 fears
are groundless. Once the liver and the digestive system are fully restored, normal elimination
takes over, even in those who had previously suffered from constipation.
The Castor Oil Treatment
As we explained above, the toxins released from the liver by the all-important coffee enema
still have a long way to travel, down the 25-27 feet long small intestine, then through the 4-5 feet
of large intestine, before they can leave the body via the anus. In the course of this evacuation it is
unavoidable that some of the released toxins get re-absorbed. It takes time—sometimes too much
time—to expel from the body the accumulated residues of years of faulty eating, plus the toxic
breakdown products of tumors. Time being of the essence on the program, particularly in the case
of seriously ill patients, Dr. Gerson saw a real need to speed up the elimination process in order
to reduce the re-absorption to a minimum. To achieve this, and also to clear accumulations in the
small intestine, which the enema cannot reach, he added the castor oil treatment to the intensive
therapy.
This consists of taking castor oil by mouth as well as by enema, to speed up and reinforce the
release of toxic residues from the intestinal tract. The patient is awakened at about 5 a.m. to take
2 tablespoonfuls of castor oil, followed immediately by 1⁄2 to 2/3 cup of regular black coffee (not
enema coffee or concentrate), sweetened with 1⁄2 teaspoonful of Sucanat or other organic dried
cane sugar. (Diabetics do not take sugar in this coffee.) People who object to sweetened coffee
need to understand that the sugar is necessary to activate stomach peristalsis and counteract low
blood sugar.. Breakfast is taken as usual. Five hours after the oral administration of the oil, at 10
a.m., a castor oil enema is taken, instead of the normal coffee enema.
This is how the castor oil enema is prepared, using a second enema bucket  exclusively
reserved for this treatment:
Put 4 tablespoonfuls of castor oil into the enema bucket. Add 1⁄4 teaspoonful of ox bile powder
and stir well to mix thoroughly. Prepare the regular enema mixture of 8 ozs of coffee concentrate,
plus 24 ounces of purified or distilled water. Warm to body temperature. Get hold of a cake of
mild toilet soap (NOT detergent), e.g. Lux, Camay or similar, immerse it for a few moments in
the coffee and rub some of the soap, but no soap chips, into it. Next, mix the slightly soapy enema
coffee into the castor oil with the ox bile and stir well, to emulsify the solution as well as possible.
You may use an electric stirrer, but the somewhat emulsified oil will still rise to the top while you
are trying to take the enema. In fact, most patients find it impossible to stir the solution vigorously
enough to keep the oil mixed into the coffee on their own; they need a helper to do that.  When the
coffee plus castor oil is all infused, try to hold the solution for a little while, but you are unlikely
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 114Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comto succeed. It doesn’t matter, release when necessary. This enema does its work very fast.
The castor oil treatment is taken every other day for the first 4-5 months of the intensive
therapy, and then slowly reduced. Please Note: patients pre-treated with chemotherapy must
not use the castor oil treatment.
Patients react to the castor oil treatment in widely different ways. For many it is just a mild
inconvenience—due to the powerful cleansing effect of the oil, on castor oil days it is wise to
stay close to the bathroom. Others find the taste and weak smell of the oil off-putting. This can
be mitigated by eating a small piece of fruit before taking the oil, or having half an orange handy
and sucking it immediately afterwards. Some patients simply add the oil to the cup of coffee,
then use a straw or a glass tube, inserted into the oil, to get it into the back of the mouth, followed
immediately by the coffee to chase it down.
This is the only occasion in the Gerson program when patients are made to drink  coffee. It
is done in order to activate the stomach muscles and move the oil out as fast as possible, so that
the patient is not nauseated for hours while the oil remains in his or her stomach, but is able to
enjoy breakfast and the juices that follow. A few patients have tried to substitute peppermint or
some other herb tea for the coffee, but undoubtedly coffee works best and should be taken, even
by those who don’t normally drink it.
Cleaning the Equipment
Like all other tools of the Gerson program, the enema bucket has to be kept clean. But since
the anus, rectum and colon are  not sterile, the equipment need not be sterilized. After each use the
bucket has to be rinsed with hot soapy water, running it through the tube as well, and then rinsed
again thoroughly to remove the soap. Two or three times a week it is wise to put a cup of 3%
hydrogen peroxide (from the supermarket or drug store) into the bucket with the clamp closed,
and let it stand overnight to kill any germs or impurities. Rinse it out before the first use in the
morning.
CAUTION: If you keep the plastic tube attached to the bucket, it will eventually become
loose and even slip off, treating you to an unwanted coffee shower. Check the fit frequently and if
necessary, cut an inch or so from the loosened end of the tube and replace the tight part. You can
prevent accidents by removing the plastic tube every time before running hot water through the
bucket, so that it shrinks back to its original size and remains tightly in position.
The bucket reserved for the castor oil treatment is also cleaned as above, but with generous
use of hot soapy water, in order to get rid of any oily residues. Wipe the inside of the bucket with
a piece of absorbent paper to finish the cleaning.
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 115Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comPossible Problems
Many patients learn the enema routine without difficulty and get to enjoy the feeling of
lightness and added energy yielded by the practice. Others, however, experience difficulties,
which need to be eliminated. In the following we list some of the problems that may arise.
Patients may arrive at the hospital with a massive accumulation of stools in their colon, caused
by the use of heavy pain-killing drugs, including morphine. These tend to paralyze peristalsis (the
alternate contraction and relaxation of the intestine, by which the contents are propelled onward),
causing severe constipation. As a result, these patients are unable to take in a quart (32 ounces) of
the coffee solution, let alone hold it in. The answer for them is to take whatever amount they can
comfortably accommodate, stop, and hold this as long as possible, even if only for a few minutes;
then release, and take the remaining coffee solution. Again, hold it and release after 12-15
minutes. As a rule, after two or three days, when the colon has been cleared of old accumulations,
the enemas can be taken and held without difficulty.
Some patients may suffer from gas retention, which stops the enema from getting into the
colon. When that happens, a small amount—say 6-10 ounces—of the coffee can be infused, after
which the bucket is lowered to the patient’s level, allowing the coffee to flow back into the bucket.
This often releases the gas, causing some ‘bubbling’ in the bucket. Next the bucket is raised again,
and after the clearing of the gas the enema can continue more easily.
The patient is supposed to take the enema lying on his/her right side, in order to help the
coffee solution to get into the transverse colon from the descending colon. But as a result of
surgery, arthritis or tumors, the right side may be too painful to lie on. In such a case the patient
has to lie on his/her back, with the legs pulled up, and proceed from that position.
If a patient suffers from severe irritation of the colon, a small portion of the coffee concentrate,
say  2-4 ounces, can be diluted with chamomile tea instead of water. The smaller amount of coffee
will still help to detoxify the liver, while the chamomile tea soothes the colon. There is no time
limit for the use of chamomile tea. In case of severe diarrhea, an enema of chamomile tea only is
used for gentle cleansing morning and evening
To prepare chamomile tea, put 1 ounce of the dried flower heads into a glass dish, add 1
pint of boiling water, cover the dish and stand it in a warm place, letting


ined salt, I refer the reader to
Salt Your Way to Health.
WHY ARE PEOPLE DEFICIENT IN IODINE?
It has been assumed that since the iodization of salt was implemented, iodine deficiency disorders would be a thing of the
past. Due to the poor availability of iodine in salt as well as a
declining salt intake by the population, this is not the case. There are
additional reasons why iodine deficiency disorders are still present today.
Over the years, poor farming techniques have led to deficiencies of iodine and other minerals in the soil. Crops grown in
iodine-deficient soil will be deficient in iodine. Also, the stigma of salt causing high blood pressure has convinced many individuals
not to use salt in their foods. Many times the only iodine one will get from the diet is found in iodized salt. A low-salt diet can
naturally lead to an iodine-deficient state.
Radioactive iodine, used in many medical procedures, will further exacerbate an iodine deficiency problem. Also, exposure to
many chemicals that inhibit iodine binding in the body (e.g., bromide, fluoride, chloride—explained in
Chapter 11
) further worsens
the problem.
Certain diets and lifestyles can also predispose one to developing iodine deficiency. Some examples of these diets are listed in
Figure 4
 on the next page. Inadequate dietary iodine intake can cause many severe problems including thyroid problems, cancer,
intellectual decline, cretinism, and others.
The most significant change in the iodine status of recent times occurred with the changing of the food industry. In the 1960’s,
iodine was added to the commercial baking industry as a dough conditioner to aid bread and pastry manufacturers.
Figure 4: Diets That May Cause Iodine Deficiency
1
.
Diets without ocean fish or sea vegetables
2
.
Inadequate use of iodized salt including low-sodium diets
3
.
Diets high in the consumption of bakery products (e.g., breads, pasta) which contain bromide
4
.
Vegan and vegetarian diets
This single addition to baked goods significantly increased the iodine intake of the U.S. population, as one slice of bread
contained the RDA for iodine of 150μg.
13
 Articles from the NIH were published which questioned the safety of using iodine in
bakery products. Some researchers felt that this level of iodine in baked goods would cause a malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
Ten years later, bromine replaced iodine in the baking industry. Bromine is a halide (as are iodide, fluoride, and chloride). All
halides compete with one another for absorption and receptor binding in the body. Bromine interferes with iodine utilization in the
thyroid as well as wherever else iodine would concentrate in the body.
14
Due to the interference of iodine binding in the body, bromine is a known “goitrogen”—it promotes the formation of goiter in
the body. Bromine is a toxic substance that has no therapeutic use in our bodies. Bromine also can bind to iodine
receptors in the
breast and is a known carcinogen to the breast. On the other hand, iodine has anticarcinogenic properties.
We now have two major reasons why iodine deficiency disorders have become much more common.
1
.
The substitution of bromine for iodine in the bakery process lowered the iodine utilization.
2
.
Bromine began effectively binding to and inhibiting iodine from binding to its own receptors.
The consequence of replacing iodine with bromine has been to make a bad situation worse. Iodine deficiency has been
accelerated and, due to increasing bromide levels, iodine is now being competitively inhibited from binding to its own receptors.
The medical consequences include increased thyroid disorders including autoimmune thyroid disorders (Hashimoto’s and Graves’
disease), and thyroid cancer. Furthermore, the rise of other cancers including breast, ovarian, uterine, and prostate may be related
to this phenomenon. This will be explained further in
Chapter 11
.
PERCHLORATE
Perchlorate is a substance that is found in nature and is also a man-made substance. Perchlorate is manufactured for rocket
fuel and many industrial uses. Perchlorate contains one
atom of chlorine and four atoms of oxygen. Chlorine is part of the halide
family (iodine, bromine and chlorine). Excess perchlorate levels can displace iodine in the body and damage the transport of
iodine into the cell. Perchlorate contamination of our water supply is widespread and increasing. Increasing perchlorate exposure
is another reason why iodine levels have fallen over the last 30 years.
Chapter 11
 reviews the details and consequences of
perchlorate exposure in much more detail.HOW DO YOU MEASURE IODINE LEVELS?
The generally accepted method of testing iodine is by measuring the amount of iodine in the urine. However, that is not a
reliable method in order to determine the whole-body iodine status.
Over 10 years ago, Dr. Abraham and co-investigators developed an iodine-loading test. It is based on the concept that
whole-body iodine status can be established by measuring the amount of iodine excreted over 24 hours after taking a 50mg
iodine tablet. Since over 95% of orally ingested iodine in an iodine-sufficient individual is excreted in the urine, following urinary
excretion levels of iodine can provide useful information about the body’s utilization of iodine. The iodine loading test is based on
a simple premise; the body will hold onto more iodine in a deficient state as compared to a sufficient state. In other words,
if the
body is deficient in iodine, you would expect more iodine to be retained by the body. Conversely, if the body has sufficient iodine
levels, you would expect the body to retain less iodine. This is exactly what happens with the 24-hour iodine loading test. It is a
functional test of whole-body iodine levels.
15
 In my experience, the iodine-loading test has been found to provide useful
information on the body’s iodine status.
Iodine binds to iodine receptors throughout the body. If the body’s receptors for iodine are sufficient in iodine, a large
percentage of ingested iodine will be excreted from the body. On the other hand, if there is an iodine deficiency present, ingested
iodine will be retained at a much larger percentage.
The iodine-loading test is performed after taking 50mg of an iodine/iodide combination. Urine is collected for 24 hours after
taking the iodine. In an iodine-sufficient state, approximately 90% of a mixture of a 50mg dose of iodine/iodide would be
excreted (i.e., 45mg), and 10% of the iodine would be retained (i.e., 5mg). Levels below 90% excretion would indicate an
iodine-deficient state.
FIRST LOOK AT IODINE LEVELS AT MY OFFICE
Twenty-four patients in my office were selected at random to have their iodine status evaluated. Each patient was instructed
to take 50mg of a combination of iodine/iodide (Iodoral
®
) and
collect 24 hours of urine. The urine was evaluated for the amount
of iodine excreted. The results (
Figure 5
) show that 91.7% of the patients tested low for iodine levels. Iodine sufficiency occurs
when the urinary excretion is above 90%.

