrared energy. Pass the time meditating or review
your day.
Use a small towel to wipe off the sweat. Not recommended are talking or working
in the sauna.
Ventilate the sauna whenever you use it. This may be built into the design. This
avoids breathing toxic gases. If you use a bathroom or closet, leave the door
slightly ajar.
Bulb Saunas. Turn every few minutes if your sauna uses heat bulbs. Sit on a
stool or a chair without a back. Face the bulbs, turn to the side and around to
the back.
Avoid touching the hot bulbs, though looking at them is fine. Do not let water,
a towel or clothing touch the bulbs when they are on.
Finishing Up. Remain in the sauna no more than 30 minutes. Use your judgement
regarding the time. The temperature should not exceed 110. Some days you will
sweat more than others.
When finished, take a shower, warm or cool but not hot. Avoid using soap as you
will be clean. Soap leaves a film and clogs the pores. Wash off the sweat with a
skin brush or loofa. Brush all over, even face and hair. Painful at first, it
soon feels wonderful. Brushing enhances the cleansing effect. Shampoo and
conditioner use only if needed. Most contain chemicals toxic to the body. Also
skip most lotions and creams. These also contain harmful chemicals.
After the sauna drink a glass of water. Sit or lie down for at least 10 minutes.
These simple steps allow your body to reap the full benefit of the sauna
experience. As you become healthier, you will sweat more easily.
Also, to heat up the sauna will take longer. The body dissipates heat more
efficiently and fewer cellular toxins are there to be removed.
An Integrated Health Program
Results are much better when saunas are part of an integrated program. To your
diet add extra sea salt or kelp granules to replace minerals lost through
sweating. Eat natural foods grown on mineral-rich soil. Rest and sleep plenty,
and exercise a little each day. Breathe deeply clean, fresh air. Reduce your
exposure to toxic chemicals. Create and maintain a positive environment. Stay
happy and bright regardless of what others may say and do.
Constructing a Sauna at Home
Four, red heat bulbs from the hardware store are mounted on a piece of 1/2"
plywood, 40" high and 15" wide. The unit is placed in a small bathroom or closet
at least 4' long, 3' wide and 6' high. In addition to the wood and bulbs, you
will need four flush-mount bulb sockets, fifteen feet of heavy lamp cord, a
medium-heavy duty male wall plug and 8 wood screws to fasten the sockets to the
plywood. An on-off switch and a thermometer are optional, but recommended.
Mount the sockets on the plywood in a diamond shape. The bottom socket is in the
center, 1' from the bottom of the plywood. Two sockets are 28" from the bottom
of the plywood and 10" apart. The top socket is centered on the plywood and 3'
from the bottom. This should form a narrow diamond shape.
Large sockets sold as fixtures can only be wired from the back. Drilling the
holes will be more work. You may find smaller flush mount sockets that can be
wired from the front. Wire the sockets together in parallel so one bad bulb
won't disable the unit.
With each use, instead of plugging the unit in, it is easier to have a switch.
The best is probably a wall switch that can handle 1000 watts. This requires an
outlet box screwed to the plywood. Keep sweaty hands off the switch as they
could cause a short.
The bulbs must be the red type, of 250 watts each. Do not use the clear ones as
their spectrum is not correct. You must not touch the bulbs during use, or let
water or anything touch them. Observe all cautions as with any appliance exposed
to heat and moisture. If children or the disabled will use the unit, consider a
protective screen. Bend some chicken or stucco wire around the bulbs and staple
it to the wood. Another way is to recess the bulbs or place them in reflectors.
If building an enclosure, you could place the bulbs behind.
Lean the unit against a bathroom or closet wall. Secure it so it won't fall
over. The enclosure needs be small enough to hold the heat, and large enough to
turn around. The other option is to build an enclosure of wood, glass or
cardboard. Build the unit at least 4' by 3' by 6' high. Siding made of cedar or
fir is a popular option. The siding slides into a frame and no nails are needed.
Walls can be built as modules, then screwed together.
Plywood will also work, since the enclosure stays relatively cool. Some sauna
companies use glass for at least one wall. Glass reflects far infrared energy
but is not a good insulator. Cardboard is the least expensive. Tape or staple
together two refrigerator boxes. Ventilating the sauna is a good idea. To allow
gases to escape, leave a crack around the door or somewhere else high up.
1. Diet
Avoid all sugar and milk, limit all processed foods and most grains, especially
wheat.
It will be important to have a high protein diet as the sulfur bearing amino
acids in the protein will greatly facilitate detoxification. Do NOT attempt to
fast during DMPS mercury detoxification. If you are a vegetarian you will be at
HIGH risk for complications from DMPS unless you have a large amount of protein.
Whey protein can be used as a supplement as it is high in glutathione and
branched chain amino acids. Two large tablespoons are used per drink and that
can be taken once a day and twice a day for the week prior to DMPS chelation.
Autistic children can't use this product as it contains casein. They can use
pure branched chain amino acids. You can start with one capsule twice daily and
mix with food. Work up to two capsules twice a day for the week prior to DMPS
chelation.
2. Beneficial Bacteria
Take one quarter to one half teaspoon once a day of a high potency high quality
strain. It is vital to have an optimized bowel flora for detoxification.
3. Maintain two to three bowel movements per day
If you are not having this many bowel movements make certain that your thyroid
status has been checked. It is very common for mercury to affect the thyroid. If
your thyroid function is fine then you should add some magnesium.
If you are on long-term magnesium it is important to take some calcium with it
or after awhile you will develop an imbalance in your calcium magnesium ratio
which could result in severe cramping.
Freshly ground flax seed several teaspoons per day will facilitate intestinal
movement and also contribute some healthy essential fatty acids.
4. Unload the connective tissue with Chlorella or ProChitosan
Chlorella and ProChitosan are an important part of the detoxification program,
as approximately 90% of the mercury in our bodies is eliminated through the
stool. Chlorella is an algae and, unlike Protchitosan, has protein high levels
of chlorophyll and other nutrients which can be used for nourishment.
The chlorella powder is the most cost effective approach but some people will
prefer the tablets or capsules for convenience. A simple way to dissolve the
powder is to place it in a container with a lid partially filled with water.
Then tighten the lid and shake to dissolve and drink the solution.
Caution: About 30% of people can't tolerate chlorella. This may be due to
optimized function of the enzyme cellulase. If you are unable to tolerate this
it would be wise to consider adding an enzyme with cellulase in it to help
digest the chlorella.
Dose: One can start out with a one quarter of a teaspoon of the powder (one 500
mg tablet) once a day initially to confirm that there is no hypersensitivity
present. Work up slowly over one to two weeks to a dose of one teaspoon (ten
tablets or capsules) per day. Once you tolerate this dose you are able to use it
to bind the mercury. Use this dose starting two days prior to your chelation and
for one day afterwards. The chlorella will thoroughly coat your intestine and
bind like a sponge to any mercury that the DMPS liberates into the gut.
The above dose is based on a 150 pound adult. If you are using the program for
children reduce the dose proportionately. (So a 30 pound child would have have
30/150 or 1/5 (20%) of the dose).
Caution: If at any time one develops nausea or starts "burping up" the chlorella
taste then the chlorella should be stopped immediately as a food sensitivity is
developing which will only worsen if you continue taking it. If this happens you
should switch to ProChitosan This binds similarly to mercury. Its dose is
dependent on your bowel movements.
If you have one bowel movement a day or less you should start two days prior to
the DMPS . If you have two or more bowel movement you can start 24 hours prior
to the DMPS. Stay on it for 24 hours after the DMPS. So you will be on it either
two or three days. The dose is two capsules three times a day. Be sure to drink
it with plenty of water and increase magnesium if constipation develops.
Porphrazyme from Biotics Research is another alternative to chlorella that many
clinicians have had success with in mercury detoxification.
5. Start Garlic or MSM
It would be wise to start on garlic regularly to enhance sulfur stores. Use the
food, rather than the supplement garlic. Try to get in three cloves per day, but
decrease the dose if your odor becomes socially offensive.
Again, as indicated in the chlorella section above, children will have
proportionately lower doses.
MSM is a form of sulfur which will help your body to remove the mercury. The
initial dose is one capsule twice a day. Increase by one capsule a day until you
are at three capsules twice a day. If you have root canals and are chronically
sick you may want to increase to five capsules three times a day.
6. Start Cilantro
Cilantro will help mobilize mercury out of the tissue so the DMPS can attach to
it and allow it to be excreted from the body. The best form of cilantro is a
tincture available from Dragon River (505-583-2348).
The dose is one dropper applied on the wrists and rubbed in twice a day for the
two weeks preceding the DMPS IV. It is used the morning prior to the DMPS
chlelation but can be stopped for the following two weeks. The tincture is also
particularly useful for any joint pain and could be rubbed on the joint that is
hurting as an alternative.
You can also augment the tincture with using the herb. It is not as potent, but
certainly will add to the program. However, like chlorella, many people are
sensitive to oral cilantro. So, if you develop any nausea or discomfort after
eating cilantro do not use it orally.
7. Mineral Replacement
It is important to have a generally healthy mineral base. The body works better
with toxic metals than no metals at all. Enzymes have certain binding sites that
require a metal for them to perform their function as a catalyst. When you are
deficient in magnesium, sodium, zinc and other minerals, the body does not let
go of the toxic metals very easily.
Selenium and zinc are particularly important trace minerals in mercury
detoxification and should be used for most people.
Generally the citrate form of minerals works quite nicely unless one has a low
blood phosphorous level. It is important to not take copper or iron though
unless a clinician has examined a hair analysis and or blood work and
recommended these minerals. Thorne Research has Citramins II, which is citrated
minerals without copper or iron.
Hydrochloric Acid:
If you do not have a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid secreted by your
stomach then it will be very difficult to ionize mineral supplements to absorb
them properly. There is a hydrochloric acid reflex present on the lowest rib
approximately one inch lateral to the midline. If this area on the rib is tender
to palpation there is a strong likelihood the person is deficient in
hydrochloric acid and would benefit from supplementation.
This is especially common in individuals over 50 years old, and also in
individuals with food allergies. One to six capsules or more of Betaine
hydrochloride is generally taken with the first bite of every meal for proper
digestive support. The Betaine can be discontinued once the reflex point in
non-tender to deep palpation.
Monitoring Your Mineral Dosing
It will be very important to monitor your mineral levels during the
detoxification program. This should be done initially and at least every 6-12
weeks. I only recommend two labs to do this work. Trace Elements and Analytical
Research as they are the only two labs that do not wash the hair samples prior
to analysis.
8. Digestion and Gall Bladder Support for Autism
Liver and gallbladder congestion are major issues in states of toxicity. To
insure that your gallbladder bile flow is functional add magnesium taurate or
taurine, butyric acid (Butryex 559-433-3110)
The dose of the Butyrex initially is 1/8-1/4 of capsule. Gradually increase the
dose to 5 capsules 3 times daily. The Butyrex has a offensive odor which is
lessened by keeping it in the freezer. Additionally inserting the powder in
applesauce, raw honey or elderberry cough syrup may improve compliance.
Digestive enzymes (containing lipase) and CCK (stimulates contraction of the
gall bladder. These can be used one hour after meals containing fat. CCK is
taken after dinner (high fat meal)
· young children 1/4 tablet
· older children 1/2 tablet
· teenagers 1 tablet
· adults 2 to 4 tablets
Your ability to clear toxins will be impaired if you do not have proper fats to
support digestive function. Your diet should contain adequate fat from
unprocessed pure oils. Omega Nutrition, Flora or Arrowhead Mills
· sunflower
· safflower
· sesame
OR fats naturally found in foods:
· seeds
· nuts
· avocado
· free range organic poultry, eggs, or meats
9. Antioxidants
Vitamin C and E. It would be wise to take Unique vitamin E one capsule per day
and about 250-500 mg of vitamin C with each meal. If you are exercising
aggressively you can take 1000 mg of C 15-30 minutes prior to exercising. It is
also wise to consider adding 2-4,000 mg of Vitamin C powder to a half gallon of
water and drinking that throughout the day.
It will be VERY important to take 2000 units (typically five of the 400 unit
capsules) of vitamin E the day of and the day after the DMPS injection as this
will decrease the side effects of the detoxification reaction considerably. You
can also take 1-2 grams of vitamin C immediately prior to the DMPS injection.
10. Start Monthly DMPS Injections, Suppositories or Transdermal
You should not have DMPS if you still have amalgam fillings. If they have been
removed the injections can be started on a monthly basis. Collection of the
urine is then down to analyze how much mercury is being excreted. One must
urinate completely prior to the injection.
I perform the analysis at 90 minutes as that is most convenient, but others do
four or 24 hour collections. The DMPS injections are generally given about six
times or until the level drops into single digits or you are feeling better.
For pediatric patients
You can click here to find out why I don't recommend DMSA mercury chelation.
Since an IV is such a traumatic event for most children it is probably wise to
use a rectal suppository version of DMPS which is available from most
compounding pharmacists. Another alternative is to apply the dose transdermally
with DMSO. This is very similar to the way that the hormone secretin is being
used for many autistic patients.
The dose is 5 mg of DMPS per kg of body weight and is generally given once a
month. The urine collection for pediatric patients incorporates a bag to collect
the urine for mercury analysis.
11. DMPS Alternative
Some people do not tolerate DMPS well. This is especially true for those who
have damage in the central nervous system, such as those with MS or ALS or
children with fragile brain architecture. If this is the case there are several
options. PCA (peptid clathrating agent) spray can be used. The dose is 4 sprays
under the tongue every day or every other day. One may use a dipeptide amino
acid or mixed mineral succinates such as Champion Nutrition Muscle Nitro.
Detox Tips 7: What is Infrared?
Buy A Infrared Sauna
What exactly is radiant heat? No need to worry- it has nothing to do
with either ultraviolet radiation (which gives you a sunburn and damages your
skin) or atomic radiation (the kind from a nuclear bomb). Radiant
heat is simply a form of energy that heats objects directly through a process
called conversion, without having to heat the air in between. Radiant heat is
also called infrared energy (IR). The infrared segment of the electromagnetic
spectrum is divided into 3 segments by wave length, measured in microns or
micrometers (a micron = 1/1,000,000 of meter): 0.076 – 1.5 microns = near or
close; 1.5 – 5.6 = intermediate; 5.6-1,000= far or long wave infrared. The
infrared segment of the electromagnetic spectrum occurs just below or "infra" to
red light, which we perceive as heat. Our sun produces most of its energy output
in the infrared segment of the spectrum. Our atmosphere allows IR rays in the
7-14 micron range to safely reach the earth’s surface. When warmed, the earth
radiates infrared rays in the 7-14 micron band with its peak output at 10
microns.
The sun is the principal source of radiant energy that we experience daily. Have
you ever been outside on a partly cloudy spring day of about 50 deg? And felt
quite comfortable when suddenly the sun was obscured by a cloud? Although the
air temperature had not had time to drop, you felt chilled, as the cloud would
not let the warming infrared rays through to reach you. The infrared heat in
your FIR heat sauna is just like the heat from our sun or that which our own
bodies produce as they burn fuel to keep us warm.
The source of infrared heat in your infrared sauna is actually a ceramic tube or cube, warmed by an electrical wire embedded within it. This zircon ceramic emitting tube is shielded by a metallic grill that is covered by a soft coating of suede-ex, and is safe to touch while it is operating.
CLINICALLY SPEAKING
Repeated sauna therapy reduces urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F(2alpha).
Buy A Infrared Sauna
Masuda A, Miyata M, Kihara T, Minagoe S, Tei C.
Department of Cardiology, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
We have reported that repeated sauna therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in a patient with coronary risk factors. We hypothesized that sauna therapy decreases urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) levels as a marker of oxidative stress and conducted a randomized, controlled study. Twenty-eight patients with at least one coronary risk factor were divided into a sauna group (n = 14) and non-sauna group (n = 14). Sauna therapy was performed with a 60 degrees C far infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 minutes and then bed rest with a blanket for 30 minutes once a day for two weeks. Systolic blood pressure and increased urinary 8-epi-PGF(2alpha) levels in the sauna group were significantly lower than those in the non-sauna group at two weeks after admission (110 +/- 15 mmHg vs 122 +/- 13 mmHg, P < 0.05, 230 +/- 67 pg/mg x creatinine vs 380 +/- 101 pg/mg x creatinine, P < 0.0001, respectively). These results suggest that repeated sauna therapy may protect against oxidative stress, which leads to the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Effects of repeated sauna treatment on ventricular arrhythmias in patients with chronic heart failure.
Kihara T, Biro S, Ikeda Y, Fukudome T, Shinsato T, Masuda A, Miyata M, Hamasaki S, Otsuji Y, Minagoe S, Akiba S, Tei C.
Departments of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine, Kagoshima University.
Background The aim of the present study was to determine whether repeated 60C sauna treatment improves cardiac arrhythmias in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, because ventricular arrhythmias are an important therapeutic target in CHF. Methods and Results Thirty patients (59+/-3 years) with New York Heart Association functional class II or III CHF and at least 200 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)/24 h assessed by 24-h Holter recordings were studied. They were randomized into sauna-treated (n=20) or non-treated (n=10) groups. The sauna-treated group underwent a 2-week program of a daily 60 degrees C far infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 min, followed by 30 min bed rest with blankets, for 5 days per week. Patients in the non-treated group had bed rest in a temperature-controlled room (24 degrees C) for 45 min. The total numbers of PVCs/24 h in the sauna-treated group decreased compared with the non-treated group [848+/-415 vs 3,097+/-1,033/24 h, p<0.01]. Heart rate variability (SDNN, standard deviation of normal-to-normal beat interval) increased [142+/-10 (n=16) vs 112+/-11 ms (n=8), p<0.05] and plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentrations decreased [229+/-54 vs 419+/-110 pg/ml, p<0.05] in the sauna-treated group compared with the non-treated group. Conclusion Repeated sauna treatment improves ventricular arrhythmias in patients with CHF. (Circ J 2004; 68: 1146 - 1151).
Repeated thermal therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors.
Imamura M, Biro S, Kihara T, Yoshifuku S, Takasaki K, Otsuji Y, Minagoe S, Toyama Y, Tei C.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether sauna therapy, a thermal vasodilation therapy, improves endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking. BACKGROUND: Exposure to heat is widely used as a traditional therapy in many different cultures. We have recently found that repeated sauna therapy improves endothelial and cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: Twenty-five men with at least one coronary risk factor (risk group: 38 +/- 7 years) and 10 healthy men without coronary risk factors (control group: 35 +/- 8 years) were enrolled. Patients in the risk group were treated with a 60 degrees C far infrared-ray dry sauna bath for 15 min and then kept in a bed covered with blankets for 30 min once a day for two weeks. To assess endothelial function, brachial artery diameter was measured at rest, during reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation [%FMD]), again at rest and after sublingual nitroglycerin administration (endothelium-independent vasodilation [%NTG]) using high-resolution ultrasound. RESULTS: The %FMD was significantly impaired in the risk group compared with the control group (4.0 +/- 1.7% vs. 8.2 +/- 2.7%, p < 0.0001), while %NTG was similar (18.7 +/- 4.2% vs. 20.4 +/- 5.1%). Two weeks of sauna therapy significantly improved %FMD in the risk group (4.0 +/- 1.7% to 5.8 +/- 1.3%, p < 0.001). In contrast, %NTG did not change after two weeks of sauna therapy (18.7 +/- 4.2% to 18.1 +/- 4.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated sauna treatment improves impaired vascular endothelial function in the setting of coronary risk factors, suggesting a therapeutic role for sauna treatment in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis.
HOW MANY CONTROLLED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ARE THERE AND BY WHOM AND FOR WHOM?
"Over the last 25 years, Japanese and Chinese researchers and clinicians have
completed extensive research on infrared medical treatments and report many
amazing discoveries. In Japan, there is an 'infrared society' composed of
medical doctors and physical therapists dedicated to further infrared research.
Their findings support the health benefits of infrared therapy as a method of
healing."
What devices were actually used in the studies?
Far Infrared Ray technology was used. Probably manafactured in Japan.
Who manufactured them?
Food gets cooked regardless of who manufactured the frying pan. Point being, FIR
technology was used to produce the results.
Are any of these studies directly related to the devices used in saunas or do
they use other forms of infrared devices?
The studies are about FIR technology. If the sauna incorporates FIR technology,
then yes the technology is related.
What's the difference between an actual heater and infrared heater in a sauna(in
other words take out the infrared part)? "FIR Expands capillaries, which
stimulates increased blood flow, regeneration, circulation and oxygenation.
2) FIR is excellent for detox. Scientists in Japan report that in the FIR treatment of clogged capillary vessels, heat expands the capillaries and then initiates the start of a process to dissolve hidden toxins.
FIR thereby promotes elimination of fats, chemicals and toxins from the blood: Poisons, carcinogenic heavy metals - toxic substances from food processing - lactic acid, free fatty acids, and subcutaneous fat associated with aging and fatigue - excess sodium associated with hypertension - and uric acid which causes pain. Furthermore, if sebaceous glands are activated, accumulated cosmetics in pores can be eliminated through the skin (sweat and oil glands) rather than by the kidneys.
3) FIR stimulates enzyme activity and metabolism - One hour under the HotHouse burns over 900 calories by raising the metabolism and body temperature. FIR heat also breaks down cellulite - trapped water, fat and waste.
4) FIR promotes the killing of many pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
5) FIR promotes rebuilding of injured tissue by having a positive effect on the fibroblasts (connective tissue cells necessary for the repair of injury). Furthermore, it increases growth of cells, DNA syntheses, and protein synthesis all necessary during tissue repair and regeneration. Excellent for healing burns, scar tissue and skin problems.
6) FIR relieves nervous tension and relaxes autoneuro muscles thereby helping the body make the most of its intended healing abilities. Reduces soreness on nerve endings and muscle spasms as muscle fibers are heated.
7) FIR strengthens the Immune System by stimulating increased production of white blood cells (leukocytes) by the bone marrow and killer T-cells by the thymus.
8) FIR strengthens the Cardiovascular System by causing heart rate and
cardiac output increase, and diastolic blood pressure decrease - Extensive
research by NASA in the early 1980's led to the conclusion that far infrared
stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain
cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flight."
What's the difference in quality and cost from hospital units versus general
cheap public units and why? "Dr.Tadashi Ishikawa, a member of the Research and
Development Department of Fuji Medical, received a patent in 1965 for a zirconia
ceramic infrared heater used in the first healing infrared thermal systems.
Medical practitioners in Japan were the only ones using infrared thermal systems
for 14 years. In 1979, they were finally released for public use. The technique
has been further refined into infrared thermal systems that have been sold in
the USA since 1981. One use of infrared heat in the USA has been in the form of
panels used in hospital nurseries to warm newborns. To date, there have been
over 700,000 infrared thermal systems sold in Asia for whole body treatments. An
additional 30 million people have received localized infrared treatment in Asia,
Europe, and Australia with FIR lamps, which emit the same 2-25 micron wave bands
as employed in a whole body system. In Germany, physicians in an independently
developed form have used whole body infrared therapy for over 80 years."
Dr.Tadashi Ishikawa, a member of the Research and Development Department of Fuji
Medical, received a patent in 1965 for a zirconia ceramic infrared heater used
in the first healing infrared thermal systems. Medical practitioners in Japan
were the only ones using infrared thermal systems for 14 years. In 1979, they
were finally released for public use. The technique has been further refined
into infrared thermal systems that have been sold in the USA since 1981. One use
of infrared heat in the USA has been in the form of panels used in hospital
nurseries to warm newborns.
So... What's the difference? Well, I could go out to an Italian restaurant and
pay over twenty dollars on spaghetti. Or I could go to the grocery store and buy
spaghetti sticks, and then I could come home and make me one serving which costs
me only about fifty cents. Spaghetti is spaghetti. FIR is FIR. You know the old
saying; whatever floats your boat.
They have made this technology available to the public. Kinda like Hulda Clark's
parasite zapper. There was a time when that kind of stuff was not available to
the public. However, the zapper got refined to the point where the public were
able to purchase one--even make one of their own.
What double-blind controlled studies exist of infrared versus conventional sauna
and particular ailments?
Health challenges below, have been reported in Japan and China, as alleviated,
reduced or eliminated:
Cancer, Leukemia, Prostate Cancer
Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinus problems
Excess Body Fat/Weight Loss, Cellulite
High Blood Pressure, Chronic Nephritis
Circulation problems - Rheumatism, Chilblains, Gout, Body Odor
Hemorrhoids and Piles
Swelling, Inflammation - Arthritis, Tendinitis, Tumors, Mastitis
Back, Shoulder, Neck and Muscular Pains - Lumbago
Neuralgia and Abnormal Nerve Functions - Herpes, Paralysis, Sciatica
Skin Elasticity and Texture, Chapping, Skin Aging, Wrinkles
Clogged Pores, Pimples, Acne
Damaged, Burnt and Scarred Tissue
Toxicity, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Cystitis, Uric Acid
Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
Menstrual problems, PMS, Yeast problems, Menopause
Fungus, Viruses, Bacteria,
Parasites
Migraine, Headaches, Nose Bleeds
Earache, Tinitus
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Diabetes Mellitus
Sports Injuries
Colds, Flu, Fever
Obesity
The following health challenges have been reported in Japan to be alleviated or
reduced by the use of infrared therapy:
· Asthma, bronchitis (cleared up)
· Rheumatoid arthritis (7 out of 10 cases resolved in one clinical trial)
· Benign prostatic hypertrophy (reduced)
· Cancer pain (greatly relieved pain in later stages)
· Cirrhosis of the liver (reversed)
· Chroneís Disease (gone)
· Cold hand and feet (a physical therapist discovered 20-50% improvement was
maintained)
· Cystitis (gone)
· Duocenal ulcers (eliminated)
· Compression fracture pain
· Gastritis (relieved)
· Hemorrhoids (reduced)
· Hepatitis (gone)
· High blood pressure (in the case of a diabetic a systolic decrease from 180 to
125 +
· concurrent weight loss)
· Keloids (significantly softened and, in some cases, completely gone)
· Leg ulcers (healed when previously static and resistant to other care)
· Menopause
· Pain preventing sleep or limiting sleeping positions (relieved)
· Post-surgical adhesions (reduced)
· Radiation sickness (relieved signs and symptoms)
· Sequelae of strokes (Herniparesis relieved over time)
A clinical trial in Japan reported a successful solution for seven out of seven
cases of rheumatoid arthritis treated with whole-body infrared therapy.
Dr. Masao Nakamura of the O and P Medical Clinic in Japan reports success with
the use of infrared heat treatment for the following:
· Acne
· Arthritis
· Ear Diseases
· Gastroenteric Problems
· Insomnia
· Menopause
· Whiplash
· Sciatica
· Shoulder Stiffness
Musculoskeletal Improvements with Infrared Heat
Success has been reported from infrared treatments by Japanese researchers for
the following musculoskeletal conditions:
· Arthritis, Gout, Rheumatoid, DJD (each substantially relieved or improved)
· Adhesions (common in competitive athletes, trauma, and repetitive stress
syndromes)
· TMJ Arthritis
· Acel-Decel Injury Sequelae
· Low-Back Pain (relieved)
· Bursitis (eliminated)
· Brain Contusion (accelerated healing)
· Disc-Protrusion Related Neuralgia
· Compression Fractures (in one situation pain stopped for three days with one
treatment)
· Muscle Tension (relaxed)
· Muscle Spasms (reduced or eliminated)
· Post-Exercise Muscle Pain (good results - vital to competitive athletes)
· Shoulder pain (relieved or improved)
· Spinal Chord Shock (reversed post traumatic shock)
· Tight Shoulders (more relaxed)
· Traumatic Arthritis
Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions Relieved with Infrared Heat
The Japanese report the following ear, nose, and throat conditions relieved with
infrared heat treatments:
· Body Odor
· Chronic middle-ear inflammation of infection
· Clogged pores (unplugged of cosmetics, unexcelled skin texture and tone)
· Dandruff (increased blood flow through the scalp)
· Eczema and Psoriasis (respond well)
· Lacerations (healed quicker with less pain and scarring)
· Nettle rash
· Nose bleeding (reduced)
· Skin Conditions (improved)
· Teenage skin problems (clearing acne and blackheads)
· Poor skin tone - Scars and pain from burns or wounds (decreased in severity
and extent)
· Sore throats
· Tinitus (chronic severe case cleared with 10 infrared treatments)
· Used routinely in burn units throughout Asia.
Interesting FIR Therapy Medical Facts and Data:
Infrared sauna is thought to be 7 times more effective at detoxifying heavy
metals
such as mercury, aluminum, and even cholesterols, nicotine, alcohol, ammonia,
sulfuric acid and other environmental toxins, as opposed to conventional heat or
steam saunas.
The human body is a reservoir of all kinds of bio-toxins which cannot be
expelled immediately and become stored in the body, thereby triggering illness.
When toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide, or potentially
fatal heavy metal toxins such as mercury, lead and chlorine, meet large water
molecules, they are encapsulated by clusters of water and trapped in the body.
Where these toxins are accumulated, blood circulation is blocked and cellular
energy is impaired. However, when a 7 to 14 micron FIR wave is applied to these
large water molecules, the water begins to vibrate. This vibration reduces the
ion bonds of the atoms which are holding together the molecules of water. As the
water evaporates, the encapsulated gas and toxins can be released.
Infrared therapy increases blood circulation and oxygen supply to damaged
tissues Buy A Infrared Sauna
(aiding reduction of chronic joint and muscle pain or sport injuries), promotes
relaxation and comfort, induces sleep and relieves stress.
German medical researchers concluded one session of infrared therapy for over 1
hour can have significant reduction of blood pressure thanks to a persistent
peripheral vessels dilation. They also noted that blood viscosity was improved.
After 1 hour of infrared radiance, there is a significant decrease of blood
pressure - cardiac ejection resistance - total peripheral resistance -and
significant increase of heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and ejection
fraction.
Acne - Infrared Lasers verse Infrared HotHouse or Infrared Lamp
"Infrared lasers such as Smoothbeam or CoolTouch, are becoming a very popular
method to treat acne - particularly very resistant cases. They seem to work by
shrinking the sebaceous glands, and you get relatively quick results. They hurt
like hell though." ~ Jeffey Dover, MD, Boston, ELLE Magazine March 2004
Three to four infrared HotHouse or infrared lamp treatments appear to open pores
that have been malfunctioning for years, forcing out clogging cosmetics, and
loosening dry outer skin, healing acne and scars, WITHOUT PAIN.
Sunburn - According to the Clayton's Electrotherapy, 9th Edition, infrared
radiation is the only antidote to excessive ultraviolet radiation.
