 cottage. It even had a crow’ s nest for me to write in. We settled into building the house, which became a bit of an
undertaking. Building rarely goes as planned, and this project hit snag after
snag with carpenters, electrici ans, and roofers. Two years later, after
numerous delays, we finally moved in. After getting settled, our home  and cottage decorated beautifully by
Christie, we were ready for business. We were prepared with a name—Hood Canal Guest House—and  lovely brochures. We had even  joined the
chamber of commerce. All systems go. The guests came and went, all delighted with Christie’ s hospita lity and
the incredible setting. I sat back with visions of a nice moneymaking
venture. Fast-forward a year. “I don’t think I’m happy having people come and go in our home,”
Christie said one evening. “What do you mean?” I asked incredulously. “This is what we planned. You designed this house and cottage and wanted a bed and breakfast. This
is exactly what you wanted.”
“It’s what I thought  I wanted,” she stated emphatically. “I’m just not so
sure anymore.”
“It’s just going to take some getting used to,” I said. “What can I do to
help make it work?”
“That’ s the point,” she said. “I don’t think there is anything to make it
work. I don’ t think I want to have a bed and breakfast anymore.”
“Wow,” I said. “This is not good. We have spent a fortune getting this
place up and running, Christie.”
“But I’m not happy,” she said. “I want to move.”
I was not pleased and walked out of the room. After a chilly evening,
she approached me the next day. “Do you want to talk about the house?” she said. “Fine,” I replied, still struggling to wrap my head around the possibility
of having built a bed and breakfast and now Christie didn’ t want to live
there. We spent the next few months arguing, talking, arguing, and talking. I
must admit I wasn’t always pleasant about it. I didn’ t want to change
directions. I didn’ t want to consider moving after saving money, spending
two years building, and preparing to run the bed and breakfast. Christie didn’ t sway from her desire. She wanted to move. She wanted
to live in a much smaller home without guests coming and going. She
wanted to live in a cottage. She didn’ t want to live at work. I didn’t adjust easily, but I did finally adjust, moving past my initial
fears and concerns. I finally realized that change is difficult and requirescompromise and struggle. I realized that facing truths, no matter how
challenging they are, leads to ultimate freedom. I’m happy (now) to say we live in a lovely cottage, half the size of our
former home. We are both delighted in our lifestyle, the compromises we
both had to make, and the adjustments needed to get here. You are facing changes much bigger than mine, but you can do it. You
know the difficulties of facing hard truths. Change requires us to let go of
what we have and stretching toward what we want. If we do that, we can
get where we want to go. Let’s work together and consider change. Let’s understand the fear of
making changes, the dread that comes with it, and the exhilaration of
reaching the other side. Stages of Change
During those times when I become critical of myself for my slowness in
making change, I remind myself I’m doing the best I can. I’ve always done
the best I could with the amount of information I had at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, and we can all second-guess ourselves
over our past decisions with the knowledge we have today. It takes great
fortitude not to do that and inste ad to look toward the future. We have today
—that’ s all. We can critically  review whether we are living today the way we want,
considering we don’t want to look back with regrets. We all have the power
to move beyond our past and into our future. Of course, we must do even more than that. We must be intentional
about how we move into whatever future we’re granted, and that is what
this chapter is about. We will learn as much as we can about our life,
making wise choices that will bring us closer to the person God wants us to
be. Know that God wants you to thrive, not just survive. To help you
consider how you want to move  from victim to survivor to one who thrives,
you must know how to change. To move from an abused individual to one
fully engaged in life, you must reflect on the process of change. How will
you most ef fectively prepare for the new life you can have going forward?The way to make changes in your life is to first understand how change
occurs. Marc Perry, in his article “Five Stages of Change Model: Which
Stage Are You In?,” lists five stages of change.1 He has identified some
well-accepted stages to chang e you can use to measure your growth. Consider where you are in the change process and where you’d like to be. Precontemplation
People in this stage don’t want to make any change to their habits and
don’t recognize there is a problem. They live in that nether world of denial,
which aptly stands for Don’ t Even Notice I Am L ying (to myself). Y ou have
undoubtedly met people who live in this world. Seeing only what needs to
change in others, never thinking  there are changes to be made in their own
lives, their myopic view makes them nearly impossible to be around. Living in denial, of course, keeps you absolutely stuck. We can’t change
what we don’t own, and we don’t own what we can’t see. We can’t see what
we are not brave enough to explore. Change requires the courage to open
your eyes and look critically at your life. As long as you are unwilling to do
this, positive change is impossible. Having moved beyond this stage, I looked back at all the excuses I
made for not changing. I remembered the blame I placed on my wife,
failing to honestly look in the mirror and see my own behavior. Contemplation
During this next stage, you weigh the costs and benefits of behavior and
lifestyle change. Here you have the gnawing feeling that something needs
to change, perhaps even noting your world is not working as you would
like. You consid er change, but this is not enough to truly make changes. People can remain in this stage for years. I rationa lized, minimized, and found creative ways to convince myself
my life was working. I repeatedly lied to myself, telling myself everything
would be fine in spite of Christie’ s protests. I used denial as long as
possible, clinging to a life I wanted. I was afraid of change. PreparationPeople in this stage have made the mental shift and are ready to change. They’ve set an appointment with a personal trainer, psych ologist, or
nutritionist—whoever can help them reach their goals. They  develop a
concrete action plan and a schedule for carrying it out. They may even
establish someone who will hold them accountable to carry out their plan. In my case, a final convicting and convincing conversation with my
wife nudged me over the edge. It was the umpteenth conversation, taking
place after much damage had been done to both of us emotionally. Regardless, I was finally ready. Action
In this stage you are engaged in the process of change. You are
exercising more, eating healthier, or taking the plunge in setting healthier
boundaries in your relationships. You have crossed the threshold. No longer
paralyzed in denial and frightened about the prospect of change, you are
excited about the new possibilities. I decided to make the move. I decided having a happy wife was far
better than living in that locatio n. It was time for a new adven ture. It was
time for me to swallow my pride and face the truth of the situa tion. It was
time to move. Maintenance
In this stage you are engag ed in successful, sustained lifestyle
maintenance. You have blended positive habits into your lifestyle. You
guard, manage, and maintain boundaries that took some time to set. My maintenanc e program means I listen more to my wife. It means
future decisions are made much more collaboratively and at times, in
submission to her. It’s Really Up to Y ou
Kathryn—Kat to her friends—was struggling to believe her life was her
own to do with as she chose. Nearing 50 and feeling discouraged about the
life she had lost, she felt like a victim. Trapped in feelings of helplessness
for so long, deciding her future was really up to her was a challengingbridge to cross. She had tried to stir up the courage to make changes within
her marriage but hadn’ t experienced significant results. “How can you tell me I have freedom of choice?” she asked angrily. “That’ s easy for you to say. You haven’ t lived with an overbearing man for
25 years. Y ou haven’ t been beaten down and had your life stolen from you.”
“You’re right, Kat,” I said. “I can’t really know what it’s been like for
you. I


 timesExercises To Increase Male Potency 243
in both directions. This builds up and energizes the prostate gland. Exercise Note: Don't ejaculate. If you feel yourself getting too
excited, perform the Big Draw technique or slow down for a few
moments. This massage builds sexual potential by building up the pros-
tate gland. This is a prostate gland cancer preventative exercise,
which may be performed 100's of times daily. DIAGRAM 36
PENIS REFLEXOLOGY
Kidneys
Lungs,
Heart, &
RespirationDigestive System
Circulation
Adrenals, Thymus Gland
Pineal
Gland
Different zones of the penis
connect with the vital organs244 Taoist Secrets Of Love
THE INDIAN ROPE BURN MASSAGE
In this massage, rub the palms of the hands together until they are
hot. Hold up the penis with one hand and with the other hand grip
the penile base firmly with thumb and index finger. Perform the
Indian Rope burn technique back and forth 9 to 36 times. This
stimulates the kidneys. Performing this same technique on the mid-
dle of the shaft stimulates the digestive system. Massaging under
the penile head stimulates the heart, lungs, and respiratory system. With one hand hold the penis up, while with the other hand
perform the Rope Burn technique. FOUR WAYS TO INCREASE SPERM COUNT
1. Testicles Grip and Squeeze Massage: This exercise stimu-
lates sperm and hormone production and builds up sexual potential
in the man. To perform, rub hands until hot. With one hand hold
penis up and with the other hand grip the testicles and gently
squeeze them. Gradually squeeze them harder with definite short
and pronounced grips while gently tugging on testicles. Perform a
minimum of 100 grips before switching hands and repeating from
the other side. 2. The Testicle Rattle: Like the above exercise, this stimulates
sperm and hormone production for the man. Rub the hands to-
gether till they are hot and with one hand, hold penis up.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Student: It is pleasurable but it also has a tremendous compel-
ling emotional quality. It's an extraordinary communication be-
tween partners that generates beyond the sex experience to the
relationship itself. We feel the energy flow, frequently outside of
sex itself. When we meditate together, there is an arching through
the head, especially when we do the Fusion formula. Another ex-
perience I've had during sex is I felt the thrusting routes connect-
ing. It felt like there was a ladder between the bodies. It formed a
fountain at the top and ran down into the bodies and around the
bodies so that the thrusting routes were merged at the center point
and developed a magnetic field. It was very powerful. M. W. : Did you ever feel any distinct hot and cold energies. Student: Yes, that's quite common, just at the point ofStudents Experiences 211
ejaculation control. At that point there is a lot of my heat energy
going through the penis. Just then I've often felt a chill go right up
my back. At one point I looked at the window, I thought there was
a draft at my back, it was so distinct. I've often experienced my
partners body feeling cool and moist, while my energy is very hot
and dry.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the significance of the energy flow during sexual intercourse, according to the student?,
A: It's an extraordinary communication between partners that goes beyond the sex experience to the relationship itself.
Q: What is the recommendation of the student for someone who is emotionally disturbed or trying to work on their relationship?,
A: No, not at all. The energy swings would be very destabilizing.
Q: What is the student's advice for a man who has a mid-life crisis and is looking for spiritual guidance?,
A: I think so. It's also very important that people practice this meditation together, the Microcosmic Orbit. It should not be divorced from the system.
Q: What is the student's opinion on the effectiveness of the Taoist method in curing premature ejaculation?,
A: It could, in certain ways, cure premature ejaculation. I think the real benefit is to see the spiritual context, but teaching it as a therapeutic method should be an interesting experiment.