FIGURE 5: IODINE LEVELS IN 24 PATIENTS

It is worthwhile noting that most of these patients were already on a holistic treatment plan which included vitamins, minerals
and herbs. However, they were not supplementing with iodine. Most of the patients studied had thyroid abnormalities, including
hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, or Graves’ disease. There was no difference in the iodine levels between the various thyroid
disorders; nearly all (22/24) were low. The results of this small study were the first clear indicators I had that iodine deficiency
was occurring in a large percentage of the population.
UPDATED RESULTS AT MY OFFICE
To the present date, we (Drs. Brownstein, Ng, and Nusbaum) have now tested iodine levels in over 6,000 patients. Our
results have been consistent; approximately 96% of patients test low for iodine. In fact, many patients initially test at severely low
iodine levels (via spot urinary iodine) as their results are reported as ‘below the detectable limits’. Dr. Jorge Flechas (the Dr.
Jorge Flechas (the owner of FFP labs) and Charles Hakala, RPh, (owner of Hakala labs) have been at the forefront of testing
people world-wide for their iodine levels. They have now tested tens of thousands of subjects and their results are consistent with
mine.
16
 Contact information for the labs that test iodine status is found in the appendix.
FINAL THOUGHTSIodine deficiency is a huge public health problem. The continuing and increasing exposure to goitrogens (substances that
promote goiter), including the halides bromide and fluoride, has exacerbated the iodine deficiency problem (more on this in
Chapter 11
). Iodine deficiency is one of the main underlying causes of many varied illnesses including thyroid disorders, chronic
fatigue, fibromyalgia, cancer (including


as	not	an	uncommon	experience	for	Yoginis.	She
was	perceiving	the	light	that	emanates	from	a	subtle	level	of	perception.	I
asked	her	how	it	felt.
“Soothing.	Safe.	But	mostly	the	light	was	fascinating.	It	drew	me	in	until	I
felt	I	could	gaze	at	it	forever.”
“Which	shows,”	I	said,	“that	you	were	being	fascinated	by	your	own
awareness.	The	soul,	it	is	said,	shows	itself	to	our	subtle	senses	as	a
pearlescent	lustrous	glow.”
“Is	this	something	I	should	try	to	repeat?”	Kate	asked.
“There’s	no	realistic	way	to	do	that,”	I	said,	“since	your	experience	was
spontaneous.	It’s	like	trying	to	repeat	a	first	impression	or	a	first	kiss.”When	she	looked	a	little	crestfallen,	I	told	her	that	one	of	the	classic	traps
for	spiritual	seekers	was	the	temptation	to	repeat	a	moment	of	heightened
experience.	We	harbor	that	impulse.	Have	you	noticed	this	yourself?	The
surprise	of	a	breathtaking	sunset,	a	delicate	moment	of	intimacy,	even	a
superb	meal,	all	beg	to	be	repeated.	But	it’s	never	quite	the	same,	because
what	makes	the	moment	special	isn’t	the	sunset,	the	loving	gesture,	or	the	fine
food.	It’s	a	sudden	crossing	over	into	the	subtle	world.
I	told	Kate	about	the	continuum	of	experience	that	leads	from	happiness
to	bliss,	from	physical	intimacy	to	oneness	with	the	soul.	She	had	given
herself	permission	to	move	more	fluidly	along	this	continuum.	Meditation	is	a
gentle	way	to	unloose	our	moorings.	It	isn’t	so	forceful	that	it	pushes	your
perception	into	a	new	domain;	instead	there	is	a	gentle	arrival	into	subtler
sensations—like	the	blue	glow	Kate	saw—attended	by	subtler	feelings	and
insights.	I	congratulated	her	and	promised	that	there	would	be	more
breakthroughs	to	come.
Through	our	brief	voyages	into	the	subtle	world	we	can	anticipate	how
gentle	the	afterlife	will	be.	There,	subtle	power	feels	natural.	Peace	and
fulfillment	come	through	direct	communication	with	the	soul.9
T
WO
	M
AGICAL
	W
ORDS
“LOOK,	DO	YOU
	see	that?”	said	Ramana.	He	pointed	ahead,	where	Savitri	could
make	out	a	wisp	of	smoke	above	the	trees.
“A	cooking	fire?”	she	guessed.
“Follow	it	and	find	out.	I’ll	stay	here	until	you	return.”	Ramana	made
himself	comfortable	on	a	stump.
So	Savitri	headed	toward	the	smoke	alone.	Soon	she	noticed	that	trees	had
been	burned	down,	and	saw	wrecked	oxcarts	and	other	signs	of	destruction.
Eventually	she	found	herself	in	a	deserted	village.	Soldiers	had	invaded	from
a	nearby	kingdom	and	had	laid	waste	to	the	countryside.	In	this	village	all	the
houses	were	reduced	to	smoldering	ashes	except	for	one,	which	was
untouched.
Savitri	walked	up	to	the	door	where	an	old	woman	sat.	“Everything	all
around	is	destroyed,”	Savitri	said,	bowing	to	her.	“How	did	your	house	come
to	be	spared?”
The	old	woman	replied,	“All	the	men	of	our	village	were	away	fighting.
When	the	soldiers	came	with	their	torches	to	rob	me	and	set	fire	to	my	house,
I	told	them,	‘Come,	come,	for	no	one	else	is	brave	enough	to	enter.	Everyone
inside	has	scarlet	fever.	Help	me	tend	to	my	sick	family.’	At	that	the	soldiers
were	so	frightened	they	refused	to	come	a	step	closer	and	ran	away.”
Savitri	reached	into	her	sari	and	found	a	small	coin,	which	she	gave	to	the
old	woman.	She	retraced	her	steps	until	she	found	the	place	where	Ramana
was	waiting.
“Why	did	you	send	me	there?”	she	asked.
“The	old	woman	turned	away	an	army	with	two	words:
scarlet	fever,”
	he
said.	“The	wise	know	that	Death	can	also	be	turned	away	with	two	words:
I
am
.”
“I	don’t	understand.”	She	was	even	more	confused	when	she	looked	at	the
sky	and	saw	that	the	wisp	of	smoke	had	disappeared.
“That	village	was	just	a	symbol,”	said	Ramana.
“For	trouble	and	sorrow?”
“No,	for	impermanence.	Heed	this,	Savitri.	There	is	no	permanence	in	this
life.	Possessions	come	and	go,	as	do	other	people.	Somehow	we	cope	with	so
much	loss.	How?	By	clinging	to	the	notion	that
we
	are	permanent,	that	ourworld	is	forever.
“But	that	is	the	wrong	way.	Death	is	greedy	and	wants	to	destroy
everything	as	wantonly	as	an	invading	army.	Just	hold	out	your	arms	to	him
and	say,
I	am
.	Death	will	retreat	because	there	is	nothing	for	him	to	destroy.
I
am
	has	no	possessions,	no	expectations,	nothing	to	cling	to.	Yet	it	is
everything	you	are	and	everything	you	will	ever	need,	in	this	world	or	the	one
to	come.”
Ramana	spoke	with	calm	authority,	and	this	helped	Savitri.
“The	old	woman	lied	when	she	said
scarlet	fever
.	You	must	tell	the	truth
when	you	say
I	am
.	I	think	that	you	are	nearly	ready,”	Ramana	said	gently.
“How	can	I	make	it	the	truth?”	asked	Savitri.
“It’s	not	difficult.	When	you	are	happy,	go	inside	and	feel	the	one	who	is
the	experiencer	of	happiness.	When	you	are	sad,	go	inside	and	feel	the
experiencer	of	sadness.	They	are	the	same.	There	is	a	still,	small	point	that
watches	all,	witnesses	all.	Be	with	that	stillness	whenever	you	can.	Notice	it
instead	of	sliding	past	it.	Familiarity	is
your
	greatest	ally.
I	am
	is	your	being.
There	is	nothing	foreign	about	simply	being.
“At	first	the	still,	small	point	will	not	be	much	of	an	experience,	yet	it	can
grow	without	limit.	When	you	die	and	finally	have	nothing	to	hold	on	to,
I	am
will	fill	the	whole	universe.	The	wise	have	repeated	this	truth	over	and	over,
in	every	age.	But	you	mustn’t	buy	a	truth	secondhand.	Find	the
I	am
	inside
yourself,	and	it	will	expand	to	fill	you.	When	that	happens,	you	are	safe.	Your
being	will	be	the	same	as	your	soul.”
ETERNITY
When	all	images	have	disappeared	at	the	subtle	level,	the	dying	person	arrives
at	eternity.	Eternity	is	the	source	of	the	soul.	The	rishis	say	that	at	last
illusions	have	ended	and	reality	begins.	The	fact	that	we	can’t	see	eternity
while	we’re	alive,	as	it	extends	in	all	directions	around	us,	is	a	limitation	the
rishis	strove	to	overcome.
The	more	boundless	your	vision,	the	more	real	you	are
.
As	inspiring	as	this	sounds,	it	also	makes	us