Far Infrared Therapy and Electromagnetic Fields
Buy A Infrared Sauna
Recently there have been reports detailing the hazards of exposure to certain
kinds of electromagnetic fields, such as those from high-tension power lines,
cell phones, or from computer display terminals. Infrared heating systems have
been tested in Japan and found free of toxic electromagnetic fields. The Swedish
National Institute of Radiation Protection has also concluded that infrared
heaters are not dangerous. Instead, Japanese researchers have reported that
infrared radiant heat antidotes the negative effects of toxic electromagnetic
sources.
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology reports medical
practitioners make use of infrared radiant heat to treat sprains, strains,
bursitis, peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis, and muscle pain.
Therapeutic Effects of Infrared Heat
- Chapter 9 of Therapeutic Heat and Cold,
Fourth Edition,
Editors Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin.Infrared Heat Therapy does
the following:
· Decreases joint stiffness
· Relieves muscle spasms
· Increases blood flow
· Leads to pain relief
· Affects soft tissue injury
· Increases the extensibility of collagen tissue
· Assists in resolution of inflammatory infiltrated, edema, and exudes
Potential Use Of Far Infrared In Dental Clinics
Mr. Shu of Ninomiya Yuri Dental Clinic used far infrared ray in his dental
clinic for some years. "I have successfully treated many common dental diseases,
for instance, pyorrhea alveolaris, gum inflammation, tooth pain, and muscular
spasm." Mr. Shu indicated that the use of far infrared ray is undergoing
research. Dr. Akira, Director of the Meitoku Association of Dentists and Dr.
Waaataru of the Kawano Dental Hospital also use far infrared treatment on a
regular basis for gum inflammation and post dental pain suppression.
Artificial Body Parts
"The HotHouse feels wonderful on an artificial hip...it is so comforting. When
pins or metal have been inserted, it does not harm, as it doesn't get over 98
degrees. Keeping it at that constant temperature doesn't make the body go up and
doesn't make it go down. If a person is recovering from a break and has metal
pins in the body, the HotHouse is very soothing to them." ~ D.Sudweeks, Pleasant
Grove,Utah, January 27th, 1999
Pneumonia
C.Dunson, a Lymphologist in Utah reported that within 15 minutes of a client
being treated with the HotHouse and lymphology therapy, their pneumonia was
cleared. Infrared therapy in both Japan and China has proven to be outstanding
for asthma, bronchitis, colds, flu, sinusitis and congestion as it clears
inflammation, swelling and mucous clogged passages, as testified to in Dr.
Yamazaki's book below.
Dr. Toshio Yamazaki, M.D. owns a clinic in Japan where she has done extensive
research on the therapeutic uses of far-infrared therapy. She is the author of
"The Scientific Basis and Therapeutic Benefits of Far Infrared Ray Therapy'
which presents the clinical effects of far infrared ray therapy.
Besides cancer, Dr. Yamazaki reports continual successful treatments of many
other diseases by use of FIR waves - treatments not only by her but also by many
other doctors. The list of diseases - documented in her book - includes stress
induced chronic diarrhea, abdominal distention, ulcerated large intestines,
gastritis, facial numbness, haemorrhoids, shoulder, back, and knee pain,
rheumatism, hypotension, diabetes, weight loss, breast and abdominal tumours,
low blood pressure, asthma, anaemia, burns and scalds, body odour, early onset
of baldness, fracture of cervical vertebra, radiation exposure and related
diseases...
For more info you can pick up a book called 'The Scientific Basis and
Therapeutic Benefits of Far Infrared Ray Therapy' Written by acclaimed Japanese
medical doctor, Toshio Yamazaki.
Now that I answered your questions... I am just tickled to ask you something. In
the name of science, what are these "cosmic stones" that you are recommended in
an earlier post?
Sample questions are:
How many controlled scientific studies are there and by whom and for whom?
What devices were actually used in the studies and who manufactured them?
Are any of these studies directly related to the cosmic stones or do they use
other forms of cosmic stones?
What's the difference between a regular stone and a cosmic stone(in other words
take out the cosmic part)?
What's the difference in quality and cost from cosmic stones versus general
cheap regular stones and why?
What double-blind controlled studies exist of cosmic stones versus conventional
stones and particular ailments?
Cheerio, Marvin
My source for information is http://www.chimachine4u.com/
Detox Tips 8: Infrared saunas use infrared energy to penetrate the body’s tissue to a depth of over 1 ½". Tests have shown that the energy output is tuned so closely to the body’s own radiant energy that our bodies absorb close to 93% of the infrared waves that reach our skin, known as conversion. By comparison, conventional saunas must rely only on indirect means of heat: first, on convection (air currents) and then, conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to produce its heating effects. The IR sauna is able to produce upwards to three times the sweat volume at much lower temperatures (110-130F vs. 180-230F). The IR sauna is significantly less costly to operate and does not heat up the area outside of the sauna. Buy A Infrared Sauna Click Here
Sweat Analysis
Lead Nickel Copper Zinc Magnesium
8.4ug 1.2ug .11mg 1.3mg 2.0mg
Iron Calcuim Sodium Mang Cadmium
.26mg 22mg .84mg .019mg 6.2mg
source: Green Cross Hospital
Far Infrared Saunas are able to remove heavy metal toxins (sweat analysis chart above), that accumulate due to sluggish elimination or exposure. Many clinics’ detoxification programs utilize Infrared Saunas for mercury toxicity, which they claim, is eliminated through the stool, hair and urine.
Research Reveals Benefits of Infrared Sauna Use
Far-InfraRed Energy (FIR)
Buy A Infrared
Sauna Click Here
INTRODUCTION:
Why Is Detoxification Important
Excerpted from: Literature Review & Comparison Studies of Sauna/Hyperthermia in
Detoxification, Townsend Letter for Doctors, June 1992 Zane R. Gard, M.D. & Erma
J. Brown, BSN, PhN
The past 150 years have been a time of incredible progress for medicine, science
and industry. Because of these advancements we now enjoy longer, more productive
lives. However, there are many who pay a tremendously high price for our modern
lifestyle. The by-products of our chemical technology have resulted in
ubiquitous contamination of our atmosphere, lakes, oceans and soil. Our natural
environment is now permeated by a barrage of "unnatural" substances.
Unquestionably, many of the chemical sources have been in existence for
centuries. However, today we are exposed to chemical concentrations far greater
than were our ancestors. Although the human mechanism is known to be
accommodating, ecological alterations are now occurring at a faster rate than
our bodies are able to adapt. We are now faced with a situation where
inadequacies or uncertainties centering around the manufacturing, use, storage,
and disposal of toxic chemicals, have resulted in an overwhelming number of
environmentally -induced illnesses.
Since 1965, over 4 million distinct chemical compounds have been reported in
scientific literature. Over 6000 new chemicals were added to this list between
1965 and 1978. As of 1981, of over 70,000 chemicals in commercial production,
3,000 have been identified as intentionally added to our food supplies and over
700 in drinking water. During food processing and storage 10,000 other compounds
can become an integral part of many commonly used foods. Added to this list of
potential body toxins, petrochemicals, industrial waste, medical and street
drugs, radiation (X-rays, nuclear fallout etc.) and tons of pesticides,
herbicides, and insecticides, the result is an incredible chemical avalanche to
have befallen the human race in a relatively short period of evolutionary
history.
There is currently a wealth of scientific evidence showing that thousands of
drugs, preservatives, pesticides, and other pollutants remain stored in the body
long after exposure. We know for example that an organochlorinated pesticide
such as the metabolites of DDT have a half life of between 20 and 50 years in
the fat deposits of humans. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency over 400 chemicals have been detected in human tissue; 48 were found in
adipose tissue, 40 in breastmilk, 73 in the liver and over 250 in the blood.
The process of bodily accumulation and storage of toxins is known as "toxic
bio-accumulation". Though the predominate storage site in the body is the fatty
tissue, toxins may re-enter the bloodstream during times of physical stress
(i.e.. illness, fasting, excessive heat, exercise) or emotional stress. Every
organ that is accessible to these chemicals, which have been mobilized or
released from the fat, is being continually exposed at low levels. As stated by
Dr. William L. Marcus, Senior Advisor and Chief Toxicologist for the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, "It's a chronic exposure. That's why chemicals
like dioxin, even in small amounts, are extremely dangerous. Unfortunately the
human body has no previous experience with these chemicals and there is no
natural machinery in the body to break them down, much less eliminate them.
Human accumulation of such compounds as DDT, PCP, PCB, and dioxin, reflect
biologically persistent chemicals which are partitioned in the body from water
into lipids. Eventually the metabolizing of xenobiotics (chemicals foreign to
the biological system) leads to the accumulation of the chemicals and/or their
products in lipid deposits throughout the body, particularly in adipose tissue.
The simple chemistry involved in this process can be illustrated by the fact
that some chemicals readily dissolve in water, while others dissolve only in oil
bases. Oil soluble chemicals therefore have a tendency to accumulate in body
fatty tissue or lipids, which are also insoluble in water. There is no such
thing as a fat "cell"...[rather] almost every cell has a fat component. The
brain has a high fat content as does virtually every organ.
Directly or indirectly, toxic residues find there way into our air, food and
water supplies. The net effect of this ecological overload is to alter the
body's balance or "homeostasis". This interference with our natural biological
tendencies to restore internal balance, results in "disease" in one form or
another. According to Professor Edward J. Calabrese of the University of
Massachusetts, and author of Pollutants and High Risk Groups, "It is this
homeostatic process which neutralizes the pollutant's effect and returns the
system to equilibrium."
Marshall Mandell, MD, nationally renowned in the field of bio-ecologic medicine,
wrote in a recent publication that the influx of chemicals in our society today
"has resulted in a lowered threshold of resistance and subsequent inability to
cope with the natural and unnatural environment due to altered body metabolism,
enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances." Health
depends on the balance of both external and internal environmental forces.
There is a wealth of literature documenting illnesses in humans from exposure to
chemicals as listed above. These illnesses include cancers of virtually every
organ system of the body, as well as leukemia, liver disease, pulmonary damage,
anemia and blood changes, nervous system disease, immune system damage,
psychological damage, reproductive and fertility impairment, and kidney
dysfunction. There are also many sub-clinical abnormalities that are suspected
to result from presumed chemical exposure and the list grows longer each year.
In response to the above facts, many health care practitioners have been
recommending a vast array of detoxification programs. Circulating toxins and
toxic bowels need proper cleansing. The removal of these toxins is relatively
well known. When toxins are deposited in fat storage sites this becomes much
more complicated. The only way to remove toxins from the fat storage sites is to
mobilize the toxic fat. Heat-stress [of a sauna] is an effective method of
removing fat-stored toxins from the body.
Advantages of the Far-InfraRed Sauna...
“Many people with chronic illnesses find the high temperatures inside a regular
sauna or steam room intolerable. In these traditional systems, the inside of the
body is heated completely from the surface of the skin. Even though you feel
very hot in these units, the heating is quite shallow - only a few millimeters
below the skin. In the Far-InfraRed sauna, invisible light rays emanate from
several Far-InfraRed emitters. This Far-InfraRed light penetrates deep into the
fat and muscles of the body, creating a more powerful detoxifying influence upon
the deeper tissues of the body. As well, since the air temperature remains much
lower than in a traditional sauna, the individual feels more comfortable.
Sweating often begins before the person feels very hot at all and the sweating
is more profuse than in a traditional sauna”.
1. Reported Far-Infrared Health Benefits
Natural Lower Back Pain Relief Without Drugs - Just One of the Far Infrared
Sauna Benefits
Far infrared sauna benefits are tremendous. If you want to find natural lower
back pain relief without drugs, infrared saunas could be your answer. Do you
frequently feel the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome or Fibromyalgia?
Treatment and therapy for these symptoms can incorporate infrared saunas and
their powerful effects.
More far infrared sauna benefits:
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Sauna Click Here
· Pain Relief.
· Weight Loss.
· Detoxification.
· Increased Circulation.
· Cholesterol Removal.
· Boosts Immune System.
· Normalizes Blood Pressure.
· Fibromyalgia Pain Relief.
· Reduces Stress & Fatigue.
· Speeds Healing to Cuts & Bruises.
· Reduces Swelling and Inflammation.
· Removes Stress & Fatigue.
· Improves Joint Stiffness.
Burn Calories...
In response to the warming effect of Far-InfraRed, heart rate, cardiac output
and metabolic rate increase. These reactions provide a ‘passive exercise’
effect, which amazingly, can burn up to 600 calories in 30 minutes. Far-InfraRed
has been researched by NASA and determined to be an ideal way to maintain
astronauts’ cardiovascular fitness during space flights.
Detoxification…
Modern day environmental toxins often become trapped within our bodies. Far-InfraRed
energy has the ability to mobilize these tissue bound toxins, which are then
expelled in our sweat. Our tissues absorb Far-InfraRed energy up to a depth of
2” thus, the sauna releases toxins from throughout our body. Contaminants,
including mercury, lead, pesticide residues, solvents and by-products of fossil
fuel combustion, are expelled through the skin thus, bypassing the liver and
kidneys. Avoiding placing a toxic burden on one’s liver and kidneys is a major
advantage of sweat detoxification.
Pain Relief…
Far-InfraRed has been used throughout Europe and Asia to treat a wide array of
muscular- skeletal ailments. Conditions such as arthritis, bursitis,
Fibromyalgia, backache, sprains and strains often benefit from this deeply
penetrating heat. Far-InfraRed stimulates cardio output and causes blood vessels
to dilate. The enhanced blood flow brings pain relief and healing to muscles and
other soft tissue.
Strengthen Immune System…
The famous Greek physician, Parmenides, stated: “Give me the power to create
fever and I shall cure any disease.” An artificial fever is created in the sauna
as the Far-InfraRed deeply warms our bodies and aids our immune system. This is
a relaxing and effective way to “nip a cold or flu in the bud”!
Skin Care…
The sauna is often helpful in the treatment of acne, psoriasis and eczema. Skin
is left soft and smooth with improved tone and elasticity as the profuse
sweating experienced with Far-InfraRed deeply cleanses the pores.
2. Far-infrared cellular purification
Dr. Toshiko Yamazaki, MD owns an infrared therapy clinic in Japan where she has
done extensive research on the uses of Far Infrared Therapy or Infrared Light
Therapy. In her book, "The Science of Far-Infrared Therapies," she explains that
one of the reasons FIR (Far Infrared Therapy) has beneficial results in a
variety of illnesses is the ability of FIR waves to remove toxins with mercury
detoxification, which is often at the core of many health problems. Since humans
are bio-accumulators, numerous toxins that disturb natural body healing and
cannot be removed immediately after entry are stored in our bodies and prevent
future natural body healing.
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a 10 micron far-infrared light wave reaches up to 2 inches deep inside the
body's tissue cellular vibration occurs when the light waves penetrate the cells
and reach the large water molecules, this vibration reduces the ion bonds of the
atoms that are holding together the molecules of water, resulting in a release
of toxins
3. Detoxification and Far Infrared Therapy
When toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide or toxic substances
such as lead, mercury, or chlorine meet large water molecules, water clusters
encapsulate them. Where these toxins accumulate, blood circulation is blocked
and cellular energy is impaired. Mercury detoxification begins when a 10 micron
Far Infrared Therapy wave is applied to these large water molecules and the
water begins to vibrate.
This vibration reduces the ion bonds of the atoms that are holding together the
molecules of water. As the vibration continues, breakdown of the water molecules
occurs and encapsulated gases and other toxic materials are released. Scientists
in Japan report that in the Far Infrared Therapy wave treatment of clogged
capillary vessels, a similar process occurs: heat expands the capillaries from
Far Infrared Therapy and then initiates the process to dissolve hidden toxins.
Far Infrared Therapy also helps to improve nervous disorders, digestive
disorders, weight loss, and normalize blood pressure.
4. Heat Treatments Get Rid of Toxins
By Raymond Francis, M.Sc.
Reprinted from "Never Be Sick Again"
Not only do saunas feel good, they are good! Saunas get your heart beating and
your blood circulating, helping the body to detoxify in unique and important
ways. Toxins do the damage, and saunas help with damage control. Saunas or other
treatments help to accomplish detoxification in the following manner: A layer of
fat and oil exists just below the surface of the skin. Heat from the sauna
increases skin temperature, causing those fats and oils to "melt" and ooze out
of the skin's oil glands. As sweat and oil are secreted, the toxins dissolved in
them are secreted as well. By excreting these toxins and then washing them off
your body, your toxic load is lowered and cellular health improves.
Choose a temperature that can be tolerated for an extended period of time-thirty
minutes to an hour or more. The point is not to sweat out a lot of water, but to
rid your body of oil-soluble toxins. Our skin contains sweat glands and oil
glands, both of which help us detoxify. Sweat gets rid of water-soluble toxins,
and even helps to eliminate toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. Oil
glands help remove oil-soluble toxins that the body would otherwise have a
difficult time eliminating. We have created a world filled with oil-soluble
toxins such as gasoline, solvents, pesticides and ingredients in toothpaste and
personal care products, and the body is not able to dispose of them efficiently.
The longer the skin is heated, the more oil-soluble toxins are eliminated.
Be careful not to overheat! The challenge is finding an environment where you
can keep your skin temperature up for an extended period of time without
overheating or dehydrating. Overheating and perhaps feeling dizzy can happen
easily if you stay in a steam room, a hot tub or the top bench of a hot sauna
too long. Choose a "low temperature" sauna (110-120 degrees), and use it for an
extended period of time-an hour or more is best-though you may have to work up
to this duration gradually. Remember: Drinking adequate amounts of water before,
during and after your sauna is essential in order to prevent dehydration.
A good supplement program, containing fat-mobilizing vitamins and essential
fatty acids makes the sauna even more effective. Be sure to shower afterwards;
prevent those toxins from reabsorbing back into your body by washing with a
nontoxic Castile soap.
Taking saunas or other "heat treatments" is not a luxury, but like exercise, is
a physical responsibility and an important element of the physical
responsibility and an important element of the physical pathway. Incorporating
saunas after exercise is even better. Exercise begins to mobilize toxins and
saunas continue the process. You may need to make a few sauna visits before you
can tolerate extended periods of time, but the benefits of these heat treatments
are incredible. These treatments feel good for very good reasons; they provide
beneficial physical stimulation-including increased lymphatic and cardiovascular
circulation, as well as the removal of toxins-all of which are good for the
health and function of your cells.
5. Its a Toxic World
Today more than 77,000 chemicals are in active production. Our exposure to these
chemicals is greater than at any time. More than 3,000 chemicals are added to
our food supply. More than 10,000 chemicals in the form of solvents, emulsifiers
and preservatives are used in food processing and storage. When ingested these
chemicals can remain in the body for years, altering our metabolism, causing
enzyme dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies, creating hormonal imbalances
and lowering our threshold of resistance to chronic disease. We are continually
subjected to poor air quality, chemically contaminated food and water, household
cleansers, paint fumes, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, heavy metals
(including mercury) and the list goes on and on. Today, studies show that most
of us have between 400 and 800 chemical residues stored in the fat cells of our
bodies. These chemicals and heavy metals make up the "total toxic burden". When
our bodies exceed the limit that we can excrete, we begin to store these toxins.
This bioaccumulation seriously compromises our physiological and psychological
health and leads to chronic disease.
Toxicity Symptoms
The following symptoms are often related to toxicity: allergies, acne, anxiety, burning skin, brain fog, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities, depression, eczema, frequent colds or flu, feeling "sick all over", insomnia, loss of dexterity, low body temperature, memory loss, mood swings, muscle and joint pains and poor concentration. If you have three of more of the above symptoms, you should strongly consider Our High Tech Health Far Infrared Sauna.
Detox, Detox, Detox
Far Infrared Saunas are recognized by health practitioners worldwide as perhaps
the most effective method of removing both chemical and heavy metal toxins from
the body. The combination of "resonant absorption" and low heat makes this the
detox method of choice for chronically ill patients as well as those that are
well and wish to stay that way by reducing their "toxic burden".
"A sauna used to be thought of as a luxury. But studies now confirm that diet
and environmental chemicals cause 95% of cancers. Furthermore, as the first
generation of man exposed to such an unprecedented plethora of daily chemicals,
we have learned that stored or undetoxified chemicals can mimic any disease.
"Incurable" chronic diseases that were thought to have no known cause often
disappear once toxic chemicals are gone. Since the far infrared sauna is the
safest, most efficacious and economical way of depurating stored toxins, this
makes it a household necessity."
Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., Northeast Center for Environmental Medicine
Internationally known expert in environmental medicine
Author of; Detoxify or Die, Tired Or Toxic? , Total Wellness, Wellness Against
All Odds, Depression Cured at Last, Pain Free, and No More Heartburn
Our methods of eliminating toxins in the body are few. We are limited to the
faeces, the urine, perspiration and respiration. When the liver, kidneys and
lungs have been damaged by chronic exposure to environmental toxins our ability
to rid our bodies of toxins becomes severely limited. Through various methods we
can cleanse the liver and kidneys, which will help us address future toxins, but
we are still left with the fat-stored (lipophilic) toxins and heavy metals
stored in connective tissue and the brain.
6. Infrared sauna detoxification studies
· Graph Results of Pre & Post BioToxic Reduction Studies
· BioToxic Reduction Case Histories
Authors of Study: Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN TLfDP, October
1992
Detoxification for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A Case History
Many of the patients evaluated and treated with the Bio-Toxic Reduction Program
meet the 1982 Criteria for Diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus according
to Dr. Zane R. Gard who presented Drug and Chemically-induced Lupus-Like
Syndrome to the American Lupus Foundation in January 1988 in Los Angeles,
California. This review of 12 Lupus-like patients indicated that certain
susceptible populations may develop Lupus-like conditions as a result of
deficiencies within the body's own detoxification mechan isms following
excessive drug or chemical ingestion or exposure. This impairment causes an
untimely elimination of toxic substances rendering the body susceptible to
chronic diseases such as Lupus. These patients were all treated either the
Bio-Toxic Reduction (BTR) program and all abnormal immunological profiles
returned to normal l,imits as well as none meeting the Criteria for diagnosis of
Lupus. Only three of these patients have had continuing health problems
primarily consisting of chemical sensitivity, however all but one have had
normal immunological profiles. The worst of the group had been on steroids
therapy for over 17 years and as long as she avoids chemicals to which she is
sensitive, doesn't require steroid therapy. She has had full use of her hands
(which were claw-like) since her therapy 7 years ago. Only when she is
overburdened will immunological tests be abnormal. When this occurs she also has
a mild Lupus flare with joint stiffness and swelling.
Her history is as follows: This 32-year-old female was diagnosed having Systemic
Lupus Erthematosus (SLE) at the age of 15. Over eleven surgeries had been
performed including a sinovectomy of the hand, an appendectomy and a splenectomy.
She had been plagued with health problems which included chemical sensitivity,
pain and swelling of her joints (which resulted in restricted use), sinusitis,
nosebleeds, headaches, ear infections and fatigue. By the time she came to
BioTox her condition had deteriorated considerably. She suffered from muscle
weakness and spasms, blurred vision, depression, mood swings and had been
previously diagnosed as having Sjogren's syndrome, myofacial syndrome,
hypertension and latent tetany.
A fat-biopsy revealed elevated levels of chlorinated pesticides and she was
placed on the BTR program. Her headaches soon disappeared, but her joint pain
would flare, then subside during sauna sessions. After 30 days in BTR, she began
to hallucinate as a response to the release of fat-stored anesthetics,
accompanied by a distinct anesthetic odor. The hallucinations were usually
followed by a response similar to that of a patient in a recovery room. She
frequently needed assistance both in and out of the sauna. In addition to very
close monitoring of her condition to prevent injury, oxygen with special mask
was frequently used.
Upon completion of the BTR program, 100% range of motion returned to all of her
joints, with no inflammation or soreness. The myofacial syndrome had cleared,
along with the headaches, fatigue, and depression. While she still has multiple
chemical sensitivities and allergies, the BTR Program has resulted in a 90%
improvement of her lupus condition, without the use of medication. She continues
to sauna following exposure to prevent the symptoms of SLE. She has enjoyed a
near normal life since 1984. Her brother also has lupus and originally was in
better health than his sister. Now she feels she is 100% better than her brother
who is on conventional therapy. She now feels she is 50% improved, however is
not careful with avoiding exposures to chemicals she is sensitive to.
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN, TLfDP, October 1992
Detoxification for Arthritis
A Case History
This 56-year-old female school counselor (Case #27) came to the clinic with
sever arthritis in her left knee. At the time of her initial evaluation, she had
been scheduled for a surgical knee replacement, recommended by her previous
physician. Her health began to deteriorate after the school had been remodeled.
Nine out of twelve teachers at this school also developed serious health
problems. The school was also located near a dumpsite, which contributed to the
"toxic overload." Serum blood analysis for volatile hydrocarbons revealed high
levels. She also tested positive to formaldehyde and isocynate antibodies.
After the first day on the BTR Program, her arthritic symptoms began to ease and
she could ride the stationary bike with little difficulty. She spent 21 days on
the program and within three weeks of completion, she experienced a full range
of motion and freedom from pain. She no longer required medication or surgery.
Serum chemical analysis showed drastic reductions in stored toxin levels within
21 days. She was able to return to work in a contaminated school building,
however has had some problems since.
Detoxification for CNS Depression & Chronic Fatigue
A Case History
This 25 year-old female (Case #23 - Graph 2) suffered from CNS depression,
anxiety, excessive crying, headaches, confusion, excessive fatigue, and multiple
chemical sensitivities. She reported that her symptoms began 5-6 years earlier
after being on birth control pills for 2 months. Her symptoms gradually became
more severe after the office where she worked had refinishing work done on some
cabinets. The lacquer fumes made her ill and she began experiencing debilitating
fatigue along with an intensification of her chemical sensitivities, headaches,
and depression. Blood tests and medical evaluation indicated she suffered from
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Leukopenia (very low white blood count), elevated
volatile hydrocarbon levels, and antibody/immune sensitivity to formaldehyde,
isocynanates, and trimellitic anhydride. She made a remarkable recovery
following treatment. Her energy level dramatically increased. Serum chemical
analysis indicated an elimination of most of the volatile hydrocarbon levels.
Her health is returning. She was able to return to work and continue living a
normal lifestyle.
Source:
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN, TLfDP, October 1992
Detoxification for Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
A Case History
This 30 year-old female (Case #2-See Graph 4) was evaluated for multiple
chemical sensitivities. Chief complaints included headaches, musculo-skeletal
pain, asthma, depression, poor memory retention, fatigue, numbness of the
extremities, anxiety states, eye/head pressure and chronic flu-like symptoms. At
the time of evaluation, the patient was essentially confined to a controlled
environment. She spent nearly nine months in a room within her home stripped of
carpeting or synthetics (essentially free of any chemically-derived furnishings
or products) and required either oxygen or air filtration outside the controlled
environment. The patient was unable to tolerate synthetic fabrics, cosmetics,
perfumes and other scented products, pesticides, paints, inks, smoke, exhaust
fumes, and natural gas.
Prior to coming to our center, this patient was evaluated by 35 physicians over
an eight-year period. She had been prescribed tranquilizers and
anti-depressants, which were unsuccessful in controlling her symptoms. This
patient was totally disabled for three years due to the severity of reactions
upon exposure to chemical substances. However, her condition was not properly
diagnosed until coming to our office. Fat-biopsies (via needle aspiration)
detected the presence of pesticides as well as other toxic residue. A
comprehensive history revealed several possible causes of her condition. She
lived within one mile of a city landfill for 20 years. On two separate
occasions, she moved into a home within a week after extermination. She also
worked in the cosmetics and clothing industry for ten years. She was diagnosed
as having a lupus-like syndrome, immune dysfunction, seizure disorder (abnormal
EEG), and extreme chemical sensitivity, secondary to chemical exposure.
She completed 43 days on the BTR Program. Her health restoration was associated
with significant decreases in toxin levels (see Graph 5). The patient's overall
condition improved by 85%. A post-program EEG showed no evidence of seizure
activity. Follow-up immune profiles indicate restoration of immune function. She
was again able to manage her household, drive, and within six months resumed
employment. Though she remains sensitive to a degree, her condition is
controlled.
Source:
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN, TLfDP, October 1992
Detoxification for Jaundice and Liver Toxicity
A Case History
This 46 year-old female (Case #56) suffered from constant headaches. Her history
revealed she had been exposed to DDT and chlordane more than 10 years earlier.
The patient reported her intense headaches began after her condo had been
treated for ants. Her headaches became constant for several months before she
came to BioTox. Blood serum tests indicated she had elevated levels of xylene,
as well as metabolites of DDT and chlordane. Tests also indicated she had a
strong antibody response to trimellitic anhydride, formaldehyde, and isocyanates.
She reported being sensitive to many chemicals, and generally feeling ill since
the onset of her headaches. After she underwent the Bio-Toxic Reduction Program
her headaches were relieved and she felt generally in good health. Several
months later, however, she returned feeling very poorly with a jaundiced
appearance. Blood tests indicated a serious liver problem. An MRI and CAT-Scan
revealed a large mass in her liver which was determined to be a hemangioma. She
began medical treatments to bolster her immune system and aid her liver, and
later spent two more weeks in BTR. Within a few weeks her color was back to
normal and her overall health had improved. She has felt fine since and has had
no further complications, but is advised to avoid chemical exposures.
Toulene is a known central nervous system depressant. Because it is a
fat-soluble, it accumulates in the fat with repeated exposures. Toluene exposure
is often accompanied with isocyanate exposure, which compounds the effects of
toluene on the body. Isocyanates and toluene together produce damaging effects
on the immune system, depress the CNS, and may cause pulmonary sensitivity.
Permanent chemical sensitivity may result from chronic exposure to toluene or
isocyanates.
Source:
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, N, TLfDP, October 1992
Detoxification for Asthma and Upper Respiratory
A Case History
A 41 year-old male (Case #11) was evaluated in 1984 with chief complaints of
suicidal depression, severe anxiety states, abdominal pain, pyrosis, chest
congestion, headaches, mood changes, memory impairment, nausea, insomnia, and
generalized malaise. Seventy-percent of his work involved repair of inflatable
boats in an enclosed workspace. He worked routinely with epoxy resins, paint
thinners, varnishes, and latex, which contained volatile hydrocarbons such as
toluene and benzene. The acrylic adhesives contained isocyanates, a known
pulmonary sensitizer. Working in excess of 50 hours per week his symptoms became
more severe and he felt ill most of the time. Within seven months of the onset
of his symptoms he had become totally disabled.