Q: How can a man avoid wet dreams?,
A: I would caution everybody, I forgot to bring my energy down.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>With your
other hand cup testicles starting the testicles shaking gently and
gradually increasing the intensity of shaking. Shake testicles for at
least three to five minutes. Switch hands and repeat. 3. Testicle Tapping: Again rub hands until they are hot. With
one hand hold penis up and with the other hand, gently tap and pat
testicles, gradually increasing intensity and strength of pats. (Don't
do it too hard). Perform for at least 3-5 minutes and then switch
hands and perform from the other side. Also, pat at the root of the
testicles at the base, on the perineum. 4. Testicle Spot Press Massage: Rub hands until hot. With one
hand hold penis and with the other hand massage testicles with the
thumb, in a circular manner in both directions for at least 3-5
minutes, (at least 100-300 times). Switch hands and repeat in both
directions 100-300 times. Or, you can support the testicles with the
fingers and thumb and massage in a circular manner with the heel
of the hand.Exercises To Increase Male Potency 245
All of these exercises increase sexual potential and hormone
production, stimulate the ching energy and prostate gland, and
build power to the penis and lower energy centers. After you per-
form these exercises you must perform Seminal Kung Fu to trans-
mit this sex energy to the higher centers. If you should happen to
waste the energy by ejaculation, you are definitely defeating your
purpose. MASSAGING THE PROSTATE GLAND
Besides massaging the "Turtle Head," you can also massage the
prostate directly. This is done by placing a finger in the anus. This
is done using your index finger, a glove, and a little saliva, vaseline,
or massage oil for lubrication. Gently thrust and massage on the
prostate gland. You can also thrust in and out, varying the rate to
get maximum stimulation, at the anal sphincter. Or, vibrate the
sphincter, this will also stimulate the large number of local nerves
and the prostate gland. You can also press the Hui-Yin point in the
perineum. Rubbing this point back and forth hundreds of times will
also stimulate the prostate gland. Spot pressing points around the anus will also stimulate the
prostate gland. First wash the anus very clean with mild soap and
water when you shower or bathe. Press and rub around the
sphincter. This will stimulate the prostate gland and all of the
higher endocrine glands, including the pituitary and pineal glands. This is the best way to preserve, harmonize, and increase blood
circulation. ANAL PUMP SQUEEZE EXERCISE
Inhale through the nose and hold your breath while you pump and
pull up the anal sphincter, the muscle around the anus. That is, you
squeeze the anus like you're holding in a bowel movement. This
stimulates the prostate gland. The method is easy and effective and
can be done anytime, anywhere. It is important to contract the anal
sphincter with maximum grip to get the most out of this exercise. Exhale slowly and relax. This is a simple way to relieve stress and
tension at the same time build up sex potential and energize the
body. Eventually you will feel a warm sensation in your lower groin246 Taoist Secrets Of Love
and anal area. This feeling may spread to the back and up over the
head, eventually returning to the solar plexus and navel area. By
constantly gripping your anal muscles, you can energize the pros-
tate gland and cowper gland and circulate the blood, strengthen
your penis, and gain control over ejaculation. After a period of
practice, you can test your rectum strength by trying to suck up
water while squatting in a tub of luke warm water via the anus grip
exercise. (Make sure the water is clean). They say the last act before a man dies is to take a bowel
movement, and that a flaccid rectal sphincter is indicative of poor
health. By doing this technique, the sphincter will never become
flaccid. Maintaining a strong healthy prostate gland is one of the
secrets for leading a long healthful life. So squeeze and rub yourself for good health and happiness! TONGUE KUNG FU
The first major strategic tool in love-making is the tongue. Learn to
maneuver this erotic arm par excellence. It has miraculous powers
of sensual stimulation and can, by itself, wage brilliant love cam-
paigns. Use of this arm may be mastered through practice of
Tongue Kung Fu. The tongue combines more virtues for the bedroom than any
other organ. It is warm and moist. Its file-like roughness wears
down resistance. Besides these perfect attributes for erotic
arousal, it changes size and shape. It flicks


 each
hand if your hamstrings are tight. Hold on to the opposite forearm
with each hand and let your head and neck release toward the
ﬂoor to make this pose more energetically passive. OceanofPDF.comSUN SALUTATION VARIATIONS
The Sun Salutation is a full-body warm-up and prayer
to the sun. By practicing Sun Salute variations, we practice
the art of vinyasa, which involves linking each breath with
movement. We invigorate the body by initiating each
posture from breath, build cardiovascular endurance,
increase our ﬂuidity, and create a moving meditation to
anchor our mind. OceanofPDF.comSUN BREATH: SURYA PRANA
Overview:  The Sun Breath series is a helpful place to begin
learning Sun Salutations for the ﬁrst time. It facilitates the beneﬁts
of connecting breath and movement without putting any strain on
the joints. It is safe for anyone with wrist or shoulder injuries or
those who want to moderately build heat in the body without too
much intensity. How-to:  From Tadasana, follow each step, one breath per
movement. Inhale: Upward Worship pose
Exhale: Intense Stretch pose
Inhale: Half-Forward Bend pose
Exhale: Intense Stretch pose
Inhale: Upward Worship poseExhale: Mountain pose
Benefits:  Physically, the Sun Breath series opens the shoulders,
the chest cavity, and the hamstrings. It strengthens the muscles
along the spine as well as the lower abdomen. Energetically, this series is energizing, stimulating, and
uplifting. It works on all the chakras and balances opposing forces,
such as moving up and moving down, breathing in and breathing
out, opening the front and opening the back of the body, which
also opens each chakra’s front and rear gates. Engage vajroli mudra for Urdva Hastasana; ashvini mudra for
Uttanasana and Ardha Uttanasana. Refer to individual poses for
bandhas. Stimulates vyana vayu. Therapeutic applications:  The Sun Breath series can help reduce
anxiety and restlessness. Helpful tips: Place a block underneath each hand for the
forward bends. Bend the knees if you have any lower back issues. If
the shoulders are tight, keep the hands shoulder-distance apart in
Upward Worship pose. OceanofPDF.comSUN SALUTATION A: SURYA NAMASKAR AOverview:  There are traditionally eleven poses linked together
that make up the Sun Salutation A sequence. The series is a full-
body warm-up that works on the dualities of right and left, up and
down, inhalation and exhalation, strength and ﬂexibility, and
expansion and contraction. Through the practice of Sun
Salutations, we invoke the qualities of the sun that are within us all:
heat, radiance, energy, light, and magnetism. How-to:  From Mountain pose, follow each step, using one
breath per movement:
Inhale: Upward Worship pose
Exhale: Intense Stretch pose
Inhale: Half-Forward Bend pose
Exhale: Low Push-Up pose
Inhale: Upward-Facing Dog pose
Exhale: Downward-Facing Dog pose
Inhale: Gaze up to your hands
Exhale: Step or jump your feet to your hands
Inhale: Half-Forward Bend pose
Exhale: Intense Stretch pose
Inhale: Upward Worship pose
Exhale: Mountain pose
Benefits:  Physically, Sun Salutation A aids in cardiovascular
health by increasing blood ﬂow throughout the body. Like the Sun
Breath, this sequence of postures is energizing, awakening, and
heat building. It strengthens the muscles in the legs, the abdomen,
the upper body, and the back. It also opens the hamstrings, the
quadriceps, the upper back, and the chest. Energetically, Sun Salutation A enables us to embody the
qualities of the sun: warmth, energy, radiance and tejas, the
magnetism that is created by the essence of ﬁre. It works on all thechakras, especially the third and fourth chakras. There is a
harmonizing effect that comes from stretching and strengthening
the muscles and opening the front and back of the body, bringing
us into satva guna. When done rhythmically on the breath, Sun
Salutation A can induce the beneﬁts of a moving meditation, which
include slowing down the mind, slowing down the brain waves,
and calming restlessness or agitation. Engage vajroli mudra for urdva hastasana and Urdva Mukha
Svanasana; ashvini mudra for Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana, and
Adho Mukha Svanasana. Refer to individual poses for bandhas. Engage mula bandha when jumping forward or backward. Works
on samana and vyana vayu. Therapeutic applications:  Sun Salutation A can help lower blood
sugar levels, balance the hormones, and aid in countering obesity. Helpful tips: Since this series involves many poses linked
together, it could be useful to take pauses in between each
posture if you are new to the practice. If the hips sink in Plank pose
or Low Push-Up pose, lower the knees to the ﬂoor to support the
lower belly and maintain a long spine. If you have any wrist or
lower back sensitivity, practice Baby Cobra pose (see this page)
instead of Upward-Facing Dog. Try practicing up to ﬁve series in a
row to build endurance. OceanofPDF.comSTANDING TWISTS
Twisting postures have the unique ability to bring us up
against our own limitations. They teach us how to ﬁnd
freedom in challenging circumstances and recruit the
breath as a form of leverage. Since twists work on the third
chakra, they aid in the digestion of our food, and the
processing of thoughts and emotions. In addition to
being detoxifying, twists facilitate a long and healthy
spine. OceanofPDF.comTWISTING CHAIR POSE: PARIVRITTA UTKATASANA
Overview:  This dynamic, heat-building pose teaches us how to
stay rooted and ﬂuid simultaneously. How-to:  From Chair pose, bring your palms together, touching,
at the center of your chest. Breathe in and lift your sternum away
from your pelvis. Breathe out and twist to the right, hooking your
left upper arm to your outer right thigh. As you inhale, lengthen
your spine and as you exhale, rotate around the axis of your spine. Keep your shoulder blades moving away from your ears and
broaden across your collarbones. Benefits:  Physically, Twisting Chair pose strengthens the ankles,
the quadriceps, the buttocks, and the abdomen. It tones the
digestive organs and the kidneys, facilitating the detoxiﬁcation
process. Spinal rotation compresses the intervertebral discs, whichexpand like a sponge when coming out of the twist. As a result,
Twisting Chair pose helps to lengthen the spine. Energetically, Twisting Chair pose activates the ﬁrst and third
chakras, stimulating heat, transformation, and empowerment while
also offering the beneﬁts of stability and structure. This pose
increases agni, the digestive ﬁre responsible for converting matter
into waste. It also increases tapas, the quality of heat that creates
discipline, patience, and ultimate transformation. Engage mula bandha and uddiyana bandha. Increases samana
vayu. Therapeutic applications:  Great for alleviating scoliosis, restless
mind, and sluggish metabolism. Helpful tips:  If you feel restricted in the twist, place the left hand
to the outside of the right thigh. Move your right hand onto the
sacrum, allowing the twist to happen in the middle of the spine. Place a block in between the thighs to keep the knees aligned. Not
indicated for pregnant women. OceanofPDF.comTWISTING SIDE ANGLE POSE: PARIVRITTA PARSVAKONASANA
Overview:  This pose teaches the qualities of perseverance,
patience, groundedness, and ﬂexibility all at the same time. It can
be a great introductory pose for learning the actions of twists in a
step-by-step process. How-to:  From Low Lunge, inhale and lift the arms overhead. On
the exhale, lengthen your torso over the front thigh, keeping your
arms by the ears. Bring your palms together to touch at the center
of the chest. Rotate your left upper arm to the outside of the right
outer thigh. As you breathe in, lift the sternum, and as you breathe