 the cars, trees,
buildings, and myriad other objects you encounter each day. They come in,
and they pass through. But there are a few things that are harder to deal with
inside, and therefore you resist them or you cling to them. This is how you
fell out of the garden of reality. Impressions stayed inside your mind and
became the foundation blocks upon which you built your psyche.Chapter 14.
The Veil of the Psyche
Your psyche is like  a computer program running in your mind based on your
samskaras. It’s in there talking to you about things that happened before,
what you wish would happen now, and what you hope does or doesn’ t
happen tomorrow. You’ve actually created an alternate reality  inside your
mind that is very complex. It’s a tremendous menagerie of the stored
moments you were not able to let go of. At this point, you don’t even need
another rattlesna ke to get you disturbed. The fact that the experience of the
snake is stuck in your mind means other things will remind you of it. In fact,
you can remind  yourself of it without the need of an external reminder.
You’re driving down the street, minding your own business. Suddenly, you
remember how scary that snake was, and you get scared again. We’re not
dealing with reality anymore. We have such a mess built up in there that it’s
no wond er we have so much trouble with life. Such is the nature of the
personal mind.
Regardless of how messy it gets in there, the fact remains that the
personal mind is not you—no more than your TV screen is you. But it’s
much more difficult to objectiv ely watch your mind than your TV screen.
This is because of the power of the impressions you have stored in your
mind. These past impressions compete with the image of realit y coming in
from the outside and make it hard to tell which is which. It is difficult to
maintain a seat of objective observation when it gets so confusing in there.
Samskaras are not to be taken lightly; they seriously distort your experience
of life.
Let’s take the example of a psychological Rorschach test, often referred
to as an inkblot test. The psychologist holds up an inkblot and asks what
you see. You immediately respond that you see people making love or,
perhaps, mommy and daddy fighting. In other words, the Rorschach teststimulates the patterns you’ve stored inside your mind, causing you to see
what’ s not actually there. The truth is the whole world is a giant Rorschach
test. The world is a flow of atoms unfolding in front of you. It’s no more
personal than the inkblots. But it’s hitting your samskaras, and that
stimulates stored mental and emotional reactions. Now, instead of
experiencing what is passing by outside, you are experiencing the likes,
dislikes, beliefs, and judgments stored inside. These impress ions are so
strong that you actually think they are what is really out there, just like the
inkblots. The personal mind has taken over your entire life. You are no
longer free to enjoy the experie nces that are actually happening—you are
forced to deal with what your mind says is happening.
Let’s look a little deeper into how samskaras affect your life. We have
discussed that what is coming in from the outside stimulates your mental
blockages from the past. Past experiences were uncomfortable when you
first resisted them, and they are going to be uncomfortable when they come
back up. To make matters worse, just as with the Rorschach test, you are not
seeing what is actually outside—you are seeing your inner issues projected
onto the outside. That’ s why life seems so scary and why it seem s to always
be hitting your weak spots. The truth is, life is not hitting your weak spots,
you are projecting your weak spots onto life. Yet not everyth ing you stored
in there was negative. You held on to some positive things from the past.
The problem is they’re not happening anymore, and that is disappointing. If
you go back to the same place  where you saw the butterfly, and it’s not
there, it becomes a negative experience.
Understand, you have just made life a lose-lose situation. If anything
reminds you of what bothered you before, you lose. If you are not getting to
reexperience what you liked before, you lose. This is in drastic contrast to
what Zen calls beginner ’s mind. If you are not expecting anything in
particular from a situation, and then something special happens, it can touch
you really deeply. It could be a beautiful sunset, the first unexpe cted kiss, or
some other welcome surprise. If it touches you so deeply because you have
no sams karas in your mind about the event—you have beginner ’s mind.
Otherwise, you will be expecting something based on prior experiences, and
that will interfere with the spontaneity of the event.
The end result is that these samskaras have ruined your life. You’ve
made it so that unless something drastically different happens to pull you
out of this preference system, you can’t feel anything fully. That’ s whysome people must go to the extremes to get a rush. It is also why some
people try to keep everything exactly the same so life doesn’ t disturb their
samskaras. In either case, trying  to keep the mind a decent place to live in
can force people  to look for escapes, such as drinking and drugs. You get to
the point where you’re running around trying to appease your mind.
Eventually, you will come to realize that it’s not the job, the spouse, or
the car that gets old—it’ s listen ing to the mess in your mind that gets old.
While all of these patterns from  the past are blocked in your mind, you in
there can neither experience the miracle of life unfolding before you, nor
can you experience the natural beauty within you. Your awareness is
completely distracted by these stored mental patterns, and you must devote
your days and nights to serving them. You can no longer exper ience reality
—you are stuck experiencing yourself.
There’ s a concept in Zen known as “just tree.” It fits perfectly with our
discussion. The story goes as follows: There was a young Buddhist monk in
a monastery who would go for daily sessions with the Zen master. The
master would ask him some questions, and the monk would leave. One time
when the young monk walked in, the master looked at him and remarked,
“What happened to you? Y ou look so alive and filled with light.”
The monk was surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I see a dif ference in you, my son. What happened?”
The monk told him, “I was walking across the courtyard and saw the
big oak tree. I stopped and looked at it. I had seen it many times before, but
this time I saw just tree. I just saw the tree. Somehow, it took me to such a
deep place that I felt an awakening. I felt a moment of enlig htenment. It
took me beyond myself.”
“That tree has been there for a hundred years,” the master reflected.
“You have walked by that tree every single day since you’ve been here.”
“Yes,” the stude nt said, “but when I previously walked by the tree, it
often reminded me of the tree Buddha sat under when he reached
enlightenment. Other times, the tree reminded me of the one I fell out of
when I was little. The tree alway s stimulated thought patterns from my past.
This time I saw just tr ee.”
The master smiled.“Just tree” is what we talked about in the beginning of our discussion of
mind. The tree comes in, renders in your mind, and that’s all you see. In
contrast, the tree comes in, renders in your mind, and stimulates any past
samskaras you have about trees. Your samskara mind becomes activated,
and your consciousness is scattered between the primary image of the tree
and the second ary explosion that takes place inside. The secondary
explosion is the reaction within your mind due to the stored patterns there.
You can’t have pure experience s anymore. The young monk did—he saw
“just tree.” If you didn’ t understand this before, hopefully you do now. A
Zen master would be pleased with you, because “just tree” is a very deep
concept in Zen Buddhism.
There is nothing  wrong with the mind itself. Just like there is nothing
wrong with a computer, per se. It is how you use these powerful gifts that
can cause a problem. There is almost no limit to the brilliance of mind.
People think Einstein was smart, but they don’t understand their own
brilliance. We all have the human mind, every single one of us. We don’t
have a possum mind, a squirrel mind, or even an ape mind. We have the
human mind, and the human mind is brilliant.Chapter 15.
The Brilliant Human Mind
What’ s so specia l about the human mind? Let’s take a look. For billions and
billions of years, while the planet Earth was spinning through space, the
process of evolution took place. There were minerals, then plants, then
animals, all formed from atoms created in the stars. The planet had been
floating in space for 4.5 billion years before modern humans showed up. It
is worth


 guesswork isn’t needed when it
comes t o know ing that a plac enta was the key. Once it appeared, a
unique feature never seen before, a door was opened. What rushed
through it wasn’t Juramaia, which eventually became extinct, but
self-creation. An unstoppable habit took a leap forward. From
then on, true mammals could be small, big, or mammoth. They
could s wim, walk, crawl, burrow, or fly. Nothing was fixed or
permanent—except a placenta. Nature took a creative leap without
precedent, wit h barely a hin t in all past life forms that t his new
kind of birth was possible.
This brings up a second mi sconception, that evolution is all
about p rogress. Creativity doesn’t need to progress; it is already
complete. Ever y life form is a complete creative act. In the case of
Juramaia, a tiny shrew-like creature wasn’t better than what came
before. Marsupials could have ruled the Earth—they became the
only indigeno us mammals in Australia. Much earlie r, eggs
evolved, and they kept on h atching, just as they did during the
reign of the dinosaurs. Live birth wasn’t better—today some
sharks lay eggs while others give birth to live young. There is no
straight-line progression from early life forms to us. Billion-year-
old microbes, one-celled animals, and blue-green algae continue
to e xist because their adaptation to the Earth was perfe ct in its
own wa y. Without the unstoppable urge to create, there was no
reason for primitive life to leave its very secure comfort zone.
Self-creation is a strong clue that consciousness needs nothing
outside itself to keep expanding endlessly. In time, Homo sapiens
rushed through another door, the one that opened to self-
awareness. We can do anything with our potential that we want to,
but no matter how civilizat ion changes, it is impossible to be
human withou t being aware. The only question is the d egree of
awareness we choose to emb race. Metahuman is closer than we
imagine, being just a higher degree of awareness.
Awareness and existence ar e uncreated. That’s the simplest
formulation of  the truth. Bein g uncreated means they simply are.
Without having to give a reason, needing no creation story, the
primal setup for being human is that we are here. We exist
because consci ousness exists.  Of all the secrets of metareality, this
one tak es the longest to sink in. At first glance, existence i s a non-issue. Nobody in a college de bating society like the Oxford Union
will arg ue the case for nonex istence. There would be no debating
societies if we didn’t exist—the point seems silly, even childish.
But if being he re is enough to bring about everything in creation
through a conscious process, that  is big news.
Existence and consciousness  cannot be separated. They don’t
just belong together, like hea t and fire or water and wetness. They
are the same th ing. Descartes  famously declared Cogito ergo sum,
“I think, there fore I am.” It’s  more accurate to say the reverse: I
am, therefore I think.
Either way, however, seeking a cause-and-effect relations hip is
chop lo gic. To exist and to th ink are the same thing. One  doesn’t
cause the other. Failing t o see this fact has led to many
misconceptions. For example, if you insist that the mind needs a
cause, y ou are stuck giving it a creation story. If you are a modern
secular person, you are soon trapped in the mistake of believing
that the brain created the mind. To a developmental psychologist,
there i s no doubt that t he brain creates the mind, and
neuroscience c oncurs. As creation stories go, this one is bolstered
by phy siology, but childhood development also offers enough
evidence to blow the story apart.
T h e  E x p a n d i n g  B r a i n
If we look at th e last stages of the fetus’s life in the womb, the
brain is  the main focus of development, the last organ to acquire
its final configuration—but th at won’t happen yet. At the moment
of birth, the infant brain is exploding with untapped growth
potential. The biggest part of the human brain is the cerebrum,
responsible for thinking and other higher functions, and evolution
has given babies a huge cerebrum to begin with, one reason that a
newborn’s hea d is so large, at the limits of what can pass  though
the birth canal. In a normal fetus carried to term, the last
trimester sees the brain roughly tripling in weight, from 3.5
ounces at the end of the second trimester to 10.6 ounces at birth.In a  sense, all babies are born prematurely, entering a “fo urth
trimester” the day they are born, because the brain keep s up its
accelerated gro wth outside the womb. In the first three m onths of
life, a newborn’s brain grow s by as much as 1 percent a day,
expanding by 64 percent in the first ninety days, after which the
growth rate shrinks to an average of 0.4 percent a day. Du ring the
rapid-growth p hase, 60 percent of the energy consumed by a baby
is used by the brain. The lar ge-scale or macro view shows that a
newborn already has all the brain cells needed for a lifetime—in
fact, too many. A newborn’s b rain cells number around twice what
an a dult has, even though the  newborn brain weighs half a s much.
As it grows to full size, which takes three years, the baby brain
thins ou t its weaker connect ions (a process technically known as
“synaptic prun ing”). It’s like sorting through an attic filled to the
rafters with things you need and junk you can do without.
Here w e begin to see the mystery of uniqueness, be cause
synaptic pruni ng is different for each baby. The brain somehow
disposes of what will not be needed for that one individual. A
musical prodigy who needs phenomenal motor skills to play the
piano at a vir tuoso level may not need advanced math ematical
ability or articulate language skills. A sculptor with a  highly
developed ability to envision  objects in three-dimension al space
may wi nd up without the relationship skills to find the right
spouse. The combinations are endless, and, to match th em, the
brain’s quadri llion synaptic  connections are just enough. Yet
clearly a brain cell has no for eknowledge that it will be ne eded or
not nee ded, according to events far in the future. Synaptic pruning
isn’t ran dom. It only makes sense that a higher perspectiv e that is
beyond time must be managing the process.
For example, a study by researchers at the University of
Washington found that speci fic areas of the brain that control the
physical aspec ts of speech (Broca’s area and the cerebellum) are
activated in seven-month-olds in advance of learning to speak.
This is evidenc e of looking a head to the future and throwing the
necessary brain switches in advance. A seven-month-old baby
doesn’t know that she will on e day speak, but Homo sapiens  does,
because we are a species of consciousness. Our speciescommunicates through the spoken word, and just about every
baby has inherited that ability.
This is different from inheriting the physical need to exchange
baby tee th for adult teeth, wh ich is linked to the growth of the jaw,
or th e n eed to go through puberty, which makes it possible to pass
on our genes through sexua l reproduction. Speech is a mental
acquisition, a prime tool for knowing what someone else is
thinking.
If unde rstanding the brain would allow us to understand the
mind, w e’d be  far ahead of the game. Yet the notion that “brain
creates mind” has always been a fallacy. For a cell to know
anything, it cannot get that knowledge from atoms and mo lecules.
Atoms and molecules don’t know that speech will be necessary.
Only consciousness affords a valid explanation, because
consciousness is the knowing element in every cell, every life form,
and every person.
Because we live in the golden age of neuroscience, you would
think th at som eday there would be a user’s manual for the mind.
But tha t day will never come. Our view is blocked by the mistake
of eq uating mind and brain. Even the fact that the brain co ntains a
quadrillion con nections is meaningless in terms of mind, just as
measuring every frequency of visible light would be meaningless
to explain how Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. Life
would be meaningless if the  brain were in charge, beca use the
brain itself is meaningless. The mystique that surrounds it,
ascribing thoughts, feelings, and sensations to clumps of neurons,
has no  basis. If a neuroscientist went around saying, “That
quarterback is  out of his brain” or “I’d like to buy a house, but I
just can’t