A pulmonary specialist diagnosed him as having toxic "occupational" asthma,
induced by solvent exposure. A gastroenterologist determined that he had severe
reflux esophagitis caused by the toluene exposure. Though the patient did not
have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, he was referred to a a rehabilitation
clinic. It was believed that his severe depression may have been associated with
substance abuse. He was also placed on numerous psychotropic medications to
combat his depression. All treatments proved unsuccessful.
Serum chemical analysis revealed an extremely high level of toluene at 39.0 ppb
and antibodies to isocyanate, TMA and formaldehyde. He was placed on the BTR
Program and his lungs cleared within 3 days. He completed 52 days of program
time and his health had improved by 85%. He no longer suffered from severe toxic
asthma, headaches, or depression. Post-BTR serum chemical analysis revealed no
detectable levels of toluene, or any other volatile compounds.
Source:
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN, TLfDP, October 1992
Detoxification for Occupational Exposure to Chemicals
A Case History
The case reviewed in Graph 5 exhibited symptoms of numbness, gastrointestinal
distress, insomnia and impotence. This 44 year-old male (Case #63) was
self-employed as a pest control operator with a primary exposure to methyl
bromide for 11 years. His only protective device was a porous rubber mask. His
chief complaints were confusion, fatigue, nervous exhaustion, poor memory,
insomnia, speech difficulty, muscle weakness, muscle aching and twitching,
hyperexcitability, chemical hypersensitivity, abdominal gas and bloating,
impotence, constipation and left sided numbness of face and arms.
He enjoyed good health until 1984 when he began experiencing extreme chest
pressure with pain radiating towards the left shoulder. He was admitted to the
hospital and underwent surgery to repair lessons in his coronary artery.
Although the operation was a success, his health did not improve significantly.
He began to feel numbness on the left side of his face, upper extremities and
below the knee. He had difficulty using his left hand, and at times found it
difficult to speak.
He was evaluated by many physicians, including neurologists and toxicology
specialists. They concluded that he suffered from organic brain syndrome induced
by occupational exposure to toxic chemicals. His long-term exposure to methyl
bromide had been a major contributing factor in his coronary lesions, and had
resulted in cerebral dysfunction due to diminished arterial blood flow to a
portion of the brain. Approximately 18 months after the onset of his health
problems he came to BioTox. His blood was tested for methyl bromide and its
impurities. Dichlormethane and chloroform were found in his blood. He spent 27
days on the BTR Program, after which his health greatly improved. The numbness
and speech difficulties were gone, and many of his other symptoms were much
improved. Independent physicians who had tested him before he came to BioTox
estimated his condition had improved 70% following therapy. His condition would
gradually deteriorate starting about 6 months following detox indicating
detoxification pathways were impaired. At three and four years post therapy his
condition is considered 50% improved. He functions well for about 4 hours, then
requires rest. He has sustained permanent damage resulting in permanent
disability.
Source:
Zane R. Gard, MD & Erma J. Brown, BSN, PhN, TLfDP, October 1992
7. Detox: Infrared Sauna vs. Conventional Sauna
Buy A Infrared
Sauna Click Here
In one study performed by American researchers, the sweat of people using a
conventional sauna was found to be 95 to 97% water while the sweat of those
using an infrared thermal system was 80 to 85% water with the non-water portion
principally cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals (such as mercury
and aluminum), sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid. This unusually high
concentration of heavy metals and other fat-soluble toxins is not found in the
sweat from normal exercise.1 Mercury is the most toxic element on earth, second
only to plutonium.
Hyperthermic detoxification using these saunas is not only uniquely helpful in
removing fat-stored toxins from the body, but also as an adjunct to mercury
removal. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., of Seattle, who has been called “the
holistic doctors’ doctor and teacher,” is one of the pioneers in combining the
use of far-infrared saunas with the chelating agent DMPS in a heavy metal detox
protocol.
Dr. Klinghardt explains, “Since hyperthermic sauna therapy removes metal
contaminants from the body, we have found that it may be used to further the
benefits derived from chelation therapy. And we have also found that it may be
an alternative for those who are unable to undergo chelation. Research conducted
by U.S. scientists has demonstrated that close to 80% of individuals with
chronic fatigue syndrome will improve markedly by a guided detoxification
program.2 We combine this approach with hyperthermic therapy using the
far-infrared sauna, as well as exercise and chelation. The results we are seeing
are very promising.”
Dr. Klinghardt adds, “If far-infrared saunas work, why wait to use them? People
need information about what nutrients and minerals to take, how to stay
hydrated, and a reminder to shower after the sauna. It’s not going to do much
good to spend time detoxifying if you don’t wash off those toxins afterwards.
And don’t overlook the importance of educating yourself and your children about
sources of environmental toxins and allergens. Your future health depends on
it!”
feature LuxSauna vs hot rock or steam sauna
proven benefits pain relief, detoxification, increased circulation, weight loss,
lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, cellulite removal vs no data
maintenance nominal vs extensive
mold and mildew no vs yes
warm up time 15 to 20 minutes vs 45 minutes to an hour
sweat analysis 80% water, 20% toxins vs 97% water, 3% toxins
fresh air circulation allowed vs disallowed
assembly time less than an hour vs days or weeks
electrical cost $2 to $3 a month vs can double your power bill
medical use used by physicians vs no data
heat dry, gentle, radiant vs harsh, claustrophobic, humid
stereo music am/fm cd player optional vs disallowed
portability break down in minutes vs permanent
8. Heat therapy for pain relief
New clinical research on pain offers evidence to establish a novel class of
pain -- "heat responsive pain" or HRP -- which encompasses several common pain
conditions that can be treated with the use of heat therapy. Researchers
studying HRP have observed remarkable therapeutic benefits by using continuous
low-level heat therapy for treating lower-back, upper-body and menstrual pain,
all conditions that fall under the new HRP classification.
"For centuries, healthcare providers have used topical heat to relieve minor
aches and pains, but today, we are just beginning to understand the full range
of therapeutic benefits that heat offers," said pain expert Peter Vicente,
Ph.D., Past-President of the American Pain Society and Clinical Health
Psychologist, Riverhills Healthcare, Cincinnati, OH. "Through new clinical
research, we have found that heat activates complex neurologic, vascular and
metabolic mechanisms to mediate the transmission of pain signals and effectively
provide relief for a variety of pain conditions."
Heat Therapy More Effective Than Analgesics for Low Back Pain Relief
SOURCE: New Jersey Medical School At UMDNJ--New Jersey Medical School
-Researcher Finds Heat Therapy More Effective Than Analgesics for Low Back Pain
Relief -Study Published in May 15 Issue of the Journal Spine
NEWARK, N.J.--(BW HealthWire)--May 15, 2002--Low level heat therapy is more
effective than over-the-counter oral medications for relieving low back pain,
according to the results of a nationwide study led by a sports medicine
researcher at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).
In the six-month study involving 371 patients, participants were given the
maximum recommended non-prescription dosages of ibuprofen and acetaminophen or
low level heat therapy for two days to treat acute low back pain.
The results showed that the low level heat therapy provided significantly more
pain relief beginning on the first day of treatment than the oral analgesics and
that the effects lasted more than 48 hours after the treatment was completed.
"Although clinical guidelines in the U.S. have recommended the use of
self-administered heat, this is the first study to compare the effectiveness of
topical heat treatment versus oral analgesics for treating muscle pain and
stiffness," according to Dr. Scott F. Nadler, director of sports medicine at
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark and co-investigator of the study.
"Confirming that this treatment is effective is important to patients because it
gives them a treatment option that does not have the potential risk to the
liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract than can accompany inappropriate
analgesic usage," said Dr. Nadler, who is also an associate professor of
physical medicine and rehabilitation at the medical school.
Source: HealthNewsDigest.com, Date Published: 2002-10-01
9. LuxSauna for Weight Loss
Buy A Infrared
Sauna Click Here
Far-infrared hyperthermia clinical study review for weight loss
Title of Study
Repeated Thermal Therapy Improves Impaired Vascular Endothelial Function in
Patients With Coronary Risk Factors
Authors:
Dr. Imamura, et.al, Kagoshima Japan
Publication and Date:
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001
Purpose of Study
To determine whether Infrared Sauna therapy improves blood vessel function
(endothelial) in patients risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, diabetes and smoking. This dysfunction represents an early stage of
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
How did they do it?
Studied 25 men with at least 1 risk factor. Patients were treated in an Infrared
Sauna for 15 minutes once a day for 2 weeks.
Results: Infrared Sauna Treatment
• Significantly lowered blood pressure
• Significant weight loss
• Significantly lowered blood sugar
• Significantly increased blood flow
• Lowered cholesterol
• Lowered triglycerides
Conclusion:
• Repeated Infrared Sauna treatment improves impaired blood vessel functions in
patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol. This
suggests a preventive role for sauna use for atherosclerosis.
Burn up to 600 calories in a 30-minute LuxSauna session
As the body works to cool itself, there is a substantial increase in heart rate,
cardiac output and metabolic rate. Blood flow during whole-body hyperthermia is
reported to rise from a normal 5 to 7 quarts per minute to as much as 13 quarts
per minute.
This benefit was recognized in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical
Association as long ago as August 1981: "Many of us who run do so to place a
demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use
of a Sauna imparts a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its
regular use may be as effective, a means of cardiovascular conditioning and
burning of calories, as regular exercise."
For most healthy people, as well as for most patients with stable coronary heart
disease, sauna bathing is well tolerated, safe, and has therapeutic value,
according to a study published today in The American Journal of Medicine. A
comprehensive review of the world’s biomedical literature (1966 to the present)
was carried out by investigators from the Department of internal medicine and
University of Oulu, Finland, and the Division of Cardiology, Washington Hospital
Center, Washington D.C. The authors examine the benefits and risks of sauna
bathing for healthy adults and children, as well as for patients with coronary
heart disease, hypertension, and congestive heart failure.
A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams of sweat in a
sauna—the equivalent of running three to four miles or 475 to 600 calories.
While the weight of the water lost can be regained by rehydration with water,
the calories will not be.
10. Causes and Treatment for Mercury Toxicity
Far-infrared sauna detox for mercury
In one study performed by American researchers, the sweat of people using a
conventional sauna was found to be 95 to 97% water while the sweat of those
using an infrared thermal system was 80 to 85% water with the non-water portion
principally cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals (such as mercury
and aluminum), sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid. This unusually high
concentration of heavy metals and other fat-soluble toxins is not found in the
sweat from normal exercise. Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive element on
earth.
Hyperthermic detoxification using these saunas is not only uniquely helpful in
removing fat-stored toxins from the body, but also as an adjunct to mercury
removal. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., of Seattle, who has been called “the
holistic doctors’ doctor and teacher,” is one of the pioneers in combining the
use of far-infrared saunas with the chelating agent DMPS in a heavy metal detox
protocol.
Dr. Cline explains, “Since hyperthermic sauna therapy removes metal contaminants
from the body and we have found that it may be used to further the benefits
derived from chelation therapy. And we have also found that it may be an
alternative for those who are unable to undergo chelation. Research conducted by
U.S. scientists has demonstrated that close to 80% of individuals with chronic
fatigue syndrome will improve markedly by a guided detoxification program. We
combine this approach with hyperthermic therapy using the far-infrared sauna, as
well as exercise and chelation. The results we are seeing are very promising.”
Dr. Rapp adds, “ If far-infrared saunas work, why wait to use them? People need
information about what nutrients and minerals to take, how to stay hydrated, and
a reminder to shower after the sauna. It’s not going to do much good to spend
time detoxifying if you don’t wash of those toxins afterwards. And don’t
overlook the importance of educating yourself and your children about sources of
environmental toxins and allergens. Your future health depends on it!”.
warning: mercury is a biohazard
When an amalgam filling (containing 50% mercury) is removed from your mouth, it
must be contained in the same way as any other toxic waste.
Early causes and detection of mercury toxicity
Early signs of mercury contamination include: decreased senses of touch,
hearing, vision and taste, metallic taste in mouth, fatigue or lack of physical
endurance, and increase salivation. Symptoms may progress with moderate or
chronic exposure to include: anorexia, numbness, headaches, hyper-tension,
irritability and excitability, and immune suppression, possibly immune
disregulation. Advanced disease processes from mercury toxicity include: tremors
and in coordination, anemia, renal dysfunction or failure, Not that in mercury
contamination of long duration, renal excretion of mercury (and normal
metabolites) may become impaired, and the urine level of mercury might be only
mildly elevated or not elevated at all due to kidney failure.1
Dental amalgam, or what dentists call "silver fillings," is made from 50%
mercury, 35% silver and 15% tin. This blend is easy for a dentist to work with,
and requires much less expertise in its application than, say, a composite, or a
softer, non-toxic material. In the mid-1980s, clinical studies showed a
significant level of mercury vapor is released into the body by simply chewing
your food. Of the three Heavy Metals in an amalgam filling, mercury is the most
toxic. In fact, it is the second most toxic element on Earth, next to plutonium.
By law, mercury is to be treated as a bio-hazardous waste when removed from the
dental patient's mouth, and disposed of accordingly.
Mercury is also used in vaccines, explosive detonators; in pure liquid form form
for thermometers, barometers, and fungicides and pesticides. The
fungicide/pesticide use of mercury has declined due to environmental concerns,
but mercury residues persist from past use.
Methylmercury, the common poisonous form, occurs by methylation in aquatic biota
or sediments (both freshwater and ocean sediments). Methylmercury accumulates in
aquatic animals and fish and is concentrated up the food chain reaching high
concentrations in large fish and predatory birds. A daily dosage of fish can
cause 1 to 10 micrograms of mercury per day to be ingested, with about
three-quarters of this (typically) as methylmercury.
Mercury enters the body not just through contact, but through inhalation as
well. Persons who should be concerned about mercury intoxication, aside from
those with dental amalgams in their mouths, are dentists, dental assistants,
dental office personnel, and anyone who has been around the use of amalgams.
However, a serum or urine mercury level is an inadequate test, because mercury
does not like to come out of the cells in which it is stored. A proper test is
conducted with DMPS, which liberates a large amount of mercury. Urine mercury
concentration, according to Godfrey and Campbell, shows a sixty-fold increase
after DMPS administration in people with amalgam, a thirty-fold increase in
dental personnel without amalgams, and only a ten-fold increase in people who
have had their amalgams removed followed by a course of chelation therapy.2
These are average figures, of course, and the study quoted was carefully
controlled and statistically significant.
A high output of mercury in the urine in the absence of DMPS administration
means nothing except that mercury does not readily come out of the intracellular
space.
Sources:
1. Methylated Mercury is 100 Times more Toxic than Inorganic Mercury: Birke G.
et al "Studies on Humans Exposed to Methyl Mercury Through Fish Consumption",
Arch Environ Health 25, 1972 pp 77-91.
2. Vimy MJ, Lorscheider FL Intraoral mercury from dental amalgams. J Dent Res
1985;64:1069-1071
Detox Tips 9: More information on
mercury toxicity
http://www.mercurypolicy.org
http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury
http://www.ban.org/Ban-Hg-Wg
What is Mercury and why is it unsafe: Mercury is a persistent,
bio-accumulative toxin that has increased at least
three fold in the atmosphere and ocean over the past century, posing a
risk to human health, wildlife and the ecological balance. The Food
and Drug Administration and 41 states warn consumers to limit or not eat certain
fish due to mercury levels and ten states advise pregnant women and children to
limit consumption of canned tuna, the most consumed fish in the US. A potent
neurotoxin, mercury exposures can affect the brain, kidneys and liver, and cause
developmental problems. Data from the Centers for Disease Control indicates that
1-in-12 women of childbearing age have unsafe mercury levels, translating into
over 300,000 children born each year in the US at risk of exposure to mercury.
Infrared saunas are proven to be one of the most effect devises for eliminating
mercury toxicity.
Important Facts About Mercury
l Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth.
l A silver colored mercury amalgam filling normally contains 52% mercury.
l On average, an amalgam filling weighs 1 gram and contains ½ gram of mercury.
l The typical adult carries ten amalgam fillings containing about 5 grams of
mercury.
l ½ gram of mercury in a ten acre lake would warrant issuance of a fish advisory
for the lake.
l Running shoes with mercury lights in their heels were banned by the Minnesota
Legislature in 1994 because they contained a ½ gram of mercury in them and this
was considered dangerous to public health.
l The use of mercury amalgams has been banned and are on a scheduled phaseout in
Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden.
l A proposition passed in California in 1994 requires a warning in dental
offices using mercury amalgam stating that "the people of the state of
California have determined that the use of mercury in dental amalgam causes
birth defects and other health problems." The proposition also requires that
permission must be obtained from a patient before placing hazardous material in
the mouth. (The new law is being contested by the ADA and California Dental
Association, and is tied up in Federal Court).
l Legislation is now being proposed in Minnesota for a similar "Informed
Consent" legislation for all dental patients.
Far-Infrared Cellular Purification
l Detoxifies heavy metals including mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum.
l Detoxifies arsenic, formaldehyde, pesticides, agent orange, industrial
chemicals, and gasoline.
l Detoxifies alcohol, nicotine, heroine, and prescription drugs.
l Purifies the body on a cellular level.
Autoimmune Disorders
The diagnostic arena now occupied by autoimmune disorders provides us with terms
that could best be described as "alphabet soup." Such problems include RA
(Rheumatoid Athritis), HT (Hasimoto's Thyroiditis), HAD (Human Adjuvant
Disease), MS (Multiple Sclerosis), ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or, more
commonly, Lou Gehrig's disease) and MCTD (mixed connective tissue disease).
Should we now add MT (Mercury Toxicity)?
These conditions plus others, such as Crohn's Disease, Raynauds's Disease,
Systemic Candidiasis, Diabetes, and even Alzheimer's Disease are now believed by
many to be autoimmune disorders.
· When patients are afflicted with such disorders, they come into their
physician's office with all, or some, of these symptoms:
• Generalized morning stiffness
• Skin rashes
• Dry eyes and mouth
• Joint pain
• Immune dysfunction
• Axillary lymph node swelling
• Subcutaneous nodules (skin bumps)
• Neurological symptoms (ringing in ears, burning and numbness sensations
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression and/or environmental sensitivities
The clinical assessment usually shows a connective tissue disorder, the result
of the immune system attacking the tissues of the body. The immune elements of
T-lymphocytes, B-cells and "PAC-man" cells, instead of attacking bacterial,
viral and yeast fungal invaders, attack the cells of the thyroid (HT), joint
surfaces (RA), peripheral vascular bed (Raynaud's) or the skin cells with
patches across the nose and cheeks (lupus) erythematosus).
There are no simple answers for this perplexing group of problems, yet insights
are beginning to arrive on the clinical horizon that may indicate why T-cell
mediated lesions are developed and a screening questionnaire has been developed
to help assess this problem (see Mercury Toxicity Questionnaire). Patients who
score more than five "yeses" should be referred to a dentist familiar with
"silver" amalgam removal.
Any filling in the mouth that looked silver when it was new and is gray or black
now is probably 50% mercury, the rest being copper, silver, tin, and zinc. There
are numerous amalgam mixes on the market. They have names like Dispersalloy®,
Spheraloy®, and Tytin®. The mercury content ranges from 43 to 54%.1 Although
these fillings are commonly called silver fillings because they look silver for
the first few days of the eight to twelve years they survive in the average
human head, mercury fillings would be a more accurate label. (And speaking of
accurate labels, the origins of the word mercury are both interesting and
provocative. Mercury was the God of Commerce in the Roman Empire and meant
fabrication, trickery, thieving and slight-of-hand.) In this article the more
formal term "amalgam" is used. The name "amalgam" reflects the ability of
mercury to bind or amalgamate powdered silver and other metals into a hard
filling.
Evidence that these fillings give systemic pathology as well as periodontal
disease exists. In one study it was observed that when 50 subjects without
amalgams were compared to 51 subjects with amalgams, there was a greater
incidence of problems in the latter group. They experienced greater incidence of
chest pains, tachycardia, anemia, fatigue and tendency to tire easily. They also
had significantly higher blood pressure, lower heart rate and lower hemoglobin.2
A study in Canada has shown that pregnant sheep with new silver amalgams have elevated levels of mercury in their fetuses within two weeks of placement of the fillings. Further studies on monkeys showed the same findings. These studies were done by Viny, Takahasi and Lorsheider at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine.3
In addition to the reports from the United States, Canada and Japan, European
researchers have observed many adverse reports concerning amalgams. On February
18, 1994, mercury fillings were banned in Sweden for children and youth 19 years
of age because evidence showed them to be a trigger of autoimmune disorder.
Although mercury fillings have been widely used in the decades since, research
demonstrating that such fillings are safe has yet to be done. Research that has
been done and reported in scientific literature demonstrates that:
1. Mercury escapes from fillings in the form of vapor created by chewing. It
then enters the bloodstream and is delivered to all parts of the body, including
the brain. (A recent autopsy of an 82 year-old women from St. Paul with
confirmed Alzheimer's disease had studies done by the Mayo Heavy Metals Lab.
Brain tissue examination showed 5.3 UGIG mercury (53 times normal levels). The
pathologies reported "neurofibrillary tangle" in the brain sections that are
common in such patients. She had multiple amalgams.)
2. People with mercury fillings have higher levels of mercury in their urine,
blood and brain than people without fillings.
Another significant European development about mercury amalgams was reported
when Degussa AG, the largest producer of dental amalgams in Germany announced it
would no longer provide such amalgams because of pending and future lawsuits.
This was based on a Federal Court ruling that dentists who use such amalgams
face legal liability.4
Next came a series of studies by Dr. Catherine Kousmine of France, who reported
that illnesses like MS and chronic polyarthritis, both autoimmune diseases, are
triggered by silver amalgams. This is outlined in her book, La Sclerosa and
Plaques Est Guerissable (Multiple Sclerosis is Curable).
One more European study on MS comes from Great Britain. It reports that the
highest incidence of MS is found in Northern Ireland and the Scottish Island of
Orkeny and Shetland. They also have the highest incidence of dental cavities and
dental fillings. This provides more suspicion that mercury is a possible link to
autoimmune dysfunction.
Conclusion
It is our conclusion that mercury toxicity is an autoimmune disorder. This was
summarized recently in an article in Advance magazine.4 Its wide range of
symptoms can only be accounted for multiple adverse effects on the immune
system, nerve tissue and connective tissue in general. The Mercury Toxicity
Questionnaire has now been tested on over 200 patients and will serve as a
warning/alert to clinicians when patients have scores of "yes" in five or more
of the questions. Such patients should then be referred to dentists with special
knowledge of mercury amalgam removal and replacement with nontoxic composites
and dental materials.
References
1. Public Health Service, US Department of Health and Human Services, Dental
Amalgams: A Scientific Review and Recommended Public Health Service Strategy for
Research, Education and Regulation, January 1993, Washington, DC, p. 1.
2. Ziff, M.F. "Docmented clinical side effect to dental amalgams." Adv. Dent.
Res. 1992; 1(6):131-134.
3. Vimy, J.D. Takahasi, Y., Lorscheider, F.L. "Maternal-fetal distribution of
mercury released from dental amalgam fillings." Am. J. Physiol.
1990;258:939-945.
4. Brake, M. "Sweden bans amalgams." The international DAMS newsletter; Spring
1994: 1.
5. Sehnert, K.W. "Autoimmune Disorders, "Advance, January 1995, p. 47-48.
History of the debate about mercury
French dentists were the first to mix mercury with various other metals and plug
the mixture into cavities and teeth. The first mixtures, developed in the early
1800s, had relatively little mercury in them and had to be heated to get the
metals to bind. In 1819, a man named Bell in England developed an amalgam mix
with much more mercury in it that bound the metals at room temperature. Taveau
in France developed a similar mixture in 1826.1
When amalgams were introduced to the US in 1833 by two French entrepreneurs, the
Crawcour brothers, amalgam use was denounced by a substantial number of American
dentists. So strong was the opposition to amalgams that the American Society of
Dental Surgeons, formed in 1840, required its members to sign pledges promising
not to use them.6 It is an intriguing historical note that the common term for
mercury in Germany in those years was "quick silver." The German pronunciation
for "quick" is "quack." Thus, those dentists who used mercury were called
"quacks." This term has now come to mean anyone who is an "ignorant pretender to
medical skill" (The Random House Dictionary of The English Language). In 1848,
the Society found 11 of its New York members guilty of "malpractice for using
amalgam" and suspended them. Internal debate over this issue led to the demise
of the Society in 1856. Its successor organization, the American Dental
Association, sought to unite dentists and, in its early days, did not take a
stand on the issue of amalgam safety. The Encyclopedia Britannica reports that
"amalgams were not altogether in good repute until after 1895," which suggests
that the ADA was supporting the use of amalgams by then. Despite the efforts of
a few researchers in this country and Europe to call attention to the dangers of
mercury named Dr. Alfred Stock who published numerous articles prior to World
War II,7 and Hal Huggins, a Colorado dentist who has spoken out against amalgams
for the last 20 years,8 debate about the safety of mercury fillings remained
muffled until recently.
The amalgam safety debate was revived in this country first by a 1989
Environmental Protection Agency declaration that amalgams are a hazardous
substance under the Superfund law,9 and then a December 1990 broadcast of a
program by "60 Minutes" that presented a devastating critique of amalgams. The
program created a stir throughout the country.
"Switchboards lit up at the state dental societies, dental schools, and the
American Dental Association,' said Consumer Reports.7 The American Dental
Association got calls from two dozen reporters. The publicity was the apparent
cause of the following activity in 1991: and FDA hearing; a conference sponsored
by the National Institute of Dental Research; and a call for a review of the
research by the US Public Health Service.
The dental establishment was furious with CBS. The ADA attacked CBS in the
January 7, 1991 edition of its newspaper for "the irresponsible ways in which
viewers were led to the conclusion that amalgam filings are unsafe." To the
contrary, said the ADA, "scientific evidence…suggests mercury amalgam is safe to
use." The ADA newspaper published statements by Dr. Harold Loe, director of
National Institute of Dental Research, criticizing CBS for having "an obvious
bias" against amalgams. Dentists all over the country received information
packets from the ADA, including copies of the ADA newspaper and a 1986 article
from Consumer Reports. The ADA also promoted its message in a two-minute video
news release sent to 700 TV stations on December 17, 1990, on its weekly radio
show on December 18, 1990, and in its journal, the Journal of the American
Dental Association.
The 1986 article by Consumer Reports pooh-poohed those who criticize the use of
mercury in fillings. The article concluded: "Dentists who purport to treat
health problems by ripping out fillings are putting their own economic welfare
ahead of their patients' welfare…Except for a few people with a genuine allergy
to mercury we know of no one who's been harmed by them."7 Consumer Reports
published a similar article in May of 1991 which the ADA and the MN Dental
Association have also distributed widely. This article criticized research
showing that silver-mercury fillings are unsafe and concluded that "amalgam
fillings are still your best bet."8
"60 Minutes" and the anti-amalgam movement have other critics besides the ADA
and Consumer Reports - they include the Arthritis Foundation, the Multiple
Sclerosis Society, and the ultra-right Accuracy in Media9 - but no one has more
credibility on this issue than the ADA and Consumer Reports. For that reason, it
is important for anyone trying to understand this issue to understand the
arguments of these two organizations and why their arguments fail.
Sources
1. Mackert, Jr., J. Rodway, "Dental Amalgam and Mercury," Journal of the
American Dental Association 122: 54-61 (1991) p. 54.
2. "Dentistry," Encylopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., Chicago,
1960, Vol. 7, p. 225. The US Public Health Service states: "Questions regarding
its [i.e., amalgam's] safety has been raised virtually from the time of its
first use."
3. Hanson, M. and Pelva, J., "The Dental Amalgam Issue: A Review," Experientia
47:9-22 (1991).
4. Huggins, Hal H., It's All in Your Head: Diseases Caused by Silver-Mercury
Fillings, 4th Ed., Life Sciences Press, 1990.
5. "Amalgam declared hazardous," Dentistry Today, February 1989, p.1.
6. "Mercury in your mouth," Consumer Reports, May 1991, p. 316.
7. "The mercury scare" Consumer Reports, March 1986, 150-152, p. 152.
8. "The mercury in your mouth," Consumer Reports, May 1991, 316-319, p.319.
9. "MS, arthritis groups get amalgam calls," ADA News, January 7, 1991; "CBS
spurs false hopes, false fears," Accuracy in Media press release, January-B,
1991.
Detox Tips 10: ADVANTAGES OF THE FAR INFRARED SAUNA Buy A Infrared Sauna Click Here
Many people with chronic illnesses find the high temperatures inside a regular sauna or steam room intolerable. In these traditional systems, the inside of the body is heated completely from the surface of the skin. Even though you feel very hot in these units, the heating is quite shallow - only a few millimetres below the skin. In the far infrared sauna, invisible light rays emanate from several infrared emitters. This infrared light penetrates deep into the fat and muscles of the body, creating a more powerful detoxifying influence upon the deeper tissues of the body. As well, since the air temperature remains much lower than in a traditional sauna, the individual feels more comfortable. Sweating often begins before the person feels very hot at all and the sweating is more profuse than in a traditional sauna.
Finally, unlike traditional saunas or steam baths, which can often leave a person feeling exhausted, the far infrared sauna is usually quite energizing. Many people actually use these before going to work in the morning, something that one would never do with a traditional sauna. Research conducted largely in Japan suggests that the far infrared sauna has a wider range of therapeutic effects than traditional saunas or steam baths, especially for detoxification.
Mercury toxicity
questionnaire
By Keith W. Sehnert, M.D.
The patients of the Dr. Keith W. Sehnert Clinic in Minneapolis are given the
following questionaire. Patients who score more than five "yeses" are referred
to a dentist familiar with "silver" amalgam removal.
About the Doctor
Keith W. Sehnert, MD, is in private practice in Minneapolis. He has written or
coauthored 14 books and over 200 scientific papers in the field of medical
self-care and nutrition. His most recent book, coauthored with Michael Schmidt
and Lendon Smith is Beyond Antibiotics.
Question Yes No
1. Have you had sore gums (gingivitis) often over the years?
2. Have you had mental symptoms such as confusion, forgetfulness?
3. Has severe depression been a frequent problem?
4. Has ringing in the ears (tinnitus) been present?
5. Have TMJ (temoral mandibular joint) problems been a concern of yours?
6. Have you had unusual shakiness (tremors) of your hands or arms or twitching
of other muscles?
7. Do you have "brown spots" or "age spots" under your eyes or elsewhere in the
skin of your body?
8. Have you tended to have more colds, flu, and other examples of infectious
diseases than "normal"?
9. Have you had food allergies or intolerances?
10. Have you been to many doctors for your health problems and they have usually
said "There is nothing wrong"?