out, rotate around the axis of the spine, keeping your back thigh
straight and strong. Benefits:  Physically, Twisting Side Angle pose strengthens the
ankles, the quadriceps, the buttocks, and the abdomen. It also
stretches the quadriceps, the hip ﬂexors, and the gluteal muscles.It helps to improve balance. See Twisting Chair pose (this page) for
the digestive and spinal beneﬁts of this pose. The energetic beneﬁts of this posture are very similar to


. 50
Good to excellent results in pain control of patients with CRPS type 1 have
been shown after the topical application of 50% DMSO over the affected area. 51
The results indicated significantly favorable pain management, particularly when the CRPS was associated with inflammatory symptoms. 51 The mechanism by which
DMSO is able to provide pain relief in one of the most difficult to treat pain condi -
tions remains unclear. A clue may lie in the fact that DMSO acts as a powerful free radical scavenger,
and it is well known that free radicals following injury can be toxic to tissue and introduce acute or chronic pain sensation. DMSO is also an NMDA and glutamate receptor antagonist, and both substances can activate hyperalgesia and neuropathic pain. CRPS
Amputation of dig it50
40
30
20
10
0Chronic back pain
Phantom limb painChildbir th pr imipara
Childbir th multipara
Nonterminal cancer
Fracture
FIGURE 3. 1  The McGill Pain Index is a subjective measure used clinically to compare
pain perception from 0 to 50 in patients and provide a guideline for analgesic efficacy. CRPS
is nearly at the 50-point mark, the highest pain sensation felt by humans. The analgesic least likely to do harm and provide good efficacy in the treatment of CRPS was reported to be DMSO. (From Quisel, A. et al., J. Fam. Pract., 54(7), 599, 2005. )56 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
One of the cardinal features of inflammatory states is that normally innocent
stimuli can produce severe pain. This may be one of the mechanisms targeted by
DMSO as an anti-inflammatory agent. Finally, DMSO has the ability to block C-fiber and small fiber pain fibers after its topical application. These actions may explain to some degree the number of studies that have tested DMSO in hundreds of patients where controlling pain and the consequences of CRPS were achieved. 23,26,51–53
To compare the effects of two free radical scavengers, topical 50% DMSO and
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were used for the treatment of CRPS-1, in a randomized,
double-dummy controlled, double-blind trial. 3 Treatments were conducted in 146
patients over a period of 24 months. Patients were randomized into two treatment groups: one was instructed to apply DMSO 50% five times daily to the affected extremity, and the second was treated with NAC 600 mg effervescent tablets three times daily, and both treatments were compared to each other and to a placebo. Significant differences were found for subscores of lower extremity function, in favor of DMSO treatment. 3 Subgroup analysis showed more favorable results for DMSO
for warm CRPS-1 than for NAC. 3
A study by Gaspar et al. 54 evaluated the topical treatment of 50% DMSO cream
in type 1 CRPS over a period of 15 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year in 29 patients. The evaluation was performed using primarily a visual analogue scale (VAS) as the main efficacy variable that measures the patient’s pain intensity subjectively. Secondary measures of efficacy by DMSO included the quality of life after treatment and the physical mobility of the affected limbs, involving range of motion, strength, and overall limb function. The results showed that topical appli -
cation of 50% DMSO significantly diminished pain intensity approaching absence of pain, according to the VAS score at each period of observation. Secondary measures of efficacy were also recorded as higher scores on the quality of life questionnaire with a general improvement on limb rigidity, mobility, and func -
tion. 54 Thus, this study by Gaspar and his team54 complies with the QFW values
for the quality of easing pain (Q), restoring or significantly improving anatomic–physiological function (F), and general well-being (W) expressed by the patients following treatment. One of the first studies to recognize the usefulness of DMSO in the treatment
of CRPS was reported by Goris
55 in 1985. Goris55 showed that DMSO as an anti-
inflammatory and free radical scavenger agent could reduce the inflammation
 associated with CRPS and demonstrated, in an open study, a reduction of the CRPS
symptoms using 50% DMSO cream. These results led to a prospective,  r andomized,
and double-blind study on 32 patients following an accidental trauma and the devel -
opment of acute CRPS. 56 Patients showed increased temperature,  r edness, and pain
in the affected extremity, coupled to a limited range of motion of the limb. A VAS was used to measure the redness, swelling, and limited active range of motion of  the affected extremity. DMSO 50% cream applied five times daily was com -
pared to a placebo cream for 2 months. After 2 months, DMSO showed significant
(p < 0. 01) improvement of the VAS measures as compared to the placebo cream,
and the authors recommended further use of DMSO for CRPS. 56 Side effects from
the DMSO  a pplications were mild scaling of the skin in the affected areas, which
resolved in time. 5657 DMSO Clinical Pharmacology
More recently, topical application of 50% DMSO three to five times daily was
given as an anti-inflammatory therapy to 74 patients with CRPS and a mean dis -
ease duration of 17 weeks. 57 The DMSO treatment was supplemented with physical
therapy and acetaminophen as an oral analgesic. Of the 74 patients with early CRPS,
55 (74%) patients significantly showed improvement in their pain score. Although no attempt was made to examine whether analgesia was obtained with DMSO or acetaminophen, the authors concluded that this package treatment should become standard therapy for patients presenting with early CRPS. 57
A review of the most promising treatments for CRPS-1 at the present time con-
cluded that early treatment of this syndrome is more likely to respond to treatment. 58
Of all the therapies for CRPS considered, including a wide range of analgesics, gan -
glionic blockers, steroids, adrenoceptor antagonists, acupuncture, calcitonin, and the glutamate blocker ketamine, the authors concluded that the therapy least likely to do
harm and supported by evidence of efficacy  was topical 50% DMSO cream
58 (see
Figure 3.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What percentage of patients with CRPS type 1 showed significant improvement in their pain score after treatment with DMSO?,
A: Not mentioned in the text
Q: What is the primary cause of CRPS, and what is the treatment approach?,
A: The primary cause of CRPS is not specified in the text, but it is mentioned that it may be associated with damage to the peripheral or central nervous system. Treatment approaches are not discussed in this passage.
Q: What is the primary mechanism by which DMSO provides pain relief in CRPS?,
A: The primary mechanism is not specified in the text, but it is mentioned that DMSO acts as a powerful free radical scavenger and an NMDA receptor antagonist.
Q: What is the conclusion of the study by Pestronk and Drachman regarding the use of DMSO as an anti-inflammatory agent?,
A: Not mentioned in the text
Q: What is the primary advantage of using DMSO in the treatment of IC, and what are the potential side effects?,
A: The primary advantage of using DMSO is not specified in the text, but it is mentioned that it reduces inflammation and can be used to treat IC.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>2006;22(3):235–239. 43. Birklein F, Schmelz M, Schifter S, Weber M. The important role of neuropeptides in
complex regional pain syndrome. Neurology. 2001;57:2179–2184. 44. Oaklander AL, Rissmiller JG, Gelman LB, Zheng L, Chang Y, Gott R. Evidence of focal
small-fiber axonal degeneration in complex regional pain syndrome-I (reflex sympa -
thetic dystrophy). Pain. 2006;120:235–243. 45. Cossins L, Okell RW, Cameron H, Simpson B, Poole HM, Goebel A. Treatment of com -
plex regional pain syndrome in adults: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials published from June 2000 to February 2012. Eur J Pain. 2013;17(2):158–173. 46. Zollinger PE, Tuinebreijer WE, Breederveld RS, Kreis RW. Can vitamin C prevent com -
plex regional pain syndrome in patients with wrist fractures? A randomized, controlled, multicenter dose-response study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(7):1424–1431. 47. Correll GE, Maleki J, Gracely EJ, Muir JJ, Harb ut RE. Subanesthetic ketamine infusion
therapy: A retrospective analysis of a novel therapeutic approach to complex regional pain syndrome. Pain Med. 2004;5(3):263–275. 48. Collins S


	a	dreadful	scourge,	socially	and	medically. It	has	now
virtually	disappeared,	and	our	gratitude	is	owed	to	those	who	accomplished
its	elimination. I	remember	not	being	able	to	swim	at	the	local	pool	for	fear	of	contracting
polio! Remember	polio? Let	us	be	grateful	to	Dr.	Salk. Let	us	be	grateful	that	we	can	now	talk	openly	about	cancer,	where	30	years
ago	it	was	a	taboo	subject. Because	we	can	now	discuss	it,	we	get	treated
earlier	and	more	effectively. I	am	grateful	to	be	able	to	tell	cancer	patients	of
my	history	and	to	encourage	them	to	know	that	there	is	hope. Above	all,	as	a	father,	I	am	grateful	that	my	son	has	not	had	to	learn	to	kill	his
fellow	men	in	war,	as	both	I	and	my	father	had	to	do.It	will	be	clear,	I	hope,	that	I	believe	that
the	world	has	become	a	better	place
during	my	lifetime,
	and	that	I	am	lucky	to	have	lived	when	I	have. I	am	deeply
grateful	to	those	of	my	fellows,	whether	I	know	them	or	not,	who	have	caused
this	to	be	so. Gratitude:	A	Healing	Attitude
Emmett	E.	Miller,	M.D. Emmett	E.	Miller,	M.D.,

has	had	more	than	25	years	of	success	teaching
people	how	to	enhance	their	health	and	well-being. His	relaxation	and
imagery	cassettes	(I	AM,	LETTING	GO	OF	STRESS,	and	HEALING
JOURNEY,	among	others)	are	the	accepted	standard	throughout	the	world
and	are	in	widespread	use	by	Olympic	athletes,	business	leaders,	physicians,
and	others	in	the	healing	arts. He	is	the	author	of	DEEP	HEALING:	THE
ESSENCE	OF	MIND/BODY	MEDICINE. Just	look	at	my	life! Should	I	be	feeling	gratitude,	or	have	I	been	ripped	off? Is	the	glass	half-empty	or	half-full? I	can	complain	that	rose	bushes	have	thorns,	or	I	can	be	grateful	that	some
thorn	bushes	have	roses. At	the	purely	intellectual	or	“scientific”	level,	these
two	attitudes	are	equivalent. But	in	real	life,	it	makes	a	huge	difference	which
we	choose. When	the	image	we	hold	of	ourselves	in	relationship	to	the	world	portrays	us
as	a	victim,	the	resulting	sense	of	helplessness	is	transmitted	through	the
entire	system. The	physical	consequence	of	this	can	be	failure	or	breakdown
in	an	organ	or	organ	system. Whether	we	feel	gratitude	and	fullness,	or	loss,	deprivation,	and	resentment,	a
corresponding	internal	chemical	state	is	created. This	state,	in	turn,	generates
characteristic	behaviors—health	or	disease,	empowerment/powerlessness,
fulfillment/dissatisfaction,	success/failure. In	my	medical	practice	(mind/body	medicine),	the	importance	of	gratitude	is
strikingly	clear	in	a	psychophysiological	way—grateful	people	heal	faster;
they	are	able	to	eliminate	harmful	behaviors	from	their	lives	with	greater
ease;	they	are
happier.In	twentysomething	years	of	practice,	I	have	made	an	interesting	discovery. There	are	those	who	take	what	they	learn	from	me	and	make	profound
changes	in	their	lives;	there	are	others	whose	symptoms	and	diseases	are
exactly	the	same,	who	have	difficulty	healing	or	changing	their	behaviors. Patients	who	are
grateful
	for	the	sessions	we	have,	who	appreciate	the	energy
and	focus	I	give	to	them,	are	the	ones	who	do	well. Those	who	are	suspicious
and	mistrusting,	who	think	the	sessions	should	be	longer	or	less	expensive,
who	wonder	whether	they	are	being	“ripped	off,”	are	much	slower	to	change. It	is	obvious	from	the	sequence	of	events	that	the	gratitude	(or	lack	of	it)
comes
first. The	way	in	which	we	see	the	world	shapes	our	responses	to	the	challenges
life	presents	us. A	sense	of	gratitude	empowers	us	to	choose	wisely…how	we
feel,	what	we	say,	what	we	believe,	what	we	do. How	preposterous	for	us,