ilk	than	from	a	quart	of	cow	milk,	even
though	human	milk	contains	less	calcium.	Cow	milk	contains	a	lot	of
phosphorous,	which	prevents	calcium	absorption.	Also,	cow	milk	is	low	in
magnesium,	which	humans	need	in	order	to	utilize	calcium.	In	short,	your	body
is	not	able	to	use	the	large	amount	of	calcium	present	in	cow	milk.	You	do	not
use	the	calcium,	so	instead	it	can	build	up	and	form	kidney	stones,	bone	spurs,
gout	and	atherosclerotic	plaque.
Milk	robs	calcium	from	bones.	The	protein	in	cow	milk	metabolizes	to	strong
acids,	which	can	be	harmful,	so	instead	the	body	uses	the	calcium	to	neutralize
those	acids—thereby	robbing	your	bones	and	other	tissues	in	the	process.	The
United	States,	with	only	4	percent	of	the	world’s	population,	consumes	more
dairy	foods	than	the	other	96	percent	combined.	If	milk	is	really	good	for	our
bones,	then	we	should	have	the	strongest	bones	in	the	world.	Instead,	we	have
one	of	the	highest	osteoporosis	rates	in	the	world.	We	are	not	alone;	all	other
countries	with	high	dairy	consumption	also	have	high	levels	of	osteoporosis.
A	large	percentage	of	the	population	is	allergic	to	milk	and	dairy	products,
regardless	of	whether	they	realize	it.	Allergic	reactions	tax	the	immune	system
and	lower	resistance	to	infections	and	diseases.	Milk	allergies	are	the	primary
cause	of	ear	infections	in	children.	Given	that	constant	allergic	responses	shorten
your	life	(and	constant	use	of	allergy	medications	will,	too),	the	answer	is	to
avoid	things	you	are	allergic	to	in	the	first	place.	For	most	people,	this	means
avoiding	milk	products.	According	to	Dr.	Oski,	“At	least	50	percent	of	all
children	are	allergic	to	dairy.”
Milk	is	harmful	to	young	children	for	another	reason:	It	may	trigger	childhood
diabetes	in	genetically	susceptible	children.	More	recently,	milk	has	been	linked
to	multiple	sclerosis.	Milk	also	causes	localized	inflammations	in	an	infant’s
intestines	and	can	result	in	low-level	bleeding	and	iron-deficiency	anemia.
Because	of	the	problems	with	allergies,	anemia	and	diabetes,	in	1992	the
American	Academy	of	Pediatrics	recommended	that	cow	milk	not	be	given	to
babies	during	their	first	year	of	life	because	it	damages	health.	Yet	manymothers	are	not	heeding	this	advice	and	still	feed	their	children	milk,	thinking	it
is	healthy.	In	September	1992,	Benjamin	Spock,	M.D.,	(the	famous	“baby
doctor”)	lent	his	voice	to	the	growing	chorus	warning	against	the	dangers	of
cow’s	milk,	urging	parents	to	use	breast	milk	exclusively.	Breast	milk,	yes;
cow’s	milk,	no.	Infants	should	be	breast-fed	for	at	least	one,	and	preferably	for
two	to	three	years.	After	that,	no	milk	should	be	consumed.
Our	hunter-gatherer	ancestors	nursed	their	young	for	an	average	of	three
years,	as	compared	to	modern	Americans,	who	nurse	for	an	average	of	only
three	months.	Introduction	of	infant	feeding	formulas	has	had	a	negative	effect
on	children’s	health.	Breast-fed	infants	are	less	likely	to	develop	inflammatory
bowel	disease	when	they	become	adults	than	bottle-fed	infants.	Adults	who	were
breast-fed	as	infants	develop	fewer	allergies	throughout	life	(even	among	people
whose	parents	had	a	history	of	allergies).
Coffee:	A	Boost	with	a	Big	Price
In	addition	to	the	Big	Four	failures,	one	more	dietary	habit	is	worth
mentioning	because	of	its	huge	negative	impact	on	health:	drinking	coffee.
Coffee	is	popular	because	our	society	chronically	suffers	low	energy	and	fatigue.
The	stimulating	effects	of	coffee	are	used	“to	get	through	the	day,”	and	they
create	dependency.	The	caffeine	does	not	create	or	sustain	long-term	energy;	it
just	hypes	the	system	by	overstimulating	the	adrenal	glands,	which	ultimately
carries	a	long-term	price.	Caffeine	increases	the	amount	of	sugar	in	the	blood
and	provides	an	energy	lift,	but	it	also	throws	body	chemistry	out	of	balance.
By	doing	so,	coffee	damages	health	in	many	ways.	Coffee	is	acidic	and
contributes	to	overacidity	in	the	American	diet,	changing	the	pH	of	our	cells
(and	requiring	calcium	to	be	robbed	from	tissues	to	neutralize	the	acidity).	A
number	of	studies	have	linked	caffeine	to	urinary	calcium	loss,	which
contributes	to	osteoporosis,	hip	fractures	and	death.
One	of	those	studies,	printed	in	a	January	1994	issue	of	the
Journal	of	the
American	Medical	Association,
found	that	women	who	drank	two	cups	of	coffee
per	day	increased	their	risk	of	hip	fracture	by	69	percent.	Coffee	has	also	been
linked	to	cancer.	Coffee	that	is	roasted	forms	a	compound	called	3,4-
benzopyrene,	a	powerful	carcinogen;	an	average	cup	of	coffee	contains	500
micrograms	of	known	carcinogens.	In	1981,	professor	Brian	MacMahon	of	the
Harvard	School	of	Public	Health	concluded	that	coffee	drinking	was	the	cause	of
50	percent	of	all	pancreatic	cancer,	and	that	drinking	three	cups	a	day	increased
the	risk	of	pancreatic	cancer	threefold.
Why	we	drink	so	much	coffee	is	easy	to	understand.	We	eat	the	Big	Four	allthe	time,	which	causes	our	cells	to	function	poorly	and	produce	low	energy
levels.	Then,	we	have	deadlines	to	meet	and	schedules	to	keep,	and	coffee	seems
the	only	means	to	make	it	happen.	Eat	real	food	and	eliminate	“make-believe”
food,	and	you	may	find	that	your	“need”	for	coffee	declines.
Nutrition	Is	Not	in	the	Eyes
of	the	Beholder
Make-believe	food	lacks	sufficient	nutrients	because	it	is	highly	processed,
heavily	cooked	or	commercially	farmed.	Yet	because	we	grew	up	eating	these
foods,	we	are	completely	accustomed	to	them.
Within	my	lifetime,	the	practice	of	eating	more	make-believe	foods	instead	of
organic,	fresh,	unprocessed	foods	has	increased	enormously.	For	most	of	my	life
I	lived	in	areas	never	more	than	twenty	miles	from	an	apple	farm	where,	during
harvest	season,	I	could	purchase	fresh	apples.	Today,	finding	fresh	apples	is
difficult,	because	most	that	are	for	sale	have	been	in	long-term	storage	since
harvesting.
Produce	such	as	apples,	cucumbers,	bell	peppers	and	tomatoes	are	waxed	to
prevent	loss	of	moisture	during	long-term	storage;	this	wax	is	not	good	for	you
and	often	seals	in	toxic	pesticide	and	fungicide	residues	as	well.
Modern	eggs	are	another	example	of	make-believe	food.	A	real	egg	contains	a
fatty	acid	called	DHA	(docosahexanoic	acid),	a	nutrient	that	is	a	c