11. Do you have numbness or burning sensations in your mouth or gums?
12. Do you have numbness or unexplained tingling in your arms or legs?
13. Have you developed difficulty in walking (altaxia) over the years?
14. Do you have 10 or more "silver" fillings?
15. Do you often have a "metallic" taste in your mouth?
16. Have you ever worked as a painter or in manufacturing/chemical or
pesticide/fungicide factories or in pulp/paper mills that used mercury?
17. Have you worked as s dentist, hygienist, or dental assistant?
18. Have you ever had Candida-Related Complex (CRC) or yeast infections (vagina,
mouth, or GI tract)?
19. Do you have a lot of bad breath (halitosis) or white tongue (thrush)?
20. Have you frequently had low basal axillary temperature (below 97.4 degrees
F.) over the years?
21. Do you have problems with constipation?
22. Do you have heart irregularities or rapid pulse (tachycardia)?
23. Do you have unexplained arthritis in various joints?
24. Is it common for you to have a lot of mucus in your stools?
25. Do you have unidentified chest pains even after EKG's, X-ray, and heart
studies are normal?
26. Is your sleep poor or do you have frequent insomnia?
27. Have you had frequent kidney infections or do you have significant kidney
problems?
28. Are you extremely fatigued much of the time and never seem to have enough
energy?
29. Do you have irritability or dramatic changes in behavior?
30. Are you on antidepressants now or have you been in the past?
Important Facts About Mercury
l Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth.
l A silver
colored mercury amalgam filling normally contains 52% mercury.
l On average, an amalgam filling weighs 1 gram and contains ½ gram of mercury.
l The typical adult carries ten amalgam fillings containing about 5 grams of
mercury.
l ½ gram of mercury in a ten acre lake would warrant issuance of a fish advisory
for the lake.
l Running shoes with mercury lights in their heels were banned by the Minnesota
Legislature in 1994 because they contained a ½ gram of mercury in them and this
was considered dangerous to public health.
l The use of mercury amalgams has been banned and are on a scheduled phaseout in
Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden.
l A proposition passed in
California in 1994 requires a
warning in dental offices using mercury amalgam stating that "the people of the
state of California have determined that the use of mercury in dental amalgam
causes birth defects and other health problems." The proposition also requires
that permission must be obtained from a patient before placing hazardous
material in the mouth. (The new law is being contested by the ADA and California
Dental Association, and is tied up in Federal Court).
l Legislation is now being proposed in Minnesota for a similar "Informed
Consent" legislation for all dental patients.
Far-Infrared
Cellular Purification
l Detoxifies heavy metals including mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum.
l Detoxifies arsenic, formaldehyde, pesticides, agent orange, industrial
chemicals, and gasoline.
l Detoxifies alcohol, nicotine, heroine, and prescription drugs.
l Purifies the body on a cellular level.
Detox Tips 11: FAR INFRARED VS
CONVENTIONAL SAUNAS
Buy A Infrared
Sauna Click Here
A conventional sauna must rely only on indirect means of heat: first, on
convection (air currents) and then, conduction (direct contact of hot air with
the skin) to produce its heating effect on us. In a far infrared sauna,
less than 20% of the infrared energy heats the air, leaving over 80%
available to be directly converted to heat within our bodies. Thus
an infrared sauna can warm its user to a much greater depth and much more
efficiently than a conventional sauna. This crucial difference explains many of
the unprecedented health benefits reported to be available through a far
infrared sauna that are not attainable through a conventional sauna.
The infrared energy applied in these saunas may induce up to 2 - 3 times the sweat volume of a hot-air sauna. They operate at a significantly cooler air temperature range of 110° to 130°F vs. 180° to 235°F in a conventional sauna. The lower heat range is safer for those concerned about cardiovascular risk factors that might be encountered in old-style hot-air sauna
FAR INFRARED
The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into three segments by wavelength,
measured in microns or micrometers(a micron = 1/1,000,000 of a meter) : 0.076 to
1.5 microns = near or close; 1.5 to 5.6 = middle or intermediate; 5.6 to 1,000 =
far or long wave infrared. The far infrared segment of the electromagnetic
spectrum occurs just below, or "infra" to red light as the next lowest energy
band. This band of light is not visible to human eyes but we can, however, feel
this type of light, which we perceive as heat.When warmed, the earth radiates
infrared rays in the 7 to 14 micron bands with its peak output at 10 microns.
Our palms emit infrared energy at between 8 to 14 microns. The Luxsauna far
infrared sauna heaters emit the majority of their output in the long band from
5.6 to 25 microns. The output is evenly spread around the 9.4 micron pivot point
of peak human output. The energy output from the infrared sauna corresponds so
closely to the body's radiant energy that our bodies absorb close to 93% of the
infrared waves that reach our skin.
Graphic Analysis of Detoxification
Graph 2 – Volatile Hydrocarbon Detoxification
Graph 3 – Formaldehyde Detoxification
Graph 5 – Pesticide Detoxification
Graph 6 – Agent Orange & DDT Detoxification
Buy A Infrared Sauna Click Here
|
Detox Tips 12: MEDICAL INFO Buy A Infrared Sauna Click Here
The far infrared sauna has been very beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FMS/FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS/CFS). A number of doctors now believe that the "toxic load" of these patients are very high and their detoxification pathways are often compromised. When one is able to reduce the toxins and heavy metals in those with fibromyalgia (FMS/FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS/CFS), their symptoms often greatly improve. A number of people are also suffering unknowingly from mercury poisoning or from other heavy metals such as lead and aluminum. The infrared sauna has been invaluable in accelerating the removal of these toxic metals. By raising the core temperature and creating a 'hyperthermia' effect the infrared sauna also improves a number of parameters in the immune system.
ARE YOU CLEAN INSIDE?
If you've come to this site looking for information about colon cleansing,
constipation,
parasites, IBS, bloating as well as other topics listed to the
right, then you’ve come to the right place as DrNatura.com is the #1 Online
Colon Cleansing Resource. What you’re about to find out is absolutely amazing,
and the solutions we offer may be the answer to your prayers, as so many here
will testify.
Elements of the Detoxification Program
For complete details, see L. Ron Hubbard's book, "Clear Body Clear Mind." Click
here to purchase this book online (from Barnes and Noble).
Daily doses of immediate-release niacin:
Niacin stimulates lipid mobilization by triggering the release of free fatty
acids into the bloodstream. It has been demonstrated that, while free fatty acid
levels drop initially after taking immediate-release niacin, they rise markedly
within two hours and continue at high levels for some time. (Sustained-release
niacin is not used, as it has been associated with liver dysfunction.)
Moderate aerobic exercise:
This increases circulation, which ensures quick distribution of the niacin
throughout the body and carries mobilized toxins to the excretory routes.
Running is preferred, but this can be changed if medically indicated.
Intermittent sauna to force sweating:
As shown in several studies on this procedure, sweat is a primary elimination
route for toxins. Sauna temperatures range from 140 to 180 degrees, lower than
the typical health-club sauna. The sauna must be well-ventilated. Subjects take
frequent showers, both to cool down and to remove substances from the skin and
prevent their re-absorption. Liquids are administered and participants are
monitored for signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Ingestion of cold-pressed oils:
These are provided to prevent mobilized toxins from being re-absorbed by the
intestines because the body needs lipids. Polyunsaturated oils have been found
to enhance excretion of extremely persistent chemicals, without depositing fat
in the liver.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation:
The oil taken to prevent re-absorption of mobilized toxins may also reduce
absorption of important nutrients. A resulting deficiency could increase the
toxicity of mobilized chemicals such as PCBs. An increased intake of nutrients
prevents such toxic effects, as well as balancing the intake of niacin.
A summary of research supporting the elements of this program is found in an
Appendix to the Proceedings of the First International Conference on Chemical
Contamination and Human Detoxification. This document can be found in the "About
Detoxification" section of this website.
BOWEL CLEANSE & DETOXIFICATION
Herbal Home Colonic Formulas by: Dr. Richard Schulze
INTESTINAL FORMULA #1
INTESTINAL FORMULA #2
BOWEL CLEANSING & DETOXIFICATION
Index - The Cancer Homepage
NUTRITION
SUPERFOOD
This is the way to start your day, EVERYDAY. The adult dosage is 2 rounded to 4
rounded tablespoons per day. If you need extra nutrition, because of an illness,
you can take an additional 2 tablespoons in a drink in the afternoon.
In the morning, I suggest to take a blender, put in 8 ounces of fresh fruit
juice, 8 ounces of purified or distilled water, ½ to 1 cup of fresh organic
seasonal fruit and two rounded tablespoons SuperFood. I have started my day for
the last 20 years with this morning drink.
If you choose to have another dosage of SuperFood in the afternoon I suggest 8
ounces of carrot juice, 4 ounces of a vegetable combination (beets, greens,
etc.) and 4 ounces of purified or distilled water. You can also do the same
fruit drink as in the morning. SuperFood can be mixed with either fruit or
vegetable juice.
BOWEL CLEANSING & DETOXIFICATION
INTESTINAL FORMULA #1:
Patient Type #1: The sluggish bowel type. This formula is for 97 % of my
patients. The ones who need a help getting their bowel working frequently
enough. Follow the directions for Intestinal Corrective Formula #1 on page 14 of
this handbook.
Patient type #2: The irritated bowel type. This is only a small percentage of my
patients. This is the exception to the rule, those with bowels that work too
often, more than 3 bowel movements a day. This includes those that have colitis,
irritable bowel syndrome, Chrones disease, etc. If your bowels are irritated,
hot or are working too frequently, skip this formula and go to the Intestinal
Corrective Formula #2.
INTESTINAL FORMULA #2:
Patient type #1: The sluggish bowel type. Continue to use Intestinal Corrective
Formula #1 until your bowels are moving 2 to 3 times a day and the consistency
is softer. Wait at least one week before adding the Intestinal Formula #2, but
you can wait a month if necessary. Once you have achieved 2-3 bowel movements a
day, begin the Intestinal Corrective Formula #2. You want to use up the entire 8
ounce jar within one week. That's about 1 heaping teaspoon 5 to 6 times a day.
Follow the mixing directions on the can or the directions in the Intestinal
Detoxification Program sheet. Repeat this the second month by consuming 1 more 8
ounce jar in a week.
Patient type #2: The irritated bowel type. Since you will not be taking the
Intestinal Corrective Formula #1 at any time during this program, unless you get
constipated, you can use the Intestinal Corrective Formula #2 on a daily basis,
to sooth your bowel and solidify your bowel movements. You can use this formula
continuously during the first two months of this program, you can use this
formula forever if you wish. You may find that 1 teaspoon a day does the job,
you may need three. Experiment to see what dosage is best for you.
IMMUNE SYSTEM STIMULATING
ECHINACEA PLUS
Use at least 1 bottle of Echinacea Plus each month for the first two
months.Follow the dosages later in this handbook.
VICTIMS OF A TOXIC COLON
Most people have never considered this simple question: Are you clean inside? We
shower, brush our teeth and wash our hair on a daily basis, but we tend to
ignore cleansing our insides until some form of disease sends us a wake-up call.
Believe it or not, our insides, especially the colon which functions as the
“sewer system” of our body, also requires regular cleaning. Constipation,
parasites, IBS, gas, bloating, stomach pain, chronic fatigue, digestive
problems, etc. can all be signs of a toxic colon. The things that can actually
lurk in an unclean colon are truly staggering. The following is a quote from the
January 11, 1999 issue of USA Today:
Victims of a toxic colon "Most people who eat the standard American 'goo and glue' diet have about 5-10 pounds of matter stored in the colon. It's said that, according to the autopsy, John Wayne had 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter in his body at death. Elvis reportedly had 60 pounds."
Why Is Colon Cleansing So Crucial?
We are all exposed to thousands of toxins and chemicals on a daily basis at
work, in the home, through the air we breathe, our food and water supply, and
through the use of pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, we are eating more sugar
and processed foods than ever before in human history and regularly abuse our
bodies with various stimulants and sedatives.
"Death Begins in the Colon"
These toxins and “dead” foods lead to poor digestion, constipation, toxic colon
build-up, weight gain and low energy. These common symptoms are more than just
an inconvenience – they can lead to long-term health problems and serious
disease.
“Of all the polite topics of conversation, the state of one's intestines is
probably at the bottom of most people's lists. Let's face it: Irritable bowel
syndrome, constipation, gas, diverticulitis and colon cancer are simply not
things we like to discuss. And yet, as the old expression goes, death begins in
the colon. Don't believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that
are plugged up to 80 percent with waste material.”
– Vegetarian Times, March, 1998
“Parasites
May Rule the World”
This waste material is home to, in the words of National Geographic,
"a sinister world of monstrous creatures that feed on living flesh: parasites”.
Discover magazine published a feature article in its August 2000 issue:
“Every living thing has at least one parasite that lives inside or on it, and
many, including humans, have far more. …Scientists…are only just beginning to
discover exactly how powerful these hidden inhabitants can be, but their
research is pointing to a remarkable possibility: Parasites may rule the world.
The notion that tiny creatures we've largely taken for granted are such a
dominant force is immensely disturbing. … We are collections of cells that work
together, kept harmonized by chemical signals. If an organism can control those
signals — an organism like a parasite — then it can control us. And therein lies
the peculiar and precise horror of parasites.”
The combination of environmental toxins, an unhealthy diet and parasites poses a
grave danger to humans. “In fact, parasites have killed more humans than all the
wars in history”, reported National Geographic in its award-winning documentary,
The Body Snatchers.
(For detailed information about
parasites, click here.)
Do You Need Internal Cleansing?
How do you know when it’s time to free your body of parasites, accumulated
toxins and other waste material? Read the list below, and if you identify one or
more conditions as part of your daily life, then you should seriously consider
internal cleansing.
? Chronic constipation
? Frequent gas & bloating
? Excess weight
? Frequent fatigue
? Impaired digestion
? Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
? Recurring headaches
? Bad breath
? Hemorrhoids
? Irritability
? Frequent colds
? Protruding belly
? Parasite infestation
Each year the average American consumes 150 lbs of sugar and 566 cans of soft
drinks (“liquid candy”)(1). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
that is equal to “52 teaspoonfuls of added sugars per person per day.”(2) Can
you imagine yourself sitting at the kitchen table gobbling down 52 teaspoons of
white sugar – every single day? Well, that’s exactly what most of us are doing
without even realizing it!
Why is every other American chronically ill?
Junk food consumption has increased drastically in the last few decades.
Compared to 1981, in 2001 the average American consumed in one year: 45 large
bags of potato chips - up 78%; 120 orders of French fries - up 130%; 190 candy
bars - up 80%; 120 pastries or desserts - up 95%; 150 slices of pizza - up
143%(3)
What long-term effects may we expect from such progressive dietary degeneration?
A new movie called Super Size Me documents precisely what physical and
psychological changes take place when one consumes too much junk food. Last
February, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decided to become a human guinea pig by
eating three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald’s. The film centers around the
impact this had on his health and life. As reported by the New York Post on
January 22, 2004.:
“Scores of cheeseburgers, hundreds of fries and dozens of chocolate shakes
later, the formerly strapping 6-foot-2 New Yorker - who started out at a healthy
185 pounds - had packed on 25 pounds. But his supersized shape was the least of
his problems. Within a few days of beginning his drive-through diet, Spurlock,
33, was vomiting out the window of his car, and doctors who examined him were
shocked at how rapidly Spurlock's entire body deteriorated.
‘It was really crazy - my body basically fell apart over the course of 30 days,’
Spurlock told The Post. His liver became toxic, his cholesterol shot up from a
low 165 to 230, his libido flagged and he suffered headaches and depression.”
(4)
Toxins “stimulate neurons to death”
Junk foods and soft drinks contain dangerous additives, chemicals, and many are
laced with excitotoxins “found in such ingredients as monosodium glutamate
[MSG], aspartame (NutraSweet®), cysteine, hydrolyzed protein, and aspartic
acid”. Excitotoxins are “substances added to foods and beverages that literally
stimulate neurons to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees.”(5)
No one’s put it better than nutritionist, Carol Simontacchi, in her best-selling
book The Crazy Makers: “Food industries wantonly destroy our bodies and our
brains, all in the name of profit.”
Our health has become a victim of someone else’s profit margin
No wonder nearly half of the U.S. population has at least one chronic condition,
and 60 million have more than one according to Johns Hopkins University.
How to maintain health and vitality?
Understanding that our quality of life is determined by our daily choices, we
have the power to improve our health and well-being quickly and dramatically.
Optimum nutrition is a key factor, but our health depends not only on what
nutrients we eat, but how much of those nutrients are absorbed and how well and
regularly the body’s waste products are eliminated.
“Through my 25 years in medical practice and health care…I have come to believe
that the cleansing/detoxification process is the missing link in Western
nutrition and one of the keys to real healing. I have seen hundreds of patients
over the years transform regular or persistent illness into health and greatly
improved vitality.” – Elson M. Haas, M.D. founder and medical director of the
Preventive Medical Center of Marin and author of several popular health books
With the proper use of cleansing and detoxification we can maintain health and
vitality, even as we age.
WHERE TO START?
Any cleansing program should begin in the colon, the last portion of the
digestive system. The colon’s job is to compact the chime, absorb water, and
receive B-vitamins that are produced by healthy intestinal bacteria. One of the
most renowned nutrition experts in the world, Dr. Bernard Jensen, D.C., Ph.D.,
author of many popular health books, states:
“In the 50 years I’ve spent helping people to overcome illness, disability and
disease, it has become crystal clear that poor bowel management lies at the root
of most people’s health problems. In treating over 300,000 patients, it is the
bowel that invariably has to be cared for first before any effective healing can
take place.”(6)
We could actually compare the function of the colon in our bodies to a sewer
system in a large city. Just imagine for a second what would happen if the
sewers in our area became clogged by some debris. Undoubtedly, within a short
time the whole neighborhood would be filled with filth and an unbearable stench.
This is the same process that occurs in our bodies when the elimination system
is not functioning properly. When the colon is clean and healthy, we experience
an overall well-being. When it is congested with stagnant waste, poisons back up
into the system and pollute the inner environment. This is called
autointoxication or self-poisoning.
SIGNS OF SELF-POISONING
In her best-selling book, Internal Cleansing, Dr. Linda Berry, a
chiropractor and clinical nutritionist, summarizes the symptoms of
self-poisoning.
“If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may be experiencing
autointoxication (a process whereby you are poisoned by substances produced by
your own body as a result of inadequate digestion and elimination), and
therefore you might want to consider some type of internal cleansing program:
Allergy or intolerance to certain foods
* Bad breath and foul-smelling gas and stools
* Constipation, diarrhea, sluggish elimination, irregular bowel movements
* congestion, colds, viruses
* Flatulence or gas and frequent intestinal disorders
* Frequent headaches for no apparent reason
* General aches and pains that migrate from one place to another
* Intolerance to fatty foods
* Low energy; loss of vitality for no apparent reason
* Lower back pain
* Lowered resistance to infections
* Needing to sleep a long time
* Pain in your liver or gall bladder
* Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast soreness, vaginal infections
* Skin problems, rashes, boils, pimples, acne
If you have severe symptoms or any serious disorders, seek the attention of a
competent health care provider. The above list is only meant to indicate some of
the symptoms of autointoxication. Anyone who has been on a Standard American
Diet for more than two years would benefit from periodic cleansing, especially
if you live in an urban area.”(7)
Every cell of our body is affected by self-poisoning. When the toxins accumulate
in the nervous system, we feel irritable and depressed. We feel weak if they
back up into the heart, bloated if they reach the stomach and our breath is foul
if they reach the lungs. If the poisons try to escape through our skin, rashes
and blotches develop, or we look pale and our skin appears wrinkly. If the
toxins make it to the glands, we feel fatigued, lethargic, our sex drive may
cease and we appear to look much older than our actual age.
Constipation – common sign of a toxic colon
The most common sign of a toxic colon is chronic constipation. Constipation
is commonly defined as a condition where the fecal matter is so tightly packed
together that bowel movements are infrequent and incomplete, causing much
difficulty and straining, and producing dry, hardened feces. The accumulation of
this old, hardened feces sticks to the walls of the colon, inhibiting its proper
function of absorbing the remaining nutrients. Instead it is forced to absorb
the toxins from the build-up and fight the parasites that make this debris their
breeding ground. The passage through which the feces are forced to travel is
also greatly reduced in diameter so the stools become much narrower, even as
thin as a pencil sometimes. In our society, bowel movements of the chronically
constipated may be looked upon as normal. But going to the bathroom once every
few days, sitting there straining for half an hour and passing black, hard
pebbles that drop to the bottom is not only abnormal, it is also serious trouble
waiting to happen.
Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through
weak spots, like an inner tube that pokes through weak places in a tire. Each
pouch is called a diverticulum while the condition diverticulosis. About 10
percent of Americans over the age of 40 have diverticulosis. The condition
becomes more common as people age. About half of all people over the age of 60
have diverticulosis. When the pouches become infected or inflamed, the condition
is called diverticulitis(8) The main cause of diverticular disease is a
low-fiber diet.
The role of fiber
Our widespread colon problems begin with our unhealthy Western diet that is
deficient in plant fibers. Fiber is indispensable in maintaining a healthy
colon. A person with a healthy colon should in fact have two to three bowel
movements per day. With the help of fiber, elimination should be complete, fast
and easy.
Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in the proper function and maintenance of the
colon. “Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet may reduce symptoms of
diverticulosis and prevent complications such as diverticulitis. Fiber keeps
stool soft and lowers pressure inside the colon so that bowel contents can move
through easily. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20 to 35 grams of
fiber each day.” (9)
For colon cleansing it is best to use a fiber supplement designed specifically
for this purpose. Good-quality supplements contain both soluble and insoluble
fiber and are formulated to loosen the stool, absorb and sweep away fat and
toxins, reduce transit time, and make elimination effortless and complete.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING CLEANSING
When we start using an effective fiber supplement, we can expect some
startling occurrences within a few days. The fiber goes to work immediately by
loosening the hardened feces on the walls of the large intestine and gradually
sweeping it out of the body. If we are not repulsed to look at what’s leaving
our body, we’ll be surprised to see a lot of mucus and all the different colors
of debris. It’s hard to believe that all these things could actually be lurking
inside us. What’s even more shocking is that among the different colors and
shapes people often notice various forms of parasites.
Are you carrying parasites around in your body?
This is unfortunately a lot more frequent than most would like to believe.
According to United Nations data:
“Overall, about 1.5 billion people have roundworms, making it the third most
common human infection in the world. Whipworm infects 1 billion people… More
than 1.3 billion people carry hookworm in their gut, and 265 million people are
infected with schistosomes.”(10)
It is true that most of these infections occur in developing countries, but
the rate of parasitic-related disorders in North America is skyrocketing. An
astounding number of people would test positive for parasites. This is from the
Parasitology Department of the University of Cambridge, England: “Pinworm. An
extremely common nematode infection, particularly in temperate areas such as
Western Europe and North America… It has been estimated that the annual
incidence of infection is over 200 million, this probably being a conservative
figure. Samples of caucasian children in the USA and Canada have shown
incidences of infection of 30% to 80%, with similar levels in Europe.”
Humans can actually play host to more than a hundred different types of
parasites, ranging from microscopic ones to tapeworms that are several feet
long. Contrary to popular belief, parasites are not restricted to our colon
alone, but can be found in any other parts of the body - in the lungs, the
liver, in the muscles and joints, in the esophagus, the brain, the blood, the
skin and even in the eyes!
“Parasites are the missing diagnosis in the genesis of many chronic health
problems, including diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system.
Most individuals would be truly amazed if they knew the extraordinarily high
number of Americans who are unknowingly infected by parasites…” – Dr. Hermann R.
Bueno, Fellow of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene of London
It is extremely easy to come in contact with parasites. Contaminated water,
undercooked meats, improperly washed fruits and vegetables, are just some of the
common sources of infections. Transmission from pets or other infected persons
is also quite common. Overuse of antibiotics further adds to this problem as
this can interfere with normal intestinal flora and lower the body’s resistance.
Fiber supplements help to get rid of parasites, but they are not enough. We need
to use specific herbal formulas to deal with this issue. Some of the most potent
herbs for parasite cleansing include Black Walnut hulls, Wormwood, Pau D’Arco,
Garlic, Yellow Dock, Pumpkin seed, Male Fern root, False Unicorn, Fenugreek,
Grapefruit Seed extract and Prickley Ash bark.
Weight Loss Is Almost Guaranteed with Internal Cleansing
There’s an important added benefit to internal cleansing that most people
experience: weight loss. With a sluggish, toxic digestive system, metabolism
slows down, the energy level drops and we’re simply not strong enough to start
burning off stored fat through exercise or other means. An internal cleansing
program can help restore balance in the body and increase the metabolism,
reactivating the body’s fat-burning mechanism. Plus, after a thorough
detoxification program, you’ll find yourself much more inclined to make
healthier dietary and lifestyle choices. Through a detoxified system, improved
digestion, balanced metabolism and a healthier diet you will have no trouble
maintaining a healthy weight.
Other Benefits
High energy and weight loss are just some of the many benefits you can achieve
through a comprehensive cleansing program.
the following added benefits of an effective detoxification program:
* The Prevention of Illness
* An Improvement in Physical Appearance
* A Boost in Emotional Well-Being
* A Sharpening of Mental Capabilities
* An Enhancement in Digestion
* The Elimination of Unhealthy Food Addictions & Allergies
* The Attainment of Ideal Weight
* A Minimizing of the Effects of Aging
* Spiritual Renewal (11)
“The secret to great health”
In my opinion, we are not going to change the catastrophic situation where every
second person is chronically ill until we place as much emphasis on internal
cleansing as we do on external hygiene, such as brushing our teeth or washing
our hands. If you are middle-aged, you’ve taken about 15,000 showers in your
lifetime, and you’ve brushed your teeth close to 30,000 times. Still, you won’t
stop doing that just because you’ve done it so many times. Here’s an interesting
question: If you have to keep cleansing your skin and teeth daily, then wouldn't
you think it makes equal sense to clean the inside of your body at least
periodically?
Of course detoxification should not be limited to the colon. It is just as
important to detoxify the liver, kidneys, arteries, and in general, every cell
in the body. [You can read an excellent article about this here.] But internal
cleansing must start with the colon, because if this region is kept unclean, it
will contaminate every other part of the system.
The importance of internal cleansing can best be summed up in the words of Dr.
Paul Bragg, one of the “fathers” of natural medicine in the U.S. and the author
of dozens of highly successful health books:
“The secret to great health can be described in three words: Cleanse Your Body!
Engrave these three words permanently in your memory.”
REFERENCES:
(1) Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH: Soft Drink “Pouring Rights”: Marketing Empty
Calories
(2) United States Department of Agriculture: Agriculture Fact Book 2001-2002
(3) Dr. Robert Osgoodby: Food For Thought
(4) New York Post: Arch Enemy, 01/22/2004
(5) Russel L. Blaylock, M.D.: Excitotoxins, The Taste that Kills; Health Press
1997
(6) Bernard Jensen, D.C., Ph.D.: Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management,
ISBN 0960836071
(7) Linda Berry: Internal Cleansing; Prima Publishing 1997
(8) National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse,
part of the National Institutes of Health
(9) National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse,
part of the National Institutes of Health
(10) UNICEF: The State of the World’s Children 1998
(11) Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald: The Detox Solution, Illumination Press, 2001
Detox Tips 13: ELIMINATE HARMFUL TOXINS . . .Take the detoxifying load off your liver and kidneys by the direct elimination of toxins through the skin. Two to three times more sweat is produced in the far infrared sauna than is possible in conventional hot air saunas. Greater detoxification of heavy metals is achieved, including: lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and fat-soluble toxins.
COLON/KIDNEY DETOXIFICATION
What Is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the process of clearing toxins from the body or neutralizing or transforming them, and clearing excess mucus and congestion. Many of these toxins come from our diet, drug use, and environmental exposure, both acute and chronic. Internally, fats, especially oxidized fats and cholesterol, free radicals, and other irritating molecules act as toxins. Poor digestion, colon sluggishness and dysfunction, reduced liver function, and poor elimination through the kidneys, respiratory tract, and skin all add to increased toxicity.
Detoxification involves dietary and lifestyle changes which reduce intake of toxins and improve elimination. Avoidance of chemicals, from food or other sources, refined food, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and many drugs helps minimize the toxin load. Those lifestyle changes are a direct result of choices you make in your life. I was first introduced to methods of breaking through procrastination and making life-altering decisions by the popular motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Tony Robbins has helped me make marked improvements in not only my health but other aspects of my life as well. I highly recommend his life-changing programs.
When detoxifying your colon, it is also important to incorporate probiotics in your diet to replenish your intestinal flora.
Colon cleansing
Bowel movements are the basis of your health. If you don't have at least 1 bowel movement per day, you are already walking your way toward disease. Man's body has not changed very much in the past several thousand years... however man's diet has certainly changed a lot. All the refined sugar, white flour, hormone/antibiotics-filled meats we constantly ingest constitute an assault on our bodies. We are continuously violating our bodies by eating terrible foods. Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
So, all congestion and toxins must be removed, and it must begin with cleansing of the bowel.
One of the most frequent bowel problems that people experience today is constipation.
A constipated system is one in which the transition time of toxic wastes is slow. The longer the "transit time," the longer the toxic waste matter sits in our bowel, which allows them to putrefy, ferment and possibly be reabsorbed. The longer your body is exposed to putrefying food in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing disease. Even with one bowel movement per day, you will still have at least three meals worth of waste matter putrefying in your colon at all times.
Disease usually begins with a toxic bowel. Those having fewer bowel movements are harboring a potentially fertile breeding ground for serious diseases. Infrequent or poor quality bowel movements over an extended period of time may be very hazardous to your health.
A Proper Colon Cleansing Program Removes the Mucoid Plaque From the Colon.
Even a thin layer of mucoid plaque weakens the body. Nature intended mucoid plaque to be sloughed off. But due to stress and diet, most Americans have many hardened layers of mucoid plaque. The healthy colon weighs about 4 pounds. One autopsy revealed a colon choked with 40 pounds of impacted mucoid plaque! A proper colon cleanse and detoxification program prepares your body for optimal health by removing the mucoid plaque.
Begin transitioning to a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables with very few cooked or processed foods to help keep your digestive system free of mucoid plaque. Regular and easy elimination will be the rule, toxins will not build up and foods will be fully digested and utilized. This optimum nutrition allows rejuvenation and peak vitality. Of course it was a process of years or decades to get the body so full of plaque and toxins, so it will be a process, although faster, to detoxify and get your body pure and back to its highest possible state of health.
| "Colon cleanse" or "Bowel Cleanse" or "Intestinal Cleanse" or "Intestinal Therapy" are terms referring to a procedure (or a therapy) which has as its main goal having a clean bowel. A real "bowel cleanse" can take from 3 to 4 weeks up to a year, depending on the person. But don't get discouraged, it's worth it! |
|
Of course, there are many products out there which use names like "colon cleanse" or "bowel cleanse" or "Intestinal Cleanse" or "Cleanser", etc. BUT! A real "bowel cleanse" usually does not result just from using a single product. It is rather a procedure which may include use of many different products, and few days or weeks of FASTING. A good intestinal cleanse will also include a parasite cleanse.