who	are	richer	and	consume	10	times	the	resources	than	95	percent	of	the
world’s	people,	who	routinely	live	25	years	longer	than	our
greatgrandparents,	who	bask	in	personal	freedom	and	potential,	to	focus	on
the	“half-empty.”	Gratitude	leads	us	to	see	what	is	available,	what	can
develop. After	all,	there	is	nothing	to	work	with	in	the	empty	part	of	the	glass. Without	the	attitude	of	gratitude,	there	results	a	feeling	of	deprivation	well
known,	for	instance,	to	America’s	overweight	60	percent. In	a	similar	way,
smokers,	drinkers,	and	drug	abusers—whose	quality	of	life	continuously
deteriorates—are	unable	to	enact	the	apparently	simple	choices	that	they	say
and	truly
believe
	they	want	to	make. Such	people	are	in	an	involuntary	state
of	denial—a	denial	of	the	richness	that	is	within	them. Consciousness	of	the
fullness	of	Self	would	make	their	compulsions	pale	by	comparison. Without
the	sense	of	who	you	really	are,	it	is	difficult	to	discern	the	true	worth	of
anything	that	takes	place	in	your	life	except	at	the	immediate	and	transitory
level	of	instant	gratification. Vicious	Circle,	Virtuous	Circle
When	we	feel	grateful,	we	interact	with	other	people	from	our	fullness;	they
feel	appreciated	and	are	attracted	by	our	energy. Resentment,	bitterness,	and
victimhood	tends	to	repel	people,	and	we	experience	less	support	from	others. Similarly,	when	our	lack	of	gratitude	leads	to	helplessness	and	disease,	we
feel	“ripped	off	that	our	health	is	going	downhill	while	others	are	out	enjoying
themselves.Learned	Gratitude
In	the	field	of	psychoneuroimmunology,	we	are	now	certain	that	emotions,
beliefs,	and	interpretations	(our	map	of	the	world)	have	a	profound	effect
upon	the	body’s	functioning,	including	whether	we	become	ill	or	resist
disease. Most	dramatic	are	the	studies	on	“learned	helplessness.”	No	matter
what	the	challenges	or	crises	in	our	life	may	be,	if	we	feel
helpless
	about
them,	we	are	much	more	likely	to	become	ill. The	state	of	mind	that	we	call	gratitude	is	not	inborn,	in	my	opinion,	but
something	we	learn. Gratitude	has	to	do	with	feeling	full,	complete,	adequate
—we	have	everything	we	need	and	deserve;	we	approach	the	world	with	a
sense	of	value. It	is	the	experience	of	the	range	of	fulfillment	that	is	possible
that	leads	to	a	capacity	for	gratitude. Without	gratitude,	the	tendency	is	to	feel
incomplete,	cheated,	deficient—in	a	word,
helpless. If	you	were	not	fortunate	enough	to	have	been	taught	the	attitude	of	gratitude
as	a	child,	you	may,	from	time	to	time,	feel	yourself	slipping	into	despair,
feeling	resentful	and	unblessed. That	still	happens	to	me	sometimes	and,
when	it	does,	I	simply	remember	my	reasons	for	doing	the	things	I	do,	my
personal	life	mission	and	vision,	with	gratitude. It	may	t


To err is human. Admit to your faults, make amends, forgive yourself and learn
from your mistakes. It’s a wise person who also learns from the mistakes of others. buildups. Many of these rural, ageless Russians had never
tasted common table salt. Their ar teries were healthy,
flexible, youthful and free from the arter y cloggers –
inorganic minerals and chemical encrustations. Salt is a Slow but Sure Killer. Common table salt (inorganic
sodium chloride) is both unnecessar y
and injurious to the human body. It acts
like the inorganic minerals to be found
in almost all drinking water except
steam-produced distilled water. Table
salt can cause encrustations in the
arteries, veins and capillaries. It can
waterlog body tissues, making them
94
of blood pressure. According to medical statistics, the
Japanese suffer from the highest blood pressure in the
world. They are known to be the world’ s highest flabby and without skin or muscle tone. As a general rule, table salt users have a high elevation
salt consumers. And my father’ s
grandfather, who had a massive
stroke in front of Dad’ s eyes at the
dinner table, was a heavy user of
inorganic salt. He put table salt on
almost ever ything he ate – including
tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe,
celer y and radishes – and he ate many salty foods,
including ham, bacon, corned beef, hot dogs, luncheon
meats, salted popcorn, pretzels and salted nuts. Eating such large amounts of salt and salty foods gave
him an unquenchable thirst. My dad would often watch
his grandfather consume as much as 2 pitchers of water
at each meal. He used table salt, ate salty foods and
washed ever ything down with hard well water that was
saturated with inorganic minerals. Is it any wonder that
his arteries turned to stone and a stroke killed him. Shake your salt habit. Studies show the salt habit raises risk of heart attack, stroke,
hypertension, kidney disease and stomach cancer. – Institute of Medicine – www. iom. edu Organic Sodium – Power ful Natural Solvent
Organic sodium is a powerful natural solvent and
neutralizer of toxic waste products. In contrast, table
salt – an inorganic sodium chloride – not only is
unnecessar y, but is harmful to the body’ s chemistry. In animal and human processes, organic sodium has
many important functions. For the transmission of the
electric induction current, which is generated in the
nerve spirals by ir on in the blood, a sodium liquid
is necessar y (as is shown by the construction of electric
batteries). For this purpose, th e normal blood serum
contains a comparatively large quantity of organic sodium
which favors and sustains the generation and conduction
of the body’ s electric currents. Moreover, organic sodium plays an important part
in the formation of saliva, pancreatic juice and bile. The
dissolving and r educing properties of sodium can be ver y
distinctly recognized in the emulsification and the
saponification of fats, especially in the bile. Organic
sodium is a fat fighter. It helps to keep the waxy killer,
cholesterol, at healthier levels of 150 to 180. Organic s odium is essential for purifying the system
of carbonaceous waste products. Let us remind you again
that sodium is of value to the body only when obtained
in organic form, as from fruits, vegetables  and kelp, etc. 95
Every man is the builder of a temple called his body. We are all
sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and
bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man’s features, any
meanness or sensuality to imbrute them. – Henry David Thoreau
The eating of much flesh fills us with a multitude of evil diseases
and multitudes of evil desires. – Porphyries, 233 A. D. It’s a little known fact that about 80% of sodium we eat comes not from salt
we add at the table or during cooking, but from processed, packaged foods,
canned, frozen and bakery products, etc. – Tufts University Nutrition Letter
God makes all things good; man meddles with
them and they can become evil. – Rousseau 96 As previously noted, inorganic salt is indigestible and
especially when eaten in large quantities is not easily
eliminated fr om the body. It is therefore deposited in the
tissues of the body and an insatiable craving for water
develops as the body attempts to wash the salt from its
system. Thus the tissues and the vital organs become
waterlogged. When this condition reaches the heart, we
have what is known as congestive heart failure. The heart
cannot function under the combined stress from hardened
arteries, added to the flabbiness from waterlogging. Congestive heart failure kills millions ever y year. Misinformation About Killer Salt
Using common table salt is one of the most twisted,
widespread habits and is injurious to your health. The
consumption of salt in the United States now amounts
to more than 100 pounds per person each year, and its
use is constantly increasing. The salt companies do a
thorough brainwashing job, even telling people they
need iodized salt to prevent goiter. Sodium chloride, or
common table salt, is an inorganic substance which has
been the subject of much confusion in the minds of
people for many years – particularly in regard to its
necessity as an adjunct to our food. We Constantly Hear These
Erroneous Statements About Salt:
• “The salt desire is instinctive to humans and animals. ”
• “It is the only substance which we take into our bodies
directly from mineral elements. ”
• “Common table salt is one of the most essential of
the mineral constituents of the body. ”
• “In hot weather, when we sweat a great deal, we lose
the salt from our bodies. Therefore we should use
large amounts of salt and salt tablets to replace it; or
else we get sick, weak and suffer from exhaustion. ”
• “Without salt, we would die. ”
• “When salt is entirely withheld from an animal, death
from salt star vation ensues. ” Salt – Harmful Preser vative – Don’t Use It. All of these assertions, and similar ones, are diametrically
opposed to the truth. Why should sodium chloride be an
exception among the other inorganic minerals. Salt has been used in the human diet for thousand
of years – but not because the human body needs it. Salt was the first food preser vative discovered by man. Salt is still used extensively in the preser vation of nearly
all foods, especially meats and cheeses. It is found in
baby foods, canned vegetables, canned fish, prepared
cereals, all commer cial breads and baker y goods. In fact,
it is ver y hard to find any foods in the super markets
that have not been contaminated with salt. Even in
this modern age of refrigeration and other mechanical
marvels, man still craves this primitive use of salt which
was used to preser ve and lengthen the shelf life of his
food – and consequently shortens his own. The salt eating habit is not instinctive. It is acquired,
as are the other health-destroying and life-shortening,
unhygienic habits, such as alcohol, smoking, drugs, etc. The taste or craving for salt is artificial, because salt
paralyzes the 260 taste buds in the mouth. Like any
other addiction, salt creates an unnatural craving by
deadening certain warning signals of the body. The advocates of salt point to the animals who often
travel miles to the so-called “salt licks”. My father
studied some of the natural “salt lick” deposits and, on
close examination, found little or no sodium. Cattle, like humans, do not need i norganic sodium. When cattle are fed herbage grown in soils that are poor
in mineral elements – especially sodium – such a s
mountain slopes where rains have carried away the most
soluble parts of the soil and deposited them in valley s,
they may tr y to satisfy this deficiency a t an artificial
(inorganic) “salt-lick”. An animal’ s taste buds, just like a human’ s, can be
perverted by salt. Often a salt block is put in the pastur e
so the cattle will lick it, become excessively thirsty and
consume large amounts of water. As in humans, the
97 98 result is waterlogged tissues. Consequently, the cattle
ranchers gain profit from waterlogged tissue weight when
the cattle are brought to market. Remember, when you eat
commer cial meat, it may be saturated with inorganic sa lt,
plus other toxins, hormones, drugs, etc. Don’ t make
matters worse by adding more table salt to it. see mad-cow. org
Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, seaweeds and salads
in your diet will supply your body with all the organic
sodium it needs. For your healthy liquids you will find
no pur er drink than the juice of fr esh organic fr uits
and vegetables and pur e distilled water. The “Fad” of Drinking Sea W


 experience of her friend, Oxford Professor of
English Literature Michael Gearin-Tosh, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1994. His
prognosis was poor: 6-9 months’ survival without any treatment, 1-2 years with “appropriate”
chemotherapy. Professor Gearin-Tosh refused the latter and after considerable searching chose
the Gerson Therapy, boosting it with meditation, acupuncture, and Chinese breathing exercises. He described the process from diagnosis to his then current state in his brilliant, highly amusing
book, Living Proof—A Medical Mutiny7 (Against expectations, he lived for 11 years and
eventually died of blood poisoning following dental work.) Watching her friend’s progress, Dr. Carmen Wheatley became intrigued by the fact that Dr. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 9 0Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comGerson, apparently intuitively, selected foods for his Therapy that have since, some 50 years later,
been shown to have anti-cancer properties. She wrote up her findings in an essay, titled “The Case