 that some of the finest
Indians we have seen were enjoying life in its fullness. The type of shelter is very simple, indeed,
consisting as it does of a framework covered with banana and palm leaves. We were privileged to
meet by special arrangement about thirty of this tribe who had been brought from some distance
by the officials of the Perene Colony, owned and operated by the Peruvian Corporation. In Fig.
89 will be seen the chief and one of the noble women of his retinue. They understood that they
would have their pictures taken and came dressed in royal regalia. Typical countenances are seen
in Figs. 90 and 91. These people have very kind faces with broad dental arches, and a high sense
of humor. They decorated their faces especially for their photograph. In the entire group
associated with this chief I did not find a single tooth that had been attacked by dental caries. The
fine dental arches are illustrated in Figs. 90 and 91. Many of these young men had really noble
countenances, such as would rate them as leaders in modern science and culture.
FIG. 89. Jungle Indians from the Amazon. This is the chief of
a tribe who came prepared to have their pictures taken in
their tribal regalia. Note the splendid features of both and the
noble carriage of the woman.
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 152/250FIG. 90. The facial and dental arch development of the jungle
Indians was superb and the teeth were excellent and free
from dental caries. Note the complete development of the
dental arches and nostrils.
FIG. 91. The excellence of skeletal development of the jungle
Indians as expressed in the faces and dental arches, is
illustrated in these views. Their foods were selected from the
animal life of the streams and the bush together with native
plants.
    In another tribe, however, of the same racial stock, efforts to modernize had been in operation7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 153/250for some time by a mission. The food of this latter group had been distinctly affected by their
contact with the modern group. By reducing the animal foods, the change in physical efficiency,
and appearance of tooth decay, is most marked. In Fig. 92 above will be seen typical cases of
rampant tooth decay with extensive loss of the teeth. In Fig. 92 below are shown two of the first
generation following the adoption of the modernized type of diet in this group. Note the narrowing
of the faces with crowding of the teeth. Note the deformed dental arches.
FIG. 92. At the point of contact of these jungle Indians with
modernization where it included a change from their native
diet tooth decay became rampant as shown. A marked
change in facial form occurred accompanied by crowding of
the teeth in the new generation.
    The native foods of these Amazon Jungle Indians included the liberal use of fish which are very
abundant in both the Amazon and its branches, particularly in the foothill streams; animal life from
the forest and thickets; bird life, including many water fowl and their eggs; plants and fruits. They
use very large quantities of yucca which is a starchy root quite similar to our potato in chemical
content. This is not the yucca of North America.
    The Peruvian Indians, in the highlands and in the eastern watershed of the Andes, and also in the
Amazon Basin, have built superb bodies with high immunity to dental caries and with splendidly
developed facial and dental arch forms while living on the native foods in accordance with their
accumulated wisdom. Whenever they have adopted the foods of modern civilization and have
displaced their own nutrition, dental caries has been found to be wide-spread; and in the
succeeding generations following the adoption of modern foods, a change in facial and dental arch
forms has developed. The modernized foods which displaced their native foods were the typical7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 154/250white man's dietary of refined-flour products, sugar, sweetened foods, canned goods, and polished
rice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 15
CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMITIVE AND
MODERNIZED DIETARIES
IF PRIMITIVE races have been more efficient than modernized groups in the matter of
preventing degenerative processes, physical, mental and moral, it is only because they have been
more efficient in complying with Nature's laws. We have two procedures that we can use for
evaluating their programs: first, the interpretation of their data in terms of our modern knowledge;
and second, the clinical application of their procedures to our modern social problems.
Specifically, since the greater success of the primitives in meeting Nature's laws has been based
primarily on dietary procedures, it becomes desirable first, to evaluatetheir dietary programs on the
basis of known biologic requirements for comparison with the foods of our modern civilization; and
second, to test their primitive nutritional programs by applying their equivalents to our modern
families.
    The advance in our knowledge of body-building and body-repairing materials from a
biochemical standpoint makes it possible even with our limited knowledge of organic catalysts, to
draw comparisons between the primitive and modernized dietaries. If we use the generally
accepted minimal and optimal quantities of the various minerals and vitamins required, as indicated
by Sherman, (1)  we shall have at once a yardstick for evaluating the primitive dietaries.
    Of the eighteen elements of which the human body is composed, all of which are presumably
essential, several are needed in very small quantities. A few are required in liberal quantities. The
normal adult needs to receive from the foods eaten one-half to one gram of calcium or lime per
day. Few people receive more than one-half of the minerals present in the food. The requirements
of phosphorus are approximately twice this amount. Of iron we need from one-seventh to one-
third of a gram per day. Smaller amounts than these are required of several other elements. In
order to utilize these minerals, and to build and maintain the functions of various organs, definite
quantities of various organic catalysts which act as activating substances are needed. These include
the known and unknown vitamins.
    Unlike some experimental animals human beings have not the ability to create some special
chemical substances (not elements) such as vitamins within their bodies. Several animals have this
capacity. For example, scurvy, which is due to a lack of vitamin C, cannot be produced readily in
rats because rats can manufacture vitamin C. Similarly, rickets cannot be produced easily in guinea
pigs, because they can synthesize vitamin D. The absence of vitamin D and adequate minerals
produces rickets in young human beings. Neither rickets nor scurvy can be produced readily in
dogs because of the dogs' capacity to synthesize both vitamins C and D. We are not so fortunate.
Similarly, the absence of vitamin B (B 1) produces in birds and man severe nervous system
reactions, such as beri-beri. These symptoms are often less pronounced, or quite different, in other
animals.
    From our knowledge of the dietaries used by the various primitive racial stocks we can calculate
the approximate amounts of the minerals and vitamins provided by those dietaries, for comparison7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 155/250with the amounts provided by modernized foods. Our problem is simplified by the fact that the
food of the white man in various parts of the world being built from a few fundamental food
factors, has certain quite constant characteristics. Hence the displacing diets are similar for the
several modernized groups herewith considered.
    As a further approach to our problem, it is important to keep in mind that, in general, the wild
animal life has largely escaped many of the degenerative processes which affect modern white
peoples. We ascribe this to animal instinct in the matter of food selection. It is possible that man
has lost through disuse some of the normal faculty for consciously recognizing body requirements.
In other words, the only hunger of which we now are conscious is a hunger for energy to keep us
warm and to supply power. In general, we stop eating when an adequate amount of energy has
been provided, whether or not the body building and repairing materials have been included in the
food. The heat and energy factor in our foods is measured in calories. In planning an adequate diet,
a proper ratio between body building and energy units must be maintained. It is important to keep
in mind that while the amount of body-building and repairing material required is similar for
different individuals of the same age and weight, it is markedly different for two individuals, one of
whom is leading a sedentary, and the other, an active life. Similarly, there is a great difference
between the amount of body-building and repairing material required by a growing child or an
expectant mother and an average adult.
    There are certain characteristics of the various dietaries of the primitive races, which are
universally present when that dietary program is associated with a high immunity to disease and
freedom from deformities. In general, these are the foods that provide adequate sources of body-
building and body-repairing material. The use by primitives, of foods relatively low in calories has


.
Kapha people move in and out of balance slowly, so it is good to be
steady about keeping this dosha  in balance. Aggravate Vata today and you
will likely feel the effects tomo rrow. But you can eat Kapha-aggravating
foods all winter and not realize your mistake until spring comes and the
accumulated dosha “melts down,” giving you a typical spring cold or sinus
congestion. If you look at the list of the twenty-five gunas (see page 69),
you will notice that Vata and Kapha do not share any qualities except
coldness. As a result, Kapha people tend to need exactly the opposite of
what Vatas need. This is why the Kapha strategy of stimulation is the
opposite of the Vata rule of rest. Vatas are like rabbits, Kaphas like
elephants.
If you show signs of Kapha imbalance, the following pointers will help
make your daily routine more congenial to your dominant dosha.
Seek variety in life. Kaphas need to make a conscious ef fort to seek
new experiences. They cherish hearth and home, which averts the
danger of running themselves ragged. But there is a definite tendency
to stagnate, leading to depression, the bane of many unbalanced
Kaphas. As with the other doshas, meditation is very useful here; it
allows Kaphas to discover the underlying alertness in their nature.
What makes life truly stimulating is not external variety but the spark
of alertness inside us. Nature designed us to take a lively interest in
fresh ideas, new faces, and productive innovation. (Man is the only
creature, it is said, who will cross an ocean just to see what other men
there look like.) With a little exposure to meditation, Kaphas who were
content to watch the parade go by decide that what they really want is
to join it. Kaphas are tempted to be possessive about life, to store and
save everything that comes their way, whether it is money, ener gy,
status, or love. When they discover that they can let go and use their
solid strength as the fuel for change, they take a huge step forward intheir personal evolution. A Kapha’ s considerable capacity for loving
and being loved then becomes twice as strong.
Eat a Kapha-pacifying diet—it is important not to overeat if you are a
Kapha type, because the tendency to become overweight is definitely
present. Hot ginger tea taken at meals helps sharpen dulled taste buds;
it also makes slow digestion more ef ficient, as does a teaspoon of
whole fennel seeds chewed after the meal. If there is a lot of
congestion, Ayurveda recommends favoring dry foods and astringent
(puckering) tastes. Dry toast, apples, crackers, turmeric, and many raw
vegetables are good for avoiding excess Kapha buildup and toning the
digestive tract.
Reduce sweetness. Kapha is the only dosha strongly identified with a
taste—sweetness. Irrespective of calories, Kaphas will gain weight and
go out of balance if there is too much sweet food in the diet. Avoiding
ice cream, milk, sugary desserts, wheat bread, and butter (all
considered sweet in Ayurveda) will often make a dramatic dif ference
with the runny nose, blocked sinuses, aller gies, and lethar gy that
Kaphas suf fer from when out of balance. Over the long term, too much
sweetness may help promote diabetes, a serious Kapha disease.
Fortunately, there is one natural sweetener—raw honey—that is
actually good for Kapha. Taking a tablespoon or two (but no more)
every day helps release excess Kapha from the system.
Stay warm. Being a cold dosha, Kapha benefits from heat. Dry heat is
best if you are congested, a frequent Kapha complaint. Directing a
sunlamp at your chest or using a heating pad under your back often
helps with excess Kapha.
Avoid dampness. Kapha is particularly sensitive to cold, damp
conditions. Be careful not to expose your nose, throat, and lungs to
cold winter air if you are feeling sick.
Perform a dry massage on your body to stimulate circulation. This
procedure is called garshana (page 133) and is done with special raw-silk gloves (available by mail order). You do not want to use oil when
there is aggravated Kapha, since Kapha is an oily dosha. A brisk full-
body rubdown, taking five to ten minutes, is good enough; do not work
so hard that you tire yourself out. If you do not have gloves, a dry
loofah sponge can substitute.
Drink warm fluids during the day, but take them in moderation, since
Kapha is already moist. To loosen congestion and ease sore throat, a
tea made by boiling one-quarter teaspoon of dry ginger and turmeric in
one cup of water is ef fective. A special Kapha-pacifying tea can also
be mail-ordered. You can drink up to four cups a day.
Exercise regularly, preferably every day. This is one of the best ways
to avoid stagnation and the buildup of toxins in the body. Because they
are generally strong and well muscled, Kaphas tend to be natural
athletes when they are young; the arrival of adult responsibilities
makes most Kaphas sedentary. That is a pity, for Kaphas benefit from
exercise more than anyone else and should keep active at all ages.
Be honest with yourself when you are sick and you need to recuperate.
Kaphas have excellent stamina and enjoy physical activity; they also
have a high threshold for pain and do not take to their beds unless they
are very sick. If you are such a person, remember to take it easy when
you feel sick enough to be in bed. You are probably twice as ill as most
people. Kaphas can get quite gloomy unless they feel well cared for, so
let your friends and family pay extra attention to you when you are
low.
Head congestion is a common Kapha problem, which can be
forestalled by using a simple technique: Dissolve one-quarter teaspoon
of salt in one-half cup of warm water. Standing over a sink, cup one
hand with a little salt water in it. Close your left nostril, lean over, and
inhale the water a few times through your right nostril so that it enters
the sinuses. Close your right nostril and repeat on the other side. Do
not inhale deeply (which will draw water into the lungs), or force your
breath if your sinuses are clogged. You may sneeze or start to drain,which is good. Repeat two or three times as needed. This treatment is
more ef fective after a warm shower has softened the sinus lining. If
you feel any pain or have been diagnosed with a sinus infection,
discontinue the treatment immediately. It is meant for keeping the
nasal passages toned, not for curing a condition once it has developed.
HOW  TO PERFORM GARSHANA
This dry massage should be done in the morning for 3 to 4 minutes
before you take a bath and dress. Wearing the special silk glove s and using
both hands, rub your skin quickly and fairly vigorously. Over the long
bones of the arms and legs, use sweeping, back-and-forth strok es. Change
to small, circular movements when you reach the joints—shoulders,
elbows, wrists, etc. To begin with, 10 to 20 long strokes at a time are
enough; this can be increased over time to as many as 40 strokes.
Start by massaging the head, using brisk circular motions, proceeding
to long strokes as you reach the neck and shoulders. Now alternate
these two movements as you continue down the arms: circular strokes
at the shoulder joint, long strokes down the upper arm, circular again
at the elbows, long down the forearm, circular at the wrist, long down
the hand, and finally circular strokes over the finger joints.
Moving to the chest, massage horizontally with long strokes, but avoid
massaging directly over the heart and breasts.
Massage horizontally on the stomach for two strokes, then give two
diagonal strokes. Using this alternating rhythm, proceed to the lower
abdomen, lower back, buttocks, and thighs, giving added attention to
any areas where there is extra fat. (This is to promote circulation in
these areas and to loosen toxins associated with excess Kapha and fat.)
Stand up and massage the hip joints with circular motions. Now go
down the legs as you did the arms: long strokes on the long leg bones,
circular at the knees and ankles, ending with long strokes over the foot.Garshana in combination with yoga exercises is particularly useful for
getting rid of cellulite.
OceanofPDF.comPART II
THE QUANTUM MECHANICAL HUMAN
BODY
OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 6
QUANTUM MEDICINE FOR A QUANTUM BODY
On the never -ending journey of self-knowledge, the three doshas are an
important landm ark. They take us into the inner world, the only place where
intelligence in all its forms— thoughts, emotions, drives, instincts, wishes,
and beliefs—ca n be changed. But the doshas are only a halfway house.
Beyond them lie even more profound revelations