Natural Colon Cleansing
More often than not, natural colon cleansing means following a colon cleansing diet along with taking some colon cleansing products which may include ingredients (herbs) that are known to kill parasites and worms, which contain digestive enzymes, which contain probiotics (beneficial bacteria), which contain herbs that stimulates liver, gallbladder and intestines, also psyllium husk or seeds, Cascara Sagrada, or flax seeds, or slippery elm, among others...
| Herbal colon cleansing using psyllium, internal cleansing herbs and other natural colon cleansing products, is an essential part of a good detoxification program. A good intestinal cleansing program will help you get rid of pounds of foul-smelling food debris which may be empacted inside your colon. |
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The person on a typical Western Diet holds 8 meals of undigested food and waste material in the colon, while the person on the high fiber diet holds only 3. The herbal colon cleansing page and the colon health page explain in detail how you can embark on a good colon cleansing program for yourself.
Every One Can Benefit From A Good Colon Cleansing Program
Whether or not your bowel is clean or dirty, or whether or not you have mucoid plaque inside your bowel, everyone benefits from doing a colon cleanse. It improves your health and your well being.
A good cleansing program should always begin by removing the waste in your colon, the last portion of your food processing chain. If you attempt to clean your liver, blood, or lymph system without first addressing a waste filled bowel, the excreted toxins will only get recycled back into your body.
Decrease Bowel Transit Time With Intestinal Cleansing
The longer your body is exposed to putrefying food in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing poisonous gases that are caused by foods you don't tolerate. These poisonous gases can enter your bloodstream, irritating your organs and joints. Alternating between constipation and diarrhea, or diarrhea alone, are also indications of foul matter in your intestines. And finally, the much more serious problems of cancer and immune system dysfunctions begin with a toxic bowel.
Once we truly understand the "single greatest challenge our body faces is the effective removal of wastes and toxins ", we will never again undermine the importance of frequent, high quality, bowel movements.
As the colon becomes impacted with dry putrefactive waste, its shape and function are affected in numerous ways. It may stretch like a balloon in certain areas, or develop diverticula (pouches on the intestinal wall which may become infected), or fall down upon itself (prolapsed colon). All of these colon malformations greatly impair your large intestine's ability to function, which in turn places severe strain on your digestive organs and glands and affects nutrient assimilation and absorption. The colon is the body's "sewer system", and if not treated properly can accumulate toxic poisons, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. This in turn can cause many diseases.
A standard bowel cleanse contains:
- fasting on water, juices, raw fruits and vegetables
- Probiotics
- Psyllium husk and/or seeds or flax seeds
-
bentonite clay
(green
clay) - salt water enema
Bentonite clay and flaxseeds assist with the colon cleansing process. Bentonite is a type of edible clay that acts as a bulk laxative by absorbing water to form a gel. It binds toxins such as pesticides and helps to carry them out of the colon. Flaxseeds also absorb water and expand in the colon, allowing toxins and mucus to be removed. In addition, flaxseeds have been found to lower cholesterol levels.
As part of your colon cleansing program, take one tablespoon of liquid
bentonite and one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water first thing
in the morning (wait at least 1/2 hour before eating) and before bed. Drink at
least
8 glasses of water per day or constipation may result. Bentonite intake
should be reduced and timed away from medication intake as it may interfere with
absorption. I find one of the best places to buy a high quality colon cleaning
product containing bentonite clay is
here
LEMON JUICE in water also has a slightly laxative effect and stimulates the digestive juices. Squeeze half a lemon into warm water and drink immediately after rising in the morning, before having the bentonite clay and flaxseed drink.
An important component of a colon cleansing program is the use of probiotics to help replenish the population of friendly bacteria which resides in your colon.
Kidney cleansing
Did you know that your chances of developing a kidney stone in your lifetime are 1 in 10? In 1995, more than 3 million people in the U. S. had some type of kidney condition such as an infection, kidney stones or cancer. More than 300,000 people suffer from renal failure each year and undergo dialysis or await a kidney transplant.
Your kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located in the middle of your back, just below your rib cage, on either side of your spine. Your kidneys weigh about 0.5% of your total body weight. Although the kidneys are small organs by weight, they receive a huge amount -- 20 percent -- of the blood pumped by the heart. Every day, your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water.
The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside your kidneys called 'nephrons'. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In the nephron, a glomerulus--which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary--intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system.
The large blood supply to your kidneys enables them to do the following tasks:
- Regulate the composition of your blood
- keep the concentrations of various ions and other important substances constant
- keep the volume of water in your body constant
- remove wastes from your body (urea, ammonia, drugs, toxic substances)
- keep the acid/base concentration of your blood constant
- Help regulate your blood pressure
- Stimulate the making of red blood cells
- Maintain your body's calcium levels
Your kidneys receive the blood from the renal artery, process it, return the
processed blood to the body through the renal vein and remove the wastes and
other unwanted substances in the urine. Urine flows from the kidneys through the
ureters to the bladder. In the bladder, the urine is stored until it is excreted
from the body through the urethra.
| A kidney cleanse is any procedure that involves drinking a huge amount of liquid, and taking care what you are eating. Just a better diet with more water can sometimes be enough! Any form of bowel cleansing will also help kidneys. Juice fasting is also a kidney cleanse, and any other form of fasting that incorporates a lot of liquids, will in the same time clean a kidney. |
|
The easiest way to do a kidney cleansing is to purchase 20 to 100 pounds of watermelon (few huge melons), sit in a bath filed with water, eat all the watermelon throughout a day (as much as you can), while continually emptying your urinary bladder into the water. In this way, people have dissolved big stones, and then passed small kidney stones out of their body. Note that this kidney cleanse is not suitable for diabetics.
90% of this book is available online, here: The Cure for all Diseases
Copyright notice: "The Cure
for all Diseases"
Permission is hereby granted to make copies of any part of this document for
non-commercial purposes provided the original copyright notice with the author's
name is included.
"The Cure for all Diseases": Copyright 1995 by Hulda Regehr Clark, Ph.D., N.D.
All rights reserved.
Liver cleanse - Gallbladder cleanse - Liver flush
Excerpt from the book:
"Cleansing the liver of gallstones dramatically improves digestion, which is the basis of your whole health. You can expect your allergies to disappear, too, more with each cleanse you do! Incredibly, it also eliminates shoulder, upper arm, and upper back pain. You have more energy and increased sense of well being.
It is the job of the liver to make bile, 1 to 1.5 quarts in a day! The liver is full of tubes (biliary tubing) that deliver the bile to one large tube (the common bile duct). The gallbladder is attached to the common bile duct and acts as a storage reservoir. Eating fat or protein triggers the gallbladder to squeeze itself empty after about twenty minutes, and the stored bile finishes its trip down the common bile duct to the intestine.
For many persons, including children, the biliary tubing is choked with gallstones. Some develop allergies or hives but some have no symptoms. When the gallbladder is scanned or X-rayed nothing is seen. Typically, they are not in the gallbladder. Not only that, most are too small and not calcified, a prerequisite for visibility on an X-ray. There are over half a dozen varieties of gallstones, most of which have cholesterol crystals in them. They can be black, red, white, green or tan colored. The green ones get their color from being coated with bile. Notice in the picture (pg. 545) how many have imbedded unidentified objects. Are they fluke remains? Notice how man are shaped like corks with longitudinal grooves below the tops. We can visualize the blocked bile ducts from such shapes. Other stones are composites- made of many smaller ones- showing that they regrouped in the bile ducts some time after the last cleanse.
At the very center of each stone is found a clump of bacteria, according to scientists, suggesting a dead bit of parasite might have started the stone forming.
As the stones grow and become more numerous the back pressure on the liver causes it to make less bile. Imagine the situation if your garden hose had marbles in it. Much less water would flow, which in turn would decrease the ability of the hose to squirt out the marbles. With gallstones, much less cholesterol leaves the body, and cholesterol levels rise.
Gallstones, being porous, can pick up all the bacteria, cysts, viruses and parasites that are passing through the liver. In this way "nests" of infection are formed, forever supplying the body with fresh bacteria. No stomach infection such as ulcers or intestinal bloating can be cured permanently without removing these gallstones from the liver.
Preparation
- You can't clean a liver with living parasites in it. You won't get out many stones, and will feel quite sick. Zap daily the week before, or get through the first three weeks of the parasite killing program before attempting a liver cleanse. If you are on a parasite maintenance program, do a high dose program the week before.
- Completing the kidney cleanse before cleansing the liver is also recommended. You want your kidneys, bladder and urinary tract in top working condition so they can efficiently remove any undesirable substances incidentally absorbed from the intestine as the bile is being excreted.
- Do any dental work first, if possible. Your mouth should be metal free and bacteria free (cavitations are cleaned). A toxic mouth can put a heavy load on the liver, burdening it immediately after cleansing. Eliminate that problem first for best results.
Liver cleanse and gallbladder cleanse flush NO surgery
Ingredients
1/2 CupOlive Oil Extra Virgin (= 1.25 dl)
1 Big grapefruit (2 small) (Or 3 lemons)
4 tablespoon EPSOM salts = ( MgSO4 + 7H2O)
(EPSOM salts = Magnesium Sulphate = EPSOMITE = Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate)
3 cups water (=750 dl)
(P.S .!! 1 cup = 250 ml = 2.5 dl = 0.25 l )
You can substitute 3 cups water
(=750 dl) (that is used in this recipe to dissolve Epsom salt) with 3 cups
freshly pressed grapefruit juice, or freshly pressed apple juice . That way you
will not feel unpleasant taste of Magnesium Sulphate
( = Magnesium Sulfate = Epsom salt = MgSO4 +
7H2O) ]
[If using lemon juice, do not blend
juice with oil.
Drink little oil, little juice, from 2 differnt cups.
If you mix oil and juice, it may (it doesn't happens always) sligtly congell,
and get a slimy consitence that is not easy to swallow.
It may become slimy.
It never happens with grapefruit juice!]
Choose a day like Saturday for the cleanse, since you will be able to rest the next day.
Take no medicines, vitamins or pills that you can do without; they could prevent success. Stop the parasite program and kidney herbs too, the day before.
Eat a no-fat breakfast and lunch such as cooked cereal with fruit, fruit juice, bread and preserves or honey (no butter or milk), baked potato or other vegetables with salt only. This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressure pushes out more stones.
2:00 PM. Do not eat or drink after 2 o'clock. If you break this rule you could feel quite ill later. Get your Epsom salts ready. Mix 4 tbs. in 3 cups water and pour this into a jar. This makes four servings, 3/4 (three fourths) cup each. Set the jar in the refrigerator to get ice cold (this is for convenience and taste only).
[ You can substitute 3 cups water with 3 cups freshly pressed grapefruit juice, or freshly pressed apple juice, it tastes better .]
6:00 PM. Drink one serving 3/4 (three fourths cup) of the ice cold Epsom salts. If you did not prepare this ahead of time, mix 1 tbs. in 3/4 (three fourth) cup water now. You may add 1/8 (one eight) tsp. vitamin C powder to improve the taste. You may also drink a few mouthfuls of water afterwards or rinse your mouth. Get the olive oil (ozonated, if possible) and grapefruit out to warm up.
Alternative Schedule 1: Omit the first Epsom Slats dose at 6 p.m. Take only one dose, waiting till 8 p.m. Change nothing else. Many people still get stones with one less dose. If you do not, do the full course next time. "The Cure For HIV and AIDS" By Hulda Clark pg.585
8:00 PM. Repeat by drinking another 3/4 (three fourths) cup of Epsom salts.You haven't eaten since two o'clock, but you won't feel hungry. Get your bedtime chores done. The timing is critical for success.
9:45 PM. Pour 1/2 (half) cup (measured) olive oil into the pint jar. Add 2 drops HCl to sterilize. Wash grapefruit twice in hot water and dry; squeeze by hand into the measuring cup. Remove pulp with fork. You should have at least 1/2 (half) cup, more (up to 3/4 (three fourths) cup) is best. You may use part lemonade. Add this to the olive oil. Also add Black Walnut Tincture. Close the jar tightly with the lid and shake hard until watery (only fresh grapefruit juice does this).
Now visit the bathroom one or more time, even if it makes you late for your ten o'clock drink. Don't be more than 15 minutes late. You will get fewer stones.
10:00 PM. Drink the potion you have mixed. Take 4 ornithine capsules with the first sips to make sure you will sleep through the night. Take 8 if you already suffer from insomnia. Drinking through a large plastic straw helps it go down easier. You may use oil and vinegar salad dressing, or straight honey to chase it down between sips. Have these ready in a tablespoon on the kitchen counter. Take it all to your bedside if you want, but drink it standing up. Get it down within 5 minutes (fifteen minutes for very elderly or weak persons).
Lie down immediately. You might fail to get stones out if you don't. The sooner you lie down the more stones you will get out. Be ready for bed ahead of time. Don't clean up the kitchen. As soon as the drink is down walk to your bed and lie down flat on your back with your head up high on the pillow. Try to think about what is happening in the liver. Try to keep perfectly still for at least 20 minutes. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles. There is no pain because the bile duct valves are open (thank you Epsom salts!). Go to sleep, you may fail to get stones out if you don't.
Next morning. Upon awakening take your third dose of Epsom salts. If you have indigestion or nausea wait until it is gone before drinking the Epsom salts. You may go back to bed. Don't take this potion before 6:00 am.
2 Hours Later. Take your fourth (the last) dose of Epsom salts. You may go back to bed again.
"The Cure For HIV and AIDS" By Hulda Clark pg.585
Alternative Schedule 2: After taking the first dose of Epsom salts in the
morning, wait two hours and take a second dose of the oil mixture (but only 1/2
cup)and go back to bed. After two more hours take another dose of Epsom salts.
This schedule can increase the number of stones you remove."
After 2 More Hours you may eat. Start with fruit juice. Half an hour later eat fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light. By supper you should feel recovered.
How well did you do?
Expect diarrhea in the morning.
Use a flashlight to look for gallstones in the toilet with the bowel movement.
Use colander to make sure you collect all stones
Look for the green kind since this is proof that they are genuine gallstones, not food residue. Only bile from the liver is pea green. The bowel movement sinks but gallstones float because of the cholesterol inside.
Calcified stones and stones containing protein may sink, but colander will catch all stones.
Count them all roughly, whether tan or green. You will need to total 2,000 stones before the liver is clean enough to rid you of allergies or bursitis or upper back pains permanently. The first cleanse may rid you of them for a few days, but as the stones from the rear travel forward, they give you the same symptoms again. You may repeat cleanses at two week intervals. Never cleanse when you are ill.
[HPS editors note: I started passing chaff through normal bowel movements after my 4th colon cleansing fast, approximately after a total of 4x14= 56 days of total colon cleansing within 9 months. The chaff continued in normal bowel movements for 8 months! Thousands of tiny stones, looked like small popcorn and small bee pollen granules, others looked like moth wings. Sometime I would drop at one bowel movement 50-100 pea size stones that would float in the water. It was truly an experience. Almost daily for 8 months! When I did my first Dr. Clark's liver cleanse I immediately dropped over 200 pea size green and tan stones, and when I examined them I was shocked. They crushed in my fingers and what I found was pure fat, pure cholesterol. Can you imagine hundred of them. Also in my second liver cleanse I had the same experience].
Sometimes, the bile ducts are full of cholesterol crystals that did not form into round stones. They appear as a "chaff" floating on top of the toilet bowl water. It may be tan colored, harboring millions of tiny white crystals. cleansing this chaff is just as important as purging the stones.
How safe is the liver cleanse? It is very safe. My opinion is based on over 500 cases, including many persons in their seventies and eighties. None went to the hospital; none even reported pain. However it can make you feel quite ill for one or two days afterwards, although in every one of these cases the maintenance parasite program had been neglected. This is why the instructions direct you to complete the parasite and kidney rinse program first.
This procedure contradicts many modern medical viewpoints. Gallstones are thought to be formed in the gallbladder, not the liver. They are though to be few, not thousands. They are not linked to pains other than gallbladder attacks. It is easy to understand why this thought: by the time you have acute pain attacks, some stones are in the gallbladder, are big enough and sufficiently calcified to see on X-ray, and have caused inflammation there. When the gallbladder is removed the acute attacks are gone, but the bursitis and other pains and digestive problems remain.
Detox Tips 14: FIVE MINUTE WARMUP . . . The most advanced infrared radiant heaters . . . Requires only a five minute warmup time to obtain full benefits . . . Simply set time and temperature, step inside your infrared sauna and experience deep, soothing, pain-relieving heat.
Radiant heat is a form of energy that heats objects directly, without heating the air inbetween. This is also called "infrared heat" (never to be confused with ultra-violet light). Infrared heaters are used by hospitals to warm premature infants. Safety first.
HEALTHY WISDOM FROM DR. MERCOLA
DOCTORS ARE THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
- THE US, CAUSING 250,000 DEATHS EVERY YEAR
This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the
best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting
the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.
If you want to keep updated on issues like this click here to sign up for my
free newsletter.
This information is a followup of the Institute of Medicine report which hit the
papers in December of last year, but the data was hard to reference as it was
not in peer-reviewed journal. Now it is published in JAMA which is the most
widely circulated medical periodical in the world.
The author is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and
Public Health and she desribes how the US health care system may contribute to
poor health.
ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:
· 12,000 -- unnecessary surgery 8
· 7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals 9
· 20,000 -- other errors in hospitals 10
· 80,000 -- infections in hospitals 10
· 106,000 -- non-error, negative effects of drugs 2
These total to 250,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!
What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient
by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication
of treatment.
Dr. Starfield offers several warnings in interpreting these numbers:
· First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients.
· Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include negative
effects that are associated with disability or discomfort.
· Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM
report.1
If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would
range from 230,000 to 284,000. In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes
the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart
disease and cancer. Even if these figures are overestimated, there is a wide
margin between these numbers of deaths and the next leading cause of death (cerebrovascular
disease).
Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients
experience negative effects in outpatient settings,with:
· 116 million extra physician visits
· 77 million extra prescriptions
· 17 million emergency department visits
· 8 million hospitalizations
· 3 million long-term admissions
· 199,000 additional deaths
· $77 billion in extra costs
The high cost of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems
to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more
expensive care.
However, evidence from a few studies indicates that as many as 20% to 30% of
patients receive inappropriate care.
An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 among them die each year as a result of medical
errors.2
This might be tolerated if it resulted in better health, but does it? Of 13
countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th
(second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators. More specifically,
the ranking of the US on several indicators was:
· 13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages
· 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall 14
· 11th for postneonatal mortality
· 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)
· 11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males
· 10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males
· 10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males
· 7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males
· 3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males
· 10th for age-adjusted mortality
The poor performance of the US was recently confirmed by a World Health
Organization study, which used different data and ranked the United States as
15th among 25 industrialized countries.
There is a perception that the American public "behaves badly" by smoking,
drinking, and perpetrating violence." However the data does not support this
assertion.
· The proportion of females who smoke ranges from 14% in Japan to 41% in
Denmark; in the United States, it is 24% (fifth best). For males, the range is
from 26% in Sweden to 61% in Japan; it is 28% in the United States (third best).
· The US ranks fifth best for alcoholic beverage consumption.
· The US has relatively low consumption of animal fats (fifth lowest in men aged
55-64 years in 20 industrialized countries) and the third lowest mean
cholesterol concentrations among men aged 50 to 70 years among 13 industrialized
countries.
These estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent
Institutes of Medicine report, and if the higher estimates are used, the deaths
due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.
Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the
third leading cause of death in the US, following heart disease and cancer.
Lack of technology is certainly not a contributing factor to the US's low
ranking.
· Among 29 countries, the United States is second only to Japan in the
availability of magnetic resonance imaging units and computed tomography
scanners per million population. 17
· Japan, however, ranks highest on health, whereas the US ranks among the
lowest.
· It is possible that the high use of technology in Japan is limited to
diagnostic technology not matched by high rates of treatment, whereas in the US,
high use of diagnostic technology may be linked to more treatment.
· Supporting this possibility are data showing that the number of employees per
bed (full-time equivalents) in the United States is highest among the countries
ranked, whereas they are very low in Japan, far lower than can be accounted for
by the common practice of having family members rather than hospital staff
provide the amenities of hospital care.
Journal American Medical Association July 26, 2000;284(4):483-5
DR .MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Folks, this is what they call a "Landmark Article". Only several ones like this
are published every year. One of the major reasons it is so huge as that it is
published in JAMA which is the largest and one of the most respected medical
journals in the entire world.
I did find it most curious that the best wire service in the world, Reuter's,
did not pick up this article. I have no idea why they let it slip by.
I would encourage you to bookmark this article and review it several times so
you can use the statistics to counter the arguments of your friends and
relatives who are so enthralled with the traditional medical paradigm. These
statistics prove very clearly that the system is just not working. It is broken
and is in desperate need of repair.
I was previously fond of saying that drugs are the fourth leading cause of death
in this country. However, this article makes it quite clear that the more
powerful number is that doctors are the third leading cause of death in this
country killing nearly a quarter million people a year. The only more common
causes are cancer and heart disease.
This statistic is likely to be seriously underestimated as much of the coding
only describes the cause of organ failure and does not address iatrogenic causes
at all.
Japan seems to have benefited from recognizing that technology is wonderful, but
just because you diagnose something with it, one should not be committed to
undergoing treatment in the traditional paradigm. Their health statistics
reflect this aspect of their philosophy as much of their treatment is not
treatment at all, but loving care rendered in the home.
Care, not treatment, is the answer. Drugs, surgery and hospitals are rarely the
answer to chronic health problems. Facilitating the God-given healing capacity
that all of us have is the key. Improving the diet, exercise, and lifestyle are
basic.
Effective interventions for the underlying emotional and spiritual wounding
behind most chronic illness are also important clues to maximizing health and
reducing disease.
Aspartame... the BAD news!
Article courtesy of: Mark Gold mgold@tiac.net
(researcher for twenty years on such subjects)
Equal, Nutrasweet, Equal Measure, Spoonful, Canderal (E951)
Aspartame was not approved until 1981, in dry foods. For over eight years the
FDA refused to approve it because of the seizures and brain tumors this drug
produced in lab animals. The FDA continued to refuse to approve it until
President Reagan took office (a friend of Searle) and fired the FDA Commissioner
who wouldn't approve it. Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed as commissioner.
Even then there was so much opposition to approval that a Board of Inquiry was
set up. The Board said: "Do not approve aspartame". Dr. Hayes OVERRULED his own
Board of Inquiry.
Shortly after Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the use of aspartame
in carbonated beverages, he left for a position with G.D. Searle's Public
Relations firm.
Long-Term Damage. It appears to cause slow, silent damage in those unfortunate
enough to not have immediate reactions and a reason to avoid it. It may take one
year, five years, 10 years, or 40 years, but it seems to cause some reversible
and some irreversible changes in health over long-term use.
METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON) (10% OF ASPARTAME) Methanol/wood alcohol is a
deadly poison. People may recall that methanol was the poison that has caused
some "skid row" alcoholics to end up blind or dead. Methanol is gradually
released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounter the
enzyme chymotrypsin.
The absorption of methanol into the body is sped up considerably when free
methanol is ingested. Free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated
to above 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when
aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or when it is heated (e.g., as
part of a "food" product such as Jello).
Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde
is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is
considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is
absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid;
both of these metabolites are toxic." The recommend a limit of consumption of
7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains
about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as
much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.
The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA
replication, and causes birth defects. Due to the lack of a couple of key
enzymes, humans are many times more sensitive to the toxic effects of methanol
than animals. Therefore, tests of aspartame or methanol on animals do not
accurately reflect the danger for humans. As pointed out by Dr Woodrow C. Monte,
Director of the Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory at Arizona State
University, "There are no human or mammalian studies to evaluate the possible
mutagenic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic effects of chronic administration of
methyl alcohol."
It has been pointed out that fruit juices and alcoholic beverages contain small
amounts of methanol. It is important to remember, that the methanol in natural
products never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in much
higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in humans. The
troops of Desert Storm were "treated" to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened
beverages which had been heated to over 86 degrees F. in the Saudi Arabian sun.
Many of them returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has been seen
in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free methanol
in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these illnesses. Other
breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP, may also have been a factor.
In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable", the FDA approved
aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to
above 86°degrees F (30°Degrees C).
Much worse, on 27 June 1996, without public notice, the FDA removed all
restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in everything, including all
heated and baked goods.
The truth about aspartame's toxicity is far different than what the NutraSweet
Company would have you readers believe. In February of 1994, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services released the listing of adverse reactions reported
to the FDA (DHHS 1994). Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all adverse
reactions reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS). By
the FDA's own admission fewer then ONE PERCENT of those who have problems with
something they consume ever report it to the FDA. This balloons the almost
10,000 complaints they once had to around a million. However, the FDA has a
record keeping problem (they never did respond to the certified letter from the
WEBMASTER of this site... a major victim!) and they tend to discourage or even
misdirect complaints, at least on aspartame. The fact remains, though, that MOST
victims don't have a clue that aspartame may be the cause of their many
problems! Many reactions to aspartame were very serious including seizures and
death. Those reactions included:
DORway documents now linked to SYMPTOM!
Abdominal Pain
Anxiety attacks
arthritis
asthma
Asthmatic Reactions
Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)
Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
Breathing difficulties
burning eyes or throat
Burning Urination
can't think straight
Chest Pains
chronic cough
Chronic Fatigue
Confusion
Death
Depression
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Excessive Thirst or Hunger
fatigue
feel unreal
flushing of face
Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
Headaches/Migraines dizziness
Hearing Loss
Heart palpitations
Hives (Urticaria)
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Impotency and Sexual Problems
inability to concentrate
Infection Susceptibility
Insomnia
Irritability
Itching
Joint Pains
laryngitis
"like thinking in a fog"
Marked Personality Changes
Memory loss
Menstrual Problems or Changes
Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
Muscle spasms
Nausea or Vomiting
Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
Other Allergic-Like Reactions
Panic Attacks
Phobias
poor memory
Rapid Heart Beat
Rashes
Seizures and Convulsions
Slurring of Speech
Swallowing Pain
Tachycardia
Tremors
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Vision Loss
Weight gain
Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson's Disease
Lupus
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
Diabetes and Diabetic Complications
Epilepsy
Alzheimer's Disease
Birth Defects
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lymphoma
Lyme Disease
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Panic Disorder
Depression and other Psychological Disorders
How it happens:
Methanol, from aspartame, is released in the small intestine when the methyl
group of aspartame encounters the enzyme chymotrypsin (Stegink 1984, page 143).
Free methanol begins to form in liquid aspartame-containing products at
temperatures above 86 degrees F.. also within the human body.
The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde converts to
formic acid, ant sting poison. Toxic formic acid is used as an activator to
strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Imagine what it does to your tissues!
Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, 90% of aspartame, are amino acids normally used
in synthesis of protoplasm when supplied by the foods we eat. But when
unaccompanied by other amino acids we use [there are 20], they are neurotoxic.
That is why a warning for Phenylketonurics is found on EQUAL and other aspartame
products. Phenylketenurics are 2% of the population with extreme sensitivity to
this chemical unless it's present in food. It gets you too, causing brain
disorders and birth defects! Finally, the phenyalanine breaks down into DKP, a
brain tumor agent.
In other words: Aspartame converts to dangerous byproducts that have no natural
countermeasures. A dieter's empty stomach accelerates these conversions and
amplifies the damage. Components of aspartame go straight to the brain, damage
that causes headaches, mental confusion, seizures and faulty balance. Lab rats
and other test animals died of brain tumors.
Despite the claims of Monsanto and bedfellows:
1. Methanol from alcohol and juices does not get converted to formaldehyde to
any significant extent. There is very strong evidence to confirm this fact for
alcoholic beverages and fairly strong evidence for juices.
2. Formaldehyde obtained from methanol is very toxic in *very small* doses as
seen by recent research.
3. Aspartame causes chronic toxicity reactions/damage due to the methanol to
formaldehyde and other break down products despite what is claimed otherwise by
the very short, industry-funded experiments using a test substance that is
chemically different and absorbed differently than what is available to the
general public. "Strangely enough", almost all independent studies show that
aspartame can cause health problems.
4. A common ploy from Monsanto is to claim that aspartame is "safe" yet a few
select people may have "allergic" reactions to it. This is typical Monsanto
nonsense, of course. Their own research shows that it does not cause "allergic"
reactions. It is there way of trying to minimize and hide the huge numbers of
toxicity reactions and damage that people are experiencing from the long-term
use of aspartame.
Summary
Given the following points, it is definitely premature for researchers to
discount the role of methanol in aspartame side effects:
1. The amount of methanol ingested from aspartame is unprecedented in human
history. Methanol from fruit juice ingestion does not even approach the quantity
of methanol ingested from aspartame, especially in persons who ingest one to
three liters (or more) of diet beverages every day. Unlike methanol from
aspartame, methanol from natural products is probably not absorbed or converted
to its toxic metabolites in significant amounts as discussed earlier.
2. Lack of laboratory-detectable changes in plasma formic acid and formaldehyde
levels do not preclude damage being caused by these toxic metabolites.
Laboratory-detectable changes in formate levels are often not found in short
exposures to methanol.
3. Aspartame-containing products often provide little or no nutrients which may
protect against chronic methanol poisoning and are often consumed in between
meals. Persons who ingest aspartame-containing products are often dieting and
more likely to have nutritional deficiencies than persons who take the time to
make fresh juices.
4. Persons with certain health conditions or on certain drugs may be much more
susceptible to chronic methanol poisoning.
5. Chronic diseases and side effects from slow poisons often build silently over
a long period of time. Many chronic diseases which seem to appear suddenly have
actually been building in the body over many years.
6. An increasing body of research is showing that many people are highly
sensitive to low doses of formaldehyde in the environment. Environmental
exposure to formaldehyde and ingestion of methanol (which converts to
formaldehyde) from aspartame likely has a cumulative deleterious effect.
7. Formic acid has been shown to slowly accumulate in various parts of the body.
Formic acid has been shown to inhibit oxygen metabolism.
8. The are a very large and growing number of persons are experiencing chronic
health problems similar to the side effects of chronic methanol poisoning when
ingesting aspartame-containing products for a significant length of time. This
includes many cases of eye damage similar to the type of eye damage seen in
methanol poisoning cases.