of the 0.005% Survivor,” which was peer-reviewed by four eminent physicians, and appeared
as an afterword in Professor Gearin-Tosh’s book. To start with, Dr. Wheatley points out that the
Gerson diet contains several foods in which modern research has identified some key cancer-
fighting components, e.g. flax seed oil with its important contents of Omega-3 fatty acids, fruits
rich in minerals and in bioflavonoids, vegetables of the cruciferous family, namely cauliflower,
cabbages and broccoli, whose anti-cancer properties are borne out by current scientific nutritional
research. She comments, “ Gerson’s fruit and vegetable diet could be subjected to exhaustive
analysis in the light of modern nutritional oncology research. He didn’t have any of this
scientific knowledge, yet empirically devised a method which ensures that a large range of
these products would be delivered to the cancer patient, intact and in pharmacologically
active doses ” (added emphasis). In the rest of her study Dr. Wheatley reviews further components of the Gerson Therapy,
from the value of juicing to the importance of coffee enemas and finds all of them scientifically
justified. In conclusion let us quote one of her shrewd comments: “ Conventional medical
methods of treating cancer—chemotherapy, radiation—routinely wipe out an already
depressed immune system and do little to restore it. Yet, as Gerson realized, it is the immune
system which is needed to fight cancer, and therefore building it up should enhance chances
of survival. ”
As time goes on and the lack of success of much of conventional oncology becomes ever
more obvious, research into nutritional therapies is bound to expand and take up its due place in
mainstream medicine. Its findings are bound to confirm again and again that the principles and
practice of the Gerson Therapy are sound and accurate, offering an eminently logical way to heal
disease and maintain health. References:
1. Cope, F.W. Physiological Chemistry and Physics, V ol.10, No.5. 1978
2. Ibid  V ol.9, No.6, 1977
3. Spain Ward, P. Monograph submitted to the US Office of Technology Assessment, 1988
4. Foster, H.D. International Journal of Biosocial Research, V ol.10, No.1, 1988
5. Sparmins, V.L; Lam, L.K.T; Wattenberg, L.W. Proceedings of the American Association
of Cancer Researchers and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 22:114, Abstract
453, 1981
6. Lechner, P. Aktuelle Ernaehrungsmedizin, V ol.2, No.5. 1990
7. Wheatley, C. in Living Proof— Medical Mutiny, by Michael Gearin-Tosh, Scribner, 2002
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 9 1Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 9
The Gerson Household
Whether a patient is able to spend some time at a Gerson facility or decides to embark on the
therapy at home, the longest part of the healing process—up to two years or more with malignant
disease, much less with other chronic conditions—will have to take place in his or her residence. For the duration of the treatment the home needs to be turned into a kind of private clinic, where
everything serves the goal of getting well, and nothing is allowed to interfere with that process. How do we go about that? Quite simply by bearing in mind that the twin pillars of the Gerson
program are nutrition and detoxification. Since the ill patient suffering from a chronic disease is
both toxic and nutritionally deficient, as a first task the household has to be cleared of all toxic
chemicals and damaging materials or appliances. These are present in vast arrays in most modern
households. Chemical cleansers, gadgets and labor-saving devices emitting harmful radiation or
so-called electro-smog are used daily and taken for granted. It’s only when their dire effects on
the body are understood that we get rid of them. As the second pillar of the therapy is to provide the patient with hyper-nutrition, a suitably
equipped kitchen is the all-important center where all foods and juices are prepared daily in large
amounts. Let us start by listing the correct equipment for a smoothly running, efficient Gerson
kitchen. Refrigerator : one very large one or two of average size will be needed to store the large
quantities of organic produce required. A cool, preferably dark, well-ventilated pantry or laundry
room is ideal for storing root vegetables, which don’t need refrigeration. Juice Machines
As freshly made organic juices are one of the most important healing components of the
Gerson program, they must be of the best possible quality, and therefore it is vital to choose the
most efficient juicer—one that will stand up to constant use over two years or so. There are plenty of models on the market. The simplest and cheapest is the centrifugal type,
one of the first to become widely available. It is wasteful, produces deficient, enzyme-poor juice
and cannot be used for healing. Another type is the Champion juicer, which extracts more minerals as well as more fluid. However, it is not satisfactory in itself, since what it produces is not so much juice as a mushy
layer of vegetables on top of a watery base. Even so, the Champion juicer can be used, but as a
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 9 2Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comgrinder only. The machine comes with a plate that can be placed under the base where the strainer
is usually located, releasing the ground up pulpy material. This then has to be put through a hand-
operated press, based on a hydraulic jack, to squeeze the juice from the pulped vegetables. The
cost of the two items runs at present [2006] at about $400.The Champion is widely available in
the US and in several other countries. For the manual press, contact www.juicepressfactory.com. Other machines, imported from Korea but also made in the US use two interlocking helical
blades, which grind against each other. They do a better extracting job than the Champion alone
and may be used, especially if the patient is not suffering from advanced cancer. However, these
“one-process” juicers do not actually conform to Dr. Gerson’s instruction to use a two-process
method, consisting of a grinder and a press, for obtaining the best juice. These juicers are claimed
to extract more enzymes than the Norwalk (see below), but no mention is made of the equally
important mineral extraction. The cost of these machines is between $750-900. The Norwalk : The best two-process juicer is the Norwalk, which is also most attractively
styled, with a stainless steel exterior, or a wood grain plastic outer cover. Naturally in either model
all parts of the machine that come in contact with food are made from stainless steel. The Norwalk
is fully automatic, with a simple lever activating the press. Well serviced and guaranteed, it
is also the most expensive juicer, costing at present: $2,100-2,250. The stainless steel exterior
model also has a lever that adjusts it to the 220-240 volt current used in Europe. For information
call 1-800-405-8423 (outside USA 760-755-8423). http://www.nwjcal.com. Taking Care of Your Juice Machine
Aside from your normal routine of maintaining maximum cleanliness in the kitchen, it is
especially important to keep your juicer clean and free from dried up juice or fibers. Since these
are raw, they can easily spoil, dry, and attract flies and other insects, not to mention germs or
worse. To avoid contamination, the juicer must be cleaned after each use. This should not take up
much extra


 arrive from Mars or  someplace. If it wasn’ t here, you wouldn’ t be capable of visualizing it. How could you
visualize what it would be like t o be able to do something that is impossible
for y ou to do? How could you visualize yourself being an enti ty that lives
on N eptune when you hardly kn ow anything about Neptune and have never
been there? Y ou wouldn’ t visua lize yourself as some creature m ade out of
gases or  vapors. However, it is important to remember not to p ut limits on
yourself when it comes to what you are capable of realizing here on planet
Earth. I read a very interesting study done with unemployed people who were
asked to visualize themselves ge tting a job. One of the people had had a job
that paid  $25,00 0 a year. Anothe r person’ s previous job had pai d $50,000 a
year. An other w as an executive whose job had paid $250,000  a year. All
three were told to practice this visualization technique: See your self wit h a
job, see yoursel f working again, and then act on that visualization. Each
one of them did so, and as they saw themselves working again, that thought
began to manifest itself and they began to act on it. Three months later, all of the s ubjects were employed again. The first
person, who’d had a $25,000 job, now had another $25,000 job. The
$50,000-a-year p erson had a job  paying that same salary. And the executive
had a job payi ng $250,000. It wasn’ t because these individuals lacked
special training or abilities that would keep them from having higher -paying
jobs. Th ey got the jobs that the y saw themselves having; that’ s what they
imagined for themselves. A jo b is n’ t going to arrive from another planet; a job is already here. Y ou
just have to tune in to it now and connect to it. So if you imagine yourself
working as a cle rk and tell yourself, That’ s all I’m capable of doing  and I
can’ t go beyond that, the n you look for and act on clerk kinds of images. W ithout the thought, you can’ t get the job. The job is a thought. Every day
you get up and think, and then y ou get into your formation and  go do your
job. The $50,000-a-year guy was a salesperson who saw himself c ontinuing
to make  that salary, so that’ s what he went after. His vision wa s not one ofabundance; it was of scarcity. I t’ s like he told himself, Ther e’ s a limit o n
how muc h mone y I can make because of my history, because of my training,
because of whatever it is that I’ve convinced myself of. The executive went
for anot her executive position and matched his previous salary as well. Everyone in the study essentially stayed at the same level they were before. Examples like these preclude anybody from saying, “Y eah, all of this
fancy higher -consciousness, spirituality, transformational kind of talk, it’ s
very interesting and nice. If I’ve got time and all that, I’ll get in to it.” Such
people are missing the message that James Allen talked about:
circumstances do not make a man; they reveal him. WHERE ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR FOCUS? Many o f us find ourselves looking at our life backward, which is what
the e go encourages us to do. It doesn’ t want us to face inward and contact
the h igher self, which encourages us to be present. W e need to stop looking
in a rear view mirror and turn toward the now, to see how our li fe can work
in a new and authentically free way. Y ou can start by asking yourself this question: What do  I want to expand
in my life? If you want positive things to expand, for example, then keep
thinking positiv e thoughts as much as possible. Y ou’ll act on that vision,
and positivity will expand for you. I o nce saw a wonderful story on TV about Mary Thomas, the m other of
Isiah Th omas, th e great basketball star of the Detroit Pistons. At one point
she said, “I’m not poor. I’ve been broke, I’ve been without money, but I’m
not poor. I’ve never been poor, and I never will be poor.” This is the kind of
consciousness th at I’m talking about. If you focus on what y ou want to
expand in your l ife instead of w hat you don’ t have, then what you focus on
is going to expand. When I was doing a radio show some years back, a man calle d in who
was now  a medical doctor. He h ad been one of 14 children growing up in a
very poor part of Jamaica, but his grandmother always told him, “Y our
mind is more powerful than anything else.” He was calling the show to
validate some of the things I was saying on the air, because I was getting
resistance from some of the people out there who were saying, “How canyou say the kinds of things that you’re saying to people who are in such
poor circumstances? Don’ t you have any pity for them?” and so on. I r eplied, “The whole focus of  what I’m saying is that these are the
people who need to hear what I’ve got to say the most. And that if you get
yourself focused on what you want and never let your mind detract from
that, then you’ll act on that and eventually move out of those
circumstances.”