,	disease	changes	with	them.
Over	the	last	fifty	years	in	particular,	there	has	been	an	explosion	of
“unnatural”	diseases	as	various	populations	ignore	best	advice	about	the	basics
of	well-being:	healthy	diet,	physical	activity,	and	reduced	stress.	On	average	we
live	longer	today	than	we	did	in	the	past,	but	the	quality	of	life	for	many	is
greatly	diminished,	and	damaging	lifestyle	choices	are	sustained	through	a
multitude	of
medications	and	treatments	that	have	a	host	of	side	effects.
Just	as	chronic	diseases	aren’t	natural,	neither	is	premature,	accelerated	aging
in	the	many	forms	it	takes,	such	as	dull	skin,	cloudy	eyes,	or	chronic	fatigue.
Though	these	symptoms	of	aging	are	pervasive,	they	aren’t	inevitable.	Of
course,	skin	may	naturally	wrinkle	or	fold	over	decades,	but	this	does	not	have
to	happen	prematurely.	There	are	women	in	their	twenties	with	chronic	dark
circles	under	their	eyes,	crow’s	feet,	and	thinning	hair,	while	some	women	well
into	their	fifties	and	beyond	maintain	vital	energy,	shining	eyes,	and	healthy,
more	elastic	skin	and	muscle	tone.	While	genes	can	play	a	factor,	to	a	greatextent	the	rate	at	which	you	age	can	be	determined	by	your	lifestyle.	Following
dietary	fads,	eating
processed	foods,	and	consuming	chemicals,	additives,	and
preservatives	leads	to	compromised	digestion	and	skin	that	can	repair	itself	less
and	less.
Premature	aging,	including	hair	and	skin	issues,	can	be	seen	as	the
weakening
and	suppression	of	your	body’s	natural	healing	response.	By	approaching	your
diet	strategically,	you	have	more	control	over	your	immunity,	natural	healing
response,	and	therefore	beauty.	It’s	as	simple	as	that.	Your	food	choices	can
help	you	retain	the	glow	of	health	and	authentic	beauty	at	any	stage.
Each	of	the	shifts	in	this	pillar	represents	broader	and	simpler	ways	to
modify	your	eating	habits.	Incorporating	these	shifts	is	far	easier	to	understand
and	follow	than	obsessing	over	the	minutiae	of	complicated	programs,	trying	to
source	the	exact	food	listed	out	in	a	meal	plan,	or	trying	to	calculate	the	exact
numbers	of	calories	or	carbs	in	any	given	meal.	Embracing	these	overarching
shifts	in	your	daily	rhythms	will	help	you	to	achieve	the	Radical	Beauty	that	is
your	birthright.SHIFT	2:
Regain	Control	over	Your
Body’s
Natural	Processes
The	next	shift	is	about	accepting	your	body’s	natural	ability	to	renew	itself.	Life
is
	renewal,	and	therefore	so	is	beauty.	Although	you	can’t	see	it,	a	renewal
process	is	constantly	taking	place	inside	your	body.	Some	cells,	such	as	the
villus	cells	in	your	intestinal	tract	(which	help	you	absorb	nutrients)	and	the
taste	buds	in	your	mouth,	might	be	replaced	in	a	few	days,	while	other	body
parts,	such	as	bones,	take	much	longer	to	renew.	Yet	even	the	most	solid-
looking	parts	of	your	body	are	exchanging	molecules	that	move	in	and	out	of
each	cell.	Some	experts	believe	that	the	average	age	of	all	the	cells	in	an	adult’s
body	is	seven	to	ten	years.
1
	This	doesn’t	mean	that	you	have	to	wait	that	long	to
see	results.	Rather,	everything	in	your	body	is	relatively	new,	even	the	bones
that	seem	so	permanent	and	fixed.	You	are	actually	renewing	all	the	time.	This
is	exciting	news,	for	it	means	that	you	can	start	fostering	exceptionally	healthy
new	cells	today.
Your	red	blood	cells,	which	carry	oxygen	to	your	skin	and	provide	a	glow,
course	through	almost	1,000	miles	of	arteries,	veins,	and	capillaries;	red	blood
corpuscles	have	a	life	span	of	only	about	120	days	before	being	deposited	into
your	spleen.
2
	According	to	which	researchers	you	consult,	the	cells	that	make
up	your
liver—the	all-important	filter	of	toxins,	pesticides,	and	drugs—can	be
turned	over	in	as	little	as	150
3
	to	500	days.
4
The	State	of	Your	Skin
Fresh,	glowing	skin	is	very	important	to	any	woman	who	is	beauty	conscious,
but	your	skin	is	also	an	extension	of	your	overall	health.	When	you	shift	your
attitude	in	this	direction,	you	can	use	this	very	visible	aspect	of	your	outer
appearance	as	a	message	from	every	cell	in	your	body	about	your	well-being.
Before	we	delve
into	this	shift,	please	do	a	quick	examination	on	the	currentstate	of	your	skin.	Go	to	the	closest	mirror	and	check	out	your	face,	neck,	and
hands.	What	is	really	going	on?
SKIN	VERSUS
HAIR	RENEWAL
The	state	of	your	hair	and	skin	is	an	extension	of	your	overall	health,	and	many
people	experience	major	transformations	from	lifeless	and	brittle	hair	to	thicker,
fuller	hair	after	implementing	the	lifestyle	shifts	recommended	in	Radical	Beauty.
But	you	have	to	be	patient,	as	hair,	in	particular,	doesn’t	transform	overnight.	The
surface	layer	of	your	skin,	however,	is	renewed	approximately	every	four	weeks.	So
you	can	expect	to	see	clearer	and	more	vibrant	skin	after	about	a	month	of	making
a	conscious	shift	to	living	more	healthily	and	beautifully.	It’s	also	possible	to	see
more	of	a	“glow”	to	your	skin	in	as	little	as	a	few	days,	as	wastes	clear	from	your
system	and	circulation	and	nutrient	flow	to	your	skin	improves.
No	doubt	about	it,	it	does	take	longer	for	your	hair	to	regain	its	natural	health
and	beauty.	Depending	on	your	hair’s	length,	it	can	be	anywhere	from	three	to	six
years	old.	On	average,	it	grows	about	one	centimeter,	or	just	under	half	an	inch,
every	month.	You	can	start	nourishing	healthier	hair	follicles	to	produce	healthier
hair,	but	it	will	take	additional	time	to	see	more	dramatic	improvements	since	it
needs	to	grow.	By	making	the	proper	shifts	starting	today,	you	can	rest	assured
that	beautiful	hair	is	on	the	way.
IS	YOUR	SKIN	DRY?
Dry	skin	can	indicate	a	deep	level	of
de
hydration,	which	needs	to	be	addressed
from	within	by	hydrating	with	the	right-temperature	liquids	and	foods	(more
on	this	on
this	page
)	as	well	as	with	proper	skin-care	products.	You	also	might
not	be	getting	enough	of	the	proper	kinds	and	amounts	of	nourishing	beauty
fat.	Some	undernourishment	or	malabsorptive	digestive	issues	may	also	be	at
play.
IS	YOUR	SKIN	OILY?
Excessive	oil	buildup	in	your	complexion	might	indicate	that	your
liver	is
overloaded	and	needs	extra	care	or	that	you	are	not	adequately	metabolizing
and	assimilating	your	foods.	Are	you
constipated?


 of the disease symptom known as inflammatory rheumatism. When first seen the patient, a boy
seventeen years of age, was in a precarious state. His condition had been declared by the medical adviser as hopeless, an d a limit
of twenty -four hours was set within which death must occur. The resources of the physician had been exhausted, and in his opinion
all that could be done was to alleviate the excruciating pain with opiates, thus permitting dissolution to take plac e while the youth
was under their influence, and this was the course pursued. The distracted family as a last resort turned to the fast. After examining
the case, the writer accepted the responsibility, and a description of the condition of the young man w ill perhaps throw stronger
light upon the contrast that is always displayed between the methods followed by man in disease and those which nature employ s.