Toxicity Effects of Aspartame Use Selection of Health Effects from Short-term
and/or Long-Term Use Note: It often takes at least sixty days without any
aspartame NutraSweet to see a significant improvement. Check all labels very
carefully (including vitamins and pharmaceuticals). Look for the word
"aspartame" on the label and avoid it. (Also, it is a good idea to avoid "acesulfame-k"
or "sunette.") Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food
industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums
of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic
Association.
If you are a user of any products with aspartame, and you have physical, visual,
mental problems... take the 60-day no aspartame test. If, after two months with
no aspartame your symptoms are either gone, or are much less severe, please get
involved to get this neurotoxin off the market. Write a letter to the FDA, with
a copy to Betty Martini (for proof of how the FDA doesn't keep proper records).
Write your congressmen. Return products containing aspartame to the point of
purchase... for a FULL refund. Make a big stink if they WON'T give you a full
refund! Tell all your friends and family... and if they stop using aspartame and
also "wake up well"... get them involved in the same way.
Aspartame is an "approved sweetener" because of a few greedy and dishonest
people who place profits above human life and well-being. With the FDA and our
Congress culpable, only an INFORMED and ACTIVE public will affects its
reclassification from "food additive" to TOXIC DRUG, and removed from the human
food chain.
Detox Tips 15:
Weight Loss
and Cardiovascular Benefits of the Infrared Sauna
As your body increases sweat production to cool itself, your heart works
harder pumping blood at a greater rate to boost circulation, supplying the
conditioning benefits of continuous exercise. Heart rate, cardiac
output and metabolic rate increase, while diastolic blood pressure drops, for
improved overall cardiovascular fitness.
As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), August
7, 1981
"A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 gms. in a sauna,
consuming nearly 300 kcal - the equivalent of running 2 - 3 miles. A
heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600 - 800 kcal with no adverse
effects. While the weight of the water loss can be regained by rehydration with
water, the calories consumed will not be." Since an infrared sauna helps
generate two to three times the sweat produced in a hot-air sauna, the
implications for increased caloric consumption are quite impressive.
In Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology, we find that producing one gram of sweat requires 0.586 kcal.
Burns 600 or more calories in just one 30-minute session!
Calories a 150-pound person normally burns up in 30-minutes of exercise:
SPORT CALORIES
Marathon Running 593
Vigorous Racquet Ball 510
Swimming (crawl stroke) 300
Jogging 300
Tennis (fast game) 265
Cycling (10 mph) 225
Golfing (without a cart) 150
Walking (3.5 mph) 150
Bowling 120
The JAMA citation referred to above goes on to state that,
"Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to
build big leg muscles. Regular use of a sauna may impart a similar stress on the
cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of
cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise."
As a confirmation of the validity of this form of cardiovascular conditioning, extensive research by NASA in the early 1980's led to the conclusion that, infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flights.
A Soft Heat ® infrared sauna can therefore, play a pivotal role in both weight control and cardiovascular conditioning. This would be most valuable for those who don't exercise and those who can't exercise yet want an effective weight control and fitness maintenance program. This also allows for more variety in any ongoing training program.
Some weight loss authorities believe that our bodies use fat to dilute toxins. As an infrared sauna is an unsurpassed expeller of toxins, it is also a great way to get rid of any fat our bodies are using to dilute toxins we are storing.
Achieve Independent Health With Your
Optimized Nutrition Plan: Getting Started
I have broken my nutrition plan down into three phases: Beginner, Intermediate
and Advanced. Success comes in steps, and this program has been designed to
allow you to make your journey to optimal health in a step-by-step manner.
Almost everyone should begin at the "Beginner" level. The exceptions are those
who are already implementing the advice found there, and those with serious
diseases or other conditions that may want to - or have been advised to - take
the more extensive measure of implementing the advice found in several or all of
the stages to promote healing and health.
While making every change within phase is ultimately recommended to help you
reach your optimal health, to determine which areas you may want to put the most
initial focus on, you should assess your "Four Factors" -- insulin, weight,
blood pressure, cholesterol -- as defined below. You should also periodically
update your knowledge of your four factors to determine the progress you are
making.
Each of the steps in these three phases has been placed there based on my
clinical experience: while most people will benefit from taking the plan stage
by stage, if you are just beginning but there are steps in the Intermediate or
Advanced plan that you are eager (or have been advised) to implement now, by all
means do so. Likewise, if you have achieved many, but not all, of the steps in
the Beginner plan and would like to move on to some steps in the Intermediate
plan while continuing to work on the unfinished ones in the Beginner, go for it.
If some changes present more challenge than others, just keep working at them.
Remember, health is the greatest commodity you can ever have, so every step you
succeed at taking throughout these three phases, whether it feels large or
small, is a great leap forward in this most important journey. If you get
discouraged at any point, keep this in mind: It is your one and only body and
mind, and, more than anything else, it is worth it.
One more important point before your proceed, though:
Listen to Your Body!
If any food or supplement that is recommended by me, or anyone else, makes you
nauseous or sick in any way, listen to your body and stop it immediately! Your
body will always provide you with a better indication of what is good for you.
Most people notice a remarkable improvement in the way they feel in anywhere
from a few days to a few weeks. If you are not doing better, this may be your
body's clue that you will need a knowledgeable health care professional that
understands insulin and fat biochemistry who can help fine-tune your individual
program.
THE FIRST STEP TO HEALTH: ASSESS YOUR "FOUR FACTORS"
There are four time-tested, clinically proven gauges of health that you can use
to determine your own level of health. They are:
· Insulin levels
· Weight
· Blood pressure
· Cholesterol levels
These four factors are your signs on the highway to optimal wellness. You can
use these proven health indicators to monitor your success on the beginner's
nutrition plan. Additionally, you can use these indicators to figure out when to
move to the intermediate level of this nutritional plan. You'll feel
comfortable, confident and psychologically ready to move on to the next level,
and your indicators of health will be in their optimal ranges
Factor #1: Your Insulin Level
So what's the deal with insulin levels? Well, you need insulin to live, but
you probably have far too much insulin floating around in your body. Most adults
have about one gallon of blood in their bodies and are quite surprised to learn
that in that gallon, there is only one teaspoon of sugar! You only need one
teaspoon of sugar at all times -- if that. If your blood sugar level were to
rise to one tablespoon of sugar you would quickly go into a hyperglycemic coma
and die.
You body works very hard to prevent this by producing insulin to keep your blood
sugar at the appropriate level. This reaction keeps you from dying when you eat
sugar. Unfortunately, it turns out that high levels of insulin are quite toxic
for your body. Anytime you eat grains and sugars, you are increasing your
insulin levels. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or
are overweight, it is highly likely that you are eating far too many grains.
When I reference diabetes I am referring to the most common type, type 2
diabetes, which typically occurs in adulthood and is associated with increased
weight. Type 1 diabetes is actually a problem with not enough insulin, as the
pancreas loses the ability to manufacture it.
FBS: The Fasting Blood Sugar Test
To find out your insulin levels, you need to get tested by your doctor. The test
you need to ask for is a fasting blood sugar test, which can also be called an
FBS, glucose test or blood sugar levels test. It consists of a small withdrawal
of blood after a fasting period of six hours.
Facts about FBS:
· This test is profoundly useful. It's one of the least expensive tests in
traditional medicine, yet it is one of the most powerful ones. A normal fasting
blood sugar should be around 87 mg/dL.
· Watch out for abnormal levels. When the blood sugar rises above 100 mg/dL I
become very concerned with respect to the possibility of diabetes. This suggests
insulin resistance and inability to control blood sugar levels. Diabetes is not
usually diagnosed until the blood sugar rises above 126 mg/dL. However, it is my
contention that this is far too late in the process. A blood sugar over 100 can
usually predict future diabetes that is even 10 or more years down the road.
· FBS can tell you about your insulin levels. A high fasting blood sugar is a
strong indication that your insulin levels are too high. High blood sugar levels
can attach to the proteins in your body and rapidly accelerate the aging
process.
· Look for levels below 90. I think it is safe to say your fasting blood sugar
should be below 90. Once you achieve this, you can consider advancing to the
intermediate level nutrition plan. Fortunately, a fasting blood sugar is a very
inexpensive test!
Another helpful test would be to actually measure your fasting insulin level.
You can safely ignore the reference ranges from the lab as they are based on "normals"
of a population that has highly-disturbed insulin levels.
I do these tests regularly in my office. Your fasting insulin level should be 5
or below -- the lower the better. A fasting insulin level above 10 suggests
profound insulin disturbances; the higher the number, the worse off you are.
It's unusual to have levels above 20 in someone who is not already diabetic.
When you get tested, if your insulin level is below 5, you can use this as an
indication that it might be safe to progress to the intermediate level nutrition
plan.
Once you normalize your weight and exercise, you can reintroduce grains into
your diet at a lower level to optimize your health.
Factor #2: Your Ideal Weight
This second factor is something we struggle with more and more; millions and
millions of people are overweight in the U.S. and the percentage just keeps
going up. To read about the epidemic of obesity in America and around the world,
please type any relevant keyword into my search engine and click "search."
You'll find lots of information to help you understand this truly troubling
problem.
One effective and simple method to figure out if you have a weight problem is as
follows: With a tape measure, comfortably measure the distance around the
smallest area below the rib cage and above the umbilicus (belly button). Waist
circumference, perhaps surprisingly, is the best simple anthropometric measure
of total body fat, is better than BMI (body mass index), and is also the best
simple indicator of intra-abdominal fat mass. So if you measure your waist, men
would be classified as obese if their waste size was above 40 and women if it
were above 37.
BMI is a good tool, however, to find out what your ideal weight should be. The
National Institutes of Health has a good BMI calculator.
Your ideal weight is important for this nutrition plan. This is not only because
I am committed to helping your body heal and become healthier, but also because
extra body weight and obesity can have major negative psychological effects that
impair your ability to be optimally healthy. If you are not at your ideal weight
-- overweight or underweight -- you should start with the Beginning nutrition
plan and stay there until you have achieved your ideal body weight; then I
advise you move into the Intermediate plan, to further optimize your body to
fight disease and live a longer, more energetic life.
Factor #3: Your Ideal Blood Pressure -- 120/80
Your blood pressure ideally should be about 120/80 without medication. If you
are on medication you will be delighted to know that this nutrition plan tends
to normalize elevated blood pressures in the vast majority of people.
Although elevated insulin levels are one of the most potent contributors to
elevated blood pressure, it's also common for stress, tension or anxiety to
contribute to this problem. After you begin my nutrition plan and follow it for
several months, if you don't see an improvement in your blood pressure you need
to seek out a health care professional who is well-versed in using stress-relief
methods, such as my personal favorite: EFT.
In my clinical experience, over 95 percent of patients with elevated cholesterol
or triglyceride levels respond to a reduced carbohydrate and insulin level
correction approach. This is especially true for triglycerides. In over 20 years
of practicing medicine I have never seen an elevated triglyceride level fail to
drop in response to a low carbohydrate program.
Factor #4: Your Ideal Cholesterol Level
Most people are seriously confused about their cholesterol levels. This is
because too much emphasis is placed on the importance of the total cholesterol.
A far more important predictor of cardiovascular risk is actually the ratio of
good cholesterol (HDL) to total cholesterol.
I use the percentage of HDL and obtain this number by simply dividing the HDL by
the total cholesterol (HDL/Total Cholesterol). Ideally this number should be
above 24%. Levels below 10 are very dangerous and usually indicate an imminent
cardiovascular problem. Ideally this level should be 30 or higher. It rarely
gets above 50, but to the best of my knowledge, the higher the number the
better. Normally this is not true for a lab value, but because this is a ratio,
I believe we can make this assumption.
It is important to note that some clinicians actually obtain this ratio by
dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL (Total Cholesterol/HDL). In this case,
the numbers should be lower. The cut-off point for a poor ratio would be any
number greater than 4 with greater than 10 having serious problems. This number
rarely drops below 2.
It's important to note that there are a small subset of individuals born with a
genetic condition called familiar hypercholsterolemia (about one in 500 people)
in which their cholesterols are typically around 350 or higher. While this
program will help to moderate their cholesterol levels, they usually do not
normalize with a low insulin program such as this. Learn more about
hypercholesterolemia.
If you're using your HDL percentage to figure out when to transition to the
intermediate nutrition plan, you must use caution and consult a trained natural
health care clinician if your cholesterol is above 350.
You can also use the triglyceride to HDL ratio (Triglyceride/HDL) as another
indicator of insulin disturbance. This ratio should be below 2. The higher this
number is the worse your insulin control may be.
There does not appear to be a similar genetic condition for triglycerides so you
could use the Triglyceride/HDL ratio below 2 as one indication that you are
ready to move on to the adaptation phase.
Achieve Independent Health With My Nutrition Plan
Welcome to the condensed version of my nutrition plan. For my entire dietary
program, which also includes over 150 brand-new recipes, read about my new book,
Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTH Cookbook & Program (I have guaranteed the book for
life or your money back because it WILL improve your health and weight!)
My program comes from decades of experience -- decades spent learning from
extensive research, conferring with my professional colleagues, and most of all,
successfully treating many thousands of patients. Whether you are struggling
with weight issues, facing some disease or condition, or you consider yourself
reasonably healthy, I am certain that if you adhere to the recommendations
summarized below and presented in full in my new book linked above, they will
help you achieve the happy and healthy life you so richly deserve.
So what makes this nutrition program different from all the other diets you've
tried? It's based on fact. There are no miracle cures here, just tools to help
you understand your body and achieve optimum health.
Many of the world's leading dietary experts adopted one-size-fits-all dietary
solutions that they believe can be universally applied. While there are indeed
certain universal truths, such as the danger of sugar and toxins, if one adopts
this principle, my experience has taught me that a one-size-fits-all approach
doesn't work.
Fact: One person's food may be someone else's poison.
Many diets will reverse one condition in one person but have no effect, or even
worsen the condition, in another person due to differences in metabolic
biochemistry. Just as we all differ tremendously with respect to our outward
physical appearance, we are also unique on an internal (biochemical and
physiological) level -- we all process foods and utilize nutrients differently.
When you adopt a diet based on your specific "metabolic type," you will resolve
most health disorders and achieve optimum health.
When your health problems are addressed in a symptom-oriented or piecemeal
fashion, you will often experience temporary relief. However, your problems
never really go away. They frequently shift to other parts of your body or recur
in a short period of time. In contrast, when you address your metabolic type --
the unique biochemical needs that are based on your specific genetics -- your
health problems will be treated at the causative foundational level, and you
will have a permanent solution for regaining your health.
For more on metabolic typing including learning your type, and for the full
detail on my entire dietary and health program versus the condensed version
here, I urge you to check out my new book, Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTH Cookbook &
Program now.
Fact: You won't be hungry.
You need not worry about being hungry on this plan. When you address your
specific nutritional requirements you will not have any hunger pains. When you
finally balance your diet needs, your food cravings will disappear, and you will
wake up each day with more than enough energy. If this isn't happening, then
this is your giant clue that you are not giving your body something it needs,
and you will have to modify your program.
Fact: You can do it! With my three-level approach, I've made this program
manageable.
The main difference in these levels is a progressively more rigid adoption of
healthy eating principles. These are most often counter-cultural
recommendations, but they are designed to bring you to optimal levels of
wellness and health. All three levels have the same requirements for
carbohydrates, proteins, and high-quality fats. Normalizing your insulin level
will be a major key to improving your health and is essential for success in all
three levels. One of the major differences will be the type of proteins that are
allowed in each phase. Higher-quality proteins are gradually implemented as one
chooses progressively healthier levels.
Important: When you change levels, you need to apply any restrictions from your
previous level, as they are not repeated in the higher levels.
As you progress through the various levels, each one becomes more difficult, yet
more freeing. Soon you will be enjoying a level of health you never dreamed
possible!
Achieve Independent Health With Your Optimized Nutrition Plan: Getting Started
I have broken my nutrition plan down into three phases: Beginner, Intermediate
and Advanced. Success comes in steps, and this program has been designed to
allow you to make your journey to optimal health in a step-by-step manner.
Almost everyone should begin at the "Beginner" level. The exceptions are those
who are already implementing the advice found there, and those with serious
diseases or other conditions that may want to - or have been advised to - take
the more extensive measure of implementing the advice found in several or all of
the stages to promote healing and health.
While making every change within phase is ultimately recommended to help you
reach your optimal health, to determine which areas you may want to put the most
initial focus on, you should assess your "Four Factors" -- insulin, weight,
blood pressure, cholesterol -- as defined below. You should also periodically
update your knowledge of your four factors to determine the progress you are
making.
Each of the steps in these three phases has been placed there based on my
clinical experience: while most people will benefit from taking the plan stage
by stage, if you are just beginning but there are steps in the Intermediate or
Advanced plan that you are eager (or have been advised) to implement now, by all
means do so. Likewise, if you have achieved many, but not all, of the steps in
the Beginner plan and would like to move on to some steps in the Intermediate
plan while continuing to work on the unfinished ones in the Beginner, go for it.
If some changes present more challenge than others, just keep working at them.
Remember, health is the greatest commodity you can ever have, so every step you
succeed at taking throughout these three phases, whether it feels large or
small, is a great leap forward in this most important journey. If you get
discouraged at any point, keep this in mind: It is your one and only body and
mind, and, more than anything else, it is worth it.
One more important point before your proceed, though:
Listen to Your Body!
If any food or supplement that is recommended by me, or anyone else, makes you
nauseous or sick in any way, listen to your body and stop it immediately! Your
body will always provide you with a better indication of what is good for you.
Most people notice a remarkable improvement in the way they feel in anywhere
from a few days to a few weeks. If you are not doing better, this may be your
body's clue that you will need a knowledgeable health care professional that
understands insulin and fat biochemistry who can help fine-tune your individual
program.
The First Step to Health: Assess Your "Four Factors"
There are four time-tested, clinically proven gauges of health that you can use
to determine your own level of health. They are:
· Insulin levels
So what makes this nutrition program different from all the other diets you've
tried? It's based on fact. There are no miracle cures here, just tools to help
you understand your body and achieve optimum health.
Many of the world's leading dietary experts adopted one-size-fits-all dietary
solutions that they believe can be universally applied. While there are indeed
certain universal truths, such as the danger of sugar and toxins, if one adopts
this principle, my experience has taught me that a one-size-fits-all approach
doesn't work.
Fact: One person's food may be someone else's poison.
Many diets will reverse one condition in one person but have no effect, or even
worsen the condition, in another person due to differences in metabolic
biochemistry. Just as we all differ tremendously with respect to our outward
physical appearance, we are also unique on an internal (biochemical and
physiological) level -- we all process foods and utilize nutrients differently.
When you adopt a diet based on your specific "metabolic type," you will resolve
most health disorders and achieve optimum health.
When your health problems are addressed in a symptom-oriented or piecemeal
fashion, you will often experience temporary relief. However, your problems
never really go away. They frequently shift to other parts of your body or recur
in a short period of time. In contrast, when you address your metabolic type --
the unique biochemical needs that are based on your specific genetics -- your
health problems will be treated at the causative foundational level, and you
will have a permanent solution for regaining your health.
For more on metabolic typing including learning your type, and for the full
detail on my entire dietary and health program versus the condensed version
here, I urge you to check out my new book, Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTH Cookbook &
Program now.
Fact: You won't be hungry.
You need not worry about being hungry on this plan. When you address your
specific nutritional requirements you will not have any hunger pains. When you
finally balance your diet needs, your food cravings will disappear, and you will
wake up each day with more than enough energy. If this isn't happening, then
this is your giant clue that you are not giving your body something it needs,
and you will have to modify your program.
Fact: You can do it! With my three-level approach, I've made this program
manageable.
The main difference in these levels is a progressively more rigid adoption of
healthy eating principles. These are most often counter-cultural
recommendations, but they are designed to bring you to optimal levels of
wellness and health. All three levels have the same requirements for
carbohydrates, proteins, and high-quality fats. Normalizing your insulin level
will be a major key to improving your health and is essential for success in all
three levels. One of the major differences will be the type of proteins that are
allowed in each phase. Higher-quality proteins are gradually implemented as one
chooses progressively healthier levels.
Important: When you change levels, you need to apply any restrictions from your
previous level, as they are not repeated in the higher levels.
As you progress through the various levels, each one becomes more difficult, yet
more freeing. Soon you will be enjoying a level of health you never dreamed
possible!
· Weight
· Blood pressure
· Cholesterol levels
These four factors are your signs on the highway to optimal wellness. You can
use these proven health indicators to monitor your success on the beginner's
nutrition plan. Additionally, you can use these indicators to figure out when to
move to the intermediate level of this nutritional plan. You'll feel
comfortable, confident and psychologically ready to move on to the next level,
and your indicators of health will be in their optimal ranges
Factor #1: Your Insulin Level
So what's the deal with insulin levels? Well, you need insulin to live, but you
probably have far too much insulin floating around in your body. Most adults
have about one gallon of blood in their bodies and are quite surprised to learn
that in that gallon, there is only one teaspoon of sugar! You only need one
teaspoon of sugar at all times -- if that. If your blood sugar level were to
rise to one tablespoon of sugar you would quickly go into a hyperglycemic coma
and die.
You body works very hard to prevent this by producing insulin to keep your blood
sugar at the appropriate level. This reaction keeps you from dying when you eat
sugar. Unfortunately, it turns out that high levels of insulin are quite toxic
for your body. Anytime you eat grains and sugars, you are increasing your
insulin levels. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or
are overweight, it is highly likely that you are eating far too many grains.
When I reference diabetes I am referring to the most common type, type 2
diabetes, which typically occurs in adulthood and is associated with increased
weight. Type 1 diabetes is actually a problem with not enough insulin, as the
pancreas loses the ability to manufacture it.
FBS: The Fasting Blood Sugar Test
To find out your insulin levels, you need to get tested by your doctor. The
test you need to ask for is a fasting blood sugar test, which can also be called
an FBS, glucose test or blood sugar levels test. It consists of a small
withdrawal of blood after a fasting period of six hours.
Facts about FBS:
· This test is profoundly useful. It's one of the least expensive tests in
traditional medicine, yet it is one of the most powerful ones. A normal fasting
blood sugar should be around 87 mg/dL.
· Watch out for abnormal levels. When the blood sugar rises above 100 mg/dL I
become very concerned with respect to the possibility of diabetes. This suggests
insulin resistance and inability to control blood sugar levels. Diabetes is not
usually diagnosed until the blood sugar rises above 126 mg/dL. However, it is my
contention that this is far too late in the process. A blood sugar over 100 can
usually predict future diabetes that is even 10 or more years down the road.
· FBS can tell you about your insulin levels. A high fasting blood sugar is a
strong indication that your insulin levels are too high. High blood sugar levels
can attach to the proteins in your body and rapidly accelerate the aging
process.
· Look for levels below 90. I think it is safe to say your fasting blood sugar
should be below 90. Once you achieve this, you can consider advancing to the
intermediate level nutrition plan. Fortunately, a fasting blood sugar is a very
inexpensive test!
Another helpful test would be to actually measure your fasting insulin level.
You can safely ignore the reference ranges from the lab as they are based on "normals"
of a population that has highly-disturbed insulin levels.
I do these tests regularly in my office. Your fasting insulin level should be 5
or below -- the lower the better. A fasting insulin level above 10 suggests
profound insulin disturbances; the higher the number, the worse off you are.
It's unusual to have levels above 20 in someone who is not already diabetic.
When you get tested, if your insulin level is below 5, you can use this as an
indication that it might be safe to progress to the intermediate level nutrition
plan.
Once you normalize your weight and exercise, you can reintroduce grains into
your diet at a lower level to optimize your health.
Factor #2: Your Ideal Weight
This second factor is something we struggle with more and more; millions and
millions of people are overweight in the U.S. and the percentage just keeps
going up. To read about the epidemic of obesity in America and around the world,
please type any relevant keyword into my search engine and click "search."
You'll find lots of information to help you understand this truly troubling
problem.
One effective and simple method to figure out if you have a weight problem is as
follows: With a tape measure, comfortably measure the distance around the
smallest area below the rib cage and above the umbilicus (belly button). Waist
circumference, perhaps surprisingly, is the best simple anthropometric measure
of total body fat, is better than BMI (body mass index), and is also the best
simple indicator of intra-abdominal fat mass. So if you measure your waist, men
would be classified as obese if their waste size was above 40 and women if it
were above 37.
BMI is a good tool, however, to find out what your ideal weight should be. The
National Institutes of Health has a good BMI calculator.
Your ideal weight is important for this nutrition plan. This is not only because
I am committed to helping your body heal and become healthier, but also because
extra body weight and obesity can have major negative psychological effects that
impair your ability to be optimally healthy. If you are not at your ideal weight
-- overweight or underweight -- you should start with the Beginning nutrition
plan and stay there until you have achieved your ideal body weight; then I
advise you move into the Intermediate plan, to further optimize your body to
fight disease and live a longer, more energetic life.
Factor #3: Your Ideal Blood Pressure -- 120/80
Your blood pressure ideally should be about 120/80 without medication. If you
are on medication you will be delighted to know that this nutrition plan tends
to normalize elevated blood pressures in the vast majority of people.
Although elevated insulin levels are one of the most potent contributors to
elevated blood pressure, it's also common for stress, tension or anxiety to
contribute to this problem. After you begin my nutrition plan and follow it for
several months, if you don't see an improvement in your blood pressure you need
to seek out a health care professional who is well-versed in using stress-relief
methods, such as my personal favorite: EFT.
In my clinical experience, over 95 percent of patients with elevated cholesterol
or triglyceride levels respond to a reduced carbohydrate and insulin level
correction approach. This is especially true for triglycerides. In over 20 years
of practicing medicine I have never seen an elevated triglyceride level fail to
drop in response to a low carbohydrate program.
Factor #4: Your Ideal Cholesterol Level
Most people are seriously confused about their cholesterol levels. This is
because too much emphasis is placed on the importance of the total cholesterol.
A far more important predictor of cardiovascular risk is actually the ratio of
good cholesterol (HDL) to total cholesterol.
I use the percentage of HDL and obtain this number by simply dividing the HDL by
the total cholesterol (HDL/Total Cholesterol). Ideally this number should be
above 24%. Levels below 10 are very dangerous and usually indicate an imminent
cardiovascular problem. Ideally this level should be 30 or higher. It rarely
gets above 50, but to the best of my knowledge, the higher the number the
better. Normally this is not true for a lab value, but because this is a ratio,
I believe we can make this assumption.
It is important to note that some clinicians actually obtain this ratio by
dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL (Total Cholesterol/HDL). In this case,
the numbers should be lower. The cut-off point for a poor ratio would be any
number greater than 4 with greater than 10 having serious problems. This number
rarely drops below 2.
It's important to note that there are a small subset of individuals born with a
genetic condition called familiar hypercholsterolemia (about one in 500 people)
in which their cholesterols are typically around 350 or higher. While this
program will help to moderate their cholesterol levels, they usually do not
normalize with a low insulin program such as this. Learn more about
hypercholesterolemia.
If you're using your HDL percentage to figure out when to transition to the
intermediate nutrition plan, you must use caution and consult a trained natural
health care clinician if your cholesterol is above 350.
You can also use the triglyceride to HDL ratio (Triglyceride/HDL) as another
indicator of insulin disturbance. This ratio should be below 2. The higher this
number is the worse your insulin control may be.
There does not appear to be a similar genetic condition for triglycerides so you
could use the Triglyceride/HDL ratio below 2 as one indication that you are
ready to move on to the adaptation phase.
To learn more about this fascinating ratio, check out this link:
etox Tips 16:
Results
from infrared therapy:
Repeated Sauna Treatment Improves Vascular Endothelial and Cardiac Function in
Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Kihara T, Biro S, Imamura M, et al
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
March 6, 2002 (Volume 39, Number 5)
This group
previously showed that thermal therapy by dry sauna improved clinical variables
and cardiac output in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. In the current
study, the investigators
sought to determine the mechanisms of this improvement and the effects of
thermal therapy on endothelial function.
Twenty patients with CHF class II or III and mean age 62 ± 15 years were
studied. The mean ejection fraction was 38 ± 14%. The patients were placed
supine in a 60-degree C infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 minutes and then removed
and kept at bed rest with a blanket for an additional 30 minutes. Sauna therapy
was performed once a day 5 days a week for 2 weeks.
Symptoms were evaluated with a self-administered questionnaire, and patients
were divided based on their responses of improved or no change. Fasting blood
was obtained to evaluate neurohumeral factors, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP),
brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Endothelial
function was evaluated using a noninvasive ultrasound method to determine
hyperemic response in the right arm and response to sublingual nitroglycerin.
All enrolled patients completed the study. Clinical symptoms improved in 17 of 20 patients and were unchanged in 3. Two-week sauna therapy significantly increased the %FMD (flow-mediated dilation) in the improved group but not in the unchanged group. BNP concentrations were lower after 2 weeks of therapy but ANP and catecholamine levels were unchanged. The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension decreased significantly compared with baseline. There was a significant correlation between the change in %FMD and the improvement in BNP (P < .0005).
Welcome to the
Beginner Nutrition Plan!
I feel it's best for most people to start at the beginner level of this
nutrition program. However, if you're healthy and highly committed to improving
your health, you can go straight to the intermediate or advanced section. I do
recommend reading through each plan, though, as recommendations that are
mentioned in each plan aren't repeated when you go to the next level. The
reasons I recommend most people starting at the basic level are twofold:
· There are several basic requirements in this beginning level plan that will
take time and patience to integrate into your daily life, and these requirements
are essential to move on to my intermediate and advanced nutrition plans.
· You need to allow your body to adjust to lowered insulin levels.
There is, however, a general principle that is useful for everyone, no matter
what level you choose:
Listen to your body!
As I mentioned in the introduction, this is one of the most important principles
in this series of recommendations. If any food or supplement makes you sick in
any way, stop it immediately! You have the tools to tell if something is good
for your body or not -- please use them!
Step 1: At least one third of your food should be uncooked.
There are valuable and sensitive micronutrients that are damaged when you heat
foods. Cooking and processing food can destroy these micronutrients by altering
their shape and chemical composition. Regular vegetable juicing will easily help
you reach this goal of 1/3 raw food in your diet.
Step 2: Eat more vegetables.
Let us first start out by describing what you can and should definitely eat more
of: vegetables. ALL vegetables promote health, unless you are allergic to them
or they cause gas or intestinal problems; consult my "Recommended Vegetables"
list for the healthiest choices.
It would be best to consume your vegetables uncooked, but you may have to
lightly steam them initially.