This fellow who called in shared how he had always wanted  to be a
doctor, and everybody laughed at the idea of this poverty-stricken boy, in
this little village in Jamaica, ever becoming a doctor. “But my g randmother
always said, ‘Never get the idea out of your mind. Never, ever let that idea
go. Just keep that thought there, no matter what.’”
He adde d, “I never did let it go ; I always thought it. The more I thought
it, the more I began to act on it. As I acted on it, I began to do two jobs
instead o f one, and then three jobs, and then I sent away for medical books,
and I studied hard. I saved all my money, and I applied for scholarships.”
This man proved that the ancestor to every action is a thought. All his
actions c ame fro m one thought, which was, I am  go ing to be a doctor. At
the time  of this radio show, he  had a big practice in W ashington, D.C.,
where he was a well-renowned heart sur geon. He had become a person of
means, b ut he was also incredibl y happy in his dream profession. And all of
this had happened because he never got rid of the thought. So w hen it comes to what you want to expand in your own life, keep
focused on that thought, couple d with a strong image, and be w illing to do
whatever it takes to make it happen. When you do, you’ll embody one of
my favorite quotes of all time b y Henry David Thoreau, which has been a
guiding force my whole life: “I f one advances confidently in the direction
of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will
meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
CHAPTER 10
LEARN T O MEDIT A TE AND
TRAIN YOUR MIND
It’ s n ot a n accid ent that all the great spiritual masters have encouraged a
kind of meditation practice of o ne kind or another. While most spiritually
advanced people do it on a regular basis, I highly recommend  meditation
for everyone. Y ou might have the false notion that meditation isn’ t for you;
it’ s t he k ind of thing made up by  some Far Eastern guru with a loincloth. If
so, I want you  to reframe that concept and know that it i s a way to
understand that there is another world available to us when we do it. I’m
talking about the world of the mind. When we go into that world, we discover many things about ourselves. For exam ple, w e become conscious of the thoughts that we have all the
time and how m uch “disasterizing” we do—and how what we  occupy our
minds with is often so unnecessary, silly, foolish, and even destructive. Recall th at one of the keys to h igher awareness is “shut down the inner
dialogue.” Y ou want to be able to have an open, clear, and calm  mind, not
have a thousand thoughts rampaging throu gh. Meditation will help you
quiet your mind and hear your Divine wisdom. THE IMPOR TANCE OF TRAINING
Many of  us seem to believe tha t whatever we think just sort of happens,
and we can’ t help it. There’ s a thought, and it’ s simply there. It’ s  what I call
the pop- in theor y of thinking: Y ou’re walking along and all o f a sudden,
W ow. What was that? W ell, now a thought popped in.


ranchi@hotmail.framou nt of salts excreted in the urine decreases. The treatment of glomerulonephritis requires
long- term intake of different drugs to relieve the
exacerbation, which usually manifests as swell-
ing and an increase in the amount of protein and
red blood cells. After 3 or 4 days of fasting, swell-
ing is relieved and the amount of removed fluid
is normalized. Urine composition is completely
normalized within a few days of the end of the
fast and remains healthy. Dry fasting is very effective in treating inflam-
matory diseases of kidneys and the urinary tract. The effect is achieved regardless of the pathogen
type. Dry fasting was successfully used to treat
sexually transmitted diseases in ancient times. In
patients with pyelonephritis, fasting quickly re-
lieves inflammation, solves urination problems
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fr(frequent or rare, painful urination), relieves low
back pain and lower abdominal pain, and im-
proves urine test results (leukocytes, high pro-
tein, bacteria, and salts disappear). It’s necessary to remember that kidneys are
very closely related to the liver. In most cases,
kidney diseases are caused by the inability of the
liver to perform its functions normally. There-
fore, it’s important to conduct cleansing proce-
dures before fasting and follow a diet afterwards. Properly co nducted dry fasting is very often ef-
fective for most kidney diseases. Myth #4. Fasting is a huge stress for the body. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frStress is an inevitable part of life. Stress is a spe-
cial bodily state characterized by increased
"alertness" and resistance to all damaging envi-
ronmental factors without exception. Our modern life is constant stress. Surgery is a
huge stress for the body, especially for young
women. Most importantly, the cause of the dis-
ease remains after it. Well, fasting is also a stress
for the body, just like a cold, but stress shouldn’t
necessarily be equated with harm. It's one thing
when a person is hungry because he has nothing
to eat, and there is a real threat of starvation. In
this case, you can get seriously ill in two days. Something similar happens when a person gets
lost or during DIY experiments, such as popular
diets. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frDry therapeutic fasting is an entirely different
thing because people don’t eat or drink volun-
tarily under doctors’ supervision, get medical
help and psychological support. There are com-
fortable conditions and many recreational pro-
cedures. State of mind, mood, and preparation
are very important for any type of fasting. People shouldn’t force themselves to suffer
without their favorite meals for a few days. One
has to be in a positive state of mind. This is the
only case that guarantees success because the
brain neither recognizes danger nor sends hun-
ger signals. It doesn’t produce stress hormones. On the 3rd day of fasting, the hormone serotonin
starts being actively produced and brings feel-
ings of inner harmony and satisfaction. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frAbstaining from food (even if it’s voluntary) is
stress for a living organism, which mobilizes
bodily defenses to overcome a difficult situation,
as it uses its endogenous reserves in the absence
of exogenous nutrition. At the same time, every-
thing less important for life support is used (pro-
cessed) "according to the law of hierarchy", in-
cluding inflammation products, adipose tissue,
etc. When the body is faced with physiological or
natural stress, the activity of the endocrine
glands increases and the autonomous nervous
system is rejuvenation, in addition to improve-
ment of other mechanisms. People involuntarily
enter a state of increased activity: they need to
look for food and water. The psychologica l back-
ground is altered, minor problems are no longer
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frimportant. The mechanisms of biochemical de-
tox are switched on: the burning of fat and liver
glycogen stores enhances and the blood compo-
sition changes. An experienced doctor regulates this process of
managed stress. Myth #5. Many nutritionists claim that people
suffer from vitamin deficiency while fasting, the
body doesn’t receive protein on time, and it burns
structural proteins of its own tissues, primarily
muscles, in addition to fat. When it comes to vitamin deficiency, it’s ab-
sent during therapeutic fasting. The opposite
opinion appeared in the media along with the
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frstudy of different low -quality and fancy diets
(rice, Japanese, Kremlin, etc.). Complete absti-
nence from food and water (it’s called a zero
diet) is also criticized together with these diets. This is what nutritionists consider a possible vit-
amin deficiency during prolonged fasting. It’s
assumed on the basis of a simple analogy: they
say fasting should lead to vitamin deficiency if a
diet that lacks sufficient minerals, micronutri-
ents, and vitamins causes it. However, it turns
out that the opposite is the case. According to numerous studies, the body
doesn’t waste energy on digestion, absorption,
or excretion during therapeutic fasting. At the
same time, the need for minerals is significantly
reduced, and the body uses its current reserves
more sparingly. That’s why there’s no vitamin
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frdeficiency while fasting even if this problem is
often caused by mono diets that allows the con-
sumption of refined and denatured food prod-
ucts. The internal food reserve is the evolution ben-
efit that increases survival chances of in the ab-
sence of food. These are high -calorie lipids dis-
solved in body fluids, liver and muscle glycogen,
and specialized cells or adipose tissue. Cells of
this tissue, adipocytes, are rich in fat and serve as