The boy had been in bed for five weeks; his body showed all of the evidences of the ravages of dise ase and of those of the
remedies that had been applied. The left arm, wrist, and hand were greatly swollen and painful, as were also both knees and a nkles.
The face was flushed, the breathing stertorous, the pulse very irregular, while the body temperature  was 105 degrees. In all
respects the working foundation for favorable outcome was most insecure. For two weeks immediately preceding the change in
treatment heart action had been stimulated with digitalis and with strychnine; food had been forced upon a p rotesting stomach as
many times daily as the patient could be induced to swallow; and, when the pain had become too severe to be borne, or when
delirium occurred, codein and other opiates had been used unsparingly. In addition, within the preceding seven d ays two quarts of
brandy had been poured into the youth. As the result of disease and of drugs the patient could neither lie down nor sit up, a nd his
position was a painful compromise.

Death seemed imminent, but food was at once withheld, and a gentle ma ssage treatment was administered in order to equalize
circulation as much as was possible in the circumstances. A half hour after this, an enema of warm water brought away a large
amount of fecal matter, all of which resulted in pulse and temperature showi ng decided downward tendencies, while the patient
rested more quietly and easily than for many days.

In acute crises, such as this, drastic measures are imperative, and, on the second day, application of more vigorous massage and of
more copious enemata brought temperature and pulse to still lower register; consciousness, which had been intermittent, fully
Page 13 of  72 returned; the swelling in the arm was reduced; and pain had abated. In a week the young man was able to lie at full length, a nd the
swelling, excepting  in the ankles was scarcely perceptible. Before this, natural sleep had returned, while temperature and pulse
were but slightly above normal. During this interval two enemas daily had been administered, and masses of feces more or less
hardened had been re moved on each occasion. Sponge baths twice each day had also aided in relieving discomfort while assisting
elimination, and at the end of the first week of fasting tub -baths were begun.

The fast was broken on the eleventh day with a small amount of tomat o broth fed morning and night, the supply being increased as
the patient showed increasing ability to digest his food. Five weeks from the beginning of treatment the youth was enjoying a  daily
walk of several miles, and thereafter, adhering strictly to the  dietetic regimen prescribed, he rapidly developed to a condition of
normal health and eventually to a robust physique.

The second case, a man sixty -one years of age, was stricken with paralysis of the entire right side, and, receiving no help from
medic ine, he determined upon an absolute fast. The preparatory period covered but ten days, a time too short to permit of wholly
satisfactory approach to total abstinence, but nevertheless at its completion a fast of forty days, which proved eminently su ccessfu l
in outcome, was undertaken. Paralysis of this nature, known as hemiplegia, is usually caused directly by hemorrhage in some
portion of brain tissue. For its relief but one course can be followed --to permit natural processes to absorb the formed blood clo t,
thus removing inflammation and pressure, releasing nerve force, and allowing connective tissue again to form by natural proce sses
of healing. Constant ingestion of food in the circumstances serves to aggravate and to prolong recovery, since to facilitat e the
process of absorption the blood should be relieved as rapidly as possible of the burden of waste it has been carrying, waste that in
all probability was directly the cause of the brain hemorrhage. The fast by compelling the dominance of elimination a t once
reduces the density of the blood through removal of circulating refuse, and gives the natural assistance necessary for the di sposal
of obstructions to the passage of nerve force through nerve channels --thus restoring sensation and motion the loss of  which
constitutes paralysis.

The patient in question weighed at the time of his apoplectic seizure 228 pounds. Each day of abstinence showed loss in weigh t,
and at the end of the fast the latter was reduced to 174 pounds. Bile in abundance was discharge d with the enemas, and at intervals
vomiting of the same fluid occurred. The fast was broken with grape -juice and orange -juice, but after a few days more solid food
was taken. It is well to quote from a personal letter from the patient, reading as follows:
"I was totally incapacitated from actual manual labor of any kind before my fast, and I lived in dread of a second stroke,
with a strange, unnatural depression evident upon slight over -exertion. Great drowsiness affected me, and on occasions I
would sleep  thirty to thirty -six hours, almost without intermission. My mentality was impaired, my eyesight defective,
and my speech impeded. My right hand and arm were clumsy and weak, and at this stage all ordinary human aid seemed
powerless.

"I began the fast, a nd contrary to my expectations, I had no hunger from the third day to the fortieth. To affirm that there
was no inconvenience, however, would be untrue, for by every avenue of elimination most offensive impurities were
thrown off, and at times these could not have been borne had the object been lost sight of. My weight before I undertook
the fast was 228 pounds, and the girth of my abdomen, 45 inches. After I had completed the total abstinence period, I
weighed 174 pounds, and measured in girth 38 -1/2 inche s. I am cured of my paralysis; my mentality is clear and normal;
my entire digestive system is apparently perfect; my vision is better than for years; my hand and arm are strong; I have no
dread of a second stroke; I have no sleepy spells; I feel lighter a ll over; and, when weary, I am quite refreshed and ready
for further exertion after a short rest."
A case of the disease symptom known as chorea occurring in a woman twenty -eight years of age next offers itself for description.
Preparation was undergone f or several weeks and a fast of twenty -two days resulted in the return of hunger with complete
restoration to health. The medical history of this case showed obstinate constipation for twenty years; and there were nervou s
tendencies that had been persistent ly present in aggravated form. Medical advice and direction had been constantly followed since
birth, yet, when first seen, the muscles controlling and forming legs, hands, arms, and face were in constant action, and no effort of
the will could command the m. During the first week of the fast, improvement in the latter respect appeared, so much so that the
young woman was able to walk without any evidence of extraordinary lack of coordination, and by the fourteenth day all muscul ar
signs of nervousness had c ompletely disappeared.

No unusual symptoms developed in this case. The enemas brought away solid matter in decreasing amount until the seventeenth
day, and thereafter but a small quantity of bilious fluid. Body manipulation and the baths were daily resor ted to, and the loss in
weight was not remarkable. There were almost no unpleasant symptoms, and this was of the absence of structural organic defect,
and because the patient had always led an outdoor life and possessed an equable disposition. After a time  devoted to a dietetic
regimen and judicious exercises, the case was discharged as restored to health and with no traces of her former nervous disor der.
An added benefit was discovered in that, although there had been decided impairment of sight, myopic in  character, the patient
was able to dispense with lenses six weeks after the beginning of the fast.

The distressing affliction, epilepsy, is a disease symptom that may be traced to the source of all functional disorder, the d igestive
Page 14 of  72 machinery.

The cas e of a young woman, twenty -nine years of age, will demonstrate the effect of the fast and its adjuncts upon this
characteristic of disease. Before entering the fast, the patient had tentatively followed a dietetic regimen, and had noted d ecided
improvement  in general health, but there was no cessation of the attacks peculiar to the symptom named. Medical attendance had


 unsprayed grapes. If you h ave to use sprayed grapes wash
them thoroughly in warm soapy water and rinse well. If you are sensitive
to moulds, soak them in diluted hydrogen peroxide or borax solution, or
expose to sunlight,  with a last rinse before eating.
For a longer cleansing per iod a mixed fast  may be used. For instance,
start with several days on a lentil and vegetable diet, followed by a raw
food period, several days on apples or grapes, and a further period on
juices. Then repeat this sequence in reverse order with days of eat ing
only fruit, raw food and finally legumes and vegetables before returning
to your normal diet. The whole cleansing period may last for several
weeks or even months with repeated sequences.
With acute infections have mainly fresh fruit, salads, broths an d
vegetable juice until health improves and appetite returns. In addition,
ensure at least one daily bowel clean -out by using a flush, colonic,
enema or laxatives.
If you suspect that your body is overloaded with chemicals or that the
ability of your liver to detoxify is reduced, have only mild fasts. Include
plenty of sulphur from onions and other sulphur -rich vegetables, raw egg
yolk, MSM, and possibly the amino ac ids cysteine and taurine. In case
of reactions to sulphur, use molybdenum, see Chapter 3. Regular
cleansing becomes more important the older and physically less active
we become.  84
 The Oil Rinse : Fat-soluble toxins may already be removed before they
reach t he liver. First thing in the morning take a large sip of a light oil, such
as sunflower oil or grape seed oil (preferably stored in glass bottles) and
swish it around the mouth for ten to twenty minutes, then spit it out (be
careful, it may clog the sink).  Rinse the mouth several times with warm
water. Continue this for several months.
This rinse is especially important if the lymph system is congested as it
commonly is with cancer and other chronic diseases. It is also useful with
health problems in the he ad and neck area, and dental problems.
Distilled Water Rinse : At other times distilled or de -ionized water may
be used to filter out water -soluble toxins. On rising and at bedtime use a
cupful of distilled water. Take a mouthful and hold it or swish around  for
about two minutes. Then spit it out and repeat until the cup is empty.
Mucus Problems
The two main factors causing mucus problems are sensitivity to lactose
and to moulds. Commonly both of these problems are present in those
prone to colds or the flu, hay fever or running noses, congested or
inflamed sinuses, ear or hearing problems includi ng tinnitus and ‘glue
ear’, glaucoma, throat and lung problems, and especially asthma.
In addition to controlling Candida and minimising use of lactose and
exposure to moulds, you may try the following methods.
Avoid or minimise food high in oxalic acid,  such as spinach, beet leaves
and rhubarb. Oxalic acid tends to irritate the mucous membranes, and
these excrete mucus for protection.
For hay fever, nose and sinus problems dissolve a teaspoon of salt with
a pinch of magnesium salt in a litre of warm wat er. Also add a fungicide
such as diluted DMSO, a drop of tea tree oil or a teaspoon of 3%
hydrogen peroxide. Draw this up the nostrils, one at a time, and spit the
water out.
Sticky mucus can be made more liquid for easier clearing from the throat
and lung s with iodine or salt sprays. You ma y swish a few drops of 85
 Lugol’s solution in coffee or tea around the mouth for several minutes
before swallowing, and for the salt method make a 10% solution of salt
in water, put it in a spray bottle, and puff it into the mouth while deeply
inhaling at the same time.
Another method for clearing the sinuses is to kneel with the head to the
floor and make loud snoring and snorting noises at the back of the nose.
Spit out mucus; continue for 10 minutes. Try warming ca stor oil packs
over the sinuses and  exercising by circling the head and neck. Have any
amalgam fillings or dead teeth removed.
The Sugar Cure:  Keep a teaspoon of fine sugar in the mouth until it is
dissolved, then spit out and take another teaspoonful. C ontinue with this
for one or two hours and repeat on subsequent days or weeks as
required. The sugar draws mucus dissolved in lymph fluid from the lymph
glands and so gradually clears the headspaces. It can stop a cold within
hours. For details, see: Instant Cure of the Common Cold.
Neti is an effective yoga method for rinsing the sinuses. Neti pots are
available at most Yoga centres, but you can us e a coffee or teapot with
a fine spout instead, or even some douche equipment.
Fill the pot with mildly warm and lightly salted water. Bend low over a sink
with the head turned to the side; insert the spout of the neti pot into the
upper nostril and let th e water flow out. It will rinse the sinuses and flow
out from the lower nostril.
After half the water is used up, turn the head and let the water flow into
the other nostril. Finally,  close one nostril at a time and strongly blow out
air to expel any water remaining in the sinuses.
Patting the back is helpful with infections and congestions of the lungs,
especially with asthma and cystic fibrosis. Lie face down over a chair, or
over th e edge of a bed or couch with the head to the floor. Have a helper
vigorously pat the back with flat hands while you try to cough up and spit
out loosened phlegm. It may help to take some iodine beforehand, such
as Lugol’s Solution. This tends to make the mucus thinner or more liquid
and therefore easier to expel.  86
 CLEANSING WITH REMEDIES
In addition to cleansing by reducing food intake, remedies are available
for targeted cleaning of specific systems. A liver cleanse may contain
lemon juice, choline, inositol, alpha lipoic acid, N -acetylcysteine, Milk
thistle, MSM, trimethylglycine, and vitamin C. Of special importance are
proteolytic and fibrinolytic enzymes to clean the blood vessels. Other
remedies to improve blood flow are carbon  dioxide, cayenne, fresh garlic
and olive leaf extract (oleuropein). See: Cardiovascular Disease.
Hypercoagulation
Fibrin is a sticky protein fibre. It naturally cross -links to form blood clots
for sealing wounds and stop bleeding. However, fibrin also may cross -
link with non -bleeding inflammations. Commonly  such inflammations are
due to Candida and other microbes and toxins in the gut and blood.
The resulting excess of cross -linked fibrin forms micro -clots that block
blood flow in capillaries, it also sticks to the walls of blood vessels and
narrows their opening, and it causes blood cells to clump together in a
process called hypercoagulation. Sticky blood appears to be a
precondition for tumours developing metastases, for cholesterol to clog
up arteries, and it is also a co mmon factor leading to high blood pressure,
heart infarct, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, kidney disease, muscle pain
as in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, circulation problems as in diabetes,
fainting, declining memory and dementia.
Clumping can be seen wi th live blood analysis when erythrocytes
aggregate, sometimes looking like many coins sticking together in a
column -like manner ( rouleaux formation ). Such clumped blood does not
flow freely like healthy blood and  cannot move through capillaries so that
many organs become starved of nutrients. Until sufficient improvement
with antimicrobial and cleansing therapies, fibrinolytic enzymes can
decrease blood stickiness and clean out congested or blocked blood
vessels.
Nattokinase,  originally from natto, fermented soy traditionally used in
Japan, may be the most effective  fibrinolytic enzyme. It is commonly 87
 available as capsules with 2000 FU or units of fibrinolytic activity. The
normal maintenance dose is one capsule each before br eakfast and
dinner or at bedtime, best in a non -protein drink.
However, to clean already clogged -up blood vessels and dissolve clots
a higher dose of up to 2 capsules 3 times daily may be tried for several
months or until the blood circulation is sufficie ntly improved. I ndividuals
with blood -clotting disorders and excessive bleeding should avoid
nattokinase, also when using blood -thinning drugs such as warfarin.
Serrapeptase  originally derived from silkworms, is somewhat less
effective in dissolving fresh  clots but it also dissolves old clots and dead
tissue, such as scar tissue, adhesions and cysts