Vegetables contain phytochemicals, which are powerful natural agents to promote
health. They will also help to alkalinize your system, as most of us are far to
acidic. Most people benefit more from increased vegetables than from extra
vitamins. You will normally need a large amount of vegetables to optimize your
body's pH acid/alkaline balance
Nearly everyone would benefit from eating as many vegetables as possible within
the allowances of their metabolic type design limits, or their unique
biochemical individuality. Please remember that you are unique, and your body
knows best and will tell you, what is an optimal amount for you. An Eskimo
simply can't eat as much vegetables as a Peruvian Indian can. Not only would
they feel poorly but they'd likely develop a ravenous appetite matched only by
their sweet cravings, as well as who knows what degenerative process and
emotional imbalances.
The best way to determine the amount of vegetables your body requires is by
finding out your metabolic type. While we all need vegetables to stay healthy,
the type and amount should be determined by what metabolic type you are. There
is a basic test you can take to find out your metabolic type which is detailed
in my new book, TOTAL HEALTH Cookbook & Program. Carbohydrate metabolic types
need far more vegetables in their diet than protein metabolic types. One of the
easiest ways to fulfill your vegetable intake is through regularly consuming
vegetable juice.
In other words, let your body report back to you how accurate your
appetite/taste buds are at gauging what is right for you.
Step 3 : Keep your vegetables fresh.
If you are unable to obtain organic vegetables, you can rinse non-organic
vegetables in a sink full of water with 4-8 ounces of distilled vinegar for 30
minutes, or use the solution described at the end of this article.
Please be sure and squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag that holds the
vegetables and then seal it. The bag should look like it is vacuum-packed.
I do this by holding the bag against my chest and running my arm over the bottom
of the bag to the top, which bleeds the air out of the bag.
This will double or triple the normal storage life of the vegetables.
Step 4: Limiting sugar is critical.
Eating refined sugar weakens your immune system and promotes yeast overgrowth.
All non-diet pops have 8 teaspoons in each can. Most packaged cereals have sugar
as their major ingredient. Avoid most natural sweeteners (including corn syrup,
fructose, honey, sucrose, maltodextrin, dextrose, molasses, rice milk, almond
milk, white grape juice, fruit juice sweetened, brown rice syrup, maple syrup,
date sugar, cane sugar, corn sugar, beet sugar, succanat and lactose).
When in doubt about the sugar content of a food you can always look at the list
of ingredients and see how many grams of carbohydrates are listed. Unless the
carbohydrates are from aboveground vegetables you should be concerned that they
represent sugars that could alter your insulin levels.
Step 5: Avoid hypoglycemia.
Most of us eat large amounts of grains and sugars that cause us to have large
amounts of insulin circulating in our blood. When you stop eating grains your
body will take several days to lower your insulin levels. In the meantime the
high insulin levels will cause you to have many symptoms such as dizziness,
confusion, headaches, and generally feeling miserable.
If you eat every two hours for the first few days of your transition you will be
able to avoid this temporary side effect. You will need to eat some protein,
such as an egg, piece of chicken, turkey, fish or some seeds along with a
vegetable such as a piece of celery, cucumber or red pepper. This will help to
prevent hypoglycemia and stabilize your blood sugar.
Even after your system has adjusted, it will be wise to eat 4-6 meals a day.
Eating more frequently has been shown to normalize cholesterol levels. It will
also help your adrenal glands better regulate cortisol levels.
Many people ask about Equal or Nutrasweet (Aspartame). These artificial
sweeteners need to be eliminated. There are more adverse reactions to Nutrasweet
reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined. In certain
individuals, it can have devastating consequences. If you are healthy you can
use a few teaspoons of succanat intermittently. One should also avoid artificial
chemicals like MSG.
Make a Menu -- If you fail to do this, you are planning to fail
Most people have great difficulty implementing these suggestions unless they sit
down once a week (at a time when you are well rested, fresh and relaxed) and
plan every meal for the week ahead.
A good rule for working people is to prepare your meals ahead of time. For
example, make your lunch for the next day before you go to bed. Also, to know
what you will be eating for dinner before you leave the house in the morning.
This way you can go to the store or take the appropriate items out of the
freezer. This is strongly advised. Those who don't do this will more easily slip
back into their old, more comfortable, and less healthy eating habits.
Ten Recipes
All you need to do is find at least ten recipes that you like. That is all that
most families use. You might have to try ten recipes to find one that you and
your family enjoy, but that is ok as it is all part of the process. It is
vitally important to have a variety. Do NOT rotate between two or three meals or
you will burn out and stop the program. Variety is the key.
Step 6: Learn to distinguish physical food cravings from emotional food
cravings.
If you are seeking sweets or grains because of an emotional challenge, you will
want to consider using the simple and rapidly effective psychological
acupressure technique, EFT, to rapidly help you control your emotional food
cravings.
Many people don’t understand that emotional well-being is essential to physical
health. In fact, in terms of dieting for weight loss, not addressing emotional
issues -- whether small or serious traumas from the past -- is the primary
reason that most people who lose weight often fail at keeping the weight off.
If you are maintaining negative thoughts and feelings about yourself while
trying to take physical steps to improve your body, you will not succeed. It
will be like repeatedly washing your car in an effort to keep it clean during a
dust storm. Fine-tuning your brain to "positive" mode is absolutely imperative
to achieve optimal physical health.
Many people shun this notion, not because it doesn’t make sense, but because the
medical establishment has conned them into believing that it means they’ll be
shelling out many thousands of dollars over the coming months or years to
traditional psychological care.
Well, some of the traditional psychological approaches may sometimes work, but
there is a better solution. It’s psychological acupressure, an inexpensive,
simpler and proven way to eliminate the negative emotions barring you from a
full and healthy life. And the Emotional Freedom Technique -- or EFT -- is the
most powerful form of this technique available.
EFT Can Help You:
· Relieve most emotional traumas
· Abolish phobias and post-traumatic stress
· Shatter food cravings that sabotage your health
· Eliminate or significantly reduce most physical pain and discomfort
If you feel that your own emotions, or your own self-image, may be your own
worse enemy with this (or any) nutrition plan, I highly recommend you read my
free EFT manual and consider trying EFT on your own. You may also want to
consider my EFT series on DVD or VHS, which provides in-depth discussions and
lessons on EFT, and also provides an in-depth discussion of this nutrition plan.
EFT is an easy technique to learn, and because of its incredibly high success
rate at helping people instill positive emotions, it is also gaining widespread
popularity quickly.
Beginner Plan: Protein
Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and
repair of body tissues such as skin, internal organs and muscle. They are also
the major components of our immune system and hormones. Proteins are made up of
substances called amino acids -- 22 of which are considered vital for health.
The adult body can make 14 of these amino acids, but the other eight, known as
essential amino acids, must be obtained from what we eat. Proteins are found in
all types of food, but only meat, eggs, cheese and other foods from animal
sources contain complete proteins, meaning they provide the eight essential
amino acids.
According to my experience, most people don't eat enough protein. A person's
protein intake varies and depends on your sex, height, weight and exercise
levels. Normal protein intake ranges from 20 to 50 grams at each meal.
Lesson 1: Look at the package.
If you are eating packaged foods, the number of grams of protein per serving is
listed on the package. For whole foods, 3 ounces of most meats will provide
about 20 to 25 grams of protein. A 4-ounce hamburger, which is processed, only
has about 20 grams of protein while typical lunchmeats have about 5 grams per
slice. One egg has about six grams of protein and a cup of milk (not typically
recommended) has 8 grams.
Lesson 2: Eggs are an excellent source of protein.
· Go organic. Omega-3 eggs contain a 1:1 omega 6 to 3 ratio, while commercial
eggs contain a 19:1 omega 6 to
3 ratio.
· Don't be afraid to eat eggs. You can easily eat one dozen eggs per week, as
they will not cause your cholesterol to increase. Scientists have shown that
infants who eat the adult equivalent of 40 eggs per week don't have problems.
· Don't eat eggs daily. If you are cooking your eggs, it's important to avoid
eating them daily because you may develop an allergy to them. You should not eat
eggs more than five days a week if you prepare them conventionally. This will
change as you advance in the program; you can tolerate eggs on a much more
frequent basis if you don't cook them.
· You can use egg substitutes. You can increase your protein intake by using
pasteurized egg whites or egg substitute products in this phase. However, while
they are acceptable in this phase, these products are eliminated in the
intermediate phase.
The best way to prepare eggs is to not cook them at all, but this is an advanced
technique.
Lesson 3: Restrict your intake of dairy products.
Milk, yogurt and cheese are allowed in this phase but are drastically reduced in
the intermediate phase. If you have allergies, consider avoiding all dairy, or
at the very least, milk. When eating yogurt, please pay special attention to the
carbohydrate content as many contain added sweetener, which dramatically
increases the carbohydrate content. Also, low-fat dairy products are densely
packed with carbohydrates and should be avoided.
Lesson 4: You can eat all meats in this phase.
All meats, including lunchmeats, are allowed in this phase. It would be wise to
purchase lunchmeats that are preservative-free. You will move toward
higher-quality protein sources in the intermediate phase of the program;
however, if you want to try two types of meat that come with my highest
recommendation and taste as good as, if not better than, prime beef, consider
ostrich and bison. Because both ostrich and bison taste great and are very
versatile, this is not a difficult switch to make, and yet these are two of the
healthiest meats on earth. Both ostrich and bison are now available in my
"Recommended Products" section, or you can sometimes find them in select health
food and grocery stores
Lesson 5: Become aware of your soy intake.
All soy products are allowed in this phase, though soy is not, despite a lot of
popular belief, really that good for you - amongst other issues, it can weaken
your immune system (input the term "soy" in our search engine to find dozens of
articles on soy's health drawbacks). Soy products will be excluded in subsequent
phases, with the exception of fermented soy products like tempeh, miso and natto.
Lesson 6: Think about your fish and seafood intake.
All fish and seafood products are allowed in this phase but are progressively
eliminated in subsequent phases due to fish and seafood contamination with
mercury and other toxins; sadly, seafood and fish, whether from the ocean, lakes
and streams, or farm-raised, is all showing signs of such contamination, and so
even otherwise healthy fish are now advised against and will be phased out in
subsequent phases
Lesson 7: Nuts and seeds are okay for now, but...
Nuts and seeds are allowed in this phase but are progressively eliminated in
subsequent phases. However, consider lowering your nut intake now if you have:
· Excess weight
· Obesity
· High cholesterol
· High blood pressure
The only exceptions will be flaxseeds and walnuts, which can be consumed in
moderation in future phases as they help you balance your omega-6 and omega-3
fats. (Most Americans consume dangerously low levels of omega-3. Fish oil, which
is purified of any contaminants found in fish meat, is the best source of
omega-3, as it also contains the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA. Flax seeds
and walnuts are amongst the next best choices, though they don't contain DHA and
EPA.)
While seeds and nuts are relatively low in carbohydrate, nuts are dense sources
of calories and should be used in moderation. Even in this first phase, you can
try to phase out other nuts and just consume walnuts and flaxseeds moderately:
· Flaxseeds: Several tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseeds make great sense as
flax has plenty of beneficial water-soluble fibers, similar to Metamucil, to
normalize your bowel movements.
· Walnuts: It is best to limit walnuts as they are dense forms of calories and
could sabotage your weight loss if more than a few per day are consumed.
Lesson 8: Watch your bean and legume intake.
If you do not
have a problem with insulin, these foods are acceptable in this level. If you
have high insulin levels, you will want to avoid beans until you have normal
insulin levels. If you have achieved your ideal weight, you can introduce beans.
Symptoms of high insulin levels include:
· Excess weight
· Obesity
· High cholesterol
· High blood pressure
Remember that beans have carbohydrates and are sources of good, but not
complete, proteins. Add some additional proteins to your meal if beans are your
primary protein source at any meal.
Beginner Plan: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body in the form of glucose, which is a
sugar. There are two types of carbohydrates -- simple and complex. Simple
carbohydrates are sugars, such as the ones found in candy, fruits and baked
goods. Complex carbohydrates are starches found in beans, nuts, vegetables and
whole grains.
In October, the government released a report that told us that two-thirds of us
are either obese or overweight. Folks, we have an epidemic on our hands! This is
the result of eating far too many processed foods and believing the low-fat diet
myth.
If this is new information for you, it will be very important to read one of the
most important articles on the site, Reduce Grains and Sugar to Lose Weight and
Improve Health, which discusses the reasons you need to radically reduce the
amount of grains in your diet.
What most people don't know is that you don't actually need carbohydrates --
they aren't essential for survival. If you ate no carbohydrates, like many
traditional Eskimos do, you would be fine as long as you had enough high-quality
protein, fat, water and minerals. While both grains and vegetables are
carbohydrates, most grains should be avoided and most vegetables are acceptable.
I don't advocate a zero carbohydrate diet, as I believe we all need vegetables
to achieve optimal health.
Your body prefers the carbohydrates in vegetables rather than grains because it
slows the conversion to simple sugars like glucose and decreases your insulin
level. On the other hand grain carbohydrates will increase your insulin levels
and interfere with your ability to burn fat..
Lesson 1: Find out your insulin level.
This step necessitates a trip to your doctor. The test you need to ask for is a
fasting blood sugar test, which can also be called an FBS, glucose test or blood
sugar levels test. It consists of a small withdrawal of blood after a fasting
period of six hours.
A fasting blood glucose level test is very powerful, yet it's one of the least
expensive tests in traditional medicine. A normal fasting blood sugar should be
around 87 mg/dL.
When the blood sugar rises above 100 I become very concerned with respect to
future diabetes. Any fasting blood sugar over 100 suggests insulin resistance
and inability to control blood sugar levels.
Diabetes is not usually diagnosed until the blood sugar rises above 126 mg/dL.
However, it is my contention that this is far too late in the process. A blood
sugar over 100 can usually predict future diabetes that is even 10 or more years
down the road.
For an interesting and quick read to motivate your avoidance of sugar check out
my article "108 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health."
Lesson 2: Scale back, or completely eliminate, all grains, beans and legumes in
this phase; the higher your insulin levels, the more ambitious your
grain-elimination should be.
Grains to eliminate include:
· Wheat
· Spelt
· Barley
· Amaranth
· Millet
· Oats
· Rice
· Rye
· Quinoa
· Teff
· Potatoes (This is actually a vegetable, but it digests more like a grain.)
· Corn (This is considered a vegetable, but it is technically a grain.)
Highly processed food products are not recommended, regardless of insulin level.
These include:
· Breads
· Pasta
· Cereal
· Bagels
· French fries
· Chips
· Pretzels
· Waffles
· Pancakes
· Baked goods
Avoiding grains frequently causes weight loss. If you don't want to lose weight
you can increase grains in your diet, but I strongly recommend that you contact
a knowledgeable health care professional that understands insulin and fat
biochemistry to help fine-tune your individual program.
If you want to eat beans, soak them for 48-72 hours, rinsing every 12 hours
prior to cooking them. You can then cook them for 8-12 hours in a crock-pot.
These steps ensure that the protein will be more easily digested. Additionally,
selecting beans for your blood type may make some sense.
Lesson 3: Eat the best vegetables.
Remember this important principle: vegetables are generally good, but not all
vegetables are created equal. For example, increasing your vegetable intake with
salads is a good start, but I would advise avoiding iceberg lettuce. Why? It has
minimal nutritional value. Red and green leaf lettuce, along with romaine
lettuce and spinach, provide much more nutritious options. Also, finding organic
vegetables is important. However, if you can't obtain organics, any vegetable is
better than no vegetable! Take care with non-organic vegetables by washing them
and removing peels and cores when possible.
My Recommended Vegetables List provides a guide to the most nutritious
vegetables, and those to limit for their high carbohydrate content. Remember:
the greener the vegetable, the more nutritious it will be.
Finally, at least 1/3 of your diet should be raw foods, and vegetables are an
obvious choice to help achieve this. While vegetable juicing is an important
step later in this nutrition plan, I encourage you to try it now, as it is an
easy and enjoyable way to consume all the vegetables your body requires.
Lesson 4: Reduce your intake of sweeteners.
It's best to avoid sweeteners whenever possible, but for the beginning level the
following sweeteners are acceptable:
· Honey
· Rice syrup
· Beet sugar
· Maple syrup
· Molasses
Avoid using high fructose corn syrup.
You may use artificial sweeteners at this level, but please avoid Nutrasweet
(aspartame). There are more adverse reactions to Nutrasweet reported to the FDA
than all other foods and additives combined. In certain individuals, it can have
devastating consequences. If you are healthy you can use a few teaspoons of
succanat intermittently.
It is helpful to avoid artificial chemicals like MSG. You can use sucralose,
acesulfame K and saccharine in moderation. Using a sweetener will likely
increase sugar cravings in the majority of people using them so use them with
extreme caution. Please be sensitive to changes in your body, especially if you
notice an increase in your sugar or grain cravings and consider stopping them if
you notice those changes.
Further Reading:
· Fructose is Not an Acceptable Sugar
· Fructose is No Answer For a Sweetener
· The Potential Dangers of Sucralose
Beginner Plan: Fats
Did you know that your brain is about 60 percent fat? The fats you eat strongly
influence your level of brain function. Some nutritional anthropologists believe
the human brain would not have developed as it did without access to high levels
of DHA (a type of fat) found in fish and wild game. Just two generations of high
omega-6 and low omega-3 fats can lead to profound changes in brain size and
function.
Fat is made of fatty acids attached to a substance called glycerol. Fats play an
important role in the body; they are essential to build cell membranes, clot
blood, absorb vitamins, cushion vital organs and protect us from extreme
temperatures.
Lesson 1: It is the type of fat that matters, not the amount.
Learning about fats can be confusing. When you go to the grocery store, you're
confronted with advertisements telling you that a product is low in fat, or a
product is made with partially hydrogenated oil. To make sense of all the
labels, I've compiled the following list of definitions for you:
· Saturated fats: Saturated fats are found in animal products such as butter,
cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream and fatty meats. They are also found in
some vegetable oils-namely coconut, palm and palm kernel. Saturated fats are not
as dangerous as you think. In fact, coconut oil is quite healthy and is the oil
to use for cooking since it is far less likely to be damaged through heating. If
you'd like to learn more about the role dietary fats play in your health, be
sure to check out these excellent research studies.
· Trans-fatty acids: These fats form when vegetable oil hardens, a process
called hydrogenation, and can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. They can also
lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels. They can also lower HDL levels. These fatty
acids have been linked repeatedly to heart disease.
· Monounsaturated fats: The best oil here is olive oil. Canola oil is also in
this category, but I advise avoiding it and using olive oil instead.
Lesson 2: Learn about the importance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
Omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA, are essential for brain and nerve function. The ratio
of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the U.S. diet is typically about 15:1, but it can
be as high as 25 or 50:1. The ideal ratio is about 1:1, as this is what our
ancestors consumed. To state it simply: for every omega-6 fat they ate, they ate
one omega-3 fat. But most Amercians are consuming 15 omega-6 fats for every one
omega-3 fat.
In cell membranes, omega-3 fats improve your cell's response to insulin,
neurotransmitters and other messengers. They also help the repair process when
your cells are damaged. On the other hand, omega-6 fats contribute to insulin
and membrane resistance, altering your mood, and impairing learning and cell
repair. To avoid high levels of omega-6, it is important to avoid all vegetable
seed oils.
Please understand that it's not only necessary to consciously consume omega-3
fats, but it is just as important to lower your omega-6 fat intake. If you don't
lower your omega-6 fats to acceptable levels, your omega 6:3 ratio will not be
low enough, and you will not receive many of the wonderful benefits of omega-3
fats such as reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's,
arthritis and many other degenerative illnesses.
Lesson 3: Learn about the benefits of fish oil.
I am often asked what addition to the diet, outside of increasing the intake of
water and fresh green vegetables, I most recommend to fight and prevent disease
and live longer. My answer is easy: fish oil.
Americans consume a dangerously insufficient amount of omega-3, a fat essential
to good health but only found in fish oil and a few other foods. Meanwhile, our
intake of omega-6, another fat found in corn, soy, sunflower and other oils, is
far too high. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 1:1, but the
typical American's ratio ranges from 15:1 to 50:1!
I am convinced that this lack of omega-3 in our diets is a primary reason behind
many of the diseases Americans face, and our shorter lifespan in relation to
many other "first world" countries such as Japan or Greece.
Benefits of omega-3 found in fish and cod liver oil:
· Helps fight and prevent heart disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's,
arthritis, diabetes, hyperactivity and many other diseases
· Increases your energy level and ability to concentrate
· Provides greater resistance to common illnesses such as flu and cold
· Helps pregnant women avoid premature births, low birth weight and other
complications
While a helpful form of omega-3 can be found in flaxseed, walnuts and a few
other foods, the most beneficial form of omega-3 -- containing two fatty acids,
DHA and EPA, which are essential to fighting and preventing both physical and
mental disease -- can only be found in fish.
I advise against eating any fish meat from any source, as mercury and other
toxins are becoming too prevalent in all varieties, but I do highly advocate
routinely consuming fish oil/cod liver oil, which has been purified of all
contaminants. On this site, I offer the highest quality and purest fish oil/cod
liver I know of - you can find proper dosage information for fish oil and cod
liver oil, and the difference between the two, on the fish oil page.
Lesson 4: How to Know If You Are Taking Too Much Fish Oil
Basically, though, because cod liver oil is high in vitamin D, and your vitamin
D levels are often too low in cool months but okay in warm months (because the
sun is a primary source of vitamin D) remember this: Take fish oil in the warmer
months and cod liver oil in the fall, winter and early spring months. If you
live near or close to the equator, you will most likely only need to take fish
oil, not cod liver oil, as your vitamin D intake from the sun will be
sufficient.
Most of us can safely take up to one teaspoon of cod liver oil for every 25 to
40 pounds of body weight during the winter, early spring and late fall months.
Omega-3 deficiencies have been tied to the following problems:
· Mental sharpness on awakening
· Depression/well-being
· Weight gain
· Brittle fingernails
· Allergies
· Arthritis
· Quality of sleep
· Memory problems
· Dry hair
· Dry skin
· Concentration
· Fatigue
If you are sick the normal dose of fish oil is one 1,000 mg capsule with 300 mg
of EPA/DHA for every ten pounds of body weight.
One teaspoon of cod liver oil is equal to about 3 and one half capsules and
there are three teaspoons in one tablespoon so one tablespoon would equal about
10 capsules.
This dose can be reduced if you are healthy and if you are in a summer climate
with warmth and sun exposure.
If you start the fish oil and notice that one or more of the above symptoms
improve that is a very good sign.
If after a time on the fish oil your symptoms return for no apparent reason,
that is a good clue that you are taking too much fish oil and should stop for a
short while to help your body eliminate the oil and then resume at a lower dose.
Unlike vitamins and minerals whose intake is usually relatively constant, the
amounts of essential fatty intake is quite variable so following the above will
help fine tune your dose so you can fully benefit from the true miracle health
benefits that fish oils provide.
Beginner Plan: Beverages
Let's start with the most important element of your diet: Water! Water makes up
more than 70 percent of your body's tissues and plays a role in nearly every
body function from regulating temperature and cushioning joints to bringing
oxygen to the cells and removing waste from the body. Therefore, it's vital to
pay attention to what you drink.
Lesson 1: Drink 1 quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight per day.
Drinking enough water is one of the most simple, basic, and important health
steps you can take.
Your body needs 1 quart of water per 50 pounds of body weight to function at an
optimal level. If you normally don't drink enough water, you'll have to build up
your water intake gradually to prevent running to the bathroom every few
minutes.
Your bladder will adjust to this level after a short period of time, and you can
keep increasing your water intake until you reach optimal levels. Try increasing
your intake on this schedule:
· Week 1: Drink 1 quart of water per day.
· Week 2: Drink 1.5 quarts of water per day.
· Week 3: Drink 2 quarts of water per day.
· Week 4: Drink 2.5 quarts of water per day.
· Week 5: Success! 3 quarts of water per day (adjust according to your weight).
If you drink the recommended amount of water, you can easily avoid dehydration,
which can have profound effects on your health. Dehydration can cause:
· Fatigue
· Dry skin
· Headaches
· Constipation
Lesson 2: Drink your water at the right pace.
It's important to sip water all day long. Depending on your size, your body can
only process a bit more than a glass of water per hour. If you drink much more
than this at one sitting, the extra water will not be used, but merely flushed
down the toilet bowl. So keep your water bottle with you all day long. This way
you can confirm precisely how much water you are drinking.
Lesson 3: Drink healthy water.
Healthy water? I bet you thought all water was healthy! Don't be tricked!
Healthy water is only water that has been treated to avoid contamination. Nearly
all municipal water supplies have chlorine and fluoride added. Europeans have
known for many years that fluoride is toxic and have long since removed it from
their water supplies. Be sure and obtain a filter to avoid chlorine and
fluoride. Unhealthy aresenic levels are in about 5 percent of the water supplies
and can cause you health problems.
Additionally, thousands of tons of drugs are flushed down the toilet, and many
wind up in your water supply, as most filtration plants aren't designed to
remove them.
There are several ways to obtain healthy water in your home:
· Buy bottled spring water. This kind of water is acceptable, but it's expensive
and also negatively impacts the environment.
· Avoid distilled water. While this is a controversial area in natural medicine,
I believe there is enough evidence to recommend avoiding distilled water as it
has the wrong ionization, pH, polarization and oxidation potentials. It will
also tend to drain your body of minerals.
· Filter your water. There are two main types of filters that I recommend:
o Carbon filters: These work well to remove impurities but may not remove
fluoride. I highly recommend the PUR Faucet Mount Water Filter. Another
recommendation of mine is the GE Smart Water, which was top rated in Consumer
Reports December 2002.
o Reverse osmosis: This type of system removes most impurities and is suggested
at the intermediate level.
· Store your water safely. Try not to purchase the one-gallon cloudy plastic
(PVC) containers from your grocery store as they transfer far too many chemicals
into your water. The five-gallon containers and the clear bottles (polyethylene)
are a much better plastic and will not give the water an upalatable plastic
taste.
· Find an economical solution: Pur and Brita are two high-quality and leading
brands in water filtration. PUR Faucet Mount Water Filter is a solid and
economical choice, while Brita water filtration pitchers are also a good choice
(Brita filters costs approximately 24 cents per gallon, while bottled water
costs about $1-2 per gallon!)
Lesson 4: You can use lemon juice to add a bit of flavor and normalize your
body's pH level.
You can add lemon juice to your water occasionally to help flavor it and
normalize your body's pH if you're too acidic. However, be careful not to use
the lemon juice continuously or you run the risk of developing an allergy to it.
Lesson 5: Assess your water delivery system.
If you have a water softener, you need to divert the softened water away from
the kitchen tap to a reverse osmosis system. If you have municipal water you
will also want to add a filter to your shower to remove the chlorine, as this
exposure could actually be greater than exposure from drinking your water. If
you are on your own well, this is not necessary.
Lesson 6: Monitor all other fluids.
· Coffee and tea: In this level you can have unlimited coffee and tea unless you
are pregnant. Caffeine has clearly been associated with pregnancy complications
and should be avoided by all pregnant women. If you struggle with insomnia or
anxiety, please avoid all caffeine.
· Alcohol: Beer, wine, and distilled spirits are allowed in moderation. Moderate
alcohol intake is defined as a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce beer or 1 ounce
of hard liquor with a meal. You will have to count these as carbohydrates,
however!
· Juices: Fruit juices are also allowed in the beginning level, but you should
seek to limit them as much as possible as they contain large amounts of sugar.
· Avoid all soft drinks! I don't ever advocate drinking any soft drink for any
reason. There isn't any reason for anyone to drink soft drinks. This is one of
the easiest things to change. An interesting fact: for every can of soda that a
child drinks per day, his or her risk of obesity increases by 60 percent.
Further Reading:
· Drink More Spring or Filtered Water to Improve Every Facet of Your Health
· Two-thirds of Americans Don't Drink Enough Water
Beginner Plan: Supplements
It is my goal to limit supplements. I believe you can obtain most of the
nutrition you need from wholesome food. There are some exceptions, but it is
quite rare where someone really benefits from a shopping bag full of
supplements.
Lesson 1: Chromium may help sugar cravings.
If you have problems with sugar cravings, some people have found chromium to be
useful to control it. However, please be aware that it is far more likely that
your sugar cravings are related to consuming extra carbohydrates or emotional
issues that can be treated with psychological acupressure tools like EFT.
Lesson 2: Avoid iron in your supplements.
Please avoid iron in all your supplements unless your serum ferritin is
decreased. It is rarely needed and can be quite toxic. Even then I would advise
against supplemental iron unless you can't eat red meat. If you must take
supplemental iron please make sure it is carbonyl iron as that is the safest
form currently on the market.
Lesson 3: Carefully evaluate your need for a multi-vitamin.
Multiple vitamins are generally not necessary if you are eating a healthy diet,
but you may want to take a multiple vitamin until you progress to a higher
level.
Lesson 4: Make sure you get enough vitamin D.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It's found in food, but also can be made in
your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. The major function of
vitamin D in your body is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and
phosphorus. During the summer months, you will get enough vitamin D from just
spending some time outside every day.
In the winter months, though, you will most likely not get enough vitamin D if
you don't live in place that is sunny a lot of the time (such as the southwest
U.S.). In that case, I strongly recommend cod liver oil, which is high in
vitamin D and omega-3 (an essential fatty acid most Americans are in dire need
of) -- because cod liver oil can vary greatly in quality, I have researched
multiple brands and offer the highest quality cod liver oil in the "Recommended
Products" section of the site.
Lesson 5: Be careful with Tylenol.
If you take Tylenol regularly, you should be on N-acetyl cysteine to prevent
organ damage.
Lesson 6: Smell your vitamins.
It is important to smell your vitamins. If they smell bad, you should not take
them. It is your body's signal that they are not good for you.
If you do take many supplements, a convenient way to store and transport your
supplements is a small fishing tackle box (available at sports stores).
Lesson 7: If you are on the go, consider "supplementing" with a convenient but
real food source.
While nothing can substitute for the health benefits of real vegetables, I do
understand that sometimes people’s hectic lifestyles simply make consuming the
proper meals impossible, especially if you are into the healthy habit of
vegetable juicing. I would first urge you to reevaluate the prime importance of
your health and try to prioritize your healthy eating accordingly -- when it
comes down to it, health is the basis of life, as it provides energy, longevity,
avoidance of disease, and the ability to focus on other areas, so what is really
more important than eating properly?
Still, for those times when you know you cannot sit down to a proper meal, there
are a few healthy substitutes on the market that, because they are not vitamins
at all but instead actual convenience foods, cannot technically be defined as
"supplements." These foods often come in powder or other convenient formats. I
have used a number of these -- you can find a selection at any health food store
-- but still have found only one that I trust, and can highly recommend to you:
Living Fuel.