living energy carriers. During the growth, their
number increases with sufficient nutrition. They
become an internal source of food while fasting. Living storage cells are an excellent solution to
proper nutrition! Think about the efforts taken
to keep food warm and in good condition for a
long time at no extra cost! Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frDuring fasting, adipocytes provide the body
not only with energy, but also with almost all its
vital components. A person who conducts fast-
ing properly doesn’t have any diseases caused by
malnutrition. One kilogram of adipose tissue is
enough for 5 days of proper nutrition! Even the
body of a fit person consists of 25% of adipose
tissue. Dry or absolute fasting (wi thout water) has two
huge benefits. Patients lose less muscle tissue
than adipose tissue. The loss of muscle and adi-
pose tissue is almost the same as during water
fasting. With dry fasting, adipose tissue breaks
down 3 -4 times faster than the muscle tissue  be-
cause more than 90% of adipose tissue consists
of water, and muscle tissue remains relatively in-
tact. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frA hundred years ago, academician V.V. Pashutin32 found out that pathologically
changed tissues are burned while fasting based
on long -term and in -depth studies. Relieving the
body from old, sick, dead, weak, flabby, decom-
posing cells and tissues is a powerful therapeutic
effect for many diseases. After all, healthy tissues
are renewed with no harm, thus causing the re-
juvenation effect noted by all researchers, both
ancient and modern. All vital organs - the heart,
central nervous system, brain, and endocrine

32 Viktor  Vasilyevich  Pashutin  (1845 -1901 ) was a Russian pato-
physiologist, one of the founders of the pathophysiologic  school in
Russia and of pathophysiology as an independent scientifi c disci-
pline. A substantial contribution to fasting therapy studi es was made
by V.V. Pashutin in his f undamental work Kurs Obshchey i Eksper-
imentalnoy Patologii (Course of General and Experimental Pathol-
ogy) in two volumes, N.A. Lebedev


intestine. It
is
recommended
to
use
quarter
urine. However,
it
must
be
drunk
while
gradually
replacing
fresh
urine
evaporated
as
in
point
3. When
using
such
urine,
we
must
refrain
from
salty,
refined
and
artificial
food. Everything
must
be
natural. 5)
To
suppress
dysmicrobia
in
the
small
intestine. We
drink
our
own
fresh
urine
(children's,
possibly
activated
by
cold)
2
-
3
times
a
day
before
meals
50
-
100
grams. We
exclude
the
diet
with
the
use
of
yeast. 6)
To
treat
gallstones
and
liver
diseases. Drink
50-100
grams
of
urine
"in
one
gulp"
three
times
a
day
before
meals. 7)
For
any
infectious
diseases
we
drink
50
to
100
grams
at
a
time
in
odd
sips
during
the
aggravation
of
the
disease. 8)
To
increase
immunity
and
for
hormonal
problems. Drink
2-3
times
a
day
50
to
100
grams. 9)
To
heal
and
heal
the
kidneys. As
in
point
8,
drink
urine
until
completely
cured. 10)
As
a
nutritional
aid
in
prevention. Drink
100-200
grams
of
urine
2-4
times
a
day. 11)
For
quick
cleansing
of
the
digestive
tract. Urine
collected
during
the
whole
day
should
be
drunk
within
2-4
days. Repeat
after
a
week. Use
urine
drinking
mainly
in
the
second
and
fourth
phases
of
the
monthly
cycle. To
enhance
the
effect,
a
little
evaporated
can
be
added
to
fresh
urine. Combine
with
an
enema. 12)
As
a
diuretic
in
heart
diseases. Drink
as
in
case
8
until
the
desired
result
is
achieved. Reception
of
urine
by
enema
If
by
drinking
urine
we
mainly
affect
the
upper
part
of
the
digestive
tract,
then
using
urine
to
the
enema
will
allow
us
to
act
especially
on
the
large
intestine. Drink
and
enema,
applied
together,
they
heal
the
entire
digestive
tract. Urine
and
its
various
variants
(evaporated,
children's,
activated,
saturated
with
minerals,
pregnancy,
etc.) is
the
best
means
for
enemas. First
of
all,
it
meets
the
main
criterion
-
safety,
its
use
practically
excludes
the
possibility
of
overdose. Second,
it
disinfects
the
colon
without
irritating
its
walls. Thirdly,
it
adjusts
the
pH
of
the
environment
in
a
natural
way
and
suppresses
the
pathogenic
microflora
of
the
colon
without
affecting
the
healthy
one. Fourth,
thanks
to
osmosis,
it
absorbs
water
into
the
intestine
and
thus
cleans
its
walls. Fifth,
with
its
anti-inflammatory
properties,
it
perfectly
restores
the
mucosa
damaged
by
colitis
(inflammation)
or
other
diseases. Sixth,
the
urine
radically,
but
at
the
same
time,
gently
expels
all
parasites
from
the
large
intestine
(polyps,
worms). Seventhly,
if
you
have
cleansed
the
thick
with
the
help
of
urine
enemas
intestine
and
adjusted
its
activity,
you
have
greatly
increased
your
own
energy,
strengthened
your
immune
(defensive)
system
and
thus
extended
their
lives. Methods
of
using
urine
by
enema
1)
To
cleanse
the
colon. It
is
best
to
start
these
procedures
with
your
own
urine. Before
use,
you
heat
it
up
and
boil
the
old
one
and
cool
it
down
to
body
temperature. Since
urine
enemas
are
very
effective,
the
doses
of
urine
should
not
be
too
large,
from
500
to
1000
grams
of
urine
per
procedure. I
do
enemas
daily
(especially
now
in
Yemen)
from
the
urine
collected
for
awhole
24
hours
(it
contains
all
the
supporting
and
healing
substances),
which
is
usually
more
than
two
liters. Normally,
however,
after
10
-
15
procedures
that
you
do
every
other
day,
it
is
effective
to
perform
the
same
amount
of
enemas
with
evaporated
urine,
half
or
quarter
according
to
tolerance. Again,
you
can
increase
the
doses
gradually,
from
100
to
500
grams
by
adding
50-100
grams
with
each
procedure. When
you
reach
a
dose
of
500
grams,
you
start
reducing
the
amount
in
reverse
order. Furthermore,
similar
enemas
must
be
done
with
different
types
of
urine
depending
on
the
state
of
health
and
in
accordance
with
the
lunar
cycle
(on
special
days
of
the
second
and
fourth
phases). Urine
can
be
saturated
with
salts
and
trace
elements,
e.g. from
seaweed. Urine
can
also
be
diluted
with
herbal
tea,
the
more
you
use
the
better. See
the
chapters
on
herbs
and
baths
in
my
book
Doctor
Yourself. 2)
To
heal
the
body
and
nourish
it
with
minerals
and
trace
elements,
to
increase
energy. For
this
purpose,
make
small
enemas
with
a
balloon
of
20
-
50
grams,
which
can
contain
decoctions
of
herbs,
fruits,
seaweed
and
similar
ingredients. If
you
overdo
it
dosage,
you
simply
cannot
hold
urine,
it
acts
as
a
laxative. 3)
K
elimination
of
polyps,
parasites
and
various
problems
and
diseases
of
the
large
intestine
use
option
1. 4)
To
prevent
constipation,
stimulate
and
restore
peristalsis
of
the
large
intestine. Use
micro-enemas
of
evaporated
quarter
urine
100
grams
every
other
day
until
normal
stools
appear. Pay
attention
to
diet
and
lifestyle. You
need
to
eliminate
the
cause
of
the
constipation. If
so
won't
happen,
the
enemas
will
only
have
a
temporary
effect. There
is
no
need
to
be
afraid
of
enemas
with
evaporated
urine,
it
is
a
natural
remedy
that
does
not
disturb
the
body's
functions
and
does
not
lead
to
habituation. I
have
tried
this
100%. After
several
years
of
regular
enemas,
I
have
stools
like
never
before. In
the
same
way,
many
of
my
acquaintances
praise
the
improved
peristalsis
and
the


 in and sat her down at a desk, fitting an inhaler
mask over her face, connected to an inhaler bag that contained a few
lungfuls of 35 percent carbon dioxide and the rest room air. They explained
to S. M. that the carbon dioxide would not damage her body, her tissues and
brain would have plenty of oxygen. She would never be in any danger. Hearing this, S. M. looked the way she always looked: bored. “W e weren’ t expecting anything to happen,” Feinstein told me. “Nobody was.” A few moments later, Feinstein released the carbon dioxide
mix into the mouthpiece. S. M. inhaled. Right away, her droopy eyes grew wider. Her shoulder muscles tensed,
her breathing became labored. She grabbed at the desk. “Help me!” she
yelled through the mouthpiece. S. M. lifted an arm and waved it as if she
were drowning. “I can’ t!” she screamed. “I can’ t breathe!” A researcher
yanked the mask of f, but it didn’ t help. S. M. jerked wildly and gasped. Aminute or so later, she dropped her arms and returned to breathing slowly
and calmly. A single puf f of carbon dioxide did to S. M. what no snakes, horror
movies, or thunderstorms could. For the first time in 30 years, she’d felt
fear, a full-fledged panic attack. Her amygdalae hadn’ t grown back. Her
brain was the same as it had always been. But some dormant switch had
suddenly been flipped. S. M. refused to inhale carbon dioxide again. Y ears later, the mere idea
of it stressed her out. So Feinstein and his researchers confirmed the results
with two German twins who also suf fered from Urbach-W iethe disease. The
twins had lost their amygdalae, and neither had felt fear in a decade. A
single inhalation of carbon dioxide quickly changed that when both suf fered
the same debilitating anxiety, panic, and crushing fear as S. M.