(andunlike
AconiteandBelladonna,wherecomplaintscomeon
veryquickly).Manyoftheacutecomplaintsneeding
Bryonia,suchasflu,feversandcoughs,areaccom-
paniedbyheadaches.Thepatientscharacteristically
sufferfromdrynesseverywhere(mouth,lips,tongue,
chest,eyes,etc.).Theyareusuallyverythirstyand
willdrinklargequantitiesatfrequentintervals,gulp-
ingthedrinksstraightdown,oratinfrequentintervals
iftheyareinagreatdealofpainanddonotwishto
move.Theywillprobablynotdisturbthemselvesto
askfordrinksasthemovementandthetalkingwill
makethepainsworse,buttheywilldrinkdrinksleft
bythebedside.Generally,thepainswillbe'stitching'.
Theyfeelespeciallybadintheeveningaround9p.m.
althoughtheirsymptomsmayalsobebadonwaking
inthemorning.ThekeynoteofaBryoniastateisthat
theslightestmovementaggravatesthepains.The
headwillacheevenfromrollingtheeyeballsaroundin
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Bryoniaalba(Bry.)•59
theirsockets.Patientswanttostaystillwithoutmov-
ingatall.Firmpressurehelps,sotheywilllieontheir
backsand/orapplypressuretothebitsthathurt,or
willactuallylieonthesidethathurts(inacoughwhere
onelungispainful,forexample)tokeepitascom-
pressedandasstillaspossible.Bryoniatypeslikefresh
airandaregenerallyworseinhotstuffyrooms(thatis,
frombeingover-heated),althoughtheyarebetterfor
beingkeptwarmandcovered,especially ifveryill.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Angry.Anxious.Capricious.Irritable.Morose.
Sluggish.
Bryoniahasbeennicknamed'thebear'becauseof
Bryoniatypes'irritability.Theyareespeciallyirritable
whendisturbed,andtheymaylielikelogsandpre-
tendtobeasleeptoavoidhavingtorespond.They
resentanyintrusion,andwanttobeleftalonewhen
theyareill.SomeoneinafeverneedingBryoniamav
say,'Iwanttogohome',eventhoughheisalreadyat
home.Theyaretouchy,anddonotwanttobeques-
tioned,examinedorinterferedwithinanyway.
Childrendonotwanttobecarriedormovedabout.
Theyarecapriciousandrejectthings-toys,food,
etc.-theyhavejustaskedfor.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Backache
SymptomsPains:inlowerback;stitching.
Worseforcoughing;duringamenstrualperiod;for
slightestmovement.
Breastfeedingproblems
SymptomsBreasts:engorged;hard;hot;inflamed;
pale;painful.Milksupplyover-abundant.
Worseforslightestmovement.
Thebreastslookpale,comparedwithBelladonna
breastswhicharered;andwithBelladonnathepains
aremorelikelytobethrobbingwhereaswithBryonia
theywillbestitching.Anymovement ispainfuland
theinflammationmaybeaccompaniedbyfeverand
somedepression.
Brokenbones
SymptomsPainstitching.
Worseforslightestmovement.
BryoniacanbegivenafterafracturewhereArnica
andSymphytumhavebeengivenandthereisstill
tremendouspainwiththecharacteristicBryoniagen-
eralsymptoms.Commoncold
SymptomsWithheadache;sneezing.
Nosemayfeelstuffedupafterthewaterydischarge
ceases;thecoldthenquicklysettlesonthechest.
Cough
SymptomsCough:dry;infits;irritating;racking;
vomiting;disturbssleep.Breathing fast.Painin
chest:stitching;holdschestwithhands.Painin
stomachfromcoughing.Withheadache(seebelow).
Betterforfreshair;forlyingonpainfulside.
Worsefordeepbreathing;forslightestmovementof
thechest;intherightlung.
Thecoughisaccompaniedbylittleornoexpector-
ation.Eatingordrinkingcanmakethecoughworse,
becauseofthemovementinvolved.
Diarrhoea
Worseaftergettingup;duringthemorning;for
movement.
Causeshotweather,excessoffruit.
This'summerdiarrhoea' isalwaysworseinthemorn-
ingsaftergettingupandmovingaboutabit.
Exhaustion
SymptomsExhaustionextreme.
Worseforslightestexertion.
Eyeinflammation
SymptomsEyes:dry;sore.
Worseformovingtheeyes.
Fever
SymptomsHeat:burning;dry;alternatingwithchills;
one-sided;withoutsweating.
Betterforcompleterest.
Worseintheautumn;around9p.m.
Thepatientwillfeelhotinternallyandexternally,and
oftentherightsideofthebodywillbehotterthanthe
left.Iftherearechills,theywillgenerallybepresent
duringtheday.
Flu
SymptomsWithBryoniageneralandemotional/
mentalsymptoms.
Gastricflu
SymptomsBiliousness.Taste:mouthtastesbitter.
Painsaching;instomach.Withsymptomsoffever
(seeabove).
Betterforbelching.
60•Calcareacarbonica(Calc-c.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Worseforcoughing;aftereatingbread;formovement;
forwalking;intheevening;afterlyingdowninbed.
Allfoodanddrink(exceptwater)tastesbitter.Thereis
asensationofastonelyinginthestomach,andthe
painsinthestomachareoftenbetterforbelching.
Headache
SymptomsPain:behindeyeballs;inforehead;burst-
ing;violent.
Betterforcoldcompresses;forpressure.
Worseforcoughing;aftergettingup.
Causeschangeofweather;cold,dampweather;iron-
ing;over-exposure tosun.
Theseareheadachesthatlastallday,fromthemo-
mentofgettingoutofbed.
Jointpain
SymptomsPainsstitching.Withswelling.
Betterforpressure;forrest.
Worseforcold;forslightestmovement.
Jointslookeitherpaleorred,andtheyarebetterfor
restingonthepainfulparts,thatis,forpressure.Tight
bandagingwillalsohelp.
Measles
SymptomsOnsetslow.Skinrashslowtoappear.
Withcough;fever;headache(seeabove).
TherewillbethecharacteristicBryoniadrynessand
dislikeofmovement.
Mumps
WithBryoniageneralandemotional/mental symp-
toms.
Sorethroat
SymptomsPainsstitching.Voicehoarse.Withsymp-
tomsoffever(seeabove).
Worseforswallowing.
Vomiting
SymptomsVomit:tastesbitter;watery.
Worseformovement;forcoughing.
Calcareacarbonica(Calc-c.)
Othernames:calciumcarbonate;carbonateoflime;
calciicarbonas;calcareaostorearum;oystershell
Themostfamiliarformofcalciumcarbonateislime-
stone,whichisfoundinallpartsoftheworldand
originatesmainlyfromtheshellsofseacreaturesworn
awayovertheyears.Otherformsincludechalk,marble,pearlsandcoral.Calciumisthefifthmost
abundantelementinthehumanbody,andisavital
agentinthestructureofcells.
Calciumcarbonateisusedtobuildmacadamroads,
incementandplaster,polishes,pigmentsandputty,
andindentalpowdersandpastes.Itisalsowidely
usedinthechemicalindustry.
BeforeHahnemannintroducedCalcareainto
homeopathic practice,ithadbeenused,withlimited
success,asacommonantacid.
Thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefromthick
oystershellswhicharecleanedandbrokenintosmall
pieces.Thepurewhiteportionsoftheshellbetween
theinteriorandexteriorsurfacesareselectedcarefully
andgroundtoapowder.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Anaemia.Catchescoldseasily.Clumsy.Complaints
from:gettingwet;sprains.Cravingsforboiledeggs.
Dischargesthick.Dislikes:coffee;meat.Facepale.
Glands:swollen;painless.Painscramping.
Palpitations.Slowness:ofchildrentoteethe/towalk.
Sweat:onhead;sour;profuse;fromslightestphysical
exertion;frommentalexertion.Symptomsright-sided.
Taste:mouthtastesbad;sour.Tonguewhite-coated.
Betterforbeingconstipated;forheat;forlyingdown.
Worseforcold;fordamp;fordraughts;forexertion;