Living Fuel, which you can find in my "Recommended Products" section, is a
highly nutritious "superfood" consisting of multiple natural ingredients. It
comes in a convenient powder format, making it an ideal substitute for those
times when you are truly on the go and cannot sit down to a healthy meal. Again,
I do not advocate always using it in place of healthy meals -- there are
properties in raw vegetables and other whole foods that simply cannot be
replicated in any processed food -- but products like Living Fuel Rx are a much
better option than not eating healthy at all. (What’s more, some people also
routinely mix Living Fuel Rx into their favorite recipes, or sprinkle it on top
of salads, to ensure they are achieving maximum health.)
Beginner Plan: Lifestyle Changes
Along with all
the dietary changes you are making, there are some basic changes to your
lifestyle that will help you along the path to optimal wellness.
Lesson 1: Practice techniques, such as EFT, to control anxiety and stress,
eliminate self-doubt and negativity, and instill self-control and peace of mind.
(If you haven’t already focused on this repeated Lesson from the Beginner phase,
it is important to focus on this now.)
There is no greater enemy to your physical health than a negative self-image or
high stress. Many people initially succeed at implementing a diet -- whether it
is to lose weight, heal a disease, or strengthen their body against sickness --
but then fall back to the old habits... and therefore, the "old" body. Why?
Because the emotional barriers were never overcome in the first place.
To truly succeed at this nutrition plan, I highly recommend you work on
overcoming your emotional barriers, whether they’re based on life’s
anxiety-factors or emotional traumas.
There are a host of techniques to instill positive emotions and thoughts and
create a sense of inner-peace, and the best rule is to find the one that works
for you, whether it is considered traditional or "alternative," and keep on
using it. In my clinical practice, I have tried a variety of methods, and have
been exposed to many more (both traditional and alternative) through my medical
background, but none have come close to the success rate I have experienced with
the "Emotional Freedom Technique," or EFT.
I highly recommend you at least give EFT a try. EFT is a form of psychological
acupressure that, while it appears a bit unusual to some at first, can almost
seem miraculous in its ability to erase negative emotions and instill positive
ones.
With EFT, while mentally focusing on the psychological/emotional issues in a
positive manner through the use of affirmations, pressure is applied to the same
energy points used for thousands of years in acupuncture (these energy points
are finally even being recognized as legitimate by the pharmacy- and
surgery-addicted American medical establishment.) These energy points are only
tapped, though, not punctured as in acupuncture, as it has been shown that
pressure on these points is all that is necessary to activate the body’s
bioenergy. This combination of positive mental focus on the issue(s) and
physical stimulus to the body’s biochemistry is amazingly effective at
eliminating the issue -- be it stress, cravings, trauma, etc. -- quickly.
I routinely use EFT in my practice and I highly recommend it for optimal your
emotional health. Although it is still often overlooked, emotional health is
absolutely essential to your physical health and healing - no matter how devoted
you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal
healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.
EFT is very easy to learn, and will help you:
· Remove negative emotions
· Reduce food cravings
· Reduce or eliminate pain
· Implement positive goals
You can learn how to start using EFT on yourself and those close to you right
now with my free online EFT Manual. For the most in-depth approach to using EFT
routinely in your life, consider my EFT series on DVD or VHS; this series also
comes with my complete nutrition plan discussion that includes real-world
demonstrations.
NOTE: This is the only lesson that will be repeated in each phase of my
nutrition program, as it is crucial to long-term success.
Lesson 2: Control your eating habits.
· Vary your foods. It is important to avoid regularly having the same food every
day of the week. However, if the food is uncooked and is good to consume for
your metabolic type, this concept is not as critical.
· Eat every two hours. Most of us eat large amounts of grains and sugars that
cause us to have large amounts of insulin circulating in our blood. When you
stop eating grains your body will take several days to lower your insulin
levels. In the meantime the high insulin levels will cause you to have many
symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, headaches, and generally feeling
miserable. If you eat every two hours for the first few days of your transition
you will be able to avoid this temporary side effect. You will need to eat some
protein, such as an egg, piece of chicken, turkey or fish, or some seeds, along
with a vegetable such as a piece of celery, cucumber or red pepper. This will
help to prevent hypoglycemia and stabilize your blood sugar.
· Eat more often during the day, rather than less often. Even after your system
has adjusted, it will be wise to eat four to six meals a day. Eating more
frequently has been shown to normalize cholesterol levels. It will also help
your adrenal glands better regulate cortisol levels.
Lesson 3: Make sure you always get a good night's sleep.
To get a good night's sleep, it's important to sleep in complete darkness. I
suggest:
· Get between seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
· Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars.
· Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible.
· No TV right before bed.
· Avoid using loud alarm clocks.
· Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70%.
· Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a
majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11PM and 1AM.
For more information on these and other sleep suggestions, see my Guide to a
Good Night's Sleep.
Lesson 4: Start exercising, especially if you need to lose weight.
At a bare minimum, everyone should exercise for 30 minutes per day. If you need
to lose weight, it is important to exercise at least 60 minutes every day. Also
note that, if you are diabetic, you will not be able to control your diabetes
without exercise as part of your regime. If you are just beginning exercise,
work up to 60 minutes slowly; you can combine several shorter exercise periods
to reach your daily 60 minutes. There is a synergy with diet and exercise that
is incredible. You will not be able to control diabetes without exercise.
Swimming is one of the best exercises on the planet, but if you are like most
people your only option is swimming in a chlorinated pool. I strongly advise
avoiding this since you will absorb more chlorine by swimming in a chlorinated
pool than you would by drinking tap water for one week. Swimming in a lake,
ocean or other natural water body is recommended. Peroxide (not bromine) is also
an alternative for chlorine in your pool, and a product called Baquacil is
available at most pool stores.
See Exercise to Improve Your Body and Your Brain for much more on my exercise
recommendations, and to access an exercise table to plan and chart your
progress. I also recommend you explore the following articles:
· Short Periods of Exercise Add Up -- Includes my general recommendations
· Aerobic Exercise Better to Reduce Blood Pressure
· Routine Exercise Snuffs Out Common Colds
· Exercise Good for Depression
· Exercise Lowers Women's Breast Cancer Risk
· Sugar and No Exercise Increase Pancreatic Cancer
· Exercise and Cancer
· Exercise Reduces Ovarian Cancer Risk
· Exercise Decreases Death From All Causes
Lesson 5: If you're smoking, don't quit now.
I know, this sounds unusual. This is generally the first thing most health
professionals ask you to do. What you may not know is that sugar is a far more
dangerous influence to your health than cigarettes.
It is more important to stop eating sugar before you stop smoking. If you try to
do both at once you will most likely fail. I want you to start feeling better
before you even think about stopping smoking. I do recommend that everyone
should stop smoking, but taking on the task of quitting should only be done once
you have an optimal diet in place and you are already feeling good.
Lesson 6: Minimize drugs.
Minimize the unnecessary use of drugs, and seek safe and effective alternatives
when possible. Especially troublesome are antibiotics, anti-ulcer drugs, birth
control pills or estrogen for menopause unless you are having hot flashes. If
you take Tylenol regularly, you should be on N-acetyl cysteine to prevent organ
damage.
Further Reading:
· Eating More Frequently May Lower Your Cholesterol
· Proof For Assertion that Sugar is More Dangerous Than Smoking
· Mercury Exposure as Potent as Smoking to Heart Disease Risk
· Aspirin, Like All Other Drugs, Can Be a Poison
· Antibiotics in Poultry
· 70% of All Antibiotic Use Is In Agriculture
Welcome to the Intermediate Nutrition Plan
Once you have started to reap the benefits of the beginner phase and you have
some time and practical experience under your belt, you will want to consider
advancing to the intermediate level. This level is designed to move you even
further toward optimum health so that you can harvest all of the delights and
pleasures that come along with occupying a healthy body.
As covered in "Nutrition Plan: Getting Started," you need to make sure the
following four factors have reached acceptable levels::
· Weight
· Blood sugar/ insulin level
· Cholesterol level
· Blood pressure
If they haven't, you either need to analyze your success at following the
beginner recommendations, or find a trained health professional to help you
figure out the piece of the puzzle that's missing (there are highly qualified
physicians focused on natural health throughout the U.S. and much of the world
-- often a call to your local health food store will set you in a good
direction. If you live in the Midwest, or are willing to travel, you may want to
consider becoming a new patient here at The Optimal Wellness Center.)
The suggestions in this level are not as "out there" as the advanced level, but
they will take some getting used to. Revisit your personal plan and use the
tools provided there to help you successfully assimilate all of the intermediate
level recommendations.
Congratulations on making it to the intermediate level. My sincere wishes for
your success with this intermediate level of my plan. Remember, radiant health
is within your reach!
tox Tips 17: WEIGHT CONTROL:
Using an infrared sauna increases perspiration. Perspiring is part of
the complex thermoregulatory process of the body that increases the heart rate,
cardiac output, and metabolic rate. The process requires a large
amount of energy and reduces excess moisture, salt and subcutaneous fat. Fat
becomes water-soluble and the body sweats out fats and toxins.
Health is a choice. When your cells are healthy, you are healthy. When cells malfunction, "symptoms" begin to appear. However, looking at our health model, there is only one disease… malfunctioning cells. There are only two causes of disease, nutrient deficiency and cellular toxicity. By addressing these two causes, you can move toward health and away from disease.
Intermediate Plan: Protein
Lesson 1: Up the ante to organic eggs.
Remember eggs? Now that you've reached the intermediate level, it's time to move
up to organic eggs. Organic eggs don't have to be certified, so if you are
fortunate enough to know someone who is growing chickens and controls the food
and conditions, those eggs are typically better than organic store-bought eggs.
However, if you only get one organic food it should be eggs. Non-organic eggs
are acceptable, but less than optimal.
An interesting fact about eggs: You can increase your egg intake up to two dozen
a week, as your cholesterol level won't increase.
The best way to prepare eggs is to not cook them at all.
Eggs are one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol, so the way you cook
them will influence the level of oxidized cholesterol in your blood. Oxidized
cholesterol contributes to hardening of the arteries and increases your risk of
heart disease.
High heat will promote this oxidation. Since there is iron in the egg white,
when it combines with the egg yolk that will also oxidize the cholesterol.
Scrambled eggs or omelets are one of the worst ways to prepare eggs.
The best way to prepare eggs is to not cook the egg yolk at all. In the advanced
technique, you will want your yolks runny and intact until just prior to eating.
Lesson 2: Eliminate all fish from your diet, unless you know they have been
tested and are free of harmful mercury.
Fish, whether farm-raised or caught from the ocean or freshwater sources, should
now be avoided, as almost all fish are contaminated with mercury, PCBs and DDT.
The only exceptions to this rule are 1) sardines and anchovies, as they are
small enough to have minimal contamination; 2) fish that you know have been
tested and shown not to contain harmful levels of mercury and other toxins (I
have been searching the market for safe sources of fish, perhaps those caught
from more pristine water sources that may still exist, and will certainly make
any announcements toward this end in my free newsletter)
Instead of consuming fish, it is now best to obtain the important omega-3 fats
with DHA and EPA fatty acids from fish or cod liver oil. Reputable fish oil/cod
liver oil, like the Carlson brand I offer and highly recommend, is purified of
mercury and all other contaminants and tested and certified by independent
agents for that high purity.
Lesson 3: Get valuable omega-3 fats from your meat.
Another way you can receive the necessary omega-3 fats is eating meat that is
allowed to range free. Most wild game fit this description, but is not readily
available for most us. Grass-fed beef or poultry are reasonable alternatives.
Range-fed poultry is available from most health food stores or local farmers
growing chickens.
You must also be careful when purchasing grass-fed beef at most stores. Many
advertised grass-fed beef is not. Please remember: all cattle are grass fed, but
the key is what they are fed during the months prior to being processed.
Cattle are routinely shipped to giant feedlots and fed corn to fatten them up.
You will need to call the person who actually raised the cow, not the store
manager, to find out the truth about your beef. The least expensive way to
obtain authentic grass-fed beef is to find a farmer you can trust who is growing
the beef, and then buy a half a side of beef from him. This way you save the
shipping and also receive a reduced rate on the meat.
An inexpensive yet effective way to determine if the meat is really from a grass
fed animal is to purchase the ground beef. Slowly cook the beef until done,
drain and then collect all the fat. Grass-fed beef fat will be relatively thin
compared to traditionally prepared ground beef. It will also be a liquid at room
temperature as it has very few saturated fats.
However, most of us live in large urban areas and do not have the time for this
process. Just as it would be ideal to have an organic garden and grow your own
vegetables, most of us elect not to do that due to time or space limitations.
One great way to get grass-fed beef is through our online distributor, Grassfed
Organics.
Lesson 4: Avoid soy.
Soy is the latest craze in health foods, but I recommend avoiding soy unless it
is fermented or sprouted. Most soy is not a health food! Although it has many
beneficial properties, it also has digestive enzyme inhibitors that will impair
your ability to break down protein. It also contains phytic acid, which will
bind minerals. Fermented soy (tempeh, natto and miso) and soybean sprouts don't
have these problems. You should avoid tofu, soy protein products, soymilk and
especially soy baby formula, which should never be used for infants.
Please visit my soy information page for more details. At this level you should
avoid all non-fermented soy products. You can review the material on soy for
further details on why this food should be avoided unless fermented. If you use
protein powders, it's important to avoid soy protein.
Lesson 5: Limit your nut and seed intake.
Except for walnuts, almost all nuts have high levels of omega-6 fats, and if
eaten in excess they can unbalance the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in your
body. Unless you are already very healthy, it is important for you to limit your
use of most seeds and nuts. Sprouting them would help somewhat, but unbalancing
the omega 6:3 ratio can have profound negative health consequences for your
body. Most all of us already have an excess of omega-6 fats in our diet.
Lesson 6: Avoid dairy.
It is clear that most people benefit from avoiding commercial milk that is
loaded with hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. However, even if you are able
to obtain organic milk that is free of these contaminants, you are still left
with a food that is pasteurized and homogenized.
Pasteurization is done to protect you from potentially dangerous infections like
TB and brucellosis, but it unfortunately changes the structure of the milk
proteins, particularly casein, to a far more allergenic food and is a major
reason why milk allergies are the number one form of food allergy.
In this level, you need to eliminate milk if you haven't already done so. You
can have cheeses, particularly raw milk cheeses, if your body tolerates them
well.
Lesson 7: Phase out protein powders, consider a healthier "convenience" food if
necessary.
In this level, consider phasing out protein powders as a regular source of food
as they are highly processed and not "real" foods. If you are traveling and you
know your only choice will be the terribly unhealthy hotel foods, instead
consider taking a convenient food product with more extensive nutritious value
such as Living Fuel. While nothing can substitute for real vegetables and the
other whole foods advocated in this nutrition plan, Living Fuel Rx -- not only
high in protein but almost every vitamin -- is certainly a better choice than
protein powders, and an outstanding substitute when you simply cannot prepare
your own meal. But if it is between only your protein powder and the terribly
unhealthy hotel food (or the like), of course stick with your powder!
Intermediate Plan: Carbohydrates
Lesson 1: Only eat quality vegetables.
At the intermediate level, I recommend that all of your vegetables be organic.
Organic varieties of vegetables will decrease your exposure to dangerous
pesticides. Additionally, they have two to five times more nutrients as compared
to non-organic vegetables. Most people agree that they also taste much better.
It is important to remember though that nearly any non-organic vegetable is
better than no vegetable at all.
Lesson 2: Avoid all grains.
I believe that most people's health is improved by avoiding all grains. This
also includes durham flour and semolina from which most pasta is made. You can
obtain most of your fiber from vegetables, which is a far healthier choice.
Additional foods to eliminate at this level are:
· Corn: It is best to stop all corn products, including popcorn and corn chips.
Corn is not a vegetable but a grain! Corn and corn products are often difficult
to digest and can contain mold toxins that can be very toxic for the body.
Please avoid all foods with corn listed in the first five ingredients.
· Potatoes: Potatoes will raise insulin levels beyond what would be considered
ideal in most people. If you do not have problems with weight, high blood
pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, they can be used with a protein meal.
Try to never have commercially prepared French-fries. They are an extremely
toxic food, as they contain 100 percent trans-fatty acids.
· Wheat: The only grain food that sometimes works is sprouted grain bread. It
will not work for most people, however, unless you need to gain weight and
aren't sensitive to wheat.
Lesson 3: Start using Metabolic Typing.
The purpose of the beginner plan is to normalize your metabolic biochemistry,
and that involves addressing your specific nutritional needs in a unique and
comprehensive way. You'll correct your imbalances with the small number of
regulatory mechanisms that manage the vast number of biochemical reactions
taking place in your body. If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend
you read the book Metabolic Typing for a detailed explanation of the program.
Metabolic typing is a dynamic process that does far more than simply assign you
to a broad, fixed category that roughly approximates your nutritional needs. It
is a much more precise and flexible system of a series of simple self-tests that
enable you to tailor your diet with accuracy; that is, you'll know what foods
are good for your metabolic type -- you won't have to guess and see!
Since Metabolic Typing is not a static system, the process allows you to adjust
your diet if your metabolism shifts. It is important to realize that your
metabolic type isn't carved in stone.
Lesson 4: Apply the Metabolic Typing system by completely removing all sugars
and grains from your diet for at least one week.
Most of us are addicted to grains, so this is best done as soon as you are ready
to implement the approach. A gradual reduction just won't work for most people
as your insulin levels will continue to increase. This means that your cravings
for sugars and grains will be high, and you will not reap the benefits of
lowered insulin levels.
It's important to normalize your insulin levels so you can remove the distorted
signals your body has been giving you all these years. Once you are off all
grains and sugars for a week, your body may tell you that you need to resume
them, but most people benefit from remaining off of them for some time. You will
know. Your body will make this very clear. If your energy level is dramatically
improved and most of your health complaints are gone or significantly better,
then this is a giant clue that you are on the right path. If you are not better,
you will want to consider reintroducing small amounts of grains back into your
diet.
Lesson 5: Retrain your body's response to sweets.
If you are overweight, you have likely trained your hormone system to respond
very aggressively to sweets. As soon as anything sweet hits your mouth your body
will instantly release insulin. This occurs even when it does not need it, such
as when you are using low calorie sweeteners. Pavlov proved this principle over
100 years ago.
He began to feed his dogs in association with the ringing of a bell. After a
certain time the dogs were shown to salivate profusely in association with the
ringing bell even when the actual sight or smell of food was not present. Pavlov
regarded this salivation as being a conditioned reflex and designated the
process by which the dogs had picked up this reflex classical conditioning.
You have also experienced this conditioning. You've developed a link between
your taste buds and your brain that will cause your body to produce insulin the
moment you eat anything sweet, even if it is not grains or sugar. This will
sabotage your efforts to lose weight successfully, as you will keep on having
cravings for sugar and grains.
It's just a matter of re-educating your taste buds. It will be essential to have
no sweets for few weeks; once you clean your palate of grains, foods will taste
better than ever. You can use this as an opportunity to explore the use of
spices and organic foods, as they typically taste much better once you eliminate
your body's response to sugar.
Intermediate Plan: Fats
Since you've made many of the essential changes for fat consumption in the
beginner phase, the intermediate phase instructions are quite simple:
· As I've said in the carbohydrate section for this level, never have
commercially prepared French-fries. They are one of the most toxic foods you
could eat. Most have 100 percent trans fatty acids.
· Eliminate margarines, as they are another source of trans fatty acids.
· You should regularly be consuming fish oil/cod liver oil by now, as it is one
of the few and best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that most people are sorely
lacking in their diet but are essential to optimal health.
· Olive oil is not only acceptable but highly recommended as it has a fat in it
called squalene. This is a potent antioxidant and will protect the fish oil from
going rancid (becoming oxidized) once it is in your body.
· Avocados, walnuts, egg yolks, coconut oil and butter are acceptable sources of
fats.
Please Note: If you are a "Carbohydrate Metabolic Type," you will need about 15%
of your diet as fat. If you are a "Protein Metabolic Type," you may need up to
50% of your diet as fat. This is why it will be important to understand what
metabolic type you are.
If you have not been metabolically typed via a medical practitioner, I highly
recommend you read the book The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to
Your Own Unique Body Chemistry to help you understand your type.
Here is a very general guideline to follow in the meantime, though: the more you
enjoy steak and feel good with it, the greater the percentage of fat you will
need in your diet. If you feel wonderful as a vegetarian and comfortable with
very little meat, then you will likely need much closer to only 15% of fat in
your diet.
Intermediate Plan: Beverages
Lesson 1: It's time to move up to a reverse osmosis water filtration system!
Unlike most carbon filter systems, reverse osmosis will actually remove from the
water the fluoride that most municipalities in this country add. Reverse osmosis
will remove virtually all contaminants from the water, including fluoride,
especially when combined with a pre- and post-carbon filtration system. You can
obtain them locally from Home Depot or Coast Filtration (800-542-6723).
If you don't want to install a reverse osmosis system, you can often get water
that has been filtered by reverse osmosis at health food stores. They provide
containers, and you fill them right there in the store.
Try not to purchase the one-gallon cloudy plastic (PVC) containers from your
grocery store as they transfer far too many chemicals into the water. The
five-gallon containers and the clear bottles (polyethylene) are a much better
plastic and will not give the water that awful plastic taste.
Lesson 2: Limit chemical exposure from your shower water.
Most people do not recognize that their shower is a significant source of
chlorine exposure. It is best to put a filter on your showerhead. If you take a
bath, fill it up from the shower. The filters are $29 (part #181128) at
800-642-2112. These are probably not necessary if you obtain your water from a
well. Remember, you should have a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water
if you have a water softener.
Lesson 3: Avoid flouride.
Did you know that nearly all of Europe used to add fluoride to their water
supply, but after they studied the issue more carefully decided to remove it?
In terms of beverages other than water, I would recommend starting to cut down
and eliminate them. In the advanced phase, the only recommended beverages are
water and breast milk for infants. To make it easy, choose one beverage to
eliminate and focus on that for a month.
Further Reading:
· Drink More Spring or Filtered Water to Improve Every Facet of Your Health
· Americans Don't Drink Enough Water
· Flouride Recommendations Page
Intermediate Plan: Supplements
Lesson 1: Get active bacteria into your diet.
Live active cultures of lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidus are important.
These are the good inhabitants of the gut that help to control the yeast and bad
bacteria that are also in your gut. Active cultures are living and therefore are
best kept refrigerated. There are literally dozens of different types on the
market and many of them simply do not work. I recommend Flora Source in my own
office since it is a very effective, highly potent, multi-strain products.
It's best to take these products ONCE per day after drinking 1 glass of BOTTLED
OR FILTERED water, or with some food. This reduces the acidity of the stomach
and allows the powder to be more effective.
Lesson 2: You can use supplements to help relieve irregular bowel movements.
Bowel movements aren't necessarily the most pleasant things to think about, but
it's healthy to have two to three bowel movements a day. Ideally, they should be
effortless, odorless and not sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl.
· Flaxseeds: My first choice would be to use freshly ground organic flaxseeds.
You can use one to six tablespoons per day. Flax has water-soluble fibers that
are similar to psyllium (Metamucil), which are very effective at relieving
constipation. Additionally, it is a food and a source of beneficial omega-3
fats.
· Magnesium: This can be helpful to temporarily restore a healthy frequency of
bowel movements. Start your dose at one 500 mg tablet or capsule twice a day.
Malate is the preferred form, but glycinate and citrate also work quite nicely.
You can increase this to four tablets twice a day (two grams) if necessary. You
can go up to eight per day in divided doses for severe cases. Diarrhea is the
only side effect of magnesium, and you can easily reduce the dose if this
occurs.
It's important not to use magnesium on a long-term basis, as it will cause
imbalances in the calcium/magnesium ratio in your body. If the magnesium does
not work, you can use Aloe Vera capsules.
Lesson 3: Use vitamin E to maximize the benefits of fish oil and vitamin C to
help with stress or the effects of heavy exercise.
You may want to consider taking vitamin E (400 units a day) as this will help
protect the omega-3 oils from being oxidized once you consume them. You might
want to also consider vitamin C, especially around times of heavy exercise or
stress.
If you are consuming one pound of vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight,
you will receive a large variety of antioxidants from the vegetables so it's not
as important to take a vitamin E supplement.
Intermediate Plan: Lifestyle Changes
Lesson 1:
Practice techniques, such as EFT, to control anxiety and stress,
eliminate self-doubt and negativity, and instill self-control and peace of mind.
(To ensure your long-term success, this is a crucial step throughout this entire
nutrition plan, which is why it is the only lesson repeated in each phase.)
There is no greater enemy to your physical health than a negative self-image or
high stress. Many people initially succeed at implementing a diet -- whether it
is to lose weight, heal a disease, or strengthen their body against sickness --
but then fall back to the old habits... and therefore, the "old" body. Why?
Because the emotional barriers were never overcome in the first place.
To truly succeed at this nutrition plan, I highly recommend you work on
overcoming your emotional barriers, whether they’re based on life’s
anxiety-factors or emotional traumas.
There are a host of techniques to instill positive emotions and thoughts and
create a sense of inner-peace, and the best rule is to find the one that works
for you, whether it is considered traditional or "alternative," and keep on
using it. In my clinical practice, I have tried a variety of methods, and have
been exposed to many more (both traditional and alternative) through my medical
background, but none have come close to the success rate I have experienced with
the "Emotional Freedom Technique," or EFT.
I highly recommend you at least give EFT a try. EFT is a form of psychological
acupressure that, while it appears a bit unusual to some at first, can almost
seem miraculous in its ability to erase negative emotions and instill positive
ones.
With EFT, while mentally focusing on the psychological/emotional issues in a
positive manner through the use of affirmations, pressure is applied to the same
energy points used for thousands of years in acupuncture (these energy points
are finally even being recognized as legitimate by the pharmacy- and
surgery-addicted American medical establishment.) These energy points are only
tapped, though, not punctured as in acupuncture, as it has been shown that
pressure on these points is all that is necessary to activate the body’s
bioenergy. This combination of positive mental focus on the issue(s) and
physical stimulus to the body’s biochemistry is amazingly effective at
eliminating the issue -- be it stress, cravings, trauma, etc. -- quickly.
I routinely use EFT in my practice and I highly recommend it for optimal your
emotional health. Although it is still often overlooked, emotional health is
absolutely essential to your physical health and healing - no matter how devoted
you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal
healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.
EFT is very easy to learn, and will help you:
· Remove negative emotions
· Reduce food cravings
· Reduce or eliminate pain
· Implement positive goals
You can learn how to start using EFT on yourself and those close to you right
now with my free online EFT Manual. For the most in-depth approach to using EFT
routinely in your life, consider my EFT series on DVD or VHS; this series also
comes with my complete nutrition plan discussion that includes real-world
demonstrations.
Lesson 2: Take your time.
It's very important to chew your food properly. Try to chew your food to a
liquid form and then swallow it. This will predigest your food with the enzymes
in your saliva. It will also provide neurological stimulation of your stomach
and pancreas to increase their acid and digestive enzyme production. Avoid
chewing gum for this same reason. Chewing gum will cause your body to be fooled
and you will secrete valuable digestive juices unnecessarily. This will worsen
your digestion and your health. It's also helpful not to talk while you are
chewing your food as this interferes with optimal digestion.
Lesson 3: Don't drink too much water during your meals.
Don't drink fluids with your meals if possible, as this will dilute the gastric
digestive contents and make it more difficult to digest. A few sips of water
during the meal would be fine.
Lesson 4: Keep your kitchen clean -- the non-toxic way.
A food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has
worked out the recipe for a sanitizing solution. All you need is three percent
hydrogen peroxide, the same strength available at the drug store for gargling or
disinfecting wounds, plain white or apple cider vinegar, and a pair of brand new
clean sprayers like the kind you use to dampen laundry before ironing.
· Clean your veggies: If you're cleaning vegetables or fruit, spritz them well
with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, then rinse them off under
running water. It doesn't matter which you use first -- you can spray with the
vinegar then the hydrogen peroxide, or with the hydrogen peroxide followed by
the vinegar. You won't get any lingering taste of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide,
and neither is toxic to you if a small amount remains on the produce.
· Get rid of e.coli: The paired sprays work exceptionally well in sanitizing
counters and other food preparation surfaces including wood cutting boards. In
tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the
two mists killed virtually all salmonella, shigella, and e. coli bacteria on
heavily-contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion. This spray
combination is more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than
chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
· Clean your kitchen on a regular basis: Be sure to regularly clean your kitchen
countertops, sink drains, refrigerator handles and faucet handles. This should
also be done immediately after you handle any raw meat.
· Clean your sponges and dishcloths: Clean your dishcloth and put your kitchen
sponge in the dishwasher. You can also soak your sponge in a 10 percent bleach
solution or the solution mentioned above. This will decrease your risk for
acquiring food borne infection by over one million fold. If you use the bleach
solution, please use gloves to limit your exposure to the toxic chlorine.
Welcome to the Advanced Nutrition Plan
You've reached the most challenging level of my nutrition plan, but these
recommendations will help you to be the healthiest person you can be. This is
the level where you're most likely to encounter a cynical attitude from friends
and relatives. They will tell you that you've gone over the edge! Most of the
people who see me as patients are on this advanced nutrition plan as they have
very serious health challenges, or they simply want to maximize their current
health.
Two types of people should go to this level of the program:
· Those who are totally committed to their individual health
· Those with advanced health problems
This level may be inappropriate for the vast number of people who are reading
it.It should be reserved only for those with the most serious health challenges
or for those who are absolutely committed to achieving the highest level of
health possible. It will improve not only the length of your life, but the
quality of your later years.
At this level, you should definitely incorporate Metabolic Typing you're your
plan. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend you read The Metabolic
Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry for an
in-depth understanding of this foundation to proper nutrition.
Normally, Intermediate Metabolic Type testing is sufficient for the majority of
people (Note: This has nothing to due with the Intermediate level of this
nutrition plan). However, if you have a serious condition such as osteoporosis
or cancer, it would be wise to consider advanced metabolic testing.
Unfortunately, this is only done with a trained metabolic typing counselor and
there just aren't enough to meet the current demand. This is not a major problem
however, as the Intermediate test is part of the advanced testing, and you can
incorporate the results of the Intermediate program until the Advanced results
are available. The advanced level actually incorporates a number of different
metabolic challenges, such as your body's response to a specific amount of
glucose and potassium and also your blood pressure, temperature, urine and
saliva pH values.
My best wishes for your success with this last stage of my program
Detox Tips
18: EXERCISE:
During a 10-20 minute infrared sauna sessi