The textbooks were wrong. The amygdalae were not the only “alarm
circuit of fear.” There was another, deeper circuit in our bodies that was
generating perhaps a more powerful sense of danger than anything the
amygdalae alone could muster. It was shared not only by S. M., the German
twins, and the few dozen others with Urbach-W iethe disease, but by
everyone and almost every living thing—all people, animals, even insects
and bacteria. It was the deep fear and crushing anxiety that comes from the feeling of
not being able to take another breath. •       •       •
T ake a sip of air through the nose or mouth. For this exercise, it doesn’ t
matter. Now hold it. In a few moments, you’ll feel a slight hunger for more. As this hunger mounts, the mind will race, the lungs will ache. Y ou’ll
become nervous, paranoid, and irritable. Y ou’ll start to panic. All senses
will zero in on that miserable, suf focating feeling, and your sole desire will
be to take another breath. The nagging need to breathe is activated from a cluster of neurons called
the central chemoreceptors, located at the base of the brain stem. When
we’re breathing too slowly and carbon dioxide levels rise, the central
chemoreceptors monitor these changes and send alarm signals to the brain,
telling our lungs to breathe faster and more deeply. When we’re breathing
too quickly, these chemoreceptors direct the body to breathe more slowly toincrease carbon dioxide levels. This is how our bodies determine how fast
and often we breathe, not by the amount of oxygen, but by the level of
carbon dioxide. Chemoreception is one of the most fundamental functions of life. When
the first aerobic life forms evolved two and a half billion years ago, they
had to sense carbon dioxide to avoid it. The chemoreception that developed
passed up through bacteria to more complex life. It’ s what stimulates the
suf focating feeling you just felt holding your breath. As humans evolved, our chemoreception became more plastic, meaning
it could flex and shift with changing environments. It’ s this ability to adapt
to dif ferent levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen that helped humans
colonize altitudes 800 feet below and 16,000 feet above sea level. T oday, chemoreceptor flexibility is part of what distinguishes good
athletes from great ones. It’ s why some elite mountain climbers can summit
Everest without supplemental oxygen, and why some freedivers can hold
their breath underwater for ten minutes. All these people have trained their
chemoreceptors to withstand extreme fluctuations in carbon dioxide without
panic. Physical limits are only half of it. Our mental health relies on
chemoreceptor flexibility as well. S. M. and the German twins didn’ t suf fer
from a debilitating panic attack and anxiety because of mental illness. They
suf fered because of a broken line of communication between their
chemoreceptors and the rest of their brains. This may sound very basic: of course we’re conditioned to panic when
we’re denied a breath or think we’re about to be. But the scientific reason
for that panic—that it can be generated by chemoreceptors and br eathing
instead of by external psychological threats processed by the amygdalae—is
profound. All this suggests that for the past hundred years psychologists may have
been treating chronic fears, and all the anxieties that come with them, in the
wrong way. Fears weren’ t just a mental problem, and they couldn’ t be
treated by simply getting patients to think dif ferently. Fears and anxiety had
a physical manifestation, too. They could be generated from outside the
amygdalae, from within a more ancient part of the reptilian brain. Eighteen percent of Americans suf fer from some form of anxiety or
panic, with these numbers rising every year. Perhaps the best step in
treating them, and hundreds of millions of others around the world, was byfirst conditioning the central chemoreceptors and the rest of the brain to
become more flexible to carbon dioxide levels. By teaching anxious people
the art of holding their breath. —
As far back as the first century BCE, inhabitants of what is now India
described a system of conscious apnea, which they claimed restored health
and ensured long life. The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu spiritual text written
around 2,000 years ago, translated the breathing practice of pranayama to
mean “trance induced by stopping all breathing.” A few centuries after that,
Chinese scholars wrote several volumes detailing the art of breathholding. One text, A Book on Br eath by the Master Gr eat Nothing of Sung-Shan,
of fered this advice:
Lie down every day, pacify your mind, cut of f thoughts and
block the breath. Close your fists, inhale through your nose, and
exhale through your mouth. Do not let the breathing be audible. Let it be most subtle and fine. When the breath is full, block it. The blocking (of the breath) will make the soles of your feet
perspire. Count one hundred times “one and two.” After
blocking the breath to the extreme, exhale it subtly. Inhale a little
more and block (the breath) again. If (you feel) hot, exhale with
“Ho.” If (you feel) cold, blow the breath out and exhale it with
(the sound) “Ch’ui.” If you can breathe (like this) and count to
one thousand (when blocking), then you will need neither grains
nor medicine. T oday, breathholding is associated almost entirely with disease. “Don’ t
hold your breath,” the adage goes. Denying our bodies a consistent flow of
oxygen, we’ve been told, is bad. For the most part, this is sound advice. Sleep apnea, a form of chronic unconscious breathholding, is terribly
damaging, as most of us know by now, causing or contributing to
hypertension, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, and more. Breathholding during waking hours is injurious as well, and more
widespread.Up to 80 percent of of fice workers (according to one estimate) suf fer
from something called continuous partial attention. W e’ll scan our email,
write something down, check T witter, and do it all over again, never really
focusing on any specific task. In this state of perpetual distraction, breathing
becomes shallow and erratic. Sometimes we won’ t breathe at all for a half
minute or longer. The problem is serious enough that the National Institutes
of Health has enlisted several researchers, including Dr. David Anderson
and Dr. Mar garet Chesney, to study its ef fects over the past decades. Chesney told me that the habit, also known as “email apnea,” can contribute
to the same maladies as sleep apnea. How could modern science and ancient practices be so at odds? Again, it comes down to will. The breathholding that occurs in sleep and
constant partial attention is unconscious —it’ s something that happens to our
bodies, something that’ s out of our control. The breathholding practiced by
the ancients and revivalists is conscious. These are practices we will
ourselves to do. And when we do them properly, I’d heard they can work wonders. •       •       •


. These perennial plants belong to the
sunflower family, of which thistles are members. Globe artichokes (Cynara
scolymus)  are the unopened flower buds o f the plant. Although traditionally
harvested in the spring, artichokes are now available year -round in some
places, with peak seasons being spring and fall. The Jerusalem artichoke,
also known as sunchoke, is a tuber and not suitable for canning. Good Pr eserving V arieties
Big Heart:  Con ical with a wide base, this a rtichoke is thornless and easy to
prepare for preserving; available early spring, summer and fall. Desert Globe:  W inter and early spring availability; plump heavy hearts. Gr een Globe:  From California and available year -round, the roundish
globe-shaped varieties are prevalent in winter and spring; the conical,
thornier varieties are available in summer and fall. Pur chasing/Storing
• 1 globe artichoke weighs about 1 lb (500 g), about half that when
trimmed. • Y ou will need 3 to 4 lb (1.5 to 2 kg) for each quart (1 L) jar. Artichokes are actually flower buds, and the bracts (green petal-like leaves)
should be tightly closed when you buy them. Select artichokes that are firm
and heavy for their size because that indicates a lar ge edible heart. W inter
harvests may show frost damage (bronze or brown tinges) o n the outer
bracts, a cosmetic defect only (many people prefer the nuttie r flavour offrost-damaged artichokes). Keep moist: store in the refrigerator wrapped in
a damp towel for up to 1 week, but try to preserve them as soon as possible. Good W ith
• Lemon herbs such as lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena. • Savoury seasonings such as coriander, cumin, parsley, raspberry vinegar. • All cheeses, especially Parmesan, Gruyère, pecorino and goat cheese. • Sauces such as aïoli, tartar sauce, Asparagus Sauce. • Other vegetables, such as eggplant, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, zucchini. • V eal, beef, tuna, swordfish, shrimp, chicken. • T oasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds. • Often served as appetizers or starters. Pr eparation
1. T o pr event discolouration,  in  a lar ge canner or soup pot, mix 1/2 cup
(125 mL ) fresh lemon juice or 1  tsp (5 mL) crystalline ascorbic  acid or six
500 mg vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon (4 L) cool water. 2. T rim:  Sna p of f the dark green outer le aves, leaving the pale, tender in ner
leaves on the stem. T rim of f all but 1/2 inch (1 cm) of the stem. T rim away
the top third of the artichoke leaves. As you trim each artichoke, place in
the pan of acidulated water. 3. Blanch:  Place a pie plate on the artichokes to submer ge them in the
water in order t o blanch them e venly. Bring the water to a boil over high
heat. Co ver and simmer for 5 m inutes. Remove pie plate and lif t artichokes
out of the water. Immerse in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. 4. Quar ter and Cut A way Ch oke:  Use a paring knife to peel away the
tough outer layer of the stem and to remove the base of the leaves. Cut the
artichoke in half, then in half again. Use a spoon to scoop away  and discard
the hairy choke at the centre of each quarter. Using scissors, clip and
discard t horny to ps of inner leaves of each quarter. As the artichokes are cut
and trimmed, pack them into hot quart jars (see step 4).Canning Artichokes
Commercially c anned artichokes are preserved in a marinade  of oil and
vinegar with some herbs added. Home pressure canners cannot reach the
temperatures required to kill spore-forming bacteria, and home canning in
oil is not safe. This sweet vineg ar brine adds enough acid to the non-acid
artichokes to enable you to safe ly process them using a water bath. Do not
substitute water or broth for the brine; or, if you do, be sure to process using
a pressure canner following the manufacturer ’ s instructions for time at your
elevation. See detailed canning information, Preparing and Canning V egetables. 1. T rim, blanch and quarter  artichokes as described above. 2. Pr epar e Equipment:  W ash and heat pint (2-cup/500 mL) or quart (1 L)
jars, and  scald the lids, funnel, la dle and tongs ( Boiling W ater Method, Step
by Step ). 3. Make  V ineg ar Brine to cov er artichokes. Y ou will need about 1-1/2
cups (37 5 mL) per quart (1 L) jar quartered artichokes. In a lar ge saucepan,
combine 1 cup (250 mL) white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed
brown s ugar. Br ing to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup (250 m L) chopped
onion and 2 cloves garlic, cho pped, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes or
until oni on is translucent. Add 2  tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley and 1
tbsp (15  mL) fresh thyme leaves and boil for 1 minute. Keep  simmering
until ready to use. Makes 1-1/2 cups (325 mL). 4. Pack artichokes into jars:  Fill  hot  jars with prepared artichokes, packed
fairly tightly. Cover with hot V inegar Brine, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm)
headspace. Run a non-metallic u tensil around the inside of the jar to allow
air t o escape. Add hot brine, if necessary, to leave a 1-inc h (2.5 cm)
headspace. W ipe rims, top with flat lids and screw on metal rings. Return
jars to the hot water bath, topping up with hot water if necessary. Bring to a
full rolling boil and process ja rs for 15 minutes ( Boiling W ater Method,
Step by Step ).OR
Process artichok es in a Pressure Canner according to the chart below for
Dial-Gauge or follow manufacturer ’ s instructions. 5. Cool, Label and Stor e:  L ift jars from c anner and place on a clean towel
or rack. Do not re-tighten screw bands. Let the jars cool to room
temperature. This may take from 12 to 24 hours. Remove and store screw
bands. Check lid seals ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by  Step ). W ipe and
label sealed jars. Store in a cool, dark place. r o a s t e d  c h i c k e n  t h i g h s,  a r t i c h o k e s  a n d
n e w  p o t a t o e s
The r eally gr eat thing about having artichokes pr eserved in vine gar brine is
that with the ad dition of olive oil, the vinegar makes an easy sauce or
vinaigr ette for salads and blanched vegetables. Garlic gr eens ar e the grass-
like new shoots of garlic ( Spring Herbs ). Simila r to chives but with mor e of
a ga rlic flavour, garlic gr eens can be harvested for a week or  two in the
spring, dried using a drying ma chine, and powder ed for use in  seasonings
later. In th e sp ring, when new potatoe s appear, this dish is the one I usually make. In the photo, I have used blue, yellow and r ed potatoes for colour andinter est. The canned artichokes make a convenient sophisticated addition to
what is essentially r oasted chicken and spring vegetables. Rimmed baking sheet, lightly oiled
Heated platter
Pr eheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
MAKES 4 SER VINGS
4 large bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of skin and excess fat
sea salt and pepper
1 quart (1 L) artichokes packed in vinegar brine, drained, brine
r eserved
1 lb (500 g) small new potatoes or fingerlings, halved
4 carr ots, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, halved lengthwise if thick
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
2 cups (500 mL) chopped garlic gr eens or chives, divided
3 tbsp (45 mL) fr esh thyme leaves
1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil, optional, for dr essing

1. On prepared  baking sheet, arrange chicken thighs, well spaced, and
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1/4 cup (50